I COULD LEARN A LOT FROM YOU <i>What Can Product Marketers Teach Us?</i>
August 04, 2008
It's been suggested by several readers that our orientation toward professional services marketing, as opposed to product marketing, is a prejudice. Admittedly, it's at least a bias against a pervasive academic view that the techniques of marketing a product apply equally to marketing a professional service. And indeed, the most successful professional services marketers tend to look to other professional services firms for answers and the best ideas, as well as for validation of their own ideas and processes. Still, it would be foolish to automatically preclude any idea that's been forged in a marketplace of ideas. In a rational world, we take ideas from any reasonable place, accept the good ones, and eliminate the ones that are bad or not applicable. That means that are things to be learned by professional services marketers from the Toyotas and Microsofts and Dells of the world.
Reentering the Workforce After Divorce
July 31, 2008
For matrimonial clients, making their way through the emotional, logistical, financial and practical obstacles in divorce is obviously challenging. One of the most empowering and intimidating of these challenges for some spouses is beginning new employment, especially after years of absence from the job market.
Technology in Marketing: The Top 10 Law Firm Web Site SEO Best Practices
July 31, 2008
Google or other analytics reports typically show that search engines are a major source of Internet traffic to law firm Web sites (as well as law firm blogs). Therefore, a law firm seeking to increase traffic to its Web site should follow 'best practices' when it comes to search engine optimization, or SEO.
What the Insurance Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
July 31, 2008
Many companies give away their coverage for IP claims because they accept their insurers' self-serving assessment that coverage does not exist. This article provides an overview of the issues that typically arise when determining the extent of coverage for IP claims under advertising injury coverage.
Credit Applications
July 30, 2008
Although credit applications assist lessors in making these credit decisions, the lessor should make sure that it avoids the pitfalls of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ('ECOA') and that the financial information it obtains through the credit application is stored appropriately to avoid liability under various state laws regulating the storage of private financial information. This article discusses the components of a good credit application, the requirements of the ECOA, and the best practices for storing private financial information.
Q&A with Sean Kelly, Franchise Blogger
July 30, 2008
Franchisees complain about the imbalance of power between themselves and franchisors, especially when franchisor-franchisee relationships go awry. The Web has changed that dynamic significantly by giving franchisees an easy way to voice their complaints widely and anonymously. Sean Kelly is providing one of the most popular forums for franchisees to vent about franchisors ' whether fairly or unfairly. A 20-year veteran of the franchising industry who participated in the startup of more than 100 franchises concepts, Kelly started a series of franchise-related blogs in November 2006 that have quickly become must-reads for franchisors, franchisees, franchise counsel, and consumers.
Protecting Intellectual Property in a 'Flat' World
July 30, 2008
Just as airplanes made the world feel smaller geographically, globalization and the Internet have made it feel smaller economically. The Internet has so fundamentally changed the way people do business that it is difficult to remember the days, not too long ago, when similar trademarks could co-exist on similar products and services (if not always happily) in different regions of the country.
