Looking for goofy, bizarre, or just plain interesting stories about marketing in the real world? Check out Weird Marketing Tales. I mean, you clicked on a website called “Weird Marketing Tales” – this is probably what you’re wanting!
Looking for good information on marketing basics? Check out Start to Finish: Market Your Small Business For The First Time. It’s more serious than most of the blog, but really useful if you can’t sit still in your Marketing 101 class.
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How “Wokeness” Caused A PR Meltdown For M&M’s
Society is collapsing, and I am writing an article about the politics of M&M’s. Sorry, am I coming on too strong? Maybe – so let’s just get a few things out of the way first. The M&M’s spokescandies aren’t guilty of anything more than having tryhard backstories made by an old brand trying […]
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How Unus Annus Succeeded On YouTube By Being Deleted
What would you do if you had one year left to live? What would you leave behind in memory? These are the questions that Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and Ethan Nestor-Darling (CrankGameplays) asked their viewers when they created the channel, Unus Annus. The idea was simple: every day they would post […]
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Wall Drug, Or: How To Make Something Out Of Nothing
If you cruise along I-90 in South Dakota for long enough, two thoughts will cross your mind. First, “could this road be any more boring?” And second, “good God, how many Wall Drug signs are there?” Over 300. And that’s just the official ones found in South Dakota, Wyoming, and […]
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How Ding Zheng Can Make A Sale With Rap
In 16 bars, Ding Zheng can land you a sale. It’s true. They don’t call him the Sales Rapper for nothing! Turns out, rap music can actually be used to win clients for businesses, often to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. You can learn more […]
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This Is Why Buying Furniture In 2023 Is Actually Preposterous
Nothing says “I’m about to be 30” like buying furniture by the truckload. It seems like every day, I’ve got a shipment coming in from IKEA or Wayfair. From big box chains to scratch and dent stores, the sales staff know my face. And it got me wondering: why is […]
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Why Arcane is The Perfect Brand Expansion
You have probably heard of the popular video game, League of Legends. At a minimum, you’ve heard the distant screams of someone losing a match. It’s unavoidable because League It is an insanely popular game with a mountain of dedicated players willing to buy figurines and other merchandise. But have […]
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How On Earth Do You Make Kansas Look Attractive?
Here’s a marketing challenge for you. How do you take the 50th most beautiful state in America and turn it into a tourist destination? What can you say to compel people to appreciate the rolling plains and immense cornfields of Kansas? It’s a tricky marketing challenge, but the stakes are […]
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How Joe Spisak Opened A Warehouse In A Morgue
Imagine opening a fulfillment center in a vacant morgue. That’s exactly what Joe Spisak did before he started Fulfill.com. These days, Joe helps connect third-party warehouses and eCommerce companies through Fulfill.com so they can both grow. But before he did that, he ran a warehouse himself and invented a couple […]
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This Is What Marketing Looked Like For Each Generation (Then & Now)
Marketing has existed since the dawn of time. It’s just changed with each generation. OK, that’s a bit dramatic. But one could argue that it has been around since people started hocking goods at one another. After all, word of mouth is an early form of marketing (and the bedrock […]
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Ya Boy Kongming: A Crash Course in Social Media Marketing
What do ancient military tactics and social media marketing have in common? Apparently a lot, according to anime Ya Boy Kongming. You might be surprised to know how much, in fact, as both have been refined and honed over years (or millennia) for maximum effectiveness. Ya Boy Kongming is a […]
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This Is Why Red Delicious Apples Are Terrible But Popular
Imagine biting into a beautiful dark red apple. It looks so appetizing, resplendent in color, and free from bruises and imperfections. But upon biting down, you find the skin crumbly and coarse and the inside somehow mushy and flavorless. Congratulations – you’ve just eaten a Red Delicious apple! Guess what? […]
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The Best Weird Marketing Tales Blog Posts From 2022
We write. A lot. Usually about the weirdest possible subjects we can. In this podcast, we talk about our very favorite articles from the Weird Marketing Tales blog in 2022. You can learn more about Overboard Games by going to their website, @Games_Overboard on Twitter, and OverboardGames on YouTube. Check out the Weird Marketing Tales website if you haven’t […]
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How Dinosaurs Made Me Love Best Western Hotels
If you told me I was going to sleep in a Best Western and like it, I’d probably have laughed. Why do I say this? Well, you know how you’re little and you just accept whatever is placed before you? “Santa bought the same wrapping paper as Mommy this year.” […]
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Why Formula 1 is So Popular Right Now
Watch video version on YouTube. Every nation has its great past-time. For the USA, it’s baseball. For the UK, it’s football (soccer). Getting people to pay attention to a new sport is a tall order – and that’s why Formula 1’s recent success is so stunning. On ESPN, 548,000 people […]
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Ticketmaster, Or: How To Fail Every Marketing Class (& Every Swiftie)
It’s me. Hi. I’m mad at Ticketmaster. It’s me. That’s right – Swiftie Maria is back again, here to bring you a marketing breakdown of how Ticketmaster failed Swifties, its customers, the world, and every basic marketing class ever taught. If you’ve followed the news recently, you’ve probably heard about […]
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How Jeff Irving Built Fantasy World, Vrahode, From Scratch
Can you imagine creating a brand new fantasy world completely from scratch? That’s exactly what Jeff Irving did, with his upcoming game series, Vrahode. After more than 30 years of dreaming and refining his ideas, he thinks the time is finally right to share his ideas with the world. In […]
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Why Game Theory Took Over YouTube & Why It’s Now In Decline
“But hey, that’s just a theory, a game theory!” If you were on YouTube 10 years ago, or if you’re a part of the gaming community on YouTube now, you know this phrase. It’s the really widely recognized catchphrase coined by famous YouTuber, MatPat, who said it with gusto at […]
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This is How Critical Role Made Dungeons & Dragons Cool
What happens when you gather a bunch of nerdy voice actors and one badass Dungeon Master, then have them all roll a natural 20 in showmanship? You get Critical Role, the show that has made over $9 million dollars playing Dungeons & Dragons on Twitch alone. (A shocking statistic, since […]
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Join over 1,000 other confused, but curious folks. Download Weird Marketing's FREE Experimental Marketing Guide.
