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The Art of Writing for Brevity

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We are all guilty of it. Getting too wordy when writing. I see it all the time on marketing materials, magazines, catalogs and websites. Here are a few pointers that have helped me write more concisely.

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European Newspaper Industry: One Step Ahead?

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First Healthcare and now, newspapers?

While many European newspapers are facing the same problems as those here in the States, there are a few standouts that have found creative ways to stay afloat and even profit, in what seems to be a dwindling industry.

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Thank You Advertisers, For a Glass-Half-Full Attitude

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Like I said in my A Little Bit of Good News In a Bad News World post a couple of weeks back, I am SICK of hearing bad news everywhere. So that is why I was happy when, while researching this week’s article, I found that advertisers are infusing their ad campaigns with positive messages.

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Marketing 101: Keep Your Messages Consistent

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Actions Speak Louder Than Words. We have all muttered those words before. It usually has to do with a personal experience with a friend, foe, lover, family member or whatever, but it’s relatable to marketing as well. Have you ever had someone tell you they would do something and then they do something else? That’s called inconsistency. And when all is said and done, it is the action that we tend to [...]

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Social Marketing: Who Has the Power, Consumers or Brands?

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Sometimes things are just better left the way they were. Lately, through the thousands of social marketing tools that have entered our world, customers are getting a chance to speak out like never before. Here are a few recent examples of how customers have responded and some questions about what is really going on here.

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A Little Bit of Good News in a Bad News World

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It seems like every time we turn on the news these days, we hear a glass-half-empty attitude about everything. And for good reason. There are a lot of bad things going on in this world right now. It has gotten to the point where I can hardly bear to watch the nightly news. Lately, I just turn it off, because it can be so [...]

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Recession Proof Industries: A Few Unexpected Industries That Are Up When the Economy is Down

A while back we wrote about how to find a job in a recession, and we recommended you look into industries that are expected to keep growing despite the downturn. Most of those industries were pretty obvious, though, so here’s a look at some unexpected industries that continue to rock through the recession.

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Case in Point: The Value of Word of Mouth Marketing

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Recently, I had the pleasure of volunteering for a fundraiser here in the Bay Area. We helped set up and were then told that one of the wineries sent a few cases of wine but no representative, so pouring their wine would be our job for the night. My first thought was ‘why wouldn’t you send a representative from your business to talk about your product to 300+ wine drinkers?’

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If All This “how-to…” During A Recession Advice Worked, Then Why Don‘t I Have A Job?!

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Just like many of you, I was laid off when the market tanked. I guess considering that I was in marketing for a real estate development company, I was asking for it. Now I am getting frustrated…grrrrr…I am a hard worker, awesome at what I do (did) and I want to get back to doing it. So why is no one responding to me?!?!

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Advertisers Ride the Coattails of the Obama Brand

I am not talking about t-shirts, mugs or bobble-head dolls. I am referring to some recent not-so-subliminal advertising from the likes of Pepsi, Ikea and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. President Barack Obama’s marketing efforts have been the most influential since JKF used television to…

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I Only Watch the Superbowl for the Ads

Ok, no not really, but sort of. I like football and I love advertising. But here we are in the midst of a recession and Superbowl XLIII is just around the corner. Thousands of layoffs have been announced in the past 2 weeks alone and major corporations are cutting costs. So how are this years’ commercials going to pan out compared to years past?

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