The advent of social media as a way-of-life has created a new reality in marketing: word-of-mouth, peer based reviews, testimonials, and complaints now carry an unprecedented amount of weight.

All it takes is a quick stroll through Facebook, twitter, Google, Yelp, and countless other sites to see the staggering amount of content & conversation dedicated to brands.

In fact:

• 92% of buyers have more confidence in info found online than they do in anything from a salesclerk or other source
• 90% of online consumers trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust … Continue Reading
  
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The main objective of a tradeshow: ultimately gain new clients. This is your opportunity to meet with hundreds of prospective clients and sell your brand. Coming well-prepared will put you ahead of the rest.

You know it. You’ve been there. Or maybe you’ve heard all about them. At a tradeshow, you are literally surrounded by competitors. Within a few minutes, you need to speak about your company and convince someone to work with you. Although your smashing good looks and gleaming smile usually win anyone over, in this … Continue Reading

Flashy navigation? Cool big pictures? Hold on!

Before the dog-and-pony shows of complicated flash intros get too alluring, take a few minutes to sit back and really think about it. The most important question to ask yourself in the development stage is “Is it functional?” Will users be able to navigate your site easily?

Put yourself in the visitor’s shoes. People viewing your site may range from the tech-savvy 19 year-old to the grandpa that got a Dell for Christmas and just … Continue Reading

I believe some of my blogs have become a mix of confessionals and interesting advertising tidbits. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to confess again. And with this one, I’m more abashed to admit.

Here it is…I take part in geosocial networking!

Alright, it’s not all that horrible. But as someone who firmly opposed all of that trendy geosocial mumbo-jumbo, it saddens me to own up to it because, gosh darn it, I was proudly geo anti-social!

You see, once upon a time, I did not own what I call a “fancy phone” or … Continue Reading

Any good account manager understands that you need to be on the same page as your client. If you’re going in one direction and your client has something completely different in mind, well, in the words of Michelle Tanner, “You’re in big trouble, mister!”

To make sure you and your client see eye to eye, the solution is fairly simple: use checklists. However, the maintenance of those checklists is the real kicker.

Since things are ever-changing, establish your client’s goals and expectations on a monthly basis. When you … Continue Reading

Stream Companies is proud to announce that we’ve won 2 Silver awards in the 2011 W3 Awards!

The W3 Awards recognizes creative excellence on the web and the creative and marketing geniuses that made it all happen. Stream Companies is proud to be a part of a group of such outstanding winners. We’re a modest team and don’t like to toot our own horns, but we are very happy to say congratulations to the creative and production teams!!

…Now where are we going to put … Continue Reading

It’s a given: No one wants to squander precious advertising dollars. And in a large market like Philadelphia, it can be tough for a retailer with one location to market to potential consumers – people that live within a 20-mile radius.

But never fear! There are solutions to this quandary! If you know the right questions to ask, your media buys will always work for you. Here are some tips of the trade:

Radio Stations

Take a look at radio station’s ratings reports for the counties you’re interested in and check out the station’s … Continue Reading

I will admit it.

I watch a lot of television.

No, really, A LOT.

And, as many of my family members and friends know, I am that (annoying) person who moans and groans after seeing certain spots. But instead of ranting and raving about bad ads, (copyranter and AdScam/The Horror! already do that incredibly well!) I want to do a series of “Spot-on Spots” – ads that are just standouts among the extremely professional term–“crap”.

First up – When Weird Works

We’ve all seen them, laughed at them, cringed while watching them, and … Continue Reading