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Giving Thanks to the Connections That Keep Us Moving
This Thanksgiving, we’re feeling grateful for the incredible retail partners who make what we do possible every single day.
To our partners at Carters Inc., Rent The Runway, Similac, and Shutterfly, and to all of our other amazing retail partners, thank you for your continued collaboration, creativity, and trust. Working alongside teams that share our passion for delivering meaningful customer experiences is what makes this industry so rewarding.
We’re also giving special thanks to the distribution center teams behind the scenes. Your precision, consistency, and hard work ensure our package insert programs run smoothly and reach customers at just the right moment, inside their homes where meaningful connections are made.
From all of us at Connections (US, Canada), thank you for being such an essential part of our story. Wishing you and your teams a warm and happy Thanksgiving. 💜💙
New Retailer Alert: Petco Joins Connections Portfolio of Exclusive Programs! 🐾
We’re thrilled to welcome Petco as our newest—and exclusive—package insert partner.
For brands looking to engage high-intent shoppers at home, this is a powerful moment: Petco packages are landing in the homes of devoted pet parents who spend with purpose.
📬 Why it matters:
Petco buyers are emotionally invested. They’re purchasing essentials for the furry (or scaly) members of their family. That moment of delivery? It’s joyful, intentional, and distraction-free—exactly when your brand should show up.
✨ Package inserts are:
• Hyper-targeted—based on real purchase data
• High-impact—directly in hand at the point of unboxing
• Trusted—endorsed by a retailer the shopper already loves
• Efficient—delivering ROI at scale across 1B+ packages annually
🎯 Great Fit for Petco’s Package Insert Audience:
• Subscription meal kits (for humans!)
• Home cleaning & organization brands
• Fitness & wellness programs
• Insurance providers (home, life)
• Travel & pet-friendly lodging
• Lifestyle boxes and gifting services
• Credit card and financial services
• On-demand delivery & convenience services
If you're looking for meaningful engagement and a strong conversion driver, Petco just became your next best channel.
Let’s talk about owning this in-home moment.
Mixing Flavors: How to Align Your Brand with a Partner in Co-Branded Emails
Co-branding in emails is like crafting a culinary masterpiece. It's about mixing flavors, finding the right balance, and creating something that tantalizes the taste buds. But instead of spices and sauces, we're blending brands. The challenge? Ensuring that both brands' values, audiences, and goals align perfectly. Let's dive into this delicious endeavor.
Identifying Your Brand's Flavor
Just as every dish has its unique flavor, your brand has its core values, target audience, and unique selling points. To identify your brand's "flavor," consider these questions:
- What are your brand's core values?
- Who is your target audience?
- What makes your brand stand out?
Understanding your brand's essence is the first step towards finding the perfect partner to blend with.
Finding the Right Partner
Finding the right partner for co-branding is like pairing wine with cheese. It requires research, evaluation, and a keen sense of taste. Here's what to look for in a partner:
- Shared Values: Do their values align with yours?
- Complementary Audiences: Will your audiences appreciate each other?
- Mutual Benefits: What can both brands gain from this collaboration?
Take your time to explore, evaluate, and ensure that the partnership feels just right.
Creating a Recipe for Success
Now that you've found the perfect partner, it's time to create a co-branded email campaign that reflects both brands. Here's your recipe for success:
- Design Considerations: Blend visuals that represent both brands harmoniously.
- Messaging Alignment: Craft copy that speaks to both audiences without losing your unique voice.
- Collaboration Strategies: Work closely with your partner to ensure a seamless experience.
Think of it as creating a new dish that combines the best of both worlds.
Tasting and Adjusting
Before serving your co-branded email to the masses, test it with a small audience segment. Gather feedback, taste the results, and make necessary adjustments. It's all about finding the perfect balance that pleases the palate.
Conclusion
Aligning your brand with a partner in co-branded emails is a creative and strategic process. It's about understanding your brand's flavor, finding the right partner, crafting a recipe for success, and making adjustments until it's just right.
Co-branding is more than a marketing tactic; it's an art form. Approach it with curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to experiment. After all, the best dishes often come from unexpected combinations.
Ready to Mix Flavors?
