My parents told me, from kindergarten through college as well as all of my years in competitive sports, “Just do your best,” and with that, I went on into the world a “fairly well-adjusted, happy kid.” I never quite excelled in school. I never quite excelled in sports. Sure, I was a good student and student-athlete, but was “good” really my best? Just do your best? While I love my parents, I have to say it was a mistake to tell me (an incredibly insecure, sensitive, creative child) to “Just do your best.” Think about it. What are the benchmarks?
More Marketing News →Here’s a quick snapshot of what we do at CreateWOW to facilitate TRUE branding and integrated marketing strategies for our clients. We think we need a lot of dry erase paint or a bigger office. What do you think?
More Marketing News →I’ve been in a bit of a trade show marketing mindset lately. Primarily, because I just helped our friends over at pcCentral with their trade show presence for the ABI “Taking Care Of Business” Conference in Des Moines. It also has to do with an ongoing, aching PAIN I have from trade show marketing. Simply put, it all comes down tho this: Why do trade shows always seem like three days of the walking dead? Why can’t exhibitors at least pretend to be excited to be there for more than the reason that they aren’t staring at a flickering computer
More Marketing News →CreateWOWmarketing was honored to be asked to document the 2012 ABI “Taking Care Of Business” Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. Along with streaming amazing breakout sessions and documenting the trade show, we had the privilege of hearing the Keynote speaker, Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great” and “Great By Choice.” While Mr. Collins didn’t fail to deliver on the keynote (more on that later), we were ultimately BLOWN AWAY by his comfort in allowing us to take a handful of his extremely valuable time to give us his thoughts on the business environment in Iowa. Some immediate takeaways from
More Marketing News →Have you become victim of the digital world of photography? On Friday the 5th of May, CreateWOWmarketing presented the following photography in communications deck to the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. In our presentation, we discussed the use of photography as a STRATEGIC communication tool as well as showed the audience some tips and tricks for making their photos better – from better photo composition to photography styles and mediums that would enhance their communications needs. Then we broke out into groups and shot some test photos using some of the styles and techniques mentioned in the presentation. Overall, it
More Marketing News →It seems you can’t swing a dead cat these days without hitting a “Brand” expert. No cats were harmed in the writing of this blog. Seriously – type “branding” into your search engine and see what pops up! More than 10 pages of branding blogs and websites. While there ARE companies who know branding and how it works, there are also companies who just use a lot of big words and involved formulas to make them sound like they know what they’re talking about. So, how do you weed out the experts from the snake-oil salesmen? Let TRUE Branding be
More Marketing News →HEY, social media marketers, are you doing your job? How do you measure the effectiveness of your services to your clients? Hours billed vs. profit gained? Sure, but measuring ROI is often a tricky game. Do you take the client’s sales reports and compare them to the activity you’ve (hopefully) documented for every campaign, or do you have a tracking mechanism that works within their e-commerce workflow? Measurement is Important All of the above questions are those that should be asked when embarking on a serious social media marketing campaign. Unfortunately, many clients have yet to understand how to ask
More Marketing News →When it comes to SOCIAL media, I’m often asked by customers and peers alike “What can I do to really manage my brand’s reputation through social media?” (Yes, somewhat a redundant question, but I’ll get to that in another post…) Well, a lot of that answer depends on the circumstances in which your “reputation” finds itself. In the case below, I had a conversation about a peer’s client wanting “Edit” reviews on FourSquare… Hmmmmm As always, I try to keep my advice “Above The Line” and beneficial to all parties, but the implications of what the client wanted to do
More Marketing News →I’m often asked by clients and peers, “How do I (we) increase my site traffic? How do I (we) get more people to read the blog?” Well, it’s a matter of targeted marketing, brand consistency and good writing. All of which even the BEST writers, marketers and bloggers struggle with on EVERY post. But once a successful post formula is found, it’s like crack. You want, no, NEED to do it over and over again until your eyeballs rollback in your head and you fall to the ground in crippling ecstasy… Okay, maybe not that far, but it’s close. 🙂
More Marketing News →If I include my college internship, this September {was} my 21st year working in, on and around marketing. I’ve seen some successful campaigns. I’ve seen some pitiful campaigns. Fortunately, I’ve learned something from them all, but the most important thing I’ve learned is how to tell them apart. (Trust me, some can’t…) So what IS the difference between a successful and a pitiful marketing campaign? STRATEGY. All Marketing Strategy Is Not The Same If you walk through any marketing department or advertising agency, without a doubt, you’ll see computers, printers, scanners, cameras and all of the nifty tools that go
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