Blog http://tagcomtest.com/ en Copyright 2013 Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:40:36 GMT Super Bowl Ads? Worst. Batch. Ever. http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/super_bowl_ads_worst._batch._ever/ Tim Crosby http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/super_bowl_ads_worst._batch._ever/#id:236#date:19:40

It should come as no surprise that the Big Game is generally a secondary point of interest in our household. Given my career (and the fact that I'm a lifelong Detroit Lions fan) the commercials have taken center stage for most of my adult life. That said, while the game itself was among the most interesting, the ads of Super Bowl XLVII marked a new low.

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Published in: Marketing Media 

]]> Marketing Media Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:40 GMT Happy Holidays from TAG Communications http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/happy_holidays_from_tag_communications/ admin http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/happy_holidays_from_tag_communications/#id:235#date:16:54

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]]> Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:54 GMT TAG positions client as expert in TV interview http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/TAG-positions-Crawford-Company-as-expert-in-TV-interview/ Stephanie De Pasquale-Soebbing http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/TAG-positions-Crawford-Company-as-expert-in-TV-interview/#id:234#date:20:12

Anyone who turned on the television over the Thanksgiving holiday likely saw the Lowe's Black Friday commercial featuring the Nest Learning Thermostat.

Our client, Crawford Company, in Rock Island, is a certified professional for the Nest, so we capitolized on the product awareness and contacted local media, offering to connect them with an expert at Crawford to explain how the revolutionary product saves up to 20 percent in energy costs by learning your schedule.

We succeeded in placing Pam Lang from Crawford Company on Paula Sands Live. In the four-and-a-half minute segment, Lang explains the differences between traditional thermostats and the Nest, how the new technology learns the schedule of the homeowner and how much money the product can save a typical homeowner in a year.

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Published in: Public Relations 

]]> Public Relations Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:12 GMT Promotional products create future sales http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/promotional_products_create_future_sales/ Suzette Ciszek http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/promotional_products_create_future_sales/#id:233#date:19:14  

Promotional products, also referred to as advertising specialties, trinkets or swag, are more than a pen or coffee mug you give away to someone.  Your promotional products should have a purpose, relate to your audience and fit with your brand.  They should also be an integrated part of your strategic marketing plan and help accomplish your marketing goals. 

Promotional products allow you to create brand recognition and leave a lasting impression for your clients and prospects.  They are the only medium that engages all five senses. Plus, promotional products can be more cost effective and are valuable as consumers are more likely to keep the product.

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Published in: Promotional Products Strategy 

]]> Promotional Products Strategy Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:14 GMT The Cost of Wait-And-See http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/the_cost_of_wait-and-see/ Tim Crosby http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/the_cost_of_wait-and-see/#id:229#date:17:19 Here we are, twenty-some years into an era widely identified as the Information Age. It seems a bit ironic that the identifying characteristics of the day would be constant change and uncertainty.  I’ve never had a point in my career when keeping up with trends demanded so much time.

It’s a fact of life that should cause marketers considerable concern. We see clients every day who are addressing the issue of SEO for the first time. Meanwhile, we’re planning for the day when the practice becomes something of a footnote for most. The same is true for virtually every current “best practice.”

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Published in: Digital Marketing Marketing Social Media Strategy Tips and Tricks 

]]> Digital Marketing Marketing Social Media Strategy Tips and Tricks Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:19 GMT Combining science with storytelling to create brands http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/combining_science_with_storytelling_to_create_brands_that_resonate_wit/ Randy Jacobs http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/combining_science_with_storytelling_to_create_brands_that_resonate_wit/#id:226#date:16:28 Marketing communication pros in recent years have turned up the heat and sought to once again sell their expertise in creating brands.  Part of brand building is storytelling, but how and what is the most effective way?

Too often local experts talk about processes and research that tends to be an inch deep and a mile wide.  I’m a big believer in seeking out sources and experts who operate in multiple markets and are not local. Big brains.

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Published in: Marketing Strategy 

]]> Marketing Strategy Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:28 GMT Start thinking about holiday gifts http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/Start_thinking_about_holiday_gifts/ Suzette Ciszek http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/Start_thinking_about_holiday_gifts/#id:221#date:17:38

Most of us usually do not want to start thinking about the holidays until we see snow on the ground, but the holidays will be here before we know it.  Now is the time to start thinking about what gifts you are going to give your clients and employees for the holidays. 

Christmas is a popular time to give clients and employees gifts to acknowledge how much you value them. However, Thanksgiving and New Years are also a great time to give gifts.  You can give a gift to your clients and or employees for Thanksgiving to show you thankful you are for their business or service.  New Years gifts are a way to wish your clients and employees a successful year.

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Published in: Business Marketing Promotional Products Tips and Tricks 

]]> Business Marketing Promotional Products Tips and Tricks Fri, 21 Sep 2012 17:38 GMT Telling stories in 30 seconds http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/telling_stories_in_30_seconds_or_less/ Justin Hall http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/telling_stories_in_30_seconds_or_less/#id:220#date:18:00

Lately, I've noticed when I tell a friend the story of my fun-filled weekend, my fun-filled weekend is somehow compacted into only a few short sentences.  

Perhaps my abbreviated stories are a result of the short attention span of my 3 year-old niece who just wants to get back to watching Wubbzy.  Perhaps my stories are shortened because I live in a world in which we regularly communicate in 140 characters or less.  More likely, though, my stories have become more succinct because I've spent the last decade of my life figuring out creative ways to fit a meaningful story into a few brief seconds.  That challenge is what makes being an audio / video producer so enjoyable to me.

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Published in: Digital Marketing Marketing TV Video 

]]> Digital Marketing Marketing TV Video Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:00 GMT Not your father’s SEO http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/not_your_fathers_seo/ Brian Marshall http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/not_your_fathers_seo/#id:219#date:13:35 S-E-O:  Just three letters that represent the way to get your businesses website on the map in the world of search. Google, the ultimate arbiter of all things search, has spoken on the topic of engineered SEO techniques, and the message isn’t subtle.

The most talked-about search algorithim updates (‘Panda’, beginning in February 2011 and ‘Penguin’ beginning in April 2012) are game-changers. Truth is, today’s Search Engine Optimization encompasses some things not traditionally considered as SEO just a year or two ago. On the other hand, some of the staples of yesterday’s SEO packages are all but irrelevant.  Sure – keywords, metadata and page titles are still around, but they have little to do with page ranking in and of themselves. 

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Published in: Digital Marketing Marketing Tips and Tricks 

]]> Digital Marketing Marketing Tips and Tricks Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:35 GMT The Science of Event Sponsorship http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/event_marketing_sponsorships_the_science_of_selection_and_participatio/ Natalie Johansen Murray http://www.tagmarcom.com/blog/view/event_marketing_sponsorships_the_science_of_selection_and_participatio/#id:218#date:13:23

It’s no doubt that at some point in time your business has gotten approached to sponsor or participate in a particular event in your community. It’s hard to say no- especially to little Jimmy’s T-ball team or Sally’s Save the Whales demonstration –  but to make event and sponsorship marketing investments impactful, we have to think of them strategically. When you start to look at event and sponsorship marketing as an aspect of your overall strategy – the choice to sponsor/not sponsor and how to do it will become clearer.

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Published in: Marketing Strategy Tips and Tricks 

]]> Marketing Strategy Tips and Tricks Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:23 GMT