chatter

How to plan and promote a successful event

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:35:00 -0700

To plan a successful event, whether it be a luncheon, panel or sales meeting, you need to have good communication, organization and an open mind. Successful event execution will leave your guests with a lasting impression. Other important factors during the planning process include location and event topic.

Planning an event includes creating a strategy and identifying steps and tactics for success. You need to have an event coordinator who can constantly juggle multiple tasks.

Every time you host an event, there is always a budget to guide your planning. For smaller budgets, explore more cost-effective options and use creative thinking when utilizing your resources. Call several different venues for a wide range of prices or consider holding the event within your office to save on costs. Look at each part of your event and determine which costs can be reduced or eliminated.

As you begin planning your next event, here are some things to remember:

Communication
Whether you’re using an e-mail or print invitation, give your guests adequate time to RSVP. If you have the budget, we highly recommend a save-the-date card, allowing attendees to plan ahead. If you have a larger event, send save-the-dates notices in advance. Follow up with formal invitations six to eight weeks in advance.

It’s beneficial and helpful to give your attendees something to take home. The takeaway could simply be a one-page recap of the discussion or a small gift from the host.

How you promote your event can be crucial to its success. Determining the desirable amount of attendees will help you develop your promotion strategy.

For a wide invitation pool, consider posting the event on your website and blog with specific instructions to RSVP. Using word-of-mouth can also be a valuable tool. Start internally and share information with your employees on the event details and how people should register. Mention the event during client meetings and have a collateral piece to share with RSVP instructions.

Social media is also a great way to promote a public event. You can create an event on Facebook, designate a hashtag on Twitter to create anticipation and have guests check-in using foursquare.

Whatever your tactics, remember to drive all RSVPs to one location. By having one person managing all RSVP correspondence, the guest list will be easier to maintain and numbers will be updated more quickly.

Location
The venue is very important and needs to be large enough to accommodate your guests. Consider the available parking and its costs when selecting a venue. Do they have a garage, valet or street parking?

You should also remember your guests’ familiarity with the area of location. If the event is in an urban area and most of your attendees are suburbanites, provide them with easy-to-understand directions to the location and parking. Tell them what they can expect when they arrive, especially if the event is during rush hour.

Comfort
If your guests aren’t comfortable, they will not be able to focus on the event’s purpose. Provide enough comfortable chairs and tables for them to write during a sit-down occasion. When using PowerPoint or a projector, position the chairs so that they face the presentation.

Another part of having your guests feel comfortable is providing food and/or refreshments. You should provide drinks such as coffee, juice, water or pop. If you have a morning event, your guests will appreciate breakfast pastries. Lunch or dinner events should feature a meal or hors d’oeuvres.

Networking
When you attend an event, networking is always taking place. Some people remember faces more often than names and providing nametags that include company names will help your guests make connections and facilitate conversation.

A successful event takes a lot of coordination and practice. If you and your support team are comfortable with the content and flow of the event, you will have a smaller chance of mistakes. However, you should always plan for mistakes and develop a backup plan.

If your event is successful, your guests will want to come back for more! Happy Planning!

Free search engine optimization tools

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:36:00 -0700

You need the right tools to build a strong, reliable house. This principle also applies to building a well-optimized website.

In search engine optimization (SEO), we use a multitude of tools to provide us with an array of information about any site. This information is crucial to all SEO activity because you will know what the competition is doing, understand what should be done based on best practices and have a clear guide of the next steps.

The tools SEO professionals use can be costly to use effectively. However, unless you’re starting an SEO practice or getting serious about your company’s SEO efforts, you can use these free tools to get started.

Google Analytics
You can’t make sound decisions without valuable information, especially in SEO. In order to improve your site, you need to understand how your site is being used.

Google Analytics allows you to see how visitors find and use your site. Being able to easily set and monitor site goals is a tremendous benefit of this tool with its easy-to-use interface.

Features:
• Mobile and social network tracking
• Benchmarking against competitors
• The ability to integrate with AdWords

Google Webmaster Tools
Google continues to help you do more with your website with Google Webmaster. With everything Google Webmaster Tools offer, it should be the immediate go-to for every SEO professional or enthusiast. (Microsoft and Yahoo! have similar offerings, but we recommend Google.)

Features:
• Helps you notify Google of any site changes
• Keeps you informed of incoming links and most active search traffic
• Alerts you of problems or errors with your site

XML Sitemap Generator
Provided your site is less than 500 pages, XML Sitemap Generator is an easy and useful tool. In order to get your site indexed, Google, Bing and Yahoo! all have to know your pages exist. The easiest and most effective way to do this is through an XML sitemap, and this site takes care of all of the grunt work.

Steps:
1. Enter your website URL and the generator will determine the sitemap’s parameters
2. Upload the sitemap to your server
3. Let the search engines know it’s available

Shareaholic
Social media sites are important to SEO because interacting with your users is a crucial factor to the success of your site. Shareaholic is a toolbar that puts a customizable set of social bookmarks at your fingertips for easy promotion.

Features:
• Streamlines your bookmarking and sharing capabilities
• Enables you to share videos, links, articles and more on any service

Being able to quickly post, tag and promote something can not only be a time saver, but a site saver as well. Read about the other benefits of social bookmarking to your site.

Google AdWords Keyword Tool
This tool is geared for pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, but provides value to SEO. PPC campaigns require us to find high traffic, low advertising keywords and create ads around them. In SEO, we want to isolate the keywords that don’t have stiff competition but have a high-traffic volume and optimize for them.

Features:
• Provides new or different keywords
• Gives monthly trends for the past year
• Offers a count of global average search volumes
• Gives a monthly average for local search volumes

SEO Browser
Remember that a search engine will see your site differently than a user. Ensure that your site is well optimized and easily navigable by visiting SEO Browser to stroll through your website as a search engine would.

SEO Browser strips your site of images, flash and any shiny objects a search engine won’t take into account. If you can’t navigate deep into your site, then a search engine won’t be able to. If you don’t see a section of text, then a search engine won’t see it either.

SEOpen
SEOpen is a handy plugin for Firefox. After installing, you are given an enormous amount of resources including:
• Yahoo Backlinks
• Yahoo Domain-wide Backlinks
• Pages in Yahoo Index
• And more

These are just some of the many tools at the disposal of an SEO professional. With them you should be able to get a firm grasp on where you stand and begin to understand the necessary steps to truly optimize your site for better search engine results.

thunder::tech educates professionals on mobile marketing at the latest breakfast seminar

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:17:00 -0700

Earlier this week, we hosted a seminar on mobile marketing, where clients and friends discussed the latest marketing trend: Mobile.

Held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown Cleveland, thunder::tech team members as well as guests created an open forum, exploring innovative mobile technologies such as SMS text, mobile web development, mobile applications and the impact of social networking on mobile.

View the slide presentation below to learn how you can leverage mobile technology for your organization.

Mobile Marketing
View more presentations from thunder::tech.

After viewing the presentation, download an overview of mobile as well as learn more about the latest geosocial network, foursquare.

If you have questions on mobile technology or have an idea for an upcoming breakfast seminar, contact us.

Personalize your site and extend viral reach with Facebook Connect

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:54:00 -0700

Be honest.

You and just about everyone out there with an Internet connection is addicted to Facebook. Whether you admit or not, chances are, you have uploaded some great photos, hometown information and even your educational feats to this fancy, far-reaching vehicle we call Facebook.

You find yourself visiting Facebook on a daily basis. You find comfort in Facebook. Others do as well.

Lucky for you and your online goals, Facebook provides a pretty liberal set of APIs and connection methods for you to take advantage. In this post, we are going to address advanced topics that can serve as a brief icebreaker into features available to you and your site’s users.

You can pull an amazing amount of information from Facebook directly into your website, mobile app or mobile website using these APIs. As a result, you can personalize your applications to a degree that engages your users and drives growth.

If you are looking to extend Facebook’s personalized touch and social engagement to your site, first look to their developer website and documentation therein. They list and document the various methods developers can use to add Facebook elements to their websites.

The most dynamic method is Facebook Connect, which we will discuss later.

The simplest method is social plugins. You have probably seen the “Like,” “Share” or even the “Live Stream” of activity on websites you have stumbled across (you can find an example at the bottom of this post). Those social plugins can be implemented via iframes or Facebook’s custom programming language.

Facebook’s programming language of FBML and XFBML, coupled with their Javascript SDK, directly adds elements to your site with more flexibility than the iframe alternative.

For instance, say you wanted to add the “Like” button to your page:
Using the iframe method, the code would be:

<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fpage%2Fto%2Flike&layout=button_count&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>

Using the XFBML method, the code would be:

<fb:like layout="button_count"></fb:like>

The XFBML is easily the most condensed and efficient method, but remember that you have to use the Javascript SDK in order to parse and activate those elements correctly. It also requires a more seasoned developer to pull it off should there be issues.

Now, back to Facebook Connect. If the social plugins were windows of the Facebook house, Facebook Connect is the open door.

To initiate the connection, you first have to authenticate the user. This must happen before any functionality or information can really be processed or communicated back and forth between Facebook. So, the information you can pull from Facebook is going to be on an Application or User basis.

Each Facebook Connect instance needs an Application ID and Key. Using that and the current users’ logged-in session, you can then have free reign within the API to pull and push information to and from your site. Quick note: Some information and entities can only be modified or accessed after users grant extended privileges to your application.

For example, I have a website with articles about different areas in Ohio. I want my users to be able to share news stories with others, based on their Facebook friends’ locations. Using the API available, you can easily do this.

The API provides a great array of methods and calls to pull your friends, photos, albums, events and news feeds. You can also use the Facebook Query Language (FQL) to query the Facebook entities available. If you are familiar with T-SQL language, FQL will be no problem.

Example: To get all of my users’ friends’ birthdays, names and small picture URLs that have entered a birthday value, my FQL query would look like this.
"Select birthday_date,name,pic_small from user where uid in(select uid2 from friend where uid1='" & Me.userid.ToString & "') and birthday_date<>'' LIMIT 200 "

This post covered some very technical topics and of course, the devil is in the details. We hope you find this as a springboard into more available resources from Facebook. Please don’t be afraid to ask specific questions on this.

How could you see yourself using Facebook Connect to drive growth within your website?

thunder::tech will be closed on Monday, July 5

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700

The thunder::tech office will be closed on Monday, July 5, as our team members enjoy the holiday festivities.

Normal office hours will resume on Tuesday, July 6, at 9 a.m. Contact your account manager at 888.321.8422 if you have any questions.

How are you celebrating Independence Day?

Download the new July wallpaper!

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:15:00 -0700

thunder::tech’s latest desktop wallpaper highlights one of our favorite things about summer: Sunsets. Show your love for the season with this new desktop background for your computer or mobile device.

We hope our new wallpaper inspires creative thinking this month. Now its your turn to inspire us.

At thunder::tech, we live by the mantra that the best idea is the best idea, regardless who or what department comes up with it. It doesn't matter if the account manager, developer, receptionist, designer, copywriter, videographer, search engine specialist, media relations coordinator, event marketer, custodian or bookkeeper comes up with the idea.

And as we're looking for some inspiration for next month's desktop wallpaper, it got us thinking – maybe YOU have the best idea.

We've spouted out our definition of “integrated” more times than our designers have consumed Dum Dums. We know it like the back of our hand. But what is YOUR definition of “integrated?”

Tell us what “integrated” means to you and we'll work to incorporate your thoughts into our next desktop wallpaper design.

July wallpaper with a calendar
1440 x 900 1280 x 1024 1680 x 1050

July wallpaper without a calendar
1440 x 900 1280 x 1024 1680 x 1050

July wallpaper – mobile version

Attention to Detail 2: Proofreading is still impotent...er, important

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:22:00 -0700

Almost a year ago, we posted Attention to detail: the importance of proofreading and other matters of grammer. Even though it remains one of our most commented posts, as the title of this post elludes to, some out there are still lacking the power to effectively proofread.

Show and tell time:

The word chocolate is used 11 times on this page alone along with one instance of chocalate.

Unfortunately, looking past the misspelling, neither chocalatebar.com nor chocolatebar.com lead you to this delicious site.

5 out of 6 is almost heroic.

Typos happen locally...

...and nationally.

Much love, AIGA, but Wanted: Better Proofreading

Ooh...so close.

At thunder::tech, it doesn't matter what teh project is, EVERYTHING is proofread by at least three people. Print pieces, website content, press releases, radio scripts, e-mail signatures, billboards with only three words, annual reports with thousands of words and even stickers with zero words. If a peace is not tattooed with three t::t initials and a client signature, it doesn't get printed or go live.

That's not to say mistakes don't still slip through the cracks. Obviously, it's ideal to catch them prior to production, but what happens if one gets by the goalie (England, we're talking about you)?

This is where we'd like to tip our collective hat's to one of our clients – Indigo Imp Brewery:

A recent e-mail blast from the brewmasters of this locally owned and operated microbrewery announced a new contest: "Be the first to find the misspelled word on the label of one of the new 12 pack beers and we will send you an Indigo Imp t-shirt."

When we referenced our Attention to Detail post(s) and asked the Imp about the contest, we learned that they also have at least three people read all copy before it is sent to print. Unfortunately, all three missed it...they blame the beer.

"As your post indicates, things get missed. That's what happened to us. So we decided to turn it into a positive and make a contest out of it."

Indigo Imp's response epitomizes the idea that it's not what happens to you that's important, it's how you react that matters.

Any other great examples of oopses out there? How have you/would you have reacted to these types of mistakes?

As usual, what attention to detail post would be complete without some intentional mistakes sprinkled throughout? How many can you find?

Social Media: It’s not just for interns anymore…

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:00:00 -0700

As the newest crop of interns joins marketing agencies and departments this summer, now is a good time to identify their participation in your brand’s social media efforts.

Over the past few months, many brands have recognized the importance of a social media strategy and have established an active social media presence. Social media marketing takes many forms across organizations and companies – whether it’s an internal function or supported by an agency, whether it’s operated by a single person or by a group of contributors.

Across all industries, a consistent mistake is allowing interns to exclusively manage your brand’s social media presence. Many companies lean on their interns because of their potentially deep knowledge of social applications and ability to stay current with the latest mobile gadgets and technology. However, interns still have a long way to go in learning about these applications from a strategic perspective.

That is not to say that interns shouldn’t work with your brand’s social media presence at all. Many interns are very educated when it comes to online tools and their application. You wouldn’t give a driver with their temps the keys to the Corvette would you?

The following social media activities should be left to the marketers with a few years under their belt:

Social media strategy

Would you let an intern handle a major ad buy, pay-per-click campaign or website redesign? If the answer is no (as it should be), you probably shouldn’t let them dictate a major online communications plan.

Crisis communications

Your social media pages can be just as important as your media relations responses and official statements. A seasoned professional should monitor and respond to any potential issue.

Message implementation and responses

Just as you would proof a brochure an intern drafted, you should be proofing each social media post. Look for grammar and spelling errors, and help define the strategic goal behind each tweet, post or comment.

Here are a few activities to help interns learn social media from a strategic perspective:

Competitive research

Interns can provide fresh eyes and perspectives on both your brand’s presence and your competitors’ social media profiles.

Conversation monitoring

Similar to face-to-face communication, it’s important to listen before your speak in social media. Engage your interns in the social media process by having them monitor online mentions of your brand. This perspective will help them understand how consumers want to engage with your brand and manage conversation from your brand’s accounts.

Find new connections, new applications and new platforms

Ask your interns to provide suggestions on new connections on networks such as Twitter, new applications to add to your Facebook fan page or new website services to review. Have them focus on your target audience and how you can reach them.

By clearly identifying where your intern fits within your social media practice, you can create a relationship that best benefits both your interns and your brand.

Mid-year marketing audit

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:00:00 -0700

A savvy CMO or marketing manager regularly audits their marketing plan to make sure they are on track, evaluate for success and establish future goals. The halfway point of the year is a great time to revisit your marketing efforts because of the summer slowdown that many industries experience.

As you reflect on your plan, ask these questions:

How has the recession affected sales within the first six months of the year? Was the effect better, worse or as expected?
During your mid-year audit, look at your sales and consider the contributing factors. Was the success due to a recent ad campaign or social media application? If a recent campaign or tactic was successful, how can you build on that momentum in other areas? If something was not as successful as you hoped, consider adjusting your messages and communication efforts to offset these affects.

How have new markets, products, incentives and more shaped up so far in 2010?
Thinking strategically about your company’s market position is critical to your marketing communications. If you haven’t made as much progress in new markets as you hoped, think of ways to improve your approach. You may want to alter your incentives program, market research activities or choice of communication channels.

Were new marketing technologies implemented?
As you know, marketing will always be an evolving industry. This year, we have seen new developments such as Facebook’s new open graph API, Apple’s iPad, more mobile websites and the increased usage on geosocial networks like Foursquare. Research these new technologies and see where they can be included in your marketing plan.

What projects have been postponed that need to accomplished before the year’s end?
The review process allows you to see what goals have been accomplished or pushed to the wayside. With less than six months left in the year, you need to create hard deadlines for your team. You might even want to consider smaller milestones to make the larger goals more attainable. For goals with earlier deadlines, adjust them to reflect this time of the year.

It’s very important to spend time realigning sales and marketing priorities for your business. Doing so will allow your marketing plan to be much more effective. With a renewed marketing approach, you will also be able to implement strategies and tactics that may have been on the backburner or have not been developed.

HTML5 and what it means for your website

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:23:00 -0700

The release of HTML5, a new standard for Web development, has been the topic of conversation for Web developers, Web designers and even marketers in recent months.

As more Internet browsers and devices begin to adopt this standard, the discussion will continue and you may be asking the question: Do I need to update my website for HTML5?

