Marketing Schemes

I got this one from the Tom Peters Summit this past weekend in Vermont. Tom was talking about the importance of companies developing "marketing schemes" instead of marketing plans. Marketing plans tend to be very static and are either followed to the letter, despite the dynamic nature of the marketplace, or are developed and put in a binder on a shelf where they look nice, take up a lot of space and do nothing to help your business succeed. A "marketing scheme" on the other hand, by its very name implies that it is dynamic and includes more than just some standard set of marketing "deliverables". So ask yourself; "what is my marketing scheme?" it may be the best thing you ever did.

E-Card Holiday Virus Packs Ugly Punch

E-Card Holiday Virus Packs Ugly Punch

A new virus strain masquerading as electronic Christmas cards is accounting for one in every 10 e-mails hitting in-boxes, security experts warned Wednesday.

The worm, which poses as a Christmas greeting, has the ability to replicate in as many as 19 languages, which makes it a "very serious threat" to computer users worldwide, said Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos Inc. The worm arrives with the subject line "Merry Christmas," "Buon Natale!" or "Joyeux Noel!," depending on the location of the recipient.

The body of the e-mail contains a "Happy Hollydays" greeting in green text with a yellow emoticon. The virus arrives as an attachment with the following extensions: ZIP, CMD, PIF, BAT or COM.

"This one is spreading far and wide because it uses multiple languages. The worm has been programmed to change its disguise and communicate in the language of the target. That makes it a bigger threat," Cluley said. (EWeek.com)

Thought for the Day

What is America's competitive secret? Women.

American women possess leadership abilities that are particularly effective in today's organizations, yet their abilities remain undervalued and underutilized. In the future, what will distinguish one organization and one country from another will be its use of human resources. Today human resource utilization is not only a matter of social justice but a bottom-line issue." Tom Peters, Women Roar

ECS|DC Inauguration

So, I bet you're asking why ECS|DC has turned to an unstructured blog for SAVANTNews instead of the formal newsletter outline? Well, honestly, to make it easier on both of us.

SAVANTBlog allows you to follow a creative day-to-day (that's us!) and understand what is foremost on our minds. We will continue to provide you with lean, informative design & marketing articles to make life simpler and easier for you as a business entrepreneur.

As a bonus, SAVANTBlog now becomes a dialog, rather than a monologue. You're invited to post comments and questions as we talk you through design and marketing challenges.