Archive for category Uncategorized
Why Catalyst?
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on May 13th, 2010
Why Catalyst?
Recently, our company went through a re-branding to more effectively communicate who we are and what we do as an integrated agency.
Since our inception in 2004, we’ve seen a lot of change within our industry. From an emphasis on creative visual communications – think TV, print, etc – to an even heavier emphasis on interactive and mobile communications.
All the while, there has been a profound transformation from consumers/customers finding businesses to businesses having to find their consumers/customers.
While that shift may not seem like a “big deal,” it is changing the way businesses must think about how they can get in front of their customers at the right time and in the right place.
Catalyst, by definition, is a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected. As an integrated agency, our job is to help a brand become something bigger and better than it was without our help.
That’s what we’ve always done – think about new ways to reach customers at the right time and position the right message in the right place for our clients.
Do we change? Of course. Every client relationship makes a lasting mark on us in the way of experience, knowledge, and with a few extra laugh lines 
You see, we approach every relationship as a partner to our clients. We work to get the best results possible and have a heck of a good time getting them.
The journey we take with every client provides us and them with innovative ways to solve their business goals. It’s what we do – accelerate the awareness reaction among people.
Deliver Results — Think Big.
Press Release Tips for All Ages
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on March 22nd, 2010
Is the Press Release dead? Not yet. Plenty of traditional pr professionals are still cranking out releases at records rates. Press releases can be a great communications tool and a good way to make a first impression, especially in the B2B world.
Newspapers, magazines and trade publications receive them by the hundreds. I worked in a newsroom for over 6 years and trust me on this: Sloppy, long, pointless releases are the first to hit the newsroom wastebasket or be deleted from e-mail.
To make sure your press release makes the cut to consideration, avoid these common mistakes.
Cut to the chase. Failing to write a headline that explains what the story is about. Don’t try to be too cute or tease readers. Most journalists spend a less than five seconds reading a release before deciding whether to use it or toss it.
Too Wordy. Writing press releases that are too long, meaning they exceed one page, are not an attractive read to a busy journalist. Each release should be no longer than one printed page, or one computer screen of type. Remember. The purpose of your press release is to make a journalist pick up the phone and call you for a larger story.
Get it right. Getting your facts wrong makes a terrible first impression. Before you send a release, double-check everything. If your press release includes a telephone number, call the number to make sure it’s correct. If it includes a website address, send the release to yourself first and actually click on the link to make sure it takes readers to the correct page. Don’t rely on your computer’s spell-check. Have someone else proofread the release.
Missing the Boat. Sending it too late. If you want publicity for an event in your own community, send releases to local newspapers and TV stations about three weeks before the event. If you want publicity in national magazines, however, you might have to send your information six months before the event because many magazines work several months ahead of the publication date. Make sure you know deadlines for every publication on your media contact list.
What’s in it for me? Sending a press release that focuses on the company and not the targeted reader is a common mistake. Know your audience and target them throughout the entire release.
Cliche Phrases. Avoid hackneyed words and phrases such as spectacular, incredible, the only one of its kind, breakthrough, cutting-edge, unique and state-of-the-art.
Not Making Sense. Write so journalists can understand what you are saying. Speaking insider industry lingo that no one understands except people in your industry will get you a first class ticket to the trash bin.
The purpose of a press release is to communicate the news as quickly as possible. The easier you can make a journalist’s job, the greater the chances that your news will be shared.
c.a.k. ranked #9 design firm in austin
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on September 10th, 2009
We are happy to announce that we were ranked the #9 design firm in austin by the Austin Business Journal. This accomplishment is due to the fantastic work of every member of our team and the dedicated clients we have the fortune of working with. Just shows what a little creativity and a lot of sweat equity will do for a company.
Can You Walk and Chew Gum?
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on August 21st, 2009
We often counsel our clients on the importance of shortening their marketing messages to the “golden nugget” of information needed for their customers to engage and take action. Everyone knows that we live in a hyper-connected media world and that every message is competing with billions of others…so how do we break through isn’t really the question, it’s why we need to stand apart.
The following article, by Kara Trivunovic, senior director of strategic services at StrongMail Systems, hits the nail on the head.