Any marketing professional or business executive who wants their brand to evolve with current technological advances should be mindful of this new standard that provides more features, font options and usability functions.

thunder::tech’s Art Director Dave Berman and Web Development Manager Bruce Williams visits the set of Good Morning Marketers to discuss HTML5 and what it means for your brand and website.

Watch the video below to learn how you need to prepare for HTML5.

Contact your account manager to discuss how these new specifications may affect your site.

thunder::tech launches integrated campaign for The Millcraft Group

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:25:00 -0700

Our team recently launched an integrated marketing campaign for The Millcraft Group of Cleveland. Co-sponsored by International Paper, this multimedia campaign aims to educate consumers and business professionals on the benefits of using print in marketing communications.

The “Do You Know The Facts?” campaign, which validates print as one of the greenest and most effective options in marketing campaigns, includes a video and microsite as well as print ads and direct mail pieces.

Watch the video below to get the facts on print communications.

Social bookmarking puts your company on the map

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0700

Social bookmarks, used to discover, save and share articles or posts, are an efficient way to promote your business. Search engines rank social bookmarking sites very high because of their constantly updated content, making them an effective search engine optimization tool. As a result, users will be able to find your posted content more often.

As you begin to review your online content to see which articles or posts should be bookmarked, here are some things to remember:

1. Don’t bookmark everything you publish
Not everything you write will be Internet gold, that’s just the way it is. Instead of publishing everything you post, submit the best items of the week. Avoid inundating people with everything by giving them the best of what you do.

2. Know your audience
Not every place will be right for your blog or website. Our blog, chatter, would not thrive on Reddit because that’s not our target audience. For that reason, we won’t go out of our way to make sure that everyone on Reddit knows who we are and what we do. Sorry Reddit, it’s not that we don’t love you, we just know you would bury chatter.

3. Participate, just don’t publish
Have you ever had a friend who talks about themselves constantly? Every time you get together you’re bombarded with tales of their job, their relationships, their problems, their car and their cat. Nobody wants to be around this person and the same rules apply to online social groups. Participate with them. Share sites other than your own. Bookmark interesting articles. You become valuable to the community when you are active. The more valuable you are to the community, the more likely they are to take what you say to heart.

4. Target high-traffic sites
Publishing on a site that nobody will see is not beneficial. Take some time and do your research. Alexa has very good rankings of top websites by country, category and overall. Review those lists to know where blog or site should appear. Facebook, for instance, ranked number two globally. What are you doing to leverage valuable social media tools?

To reach your audience and to have them share your content with others, remember that you must be proactive with social bookmarking. You cannot wait for people to find your content. You have to do the grunt work and get your hands dirty.

Above all, avoid the biggest mistake: Wildly posting content with reckless abandon.

The Modern Muscle X Campaign has struck a chord with all car enthusiasts

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:33:00 -0700

Prestolite Performance, a performance autoparts manufacturer, officially launched the Modern Muscle X (MMX) campaign and car giveaway this week.

Whether you are a car enthusiast or a lover of all that’s free, you can enter the sweepstakes on the MMX website for the opportunity to choose one of three 2010 enhanced automotive icons: Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger.

Prestolite Performance purchased the three vehicles earlier this year and their team of engineers has been revamping the cars with parts from the company’s brands including Lakewood, ACCEL, Hays, Mallory and Mr. Gasket. Over the past few months, thunder::tech has been creating materials for the campaign including logo design, naming, web design and development, public relations, social media and more.

Watch the video below, produced by thunder::tech, to get a closer look at these enhanced cars.

Although the contest has just started, the campaign has gotten a lot of buzz in both the automotive and traditional media:
• Crain’s Cleveland Business
• Philadelphia Inquirer
• Performance Business
• After Market News

Get the latest updates on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as the Modern Muscle X engineers continue to add new brand parts through the course of the campaign, which ends Dec. 30, 2010. The winner will be announced in January 2011 on PowerBlockTV.

June wallpapers now available!

Fri, 28 May 2010 11:38:00 -0700

Looking for a way to celebrate the start of summer? Download thunder::tech's newest desktop wallpaper!

"This wallpaper represents our summer mentality at thunder::tech. While we still work hard, we take the time to enjoy the outdoors by driving with the windows down on our way to client meetings, eating lunch on thunder::tech's rooftop deck and playing in a sand volleyball league," says Connie Baltitas, graphic designer and creator of this month's wallpaper.

June wallpaper with a calendar
1280 x 800 1280 x 1024 1680 x 1050

June wallpaper without a calendar
1280 x 800 1280 x 1024 1680 x 1050

Mobile version

B2B companies and social media

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:11:00 -0700

While consumer-facing companies have been getting the bulk of the social media limelight, business to business (B2B) companies have been slowly testing the social waters and are expected to soon join their predecessors.

According to studies conducted by Outsell and Forrester Research, B2B spending on social media marketing is expected to increase 43 percent from 2009 to 2010 and will quintuple in the next four years. This is part of an overall trend of increased B2B interactive marketing budgets, which are anticipated to grow to $51.5 billion this year.

We believe there are many factors influencing B2B companies to use social media as a significant marketing option:

1. Website traffic
More companies are investing in their websites and want to see ROI through additional traffic. Social media is a powerful method to drive traffic to B2B websites by enhancing their search rankings with more content and inbound links.

2. Customer engagement
All types of companies are learning to engage current and potential clients in the most effective places. Primary social media channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and blogs are options for B2B companies, depending on their audience.

3. Product and service development
More companies, both B2C and B2B, are using the online world as their never-ending virtual focus groups.

4. Employee recruitment
As hiring starts to pick up in different sectors, B2B companies are keeping costs down and reaching more potential employees through social networks.

5. Cost
As the cost of many offline marketing options continues to increase, social media marketing offers an attractive alternative. Outside of personnel time, there is no cost to use platforms such as YouTube, LinkedIn or Twitter. Of course, executives must weigh how much time can and should be dedicated to these efforts.

Be sure to perform due diligence before beginning to market your company through social media. The most important consideration is who you want to reach and where to engage them. Next, begin brainstorming and creating relevant content for your audience.

After those initial stages, determine who would be the key users within your company and if training is required. Consider developing a preliminary social media plan that these key users can use as they begin to create social media properties for your company. Later down the road, you should think about a social media policy for your employees and if you want to implement these policies during and after work hours.

Success within the social media space does not happen overnight and requires sustained effort. The sooner you’re engaged, the better you will be able to leverage this medium.

Social Media Marketing: How Facebook’s new features will affect your brand and communication efforts

Thu, 20 May 2010 13:09:00 -0700

In the past two months, Facebook has implemented a few improvements to their site. Individual users and companies may have already seen the effect of these changes in their Facebook and Internet experience.

We recently discussed the new community pages that allow users to connect on general topics, brands and interests. Community pages, separate from fan pages, will be populated by user-driven content through status updates and profile information.

Continuing to harness the power of user content, the social network has also created the Open Graph API, which will allow any Web page to have the same features of Facebook pages and make the Web more social.

Watch the newest episode of Good Morning Marketers to learn about these features, including the added “Like” button on fan pages.

What do you think of Facebook’s changes?

To discuss any of these services, contact our team.

Search engine optimization & Google’s new options: What does it mean for my brand?

Mon, 17 May 2010 07:26:00 -0700

As every good SEO specialist knows, two weeks ago Google made a rather significant update to their operations. Some people may not have noticed, others may be outraged and some of us may even love the changes. For those who aren’t aware, Google now offers a host of new, easily accessible options for users. If you conducted a search of “Cleveland marketing firms,” you will see:

What you see above on the left-hand side is a fully expanded view of Google’s search options. You can search the customary images, video, news, maps, shopping and more, but you now can also search blogs, updates and discussions and then sort by time-specific frames. Now, you might be asking: “What do Google’s new search options mean to my site’s SEO?”

With Google’s new interface, a user can completely remove websites which haven’t published information recently. As a result, we see the first SEO value in Google’s new system: Stay current, stay at the top. Google has made it possible to remove older sites with one mouse click and sort by the most current and relevant with two mouse clicks.

For years, SEO stated that content needs to be frequently updated to ensure that you stay on every search engine’s radar as a reliable site. Beyond SEO, providing updated content fosters customer relationships. Google has taken this one step further by allowing users to ignore outdated sites.

Frequently updated content:
• Provides value to your customers’ ever changing needs
• Offers users an incentive to return to your site
• Increases customers’ dependence on your products, insight and expertise

As users visit your site more frequently, they will be more likely to share your content and recommend your product to their friends and colleagues. This word-of-mouth process shows additional value. Word of mouth isn’t simply transmitted through personal conversation, it’s also transmitted via websites, blogs and social groups through links.

Online marketing professionals have long stated that inbound links are important as well as participation on blogs, forums and in the Internet community. Don’t simply allow discussions to happen without you: Participate and engage. Google also now provides users a way to ignore businesses who do not participate in online discussion.

Google’s changes to their interface tell the online marketing world that they must diversify and update if they want to remain competitive. You must frequently participate in the entire Internet community or Google will allow people to not find you through search results.

Now the only question is: What are you doing to properly position your brand within Google’s new options?

Mobile Web Crash Course

Tue, 11 May 2010 12:46:00 -0700

thunder::tech Web developers recently educated our team members on the inner workings of the mobile Web at our latest internal luncheon.

View their presentation below to learn more about mobile Web development and some examples of successful mobile sites.

Crash Course on the Mobile Web

View more presentations from thunder::tech.

Keep checking our website, via your computer or mobile device, for updates on our newest mobile projects.

Search engine optimization (SEO): The Blog Approach

Fri, 07 May 2010 06:16:00 -0700

The golden rule in search engine optimization (SEO) is “content is king.” Your content will ultimately make or break your site. You can employ every SEO trick in the book but in the end, without the content to push your site forward, your site will not rank well.

This is where a blog comes in handy. When properly executed, a blog is a living community where content and conversation is constantly flowing. Blogs are not intended to sell a product; they are intended to interact with your audience on a personal level. Users tend to trust a blog more for this very reason. The comment section is an additional boost where you can develop a conversational relationship with your readers. This open communication adds further credibility in your aim to be a good blogger and creates additional content for a search engine will crawl.

Unfortunately, blogs are so prevalent that you now have to differentiate yourself from the crowd. You have to stand up and get noticed. If that’s not currently happening then you’re probably asking yourself one big question: How can I get more traffic to my blog?

Write about topics that interest your audience
This is not to say that what you have to share isn’t valuable and insightful. However, you have to look at the market. Write about topics and terms that are frequently discussed and searched in your industry

The more interesting and thought provoking your content is, the more valuable your traffic will be. Remember this cardinal rule: Write good, informative and solid content.

Find websites your audience visits
The best way to get your audiences’ attention is to find and engage them in their environment. Know what websites they visit and strike up conversations with them there. Find articles or posts and add comments to them. Link to articles that relate to posts you’ve written.

Don’t wait for people to stumble onto your website. Do the work, go find them and get active in the community.

Place social bookmarking links on your site
You need to allow people to find you through various means if you want more blog traffic. You want your readers to share what they’ve read. You want to engage the communities, but more than that you want the communities to engage you.

Facilitate the process by putting social bookmarking links on your website, allowing users to Digg, Stumble, tweet or whatever they find relevant. Use sites that get traffic from your target audience.

Register for blog directories
Sometimes you get lucky and find a website that can help you be seen and find your audience. These sites do require a verification process. For example, PostRank wants you to place a small image on your site somewhere (it looks like this ) while Technorati wants users to claim their blogs via a claim token, which is a series of letters and numbers similar to BQY9D8B5MVDH, placed in a post and published to prove who you are.

Every site requires something different and each one can provide value for you. Hunt out the ones that are most important to you and your business.

Give it time
A blog is an excellent tool not only as an additional marketing channel, but also as a way to further communicate with your audience. However, without the right content and the proper legwork, your efforts may be wasted.

You have to give the blog time to build and grow. With patience and hard work, you can have the next big thing.

Celebrate May with the newest desktop wallpaper from thunder::tech

Mon, 03 May 2010 06:54:00 -0700

Get into the swing of spring with a new desktop wallpaper from thunder::tech's design team. Inspired by April's showers, our wallpaper will brighten your desktop this month.

Download a wallpaper with a May 2010 calendar, without a calendar or for your mobile device.

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Without a calendar
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Mobile version

Internet video in your living room

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 06:38:00 -0700

Various set-top boxes have emerged in recent years, enabling consumers to watch digital content through their home televisions. As low-power computers, set-top boxes connect to the Internet and allow you to use a remote control and watch from a distance. A few examples of these devices include Apple TV, Roku, the upcoming Boxee Box and Popbox.

More recently, television manufacturers have been building Internet connectivity directly into TV sets. Samsung, Sony, LG and Vizio have all partnered with Yahoo! Connected TV to deliver "TV Widgets" such as Facebook, Twitter, Netflix and YouTube on their products. Google is even rumored to be developing its own set-top box and software that will be licensed to device manufacturers. Consumers buying Blu-ray Disc players are also likely to enjoy Internet connectivity from their living rooms. Some ambitious consumers are even downloading Boxee software to their laptops and connecting them to TVs.

So what does this mean for marketers? You can no longer count on knowing exactly where your content will be viewed. A potential customer may come across your podcast or promotional video on their computer, mobile device or even on their big screen TV.

These new TV screens are large with high resolution and enlarging a Web-quality video to full screen will look fuzzy. In addition, consumers are becoming used to a higher standard, making sub-par quality more noticeable. This is why it's important to start with the highest quality video and deliver it in as many ways to provide the best possible viewing experience, present your message in the best light and show a level of professionalism.

For example, YouTube is available as an application or widget on many of these devices. You should upload the highest quality video, high-definition if available. YouTube will process it, create various qualities and deliver the proper file to the appropriate device—from the first video-supporting mobile phones to a high-definition TV with an Apple TV set-top box.

thunder::tech has modified our podcast feed to adapt to these new sets of viewing standards.

Advertisers should also recognize that with these new entertainment delivery options, many consumers are straying from cable and broadcast TV more and more. If you are using broadcast advertising, you shouldn't fear this but embrace it. Shift some media dollars and sponsor a podcast that is watched by your target audience, develop a simple interactive widget for these devices or even contact Hulu or YouTube about targeted advertising.

Contact thunder::tech's video team about new media delivery, advertising and video production.

The Facebook "Like" button: what does it mean for brands?

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:41:00 -0700

This week, Facebook implemented new community pages and phased out the “Become a Fan” option to a “Like” button.

Community pages allow users to connect on general topics, interests and brands and will be updated by importing information from user updates. Facebook users will now be able to link the information in their profile pages to community pages related to their interests.

Facebook pages will still be managed by brands, organizations and personalities. To join a brand or organization’s page, you will now select the “Like” button instead of becoming a fan. Facebook made the switch to the “Like” button because users are familiar with the “Like” feature when reviewing their friends’ status updates, photos and links. According to Facebook, users select “Like” two times more than they click “Become a Fan” every day.

While Facebook continues to innovate, brands and marketers must keep up with the changes in the platform and page structure to effectively communicate online and interact with users. However, this recent change leaves thunder::tech wondering how the new like feature will affect a brand’s social media presence.

As consumers, we “Like” many products, restaurants, companies and causes. However, acknowledging yourself as a “fan” of a particular organization, event or product allows you to express stronger commitments or feelings toward it.

As a marketer, do I want to connect with users who simply “Like” my product or do I want to connect with a passionate group of consumers and brand advocates? Will a “Like” button encourage a user to become more active across a wide-range of brands, providing even more of a challenge to reach top of mind presence?

Will consumers want to receive updates and information about all of the products they like? Will Facebook innovate functions which allow users to express levels or degrees of feelings around pages?

It will be interesting to monitor the new features and updates as we learn more about online user behavior.

What do you think about Facebook’s new features? Do you think it will affect your company’s presence? Do you “Like” the new changes?

Media Relations in a Social World

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:20:00 -0700

Public Relations Manager Misty Fry recently presented at the YouToo Social Media Conference hosted at Kent State University on using social media for media relations.

Misty shared best practices for communicating with the media through social networks. To learn more, check out her slides below:

Using Social Media for Media Relations

View more presentations from thunder::tech.

Adapting your brand to the rising number of mobile Internet users

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:59:00 -0700

Mobile marketing is an important part of an integrated marketing strategy. With more and more people accessing the Internet and an increasing number of smart phone devices hitting the market, it’s crucial that your brand translate to the mobile Internet.

After releasing a mobile version of our site at m.thundertech.com, our video team created a short clip showcasing the growing use of mobile devices for online browsing.

Do you find yourself using mobile Internet more frequently now? What device do you use?

Communicating your corporate social responsibility

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:54:00 -0700

Whether it’s helping Haiti victims, establishing reading programs or volunteering time, companies are becoming more active and vocal about their corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices.

CSR, company standards and activities that address social, ethical and environmental issues, has a strong influence in how consumers view brands. Brandweek recently reported findings from a survey, conducted by Landor Associates, Penn Schoen Berland and Burson-Marsteller, that measured consumer perceptions of CSR. The most significant conclusion is that in a struggling economy, consumers place a higher value on corporate responsibility and transparency.

Consumers feel so strongly about companies positively impacting the environment and community that 55 percent said they would select a product that supports a cause against those that do not. In fact, 70 percent of consumers will pay more for products from socially responsible companies.

Corporate citizenship can be a great addition to your public relations initiatives. Community involvement adds good will and fosters open communication with target audiences such as consumers, stakeholders and the media. Based on survey findings mentioned above, CSR strengthens your brand by managing your reputation and showing your commitment to consumers.

