The Key to Successful Marketing in Tough Times
The sluggish economy continues to present challenges. While it has improved somewhat from its 1Q09 doldrums, the weak, recessionary US economy has taken its toll on marketing budgets, marketing programs, the media (most of whom depend upon advertising revenues) and marketing firms.In tough times like these, a marketing professional has to ensure that every marketing dollar counts. There is little or no room for guesswork or errors. Now is not the time for guesswork, marketing from the gut or reactionary decision-making.Now is the time for every marketing organization to have a marketing plan. At Maple, we are continually surprised by the high percent

The Good Fight
[This is not a marketing article. It's personal, and it is a great cause. For those wondering, "What is crossfit?" you may go here for information.]Crossfitters, by nature, are battlers. We are warriors. I have had the honor to fight alongside each of you, as we’ve battled the Filthy 50, Murph, Dr. Tabata … even Fight Gone Bad. The important part is we have battled together. We have fought—and will continue to fight—through the pain and our own limitations, physical and mental. Today, in that context, I want to tell you a story and call your attention to a different fight: "The Good Fight."

Is E-Mail Overload Hurting Response Rates to Online Surveys
For the past several years, we've had great success in reaching our audience with online surveys. Such surveys have been a great way to accomplish marketing research objectives including:Testing conceptsMeasuring customer satisfactionGauging public opinionImproving and evaluating special eventsLearning about the marketplace in generalBut, alas, the world is always changing. This is especially true, I believe, in our high-tech, communication overloaded world.Here's a recent example, which I think illustrates the situation. For the past six years, we have conducted a "reader survey" for one of our media clients. Thi