Using ChatGPT for Your Marketing

ChatGPT has come up in conversations with clients who aren’t sure how to use the tool in their marketing. Here are tips on how to take advantage of this emerging technology that you can try for free. Not familiar with ChatGPT? ChatGPT is the hot artificial intelligence (AI) tool that’s attracting a lot of attention from investors, software companies, gamers, marketers, and pretty much everyone. Why? The technology allows you to have human-like conversations with…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

2022 Marketing Planning: 8 Tips

We’re in the thick of the planning season. Here are eight tips to enhance your marketing plan.  Tip #1: Know thy customer.It’s easy to post on social media. It’s hard to deeply understand your customers to ensure you’re posting where and what they care about.  It’s easy to spend money on ads. It’s hard to create a value proposition that differentiates your brand in a relevant, compelling, and meaningful way. It all starts with understanding your…

Featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business by Laura Sheridan, President of Viva La Brand: Do’s & Don’ts of Social Media Marketing

The role of social media marketing in your business plan is important. But how do you determine what to do and how to do it? Keep these things in mind: DO work backward Why is social media part of your marketing plan? Like all business planning, start at the end by defining what success looks like. What metrics do you need to achieve for social media to be an integral part of your marketing program?…

Viva La Brand Kicks off 15th Year with a Story

Laura Sheridan, President of Viva La Brand, remembers her first meeting with her first prospect after launching Viva La Brand. It was a flop. She arrived at the meeting with a one-pager with no white space and way too many words. The one-pager was a list of every possible service Viva La Brand could offer. Fifteen years later, Laura and her amazing team, arrive at meetings empty-handed but loaded with questions to learn about the…

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