Intern Reflection

We hated to say goodbye to our fabulous interns last week, but are so thankful for all their hard work this summer. Check out Sarah Hill's internship reflections below. 


By. Sarah Hill
Account Services Intern 

It’s hard to believe that my internship is over, and that I’m going back to school in a few weeks. I have learned so much during my time at the Sells Agency. My days have been filled with writing press releases, conducting surveys, and going on intern tours. Through watching how an agency works, I saw the specific roles of each person. I saw how everyone did his or her job differently, but equally well. Each person caters to his or her clients in unique and effective ways.

I gained experience through developing and conducting the Bank Clarity surveys. I have learned how to present a project to a client and work listen to a client’s needs.  Working with a project from start to finish taught me to look at small details and how to collaborate with others.

Overall I have learned that I still have a lot more to learn, but this internship has given me confidence and invaluable experience in the marketing industry. I cannot wait to use all of the skills I have learned here during my final year of college!

That's a wrap!

By: Alison Bracy
Account Services Intern 

I can’t believe that it is the last week of my internship with the Sells Agency! These ten weeks have flown by. The time I got to spend here has been nothing short of awesome, and I have learned far more through this hands-on experience than I have in three years of college.

My writing has improved tremendously. Emily and Sarah guided me through the process of writing news releases and media alerts, and then let me write several on my own. With their helpful editing, I was able to improve my writing and I am excited to enter my senior year as a more confident writer. 


I loved being able to watch Kristen, Allison and Lauren work with their different clients. Although they are all account executives, they each have a different style of doing business.

Kristen is a great communicator. She taught me the importance of on-going communication with clients. She showed me how to write conference reports, which she writes and sends to clients after every meeting.

Allison is very good with research. She was a huge help to me and Sarah Hill with our Bank Clarity research project. She showed us how to create our survey in a way that would give us an accurate understanding of average bank consumers. When it was time for us to make a presentation of our research, she showed us different ways to structure our presentation.

 Lauren taught me that it's important to pay attention to details. One of the jobs that she does for a client is a very detailed, weekly e-blast. After updating the e-blast, she is always sure to look back over it, checking every detail. 

I’m so glad I got the opportunity to spend my summer at the Sells Agency learning from so many different people! 

Mobile Banking a Compelling Factor for Young Banking Consumers

By: Alison Bracy

Do you rely on a mobile application to check the balance of your checking account? Or have you ever used a deposit image ATM to deposit a check? In the past few years, mobile banking technology has grown in popularity, especially among young adults. According to this thefinancialbrand.com article, more than half of people who recently switched banks are under age 35 and use mobile technologies regularly. Ten percent of people who switched banks at the end of 2011 named availability of mobile banking as one of the top three reasons for switching. This is a significant increase from only four percent in 2010.

According to a recent report from Javelin Strategy & Research, 11 percent of U.S. consumers are threatening to switch banks sometime before the end of this year. With this large amount of people considering switching, it will be interesting to see if mobile banking will continue to grow as a compelling factor for switchers.

Sarah H., Hunter and I are nearing the completion of our Bank Clarity intern project. Throughout our research, we have learned about many different factors consumers consider when choosing a bank. You’ll be hearing more about Bank Clarity next week as we put the finishing touches on our project, so stay tuned!

'You're not special': The best graduation speech ever?

An English teacher in the Boston-area, David McCullough Jr., gave a speech at a high school graduation this year that started a lot of conversations in the media. Bloggers and reporters alike said that this speech is “the best graduation speech ever.”  McCullough told the graduating seniors: "You are not special. You are not exceptional."

But not all of McCullough’s 12-minute speech was depressing. He ended his controversial message by telling the seniors, "Selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you're not special—because everyone is. Congratulations, good luck. Make for yourselves, please, for your sake and ours, extraordinary lives."

Today, graduation speeches usually pat the graduates on the back and tell them how wonderful and exceptional they have become. I recently attended my sister’s graduation and McCullough’s speech stands in stark contrast to her school’s commencement address. The speech at her graduation encouraged the graduates by telling them how well prepared they were to encounter the big, bad world. As an intern I have seen that although I am almost finished with school there is much more that I need to learn. There are always new ways to improve myself. I am impressed by McCullough’s boldness, and I think that my generation needed his reality check. 

McCullough reminded the students and the general public that the world does not revolve around them. In a world where students get awarded for meeting required standards, we need a better understanding of our place in the world and how we can improve it.    

New Insider’s Guide Will Be Useful Tool to USA Today Readers

By: Alison Bracy

The Sells Agency just completed the “Insider’s Guide to Northwest Arkansas” for the Fayetteville A&P Commission. The new guide is the largest ever with 44 additional pages and, for the first time, includes a double-sided, fold-out map with the city of Fayetteville on one side and the University of Arkansas campus on the other. The guide makes experiencing Fayetteville and the entire Northwest Arkansas area a snap. And it seems that we’re not the only ones that think Fayetteville is a great place to explore.