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How Steve Harvey Got Popular & Won the Hearts of Millions
Auto mechanic. Boxer. Insurance salesman. Carpet cleaner. Letter carrier. These are just a handful of the odd jobs that Steve Harvey, the famous comedian, and host of Family Feud, worked before he became a household name. It’s a pretty amazing resume! Before Steve Harvey became famous, he had been homeless […]
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How Loistava Information Security Is Making Passwords Fun
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: make passwords fun. Not easy, right? That’s what Anthony Collette at Loistava Information Security is determined to do. He and his team are creating physical cybersecurity products (CASTALOT Dice, GhentWare) to help people build good habits. You can learn more about Loistava […]
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This Is Why Black Friday Sales Are A Thing
Almost 85 million shoppers. That’s how many people poured into retail stores across the United States on Black Friday 2019. Americans everywhere barreled into department stores to snatch up the best deals like lions taking down prey in the single busiest shopping day of the year. Indeed, it may have […]
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This Is Why Bob Ross Is Still Relevant Even Now
“We don’t make mistakes. We just have happy accidents.” These are the words of Bob Ross, arguably the most recognizable painter in the United States. It’s an astounding accomplishment to become as popular as Bob Ross, the host of The Joy of Painting, a PBS show that ran from 1983 […]
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How The Great Milk Industry Went Down The Drain
Do you remember in your childhood, when there was always milk in the fridge? You could always add it to a bowl of overly sugared cereal. You could find it with every school lunch, where you’d inevitably get a carton. Pretty much every American over 20 knows exactly what I’m […]
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How Trey Baughn Party-Proofed Board Games With BGSHIELD
Imagine getting your hands on a rare $200 board game. Now imagine your friend spilling an entire can of Coca-Cola on it minutes after you start to play. This is the kind of problem that Trey Baughn set out to solve when he created BGSHIELD. In this episode, we talk […]
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Why Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons (Carey Parker, Privacy & Security)
Someone is collecting your personal data right now. Maybe it’s a government agency, maybe it’s a hacker. But most likely, it’s some corporation trying to sell you something. That’s why a lot of people are starting to get into privacy and security. There’s no better place to turn for privacy […]
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How Kenny Goodman Makes Money Digitizing Board Games (Tabletop Simulator)
What if I told you that you don’t have to be in the same room with someone to play board games? It’s true – and that’s how Kenny Goodman, owner of Overboard Games, was able to build a business out of digitizing board games on Tabletop Simulator. In this episode, […]
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What Is The Weird Marketing Tales Podcast?
Basic facts are easy to find. Remembering them when you need them? That requires a different approach, and that’s why we created the Weird Marketing Tales Podcast. In this podcast, Brandon Rollins will be interviewing small business owners, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals who are making a living doing things you […]
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Join over 1,000 other confused, but curious folks. Download Weird Marketing's FREE Experimental Marketing Guide.
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How Losing Millions Of Dollars Made Mattress Mack Famous
If you’re a sports fan, you probably know Jim McIngvale. But you probably don’t know him by that name. You know him as “Mattress Mack.” He sells mattresses for a living, but you don’t know him for his bedding. You know him for his betting. Never heard of him? Still […]
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How Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary Became A Tourist Trap
Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary was not a place you wanted to live. Until 2009, it was home to the hardest, worst criminals in the southeast, including the man who killed Martin Luther King Jr. In this nightmare of concrete and steel in the middle of the impassible, god-forsaken mountains of […]
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Why Fantasy Football Is A 20 Billion Dollar Industry
The game is a fantasy, but the money is all real. “Maria, can I come over and borrow some movies? Your father is going to be busy all week with fantasy football drafts.” It’s that time of the year. The season of crunchy leaves, pumpkin spice everything, and football. But […]
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How Chainsaw Man Will Tear Up The Anime World
Chainsaw Man. It sounds like a cheesy horror film you would get from B-movie Hollywood, but it’s far from that. In fact, Chainsaw Man is a Japanese manga that is getting a full-blooded anime adaptation this October. The anime community is as hyped-up as the torque on those blades. The […]
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How Spirit Halloween Works & Why It’s Absolutely Brilliant
Deep in the heart of every city in America, there lie the desiccated remains of malls from a bygone era. Beached upon parking lots like shipwrecks, these boarded-up buildings remind us of the halcyon days of brick-and-mortar commerce. And yet every October, some transient force haunts these old crypts, bringing […]
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How BTS (& K-pop) Grew So Enormous In The West
To say that Bangtan Soneyondan – better known as BTS – is a popular band is a massive understatement. In the US alone, BTS has landed 26 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, 6 of which soared all the way up to #1, with one song (Butter), managing to stay […]
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Stop Blaming The Algorithm When Your Content Doesn’t Rank
You know what drives me nuts? People who blame “the algorithm” when their content doesn’t take off. Now I know that sounds like a personal attack, but I don’t mean it that way. Content creators who blame the algorithm are, for the most part, not lazy or even bad content […]
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How To Navigate The Labyrinth Of The YouTube Algorithm
The YouTube algorithm. Never before has there been such a complicated labyrinth for content creators to navigate. It doesn’t help that there’s no exit. Every social media platform uses an algorithm to decide what to show users. There’s too much content not to. As much as I’d love to write […]
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This Is How The Vlogbrothers Built A Super-Friendly Empire
On the first day of 2007, John and Hank Green started Brotherhood 2.0. The idea was simple – send each other video blogs back and forth every day for a year. The mission was simple but heartfelt: deepen their bond through the power of new media. When the year ended, […]
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Join over 1,000 other confused, but curious folks. Download Weird Marketing's FREE Experimental Marketing Guide.
