Marketing and all things related

Regardless of the results, advertising, promotion and public relations are always a hassle. So you might as well garner all the free media mentions you can. In 2005, for example, Microsoft emerged as the leader with 53 billion free impressions from print and electronic media coverage. Wal-Mart received 41 billion impressions. Of course, these media mentions include both positive and negative news. “Positive news creates a favorable buying environment, and creates a favorable lift in the environment for advertising to work more efficiently," explained Mark Weiner, president of Delahaye, a research firm in Norwalk, CT. Marketing Blurb believes these impressions have lasting brand value, even for negative publicity. Both Microsoft and Wal-Mart are often dubbed evil empires, but hey, we keep coming back.