Valentine’s Day, Saint Valentine, and the history behind it all lies in somewhat of a mystery. Today, it seems as if this is just a holiday created by a card company that reminds millions of people all around the world that they need to purchase something romantic and sometimes expensive for their significant other.

Yet, it’s not true. The biggest misconception about Valentine’s Day is that it’s supposed to burn a hole in your pocket. You don’t need to break the bank to give that special someone that feeling of being wanted, you just need to show them that they’re on your mind.

Let’s rewind back to when we were in grade school for a moment, or for those of you that have young children, this will be quite applicable. Remember, each year on February 14th, you would put on your backpack stuffed to the brim with little Valentine’s Day cards that usually had a piece of candy in them. There was one for each student in the class, nothing exclusive. Although you may not have known all the students in your class, it was exciting to receive a little note from everyone. It was the thought that counted. Now, that’s what I believe Valentine’s Day should be about, the thought behind the message, even if it is just a simple one.

I believe that companies can learn something from this! Companies can promote their business while also providing social media users with that warm feeling of getting a Valentine in grade school by creating shareable content this Valentine’s Day. Since the invention of the “Share” button on Facebook, there are quite a few ways to spread this thoughtful holiday. Imagine a Facebook notification popping up while you’re in class or at work from that person you’re thinking about on Valentine’s Day. Even if it’s a corny message, you’ll get that warm, fuzzy feeling. On top of that, you’ll create a positive association with the brand that made the Valentine that you’re proud to have on your Wall.

Another way to utilize this shareable content in through Snapchat, and my favorite campaign I saw a few years ago was something Taco Bell created. Taco Bell generated simple Valentine’s Day cards, similar to those we received in grade school, but digital, and had a space open for “to:” and “from:” The company really went back to the basic meaning of Valentine’s Day, to send a kindhearted card that showed others that they were being thought of.

So this Valentine’s Day, get back to basics! Thoughtfulness still reigns supreme.

It’s not easy being green.

Or is it? The Pantone Color Institute has announced that Greenery is the official 2017 color of the year, number 15-0343 to be exact. And as a graphic designer, there is nothing I love more than a new source of inspiration.

In the world of marketing, color has a way of evoking feelings and attitudes toward companies and their brands that words can never quite achieve on their own. Color brings about meanings and connotations that cause the viewer to associate that brand with their unique personal experiences. Whether it’s the specific Pantone shade you have chosen for your company logo, the background hue of your website, or the paint on the walls of your store, color is powerful and can have an immense impact on the way customers perceive your company.

To complicate it even more, color works in harmony with shapes, graphics, and images to portray your brand or company. Color can increase brand recognition and symbolize meaning behind words. A fiery red portrays vibrancy and energy, while a cool blue conveys relaxation, loyalty, and tranquility. Even the names of colors matter. Research has shown that people prefer a mocha sweater over a brown one, and lemon colored plates over yellow ones. Even when they’re the exact same shade! There is actually a chemical reaction in the human brain that produces an emotional response to color. This reaction triggers various thoughts, memories, and associations. And when it comes to your brand, of course you want to make sure you are triggering the reactions you are looking for.

But what about this fresh new hue? What does green represent? It’s known for all kinds of things! A green traffic light means go. “Going green” means being environmentally conscious and recycling. “Feeling green” can mean you are sick, and “green with envy” symbolizes jealousy. Green also represents growth and rebirth. But what about this particular shade? Pantone describes Greenery as a refreshing and revitalizing shade, and symbolic of new beginnings. They say it is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate. What a rich and inspirational color!

Here’s a fun fact: did you know that there are more shades of green than any other color? Think of all the shades out there: lime green, avocado green, army green, emerald green, grass green, to name a few. There are so many green things to love:

• Green foods, like avocados, zucchini, broccoli, cucumbers, kiwis, limes, pickles, pears, and even green M&M’s (Legend has it that they are an aphrodisiac, or so we hear!)
• Lucky four-leaf clovers, and leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day
• Sparkling green emeralds
• Evergreen trees, fields of grass, and lush foliage outdoors
• Green animals, such as frogs, geckos, turtles, lizards, snakes (ok, maybe not snakes)
• Money, also called greenbacks
• Legendary characters like the Incredible Hulk, the Grinch, Peter Pan, Shrek, the Jolly Green Giant, and Kermit the Frog

A few of our other favorite green things, here on the Porch:

Feizy green pin-striped rug (Duprine Collection), green juice from The Gem, and green jewelry from Ellen Hoffman Designs. We love green so much on The Porch, we even rocked it for our most recent team photo.

