It probably bears reminding that great wealth has been amassed after economic downturns. How? Being strategically prepared.

Historically those that flourished after times like these, were the ones that kept their product vital and maintained brand awareness in the communication channels of the day. If history repeats itself, then social marketing will play a huge role in brand development. Bigger than it is already.

This issue of Mercury Messenger will provide you with some great tips for taking a meaningful and active role in the social networking movement. And if you want to find out more about our innovative process to create a solid social networking foundation, then let’s talk. It's smart. It’s very economical. Best of all … it creates a path to reap future economic benefits.

IN THE NEWS: Sunset Playhouse

Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove, WI has asked Mercury to develop a new identity and Web site. The Playhouse, entering its 50th Anniversary season, remains a leading resource for entertainment in the Milwaukee area.

Mercury’s first assignment was to rejuvenate their image by shifting mindset focus from being just “The Sunset” to more about “The Playhouse.”

The team began by taking a hard look at the history of the organization. Inspiration sparked.

We were thrilled that Sunset Playhouse Managing Director, Jonathan West instantly gravitated to the contemporized logo design that pays proper homage to the organization’s rich past. 

“There was no question that Mercury was the perfect partner for us in what we are trying to do:  make some interesting noise about our great work. The talented crew at Mercury make interesting noise so well, always while understanding the who, what, why and how of their clients’ business. They have made extraordinary strides for our 50 year old community theater, and I was recently told by a local reporter that in 30 years of covering The Sunset Playhouse, the buzz had never been as good about the theater as it is now. I attribute a lot of that excitement to what Mercury has done for us”.

Work is underway on the Web site. Visit the redesigned site at the end of August and if you are in town, plan to catch one of their performances. Quite entertaining. Incidentally, you can catch Sunset Playhouse in action on Facebook, YouTube, Flicker, Twitter … and yes, they have an RSS feed.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: GLASA & TEMPO

Worthy Organization’s Launch New Web Sites

Devoting our talents to benefit non-profit organizations is a long standing tradition at Mercury. For both Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Assn. and Tempo International, new Web sites were in order.

We began by redesigning each brand’s interactive experience and then restructured site architecture to better meet user needs. Check them out at www.glasa.org and www.tempointernational.com

Be forewarned – what you can’t see obviously is something both organization’s love about their sites – an easy-to-use Content Management System (CMS).

MARKETING INSIGHT

Five Great Tips to Get More Out of Your Facebook Marketing

There is a lot of info out there on how to elevate your social networking game. B-to-B Magazine offers five tips on Facebook marketing. Ironic, huh?!

Here’s our two cents. When using Facebook as part of a social networking strategy, it is important to consider exactly what you are hoping to achieve. Remember, success will not be found in just repurposing ad content on your page. You need to create a dialog… it needs to reflect your organization’s personality. You absolutely must consider your audience and their mindset while on Facebook.

Now ponder these tips to create the optimal Facebook presence:

1. Have a strong presence – Develop a strategy for frequent updates that promotes viral growth
2. Advertise – Yes, advertising! The ability to target messages by demographics, interests, and actions is extraordinary
3. Create an Application--Adapt a widget to promote brand engagement
4. Syndication – Take your steady stream of rich content and tie it to blogs, RSS, etc.
5. Throw an Event – Invite your fans to attend an event and invite their friends

Source: B-to-B, Lead Generation Guide, 2009

SHOOT THE MESSENGER (some feedback)

Interested in discussing how your marcom efforts can take advantage of new trends and behaviors? Want to find out more about our innovative process to maximize social networking? Contact us, we are happy to help! Write us at messengerofthegods@mercuryww.com, call us at 262.782.4637 or come over. The coffee is always brewing.

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