We've had quite a few conversations in the last year with organizations that are seeing their market share fall and can't find their way out of it. What they had in common was not poor marketing, per se. Rather, it was how they were going to market.

Tired of hearing about how the next big killer application is going to turn your business into a gold mine and make life easier for you? Yes, we all know that mass media habits have changed and that we're now a wired society, dependent on our computers and smartphones for information.

Although many of you have started experimenting with social media there is one thing you must know before you continue. People don't really want to hear about you, not all the time anyway.

Staying on the television theme-- was it that television was such a powerful medium in its heyday? Or was it the video (film, moving pictures, etc.) format? With the rapid increase in viewers of online video (spurred by bandwidth), the format seems to remain highly preferred by consumers. 

Cable television giant, Cablevision, launched an interactive ad format this month that allows digital subscribers to click on a spot and get more information including product samples. This long-term promise has finally been fulfilled. And the most valuable part of this technology is NOT the ability to track your ads.

When the recession began, we encouraged all marketers to continue to promote the benefits of their brand. Realizing that the panic and doom would eventually end, we suggested that strong brands survive in any market. Here's some recent support for our claim.

A Michigan television station has begun running local obituaries. About $100 gets your Aunt Tilley's mug on the tube and on the station's website as well. Apparently, the passing of 3 of the 4 daily newspapers in the viewing area prompted requests from grieving widows.

Recently, a campaign that VI was involved with, was the subject of critique in a local blog. The blogger, whom I find quite entertaining on occasion, took their information from a newspaper article announcing the public campaign. Unfortunately, they misread/misinterpreted the article and made some wrong assumptions. =As such, they criticized the effort and reported their data as factual. You might imagine how many persons who follow that blog decided to chime in. Most of them assuming the incorrect information was fact and posting their own reply (read: Pile on). Of course, the creative product eventually took some hits. We felt compelled to reply with the accurate information, but declined to address the creative comments – as this is a subjective product and we didn’t see the merit of debating it.

Last month we asked if our readers were planning on sponsoring fewer events in 2010 than they did in 2009. About half said they were, while 10% said they don't sponsor events at all.

Social media vehicles are certainly changing the way we go to market. The ability to push and receive information can be invaluable to a brand. However, the opportunity to make a sale shouldn't be lost on the brand.

A few days ago we suggested that you consider corporate gifts that have the potential to generate sales for you. Today I ready that Ralph Lauren put this idea into motion. They sent an e-mail with an offer of 25% off all purchases before October 12.

I. Clearly Define What You Are Looking For
Are you looking for a vendor or a partner? Think about it and define it because there’s a big difference between the two. The best vendor may fulfill your demands very nicely with service and good pricing.