Straight Talk Blog
Ted Rubin
Traditional Retailers Are Failing And It’s Not Amazon’s Fault
Instead of laying the blame for poor performance elsewhere, traditional retailers should be looking in the mirror, taking a closer look at their customers, and innovating to best serve those customers... Traditional retailers are failing, and while I know you'll find...
Thinking Back on Decisions and How They Impact Your Success
I learned very quickly to be careful about looking back too much. I made sure to learn from my mistakes, but tried not to second guess myself. I have always done everything I can to build relationships and surround myself with friends and colleagues I trust… A Network...
Want To Reach Customers? Think Like One!
Why EMPATHY for your CONSUMER will always result in a Better, More Effective Marketing Plan. It's pretty easy to sit in a room and come up with a flashy marketing plan that's sure to please other marketing experts. That doesn't mean it will be a good marketing plan or...
Are Bloggers/Influencers, Worth the Money to Influence Consumers?
Are bloggers/influencers, worth the money to influence consumers? My take... #1... it’s all about the situation, the context, and the bloggers/influencers. #2... it’s most often, although not always, more about the content than the “influence.” #3... everyone...
The Difference Being Vegan Makes in Your Health is Undeniable
Being Vegan, Vegan Being: Ted Rubin – The Difference Being Vegan Makes in Your Health is Undeniable. ~via @Inspira77394961 / InspirationalSouls.com Tell us a little about yourself. I lived in NYC and Long Island until December 2016 when I relocated to Pompano Beach,...
The New Measure of Success: Return on Relationship with Ted Rubin (Podcast) ~via @TheEntrepYou
Ted Rubin is a leading social marketing strategist, Photofy CMO/Advisor, MC/Host Brand Innovators Summits... Speaker / Author / Provocateur. He is the author of Return on Relationship, How to Look People in the How to Look People in the Eye Digitally and The Age of...
Beware The Risks of Arrogance and Pride in Business
Buzzing off those results you secured for your company? Feeling confident? Maybe even a little self-important? Time to check yourself people. Ever work with someone who always had all the answers, even if they weren't paying any attention to the questions? Have you...
Blockchain IS NOT the Answer to Marketing with Customer Experience in Mind
This article was posted to Harvard Business Review and seemed to have gotten a lot of play... What Blockchain Could Mean for Marketing. The following is my comment and viewpoint. Unfortunately very few HBR contributors engage commenters... In my opinion Blockchain...
The Five Main Challenges Facing CMOs Today
From employee advocacy to peak data, let's lay down the big challenges CMOs around the world are facing right now – and what they can do to improve their marketing in each area. 1. Understanding and embracing the power of employee advocacy Empower your employees and...
You Have My Full Attention – Don’t Waste It
It is very, very rare to have your customer's full attention. No matter how good your marketing is, people are still thinking about the food in the oven, the letter they have to mail, or the game they watched last night. Even when someone comes into your store,...
Social Media Value = Thinking Beyond the Campaign
In looking at the way most agencies are handling social, it’s obvious that they’re still stuck in “campaign land” when it comes to working within social platforms. This misses the whole idea of what social is all about in terms of engagement and long-term interaction...
It’s My 61st Birthday and I’d like to Share…
I would like to share my Favorite Birthday quotes… ” Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of ‘you’ to the world.” ~Anonymous “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” ~Abraham Lincoln “Sooner or later...
Take Back Branded Content Outsourcing and Dependency
Empower your Employees and THEY will Power your Brand If you own a hospitality or service business, chances are that you’ve encountered some negative user-generated-content (UGC) on sites like Yelp or Trip Advisor—even Facebook. Let’s face it… digital technology has...
Build Your Brand “With a Little Help from Your Friends”
Who doesn’t remember the old Beatles classic “With a Little Help from My Friends?” I can hear that tune and Ringo Star singing the lyrics in my head, can’t you? “Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends. Mmm, I get high with a little help from my friends. Gonna...
