The Phelps Group Blog

When little things mean a lot

Kristen Thomas - Public Relations Specialist — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:50:00 GMT

In today's fast-paced, first-impression marketplace, clear and concise communication is key. In trying to get a message out quickly, however, "correct" is often left out of the equation. By not taking the time to ensure that all messaging...(read more)

Small time

Armand Kerechuk - Art Director — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:48:00 GMT

The popular saying, "God is in the details" emphasizes the importance of being meticulous. But in the process, we sometimes forget to step back and look at the big picture. Often, it's the most obvious thing that gets missed. When designing...(read more)

Optimizing for the mobile market

Daniel Sinor - Usability Strategist — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:41:00 GMT

The popularity of mobile devices continues to grow, creating new obstacles to overcome when developing websites. Because mobile browsers display Web content the same as larger screen systems, the content is quite difficult to view and, in most cases,...(read more)

For applause, pause

Stacy Dominguez - Team Manager — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:30:00 GMT

Ever finish a presentation feeling that your audience didn't fully grasp your message? What could you have done to get the people hanging on your every word? Presentation coach Sims Wyeth explains how pausing throughout your speech could be the answer...(read more)

Google Wave: Is social media convergence finally here?

David Yoon - Interactive Design — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:36:00 GMT

Google recently previewed its latest project, Google Wave. Looking like a crazy dashboard mashup of blog, Twitter, Facebook, Gmail and Docs interfaces, it promises to finally consolidate scattered Web activity into one integrated, centralized application...(read more)

Moms on FB!

Harvey Kaner - Account Management — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:54:00 GMT

Yep, that’s right. My Mom has officially joined the millions on Facebook, and she loves it. This really shouldn’t be a surprise, as the fastest growing demo on FB is women, 55+. It’s pretty amazing that someone who survived WWII, witnessed the birth of...(read more)

Jargon. The double-edged sword.

Mike Rose - Art Director — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:48:00 GMT

We all use jargon to some extent, often not realizing that we are inserting "code words" into our conversations. Jargon speeds communications between those in the know, while simultaneously keeping outsiders from knowing what it is you're...(read more)

Frustrated fat fingers

Daniel Sinor - Usability Strategist — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:42:00 GMT

Mobile devices have taken an astonishing leap in the last few years, making most websites viewable on a majority of mobile browsers. But, unless a site has been built specifically for mobile use, it’s most likely frustrating users and losing market share...(read more)

PR+Advertising+Promotions: 1+1+1 = 5

Joe Phelps - CEO — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:39:00 GMT

Are your PR people communicating the same key message points as your advertising specialists? Are they on the same page as your sales promotion people? Are they all working from the same brand-building strategies? Evaluating the successes and failures...(read more)

Does sex sell?

Howie Cohen - Messaging — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:29:00 GMT

Yes and no. Sex doesn’t sell when it’s used as a cheap trick to grab attention but has nothing to do with the product. This was the case with a recent fast food commercial that showed a sexy woman devouring a burger in an orgy of bites, drips and slurps...(read more)

Who’s paying attention to longer videos?

Jason Alloy - Team Manager — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:23:00 GMT

With the constant demand for newer, faster technology, is it possible that the attention span of your target audience is shrinking? How does that affect online video? Have the rules changed for emerging viewing platforms, like BlackBerries? Whether watching...(read more)

Is everything “going HD”?

Maria Brenner - Video Production — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:20:00 GMT

The national analog to digital broadcast "switch" does not mandate HDTV. High Definition (HD) refers to a specific set of video formats, and Digital Television (DTV) refers to signal transmission. Think of a parcel and its delivery truck. Digital...(read more)

Go with your gut — it's usually right

Stacy Dominguez - Team Manager — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:17:00 GMT

How many times have you been called upon to make a snap judgment and, without knowing why, you sense a bad feeling? And how many of those times did your feelings of discomfort turn out to be correct? That innate sense is our intuition. Intuition speaks...(read more)

We’d like to hear from you!

John Leung - Interactive — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:13:00 GMT

Doritos launched a $3-million Super Bowl commercial that was written and directed by the winners of its "Crash the Super Bowl" contest. TurboTax ran a similar, highly publicized contest in 2007 . It's a trend that will continue to grow,...(read more)

StumbleUpon a steady way to drive traffic

Lauren Kahner - Team Leader — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:09:00 GMT

We’ve all heard of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube — these are different social media vehicles marketers are using to extend the reach of their brand or product. While the world is atwitter about Twitter, we’d like to bring your attention back...(read more)