The Importance of Awards

Every February, I gear up to watch each and every major film nominated for an Academy Award. I fully trust these films will impress and entertain me because of the credibility bestowed by their nominations. They are, by the simple virtue of their selection, deemed to be the best. Everyone may not necessarily agree, but we come to know popular and successful actors, actresses, musicians and the like through these award-winning nominations and achievements.

Doing Well By Doing Good – Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility

There’s a lot being said about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and what companies are doing in the realm of corporate citizenship, philanthropy and social innovation. Today, as activist groups and the media increasingly hold companies accountable for their social actions, CSR has emerged as a key priority for business leaders. However, in order to be credible and effective, it’s important to perceive CSR as an opportunity to better the world while bettering your business, rather than as a damage control strategy or simply a publicity stunt to boost your image.

Brand Awareness & Adoption: How Much Time Does It Take?

If you have had the opportunity to launch a new product or service, you know that creating a brand presence in a consumer’s mind takes time. How long it takes is different for every brand. Brand building takes time because you often have to change the prospect’s mind about an old brand and get them […]

Driving Awareness on the Issues of Dwarfism With Seattle Children’s Hospital

Did you know that approximately one in every 15,000 children is born with dwarfism, also known as skeletal dysplasia? And that 80 percent of those children have average-height parents? Neither did I. To raise awareness around this condition and to change perceptions of those individuals with dwarfism, Seattle Children’s, Little People of America’s (LPA) Puget […]

Standing Out in a Crowd: Marketing Lessons From Groupon

Groupon, like many start-ups of the 21st century, began with a unique idea. Its success came from distributing this idea using relevant technology, maintaining customer service, and consistently growing and developing its outreach. However, as with any well executed venture, other like-minded companies have begun saturating the market, leaving Groupon in a predicament that often […]

Executive Leadership Transitions and Achieving Coverage

Changes in executive leadership can be an exciting time for a company. Change often signals a continuation of momentum or the start of a new direction. These announcements are also interesting to media, who get to know executives in their given industries over time through numerous briefings and product announcements. Recently, Opscode, the leader in […]

Should Every Business Invest in Social Media?

A couple months ago I came across a really interesting read in The New York Times that posed a thought provoking question: should every business invest in social media? My initial reaction was, of course! While the level of investment should definitely vary depending on an organization’s size, goals, and about a million other variables, […]

What Does Your “About Us” Page Communicate?

The “About Us” page is one of the most important pages – and often most visited – on any company’s website. For most businesses, the messaging is first created at the early stages of the website’s design and most likely has not been reviewed since. However, while you may not be paying attention to it, […]

Making the Most of Your Email Signature

When was the last time you gave thought to your email signature? The other day I was searching for a specific email from a colleague to find an attached document. After sorting my emails by attachments, I quickly realized that every email from that individual showed as one with an attachment as he included an […]

Did you Get the Message? How Guerilla Marketing Can Be Effective For Business

“Guerilla marketing” is a way to generate buzz without instituting a hefty marketing budget. This method is oftentimes effective because it is attention-grabbing and easy to understand. Arguably one of the most famous guerilla marketing campaigns is the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. The enormous hotdog-shaped car makes its way across the nation drawing attention from children […]