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…

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Nov 2020

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

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

Viva’s Blog: Are you data-rich but insights poor?

Great data is crucial to understanding your customer. However, data alone won’t result in a win for your brand. Data are the raw materials needed to produce insights, the heart of effective advertising. It’s insights that enable you to develop messaging to create an emotional connection with your customer. So, once you have the data to develop insights, how do you determine if the insights are GREAT? Here are examples of companies that have used data to…

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Oct 2017

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: The real winner of the Super Bowl

Q: What costs $166,000 per second and can either catapult results or ruin you? A: A thirty-second commercial during this year’s Super Bowl. You’d think business executives who spend that much on airtime would nail making a winner ad. It’s not that easy. What does it take to make an effective ad? Below are some tips. Rate this year’s ads and pick the real game winner. #1: Don’t say it. Show it. Wix.com, the web-site company, launched its first Super…

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Feb 2016

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: Why you?

That’s right. Why you? Why should anyone fork over their hard earned cash for what you have to offer when it’s pretty likely they can find a similar thing elsewhere for less. That’s the million dollar question savvy marketers answer early on in their business. A category of one. It’s all about creating a category of one. When you differentiate your brand in a manner that’s meaningful and relevant to your target audience, then you’re…

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Jun 2012

By Laura SheridanBlog

Viva’s Blog: Measure twice, cut once

Most of us are familiar with the English proverb, “Measure twice, cut once,” which applied to double checking measurements before cutting something to prevent wasting material. Once you’ve cut a piece of wood and you find that it’s too short, it’s pretty hard to fix. The same principle applies to hiring marketing resources. In the past year, we’ve worked with three companies that have hired marketing resources that they later discovered were “professionals” incapable of…

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May 2012

By Laura SheridanBlog

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