Digett - Fresh Roasted

Corporate blogs should be more blog than corporate

Mark — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:18:53 -0500

From a recent Forrester report:

Many B2B marketers fail to realize that good blogging style should resemble a coffee shop conversation, not a whitepaper.

Amen. Pass the sugar, please.

Digett Goes Mobile at the 2008 TTIA Summit Conference

Zachary — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:09:55 -0500

I couldn't be happier about representing Digett at this year's Texas Travel Summit (September 21-24), hosted by the Texas Travel Industry Association. For starters, I haven't been to Galveston since I was a kid, and I'm itching to erase the memory of a brutal sunburn. Better yet, I'll be bringing many of you with me.

No, I'm not springing for plane tickets. I am, however, offering everyone an opportunity to experience the conference with me through the use of several online tools—tools that anyone can effectively use to connect with and engage the markets and individuals they seek. From blogs, to Twitter posts, to photo uploads to Flickr, I'll be doing it all.

This isn't just an exercise in how much coffee and ginseng I can consume to keep me going. It's an opportunity for you to participate—as actively as you wish—in an event that may be hundreds of miles away. It's also a way for you to experiment with communication tools that allow you to bring authentic conversation back to an increasingly isolated business world.

If you think that's a little more exciting than late-night reruns, then check back here to get the latest details and updates about how you can come along. In the meantime, check out the first part of our ongoing blog series about social media featuring Twitter, one of the tools I'll be using at the conference.

Marketing With Social Media, Part One: They Call it Twitter

Zachary — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:01:56 -0500

Perhaps the hardest thing about taking the plunge into social media is choosing the right avenues. There are hundreds of services out there, and it's hard to know where to start—especially since you don't want to invest time and resources in something that's ineffective. Thankfully, there is an easy way to test the waters, and it's called Twitter.

Twitter is, loosely speaking, a free micro-blogging tool. Basically, the service asks you to do one thing: tell people what you're currently doing in 140 characters. What you get is something that looks like a hybrid of instant messaging, email, and text messaging. A couple of us (Mark and Zach) at Digett have been playing around with it lately, and our impression is that the service (silly as it may seem) offers a couple of real market advantages:

You're always connected.

True, some may think of this as a disadvantage. However, Twitter allows you to be connected in ways that you want to be. Moreover, when it comes to your markets, the service allows you to be connected in ways that you need to be.

Have an important update for your customers? Post it to your Twitter feed and they'll know immediately. Have a question for the public about one of your products or services? You might be surprised how many responses you get—and how quickly you get them.

It's accessible from everywhere.

We've all been in a situation where we needed to get a message out quickly but simply couldn't. Standard mail can take days. Email is fast, but you may not always have access. The phone always works, but it's not practical if your message needs to reach hundreds, even thousands, of people.

This is where Twitter shines. You can post an update from your browser, of course, but you can also use your mobile phone. All you have to do is send a text message to Twitter with your update, and anyone following your feed will see it. There are also dozens of third-party applications that allow you to use the service.

Perhaps the best part about Twitter, however, is that it's incredibly easy to use. Still, it can be tricky to understand its proper role within your overall marketing message. We'll have more about that in upcoming posts, so make sure you return for updates. Or, if you're daring, introduce yourself to Twitter by following my feed. I'll keep you updated.

Coming Soon: A Fresh, Updated Digett Website

Zachary — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:46:56 -0500

I know what you're thinking: you've heard this before. I promise, we're serious this time. When someone tell us they're too busy making products, filling orders, or servicing their customers to devote the resources to a website update, we tell them they still have to find a way to get it done. It's high time we took our own advice.

I don't want to let out all our secrets, but this site update represents more than just a new coat of paint. Digett has grown, both in capabilities and outlook. The new design and content are intended to reflect the maturity and sophistication we've gained from years of serving clients from all over—and better serve the maturity and sophistication our clients have about their expectations and knowledge about online marketing.

After all, one of the hallmarks of effective marketing, whether online or through traditional channels, is continuing to improve your message. What works today won't necessarily work in a few years; business and markets change, and you have to keep pace.

Keep checking back with us, as it shouldn't be too long before this thing is up and running. Moreover, take some time to consider your own marketing messages and how they might benefit from an update. If you're unsure where to start, drop us a note.

