Category Archives: Communications

Forget Big Data. Improve Marketing With a Cathode Follower!

Posted on Monday, 16 June 2014 1:22 pm by markpilip

What do tube amplifiers have to do with digital marketing? It turns out the analog world of tube circuits is more like the real world of marketing and advertising than the clean, digital, “Big Data” world we’d like to believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications, Guitar, Marketing, Organization | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

They still publish phone books

Posted on Tuesday, 24 December 2013 8:07 am by markpilip

Yellowbook has a strange business model. It goes like this: you sell ads to companies that don’t fully realize the Internet has been invented, then chop down trees and pulp them into little books. Then, waste a lot of gas … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis, Communications, Marketing | Tagged | 2 Comments

Don’t Let MBAs Mess With Bourbon

Posted on Monday, 18 February 2013 9:18 am by markpilip

I’m a fan of Maker’s Mark bourbon and usually drink the stuff mixed with Diet Coke, so I wasn’t terribly upset when I heard they were lowering the alcohol volume to 84 proof from 90. I’d never notice the difference. … Continue reading →

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Communications “Real Housewives” Style

Posted on Monday, 1 October 2012 8:21 am by markpilip

It’s Monday morning and the time when communications professionals around the world are answering urgent executive requests on: Why that tweet (that nobody cares about) was created? Why that blog post (that nobody cares about) got your corporate mission wrong? … Continue reading →

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Get Better Before You Start Shouting

Posted on Tuesday, 31 July 2012 8:27 am by markpilip

Marketing and communications professionals in companies and agencies often get called on the carpet to answer questions about why the product isn’t selling enough to please the executives. At times, it culminates in an agency review or with the termination … Continue reading →

Posted in Branding, Communications, Marketing, Product Development | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Real Innovation…

Posted on Friday, 23 March 2012 8:24 am by markpilip

…changes the courses of industries, if not society. Real innovation gives us the lightbulb, Linux, and the Internet. Real innovation also breaks your company’s current profit model, organizational structure and strategies. Real innovation is also messy, scary and “dangerous” to … Continue reading →

Posted in Branding, Communications, Leadership, Product Development | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Reacting to Mainstream Media Articles

Posted on Monday, 19 March 2012 8:33 am by markpilip

The recent retraction by This American Life of the episode about Foxconn’s iPad factory working conditions demonstrates why my immediate reaction to stories published by the mainstream media is appropriate. Wait. Apple’s slow/no response to the original story turned out … Continue reading →

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Reading a Culture Through Bureaucracy

Posted on Monday, 5 March 2012 10:53 am by markpilip

You can tell a lot about the corporate culture of a company by how aggressive the SG&A functions are. Do you get “escalated” (a favorite bureaucratic term, used only at large, inefficient companies) on when you: Neglect to fill out … Continue reading →

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Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Lied To

Posted on Sunday, 4 March 2012 11:11 am by markpilip

Salespeople and product managers get lied to by prospects because the prospect fears their judgement will be questioned. Or so posits Seth Godin. I believe Seth is correct. How many times, when dealing with a salesperson selling a product you’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Don’t Ask Permission

Posted on Monday, 27 February 2012 1:11 pm by markpilip

Indicate your intent instead.  Simon Sinek tells the story of a top U.S. Navy submarine commander who made one very simple change–sharing intention instead of asking permission–to improve the performance of his ship and crew. This subtle change is really … Continue reading →

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