Much has been written about how marketing has changed over the past 15 years because the tools have changed. My question – has marketing really changed? I recently hosted a full day seminar and asked participants what they expected from our time together. I do this to make sure I cover the most requested areas in enough detail. As usual, social media was the top vote getter and as usual, I said we would get to the topic after lunch. Before that, I explained it was important to understand what we at Dinkum call “the foundation”. The foundation is digging Read More

I was walking through an underground section of Philadelphia called Market East. I noticed a lady walking around with a basket looking intently at those seated and once in awhile she would go over to someone and speak with them. I asked someone near by what that was all about.  I was told that she is there every day at lunch time. She works for Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). She looks for those people who have food from KFC and when she finds someone she hands them a wrapped mint and reminds them that KFC has unlimited drink refills. I Read More

At this point I am guessing most of you have heard about or seen the nearly ubiquitous QR codes, and many of you have used them. If you are not familiar with them,  go here for more information. But as cool as the QR codes are, there is something even better on the horizon.  I am betting most of you have never heard of NFC. NFC stands for Near Field Communications and it is coming and you can tell everyone you heard it here – perhaps first. Now let me explain – NFC is taking our mobile technology to a Read More

After a few weeks of not going into Google+, I decided to stop in and see if there have been any changes. There were – yeah! So I spent some time inviting more folks and seeing if I could drum up some level of use for this once promising offering. After just a few hours I got an email that stated, “I have had several people tell me they hate it and have quit.” Hmm. Google did you miss the boat? I believe the roll out and the whole promise made this a really poor initiative by Google. The old Read More

I know that much has been written on this topic, but knew I needed to weigh in after attending a recent event. Folks were introducing themselves. More than once I asked the person next to me,  ”What do they do?” The usual response was, “I have no idea.” If you cannot tell me who you are and what you do  in a 30 second commercial, then you failed. Not me – you! Everyone of us needs to take responsibility for how we come across to others. Sometimes it is a tech guy trying to explain something to me and he Read More

I have been following the start up of a local company that has put together a website specifically for the use of CEOs but with a few things I have not seen elsewhere. CEOIntronet is a social media platform with specific parameters on who may join – namely you must be a CEO of a company. While I have not really thought of myself as the CEO of Dinkum Interactive, my business partners Paul and Jacob said I could be the CEO this week. The concept behind this exclusive venture is that there are a number of things that CEOs Read More

I admit this poll is small in nature and certainly lacks any credibility with anything resembling scientific research – however I believe it validates a few things about social media that I have felt are fast truths.  The Background The first survey was done while listening to a number of students who joined our tailgating fun prior to the latest Penn State football game – a win I might add here, especially since this does not look like a stellar year like times of old. I purposely did not participate in the conversations as they discussed their dislike of the Read More

I just got back from taking 2 weeks off. Yes, 2 entire weeks. The last time I took 2 weeks off in a row was 25 years ago for my honeymoon. This was a great way to celebrate 25 years with a great lady. More about the trip and my thoughts on Alaska in the next post. Today I want to post about the FABULOUS city of Vancouver and what is has to do with marketing. First of all, the city knows how a transportation system should run. Routes and other information are clearly marked, and a day pass that Read More

Someone walks into your store and you ask if they need help. ‘I’m just browsing’, they respond. After a bit of a look around, they leave empty handed. Is this what’s happening with your website? Do plenty of people visit but no one is buying? You need the Dinkum treatment. Step One: Identify the Right Customer The right customer or client is the one that wants what you’ve got and that you enjoy working for and selling to. It’s about matching their needs with your skill-set. Dinkum begins this process by performing an audit, writing a change document, constructing a Read More

Recently, our own Rick Simmons interviewed Founder and President of Benari, LTD, Steve Smolinksy. Steve is a popular speaker, Professional Faculty and Region Manager Africa  for the  Wharton Global Consulting Practicum of the Wharton School, Consulting Professor Singapore University, and co-founder of Conversation on Networking. And he works with Dinkum Interactive for the tech ‘stuff’ that keeps him visible online! Rick: Why don’t you give us the name of your company, and a little bit on what you do? Steve: OK,  Benari LTD is the company.  We advise business owners, CEOs, Presidents, and their senior leadership on creating a fully Read More