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Author: jeangianfagna

Gianfagna Strategic Marketing / Articles posted by jeangianfagna (Page 14)

4 Simple Lessons in Branding from Blackie, the Stray Cat

There was a stray black cat in my neighborhood near Cleveland, Ohio. The three little girls who live next door fell in love with him, so they convinced their parents to adopt him and make him their pet. And of course, they gave him a name: Blackie. As a marketing consultant, I think Blackie the cat offers some helpful reminders about the principles of effective branding. Here are some branding insights for your smart marketing strategy, as demonstrated by the future marketers in the house next to mine....

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B-to-B Marketing: The Power of the Personal Note

There’s a simple business communication tactic that can have a huge impact on how your clients and prospects feel about you and your organization: The handwritten personal note. Here’s why personal notes are so effective in building strong client relationships and six tips for using personal notes in your smart marketing strategy. ...

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Advertising: Still the Most Fun You Can Have with Clothes On

Famed ad man Jerry Della Femina, the creative genius behind many brilliant ad campaigns (remember the singing cats of Meow Mix?) and the author of From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor, once said that “advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.” I’ve spent my entire career in advertising and marketing and have owned a marketing consulting firm in Cleveland, Ohio for 20 years. Here’s why I believe Della Femina is right about advertising and marketing and my advice for anyone considering a marketing...

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7 Ways to Get Results from Your Business-to-Business Blog

Every marketing guru (including me) is telling their clients to blog, for lots of good reasons. But blogging is a big commitment. Do blogs produce real results for B2B marketers? Does blogging truly lead to fame and fortune? I’ve just completed my second year writing a blog about marketing strategy. Here are seven ways I’ve used the blog to increase visibility for my business (fame) and get new clients (fortune) and some blogging tips for your smart marketing strategy. ...

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Who Owns Your Marketing Campaigns? You May Be Surprised

Many companies hire marketing agencies or freelancers to develop marketing campaigns and materials. But marketers often overlook a critical step in the process: Ensuring that they own the intellectual property they’ve paid a marketing team to develop. And marketing agencies often fail to protect their legal rights to materials they’ve produced. What are the most common intellectual property mistakes marketers and agencies make and how can you avoid them? Here are some tips for your smart marketing strategy from Sharon Toerek, an expert on legal issues in marketing. ...

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Super Bowl XLVI: Which Ads Were a Smart Marketing Strategy?

Another year, another Super Bowl, and another advertising extravaganza by America’s brand marketers. Many ads were creative and funny. But when you look more closely at Super Bowl spots, a smart marketer has to wonder about their strategic marketing value. Even if the ads were clever, at $3.5 million per 30 seconds, were they a smart marketing strategy? Here are seven criteria for evaluating the strategic effectiveness of advertising and my assessment of this year’s ads. ...

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5 Lessons from My UPS Guy: How to Create Loyal Customers

One of the most difficult marketing challenges is differentiating a service business from its competitors. One strategy is to market the knowledge and experience of the firm’s employees. Another is to focus on how the firm's employees make customers feel. Case in point: Tom, my UPS delivery guy. Here are 5 lessons in how to create loyal customers from a UPS driver in Cleveland....

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What’s Next in Digital Media? Answers from the Experts

Digital media is transforming how marketers engage with customers and prospects. Whether you’re marketing to business executives or consumers, it’s critical to monitor the fast-changing digital media space. So what’s on the horizon for digital media in 2012 and what does it mean to marketers? Three marketing experts shared their forecasts last week at a program sponsored by the American Advertising Federation-Cleveland. Here’s what these digital media pros see in their crystal balls and some insights for using digital media in your smart marketing strategy. ...

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