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Blog Archive

What’s Your Dream?

What’s your dream? How are going to bring your new idea or existing business to the next level? What is your plan to help you reach your vision? You need a proven strategy to be successful — a strategy that includes these key components — (1) SOLID KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR …

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Local Small Business Gets A Lift…And Gives One.

Imagine you’re the owner of a small business attending an event with lots of other small business owners. Most of them, you’ve never met. It’s a diverse group of people: male and female, old and young, black and white. Their businesses are diverse too: bakery, craft & hobby, shoe store, …

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What’s Your Strategy?

What’s your strategy? How are going to bring your new idea or existing business to the next level? Do you know how to reach the right market? What’s your plan? Your strategy needs these key components to succeed — (1) SOLID KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR MARKET  You must identify your best customer. …

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What’s Your Plan?

What’s your plan? How are going to bring your new idea or existing business to the next level? Do you know how to reach the right market? What’s your marketing strategy? Your plan needs these key components to succeed — (1) SOLID KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR MARKET”  You must find your best …

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Mascot Marketing & The Great Sausage Race

Four friends head to Miller Park in Milwaukee to see a Brewers baseball game. They have a lot in common — each is over 7-ft tall and made of pork. There’s Brett Wurst the Bratwurst, Stosh the Polish Sausage, Guido the Italian Sausage, and Frankie Furter the Hot Dog. They …

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The Marketing Power of Free Time

When you come across news about the development of autonomous vehicles, what’s your first thought?  If you’re like most people, your first thought is probably a question— “Why do we need autonomous vehicles?” Companies in that category may tell you the key benefit of their end product comes down to …

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What’s it going to take?

What’s it going to take to bring your business to the next level and reach the success you have made your goal? What’s it going to cost? What has to be done? What’s the marketing strategy? Whether you have start up business or you are beginning to revamp your existing …

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The Easy Marketing Strategy That Works

“Go Easy on Me,” Adele sang to her lover.  The Eagles suggested you “Lighten up while you still can….and Take it Easy.” And Lionel Richie was “Easy Like Sunday Morning.” “Easy” is a special and often-used word in every language.  Search “easy” in Google and you’ll get 8.9 billion results …

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Marketing Pot: Challenges and Cash Besides Clever Lines

Buying marijuana is not something Americans are used to doing out in the open. Many recall a scenario in which one friend scored the pot and brought it to his or her friends. Comedians Cheech and Chong had a routine featuring a character named “Dave,” who runs out to buy …

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Is Marketing Really a Form of Mind Control?

The 1962 movie The Manchurian Candidate is a psychological political thriller about the Cold War and sleeper agents. The plot centers on Raymond Shaw, a U.S. soldier in the Korean War who is captured and brainwashed by communists. He is released and returns to civilian life in the United States. …

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Are You Leaving Money on the Table?

Imagine your 18-year old daughter introduces you to Rowan — her new boyfriend. Rowan has no job or education, but he does have a great collection of tattoos on both arms and several safety pins through his eyebrow.    No daughter? OK, imagine your assistant buzzes you on the intercom and …

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Would the Zoom Freemium Model Grow Your Business?

Sinclair gas stations were cool. The logo featured a green dinosaur and the local station had a giant blow up of the “Dino” mascot tethered to its sign.  When I was nine, I’d go cruise in to the Sinclair near my home on my bike to put air in my …

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Nothing New to Sell? Sell It Used

“Hello this is Tradio, are you buying or selling?” says the radio DJ. “I’m selling a five-horsepower lawnmower from Sears. It’s six years old and in good condition. I’ll take $35 or best offer.” replies the caller. “Thank you, Hello this is Tradio, are you buying or selling?” the DJ …

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Website Designer/Developer Wanted

WE’RE HIRING! FULL TIME POSITION OPEN AT FARRIS. APPLY NOW. We are looking for a creative person, an innovative thinker and tech lover. You need a good work ethic and relationship skills, who can build, maintain and update consumer-friendly websites for our clients.  This is a full-time position with the …

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Innovation is Great…If You Can Sell It

William Morrison emigrated from Scotland to America in 1880. He was a watchmaker by trade, but an innovator by DNA. Like other inventors of his era, he wanted to build a horseless carriage. But unlike other early automobiles, Morrison’s was powered by battery, not a combustion engine. Morrison’s electric vehicle …

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Does Creativity Still Matter in Marketing?

