Author Archives: markkolier

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About markkolier

Futurist, entrepreneur, left lane driver, baseball lover

The Weather Channel gets back to…. weather forecasts?

Posted on April 24, 2014 by markkolier

I admit I am a bit of a weather geek.  No I don’t have an anemometer in my backyard or a rain gauge, but I do have a pretty good thermometer that offers temperature, humidity and a short-range forecast.   The … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Brand Advertising, Cable Television, Satellite Television | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Advertising and marketing agencies as stereo equipment

Posted on April 21, 2014 by markkolier

A few of our clients have as many as six different marketing service/advertising agencies working for them concurrently.   A creative agency, a PR agency, a digital agency, a social media agency, a media buying agency, and a promotion agency would … Continue reading →

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China will have to be known for high quality products

Posted on April 17, 2014 by markkolier

Last summer I wrote about the idea that few Chinese companies have embraced a dedication to making best-in-class products.   In my many visits to factories in China over the past five years I was almost universally asked about quality control … Continue reading →

Posted in Business in Asia, Business in China, China, China Marketing, International business | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The most expensive marketing is the marketing that does not work

Posted on April 14, 2014 by markkolier

I have had a number of conversations as of late with people that either run companies or who are responsible for overall company performance including driving sales.   Without fail our conversations always touch on email marketing as a customer acquisition … Continue reading →

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Try in-store buy at home vs. buy at home pick up in-store

Posted on April 10, 2014 by markkolier

The recent news regarding Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.com’s U.S. $692 million investment in Chinese department store operator, Intime Retail giving it a 25 percent stake in the company is quite possibly a watershed event in the marriage between online and … Continue reading →

Posted in Best business practices, Brand Advertising, Business in Asia, Business in China, Consumer Behavior, International business | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The New York Times new Premiere a lesson in how to further fleece its highest paying subscribers

Posted on March 31, 2014 by markkolier

Last week the New York Times announced a newly released feature called Premiere. What really got to me was that the New York Times is planning on charging its print subscribers (we have both a daily print and digital subscription) … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Experiences, Newspapers | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Does the definition of Native Content mean not being sure if it’s paid media?

Posted on March 25, 2014 by markkolier

My local paper The Norwalk Hour is a small circulation daily newspaper that has an improving if not lightly-used website.   The Hour prints a paper each and every day.   It’s a light and quick read and I normally do not … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Advertising to Millenials, Best business practices, Native advertising, Newspapers | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Digital Media Lacks Accountability

Posted on March 24, 2014 by markkolier

Really right on post from my partner..   Digital Media Lacks Accountability.

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Russia’s gambit is an opportunity for China and the U.S to get cozier

Posted on March 21, 2014 by markkolier

During the Cold War most Americans viewed the U.S.S.R. and China in a similar vein.  There were memes such as ‘Better Dead than Red’ depicting the ideologies of Socialism and Capitalism as being juxtaposed.   When the Soviet Union dissolved in … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Leadership, World Poltics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Fitness apps and 10,000 steps a day

Posted on March 17, 2014 by markkolier

A week ago I traded in my old Motorola Droid Razr and picked up (at Costco believe it or not which has great prices on non-iPhones) a Samsung Galaxy S4.  For a number of reasons it feels as if I … Continue reading →

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