What’s New
Article: Avoiding costly online mistakes: Why the internet is enduring, not endearing. Linda discusses how to survive in the all-seeing Internet world on MultiBriefs: Exclusive.
Article: Preventing hate crimes: If you see something, say something. Linda discusses the increase in hate crimes over the last three years and what you can do about it on MultiBriefs: Exclusive.
Podcast: Linda Popky interviews Navid Jafari who talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing marketers to revisit their existing marketing plans. - Listen.
Podcast: Deb Zahn talks with Linda Popky and Lisa Anderson, SAC Executive Directors, about what SAC (Society for the Advancement of Consulting) does and how it helps consultants build successful businesses. A Craft of Consulting podcast. - Listen.
Article: Zig While Others Zag. Linda talks about finding opportunities during the pandemic on C-Suite Network.
SAC® Press Release: "How to Triumph and Grow in this Uncertain Time" - Linda talks about how good marketing and business strategy remain the same through these difficult times. – Read release.
Article: Now More Than Ever: Whom You Associate With Matters. Lisa Anderson and Linda talk about taking over the management of Society for the Advancement of Consulting (SAC).
Podcast: "We Built This City" - Linda Popky shares stories about her 40+ years in tech marketing in Silicon Valley. - Listen!
Video: Just a Moment for Marketing: One-minute marketing tip videos. – View over 100 videos.
eBOOK: Top of Mind: 101 Insights to Transform Your Business
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Book Video Trailer Learn more about Linda Popky's book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
Harvard Business Review: "Identify the Marketing Metrics That Actually Matter" by Linda J. Popky - Read article
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Marketing Above the Noise
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Top of Mind Thursday July 2, 2020: Independent Thinking
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness….
Saturday is Independence Day–the 244th anniversary of the day the Colonies declared their independence from England.
We certainly have a lot to ponder this year. A global pandemic, tough economic conditions, police brutality, and ongoing racial inequality are significantly impacting our unalienable rights.
One of the most impressive parts of our 250-year experiment in democracy is the ability to take stock and self-correct to get back to our core founding principals. That means some of the most critical pieces of our Constitution, aren’t in the Constitution at all–but in the Amendments that correct and amplify what was laid out in 1776.
The events of the past few months have caused us to hit pause on our regularly scheduled lives. We have the opportunity now to revisit our prior assumptions–to move beyond masks and monuments, excessive force and paranoia about those who are different from us.
This Fourth of July we have the opportunity to reflect on how we as a nation should define independence. We have the chance to move closer to what we adopted 244 years ago:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
To quote Hamilton, let’s not throw away our shot.
Contact me to find out how you can get heard above the noise–even in a crisis situation.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday June 18, 2020: Not Going Back
As many locales are moving towards re-opening their economies, we hear many people talking about “Getting back to normal.”
Human beings are creatures of habit. We need structure and process to organize our lives. So it’s no surprise that we are looking forward to the time when we’ll be able to go back to the way we used to do things–working, traveling, eating out, getting hair cuts and manicures, attending sporting events, etc.
But the sudden shock of the pandemic has forced us to revisit the way we used to do things. Do we really need all of those services we scheduled on a regular basis? How much business travel is really essential? Do we actually need to hold meetings in person or sit in commute traffic?
So much of the media focus has been on when it’s safe to do this or that, that we haven’t taken time to consider that in many cases, we don’t want to go back to the old way. Ever.
For every one who tells me, “I can’t wait to get back to…” there’s someone else who says, “You know what–I’m not ever going to go back to….”
Hitting STOP gives us an opportunity to look hard at what we might change in our businesses, as well as our personal lives. Have you thought about what you want things to look like in the future?
Time to look forward, because going back just may not make sense.
Contact me to find out how you can get heard above the noise–even in a crisis situation.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday June 18, 2020: Home Sweet Home
The list of industries suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic includes travel and hospitality, retail, restaurants, and many more. But there are industries that are doing quite well during this situation.
It makes sense that grocery stores, drugstores, and big box stores like Target or WalMart are thriving–we still need to eat, take our medicine, and buy supplies. It’s also to be expected that home delivery services–for everything from groceries to prepared food to all kinds of supplies–are thriving.
While many people are struggling during this time, others who still have jobs find they have extra money in their pockets. They are no longer traveling–which means no big summer vacation expenses, no cruises, and no airplane flights, hotels, or rental cars. They aren’t going to the theatre or the movies, eating in restaurants, attending sporting events or concerts, or using their regular personal services (haircuts, massage, nails, etc.).
Instead, people are re-channeling the money saved into other areas. Sales at DIY home improvement stores are way up, as is the demand for contractors and other home remodeling specialists. People are spending more time baking, planting gardens, landscaping, learning new skills, and preparing for self-contained driving trips, rather than long-distance vacations.
It’s not that people are no longer spending money. It’s that they’re spending money differently. And it’s likely that at least some of these changes will stick after the immediate crisis is over.
How is your business adapting to your customers’ new purchasing habits? What can you do to make sure the value you provide in today’s environment hits home?
Contact me to find out how you can get heard above the noise–even in a crisis situation.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com
Top of Mind Thursday June 11, 2020: Opening the Door
In the last several weeks, many US states and other countries around the world have started re-opening parts of their economies.
In some cases, like New Zealand and South Korea, the coronavirus has been virtually vanquished. In others, like Spain and Italy, the curve has flattened enough that officials believe it’s safe enough to resume many activities. In the United States, both the status of the pandemic and the dates for re-opening of various sectors differ from state-to-state or region-to-region.
After months of lockdown, many people are going stir-crazy. They want to get out and resume their normal lives. Some are taking the advice of public health officials to wear masks and continue social distancing. Others are throwing caution to the wind.
As a result, there are two parallel situations developing. First, there are people who are ready and anxious to jump into their old activities–regardless of whether or not they’re safe. On the other hand, there are people who will be reticent to resume even those activities that are now considered appropriate, because they are concerned about continued spread of the virus.
The virus has not magically disappeared, and it’s likely we will see significant upticks in infection over the next several months as more and more “normal” activities resume. The more businesses can take appropriate safety and hygiene measures, the smaller that rise may be.
But just as important as new cleaning and service protocols is making customers feel comfortable. All the processes and procedures in the world won’t make a difference if a customer perceives they are at risk and becomes afraid to proceed.
It’s important to communicate frequently and share plans as they develop. It’s also important to accept the fact that a segment of your customers may not be ready for business as usual for a long time. Keep developing and improving alternative means to support your customers: remote meetings and events, no-cost home delivery, take out and curbside pickup for all manner of retail products–not just restaurants.
The door to a more normal environment is opening just a crack. We need to be careful with how we handle this opportunity, or we may quickly see it slam in our face.
Check out our marketing thought leadership podcasts and the video trailer for my book, Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters.
.
Let us help your business rise to the top.
linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com