If you're ready to explore the world of co-branded emails or need personalized assistance, we at Connections are here to help. Share your co-branding success stories or reach out to us for guidance. Together, we'll create something deliciously successful.
Connections is excited to introduce CJ Pony Parts to the Connections Marketplace!
CJ Pony Parts has been in business for over 35 years, providing parts and accessories for classic Mustangs, Broncos, Jeeps, Chevys and other vehicles. With the widest online selection of aftermarket parts, CJ Pony Parts is all about the love of the automotive restoration and performance hobby.
If you’re looking for that rare male audience, CJ Pony Parts is a perfect fit, with over 80% male audience. 25-54 age range and high HHI of $100k+, this is a fresh, new program ready to perform for your brand.
With a package insert program that is delivered monthly to 40,000+ US customers and growing, this opportunity is one that is primed to help you convert new male customers.
All campaigns and creative are subject to client approval.
BACK on the Market! – Saks OFF 5TH US & Canada PIP and In-Store Inserts
Connections is excited to re-introduce Saks OFF 5TH to the Connections Marketplace!
Back on the market, Saks OFF 5TH was previously one of the most in-demand and top-performing package insert programs. Saks OFF 5TH is an off-price fashion retailer offering designer, luxury goods at a lower price. This opportunity spans both the US and Canada, with the In-Store Insert program being both US and Canada, and the Package Insert Program being US-only.
If you are looking to reach an audience of highly-engaged, big spending customers, Saks OFF 5TH is the program for you! With a package insert program that is delivered monthly to 250,000+ US customers, and an in-store insert program hand-delivered to over 500,000+ US and Canadian customers, this opportunity is one that is primed and ready to help you convert new customers. This program should be of particular interest to advertisers in the following verticals; Food and wine, Family, Photography products, Travel, Financial Services, Entertainment.
All campaigns and creative are subject to client approval.
Need more information or ready to book? Join Connections today!
Connections Chats - Tanger Outlets
The 3 W's are what can make a brand partnership a 10/10!
Our very own Christian Golder, Media Director of Connections, describes what these are and how they can benefit everyone!
"Once you get the 3 W's everything will work."
Connections Chats - Tanger Outlets
In order to create a great partnership, you have to be a great partner!
Jessica Roberts, VP of Marketing Partnerships at Tanger Outlets, describes how she knows exactly what her consumers want and how to keep them happy.
Do you know what fits for your demographics?
Connections Chats - Tanger Outlets
Our very own Christian Golder sat down for an insightful chat with Jessica Roberts, Vice President of Tanger Outlets.
In this series, they discuss all things revolving around brand partnerships. You will learn what their demographics are, what makes a great partner, how you can meet potential customer face-to-face, and more!
Roberts does a lot of research when it comes to how she can increase the customer experience for her 180 million shoppers across the country.
If you want to be the best, that means working with the best. Tanger Outlets are the #1 shopping developer in the country, and this is because they put customer satisfaction first. Ready to be the perfect partner for Tanger Outlets?
Watch this series to get more information about what it's like to partner with Tanger Outlets.
Reaching Beauty Consumers
Many consumers are hesitant to spend money on new beauty products they've never tried before.
This is where product sampling comes in!
Contact us to learn how your samples can bring in a ton of new customers!
Check out the Hut Group
Recent survey confirms samples and inserts are amongst the most popular forms of advertising
Connections by TSW recently partnered with market research leaders CINT to carry out two research projects. Both were aimed at US Moms and with the intention of finding out what respondents thought about receiving advertising literature and/or product samples in their ecommerce packages. The results were extremely positive.
When you purchase products online do you like the brand you purchase from to share exciting offers or product samples with you?
Unprecedented approval ratings for ecommerce inserts and product samples!
The chart depicts the responses made by our audience of 300 US Moms to the question when you purchase products online do you like the brand you purchase from to share exciting offers or product samples with you? And an incredible 95.3% of respondents replied that they did.
Over ¾ of respondents (78.2%) replied that they enjoyed receiving both inserts and samples. Compare that to other advertising channels and the level of engagement that this media offers to advertisers really is unmatched.
