Creatives – especially copywriters – are often faced with the pressures of meeting strict deadlines on very short notice. The problem is, as I mentioned in a previous post, that creativity takes time. When the clock is ticking and I’m struggling for ideas, I sometimes try to come up with an unexpected approach to the copy by thinking about opposites. There are lots of ways to do this, more of which I’ll share in future posts, but the example below...

Social media, it’s the buzz hitting the marketing streets. Businesses are using it as part of their marketing mix but there are some precautionary measures that should be taken Social Media accounts for 10% of all users’ time on the internet.  Social Media is growing three times faster than the Internet’s overall growth.  Just like in the old days when companies had to figure out how to deal with email, now they have to figure out how to deal with...

With the uncertainty about the effects of Hurricane Sandy’s visit, including the possibility of widespread flooding and power outages, the Ad Club has elected to exercise prudence and cancel October’s event with Sandra Beckwith. We do hope to bring her back for a later event. See you next month!

My original intention for today was to post a high-level overview of a 3D modeling topic, just chock full of 3D geeky goodness. What changed? Some recent events related to my business caught my attention and reminded me of my personal focus for the Ad Club: be relevant–not only for the design professional working with an established business or with an established clientele, but also for the struggling solo entrepreneurs who, without access to resources like the Ad Club, might...

One of the great things about being a member of an international non-profit organization is the immense network of professionals with which we have the opportunity to converse and share ideas. Throughout the year, United Way organizations around the world provide opportunities for people to donate their time to their local community through volunteer projects. I was given some of the information below from a fellow United Way organization in Colorado and combined their findings with some of our local...

Radio Free Hamilton is an on-line news site that serves the area surrounding Colgate University and alums around the world. Jerry Reed spent the summer and early fall recording, as storyteller, sixty-four of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. While some think of them as children’s stories, they’re often bizarre, sometimes hilariously funny and frequently violent. But, when you take in consideration the stories are 200 years old, the listener gets a new appreciation for the life lessons they teach. The...

New Member Night By: Pam DelMedico, Event Chair As I’m sure you have guessed, New Member Night was a huge hit! Once again, the Saranac Brewery opened its doors to us and helped to kick off this years Ad Club season with a bang! Guests enjoyed a full hour of open bar where the beer flowed and the laughs ensued. Pumpkin Ale was served with a tasty rim of pumpkin spice sugar and Blueberry Blond was poured as a nod...

After eight years as a journalist in every beat you could imagine, three months ago I finally made the move to what journalists call the dark side – PR. I’ve discovered the dark side isn’t so dark and – surprise – I like it. But, holy moly, there’s a lot of bad PR-media interactions out there. That’s the bad news, but the good news is there are simple things public relations professionals can do to better their media relationships. Here’s...

The shifts in how we share and receive information create constant challenges for public relations pros charged with working with the media to share information and influence perceptions. “The media” has expanded to include bloggers who sometimes care less about fact-checking than their true journalism counterparts – and are often far more influential. More journalists are turning to Twitter and Facebook to find sources and get information. Got a crisis? Thanks to social media, your customers might know before you...

BRING A FRIEND! 5:30 pm, Tuesday, September 25th Saranac Brewery 1888 Tavern Special food and beer tasting with chef Art Langdon Three-hour Saranac open bar Inside look at Saranac marketing with Ad Club’s own Meghan Fraser. Meet new Ad Club members Guest fee $30—deducted from annual Ad Club dues upon joining It’s going to be a great time! Click here for more information.