Creative Blog

Just Wear Blue

by Kelly Utt-Grubb
12.10.2010


Just Wear Blue is a movement created by The Creative Media People in response to the news that hate group Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards in Raleigh on 12/11. Wearing blue is a simple way for North Carolinians (and supporters) to visibly show solidarity.

Why blue?: It’s a perfect color for Elizabeth Edwards since she lived in Chapel Hill and attended Law School at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, where the university colors are white and (baby) blue. It’s also particularly fitting that the university colors originally began as symbols of unity. Blue seems as good a color as any to represent North Carolinians. The exact shade you choose doesn’t matter.

Why The Creative Media People?: We’re a small group of creative media professionals based in Cary, North Carolina who were upset by the news that Westboro church planned to come to our neck of the woods at Christmas time to protest the funeral of a woman whose young children will be in attendance. We think visually, and decided that wearing blue is the perfect way to show Westboro that North Carolinians stand together against their hateful picketing. More importantly, it’s the perfect way to show the Edwards family that we support their right to dignity and respect during this time of tragedy, regardless of our personal political or religious beliefs. [Connect with us on Facebook.]

Here’s what you can do:

1. If you live in North Carolina, join the group planning to act as a human buffer between Elizabeth Edwards and the Westboro church on Saturday from 10am-2pm. RSVP here so organizers know how many people to expect. Then RSVP here to the event on our page to indicate you’ll be there WEARING BLUE!

2. Check the Just Wear Blue Facebook page often in the next couple days for news of additional events. We’re considering gathering at the airport when Westboro Church members arrive in our town, or at their hotel.

3. Make your Facebook profile picture blue between now and Monday, December 13 to show your support. You can download a blue image from the ‘Blue downloads’ album on the Just Wear Blue Facebook page.

4. Upload a photo or video of yourself wearing blue to the Just Wear Blue Facebook wall along with your message of support.

5. SHARE THE JUST WEAR BLUE PAGE by clicking the ‘Suggest to Friends’ link below our profile picture.

For more information, contact: Kelly Utt-Grubb 919-272-2093, kelly@creativemediapeople.com

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Meet our new PR client, Rubberbanditz

by Kelly Utt-Grubb
11.30.2010

Rubberbanditz makes a fantastic, socially conscious exercise system that serves as a low cost gym-in-a-bag for those who can’t afford or get to the gym.  It makes a great gift.  The gym is no longer too far away or too expensive.  Exercise your freedom!

Socially conscious customers will love the fact that a portion of proceeds from each purchase helps set up small exercise band gyms in the developing world and to promote personal health and hygiene on a grassroots level.  In fact, for every kit sold stateside, a kit is donated internationally to Carolina for Kibera.

Founder Ari Zandman-Zeman is an Alaskan native and a 6′7″ former college basketball player for the University of Northern Colorado.  When he joined the Peace Corps after college, he realized the need for a travel friendly product that would allow him to stay healthy and fit, even while living in the most remote areas of the Eastern Caribbean and Central America.

The Creative Media People is delighted to be helping Ari secure media placements and start a Rubberlution.

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5 Do-it-Yourself Tips to Get Your PR Campaign Started

by Odessa Hines
11.01.2010

Given the economy, small businesses have very little, if any, budget for effective and creative public relations campaigns. Gone are the days of large monthly retainers to the PR firm based in New York. So what can a small business owner do to generate 15 minutes-and-more publicity on a limited budget? Start with the basics and utilize anything that’s free.

Here are 5 do-it-yourself- tips to get your PR campaign started:

1.       Learn the art of writing a press release – A press release is what will get your business media attention. It’s simply the who, what, where, when and why of your event or product that will garner the interest of a reporter. The key to an effective press release is to make it interesting and newsworthy; does your product make life easier for the average Joe or help solve a common, everyday problem? Does your event involve a celebrity or have an interesting angle, like the annual Krispy Kreme doughnut race at NC State? Reporters love funny, quirky and interesting stories or products so be creative when writing your release. Not sure how to write a release? Google “how to write a press release” and you’ll get all the help you need.

2.       Know thy reporter – So you’ve written a great press release that will get your business lots of media attention but what do you do with your award-winning masterpiece? You send it to your local reporter, but not just any reporter. Before you can send your press release you have to know the beat assignment or the industry your local reporter covers. You don’t want to make the mistake of sending your release about your annual dog Olympics to the reporter that covers local crime. Do your research and create a list of all the reporters, writers and bloggers in your area and what they cover. So once you’ve figured out who covers what, you can create a media list to distribute your press release.

