Aha! :: Elliance Blog

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Overcoming Dubiosity: A litmus test for social media efforts

It was a dark and stormy brainstorm session. Ideas were flying. “What if we could connect them to people who came before them and then show them the ones they could influence after?” “What if we use a narrative device, juxtaposing past stories with current stories. The platform could provide a dramatic backdrop for the […]

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Who are your mobile visitors? Ask your web analytics.

By now, you’ve realized you need a mobile presence. Or maybe you already have one, or are trying to figure out whether it’s really working for you. Is it time for phase two? Your current state aside, chances are you’ve got mobile on the mind. But how do you know what your visitors want? It’s […]

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Why Google’s “Search Plus Your World” Should Change Your Search Marketing Strategies

In January, Google search results received a major overhaul.  The dominant US search engine debuted “Search Plus Your World,” a new results format that takes personalization – and visibility of Google+ content – to new heights. What is Google+? Google+ is Google’s social network. It offers many of the same features as Facebook (building connections, […]

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How do we reconcile higher education marketing with higher student costs?

I read with great interest and empathy two stories this past Monday related to the burdensome cost of higher education — one setting the level of total student debt in the US at $867 billion last quarter; the other alerting us that campus food pantries are becoming commonplace as many students struggle to afford groceries. […]

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What is branding?

In our view, branding is the process of: attaching an idea to a product or service e.g. achievement for Nike, freedom for Southwest Air. creating expectations and promises around a product or a service creating strong to impenetrable differentiation in the marketplace What’s your definition?

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Web Analytics Services Skimping on the Analysis

Data is cheap.  Just log into Google Analytics and see for yourself.  Awaiting you are mountains of free data points about your website’s visitors, sessions, referrals and keywords, organized neatly into tables and sortable by hour back into the dark recesses of web history.  Mountains of data.  All at your fingertips.  All free. But you […]

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There’s An App For That?

It’s a scene as familiar as your drive to work. The conversation is marked mainly by questions. A 17-y.o. high school senior and his parents discuss college as they clear the family dinner table. What are his options? Why isn’t he interested in business? “Artists starve… how many times do I have to tell you?” […]

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Thinking in Color

Years ago, at my very first real job, there was one particular person who was known to be Creative. She was the go-to person for ideas, big and small. She led all the brainstorms, complete with tables full of idea starters. She could give you five taglines on a moment’s notice. She could take a […]

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Education + Inspiration

As consultants to higher education institutions, we often begin new engagements by going to campus to try to understand the bigger picture at the college of university. We want to see both the forest and the trees, and then we base all of our work is based on that deep understanding. I know my friends […]

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Higher Education Branding: 10 Steps to Claiming Your One True Voice

Colleges and universities have found brand religion. However, branding of higher education institutions is more challenging than creating consumer product brands. Why? Because higher education institutions serve an extraordinarily large number of stakeholders and make decisions by building consensus. Following these 10 steps to build a college brand may be harder than it sounds: Recognize […]