Creative Agency Talk

Elevating Projects Through the Creative Brief

Kicking off a campaign, launch or site design is the undoubtedly one of the most optimistic points of a creative project’s lifecycle. There is a deep sense of possibility and excitement, along with a fresh new client relationship. Pencils are sharpened and it’s almost like the first day of school. It’s easy to jump into a project, rushing with ideas and innovative approaches. At a project’s inception, everyone from the client to the designers seem to agree upon a process to move forward and before you know it, the team is off and running – sometimes in different directions. As the course of the project moves forward, inevitably, clients make changes, designers take liberties and as a result – the true message of the campaign can get lost in translation. This possibility for a communication breakdown can result in costly edits, time spent in development and meetings – or even worse, a…

Creating Addictive Content

It’s one thing to create content to promote your business, but how do you create something that people get addicted to and look for to on a regular basis? Getting the answer to this question can actually be what determines if your marketing strategy succeeds or not. Once you get your followers hooked to what you create, you’ll eventually build fans that will share, promote, and buy your products and services. This will naturally build your brand and help you build a strong position in the marketplace. First and foremost, everything you create needs to be easy to read and consume. So if you’re writing an article, you want a clear headline that draws the reader in. The headline should be engaging and provoke curiosity to get the reader to commit. You want the article to a certain flow and cohesiveness. To accomplish this, you should organize your article better,…

The New Age of Packaging Sustainability

With Earth Day (April 22nd) and Arbor Day (April 24) placing a spotlight on sustainability this week, statements on the ecological aspects and efforts of business across industries abound. Despite the fact that sustainability should ideally be on the agenda for every company and brand everyday, the yearly spotlight can act as a needed catalyst for change. Taking into consideration a growing population and a middle class rise, the increase of consumerism and the prevalence of ecommerce will see no decrease. As many of these consumers are eco-conscious to a certain extent, and following some semblance of sustainability practices – packaging is, and will continue to be a necessary component of the consumer equation. With the growing market, looking at packaging as a commodity – a necessary part of the product life-cycle opens up the conversation to ecological responsibility. Most companies and organizations reaching a level of public recognition and/or…

Digital PR Done Right

With the technological shift and ease of use in finding all that we need online – the world of media relations and the art of the press release have drastically changed shape right before our eyes. Digital PR is now a thriving business segment and an integral part of marketing strategy with specific relation to events, promotions and launch initiatives opening up a new reach to vast audiences that could normally not be reached through static print content. This new model of media relations borrows from multiple platforms of digital marketing including content strategy, social media and SEO. The most effective tool in getting fresh and appealing content to populate for SEO, whether paid or organic, is with the use of the digital press release. The press release as we know it remains the hallmark of the media relations sphere – and the basic elements endure – but critical steps must now be taken to optimize…

Launching A Product That Won’t Fail

New product or sub-brand roll-outs are critical to the bottom line of a brand, and can set the tone for the quarter, season or even year ahead. It’s widely known that a large percentage of all new product releases do not meet revenue goals, delivering a failed launch attempt. Even a great product, if not properly executed or supported, can flounder. For launches to even have a winning chance, the marketing, strategy and creative teams must work from the same playbook, following a kind of product launch lifecycle. A large part of this successful launch model hinges on this cycle of strategic planning, timing and preparation. Launching a product or service can be seen as the final stage in the development process – a significant investment leading to future revenue for a company. While many see a launch as a single point (perhaps an event) it must be viewed as a process that…

Are You Paying Attention to Your Package Design?

Generating product value is so much more than the features and benefits that it can provide to the consumer. Getting all of the details right within production is crucial, as is the product’s functionality and ease of use. When generating a full experience, though, packaging encompasses a huge part in attracting consumers and building brand value. Pay special attention to the packaging experience that your users will have – ignoring those elements can lessen brand credibility and may even take away from your sales! Grab your customers’ attention and hold it. It’s fascinating to note that packaging can be one of the most useful tools in your marketing plan. For people comparing different products and their uses, making the most informed decision is important to them. If your brand is new, there is a good chance that they may not have heard of it yet; this is where your packaging…

5 Tips For Energizing Your Facebook Engagement

Many of us are very familiar with social media, using it on a day to day basis. Whether it’s posting updates about family or events, posting pictures from our vacations, or tweeting meaningful or funny quotes, social media has touched our lives in some way. To truly connect with our customers and website users, each brand must become fully fluent in the platform that best suits it. Facebook is a complicated world – what sort of articles or posts get the most interaction, how can we increase engagement with our followers, and create the most meaningful experience? How can we glean the most benefit from one of the most popular social media networks in the world? There are a few ways to assist you in making your Facebook posts make a more meaningful impression. Of course, a brand must engage in extensive research to see what their users’ needs and…

Kick Off (Meetings)! And Why They’re Important

What’s the point of having a kick off meeting? In any project, the team meets multiple times (both internally and with the client) in order to gain as much knowledge as possible. Understanding users’ needs is at the forefront of any creative initiative – otherwise, what’s the point of going through the entire process, if not to create a positive and consistent relationship with the consumer?   To remain focused on that important conversation, bring the team together with information gathered from user research, or any analytics and testing conducted within existing sites (both desktop and mobile). Among the topics included, you should be discussing:   The Site’s Audience   Who makes up your brand’s audience? Does this audience need to be educated first, and does your website provide access to necessary information? Is your audience comprised of a younger crowd that thrives upon social media – and is your website accommodating to…

‘Hashing’ Out An Effective Social Media Grouping Strategy

What originated as a simple system of online labeling has become a part of our offline social vernacular. The hashtag (or more specifically, the number sign, #) is now regularly used in casual conversation to reference an emphasis on a specific subject and has become a pop culture icon in it’s own right. Originally used in 2007 on Twitter to make sense of the 140-character chaos, the idea to apply this method of classification originated from IRC (Internet Relay Chats) dating back to the late 80s. From a social media perspective, the widespread use of the hashtag took some time to gain traction and was further developed and implemented by Twitter in 2009 when the growing company identified the increased usage of the tagging system among its users. The use of hashtags have extended beyond Twitter and has spread successfully to most major social networks with the exception of LinkedIn. Implementing a grouping strategy via hashtags from a…

6 Tips for Writing for the Web

At times, it may be difficult to write for the web, especially when consistent social media interaction and collaboration is required. Writing under pressure can be the driving factor for many content strategists; others, however, may find themselves crushed with writing anxiety. The dreaded “writer’s block.”   Not only must you create original copy, but it must be pertinent, valuable, and relevant to your target audience. The purpose of your content should be developing a voice for your brand, as well as being approachable to your users resulting in increased engagement and client retention/loyalty. Below are some quick, easy tips you can incorporate into your business writing to improve your copy. 1. Just Write Often, we are plagued with needing to come up with the perfect phrasing, obsessing over every word and detail. That’s fine – after you’re finished getting all of your ideas down and elaborated on. Sit down…