The return on investment for design is a difficult number to calculate. How do you quantify the effect that a good design has on the success of a product? It seems like an impossible task to attach dollar amounts to seemingly arbitrary aesthetic decisions. It is. Fortunately, design is not the same thing as “arbitrary [...]

From the green beer to the green river in Chicago, St. Patrick’s Day is becoming bigger and bigger every year.  This past weekend we took the kids down to Denver for the parade and it was even too long for them.  It started at 10:00 and wasn’t even over at 1:00 when we decided to [...]

I participate in a great peer group called Renaissance Executive Forums.  Maureen Boyt, who leads the group was commenting this morning on competition.  She was noting that there’s generally plenty of work to go around for everyone.  I’ve often thought that there’s no shortage of customers (especially for a web design company in Northern Colorado) [...]

As a Colorado native, I’m saddened to see the Rocky Mountain News publish its last edition today.  Just a couple months shy of its 150th Anniversary, the paper has been an institution here in Colorado for generations.  So what led to the fall of the paper?  Is it because there are two large papers in [...]

In the world of marketing, we always talk about differentiation.  So then why is it that most companies look just like their competition?  It’s because you do the same thing.  The game is essentially played the same by both teams.  You have to figure out some way to do things differently in order to separate [...]

Have you ever wondered what type of marketing traditionally gives the best return on investment?  Some might tell you that it’s radio.  Others will contend that it’s newspaper.  Don’t believe any of them.  Those answers might have been true 10 or 20 years ago.  Things are different when marketing in a recession.  These days we’re [...]

It’s a vicious circle.  Consumer confidence is low so people are holding on to their money.  They are staying home and not eating out.  They’re not spending as much on Christmas gifts.   They’re not buying new cars.  All because they are running scared because of the media reports they see on T.V. every evening.  So [...]

Marketing in a recession.  It’s something I have to confess, I haven’t thought about in a few days.  Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been in front of the computer.  After enjoying way too much egg nog and celebrating with family in San Francisco, I’m back in the office.  It seems like it’s been [...]

If you’re interested in B2B marketing in a recession then you have to keep your eye on the ball.  Don’t follow your natural instinct to hunker down and weather the storm.  You must maintain a growth posture in order to succeed.  Otherwise, the recession may not be the worst part of this whole thing.  Imagine [...]

So you’re thinking about marketing in a recession.  Looking for some low cost marketing ideas? Well, I’m starting to hear from clients who have been fine without marketing for years.  Their businesses have been so strong that they have literally not done any marketing whatsoever.  That’s fantastic.  However, these days, even strong businesses are slowing [...]