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best bits of 2010

Whew!  What a year it’s been.

Over the past year, my brain has pumped out 1778 tweets, 81 brand-as-business bites blog posts, 17 videos, 11 published articles, 11 brand-as-business brief newsletters, 10 podcast interviews, 8 QSR Magazine columns, 8 Slideshare documents, 7 speaking engagements, 3 guest blog posts, and countless random thoughts – not to mention all the client work I’ve been blessed with this year.  No wonder I’m tired!

Here are 10 of the best bits from this seemingly-eclectic but definitely-strategic collection of content:

1.  Marketing Myopia – a brand-as-business bites blog post about whether marketers should try to increase the marketing function in the organization or whether they should try to increase the marketing capability of the entire organization.

2.  Build Your Brand by Operationalizing It — a guest post on the MENG blog, MENG Blend in which I suggest that instead of thinking about brand-building as an externally-oriented activity, we shift to more internally-directed efforts.

3.  The Sharp Experience All-Staff Assembly Highlight Reel — highlights from Sharp Healthcare’s  re-commitment of its 20,000+ people to the organization’s vision and values (see accompanying blog post for background and my key takeaways).

4.  Maslow, Emotion and a Hierarchy of Service — a guest post on Roger Dooley’s fantastic Neuromarketing blog about the Maslow-like hierarchy which exists when it comes to meeting consumer needs and motivations with customer service.

5.  Six Best Practices in Retail — a brand-as-business bites blog post outlining what extraordinary retailers like The Container Store and Wegman’s do best

6.  Not Just a Punchcard — one of my columns in QSR Magazine which argues that most quick serves don’t understand that building loyalty takes more than handing out punch cards and promotions.

7.  Brand Promise:Reality Gap — a post about the average of 48% of people who say there’s a big difference between what fast feeders promise in their advertising and what they experience at the chains’ restaurants (see accompanying video).

8.  Marketing Is Losing Its Mojo — an article published by Adweek in which I explain that it seems the pursuit of breakthrough marketing creativity has taken a back seat to work on more predictable and achievable efforts.

9.  Notes & Quotes from Seth Godin – insights and soundbites from a talk Seth Godin gave at a LinkedOC event about his new book Linchpin:  Are You Indispensible?

10.  Ben McConnell on Employees as Brand Evangelists — a podcast interview with Ben McConnell, one of the most influential online marketers, about employees as brand evangelists and other developments in today’s participatory culture.

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Thanks so much to all of you who read, share, and comment on my content.  I learn so much from you and I’ve enjoyed meeting people from around the world.  Looking forward to a great 2011!

Have a blessed holiday!  (brand-as-business bites will resume on 01.04.11 — in the meantime, check out more best bites!)

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