My dad (Dennis B. Sweeney) always said:  "All things in moderation... too much of anything is rarely a good thing." Interestingly he used that advice in two distinct ways, as a warning against getting carried away with things ("it's actually possible to drink too much beer") and as an encouragement to lighten up ("it is actually possible to study too much").

Each year the National Retail Federation conducts a survey with U.S. consumer about their anticipated holiday shopping behavior. This year, the three most important statistics consumer product companies and retailers should pay attention to are: consumers increasing spending on themselves, more consumers shopping online and increased use of smartphones and tablets to assist with holiday shopping.

When considering advertising – whether it be print, broadcast, online or even through Facebook – run a test campaign before making a long term commitment.

Satchel Paige, the over-aged, overachiever is famously credited for once saying this about his  passion for playing baseball: "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." Steve Jobs had a similar idea.  "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.

More often than not the critical step of conducting market research is skipped when developing a marketing strategy.  The oversight is typically because of lack of funding and time. However, the good news is market research does not have to be a costly and overwhelming undertaking.  If budgets or time will not allow for full-blown research, reach out to customers, media and employees.

Consumer product companies are always trying to find the next big solution. Bissell seems to have succeeded with its new Stomp‘N Go stain lifting pads. Bissell claims its Stomp’N Go pads will permanently remove tough set-in stains and leave carpet smelling fresh.

If you guessed that a secret is NEVER a secret, you are correct. As a young boy, my dad once advised me that if I didn't want people to know my business, I should keep my mouth shut. That was pre-Internet, pre-social media, pre-Andy Warhol's 15 minutes of fame, pre-reality TV, pre-it is better to be seen and not heard days.

Just yesterday, Amazon launched its first tablet computer – the Kindle Fire. So when a unique situation like Amazon taking on Apple occurs, it's a great opportunity to evaluate how the new competitor is going to market. Setting aside the technical aspects of the Kindle Fire and the iPad, and looking solely at the product positioning, here’s what we found.