Here at Connections by TSW we are not surprised by this. Our experience leads us to believe that this high level of approval can be attributed to the following reasons.
- Under normal circumstances the ads that run in ecommerce packages have to be cleared and approved by the brands running the programs. This process ensures that only the most suitable and complementary campaigns go live. This is one of the main reasons that the channel is so responsive as well of course.
- Customers are shown these ads in samples at a great time! The excitement and anticipation of opening a delivery combined with a tailored suitable offer.
- And ecommerce packages have a 100% open rate! Hard to beat that!
New Brands are being added to the Connections marketplace all the time.
By bringing together different brands with similar target audiences to create a network of programs Connections by TSW are able to offer immediate scale for any campaign.
Connections by TSW would be happy to put together a tailer made set of programs and partnerships for your D2C brand. Some of the sectors that we are currently seeing huge success in are:
- Moms
- Health and Fitness Enthusiasts
- Home Owners
- Regular Travelers
And many more!
The team at Connections by TSW have over 20 years of direct marketing experience and are trusted by some of the biggest ecommerce brands in North America and UK.
If you are interested in either monetising your ecoomerce inventory or partnering with other complementary brands please do get in touch. We would love to talk.
Favorability rating towards advertising channels
World Mental Health Day with Snapchat and Headspace Mini
Snapchat’s Headspace Mini has two new mediations in honor of World Mental Health Day. “Choose Kindness” encourages compassion and “Take on the School Year” aims to help navigate uncertainty. Both will be available starting 10 October.
We could all benefit from a 6 minute break in the day for a bit of mindfulness.
Read more about the Headspace Mini meditations here: https://www.medianews4u.com/snapchat-and-headspace-team-up-for-world-mental-health-day/
National Trust Scotland goes Naked
We've read another great article about corporate generosity this week.
The National Trust for Scotland will be receiving conservation funds through a partnership with Naked Wines
A direct donation and a percentage from the sale of selected NTS cases will go to support the charity. What a great way to celebrate Scotland and Scotland's contribution to winemaking!
Read all about it here:
#ClientsThatCare #thespecialistworks
$2.5 million for Laura
Walmart are stepping up to support the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. $2.5 million will go to local nonprofits active in Texas and Louisiana, and 600,000 bottles of water have been donated to the cause.
Read about this beautiful example of good works here:
#ClientsThatCare #thespecialistworks
Help for the Hungry
Walmart and Sam's Club's "Fight Hunger. Spark Change." campaign raised $306,374 for local Atlanta families in need, engaging customers, members, and suppliers in the fight against hunger.
Atlanta Community Food Bank accepted donations of both food and funds to help an increasing number in need due to the COVID19 outbreak.
Nearly $18 million was raised this year to benefit 200 Feeding America® member food banks nationwide. TSW loves seeing corporate generosity.
#ClientsThatCare #thespecialistworks
HotTopic is BACK!
HotTopic Package Inserts space is once again available!
Reach today’s youth through this great program. Book Now to have your inserts ride direct to these responsive consumers.
The program is made up of two brands. Hottopic and Boxlunch with a 75%/25% split in favor of Hottopic.
Hot Topic specializes in music and pop culture inspired fashion including body jewelry, accessories, Rock T-Shirts, Skinny Jeans, Band T-shirts, Music T-shirts
BoxLunch is a specialty retailer offering a curated collection of pop culture-themed product offering of apparel, accessories, home goods, gift and novelty, and collectibles.
Contact us today for more information. (https://www.connectionsbytsw.com/media/hottopic-boxlunch-pip
Zero Carbon for HelloFresh
HelloFresh is looking to be the first carbon neutral meal kit. By investing in Climate Protections Projects around the globe and transitioning to Green Energy Warehouses, they plan to 100% offset their direct carbon emissions.
Read more about this great initiative here: https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU2008/S00065/hellofresh-to-become-first-global-carbon-neutral-meal-kit-company.htm
#ClientsThatCare #thespecialistworks
New to Connections: Macys.com Package Inserts
Reach Macy’s discerning customers
Macy's PIP offers advertising opportunities in outgoing product shipments from Macys.com. These packages will include apparel, accessories, home, cosmetics, fragrances, fine china, crystal, casual china, glassware and fine and costume jewelry. Macys.com ships millions of packages annually and will allow for one 3 third party insert monthly, based on availability. All pieces will be hand inserted.
