In the heart of the South, few things ignite passion quite like Atlanta Braves baseball. And no one understands this affinity (and celebrates it!) more than Cortland—a vertically integrated multifamily company focused on delivering an above and beyond apartment living experience.

Cortland owns and operates communities across the US Sun Belt and is the top owner of apartment homes in the metro-Atlanta area. With its headquarters here in Atlanta, Cortland became an official sponsor of the Atlanta Braves in 2019. This past season Cortland wanted to pursue a gameday activation that would engage with Braves fans to highlight the Cortland x Braves partnership and continue to grow awareness for their brand.  

The Yalo Challenge: Engaging Fans with Cortland’s Brand

As Cortland’s agency partner, Yalo was given the opportunity to design a memorable pop-up experience for this activation. With so many fans passing through, the big question for our team was How can we create a memorable experience for Braves fans that also engages them with the Cortland brand? 

The answer? Create unique co-branded merchandise that captures the essence of Braves Country & Cortland. Yalo worked with the Braves to secure a 10×10 activation space right outside of Truist Park’s Third Base Gate. As this gate is the closest to gameday parking lots, it typically manages about 60% of gameday traffic—which is approximately 25,000 people during a typical sold out game!

A Cherished Piece of Braves Swag

Collaborating closely with Cortland, Yalo’s creative team developed multiple ideas that leveraged iconic Braves and Cortland imagery before landing on an illustration of the Braves mascot Blooper next to Cortland’s spokespug, Cortie. 

This illustration was printed on rally towels & t-shirts, which were then given out to Braves fans who stopped by the activation booth to learn more about Cortland. 

“I thought the incorporation of Blooper (the Braves mascot) into the overall design was clever,” says Mike Gomes, Chief Experience Officer for Cortland. “While we recognize that not many people may be aware of Cortland and our mascot Cortie, we know that fans love Blooper. As a result, they’ll be likely to wear their t-shirt around town, further promoting Cortland and our partnership with the Braves.”

More Than Just Game Day

Creating limited-edition Cortland Living x Braves swag was a win-win for both parties; not only did it elevate the fan experience—providing them with items to wear & cheer on the Braves—but it also boosted Cortland’s brand awareness, filling up Truist Park with the Cortland spokespug, Cortie. The unique (and limited) design motivated fans to stop by the activation booth and learn more about who Cortland is and the benefits of living at a Cortland community. Fans also had a chance to interact and get pictures taken with the Cortie mascot. 

By providing fans with something to take home—an item that symbolizes their passion for the Braves—Cortland created a connection that goes beyond the game. 

In a city where Braves baseball is a cherished tradition, Cortland gave fans something they can treasure for years to come. Yalo and Cortland’s collaboration demonstrates the power of thoughtful, community-focused brand activations. By tapping into local culture and creating engaging experiences, brands can forge lasting connections with their audience that resonate long after the event ends.

By: Arnold Huffman

I have attended hundreds of conferences not only in the US and Canada but also on every continent including Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and only missing South America and Antarctica (not sure I’ll ever check that box). 

In my years of conference-going, I’ve formed a few of my truths and takeaways that you can apply to your own efforts, with the hope that you’ll find newfound success in doing so.

Let’s start with the hard stuff. Now, this may sound cynical, but here are the truths about potential clients and customers attending a conference:

• Most don’t want to talk to you
• Most don’t care what you do
• Most will flip over their name badge so you can’t see their name and company
• Some will even act like they are on the to avoid you in the hallways
• Most just want the tchotchke for their kids (if you have a good tchotchke…word spreads like wildfire if you have a good one, but refer back to the first bullet point)

If you are a sponsoring vendor, whereby your company has paid a handsome ransom to have a booth and presence at a conference, you, the representative(s) at the conference repping your business, are being measured on ‘ROI’. 

‘Conference ROI’ is code for “how many business cards did you collect/badges did you scan” of potential customers? Knowing this fact, you eat your Wheaties in the morning, you do your pushups, and maybe even go for a run to get the endorphins ramped up to talk to every single human that walks by your booth.

Reality is you are likely to have less than 5% of the attendees who genuinely want to talk to you. The majority (call it 75%) fall into the bullet points above. That leaves you 20% to win, somehow, someway. 

So what gives? Here are a few ideas to maximize your opportunity with those 20% to ensure you hit your ‘ROI Target’, depending on your budget:

• Pay more to have a presentation slot ($$$$$) – Usually this is a case study speaking opportunity which requires to be done in conjunction with your client/customer. This can get expensive because not only are you paying for the speaking slot, you are also likely paying for your customer’s ticket to be there. 
• Max out your tchotchke game ($$$-$$$$) – There are plenty of opportunities here. One idea is to treat it like a carnival game. All the small prizes for just stopping by and all the bigger prizes if someone speaks with you with intent. You can even have a lottery system whereby they have to come back a second time to win the ‘big prize.’ Another idea is to actually have a carnival game, one that takes 10 seconds whereby you have a chance to pitch them while they prep/line up for the game. If they win, they get the prize, if they miss, then at least they heard your pitch.
• Hire a personality ($$$-$$$$) – Entertainment is king. Most people attending these events just want to be entertained. Give them something to laugh at, be amazed by or be inspired by. If your product can do that, then great! But most don’t. So, you need to hire someone to come and create a buzz at your booth. I have a friend who once hired David Blaine (the magician) to do his famous ‘Street Magic’ during a happy hour at their booth. And while it cost even more, it 100% drew a crowd.
• Create the best damn video ($$-$$$) – Continuously running video content is a great draw for a booth, because the visitor can learn about your company/what you do without talking to you. That is a win-win for them, because if they like what they see, then they will actually talk with you or follow up after the conference. But creating a video takes planning, creativity and either investment or skill. If you are going to make a video, make it worth making. And for damn sure, make it either funny or inspiring. Whatever you do, don’t make a talking head product demo. Save your visitors the pain and agony.
• Throw a raging happy hour ($-$$) – If all else fails, libations rarely fail. People will always show up for a few swigs — because it will help them get through the dinner they probably have booked with another vendor that night. So, they appreciate you ‘greasing the skids’ ahead of time. And heck, if they can have a couple in the company of other attendees, then they aren’t the only ones listening to you at the same time and can tune out if they want.

As you prepare for a conference, you need a gameplan. There are a few key things you should do to maximize your success when doing so. 

• First, you need to create a theme for the event. Your goal is to get people’s attention. Be it superheroes or supercars, there are ways to make it fun and engaging. This is very important and if you want success, you must put in the time to figure out how to stand out. Be as gregarious as your brand (and your leadership) will allow you to be. Come up with a theme that will allow you to walk on stilts, fire a tee-shirt gun, or even pop off some fireworks. The farther you go, the more likely you will get the attendees’ attention.
• Once you have a theme, put it to work. Ahead of the conference, if you have the attendee list, you will want to prioritize the list to the key prospects. Using your theme, send a pre-event package to notify them about your booth, letting them know you will be there. Sending nicely packaged gifts will certainly get their attention. We once sent monogrammed sake sets to prospective clients.
• During the event, as noted above, put forth your best effort to engage people. Be the big draw. Be the booth that everyone wants to come to.
• Lastly, after the event, be sure to follow up with all your new contacts. Offer the opportunity to just stay in touch. Don’t oversell them, but rather, earn their confidence. Keep them in your CRM and build a nurture program to stay on their radar. The time will come when they need your service or product. Remember, you’re playing the long game.

