CaliberPulse

We are experiencing a significant pivot in the way business works. No doubt about it, we are living in unusual times. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is significant and transformative. It has radically transformed our social and economic fabric. And in the coming years, it will be viewed as a significant pivot point in […]

May 8, 2020

In these uncertain times, companies from small businesses to major brands are turning to digital marketing and social media to offer valuable content, build brand credibility and engage with audiences. Consumers across the globe have dramatically increased their reliance on technology. So, including these tactics in your marketing strategy enables you to access to nearly […]

April 28, 2020

Last week members of our team accompanied our clients, Pro*Act USA, Harvest Sensations and Greener Fields Together, to Chicago for the 2014 United Fresh Show. One thing is clear, the produce industry is teeming with branding, marketing and research opportunities. Events such as these always inspire creative solutions. #UnitedFresh2014 delivered the perfect networking and educational atmosphere […]

June 19, 2014

As the nation slowly recovers from the recession marketing budgets are also recovering. Companies that survived the economic downturn likely implemented a conservative marketing spending plan, and have emerged with a renewed spirit and business strategy. Having survived the financial crisis, the landscape is now filled with strong competition. Brands are turning to their marketing partners for advice on determining how to best communicate their core messaging in this new market and how to distinguish themselves among their competition.

February 28, 2013

The Caliber team recently participated in a half-day virtual conference by Vocus, titled: “Social Media. So What?” One of the keynote speakers, Scott Stratten, gave an insightful talk reminding us that every employee is a marketer, and engaging with customers online improves your brand enormously. Stratten’s views on marketing inspired many industry professionals, including our friend and respected colleague, Abbie S. Fink. Today, we are happy to share her guest blog post, which provides some thoughtful insight on Stratten’s new book, “UnMarketing.”

March 23, 2011

In 2010, social media played more of a key role in the marketing, advertising, and public relations industry than ever before. More companies, large and small, used social media to increase interaction with their consumers, promote company news, events, and sales, and much more. As the use of these platforms increases, it is important to take note and understand the constant changes occurring in the world of social media in order to plan for using it most effectively.

January 13, 2011

If a conversation happens in a forest and you're not there to be a part of it, did it really happen? In the online world of social media - you bet your bottom dollar it did. And an entire network of friends, fans and followers heard it, participated in it and repeated it to their friends, fans and followers. When I worked for a small town newspaper right out of college, we often joked the biggest threat to being scooped was the gossip that took place at a quaint diner downtown. There's no message tool more effective than word of mouth - especially when the topic is heated, controversial or sensational. That's how I like to think of social media. It's not really all that new to those of us who understand how gossip works - it's fast, can often be misleading (think the children's game of telephone - the more you repeat something, the more inaccurate the message becomes) and sometimes damages someone's reputation.

August 28, 2009

A popular argument in the business world against social media is that employers would have to pay employees to blog, tweet or post video and photos to YouTube and Facebook. The "man/woman-hours" is the expense.

August 4, 2009

There seems to be two social media camps emerging in the marketing/public relations world. Camp Go For It! and Camp I Don't Have Time For This! can be found in every office nook and cranny defending their positions. So what's a good business executive/entrepreneur to do? (Check out this ReadWriteWeb post on degrees of social media usage.) The same thing your predecessor did when the Internet was born. Or how about when that newfangled box, the television, came to be? The radio? The truth - as is usually the case - I believe lies somewhere in the middle. Marketing and PR professionals didn't stop reaching out to print media when the first radio the size of a Volkswagen took up floor space in Grandma's living room. And companies today still advertise on TV and radio, despite the numerous banner and pay-per-click online advertising opportunities. So what's the deal with social media? Will those tried-and-true traditional media tools we've gotten so comfortable with really go away if you dare to Tweet? Hang on to your blanket, Linus.

July 31, 2009

“Buy low, sell high” applies just as well to market and mind share as it does to stocks. Astute marketers recognize that the current weakness in economic activity can be turned into an opportunity for growth. In fact, a recent global survey of chief executives conducted by McKinsey & Company found that 20% of organizations plan to increase their marketing budgets over the next year. Now, what do these firms know that the 45% planning to reduce budgets don’t? Simply that advertising investments during a recession can pay off handsomely.

June 29, 2009

More than a hundred attended our Smart Marketing Workshop on Social Media yesterday morning! “Using Social Media to Build Your Brand and Business” offered a introduction to social media while representatives from Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Arizona Daily Star, KOLD News 13 and Buffalo Exchange discussed how they’ve used social media to improve their businesses. Some of the takeaways I Twittered during the workshop, in case you missed either: If your demographic isn't using social media, don't wait another six months, get there before your customers do. Best Western has been using a travel blog to allow visitors to share tips and great experiences. Result: Best Western's site has grown 50 percent since creation. Customers who want to identify with a cause can identify with Kenneth Cole and interact with the clothing brand and its fans on its Awearness blog. Result: The clothing brand is reaching a niche customer demographic interested in identifying itself as socially conscious (Gen X anyone?). Hewlett Packard created a scavenger hunt using Twitter, offering free products and building brand awareness for HP. Result: they increased traffic to their Web site around the holiday season - great timing! Domino's Pizza used social media (YouTube) to successfully manage a crisis situation involving former employees and food safety. Result: Social Media proved an important PR tool as they reassured their customer base that their food is safe. Nature Conservancy used Digg to raise awareness by posting articles like, "14 easy ways to be an environmentalist." Result: they substantially increased the number of visitors to their Web site.

June 18, 2009

Wow! What a turnout for our Smart Marketing Workshop on social media this morning! I Twittered throughout the workshop all the great takeaways our speakers covered. If you couldn't make it, don't worry. We're already looking into a follow up session. We'll also be posting the PowerPoint presentation on our Web site's home page. Check back later tonight for a recap of the session! If we did see your smiling face there, let us know what you thought. Did you get any cool ideas for how to use social media in your business? We'd love to hear from you! (Like what you're reading on CaliberPulse.com? Sign up for an e-mail alert and we'll let you know when we post something new! Just look to the right side of the page!)

June 17, 2009