February 21, 2012
We’re proud to announce that Costa DeVault’s graphic design team took home two gold Addys at this year’s event. The winning pieces included:
Congratulations to all the other winners … and a big thank you to the American Advertising Federation’s Orlando chapter for hosting the event.
February 21, 2012
I’ll admit it: I’m addicted to Pinterest … but I’m not alone. In December, AdAge reported that Real Simple went on the record to say that Pinterest drove more traffic to their site than social media giant Facebook. And considering the difference in size and age (Pinterest is just shy of two years old with 11 million visits a week, compared to Facebook at eight years old and 800 million people strong) – this is a huge accomplishment.
Most recently, in the spirit of “if you can’t beat them, join them,” Facebook recently announced that Pinterest will now be available through their website via an application. If past partnerships are any indication, you can bet that Pinterest’s reach will continue to grow at an even higher rate. Which means that we, as PR and marketing professionals, will need to embrace the network just as we have Facebook and Twitter, in an effort to present clients with strategic opportunities.
However, like all other social networks, there won’t be a “one-size-fits-all” approach to using Pinterest effectively. First, get acquainted with the site and its features (most specifically, its categories, which include everything from “hair & beauty” to “cars and motorcycles”) … then take note of how items are shared and which are the most popular. Are they in-line with what your client offers? Or, more importantly, is there a void that they could fill?
How do you use Pinterest, personally and professionally?
February 13, 2012
I could not be more excited about this year’s newest Pantone color – Tangerine Tango. As a matter of fact, I was ahead of the curve on this one – catching a lot of flak for wearing this color from my Florida State University friends and colleagues. What used to be classified as a borderline “Gator Nation” color is now the hippest color out there.
Besides the color appealing to my personal tastes … just look around. You’ll start to see this “sophisticated,” “seductive” and “energizing” color pop up in many designers’ spring collections, home accessories and product lines.
Here are a few examples of what we’ve seen so far …
Are you ready to tango with tangerine, or are you dancing to another beat?
Danielle is a project manager at Costa DeVault. You can be certain she’ll be adding more Tangerine Tango to her wardrobe.
February 6, 2012
I’m definitely an extrovert. But as an extrovert, I wholeheartedly support many introverts’ aversion to constant group collaboration.
Introverts have been in the news a lot lately because there’s a new book by Susan Cain titled Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. The author explores how our society thinks extroversion is the ideal and how this lopsidedness is selling us short in the creativity department … and a lot of it relates to how we collaborate at work.
Cain’s recent opinion article in the New York Times discussed how “Groupthink” has become overdone. Research shows that people are more creative when they can be independent, individualistic thinkers and enjoy privacy and freedom from interruption. And as many of us know, the solo spirits are often the inventors with the best ideas.
It’s not as though I don’t like working together* — and I definitely see benefits from it. It’s just that “formal” collaboration mandated under other people’s terms makes me nauseated. Perhaps it’s the stubborn child in me who didn’t like being told exactly when to do her homework.
Some of the best ideas are ignited under low-key circumstances or when trying to find solutions to problems (see Fast Company’s interesting article about this topic). Talking with a co-worker over a news article or a recipe can lead to a cool idea for a client — and no meeting agenda is needed.
Brainstorms are good to help make the forecast less cloudy, but the sunshine ultimately arrives in the privacy of introspection. Extroverts and introverts: please let me know where you think the balance lies.
Doreen Overstreet hopes to call a brainstorm with her boss soon to work out this problem.
*Disclaimer: I like and respect my co-workers who genuinely enjoy brainstorms and who have never faked an online calendar meeting in order to escape a real brainstorm.
February 3, 2012
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined. But, only one out of every six women believes heart disease is the greatest threat to their health.
The Costa DeVault ladies are sporting red today in support of the Go Red for Women campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the dangers of heart disease.
Thanks to the AHA, the following are “Life’s Simple 7,” tips that will help you live a healthier life.
February 3, 2012
Millions of Americans will gather around their TVs this Sunday to watch the Super Bowl, and although most people enjoy watching the actual game, many viewers (like me!) are also looking forward to the commercials. With an average of $3.5 million for a 30-second ad, big game advertisers like Coca-Cola and Volkswagen are working to build momentum for their marketing investment. This year, many companies are actually advertising their Super Bowl advertisements, and USA Today even published an article about this trend.
Coca-Cola recently launched billboard and bus shelter ads with its famous polar bears inviting you to watch the game along with them. The company will also be streaming live video featuring the bears reacting to all of the game plays. And Volkswagen posted on its Facebook page an online video teaser with dogs barking the Imperial March tune from Star Wars (which has gotten 10 million views).
These teasers aren’t hyping the products themselves — they’re touting the brands. For many companies, the ad investment justifies the pre-game push if it builds buzz.
How do you think Super Bowl advertising has changed over the years? And do you think the pre-ad Super Bowl buildup is worth the extra effort?
Vanessa Tostes will be cheering on the good Super Bowl commercials this year … along with the New York Giants.
