Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year! http://t.co/IsLM6xAJHV




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RT @Inc: 5 keys to recruiting Millennial talent (Infographic) @lmmontini http://t.co/AHLhhvJL5e




from Twitter https://twitter.com/WhiteboardPromo
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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Now that is amazing! This is such a great way to help others! Awesome news. http://t.co/V6W5OrSusu




from Twitter https://twitter.com/WhiteboardPromo
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RT @Inc: 4 Marketing Trends Business Owners Should Use in 2015 http://t.co/ODqLbEf0DF




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Monday, December 29, 2014

Mike's gone, now what about the Bike? Come on Arthur Blank, drop the hammer on the GM as well sir.




from Twitter https://twitter.com/WhiteboardPromo
Posted by at 9:27 AM 0 comments
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RT @Inc: 5 Questions to Help You Build a Strong Personal Brand http://t.co/5rv5Z7IeCM (Sponsored by @TheUPSStore) @IncPI




from Twitter https://twitter.com/WhiteboardPromo
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Sunday, December 28, 2014

So yes, I just beat my oldest child in Madden 2015, and yes it made me feel a bit better about the real Falcons... http://t.co/IpFCL3QtJ7




from Twitter https://twitter.com/WhiteboardPromo
Posted by at 6:24 PM 0 comments
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Another pick six for the falcons madden 2015




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Posted by at 6:23 PM 0 comments
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At least in Madden, the Falcons get the pick six and lead by 10... It takes beating up your 11 yr old to salvage... http://t.co/flouVETG4A




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Story of the Falcons season, cannot block to save their lives. Unbelievable...




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RT @mashable: We found these 11 sites and apps to be the most useful web tools of 2014: http://t.co/jw44FGyoOk http://t.co/zeCYm9FgDw




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Thursday, December 25, 2014

“@Inc: The Greatest Cold Call Opener Ever http://t.co/lBYrlrx3tF @Riddleberger http://t.co/DFAPMOLP7i” great advice. Humor works too...




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Tuesday, December 23, 2014

“@SteveWoodburn: It Was an Amazing Technology When New http://t.co/uzACT1vt3Z Voice Mail Ditched at Coca-Cola Headquarterrs” a trend begins




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Posted by at 6:14 PM 0 comments
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RT @Inc: Stop rushing it with customers over social media. Instead, play the long-game, says @GaryVee http://t.co/ZdZQts4j2M




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#CaribouCoffee made me a happy boy! Reindeer blend in a K-Cup! Merry Christmas! http://t.co/Us9FjZOVAb




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RT @Inc: The Best Part of Working for Yourself http://t.co/uBhmIUXzhg @apatzer http://t.co/WDxHUmOupJ




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Monday, December 22, 2014

Santa time! http://t.co/28xGQxhV26




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Great message, an old Priest of mine, Father Brian Donellan told me of how St. Nick always comes to his Mass on... http://t.co/3Xsqa8xcF6




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Posted by at 5:32 AM 0 comments
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“@hootsuite: Millennials in the social era lack these vital skills: http://t.co/fsdrgSnGbz http://t.co/JGHhz0Vqrt” hard audience to break in




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“@Inc: Relationships Matter In Business. 10 Ways To Build A Good One @FromPaulBBrown http://t.co/RR4WGhW56b” very true for small biz




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Sunday, December 21, 2014

RT @SteveWoodburn: A Christmas Gift of Love http://t.co/ABxrdCXr1s Have You Heard of the Most Famous Reindeer of All?




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RT @Inc: Why People, Process, and Product Are the Keys to Success http://t.co/VVPF1IeNkC @MarcusLemonis http://t.co/X9YNutFmBS




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RT @Inc: Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran on What Motivates Better Than Money http://t.co/Sg5eFFw9wA http://t.co/xYT22P0oGO




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Saturday, December 20, 2014

RT @Inc: Need a little help following your passion? 15 brilliant quotes that will inspire you http://t.co/WjGI4B6TGW @jmbrandonbb




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@BrookeBCNN @NuevoLaredoATL best Mexican food in the ATL. Definitely a go-to place. Margaritas are killer as well!




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“@Inc: 3 Tips for Building Great Brands http://t.co/UF0M9VVE2x @grahamwinfrey @NeilBlumenthal http://t.co/b1TPreiFJF” good advice




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Friday, December 19, 2014

“@Inc: 'How My Employees Helped Me Make $10 Million Selling Ugly Christmas Sweaters' http://t.co/tzXldiNLWG http://t.co/mlflbCoRqg” luv it!




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RT @Inc: Are leading and managing two different things? @jillkrasny http://t.co/sg3ZgSTvFz




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Thursday, December 18, 2014

Flipbook: Hot swag ideas from the 2014 LA Auto Show: http://t.co/jabxZ0MoEr




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@WhiteboardPromo Need a blast from the past? Check out these awesome 80's gadgets: http://t.co/OwwmkwvJQh




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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Bags as a Brand booster!

