Talking Turkey

You may not realize that the writer who gave the world “Mary Had a Little Lamb” is the same person credited with convincing President Abraham Lincoln to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863. Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879), the influential editor of Ladies’ Magazine and Godey’s Lady’s Book, spent more than 40 years writing newspaper columns and letters to congressmen and presidents to promote the idea of a national day of thanks.

Here at Media South, we’re glad she never gave up. We’re particularly thankful for the day’s tastiest traditions, including made-from-scratch cornbread stuffing and the freedom to top everything with gravy.

And while we can’t guarantee we can turn your idea into a national holiday, we can promise we can achieve measurable results (in way less than 40 years). Whatever your communications challenge, we’ll do the research, develop a strategy, and then deliver a menu of creative solutions for you to consider.

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Media South.

Spread the Word

According to eMarketer estimates, more than 147 million people in the U.S. use e-mail almost every day. Chances are this total includes plenty potential customers for your business, plus many of your current clients. That’s why using e-mail to stay in touch with your target market can be an efficient and cost-effective way to introduce new products, distribute discount coupons, or promote special events. We say can be because if your intended recipient doesn’t open your message, then e-mail marketing is a huge waste of time.

At Media South, we create customized e-blasts worth clicking for clients ranging from Avanti Savoia to Initially Amy Fay. Each blast includes a quick message accompanied by an engaging photo or graphic. Blasts are sent out as often as you’d like, and we provide key metrics to help you track the results.

E-mail us at engage@mediasouth.net to learn how easy and inexpensive it can be to have Media South create and send custom e-blasts for you.

Showcase Your Clients

Our recent musings about Botox (Nov. 3rd) reminded us of Dr. Charles S. Fulk, the skin doc Media South profiled in the current issue of Executive Highlights. Fulk explained why cosmetic dermatology, such as Botox, is best left to actual physicians, not hair stylists, massage therapists, and day spa owners.

The Morristown, Tenn. dermatologist regularly sees patients who didn’t get the results they wanted (or got unwanted results such as skin damage) from laser services and other treatments administered by non-medical practitioners. Fulk got the opportunity to share his expert advice—and promote his business—thanks to an invitation from his commercial financial partner, First Tennessee. Media South produces the business magazine Executive Highlights for the bank, which showcases a couple of its top clients in each issue.

Thanking your customers is always good business, and shining a spotlight on them is even better. If you’d like to create a custom publication, promoting your organization and applauding your key accounts, call Media South at 865-525-0030 to explore the options.

Website Botox

Typical website redesign can be a bit like injecting Botox into tired, wrinkled skin. The surface structure looks new and improved, but dig a bit deeper and nothing’s really changed. Oh sure, the refreshed image might temporarily boost self-esteem and attract some new attention, but over time, the flashy effects begin to fade and the problems reappear.

Since there’s nothing typical about Media South, our website redesigns go way beyond skin deep. Our designers can take an existing site and create a more interactive and dynamic space. Our editorial team can refresh your existing copy or start from scratch to ensure that your site delivers a clear, concise, and compelling message.

If your website isn’t generating the traffic you’d like or the site design is showing its age, give us a call at 865-525-0030. We can’t reverse the effects of aging on you, but we can work wonders on your website.

Big Babushka Branding

When The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) came to Media South with a complex branding problem, our immediate reaction was “Russian nesting dolls!” (That’s what is so cool about solving visual identity puzzles. Solutions rarely require reinventing the wheel, but typically they involve looking at the wheel, or in this case, the dolls, in a whole new way).

Here’s the story. Basically, ETHS was trying to figure out how to add a complementary brand for the East Tennessee History Center–with which they were affiliated–without losing their own identity in the process. Our creative solution was to develop a set of brand and style guidelines positioning ETHC as the marketing "container," or big Babushka doll, for the entities “nesting” within (the East Tennessee Historical Society, The Museum of East Tennessee History, the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, and the Knox County Archives).

OK, so the result doesn’t looking anything like a set of Russian nesting dolls, but the theory is the same. The new ETHC logo (based on the Historical Society logo) frames the Center as the visual container housing this little family of related historical organizations.

We’re always up for a good brand and visual identity challenge, and love a chance to dive into the toy box for inspiration. So when you’re ready to get noticed, give us a call. In the meantime, check out our big Babushka solution for ETHS at www.EastTNHistory.org.

Pump Up Your Public Speaking

Take a guess about what American adults fear the most. Job loss? Hair loss? Weight gain? Nope, nope, and nope. According to the latest Gallup poll on the subject, we are most afraid of snakes, however, public speaking finishes a close second.

No matter what business you’re in, speaking in public probably comes with the territory—at least on occasion. If the thought of making a presentation in front of a live audience gets your sweat glands working overtime, check out the latest issue of Executive Highlights, a business magazine for C-suite execs designed, edited, and produced by Media South.

In “Pump Up Your Public Speaking”, Denise Graveline, president of Don’t Get Caught, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, offers three easy ways for you to pump up your next presentation or speech. For more ideas on how to improve your communications skills, visit www.dontgetcaught.biz.

Our National Pool

If you’ve partnered with Media South, you know that we run a lean and mean operation. OK, more lean, than mean, but you get the idea. We’re actually pretty friendly, but we do keep fulltime staff and overhead to a bare minimum to offer the highest-quality corporate communications services at the lowest possible price.

The key to this strategy is having a national pool of experienced, talented freelance writers, editors, designers, and web and video specialists who enjoy working with Media South. Whatever your project or communications challenge, we have a team of experts on call who have what it takes to get your job done—on target, on time, and on budget.

A veteran member of our freelance pool, Maryellen Kennedy Duckett, is a featured contributor in this month’s issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine. Before you head out on your next business or pleasure trip, check out her Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel to discover 50 real ways to journey responsibly—and still have fun.