Marketing, branding, advertising, public relations | Jamesgang Creative » Advertising

Facebook, MySpace Confront Privacy Loophole – WSJ.com

Gary James — Fri, 21 May 2010 14:22:25 +0000

The best part of sharing this story, is that I posted the story of Facebook “leaking” privacy information – on Facebook. You have to love it! Facebook, MySpace Confront Privacy Loophole – WSJ.com. Related Posts Facebook’s Great Betrayal, 9 Ways To Improve the SEO of Every Website You Design, Seven Traits of Highly Effective Press Releases [...]

Facebook’s Great Betrayal, 9 Ways To Improve the SEO of Every Website You Design, Seven Traits of Highly Effective Press Releases « BusinessWired

Traditional Ads Yield Social Traction

Gary James — Wed, 19 May 2010 02:07:19 +0000

Good article on earned vs paid exposure and how the great divide is narrowing.

American Advertising Federation AAF Group News | LinkedIn.

Is Social Media working for Small Biz?, Paid Internet TV Would Cut Nearly 8 Million Viewers 10/30/2009, 10 products, 10 retailers that boomed during the Recession

21 Twitter Tips From Socially-Savvy Companies | Fast Company

Gary James — Sun, 02 May 2010 16:45:21 +0000

This is very interesting. Unfortunately, it focuses on companies that actually have budgets (there is a mention in point #3 about “a meager budget of $15,000″ for one particular twitter campaign. In Asheville, that would be expected to produce a logo, positioning statement, branding campaign, six months of facebook, tw itter blogging, brochures, feature articles and news releases. Oh, and a website with e-commerce.

Good points in this article. They can be applied on a smaller scale, but on the same hand, there needs to be realistic expectations when budgets of “$15,000″ are non considered meager, but exorbitant.

21 Twitter Tips From Socially-Savvy Companies | Fast Company.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm and others, Seven Traits of Highly Effective Press Releases « BusinessWired, It’s 1988 all over again.

Clients by Category

Gary James — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:33:26 +0000

This list represents just some of the clients for which I have created marketing communications, advertising and public relations.

As a copywriter, creative director, public relations director. As an employee or consultant.

Interactive/Web/Agency
- Synergy Point Interactive, Asheville, NC
- Tim Kenney Marketing, Bethesda, MD

Financial, Business and Management/B2B
- NACHA (Direct Deposit/Direct Payment), Washington, DC
- WatershedAssociates.com
- investEd®
- FlavorX
- Simon and Simon Resources
- Rieger Imaging, Clarksburg, MD
- Sharemedia, Rockville, MD
- Clary Hood

Arts and Museums
- Smithsonian Institution Freer and Sackler Galleries of Art, DC
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History, DC
- Smithsonian Institution, DC
- Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington
- Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA
- Charles Darwin Foundation/Galapagos.org
- A Kiss From Alexander
- License to Bash satirical revue
- Folgers Shakespeare Library

Automotive
- National Automobile Auction Association, Frederick, MD
- Sunset Chevrolet, Sarasota, FL

Health, Food and Neutraceuticals
- Manatee Glens Corporation, Bradenton, FL
- Clozaril^®
- Sarasota Memorial Hospital
- Butter Buds^®
- Sweet n’Low^®
- Chromium Information Bureau

Real Estate
- Preserve at Misty Creek, Sarasota, FL
- Cedars Tennis Resort of Longboat Key, FL
- Arvida Corporation, Longboat Key, FL
- Harbor Oaks, Longboat Key, FL
- Arvida Real Estate Commercial, Sarasota, FL
- Buyerside® Real Estate Services, Sarasota, FL

Travel and Hospitality
- Horsefeathers Restaurant, Sarasota, FL
- Manatee Civic Center, Bradenton, FL
- Buyerside® Real Estate Services, Sarasota, FL
- Hyatt Sarasota

Consumer
- Stephan’s Furniture, Sarasota, FL
- Beall’s^® Florida Bradenton, FL
- Sarasota Main Plaza
- Sarasota Square Mall
- Helmsman Marine, Sarasota FL

Pro Bono/Not-For-Profit/Fundraising

- AAF-Asheville
- PRAWNC
- Youth OutRight
- Manatee Council on Aging
- South Florida Museum
- Sarasota AIDS Support
- Alexander’s Ford at the Nature Preserve
- Asheville Humane Society (through AAF Asheville)

Every business has a story. Are you telling yours?, It’s 1988 all over again., InvestEd

How the Brain Reveals Why We Buy – NewsTrust.net

Gary James — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:22:49 +0000

Just when you think all you need is a website some SOCIAL MEDIA and Marketing, now this!

