9 tips to improve your email marketing program

Email marketing is a fantastic, low cost, high return lever for marketers. Unlike most marketing channels, email can create valuable, personal touches at scale. This blog is the first in a series to help you with your marketing planning for 2025. Why focus on email marketing? It checks all the boxes! – Creates brand awareness – Generates leads & sales – Builds a connection with customers – Increases website traffic – Offers customer targeting opportunities – Provides…

11

Sep 2024

By Laura SheridanBlog

Before you sign that digital marketing contract…

Today, businesses and organizations increasingly turn to digital marketing firms to achieve that elusive first-page ranking and gain a competitive edge. Many of our clients tell us that digital marketing firm contracts are overly complicated and full of gobbledygook! The goal is to build a long-term relationship with a marketing partner. Start off on the right foot by using this primer to help you make sense of a digital marketing firm’s contract. Most digital marketing contracts include…

26

Jun 2024

By Laura SheridanBlog

Where’s your customer?

Before you sign off on your 2024 marketing plan, pressure test it by checking to make sure it has your customer at the center. Your customer should be at the heart of what you do. Whether it’s signing a new business partnership, choosing keywords for an email newsletter, or building your product roadmap, your first step should be making sure the decision is good for your customer. That means you need to understand your customer. How…

06

Dec 2023

By Laura SheridanBlog

Words matter. What are yours?

Words matter. People connect with a brand when it demonstrates empathy and offers a solution that meets their lifestyle. Brands use words and visuals to communicate. My crude stick figures preclude me from preaching about visuals! My love for and experience writing does enable me to provide tips for effective written communication :). Before I share fun examples of savvy marketing messages, here are tips to create effective messaging: 1. Write for a specific target audience. 2….

01

Nov 2023

By Laura SheridanBlog

1 Tip for Better Communication

I’m often asked by clients how to communicate news, good and bad, to employees, customers, and partners. The answer can be summarized in one sentence: be honest, and true to who you are. Two recent events are great examples of the power of being candid with your stakeholders. Real Life Example #1: The NFL When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field a couple of weeks ago during Monday Night Football, National Football League executives…

19

Jan 2023

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…

15

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,…

30

Mar 2022

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: 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…

30

Jan 2019

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…

16

Jan 2019

By Laura SheridanPress