Companies seeking to jumpstart aspects of their marketing and communications efforts have, in increasing numbers, been tapping Leapfrog Marketing, PR and Design to guide them through the process. Several firms with a local, regional or global focus recently have enlisted Leapfrog, including: 

·        ABCO Automation, a manufacturing services venture, for brand strategy and global public relations services;

·        Tradition Homes, a Triad residential developer, for branding, image and web site services;

·        Xpicor, a facilities management company, for corporate image, web site development and sales support;

·        Victoria Carlin, a renowned portrait artist, for the branding and development of a new consumer product extension;

·        I Am Now, a local nonprofit, to help develop a fundraising campaign highlighted by the raffle of a piece of real estate.  

In addition, Leapfrog recently was tapped to help develop new internal communications programs for Loews Corporation and its subsidiaries; as well as for global training firm Center for Creative Leadership.

Leapfrog is able to provide services for companies with such diverse interests by always starting with a fresh, customized approach that does not waver from the mission or needs of its clients.  

“One of our core beliefs is that every decision counts,” said Jordan Bressler, President of Leapfrog. “We know these companies have not taken the choice of a marketing firm lightly – so, too, do we approach the tasks at hand with a similar amount of care and attention to detail. The result for each of these clients will be a website, message or product that is custom created and truly reflective of their distinct image.”

The day I deactivated my Facebook account, I was filled with angst—I wondered how I would fare without being able to follow my friends’ every move with the click of a button. Slowly, I received messages from friends wondering why I deleted my page—my answer, in all its simplicity, got me thinking. 

I had temporarily closed myself off from social media in the hopes of finding employment, but one may ask, what does finding work have to do with my Facebook page? Everything. A study conducted by Harris Interactive in 2009 revealed that 45% of employers were using social media outlets to screen job candidates, and that number was up more than 22% from the previous year.  

I know you must be thinking…What did she have on her page that would be bad enough for her not to get hired? Truthfully, there was nothing special about my Facebook page, and that was the problem. The people I interact with on social websites are all people who know and understand my personality, but to an employer my interests are just like those of the next candidate. Individuals are not the only ones impacted by this, as more and more consumers are tuning out from marketing ploys because they are bombarded with the same messages whenever they turn on the radio, TV and computer. In a society driven by creativity and uniqueness, can an individual or company afford to present themselves just like their competitors?  

It is not only individuals who use social media outlets as windows to a world of high speed interactions -- most businesses are using these sites to strengthen their brand recognition within their market. However, a big problem organizations are facing is that they are not conveying their message properly and consumers easily become disinterested. Individuals and corporations both fall victim to the idea that any post, blast, tweet or update is positive for their image, but in reality it may just confuse people about the ideals and values that signify who they are and what they stand for.  

If companies want to successfully use social media to interact with their clients, and individuals like myself want to find a job that fits their personality and ideals, than maybe they should step away from the keyboard and come back once they know who they are and how they want to sell themselves. Professionals make the most of social media to promote themselves. The same rules apply to individuals who desire to promote their own personal brand. The lessons are universal. Remember, your expertise is just another commodity or product that a potential customer, i.e. your next employer, is looking to apply to help their bottom line. Understanding how to BEST market that personal brand message using new, more effective techniques like social media will put you ahead of the competition. 

It is impossible to make yourself heard if you have not found your voice.. Listen to the marketing experts. They can help demystify social networking for you and unlock new insights into how to promote your personal and professional brand using a variety of networking channels.  

Thrilled to received excellent coverage in Natural Triadmagazine for our client “Get Guilford Moving.”  http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1nu1u/NaturalTriadJune2010/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yudu.com%2Fitem%2Fdetails%2F166681%2FNatural-Triad---June-2010%3Fedit_mode%3Don

As a recent college graduate, I am on the hunt for a job. Of course, I’ve learned a bunch of tips for how to conduct my search; after all, I am essentially selling myself. Yet in the midst of my attempt to be the perfect candidate for a position, I can’t help but wonder -- what are employers doing on their end to be proactive in finding the perfect new hire? 

So employers, I ask you this: How can you convince me (orother prospective new hires) to work for you?

Here are a few ideas to consider: 

• Understand the power of your company brand. Your brand exists, whether you have fostered its development or not. However, if you take a hands on approach in creating and strengthening your brand, internal and external perceptions of your organization will likely be more positive. Be sure to develop your own content and be yourself. It is important to honestly and accurately portray what values your organization represents, because this will attract high-quality prospective new hires.
• Creatively engage job seekers. I say, take advantage of online social media. Businesses that utilize sites like Facebook and LinkedIn have found that it is a cost effective way to target qualified candidates for open positions. Using these outlets gives your organization access to a number of useful networks, and allows you to actively search for someone, rather than simply wait for a response to a job posting.
• Utilize a blended approach when marketing to prospective new hires. Get your name and your brand out there by using a variety of outlets. Send letters to job seekers, visit local career fairs, and use other online resources such as Monster.com, Xing.com, and Idealist.com to post job openings. A blended approach allows you to reach a lot of talent.
• Manage your reputation. Your brand is not self-sustainable. In fact, it takes work to maintain it. If you are going to take advantage of social media, don’t overlook the threats that could exist. With the high visibility associated with participating in these networking groups, you ought to align your presentation standards with your brand. Consistently pay attention to external perceptions of your company. Check out Glassdoor.com. It provides a “free inside look at jobs and companies,” and enables you to see what others have to say about your organization.

