Thumbprints
Ideas, news, stories and perspectives as unique as individual thumbprints.
The More You Know: Audience Research for Defining Your Target Market
Who is your product or service created for? What are the common attributes or characteristics individuals share that make them perfect potential customers for your business? Small business owners are naturally an ambitious bunch. When asked the most important question regarding their marketing strategy, “Who…
How to Use Video Marketing to Connect with Customers In The New Normal
In this “new normal” connecting with your customers may seem like a giant hurdle to overcome. With many of the face-to-face tactics you have employed in the past on the backburner, video has come to the forefront as a great way to stay in touch…
Defining Your Brand
Don’t waste your only chance at a first impression with a brand story that doesn’t make sense or align with you and your business. Why did you choose to start your small business, what makes it unique and how do you show that to...
The Bird in the Hand Vs. Two in the Bush: Retaining & Gaining Customers Amid COVID-19
Now more than ever before, customer loyalty is being put to the ultimate test. As the coronavirus crisis continues, absolutely everyone has been affected and many consumers are reassessing expenses they once never gave a second thought. For small business owners watching revenues recede and…
For the #loveofsmallbiz
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic touches us all, we’ve seen its effects ripple through the small business community. We’ve all had our world turned upside down. For many small business owners and those who rely on them, it’s an unprecedented era of uncertainty. We’ve talked…
Blog to Build Your Small Business
From running your company, managing teams and making sales to developing leads, empowering your employees and so much more, we know small business owners have a lot on their plate every day. How high up on your priority list is blogging and maintaining your website?…
Small Business Owner? Here’s Why You NEED to Use LinkedIn!
Some of us still remember when social media was about nothing more than likes, shares, memes and cute photos of your kids. But these days, the internet’s most popular platforms have evolved into valuable streams for reaching customers and growing your brand through digital word-of-mouth….
Small Business Marketing Trends to Focus on in 2020
The New Year is a perfect time to reassess your marketing strategies and implement new ideas as you stay ahead of new and emerging trends in an effort to grow your business and reach new customers. Consider the habits, priorities and digital trends of the…
Small-Business Blogs Entrepreneurs Should be Reading
Running your own small business keeps you constantly on your toes, wearing many hats and juggling varying responsibilities. Sometimes you might not feel like you even have five minutes to unplug from emails, shut down your spreadsheets and catch up on the news of the…
Local Marketing Strategies That Can Grow Your Customer Base
The national marketing campaigns of Fortune 500 companies are interesting to analyze and might be enticing to try and duplicate, but a small business can discover more effective growth and success with focused efforts — and dollars — on local marketing strategies that go to…
Case Study – H•E Homes
At Collective Alternative, we don’t do cookie-cutter marketing, advertising and public relations solutions. As the owner of H•E Homes, Andrew Brindley doesn’t build cookie-cutter houses. Andrew’s small company builds beautiful downtown Indianapolis homes, but was struggling to connect with quality leads and build his brand…
SEO 101: Tips for establishing a solid online presence
One of the hottest buzzword phrases in internet marketing is “SEO,” or “search engine optimization.” It sounds important (it is!), but maybe appears daunting (it isn’t!) or overrated (no way!) to those unfamiliar with the concept and how much it can benefit your business and…
Improve your company culture and watch productivity soar
At Collective Alternative, our company culture stems from the adoption of six core values — characteristics we strive to uphold that create a more rewarding experience both for our clients and the team internally. Our core values: Integrity Transparency Initiative Accountability Relationships Partnership For us,…
A Story with No Words: How Design Propels your Business
We’ve all heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” But really, it should read, “Visual elements are worth a thousand word.” To limit the impact that imagery has to only photographs does a disservice to the major impact that these facets have…
The Cool Kid at the Table: Influencer Marketing 101
Being a marketer is a lot like joining a fan club. You know everything there is to know about your clients, you talk about them all the time and you constantly tell everyone why they are the best. And sometimes, you’ll draw in a few…
4 Email Mistakes Almost Every Business Makes
Memos and instant messages dominate the world of business communication. Every day, employees and employers exchange a variety of information through some type of platform. Whether in the office or through social media accounts, communication is always occurring in a workplace. Knowing how to properly…
Amanda’s Advice: Lessons Learned from the Founder of Collective Alternative
Small businesses are the foundation of local communities. They provide jobs, services and goods that keep towns populated and operating. At Collective Alternative, we make it our mission to promote these business and share the stories of so many in the community. But how did…
The Importance of Diversity in Media
Media outlets have gained an incredibly powerful influence over the past 50 years. With the rise of technology, individuals are now able to share their stories and opinions as they are unfolding. As a society, we place a tremendous level of trust on media sources…
New Year, New You: Making the Most of your Social Media
Social media is always adapting, developing and changing. Algorithms used by Instagram, Facebook and Twitter make predicting the distribution of content on social media virtually impossible. Although this domain consistently shifts, the role of a marketer remains the same – getting and keeping the attention…
Sharing Our Love for Local
It’s no secret that Collective Alternative LOVES local. We’d shout it from the mountaintops (if Indiana had mountaintops)! We’re taking our love for hardworking Hoosiers and their businesses and spreading it to the masses through a new video series called #LocalsOnly. #LocalsOnly will highlight some…
Strategy As Unique As Your Thumbprint
Take out the guesswork. Don’t shoot in the dark. Guide your efforts on a customized roadmap to ensure maximum ROI and impact. Watch our new video to learn why strategy is at the core of everything we do and what it means for you.
