Fuseideas has been hired by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to create and deliver the Celebration Video for the “Mission More Possible” event to be held in April 2011, which acknowledges and thanks the organization's donors.
Award winning Fuseideas is tasked with the production and delivery of the video. The agency's team will creatively refine and direct the celebration video to include script, storyboards, and other media materials that will support its production.
"We are excited to work with Dana-Farber on this exceptional creative initiative," said Dennis Franczak, CEO of Fuseideas. "At Fuseideas, we are pleased to have been selected to produce such a meaningful communication vehicle that will celebrate and acknowledge Dana-Farber's donors and all their hard work."
For more information on Dana-Farber visit: http://www.dana-farber.org/
12/12/10
Fuseideas introduces Metrostyle to StyleBoston TV
Award-winning Fuseideas proudly introduced Metrostyle to the increasingly popular StyleBoston TV program in the last quarter of 2010 with a broadcast ad campaign. Metrostyle is a division of Boston Apparel Group, targeting stylish women ages 35-54 with a unique look. The program was initially aired on NECN, local cable, and has since moved to ABC, and then created the sponsorship.
The two 15sec spots aired during programming as bookends going in and out of StyleBoston TV. The focus of the spots was on winter blues with Metrostyle, that added color, style and flare into the season, and will continue to air through March 2011.
As part of the outreach, Metrostyle also sponsored the StyleBoston host announcement party in November 2010, where the popular show's new host was selected. Metrostyle also provided the apparel the StyleBoston hosts for the event.
The two 15sec spots aired during programming as bookends going in and out of StyleBoston TV. The focus of the spots was on winter blues with Metrostyle, that added color, style and flare into the season, and will continue to air through March 2011.
As part of the outreach, Metrostyle also sponsored the StyleBoston host announcement party in November 2010, where the popular show's new host was selected. Metrostyle also provided the apparel the StyleBoston hosts for the event.
9/8/10
Fuseideas partners with Collette Vacations to launch new product, Explorations
Fuseideas has partnered with Collette Vacations to launch their new brand, Explorations.
Explorations Touring offers guided, luxury small group tours to numerous locations around the world. The website, at www.explorationstouring.com allows users to browse locations and itineraries and book their vacation immediately online.
“We are extremely excited to have worked with Collette Vacations on this brand launch” said Dennis Franczak, CEO of Fuseideas. “The website design gives users an extensive array of visual experience so they can truly understand what the Explorations brand is all about.”
The website launched at the end of August and marketing is supporting the launch via print, online and search engine optimization and search engine marketing.
About Collette Vacations
Based in Pawtucket, RI and launched in 1909, Collette Vacations is a international leader in group tours and vacation packages. Collette Vacations has offices in three countries and offers tours to all 7 continents, yet it is still very much a family business.
Explorations Touring offers guided, luxury small group tours to numerous locations around the world. The website, at www.explorationstouring.com allows users to browse locations and itineraries and book their vacation immediately online.
“We are extremely excited to have worked with Collette Vacations on this brand launch” said Dennis Franczak, CEO of Fuseideas. “The website design gives users an extensive array of visual experience so they can truly understand what the Explorations brand is all about.”
The website launched at the end of August and marketing is supporting the launch via print, online and search engine optimization and search engine marketing.
About Collette Vacations
Based in Pawtucket, RI and launched in 1909, Collette Vacations is a international leader in group tours and vacation packages. Collette Vacations has offices in three countries and offers tours to all 7 continents, yet it is still very much a family business.
Fuseideas scores in women’s fashion with Chadwicks
Fuseideas will be working with Boston Apparel Group on a new fall campaign for their Chadwicks brand.
Chadwicks is a flagship brand of Boston Apparel Group and features a wide variety of women’s fashion styles for women of all types and sizes. Their current tagline is “Great Style is Possible.”
“We are extremely excited to partner with the Chadwicks brand team on this project,” said Dennis Franczak, CEO of Fuseideas. “The energy of their in-house team combined with our creative ideas will make this a powerful campaign. We’re honored to partner with them to develop a great campaign.”
Work will break in early October in select markets in the US and will primarily be online and print.
Chadwicks is a flagship brand of Boston Apparel Group and features a wide variety of women’s fashion styles for women of all types and sizes. Their current tagline is “Great Style is Possible.”
“We are extremely excited to partner with the Chadwicks brand team on this project,” said Dennis Franczak, CEO of Fuseideas. “The energy of their in-house team combined with our creative ideas will make this a powerful campaign. We’re honored to partner with them to develop a great campaign.”
Work will break in early October in select markets in the US and will primarily be online and print.
7/2/10
Fuseideas Executes 2010 World Cup Campaign for Univision
(Somerville, MA) June 24, 2010 -- Fuseideas has created and executed a successful Hispanic Affiliate trade campaign for Univision for creative delivery of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Via the landing page www.univisionshotatglory.com that was built, Univision was able to uniquely deliver the World Cup games on all three networks in HD, On Demand and Online. Those who registered on the website received promotional gifts (a soccer ball, while supplies last) from Univision Networks.
The interactive campaign named “The Highest Definition Of Glory,” referring to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was published in print and online, including Multichannel Merchant.
Our idea was to roadblock the entire site so we owned all the ads on the site. We are doing this on very finite days in the campaign and it has proven to be very effective.
The campaign will run through the World Cup and Univision has already garnered positive campaign results and notoriety in the business press.
Via the landing page www.univisionshotatglory.com that was built, Univision was able to uniquely deliver the World Cup games on all three networks in HD, On Demand and Online. Those who registered on the website received promotional gifts (a soccer ball, while supplies last) from Univision Networks.
The interactive campaign named “The Highest Definition Of Glory,” referring to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was published in print and online, including Multichannel Merchant.
Our idea was to roadblock the entire site so we owned all the ads on the site. We are doing this on very finite days in the campaign and it has proven to be very effective.
The campaign will run through the World Cup and Univision has already garnered positive campaign results and notoriety in the business press.
6/29/10
Are Webinars effective marketing tools anymore?
The quick answer is "it depends." Depending on your company, business model, service or product, the key to a successful webinar is to offer valuable information to participants who are interested in giving up an hour of their work time to listen to you.
Before you choose to do a webinar, keep these tips in mind:
- Your target market will associate you with webinars quickly. If you decide to start hosting one webinar, you'll have to keep hosting them to become effective marketing tools and build a loyal following. Plan a series of topics and spread them accordingly over time to sustain interest.
- You must be willing and comfortable on a live web talking to a group of strangers you can't even see, hear them talk, or read their body language.
- Make sure your equipment works well so that the live feed is not interrupted. The last thing you want is technical issues interfering with your webinar.
- Be an authority of your subject matter. There are great webinars out there from self proclaimed gurus who know their topic well and offer quality tips to the participant. Stay on top of topics you can really develop a good Q&A at the end of your webinar, so that your audience can identify with you and your company should they need your services.
- Collect feedback. After the webinar, send a quick thank you email and find out from participants what they though. Offering a small incentive, such as a discount if you are charging a fee, can motivate participants to submit valuable feedback. Social media helps also, with Facebook and Twitter, especially.
Twitter @fuseideas
www.fuseideas.com
Before you choose to do a webinar, keep these tips in mind:
- Your target market will associate you with webinars quickly. If you decide to start hosting one webinar, you'll have to keep hosting them to become effective marketing tools and build a loyal following. Plan a series of topics and spread them accordingly over time to sustain interest.
- You must be willing and comfortable on a live web talking to a group of strangers you can't even see, hear them talk, or read their body language.
- Make sure your equipment works well so that the live feed is not interrupted. The last thing you want is technical issues interfering with your webinar.
- Be an authority of your subject matter. There are great webinars out there from self proclaimed gurus who know their topic well and offer quality tips to the participant. Stay on top of topics you can really develop a good Q&A at the end of your webinar, so that your audience can identify with you and your company should they need your services.
- Collect feedback. After the webinar, send a quick thank you email and find out from participants what they though. Offering a small incentive, such as a discount if you are charging a fee, can motivate participants to submit valuable feedback. Social media helps also, with Facebook and Twitter, especially.
Twitter @fuseideas
www.fuseideas.com
6/17/10
Making Email Marketing better
It's true that we've moved on from email marketing from the days of Constant Contact. While social media have revolutionized the marketing approach to email, not all is lost. Improvement is key. Here are some pointers:
- Go through your database regularly and comb the emails to find the best ones to reach out to.
- Learn to personalize emails as much as possible. Don't blind send emails to people, they get too much junk already.
- Use the KIS approach: keep it simple. Period.
