Niche marketing is the concentrated marketing effort to a unique and specific segment of customers. Often parts of larger, more broad customer groups, niche markets have a unique set of…
Read More
Recently we added Alexa to our home sound system. Although she sits inconspicuously in a couple different spots in our house, she stands ready to assist to play music, find…
We’ve recently been asked the questions “What is web accessibility?” and “Why is accessibility important?” from some of our clients and contacts. As an integrated marketing agency, it’s often a…
Recently, I watched the movie, Moneyball, again. In case you haven’t seen it, It’s a very entertaining baseball movie based on the concept of tracking everything and making decisions based…
If you’re managing a content marketing team you are likely well aware of the importance of content, and not just content, but really good content. But how can you lead…
Is Snapchat Right For My Business? Snapchat is becoming more and more popular. It’s a common social media platform with the millennial demographic and the older side of the next…
New customer leads can come from anywhere. I think most people would agree with me when I suggest that the best ones are referrals from family and friends. But more…
Recently a couple members of the Callis crew attended an AMI (Agency Management Institute) Digital Summit. AMI is a management consulting firm that specializes in helping marketing agencies like us…
At the beginning of the year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg publicly announced that Facebook would be making big changes throughout 2018. The overarching goal is to make Facebook more about…
Take a moment to reminisce on the year 1988, thirty years ago–George H. W. Bush is elected president, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, the cost of a…
The holidays were a great time to relax, unwind and watch some TV (since it was zero degrees outside). I really don’t ever do that but because of the conditions,…
Callis Wins Agri-Marketing Awards SEDALIA, MO – Callis was recently honored at the 2017 Region II Best of National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Awards. The Best of NAMA awards celebrate and…
I’ve been thinking about writing about a business mindset for some time now. In fact, I’ve visited with my team about it on multiple occasions. But I’ve been holding off…
Customer Service Tips from Walt We Can All Learn From Walt I was fortunate to spend a day recently attending the Disney Institute’s Approach to Business Excellence seminar. As expected,…
Why Customers Buy What They Buy Effective marketing is about relevance. The better we can respond to and fulfill the needs of our customers and potential customers, the more effective…
Callis Earns 2017 American Graphic Design Awards SEDALIA, MO – Callis Integrated Marketing was recently selected as the winner of multiple 2017 American Graphic Design Awards. Sponsored by Graphic Design…
Throughout the year, representatives from Callis attend and participate in industry events for the industries we work in. We talk to people, make connections and try to gain valuable insights…
Folks it’s here – tradeshow season. For those of us working in the Outdoor industry, planning for SHOT Show, ATA and the agriculture shows is well underway. Tradeshows provide a…
I was at a CMO conference this past week for the outdoor industry and a very provocative question was posed to the group. What if Facebook goes away? Hmmm. Interesting….
This summer, I experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the solar eclipse. With our office in central Missouri, just outside of Kansas City, we were in line for the path…
Recently there was a lot of buzz about the pay-per-view boxing faceoff between UFC mixed martial artist Conor McGregor and undefeated professional boxer Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather won, by TKO in…
When I started in the advertising business 30 years ago, coming up with a name was easy; Callis Advertising. It really wasn’t that easy. I struggled to come up with…
If you live in the Midwest, you may have experienced a phenomena which swept through in July; the invasion of the Japanese Beetle, a relatively harmless but annoying little creature…
By now, many companies and marketing directors are already planning for 2018. Seems hard to fathom, but as it does each year, the next few months will fly by and…
Wait…what? You may be asking yourselves, “Did I read this title correctly?” Yes, you did. Corona said it perfectly in their popular marketing campaign “Find your beach.” Corona suggests finding…
Ad agencies can be called a lot of things; creative agencies, PR firms, marketing agencies, digital agencies, etc. Some agencies have specialties or focus in specific areas and that is…
Economic trends are cyclical and ever-changing. Business sales increase and decrease with changes in the market, industry and a wide variety of other factors. There will be ups and there…
Recently, a prospect used the word “overmarketing” in a new business call when describing what one of their marketing challenges was. I hadn’t thought about overmarketing for a while, and…
We operate in a digital world. As marketers, almost everything we do has some form of digital component. People are online now more than ever; at work, at home, on…
Callis has recently announced promotions within their creative department. Stephanie Lindberg has been promoted to Art Director and Tim Noland has been named Creative Director. Lindberg graduated from Missouri State...
Read More
Cliff Callis, President of Callis Integrated Marketing, recently spoke at a marketing seminar for the IAFE (International Association of Fairs and Expositions) in San Antonio, Texas. Callis presented about the...
