Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category
How your agency is ripping you off
Posted by: Sean X on: December 18, 2011
The structure of the agency-client relationship is not designed to produce the best or the most work. It is designed to avoid mistakes. Over time, that is how agencies have structured themselves to serve clients. It makes sense. They do not get fired for inefficiency. They get fired for screwing up. Worse,
Welcome to sxc marketing
Posted by: Sean X on: December 11, 2011
Follow @seanx There is something magical that can exist in the space between agencies, brands, and consumers; and when there is clarity in that space, the work you produce is spectacular. However, when it is filled with friction, what can be magical, is instead chaos. You’ve had those moments when everything just
10 Reasons to LoveHate Google
Posted by: Sean X on: April 19, 2011
Such a strong word It is a company that is loved, and yet surprisingly hated — if not despised — by some. It is the friend whose little strange habits and quirks we once cherished. But now they annoy and grate on our nerves. It is a company that we have held up as a [...]
Chrysler 200 Rant. “USA Today” is the News equivalent of a Happy Meal.
Posted by: Sean X on: March 8, 2011
Chrysler ran an ad on the Superbowl in 2011 for the Chrystler 200, that embodied their brand, repositioned it, and grittily carved out a niche. “Imported from Detroit.“ It was quite possibly one of the most brilliant stances taken by a car company, for reasons I will explain below. In disservice to that ad USA Today [...]
3 Brands that flunked Digital 101
Posted by: Sean X on: December 21, 2010
There are hundreds of brands that continue to be stuck in the “old way” of thinking, pre-Web 2.0. Some survive because they didn’t jump on the next fad, and some perished because they did. Many brands are starting to get it, but for many it may be too late and Web 2.0 has passed them [...]
5 ways you will be defeated by the pitch process
Posted by: Sean X on: December 21, 2010
So you just got the call from the potential client, or worse, the loser-merchant handling the pitch for them. Your agency didn’t win, “but thank you for participating.” As if this was a ring toss at a carnival. Throughout the process you fried your staff, lived in 5-Hour Energy increments, ticked off your spouse… yet [...]
Top marketing innovation killers
Posted by: Sean X on: March 17, 2010
Barriers to marketing greatness Our jobs shouldn’t be that hard, should they? This is not rocket science or brain surgery. This is advertising and marketing. But alas, in truth, much more is known about both rocket science and brain surgery than about marketing. Why? We, as people and consumers, are a completely unpredictable system of [...]
5 reasons why clients are so dysfunctional
Posted by: Sean X on: March 3, 2010
I have been a vocal critic of the way most agencies are structured. However, many of the structural problems agencies face are a direct result of clients. Agencies have struggled for years to change the agency/client dynamic. They have actively experimented with ways to bring the client what they need, while still producing work that [...]
5 reasons you no longer need an ad agency
Posted by: Sean X on: February 20, 2010
The current agency model is broken. I know it, agencies know it, but luckily for all of us, clients haven’t realized it yet. After more than a decade of working for an agency and an additional six years on the client-side, I have come to several conclusions, none of which are pretty pictures for agencies [...]
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Sean X on The Huffington Post
- The Mobile Signature: 'Please excsue typoo's' May 9, 2012NOTE This is an iPhone email. The iPhone keyboard is, to say the least, persnickety. Since I have neither the thumbs of a newborn, nor the texting prowess of a 13-year-old, please excuse the occasional spelling mistake. And so reads my iPhone signature line. Why should this offend anyone? And what harm is it alerting someone of this possibility? Ah, therein […]
- Top 11 Responses to 'Can We Have Your Facebook Password?' in an Interview March 27, 2012I have been embroiled in debate over employers asking potential interview candidates for their Facebook password. It is such a fundamental breach of privacy that I almost become apoplectic when I think about it. Unfortunately people applying for jobs are not in power positions, and often feel pressured to comply. As seductive as the potential job may be, do […]
- How to Teach a Client About Pinterest... and Help Yourself While Doing It March 8, 2012Like nailing Jello to a wall, Pinterest is a bit hard to "get." It's fairly easy to define the concept, "scrapbooking with high viral potential," however many people, including many of my clients, struggle to figure out if it has any worth to them. Instead of just telling them about it, which loses some of the impact of what Pinteres […]
Make your own Infographics
Sean X on iMedia
- 20 ways to use QR codes correctly May 10, 2012
- How Siri is going to completely change your job April 25, 2012If you think you can ignore something as big as Siri from a company as big as Apple, think again. Here's how to prepare for the coming revolution.
- 11 agency buzzwords you need to know March 28, 2012The endless supply of agency jargon can leave clients dizzy and disoriented. Here are the most confusing agency buzzwords defined to steady your advertising aim.
- How your agency is ripping you off December 9, 2011Intentional or not, there are countless ways your agency is ripping you off, and almost all of them can be avoided. Here are a few pointers that will help you restructure your account and save massive amounts of money.