- Use an easy call for action. Don't overload with rules and exceptions. Either you are offering good value that makes sense to your customers, or the email goes to trash
- Don't send too many emails. Once a month is plenty these days. It's enough to stay in touch and keep your brand in the front of your customers' minds.
- Reply personally. If you get a direct response from one of your mass emails, respond promptly and address questions efficiently. Part of successful marketing is assigning value in customer relationships.
At Fuseideas, we implement e-newsletters and e-blasts with a strategic approach that is part of our client's integrated marketing communications campaign. E-mail can only get your so far, but it is still worth adding to your mix.
www.fuseideas.com
- Go through your database regularly and comb the emails to find the best ones to reach out to.
- Learn to personalize emails as much as possible. Don't blind send emails to people, they get too much junk already.
- Use the KIS approach: keep it simple. Period.
- Use an easy call for action. Don't overload with rules and exceptions. Either you are offering good value that makes sense to your customers, or the email goes to trash
- Don't send too many emails. Once a month is plenty these days. It's enough to stay in touch and keep your brand in the front of your customers' minds.
- Reply personally. If you get a direct response from one of your mass emails, respond promptly and address questions efficiently. Part of successful marketing is assigning value in customer relationships.
At Fuseideas, we implement e-newsletters and e-blasts with a strategic approach that is part of our client's integrated marketing communications campaign. E-mail can only get your so far, but it is still worth adding to your mix.
www.fuseideas.com
6/9/10
FUSEIDEAS HIRES NEW VP OF CLIENT SERVICES
SOMERVILLE, MA – June 8, 2010 – Fuseideas, a premier full-service advertising, interactive and public relations agency, has added Traci Bergan-deBakker as a new member of the management team. As a VP of Client Services and Media Director, Bergan-deBakker is charged with overseeing all agency accounts and manage the interactive team on an array of projects.
Proficient in Spanish, Bergan-deBakker brings over a decade of experience in the integrated marketing communications in her new role at Fuseideas. She started her career at Deutsch Inc. in New York City, where she worked as a Media Planner for Mitsubishi and Reflect.com. She then accepted a position at Universal McCann in San Francisco as a Multi-National Media Planner for Microsoft. After moving to Boston in 2004, she joined The VIA Group, working with clients including HP Hood, TD Banknorth, WilmerHale, Silverstein Properties, and CBS Radio. Most recently, Bergan-deBakker lead the CoCo Key Water Resort marketing department as the in-house Director of Marketing, managing both their Boston and Fitchburg, MA locations, along with an array of portfolio-wide marketing initiatives.
“Traci’s client approach and media expertise is what we are looking for at Fuseideas, especially as we grow our agency in the face of a new decade. I am excited to bring her on board with the rest of our team as the VP of Client Services and Media Director.” said Dennis Franczak, CEO and founder of Fuseideas. “Her knowledge and experience with international brands provides our agency with a window to new opportunities for growth and new business.”
Bergan-deBakker holds as a Bachelor degree in Business Management and Spanish from Gettysburg College.
Twitter: @fuseideas / Facebook: Fusesideas1 / Blog:
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Proficient in Spanish, Bergan-deBakker brings over a decade of experience in the integrated marketing communications in her new role at Fuseideas. She started her career at Deutsch Inc. in New York City, where she worked as a Media Planner for Mitsubishi and Reflect.com. She then accepted a position at Universal McCann in San Francisco as a Multi-National Media Planner for Microsoft. After moving to Boston in 2004, she joined The VIA Group, working with clients including HP Hood, TD Banknorth, WilmerHale, Silverstein Properties, and CBS Radio. Most recently, Bergan-deBakker lead the CoCo Key Water Resort marketing department as the in-house Director of Marketing, managing both their Boston and Fitchburg, MA locations, along with an array of portfolio-wide marketing initiatives.
“Traci’s client approach and media expertise is what we are looking for at Fuseideas, especially as we grow our agency in the face of a new decade. I am excited to bring her on board with the rest of our team as the VP of Client Services and Media Director.” said Dennis Franczak, CEO and founder of Fuseideas. “Her knowledge and experience with international brands provides our agency with a window to new opportunities for growth and new business.”
Bergan-deBakker holds as a Bachelor degree in Business Management and Spanish from Gettysburg College.
Twitter: @fuseideas / Facebook: Fusesideas1 / Blog:
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6/7/10
Camp Waziyatah Welcomes Fuseideas as First Agency
Camp Waziyatah, located in Waterford, Maine, has selected Fuseideas as its first agency of record.
Fuseideas has been tasked to work on a variety of assignments including theater ads, print, online, social media and public relations for the Camp, which is located on 130 acres of beautiful woods and fields bordering a privately owned, spring-fed lake at the head of the Sebago Lake watershed in Maine.
Fuse is working with new Owners / Directors Greg and Mitch Parker, who host boys and girls from all over the world come to the grounds affectionately known as “Camp Wazi”. Camp Waziyatah, www.wazi.com, has been open for the past 89 summers, and offers campers over 40 activities.
“We are excited to be working with Fuseideas on this marketing communications initiative,” said the Parker Brothers. “We believe that an integrated approach with interactive and traditional media will provide us with the exposure we need for our potential campers at Wazi.”
About Camp Waziyatah
Summer lasts forever at Wazi! Since 1920, Camp Waziyatah has been helping kids ages 7-17 achieve personal growth and create positive peers relationships that last a lifetime. The camp offers the highest counselor-to-camper ratio in the country, and offers over 40 activities for kids, from archery to wakeboarding. www.wazi.com
Fuseideas has been tasked to work on a variety of assignments including theater ads, print, online, social media and public relations for the Camp, which is located on 130 acres of beautiful woods and fields bordering a privately owned, spring-fed lake at the head of the Sebago Lake watershed in Maine.
Fuse is working with new Owners / Directors Greg and Mitch Parker, who host boys and girls from all over the world come to the grounds affectionately known as “Camp Wazi”. Camp Waziyatah, www.wazi.com, has been open for the past 89 summers, and offers campers over 40 activities.
“We are excited to be working with Fuseideas on this marketing communications initiative,” said the Parker Brothers. “We believe that an integrated approach with interactive and traditional media will provide us with the exposure we need for our potential campers at Wazi.”
About Camp Waziyatah
Summer lasts forever at Wazi! Since 1920, Camp Waziyatah has been helping kids ages 7-17 achieve personal growth and create positive peers relationships that last a lifetime. The camp offers the highest counselor-to-camper ratio in the country, and offers over 40 activities for kids, from archery to wakeboarding. www.wazi.com
6/1/10
Agency of the Future
We're in a new decade and the emerging trend of social media are dictating how we market to audiences. The viral factor is directly influenced by the popularity of the mob social networks, which are still called the big three: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
As these evolve, so do marketing and advertising tactics. Responsiveness to the fickle nature of the new, rich media is just as important as creativity.
The agency of the future must be a strong force fighting along with the constant changes, adapting to new technologies and learning to continuously converge of digital media in traditional campaigns.
Once agencies learn how to maintain a balance between understanding emerging digital media and learning how to manipulate new applications, the big ideas and creativity will flow like water on a stream. We work in a digital world, but most of the marketing principles have not (and should not) change the process of producing good work for our clients.
www.fuseideas.com
www.twitter.com/fuseideas
www.facebook.com/fuseideas1
As these evolve, so do marketing and advertising tactics. Responsiveness to the fickle nature of the new, rich media is just as important as creativity.
The agency of the future must be a strong force fighting along with the constant changes, adapting to new technologies and learning to continuously converge of digital media in traditional campaigns.
Once agencies learn how to maintain a balance between understanding emerging digital media and learning how to manipulate new applications, the big ideas and creativity will flow like water on a stream. We work in a digital world, but most of the marketing principles have not (and should not) change the process of producing good work for our clients.
www.fuseideas.com
www.twitter.com/fuseideas
www.facebook.com/fuseideas1
5/17/10
SMM: Foursquare or Facebook?
Great article in today's Business Insider about Facebook and Foursquare. There are concerns about Facebook's privacy issues and how that affects potential advertisers. We think that it's still too early to know what will happen.
Foursquare's mere 1.2 million users (versus 450 million FB users) are becoming increasingly attractive to big companies, such as Pepsi, and even publishers are starting to circle around the mobile app to tap its viral marketing potential.
While we don't know yet what plans Facebook has for location, marketers increasingly have more options on where and how to advertise on social media and how to adjust their strategy.