“Does anything we do today get 100% of our attention? Not likely. Let’s take me, for example: I am a mother of three, a four-year-old daughter and two year-old twin boys. My husband and I own a bar, we have a home and I have a full-time email strategy gig. Not to mention dance classes for my daughter, preschool, travel for work… you catch my drift.
I half-joke that having twins has been the ultimate lesson in multitasking. I have never before done more things simultaneously than I do today. I’m taking a conference call with a client with one baby on my lap, getting gum out of my daughter’s hair, responding to an IM and wondering where my other kid toddled off to. But I am not unique; people everywhere are stretched thin. As email marketers, we look at many aspects of our customers to best identify the most relevant email experience we can deliver — but do we ever take life into consideration?
I work in the email channel, so sometimes I think my perspective on personal interaction with email marketing messages may be a little skewed. I tend to pay closer attention to some of the things that hit my inbox, as I am always looking for inspiration or a great idea. But if I look at my email behavior with the brands that I personally interact with, interesting observations begin to bubble to the top. So as email marketers look to get more relevant, here are five considerations that influence email interaction that have little to do with email and more to do with life:
Life happens. Life is unexpected — that’s what makes it fun, or so I am told (as a consummate planner, I may disagree.) But as much as you would like to, you cannot predict the unpredictable. You could have the best-laid email marketing strategy, with the most relevant content, going to the most targeted and engaged list of email recipients and it will still fall flat. Why? Don’t know for sure, but sometimes we need to consider that it could just be circumstances outside of our control.
You’ve been triaged. With the continued adaption of PDAs, more and more consumers are reading email on handheld devices — and there is no indication this trend will change. The added challenge here is not how to make the message render properly on the device; it is, rather, how do you convey enough information that a recipient on a handheld device would need to decide whether or not to convert against your message at a later time (when they log on to their computer, for example)? Let’s face it; I am not going to order a new couch from my cell phone, but if I get a compelling offer on my handheld from a furniture company, I may save it for later and spend some more time with it when I am back at my desk. or…I may delete it.
You’re not multitaskable.
At least your message isn’t. You’ve probably heard others talk about the fact that you have 3-5 seconds to really grab an email recipients attention-like driving by a billboard at 65mph. It’s not because recipients only glance that quickly at a message – it is because your message is only getting a fraction of the recipients’ attention – limiting the ability to completely comprehend what you are saying (much like when I ask my husband to wash dishes for me). And if your message isn’t designed and written in such a way that is easily scannable – you are not multitaskable.
There is always family. As much as I would love to believe that recipients are sitting with bated breath awaiting the next email from one of my clients, let’s face it – that just ain’t happening. You are competing with email from other marketers in the inbox, as well as newsletters from the local Gymnastics Center, electronic statements from the bank and the occasional request from Mom to help her figure out how to download photos off her newfangled digital camera. Just be sure to keep in mind that you aren’t necessarily competing with your biggest competitor in the inbox. Rather, you may be in competition with Aunt Tilley — so you better have something important to say.
Squeezing the most out of every moment. Your budgets are shrinking, headcount is being slashed and you are trying to get the most out of each message you send. We’ve all seen newsletters riddled with banner ads, offers, product announcements, an overwhelming amount of content. But if your message isn’t focused in its objective, then, given the innate multitasking that the reader is no doubt doing — there is little chance that anything you’re saying is being digested.
And on that note, I am going to finish watching “Top Chef,” get the laundry folded and see what’s interesting in my inbox.”
Cause Marketing Expected to Show Growth
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on August 20th, 2009
By Aaron Baar
The economy may be causing marketers to scale back on expensive, high-production efforts, but one area is still likely to see some growth this year: cause marketing.
According to IEG, North American companies will spend about $1.55 billion on cause marketing efforts in 2009, a roughly 2% increase over 2008. That is down from previous year-on-year increases in the cause marketing arena, but in the current economic climate, any increase in a marketing program is worth noting, says Dan Kowitz, vice president of IEG Sponsorship Consulting.
“As consumers, if there’s anything we want to see a company spend money on, it’s a cause that’s important to us,” Kowitz tells Marketing Daily. “And marketers know that.”
