Positively Optimistic.

Whenever discussing career advice with peers, I respond without hesitation as to what I consider to be the single most important ingredient to anyone's career: attitude. It amazes me how pessimistic, negative and down right depressing some people approach life and their career. Having a positive outlook and approach is the most important aspect of life. It's not about being naive enough to think there isn't anything negative in the world, or turning an eye from possible risks and dangers that exist. It's about looking at everything from a different angle, and figuring out how to make the most of every situation. There is always a solution to the problem, and everything can be improved. You just have to analyze the situation and determine how to achieve the best possible outcome. If you focus on the negative and formulate excuses on why something cannot be achieved, then you will never come out on top. If there is one topic that I ever write a book about, this will be it. Maintain a positive attitude in life and nothing can get in your way.

Mind Marketing.

Make the logo bigger. If you work in advertising, you're no stranger to this repetitive phrase. If you're in retail advertising, then you have this ringing in your ear continuously. You are also familiar with making prices bigger and enlarging dollar figures. Sound like your "biz mix" playlist on your iPod? "What's the reasoning behind this," you ask yourself. "Are they really going to sell more widgets because we bumped the point size up?" The truth is, probably not, but it does feel good to see your company name just a hair bigger each time, right? But there is some science behind what the client is really trying to achieve. They may not be able to properly communicate what they really want to say, or maybe you don't really understand their brand. Just take a look at my example below:

Examine the three ads and answer these questions:

A: Which ad do you think has the highest price?

B: Which ad do you think has the lowest price?

C: All three shoes are the same. If you were looking for this shoe, where would you go to buy your pair, based on the ads?

I would be willing to bet you answered 2 for A and 1 for B. Question C is determined by your motivation and preference. Are you the type that will buy from a nicer place just because you feel like you're getting a better product, or are you price conscious and you want the best deal in town? They're all the same shoe, but if you are more like the first type then you went with store 2 and if you're the latter type, you went with store 1. You could have answered 3 just because it looks safe, but 1 or 2 were your immediate thoughts.

Big, red prices with a regular price and a save amount implies the item is on sale. "Why else would they be advertising it," the consumer thinks. Small prices mean the retailer is trying to hide their price or detract from that information, implying it is expensive. Similarly, luxury brands tend to have smaller logos in their advertisements, so consumers associate that with a high ticket price as well. The third option doesn't really say anything. It just asks you to compare prices. It's just sitting there shrugging its shoulders. You could buy it or you couldn't—it doesn't really care.

My point is that certain qualities of an ad trigger specific purchasing decisions in a consumer's brain. People naturally associate certain characteristics with past experiences and what they know is most common and makes the most sense [to them]. Knowing your brand and your audience is essential. You can't be selling a high-end ad to a price conscious consumer. Likewise, you won't drive any business to your boutique if your brand looks cheap. Don't try to force a square brand in the circle hole—it doesn't fit. While we all think ad 2 looks the best, the fact of the matter is that ad 1 will out sell all three in volume on any given day. Ad 2 will develop a loyal following and will carve out the niche for quality conscious consumers. Ad three will bounce around in the middle.

So the next time your Widget Warehouse client wants to bump the size up on their price, it may not be a bad idea and you might want to suggest tweaking the copy to make the deal seem even more appetizing. If your client is Widget Boutique, explain to them the science and thought behind your design and help them understand that it will only help elevate their brand. They shouldn't sacrifice the brands reputation to try and compete on price—they'll lose. If your client is Widget We Are Here, then encourage them to figure out what their competitive advantage is and push them in that direction.

Business by Facebook.

It's no secret that brands are driving as many fans as possible to all of their social media channels. This is because brands know that once they connect with consumers via social media, they are able to deliver relevant content to the consumer repeatedly in the future. It has reached a point where some brands do not even put their website address in advertisements anymore—just their Facebook, Youtube or Twitter address. As an observer of this trend and a social savvy entrepreneur, I thought "what if you're Facebook page was your website? What if you conducted all business through Facebook, ultimately keeping your brand front and center for consumers at all times?" By doing this, a brand can drive consumers to one location and accomplish all of their goals at the same time. My theory is that Facebook (and social media as a whole) has given start up brands a disctinct advantage. Consumers spend the majority of their time on social networks, most notibaly Facebook. If you drive consumers to your Facebook page from the start, instead of your website, you are connecting with fans in a much more personal way, and opening the door to long-term relationships with the fans. This was an experiment that I was willing to conduct with my own brand. In January 2011, I started back up a paintball gear company that I had created in 2003, EKK Gear. There were several obstacles I would have to overcome to successfully re-release the brand into the industry, but using my Facebook page as the main site was a perfect solution. One issue was that paintball players spend much of their time off the field posting in forums. Much of the discussion that takes place in forums is negative and hostile. By using Facebook as the main stage for my brand, I drove all of the real fans of the brand to the fan page where all positive communication could take place. All information was released on the fan page and any questions were answered in a timely fashion right there on the fan page. The result: There is nothing but positive discussion about the brand online. The negative comments on the forums dropped off as everyone had flocked to the Facebook page to talk. Eventually there was nothing for the naysayers to say because no one was listening to them. The second issue that I had to overcome was lack of a budget. Luckily there are numerous tools available to create a full functioning website on Facebook. I employed several of these tools including Payvment eCommerce, Mail Chimp, and Jot Form. I was able to setup a complete online store and CRM program using these tools. Total cost: $0. There are many other facets I could go on about in respect to my particular business and how Facebook is the ideal place to operate, but really this just serves as an example of how businesses can position themselves to live where their consumers and fans are already living. Many brands are attempting to redirect their fans away from their website and to their Facebook page. I have to wonder if websites will become a thing of the past as Facebook makes it easier than ever to create a business within their platform. Many companies conduct sales right through their fan page, and almost anything can be done within Facebook as on a stand alone website. Social media as a whole is very young, so it will be interesting to see how this progresses over the years. No doubt, this space will be watched and entered by more and more brands in the future.

