As a graphic designer, I find myself cringing daily at an ad, a logo or even a website that has broken one of the many rules of design. The basis of this is usually just plain ole bad design, but…
Even in our internet-centered world, trade print advertising still has value for B2B marketing directors—how much depends on the industry, your ad’s effectiveness and how well you leverage the message across other channels. Since print isn’t cheap, consider these best…
So, where was I? Oh yes, logos and the incredibly important role they play in how the world sees the companies they represent. The first step is asking for help. Thankfully The Marketing Machine is ready and able to help…
We've all heard a lot about content marketing over the past few years -- that is, producing and sharing relevant informational content as a means of staying in front of, and ideally engaging with, prospects/customers. It costs money, takes time,…
Everyone likes logos...they’re graphic and interesting, and very, very personal. So why do we like them so much? And what does it take to make one great? A great logo is simple, clean, memorable, distinctive and appealing to its target…
The Marketing Machine just passed its 15-year anniversary. That’s a pretty big marker! When I launched TMM back in 1998, I wanted to give small businesses a resource for helping them build and maintain consistent marketing efforts—to turn their marketing…
In the wake of the Boston bombings, there was an immediate need for people to show their support. Many turned to social media to post their feelings, their outrage at what had happened…others chose to use not words, but symbols…
Creativity is a joy. And sometimes it’s worse than pulling teeth. In our business, where at some level creativity is always connected to a timeline, we can’t afford to leave creative thinking to chance, so each of us has…
Direct marketing (or sending marketing messages to prospects and customers individually by mail, email or even door-to-door), can be very cost-effective in the right circumstances. Email marketing has been hot for the past few years, but lately we’ve seen an…
Some folks seem to have a bit of confusion when it comes to marketing and advertising and knowing how they differentiate. Fear not, we are going to clear that up. It might be best to give you Webster's take on these…