This might sound strange coming from a guy who has been preaching the importance of being BOLD and taking risks to creative teams, clients and brands for three decades. It’s always been important for brands to grab people’s attention—to stand out—by doing unorthodox things. Sometimes, the crazier the better. But today, we need a new […]
Digital Summit is happening this week here in Kansas City, which got me thinking back to when I attended last spring. It’s a really cool conference, focused on the latest trends, technologies and best practices for staying relevant in the digital landscape. And, coming from someone who can practically fall asleep standing up, I can […]
Schedule maven. Traffic cop. Budget keeper. Back in the day, these were interchangeable terms for account executives. And indeed, these responsibilities are still a part of an account exec’s role. But today, these unsung heroes are so much more to your business. They are expert marketing generalists, with access to the agency specialists (creative team, […]
Is anyone reading this? No, seriously, is anyone reading this? That’s what you should be asking yourself when you’re allocating space for copy in your catalog or other marketing materials. Because we know this: People don’t read. They scan. They skim. They flip. They browse. As a writer, it can be quite an ego blow […]
Our very own Lois Brayfield is among those chosen to help guide The Council for Print in the Digital Age. This council, which includes senior executives from AmEx, Liberty Mutual and Japs Olson, was created by the DMA to lead the conversation around print’s ever-changing role in the data-driven marketing landscape. The council is actively […]
Marketers are accustomed to thinking of their customers in terms of “generations.” Based on when you were born, you may be a Baby Boomer or a member of Generation X, Y or Z. These categorizations help us understand the consumer behaviors that ultimately drive everything from the products marketers sell to the way they “talk” […]
J.Schmid’s internal branding group (Bonfire5), recently rebranded an apparel company based in St. Croix. Lori Hirons, the founder and owner of Island Contessa, wrote a blog about her adventures weathering the recent hurricanes, the impact on her business, and Bonfire5’s contribution to her success. We thought it was worth sharing. Here it is… Refresh, Renew, […]
Dollar Shave Club was the first one I remember. In 2012, just a year after they launched the brand, they uploaded a video titled “Our Blades Are F***ing Great.” And while they pulled their punch with bleeps and asterisks, it still had some shock value. And it worked! The brazen video got shared millions of […]
Serious car accidents spiked by 17% the Monday after the switch to Daylight Saving Time, proving that even a one-hour change can be painful and risky. How dangerous is change within our marketing world? Well, it’s actually life-threatening to our marketing programs. But we can’t stop change itself, so we must learn to adapt. The biggest […]