Right now Foursquare is the next best thing, and definitely very popular with its "checkin" feature. It will be an interesting year monitoring how this will evolve... Should Facebook just buy Foursquare?
www.fuseideas.com
Facebook
Twitter
Foursquare's mere 1.2 million users (versus 450 million FB users) are becoming increasingly attractive to big companies, such as Pepsi, and even publishers are starting to circle around the mobile app to tap its viral marketing potential.
While we don't know yet what plans Facebook has for location, marketers increasingly have more options on where and how to advertise on social media and how to adjust their strategy.
Right now Foursquare is the next best thing, and definitely very popular with its "checkin" feature. It will be an interesting year monitoring how this will evolve... Should Facebook just buy Foursquare?
www.fuseideas.com
5/10/10
Staying productive while chasing new business
As a CEO of a small agency, the largest part of my focus is going after new business while ensuring that current clients are happy. We explored what it is like to keep a balance between operations, staffing needs, internal marketing, accounting, and of course, new business.
Since responding to RFPs, meeting deadlines, and attending prospect meetings require a lot of travel, how do you make sure that you are productive while on the road? Here are some thoughts:
- Be accessible. It's one thing to turn off your phone when you are in a meeting trying to land an account. But, your staff at the agency's headquarters will need to reach you at times to get your approval on things, or find you if a crisis breaks out. It's important to empower and trust your employees so that they can go above and beyond their job scope and get things done while you are away.
- Check email. We all get our emails on our smartphones nowadays, but learn to unclutter your inbox quickly. Remember, giving a short response is better than no response. If not responded right away, many emails get lost in the shuffle, and you may end up embarrassed in the long run. It's important to know what's going on.
- If you are going to be away for more than two days, definitely schedule a daily call - no more than ten minutes - with your headquarters. Have an assigned staff member to go through updates at your agency. It's a good way to stay connected, and to also answer any questions that need immediate attention.
- Post social media updates. Sure, why not? If you are a CEO and are connected to clients on Facebook or Twitter, why not post updates on what you are up to. Clients like to see you are staying active in your agency. In fact, social media are notorious for opening dialogue and possibly even impromptu meetings... if a client happens to be in the same town as you!
- Carve out time for other tasks. While you are on the road focusing on winning new business, it is still important to learn to make the time to attend to current client business. Remember, your current clients is the only reason you are in business. You can only expect your staff to handle so much while you are away. Besides, one of the reasons those clients came to you is because you offer their account a personal touch!
After all that's done... go out and see the sights!
Since responding to RFPs, meeting deadlines, and attending prospect meetings require a lot of travel, how do you make sure that you are productive while on the road? Here are some thoughts:
- Be accessible. It's one thing to turn off your phone when you are in a meeting trying to land an account. But, your staff at the agency's headquarters will need to reach you at times to get your approval on things, or find you if a crisis breaks out. It's important to empower and trust your employees so that they can go above and beyond their job scope and get things done while you are away.
- Check email. We all get our emails on our smartphones nowadays, but learn to unclutter your inbox quickly. Remember, giving a short response is better than no response. If not responded right away, many emails get lost in the shuffle, and you may end up embarrassed in the long run. It's important to know what's going on.
- If you are going to be away for more than two days, definitely schedule a daily call - no more than ten minutes - with your headquarters. Have an assigned staff member to go through updates at your agency. It's a good way to stay connected, and to also answer any questions that need immediate attention.
- Post social media updates. Sure, why not? If you are a CEO and are connected to clients on Facebook or Twitter, why not post updates on what you are up to. Clients like to see you are staying active in your agency. In fact, social media are notorious for opening dialogue and possibly even impromptu meetings... if a client happens to be in the same town as you!
- Carve out time for other tasks. While you are on the road focusing on winning new business, it is still important to learn to make the time to attend to current client business. Remember, your current clients is the only reason you are in business. You can only expect your staff to handle so much while you are away. Besides, one of the reasons those clients came to you is because you offer their account a personal touch!
After all that's done... go out and see the sights!
5/3/10
Fuseideas' client, YouFloral, makes it on the TODAY SHOW!
We're always excited when one of our clients, especially a new product launch, receives nationwide attention. Fuseideas is in the process of launching www.YouFloral.com, the only floral website that provides customers a unique, interactive experience of designing their own vase with a photo and message. Along with a huge variety of fresh flower arrangements, the VaseExpression (which is a waterproof liner) makes the message timeless and beautiful for the recipient.
This was the idea when Robyn Spizman presented YouFloral arrangements on the NBC'S TODAY SHOW this past Friday as part of her recommendations for Mother's Day!
Way to go!
Twitter@YouFloral
www.youfloral.com
This was the idea when Robyn Spizman presented YouFloral arrangements on the NBC'S TODAY SHOW this past Friday as part of her recommendations for Mother's Day!
Way to go!
Twitter@YouFloral
www.youfloral.com
4/20/10
Keeping it all Together: Running your agency and staying current
One of the biggest challenges that small agencies face in a digital world is having to stay current with new and emerging technologies and marketing communications trends.
In fact, interactive agencies have to be at the very cutting edge of new media.
How do you juggle, stay current and not drop the ball? Our CEO, Dennis Franczak suggests these techniques:
- Monitor the news environment. Staying informed means reading material that relates to your clients, your business, your field, and your competition. Subscribe to high quality content that will provide you with solid information, and keep you current on the new market trends. Reading good material is also a great source for conversation started at business meetings and networking events
- Write a blog is no longer enough... become a contributor. Let's face it, nearly every agency pens a blog these days. Whether your blog is good or not depends on how much you enjoy writing it, how often your write it, and how helpful are the tips and topics you blog about. That's not enough these days.
Becoming a contributor or guest blogger on a respected industry website is an excellent branding opportunity for your agency. Sharing insights and information from your own experience in a small agency through viral content is very competitive and well-appreciated from clients and others in the industry.
- Keep it all viral and connected. This one is self-explanatory, but naturally you want to maximize the impact of your agency's brand. Whether it's new work you want to show, a new campaign you are announcing, or a new client, using social media to virally connect with your contacts and friends is integral to your internal marketing effort
- Clients still want it all. You can't compromise the client's work. Period. Somehow, even with a million new things popping up at your agency, you still have to have your priorities straight. A happy client makes a happy agency. And vice versa.
- Mingle and network. While online relationships have taken over, there's still something about that first handshake and small talk that make face time much more personal and genuine to the business approach. Don't stop going to networking parties, industry award ceremonies and seminars. You don't know who you will meet and how that contact can turn into a client. Some things just don't change.
Twitter@fuseideas
Facebook
www.fuseideas.com
In fact, interactive agencies have to be at the very cutting edge of new media.
How do you juggle, stay current and not drop the ball? Our CEO, Dennis Franczak suggests these techniques:
- Monitor the news environment. Staying informed means reading material that relates to your clients, your business, your field, and your competition. Subscribe to high quality content that will provide you with solid information, and keep you current on the new market trends. Reading good material is also a great source for conversation started at business meetings and networking events
- Write a blog is no longer enough... become a contributor. Let's face it, nearly every agency pens a blog these days. Whether your blog is good or not depends on how much you enjoy writing it, how often your write it, and how helpful are the tips and topics you blog about. That's not enough these days.
Becoming a contributor or guest blogger on a respected industry website is an excellent branding opportunity for your agency. Sharing insights and information from your own experience in a small agency through viral content is very competitive and well-appreciated from clients and others in the industry.
- Keep it all viral and connected. This one is self-explanatory, but naturally you want to maximize the impact of your agency's brand. Whether it's new work you want to show, a new campaign you are announcing, or a new client, using social media to virally connect with your contacts and friends is integral to your internal marketing effort
- Clients still want it all. You can't compromise the client's work. Period. Somehow, even with a million new things popping up at your agency, you still have to have your priorities straight. A happy client makes a happy agency. And vice versa.
- Mingle and network. While online relationships have taken over, there's still something about that first handshake and small talk that make face time much more personal and genuine to the business approach. Don't stop going to networking parties, industry award ceremonies and seminars. You don't know who you will meet and how that contact can turn into a client. Some things just don't change.
Twitter@fuseideas
www.fuseideas.com
4/9/10
Fuseideas Launches YouFloral.com
Small Interactive Agency Spearheads Public Relations & Interactive Marketing Campaign for Innovative Floral Site
Our award winning small marketing and advertising agency has just launched YouFloral.com - a cutting edge floral website that is transforming the way customers send flowers in the industry!
