Yes, We Do That

I've been a basketball fan since I was a kid. And it has always been pretty clear to me that a lot of people who aren't basketball fans, do tend to enjoy March Madness. Maybe it's the competitiveness, or the bracketology, or the cinderella stories, or maybe just the chance to win a buck!

What has stood out to me over the last few years, however, is that the "hype" doesn't seem to be as great as it used to be. Is it me? This year's tournament, in particular, has more than its fair share of Cinderella stories. From Harvard to LaSalle, to Florida Gulf Coast and Wichita State who are both still in it. And teams like VCU, Butler, Baylor and George Mason still seem to carry that Cinderella aura even though they've managed to actually become somewhat regulars in The Dance.

Well, being a Patriots fan, this year's Super Bowl took on a little bit of a different twist for me. Of course being a Patriots fan means that you actually expect them to be in the game...anything less is a disappointment. It's so much of a roller coaster that because they weren't in it, I kind of forgot it was even on. But, when I did settle in, looking forward to the commercials wound up being what piqued my interest the most.

So, for the 2013 Superbowl, I decided to publish my own list of the top 5. Here goes:

Hopefully I touch a nerve with this one. Talk about an effective email subject line. It just came through my email and took me to a survey. Of course it was one of those surveys where I had to say "yes" to getting information on erectile dysfunction, Turbo Tax, the jelly of the month club and replacement windows. And because I was only interested in 3 out of the 4, I didn't qualify for the grand prize. But it did let me see the results...I'll share in a moment (I was surprised!)

Written By John Brien

 “The film is set in 1933, at the height of the Depression, in Winnipeg…Beer baroness Lady Port-Huntly announces a contest to find the ‘saddest music in the world’ as a way to promote her brew…. The self-styled Beer Queen of the Prairie invites musicians from around the world to compete for the $25,000 prize… She even has a slogan: ‘If you're sad and like beer, I'm your lady.’”

- Jonathan Rosenbaum Review of The Saddest Music in the World

Okay, so you have to be something of a movie buff to know about The Saddest Music in the World and its director, Guy Maddin. Musicians representing various countries compete to deliver the “saddest” performance, with the winner(s) of each round sliding into a giant vat of beer (if only the contenders in American Idol had it so lucky).

2013 is here! We made it through 12/21/12 and instead of preparing for basic survival, we're now focused on bathing ourselves in leads in 2013! Here are 10 ideas on how we can make our lead generation methods more successful this year:

10. I RESOLVE TO - START. This is funny to me because it is arguably the most important one on the list. In many ways, we've made this way too complicated. Focusing on perfection and analysis of end results without simly saying "something is better than nothing". Should I try one to one communications, or maybe some promotional imprinted produts, or maybe lead nurturing campaigns? All good ideas. I'm not advocating allocating budget dollars without rhyme or reason, I'm simply saying that in order to get results, you have to get started. So I resolve to "do" more in 2013.

Written by Farnoosh Torabi | Yahoo Finance  - December 24th, 2012

What do JC Penney, Mitsubishi Motors and Martha Stewart Living magazine all have in common? Each has earned a spot on the list of brands that will likely disappear in 2013.

Financial news site 24/7 Wall St compiled the full list by scrutinizing American companies based on sales, customer base, market relevance and overall fiscal health.
 
Some predictions we made earlier this year have already panned out. Mobile carrier MetroPCS was acquired by Sprint, automaker American Suzuki went bankrup,t and Current TV announced it will be sold or go under, says 24/7 Wall St.’s Editor Doug McIntyre. “We stand by the overall accuracy of the list.”
 
Here are six more brands that the group predicts will likely to go bust in the New Year.

Written by Tom Pick, Published July 23, 2012.

Social media and inbound marketing techniques have been a boon for marketers. Not only do leads generated through social and content marketing cost half as much as traditional outbound-generated leads (see below), they also close at higher rate (again, see below).

And social media isn’t just about lead generation of course. While prospective buyers are using search and social to research products and services before making purchase decisions, marketers and PR professionals can use those same tools to research buyer wants and needs. And their competition. And…even social media itself.

Which brings us to this post. Wondering which social network is most effective at generating b2b leads? What marketing technique generates leads with the highest close ratio? What the best day of the week is for Facebook posting? Which U.S. city produces the largest share of “pins”on Pinterest?

Find the answers to those questions and many, many more in this collection of 72 fascinating social media marketing facts and stats for 2012.

Far from a "buzzword" or even a trend, but I'm not sure how to truly categorize it. Important? Sometimes. Irrelevant? Sometimes. Overblown? Sometimes. Understood? hmm, let's talk about it...

In my opinion, the reason why I would even use "buzzword" in the same sentence as Branding is because it truly has become overused and misunderstood. Probably the prime example of those who have taken marketing classes, read some books, listened to others and have come to simply just "believe" rather than truly understand and develop a practical opinion. How important is branding in the overall scheme of marketing? I hate to disappoint with this simple two-word answer, but the truth is...it depends. (those are the two words)

A Colleague of mine forwarded this on to me just this morning. Instead of saying the same things over and over again, it's nice to hear someone else for a change. This is an article by Nick Nanton, Emmy award-winning director/producer and agent to celebrity experts. Thank you Mr. Nanton...well said: 

Some of you will laugh at the very thought of direct mail, but I can assure you, it’s a great source of connecting with prospects and existing customers allike. Particularly in our overly-junked-up-email world where people tend to pillage their inboxes and delete anything that doesn’t require a personal response. People respond completely differently to direct mail, that arrives on their doorstep, than they do many other forms of media. Direct mail can be as basic as a postcard or a letter on letterhead, or as complex as a full “shock and awe” box that has lots of stuff in it that gets your prospect really engaged like CDs, DVDs, MP3 players books and just about anything you can fit in the box.

I sent out about 18,000 direct mail pieces last month, and I learned a few lessons, just like I always do. Maybe I can save you a few dollars, and a few lessons by sharing some of the most important things I’ve learned over the years about direct mail.

Below is a list of 10 very important things you should look at when sending out direct mail.

After some wild weather and serious time to reflect on what's important, let's get back to the good stuff! Here goes according to Yahoo:

Cheryl Burke: Our good old friend Cheryl and Dancing With the Stars. Looks like The Bachelorette may be in her future? Would ABC really poach a star from another reality show? We shall see.

Eva Longoria: 2 for 2 so far...I obviously know who she is. But why is she in tears? I suppose she was so moved by Obama's re-election that she just had to let it out.

Kirsten Gillibrand: Or I should say "Senator" Kirsten Gillibrand. The first campaign in the state of New York where two women were running for U.S. Senate.

Well I didn't really learn a lot this time around. But given the politically charged environment, I suppose it was nice to learn of Senator Gillibrand.