3.       Hire an intern – Interns may be cheap labor but they are invaluable for completing the “leg work” needed to get your PR campaign off the ground. Have your intern create a media list, research competitors, design a flyer or help plan an event. Contact your local university or community college’s communications department to find an intern. If you can’t afford to pay an intern, be sure to note if your intern can receive college credit.

4.       Embrace social media – love it or hate it, social media has become a “must-have” tool in your public relations kit. An easy and free way to generate buzz for your company, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare allow for direct and real-time access to your customers. Use these sites to promote your event, interact with customers and obtain feedback about your business or service.

5.       Become friendly with all that is free – There are ways to promote your business for free — and who doesn’t like the occasional freebie!!??? – you just have to know where to look. I’m a big fan of community calendars. Just about every local TV, radio and newspaper website has a place where you can post community events and announcements for free. Even craigslist has an event calendar. There are also plenty of free press release distribution websites (prlog.com is one of my favorites) and free media databases that can help you connect with reporters.

Every small business owner is looking for publicity, especially as we get closer to the all-important holiday buying season.  Hopefully these tips will get you started!  The Creative Media People is always here to help if you need assistance from professionals.

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Digital Design Campaigns are Cool!

by Kelly Smith-Campbell
10.25.2010

It can be said that interactive design has a history as old as cave paintings.  When you take a look inside Lascaux cave in France, there are all sorts of cave paintings that may have been used for a variety of reasons such as: counting livestock, data, education, myth, and identifying what to hunt for the next season.  This may be a bridge to our past illustrating that those who came before us desired an interaction with images long before language was developed. Stories are told through images and people respond to images with excitement and playfulness.  So can we deny that image making and asking a customer to interact in an environment with cool logos and applications produced by your company…can’t be cool?

With amazing animation software like FLASH your website can become a creative environment and fun way to interact with your customers.  Take for instance Coke’s website called the Coca-Cola Happiness Factory.  This website takes coke fans behind the scenes and shows you what really happens when you purchase a coke. Check it out!  Coke launched the Happiness Factory first as a television commercial and it went over so well with their loyal fans that they turned to a San Francisco Advertising Agency asking them to create an interactive website to continue this theme!  The Happiness Factory site launched globally in January of 2009, and received over a million visits in the first six months. On average, 5,000 people spend over seven and a half minutes a day on the site.

Coke is a big brand—we all know this. But aren’t we all looking for a little engagement and some fun?  Of course, Coke has a ton of money, and small and mid-sized companies do not always have such bustling budgets, but you would be surprised as to what you can do with a minimum amount of advertising dollars.  Interactivity and digital marketing campaigns create environments that allow your customers to take more time with your product and your brand. This is a fresh way to keep building your loyal fan base!

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The Creative Media People’s big iPad giveaway

by Kelly Utt-Grubb
10.19.2010

We’re doing something big.

Sign up with The Creative Media People for qualifying web design services* before December 31, 2010 and receive a FREE 16GB  iPad with Wi-Fi.  You’ll get high end, custom web design and development from designers who have done work for Apple, Nikon and Mercedes Benz, along with a FREE 16GB iPad for becoming a new client during the promotion period**.

But it gets even bigger.

Invite your contacts to sign up for qualifying web design services* with The Creative Media People before December 31, 2010 and receive a FREE 16GB iPad for each referral.  They’ll get high end, custom web design and development from designers who have done work for Apple, Nikon and Mercedes Benz, along with their FREE 16GB iPad for becoming a new client, and you’ll get a FREE 16GB iPad for referring us a new client during the promotion period**.

The more contacts who sign up, the more iPads you’ll earn.  Give them as Christmas gifts, donate them to nonprofit organizations or just keep several on hand for your own use.  There is no limit to the number of iPads you can earn.


How it Works:

New web design clients: Simply get in touch with us and let us know you heard about the FREE iPad offer.  You may e-mail info@creativemediapeople.com, call 800.746.6971, or submit a proposal request through our website.  You must sign your new client agreement by December 31, 2010 in order to qualify.

Referring partners: Invite your contacts to get in touch with us by telling them about The Creative Media People and our iPad promotion.  Ask them to e-mail info@creativemediapeople.com, call 800.746.6971, or submit a proposal request through our website and let us know that you made the referral.  Your contacts must sign their new client agreement by December 31, 2010 in order to qualify.

*Qualifying web design services must be $5,500.00 or greater.  Typical $5,500.00 purchase is a custom 5-10 page interactive site with photography, analytics, search engine optimization, blog, forms & flash elements.  Exact rate will be determined by specific client needs.

**Offer valid for new client agreements signed through December 31, 2010.

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Social Media Perspective: Playing With The Moon

by Mallory Pickard
08.16.2010

In our hyper-evolving culture of digital identity and one-click communication, the world is simultaneously becoming more infinite and more intimate.  Exchanging ideas or igniting a dialogue is as easy as signing on to Facebook or Twitter.  From young Steve Jobs proteges to human rights advocates in Darfur to riff rabid music buffs, there is a community and a stage for everyone to share their ideas and expertise.

