Sara Rider When a company decides to rename an established brand, it’s a big deal. Thousands of hours of research, strategizing, and creative thought go into the final decision—as well as a whole lot of money to launch and support the new name. Now one of the iconic brands in America—Budweiser—has taken a new approach to rebranding, … Read more
It’s now less than 86 days till the 2016 Summer Olympics open in Rio de Janeiro on August 5th. No matter what story lines unfold with polluted water, deadly mosquitoes and the inevitable doping scandals, companies will be looking for ways to use the cache of the Olympics to build their brands. But is the promotional … Read more
What’s in, what’s out, what to consider when you plot your Social Media strategy Twitter. LinkedIn. Instagram. Facebook. The world is full of social media options. But what is best for your business? Should you commit staff time and effort to all of the options (Tumblr anyone?), or should you focus on a few of … Read more
Little-known challenges of advertising It can be hard to make a turkey look good. Or a roast chicken. And getting the maple syrup to drip off the edge of the pancake just so—that can also be a challenge. Creating great-looking food requires more than being a good cook. Advertising is a profession with hidden careers—and … Read more
The U.S. ad business is a $183 billion business, according to The Wall Street Journal. And each year, companies and nonprofit organizations spend a lot of time and effort to try to convince us to buy their products or support their causes. But while social media has given companies new ways to spread their messages, … Read more
by Sara Rider New Strategic Plan Sets Educational Goals Crucial to State’s Success As the year draws to a close, it’s not uncommon to look back at projects you’ve worked on, and also look ahead to see what the impact of those projects may be next year. In the summer of 2015, we had the … Read more
Now here’s a job I wouldn’t want: President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. That’s Michael Horn’s job. And I’m sure at one time it was pretty great. But now Mr. Horn has to try and explain to Americans who own four different types of Volkswagen diesels why those cars were equipped with “defeat … Read more
Want to grow your Facebook friends without having to pay to boost your posts? Here is an example that could help nonprofits to get more likes and raise their visibility. Chances are you’ve never heard of Eastern Virginia Medical School. It’s a small medical school in Norfolk, Virginia. It enrolls about 1,000 students and is … Read more
If you’re one of the thousands of people who have been missing their Blue Bell, the announcement that limited distribution begins on Monday, August 31st in selected markets was welcome news. (Sorry, Ben & Jerry’s, but it’s just not the same.) But while people are scooping a bowl of their favorite vanilla, lots of questions … Read more
Sometimes what our companies want to sell is not something people want to buy. That presents a problem. So what do you do if part of your product mix isn’t considered a hot item by the buying public? You can discontinue the product or service—but if you’ve invested in developing the product, that can be … Read more
