Philly Made Creative

10/07/2020

📻 LISTEN NOW: Ep.08 // Cate Heaman, CEO of Prelude Solutions

📻 Ep.08 Made To Be featuring Cate Heaman, Prelude Solutions

What We Cover:
✨ Getting Over A Bad Business Break-Up
✨ Growing a Company to 45 Employees and $12 Million
✨ Taking Responsibility for Business Results
✨ Overcoming Daily Self-Doubt
✨ Sometimes You Get A Little Lucky
✨ Rebuilding Teenage Life After Parental Divorce
✨ Racing Mountain Bikes & Running Marathons
✨ The Immeasurable Value of Being Certified Women-Owned

https://www.phillymadecreative.com/made-to-be-podcast/ep-08-cate-heaman

Whether reclaiming her job after getting fired or re-building her business after a bad professional break-up, Cate Heaman is a fighter. On today’s episode you’ll learn what it took for her to become who she was MADE To Be.

10/03/2020

Cultivating mass this year? Keep cozy in these Core Fleece Hoodies.

10/01/2020

🦅 maybe...but we always pull through. Get your “Bad Things Happen In Philadelphia” merch today. Check out our shop in bio.

09/30/2020

Is Philly really that bad? We love it, but yes...bad things do happen. No matter what, though, we always pull through.

08/26/2020

🎧 NEW Spotify Playlist “Editing Beats” is a curated blend of lo-fi beats to inspire the visual story you’re creating while combing through hours of footage.

✨Link in Bio

okay...it’s really a mix of must haves for designing/producing pretty much anything.

08/25/2020

Did you know we produce branded content in-house now? 🎥

Here‘a our founder, rockin solo with our girl (camera), Rose 🌹

She was on-site last week capturing for a fashion stylist and the launch of two new lines she represents.

DM us to boost your content production.

Keep on rockin 💎

11/15/2019

People are seriously buying swipes on now? I mean that’s crazy. Can’t even believe people do that. I guess people really are lonelier than ever. If this is happening imagine what else is going on that we don’t know or talk about.

I guess it’s like cat fishing yourself in a way...

11/12/2019

Synopsis: an irate client calls the agency because their ads have stopped working.

Premise: in our professional life we have been accused several times of having products not work - or services not deliver. In more than a few occasions this was the result - which is the best of all scenarios.

Sales people could learn a thing or two from this example.

11/06/2019

If you work in an agency or if you’ve ever had to hire one, you know the value of and how important that is to a strategy.

Trouble is, if your SEO doesn’t comprehend your business model, or how your sales actually happen, they won’t know how to target or talk to your audience.

We GET YOU. And if we don’t already comprehend your business model it is easy to dissect quickly. In fact if your business model is TOO difficult to explain that may be a bigger problem.

Enjoy the

11/06/2019

About to see a of looking forward to it thanks big time to and 🤗👋🏼🙌🏼

and can’t wait to see this one 😬🥳

11/05/2019

Philly Click Farm EPISODE 2: “Doing Digital”

This one is about that moment when you realize that some of the most overused phrases are the least well understood.

11/05/2019

What do you think of our new comic?

10/31/2019

for this one put the SOUND ON to hear a TOTALLY EXCELLENT for the brand lovers out there - and the PARTY TIME fans.

Dress up, act a fool, and discover how sweet our marketing can be 🎸🥁🤙🏼

10/31/2019

Hey it’s all good to have some fun this with a digital they’re totally excellent 🤙🏼😎

PARTY TIME! 🎸🥁

SCHWINGGGGG

10/30/2019

It’s a shame but we see it every day. People getting bored to death ☠️ by the common creative. It’s an affliction. Some think they can’t escape it like that’s just life.

Well it’s not! You can live better market better be happier more productive and kill the game.

10/29/2019

I mean I understand. 🤖

You may not know EXACTLY🤑 how much you can spend like it may be $5k or it may be $7k but if you don’t have it 🔨 down to “we can spend less than $50k” or something even 🕹 specific how could I possibly know?

Similarly, if you don’t know whether you want to make a 🎥 or do a 📬 campaign - it’ll be tough to spitball a budget or come up with much of a creative direction.

Not to mention it would also help if you knew who you were targeting with your ad campaign 👍🏼

Otherwise you may see me make this terrified cat face 🙀

10/25/2019

Seriously I could not have said it better (and by better I mean more cryptically) than this with just words. Sometimes we speak in code because it helps make a point, other times we do it because it is a secret, but OTHER times we talk in code because it’s just fun honestly gotta have fun otherwise what’re we even doing here this is social media hahaha right remember ?

10/24/2019

Next time you’re planning your for the upcoming quarter or year you may want to consider using words instead of bananas. They (words) are much more effective at your message. Words are the bedrock of all even the word “banana” is itself - a word.

