Ideas, insights and inspirations.

The goal of marketing is to win the hearts, minds and trust of people. If you win them over, you might win their business too. It has taken a lifetime of experiences to learn these timeless laws of marketing. Being the youngest of 11 kids, losing my Dad at 6, being raised primarily by women and becoming a bridge builder shaped my worldview towards human-centered marketing. I hope you find them beneficial. 1. The Law of Humanity Great brands always remember that prospects, customers, users, ambassadors and loyalists are real people, with real needs, wants, motivations and ambitions. They never forget that they are in the business of making the lives of their customers easier and helping them realize their ambitions. Be empathetic. Treat customers like human beings. Humanize your brand. 2.The Law of Findability If they can’t find you, they can’t buy you. If a prospect can’t find you on Google page 1, your product or service won’t be … Continue reading

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If a company’s culture is shaped by its leader, then here are my personal mantras that are shaping the culture of Elliance, a Pittsburgh digital marketing agency serving clients worldwide. 1. Follow the poetry of your soul. Just like a lotus flower, every person has an inner gift yearning to unfold. Feed your passions. Follow your intuitions. Trust the natural process of your soul slowly revealing itself. 2. Greatness doesn’t only belong to others. It’s our birthright too. In every project, produce something special that makes others wish they had created it. Greatness often comes from ideas in unrelated disciplines applied to your domain. Study greatness in other fields. 3. Do hard things. Do consequential things. Create mountains, not hills. Fear nothing. Do things that matter, that touch/change lives, and that make a meaningful difference. 4. Be a merchant of hope. The light of hope moves life forward towards our ambitions, destinies, and lifetime achievements. Hope makes us try harder … Continue reading

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Since the day I walked into Elliance, a digital marketing agency, for a “meet and greet”, my preconceived idea of what life looked like inside “the business world” was shattered. Elliance was something I’d never expected – a place full of life and character and uniqueness. I have been working here now for roughly two months and walking through the door is just as exciting now as it was on day one. So I thought I’d give you the low down on three things that classify Elliance as a breed of its own, from the new kid’s perspective. Culture of respect In June, I returned from a trip where I had spent 11 months doing volunteer work with 45 other individuals. The way we orchestrated as a community was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. There was a mutual trust and respect for those you were working alongside each and every day. You did not doubt the abilities of those around … Continue reading

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Recently a colleague asked me about the overarching tensions we hold as a Pittsburgh digital marketing company serving clients worldwide. After some reflection, I compiled a list of three that we instinctively hold: 1. Delivering on Business Strategy & Creative Outcomes. Our clients have described us as a hybrid firm, a cross between business smarts and inspiring creative that work in harmony to move the needle in realizing both business objectives and reputation goals. 2. Persuading People & Influencing Google Bot. In the new marketing order, everything we do must persuade people yet relentlessly influence search engine rankings. For us the Keyword Lexicon, which is the set of keywords that a brand can rightfully claim, informs creation of all content that fuels marketing campaigns. We need to win both Google Position 1 battles and positioning battles of the mind. 3. Living in Digital & Traditional Realms. Once upon a time, we were a digital marketing agency. Clients nudged us to … Continue reading

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Elliance serves brands the way Carl Jung served people. We help find meaning, communicate essence and create forward motion. In the mid eighties, after reading the collected works of C.G. Jung, I embraced Jungian thought because it resonated with me. A decade later, I founded Elliance and combined my rational training in computer science with my passion for Jungian psychology. Jung’s search for meaning through disciplines like mythology, folklore, religion, philosophy, and art shaped (or deeply influenced) the Elliance ethic (vision). Here is a list of Jungian ideas that inform the Elliance way: 1. How tolerance for ambiguity unlocks creativity. The uniting of seemingly opposing ideas is celebrated at Elliance. We have assembled a team that embodies the expansive Jungian vision that refrains from giving one discipline ascendancy over another. For Elliance, “both-and” and “neither-this, nor-that” logic is more powerful than the classical “and-or” logic. We deeply believe in the magnificently affirmative unions of opposites: science and liberal arts, science … Continue reading

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