For those of you who haven’t met any of the TVG crew in person, not only are we constantly connected via social media, but many of us like to take the occasional trip to the mall. So, we were intrigued when we heard about Ann Taylor Loft’s recent social media snafu.
If you’ll [...]

In December, the FTC released revised Guidelines Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. I think it’s important to address specifically the FTC’s requirement that companies and endorsers disclose material connections. That’s why I will be writing a series of blog posts about best and worst practices and the impact the regulations may [...]

In November I attended the 2009 Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Summit in Las Vegas.  As a member of WOMMA, it has been interesting to watch the Association grow and transform as the social media era has taken hold of communications.  WOMMA conferences provide some great face-to-face collaboration and bring together an interesting mix [...]

Since humans began communicating, people have shared tips and testimonials through word of mouth (WOM). Social media including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc., have increased the potential and impact of word of mouth. Companies and organizations have recognized this and increasingly utilize and mobilize advocates in providing WOM endorsements and testimonials.
Now, the FTC [...]

Last month I attended the World-of-Mouth Marketing Association’s conference, WOMM-U. I joined other marketing and communications enthusiasts to collaborate on social media and hear about some great campaigns from Disney, Texas Instruments, WalMart and many more. We also heard from YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and other key social media platforms. Overall, it was [...]

Businesses continually strive to develop awareness of their products, services and key messages. Whether through door-to-door sales, cold calls, e-mail messages or personal meetings, business development aims to increase awareness and establish relationships.
In the current economy, networking and personal interactions may be more important to business development than ever before. Strong employee networks can help [...]

YouTube can be a procrastinator’s heaven. But it can also be informative, entertaining and thought provoking. Here are three videos I recently viewed on YouTube that I wanted to share.
Start your week off on YouTube to learn about past marketing campaigns, start a conversation in your office or just get your [...]

With all due respect to The Fixx and their 1983 hit, one thing really does lead to another. I had the pleasure of attending the 2008 National Recycling Coalition Congress & Expo last month in Pittsburgh. It was a chance for me to speak on behalf of TVG about the benefits of media [...]

I also recently attended the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s “WOMM-U” conference in Miami FL (May 8-9). I joined several hundred other attendees who benefitted from senior practitioner “perspective pitches,” case study presentations, and a half-dozen or so breakout sessions, all full of the latest in WOM information on research, trends, best practices, measurements, and [...]

This past week, Miami and the Word of Mouth Marketing Association kicked off its first-ever WOMM-U formatted conference. The beautiful Intercontinental Hotel was the location and several hundred people, from some of the world’s strongest brands, attended.
Repping TVG was Kelly Ferrara (me) and Larry Cox from the Executive Leadership Team. The conference focused [...]