At the heart of branding resides a paradox. This article unravels that paradox and examines its intricacies. more

Branding, as you might imagine, is not typically what direct response agencies do. But some direct response agencies strongly believe in the power of branding. And smart direct marketers build their strategies squarely on the brand. more

We've all heard the jokes about embarrassing translations in the marcom arena. But if you were were responsible for a hefty international marketing or ad budget, such gaffes would wipe the smile right off your face. There are some important lessons to learn about writing branding and ad copy ... more

Advertisers, including Paramount Pictures, The Wall Street Journal, and the Gap, are successfully reaching niche audiences for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. As a result, a handful of bloggers are earning six-figure incomes from their blogs. Why aren't more advertisers and bloggers getting together? Three reasons: fear, ... more

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Some ad industry leaders have complained that recent college graduates are ill prepared for today's competitive environment. Why? Because ivory tower professors, they say, are out of touch with the "real world." So maybe it's time for advertising people to give something back, for the sake of our industry's future. ... more

Direct marketers insist, "If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative." To which awareness advertisers hurl back, "If it isn't creative, it won't sell." more

What's missing in any discussion of advertising's future is a deeper analysis of the forces at work. more

Well into the age of the soundbite, we're still hard-pressed to summon the elusive 60-second description of what it is we do, what our brand provides to those we serve and why it matters. more

The traditional advertising agency is now facing competition on all fronts. more

It so happens that grassroots tours of business “rock stars” are a hot ticket of late. Here are some of the business acts on the road this year. more

Unfortunately for us marketers, the public is inundated, deluged and bombarded, every day, with hundreds of ads, commercials, emails and direct-mail offers inviting them to buy, try, upgrade, sign on, act now and order before midnight. more

If you don’t get this right, you can just forget about everything else: Your advertising will fail miserably if you don’t have something good to say. more

Products and ads often fail for the same reason—failure to pre-empt resistance. more

It takes something special to make your ad cut through the clutter. more

With Internet technology, are we any closer to knowing which of our advertising is effective and which is not? Also this week: How can we measure the effectiveness of a Web site? more

t might seem silly to think that being number one can actually be dangerous to the health of our businesses. more

e received lots of comments about our recent article , “Fresh Eye for the Marketing Guy.” Many of you asked for examples of who is doing it “right.” more

What's next for radio? And why should marketers pay attention? more

effectively build a brand today, you need PR. more

n effective headline is the most important aspect of any successful print ad. more

The value of a promotional campaign does not have to start and end with sales. Identify the "hot spots" on your site and set up a tracking system. more