Root Business Tools

Happiness = NO TV

Dan Root — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:00:57 +0000

It's official. Happy people watch less television from the NY Times.

I went over 5 years sans TV and it was great. I don't know if I was any happier at that point compared to now. There were too many other factors but I would definately recommend an extended TV fast for anyone who hasn't done it.

You'll find all kinds of time you never had before and I'll bet you fill that time with things you "never had time for" like:

going to the gym
reading
visiting friends and family
doing that one thing "you always wanted to do"

Buying a house in Akron? (Howard Hanna Acquires Realty One)

Dan Root — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:50:19 +0000

The top 2 real estate agencies in Northeast Ohio, Howard Hanna and Realty One, are now one.

What does this mean for anyone buying or selling a house in Northeast Ohio?

Even though Howard Hanna has about 37% market share, don't expect your house to sell faster or get a better selection as a buyer going through HH. Almost all listings go throught the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). So all agents, regardless of agency size have access to the same information.

Expect a shakeup among the top agents. With more power, Howard Hanna is more likely to take a larger chunk of commissions from agents.

I personally prefer the service of smaller agencies like Penney Real Estate. I bought my house through Will Penney and couldn't be happier.

Walk the Walk Obama

Dan Root — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:42:29 +0000

I don't want to call it too early but all signs point to Obama. I'm not a Obama supporter as a candidate but once he's my president, I want to see him do well.

Any good manager knows that anything that is measured, improves. In the next few weeks, with the help of some friends, I'll be launching a new site Walk The Walk Obama. This site will list all of Obama's campaign promises and the Obama administration's progress towards these goals.

Stay tuned...

Best Definition of "Brand" I've Heard

Dan Root — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:32:32 +0000

"Brand" is one of those fuzzy business words that is:

CRITICAL in 98% of businesses
All but IMPOSSIBLE to MEASURE and
Very TOUGH to fully DEFINE

Here is the best definition I've ever heard...

"Ultimately, a brand is a promise of a consistent experience."

From an article in the New York Times about AOL.

Notice, they didn't say a "good" experience. Just CONSISTENT.

In Branding & Marketing...

Consistently GOOD is GOOD
Consistently BAD is BAD
INCONSISTENTLY GOOD IS ALSO BAD. You've broken the promise.

Current Project

Dan Root — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:59:44 +0000

I'm currently working on the D-CAM Spray in Bed Liner Equipment project for George Flanik. George has created a very efficient system for doing spray in bedliners and other 2 component poly coatings.

George has me working on the marketing to launch this project. Although the primary driver for bedliners (truck sales) is currently on it's ear, we are seeing an incredibly positive response from industry veterens.

Updates to follow....

Pickens Plan

Dan Root — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:39:54 +0000

Here's what I love about this from a MARKETING perspective. This campaign was launched today in a big way. National TV news, national news papers, press conferences & social networking themed site.

Strategy & Tactics from Sun Tzu

Dan Root — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:26:35 +0000

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory.
Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."
- Sun Tzu

My new favorite quote.

We Dunked the Boss for Charity

Dan Root — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:00:42 +0000

Lot's happening here at RBT. I'll share more soon. In the meantime, check out

Guinness World Record - Great Marketing by Firefox

Dan Root — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:09:12 +0000

Remember when Guerrilla Marketing was the latest greatest? You don't hear about it much anymore. Probably because everyone, it seems, is a guerrilla. It's hard to push the boundaries when there are none in this YouTube world.

Here's a pretty cool idea though, Firefox (you know, that other browser) is attempting to set the Guinness World Record for most software downloads in 24 hours to promote the release of Version 3 of their software. I don't know what the current record is but I gave them my email address to participate...so I guess the marketing worked! If you want to get in on the action, here's the website http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord. What's in store for Version 3? I have no idea, I just thought it would be cool to help set a world record. (Secretly, I like defending the world against having Microsoft rule the world. Nothing against Micro$oft, I just like competition and everyone loves an underdog!)

If you've never tried Firefox before, it's a great browser. I use it on my Mac and love it.

Dell Deceives Customers... Surprise, Surprise!

Dan Root — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:50:06 +0000

For anyone who didn't get my mass mailing blasting Dell Financial Services, read the attached letter detailing their usurious finance charges and horrible customer service.

The New York Attorney General agrees with me. Full Story. Bad customer service should be expensive.