Oreo cookies, a division of Mondelez International, thought that it would run a clever marketing campaign for its Oreo Mini product. In theory, it was smart and cute: Send cookies out to people in 50 small towns throughout the U.S.

In practice, however, the campaign has been a flop. Not because it didn't go viral. It did, except not quite the right way. There's been enough backlash to capture major media attention.

Oreo sent households one single cookie the size of a nickel--not always guaranteeing even one whole cookie per person. ('I'll take the Jefferson's nose slice, please.') Here's how a columnist at the Great Falls Tribune explained the problem:

It was undoubtedly a nice gesture--it's hard to imagine anyone who could be put off at receiving a free cookie in the mail. Yet there seems to be some semblance of patronizing disconnect between the corporate executives at Nabisco and their small-town customers in rural America. It's sort of like receiving a letter from a major East Coast corporation saying, 'We're sorry you have to live in the middle of nowhere--here have a cookie.'

s your content marketing strategy working for you? If you thought you'd have a stronger online presence by now, you may be making one (or all) of these mistakes. MARCH 27, 2014 Every business has its fair share of ups and downs. Some things work and some things don't. It's just the way things go. When it comes to content, however, some business owners don't realize the mistakes they're making until it's too late. They invest all their time, hard work and money, only to lose it all because they failed to develop a solid strategy to properly market their content. Why a Content Strategy Is Necessary

Content is one of the most important elements of any business, yet it's something most don't spend a lot of time on. It's the driving force of communication between businesses and consumers. The better you are at developing great content, the easier it is to build an audience and turn people into loyal followers.

You Only Write With Your Own Interests in Mind

Everyone likes to think they know what's best for their audience, but too many companies write content that sounds good to them. They focus only on topics that cover their own interests. If you want your content to be successful, you have to write with your audience in mind. Craft your content so it speaks to them about the issues they are actually facing. How can you find out what your readers want? The answer is already out there. Read through consumer reviews, social media comments, question-and-answer sites and forums for your industry to see what makes your audience tick. What are they asking questions about? The better you are at identifying their wants and needs, the easier it will be to tailor your content marketing plan to suit them. Mistake #2: You Aren't Adding a New Perspective

Another strategy is to dig deeper into the topics you've already planned. To be authoritative, content should be both thought-provoking and thorough. Describe your theory, provide examples, add media (such as pictures or videos) and link to other resources that continue the conversation. You've got to do what you can to stand out from the crowd. Whatever the case may be, one thing is certain: Don't be afraid to be different.

Market research and testing should be done to determine the performance of every marketing effort. This takes the guesswork out of what your potential customer or client wants. Always make sure you have done your due diligence when it comes to testing different offers, prices, and packages. Get the input of your customers. Ads Business Opportunity www.hktdc.com Connect with over 120,000 suppliers from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan China B2B www.globalmarket.com Inquire for Lower Prices in China. Contact Quality Manufacturers Now

A properly developed marketing campaign can not only connect you with the right prospects, but it gets everyone talking about your company, your product, or your service. However, marketing mistakes can just as easily cost your business thousands of dollars. Here is a checklist of 5 mistakes commonly made in marketing. 1. Lack of Research and Testing Market research and testing should be done to determine the performance of every marketing effort. 2. Improper Focus and Positioning

Don't market to build up the company, but approach marketing to demand an immediate response from the recipient. 3. Marketing without a USP

Your USP is your unique selling proposition. 4. Failing to Capture Repeat Customers

Keep in mind that when marketing 80% of your business comes from existing customers and 20% comes from new customers. 5. Lack of Focus on Potential Customer's Needs

Do you really know what your potential customers need and want? If so you are ahead of the ballgame and probably don't need to be reading this article.

Oreo cookies, a division of Mondelez International, thought that it would run a clever marketing campaign for its Oreo Mini product. In theory, it was smart and cute: Send cookies out to people in 50 small towns throughout the U.S.

In practice, however, the campaign has been a flop. Not because it didn't go viral. It did, except not quite the right way. There's been enough backlash to capture major media attention.

Oreo sent households one single cookie the size of a nickel--not always guaranteeing even one whole cookie per person. ('I'll take the Jefferson's nose slice, please.') Here's how a columnist at the Great Falls Tribune explained the problem:

It was undoubtedly a nice gesture--it's hard to imagine anyone who could be put off at receiving a free cookie in the mail. Yet there seems to be some semblance of patronizing disconnect between the corporate executives at Nabisco and their small-town customers in rural America. It's sort of like receiving a letter from a major East Coast corporation saying, 'We're sorry you have to live in the middle of nowhere--here have a cookie.'