Steve Jobs: A Legacy of Innovation.

Music, communication, computing, television, and design. Steve Jobs was one of the most influential forces behind each of these industries. Jobs' career is a legacy of out-of-the-box, forward thinking. His passion to create the best products that not only offer the best functionality but also the most aesthetically designed hardware forged the way for other consumer products and tech manufacturers. Jobs is an inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere. He founded Apple in a garage and turned it into one of the most profitable companies of our time, all by the age of 56. He was committed to pushing the envelope and wowing a global audience with each and every product he released. Steve Jobs did more than create an extremely successful business—he molded culture and influenced change in the way technologists and designers looked at consumer products. He changed the way music was distributed on a global scale. He revolutionized the way consumers interacted with technology, whether is was with the invention of the mouse, creating the first mass-produced touch screen mobile phone, or allowing people to hold thousands of their favorite songs in a device that fits in the palm of their hand. Recently, I heard someone say "Bill Gates put a computer on every desk. Steve Jobs put one in every pocket, purse, dorm room and bedroom."

Bizmark Branding.

Bizmark's birthday was this past September, and it turned two years old. They grow up so fast, don't they? I decided it was time to give Bizmark a new look and feel. I thought about what I have learned over the years, and what image I wanted. After looking at a few directions, I chose the one you see now. I based the look on a handful of principles that apply to business and marketing:

Choose your weapon, and master it.

You're probably wondering why I have brass knucks on my logo. That is the weapon I have chosen—hypothetically. What I mean is that you must pick your niche and focus on mastering the one thing you do best. Master that "weapon" and become the best. Ultimately, you will defeat all of your competition by being the best at one thing—That is your weapon. 

Old school is still a school.

Many use the term "old school" to describe something outdated or obsolete. The fact is that the old school set the ground work for all schools to follow. The basic principles that were set in place back in the day are what still apply today. Before you get lost in all the different measurements, objectives and hype surrounding a new idea or technology, step back and evaluate your strategy based on whether or not it will accomplish your goal. Is this going to solve an existing problem and how? 

What's old is new, and what's new is old.

To a certain extent, history repeats itself. Fashion trends have a defined cyclical nature that allows previous fashion to resurface as what's new and haute. Same thing goes with marketing. Nostalgic images and feelings can bring consumers back to a place they remember from years past. Just because it has been done before or it's not the shiniest penny doesn't mean it's not good. Likewise, trends come and go in the blink of an eye. What was in today is out tomorrow. Technology moves at the speed of light, and so do consumer interests. Tieing back to the previous point, this is why it is important to consider old school methodology, as this has stood the test of time.

Brevity & Simplicity.

Consumers are busy people. They don't have time to read your entire business plan thrown up on your website. Be brief and to the point. You will notice Bizmark has cut back a lot of words, and going forward, posts will be much shorter (with the exception of this one). Similarly, refine everything to its most basic form. Less is more.

Stake your claim.

Have a stance, and hang your flag on it. 

Get back up.

With all of the blunders that have happened in recent times and the economy challenging companies' livelihoods, it can be difficult to stay positive. Many people focus on the past instead of the future. It's important to stay focused and motivated. While many watch as a company or individual fall, they are inspired to watch as they get back up and climb to points never reached before.

Business as unusual.

In this day and age, businesses and their leaders are able to express themselves in a very unique manner. Corporate culture is shifting, making room for a newer, hipper culture. The C-suite is no stranger to denim and t-shirts—suits are so last quarter. Companies are developing cultures that foster creativity and fun. Just take a look at Silicon Valley and the start-up community there, Zappos, Big Ass Fans, or any great marketing firm. Having a unique culture makes your company stand apart from the rest of the competition, and this difference is conveyed through the employees to the customer.