Let's face it, we all love a good bag!  Be it a grocery tote, backpack, laptop case, or good ole fashioned duffle, we have a bag for every event in our day.

So, do you have a favorite bag, I am 100% sure that you do.  And, according to a recent survey, 31% of you have one with a logo on it.  Be it your favorite team, grocery store, or a recent outing at a trade show, the chances are high you got a bag with a Brand on it! 

You marketers out there, note that a promotional bag generates 5983 impressions, much more than any other promo item out there - so get your Brand on a bag y'all!  And for you California folks - paper or plastic ain't gonna cut it in the supermarkets, so look at Non-woven totes as your new favorite brand vehicle.


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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Can Facebook be your Customer Service answer?



The numbers say yes!  In a Q2 2014 survey, 67% of brands that had questions posted to their Facebook wall, responded to them.  That's a pretty strong figure for customer interaction, which shows the true power of social media and how successful Brands leverage it for full customer interaction.

There is always a "but" in this equation, and in this case during that same period, 87% of the Brands examined did not have their Facebook walls open for comments.  In other words, these Brands failed to recognize the word SOCIAL in its overall strategy.  We're now in an interactive world folks, transparency in your Brand is necessary in order to create trust - open up man!

So what industries excel at Customer Service interaction on social media platforms...the Airlines!  Yes, those lovely companies that now charge you for that man-purse or laptop case, are the best at social response.











So what does this mean to you?  Open up the lines, answer those questions and create a relationship with your customers!

For more on this article Read Here

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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Hello? I can't hear you! Four ways to get closer to your Customer's Voice

Listening... in business it's vital to understanding your customer's needs and pains.  As a salesperson, it is the key ingredient to a successful close of a sale.  In negotiation, the "he who speaks first loses" mantra deeply involves understanding your adversary's voice.

So, with all the chatter going on in this social media world, how do you get your customer to be honest with you?  As marketers, we thrive on data and feedback, but making sure the data is accurate and honest is a problem.  The noise of Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Pinterest, etc act as massive filters to your Customer's true voice.

What works these days?  Simplicity folks:  listen, be transparent in your open-ended questioning, ask permission, and by all means don't use today's latest and greatest buzzword.  The social media outlets are your tools, and can be utilized to get your customer's true voice.

Read More here
Posted by at 6:34 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Surprise! Your Brand is a Media Company now!


What?  Not a funny April Fools joke Chris, we most certainly are NOT a media company.  We make fantastic widgets for crying out loud...

Not so fast my friend.  Look at your brand platform these days - website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube - all sponges requiring brand content and engagement with your core audience.  You are making videos folks, face the facts... YOU are a media company.

In the past, brands such as Tide, Coca-Cola, etc created aspirations for their core audience - i.e. the Brand trended the expectation to the masses - Good mothers use Tide, etc.  The Brand centralized the message back to its product/service. 

 

Nowadays, the customer is making that aspiration due to the immediacy of today's technological innovations.  Our focus as marketers is consumer driven based upon instant feedback received from - you guessed it - our Media Channels!  We are able to interact with our core audience in such a proactive way these days, that what is driving revenues - and Brand loyalty - is the content we create!

Read this article on how Red Bull has lead the way with this view of Brands as Media companies.
Posted by at 5:45 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Millenials: Can they be loyal to your Brand?

Crazy thing I learned the other day:  A member of the Millennial generation is someone born in the 1980's and turns 21 in the new Millennium.  Makes sense, but from there, defining this new Generation becomes an anomaly to most.

The Millennials grew up with the Internet, cell phones, Apps, Multi-channel TV, and all the instant gratification that this new Age society can create.  But, can they be loyal to anything other than themselves?  If you look at it from an employment perspective - the answer is clearly no.  The long-term "stay until I retire" concept is dead, nowadays its "how quickly can I get promoted, or I'm outta here."

However, when it comes to Brands, 64% of Millennials say they feel the same loyalty to a Brand as their parents do! 




Great news for marketers, but it also comes with a caveat - you are going to have to work harder to keep them.  Social marketing, transparency, and yes, deals all motivate the Millennials.

For more, Read this great Article
Posted by at 10:41 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, March 13, 2014

Custom Promo Products: How swag can affect customer loyalty



Customer loyalty - it's the holy Grail of marketing y'all.  The customer who is loyal to your brand essentially becomes your Ambassador to the world.  It's why we spend so much money on social media, community outreach, etc.

But... are you thinking about a promotional product as well?  Fact of the matter is, a well placed, branded thank-you gift goes a long way in establishing repeat performances.

