July 2022It seems every candidate running for office in California is promising to end the unhoused crisis. In 2017, UC Irvine and the United Way of Orange County commissioned a significant study on the cost of people without housing. At that time, the study estimated that the average unhoused person in OC costs  $45,000 in various services to keep on the …

A Memorial Weekend to RememberOriginally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated in 1971 tracing its roots all the way back to the Civil War when Northerners and Southerners alike were looking for a way to publicly mourn their fallen. Most observances were concentrated in the South, where the most Civil War graves were located. While the Civil War took …

Why virtual meetings are a permanent reality!Video conferencing has been around since 1964. But social distancing and quarantine rules driven by Covid 19 have accelerated its usage to become an everyday experience for many businesses, forcing luddites to get better at it. And it is not going to stop when the masks come off. In fact, you will see even …

SEO is the way to go in 2021!On March 11th 2020, a good client got word that their biggest show of the year was being canceled in Frankfurt. I knew immediately that this was going to be bad. Only a week later, Covid-19 restrictions forced everyone to stay at home and every marketing plan for every client had to be …

When you need help fast, just WissleWith unemployment up and police support down, there will be more to watch out for this year than just Santa. Higher crime is inevitable. One way to prepare for the possibility of unwanted intruders is to create your own private security network with a handy new app called Wissle. This simple alert system allows …

Before you say thanks, please consider thisThanksgiving is a national holiday devoted to gratitude for all we have. For many, 2020 will go down as the worst year ever due to loss of a loved one, friend, or a job, a career or business. For some it has been devastating. For others, 2020 is just an inconvenient truth. Regardless of …

Making Sense of the 2020 Census FiascoIf you were contacted incessantly by the U.S. census to complete your census recently, you are not alone. This will be one of the most expensive and the most inaccurate census ever. Essentially, the pandemic slowed the process down and the president speeded it up in early August by shortening the deadline by nearly …

Why isn’t all voting done online today?For decades I complained that every time I visited a doctor, I would be required to complete my medical history, answering questions like, “When did you have your last smallpox shot?” Heck, how am I supposed to remember all this stuff? More importantly, why can’t they computerize all my medical information, so all the …

Is working from home more productive?There are certainly a lot of articles these days that claim working from home is more productive. And many employees agree. After all, there are fewer interruptions and last-minute requests from their boss. Plus, they spend zero time commuting and a lot less time getting dressed up for meetings. They see a whole lot more …

A July 4th unlike any other in our nation’s history?Last weekend was the most somber July 4th celebration in recent history. But not the first time America awoke on the 4th to a sea of change and uncertainty whereby traditional values were being seriously challenged and millions would need to rethink their future. 155 years ago, July 4,1865, Americans awoke …

Will June Gloom Turn to Bloom?Since mid-March, it feels like we have been living under a solar eclipse. The sunshine of our lives stopped shining for two and a half months. Everything was weird. Everyone was affected. Some faced life-changing tragedy. Others were simply inconvenienced. But there was always hope that a recovery was at the end of the tunnel. …

The Yin and Yang of Corona ShuffleWhen I was young, I was grounded. More than once. But never for a month. This COVID-19 stay at home order is similar, except that everyone is grounded. Well, almost everyone. For those not directly affected by the Coronavirus, there have been many changes to daily life. Here is how I see the Yin …

COVID-19 Ushers in a New Reality2020 may go down in history as the year “live and in-person” became a threat – not a benefit. I certainly hope not, but everyone is rapidly adapting to social distancing and staying at home. As a result, some B2B businesses we work with are advancing their virtual marketing efforts to reach decision makers with …

Is it time to Switch to Plan V?Every day we hear more bad news about the rapidly spreading Corona Virus. While the potential health threat of COVID-19 is very real, the economic impact is immediate for those thousands of companies whose trade shows have been cancelled. The exhibitors, especially those who sell B2B, depend upon these trade shows for sales …

Unsafe at Different SpeedsWhen I was graduate student, a had a consulting job for a company that taught bus drivers how to operate accident free. My role was to conduct an initial cost/benefit financial analysis for cities and counties so they could justify the full-blown training program. Most cities I examined had more than 1,000 accidents a year! The training …