Fuseideas is leading interactive marketing, social media and public relations efforts on behalf of www.YouFloral.com, a Mass based business that delivers the freshest flowers next day anywhere in the US, and is also the inventor of a unique personalization tool, called VaseExpressions™. A VaseExpression is a is a full-color, waterproof liner, which is secured inside an elegant glass vase. Customers can choose from a wide variety of attractive, seasonal vase designs, and then add a personal message, photo, or both, to send to their loved ones. The VaseExpression™ is timeless; once the recipient is finished with the flowers, the VaseExpression™ can be very easily removed from the vase. It then lies flat so it can be placed into a special frame, album, or scrapbook as a treasured keepsake.
Fuseideas’ CEO, Dennis Franczak anticipates great success with the YouFloral.com marketing campaign, “By harnessing the power of social media, along with utilizing traditional communication and public relations tactics, we believe that YouFloral’s message will spread virally far and wide, steadily building a loyal base of customers, while setting a cutting edge trend for true personalization in the flower buying experience,” said Mr. Franczak.
According to the agency, YouFloral will be utilizing social media extensively as part of its launch campaign, and will be publishing specials via Facebook, including an application to send free virtual flowers and VaseExpressions to friends. Already securing positive press by the agency, YouFloral is also expected to launch a blog on its website offering advice, seasonal tips, and exploring creative ways to enjoy flowers at their freshest.
About YouFloral
Massachusetts based YouFloral.com is the inventor and exclusive provider of VaseExpressions™, a new, patent-pending product that enables its customers to personalize and customize a floral vase. YouFloral emerges in the floral market and appeals to customers who want to fully personalize the traditional, thoughtful gesture of sending flowers to those who matter most by making their message timeless in a VaseExpression™. www.YouFloral.com Twitter@youfloral
Twitter@fuseideas / www.Facebook.com/fuseideas1
Our award winning small marketing and advertising agency has just launched YouFloral.com - a cutting edge floral website that is transforming the way customers send flowers in the industry!
Fuseideas is leading interactive marketing, social media and public relations efforts on behalf of www.YouFloral.com, a Mass based business that delivers the freshest flowers next day anywhere in the US, and is also the inventor of a unique personalization tool, called VaseExpressions™. A VaseExpression is a is a full-color, waterproof liner, which is secured inside an elegant glass vase. Customers can choose from a wide variety of attractive, seasonal vase designs, and then add a personal message, photo, or both, to send to their loved ones. The VaseExpression™ is timeless; once the recipient is finished with the flowers, the VaseExpression™ can be very easily removed from the vase. It then lies flat so it can be placed into a special frame, album, or scrapbook as a treasured keepsake.
Fuseideas’ CEO, Dennis Franczak anticipates great success with the YouFloral.com marketing campaign, “By harnessing the power of social media, along with utilizing traditional communication and public relations tactics, we believe that YouFloral’s message will spread virally far and wide, steadily building a loyal base of customers, while setting a cutting edge trend for true personalization in the flower buying experience,” said Mr. Franczak.
According to the agency, YouFloral will be utilizing social media extensively as part of its launch campaign, and will be publishing specials via Facebook, including an application to send free virtual flowers and VaseExpressions to friends. Already securing positive press by the agency, YouFloral is also expected to launch a blog on its website offering advice, seasonal tips, and exploring creative ways to enjoy flowers at their freshest.
About YouFloral
Massachusetts based YouFloral.com is the inventor and exclusive provider of VaseExpressions™, a new, patent-pending product that enables its customers to personalize and customize a floral vase. YouFloral emerges in the floral market and appeals to customers who want to fully personalize the traditional, thoughtful gesture of sending flowers to those who matter most by making their message timeless in a VaseExpression™. www.YouFloral.com Twitter@youfloral
Twitter@fuseideas / www.Facebook.com/fuseideas1
4/7/10
Beyond Economic Recovery and Brand Shakeout: Rebuilding Integrated Marketing Communications for the New Decade
The first decade of the new millennium taught us some very important lessons in integrated marketing communications (IMC). Many agencies made the leap to new media mainly by introducing new apps, cutting edge creative and capitalizing on short term strategies. Information Technology kept booming and the need to share information instantly was at the forefront of producing and delivering generally good marketing work.
Into the first decade, fueled by the growing technology and impact of tremendous world events, blogs exploded in an alarming rate, changing the face of publishing as we knew it. Suddenly, anyone could become a reporter, a self-proclaimed guru of something, the moderator of an online forum, or a podcast host. As a result, brand messaging was under siege; public opinions surged on the internet through a variety of venues, allowing for comments, conversations, both wanted (and lots of unwanted) feedback about any topic was available in just a few clicks.
Those were the early days of the brewing social media era, which eventually gave birth to networks that have now popularized the trend of sharing free information, in an instant, with few regulations hovering. The crisis of the publishing industry was peaking by the mid-2000’s, The MySpace revolution, which preceded the Facebook and Twitter craze started a trend that has essentially become a marketer’s dream.
The viral component of social media paired with an anemic economy that is, at best, struggling to recover, have become vital assets to most IMC campaigns for the next decade. Social media, just like any of the rest of the strategic IMC components (advertising, PR, direct mail, traditional marketing) are interdependent; they work well as part of a full integrated interactive campaign, and can also be successful on their own.
We have officially entered a new decade, filled with prospects, new beginnings and fresh outlooks on business. With new possibilities forming, small agencies have the unique opportunity to cultivate each of IMC’s strategic marketing components to service their clients the best they ever have. A fresh agency perspective and healthy client relationships will lead to exciting projects, great creative and award worthy campaigns. Quality work. Relationships. Credibility. Organic profitability. Those are keywords I am keeping in mind this decade for Fuse/ideas. I would like to share some of my own insights for 2010 and beyond, because I truly believe we are at a crossroads where the agency world has the real potential to become exciting, productive, and above all re-energized:
- What do you stand for? This is the biggest question of the decade, and it needs to be answered by both clients and agencies. Developing a brand positioning statement isn’t easy work. Reposition a brand to adjust to new times can be even more challenging. The key is to ask the right questions and have the right people help you answer them. Often times, we get caught up with little details of everyday operations and neglect to put an idea into perspective. If we can get better in keeping things simple for a brand, yet constantly engaging in new practices, then the higher the potential for success.
- Build a solid brand. This may be obvious, but it is a time consuming process. Building a solid brand takes a strategic approach to marketing and it’s not magic. It could even take years to build a solid brand, but the time spent will be well-worth it. Often times clients get frustrated because they expect results much sooner, while an agency keeps trying to lay the foundation to build the brand. As a result, they pull out their budget and start from scratch with another agency, and so on. Think of building your own home, where you want to raise your family. You want the safest and best materials so that your home will be a solid, strong and fun place to live. The same notion applies to the brand. Clients must hold agencies accountable in expecting progress, but need to be patient in the process of building the brand, especially in the early stages.
- Learn new apps/skills. Agencies will continue to utilize new applications and understand how to use them to serve their clients’ needs best. Whether it’s new social media apps that prove to be great marketing tools or brushing up on Internet writing, agencies and clients must work together to create and execute campaigns that will stand out from the rest
- Everyone is a critic, so be your own. And be the best. This one reflects my own personal philosophy in business and life. There’s no one out there that knows your business better than you, or at least, there shouldn’t be. You have to stay disciplined through the tough business cycles and learn to adapt in harsh times. The same applies to the work we produce here at Fuse/ideas. If we are not happy with creative or a PR campaign, we immediately rethink it and make changes as necessary. If you learn how to become your own constructive critic, it will pay dividends with your clients, your staff and above all it will benefit your business.
- Engage and participate. This is a powerful keyword that marks the beginning of this decade. Social media are at the forefront of engaging in new ideas and participating in conversations. Relationships have shifted to online rather than the traditional face to face communication. Online relationship matter and they can bring business through networking more than ever. For that matter, we need to learn to ask questions on those networks, and when we are done, keep asking more to understand the dynamic of social media, and continuously monitor their evolving nature.
A long time ago, I read somewhere a quote that stayed with me: "There are three types of people, those who watch things happen, those who make things happen and those who wonder what happened." It’s clear that agencies should make things happen in a growing digital world, but we have to look within our business and develop a structure that will help us work through this economic crisis and beyond. By looking in and setting strategic goals for our business and our clients, the agency world will eventually, once again, hail and prevail. In the end, appreciating the lessons from the last ten years not only help us gain a solid understanding of how we got here, but also empower us to create the path for the new decade.
Dennis Franczak, CEO of Fuseideas
www.fuseideas.com
Facebook
Twitter
Into the first decade, fueled by the growing technology and impact of tremendous world events, blogs exploded in an alarming rate, changing the face of publishing as we knew it. Suddenly, anyone could become a reporter, a self-proclaimed guru of something, the moderator of an online forum, or a podcast host. As a result, brand messaging was under siege; public opinions surged on the internet through a variety of venues, allowing for comments, conversations, both wanted (and lots of unwanted) feedback about any topic was available in just a few clicks.
Those were the early days of the brewing social media era, which eventually gave birth to networks that have now popularized the trend of sharing free information, in an instant, with few regulations hovering. The crisis of the publishing industry was peaking by the mid-2000’s, The MySpace revolution, which preceded the Facebook and Twitter craze started a trend that has essentially become a marketer’s dream.
The viral component of social media paired with an anemic economy that is, at best, struggling to recover, have become vital assets to most IMC campaigns for the next decade. Social media, just like any of the rest of the strategic IMC components (advertising, PR, direct mail, traditional marketing) are interdependent; they work well as part of a full integrated interactive campaign, and can also be successful on their own.
We have officially entered a new decade, filled with prospects, new beginnings and fresh outlooks on business. With new possibilities forming, small agencies have the unique opportunity to cultivate each of IMC’s strategic marketing components to service their clients the best they ever have. A fresh agency perspective and healthy client relationships will lead to exciting projects, great creative and award worthy campaigns. Quality work. Relationships. Credibility. Organic profitability. Those are keywords I am keeping in mind this decade for Fuse/ideas. I would like to share some of my own insights for 2010 and beyond, because I truly believe we are at a crossroads where the agency world has the real potential to become exciting, productive, and above all re-energized:
- What do you stand for? This is the biggest question of the decade, and it needs to be answered by both clients and agencies. Developing a brand positioning statement isn’t easy work. Reposition a brand to adjust to new times can be even more challenging. The key is to ask the right questions and have the right people help you answer them. Often times, we get caught up with little details of everyday operations and neglect to put an idea into perspective. If we can get better in keeping things simple for a brand, yet constantly engaging in new practices, then the higher the potential for success.
- Build a solid brand. This may be obvious, but it is a time consuming process. Building a solid brand takes a strategic approach to marketing and it’s not magic. It could even take years to build a solid brand, but the time spent will be well-worth it. Often times clients get frustrated because they expect results much sooner, while an agency keeps trying to lay the foundation to build the brand. As a result, they pull out their budget and start from scratch with another agency, and so on. Think of building your own home, where you want to raise your family. You want the safest and best materials so that your home will be a solid, strong and fun place to live. The same notion applies to the brand. Clients must hold agencies accountable in expecting progress, but need to be patient in the process of building the brand, especially in the early stages.
- Learn new apps/skills. Agencies will continue to utilize new applications and understand how to use them to serve their clients’ needs best. Whether it’s new social media apps that prove to be great marketing tools or brushing up on Internet writing, agencies and clients must work together to create and execute campaigns that will stand out from the rest
- Everyone is a critic, so be your own. And be the best. This one reflects my own personal philosophy in business and life. There’s no one out there that knows your business better than you, or at least, there shouldn’t be. You have to stay disciplined through the tough business cycles and learn to adapt in harsh times. The same applies to the work we produce here at Fuse/ideas. If we are not happy with creative or a PR campaign, we immediately rethink it and make changes as necessary. If you learn how to become your own constructive critic, it will pay dividends with your clients, your staff and above all it will benefit your business.
- Engage and participate. This is a powerful keyword that marks the beginning of this decade. Social media are at the forefront of engaging in new ideas and participating in conversations. Relationships have shifted to online rather than the traditional face to face communication. Online relationship matter and they can bring business through networking more than ever. For that matter, we need to learn to ask questions on those networks, and when we are done, keep asking more to understand the dynamic of social media, and continuously monitor their evolving nature.
A long time ago, I read somewhere a quote that stayed with me: "There are three types of people, those who watch things happen, those who make things happen and those who wonder what happened." It’s clear that agencies should make things happen in a growing digital world, but we have to look within our business and develop a structure that will help us work through this economic crisis and beyond. By looking in and setting strategic goals for our business and our clients, the agency world will eventually, once again, hail and prevail. In the end, appreciating the lessons from the last ten years not only help us gain a solid understanding of how we got here, but also empower us to create the path for the new decade.
Dennis Franczak, CEO of Fuseideas
www.fuseideas.com
3/29/10
Will Foursquare become the next marketer's dream?
Believe it or not we have entered the post-Twitter era. Just a year after its boom, experts are wondering: what will be the next popular social media network?
There are several that have crept up, such as Google Buzz, which is basically a copycat of Twitter, but it hasn't caught on as well as expected. I have been reading more and more about Foursquare - the uber creative interactive app that offers digital crowd-sourcing and has the potential to revolutionize peer-to-peer marketing.
Foursquare has been signing on big marketing contracts left and right, and is becoming popular by the day. From a marketing point of view, it's an excellent way to promote a business by getting Foursquare folks to digitally "check-in" to their location, offer special deals and promotions to "mayors" of places (mayor= a person who "checks-in" the most over others).
It's an incredible and adaptable social media application that is already transforming the way people connect and share information about places they go and experience. At Fuseideas, we vote YES to Foursquare!
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There are several that have crept up, such as Google Buzz, which is basically a copycat of Twitter, but it hasn't caught on as well as expected. I have been reading more and more about Foursquare - the uber creative interactive app that offers digital crowd-sourcing and has the potential to revolutionize peer-to-peer marketing.
Foursquare has been signing on big marketing contracts left and right, and is becoming popular by the day. From a marketing point of view, it's an excellent way to promote a business by getting Foursquare folks to digitally "check-in" to their location, offer special deals and promotions to "mayors" of places (mayor= a person who "checks-in" the most over others).
It's an incredible and adaptable social media application that is already transforming the way people connect and share information about places they go and experience. At Fuseideas, we vote YES to Foursquare!
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3/23/10
Five key challenges small ad agencies face today
Sometimes challenges feel endless for small business owners, but overcoming the obstacles is part of identifying them. As a small business CEO, here are the top five challenges I tackle every day to make sure my business grows and thrives!
1.) Commitment to new business. It's a juggling act of time, creativity, work, cash, and staffing, but going after new business is just as vital as maintaining your accounts, streamlining good work for clients, and keeping the pipeline full of new opportunities for them.
2.) Moving up the food chain to compete with larger agencies on bigger pieces of business. Small agencies shouldn't be afraid of going after massive projects or large accounts. There are concrete benefits in being serviced by small ad agencies, but it is a challenge to compete with big fish agencies. Internal agency branding is important as well - showcase expertise and project work and make it viral with social media.
3.) Being stereotyped as a particular type of agency. While hyperfocusing is already challenging, specialization can backfire and leave you out of big RFPs your agency can service. Try to avoid being the hi-tech agency, or the lifestyle only agency. Capitalizing on your expertise can help you leverage and win new business without being sterotyped.
4.) Getting the attention of agency search consultants who only pick from their regular flock of agencies. I face this challenge very often. It benefits businesses to look outside their list of regulars and be open to fresh new ideas, especially in today's ever changing environment. Getting your agency's name and message out there requires dedication, persistence and time well spent.
5.) The normal small business operations issues. Cash flow, staffing, time lags, client management, reporting, accounting are required daily operations that must be handled and managed well. Time management skills are put to the test with this challenge; for any machine to work, it must be well oiled and maintained!
As a business owner, finding a balance within the load of all the responsibility is key. It isn't easy, and there are always setbacks I have to manage. But, I keep thinking that by tackling challenges head on, I take the first step in overtaking them.
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www.fuseideas.com
1.) Commitment to new business. It's a juggling act of time, creativity, work, cash, and staffing, but going after new business is just as vital as maintaining your accounts, streamlining good work for clients, and keeping the pipeline full of new opportunities for them.
2.) Moving up the food chain to compete with larger agencies on bigger pieces of business. Small agencies shouldn't be afraid of going after massive projects or large accounts. There are concrete benefits in being serviced by small ad agencies, but it is a challenge to compete with big fish agencies. Internal agency branding is important as well - showcase expertise and project work and make it viral with social media.
3.) Being stereotyped as a particular type of agency. While hyperfocusing is already challenging, specialization can backfire and leave you out of big RFPs your agency can service. Try to avoid being the hi-tech agency, or the lifestyle only agency. Capitalizing on your expertise can help you leverage and win new business without being sterotyped.
4.) Getting the attention of agency search consultants who only pick from their regular flock of agencies. I face this challenge very often. It benefits businesses to look outside their list of regulars and be open to fresh new ideas, especially in today's ever changing environment. Getting your agency's name and message out there requires dedication, persistence and time well spent.
5.) The normal small business operations issues. Cash flow, staffing, time lags, client management, reporting, accounting are required daily operations that must be handled and managed well. Time management skills are put to the test with this challenge; for any machine to work, it must be well oiled and maintained!
As a business owner, finding a balance within the load of all the responsibility is key. It isn't easy, and there are always setbacks I have to manage. But, I keep thinking that by tackling challenges head on, I take the first step in overtaking them.
Join our conversation on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
www.fuseideas.com
3/18/10
Find inspiration in little things and meet challenges head on
A case study by Fuseideas CEO, Dennis Franczak
Every agency owner goes through a day, a week, or even longer where things don’t go your way. You might now win some new business, a client might decide to stop spending money, your employees might start feeling down, or someone might even decide they don’t need your services anymore…you get the picture. Having been in this business long enough, Dennis Franczak, our CEO at Fuseideas, realized that doing this is a marathon, not a sprint, and nothing always is perfect and how you deal with it tells a lot about your character, but also your agency.
As a small agency owner, you have to deal with the wide variety of emotions that it takes to run a successful business. When things don’t go your way, are you pouting in the corner, blaming factors beyond your control, blaming the client, or taking a real look at how you can make your business better for not only you, but your entire company? Dennis thought it would be beneficial to other small agency owners to share how met a recent challenge he faced at Fuseideas during the crisis:
“Last spring/summer, Fuseideas faced a real crisis. The economy was imploding, staff morale was down, our rent payments were too high and we weren’t winning any new business. Things seemed very bleak for us indeed. I remember the day when I bottomed out and finally decided I was going to do something about it. I had gone out the night before to commiserate with some friends about my plight and needless to say, had a little too much to drink. The next day, my wife and her neighborhood friends decided to go out for a day of shopping (of all things!) and I was left to not only try and watch my kids and the neighbor’s kids (10 of them) with a hangover, but also have to deal with the stress of being in a huge slump in my business.
As I laid out on the back porch with a splitting headache pitying myself, watching happy children beat me over the head with nerf bats and shoot me with squirt guns, I realized I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and thank God for the positive things I had. My kids were laughing, happy, carrying on and I realized it that I owed it to them to do something about it.
I called my partner Rich over in Prague and talked about what we needed to do. He agreed. He had been having similar thoughts and that we needed to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of what we could control.
So what did we do? We did the OPPOSITE of what people thought we would do. We stopped chasing tons of new business and focused on our current clients. We visited each and every client and told them how important their business was to us and how our partnership with them was helping us survive. During those conversations, they told us what they liked about us, what more they wanted from us and how we could help them. Those conversations turned into new projects which carried us through the summer and resulted in a profitable 2009.
We also fired clients. Yes. We fired clients. As a small agency, you need to focus on your good relationships and partnerships, not focus on trying to work with clients that don’t appreciate your efforts, or try to make you do work at the lowest prices, and in short, treat you like a vendor. In a struggling economy, you need to work with people that appreciate what you bring to the table. To that end, we made a concerted effort to prune our client list and focus our company on servicing the clients that we felt were true partners with us.
It was the best decision we ever made. Clients were re-energized with us, morale improved, profitability increased and all of the sudden the clouds cleared and we started winning new business again.
Not every single day is going to go your way. There are always going to be ups and downs. But I learned a lesson last summer that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Take stock of the good things in your life, let them give you strength, so that you can make the tough decisions that need to be made to run a successful business so that you can provide for your family, your staff, and yourself.”
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Every agency owner goes through a day, a week, or even longer where things don’t go your way. You might now win some new business, a client might decide to stop spending money, your employees might start feeling down, or someone might even decide they don’t need your services anymore…you get the picture. Having been in this business long enough, Dennis Franczak, our CEO at Fuseideas, realized that doing this is a marathon, not a sprint, and nothing always is perfect and how you deal with it tells a lot about your character, but also your agency.
As a small agency owner, you have to deal with the wide variety of emotions that it takes to run a successful business. When things don’t go your way, are you pouting in the corner, blaming factors beyond your control, blaming the client, or taking a real look at how you can make your business better for not only you, but your entire company? Dennis thought it would be beneficial to other small agency owners to share how met a recent challenge he faced at Fuseideas during the crisis:
“Last spring/summer, Fuseideas faced a real crisis. The economy was imploding, staff morale was down, our rent payments were too high and we weren’t winning any new business. Things seemed very bleak for us indeed. I remember the day when I bottomed out and finally decided I was going to do something about it. I had gone out the night before to commiserate with some friends about my plight and needless to say, had a little too much to drink. The next day, my wife and her neighborhood friends decided to go out for a day of shopping (of all things!) and I was left to not only try and watch my kids and the neighbor’s kids (10 of them) with a hangover, but also have to deal with the stress of being in a huge slump in my business.
As I laid out on the back porch with a splitting headache pitying myself, watching happy children beat me over the head with nerf bats and shoot me with squirt guns, I realized I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and thank God for the positive things I had. My kids were laughing, happy, carrying on and I realized it that I owed it to them to do something about it.
I called my partner Rich over in Prague and talked about what we needed to do. He agreed. He had been having similar thoughts and that we needed to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of what we could control.
So what did we do? We did the OPPOSITE of what people thought we would do. We stopped chasing tons of new business and focused on our current clients. We visited each and every client and told them how important their business was to us and how our partnership with them was helping us survive. During those conversations, they told us what they liked about us, what more they wanted from us and how we could help them. Those conversations turned into new projects which carried us through the summer and resulted in a profitable 2009.
We also fired clients. Yes. We fired clients. As a small agency, you need to focus on your good relationships and partnerships, not focus on trying to work with clients that don’t appreciate your efforts, or try to make you do work at the lowest prices, and in short, treat you like a vendor. In a struggling economy, you need to work with people that appreciate what you bring to the table. To that end, we made a concerted effort to prune our client list and focus our company on servicing the clients that we felt were true partners with us.
It was the best decision we ever made. Clients were re-energized with us, morale improved, profitability increased and all of the sudden the clouds cleared and we started winning new business again.
Not every single day is going to go your way. There are always going to be ups and downs. But I learned a lesson last summer that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Take stock of the good things in your life, let them give you strength, so that you can make the tough decisions that need to be made to run a successful business so that you can provide for your family, your staff, and yourself.”
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3/12/10
Four things agencies must do right this year
We've all seen the swanky offices of big-time agencies, the fancy coffee makers and state of the art conference rooms with sound-proof windows. There are many things agencies have done wrong during the recession, such as laying off expert staff in a panic, or not prioritizing business needs properly. However, there are agencies who worked through the toughest time in a plaguing 2009 economy, and now as the recovery begins with its noticeably slow pace, here are four things that our CEO, Dennis Franczak, suggests agencies must do right in order to be successful as we move into the new decade.
1) Spend time thinking about the client. It's one thing to execute a plan and produce deliverables to the client, and clearly another to provide "thinking time" for them. Thinking about a client's business is the most genuine part of the relationship. It's productive, it's personal, and it communicates to the client that you care and are interested about their brand's well-being.
2) Enough with the constant billing! I can't tell how people should run their business, but I can understand the frustration clients face when they receive their monthly bill and it includes charges for each time they picked up the phone to call their agency for advice or direction. If agencies want to produce good work, then the communication between client and agency should be open. Fear of over charging can lead to major miscommunications and other blunders that can be costly on both sides. It's important to agree on an estimate for each job that makes sense to both sides, but ballooning fees that make no sense to the client will eventually set you back.
3) The big idea, re-energize! Finding the big idea for every ad, PR and social media campaign is the key to success. Unfortuantely, many agencies don't spend the time to come up with one solid positioning statement for a brand, and rather create a mosaic of ideas that relate, but don't necessarily communicate a strong message. We're in a message cluttered world now more than ever. Agencies must work closely with their clients to develop those key messages that will form a holistic marketing campaign
4) Credibility and then more credibility. In an era where everyone is the writer of something, information lacks credibility. Agencies stand out because of their quality of work, their track record of servicing clients, awards, successful campaigns, and so forth. Spend the time to do some internal PR and use the tools of today to communicate what your agency does to add value to your clients' brands. Writing a concise blog that provides useful information that readers can benefit from is a great beginning. Discussing agency work in a case study is another way to start building credibility. You will shine not only in SEO searches, but in the eyes of your current and prospective clients.
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Become our fan on Facebook
www.fuseideas.com
1) Spend time thinking about the client. It's one thing to execute a plan and produce deliverables to the client, and clearly another to provide "thinking time" for them. Thinking about a client's business is the most genuine part of the relationship. It's productive, it's personal, and it communicates to the client that you care and are interested about their brand's well-being.
2) Enough with the constant billing! I can't tell how people should run their business, but I can understand the frustration clients face when they receive their monthly bill and it includes charges for each time they picked up the phone to call their agency for advice or direction. If agencies want to produce good work, then the communication between client and agency should be open. Fear of over charging can lead to major miscommunications and other blunders that can be costly on both sides. It's important to agree on an estimate for each job that makes sense to both sides, but ballooning fees that make no sense to the client will eventually set you back.
3) The big idea, re-energize! Finding the big idea for every ad, PR and social media campaign is the key to success. Unfortuantely, many agencies don't spend the time to come up with one solid positioning statement for a brand, and rather create a mosaic of ideas that relate, but don't necessarily communicate a strong message. We're in a message cluttered world now more than ever. Agencies must work closely with their clients to develop those key messages that will form a holistic marketing campaign
4) Credibility and then more credibility. In an era where everyone is the writer of something, information lacks credibility. Agencies stand out because of their quality of work, their track record of servicing clients, awards, successful campaigns, and so forth. Spend the time to do some internal PR and use the tools of today to communicate what your agency does to add value to your clients' brands. Writing a concise blog that provides useful information that readers can benefit from is a great beginning. Discussing agency work in a case study is another way to start building credibility. You will shine not only in SEO searches, but in the eyes of your current and prospective clients.
Follow us on Twitter
Become our fan on Facebook
www.fuseideas.com
3/5/10
Five tips on how to do great creative in 2010
It's no secret; creative is going through a crisis along with everything else in our economy. But, it doesn't have to be that way. The best work can be done if an agency understands how to challenge itself by mastering the art of quality - not necessarily quantity - and by leveraging the right technology tools to bring a marketing vision to life. Here are five tips on creative in the face of a new decade by our very own Dennis Franczak, CEO of Fuseideas:
1: Think big, even on small budgets. It's a modest philosophy that can yield high returns. Agencies, especially small ones, shouldn't be afraid to think big when the budgets are small. Aspiring to great work, will bring even better work. Agencies need to place trust in their expert staff and their capabilities.
2: Leverage technology to bring the idea to life. This is a no-brainer, but with so much technology evolving out there, agencies constantly need to monitor and be on the lookout on how to make their creative even more cutting edge so it can stand out. There's no greater feeling than having your work align seamlessly with the client's brand strategy.
3: Think multiple channels. Traditional, new media, interactive, all channels must work in harmony these days more than ever. It's important to understand new marketing dynamics, from social networks, to new interactive apps and how they can work best with traditional media in order to provide a holistic approach to a client's marketing campaign.
4: Challenge traditional ways of thinking. In order to evolve, we must assess and reassess. Constantly. Success lies in asking the right questions and challenging the old way of doing things. Embracing the success of the past, will help shape future success, but only if agencies understand what elements should change. Challenge keeps us on our toes, and keeps us thinking forward.
5: Spend time doing multiple concepts to get to the right idea. Prep work is the most important part of generating a marketing campaign. Look at your toolbox and decide what tools make sense to use in order to bring a concept to life. Building blocks with a strategic concept in mind will create a solid campaign. The best ideas will come after you guide the concept in the right direction.
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1: Think big, even on small budgets. It's a modest philosophy that can yield high returns. Agencies, especially small ones, shouldn't be afraid to think big when the budgets are small. Aspiring to great work, will bring even better work. Agencies need to place trust in their expert staff and their capabilities.
2: Leverage technology to bring the idea to life. This is a no-brainer, but with so much technology evolving out there, agencies constantly need to monitor and be on the lookout on how to make their creative even more cutting edge so it can stand out. There's no greater feeling than having your work align seamlessly with the client's brand strategy.
3: Think multiple channels. Traditional, new media, interactive, all channels must work in harmony these days more than ever. It's important to understand new marketing dynamics, from social networks, to new interactive apps and how they can work best with traditional media in order to provide a holistic approach to a client's marketing campaign.
4: Challenge traditional ways of thinking. In order to evolve, we must assess and reassess. Constantly. Success lies in asking the right questions and challenging the old way of doing things. Embracing the success of the past, will help shape future success, but only if agencies understand what elements should change. Challenge keeps us on our toes, and keeps us thinking forward.
5: Spend time doing multiple concepts to get to the right idea. Prep work is the most important part of generating a marketing campaign. Look at your toolbox and decide what tools make sense to use in order to bring a concept to life. Building blocks with a strategic concept in mind will create a solid campaign. The best ideas will come after you guide the concept in the right direction.
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3/1/10
Why auto DMs on Twitter are a no
Twitter has evolved to one of the most immediate and effective marketing tools in the social media world. As Twitter continues to filter through junk, it has started scanning spammers and allowing users to block them if necessary. But, generic, automatically sent Direct Messages on Twitter are simply annoying and clutter your inbox. For some, it's a top reason to unfollow people. Simply stated: don't automatically DM people with a special offer or a link to your site. Instead, make it personal. We hope the next step in the Twitter evolution will be a more personalized forum, where information can be shared in an effective way that promotes good marketing practices. We love seeing direct messages thanking us for an RT, or something we might be particularly interested in. DMs have the potential of building real relationships on Twitter and provide an opportunity for quality networking. Don't ruin that by offering an automatic DM with specials that few care about!
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2/22/10
The role of public relations in traditional marketing campaigns
Public Relations is a communications function that has been grossly misunderstood throughout the centuries. PR is not just about shaking hands and smiling at events while chatting up a storm about a client. PR is the process that creates and delivers a strategic message to the media, who in turn deliver it to the public. PR falls under the umbrella of Intergated Marketing Communications, and therefore plays a vital role in traditional marketing campaigns.
From PR strategic planning, press kit development, to pitching media and follow-up, this marketing function has the power to make or break a brand.
For public relations to work, it needs to be planned thoroughly and executed carefully. Messages in press releases, media announcements, newsletters, web copy, and article placement (even your Facebook status updates) must all work in unisen to communicate strategically your business.
Consistency is key in PR practice and the results can be tremendous: if traditional media is the bread, PR is the knife that spreads the butter.
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From PR strategic planning, press kit development, to pitching media and follow-up, this marketing function has the power to make or break a brand.
For public relations to work, it needs to be planned thoroughly and executed carefully. Messages in press releases, media announcements, newsletters, web copy, and article placement (even your Facebook status updates) must all work in unisen to communicate strategically your business.
Consistency is key in PR practice and the results can be tremendous: if traditional media is the bread, PR is the knife that spreads the butter.
Join our discussion on our Facebook fan page
Follow us on Twitter @fuseideas
2/17/10
You don't have to be on EVERY social network
Okay, so you have a Facebook page for your business. You're sending tweets on Twitter. You have a MySpace page. You're thinking of getting on Ning and Digg, and seriously getting into YouTube. Suddenly, you find yourself frazzled with so many networks to feed into. What's going on??
Basically, you don't have to be on every social network out there. Social media are fickle; they evolve and change through their users, so what's popular now, won't necessarily be for long. Remember what happened to MySpace a year or so ago? Instead of focusing on creating a presence on every social network, it's best to be strategic about it. It's much healthier for your business to be on two or three networks and be active on them, rather than being on six or seven networks that you end up idling.
So, research each of the social media monsters and choose the right ones for your business to engage in, and don't spread yourself thin. Be picky and stay picky with your social media presence, feed those monsters often, and feed them well. By staying constantly active in a few networks will pay dividends in exposure and feedback from your audience.
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Basically, you don't have to be on every social network out there. Social media are fickle; they evolve and change through their users, so what's popular now, won't necessarily be for long. Remember what happened to MySpace a year or so ago? Instead of focusing on creating a presence on every social network, it's best to be strategic about it. It's much healthier for your business to be on two or three networks and be active on them, rather than being on six or seven networks that you end up idling.
So, research each of the social media monsters and choose the right ones for your business to engage in, and don't spread yourself thin. Be picky and stay picky with your social media presence, feed those monsters often, and feed them well. By staying constantly active in a few networks will pay dividends in exposure and feedback from your audience.
www.fuseideas.com
2/11/10
Can’t colleges teach grads how to write resumes?
This is the time of year where thousands of college students start to look for jobs. I have to wonder though, who is teaching them to write resumes and cover letters?
Here are some examples of resumes that I can't help but put in the ridiculous pile:
· “To Whom It May Concern: Please consider me for a position in your company. I am eager to learn the business.” – Why would I hire someone that needs me to train them. If they did their research, they would know we are a small company and you need to hit the ground running.
