Stacie Zinn Roberts's Blog, page 3
December 28, 2019
What’s Your Marketing Story?
Everyone loves a good story. We tell stories to soothe our children to sleep, to relax with a movie on a Saturday night, to connect with friends over a beer. In business, something as basic as what you name your company should tell a story too.
To illustrate, let me tell you my story. About 10 years ago, I had a dream that a friend who farmed citrus, cattle and turfgrass sod was telling me that the market had crashed in every commodity where he had invested. But on a lark, he said in the dream, many years ago he’d planted a grove of avocado, and don’t you know avocados are now selling for 10 times more than they ever had before? The thing that saved me, he said, was the thing I overlooked. And I woke up.
I thought about calling my friend and telling him to go plant a grove of avocados. (With the craze over avocados these days, perhaps I should have.) But what I realized was the avocado wasn’t for him. It was for me. The thing I’d overlooked, green industry marketing, was what was going to save me.
When I started What’s Your Avocado? Marketing and Public Relations in 2012, the choice of my company name was strategic. It tells a story that is wrapped around a concept. The concept is that every person, every product and every business has something about them that’s special. I call that unique element Your Avocado. When I work with clients, I help them find their avocado and express it in the marketplace in a way that’s authentic to them and drives sales.
Now, every time I meet someone and tell them my company name, they ask what it means. I tell the story. It’s so memorable that I’ve created a trigger to keep my company in the minds of potential customers. Lots of people have sent me avocado-themed gifts — avocado earrings, beach towels, Christmas tree ornaments — all because of my company name.
Telling a story works. I’ve seen it over and over. When Eric and John Lefebvre were teenagers, they were just two kids with a lawnmower and a lot of determination. Cutting neighbors’ yards eventually grew into a real business that, back in 1988, they named E and J Mowers Lawn Care located in Charlotte County, Florida. That name told a story. Eric and John will mow your lawn. Thirty years later, the brothers are now seasoned professionals with crews that hand-manicure the landscapes of beachfront estates, and the company rarely offers mowing services anymore.
A couple of years ago, Eric and John realized that their company name no longer reflected the scope of their business. The story no longer fit. So, they changed it. E and J Mowers became Green Leaf Solutions, a name that tells a story of a high level of expertise offering a variety of landscaping services. They rebranded with a new logo for their business cards, shirts and trucks, and they launched a website.
The results were immediate. Some folks joked that they must be putting the company up for sale because of the new, fancy image. But most of the reactions were positive, saying they presented a more professional appearance in line with the high-quality work they do. In a tight labor market, the new name and story helped them to recruit more skilled talent.
My firm recently branded a new Bermudagrass for Oklahoma State University and its licensing agent, Sod Production Services. The grass is the most cold-tolerant Bermuda on the market. We wanted the name to reflect the variety’s main attribute but also harken back to its roots at OSU. The name we came up with was Tahoma 31. The number 31 refers to the number used to identify it during a decade of research. Tahoma is a Native American word that sounds like Oklahoma but means “frozen water.” The name tells a story. It conveys a message about the product’s benefits, and it sounds good too.
What does your company name say about you? How can you optimize the story you tell to inform your customers about your products or services?
I’d love to hear how you tell your company’s story and learn about Your Avocado. Feel free to shoot me an email at stacie@whatsyouravocado.com or connect with me on Twitter @whatsyouravocad.
The December 2019 issue of Irrigation & Green Industry magazine marks Roberts’ first column for the publication as its new Marketing Matters columnist. Irrigation & Green Industry is the official publication of the Irrigation Association.
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What’s Your Story?
In What’s Your Story? Stacie Zinn Roberts explores the value of storytelling in marketing. The December issue of Irrigation & Green Industry magazine marks Roberts’ first column fo the publication as its new Marketing Matters columnist. Irrigation & Green Industry is the official publication of the Irrigation Association.
The post What’s Your Story? appeared first on What's Your Avocado.
Get The Message, How to Tell Your Employees What They Need to Hear
In this article, learn valuable tips for better internal communications that boost productivity and drive sales.
