We’ve slogged through the retail Winter wilderness … now what, right? Skipping into a new season of transitions in the media world Winter was about Transition this Year … Usually Winter is a breeze for me and my marketing business - I focus on creativity, and recharge my spirit by doing a lot of reading, taking courses, painting and writing. This past Winter though felt like a frenzy in the media world. I’m not sure if the problems lie in the fact that we’re still somewhat transitioning out of the shutdowns of 2020, or if consumer habits have shifted so much that chaos is the new normal. What ..read more

Easter is early this year, so blending it with the First Day of Spring is as easy as picking out some cute decor. Spring flowers and plants, bunnies, and some sweet soaps make decorating this month a breeze. Hop hop goes the calendar and we’re already almost to the Spring Equinox. Daylight Saving Time starts in just 4 days. With that in mind I can’t help but be inspired by all the beautiful (and some downright tacky) Easter decorations that I see in the stores. I spent some time at one of my favorite decor haunts recently, Terrain, (here’s an Instagram video I posted). Here’s a look at some o ..read more

Early Easter, Spring Equinox, and St. Patrick’s Day are just the start of the busy month ahead. The colors green, cherry blossom pink, and daffodil yellow play prominently this month, as do jeweled Easter decorations, fragrances and candles. March spells the end of Winter and there’s a palpable sense of relief from frost weary souls throughout North America:   Create a sense of regeneration through social and blog posts and include your products that fit this vibe.  For media outreach, editors are looking for products and ideas that evoke a sense of renewal. Spring break is happ ..read more

Studio lighting has many qualities but natural light creates a better product image. The shots above are both created with natural light using creative props and everyday backgrounds. If you look at the cap of the image on the right you can see the setup in the reflection. I’ve been photographing products for clients for about 30 years now. While my equipment has evolved over that time, one thing has stayed the same, my love of shooting with natural light. When I first started shooting products professionally, I was working with jewelry clients, trying to invoke a sense of romance with my sho ..read more

Leverage search volume data and SEO gaps to get your products into major outlets. Getting into shopping guides and product roundups can require some research. Product placement can be key in driving up clips and social proof for a brand. If you’re keen on getting into shopping roundups and gift guides, one of the metrics that many shopping editors use in choosing one brand over another is SEO maximization. Online publications like Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Elle Decor, Allure, Brit + Co, The Zoe Report (really all major publications) have come to rely on the income derived from affiliate links. Hav ..read more

Special Days in February and March You’ll Want to Pitch Your Products and Suggestions For Here are just a few of the more colorful days of note coming up that you can’t ignore! It may seem like we’re in the throes of Winter, but in our minds it’s already Spring! Let’s Dig into February! It’s jam packed with editorial and marketing opportunities! The color red and pink are big players: As you probably know February 2nd is Groundhog Day - not the most exciting if you’re a beauty or design brand but a big deal for small town retailers. It’s often a day that smaller boutiques open back up after c ..read more

There’s more to this unique hue than meets the eye. Pink wasn’t always so girly … Pink is of course a winning color for Spring especially when cherry, plum and apple blossoms emerge. And the Barbie Movie last year infused shades of fuschia and petal into our consciousness in ways we haven’t seen since the 1950’s. The Meaning of the Color Pink Pink is a color that often evokes feelings of sweetness, playfulness, and tenderness. It is traditionally associated with historically feminine traits such as innocence, nurturing, and compassion. In aura readings, seeing pink is a sign that the heart ch ..read more

What is Q5 You Ask? Here’s a Hint: It’s Not an Audi! What is Q5? Q5, or the “fifth quarter” of the marketing year, also known as the post-year-end period, is an extension of time that comes after the completion of the traditional four quarters. Interestingly, Q5 is such a novel term to many brands that it’s defined differently depending on who is discussing it. According to X, Meta, and TikTok Q5 occurs from about mid December to the end of January. Others see it as starting about next week and continuing until February. What’s interesting about Q5 is that it’s a time when many consumers are ..read more

Optimize the Discoverability of Your Instagram Posts by Harnessing Trending Audio If you enjoy those hilarious audio grabs you see in other’s feeds or want to give your Instagram account an up-to-the-minute feel, incorporate trending audio into your feeds. The beauty of trending audio is that you can pop almost any video underneath some of the more colorful audio clips and enjoy the benefits of it. Of course, because they’re trending, they can change by the minute. For this reason, it’s important to be able to easily find great trending audio - and we’re in luck! Because it is. Here’s How to ..read more

Loads of planning goes into Christmas marketing, but here are some ideas you may have missed along the way. I get it, you’re probably maxed out on Christmas marketing strategies. All those wild discounts and intense promotions big box stores wield like customer swiping machetes can be hard to compete with for a smaller, independent brand. Big brands have giant marketing budgets that churn out deals that are hard to imagine competing with - but herein lies your power as a small seller. You can quickly bob and weave with the trends in a way that big Titanic level corporations just can’t. Here a ..read more