Pull up your favorite beach chair, grab a drink with a little umbrella in it and take a look at some tourism creative from, you guessed it, those cool characters at AB&C.

Print ad: Southern Delaware

Print ad: Southern Delaware

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Creating a brand promise and reaching out to new niche audiences with that promise is key to the growth of any business, including tourism.

Tourism advertising has changed with the times. Even though people still read magazines and news publications to “think” about where they might want to spend their hard-earned dollars, they do their actual booking and planning online.

Consumers today tune out TV commercials with their DVRs and TiVo’s, opting instead to listen to satellite or Pandora radio. Then they tune out those ads as well.

I’m not suggesting you completely abandon traditional ad venues. But maybe it’s time to reconsider the way you integrate digital and nontraditional advertising into your marketing strategy. Read full post...

Rev. Nicholas Waseline (left) and Rev. Roberto Balducelli (right)

WILMINGTON, DE—In honor of the legendary Rev. Roberto Balducelli, the 2014 St. Anthony’s Italian Festival Cultural Committee will honor Dr. Jack Varsalona with the Rev. Roberto Appreciation Award. Father Roberto, a beloved figure in the Wilmington community for more than half a century, died last year on the eve of his 100^th birthday. St. Anthony’s created this award, named in his honor, to recognize local leaders in the Italian-American community who promote the Italian culture. The Wilmington parish will present the inaugural award to Dr. Varsalona—the president of Wilmington University—at the Italian Festival’s Gala Concert, which will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, at St. Anthony’s on 9^th and Scott in Wilmington.Read full post...

Wilmington’s Favorite Festival Set for June 8 to 15

WILMINGTON, DE — St. Anthony of Padua will host its 40^th annual Italian Festival, beginning Sunday, June 8. For 2014, the Festival is highlighting the Ascoli Piceno, a town in the Le Marche region of Italy. Many Italian-Americans in the St. Anthony’s Parish and the Wilmington area can trace their heritage to this region.Read full post...

# 11 – I can write my blog with pen and paper if I want to.

The hashtag #agencylife has come into the advertising scene with a clear purpose — to let our friends who chose a profession in finance, medicine or law know that we’re having more fun at work than they are. Being quirky, spontaneous and fun breeds creative intelligence here at AB&C, and it’s important to showcase that. If you visit the popular blog http://thisadvertisinglife.tumblr.com/ it’s apparent that your #agencylife experiences are similar to everyone else’s.Read full post...

Bear, DE — Traditionally held in July, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Family Carnival will now open on Monday, June 9, and run through Saturday, June 14, at 345 Bear Christiana Road in Bear. On-site admission is $5 for ages 13 to 64, free for seniors, and free for children under the age of 12 (must be accompanied by an adult). Discounted passes are available in advance, with weekly passes for $10 and Mega-Passes (which include unlimited rides) for $35. Starting May 3, the parish will sell these passes at its office from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and after each mass. On-site parking is free.Read full post...

“We haven’t killed anybody yet” or “Most people think we’re pretty good!”

Let’s say that you own a grocery store with several aisles of frozen food. Now let’s say that your freezer’s compressor — which works hard to keep your food frozen — breaks down. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll try to fix the compressor yourself. But more than likely you’ll need to call an electrician — an expert — to do the job and get you back in business. You consider him an expert because you found him by Googling “expert electrician.” And he shows you a license and certificate as proof of his training.Read full post...

Abington Health, a healthcare system with locations throughout Montgomery and Bucks counties, conducted research showing that consumers and employees had low awareness of the advanced and complex services available throughout the system. After many brainstorming sessions and concept meetings, Abington Health and AB&C found a solution to the problem and the “Power” campaign was born.Read full post...

With no speaking notes for nearly 30 minutes, Durant spoke from the heart with a humility unseen and unheard of in today’s professional sports world.

By textbook and tradition, we in PR are in the business of influencing, and frequently, outright changing perceptions.  We try to inform and educate. Sometimes we are given great stories to tell; more commonly we’re asked to elevate the mundane or, perhaps too often, gild the less positive aspects of a situation.Read full post...

Back in November 2013, Google replaced its Google Certification Program with its Google Partners Program. Originally, if you worked in the paid search space you would take Google AdWords exams to achieve Google Certification. This meant you were deemed an expert in Google AdWords, making you a more attractive employee and giving your company a leg up on the competition. Companies proudly placed the Google Certified badge on their websites, letting current and potential clients know they were in fact certified by top search engine Google.Read full post...

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Lightning in a Bottle Competition is gaining momentum in Philadelphia. The competition is searching the city for businesses that can help Philly grow, and offering a free year of marketing services to the winner. Current entries reflect a wide spectrum of industries. Businesses with a viable product, an innovative way to create new jobs, a service to benefit residents, or similar ideas, can enter at LightningInABottleAward.com.

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The healthcare team here at AB&C is feeling like Matthew McConaughey when he accepted his best actor awards this year. While we didn’t win an Oscar or a Golden Globe, we (and our client partners) did win the prestigious Best in Show at the 31^st Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards and a Judge’s Choice award at the 2014 Aster Awards. In addition to these amazing honors, we also nabbed eight gold, three silver and two bronze Healthcare Advertising Awards, and six gold and four silver Aster Awards.Read full post...

Half of all cancers can be prevented. People can start by learning what they can do to stay healthy. Aloysius Butler & Clark — working with the Delaware Division of Public Health (Cancer Division) and the Delaware Cancer Consortium—developed a website called Healthy Delaware to help Delawareans test for and prevent cancer.

Visitors answer a series of questions to determine their cancer risk level. They can also sign up for cancer screenings and related programs on the site.

See website

Healthy Delaware website

Big brands have woken up to the realization … that young Americans across the board value diversity.

To steal a line from one of the best songs ever written, it’s been a long time coming — but a change has finally come to advertising. While the country generally has grown more socially liberal, advertising has lagged behind. According to a recent Ad Age article, advertising has proved to be the last frontier when it comes to reflecting societal changes. Let’s face it — pop culture typically sets the trends; advertisers follow. Why are we afraid to take a risk? It’s pretty simple — no one wants to hear negative feedback about a campaign. Speaking to where the public already is rather than leading them in a different direction has been the norm.

Until recently, that is.Read full post...