Written by Stacie Zinn Roberts, this article appears in the December issue of Irrigation & Green Industry
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Turning Conversations into Repeat Business
Maintaining good customer relations starts with frequent and effective communication. In this article, Stacie Zinn Roberts explains why customer relations is critical to business success, and how you can improve your bottom line by talking (and listening) to your customers.
Published in the October 2019 issue of Irrigation & Green Industry
https://npaper-wehaa.com/igin/2019/10/s1/#?page=28
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October 21, 2019
Stacie Zinn Roberts Named Marketing Expert at BRND-TV
Stacie Zinn Roberts of What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations was recruited as one of the founding subject matter experts on BRND-TV, a new digital video streaming resource for information on building and promoting your brand. The online platform launched worldwide on October 22nd at BRNDTV.com.
BRND-TV features more than 60 experts who provide actionable tactics and strategies for branding, sales, lead generation, social media, content marketing, SEO, business strategy and more.
Stacie Zinn Roberts shares her expertise in a video that offers 3 Tips for Creating Effective Emails. The video streams for FREE at: https://www.brndtv.com/authors/stacie-zinn-roberts
Access to the BRND-TV platform is free but requires registration.
About What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations creates messaging, marketing, public relations and advertising campaigns for a national audience. The firm serves clients nationwide, with a focus on the agricultural, turf, landscape, golf and real estate industries. By the way, the Avocado? It’s the element that makes a person, product or company special. What’s Your Avocado? helps clients to find their avocado and express it in the marketplace, thereby building a recognizable brand and a successful business. What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations is headquartered in Mount Vernon, WA. 360-428-2878, whatsyouravocado.com
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April 23, 2019
What’s Your Avocado? Wins Totem Award from PRSA
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & PR Wins Public Relations Society of America, Puget Sound Chapter Totem Award
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations, based in Mount Vernon, WA, was honored recently at the 41st Annual Totem Awards event in Seattle by the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. What’s Your Avocado?was awarded the prestigious Totem Award for “Washington Potatoes in the Spotlight”, an annual report for the Washington State Potato Commission.
Stacie Zinn Roberts managed the project and developed the Hollywood-themed concept that features a potato walking down the red carpet and potatoes of different sizes sitting in theater seats to illustrate the financial report. Kathleen Petrzelka edited the content. Cynthia Levesque created the design.
“This was an excellent delivery of an annual report. In what can be a presentation loaded down with numbers and facts, the agency did an outstanding job in presenting essential information and financials in an entertaining and compelling way to reach constituents. The report was well researched to provide a deliverable that clearly illustrated how participating farmers/growers were getting the most from their dollars contributed to the organization. This was illustrated through very compelling graphics and layout of the document, easy to read and understand segments, and a wonderfully entertaining theme. Usually, these kinds of documents can be very lethargic in capturing the attention of the reader, but the agency’s approach and use of the movie theme along with the outstanding layout of the document made this a huge success. The final financial page was genius!” said one of the competition’s judges.
PRSA Puget Sound honors the best public relations programs, tactics and practitioners in the region at its annual Totem Awards Celebration. The awards are recognized as a symbol of creativity and accomplishment for the Public Relations industry in the Puget Sound region. The program is designed to recognize projects and programs that demonstrate excellence in PR and rise above the competition.
On the night of the Totem Awards event, What’s Your Avocado? was in good company. Other award winners included agencies who represent Nike, Alaska Airlines, and Microsoft.
Read the award-winning WSPC Annual Report here.
About PRSA, Puget Sound Chapter
The Puget Sound chapter of PRSA has served Western Washington for 53 years. Chapter membership has grown, from just 33 charter members in 1957 to nearly 400 today, making it one of the 10 largest chapters in the country. PRSA Puget Sound provides networking and professional development for our members while advancing the profession and fostering understanding within the communities we serve. Public relations professionals in the Puget Sound region have played vital, strategic roles in business, government and education. We have helped launch commercial airliners and computer software, a World’s Fair and the Space Needle. We’ve strategized for major political figures and played critical roles in governments bringing change to the Pacific Northwest. About
About National PRSA
The Public Relations Society of America, based in New York City, is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. The Society has nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into more than 100 Chapters nationwide, 19 Professional Interest Sections and Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms, and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has nearly 300 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States. Visit www.prsa.org for more information or to join.