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How IKEA Makes $43.6 Billion While You Build Furniture
If you’ve been to IKEA, then you have a strong opinion on it. It’s impossible not to. IKEA stores are five times the size of a football field, arranged like dense mazes with thousands of furniture items all available for reasonable prices. Everything from the quirky Swedish names of the […]
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8 Reasons Why Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets Are Amazing Marketing
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is a chaotic, absurd movie. The 1971 version seemed to run all the time on TV in the 1990s and 2000s, becoming – against all odds – a staple of Millenial culture, even getting turned into a popular meme. Because we’ve all seen it […]
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This is How Critical Role Made Dungeons & Dragons Cool
What happens when you gather a bunch of nerdy voice actors and one badass Dungeon Master, then have them all roll a natural 20 in showmanship? You get Critical Role, the show that has made over $9 million dollars playing Dungeons & Dragons on Twitch alone. (A shocking statistic, since […]
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How To Prepare Your Business for AI (GPT-3 & Midjourney)
The machines are taking over! AI is going to replace us all! If I only had a dollar for every time I heard some version of that. Even in its early stages, artificial intelligence, or AI, feels like an imminent threat. After all, intelligence is what has truly set human […]
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Why People Are Adding REDDIT To Their Google Searches
Have Google searches felt…off to you lately? A lot of people think so, and you likely know someone who adds the word “Reddit” to the end of Google searches to get better results. Just look at some of these recent headlines: Fast Company: Is Reddit a better search engine than […]
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How Gaming Supplements Like GamerSupps & G FUEL Make Millions
Gam·ers | ˈgā-mərs (noun): a subcategory of the species Homo sapiens that sits upon gaming chairs of varying colors and sizes. They are known for playing games for hours on end, often into the dead of night. Due to this, gamers are often deficient in vital vitamins and minerals needed so desperately […]
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What Middle Class Fancy Tells Us About Consumer Behavior
“It’s not the heat that’ll get you, it’s the humidity.” Such are the words of wisdom spoken by Rand, an American suburban white man in his 50s, and a recurring character on the Middle Class Fancy Instagram account. In addition to being an accurate statement about how we perceive temperature, […]
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6 Reasons to Treat Your Business Like Wikipedia
Reasons for hope seem to be in short supply these days. Politics are a mess, everything is getting expensive, and the modern internet built on social media seems to only inflame these tensions. Yet there is a website where people put aside their differences and work toward a common goal […]
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Marketing Alignment Chart: Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil
In 1977, Dungeons & Dragons created the alignment chart – a simple two-axis where characters could be classified as good or evil, lawful or chaotic. Sometime in the 2010s, the idea of the alignment chart went far beyond its gaming origins, and became a piece of pop culture in its […]
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How RollerCoaster Tycoon Made $19.6 Million in 1999
In 1999, Scottish video game developer, Chris Sawyer, chased a pipe dream. He was fascinated by amusement parks, and he wanted to create a game that captured the joy of being in one. Despite the fact that there wasn’t clear market demand for it, he went on to create RollerCoaster […]
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How Karen’s Diner Serves Up Awful Customer Service & Makes Millions
Do you dream of being a massive jerk to people around you? Well, of course, you do. We have all had moments where you want to speak your mind or simply get stuff off your chest because you had a crap day. Thankfully, there is a magical place where you […]
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How on Earth is SpongeBob SquarePants Still Relevant in 2022?
