Marketing Blog | Joellyn Ferguson

The Marketing Blog

I started this blog back in 2010 - yes, that's over a decade ago! I keep it available to readers because there's plenty of timeless content here. You may find a few outdated posts, feel free to breeze on by when you do. I hope you find value in the ones that are relevant. Looking for a specific topic? Just filter using the buttons below.

Why is Change So Hard?

Why It Pays to Know Your Customers

How well do you know your customers? If you’re like most executives, you probably feel that you have a pretty good handle on who buys from you and why. But do you really know

Simplicity Rules: Why Complex Solutions to Business Issues Aren’t Always Better

Every now and then I see or hear complaints from executives who hired a consultant for help with a business problem, only to find the recommended solution was simply common sense. “I paid him

Mind Your Mission

I just returned from a strategy workshop in New York City with the iconic Dr. Alan Weiss. During the course of two-days with some of the top consultants in the world, we dug deep

The Fallacy of Customer Delight

If you’re at all concerned with your customer experience, I’m sure you’ve heard (or read) about “delighting the customer.” This concept is bounced around as if it’s the panacea for all corporate ills: Simply delight

What to Do When An Executive’s Brand Shines Too Bright

Avoiding the Dangers of a Superstar Brand Personal branding is a popular topic lately, with everyone from job seekers to C-Suite executives working on building better personal brands. Standing out from the crowd is

Living Value: When Brand Meets Customer Experience

I had a conversation with a former colleague this morning, an authority on call center customer experience. Dr. Walter Rolandi is a voice user interface (VUI) expert, meaning he helps companies improve telephone-based interactions

Do Your Customers Really Come First?

How often do you make a call to a business, only to hear the frustrating refrain, “Your call is important to us…” Really? No matter how often companies say their customers come first, the

How to Differentiate a Commodity Product

One of my Twitter follows recently asked me, “How do you differentiate a commodity product?” My first reaction was, “Well that needs more than a 140 character response!” In actuality, I could have answered

Finding Focus

With constant competition for our attention, focus is in short supply these days. From email bombardment to Twitter overload, endless meetings and constant interruptions, it’s difficult to shut out distractions and focus on the

Why Once is Never Enough…in Communications

I often hear from people who are frustrated with the success of their marketing, sales and communications efforts. These ambitious executives have announced a new project, an event or a special offer for customers and are wondering