So next time you’re thinking green, or feeling green, or seeing green, try to remember how much color matters, and what it can do for you and your company. It is always smart to consider whether it’s a good time to rebrand yourself. What color is going to be the source of inspiration for your brand this year?

The term “Pick Six” has long been associated with big success:

• In horse racing, Pick Six is a wager in which a bettor picks one horse in each of six races, leading to a big payout.
• In football, Pick Six refers to an interception (pick) being returned for a touchdown.
• In lottery terms, Pick Six refers to the big payout that occurs when six regular numbers are picked.
• In wrestling, Pick Six is a ranking system used by the Ring of Honor to determine championship contenders.

Big. Successes.

And so, in honor of our sixth year in business, we on the Porch formulated our own Pick Six … for business success, big success!

1. We’re picking Brand Architecture. It’s so important. When was the last time you really evaluated your brand? Is it due to be re-visited? We can help you look at it in a fresh way to ensure you are capitalizing on what makes you unique.
2. Number two on our list of picks: What have we been up to on the Porch? We had an extremely rewarding experience (and an absolute blast) at the PowerGen Trade Show in Orlando with our rocking client, TodoModo. Check out our blog about the experience!
3. Number three involves talking, and lots of it. What have we been talkin’ about? Maximizing your marketing! We spoke about that very thing at the Arlington Board of Realtors‘ Meeting January 27th.
4. What we are off our rocker about? The Super Bowl! The Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots will face off in this colossal battle February 5th and we know what we will be serving at our soiree: The Barefoot Contessa’s Parmesan and Chipotle Popcorn, a chili bar (seriously genius idea – thank you Food & Wine Magazine) and Iron Skillet Peach Crisp. A Texas menu if we’ve ever heard one.
5. Highlights from the Porch Team bring us to our number five pick. Our rocking’ interns, Grace and Rachel, have been an impressive breath of fresh air around here – and we are enjoying watching them weigh their next steps, as their graduation dates are rapidly approaching!
6. And our final pick: The power of the referral in gaining new clients. We are continually amazed and humbled that our Porch family continues to grow through marketing and referrals. Thank you for all you do to keep our Porch rocking!

Please keep those many referrals coming. We are so grateful. Join us on the Porch via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our blog here.

Thanks, friends, for riding the sixes with us. Here’s to another wildly successful year!

Do motivational quotes really work?

I, for one, am a firm believer in the power of motivational quotes. While studies about their effectiveness are divided, I can personally attest to the fact that reading my favorite quotes in the morning has truly helped me have a more positive outlook each day. I used to think quotes were “cheesy” and ineffective, but throughout the past year, I have strategically posted motivational words and phrases in my living space to start my day on a positive note; and it’s worked.

My two personal favorite quotes are: “Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen” and “Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day”. Reading these words every morning reminds me to count my blessings and to look on the positive side every time something “negative” happens. Although I am already a positive person, I believe these practices have made me a better student, friend, and overall person.

So what do you have to lose? Give it a try! Here is my advice about how to utilize positive quotes in your daily life:

1. Spend some time researching. Find words and sayings that really resonate with you. Write them down on sticky notes, or print them out and hang them somewhere prominent.
2. Read them to yourself in the morning and remind yourself of the importance and relevance of each quote.
3. Once you find your favorites, share them with friends or family!

Hopefully, soon you will find yourself living the mantra. Words are powerful!

P.S. If you’ve ever wondered why we on the Porch prominently display our favorite inspirational quotes on our Facebook feed or Instagram every morning, now you know!

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to have a brand review and create a fresh approach to achieving your business goals. Growth is always a goal for any business, but as your business grows and develops, you need to check and see if your brand reflects the business as it is today – not what it was last year or the year before.

Here are some tips for checking up on your brand for this year: 

• Does your brand reflect the personality and values of the company? If you don’t think it does, customers certainly won’t either. While the mission, vision and values of your company shouldn’t change often, shifts in your business or marketing strategy may affect the brand. A brand review gives you the opportunity to align it with your mission and vision so that you are connecting with the right people and growing your business year after year. Integrate your brand into everything you do – from answering the phones to your website design to your business cards – every customer touch point needs to be considered.
• Get feedback from external sources and be aware of how your company is perceived. People make decisions based on emotions so you need your brand to emotionally connect with your audience and feel assured that they know the who, what and why of your business.
• Review your brand standards and make sure every element translates across all delivery channels to ensure your brand is consistent.
• Define your key messages and make sure every member of the team knows what they are so they are aware of and can effectively communicate your brand attributes.

