D.trio | d.trio's blog

Posts Tagged ‘d.trio’

5 Reasons You Need a Public Profile on Facebook

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

1. Privacy

Be honest. We all have two lives these days online – one personal and one professional. If you have a single personal profile, your public image is incredibly vulnerable to intrusion through changing privacy parameters to your old college friends tagging you in photos. By creating a wall between your two worlds, you can have as much fun as you want on your personal page while creating a professional image on your public profile page consistent with your brand.

2. Separate Your Friends from Your Business Contacts

Is your cousin Angela from Los Angeles a prospect or existing customer? And is your key client really someone you should have as a “friend”? We realize that Facebook has added a new feature that allows you to group people according to their connection with you to allow some control. However, it involves going through your entire list of “friends” and categorizing them one by one and making sure your privacy settings are just right. It is actually simpler to create a public profile and invite your business associates, customers and prospects to “like” you.

3. Access to Statistics & Demographics on Your Facebook Presence

Public pages have some great benefits that are hidden from those who only have personal pages. On public profile pages, you have access to Facebook Insights, which is Facebook’s proprietary analytics package that allows you to peer behind the curtain. It gives you the ability to see how many people are visiting your page, how often they visit and what posts are most attractive to them. Also, a simple “like” from a professional contact can give you access to their key demographic information that you can use in your social media marketing strategy.

4. Enhanced Features

If your business or brand has a Facebook page, you may be aware of the additional functionalities that are available. For those who haven’t had direct contact with this yet, on public profile pages you have endless applications that allow you to customize not only the profile’s landing page, but add additional tabs below your profile picture. These buttons can let you incorporate your Twitter feed, your product catalog and allow people to subscribe to your company’s newsletter. The sky is the limit with this one. It is solely dependent on how much energy and time you or your favorite marketing person wants to put into it.

5. Communicate on Your Company Page Personally

People like interacting with other people. The more human your company can appear on its public Facebook page the more likely people are to stay and interact with your brand. If you qualify as a subject matter expert, posting directly to your company’s page transfers that expertise to them. Initially, your personal fans might just visit to see your posts, but if there is other quality information there, you have a much better chance of converting them to a fan of your company or brand.

Tags: cheryl price, d.trio, f8, facebook, marketing, Minneapolis, social media
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Marketing Intervention Results

Monday, April 4th, 2011

Call us crazy. Maybe we are. Busy with other client work we envisioned and created an event that would benefit one lucky company, charge us up, kick up our creativity, and keep us up all night. On March 10th we had our Marketing Intervention, complete with live streaming (no sound) and chat.

If you missed it (maybe you’re not a late night person?) you missed a lot and not much at the same time. We had plenty of toys to keep us from burning out and you’d have wanted to tune in for the target practice with the surprisingly accurate potato gun or you would have seen mostly brainstorm discussions and reading (an unglamorous peek behind the curtain) and, um, eating…the food and caffeine flowed aplenty.

Why the challenge?
We love marketing and actually like doing the hard stuff. We had fun helping another company with a marketing deficit develop tangible marketing pieces and kick up their brand. But also, after a stressful couple of years we got to pull out the stops for a very positive reason. And, it showed us just how much can be accomplished with focus, concentrated resources and collaboration (with a bit of play in between).

Thanks go out to all of our great designers, copy writers, our art director, account directors and others who contributed to this active 24 hours of creation. And thanks to Rick Diamond of for his patience and participation.

Rick was on call for the entire event. He was game – didn’t faze him a bit because he’s not a big sleeper. But he does want to help more people quit smoking through his company Breathe: Freedom from Nicotine (formerly Breathe Laser Therapy). He answered tough questions for us and hung in there through the seemingly amorphous process.

Here are some of the marketing deliverables we created. We also developed a document of recommendations for Rick’s business that we can’t show you.

Some of the Breathe materials created during the intervention

What did we learn?
It was harder and easier than we thought it would be. The excitement fueled a great thought process and creativity. Designers bore the brunt of the stress to come up with their best work in a shortened timeline – plus it was on their shoulders in the wee hours of the morning, along with the website and SEO recommendations.

It confirmed that our creation process is a good one and it’s even more important to adhere to a prescribed flow when there’s no time.

All in all it was an exhilarating and exhausting process. It confirmed the old cliché – when you work together, you can accomplish plenty and have some fun along the way. We’d definitely do it again. Oh, and no art or account directors were harmed in the making of this Intervention.

What’ve you done lately? What do you think about the Marketing Intervention? Tell us here or at our Facebook page.

