http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com This site and its comments reflect our approach to the world, that while marketing is definitely an art, it must also be underpinned with reason, logic and science. Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:33:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Awhile back, Seth Godin proclaimed that marketing is both an art and a science, "and that's the problem".  With all due respect, Seth, I have to disagree.  More specifically, yes- marketing is both an art and a science, but no- that's not a problem.  The notion that we must choose between ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/messaging/marketing-as-an-art-or-science-must-we-choose/ Raise your hand if you've received marketing "advice" lately from someone who's not in marketing.  Come on, don't be shy...get em' up there.  Yeah, I thought so.  I see a lot of hands out there.  Oooo, I even see a few scowls!  You guys must be in high-tech marketing! The thing ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/internal-communications/everyones-in-marketing-deal-with-it/ Now even auto dealers are finding ways to leverage the social medium of blogging to make their businesses better.  On NPR's "The Bottom Line" segment, Herb Chambers - who owns the largest string of car dealerships in New England - discussed how he is using a blog called herbcares.com to ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/blogging/blogging-herb-chambers-joins-the-conversation/ This one's for all you high-tech companies out there.  I'm talking about companies with products that have complex value propositions, long sales cycles, and multiple buyers.  For these types of companies, white papers are a key arrow in the marketing quiver. For most companies, white papers are developed in one of ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/marketing/white-papers-get-a-real-writer/ Recently, I have been engaged in an ongoing discussion with a colleague (a financial guy, no less) about the use of serif versus sans serif fonts.  I just expected it to drag on in a Seinfeld-esque could-Mighty-Mouse-take-Superman?** standoff.  In fact, I was firmly in the sans serif camp - always ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/blogging/sans-serif-serif/ Recent data from Marketing Sherpa, and a recent post by Ardath Albee of Marketing Interactions peel back the curtain on one of the biggest misconceptions in e-mail marketing- people ignore or unsubscribe from your e-mails because their inboxes are just too crowded.  The reality, supported by Marketing Sherpa's numbers, tells ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/public-relations/e-mail-marketing-misconception-1/ Occasionally I get the question- "Are marketing activities really worth it?"  Sure, it sometimes takes the more direct form of "Is this really going to help my company?" or the skeptical tone of "How much is that going to cost me?"  But the theme remains the same- people would love ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/public-relations/marketing-measurement-believe/ A few short years ago, effective marketing was measured in column inches, impressions and the cost per thousand of generating impressions.  How well could we spin it, how many people could we get to read it, and how could we get the biggest bang for our marketing buck?  Most of ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/blogging/marketing-the-shift-is-on/ Did anyone else see Barack Obama's address to Congress this week?  Whether or not you agree with this president's politics and policies, you have to admit that there was a lot of substance behind his words.  In discussing enerygy, education and the economy, Obama talked at a level of specificity ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/messaging/building-awareness-substance-over-sizzle/ A recent client engagement has reinforced a gut feeling I've had for a long time: business blogging is hard.  More specifically, it's very difficult for a professional to make a habit of blogging about work stuff regularly- and tougher still for them to stick with it after the novelty wears ... http://www.thescienceofmarketing.com/index.php/blogging/the-multi-author-blog-a-business-best-friend/