
Big
Thinking

MindFire heats up 2011 Addy Awards ceremony in Cedar Rapids with 4 awards including Judge’s Choice
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.

MindFire takes home 11 awards at 2011 Addy Award ceremony in Quad Cities
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.

A love letter from your brand
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.

The art of social media – think of it as a cocktail party for your business
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.

Why your company needs a social media policy
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.

Non-profit Branding
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.

Branding 101: Cover your brand touchpoints
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
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

Should your business be on Facebook?
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.

10 Marketing Resolutions for 2010
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?

The great debate: Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?
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."

Boo! 13 Marketing tactics that are downright scary
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.