If you spend any amount of time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Reddit, odds are, you’re going to run into at least one of these SpongeBob memes. These memes along with the fact that search engine traffic for SpongeBob SquarePants has slowly but steadily increased for the last few years […]
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5 Practical Lessons from the Absurd Career of Sam Raimi
Ever try to get away to a quiet cabin in the country, only to have to fight with your demon-possessed hand as the house itself laughs at you? Well, I hope you brought along a double-barrelled shotgun and a chainsaw, buddy, because you – unfortunately – are in a Sam […]
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Daft Punk, or: Building a Massive Brand by Anti-Marketing
Imagine building one of the most culturally significant bands of the 21st century. Now imagine doing that while experimenting radically in a genre where copying others is a proven path to success. While never showing your face. Daft Punk did just that, and their success has been remarkable. Their sophomore […]
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How Fortnite Weaves Brands Into The Game & Makes Billions
Fancy vacationing on a cartoon island dressed as John Wick? What if I told you that you’d have to fight with Spiderman with a lightsaber and Ariana Grande with a grenade launcher? Well, you are in luck, because Fortnite is the getaway you’ve been looking for. Fortnite is packed with […]
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This is the Difference Between Marketing, Advertising, & PR
A few years ago I was filling out some paperwork and it asked for my job title. I remember asking, “do you want my actual job title? Or just my field of work?” At the time I worked in insurance and my job title was unnecessarily complex. Fast forward a […]
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How The Room Made $30 Million by Being a Terrible Movie
Released in 2003, The Room is widely considered to be one of the worst films ever made. It holds a score of 3.7 out of 10 on IMDb and an astounding 9 out of 100 on Metacritic. Film critic, Marg Mohan, claimed that the film “oozes sincerity, which is then […]
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How Coffee Transformed From Common Commodity To Weird Hobby
Of all the meetings, I have, my morning meeting with Mr. Cup Of Joe is the one I never miss. It’s a warm welcome to the morning and has always been a delicious and dopamine-inducing way to start the day. I am talking about coffee – a staple of modern […]
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Join over 1,000 other confused, but curious folks. Download Weird Marketing's FREE Experimental Marketing Guide.
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How Costco Manages to Be Both Classy & Cheap
In a logical world, Costco would suck. Low prices, spartan settings, and immense crowds. That’s an unholy trinity that should ruin just about any shopping experience. But it doesn’t, and I think that’s remarkable. Costco is a freakishly well-run business. Over the last weekend, I slipped into the store by […]
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The Twisted Reasons for Freight Shipping Delays & Shortages
Have you seen the images of empty store shelves lately? They’re all over social media and the news. You might think that it’s the result of people panic buying, but the problems run deeper than that. Maybe you’ve seen some terms like “supply chain disruption” or even “supply chain collapse” […]
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To Understand the Metaverse, Look at Minecraft & Fortnite
Metaverse. Web3. NFT. The year 2021 introduced the world to a lot of really complicated new technological ideas. In February and March 2021, people started talking about NFTs. Then chatter about the “metaverse” started to really take off in October, right around when Facebook changed its name to Meta. A […]
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How to Sell the Bubble Bots from Ron’s Gone Wrong
Ron’s Gone Wrong is a film about the friendship between socially awkward middle-schooler, Barney, and his friend Ron. But there’s a twist: Ron is a Bubble Bot, produced by the Bubble Company, which is basically Apple. Bubble Bots, B Bots for short, are designed to be your best friend. Your […]
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Coming Soon – We’re Rebranding Ourselves as Weird Marketing
Exciting news! Having seen the success of the Weird Marketing blog posts, we are going to be rebranding our entire website within a month. New title. New URL. Complete commitment to the article style that the vast majority of readers are coming to the website for. Why change? When we […]
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How to Be a Wrestler, According to a Marketer
Wrestlers put their life on the line in the ring, day in, day out to make their audiences happy. They live larger-than-life lifestyles because they want to make captivating TV with their stunning wrestling moves. They’re experts at self-promotion because they want to make you buy into the kayfabe of […]
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How James Bond Has Evolved & Stayed Relevant for 60 Years
Few movie characters are as iconic, controversial, contradictory, and enduring as James Bond. It doesn’t matter who’s playing him because you recognize the character immediately. Handsome man, sharp suit, smoking gun, vodka martini in hand, and an attractive woman on his arm. James Bond has been the poster child for […]
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How Taylor Swift Took on the Music Industry & Won
Taylor Swift might not have a college degree, but she has been working on her Master’s in Marketing since she was nine. And when I say “you could argue” I mean “that is what I’m going to spend the next 5,000 words pointing out.” Swift has been the driving force […]
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See How A Rambling Redhead Went From Instagram to HGTV
Redheads only make up 2% of the world’s population. And the recessive gene jackpot of a redhead with blue eyes is even smaller, at 0.17%. So what would you call someone with red hair, blue eyes, and a hilarious heart of gold? You might call her a Unicorn, but we […]
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Join over 1,000 other confused, but curious folks. Download Weird Marketing's FREE Experimental Marketing Guide.
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WWE vs. AEW: The Wrestling Brand Smackdown of a Lifetime
John Cena. The Rock. Hulk Hogan. The world of wrestling has cemented these names into the minds of kids and adults alike. Their names are known worldwide as are their spider webs of wrestling moments, movies, and controversies. If you pay attention, the wrestling world will teach you a masterclass […]
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4 Marketing Lessons from Jingle All The Way
What do Christmas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and action figures have in common? If you guessed Star-Lord (or even The Terminator for us older peeps), you are only half wrong. The real answer is the “classic” Christmas Movie Jingle All The Way. Totally recommend watching it if you haven’t already. But for […]
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How Old Spice Came Back from the Grave with One Commercial
Hello, ladies. Look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he stopped using ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he’s me. With just 43 words, Old Spice did […]
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Millennials Spend $33 Billion On Their Own Toys. Why?
