business

Six Ways to Know if Your Visual Brand Standards Are Working

Six Ways to Know if Your Visual Brand Standards Are Working

Graphic standards are designed to create visual cohesiveness for your brand. But their usefulness can vary widely depending on how old they are, how robust they are and how they’ve responded to changes in your world.

Here are six questions to ask to see if your graphic standards are still serving you well—or if they need an update.

CMBell and Clients Garner Four Awards in One of Largest Creative Competitions

CMBell and Clients Garner Four Awards in One of Largest Creative Competitions

CMBell and four of our clients have received awards from the 2020 International MarCom Awards Competition. The MarCom Awards honor excellence in marketing and communication and represent one of the largest creative competitions in the world—with 6,000 entries submitted from creative teams in dozens of countries.

How Two of Your Company's Web Pages Could Be Hurting Your Business [and What You Can Do About It]

How Two of Your Company's Web Pages Could Be Hurting Your Business [and What You Can Do About It]

Why are the “Job” and the “About Us” pages so frequently lackluster on business websites?

For most, it's probably a practical reason. Once that content is developed, there's generally little reason to revisit it. It falls into that perilous category of important but not urgent, and there it languishes—missing untold opportunities to persuade, compel, and sell.

When Is A Small Creative Agency Right For You?

When Is A Small Creative Agency Right For You?

With 87% of agencies having 25 or fewer employees, don't overlook what a small firm can do to produce creative work that gets you noticed, heard, and remembered—and do it fast and affordably.

Finding the right fit is vital when selecting a creative agency. Talent, track record, and creativity can be found in any size agency, but here are some things small firms can offer.

How to Create an Unforgettable Video Story for Your Business

How to Create an Unforgettable Video Story for Your Business

You already know the importance of telling your story.

But do you know how to make sure your story will lead to that “ah-ha” moment with your audience? Do you know how to make it rise above so-so storytelling and leave your audience touched, persuaded, or engaged?

At the heart of great storytelling are two things: identifying the right story, and telling it well.

8 Unexpected Ways Businesses are Experiencing the Power of Video Storytelling

8 Unexpected Ways Businesses are Experiencing the Power of Video Storytelling

We know that stories are what move the human heart. This has been true since the dawn of time, and is true for individuals as well as businesses. As humans, we are especially drawn to stories that feel true, authentic, and well-told. And when delivered with the power of music, motion, and imagery via video, a story’s impact is multiplied.

10 Ways to Create a Winning Annual Report

10 Ways to Create a Winning Annual Report

Your annual report may be your most important communication tool—It offers a snapshot of company performance, shows how you're creating value for your stakeholders, and offers a glimpse into the purpose that drives your organization.

To get the most from your investment, design your annual report as both a marketing tool and a reporting tool that can reach shareholders, employees, and customers.

Is Your Company's Online Presence Working? The Quick Test

Is Your Company's Online Presence Working? The Quick Test

For most businesses, it’s very likely that customers will interact with your company more online than in-person. It's also the case that nearly everyone searching online for your type of business won't get past the first page of Google results; and once they visit your website, they won't stick around if they can't immediately find what they are looking for.

14 Tips on Communicating with Employees During Layoffs, Mergers, or Other Times of Change

14 Tips on Communicating with Employees During Layoffs, Mergers, or Other Times of Change

Are you in the midst of layoffs? Budget-cuts? A merger or acquisition?

If you are downsizing, then you know the anxiety it produces among employees and the way it impacts morale, productivity, and customers. Communication during these times is a powerful tool that can help keep your employees engaged during difficult times. Here are 14 internal communication tips we’ve seen work during difficult times:

How Communication Can Build a Values-Driven Culture

How Communication Can Build a Values-Driven Culture

There’s no better way to bring your mission and values off your walls and into your halls than by showing your leaders and employees walking the talk.

And there’s no better communication tool than video to build a values-driven culture. Video can capture symbolic moments in which people bring values to life in authentic ways—and spread the role-modeling throughout the organization.

8 Ways to Create Authentic Patient Video Stories

8 Ways to Create Authentic Patient Video Stories

In today’s market, video marketing is an essential—and nothing works like a riveting patient story.

But not all patient video stories are created equally. Some feel flat, boring, too promotional or too predictable, while others depict a relatable experience and compel the viewer to feel connected to the organization.

17 Top Internal Communication Channels [Infographic]

17 Top Internal Communication Channels [Infographic]

The days of a one-size-fits-all channel are gone. As many as five generations with diverse communication appetites make up today’s workforce—making the job of the communicator increasingly complex. Some workers are at desks and access email, while others rarely do. Reaching them all requires using a wide range of channels and multiple deliveries of the same message. Here are the most popular channels being used for internal communication.

What Kind of Communication Do Millennials Want at Work?

When it comes to millennials, one of the most important actions employers can take to improve their engagement is to offer routine feedback. According to a recent Gallup report, only 19% of young workers state that they regularly receive feedback, and just 17% acknowledge that the feedback they get is meaningful.

This type of internal communication could involve technologies like Slack or others that connect managers and their teams with real-time feedback.

You can read more about the Gallup survey and how to engage your workforce here. The bottom line: millennials have grown up in a world of continuous feedback, which has deeply shaped their employment expectations. Employers who understand and respond to this will see higher employee engagement among this demographic.

5 Reasons Your Company Stories Aren’t Growing Your Business

5 Reasons Your Company Stories Aren’t Growing Your Business

You already believe in the power of story. You’ve seen how it can sell, persuade, compel, inspire—even better than a well-crafted argument. But are your stories helping you build your business?

If not, here are some possible reasons—and tips on what you can do about it:

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Creating CMBell’s New Visual Brand

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Creating CMBell’s New Visual Brand

Communications has never been more important to businesses and organizations, and as we look at trends and needs among our clients, we’re convinced that our new mission statement precisely describes the space we’ll occupy: Creating signature communications that drive purpose and grow business.

As an outgrowth of that, we’ve updated our visual brand, and in this entry, we’ll take you behind the scenes on some of the work that led up to this.