Published in Crain’s by Laura Sheridan, President of Viva La Brand: Consumers have changed how they shop, work and live; marketing must change, too.

COVID-19 has changed consumer behavior. At-home working, at-home entertainment and at-home dining have necessitated a change in shopping and buying that many analysts predict will remain for the long term. Maintaining the same marketing strategies that worked prior to the pandemic likely won’t yield the same results going forward. If you’re committed to building long-term relationships with your customers, then you must pause and ask: What can we do to ensure our brand stays relevant…

Viva’s Blog: 8 Fun Facts About This Year’s Super Bowl Ads

[4 minute read] Ready for advertisers’ biggest night of the year? The Super Bowl ads that air on Sunday will go viral, make us laugh, and may even win Emmys. Last year, 111 million viewers watched “the show”. The next biggest event was the Oscars at 33 million. Be in the know on Sunday with these 8 fun facts: Fact #1: A steal at $5 million.  A 30-second spot in this year’s edition of the…

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…

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…

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”…

Viva’s Blog: March Madness: Marketers Tune In

The NCAA dominates the month of March with the college basketball tournament. The highly promoted event isn’t just huge for sports fans. Marketers from all industries use this cult-like attraction as an avenue to catapult their brand visibility. March Madness offers brands a center-stage platform for integrating themselves into the tournament through paid ads in online and offline media outlets, social media conversations, branded placements, and experiential events.  March Madness is a business – a…

Viva’s Blog: Customers crave simplicity: Do you deliver?

Consumers today have more choices than ever and are bombarded by sophisticated solutions to their problems. However, no matter how advanced technology becomes, customers prefer simple solutions. According to the newly released Global Brand Simplicity Index study: Simplicity earns a premium: 64% of consumers are willing to pay more for simpler experiences. Simplicity builds loyalty: 69% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand because it’s simple. HAPPY BELLY GETS IT Familiar with Happy Belly,…

Viva’s Blog: Learn from Antonio Vazquez (Who?)

Antonio Vazquez is a guide for Spain’s Sevilla Bike Tour Company. While “guide” may be his title, he’s really a master marketer. Lesson #1 from Antonio:  PASSION MATTERS You don’t have to be passionate about your product, service or company to market it, but it helps a lot. Just like you don’t have to love the game of basketball to be a good player, it is almost impossible to be a superstar without passion. Passion is the…

A Cheat Sheet for Hiring Your Next Marketing Professional

Hiring for your marketing team is hard. It’s easier to assess the quality of a candidate for an accounting, sales or IT position. Engineers have to be great at math; marketers give you a bunch of words. That’s why Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh offers new hires $3,000 to leave the company. After the company’s intense four-week training program and a week on the job, Zappos makes what it calls “the offer,” $3,000 to leave the…

Viva’s Blog: 4 Brands Bet Big on the Super Bowl

Got $5 million? That’s what it took to buy a 30-second Super Bowl ad this year. That’s double the 2010 tab and 119 times the cost of an ad for the first Super Bowl in 1967. Careers can be defined by a Super Bowl performance, not just for players or halftime entertainers, but for actors, directors and brand managers responsible for the game’s much-anticipated commercials.  Is it worth it? Marketers selling everything from water to websites attempt…

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