May 8th, 2012 → 10:25 am @ The Brand Chef // No Comments
WOW… We’re growing again, and it’s become quite a fun ride for all of us. While CreateWOWmarketing continues to increase in scale and scope, we’re challenged daily to maintain the service and quality we have set as a STANDARD for ALL of our clients. That’s why we need YOU!
We need the master of the impossible - someone that can handle themselves with multiple account administration for marketing and communications. If you’re driven and want experience doing everything you see on “MadMen” (minus the sex and alcohol and general stupidity), this is the place to start. We’re small. We’re driven to achieve greatness. We’re focused on TRUE brand integration and marketing that makes sense for our clients … and US!
Your duties would include:
Is there more? GOD knows. Right now this is a 3/4 time position, but in a blink of an eye we’ve seen that change.
Interested in joining a team that values you, your work, your opinion and your time?
Please contact us TODAY! We’ve picked up a few clients that need your help NOW!
To apply, you can email us the following:
Wrap it all up in a pretty bow (figuratively speaking) and send it off to:
Or if you’re old-school, you can mail it to:
CreateWOWmarketing, LLC
c/o The Brand Chef
1533 Linden Street, #100
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Good Luck! We’re excited to welcome you to the team!
If you want more on working at CreateWOW check out these links:
http://createwowmarketing.com/are-you-prepared-to-create-your-own-wow/
http://createwowmarketing.com/who-creates-wow/
http://createwowmarketing.com/who-creates-wow/talk-to-the-brand-chef/
http://createwowmarketing.com/five-web-marketing-questions-you-should-be-asking/
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May 7th, 2012 → 9:51 am @ The Brand Chef // No Comments
On Friday the 5th of May, CreateWOWmarketing presented the following photography in communications deck to the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. In our presentation, we discussed the use of photography as a STRATEGIC communication tool as well as showed the audience some tips and tricks for making their photos better – from better photo composition to photography styles and mediums that would enhance their communications needs. Then we broke out into groups and shot some test photos using some of the styles and techniques mentioned in the presentation.
Overall, it was a great day. We hope they left the seminar with a new passion for photography and the power of a simple photo.
Here is the deck – feel free to share it with others in your communications circle, or just take some of the tips and tricks to use for yourself.
REMEMBER: Instagram does NOT make you a good photographer. 
Keep Cooking,
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
April 20th, 2012 → 12:24 pm @ SharonLC // One Comment
Seriously – type “branding” into your search engine and see what pops up! More than 10 pages of branding blogs and websites.
While there ARE companies who know branding and how it works, there are also companies who just use a lot of big words and involved formulas to make them sound like they know what they’re talking about. So, how do you weed out the experts from the snake-oil salesmen?
It takes time and insight, but when your TRUE Brand starts showing results, it will be worth the effort!
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February 7th, 2012 → 8:17 am @ The Brand Chef // 2 Comments
There’ IS a price to “FREE” media production; while it may not show on the books, it will show on your brand.
Buying radio or television media production is every creative’s worst nightmare. The schedules are hard to plan – especially in the “Political” and “Sporting” blitz months. Any positive calendar can be preempted at the drop of a very well financed hat. Budgeting is often a guessing game and costly without the right media partner or a person at the station “going to bat” for you. And God forbid if the spots are produced at the station… (think all “As Seen On TV” Ads).
Let’s put it this way. Why does virtually every marketing resume START with television and radio and newspaper production as the first job out of college and not END with a long tenure and a mass of accolades? Do you want your company’s public brand perception in the hands of 20-year-old-Timmy-Something right out of the local community college and chomping at the bit to try the newest puke-inducing filter he discovered in Final Cut Express last night?
Cue lens flair and glow effect… *gag*
While CreateWOW manages a lot of social media marketing as well as traditional advertising and production, a majority of our clients leave final scheduling, video and audio production up to the stations. We have warned against this practice, but often times, with small businesses come smaller budgets. With that, most stations will produce a spot “at no cost” just to sell the air time, so WHY NOT, right? While the creative may be strong and the client loves the direction, once they’re produced by “KXYZ’s” latest video phenom, they tend to lose their appeal.
Here are five simple tips to fight the cost of “Free” media:
The following spots are a result of CreateWOW opting for #5 above. Again, while this is not the ideal solution, what we were being presented by local production departments for both radio and television were … well… offensive.
By doing the spots ourselves, CreateWOW was able to maintain brand consistency throughout the spots and platforms by:
While the stations each provided their “interpretations” of our creative, it was finally CreateWOW’s responsibility to tell the client’s story. (By the way, the stations all proposed ONE spot… we did FIVE!)
With that, we thank you and our clients for letting us go to battle for good branding, good marketing, good communications and good production.
This is what we love.
Until next time…
Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
December 28th, 2011 → 1:05 pm @ The Brand Chef // No Comments
When it comes to SOCIAL media, I’m often asked by customers and peers alike “What can I do to really manage my brand’s reputation through social media?”
