I spent this past week in Orlando, Florida, attending SAP’s annual SAPPHIRE NOW conference. As I walked through the massive one million square foot show floor of the Orange County Convention Center, it’s easy to think of SAPPHIRE NOW as a technology event for customers. But on Tuesday, the opening day of the conference took on a strong marketing flavor… [Read more]

I recently made an overseas business trip to Singapore and India. I exchanged over 50 business cards with people I met at meetings and events. Yet, many people have proclaimed that the traditional paper business card is obsolete. They predict the shift to an all-digital society is inevitable. Their evidence is considerable: The e-book phenomenon has been a game-changer. Paper… [Read more]

On this Sunday, the critically-acclaimed TV show “Mad Men” returns for its sixth season. For people who work in advertising and marketing, it is a fascinating show because it depicts the early days of advertising agencies of New York City’s Madison Avenue in the 1960’s. The show rightfully deserves awards and applause for the top-notch writing and acting. But one… [Read more]

Recently, Thomas Barta, a leadership advisor and coach, published an interesting article on CMO.com about the Four P’s of Marketing Leadership. His column tackled the challenge of marketing leadership and influence within an organization. We are seeing a trend where CMO’s and their marketing organizations are being asked to play an increasingly important strategic/advisory role in the business. This is… [Read more]

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at a marketing summit in Italy. The event was jointly presented by SAP and Largo Consumo Magazine, one of Italy’s leading trade publications. Early in my career, I was fortunate to be offered a job assignment in Italy that broadened my perspective and provided a “career compass” that guided my professional path…. [Read more]

In the first two parts of this three-part series on the lessons artisans can teach marketers, I discussed how in villages, small towns and “main streets” all over the world, artisan shops have not only survived, they have thrived. You might think that running a modern-day business or a marketing team that there is probably little that an artisan craftsman… [Read more]

In my first blog post on How Artisans Can Teach Us to Become Better Marketers. I talked about living in countries that had a strong artisan culture in their economy. What fascinated me was that these small shops seemed unaffected by larger, more modern businesses and stores. As a marketer, I am always eager to learn about the strategies smaller… [Read more]

When I lived and worked in Italy, artisans were a big part of the commerce and culture of the country.  People would flock to local shops, drawn to homemade breads and cheeses. Furniture and furnishings were made by hand. The vineyards and wineries to this very day retain that artisan mindset. Even today, large companies try to incorporate the “artisan”… [Read more]

Occasionally I enjoy trying new restaurants with my wife and family.  But it seems whenever we discover a culinary gem, so does the rest of the world. Everyone has experienced this at one time or another. The restaurant starts generating buzz and the next thing you know, it becomes next to impossible to get a reservation. Then suddenly, as fast… [Read more]

We have all been there. You’re at your local cinema, eager to see the latest blockbuster. You spend a good chunk of money on movie tickets, popcorn, snacks and drinks. The lights go down. Suddenly the darkened auditorium is illuminated by the smartphones of patrons who think it is acceptable to text during a movie. Despite a prominent “NO TEXTING… [Read more]