Author Archives: Eileen Kessler Founder, CEO
From USA Today to the UN, Marketing Summit Had Lots to Talk About
Last week’s Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit was a constant current of creative ideas and interesting conversations. The event, held at Gannett/USA Today’s headquarters, featured smart commentary and presentations on the latest trends in technology, design, strategy and content. It was a worthwhile conference, drawing more than 300 people, and the first produced jointly by Capitol Communicator and Potomac Tech Wire.
Here are a few highlights from the talented people who spoke there:
David …
Don’t talk to people who hate you and other social media advice
“Facebook and Twitter are like classic rock. Don’t’ talk to people who hate you. Competitors can be great partners.” All food for thought from today’s IABC’s “Trending: Social Media–A Pivotal Communications Tool” event.
Though their areas of expertise were diverse—government, PR, business and journalism—panelists leading the discussion agreed that content and strategy trump tools and tactics every time for successful social media campaigns. Some valuable takeaways for those who couldn’t …
Front Page Shake Up
On my way to work this morning, I made a special point to walk by the Newseum on Pennsylvania Ave. Each day this museum, dedicated to the history of journalism and the media, displays front pages from around the world.
I was curious to see how the east coast earthquake was presented in newspapers from Anchorage to Providence. My hometown paper, The Washington Post, and a few other front pages ran …
Ups, Downs, and the Inc. 5000
The life of a small business is marked by ups and downs. Especially in the past decade, with the burst of the tech bubble in 2001 and the recession of 2008, businesses have experienced roller coaster rides that have been more extreme than usual.
I was thinking about this last week after OmniStudio received notification that it had made the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. …
Publishing and the Oprah Effect
Everyone agrees we are in a turbulent period of publishing, with tremendous experimentation, expense and uncertainty.
While self publishing and digital editions are changing the traditional way of doing things, there are great opportunities for small and large publishers—and even small businesses, who are creative about connecting authors with their readers.
Richard Nash, editor and founder of Cursor, a new platform for independent publishers, talked about this at a recent workshop …
Exciting Times for Publishers
From the 1st day of the Business Publishing Conference in NYC—where the mood feels both anxious and excited about the future— a few stand outs:
1. Magazines: The big guns like Esquire will be setting the creative bar for design and interactivity for online magazines. Esquire’s editor-in-chief, David Granger, wowed the opening session with a presentation of their new mag app, featuring video of their cover stars. Large budget …
Got the DNA?
I’m excited about the momentum building for Companies for Causes!
Today, Tom Raffa, Raffa PC, led a meeting that brought together non-profit leaders, CEOs and public officials in the very hip VisArts center in Rockville.
Isiah Leggett, Montgomery County Executive, inspired the audience with the story of his childhood. I didn’t know that he was one of 13 kids and grew up in a 3-room house in Louisiana. He said he …
Less is More
Optimism is rising among small business owners, but, according to a recent Citibank survey, the rosier outlook may not lead to more hiring, Dow Jones Newswire reports today.
While more than 80% of small company CEOs think that 2011 will be better than 2010, only 14% say they will hire additional employees. Unfortunately, this is a refrain we continue to hear and feel. Though the economic climate may be moderately more …
Looking for a Few Good Partners
Before the advent of the personal computer, the graphics industry depended on a well-oiled system of craftspeople. Typographers, color separators, printers, photographers, writers, editors, designers, production artists…and there were probably a few more I can’t remember. Many small business formed alliances with complementary companies, ones they trusted to do their jobs well.
Individual businesses were created around each craft. In 1977, for example there were more than 20 typography shops in …
A New Year, A New Site!
My #1 New Year’s resolution is coming true as we launch OmniStudio’s redesigned and revitalized website this week.
With the new omnistudio.com we aim to present a clearer picture of who we are, what we do and how we work. And, most importantly, through this site, we want to celebrate the spirit and commitment of the wonderful organizations we serve.
Since the beginning of my business career, which now trails back …
