Tag Archive for: social media

Educational apps company - Smart Bubblegum

Atlanta-Based Branding Agency Heralded for Integrated Brand Campaign on Behalf of Educational App Company Devoted Helping Young Learners “Play More. Get Smarter.”

Atlanta, August 19, 2021 – Taking an established brand and completely transforming its image to better fit a forward-looking vision and the changing needs of a customer base is just one of the services offered by Atlanta-based branding agency, Woodall Creative Group (WCG). In 2020, it did just that for a company named ABC Apps – transforming it to Smart Bubblegum through an integrated branding campaign that included the premier of a new logo and launch of a new website, supported by a video marketing campaign, social media campaign, digital advertising, email marketing and more. In addition to a successful launch that has led to the promising growth of the educational apps company in the year since the rebrand, Woodall Creative Group’s work caught the eye of the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA). The AIVA recognized WCG with two Communicator Awards of Excellence – top honors from the assembly of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Selected from more than 6,000 entries, included among WCG’s recognitions were the Communicator Award of Excellence for an Integrated Branding Campaign and the Communicator Award of Excellence for an Integrated Business-to-Consumer Campaign.

“We are honored to have our work once again recognized by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts and look forward to adding two more Communicator Awards to our trophy case,” said Tracy Woodall, President of Woodall Creative Group. “Branding is our agency’s sweet spot, and this was such a fun campaign for our creative team to tackle – led by our talented and innovative Creative Director, Jim Balke. We were fueled by the passion the leadership team at ABC Apps demonstrated for their work – that sense of purpose is a powerful foundation for any branding campaign. Given our expertise in working with child and family-related products and services, we were an ideal creative partner to guide them through the rebranding process. We have since become their Agency of Record and look forward to having front row seats to their continued success as a leader in education.”

Driven by a goal to have a positive impact on world literacy, Smart Bubblegum has its sights set on being the go-to resource for parents, grandparents, teachers and students seeking educational apps, websites, books, games, videos, test prep, advice and more to enhance the scholastic experience and engage the user. Rather than trying to find a needle in the haystack and downloading ineffective apps along the way, parents, grandparents and teachers can save time and money by partnering with Smart Bubblegum – which is a membership-based program. Its expansive catalogue of award-winning tools paired with a proprietary indexing system helps parents build their child’s Learning Bubble, customized to fulfill their child’s specific needs. This resource can evolve as their child grows and their needs change – all the way from infancy to high school.

“My team and I were drawn to Woodall Creative Group for their depth of experience with all the aspects of marketing including branding and website design,” said Bob Twaalfhoven, Founder and President of SmartBubblegum.com. “We also really liked the fact that they were so familiar with our target audience through their work with other educational and child-focused companies. It has been an extremely rewarding experience. They took us from a bland image and company name to what we believe will quickly become a memorable brand.”

In addition to Smart Bubblegum, Woodall Creative Group has earned trusted partnerships with brands in a wide variety of industries, from local businesses to large global corporations. While it excels at branding, Woodall’s long list of services include marketing strategy, content creation, digital marketing, video production, campaign design, website innovation, social media analytics and more. Unlike a traditional advertising agency, Woodall Creative Group offers an immersive experience founded in its proprietary GrowthMap ProcessTM to solidify their clients’ vision, showcase their advantages, generate growth, and ultimately make an impact. Companies that wish to start a dialogue with Tracy Woodall and her award-winning team are encouraged to visit www.woodallcreative.com or call (706) 658-0244.

About Woodall Creative Group: With nearly three decades of award-winning strategic marketing to its credit, Woodall Creative Group has the expertise to catapult brands for success. The expert graphic designers, copywriters and programmers at Woodall Creative Group excel in implementing dynamic creative design, website development, marketing, social media content and corporate branding campaigns. The Atlanta-based agency has served a wide variety of clients from a broad array of industries. Included among them are Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies, Rytech Water Damage Restoration, MyGeorgia Credit Union, Clayton Signs, Weener & Nathan Law, CBP Engineering, Tucker Door & Trim, and ProMaterials Direct. WCG will make sure your project gets the full creative attention that ensures success! To learn more about Woodall Creative Group and its portfolio of services, interested parties are invited to visit www.woodallcreative.com.