I can tell you that if you came back with contact info for 20 to 25% of attendees from a 1,000 person conference (200-250 prospects/contacts), that your company will be jazzed up and everyone will say “I have to go back to that conference again next year!” (which may sound painful to you if you are the representative, but you did such a good job, you’ve earned another trip to Orlando or Vegas 😊).

So, you might as well make the most of it. It all starts with the right attitude, starting with the planning of being there, the right theme, the approach, and how much dust you can kick up. Have fun while working the conference. Spend money. Be outrageous. 

Fireworks anyone?

On January 25, 2024, Yalo welcomed the wonderful high school students in the NextGenAtl program to our offices. Next Gen closes the opportunity gap for under-resourced high school students in Atlanta through exposure and support. We were proud and excited to host them.

This connection was made through our active participation in The A Pledge here in Atlanta. We are proud, inaugural members of The A Pledge and are fully committed to its mission. The A Pledge is a call to Atlanta advertising and marketing agencies to come together in a committed effort to create inclusive opportunities within our industry. Over the next decade, we will make the changes needed to ensure our teams reflect the diversity of our community. As we do, we will see systemic opportunity grow in our industry, our city, and our nation.

Next Gen partnered with The A Pledge, creating opportunities for its member agencies to host local high school students. The goal was to share and discuss our world of marketing with the high school students, helping them understand what it is like to work in the marketing field. We wanted to give them a clear perspective on the multiple ways for them to pursue a career in marketing. 

We kicked off with a little dinner because we got started late in the afternoon, as they took buses after school to our offices. While the students ate, I gave an overview of Yalo, what type of agency we are, how we do our work and who some of our clients are. After that, we created a ‘tour’ for them through the different departments of our agency which included Creative, Account Management, Development, Talent Acquisition, and Executive Leadership. The students were put into 5 separate groups, which each started at a different Yalo department. 

A Yalo leader from each of these departments spoke to the students for 10 minutes, and then we rotated the students to the next department. During each 10-minute session, each leader spoke to the students about what it looked like and what it meant to be a marketing professional with a specific skill set, such as Creative, for about 6-7 minutes with 3-4 minutes for questions from the students. Each session was very interactive and engaging for the students. The students interacted at a high level and offered some very enthusiastic questions. 

Seeing their energy and enthusiasm at the late hour of the day was infectious. Our team fed off them and did our best to try to match them! I led the Executive Leadership session. And after sharing with each group the story of how I started Yalo, I asked every student 1 by 1 ‘why were you interested in attending this event’. One, very transparent student, noted ‘to be honest, I forgot we had an event tonight, so here I am!’ I truly appreciated his honest answer, and it put a smile on my face! Overall though, that answer was really the outlier compared to many of the others I received to my question. I was thrilled to hear that many of them had already started their own businesses (AR app game developer, hairstylist, among others). I can tell you that I was not thinking about such things and asking these types of questions as a high school student back in the 1980’s!

At the end of the day, while it was exhausting to conduct 5 mini-seminars in rapid succession, it was exhilarating and inspiring to hear these students talk about their own passions and interests. It was a fulfilling evening helping them think through the possibilities of a career in marketing.

We are thankful to The A Pledge for creating such a great opportunity for Yalo. We are thankful to the students who took the time to visit us at Yalo. I can only hope that they got as much out of the evening as our Yalo team members did. I can tell you that I walked away from the event excited about how the next generation will shape the future of marketing!

Embarking on a rafting/camping expedition through the majestic expanse of the Grand Canyon is more than just a journey; it’s a relentless test of one’s mental and physical prowess. And I signed up for this epic adventure! This was the first time I did not speak to my family for over 5 days. This was the first time I travelled without my laptop (since laptops were invented). This was the first time I had no choice but to be truly disconnected from civilization for 5+ days. 5000 feet in the ground, 90 miles on the water, and 20+ miles on land, yielded free thinking, open encounters, adrenaline, and testing every facet of myself. As the roaring rapids of the Colorado River carried us through the heart of the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon, a profound sense of resilience enveloped our spirits. Every twist and turn, every tumultuous wave and towering wall of rock, became a testament to our unwavering determination and ability to adapt. With each paddle stroke, we conquered the challenges thrown our way, mirroring the ancient forces that carved this majestic landscape over eons. As the sun painted the canyon walls with hues of gold and crimson, we emerged from the wild waters stronger, more connected, and forever marked by the profound resilience that the Grand Canyon had bestowed upon us. 

We learned a lot about the Canyon formation, the Native Americans that lived there, the American settlers that came in, and the wildlife. We learned all of this from our guides. These guys and gals are the BEST in the BUSINESS when it comes to rafting guides. They are the NBA All-Stars of raft guides, having successfully reached the pinnacle of their profession. Not many people can claim the job of Grand Canyon Rafting Guide. They are ultra-prepared, ultra-knowledgeable and all-around super humans. They do this for 4-5 months at a time each year (yes living in the Canyon for 4-5 months without connectivity to the outside world while battling the elements of Mother Nature).  They live to a beat of their own drum, while doing it at the top of their game. The staff at Outdoors Unlimited Jeff (trip leader), Lee, Ryan, Scott, and Tom… are the best in the business. We salute you!

The sheer magnitude of the canyon’s towering walls serves as a constant reminder of our own insignificance in the grand tapestry of nature. Amidst the breathtaking vistas and untamed currents, we are tested mentally, our minds navigating the intricate channels of decision-making and problem-solving. Adversity becomes an opportunity for growth as we learn to adapt, to persevere, and to find solace in the bonds forged with fellow adventurers. Mother Nature is 100% the boss and in control. Our group battled continuous elements like sun, heat and wind (yes, the wind is a constant nuisance). We heard stories of disaster like heat stroke, drowning, and being hit by boulders. We were lucky that we did not see a drop of rain, especially at night because it was too hot to sleep in tents. We slept out on the ground each night, admiring the stars. After the first night you get used to it, but thank goodness it never rained.  There were other things we had to come to grips with and learn to become comfortable with while living in the Canyon. 

• Cold bathing in the river
• Sleeping without a mattress at night
• Drinking warm water 
• Interesting restroom arrangements built on old military ammunition containers
• Strong winds blowing against you on the river and on the camp sites – Day and night, while you were sleeping
• Sand, sand, sand – It is in your water bottle, in your eyes, in your nose, in your ears, and on everything you own.
• Blazing sun and heat
• Being disconnected from the world (including other people)

What you realize quickly is what you take for granted being at home, at work or your office. You start to ponder what is or isn’t a big deal or important in the overall picture of your life. Because as you get used to the things in the list above, you learn very quickly that you are adaptable. That you are capable. And that these things you consider as expected or required in your life, actually are not. You learn how far you can go, how much you can endure, and how adaptable you can be to the current situation.

