Author: brian

I’d be remiss, as a loyal Clevelander, not to derive some lesson from the mangled PR train-wreck that is the LeBronaclypse.  So please bear with me! more

I recently read a great blog post about social media strategy.  Or, I should say, about the lack thereof.  According to Mr. Bedell’s post, only 51% of businesses surveyed which are using social media for business purposes have a plan for doing so, even though 88% agreed it was, in theory, at least, a worthwhile endeavor.

Wow. more

By now, you’ve figured out I’m a big baseball fan.  I’m not sure why.  I guess its allure has to be bigger than my hometown favorite Cleveland Indians, since it has been at least a decade since they’ve given me much to cheer about, and about 62 years since their last World Series championship…but who’s counting? more

Although it would be easy to do, this is not a BP-bashing post (tempting, but…).  Recently, a  pretty good article about where BP failed in its branding efforts did get me thinking about implications for my own industry. more

For some, “marketing” is little more than a flyer extolling the virtues of one’s product or service.  There’s actually some truth to this.  But when the “strategy” behind a marketing piece starts, and ends, with little more than a look in the mirror, it’s more likely than not that your marketing piece isn’t going to be that effective.  Not with today’s prospect. more

Just when you (all 3 of you!) thought you’d never see another blog post from me, here it is.  But I’m cheating a bit this week  by doing a list.  If you’re one of those hoping to see 1,000 words from me, this ain’t the week! more

I’ll admit it.  I cut out of work a bit early Monday.  As I write this from my little home office in Cleveland (home of the May snowstorm), I’m looking out upon a bit of snow or sleet or something similarly unpleasant as it cascades from slate-gray skies.  There are many reasons to love Cleveland, believe it or not.  The weather is not one of them. more

Ok, I’m back.  Sorry for the extended absence, but I’ve been busy!   🙂

I usually use this space to wax prolific about marketing communications, often as they relate to the mortgage and title industry.  But today, I’m going to focus on communications in general.   more

It’s easy to fall in love with your marketing, especially the brainstorming part.  It’s a chance to present your brand the way you see it.  The way you plan for it to be perceived.  It’s a chance to be creative, to dabble in something that doesn’t (always) have its roots in numbers and problems and logistical challenges. more

Year two of the mortgage meltdown, and the proverbial landscape has definitely changed.  Countrywide is just a memory.  Freddie and Fannie spend more time salvaging loans than buying them now.  The Fed has become (or revealed itself as) the very hand of God, as we await the results of the end of its MBS program.   Mortgage lenders and title agencies alike are grappling with yet another mangled, HUD-created mess.  The appraisers are at the throats of the AMCs like never before.  The underwriters are sharpening their litigation skills.  And the abstractors are just waiting for the phone to ring. more