By Ellen Fruchtman, President How many times have you heard those three, simple words? Probably more often than you would like in 2020, and sadly continuing on in 2021. We can use science to guide us through our medical decisions. Conversely, there is no science to follow in the world of marketing. We get to follow research....
By Ellen Fruchtman, President I remember a time when we actually talked on the phone. Yes, that’s what phones were primarily used for in the olden years. Connecting with the people you love used to be, well, second nature. Now? We let our fingers do the talking. People, there’s an easy way for friends and family to...
By Ellen Fruchtman, President In a few days, Cupid’s arrow will be in full force. Valentine’s Day, with its long history, is the day we celebrate those we love. Which got me thinking. What do you love about your business or what you do for a living? Yes, all jobs and/or running a business can be frustrating...
by Ellen Fruchtman, President By now you’ve probably read countless articles about the state of retail. There have been countless articles about its demise. There have been countless articles about what many believe to be permanent changes. To sum it up, here’s what we know: Independent guild jewelry stores thrived in 2020. Yes, there were some store closings for...
By Ellen Fruchtman, President There is no doubt this year has been a year of great and substantial challenges. And yet, there are many retailers who have weathered the storm. Overcoming the challenges took perseverance and business smarts, coupled with guts. From a marketing perspective, many of these successful retailers had a common thread: They did not...
by Ellen Fruchtman, President By now you should be sick of polls, but here’s a study you may want to pay attention to. A company called AKI recently did a study of 3,000 U.S consumers called Four Things Every Advertiser Needs to Know This Holiday Season. If you are a fine jeweler (which you are), you’ll be...
by Ellen Fruchtman, President Lately, I have seen a rash of advertising advice from other marketing professionals in our industry. Some are providing me a significant amount of angst. Because after reading those recommendations and not-so-solid ideas, I’m quite certain the advice is actually bad. Not just bad because they are from some competitors, because I have...
by Ellen Fruchtman, President Many major retailers are struggling to stay afloat. And if you care to read an updated list of who’s exiting the landscape or looking at serious reorganization, feel free to look at the running list updated frequently on Retail Dive at https://www.retaildive.com/news/the-running-list-of-2020-retail-bankruptcies/571159/ It’s sobering. And certainly, unhealthy business practices are equally to blame versus...
Ellen Fruchtman, President Before Fruchtman Marketing was entrenched in marketing for jewelers and the jewelry industry, we were entrenched in local and regional political marketing. Yep. We were instrumental in getting the first African American Mayor of Toledo elected, who served our city from 2002 - 2006. We worked on many campaigns for City Council, State Representatives,...
There are many lessons to learn during the recent COVID-19 crisis, but topping the list is probably business efficiency. This was also true in 2018, and true in any market downturn. Unfortunately, we learn, but then we typically all go back to our old ways. What did we at Fruchtman learn from this disaster? We learned...