Why Your Brand Messaging Might Not be Working on Your Web Site

I’m finding it common that companies focus on getting their messaging right while being murky on their positioning.When I point this out, sometimes I get a blank stare or a comment that suggests to me that they view positioning and messaging as the same thing. Not understanding the difference can have big sales and marketing implications, but for now, let’s discuss how this impacts your web site.

February 16, 2011/by Garrett Dandreo

Avoiding the 5 Pitfalls of Web Site Development

Having been in the web design and development game for over 15 years, I’ve seen clients and prospects fall into a set of familiar traps when it comes to the process of creating a web site. Here are five tips for avoiding the pitfalls lurking in any web development project.

February 8, 2011/by Garrett Dandreo

Creativity, Branding and Lead Generation

This is my last post of 2010 and a time to briefly reflect on a few things that are top-of-mind as we close out the year.

The Secret Sauce
I’ve often heard it said that there are no new creative ideas, that everything’s been done. I’ve always hated that statement for its lazy and uninspired sentiment. In his book, “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell says, “researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.” I’m happy to realize that I’ve done my 10,000 hours as a creative professional and the longer I’m in this business, the deeper my creative options become. My expanding database of memories, associations and relationships open the possibilities of finding unique creative solutions to our client’s communication problems.

December 23, 2010/by Garrett Dandreo

5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Web Copywriter

In our many Web engagements clients often question whether they need an outside writer on the project. The reason for rumination is usually either related to budget or whether internal resources have the time to get the job done. From experience I believe that hiring an outside writer is necessary and often mandatory. Here are five reasons to consider:

March 3, 2010/by Garrett Dandreo

Good Enough is the New Great in Web Design

In the New York Times Annual “Year in Ideas” issue, that came out this past Sunday, December 13, 2009, there are a collection of ideas that the editors believe characterized the year. One idea that caught my attention was titled, “Good Enough is the New Great,” and was described by Robert Mackey. Mackey contends that everywhere you look, people are accepting a lower level of technology and quality in exchange for ease-of-use and lower cost. Mackey provides examples such as the growth of Flickr, which displays snapshots often taken with cell phones and cheap point and shoot cameras. Despite the easy availability of multi-megapixel cameras with zoom lenses and auto focus, iPhone images are “good enough.” Although high definition plasma TV’s are available, more and more people spend time watching blurry, low-res videos on their laptops or iPhones. Younger audiences he contends, actually prefer the lower-end sound of music on an iPod than then the crisper fidelity of a CD and so forth. In the field of graphic and web design, this has been true for some time, although 2009 put the ! on the concept. Read more

December 15, 2009/by Garrett Dandreo

What Crowdsourcing Can Teach Designers

Large crowd We recently won a competitive situation and will provide web site design, a pay-per-click (PPC) Search program, eMarketing and brand messaging for a company run by engineers. The company had originally been referred to us for “a website.” When I asked the client why he chose RainCastle, he said we were more strategic in our approach, viewing the web in the realm of marketing rather than technically, and that we understood how engineers view marketing … or don’t. Generally, he felt confident that we could work with his senior people and successfully guide them through a process. The consultative approach remains viable in the age of social media.

December 1, 2009/by Garrett Dandreo

5 Tips For Creating a Tagline That Your Client Will Fall in Love With

2335627386_17f65ae006_t

There are plenty of tips for creating a tagline your client will fall in love with. These are on the top of my list.

November 12, 2009/by Garrett Dandreo

Creating a Tagline that Your Client Will Fall in Love With

The CEO of a client for whom we recently created a brand was what I would call a “mildly supportive observer” throughout a comprehensive branding process we led his company through. When he heard the tagline, it all clicked for him and he became an effective brand evangelist to his customers and employees. It takes Tiger Woods thousands of putts to sink that 10 footer when it matters. The right tagline follows that same logic.

November 9, 2009/by Garrett Dandreo

The Truth in Branding

Last year, “authenticity” was widely touted as the new trend in branding. With all of the media clutter, companies were looking for ways to stand out. The idea of being true to who you are rather than who you think your audience wants you to be resonated and companies tried tapping into their roots to differentiate themselves. Read more

November 3, 2009/by Garrett Dandreo

Welcome to Driving Rain!

This is my first post and I’m pretty excited. The blog will be a place to discuss how differentiation — in creative, client service, marketing relationships, brand messaging, user experience — can be applied to what you do for your customers. I’m also looking for serendipitous dialogues, the unexpected and often meaningful interactions that can happen when one puts themselves “out there.” In the long run, we know that this blog will be much better if you share your thoughts with us. So please feel free to let us know what you think, either by commenting, or if you would rather email us, we’d love that as well. Social media gives us the ability to all share and collaborate on ideas, and the discussions we have here will be much more valuable for everyone if you share your thoughts and opinions with us!

October 20, 2009/by Garrett Dandreo

Why Your Brand Messaging Might Not be Working on Your Web Site

Avoiding the 5 Pitfalls of Web Site Development

Creativity, Branding and Lead Generation

5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Web Copywriter

Good Enough is the New Great in Web Design

What Crowdsourcing Can Teach Designers

5 Tips For Creating a Tagline That Your Client Will Fall in Love With

Creating a Tagline that Your Client Will Fall in Love With

The Truth in Branding

Let’s discuss your project

Contact

Services