Fayetteville was featured in a USA Today online article titled “Explore What Makes Your College Town Unique.” Ranked by College Town Network as one of the 60 best college towns in America, Fayetteville is much more than just the home of the University of Arkansas. The article encourages students to step out of their campus comfort zone and explore the uniqueness of their new home. Heidi Wither, owner of a Fayetteville bakery commented, “Exploring the town you’re living in for four years enriches the experience and is a different way of educating yourself.”

Well said, Ms. Wither. We couldn’t agree more. And with a beautiful and exciting area like Northwest Arkansas to call home, we hope you’ll be enticed to get your copy of the “Insider’s Guide to Northwest Arkansas” at http://www.experiencefayetteville.com/vguide.php and visit soon.

What's In a Name?

By: Allison Drennon

Around our office, we have been known to compare (not begrudgingly) the launch of marketing efforts to birth. Really the similarities are endless:  the emotions surrounding the initial discovery (excitement and shock), extensive planning, then finally an introduction into the world.

Part of the planning is the all-important name. There are many ways to name a baby brand. Perhaps it is something you decided on many years ago. Or maybe it is something you (your spouse, your business partners and marketing agency) have been wrestling with for months. Here are a few tips for naming or renaming your brand:

-       Rely on strategy above emotions. Your brand name should be a combination of art plus science. There are many factors that must be taken into consideration – consumer research, meaning, pronunciation, spelling, connection to an existing brand, visual elements, functionality – but all of that should play second fiddle to your strategic marketing plan. If it doesn’t fit with your plan, it doesn’t work.

-       Don’t be a copycat. Definitely check into the possibility of conflict with names on your brainstorm list. The USPTO is a great resource for pending and registered mark search (http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/index.jsp). Also don’t forget to make sure there is an open URL.

-       Listen for the Hallelujah chorus. But if you aren’t hearing the angels sing, don’t panic. Consider how many people are decision makers in the process and current brand equity (if any). Revisit the research and the strategy. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.

-       Comfort comes with time. You are sure to hear feedback from all angles in the first few weeks after introduction. As people become more familiar with the name, they will become more comfortable with it. We bet that in 1998 there were several skeptics of the name Google.

Need help coming up with a great brand, or need help with your existing brand? Call us. We’re experts at creating and building brand awareness and preference, and we have the research to prove it.

Blogging about Blogging

Over the past few years, months and even hours, social and digital media and the way marketing firms use them has been evolving. A recent study by RSW/US, a development firm that specializes in agency-client relationships, took a look at how marketing experts and agencies currently use and perceive social and digital media.

http://www.rswus.com/images_and_uploads/Changes-in-Social-Digital-Media-2009-2012.pdf

In short, most marketing professionals are more knowledgeable and confident about social media than they were three years ago. With that being the case, agencies are expected to be even more ahead of the curve with the guidance and strategies they provide clients on these topics.

At the Sells Agency, our goal is complete marketing clarity so we won’t ever recommend social media, a digital media buy or anything else unless it helps you reach your ultimate business goals. In our own social media efforts, we want to provide interesting content on a consistent basis. We are hoping to bring a more insightful, thought-leadership approach to our blog in the future. You’ll still be able to find updates on our latest client work and news about fun office happenings, but with more industry insights and opinions from different Sells Agency associates mixed in.

Check back here tomorrow for account executive Allison Drennon’s take on choosing a name for a new brand. 

Intern Insights

The week before last our summer intern's started at the agency and you heard their first impressions from intern Sarah Hill.  Now, our other public relations and account services intern, Alison Bracy, is weighing in. Alison is a rising senior at the University of Arkansas- Fayetteville, majoring in Journalism. 

I came into this internship experience having no clue what to expect. I had it all played out in my mind that I was going to walk into an office full of intimidating marketing experts who expected me to know how to do everything. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

With Amber at the front desk, it’s pretty much impossible to walk into the Sells Agency feeling nervous. She greeted me with a warm welcome and walked me into the conference room for orientation led by Sarah Kurrus, our intern coordinator. She taught me, Sarah Hill, the other account services/public relations intern (AKA my partner in crime), and Hunter, the design intern, all the basics: phone duty, timesheets, morning traffic, etc. After orientation we got a grand tour of the office and met everyone. My nerves were completely put to ease when I saw how genuinely nice everyone was. My nervousness turned into excitement. What could be a better experience than learning from talented professionals who are kind and truly want you to succeed and grow? Each of them emphasized over and over again for us to never be hesitant about asking questions, which was very comforting.

