I’m kind of a nerd. I think just about anyone who finds themselves gravitating towards highly technical topics tends to be—at least at some level. As such, I tend to consume a fair amount of nerd-centered media, one of which is Cracked, an online publication that is known for “X insane things that Y” types of list-based articles, many of which have to do with marketing. Sure, their tone is a bit cynical, but I’ve been reading their articles for well over a decade, and have been following their video content off and on since it was first introduced. That being said, a recent video of theirs didn’t seem to stick the landing with me. Usually when they have content about marketing, they’re presenting real absurdities, highlighting legitimate problems or concerns, or showcasing the worst-case-scenarios from well-intentioned but ill-thought-out marketing efforts. In their recent 6 Bizarrely Specific Commercial Tropes that...
Jingle Theory: The Marketing Math Behind Christmas Carols
It has begun. As it has every year around this time. As it will every year to come. The nightmarish soundscape synonymous with ravenous hordes packed tightly together as they drive themselves half-mad in pursuit of joy. Those tormentors of the service workers, drowned them in cheer until they wish themselves deaf. The scourge of jingling bells and caroling choirs. The drummer boys and tannenbaums. The Bing and the Bublé. The Christmas carol. Okay, that might be a little over-dramatic. But you can’t deny that Christmas carols—some of them, anyhow—can get a little bit old after a while. Particularly when you’re forced to listen to the same one or two albums over and over again for about two straight months. Even those who love the season have one or two songs (or, at the very least, renditions of songs) that they could do without—yet once a song enters the Christmas...
Retail is Dead; Long Live Retail: A Study on Evolving Your Business Alongside Your Industry
Reading some of the articles surrounding the current state of retail, I can’t help but think of that old ‘The king is dead! Long live the king!’ saying you hear in movies whenever a historical monarch passes. Given the fairly recent news of Toys R Us filing for bankruptcy protection, and the earlier bankruptcies of major retailers such as Payless and Radio Shack, it’s easy to see why many believe retail is dying. Of course, retail as a whole isn’t dying. Parents still buy toys for their children. People still wear shoes. Devices still need doodads to connect to other devices. (Yes, Radio Shack escaped bankruptcy a few years ago by partnering with Sprint and focusing on cell phones, but cell phones still require doodads of their own.) The reason why these long-established companies are going bankrupt is because retail has evolved, and these companies have failed to evolve alongside...
Fast vs Cheap vs Great: A Treatise for Impossible Expectations
There’s a Venn diagram floating around the creative marketing world that’s famous among graphic designers (pictured above). The joke is that you can only ask for two, and the one you don’t pick will burn you in the end. The joke plays with the notion of standards vs expectations—a notion that slaps entrepreneurs and business owners in the face time and time again.
November: The Month of Memorable Brand Marketing Strategy
November is that rare month where historical events and convenient rhyme schemes meet. Whether you’re recognizing ‘the war to end all wars’ on the 11th or the end of a revolution that never happened on the 5th, the reason for the season is remembrance. It’s fitting, then, that this month we’re focusing on brand memorability.
Save 10% Off Holiday Services with Our Annual ‘Christmaween’ Promotion
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now the streets fill with jack-o-lanterns and cottony cobwebs. Little ghosts and ghouls are peeking out from the window, just waiting for that hallowed night when they get to haunt the neighbourhood–and get some candy while they’re at it. As a business owner, this can only mean one thing.
