Yearly Archives: 2013

Guest Columnist

Posted on 12.19.13

Millennials, Obamacare and President B-Rock O’Beezy

Enrolling Millennials is critical to the success of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or as it’s better known, Obamacare). Yet convincing young adults to enroll poses a tall order for those tasked with marketing the new healthcare plan. How do you educate, encourage enrollment, and avoid polarizing an already wary (and perhaps weary) public? A […]

Guest Columnist

Posted on 11.26.13

Hijacking #Hashtags…for Good?

Hashtag hijacking has spoiled multi-million dollar campaigns and created PR nightmares for marketers worldwide. But recently, nonprofits and causes have begun to take a cue from the hashjackers and use the guerrilla marketing tactic as a vehicle for social good. The Oklahoma Red Cross took advantage of the SyFy channel’s live tweet promotion of the […]

Guest Columnist

Posted on 11.12.13

Eight O’Clock Coffee Commercial Leaves a Bitter Taste

I recently wrote a blog post about a few television commercials that caught my attention for all the right reasons. Last week, there was one ad in particular that also grabbed my attention, but this time left a bad taste in my mouth. Take a look: At first I had a negative reaction because the […]

Guest Columnist

Posted on 10.28.13

Brands Play “Dress Up” on Halloween

Halloween has grown to become one of America’s favorite holidays. On one special night, we’re all given a pass to break out of our well-groomed personalities and express our hidden desire to be scary, funny or fantastical. Halloween dares us to bend the rules of conventionality and embrace the different and bizarre. In a way, […]

Guest Columnist

Posted on 09.30.13

New Case Study: Engaging Voters in a Complex Issue

North Carolina’s tax system was outdated and volatile. Despite the growing risk of a budgetary crisis, every attempt by the General Assembly to modernize the tax code over the last decade had failed. The North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA) recognized that it could significantly improve chances of passing meaningful tax reform legislation […]

Guest Columnist

Posted on 08.26.13

E&V Hires Digital Marketing Specialist and Promotes McLeod to Account Manager

Raleigh, NC – Eckel & Vaughan, the Raleigh-based public affairs and marketing agency, today announced that it has hired Laney Wilke as a Digital Marketing Specialist and promoted Amy McLeod to Account Manager. Laney Wilke is an Oklahoma native and a 2013 graduate of Vanderbilt University. She has marketing and public affairs experience at Country […]

Mike Hoyt

Posted on 08.22.13

The iPad and Autism: Strange Bedfellows?

My grandson has autism. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) occur in one in every 88 children in the U.S. and are five times more prevalent in boys. The diagnosis is also on the rise, and no one’s quite sure where it comes from. Children with ASDs are a lovable handful. But with early diagnosis and special […]

Guest Columnist

Posted on 08.13.13

Advertising vs. Selective Hearing

I have mastered the art of “selective hearing.” My parents call it “tuning things out,” but I prefer the former. Between logos, commercials and digital advertising, some studies suggest we’re hit with as many as 20,000 ads every day. We’re getting talked to death from every direction. So selective hearing has not only become a […]

Guest Columnist

Posted on 07.23.13

A New “Look” at Traditional Advertising

Jessica Stober is a junior at Elon University and a social media intern at Eckel & Vaughan. “Technology these days.” How often do you find yourself mumbling those words at new gadgets and innovations? Well, here’s one that will really make your jaw drop. The next time you look at a billboard, don’t be surprised […]