Share your experiences
Interestingly, more than half of respondents are unclear about the definition CSR. As you begin or continue to implement programs, you must educate your audience on what being socially responsible means and how your company is doing its part. Avoid being boastful and focus on the people and the environment that will benefit from your programs.

Use your existing marketing channels to tell people how you practice corporate citizenship. Incorporate a section on your website that discusses your company’s commitment to social responsibility. Create a fact sheet on how corporate citizenship is helping your community and how you are getting involved.

Leveraging media relations can also benefit your social programs. Talk to your contacts at local publications and educate them on your programs. Find out what they see as important issues within the community.

Engage your audience online
Social media is a cost-effective way to communicate your efforts. Using Twitter, Facebook and your blog to update your audience on the latest projects for your local and global community will inspire others to follow suit. You can also use these channels to recruit brand ambassadors to communicate for you.

If your employees are volunteering at the local shelter, post a video on YouTube. This not only gives your company a personality, it also makes your efforts more visually compelling.

If you’re heading to the food bank or hospital, check in using foursquare. Get your employees and community members involved with a competition and see who can become the mayor first.

Get in on the action
To avoid lip service, you must get out there and get your hands dirty, figuratively or literally.

Community involvement provides the unique opportunity to personally connect with your audience. As an alternative to charitable donations, being truly active in society will tap into issues that motivate your audience.

People will then begin to see you less like a profit seeker and more like an engaged participant in your community.

Apple iPad review from Account Manager Michael Schwabe on WEWS

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 05:51:00 -0700

thunder::tech Account Manager Michael Schwabe couldn't wait to get up at 6 a.m. last Saturday to head to the Apple store for a brand new iPad. After using the device for a week, Michael has a very positive impression of its capabilities.

Check out the video below to watch a clip from Michael's visit to WEWS to review the iPad.

You can also read Michael's reactions to the iPad on Cleveland.com.

Keep thunder::tech in the palm of your hand with our new mobile website

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:18:00 -0700

Have a few minutes in between meetings or while you’re waiting in line for your daily Starbucks? Check out http://m.thundertech.com to view our new thunder::tech mobile site on-the-go!

With the spirit of innovation, thunder::tech has been designing and perfecting several mobile websites. We’ll be continuing to release several new mobile sites for clients in the coming months.

Keep checking chatter and our website for more updates on mobile development. Interested in a mobile website or want to know if it’s a fit for your company? Call your account manager at 888.321.8422 or fill out a contact form if you’re a new client to talk with us about your mobile needs.

Join Misty Fry at the YouToo Social Media Conference

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:00:00 -0700

Public Relations Manager Misty Fry is joining a group of experts to speak at the Third Annual YouToo Social Media Conference at Kent State University (KSU). The conference is on Friday, April 16, at KSU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Franklin Hall.

Misty will talk with area professionals and students about media relations in a social world. The all-day conference will hold hands-on sessions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., providing social media strategies and tools guests can incorporate in their business practices.

The event is co-sponsored by the Akron Area Public Relations Society of America Chapter and the Public Relations Student Society of America Kent State Chapter.

Whether you’re a seasoned user in need of a refresher or a newcomer ready to dive in, make sure you save your spot at the conference.

Spring showers bring a new wallpaper

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:10:00 -0700

The sunshine outside our window is telling us that spring is officially here. To encourage April showers that are sure to bring May flowers, update your computer or mobile device with our latest background wallpaper.

From the creative minds of our design team to your screen, April’s desktop wallpaper brings the outdoor scenery into your home or to your phone. This rainy background is available with or without a calendar.

We also have a mobile version of the wallpaper available.

April wallpaper with a calendar
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April wallpaper without a calendar
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April wallpaper – mobile version

Positive's Good: Good copywriting skills mean more than being technically adept

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:29:52 -0700

It's always bad to start off by pointing out the negatives.

Let's start over.

It's generally good practice to open communication in a positive manner. Whether you're writing ad copy, drafting website content, developing your brand messaging or talking to a client or co-worker, you should always be constructive, direct and authentic.

Positive speak fosters positive emotions. Think about it this way: Someone comes up to you and says, "I have the greatest news for you," and you could be prepared for something uplifting. Oh man, dollar taco night just got extended to two nights a week! The same person opens the conversation with, "I've got some bad news," and your stomach is likely to sink as you dread the next words. Taylor Swift and a plane full of puppies just went down in the Atlantic.

Those are extreme examples, but the idea's there. The point is to choose your words carefully because people are hanging on them.

Focus on the negatives, and you're automatically setting your audience up to be on the defensive.

"Just Do It" essentially says the same thing as "Don't Fail," but which inspires you more?

Let's dissect the overview of B.Y. Consulting's services to see how we helped use positive copywriting to highlight their organization.

“B.Y. Consulting works with leaders, teams, departments, cross-functional groups and executive boards, as well as entire organizations to ensure that they are working cohesively to generate the greatest value.”

Not “...determine where their inefficiencies lie and whether or not they are working well enough together to be worthwhile.”

“We first meet with leaders to determine where we can best help and develop an understanding of the culture and political environment of the organization.”

Not “...what we need to change.”

“Based upon our findings we then present our diagnostics, recommendations and carefully craft implementation methods.”

Not “...tell you what you need to do to be better.”

If you focus on the competition's negatives, you may come across as pompous.

"You're in good hands with Allstate" could have been "You're in better hands...," but they chose to skip the cheap shot.

And is anyone else tired of the Verizon versus AT&T slapfest or am I just a biased iPhoner?

Focusing on the competition’s negatives could also make you appear shameless. The Audi commercial against BMW is a prime example.

Taking the high road is sometimes more effective than throwing others under the bus.

thunder::tech has worked with Firefighters Community Credit Union (FFCCU) for several years now to differentiate them from their competition or more specifically, to differentiate credit unions in general from their competition – banks. Rather than focusing on what can be considered negative aspects in the banking industry, FFCCU and thunder::tech chose to highlight the credit union difference as the positive, creating ad campaigns that centered around the common misconceptions of credit unions and their openness and spotlight on community. No ad even mentions the banking alternatives. The "I Am Your Credit Union" campaign has been broadcasted through print advertising, radio campaigns and online as the I Am Your Credit Union microsite.

~~When you practice poor copywriting, you face the definite possibility of alienating and turning off your audience.~~

When your copywriting is direct and constructive, you are more apt to gain the trust and following of your readership. Your audience wants to hear what you have to offer in an honest, professional manner, not about their shortcomings or your competitions weaknesses. Always think about how you would like to be approached and how you would relate to the content were it directed toward you.

Are there any ad campaigns or taglines out there that you think are great examples of positive copywriting? Are there any that turn you off immediately?

thunder::tech supports E CITY

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0700

If you’re a fan of entrepreneurship or enjoy helping youth, consider attending E CITY’s Ninth Annual Awareness Breakfast on Tuesday, April 13 for an opportunity to learn about E CITY and hear success stories from its students.

This year’s breakfast is at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 777 St. Clair Ave. NE in Cleveland, and Tuesday, April 6 is the deadline to register. The featured speaker is Deborah D. Hoover, president of the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, and products from E CITY students will be available to purchase.

Since 2002, thunder::tech has been a supporter of E CITY, which is a nonprofit that represents Entrepreneurship: Connecting, Inspiring and Teaching Youth. E CITY delivers a program that teaches students entrepreneurial, business and life skills to enable economic independence. The program is offered to greater Cleveland and Akron youth through in-school, after school and summer BizCamp formats.

We have been a pro bono marketing partner with E CITY for several years because of our belief in the organization’s mission. At this year’s breakfast, take a look at the posters and programs created by the thunder::tech team.

Our staff has witnessed firsthand the difference that this program has made in the lives of hundreds of inner city students. E CITY staff recently conducted a survey and found that 84 percent of their alumni have entered or already completed their college education!

E CITY makes a difference and thunder::tech is proud to be a part of their efforts. Register today and you can be a part of it too.

get::ting answers: an interview with Jerry Sen

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0700

Graphic Designer Connie Baltitas interviews Web Developer Jerry Sen in our new get::ting answers to learn about his typical day, his tips on updating your site and more.

Connie: So Jerry, you're a developer at thunder::tech—can you explain a little bit about what your day-to-day life is like around here?
Jerry: Well my day begins around 8:55 a.m. After catching my breath from running up the stairs, I boot up my laptop and shuffle to the kitchen to get my daily caffeine fix.

I spend most of my day writing code, providing tech support and writing chat::ter posts. With all of that going on, I try hard to keep all of my projects straight and meet deadlines.

Developer Jerry shows Connie, a graphic designer, a thing or two about golfing.

C: What is your favorite part about being a developer and what’s your favorite type of project?
J: I would have to say that my favorite thing about being a developer is that I get to do what I love. It was a hobby long before I ever considered it to be my career, which makes coming to work every day easy.

My favorite type of project would be anything that requires me to learn something new. I love new challenges.

C: What is your advice for anyone out there who is thinking about updating their site? What are important things to consider?
J: Don’t do it! Just kidding. I would suggest not trying to create the end-all, be-all website. Over thinking your site can be just as detrimental as under thinking it. Look for a happy medium that functions and represents your brand.

C: I hear you're a pretty good golfer. How would you relate successfully marketing a company to having a really good golf game?
J: To be a really good golfer you must have all parts of your “game” working in sync. If you’re hitting the ball 300 yards straight down the fairway but then shank the next three shots out of bounds, then you will never score well. Your long game must match your short game. The same holds true for marketing your company. Everything must work together.

thunder::tech wants you to accept our innovation invitation

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:06:00 -0700

As we continue to feel the effects of the recession and have moved into 2010 looking for recovery, we’ve been discussing innovation more and more both internally and with our clients.

thunder::tech would like you to accept an open invitation, an innovation invitation.

We’ve embraced the idea of innovation this year and look to continue it through 2010. Already we’ve used innovation in a new website design, to update our e-mail newsletter for a friendly look and rethought our monthly marketing video series, “Good Morning Marketers.” We encourage you to bring innovation to your business.

Peter Drucker, the father of business consulting, said:

"Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two--and only two--basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business."

As Drucker points out, innovation paired with an excellent marketing strategy will grow your business. The importance of innovation in all business and aspects of our lives is critical right now. Innovation takes many forms and can be defined as simply doing something different than the method you have used before.

Many of our clients have innovated by:

Creating value based line extensions
Creating financially attractive payment options
Offering new channels to allow their customers to purchase
Having a dialogue with customers
Expanding their physical market reach, even into foreign markets
Integrating their sales and marketing processes

Perhaps it’s our culture of curiosity or exposure to dozens of industries, but whatever it is, we always challenge ourselves to design better ads, create more functional websites and envision bigger brochures. We also ask about our clients’ business models, test their customer service and toss ideas out to improve their product or business.

If you need help finding ways to innovate or a sounding board to discuss ideas, thunder::tech can help. Even if we do not have an agency of record relationship with you, there are many options to sit down on a regular basis to advise, brainstorm and ultimately innovate your business with you. If you don’t use thunder::tech, find an outside advisor or team to help push you if there’s not enough internal innovation.

Make sure you’re taking time to think about innovation on a regular basis and that you’re working to spread innovation throughout the company. Early in the year is a great time to have department managers brainstorm with their teams on ways they can work differently for the good of the client and company.

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, you can innovate and out-market your competition.

If you’re interested in setting up monthly consulting sessions with thunder::tech to cover anything from branding to improving your marketing strategy to social media to improving the selection in your vending machine, give your account manager a call. If you are a new friend interested in this service, please call Kristin at 216-391-2255.

thunder::tech will be closed on St. Patty’s Day

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:52:00 -0700

As we gear up for one of our favorite holidays, we want to remind you that our office will be closed for St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, March 17.

Don’t worry computer, we’ll be back on Thursday.

Our team members will have limited e-mail access so plan accordingly. Office hours will resume on Thursday, March 18 at 9 a.m. Call your account manager at 888.321.8422 if you have any questions.

Whether it’s munching on corned beef, enjoying a parade or drinking shamrock-tinted beer, tell us your favorite way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Watch latest GMM for perspective on the iPad

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:59:00 -0700

Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently introduced the iPad, which has created buzz in both the technology and marketing industries.

In our recent episode of Good Morning Marketers, our resident Apple enthusiasts Graphic Designer Matt Stevens and Account Manager Michael Schwabe discuss the iPad and its features.

We’ve reformatted our monthly video series to encourage open conversation between our guests as they discuss marketing trends. Have feedback on the new format?

We’d love to hear it.

Download the March desktop wallpaper

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0700

thunder::tech's March wallpaper is now available for download.

This month's desktop wallpaper comes in many forms, with a calendar, without a calendar or in a mobile size. Enjoy!

March wallpaper with a calendar
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March wallpaper without a calendar
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March wallpaper – mobile version

Enjoy the new Dancing Wheels video

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:03:00 -0700

Our video team recently completed a promotional video for Dancing Wheels, a professional dance company and school in Cleveland. The organization is the first company to integrate wheelchair dancers in modern dance.

Dancing Wheels debuted the video at a fundraiser in February 2010 and will continue to include it in their promotional materials.

Flash Sites with a CMS. No Way! Way.

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:23:00 -0700

Have you ever had to decide between a Flash site and a HTML site driven by a content management system (CMS)? Some situations need a flashy and truly engaging experience easily made possible with Flash. Other situations require enterprise-type management and collaborative work processes to allow content updating delivered via HTML.

Do you choose the highly interactive and rich experience that Flash provides to impress your users or do you deliver an organized and maintainable site that delivers content via your favorite CMS? With most CMS setups, you often feel like you must sacrifice the rich and interactive qualities that Flash delivers. You’re also hunting down the developer who initially authored the site to update the text or a page’s message in Flash. With today’s technology and speed of advancements, you would think there would be a solution.

The good news is that there is a solution. You can have your rich graphical user interface cake and eat it too.

With new Flash technology mixed with various client- and server-side languages and data formats, you can very reasonably architect, or better yet, install, a CMS to communicate and integrate with your Flash site. You can drive content with the simple push of a button. Navigation and site structure can bend with your edits, all in real-time.

Why this offering hasn’t blown up may be due to some debatable factors. Some might say there’s a small disconnect from the CMS developers and Flash developers. There are also concerns that you lose some search engine optimization strength and maintainability with all Flash sites. There is some truth to that, but if you are deliberate and careful, it may not be such a large factor. Another reason for the gradual ascension is the major advancements in HTML, client-side languages and standards that offer quality experiences themselves. These advancements can possibly sway the decision to avoid Flash.

thunder::tech deployed our first CMS-operated Flash site in early 2009. We looked at the client’s goal and audience and agreed that the conditions were appropriate to choose this strategy. We were able to do so because of some great improvements in Flash.

Yes, there are growing numbers of Flash-CMS systems popping up and actually some that have been available for some time. Each one has a varying degree of customization available. However, if you want the final say in everything interactive. Make sure you pay attention to the available features and request a demo if possible.

If you have the right audience and goal to justify going in the Flash-CMS direction, then you should first identify your site structure and the elements you want to manage such as content, links, imagery and more. After you compare what you want to edit with what the CMS is allowing, you should be able to come to a sound decision.

It’s no longer unreasonable to think you cannot manage Flash content without the help of the authoring developer. If it’s the full site or just a welcoming banner, you can control the content and assets with the help of experienced developers.

If you are in a position to choose a Flash- or HTML-CMS driven site, just know that you do have an option. See a working example of this technology by visiting our recently redesigned website, www.thundertech.com.

Using visual effects for marketing and promotion

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:07:00 -0700

Visual effects are no longer exclusive to big-budget Hollywood productions. New technologies and processes enable many effects to be produced more efficiently. While most businesses don't have the need for high-speed car chases with explosions, there are subtle ways to incorporate visual effects into your promotional video or website.

Chroma key background replacement
Improved Internet connectivity speeds have offered more businesses opportunities to use video to deliver their messages. A creative way to do this is to place your spokesperson right on your website using a green screen (just like in the local weather report) rather than in a boxed-in video.

In the example below, we shot video of a company representative and placed him in a Flash banner on their website. Using software, we created a transparency, or alpha channel, around the person so he can be placed on any kind of background. While this process is fairly straightforward, it requires some fine-tuning to clean up the edges of the image and make sure the background is not showing through.

Watch this example in motion.

Green or blue backgrounds are used to create contrast between the talent and the background. Green is more commonly used for digital or analog video because video naturally emphasizes green, making it distinctive compared to other colors. Blue is more commonly used with film for the same reason.

Motion tracking and rotoscoping
A majority of the special effects you see in the movies generally involve a combination of motion tracking and rotoscoping in the production process. The most common example is the glowing light sabers in the Star Wars movies. The actors fight with sticks during the filming process and the glow is added later.

Motion tracking is the process of following the movement of a particular point, or points, in a section of video to add an effect that will move with it. Rotoscoping is a similar process but involves manipulating the motion and shape of an object.

Prior to modern software, these processes were done by painting on every frame of the negative (approximately 24 times per second of video). While software makes this process quicker, it can still be very time consuming, increasing exponentially with the slightest complication.

Watch an example of these techniques using screen replacements.

Screen replacement is a common business application. When you see a screen such as a television or mobile device in a commercial, the image playing was most likely added in post production because video screens don't photograph well. A similar process can be used to place or replace a logo on a product or remove something that shouldn't be in the video.

We first used tracking software to define the shape and movement of the screen, the hand holding the device, the device itself, the finger’s movement and the surface of the table. Once we had this information, we brought it together in another software package.

