Tag Archive for: Woodall Creative Group

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Woodall Creative Group Honored with 2 Communicator Awards for Smart Bubblegum Rebrand

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.

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Woodall Creative Group Taps Jim Balke as Creative Director

Award-Winning Digital Marketing Agency to Enhance Art Department with New Talent and Seasoned Industry Pro at the Helm.

Positioned as a results-driven, award-winning and highly strategic creative think tank with a history that spans more than a quarter century, Woodall Creative Group (WCG) announced today that it has named Jim Balke as Creative Director. Balke brings more than 25 years of experience as a seasoned industry veteran, nearly half of which was spent in senior level management. Throughout the course of his colorful career, he has worked with such recognizable brands as Coca-Cola®, Chick-fil-A®, The Home Depot®, MetLife®, Porsche®, UNICEF® and Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies®. He has served the last year and a half as WCG’s Art Director, but as the agency looks to expand its Art Department with new talent to meet growing client demand, agency founder and president – Tracy Woodall – believed Balke was the ideal candidate to help lead the Art Department’s evolution.

“Jim wins on all three crucial levels of our company culture… he consistently provides superior design, facilitates smooth project coordination and fosters genuine client relationships,” said Woodall. “A consummate artist who always views every project through a big picture lens, he has proven himself with our team and our clients. I look forward to more exciting growth in our Art Department under his leadership as Creative Director.”

Seeking to start its expansion with the addition of a hybrid graphic designer whose experience dips into print, as well as digital design, Woodall Creative Group recently renovated its Art Department space with an updated modern look that serves as an homage to creativity.

“Our expanding team will include talent that is hardwired to all things social media and digital via both strategy, trends & technical savvy,” said Balke. “With an exploding new project landscape, the future is very upbeat for WCG as we build on the achievements and accomplishments of a wide range of award-winning work, which we also plan on expanding. We are dedicated to creating stronger brands and stronger brand image perceptions for our clients. I am impressed with the established supportive culture Tracy has cultivated here, which is huge to me and I will continue to foster this approach to our people and work. In addition to expanding our Art Department, I am excited about expanding our client base and continuing to raise the bar on design esthetic and discipline.”

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Balke eventually migrated south to the foothills of North Carolina before moving further south to Georgia to attend classes at the Art Institute of Atlanta. Today, he lives in Lilburn with his wife Cathy and their two children, Bryce and Grace. Three cats, one dog and a bird round out the Balke family.

Candidates interested in applying for the open Graphic Designer position at Woodall Creative Group are asked to send resume, salary history and portfolio to design@woodallcreative.com.

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, Hallco Community 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! 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.

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Woodall Creative Group Awarded for Strategy and Social Media Initiatives

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.

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Woodall Creative Group Receives Three Trophies During 25th Annual Communicator Awards

Metro Atlanta Digital Marketing Agency Recognized for Trio of Campaigns Created on Behalf of Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies.

The winners of the 25th Annual Communicator Awards were officially announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. With over 6,000 entries received from across the US and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals.  2019 winners who received Communicator Awards include ESPN Films, Forbes Media, PepsiCo, WWE, and Metro Atlanta’s own Woodall Creative Group. Recognized with three Awards of Distinction for work created on behalf of its long-term client – Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies – the digital marketing agency shows no signs of slowing. It’s already at work on its newest round of award-worthy work for the early childhood education provider with a national presence. 

“Winning ONE Communicator Award is a big accomplishment – but earning three tells a story of our capability to develop captivating campaigns,” said Jeffrey Love, Creative Director for Woodall Creative Group.  “While each award served a slightly different purpose, the collective talent between our creative team and the marketing department at KRK worked together to hammer-out details that targets the market effectively.  Developing new ways to reach the parents and excite them about their child’s potential is the goal! We have to let the parents know they are not alone in the decisions they face with their young children.  Through the course of our 20+ year relationship with KRK, we have accomplished impressive results, and we will continue to do so.””

