Budweiser Renames Itself

budweiser
By Sara Rider   |   May 25, 2016

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, changing the name of its flagship beer from “Budweiser” to “America.”

A new beer for summer

Beginning May 23rd the new bottles and cans were available in stores throughout the country.

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Advertising and Sports: What Will Be the Impact of the Rio Olympics?

olympic swimmer
By Sara Rider   |   May 12, 2016

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 impact of the Olympics limited to those companies with big budgets and a direct sports connection?

Building your Brand

If your company doesn’t have an obvious tie-in to sports and you lack the big bucks budgets to pay for high-dollar endorsements,

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The Changing World of Social Media

social media
By Sara Rider   |   April 14, 2016

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 them?

The reality is that the world of social media is changing. It is a vital part of any organization’s communications strategy,

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Some of the secrets behind great-looking food

By Sara Rider   |   February 19, 2016

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 food stylist is one of perhaps the least known ways of making a living within the estimated $189 billion U.S.

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What We Can Learn from the Best—and the Worst—of 2015’s Ads

By Sara Rider   |   January 13, 2016

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, new ad-blocking technologies mean it can be harder to have your message seen.  So what can we learn from the best—and the worst—of 2015’s advertising efforts?

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A Brighter Future for Texas

By Sara Rider   |   December 29, 2015

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 opportunity to work with The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as they prepared to bring their new strategic plan to the people of Texas. 

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Your Company Just Got Caught Cheating. Now What Do You Do

By Sara Rider   |   October 28, 2015

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 devices.”  The defeat devices made the cars pass emissions testing, but in reality the cars spewed nitrogen oxide into the air every time their drivers got behind the wheel.

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Standing out in the world of social media

By Sara Rider   |   October 6, 2015

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 not affiliated with any undergraduate university.  So I was a little surprised when I saw that they had just won an award for Best Digital PR Campaign in 2015. 

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Get Ready for Homemade Vanilla: Blue Bell Returns

By Sara Rider   |   August 31, 2015

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 remain about how the company will survive the repercussions of the listeria outbreak.  That makes it a good time to think about your own company’s commitment to your products and services—and how you would bounce back from a major crisis.

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Making Lemonade

By Sara Rider   |   July 1, 2015

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 hard to swallow.  In some situations, the best course may be to reposition the product or service—find another way to make it attractive to your audience.

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