It’s your true story. Your mission statement. A flagship for a better future. It should inform, persuade and sell. Make it memorable. Make it worthwhile. Enjoy doing it.

Yes, an Annual Report’s main purpose in a nutshell is a document which shows how a company is doing financially. But smart companies also design it to be used as a marketing tool and as a piece regarding company direction that can be conveyed to prospective clients. It can be a time to showcase company history, product trends and those people within the organization who are carrying out the mission of the organization. However, with changing legalities shaping the reporting environment, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the complexities and forget the need for your annual report to communicate effectively. Read rest of story…

So, it got me thinking about what Stevie Nicks has done in her career. I stake my claim that she is the most talented female vocalist..well…ever. With one possible exception, being Ella Fitzgerald. Watch a previously unreleased song here.

Her story, and the work she has done in partnership with Target, is inspiring on an emotional level, as well as its commercial value. It demonstrates how smart design can make an enormous impact. Read about what she is doing.

Only a year ago, I would say to someone “I am working at Panera Bread”, and it was assumed I was behind the counter serving pastries. I say the same thing now, and people understand that I am working on my laptop, sipping Diet Coke and doing business. The world has changed. And the change happened quickly and dramatically.

It’s now almost impossible to find a plug in this place. At odd times, such as 3:18 in the afternoon, the first seats to go are the ones next to a plug. Grandmothers on iphones, teenagers on laptops and seasoned executives on Facebook point to how quickly the landscape is changing, and where and how customers touch information. Increasingly, marketers and producers of communications must adapt. And that’s not a one time gig. In this new landscape, it’s sink or swim. And the opportunities for innovative thinking are endless.

See the video here.

CNN is no longer your traditional newsroom. The media giant has embraced emerging technologies and the new world of social media. This week’s @journchat featured live chats with Sarah Evans and CNN news and digital representatives. Watch the chat on ustream and meet lots of Hip CNN folks and get their twitter contact information and great PR and social media tips. If your company is interesting in starting a social business program, this is a great resource for future news. Instead of CNN just shooting news at you, you can now shoot news to them.

Watch the video here: http://www.webdesignlunch.com/page/2/

While the world around us is changing and new communications channels are emerging, one thing hasn’t changed: nothing compares to a good old-fashioned face-to-face conversation. We begin each client relationship by asking one simple question: what will ease our client’s pain? Not enough online sales? What steps can we take to solve that problem. High customer churn? What strategy will make customers stay. Better solutions come from asking better questions.

Click here to set up a marketing consultation over a cup of coffee.

It’s about making them more meaningful, useful and engaging. It’s about improving communication and capturing hearts and minds. HipBrand is a collective team of creative talent with varied expertise and a passion for making a difference in the lives of our clients, families and partners. Like a recent fundraising project for Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Read rest of story…

As adults, we sometimes lose touch with something that is hugely important to our personal and professional growth: discovery and exploration, otherwise known as play. We know that children learn through play. In our early developmental years, we come to understand the idea of gravity by dropping our mac and cheese on the kitchen floor. When my son screams or says something designed to be provocative, then studies my facial expression and its reaction, he is mastering the concept of cause and effect. As the active toddler throws a toy across the room, she begins to understand and harness her strength. But of course she doesn’t approach it that way. Her approach is this: “Weeeeeeeee”. Read rest of story…

I’ve been an entrepreneur for the better part of 28 years, starting when I was 10, selling refurbished golf balls. I have also been an employee for much of that time. So, I have plenty of experience in both mind sets to weigh against each other, and to glean some perspective from it. I have noticed something in myself that I imagine many other people experience. In some work cultures, I thrive as an independent, self-motivated thinker. In others, I slowly become acclimated to the larger, somewhat immovable and established environment. That is to say, after a certain amount of time spent in some jobs, I become better at what I do because of the influence of the culture around me. In others, I feel less and less valuable, having unwillingly fallen victim to the unspoken rules and risks associated with taking chances and thinking outside the box. I would say it depends on the place. But one thing is clear to me. When I am working for myself, as I am now, I grow quickly and significantly. Every time.