What kind of marketing is the most effective?

sneezr.ca Have you ever asked yourself that question? I did. In fact, many years ago I spent countless hours trying to figure it out.
The answer turned out to be quite simple: word of mouth marketing. Or as I call it: the art of cultivating recommendations.

Surprised? Probably not. With recommendations, there is no sales pressure and no credibility issues. When your friends, family members or trusted co-workers recommend something or someone to you, they are genuinely trying to help you. That means a lot, which is why you usually remember it for a long time. But here is the catch: recommendations must be earned. How do you do that? Where do you start? How do you give people a reason to talk about your products/services? How do you nudge your story into every day conversations? I launched sneezr.ca to help you answer those questions.

What’s love got to do with business?

It’s true that every year people buy/listen to millions of love songs and read millions of love stories. (Online, continue reading

A simple idea that shines

p

I had to renew my passport recently. There were two options: the general renewal passport application, and the new, simplified continue reading

Only in Canada: Dude Chilling Park.

park

“Without the proper branding, a park is just a grassy expanse of lawn mown by the city, but with the proper signage, it’s an Internet sensation. continue reading

Don’t act like you’re not impressed.

ron

What can we learn from the above? My 2¢:
a. Icons mingle with icons.
b. Humor can put velcro on your message.
If you’re really continue reading

The minimum in “minimum viable product” is still big

If you want to ship a half-decent game/app for the iPhone (or even Android), and promote it just a tiny bit, you’re looking at investing a minimum continue reading

Does anyone leave your business feeling hungry?

Your loyal customers (aka people who regularly buy from you) should of course get a ‘faboulous seven-course feast’ kind of treatment every continue reading

How does an elite US general manage time & resources?

uniform

That question was put to a group of them recently by a psychologist who had been invited to give a talk at the Pentagon about managing time and continue reading

What can Louis C.K. teach us about success

The comedian Louis C.K. knows something about success, no? :)
Here’s Louis at 20 years old doing a stand-up routine in Boston in 1987.

My 2¢:
continue reading

The bread needs the butter.

bread with butter

Never forget your customers; never let your customers forget you.

Be careful what you pretend to be

Reality Green Road Sign Against Dramatic Sky, Clouds and Sunburst.

The biggest professional flop I was involved with in the last 5 years had to do with the project for a large department continue reading