The three campaigns recognized with a Communicator Award of Distinction include:

  • Camp Kaleidoscope 360 – a fully integrated business-to-consumer campaign designed to promote Kids ‘R’ Kids’ 2019 Summer Camp through online video, comprehensive social media campaign, digital banner ads, posters, counter cards, direct mail, logo and more. CLICK HERE to View the Full Campaign.
  • Child’s Best Interests at Heart – a fully integrated business-to-consumer campaign designed to promote Kids ‘R’ Kids’ Infant, Toddler and Preschool Programs.  Various marketing elements included online video, social media graphics, banner ads, flip book, brochures, postcards, flyers, print ads, incentive coupons and more. CLICK HERE to View the Full Campaign.
  • School-Age Program – a fully integrated business-to-consumer campaign designed to promote Kids ‘R’ Kids’ After School Program for school age children. A full color 8.5″ x 6″ multi-page brochure set the theme through positive messaging and doodle art. That theme was also expanded to include a multitude of support and campaign materials such as posters, digital media, stickers, incentive coupons and more. CLICK HERE to View the Full Campaign.

“We are extremely proud to recognize the work received in the 25th Annual Communicator Awards. This class of entries we received this season embody the ever-evolving marketing and communications industry” noted Derek Howard, director of the AIVA. “On behalf of the Academy, I’d like to applaud the entrants this season for their dedication to producing outstanding content as they continue to push the envelope of creativity.”

In addition to its three newest Communicator Awards, Woodall Creative Group has been recognized with two W3 Awards, two Davey Awards and – most recently – a highly coveted Telly Award over the course of just eight months.

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 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 overseen by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), a 600+ 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 AIVA membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including: PureMatter, Condè Nast, Disney, Republica, Tinder, MTV, Starbucks, Fast Company, Tribal DDB, Yahoo!, and many others. Please visit www.aiva.org or www.communicatorawards.com for more information.

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Woodall Creative Group Honored During 40th Annual Telly Awards

Metro Atlanta Digital Marketing Agency Recognized with a Bronze Telly for Summer Camp Social Media Video Created on Behalf of Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies.

Marking its 40th anniversary as the world’s largest honor for video and television content across all screens, The Telly Awards announced this year’s winners in late May. Metro Atlanta’s Woodall Creative Group was proud to be included among them, alongside such well-known brands as CNN, DC Entertainment, Netflix, CBS Interactive, ESPN and PBS. This year, the award-winning digital marketing agency was recognized with a Bronze Telly for its Kaleidoscope 360 Summer Camp Video – produced on behalf of long-term client, Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies. This award marks the second Telly Award in Woodall Creative Group’s history, as well as the agency’s eighth national accolade in as many months.

“What’s great about receiving the news of winning is that this campaign’s subject is currently underway at Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies all over the U.S.,” said Jeffrey Love, Creative Director for Woodall Creative Group. “Kaleidoscope 360 has been promoted online and in schools since the beginning of the year and now the schools are filled with campers experiencing all of the fun!  That is the result of countless sessions between our team and the Marketing and Curriculum teams at KRK. We’ve worked with this client for more than two decades, and every campaign brings new challenges that we successfully overcome.  Kids ‘R’ Kids is experiencing a positive reaction from campers, their families and franchise owners. It’s very rewarding to know that what we’re creating makes an impact.”

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE AWARD-WINNING VIDEO!

Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards honors video and television made for all screens and is judged by The Telly Award Judging Council; a group of leading video and television experts from some of the most prestigious companies in entertainment, publishing, advertising, and emerging technology.

In addition to the winning Social Media Video, Woodall Creative Group created a fully integrated campaign to promote Kaleidoscope 360 for Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies that included Summer Camp Logo Design, Weekly Theme Logo Designs, Print Materials like In-School Posters and Counter Cards, a comprehensive Social Media Campaign and Digital Banner Ads. As well as the Telly Award, Woodall Creative Group has been recognized with two Silver W3 Awards, two Davey Awards and – most recently – three Communicator Awards over the course of just eight months, all from the highly respected Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA).

