October 1, 2008
Philadelphia welcomes the Luxury Marketing Council
The Luxury Marketing Council of Philadelphia brings together the smartest and most innovative marketers of luxury products and services to explore best practices, critical issues and trends, as well as connects them with the rest of the world. The result is a "spontaneous combustion that provides Council members with a unique platform for growing revenue, share-of-wallet and loyalty of the luxury market’s best customers
> click here for full white paper

August 2008
Advertising Noise Throughout History: Love it or Loathe it, it’s Here to Stay
From the time your woke up this morning to the moment you sat in your cushy desk chair at work, think of all the advertising messages that filled your AM – morning radio commercials, charity outreach on your cereal box, sale ads in the morning newspaper, banner ads on CNN.com, electronic billboards featuring luxury automobiles, a new restaurant opening plastered on the back of a public transit bus, a presidential campaign bumper sticker on a hybrid, museum exhibit signage in the train station and probably about 100 more examples that you consciously or subconsciously encountered. A thought to ponder over your morning cup o’ Joe: how did our society become a place that constantly surrounds us with proverbial noise?
> click here for full white paper

July 2008
Uncharted waters: Adjusting your tack for a new journey
To say we are living in uncertain times may be an understatement. With the economy, trends and ever fluctuating business models, what we as individuals dislike the most is what may, in fact, keep us afloat: change. We need to ask ourselves, will we develop new solutions to overcome existing obstacles or will we resort to our old ways? Regardless of the tactics used, we will all (hopefully) seek renewal and rejuvenation along the journey.
> click here for full white paper

April 2008
Fractional Ownership
In a nation that has, over the years, adopted a throw away culture mentality, designer clothing, gourmet, disposable coffee cups, luxury automobiles, empty Cristal bottles and Beluga caviar tins are among the discarded items that cover the landfills of the US. So no matter how much the price tag reads on a high-end item, inevitably, it will end up somewhere in the vicinity of a McDonald’s hamburger wrapper. Each year, the average American produces approximately 1,570 pounds of unwanted ‘stuff’ – no wonder the green movement is so essential. It seems that in a world where the consumer is constantly, well, consuming, the first thing that needs to be reduced, reused and recycled is all that luxury “stuff.”
> click here for full white paper

February 28, 2008
Globetrotting is good for business
Countries like India, Singapore and Hong Kong are emerging luxury markets and are targets for continued growth amidst the luxury sector. These countries are catching up to the more mature tastes and affluent incomes of countries like Australia and Japan and desire luxury products. This gives US businesses targeting luxury markets an advantage – foreign luxury consumers’ desire imported products. Touting the quality of American made products and the cache associated with owning imported goods allows businesses to dangle a substantial price tag from these transplanted wares.
> click here for full white paper

January 30, 2008
Recession? Make your Money Work Harder.
Are we headed for a recession? Maybe yes, maybe no. But history has shown that just the mention of “recession” can wreak havoc on the psyche -- and unfortunately, on the economy. But regardless of the dollar’s buying power, life goes on. There will be appliances to replace, vacations to take, achievements to note, and occasions to celebrate in the coming year, recession or not. One can’t change the fact that a fiftieth birthday, a silver anniversary, a graduation, or a birth, will occur in 2008. So consumers will be spending; but they’ll be spending more cautiously. How do you convince the budget-conscious consumer that her money is best directed in your direction.......
> click here for full white paper

December 27, 2007
Reality Check Please!
Well, it’s about that time of year – for boxes with bows, tangled twinkle lights, indulging in sweet treats and racking up the airline miles on your credit card. It’s inevitable that time, dollars and sometimes common sense get away from us around the holidays. However, as you are keeping the retail world in the black this season, take a moment to reflect on your own business and its growth and success before the ball drops in 2008.
> click here for full white paper

November 25, 2007
Packing the Experience of Luxury
What can you do to create experiences that will be appealing to your discriminating customers? Sure, they?ll come in and purchase the goods or services you have to offer ? but they may drift elsewhere for similar goods and services over time. What can you offer experientially that will make them yours forever?
> click here for full white paper

September 1, 2007
Tapping Into The Booming Luxury Market
........ Who are these people? They are Seniors, Boomers and Genexers; office workers and entrepreneurs; men and women of every ethnicity and culture; in a nutshell: your target market...... They are consumers who have worked hard and feel entitled. It?s the hotel guest who notices the thread-count of the sheets and the thickness of the towels.
> click here for full white paper

June 15, 2007
Team Verve training schedule
Team Verve's training tips and ride schedule to train for this years city to shore on September 29 &30 in an effort to help fight MS
> click here for full white paper

June 12, 2007
Green is the New Gold
The government recently launched a new web site, http://www.epa.gov/stewardship/, with tips to help your business be more sustainable. But if you want to go beyond the ?basic green? and also have some fun, here are tips that prove that ecofriendly and chic can go hand in hand.
> click here for full white paper

June 9, 2007
VERVE cycles to fignt MS
This will get you started as you prepare to ride with Team Verve in this years MS 150 on September 28 & 29th to Ocean City NJ! More tips & training schedules to come! JOIN US AS WE RIDE TO FIGHT MS http://www.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=1804696&pg=personal&fr_id=2750
> click here for full white paper

May 10, 2007
Mailing List Tips
It's Time to Spring Clean Your Mailing List! With the postage rate increate effective May 14, 2007, a first-class stamp will be jumping from $.39 to $.41. This may not seem like a significant increase; however, for businesses direct mailing mass quantities, why waste postage on undeliverable direct mail? Solution: clean up your mailing list! Whether you are targeting customers each month or just sending direct mailings several times per year, your mailing list is crucial to a successful direct mail marketing program.
> click here for full white paper

April 2007
The Secret Art of Shopping and the Dying Art of Customer Service
It's not that difficult to provide customers with extraordinary service. Much of it involves nothing more than common sense, really-and the best part about it all is that it's free!
> click here for full white paper