tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.comments2010-04-18T09:08:05.509-04:00David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-44451995838621648112010-04-18T09:03:16.707-04:002010-04-18T09:03:16.707-04:00Hey Rob---<br /><br />Of course you&#39;re right on both counts. Philadelphians think of it as the PSFS building, now the Loews but architectural historians know it because of its status as the first International style skyscraper built in the United States.<br /><br />Unfortunately, you were the second respondee, so you only get a consolation prize, which won&#39;t buy you any drinks at any bar but... check in a little earlier with us this Friday and, hopefully, you can be a winner!David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-78755636981597883072010-04-18T01:34:24.076-04:002010-04-18T01:34:24.076-04:00I believe this is the PSFS building and it was the first international-style skyscraper built in the United States. Today, it is the home of the Loews Philadelphia Hotel... One fine place to wake up, if I may say so.Rob Armstrong, Matador Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480771924226165048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-70189182292241836482009-12-15T16:25:39.141-05:002009-12-15T16:25:39.141-05:00Hey Jay --<br /><br />I really appreciate your input and, after reading a lot of your blog entries must say that you&#39;re a thoughtful guy and I&#39;ve learned much from reading your blog posts and tweets.<br /><br />On this particular point I think there seems to be &quot;degree of disagreement&quot; and probably not fundamental disagreement. Taglines, brand promises and personality are all integral but I&#39;d suggest that the mark is all part and parcel of that mix. Ultimately, it too can be pretty important. Take Apple, for instance, a brand that immediately comes to mind in your characterization of one which relies on &quot;coolness, freshness, innovation&quot; and &quot;friendliness.&quot; Now, imagine if that little Apple icon were an ornately illustrated line drawing from the Victorian era. It just wouldn&#39;t fit, would it? Apple is about marrying the modernity with simplicity and its visual identity clearly reinforces those notions.<br /><br />I think I&#39;m conceding that a company&#39;s mark is not always critical but, for all brands, so we certainly agree on that point. The other point I was trying to make wass that, for a small business owner, spending a few bucks upfront for an integrated identity package, including not only visual identity but naming and tagline development as well, often saves them having to correct initial sloppiness down the road. <br /><br />I&#39;m glad folks like yourself are out there actively writing and informing a larger, ongoing conversation. Keep writing and I&#39;ll keep reading. I appreciate your remarks!David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-30589165108024571512009-12-15T15:58:42.199-05:002009-12-15T15:58:42.199-05:00Hey David, thanks for referencing my post and extending the conversation. <br /><br />To answer your question: Yes, it would be better, but not critical, to spend a little money up front on your visual identity. But I believe only after a business has established it&#39;s brand foundation and identity. That means having a clearly defined brand promise (commitment contract with the customer) and brand personality that that customers can describe (cool, fresh, innovative, friendly). I also think a busines should have a good tagline before getting a logo, because the tagline should fit visually with the logo. Having those elements in place, go for the logo! You&#39;ll have one that really visually represents your brand identity.Jay Ehrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16166665314565276100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-91982895018794011302009-09-01T02:33:37.704-04:002009-09-01T02:33:37.704-04:00Making the Market to reach it&#39;s highest position in profits is not so easy thing.This Article has done the Fantastic Job.CreativeVacationSolutionshttp://www.creativevacationsolutions.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-35751943931696184872009-08-27T16:08:32.798-04:002009-08-27T16:08:32.798-04:00Great, Drew... I will be in touch with you and we should talk further about how we can help each other....David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-19058074682191999712009-08-27T14:04:42.219-04:002009-08-27T14:04:42.219-04:00David - I am happy to help you. I use social media &amp; blogging to communicate with clients daily. I also teach Realtors how to get real results with these online tools. My site is: http://www.WebRealEstateTools.com<br /><br />DrewDrew Burkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16256025667981408179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-86299944242687041902009-08-25T07:00:36.258-04:002009-08-25T07:00:36.258-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.UnderOnePercenthttp://www.underonepercent.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-16925134055891597112009-07-25T05:27:48.609-04:002009-07-25T05:27:48.609-04:00Business organizations have to realize the fact that many people just click away to some other website, because the website they are looking at is not professional looking or is not interesting enough. Only a well designed website can serve the purpose of its existence.<br /> Once the website is designed up to the mark, then comes the role of SEO because a well designed website won’t serve it’s purpose until and unless it has a good search ranking. Globally India is the most sort after for such solutions. There are many companies in India that provide solutions for <a href="http://www.vsworld.com/?loadSwf=swf/interactiveflash.swf" rel="nofollow">web designing ecommerce</a> and <a href="http://www.vsworld.com/?loadSwf=swf/webDevelopment.swf" rel="nofollow">website seo development</a> and in their race of being the best Virtual Studio is leading the way.andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18319442650203826756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-83766166562079441182008-11-11T09:07:00.000-05:002008-11-11T09:07:00.000-05:00Thanks, Pearlie, glad it was useful to you...David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-22600953420099331662008-11-11T04:25:00.000-05:002008-11-11T04:25:00.000-05:00This is great info to know.Pearliehttp://elgininsurance.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-51912626883217541992008-07-30T09:38:00.000-04:002008-07-30T09:38:00.000-04:00I have been struggling to find the figures I saw on TV, but locally here in Florida, the news is: Home sales UP, average price DOWN compared to June of last year. One of my bigger clients down here, Centex Homes, had sold of its entire standing inventory of finished homes by the end of March. Since then, all their sales have been for to-be-built homes. That speaks volumes. The inventory, caused by massive speculative buying and flipping, was the albatross hanging from the necks of every developer. Inventories are gone now. If the media gets it right, I think you'll see stories like "home prices actually rose slightly in Florida, indicating we may have already hit the bottom and are on the way back up again."<BR/><BR/>My bone to pick with news sources is how they milk one piece of bad news and then LOOK for how they can weave it into other bad news. I'm surprised we don't see stories on TV like "Hear how the high price of gasoline is predicted to bog down the real estate market for years to come... after these messages."Rob Armstrong, Matador Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480771924226165048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-29879168665488620292008-07-25T11:13:00.000-04:002008-07-25T11:13:00.000-04:00Thanks for the kind words...David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-73133159727253902072008-07-24T04:51:00.000-04:002008-07-24T04:51:00.000-04:00Hi<BR/><BR/>Your blog is very informative n helpful .. thanks…..keep it up.<BR/><A HREF="http://www.seostep.net" REL="nofollow">www.seostep.net</A>Globalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145375300044173494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-9048162698807474632008-07-24T04:48:00.000-04:002008-07-24T04:48:00.000-04:00Hi<BR/><BR/>Your blog is very informative n helpful .. thanks…..keep it up.<BR/><A HREF="http://www.seostep.net" REL="nofollow">www.seostep.net</A>Globalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06145375300044173494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-75289472633226550332008-07-17T14:06:00.000-04:002008-07-17T14:06:00.000-04:00I'm proud to leave comment #4, an all-time high at Sitegeist, for the "Unconventional selling strategies for unconventional times" blog submission. <BR/><BR/>I don't disagree with the comments, that quite possibly the sales tactics both developers pursued to rapidly move inventory, may in retrospect, be remarkably intelligent moves. And, the blog submission was purposely written in a more neutral tone. However, the submission was mostly responding to the perception conveyed in the traditional media and blogosphere, that the BOGO and auction tactics, were possibly desperate measures in the face of a rapidly weakening real estate market. <BR/><BR/>Westurm clearly achieved what they were seeking to achieve and the BOGO offer may eventually as well; gotta keep moving that inventory, 'til there is a bit more parity in the supply-demand curve.David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-72993724024854037192008-07-16T16:39:00.000-04:002008-07-16T16:39:00.000-04:00I sometimes read things like this and immediately have a thought along the lines of "you just don't get it" or "wake up idiot, there's something profound here and you can't see it". This time is no exception. But I'm going to take a chance.<BR/><BR/>Is a "buy one, get one free" for houses dumb? Maybe not. The log says ..home "valued at" 400k. What does "valued at" mean? Would have sold for this amount in a hot market, might sell for this in 2 years, cost this much to build? <BR/><BR/>Might it not be a smart idea to own a house and use it while it appreciates, even if it takes 10 years? Why question the quality? Isn't it possible the builder was really trying to be creative and (maybe) just break even on a certain tract while doing better on another? Is it possibly a really good idea?<BR/><BR/>Ditto for Westrum. I think auction idea is clever. People that know I sell residences told me they were going to bid on these units. Did Westrum suffer? Not likely... the story is widely known, the condos sold, buyers are happy and so is Westrum. <BR/><BR/>Bottom line - seems like two very clever ideas to me. Not sure why one worked so much better!fred bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-43339939868072142522008-07-15T13:00:00.000-04:002008-07-15T13:00:00.000-04:00I think the thing about the BOGO offer, though, is that it probably works best for investors. And there aren't many of those around anymore!David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-48575669764431664652008-07-03T23:17:00.000-04:002008-07-03T23:17:00.000-04:00The BOGO is pretty interesting - I'd be surprised that no one would take advantage of that unless the market is really falling fast there?