Don’t burn bridges

Common Misconceptions

Five for Friday 8.27.10

For a short week, it seemed like this week lasted forever. Despite being in meetings and away from my desk, I feel like the week was a very productive one. I am also glad to say that Scott Stratten's book Unmarketing came out this week and I am featured in it talking about Vistaprint's social media strategy. A book review is coming in the next few weeks, but if you want to check it out for yourself, click here to get it for less (Amazon affiliate link). How about you? How was your week?

Cartoon of the day

Dramatic contacts

Like most e-retailers 1-800 Contacts relies on the Web to sell their products.  There are many products that can get away with the lack of personality of the Internet. Buying glasses and contacts is a personal transaction. You need these things to see so there has to be a level of trust to make the transaction.

H&M Gets Flashy

Now while I like the video's embrace of the Flash Mob, I wonder if it is a sustainable marketing tool. For starters, other competing brands are seen in the video - Macy's and Sacks - in a natural setting. Do you want to give the competition more face time?  I would also  assume that the kids were wearing H&M gear - but I can't be sure.

The Ugly Sweater

If you’ve read this blog for any period of time, it’s safe to say that you know my stance on who should be running a company’s Twitter account. If this is your first time on the site, hopefully you find something that you enjoy and maybe you’ll consider following me on Twitter or signing up for the blog’s RSS feed or subscribing by email.

In response to Gary Vaynerchuck

While Gary focuses on commercials in his videos, I would also suggest that companies are missing the boat with their offline and radio ads as well. Radio has the same limitations as TV in selling products, but you could gauge the reach on top of the metrics the stations offer by offering a specific Facebook page with a survey that asks where they heard the commercial along with some interesting content. You could also add the URL to magazine and other print ads because it puts something tangible and actionable on an ad that won’t immediately garner a sale on the john. By adding a link you could also get someone heading to the site if they happen to have a BlackBerry or iPhone handy in their *ahem* office. What could it hurt? A tiny URL or Facebook call out in the corner of the ad won’t hurt anyone, but will add some more bang to your buck and some additional metrics to track.