Marketing Then and Now: Why Relationships Will Always Matter Most

Marketing Then and Now: Why Relationships Will Always Matter Most

My Dad, Dave, was an old school marketer. He didn’t have a college degree. He learned everything he needed to know about sales and marketing on the job at Aubrey Manufacturing, a family owned company in mostly blue-collar Union, Ill. Aubrey made range hoods and ventilation equipment for the kitchen and bathroom. Good products.  Well made. Dad knew the importance of great brand storytelling and influencer marketing long before they became today’s buzz words. His storytelling was of the oral variety, though, usually told with laughter over a drink or dinner. His influencers were the partners, colleagues, employees and company leaders he got to know through the work he loved. […]

Is Digital Disruption Killing PR? No, But Times Are Changing.

Is Digital Disruption Killing PR? No, But Times Are Changing.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make any sound? Yes, but only if there is a capable public relations (PR) advisor on hand to help amplify the noise. Perhaps this analogy is a bit corny, but it’s also true. Chances are that a PR pro has had some hand in nearly every major story of note, most often behind the scenes counseling business leaders on messaging strategy or serving as a liaison between official and press. But make no mistake, the indelible imprint of the PR practitioner is being felt more often than not. In recent years there have […]

Making or Breaking Your Small Business Reputation in a Connected Economy

Making or Breaking Your Small Business Reputation in a Connected Economy

Although we often hear about how important small businesses are to job creation and economic growth, what may be lesser known is the vital role they play in local philanthropy and solving key social issues. While large, Fortune 500 companies may get the most press and marketing visibility for their philanthropy in the macro economy, small, Main Street businesses are the ones moving mountains in the micro economy. These are the manufacturing, retail and service firms, community banks and sole proprietorships creating the majority of jobs in the neighborhoods, downtown business districts, manufacturing centers and commercial corridors across America. Owners and members of these companies are committed to their local […]

PR, Spin and the Art of Influence

Most small and mid-size business owners “get” marketing. They understand how important it is to define a marketing strategy to attract new customers, satisfy their needs and hopefully keep them coming back for more. But when the subject of public relations (PR) comes up, many are left scratching their heads, or if they give PR much thought at all they consider it an avenue for free publicity. That’s on a good day. On a bad day PR practitioners may be called spin doctors or propagandists. In the urban dictionary, PR is slang for an officer’s nightstick. Some journalists view PR representatives as shields to keep the press at bay when […]