BREAKTHROUGH CREATIVE

Part 3: The Art of Simplicity Simplicity in marketing isn’t easy to achieve but making engagement easy can be fairly simple. That sentence is a brain twister, right? Let me untangle the words. ‘Simple’ and ‘Easy’ are two different things, and both are critically important when it comes to effective marketing. Simple means making something uncomplicated, like expressing […]

CAMPAIGN BUILDING BLOCKS

PART 2 : COORDINATE YOUR CAMPAIGN The following article is part of an ongoing series from J.Schmid with the critical elements and insights you need to strategize, execute and launch successful omnichannel campaigns. Watch your email and follow #CampaignBuildingBlocks on social media to keep up with the full story. Crafting memorable creative that will compel […]

Marketing and COVID-19

As marketers we’ve been here before. We’ve had to grapple with keeping our business moving during times of crisis. Most recently the recession in 2008 and before that in 2001, the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The challenge is speaking to your customers in a way that recognizes the gravity of the situation while at the same […]

Six New Year’s Resolutions – Go Big!

New Year’s resolutions? Okay, let’s look at mine for a second: only drink wine on the weekend, cut-back on refined sugar, hit the gym. It’s likely they’ll turn out to be: hit the wine and cut back on the gym…but it’s good to have a plan. Whatever our resolutions might be it’s a positive step […]

Hijackers, Simplicity and Your Website

Consumer demand drives innovation, right? Demand for better health, more pleasure, access to information, transportation, etc. And, the success of any innovative idea has one thing in common, EASE. If a new idea isn’t easy to engage, it typically fails. Ease and simplicity are at the core of what we consider improvements to everyday life. […]

5 ways to push back on Amazon

What’s not to like about Amazon, right? The reasons are obvious; Amazon is easy, fast and well-priced. I’m a customer. I’m not a recreational shopper, so finding and purchasing an item quickly is often what I’m looking for. Clearly positioning anything as fast and easy is a winning strategy. We’ve all fallen for microwave popcorn […]

Digital brand alert!

Oh no, not ANOTHER piece about print marketing! But wait, this one’s not sponsored by a printer or a paper company, it’s a DBSA, (digital brand service announcement!) We keep hearing about the resurgence of print because it has become an important tool, aiding in the growth of digital brands. Oxymoron? Not quite. You have […]

PASSIVE CREATIVE = PASSIVE RESULTS

They typically feature cool images and design intended to grab our imagination and build a bridge to the brand’s proposition. Frankly, they leave me confused. I call this approach “passive creative.” It’s creative work that forces the audience to move through too many “mental clicks” to understand what the brand is offering. It’s unreasonable to […]

ROI RALLYING CRY!

Investing in creative pays. It has to be executed and managed well, and there are a lot of moving parts. But when they all come together, it pays (in cash). Increasingly, creative decisions are influenced by CFOs attempting to manage financial metrics for CEOs and board members. Often, the C-suite folks look at capital and […]