November is here and 2020 planning is in full swing. As you develop your marketing plan for 2020, consider the following: Must Do #1: Start with a blank slate. Put this year’s plan and budget away. You’ll eliminate the urge to include a marketing tactic just because you’ve done it before. Immerse yourself in customer insights and results. Surround yourself with wicked smart, creative, customer-obsessed colleagues across the organization. Then, outline a plan for 2020. Accenture is such…

As Brands ramp up their messaging hoping for more interaction with their customers, many consumers are pushing them away. Marketers who deeply understand their customer know that simple is the winning ticket. Avoid making the common marketer’s mistake of including too many messages in one execution. Tell the reader exactly what they need to know. No more. No less.  Message before beauty.  The signs below are not beautiful. The best feature a design aesthetic that matches the brand. All communicate…

Over the past nine years, Viva’s Blog has delivered the latest in marketing trends & analysis. 70 blogs later, many of the challenges discussed are still relevant for business leaders. Here are the most popular reads. Which can help your business?  How’s your elevator pitch?July 2015You bump into a business associate you haven’t seen in years and she asks you what you’re up to. You open your mouth, pause, try to organize your thoughts, and start…