When I was 14 years old, my mom went on the Atkins diet. She was not alone. In fact, at the height of its popularity, one in eleven North American adults claimed to be on a low-carb diet such as Atkins. Good for all of those adults willingly trying to live a better life, but no one mentions the casualties. I’m talking about the thousands of children, like myself, who were forced to go without pasta and bread for months on end. Because when mom goes on a diet, the entire house goes on a diet. My mom, like many, held the keys to the food kingdom. This was one of the first times in my life that I realized my mother was in complete and carb-free control.

The phrase “artificial intelligence” can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it rouses fear of sentient machines vying to control the world. For others, it is an example of incredible scientific achievement. Whether you fear A.I. or revere it, you can be certain of one thing: artificial intelligence isn’t the future. It’s the now.

If you’re reading this blog on a web browser in the US, there is a 30%* chance that you’re using an adblocker right now (roughly twice as likely as in 2014*). It’s pretty clear that internet users aren’t fond of spammy advertising on the internet.

In a world where consumers have virtually all of the control over retail purchases, they still make their choices based on brands. They know what they’re getting — whether it’s quality, price or street cred. There’s something that they value, so they choose the brand that delivers it. Those companies who have the most well-positioned brands are the easiest for consumers to choose from. But, what makes up a strong brand? These are the top five factors:

Have you ever purchased a pair of Toms shoes? Or Warby Parker glasses? Remember when the Honey Nut Cheerios bee disappeared from cereal boxes? Or that one time you were waiting in line at Walgreens and you noticed a large poster of Ben Stiller wearing a red clown nose behind the register?

Developing a marketing plan with data rather than intuition allows you to learn more about your target audience, understand what content and resources are driving these visitors through your website, and identify how to continue earning business from this audience.  The most widely used tool across all websites to gain this data is Google Analytics.  Google Analytics allows you to measure the right metrics, according to your business, and use these metrics to form future marketing strategies, objectives, and tactics.

Remember the adorable scene in Finding Nemo where Nemo and his dad nestle into their sea anemone homes for safety? It reveals a biological interaction between two organisms living in close physical association, referred to as symbiosis.

Advice: Listen to the experts.

I guarantee that no marketing firm or advertising agency recommended this logo to the Best Western decision-makers.

The End.

A call to action (CTA) is crucial in pulling users down the funnel toward a conversion. CTAs often take the form of big, flashy buttons on campaign landing pages, urging users to submit a form or take advantage of an offer.

You did your research, planned and strategized every aspect of your marketing campaign and successfully hit your carefully articulated goals. What’s next? Closing the loop with a strong report, the most integral piece of the marketing circle.

Greta Anglin is a rock star.

Many organizations find it difficult to set a marketing budget. It’s hard to know just how much you’ll need for a year’s worth of marketing efforts, especially if you’re new to the position or organization. But beyond the total amount, it’s harder still to breakdown your budget by tactics. Where do you start?