Insights on Today’s Marketing Issues

The Facts Today, 81% of Americans have been convinced to purchase a service or product by watching a brand’s video. 72% would rather use video to learn about a product or service. If you are in the “Tell and Show” business, and I see a lot of those videos currently...

Recent research studies report that half of all U.S. websites are over three years old and are so slow-loading that they’re turning people off from even looking at them. And Smart Phones can’t even link in to many of them these days. And then there is the out-of-date content that won’t impress anybody reading it, not even your mother. Patience runs very thin in today’s “I Want It Now” mentality, with Amazon and others promising product delivery by this afternoon. And people also expect your content to be up to date, available on their phone, and featuring information on what you are marketing.

It’s political season and now until early November every television break will have up to six political commercials in it, with the majority of them being negative about one candidate or another. Usually it airs right before or after a commercial extolling the benefits of the same candidate how they deserve your vote.

The Facts It’s August, and the so-called experts are arguing over whether Covid-19 has permanently changed marketing or not. Throw in a dash of civil unrest and add in a major political year and there is no doubt that a few marketers have had to step back and rethink...

By now, like most of us, you’re no doubt more than a little sick of pandemic marketing. I know I wouldn’t mind a break from seeing automobile messages telling me how I can purchase a car contact free. It’s July now, and I still don’t want a new car, whether it is contact free or not. You, Mr. & Mrs. Car Dealer are not here for me in my time of need, you need to move expensive inventory off your lot and you think I’m dumb enough to help you out.

It’s true in many cases that size matters: offensive linemen, builders of major dams, Federal government (although that one is for debate), airlines, cruise ships, and the military to keep us all safe and secure. But according to a few experts on size, small is the new advantage.

We all try to be 100% right in everything we do. We have spellcheck on our word processors; we have legal review our documents before signing; we are trained to use footnotes to clarify any passage in our documents; and we don’t try to sneak liquids in our carryon baggage through TSA screenings. But today when building brands, being right all the time is not enough. Today you also have to be effective.

The effect of COVID-19 on the travel industry is not only unprecedented, but will have a lasting impact for a few years.

We’ve been writing these marketing insights on and off for over three years now. It’s been a labor of love, but it can be frustrating as I continue to see marketing by others that looks and sounds like everybody else in their category.

We are asked all the time, how do we do it, being from Montana? First of all, we are not Montana natives, everybody here came from someplace else, and the experience they learned in a big city or on a large national account was experience you can’t learn in school. We just choose to reside in Montana because we love Montana. And those who watched the film last week saw examples of activities and experiences we have whenever we want it and not just on a few days of vacation.