With this data, we placed the video on the screen. The moving shape of the finger over the screen was then cut out from the screen video. If we didn't do this, the finger would have appeared to go under the image rather than on top of it. A similar process was done to place the animating tree branches on the surface of the table. Although this scene only takes up about two and a half seconds of the final video, it took several hours to create.

Advancements in software and Internet connectivity allow businesses to use creative visual effects to further develop their online brand presence. To learn more or begin a video project of your own, contact thunder::tech’s video team at 888.321.8422.

Our favorite integrated Super Bowl Ads

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:30:00 -0700

As marketers, we’d lose some of our street cred if we didn’t discuss the latest batch of Super Bowl ads. But, rather than just tell you which commercials we thought were truly the best of the big game, we’re going to share our favorite integrated commercials.

Parisian Love by Google

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Google reminds us how we can find true love through keywords. This ad told a sweet and simple story through easy-to-understand search terms reminding all marketers how important it is to make sure your website’s content and title tags are clean and accurate.

Vizio Internet Apps

The Vizio Internet Apps (VIA) brought all of our favorite online activities together in one creative mash-up. Showing us how we can listen to the latest music, stay current with our friends on social networking sites like Twitter and Flickr and including clips from our favorite viral hits such as “David After the Dentist,” this commercial reminds marketers how many different activities are quickly converging in one location.

The Busy Fiddler by Monster.com

In this ad, Monster.com’s “Busy Fiddler” realizes his dreams through a combination of online portals and grassroots promotion. As he grows his career, the Busy Fiddler reminds all marketers that what you do offline is just as important as your online presence.

These commercials were our favorites - which one did you like best?

thunder::tech portfolio reel showcases our best work of 2009

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:00:00 -0700

Our 2009 portfolio reel is now available, featuring the highest caliber of thunder::tech work in website design, media relations, logo design, social media and more.

In less than two minutes, you can get a glimpse into our greatest projects from the collaboration of our graphic design, public relations, video, Web development and search engine optimization teams.

To learn how you can be included in our 2010 reel, visit our website or call us at 888.321.8422.

So you want to use an API. Ok, what is it?

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:00:00 -0700

You’ve heard the word tossed around before, but you may not know what an API is or how to use one. You see competitors’ websites that offer an API service, providing more value and functionality. You see software companies boasting new APIs for your developers. Google is also offering a new API every hour.

You might ask: How are these APIs built and where can I get one? There’s no need to worry because we’re here to help.

At the very core, an API (Application Programming Interface) is a communication path between information systems. These systems include databases, Web services and Web applications. You may have come across this blog post through an API. In fact, the RSS feed of this blog utilizes an API.

To know why we love APIs, read our post on Web development trends for 2010.

APIs usually consist of a Web service that allows other systems and programs to post or request data in real time. Some APIs will offer strings of information for the requesting and for the response so that each system can communicate properly. Usually, every available API will require identification, possibly in the form of a username and password within the data to ensure communication with the appropriate system.

Programs utilizing APIs have greater access, in real time, to data or assets that would normally be inaccessible or that were previously accessed manually. API providers understand the need for the pushing and pulling of information from one system to the next; both for internal systems and for customer-facing Web applications.

If you’re building a Web application, mobile application or even a Website in 2010, chances are that you will utilize an API or offer one to the masses.

You will notice the major SaaS players offer various APIs for premium fees. Even more APIs are available to the general public at no cost. Some will release them for free and then provide options for commercial users that require mass volume requests.

If you’ve rented a movie on Netflix, then you’ve already used an API service. You paid for the movie through an API for a payment gateway. You might’ve looked up directions to the nearest grocery store for popcorn on the company’s Website via Google Maps, which is an API.

Remember that API linking is done programmatically and behind the scenes. To get a better understanding of how it works and the standard way to offer such a service, look at these examples:

As the Internet grows, so does the amount of communication and interaction between systems. For example, social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter could not grow (maybe even survive) without the ability to communicate and interact with other systems.

With cloud computing emerging, social media exploding and more functionality and users demanding resources in real time, APIs are going to be playing more significant roles throughout the Internet. Hopefully, now, you can discuss this with us more and learn what we can do to get you linking to appropriate and relevant APIs to bolster your online properties or systems.

Fall in love with our February wallpaper

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:57:00 -0700

Looking for love this February? So is your computer’s desktop.

Celebrate Cupid’s favorite day with a new wallpaper from the thunder::tech team. Available in a variety of screen resolutions, this custom creation is available with or without a calendar.

You can also download a mobile version of our desktop wallpaper.

February wallpaper with a calendar
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February wallpaper without a calendar
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Mobile wallpaper

More than a Name

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:21:00 -0700

A company’s brand is more than their color scheme and logo; it involves everything from how phone calls are answered to the language on your Web site and of course, your organization’s name.

Your name communicates a lot about your company and thunder::tech was recently featured in a Crain’s Cleveland Business article on naming. (The article is subscriber access only, but you can also see it on page 13 of the Jan. 11-17, 2010 issue).

The article touches on company names with a unique quality and meaning. At thunder::tech, we truly believe the best brand names convey something special about your organization.

Here are some things about our brand you may not know:
• The “thunder” part of thunder::tech came from President Jason Therrien’s football nickname.
• The four squares in our name that you find in our e-mail signatures, business cards and more, represent both a mark of craftsmanship and our four service areas: advertising, design, web and public relations.
• The large square in our logo signifies clear reasoning and the smaller, colored box represents ideas that are ready to explode from the base.

In addition to creating a strong brand identity for our own agency, we’ve also helped a number of clients discover their distinct brand qualities. From logo design, naming and brand messaging, here are a few clients we’ve helped:

Renaming

The Firefighters Community Credit Union (FFCCU) wanted to shorten both their name and acronym. Originally the Greater Cleveland Firefighters Credit Union, thunder::tech developed a name that doesn’t limit the FFCCU geographically. FFCCU also worked with our team members to create a name that reflects their focus on being open to the community as well as firefighters.

Identity Creation

Everidian specializes in eco-advantage consulting that creates lasting value by using environmental thinking in business strategies. thunder::tech created a new name that combines “ever” with “viridian,” which is a bluish green pigment that translates into forever green. Our team members decided to use the ever(green) association because it alludes to tall, proud trees pulling resources from the surrounding environment and replenishing nutrients. Similar to trees, Everidian clients co-exist and benefit from their own environment.

Management company Collaborent designs, implements and operates collaborative business models to control costs and improve operations. thunder::tech developed a name that includes the prefix “co-” that means together, the suffix “labor” as the root for work and ends with “-ent” that means to form. Combined, the name reflects Collaborent’s core purpose of working together to enable the success of the community it works with.

A company’s name sets the tone for the entire organization. Whether you’re deciding on a name for a start-up or rebranding an existing organization, be sure to develop a name that embodies your company’s mission and its culture. Visit our Web site and let us help you choose the best name for your company.

New thundertech.com arrives January 27!

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:47:00 -0700

How do you know when it’s time for a makeover? Maybe there are a pair of acid-washed jeans hanging in your closet, or your retro fanny pack has made the leap to plain old outdated.

thundertech.com is going through a makeover of its own. While our site wasn’t committing any fashion faux paus per se, there were some areas that could benefit from some new duds. Our revamped site will showcase the latest styles in web design and make use of the newest online technologies.

What you will see on January 27, 2010::

• An evolution of the thunder::tech brand
A brand is a fluid part of your marketing strategy. Changes in technology and design make it important for your brand to stay fresh. thunder::tech’s brand now features more textures, angles and bold typography in our design and these elements are more prominent on thunder::tech.com.

• Simple navigation structure
The redesign for thundertech.com presents a simple navigation and a sitemap that is better organized for our visitors. The website is divided into four main categories: Us, Work, Services and Contact. While the new site has more pages, the content is more succinct and each piece of information can be found in three clicks or less.

• Focus on new technologies
Elements of our redesign take advantage of the newest technologies in online development and media. Our home page will feature increased social networking features by displaying our blog RSS, Twitter feed, YouTube content and news items prominently. The design also has higher quality media capabilities which focus on video and new media.

What will stay the same::

While we are excited to share new capabilities and creative ideas, you will still find many of the familiar elements of thundertech.com. Even though we have a new look, we’re still holding true to our agency culture and you can count on splashes of humorous copywriting and amusing imagery. We will still detail all of our services, display our completed projects in our portfolio section and let you know how many days until the World Nintendo Championships.

Coming soon::

Our website will also be available as a mobile-friendly version. Join our e-mail list so we can notify you when the online version is complete.

If you have feedback on any of these new elements or just want to talk more about our inspiration for our new design, feel free to leave a comment or give us a call at 216-391-2255.

Check out the Web Association luncheon on Jan. 26 to learn more about online trends

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:25:00 -0700

The Cleveland Web Association is hosting a panel luncheon on Web and technology trends on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Come to the luncheon to hear industry professionals discuss and address the big topics for Web professionals in 2010 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Windows on the River in Cleveland.

Expert panelists include:

Brent Williams – manager of Internet strategy at KraftMaid, a division of Masco
Anthony Broad-Crawford – vice president and chief technology officer of Within3
Chris Seper – co-founder and president of MedCityNews.com
Shaheen Samavati – technology reporter from the Plain Dealer

The panel will be moderated by Jason Therrien.

For more event details and to purchase tickets, visit the Cleveland Web Association Web site. You can also submit questions to the panelists before and during the event by sending a Tweet to @CleWebAssoc.

See what else is in store for 2010 in our recent post on thunder::tech’s expectations for the Web.

What to expect for the Web in 2010

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0700

Every day, our team members see new technologies appear on the scene that change the way we view our industry. As we kick off 2010, we share our expectations for how Web development will change this year.

Flash Animation
The amount of designers and developers using Adobe Flash – a technology used to create multimedia content – will continue to increase this year. The thunder::tech team hopes to use Flash for more complex and animated Web projects in 2010 as more Web sites are being converted from HTML to Flash because of its increased flexibility.

HTML, a document-formatting language, shares very basic features with Flash. However, Flash is a better-suited structure for the functionality and interactivity that an integrated agency needs when creating a Web site, because it can incorporate a wide variety of features such as text, graphics, video, audio and applications much more effectively. As a result, designers and developers have more control when developing sites and applications. .

Application Programming Interface
Application Programming Interface (API), a trend-setting technology for the past year, enables software programs to communicate with each other. We hope that more services will continue to release APIs this year because they provide more opportunities while creating sites, applications and tools. Developers use APIs because of it requires little time while providing a lot of functionality.

This function is particularly useful in social media because each channel operates on separate platforms and an API allows these channels to communicate with each other. For example, Twitter recently released an API that outside developers can use to create applications for consumers’ mobile devices and personal computers.

Mashups
We expect the use of mashups will also increase this year. A hot topic in Web 2.0 technologies, a mashup is an application or Web page that combines functionality or data from multiple external sources, creating a new service. An example of a mashup is the Google Maps API that allows outside developers to combine data such as traffic conditions with maps.

Web Browser Technology
Much of the work we do in development involves Web sites, applications or tools that operate within Web browsers. As a result, we’re excited to see new Web browser versions and technologies such as Cascading Style Sheet 3 (CSS3) become more readily available.

The World Wide Consortium (WC3) is gradually implementing CSS3, allowing developers to take advantage of capabilities such as new border styles and transparency specifications. A CCS is a style sheet language that describes the look and formatting of a Web document. Although many browsers don’t currently support certain CSS3 features, what can be used provides convenience and streamlines many functions. We anticipate big things from CSS3 as new versions of Web browsers support all of its modules.

With these expectations ahead of us, our team will have our plates full with innovative projects. What web development trends do you look forward to this year?

get::ting answers: an interview with Kristin Hall

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:31:00 -0700

For our latest get::ting answers, Graphic Designer Matt Stevens chats with Kristin Hall, one of our operations administrators, to hear her thoughts on marketing mistakes, daily tasks and more.

Matt: What is your position and what do you do on a daily basis?
Kristin: I am the operations administrator and new business coordinator. In addition to kicking butt and taking names, I oversee operations including human resources and new business development.

Graphic Designer Matt and Operations Administrator Kristin enjoy a nice cold glass of watered-down Snapple Iced Tea.

M: If I wasn’t an operations administrator at thunder::tech, I would be a…
K: If I wasn’t an operations administrator at thunder::tech, I would be a rocket scientist. Well, maybe not a rocket scientist, but definitely something in a science-related field such as environmental preservation.

M: What is one thing no one at thunder::tech knows about you?
K: I know all the words to “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel.

M: Favorite drink?
K: Watered-down Snapple Iced Tea. I can’t get enough of it.

M: If you could correct one common marketing mistake, what would it be?
K: Not keeping a consistent brand across all mediums.

thunder::tech 2009 year in review

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:07:00 -0700

I’ll remember 2009 as one hell of a roller coaster ride here at thunder::tech. We prepared at the end of 2008 for the economic downturn and the team rolled up their sleeves to continue creating innovative work. Despite economic challenges, 2009 ended up being one of our best years.

Of course, 2009 was a big year for social media marketing. thunder::tech has been building, advising and coordinating social media efforts for clients for three years, but these services took off this year. As an integrated agency, we were well-positioned to build private social platforms, create Facebook applications, integrate with Twitter APIs, evaluate analytics and develop messaging and multimedia content for social networks. We also expanded our services to create social media strategies and policies, train clients to manage their online properties, optimize social content for search engines and plan on how it would integrate with offline efforts.

Some of thunder::tech’s 2009 highlights:

Created packaging for automotive and food products
Continued referrals and new projects from all over the country including companies based in Raleigh, N.C., Columbus, Ohio, Cambridge, Mass., Pittsburgh, Pa., Allentown, Pa., Chicago, Ill. and more
Pursued opportunities to work with large clients and brands such as Developers Diversified Realty (DDR) and the Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff sewing machine brands
Worked with several hot startups such as Citizen Groove and MedCityNews.com
Worked with four of the top 12 colleges by enrollment size and five of the top 25 nonprofits in the region, according to Crain's Cleveland Business Book of Lists
Played a significant marketing role for the movie, Brothers At War, distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films
Logged our highest number of travel miles than all our previous years combined, with trips to Chicago, Ill., Washington D.C., Fort Myers, Fla., Orlando, Fla., Cincinnati, Ohio, Savannah, Ga., New York City, N.Y., Dallas, Texas, Columbus, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, and Phoenix, Ariz.
Team members gave 25 presentations and facilitated round tables all over the country
Mobile marketing and mobile Web sites became a mainstay offering

2009 was a wacky ride with surprises around every corner but one that I’m grateful for because it showed our teams’ dedication and our clients’ willingness to innovate. Thank you to our fantastic clients, our tremendously talented thunder::tech team and our community of supporters.

Happy New Year and bring on 2010!

::Jason Therrien
President

Celebrate a new decade with a thunder::tech desktop wallpaper

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:00:00 -0700

The thunder::tech team has created a new wallpaper to help you start a new year.

This desktop background, available with or without a calendar, spices up your office or home with a design highlighting some of our favorite marketing resolutions for 2010. To see more of our resolutions, read our previous post.

We’re also giving you a mobile version of our wallpapers every month.

January wallpaper with a calendar
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January wallpaper without a calendar
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Mobile Wallpaper

Leave us suggestions below for upcoming desktop wallpapers.

Try out a marketing New Year’s resolution

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:50:00 -0700

The beginning of the year at thunder::tech is full of New Year's marketing resolutions. Having some trouble figuring out what to improve this year? Take a look at some our suggested marketing resolutions for 2010:

Spend more time with your marketing.
A great marketing campaign can be implemented, but if it isn't maintained, it starts to lose its credibility. If you have a news tool on your Web site, update it! If you have a blog, add a new entry! A photo gallery? Upload photos from your last event to Flickr or Facebook. Your audience will notice.

Lose weight on your bandwidth and engage more visitors by writing concise Web site content.
How many times have you gone to a site and thought, "There is no way I am reading all of that text!" Take a look at your own site—do you get that same feeling? Visitors to the Internet have a short attention span. Keep it brief.

Learn a new way to communicate with social media.
You've probably heard a lot about people being followed on Twitter and becoming fans on Facebook. Social media is bigger than ever before—instead of being afraid of it, ask questions and learn about it. When used correctly, it has the potential to benefit you and your company, making a lasting impression.

Take a vacation from your old ways of promoting your business.
You've been doing the same print advertising for years. You've had the same Web site design your company's entire life. And you think, it's been working so far—why change? Refreshing the look of your materials brings renewed interest in your organization and has the opportunity to appeal to a wider audience. You'll never know how much better it can be unless you try!

Get organized—reduce the clutter in your marketing strategy and establish a clear vision for 2010.
Do you look at your brand messaging and think it needs a little work? Is your Web site outgrowing its template? Simplify your life this year and update some of these pieces that are causing you frustration. You'll be able to get down to business and focus more on the things that really matter in your organization.

Spend the year helping others get to know your organization better.
You've focused so much time perfecting the message and the look of your Web site and print materials—now what? Get out there and network. Meet new people and explain what you're doing. Hand them a brochure or direct them to the Web site. Do everything you can to raise awareness about your business or organization. You never know who could be your next client or member.

What are some of your marketing resolutions for 2010?

thunder::tech president visits Washington D.C. for the Government 2.5 social media conference

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:23:00 -0700

thunder::tech President Jason Therrien participated in the Government 2.5 Conference in Washington D.C. earlier this month.

Social media experts, executives and support staff of local, county, state and federal agencies and government convened for the two-day conference to discuss the convergence of social media, Web 2.0 and government.
Jason gave a presentation on the application of social media and Web 2.0 via channels such as::

Government to citizen – Government agencies and departments can communicate to residents via social media channels.

