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CB&A recognized as best public relations firm working in edtech
Featured
May 13, 2020

EdTech Awards 2020: 3 Ways CB&A is Innovating in Marketing and PR

CB&A recognized as best public relations firm working in edtech Established in 2010 to celebrate the innovators, leaders and trendsetters in education technology, The EdTech Awards are a staple in the education community. We’re pleased to announce that CB&A has earned the coveted EdTech Leadership Award for best public relations firm working in edtech. Here are three ways we’re innovating in education marketing and PR. #1 Strategic counsel paired with expert execution Our approach bridges the gap between two vital elements: strategy and execution. Some consultants give you advice. Others give you execution. We give you both. By taking the time to understand your business and goals, we’re able to craft integrated marketing campaigns that are as unique as your company. Our expertise in marketing, public relations, content and social media ensures that all of your bases are covered. We bring our exclusive skill set to every email, meeting and strategic recommendation. From start to finish, we track your business’ success in the education industry, fine tuning our efforts along the way. #2 Leadership and connections in the education market We are a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise that prioritizes work with companies that are making a difference in the lives of students and educators. To stay informed and active in the education industry, we participate in key organizations, including: ISTE, SETDA, EDUCAUSE, CoSN, Ed Industry Chat, the Education Technology Industry Network of SIIA and Education Writers Association. We also conduct and distribute primary research to inform the education business community, such as our recent 2020 Education Marketing Trends Report and Coronavirus Impact on Education Marketing Report. We have nearly three decades of experience helping education clients grow and sell. To beat your competition, you need integrated marketing strategies that are ahead of the curve and a team that’s dedicated to monitoring what’s trending in the industry. For more than 25 years we’ve continued to adapt our services to best meet our clients’ needs. #3 Double-bottom-line orientation The double-bottom-line business model considers both financial and social factors. At CB&A, we measure success in two ways: Using key performance indicators (KPIs) to…
Charlene Blohm
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Best of Madison 2019 Honors earned by CB&A team
CB&A NewsFeatured
September 19, 2019

CB&A Earns Coveted Spot in Madison’s ‘Best Places to Work’

CB&A Recognized on Best of Madison 2019 List Fifteen years ago, CB&A relocated to Madison, Wisconsin because of its unique atmosphere. Madison offers a small-town feel with big-city opportunities, the perfect combination for a growing agency. Locales such as the Memorial Union Terrace and the Dane County Farmers' Market make Madison a great city for both work and play. That is why we’re delighted to announce that Madison Magazine has once again recognized CB&A on its Best of Madison 2019 list featuring the top places to work in our city. Each year, the magazine develops a survey with Quantum Workplace for Madison-based companies. The survey asks employees to share feedback in an anonymous environment, and the results help determine the companies with the best local work culture. Companies are then ranked and finalists are chosen according to their overall engagement score, with winners for varying business categories based on size. Here are three reasons why CB&A was recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in 2019: Reason One: CB&A is Mission-driven We are a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise that focuses on education, special needs and workforce development industries. We prioritize work with companies that are making a difference in the lives of students and educators. Because of this shared goal, our efforts have a lasting impact on families and communities across the globe. Our mission-driven strategy and passion for the work we’re doing sets us apart from the crowd. Every company has something to sell – the challenge is selling that ‘something’ to more people. Since 1991, we’ve successfully grown the market share for our clients time and again. Our team works with a wide range of mission-driven brands to increase visibility, drive leads, engage customers and increase sales through integrated marketing and public relations campaigns. We work in education because we believe in it. We seek out client partners with a similar passion for their work. They’re not simply doing well for themselves. They’re doing good things for others. We strive to be part of meaningful work that changes lives, and that’s evident across our agency. Reason…
Chloe Dechow
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Education-Influencers-CBA-Blog-Hero-Image
Featured
August 28, 2019

Education Influencers: What and Who to Avoid Online

(Catch up if you missed it: Part I: Best Practices for Collaborating with Social Media Influencers.) Social Media Influencers Part Two: With great influence comes great responsibility These are words to live by when you dive into influencer marketing, an increasingly popular and viable tactic to spread the word, reach new audiences and build brand credibility. Since 2017, more than 300 new platforms and agencies focused on influencer marketing have been established, according to a survey by Influencer Marketing Hub. However, we’re also seeing challenges like influencer fraud, where fake profiles with large followings are used to deceive companies into running real campaigns, and concerns about brand safety when unfamiliar influencers are engaged. Since we’ve already covered best practices for working with education influencers, we’re exploring the reverse … what not to do in your influencer marketing campaign. We again are pulling insights from a handful of experts (literally, five of them!). Together, we’ve outlined three big tips for what not to do. Avoid education influencers who are NOT right for your campaign While it is important to know who is the perfect fit for your brand, the flipside of that coin is knowing who is not a good fit. The wrong education influencer can be detrimental to a campaign, cause a PR crisis, and sour your board or boss on ever running another education influencer campaign. Here are a few red flags to watch for when researching influencer candidates: Dodge the disengaged education influencer The main reason you’re working with an influencer is to increase your brand’s reach and engagement. You simply cannot get results from someone who only tweets or posts on Instagram every few months. That doesn’t mean an influencer needs to be online daily, but they do need to be present enough for their audience to follow along. People who post infrequently might still have large followings and draw huge audiences for each post, so scrutinize followers and engagement to determine if an influencer’s activity is right for you. Chelsey Dequaine, social media director at Isthmus magazine, says that influencers have to bring entry-level social media…
Steven Miller
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Social Media Influencers Best Practices Blog Post Cover Image
Featured
August 1, 2019

Best Practices for Collaborating with Social Media Influencers

How to maximize influencer projects in education In the education market, brands must exceed expectations to make an impact on educators, administrators, and most importantly, students. One tactic that can build awareness and credibility is collaborating with a trusted third party, such as a media outlet or industry thought leader. A new avenue is leveraging the voices of social media influencers. Influencers come in many flavors, and making the right choice for your campaign is the key to success. Finding the perfect social media influencers for your campaign Perhaps the most important part of running a campaign featuring social media influencers is who you choose to be your marketing partner. According to Shane Barker in Forbes, 73 percent of marketers struggle with this choice. We consulted five social media experts – from marketers to influencers themselves – to ask how they decide which brands, individuals or influencers to work with. Chelsey Dequaine, social media director at Isthmus, manages social media for an alt-weekly newspaper based in our backyard. Dequaine kicked off the publication’s first-ever influencer relationships as its inaugural social media director and shared what she looks for in the search. “People who could generate the word on Isthmus events to their followers. Ideally, they need to be active on platforms, but also genuine and authentic,” said Dequaine. “We also look for influencers whose goals and personality align well with Isthmus.” Stacy Harbaugh, social media and community specialist at designCraft Advertising, shared a similar stance on seeking authentic influencers. “Look for people who are your friends and who are already in your community,” said Harbaugh. “Influencers don’t need to have a big following, but need to have a big heart.” We agree with Harbaugh on this one. The ability to build a digital community is each influencer's secret sauce and ultimately, that’s what drives genuine engagement with your brand. Seek out people who share your business’ values, and remember, choosing the right people to connect with can make or break your education influencer campaign. How to choose the right social media influencers for your brand When creating an education influencer social strategy, we…
Steven Miller
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