Tags: branding, breathe laser therapy, business, d.trio, engagement, marketing, marketing intervention, megan devine
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Creativity vs. the Hard Stuff

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

I’ve had blogger’s block. I don’t know why, but it got worse as the Super Bowl got closer. Intimidated by the extreme creativity and sheer enormity of the budgets for advertising during the Super Bowl, I felt diminished by it.

In our heart of hearts all marketers want to be able to turn on the Super Bowl and point to our pride and joy (ad) and say – “that’s my creativity, that’s my baby.” Yep.

But we’re boots on the ground marketers. We have big ideas that touch one person at a time and create results and ROI – not big splashy TV commercials that flood the airways with humor or drama. And although it’s not as sexy, it plays an important role in selling things, getting the word out, making connections and creating relationships that build trust and brands. It wasn’t until I read this blog in Advertising Age – http://bit.ly/eXZJK2 – that I started really thinking about the significance of what we do versus most Super Bowl ads that will be forgotten by next year.

Could it be that there is more value in strategic communications through multiple channels? That relevant communications are really better than all that creativity that is bought and sold at the Super Bowl? I’d have to say yes.

I’ve been told many times in my career that marketing is a really tough way to make a living – that we do the hard stuff. And we do. But it’s the good stuff, it’s the relevant stuff that really gets people to act and engage.

So I got myself together and wrote this blog. We’re out there every day with our creativity, finding the right way to move forward with brand messages through small and underappreciated channels. Pat yourself on the back; you do the hard stuff and it works. Keep on working hard, getting the word out through the channels that work for you – social, digital, direct response, print and mobile etc.

And if you continue to give the people what they want, then maybe, just maybe you’ll do something that ends up being shown during the Super Bowl. Okay, just kidding, probably not, but doing what you love to do and having success with it does have its own rewards. Do you agree? Tell us how you’re doing and what you think here or at our Facebook page.

Tags: advice, business, d.trio, direct marketing, global marketing, marketing, multi-channel marketing
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Marketing Intervention – 24 Hours Free

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Can you feel the excitement in the air? What is it? Optimism? Growth? Creativity? Yes – it ’s the Marketing Intervention!

On the heels of updating our brand and morphing our business, we decided we must share the creativity and momentum generated with some deserving company in need. Thus was born our Marketing Intervention contest.

Fun video, serious message

This is not just some dry call for entries. We recruited one of the best improvisational troops in the area (in our humble opinion), Stevie Ray’s Improv, to help tell the story of a company with a marketing need. The best part is we included things that we’ve seen in real life, in previous companies we’ve all worked for (because that’s funnier). The result is an amusing video a la “The Office” of the trials and tribulations of getting a rebranding or cohesive marketing campaign accomplished in a company that is stuck. The video and contest rules are at:

http://www.dtrio.com/intervention/

Free agency services

Please watch it and pass it on to anyone you think would enjoy it and benefit from an inspired group of agency creative types and strategists looking at their marketing needs – Logo, tagline, branding, stationery and collateral systems, need to develop marketing programs, Web, email, etc. – anything that agency services cover (strategy and creative, not production of hard goods).

This is meant to jump start change in companies that don’t know where to start, but know they need to start somewhere – and give them something tangible to take home. A couple of lucky companies will also get a consultation with us to create a plan.

We love what we do and we do it well, but we need your help to make this successful. Please pass on this link along virally and help this offer land in some deserving hands.

Tell us what you think of the Marketing Intervention video here or at http://www.facebook.com/dtrio

Tags: 2010, branding, contest, d.trio, direct marketing, dtrio, graphic design, marketing intervention, Minneapolis, multi-channel marketing, visibility
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New beginnings

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Nine months into the year I look back at the advice offered in this blog early in 2010 and I can pretty much run the checklist for d.trio. Embrace change – check. Try new things – check…we’re taking our own advice.

Exciting things can happen during down years. You have more time to think, your internal resources may be available to do special projects. And, you have time to add new things to your repertoire. You can even do more charity work.

We’ve been busy taking advantage of the few extra minutes in the day and after many months of toil are unveiling our new brand. It’s been 10 years. Our old brand served us well, and we leave it behind with a touch of nostalgia. But our agency has changed. A lot. So we deemed it time to “whirl up” a new brand look, feel, tone and attitude.

We love what we do and we did it for our own creative agency. Hope you like the change because we’re a little bit in love.

Tell us what you think of our new look here or at www.facebook.com/dtrio

Tags: branding, business, change, d.trio, dtrio, opportunity
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Is comfort good?

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

I spent the weekend at an event that took me out of my comfort zones, and it made me think about the role comfort plays in our business and personal lives. During this event, I talked to a woman who wants her business to be at the top of her industry, but doesn’t want to venture into new territory to do it. Nor does she want to spend money on search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to help other businesses find her.

