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…

13

Dec 2023

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

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

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…

30

Nov 2022

By Laura SheridanBlog

US Open: Why its marketing is a grand slam

I wasn’t planning on watching night after night of the US Open. Something about it lured me in. I wasn’t the only one. More than 2.7 million people were glued to their seats to witness Serena Williams’ victory over Danka Kovinic in her farewell tournament – up 279% from last year and the largest opening round audience since ESPN aired the tournament in 2009. Serena’s retirement and excellent marketing drove this massive rise in viewership. There…

07

Sep 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…

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

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

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…

15

Nov 2020

By Laura SheridanPress

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

advertising strategy