If you have purchased gas, lumber, or even a pair of shoes recently, you know that these once commonplace products have become hot commodities. And as demand for these hard-to-get products rise, marketers struggle to keep customers around long enough for the shelves to restock. After ODEA’s weekly status meeting turned to a discussion on supply chains and a general lack of production, we decided to suit up and dive deeper. Keep on reading for our findings on the causation of these recent stock-outs, and how you can keep your loyal customers around as a marketer even when the shelves READ MORE >>
We’ve talked about the importance of working effectively with creatives as marketers before. But there’s more that we can do to keep the harmonious vibes flowing. Luckily, we have an amazing designer on our team willing to share some tips on something he’s deeply passionate about – files! You already know we’re nerds who are curious about, well, everything. So, Mars Manderico, one of the extremely talented designers we work with, started schooling us on all the intricacies that differentiate digital and print files. We knew we had to share this vital information with you as well so you too READ MORE >>
You know that your current, happy customers are the greatest gold mine for your marketing efforts. Yet, you struggle to tap into it. But, why?! Well, it can be hard to ask for help! We get it – you don’t want to pester them and maybe you’re even a little nervous they might decline to comment. But we’re here to cast your doubts aside. Asking for customer testimonials doesn’t have to be intimidating! Now presenting: the ODEA-ites’ best tips for collecting customer testimonials. Let Them Sing Your Praises Happy customers typically want to sing your praises. They might even beat READ MORE >>
Considering the digital world we’ve come to know and love (more or less!), QR codes have had a relatively slow start since their invention in 1994. Pre-pandemic, it felt like you would only see these pixelated boxes in specific and niche spaces. Whether they appeared on products to redirect you to other information about the manufacturer or in certain ad campaigns, QR codes were few and far between; never really commonplace. Enter 2020 Through all the upheaval of last year, it felt like some of the problems that arose already had a solution: QR codes. COVID made people reconsider a READ MORE >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Happy National Crayon Day! Ah, remember how it smelled to crack open that fresh box of crayons? There’s truly nothing like it. And because we love any excuse to take a trip down memory lane AND celebrate, we knew we had to get in on the colorful fun today. The burning question in our team Slack channel this morning? What’s your favorite Crayola color and why? Here’s how the team responded: JJ, Technical Coordinator Midnight Blue is my favorite color! It reminds me of nighttime and that is usually the time of day that my mind is most focused. Andrea, READ MORE >>
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 >>