My Sparkplugging buddy Dawud Miracle wrote a really good post raising the question of whether there is a difference between marketing and advertising. It’s a good question.
Read the link and debate on marketing vs. advertising.
He notes that the word “advertising” sometimes seems like a dirty word, a dishonest way to get attention. I can see [...]

I’m sure you can think of several ad campaigns whose longevity surprised you:

Got milk? (and all variations other companies used)
Trust the Midas touch
Milk: It Does a Body Good (milk must have some kind of marketing firm)
Where’s the beef?

My point is, these campaigns worked. And worked. And worked. You probably got sick of hearing them. But [...]

I used to be one of those people who thought I was immune to marketing. I don’t let commercials tell me what to buy. I scoff at magazine ads. But a window display of shoes…well, that’s not really marketing, is it?

Holidays are some of the best excuses to get a little PR and marketing out. If you remember, “Holidays” were #20 on my list of 24 Reasons to Toot Your Own Horn post. Real or otherwise, there’s something to be said about riding on an event that’s on everyone’s mind.
Here are some ways you can [...]

by Natalie Grbic
Being part of Generation Y, I encounter all the buzz about trendy social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. These sites have become extremely popular in today’s internet world. They give users the opportunity to stay in contact with old friends, advertise, and meet people. MySpace, with over 70 [...]

Natalie
As marketers, why should we worry about ethical issues? Our job is to promote our product and to make sure that consumers buy it, right? This is true, but there are limits. There’s a fine line between respecting consumer rights and selling what you are paid to sell.
As marketers, we attempt to promote a product [...]

So you’ve told the reader what’s in it for them. You’ve included a great offer. Now what?
“Call now and we’ll throw in an extra Ginsu knife absolutely free!”
“Act now! Quantities are limited!”
“Discount good through January 30.”
“100% money back guarantee for 30 days.”

You need a call to action. Something to stimulate your reader to get off [...]

Here’s a perfect example of how a company should use social media and Marketing 2.0 to advertise.
Chick-fil-A is sponsoring a contest, its “Biggest Fan Video Contest.” Entrants make a video one minute long showing why they’re the restaurant chain’s biggest fan. They upload the video to Chick-fil-A’s website and viewers vote.
Let’s see if you’ve been [...]

Black and white ads for watches and luxury cars fill high-end magazines. They’re serious and expected. But on the opposite end of the spectrum are ads like the following. These are companies who take a light-hearted approach to marketing and even make fun of themselves. It’s surprising and refreshing.

* Who would [...]

I’ve talked before about the importance of having a marketing plan, but, as the White Stripes say, it bears repeating. As I am working on growing Egg Marketing I realized I had a marketing action steps, but no real strategy. Shame on me! What’s the difference?
Action steps are just that: the actions you will take. [...]