In addition to being disconnected, I don’t think there are many trips in the world whereby you are off the grid while being put to the test mentally. You are not trying to take pictures to post on Instagram and share to the masses. It was the opposite. You took a few pictures to capture the awe of the moment to show your closest friends when you got home. But really, you were paying attention to the moment. Focusing on the beauty of the Canyon and the space and distance the Canyon affords you while being in it. As you use that space and distance to think, you alter your view on life. Just as the river forges its path through unyielding obstacles, so too had we navigated the currents of adversity, emerging triumphant and transformed on the other side.

One key takeaway for me from this trip was thinking about our Tribe at Yalo and how we spend our time. One change I immediately implemented was additional, new vacation days for more adventures for the team. It made complete sense to do so. Time and space to relax and think, and to create more resilience and inner fortitude, became a new priority for me and for the business. So, while I learned a lot about myself, I also learned a lot about how I should think about our business and our Tribe.

What is your next adventure? We’d love to be a part of it. Offering a multitude of creative marketing, advertising and branding services, Digital Yalo is here for the long haul and ready to make adventurous aspirations a reality for our clients. Reach out to us and let’s get something started.

What is your next adventure?

Wow, where did 2021 go! It seems like only yesterday we were navigating how to celebrate the holidays in the middle of a pandemic. As we are reflecting on lessons learned, life lived, laughs earned, we were struck by a few key pop-culture moments that brands can learn from to drive business and loyalty, as well as set a course for continued growth. 

Remix and Remaster to Deepen Loyalty 

Is there anyone on the planet that has not heard at least one new version of an old Taylor Swift song in the past few months. Like her or loather her, she is a genius at reinventing her songs in new and relevant ways to connect with a new generation of listeners and reinvigorate her base. I am sure you watched the 10-minute version of All To Well – and felt a little bad for Jake G. 

Brands need to follow her lead in being brave enough to look at core brand attributes (logo, mission, value proposition) and reinvent to engage with today’s audiences. Brands also can go back to the proverbial well, dust off some memorable campaigns or products for today’s audiences. Just remember, nostalgia doesn’t mean old. 

Expect Unexpected Partnerships to Gain New Customers

If you missed it, Megan Thee Stallion had a partnership with Popeye’s and Little Nas X is Taco Bell’s Chief Impact Officer. Megan’s unexpected partnership was more than a limited menu item; it included “Hottie Sauce,” branded merchandise, and a six-figure donation from the QSR chain to a local Houston Charity that the singer is passionate about. Are you asking yourself why artists at the apex of their success would partner with a QSR chain. It simple – every brand and every artist, athlete, musician are new reciprocal awareness channels when executed correctly. Both brand and individual celebrity raises chatter, drives awareness, and increases sales with unconventional partnerships.  

Brands can grow their sales and reputation by exploring new partnerships that align with a key prospect group. BUT, these new celebrity partnerships have to be executed in fresh, organic ways. Consumers are craving authenticity from brand partnerships rather than a celebrity showing up in a commercial or a product being featured in a movie or video. 

Experiences Matter to New and Loyal Customers 

We really hope no one got fired for this. But let’s be honest, the 2021 Channel Advent Calendar, albeit well intentioned, was a fail on a global scale. Stickers? Really Channel. (PS – We’re still trying to find the mythical Prada Advent Calendar – any leads would be appreciated. ????)

We won’t belabor the reasons why some promotional activities backfire, but we will point out that experiences with a brand still matter. And for the folks in the back row that did not hear, we will say it one more time –Experiences. Still. Matter. And we could argue that brand experiences matter more now that in the recent past. 

Brands must think through, update, and challenge themselves on the experiences they are providing. Big and small. Experiences from unboxing to behind-the-scenes to once-in-a-lifetime getaways are currency in todays digital world. 

The Story Still Matters to Customers (and media) and So Does the Channel 

Free Britney. Simone Biles. Richard Branson. We are sure each one of these names brings a story flooding back into your mind. We all can remember where we were when we first heard at least one update on each. And we could have named many other stories that would illicit the same response. Why? Because each of these individuals shared their honest, true, transparent and organic story. On their terms. When they wanted.  And by doing so, each embraced by the public. 

What can brands learn? Tell their stories honestly and allow consumers to become part of the story. Brands have one of the biggest stages – their social media accounts – to tell their layered brand story how and when they choose. One sizes does not fit all in today’s multi-channel, multi-audience world.

What were your favorite moments in film, art, music, and sports this year? Share them with us on Facebook – we’d like to read your memories.

Want to make something commercial and creative at the same time that causes your business brand to stand-out from the masses? Yalo can help you out – it’s what we’re here for 365 days a year. Please reach-out to us below!

I ran my first marathon in February. During the pandemic I started running just to get out of the house. Fast forward 10 months and I am on the starting line for the Florida Marathon.

At the starting line, I had in mind, the perfect plan to reach my racing goal. Over the next four hours, I was dealt some serious, unexpected roadblocks that jeopardized me reaching the finish line. The more I reflected on what happened, the more I related my experience to the day in and outs as a project manager at Yalo. 

Before starting a project with a new or existing client, there is always a plan in place for resources, timelines, and smooth processes. However, obstacles and bumps in the road are commonplace, especially over a long-term project. Things happen and will.

I believe preparation is key in life. Not just in sports, but in all that we do personally or professionally. I certainly thought I was prepared for the race. I had a game plan from nutrition to run times per mile. I knew I was going to reach a certain time at the end of the race. 

As with anything, the perfect plan does not exist. I started out the gates just great, thinking I am going to rock this thing! However, my plan was tossed…no, completely thrown out the window! 

First came really bad thunderstorms. Then the physical pain hit hard. I started cramping for miles, which I had not experienced before. But, like the obstacles we face in life and work, finding a way to the end goal is non-negotiable. We have to think quickly, adapt, put a plan in place and set small goals to accomplish the end objective. Inch by inch and half mile by half mile I kept going. I was way past my goal time, but at this point I was driven to finish. 

In the end, it’s about delivering a great product for our clients. This all depends on how quickly the team can pivot and work efficiently as a team to reach the goal. It’s critical to have an agile team that can be flexible enough to figure out a way to deliver on deadline. 

When s**t hits the fan, how can you get back on the road to reach a successful completion:

1. Identify the problem: thunderstorms, timing, design disconnects (oh my!)
2. Re-group and re-align with your team 
3. Keep the team positive, hydrated and focused
4. Keep the road to resolving an issue clear and simple
5. Over-communicate and move in unison towards the objective 

Just like I’ve had time to reflect on the race, a post-mortem is also important. Identify the failures and successes to improve for the future. For running, I reflected on what caused my setbacks and asked myself some tough questions. With work projects, it’s important to reflect on how you can improve communication and planning to deliver a great product. In the end, be agile and always keep going…you will have great success!

