The New Year is slipping away, and we are about to jump into Q2. It is always helpful to take an introspective moment to understand why we're operating the way we are, but making sure your reaching for the right goals is something to re-visit before too much of the year passes. Lots of buzz starts early, picking up steam in mid to late December and exploding onto the scene in January. But like most ambitious, life-changing endeavors, the efforts are short-lived if we don't check-in and hold ourselves accountable. 

This week's offering from PRIME is from one of our amazing and talented freelancers:

Collette Hinnenkamp 

Founder of Bon Temps Collective

(pictured above)

You might have asked why a marketing agency would dive so deeply into the changes of the mobile technology and the effects of the world we live in. The truth is, that we here at PRIME are constantly looking for connection, engagement, and community on behalf of our clients. There are a ton of ways the shift to mobile has changed the way we advertise, the way we find new business, and the way we share our lives both in a connective context and a social interactive context. We know that today's advancement will be tomorrows standard.

As we look to wrap up our series on how the mobile economy has rocked the socks off of our daily lives, today, we're talking about one that affects every human being on the planet. Here's a hint—it's green, made of a unique kind of paper, and if needed, in a pinch, can be used to play "Presidential Flashcards" for a few minutes... Today, we're talking about how the mobile economy has made for a complete makeover on the way we deal with money—how we spend it, how we save it, and how we trade it. Let's dive in.

the Mobile Economy of Communications

The invention of the smartphone changed our working world as we know it, having our office always in our pocket. We are reachable at all times whether we like it or not. For better or worse, this has dramatically shifted our perception of communication with our coworkers, clients, and partners. We are connected and responsible in a way that continues to push the boundaries of traditional communications.

In light of this, 1500 word emails, meetings where people pile into a conference room, and back and forth phone calls are largely passé. Thanks to a host of disruptive apps in the market space, workplace communications have become more intuitive, ubiquitous, and more user-friendly than ever. Today we look at the apps that have had the most significant impact on how we communicate with each other at work, and the benefits they bring to your business.  

We're kicking off a new series at PRIME on the transformation of the way we do things. In the economy of life, there are tried-and-true methods, habits we love, patterns we are used to and a variety of other activities that condition the way we approach tasks. With the advent of mobile devices and app-run services, a more significant number of options are available for getting our business done. Enjoy our foray into the mobile economy of things, or the IoT. (Internet of Things) as we dive into several ways our hand-held devices have changed the way we face our world.

There are a lot of do's and don'ts when it comes to giving an excellent presentation. Oddly enough, one of the most significant factors to a killer presentation is just that, your presentation. How you present your materials and information to your audience can play a vital roll in how they receive you.

So you have some great info; if your visual style is dated, it might not go as well as you'd like. There might be some level of disconnect, or your audience might be less likely to trust you. You might have fascinating points to make, but when they are bulleted out on a static page, they'll be less likely to engage. Thanks to advances in software, it's easier than ever before to create an engaging visual presentation. Let's talk about doesn't work, what does, and how to use them to your best abilities.

Presentations: we’ve been giving them since our fourth-grade science projects, yet somehow, we still dread them. In truth, dread hangs around the word “presentation,” from every angle. And you don’t only have to be the one giving it to feel the dark cloud descending. Just try getting invited to one. Most people don’t meet the invitation with a hop, skip, and a heel click. Have a guess at why? I bet you do.

Knowing Your Audience

While we’ve already given you the playbook for targeting your local market, today we’re mapping out how to target your market around the globe with meaningful, engaging content. The fact is, not all social media platforms are created equally when it comes to your targeting initiatives. None of them are bad, but some are most certainly better than others for a broader reach. Just like your platforms will change as you try to reach those who don’t live down the lane, so will your technique and strategy.

Your message to Sally Sue, an active member of your local community, may not resonate with someone who lives a thousand miles away. They could value very different things depending on location, culture, demographics, and so on. That means that the benefits you present to them will look different. Simply put, the world isn’t a flat piece of toast you spread a pat of butter across. Let’s look at how to churn out the actual results you want by broadcasting the right messages on the right platforms.

As a business owner, it’s a given in today’s world that you need to have a social media presence. If you’re still thinking about social as something that Millennials simply spend too much time on, it’s time to think again, friend. Not only do you need to be on social media, but you also need to have a strong plan about how you’re going to use it, who you want to talk to, and what you want to get out of it.

Over the past few years, there is a new infatuation that has been sweeping over our nation. For better or worse, it's been washing over our televisions, newspapers, social media feeds, and now, our marketing campaigns. From the white house to the Kardashians and their diet shakes, we've become obsessed with controversy. And as a business, it's something to be aware of. If a marketer's job is to keep her finger on the pulse of the nation, and that pulse is racing, what does that mean for her work? Does she stoke the flames of this new infatuation? What does she risk if she does? Better yet, what does she risk if she doesn't? Today we're taking a look at some real-life examples of controversial marketing campaigns and the repercussions for the companies who created them.