We all have fond memories of playing with toys when we were young. Whether it’s trading Pokemon cards or snuggling a favorite stuffed animal, it’s hard not to have at least one happy childhood toy story. Toys have been in the hearts and homes of kids for decades, centuries, even! […]
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This is How Buc-ee’s Turned Gas Stations into Tourist Traps
“If you know you know.” So said the billboard in yellow block capitals on a stark black background as I was passing through my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was advertising Buc-ee’s, a gas station about an hour away. Weird marketing move, I thought, but only briefly. I’m no stranger […]
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This Is Why People Find Super Mario 64 Conspiracies Scary
Did you know every copy of Super Mario 64 is personalized? Well, at least that’s the theory. It’s said that even back in 1996, Nintendo was able to create an AI that adapted to a player’s skill level, playstyle, and even desires. It’s so subtle you’d never notice it, until […]
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See How Cult Classic Movies Teach Us About Branding
Do you have a favorite movie that not many people have heard of? Or do you go to a coffee shop that you wouldn’t substitute for anything else? Or, perhaps, do you have a favorite product your rave about to everyone you meet? Well, you might be in a cult […]
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See How Peter Thiel Destroyed Gawker with Hulk Hogan
Facing a $140 million legal judgment, the leaders of Gawker had to face their sins. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to out billionaire Peter Thiel as gay in 2007. And maybe the world would have been a better place if they hadn’t released Hulk Hogan’s…private film in 2012. But […]
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How Anime Won the West & Why You Should Care
Anime. You know it in one form or another. Maybe you watched it when you were young, or your kids watch it, or you’re watching it now. It’s a universal and ageless media that caters to everyone, and due to that immortality, it has expanded and evolved into every corner […]
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Join over 1,000 other confused, but curious folks. Download Weird Marketing's FREE Experimental Marketing Guide.
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How American Girl Built a Multigenerational Business Empire with Dolls
It was 21 years ago when I got my first American Girl Doll. As any typical 10 year old does on a July summer day, I was curled up behind my bed doing some summer reading (The Secret of Nimh, in case you were wondering). The doorbell rang, and my […]
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Outreach: 9 Proven Ways You Can Grow Your Business
Drawing attention to your business is tough! Or at least it can seem that way if you’re not well-versed in the art of outreach. We talk a lot about customer retention, customer experience, and consumer behavior. But none of that means anything if you can’t acquire customers in the first […]
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This is How Cat Cafés Took Over the World
Imagine you walk into the bar and you order a beer. Something brushes up against your leg. You hear a meow. No, it’s not Mardi Gras and you’re not in New Orleans. You are in one of many cat cafés around the world. Yes, this is a real thing. Cat […]
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Podcast: Wrapping Up Season Two
Business is picking up, and we need a minute to catch our breath! We’re wrapping up season two of the Marketing is the Product Podcast, and we’ll be back in a few months with season 3! See you soon! ———————————————- Like what you hear? You can read more from us […]
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How Delta Air Lines Has Survived 96 Years of Aviation
The airline industry is an unspeakably difficult one. As of 2021, there are 18 major passenger airlines in the United States. The list of airlines that have died is so long that it takes up four separate Wikipedia articles for the US alone. Yet Delta Air Lines has been operating […]
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Podcast: Eric Seropyan on Getting Your Small Business Ranked Higher in Google
SEO and SEM expert, Eric Seropyan, is the founder of This Is My South Bay. Eric’s expertise is unique in that he specializes in international hyperlocal SEO helping founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and small business owners make sense of searchability and marketing on the web. Join us this week as […]
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15 Easy Ways To Improve SEO & Rank Higher in Google
The marketing world is full of strange jargon and acronyms. One of the most common acronyms you’ll see people use is SEO. The internet is full of articles telling you that you should improve your SEO to grow your business. There’s good reason for that. Search engine optimization – SEO […]
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Podcast: Maureen Mwangi on Building Brands & Helping Others
Maureen Mwangi grew up in Kenya where entrepreneurship was not the norm. In fact, her mom and dad were the only entrepreneurs she knew. As a little girl, Maureen listened with fascination as they discussed their product strategies around the dinner table almost every night. Today, Maureen is one of […]
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How Minecraft Made $2.5 Billion From Scratch
Minecraft was created by a solo developer with a day job in 2009. The graphics are 8-bit and servers will boot you for no reason sometimes. By all accounts, Minecraft should have crashed and burned early. It is the best-selling video game of all time. Over 200 million copies have […]
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Podcast: Parker Stevenson on Keeping Small Businesses Profitable & Healthy
Parker Stevenson is a Partner and the Chief Business Officer at Evolved Finance. Evolved Finance is a bookkeeping and business education company dedicated to helping online entrepreneurs create profitable and healthy businesses. Join us this week as we talk to Parker on the ways that you can keep your business healthy […]
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Training New Pangea Teammate – Will Have Fresh Content Next Week!
If you’ve been following the podcast lately, you know that Pierson and I are seeing an unprecedented amount of work with Pangea Marketing. This is a great problem to have, to be sure, but it means that we need to grow our team! I’ll cut to the chase: we’re going […]
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Podcast: Homestead Phil and Homestead Jenn on Renting Chickens
Ever heard of renting chickens? This isn’t just some far-fetched idea, it’s a business – and a very successful one at that. Homestead Phil and Homestead Jenn are the founders of Rent the Chicken. They specialize in renting egg-laying chickens to people looking to bring one food source closer to […]
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The Unusual Rise & Fall & Rise of Aeropostale
I was shopping with my wife at the gardening store, looking – in true millennial fashion – for plants we can’t kill. Suddenly, apropos of nothing, I wondered “what the hell happened to Aeropostale?” Aeropostale was everywhere when I was in high school from 2006 to 2010. You couldn’t go […]
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Interview with Brandon Rollins on the Formation of Pangea Marketing Agency
We’re slammed with client work this week, so here’s an episode from the vault. Join us this week as Pierson interviews Brandon on the formation of Pangea Marketing Agency. Find out how we, as a company, got started, as well as a bit of Brandon’s backstory.
