Sidetrekked

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk’s Senior Motion Designer Nick Grobe to talk about how B2B companies can use web-based augmented reality (WebAR) to create more engaging online experiences. They discuss their own experiences with AR (2:30), how AR has evolved during the last 10 years (10:20), how brands can blend purpose and fun in AR to create value (22:00), and more. In Problem Solved, they look at how we used AR in print to enhance the story and experience in a children’s book (35:00). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, they reminisce about a poker-themed Trekk baby shower (41:00).

We’re back! In the season 2 opener of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne welcome back Trekk’s Technical Director Sam Basile to discuss why you should work with an agency to build an e-commerce experience. They start by talking about their personal best and worst e-commerce experiences of late (1:08), why B2B companies are looking to incorporate an e-commerce experience (10:45), what goes into a quality e-commerce website (19:17), and more. Then, in Problem Solved, they discuss how we helped an industrial client engineer their own e-commerce website (25:00). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, the three of them share their favorite Trekk memories, something we’ll be doing all season to celebrate our 30th anniversary.

In the season one finale of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne pull back the curtain with a fun AMA that covers quite a bit of ground. First, they introduce Trekk Senior Motion Designer Nick Grobe, who produces all Sidetrekked episodes. Then, they answer listener questions, including our hosts’ official titles and average day-to-day (2:03), what is a realistic timeline to evaluate a marketing strategy (13:27), three things you can do without a marketing team or big marketing budget (26:00), and which — if any — of the cocktails they actually liked this season (33:00). In Mics at the Bar, they sample a Negroni (40:00). Thank you for listening to season one and stay tuned for season two of Sidetrekked! p.s. Listen past the credits for season one bloopers!

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Shayne and Emilee are joined by Trekk’s Social Media Strategist Sean Burke for a lively discussion about when and why to use paid social advertising. They discuss the various platforms for paid social (2:04), the difference between boosted posts and paid ads on platforms like LinkedIn (15:55), the importance of understanding and defining your audience with paid social (21:56), and the varied costs of paid social (31:00). In Problem Solved, they discuss growing the audience for a new client using LinkedIn ads (39:00). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, they try a Cherry Libre (43:00)...It’s all about the Coke.

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk Senior Account Manager Madison Brudi to discuss brand workshops and why they’re so important. They dive into what actually goes into creating a brand (2:11), the challenges and growing pains of going through a rebrand (10:51), how Trekk’s approach to brand workshops makes the process interactive and fun (15:00), and the important deliverables from a brand workshop (23:00). In Problem Solved, they discuss how our brand workshop helped a client position themselves as a true industry disruptor (31:54). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, they sample The New York Sour (37:00)...it may not do New York justice.

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk Account Manager Jake Sellers to discuss what makes a good partnership with a marketing agency. The three of them discuss expectations for a productive partnership from the brand and agency perspective (2:00), the challenges brands can face by keeping all marketing operations in-house (15:00), scenarios where brands might benefit from not partnering with an agency (23:00), and the importance of setting goals and objectives when building a relationship with an agency (29:00). In Problem Solved, they discuss building a long-term relationship with an industrial B2B company out of an ad hoc request (35:00). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, they sample The Alabama (43:00) — Roll Tide!

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk Content Strategist Nick Ostdick to discuss whether B2B companies still need websites, and what purpose a website serves in 2025 (4:04). They also discuss the changing search landscape (19:23), the importance of staying on top of changes to Google’s search algorithms (26:30), and the kind of website experiences companies can and should be creating. In Problem Solved(ish), they discuss two very different custom website projects (30:00) and, in Mics at the Bar, they sample a Canadian Mountie (37:10).

Resources:

https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content

https://www.catherinelacey.com/

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk Art Director Chris Brown. The three of them discuss why print still connects with people (6:00), the difference between designing for print and digital (12:20), and how to pair print and digital marketing to create a powerful, cohesive message (20:12). In Problem Solved, they look at how variable data and imagery demonstrated the power of high-quality, personalized print for the meal delivery industry (28:04). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, they sample an Addington (34:20).

Resources:

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/direct-mail-statistics

https://sg360.com/study-highlights-direct-mails-ability-to-convert-abandoned-carts/

https://trekk.com/work/demonstrating-power-personalized-digital-print

https://trekk.com/work/combining-digital-and-print-tactics-grow-revenue

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk Creative Director Mike Wilson to discuss 2025 marketing and design trend predictions (0:40). They cover retrofuturism (3:25), increasing data privacy regulations (16:40), and short-form video (24:40). Mike shares one of his favorite design principles (5:30) and Emilee outs herself as an art deco hater (14:40). In Problem Solved, they discuss the wide range of video work we've been doing for one client (31:50). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, Mike mixes up a cocktail called The Bronx (36:30). Spoiler: this one leaves the ladies speechless... in a bad way. p.s. Be sure to stick around for One More Thing (40:05)!

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk Technical Director Sam Basile to discuss how Trekk is navigating AI usage for ourselves and for our clients (1:06). They also discuss why some companies are still skeptical about AI (10:00), how we developed and adopted our own policy on best practices for AI usage (16:00), and their current favorite AI tools. In Problem Solved, they discuss how we used AI to create a product selector that streamlines the customer experience (27:00). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, they sample a cocktail called The Commodore (41:00).

Additional resources:

Perplexity: perplexity.ai

Chat GPT: openai.com/index/chatgpt