For our first virtual event with Imperial, we were focused on many different aspects of the show. The shopping experience, engagement through chat functionality and video presentations were all given consideration and attention prior to launch.

When the time came for our second event, we had a strong experience that we could build on and refine rather than re-invent. While there were many other adjustments and tweaks throughout version two of our custom virtual event, the major user experience improvements came down to two main areas of focus aimed squarely at the customer.

Goodbye Sessions, Hello Live Show

During the first Imperial event, we divided the show by the three main actions a user could take: Shop (merchandise), Watch (presentations) and Meet (in live sessions). The live sessions within the “Meet” pillar took place over two days and featured both demonstrations from vendors highlighting some of the exciting products available in the show as well as chance to ask questions and receive guidance from merchandise category managers. Using FullStory and analytics to see how customers were using the show, we saw lower engagement within the “Meet” category and knew an adjustment would need to be made for our second show. 

While the general offering changed very little, we completely changed the way we phrased and positioned the live elements of the event. The “Meet” section became our “Live Show” and “Upcoming Sessions” became our “Live Schedule”. Repositioning this feature as a live event you can join that is happening now is a much different feeling than asking a customer to attend a live session. In addition to the repositioning, we gave the Live Show a prominent place within the main navigation and during the 2 days it was running we gave it the most visual weight within our virtual lobby. 

An Upgraded Shopping Experience

One of the main points of feedback we were seeing from customers during our first event was that they were feeling lost after adding items to their cart. Because the show featured many different items across many different categories, there was a wish to return to the exact location they were after adding items to their cart rather than being offered a simple “Continue Shopping” button. Customers typically shopped by category and would be adding multiple items from a single category for extended periods of time. Customer carts could easily be in the hundreds of items. 

We improved shopping in a variety of ways for our second event. The browsing was simplified by including the main shopping categories within the side navigation and installing a universal cart link that would appear on every page rather than just within the shopping section. Cart also became the top link within the side navigation giving it more prominence than in the past show. In addition to navigation improvements, we added some core new functionality.

We developed completely new customer journeys for adding items to your cart. Rather than moving the customer to the cart, we offered a cart preview that would slide out upon adding any item to your cart. This allowed you to close the cart preview to continue shopping and remain exactly where you were in the shopping experience. The preview also provided the option to continue to checkout for those customers that were ready to proceed. The universal cart link we created would open this cart preview, allowing you quick and easy access throughout the entire show.

In addition to this major UX improvement, we implemented “Quick Buy” functionality. A Quick Buy button was added to every product result. This launches a lightbox providing the basic details of a product with buttons to learn more or add to cart.  This new feature allowed customers to add items to their cart directly from a results page and remain there throughout their shopping experience if they chose. 

A look to the future

Imperial’s virtual trade show is currently wrapping up and we will begin this process again. Going through internal and external audits to see what could be improved, what worked well and any pain points or issues that we can identify and address. We will be collecting and absorbing that data for continued refinement in the future. Currently, we are already seeing positive feedback on our UX improvements for this second event and looking forward to continuing our improvements and refinements for the future.

Have you given any thought to how a virtual event – from an online trade show to a virtual press conference, product demo or happy hour – might impact your brand and marketing efficacy? Yalo offers stellar virtual events as a turnkey service and would love to discuss the possibilities with you. Please contact us here and let’s have a conversation – virtually of course!

While 2020 was a challenging year for many reasons, we were so proud to have the opportunity to work with our clients every day, successfully supporting their marketing efforts. We welcomed a number of new clients this past year who joined our existing clients to be part of our Yalo family. As 2020 came to a close, our Yalo Tribe couldn’t get together for our end of year offsite (as we have done for many years). So, we decided to do something better—more special—with our clients. We threw a virtual event, thanking clients for eight great years with Yalo. And not just any event, but a Yalo virtual event in true Yalo fashion to say “Adios 2020” with a bang.

First, we needed somewhere to host this event, and where else to do it but on our own Yalo Virtual events platform. Drink your own champagne, right? It offered us the opportunity to show off our platform to our clients while creating a fully branded experience for our event.  

Next, we needed new Yalo swag for our clients to use during the event. We partnered with Reduce to provide an awesome cocktail shaker which we had Yalo branded via laser etching. They looked amazing.

Then, we needed to offer our clients a great experience. We partnered with CompanyToast, a 501c non-profit, division of Overproof. As a non-profit, CompanyToast, provides bartenders with re-employment opportunities, creating jobs for out-of-work bartenders while their industry recovers. CompanyToast helped us coordinate an outstanding gift package to send our clients. The package combined our Yalo cocktail shakers with a beautiful bottle of Santa Teresa 1796 rum and a box from Shaker & Spoon. When the packages landed, the clients were more than thrilled. We received many excited emails, texts, and phone calls from our clients in anticipation of our event.

I would highly recommend considering CompanyToast for your next event.

To kickoff our event, we needed great talent to amp it up. Of course, I thought of our former client and good friend, Nick Nistico, mixologist extraordinaire! Nick can make any cocktail known to man as well as unknown to man. Nick creates the most elegant, refined, tasty mixtures on the planet and that’s a bet. He taught our clients how to make two fantastic cocktails, one of which he dreamed up just for Yalo (which included doing a shot of Underberg?!…whoa!). Needless to say, the crowd was feeling good after that!

With everyone riding a nice high after Nick’s show, we were ready to glide along to the smooth jams of the Smokey Brights from Seattle. They are a great, great indie band that has performed for us a couple of times, both in-person and virtually. They rolled out a great musical set of originals and covers that included “Right Down the Line” and “Dreams” (TikTok anyone?). For an hour, they had everyone swaying to their soothing vibe.

We had a great turnout of 85% attendance, an average of nearly 100 minutes of enjoyment, and nearly 200 comments in the chat.

What a great night! Top to bottom, a great success, and a fun night for all. An absolute blast.

Thus, despite the challenges of last year, we are a thankful Tribe. Thankful for each other. Thankful for the opportunities. Most of all, thankful for our clients. We look forward to 2021 with bright eyes and full hearts as the growing creative & branding agency in Atlanta that can do!

Together…let’s “Rock the Casbah” in 2021.

Well, what can I say about 2020, other than this year has been one wild ride on a crazy roller coaster (queue RHCP “Love Roller Coaster”)? It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, and then it was the best of times, again (queue Styx “The Best of Times”).

Our 2020 started out like gangbusters. We were on a rocket ride (queue KISS “Rocket Ride”) for the first 10 weeks, signing 2 contracts per week. Then the pandemic hit, with the shelter in place orders starting on March 16^th. The next 10 weeks, we didn’t sign a single contract. Someone/ something basically drained the rocket fuel right out of our rocket ride, and the free fall started.

And for our clients, I have described the pandemic as a see saw. Some of our clients were hit hard by the pandemic (i.e., the end of the see saw hitting the ground with a thud) while other clients had their best years ever (the other end of the see saw shooting into the air). We had a client’s CEO on Jim Kramer (that Wall Street guy on that TV show “Mad Money”) state that their company just “had the greatest sales week in the company’s history.” We here at Yalo felt both ends of that see saw in our clients. The impacts on our Q2 were like many others, a significant downturn in our billings.

