Behind The Scenes Done Right

Jurassic Park is re-released today in 3D - most of us can't wait to catch it in theaters! We found this video this week - how the Tyrannosaurus Rex was constructed from beginning to end - and even though it is 10 minutes long, which is pretty long for recreational internet viewing, we couldn't miss one second.

The content here is so informative and transparent that we couldn't stop watching - we wanted to know more!

This is a great behind the scenes video. The content is so rich that they didn't need to do anything fancy at all and we really don't mind.

We're big fans of beautiful marketing products - who isn't? But when it comes down to the heart of the matter, it's about the content.

If you have something to say, don't worry about how professional it looks or if it has pretty graphics and music. All that comes later, and anyone can do that. What makes our clients special is what they have to say, what they can contribute and share. What is it that you do that sets you apart?

That's where we bring the most value to your company. We help determine your message and give you the confidence to yell it from the rooftops (in your target market, of course). We prompt you about what's important to you, what your product or service is about. We help you figure out the big picture and then zoom in on what's important to your customers so we can help you sell it. That's what we do. That's what's important to us.

Live Web Events - #FuzziBunzChat

You may remember the last time we talked about marketing here - Calzone puts an emphasis on talking to the right people. Once you know the people who would be willing to buy your product or service, all you have to do is talk to them and close the sale.

But here's the thing: You have to speak their language. You have to go where they are. You have to make yourself known. If your market doesn't know about what you're up to or how you can help them, how are they supposed to know to buy your product over your competitor's?

That's why we tapped into live chat events on the web. These chats are most prevalent on Twitter, but can be found on other sites, as well. Monday night we created such a buzz about our #FuzziBunzChat that we were trending on Twitter, and everyone talking about #ClothDiapers that night knew about what we were doing. Over 20,000 people saw just two of our announcement posts on Facebook (without paying for promotion!) and that number is still growing.

We analyzed the FuzziBunz social media and web stats and chose just the right time to have a great conversation with their excited fans all over the world.

Catch up on what everyone said and watch the video everyone was talking about by visiting FuzziBunz.com/FuzziBunzChat.

Talk To The Right People

The best way to convey any kind of message is through direct communication. Conversations are where businesses begin and end, and if you're not having the right conversations with the right people, your business is doomed.

Yes, I said it. Doomed. Your business may continue on, but you're making things WAY more difficult than they need to be if you aren't talking to the right people.

This is where strategic planning and marketing come in.

Calzone is a full-service agency, which means we make sure our clients have everything they need on all fronts. There's no point in developing a good marketing strategy for their current and potential customers if no one in the company knows what they're supposed to be doing.

Our strategic planning services help our clients get grounded in who they are, what they're offering, and why their market needs them. Then our marketing services make sure our client's message gets to their target market and furthermore, converts to sales.

Again, no one cares about a fantastic marketing strategy if none of it is converting to sales. We want our clients' businesses to grow, we want to help enrich their market's lives, and we want everyone involved to feel a sense of wealth - of time, money, energy, enthusiasm, or support.

That's what we do. We create wealth with our conversations.

Give us a call at 337-235-2924 ext. 12 to start a conversation that will create wealth for your company.

The Best Part of Waking Up is My Shiny, New Twitter Feed

We at Calzone think it's important to read. We read news, industry blogs and publications, non-fiction, fiction, and silly books and just about anything we can get our hands on. Staying current within the marketing, advertising, and public relations industry is essential, but to really stay in front of the crowd, it's important for our industry professionals to come up for air to see what else is going on in the world.

More often than not, I'll be browsing Mashable.com and find an article that describes something I'm currently trying to implement with a client. Or I'll read Austin's PR Soup and come across something I was thinking about while drifting into sleep the night before.

My favorite way to consume news (preferably in the mornings when I'm still under the covers): Twitter. Boom, boom, BAM! Just follow the firms, people, publications and websites you think put out legitimate content, and it's right there waiting for you! Life is so much easier with a smartphone.

Here are a few sites I keep up with:
The Independent, a local paper I can't seem to get enough of.
PR News Online, a site that covers a wide array of topics I'm interested in.
Advertising Age, which offers really great quality material.
The Daily What, to keep up on the latest memes, viral content, and other assorted stories.
Off Track Planet, a really fun, unconventional travel magazine that often pushes the envelope.
National Public Radio; do I really have to justify this one? Unparalleled quality and entertainment. An all-around trusted and respected source.
Last but not least, when I'm in the mood to listen, I tune my radio to 88.7 FM KRVS, Lafayette's local public radio station. (You can even listen online!)

All I know: I'd feel pretty lost without the knowledge I gain each day by reading and learning.

Engagement Is The (Not So) Secret Ingredient

Let's talk about a couple of facts. Consumers don't like being told what they want. Consumers also don't like being spoken at. That's because they're people who want to have a say in what they consume and feel engaged in the process of creating and using their products. Don't deny it. You love being able to ask your favorite cereal maker, cruise line or hotel a question on Facebook and have an answer waiting for you the next time you log in. Honestly, those companies love it, too. Engagement via social media let's them help you have a better experience.

We took notice of this and chose to engage all our fans in this year's EatLafayette campaign. We shared our personal experiences and had many conversations on Facebook. After taking into consideration what many of our fans reacted to, we decided to try something new - Follow the Louisiana Hot Sauce Bottle.

First thing's first: The 12-foot tall hot sauce bottle. That thing is HUGE! There's absolutely no way to miss it. One of our sponsors, Bruce Foods, was very excited to be part of such a fun promotion that highlighted a few of our fantastic restaurants.

Here's how it all went down: a couple times a week toward the end of the campaign, the 12-foot tall Louisiana Hot Sauce Bottle traveled to one of its favorite restaurants. Everywhere it went, the amazing deals followed. One day there was a $5.95 shrimp poboy from Olde Tyme, another day there were $.99 hot dogs with award-winning chili from Ton's in Broussard, another day Gator Cove offered a free cup of shrimp gumbo with a purchase of $10 or more, and the list goes on.

A lot of people showed up and many of our restaurants who weren't involved yet wanted to be. The restaurants the Louisiana Hot Sauce Bottle visited received a large number of visitors and many happy customers cashed in on fantastic deals with full bellies. Win-win.

We were able to successfully pull off this promotion because we listened to the customers; interested diners wanted deals and great food. We decided to give them both, plus a dash of fun with a huge hot sauce bottle.

You can't do if you aren't in it.

Twitter, Face Book, Blogs, eMarketing,...whatever! How can you do it for your clients if you don't do it for yourself.

We do both! We're on in all of the time. We don't use our clients' money and time to test new strategies. We test them on ourselves first. We promote using the technology at the office. Ours is a place where if you aren't on it, you can't do it.

We're on it. We can do it.

We're even shamelessly soliciting new business with it.

No wonder our clients just let us have our way with them and all of the social media.

We're hungry for them and for ourselves.