She was smart, articulate, clearly had plans and was undoubtedly comfortable with her company as it is – somewhere between the status quo and real success.

Just as author, Jim Collins, says in his book “Good to Great” that “Good is the enemy of great,” comfort is the enemy of success in business. Comfort is lounging on a soft couch in sweat pants, feeding on junk food. Fine for a weekend but bad as a lifestyle. In business, comfort means not challenging the status quo or taking risks. It means doing same things day after day without questioning whether they are the best decisions for your business, product or service to be successful into the future.

If you apply that inertia to your marketing decisions, it’s even worse. You can’t market yourself well unless you find fresh ways to get your name, products or services out there. Different marketing channels can work together to improve how people can find you and you can move the needle toward your goals.

There are many marketing channels that produce results and many that work together to increase business success through increased visibility. Maybe you haven’t changed your marketing programs for a while, or you need help figuring out the steps to take to move that needle in the right direction – that’s what we’re here for. Send us your questions or tell us how you’re doing, here or on our Facebook page.

Coincidentally, I just read a good blog that ties in with this, about getting out of your comfort zones and striving for excellence. I hope it helps motivate you. http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/08/six_keys_to.html

Tags: advice, business, d.trio, dtrio, future of marketing, marketing, SEO, social media, technology, visibility
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Eye tracking basics. Guest blogger: Alexandra Franzen

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

What do your customers really see when they read your website pages? Read on for illumination from Alexandra, our guest blogger extraordinaire who has an eye for interesting and pertinent information.

When a customer visits your company’s website, what do they really see?

The truth? A big fat “F.”

Don’t take it personally — it’s not a report card. The human eye literally scans in the shape of the letter “F” — picking up hot zones in the header region, jumping down to the sub-header line, and then skimming straight down the page.

Sophisticated eye tracking tests performed by the Nielsen Norman Group, the Poynter Institute, the Estlow Center for Journalism and New Media and Eyetools provide new insights (no pun intended) into how we interpret webpages.

In addition to unveiling the distinctive F-shape pattern, eye tracking experts have highlighted a few additional techniques for effective web copywriting.

The Whisper Effect.
Ever notice how college professors speak softly to command their students’ attention? Sometimes, small text equals closer reading. As Steve Outing and Laura Ruel of the Eyetrack III project explain, “Smaller type encourages focused viewing behavior (that is, reading the words), while larger type promotes lighter scanning.”

Short & Sweet.
Copywriters instinctively know that short, concise paragraphs work better — both online and offline. Long blocks of dense text often get ignored, because they feel too daunting. As Dean Rieck of Direct Creative notes, “Big blocks of type look imposing and difficult, like reading a Faulkner novel.”

Words for Facts. Images for Stories.
Factual information — like names, numbers and locations — are best expressed through words. But high-concept processes, systems and stories are better conveyed through multi-media methods: graphs, images, illustrations and videos.

1-800-Got-Junk does an excellent job of illustrating their business model in this animated movie, while Rice to Riches — a luxury rice pudding restaurant in New York City — has a fantastic “brand storytelling” intro video on their website.

For more eye scanning insights, check out Eye Tracking, Inc. — a company that measures website usability, and Eye Tracking Update, an aggregate site that pools together the latest findings in the field.

Alexandra Franzen is a writer + editor + organization freak who freelances for d.trio marketing as a copywriter. You can find her blogging at Unicorns for Socialism and tweeting up a storm at @Alex_Franzen.

F-pattern eye scan images via Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox

Tags: advice, branding, copywriting, d.trio, dtrio, eye tracking, graphic design, marketing, technology, visibility
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Get your messages chosen.

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

There’s too much stuff in my head today. It’s as cluttered as my desk and email inbox. I’m not alone, but that’s little consolation to a marketer whose job it is to cut through the clutter. Yet, I got an email from a blogger I follow, Joe Grant, http://jjgrant.wordpress.com/ and it made me sit up and take notice. Why? Because there’s always something in his blog for me.

As marketers we have to accept and address a general lack of focus and propensity to distraction or we should just give up and go golfing. And, by the way, how and why are people able to concentrate on a golf game for more than 4 hours and yet can’t get to the 1-minute (or less) task of reading our marketing messages?

Interest and relevance.

It all boils down to that, interest and relevance. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and ask yourself (or better yet ask them):

What do customers want and need to know that you can provide them?
What are the different ways that they access information and what is their preference in receiving it?

We all have to live with the distractions of day and moment, but if your messages and content are more compelling and more relevant than the next guy’s, your customers will take notice and choose to open yours over your competition.