So, what did the Tribe do? The Tribe did what the Tribe has always done. We woke up on March 16^th, went to work on behalf of our clients like it was just any other day. We didn’t even have an internal meeting to discuss how we were going to do things differently due to this pandemic. That’s because we have always worked in a distributed model. Working from home, not in an office, not in-person with our colleagues is just everyday practice for us. We had the teamwork, the trust, the communication, and all the technology in place to carry on with zero disruption in our ability to serve our clients with the same high quality and efficiency as they are accustomed to from our Tribe. So, the Tribe put our heads down, charged ahead, and supported our clients through some of their darkest days, helping them to pivot, stay agile, and communicate with their audience, swiftly and successfully. I believe through these trying times, that our relationships with our clients have grown even stronger.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We took our share of lumps in Q2. Projects not started. Canceled projects. Projects put on hold. We were down 40% in billings (QoQ). But in addition to our continued support of our clients, internally we did 3 key things.

1. Our BD team went aggressively into the market to find new brands that we could help, reaching out to 5000+ new targets per month. Through this effort, we met with nearly 200 new prospects in Q2 alone, putting our brand in front of new potential clients.
2. We created new service offerings to help our clients. We rolled out a new Virtual Event as a Service, created a new Design System Manager (DSM) solution via a partnership with InVision, offered UX/UI strategy via a partnership with FullStory, and built a Social Media Sentiment analytics program using the VADER engine (developed at Georgia Tech). This has grown the Yalo arsenal of capabilities that we can offer to our clients, helping them in more ways, and creating more projects for the Tribe.
3. Lastly, we really amped up our own brand presence with a shiny, new website and stepped up our communication game via social and email. Our brand presence has been in full gear ever since the summer. On LinkedIn, our organic impressions increased by 6000%, on Facebook by 3500% (YoY). Our number of LinkedIn followers doubled. Our website traffic hit a new gear, achieving a 100% increase in sessions AND in new users and a 70% increase in pageviews (YoY). Our email program (which goes out to 40,000 subscribers) is averaging 12% in open rates and 45% in CTR. We have put a tremendous amount of new eyeballs on our brand in 2020, and we are confident that this will pay dividends in 2021.

The Tribe’s sweat and hard work paid off in the second half of 2020. In Q3, we grew our billings by +42% (QoQ) and signed our largest deal of the year. In Q4, we grew our billings again by +55% (QoQ), and we had our largest billings month and quarter in our agency’s history, by a country mile. By the end of 2020, we will have a +25% increase in billings and a +24% increase in contracts signed. Oh, and we signed our 100^th client in Q4.

I couldn’t be prouder of the team we’ve built here at Yalo, the culture we foster, and the grit+attitude that our Tribe brings to the dance every day for our clients, for our teammates, and for themselves/ourselves. We eagerly look forward to 2021 with hurricane force tailwinds at our back, propelling us forward into the new year. We will continue to be aggressive, looking for new relationships, new clients, new projects, new partners, and new solutions. It’s time to “Rock the Casbah” in 2021. Are you with us?

As I head out to Austin for the interactive part of the Conference That Shall Not Be NamedTM for the third time, I’ve been reflecting on my past two experiences there, which felt a little Goldilocks: first too cold, then too hot. I’m hoping this year, I get it just right.

It’s always a fine balance to strike between doing the smart, interesting, inspirational stuff that you’re getting paid to go soak up and (let’s be honest) hitting the parties. In 2011, I think I spent my entire visit inside the Austin Convention Center trying to find a seat for packed panels on social media and AI. Last year, I didn’t make it to even one sesh, but managed to rack up a bottle service tab in the VIP section of a club where Lil Wayne was rumored to show up any minute (he never did).

As a creative, I believe both ends of the spectrum are valuable and truly work hand-in-hand. Knowing the technology/marketing trends means nothing if you don’t know the cultural trends that drive how they can be used well for your clients. The social aspects of the conference give insight into what people are thinking about, doing and digging in the real world. And it’s those insights that allow you to take that crazy new technology or marketing concept you just learned about and apply it in ways that are actually relevant and meaningful to people like your husband, who doesn’t even understand Instagram.

So of course, Yalo’s party is high on my list of moments I’m looking forward to over the next few days. But what’s the rest of my plan for striking that perfect balance this year and making the magic happen? Well . . .

Sessions

Okay. There are like hundreds of official sessions and panels. Literally. Not to mention various meet-ups and the meditation and yoga group Zen-outs (obvs not my thing). Maybe because my sensitivity to the current political climate is super fine-tuned, it also seems like there are a lot more sessions about race, gender, activism, and journalism than I have ever seen. I’m all in. Additionally, ChooseATL, an Atlanta economic development org, has some excellent programming promoting our city that I plan on checking out (hello, brunch with Luda?!). I’ve also got a few beauty/fashion/retail sessions on my radar because those industries are always doing some amazing and beautiful stuff with digital.

Swag

Speaking of beauty/fashion/retail, one of my favorite moments last year was winning a pair of Kendra Scott earrings at their Soirée on Rainey Street. I definitely plan on hitting those kinds of events/booths inside the convention center and out because, while there will be a lot of logo-laden tote bags, USB drives and tchotchkes nobody needs one more of, there will also be some straight-up gems.

Social

Rachel, Anne, and I are the trifecta of fun holding down the Yalo fort for the first couple of days before the rest of the crew rolls into town. I’m definitely looking forward to all the team bonding that will surely ensue. While hangin’ with my new friends is good, one of the cool things about this conference is that you always run into friends from your past lives, too. I’ve already got a few plans to connect with folks from past jobs and even grad school, and I’m sure some unplanned meet-ups will happen, too. In between, you can find me in the VIP section with a bottle of Ketel One, waiting for Lil Wayne.  

Street Food 

I mean, you can’t go to Austin and not totally freak out about the food. Some people are all about the BBQ. I can get great BBQ in the ATL. What I love is the street food. From Creole to Kabobs to Lobster, there is a food truck for pretty much everything in Austin. SouthBites® is a great place to start, but there is a ton more out there that I fully intend to explore. It’s a good thing that eating my way through the city will require walking in between bites.  

Third time’s the charm, right? Let’s do this, Austin!

Interested in learning more about what we brought back from the Conference That Shall Not Be Named™? Yalo is a creative agency in Atlanta & Cleveland, and we’d love to share our experiences-turned-to-expertise for the benefit of your business. Reach out to us and let’s chat!

Last week I had the privilege to attend Plywood’s annual ATL Ideas Festival. The three-day event included Atlanta’s most promising visionaries, changemakers and dreamers looking to make a difference in the world with their organization. As a young man with an eagerness to put solutions to problems I see in the world it was refreshing to attend an event such as Plywood with people devoted to making a positive impact.

