What's Happening: The Latest News from Sametz Blackstone Associates http://hgs.sametz.com Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:42:55 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=441&Itemid=134 Roger returned recently from working with representative from over fifty choruses at Chorus America's annual conference to give them the thinking and tools to help make their brand (and limited resources) work harder. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:54:51 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=440&Itemid=134 To support resource development at Harvard Medical School (http://hms.harvard.edu/hms/home.asp), we've launched two new websites and a newsletter devised to acknowledge and steward major donors. Stay tuned to 'Round the Square (http://sametz.com/roundthesquare) for an upcoming video walk-through of the newsletter piece with Joerg, our Director of Design. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:47:01 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=439&Itemid=134 We've recently rolled out a new website and online newsletter for the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT (http://mcgovern.mit.edu/) -- an organization we helped launch almost ten years ago. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:40:32 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=438&Itemid=134 Roger is just back from the annual 'Round the Square (http://sametz.com/roundthesquare) blog soon... stay tuned! Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:35:16 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=437&Itemid=134 We assisted PAREXEL International (http://parexel.com), a leading global biopharmaceutical services organization, in developing a new brand strategy and in creating a strong identity that unifies previously independent business unit brands, and positions the company to promote its strengths in the market. The project ranged from global customer research, to creative development and website design, to employee brand training. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:25:20 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=429&Itemid=134 Joerg Dressler, Michael Eads, Kerri Augenstein, Summer Parker and Meg Fowler will be attending the presentation and awards reception for the Appleton Coated "U360" competition on May 12, 2010. U360 is a celebration of the role print plays in today's marketing mix. For more information about the competition, head to Appleton Coated's website. (http://www.appletoncoated.com/index.php?GroupID=45) Eric Norman and Kerri Augenstein will  be attending the Boston Business Journal Green Business Summit, on May 21, 2010 at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center. This event honors some of the most innovative and effective leaders advancing green policies in Greater Boston. For more information and registration, head to the event page. (http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/event/14781) Roger Sametz will be speaking at the League of American Orchestra's 65th National Conference, held from June 15th to June 19th in Atlanta at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Roger writes and presents widely on branding and fundraising, and brings a unique depth of insight and experience to the Marketing track of the conference. To learn more about the League's National Conference, click here (http://www.americanorchestras.org/conference_2010). Wed, 12 May 2010 13:28:22 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=428&Itemid=134 The selection of essays came out of Michael's larger web series written about Behavioral Finance. Each essay presents a piece of interesting behavior research and boils it down to suggestions and insights for greater self awareness. Philosophical quotes begin each essay and concluding paragraphs teetering on life's greater lessons finish each essay. To learn more about Michael and his work with Cabot, click here (http://www.cabotresearch.com/principals.php). Tue, 11 May 2010 20:18:43 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=418&Itemid=134 The notion that you can manage your brand by making and distributing messages and materials that you want "out there" is becoming quaint. Rather, now, monologues need to be replaced by dialogues; formal market research needs to be paired with attentive listening; "advice" is offered round the clock; participation in social media is now table stakes; and customers and prospects who have always trusted friends to help them make decisions often have a huge network they can carry around with them to consult. Read the full article (http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2009/3247/brand-control-to-major-tom-the-new-rules-of-brand-management) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:54:19 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=415&Itemid=134 A Scientific Method to Tame Social Madness Social media has been maddeningly short on evidence. While there are plenty of social media true believers, there aren't yet a lot of truths. And, because social media is contextual—the right tools and the right use of them depend very much on the user, intended audience, and desired outcomes—it can be difficult to figure out which social media tactics best align with an organization's marketing strategies and measurably advance its operational objectives. So, how can you figure out which tools are right for your needs? How can you separate truth from belief? By using a scientific approach to social media—read the six steps, that show you how. Read full article (http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/25287.asp ) Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:32:24 +0100 http://hgs.sametz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=414&Itemid=134 Leverage Your Inner Lemon: use 'Brand Judo' to flip negative perceptions into memorable campaigns. One of the all-time greatest examples of a brand turning lemons into lemonade may also be one of the first. Advertising aficionados will remember the 1960s Volkswagen Beetle campaign. As competing automakers built ever bigger cars for growing, post-World War II families, Volkswagen's Beetle was seen as too small, too ugly and too German. The now-legendary campaign played up the small and ugly perceptions with headlines touting its status as a "lemon" and clever copy that then drove home the benefits of driving a small, German (rebranded as "well-made") automobile.Read full article (http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/branding/article204120.html) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:37:18 +0100