<BR/><BR/>It is sad, but I think seeing new homes auctioned off is going to become more common as many builders are in bad positions since they can't move the inventory as fast as they used to.Upstart Agenthttp://upstartagent.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-29310126443655233042008-04-06T20:10:00.000-04:002008-04-06T20:10:00.000-04:00It is interesting to see how Google is adapting to the marketplace. Let's hope realtors and mortgage brokers can adapt just as quickly. With new government regulations and a shrinking pie, who gets to eat is becoming smaller and smaller.<BR/>Warm Regards,<BR/>Rob<BR/>http://www.battlecall.comRob Lawrencehttp://www.battlecall.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-1772334574989568322008-03-26T09:27:00.000-04:002008-03-26T09:27:00.000-04:00I'd invite all Sitegeist readers to do the same. Please feel free to submit recommended sites and strategies for the benefit of your fellow readers.Rob Armstrong, Matador Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17480771924226165048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-4814524419266507352008-03-26T09:08:00.000-04:002008-03-26T09:08:00.000-04:00Jack, thank you for at least reacting to the ideas in the story. "This is terrible advice" obviously wasn't the reaction I wanted, BUT... let me see if I can address the points you raise.<BR/><BR/>Yes, I am guilty of citing apple.com as a possible place to advertise. That was indeed human error. In quickly browsing at apple.com, I saw what I believed were paid ads. They in fact were not. Mea culpa. However, you'll note that the other music site I recommended, Rhapsody.com, DOES accept ads. In fact, as I write this, Charles Schwab banner ads are running on the top and upper right of the site. You say I mention several sites that don't accept advertising--would you mind pointing out which others I mention don't permit ads?<BR/><BR/>As for oversimplifying how easy it is to cancel and change buys, I don't believe I explicitly mention anything about that. I am not a media buyer or specialist in any way. Are you referring to my statement about revising your message based on the response you get and customizing it by site? That's the beauty of the internet. You can change what's on the web almost immediately--as opposed to billboards which would take forever to replace. I didn't mean to imply that you can post a banner ad and immediately change it without penalty. But after enough time has passed that you can tell your message isn't working, YES it's easy to update. It's merely altering artwork and resubmitting it. As for sites like wsj.com or green.msn.com being bad at customer service--I have no control over whether WSJ or MSN will return your calls promptly. But that doesn't mean they're not incredibly viable websites to advertise on. I promise if you ever hire me to write anything for you, I'll return your calls.<BR/><BR/>I have an idea, Jack. Why don't you write a piece on sites you've found profitable or favorable to use--those you've gotten good response rates on--and share it with your fellow readers. My piece was intended to spark thinking about advertising in unexpected places. Get the gray matter churning. It wasn't meant to be a comprehensive list or a panacea for everyone's response rates. There are TONS of sites you could potentially use. I just cited examples of a few I consider prime cyber-ad-space. Telling clients to advertise where they'll reach buyers when they're not necessarily making the effort to look at real estate listings or ads isn't terrible advice, is it? I hope your mind has changed, or will change. But even if it doesn't, please keep visiting Sitegeist and offering your opinion!Robert Armstrongwww.matadorcreative.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-39216579904851694852008-03-24T17:43:00.000-04:002008-03-24T17:43:00.000-04:00this is terrible advice. you mention several sites, such as Apple, that don't accept advertising and others, such as the Wall Street Journal & MSN that would never call a small advertiser back. Sure you can use adwords, but then just let Google do it's thing. <BR/><BR/>You also over simplify how easy it is to cancel and change buys, On Google yes it is, on any of the publishers you mention there are minimums and out clauses. This protects the publisher from wasting time on advertisers who think they can pull an ad a hour after it starts. Doing so cost the publisher time and money. <BR/><BR/>It is obvious that you don't have much experience here. yes, it isn't rocket science, bit there is some science and best practices involved . <BR/><BR/>I do agree that it is important to test many sites.Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12357424096146990715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-77308475620634936022008-03-17T10:47:00.000-04:002008-03-17T10:47:00.000-04:00It does seem to be pretty resilient. I read an article a couple of months back whose point was that certain mega-cities around the planet really need to be looked at within a global context. Cities like New York, Hong Kong and London -- because they are seats of international importance -- are buffered from the ups and downs of local and national trends.<BR/><BR/>I guess all of this is really going to be put to the test, as the financial markets continue to struggle...David_H_from_Splathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642870089735711078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8875072157543403749.post-60706965418545285572008-03-13T14:48:00.000-04:002008-03-13T14:48:00.000-04:00It seems to a reasonable conclusion to use. It's apparent that the luxury real estate market in NY is what it used to be.Laylahttp://www.covesatsml.comnoreply@blogger.com