The changing nature of our industry propels us to stay on top of the latest trends. Meeting and learning from other professionals helps us do our jobs better. Here's what's on tap for marketing industry events for September. September 13, Sports Marketing, AMA The Atlanta Braves/AMA Collegiate Atlanta, GA: Join the Atlanta chapter of the AMA for a fun night at Turner Field to...Read More

According to a common, antiquated social standard, I am teetering on the slippery gray slope of being (gasp!) middle aged. As a semi-former pro libertine and hipster, I m certainly not the kind of person who should be considering my yonder years with much regard. The term middle-aged is perhaps only annoying to those like me, who find it thrust upon them. I awoke yesterday, six years old,...Read More

OK, so we all know by this point that we should be using Facebook in B2B marketing. Everyone has been writing on it and everyone has a reason why but what can scient ific research tell us about utilizing this dissemination channel? With this week s blog, I d like to add to the existing conversation by showing how social and behavioral science can further validate using Facebook in B2B marketing....Read More

Last week, I spoke about the importance of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) in B2B Marketing. Since people often make decisions based upon both personal and social attitudes, we will be most effective at encouraging a prospect to adopt our desired buying behavior if we can appeal to both. To do this, we simply must talk to people in the industry, and with this week's blog I d like to expand...Read More

This Week's B2B Word on the Street is: CREATIVE The first time a person is called "creative" usually happens early in life, and it's sometimes used as an explanation for the child being a bit "different." "Coloring outside the lines" and "marching to the beat of a different drum" are not actions attributed to conformists. And while the most creative people I know are definitely not...Read More

In B2B marketing, creating a buyer persona is key to understanding your audience. Really using that persona can help your B2B company realize its full potential and speak to the needs and goals of your prospects. Going beyond general demographics to fully identify with the persona as an individual will allow you to personalize your message, focus on a niche and match goals. Consider...Read More

This question was recently posed to a LinkedIn Group of which I m a member, and it got me thinking, because it s a question you could approach from a few different angles. For instance, one challenging thing can be setting up and measuring an effective lead nurturing campaign . So, instead of thinking tactically, I took a step back and thought about what s been most challenging for me. ...Read More

On a recent Delta flight to St. Louis, I couldn t help but notice John Slattery and Christina Hendricks staring at me. OK, so maybe it was from the cover of a magazine, but either way I was hooked. The Mad Men duo was featured on the cover of this month s Delta SKY Magazine for a story entitled The Mad, Mad World of Advertising. I held in my hands 19 pages of pure advertising...Read More

On a recent trip to London, one of many tourist stops was the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising , in Notting Hill. As soon as I walked in, I immediately noticed shelves and shelves of products, posters, ads and videos, all shouting out the various brand names that have been developed over the years. It is an amazing assortment of stuff at first glance, and it became even more...Read More

07/15/2010, Thursday PRSA │GA: Inside the Starbucks VIA Public Relations Launch Campaign: To Taste is to Believe @ Maggiano’s Buckhead 9:15 – 11:00AM Join Jennifer Babbit Bodner, senior vice president in Edelman's Consumer Marketing practice, as she shares insights into the award-winning PR campaign that supported the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew launch. 07/15/2010,...Read More

A couple of months ago, I was interrupted at work by a phone call from Ryan Gamble, co-president of the Seattle-based Storyville Coffee Company ; he may not have known it at the time, but he had no more than 60 seconds to keep my attention before I would politely - but hurriedly - hang-up. He didn't have me at hello, but when he said that he'd just been to the MLT Creative website, he at least...Read More

A current campaign I’m involved with got me thinking about my roots in consumer direct marketing. Whenever we launch a campaign that relies heavily on direct, I’m reminded that the rules in business-to-business direct marketing are really the same as they are in the consumer space. Granted, the overarching differences between the two disciplines are still present and should be considered...Read More

I read this morning that the great John Wooden has entered the hospital and is in grave condition. He's 99-years-old, and we certainly wish him comfort and recovery. If you're not familiar with the college basketball coaching legend, he brought his UCLA Bruins to 10 NCAA championships in 12 years and produced an unbelievable winning streak of 88 games. To me, and many others, he was the...Read More