This summer is going to be a life changing experience. I have to agree with what Sarah said, after one day I have learned more than I have in three years of college. It’s going to be a great hands-on experience and I’m looking forward to the rest of my summer with the Sells Agency!

J.D. Power study highlights the importance of having a preferred brand

By: Mike Sells

According to a recent report from J.D. Power, the percentage of bank customers who switched their primary bank in the past 12 months has increased to 8.7%, and this trend is likely to continue. As stated in their report, “…the increased churn is good news, in that more consumers are coming into the market and represent more opportunities to acquire additional customers.”

From our viewpoint, the key idea in that sentence is “opportunity.”

Your bank has the opportunity to acquire additional customers. But that opportunity is dependent upon how preferred your brand is among your target audience.

So, how preferred is your brand? In other words, how many consumers have already made a pre-decision that if they were to switch banks your bank would be their new bank? That is brand preference. And in an age where so many consumers are switching, it may be the most important aspect of your brand.

In six market research studies conducted over the past four years representing 1,450 consumers across four states, we have determined that over 60 percent of consumers have already decided who will be their next bank.

If you aren’t sure how strong your brand preference is and would like to discuss how to build a preferred brand, give us a call. We can send you a recent case study on how we are helping one bank quickly build a preferred brand in Missouri and Kansas and show you how to do the same.

Fayetteville Guide Sneak Peak

The new 2012 Fayetteville Guide photos are ready thanks to the hard work of our art directors Jon and Kati! They spent several days in Fayetteville getting photographs of shopping, restaurants, nightlife and the people featured in the guide. The photoshoot focused on tourism, highlighting the fun, entertaining things Fayetteville has to offer.

One attribute of the city that we wanted to highlight was the one of a kind shopping. Fayetteville has several unique boutiques filled with original art, clothing, and jewelry, often made by locals. We got images of two of Fayetteville’s most popular boutiques, Riffraff and The Moustache.


Anyone who has been to Fayetteville knows that the city has an outstanding selection of restaurants. To add a little something different than the typical lunch or dinner plate photo shown in past guides, we captured images of delicious desserts from Bliss Cupcake Café and Greenhouse Grille.



Fayetteville nightlife is very exciting and upbeat, especially on Dickson Street. We got several images of models walking down Dickson, the heart of Fayetteville’s nighttime entertainment. Due to Dickson’s popularity, it often gets crowded with limited parking. The city recently implemented paid parking on all of Dickson with pay stations on street corners. We also captured a picture of the pay stations to update the guide’s parking section.
 


Images were also taken of those chosen to be featured in “Fayetteville Profiles”. Below is Jerrmy Gawthrop, co-owner of the restaurant Greenhouse Grille, taken in his restaurant.

The Fayetteville shoot was a definite success due to the work and dedication of our outstanding team of art directors! The new 2012 Fayetteville Guide should be available within the next week!

Up, Up and Away! Jacksonville Photo Shoot

At the Sells Agency we are not limited by that little thing called “gravity”.  If we need to get a view of the full scope of a subject, then we make it happen.  Our talented associate art director, Kati, spent May 10^th above Jacksonville, Arkansas getting aerial photographs of DuPree Park for a tournament guide that is in production as we speak.

The plane ride was quite the adventure for the whole crew. 

Kati rocking it in the airplane. 

The day of shooting also included photographs of the sports teams and their families having fun at DuPree Park in Jacksonville.  Along with the great sporting facilities, the park encompasses many pavilions, a walking trail and a playground.  This shoot captures the versatility and natural beauty of the Jacksonville area.  Check out these photos from around the park.

The Sells Agency will be going back to Jacksonville to take photos of the Splash Zone Water Park in June.  Stay tuned for pictures from that shoot!

Intern's First Impressions

Well, it is officially summer at the agency! Our three summer interns- Sarah Hill, Alison Bracy and Hunter Bay started with us yesterday. Sarah and Alison will be helping out on the account services side, while Hunter will serve as the art design intern. We are so excited to have them here with us, but hey, who cares what we think, right? Instead, we will let you have the scoop direct from the intern's themselves. 


First in our intern blog series, Sarah Hill, a rising senior at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, shares her first impressions- 

For most students the beginning of summer means long days at the pool and lots and lots of sleep.  But some of us are choosing a different route- the summer internship.  I know of three college students who have traded their swimsuits in for a new desk and (hopefully) a huge learning experience. 

My partner in crime, Alison, and I are the new account services/public relations interns at the Sells Agency.  We are joined by the design intern, Hunter.  We began our 10-week internship this past Monday.  Walking into a totally new atmosphere was quite intimidating for this marketing major.  Each person I met was so helpful and they all said that blessed phrase- “please ask me any question you have.”   I plan on taking them up on that statement.  The first day included meeting the staff, learning how to answer the phones, and going to lunch with the staff.  Honestly, apologies to my university, I have learned more about an agency in one day than in a whole semester in Marketing 101.  Suffice to say, I am a little excited for the next two months at the Sells Agency.

