Like our consumers, I am tired of it. I am voting with my time and, like this election, I’m voting against, not with. As a broadcaster, why do you allow such burnout to happen? Is it your boss, your company, your friends? You? (more…)

(Contributed by Debbie Pasha – Debbie is a Manager & Co-owner of The MBMI Companies, LLC and manages local political campaigns and civic affairs projects in the U.S. for the Maximized Brand Marketing division.)                                        

The MBMI Companies are privileged in that our enterprises provide support and guidance to a vast number of interests. One of our favorites is the work we do with political organizations.

Tuesday night’s Democrat Party Presidential Debates on CNN gave us a chance to sit around the table over pizza and beer and poke some fun at the talking heads. It also provided us with a thought starter that we want to share with you.

Is your business better off employing a strong local manager or a great consultant?

We admit that we are a bit biased because our business involves a team of some of America’s best broadcast, hotel, restaurant, local political and safety consultants. But from 40,000 feet, here is the way we see it:

Most of the companies with which we work cannot afford to employ both a great local management team and a strong consulting team. It is simple economics for the most part, but it also goes deeper. (more…)

The New Business Paradigm demands Great Communicators. Your clients and customers expect you to be active on all platforms.  It creates a picture of trust more easily.

Communication stopped being a one-way street on the day that you posted your first Facebook or Twitter update.  Thus, these are Top 5 Habits of a Great Communicator in The New Business World.

           1.   Trust matters

Results come only after your team, customers and clients trust you. Sadly, the majority of businesspeople trust others only after success is achieved. People need to feel and believe that you are available to them now,  and that you will always be there when they need you. Want to show that you listen in the New Business World?  Try being the Bearer of Treats. The next time you walk into a meeting, take coffee with you, selected because you’ve memorizes what flavors the attendees enjoy. This demonstrates the insight you have into the person, that you’re an observer of people, and the coffee is a vehicle to encourage a relationship of open and effective communication.

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It’s out there for everyone to see: Apple has a problem.  Maybe lots of them.

This week, Apple again showed why investors think that the company is a perennial performer.  By creating a brilliant smoke screen for investors, Apple bought time at its annual Product Unveiling to, well, actually do something innovative somewhere down the road.

This is the oldest trick in the Book of Sales as written by John Q. Huckster. When profit projections show consumers are getting over you and doubting your future, you hide it from investors with flash and slight of hand.  True, your developers have no new ideas. True, you lack the secrecy and security required for The Big Buzz to support you.  True, you are struggling over the loss of the operational and sales heart and soul of your organization.  So, you need one little pill that hides those symptoms when you face the public.

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First, it’s important to know what a brand isn’t.

Usually marketers start with logo, brand colors, byline, mission statement, etc., but those don’t make a brand. These are an execution. Time may change them and they may evolve as the brand follows its product curve. They may represent a brand, but they are not the brand.

A brand owns good foundations beyond the obvious.

Product Perception.  How do consumers see themselves interacting with the brand? What makes the brand special in the consumer’s opinion?

Product Philosophy drives consumers to the product, so what conversation are you leading with your customers?  What is your tonality? The voice you use may impact brand perception.  Imagine the most recent Heineken ads, were Neil Patrick Harris to yell at you about the brand, instead of the cool, somewhat awkward, sell?

Product Past engages consumers through previous positive interaction. Like a human, a brand has only one chance to make a first impression. Don’t blow yours on unnecessary fluff or hype.  Fact-based storytelling usually will win the day, especially with Millennials who seek quality and long-term brand integrity.

Product Promise offers your consumer an opportunity to positively label your brand. When properly presented, your brand promise is a guarantee of quality and integrity that is certain to last you the consumer’s lifetime.

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They said the words, but in their hearts they knew that they weren’t true because bad people are everywhere and it is up to the good ones to prepare themselves in every way to face the evil when it darkens their doors.

They said the words because they wanted to believe.

They said the words because someone told them they were true.