Organizations involved in the festival represented diverse communities solving complex issues. A few of the organizations included a rehab and re-entry program for former gang members, a headband start-up devoted to helping kids battling cancer, and a sustainable home group dedicated to ending global homelessness.

ATL Ideas 2019 delivered and made a lasting impression on Atlanta for the tenth straight year. Former attendees, now returning to the event as success stories, shared the highs and lows of their journey to inspire a new wave of smaller organizations from throughout the country. Speakers and presenters at the event noted their desire to solve issues within their community as their driving force. Most organizations began as small start-ups and are now mobilizing a team of employees to generate revenue and solve the problems they hoped to conquer.

The community Plywood has built over the last decade creates an environment of openness and familiarity that leads to more meaningful and insightful conversations with other attendees. From food trucks, befriending people playing Wii, to running into clients and former bosses I couldn’t have asked for a better experience at ATL Ideas.

Below are some of my favorite quotes and images from the Festival.

If you enjoy our coverage and curation from ATL Ideas, why not contact us to learn what we can see for your business and mission – Yalo is a talented marketing agency in Atlanta dedicated to helping our customers shine and stand-out in a sea of voices.

Switching up the same old panel format, the TAG Winners assembled for a little competitive fun in the style of family feud. Yalo was represented by, yours truly, the Up & Coming Marketer of the Year for 2018! I was excited to participate and share a millennial view of marketing and hopefully earn a few points in the process.

The event was hosted at Industrious at Ponce City Market here in ATL on a casual Tuesday night for happy hour and networking. I love co-working spaces like Industrious. They have a cool vibe and always a great chance to meet people — so shout out to them for having us!

Once the family feud teams were divided, our host Scott Williford from vLink Solutions directed teams to put down our beers and grab the apple since we didn’t have a buzzer available. This made for a rough start and he warned us the topics would be difficult. Scott was a good stand in for Steve Harvey though!

Getting Started Family Feud Style

Thanks to @_ANNUITAS @arketi @NanoLumens & @digitalyalo for participating in our version of @FamilyFeud at our #TAGMarketing Winners Circle pic.twitter.com/LSS5BtIQra

— TAG_MKTG (@TAG_MKTG) February 26, 2019

We covered 6 topics – Content Marketing Tactics, Marketing to Gen Z, Marketing Technology, Data-Driven Marketing, CEO Metrics, and Careers. Each round the winning team would have 3 chances to answer specifics on each topic pulled from data trends and charts from leading sources for 2019. Each participant provided thoughtful views that aligned to what we see and practice every day. Because this is a blog post overview, you’ll find your Annie soundbites to take away, as words of wisdom from a 20 something:

Content Marketing – Always make it snackable. Your white paper should be a video, infographic, social post and more. Don’t have a white paper? Apply to anything else you consider content that tells your story and then measure it.

Marketing to Gen Z – Watch out for these guys! They are social and skeptical – measure their response as they grow, it will be interesting to watch them evolve.

Data-Driven Marketing – This is the future of marketing and we can’t move forward without it. Data is the key to insights from your audience to learn from.

CEO Metrics – Find what is important to them. We can throw all the numbers in the world at them and it will not make a difference to your future budgets if they don’t care or see the impact.

Careers – Interviewing is a two-way street and it needs to feel like the right fit on both sides of the table. Trust your gut and look at the big picture of your career and where you want to go. Culture is an important factor in building a team or joining a team!

All in the TAG Winner’s circle brought a fun atmosphere and sneak peak of what to expect at TAG Geek Out coming up April 9^th! The TAG Marketing chapter provides great events and even better – a group of people fun to be around, check them out if you haven’t yet!

I’ll leave you with the team’s final comments as we continue to win through 2019! 😉 Yalo would love to help your business succeed with marketing technology too – contact us here and let’s have a productive chat.

Final comments https://t.co/I67fHw97DF

— TAG_MKTG (@TAG_MKTG) February 27, 2019

Alas, all good things come to an end. And on Monday night, our time as the 2017 Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Marketing Agency of the Year came to an end. We were very proud to have won the award last year, and we amped it up for the past 365 days. It was woven into the fabric of everything we produced throughout the year, and it served us very well. It really propelled our Yalo brand in 2018, and we truly thank TAG for the honor. So, on Monday night, I had the honor of announcing new Agency of the Year and pass along the ‘Stanley Cup’ (that’s what we called it for the year) to the next rightful winner for 2018.  

However, Monday night was a very special one yet again for Yalo as we had one of our great, young marketers (Anne Dawson) take home the trophy for the 2018 Up and Coming Marketer of the Year Award. Anne Dawson is the epitome of the Award because she IS an up and comer. Every single day, she performs at a high level, with an effectiveness and efficiency that defies her ‘millennial’ generation. She is a champion for her clients, always keeping her eyes looking ahead for new ways Yalo can add value and accelerate our clients’ success. She manages some of our largest, most complex clients and is constantly being recognized by those clients for her steadfastness, commitment, and purpose. Nary a task gets dropped or missed when Anne is on the case. So, to say she was well deserved of this honor is an understatement, and I know all her clients would agree.

In addition, we had 2 client projects in Arcadia and Viva Tequila Festival that were recognized as finalists in the Best Integrated Marketing Campaign of the Year – SMB. These 2 clients are doing some amazing things, and we are really excited to be their marketing partner to push their brands forward into 2019.

You can learn more about the TAG Marketing Awards here. We can’t wait for the 2019 TAG Marketing Awards since we already have some new client projects cooking that will surely be in the hunt next year for some awards.

Interested in seeing what award-winning projects we can cook-up for your company business? As a creative marketing agency in Atlanta, Yalo would love to share our recipes for success with you. Give us a call or fill-out our form and let’s have a meeting of minds and make something tasty together!

Yalo, the experiential marketing agency in Atlanta, hits the streets to check out popular music fests in downtown Atlanta that will rock your world! 

Spring is here in Atlanta, Georgia, which means the start of weekends filled with fun activities, festivals, flea markets, camping, parties and concerts suited for all types and ages of people! Atlanta is especially known for having grand music festivals that feature great local musicians as well as national headliners playing in a wide variety of musical styles. These cultural gatherings also present hometown art and cuisine. Thanks to this blog post, you can sample four great festivals ahead of time and decide if you’d like to partake yourself. (HINT – you’ll want to do so!) Get ready for four MUST-EXPERIENCE music festivals in groovy downtown Atlanta! 

1. Atlanta Blues Fest. The Atlanta Blues Scene was a tremendous influence on blues music and culture in the South, reigning supreme in the 1920s and 30s but still continuing today. The Atlanta Blues Fest keeps that spirit alive annually. One of the premier blues events in the South and involving local blues musicians and some famous blues greats, this live concert usually happens in April every year, barring unforeseen cancellations. Expect excellent music, brotherly and sisterly love, tasty concessions, and good drinks! 