As evidence of consumer interest in sponsorship, Kowitz cited a Performance Research survey from February 2009 in which 41% of Americans said companies should increase their spending on cause marketing, compared with 13% who said they should increase spending on sports sponsorships and 20% who said they should increase sponsorship of cultural events.
Plus, cause marketing is generally cheaper than sports sponsorships, Kowitz says. Mott’s, for instance, has said it will contribute up to $134,000 (the equivalent of feeding one million people through the Feeding America non-profit), which is much less expensive than the many millions it might cost to put a company’s name on a sports arena.
“When you talk about subjects outside of sports, they come at a much more cost-effective price-point,” Kowitz says.
Cause marketing, however, can be tricky, particularly among a public that has grown jaded and cynical, Kowitz says. The key for marketers boils down to one thing: authenticity.”
“Companies have to do this in an authentic way,” he says. “You can’t claim to be a green sponsor just by putting your logo on a recycling bin.”
And with consumers more empowered than ever to find and call out companies on how their business practices don’t live up to their cause-marketing initiative, companies have to put a lot of time and effort into their chosen programs, Kowitz says. The good news is that many marketers have caught on and are living up to their promises.
“Companies have done a better job [with cause marketing] than in the past 12 months,” Kowitz says. “What they could have gotten away with six years ago, for instance, was to throw money at something and say they’re supporting it.”
Google Caffeine: Some Big Brands Will Gain, Some Will Lose
Posted by c.a.k. + associates in Uncategorized on August 20th, 2009
Great article by Rob Garner (strategy director for iCrossing) about changes in Google’s search results – must read for anyone involved with SEO.
Last week Google informally gave a heads-up that we should all be expecting a change in its main Web search results, based on a new update to search technology that mostly affects its indexing process. Dubbed Google Caffeine, it is a “secret project” considered to be next-generation architecture for Google Web search. And in addition to shaking up the results a bit, it may also pave new roads toward the goal of real-time search results. Early reviews in preview SERPs indicate that there will be noticeable differences in the results pages for many terms and brands, so those paying close attention to their SEO campaigns are advised to watch this update closely. Overall, here are some observations as Caffeine prepares to roll out:
Significant displacement is revealed among big brands for some broad terms. After reviewing a number of high-volume category level terms, we found many big brands have swapped places in the results for individual key terms, while others have risen to new heights, and others have gone down to new lows. This is no small news to either the winners or losers, as some of these category-level terms may be generating millions of dollars per year in revenue, per term, alone.
Less emphasis on universal results. While it appears that universal results like video and images may be displaced by more blue text links in this update, don’t expect them to go away, and don’t stop optimizing various digital assets types. In fact, they may eventually come back at a greater frequency in future updates, as Google continues to test the right balance of universal in paid placements. Google has reported previously in interviews that organic universal results were cannibalizing paid results, and a future rollout of universal paid placements may help offset this issue until video and images can reappear more prominently without as much impact to revenue.
Some social media sites may gain in favor, while others decline. If there is any consistency in search updates like this, it’s that positive and negative favor toward certain sites changes constantly. While big brands will eventually feel the algorithmic impact of the shift, sites like Facebook and Technorati generally seemed to have benefited, while Wikipedia may be slightly less emphasized throughout the results. Twitter may also get dialed up a notch or two in this update.
For enterprise marketers, the same SEO principles still apply. At the end of the day, what enterprise marketers get from natural search is impacted by 1) how you maintain your digital assets (things marketers control on- and off- site); 2) user behavior; and 3) the level of algorithmic bias toward your site. Number three can’t be controlled, and I would advise readers to stay away from any SEO who says it can be; two is also not fully in our control, as evidenced by the major massive changes in search behavior as a result of the economy. But number one is in our control, and at the end of the day, best practices still apply. Staying focused on this area keeps your program focused on gaining sustainable long-term natural search benefits, and not taking a reactionary approach that might jeopardize future returns for the sake of trying to spare last week’s positive algorithmic bias. This means staying focused on core elements like content, link structure, site architecture and structure, promotion in the right offsite networks, and all other general best practices.