Completing an annual brand review will ensure that you are staying true to your brand, which will help ensure customers come back again and again.

Come see us on the Porch if you are in need of a brand review. We can ensure that your strategy and activities are aligned with your brand to maximize success!

Marketing mistakes happen. Heck, mistakes period happen. Seems the older I get the more I make them. I blame it on my kids age.

Many of the business owners and marketing leaders we have talked with so far this year have said Q1 2017 projections are even more positive than anticipated. Fan – freakin’ – tastic!!

Avoid these three marketing mistakes this quarter:

1. Chasing the new, shiny object(s). Wait. What was I blogging about … With all the artificial intelligence news, virtual reality hype, etc., don’t forget the foundation – the 2017 marketing plan with strategies, goals and tactics. Don’t get me wrong, keeping your eye on the latest and greatest is a must, but don’t let what brought you here and all that you planned to do fall by the wayside.
2. Lack of communication with your team. We get it. You are being pulled in a million directions, and it sometimes can be a challenge to make sure your team knows what is going on in all parts of your business. Your team can help and want to do so. If you can’t keep up with your regular team meetings, calls or emails, ask someone to step up in your stead. Your team and marketing partners will thank you and your business will also reap the benefits of continued internal communication.
3. Give everyone a say in marketing decisions. When it comes to marketing and branding, opinions are like … sorry, started to quote my friends Salt-N-Pepa. You don’t need to pass marketing ideas around to each and every business partner, team member, family member (spouses included) and friend. Trust your team. You know, the people you pay to own and create your marketing plan, initiatives and assets.

I will leave you with those thoughts. May your Q1 2017 continue to rock. Oh, and happy freakin’ birthday week to me (shameless birthday brat plug).

Chief Rocker Julie Porter can be followed on Twitter and Instagram and so can her company. Follow Front Porch Marketing on Twitter by clicking here, like us on Facebook by clicking here and follow our LInkedIn company page and Instagram fun.

As the ball drops and another year is rung in, we all create New Year’s Resolutions. These resolutions are typically something like staying fit and healthy, spending less and saving more, or learning something new.

However, as a senior in college, my New Years resolution is to secure a marketing career before graduation. Similar to many other students, I completed the application process for companies right as school began, and to my dismay, I have become all too familiar with the response: “We appreciate your desire to join our company, but at this time, we are not hiring yet for the spring.”

The Marketing major’s path to finding that first job is much different than those of Finance, Supply Chain, Accounting and even Management majors. What I have come to notice is that these other specialties seem to offer jobs early in the fall, while marketing companies have the tendency to wait until the spring. Being the girl that has always been highly organized and a big planner, this is something that I have struggled with.

Rather than letting this get me down, I plan on being positive in 2017 and using this to my advantage. As I watch many of my friends accept job offers they have received as early as August, I have to wonder if that would be best for a person like me. The uncertainty of where I will be in the future has motivated me to develop myself, my skills, and my portfolio, and has kept me from catching “senioritis”. The upper-division classes I am taking supply me with both hands-on experience and material that I can confidently discuss in upcoming job interviews.

Because I have been constantly focused on making myself a stronger job candidate, I have also had to grow my network. I have applied to dozens of marketing companies, both agency and corporate, consulted with career advisors, and attended many job fairs. This has not only helped get my foot in the door of many places, but has also led me closer to deciding exactly which career is right for me. I know that this ambitious flame inside of me would have dimmed and I would not have been able to consider the endless opportunities that are out there if I had jumped the gun and accepted a job in the Fall.

So to all my fellow Marketing majors out there, or any upcoming graduates on the job hunt, let’s shake up 2017! Look at this as the ultimate chance to grow yourself, develop your skills and learn about all of the different paths that there are. Good things happen to those who wait and remember that if you are not moving forward, you are moving backward.

Happy New Year, Y’all!

It’s been a rockin’ year at Front Porch Marketing and for our blog, Off Our Rocker. 

Our team shares their musings, wisdom and counsel about branding, marketing, trends, pop culture, being a working mother and motherhood in general here.

We love to blog for clients, our team members, advocates and ourselves and have decided to countdown and share with you the five most-read blog posts for 2016.

We would love for you to look back and read them again or maybe read them for the first time.

So, we will leave you with these.

Happy almost New Year.

