4 tips for working with an Ad Agency

I started my career working at some of the best ad agencies in the world. Then I switched to the “client side” where I engaged numerous advertising, digital, and public relations agencies. I’ve learned a few things that enable me to help our clients hire the right agency, produce the best outcomes, and create long-lasting relationships. Unfortunately, many clients have come to Viva La Brand with stories of failed agency relationships. These failed relationships are stressful,…

30

Mar 2022

By Laura SheridanBlog

Your Super Bowl Ad Cheat Sheet

It’s 5 days until the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams faceoff in Los Angeles for Super Bowl LVI. This year, the NFL is giving Super Bowl attendees free NFTs that commemorate their tickets and serve as digital keepsakes. Also for the first time, there are five headliners for the Super Bowl halftime show – Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. 37 total advertisers will go for the ring Thirty-seven advertisers…

08

Feb 2022

By Laura SheridanBlog

2022 Marketing Planning: 8 Tips

We’re in the thick of the planning season. Here are eight tips to enhance your marketing plan. Tip #1: Know thy customer.It’s easy to post on social media. It’s hard to deeply understand your customers to ensure you’re posting where and what they care about. It’s easy to spend money on ads. It’s hard to create a value proposition that differentiates your brand in a relevant, compelling, and meaningful way. It all starts with understanding your…

20

Nov 2021

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: Stop fighting your customers!

What do IKEA and Madewell have in common? They both adjusted their strategy to embrace evolving consumer trends. Understanding customer preferences, even when at first glance they appear to be bad for your brand, is key to winning. Here are two brand success stories about bold marketers that used the latest consumer trends to guide their business strategy. CASE-IN-POINT #1: IKEA & IKEA Hacking Last August, a 31-year old executive assistant was sick of her “cheap…

31

Aug 2021

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: Bold Moves: Learn from Victoria’s Secret

Victoria’s Secret ditched its supermodels for role models. Angels are out, trailblazers are in. The lingerie brand had been criticized for a lack of inclusivity and its slow response to consumer attitudes. Bold moves were required to change their trajectory. There’s a lot to learn from the lingerie retailer’s makeover. Lesson #1: New marketing talent may be required.Victoria’s Secret hired a new CEO in November along with three other new executives to help turn the…

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Jun 2021

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: [Marketing Trends] New Ad-Less Platforms

Consumers are more skeptical of paid advertising than ever before. According to a study commissioned by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, 94% of consumers don’t trust ads. Ouch. New ad-less platforms have emerged that let consumers directly control the content they absorb and let creators connect directly with their audiences. And, they’re incredibly popular right now. These platforms are all about sharing knowledge, educating others and learning together. They present a huge opportunity for…

21

Apr 2021

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: Learn from these Super Bowl ad fumbles

Tom Brady wins again. The Weeknd flies solo. And, advertisers blow a lot of cash. There’s a lot to learn from this year’s Super Bowl. JEEP So much went wrong with Jeep’s two-minute ballad to the world. It started with attempting to tout a message of unity via the use of Christian imagery and the sentiment of peace in the wake of the January 6th Capitol raid. Viewers didn’t buy it. Then, yesterday, it was…

12

Feb 2021

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: Super Bowl Ad Cheat Sheet

We’re back at it. Providing you with a preview of this year’s Super Bowl ads that are likely to generate the most buzz, and arming you with fun insider knowledge on how the sausage was made. THE PREVIEW: It was a challenging year for advertisers to decide how to play due to COVID-19. Unlike sales of commercials for past Super Bowls, this year’s ad inventory didn’t sell out until January 27th. Celebs including Mindy Kaling, Jimmy…

02

Feb 2021

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: 6 Year-end Marketing Tips

Tip #1: Engage your marketing talent.Employers are struggling to keep their employees engaged. According to a Gallup poll, in 2020, the overall percentage of engaged workers in the US is 36%. That means 64% of workers aren’t feeling it. The takeawayThink differently. Provide your associates with opportunities to jumpstart their creative juices. How about offering employees a grocery budget for a rotating team member cooking demonstration? Have you tried playing board games virtually or staging…

15

Dec 2020

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: Your customer has changed. Have you?

We’re all shifting our sights from surviving the coronavirus pandemic to charting new courses through it. Data shows that 84% of people plan to maintain the routines they adopted during COVID even after the crisis. Smart business people understand that the consumer insights they depended on when making marketing decisions pre-COVID may no longer hold true. Research on customer behavior is essential. Consider that according to research conducted by Goodques, 74% of people say that…

08

Oct 2020

By Laura SheridanBlog