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.