This isn’t about shouting, it’s about whispering – getting customers to lean in to hear more. It’s about presenting thoughtful interesting information, in an easy to read format and making it look good. Leave them wanting more, looking forward to your next communiqué. And give them options (email, snail mail, blog, social, mobile etc.) that they can choose between to receive your communications. It’s about giving your customers choices while meeting their needs. Sounds simple doesn’t it?

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and go for a stroll. Take some time to think about what you can provide that is relevant, interesting and/or fun. Then next time your customers will sit up and take notice of what you have to say.

We’d love to hear what your experience has been with your cutting through the clutter, here or at http://www.facebook.com/dtrio – tell us what you think.

Tags: advice, d.trio, direct marketing, dtrio, engagement, marketing, Minneapolis, multi-channel marketing, relevance
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The aftermath of recession marketing:

Friday, May 14th, 2010

How low can you go? I’m not talking the Limbo here. No – I’m talking about marketing campaigns (digital, direct, email and emerging media) that were created, launched and sent out in 2009, internationally. From what I’ve seen recently the answer is – very.

I just spent the week judging entries to the International ECHO Awards, the DMA’s highly respected marketing awards. Unfortunately, it was a dismal reflection of, and reminder of how hard the recession has been on marketing in general.

Six years of judging top marketing campaigns from all over the world has spoiled me. The groundbreaking campaigns that use new and traditional marketing channels brilliantly are inspiring. Spending days perusing the best and the brightest charges me up and gives me energy to go back and kick up the creativity in my job.

But this year was different.

Marketing is not dead, but it didn’t flourish in 2009. There were bright spots, sure and we reveled in them. And I know there were cuts. But budgets don’t dictate smart thinking. The recession not only knocked-out budgets, but apparently creativity, risk-taking and pride-in-work were also down for the count.

Bring back great marketing ideas.

As we move toward the middle of 2010, I hope you’ll strive to help the world turn marketing into the smart, creative pursuit it needs to be. Generate new ideas, try new things, test what you are doing, ask for feedback and get away from the “we did it last year so it must be ok” thinking. If you need a reason, here’s some food for thought:

· Big ideas help cut through the clutter of 5,000 messages we receive every day

· Me-too marketing dooms you to looking like your competitors

· Creativity tied to smart strategies is the antidote to me-too marketing

In the end we judged and approved enough entries that could be winners. And, some of the entries that were very creative and willing to take a chance did inspire me. But I want to get the word out, and please help me spread it – this year, 2010, we all need to make a pact not to let fear keep us from doing our best work. Are you with me?

What break-through trends do you see in marketing? Share with us your insights and creative thoughts – we’d love to hear what your experience has been, here or at our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/dtrio

New York in the spring time

Tags: 2010, d.trio, direct marketing, dtrio, future of marketing, graphic design, marketing, marketing media, media mix, recession, visibility
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10 Reasons to Embrace Change:

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Change is good. It has to be because business is always in flux. So we’re better off embracing it, not fighting it.

We exist, here at d.trio, in the agency world where everything changes and time is accelerated like dog years – so we’re happy to look back on 10 successful years. We’ve learned a lot. And, no year has been the same as the last one.

So what is the point? The point is I’ve been thinking a lot about business and how change has affected our choices. As a result, I’ve come up with the top 10 reasons change is good:

1. Change keeps your ideas fresh – and we’re only as good as our ideas in business.

2. Change makes you keep learning – short term this keeps our strategies relevant and leading edge; long term we fight Alzheimer’s!

3. Change makes every day different – it fights boredom and give us a reason to look forward to tomorrow.

4. Change keeps you on your toes and thinking sharply.

5. Change is the enemy of hubris, which is the enemy of long-term success.

6. You learn more from change, such as failing at something, than you do from unfettered success.

7. A change of view can help keep the important things in perspective.

8. Change is responsible for inspiration (and inspiration can also create change).

9. Without change, there wouldn’t be game changing technologies like the personal computer, the iPhone and maybe the iPad http://www.garysky.net/ipad-review-by-cnet.html (time will tell) – things that make people think differently.

10. Change is required to take a leap of faith – as we did 10 years ago to start d.trio!

So go embrace change today. Share with us how change has affected your life – we’d love to hear what your experience has been here or at our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/dtrio

Tags: advice, business, change, d.trio, economy, future of marketing, marketing, relevance
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d.trio's blog

Posts Tagged ‘d.trio’

Marketing Intervention Results

Creativity vs. the Hard Stuff

Marketing Intervention – 24 Hours Free

New beginnings

Eye tracking basics. Guest blogger: Alexandra Franzen

Get your messages chosen.

The aftermath of recession marketing:

10 Reasons to Embrace Change:

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