Shopping experiences are brought to life through Arien Group, which offers an all-round retail experience for business owners and consumers alike.

The Australian-owned joinery company offers an array of innovative and comprehensive merchandise point-of-sale display solutions for shopping centres and exhibitions, including kiosks, counters, stands and signage.

Headed by founder and managing director Noel Wellauer, Arien Group was founded in 1988 and has a strong reputation for its impeccable workmanship and exception customer service, working with clients including Commonwealth Bank and Westinghouse.

A campaign that started in 2010 to 'hug in Thailand' is so apt, because all you need to do is get off the plane and realize that the country just makes you happy and all you want do is 'hug' the people who are so ridiculously friendly, that it brings out an emotion that most of us never thought possible.

Happy people are more successful, just ask Shawn Achor, the author of The Happiness Advantage.

"People who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of a challenge and in every area of your business, you will show improvement if your brain is positive" said Achor at a recent speech to 800 global entrepreneurs.

In fact, sales people who were happy outsell their less positive colleagues by more than 37 per cent and positive people in organisations are not only happier, they perform better and live longer, healthier lives.

We have all stumbled upon a myriad of marketing and social media latest phases and without hesitation either jumped in and had a go, or stood back and watched what our competitors have achieved before investing valuable cash and resources to the latest, hottest marketing platform.

There has been one consistent marketing platform that has been more central to a marketing strategy in the past couple of years, than any other marketing activity bar social media.

While watching prime time TV last night, I could not help but notice how popular PSY’s Gangnam Style has become.

In case you haven’t seen it, the Korean music star pops some hilarious dance moves while wearing his trademark sunglasses, tuxedo and loafers and has enjoyed global fame since his video’s release.

Before it became all the rage, I watched the video just a couple of months ago when my friend recommended it for its catchiness and cool moves. I watched it and was amused, but that was about it. It was out of my mind after a couple of hours.

Walking along the canals in Amsterdam this morning, I came across this piece of art. A park bench made out of old books.

It is a piece of art and each book has a story that it wishes to tell. Each book was put together by people who loved what is inside and wanted to share it with others. Each page is full of dialogue from authors all over the world, wanting to explore their inner most thoughts, passion, and view on something that they believe is meant not just for themselves but for others around them.

Finding time to spend on social media networks is getting more difficult. There are so many to choose from, that at times, small businesses don't know where to start.

From time to time, re-evaluating which social media networks work best for your company and re-defining your strategy according to changes in features and functionality, can either leverage your business to new heights or create havoc with your sales cycle.

As a firm believer that "you cannot be everything to everyone", it makes perfect sense to spend time looking at the various analytics relating to social media, the demographics of each platform and how it applies to your target audience, brand authenticity and collaborations with clients and partners.

When it comes to b2b marketing, the decision on what social media networks to use and invest in becomes significantly easier.

Just ask Wall Street.

Professional services firms are known as the "safest" b2b marketers, only second behind that of the medical industry.

Still stuck in the dark ages, many professional services firms still believe that 'good work speaks for itself' and "you need to find the clients pain" ensuring that they keep it "safe" when embarking on marketing of any kind, rather than looking deep into customer insights to drive leads and create more sustainable client relationships.

Marketing Eye is expanding and evolving… and you could be a part of our global growth.

We’re on the hunt for an experienced marketing communications manager to head a team in Melbourne. Because our work is so varied and diverse, we’re taking our time to pick the right person with the right mix of experience across a broad range of marketing skill sets. Our salary packaging is commensurate with experience and passion for marketing, and great performance will be rewarded with bonuses and perks. The role?

The Rich 200 list is littered with entrepeneurs who have sold their businesses.

Someone once said to me that they never wanted to be on that list because there are only two outcomes that derive from being placed on this list: 1. Telemarketers will harrass you for the rest of your life. 2. You will go broke.

Jan Cameron, the founder of successful retail chain Kathmandu knows this only too well. She built her business over 20 years to be the most successful retail business in the outdoor adventure space, selling for a reported $247 million and being placed on the Rich 200 list only to be in BRW today with the journalist reporting that she almost certainly won't be there this year. Why?