In this article, Susan Hamilton Meier tackles the issue of communication and climate change, and applies principles of branding to overcome barriers in communication. I talk a lot with my clients about empathy. Putting yourself in the other person’s shoes when you’re trying to get your message across. Speaking their language. Meeting them where they are. It turns out that one of the key barriers to combating climate change is scientists’ refusal to tell their story in a way that…

Step up your marketing game with a review of your target market. James Black shares the first in a series of columns developed for AlleyWatch to guide startups and small and medium-sized businesses on best-in-class marketing principles. In this article, he identifies 3 key steps you can take to understand your target consumer. Understanding the target customer is an area that big consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies will invest a lot of market research in, sometimes to the point of…

Rob Ristagno shares a post on the benefits of customer segmentation. The customer segmentation process begins by identifying all the types of customers who buy from you. The next step is to zero in on the segments that generate the greatest revenue with the least amount of effort. Once you’ve found those high-value segments, it’s time to start engaging with them. When you focus your sales and marketing efforts on your high-value segments, everything becomes easier.  Your sales cycle shortens…