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MindFire continued its Addy award hot streak at the American Advertising Federation Cedar Rapids - Iowa City ADDY Awards Gala last Friday, winning four awards, including Judge's Choice.

The room was ablaze at the Quad City Advertising Federation Addy Award ceremony recently as the team of MindFire Communications arsonists was awarded a total of 11 Addy awards.

Remember me? Its me, your brand. The two of us used to be very close. I was the only thing you would think about all day. You used to focus all your attention on me. And we'd talk all the time.

Facebook now has more than 500 million active users. Five hundred million! That's a 5, with eight zeros behind it. And that's not all. Of the 500 million active users, 50 percent log on to Facebook in any given day.

Indulge us, if you will, with this little scenario: One morning you open your Outlook to find your inbox full of emails from friends, colleagues and clients who are shocked and outraged about a comment one of your employees made on an industry blog.

A strong brand is important if you're selling products or services. It's even more important if you're selling a mission. Every non-profit has a brand. It's the emotional connection you have with your audience. It's your story and how you tell it.

Take a minute and think about all the different ways your brand interacts with your customers, prospects, suppliers and employees. Then, ask yourself, "Am I in control of these interactions?"

The best brands are simple. Simple to articulate. Simple to understand. Simple brand ideas result in powerful and memorable branding that people immediately connect with. Those ideas have to make it clear that the brand is different and relevant to their

A local small-business owner recently asked me, "Do I need to be on Facebook?" Well, it depends. Nearly one out of five small business owners are actively using social media in their business.

We're feeling a little uninspired by the invariable New Year's resolutions that are popping up these days. Lose weight. Quit smoking. Drink less. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Like fruitcake and ugly sweaters, it's becoming a tradition for many companies to wrangle over whether their seasonal messaging should include "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays."

In honor of Halloween, we've assembled some of the most spine-chilling, hair-raising, blood-curdling marketing tactics we've come across. Bottom line? This kind of marketing is scary. Scary, because of the damage this can do to a companies' brand.