Pilch & Barnet

Link Friday: The Road Trip Edition

Brianna — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:20:11 +0000

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!

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Link Friday: The Greener Travel Edition

Brianna — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:52 +0000

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.

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Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus presentation

Alan — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:43:51 +0000

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)

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Link Friday: The Newest Social Media Platforms for Brands Edition

Brianna — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:00:44 +0000

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?

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Link Friday: The Why Infographics Work Edition

Brianna — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:00:14 +0000

Infographics seem to be all the rage right now. And it makes sense: in an era of information overload, consumers respond favorably to imagery. Here’s why infographics work:

The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” perfectly describes the purpose of infographics.
Pictures are easily noticeable and enhance the appeal of content.
Businesses experience improved SEO, thanks to infographics’ link capacity, eye-catching images, and shareability.
Consumers’ attention spans are increasingly dwindling, and infographics present easily digestible information.
David McCandless, one of the pioneers of infographics, explains the beauty of data visualization in this video.

Infographics appeal to consumers senses in ways that basic text cannot. Consider implementing an infographic into your next project.

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Link Friday: The Why You Should Be on YouTube Edition

Brianna — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:00:45 +0000

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.

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Link Friday: The What’s new with Facebook Edition

Brianna — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:00:51 +0000

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.

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Link Friday: The More March Madness Edition

Brianna — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:30:48 +0000

March may be almost over but the Madness is not! We couldn’t help but post a “round two” of March Madness Link Friday. Check out some ways companies are participating this year.

These brands are taking advantage of the low-budget social media opportunities for advertising during March Madness.
And here are some restaurants that are getting creative this March.
Capital One is incorporating Twitter into its advertising campaign, asking users to hashtag #rallycry and talk about their favorite teams.
@USATODAYsports is asking users to send photos of their March Madness experience with the hashtag #FanMadness.
Here’s why your brand should join the madness come next March.
And finally, Forbes asks, “Which Brand Will Win the 2013 NCAA Tournament?”

There’s less than two weeks left of the tournament, so enjoy!

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Link Friday: The March Madness Edition

Brianna — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:30:36 +0000

No matter what your level of sports expertise or interest in basketball, March Madness is famously the one sporting event everyone can enjoy. Here’s what’s happening in social media this March!

Facebook is finally partaking in the Madness with a social application, Fanhood’s March Madness Brackets.
Twitter’s “instant replay” concept will allow users to catch highlights from all of the tournament games within minutes of them happening.
Are you one of those people who bases your bracket on favorite uniforms? Coolest mascot? Or another silly-but-entertaining measure? Well this bracket uses “Klout Scores,” ranking each of the teams by their social media influence.
But most importantly, these apps (and these!) will help you win your March Madness pool.

So tell us… who do you have winning it all?

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Middleton 50th Anniversary Logo

Ericka — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:45:16 +0000

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.

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