a merger is announced, a fresh face introduced, and a new newsletter unveiled a flyer for a photographer takes advantage of new opportunities a Vegas weekend in an Airstream and other thoughts from Candy fresh inspiration from unexpected places, like the Santa Ynez Valley and the color green marketing tip for avoiding marketing mistakes and an inspirational quote just for fun
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A monthly newsletter of marketing ideas, photos, and fun.
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THE REVIEW candyrice design
a fresh face joining forces with another savvy marketer
2010 is shaping up to be an interesting year already! Big changes have already taken place, and more are on the way for Candy Rice Design. As you know, I have started a second business, The Collective Savvy, with another savvy marketer. Its primary focus is helping businesses integrate social media into their marketing efforts, and we offer marketing consulting, social medi consulting, and training. In an effort to focus my professional efforts, I have decided to merge Candy Rice Design into this new company. I am blessed to have such wonderful clients, all of whom are eager to see this new venture succeed and who have agreed to continue services with me, and now with Cassie as well! What that means is that all of our present services (marketing consulting, graphic design, and photography) will now be housed under the umbrella of The Collective Savvy and will integrate nicely with its services. It also means that the next issue of The Review will be our last, as we prepare to launch a new newsletter next week. So, let me introduce you to my new business partner, Cassie Bair (pronounced like bear)! Cassie is a phenomenal natural marketer with 10+ years’ experience in corporate and nonprofit marketing. She holds a
a
master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of Colorado and most recently was the Cause Marketing Director at the Denver office for the American Heart Association. Cassie also runs Colorado Culture, a Twitter-based service that informs her followers of fun, off-the-beatenpath activities in Colorado. Cassie has amazing skills in both marketing strategy and in writing copy for marketing use, whether print or online. A native of North Carolina, she is bright, pleasant, and laid-back while simultaneously being my equal in terms of work ethic and being an “implementer.” This is Cassie’s first time being in business for herself, and she has already been bitten by the bug! I think there’s no going back to a traditional “job” for her! I’m so pleased to be entering this venture with her, and I know you’re going to love her!
We are launching our newsletter, The Savvy, on March 3rd! It’s a free monthly newsletter very similar to this one, but with expanded content... it’s all about social media and marketing, and if you have enjoyed The Review, I know you’ll love The Savvy! We’re running a special offer prior to the launch of The Savvy–register for The Savvy before March 2nd and you’ll be automatically entered to win a FREE custom Twitter background! We’ll notify the winner via email. This is a service valued at $150, so be sure to register today! We’re also running a special offer on custom Twitter and Facebook setup. Several of you have already taken advantage of this offer, and we have extended the offer through March 15th for The Collective Savvy’s clients. We’d love to know what you thought of The Review and would love to include your comments about it in our final issue!
a fresh face
joining forces with another savvy marketer
We had fun creating this poster for Colorado-based wedding, maternity, and infant photographer Happy Sohi (www. sohiphotography.com). As happens frequently with our photographer clients, a last-minute business opportunity presented itself for Happy, and she didn’t have time to make a poster herself. The rush project came together in about 45 minutes, and she was able to make it to the printer in time to take advantage of the opportunity! We especially love being able to help our clients out in scenarios like that! The flyer was intended for use at a singles event in the Denver area, promoting headshots to be used on dating sites (which we think is a brilliant idea!) and we’re excited to hear how the opportunity turns out for Happy!
Featured project
This project utilized just two of the many services we offer to our clients and we’re excited about the outcome and wish Happy great success in her photography endeavors!
Client: Sohi Photography Westminster, Colorado
Solutions Provided: • Design Services • Copy Writing Services
Want to make some quick cash? Recommend us and make an easy 50 bucks! Become a Facebook fan and follow us on Twitter! (facebook.com/candyricedesign) (twitter.com/candyrice)
lifegoing on tank of smart business owners who brainstorm about each other’s business problems, marketing campaigns, and more! We call ours the Fab 6, and it’s comprised of 3 professional photographers, a wellness fair planner, another marketing expert, and myself. We meet every other Wednesday at a local Panera with our laptops and share our marketing materials, brainstorm about our business opportunities, and support each other! The results of our “FabFests” have been amazing, and I’d encourage you to start your own think tank...it’s so worth it!
