Posts from —

Dear GM:

Thank you for providing today’s lessons on multichannel marketing, branding, and damage control. So far, you are not doing very well. I hope you get it right in the end because you have a great brand. It isn’t fun watching you shoot yourself in the foot.

GM, your preparation for your trip to DC, hat in hand, to ask for a loan was impressive. You obviously paid attention when the financial sector asked for their bailout while continuing junkets and extravagant spending. Before you asked for financial help, you cancelled your star-studded Style event, holiday parties, reduced executive perks, and placed a moratorium on white-collar raises. Since you were so in tune with public opinion, I have to ask, “What were you thinking when you took the private jet to DC?” [Read more →]

…you gotta wear shades! No, I haven’t lost my mind, but I do admit it seems like an odd statement following the latest economical gloom and doom numbers. Let’s start out acknowledging that there are challenges in our global economy. Some companies may not survive, but the ones that do will be leaner and stronger than before.

On a flight from NY to Atlanta, I overheard some people talking about the economy. Instead of looking for opportunity, they were lamenting that they had missed the Internet boom. There were a lot of “if, then’s” in the conversation. Yes, some people made a lot of money in the early Internet days. (Some lost it all and more, too!)

When the Internet was in its infancy, if you had the right vision, you could grow exponentially. Those days are gone. Or, are they? [Read more →]

Free customers are like the “World’s Largest Christmas Stocking.” They look good from the outside, but when you start digging in, you find that the value is missing.

A few years ago, I won a raffle for the “World’s Largest Christmas Stocking.” It was so big I needed help carrying it to my car. It measure seven foot tall, three foot wide, and was filled with toys. Winning it was fun.

Opening it was disappointing.

Instead of toys, it was filled with accessories. Every item included required additional purchases to be functional. The children’s excitement transformed into annoyance before the stocking was empty. “Bummer” was the word of the day.

When you analyze your free customers, acquired via the Internet, expect the same results. [Read more →]