McDonald’s Revolution in Retail Marketing

/in , , /by

As I was traveling recently through St. Joseph, Mo last week, I stopped to get some gas and near the station was a McDonalds. I haven’t been in a McDonalds for about a year and decided to order my lunch. I wanted to stretch my legs, so I walked into, what I would consider to be the future. 

I was greeted with a digital Kiosk board. Actually three of them. And all it said was “Create your taste”. I could create my own burger, with ten additional sauces, avocado, tortilla strips, three cheeses, grilled or raw onion and the list goes on-even lettuce wraps. You see, I walked into the very first 6,500 square feet McDonalds offering you to create your own burger. Also looking around I saw televisions, armchairs and couches.

As I moved my hand around, I created my own burger. Once paid on the kiosk, I was asked by someone standing by me to take a seat. Huh? McDonalds is going to deliver to my table? I was given an electronic device that linked my order to my table.

Read more

Make An Impact With A Pop Of Color

/in , , /by

I’m a sucker for anything pink. I bought my first iMac because Apple offered it in fuchsia. I got a brand-new KitchenAid in pink, even though my old one still worked. I even bought a car in red raspberry, which is as close to pink as cars come.

So imagine my delight when I walked the floor of the International Home and Housewares Show (IHHS) last week at McCormick Place in Chicago. Down every aisle pastel pinks, blues and purples captivated me while bright red, green and yellow items captured my attention. Everything from kitchen utensils to luggage…small appliances to pet supplies colorfully screamed “notice me.”
Read more

branding and marketing

For Those Who Do Not Believe In Branding and Marketing

/in , , , , /by

So… you are one of those people that don’t believe that branding and marketing works…

Well…

Why do so many companies spend millions of dollars for just a few seconds of air-time on the Superbowl each year?

Why do millions of people flock to Starbucks every morning?

Why has Apple taken over the phone industry?

Why has Nike signed more athletes than any other brand?

These answers are way too obvious. Read more

#WorldsToughestJob Media Strategy

/in , /by

American Greetings Cardstore decided in the Fall of 2013 that it would take its traditional marketing budget and go online instead. This was the beginning of the cards company’s journey in digital media. For Mother’s Day it offered a unique job opportunity to over 15 million viewers and 12 people applied to the job posting.

Read more

disney effective marketing strategies

Effective Marketing Strategies We Can Learn From Disney

/in , , /by

Did you know that Walt Disney spends 600 million on media marketing each year? This is NOT Walt Disney but the motion picture studio. However, it has garnered them 1.84M Twitter Followers and 13M Facebook Likes which kills everyone including Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Studios, 20th Century, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Lions gate. Disney beats out everyone so bad that the closest group is Universal studios at 2.7M Facebook Likes. Read more

Do You Truly Know Your Competitive Advantage in B2B Advertising?

/in , , /by

In business-to-business advertising, it’s essential your messaging distinguishes your company, products and/or services from the competition. That’s because when advertising in trade publications or on industry-specific business websites, your ad is likely to be seen next to or around the ads of your competitors. When targeting the same audience, what will make your ad—and therefore your company—memorable?

The best way to differentiate your business-to-business advertising is to focus your messaging on what truly sets your company apart…your competitive advantage. It seems simple enough, but surprisingly, many companies don’t really understand their competitive advantage or don’t exploit it. Read more

Attraction Marketing II: The Marketing March

/in , , /by

Attraction Marketing is the process of making your company, its products, services and culture more attractive to prospects by driving marketing initiatives with the people you already employ. How to process this activity to steadily move your marketing forward, using data to guide you, is called “The Marketing March.”

The strategies outlined in Attraction Marketing are numerous and interdependent. Keeping each strategy moving forward is critical. Getting things all moving in the same direction has been referred to as herding cats and making decisions on where to focus resources and where to cut is the key to success. Read more