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According to Mashable:  Platforms such as YouTube, WordPress and Twitter have made it easier and more affordable than ever for brands to create and distribute their own content, thereby becoming media companies in their own right. Brands are investing accordingly — whether they’re hiring editors, producers and social media managers, or expanding the roles of their existing teams — to create[...]

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I think that for most people who sit in an office chair slumped over a computer all day it's no secret that sitting still can literally silently beat your back and neck to a pulp

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In the Western world, the baby boomer, as the largest demographic group, has for the past five decades dominated societal preferences in all major sectors - public, private and not for profit. Today, their dominance continues to be felt as the first wave of boomers (born in the late 1940's and early 1950's) begins to enter the world of retirement. At present, boomers control over 80% of personal [...]

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I have never come across the head of a finance/accounting function (let’s use the generic term Controller, as the title does not matter) who could not use a few more hours in every day.  I am sure that you, or your Controller, could make very good use and create real additional value, if you have just one more hour a day.  And what if that applied to every member of your staff with managerial [...]

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Social media is a miniature industry in its own right - and believe me it will likely grow in complexity and size; fast and furious.  If you are looking at blogging, Tweeting or posting on Facebook or YouTube, you'd better think through a strategy first, or face potentially dire consequences. More people are writing about this topic these days and I thought I'd give you a taste of what they are [...]

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It is very strange. For many companies marketing is a bad word. An expensive word. A word that is sometimes almost meaningless. For other companies, particularly market leaders, marketing is the driving force of their business. So why the difference in attitudes towards marketing? The reasons are actually quite simple. And it is often rooted in something as simple as attitude and approach: [...]

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What are the signs that you are missing the real value of marketing?  Are you only seeing part of the story and missing out on the real opportunity? If you find yourself thinking along the following lines, you may be missing the point and the true value of what marketing can and should be doing for you... (my thanks to the plethora of marketers that provided this insight on a recent discussion [...]

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I am seeing a trend in marketing - and it is not healthy. The more that I read and listen to the mood in our industry, the more convinced I am that marketing is heading down a slippery slope towards commoditization.  Why do I say this? Instant gratification seems to be the watchword.  We've become a society of quick answers, quick decisions, quick fixes and very little to no planning.  I [...]

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Many people jump into marketing with a gut feel.  They make decisions before asking some critical questions and really evaluating the answers.  While this often leads to quick decision making (aren't we all guilty of this more often than not?), it does not always lead to the most educated decisions, and ultimately the best decisions. Marketing without a good deal of thought may end up being an [...]

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I often find that new clients award a significant bonus to an employee but without significant communication. It is not uncommon for a busy CEO or manager to telephone a staff member and say something like “Hi Joe, I’m calling about your bonus. You are getting $X.  Well done.  You did a great job last year.  Thanks.”  Often the employee is not sure what it is that he did well, or what [...]

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