Citizen to government – With the right tools, individuals can aid government efforts. Jason provided the example of the iPhone application Boston citizens use to alert their city government of street light issues, graffiti, potholes, and more by submitting photos and a description.

Government to business – Government entities can give businesses tools to help them work with government more efficiently and self-service their issues and questions. Jason discussed the ::ticc system that thunder::tech designed for the City of Strongsville, allowing businesses to publish available land, office, warehouse and retail space within the city.

Learn more about these applications and thunder::gov by contacting us at 888.321.8422 or following @thundergov.

thunder::tech team brings home the gold

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:04:00 -0700

thunder::tech received a gold award for the integrated communications campaign we developed for Vintage Development Group and Battery Park from the Cleveland chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The integrated communications campaign included a variety of projects including Web design, printed communications, media relations and social media.

Team members Michael Schwabe, Misty Fry and Christina Karas are proud of thunder::tech’s new award!

thunder::tech’s work helped Vintage Development Group maintain a high number of sales in the Battery Park development despite a tough economic climate. Currently, there are no unoccupied homes in Battery Park and the next stage of development has started early to meet consumer demand.

Each year, the PRSA Cleveland honors the best public relations campaigns in Northeast Ohio at the PRSA Cleveland Rocks Awards. To be eligible, public relations programs must incorporate solid research, planning, execution and evaluation. This is the second year in a row that thunder::tech has taken home a gold award in the integrated communications category.

To learn more about our integrated communication capabilities, visit our Web site at thundertech.com.

Holiday greetings from thunder::tech!

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:14:00 -0700

It's a snowball fight like no other! With our interactive holiday card, you can pelt snowballs at your friends in any city, state or territory from the comfort of your home or office.

With OnlineSnowballFight.com, throw snowballs to increase your score, but look out—if you get hit, you'll lose points you worked so hard to earn! Play by hitting any of the users wandering through the snowy landscape or enter your friends' e-mail addresses or Twitter usernames to send an icy greeting their way.

The animals rule this landscape. You'll start as a furry, cuddly bunny and as your score climbs, you turn into larger animals. Score enough points and become an abominable snowman, ruling the virtual hillside.

Read more about our holiday greeting in The Plain Dealer or online and follow @ttsnowballfight to see all of the action.

If you like the holiday card, you can also download a winter-theme desktop wallpaper.

Good luck and happy holidays from thunder::tech!

Maximizing your professional network with LinkedIn

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:30:00 -0700

With the right tools and applications, LinkedIn can be a smart marketing tool to promote your business, showcase your expertise and connect with colleagues, clients and customers.

Launched in 2003, LinkedIn was designed for professionals, creating a new way to connect. With more than 50 million members in more than 200 countries, this social network is a popular platform for creating and growing a professional contact base.

There are a myriad of possibilities for using LinkedIn to create or further promote your brand, to market your business and communicate with your professional network.

You are Your Brand
Savvy online users are utilizing forums, blogs and social networks for background information on companies and business leaders. Users are also turning to social networks to directly connect with their favorite organizations.

LinkedIn provides that outlet for both companies and their customers. As a leader of your organization, you can promote your brand by simply creating and maintaining a profile.

Below are 10 steps for leveraging LinkedIn to benefit you and your business.

10 steps for enhancing your LinkedIn presence:
1. Upload a photo
When creating a profile, provide a picture for users to easily recognize when searching for your profile. A picture adds a personal touch and gives your profile more authenticity.

2. Complete the entire profile
Your LinkedIn profile should serve as a hub for all of your professional information. Utilizing LinkedIn’s tools and step-by-step instructions can effectively build connections and gain recognition.

3. Link to your business
Make sure your company has a LinkedIn presence and link to it through your personal profile. A LinkedIn company profile can be a jumping point for a company brand by allowing companies to add organizational history, job listings, specialties and their Web site URL. A company presence also provides a platform to share videos, Web sites, articles or blog posts.

4. Utilize applications to share ideas and messages
Business leaders can use their personal profile to share work and expertise by adding applications such as the Box.net Files, which enables you to share files, and SlideShare Presentation, which uploads PowerPoint presentations. Applications can provide additional outlets for communicating and connecting with your contacts.

5. Do your homework to grow your network
Your network tells a story. Many people on LinkedIn only connect with professionals with whom they have an existing relationship. A sizeable amount of connections adds credibility to your brand and allows you to grow your reach.

To build your network, ask direct contacts to introduce you to people in their network. Having a common connection adds credibility in making a new contact. Always read LinkedIn’s Network Updates e-mail messages to stay informed of new people to add to your network.

6. Share your personal side too
Keep your network updated by sharing status updates about your latest project or incorporating recent blog posts or tweets into your personal profile. Applications such as the Amazon Reading List, allow you to share what you’re reading and the books you enjoy while adding personality and an outlet for communication with others.

7. Recommendations are your currency
Recommendations are a valuable feature that gives insight into your skill and expertise. An easy way to start collecting recommendations is to recommend others; chances are they will return the favor. Also, don’t hesitate to ask customers, clients, colleagues and employees who can genuinely discuss their experience with you.

8. Integrate with other marketing materials
To maintain consistency, integrate LinkedIn into other marketing materials and social networks by including your LinkedIn profile address in e-mail signatures and on your Web site.

9. Remember keywords when adding content
LinkedIn has an established relationship with Google, allowing users to easily search organizations with keywords such as name, location or industry. When creating profile content, keep in mind the keywords you want to be known for and incorporate into your profile. Consistent wording and messages will improve your search ranking.

10. Check in frequently
Respond to others in a timely fashion and make sure information is up-to-date, relevant and valuable.

LinkedIn has created resources to help set you apart from your competitors and incorporating these tools into a personal profile will allow you to connect with colleagues in a targeted way. Remember that you must dive in and interact with others to get the full benefit of the social network as a marketing tool.

Adapting techniques for mobile Web users

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:07:00 -0700

The number of people accessing the Web through their mobile devices continues to grow and as a result, marketers must develop targeted Web sites for these consumers.

An important issue with mobile browsing is the constraints that it has over using a computer. Mobile devices have a variety of screen sizes and the Internet connection is very slow. A good designer or developer will keep these things in mind when creating Web sites for mobile users.

To learn more about mobile Web development, watch the latest episode of “Good Morning Marketers” where Public Relations Manager Misty chats with Developer Bruce and Connie, a graphic designer, about the evolving techniques to cater to mobile Web users.

You can also view the past editions of Good Morning Marketers on mobile marketing, Web design and more on our YouTube channel. Have an idea for a future episode of “Good Morning Marketers?” Leave us a comment below.

Celebrate winter with the thunder::tech December wallpaper

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:39:00 -0700

Each month, our design team works hard to bring you creative desktop wallpapers. This month, we’re welcoming the snow with a winter-inspired design for your computer.

December’s wallpaper is available with a calendar or sans calendar if you want to keep it longer than 31 days.

December wallpaper with a calendar
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December wallpaper without a calendar
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If you like this wallpaper, be on the lookout for our thunder::tech holiday card coming soon!

thunder::tech invites you to give thanks today!

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:35:00 -0700

In the fast-paced world of an integrated marketing agency, we don’t often get a few minutes to check our e-mail, let alone reflect on all the blessings in our lives. Today, in honor of Thanksgiving, we invite you to take a few minutes to give thanks with us. Use the Twitter hashtag #thunderthanks or leave us a comment below to tell us what you’re thankful for.

Here’s a few of the things our team appreciates::

“The ?: Shortcut, which enables me to code faster” – Ben, flash developer

“Our strong production teams who turn out awesome projects and fresh ideas.” – Kristin, operations administrator

“The new Apple magic mouse, iPhones and wearing jeans to work (almost) every day.” – Matt, videographer

“The Internet: with it I can order pizza, chat with friends, listen to radio, stay connected to the world from my phone and experience the unmatched excitement of woot! offs.” - Joshua, search specialist

“Blogger, Twitter and Tweetdeck!” – Alexa, account manager

“Filezilla, which allows us to transfer multiple files to and from Web servers very quickly.” – Chris, web developer

“For clients willing to take risks and try a new marketing tactic. And foursquare.” – Michael, account manager

“Facebook’s beta version of Pirate English.” – Connie, graphic designer

“Streaming music on Grooveshark, the new FTC regulation that bloggers must fully disclose sponsorship deals and slab serif fonts.” – Lauren, graphic designer

A few thankful thunder::tech team members

Is Foursquare for your business or just for fun?

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:45:00 -0700

Recent buzz from sites like CNN and Wired proclaims foursquare is the next Twitter. Not to be confused with a favorite childhood game, foursquare is an interactive game based on geo-location networking. While it’s best experienced on a GPS-enabled phone, such as an iPhone or Android, you can also play the game through text messaging and the Internet. A user earns points for checking in at a location, which includes anything from a home to a restaurant to landmarks and is rewarded with badges and titles such as “mayor” for frequently checking in. (For more information, check out Wikipedia.)

As a new way to stay in touch with your friends via the Web or your mobile phone, it’s sure to be something online influencers will embrace, which can translate into a new marketing tool for your business.

foursquare recently launched their API for developers to begin interfacing with the platform and has a list of how-to’s for businesses. With these tools, a company can begin to interact with customers in a new and highly-targeted way by providing rewards for the most frequent visitors with special titles, freebies or discounts.

Geo-social networks and games also provide opportunities for an organization to learn more about their customers and their habits – where they go, what they do and how much time they spend at each location.Based on the preferences, an organization can advertise and promote relevant information to its target audience.

foursquare allows users to give “tips” on locations, including establishment or product reviews and insider hints providing consumer data quickly and accurately. While foursquare users focus on earning as many points and badges as possible, business owners have a free user-driven information database.

While foursquare is currently a developing platform in 100 cities across the world, it is important to understand the function and possibilities in this tool and other similar geo-social games. Just imagine the interactive options and potential benefits to your organization and its online reputation.

Want to know more about foursquare and how you can track your customers to market to them directly? Leave us a comment below or contact Michael, our resident foursquare expert and the current mayor of thunder::tech at 888.321.8422.

thunder::tech hosts first social media breakfast forum

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:38:00 -0700

This morning, thunder::tech hosted a small group of friends for our first breakfast forum to discuss current topics and trends in social media. Led by thunder::tech team members from the public relations team, account management team and development team, the discussion covered lessons we’ve learned in social media and what we can all expect in 2010.

Here are some of the ideas we covered this morning::

Social media marketing will operate around the clock
- Consumers are engaged with brands at all hours of the day. Marketers and brand managers will need to adjust their thinking and their response times to quickly engage their publics
Geosocial networking will become increasingly popular
- Geosocial networking, including games like FourSquare, will play a larger role in social media. It will be important for organizations to understand the impact and real-time effect of these networks.
The relationship between social media and SEO will continue to play an important role in both SEO strategy and online public relations
- Social media and SEO have a mutually beneficial relationship. A smart marketer will work with both social media experts and search marketers to combine their efforts for an effective online communications strategy.

We also enjoyed the discussion, questions and ideas our guest shared with us as well. John, from Oberlin College, shared with us this funny clip from Louis CK’s visit to Late Night with Conan O’Brien and our society’s changing perceptions of technology. Enjoy!

To learn more about attending a thunder::tech breakfast forum, please e-mail Public Relations Coordinator, Christina Karas, at christina.karas@thundertech.com.

Creating Copy for Web-based advertising

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:55:00 -0700

On November 12, two thunder::tech team members, Art Director Dave and Public Relations Coordinator Christina, visited The University of Akron to share their marketing knowledge with public relations and copywriting classes. Here is the presentation they created on how to create strong Web-based advertising copy.

Creating copy for Web-based advertising

View more presentations from thunder::tech.

Interested in having a thunder::tech speaker at your event? Call Christina at 216-391-2255 for more information.

Developments in Search Engine Marketing

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:11:00 -0700

In our most recent episode of Good Morning Marketers, thunder::tech's monthly series on marketing trends, our Search Engine Specialist Joshua visits the set to talk about recent trends in Search Engine Marketing and how this affects smart Web development.

Steps for success when beginning a Web project

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:20:00 -0700

One day, your boss says that the company’s Web site isn’t up to par anymore. It is out of date, doesn’t offer value to current or potential clients and should have new features.

Then the inevitable happens: The boss assigns you the project with a shoestring budget and ambitious deadline.

If nailed correctly, these opportunities can be company and career boosters. They can also be black holes, swallowing resources and frustrating stakeholders until the final product looks nothing like what was initially envisioned.

Before beginning this undertaking, here are three quick must-dos to save time, money and frustration and put your company on track to online success.

Step #1: Get detailed with your requirements
Begin jotting down your vision of the final product and then expand on each requirement. If you think you have been as specific as possible, look again. Give examples and benchmark what is already out there.

Be specific about the information you want to provide or acquire from your users. Do not expect hired developers or designers to interpret your definitions. Trust us, they appreciate the detail and the more explicit you are, the better the designer or developer will be able to create a site that fits your unique needs.

Step #2: Think of the future
If you are doing a complete overhaul of your Web site or Web application, now is the time to get your foundational and evolving needs on solid ground.

Find a vendor with the same mentality as yours. Nothing is worse than launching a completed project only to find that your developers or designers have disappeared or refused to support you and your ongoing needs.

With that in mind, get to know your vendor and what they’re building for you. Answer these questions before moving forward:
• What programming language and technologies are they using for the site?
• What documentation are they preparing and will they share it with you?
• Do they follow best practices in coding the applications, HTML and styles?
• What process do they have for handling your future requests and updates?

Step #3: Get your content ready early
Time and again, we have seen projects steadily progress only to stall at the end waiting for site content.

Granted, concepts are sometimes not solidified until later in the process. However, rough drafts should be completed beforehand and ready to distribute to the appropriate pages or sections of the site.

When the design and developed functionality are completed, you can drop the content in and spend the remaining time fine tuning the formatting. Without the content prepared ahead of time, much time will be wasted by waiting.

Create the desired content early and effectively but don’t let yourself get too caught up in getting it absolutely “perfect.” It will change and it should change.

Conclusion
These tips are not the end-all and be-all for every Web project, but they are powerful tips that will lead to greater success when beginning a new project.

Download November wallpapers for your desktop!

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:26:00 -0700

Get November started by downloading thunder::tech's newest wallpaper. Featuring fun fall items such as a roasting turkey and changing leaves, we also share a few items inspired by the surroundings in our MidTown office. The monthly wallpaper is available both with a calendar, and without. Check back for next month's wallpaper too!

November wallpaper with calendar
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November wallpaper without calendar
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Happy Halloween from thunder::tech!

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

If you know anything about the thunder::tech, then you know we LOVE Halloween!

We celebrated with our annual employee pumpkin carving contest, but this year we did it a little differently by having representatives from each department on every team. Team members worked alongside each other to create the best pumpkin carving in an hour. Afterward every team member voted on the best pumpkin creation.

As this year’s winner, Team 1, created a pumpkin that was ready for a rockin’ time equipped with a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt, Journey concert tickets and a Zippo lighter. Team 2 took the Twitter craze to a new level by carving a thunder pumpkin with its own Twitter account. Team 3’s pumpkin depicts their interpretation of the swine flu, complete with a thermometer and scarf and Team 4 created the Kool-Aid pumpkin that can burst through brick walls.

Watch our video of this pumpkin seed-filled adventure below.

You can also view pictures of each pumpkin on Flickr. Which pumpkin is your favorite?

Time to start thinking "holiday"

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:08:00 -0700

As the leaves turn brilliant shades of PMS 137 and PMS 116, the holiday season is once again sneaking up on us. While everyone is busy looking forward to roasting turkeys and making stuffing, at thunder::tech we're busy thinking up fresh and creative ways to spread our holiday cheer and goodwill to our friends and clients.

Not only are holiday touch points a great way to connect with your clients during a historically slow time of year, but they are also a great way to showcase your innovation and creativity. If you haven't started thinking about the message you want to send as the weather drops into the single digits, there's no time like the present (get it, present?).

The best seasonal ideas are relatable and create a lasting memory for your audience. The most common media for holiday correspondence is old-fashioned snail mail, however, a strong campaign might have printed material and an online component, such as an e-card or video, to reach a broader audience and encourage interaction.

Consider thunder::tech’s card from the 2008 season, based on our fictional employee-stocked rock band, Electric Thunder and the Perkins Avenue Jam Band. Our mailing touch point was in the form of a CD sleeve, complete with titles to our spoofed holiday song tracks such as "O Pop Up Ad, O Pop Up Ad." We also had a MySpace page for the band and a microsite with downloadable audio tracks. While our singing and instrumentals left something to be desired, the end result showed a strongly branded campaign theme and was distributed among multiple channels to make a maximum and memorable impact.

Especially this year, budget can play a factor in deciding how hog wild to go with your holiday greetings. Not everyone has a super talented team of musicians waiting to show off their skills. But never fear, there are a myriad of options available to you. Sometimes the most no-frills execution can lead to the most creative solution. You don't have to create a full-blown Web site to have an online presence—even a Facebook fan page or a splash page with a unique URL can do the trick. The key is to figure out what resources you can dedicate to your holiday communication and use that as your starting point. If your message and theme are strong ones, you'll still grab the interest of your audience.

Think about trends you're seeing in the marketplace and your industry to help develop your holiday message. Eco-friendly is always a popular topic—how about a mailer printed with soy-based inks? Want to let your clients know you've changed offices? Maybe you can kill two birds with one stone this year.

Want to bounce some holiday greeting ideas off of our design team? Leave a comment below or give us a call.

Using social networking to benefit your business

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:05:00 -0700

On Wednesday Oct. 22, Public Relations Manager Misty presented a seminar on using social networking to benefit your business at the 2009 COSE Small Business Conference.