Can’t we just design the package using red and yellow?

How the Brain Reveals Why We Buy – NewsTrust.net.

5 Social Media Myths | Digital Tonto, AAF Social Media presentation featured panel of local gurus, How to Build Conversations in Social Media Using the 3 P’s

Paid Internet TV Would Cut Nearly 8 Million Viewers 10/30/2009

Gary James — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:58:03 +0000

“TV Everywhere” efforts won’t be TV for everyone — as 7.7 million viewers could be out of the loop. That is, those who won’t pay a fee to watch TV programs online — shows they are currently seeing for free.

MediaPost Publications Paid Internet TV Would Cut Nearly 8 Million Viewers 10/30/2009.

Traditional Ads Yield Social Traction, Study: 52 Percent Of Bloggers Consider Themselves Journalists, It’s 1988 all over again.

Is Social Media working for Small Biz?

Gary James — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:14:34 +0000

Interestingly, this article exposes a recent poll that asked, “Is Social Media Working for Small Business….” and more than three quarters of the respondents didn’t feel it was expanding their business.

So, how does this fit with the constant barrage of emails, newsletters, seminars, teleseminars, discussion offers I get every day to hear all the wonders of social media? Much like a pyramid scheme, its great if you’re one of those lucky ones, out making thousands of dollars telling everyone how great social media is; if you’re one of those who ponied up $200 to hear them wax poetic about the greatness of social media, you may just find yourself $200 poorer.

I mean, forget any discussion on how this is just one quivver in the arsenal to beat people over the heads to purchase your product or service. You must now employ hundreds of people to twit, friend and link up to market everything from shampoo to pet food.

I’m all for blogging, social media and all things on-line; however, just like years ago when everyone who came through the door of an agency needs a brochure, simply blogging or facebooking or tweeting isn’t going to bring people into your door. And, if you have a great product or service, and you solve a need or provide a solution, you don’t have to beat them over the head either.

Of course, if you want to actually make people change a behavior – bottled water comes to mind – you may just had to hit them with a high-powered water hose in the face. But, that’s another issue.

Read the article here: American Advertising Federation AAF Group News | LinkedIn.

Manage Your Brand’s Social Media Presence with One App, 5 Social Media Myths | Digital Tonto, AAF Social Media presentation featured panel of local gurus

Join some funloving Ad pros for dinner!

Gary James — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:19:16 +0000

A Taste of Tuscany

November 11 – 6:30 pm

Fiore’s Ristorante Toscana
122 College Street, Asheville

$22.50 per person

Join AAF Asheville for our first Fall Fundraising Dinner – A Taste of Tuscany. Enjoy an evening of Tuscan cuisine— Insalata Caprese, Zuppa di Funghi, Ravioli con Spinaci with Grilled Shrimp, Rigatoni a la Vodka with Sweet Italian sausage, or Pasta Primavera with Vodka Cream Sauce and luscious Italian desserts like cannoli and tiramisu!

Your attendance helps us expand our public service programs and provide the excellent programming and social networking events you know and love.

Reserve your seat now. Space is limited. For more information click here. Tickets are just $22.50 per person (a 15% savings). Great food – at a great price – for a great cause.

Is Social Media working for Small Biz?, Paid Internet TV Would Cut Nearly 8 Million Viewers 10/30/2009, Best of the Mountains to recognize the Best of the Mountains, 10.22.09

Every business has a story. Are you telling yours?

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:38:01 +0000

We want to build an emotional connection to your organization, your product, your service. And, today’s inbound marketing and internet, we cannot rely only on traditional advertising and public relations components. How your customers are talking about you, how they are relating to you, that is what builds a brand.

In the new world of Marketing and PR, there are now many different tactics which we can use that didn’t even exist 10 years ago. Just as the Saturday Evening Post gave way to radio, which in turn gave way to television, television and traditional media is giving way to the internet, social marketing, Facebook and Twitter. But – at least for now – we still have print, radio and television in addition to the new media. And the fact remains these are all just arrows in the quiver.
I also believe that the best way to approach your potential customer is by building a marketing program that positions your product or service as the one your customers choose, not the one they are manipulated into wanting.

