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Is Your Website Crippling Your Marketing Efforts?
July 10, 2019
We’re more than halfway through 2019, but ineffective, outdated and unhelpful websites still hamstring a majority of organizations’ marketing efforts….
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3 Questions With Andy Jansma
July 2, 2019
According to Andy Jansma, a senior designer with Blue Flame Thinking, inspiration can really come from anywhere. In fact, he’s…
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3 Questions With Michael Lewis
June 10, 2019
Digital media is a passion for Michael Lewis. With more than 16 years of experience supervising accounts across a variety…
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Techstars Startup Weekend: A Validating Experience
June 7, 2019
Our own Jason Wagner recently served as a coach and mentor for the Grand Rapids edition of Techstars Startup Weekend,…
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Morningstar® Investment Conference Takeaways
May 20, 2019
Last week’s annual Morningstar Investment Conference at Chicago’s McCormick Place gave our team an opportunity to catch up with ongoing…
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3 Questions With Rachel Barnes
April 12, 2019
Collaborating with clients on their digital marketing strategies, especially on ideas that may be outside of the box, is the…
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5 Steps for Building Stronger Customer Relationships Through Content Marketing
March 22, 2019
Unlike paid advertising, content marketing is about more than prompting an immediate purchase. It’s about cultivating awareness of your brand…
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3 Questions With Eryn Leedy
March 8, 2019
Building the right a brand story, one that really resonates with the people you want it to, is something of…
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What’s So Creative About Mornings?
February 22, 2019
Inspiration can come in many forms: a new song, brilliant sunsets, even a clever headline. For more than a few…
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Own Google Search Results With Featured Snippets
February 15, 2019
Getting your page rewarded with a Google featured snippet appearance is great for visibility and improving click-through rates, especially if…
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Things Have Changed: Social Media’s Relevance to Marketers Post-2018
January 29, 2019
While social in 2019 may not have the cleanest reputation, it’s still the best place for B2B marketers to engage…
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7 Ways Online Retailers Can Boost Web Page Performance
January 25, 2019
With revenue from ecommerce projected to grow by 8.6% annually through 2022, ensuring your digital presence is as compelling as…
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3 Questions With Tameron Baker
January 7, 2019
When we began our search for someone to fill the role of junior Web analytics and SEO specialist, we had…
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3 Questions With Sam Suranne
November 20, 2018
Whether it’s teaching herself guitar or working to understand the consumer mindset, Sam Suranne, who joined Blue Flame Thinking as…
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3 Questions with Alex Crittendon
October 24, 2018
When Alex first contacted us this summer about interning for Blue Flame Thinking, his enthusiasm for thoughtful design and creating…
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The Role Design Plays in an Agency
October 1, 2018
Our Design Director, Adam Rice, was recently a guest on the PR Hangover podcast, where he discussed his thoughts on…
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Say What You Mean
September 7, 2018
Every industry has its own language. From acronyms to buzzwords, we all have a verbal shorthand we use at work….
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Other Voices: August 6, 2018
August 9, 2018
In an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
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Reflections on Leadership: A One-Year Anniversary
August 1, 2018
Today marks my one-year anniversary as a small business owner. I’ve never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, but I…
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3 Questions with Jason Wagner
July 30, 2018
Earlier this month, we welcomed Jason Wagner to our Digital team as a developer. With a professional background that ranges…
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Other Voices: July 6, 2018
July 6, 2018
In an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
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What Is Brand? Logo Don’t Brand Me. Don’t Brand Me, No More.
