June 2017
Thanks for the feedback!

Last month we introduced a new format for this newsletter and asked you - our readers - if you liked it better or preferred the old format. Your response was overwhelmingly in favor of the new format. Here's what some of you new-format folks had to say. We invite those of you who prefer the old format to read the three latest posts on our  Marketing Advice blog and read the new  Case Study with Tips here. 
Strategist Quickie

Prickly Needle Co. took a cue from P.T. Barnum in creating this ad targeted to porcupines.

Sell needles to knitters, not porcupines

The most successful marketing campaigns in history all have one thing in common: They targeted the right people.  It seems obvious, right? Unless you have the legendary sales skills of P.T. Barnum, you won't have much success selling needles to porcupines.  Yet, like the hapless marketers at Prickly Needle Co., you may have struggled to identify your ideal customers, wasting time and money on messages that don't stick with people who knit or sew.  One way to solve this problem is to create personas.

Editor DOs and DON'Ts
 
Egad! It's a swarm of corporate buzzwords! They look mean, but do they have meaning?

Peel the onion while changing swim lanes

Have you ever read a company announcement, white paper, blog or social post and realized that, although it seems to say a lot, you have no idea what it means? Buzzwords are probably to blame. Read on to learn the difference between buzzwords and industry jargon, which can be used appropriately to show an industry audience you speak their language. Whether you want to know what all the popular buzzwords mean, or think you're a Buzzword Brainiac who can define them all, play our Buzzword Matching Game and then check the answer key.


Designer DOs and DON'Ts
 
The subtle art of seasoning to spice up a design

Good cooks know which seasonings to use, and in what amounts, to make a dish delicious. Likewise, good designers know which font families to use, and whether a smidgen, pinch or dash will spice up their design without risking font overload. Here we share our not-so-secret recipe. Follow it faithfully to avoid getting chewed out Ramsay-style.

Case Study with Tips
Does your website say you're stuck in the past?

In the firm's all-out effort to stay out front as a business, Creative Benefits' website got left behind. It looked a decade out of date, was not mobile-friendly and not optimized for search. Unless you stopped to read the blog, you might think this dynamic firm was stuck in the past. It's a common dilemma among rapidly evolving companies. Their energies are so focussed on meeting the changing needs of clients, they have no time to change the story their website is telling about them. 

June News & Events
Where we're sharing knowledge and showing up
 
June 5 Hollister Creative President Kim Landry kicks off the Urban League's 2017 Empowerment Week with her informative and entertaining workshop, Bigfoot Will Be Found: Why and How to Have a Monstrous Digital Footprint. Co-sponsored by the Wharton Small Business Development Center and the Asian Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, the workshop will take place from 6:30-8:00pm at the Wharton School. Click here for details and registration.

June 29 We are excited to attend the next trademark event presented by the Main Line Chamber's Society of Professional Women (SPW). The keynote speaker is  Brenda Bacon, President & CEO of Brandywine Living. Brenda will tell us how individuals can harness their natural skill set to develop their own personal brand. The featured nonprofit is Main Line Art Center. Click here for details and registration.

You Want This
You'll be in the pink with these floating coasters!
 
Summertime is pool time, and everybody's ready for some dippy fun. You can't get dippier than a pink flamingo drink holder! Inflatable and floatable, this bird gives you a colorful nest for your 12-ounce beverage as you lounge poolside or in the water. The bright color ensures you'll never lose track of your drink. Best of all, when you bring your flamingo to the pool, you'll bring smiles to everyone who sees it!

Want to win this item? Click to answer the question in this email!  Three subscribers who answer the question  will be randomly selected to receive one.
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