Writings from Force 5 Basecamp

05/24/22

On Earth Day this year, the Force 5 team worked together to walk along the St. Joseph River near our building picking up trash along the walkway. We found all sorts of things—including face masks, a piece of a car bumper, and even a ladder. However, nothing was more prevalent than single-use plastic. From wrappers to straws to grocery store

05/18/22

Picture This: Your Next Marketing Strategy Meeting “So, everyone, we’ve all decided that we need a new Website/Video/Social Media/Campaign/Digital Advertising Strategy and we’re looking for suggestions on who should do it. Sam?” Well, ya see, I know “this guy” who can get the job done. He does this thing as a side hustle. I’ve seen his work, and it looks

05/17/22

(May 2022 – South Bend) Force 5 is thrilled to share that the first session of Brand Camp will be held on Friday, June 3, 2022, 8 am – 12:30 pm EDT. Brand Camp is a half-day training experience held at Force 5’s headquarters (1433 Northside Blvd., South Bend, IN 46615). Brand specialists will help participants gain a better understanding

05/12/22

When we think about sustainability, there are many ways to make an impact. We could take less from the environment or reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources. But that’s only half of the opportunity. The other important part of sustainable practice is to ensure that the resources we do use aren’t simply waste products after we are finished with them.

05/09/22

Do you wish you could be more responsive and personalized in your communications? Wish you could figure out the right sequence of content that’s just right for a buyer and then “set it and forget it.” It may sound like fantasy, but marketing automation here, and easier to get started than you might think. If you’ve ever been curious about

03/31/22

Google has finally announced a date that will bring an end to Universal Analytics,leaving only Google Analytics 4 as your continued free option for website tracking.I’ll let you know what this means and how to prepare in this Marketing Minute.Come July 1st, 2023, your Universal Analytics will no longer be supported, andGoogle is requiring users to use their new property

03/23/22

by Deb DeFreeuw, President & Certified Brand Strategist You may have heard us say “WHO are you, WHAT do you do, and WHY does it matter” when talking about brand? The “WHY” refers to your BRAND SOUL. What exactly is “Brand Soul”? It is what drives your organization, what makes you unique. We helped develop a brand for a manufacturer

02/23/22

by Jim Ragosta, Director of Digital Strategy & Sales YouTube remains the #1 social media platform, and the #2 most visited website domain in the United States, only behind its parent company, Google. (SEMRush) If you want to build your brand, it’s a safe bet that you should be on YouTube, whether that’s with a paid advertisement, or creating content

02/03/22

by Deb DeFreeuw, President and Certified Brand Strategist We know that sustainability and eco-friendly are big buzzwords in our culture, and companies like Patagonia are champions of a circular economy. But what does this mean for the average business, who may or may not be directly connected to a market where sustainability is encouraged? You may know it’s the right

01/27/22

by Jim Ragosta, Director of Digital Strategy & Sales 2022 is going to be the year of your brand.  Times are changing, as are consumers like you and me. How we buy products, gather information, entertain, communicate, etc. all revolve around one thing, your brand. That’s all well and fine, but what do you need to do to make your

01/25/22

Deb DeFreeuw, President/Certified Brand Strategist Setting a Marketing Budget As we start our new year, I would like to talk briefly about typical percentages of revenue that should go be allocated towards setting your marketing budget. For small businesses (revenues of 5 million or less), a common rule of thumb is that B2B (business-to-business) companies should spend about 5% –

01/14/22

By: Dan Vukmirovich, Director of Creative Strategy Today we’re going talk about effectiveness, and what it means in your marketing. Two “M’s” …and maybe a bonus “M” to give you a little bit of marketing advice.  Effective Messaging in Marketing So the first M is Messaging. Are you being effective in your messaging, whether it’s on your website, in your