2. SweetWater 420 Fest. SweetWater 420 Fest is all about the experience, so you know that Yalo will be there! This festival, presented by SweetWater Brewery, normally takes place around the time of Earth Day each year and is an environmental celebration with an eco- friendly focus. It takes place in Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta – a thrilling and gorgeous site in and of itself and the world’s gathering spot during the Summer Olympics of 1996. The event features live music, comedy, art, food, and Planet 420. Planet 420 is an eco-village area where attendees can learn how to be eco-friendly in their daily lives and become more sustainable in all that they do. It’s a great addition to a really fun festival and folks enjoy learning How-Tos and Whys of a greener lifestyle. Besides many “woke” and “enlightened” performers, there’s also the amazing beer created by SweetWater Brewery to enjoy! 

3. Shaky Knees Music Festival. The Shaky Knees Music Festival is an annual indie rock/indie folk/country/alternative rock concert event featuring more than 60 bands including national, regional, and local favorites. Past participants to this smorgasbord of sonorous sounds include Modest Mouse, The Lumineers, Wilco, Cage the Elephant, Neutral Milk Hotel, Florence and the Machine, Explosions in the Sky … you get the idea! The festival takes place at Central Park in Atlanta – the perfect location to see views of the skyline and explore the best downtown bars and restaurants afterward. The Shaky Knees Festival is truly about the experience. There will be food trucks with all types of food, fun photo booths, official festival merch, and screen prints of your favorite bands, as well as lounges and unique viewing spots. Who could ask for more, right? 

4. Atlanta Jazz Festival. Bring your family downtown to Piedmont Park on Memorial Day weekend each year to the annual Atlanta Jazz Festival – one of the country’s largest and FREE Jazz festivals and such a great time. The festival showcases local and national jazz greats, a neighborhood jazz series, a youth jazz band competition, a kids zone, and many other family-friendly activities. Enjoy the park while checking out some of the city’s finest arts and crafts, food and drinks, and of course, merchandise! Maybe you’ll even get the opportunity to meet a great like John McLaughlin! 

There are of course other excellent musical events throughout the year in Atlanta, as well as art, food, drama and athletic experiences too. We could tell you about every one of them but we think it’s better for YOU to come and find out for yourself. Experiences are better than second-hand information, we’ve found – and our team at Yalo knows a few things about such matters. The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau is also an excellent resource for all-things Atlanta. 

While you’re visiting Atlanta and soaking up the sights, sounds, and vibes, perhaps you’d like to consider doing business with one of the rockingest creative agencies in Atlanta? That’s us – Yalo. We’d love to meet you – get the gig started by contacting us here.

They do not call it Hotlanta for nothing. The city was living up to its name last Thursday, June 14^th at Flourish in Buckhead when the Association for Corporate Growth held its annual Gala honoring the Fast 40 companies in Georgia. For the last 10 years, the ACG has honored small to medium size businesses that demonstrate significant revenue and employee growth across the state and metro Atlanta.

Thursday night did not disappoint. Temperatures were hovering around 90° when the honoree reception kicked off in fine fashion. Invited members from the honored companies and sponsors for the ACG chapter in Georgia — which Yalo has been for the last 2 years — networked over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Once the Gala officially kicked off, nearly 700 hundred people sat down to dinner and drinks while the 2018 Fast 40 companies were recognized.

The diversity of businesses and impact was nothing short of amazing. From wrapping paper, on board vehicle diagnostics, software for surgery scheduling and management, to pine straw services — the gamut of businesses was certainly covered. It was also amazing to see a nice balance of first time honorees, and several companies that were veterans of the event. No small feat considering the growth criteria required to even be nominated.

The most important thing that occurred at this event, other than dinner ending 45 minutes early (bonus time at the dessert reception), was seeing the honored companies truly enjoying their success. The reward was beyond the plaque they received. It was validation that they can succeed, as a team, and be a valuable contributor the communities across Atlanta and Georgia.

As the after-parties spilled into the warm evening air on Piedmont Avenue, it was motivating to witness that you do not have to be a Fortune 500 Goliath to make a real difference. We feel and act that way at Yalo too. Our tribe is most satisfied when our customers are. It is what we strive for every day. No better way to wrap up the evening other than one of Georgia’s most famous of businesses — #WaffleHouse! Look forward to another great year supporting the ACG. 

We would absolutely love to support YOU as well. As a hot & happening digital marketing agency in Atlanta, Yalo offers website design, SEO & digital marketing campaigns, video branding and more. Give us a call or complete our short form and let’s begin a beautiful partnership together – Atlanta style!

Despite our normal, relaxed attire of concert t-shirts, every once in a while, the Yalo Tribe will get gussied up and bring their style A-game. The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Marketing Gala is one such occasion. It is a very well executed event each year where marketers in Georgia gather to connect, discuss and earn some accolades for their creativity and hard work. This year the event was held again at the Cobb Energy Center and brought out some of the most talented folks in the profession. What also makes this event interesting is the confluence of both marketing and technology.

As you might imagine, a number of the attendees are from the Agency world. And on a daily basis, we all compete across Georgia for some of the very same clients. The really exciting thing about the Gala is that it brings all of us together for a night, unguarded and relaxed, to discuss as peers and colleagues. That information sharing and comradery is healthy for all, but it also fuels the fire for going back out there and competing the next day. This competitive fuel is what drives us all to be better, be more creative, never rest and continue to push the ideation envelope for our clients. We are fortunate to have such forward thinking colleagues here in Georgia that set a high bar. In turn, this results in better marketing for all of our clients, and really, the clients should be the real winners.

We at Yalo had the great fortune to have clients from Arcadia, Jackson EMC and Veritiv as finalists for a variety of awards and in attendance with us for the Gala. They were excited and grateful to be recognized.

And Yalo even took home some hardware, winning TAG Digital Marketing Agency of the Year. The award is really a testament to our team and our focus on client success, hard work, and creativity. We were very delighted and proud of the honor.  So, you could say our award case got ‘dressed up’ some too.

As a marketing agency in Atlanta that people are watching, Yalo would be delighted to win another award by creating an absolutely fantastic campaign for your business! Full of ourselves? Nope, just optimistic about the synergy and accomplishment that comes when creative minds get together to take each other further down the road of Success. Contact us at your leisure and let’s see how we can work together for mutual benefit. We DO like to get dressed up once in a while, after all.

Yalo Geeked Out last Thursday at TAG’s Geek Out On Marketing Technology conference at the Loudermilk Center in downtown Atlanta. Over 100 marketing technologists came out to hear thought leaders talk about the evolution of marketing technology through three core topics: automation, data-driven marketing, and customer experience. With multiple breakout sessions throughout the day, there was a lot of information to cover and our Yalo duo, Anne and I, soaked it up! Some of the most interesting chats centered around sales – marketing alignment and emerging tech trends. With marketing taking a bigger and bigger piece of the budget pie for company growth, the bottom line is always revenue–which makes sales & marketing alignment a critical component for success. With more marketing effectiveness also comes bigger budgets! Key takeaways:

• Using data to build actionable marketing
• Creating a process to nurture leads resulting from targeted marketing
• Strengthening internal messaging between the sales and marketing teams

 And you can’t forget the key emerging trends: 

• Machine learning–such as with Tesla’s autopilot function or Amazon’s personalized product suggestions. 
• Customer data platforms–with all the different marketing technology tools companies use, there needs to more platforms to bridge these “fiefdoms” so that companies can manage their favorite marketing technologies under a larger umbrella. Or let us at Yalo handle that.
• More automation–yes, I said more automation! With the name & email address capture being a staple for web to customer interaction, more and more companies are jumping on enhanced plug-ins such as custom 24/7 chats when their homepage is opened. 