Avoid Olympic Marketing Perils, Embrace Olympic Community

Zachary — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:39:24 -0500

Like many folks, I've been spending some of my spare time over the last week watching the Olympics. Every four years, I say I'm not going to get caught up in it all; shortly after the opening ceremony, however, I find myself awake at 3 a.m., intently following the women's handball finals.

And I'm not alone. It appears the 2008 Beijing games are quite popular around the globe—with consumers and marketers alike. But after sitting through ads featuring beer, soft drinks, credit cards and, inexplicably, busloads of sumo wrestlers hawking laptops, I'm wondering if the sheer size of the Olympic audience alone warrants the herculean marketing expense. Does this investment really have that great a return?

Granted, this is a red herring for most businesses, as the budgetary requirements for that kind of advertising are astronomical. However, almost every business will face its Olympic moment; at one point or another, you'll have to decide if spending a good portion, if not all, of your marketing dollars on one big idea will have the greatest impact. Many businesses don't see any options or, worse yet, they think it's wiser to put all their eggs in one basket, which often leads to spectacular failure.

These historic games we're watching, however, provide a great metaphor for a more appropriate modern marketing strategy. The Olympics has a long heritage of being a venue for competitive spirit, but the greater accomplishment has always been in the brotherhood and fidelity shared with other nations and peoples. Communities and conversations are created.

Likewise, the most effective marketing strategy for your business is to open honest communications with your customers. Because online communications tools have matured so rapidly, implementing that strategy is easier than ever—and won't break or, in some cases, even bend your budget.

Web-enabled, modern consumers expect quick and reliable service from your business, and they'll let the world know when you don't measure up. But instead of a letter that might reach a few dozen people over the course of a half-year, they'll voice concerns in a blog or forum that will reach millions of people in an instant. With the right tools in place, however, your business can respond rapidly and with authority. Better yet, if your customers know you're readily available to address issues or answer questions, they'll let the world know.

The tricky part is knowing where to start, and we can help with that. Just give us a shout.

New Site Launched: Brazos County Expo

Valarie — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:48:58 -0500

When the folks at the Brazos County Exposition Complex approached Digett in search of new website, we had a number of ideas about how to best showcase their state-of-the-art facilities. A $20 million county venture on 150 acres in Bryan-College Station, Texas, the Expo Complex consists of three facilities capable of hosting a wide range of event types from rodeos to horse and livestock shows, trade shows, and wedding receptions. With the new BrazosCountyExpo.com, we are making it easy for those attending or booking events to find all the information they need.

Accessible and Detailed Information for Each Venue

The Arena, Pavilion, and Exhibit Hall have the equipment and technology to accommodate a large range of needs. But how does an interested party know which venue is right for them?

We leveraged a majority of the home page real estate to spotlight the strengths of each building to help one decide. The typical scheduler for a rodeo is looking for very different information than someone wanting to host a banquet, and we wanted to clarify and simplify the process of discovering which venue works for them.

A single click from the home page will navigate the user to a more in-depth rundown of features, as well as photography of previous events hosted at the Expo Complex. There's also a link to each venue accessible from every page of the site, so visitors always can easily get to the information they need.

Welcoming Design

While the Expo Complex is home to a lot of equestrian events and livestock shows, it also hosts upscale receptions, career fairs, and monster truck shows. The Expo Complex wanted to avoid the perception that they only host "Western" events, so we stuck to a modern color palette and a fresh feel to keep the site welcoming to all types of event interests.

Easy Interactivity

Interested in booking? Need to know more? We've kept a link to the inquiry form handy on the home page and on every venue page to quickly shoot the Expo Complex an email.

See What's Going on at a Glance

The Expo Complex's events are displayed in two ways—a short list on the home page for a fast look at upcoming events and a comprehensive calendar inside. The calendar serves as a useful resource for audiences interested in booking, as well as those attending events at the Expo Complex or simply looking for something interesting to do around town.

By utilizing a friendly design and making it easy to find information, we've created a successful website that will address every audience's needs.

