Author Archive for Drew McLellan

Your Customer’s Prized Possession? Their Time.

Written by Drew McLellan
on May 12th, 2008 / 1 Comment / Print this

So spend it wisely.
I got a packet today, from someone who is trying to sell me a service that I’m probably interested in. We’ll call me a lukewarm buyer. I don’t know enough to be a hot buyer, but the potential is there.
I had asked the rep to send me some information. I [...]

The Eyes Have It

Written by Drew McLellan
on May 1st, 2008 / 3 Comments / Print this

So, you want to create an effective website or blog. Do you know where to put the most critical data? How to design the page to optimize usability? You should know what eye tracking tells us.
Using a combination of complex hardware and data analysis, eye tracking maps a tester’s eye movements across a computer screen [...]

What is your lack of planning costing you?

Written by Drew McLellan
on April 26th, 2008 / 3 Comments / Print this

I can list off a bunch of adages about planning. And as I do, you’re going to nod and agree. After all, it makes good sense.

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
“Measure twice, cut once.”
“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”
“It wasn’t raining when Noah built the [...]

Are You Playing By The Numbers?

Written by Drew McLellan
on April 16th, 2008 / Leave a Comment / Print this

While I do know a few business owners who are absolutely religious about tracking their business’ performance, most small business owners tend to use the gut check method of monitoring the health of their business.

I get it. Numbers aren’t fun or sexy. They aren’t interacting with the customers, creating new product offerings or [...]

A Marketing Resolution

Written by Drew McLellan
on December 19th, 2007 / 17 Comments / Print this

Let’s face it. We already know that you are not going to get everything done, in terms of marketing that you should or you want to. I know…hardly a jolly way to approach the start of a new year. But that’s our reality. We’ll never get to it all. So [...]

A Fine Line Between Smart and Stuck

Written by Drew McLellan
on October 22nd, 2007 / 1 Comment / Print this

If you’ve followed my writing or blog at all, you know that I am a big believer in having a plan. Strategy is king. Today’s marketing dollars are too scarce to be wasted. The 4th quarter and early January seems to have most marketers knee-deep in research, budgets, what if scenarios [...]

Know What You Need

Written by Drew McLellan
on October 3rd, 2007 / Leave a Comment / Print this

Every business wants to generate new business. That’s the commonality. But that’s just about all that’s the same.
Some sell high-ticket or very specialized items and services. They only need a handful of new clients to meet their goals. Others are all about volume. They have a large ability to deliver [...]

Do a Quick Brand Check

Written by Drew McLellan
on September 18th, 2007 / 10 Comments / Print this

Consumers are exposed to over 3,000 marketing messages a day. TV spots, radio ads, billboards, logos on t-shirts, packaging labels, coupons in the mail, pop up ads on the internet, kids selling cookies at the door – they are everywhere.
And yet you think the consumers you want to talk to are going to filter [...]

Does good branding influence toddlers?

Written by Drew McLellan
on August 12th, 2007 / 4 Comments / Print this

You bet.
Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital just shared snippets of a study that will be released in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The study finds that kids aged 3 to 5, when presented with identical foods — one in a McDonald’s wrapper and the other without [...]

How Can Branding Help You Avoid A Bad Customer?

Written by Drew McLellan
on July 25th, 2007 / 11 Comments / Print this

Most bad customers are not really bad customers. They’re just bad customers for you. They’re a bad fit. And it’s your fault.
Many businesses don’t want to miss out on any sales opportunity, so they say they can do everything. They don’t want to define themselves and risk losing a customer. So the poor customers are [...]