Inside the Envelope

Can you spot the mistakes in this paragraph? Melissa was excited about her son’s swimming ability. This fall, she asked, “Would you like to join the swim team”? Sammy was thrilled about the idea, accept for one thing: the tight swimsuits. “Why do I have to wear spandex”, he complained, “I’m all ready the fastest swimmer in the pool”! Grammar can be painful. Make A Fresh Start Even after years of writing, there are grammatical errors that impede us all. For some, it’s punctuation. For others, it’s word selection. And when you repeat the same mistakes, bad habits get harder to break. This year, make a mental note to dodge those potholes! Here are three mistakes to avoid in your writing: 1. Incorrect Apostrophes Apostrophes indicate possession for nouns and letter omissions in contractions. Generally, singular possessive apostrophes come before the ‘s’ and plural possessives apostrophes come afterward, ...

Want to catch a fish? Then use the right bait! If landing a sale is your ultimate goal, first, you must entice people to take a closer look. Effective marketing strategies often involve a “hook,” which is a short phrase, jingle, or attention-grabbing device. Sales hooks bridge the gap between prospects and customers as they focus people’s attention on your message, set the tone of your presentation, and provide something of value. Whether it’s a special offer or an amusing tagline, hooks should arouse interest in your product or service while encouraging further interaction between the customer and the company.   Looking to start your presentation on a strong note? Here are four ingredients you might add to your next ad: 1. Paint an Incredible Vision Human beings are selfish, and they are never satisfied with their present situation. Anything that offers people an appealing future is intriguing and attractive. When you want them to give yo...

In building brand awareness, a sales pitch is the hook, and consistent marketing is the “glue” that pulls your visuals and words together in a relatable way. Marketing is about building relationships, and people commit to brands that seem dependable and trustworthy. Companies lure you in with witty slogans or incredible offers, but it’s a brand’s reliability that keeps you coming back. Customers stay loyal to brands when they feel comfortable and “in sync” with them, and the key to building that dependability is consistent, stylish marketing. What does that look like in real life? 3 Examples of Brand-Building Marketing Here are three organizations that do brand consistency well, and some take-home tips you can grab from their examples. 1. Charity: Water “ Charity: Water” is a non-profit organization that provides drinking water to people in developing nations. As of 2019, the organization has raised $370 million, funding 44,...

AT&T helps millions of customers connect with entertainment, mobile, high-speed Internet, and voice services. Employing nearly 300,000 people worldwide, AT&T is committed to both hiring and shaping talent. AT&T University, an executive-taught leadership development program in the company’s Dallas headquarters, trains emerging leaders through in-house and satellite campuses across the U.S. But AT&T needs more than just training; it needs innovation. So, in partnership with Georgia Tech and Udacity, Inc., AT&T created the first-ever Online Master of Science in Computer Science degree and self-paced, fast-track technical credentials called Nanodegrees across web and mobile development, data analytics, and tech entrepreneurship. “We can’t depend on just hiring and the traditional educational system as sources for retooling or finding new talent,” said corporate communications manager Marty Richter. “We’re focused on aligning comp...

Start at the bottom. That’s what legendary basketball coach John Wooden did every year. Wooden did not start with layups or defensive strategy – he started with shoelaces. Coach Wooden, who won 10 championships in 12 years with U.C.L.A., had a reputation for fortifying the fundamentals before moving forward. Before his athletes played, they had to practice pulling up their socks, leaving no loose flaps in the sneakers, and pull laces tight to avoid ankle sprains.  “He didn’t want blisters,” said former player Rich Levin. “I mean, that’s not a serious illness, but you could miss a game or two.” Whether you’re a new business owner or a seasoned veteran, sometimes we all need to start at the bottom. Have you refreshed the fundamentals of your business plan lately? Managing finances is essential to success, and one tool of the trade is a cost-benefit analysis. Whether you’re considering a new venture or weighing a s...

For many decades, stickers and labels have been helping to establish brands, elect politicians, spark micro-marketing engagement, and build social proof. Stickers and labels are more popular than ever. Just sit in a coffee shop for 20 minutes and look at the water bottles, laptops, or notebooks of young people. Stickers are not only inexpensive and enduring, but they are also fun for users! Build an Enduring Brand with Custom Stickers and Labels Looking for creative inspiration? Here are three examples of sticker marketing campaigns that left a tangible impression with every single viewer: 1. Cillit Bang: Destroying Dirt Wherever You Find It Cillit Bang is a household cleaner. To build credibility and marketing momentum, the company placed transparent stickers on coins that were halfway cleaned by the product, highlighting the contrast between the filthy and the clean. Coins were then given as change to customers, demonstrating that people could “bank on” Cillit...