David Oligvy once said You can’t bore people into buying your product. I’m wondering if he would have approved of this email from Generation Y clothier JackThreads. Like many apparel retailers they send a daily email with limited time offers. Mostly these go unnoticed, but not this particular piece. […]
Responsible Marketing in a Zombie Apocalypse
In business, it’s survival of the fittest, and our Seven Keys to Responsible Marketing can help you survive just about anything the world throws at you. Even a zombie apocalypse. That’s right, a zombie apocalypse. The characters of AMC’s The Walking Dead would have fared better if they just appreciated our Seven Keys. Here’s how: […]
Old time cough syrup labeling and the side effects of medical disclaimers
Check out the interesting active ingredients in this 100-year-old cough syrup label: Alcohol (less than 1%), Cannabis Indica F.E. (a.k.a. marijuana) Chloroform Morphia, Sulph. (a.k.a morphine) Note how these ingredients are “skillfully combined with a number of other ingredients.” What were the other ingredients? Coca leaves? Amyl nitrate? Do they call it “One Night” cough […]
Get “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits” free* when you learn about our marketing management services.
Does your marketing have rhythm? And by “rhythm,” we aren’t asking if you can bust a move. We’re talking about a seamless rhythm of communication within your business and its marketing function. Referenced by business leaders worldwide, “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits” by Verne Harnish uncovers the leadership and management principles used by John D. Rockefeller. […]
Profanity in Advertising — What the @#$! do we care?
Profanity in advertising—is it REALLY needed in order to stand out in the all the marketing clutter? Are we becoming immune to it? A recent article on Talentzoo puts it this way: …times change, and we’re slowly breaking down our cultural norms and resistance to expletives. Consider the following ads: For as long as I can […]
There’s still time to plan your 2014 marketing. Well, sorta.
Have you started your 2014 marketing planning? November is just around the corner, and we’re just weeks away from New Years. Every year starting about now, we receive a quiver full of last minute, somewhat panicked, inquiries as people realize: They didn’t get everything done in the current year that they wanted to They are […]
Sexy Halloween costumes for kids: A scary reality
‘Tis the season again for hot cider, pumpkin patches, rainy soccer games, and sexy kid’s Halloween costumes. Say what? Yes, you know what we’re talking about. Take a quick stroll through any costume store or gaze online, and you’ll be besieged with images of girls looking 20 years older than they are. Disturbing. Our own […]
Responsible Advertising — Even When it Hurts
Headquartered in Madrid, the ANAR Foundation believes that all children should have a voice, especially when their rights are violated. Take a look at this video from an impressive street ad campaign by the ANAR Foundation: It’s thought provoking. It’s empathetic. It’s reassuring. The goal of this advertisement is clear – to help children realize […]
7th Straight Recycling Award for Outsource Marketing
We walk the talk at Outsource Marketing. Since 2007 King County has recognized organizations for waste prevention and recycling efforts. And, for the 7th straight year we are proud to announce Outsource Marketing has been recognized and made the Honor Roll for “Best Workplaces for Recycling and Waste Prevention.” Read all about it on […]
Hey kids! Buy this! Can marketing to kids be responsible?
Everyone knows soft drinks are bad for your health and teeth, but the biggest soda companies have continued their advertising onslaught, with much of their marketing directed at kids. As a marketer and a mom, Andrea Moretsky has a unique take on soft drink marketing, and she shared it on Parent Map in Marketing Soda […]
Make it easy, and they will come.
Two and a half hours I won’t get back. That’s what I lost this morning when it was time to move from my preview version of Office 365 to a full version and troubleshoot an error that was freezing me out of Outlook. Okay, so I’m not an IT guy. But I bought my first […]
Shifting from reactive to proactive customer service that sells
Recently, Software Advice hosted an online debate called: “Is Customer Service the New Marketing?” The discussion highlighted customers’ increasing disillusionment with traditional advertising; and as a result, the importance of customer service as a market differentiator. The average consumer is bombarded with thousands of commercial messages per day. That’s a lot of clutter to cut […]
Don’t ask your customer to make creative decisions for you
I’m sure their intentions were good. I was just asked by a company we work with to help them select their logo and website via an online survey. They obviously didn’t know what we do around here. Their message started like this: We are asking your thoughts and feedback on our new logo and website. […]
How one college builds trust by educating prospects
Consumers today are better informed about the products or services they’re purchasing than at any other time in history. But it’s not because of marketers. In addition to researching on Google, peer-to-peer review sites like Angie’s List and Yelp have quickly become the most effective way for consumers to learn about business products and services. […]
Hey Abercrombie, take your apology and suck it.
Oh, Abercrombie. You continue to steal the headlines with your chiseled shirtless teenagers gracing the cover of your shopping bags, scandalous advertisements, and beautiful hand-selected employees. And thanks to Business Insider for bringing CEO Mike Jefferies’ 2006 comments back to life, Abercrombie is once again in our headlines. In case you missed it, in 2006 Jeffries made […]
Role Reversal: Perceptions of Men and Women in Advertising
Check out this eye-opening video put together by a Women and Gender Studies class at the University of Saskatchewan by Sarah Zelinski, Kayla Hatzel and Dylan Lambi-Raine. They wanted to show how ridiculous media portrays gender roles and stereotypes in advertising through presenting gender roll reversals. As depicted in the video, our parents went through their […]
Holy Shift: Creepy George will “Fix your transmission”
Oh, this ad for Arlen Transmission is so bad in so many ways – but like a car accident, I can’t take my eyes off it. It’s got the tackiness and female objectification of the Beacon Plumbing’s ‘fix my pipes’ lady: . . . with a little touch of the classic Vern Fonk “Shipoopi” – […]
Nonprofits must differentiate or die
It’s not a fear tactic deployed by marketing agencies to scare the bejesus out of nonprofits. It is, in fact, a hard truth about the nature of the nonprofit sector. Dissimilar, indistinctive and alike will get you killed in any fiercely competitive, over-saturated market – let alone the nonprofit sector. In today’s market, nonprofits (and […]
Dove Real Beauty Sketches: Responsible Marketing, I think.
If you haven’t already seen this “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” clip that everyone is posting on Facebook, take a gander: Dove once again pulls through in this touching video about how women view themselves in such poor light compared to how others see them. It is sad how women are especially critical of every mole, […]
Announcing the 2013 Master Recycler Composter (MRC) volunteer training!
You probably know Outsource Marketing has been awarded a Best Workplace for Waste Prevention and Recycling for six years straight, right? Now you do. Did you also know that 60 percent of what goes to Cedar Hills Regional Landfill could be recycled? The King County Solid Waste Division is looking for outgoing individuals who want to […]
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How can business help the poor?
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Hometown Hookups Season: Looks that Seal the Deal
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Responsible Marketing in a Zombie Apocalypse
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Old time cough syrup labeling and the side effects of medical disclaimers
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Get “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits” free* when you learn about our marketing management services.
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Profanity in Advertising — What the @#$! do we care?
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There’s still time to plan your 2014 marketing. Well, sorta.
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Sexy Halloween costumes for kids: A scary reality
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Sam Walton: An Edward something called me from 718-285-0166 (w...
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tito: It's the American way. All kids get trophies just...
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meech93: Its funny . quill has a thing for most of the peop...
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kari_girl: Just thought I'd say hello. I'm here researching...
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Music Chick: I'm so proud - we got the email today about our ...
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Tim Burchett: I keep seeing people post stuff like this anytime ...
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Anna: I really like the video but it's a huge shame the...