Full-service v. speciality agencies: Which one reigns supreme? Laura Sheridan, President of Viva La Brand, is asked to comment

As published in thedrum.com by Lisa Lacy: Like precious snowflakes, each brand and agency is different, so – spoiler alert – there isn’t a definitive across-the-board answer about whether it is best to work with full-service or specialty agencies. In fact, like so many things in life, with the necessary caveats, of course, the ideal arrangement, broadly speaking, may lie in a healthy compromise between the two — or what I’d like to call the…

Mars Electric Selects Marketing Strategy Firm, Viva La Brand

Mars Electric engages Cleveland-based brand and marketing strategy consulting firm. CLEVELAND, OH – August 10, 2016 – Mars Electric, a leading independent wholesale distributor of lighting, gear and electrical supplies, has selected Viva La Brand as its marketing strategy firm. A third generation service business, Mars Electric has eleven branches across Northeast Ohio with the variety of inventory contractors need to quickly complete a job. “We engaged Viva La Brand to help us understand our customers’…

Crain’s Business Feature Article by Laura Sheridan: Get to know integrated marketing 2.0

Marketing buzzwords like contextual marketing, integrated marketing, freemiums, native advertising, retargeting, SoLoMo, and UGC are the latest craze. Why is integrated marketing a buzzword for 2016 and a must do for your business? You probably remember the “old” definition of integrated marketing. It was about promoting a consistent look and feel across media types. It was about using multiple channels such as TV, print, radio and outdoor to market your goods. And, it was the…

Viva’s Blog: What color is your hammock?

Meditation hammocks. Sensory deprivation pods. These are the latest meditation practices gaining traction from coast to coast. Why are yoga studios and five-star spas like Miraval Resort in Arizona adding meditation hammocks and wellness centers offering sensory deprivation pods? What can marketers learn from them? Learning #1: Listen. Fitness studios converted yoga rooms into meditation centers because they listened to their members quip about stress and lack of “me time”. Their members didn’t ask, “Where are your hammocks?”…

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…

Viva’s Blog: Learn from the Olympics

The Olympics were a big winner for NBC and their viewers. There’s a lot to learn from their success. A sample of 50 random people provided these reasons for loving the ultimate contest between athletes. Reason #1: They were fresh. Nielsen reports a decline in overall TV viewing. Viewers are bored with reality TV, spin-offs of dramas, and 24-hour news shows, and are shifting their attention to the Internet. Enter the Olympics. Viewership records were…

Viva’s Blog: Think like a customer

It’s not hard and the benefits are enormous. Just think how we “smart” business people make lives miserable for our customers… Ever need to find a serial number for a broken printer and have to just about stand on your head to read the minuscule 10-digit code that’s under the printer? How about trying to read the recommended inflation level that’s oh so subtly etched on your tires? Or, my new favorite is about the…

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…

Nottingham Spirk Selects Viva La Brand to Lead Branding Efforts

CLEVELAND, OH – May 14, 2012 – Viva La Brand (www.vivalabrand.com), a Cleveland, Ohio-based brand strategy and ad agency search firm, was selected to lead a brand strategy effort for the business innovation firm, Nottingham Spirk (www.nottinghamspirk.com). Nottingham Spirk has developed hundreds of patented products that have generated tens of billions in sales for industry leading businesses and fast-growth entrepreneurial firms. However, many Fortune 500 companies have never heard of this leader in business innovation….

Viva’s Blog: Learn from chocolate?

Happen to see the pink and green CHOC on car bumpers, airplane banners, tweets, and everywhere these past few weeks leading up to Easter? Malley’s, the Cleveland chocolate company, understands the importance of presenting their brand frequently and consistently, particularly when their target audience is in the market for their products. Successfully building a brand requires both creativity and consistency of message. It’s all about differentiating your product or service from all others in a…

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