Link Friday: The Road Trip Edition

Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 by Brianna

Be it rising gas costs, a fear of flying or just a desire to spend a lengthy time bonding with your fellow travelers, road trips are super popular right now. Wondering where you should make your next drive? We’ve compiled a list of the best road trips in the U.S.! Here’s a trip for any occasion, like if…

You’ve only got a day
You want to explore the coast
You’re with the family
You just want to enjoy the scenery
You’re hungry for the best grub
It’s summertime

As an added bonus, we’ve scouted the most useful resources to help you survive the drive:

Best road trip songs
The apps and tools you need for your next trip
Road trip survival guide
Seven safety tips for road trips

Drive safe!

Link Friday: The Greener Travel Edition

Posted on Friday, May 10, 2013 by Brianna

Concerns for environmental sustainability are forcing us all to consider how our daily decisions impact the future of our Earth. It’s no wonder these concerns have translated to tourism, which, by nature of the industry, is responsible for a substantial carbon footprint. Ecotourism, also called responsible or sustainable tourism, gives travelers ways to travel green, respect local communities and make a positive impact on the environment.

Take a look at the types and advantages of ecotourism.
Use these travel tips to become a carbon-conscious traveler.
Visit one of these three destinations, named the best places for ecotourism.
Or check out this full list of ecotourism locations.
Still curious how you can become a greener traveler? Learn more by visiting responsibletravel.com or sustainabletourism.net.

Ecotourism gives you the opportunity to minimize the environmental impact of your travels.

Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus presentation

Posted on Monday, April 29, 2013 by Alan

In February, Pilch & Barnet wowed the crowd the Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus meeting in Oshkosh (it was probably our jokes). The presentation focused on marketing trends to watch in 2013, including adapting to mobile, visual content and content creation. We even got to include Grumpy Cat!

Download the presentation (PDF)

Link Friday: The Newest Social Media Platforms for Brands Edition

Posted on Friday, April 26, 2013 by Brianna

With the immense number of smartphone users today, there is increasing demand for new and exciting ways to connect. Check out these up and coming social media platforms.

The hottest platforms right now: Vine, (New) Myspace, Pheed, Snapchat and Thumb. And a few more include Medium, Conversations, Chirpify, Flayvr and Chirp.
The newly revamped Myspace is a perfect fit for music industry brands, but any brand can use Myspace to create a deeper personality and connect with customers.
Widely used by celebrities, Pheed allows users to charge a monthly subscription fee to access their content, which can include text, photo, audio, video and even live broadcasts.
A popular app among consumers, Snapchat may soon be extending to brands. The frozen yogurt company 16 handles recently tested the app to send coupons to customers.
Users of the crowdsourcing app Thumb are already seriously engaged, using the app four hours a month, second only to Facebook.
One of the most aesthetically pleasing of new social media apps, Flayvr automatically organizes the photos you take on your smartphone.
Chirp has the “wow” factor in 2013, allowing you to share photos or links across a unique robotic frequency.

Which new platform are you most excited about?

Link Friday: The Why You Should Be on YouTube Edition

Posted on Friday, April 12, 2013 by Brianna

Facebook? Check. Twitter? Check. Pinterest? You’re probably on that too. But what about YouTube? We all know that YouTube is known for its immense user presence, but what potential does the platform have for your brand?

It’s hard to neglect an audience of one billion monthly users.
Besides the massive viewer potential, benefits of utilizing YouTube include increasing your page rank and showing your brand personality.
Releasing YouTube videos leads to better SEO.
Businesses can assess “audience retention” to determine if they’re making an impactful initial impression.

Link Friday: The What’s new with Facebook Edition

Posted on Friday, April 5, 2013 by Brianna

Any successful social media publisher knows the importance of staying current with the changing social media landscape. And as of late, Facebook has rolled out a number of significant changes. So what’s new?

Improved search engine capabilities via their new Graph Search.
A drastically revamped news feed, featuring bigger images, multiple feeds and mobile consistency. (Publishers: consult these 4 ways to optimize the new feed.)
Timeline updates dated to roll out over the coming weeks.
Looser restrictions on cover images for pages.
A new comment system, which includes threaded conversations and a ranking algorithm.

Don’t get left behind as Facebook moves forward. Prepare for Facebook’s evolving changes to optimize your page’s impact.

The latest from the P&B workshop

Posted on Thursday, March 21, 2013 by Ericka

In 2013, Middleton celebrates 50 years of cityhood. The logo celebrates this milestone and is being used in a number of places locally as well as in some visitor materials, including the visitor guide. A complete brand manual was completed to guide the city government, local organizations, businesses and the tourism commission in the various ways they can promote the anniversary and utilize the logo. The logo has been incorporated into social media campaigns, web pages and signage throughout the community.