This has been a public service announcement.

10/23/2019

“Money (That’s What I Want)” by Barrett Strong (1959 Tamla)

COVER
___________________

This was sang in slow motion to mimic how long it takes to get paid sometimes if you’re out here you know what I’m talking about.



Damn hashtags get in the way just give me money.

That’s what I want.

10/22/2019

It’s rare but it does happen. Mostly it’s when clients trust a lot, which is built up over time delivering quality work while taking into consideration feedback which emanates internally. We are certainly not infallible, but there is a difference between collaborating and micromanaging. All jokes aside it is all good to provide notes, just know that when you approve copy without any feedback (especially when no feedback is required) it helps to heal just 1cm of your copywriter’s damaged broken heart.

K thanks bye

10/21/2019

If only you could eat PR, then crushing it like peanuts would be even more fulfilling. But getting results like high visibility earned media or a big digital reach is what it’s all about. One thing I’m learning is that some of the best things in life may be free...but mostly food isn’t 🤔

10/10/2019

Kristen hates it when I put pricing out on social media but I did it anyway. Now she keeps making sideways comments like, “You must be really FIRED UP right now...” and she’s been creepily cutting up pink slips of paper on her desk.

Not sure what that means but she is my boss so basically what I’m saying is somebody needs to buy something soon or I might be spending Christmas on Indeed looking for a new line of work 😳

Send help fast 🙏🏼

10/08/2019

Doesn’t matter if you’re a plumber, local restaurant, accident lawyer, or whatever - even if your brand isn’t flashy; your copy should still be catchy.

10/07/2019

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Say what you might about Edison - he was on point with this one. Too often innovation is now being passed off as some kind of complex software-based transformation of all that is human. In actuality most real invention has come from diligent and mind-numbing repetitious work until something breaks: usually the problem or challenge the invention is meant to solve for or address.

If you’re feeling stuck creatively or productively speaking it is probably time to roll up your sleeves and get to work again. Look around, you probably have a pair of overalls you haven’t worn in a while.

10/04/2019

Believe it or not, some people are at the complete top level of their game. When it comes to marketing, you might have completely optimized every aspect. If you’re crushing every KPI, Sales is thrilled with your performance, you own over 51% market share, and there’s basically no more “up” to go...

Either it’s time to kick back and relax for you, or it’s time to find yourself a new challenge. Could they be introducing a new product line? Looking to expand outside of your current territory? Reducing excess spending or finding new places to reach people? Who knows...

If you’re not actively looking for growth opportunities you won’t always necessarily find them. But stagnation is always a long term killer. So if you’re on top of the world now better look for the next mountain to climb.

Think you’re maxed out or have peaked? Hit me up I’ll challenge you in ways you can’t even believe right now.

10/03/2019

If you don’t do the critical thinking and planning ahead of time to determine what you’ll do and how to know if you’re successful, or if you’re too afraid to try anything new, you’re much more likely to fail.

When “doing” Digital, it’s important to remember things like:
• Which Platforms Have Your Audience AND The Appropriate Part Of Their Mentality?
• What Content Is Most Effective?
• What Creative Talent Do You Have vs What Skilled Positions Do You Need?
• How Frequently Should Content Be Produced/Distributed?

Also don’t forget to:
• Have Meaningful Metrics
• Know How To Prove Sales/Profitability Is Connected
• Ditch Failures Quickly
• Experiment Often

09/27/2019

Next week is the beginning of Q4, which means it is officially (already) planning season for 2020. A lot of our clients have been in budgeting meetings (you know the ones everybody loves) and thinking about how they're going to take it to the next level next year. But...for all those sales people out there? Q4 IS CLOSING TIME.

It's time for sales & marketing departments to talk for real because if you don't do well in Q4 that marketing budget you're proposing for Q1 may not really be available. A lot of strategy & planning occurs in a conversation. Those conversations can also easily become debates. Or arguments. Which is natural - so manage it.

The world moves so quickly now, and our human processing power may be struggling to catch up. Think about it this way; you need to cool your engines sometimes. Not for too long, necessarily, but for a few hours - MAYBE a few days - you need to really THINK 1st.

How else will you know what you should do? How else are you going to sort out what has been working and what needs retooling? What else will calm your nerves? This is especially true for anybody in the social media marketing (specialization) game. So much of what you do may feel like yelling in the void.

So maybe see what you hear in the silence...

09/25/2019

is not rocket science, it’s not a high brow
It’s more simple than that - it’s where the party starts.

And ends. It is the whole damn thing in the end. A lot of people wish it wasn’t so they try to pretend.

“I’m not selling anything like makes me run for the hills.
That’s telling of everything - you’re not in it for the trill.