They said the word because the alternative was completely unimaginable. (more…)

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As you may imagine, as president of four international service companies, I travel a lot and my most basic requirement is that I have backup on those occasions when I might run into a problem while far from home.

My path crossed with Ellen’s four years ago. I had called Amex to make a business air and hotel reservation. While the agent was nice enough and was very helpful the first time I used her, she simply was unresponsive to my calls and emails the next two times I called. After leaving four or five messages, on the next go around, I simply pushed “0” for “an agent who is available to assist you.”

That agent was Ellen. (more…)

Three words: “House of Cards.”

Last weekend, Netflix turned loose Season Three of its acclaimed series about a failing US government and the corrupt President of the United States who presides over the whole system.

Netflix released the whole season to its subscribers at one time. Every episode. For $7 a month! Last year, I spent a small college savings account on buying the episodes of the first two seasons because I came to the table after everyone else. But once purchased, I couldn’t stop watching the series. The writing is as sharp as a razor. The plot twists and turns. It makes me feel like a virgin rider on the world’s most notorious rollercoaster.

In other words, I am hooked. When this year’s offering hit Netflix, just as I did at the end of last season, I binge watched all thirteen episodes. It was like escaping to a place where my needs came first. Every nod to the camera (and me) was an expectation met. From costuming to color balancing, the show transformed me from a TV viewer into a starving animal bent on capturing its prey. In other words, nothing short of a heart attack or EMP was going to interrupt me. (more…)

Yes, times have changed. I’ve seen it.  I watched a lone gunman enter a building, completely unchallenged, to shoot and kill two of friends and business associates.

The World has changed.

In many countries, Freedoms of Press and Speech that are necessary to create engaging entertainment, simply are not that “free” anymore.

Now we struggle for personal protection from an outside evil without a country, without a face, and without a conscience.

Safety comes in many forms; A policeman, young soldier, or government official. But what do we do when we are alone?  What do we do on that unthinkable day when the shooter comes calling in our lobby? (more…)

COVERmedia is one of the top sources in the world for online lifestyle, entertainment, beauty and fashion news and high-resolution photos. MBMI represents the product throughout North America and in many parts of the world.

Premiere Networks is the Rolls Royce of syndicators, featuring name brand services, from production aids to content superstars, like Ryan Seacrest and Nikki Sixx. MBMI represents Premiere Networks in nine European countries.

• To what extent does your audience care about what you offer? There are different levels of engagement by your audience. Does your content touch them in a personal way? Does it relate to their basic human needs, like love, warmth, shelter, and sustenance? Do you take care to be sure that you target your content to their preferences? Do you KNOW their preferences?
• Is your content logically curated for the audience? You probably would not order tomato soup after angel food cake, so be sure that what you offer is presented in a logical way for consumption? A bad curator can destroy great content. Choose carefully.
• Does your content tell a story or is it comprised of boring facts? Content, regardless of targeting, should tell a complete story. Presenters and writers must braid together the beginning, middle and end of any story dialogue. The pay-off to the audience must be, at minimum, an even trade for the time invested by the audience that consumes the content. Too often, our consultants see , hear and read rambling content that simply serves no purpose in the end. That is one sure way of forcing turnover.
• Is the storyline easy to follow and continuous? It should be. Everyone likes a soap opera that carries over from one episode to the next. When possible, your content should be a reliable point of return for the members of your “club,” but accessible to someone who has never before consumed the content.
• Is your content memorable? Whether recorded or in writing, the consumer should be able to paraphrase and repeat to friends. The litmus test is whether you can hardly wait to consume the next piece of content that you offer.
• Does the story evoke a strong personal relationship with the author or storyteller? Do consumers of your content feel closer to you after the content is finished? Do they feel like you might be a good person as a neighbor? Do they feel that your written content is true and trustworthy, or do they at least understand that it isn’t meant to be either?
• Is the content so good, that you would PAY FOR IT? That should be the goal you have in mind every time. In fact, maybe this should have been the only checkpoint on the list. Your audience is comprised of busy people who offer you their time willingly. They expect that you will compensate them with a true experience that they can enjoy over and over.

