- Our letterhead says advertising, marketing, public relations, interactive, direct response. We do things like packaging and crisis communications and catalogue design. But the one constant – our product – is the idea. More than a killer media strategy or PR plan, deeper than a well-turned phrase or a magazine spread designed to within an inch of its life, the idea is our reason for being, and our escape from those who view companies like ours as little more than vendors.
- © 2009 DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc.
- Social Media presents new and exciting opportunities for brands to
better understand and connect with their customers online. At Spring
Creek Group, we help our clients monitor and analyze their brand equity
online, develop their social media marketing strategy, and build their
social media brand presence and customer engagement programs. - In 1969, Jim Williams and Ed Helde founded Williams-Helde Marketing Communications with a simple philosophy – that compelling stories create lasting connections between consumers and brands. Our clients trusted our vision, consumers connected with the brands, sales soared – and close to 40 years later, this simple approach works better than ever.
- We haven't heard much recently about so-called virtual worlds such as Second Life, in which you move around with your own avatar. Critics must be hoping they have disappeared up their own ether. Actually, they are booming. The consultancy kzero.co.uk reports that membership of virtual worlds grew by 39% in the second quarter of 2009 to an estimated 579 million. Not all these members are active but I can't think of anything, anywhere, that has grown so fast in the recession this side of Goldman Sachs bonuses.
- While virtual worlds have virtually fallen off the media radar, the online habitats appear to be thriving. The consultancy kzero.co.uk reports that membership of virtual worlds grew by 39% in the second quarter of 2009 to an estimated 579 million. (Regular activity in the worlds, however, remains questionable.) The Guardian takes this opportunity to chide Facebook and Twitter for their inability to effectively monetize their steep usage, while virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft, Entropia Universe, Habbo Hotel, Club Penguin and Second Life are all profitable.
Why? Apparently, "Because their business models are based on the digital elixir of subscriptions and micropayments, a formula that other websites, including newspapers, would die for."
- Managing your online reputation requires a whole new skill set, including monitoring the online conversation and engaging with customers and the tech-savvy to promote yourself in the best channels. These skills are becoming essential for mainstream businesses. According to a survey by the Opinion Research Corporation, 84 percent of Americans say online reviews influence their purchasing decisions.
