Changing Tides Newsletter
We Register Cars Every Year, Don’t We? Why not Guns? – December 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterEvery year, I renew my auto registration. I put a bright colored sticker on my license plate that shows the expiration month. If I use the vehicle and don’t register it, I could be pulled over and ticketed. If I continue to...
He’s Got the Power – November 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterEven from 3,300 miles away through a computer screen, the devastation to Puerto Rico caused by the 150 mph winds of Hurricane Maria on September 20th, was heart-rending to watch. More so, because my son-in-law’s family lives...
Insurance by any other name is a shell game. Are you covered? – October 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterWith 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...
Labor Day Takes on New Meaning – September 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterMy 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...
Fun and Free! – August 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterTwo 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...
We hold these truths to be self-evident – July 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterThomas 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...
Putting a New Face on Facebook – June 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterAs 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...
The Impact of Social Media on Advertising (and Vice Versa) – May 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterThere 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...
All the news that’s fit to print – April 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterWith 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...
What the Yelp*@#$&! is going on? – March 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterOne 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...
Google takes a bite out of Apple – February 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterAs 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...
Steering the course for change – January 2017
Changing Tides NewsletterWhen 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...
Did Trump have the election in his hip pocket? – December 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterNo, 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....
Will Google’s Monopoly Ever End? – November 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterWith 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...
Pumpkins are different – October 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterAlthough 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...
Back to School isn’t just for kids anymore – September 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterFor 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...
If your ad runs in August will anyone see it? – August 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterThere 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 —...
Happy 4th of July! – July 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterThe 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...
Isn’t it time to level the political playing field in America? – June 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterBy 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...
Viva Cinco de Mayo! A Great American Tradition. Cheers! – May 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterCinco 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...
Tesla makes headlines once again – April 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterIf 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....
Google exits right lane and merges left – March 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterGoogle 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...
Voice Search Changes Everything. Again! – February 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterJust 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...
Be prepared for good times ahead – January 2016
Changing Tides NewsletterWhile 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...
Grateful for peace over the holidays! – December 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterIt is hard to recall a time when there has been more turmoil in the world than there is today. Everywhere you turn, there is another massacre, plane crash or senseless attack that takes innocent lives. It’s real, it’s scary and it’s...
Why Digital Marketing is More Critical to B2B Than Ever – November 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterA recent study via LinkedIn’s B2B Technology Marketing community showed that many B2B marketers are using new digital marketing tools for lead generation, customer acquisition and thought leadership. Content marketing ranked highly...
Time for Responsive Media? – October 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterOver the past decade two trends have caused the rise of responsive web design: Smart Phones Big Screen TV’s Together, they have driven the need for website developers to create sites using responsive design tools so that the content of...
Message Strategy. What is it? How do you develop one? – September 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterClaude Hopkins joined Lord & Thomas as copywriter in 1906 and proposed that more effective advertising was a matter of scientific principle. He demonstrated his point with the invention of Market Research and Product Sampling. He...
Microsoft’s Windows 10 is Microsoft’s “Big Game” – August 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterMicrosoft and its CEO Satya Nadella have a big challenge ahead. They need consumers to LOVE its new operating system. Anything less will be failure. For some time now, Apple has been on top in terms of sales, global market...
Celebrate America’s Independence Weekend at the New Laguna Festival of Arts – July 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterBeginning this weekend,the newly renovated Festival of Arts opens 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,...
Open House – Celebrating the 4th Dimension – June 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterAfter 15 years in the same location, we are adding an office up NORTH. Join us June 4th, 5:30 – 8:30 pm Young Company North 361 Forest Ave., Suite 206, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (Only footsteps from First Thursdays Art Walk) Please feel...
Open House – Celebrating the 4th Dimension – May 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterAfter fifteen years of bumping chairs, and suffering the long lines outside our unisex restroom, Young Company has decided to make a move. We are adding much needed office space on the floor above us at 361 Forest Avenue in the heart...
Smart Move? – April 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterMy friends from the Bay Area continually comment on its superiority over Southern California. I don’t bother to argue. Being SoCal born and bred, I have an innate preference for the sunnier half of the state. So, when I read last...
Trade Shows Not Slowing Down – March 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterDespite the huge growth in Internet marketing over the past 20 years, we find that many clients are still spending big on trade shows, a medium that offers a higher level of engagement between clients, prospects and customers. While...
The SuperBowl of Advertising – February 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterWhile some folks will be cheering for the Seahawks and others for the Patriots on Sunday, I’ll be cheering for the ads. And may the best ads win. At a cost of $4.5 million for 30 seconds, it may be the best advertising value of all for...
These are the Best of Times – January 2015
Changing Tides NewsletterAs we close out 2014 and set our sights on 2015, there are at least 5 good reasons to be optimistic: U.S GDP grew a hefty 5 percent in the third quarter. The most we’ve seen since the late 1990’s. This momentum will positively affect...
Just In Time For The Holidays! – December
Changing Tides NewsletterThe holidays are a time for giving thanks and spreading cheer to all – especially to those less fortunate, which is why we’ve adopted FRISTERS (Friends & Sisters) as our favorite charity. Every year over 4,000 teens give birth in...
Integrated Marketing is more than a consistent look – November 2014
Changing Tides NewsletterIn October I had the honor of meeting Bob Lauterborn (the father of integrated marketing communications) and he reinforced why mass advertising no longer works and the importance of a well-engineered IMC program. At the center of IMC...
California is still the place to be – October 2014
Changing Tides NewsletterCalifornia is still the place to be There are a lot of valid reasons why some companies want out of California. On paper, thousands of other locations pencil out cheaper than the Golden State. But when value is assigned to California’s...
Back to School on Using Video – September 2014
Changing Tides NewsletterEveryone in marketing is looking for cost-effective tactics. There is a lot of compelling evidence that online video marketing should be a major focus of your advertising and marketing budget. According to Forrester Research, online...