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Wit & Wisdom Wednesday - Mark Twain on Advertising

"Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising." -Mark Twain.

Its Wit & Wisdom Wednesday here at The Specialist Works US and we are focusing on the importance of advertising today in the office. Effective advertisings purpose is to reach out to a targeted audience and successfully get your message or product across to them. Twain is correct in saying no matter how small the thing, it can become large through a skilled advertising campaign. 

Here at TSW US, we all share the same vision for the company - "Build our clients business and ours will grow alongside it." To do this, we must be strategic in our approaches to get our clients businesses properly acknowledged. Some tips for an effective advertising campaign include: keeping your ads relevant, describe what sets your product apart, include a call to action, and to list the price of your product or service.

Art Tuesday - Texas in a Nutshell

It is Art Tuesday, and this week we are celebrating the launch of our Houston office, and our SXSW sponsorship on Thursday. Music, books, hats and longhorns are all  "de rigueur" in Texas, but there is something even more quintessentially Texan. A pair of blue jeans on a barbed wire fence. We are fortunate to have this image evoking the spirit of Texas by Bob Calbert. His amazing ability to capture a moment in time, and a feeling of both comfort an belonging resonate well with us here at TSWUS. The fact that he also often shoots in black and white makes it even better! 

We welcome the Lonestar State team to the fold with open arms, and can't wait to see how the adventure unfolds as we "Go West Young Man".

Wit and Wisdom Wednesday - Guillemets on Goals

Visualize your long-term goals to paint your short-term action on the canvas of now. -Terri Guillemets

Setting a goal is important with any plan. However, it is the constant strives and dedication that make any goal possible. To reach your long-term goals, you must focus on the now and create short-term goals to further yourself to success. This is a prominent ideal within our company.

Here at The Specialist Works US, understanding goals is important. Our core philosophy states we will treat each client like our partner, strive to understand their long term goals, and spend time and effort to create tailored solutions that work. This is a promise based off goal-setting. We take the time to truly understand what it is our client wants as a result and we take the now steps to achieve it. A mountain is not climbed quickly, but with time and hard work you will get to the top. 

Wit & Wisdom Wednesday - Susan B. Anthony

I do not demand equal pay for any women save those who do equal work in value. Scorn to be coddled by your employers; make them understand that you are in their service as workers, not as women. Susan B. Anthony 

It is International Womans Day, and it is also Wit & Wisdom Wednesday. Handy! Today we have decided to post an insightful comment from Susan B. Anthony. As a woman in business, I have been an employee, a partner, and an outright owner. I have always believed that the above quote rings true. Prove yourself as a person, not as a woman. Respect is earned, not handed to you. I am proud of my team of both men and women at TSWUS. I hope that as their team leader they know that there is not only no gender bias, but there is no limit to what they can achieve if they put in the effort.

Instagram For Brands

Theres a noticeable trend in advertising from Twitter to Instagram for brands? We at i-transact recognize this because, ya know, were cool like that. Maybe its a USA thing. Maybe its the organic, human-made feel that Instagram content seems to have compared to the more complex, curt, robotic nature of Twitter. Its really incredible to see just how many brands are coming alive to the Instagram stage! Even more traditional brands have taken to the simplistic approach that IG facilitates. Twitter is still the original brand/content pusher but we at i-transact would like to recognize IG for its commitment to mere photography and text. Thats it! Maybe words and images are enough to produce a good, branded message. Other Instagram Apps like Boomerang (playing a moment over and over and over again) also retain the same simplicity that IG is known for. Its fascinating that brands are finding so much integrated yet authentic advertising space on Instagram with palatable images readers can relate to. Its almost as if other humans actually control these pages. Great job, Insta!

Cocktail Friday: Carnival Punch

Its Cocktail Friday here at The Specialist Works US and while Mardi Gras might have occurred earlier this week, we are continuing the celebration with some Carnival Punch. It is no wonder the recipe for Carnival Punch earns itself a top position on many different Mardi Gras Cocktail lists. With its vibrant color and tropical taste, it falls high on our list of cocktails as well. 

