2020 was the beginning of a new decade - full of excitement for the future. In early 2020, marketing and media companies prepped for a busy year ahead, including the Summer Olympics and an election.

Digital marketing is constantly evolving - as marketers, we must not only keep up, but anticipate future marketing trends as well.

"There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." - Michelle Obama.  

Following the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, many quick service restaurants were turned upside down and had to adjust their service models. With closed dining rooms, increased sanitization procedures and a pandemic staring them in the face, many brands shifted their focus to technology to find contactless ways to continue driving sales. With drive-thru, curbside or delivery top-of-mind for many consumers, app and online ordering quickly became the new normal for dining out. 

The show was different, but the creative excellence never stops!

VI Marketing and Branding was among the award-winning agencies, in-house teams, individuals, and students to walk away (well...power down Zoom) with 25 awards from this year's tough competition.

One of the greatest aspects of being a digital marketer is the degree at which we are able to track the success of a campaign. The breadth of data at a digital marketer’s fingertips increases each day, and with that, so does our responsibility to interpret and communicate campaign results within context of a client’s business. However, strategizing and building a solid measurement infrastructure is at the core of key performance indicator (KPI) tracking, conversion attribution, and campaign reporting. In other words, the results we report are only as sound as the foundation on which they’re built. Every client’s situation is different, but this article should give you the questions and answers you need to create your next strategic digital marketing campaign.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to a predictable uptick in consumer online spending. In an October 2020 study from eMarketer, retail Ecommerce sales in the United States increased by over 32% year-over-year (2019 to 2020).

We're grateful for and proud of each member of our team, but today we want to brag a little extra on our very own, Deleanie Moriello. A Marketing Strategist at VI, Deleanie has been nominated and chosen as a member of the 2020 NextGen Under 30 class. This honor recognizes your professionals who demonstrate talent, drive, and service to their communities across the state, and (hopefully!) encourages each honoree to reach their lifetime career goals right here in Oklahoma.

The name of the game is adaptability. With each day the landscape of how we interact with each other shifts; and like the intuitive people we are, we’ve taken it in stride. With the right resources and determination, the office space is merely a construct that is only limited by one’s imagination. With the use of technology, people can interact from wherever they may be. It can be as simple as a chat group, or a more personal video chat. Distance is no longer a limitation when it comes to meeting face-to-face (resolution quality may vary).

With so many digital tools available to us, the remaining challenge is to iron out those interactions that don’t flow as well when not everyone is physically in the same location. Specifically, when it comes to creative collaboration, it can take some acclimation. Here are some methods to replace a face-to-face interaction with a virtual counterpart. Here's your checklist for staying creative at work. At home. 

Measuring social media sentiment is an important tool to utilize in your social campaigns, especially in a pandemic, during an election, organizational turmoil, or whatever the world is facing in a given day! 

First launched by Google in the summer of 2014, Google My Business gives your business the opportunity to promote on both Google Search and Google Maps, in addition to its website. By utilizing your personalized Google My Business account, you can add and update basic business information such as working hours, phone number(s) and addresses. But it doesn’t stop there! You can even connect with customers through reviews and messaging, add social media links, even post business updates as well as products and services. So, with all of these options (for FREE might I add) the question that comes to mind is - why not?!

2020 has impacted so many groups and individuals that it’s hard to remember what “normal” used to be. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we work and hire new employees, but it’s also changed how job seekers, including recent college grads, apply, interview and onboard. That’s why in the midst of COVID-19, we knew we had to adapt, adjust and change.