Over the last week I’ve been to two silent auctions. I spent some money—on admission, draw tickets, drinks, and items I “won.” And even though economic times are tough and I’m Scottish, I didn’t complain one bit. Silent auctions are fun. I get to hang out with old friends and meet new people. I get some great loot. And, using my power as a consumer, I get to support communities and causes. (more…)
Most of us have a few favorite websites we visit on a regular basis. For me, it’s the content that is updated regularly, like forums, blogs, RSS feeds, and even news aggregates, that keeps me coming back for more. Because there is always something fresh and interesting to read or do, I tend to visit these websites on a daily or weekly basis, reading articles, participating in discussions, voting in polls, and even playing browser-based multi-player games.
With less than two weeks to the U.S. election, I find myself in New Mexico on sabbatical, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the McCain-Obama excitement. I know that you just recently had an election up in Canada, too (though Stephen Harper never got invited to guest star on SNL. Go figure). With all this continental election fever, I’ve been contemplating the mix between business and politics quite a bit, lately. How can an election affect your business’s brand? Three recent examples pop into my mind. (more…)
This summer, I started running again. After a few weeks of pushing too hard and burning out, I found the Couch-to-5K running program:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Designed to get slackers like me into running without burning out from overexertion, the Couch-to-5K program was ideal for my particular situation. By starting slow and building up, I found myself enjoying running, and even promoting this program to my friends and family.
Did you watch this past season of The Biggest Loser? Did you notice the dramatic increase in product placement throughout the course of the show? Yes? So did all of the friendly neighbourhood SEO techs working for the advertisers, and you can bet they took advantage of it.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the term used for making your website easily noticed by search engines, which of course gets your website placed higher in the listing of websites when a term is “googled” or “yahooed”. Getting on the first page of search results is the main goal; getting in the first three listings is the ultimate dream.
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About a year ago I was making arrangements for an associate who was in town for a conference and looking for accommodation. Before I continue, let me add that I am an enthusiastic environmentalist and advocate for liveable communities who walks, bikes and takes transit everywhere. I don’t even own a driver’s license. So imagine my horror when, on inquiring about bus transportation between one prospective hotel and the conference venue, I was told by the giddy desk clerk on the other end of the line to forget about the bus. “Bus-schmus!” she laughed. “We have a Hummer!” (more…)
Readers of the Sage Advisor have come to recognize the unmistakable voice of Stagecoach Designs’ CEO Melanie Parish. Her personal stories of brands-gone-bad, missed opportunities, and marketing successes–spiced up with a dash of life with twin two-year olds–have been appearing every second week for almost a year. In her articles, Melanie takes on the role of brand coach. She is keenly observant, quietly funny and full of smart and creative recommendations to right the marketing wrongs she encounters in her day-to-day life. (more…)
Hello everyone,
I thought this would be a great week to talk about the evolution of our brand. I had a couple of phone calls yesterday, and I am realizing that changing a brand can create some questions for clients and staff alike.
The history
When we originally conceived the Sage Portfolio Group brand in late 2005, it was a business and corporate coaching company that offered graphic design, marketing and web design as a part of its other services. As we grew, the web and design part of our business took off. I knew we needed to distinguish the design company from the leadership development company. They each have different clients, a different feel and, frankly, it has been a bit confusing–to ourselves and our clients–to have a company that develops both leaders and websites. Confusion is not good for a brand. (more…)
Howdy pardners!
We have to be honest - we’re feeling our oats here at Stagecoach Designs.
It’s been a creative, vibrant and, dare we say, frantic month preparing for the launch of our new business brand, and we can’t help but be a bit excited at the prospect of introducing our valued clients, associates, friends, and family to our new look and location. From the happy cowpoke to the rich rancher, there’s something for everyone at Stagecoach Designs.
Today, Monday March 3rd, we open our doors at our brand new storefront location, 249 King Street West in beautiful downtown Dundas, Ontario. We welcome you to drop by anytime to check out the digs (we’ll even rustle you up a cuppa hot campfire coffee!). We’ll officially “warm” the new location sometime in April with a good ol’ country hoe down. Stay tuned for an announcement in the next few weeks.
Our new web site, www.stagecoachdesigns.com, also “goes live” today. Not that you need any encouragement to click on the link and take a tour, but we’ve come up with a little contest to reward those pioneers who aren’t afraid to explore new frontiers. Somewhere on our web site we have hidden an “easter egg”, which is techno-talk for a buried treat. Find our “egg”, click on it, and you will be invited to send us an email and enter a draw for a one hour Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultation, or a one hour coaching session.
Have we roped you in, yet?
Warmly,
The management, staff and contractors at Stagecoach Designs