Author: Patty Rioux

Isn’t it time we all made more sense?

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I read a recent Gartner report that proposed the new role for B2B sales teams was “sense-making”. Their research indicated 44% of millennials did not want to interact with a sales rep at any phase of their B2B buyer’s journey. That means B2B sales pros must reinvent their role. Gartner proposed their best way to service prospects was to make sense of all the content we marketers have been producing for years now. This is an interesting concept for sure. But shouldn’t we marketers be helping to make sense throughout the buyer’s journey as well? We already know B2B buying READ MORE >>

We Were on A Break!

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I know. We should have told you. You may not have even noticed. But we took a break during the second half of 2022 – from social, from blogging, from everything involved with our own marketing. Why? I can blame it on “busy”. I can say we concentrated on clients’ projects instead of our own. I can justify it as “research” on what happens when you stop marketing. And all that is true. But equally true is that we were short-staffed, still working out the kinks in our “new normal”, and more often than we liked, we were feeling drained, READ MORE >>

ODEA Joins ResponsibleSteel

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Why would a marketing firm become a member of a global non-profit whose vision is to maximize steel’s contribution to a sustainable society? Because it is the right thing to do. If you know us ODEA-ites, you know we love to geek out about industries others often consider dull, like steel. We are proud to say we’ve had a steel client, or a few, on our roster for as long as we’ve been in business. We also wholeheartedly support organizations that emphasize the importance of ESG (environment, social and governance) pillars, which we believe are the lens consumers now use READ MORE >>

Looking For Our Next Out-Of-This-World ODEA-ite!

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We Want You: Graphic Designer WHO WE ARE A small-but-mighty virtual marketing firm with team members spread from Illinois to Ohio to Michigan to Arkansas. We execute branding, marketing strategies and niche projects for (mostly) B2B clients clustered in areas like manufacturing, industrial tech, professional services, family businesses, niche start-ups, etc. Our focus is on brand and storytelling via digital and the free/earned media side of the biz; web, content marketing, media relations, event marketing, nurture, social, marketing automation, etc. We serve as the outsourced marketing department for many of our clients – developing brands, strategies and plans then sticking READ MORE >>

It’s Showtime: Tips to Prepare for Tradeshow Season

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Tradeshows are back baby! It’s been a long year of working from home and nowhere to go. But lucky for us, it’s time to be a carnival worker again! ODEA is fortunate enough to have some seasoned tradeshow vets on our team and we thought we’d let you in on some tips and tricks of the trade(show). Check out what our gurus have to say and your tradeshow mojo will be back in no time! Getting ready to rumble! ODEA-ite Chelsi is a behind-the-scenes kind of gal when it comes to tradeshows. She’s all about the magic that happens before READ MORE >>

Three Reasons Why I Won’t Answer Your LinkedIn Message

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I have to believe I’m not the only one in the world who’s seen the amount of LinkedIn messages I’ve received triple since March of 2020. For a moment, my LinkedIn-loving heart was so happy – folks are finally embracing LinkedIn! And then I click into the messages and those joyous feelings begin to dissipate. Generic messages, lengthy novels, or never-ending requests for time on my calendar are what I find repeatedly. I understand. The once dried-up pipeline is now bursting at the seams. So many people to connect with, so little time! But we can’t let this be our READ MORE >>

We’re Looking for a Freelance Marketing Writer!

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WHO WE ARE A small-but-mighty virtual marketing firm with team members spread from Chicago to Ohio to Michigan to Arkansas. We execute branding, marketing strategies and niche projects for (mostly) B2B clients clustered in areas like manufacturing, industrial tech, professional services, family businesses, niche start-ups, etc. Our focus is on brand and storytelling via digital and the free/earned media side of the biz; web, content marketing, media relations, event marketing, nurture, social, marketing automation, etc. We serve as the outsourced marketing department for many of our clients – developing brands, strategies and plans then sticking around to handle all aspects READ MORE >>

The Art of Giving Creative Feedback Virtually

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NOTE: We first published this blog in 2018, when we were all nestled in our offices, hallways were buzzing with chatter, and meetings were live and in-person. And in thinking back on how much our work environments have changed over the past few years, we thought it would be helpful to revisit these tips. Now in 2021, Zoom calls, virtual presentations, and, well, really anything can seem like a challenge! But with a fully remote team, we’ve learned some of the must-dos and don’ts when sharing creative feedback virtually. Enjoy! The screenshare of your meeting is just about to start. READ MORE >>

You Can’t Put It Off Any Longer — It’s Time to Create Your Marketing Budget for 2021

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December 15, 2020 feels like a late date to be posting thoughts on how to create your marketing budget for 2021. But with the economists and numbers people projecting so many different models for economic recovery (like these), creating ODEA’s own marketing budget before now left me feeling like half fortune teller and half contortionist. So, if like me you’ve got planning and budgeting on the rinse-and-repeat cycle, here are three tips for your next round of updates. Highs and Lows ODEA’s 2021 marketing budget could legitimately be called bi-polar. When I’m feeling optimistic – let’s hear it for the READ MORE >>