Amazon’s 2020 Recycling SolutionWhen Jeff Bezos won Time Magazine’s Person of the Year Award in 1999, even Bezos himself had no idea how huge or profitable Amazon would become. Now that environmental activist Greta Thunberg has become Time’s 2019 Person of the Year, we are reminded of the juggernaut of a problem Amazon has helped to create. Problem? What’s the problem? …

Closing Stores Near You – Boo WhoChange is inevitable, or so I have been told. So the closing of retail stores at an accelerated rate (over 12,000 store closings in 2019 as compared to 6,000 in 2008 at the hight of the great recession) is simply a fact of economic life. But so what? So, it’s different when the closings …

This week over 10,000 B2B marketing professionals will be attending the at the Los Angeles Convention Center and some will be learning how to build and manage a champion website that outperforms their competitors in search, traffic and conversion to sales and qualified sales leads. Bart Young will be presenting two seminars as part of the ANA Master Classes: The High-Performance …

For much of the twentieth century, professional salespeople played an integral role in B2B marketing. They did far more than answer questions about specs, price and delivery. They represented the company whose products they sold. They stood for the brand. They had clout. They could get things done; right the wrongs and fight for you, the customer. In the new …

With television viewership on par with major sporting and entertainment events, political debates have become media attractions like we’ve never had before.  At a time when many complain that the electoral college system is unfair, obsolete and not representative of the populace, the televised debates are about as democratic as any election ever could be. No country in the world …

Every summer, there are three art festivals located in Orange County’s center of creativity, the city of Laguna Beach. We are offering you free admission and parking for up to four adults! For the month of July, be our guest at all three art festivals in Laguna Beach and make it the highlight of your summer! You don’t want to miss …

It’s an age-old dilemma. While studies have shown that a 5% reduction in customer defection can increase profits by 25 – 95%, only 12% of marketing dollars are spent on customer retention and about 55% goes towards new customer acquisition. Plus, existing customers are far easier to close and tend to spend more, so existing customers become even more profitable.So …

The grounding of Boeing 737 MAX airliners due to fatal crashes should be enough evidence to convince every airline and their pilots that relying solely on avionics without human override ability is just too dangerous. So, when Tesla unveiled a car design without a steering wheel, I couldn’t help but recall the terrifying and fatal runaway acceleration problems both Audi …

Although there are some who say that the website is dead, I assure you, it’s not true for our B2B clients who depend on daily website traffic and leads to fuel their sales efforts. In fact, it has never been stronger, thanks to high-ranking natural search positions on Google. So, what is the secret to getting to the top? Is …

Attracting eyeballs has a cost, and it can be high. Which is why a lot of attention goes towards the creativity that’s put into any advertising campaign. Successfully drawing attention, eyeballs and clicks is very important, but it’s only half the story. The other half is lead conversion. Done right, lead conversion tracking monitors and reports every lead, product purchase …

OK, it’s officially past January 1. But if you are looking for some good news in the new year, this might make you smile. The pig is the designated 2019 zodiac animal to be celebrated during the Chinese New Year February 5. That’s right! Not the snake, rat or rooster. The pig in Chinese culture is a symbol of wealth …

If you decided to skip the crowds on Black Friday, you are not alone. In-store retail traffic was down about 1.7% over 2017¹. Although Thanksgiving weekend spending was up about 4.5%². So overall, things are off to good holiday shopping season. And if you were brave and joined the more than 165 million Americans who did go shopping, well, you …

The whole idea of decentralizing our financial transactions sounds risky at best, even if it is possible. Money without banks? Most people don’t get it, don’t trust it and don’t want it. Most still don’t understand why we went off the gold standard nearly 50 years ago. But we did. So why doesn’t the idea of cryptocurrency go away – …

Over the past 20 years, the digital economy has transformed entire industries. Entertainment, retail, travel, and media sectors have been turned upside down. Digital brands such Airbnb, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Netflix, TripAdvisor, Uber, and Yelp have displaced former category leaders like Blockbuster, Kodak, Radio Shack, Circuit City, Yellow Pages, and Yellow Cab as well as travel agents and media companies everywhere. But digital isn’t …

