http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php en erin@thinkmktg.com Copyright 2009 2009-01-06T01:39:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/anatomy_of_a_rebrand/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/anatomy_of_a_rebrand/#When:01:39:00Z Non-profit Center for Positive Prevention Alternatives, Inc. came to Think Marketing looking for help developing a new brand image to reposition itself.  Selecting the new name Family and Youth Services of San Joaquin County set the tone for the new image they wanted to put forward - a professional, services organization with multiple programs for youths and families alike and also provided them a with a catchy acronym that reflected their brand orientation of helping people through and into new phases of their lives, FAYS (pronounced just like "phase!")  Their current logo (a puppet) was not able to reflect the positive approach their programs take, so we set forth to develop a new visual identity that would help them achieve the approachable, professional look they desired.  Although we developed multiple concepts to present, the following is a peak into the creative development of the selected logo.  The goal was to provide a logo that would accurately portray the tone of the new FAYS brand and represent their work in the community.  Here’s a visual sampling of the before and after brand ID:      2009-01-06T01:39:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/happy_holidays_from_all_of_us_at_think_marketing/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/happy_holidays_from_all_of_us_at_think_marketing/#When:04:08:00Z Here’s hoping 2008 leaves you with many fond, warm memories and that 2009 is filled with good fortune.  Our best wishes to you during the holiday season: http://thinkmktg.com/fortune/.      2008-12-15T04:08:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/think_marketing_client_pasadena_marathon_sells_out_in_year_1/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/think_marketing_client_pasadena_marathon_sells_out_in_year_1/#When:19:32:00Z Congratulations to our client, the Pasadena Marathon (run by Pasadena Forward), for selling out their event!  On its own, it’s a huge accomplishment to launch their inaugural year of the marathon, but to also sell out, just incredible!  Our best wishes to them and we can’t wait to see everyone this Sunday at the event - what a great honor to be involved with the success of their work - amazing that just one year ago we launched them publically:For more information on the sold-out marathon, see today’s article in the Pasadena Star.  2008-11-11T19:32:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/creepy_advertising/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/creepy_advertising/#When:00:12:00Z So much creepy advertising lately...here’s one of my favorites (which I’ve now come to think of as the creepiest thing to happen to chocolate since the Oompah Loompahs):  http://axedarktemptation.com/video.shtmlTry eating that Halloween candy now!!  Happy Halloween everyone! 2008-11-01T00:12:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/think_launches_10_million_public_education_facility_for_treepeople_with_ann/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/think_launches_10_million_public_education_facility_for_treepeople_with_ann/#When:01:18:00Z Huge congrats to our client TreePeople - we had a blast helping you with this!  We wish you many, many more successes – we are so honored to be a part of this one.  To see the press conference honoring the many years of hard work and generosity of so many great people, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-XR1xEmt-A 2008-10-03T01:18:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/now_hiring_for_an_assistant_marketing_manager/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/now_hiring_for_an_assistant_marketing_manager/#When:19:07:00Z Interested parties, please contact info@thinkmktg.com.  We look forward to welcoming you aboard!  Assistant Marketing Manager Think Marketing has an immediate need for a highly motivated individual with strong marketing  management skills to help work across several accounts. The successful candidate will work closely with senior management to meet and exceed the marketing needs of our clients. In our customer-centric, fast-paced environment, we are looking for someone who is interested in career growth, is adept at learning highly technical information and can manage projects from inception to completion while maintaining the highest standards of customer service.Key responsibilities:·         Assist in providing day-to-day account management to meet marketing objectives·         Help develop and execute effective marketing communication programs such as sales collateral, client presentations, and product messaging·         Develop marketing content and write copy·         Provide project management and logistical support for trade shows and special events ·         Liaise between internal clients and outside vendors·         Direct designers, copywriters, and web developers on projects·         Recommend and develop PR campaigns and opportunities·         Assist with implementation and maintenance of client’s website and search engine campaigns·         Manage and create product/branding campaigns   Qualifications and Skills Required: ·         3 years of marketing or communications, preferably within technology or business-to-business fields·         Proven project management and problem solving skills ·         Excellent writing, communication and interpersonal skills·         Must be extremely organized, detail-oriented and able to work across multiple projects·         Positive can-do attitude with demonstrated creativity, initiative and persistence·         High proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel·         B.A. or B.S. in Marketing, Communications and/or related degree preferred·         Graphics design and/or web development skills a big plus  Travel:  Occasional travel to client’s Southern California location. Writing Samples: Please send writing samples as attachment in Microsoft Word format.  A small writing assignment will also be given as part of the interview process.         2008-08-13T19:07:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/the_ultimate_attempt_at_using_a_marketing_campaign_to_overcome_marketplace/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/the_ultimate_attempt_at_using_a_marketing_campaign_to_overcome_marketplace/#When:16:12:00Z If you can forget about the content and imagine that you’re not being snowed, this is a great microsite and a great example of how to use marketing to overcome marketplace perceptions.  