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How to Use Product Distribution To Grow Your Business
If you build it, they won’t just come. Your small business needs a product distribution strategy if you want to make sales. This is so important, in fact, that one of the 4 P’s of marketing is “place” as in “the place where people can buy your products.” But how […]
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James Breakwell on How to Be a Man
James Breakwell is a comedy writer and self-described amateur father. Coming June 8, he will be releasing, or perhaps unleashing, his new book: How to Be a Man (Whatever That Means): Lessons in Modern Masculinity from a Questionable Source. In this podcast, we chat with James about his new book, […]
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Aaron Franklin on Finding Meaning through Family, Baseball, and Insurance
Aaron Franklin is an Insurance Broker at State Farm in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Insurance is a tough industry to understand, and tougher still to make exciting. Yet Aaron finds meaning helping people through his work. In this episode, Aaron talks about how he became an insurance agent, why he loves what […]
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14 Easy Ways Your Small Business Can Handle Public Relations
Public relations! The phrase conjures up images of spin doctors working for evil megacorporations or politicians conspicuously pretending to be folksy in an effort to win voters. That first impression is definitely not wrong, but it’s for sure not the whole picture either! At its heart, public relations (PR, for […]
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Kyle Orth on Paragliding, Aviation, and Mitigating Risk
Kyle Orth came straight from the sky and onto our show – literally. While meditating at a local park, I opened my eyes to Kyle paragliding down right next to me. After chatting for a few minutes, Kyle agreed to come onto the show. Join us as we talk to […]
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The Incredible Downfall of Rax Roast Beef in 1991 (A Ghost Story)
“We had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little, we went insane.” Originally spoken by Francis Ford Coppola about the filming of Apocalypse Now, I think this statement applies just as well to the marketing misadventures of Rax Roast Beef circa 1991. I’ve been fascinated […]
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Podcast: Shelli Tripp-Norvell on Mental Health, Identity, and Mindfulness
Shelli Tripp-Norvell is a Psychotherapist in Nashville, Tennessee. In this episode, Shelli walks us through her journey to becoming a therapist, as well as detailing various aspects of the journey that we go through to get “un-stuck”. The year 2020 left so many of us realizing the importance of our […]
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Why Supply Chain Management Is Important To Marketing
Leaders win through logistics. Vision, sure. Strategy, yes. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. In other words, you must win through superior logistics. Tom Peters, Quotes from Universal Cargo I find this quote […]
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Chari Buckner on Running a Pet Crematory and Finding Meaning
Getting things started with the first episode of season two, we are joined by Chari from Faithful Friends Pet Crematory. Chari Buckner is the owner of Faithful Friends, working with countless pet owners to make sure that their pets are given a proper send-off. In this episode, we talk with […]
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Use Influencer Marketing to Quickly Grow Your Small Business
Influencer marketing is a relatively new way for companies of all sizes to market their products. Today, we are going to dive into all things influencer marketing. We’ll answer questions like: What is influencer marketing? How to find and hire influencers? What influencers can do to help you sell your […]
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How Your Small Business Win Big With Online Reviews
How do people find your business? Vague question, I know. But take a moment and really ask yourself the question. Is it through outbound marketing? Do you have a steady stream of organic traffic coming to you? Or, are you taking a more “old-fashioned” approach and marketing specific client opportunities […]
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This is How Instagram Revolutionized the Tattoo Industry Forever
Tattoos are just about everywhere you look these days. Whether you are in a hospital, library, or even on a college campus, odds are, you can find someone who has a tattoo. A recent Ipsos poll showed that 30% of Americans had at least one tattoo in 2019, up from […]
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Wrapping Up Season One
As we wrap up our first season of the Marketing is the Product Podcast, a few changes are in order to help make the show that much better for you guys. In this episode, we go over some of the changes that will be made heading into season 2 of […]
Think marketing is confusing as hell? You're not alone.
Join over 1,000 other confused, but curious folks. Download Weird Marketing's FREE Experimental Marketing Guide.
