My coworkers and I sometimes joke about our clients’ predilections for stuffing as much information as possible into an ad. To illustrate this, our designers created a presentation called “Applesauce.” It starts with an Apple Watch ad — simple and clear, with a single image and very little text. “Applesauce” then imagines what would happen […]
Brewing up some lessons in marketing
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One of the most popular events at the Farwest Show is the annual Pub Crawl. So in this, the Farwest issue, let’s talk about — you guessed it — beer. Before we go on, I must confess that for a Portland native and current resident, I fail my city in two major ways: I don’t […]
Lessons from a rebrand
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Tillamook Creamery — and the cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and butter it produces — is an Oregon Coast institution with international reach. Its products are available around the globe. I’m passionate about Tillamook cheese. It’s the only cheese I will buy, and their ice cream is a treat. Recently, in celebration of their 110th anniversary, […]
Looking at your marketing strategy
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I have the privilege and joy of working alongside my brother Erik at our marketing agency, Pivot. He’s usually the one who sits in meetings, silently following the conversation for a while. Midway through the meeting he breaks his silence and asks a question that is so thoughtful, on the nose, and (often) paradigm-shifting that […]
Start here: your marketing budget priority list
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Wouldn’t we all love to have the advertising budgets and marketing teams of Nike or Apple? Unfortunately, that’s not in the cards for most of us. Generally, small- and medium-sized business owners must prioritize their time and money. Are you wondering where to start, or whether you’ve covered the most important things? Here is my […]
Does your customer’s experience match your marketing?
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Imagine this scenario: you see Apple’s commercials. They’re full of young people having fun, living their best lives (we’ve all seen them). You see Apple’s advertising — slick, smooth, promising technology that changes your life and leads you into the future. You hear about Apple’s products and how innovative and game-changing they are for the […]
When the well runs dry
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When it comes to social media, customers expect to hear from the brands they love regularly. That means you need to post multiple times a week — maybe even every day! Maintaining a good social media page — whether on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, wherever — is often a lot of fun, but let’s be […]
Brand positioning
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The thing that beats price, quality, or service every time 1. Quality: “We have the best products or services around. No one can beat the things we sell!” 2. Price: “You’ll pay less with us than you will anywhere else. No one can beat our prices!” 3. Service: “We have better service than anyone else. […]
Five business books worth reading
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I love reading in just about any genre, but I don’t love reading books about business. The writing is often dry, the information sometimes unhelpful, and the tone often a little too boastful for my taste. That said, the right book can make a significant impact on work habits, creativity, and overall outlook. Here are five […]
Marketing efficiency
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This is the Efficiency Issue of Digger, so I’m joining the party to talk about efficiency in marketing. By that I mean ways you can do more with less: less time, less money, fewer resources and so on. You may be expending too much time, effort or money. Here are a few simple suggestions for […]