Life In Perspective

Great video that puts life today in perspective!  Just when you thought life and the economy sucked Louis CK tells us how lucky we are today. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus

Social Networking Explained

Here's the lowdown from Commoncraft about Social Media:

Sweet Web Application

I just came across a nifty new Web app called E-junkie.com.  E-Junkie is a simple copy and paste solution for selling anything on the Web. That means you don't need a complicated e-commerce site to sell from your Web site, blog, Myspace, E-bay and more. Just simply insert the HTML and you can sell anything and collect payments with ease. 

Get E-Junkie.com now! 

Great Holiday Gift Idea

Want some REAL fun for the holiday? How about creating your own customized Muppet character and sending it to that special someone? Wouldn't it be fun to create a Muppet that looks just like your boss or your mother-in-law? Check out FAO Schwarz's Muppet WhatNot Workshop.

Inspiration for over 100 years!

The list of companies below are just a few of the companies that were in existence before the Great Depression and managed to sustain their businesses during that difficult economic time. I thought this list might inspire some who are feeling like the economic world is failing us. Each of these companies were successful at maintaining their businesses and turning a profit because they continued to advertise and market to their consumers.  

• Kellogg's
• Post
• Quaker
• Oscar Mayer
• Jell-O
• Planters
• Max Factor
• Ivory Soap
• Kleenex
• P&G (Proctor and Gamble)
• Chevrolet
• Brillo Pads
• Coca-Cola
• Pepsi
• Kool-Aid
• Disney
• General Electric
• Camel Cigarettes

For more information about marketing and advertising and how to boost your business, contact Summit Creative.

Lessons From the Great Depression - Market Or Die!

We are all faced with the current economic crisis and the uncertainty of what the future may hold. Will the economy worsen? Are we headed for another Great Depression? I would like to remind everyone that the Great Depression was not bad for everyone. Let's look at some of the companies that not only survived but made great economic advances during the Great Depression.

During the Great Depression several companies took an aggressive approach to marketing while their rivals did not. Consumers didn't totally stop spending during the depression, they just looked for better deals.  After the Depression ended and spending picked back up the consumer loyalty to those companies remained.

Those companies who not only survived and grew during the Great Depression are those who continued to as though there were nothing wrong and that the public had money to spend.  These companies advertised and they didn't wait for public demand for their products, they created that demand. Because so many companies cut spending during that era, advertising budgets were shrinking in many industries.  Many of these companies actually dropped out of public sight and these advertising cutbacks caused many customers to feel abandoned and associated the effected brands with a lack of longevity and staying power. When these companies became less visible consumers opted for the more visible brands and these actively advertising companies were able to survive. 

Now, looking back at history it is clear that the companies who demonstrated the most growth and were those who advertised continuously and heavily.

Proctor and Gamble - This is a company which has a philosophy of not reducing advertising budgets during times of recession and they certainly did not make any such reduction during the Depression. While their competitors were cutting advertising costs, P&G actually increased their spending. 

Chevrolet - During the 1920s, Fords were outselling Chevrolets by 10 to 1. Chevrolet continued to expand its advertising budget and by 1931, the "Chevy 6" took the lead in its field and remained there for the next five years.

Camel Cigarettes - in 1920 Camel was the top selling tobacco product. American Tobacco Company then struck back with the Lucky Strike brand and by 1929 Lucky had overtaken Camel as the number one brand. Two years later in the heart of the Depression, Chesterfield also overtook Camel. Camel countered with a massive increase in advertising spending and by doing so demonstrated the power of advertising during depressed times. By 1935, it was back on top.

The companies that took advantage of the Depression and survived were those who kept their names in front of the public despite the lack of money many people at the time had to spend. We must always remember that even in the worst economies there are always people who have money to spend. Focusing your efforts on marketing to those people who either need or want your services is more important now more than ever!

For more information about marketing and advertising in a tough economy contact Summit Creative: contact@summitcreative.net

The Next "BIG" Trend In Business

Okay, so everyone is on the green bandwagon now, at least all smart companies are - so what's next? A year or two ago it was the cool thing to "be green" now it is almost expected. It is certainly not unique to tell your clients you are going for a zero carbon footprint or that you recycle. It isn't enough to be a caring corporation anymore by supporting and giving to charities. While all of those things are good they are almost common place now. So how can your company stand out from the rest and make a bold statement while gaining accolades for being a corporate superhero and doing something positive to impact the world? 

The answer is easy, getting there is going to require some creative thinking on your part. Don't mirror what is already out there. Take a look at your industry and your competition and see how can you reinvent your industry standard. Get creative and make a bold, original and distinguishable statement. Think about how your brand can actually boost the environment instead of just limiting the damage we do to it. Call it PR, call it responsibility, or both. Going out of your way to do something extra, something "big" makes everyone a winner.

Make your brand iconic and known for something so unique and different while being a responsible corporate citizen and watch the windfall of profits and publicity! Start thinking about how you can move away from simply reducing and offsetting your undesirable eco-effects and start finding ways to boost the environment and give back to it. Already there are green buildings in the works that "give back" to the Earth instead of just polluting it. That's the idea here. Heard about seeded paper? Instead of recycling your paper you plant it and it grows into flowers, trees, etc. Giving back or just simply giving rather than taking (damaging and polluting) is what is next!

So put your thinking cap on and get to work. The standards of how we do business will be quickly changing so get involved now and be ahead of the pack.