Brief Banner Film from the creative force, Juniper Jones.
Based in DUMBO on Brooklyn’s waterfront, Juniper Jones is the creative force dedicated to creating custom-tailored solutions.
Tips
Contribute Now to the Biggest Night in Sports: The ESPYS
This Wednesday, July 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, The 2018 ESPYS Presented by Capital One is once again set to feature the world’s premier athletes, the sports’ world’s biggest stars, and the very best sports stories of the year. Hosted by Danica Patrick, this 26th annual celebration supporting ESPN’s ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research will be televised live from LA’s Microsoft Theater.
In the meantime, ESPN’s Annual ESPY Day Auction to benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research is officially underway on eBay, where it will run through July 18. This year’s auction of more than 80 items includes tickets to prime sporting events, autographed memorabilia, unique experiences with athletes, celebrities and hall of fame coaches, sports-related experiences with ESPN personalities, and much more.
Another way for fans across America to participate in The ESPYS is to help determine exactly who will be selected for these and other ESPYS Awards:
Read moreContribute Now to the Biggest Night in Sports: The ESPYS
Best-Case Scenario: 2014 Blossom Launch, Powered by ENVOY
This case study appears in Roger Darnell’s book, The Communications Consultant’s Foundation.
Based in Irvine, California, the principals of the hybrid creative agency ENVOY have built their company very thoughtfully, aiming to partner with bold leaders to make experiences and products that define the future. By focusing on the convergence of design and technology, and even being willing to invest capital, expertise and services, the agency has chosen to engage with a growing list of innovative startups, in addition to its roster of well established companies.
When we think about startups, we might imagine one or two impassioned individuals burning the midnight oil together in a garage or an attic, dreaming about taking their side gig full-time. This is a story about the other kind – where very savvy professionals who have achieved major success in the past join forces on a relatively sure thing. Meet Blossom, a company that set out to create a smart water controller that would cut utility bills and save water.
Read moreBest-Case Scenario: 2014 Blossom Launch, Powered by ENVOY
Sales expertise for creative entrepreneurs…
universal positive readers already know that I’m a big fan of author, speaker, and advisor David C. Baker. By visiting David’s website, you can find information on his books, upcoming events, and much more.
If you haven’t already read it, I also encourage you to review this candid interview with my dear friend Lisa Cleff Kurtz, who is a philanthropist, education and arts activist, and a bona fide rainmaker.
Many other noteworthy experts also offer sage business development advice that you can easily find online… often for free. Here are five more that are definitely worth subscribing to right away.
Great to know: Lisa Cleff Kurtz, Philanthropist, Education and Arts Activist, and Rainmaker
Editor’s note: Nearly two decades ago, my fate was forever altered due to a chance encounter with the then-San Francisco based creative industry rainmaker, Lisa Cleff. After several months of her mentoring me in the field of sales, I was hired by high-tech PR firm The Terpin Group, thanks almost entirely to her recommendation. When The Darnell Works Agency launched in 2000, not only was she a main client and collaborator, her referrals have resulted in more than a dozen vital DWA client relationships… including those at ATTIK, CBX, PLUS, PostWorks and Sid Lee, to name but a few. Naturally, shining a light on this phenomenal luminary is a great honor for me, especially since the interview itself was conducted by her daughter, Zoe Lindgren, a rising NYC creative in her own right. For your further enjoyment, I also highly recommend this great interview by Timothy Huang, who spoke with Lisa in 2016 about her career – and her role as a star board member of A.R.T. / New York.
How did you get your start in your career?
Read moreGreat to know: Lisa Cleff Kurtz, Philanthropist, Education and Arts Activist, and Rainmaker
Marketing Imperatives: Center Everything Around Your PR Strategy
I have a longstanding working relationship with a CEO who recently changed jobs. Coming into his new company, he told me that his mantra was this: He intended to center every marketing initiative around PR strategy. In virtually every industry, I’m seeing many wise marketing industry leaders endorsing this idea. Another prominent example from the past several years comes from Jason Harris of San Francisco- and NYC-based Mekanism, where in an interview with HubSpot.com, he described his agency’s framework for creating shareable content.
