News

Advertisers prepare all year for their 30-60 second spot during the big game – and rightly so with a price point starting at $5 million. In the days of old, people gathered around the water-cooler on Monday morning excited to talk about their favorite Super […]

Web: www.titanicpigeonforge.com Media resources (including photos):  www.titanicpigeonforge.com/media “How Titanic Became My Lifeboat” documentary trailer: https://vimeo.com/389069471   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Feb. 11, 2020   A life changing experience – Titanic “LEGO® Boy” returns to East Tennessee for premiere of documentary “How Titanic Became My Lifeboat” […]

In working with many non-profit organizations over the years, our key learnings include the importance of thinking and acting strategically, having a true marketing/outreach plan that you commit to, and designing a measurable quarterly “playbook” to keep that plan moving along on track. A good […]

U.S. businesses share some commonalities relative to how they are focusing their efforts and spending their marketing dollars these days. Here are some trends we are seeing: For the past several years, a majority of companies have been focused primarily on marketing to their existing […]

What does every business want more than anything else?  To attract and keep good customers forever! But that is easier said than done, right?  Understanding how to communicate with your customers throughout all stages of the customer lifecycle is more critical than ever, particularly as […]

Why all the talk about Millennials these days?  Simple.  They are America’s largest generation with the greatest spending power, making them the most coveted consumer demographic. It’s time to let go of the stereotypes of these 22-to-38-year-olds as lazy, disloyal and entitled, and recognize their […]

It is sometimes too easy to let crisis communications fall by the wayside, always taking a back seat to the rigors and constant challenges of the day-to-day operations of a business. However, this could not be more dangerous. We have seen (and worked with) many […]

A successful sales process is the lifeblood of most businesses. You can have the most innovative product in the world, but if your sales force is not good at getting in the right doors and convincing your prospective customers that they need to buy it, […]

Market research is an integral step in a successful business development effort, whether you are part of a start-up, launching a new product or rebranding your business. When you skip out on market research, you miss valuable opportunities that will help your business in the […]

I believe that most business leaders need to understand – at least at a basic level – how to talk to the news media in both positive and negative situations. Refusing to comment when media attention comes your way is simply not an option. You […]

Marketing actually plays several roles within most companies: It builds awareness for the company, the products and/or the services. It conveys critical information and positions the company/products/services. It lays the foundation for sales receptiveness. It actually is a part of the sales process in terms […]

Ackermann Marketing & PR today announced that Ryan Willis and Erin Freeman have been promoted to the role of Vice Presidents for the agency. Together, Willis and Freeman bring 30 years of experience in providing Ackermann’s portfolio of clients with strategic communications counsel, including crisis […]

These days, the medium that sends the message is just as important as the message itself.  Choosing the correct medium can determine whether or not you are reaching your target audience most effectively and is also an opportunity to generate buzz about your company’s rightful […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— April 1, 2019 – April brings not only warmer weather back to the Tennessee Valley, but also the annual [Knoxville] By Design (KBD) celebration. The month-long series of events is part of National Architecture Week, a time dedicated to celebrating the impact that […]

Messaging is where effective marketing usually begins.  A company can employ just the right mix of outreach strategies and tactics, but if the underlying messages being put forth by those marketing methods are not attention-getting, compelling, and most of all, true, you are probably wasting […]

Make it personal, take the slow road for clients The prioritization of speed over personalization grossly underestimates the power of human interaction and the importance of face-to-face communication in building and nurturing important relationships.  If the entire point of your business is simply to accomplish […]

Starting a new year is a great time to assess what has and hasn’t worked in your marketing programs, and to push the re-set button on out-moded ideas and tired tactics.  Whether you work for a corporation or an agency, there are common threads that […]

As this year draws to a close, we’re reminded not only of memorable moments, but also of the warp-speed world in which we live.  Adaptability and an adventurous spirit are certainly critical skills in terms of understanding and effectively utilizing the constantly changing ways in […]

(This is the second of a two-part column on this topic, the previous one having appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel on Sunday, November 11, 2018.) Millennials are aged 21 – 36 years old (born between 1982 and 1997) and are playing an increasingly pivotal role […]

Millennials – there are a lot of them, and their influence on how companies sell their products and services is substantial.  So, if your business doesn’t have a research-based strategy in this regard, you could be missing out on some important opportunities to expand or […]