In 2000, when I was young and an idealist, I was working at an agency. The principal there had a mantra: “In marketing there are three ways to do things – good, fast and cheap – you can pick two.”

I didn’t get it, and for years, I tried to prove the pick two mantra wrong, without success.

Today, and hundreds of projects later, here is my official acquiescence and nod to the marketing professional that laid this out so succinctly.

The mantra is true. You cannot achieve good, fast and cheap. You must pick two.

I find this mantra is true across many spectrums. Case in point: I love to cook. Let’s take this approach and apply it to cooking:

Weekday dinners at the Hickman Home

• Good and Cheap: BBQ smoked chicken thighs with roasted root vegetables, 4 hours, $3 per serving
• Fast and Good: Cauliflower rice veggie bowl with turkey, 30 minutes, $5.50 per serving
• Cheap and Fast: Macaroni and Cheese with canned chicken, 15 minutes and $.87 per serving

Not into cooking? Apply it to your passion and see how it holds up.

Here are some recent projects on the Porch where the mantra held true:

• Good and Cheap: The GEM social media strategy which leverages optimal posting times and post sharing. We have been successful keeping social media channels current, fresh and relevant – all while meeting budget.
• Fast and Good: TodoModo Group trade show in December. With a two-week turnaround, we lovingly call this our Holiday marketing miracle.
• Cheap and Fast: “Not good” is not okay with us. Recently a prospect’s budget and timing didn’t work, and while we were grateful for the opportunity, we graciously declined.

We are tenured professionals dedicated to your business. We’ve run the course of projects from marketing strategy and planning, brand development, brand refresh, global internal and external communications, CSR, sustainability, operations in retail, fashion, real estate, restaurants, construction and more. We’ve got you covered with experience and expertise.

Join us on the Porch! Pick your two and let’s rock!

Folks, it’s 2nd quarter. If you haven’t finalized the strategy, written the plan or started the project, it’s time. No need to agonize or over-think it, just get started and take a small step forward.

• Do you still need to define or revise that strategy?
• Are you not executing on a plan, or haven’t written one for the year?
• Is the project behind schedule, or not started yet?

The reality is we are all behind on something and you’re not alone here, but maybe it’s time to leave team belated and start something right now that needs to get done and can help you produce great results. This year is still young – bring on your second quarter by ringing that opening bell, firing the starting pistol, waving the green flag and get yourself going on something that can no longer wait.

“But …”

If this is what you are thinking right now, you are going to need assistance to get started! Start small with a phone call or e-mail to that person or company that will follow-up with you and make absolutely sure you are doing what needs to be done and begin executing. Find a partner internally or externally who helps you define, decide, plan, execute and grow.

“I need to …”

You already know what you need to start that has been on the back burner but you just haven’t done it? Write it down immediately, in a place where you can look back on it and add future notes. Ask that partner to capture it for you. The best execution starts with clarifying the need(s), then defining the strategy and executing a plan based on the need(s). Write it all down.

You don’t need a lot of time, this isn’t like writing a blog or book. Remember, you are starting small. Make a list of needs. It’s a simple process. Determine a few important ones followed with a one-page plan of attack is enough to get going and help you define a process to move forward, quarter by quarter. Write it down. Find a partner. Set the plan. Start executing. Plan to Win.

Q2 has started friends. It’s time to tackle that need that is just waiting for the right plan. If you need a little help, you can find us on the Porch.

Here on the Porch, social media marketing is king. A strong social media plan is key to a healthy, robust presence on-line – which in turn leads to increased brand recognition, increased brand loyalty, more traffic, and ultimately more customers.

Using social media to grow your business can seem like a daunting task. But it needn’t be! Here are our 6 top tips for developing a strong social media presence:

• Have A Social Media Plan for Each Channel. Please people, don’t just create one type of content and blast it across every social platform! Identify your audience and your goals for each platform – they are very different creatures. Ensure your posts are true to your brand and strike the tone you wish to convey. Develop a calendar and stick to it.

