Problem based marketing is a very effective way of selling products to customers. This strategy involves knowing the problem your customer/prospect has, introducing a solution and effectively communicating that solution with your customers/prospects. This seems like a simple marketing 101 strategy that almost doesn’t deserve a blog post, yet so many times the message falls flat.

Look at this guy; even he knows he is cool. This is the face of American entrepreneurialism at its very best. Ron Rezek is an industrial design rock star. Perhaps best known for his contemporary light fixtures and ceiling fans, the likes of which make you weak in the knees.  Like all great entrepreneurs – American and otherwise – Ron Rezek set no boundaries for himself.

Hello Diet Coke!  Goodbye Pepsi. Hello traditional media! See you later online marketing. According to the Wall Street  Journal: "PepsiCo made a big bet in 2010, when it didn't market its flagship cola on the Super Bowl or in other TV spots.

The Super Bowl ended about a month ago, and the Housewares Show  ended on Tuesday, but the sentiment for Made in America products continues to grow. Unfortunately, it appears to have nothing to do with protests against a communist government or a swell of nationalist pride or even a return to safer, higher quality products.

Earlier this week I was at the International Home and Housewares show where 2,000 exhibitors displayed their hottest products for 21,000 U.S. and international retail buyers and 60,000 professional attendees.  The show is packed with innovative products from LED light bulbs to green cleaning products, modular furniture, trashcans, coffee makers, reusable grocery bags, wine accessories and everything in between.  What caught my attention this year were cupcakes and Spanish influenced shopping carts.

In one short day, Charlie "The Ma" Sheen has amassed more than 1 million followers on his Twitter account. That's a Guinness Book of World Records achievement. This is social media, providing a global platform for a man with nothing to say to a mass audience of people with nothing better to do.

"Good publicity is like free advertising..." These are the golden words of Jeff Haden, a renowned author who learned much of what he knows about management as he worked his way up the printing business from forklift driver to manager of a book plant.