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From: Dave @ No Big DealTo: Difference MakersDate: May 16, 2012Subject: Barriers To CommunicationHey There,Content Is King, right? We’ve all heard the phrase before. The New World Order of customer engagement is tocreate value that attracts people to you, then a profitable and mutually beneficial relationship flourishes. Why, then,do I see so many barriers to communication? Instead of “doing things the way they’ve always been done”, let’s makean effort to seek out and demolish every single barrier to direct communication with customers.Here are two examples of barriers that could easily be avoided. Are you barrier free?Just Reply To This EmailOut of all the automatic reply emails you get from companies, how many of them come with a disclaimer telling younot to reply to that robotic email address? I’d venture to say the vast majority do. That’s why it was so refreshing tosee the complete opposite approach.Your Feedback Isn’t That Important To UsAt least that’s how I feel when I see these “you must be signed in to comment” communication blockers. What a sillynotion. PS – If you’re afraid of backlash or arguments, you shouldn’t be. Passion is passion, whether it’s in line withyour opinion or not. Learn to appreciate and harness that.

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From: Dave @ No Big DealTo: Game ChangersDate: May 20, 2012Subject: Real Time Marketing…NowHappy Sunday!It’s finally sunny and warm season out here on the East Coast and that’s got me thinking about environment changes thatoccur outside our direct circle of control. We’re not simply talking about weather here, but any subject that affects our livesand gets the masses talking. Real-time marketing, as we call it, involves capitalizing on existing large-scale buzz withtopical promotions. Whether it’s the Super Bowl, the Royal Wedding or an unexpected heat wave in January, any momentthat captures attention is worth your consideration for piggy backing. Some brands actually earmark discretionary funds intheir annual budgets for “reactionary marketing efforts” such as this. Regardless, the two most important factors leadingto success in this arena are flexibility and timing. Flexibility means you cultivate a culture of openness and readiness toreact to buzz-worthy events in creative ways. Timing is truly everything – if you’re not quick to develop plans and executethem, the tidal wave of attention will be gone before you can take advantage of it.Check out these examples of real-time marketing for some inspiration.Word of Mouth agency Ants Eye View develops an infographic “Guide To Awkward Conversation Starters” for theimmensely popular SXSW festivalBoloco, a Mexican chain restaurant in Boston, cooks up a fun promotion when a snowstorm hits the areaA Chicago bar displays an updated March Madness bracket on its exteriorThe Las Vegas Wranglers minor league hockey team hold “Rapture Night” on the day the world is predicted to end