The grand opening of a new location can ultimately determine the overall success or failure of the business. After all, you don't get more than one chance to make a first impression in your community. When it comes to local marketing, here is some advice to follow that can help ensure your franchise starts off with the greatest chance of success.

Traditional forms of marketing (TV, print, mail) and digital forms of marketing (email, social media, web) are not mutually exclusive – in fact, they are better together. Here are five ways traditional and digital can come together for amazing results:

Last week I attended Brand ManageCamp in Las Vegas where 400+ marketers gathered to discuss branding best practices. Aside from picking up tips from the lineup of keynote speakers, I also popped across the street for a visit of Madame Tussauds wax attraction. Celebrities are masters of personal branding, so much so that some of them only need to go by one name - so among the 100 wax celebrity figures, I discovered some branding lessons to share:

With the release of Bucky on Parade this month I've been inspired by 85 colorful badgers strategically placed around Madison. It's made me contemplate: "What is it about this animal that can inspire greatness in all of us, including marketers?" So if you want to be a badger, just come along with me... Here's five ways you can improve your marketing skills by thinking like a badger:

Trade shows and conferences are a still a key strategy in most business-to-business marketing plans, and they take up a large portion of the marketing budget because they have the highest cost per lead of any marketing activity.

The first day on a new job is always stressful. Employers can make it easier on new recruits by providing them with the tools they need to get up to speed quickly and feel like a member of the team from the moment they walk in the door. Here are six best practices for employee onboarding that help communicate your company culture: