marketing Archives - Marketicity

Branding: It’s What We Do

March 14, 2023/in News /by Marketicity

If you give most people a few minutes to think about memorable branding or brand campaigns, they will probably be able to cite a handful of Super Bowl commercials, maybe some viral videos, maybe even something from a magazine or a store aisle. And while we’re certainly fans of a good Super Bowl commercial over here at Marketicity, we also understand that a brand is so much more than just a singular splash.

It’s great to be recognizable, but what’s better is when recognition of a brand instantly produces a positive reaction. And the good news is that you don’t have to be Apple to make that happen.

When we work with clients on branding strategies, it usually goes one of two directions. Either we are looking at how to reinforce a current brand or we’re looking at how to update a brand that’s in need of a refresh. In both of those cases our goals are usually the same.

When we do branding work we like to think of it as an evolution instead of a revolution. Each company has its own story, feel, and tendencies. When we’re building or establishing a brand, we’re looking for which of those pieces connect most with their clients. Which of those inspire positive reactions? What’s true of that company that can be amplified, expanded on, or built around?

While we certainly wouldn’t turn away the opportunity to help a brand go viral, we are much more interested in the consistent and repeatable ways a brand can build trust and recognition with current and prospective clients.

Interested in taking a look at a sample of some projects that helped our client’s when it came to “Moving Brands Forward”… click here and have a look around. Interest “Moving Your Brand Forward”… then click here and let’s connect.

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Planning for Your Brand’s Success in 2023

January 10, 2023/in News /by Marketicity

We think a lot about marketing planning here at Marketicity. Which certainly shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. But marketing is an interesting field. Often, we see it as both overvalued and undervalued in the same breath. It is both assumed that a single piece of marketing can be a silver bullet to solve any sudden problem, as well as entirely underestimated how much work goes into a well-thought-out marketing strategy, or social media plan, or efficient website design.

Marketing is flashy and subtle and practical and creative and a variety of other opposites all at once. The strategy that worked in one industry may not work in another. The engagement with a piece of print material may not translate to digital. For one client, video may be the answer, while an email campaign may be the answer for another. The point being, marketing is a highly varied world where a copy-paste approach just won’t do.

That’s why we approach every marketing opportunity as a multi-faceted problem to be solved. It’s why we spend as much time working with brands on how their products are arranged in the grocery store as we do with brands on how their SEO plays nice with Google. From website design, to traditional print material, to video content, to social media management, to public relations, and everything in between, marketing is an ever-evolving world and here at Marketicity we are evolving with it.

When you decide to work with us, we provide you with a unique plan, specific to your current and prospective clients, fit for your region, and targeted to your industry. Whether you want us to handle every aspect of your marketing plan or provide a little help and consultation along the way, we’re here for you. If you are looking to get started in 2023, or if you are looking for a refresh of your approach, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

December 20, 2022/in News /by Marketicity

The world of marketing is often a fast-paced and relentless world. Trends disappear as quickly as they arrive and the promising idea of a month ago is already out of style by the time it is ready to be implemented. It is exhausting in its own unique way and the never-ending quest of balancing creativity and commerce is a moving target.

So here at Marketicity we are looking forward to the holiday season. Not only are we grateful for the opportunity to slow down a bit and spend some extra time with our friends and family, we are also looking forward to the refreshing clarity that can come with a little rest. We are looking forward to what the next year might bring, with all of its challenges and excitements.

We also wanted to take a moment to say how grateful we are to our wonderful clients and partners. While marketing, like every industry, has its own complications and nuances, getting to work with such great people makes the work so much more fulfilling. We wish you all a restful holiday season and hope you are able to get some rest and have lots of extra time with your loved ones.

When the next year begins and you start to think through new ideas and initiatives; we will be here for you, ready to help make those ideas and dreams a reality.

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Thankful to Help

November 15, 2022/in News /by Marketicity

Sometimes in the world of marketing it can seem like you create content or materials that simply vanish into the ether once they’re finished and you’re left wondering if they had any impact or effect at all.

Analytics can help, as can invested clients, but it can still be a difficult feeling to shake. This is especially true when you’re working with clients across the country or even across the globe. It won’t surprise anyone to say that the Internet, and even more recently the accessibility of tools like Zoom, Google Suite, MicroSoft Teams, etc, have greatly increased our ability to work nationally and globally. And while this can mean more clients, more opportunities for work, and a wider variety of projects, nothing can quite replace the feeling of getting to work with the community members you see every day.

Those community members may not be listed in prestigious magazines, Tweeted about, or speak exclusively in buzzwords, but the ability to help your neighbor or that hardworking business in our region is one of the greatest joys we get to have in this business.

Over the years we have loved the opportunity to work closely with clients like these. Clients like:
1) HTC – A 127-year strong Internet & telecom provider and cornerstone of our communities
2) Waterloo Piranhas – A local rec swim team that competes against other area swim teams
3) Monroe County StartUP – helping train tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, today
4) International Ingredient Corp – Providing animal feed ingredients around the world
5) FS Construction Services – Southwestern Illinois’ premiere ag construction firm
6) National Corn Grower Assoc. – Proudly representing America’s 46k+ Corn growers
7) Peoples Bank & Trust – A nationally ranked USDA lender based in central Illinois
8) Vince Graye Slate & Tile Roofing – True craftsman experience in the art of specialize roofing
9) Wightman Pharmacy – Delivering exceptional personal pharmacy services for 125 years
10) NCERC – A pioneer in the research, development, and commercialization of biorenewables
plus, so many others.

Each of these exceptional brands and our other clients have a strong tie to the communities we live in. There is a pride in knowing we are working with neighbors but also helping as we are Moving Their Brands Forward.

None of us would be where we are if it wasn’t for the local groups, businesses, and surrounding community that helped shape us. At Marketicity we are thankful to have the chance to give a little back to those hardworking men and women.

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call at 618-281-6648 or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Goal Setting: Make Your Move Now

October 18, 2022/in News /by Marketicity

Here at Marketicity we’re big believers in enjoying the moment and not casting yourself too far into the future. That being said, it’s October, and this year is going to be over before we know it, so it’s probably time to start thinking about some goal setting for the next year.

We’re used to thinking about New Year’s Resolutions for individuals, but if you own a business, do you think of resolutions for your business? It’s so easy to fall into a pattern of kicking good ideas down the road for a less busy time, but so often, that less busy time never comes. Instead of waiting on a moment that might never arrive, why not plan to make it happen?

Many good ideas end up on the cutting room floor because they weren’t thought of a month or two earlier when there was still time to implement them. Next year could be a year of growth, of redefinition, of returning to roots, or of expanding into a new area. These ideas may or may not implicitly involve marketing, but the marketing will be better off if it has a firm grasp of these ideas.

The other benefit of starting now is that sometimes you have to chase an idea for a little while before you know if it will work. Starting early gives you the cushion to fail, to false start, or change direction without detrimental consequences.

Getting your goals set early gives you the ability to really work that vision into the company and its employees. That kind of unity improves all levels of work and can be a huge boost to your marketing strategy.

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call at 618-281-6648 or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Financial Brand Invests in its Own Success

September 27, 2022/in News /by Marketicity

We know this isn’t likely to come as a shock to anyone in the marketing world, but sometimes brands like to a blow some smoke about their products, successes, and benefits. And honestly, it’s an easy trap to fall into. Our job as marketers is to highlight the upsides of a brand first and foremost. But before you even realize it, a little extra exaggeration here and some best-case scenario optimism there, and you can easily create something that doesn’t quite resemble the brand you’re representing.

And while there is certainly value in discussing the ethics of marketing, that’s not actually what we’re here to do right now. We wanted to talk about one of those wonderful moments you sometimes get in this line of work where you come across a brand or company that’s so humble and so good at what they do that the marketing process is like throwing a big net into a small pond loaded with fish.

We have had the pleasure of working with a number of category leaders both locally and nationally and one of those is Peoples Bank and Trust. We have recently had the opportunity to expand their marketing efforts as they themselves expand their business footprint in central Illinois. As the bank has grown to 10 locations they have decided to also upgrade their humble marketing approach. We have been able to work with them on creating traditional marketing pieces like direct mailers, print ads, radio ads, and new brochures. But we have also been able to provide them with a new website and are in the process of upgrading their social media presence – a key marketing component for any brand these days.

Finding features to highlight has hardly been a problem with this brand, which means we have been able to focus on choosing the right message for the right medium to best engage their potential client base. Which in the world of marketing is always a good place to be.

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Shopper Marketing

August 30, 2022/in News /by Marketicity

Here at Marketicity, it’s no surprise that we often find ourselves talking about digital marketing and advertising strategies. And with good reason – helping clients move their brands forward, it what we love to do. However, sometimes what can get lost in all of those discussions is that, for all of the convenience in the realm of online shopping, there are still brick and mortar stores out there with real, tactile marketing opportunities. Or what is often referred to as shopper marketing.

Over the years we have worked with food and flavor brands where this is a particularly viable marketing strategy. In some ways, it’s not dissimilar from the considerations that go into digital marketing strategies. Before we ever had to think through how a post would look on a social media feed, we had to consider how a product would look on a shelf. We look at how our client’s product looks sitting next to their competitor’s. And just like we try to create content that pauses someone’s scrolling through their feed, in shopper marketing we utilize tools like out of category placement, shelf talkers, wobblers and other point-of-sale tactics to distinguish one product from another to a customer’s passing eye.

In our work with the spirit company Sazerac we utilized strategically-placed displays that helped carry customers from one product to another. For instance, if they want to promote a seasonal cocktail with fruit, we work with the grocery store footprint in mind to develop displays for placement near the relevant items in the produce area. It’s a win for the store because it encourages an incremental purchase (seasonal fruit & our client’s brand). This is a win for the customer because it increases the convenience while shopping, a win for the grocer as it promotes their items and therefore it’s a win for our client.

As our world goes increasingly digital, as algorithms change, as marketing strategies quickly become obtuse and intangible, there is something uncomplicated and truly sublime about simply physically placing a products directly in front of consumers… in the right setting.

Want to learn more or talk “shopper marketing” strategies and tactics for your brand? Reach out and connect with us. We’d love to talk about options for Moving Your Brand Forward!

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Seven Key Steps to Holistic Brand Planning

July 26, 2022/in News /by Marketicity

It seems like not too long ago that “holistic” became a bit of a buzzword. And while it’s certainly a word that carries a variety of connotations, we simply mean it in reference to the whole of something, and not just a part. It’s easy in marketing to start thinking about how great your new bridge will look in architecture magazines before figuring out if you can even afford a civil engineer. Or in other words, it’s easy to come up with a single point on a marketing plan but have no points leading up to or after it.

Which is why we make it an emphasis at Marketicity to work with clients from the start of a project to its finish. Many ideas sound great in a vacuum, but they’re no good if they don’t produce results when played out in reality. So we’ve come up with seven key points that we go through every time we work with a brand.

Over the years, our work with HTC (One of Illinois’ largest and most trusted independent telecommunications companies) has given us ample opportunities to refine these points. HTC is a phone, internet, and TV provider for both residential and business customers. The demand for these services is always changing and growing as is the technology powering those services. From new products to updates, to the continued expansion of HTC Fiber services, we have had many chances to work through these seven steps with this client – and numerous others.

1) Goal Finding
You can come up with a great plan to promote a product, but it has to be vetted and put into action. So the start of any plan is to figure out what actually needs to be accomplished and set goals for it.

2) Research
This is obvious, but no less important. Researching competitors, companies or ideas from outside the industry, past strategies, and so on. Good research goes a long way.

3) Strategy and Development
Goals and research should give you plenty of ideas, but now those ideas have to form something. Of these steps, this one is maybe the most iterative. A strategy can change and grow and adjust even as it’s being implemented. And that’s fine.

4) Client Review
Client buy in is key. A good marketing plan should feel natural and authentic to the company.

5) Execution
This one is easy: efficiently and effectively execute the plan. (Although this one works in tandem with the next step.)

6) Evaluating Results
Gathering meaningful data is key and we always track whatever we can in real time. It may reinforce your hunches, require you to tweak a strategy or execution, and so on, but tracking data is necessary to carrying out the best plan possible.

7) Post-Mortem
Gather your data points. Feedback, analytics, sales numbers, etc., and give the whole thing a birds-eye look. Maybe it will confirm what you already know, but often times this process can reveal helpful, unrealized information.

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call at 618-281-6648 or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Increasing Your Brand’s Online Presence

June 28, 2022/in News /by Marketicity

In the year 2022 this statement is one of the more obvious ones we could make, but: your online presence matters. There we said it. Our work here is done.

