Monthly Archives: September 2011

Who Cut(out) The Cheese?

Posted on September 29, 2011 by wizardwalter

Bad weather on Monday delayed placement of this billboard sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Green Bay, Wisconsin. When the board went up on Tuesday it looked like this. After Foamation (the maker of Cheesehead hats) threatened … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Reebok Refunds

Posted on September 29, 2011 by wizardwalter

Maybe it is no loner better to beg forgiveness than ask permission.  Reebok has agreed to pay $25 million in customer refunds to settle charges by the FTC of deceptive advertising. The ads for Reebok’s EasyTone® and RunTone® shoes claimed … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Sales Problem Isn’t Always An Advertising Problem

Posted on September 28, 2011 by wizardwalter

Sales were down.  The Sales Manager explained that only 4 of his sellers had been with him for more than a year. I told him that was only the tip of the iceberg.  What is your turnover ratio?  Blank stare.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Sales Management | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Fire In His Eye

Posted on September 27, 2011 by wizardwalter

Over the years I’ve met with hundreds of small business owners.  The meetings that stand out are the ones where the passion in the owner’s heart lights up his or her eyes.  These are the people I love to help.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Copywriting | Tagged | Leave a comment

Needful Things

Posted on September 27, 2011 by wizardwalter

Satan (in the guise of Max Von Sydow) moves to a small New England town and opens an antique store called Needful Things.  And as the saying goes, all hell breaks loose.   You don’t need to read the book … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Copywriting | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Your Billboard Isn’t A Brochure

Posted on September 22, 2011 by wizardwalter

I am amazed at the amount of money wasted on ineffective billboards.  For the moment I’ll skip the problems with poor placement and visibility and focus on the tendency of some advertisers to clutter their boards to the point of … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Do You Want My Opinion Or My Life Story?

Posted on September 21, 2011 by wizardwalter

There is no doubt that online opinions and ratings are powerful tools in helping consumers make a buying decision.  But if you want customer opinions make it easy on the customer. During the past month I have made two purchases … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Service, Marketing, Websites | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Leave Me A (Voice) Message

Posted on September 20, 2011 by wizardwalter

According to a 2011 study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, 83% of Americans own a cell phone and nearly three-quarters of them send and receive text messages.  There are many things I have not done … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

I Have Always Relied On the Opinions of Strangers

Posted on September 20, 2011 by wizardwalter

With apologies to Tennessee Williams, the results of a survey by Cone Trend Tracker show eighty percent of consumers have changed their minds about a recommended purchase based solely on the negative reviews they found online. The news isn’t all … Continue reading →

Posted in Marketing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment