How often do you see marketing copy like: “We’re passionate about selling cornflakes!” Really? First off, I don’t believe it. Second, I don’t care.
What if you tell a story instead? People like stories. A story is a journey. And the best thing about a journey is the unexpected. Mind you, a story doesn’t have to be long – just long enough to have a beginning, a middle and and end. Here’s one I noticed not long ago while making a mojito:
Posts Categorized: Advertising
KL Wells delivers strategic networking tips at UO marketing mixer
Although I enjoy networking, I’m always looking for ways to be more effective at it. When I received an invitation to a marketing mixer hosted by
University of Oregon American Marketing Association, I thought it would be a good opportunity to do just that, while also reconnecting with some colleagues from my business school days. My co-worker, Lindsey Kate, and I decided […]
How do you really reach consumers and create brand loyalty?
By telling stories that they want to hear. Call it, say, brand journalism.
This may sound funny coming from a marketing company, but people do not want to be sold to. They want to purchase a product or service when they’re ready to buy it and from people or a company they trust. Because it’s on their terms and timing. Because it fits their needs or lifestyle. Not because the radio jingle was […]
What is “brand journalism” and why does it matter?
When I first heard the term “brand journalism,” I wasn’t buying it. I spent 20 years as a newspaper journalist, and I admit I still suffer from hopeless idealism about that field’s higher purpose.
Brand journalism is a form of marketing, after all. A company publishes “journalistic” content intended to draw people to its brand.
I’m still not fond of the term, but having come to better understand what it’s about, I think it offers intriguing marketing possibilities.
But it needs to be […]
What would you do with a two-dollar bill? A campaign of congrats to Oregon businesses
We believe in congratulating successes. We enjoy random acts of kindness. And we think small acts can make a big impact – over time and with collaboration.
So when we saw clients and friends listed in Oregon Business magazine’s Power Book, we decided a pat on the back was in order. Thinking on what would be a nice gesture, the obvious […]
The cross-platform marketing mix: Create, promote, repeat
To get messages into the community, we’ve come a long way from the town crier or Paul Revere on horseback. We’ve even come a long way from when a newspaper ad would reach most of the people you wanted to reach. We now have, literally at our fingertips, the power to broadcast information across the world via a variety of channels.
With everyone shouting out messages everywhere we look, it’s no secret consumers […]
The Whilamut Passage Bridge: 1936-2013
Click to enlarge this series of aerial photos of the Willamette River and the original Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge.
About a year ago, I was thrilled when I came across a collection of aerial photos of the Willamette River and the original Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge taken from 1936 to 1978.
CAWOOD has worked with […]
5 things to look for in a social media marketing consultant
You’re working on your 2014 marketing plan and have some budget available for social media. The problem: You have no one on staff who knows much about social media, aside from occasionally posting to their own Facebook page.
What you need is a social media marketing consultant. But with so many people and agencies promoting themselves as social media […]
5 steps to a social media strategy
I was reviewing a potential client’s social media campaigns last week and was struck by the wide range of post topics. Many had nothing to do with the business, its services, it’s people or its target audience’s interests. It appeared that the goal was to use social sites to attract an audience – any audience. There was no rhyme or reason to the type of content or the social networks used. Most importantly, no real dialogue was happening.
If you’re in […]
Why Kenneth Cole’s tweet is a good thing
Fashion mogul Kenneth Cole sent out the following tweet on Thursday, a reference to a quote from Pentagon spokesman George Little regarding possible military action in Syria –
You’ll recall that Cole did this once before on Twitter in 2011, during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.
Using war and strife to sell footwear? He should be ashamed, right? Or should he?