IF YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT THE CONTENT!!!  Nice try, Microsoft marketing team - so smooth...so sneaky...but a good marketing example for others to be inspired by.  (Just make sure you have a less flawed experiment where you really put things to the test and allow the content to be believable.) 2008-08-06T16:12:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/no_phone_left_behind/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/no_phone_left_behind/#When:18:35:00Z For years, WAP (wireless application protocol) has been an important part web/marketing, and today, according to some research studies, it’s actually the fastest growing segment of wireless phone user behavior (so, yes, your website should be wireless-enabled!)…so can you believe that my cell company, T-Mobile (who has been generally a good service provider - certainly much better than my previous provider, AT&T-I-mean-Cingular-I-mean-the-“new-AT&T”-I-mean-Cingular/AT&T-oh-wait,-I-mean-AT&T --- phew!  But that’s a whole ‘nother blog on brand management) doesn’t have a wireless-enabled website???  Here’s a screen shot of what happens when I attempt to go to t-mobile.com from my Blackberry: Just the fact that 798 million cell phone users are utilizing the web from their phone at least occasionally (ref: Wikipedia), means that at this point I should be able to get to nearly every website from my phone – not the least of which is the provider I get my service from.  (And, not to mention, T-mobile picture mail directly routes me to their website…where, of course, I get this message.)  So, is WAP important for your website?  Absolutely.  Even though mobile marketing as a category is still in its infancy, making sure you at least have a wireless-enabled website should be a baseline.  Marketing is always about being where your target audience is, and well, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, they’re on their cell phones!  2008-08-05T18:35:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/homegrown_taglines_not_so_tasty/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/homegrown_taglines_not_so_tasty/#When:23:27:00Z The other day I saw this article and immediately wanted to bury my roots in a new backyard.  Tracy (the city next door to my hometown) is a city surrounded on three sides by interstate highways and has decided to use “Think inside the triangle” for its new town motto – I mean, yes, it’s catchy and that is important.  But what else is it saying?  As you whiz by on your way to somewhere much more interesting (almost guaranteed), don’t forget to think about us here in Tracy!   We’re the best place that these 3 freeways intersect!  We’ve got lots to offer, like gas stations and fast food!  Don’t forget to “think inside the triangle!”  Taglines should tell people something positive about what you have to offer and be believable – not just catchy.  “Think inside the triangle” definitely has staying power/stickiness, I’ll give it that (although I’d prefer it to be a tagline for a Pie Shop), but it’s just not telling passersby anything about why they should care about Tracy.  At least not to me.  Of course, my hometown, now the foreclosure capital of the world, has its own motto debacle – “Stockton is great!  Take a look!” painted proudly on the water tower as you drive by --- maybe by now they’ve switched it to something more appropriate like “Asparagus capital of the world!”  Which I think is at least mostly true and definitely believable (as you drive by all the fields on the way in), and also somewhat interesting, or at least notable.  Remember, taglines are supposed to inspire your brand identity, not let people poke fun at you!  Worse?  The little town of Tracy paid a consultant $25K for the tag.  Well, while you’re thinking inside the triangle on all that, check out this logo, tag, etc. we just did for a client – and ABSOLTUELY NOT for anything even remotely in the neighborhood of $25K.  Not even down the freeway from it.  2008-07-02T23:27:00-08:00 http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/comments/microsites_saving_the_bees_and_driving_your_business/ http://www.thinkmktg.com/index.php/weblog/microsites_saving_the_bees_and_driving_your_business/#When:17:55:00Z So there’s a TV commercial that mentions “save the bees,” which led me to googling “save the bees,” which relatively quickly led me to “colony collapse disorder,” which eventually led me to something really interesting….a Haagen-Dazs microsite called http://helpthehoneybees.com/.  (All of which leads me to writing this blog…well, that and Emi reminding me that it’s been two months since I’ve posted something!  Sheesh!  Also, please never give me a three day weekend again - I end up searching things like “save the bees”….)  Anyway, I’d like to applaud the ice cream company 1, for their awesome treats and 2, for this great little site.  Microsite-ism at its best – highly interactive, highly informative, and an all-around great example for you to see just how a microsite can be a powerful marketing tool.  Microsites are designed to add depth to a visitor’s experience – submerge them in a world that’s all about that one piece of editorial – really connecting with them and keeping the communication focused.  (And isn’t that exactly what great marketing’s all about?!)  Here’s how you could think about using a microsite for your products – often companies need to educate their target about a particular issue that they’re solving with their product or service (think: counterfeiting threats for a company whose product authenticates and protects brands) and a microsite can be just the way to powerfully communicate the depth of the issue and help people realize what they need to do to solve it (using your products of course!)  Or, a microsite can be the foundation of your search engine marketing or other lead gen programs – keeping the visitor entirely focused on their search topic (and not distracting them with other information that’s only loosely related to their search because it’s a part of your larger product offering).  Microsites can be a great way to tailor information for specific target audiences too – if you have different targets and your message needs to be different to each of them, this can be a great way to connect in a highly individualized way.   So check out http://helpthehoneybees.com/ if you want a fun mini-vacation during your already short week - play in the bee fields, pollinate some flowers, learn what these little guys are up to and then create your own bee and send a “bee mail” to a friend.  Then think about how you might incorporate this kind of marketing tool into your efforts.    2008-05-29T17:55:00-08:00