Setting The Bar And Then Raising It

By: Caitlin Sherman, Copywriter
Dave has been busy shuttling between Lynchburg and Harrisonburg this week building his BURGer empire, so I’m filling in with another special edition of the Weekly Report.
Marketing is an integral part of any successful business plan. Where there’s competition, there’s a need to rise above the rest. In standing out comes the opportunity to set the bar for what other businesses are doing with their marketing efforts. When you make the marketing blueprint that others follow, you can continue to modify it, raising the bar for yourself and businesses to come.
Setting the bar is easy. Raising the bar takes more work. Establishing a standard of excellence that you and others follow doesn’t have to be rocket science. It can be achieved by implementing innovative marketing strategies and creating creatively crafted campaigns to capture the attention of your audience and differentiate your business from others.
There are many ways to become (and remain) an industry leader. Here are a couple of things we recommend:
- Create a unique brand identity. Nothing speaks to an audience more than a strong brand voice, visual identity, and messaging – literally. By establishing a consistent brand identity, you can create a memorable and recognizable brand that sets you apart from the competition.
- Take inspiration from new trends. Look at Duolingo for example. The company provides language education programs and certification. The brand took to TikTok and connected with users through trending sounds and situations, making it one of the most talked about accounts on the platform over the past couple of years. Businesses can reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness by listening to what their audience is talking about. If you want someone to play in your sandbox, you have to play in theirs. Keeping up-to-date with what’s current is great practice for someday creating your own trend for others to use.
Regularly analyze and measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, and make adjustments as needed. Research trends and learn from them. When you stay ahead of the curve, raising the bar gets a little easier.
If you want to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace, aim to stand out and set the standard for those around you. Focus on creating a unique brand identity, embracing new technologies and trends, and continuously improving your marketing strategies to establish your business as an industry leader and drive long-term success.
MONDAY:
MEMORIAL DAY
On Monday, the office was closed in honor of Memorial Day. We all took the time to reflect on the sacrifices made for our freedoms and took some much-needed time away from work to wind down. We also ate BBQ and downed a couple of cold ones.
TUESDAY:
SHOWING OFF WORK
On Tuesday, we prepped for a couple of big presentations. In the morning, a few Madison+Main-iacs met with the fine folks from The Brandermill Church, one of our pro-bono clients, to discuss their Social Media Playbook. A lot goes into setting our clients up for success on social media, and we’re more than happy to help. Other members of the team met with another client of ours, Carroll Plumbing & Heating, Inc., to discuss their new tagline options. The clients liked all of them, which is music to our ears.
WEDNESDAY:
BRINGING OUT THE BILLBOARD CONCEPTS
On Wednesday, the team gave yet another presentation, this time to present billboard ideas to our client Chesterfield County Police Department, who we are helping with recruiting more top-quality staff. We don’t want to reveal too much right now, but let’s just say they were very impressed with what we brought to the table.
THURSDAY:
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME
On Thursday, the Madison+Main-iacs helped sponsor the Mechanicsville Rotary Club’s Hanover Night at The Diamond. Hotdogs in hand, we trekked up to the top of the stadium and went nutz for Nutzy and the home team, Richmond Squirrels. It was a fun time, and we’re happy we can sponsor great organizations like local Rotary clubs.

FRIDAY:
RIDING INTO THE WEEKEND
On Friday morning, Dave was back on the RVA airwaves on WRVA, giving John Reid and his audience some tips on fun and fabulous events this weekend. Highlights included The Richmond Greek Festival and the 41st Ashland Strawberry Faire.
Looking for new jams to add to your road trip summer playlist? Our good friend and owner of Wythken Printing, Ric Withers, shared his top 10 summer songs that go well with riding a little bit too fast on his newly acquired motorcycle. Listen to these at your leisure (or on your next drive around town).
1969 – Iggy Pop
Gin & Juice – Snoop Dogg
Ridin’ the Storm Out – REO Speedwagon
Toxic – Britney Spears
Midnight Rambler – The Rolling Stones
Repo Man – The Coup
Walk This Way – Aerosmith
Lonely Boy – the Black Keys
Turn You Inside-Out – R.E.M.
Crosstown Traffic – Jimi Hendrix
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS
Ice Cream Social
The Brandermill Church
4500 Millridge Parkway
Midlothian, VA 23112
June 4, 2023 | Starting at 6 p.m.
Cool down with The Brandermill Church at their Ice Cream Social! Call their office at (804) 744-3661 to make your reservation for this free event.
Bizz & Buzz
Front Porch Coffeehouse
139 S. Main Street
Kilmarnock, VA 22482
June 6, 2023 | 3 – 5 p.m.
Looking to mix and mingle as a local small business owner? Visit Front Porch Coffeehouse for their monthly Bizz & Buzz event. Meet with business professionals for advice, networking, and much more. Mark your calendar for this free event!
HCB2’s Boxer Brief 5K
City Stadium, Home of the Richmond Kickers
Richmond, VA
June 10, 2023 | 8 a.m. + Virtual Option
The “Run To Save Buns” is back! Join Hitting Cancer Below The Belt for its 11th annual Boxer Brief 5K Run/Walk, which raises the level of awareness to colorectal cancer while offering education in an effort to prevent and defeat our country’s second largest cancer killer in men and women. This is a super fun event with lots of ways to participate and we hope to see you there! Register or donate today!
Seattle SummerFest
Atlas 42
4032 Cox Road Suite A
Glen Allen, VA 23060
June 24, 2023 | 8 – 11:59 p.m.
Get ready to rock at Atlas 42! Plan to see some of Seattle’s best grunge rock bands, such as Black Hole Sun – a Chris Cornell Tribute Band, All Apologies – a Nirvana Tribute Band, and Deja Foo – a Foo Fighters Tribute Band, at Seattle SummerFest. Relive your grunge rock glory days and get your tickets.
“You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it, but it’s getting raised regardless.” — Seth Godin