Key Demographics:
- Women 70%
- Average Age 45
- Average HH Income $75,000
Specs:
- Max Insert Size: 5.5” X 8.5”
- Max Insert Weight: 0.25oz
Call us today at 1-888-735-2723 or Email us at connections@thespecialistworks.com
This one is for you, Mom!
Along with the BIGGER THAN BIG virtual baby shower hosted by incredible special guests, Connections by The Specialist Works (US & Canada) & The Specialist Works teams both helped our amazing clients join the event to donate awesome gifts in support of these moms and their new little ones. Because moms deserve ALL the love.
#tsw #brandpartnerships #morepossibilities #connectionsbytsw #connecting #connectingbrands #moms
Saks Fifth for Food Banks
Saks Fifth Avenue has an exclusive, limited-edition run of T’s from Cinq à Sept specifically to raise money for New York City’s Food Banks. Available 16June, 20% of the collection’s proceeds will go to help end hunger.
A beautiful partnership for a worthy cause. This is why we love our retail partners!
#ClientsThatCare #thespecialistworks
Read all about it here: https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/cinq-a-sept-teams-with-saks-donate-to-food-bank-for-nyc/2020061649403
Consumer Cellular Donates for Relief
We saw today that Consumer Cellular has continued their support of the American Red Cross’s Annual Disaster Responders Program. A $250,000.00 donation will help provide shelter, meals, emotional support, and recovery aid. What a wonderful gift in these uncertain times.
That's why we love our friends at Consumer Cellular!
#ClientsThatCare #thespecialistworks
Read all about it here: https://www.consumercellular.com/blog/consumer-cellular-donates-250000-to-american-red-cross/
Shutterfly Brings Joy
Today we read that Shutterfly has spent more than $750,000.00 supporting communities during the COVID19 crisis. they've made direct donations to communities in need, and are producing cloth face masks. They've created an app for photoshoot backgrounds and rolled out #CreateThanks where children can share their artwork honoring everyday heroes.
Amazing work from an incredible business! That’s why we love our retail partners at Connections By The Specialist Works.
Read about it here: http://svdaily.com/shutterfly-brings-joy-and-gives-more-than-750000-in-donations-to-help-communities-amid-covid-19-pandemic/
Wayfair Celebrates Education
As a way to show appreciation for the dedication of teachers during these uncertain times, our friends at Wayfair are giving 2 exceptional US teachers new furnishings, supplies and storage. Connections by TSW applauds any celebration of education!
Nominate an ‘exemplary educator’ here: https://wayfairwinaclassroom.typeform.com/to/apisX8
New Program Alert: PINCHme! Package Insert
Be One Of The First Brands To Reach this NEW Audience. Book Now!
PINCHme is the leading, direct-to-consumer, sampling platform with more than 6 million fully profiled members. The platform is free for anyone to sign up, and members can try products from leading brands in a risk-free way before they buy what they like. All PINCHme asks for in return is feedback on the products.
Demographics Profile
- Women: 91%
- Average Age: 36
- Average HH Income $70,000
Specs
- Max Insert Size: 5" x 6"
- Max Insert Weight: .14oz
Contact the Connections Team for more information
Headspace, for FREE
Our friends at Headspace are offering a free one year subscription for those in the US who find themselves unemployed. A bit of mindfulness and meditation to help calm your mind in trying times.
A new series of meditations specifically for these circumstances are going live soon.
What amazing generosity.
Sign up at https://lnkd.in/giQkE5X.
What's Possible Bitesize: Connected TV
We at Connections by TSW are eagerly awaiting the second installment of What's Possible Bitesize. This week's curated webinar is entitled A New Age: Connected TV Advertising.
Connected TV is the fastest growing form of AV media. Where has this surge come from? And what does it mean for paid advertising?
