Q: You speak 5 languages and are a double major in Political Economy and Computer Science. Why marketing?

A: I feel that versatility is the biggest merit in being young. Taking chances, experiencing new things and finding the right niche is my approach to finding the true passion that will build my career.

Can we learn anything about account management from AMC’s Mad Men? Lets start by questioning what it is that we really love about the show. Sure, those whiskey-infused morning advertising meetings and the banter between Don Draper and his partners are amusing, but I think the reason we are eager to view the next episode is because we are intrigued by the various business relationships and the behavior of management that makes or breaks deals in the advertising world.

GUEST BLOGGER: Cheryl Bame, Principal - Bame Public Relations 

Many professionals want to see their names in print, either by being quoted in the press or by writing a bylined article. If you want to take the latter route, then there are some important questions you need to ask yourself before you set out to write your masterpiece. And these questions go beyond the traditional tasks of identifying your target publication and getting your topic approved by an editor.

Sitting at my local watering hole the other night, I struck up a conversation with a person in town on business. Our conversation took a turn when they asked me what I do. When I told them I work remote with a DC-based strategic branding and marketing agency, they went off on a tangent about how successful their employees are that work remote and the benefits of such an arrangement.

GUEST BLOGGER: Kimberly Alford Rice, President - KLA Marketing Associates

Why Firms Should Develop a Strategic Plan

When I work with law firms, which profess to have strategic plans, I find it bewildering that they often are stored in the management teams’ drawers somewhere and rarely are implemented. I scratch my head and ask why bother expending the energy and time to develop a course for the firm if there is no system created to implement the plan. What a colossal waste of everyone’s time and resources.

There are articles after articles that speak to the importance of forming partnerships, rather than treating vendors like, well, vendors. Sure, a vendor is a common name for a company that provides a service to you (agencies, printers, technology providers, etc.) but try to think beyond the term and more broadly about what the business should be: a partnership! Most accounting and law firms refer to the professional service firms they use as vendors (we know your services appear on many budgets as line items under the vendor category).

GUEST BLOGGER: Matthew Gallizzi, CEO - NotixTech

Facebook mobile has over 100 million users and is growing faster than desktops. Morgan Stanley believes that more users will be connected to the Internet via mobile devices than desktop PCs within five years. Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha told Reuters that Android-powered mobile devices are selling faster than they can be manufactured.

When working with multiple clients, it’s important to learn what is the most effective form of communication for that client. More often than not it will vary from person to person and not firm to firm. There will be some global technologies that a firm uses and are important to know and understand early in a client/partner relationship, particularly if you are working on building a website or designing an electronic annual report. But at the end of the day people just like to be asked – “What is the best way for me to communicate with you?”

GUEST BLOGGER: Michael Zolno, Principal – Zolno Consulting

Six months ago, after almost a year of trial and tribulation and at great expense, your law firm completed its rebranding efforts. This morning, at the marketing committee meeting, you; the Director of Marketing, were asked by the Managing Partner, “are our new branding efforts showing a return?”

Fumbling with your papers and looking taken off guard respond, “I think so. Some of our clients have told us they like the new website and …”

I remember being eight and all I wanted for Christmas was "Game and Watch" games. Game and Watch by Nintendo, was a handheld gaming unit made in the early 80s, with an LCD screen and very simple motion. In my mind, this was the seed of the moblie generation and I'd like to believe that this revolution may have started with me. ;)