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We shall all sit around a large table at a restaurant that is probably nicer than most of us could have afforded when we first met. There may be a beer or two, but most of the guys either never drank much alcohol, had problems and stopped, or just grew wiser with age and don’t like how it makes them feel.

We will talk about the old days; how things were better back then. We may even take responsibility for our complicity in making things worse today in our pursuit of the American Dream. We will laugh. There will be a tall tale or two. I will recall the day that I played the worst joke that ever backfired. The guy who endured it will tell me, again, that “It.was.not.funny.” I’ll see his point but I’ll disagree. It was funny, but probably not to him. In before-I-get-there retrospect, maybe I won’t disagree with him so much.

My friend, John, will make a poignant reference or two because he is a gentleman to the end, assuredly more than most. Another friend, Jim, the one who is not as pretty as I, will remember and smile. Neal, will give us the perspective of the guy who always lived his career on the edge and did what he thought was right, even if it meant professional consequences for him. I will laugh, listen, chat and express the regrets that only hindsight’s 20/20 vision provides. There may be others who will attend. Maybe not.

The only thing for sure is that all of us, in our own way, will be deeply saddened that the only reason we will all be together for this reunion is that our former mentor and boss…one of the true pioneers of modern radio and television…our friend, Bud Paxson, has died. (more…)

It is with the excitement of 2015, but the reality of the dangerous world around us, that we have consulted MBMI Safe 360° Chief Operating Officer, and former United States Secret Service Presidential Protective Division agent, Tom Hughes. While the chances are low you will be affected by any of the below circumstances or incidents, Tom provides a few thoughts that will keep you safe in the coming 365 days.

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Contemplating one’s own mortality isn’t the kind of thing that encourages holiday cheer, but it is a wonderful way to gauge whether one is properly keeping Christmas.

Admittedly, Christmas is a uniquely Christian event. While I value and love many very good people of many faiths around the globe as employees, contractors, clients and friends of The MBMI Companies, I recognize that my thoughts may appeal only to those of similar religious persuasions as my own, but I hope that every reader will take in my message regardless of personal beliefs.

I’ve seen A Christmas Carol and I actually have read Charles Dicken’s tale of redemption from cover to cover a couple of times. With each annual visit to the cold, dark counting room of Marley & Scrooge, I applaud Ebenezer’s eventual personal transformation. His estranged nephew’s love for the miser and Scrooge’s newfound concern for Tiny Tim, make me want to become a better person. For a day or two. Then, I suppose, I go right back to counting my profits and asking the employees to justify an extra bucket of coal.

This year, though, I have come to the realization that the only thing that sticks with most people and cause them to change… I mean, REALLY change for the better…is to come face-to-face with the Grim Reaper. Were Tim McGraw to sing this carol, it would sound a lot like his hit, Live Like You Were Dying.

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It’s easy to claim your product, service or program is the best. I’m also sure you can prove it. But what if your target doesn’t care about how well you do your job?

In my opinion, the best approach is to create a link between what your brand stands for and the positive emotions of the target. Instead of overstating your greatness, find out who uses your work of art, where they use it, and why.

It sounds easy, but it’s quite challenging. Before you identify those emotions, equip yourself with correct data and always conduct proper research.

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Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a story beloved by millions. Like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Dr, Seuss told a tale of a sour Christmas-hating man who achieves forgiveness and redemption even after his many bad deeds. The story was told in a way small children understand. For me, it also explained why people do the bad things they do; why goodness often is the end result of badness.

It did NOT explain why some still can only mistrust even as they stare into the faces of those who wish to help them.

So, with deference to the author for I am no poet, MBMI now presents a story of one broadcaster’s quest for redemption in the eyes of his employees, and the hard learned truth that life goes on.

