I wrote this for the HP Small Business Newsletter this month and thought I would share it here.  Enjoy! A lot of small business owners take on the added role of chief salesman, rainmaker, and marketing and advertising manager.  Their passion for their business is contagious and is often the deciding factor when bringing in […]

The New York Times reported yesterday that Tropicana is reverting to its familiar orange juice packaging after hearing from upset consumers and bloggers. From the article: The about-face comes after consumers complained about the makeover in letters, e-mail messages and telephone calls and clamored for a return of the original look. Some of those commenting […]

In yet another example of a new packaging design trend that turns “Branding” into “Blanding”, Sierra Mist has changed their logo and bottle design. As with other packaging redesigns I have seen recently, there is nothing “New and Improved” about the drink, no special promotion, no advertising campaign or any other reason I can see […]

In another brilliant example of throwing design and branding out the window, Tropicana has decided to genericize their brand and the packaging of their top selling product. And so, I will go on a rant…. Having lived in Florida for over a decade, and graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), I know something […]

There is a big transition happening on February 17, 2009 when all over the air TV broadcasts move from analog format to digital format. Do we think the average person knows the difference, or really cares? For those of us who consider ourselves “digital internet marketers” it’s a great time to remind yourself that most […]

There is a fascinating new study that statistically shows zero correlation between the star power of a box office movie and the film’s profitability. In other words, just because you hire a big “A Lister” to star in your film, you are not guaranteed any profits. From the article (which you can read here): “S. […]