In honor of our company’s 20th anniversary, we’ve launched the second edition of the Blue Daring Creative Challenge. As with our first Creative Challenge in 2018, three teams of creatives and strategists are each provided three months and $10,000 to concept and create a unique work of art (in partnership with others) inspired by our… Read more »
Melissa was a featured speaker at Q Talks: Live!, an energizing event series featuring thought-provoking talks from Quinlan faculty, alumni, and friends. In her talk called “At the Heart of Change,” Melissa discusses how the pressure to evolve and change is as constant for business leaders as the innovation that’s driving it. Reflecting on almost… Read more »
At Melissa Ballate’s desk there’s an illuminated display of ever-changing math equations. After some deciphering, it becomes clear it isn’t a game, it’s a clock, creatively communicating time. It’s just one of many clues that Ballate is always thinking differently. As the founder and president of Blue Daring, Melissa partners with people with vision to bring… Read more »
The perfect ad—you’ve seen it before. A group of friends or a family; one brown, one yellow, one white. A utopian mix of races, genders, even lifestyles. For decades, brands have approached diversity (and inclusion) in this way, and it makes sense. In fact, a 2016 study found that 80% of millennial parents enjoy seeing… Read more »
In a world where so much is changing so quickly—and sometimes drastically—it is difficult for brands to establish trust. Edelman, the world-leading PR firm, just released their annual trust index. The theme for 2017? “Trust in Crisis.” Consumer trust in institutions—businesses, governments, NGOs, and the media—is down across the board with declines in trust in… Read more »
Confession: when no one is around, I talk to myself. Yep. I pace around my house and read the same document to myself repeatedly with different inflections. I’ll listen for the version that sounds best, the sentences that feel the most natural coming out of my mouth, and the areas that need a good rework.… Read more »
Every time I throw a successful event, at least one person asks me how I did it. “How’d you get it to all come together?” and “I can’t believe this went off without a hitch!” are common conversation starters at work the next day. But really, what’s the point of putting in all of that… Read more »
3 simple tips for communicating actionable, honest, and objective feedback. Gathering and implementing client feedback is a huge part of a designer’s job, but it can sometimes prove a frustrating process for both designer and client. The internet is filled with designer-made memes like this poster series capturing the creative community’s favorite worst feedback: While I… Read more »
I attend my fair share of networking events and spend a lot of time chatting with people about Blue Daring. I’ve noticed a definite trend: When I make even a slight mention of social media—as part of a bigger marketing plan and part of our offering—many people get fixated on it and ask “Do you… Read more »
Here are 5 notable steps to better enhance any inside sales/tele-sales initiatives. These steps have been vital to my lengthy success of picking up the phone and making those calls, and further, making those sales! While these steps are specific to my telephone sales duties, they can, and should, be applied to any sales scenario.… Read more »