How do you get people excited about a commodity as tried and true as steel? Easy. Make it cool. Even better, make it badass. Are you ready for the ride? Big River Steel is truly a rebel in the steel industry. With so much steel in the world, people often question why they entered the market place. There is an answer to that – but we digress. This rebel brand was the perfect element of Big River’s identity to highlight for their Grand Opening events on March 1st. Thus, the rebel bikers of the steel industry put out READ MORE >>
47% of companies reported to HubSpot that their top sales priority for next year is to improve the efficiency of their sales funnel. 72% reported that their top sales goal was to close more deals. We’d argue that in order to close more deals, you have to improve the efficiency of your funnel first. Sometimes when you’re buried in selling, you forget to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. What is your company’s sales strategy? Are you and your team on the same page about that process? What stages is the buyer going through before their READ MORE >>
You’ve probably noticed that video is everywhere these days. In 2015, Crayon analyzed how top brands are utilizing video in their marketing strategies. They found 79% of websites that feature video use a third-party host. Of those, 70% percent are using YouTube. When it comes to platforms that have a paid membership option, 57% are hosting on Vimeo. With YouTube and Vimeo as front-runners, we decided to break down why we recommend Vimeo for video web displays. Controllability Vimeo gives you complete control with the presentation of videos on your website. It allows you to easily create displays that can READ MORE >>
Whether or not we’d like to admit it, it’s happened to the best of us. Countless hours spent executing a brilliant idea, only to have the project fall flat on its face and we are left asking ourselves, “Where did we go wrong?” Among the many successful projects at ODEA there are a few that have taught us our most valuable lessons on communication. Many times a bump in the road arises when there is a disconnect or miscommunication between the designer and client. Whether it’s your first time working with a designer or your 100th, here are some basic READ MORE >>
There’s no better time to be a Chicagoan than when the summer season rears its pretty head. Planning trips to the beach and deciding which festivals to hit up, make me realize the mid-year mark is fast approaching. This time of year always has me reflecting back on annual forecast lists to check in on whether or not they’re coming true. Thinking back on some 2016 predictions, one comes to mind that focuses on the world of digital marketing. The 2016 Digital Trends report is part of the Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing series that Econsultancy publishes in partnership with Adobe. READ MORE >>
A major confirmation came last week for marketers when a Google senior strategist confirmed that content and links pointing to a site are two of the top three signals contributing to search rankings. The third is Google’s artificial intelligence system RankBrain that helps process its search results using machine learning. Machine learning is described as a form of AI where computer programs can teach themselves how to develop and change when exposed to different types of data, in this case, search queries. You can learn more about RankBrain in this article from Search Engine Watch. We’re believers of inbound marketing READ MORE >>
MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product, a term coined by Eric Reis as part of The Lean Startup Methodology. Building an MVP means building the absolute simplest version of your idea in order to get customer feedback on the viability of your product. No need to overthink here. The MVP could be a landing page explaining your product and asking people to sign up if they’re interested. Or it could be a rudimentary working prototype that future customers can use and provide feedback on. The point is, it does not need to be perfect! It needs to be just good READ MORE >>
This area we call space allows us to breathe, reflect and experience life the way we should with design. Its value extends beyond the the blank solid color that separates elements. It is needed to pause the action, silence the voices and bring clarity to a thought. Consider how space is applied in different mediums, places and situations: Listening to Music Like music, design has rhythm and beats. When we listen to music, we tap our feet because we connect with the tune and lyrics. The breaks composed between lyrics help us reflect on what is being sung. These spaces READ MORE >>
Many agencies shy away from industrial and manufacturing clients thinking those markets are stale and unimaginative and anything but bold. We know nothing could be farther from the truth. Which is why a recent webinar caught our eyes as it talked about trends taking manufacturing to the next century. To give us some perspective: Over the next 15 years, 1.8 billion people will enter the marketplace and worldwide consumption will nearly double to $64 trillion. That much buying power brings with it lots of new demands for manufactured goods and shifts in competition. Where are those shifts likely to occur? READ MORE >>