Creative
From Farm Roots to a Creative Career
OUTdrive Episode 196 with Linda Harris Can you imagine mastering a skill set that’s 852 hours in the making? That’s the reality for students in the graphic design program at the Career Technology Center (CTC) at State Fair Community College, where instructor Linda Harris molds the creative minds of tomorrow. With an emphasis on industry-standard…
Read MoreHow Do You Develop Great Creative?
In the digital age, attention spans are fleeting and content now has to be more than just eye-catching to the consumer. Not only does it need to pull the consumer in, it should also inspire them to take action, whether that be buying a product or using your provided services. For advertising to be effective…
Read MoreThe Power of Marketing Personas
Building a marketing plan without knowing your audience is like building a house without blueprints. Who are you trying to reach, and with what message or goal in mind? Identifying these things is vital to an effective marketing plan. Whether you are a small business developing your first campaign, or a well-established large corporation, personas…
Read MoreThe Power of Using Stories to Tell and Sell
Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world. – Robert McKee People have been putting ideas into the world with stories for thousands of years. From cave drawings that depicted the wild woolly mammoth chasing slow-running humans to your uncle’s famous tale of “the one that got away,” stories can educate…
Read MoreThe Art of Storytelling
Engaging Rural America Through Story OUTdrive Episode 37 with Dana Kelchner In this episode of OUTdrive, Cliff visits with Dana Kelchner, Account Supervisor at Callis. Dana plays a leading role in strategy, creative and content development at the agency and oversees services and projects to ensure the effective communication of brand stories for clients. They…
Read More2021 Super Bowl Ads
While we would have liked to see our home state KC Chiefs come out on top in Super Bowl LV, it’s always a privilege to have your team in the big game. And although the Bucs took home the Lombardi trophy, the Callis team still enjoyed watching the game and show. As always, there were…
Read MoreDigital Marketing Trends Webinar
View our webinar and gain insight into trends in the digital space that you can apply to help you strategically build your brand and grow your business. Trends include actionable insights for websites, SEO, content, advertising methods, automation, AI, privacy laws and more.
Read More2020 SUPER BOWL ADS
How about those Chiefs!!! Super Bowl LIV was very special for Missouri. Our Kansas City Chiefs made an amazing comeback to beat the San Francisco 49ers and bring the Lombardi Trophy home to Kansas City. Super Bowl LIV was fun to watch, and featured some great ads. In this special edition of OUTthink, we’ll share…
Read MoreMarketing Ideas for Events
There are many different ways to leverage an event. You may choose to host an event, sponsor an event, or participate in some way as yourself or representing your business. In any capacity, utilizing event-based marketing strategies can help you generate leads, engage with current and potential customers, build your brand recognition, learn new practices,…
Read MoreCreative Direct Mail Campaigns
You open your mailbox and see a postcard with your name on it. No, it’s not your favorite aunt sending warm wishes from Las Vegas, it’s a promotion from a local grocery store that you frequent. Chances are, you aren’t too disappointed to hear from your grocer instead of your aunt. If you are like…
Read MoreHow Long Should My Content Be?
Content Marketing continues to grow in importance and it continues to gain larger and larger portions of the marketing resource pie, and for good reason–it works. In a recent Content Marketing Institute podcast, Content Marketing pros Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose go as far as to suggest that within 10 years, Content Marketing will lose…
Read MoreShould I Change my Creative Approach? 5 Indicators that Now is the Time
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 an advertising message is to do so in an unexpected way. Why? Because you don’t see it coming so it is powerful and sticks with…
Read MoreCreating Great Content | Research and Strategy
Content marketing is a great way to drive quality traffic to your website, build brand recognition and awareness and position your company as a thought leader and industry expert. It’s a tried and true, proven marketing strategy that continues to grow in relevance for B2B and B2C companies. Why You Need to Create Great Content…
Read MoreBack to the Basics for Advertising
There’s been a lot of exciting changes and opportunities for advertisers over the last 5 years. Think about how Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, re-targeting and other new avenues for communication have sprung up. Are they all important for your business? Maybe. They’re all effective, just like newspaper, radio and TV advertising are all still effective. It’s just important…
Read MoreWould You Like Butter on Your Kern?
Kerning, leading, tracking, orphans, widows… Do these terms leave you puzzled? Unless you’re a professional designer, these terms may seem like a foreign language. With the prevalence of computers, many users now crank out their own newsletters and flyers, so it’s time to learn a little about the art of typography. First things first. The…
Read More