As Creative Director in a boutique integrated marketing communications agency, I see an interesting, albeit fragmented view, of the marketing world from where I sit.

It seems that no matter what industry a client represents, and regardless of messaging and positioning or customer buying trends, the bottom line basic B2B strategy is generally the same: Increase corporate brand awareness and product awareness to result in increased revenue. Traditionally, this has translated into familiar marketing tactics: Print ads, brochure(s), datasheets and direct mail. In the current belt-tightening economy, marketers need to consider other options – options that are not only more cost-effective but also offer measurable results. That said, it is truly surprising how often our clients feel compelled to allocate their dwindling budget towards the former rather than the latter. Perhaps this is because the traditional marketing methods feel more “comfortable” than venturing into something new. Or perhaps there is some uncertainty about customer trends and the effectiveness of newer tactics such as web banner ads, e-blasts, online product demos etc. These are important concerns, so let’s take a moment to review current trends and some statistical data. ….click here to read more

When I was growing up, color came in a crayon box. It showed up with mysterious names like periwinkle, and it revealed itself as shades of difference when I rubbed it against my coloring book page. As I became a more sophisticated artist, I began to draw a dark outline around the empty space and color the inside lighter. Little did I know that I was dealing with values variations. I would come to learn that there is much more to color than what Crayola taught me. ….click here to read more

This is the NIA newsletter from December of 2007.
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It’s a random Tuesday morning. You have hardly blown the froth off your double cappuccino latte grande when you get an urgent call to the CEO’s office. “Fire drill. We have to cut the marketing budget by 20%” she says. ….click here to read more