Check out her slides from the presentation to learn more about how to use social media to develop your organization's online presence.

Using Social Networking to Benefit Your Business

View more presentations from thunder::tech.

What is a Search Engine?

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

“What is a search engine?”

This simple question is the most important question a person can ask when beginning the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) process and one that every client should ask their search engine specialist to ensure that their tactics are on target.

A search engine is a tool that delivers information to the user. Search engines attempt to interpret a user’s request, or search term, to deliver the best information. Currently, three big players (Bing, Yahoo! and Google) are competing to set themselves apart as the best search engine. In the end, the tool that can provide the most accurate information is the winner.

The image above provides a visual representation of a search engine. What we see is a user (the fisherman) looking at the Internet (the ocean) using a search engine (a fishing pole) to find a Web site it can use (a fish).Search engines sift through the endless sea of Web sites and information to provide the results you are seeking.

Continuing with the above analogy, search engines strive to create a fishing pole that understands the precise needs of the user. An ideal fishing pole can easily pierce through the ocean to catch the fish it needs.

In the same way, search specialists use SEO to become the appealing fish that is easily found by the fishing pole.

In this we find the connection between both search engines and SEO: both are working to provide the user with results (or a nice evening meal).

Knowing what a search engine is and how SEO works, I encourage you to go to your Web site, look around and ask yourself the following:
1. What are you doing to swim better than your competition?
2. What are you doing to be caught by that search engine?
3. If a user finds your site, are you really going to satiate their appetite or will they have to go fishing again?

First annual Cleveland Beer Week starts this Friday

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:37:00 -0700

This Friday, Cleveland Beer Week is kicking off at 6 p.m. with a Ceremonial Keg Tapping at the Winking Lizard in Independence, Ohio. Cleveland Beer Week is a week-long celebration which supports local breweries and pubs. Local events will take place all week throughout Cuyahoga County.

Visit the Cleveland Beer Week Web site to see a full schedule of events and to purchase tickets.

Can’t decide on which event to attend? Check out Indigo Imp Brewery’s “It’s Firkin Alive!” tasting next Thursday, Oct. 22 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. To help Indigo Imp prepare for the tasting, we created postcards, tickets and a commemorative pint glass. We also created an online ad and Web copy for the brewery’s blog and Facebook Fan Page.

As a sponsor, thunder::tech’s design team created interactive ads for the celebration, which you can see on clevelandnights.com and clevelandbeerweek.org.

get::ting answers: an interview with Account Manager Michael Schwabe

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:59:00 -0700

In the latest edition of get::ting answers, our public relations intern, Noelle, chats with Account Manager Michael about marketing, boy bands and more.

Noelle: What are some of your daily activities as an account manager?
Michael: I work with both current and prospective clients to identify and strategize how to meet the client’s needs or challenges. I also work with members of each team to develop strategies and tactics to effectively address client needs and concerns.

N: In your opinion, what has been the biggest development in marketing this past year?
M: The realization that social media – for large corporations and small businesses alike – can not only have a large impact on their business, but can be an integrated part of their marketing mix.

N: How do you see for the role of social media and marketing changing in the next two years?
M: I think that within two years, we’ll see many more social platforms and tools arise that will offer niche services to different audiences. Marketing professionals will need to understand how to best maximize each social media platform for various target audiences.

N: What is your favorite Disney movie?
M: Lion King 1½. Do I need to expand on that?

N: What are your favorite fast-food fries:
M: Wendy’s. Well, actually, because I haven’t had them in a while, it’s Rally’s.

N: Who’s better: *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?
M: *NSYNC of course.
N: Good answer.

See thunder::tech at the COSE Small Business Conference

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:46:00 -0700

Check out the COSE Small Business Conference on Oct. 21 and 22, 2009 at the IX Center in Cleveland to see thunder::tech team members discuss social media and marketing.

Account Manager Alexa and Public Relations Manager Misty will both be presenting during the conference. Alexa’s presentation, “Creating an Effective Online Presence,” will be on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 10:45 p.m. to noon in room 16. Misty will be discussing “How to use Social Networking to Benefit Your Business” on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 2:45 to 4 p.m. also in room 16.

During the conference, thunder::tech team members will also host the Social Media Learning Lab to discuss social media strategy and how to apply it to your company. Tutorials are on a first come, first served basis. Bring all your questions about social media and our team will help you build a social media presence.

To participate in an open discussion on “Integrating Social Media into Your Marketing,” join us for the Social Media Roundtable on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 2:15 p.m. hosted by Christina on the main floor of the venue.

To register, visit the COSE Small Business Conference Web site or call 216-592-2222.

Implementing social media policies that reflect company structure

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:24:00 -0700

The number of organizations using social media continues to grow and companies are realizing the importance of developing a clear social media strategy and policy for their employees and business communications.

Social media policy is an important discussion, whether it’s how your employees represent your online brand or key messages a company uses on social platforms. First, decide what your social media policy will address:

Do you want to restrict all social media access?
Do you want to provide guidelines for all employees?
Do you want to train your executives on how to Tweet?

Social media policies are not “one size fits all” and how a company adopts them depends on the nature of its business. For example, a hospital would communicate differently than a law firm or even an integrated marketing agency. Also, many organizations deal with confidentiality issues and that should be reflected in their social media guidelines. If employees can’t discuss certain topics outside the office, they shouldn’t publish them either.

Another approach is to use social media to benefit both the company and its employees. If some employees are currently using blogs, tweeting or using Facebook, they could use these tools to communicate organizational messages. Social media policies could allow them to access the organization’s social media platforms and provide guidelines on content publishing. If they feel part of the company’s communication strategy, employees can be effective brand advocates. With this direction, rules need to be in place for company goals, appropriate use and types of messages.

Want to read more thunder::tech thoughts social media policy? Check out this week’s issue of Crain’s Cleveland Business, which features local marketing firms who have developed social media policies for organizations, including our client, Jakprints, Inc. The Cleveland-based full color and apparel printer is working with thunder::tech to develop social media strategies. thunder::tech Public Relations Account Coordinator Christina and Jakprints Co-Founder Dameon Guess are both quoted in the article.

If you have a subscription, you can read the article online, or pick up a copy and look for the article on the cover and page 14.

Download new October wallpapers!

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:15:00 -0700

Whether you need to upgrade your current desktop background or satisfy that thunder::tech craving, we have a new wallpaper for you to download for this month.

Forever dedicated to keep your computer looking professional and in style, our designers created this wallpaper, which is available with or without a calendar.

Want to suggest an idea or image for an upcoming wallpaper? Leave us a comment below!

October Wallpaper with calendar

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October Wallpaper without calendar

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The beginner's guide to font talk

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:23:00 -0700

In this chatter post, we'll take a look at a few fontastic terms that we think everyone should be familiar with.

Serif and sans-serif
First thing's first. You've probably heard about serif and sans-serif, but just in case you haven't, here's an example of each:

See those little feet? That's how you can tell the difference between the styles. With feet, serif. No feet, sans-serif. Some common serif fonts are Times New Roman, Garamond and Georgia and common sans-serif fonts include Arial, Helvetica and Verdana.

It has been said that serif fonts are best for print, especially in large amounts of small text (as in newspapers) and that sans-serif fonts are best for the Web. However, there are many factors that affect readability. When treated correctly (and when choosing a well-drawn font within those categories), both styles are interchangeable.

Kerning
A term that is a little less common is kerning. Your turn to answer.

Kerning is:
a) taking corn apart
b) adjusting space between individual letters
c) the process of becoming a colonel
d) the same as tracking

if you said b) congratulations! That's correct! If you chose tracking you're partly correct. These techniques are similar but they have one big difference. Tracking is done evenly to an entire word or line of text while kerning focuses on each individual letter and the letters right next to it.

Just so you have an idea of what good kerning is compared to bad kerning and how they both relate to tracking, take a look at these examples. We marked the problem spots in the original:

Leading
One more term we'd like to share is leading (pronounce by rhyming it with sledding). Leading is the amount of space between lines of text. Finding the correct spacing maximizes readability. For example:

We’d like to leave you with one final lesson: Don't use double spaces between sentences in print or Web design. You might be asking, "Why?" The answer is simple—we don't use typewriters anymore. Modern font characters are referred to as proportional (each letter has a different width) where typewriter characters back in the day were monospaced (the width was the same whether you typed an 'i' or a 'w.') This might sound confusing, so check out these examples:

Double spaces are acceptable when using monospaced fonts to add a visual separation between sentences. However, just about every font we use today is proportional and eliminates the need for a double space.

So, the next time you talk to your designer, throw a couple of these terms in the conversation and see what they say! By the way, all of the font examples have something in common—can you tell what it is? And all you die-hard typeface lovers—can you tell us all of the different fonts we've used in the examples throughout this entry?

What is a true integrated agency?

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:40:00 -0700

“Integrated marketing” is moving past a buzz word and into a viable agency model. However, it is a term that needs more clarification about its true definition. thunder::tech has been known as an “integrated marketing” agency for several years now and we believe the integrated process allows us to provide services of the highest value for our clients.

Integrated marketing is a holistic approach to marketing and includes all disciplines in advertising, graphic design and communications. An integrated agency has distinct skill sets that blend together to produce quality results. For instance, an integrated e-mail marketing campaign will require a designer to lay out the template, a programmer to tweak the code, a videographer to create the interview that is embedded in the message, a writer to create the copy, an analyst to make sense of the metrics and an account manager to make sure it all comes together on time, on budget and meets the target audience’s needs.

With integrated marketing covering the entire gamut of marketing communications, it’s a tough job to keep all messages consistent and succinct while remaining creative. By keeping these functions under one roof, it increases efficiency, improves creativity and creates a streamlined brand message. At an integrated agency, ideas flow more freely and production is more efficient with quality control overseen from start to finish.

Besides offering a large variety of services to your company, an integrated marketing agency can creatively solve marketing issues and problems. Since the skill sets are all under one roof, it doesn’t matter what it takes to provide a solution and for the agency - it all goes to the same bottom line so there’s no competition between services or solutions.

Integrated marketing also maximizes consumer impact because all the messages are delivered from one house, which means maximum profit with minimum cost. You’re also getting optimal market impact because each element of the agency complements and reinforces each other. Your audiences are being reached in a variety of ways guaranteeing that your message will be heard.

thunder::tech celebrates the 10th episode of Good Morning Marketers

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:41:00 -0700

We’re celebrating the first anniversary of “Good Morning Marketers” this month. In honor of this milestone, we’ve created a special edition of Good Morning Marketers that features 10 thunder::tech experts giving 10 practical marketing lessons.

A year ago, the first episode discussed mobile marketing and since then, the monthly video series has featured marketing topics such as social media, graphic design, search engine optimization, branding and more.

Check out our GMM Playlist to see all of the past editions of Good Morning Marketers.

Have an idea or suggestion for the next GMM episode? Leave a comment below or e-mail us at enewsletter@thundertech.com.

Using YouTube features to enhance your video

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:43:00 -0700

YouTube is a great and inexpensive (free, actually) place to host and share your company videos. Additionally, it provides helpful tools to enhance user experience, promote content and analytical tools which track users and gauge responses.

Tags, Geocoding & Captions
The first step in uploading a video is to give it a title, description and tags. Your title and description should clearly describe the video’s content. You can also use the description to add links to your Web site or other items mentioned in the video. Use the tags to add keywords about the video or your company that are not included in the description.

After uploading the video, you should click the "Edit" button to see more options including "Date and Map." Here you can set the date you recorded the video (as it may be different than when you uploaded) and the location of the shoot or your company. This helps users who are searching by location to find your video. Google even has a way to view YouTube videos on a map.

In addition to providing accessibility to the hearing impaired, captions and subtitles can also help with Search Engine Optimization. Google is starting to index caption files that allow a user to find your video by searching for something that was in the video’s dialogue.

Quality
Recently, the video quality on YouTube has dramatically improved. You can now upload full high definition videos to YouTube for playback on fast connections. However, YouTube currently can only play back a lower version of HD. Even if a user has slower connection, uploading a higher quality video will produce better results when scaled down for online viewing. Also consider that YouTube is being integrated into devices like Apple TV, Blu-Ray players and even Internet-connected televisions, so some viewers may be streaming your videos on an HDTV!

Annotations
You may have seen pop-up thought bubbles on YouTube videos. While you've probably seen many bad examples of how to use this feature, there are also some good uses for it, most notably the ability to place links on videos. You can make videos interactive by linking to other videos, channels or playlists as well as providing more information on a specific topic.

Insight
Having detailed demographics and information on user habits is extremely helpful in improving your content and adapting how you market your videos. In addition to total views, YouTube provides information on user location, age groups, gender and how they found your video. Another helpful analytic tool is Hot Spots. This becomes available on videos with a significant number of views. It graphs user attention span throughout your video with a hot/cold graph. This allows you to see which parts of the video are holding viewer attention and when viewers get a little bored and click away or hit fast forward. Review these insights and develop assumptions on why people are interested in your video to create targeted and engaging videos.

Happy 09/09/09 from thunder::tech!

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:07:00 -0700

09/09/09 only happens once every hundred years, and 9:09 am on September 9, 2009 will only last for a minute. We wanted to find a way to ring in the day of nines here at thunder::tech in a way you might not expect, and since we are known for our relaxed environment and our creative dress code, we decided to dress to the 9's, just for you—just on the 9's! Don't miss the video that we made so you can see how we are celebrating today.

Celebrate 09/09/09 with thunder::tech

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:18:00 -0700

This past July, we noticed the date was 07/08/09, which spurred a discussion on fun and interesting dates. We soon realized that we had a unique date approaching our calendar: September 9, 2009, or 09/09/09.

Well, being the creatives we are, we couldn't let this pass on by without commemorating it. Check back here at 9:09 am ET on 09/09/09 for a fun surprise. Keep track of the date with us by watching the countdown at the top of the page.

Also, word on the gossip blogs is that a famous celebrity will be making an appearance...

Stay tuned.

How to design for the Web

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:02:00 -0700

Each month, the thunder::tech team shares their thoughts on marketing strategy and trends in "Good Morning Marketers." Produced by our video team, these instructional segments provide practical application and useful information.

This month, Graphic Designer Lauren visits the set to share some tips on how to create strong Web design.

To receive the latest "Good Morning Marketers" segments, sign up to receive thunder::tech's Marketing Mat::ters e-newsletter or subscribe to the audio-only or video podcasts.

September wallpapers now available for download!

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Fall into September with one of thunder::tech's monthly desktop wallpapers. Created by our talented designers, these wallpapers bring a little desktop style to our clients and friends. Download one which features a monthly calendar, or one without.

September wallpaper with calendar
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September wallpaper plain
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Keeping employees happy and engaged

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

thunder::tech is a pretty cool place to work.

But for us, it goes beyond a great open work environment with a pool table in the corner. We have a unique office culture that plays a big role in keeping up the morale in our office. To maintain this culture and keep spirits up, the thunder::tech operations team offers a variety of perks and activities for our employees to enjoy.

Activities and Fun
This year we decided to hang up our softball cleats and have joined a recreational volleyball league. It turns out we are much better at volleyball than softball and our record proves it. We took first place in the Hermes Sport and Social spring recreational sixes league - a first for any thunder::tech team! Look for us on Thursday nights at Battery Park as we try for winning season number two.

In addition to our volleyball team, we also hold several office activities (both on and off-site) for our team. From happy hours and luncheons to cooking contests and trivia challenges, these events help bring the team together and can provide much needed stress relief during a busy work week. Recently, the operations team hosted a cookout lunch/potluck where employees were able to take a break to relax and enjoy good food and conversation. We’re looking forward to a Friday afternoon cookout this month at Edgewater Park.

Recognition
We also acknowledge our employees for going the extra mile. The operations team encourages team members to thank each other or pay a compliment using our “What You Did Was Neat::t” boxes. These boxes are on each floor and offer employees a chance to recognize their team members for outstanding work. At our monthly staff meetings, these are read out loud to celebrate our team’s achievements.

Growth and Learning
The operations team also helps members stay educated on the latest happenings the marketing world. Education helps our professionals stay knowledgeable and inspired. The operations department schedules monthly “learning lunches” which allow our team members to share their expertise with each other.

In order to maintain a positive work environment, especially during the current economic climate, the operations team relies on a mix of fun, appreciation and continuing education to keep our employees engaged and upbeat.

Where does my brand belong on Facebook?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:27:00 -0700

As Facebook reaches over 233 million users worldwide and almost 70 million American users, it has become the most prevalent social network for marketing and advertising. However, many brands struggle to understand the inner workings of Facebook’s options. In this post, I will explain the ways Facebook can work in your marketing strategy and define the differences between a Facebook profile, a Facebook fan page and a Facebook group.

Facebook Profiles
A Facebook profile is created by individual users and is a compilation of their information, interests, personal photos and applications. Facebook profiles are the basis for connecting to friends and communicating on the network. Profiles are only to be used by individuals and are not to be created for brands. However, a user must create a profile in order to manage a fan page, group or purchase Facebook advertising. Facebook offers a business profile option to allow a user to manage marketing initiatives without appearing in search results or having abilities to contact other users.

Facebook Fan Page
A Facebook fan page can be created by any number of businesses or organizations. Customizable options allow you to provide Facebook users with basic information and updates about your organization. Once a user chooses to become a “fan” of your brand or service, they will receive updates from your page and you will be able to contact them directly. In addition to providing a place for your organization to post news, events, discussion questions and photographs, fan pages also provide detailed insights into who is viewing your page as well as options for targeted messaging among your fans.

