THOUGHT SPARKS BLOG

The value of simplicity December 10, 2012

Consumers want simpler brand experiences now more than ever before. [READ MORE]

Are you looking at your brand through your customer's eyes? November 21, 2012

Whether or not you get a chance at the new customer's business is determined by the strength of your brand and how it compares to the brand of others that are in consideration. [READ MORE]

Do you think like a rock star? November 13, 2012

What's the difference between you and a rock star? It might be how you treat your customers. [READ MORE]

4 things political campaign ads can teach us about marketing October 24, 2012

Elections bring advertising - and especially TV spots - to the forefront, and we can learn a lot from them. [READ MORE]

What's your story? October 22, 2012

Your brand's story has the potential to be much more than just filler for your website's "About Us" page. It could be your most powerful marketing tool. [READ MORE]

How human is your brand? October 9, 2012

One of the new mantras in marketing is "humanize the brand." [READ MORE]

Word of mouth marketing has a whole new taste September 9, 2012

People trust - and often base their buying decisions - on the product/service reviews they read online. [READ MORE]

American Bankers Association recognizes MidWestOne Bank's campaign as hot! September 3, 2012

MindFire work is featured in ABA Bank Marketing Magazine. [READ MORE]

Branding vs. marketing August 13, 2012

What's the difference between branding and marketing? The answer is more than just a matter of semantics. Ultimately, it's a matter of your bottom line. [READ MORE]

When it comes to service, perception is reality July 17, 2012

Providing great customer service is all about expectations - yours and theirs. [READ MORE]

MindFire wins 13 awards at 2012 Dammies, including Best of Show July 9, 2012

MindFire Communications had a top notch showing at the Design, Advertising, Marketing (DAM) Creative Club Awards last week. [READ MORE]

Keeping it Simple June 19, 2012

People see their lives as increasingly complicated. Brands that can position themselves as the simple alternative will have an edge on many levels. [READ MORE]

What drives trust in your business? June 15, 2012

Trust is the holy grail of building strong brands. It's the kindling that keeps the brand fire burning. So if harnessing trust is key to people buying, trying and paying more for products and services, how do businesses harness brand trust? [READ MORE]

Managing internal communications during rapid growth May 31, 2012

Internal communications can be a challenge for growing companies. When businesses reach a certain size, it's not uncommon to run into communication roadblocks. [READ MORE]

MindFire receives "Best Place to Work" recognition from local young professionals group May 17, 2012

The Network: Young Professionals of the Quad Cities recently awarded MindFire with their annual Best Place to Work award. [READ MORE]

MindFire named to CBJ's Fastest Growing Companies list 2nd year in a row May 2, 2012

The paper's annual award recognizes the region's fastest growing companies. [READ MORE]

Are you ready for SoLoMo? May 1, 2012

SoLoMo is the new retail frontier, requiring customer service in new channels. Instead of the actual physical location, retailers must now start paying a lot more attention to their digital footprint, too. [READ MORE]

MindFire featured in global package design book April 12, 2012

Chois Package highlights MindFire's Mississippi River Distilling Company bottle labels. [READ MORE]

MindFire named finalist in The Network's 2012 Best Place to Work award April 10, 2012

The Network: Young Professionals of the Quad-Cities will announce winner of the award at May 3rd event. [READ MORE]

What kind of New Thinker are you? March 29, 2012

Have you heard of Hyundai's New Thinkers Index? [READ MORE]

Are you ready for the Facebook Timeline transition? March 28, 2012

The big day is nearly here! After much anticipation, Facebook Timeline will automatically go live for all brand pages on March 30th ... gee, that's Friday! [READ MORE]

Are you setting clear marketing goals? March 27, 2012

If you're executing tactics and strategies willy-nilly and without setting clear goals, then you're doomed to fail. Here's why: [READ MORE]

Does your brand have personality? March 23, 2012

Brands that show some personality and attitude - empathy, humor, generosity, humanity - are being embraced by consumers. Is your brand positioned to take advantage of this new trend? [READ MORE]

Design lingo: the 12 most commonly used graphic design terms, defined. March 6, 2012

Graphic design terminology can sometimes sound like it is a whole different language. To help you navigate this crazy talk, we've assembled a handy-dandy list of the 12 most commonly-used graphic design terms and their definitions in laymen's terms. [READ MORE]

TED announces 2012 "Ads Worth Spreading" winners March 2, 2012

Ads Worth Spreading is designed to recognize and reward innovation, ingenuity and intelligence in advertising - the ads that people want to see, and share with their friends. [READ MORE]

50 ways to measure marketing success February 29, 2012

In marketing, defining success is a critical component to any campaign. And while it's easy to ask the question, coming up with an answer can often feel like convincing a posse of teenagers to give up their cell phones for a day. [READ MORE]

MindFire wins 20 awards at Cedar Rapids Iowa City ADDY awards gala, including Best of Show February 27, 2012

It was a big night for MindFire at the annual American Advertising Federation Cedar Rapids Iowa City ADDY Awards Gala on Saturday. [READ MORE]

Pinterest bursts into social media world, becomes top traffic driver for retailers February 7, 2012

Pinterest was the 60th most-visited website in the US last month, with total visits growing from 10 million to 17 million since the start of the year. [READ MORE]

Tim Dolan Development Co. launches new website January 26, 2012

New website! New website! New website! [READ MORE]

We have a winner in the Tour de Koozie Part Deux contest! January 6, 2012

After MUCH deliberation, we've picked the grand prize winner of the Tour de Koozie contest. [READ MORE]