The Blog - Page 25 of 30

Think it through from all perspectives.

By Bethany Howell
December 7, 2011
branding,marketing,strategy

If there is one thing you can learn from the recent Coca-Cola fiasco, let it be this- when you set out to do something new, always think about how it will affect ALL of your customers or clients. When Coca-Cola came out with white cans in an effort to raise awareness for the World Wildlife Fund, Coca-Cola customers quickly began complaining that they were confusing the white cans with the silver Diet Coke cans. For some, this was extremely frustrating. Which makes me wonder, did Coca-Cola think this campaign through? I am not sure the company realized what such a drastic change would do to its consumers. The ABC news clip below explains the change from red to white, and how this affected the customer, and why the change made such an impact.

Authenticity, Art & Copy

By Tara Urso
December 1, 2011
advertising,creativity

If you are a fan of the history of branding and advertising like we are at insight180, check out “Art & Copy,” a documentary that delves into the history of the advertising industry and the advent of the artist and copywriter actually working together in the same room. The film does not tout “trashy” advertising, but rather sought to gather insights from the greatest advertising minds of the last 50 years. Director, Doug Pray, describes these great minds as fiercely independent mavericks. Some cast members include Wieden+Kennedy’s Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, responsible for Nike’s “Just do it” campaign, Mary Wells, founding president of Wells Rich Greene and the first woman to own and run an ad agency, Rich Silverstein and Jeff Goodby of Goodby, Silverstein and partners who conceived the simple yet effective “Got Milk” campaign; additionally, Lee Clow, Chairman and Global Director of TBWAWorldwide, responsible for the groundbreaking 1984 Apple ad. This all-star cast really shows the audience how advertising works and the ideas behind “good advertising.”

Starbucks Holiday Cups!

By Bethany Howell
November 28, 2011
branding,creativity,design,strategy

Today was the debut of the Starbucks holiday cup. You may think, “so what, who cares? It is just a cup.” Or, if you’re like me, a little smile crept onto your face, and a small burst of joy hit you when you saw the Holiday cup. I am not sure why, but each year I get excited when I get my coffee in a red cup with a wintery mix of graphics.

Ten innovative ways to thank your clients

By insight180 team
November 18, 2011
creativity,insight180 newsletters

Thanking clients for their business is not only a nice thing to do, but it’s good for business. It leaves clients with a good feeling about you and prompts them to reflect on your value as a resource to them. A definite win-win. You appreciate them and they appreciate you back. And while some businesses go all out with client appreciation dinners and events, particularly around the holidays, sometimes those expensive endeavors just become one more holiday obligation that can really push the budget, rather than have the personal impact you’d hoped. Here are ten innovative, cost-effective and memorable ways to deliver your appreciation:

History Repeats

By Bethany Howell
October 24, 2011
advertising,positioning strategy,strategy

The First Advertisements

William Caxton set up the first printing press in England. Caxton was a merchant by trade, but learned printing later in his life. He is responsible for being the first to print many well-known books, including Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (BBC). He was also, the first to publish an ad in English.

What's a company to do?

By insight180 team
October 22, 2011
insight180 newsletters

Ok, so there’s no way around it. Losing a million customers in a few months is not a good thing. That’s what has reportedly happened to Netflix after they announced that they planned to separate their DVD rental business from their online streaming business.

The Facebook rescue

By insight180 team
September 26, 2011
insight180 newsletters

It was a perfectly normal day. Rainy but warm, and hump-day — the day that divides the beginning of the work week with the end of the work week. So who could have known that a crisis was just about to come in our door — literally.

Floods and Facebook

By Wendy Baird
September 19, 2011
facebook,news,strategy

In the wake of topical storm Lee, there were flash floods throughout Maryland on Wednesday, September 7, 2011. Ellicott City ‘s Main Street became a river. After evacuating our office, we posted some footage of the action happening right outside our office. (In this video, you can actually see the entrance to our office with near foot-high water when the camera pans to the left of the big black truck.) The footage was taken from a bystander’s phone and then posted to You Tube.

The Search Is On

By Bethany Howell
August 30, 2011
blogging,keywords,SEO,website

Everyday billions of people use search engines to learn about a specific topic, solve a problem, find service providers, etc. How often have you done a search for a friend or favorite restaurant just because it was easier than opening up your contacts? Well, it turns out that even C-level professionals are doing much of their own search these days.

Back on track

By Wendy Baird
August 24, 2011
insight180 newsletters

The sky is blue and air is warm, and there’s just a little bit of true summer left to enjoy. Hopefully you’ve had some downtime, while still keeping up with the important marketing and business tasks at hand. But with the slower summer days coming to an end, how can one best prepare for the busy pace that always comes in early September? Here’s our checklist:

Brand Trust

By Bethany Howell
August 23, 2011
branding,marketing

As a sixth grader in home economics, I was assigned to write a letter to a company about one of their products. The idea behind the assignment was simply to help us understand how to write and format a professional letter. I remember the excitement I felt when I got a response in the mail from the company I wrote to–until I opened it. Only thirteen years old, I was traumatized when I read that the company did not appreciate my letter (which suggested the company produce a diet version of a certain cake product – which of course now exists,) and claimed if I wrote again they would be forced to take some sort of action. I laugh now, but I also wonder if I would resend my letter today, or posed my suggestion on their Facebook wall – would I receive the same response?

Just HOW do I “engage” again?

By Bethany Howell
August 5, 2011
blogging,marketing,strategy

“‘Engage your audience.” We have all heard it a million times, and it can be quite frustrating! I get it, really I do. In order to capture an audience we have to get them talking. But please just tell me how!”