So for those who are already taking the best-practices approach, step back and prepare to observe the change. For those shifting with the wind, I would strongly recommend moving to best practices, and also taking this update somewhat in stride. While the best-practices strategy is always subject to good days and bad, it is still the best and most sustainable long-term approach. Again, note that the observations above come from previewing results, and may be subject to change upon final rollout. Just be ready to analyze the impact when this happens — which, for your business, could end up meaning nothing, a little, or a lot.
9 Marketing Tips from a 6-Year Old’s Lemonade Stand
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on August 3rd, 2009
I was reading some marketing articles the other day and ran across this one by Jim Lodico, a freelance commercial copywriter and marketing consultant. It talks about the basics of marketing and how business owners can apply the principles to help increase sales. It is a little “self-help” approach to what c.a.k.+associates does for businesses every day.
What marketing tips can you get from your child's lemonade stand?
“The other day my daughter, Sophia, announced that she wanted to set up a lemonade stand.
Seeing as how I didn’t really want to spend the better part of my weekend selling lemonade, I tried to talk her out of it by showing her how much she’d need to spend to buy the lemonade mix, get the cups, that sort of thing.
Regardless of my best efforts, there was no changing her mind. She wanted to go into business and there wasn’t anything I was going to do to stop her.
So as I succumbed to my role as venture capitalist in her first business startup. I decided that at the very least, this would be a great chance to teach my daughter about counting money, basic business principals, that sort of thing.
We sat down with a pad of paper and started writing the business plan.
It didn’t take long before Sophia, becoming completely exasperated with my efforts to teach her about price structure and ROI, looked up at me and said:
“But Daddy, I just want to give it away. Our neighbors are so nice, I just want to give them the lemonade.”
Wow! What do you say to that? She hit me with a complete game changer that I didn’t expect.
Suddenly, the lemonade stand had taken on an entirely different meaning.
So we put away the business plan, she drew up a sign and my wife helped her mix a pitcher of lemonade.
Just as we were about to open for business, Sophia came in from the back porch with a sprig of mint she had cut from a pot.
“Can we put mint in the lemonade?” she asked. “I want to make it extra special.”
And with that, on a Sunday afternoon in a quiet neighborhood, she was open for business.
Within a few minutes, one of our neighbors who had heard about the project came over with 50 cents to buy a glass of lemonade. Twice the price my daughter was originally planning to charge.
“But it’s free” Sophia told her.
“That’s OK. I want to pay you for the lemonade”, she replied.
Not knowing what to do with the money, Sophia put it in a cup and set the cup on the table (where everyone could see it).
Before long, more neighbors came by, each one giving her at least 50 cents. When a car would pass, she would jump up and down and scream, “Free lemonade” hoping they would stop.
For the most part they didn’t. However, at one point, one did and the driver handed her three dollars for his glass of lemonade – 1,100 percent more then if she’d gone with her father’s suggestion of 25 cents per cup.
By the end of the day, Sophia had made a whopping eight dollars at her “free” lemonade stand.
When it was all said and done, I realized that although my original business lessons didn’t stick with my daughter, I learned a lot about marketing.
Here are nine lemonade stand tips that you can use to market your services:
1. Give people something for free and they will feel obligated to return the favor
When you help someone, it creates a natural desire to return the favor. As a web designer, provide helpful tips on your blog, participate in forums offering advice and helping non-designers, share ideas on Twitter. In doing so, you’ll not only build trust, but also develop relationships with potential clients.
2. Give potential customers a taste of your offerings
Offer free themes or templates with an easy upgrade to “pro” versions. Provide free stock graphics that hint at potential identity or branding packages while demonstrating your creativity. Just be sure to make it good. When users are excited about the base product, they are much more likely to upgrade.
3. Make it “Extra Special”
Don’t just offer lemonade. Put in that extra sprig of mint. Make everything you do something “extra special” and clients will take notice. Not only will they come back for more, they’ll tell their friends.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Tell Your “Neighbors” (Network!)
One of the first things my daughter did when she opened her stand was run next door and tell the neighbor. After getting his lemonade, he called two other neighbors to tell them about the lemonade stand – both of whom came right over with “donations”. Don’t be afraid to tell friends and colleagues about your services. You never know, they may talk to your next big client later that day.