About The Communicator Awards: The Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for marketing and communications professionals. Founded by passionate communications professionals over two decades ago, The Communicator Awards is an annual competition honoring the best digital, mobile, audio, video, and social content the industry has to offer. The Communicator Awards is widely recognized as one of the largest awards of its kind in the world.

The Communicator Awards are judged and curated by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA). The AIVA is an assembly of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Current AIVA membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including GE Digital, Spotify, Condè Nast, Disney, Republica, Majestyk, Fast Company, Upstatement, and many others. See aiva.org for more information.

Award-Winning Digital Marketing Agency Brings Home a Silver Davey Award for Back 2 School Campaign Created on Behalf of Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies.

Full enrollment rosters at Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies are one indication of how well the early childhood education company’s Back 2 School campaign was received by families with young children. Another key indicator – particularly for the agency that created the campaign –  is a recognition by industry experts. Atlanta-based Woodall Creative Group has been honored with a 2019 Silver Davey Award for its Business-to-Consumer Integrated Campaign to promote Back 2 School at Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies everywhere. This marks the second year in a row that Woodall Creative Group received a Davey Award for campaigns created on behalf of Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies.

“We love trophies and are very honored to add another Davey to our growing collection,” said Jeffrey Love, Creative Director for Woodall Creative Group. “As wonderful as it is to be recognized for our creativity and originality, the real rewards come from knowing our campaign truly WORKED. Measuring became a very important element of this campaign, and we were thrilled with what we learned from the metrics gathered. They will certainly help shape future campaigns. We really delved deeply into the overall strategy of this campaign, and social media was at the heart of it all. It’s also very rewarding to have a wonderful partner in Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies. They are passionate about serving the families in the communities surrounding their schools and maintaining their standing as being the Smart Choice for a Smarter Child. That passion is positively contagious and helps fuel our creative team’s ingenuity.”

In addition to the Davey Awards it won on behalf of campaigns designed for Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies in 2018 and 2019 (and two more in 2015), Woodall Creative Group has a number of other Davey’s in its trophy case recognizing campaigns created for Tristate Tire, Naturally Fresh, Stronghaven, Chestnut Mountain Church, e-Transform and Tradewinds. Woodall Creative Group has also been honored with a number of W3 Awards and Telly Awards – among them a highly coveted Gold for the “Smart Choice, Smarter Child” campaign and a “Best In Show” for a School-Age Brochure to promote Kids ‘R’ Kids’ After School Program.

This year marked the 15th Annual Davey Awards, which is judged and overseen by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), a 700+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Current membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including: Condé Nast, Disney, GE, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Microsoft, Tinder, MTV, Sesame Workshops, Yahoo!, and many others.

“We are proud to once again showcase the outstanding work that comes from small shops across the globe. The Davey Awards recognize those who utilize flawless execution, groundbreaking technology, and a fresh approach to the thought process to produce top-tier content” noted Derek Howard, Executive Director of the AIVA. He added “On behalf of the Daveys and the Academy, we want to applaud this year’s entrants for their dedication and commitment to their craft. We offer our congratulations once again to those selected as winners as they truly embody the spirit of the award.”                

About Woodall Creative Group: With over twenty-seven years of award-winning strategic marketing, Woodall Creative Group has the expertise to catapult brands for success. The expert graphic designers, copywriters and programmers at Woodall Creative Group excel in implementing dynamic creative design, website development, marketing, social media content and corporate branding campaigns. The Atlanta-based agency has served a wide variety of clients from a broad array of industries. Included among them are Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies, Service First Pros, Southside Church, Hallco Community Credit Union, Clayton Signs, Weener & Nathan Law, CBP Engineering and BM&K Construction. WCG will make sure your project gets the full creative attention that ensures success! Contact Woodall Creative Group by calling 706.658.0244 or e-mailing support@woodallcreative.com.  To learn more about Woodall Creative Group, interested parties are invited to visit www.woodallc.wpengine.com.

About Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies: Headquartered in the North Atlanta suburb of Duluth, Ga., Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies provide a secure, nurturing, and educational environment for children (ages six weeks – 12 years) to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society. With nearly 170 learning academies in 16 states, Kids ‘R’ Kids International® is a family-owned and operated organization that ranks in the top three nationwide for franchised early childhood education centers (www.kidsrkids.com).  

About The Davey Awards: The Davey Awards exclusively honor the “Davids” of creativity, the finest small shops, firms and companies worldwide. David defeated the giant Goliath with a big idea and a little rock – the sort of thing small agencies do each year. The annual International Davey Awards honors the achievements of the “Creative Davids”, who derive their strength from big ideas rather than big budgets. The Davey Awards is the leading awards competition specifically for smaller agencies as they compete with their peers to win the recognition they deserve. Please visit www.daveyawards.com for more information.

The key to success in social media marketing is CONSISTENCY – particularly for any company that puts a lot of stock in its social media presence!  Strive for consistency in your company’s brand image, consistency in your messaging (which should always sound as though it is coming from the same centralized figure/being/collective group), consistency of response times and – most importantly – consistency in the number of posts you share with your audience each week. While the statistics may vary with regard to timing and frequency, once your company has found its sweet spot (which often varies by industry and region) – STICK TO IT! In other words, YOU may take a vacation, but your social media presence should NOT. You’ve fought long and hard to build up a following on social media, it would be a shame to lose touch with your core audience – even for a week – only to potentially face weeks of fighting to get in front of them again. That valuable time lost when your competition might have gotten the upper hand! Fortunately for all of us who yearn to put our toes in the sand or ski the slopes from time to time, there are some really great options that mean your social media presence will never have to skip a beat. To save you some time and research, Woodall Creative Group has compiled a number of those options for you here:

  1. Look to Your Creative Partner:  If you already collaborate with an agency on the design of your social media graphics and/or messaging, you may want to look to them to “housesit” your social media accounts while you’re away. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results and may even want to consider making that a permanent gig for them – allowing you the freedom to focus on other more pressing aspects of your job. If they’re really good at what they do (like the award-winning creative team at Woodall Creative Group), they’ll be able to study your posts from the past, discover what resonates most with your core audience, channel the brand image you’ve worked so hard to build and maybe even try a few new tricks to grow and engage your audience. Having a strong social media partner that can get results is worth its weight in gold.
  2. Tap a Social Media Savvy Member of Your Team:  Not that we’re ever ones to stereotype, but millennials are typically social media savvy and may prove a great resource for when you’re going to be out of the office on vacation. However, you don’t want to run the risk of a potential “house party” while you’re away – possibly alienating your core audience with some inconsistent messaging and/or graphics that doesn’t quite jive your brand image. Assign your most reliable team member who ALSO knows their way around your social media channels to pull together 5 to 7 days of messaging and accompanying images PRIOR to your departure for your approval. Once approved, they can stick to the agreed upon plan and post every day that you’re away, giving you the peace of mind you deserve to enjoy your vacation. If they do a good job, you know you can rely on them again during your NEXT vacation.
  3. Build a Social Media Calendar and Automate:  In the event that you manage more than one social media channel and you have yet to discover the joys of automation, be prepared to have your mind blown! In #2 of this list, we suggested you have your social media savvy team member pull together 5 to 7 days of messaging. In the event that you DON’T have a social media savvy and reliable team member to whom you can turn (or you just prefer to do things yourself), YOU can be the one to plan ahead, pull together a social media calendar of 5 to 7 days of messaging (or however long you plan to be gone) and upload/schedule those messages through an automation tool such as HootSuite, Sprout Social or Loomly. Not only will they allow you the freedom to pre-schedule your posts, but they will also allow you to post content to multiple social media platforms. While this may mean more work for you in the days leading up to your vacation, at least it assures you a stress-free, well-deserved break from the office once that glorious time arrives. Best of all, many of these automation tools offer free trial periods. You can try several to see which proves the best fit for you and your needs. You may find one that you love SO MUCH that you continue to use it after your vacation – cutting your posting time dramatically and providing you with valuable insights.

Now that you know the reasons WHY you can’t let your social media presence lapse – even for a week – AND three potential ways to cover your social media responsibilities while you’re away, Woodall Creative Group wishes you a peaceful and relaxing vacation! Bon Voyage!!!

