Category Archives: Reviews

When I watch reruns of one of my favorite TV shows, “The Office,” I’m typically not seeking any type of knowledge or profound inspiration – mostly just a good laugh. However, my expectations were proved wrong during one particular episode where the newly hired intern, Ryan, was sharing some of his “business school” knowledge with Michael Scott. It caught my attention when he said “it costs ten times more to find a new customer than to keep an existing one.”  I had learned this concept in past business classes; however, I thought it would make an excellent topic for a blog post. We may not be working for the Michael Scott Paper Company, but I think the same concept applies to practically any business. Read On

I may still not know who played in the Super Bowl but you better believe that I know who advertised in the Super Bowl. My Sunday evening ritual of pretending to read books was interrupted by the controversy over Groupon’s ads. On Facebook, I saw friends unsubscribing Groupon, declaring their ads “tasteless!”.

Well, I rushed to savethemoney.org (Groupon’s ad repository) to watch these “tasteless” ads. And then I laughed. I laughed really hard because these ads are some of the most brilliant pieces of ironic self-deprecating advertising I’ve seen in a long time. Read On

Each week here at OrangeSoda several of us get together to pow-wow about our blog posting efforts. We typically have some munchies to sooth the soul. This morning we had delicious Einstein Bros bagels, compare these bagels to the circular cardboard bagel I stomached the other day from Sara Lee which was purchased in a bag from Wal-Mart. Calling these bagels is like calling a Prius a sports car. Read On

Since the information highway has no end in sight, it is more important than ever to take proactive steps to manage your company’s online reputation. The enormity of the web is a blessing and curse–it gives you the tools to monitor your reputation, but it also gives the same tools to anybody who wants to disparage your business.

Knowing how to use social networks and search engines can help silence unprovoked dissent. Despite the breadth of the internet, only one or two negative pieces of feedback will hurt your company’s image, which scares off prospective customers. Follow a few simple steps to ensure that your business’s online reputation attracts clients and generates revenue.

Read On

Have you ever gotten a new customer via a referral? It can feel delightfully effortless to have your best customers essentially do your marketing for you by recommending your business to friends and colleagues.

These personal and professional networks are increasingly moving online. Instead of picking up a phone and calling a dozen people to ask for a recommendation for a hair stylist or a business card printing company, people are surveying their Twitter followers, monitoring which brands their friends “like” on Facebook, and looking for reviews by trusted peers.

Read On