How to Get the Best Work from Your Agency
Want to get better work from your agency? Try this: think of them as a partner. Yes, they are technically a vendor. But somehow putting them in the same category as Office Depot seems wrong.Whichever way you choose to see your agency, try out these ideas for making the most [...]
Brand positioning first. Marketing tactics second.
Unless you work for Trader Joes or Tesla—both known for their ability to thrive with minimal marketing efforts—you’ll probably need to dip your toe into the shark-infested waters of marketing eventually. Just kidding. It’s not that bad. But it’s not a leisurely swim either. Most marketing today happens on that [...]
Hey manufacturers—you need a strong brand too!
So, you signed up for that tradeshow and you’re ready to make a big splash. Awesome. When you get there, take a walk around the floor and look at all the different ways companies are representing themselves through branding. Don’t just look at logos. Notice their brand colors, the images [...]
RE+ 2023: A newbie’s perspective
Wow, what a trip! Both literally and figuratively. RE+ 2023 was the year’s biggest Renewable Energy tradeshow with its 1100+ exhibitors and 40K+ attendees. Why would cat&tonic, a small creative, branding, and marketing agency in Minneapolis schlep all the way to the desert to attend a tradeshow for an industry [...]
An appeal to Renewable Energy marketing professionals
Storytelling plays a big role in marketing. And we spend a lot of time doing it on behalf of our clients. Today, as we move toward more purpose-driven marketing with aspirations to serve the renewable energy industry, the story is about us. And it begins with me. It was a [...]
Differentiation through customer service. A new way of thinking.
The term “Customer Service” is as ubiquitous in marketing speak as “jobs and the economy” is in political speak. Like the latter, the former can have many meanings. It can be a team within a company. A job title. Part or all of someone’s job description. The act of [...]
Marketing Research: Strategies B2B marketers are using today
Curious about how marketing has changed in the eyes of B2B marketers, we commissioned a study with the research pros at Audience Audit at the end of 2022. We set out to understand the perceptions, beliefs, challenges, feelings, and priorities of B2B marketers and salespeople, and test a few theories [...]
Nonprofits: Here’s how to get the most from your marketing
Nonprofit marketers are constantly challenged by the less-than-adequate budgets they’re typically given to work with. Some argue that cause-focused companies would do better if they spent more on marketing.1 I fully agree but arguing that point is for another day. For now, let’s focus on how you as a NP [...]
Avoid this mistake when launching your brand refresh
Picture this: Your company introduced some new products thanks to your brilliant R&D team. Or you’ve acquired a new business that fits with your long-term growth goals. Or your brand looks like it was last updated in 2004. Whatever the reason, your leadership team has finally given you the green [...]
Business transition communications: Tips for weathering the storm
Like it not, your business is probably in some sort of transition. Or it will be very soon. In today’s landscape, that’s just how it is. And everyone in the company is looking at you—the marketing department—to not only manage the communication efforts but cheerlead the way through the storm. [...]