Paws with a Purpose
OUTdrive Episode 108 with Kyle Cory-Yaeggi and Laura Erganian They say a dog is a man’s best friend, but for some individuals, their dog is a lifeline. Right here in rural America, we are privileged to have a nationally recognized organization and facility dedicated to raising, training, and placing service dogs with people in need.…
Read MoreLesson 24 – Believe in What You Do
Over the years, we’ve built our business on the rural American lifestyle. Sure, we’ve had lots of clients who didn’t necessarily fall into this category, but for sure, it’s been our bread and butter and where we focus our efforts today. Some of our earliest experiences in this market focused on marketing outdoor sports products…
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 MoreDefining Actionable Data
OUTdrive Episode 107 with JJ Reynolds In today’s world, you can get data on just about anything. This leads to many businesses drowning in reports of thousands of rows of numbers. At Callis, we like to say that “data without action is just trivia,” meaning that unless you can do something with it, it’s just…
Read MoreLesson 23 – Face the Music
We started hearing about Facebook back around 2010 as the college students we knew shared the ways they were using it. It sounded interesting, and valuable to an extent, but we had no idea it would become what it has. When the opportunity came along for us in the non-academic world to start using it,…
Read MoreMarketing Real Estate in Rural America
Episode 106 with Dave and Ryan Wiedeman In rural America, we do business with people we know, like and trust, especially with major purchases or services. Buying a home is typically one of the largest investments a person will make in their lifetime and it helps to know someone to be by your side throughout…
Read MoreLesson 22 – Sometimes You Have to Pivot
Back in 2020, many businesses recognized the need to pivot to either survive or capitalize on the effects of the pandemic. I think most marketers would agree that the word “pivot” became greatly overused, but it was the right term and the right thing to do at the time. But pivoting can also be needed…
Read MoreCreating a Big, Bold Brand
OUTdrive Episode 105 with Karley Cunningham When it comes to “branding,” there is a lot of ambiguity. What is a brand? Can you measure how a brand works? How do you use it as part of a marketing plan? This is where our guest Karley Cunningham, a branding strategist and “Big Thinker,” comes into play.…
Read MoreLesson 21 – Every Industry is Unique
One of the many things we love about our business is the opportunity to work with a variety of clients in a variety of industries. One of the coolest things we’ve learned over the years is that every industry is quite different, yet the same principles of marketing apply to each one. Back a few…
Read MoreThe Value of Continual Learning
OUTdrive Episode 104 | SOLOCAST In honor of Memorial Day and the extra-long weekend, I wanted to share a bite-sized podcast with some practical business advice. At Callis we place an emphasis on education and professional development. One of the ways we do that is through our involvement with Agency Management Institute and by being…
Read MoreLesson 20 – Keep an Open Mind
Every now and then an opportunity comes along that makes you slow down and think it through. Back in the early 2000’s, Aquila, the region’s public utility, approached us about a public outreach project surrounding the construction of a power plant. At first, we were apprehensive. But this was different, way different, and we’re glad…
Read MoreBringing Broadway to the Backwoods
OUTdrive Episode 103 with Quin Gresham Arrow Rock is a village in central Missouri with a total population of 37. And, each year, more than 33,000 patrons travel to this community to enjoy Broadway-caliber productions at the Lyceum Theatre. Celebrating its 61st season in 2022, the Lyceum is one of Missouri’s oldest professional regional theatres.…
Read MoreLesson 19 – Pay Attention to the Little Things
The marketing business has elements of big idea thinking and lots of details, and both are vitally important. Clients need big ideas that will move the needle in their marketing and advertising and you must pay close attention to detail to make sure everything is accurate and right. We started working with ProEnergy Services before…
Read MoreUsing Multichannel Marketing
OUTdrive Episode 102 with Aric Bremer While it may seem like the world of advertising is all headed toward the Metaverse, there is still value in traditional marketing. Radio, television, and newspaper, combined with digital components, can make an impact. In this episode of OUTdrive, I sit down with Aric Bremer to discuss how businesses…
Read MoreLesson 18 – Admit You Don’t Know Everything
Back in the early 2000’s, marketers were beginning to understand the importance and dynamics of search engine optimization (SEO). Certainly it was all new to us but our clients were starting to hear and read about it too. There were lots of theories and approaches and everyone thought theirs was the best. The real drive…
Read MoreBuilding Character
OUTdrive Episode 101 with Gary Wheeler To put it simply, the rural American lifestyle builds character. The people raised in rural America are often the ones who go on to feed, lead, and serve our country. Today’s guest, Missouri Soy’s CEO Gary Wheeler, has done all three. In his role, he continues to spearhead legislation…
Read MoreThe Do’s and Don’ts of Working With Media
College Basketball Hall of Fame Coach John Wooden once famously said, “Confidence comes from being prepared.” Just like Coach Wooden prepared his teams for success, media training can help prepare you to speak to the media or give a public presentation about your company. Our at-a-glance do’s and don’ts will give you the confidence to…
Read MoreLesson 17 – Change is Good, But Not Always
Through relationships developed while in Iowa, we got the opportunity to work with a family auto dealership in Pella. The Vander Waal family had recently purchased Ulrich Ford and was considering changing the name to help the community know it was now their family business. They retained Callis to research the market and help them…
Read MoreMarketing, Business, and Life Lessons
OUTdrive Episode 100 with Cliff Callis Happy 100th Episode! We’re celebrating the big 1-0-0 with a very special episode of OUTdrive. This week, we’re turning the mic around to interview our host, the founder and CEO of Callis, Cliff Callis. In this episode, we take an in-depth look at Cliff’s story, the origins of Callis,…
Read MoreLesson 16 – Try New Things
Back in the early 2000’s, our founder and current CEO had gotten much more involved in the construction business, moving to Des Moines to run one of Septagon’s companies. He wanted to try new things. While he was away, our team never missed a beat, keeping our clients happy while adding new ones. While he…
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