One of the most memorable tactics a brand can do is to partner with another brand. Red Bull and GoPro. Uber and Spotify. Nike and Apple. Simultaneously promoting two brands and the same time utilizes both parties audiences and followings. This can also be a great way to break into new markets. Co-branding strategies allow brands to think “outside of the box” to create an innovation solution for their customers, together.

Here is a quick guide to effectively co-branding:

1. Pick a brand that can pair well with your already established brand. For example: Red Bull promotes crazy adventures, and GoPro captures them. This is a great pairing for two well-established brands to work in tandem together.

2. Position your brand by co-branding - By picking a brand to co-brand with, consider their mission and values. Do they match your brand’s values? Or can they position you into a new spot and positively alter your look.

3. Beyond the outside facade, co-branding can also be an effective partnership between two brands. MasterCard and Apple Pay teamed up, which allowed customers to store their card information on their iPhone. This worked well for the usage of both Apple Pay and MasterCard. MasterCard was the first card to be utilized on Apple Pay, which revolutionized the way customers could use their Apple wallets.

4. By working alongside another brand, you can create innovative and creative marketing campaigns together, with twice the exposure. Utilizing both audiences, you can promote your business to new and old audiences, alike. Co-branding is mutually beneficial for this reason.

Interested in learning more about today’s blog? Reach out to IFC!

According to blog.hubspot.com there are 4 billion daily email users. That’s a lot of emails!

Now: think of how many emails you open in a single day? Now think of how many you dread having to clear out of your inbox only seconds after opening. Quite a lot, right? This is why providing your consumers with effective email copy and messaging is so effective, you want to create something that stands out from an inbox full of dull messages.

In today’s blog, we’re going to focus on the power of high-performing email campaigns and how to create them.

  1. One of the first things your audience member will notice is who the email is coming from. Does your “from” name represent your brand and business well? This portion of your email is generally displayed the largest when sent to your clients. Consumers discern whether or not to open an email based on who it’s from.

  1. Keep your subject line concise, clear, and short! Experts say it’s best to keep your subject line to a minimum of 30 characters. Along with keeping it short, it is best to include keywords to best explain your email. Use powerful, colorful words to intrigue consumers to continue and open your full email.

3. Focus on effective copy. Powerful, cohesive writing has the ability to pull in, or push away, consumers. Instead of going the “business” route, try a more personable approach. Oftentimes, consumers may be more compelled to open a message from someone who sounds more like a friend, and less like a salesman.

4. Have a call to action - and a way they can follow through. Call-to-action is essentially the main reason for sending out an email. What are you trying to get your audience to actually do? Purchase something? Access a discount code? Whatever it may be, have a way that they can actually complete this task, or be linked to where they should proceed to complete this task. You are able to use optimized “buttons” within your email to provide a follow through for consumers.

Overall, emails are a very important aspect of today’s digital marketing. Make sure you’re doing the steps mentioned above to optimize your campaigns!

Interested in learning more? Reach out to IFC today!







In the wide, wide world of branding, you may have heard the terms “paid” and “organic” advertising, but what do these terms mean?

Paid advertising refers to the broad idea of any advertising that you, as a brand, have to pay for. Marketers work to pay for their own ad space for more exposure. Ad space is gained through a bidding process. This can result in a much larger arena for your business to be found. To increase traffic, you can even bid on popular display areas on popular sites where there is naturally already a lot of traffic. Now, your ad is positioned in a prime spot for customers to see it and interact with it.

An example of paid advertising would be display ads and “PPC” ads, known as pay-per-click ads. You are able to customize your goals based on the amount you would like to spend per advertisement. Facebook is a primary example of a platform that utilizes paid advertisement.

As you may have guessed, organic advertisements are any unpaid advertisements, and are a result of organic searches. Online search engines and social networking sites both utilize algorithms to generate this type of content for the viewer. The main benefit of organic advertising is that it is the inexpensive option. It also may appear more natural on your search engines as opposed to a paid ad. People prefer this type of advertisement if they are trying to sound more natural or personable. Depending on your marketing goals, you may weigh the pros and cons of each method to best fit your needs.

If you’re interested in learning more about today’s blog, please reach out to IFC via our social media channels!







What’s the purpose of your homepage?

When working through homepage messaging and design with our clients, one thing that really helps is a discussion about what the purpose of their homepage really is–and more specifically–who it is for.

Spoiler alert: It’s not for returning customers; they will direct themselves to the pages they need through your top menu or header. By contrast, a returning customer may only spend seconds on your homepage before directing themselves elsewhere.

That means that the primary homepage audience is new customers—people who may only be vaguely acquainted with your brand, at this point. To keep them engaged, you’ll need to do seven main things with your homepage.

