Category Opinions
Tom Polanski and eBrand Media thank Zappos for their gesture of genuine partnership!
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
A person can make a series of reasonably sound assumptions by the way a company treats it vendors. Savvy Senior Managers understand that the value they place on their vendors, customers and employees is directly proportionate to the value they place on their brand. Good relationships will always add to the brands equity.
Unfortunately, over the past 5-6 years, many managers, and merchants, have seemingly forgotten the importance of, and the investment needed, to build a brand. Most of the people I’ve met over the years have been driven by a direct return on investment now mentality. Too few were forward thinkers. These people wanted X number of dollars back for every dollar invested and many times, considering the gross margins they made, one could only arrive at the conclusion that they thought of their businesses the same way they’re customers thought of their homes; as ATM’s. I often wondered where the revenue was going. As far as I could tell it wasn’t going into creating a platinum level, end-user experience.
I think the companies that will thrive during this economic transition have been companies that have always had a coherent, cogent vision for the company’s present and future. In addition, management takes care of their employees; they create a positive environment and treat their people like a valuable resource. As a result, the return they see on the the investment they’ve made in their human resources typically exceeds the usual. These employees aren’t just showing up for work to trudge through another day.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Opinions, Tom Polanski, Zappos, eBrand Media on December 31st, 2008
Inspiring quotes from great minds
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
I remember watching a grainy black and white film of Albert Einstein accepting his Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. What struck me was that he expressed gratitude for his intuition which put him on the path to his great discovery. I’ve often wondered why he didn’t express gratitude for his intelligence, his mathematical skills or his ability to conceptualize and express what was then inconceivable. But, instead, he chose to mention specifically his intuition. More than that; I’m impressed that he had the courage to follow his intuition. How often have you felt on a cellular level that you should do something, take a path that’s contrary to logic, only to think yourself out of it?
One of my favorite Einstein stories is the based on his famous quote that God doesn’t play dice with the Universe. During an interview this quote was mentioned and the person conducting the interview asked, “Well, if you believe in God, Mr. Einstein, how do you explain His maliciousness? Einstein supposedly replied, “I don’t believe that God is malicious….I think that He is very, very sophisticated.”
Here are a few quotes that I hope will add value to your day:
“I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.” – John Wanamaker (widely considered the father of modern advertising)
“Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the customer, who believes she has been misled.” - John Wanamaker
Posted by Tom Polanski in Opinions on August 19th, 2008
eBrand Media is delighted to introduce Rob Jones as a regular contributor to eBizine.
By Tom Polanski
eBizine is very pleased that Rob Jones had expressed an interest in contributing to the eBizine community. We’re very impressed by the quality of his thinking and writing. Mr. Jones has been in the marketing department of BuildDirect since 2005 where he found himself quickly caught up in the enthusiasm of working within a company that believes in cutting edge technology and holds the core values of honesty, integrity, and respect for others.
It’s from these beliefs and values that Rob bases his approach to communications and marketing. Involved in nearly every aspect of the marketing process at BuildDirect, Rob has experience in writing customer-friendly web copy that drives traffic and sales, search engine optimization, writing effective eNewsletters, posting articles about products and industry news on blogs that drives interest and traffic, developing online press releases, and more.
When not continuing to learn about technology and how it relates to engaging with customers, Rob is a husband and dad, and keeps his own personal blog about one of his passions – music and music history.
Welcome aboard Rob…and thank you.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Advertising, Marketing, Opinions on July 18th, 2008