How to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

Just last week a client asked if his manufacturing company engaged the right digital marketing agency. It’s a question I’m often asked. Your business has different goals, strengths, customers, and resources than every other company, even ones in your industry. Hiring the same agency your board member or friend did could be a mistake as your business’ needs are likely different. Digital marketing agencies offer a menu of services including digital advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social…

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Mar 2024

By Laura SheridanBlog

2023 Year-End Marketing Checklist

As the year draws to a close, your plate is likely overflowing. That’s why we crafted this concise end-of-year marketing checklist to make sure you kick off 2024 with confidence. This checklist is about the 3 P’s that are critical to your 2024 marketing strategy: People, Performance, and Partners. #1: PEOPLE. Your customers and employees are at the center of your success. Understanding your customer – their wants, needs, shopping and buying behaviors, and online habits…

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Dec 2023

By Laura SheridanBlog

Year-End Marketing Checklist

Now’s a great time to reflect on the past 11 months and evaluate the impact of your marketing on your business results. Patterns may reveal themselves about your team or your clients. What worked and what didn’t? Here’s a checklist to help you evaluate your marketing’s effectiveness and plan for a successful 2023. MARKETING CHECKLIST #1: Marketing Team Do you have the right internal talent in the right positions to accomplish your goals for 2023? If…

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Nov 2022

By Laura SheridanBlog

Featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business by Laura Sheridan, President of Viva La Brand: Five hacks to connect with your customers

Really understanding your customers is fundamental to realizing the greatest return on investment from your marketing and advertising. Here are five hacks to uncover insights that enable you to connect with them. Hack No. 1: Conduct primary customer research. You need to hear from your most loyal customers, your least loyal customers, your newest customers and your most profitable customers. Call them. Better yet, engage a third-party research firm to interview them. A third-party firm will…

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May 2022

By Laura SheridanPress

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,…

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Mar 2022

By Laura SheridanBlog

decantU selects Viva La Brand as its Brand & Marketing Strategy Firm

Cleveland-based brand strategy firm is retained by decantU, the Wine & Wellness Experience firm. Viva La Brand, the Cleveland, Ohio-based brand strategy and ad agency search firm, has been selected to help lead the brand development and marketing strategy for decantU, the host of interactive wine & wellness experiences. decantU Founder, Meredith Griffin, started her career as a sports performance coach and college wellness instructor for Maricopa Community Colleges. With a passion for wine and…

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Jan 2019

By Laura SheridanPress

Viva’s Blog: 7 Marketing Reminders for 2019

[1 minute read] Start 2019 with a bang. Here’s how. #1: Conduct a brand audit. Do your marketing materials focus on what’s important to your customers or to you? #2: Deeply understand your 2018 marketing results What worked from a quantifiable standpoint AND is truly better for your customer? #3: Review your KPIs Are you monitoring the right metrics? Do they directly tie to improving your customer’s experience? #4: Review your budget What are your business goals for…

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Dec 2018

By Laura SheridanBlog

Crain’s Feature Article by Laura Sheridan: What do you call your customer?

Published in Crain’s Cleveland Business December 1, 2018 What do you call your customer? Ever wonder why Disney calls them “guests,” Costco calls them “members” and Ritz-Carlton calls them “ladies and gentlemen”? It’s not by accident or a casual decision. Most businesspeople know to use the same logo on every ad and marketing piece. Why should language be any different? Many companies fall short on keeping their words and messaging consistent when describing the experiences…

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Dec 2018

By Laura SheridanPress

Your Marketing Questions – Answered

As published in the Summer 2018 issue of HaYidion: In my experience working with two-dozen Jewish day schools across North America to drive enrollment and improve retention, I’ve learned this: marketing a Jewish day school in 2018 is hard. You have multiple target audiences, from educators and administrators to board members, parents, alumni and students. You have a product that requires continuous improvement to stay competitive. You have limited time, talent and money. And you…

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Jun 2018

By Laura SheridanPress

Viva’s Blog: How’s your personal brand?

You manage your finances. You manage your business. What about your personal brand? What do Oprah, Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandburg and Ellen DeGeneres have in common? It’s not just wealth, millions of Twitter and Instagram followers, and countless endorsement deals, it’s also a mastery of personal branding. Personal branding isn’t just for the rich and famous. Everyone has a personal brand. As Tom Peters, management consulting guru and the inventor of the phrase “Personal Brand”…

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May 2018

By Laura SheridanBlog