• Create Meaningful Content and Deliver it Consistently. Quality content that excites and engages is worth its weight in gold. Make sure everything you post is valuable, relevant to your audience, helpful, and/or entertaining. And get it out there consistently!

• The Key Word in Social Media is Social – Interact! Engaging with other users on a regular basis is key. Like people’s posts. When people comment, reply! Comment on other people’s posts. Retweet. Give people a shout out! Encourage communication and conversation.

• Optimize Your Content with Visuals and Links. Visuals grab people’s attention, so don’t neglect this important piece of the puzzle. Photos, infographics, memes, videos – all valuable tools. Mix it up. Then don’t forget to drive traffic back to your site! Always link back to your products and services.

• Blog, Blog, Blog. We can’t stress this enough. Develop blog posts that are easy to read,  highlighting ideas that are interesting and thought-provoking. Creating original content in the form of blogs is a win-win! Don’t become overwhelmed, blogs don’t have to be long. Just do it!

• Get Your Entire Team In On the Action. Everyone has a valuable point of view and cache of experience, so encourage everyone to help your marketing efforts. Get them to blog and share their expertise. At the bare mimimum, ask them to follow and comment on the social profiles of your company and your clients.

We always say, marketing is more of an art than a science, and that is true! Take the human approach when developing your social media strategy – it will pay dividends!

What should I blog about? I asked my friend, as we texted this afternoon. “Instant connections,” she said. “Whether it’s a business or a personal relationship. Like a friendship born in a seedy Grand Prairie volleyball warehouse.”

It’s true. We became friends three years ago in a cold, remote, loud volleyball warehouse where we spent an entire weekend watching our daughters play for the same club team. We bonded quickly over our disdain for the helicopter parents in attendance and the absurdity of the diet our girls were forced to adhere to. By the next tournament we had a wagon full of inside jokes that we shared … and we were off.

Today she is one of my very closest friends, even though our daughters are no longer close, and volleyball is but a distant memory.

What causes people to gravitate to each other? And what enables those authentic connections to endure? The same can be pondered in business – what causes people to gravitate to businesses or brands and maintain that loyalty?

Brand loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. Brands that cultivate loyalty find ways to emotionally connect with their customers. How is this accomplished? Here are three things to consider:

1. Focus on what your brand does best. If you try to be all things to all people you’ll end up being nothing to anyone. Be bold. Be unique. Differentiate your brand around what makes you, YOU.
2. Serve your customers. Wow them. Take care of them. Listen to them. Serve them. Give them reasons to come back to your brand again and again.
3. Determine what your brand stands for and deliver on your promise. You must become relentless in your dedication to deliver on your brand promise. Every day.

Creating authentic connections and maintaining a successful brand that brings loyal customers to your door is key. Does your brand measure up?

We are passionate about branding here on the Porch! If your brand isn’t speaking to your customers the way it should, give us a call. We can help.

It’s not easy being green.

Or is it? The Pantone Color Institute has announced that Greenery is the official 2017 color of the year, number 15-0343 to be exact. And as a graphic designer, there is nothing I love more than a new source of inspiration.

In the world of marketing, color has a way of evoking feelings and attitudes toward companies and their brands that words can never quite achieve on their own. Color brings about meanings and connotations that cause the viewer to associate that brand with their unique personal experiences. Whether it’s the specific Pantone shade you have chosen for your company logo, the background hue of your website, or the paint on the walls of your store, color is powerful and can have an immense impact on the way customers perceive your company.

To complicate it even more, color works in harmony with shapes, graphics, and images to portray your brand or company. Color can increase brand recognition and symbolize meaning behind words. A fiery red portrays vibrancy and energy, while a cool blue conveys relaxation, loyalty, and tranquility. Even the names of colors matter. Research has shown that people prefer a mocha sweater over a brown one, and lemon colored plates over yellow ones. Even when they’re the exact same shade! There is actually a chemical reaction in the human brain that produces an emotional response to color. This reaction triggers various thoughts, memories, and associations. And when it comes to your brand, of course you want to make sure you are triggering the reactions you are looking for.

