word of mouth blabber...

Word of Mouth marketing has reached the next stage of evolution. With global spending on social networks reaching $1.29 billion in 2007 (hitting $3.6 billion in 2011 on current trends), this is an area with many opportunities to tap into. The costs associated with traditional advertising and even finding out which consumers use different communications channels grow each year. And still we don't really know whether customer advocacy has a positive impact on sales. In any case word of mouth allows brands to be top of mind of consumers minds and recommended by closest and most trusted to them. Word of mouth in my opinion still remains half science, half art with infinite creative possibilities.

Mental Constipation

Ever had one? Mental blockage is by no means exclusive to the ranks of corporate management. It happens to everyday people and I had mine today. A remedy that tends to work for me most of the time (other than loads of caffeine and ice cream) is skipping through a book called "Jump Start Your Brain." It gets my creative juices going and it helps me look at situations in a way I didn't think to before. As this book points out - one of the great barriers to original thought is thought you're already carrying around in your head. When your mind is filled with solutions and mambo jumbo, it's nearly impossible to conceive a newborn thought.

"For a tree to bear fruit, dead limbs must be pruned." Richard Saunders