(Yes, somewhat a redundant question, but I’ll get to that in another post…)
Well, a lot of that answer depends on the circumstances in which your “reputation” finds itself. In the case below, I had a conversation about a peer’s client wanting “Edit” reviews on FourSquare… Hmmmmm
As always, I try to keep my advice “Above The Line” and beneficial to all parties, but the implications of what the client wanted to do seemed pretty drastic…
This is how it all went down:
Original Email:
Andrew:
Have to ask you a question. I just had a client tell me that if you “claim” your location on Foursquare, you can remove unsavory reviews from a user…has something changed that you know of with Foursquare that enables that function? I “claim” the location and can manage all the check-in specials, but certainly can’t access that edit function at all.What the hell?
My “PC” Response:
No, you’re not crazy… at least when it comes to the whole FourSquare thing…
From what I can tell, you can add / edit campaigns and specials and even add comments and “to Do” items on Foursquare, but to edit or delete negative comments on your account would be … well … unsavory in itself… I don’t know of any geo location marketing service (DexKnows, YellowBook, etc.) that will allow the editing or deletion of submitted content by users.
I advise clients to respond to any possible negative comments with a positive clarification of details or an offer to make amends. Once that has been done, ask the critic to append or add a new review stating “All is good in the world.” If the request goes un answered, at least future viewers will see that the client made an effort to serve the customer (if it is a customer) in a positive way.
Such is the life of SOCIAL media marketing.
…Mind if I use this email as a post / case study in my blog?
Of course, she approved…
Ethical business practices aside, if you COULD go in and censor posts about your company, would you in favor of better reviews? Certainly the desire is there, but what happens when “Disgruntled customer X” sees his comment was deleted? Would you be in line for a hailstorm of negativity then? Where would it stop?
Where I work (shameless plug), we use an array of Social Media Monitoring tools to assure our clients that they are being kept “On Top Of” any brand mentions, discussions, tweets, articles, etc… but when it comes to managing those remarks, where is the line drawn?
So, what do you do to help clients manage their brands and reputations in social media?
Food for thought…
Keep Cooking,
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
(originally posted 12/28/11 on http://thebrandchef.tumblr.com)
December 19th, 2011 → 10:30 am @ The Brand Chef // No Comments
SO, the Holiday season is in full swing. The joy and laughter around the office tends to get a little bigger. The warmth of the coffee tends to feel a little cozier and the casual feeling of family creeps into the sometime stodgy business environment.
I think I start to notice it when the first Holiday card arrives in the mail. Generally oversized envelopes with holiday stamps and hand written addresses start filtering their way through the mail slot right after Thanksgiving (some earlier for you holiday addicts). Once a year, the only time mail is taped, pinned, stuck to the wall or posted on the front desk for all to see.
This year is a special one for me. This is the first year that CreateWOW actually has a “Front Desk” to speak of. Sure, holiday cards arrived in the past, but pulling them out of a P.O. box to take to my home office just didn’t feel the same. This year, I watch. I listen for the mail slot to clank open like I’m waiting for the winning lottery numbers to be called. And there they are. Cards from customers, vendors, friends and neighbors alike flooding through the door like a gush of Christmas cheer.
This year, though, I’ve seen a dip in traditional “Snail Mail” deliveries for digital deliveries of cheer. Email or Facebook Posts from friends saying “Merry Christmas, hope to see you soon,” or Tweets (yes, Tweets) saying “Have a great Xmas!” — short enough to add a custom shortened URL link to a landing page with a stock holiday greeting on it… WHAT?
What happened to the art of handwriting a holiday greeting? Has time become such a commodity these days that pulling out a pen and simply signing your name has become too tiresome? When I get holiday greetings over social media channels, I feel like they just noticed I was online so they just remembered to mention it to me like:
Maybe I’m a little old fashioned. Maybe I’m just old. Who knows? But when it comes to sending a greeting for the holidays I’d like to have something to hold on to. A card is perfect. Of course, they will be lost and / or forgotten after a few weeks, but for the season, the cards that I put on my wall don’t disappear with every following post or Tweet.
How about you? Which wall do you want to display YOUR holiday cheer on?
Happy Holidays! From The Brand Chef and everyone at CreateWOWmarketing.
Now you can print this off and tape it to your wall… Or maybe we actually sent you a card?
Keep Cooking
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
December 9th, 2011 → 12:27 pm @ SharonLC // No Comments
It’s everywhere – our computers, our phones, our video game consoles. We hear the phrase in television shows and commercials. You see the logos in shop windows encouraging you to “Like us on Facebook!” or “Follow us on Twitter!” Most of us DO, too. Just trying to keep a finger on the pulse of the world around us, afraid of missing out on something.
How do YOU use your social media outlets? Is it for business and marketing? Do you strictly use Facebook and Twitter to connect with potential clients/customers? Is it a platform for your political/religious views or just for keeping in touch with old schoolmates and family on the other side of the country?
