Category Archives: Marketing

Freelance Expo This Thursday

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RAF Freelance Expo on Thursday, April 22, and the Memorial Art Gallery from 5:30-7:30pm. RSVP to attend.

If you are a freelancer there is still time to exhibit at the event and showcase your work. RSVP to exhibit.

Marketing directors and agency peeps. Do you use freelancers now? Do you feel you may have the need to hire a creative freelance employee? Even if you not have an immediate creative need. I encourage you to come to the Freelance Expo. Our goal is to bring freelancers and decision makers in the marketing profession together. To make a contact. Network. So that when there is creative need, you have someone to contact.

Admission is free. The food is complimentary. So come on over to the MAG, and who knows, you next big idea could come from a freelancer exhibiting at the event. The Freelance Expo. on Thursday, April 22, and the Memorial Art Gallery from 5:30-7:30pm.

Prez Joe

February 20 Minutes & a Beer Recap

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Hey, thanks again to all you who made it out to Tap & Mallet last night. It’s cool that we’re seeing new faces at every event. Prez Joe just emailed me and asked me to do a quick recap, so here goes:

My talk was about creating websites with great user experience. While “user experience” doesn’t sound sexy (many people don’t even know what it means), it’s a critical part of any website development. At its most basic level, it’s about having good organization and solid content. More specifically, I focus on three things:

  1. Great content
  2. Easy Navigation
  3. A Little Mind Reading

What it all boils down to is asking yourself what your user’s main needs might be and going over the top to deliver on that. Whether it’s letting them embed your videos on their Facebook page, linking them to research that supports buying your product or making your navigation foolproof. The mind reading comes in when you anticipate something they haven’t even thought of yet that delivers even better customer service.

We had some great questions about the value of usability studies (I am an advocate) and about how to talk clients out of their bad navigation ideas :) . A good time was had by all. Hope to see you next time.

Andrea Zuegel

10(+) Rules to Live By

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Have you checked out the new “Marketers’ Constitution” which the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) recently unveiled?

Their goal: Make sure the marketing profession continues to thrive and that it contributes meaninfully to society.

Here are the 10 principles they suggested:

1. Marketing must become increasingly targeted, focused, and personal.

2. Marketing must build real, tangible, and enduring brand value.

3. Marketing must become more effective, creative, insightful, and accountable.

4. Marketing must become more integrated and proficient in managing expanding media platforms.

5. The marketing supply chain must become more efficient and productive.

6. The marketing ecosystem—including agencies, media, and suppliers—must become increasingly capable.

7. Marketing professionals must become better, highly skilled, diverse leaders.

8. Marketing must be indisputably socially responsible.

9. Marketing must be unencumbered by inappropriate legislation or regulation.

10. The marketing discipline must be elevated and respected.

Sounds like a good set of mantras to me. I particularly like # 1, 3, 7, 8 and 10. Wouldn’t it be nice if all clients and agencies lived by these simple, yet profound rules? I’d like to add a few:

11. Marketing people need to have fun and not over-think—in order to stay in touch with real consumer behavior, thoughts and motivations.

12. Creativity should be celebrated and revered—it accelerates the connection between brands and consumers.

What do you think? What other “write in” bylaws should be added to the marketing constitution?