- Why the QR code is failing October 14, 2011
I support Moo.com
Sean X on iMedia Blog
- I could write a book on the information at the sessions I attended today.I attended multiple sessions, all valuable, and was actually upset that I could not attend more. How rare is that? I could probably write a book on just the information that was available today at AdTech in the sessions I was in. So if you are in the marketing industry and you are not here, a piece of advice. Get to an AdTech! One of the most interesting ses […]
- This is the Year of… "Everything"From the activity on the floor, to the bravado of its attendees, the marketing industry, and more specifically the digital marketing business is thriving. The floor is packed with new exhibitors, new faces, and new energy. Of course the big boys are here... Bing and Yahoo (Right Media,) ComScore, and Amazon (Web Services,) but a surprise was more traditional […]
Drop off your laundry and go!
Sean X on SXC Marketing
- SXC Digital News, May 28th, 2012
- SXC Digital News, May 21st, 2012
- SXC Digital News, May 14th, 2012
- SXC Digital News, May 7th, 2012
- The QR Code Anti-Stupid Usage Pledge
- SXC Digital News, April 30th, 2012
- 20/20 QR Code Vision
- SXC Digital News, April 23rd, 2012
- SXC Digital News, April 16th, 2012
- SXC Digital News, April 9th, 2012
I believe in Kiva.org
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Internet Marketing Answers
- What is the best way for a B2B organization to position itself as a thought leader online? May 31, 2012
- Would you suggest buying Facebook Fan Page Likes/Friends for a business new to using Social Media? May 31, 2012
- What are your favourite 2 sources of information on the internet business world? May 31, 2012Mine are Mashable, The Followers and ReelSEO.
- How are you using Pinterest to turn customers into ambassadors? May 31, 2012
- How can brands produce video content that entertains and appeals to their market? Any tips? May 31, 2012
- web and social media for trainer/speake May 31, 2012I am re-entering the freelance training arena. What presence do you believe works best for expert trainers/consultants/speakers? I see many cluttered websites and others seem to lack key info. Do enquiry forms work? Should I publish prices?
- Use of Images on Web Site May 30, 2012I would like to add images to my web site. Would it be a problem to take photographs that I find online of people, resize or crop them, and add them to my site? Is a copyright violation--even if I modify them? Thanks!
- I manage Facebook pages for my clients and am discouraged by the lack of likes, comments, etc. since I've been posting ahead of time with HootSuite. I don't have time to live post all posts, nor the budget for whitelisted tools. Any recommendations? May 30, 2012
- what is your biggest pain point connected to using online survey tools? May 30, 2012Tell me your biggest pain point connected to using online survey tools.
- How do you add Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Sharing icons to a Powerpoint presentation? May 30, 2012I'm not a coder, but looking for simple instructions to embed icons and have people share my ebooks via Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn? Anyone know of a guide or can supply basic information on steps?
- Upgrading a Website to WordPress May 30, 2012I have a directory - using MS Access / ASP. I am wanting to get that updated finally. There will also be a news section in it. With the directory - I am looking for the URLs to be something like: www.example.com/directory ie: www.example.com/social-media and the links like: www.example.com/directoryname/linktitle ie www.example.com/social-media/linkedin And […]
- SEO question : Using Keywords In Navigation May 30, 2012Which is better for your secondary navigation items using generic words or the keywords that you are targeting. Targeted keyword (Defence Conference). Should I use Defence or Defence Conference I don’t want sacrifice usability, for the sake of placing keywords. see screen shot below left navigation under Conferences, http://www.informa.com.au/keywords-in-nav […]
- SEO question : Using Keywords In Navigation May 30, 2012Which is better for your secondary navigation items using generic words or the keywords that you are targeting. Targeted keyword (Defence Conference). Should I use Defence or Defence Conference in the navigation. I don’t want to sacrifice usability, for the sake of placing keywords. See screen shot below left navigation under Conferences, http://www.informa. […]
- Which social sharing analytics would you recommend and why? May 29, 2012I'm currently using AddThis and ShareThis for a variety of Wordpress based sites that I manage. Frankly, neither of them particularly excite me in terms of insight but then I have no clear idea what kind of analytics I am looking for. There are also various things I find annoying about some of the widgets. So I want to know if you are excited about a so […]
- Is a Facebook business page useful to a B2B company? May 29, 2012We are a business advisory firm that markets to top executives in midsize organizations. Is there a use for a business Facebook page for this type of business? It seems to me that there is more use of a B2C business that can market retail sales, advertise specials, that kind of thing. What do you think?
- What would stop you from having a video on your website? May 29, 2012
- Is getting links from irrelevant Forums harmful? May 29, 2012Is it beneficial to get links from irrelevant websites ? Example : We are doing SEO for Real Estate Services, and making links on Internet Marketing Forums like http://www.seo-news.com/.
- I've created a Facebook page for my company using my personal account. Problem: once it is published I will be asking other staff to use the account to post. Is there a way around them logging into my personal account to access the company's page? May 29, 2012
- Facebook/Social media marketers ...What are your daily challenges in engaging customers ? May 29, 2012We all have heard a lot about customer engagements on social media. Experts believe, building relationships, and getting people to talk about you, or like you, or engage with you in some way is a key to successful marketing via this channel. What are some of the challenges you face in doing this ?? Would love to hear your opinions. Thanks in advance for your […]
- Are the upsides of trial periods defeated by the increase in declined orders? May 28, 2012We have always offered a one penny 15-day trial and customers like it. However, after the trial period, the credit cards of some customers are declined. We call and email them, but usually we never hear back. I realize that offering a trial period gets more prospects "off the fence", because there's no risk for them. However, I imagine that if […]