But what about this fresh new hue? What does green represent? It’s known for all kinds of things! A green traffic light means go. “Going green” means being environmentally conscious and recycling. “Feeling green” can mean you are sick, and “green with envy” symbolizes jealousy. Green also represents growth and rebirth. But what about this particular shade? Pantone describes Greenery as a refreshing and revitalizing shade, and symbolic of new beginnings. They say it is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate. What a rich and inspirational color!

Here’s a fun fact: did you know that there are more shades of green than any other color? Think of all the shades out there: lime green, avocado green, army green, emerald green, grass green, to name a few. There are so many green things to love:

• Green foods, like avocados, zucchini, broccoli, cucumbers, kiwis, limes, pickles, pears, and even green M&M’s (Legend has it that they are an aphrodisiac, or so we hear!)
• Lucky four-leaf clovers, and leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day
• Sparkling green emeralds
• Evergreen trees, fields of grass, and lush foliage outdoors
• Green animals, such as frogs, geckos, turtles, lizards, snakes (ok, maybe not snakes)
• Money, also called greenbacks
• Legendary characters like the Incredible Hulk, the Grinch, Peter Pan, Shrek, the Jolly Green Giant, and Kermit the Frog

A few of our other favorite green things, here on the Porch:

Feizy green pin-striped rug (Duprine Collection), green juice from The Gem, and green jewelry from Ellen Hoffman Designs. We love green so much on The Porch, we even rocked it for our most recent team photo.

So next time you’re thinking green, or feeling green, or seeing green, try to remember how much color matters, and what it can do for you and your company. It is always smart to consider whether it’s a good time to rebrand yourself. What color is going to be the source of inspiration for your brand this year?

The term “Pick Six” has long been associated with big success:

• In horse racing, Pick Six is a wager in which a bettor picks one horse in each of six races, leading to a big payout.
• In football, Pick Six refers to an interception (pick) being returned for a touchdown.
• In lottery terms, Pick Six refers to the big payout that occurs when six regular numbers are picked.
• In wrestling, Pick Six is a ranking system used by the Ring of Honor to determine championship contenders.

Big. Successes.

And so, in honor of our sixth year in business, we on the Porch formulated our own Pick Six … for business success, big success!

1. We’re picking Brand Architecture. It’s so important. When was the last time you really evaluated your brand? Is it due to be re-visited? We can help you look at it in a fresh way to ensure you are capitalizing on what makes you unique.
2. Number two on our list of picks: What have we been up to on the Porch? We had an extremely rewarding experience (and an absolute blast) at the PowerGen Trade Show in Orlando with our rocking client, TodoModo. Check out our blog about the experience!
3. Number three involves talking, and lots of it. What have we been talkin’ about? Maximizing your marketing! We spoke about that very thing at the Arlington Board of Realtors‘ Meeting January 27th.
4. What we are off our rocker about? The Super Bowl! The Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots will face off in this colossal battle February 5th and we know what we will be serving at our soiree: The Barefoot Contessa’s Parmesan and Chipotle Popcorn, a chili bar (seriously genius idea – thank you Food & Wine Magazine) and Iron Skillet Peach Crisp. A Texas menu if we’ve ever heard one.
5. Highlights from the Porch Team bring us to our number five pick. Our rocking’ interns, Grace and Rachel, have been an impressive breath of fresh air around here – and we are enjoying watching them weigh their next steps, as their graduation dates are rapidly approaching!
6. And our final pick: The power of the referral in gaining new clients. We are continually amazed and humbled that our Porch family continues to grow through marketing and referrals. Thank you for all you do to keep our Porch rocking!

Please keep those many referrals coming. We are so grateful. Join us on the Porch via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our blog here.

Thanks, friends, for riding the sixes with us. Here’s to another wildly successful year!

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to have a brand review and create a fresh approach to achieving your business goals. Growth is always a goal for any business, but as your business grows and develops, you need to check and see if your brand reflects the business as it is today – not what it was last year or the year before.