The Carnival Punch cocktail markets itself in relation to Mardi Gras. This is a great example of how the advertising world works! One concept can certainly tie back to another. Celebrations and drinks can go hand-in-hand, as can companies and advertising. While its just as important to value vibrant colors and unique flavors in a drink, its equally important to use vibrant aspects in an ad as well.

Want to make this cocktail for a Mardi Gras celebration, a fun afternoon with your coworkers, or just for a party of one?

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces pineapple infused vodka

1/2 ounce PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

1/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

Ginger beer as needed

Lime twist for garnish

Preparation: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add the vodka, PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, and lemon juice and shake well.  Strain over ice into a rocks glass, top with the ginger beer and garnish with the lime twist.

The Story of Team Texas

It all started with a plan: simple, easy to accomplish goals.

Step 1. Introduce Transactional Media to the US Market (and make it SEXY).

Step 2. Win big new contracts

Step 3. World Domination!

So we began building Team Texas. Yeehaw!

With just 3 people, i-Transact Media may be small now but we're not alone in the US.

We've got a fantastic team in Atlanta and across the globe supporting us in our goals.

After meeting up with our Atlanta friends, it was time to start the adventure!

We were off to introduce ourselves to our partners across the pond, i-transact UK.

It was like the movie, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." We had some minor transportation snafus.

This didn't bother or irritate us at all after 30 solid hours of traveling. : - )

But the UK folks were extremely welcoming immediately throwing us a party at noon their time!

There was even food and alcoholic beverages like some sort of buzzing paradise. Or maybe it was just the sleep deprivation.

Exhausted and jetlagged, we had the time of our lives meeting so many amazing advertising professionals.

We had a blast! We even tried to smuggle a few of our British buddies back to the US with us.

Alas, it was time to go home...

Then we quickly realized we didn't yet have a work home! We scrambled to sign a lease, get an office and get started!

We literally started logging on daily with our laptops in Rob (President of i-transact, US)'s garage.

After what felt like an eternity (about a week), we got the keys to our renovated warehouse/loft studio office in downtown Houston!

Then it was moving day and with a lot of blood, sweat and tears things finally started coming together.

They say everything's bigger in Texas... hopefully it's big enough for us!

"Houston, we are go for launch!"

Fortune of the Day - March 1st

"A friend believes you are good, even when you are bad."  Very intriguing.

40 Days of Giving

One of the great elements of the TSW culture is a commitment to giving back. From the top of the organization down, there is a genuine desire to put muscle behind the idea of corporate giving. From the launch of very original Goodwill Rocks, to small insular efforts on an ongoing basis, the commitment is realized not just discussed. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm, so weve decided to throw out a challenge. 40 days of giving. Starting today, TSWUS will be Giving every day for the next 40 days. Our acts of charity may not be ground breaking, but they will be heartfelt, and hopefully contagious. Joins us for the challenge! If you too can manage to fulfill 40 Days of Giving, we will recognize you with a very special gift. (Although we are pretty sure the Giving will feel like a gift in and of itself).   Get your face on our Team America Wall of Fame! Sign up for 40 Days of Giving. Wed love to hear what you are doing! Cheers all!

Laissez les bons temps rouler - It is Mardis Gras!

Let the good times role. It is "Fat Tuesday". 

According to History.com, " Many historians believe that the first American Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when the French explorers Iberville and Bienville landed in what is now Louisiana, just south of the holidays future epicenter: New Orleans. They held a small celebration and dubbed the spot Point du Mardi Gras. In the decades that followed, New Orleans and other French settlements began marking the holiday with street parties, masked balls and lavish dinners. When the Spanish took control of New Orleans, however, they abolished these rowdy rituals, and the bans remained in force until Louisiana became a U.S. state in 1812. 
Louisiana is the only state in which Mardi Gras is a legal holiday."

Mardi Gras, and it's unique relationship to Louisiana, is a great example of how culturally different the US is from region to region. Advertising to New York and to New Orleans isn't apples to apples. If that is the approach it won't resonate for both audiences. Response patterns, collections issues, offer sensitivity and imagery may all need to be adjusted depending on the geographic and demographic targets you are trying to reach.