No. 5 Blog

Motivation: 5 Ways to Find It When You’ve Hit a Wall, by Ann Marie Bishop

No. 4

Do Your Actions Speak Louder than Likes?, by Darcey Newsum

No. 3

4 Lessons Learned By Losing, by Vanessa Hickman

No. 2

5 Rockin’ Things About Branding & Marketing Businesses, by Julie Porter

No. 1

Being a Working Mom: Five Things That Saved Me This Summer, by Jacqui Chappell

Trade show marketing rocks. I sometimes forget how much until we get in the throes of one with a client, which is happening for us at the pace of about four to five a year.

This is something I have been honored to do since I was right out college, and I have definitely learned a lesson or two along the way. Thankfully, however, we at Front Porch Marketing have a team of people who can do trade show marketing better than me.

And, a few things have changed over a few, okay, over the (cough cough) years. There’s now an app for this and a portable device for that, all of which enhance trade show marketing, sales initiatives, and the visitor experience, which is fab.

Typically, we have months to plan and execute on our clients’ trade show marketing fun … but recently we may have just pulled off a holiday marketing miracle on The Porch over the last seven days (hence the bags under my eyes). Story about the 2016 POWER-GEN International in Orlando, Florida, happening now, is for another bloggity-blog day.

Key Trade Show Marketing Takeaways

So, what can you learn from our Flashdance that has happened over the last week? Here are four things:

Market early and often. The earlier you can develop your strategy, plan and campaigns and start rockin’ and rollin’, the better. There are many other exhibitors, etc., vying for the attention of the speakers and attendees.

If you can’t market early, it can still happen. We have proved almost anything can happen with a rockin’ marketing partner alongside you, but getting there isn’t the prettiest and sure isn’t the cheapest.

Use multiple channels. Send emails. Advertise. Maximize the show’s online and traditional opportunities. Develop a micro-site, website banners and collateral materials. Write blogs. Develop press releases and put them on the wire. Send MORE emails.

Keep it light. Keep it bright. Especially during this time of year and on this of all years, keep it light and bright. Inside and out. We all want a break from seriousness. Holidays can be a stressful time, and moving at light speed may cause a few, tiny bumps along the way.

If you need to get your trade show marketing or any other branding or marketing on the go, holla! We are here and happy to get your strategies, plans and campaigns into high gear and pay attention to how your target responds.

Asta pastas! Going to check in with the folks in the Sunshine state on today’s POWER-GEN International happs.

That’s all she wrote.

It will take you one minute to read this so why not do it right now?

Feeling overwhelmed by the busyness of the season or paralyzed by a long “to do” list? Can’t get started on that big project, or haven’t written your 2017 plan? Can’t find the time to read all of the books, articles, emails, and other information you want to know?

Stop what you are doing to take a minute, or five or ten, to set a small goal and get it done, right now!

There is one surefire way to pull yourself out of frustration and procrastination and it’s to quit thinking and start doing – in very small steps. These brief moments of action will force you to make quick and small progress, triggering a sense of accomplishment, reducing the size of that list in your head and training yourself to get things done throughout the day.  Some examples:

• Do one or two things that each take just a few minutes to accomplish at your desk at the start of each day, then tackle the big stuff. A few important calls, one brief key conversation, send a thank-you note, read a favorite blogger, schedule a future important meeting.
• Quit talking about all of that holiday shopping you haven’t done yet, pull out your smartphone and order one gift on your list. A few minutes of this daily and your shopping is done!
• Instead of trying to find a full day to clean out your garage, kitchen, closet, etc. take less than 30 minutes and tackle one drawer or section. You will create a habit of mini projects and the repeated small progress over time will keep you organized.
• No time to read that book or newspaper? Subscribe to one of many summary services available.
  • Summaries.com. Eight-page executive summaries from the latest business books.
  • Nextdraft.com. Quick, entertaining look at the day’s best news stories from Dave Pell.
  • Farnamstreetblog.com. Sunday’s Brain Food newsletter for increasing your knowledge.
• Need a rest or mental break? Set 10 minutes on your smartphone clock for a power nap or to sit quietly to recharge. Or download the Headspace App on your smartphone and start taking 10 minutes anywhere/anytime for a guided meditation that will positively change your brain and your day.
• Take a few moments and make a list of needs and goals as a start to the process of writing your 2017 plan – for yourself, your family or your business. Start small and you will develop good habits for writing down plans which is the first step to successful execution and achieving amazing goals. Even better, take a minute and call us because we have the folks on board that can help you write and rock your plan!

And now that you have taken a minute to read this, set a small goal! Stop what you are doing to order that gift, write a thank-you note, sign-up for a summary service, clean out that one desk drawer, or pick up the phone and make that one important phone call.

So set a small goal and get started. It takes just a minute.