  1. Grab their attention. An eye-catching hero image and engaging headline will encourage people to keep scrolling.
  2. Let them know they are in the right place. You solve exactly the sorts of problems they’ve been having. Let them know that right away.
  3. Tell them (a little) about yourself. You don’t need a whole “About” page’s worth of info–but a little information about why you’re an authority in this space, or why you started your business is helpful.
  4. Make it easy for them to take the next step. List out the steps they need to take to start working with you–and make their first step as clear as possible with engaging, obvious calls to action.
  5. Include testimonials. I could write a whole blog post on testimonials, but the homepage is a great place to house a handful of these, if you have them.
  6. Give them the opportunity to stay in touch. They may not be ready to buy your product or engage with your service right away. This is where lead magnets come in. A lead magnet is something that would be of value to your ideal customer. If you’re a product-based business, it might be a discount code for 10% off their first purchase. If you’re a service-based business, it might be a PDF where you give away 10 amazing tips that your people would love to know. By using a lead magnet in exchange for an email address–you’ll have a warm lead in your email list who will likely think of you the next time they need the types of things you offer. Or, if you are not ready to collect email addresses yet, you could encourage them to follow you on social media.
  7. Fill your footer. Most people assume that everything should go on the menu. Not so. Put only your absolute top priority stuff up there. A cluttered top menu makes it harder for people to decide where to go. Besides, people know to go to the footer if they can’t find what they are looking for in the menu. Stuff like Contact and Careers—they need to be moved down.

You will be tempted to include a lot of information on the homepage, but I urge you to keep the word count low. The higher up on the homepage you are, the more scannable your content needs to be. The farther down a person scrolls, the more invested they are, and the more likely they are to read a little more. 

I mean, be honest: most of you scanned this blog post before committing to reading the whole thing, didn’t you? Be respectful of peoples’ time and brain power by writing clear, concise homepage content—this gives them the opportunity to get to know you, and in turn, be able to trust you.

If you need help developing your messaging, you are interested in a website messaging audit, get in touch with me and we’ll start that ball rolling.







As September comes to a close, we are quickly approaching the holiday season, complete with holiday branding! During the next few months of the year, consumers do most of their shopping in preparation for the Christmas and gift giving season. Therefore, this is now the time where brand’s step up their messaging to entice customers, both new and old.

Here’s a few strategies to amp up your holiday branding efforts:

  1. Although you may create special advertisements for the holiday season, branding efforts should maintain cohesive messaging throughout the entire calendar year. Customers build relationships with brands prior to the holiday season, and are repeat customers during this time. It is important to maintain a good impression all year long, so that when it comes down to crunch time, your brand is top of mind.

  1. As our last blog mentioned, consumers are heavily drawn to brands with higher social responsibility efforts. For example, what is your brand doing to better help society during the holiday season? How will purchases impact the greater good? During the season of giving back, many consumers look for ways to promote positive charities and causes

3. It stands the test of time - heartfelt, personable campaigns go a long way during the holiday season. Some of the most memorable advertisements are those that pull on our heart strings. Adding a personable voice behind your messaging can allow the consumer to see deeper into your brand, and build a life long relationship.

4. Finally, show how thankful you are for your customers. During a time of rushing between stores and houses, do something in favor of your customers! Offer them a free gift with purchase, a hand written thank you card, or a discount code. Consumers love this, and it does go a long way! Especially during a busy season.

Interested in learning more about today’s blog? Reach out to IFC today!







Socially responsible brands are at the forefront of today’s market as consumers are becoming extremely conscious of their buyer’s impact and how it affects the economy, environment, and society as a whole. Many brands work to improve their social mission through their branding efforts to communicate social responsibility to their audiences. In a larger picture: If you buy from us - here’s what we’ll do for you. Consumers are becoming increasingly more aware of brands to promote and utilize as we navigate the realms of social responsibility.

Here are a few brands to recognize and their socially responsible efforts:

Dr Bronner’s Soap: Dr Bronner’s is currently the top-selling brand of organic soap in the United States. You may recognize their extremely colorful and iconic packaging of this family-owned business. Their profits are used to promote positive social change, as they are within the top 10% of Certified Corps. They utilize education initiatives and fair trade projects to help aide their goals of fair treatment of farmers and workers.

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry’s has been around since the 1980’s promoting many important social causes which they use their ice cream to tie into the overall theme. The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is a Social Justice Organization focused on supporting grassroots initiatives in the United States. Being based from Vermont, they heavily focus on grant programs that benefit and support the citizens of the states.

