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Romance and Theater

The original design and intent of your business are important assets for your company. And it’s crucial that you don’t let the growth of your business squeeze out and overwrite your original design! Years ago, Starbucks developers created a coffee …
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Develop your own Stimulus Package

Now is the time to develop and focus your promotional efforts to create your own stimulus package and grow your business. Don’t cut off your future by hunkering down and forgetting to promote for tomorrow. Whether it is your word-of-mouth …
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Ready, Set, Start-up

If planning is essential and story is imperative, what do you do with an idea and no beginning? Entrepreneurs are those that are willing to plow ahead. They have an idea and they are able to drive through and make …
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The Beauty of Ugly

I just received a retail catalog in the mail. You know the kind – the one with trashy jewelry, unbecoming apparel, and nick knacks to help clutter your home in easy installment plan payments. It made me wonder who would …
Marketing Conundrum
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Marketing – The Irony and Conundrum

Marketers have allowed themselves to get boxed into being the “promotional Flyer department.” The “touchy-feely” go-to group when it needs to look good. An article from Marketing Week describes how difficult it can be the get CEOs and CFOs to …
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Redeeming the Creative Process SyFy

Working in creative endeavors has always been interesting. Balancing art and commerce is a fine line, and when it applies to advertising, promotion and marketing, it can get very blurry. You can always tell the ads and creative marketing ideas …
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Branding ~ Invest in One of Your Best Assets

Your brand should be the focal point of your marketing effort. Many times the sales and operations efforts will swamp the branding and eventually dilute the best. Starbucks saw this first hand in its efforts to improve efficiency when it …
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Why Healthcare Doesn’t Need a Band-Aid

Years ago I did a research project about primary care physicians as a gateway to tertiary care. We talked to focus groups, identified problems, and developed possible solutions. The fundamental problems were…well, everything! But the doctors didn’t really want help. …
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iPhones and Airlines

Some companies have a clear idea of what they want to produce and who they are producing it for. In other words, they’ve created their own culture. Apple is one of these companies. Their designs have been revolutionary (take the …