Personally, I can see both views. I agree – to an extent – with all of it. I am guilty of using my Social Media venues to stay on the sidelines of my sisters’ lives, being involved without actually being INVOLVED. I also admit to loving the “party-line” convenience – in fact, Facebook was ESSENTIAL to the coordination of my 20-year High School Reunion!
I’m not saying one side or the other is right. I’m certainly not condemning Social Media venues nor am I extolling their virtues. But I AM curious about YOUR feelings on the matter. So what is it: An amazing, time-saving tool to keep in touch with everyone at once? Or a necessary evil that has pervaded every aspect of our lives, eroding the need for human contact?
Blog &CreateWOW News &Interactive Media &Social Media Marketing
November 28th, 2011 → 8:11 am @ The Brand Chef // No Comments
I’m often asked by clients and peers, “How do I (we) increase my site traffic? How do I (we) get more people to read the blog?” Well, it’s a matter of targeted marketing, brand consistency and good writing. All of which even the BEST writers, marketers and bloggers struggle with on EVERY post. But once a successful post formula is found, it’s like crack. You want, no, NEED to do it over and over again until your eyeballs rollback in your head and you fall to the ground in crippling ecstasy…
Okay, maybe not that far, but it’s close.
So, how do you write blog posts that increase traffic?Before all of my “Social Media Guru” friends get all up-in-arms about promising higher traffic and better ROI on a blog, I have to offer one caveat. The tips I’m offering above are general at best. If your website, and therefore its content is brand-driven, with a strategically developed content schedule and focus, then these tips will simply augment the work you’ve put in. this is how I as The Brand Chef and CreateWOWmarketing have seen measurable increases in traffic. When applied strategically, they WILL show results. But testing and editing your strategy is the best advice!
Food for thought…
Keep Cooking, (and cooking… and cooking…)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
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November 22nd, 2011 → 8:28 am @ The Brand Chef // No Comments
If I include my college internship, this September {was} my 21st year working in, on and around marketing. I’ve seen some successful campaigns. I’ve seen some pitiful campaigns. Fortunately, I’ve learned something from them all, but the most important thing I’ve learned is how to tell them apart. (Trust me, some can’t…)
So what IS the difference between a successful and a pitiful marketing campaign? STRATEGY.
All Marketing Strategy Is Not The SameIf you walk through any marketing department or advertising agency, without a doubt, you’ll see computers, printers, scanners, cameras and all of the nifty tools that go along with the production of marketing. But without a strategic process, those tools are worthless, as are the people using them.
Some marketing departments and agencies swear by their specific system, their standard to which all campaigns must abide. Others are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of shop that take a “more organic” approach. But all successful marketers and agencies alike understand strategy is imperative to their success. Strategies vary, and one agency doesn’t have the corner on the market (no pun intended), but marketing without a strategy is just plain ignorant.
So for your ease and my pleasure, I’ve put together The 8 D’s Of Successful Marketing:
Put that in the squishy pink blob between your ears. You’ll thank me later.
Everyone approaches marketing differently. My approach is different than another marketer’s approach. If 20 years has taught me anything its the truth about successful marketing campaigns. Simply put, ALL SUCCESSFUL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS START WITH STRATEGY!
Where does your marketing start? Is my 8 D’s of Successful Marketing similar to your strategy or strategies? What would you change / add / subtract from the eight?
Help me (and others) continue to learn and help create successful marketing.
Keep Cooking! (TRUE strategic marketing decisions)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
This post was originally published on TheBrandChef.com in June of 2010.
November 14th, 2011 → 9:51 am @ SharonLC // No Comments
We all want to be liked. We all want to be the coolest and we all care what others think of us. This is true in the corporate world, as well as in our personal lives. But how do you know when to take peers’ “advice” and when to ignore it?
In a previous business life, I worked in retail. Fast-paced, exciting, challenging – and Brand centered. One day, a “Secret Shopper” came into our store, quietly sizing us up, checking our customer service skills and the overall shopping experience. His “findings” were then written into a not-so-nice blog post that sent our whole store into a veritable freak-out.
A copy of the blog was circulated around our store, being passed from hand to hand, discussed and dissected in the break room. It wasn’t a national blog, it wasn’t anyone any of our employees had ever heard of before, our store hadn’t “hired” him to give us tips on our customer service skills or lack thereof. And yet every point he made was like a dagger through the heart of each employee who took pride in our store.
Of course, there were definite customer service failings that needed to be addressed. But a lot of what he felt were our failings were things that he, specifically, didn’t like and things that we, specifically, felt strongly about and that were part of our Brand. And yet we questioned everything we stood for because of what he said.
Not everyone is going to like you. Not everyone is going to agree with your vision or your way of doing things. Does that mean you’re wrong? Heavens, NO. Branding is not about being popular. It’s about being TRUE:
Negative feedback hurts our feelings – whether it’s personal or professional. The important thing is to filter out what’s constructive and what’s just negative. Sure, negative PR is still PR, but it does affect morale. Keep your perspective on your Brand and don’t let someone else’s perception affect your TRUE goals.
Have you experienced this in your company? How did YOU handle it?
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