Network Solutions is listed as #3 by registrar domain count with more than 6.5 million domains. Today, phishers have turned their attention from Enom to Network Solutions and are sending an email scam with subject lines that indicate your domain will expire or be deleted soon. Here’s an example of the body of one such phishing email:

Dear Network Solutions Customer,

We recently notified you that the registration period for your Network Solutions domain name had expired. As a benefit of having previously registered a domain name(s) with Network Solutions, you are eligible to receive a percentage of the net proceeds that were generated from the renewal and transfer of the domain name you chose not to renew. Since you have chosen not to renew the domain name listed below during the applicable grace period, we were successful in securing a backorder for this domain name on your behalf and it has been transferred to another party in accordance with the Service Agreement.

Renew your domain now – http://www.networksolutions.com ( <---this isn't the actual link you are directed to)

You must click on the following link, enter your domain name, and confirm your contact information in order to claim these funds. If your contact information is not correct, you must enter Account Manager and make the appropriate changes prior to clicking “submit” from the confirmation screen. If you do not do this, you will be confirming inaccurate information and will not receive any payment. Checks will only be made payable and mailed to the Account Holder of record.

Sincerely,
Network Solutions® Customer Support

It’s still on the early side of this phishing scam campaign, and if you’ve not received an email such as this one, don’t be surprised if/when you do. As with every current top spam campaign, the registration WHOIS information indicates the registrant as being “Shestakov Yuriy” AKA Alexey Vasiliev – the registrant behind all the top ‘Russian girls’ spam domains and most of the Canadian pharmacy spam domains. Simply delete the email, don’t click on the link and continue to delete them as they filter in through your inbox.

UPDATE: This phishing scam is also being sent as a fax.

I’ve posted before about clarity, and how we are so busy doing busy work that we forget to focus on ‘the big picture.’ As an extension of that…I will say that while we can sometimes see the big picture on the horizon — we almost never take time to feed our creative brains.

I would describe myself as being creative. There’s nothing I love more than using my creative brain to develop new concepts and ideas, and also publications for web and print. But let’s face it, one simply must be in the ‘mood’ to be creative. To get the creative juices flowing, you’ve got to feed your creative brain. Now I’m not just talking about creativity as it pertains to work and production — I’m also talking about creativity in your everyday life.

Take time to read more — soak up, experience and absorb the text — don’t just do the normal blah blah blah reading. Really take a hard look at the things around you and what inspires you. Think of other ways you can do the same old things you’ve always done. Feed your creative brain, kick back and get in a creative mood, and then apply your new creative thoughts to something you do everyday or something you’ve always wanted to try. Let me know how it goes!

You’ve got to be clear when you tell others about your products and services. It takes much more than a web site that is filled with the latest “cool” features, or a cleverly thought-out marketing campaign that doesn’t clearly define your brand. Here’s an example…

Have you seen the cereal commercial that starts with a wrinkled dog jumping on its owner’s bed trying desperately to wake him only to be shoved back to the floor? No? Well, the dog trots downstairs; carries back a tray with cereal and all the extras…even a fresh flower in a vase; the owner wakes up to eat a fabulous breakfast and prepares for a hike, and you think that’s what the dog wanted all along. The commercial ends with the dog’s owner taking that walk and the dog covered up in bed snoring. Cute commercial – but what kind of cereal was it? I don’t remember.

If I went to the store right now after having watched this commercial not 5 minutes ago, I wouldn’t have a clue what to buy. I know it was brown and healthy, so it wasn’t Apple Jacks or Fruity Pebbles. The dog was brown too – and not as fat as my Libby, so it was probably healthier as well…even without that hike outdoors. So I noticed details like the flower in the vase on the tray, and what the dog and cereal looked like, and even that it was to help you start your day healthy and active – but I didn’t catch the brand?

So remember, to make your marketing project work — be clear every time you communicate about your product or service.

posted by Shelley

People are becoming more and more immune to traditional advertising as we become more and more bombarded with it in commercials, banner ads, etc. So when ads actually catch your attention and spark your curiosity, it’s pretty remarkable. I’m always looking around for just that type of thing.

So maybe you’ve heard of the movie, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” — but have you been following along with the ad campaign? Not only is there a BLOG (you’ve GOT to check it out — what a hoot!) but billboards are popping up everywhere with the BLOG address.

Reality marketing at its finest!

I love everything Mac — from my iPhone to the computers I use, I can’t imagine working or playing on anything else. For those of you who also utilize a Mac product for everything important, you’re nodding your head. My creative business persona basically picks apart their advertising — which transforms my thought process to the evolution of their brand. My position within McKain Performance Group, Inc. then processes and attributes the company’s growth to their ability to differentiate their products and brand AND provide the experiences that make their customers (ME!!) loyal.

