Your favorite relative apparently loves online retailers. The proof is Uncle Sam’s sales tax policy — he doesn’t require internet businesses to collect any! That’s right. Not one single penny. Why is the government keeping its mitts off of cyber sellers? Most of the reluctance is an outgrowth of the 1992 decision handed down in Quill v. North Dakota. Here’s …

  It’s a great big Google world. OK, sure there are dozens of other search engines. But if you need to find something out in a hurry, who you gonna click? Most likely the big G. Great news for those of us tackling direct B2B marketing. But if you’re planning to mine major gold from Google or any of the …

Like most of us navigating the marketing landscape, I’m constantly on the hunt for insights that bring the sometimes nebulous world of social media into sharper focus. Recently, I learned of an online resource that promises to do that, and more — Emerging Trends in B-to-B Social Media Marketing: Insights From the Field. Published by ‘B to B Magazine’, this …

Steve Jobs’ resignation from the position of Apple CEO signals the end of a remarkable period in the computer giant’s history. In 1997, the year Jobs returned to Apple, the company was floundering. Ho-hum products and monetary waste had taken their toll. This once-shiny Apple now seemed rotten to the core. As if waving a magic wand, Jobs restored the …

Last week, Hewlett Packard’s startling announcement sent shock waves through the computer world. As hard as it is to believe, the company intends to slam the brakes on its tablet computer and smartphone products. Yes, these nifty gadgets soon will be a thing of the past. What else may become a thing of the past truly boggles the mind. Management …

It’s a question that likely dates back to the first time a member of the human species exercised his or her right to voice an opinion – At what point does freedom of speech go too far?The answer typically is found in that fuzzy gray area between inalienable rights and common sense. Recent unrest in Egypt, and then in the …

Where would we be if Thomas Edison had given up after his initial experiment? Quite possibly at the candle shop purchasing the latest in wax-coated illumination for our homes and offices. Throughout history, perseverance has made the difference between soaring success and agonizing defeat. And this is as true for marketing as it is for the next scientific breakthrough. The …

So why can’t we have insurance that plans for them? Today, Laguna Beach was closed to through traffic due to flooding. It has not flooded here in 100 years. Yet today, downtown business owners are devastated by a natural disaster for which they have no insurance. In the words of city councilman and local business owner Kelly Boyd, “This is …

Numerous companies and organizations are tapping into a new kind of firepower — brand relevance. In a nutshell, brand relevance gauges a customer’s affinity for a given brand. The metric, in turn, enables marketers to calculate the success of that brand. This approach carries with it a very large assumption – a brand’s relevance to a consumer influences purchasing choices. …

    A battle is raging online. And not just between those mighty search engines. Email and social networking are in a blazing hot contest. At stake are the hearts and minds of thousands of users. Chadwick Martin Bailey reports that three-fourths of all online visitors very likely will share content with friends and family via one of these channels. …

Virtually anyone selling a product or service has a few of these ticks in their fur – brazen, big- mouths tearing a company to shreds with torrents of criticism. Most executives wish they simply could wave a magic wand, and POOF! — the restless discontents would just vanish. In reality, however, these bothersome opinion-shouters could be providing companies with a golden …

    As with television ratings, search engine rankings often determine the popularity and therefore sponsor-worthiness of websites. He who gets the most hits, gets the most greenbacks. It’s the universal law of cyberspace. In a bold attempt to survive and triumph in the red hot rankings race, owners, marketers, and managers are constantly on a quest to discover the …

  More than a few of you out there probably will be affected or maybe even afflicted by last week’s election. Some might be uncorking champagne and dancing energetic jigs in the streets. Others might be seething volcanoes of discontent. But no matter where you are on the mood meter, you have ample reason to be grateful. Why? Because, my …

Once upon a time, social media was a convenient way for thousands of attention-seekers to exchange news flashes about the minutiae of their lives. Then marketing entities discovered a pot of gold gleaming somewhere within the social media rainbow. They swooped on Twitter, Facebook, and all the rest, did a little molding, and snap — turned them all into indispensable …

Hi-rez photos, streaming videos, screaming graphics, 3D virtual worlds.   Seems no website worth its weight in high speed data bits lacks these essential components of visual sophistication. Still, as more and more commerce and communications shift into cyberspace, the role of quality content will continue to grow in importance. What this means is that one word could be worth …

It’s an avalanche, a flood, and a blizzard all at once. Major changes are ripping through the world of marketing with gale force. And what’s driving these winds of change? You guessed it – the Web. Along with social media, online videos are doing their part to shake up the world of communications. The stats tell a powerful story. Neilson …

  I recently attended the NHRA Winter Nationals and noticed that the most popular body for those outrageous funny cars seemed to be Pontiac. So when I asked another spectator why, he simply said “they have the best aero-dynamics.” My horse sense told me this was likely to be true. Wow! I thought to myself.     GM phased out …

 America needs jobs to bring us legitimate growth and prosperity again, and manufacturing jobs are the key to our ability to compete in a global economy. Why? Because the physical shipment of U.S. goods to other countries is the most tangible way to balance the trade deficit and create sustainable growth and wealth, but of course we need to be …

  I’m sure you have experienced it yourself. Your  waiter, who has done a superb job of serving you so far, surprises you and your guest with an “on the house” dessert. He simply offers it as a token of thanks for being such a wonderful guest. Although it may appear to be a random act of kindness, it has …

  Social media is all the rage in marketing these days. But does it bring value to business marketers? BtoB Magazine (Crain Communications) has been following this topic very closely with several excellent case histories focused on Twitter, which was published in the June 14, 2010 issue. Take the case of Con-Way, a pure B2B transportation logistics provider, who has …

We’ve all done it. You make some marketing decisions based on your own behavior, media habits and brand values. Sure, sometimes your instincts are spot on. But this only accelerates bad habits. Just like how winning in Las Vegas on your first visit can establish a false perception of your gambling skill.   The digital marketing concept is the philosophy that firms …