Marketing & PR

We’ve all experienced a well-meaning advice that resulted in disaster… or was completely ignored. And nobody wants to be Debbie Downer (check out this classic and hilarious SNL video): The way you communicate advice determines whether others can and will listen to what you have to say. Then they might even act on your feedback.…

I’ve trained many CEOs on how to improve their speaking abilities for their on-stage debut in front of hundreds of their peers. Here’s the best practices I’ve gleaned from many, many rehearsals and general sessions. Don’t skip these tips if you don’t give speeches in your job – you never know when you’ll need to…

Bad reviews! Ugh. The Internet. That’s how most business owners respond when a bad review lights up their computer screen. I deal with bad reviews from both sides. As a business and marketing consultant, I help my clients build their reputation and grow their social proof online (and that usually includes reviews). One of the…

3 Ways to Boost Your Marketing Awesomeness You want your business or organization to be top-of-mind, make an impact, be successful and grow. You know that better marketing is the key to take it to the next level, but aren’t sure how to go about it or who to turn to. Discovery is the first,…

New Marketing Strategy Helps VictoryUs Fitness Kickoff Healthy Innovation It’s always fun to help a business launch. And it’s even more meaningful when you have personally experienced the impact of that business. Victoria is a certified AFPA (American Fitness Professional & Associates) instructor for women, teaching cardio kickboxing, yoga, ballet barre and more. When Victoria…

Every day we see companies doing things to market their companies… and hoping that it will equal more sales. Sending out an email. Creating a sales sheet. Cold-calling prospects. Paying for an ad. In fact, quite often we get a call from someone at company and they say, “We need a… (fill in the blank).”…

A fascinating article on Wired revealed that organic search results and email trumped Twitter, Facebook and affiliate banner ads when it comes to attracting buying customers on online retail sites. The report, published by marketing data provider Custora, analyzed data from 72 million customers shopping on 86 different retail sites. The study tracked customers from their…

Sunset Transportation Receives Industry Recognition, Sees Double-Digit Expansion Despite Struggling Economy In a tough economy, news stories are dominated by companies downsizing. That’s why it’s exciting when you hear about a business—like Sunset Transportation—doing exactly the opposite. It’s even more fun when you get to be a part of that company’s expansion and growth. For…

When I came across this slider graphic for Bank of America, I had to post it and make a comment. If this graphic were true, then when we age, our faces get more dirty? I realize that aging someone effectively is difficult for even Hollywood, but these Photoshop efforts are almost giggle-worthy. I think we…

I was browsing the news today and saw a headline that the South Park creators are creating their own studio. Most of it was run of the mill Hollywood jabber, but a quote by the comedy duo stood out. They took a typical PR quote and made it tongue and cheek. It’s a great example…

I’m always digging to see what other designers are crafting and am amazed that we’re still finding ways to create clean, creative logos and branding systems in just a few marks. When I’ve spent way too many hours staring at a computer screen, looking for inspiration and following trends, I pop open an old fashioned…

I heard a piece of wisdom today from a client—and I wanted to share it. We were discussing the branding we’re developing for this new research center, and I was asking about her specific preferences. She gave me some basic guidance and then said, “I’ve worked with a lot talented people over the years. I…

One of our clients, Sunset Transportation, was named on the prestigious Inc. 500|5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies last week for the first time. Sunset has achieved a three-year growth of 102 percent, which a big accomplishment in a good economy, but an even bigger testament in 2012 because it demonstrates that Sunset has…

PBS Off Book created a mini documentary on logo design, and although it’s impossible to capture the essence of the history, purpose, style, and process of creating logos in six minutes, it’s fun to at least get a glimpse. My top take-away: Design with the brand’s personality in mind. This “mask” will represent your brand…

We often hear from company leaders asking how and why their company should use social media in their business. With employee recruitment and turnover costs reaching beyond $3000 on average (according to the Wall Street Journal), recruiting talented employees through social media is a no-brainer. In fact, we’ve been saddened that so many companies have…

I was really excited to find out that a video that I scripted and helped produce is now available on YouTube. It was put together by the St. Louis Family and Community Partnership to help recruit foster parents. We went to several families and interviewed them on why they foster children and what benefits it…

In the past few days, there’s been a somewhat heated discussion on Linked In about companies expecting creative firms to give away their design ideas on RFPs—before getting paid or selected, of course! The discussion was expanded to all RFPs and many different people, ranging from consultants to CFOs commented their varying views. I wanted…

I recently connected my personal website and Twitter accounts to my Facebook page, and I’ve noticed a lot more feedback on my posts. This got me thinking… if Facebook continues to grow in popularity and the amount of time spent, will it outrank Google in terms of reaching potential clients and customers? Will it become…