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 Telly Awards: The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, The Telly Awards receives over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents. Entrants are judged by The Telly Awards Judging Council—an industry body of over 200 leading experts including advertising agencies, production companies, and major television networks, reflective of the multi-screen industry The Telly Awards celebrates. Partners of The Telly Awards include NAB, StudioDaily, Stash Magazine, Storyhunter, ProductionHub, VR/AR Association, The Wrap and Digiday.


Woodall Creative Group Honored by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts

Award-Winning Digital Marketing Agency Brings Home Several W3 and Davey Awards for Campaigns Created on Behalf of Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies.

On the cusp of the release of the 2019 back-to-school campaign on behalf of its long-term client – Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies, Atlanta-based Woodall Creative Group is proud to announce that they were recently honored with W3 Awards from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) for last year’s fall enrollment campaign. The award-winning, full-service marketing agency was recognized with two Silver W3 Awards – one for a social media campaign and the other for a video campaign created to support the 2018 “Kids ‘R Growing” fall enrollment program. WCG was also the recipient of two Davey Awards – including a Best in Show for a brochure to promote the Kids ‘R’ Kids School Age Program and a Silver Award for the overall Business-to-Consumer School Age Program integrated campaign.

“It’s always so much fun to work on projects with a client that not only loves what they do but can still get excited about it after more than 30 years,” said Tracy Woodall, President of Woodall Creative Group. “That excitement is not only contagious, but it comes through in the marketing campaigns we create with them. Every project we undertake with the team at Kids ‘R’ Kids is a true collaboration – as it has been for the last 25 years that we’ve been proud to work with this industry leader and watch them grow in their vision, scope and reach throughout the United States. We mean it when we say these awards are just as much theirs as they are ours. On behalf of Woodall Creative Group and Kids ‘R’ Kids International, we are once again honored by these prestigious recognitions from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.”

Both the Davey Awards and the W3 Awards are 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. The Davey Awards exclusively honor the “Davids” of creativity, the finest small shops, firms and companies worldwide, while the W3 Awards focuses primarily on the digital experience by honoring outstanding websites, web marketing, web video, mobile sites/apps & social content created by some of the best interactive agencies, designers, and creators on the planet.

Woodall Creative Group has been recognized with several W3 and Davey Awards in recent years, including a highly coveted Gold for the “Smart Choice, Smarter Child” campaign the agency created on behalf of Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academies. Established in 1985 and headquartered in Duluth, Kids ‘R’ Kids is a national early education and childcare franchise that boasts over 170 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.

“Big wins like these only serve to fuel our creativity,” said Jeffrey Love, Creative Director for Woodall Creative Group. “Award or not, our team is always pushing to outdo last year’s campaign. We might take a moment to pat ourselves on the back, but then we’re back to asking the question ‘how can we do it better?’ I’m confident that our 2019 Fall Enrollment Campaign is already shaping up to be even better than last year. This year’s campaign relies heavily on innovation with engaging elements of social media marketing, video marketing and more for a fully integrated program that we believe will really get people talking and – most importantly – considering Kids ‘R’ Kids as one of the best options to meet their children’s early education and after school programming needs.”

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 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.

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. ist T

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Spring Clean Your Website

Now that Spring is in full swing and first quarter is in the rearview mirror, it’s a great time to take a long, hard look at one of your company’s greatest marketing assets… your website. There are over 5 billion searches on Google every day. A percentage of those people searching may be looking for EXACTLY what your company does. Therefore, it’s important that your website not only shows up in their search, but that it compels them to click on the link and keeps them engaged while they’re on your site. After all, the average person only has an attention span of EIGHT SECONDS according to Microsoft. That’s why you need to have attention-grabbing content on your site. Here are just a few suggestions of ways you can Spring Clean your website so that it’s functioning at its optimum level in time for summer…

Time for Some Repairs

When’s the last time you visited your website? This should be a regular practice for you and other members of your team. While you’re there, check to make sure all your images are showing up and that there are no broken links. Even one broken link could suggest to your visitors that you’re not on top of your game. After all, your website is an online extension of your company and you want all first impressions to be positive ones. Even if – after you make it through the rest of this list – you decide a complete refresh is in order, a little maintenance will go a long way in the interim.