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To learn more about Woodall Creative Group and the many ways we can help your company promote its unique brand – both in print and in the digital space – we invite you to visit us online at www.woodallc.wpengine.com.

The Importance of Consistency and Multiple Touchpoints in Marketing

Rolling out an effective marketing plan is not unlike planting season on a farm. If executed properly, you’ll get to reap the rewards later for all of the preparation and promoting you do today. Just like at a farm, you till the soil, sow your seeds, keep watch to ensure growth and prepare for the harvest.

Dr. Jeffrey Lant – professor, author of more than 60 books and internationally renowned expert on the subjects of marketing, business development, copywriting and more – put forth the “Rule of Seven” marketing principle decades ago. The principle dictates that it takes an average of seven touchpoints before a customer remembers your brand message and feels compelled to act.  That’s a lot of marketing seeds to plant. While the advent of the internet and social media has served to speed up the process considerably from the original 18-month period for the Rule of Seven to take root, there are a number of things to take into consideration when planting those seeds…

Tilling the Soil: When planning your marketing campaign, make an effort to really stir things up. Do your research to see if there’s an audience segment you may have missed with prior campaigns who might be the next great thing for your brand. Also, dig DEEP to come up with a marketing campaign that will really grab your intended audience’s attention. Phone it in, and that will not only come through in your less-than-stellar messaging – but also in customer’s response.

“In a crowded marketplace, you want your message to stand out,” said Tracy Woodall, founder of Metro Atlanta-based Woodall Creative Group. “Be sure to outline all of the differentiators that set your company apart from the competition – everything that makes you ‘special.’ Stay true to the look and feel of previous campaigns for brand consistency, unless it’s time for a complete company rebrand – which is an excellent way to really shake things up and attract members from a new, previously underserved market.

Sowing the Seeds: Once you have a fairly clear plan in place, it’s time to start sowing the seeds through the design of your campaign and identification of the various modes of delivery you will use to reach your audience. Rather than planting just ONE kind of seed, use a variety of means to get your message out there. Think of the rows in your garden as streams of communication: website, digital marketing, e-mail marketing, social media, direct mail, print ads, TV commercials, radio ads, billboards, promotional items, experiential marketing and MORE. Because today’s marketplace is so crowded and noisy, multiple touchpoints are the key to success. Don’t merely select one avenue at one time – it will be the marketing equivalent of shouting into the wind. After you’ve identified the best modes of delivery, start creating designs to fit.

“If design is not your strength, consider outsourcing to an agency,” shared Woodall. “You may be highly skilled at identifying your audience, brainstorming ideas and media buying, but if you’re lacking in the design department – your entire campaign will suffer. To compound matters, you may even be compromising your company’s brand image. Professionally designed digital and print pieces can have a completely opposite effect, propelling your brand in a positive direction in the eyes of your audience.”

Keep Watch to Ensure Growth: Once you launch your campaign, don’t take your eye off the ball. Track results and make adjustments when necessary. If you notice that your digital efforts are really taking off, whereas your print campaign might be falling short – you may want to reallocate any remaining budget to the digital side for continued traction.

“Many companies miss this step,” said Woodall. “They send their campaign out into the world, then watch their sales results to measure its success. There are a variety of ways to track results and measure success – not merely by watching one’s bottom line. “

Prepare for the Harvest: Another often overlooked step many companies miss is to communicate the upcoming campaign to its employees. It’s SO IMPORTANT to share your marketing direction with the folks in the trenches.

“An internal campaign rollout is a great way to get team members excited and to encourage them to reinforce that same messaging to customers,” suggests Woodall. “Try to practice patience. The results won’t always be immediate. However, if your marketing campaign is truly successful, your employees will be better prepared for a bountiful harvest of happy customers. Not to mention the fact that your product or service had better live up to the hype, or that new customer you just worked so hard to earn might not return in the future.”

Begin Planning for Next Year’s Planting Season:  Once your campaign has hit the market and you’ve begun to reap the rewards of your hard work, it’s not time to rest on your laurels. It’s time to start projecting and laying the groundwork for NEXT YEAR’S marketing campaign.

