The Best New Year’s Resolution Nobody’s Making (But Everybody Should)
filed under: Creative InspirationI still remember when and where I first heard the phrase. (Julia here). I remember how my heart stopped, my jaw dropped, and my head tilted to one side. In a word: bafflement. All I could think was “what?” Then blank. I knew he hadn’t...
Get That Yes! 3 Steps to Super-Wow Proposals and Presentations
filed under: BrandingOne of the greatest problems we help our customers solve as a copywriter-designer team is presentations. And we don’t just mean taking their powerpoint presentations and client proposals from blah to gah-gah! or beautifying e-course slides from...
Do Princesses Run Out of Time? A Practical Guide to Getting Things Done
filed under: Running a Creative BusinessEver had one of those days where you JUST.RUN.OUT.OF.TIME? Of course, you’ve had. You’re human. (Right? Riiiight?!?!?) It’s a curious thing this about time. We know exactly how much of it is coming in a day. In fact, time is one...
How to Know What Customers Really Want (Without Reading Their Minds)
filed under: Branding | CopywritingAfter a dangerous climb up the steep and craggy slopes of Mount Parnassus in Central Greece, an ancient visitor to the Oracle of the god Apollo in Delphi would come face to face with the following famous advice inscribed over the...
Tools of the Trade: What You Need to Succeed
filed under: Creative Inspiration | Design“So what is it you really liked about my portfolio?” Stella asked. “Which of my previous works was the one that convinced you to pick up the phone?” The prospective customer at the other end of the line had called Stella in a...
People Have No Desire for Your Products or Services. And That’s the Secret of Selling
filed under: BrandingWhy do people buy? Anything. Why do people buy stuff? Why do they buy your services? Why do they buy art? Why do they buy a specific piece of art? Let’s go wider still. Why do people buy into an argument? Why do they buy into a particular...
What Does it Take to be Creative? 7 Tips from David Ogilvy
filed under: Creative InspirationDavid Ogilvy is often dubbed as the father of modern advertising. One of the pioneers of advertising campaigns and even content marketing (that used to be done in magazines long before the wild wild web and blogging ever sprung up on...
Does the Customer Matter in Doing Your Best Work?
filed under: Creative InspirationAt Chocolate & Caviar, we have a rule about working with customers that’s as inviolable for us as the rule of changing underwear before a date.Always talk to the customer or decision maker before starting work on a project. Always. And...
Forget About Words. THIS Is What Copywriting Is All About
filed under: Copywriting“Is this the new burger place?” We all nodded our heads. “When are you guys opening?” she asked grabbing a menu from the table without even asking, drawn to it as if by an unseen power. “On Thursday,” the owner replied. “You should stop by....
Taming the WordPress Beast: How to Find the Perfect Theme For Your Website
filed under: DesignTrying to choose the perfect WordPress theme to start or update your website can have you feeling like Theseus wandering about the labyrinth without Ariadne’s string: Not only do you have to find your way to the middle of the dizzying labyrinth and...