Read More
I’ve got two boys, ages 3 and 5. They’ve got 5 cousins, ages 9 and under. When they all get together things get kind of wild, and loud. Recently, 6…
What platform is your website built on? Not sure? You’re not alone. Yet deciding the answer to this question should be an important aspect of your next site build, because…
The holidays are here and many marketers are trying to finalize their plans for the winter trade shows. The cycle never stops, but now (or earlier) is the best time…
If you are in the outdoor industry, your thoughts and efforts are focused on the upcoming show season. Whether it’s the ATA, SHOT or any number of other trade shows,…
Even though Black Friday has come and gone, research shows that the remaining weeks of the year are still some of the best email marketing result producers…especially for last minute…
The conversation is going to happen with or without you. This is a fact and is also my standard response when people say they are afraid to get too aggressive…
We’re in the downward stretch of another calendar year. For many of us, 2017 planning is well underway. The landscape today requires Digital Marketing to be the heartbeat of a…
The best explanation of what makes great advertising or messaging was given to me a long time ago but it still holds steadfast today. The most effective way to deliver…
When you are a marketer, you must deal with perceptions, realities and alternatives head on. If you are a professional marketer in the outdoor industry, I would be willing to…
Content Marketing can be a very valuable marketing tool. Many businesses have found great success utilizing Content Marketing programs to tell their company’s story and build their brand. Content Marketing…
In this series, we’re looking at the types of content most effectively used at various stages in the sales cycle. Our first two posts discussed entertaining content – designed to…
Programmatic digital media is becoming more and more popular among marketers in the outdoor and agriculture industries because of the success many companies have had implementing programmatic digital advertising programs….
Hear this: shoppers turn to mobile first, yet most marketers still construct their messages with a desktop first approach, and later port it to mobile. It’s understandable. Mobile rapidly overtook desktop....
Read More
In Breaking Down the Content Marketing matrix: Entertaining Content (Part 1), we took a look at several types of content that can be utilized to tell an entertaining story and…
Within the past few days, both Google and Twitter have announced changes to their services. These changes (some already implemented, others only announced) are fairly significant. Here’s a summary of…
At one point or another over the last year, you’ve probably heard the term “Programmatic Media”. Programmatic media uses sophisticated media software to negotiate and buy ads. Real Time Bidding…
If you haven’t added Instagram to your marketing mix, it is definitely worth considering. Currently, Instagram has over 400 million active users and those users stay active with 56% visiting…
SEDALIA, MO – Representatives at Callis Integrated Marketing will be presenting a seminar on Content Marketing at the 11th Annual POMA Business Conference coming up in Kalispell, Montana. The seminar...
Read More
When I was kid, my dad always took me mushroom hunting. I would like to say that it was to spend quality time together, but in reality, it was more...
Read More
Traditionally, new products in the hunting, camping and outdoor arenas are launched either at the SHOT Show, NRA Show, or Safari Club event. In reality, new entries into the market…
Everyone has heard the old saying… “This is really a people business.” This is certainly true with reporters and bloggers, who can be your best friends, and should be treated…
If you’ve ever been challenged to create organizational content, you know it can be a daunting task. Though creating great content (or great anything) is never easy, the first challenge...
Read More
He was told in the 4th grade he was too stupid to learn anything. Thomas Edison. After being cut by his high school basketball team, he locked himself in his…
How brands communicate is changing. We now have access to a 24/7 digital mine of information – and at the heart of it all is content; compelling, relevant, useful and…
A new feature has rolled out on Facebook that should be of particular interest to those involved in shooting sports marketing (as well as all who use Facebook, whether you…
Imagine the ability to identify a prospect that should be truly interested in your product, and then show them ads for your product on a regular basis throughout their buying…
When planning a camping trip, I make sure I do my research beforehand. I plan the route, locate the best camping areas and always check the weather forecast. Once I…
One of our favorite things about SHOT is meeting new people and learning the stories behind how they got to where they are today. Johnny Morris, Founder and CEO of Bass Pro…
After walking a portion of the 17 miles of aisles of manufacturers’ booths the first day of the 2016 SHOT Show and visiting with many manufacturers, there is no doubt…
On a cool, overcast morning today at the Boulder City Rifle and Pistol Range just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, thousands of people gathered to kick off the 2016 SHOT…
SEDALIA, MO – Callis Integrated Marketing has recently expanded its resources and emphasis on content marketing to best serve its outdoor, agriculture and midwest lifestyle clients. To lead this effort, Callis…
As a guy who loves the outdoors, the new Ram truck commercial I watched recently during football really spoke to me, as well as any ad that I’ve seen for…
Archery is a sport I stumbled across after hanging up my helmet and fire-suit for my 305 Sprint car. I was an adrenaline junky looking for a new hobby. My…
Hunters know that you need to choose the right camo when hunting. You have to know your surroundings and choose a pattern that will conceal you from your prey. In…