Seriously though, we all know we need a comprehensive, easy to navigate web presence. However, this can be a bit of a blessing and a curse for companies. Smaller companies that may not have the resources or the inhouse ‘expertise’ as many major corporations that you can think of. And so often they will do the bare minimum of what’s required, but may not have the ability to do anything beyond that. And so you end up with old, unresponsive websites, pages that aren’t optimized for mobile, or a hodgepodge of random buttons, gifs, fonts, and colors. We don’t say this to be cruel. Everyone has to start somewhere. Look at the early days of any major corporation’s website and you’re sure to find something quaint, hilarious, or downright ugly.

One of the best things we get to do here at Marketicity is come alongside some of these businesses, get to know their wonderful staffs, their unique services, and see how they get to be true experts at what they do. And then we get to tell the world all about it. For us, one of these clients was the International Ingredient Corporation (IIC). This incredible company has been making feed ingredients for companion animals, swine, dairy cattle, aquaculture, horses, and more for almost 50 years. They have prioritized ‘upcycling’ by repurposing food byproducts. Rather than these byproducts ending up in a landfill, IIC’s research and development teams upcycle them and turn them into viable ingredients, which are then released them back into the food chain. IIC not only has a huge US footprint, but their products are exported to over 25 countries around the world.

This industry leader is located in Fenton, Missouri, and for all of their innovation and success, they were operating off of a very old website. So, we were thrilled to get to build them a brand-new site and create new video content to better share their remarkable story. Now, IIC has an online presence that better reflects their industry leading capabilities, breadth of products and a digital presence that promotes both.

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Partnering in the Social Media Space…for a Great Cause

May 24, 2022/in News /by Marketicity

Every company has a story. Sometimes those stories are straightforward and unspectacular, but every now and again you come across a business or organization whose story is so memorable or meaningful that communicating that story hardly feels like work. In the world of traditional marketing, a company’s ethos will often have to take a backseat to their products. However, the world of social media gets to transcend traditional marketing barriers.

Social media is a narrative-driven space where ideas and stories can resonate just as strongly as prices and outcomes. This affords marketers an opportunity to communicate with their audience and the general public in a way that’s less directly tied to a bottom line, yet can still have positive impacts on that bottom line.

At Marketicity, we have had the pleasure of providing support for an incredible organization called Songs 4 Soldiers which organizes annual benefit concerts and other events to raise money for combat veterans needing assistance. The organization, also started by a veteran – Dustin Row, is an easy cause to get behind. But the best intentions in the world don’t always translate to immediate success. But through the use of target social media messaging, ad boosts, outreach to country and rock music listeners in the region, as well as specific marketing in Nashville, Songs 4 Soldiers has been able to share its incredible purpose, and experience incredible growth, over the past number of years. The concert has gone from a one-day event featuring talented local musicians to a two-day event that, in addition to local acts, includes national touring mega acts like Night Ranger, 38 Special, Bret Michaels, Josh Turner, Granger Smith and many more. It has moved from a grocery store parking lot to Bolm-Schuhkraft Memorial City Park in Columbia, IL. And at its most recent concert, raised $270,000, all of which goes to help veterans in need.

Of course, the joy in getting to work with such wonderful people for such a wonderful cause is truly special. And so is wanting something to succeed, not just because you’ve been tasked with it, but because you genuinely believe in its value. It’s one of the best parts of doing this kind of work. The benefit of utilizing social media is that you can go beyond the elevator pitch or the keywords or the great deal to capture attention. Partnering in the social media space gives you an opportunity to speak to the emotion or the humanity of something in a way that can do justice to an organization like Songs 4 Soldiers.

Interested in learning more about this truly special organization or even better yet providing financial support or a donation? We encourage you to visit Songs4Soldiers.org and give! You can also visit their site to find out more about the 2022 concerts scheduled for September 9 & 10!

Marketicity is a marketing services firm whose team members have delivered successful campaigns and have been Moving Brands Forward for some of the best-known brands in their categories – both locally, regionally and nationally. We’re proud of our work but even more proud that our clients are proud of the work produced for their brands. Want to learn more about how we can help you “move your brand forward”? Simply give us a call or visit our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posts

Moving Brands Forward