The term “new normal” is bandied about quite a bit these days. And, indeed, the consensus seems to be that consumers’ relationship with companies they turn to for goods, services and information has evolved in new directions from what was understood and accepted as recently as January of last year.Some businesses, we know, have done exceedingly well over the past year with new … [More]
A Cover Contest Creates Awareness for the ‘Comeback’ Issue
Each of our participants for this month’s cover story was asked to compete by creating an August 2021 In Business Magazine cover that depicted the Greater Phoenix comeback from COVID-19. Six of our top marketing companies involved took on the challenge and worked internally with their creative teams to come up with a concept and execute it for the In Business Magazine August … [More]
4 Key Marketing Questions Every Business Must First Answer
There are several questions businesses should answer before beginning any form of post-COVID marketing. The first question that a company needs to address is whether the business is truly ready to be marketed. As we know, many businesses post-COVID are currently struggling with staffing and product scarcity. Marketing before the business is ready can be considered … [More]
Now Is the Time to Seize Opportunity
Has there ever been a better time in recent history to turn the page? A new chapter is upon us, and the greater business community is — finally — focused more on seizing opportunity than crisis mitigation or maintaining status quo. The collective desire to move forward is clear. Yet, this desire comes also with its own set of challenges. How to move forward, which marketing … [More]
Tapping into the Market’s Changed Expectations
Businesses have undergone tremendous setbacks as a result of the pandemic. Marketing was the least of a company’s worries, but now, as businesses begin to reevaluate and attempt to recover, it’s important to think about how to navigate the new marketplace with changing consumer behaviors, preferences and loyalty. There are a few things to consider when it comes to marketing in … [More]
How Marketers Can React, Reengage and Reemerge in a Post-COVID World
Last year, as anxiety surrounding the pandemic was at its peak, the term “pivot” became all-too-common — and oversimplified — guidance for brands eager to navigate the ever-shifting crisis. And while the term itself became overused, the core of that principle remains to this day: To weather such dramatic change (pandemic or not), companies must evolve to be more nimble, … [More]
2021 Is a Reset Year, and Opportunity Is Pounding on the Door
In every type of downturn, the first thing businesses do is cut their marketing budget. We’d already anticipated that a recession would begin during 2020. We posted a premium download about “How to Market in a Recession” quite early in the year, stressing the importance of businesses sticking with their marketing efforts during bad times, but nobody could have anticipated the … [More]
Reigniting the Marketing Engine in a Post-Pandemic World
Being seen and heard is a necessary part of running a successful business. However, 2020 all but halted some companies’ outreach and impacted marketing budgets across the world. As businesses reemerge, branding and awareness are crucial in letting the public know a company is still open for business. What are some of those first steps when restarting the marketing wheel? … [More]
Savvy Business Leaders Focus Their Marketing on What Matters Most to Their Customers
The pandemic of 2020 had differing effects on various industries. Many businesses in tourism and live entertainment came to a screeching halt, while others such as healthcare, financial services and certain consumer products — like furniture and groceries — flourished. In either case, savvy business leaders learned to change on a moment's notice and focus on what mattered most … [More]
Post-Pandemic, Doing Good Is Good for Business
We are entering a period of post-pandemic growth, and there has never been a better time for businesses to consider their purpose — their “why.” Purpose is rooted in long-term strategy, aligning brand identity with consumer beliefs, and it has become the fifth “P” of marketing, creating connection, conversation and loyalty between businesses and their customers. Organizations … [More]
Consumers Bring a New Reality to Their Brand Interactions
With more than half of Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the economy is in much better shape than a year ago. And while this is good news for businesses, we’re entering a new phase where the recovery is expected to continue at a slower pace. It’s easy to understand why so many businesses are rushing to launch new marketing campaigns after such a dismal … [More]
Ditch the ‘Wait and See’ and Nurture Subject Matter Experts
There is no question that COVID was difficult on all businesses, but even more so on destination travel. As we started to turn the corner and see some sense of return to “normalcy,” it was important that we prepare our clients for the phases of reentry to ensure that they would be ready. Timing is of the essence as things were (and are) changing every day. TJA presented a … [More]
Rebuilding Your Brand, Growing Your Workforce and Supporting Local Business
While COVID-19 certainly took its toll on many business-to-consumer market sectors — particularly entertainment, hospitality and travel — business-to-business sectors such as high tech, sustainability and life science experienced unprecedented growth. As we emerge from the pandemic, the marketing and business development needs of all these areas vary greatly, depending on both … [More]
Lost in the Amazon
When I think about what’s wrong with today’s internet experience, I often remember the time I tried to plan a family vacation. I logged in with high hopes. In the old days, I might have turned to a travel agent, but today all the tools that were once the sole domain of the professional travel planner are available to me. I started using search engines, trying a variety … [More]
Harrah’s Ak-Chin, a Community HERO
People. Planet. Play. Service to these fundamentals is integral in the long-standing traditions and culture of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, which has a commitment to preserve and impact not only the tribal community but neighboring communities in a positive way. So, when the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in 1988, the Ak-Chin Indian Community … [More]
Making Sense of the Puzzle
“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” —Peter F. Drucker In my previous article, exploring the possibilities, our topic was seizing the opportunities for the business to take advantage of change. In this article, we will explore the methods to evaluate the ideation that occurred as we explored the new possibilities that lie ahead. … [More]
The Silent Killer of a CEO
C-suite execs are used to problems from employees, stalled cash flow, unexpected challenges arriving out of nowhere, and the futile attempt to maintain a balance between home life and work life. After a while, these leaders feel trapped in a never-ending cycle of whack-a-mole responses by the futility of it all. That attitude ultimately destroys both the leader and the … [More]
Jos Anshell, Marketing Forensics
Over this past year, the word “pivot” has become the buzzword as businesses responded to a new climate for commerce. Successful pivots are grounded in good communication — and that’s the realm of marketing. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a few things have changed in the past 18 months. The key is survival; “thrival” is … the consumer. And if you you’re not listening to … [More]
