Strategy Articles
The Bar Has Been Raised
October 27, 2014
There’s more to social media than just Facebook and Twitter. New networks are emerging left and right. You don’t just have to start that blog you’ve been pestered about. Now you have to be a full-blown content creator. I know … Read More
Creative Marketing Today
October 8, 2014
A few weeks back my friends at Buffer invited me to moderate their #Bufferchat on Twitter on the topic of creative marketing. Creativity has always been an important tool for marketers, serving as either a campaign ingredient or embodied by … Read More
Is There Really No Such Thing As Bad Publicity?
June 23, 2014
There’s no such thing as bad publicity. (Right?) How often have you heard that? This adage gets tossed about cavalierly but if you take a step back and think about it — especially in today’s digitally driven zeitgeist — it’s … Read More
The Biggest Lesson of Real-Time Marketing
April 9, 2014
If there’s one constant with marketers, it’s that we love to name things. Why talk about integrating your marketing with high-profile events such as the Super Bowl and the Olympics when you could coin a new phrase such as “real-time … Read More
Why Better Marketers Create a Better World
February 10, 2014
Don’t laugh but I think better marketers create a better world. I’m admittedly a little biased on the subject, as I am a marketer myself. I also teach future marketers at the University of Iowa and help marketers overcome digital … Read More
The Age of Interruption Is Over
December 23, 2013
I recognize that I am a little biased on the subject but I think marketing is a noble profession. Helping organizations connect with customers and providing a channel for the exchange of goods and/or services helps both the local community … Read More
Checklist Marketing
September 16, 2013
Marketers today are busier than ever. Add to this the fact that budgets are lean, making the prospect of more help seem like a distant dream. It’s no surprise that during our Social Strategy Boot Camps, I’m often asked, “What … Read More
Why You Need a Digital Swipe File
August 5, 2013
One of my favorite “happy accidents” of my career is the fact that I came up in a direct marketing environment. Specifically it was a direct mail job with an educational publishing company. I’ve often noted the connections one can … Read More
What Red Facebook Avatars Mean for Marriage Equality
June 27, 2013
Note: I first wrote this as an opinion piece for the Iowa City Press-Citizen in March 2013 when the red marriage equality avatars took Facebook by storm. With the fall of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) this week, Facebook … Read More
Social Media Requires a Service Mindset
April 22, 2013
My second job ever, and the one I did the longest in high school and college, was working at a grocery store. I loved it (FYI – my first job was washing dishes at a nursing home – not a … Read More