Brain on the Internet Series

Let’s talk about that most elusive of goals: tone. Nope, I don’t mean your wobbly upper arms. If your business has a digital side, you’ve probably seen or heard discussions about the tone of voice. In person, the tone is relatively easy to suss out, describe and hit. However, if you’ve ever gurgled to a…

Production values worthy of Hollywood, celebrity endorsements, sexy shoots in exotic places. The bigger the marketing budget, the better the buzz over your product, right? Nope. From Budweiser and Buick and everyone in-between, the fundamentals of a viral marketing campaign remain the same. What’s The Formula For A Viral Marketing Campaign? So, what exactly are…

Imagine that you must pick between a competent team of marketers or a mediocre team with one or two brilliant standouts. Which would you prefer? This question came to me when I listened to Malcolm Gladwell’s fascinating podcast about strong link/weak link theory. Gladwell applies it to higher education, but I think it has interesting…

Quick! How many shopping days are left until Christmas? Or more importantly, how many Amazon holiday deal days are left? During the holidays, everyone is so distracted by the buying frenzy that it’s hard to get people to focus on your business. While money is flying out of everyone’s pockets, it might not be flying…

In the midst of all the depressing political coverage lately (regardless of whether you voted for Trump, can you really sit idly by while he appoints Steve Bannon as White House Chief Strategist?), it can be hard to muster the strength to be thankful. And yet, the season of gratitude is upon us. Besides the…

What do advertisers, politicians, and mischievous kids on Halloween all have in common? They all know that fear has a powerful influence on human behavior. But just because fear is a powerful influencer, doesn’t mean it is always a good marketing and sales strategy. Many marketers spend tons of time trying to scare us into…

We all know what a bad customer service experience feels like: You take the afternoon off and treat yourself to a trip to the spa. You are feeling totally relaxed after your amazing massage. Ahhh! But then the receptionist ignores you when you go up to the desk to pay and continues her conversation on…

You’ve probably noticed that you always (okay, maybe not always, since you’re not a teenager) want what you can’t have. So whether it’s that super cute tunic that you saw in a boutique in Rehoboth and can’t seem to find ANYWHERE else or that last bagel that the lady in front of you just bought,…

*Last Updated 8/31/21 Would the offer of a free tattoo make you more inclined to get fresh ink? Well, if you have been toying with the idea of getting a tattoo; the offer is coming from someone you respect, and you’re just the slightest bit drunk, then quite possibly, yes. (Gives new meaning to the…