Forget Monopoly or pinochle. When I was growing up, coupon-clipping was the family’s parlor sport of choice. My dad’s bulky coupon wallet dictated where we’d go out to eat, when we’d go places like the zoo or museums and, essentially, what we would consume as a family.
I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking of coupons, [...]

Foursquare, the mobile-phone, geolocation-based social networking app that allows users to “check in” when they arrive at businesses and attractions to win virtual badges, meet people and take advantage of special offers, is rapidly growing in popularity.
With currently 725k users and 22m checkins, including a couple headed for the North Pole, Foursquare is expected to [...]

This year 81% of companies’ chief marketing officers plan to link annual revenues to social media marketing investment, according to a study by CMO Club and Bazaarvoice. With that in mind, SEO co. 97th Floor (Twitter: @chrisbennett) created this chart for CMO.com. It’s a good introduction to what social sites can do for exposing your [...]

The New York Times this morning features an interesting case study about a small company faced with the choice between a traditional advertising strategy and a social-media/web-based plan for marketing its new line of products.
Those products: hand-rolled cigars from the Dominican Republic.
Pretty tradicional, no? Turns out, that’s not where the company’s mindset is.

Though the EPC [...]

Damian Kulash has really taken it to the mattresses with EMI.
You may remember about a month ago, the frontman of virally famous OK Go posted an open letter to the band’s forum complaining about how its label, EMI, had quashed their recent attempts to get the word out about their new album and tour via [...]

If you thought old brands couldn’t learn new tricks, then WD-40 has something to show you.
The highly multi-purpose product was originally developed by aerospace scientists during the Cold War as a means of protecting missiles from corrosion. The name stands for “Water Displacement, formula 40.” Since then, it’s become the epitome of the household brand.
You [...]

Why is there no obvious opposite of self-promotion?
Think about it. What word or phrase concisely denotes the reverse of that practice which so many of us are trying our best to master, whether we admit it or not?
Self-promotion is hard and often necessary work. In fact, you’re probably reading this now because of one of [...]

Trix are for kids. What’s for grown-ups?
Kashi, yo.
You may have noticed the 26-year-old, La Jolla-based company’s cereals, waffles, snacks, pizzas and healthy versions of Hot Pockets on the shelves at the grocery store, each with the proprietary blend of seven whole grains and sesame.
Had you asked us a few days ago whether Kashi was [...]

One of the great benefits of Facebook is that it helps businesses, especially small ones, connect with customers. Shoot, given that the site just broke the 400 million user threshold, it helps you connect with pretty much the whole world.
As CEOs of big corps on down to mom and pops have caught on, [...]

Nothing says “I love you” like a steaming stack of 10 sliders, two 21-ounce sodas and a heap of fries glowing in the candlelight as it flickers against your true love’s cheek. And all for just $10.79.
That’s what White Castle thinks, anyway, and considering that the fast food chain has been running its Valentine’s Day [...]