Retail Relevancy and the Changing Digital Landscape
*LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE*: This week’s episode – 006: Ted Rubin, CMO, Photofy... Retail Relevancy and the Changing Digital Landscape Are you using technology to advise you and create valuable, relevant customer experiences? Are you using mar-tech as part of...
Make This Year a “Social” Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving, the time when we give thanks not just FOR, but TO those who have been an important part of our lives. This year, I propose we all try a Social Thanksgiving – one where we focus on the true meaning and value of relationships, and take the time to pay...
Influencer Marketing Tips to Increase Exposure
If a person demonstrates passion and knowledge, they’re much more likely to gain traction with people who share their interests and become influential in that respect. Everyone influences someone, so we all have a place to start. And from the start your comments, the...
Entrepreneurial Persistence
I like to think that business mindset is made up of an individual’s “collection” of attitudes. And in addition to attitudes of confidence, gratitude and optimism, I think it’s also absolutely essential to add an attitude of persistence. Persistence is essential… it is...
Only Stupid Entrepreneurs Build Their Wings on the Way Down
Ray Bradbury once said: “If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the...
Nobody Has True National Localized Influencers Like Macaroni Kid—No One!
Are you more likely to pay attention to a product recommendation from a Google ad, or from a local parent you know and trust? If someone you know in your neighborhood offered you a useful product sample to try at just the right moment, wouldn't you be more likely to...
What You Post is UP TO YOU… No One Else
What you post here is UP TO YOU... no one else. Simply put, don't listen to the prognosticators that tell you what is and isn't appropriate on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, your Blog, etc,... IT'S ALL BULLSHIT! Post whatever works for you. The best content...
I Was Asked Last Night…
"How do I make a difference tomorrow, or right now, and going forward. I’m just a small cog... AND, what CAN I do regardless... for me and my company?" Welcome to the ‘Age of Influence,’ where anyone can build an audience and effect change, advocate brands, build...
LinkedIn Response, When Someone Tells You What You Should and Should Not Post…
First of all... curious who made you the arbiter of what does and does not belong on LinkedIn? Second... LinkedIn is a "social" network, and a place for conversation that the person posting wishes to foster. I am the person, and this is the conversation I wish to...
Rosh Hashana… L’Shana Tova Tikatevu
Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה), literally meaning the "beginning (also head) [of] the year" is the Jewish New Year. It marks the beginning of the year, according to the teachings of Judaism, clearly a time for reflection and hope. I'm thankful that I, and my...
Tips For Generating Better Customer Experience
Success in marketing goes hand in hand with good customer experience. Need to up your customer experience game? Ted Rubin breaks down how. ~via RockstarCMO It's not always easy to boil a big, complex topic like marketing down to its most basic, important elements, but...
The Most Overlooked and Critical Component of Customer Experience
In quantum mechanics there is a rule: when particles are observed, they behave differently. We found out in the late ’90s, via various experiments, that electrons act as either particles or waves, depending on whether they were observed. What does that have to do with...
Business Cards Present a Great Opportunity for Connection
Business cards present a great opportunity for connection. Pity so many foolishly think they are outdated.... but as always with something overlooked, a great opportunity for those who understand the value. Always look for opportunities to set yourself apart....
The Arrogance and Hubris of so many Executives…
I have come to form an incredible distaste for the arrogance and hubris of so many executives. The courtesy of a reply to an outreach, from someone you know, is just not that difficult. Just a simple acknowledgement is not that hard and really should not be too much...
Retailers: Discounting Your Way Out of Trouble Is a Death Spiral
Why ditching the discount and dialing up the customer experience (with a focus on flexibility) is more likely to deliver success. When a marquee brand or major, traditional retailer releases a disastrous earnings outlook, what is the first thing they usually do in an...
Why The Future Of Retail Is Not About The US
Think America is the be-all and end-all of retail? Think again. Ted Rubin, acting CMO of Brand Innovators and co-founder of Prevailing Path, explores why we need to look further than the States to understand where the future of retail really lies. Ask the average...