5. Do What You Need to Do to Be Seen
It wasn’t enough to just put up a sign. My daughter’s advertising consisted of jumping up and down screaming “free lemonade” at passing cars. While it might seem extreme, it worked. How are you “screaming” about your business?
6. Be Persistent
Even though most of the cars passed by, my daughter didn’t give up. Finally, after many failed attempts, one of them did stop—doubling her income for the day.
7. Build Anticipation
My daughter’s first customer knew about her project and was there as soon as it opened. Don’t just launch your new web site, let people know it’s coming. Drop hints, show them screen shots, make them look forward to the big day.
8. Find Good Partners
My daughter’s little brother kept drinking the lemonade – not the best partner. However, her friend from down the street was out there with her jumping up and down screaming, doubling their advertising efforts.
9. Advertise Your Popularity
Once my daughter’s cup started filling with coins, people were more likely to “donate”. Don’t be afraid to advertise your popularity. Place download counters, comment counts and subscriber numbers in prominent places. Just make sure the stats are high enough to warrant a little bragging.”
Written exclusively for WDD by Jim Lodico. He is a freelance commercial copywriter and marketing consultant. You can learn more about his services at his website www.jalcommunications.com
The Most Engaged Brands on the Web
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on July 21st, 2009
Most Engaged Brands on the WEb
If your company doesn’t have a Social Media Plan, perhaps this post will help you take the digital step. We invite you to contact us today to get your Social Media Plan started.
Recently, analyst Charlene Li of the Altimeter Group and Wetpaint conducted a study and ranked the top 100 brands by their social media engagement. The report highlighted best practices in use by brands and identified four types of Social Media groups:
- Mavens – most engaged
- Butterflies – engaged, but spread too thin
- Selectives – somewhat engaged, limited scope
- Wallflowers – just dipping their toes in
The surprising conclusion of this study found that “socially engaged companies are in fact more financially successful.” More Tweets = more bucks.
Yes it pays to be social but by being social in the wrong or uninformed way could have reverse affects on your business’ growth. Setting up a Facebook page or Twitter account isn’t enough to see the dollars flow in. You need a consistent and focused approach to how you use social media as a way to inform your customers, and potential customers, about your business.
Here are some best practices used by Starbucks (has a social media team of only six people):
- Deputize people in your organization – ensure that everyone is “bought in” prior to launching your social media plan, there will be better follow through and better results.
- Understand how each social media channel provides a different dimension of engagement.
- Centralize coordination – protect your brand, ensure the right people are communicating in the right way.
- Find champions who can explain and mitigate risk – make sure you have someone who “gets” social media and can communicate it to your organization.
In starting your Social Media plan, emphasize the quality of your engagement, not just the quantity of outlets you participate in. Build your base deep, learn from your mistakes and make sure everything you do is done with a goal in mind.
The full report can be found below. If you are ready to create your Social Media plan, we’re here to help.
7 Tips for Email Marketing
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on July 10th, 2009
As written by Kristin Marquet (km@marquet-communications.com):
Has email marketing become obsolete? Even though we are bombarded with thousands of emails per week, email marketing has not become obsolete. In fact, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to stay in touch with existing customers as well as attract new customers if it used correctly.
However, many business owners waste countless hours putting together email marketing campaigns with weak copy, bad graphics, and inadequate offers, which end up in the trash bin. So what’s the point of spending countless hours and money on marketing that isn’t going to work?
To prevent your emails from getting tossed in the trash bin, keep the following tips in mind:
1. Build a subscriber list. To get started collecting email addresses, offer a sign up page on every page your website or blog. Offer a newsletter, a promotion, or an exclusive offer. Once you develop a robust list of subscribers, you can send as many offers as you want. You can also offer affiliate products to increase scalability.
2. Deliver thought-provoking and informative content- People don’t like to feel like they are being sold to, so it is important that to provide resourceful and valuable information. The whole point is to differentiate your business from the rest of the competition.
3. Don’t get in trouble for SPAM. To make prospective and existing subscribers feel like they are protected, post a privacy policy. Prospects may get turned off if they feel that you might sell their information.