 Now tell me, why should I come work for you? If you don’t have an answer, remember, we can help you take the "Leap" towards a stronger brand.

Erin Stevenson, a 2010 graduate of Elon University, recently completed a spring semester internship with Leapfrog Marketing, PR and Design. Following her dreams, she will be relocating to California, where prospective employers of this bright, rising marketer had better put their best foot forward!

The only thing I love more than shopping, is shopping for bargains. I love the thrill of acquiring an item that I need or simply want, at a price that is at or below fair value.  As you might expect, I spend a considerable amount of time on eBay, Craigslist, at garage sales and in consignment shops.  For years there have been many euphemistic labels applied to secondhand goods, including "gently used," "pre-owned" and "like new." But in the current economy, I call them “smart buys”.  The appeal goes beyond bargain hunting.  It has almost become a social responsibility to be resourceful in a creative way. I even brag about it when I can get quality merchandise at a good price. It's almost my status symbol to get great for cheaper. In a survey last summer, 70 percent of adults said buying used is more socially acceptable now than five or 10 years ago, according to the poll by Harris Interactive. The ability to bargain or negotiate is at an all-time high. As applied to those who are trying to sell new items, this attitude has created an atmosphere that has depressed the retail sector and made it increasingly challenging to charge a premium price for new products.

This mentality has pervaded the service business as well, and has created an atomsphere by which people seem to expect to pay less and are willing to compromise a bit on quality. What is interesting, however, is that such a compromise might actually cost more in the end.

I pondered this the other day while explaining to a prospective client that a full-service marketing agency like Leapfrog can actually provide “new ideas,” “top notch” service – and still provide a bargain. That’s because agencies like ours can take the guesswork out of the generation of new ideas; can be an efficient manager of marketing and advertising tools, and most importantly, can negotiate and obtain some of the best rates for third-party services that are available. These benefits can often provide incredible efficiencies for companies – no need to worry about a salary and benefits, or to try to manage unfamiliar details that take managers away from their core responsibilites. We know companies who have spent many times more on home-built solutions than they would have if they let us navigate the marketing waters for them.

So as you consider your next deal or discount, don’t forget to consider the intangibles – and then give me a call; I’ll be happy to help you keep more in your pocket.

At our firm, we treat all of our client’s projects, and all of our relationships, with equal importance. At times, however, we get the amazing pleasure of being able to produce work that transcends the traditionaland adds a little extra meaning to our lives.

We had such an experience with our recent work on the successful bond referendum campaign for Greensboro’s Natural Science Center. With the bond’s landslide triumph on election day Nov. 3, we not only produced a TV commercial and print ads that had impact, but ensured for generations of children that they would have a place to learn, to grow, and to explore their natural curiosity. Pretty heady stuff.

It was, in fact, children that took center stage in the TV spot (linked below) and print ads, in a strategy we espoused that played up the NSC’s most important asset. Anyone who has children know how important it is for them to get what they need to grow. Anyone who has taken a child through the Natural Science Center can speak firsthand to the sense of wonder and amazement they experience.

Clearly, the Natural Science Center will be under the microscope over the next decade, as Executive Director Glenn Dobrogosz and his team implement the $20 million vision that the bond will fund. But like other efforts to improve the center over the years, it is almost certain to be in the name of those precious children who were front-and-center on Nov. 3.  I am proud that in some way we at Leapfrog had a role in this lasting legacy.

Watch the Video:

I love escaping in early fall. You know, a vacation to someplace warm and tropical just when the summer months have departed.  With all of the responsibilities at work and home, even if you have the resources, it’s difficult to break away from everyday life.  In years past, I’ve found myself to be under so much pressure in the preparation to leave that I either didn’t enjoy my time away or I had a meltdown upon return – therefore needing a vacation to recover from my vacation.  But this year was different. Don’t get me wrong, I felt a little anxiety about leaving the children and walking away from a company that might find out they can survive without my existence. The truth is, this time I planned better for the return. Not just for the company but for my life outside of work as well.

Life generally runs more smoothly if you don’t stick your head in the sand about tasks that need to be done shortly after your return, even if you are only away for a day. But even if you aren’t going anywhere – pre-planning is the key to almost any situation or challenge. For me it meant writing checks for all my personal bills that were due while I was away or shortly after my return; creating a prioritized to-do list of all the activities that needed to be delegated; communicating tasks that were pending and setting up methods of communication in my absence; creating intentional and limited times each day to check status at home; using the inevitable travel wait times to stay informed; and most importantly, using vacation time as time to think about work life and home life from a big picture perspective. Long walks on the beach, or peaceful evenings gazing at the surf helped to re-evaluate the big items in my life. So often, the frantic flow of daily life keeps us from having time to look at the big picture and make important changes. So I recommend that even if you don’t have the luxury of being swept away to a tropical island like I did – always be well prepared for what’s around the bend.