 

So... are branded items in your arsenal in creating loyalty?  If not, then you better load your gun... quickly!
Posted by at 11:08 AM 0 comments
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Friday, March 7, 2014

Case Studies: Have they become obsolete in the Social age?

In the promotional products industry, case studies are a vital bullet in a salesperson's arsenal.  A strong case study can show a company's creativity, it's project management capabilities, and most importantly it's solution-based initiative.  Case studies also show how important promotional products can be in an overall marketing strategy, and by clearly defining the ROI, gives the salesperson a competitive advantage against the typical "mom and pop" shop.

However, in today's socially-generated ratings world, the case study may be losing it's lustre.  The key knocks are that a case study has a limited shelf life, especially in the Millenial "what have you done for me in the last minute" mindset.  More importantly, a case study is primarily company-driven - i.e. it is designed to show the company in the best light possible. That's all well and good - but can sometimes come off as disingenuous, not a good look for most salespeople...

With the trend towards buying online in the promo products industry, the testimonial has the preferred vehicle of establishing brand trust - look at my website and you'll see the same!  I am as guilty as the next guy when it comes to not showing Case studies, I'd rather have a client speak to our reliability than it come from my mouth.

With Yelp and other review-based methods of 3rd party recommendations, the problem becomes that of control - you piss one person off and it can ruin a good Yelp day...  So, what to do as a promotional marketer?

The answer may be a solid blend of both, I know for me I will be including case studies going forward as a means of differentiation and control of my own brand.

Please read more on this trend Here
Posted by at 7:39 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Radiant Orchid - Pantone's color of 2014!

Radiant Orchid - let's face it, purple hues are in this year y'all!  As far as trends go, purple has been on the rise in the past few years with a lot of brands going to that color palette for primary or secondary colors.

The Radiant Orchid color is a paler purple look, ideal for secondary color schemes.  Take a look at it here!

Read More

Posted by at 6:19 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Ron Burgundy - Master content Marketer?

We all saw the Dodge Durango commercials, the incessant teasers of the Anchorman 2 movie, the guest Anchor spots on ABC and a North Dakota news program - Ron Burgundy was all over the place.  The movie was a success, generating over $100 Million in domestic ticket sales, and inevitably creating new movie quotations for years to come.  Over the top - yes.  Borderline obnoxious, some would say yes as well.  But... a marketing genius?   I would absolutely say yes!

By blurring the lines between comedy and advertising, the content strategy used worked across several media platforms generating enormous buzz for the movie - AND created key advertising and product opportunities for brands like Dodge, Jockey, and Ben & Jerry's (who doesn't like Scotchy Scotch Scotch ice cream?)  Ron Burgundy, the Movie character, became a brand ambassador for several key retail brands!

So, do you have what it takes to create a viral buzz across multiple media platforms a la Ron Burgundy?  Will Ferrell and Adam McKay have created a "sucker punch" advertising platform, can you?  Read More

Here's one of Will Ferrell's original commercials for Old Milwaukee:


Posted by at 6:13 AM 0 comments
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Monday, January 20, 2014

Twitter tricks for newbies

I am one of the unfortunate few who still has trouble with the pound sign - you know what is now famously known as the hashtag.  I've used them wrong in every form and placement, so yes, I'm a #twittertard (yes I just made that hashtag up, and will probably not get anything from it)

So that being said, here are 10 #twittertricks that can be useful to all

Read More


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Thursday, January 9, 2014

Brand Positioning: Getting your startup's name out there

So you have this great product, a slick website, and an ad budget with plans for global domination.  Your logo is spectacular and inventory is in the warehouse - you are ready to make a name for your Brand.  The social media is up and running, and you are pinning that fantastic product to various boards.  You are ready to go, and then...poof.

That's what happened to me, and is still a constant struggle, getting the brand out there for more traffic - and more sales.

How do you get your brand discovered by the mainstream - one word is needed... Articles.  Posting articles to media outlets - both online and hard copy - is an effective method of brand discovery, followed closely by the tried and true method of referrals.

Check out this article to see what the stats say on effective brand discovery.  Read More
Posted by at 7:16 AM 0 comments
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Friday, January 3, 2014

Ditch the Pitch? Why the Elevator spiel falls short

It used to be an old adage - can you make an impression on someone in the time it takes to go up a floor in an elevator?  Well, unfortunately with the need-it-now mentality of today's instant access crowd, an elevator ride is pretty much a yawn-fest.

So, how do you get your point across quickly to the millennial crowd?  Try throwing a Memory Dart - a phrase that will be short, sweet and to the point - pun intended!  You want to get your point across in under 10 seconds with something that won't come across like a poot in church.

Think of your Memory dart as a verbal business card y'all, and make that impression!

Read More
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