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Campaigning for a Cause

Can you pass a levy without spending heavy? The answer is YES. Several months ago, we faced that question when we took on the challenge of managing a campaign to pass a 3.8 mill Police Levy in Boardman. And the levy passed by more than a thousand votes with almost no heavy …

What is in a brand name that makes it special? Can it really make a difference? Or are there other factors that determine the success of a brand, like extensive advertising campaigns? Let’s face it, with enough TV spots, we can make the name “Humperdink Hamburgers” work for the name …

The Airline With Three Names and Other Oddities from My Trip to San Francisco

My earliest positioning impressions of San Francisco came from Rice-A-Roni commercials and the TV show staring Michael Douglas and Karl Malden as cops. Every so often I have to travel to San Francisco for business and did so last week. And maybe it was the five-and-a-half-hour flight, but I couldn’t …

ARE CREATIVE PEOPLE "QUIRKY"? Or are we just crazy, lazy and sloppy?

DRESSING QUIRKY I get away with a lot…especially when it comes to my business attire. You see, I tell my professional clients (male) they should wear a tie and jacket at public or business events and meetings because it sends a message to the others that says, “you are important …

THE ULTIMATE BRAND: THE FIRST GRANDCHILD

Starbuck’s, McDonald’s, Mercedes, BMW, Nike, Reebok, Budweiser, Coors, Raisin Bran, Special K, ESPN, NFL, Home Depot, Loews, Macy’s, Target and dozens of other brand names are well known to me. But yesterday, all of these names faded away. A new name overtook every brand I ever knew: Nico. NICO was …

GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS — do they work on a local level? We’ll find out.

When Farris was asked to develop and manage the Boardman Police Levy, we agreed immediately. And although this is a pro-bono* account, we take it very seriously. Our office is located in Boardman and two of the partners and several staffers live in Boardman. The situation in Boardman Township, like …

AVOID THE SOCIAL MEDIA RUMOR TRAP

Using social media such as Facebook for business and non-profit organizations can be a trap of sorts. You want to interact with customers and prospects — but unlike paid media, messages and responses are more difficult to manage. CEOs are concerned that a nasty rumor will be planted by a …

RETHINK, REVAMP, RENEW — You can change yourself, your business and your organization.

This is a scene from Mill Creek Park in an area located about five minutes from my office. I apologize for the low resolution — I shot it with my Blackberry phone camera.When I’m working in town and in the office, I often “escape” to the park to do some …