Blog
The “Special” relationship between a brand and a logo
There is an interesting discussion taking place in a LinkedIn group about how a logo is not a brand. I agree and think it's an important point for marketers to understand. Yet those who dismiss the value of a professional logo do so at their own peril. A brand and...
McAfee Knob doesn’t disappoint
I hit the trail early on Saturday morning to hike to McAfee Knob. In the 23 years I've lived in Roanoke, I've hiked this trail at least 15 times. Why? Because McAfee Knob is a spot that never disappoints. It's a popular spot – reportedly the most...
People are talking about the Alleghany Highlands’ Tourism Site
"We're proud to be a part of this and think it will be a huge success." That’s the message I tweeted last night as I shared a link to one of the many media outlets reporting on the launch of the new tourism website promoting the Alleghany Highlands of...
Event Promotion on Facebook
I had high expectations for social media to spread the word about a unique event. And Facebook did not let me down. It provides an interesting lesson in how Facebook can be used for event promotion Each year, the graduating class of Southeast Tourism Society Marketing...
Good ways to engage Inprint
Inprint is a unique agency. There are branding firms that develop great brand strategies but only in the broadest possible sense. They provide a rationale for their conclusions and some generic mock-ups to demonstrate how it can be implemented. They are not interested...
Introducing Virginia’s newest local tourism brand
This will very likely be a featured in a case study on our website one day. I expect this initiative to generate impressive results for our client. We’ll monitor some performance metrics over several months and report back to you. In the meantime, we just like this...
The Brands of the Roanoke Valley
For as long as I've lived in beautiful Roanoke, Virginia, I've heard some community leaders lament the lack of a cohesive regional brand. Several years ago a group tried to pull it off with an effort called NewVa. What's that, you've never heard of it?...
An undiscovered gem in Virginia’s travel scene
Over the last few months I have spent more time in the Alleghany Highlands than in my previous 22 years in Virginia combined. About six months ago the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism chose us to develop a tourism brand and the website, visitors...
A common denominator between advertising and social media
Successful advertising has always resulted from the smart combination of several ingredients.a. A strategy-driven big ideab. Turning the idea into an artfully designed, photographed or recorded productc. Placing the commercial, ad, brochure, poster, etc. in the exact...
Go big, or go home.
I admit it, I love this philosophy. Advertising is all about big ideas and we're constantly looking for ways to help our clients get big results. Unfortunately, this philosophy is sometimes misunderstood. “Go big or go home” does not involve reckless abandon....