December 6, 2009
I'm often asked about the story of my little steakhouse, Caminito Argentinean Steakhouse, in Northampton, MA. It's not often that I write about our full story. Well, recently I was asked to contribute a case study to the WOMMA Metrics Guidebook. I thought it may provide for an interesting read for you and may give you some insights or be helpful to you for application into your industry. Once you're done reading, or even before you start reading, make sure you download the WOMMA Metrics Guidebook.
November 12, 2009
Were you as amazed as most of the rest of the country when Barack Obama seemingly came out nowhere to take the 2008 Presidential election by storm? Have you sat back and scratched your head wondering how the Obama campaign did it? Are you amongst the group that wants to understand how they built such a strong community, both online and offline? Need a break from the regular onslaught of business, marketing, and self-help books? If you're whipping your head up and down, first, stop. We wouldn't want you to get whip-lash. Now, don't even bother watching the video below and go buy 5 copies of The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory
(Amazon affiliate link) by David Plouffe. Enough said.
October 14, 2009
One of the most inspiring and captivating presentations of the Inbound Marketing Summit was the keynote that Chris Brogan delivered. Yes, I work with him at New Marketing Labs. No, that is not why I feel the need to pimp the hell out of this presentation. I have the distinct opportunity to hear Chris speak often where I see him develop concepts that he then takes on to other cities. He usually shares his thoughts on where these tools are taking us and how it's changing the way we work, think and interact. Usually a few concepts spark conversations and get retweeted and shared around. But, at the Inbound Marketing Summit, on that day, Chris was in a different zone.
July 29, 2009
There has been a lot of buzz around Kogi BBQ, a Korean BBQ taco truck in LA that has used Twitter (@KogiBBQ) to create a phenomenon that produces lines that stretch around street corners to wait for the truck to arrive. While I travel through LA around once a month, I have yet to stay in LA for any amount of time where I would have the opportunity to visit the Kogi BBQ team and try one of their tacos.
May 11, 2009
Wouldn't it be great if you had a profile of who your exact customer was? Imagine all of the things you could do with that information. You could do research specifically on that ideal customer. You could design your marketing creatives and programs around exactly what that ideal customer likes and is receptive to. You could get rid of the fluff and only target those leads who fit that ideal customer profile. No more wasting time having to call, email or meet everyone...you only seek to interact with those who meet that profile. Sounds great huh? Sounds like something impossible or that you have to pay tons of money to a consultant to develop a lengthy report right? Wrong.
May 6, 2009
Is it possible to provide great customer service without ever speaking to your customer? I think so. Actually, I know so. Since its inception, I have been a regular customer of Netflix. There have been a couple times where I've canceled the membership because of traveling, moving, etc but I've always come back. Why? Well, beyond the fact that it's a genius system for a great price, I have always loved their care for the customer experience. I've never talked to one representative at Netflix. Do they even have customer service reps? I'm sure they must have to but I've never had a need to go looking for a number. Yet, I always feel like they are continually trying to improve customer service thus improving the overall customer experience. How so?
February 17, 2009
It's no surprise that word-of-mouth can be the best marketing a company could ask for. It can also be the most detrimental to a company's brand if that word-of-mouth is negative or even indifferent. As we are going through difficult economic times, it becomes even more important that you cherish every single customer. Furthermore, word-of-mouth is now on steroids with the speed at which information travels across and through social networks. So, how do you ensure that your customers become a positive word-of-mouth vehicle for your company? One way is through developing raving fans of your brand.
December 22, 2008
This weekend I had the chance to take my dog out and really play around in the snow with her. I love spending time with my dog, Sasha. But unfortunately, my schedule over the past few months prevents me from doing some of the really fun things that we enjoy doing like going on hikes, swimming, and running around at the park. Being part Australian Shepherd and part Siberian Husky she loves to zip around...especially in snow.
October 27, 2008
On October 29th from 1p EST to approximately 3:30p EST, you will have the opportunity to watch 32 leading business, marketing, and social media experts. The best part is you don't have to travel anywhere and it's free!