The 5-Second Rule x 3 for Websites

We’ve all heard of the 5-second rule where dropped food is concerned. Pick it up before 5 seconds has passed, blow it off and enjoy – right?!?!  Well, unless you’re looking to drop 55% of all visitors to your site, you have approximately 15 SECONDS to grab their attention and keep them engaged. To improve your average “dwell time,” you need to make sure your graphics and content are engaging and that your messaging is spot on. Improving your UX/UI design (user experience/user interface) should be a major component of your website refresh.

Are You Hitting Your Target?

One issue many companies run into is that by trying to be all things to all people, their brand image gets muddied and they have trouble connecting with their target audience. Some companies aren’t entirely sure WHO their target audience is. To have a website that’s serving as one of the strongest tools in your company’s marketing and sales arsenal, you’ve got to nail down your target audience and create content/messaging that’s geared primarily towards them. If your current content is too ambiguous, it’s definitely time for a refresh.

Embrace the S-Word… SEO!

There’s been some confusion in the industry whether SEO is a dying art form or if it’s still vital to a website’s success. According to Target Marketing Magazine, while some of the tactics have changed over the years, Search Engine Optimization is still alive and well. The publication suggests a number of important tools to give your current site an SEO checkup, such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console, Yoast SEO, Bing Webmasters Tools and more. If, after a little analyzing, you find that your website is NOT getting it done in the SEO department, it’s well-worth the investment to partner with a digital marketing agency that offers website design and SEO among its specialties.

Big Screen to Small Screen

Just as some people prefer to view their Summer Blockbusters on the big screen (complete with buttered popcorn) and others prefer to wait until it comes out on DVD so they can view it on the small screen at home (in their PJs), the same holds true for internet exploring. Mobile traffic was responsible for 52.2 percent of Internet traffic in 2018 — that’s up nearly two percentage points from the year prior and those numbers are expected to climb even higher in the years to come. How does your website measure up when viewed on a mobile device?  If it’s not great, you either need to make responsive design part of your website refresh OR have a dedicated mobile site designed. Not sure that it’s worth the investment? Well…. according to Nectafy, 88% of consumers who search for a type of local business on a mobile device call or go to that business within 24 hours.

How Are Sales?

If you had a salesperson on staff who was not making his or her quota, their job would be in trouble. You should apply that same logic to your website. If you have an e-commerce element on your site that’s not getting the job done, you might want to completely revamp the system. First explore WHY it’s not getting the job done. Is your online store not prominently featured on your current site? Is it not easy to use? Are the images/copy not compelling enough? Your redesign should DRIVE customers either to your brick-and-mortar location or to your online store and close the sale.

Call in Reinforcements

Given the fact that your website should be one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal, getting it in tip-top shape shouldn’t be a one-person job. Assign a committee – or if you have a smaller staff, the whole team – to comb through your current site and list what they love/don’t love about it. Also have them recommend sites that they like and why. Be careful not to fall into the “death by committee” trap, though. Ask for their help initially, but then keep all decisions related to your website refresh (or redesign, if determined that’s needed) to just a few key team members. If you hire an agency to aid with your refresh, you should have one or two “point people” they can look to in order to keep the project moving along. Plan a “reveal” party for all the team members who initially weighed in with their thoughts as thanks for their contributions.

If you DO decide to go all in on your website refresh, you might want to consider adding video and/or a blog if you haven’t already and optimizing your site for voice search (a rapidly growing trend) – among other things. Don’t try to go it alone, either. Partner with a skilled digital marketing agency – like Atlanta’s Woodall Creative Group – to serve as your online Sherpa and elevate your company’s digital game.

