Marketing Superpowers

In addition to my love of marketing and the music industry, I am also a huge geek. Superheroes, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Star Trek…if it’s something geeky, there is a pretty good chance like it. One of the items on my bucket list is to attend Comic-Con in San Diego, so I have been reading a lot of articles about the annual event, which took place last month. Not only is Comic-Con a mecca for geeks, the convention is the perfect opportunity for marketers, especially those in the entertainment industry, to promote their products.

One Item Every Businessperson Should Have

I recently stumbled upon an article on Creative Overflow about the importance of business cards. The author lists 4 main reasons everyone should have them. Business cards create a solid first impression, can be used as direct marketing tools, build a brand, and are budget-friendly. The article gives great tips on why every entrepreneur and businessperson should have business cards, but I am going to talk about how I utilized my own.

Skinvertising: The Latest Advertising Trend

What do you think is the perfect ad space? A billboard or bus? Television, radio, or website? What about a person’s leg? Most people would not think to use the last option, but advertisers in Japan are doing just that. Wit Inc, a Tokyo-based public relations firm, has started paying young women to place advertisement stickers on their thighs.

Rihanna’s “777 Tour” Is Still Getting Everyone’s Attention

Last November, Rihanna began a 7-day trek around the world. She performed seven shows in seven countries to promote her 7^th studio album, Unapologetic. She invited over 150 journalists and fans to join the tour. Can anyone guess what plane they took? If you guessed a Boeing 777, you would be correct. A documentary of the aptly titled “777 Tour” aired on May 6 on Fox, and many fans and critics are unhappy with the result.

Simple Negotiation Techniques

My dream job post-graduation is to become a tour manager. I love the idea of working with live music and traveling the world. While the job would have perks, it would also come with its share of challenges, including negotiating everything from artist riders to salaries to what time the buses have to leave the venue. Because I have no experience in negotiating, the idea of doing so on a daily basis can be pretty daunting. Fortunately, there are several resources online that can help a novice negotiator such as myself. I decided to watch videos about negotiating techniques to prepare for future negotiations. Three videos I found extremely helpful are Margaret Neale: Negotiation:Getting What You Want, William Ury:The walk from “no” to “yes,” and Negotiation in the Workplace.

Brand awareness doesn’t always equal profits

Brand awareness, according to businessdictionary.com, is the “extent to which a brand is recognized by potential customers, and is correctly associated with a particular product…is the primary goal of advertising in the early months or years of a product’s introduction.” Every company strives for it, but what good is brand awareness if the company is no longer making money?  Interbrand recently released its “Best Retail Brands” of 2013, as well as the companies that are not doing so well. The company is a business consultancy that builds brand awareness for clients by viewing brands as “valuable business assets.”

Marketing During the Madness

March is here already. It is a time that we Americans celebrate the start of spring, St. Patrick’s Day, and perhaps most notably, college basketball playoffs. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships, better known as March Madness, has quickly grown into one of the most popular sports events in the United States. The games give marketers a huge opportunity to advertise, especially after a $10.8 billion contract between CBS and Turner Broadcasting that allows every game to be shown on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. An article by Kantar Media breaks down all of the numbers over the last decade.