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How To Use Small Business Advertising To Grow Quickly
When you’re marketing your small business for the first time, advertising is just plain intimidating. Effective advertising requires you to understand both complex marketing ideas and the ins and outs of software like Facebook and Google Ads. Figuring out where to start with small business advertising is a difficult task […]
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Kenny Goodman on 2020, Mindfulness, and Growing Your Business
Kicking off our first interview of the new year, we are joined again by our friend Kenny Goodman from Overboard Games. Kenny owns and runs Overboard Games. He is now running a successful business that revolves around creating digital versions of games for board game publishers. If you are a long […]
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Fight Island: The Weird Way UFC Thrived in a Pandemic
I’m glad 2020 is over, and I’m not alone. We’ve all been tested in every aspect of life in the last year, right down to the cancellation of sports. There was only one shining exception: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). They took the drastic step of moving the ring all […]
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Celebrating the New Year and Our Resolutions for 2021
We did it – we made it through 2020! As we close the door on one of the most chaotic years in history, it is important to take the time to reflect on the good that 2020 did bring to us. This week, as we get started with our first […]
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How To Grow Your Business with Relationship Marketing
Relationships matter. There are a million ways to say this simple fact, and a million ways to prove it too. Good relationships lead to customer retention, partnerships, referrals, and – ultimately – a big payday. That’s why well-run companies put so much emphasis on relationship marketing. Deep down, successful small […]
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Small Business & The World’s Weirdest Holiday Season
As 2020 comes to a close, we wanted to offer up this last podcast as one final reflection of this year. The year 2020 has been one of the most challenging years for all of us to date. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been faced with challenge after challenge, […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Convention Industry
This is the final post in the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series has talked about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, in this last post, we talk about […]
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Jamison Colston on Car Detailing, Philosophy & Taekwondo
Without hyperbole, Pierson and I can say that Jamison Colston is one of the most well-rounded people we have ever met. Jamison owns and runs Scenic City Mobile Detailing. He’s a real estate investor, fitness model, men’s counselor, a taekwondo black belt, and a student of philosophy. He’s a Renaissance […]
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This is How You Provide a Great Customer Experience
Have you ever walked into a restaurant and waited forever to be seated, only to be treated rudely and have your food served cold? If so, it’s safe to say that you’ve had a bad customer experience. Odds are, you probably told others about it too. Maybe you even left […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Retail Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Each post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the retail industry. Retail […]
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Podcast: Introducing Weird Marketing Lessons
As we approach the end of the year, it is time to phase out two of our blog series in lieu of a new one: Weird Marketing Lessons. Over the last year, we have published tons of posts for the Quick Questions and Coronavirus Case Studies series. In this episode, […]
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3 Simple Ways to Set Up A Website for Your Business
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway contest for an Echo Dot. Today, we will answer the following question: “how do I set up a website?” The Basics of Setting Up […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Auto Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the auto industry. In […]
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Podcast: The Ups and Downs of Starting a Business
Are you thinking about starting a business, but want to know what you’re getting into? If so, this podcast is for you! This week, we talk extensively about the ups and downs of running a business. Brandon Rollins, the founder and CEO of Pangea Marketing walks us through the high […]
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Is it hard to start your own business?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway contest for a smartwatch. Today, we will answer the following question: “is it hard to start your own business?” Yes. Yes, it is. End […]
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Spotify: A Love Letter to Great User Experience
Up until June of 2017, I had always used iTunes / Apple Music. It was all I knew. I went through various iPod models, transferring music from my laptop to my iPod, making new playlists as I went along. I knew what Spotify was but never paid much attention to […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Live Music Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Each post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the live music industry. There is not […]
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Podcast: Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Are you thinking of starting your own business, but still working a day job? If so, you are in luck. This week, we talk extensively about the pros and cons of quitting or not quitting your day job. Brandon Rollins, Pangea Marketing Agency’s founder and CEO, walks us through his journey […]
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How do I get more likes, followers, and comments on social media?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway contest for a Fire Stick and Echo Dot. Today, we will answer the following question: “how do I get more likes, followers, and comments […]
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Trending Products Your Small Business Can Sell Online in 2020
Hi there! I’m Maria and I want to help give you some ideas for trending items to sell during the upcoming holiday season. What are my qualifications, might you ask? I. Love. To. Shop. Plain and simple. I have separate “present bins” for each family set that I add gifts […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Cruise Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Each post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the cruise industry. The […]
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Podcast: Interview with John D’Angelo from Red Djinn Productions
John is preparing to launch his game, The Runelords, on Kickstarter, but is in a very interesting position. With a launch planned for earlier this year, due to the global pandemic, they were forced to postpone the launch date. John took this in stride and used this time to polish […]
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Why is there so much unclear information in marketing?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway contest for a smartwatch. Today, we will answer the following question: “why is there so much unclear information in marketing?” Let’s face it: when […]
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This Is Why User Experience Makes & Breaks Businesses
As technology continues to improve, people will spend more and more time with products, systems, and services. This can be very good, too, since technology removes irritation and inconvenience from day-to-day life. But ultimately, systems need to feel like they’re made by humans for humans. In other words, it’s really […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Sports Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect sports. At the time […]
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20 More Real Marketing Questions, Answered
Marketing can be incredibly confusing. That’s why we ask people to send us their hard questions when entering our biweekly giveaways. In this podcast, we answer 20 real marketing questions! Listen in as we answer questions like: Who do you target with your marketing? How do you market internationally? Why […]
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How to stay productive while working from home
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway for an Amazon Firestick and Echo Dot bundle. Today, we are going to be answering a different type of question: “how do I stay […]
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How Your Small Business Can Provide Excellent Customer Service
Hundreds of millions of businesses exist. At any given moment, hundreds are vying for your attention in subtle ways. Yet as we’ve adjusted to the ubiquity of logos and branding in our everyday life, it’s all become background noise. The one thing that really stands out – genuine human connection, […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Film and Television Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the film and television […]