Sales is an exciting GAME you have to learn how to play.
Sitting on the bench riding coattails isn’t the same.

If you don’t sell, you go out of business; FAST.
Marketing helps make sure the business LASTS.
When you do both at the same time it’s a BLAST!
If you have questions just ASK.

Marketing is an art AND a science.
But it’s often times divorced from the people the company serves who actually buy it. If you’ve never tried to practice sales and marketing together you really ought to try it.

Mixing those ingredients can be volatile. Because life is a dance; it’s all freestyle.

Rules weren’t meant to be broken but what else can you do if they won’t bend? Make your sales and marketing departments talk to each other more often they should be the best of friends.

09/18/2019

Sales people all know how this goes. You prep you plan you look good you feel good...
THEN YOUR SAMPLE DOESN’T work. I guess this never happens to food reps or people who don’t need computers or anything - but for a lot of us - that kind of panic sets in and you’re stuck.

It becomes fight or flight and all you can do is entertain the audience, do your best to explain the features of your product - and get the hell out of there! Maybe ship them a working sample later too, if they still want it.

Sales people out there - any good stories about broken or unworkable samples - and presentations gone wrong?

09/16/2019

Jk but seriously being a writer has been romanticized in the dramas of so much art because it can be a painstaking process to take words we all know, use, and write - to rearrange them into an order within a given context - to create a lasting impression on people. En masse and without knowing whether or not it will work beforehand. Each assignment is like a brand new battlefield wrought with its own land mines and considerations.

The criticism is so personal because we are the ones that wrack our brains and have no real way to automate. So there are no ways to push blame to machines or anybody else. Teams of writers may vie for credit until the work doesn’t work. But the POWER of that work working is tremendous. Which is why we do it - despite the sometimes devastating emotional toll it takes.

09/12/2019

What's your favorite brand these days? Why?
- your favorite brand to use or purchase
- your favorite brand's communication (commercials, social media, etc)
- your most commonly used or purchased brand

Whenever people talk about "personal branding" it kind of drives me crazy. If you've ever been confused or annoyed by this whole conversation, just remember that your "personal brand" is the same EXACT THING as your "personal reputation." That's it. Nothing more.

Over the last several decades money and speech have become conflated in the law. That means companies can spend money as a form of freedom of speech. That means your favorite brand's communications - which are often presented to you by way of PAID ADVERTISING - is a form of freedom of speech.

That's also why so many brands appear tone deaf. They are made up of people struggling to communicate as something larger than themselves. That's a very difficult existential dilemma, and few people treat it with the kind of philosophic and strategic respect it deserves.

Just remember:

• Brands Are Made Of People - And Their Voice(s)
• People Are Brands In That You Represent Yourself
• These Days You Need To Be Seen AND Heard
• Let Your Work Speak For Itself, Then Show If Off

Any questions?

09/11/2019

Words are the simplest representation of thoughts. They are the building blocks of any creative marketing or branding campaign as well. Whether they’re spoken, written, or represented by imagery, Copy is fundamental.

It’s a fascinating thing, really. For example, a billboard may only have 5-7 words on it. You might think, “anybody can write 5-7 words!” That’s true. But a talented copywriter makes sure to write the RIGHT words.

In fact, a majority of copywriting isn’t even writing copy. It’s thinking, arguing, learning, reading, wondering, getting distracted, almost forgetting about deadlines, then whipping up the perfect sentence. Whatever the process is, the result is a skillful selection.

Copywriters don’t invent new words (usually) so the creative direction that is in the background gives appropriate context for the words. Just look at this lady in the picture for example. She isn’t flashy in the slightest...but she certainly IS eye catching. Amirite?

09/10/2019

Some people really think is dead. It’s not. A lot of people are just doing it badly. They have force-opted people into their lists then get confused when people opt out. Their copy is boring and they use uninspired imagery. There is no value in their content. Why SHOULD people read it in that case?

Good works when it’s done with creativity, and is directed at the right audience. It all starts with that audience though. Do you have your email lists cleaned up? If not, that project is worthy of your time.

Yes, it’s tedious. No, nobody in your office or agency will want to do it. But if you DON’T you can kiss the value of it goodbye. But it’s one of those things that never takes quite as long as you think and the value of it is always worth while. Trust us.

09/09/2019

If you are reading this and your marketing budget isn’t articulated for Q4 or for 2020 maybe you ought to hit us up. It can be a grueling process that takes a back seat to things that seem more pressing; like your actual job!

But having a lack of understanding or appreciation for your budget will cause obvious problems in the ex*****on of your work. There is also a disconnect in most companies between marketing and finance: like people speaking different languages.

Best to bring in a translator if you can’t get these teams seeing eye to Eye...