About What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations creates messaging, marketing, public relations, and advertising campaigns for a national audience. The firm serves clients nationwide, with a focus on the agriculture, turf, landscape, golf, and real estate industries. By the way, the Avocado? It’s the element that makes a person, product, or company special. What’s Your Avocado? helps clients to find their avocado and express it in the marketplace, thereby building a recognizable brand and a successful business. www.whatsyouravocado.com, @whatsyouravocad on social.
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February 14, 2019
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations Launches New Website for Texas Trade Industry Organization
Bay City, Texas, (February 14, 2019): Representing more than 80 sod producers and vendor members, the Turfgrass Producers of Texas recently launched a new website to help consumers select the grass that is right for their home lawn or project, and locate a turfgrass producer nearby to supply the grass. The new website can be found at TexasGrass.com. The new website was developed by the team at What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations, based in Mount Vernon, WA.
The website features a membership directory with an interactive locator map, turfgrass maintenance tips, and a library of videos on Texas turfgrass management. Information on membership, event registration, varieties of grass grown in the state, and research papers. The site offers tools for consumers, landscapers and turf industry experts.
The new website combines the content from two previous websites and three URLs, TexasGrass.com and TXSod.com, as well as directs visitors to GetTheGrassFacts.com to the video page on the new site.
“This new state-of-the-art website will serve as a resource for Texas consumers to learn about grass suited for the Texas environment, and help them make the right choice for their lawn. It also serves as a resource for our turfgrass producer members to stay in touch with our association,” said Brent Batchelor, executive director of the Turfgrass Producers of Texas.
ABOUT TPT
Turfgrass Producers of Texas is a professional association of the best turfgrass sod farms and related businesses engaged in producing and marketing high-quality sod for the citizens of the State of Texas. We are committed to helping Texans find the ideal turfgrass for their needs — from lawn turfgrass to sports turf to home putting greens. We also support university research programs to develop improved Texas turfgrass varieties of turfgrass by making these grasses more drought-tolerant, easier to maintain, and more resistant to disease and pests. Visit TexasGrass.com or call 979-533-9750.
Media Contact
Stacie Zinn Roberts
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations
360-428-2878
stacie@whatsyouravocado.com
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What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations Launches New Website for TexasTrade Industry Organization
Representing more than 80 sod producers and vendor members, the Turfgrass Producers of Texas recently launched a new website to help consumers select the grass that is right for their home lawn or project, and locate a turfgrass producer nearby to supply the grass. The new website can be found at TexasGrass.com. The new website was developed by the team at What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations, based in Mount Vernon, WA.
The website features a membership directory with an interactive locator map, turfgrass maintenance tips, and a library of videos on Texas turfgrass management. Information on membership, event registration, varieties of grass grown in the state, and research papers. The site offers tools for consumers, landscapers and turf industry experts.
The new website combines the content from two previous websites and three URLs, TexasGrass.com and TXSod.com, as well as directs visitors to GetTheGrassFacts.com to the video page on the new site.
“This new state-of-the-art website will serve as a resource for Texas consumers to learn about grass suited for the Texas environment, and help them make the right choice for their lawn. It also serves as a resource for our turfgrass producer members to stay in touch with our association,” said Brent Batchelor, executive director of the Turfgrass Producers of Texas.
ABOUT TPT
Turfgrass Producers of Texas is a professional association of the best turfgrass sod farms and related businesses engaged in producing and marketing high-quality sod for the citizens of the State of Texas. We are committed to helping Texans find the ideal turfgrass for their needs — from lawn turfgrass to sports turf to home putting greens. We also support university research programs to develop improved Texas turfgrass varieties of turfgrass by making these grasses more drought-tolerant, easier to maintain, and more resistant to disease and pests. Visit TexasGrass.com or call 979-533-9750.
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October 29, 2018
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & PR Expands Website Development Capabilities as Digital Designer Katie Doyle Joins Marketing Team
Mount Vernon, WA, Monday, October 22, 2018: What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations expands the firm’s website development capabilities as Digital Designer Katie Doyle joins the marketing team. Her key responsibilities will be to develop user-friendly, mobile-ready websites, perform ongoing website maintenance and provide training for clients to help them manage blogs and other functions.