Here are some tips for checking up on your brand for this year: 

• Does your brand reflect the personality and values of the company? If you don’t think it does, customers certainly won’t either. While the mission, vision and values of your company shouldn’t change often, shifts in your business or marketing strategy may affect the brand. A brand review gives you the opportunity to align it with your mission and vision so that you are connecting with the right people and growing your business year after year. Integrate your brand into everything you do – from answering the phones to your website design to your business cards – every customer touch point needs to be considered.
• Get feedback from external sources and be aware of how your company is perceived. People make decisions based on emotions so you need your brand to emotionally connect with your audience and feel assured that they know the who, what and why of your business.
• Review your brand standards and make sure every element translates across all delivery channels to ensure your brand is consistent.
• Define your key messages and make sure every member of the team knows what they are so they are aware of and can effectively communicate your brand attributes.

Completing an annual brand review will ensure that you are staying true to your brand, which will help ensure customers come back again and again.

Come see us on the Porch if you are in need of a brand review. We can ensure that your strategy and activities are aligned with your brand to maximize success!

If you have worked in retail for any amount of time, you know just how important the Friday and Monday after Thanksgiving – known as Black Friday and Cyber Monday – are to the retail cycle. If you are just starting out, here’s the scoop:

Black Friday kicks off the critical holiday season for retailers and is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year. It is a crucial opportunity for all retail because approximately 30 percent of annual sales occur between Black Friday and Christmas. For some retailers, such as jewelers, it’s even higher — nearly 40 percent.

According to our very own Rock, Tara Engelland (who spent many years on the Galleria marketing team), “At Galleria Dallas, we were planning for the following year’s holiday before we finished the one we were in. We had some pretty big events that took place each year but we were always trying to think of new things to add that would enhance the shoppers’ experience.”

Today is Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day of the year. Last year, Adobe estimated it would reach $3 billion in sales.

So how do you market for Cyber Monday?

All things online should be promoted online, so your online strategy needs to be strong. Pull out all your online media stops! From social, email to banners and web, all channels should be pointing to your Cyber deal. Just like Black Friday, marketing plans should be made far in advance, particularly if your business is e-commerce only.

We worked closely with our Front Porch Client, Ellen Hoffman Designs, on her Cyber Monday strategy. We are blasting her Cyber Monday deal – 20% off her distinct, one-of-kind jewelry – across all social media platforms. If you would like to take advantage of her
Cyber Monday promotion, visit ellenhoffmandesigns.com and use the promo code Cyber20.

Black Friday 2016 is in the books. According to CNN Money: “It was a strong weekend for retailers, but an even better weekend for consumers, who took advantage of some really incredible deals,” said National Retail Federation (NRF) President and CEO Matthew Shay in a news release. Their full report is here.

How Cyber Monday 2016 stacks up against projections is yet to be seen. What we do know is that if you are in the retail sector, you should be thinking about Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2017. Are you? You should be. We can help.

Interested in learning more about Black Friday and Cyber Monday? These links give a nice broad base of information:

• Why Is Black Friday Called Black Friday?
• What Is the History of Black Friday?
• Where Are Black Friday Sales Deals?
• What Is Cyber Monday?

Happy shopping, happy marketing, happy retail!

We are giving thanks for so much. We on the Porch are feeling very grateful. We have the best clients, amazing business partners, wonderful colleagues and the most rewarding professional work imaginable. AND, we get to do what we love Every. Single. Day. It rocks!

Our Team is grateful for all of you. And more!

Some beautiful words from the Rockin’ Roller: “I am thankful for our freedom. As I am ready to head to my childhood home to spend Thanksgiving with my family – my husband and daughter, my parents and my sister-in-law, niece and nephews – my brother will not be there because he is currently, voluntarily deployed to Kuwait where he is an Army Blackhawk pilot. I am thankful that there are people in this world like him who selflessly serve and risk their life so that we can enjoy freedom in this country. And I am thankful for amazing people like my sister-in-law who give everything to keep life as normal as possible for their three kids while he is away. And I am thankful for all of the veterans – including my dad and grandfather.”

