Perhaps the one thing we as a people can take from Newtown, Connecticut is that something needs to change. In fact, a number of things need to change. Because while this tragedy shook the nation, it is not the first of its kind, and it was the result of many cultural factors that we see all around us. From violent and cruel video games to still-prevalent bullying in schools, mediocre access to mental health care to the American gun culture, we need to look at ourselves as a nation.
To each vSA associate who… created a great website, built a marketing program for a client, got our internal tracking processes in line, wrote an inspiring article, solved an onerous technical problem, brought in a client, or helped a client make the world a little better… you have inspired me. I hope in some measure you, too, have been inspired.
The ability to partner successfully has become increasingly important in many business endeavors. The need to focus on key areas of expertise, tightened finances and shrinking staffs are but a few of the reasons a business may need increasingly to use hired guns or to partner with other firms to accomplish tasks that might otherwise go undone (or be done poorly).
Genuine face time is still important. A smart executive makes the effort to build relationships and, when appropriate, to meet with the people with whom he or she will transact business. However, this same smart executive will find fresh ways to build business relationships using tools ranging from calls and emails to LinkedIn and business social media. He or she will build a reputation that can be tracked online, will strategically attend meetings and trade shows at which to hold several meetings during one trip and will keep in touch using faster, easier methods than physically “being there”.
In business-to-business (B2B) marketing, frontal assault marketing doesn’t happen every day. As the name implies, frontal assault is a military tactic, and in any military engagement, the initiator stands a good chance of suffering counter-attack, which can be damaging or even fatal. But does attack marketing work?
Cause marketing meets at the intersection of doing good business and, well… doing good. It should be a cause that the company’s prospects, customers and stakeholders can appreciate, not resent. After all, this is marketing. Choosing to cause market for a hot-button issue? First think of the old adage “don’t talk sex, politics or religion at the dinner table” and consider who’s at your “table”, marketing-wise.
What to do about Google+? The best strategic social media strategies incorporate frequency without annoyance, consistency without undue repetition and relevance.