Katie is a highly motivated, independent, creative thinker with a passion for digital marketing and a mind for web design. After working in various roles throughout the marketing industry, she found a home designing and developing clean, purposeful websites that demand consumers’ attention. A native of St. Augustine, FL, Katie and her husband recently moved to the area from Truckee, CA.
“We are thrilled to welcome Katie to the team. Our clients will benefit from her creativity and technical expertise, and allow us to increase the number and complexity of websites we deliver to help our clients meet their sales and reputation management goals,” said Stacie Zinn Roberts, president of What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations.
Based in Downtown Mount Vernon, WA, What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations creates and implements powerful marketing strategies to help clients meet their growth objectives. Services include: full strategic marketing plans; website content creation, design, and development; creation and placement of news and feature articles in blogs and print publications; logo design and branding; writing and graphic design of print collateral such as brochures, handouts, trade show booth design, photography, and video.
About What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations
What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations creates messaging, marketing, public relations and advertising campaigns for a national audience. The firm serves clients nationwide, with a focus on Business-to-Business (B-to-B) marketing. By the way, the Avocado? It’s the element that makes a person, product or company special. What’s Your Avocado? helps clients to find their avocado and express it in the marketplace, thereby building a recognizable brand and a successful business. What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations is located at 1125 S. 2nd Street in Downtown Mount Vernon, WA. 360-428-2878, whatsyouravocado.com, @whatsyouravocad
Media Contact:
Stacie Zinn Roberts
360-428-2878
stacie@whatsyouravocado.com
whatsyouravocado.com,
@whatsyouravocad
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September 24, 2018
Is it Time to Refresh Your Website?
If you’re wondering whether it’s time to refresh your website, you are not alone. As digital trends and technology change, businesses clamor to keep up, especially when it comes to taking care of their number one 24-hour employee: Their website.
Today, there are ‘must haves’ when it comes to business websites. For starters, designing for mobile first is quickly becoming the new workflow for top developers. Gone are the days of designing for desktop and working your way ‘down’ to mobile. Step one: make sure your site is not just responsive, but designed for mobile.
How important is having a well-designed mobile site? Researchers report that 57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site, and Google stats show 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing. Even worse, 40% visit a competitor’s site instead. So, design for mobile!
Fast page load speeds, easy-to-understand navigation and engaging content that drives action, are also important considerations. Some of these items are affected by site hosting, which is a vital but often overlooked element. Find a developer who understands the value of quality hosting and keeping your site safe.
Design for client engagement
The primary reason businesses update or completely recraft their websites, even when it’s relatively new, is to make it easier for customers and prospects to engage online. As technology evolves, it’s important to keep pace. Such was the case with one of our newest clients, Mount Vernon Birth Center.
“The new site is fresh, personal and gives an impression of who we really are,” said Mount Vernon Birth Center owner Michelle Antioch.
Mount Vernon Birth Center is a place where women go to feel supported and empowered while bringing a baby into the world. The photos, written narrative, color palate, and cornerstone video combine on the new site to support a strong narrative. They tell the story in a language that prospective moms want to hear, in a way that they will feel comfortable receiving it.
Video: Give your star a place to shine
The homepage of MountVernonBirthCenter.com hosts a video in which two mothers and a midwife share their experiences at the birth center. It also hosts an actionable form to help visitors to the site to take the next step: schedule an appointment or take a tour.
“The video captured our stories personally through the mouths of clients and staff,” Antonich concluded. “We have had rave reviews from people.”
To develop a website that successfully operates as an educational and sales tool requires an understanding of each company’s client base and goals. It also requires taking the time to understand each company’s unique strengths and core values. In the vernacular of What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations, an organization’s unique element is called, “Your Avocado.”
Make your website a priority
“Whenever we work with a new client, our first goal is to identify their Avocado, the special something that makes their organization or product unique. From there, we build a marketing plan that marks a path to tell their story. A creative website is one tool in the overall methodology we utilize to bring our client’s stories to life,” said Stacie Zinn Roberts, president of What’s Your Avocado? Marketing & Public Relations. “A well-designed website is absolutely critical for business success in today’s marketplace.”
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