Get your questions answered live by Jamie Clilverd this Wed 13th May | 2pm BST (7am EST)
Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3dA6G1Q
#whatspossible
What's Possible Bitesize Debut
The What’s Possible Bitesize debut HOW TO BUILD BRAND TRUST WITH SPEED AND CONFIDENCE was a complete hit!
Sally Weavers and Jen Smith from Craft brought amazing insight into the components of trust building. Brands are judged by their Competence, Dependability and Integrity, and in this current climate, by their Focus of Motivation.
See for yourself at: https://www.workcast.com/AuditoriumAuthenticator.aspx?cpak=8294397166865138&pak=122939842798958
We can’t wait for next week’s installment A New Age: Connected TV Advertising with TSW’s Jamie Cliverd. Register here: https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=6678821163728538
Sam’s Club Concierge Services
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. For Sam's Club, members’ wellbeing is the impetus for innovation.
As we read in Forbes Magazine, Sam’s Club now offers Concierge Shopping for seniors and at-risk members. A staff member comes to the car, gets the list of necessities, brings the items back to the vehicle, loads them, and payment is made on the spot. At risk members never have to leave the safety of their car.
Read the full article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherwalton/2020/04/30/sams-clubs-new-concierge-shopping-service-for-seniors-sets-a-high-bar-for-retail-innovation/#4d8d63c45203
Sam’s Club $1mm Donation
We love seeing stories about generosity in times of uncertainty. Sam’s Club is donating $1 million for Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) to use supporting businesses impacted by COVID19.
Grants of up to $10,000 will go to small businesses in underserved communities.
Read the full article here: https://talkbusiness.net/2020/04/sams-club-makes-1-million-donation-to-small-business-support-fund/?utm_campaign=sams-club-makes-1-million-donation-to-small-business-support-fund&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss
In Support of Good Wine
This week we came across an uplifting item about Naked Wines. In support of small vintners being hit hard by restaurant closures, Naked Wines has set aside $5 million to spend on stock that was previously intended for temporarily shuttered venues.
Independent winemakers from the US, UK and Australia have a chance at a new business opportunity, and Naked Wine’s customers will have an opportunity to try new wines. A win-win in these trying times. Cheers!
Read the complete article here: https://www.essentialretail.com/news/naked-wines-5m-support-package/
Print Innovation – Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Print is one of the longest-standing and trusted medias available and it continues to prove effective for brands across categories. While the media has long existed, there is a lot of new & exciting innovation with print. You have probably experienced some of this as a consumer… Maybe you have come across magazines that release a smell when they are opened or have seen an ad that changes color in different lighting - it is all amazing and somewhat MIND-BLOWING! Connections by The Specialist Works is taking the power of print media a step further and has found success in using word-of-mouth marketing to drive incremental response and brand loyalty.
Brands including The White Company, Graze, Celtic & Co and Charles Tyrwhitt have utilized our innovative print services to bring this opportunity to life. We have effectively leveraged word-of-mouth marketing by utilizing a format most commonly known as the “Double Pop-Out,” which can be utilized in direct mail, event marketing & inserts. The “Double Pop-Out” format has two pop-out cards (similar in size to a gift card) imbedded into the printed piece. Utilizing perforation on a flat sheet of paper means that this format can typically run through feeders for inserting or withstand expected wear and tear through the postal system without deterioration. In short, it is an extremely versatile and robust print format.
As mentioned above, the “Double Pop-Out” has two pop-out areas which presents a brand a larger opportunity. We suggest and have seen success when utilizing the first pop-out to share an offer with the targeted consumer, and then utilizing the second pop-out for that consumer to share with a friend. If you are targeting the right audience and reaching them at the right time, this format has proven to be incredibly effective - in some cases even doubling response rates! Giving consumers an opportunity to share amazing offers with their friends is a great example of word-of-mouth marketing, as consumers are now doing the work for your brand.
Word-of-mouth is THE most powerful form of marketing because of how much we trust our friends and family. Word-of-mouth marketing is also essentially free (e.g. in the example above, you are simply dedicating space on a piece you were already running), which makes it very efficient and scalable.
At Connections by The Specialist Works, we love creative, new, and engaging formats. Creating new opportunities for brands to connect with their current and potential customers is what we live for!