4. Personalization – Personalizing your emails makes your subscribers feel special. You can customize emails by greeting subscribers by their first name. You can personalize the layout – with pictures, the header of the email and the colors of the background. Most auto responders (email marketing companies) offer a variety of template options for no additional cost. However, if you want to have a template customized, these companies will design the template to match your brand for an additional cost. (Check out www.aweber.com, www.constantcontact.com and www.getresponse.com for more information).
5. Call to Action/ Special offer- If you are pushing a promotion or special offer, a strong call to action is necessary. Make it clear and simple such as “Click here for a 25% discount off your next purchase.” You have to tell your subscribers exactly what they should do in order to join in on the special offer or promotion.
6. Unsubscribe – Make the unsubscribe button visible in every email. You don’t want to frustrate your readers by making it difficult to unsubscribe to your newsletter or email promotions.
7. Getting Prospects to Subscribe – Offer a bonus if they sign up. Offer an e-book or coupon for their first purchase.
If email marketing is used correctly, you can keep existing customers in the know of the latest trends or styles; offer your latest promotions and sales, and anything else that is relevant, just as long as prospects and customers don’t feel like they are being sold.
For help designing and launching your email campaign, contact us today.
You have to ask the right questions if you want the right answers.
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on July 2nd, 2009
At c.a.k., we’ve been fortunate to host numerous focus groups and conduct intercept surveys for a variety of clients over the years. With subjects ranging from women’s reproductive health to best real estate development areas and yields, we have developed a science behind not only what kind of questions we ask, but rather how we ask the questions. Although the difference may seem trivial, it allows for the accurate analysis of the data received and better results for our clients.
Before you begin a market research endeavor, here are some general tips on preparing your questions (source: ragan.com, Robert J Holland):
- Begin with the end in mind. Stephen Covey’s advice applies to measurement. It’s important to be clear about how you will use the data you collect from a survey. What’s the purpose of asking each question? Could the resulting data be acted upon? Ask only about things you intend to address. If you don’t foresee using the information in some way, don’t ask for it.
For example, a popular question on readership surveys goes something like this: “How much of the employee magazine do you read? All / Most / Some / None.”One problem with this question is that it would yield data of limited value. What if you learned that 60 percent of employees read “most” of the publication? Does reading “most” of the publication help them in their work? And what parts of the publication do they read? Even if you knew what parts they read, how would that help you improve the parts they don’t read?
A better question would be: “From the list below, select the publication features you find most relevant to your everyday work.” A list would help you pinpoint what people read, and the phrasing of the question asks them to rate the relevance of the features in the specific context of their everyday work.
- Discern between outcome-oriented and output-oriented questions. Outcome-oriented questions address the impact of communication, the difference it makes in the achievement of goals. Output-oriented questions deal with how communication vehicles work and their tactical effectiveness. What are you attempting to measure? It could be one or the other or both, but be clear about it up front.
Output-oriented questions provide information than can help you improve the mechanics of communication. For example, asking for the reasons behind low attendance at a quarterly business update meeting might reveal that the meeting’s time or location was inconvenient or that adequate notice was not given.
Outcome-oriented questions are the most powerful because they measure the business impact of communication. If one of the goals for a town-hall meeting is to help employees understand the impact of product quality on job performance, you might ask participants to rate their agreement with this statement: “Today’s town-hall meeting included information about product quality that will help me do my job better.”
- Keep the Big Three in mind. When it comes to measuring outcomes, it all comes down to three things: knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. When deciding what to ask, think about organizing questions around what people know, how they feel about what they know, and what they do as a result.
An example of a knowledge-focused question is asking employees to rate their agreement with this statement: “As a result of the webcast, I have a better working knowledge of the company’s financial situation this quarter.”
Attitude questions ask people how they feel about an issue as a result of communication about it: “After attending today’s meeting, I feel confident that the company can achieve its goals for the year.”
Behavior questions are a bit trickier because they must hone in on what people do or might do as a result of a communication effort: “After reading this story, I understand the three things I must do to help improve customer satisfaction.”
Take your time determining the right questions to ask and then refine the questions so they yield the data you need. “Asking questions is the ABC of diagnosis.”