“Our approach is to always think about the PR headline. Why will the idea, content, innovation, etc., travel? Why will people care, and why will they want to talk about it and share it? If there is no PR headline, the idea won’t be shareable. That is our goal on every project.”
The video I’m embedding with this article perfectly demonstrates the increasing focus on PR, presenting the 47-minute “Content & Storytelling: Is the PR Landscape Shifting?” session from the 2014 CDO Summit in NYC.
Read moreMarketing Imperatives: Center Everything Around Your PR Strategy
Sharing Secrets: Public Relations Expertise
The publishers of Campaign, a leading business media brand serving the marketing, advertising and media communities, offer an editorial on their website entitled “What’s the secret of a long ‘marriage’?” In that, former Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO chief executive and current CEO of Girl Effect Farah Ramzan Golant offers these wise words: “The key to long-term client relationships is constant reinvigoration…. You should constantly be looking at how you can do things differently, keep freshening the account teams and stay ahead of the game.” As a communications consultant providing ongoing, dedicated counsel to a small roster of clients, I firmly believe in these vows. Among many activities aimed at ongoing education and innovation, I regularly participate in webinars being presented by industry thoughtleaders, adopting the best ideas and lessons into my arsenal. One in particular, presented by five-time published author and entrepreneur Deirdre Breakenridge entitled “Eight Techniques of the New PR Champion,” began paying dividends immediately.
Career resuscitation advice from The Branding Diva, seconded by yours truly
I am very fortunate to have a lot of friends. These days, with the impact of the economy continuing to wreak havoc on many industries and a lot of lives, I’m regularly hearing from many of them who suddenly find themselves unemployed. While this is definitely a scary situation, I stand ready with encouragement and a handful of smart ideas that are proven best bets when it comes to finding great career opportunities. Clearly, Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva(R) has the same mindset. An international authority on branding matters and the author of the best-selling books Brain Tattoos and Brand Turnaround, Karen’s blog post entitled “Puking Pink Slips? Jumpstart your personal brand today” takes my personal rah-rah speech to new heights. Do jump on over to read it, and below, also consider my paraphrased and slightly adjusted listing of her spot-on career-rejuvenating suggestions.
Read moreCareer resuscitation advice from The Branding Diva, seconded by yours truly
Brand thyself
For years now, career counselors, management consultants, self-help gurus and many others have encouraged us to apply the concepts of brand management to ourselves. For anyone who is beginning this daunting process, just getting going can be a big challenge considering how much advice there is to be found. Bearing that in mind, I wanted to provide some guidance. First, I invite you to check-out the video playlist I’ve embedded above, which will help you get a handle on the main ideas at work here so you can begin applying them to yourself. The playlist also includes several more in-depth presentations, including a complete course in Personal Branding Education.
Below you’ll find several excellent articles that will allow you to get fully up-to-speed. Finally, for a couple of examples of how everything can add up once you’ve successfully applied these lessons, I invite you to check-out the web presence for author Bret Easton Ellis at http://BretEastonEllis.com. On a more personal note, you might also be interested to see http://RKDarnell.com.
Sharing secrets: Smart planning and production for marketing content
Ever since hearing that failing to plan is a sure plan for failure, I have been a firm believer in taking the time necessary to diligently and intelligently lay out plans for anything I’m seriously aiming to accomplish. When I attended the ReCourses New Business Summit (NBS) back in 2012 thanks to David C. Baker and Blair Enns, I witnessed a new approach for how creative businesses and professionals can change the way they handle sales. My understanding on the secret is this: The key is to think and operate like a publisher. Along those lines, naturally, the business model requires successful handling of content. The NBS lessons were very timely for me, as you have seen here; I have deep admiration for innovative publishers of all sizes, and as time moves forward, I hope to follow the best of them and achieve my own version of greatness.
Over the past two years, this idea of content marketing has really caught fire, so for anyone beginning the planning process of fathoming these types of practices and putting them to work in new ways, you are in luck. It’s my pleasure to share five different highly qualified paths toward brilliant content marketing – each of which is focused on helping to facilitate solid thinking and planning.
Read moreSharing secrets: Smart planning and production for marketing content