Through over 25 years experience in building creative advertising and public relations campaigns for clients who have included the Smithsonian Institution, FlavorX, Sweet n’ Low, Arvida Corporation, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, in the categories of health, real estate, nutraceuticals, arts, financial, tech, travel, tourism and hospitality industries, it all comes down to one thing:

If people find your story compelling they will want to do business with you.

And, now, with “inbound marketing” taking charge, we add:
Your message now must reach your audience in a way that enlightens, builds trust, distinguishes you. Traditional methods will no longer work.

Your brand strategy, how we interpret your story, and what components we choose will build an audience, define your market, increase your sales. We may do that with a mix of social media, SEO, traditional marketing elements such as radio or print, build on a new business launch with news releases and YouTube(r) mixed with a publicity event. Perhaps you can utilize a billboard. Or, a coordinated full-blow integrated campaign with all these component. Maybe you already have a strategy and just need elements of marketing communications.

But, whatever your business, telling your story is my business.

There is no magic “advertising or public relations” bullet, InvestEd, It’s 1988 all over again.

It’s 1988 all over again.

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:36:57 +0000

Take a look at the excerpts from this BNET’s “Nations Business,” story from February 1988, “Setback for service tax – Florida repeals service tax,”:

“Efforts by state governments to levy a tax on services were dealt a setback when the Florida state legislature recently repealed its highly controversial 5 percent tax on services.

“A number of states were considering a service tax, but many now will reconsider enactment of such a tax in light of the Florida example,” says William R. Brown, president of the Council of State Chambers of Commerce.

The service tax, which took effect in July, 1987, applied to almost all services provided in Florida by both in-state and out-of-state businesses.”

But the effort to tax services is far from dead, and business must remain wary of such efforts by states, says Brown. He notes that states considering such a tax have learned from the Florida experience. “They won’t make the two big mistakes that Florida made. Namely, to include advertising as a service to be taxed and to reach too far beyond a state’s borders with the levy.”

It is apparently déjà vu all over again. 20 years later, legislation to tax services is again on the table, and this time, it’s here in North Carolina. Let me tell you. I lived through this. And it was a nightmare.

Could you simply add everything together and just tax it at 5%? Nope.
You had to separate your labor from your materials. Creative consultation was taxed. Copywriting was taxed. Graphic Design was taxed if it was part of the overall services, but you had to back out the design costs and bill printing separately so they weren’t double-taxed. (This was before the internet and web design, programming, etc., so how this will breakout is even more stressful). Advertising agency retainers weren’t taxed if you didn’t create anything “tangible,” if you just discussed strategy. But, if you created a brochure or radio spot, or made a media buy, the labor was taxed and the materials were taxed separately. And let’s not even talk about printing, sales-exempt status, cost of materials vs. labor.

Plus, if you were a small business, you now were taxed to use your attorney or CPA, taxed on placing the media buy, taxed on the media. And, you then collected tax on your services rendered to the client.

Much of the discussion I have heard recently has surrounded “not taxing services used primarily for business,” such as tax preparers, accountants and attorneys. But, I have yet to see whether advertising agencies, consultants and public relations professionals will be exempt.

What I find particularly ominous in the 2009 North Carolina proposal is that the general sales tax will be lowered as a “peace offering”, I assume, to the general public should this services tax go into effect. In order to offset the service tax repeal in 1988, the Florida legislature raised the general sales tax by one percent. So, the big difference here, is if you lower the general tax, first, it will be much more difficult to repeal it as they would be taking away a “discount” effecting the general public. Our industry has enough problems with image as it is without “they caused our taxes to go back up,” being added to it.

What eventually killed this irksome, cumbersome services tax in Florida were objections from the US Chamber of Commerce opposing the “crossing borders” nature of the tax. Advertisers running ads in Florida media as part of national campaigns were taxed, for example.

And, the fact that, according to the BNET article, “the loss of $35 million in convention business and millions in advertising because of the tax.”

But, it also took two years to get it repealed.

As a member of the Legislative committee for AAF-Asheville, I’m watching this closely; Googling “North Carolina service tax,” or “North Carolina considers new tax,” for example, doesn’t return any useful information. I’m urging you to put this on your radar screen if it isn’t already there. And, if you have any contacts in the Legislature, can volunteer to actively join the committee, or can provide us with the most recent information, please share it with us at
(Catherine: Don’t know what address to put here).

Clients by Category, Every business has a story. Are you telling yours?, Is Social Media working for Small Biz?