As always, we’d love to know what you’re thinking about. Have some questions? Feel free to email them to us at candy@ candyrice.com and we’ll do our best to answer them! Photo by Sohi Photography.
What’s happening :: So much has happened recently, and I can’t wait to tell you about it! Tim and I were able to take 2 weekend trips in the past 6 weeks! In January we spent a long weekend in a brand new Airstream RV at the KOA by Circus Circus in Las Vegas! I know, you’re probably thinking, “Why would they stay in an RV in VEGAS?” But it was great fun, and a prep for one of our personal goals: go RVing full-time for a year, beginning in the summer of 2010. Then in early February we spent a long weekend in Solvang, California for my birthday. Colorado is a very colorful state with its own shades of green, but I had forgotten that such vibrants greens existed! It was a wonderful trip, and you can see how enthralled I was with the greenery in this month’s inspiration photos from that area! Last month I finally implemented an idea I’ve had for a few years: creating a think
I have decided to merge Candy Rice Design into The Collective Savvy in order to experience greater economies of scale, plus take advantage of the expertise that Cassie can bring to my clients. Please see my article on page 2 for more information about this. I will send out one more issue of The Review, and then it will cease to exist. There is always some sadness that surrounds the end of something fun, and I definitely feel a bit melancholy about this change. However, The Collective Savvy is twice as much fun, while offering the same great service plus another friendly face to help you out! Also, with the end of The Review comes the beginning of The Savvy, our marketing and social media newsletter that will be out on March 3rd! Please swing by and register for this amazing newsletter–you could win a FREE custom Twitter background just for doing so! This month’s inspiration came from the amazing shades of green in the lovely Santa Ynez Valley in California, plus the quaint Danish architecture of the Valley’s gem, Solvang. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this merger.
thoughts “Figure out where
your
lies
happiness
and
start
marching in that
direction.”
~Daniel Gilbert
my fresh inspiration
1 cover : Santa Ynez Valley Green, California a : Starburst and Old World Architecture, Solvang, California all photographs by candy rice 1 : Toward Happy Canyon Road, California :: 2 : Amazing shades of green, California :: 3 : Bistro shadows, Solvan, California :: 4 : Beergarden in Solvang, California :: 5 : Grounds of the Wine Valley Inn in Solvang, California :: 6 : Windmill through the fence, California :: 7 : Green stalks in the sunlight, California
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marketing tip
I Wouldn’t Do That If I Were You
Excerpts from an article by Chad Horenfeldt, of Anything Goes Marketing. Read the entire article. We may all have our Things to Do you have a marketing strategy for 2010? Do lists that we check off daily, but how about considering some Things to Not Do in 2010? In a recent post at the Anything Goes Marketing blog, Chad Horenfeldt offers his Top Five mistakes that B2B marketers need to avoid making this year:
Screaming past our limitations! from Susan Mrosek at www.ponderingpool.com.
Not having a defined social media strategy. “In 2010, you will not have a choice but to make social media part of your overall marketing strategy,” he writes. “If your company is just breaking ground in this area, at the very least make a commitment to listen to what people are saying about you,” via social media. Not sending relevant and timely messages. “If you continue to only send email blasts on a schedule that you dictate to your email subscribers, you risk massive list attrition, damaging your overall email deliverability and a loss of sales and sales opportunities,” says Horenfeldt. Not having an accurate picture of your database. “Knowing how many contacts in your database have bounced
We love puzzles, cartoons, and funny photos. Watch this section each month for something new to do or laugh at.
303.947.5527 www.candyrice.com : candy@candyrice.com 12304 north bannock street, #19103 :: westminster, co 80234
and unsubscribed is no longer enough; you need to understand how much ‘dead wood’ you’re carrying around,” he says. Not taking advantage of online communities. “You need to engage other marketers to really learn and get the most out of the resources that are available,” and online communities are just waiting to help you do that. Join up! Not using best practices. “One of your biggest sources of best practices should be the vendors you work with,” he notes. Get access to a savvy person who can meet with you regularly and offer advice on what you’re doing right and where you can improve. “Make that a priority for 2010 if you can,” he advises. The Po!nt: Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Use a guide like this one to take a fresh look at your B2B best practices. Are they on target for 2010?