Consumers generally feel as though they are able to trust and be loyal to brands that provide socially responsible missions. Customers are able to form relationships with brands that instill positive society change. More times than not, they are willing to repeat purchases they know support good causes - such as Dr. Bronner’s soaps or Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. In a competitive market, it may be the outlier that causes a consumer to pick one brand over the other.







Let’s face it, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to maintain your website. In today’s blog, we’d like to dive into a few beginner tips to make sure you’ve “checked the boxes” on these necessary items. Let’s get started!

Tip #1: In today’s society, it is vital to design websites that fit both mobile and desktop dimensions. A user’s experience is entirely made up of their ability to navigate your site, and how easily they can do so.

Tip #2: Consider your graphic design. Is it engaging? Distracting? This can play a huge role in site experience. While graphic design helps draw engagement and appeal to your site, it can also be a problem if it negatively interacts with your text and video components. Graphics should enhance the overall experience, not cause problems.

Tip #3: Ensuring quality site material is key to maintaining your audience. As the owner of your website, you want to produce creative, relevant, and interesting content that appeals to your audience, and encourages them to come back.

Tip #4: To ensure your customers are able to find your website, make sure it is easily accessible i.e. easily searchable. Your website’s domain should match your branding efforts, and will create a cohesive relationship between the two.

Tip #5: Continually update your site information, (phone numbers, addresses, email addresses), to always have the most relevant information available for customers. Having correct contact information can potentially generate leads, and allows customers to reach out to you in the quickest way possible.

Thinking about starting a website? IFC is here to help! Already have a website? We can help with that, too!

Reach out to IFC Studios today to learn more.







Post-Pandemic life has quickly changed the way many of us work, including our work environment. Many Americans are now switching to “working from home” roles, and we can expect this trend to stay. Working from home was an alternative many companies switch to after a country wide burnout from pandemic lifestyle changes. It allows employees to focus on both their physical and mental well-being, while still remaining as, or even more productive as they would be in an office space.

Do you work from home? If so, this article is for you!

Master working from home with these solid tips:

1. Get dressed for your work day - Even though you’re not going into the office, getting dressed can mentally prepare you for your workday ahead. Think of this as your “natural alarm” to starting your day off on the right foot.


2. Have a complete workspace set us - Even if you don’t have your own “office” at your house, you can still set up a very productive work space. Keeping a dedicated workspace allows you to stay focused on your tasks while in your “zone.”


3. Make sure you have a good Wifi connection - Wifi is extremely necessary for production while working at home. You must make sure your Wifi connection is secure and reliable. The last thing you want is for your audio/video to short out during an important business call!


4. Utilize your lunch break to its fullest potential - Feeling overwhelmed with work? Take a walk! Make a healthy meal! Take a 20 minute power nap on your lunch break. Utilize your time to the best of your ability to help stay on track and focused.


5. Set boundaries with family members who are also at home - Do you have children? It may be best to hire a nanny while working remotely so you do not become distracted with your life responsibilities during working hours. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you need to juggle both family life and work life at once. It is important to create this healthy boundary to remain focused and available for your job.

We hope these few tips help you navigate the world of working from home! If you have any questions, please reach out to IFC Studios for more!



If you’re confused as to which social media platform you should be utilizing on a daily basis - you’re not the only one! In today’s world of social media, there are many platforms to pick from.  Today’s blog will focus on the benefits of Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Pinterest, and how they may add value to your branding efforts. 

Instagram: Instagram is a photo and video sharing app that allows you to connect with “followers.” By posting on Instagram, you will benefit from engaging with your target audience and driving brand awareness. Your content can range from inspiring to relatable. 

Facebook: Facebook is often utilized to speak to a more “local” crowd and to organize small business events. You are able to brand your content on Facebook and have it shared by the masses who are interested. Facebook specializes in the ability to share to “groups” of individuals who have similar interests. 

Twitter: Depending on the size of your brand, you may consider trying Twitter. This platform allows brands to reach much large audiences. Twitter also allows brands to directly communication with their customers through 2-way messaging. As we have seen in today’s market, many brands utilize twitter to help develop their brand personality through funny and relatable tweets.

Tik Tok: Tik Tok has grown exponentially within the last few years. On Tik Tok you are able to create a page for your business, or work alongside influencers who can promote your brand. Many influencers use this platform to get paid to showcase brands. If your Tik Tok continues to get positive engagement, the more people will be suggested to watch your video, creating a major ripple effect. 

Pinterest: Pinterest is the perfect platform for any brand looking to “sell” to their audience. Users are able to directly link their products to their pins. Followers will then engage with your pins and are able to re-post them, allowing for larger exposure. 

Please reach out to IFC Studios today if you’re interested in elevating your brand!