Deborah Daily

How Honest Do You Want Me To Be?

Does this make me look fat? The classic question and deadly measure of spousal honesty illustrates the inherent dilemma in conducting customer surveys. Just as spouses typically hesitate before...... Read More

What Do Customers Really Think of You?

Ask a business owner how her customers think about the services they receive or the products they use, and you’ll hear comments like "they love us." But when a third party asks those customers the...... Read More

You Probably Don’t Know Your Customers All That Well

If your objective is to increase the number of customers you serve, a prudent way to start is by taking a closer look at the customers you already have. If that sounds odd, consider that the...... Read More

When The Tail Wags The Dog

We had carefully studied the client's stated objectives and analyzed the budget, then created a strategy that addressed both with great efficiency. So we were startled when our plan was completely...... Read More

Dealing With Dealer And Distributor Networks

Many companies in the business-to-business world sell their products through networks of outside dealers, independent distributors, or similar arrangements. While those arrangements make it possibl...... Read More

How Well Are You Tracking Your Marketing?

One of the first metrics business owners learn about is return on investment, or ROI. Earning the highest possible ROI is critical when running a business. You make investments with the expectation...... Read More

Getting More From Trade Shows While Spending Less

For many companies, participation in trade shows devours a healthy portion of the total marketing budget. But as with so many other aspects of business, what matters isn't how much you spend -- it'...... Read More

Maybe You Don’t Need to Change Your Logo

The graphic symbol representing your company has been in place since the early 1960s, when your great-uncle started the business, and your new advertising firm insists that it has to be replaced. Y...... Read More

Don’t Get Lost in Translation When Doing Business Overseas

As the world becomes smaller, the opportunities for companies to do business overseas get bigger. But accessing other markets demands more than a perfunctory knowledge of geography and a phrase boo...... Read More

Lessons Learned Through Another Company’s History

Nearly two years ago, one of our agency’s longtime clients asked us to develop a coffee-table book celebrating their company’s centennial. In bringing that project to fruition, I learned a lot...... Read More