The Rocketeer says, “This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for my education, my family and my health. If I have learned anything from this year, it is that life is way too short and can be taken from us at any moment. I’m so thankful for the people I surround myself with every day.”

The Rock is thankful for, “Family, friends, a flexible job and, most of all, living in a country where we are free to celebrate the things we are thankful for.”

We celebrate our Rock Artist when she says, “I am thankful for my health. I just had my five-year checkup with my oncologist and I am an official five-year breast cancer survivor! Health is definitely something I did not used to take for granted, but I’m grateful every second of every day now. I am also thankful for our daughter – for my husband and me, being parents is the biggest joy in the world. Watching our six year old learn how to read, make friends and teach us (adults) how to see life from a new perspective is just amazing.”

• Family
• Friends
• Community
• Opportunity
• Charity
• Kindness
• Dallas CASA
• Teachers and coaches
• and last, but not least, comedians and laughter!

Our Chief Rocker weighs in: “I am so grateful for our team, family, clients, advocates, U.S.A. and Thanksgiving! This holiday rocks. My children continue to amaze me. Coming off Grandparents Day for my freshman and a blessed day with our lil. A highlight from last week was when our intern didn’t know who Snoop Doggy Dog was. I am forever grateful for always learning and gaining a new perspective. I am humbled to work with such great people in a country that allows me the opportunity to run my own business. I am very grateful that I can do this without sacrificing time with my family.”

The Future Rocket says, “I am thankful for opportunities I have. The opportunity for me to be positive and happy. The opportunity to go to class everyday and learn something new. The opportunity that I have to make healthy choices and be active every day. The opportunity to look at events as a chance to better myself, rather than something that will take up my time. Looking at everyday events as a chance to become a better person rather than looking at things as a chore, because so many people would love the chance to go to class early in the morning or go to the gym, but don’t have the opportunity to do so.”

Our Back Porch Rocker wraps it up by saying: “I am thankful for the insight, clarity and perspective that this year has given me. Sometimes, when things fall away, you are given the gift of rebuilding better and stronger than before.”

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. From our Porch to yours!

Friends, it’s that time of year. The leaves are falling, there is a chill in the air and we are simultaneously looking back at our fifth year in business and looking forward to our next rockin’ year. But before we wrap up our year-long celebration of fives, we want to share these last five branding and marketing vibes from the Porch:

1. Gearing Up. Did you know that the Small Business Association suggests that as a general rule, small businesses with revenues of less than $5 million allocate 7-8 percent of their gross sales to marketing? And did you know that an international media strategy agency predicts that advertising spending will reach $179 billion in 2017? This is a 6.3% increase – the largest since 2010. Rock on with your marketing self.
2. Looking Forward. The new year is around the corner! We are fully engaged with our clients finalizing their 2017 marketing plans and budgets. We are ready for a banner 2017!
3. Rocking Our Talent. Our rocking team has it in spades! In 2017 we will continue to give our clients the very best we have to offer. Led by Julie’s second-to-none marketing vision and backed by Vanessa’s stellar branding and advertising expertise, Ann Marie’s excellence in public relations and communication, Tara’s extensive marketing and client management capabilities, Allison’s rocking graphic design capabilities, Jacqui’s blogging and wordsmith acumen and Darcey’s lead-the-charge management ensure that our clients are in excellent hands.
4. Gratitude. Don’t think we don’t know it – we have much to be grateful for. Rocking clients who are true partners, hard-working and creative team members, talented business associates, loyal friends, and loving, supportive families – we are thankful for each and every one of you! Special thanks to our PeopleResults client partner, Shelli Walker for the invitation to speak at the first ever Arlington Chamber of Commerce Women’s Alliance’s Business in a Box workshop. Gratitude!
5. Celebration. Five years. It’s a milestone. We celebrated this and more yesterday at our end-of-the-year team jam session.

Thank you, friends. Keep those many referrals coming. Join us on the Porch via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our blog here.

Get ready for more rockin’ branding and marketing vibes in 2017 party people in the house.