Most of us are aware of the American Express Centurion Card (aka the Black Card).  It's an amazingly overpriced credit card where one has to pay an initial $5,000 fee, $2,500 annual fee, and spend at least $200,000 per year. 

I just watched someone walk into our office with a well-known jewelry company’s shopping bag, and my immediate response was, “Did you go get your free pearls?”  To no surprise at all, they hastily responded, “You bet I did.”  While this may be positive for those receiving free gifts, this is only somewhat positive for the company.  As millions of people walk out the door with free gifts, the company loses millions of dollars.  The thought behind this promotion was a smart one, but the execution may have been a bit mediocre.

As a marketing consulting firm, we work with clients in all forms of media, whether it's digital, online or more traditional forms such as print.  We believe that email is a very powerful marketing device and recommend it to many of our clients as a part of a total mix of marketing efforts.

I had an interesting meeting this morning with a company pitching a great new idea. We were discussing the nuts and bolts of their new and very innovative web system and how it was coming together at just the right time. A time when their clients need more help raising money than they ever have before due to the poor economy. One of the guys mentioned that 35 of the current Fortune 100 companies were started in what was considered a bad or poor economic climate. Why? Poor economies force businesses to get creative. A poor economy coupled with fiscal adversity, forces companies to stretch their best minds to find the next big thing or to advance what they are already working on to the next level. In a poor economy companies are forced to do this as a matter of survival. Great companies have this mindset in all envirionments.