May 21st is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
Today, May 21st is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. 2018 is also the year at TSW when we focus on diversity. In keeping with our historic theme of having fun while getting meaningful exposure to other cultures, we are hosting a “Pot-Luck” lunch. Each employee is bringing in a dish that reflects their heritage and will be sharing a unique or insightful point on how their background and culture impacts how they see the world. It should be fascinating, and yummy. We can’t wait!
A Dog's Blog
Hi Im Buddy! No, not "Air Bud" Buddy, but Buddy the Cocker Spaniel! I like treats and long walks on the beach an...oh look squirrel! Anyways my owner, Rob, took me to work with him for the first time yesterday. When he opened the door, I was greeted by two beautiful human friends eager to play with me! One had blonde fur and the other had dark brown fur.
But first, I had to explore everything! I was so anxious I couldnt contain myself! I ran around in circles, cuddling up on my comfy new bed (couch) and sniffed every corner of the new land. Before I knew it, more human friends arrived! Big ones and even little ones like me! From playing with my floppy ears, to rubbing my fluffy body, I was overwhelmed by the love!
Suddenly I hear someone say "food" and I jumped up! That means I get to eat delicious goodies. I immediately scurry on over to Rob and sit down patiently like a good boy, wagging my widdle tail. My mouth was watering! Rob picked off a piece of sausage and before he even brought his paw down, I quickly grabbed it with my munchers and finished it in 2 seconds! I was panting with my tongue out and ready for more.
Shortly after, my stomach began rumbling so I let it rip! I think my new friends were okay with it, they covered their nose with their paw and never looked happier. Sometimes I would go sit right next to their desk and give them a first hand smell of Buddy Cologne.
Every time Rob and my new human friends stepped outside, I wanted to go with them so bad! Unfortunately I was tied to a desk with my going outside rope which is weird because I was inside. I never know when Ill see him again. I stared at the door for what seemed like a million doggy years and the moment he was back, I leaped for joy!
My new friends went back to their desks staring and clicking their toys with the shiny screen and buttons and I layed down on my warm grey blanket by Rob. I always kept a lookout for outsiders. A few times, I spotted unknown humans walk by the window and I bolted towards them. They thought they were bigger than me but I am invincible! I am very protective of my i-transact family. They know how to treat their clients and their office pets.
After my mission was done, I crawled right back to my new home under Rob's desk and rested my eyes for a bit. Moments later, I heard someone say "Bye" and I became nervous. Who was leaving me and why?! But then Rob grabbed my going outside rope and connected it to my UK collar and that's when I knew we were going on another adventure. We said our farewells and alas, until next time i-transact!
What a ruff day!
Cocktail Friday - the Impact of Patriotic Branding
It is Cocktail Friday at TSWUS, and we are headed into a long weekend celebrating the birth of the United States of America. What better post could we make, than one highlighting the "artfully" redesigned "Patriotic" packaging that seems ubiquitous on these American holidays. What impact does re-packaging have on sales during patriotic holidays? Can the re-packaging stand alone, or does it need to be combined with advertising support to maximize product sales? Do patriotic holidays impact sales more significantly than family holidays like Halloween or Christmas? Why am I compelled to buy the Red, White and Blue six-pack?
These are all key questions to ponder when walking down the beer aisle this weekend. Just in case you are curious, we are attaching some research from Kidd.com on the Purchasing Power of Brand Patriotism. http://www.kidd.com/branding/purchasing-power-patriotism-businesses-shift-american-branding-summer/
Newspaper Readership: Print or Digital?
This article is a great read which highlights that print is still the core way to digest news. With huge levels of discussion about the newspaper industry falling by the wayside, it is great to read an article that clearly outlines the importance of newspapers to the news industry.
In the US alone, 169 million people are engaging with the news and 81% of them engage with a printed product.
In an era where we are told printed advertising is dead this clearly outlines that it just simply is not. To find out how you can advertise to this target market please get in touch with Christian at christianprosser@thespecialistworks.com, you can also follow this link to our website and view the plethora of US newspapers with whom we currently work.
Memorial Day
Normandy. May 2017. Our offices are closed today to allow our staff to honor Memorial Day.
