Endless Coffee Cup

In this episode, my brother, Ben Bailey, drops by and joins me in a conversation about analytics. Ben is a well-known analyst in his own right. He has consulted with some of the world's biggest brands, as well as with Analytics companies. And (as I tell people) he may be my brother, but he is the best analyst I've ever worked with. The discussion centers around a recent eMarketer survey on measurement and cross-device attribution. This article exposes a dramatic disconnect between marketing priorities and capabilities of both very simple and very complex issues. From simple conversation tracking to complex multi-device matching. Ben brings his perspectives on data, targeting, and Google Analytics. Do you know how much information about you and your browsing behavior is available to companies? Beyond that, Ben informs us of other targeting data, of which you may not be aware, is used to personalize ads and website content specifically for you. We discuss some of the limitations of Google Analytics, but also th

So - What is Rhetoric? You may have heard politicians dismiss each other’s ideas as “just rhetoric,” but do we really know what rhetoric is?  Sue joins me as we explore our rhetorical roots and survey Aristotle’s work. Written more than 2,000 years ago, his book provides a systemized development of persuasion and how to engage an audience. Going back to our college days, we discuss how rhetoric is alive and well today, how it is used in business and politics, and how to understand when it is being employed.  Dive in with us as we examine this great work and how it informs marketing and persuasion in today’s marketplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sue joins me again as we explore the modern difficulties of communicating through electronic media. What makes it so difficult and how does it create so many miscommunications? We explore the science behind human communications and how electronic media exploits the worst of communication’s faults. However, we also try to identify means of dealing with electronic communication and overcoming its nuances to make both life and business better.  Some of the issues we talk through in this episode: What is the purpose of Email? How can we use it more effectively? What expectations do you have of others, and are you setting for yourself? When is texting for work acceptable? Who can text you and why? Of course, the conversation takes another level up as soon as we talk about the place of humor in electronic communication. In a word, no.  Finally, we talk through practical steps to improve your communications in email, text, and social media. Hopefully, these steps can help you be more effective and aware of the

In this episode, Matt is on his "UK Speaking Tour.” One of the highlights of his time in the UK is meeting up with one of his best friends in the business, Brian Mathers.  Brian is one of the most respected marketing voices in the Scottish business community. He regularly teaches seminars around the country and consults with businesses about their online marketing.  Brian spent over 20 years in the Royal Navy. He explains how he translated his experience of navigating submarines to navigating websites and businesses.  Just as an aside, the air conditioning in this venue was running a full blast. It makes the sound a bit sketchy, as it may sound like the building is ready to launch at a few points. In this episode, Brian is drinking tea, Matt is drinking the "conference coffee." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt and Sue are often asked to speak to university students and provide career advice. We both found the college experience built a foundation to do many things in life, and not just a single career. Those experiences centered around specific classes or subjects, and we both attribute our love of rhetoric to our professor, Dr. Kim Phipps. We answer frequent questions we receive in this episode, such as: What is valuable about the college/university experience today? What skills do two business owners think are the most important?  How did college/university prepare us for what we do today? How do you know when it is time to go out on your own? How do you prepare for starting your own business?  We get a little personal in talking through some of our job history, stress of starting a business and how to survive a start-up.  Issues of credit, office space, taxes, hiring, making payroll and the wonderful memories of a cat walking in front of the camera during a webinar come up in our start-up experiences.

Words are central to this episode. How words are used, interpreted and abused. Words are powerful influencers and invite us to participate, or words can be repelling - pushing us away. Our discussion starts from Agency practices; the evolving “advertiser” from Mad Men to today. Creative processes, design, and review structures have to change with the commoditization of many typical agency practices. A particular side conversation erupts when we bring up the type of advertising that attempt to be relevant to anyone at any time. For example, we examine attempts by major brands attempting to make themselves relevant as a Mother’s Day option. You may have some to contribute as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shiny Things Headlines dominate the early part of the show, as we begin with a study that reveals that the majority of Fortune 500 marketers are looking for the next “silver bullet” market shifting technology.  This serves up the rest of the show as we talk about why people tend to get distracted by shiny things. We then move into one of the shiniest things - the Internet of Things! We also move into how smartphone technology has influenced our behavior, millennial behavior, and parenting behavior. Has technology caused us to disconnect from people while we are connecting to things? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The nature of online marketing has forced a dramatic increase in content. Everyone has become a publisher, as content drives views, shares, and even rankings. But what has this produced? Matt and Sue cover headlines that attempt to assign a value to content, describe reader behavior, and assign responsibility for measurement.   A variety of content models are covered, and the discussion ultimately comes down to one important factor - what was the payoff? Did it deliver what the reader wanted? Of course, when two Journalism majors get together, a discussion about the importance of writing will always come up.  Any comments about content? Please leave us a note in the comments, or drop us a line through the contact form. We’d love to know what you think!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes Marketing Authentic? Matt and Sue attempt to get a handle on the latest buzzword and break it down into how marketers should approach authenticity.  Does Authenticity mean accurate? Truthful? Caring? Personal? Let’s dig into the meanings and implications of authenticity. However, this leads us into other areas of marketing and provide some honest introspection on what marketing really is, and what it attempts to do in persuading us to purchase products. Yes, we’re going to get a bit cynical at times, as we are talking about the base elements of marketing and the methods of persuasion that billion-dollar multi-national corporations use to make their products “authentic.”   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt & Sue talk about how clients and agencies look at activity as a metric, rather than results. The headlines lead us into areas of client expectations and asking better questions about your target market.  Matt loses his mind over a headline about "Big Data” which brings us into a discussion about data, customers and customer relationships. Of course, 'Sexy Data’ comes up as the alternative to Big Data and Small Data. What do you think makes data sexy?  Referrals, client & customer relationships dominate the rest of the discussion. Why do businesses spend more time on customer acquisition rather than developing the customer relationships that they already have? For this episode, Matt & Sue are both drinking the local “House Blend.” Sue takes cream, Matt drinks it black.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices