Warren Douglas website

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The Facts About Food and Other Life Lessons

So, I’m writing on location at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Though it sounds glamorous and exciting, it is a rat race and just plain full of people. Plus, I’ve never seen so many varieties of cheeses, olive oils, crackers, salad dressings, and salsas.
One interesting seminar I attended features the NASFT 2009 Specialty [...]

social media

I’ve Been Facebook Murdered!

While this is the story of what happened to my boss, he’s in Florida escaping the bitter Arctic cold front while at a sales conference for one of our esteemed premium brand clients—so, I don’t feel bad stealing it away for a blog entry.
The other day, Mr. Bossy Boss told me a tale about this [...]

retail

Where’s the Innovative Sparkle This Christmas?

I have been trying to get into the Christmas spirit for weeks now but just haven’t been feeling that special something—that little flutter in my stomach that’s excited to spend money on those I love. This year it feels like it’s all the usual suspects and there’s nothing new to give—sweaters, DVDs, candy, same old [...]

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Why It’s Hard to Be Premium

We all know how hard it is to turn a profit in today’s economy. What’s even more difficult is sustaining the value of a premium brand, what with brand names shelling out coupons, cutting all marketing and even changing their product ingredients to become the “chipper chicken” of their category. (Thank you, Steve Martin.)
The video [...]

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The Legion of Extraordinary Things

Extraordinary: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary. — Merriam-Webster
Last night, while watching my recording of Wednesday’s So You Think You Can Dance (yes, I’m one of those people), the show’s host introduced me to a group called “The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers.” While this seems like a fun name, I was hardly going [...]

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Premium Brand Communication 101

Premium brands distinguish themselves from the competition not only in their products, but also in the way they communicate with their customers. One good example of this is in e-mail marketing. Although e-mail is growing and consumers are likely to opt-out if they feel the messages to be irrelevant or impersonal. There are more than 200 billion email messages sent each day, and of the 91% of consumers who opt out or unsubscribe to emails, 46% are driven to brand defection because the messages are simply not relevant.

Public Relations

Does Macy’s Really Bring the Magic?

Until recently I had never shopped at Macy’s, but I always knew it was a place I wanted to be—kind of like Disney World. I credit the beloved holiday film Miracle on 34th Street for creating in me a loyalty to a place and brand I had never actually experienced—they did have the real Santa [...]

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Microsoft Stores Burst Into Random Line Dancing Now?

At the sake of being repetitive in my love for certain computer manufacturing branding and marketing efforts, and utter disappointment for others, I leave you with a simple video, which I think should speak for itself.
I’m definitely not getting a holiday season job at a Microsoft store …
http://bubble-cast.com [...]

General

Facebook Promotions Go Premium

Last Thursday, the Facebook Marketing page announced new guidelines on running promotions through Fan Pages. Why more marketers aren’t in a frenzy, I don’t know because in one short posting, they basically annihilate 90% of the reason any brand actually has a Fan Page—having something of value to communicate to their customers on the cheap.

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Wise Branding From the Soda Pop Shop

John Nese is a regular guy who has an irregular love–he adores soda pop. Having worked with his father since he was younger in their run-of-the-mill grocery store, his little establishment was given the opportunity to carry the big brand of soda, Pepsi. After feeling bullied into an agreement he didn’t want, John decided he would start collecting his own selection of specialty sodas—without the help of a big compay. Over the years his little store has become anything but run-of-the-mill.