Sources: https://www.websitehostingrating.com/internet-statistics-facts/

http://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/

http://time.com/12933/what-you-think-you-know-about-the-web-is-wrong/

https://www.nectafy.com/blog/mobile-marketing-trends-mash-up

Top 10 SEO Tools for 2019 – Target Marketing Magazine

Internet Stats & Facts for 2019 – HostingFacts.com

Create Marketing Campaigns That Are So Good… They’re Scary

October proves an excellent time of year for companies to tweak their marketing calendar and nail down an incredible campaign or two (or more) leading into the holidays and the end of the year. It’s also a great opportunity to start giving shape to your marketing calendar for the COMING year. Unfortunately, October is ALSO 10 months into the year… following a change of seasons when the days grow shorter and nights grow longer… and your team may have their eyes firmly fixed on the holidays ahead and all of the promise a new year holds. Creative juices may have slowed to a trickle, BUT all hope is not lost. There are a number of ways to get those creative juices flowing again all while building a solid team, a sense of excitement and a series of marketing campaigns that are so good… they’re scary!

It’s ALIVE… ALIVE!!!

Rather than merely “Frankensteining” together pieces and parts of ideas all by yourself to round out this year’s marketing calendar, brainstorming proves a terrific tool for bringing a team together around a common goal, encouraging the creation and sharing of ideas, and getting everyone excited about the remainder of this year and the year to come. Some important ways to facilitate an effective brainstorming session are:

  • Communicate clearly WHEN and WHERE the brainstorming session is set to take place, as well as WHAT you expect everyone to bring to the table (enthusiasm, ideas, statistics, etc…)
  • Have well-defined objectives set for your meeting. If you can clear everyone’s calendars for an entire day, you may want to tackle the end of the year’s marketing campaigns for the first half of the meeting, take a break and then reconvene to get a jump on NEXT year’s marketing calendar. In the event that you can only get a few hours out of everyone, you may want to schedule TWO meetings instead of just one.
  • Consider providing beverages, snacks and lunch to help recharge your people and fuel new ideas. Since sugar creates a sense of energy and euphoria, you may want to set out a couple of bowls throughout the room.
  • Create a theme for your meeting. By creating a theme, you could make your brainstorm session seem more like a celebration than a chore. You want everyone entering the room in the right frame of mind – ready to have some fun.
  • Provide plenty of breaks and time to stretch those legs. It’s important to let your meeting attendees break away from time to time to check their emails/voicemails, answer nature’s call and clear their heads so that when they return to the room, they’re ready to get their head back into the game.
  • Start your meeting with a fun team-building game. By kicking off your brainstorming session with a strong sense of teamwork and a little laughter, you’re setting your meeting up for success. Several AWESOME ideas are bound to come out of your time together.
  • Consider having a break-out session or two. Assign smaller teams for break-out sessions to help flesh out ideas. Some people are more likely to speak up and share their ideas among a smaller group. These ideas can then be brought back to the collective.
  • Embrace the concept that there ARE no bad ideas. Everyone in that room is likely to believe that their idea is the most creative and most worthy of being selected. Practice your poker face and use only words of encouragement. Once you shoot someone’s idea down, they are more likely to pull back and stop engaging with the group. Record all of the ideas and take a vote at the end of the meeting for the ones everyone likes best/believes will produce the best results.

Find Someone to Be the Hyde to Your Jekyll

A truly effective creative partner will serve as an extension of your own marketing team – almost like two halves of one whole (but in this case, one doesn’t have to be good while the other is evil – they can BOTH be good). You may elect to bring them in prior to the brainstorming session – not only will they bring GREAT original ideas to the table, but they will bring a fresh “outsiders” perspective to the meeting. Although, if you elect to bring them in AFTER your brainstorming session, they can flesh out and implement the ideas your team has brought to light. The BEST creative partners (like the award-winning team at Woodall Creative Group) will find ways to take those ideas and supercharge them for maximum benefit based on delivery mode(s), target audience and the strength of your messaging/images. When all is said and done (and we’ve done our job properly), you’ll be like Dr. Jekyll after Mr. Hyde’s had a night out on the town exclaiming, “WOW! I can’t believe we did all that!”

Are you ready to create marketing campaigns that are so good, they’re scary? Contact Woodall Creative Group at design@woodallcreative.com, call us at 706-658-0244 or fill out our convenient online contact form for frightfully stunning results!

