Why call it "competitive analysis" when "stalking your competition" sounds so much more fun (and sinister)?? ;)

Marketing strategist and creative director Emily Carlson returns for the second of three episodes to chat about how her agency approaches competitive analysis, marketing strategy, and creative strategy.

Emily Carlson is the founder of Zero Fox Creative and the founder and CEO of WRITTEN Apparel, a women’s clothing label designed for the woman who isn’t afraid to pave her own path and look good doing it. She's a rule bender, a path paver, and an innovator who fashionably tells the story she's writing in life one pencil skirt at a time. Connect with Emily on LinkedIn.

0:34 How do you identify competitors at Zero Fox? What kind of competitive analysis do you do for your clients?
2:46 With this info in mind, what's going through your head when creating a marketing strategy?
4:03 In your opinion, what should the relationship between competitive analysis and creative look like?

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

Zero Fox Creative. It's a no-bullshit marketing agency from Cedar Rapids, IA that blends strong creative with data-driven marketing strategy. On today's show, Jacob chats with Zero Fox founder Emily Carlson to talk about how brands can cut through the bullshit with their content marketing.

Emily Carlson is the founder of Zero Fox Creative and the founder and CEO of WRITTEN Apparel, a women’s clothing label designed for the woman who isn’t afraid to pave her own path and look good doing it. She's a rule bender, a path paver, and an innovator who fashionably tells the story she's writing in life one pencil skirt at a time. Connect with Emily on LinkedIn.

2:34 What does "inauthentic content" mean to you, and how can brands "cut through the bullshit" with their content strategy?
4:33 How can brands repurpose their message to get more mileage from their content?
7:28 How does having an intimate understanding of your customer help you create better content?

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

Instagram Reels. You've probably seen it by now. It's not "new" anymore, but you've probably asked the question - Should my business be on Reels?

Our answer - why not? It's worth testing.

If you DO decide to join the cool kids and start making Instagram Reels, Casey gives you a few pieces of advice for creating content that can help you get engagement on the new Instagram feature.

1:00 What is "Reels"
1:58 Why should a small business use Reels?
3:06 What kind of things should businesses be posting to Reels?

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

On today's "State of Marketing" episode for Monday, October 12, Jacob shares a sexy new campaign from Kraft and gives his thoughts on the pros and cons of using innuendos and using sexual appeals in your food marketing.

0:31 SEND NOODS (the campaign)
1:03 Should I consider sexualizing my food brand?
2:14: One of Jacob's favorite past food marketing campaigns ⭐🤤 and why it was banned in New Zealand
3:17 It works for some brands, but not all (plus an example from Fresh Fuel!)

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

In our special Saturday full-length episode, Lathan Ehlers, copywriter, chats about whiskey and storytelling, passes on a few of his favorite copywriting tips, and discusses how you can write better emails to get opens, clicks, and better engagement.

Lathan Ehlers is a trained poet, former hotel manager, copywriter, and whiskey connoisseur. He was recently promoted to lead copywriter at the VGM Group in Waterloo, IA. If you want to talk copywriting, marketing strategy, or Templeton Rye, drop him a line on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lathanehlers/

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

Opens. Clicks. Better engagement. These are the goals of email marketing, which makes copywriting much more challenging. Lathan Ehlers, lead copywriter at the VGM Group, gives listeners some of his best tips for writing emails and adapting your copywriting to fit different email formats.

Lathan Ehlers is a trained poet, former hotel manager, copywriter, and whiskey connoisseur. He was recently promoted to lead copywriter at the VGM Group in Waterloo, IA. If you want to talk copywriting, marketing strategy, or Templeton Rye, drop him a line on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lathanehlers/

0:33 What makes email copywriting different than other mediums?

1:50 What are sone best practices for copywriting a newsletter?

4:07 What tips do you have for someone writing a promotional email?

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

Few things are more important to your marketing than good copywriting. Well-written copy will help you sell. Today, Lathan Ehlers, lead copywriter at the VGM Group, returns to teach you a few general tricks to improve your writing.

Lathan Ehlers is a trained poet, former hotel manager, copywriter, and whiskey connoisseur. He was recently promoted to lead copywriter at the VGM Group in Waterloo, IA. If you want to talk copywriting, marketing strategy, or Templeton Rye, drop him a line on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lathanehlers/

0:36 What’s your process for writing copy for different audiences?

1:52 One piece of advice that a lot of sources suggest is “use their language.” Do you agree with this? 

4:46 What are some general tips for making your copywriting easier to read?

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

Today’s episode has been distilled and barrel-aged for your listening pleasure.

Lathan Ehlers, lead copywriter at the VGM Group, shares the origin story of Templeton Rye whiskey, discusses how the company used storytelling to create a compelling brand narrative and provides a few insights on what food brands can learn from their experience.

1:39 Templeton Rye Origin Story

4:37 What Food Brands can Learn

*****

Lathan Ehlers is a trained poet, former hotel manager, copywriter, and whiskey connoisseur. He was recently promoted to lead copywriter at the VGM Group in Waterloo, IA. If you want to talk copywriting, marketing strategy, or Templeton Rye, drop him a line on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lathanehlers/

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

On today's episode, Jacob and Casey discuss website popup best practices and share a few strategies for how you can use them to grow your email list (and your business!).

1:02 What kind of popups are there?
2:54 What should you include in your copy to get more conversions?
4:56 How can you maximize the effectiveness of your popups?

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com

Not all rebrands are created equal. Casey’s found this out the hard way when they posted their new logo and brand promise on social media on Thursday. Hundred of angry comments flooded comment sections across Midwest social media channels in a PR nightmare for the Ankeny, IA-based convenience store chain.

On today’s “State of Marketing” episode, Jacob shares his thoughts on the rebrand and shares three rebranding lessons that brands can learn from Casey's' mistakes.

Fresh Fuel Website: www.freshfuelmarketing.com