“Take a look at your tracking to assess what worked and what didn’t,” said Woodall. “If everything worked, pat yourself on the back and determine what had the strongest impact on your campaign’s success: mode of delivery, audience identification, the message itself or a combination of all of the above. If some elements were stronger than others, start considering ways to make the weaker elements stronger the next go-around for even BETTER results next year.”

Woodall Creative Group is a trusted resource for marketing managers and company leaders throughout the Southeast seeking a creative partner to share their company’s unique brand story with the world. If you need help planning for a harvest of your own, contact the team at Woodall Creative Group at 706-658-0244, info@woodallcreative.com or via our convenient online contact form. To learn more about what we do and sneak a peek inside our extensive portfolio, visit www.woodallc.wpengine.com.

Atlanta Agency Honored for Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies® Marketing Campaign.

The Winners of the 12th Annual W3 Awards have been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts and Atlanta-based marketing agency, Woodall Creative Group, is honored to be among them. Receiving over 5,000 entries, the W3 Awards honors outstanding Websites, Web Marketing, Web Video, Mobile Sites/Apps & Social content created by some of the best interactive agencies, designers, and creators worldwide.

“The creativity and quality of this season’s entries raised the bar once again. As our connected world continues to expand in new and exciting ways, our winners are a true testament to the power of Web creativity across the world.” said Derek Howard, the director of the AIVA. “On behalf of the over 750 members of The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, we applaud the talents and dedication our winners showcased and commend all of this year’s entrants for their commitment to furthering the quality of the content we view online.”

Woodall Creative Group’s award-winning entry – which was recognized with a Silver W3 Award – was a comprehensive marketing campaign created on behalf of Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies® to promote school enrollment. Established in 1985 and headquartered in Duluth, Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies is a national early education and childcare franchise that boasts over 160 locations all across the United States. Each academy provides a secure, nurturing, and educational environment for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 12 years.

“Collaborating with the corporate team at Kids ‘R’ Kids is always a joy,” explained Tracy Woodall, President of Woodall Creative Group. “They understand the early education industry like no other and are passionate about what they do. Their marketing department places an emphasis on not only growing the brand nationwide, but also ensuring that enrollment remains high at the local level. Having worked with them for nearly 25 years, our agency has a deep understanding of not only their core strengths and differentiators, but also of their target audience. The award-winning campaign was titled “We ‘R’ Ready” and included a video, social media graphics, banner ads, postcards, flyers, print ads, incentive coupons and more – all of which could be customized for each school. The messaging on a whole spoke directly to the parent – communicating the fact that they might not always be ready to see their kids grow up and head off to school, but their children and the staff at Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies are always ready for a fun, highly educational experience.”

Click here to view Campaign

Woodall Creative Group serves a wide variety of clients from a broad array of industries. Organizations and companies seeking a creative partner to aid them with brand development, strategic design and digital innovation are encouraged to contact Woodall Creative Group by calling 706.658.0244 or e-mailing support@woodallcreative.com.  To learn more about Woodall Creative Group, interested parties are invited to visit www.woodallc.wpengine.com.

View Video below:

Jeffrey Love (Creative Director) and Tracy Woodall (President)

About Woodall Creative Group: With twenty-seven years and several International Davey Awards to its credit, Woodall Creative Group excels at combining artistry with strategy, regularly implementing imaginative corporate branding campaigns and designing top-quality collateral materials such logos, brochures, marketing materials, social media branding, and packaging – among others. The Atlanta-based agency has served a wide variety of clients from a broad array of industries. Included among them are Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies, Naturally Fresh, My Friend’s Place, Tri-State Tire and Carino’s Italian Grill, just to name a few. Additional services available at Woodall Creative Group include website development and design, advertising, marketing, social media management, public relations, promotional products and more. To learn more, please visit www.woodallc.wpengine.com.

About The W3 Awards: The W³ Awards honors creative excellence on the Web, and recognizes the creative and marketing professionals behind award winning Websites, Web Video and Online Marketing programs. Simply put, the W³ is the first major Web competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Small firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies and international agencies. The W3 Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, an invitation only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. For more information about the W³ Awards, please visit www.w3award.com.