How to market to a “Recessionista”

2857484659_c2a48b6d44_mWelcome the CBD Retail Blog by Erin Creaney, resident Retail Expert. I’ll be following and blogging about the impact of our ever-changing economy on the retail sector. Check back weekly for the latest industry trends and tips on ways to market to the new consumer!

We’ve seen the headlines, heard the news (and of course timidly checked  our 401K’s). We know what is happening out there. Now more than ever it is time for marketers to make lemonade out of economic lemons.

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Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 Retail No Comments

New Frontier: The American Farm

217271283_e09e6d3b18_mWelcome to CBD’s Agriculture blog by Chris Chleboun, resident specialist in all things Agriculture, Food Ingredients, and Manufacturing. With a Purdue background and a network of connections in the Agriculture industry, the “American Farm” is one of my favorite subjects.

So let’s take a look at what’s happening “down on the farm” right now …

Evolution of the New Frontier: The American Farm.

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Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 Agriculture 1 Comment

Trendy Terminology or Unwavering Behavior

827490595_f5f2232faa_mWelcome to the first installment of CBD’s blog on Food/Ingredients by Chris Chleboun. As CBD’s resident specialist in all things Food Ingredients, Agriculture and Manufacturing (with years of experience working with top global marketers and manufacturers in the Food/Ingredients space) I have a lot to say. Starting with this:

Are we seeing an increase in “trendy terminology”, and “nutritional nomenclature”…or are we witnessing genuine, unwavering behavior that’s here to stay?

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Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 Food Ingredients No Comments

Back from the 2008 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education

Well, we had a great time speaking last week at the Symposium. Thanks to all of you wonderful attendees for your insightful questions and enthusiastic response to our presentation: Be The First Responder: How to Acquire and Retain More Students. And special thanks to Tasha Patterson of DeVry University for presenting with us.  We enjoyed meeting so many of you, and we hope to join you again next year.

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Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 Higher Education No Comments

The opportunity behind “Brand Attention Deficit Syndrome”

2578030316_930c162c6bAs CBD’s Director of Customer Engagement, I think a lot every day about the business implications of consumer beliefs and behaviors. Here’s something we all might want to think about.

80 million teens, tweens, and 20-somethings spent a record-high $200 billion in America last year. The challenge is that brand loyalty is virtually unheard of in these sectors. Companies continue to struggle to find a formula to engage these consumers in a way that will inspire brand preference.

If brand is irrelevant to our youngest consumers, we may be looking at a future of constant reinvention, a colorful and interesting parade of short term icons instead of true brands. This will challenge our entire way of thinking about branding and consumer communications. It’s a whole new land of opportunity.

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 Youth Marketing No Comments

Bright Outlook For Green Energy

Large Windmills - Blue Skys

blue skies for sustainable energy

Welcome to CBD’s inaugural energy blog. As an Account Supervisor specializing in business within the energy sector I have developed a keen interest in this category—especially in the green/renewable category because I see the potential here, and believe it can have a huge impact on our environment and quality of life.

 I have been tracking what’s going on with green energy. Turns out the $700-billion bailout goes beyond Wall Street. It includes many potential items aimed at assisting the renewable energy world.  ”Bailout Generates Energy Incentives,” (Green Energy News, Oct. 4, 2008) indicates that though it will take quite a while to define, the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 includes:

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Monday, November 17th, 2008 Energy 1 Comment