· “Dear Human Resources: As a recent college graduate I am extremely excited to apply my education to a company as great as yours.” – What is great about it? What opportunities do you see?
On the other hand, here are some other examples that actually get my attention:
· “Dear Mr. Franczak: I am extremely interested in sitting down and talking to you about the advertising industry. As a college graduate seeking to get into the field, I am interested in how your company works with so many well known brands and how someone like me can contribute.” - This is the kind of letter that always gets my attention. It strokes my ego (slightly), but it also gives me a chance to offer them some advice on how to break in. I almost always will take this kind of meeting.
Another promising one that I liked because it had relevant account information in it:
· “…This has allowed me to gain experience in a broad range of industries, and has provided me the opportunity to work with brands such as Citrix, HP, Cisco, Elsevier, Eastman Kodak, and Xerox as well as incredible organizations like Special Olympics, American Lung Association, University of Rochester, the Association for Retarded Citizens and more. I would love to talk with you about how I might benefit Fuseideas and invite you to take a look at my profile, found on my website (www) - I can also forward my resume for a more in-depth look at my experience.” – I liked this one because it had relevant experience and also he talked about benefiting us.
Some tips for college graduates sending resumes:
· Don’t send to “To Whom It May Concern”
· Your email is your cover letter, so make it good
· Don’t keep your cover letter and your resume separate… why would I want to open two files? As the CEO of a small business, I just don't have that kind of time.
· Make your resume file name something like Name_Fuseideas as opposed to MgtResume or MktResume, it seems too generic. And use spellcheck!
These are just a few things I’ve noticed lately and any college kid looking for a job should read this. Anyone else care to add thoughts? Comment below!
Talk about it with Fuseideas fans: www.facebook.com/fuseideas1
Here are some examples of resumes that I can't help but put in the ridiculous pile:
· “To Whom It May Concern: Please consider me for a position in your company. I am eager to learn the business.” – Why would I hire someone that needs me to train them. If they did their research, they would know we are a small company and you need to hit the ground running.
· “Dear Human Resources: As a recent college graduate I am extremely excited to apply my education to a company as great as yours.” – What is great about it? What opportunities do you see?
On the other hand, here are some other examples that actually get my attention:
· “Dear Mr. Franczak: I am extremely interested in sitting down and talking to you about the advertising industry. As a college graduate seeking to get into the field, I am interested in how your company works with so many well known brands and how someone like me can contribute.” - This is the kind of letter that always gets my attention. It strokes my ego (slightly), but it also gives me a chance to offer them some advice on how to break in. I almost always will take this kind of meeting.
Another promising one that I liked because it had relevant account information in it:
· “…This has allowed me to gain experience in a broad range of industries, and has provided me the opportunity to work with brands such as Citrix, HP, Cisco, Elsevier, Eastman Kodak, and Xerox as well as incredible organizations like Special Olympics, American Lung Association, University of Rochester, the Association for Retarded Citizens and more. I would love to talk with you about how I might benefit Fuseideas and invite you to take a look at my profile, found on my website (www) - I can also forward my resume for a more in-depth look at my experience.” – I liked this one because it had relevant experience and also he talked about benefiting us.
Some tips for college graduates sending resumes:
· Don’t send to “To Whom It May Concern”
· Your email is your cover letter, so make it good
· Don’t keep your cover letter and your resume separate… why would I want to open two files? As the CEO of a small business, I just don't have that kind of time.
· Make your resume file name something like Name_Fuseideas as opposed to MgtResume or MktResume, it seems too generic. And use spellcheck!
These are just a few things I’ve noticed lately and any college kid looking for a job should read this. Anyone else care to add thoughts? Comment below!
Talk about it with Fuseideas fans: www.facebook.com/fuseideas1
Strategically going viral with video
How many times have you watched something on YouTube and couldn’t wait to share with your friends? It could be something funny, nasty, super creative, or something just plain weird that you had to get your friends to watch. In the old days, you would email it out, but now you Twitter about it and send the link to your followers (who can RT it to theirs), you share it on Facebook and other networks. Video is great because it engages the viewer right away. Most successful viral videos are short enough to pass along quickly.
Videos with clever messages and fun visuals go viral easily, and there are analytics available through some services that allow you to see how many times the video was viewed.
Strategically, videos should be incorporated in your social media and interactive strategy. Not only will you potentially increase sales, the viral component boosts exposure, attracts fans and followers, and you have an unique opportunity to collect feedback from viewers.
Going viral with video works because it gets your message where it needs to go!
Join our interactive conversation on our new fan page: www.facebook.com/fuseideas1
Twitter@fuseideas
Videos with clever messages and fun visuals go viral easily, and there are analytics available through some services that allow you to see how many times the video was viewed.
Strategically, videos should be incorporated in your social media and interactive strategy. Not only will you potentially increase sales, the viral component boosts exposure, attracts fans and followers, and you have an unique opportunity to collect feedback from viewers.
Going viral with video works because it gets your message where it needs to go!
Join our interactive conversation on our new fan page: www.facebook.com/fuseideas1
Twitter@fuseideas
2/9/10
Why Twitter will survive the year
We’ve all come across those followers who tell us what latte they had at Starbucks that morning, or what time they cook dinner, or why they like Don Draper on Mad Men. Twitter is a popular social media platform that peaked in 2009 and has evolved into a content sharing network.
The key is to know how to use Twitter well so that it can work for your business.
Following those who relate to your message, and are interested in the content and the updates you provide takes time, patience and a lot of practice. The same goes with those who follow you. By posting frequent, good quality tweets and retweets that reinforce your message you can will attract good followers to virally send your message to others in their network, and so on. In other words, you reap what you sew. Going viral these days is a priority for business who want to flourish during the recovery.
There’s still a lot of junk to filter through on Twitter, but when used as part of a social media strategy for your business, it can be a marketer’s dream come true!
The key is to know how to use Twitter well so that it can work for your business.
Following those who relate to your message, and are interested in the content and the updates you provide takes time, patience and a lot of practice. The same goes with those who follow you. By posting frequent, good quality tweets and retweets that reinforce your message you can will attract good followers to virally send your message to others in their network, and so on. In other words, you reap what you sew. Going viral these days is a priority for business who want to flourish during the recovery.
There’s still a lot of junk to filter through on Twitter, but when used as part of a social media strategy for your business, it can be a marketer’s dream come true!
2/5/10
The great myth... Only large agencies can handle my account
Walk into a large agency and you’ll expect to see beautiful offices, large staff, fancy coffeemakers and expensive conference rooms with state-of-the-art technology. But, once the agency secures your business, how does it value it? 2010 marks an exciting new media era full on innovation and creativity. Increasingly, great talent is breaking off from big-fish agencies to start small, more specialized agencies to serve you better.
The question is, “Why is smaller better?” Aside from a less formal structure and leaner staff, smaller agencies are by far more flexible to changes when their clients request it, they are more responsive to requests, and will go far beyond to ensure your business. Service is genuine in small agencies, where big fish agencies are focused on constant billing and minimum deliverables.
You’d be surprised to find better, and more specialized talent in small agencies, who have been burned out by big ones. Successful small agencies are always on their toes, and as a result, the work produced is often award-winning. Unlike big agencies, small ones work two-three-five times as hard to earn and keep business, and their people have a stake in the results the agency delivers. Small agencies have no room for “dead weight,” or outgrown expertise.
So, the old myth remains just that. At the end of the day, there’s something special about picking up the phone and speaking directly to the CEO of an agency about a new campaign, versus leaving message after message with an intern at large agency. Who would you want handling your account??
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The question is, “Why is smaller better?” Aside from a less formal structure and leaner staff, smaller agencies are by far more flexible to changes when their clients request it, they are more responsive to requests, and will go far beyond to ensure your business. Service is genuine in small agencies, where big fish agencies are focused on constant billing and minimum deliverables.
You’d be surprised to find better, and more specialized talent in small agencies, who have been burned out by big ones. Successful small agencies are always on their toes, and as a result, the work produced is often award-winning. Unlike big agencies, small ones work two-three-five times as hard to earn and keep business, and their people have a stake in the results the agency delivers. Small agencies have no room for “dead weight,” or outgrown expertise.
So, the old myth remains just that. At the end of the day, there’s something special about picking up the phone and speaking directly to the CEO of an agency about a new campaign, versus leaving message after message with an intern at large agency. Who would you want handling your account??
www.fuseideas.com
Follow us on Twitter@fuseideas
Friend us on Facebook
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