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Chronicle of a Dangerous Conference Call
by Jacob Smith On April 4, 2012
A week or two back, I teased Jennifer Fleming (our content maven) with the title of this blog by starting a draft in our WordPress admin. She simply *had* to know more about it! This incident tells you two things about my blogging process: The best part of my blogs are the titles. It takes … Read More
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Feeling Distracted? Get Focused!
by Jacob Smith On April 3, 2012
How crazy busy is life these days? If you’re like me, you’re constantly being pulled in different directions with many “things” competing for your attention. So, how do you get the necessary focus to get the big picture items done? Someone quite wise on this topic is Steve Smolinsky, who I describe as a rogue … Read More
Internet Marketing
Weekday, Weekend, Wow
by Jacob Smith On March 30, 2012
A friend works in marketing for a global cosmetics company and was discussing its latest campaign to get women to buy more lipsticks. Most women, research suggests, have two lipsticks. One for work and one for play. The marketing team needed to find a way to get women to buy just one more lipstick. Their … Read More
Internet Marketing
Ever Phoned the Ivory Soap Comments Line?
by Jacob Smith On March 27, 2012
Thanks to Malcolm Gladwell for this observation. In his best-selling book, The Tipping Point, he talks about his amusement that on every packet of Ivory soap is a phone number where people with issues or comments can ring in. “Who would bother?” he wonders. Well, it turns out this strategy is the perfect ‘maven trap’ … Read More
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This American Life Retraction Insights
by Jacob Smith On March 23, 2012
I’m a big fan of the radio show, This American Life. Each week, Ira Glass and his team pick a topic and examine it from several perspectives. Like a play, there are several acts that illuminate a story in fresh and surprising ways. It’s long form journalism through voice and week after week, it delivers … Read More
Internet Marketing, Social Media
Internet Marketing Lessons From KONY2012
by Jacob Smith On March 21, 2012
With more than 100 million views, KONY2012 has certainly captured worldwide attention. Don’t know what I’m talking about? In brief, US-based organization called ‘Invisible Children’ created a thirty minute video and campaign to highlight the plight of Ugandan children stolen from their families and enlisted as child soldiers. The man responsible for the kidnapping and … Read More
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Saying Goodbye to a Client
by Jacob Smith On March 20, 2012
Sometimes, clients leave. Usually this is not a bitter divorce as much as an amicable parting of ways, often inevitable in the best of working relationships. The reasons are as varied as the clients we work with. Building a professional relationship includes planning for the end so that moving on leaves everyone feeling good about … Read More
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Effective Marketing Tactics: Lessons From Teen Soft Drink Study
by Jacob Smith On March 16, 2012
Psssst. Want to find out how to get people to do what you want? Silly question. Of course you do. Most of us want to influence behavior in some way – be it increasing web traffic, getting people to buy from you, or to take the action you want. Psychologists and advertisers have created entire … Read More