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10 Marketing Tips That Don’t Cost a Dime

Although marketing is an extremely wise investment when trying to build your company’s unique brand image and grow your bottom line, client base and reputation in the marketplace, not all forms of marketing call for large sums of cash to help get your story out there. As a marketing agency with more than 25 years, dozens of awards and a diverse roster of clients to its credit, Woodall Creative Group has not only guided its clients into using cost-effective – and sometimes cost-free – marketing tools, but has also applied all of the following tips to grow their own business. So let’s count down the 10 Marketing Tips That Don’t Cost a Dime:

  1. Be Proactive in the Marketing of Your Business: The first – and most important – bit of advice regarding marketing is to DO IT! All too often, companies allow the marketing of their brand to take a backseat to more pressing matters – only to learn later that they should have never taken their foot off the gas. Plan a marketing calendar – keeping it active and fairly steady year-round with spikes in activity leading into your most lucrative months or seasons. Never fly by the seat of your pants – your company’s success is far too important for that.
  2. Identify and Leverage your Competitive Advantage: Really focus on what makes your company special. What sets it apart from the competition? Next, ask yourself “What do prospective clients have to gain from this advantage?” Are you the least expensive or most experienced? Do you provide top-notch customer service or a proprietary product? Do you offer extended hours or specialized services? While gaining insights to your own business, become a student of your competitors in order to discover what you can do or provide that they cannot and then weave it into all of your messaging – from copy on your website to prospect communications to talking points at network events. Make your competitive advantage an integral part of your overall brand and remain consistent in your use of that advantage in all digital and traditional marketing.
  3. Make Sure Prospective Customers Can Find You: Did you know that nearly half of U.S. adults said they have Googled someone before doing business with them? With so much research being conducted online before a prospect ever picks up a phone or sets foot inside your brick-and-mortar location, you need to make sure your company is listed anywhere and everywhere possible. There are a wide variety of free options, such as social media sites, city business directories and websites like Google Local, YellowPages.com, BizHwy.com and more. If you’re a member of a Chamber of Commerce or industry-specific organization, make sure your company is listed in their online directory. Take care to research keywords that will help get your company noticed and weave them into your business description in every directory and take full advantage of each listing – filling out as much information as you can in hopes of driving traffic to your website and through your front door.
  4. They Like You, They Really Like You: You know when you’ve had a great customer interaction, or when they’ve had a positive experience. Don’t be shy! Ask for a positive review. If your company is set up for reviews on Facebook, ask your customers to share their experience with others. If you are on a site like Yelp, TripAdvisor or an industry-specific review site, ask them to review you there. Did you know that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation and 74% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more? It’s worth it to ask, and it might make that customer feel special to know they’re doing something to help a local small business. Even better, the best reviews can be repurposed as client testimonies for use on your website, in social media posts, in newsletters, as references to potential clients and more!
  5. Word of Mouth Still Reigns Supreme: In addition to reviews, you can also ask your best customers to serve as ambassadors and directly refer your company to friends, family, business associates, neighbors, church members, anyone and everyone who will listen. You can also take it one step further and look to your affiliates to do the same in a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” spirit of doing business. Related companies within the same or similar industries make great referrals, such as a dentist referring a patient to an orthodontist, an architect referring a client to an engineer or builder, etc… Make relationship building a major part of your marketing strategy. If you don’t have a referral rewards program in place, considering adding one to cultivate and reward referrals. Fostering a solid referral stream is one of the most effective ways to grow a business.
  6. Set Your Sights on Being an Industry Expert: It’s not enough to be the best at what you do – you have to let others know that you’re the best at what you do. Start positioning your company and members of its leadership team as experts in your industry. Create a personal brand for each expert in your company. Network, write blogs, create webinars, book speaking engagements, submit your work for awards, offer yourself as a source for local journalists and more in order to share your knowledge and grow your brand.
  7. Narrow Down Your Target Audience: While casting a wider net CAN work in catching customers, it’s far from ideal. Instead, really drill down to define your target audience – for instance, companies that might benefit from a relationship with your company. Identify the “Top 20” with which you’d like to get a foot in the door to start. Become familiar with each of their businesses and all of the key players you’d like to reach. When you do market to them, do so in a personal, authentic and approachable way while conveying your all-important brand image and communicating CLEARLY why they should do business with you.
  8. The Show Must Go On: Once you’ve narrowed down your target audience and begun making contact, meetings with prospects should soon follow. But don’t just hand over a proposal, thank them for their time and be on your merry way at the end of the meeting. Use this opportunity to set a date for the NEXT meeting. Before the next meeting takes place, keep the dialogue going in order to stay top of mind for that prospect and continue to build on that initial relationship. Chances are, you’re not the ONLY one in your industry with whom they’ve set a meeting. Stay in the game by sending a follow-up email and/or making a follow-up call, sharing relevant blogs, adding them to your e-newsletter database and more. All of these can be pre-designed and set to a schedule so it doesn’t require a lot of extra thought on your part. Just make sure these follow-ups feel fresh and personalized, rather than canned.
  9. Place an Emphasis on Long-Term Client Retention: In the pursuit of new customers, the existing customer is sometimes lost in the mix. A large part of your marketing calendar should include marketing to CURRENT customers with a goal of building long-term relationships. Let them know you appreciate them. BUILD on that existing relationship by offering additional services that could benefit them. After all, a happy customer is one of the best marketing tools you can have!
  10. Market, Rinse, Repeat: Once your marketing calendar is starting to wind down, it’s time to start building another one. Don’t take your eye off the ball. Track what elements worked and what didn’t. For those that didn’t work as well as you’d hoped, ask yourself WHY and consider tweaking those elements in hopes of achieving better results the next go-around. Build your new marketing calendar to be even stronger and more robust that the last.

