Not so long ago, much like Apple and Steve Jobs, Starbucks and Howard Schultz were being dismissed as down and out. And therein lies the beauty of rear view mirrors.  Only now – looking back – can we see the true genius of both.

Say what you want about Walmart, they know their customers and they know how to service them with excellence.  As Frances Frei and Anne Morriss, authors of Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business explain, Walmart customers want lots of product variety and really low prices.  These are the things that are most important to them.  Conversely, Walmart does not waste much energy on the things their customers want the least, including personal service and quality lighting and a comfortable, inviting environment.

The exciting aspect of social media is it opens the door for participants to make connections outside their geographic reach and focus on common interests (being a mom, running, cooking, etc.). However, a recent article "Geography of Twitter" by Barry Wellman, Yuri Tahkteyev and Anatoliy Gruzd published in Social Networks (Jan.

February is a lot of things.  It is the second and shortest month of the year.... sometimes with 29 days, but mostly with 28.  In leap years, it is the only month that begins and ends on the same day of the week.

Maybe I am just suffering from overload... I'm sure there's  a syndrome, a drug and an app for that.

"Gwendolen, it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth.

In December 2011, LEGO launched LEGO Friends targeting girls. What most thought was a brand that could do no harm, is now feeling the heat about their gender specific marketing campaign. A pair of 22-year-old activists for girls, Bailey Shoemaker Richards and Stephanie Cole, launched a petition to get LEGO to commit to gender equity in marketing.

When it comes to website design and functionality, there are myriad options and levels of complexity to choose from. However, no matter how large or small your budget, here are the top five things you absolutely need to get right when you undertake a website redesign.

While enjoying my dinner last night, my wife asked me if I saw the new circular from McDonald's that came in the mail.  A freestanding insert that boasted not one, not two, not three, but 12 "buy one, get one FREE" coupons.  Free McMuffins, free Big Macs, free large fries, free shakes, free, free, free.