You know the ones. Those mega brands that create entire industries. Those brands that set the pace for dozens of wanna-be competitors. The ones they write textbooks about like Apple, Starbucks, Target, Charles Schwab, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Tesla, and Amazon. On the surface, one might assume it has something to do with a cool logo or a big marketing budget. But upon …

There are three art festivals located in Orange County’s center of creativity, the city of Laguna Beach. The sound of live musical performances and clinking glasses fill the air at the Festival of Arts which is a delightful display of original paintings, sculpture, jewelry and photography all produced by top local artists. Sawdust Festival is alive with art, handcrafted gifts, and clothing, …

Review marketing shifts the paradigm. Thanks to the world wide web, what used to be common sense, “never trust a stranger” has been totally overturned when it comes to shopping online. Today, a whopping 88% of consumers trust product reviews from strangers as much as advice from close friends and family. This puts an anonymous online synopsis on par with the age-old …

While social media and digital marketing get the biggest buzz these days, we have discovered that client programs centered around an event get the best results. Event marketing tops the marketing agenda for the year by providing an organizing principle that can be supported by all marketing channels. Whether it’s a seminar, webinar, user conference or trade show, the three …

Big Data is big business and while the term “big data” is relatively new, the act of gathering and storing large amounts of information for eventual analysis is ages old. The term gained momentum in the early 2000s. Its definition includes the three Vs: Volume; Velocity; Variety. While big data has created enormous opportunities for new forms of marketing, the …

Dissatisfaction is the first step in making progress. I am hoping this message reaches our friends at Google so the progress can begin. Digital advertising has many benefits to both marketers and consumers with its ability to target messages that are on point and on time. Nevertheless, there is something seriously wrong which needs to be exposed and made better …

With all that’s going on in the world today, it’s easy to be pessimistic. Thanks to global media, we become instantly aware of every natural disaster, military threat and wrong-doing as it happens. This news arrives so fast and so frequently that it can easily skew one’s perception of the state of the world. But it doesn’t have to. While many …

With so many devastating natural disasters in Texas, Florida, Louisiana Puerto Rico and Mexico, those people fortunate enough to have insurance are turning to their policies to see what is covered. Many victims of this last batch of hurricanes are shocked to discover that most policies do not cover damages caused by “named storms,” such as Harvey, Irma and Maria. …

My grandfather used to say that without unions, the average worker would not have a voice or any leverage against the big businesses that controlled manufacturing in 1900. But things have changed a lot since then. One can easily argue that big businesses revised their approach to attracting and keeping workers just to keep unions out. Either way, unions have …

Two of the most powerful words in advertising, “Fun” and “Free,” aptly describe this offer from Young Company. Four passports to all three Laguna Beach art festivals are yours for the asking. The Festival of Arts has been totally renovated and it is beautiful. Art-A-Fair has Tivoli Too, a charming restaurant located behind their many walls of interesting art. And …

Thomas Jefferson said that the purpose in writing the Declaration of Independence was to express a shared understanding of “the American mind.” It has been commented upon by patriots and scholars ever since. The most notable edit made by collaborator Ben Franklin was to replace the words “sacred and undeniable” with “self-evident” to emphasize that a truth is not defined …

As a founding member of the social media revolution, Facebook has grown to over 1.5 Billion users per month worldwide. I never realized the potential for Facebook in terms of reaching B2B customers until now. The ability to micro target people based on what they do is huge. For instance, I recently discovered I could reach 100,000 warehouse managers and …

There is no question that social media has become a major advertising channel. In 2016, digital advertising, including Social Media and Google Paid Search, produced more advertising revenue than network, cable and local television combined. Social media ad spending will top $35B this year and Facebook is leading the charge. It’s ability to target audiences (including B2B) at a low …

With the proliferation of electronic media and especially social media, there is an avalanche of content circulating our inboxes that is neither news or useful. 20 years ago, we called it Junk Mail. Today our traditional mailbox is much lighter with the reduction in printed publications and advancement of electronic bill paying and email. This year we are having great …