May 31, 2018
Your logo is great. Everyone agrees that it’s clever, smart and sophisticated. It even looks amazing on mobile. It’s simple…
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They’ll Believe It When They Feel It
May 8, 2018
Recall an experience where you established a connection with something you touched. Perhaps it was that warm, rough, sunlit stucco…
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Other Voices: March 22nd, 2018
March 22, 2018
In an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
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Other Voices: March 2, 2018
March 2, 2018
In an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
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3 Questions With Amanda Jakubowski
February 21, 2018
From keeping us organized to understanding the most complicated of requests, we wouldn’t know what to do without our account…
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Monday AM Quarterbacking: The LII-Edition
February 5, 2018
While the outcome of the Super Bowl was in doubt up until the end, the advertising challenge was settled early—at…
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Marquette Associates New Website Wins Awards
February 2, 2018
The Marquette Equation: Industry Knowledge + Digital Chops = Award-Winning Website Marquette Associates needed its financial consulting website to work…
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3 Questions With Bill Barsanti
January 25, 2018
Recently, we welcomed Bill Barsanti to the BFT team as a Senior Account Director. Bill brings with him more than…
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Pentair’s New Website Earns Industry Awards
January 8, 2018
Pentair’s Website Earns Awards In the First Year As a respected leader in the pool product manufacturing industry, Pentair sets…
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The Power of Proper Punctuation
December 21, 2017
The Power of Proper Punctuation Admittedly, we have a passion for grammar, in general, and punctuation, in particular. A well-crafted…
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‘Tis the Season to Unsubscribe
December 7, 2017
It’s time to unsubscribe. If you have any brand affinity at all, you’ve probably subscribed to notifications from the brands…
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3 Questions with Tyler Wayner
December 1, 2017
Tyler Wayner, Junior Designer at Blue Flame Thinking From creating GIFs for our clients’ social posts to designing their websites, Tyler…
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Little Red Riding Hood: A Customer Journey Framework for Marketers
November 16, 2017
On the Road to Grandma’s House You may know “Little Red Riding Hood” as a cautionary folk tale about placing…
Finding Their Better: Pentair Pools Takes Silver
August 2, 2017
Pentair took home the Silver at Chief Marketer’s PRO Awards for “Best Holiday or Seasonal-Themed Campaign.” Now, since awards are…
Data Detective: Are You Afraid of the Dark (Data)?
March 14, 2017
A quick web search on the term “Dark Data” will give you chills. You’ll come across articles outlining its high…
New Hires at Blue Flame Thinking: Springing Forward
February 22, 2017
We’re happy to introduce you to a couple of new hires on the BFT team. Elise Schmeider and Liz Le…
4 Ways to Beta Your Way to Better
February 13, 2017
Adapting a Beta Mindset We believe considering our work as “done” is not as helpful to our clients as it…
Monday AM Quarterbacking
February 6, 2017
When it comes to football, the sign of a good Super Bowl is when the game is more exciting than…
Data Detective: Digging for Analytical Treasure
January 20, 2017
You’ve created great content, crafted a compelling call to action (CTA) and built a special landing page. But, do you…
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Other Voices December 16, 2016
December 16, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
2 min read
Other Voices December 9, 2016
December 9, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
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Other Voices: November 18, 2016
November 18, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
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Other Voices: November 11, 2016
November 11, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
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Other Voices: November 4, 2016
November 4, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
Fanning Brand Affection: 5 Key Considerations in Virtual Merchandising
October 27, 2016
Virtual Merchandising Considerations How do you translate offline brand affection into an online destination for virtual merchandising when retailing isn’t…
The Fresh Faces of Blue Flame Thinking
September 30, 2016
We’ve recently enhanced our client services roster with some fresh faces and even fresher thinking. Meet the newest members of…
The Smart Stranger: How an Outside Perspective Boosts Creativity
September 15, 2016
The truth is familiarity can lead to familiar solutions. Sometimes, you’re just too close to the subject to see beyond…
Data Detective: Building the Big Picture with Analytics
July 6, 2016
Dream big? Start small. Analytics. We’ve all been there: an annual or quarterly meeting, a state-of-the-organization address, a corporate debriefing….
Know Your Audience: Why Personas Are More Important Than Ever
July 1, 2016
Cleaner Targeting with Personas While programmatic media buys can help pinpoint where targeted audience members are likely to be when…
Content Marketing: Where Marketing, Customers and Your Bottom Line Converge
July 1, 2016
I recently had the opportunity to attend the NewsCred #ThinkContent Summit 2016 in New York. This year’s theme, “Convergence: The…
Mythbusting: 3 Mobile Misconceptions
June 17, 2016
Nobody likes to be labeled. Being painted with broad strokes rarely captures a true likeness and can lead to false…
Beyond Words: How Businesses Use Visual Social Channels to Connect With Customers
June 10, 2016
For many businesses, having a social media strategy means posting to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. All are highly effective channels…