Many e-newsletters are finding themselves reported as SPAM because they use a negative check-off for recipients (i.e. tell us if you don't want it). Target Marketing magazine makes a very compelling argument for using positive check-offs to get people to actively request your mailings, build your list AND improve the relationships that hopefully comes from it.

Here's the story of a fellow just out of school who had an idea, invested his savings and that of everyone he knew, and lost it all in a massive fire. He wasn't the type to quit, though. Instead he found a clever solution, promoted himself and his company like nobody's business, and became the leader of an industry he helped create.

Many people don't think about it, but the average American is bombarded by 5,000 marketing messages each and every day! In fact, our own Mr. Marketing discovered if you add that up over a typical lifetime it's almost 125 million impressions. But fear not - he's also got some great ideas on how to break through that clutter and get your voice heard.

Mancrunch - a gay dating site trying to advertise on the SuperBowl - had its ad shot down by CBS for being inappropriate. Claiming to have $40 million from investors, mancrunch claims discrimination, saying "If it was a man and a woman you'd take our ad without question." The question: Are they just trying to get free press, or should the network call their bluff?