Have you noticed the ads and digital messaging lately? No sooner did the candle go out in the Jack-O-Lantern when the Black Friday sales were served to us before the…
I’m a numbers guy. I count the steps on stairways, know how many minutes it takes (and the precise distance) to get anywhere in town that I normally drive, and…
Now what? It’s common to find yourself wondering “what direction should I take?” as you choose your next outdoor sports content topic, whether you’ve just started incorporating content in your…
Each October for all but a couple of the past seven years, members of the Callis team have traveled to central Arizona to attend BOLO, an annual digital marketing conference…
There’s no question that Facebook has changed our lives. Whether it was an inspired vision, deft execution, a bit of dumb luck or a combination of all three, ten years…
Many marketers launch their websites and truly believe that their content is so unique that people will flock to their site. This rarely happens. In today’s world, it takes a…
As you are growing up, adults tell you that “practice makes perfect”. Whether it is practicing your swing to one day play in the World Series or practicing your aim…
The relationship between manufacturers and the outdoor media has always been a bit awkward. Companies’ crave what reporters can deliver but many times are unsure or don’t have enough time…
Third quarter has arrived and so has planning for 2016. Just like a healthy food plot can lead to bagging that trophy buck during deer season, a sound marketing strategy…
The holidays are a time to eat, drink and be merry. Planning a holiday marketing campaign now will make those little things a lot more likely to exist this season….
It’s quite possible that your company goes to great lengths to capture the attention of key journalists in your industry, sending press releases and following up with emails and phone…
Like all things digital, marketing is constantly evolving and keeping up with emerging technologies is more than a full time job. Recently, members of the Callis team, Chris Young, Megan…
What is the best day to send a press release? That is one of the most popular questions people ask PR pros – especially from the people that think PR…
Is print dead? This is a question that has been buzzing around the marketing world since the rapid surge and now acceptance of the Internet and social media. While many…
Real Time Bidding, also called “Real Time Buying”, or “RTB” is an ad industry buzz phrase that’s been around for a couple of years now. If you haven’t figured out…
Video may have killed the radio star in the 1980’s but in today’s marketing media world it’s become an even more “deadly” weapon with increased ways to use it –…
When going on a fishing trip what type of bait do you use? It typically depends on what type of fish and where you are fishing. Publishing information for your…
Media has come a long way since the early days of print media prior to the Revolutionary War. In today’s society, the different forms of media are changing with the…
If you are a hunter and saw the headline thinking this was a great article on combing the woods for whitetails…you are going to be disappointed on two fronts. About six…
Digital marketing provides new tools for tracking successes across all media – not just digital. Here we take a look at why and how to track print buys using digital…
Content marketing is by far the most significant new integrated marketing strategy that has emerged in recent years. When done correctly and consistently, it drives new customers to your online…
Whether you’re just starting out, re-engineering your business, or growing an already successful company, a brand platform is an important tool to help you differentiate yourself from others in your…
With mobile usage now topping desktop and laptop usage, Google is making an effort to improve mobile usability and experience by rewarding businesses that are mobile optimized/friendly. Next week (on…
SEDALIA, MO – Callis recently announced that the integrated marketing agency had added Lacy Harrison to its Client Service Team as an account executive. In her new position, Harrison will...
Read More
In business and in life, I find that you can’t have too many friends. That’s what’s so exciting about our upcoming trip to the National Rifle Association Annual Convention that…
How many times have you woken up in the middle of the night worrying about something? Then, tossed and turned for hours thinking about it. Never happened to you? You’ve…
Top Ten Takeaways Recently, I attended the Digital Summit in Phoenix – a two-day conference where digital marketing thought leaders converge to share their insights about this ever-changing industry. Day…
Facebook’s ad platform continues to mature. Last week, they announced the Relevance Score. This score attempts to tie the cost and visibility of ads to the relevance to the user base. Here’s…
SEDALIA, MO – Cliff Callis, president of Callis Integrated Marketing, is one of 30 marketing and public relations agency experts who contributed to the recently-released book, “Secrets of Ad Agency…
Yesterday, the Cabela’s Turkey Catalog hit my mailbox at home. It couldn’t have come at a better time as it’s cold outside and I’ve been thinking about the upcoming Spring…
Everyone knows what a huge success Disney is. I’ve written about them before and certainly they hold the standard for what customer service is all about. But sitting through their…
I saw a very effective TV commercial last night as my 4 year old was watching one of her shows. It’s the first time I’ve seen it and although the…
How many times have you been at a major sporting event, wanting to send a photo out to your world and not had mobile service? A lot? I know I…
We’ve all heard the sayings “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” or “You can’t have too many friends,” or “If you want to go fast go alone,…
