Apple is a company inextricably tied to the word “new” — new categories of consumer technology, new distribution models and, of course, when is the new iPhone coming out?
It didn’t take long for Julie Liu — late 20s, smartphone-addicted, constant Googler — to get hooked on the online review site Yelp. Where to eat Friday night? Read some reviews by random anonymous diners. Oh, that looks good. Book a table online, show up, eat.
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With nearly 73.5 million unique users on Twitter and a whopping 400 million on Facebook, the speculation that in 2010, companies and organizations would not be making the most of social media does not look like something that is feasible. Today, most of the establishment use social media as their key branding tool.
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By Susan Kuchinskas
Interactive ad campaigns that miss the mark are as common as skid marks in winter. While failures are always costly, high-profile missteps can be particularly hazardous to a marketer’s bottom line. We took a look at six 2008 campaigns that fomented outrage to see where they went wrong. And while it may not be fair to call any of these campaigns flops — after all, all of these ads got the blogosphere buzzing, with mainstream media coverage as well — we can tell you how to do better.
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Touchpoints Are Key to Building a Strong Brand
From Scott Glatstein, for About.com
Customers experience your brand in numerous ways: products, packaging, price, marketing, sales personnel, etc. Each of these contacts or touchpoints molds the customer’s impression of the brand. Some of these touchpoints are obvious, like product performance, and one-on-one customer interactions. Other touchpoints, such as the product manual, monthly statements or post-sales support, may be subtler in their brand effects.
Step 1: Become truly ‘Marketing Minded’
When many people think of marketing they think of meeting customers needs. Understanding and responding to changing customer needs is essential, but there is another dimension. Brand-led marketing ensures that you meet customer needs in a way that is different from your competitors . If you can’t find this point of difference you’re in danger of becoming a price-based commodity.