 Overall, TAG’s Geek-Out conference provided an intelligent and thoughtful outlet for marketers to discuss the use and implementation of different technologies. My two cents (since I’m already on a roll here) is that sales & marketing teams need to be one and the same. Common goals and transparency help everyone stay focused on a shared vision, which paves the way for more team collaboration. There’s a direct line between more collaboration and stronger marketing to drive revenue. 

We’ve got our Yalo formula down pat and love new opportunities to help companies build new solutions for increased growth. Get in touch today with Yalo and let’s discuss how marketing technology, virtual events, design systems like InVision DSM & Storybook, and our other creative services can help your business to thrive 21^st Century style!

Fresh off of SXSW, dreary-eyed and with some good old fashioned Austin stink on us. What is there NOT to love about SXSW? It is the ultimate confluence of brands, experiences, ideas, music, creativity, technology and people (you can’t forget the people!). And this year did not disappoint at all. It is very clear that the VR/AR wave and the AI market are both poised for great things and explosive growth.

I hopped into the VR Hub at Capital Factory and checked out the HTC Vive setup they had going on. There were some pretty amazing gaming capabilities and interactive experiences on display. I can only imagine what the power usage was like in there. Probably something like that scene from Christmas Vacation when Clark W. Griswold turns on his Christmas lights that cover his entire house and it causes blackouts across town. Then I cruised over to the National Geographic Further Basecamp being held at Vulcan Gas Company. What a buzzing place with many different flavors of VR/AR going on. Especially super cool was the iPad experience where you would point an iPad at a picture and the picture would animate and come to life in 3D. Truly rockin’ stuff.

But VR/AR offers amazing opportunities for better storytelling for all companies and their products or services. Can you imagine a B2B company demonstrating how a piece of data moves through the supply chain because of their software? That would be a wild ride. It would be like watching The Matrix on steroids. Or what if you could use an Alexa to answer customer questions in a retail store while waiting for a sales person? “Alexa, what sizes does this couch come in?” or “Alexa, what’s the earliest available delivery date for this couch?” We can see and feel it here at Yalo! And we are excited to help clients jump on board with this amazing technology.

Oh and of course, we held our 4th annual Get Plugged In event at Bat Bar (and 8th one overall). Every year I am amazed at how our team is able to push the envelope for our event. Two years ago, we had 5 bands play ala a mini-Lollapalooza and had nearly 800 registrants. Last year, we went big with Biz Markie and doubled our numbers to 1550 registrations. This year we were fortunate to have some of the best new bands in America while also putting on a VR experience for our attendees, with the outstanding support of our sponsors HTC Vive, ASUS, Skullcandy, and Google. We even live streamed the event for those who were not in Austin with the help of another key sponsor, Cinamaker. The result was 6,200 registrants and over 1,500 through the door. We appreciate everyone who came out to experience marketing, tech, VR and music YALO STYLE.

Watch out 2018! We are already spinning up new ideas to blow the roof off next year! With our new Virtual Events platform as a service, Yalo is proud to be a creative agency in Atlanta ready to blow fuses both real and virtual. Contact us and allow us to show you what VR can do for you and your brand in this brave new world.

…It feels like the VERY first time. I have waited a lifetime….Wait, wait, WAIT! You just think I just have a Foreigner song stuck in my head, don’t you?

Nope! I’m actually talking about my first time to that little conference and festival held annually, drawing tens of thousands of Creatives and Musicians to Austin, Texas. It has a four word name. And it rhymes with Mouth By MouthZest.*

* By mentioning the ACTUAL name of the aforementioned event, Digital Yalo would be infringing on a copyright. And, quite frankly, we (sometimes) like to play by the rules. Or at least when legal action is threatened. So, if you weren’t able to figure out what festival I’m referring to, visit the Google machine.

Anyways, so my first time. I’m finally attending, after years of jealously hearing co-workers and other Creatives boast after coming back from Austin, with a fresh dose of vitamin D (I’m from Cleveland, a city that boasts maybe 60 days of true sunshine a year) and inspiration.

So, my time is now. What’s my strategy? As of today, here it is:

1.) Try Something New

While looking at the wide variety of sessions offered there are many that fit into my existing skillset and are a no brainer for me to attend. But, this is a once in a lifetime (hopefully not though) experience. So I better try something new. Basics of Hand Lettering? Thanks, but no thanks. I get a blister on my hand just thinking about the countless hours I spent hand lettering 8 point Bodoni with my Rapidograph in Design school. I’ll opt for sessions that focus on emerging technologies and trends. I’ve made an effort to focus on new technologies or skillsets to better myself and my agency’s offerings. Think about it? How fun is it to go to a restaurant and order a cheeseburger you’ve had a million times when you can have the Sous Vide Steak?

2.) Break Away From the Water Cooler

Sure, it’s great to experience something with your co-workers that isn’t a client review or a mandated brainstorming session. But, as mentioned before, this is a new experience for me. Quite frankly, I plan on breaking away from the comfort of the folks that I am traveling to South By . . . err . . . Mouth By MouthZest with. Not because I don’t like them, but because I think it will be more worthwhile for us to split up and attend different sessions. The point of attending is to experience new things and expand your craft. Let’s face it, if myself and my two other colleagues attend five different sessions that’s 15 topics we can discuss over a big Texan margarita. As opposed to 5, if we all stuck together. My point? Diversity makes everything (including happy hour at the end of the day) more interesting.

3.) Get Mentally Ready & Pack my Bags

Even though this is a “work trip” I am treating it like a vacation. Not a lay in the sun, do nothing type of vacation. But more like a trip I’m going on to get renewed and inspired by. Isn’t that the point of South By . . . ? I remember the first time I heard of this festival; I geeked out when I heard there was a place where Creatives gathered and discussed new technologies, design, marketing and music. In my fantasy vision of this place there were also unicorns, though I doubt there will be any in Texas.

Let’s be honest, I wear black 99% of the time. Not because I’m miserable, mostly because it’s timeless, and matches everything. So packing my clothes won’t really be an issue. I’m already compiling my playlist for the plane, filled with Big Thief, The Yawpers, Little Hurricane, and Chris Stalcup & The Grange. And, of course I’ll be packing a fresh journal and a charged camera to capture all my experiences at South By . . .

Stay tuned. Yalo is a digital marketing agency in Atlanta & Cleveland and no matter where we go, we’re always learning and bringing new tactics and ideas to the table that we are more than willing to share with our valued clients. You could be next – give us a call or fill-out our short form and let’s do something phenomenal together that rhymes with “largesse.” (Hint – “success” rhymes with “largesse.”)