As such, our tastes and our expectations are expanding.  As consumers, we expect more accountability and diversity from companies and governments alike.  We are smarter consumers.  We have the ability to research products and services, provide feedback, and find our latest favorites all while drinking a morning cup of coffee.  The brands we love today are the ones who welcome innovation, aim for authenticity, and interact with their audiences.

Distanced authority and the untouchable “They” are outdated.  We are becoming a culture that wants to ask questions, that wants to innovate, and that wants to know– and for the first time in history, we can do it regardless of background, location, or status.  It is a revolution, in the true sense of the word.

Millions of perspectives, endless imagination– we say the sky is no longer the limit.  Why not?

[photos via flickr]

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Treating clients well is our bread and butter

by Izabela Alldredge
08.06.2010

When you think of customer service, irritable call center workers and long hold times may be the first things that come to mind.  Whether we like it or not each one of us is experiencing customer service to some degree every day.  It may be a trip to the grocery store or gas station, the bank, library, doctor’s office or post office.  Many of us are recipients of customer service and maybe some are providing it to their clients or customers.  Either way, I’m sure we all have plenty of examples of really good, and really bad customer service.

The better the customer service one receives, the happier and more loyal to the business that person will become.  Many companies put a lot of effort into improving and maintaining a high quality of customer service so they will increase their business and win loyal hearts.  At The Creative Media People, treating clients well really is our bread and butter and we’re happy to fill you in on a few simple tips our team likes to keep in mind.

So how do you establish good client service?   The better question to ask is “What is truly important to your customer?”

In order to find the right answer, it is necessary to make a distinction between the potential value provided by your product or service and what is really important to your customers.  Nobody likes to be sold anything they don’t need or want or just because a sales rep is trying to meet a quota.  We don’t push our services on anyone, but we do let people know we’re here and we stand at the ready when it’s time to help a potential client find a creative media solution.

Establishing a positive first impression is the next step which can be crucial for a relationship with a new client.  By reviewing your company’s website a prospective customer may gain some information about the value of your offerings, but the first meeting face to face or the first phone conversation can either encourage the potential client, or prompt her to decide it was a poor choice and to keep looking for something better.  Our team is made up of only the friendliest and most helpful professionals that are kind to everyone they meet.  You should settle for nothing less.

Last but not least, engaging in a dialogue with a customer is a very important thing to do.  It’s during the dialogue process that we have an opportunity to start uncovering the customer’s needs.  By asking specific questions we obtain necessary information to understand the customer’s specific situation.  This allows us to make the best recommendation and create a finished product that reflects the personality of the brand.  Simple as that- if you don’t bother to ask detailed questions, customers won’t necessarily share their specific needs.  Understanding specific needs leads to happy customers.

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Our web development team is g-g-growing

by Kelly Utt-Grubb
07.30.2010

Meet Anthony Serrano.  Can he sculpt some code for you?

Growing up fascinated by technology paid off for Anthony.   He remembers building computers and taking them apart as a kid, and it wasn’t long until he was developing community websites and running his own Linux based Web Hosting company. Over the years he has worked with a wide range of programming languages, software, hosting environments, and Internet technologies. We might have to start calling him Michelangelo because he thinks of code as art, ready to be sculpted and manipulated.

In his spare time, you can find Anthony gaming, researching new technology, or watching documentaries on Science and Quantum Physics.

Rich text signatures now enabled in Gmail

by Kelly Utt-Grubb
07.13.2010

Wooo hoo!  We’ve been waiting for this.  Not only can you now change the colors or font size of your signature, or insert images and links, but you can even create a unique signature for each email address associated with your account.

Most of us here at The Creative Media People have our business e-mail imported to Gmail, so we’re thrilled to see this day roll around.  It’s about time, Google!  (Please and thank you.)

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Give people something to crave

by Jordan Sullivan
07.09.2010

How do you know you have an effective social media strategy?

I’ll tell you how.

A couple months ago, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that she needs to remove herself as a fan from Rita’s Water Ice because she is tempted to eat it every day. Well good people, that’s how you know.

Now, she never exactly removed herself as a fan, but you get the picture. Rita’s knows what to talk about, and they’re talking about what people love about them, their product. I see so many companies post content completely unrelated to their brand. Stuff that makes people wonder why the heck they’re talking about it.

So moral of the story is, if you’re going to talk on social media sites, give people something to crave. As for me, thanks to New Belgium Brewery’s posts on Facebook, I’m craving their summer seasonal, Skinny Dip.

What are you craving?

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