How do you survive these extraordinary times? You have to think in extraordinary terms and escape the shackles of the ordinary, everyday promises of quality, value and service. Customers have come to expect these three factors. You can’t merely deliver — you must overdeliver and create an experience that will resonate with customers. How? All […]
For this third installment of our review of brand integration, we explored the selling channels of Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel to see how they’re navigating the recession. Pottery Barn Romantic afternoon light streams through the windows. Your gin and tonic is refreshing and cool in your hand. You hear Daisy’s voice, […]
Your marketing efforts are under attack! They are costing more to produce and getting lackluster results, right? Your efforts must be stepped up in order to survive. In most cases, every marketing effort your company has produced could have been stronger, more strategic and garnered better results. Almost every time the culprit that keeps you […]
Consumers are breaking down the traditional walls of advertising, forcing us to revolutionize the way we talk to them. We are no longer always in control of how they interact or do business with us, as we were in the past. And if you don’t believe this, your brand may be at serious risk. Factors […]
Brand is king in the realm of securing customers and creating loyalty, which can save your bottom line in this down economy. Brand goes far beyond logos and taglines—it lies within your customer’s perception of your product or service. Whether you are aware of it or managing it, every point of contact with the customer […]
If you want your business to survive in the coming months, focus is the name of the game. Consider conducting a multichannel audit, an in-depth review of your business that will allow for the creation of a blueprint you can act on with focus rather than fear. A focused audit does not have to cost […]
Any seasoned direct marketer the importance of understanding the numbers side of the business. You have to know both the left-brain (analytic) and right-brain (creative) rules for maximum success. My philosophy is “know the rules before you break them.” People often ask me for the most important direct marketing metrics. As we have evolved to […]
Smart multichannel merchants are using all their core competencies across all selling channels — including stores, Websites, and catalogs — and they’re finding that the more they do, the greater their results. Key research findings in the past few years have shown: Given these findings, one doesn’t have to be a genius to recognize where […]
Multichannel success is all about breaking down barriers between channels and building cooperation. Every company that strives for multichannel success is trying to change from being company-centric or channel-centric to being customer-centric. In a channel-centric company, one channel typically dominates the others. In this business model, the company is more important than the customer; everything […]