TV Spot Helps 89-year-old Realize His Dream

While we normally rely on research to ensure that our campaigns for clients are effective, sometimes we get to witness it first-hand. Charlie Ball, an 89-year-old World War II veteran, will graduate from Arkansas Tech University this weekend, all because he saw a television commercial for the Arkansas Tech University Accelerated Degree program. 

Ball first arrived in Russellville in the fall of 1941, but his studies were soon interrupted and  replaced with pilot lessons from the U.S. Armed Services. Seven decades later, he is now receiving his Bachelor of Professional studies degree in public relations.  Hey, with that degree maybe Mr. Ball wants to come help us out at the agency? He certainly proves that it is never too late to achieve a goal in life.

To learn more about Charlie Ball’s story, read this news story from KARK. 

Optimizing Headlines in the Age of Google

Ever wonder why some websites and search results are rated so much higher than others?  They may have great content and witty headlines, but more importantly, they have excellent search engine optimization. It is something that has to be taken into consideration when crafting headlines and copy for our clients. But how can companies write intriguing headlines when Google doesn't appreciate their wit or humor?

Check out this article from Jonathan Rick with some tactics for optimizing SEO without sacrificing your writing style.

Pixel Perfect Goes Social

Pixel Perfect is the creative partner of the Sells Agency- helping us with all things digital and helping our clients make sense of digital marketing. They have recently extended their reach to social media so be sure to check out their Facebook page and Twitter, and visit their website to learn more about everything they do. 

Fayetteville Photo Shoot

Jon and Kati spent a majority of last week in Fayetteville doing a photo shoot for the upcoming 2012 Fayetteville Guide. While we are still a few weeks away from having a completed guide, we thought we would give you a behind-the-scenes look into the shoot. Here are some photos from the shoot, and we will be sure to share the final pictures when we have those. 


Also, a belated happy Administrative Professionals day to all of you! Or as we call it around here, Amberfest. We definitely couldn't get anything done around here without Amber, so we are celebrating her all week! 

Arvest Ranks Highest in J.D. Power Study

J.D. Power and Associates just released the 2012 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. For the fourth consecutive year, Arvest Bank has received regional awards, ranking highest in both the South Central and Southwest regions – the only bank in the study to receive the award in two regions. The 2012 study was conducted with more than 51,000 banking customers throughout eleven regions across the U.S.

Arvest Bank received scores significantly higher than regional  averages in five factors analyzed by the study – account activities, account information, facility, fees, and product offerings. The South Central Region is comprised of five states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The Southwest Region is comprised of six states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma and Utah.

There are many factors that contribute to Arvest’s highest ranking in the study.  Arvest Bank has some of the lowest fees in the nation, a highly rated in-branch experience and offers 12-hour weekday banking, along with Saturday hours at many of its more than 230 locations.  Arvest also provides a wide variety of desirable checking and loan products as well as many customer conveniences including online banking, mobile banking, deposit image ATMs and other electronic services.

To view more information and ratings overview for the J. D. Power and Associates 2012 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study^SM, visit http://www.jdpower.com.

TaMolly's In-store Signage

Your favorite department store. The corner pharmacy. Even your bank.

Many businesses target customers and encourage sales using in-store point of purchase materials. It's a growing part of a multi-channel marketing approach and for good reason. It provides enormous opportunities to offer your customers additional incentives to make purchases, creates powerful impressions that will help build your brand, drives customer loyalty and generates buzz about your business.

As we continue to implement a new marketing plan for TaMolly's Mexican restaurants, we recently refreshed their in-store materials. We started by producing large signs that promoted their weekly specials and new gluten-free menu.

We created table tents and napkins promoting appetizers and desserts. Then we made a special label for their gallon-sized jugs of brewed tea.

We even made special signs for the bathroom mirrors!

And a little something fun- stickers for the kids!

Got a few minutes? Become a better writer!

Have a few extra minutes today? Become a better writer now! Don't worry, the agency is not producing infomercials now, but we are always looking for ways to improve our writing. We like to stay on our toes since solid writing is the basis for most of our client work.

Finding time to focus on ourselves is hard to do, so we thought this quick exercise from PR Daily was worthy of our attention. Check out their tips for improving your writing here.

Last Call for Career Clarity Applications!

Are you a college student still wondering what you're going to do all summer? Don't worry, it isn't too late to apply for the Sells Agency Career Clarity program!

We are looking for one account services/ public relations intern, and one art direction/ design intern for our 10-week program beginning May 21. The applications are due this Friday, March 30.

So, what are you waiting for? Click here for more information, and get the application here!