By DAVID CHAUVIN // In the weeks following the brutal, inexplicable murder of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis by a man sworn to protect him, this country has faced a racial reckoning unlike any since the 1960s Civil Rights movement. For days on end, protestors, the vast majority of them peaceful, have taken to cites in every state, on every day, fighting for justice, equality and an end to police brutality. Now is…
By DAVID CHAUVIN // As a marketing professional – and someone fascinated by the inventive ways in which brands engage their audiences – I often find myself torn between being scared about the potential overreach of targeted advertising and being excited about its possibilities. On one end, it is startling when the movie I hadn’t thought about in years – until a colleague quotes it in the office – suddenly appears at the top of…
Thirty years later, Hilary Topper – part marketing ace, part social influencer, all 21st century It Girl – is still going strong. Game-changing technological jolts, 9/11, the Great Recession and now, of course, the great 2020 coronavirus pandemic … none have stopped the clever self-promoter and fierce businesswoman from building Long Beach-based HJMT Public Relations into one of Long Island’s best-known and most-respected marketing brands. With a new book (“Branding in a Digital World: How…
By DAVID CHAUVIN // Early in über-successful streetwear designer Bobby Hundreds’ (real name Bobby Kim) book “This Is Not a T-Shirt,” there’s a striking passage that sent me thinking about my industry, public relations: We’ll sell you a T-shirt, Bobby writes, but not before we tell you about the artist behind it or his or her message. Our stores are less about sales and profit and more about providing a venue to experience our culture….
By DAVID A. CHAUVIN // It’s believed humans have been making annual resolutions for over four millennia, all the way back to the ancient Babylonians making yearly promises to the gods to pay off debts or settle old grudges. I’m fortunate enough to owe no outstanding debts to Marduk or Nergal, currently, though I certainly like to set few new goals each January. Any custom that’s been around that long must have something going for…
By DAVID A. CHAUVIN // Just like your wardrobe, your company needs a makeover every now and then. Industry changes, trends come and go, technology evolves. There’s a good chance that what appeared cutting-edge 10 years ago seems hopelessly outdated now. And if your branding, marketing materials or even company name gives an out-of-touch impression, that’s how your customers will think of you – no matter how state-of-the-art your work or products. The trick is…
By GREGORY ZELLER // It’s a big world getting smaller – one of several critical lessons in the modern marketing classroom. As social media and other online avenues regularly smudge international borders, the way humans market their products and services is being constantly redefined – regardless of what’s being marketed or where. And make no mistake, noted Rajib Sanyal, dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business at Garden City’s Adelphi University, “everyone out…
By DAN BOWEN // The intersection of connectivity, app functionality and mobility have given rise to a new phenomenon. Call it interactive, call it enhanced or social. Whatever you name it, it’s changed the way we watch TV. Just how big is the impact? Huge. Today, 78 percent of Americans watch traditional TV while using another device. And most of us do it on a regular basis. The practice is especially common among smartphone users,…
Advertising veterans Ron Greenstone and Chris Nehlen have teamed up on a new agency that plans to eschew long-term branding campaigns and in-it-for-life retainers in favor of fast, affordable, high-impact marketing for small to medium-sized companies. And then they leave you. “We’re trying to engage clients, not marry them,” said Greenstone, who built the Island’s largest agency from one-man shop to $100 million in billings with such clients as Avis, Nikon and IBM, before retiring —…
By DAN BOWEN // In the B2B marketing world, nothing is more important than trust and credibility. All the website optimization and responsive design in the world means nothing without these two basic human components. Buyers seek it out in all corners of vendor websites and vendors go to great lengths to convey it. Somewhere in the middle is the undeniable power of content. Content is often labeled the most important asset to impact the…
By DAN BOWEN // It’s a fact: Kids love cereal. The sweet and satisfying crunch, paired perfectly with a large splash of milk, is enough to get even the laziest of children out of bed in the morning. Parents love cereal, too – the fiber and whole grains offering a fair compromise to the sugar content. And of course, marketers also love cereal – the $10 billion U.S. breakfast cereal market is an easy win for…