For those of you playing along at home, here’s how it goes…brand image is closely related to graphic style, and graphic style is chosen based on the high concept of the company. (If you’re in business and you don’t know what a ‘high concept’ is, you absolutely need Scott McKain.) Although graphic style and a cool logo are not the only attributes that make up brand admiration, they are certainly a big part of a company’s image and reputation. Take Apple for example…

You probably know that Apple was recently named the “Most Admired Brand in America” by Fortune Magazine. What you probably don’t know is that their first logo was designed by Ronald Wayne, one of the three original Apple Computer partners (along with Jobs and Wozniack), who owned 10 percent of Apple’s stock and bailed out of the company after only two weeks — selling his stock back for a one-time payment of $800. But that’s just the beginning of the story…

In 1977, Apple rolled out their first brochure based on the company’s ‘high concept’ that included the headline tag, ‘Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication’. Do you think Apple would still be the admired brand it is today if Jobs and Wozniack would’ve stuck with what they had? It’s that Scott concept in my head that keeps saying, ‘you can’t differentiate what you can’t clearly define’ (not the exact quote, but it’s close enough) that surfaces and makes this Apple story the perfect example of why he’s right.

I have clients that are the owners/operators of a family restaurant business. Their restaurant isn’t located along a busy street or even near a large town. This establishment doesn’t boast Interstate access or the most modern decor. What this restaurant does have going for it are owners who know what it takes to be sucessful. They have a clear vision of what differentiates The Pines Restaurant from every single other place there is to eat in the world!

The Pines Restaurant has been in business since the 1950’s, and its owners have watched as many other restaurant chains have come and gone. So, why are they still around?

Not only do they serve REAL HOME COOKED FOOD at The Pines, but Mike and Katie Hall truly care about their customers, and are passionate about their business and their service. I am proud of their accomplishments; I am thrilled with their excited progress through each of our marketing endeavors; and I am honored to serve them.

It takes PEOPLE creating a compelling experience to SUSTAIN differentiation and maintain customer loyalty.
-Scott McKain

The Pines Restaurant has loyal customers (some that have been frequenting that same establishment since the early 1950’s!) because Mike and Katie create compelling experiences that sustain differentiation. From the second you walk in — whether you’re new to the restaurant or have been there every Sunday for years — you can expect to be amazed! That’s what it’s all about.

To learn more about the Pines Restaurant, visit their online site — and then, read Mike’s latest entry in The Pines What is Cookin BLOG!

Once you have a web site developed and it’s online and has been submitted to search engines, the work isn’t over — it’s only just begun. Many people, as well as many businesses, feel that once they have an online presence there’s nothing left to do but watch the statistics grow as visitors canvas their information offered via the Internet.

The truth is that web sites should probably come with an expiration date (just like milk.) After a time, your site will become stale, your information outdated and your graphics (no matter how appealing) can only be viewed so many times before they too become uninteresting. Put it in perspective — how many times will you visit the same site when you find nothing new has been added?

One of the secrets of attracting visitors and prospective clients is to keep your web site fresh. Whether it be a newsletter or article — a notice of current happenings or an event — your visitors will continue to return to see what you have to say. If you were interested in a product or service that you researched on the Internet, would you be more encouraged to do business with the site that has a copyright date 2 years old, or one that has made mention of a new and helpful article posted just a week prior?

I’m reading a book by Timothy Ferriss called the 4-Hour Workweek. The tagline (and the fact my brother recommended it) is what got me – it reads, “Escape 9-5, live anywhere and join the new rich.” Ok, it’s cold in Indiana (13 degrees this morning), I only wish I could work from 9-5 and who doesn’t want to be rich? I certainly don’t buy into all the concepts within this book, but find it to be filled with great thoughts, tips and ideas.

Reading it has got me thinking quite a bit about the 80-20 Rule. The 80-20 Rule is the Pareto principle and it states that 80% of the effects comes from 20% of the causes. It isn’t new. But think about it for a moment. No, really let it sink in – and apply it to not only your business, but to your personal life as well. I was sold on the 80-20 concept at the end of my workday yesterday when I looked at my to-do list. I spent 80% of my day fighting fires and completed 20% of the items on my list. Sound familiar?

In business, 80% of the consequences flow from 20% of the causes; 
80% of the results come from 20% of the effort and time; and
80% of your profits come from 20% of your products and customers. In personal relationships, I would bet that 80% of your problems stem from 20% of the issues you deal with everyday. Would I be right? Soooo….what 20% of the sources in your life result in 80% of your happiness?

I think that if you apply this rule to your life (and your business), it will help bring clarity to the things that are important and those that, at the end of the day, really don’t matter. If you can pinpoint the 20% of your inputs that result in 80% of your outputs – you can start finding ways to eliminate the other 80%. And more importantly, as you eliminate that nasty 80%, you’ll have more time to work on that 20% of the sources that result in 80% of your happiness.

You get up in the morning and check the weather, the local news, the national news, your favorite blogs and forums, and then your workday begins. Your day is filled with an endless stream of phone calls and interruptions; you check your email every two minutes and put out one fire after another. And then, at some point you shake your head and wonder where the day went. You have lost sight of what you were attempting to accomplish in the first place. Sound familiar?

The ease in which we are able to connect via technology is great isn’t it? But I’ve found that it also provides us with endless distractions. In the midst of communicating and the ease of connecting with others, it is easy to lose your message and focus.

Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

It’s like the abused spouse that welcomes home the mate, believing that things will be different, even knowing nothing has changed. It’s like the alcoholic that walks into the neighborhood bar and tells himself he’ll only have one drink this time, knowing that he’s made that promise over and over in the past and failed.

While it’s easy to see Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity play out in those examples – what about for the rest of us? What about in our careers and lives in general?

Are you happy with what you’re getting? If you’re not satisfied with your personal or business life today, and you wake up tomorrow and go through the same motions while expecting a different result — that is… well… insanity.