Ever wonder why some print ads generate an enormous response, while others seem to just fall flat? Before you can create an effective ad, you must first understand the anatomy of an ad and what it needs to accomplish.

So, what’s this thing called “branding” that everyone talks about? Branding is one of those terms that if you ask ten different marketing experts to define it, you’ll get ten different answers. The one consistent point you will hear is how important a coordinated branding program is to your company’s success.

In our hectic day-to-day world of marketing, we sometimes forget the basics of market research and the priceless information it can deliver, not to mention all the money it can save by helping to develop more effective marketing programs.

Advertising by nature is subjective. As a result, what seems to be a great advertising idea can turn out to be a failure. The following are five of the most common reasons why advertising campaigns fail.

Most companies have the best intentions when they set out to create a marketing plan. But there is one thing that we consistently see underestimated – and, in many cases, overlooked. That is a thorough, non-biased competitive analysis.

The marketing and promotion of any product or service can be challenging. The objective should be to have your marketing budget generate the greatest possible return on your investment. Sounds simple enough. So then, why do so many marketing plans fail to achieve this critical objective?

Who do you think your company’s most important target audience really is? Is it your main prospects? Or maybe it’s your existing customers? Both of these answers are close. But your most important audience is typically a group that most companies ignore. It’s your employees.