A community website is a nuanced and powerful new tool for consumer companies to engage customers. On opposite ends of the spectrum, typical brochure-ware corporate websites offer limited options for two-way interaction and social media presences remain floating communities that lack a sense of brand cohesiveness, impact and depth.

Social media campaigns are evolving to not only focus on creating engaging user experiences, but also to more directly impact upsell opportunities and ROI. To be effective, social media tactics should remain entertaining while increasing the value provided to consumers. The result of this approach is not merely a corporate marketing asset, but a sought-after tool for a company’s consumers and online communities that will encourage widespread viral marketing.

Here's what I find sexy: The perfect red lip and a complex e-commerce system with an extensive product catalog and zillions of SKUs! Lately, I've found myself really applauding the brand Sephora for the fantastic and cohesive user experience offered to their customers through multiple mediums on the web.

At Silverscape, we love blogs. One of the areas where we’ve been innovating and seeing success is in the world of corporate blogs, or business blogs – blogs that represent the views of an organization or key individual within that organization.
 

Last night I was watching an episode of my favorite TV show and when you start the disc it begins with a commercial. What happened next is what struck me.

 Except for instances where my internet is down, I pretty much never watch tv shows on my actual television anymore; I am part of what I suppose we can call the Hulu generation. The other weekend, I went home to visit my folks and prepared to settle comfortably back into the family room routine of TV-watching from the couch. And before long, the ever-growing rift between the different two mediums became painfully obvious.

When IKEA announced that they were scrapping their beloved “IKEA Sans” (a customized version of Futura) for Verdana, the design community exploded - on the internet, at least. The reason behind the swap, according to an interview in Cap & Design magazine, is that Verdana allows Ikea to establish a consistent branding both internationally and across web and print.

With this code e9bfwpmugv a dub thee, Silverscape, a member of the Technorati Blogosphere!

One of the things that I love most about being a designer is that I’m constantly learning – both inside and outside of my own industry. At Silverscape, we’re lucky enough to have a broad client base and it’s allowed me to get knee-deep in the science behind fire-retardant performance garments, what separates artisan chocolate from your run-of-the-mill Hershey Bar, the technology that propels secure data protection and control, and even the details of safety and environmental compliance within the construction industry. Getting to really know a client once they’ve come on board is an exciting process, but beginning an engagement with a client whose services are already close to your heart is even more rewarding.

Implementing & Measuring Social Media Marketing for A/E/C Firms
July 28, 2009 at 2 PM EDT, 1 PM CDT, 12 PM MDT, 11 AM PDT

If your firm is considering adding social media components to your existing marketing mix or you’ve begun to dabble with social media, you may be wondering what’s next and how to measure the results of your efforts.
 

"To create a profitable business in which our love and talents manifest" is lovingly tiled at the top of the large Merlin brewing kettle. It's a sentiment that I can't stop thinking about. Owning a marketing strategy, technology and design firm, Silverscape in Boston means trying to find the balance between the art of design, technological solutions and profitability.

I guess I’m just going to preface my entry with, GO SEE THE MOVIE UP, and do it right now. Pixar’s storytelling just keeps getting better and better with each new film, and UP is absolutely no exception.

NE construction reviewed by CREATE Magazine July + August, 2007 Edition SURF By MICHAEL BORRIELLO