Facebook Groups
Facebook groups can be created by users to express a common interest or notify members about an issue. Groups have less functionality than a fan page in terms of insights and advertising options, but may be a good option for an organization that wants to drive user participation or communicate with a specific audience. Group settings can be adjusted to be private, public or invitation-based.

What is best for my brand?
When developing a Facebook strategy, consider your target audience and your goals for the page. If you wish to combine a large marketing effort and are interested in advertising on the network, a Facebook fan page is the best option. If you wish to stay connected to your board members, volunteers or staff, an invitation-only group could be very beneficial.

No matter what path you choose, it is important that you take time to learn more about the Facebook platform. Facebook has very strict user regulations and will remove your content if it is deemed that you are misusing the site or spamming their users.

Lastly, remember that when operating on social networks, any time you publish content you are opening your product or organization for both positive and negative conversation. Use these networks to develop personal relationships and learn from your network.

get::ting answers: an interview with Web Developer Chris

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:57:00 -0700

For this edition of get:ting answers, Operations Coordinator Katie sits down with Web Developer Chris to get his thoughts on development, marketing and more.

Katie: What is your specialty at thunder::tech?
Chris: I can work on many different projects at once. Since updates and/or site fixes get high priority, I can drop what I'm doing and switch over right away. I can always pick up my thought process where I left off really easily. Basically Web development to the ‘nth’ degree.

K: You seem to be the go-to guy for fixes and updates. How many different projects would you say you work on in a day?
C: On slower days, probably about three to four, on some busier days, it can go up to 10 a day, depending on what needs to get fixed right away.

K: If you could trade places with anyone else in the office for one day, who would you be and why?
C: That’s a good question…………….I wanna be me! Quite honestly, I like what I do so much that I wouldn’t want to trade with anyone else.

K: During last year’s thunder::tech Christmas Party, you won a thundee award as ‘Most Likely to Beat You at any Video Game’. Do you think it’s true?
C: For most of the Cleveland area, I would have to say so, considering I have a record for how many people I make quit games because I’m so good - the person gets so frustrated. I have a real competitive spirit when it comes to video games, where I try to better myself at any game for competition’s sake, because it’s fun to play against other people.

K: Do you think marketing within video games is can be a successful strategy?
C: I believe video game marketing is successful when games incorporate flat billboard ads that actually do add to the experience. If marketers push any further, they will be met with a lot of resistance. An example of good marketing is in a racing game I recently played; they had raceway billboards over the track that advertised the Fast and Furious DVD, which just came out. An example of bad marketing is another racing game that forces you to watch a commercial before every new race.

Chris and Katie battle it out on the set of Street Fighter

When is it time to upgrade your brand's message?

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:05:00 -0700

The current economic downturn has affected every industry. Many organizations have taken hits to their reputation and others have taken this opportunity to evolve their services or products.

Most likely, your company has not escaped the past several months unscathed.

Do you know your brand as well as you used to? If you’ve experienced any of the following, your brand has likely been altered and is in need of a tune up:

Significant changes in staffing
A change in your sales channels
Revised customer service strategies
New products, line extensions or changes to product offerings
Adding or closing locations
Significant changes in the competitive landscape
New demographic targets
Changes to funding / revenue streams

Any changes, including the ones listed above, in an organization can call for an assessment of your brand and the message it exudes. Even small changes in your organization can significantly impact public perceptions and your marketing message. Your brand is dynamic and changes in your company’s structure should be reflected in the message your company portrays.

A simple way to gauge the changes to your brand is to survey both your internal (employees) and external (clients and stakeholders) audiences. If there is wide variation on how they describe your organization – what is does, what your values are and who your audience is, then there’s a need to formally address your brand message.

thunder::tech has recently revamped our brand identity process to help companies refine their message. Our process allows for better measurement and encourages team participation and endorsement for a cohesive and enduring message.

By taking the time to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the your organization’s message, you will stand out from the competition, add value to your audience and increase positive perception of your brand. These factors will position your company for success in any economic climate.

thunder::tech team presents a panel on Twitter & business on Aug. 7

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:52:00 -0700

This Friday, August 7, check out the Cool Twitter Conference Cleveland at the House of Blues for a chance to see thunder::tech team members present a panel on using Twitter for your business. Four team members will share their thoughts on the impact of Twitter on business strategy including thunder::tech President Jason Therrien, Account Manager Alexa Marinos, Public Relations Manager Misty Fry and Public Relations Coordinator Christina Karas.

Follow thunder::tech on twitter @thundertech to stay up-to-date with our team.

Download thunder::tech's August Wallpapers

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:49:00 -0700

Last month, we introduced you to our thunder::tech wallpapers. Created by our design team, these wallpapers bring a little orange and a little fun to your desktop. As promised, we have new wallpapers for this month. Download a version with a calendar, or one without!

August wallpaper with calendar

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August wallpaper plain

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What can you do (and not do) with a thunder::tech business card?

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:24:00 -0700

At thunder::tech we are very proud of our out-of-the box marketing strategies and strong brand image. Our design team recently created new metal business cards to complement our innovative brand identity.

The aluminum business cards are personalized for each employee with a sticker. Each card features die cut squares and a jagged edge, which add to the unique design.

Since we've started sharing them with our friends and clients, lots of people have been asking us what you can (and can't) do with these cards. This video will show you the answers to some of those questions.

Have you tried anything interesting with one of our new cards? Have any ideas about what we should try next?

Managing your Web site with a Content Management System

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:47:00 -0700

“So, you want to edit your site...”

That is the signature phrase you will see when you attempt to log in to our custom-built content management system or CMS. Those words can seem so innocent, but they raise a good question: how do I edit my Web site?

A CMS is a great tool for storing, organizing and publishing content on a Web site. These systems are Web-based and can be accessed any time, day or night, from any place that has Internet access. All of these qualities make a CMS a valuable tool if you frequently update your Web site and you don’t want to rely on a third party to do so.

Which CMS do I choose?
Before deciding on a CMS, consider your goals for your Web site. Here are some very important questions to consider:

Do you want the ability to expand and grow as your needs grow?
Will you want to add new features such as a blog or news ticker to your site six to 12 months down the road?
Do you want to customize the design and layout of your site?

Another aspect of your site to consider is how often you will provide new content. Is your content updated daily, weekly or every few months? If you update your content very infrequently then you will most likely need the fundamental tool set that is provided with a base CMS system. However, if you are constantly updating your information and you are always looking for new ways to get fresh content to your viewers, then a CMS with tools such as a news feed, blog and message board is your best bet.

So if you want to edit your site and you are ready to take the leap, a CMS is a great way to get started. Just remember to consider all the factors involved. These systems may look the same on the surface but deep down they are all unique.

get::ting answers: an interview with Flash Developer Ben

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:18:00 -0700

For this edition of get::ting answers, Art Director Dave chats with Flash Developer Ben.

Dave: Describe your typical day at thunder::tech using only words that start with D or rhyme with awesome. You can have unlimited "the's" and "and's."

Ben:
Depart the dwelling and during dash down the drive;
Dialog the dodgy designer Dave dealing the draft;
Down delicious drinks;
Devise the device dialect and derive the deliverable;
Doctor the dire domain designation disaster,
Disappear,
Directly drop possum dead.

D: You have a unique opportunity w/yr position where you work on both a Mac and a PC...so, think different or is yours really here?

B: Actually... I miss MS-DOS. Macs and PCs, despite the advertisement wars, have about the same amounts and types of problems. These days, they're both too glittery.

D: If a flash banner got in a fight with an animated gif (but not any normal animated gif...one of those beveled and embossed spinning ones that has flames shooting out of it, and maybe an asteroid rotating around), who would win?

B: Like everything else, it depends on the circumstances. Normally I'd say the gif, but you have to account for the possibility that someone with taste could always come along and delete it before the banner got beaten up too badly.

D: A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. What do you gotta do, Ben?
B: According to the Rally's commercials, I gotta eat. I simply cannot argue with that logic.

D: Finish this joke: "A designer and a developer walk into a bar..."
B: They both ordered drinks and were served. The designer was under 21, however. The bar has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. Would you like to tell Microsoft about this problem?

The designer and developer shortly after they walked into the bar.

Bring a little thunder::tech to your desktop with our new wallpapers

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:29:00 -0700

Wish you could be with thunder::tech 24 hours a day? Now you can — or at least you can enjoy our logo all day long. Download our desktop calendar wallpaper and come back for a new design each month. If you want to keep it around longer than 30 days, never fear, because we've also included a version sans calendar. The wallpapers are available for download in a variety of screen sizes. Enjoy!

July wallpaper with calendar
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July wallpaper plain
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thunder::tech shares suggestions for preparing social media strategy

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:46:00 -0700

From thunder::tech's "Good Morning Marketers" team, this video shares some suggestions for creating a objective-driven social media strategy.

To see more Good Morning Marketers, check out this playlist on our YouTube Channel.

Attention to detail: the importance of proofreading and other matters of grammer

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:34:00 -0700

Did you catch that one? Not all errors in design, punctuation, spelling or ahem, grammar, are always that easy to catch. And sometimes, they stare you in the face and slip by unnoticed. Take for instance, a trip one of our team members recently took to a shall-remain-nameless craft store.

Look closely at the above photo. The quality might not be the best, but you certainly don't need to be able to make out more than a few words on the package to catch the mistake. While the set may sit on the shelf unmoving, we're pretty sure the designer/production artist/copywriter meant to use the other version of the word which changes the meaning of the package contents entirely. This is a great example of how one seemigly small error can earn you the ridicule of customers and fellow designers alike nationwide.

Spelling and grammar are important, but equally so is fact checking. We do everything we can to prevent mistakes from happening and that includes visiting very Web site, calling every phone number and mapping each address that we proof. It also helps to have more than one person proofread each piece—everyone comes to the table with different skill sets, so one person might find all the design details while another looks at the spelling. We don't send anything to print that hasn't been given the thumbs up by at least three people. The one time you don't will be the time a mistake gets threw.

Paying attention to detail can avoid a costly mistake for the agency and the client (think airline "fat finger fares.") Not only does the responsibility fall on the shoulders of the designers and account managers to proof and fact check, clients also play a big part in the proofing process. Because no one knows the content better than the client, its important that they look over everything before sending back the final sign-off. You really can never be too carfeul.

Some common mistakes to watch out for:

A lot vs. alot
Stationery vs. stationary
Its vs. it's
Double spaces after a period (we know what you learned in high school but in the professional world it's single.)
To vs. too
Accept vs. except
Affect vs. effect
Your vs. you're
Em dash (—) vs. en dash (–) vs. dash (-) and the proper usage

There are a number of mistakes in this blog post. Are you good enough to spot them all? Tell us how many in the comments, and if you win, you get the ultimately satisfying reward of recognition on this blog and eternal internet fame. Catch the extra error in the airline article for bonus points.

The changing menu of news: Is your audience still ordering up?

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:40:00 -0700

News is everywhere – on the radio, in magazines, on the Internet, in your inbox and on your mobile phone. As a way to make sense of this seemingly endless stream of messages, news choices are beginning to resemble a fast food menu where the customer gets to pick and choose their perfect combo.

For many news consumers, this combo usually begins online and includes blogs, the nightly news, YouTube channels and a variety of social networks. Of course, this wasn’t always the case. In the past 10 years, how consumers choose and interact with news has radically altered.

Baekdal.com posted an article which reviews and illustrates the pace of change in media and information sources. The article notes that since 1998, Web sites have gone mainstream, blogging has entered our vocabulary, and social networking has led to social news where your online connections have editorial control.

This image from Baekdal.com illustrates the changing patterns of news and projects how news consumption will change in the future.

As media outlets continue to restructure themselves in order to stay relevant and viable, the same must be true for a company’s marketing message. This new social landscape forces companies to determine how to create a distinct message that drowns out the crowd and grows brand loyalty.

It is crucial to understand the demographics and psychographics of your audience in order to reach them. To do this, involvement with the social side of the Web will become increasingly necessary as a place to participate and learn. Audiences are turning to online outlets because the Web offers the flexibility to choose. If your company is not present in this landscape, you will be overlooked.

Because today’s news is filtered through many different lenses, make sure to track these changes and be aware of the “next big thing.” It’s up to you to choose the combo.

Mediums and your message: preparing your pitch for today’s media mix

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:08:00 -0700

With the prevalence of tweets, iReports and Gossip Girls, the ability to communicate your brand’s message confidently and succinctly is more important than ever.

Gone are the days when conveying the company’s message was reserved for the spokesperson or public relations executive. With the proliferation of blogs, Facebook pages and YouTube channels, anyone can be a brand representative.

This new online landscape has changed not only the way our society obtains and responds to news, but it also increases the importance of media training.

While every employee may not find themselves in front of the camera for a media interview, it is still important to coach your entire staff on being message savvy. Minimally, make sure that all employees can give a similar, simple answer when asked about the company.

By taking the time to analyze your company’s approach and message to the media and general public, you and your organization will be able to:

Enhance the general knowledge of your company and brand.
Deliver short, on-target messages, which will increase your chances of being quoted correctly by a news source.
Portray self-assuredness that will in turn present your company in a positive light.
Become known as a go-to source for short, clear and educated answers.
Deflect a negative story by being prepared for all questions.

For the CEO, media representative and others that will be interviewed by the media, a great way to prepare is to practice in front of a video camera to watch the interviewee’s interactions, both through words and actions. Role play an interview, focusing on giving concise and honest answers. At the conclusion, replay the interview and ask the following questions:

How long did it take to get to the point?
Did the interviewee stumble over words?
Did the message portray a clear representation of the company and its goals?
How were negative questions handled? Did the interviewee come off friendly and positive or defensive?
Did the interviewee stay on target or was there a tendency to ramble?
How were the nonverbal cues? Did the interviewee use their hands too much or look away from interviewer?

The message matters. Whether it’s a formal interview on a major TV station, a funny video for your company’s YouTube page or a Twitter update of 140 characters, it’s up to you and your company to be prepared. By taking the time to practice pitch and delivery, your organization will build strong messages that are viable for a variety of channels.

get::ting answers: an interview with Graphic Designer Matt

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:26:00 -0700

In this edition of get::ting answers, Public Relations Manager Misty interviews Matt, a graphic designer and videographer, to get his answers on important questions such as the best iPhone application and where to find the best happy hour in Cleveland.

Misty: What is your favorite online source for design inspiration?

Designer Matt: For Web sites, I like The Favourite Website Awards or the “fwah,” as we call it. Each day they have a cool new Web site design. For video, I like to go to YouTube, where I search for interesting things I saw on TV and watch it more closely.

M: Speaking of video, where do you think video technology will be in the next two years and how will people be using it?

DM: Video will be everywhere. One of the big things will be that TV and set-top boxes will be more connected to the Internet. People will be watching Web video on their TVs and not just on their computers. Mobile technology will also continue to get better and better in terms of quality. Phones will get faster and there will be more that are video capable – enabling users to take video and upload directly to YouTube just like the new iPhone.

M: What is your favorite iPhone application right now?

DM: It might sound cliché, but its true…I really like using Facebook and Twitter applications. For Twitter, I’m still trying to find the best one and am using multiple applications. Tweet Deck just came out with a new app though and I’m beginning to like that.

M: At the thunder::tech holiday party, you won the award for being “Most Like the Mac Guy.” If you were offered a chance, would you be willing to be the new face of Apple?

DM: No….I like being behind the camera, not in front. Unless they paid me a million dollars or more…

M: What do you like to do in your spare time when you aren’t at your desk or on your phone?

DM: Right now I’m training for the Cleveland Triathlon in August. It’s my first one, and getting up early and running are the parts that scare me the most. It’s also really dorky, but since buying a house I’ve adopted the hobby of home automation technology so lighting, air conditioning and heat can all be controlled over the Internet.

M: Do you have a favorite Cleveland spot where you like to hang out?

DM: I don’t have just one. I really like Edgewater Beach and for dinner I like to go to Parallax in Tremont. Lava Lounge also has one of the best happy hours around. I suggest the burger, fries and martini, all for 10 bucks.

Disclaimer: Matt and Misty are 3-D in real life

thunder::tech presents seminar on e-mail marketing

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:12:00 -0700

thunder::tech President Jason and Account Manager Alexa were invited present a seminar on e-mail marketing at the 2009 Husqvarna Viking International Conference in Grapevine, Texas.

Check out this presentation for an introduction to e-mail marketing and some great tips on how to maximize your e-mail campaign.

Introduction to E-mail Marketing

View more OpenOffice presentations from thundertech.

New Google search feature reminds us to keep content fresh

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:58:00 -0700

Recently, Google added new search features to its search engine, making it easier to find more focused and relevant information through categorized results. A new “Show Options” link allows users to define their search criteria by categorizing results into options such as videos, reviews and most recent results.

Below is an image of a search results page in Google if we searched for “web design and development Cleveland.” In the far left corner, you will notice the new “Show Options” link.

By clicking on the “Show Options” link, the following page appears. A new column on the left presents options to narrow down search criteria by time or type. Instead of simply reading a page description about a Web site, users can read more of the site’s content.

How does this new feature affect search marketing?

As a result, the importance of targeted, concise and current Web content is more important than ever as this content determines whether users will click through to view the page in its entirety. Allowing your site to get old and outdated is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. With the Internet, the term “old and outdated” doesn’t mean decades or years. It means months or even weeks.

Sound Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices have always dictated that there is no rest once a site is running well and providing results. The goal of search marketing is to take what is performing well and make each Web site better, faster and stronger. This is achieved by updating content, adding new pages, discussing interesting topics and providing new information.

