Have you been hearing more about “co-branded” campaigns lately? It’s with good reason. Co-branded marketing campaigns can increase your reach and introduce you to new audiences, and drive brand awareness and sales.

Nailing a search strategy is important for many local marketing campaigns. But it’s not the only element. Even in today’s marketplace, smart relationship-based strategies are still as important—or in some cases, more important—than search alone.

There is a lot of energy and excitement flowing around the halls of Vya right now. Our big brand relaunch last week certainly has something do to with that (though we have always been a high-energy group). To me, that’s because our new brand is so true to who we are, have always been and will always be. Vya captures our dedication, determination and focus that our employees live every single day, from the inside out.

Today is an exciting, and emotional, day for me. Today, DocuStar is becoming Vya.

More than 20 years ago, I had a vision for the print industry. I saw the opportunity to provide quality, reliable print jobs quickly to our clients. Since DocuStar opened its doors, our clients came to know us for not just the quality of our work, but also the quality of our people and the care and attention we bring to every single one of our jobs.

These days, it seems everyone is talking about content marketing. There’s good reason for all the discussion: engaging, branded content is a great way to connect with consumers, and help pull them through your sales funnel. Done properly, great content can generate quality leads and, just as importantly, position your organization as a trusted resource for information.

When you manage marketing campaigns and processes across a widespread region, there are often opportunities to increase your marketing productivity and create scale to connect efficiently with more consumers. But, sometimes identifying those opportunities can be difficult because marketers are so busy, and focused, on creating and implementing campaigns.

If you’re evaluating marketing resource management (MRM) solutions, you’ll find there are many aspects to consider beyond just features and functionality.

Email marketing has a high return on investment. It’s a great way for local franchises to connect directly with consumers in their markets—and whether you’re sharing news about a specific event or communicating as part of a broader campaign, email marketing can grow brand loyalty, generate leads and boost sales.

It goes without saying that change is often met with resistance. But in marketing, change and the next big idea is key to attracting new consumers, gaining market share and raising awareness of your brand. Leading change with new initiatives is an important part of any marketer’s job. Fortunately, the path of change can be a smoother, easier one to navigate with the right tools at your disposal. Here are just a few of my tips on approaching, and leading, change in your organization.

Last week, I shared tips on maximizing print budgets. In a similar vein, this week, I want to share tips on how direct mail campaigns can stand out in your target consumers’ mailboxes. I’ve been fortunate to work with companies for more than 20 years, helping shape and fulfill direct mail campaigns.