We live in a highly visual environment. Less time and more stimulation, means we rarely have the time nor the want to read the fine print. Your company’s graphic design and the colors you use greatly influence consumers. Federal Express is a good example. The combination of their highly descriptive name and their use of [...]

Would Donald Trump be as successful if he’d called Trump towers, ‘Tower on the Park’? Would Rachel Ray be as merchandised if her show was called ‘Cooking in the Kitchen’ instead of ‘Everyday with Rachel Ray’? There is a lot in a name and sometimes there is no better name than your own. By literally [...]

On Monday, I wrote about the individual, catering to a market of savvy consumers who are no longer interested in brand worship. Fellow mindpetals columnist, Gina Laverde’s comment, “is unique the new same?” couldn’t sum it up better. Yes unique is definitely the new same. Last night at the launch of Samsonite’s new Alexanda McQueen [...]

When celebrating my first birthday in New York last weekend I was happy to receive the wonderful hospitality of the city of New York; free champagne, free cocktails and my wallet stolen. Yes, nothing quite puts a dampener on a night out than having all your valuables nicked. I’ve traveled and lived around the world [...]

These days consumers don’t like to be seen following a herd, they want to be seen as an individual, an intelligent consumer. The days of Gucci clad women dressed head to toe in one designer are gone. More than likely you will see people mixing and matching, wanting to get more for their money and [...]

“It’s great to have a strategy until you get hit in the head.” – Mike Tyson The problem with a strategy lies in the fact that we can get bogged down by preconceived ideas of what will work. We often spend more time on the strategy than we do on implementing it and if it [...]

The follow up is one of the most important parts of building an on-going business relationship. If you market yourself as a reliable source of information then you must continue to build on that foundation. Sometimes the follow up can take months even years before it will turn into a tangible financial reward. But in [...]

“The Internet is not a new business. It is a new marketing channel.” Barry Feig from his book Low-Cost Web Site Promotion, Steetwise Publications The Internet has revolutionized the business world giving small companies the same access to an instant world wide consumer base as big multi-national corporations. But just because you have a presence [...]

How many different ways does a prospective client come into contact with your business? Web site? Business card? Receptionist? Email? Function? Brochure? Every point of contact you have can make or break a potential deal. Are you doing everything possible to amaze, delight, impress and stand out? If the answer is no, then it’s time [...]