When thinking about your business, or that next project you have coming up at work – don’t forget to give yourself a chance to count to 10 – to re-evaluate, to reassess – to take a step back, or a step away, and make sure the 30,000-foot view is as good as it is from thisclose. This can help you deal with bigger issues as they arise, ensuring that your future will be a day at the beach!

Despite what some people may think, media relations involves more than sending out the occasional press release.

Reporters and other members of the media receive upwards of 200-300 e-mail pitches a day, 20 percent of which may be relevant to what they write about. The worst thing you can do for your company is send out numerous, off-topic pitches and press releases. One editor of an online monthly periodical actually posted a listing of individuals that he blocked from his e-mail because of the number of irrelevant e-mails he had to go through that had nothing to do with him.

The key to creating a relevant pitch is to thoroughly research the reporters you are contacting. What are their interests? What pieces have they written that are along the same lines as what you are pitching? Do they have any hobbies? How do they like to receive pitches?

Once you’ve done your research, don’t just send out information about your company. Reporters are not in the promotion business, and no matter how fantastic your organization, product or service might be, if they don’t see a story opportunity, you won’t get coverage. The key to getting your name in the papers (or TV, magazines, radio, etc.) is to sell your story, not your company. For example, instead of pitching a fabulous new product or service, pitch the story of how that product or service helped an individual or changed their life for the better.

PR professionals take the time to get to know the reporters they work with and in doing so establish their clients as credible news sources. This does take some time – and a good bit of patience – but in the end, having your company featured in an article as an industry expert, key contributor to the community, or as having a product consumers just can’t life without is an invaluable tool.

I went to an NFL pre-season game this past weekend. The location of the game and the teams that played don’t matter because my team played horribly. I know I shouldn’t worry about it because everyone always says it’s pre-season so it doesn’t really matter. Knowing that and paying to watch it are two entirely different things. As I sullenly sat in the stadium watching my team’s pitiful performance, I began to wonder about that pre-season mentality.

What if I declared that Mondays at my job were my pre-season, and therefore, all the tasks that I perform that day don’t really matter or count? I believe we all know that answer to that question. My pre-season would soon turn into my off season since I would quickly be let go. 

As my attention turned away from the disaster on the field and toward the next snack to enjoy, I thought about how dangerous this attitude can be.  Is it ever okay to just phone in your performance or not be 100% into the task at hand? If I choose to give less than my best today, isn’t it easier to do the same thing tomorrow and the next day and the next? When does it stop? When do you choose to give 100% again?  We’re not all as lucky as the NFL players who literally have a calendar that tells them when it’s time to perform at 100%.

I hadn’t planned on having so much time to think while at the game, but once snack time was over, there wasn’t much else to do.  I realized that night that I disagree completely with the pre-season attitude.  I think that all games should count, and those that don’t should be called practice. Work is work whether it’s on the field or in an office, and all members of the team should be trying their hardest to make a positive impact. 100% should be regulation on any team.

Everyone has heard about those fanatical Star-Trek fans and their fandom conventions. But with the recent rise of “Vamp Romance” books, TV shows, movies, or books that were made into TV shows or movies came a whole new kind of fandom. When we were given the chance to host the largest U.S. convention for fans of the hit book and movie series Twilight, centered around a pair of star-crossed vampire and human lovers, I fully embraced the quirky and sometimes nerdy stigma that can come with fan conventions and leapt at the opportunity to be a part of it – as any true “frog” would.

I, myself, am a huge Twilight fan so I was more than ready to help when Jordan told me about the project, dubbed TwiCon 2009. He and three other partners had decided to host the conference in Dallas, TX, a midway point for the entire U.S., and were anticipating (gulp!) 2500-3000 people from all over the world. In addition, we weren’t only planning this event we were executing it as well. That meant that Leapfrog and the managing TwiCon partners were in charge of everything from start to finish – from the e-commerce Web site and promotional items to the marketing materials to media awareness to promotions to celebrity negotiations to programming and more.

Thankfully, Leapfrog had an incredibly professional and talented team who literally put their blood, sweat and occasional tears into every aspect of TwiCon. And while most of us had never participated in anything nearly as large as this event, we all worked together, learned as much as we could along the way and can now say that we created something incredible.

If I have learned anything from this experience (besides the fact that you CAN live on coffee alone for about 4 to 5 days) it’s that I can handle just about anything I put my mind to. All you need is a supportive team to work with you, a willingness to be flexible and very resourceful, and um… did I mention coffee?

More than that, I learned not to be afraid of uncharted territories. Because even if you’ve never done something before it just might turn out to be the best experience of your life – or your afterlife, as the case may be!