SAGE: OUR BLOG
adj: wise through reflection and experience
Categories
The Fine Line between Email Marketing and Spam
Twenty-six. That’s the number of emails that have magically popped into my “Junk Mail” folder since I left the office last night at 6:00 p.m. These are the ones that made it past our first layer of protection. I’m sure that for some of you, this number is even larger—and more aggravating. Here’s another reality check: from January 2011 to [...]
What’s IT Got to Do With It?
Well, to start, we’d counter that question with one of our own: What DOESN’T IT have to do with it? From phone systems to networks to servers to teleconferencing to basic email communication (you get the idea), IT makes it all happen. What’s more, if IT staff members are succeeding at their jobs, you’re not aware of their presence at [...]
The Most Powerful Forces in Business
What are the most powerful forces in business? An idea whose time has come? An entrepreneur who passionately devotes him- or herself to its realization and fulfillment? Yes and yes. Then add the impact of scale. Multiply x 50,000 x 100,000. This is where small gets big! This is channel marketing, also known as field marketing. And it’s the business [...]
Is Your Channel Marketing a Balanced Program?
Channel marketing programs are under constant scrutiny. The expectation is clear … performance delivery. Establishing the program’s objectives must be first and foremost. Defining measurable objectives leads to focused strategies and tactics. A channel marketing campaign objective might be: Increase participation with retail partners by 50% in the second quarter consumer promotion; Increase customer satisfaction by 15% of our signature [...]
The 4 Cs of Strategic America’s Creative
We know what you’re probably thinking. Those “creative types.” Their offices exist somewhere far away in the building, they sit in beanbag chairs pulling ideas out of thin air, and they most definitely beat to the tune of their own drummer without much consideration for the typical processes and procedures of the agency. Right? Not at Strategic America. While creativity [...]
Finding Better Ways
Our mission statement calls for SA team members to “find a better way, always.” Whether it’s a process enhancement or turning something on its ear for a new perspective or solving a vexing issue that has caused consternation. Every organization has gremlins. Finding a better way is how we chase them out. It’s led us to innovate in the service [...]
Making Process Interesting
“How do you do what you do?” can be a question that leads to a long, somewhat arcane, and often interesting response. It may test understanding, sales skills and the comprehension of the listener. Often, it helps to do what we have done for years. Draw it out. Tell a story. Make it relevant. If process becomes interesting, it is [...]
Brand and Reputation Management
Today, things are moving so quickly, with such velocity, that brand management is more important than ever. Many clients are asking us to initiate account planning in order to assess their positioning related to competitive and market changes. Positioning, tagline development and category differentiators are components of a brand audit that SA conducts. In reputation management, mapping of key messages [...]
PR Ninjas
Some people don’t know what PR people do. It’s not their fault. The idea of public relations is to get someone’s name, product, idea, etc. some love and attention. So you might not know my name or what I like to do on the weekends, but you better believe I’ve been working hard. Sometimes you might see our clients in the [...]
Needed: a New Paradigm for Co-op Advertising
If there’s an area of business that needs a fresh breath of innovation, it’s co-op advertising. Some retailers view it as easy, off-the-shelf ads that leverage a manufacturer’s brand, but don’t go far enough for them. Some don’t even view co-op as marketing, but as cost of goods sold. But, does co-op do what it was intended to do? Create [...]