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Podcast: Ryan Lowthian on Starting an Original Apparel Brand on Shopify
Starting your first business is brutally difficult. Even though Pangea was founded in 2019, I can hardly imagine how much harder it would be to launch a business in 2020! Yet some brave souls are doing that, and Ryan Lowthian is one of them. Ryan runs and owns Leviathan Clothing. […]
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What are some effective marketing strategies?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway contest for a smartwatch. Today, we will answer the following question: “what are some effective marketing strategies?” If you have followed the Quick Questions […]
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How to Streamline Product Returns and Generate Revenue
The title of this post may seem contradictory at a first glance. How can product returns become a source of revenue? The very act of handling returns means not only giving up revenue, but also incurring additional expenses in labor, supplies, and – for eCommerce companies – postage. Yet good […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Order Fulfillment Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the order fulfillment industry. […]
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Podcast: Overboard Games on Making Digital Versions of Board Games
Imagine that you’re creating a board game right now. Unfortunately, you can’t gather a crowd of people at your house to test it out, and all the conventions are cancelled. But there is still one way you can play with your friends: Tabletop Simulator. Kenny owns and runs Overboard Games. […]
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What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway for an Amazon Firestick and Echo Dot bundle. Today, we will answer the following question: “what is SEO?” When you are thinking of ways […]
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How to Give Your Customer a Great Post-Purchase Experience
Think about the companies you most admire. Odds are, when you do that, you don’t just think about the products or services themselves, though they may be very good. You probably think of all the pleasant interactions and little acts of generosity that define your business relationship. In other words, […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Gambling Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the gambling industry. What […]
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Podcast: 20 Real Marketing Questions, Answered
Marketing can be incredibly confusing. That’s why we ask people to send us their hard questions when entering our biweekly giveaways. In this podcast, we answer 20 real marketing questions! Listen in as we answer questions like: How do mobile ads gain players? How do you make marketing less salesy […]
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How can I get sponsors for my small business?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway for an Amazon Firestick and Echo Dot bundle. Today, we will answer the following question: “how can I get sponsors for my small business?” […]
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16 Ways to Make Your Small Business Look Professional
The world is a big and noisy place. As a small business, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of megacorporations, left unable to make a real impression. Many businesses need help looking professional in a competitive market. Fortunately, it’s not hard to look professional! The modern internet is […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Fitness Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the fitness industry. What […]
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Podcast: Christopher and English on Tattoos, Art, Business, and Marriage
When you think of a small business you probably have images of the diner down the road or the coffee shop around the corner. But what about your local tattoo parlor? English and Christopher Cousins run Safe House Tattoo in Nashville, Tennessee. In this podcast, we talk about many subjects: […]
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How do I capture leads for my small business?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway for an Amazon Fire Stick and Echo Dot bundle. Today, we will answer the following question: “how do I capture leads for my small […]
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Product Mix: How to Boost Your Sales and Keep Your Business Fresh
Products come and products go, but businesses stay around for much longer. That’s because most businesses that succeed in the long-run don’t sell a single product or service. Indeed, successful businesses often rely on a unique product mix that keeps their business lively and fresh as the years go on. […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the eCommerce Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the eCommerce industry. What […]
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Marketing is the Product Podcast: On CBD, the Emerging Industry
Here’s a riddle for you: imagine you’re starting up a shop selling a brand new kind of product. It’s poorly understood and a lot of people mistakenly associate it with illegal drugs. Yet every day, new research shows up touting the benefits of what you’re selling. That’s the situation that […]
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Can I pursue a career in marketing after working in another field?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway for an Amazon Firestick and Echo Dot bundle. Today, we will answer the following: “can I pursue a career in marketing after working in […]
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How to Design Packaging for Your Small Business
People judge books by their covers. They judge products by their covers, too. It’s no secret that packaging affects whether people will purchase your small business’s products. That’s why we’ll be talking about how to design packaging for your small business’s products. Basics of Branding for Small Business Before we […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Aviation Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the aviation industry. What […]
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Marketing is the Product Podcast: Tabletop Game Design & UX
Good marketing comes down to creating great experiences for your customers. This is known as UX, or user experience. In this week’s episode, we’ve brought on Sean Fallon, longtime UX consultant and owner of Smunchy Games. Sean’s passion is to create amazing tabletop games based on rich, complex worlds. Tune […]
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What resources should I use when starting a business?
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway for an Amazon Firestick and Echo Dot bundle. Today, we will answer the following question: “what resources should I use when starting a business?” […]
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How to Brand Your Small Business
When asked to define marketing, many people think of advertising. They talk about how marketers use different tools to make money. Yet the job doesn’t stop there – marketing isn’t just about making money. It’s about spreading ideas. That’s why we’re going to teach you how to brand your small […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Hospitality Industry
This is the Coronavirus Case Studies series. Every post in this series will talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the hospitality industry. What […]
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Marketing is the Product Podcast: What is Marketing?
Marketing is one of the most misunderstood disciplines. A lot of people think that it’s about pushiness, hard selling, and sleazy ads. In reality, though, it’s all about figuring out what people want and finding ways to give it to them. We’ll start featuring business owners as early as July. […]
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How to Register a Business in 6 Steps
Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway for an Amazon Firestick and Echo Dot bundle. Today, we will answer the following question: “how do I register a business?” When starting your […]
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Why It Takes So Long to Build a Great Business
To succeed in business is the dream of many people around the world. Becoming competent and making a lot of money is deeply satisfying on a number of different levels, so it’s no wonder that people pursue success with such motivation and vigor. Few really “make it,” though, and a […]
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How Coronavirus Will Affect the Restaurant Industry
Welcome to the first post in our Coronavirus Case Studies series. In each post, will we talk about how the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will affect different businesses for years to come. We’re all still processing this massive, life-changing event. This week, we talk about how coronavirus will affect the […]
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