Baby pictures. We’ve all seen them. When a new parent or grandparent sticks that smartphone under your nose to show you their precious darling, you automatically start to spit out compliments. “He’s definitely his father’s son,” you say, as the proud papa swipes through the first 200 digital images for …

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Farris creates “Discover the Love” campaign for Lillo

Premium Infused Spirits, LLC., makers of Lillo Limoncello and Lillo Coffee Liqueurs, selected Farris Marketing of Boardman for branding and social media marketing. The story of Lillo began more than two decades ago when two Italian priests presented one of the Lillo founders with a generation’s old recipe from their …

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Slang in Ads: Is it Tight or Wack?

I admit I was excited. Six months ago, I bought a new refrigerator, but because of the pandemic, it took three months to come in. The store sent two younger guys to deliver the shiny new appliance to my house. The new fridge was a lot bigger than the old …

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YouTube: Modern Version of Cave Painting

It’s sometime during the Paleolithic Age (aka the Stone Age) near what is now Spain. A cavewoman named Canta and caveman named Lopa are spear fishing in a river. “So Lopa,” says Canta, “What’s new?” “Same ol’, same ol’ for me.” replies Lopa. “But some of our friends saw one …

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AI for Marketing: Usually Helpful, Sometimes Annoying

If you’ve read, heard, or watched any developments in Artificial Intelligence, you’ve probably heard the paranoid whispers that one day an army of AI robots will rise up, take over the world, and enslave the human race. That’s crazy, right? Maybe not. What if… I mean…what if? What if the …

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How Batman beat Superman with brand equity

Years later, as Superman is puttering around his home in the Fortress of Solitude, he tells visitors that he’s happy and enjoys retirement. But Lois Lane, his ageless girlfriend of 70+ years, tells a different story. “He’s OK until he hears about another new Batman movie — then he gets …

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Lessons on Peace and Branding from Oreo

Want to cure the divisiveness in this country? Start by finding common ground. But don’t use words. Just get the opposing sides to sit down across a table from each other. Then give them a mug of ice cold milk — and a dozen or so Oreos. Within minutes, someone …

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Estée Lauder: Female Guerrilla Marketer 

Are you awed by the marketing savvy, strength, and perseverance of visionaries like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos? Does their commitment to building their respective brands (Apple, Tesla, and Amazon) into culture-changing powerhouses impress you? You should be impressed— considering their innovative, aggressive, unrelenting styles. Yet, if Jobs, …

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Brag About Your Brand to Build More Business

Does the word “brag” in the headline above bother you?  Does the idea of “bragging” about yourself or your brand make you uncomfortable?  That’s not surprising.  Many people put bragging in the same category as the “G word” (Greed).  Neither is illegal, but many of us are of the opinion …

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Do April Fools Gags Bring in Business for Brands?

If the April Fools gag works, the benefits to the brand of a well-thought out and successful April first joke are numerous. You get publicity. The brand name is mentioned in social media and around the virtual water cooler. If done right, you can increase awareness, generate interest and revenue, …

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Books and Podcasts Recommended by Local Leaders

“Leadership” is an often-used word in job descriptions and the mission statements of companies and non-profit organizations. Great leadership is usually linked to the success of the organization. That’s appropriate. But many successful people will tell you that leadership goes beyond the bottom line. Leadership is also about teaching, sharing …

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Marketing Madness: Winning Works Wonders

By Anthony Farris and George Farris Small colleges all across America work hard to recruit new students each year. Their marketing teams set up displays at college day forums, host open house events, send direct mail to qualified prospects, post clever and inspiring billboards. They appeal to alumni to encourage …

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Pay Attention to Podcast Popularity

I walked into the tiny reception area of my friend Jimmy’s office and saw the receptionist Marge at her desk. She’s a Russian immigrant in her early 80s who thinks retirement is for lazy people. Marge’s brass blonde hair is spun into an amazing beehive hairdo.  We chat for a …

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Marketing Lessons from Genghis Khan

If you were asked to name a marketing genius, who comes to mind? Would it be Apple’s Steve Jobs, who created beautiful consumer tech and our desire to own it? How about Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who literally changed the way the world shops? Or, SpaceX and Tesla’s Elon Musk, who …

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How Celebs and CEOs Have Disrupted the News Media

“Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.” is a quote often attributed to Mark Twain. It’s a warning, telling us to stay on the good side of newspaper publishers. The people who ran newspapers were powerful and could make you a hero or a reprobate …

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Annual List of Top Marketing Quotes Includes Advice from Farris CEO 

Words of advice from George Farris, President/CEO of Farris Marketing, are cited in a popular annual list of the nation’s best marketing quotes.  365 Marketing Quotes to Keep You Fired Up All Year is published online each year by skyword.com, the leading content platform company for national brands such as Campbell’s …

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