When you ARE ready to invest part of your annual budget into marketing – from cutting edge digital means to tried-and-true traditional methods and everything in between – Woodall Creative Group welcomes the opportunity to add your company to our growing list of satisfied customers!

Statistics Source

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Atlanta’s Woodall Creative Group Welcomes Jim Balke as Lead Designer

Award-Winning Digital Marketing Agency Rounds Out Design Team with Seasoned Industry Veteran Who Has Led Campaigns for Coca-Cola, Chick-Fil-A, The Home Depot, MetLife, Porsche and UNICEF.

 Atlanta, September 10, 2018 (Press Release) – Jim Balke has joined the design team at Woodall Creative Group (WCG). A graduate of the Art Institute of Atlanta, Balke has served such recognizable brands as Coca-Cola®, Chick-fil-A®, The Home Depot®, MetLife®, Porsche® and UNICEF®. In his new role as Lead Designer at WCG, he will be implementing design trends and strategy throughout the full suite of marketing services WCG offers to its clients.

“There is a rare culture of mutual respect and dedication to the clients here,” said Balke. “I find myself among like-minded design strategists who love what they do. Accustomed to giving 200% to my clients, I value the fact that WCG really connects with the small businesses and brands it serves through a personalized, service-oriented, above and beyond approach.”

Balke defines his foundational career strength as an artistic approach to design. His love of typography has been honed into a true forte that has been used with great success for a wide variety of clients and projects. Included among his career highlights to date are his role as a two-time winner of the Peachtree Road Race T-Shirt Design, five-time winner of the Graphic Design USA Award, and his work with both UNICEF and Chick-fil-A.

“The addition of Jim to our award-winning team further solidifies our position as one of Atlanta’s most exciting digital marketing agencies and reaffirms our dedication to serving our clients in the best possible way,” said Tracy Woodall, Founder and President of Woodall Creative Group. “In addition to his incredible talent as a consummate artist, Jim is a seasoned marketing veteran with more than 25 years agency experience – ten of those years spent in senior-level management. In just the short time that he has been a member of the team at Woodall Creative Group, Jim has already proven himself to be a real asset – not just for his artistry, but also for his ideas. He works beautifully with the rest of the creative team – as we fuel one another to reach even higher levels of excellence in the work we produce for our clients.”

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Balke eventually migrated south to the foothills of North Carolina before moving further south to Georgia to attend classes at the Art Institute of Atlanta. Today, he lives in Lilburn with his wife Cathy and their two children, Bryce and Grace. Three cats, one dog and a bird round out the Balke family.

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.