Our Favorite Buzzwords
Working at an advertising agency, buzzwords (and buzzphrases) tend to develop over the normal course of interaction with so many creative communicators.
Here's a list of some of our favorites that we use more often than we'd like to admit:
Disruptive: This bitmoji thing is totally going to be disruptive.
Bitmoji: I can't believe this bitmoji thing actually is totally disruptive.
Digital Literacy: Their denial of Cloud issues has users questioning their Digital Literacy.
The Cloud: Never ever go searching in The Cloud.
Fake News: The News.
Paradigm Shift: This new version of the Cloud is a total Paradigm Shift.
Gamification: I love the gamification of myself with this new bitmoji.
Micro-Moments: My bitmoji had a micro-moment with that awkward coworker.
Watch This Space: I'm in love with that awkward coworker. Watch this space.
Holistic: Is a bitmoji a holistic view of one's self?
Wheelhouse: My bitmoji acts in ways that are not in my personal wheelhouse.
Crowdculture: Follow the crowdculture right up into The Cloud.
Granular: I'm looking into The Cloud on a granular level and it's become my New Normal.
New Normal: Something not normal that we need everyone to think is normal.
Low-Hanging Fruit: There's a lot of pictures of low-hanging fruit in that cloud account.
XYZ-centric: We're becoming more people-centric, eccentric, data-centric, whatever-centric.
Pain Point: This holistic view of the cloud as a new normal is my only pain point these days.
Getting on the Bus
Here at i-transact, we speak metaphorically about getting on the bus a lot. The bus could be the company, your current role or a new one. It could even represent taking ownership of a project or client needs. We love the idea of stepping up and into a bus that can take you anywhere.
You get it, right?
But not all jobs or companies foster an environment like this for employees. Not all employees desire this type of environment. Being "on the bus" in a sales role also might look very different from being "on the bus" as an accountant. We understand this. Everyone is allowed to choose how being "on the bus" might look for them.
We also know that no one can be forced on or off the bus and that's ok too. If you've ever been to one of our company events, it's obvious those of us "on the bus" are having one hell of a time!
So join us or don't. But should you decide to get on the proverbial bus, it may just turn out to be a rocket ship (we're from Houston and we own it. So what?). You'll also end up having a ton of fun along the way.
Ah, the Decision Maker
So who exactly is this decision maker?
I recently got a call from someone immediately asking me if they could talk to "The Decision Maker." The first irritation was the assumption that I wasn't the Decision Maker. Often people assume that the first person they speak with is the gate-keeper which isn't always the case.
Many times, I've found the gate-keeper IS the Decision Maker masquerading as the gate-keeper to avoid further conversation. Also the first person that answers the phone should be the Decision Maker if you've done research and found a good number. Depending on the business model, you will find that gate-keepers aren't usually the receptionist these days. There's IVR for that. Assume the person you're talking to is the president of the company. Treat them as such and amazing things can open up for you.
The second irritation was that this person did not bother to introduce themselves or even explain why they were calling.I don't take the attitude of "you owe me an explanation" but I'd like to find out if you're calling from the Oval Office or if, perhaps I've won a million dollars.Decision Maker immediately implies that you must be calling to sell me something and I'm instantly going into screening mode. Simply put, I've never heard the IRS ask for the Decision Maker. They've got your name.You should have a name too. I've never seen this not work. It doesn't always mean you'll get the sale but you'll get a listening ear.
The e-Commerce Revolution
I had a mentor tell me one time that a wise man changes before he has to. As stalwart retail locations like Sears, Radio Shack and Macys start to shut their doors, one has to wonder where did the customers go?
Did they stop buying altogether? Is the economy as bad as some politicians say it is? Or did the marketplace simply change?
Perhaps these brick and mortar stores have simply gone the way of Kodak and outlived their usefulness. The online marketplace is real, folks. Ask yourself this question: out of your last 10 purchases, how many of them were made online?
If these retail outlets don't realize the rise of the machine and start to look towards transactional media as a way to reach their customers when they are already buying, then these stores won't be the last to close their doors. e-Commerce retailers have already figured this out and changed not just their retail strategy but their marketing strategy as well.
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!
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!"