Living Our Values, Leaving Our Mark
Integrity. Transparency. Initiative. Accountability. Relationships. Partnership. These core values are the fabric of CA. When we’re all living by the same values, we’re able to support our vision and achieve our core mission of Making Business Personal®. So, listen in as we speak from the…
Alternative Expertise
We are so excited to share that our fearless leader, Amanda Parker, is the cover story for the October 16th issue of Current Geist. Read about her success and how she developed her passion for helping others and small business.
3 Benefits of a Full-Service Marketing Firm
Advertising. Sponsorships. Social media. Press releases. Search engine optimization. As your company grows, it’s hard to stay current with every aspect of your marketing, public relations and advertising needs. And as a small business owner, you have plenty of other responsibilities and duties to take…
Agency Veteran Returns to Indiana to Serve Small Business Clients
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (October 23, 2018) – Collective Alternative, a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm in Indianapolis hires Joey Foster as an account manager. Foster will work closely with clients and team members to articulate and achieve marketing strategy goals and deliver the personal…
Collective Alternative Adds Implementation Coordinator, Third Hire Since July
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (October 4, 2018) – Collective Alternative, a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm in Indianapolis, hires Jessi Robbins as an implementation coordinator. Robbins will assist in project design and execution and serve as a liaison for internal departments. “I am excited to…
How One Local Business Owner Embraced Her Short Life Expectancy and Found Success
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (September 13, 2018) – 20 years ago, local business owner Amanda Parker, wasn’t sure what the next day would hold. Diagnosed with a rare blood disease, medical professionals told Parker she wouldn’t live to see 21. Fast forward to today, she is one…
10 Year Anniversary Party
What better way to celebrate than with food trucks, including Gigi's Cupcakes, Box Burger and Vinny's Wine Bar, live music, friends and yard games? We couldn’t think of anything either! For Collective Alternative's 10th anniversary, we brought together our clients, partners, friends and family to...
The CA Way
For Collective Alternative’s 10th birthday, we blew out the candles, indulged in some cupcakes and even threw a one-of-a-kind party. But we’ve also been planning a special video series that will showcase our values and the impact we’re making on local businesses. Kicking it off, we…
Collective Alternative’s Owner and President Named One of Indianapolis’ Leading Women In Business
We are so excited to share that our leader, Amanda Parker is named one of Indianapolis’ Leading Women in Business in the September issues of O, The Oprah Magazine, Entrepreneur, Fortune and Forbes. Find out what three things inspired her to launch the decade-long success…
Collective Alternative Hires Account Coordinator
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 1, 2018) – Collective Alternative, a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm in Indianapolis, hires Jaimie Harris as an account coordinator. Harris will assist in project management and serve as the liaison for all internal departments. Harris previously worked as a…
Collective Alternative Celebrates Ten Years in Business
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 2, 2018) – Ten years ago, a new kind of marketing agency launched in Indianapolis—one that was built on the foundation of Making Business Personal®, driven by a set of core values and dedicated to its vision of helping small, local businesses…
Is Your Business Rocking Your Company Vision? Or Are You the Only One Who Knows What You Stand For?
As a business owner, you get it. You know everything about your business because it’s your idea. It’s your baby. You’ve put in the hours of sweat equity, creating the perfect business model and writing an unwavering mission and vision statement. Then it happens. The…
Scientific Companies Battle Effective Online Communications
For companies operating in highly regulated industries, such as healthcare, life sciences and pharmaceuticals, the pressure to grow and build their online presence is escalating. The need to realign their marketing initiatives to better meet the needs of the consumer is at an all-time high….
Former Business Owner and VP of Sales Brett Schubert Joins Collective Alternative
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 12, 2018) – Collective Alternative, a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm in Indianapolis, has hired Brett Schubert as Director of Business Development. Schubert will serve as the lead salesperson to support the growth of Collective Alternative, while also growing existing…
From the President’s Desk: Advice for New Marketing Professionals
In just a few weeks, thousands of fresh-out-of-college graduates will be entering “the real world,” many of whom want to pursue a career in marketing. As a new marketing professional, this can be overwhelming. The marketing industry competition is fierce, and as the value of…
Is ‘Our Brand is Crisis’ the Daily Mantra in Your Company (Culture)?
A comedic political movie, “Our Brand Is Crisis,” opened on October 30, 2016, in theatres nationwide. It stars Sandra Bullock as a once revered, yet now has-been American political operative with a string of losing campaigns and personal issues. She’s hired to lead the struggling…
Amanda Parker Named Avatar of the Year by NAWBO
December 19, 2016 (Indianapolis, IN) – Amanda Parker, founder and president of Collective Alternative, a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm located in Fort Benjamin Harrison, was named Avatar of the Year by the Indianapolis chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners…
Collective Alternative Hosts First Puppy Paw-ty to benefit ASPCA
At Collective Alternative, we love our pups just as much as we love marketing and helping local businesses grow. So much so, that we dedicated an afternoon on Friday, November 3rd to give abused and homeless animals a second chance at life. We tied up…