In With the New : A Fiddlin' Frogs Story

AMac — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:51:11 -0500

The Beginning

A few months ago, an eager business owner walked into Digett looking for a new identity. Not as a person, but as a company—Fiddlin' Frogs, to be exact. Fiddlin' Frogs was, at the time, a small boutique in Boerne specializing in trendy, wearable clothing, unique furniture, and some other merchandise you'd have to see to believe.

With the mounting success of the business came a need to grow and expand beyond Boerne's Main Street, which prompted the purchase of a luxurious new storefront in Leon Springs, just up the highway toward the big city.

The Problem

A change of scenery provided Fiddlin' Frogs with an opportunity to rebrand the company. The owners had felt for some time that their original logo was "too juvenile" and didn't capture the spirit of the unique blend of merchandise sold in the store. With competition like Neiman-Marcus, Anthropologie, and large furniture chains, their cartoon logo did little to attract that type of customer. A new logo was a must-have and at the heart of this project.

Although the company would need a logo, the name Fiddlin' Frogs was a keeper. There continues to be a great deal of recognition of the store's name; even one-stop-shop tourists remember "the frog store."

The Challenge

With a better understanding of the client's goals and my goals as a designer, my challenge became clear: Design a unique, sophisticated, and expressive logo for Fiddlin' Frogs that would better represent the company and what it has to offer its customers.

The Process

I began this task as I do most, seeking inspiration. I browsed through hundreds of logos, trying to extract reason behind why some were more sophisticated than others. Clean lines, plenty of room to breath, and a censored color palette seemed to be common themes.

With some tentative guidelines in place, I began “sketching” logo concepts; I use my computer to sketch. Some ideas were literal—a frog playing the fiddle, for example. Others were more abstract. I thought it best to start with a wide range of concepts and use client feedback coupled with collective opinion to drive the logo in a certain direction.

The Solution

The batch of concepts I presented yielded a bumper crop of logos the client liked. The ones they didn't care for, they said so, which I appreciated. It's important to me that clients be completely honest with their feedback because I think it's the only way the project can move forward with all parties content.

The owners wanted some time to think about the logos they liked and to share with friends and family. They returned a short time later with the field narrowed to just two logos. After some thoughtful discussion, we came to an agreement that one logo was a perfect fit. And, it was done—the logo had been chosen and all parties involved were excited to implement the new design. Interesting note: the logo chosen was the second out of about 20 I sketched.

The Reveal

It's now been several months since the logo was chosen and great things have happened. The client was given a style guide that presented them with their new identity, complete with tag lines, business cards, stickers, letterheads, and envelopes. These collateral pieces are the first step in implementing a new brand identity.

The big payoff for me as a designer came when the new FIddlin' Frogs storefront was adorned with an enormous, neon-lighted sign of the new logo. I was there on the day they installed the sign, and it was certainly an impressive display. It was very rewarding to see my hard work pay off in such a big way—and I mean big. This sign is colossal and something you should see for yourself, in person. So if you're in the neighborhood, drop into Fiddlin' Frogs and tell them Andrew sent you. You'll be glad you did.

J2 Shows How NOT to Do it

Mark — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:24:10 -0500

I get an email from J2 Comunications this morning promoting their new complete Mac capability of their online meeting service/software as well as a 30-day free trial. The only problem is it's not free. You have to provide a credit card number and, sometime before the thirty days is up, you must cancel the service to avoid being charged. Now I'm not saying that's a bad deal if you really need to try the service. But it's not free, and it was a huge turnoff. I didn't want to try this badly enough to put up with the hassle, and likewise will be unlikely to know how well the service might work the next time I really do need something like this.

Please, please don't use these kinds of techniques to market your own products and services. Make life easy for your clients, and they'll love you.

Fiddlin' Frogs gets a sign

Mark — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:14:06 -0500

Andrew's Fiddlin' Frogs logo is now viewable by all who travel the I-10 corridor at Leon Springs, between San Antonio and Boerne. Nice job, Andrew.

In the Hotel Business

Mark — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:11:30 -0500

We've long worked with companies in tourism, and some even in lodging. Until today, though, we'd not claimed a genuine hotel among our portfolio of clients. We'll be kicking off phase 1 with a 1-yr SEO contract. Stay tuned for more details. I hope to be able to talk more by mid-week. Exciting stuff.