One of the great things about the internet is the ability for people to openly review products and vendors. While Yelp may be the king of consumer reviews, I am no longer a fan.Last week, I was searching for security equipment installers. I found one with a 5-star rating located near me and sent them a highly-detailed description of my …

As of today, Google is the world’s most valuable brand, based on market cap. It bested Apple, who has held this position for some time. With respect to innovation and value, Apple has had many major wins over the past decade that propelled it to the top. However, the nature of those innovations which marry hardware and software tend to …

When I was a kid, Democrats were liberals. And I was told that being a Democrat meant they wanted change. By the same token, the Republicans were conservatives. And this meant they wanted things to stay the same. These simplistic definitions seemed plausible back then, but today they don’t hold water. If you believe the unprecedented coverage of the major …

No, but you could say that Donald Trump won the election with a hip-pocket media strategy that the democratic opponents, pundits, pollsters and media giants did not see coming. He simply Trumped them with his effective use of Twitter. Not since the Nixon vs. Kennedy television debates in the 1960s has marketing played such a major role in the election …

With a 65% share of the global Internet search engine market, it is easy to characterize Google as a monopoly. And with Google’s recent elimination of right hand paid ads, they have pushed down natural search results, making it more necessary to buy Google AdWords. But, fear not. The number of search engine alternatives is expanding. Microsoft’s Bing (now a …

Although temperatures have not decreased appreciably in SoCal, It is officially Fall and this month we celebrate All Hallows Eve. 89% of Americans may go to the internet to research, shop and purchase everything from duct tape to chocolate cake, but pumpkins are different. Some have more personality than others. You really must see a pumpkin face to face – …

For most kids, September means the start of a new school year. New shoes. New friends. For adults, it means the end of summer and a good time to consider going back to school. Online education has grown so much in the past 20 years that there are now thousands of options available to enhance your knowledge in your chosen …

There is no question that August is the most popular summer vacation month in America. Besides a handful of national holidays, the typical American worker gets only a couple of precious weeks off a year to relax and regenerate — much less than people in many other countries. Some U.S. companies would prefer that employees take no more than one …

The Festival of Arts has opened its doors with an outstanding array of artists and live musical performances. This venue is one of three art festivals located in Orange County’s center of creativity, the city of Laguna Beach. The festivals include: Sawdust Art & Craft Festival, Festival of Arts and Art-A-Fair. We are offering you free admission and parking! You …

By this time next week, the California primary will likely be history. The predictions are calculated for months in advance on a daily basis, so there is little room for surprise. And if there is a surprise like we experienced in the Gore vs. Bush election of 2000, everything turns into chaos. Political chaos is never good. So I have …

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day. Contrary to what some believe, it commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A minor holiday in Mexico, it has become a very popular celebration of Mexican culture in U.S. which includes tacos, guacamole, chips and pitchers of margaritas. Enjoy responsibly! …

If you love great marketing like I do, you’ve got to appreciate Tesla’s announcement of the Model 3 and the 100,000 reservations it produced on the first day. Wow! It has been a while since a product announcement has made headlines. It’s truly refreshing in light of all the horrible news we see each day. The long wait until the …

Google made major news last week when it eliminated the right rail (sidebar) ad slots and moved its CPC paid search results into a single column on the left. While consumers will appreciate the clean white page look, it will impact marketers in 3 significant ways: Position becomes more important than ever, raising prices for those coveted top PPC slots. …

Just when we thought we had mastered the nuances of search marketing, mobile comes along and takes over as the preferred platform and search goes vocal. The shift to voice recognition search has led to changes in how Google receives and displays search results. Voice search presents a tectonic shift in how people search for and discover content. As more …

While the world has experienced some horrific tragedies in 2015, there are five very good reasons to be optimistic as we set our sights on 2016. More rain is predicted – and hopefully not all at once! U.S. GDP is growing steadily at 2.5% and should continue for a few years Lower gas prices continue to boost investment in renewable …