Fresh Web site content that engages the user can be achieved by:

• Updating the Web site’s title tags
• Refreshing existing pages with new content, up-to-date information and relevant keywords
• Adding additional pages for new products, services or information
• Reviewing site analytics and removing pages that aren’t bringing in traffic, have low view time or high exit rates

Google’s new search engine functionality reinforces how important it is to update Web content regularly. Your Web site should be a mirror image of what your company is and what it stands for. Keeping your content relevant is just one way for you and Google users everywhere to like what they see.

Best of thunder::tech video

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:59:00 -0700

What do you get when you reduce 29 videos including commercials, recruitment videos and educational pieces into 100 seconds?

The answer? The thunder::tech demo reel!

The video below is a compilation of some of our best samples of video work since 2007. It features a variety of pieces including a recruitment video for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, a promotional video of the Husqvarna Viking mobile showroom and instructional videos for IdeaStream office products.

This reel will also be featured in our interactive video portfolio, which will be available later this summer.

Where's the beef? Cooking your content from rare to well done.

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:42:00 -0700

So you’re working on a new marketing or sales tool - maybe it’s a Web site, a brochure or a Facebook page - and your marketing agency asks you for content. You sweat about for days; unsure where the information will come from, who’s going to write it and who’s going to maintain it once it’s done.

Content is the second most important element to your online or print marketing efforts after design. After someone types in your URL or picks up your brochure and decides to spend more than a few seconds with it because your stellar design has kept their interest, they will want to see what you have to offer – it’s your very own “Where’s the beef?” moment.

Here are some tips to get your content from rare to well done:

Rare: Your content is scattered. Multiple people are controlling or writing it and it’s in multiple voices. To keep your content cookin’, start by writing all of your thoughts and ideas down. Don’t procrastinate or wait. Think of it like brainstorming or information mapping.
Medium-Rare: Now you’re getting somewhere. Group the thoughts and ideas together and identify your goals. Are you featuring services or products? How do they relate and how will your audiences want to see the information presented?
Medium: You’ve got everything grouped and segmented, now pick an author or content controller. Even in small organizations there will be many voices and streams of input; make sure to control how the content is written so there is consistency across your materials. Think back to jr. high (whew!) and edit verb tenses, subject agreement, first person versus third person, etc. Consider using a style guide, such as the Associated Press Stylebook to ensure consistency.
Medium-Well: You’re really close now and probably have more content than you have space. Start to filter it down. Think about your vehicle for content delivery – online or printed? Remember that online visitors have short attention spans. Keep your content concise and easy-to-scan. Also, how technical is your audience – do they want all the details or quick bullets and descriptions?
Well Done: Every food critic will tell you to steer away from the well done option, but it’s your content and you want it to be just that. This is the time to proof, fact check and double check your work. Now, it’s ready to be uploaded and type set.

As with all types of meat, consuming under-cooked content can be dangerous to your health. But if you take the time to do it and do it right, your content can be the main dish. Don’t forget to go back for seconds, either. Once your content is done, listen for feedback and tweaks. Always update your content so repeat visitors don’t get bored.

So I have this Web site...

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:33:00 -0700

The Web continues to grow and change at a rapid pace due to increased connectivity speeds, improved browser platforms and the advancement of mobile technology. Many of our clients now maintain an online presence with a company Web site. As online technology evolves, however, these clients will soon face outdated and inaccurate Web sites.

How do you know when its time to redesign your site? Will your site benefit from a Web refresh? Our team answers these questions and more in this episode of our monthly marketing series, “Good Morning Marketers.”

Each month, the thunder::tech team creates a new Good Morning Marketers video to help our business associates and friends understand and apply marketing concepts and trends. For more Good Morning Marketers, check out our YouTube page.

Get::ting to know the Design Team

Wed, 27 May 2009 07:08:00 -0700

Greetings from your favorite thunder::tech designers! You may know us as the guy that designed your Web site, or the girl that created your accordion-fold brochure, but on a day-to-day basis we do so much more. Ever wondered what a day in our trendy shoes is like? Well, wonder no more::

7:30 a.m.
We wake up, check our calendars for meetings, then we drive/bike/run to the office. After we walk/jog/huff our way up five flights of stairs, we play a little game of lunch box Tetris with the fridge, and power up the computers.

9:00 a.m.
We all start our mornings with a cup of strong coffee--as long as whoever made it remembered to actually put grounds in the machine. We typically go through our voicemails, our emails and our blogroll before the hour turns to double digits.

We supply the tunes for the entire fourth floor—and that's no easy task when you have designers, developers, PR and a couple clients to please, but we manage to get the job done. Connie usually kicks it off with the Minnesota Public Radio Song of the Day, then she'll turn on WOXY, or a last.fm station. Since we work in a musical democracy, we take requests through something we like to call tRL: thunder Request Live.

10:00 a.m.
Then it’s time to get down to business: we'll work on a logo design, look at some design books for inspiration or draw by hand before we even touch the computer.

Noon
It’s lunchtime and we either:
brown bag it, mooch a ride to Subway, call in an order to Danny's for a tuna melt, prepare a salad from organically grown ingredients or hope for a lunch presentation with the added bonus of free pizza!

1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
So its back to work for these designers! We might:
- Get feedback from our team on our latest brochure, which is actually quite easy since we sit so close together
- Ask a developer for feedback on a Web site design
- Eat 99 dum dums
- Throw in a little email checking and responding
- Attend a client meeting or two or three
- Play rap if it’s a Friday afternoon
- Cross completed goals off our white board
- Shrink down our staff to the size of "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" to dance on our conference room table
- Fill up our water bottles, Starbucks mugs, or tiki heads, because it’s that time of day where if we're not careful, Robert Goulet will get us
- Work on an ad layout and send it to the client to see what they think of our masterpiece

5:30 p.m.
Is it that late already? Time sure flies when you're Illustrating, InDesigning, Photoshopping, and Fireworking like it’s your job. We shut down our computers, turn off the lights, fly/walk/jog down five flights of stairs, and run/bike/drive back home. Time to ret::tire for the evening, then do it all again tomorrow!

get::ting answers: an interview with Design Intern Laura

Fri, 22 May 2009 07:29:00 -0700

For our second edition of get::ting answers, Public Relations Intern Andrea interviews our Design Intern, Laura.

Andrea: As the graphic design intern, what do you do on a daily basis?
Laura: There really is no typical day, every day is different. Usually, my day consists of a mix between client work and internal work, which includes a variety of print and web design.

A: What do you like best about interning at thunder::tech?
L: My favorite thing about thunder::tech is definitely the people who work here. I enjoy the open atmosphere and the fact that it isn’t unusual to see someone ride past you on a skateboard or scooter. Having cool clients and projects to work on is a definite plus too.

A: When you were young you thought you’d grow up to be…
L: Probably a teacher or a rockstar, maybe both, like Jem from Jem and the Holograms.

A: What’s currently playing on your iPod?
L: Kanye West and Duffy.

A: What’s on your perfect ice cream sundae?
L: Twist soft serve with M&M’s.

Interns Laura and Andrea take in the view from thunder::tech's rooftop deck.

thunder::tries it

Wed, 20 May 2009 09:27:00 -0700

Unotron may have unseated hand sanitizers from their market-cornering pedestal of quieting the nerves of countless germophobes everywhere. In a nail biting trial performed at thunder::tech by our operations administrator, Kristin, tech company Unotron allowed their washable, easily-disinfected keyboard to be put to the test for WKYC Channel 3’s “Try It Before You Buy It” feature.

Unotron’s latest keyboard boasts the ability to be scrubbed and rinsed, negating the millions of germs that find their way into our keyboards. (Insert horror movie-worthy scream here.) Utilizing SpillSeal® technology, its keys are sealed to prevent water damage, thus allowing it to be cleaned at the user’s discretion.

Kristin tested the keyboard’s typing functionality and found out how washable it was by pouring a bottle of soda over the keyboard and scrubbing it in the sink.

To see Kristin’s keyboard experiment and to find how she rated the keyboard, check out this video:

You can learn more about Unotron’s keyboard here.

Starting a new Web project? Mind your IE and Firefox

Thu, 14 May 2009 14:05:00 -0700

Each week, one of thunder::tech’s different departments will provide some insight into their field. This week, our development team shares some insight on Web browsers.

We have been involved in too many Web projects to count, and in each project there can be hundreds of items to iron out before designing and developing. From determining the look of the site to deciding what information should be required on contact forms, there are many vital questions to be answered. The one question that tends to be overlooked is, “Which browsers are we aiming to be compatible with?”

The obvious answer would be “All of ‘em!” While this may be a heroic statement, it really isn’t suitable for all projects and could lead to spiraling budgets and blown deadlines.

Any developer (thunder::tech developer anyway) knows that there are an almost infinite number of browsers available with their own ideas on how to render styles, html code and images.

The rules of browsers have evolved over time. Old coding languages changed to accommodate new methods and new languages are added to fill voids in the technology's capabilities. The organizations releasing browsers occasionally disagree on which capabilities are necessary and how the language should implement them.

Specific information has not always been available with regards to the interpretation of the rules and small details have fallen through the cracks. The W3C now publishes recommendations for Web development languages and specifies these details.

There is a reluctance to fix interpretation issues and to standardize all browsers together in newer versions because complex sites may have - either intentionally or inadvertently - used these inconsistencies to build a working Web site; thus, fixing one problem may break several existing sites.

As is true of all industries, Web browsers will continue to grow towards standardization; however, bugs and interpretation details will always exist. New capability requirements will lead to new languages which will not have every interpretation detail ironed out, likely causing the next generation of user-experience features to be equally disjointed. Nonetheless, organizations have begun to realize the power, convenience and potential of standardization, which is, we believe, the most necessary step towards solving the problem of browser diversity.

So, where does that leave us? Which browsers should you choose before a Web project?

Start by examining your core audience/users to find out what the purpose of your site is by asking questions such as:

Is it an internal company-only intranet?
Will it be a corporate Web site?
Will the Web site be geared toward customers?
Does the Web site include ecommerce?

To develop a company-only intranet, you can develop for a specific browser, but to develop a site with wider reach, you should remember the most popular browsers such as FireFox, Safari, Opera and Chrome.

Make sure to also educate the designers and developers of your Web site on your goals, purpose and core users. They should also be able to recommend the best possible direction.

As you are developing your new Web site, test on a variety of browsers to not only help you recognize where your development issues are, but to make sure that your goals and the needs of your audience align.

Social Media Club-Cleveland members define social media

Fri, 08 May 2009 08:10:00 -0700

The thunder::tech team hosted the April meeting of the Social Media Club – Cleveland in our offices. SMC-Cleveland is an organization which allows members to share best practices, establish ethics and standards and promote media literacy. Meetings are casual networking opportunities that give Facebook friends and Twitter followers an opportunity to meet each other in person, sometimes for the first time. SMC-Cleveland welcomes everyone from social media experts to newbies.

Social Media Club Members enjoyed chatting in thunder::tech’s MidTown Cleveland office space and listened to a presentation by Marc Canter, co-founder of Macromedia.

During the meeting thunder::tech offered attendees the opportunity to be part of a unique video by declaring their definition of social media on camera. Members provided a variety of unique and insightful thoughts on social media.

Are you curious to hear their answers? See the resulting video, which was filmed and edited by the thunder::tech team, below.

get::ting answers: an interview with Search Engine Marketer Joshua

Thu, 07 May 2009 10:30:00 -0700

thunder::tech is proud of our unique and knowledgeable team. As a way to get to know us better, chatter will introduce you to a member of our team in an interview feature, get::ting answers. The best part is, this feature is for the employees, by the employees!

For our first interview, Operations Administrator Kristin interviews our Search Engine Specialist, Joshua. Joshua oversees search engine marketing efforts for thunder::tech clients including optimizing web sites and paid search campaigns.

Kristin: What are things that you would NOT recommend doing while optimizing a site?
Josh:
1) Listening to anything that says it “guarantees top results,” whether it’s a person, program, method, or software. There are no guarantees in SEO.
2) Not having a plan
3) Not using a call-to-action properly
4) Not doing research

K: What do you find to be one of the most interesting trends in search engine optimization you have seen recently?
J: The fact that people are learning how to search better. More and more people do not simply type in one-word search terms when looking for products or services. Typing in “SEO” is working it’s way out and being replaced with terms like “SEO firm Cleveland Ohio”. Google even recently increased their visible text on a results page to accommodate five or more search terms.

K: As the weather continues to get nicer, what outdoor activity are you looking forward to most?
J: Anything that involves being outside working on my sunburn. I love the outside but it doesn’t love me.

K: Salt or Pepper?
J: Hot sauce.

K: If you were a super hero, what would your power(s) be?
J: Who says I would be a hero?

As part of the interview, Kristin reviewed Joshua's combat skills. (Don't worry, no search engine marketers were harmed during this interview.)

Top five things NOT to do during the interview process

Tue, 05 May 2009 07:10:00 -0700

Each week, one of thunder::tech’s different departments will provide some insight into their field. This week, our operations team shares a few job search tips.

As we continue searching for talented individuals to join our growing team, our Operations department reviews hundreds of resumes each month and conducts several candidate interviews. Below are few cautionary tips to keep your application at the top of the pile.

DO NOT…

1) Send a resume or cover letter referencing a different position than the one we are offering
The resume and cover letter are the first impression we get of potential candidates and referencing another position shows a lack of attention to detail. Missing an important detail like this makes us wonder what other details the candidate will let slip through the cracks.

2) Post inappropriate information/pictures on any public social media sites
Social media continues to play a much bigger role in our industry and we encourage our employees to experiment with social networks. However, any public information or profiles on these sites has the potential to be found by our clients and can ultimately be seen as a reflection of thunder::tech. If we should come across anything lewd, rude or otherwise unprofessional, you will not be moving forward in the interview process.

3) Come to an interview dressed inappropriately
While we have a relaxed atmosphere here at thunder::tech, it’s important to emphasize that we are still a professional organization. Professional dress is highly recommended throughout the interview process- save the jeans for when you get the job.

4) Come to an interview unprepared
In addition to bringing extra copies of your resume and your portfolio, it is essential that candidates have a solid understanding of thunder::tech, our clients and our services. Simply reading our “About Us” page won’t cut it. It is also equally as important for us to find the right candidate as it is for the candidate to feel comfortable joining our team. If a candidate does not have questions prepared for us, it shows they are not as serious about working with us as we would like.

5) Show an overall lack of enthusiasm for the position
Attitude is everything. if you are not excited about thunder::tech and the position, we will not be excited to hire you. From the minute you walk in the door, be ready to bring your A game because the interview process isn’t limited to just questions and answers.

If you think you have what it takes to ace our interview process, check out our careers page at www.thundertech.jobs.

Support E CITY at the Eighth Annual Awareness Breakfast on May 4

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:18:00 -0700

At thunder::tech, we are very passionate about Cleveland and organizations that help make our city a better place. One organization that we truly believe in is E CITY, a nonprofit which stands for Entrepreneurship: Connecting, Inspiring and Teaching Youth. E CITY is a nonprofit that delivers a program to teach students entrepreneurial, business and life skills to enable economic independence.

This coming Monday, May 4, E CITY hosts its Eighth Annual Awareness Breakfast at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven, located at 6111 Landerhaven Drive in Mayfield Heights.

It’s a bit of an early morning (registration and networking begin at 7 a.m.), but it is a great way to support E CITY’s mission and recognize the achievements of Cleveland-area students who will be our city’s next business leaders.

The event on May 4, features E CITY alumnus Blaine Mickens, who was named the 2009 Young Global Entrepreneur of the Year by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and E CITY teacher, Rodney Decipeda, who was NFTE’s 2009 Global Teacher of the Year.

The best part? The breakfast is FREE! However, donations to E CITY’s program will be accepted and there will be an opportunity to purchase wares from E CITY’s graduates.

To learn more about E CITY, check out this video:

thunder::tech hits the red carpet with Brothers At War

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:00:00 -0700

The thunder::tech team had very busy spring promoting the film, “Brothers At War,” for our client and private equity firm, Scantling Technology Ventures. “Brothers At War” is a documentary film which follows the adventures of director Jake Rademacher as he travels to Iraq to understand his two younger brothers who serve in the military there.

The thunder::tech team worked closely with the film’s Executive Producer, David Scantling, to coordinate premiere events for Akron and Cleveland. Additionally, the thunder::tech team also provided guidance on a variety of social media initiatives including a Facebook Page, MySpace and Twitter as well as media relations and e-mail marketing.

Pictured above are Operations Administrator Kristin, Public Relations Manager Misty and Public Relations Coordinator Christina at the Akron Premiere of the film at the Regal Interstate Park 18.

"Working on 'Brothers At War' was a great experience," Misty said. "Veterans and active duty service members responded to the powerful story-telling of the film in unique ways and it was exciting to be a part of that."

We thought about calling this blog our "thog."

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:56:00 -0700

Why did we change our minds?

Well, we can give you a lot of reasons. Probably one of the most convincing is one letter off and our blog becomes the subject of a popular top 40 hip hop song from the late 90’s. We don't need to spell it out for you.

But what we will spell out in Arial 12 point regular is what you, our soon-to-be loyal fans and readers, can expect from the brand new blog of the coolest, freshest, most integrated marketing agency west of Pittsburgh and east of Chicago.

We'll follow marketing trends, point out brilliant PR, design drop like its our job, brag about our own successes and above all, create a useful and in-depth resource to educate our clients, our associates and our new friends on our expertise.

We'll also make sure that this blog doesn't include: our appletini count from the weekend (does anybody even drink those anymore?), a political rant, a photo album of our kids' first steps, or a running commentary on LeBron rumors. We can't say with complete certainty that we won't throw in a team thunder::tech softball score every now and then, but can you blame us? We're just that good.

Are you picking up what we're throwing down? That blog bla blog blog blog.