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The budget friendly option is tempting. Especially during periods of economic turmoil with no solution on the horizon. I’ve witnessed members of the board who decided to hire a technician who thinks a lot but knows very little. Inevitably, those board members tend to be very sorry for their actions. At the end of the day, it costs them too much.

Too many self-proclaimed media or brand gurus have persuaded themselves that they are in the know; actually calling themselves revolutionaries of their businesses. These people become the quick fix, and we all know how attractive a quick fix is to someone who is desperate.

Differentiation is a great buzz word right now and it seems everyone wants to fight the Status Quo. Don’t let these trendy phrases and concepts allow so-called soft-spoken “fighters for better tomorrow” to destroy what you have built.

Too few leaders recognize that even Steve Jobs created staggering ideas and proposals that, sadly, had no market value.

So, what happens when reality strikes? We know that it does strike far too often and without mercy. It takes no hostages. It does not negotiate. (more…)

Mark MacLaughlin is the Online Experience Manager at Audi and Volkswagen of Naples, FL, an Emmy Award-winner and a former child news and sports producer/prodigy.

This week, he wiggles out from under his man cave's TV remote to talk candidly about America's Desperation with Cable TV.

In November of 2013, I made the decision to cut the cord and break away from my cable company. It was a conclusion I came to out of a very small amount of cost-consciousness, but a huge amount of spite. I was sick of paying the ever-increasing bills for 450 channels I didn’t watch, to a company that didn’t value my business. My relationship with our cable provider, and the content they pushed into my home, reminded me too much of that girl I dated for two weeks sophomore year; a lot of fighting, not enough intelligent conversation, and the proclivity to drain my brain and wallet. The only difference? It took me five minutes of soft conversation to ditch that brunette, but it took me forty minutes and my entire repertoire of colorful language to turn this ‘X’ into my EX

Unfortunately, regardless of all the stories of sunshine and roses that we hear each month from the government, radio and television broadcast jobs are becoming increasingly more difficult to acquire and maintain. Long time veterans, people with marquis names, are being put out to pasture. Often these are people for whom broadcasting was a lifelong career. Now, at ages that apparently exceed the tolerance threshold of some Boards of Directors, these pros are, as Joel Denver used to say, “On the Loose.”

As I embarked upon my new adventure, I was surprised just how easy it was. I switched my Internet service to a different, kinder ISP. Cheaper, just as speedy, and infused with feelings of sticking it to the corporate succubus. My main ‘smart’ television turned into a wireless media streaming HQ for my home. I equipped the other televisions in our bedrooms and my den with a laundry list of streaming devices (an Apple TV, a Google Chromecast, and a Sony PS4) which I already had on hand. Because of a pre-existing arrangement with the community we live in, I still received my local stations in HD without a decoder box. Threats of scrambling that signal had never come to fruition. The lack of a Digital Transport Adapter in my home only prevented me from watching basic cable channels in an SD format. Surprisingly, I never once craved some late-night infomercials in the mold of Ronco’s amazing Super Bass-O-Matic ‘76. (more…)

Consumers are like chickens. They have a pecking order – and a picking order – of brands in their mind. Where are you on the brand hierarchy for your product category, and how do you improve or maintain your current position – so that people will pick (and not peck) you?

Are you the first in people’s minds? Then you’ll have an easy ride. Brands who get there first have the leading advantage over followers for a long time. A classic example is the soft drinks category / cola subcategory, where Coca-Cola is still number 1 and Pepsi is still number 2. After more than a century of Cola Wars, Coke (established 1886) still has a bigger share than its rival (introduced 1898 as Pepsi-Cola). If you’re a leader, your brand name might even become the category name. Has anybody ever asked you for ‘a facial tissue’? Probably not, right? People might ask you for ‘a tissue’, but many will refer to ‘a Kleenex’. Some of these generic trademarks are being used as verbs. If you’re searching information online, it’s normal to say: ‘I’ll google it’, even if you would (also) use Yahoo or another search engine. I’ve never understood why some brands discourage the use of generic trademark verbs – I think it’s the best compliment (and free marketing) you can get!

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