Blog — E. Starr Associates

Ugg Me, Ugg Me Not

January 12, 2012 By evelyn 4 Comments

Walk into any public middle school or high school on a winter day, and you’ll notice the girls’ cool weather uniform. Not a mandated uniform, but a voluntarily adopted one. It consists of a Northface fleece jacket and a pair of Ugg boots.

In September 2010, as my now 11-year-old daughter Fiona was entering the fifth grade, she developed an acute desire for these items. I wasn’t entirely surprised as my neighbor’s 14-year-old daughter had expressed the same desires a couple of years before.

But I didn’t realize how widespread the girls’ conformity went.

Click to continue

Filed Under: Brands In Adolescence, Browse Posts, Marketing Thought Provokers, Retail Marketing

The $2.99 Retail Traffic Booster

October 26, 2011 By evelyn 2 Comments

Charles River Coffee House Dog Bowl Outside 7-22-11

On days when I feel restless and distracted in my office, I work elsewhere. One place I like to go is the Charles River Coffee House (CRCH) in South Natick. It’s independently owned, has a homey, non-institutional feel and serves great tea (tea-aholic that I am). Their front windows frame a beautiful view of the historic Bacon Free Library and the South Natick waterfall across the way, helpful when my eyes need a break from the screen.

Not only is their tea good, but their marketing is smart, innovative and inexpensive to implement. Two of their marketing efforts grabbed my attention.

Click to continue

Filed Under: Browse Posts, Retail Marketing, Smart, Innovative & Inexpensive Marketing

Stop Marketing!

October 6, 2011 By evelyn Leave a Comment

Stop marketing!
Start conversing.

Stop selling.
Start listening.

Stop cajoling.
Start sampling.

Click to continue

Filed Under: Browse Posts, Marketing Thought Provokers

Mine Eyes, The Glory Isn’t So Clear Anymore

July 21, 2011 By evelyn 2 Comments

Here I am, 45 years old, in the best shape of my life in many ways. Exercise, healthy eating, and an optimistic outlook keep me young. Not to mention two adolescent children.

RealAge.com’s analysis says I’m only 41.5!

And yet.

As a voracious reader, I’ve become acutely aware that the words on the page have become fuzzy. Reading is more comfortable when I hold the book a few inches further away. Over the past few months, the distance to keep the words clear has increased.

Fortunately, the book isn’t yet a full arm’s length away…and thankfully I have long arms!

Click to continue

Filed Under: Browse Posts, Marketing Thought Provokers

Is Your Brand In Adolescence?

July 14, 2011 By evelyn Leave a Comment

It happens to the savviest business owners and brand champions. One day you wake up and that little darling brand that you have nurtured since birth or early brand-hood has grown into an entity you barely recognize.

The brand that you knew and loved and that bore the markings of your careful stewardship has suddenly developed a mind of its own and is performing erratically. When did this happen? How could this happen? Why is it happening to me?

It could be that you have a Brand in Adolescence on your hands.

Click to continue

Filed Under: Brands In Adolescence, Browse Posts, Marketing Thought Provokers

When the Better Business Bureau Isn’t Better

July 5, 2011 By evelyn 2 Comments

Last week I got a voice mail from Donna at the Better Business Bureau. She assured me nothing was wrong but asked that I return her call. I had never gotten a call from the BBB before, so I was curious to see what she wanted. And just a tad bit suspicious.

Turns out my suspicions were correct. This was a sales call. From the BBB.

Given that no one has lodged a complaint against E. Starr Associates in the 11+ years I’ve been in business, and my less-than-10-employee business size, I qualify to join the BBB for only $47.95 per month. That’s only about $1.60 per day!

Click to continue

Filed Under: Browse Posts, Marketing Blunders

Don’t You Love Me Anymore?

April 1, 2011 By evelyn 2 Comments

Is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard a parent utter the golden rule? Treat others the way that you would like to be treated.

Well, okay, my father once said the golden rule was “those who have the gold make the rules.”

While the former golden rule is the more prominent and accepted one, the latter seems to be the one that newspaper companies follow.

Except that newspaper companies’ gold is long gone.

Though the newspaper industry’s need to change its business model has been painfully obvious for years, the industry has clung to past practices.

Click to continue

Filed Under: Browse Posts, Marketing Blunders

An Abercrummy Experience

March 1, 2011 By evelyn Leave a Comment

A Brand that Needs to Get Unstuck

Last week was school vacation week here. My children and I took a trip to New Jersey to visit my parents. In close proximity to Paramus, the original shopping mall mecca, my 10-year-old daughter and I also took the opportunity to shop.

My daughter had been eyeing a sweater at abercrombie (the kids’ division of Abercrombie & Fitch) at the mall near our home in Massachusetts. She had her heart set on finding it in Paramus. We spotted the sweater prominently displayed on a couple of mannequins as soon as we entered the store.

Click to continue

Filed Under: Brands In Adolescence, Browse Posts, Marketing Blunders, Retail Marketing

To Crash Is Human, To Backup Divine

February 7, 2011 By evelyn Leave a Comment

I have a confession: there’s a bit of computer geek in me.

In high school I took computer language courses in BASIC, FORTRAN, and PASCAL.

In college, I worked at the campus computer center. My job entailed collecting 10 cents per page printed and rebooting our enormous mainframe computer when it crashed during high usage periods (mid-terms and finals).

When the system crashed, a less pleasant part of my job was to tell some seniors that yes, unfortunately, the 10 pages of thesis they had just spent 6 hours writing were really gone if they hadn’t acted to save them.

Click to continue

Filed Under: Browse Posts, Smart, Innovative & Inexpensive Marketing