Now THAT’S a Good Billboard

by New Boston on May 3, 2013

I’ve had occasion to drive to Salina a lot recently — six times in the past couple of months — and it’s made me more familiar with a stretch of road that I hadn’t traveled much. It’s also made me more familiar with the ice-creamy goodness that is Braum’s. But I digress…

A New Look is Not a Magic Band-Aid: How American Airlines Went Terribly Wrong

by New Boston on January 25, 2013

Every organization — from businesses to nonprofits to communities — has a story that is being told about it. To a degree, you can be in control of your story — that’s why companies like ours exist. But sometimes, a company will try to take control of its story, and end up making...

'Tis the Season To Shop Local

by New Boston on December 11, 2012

Christmas is exactly two weeks away! For those of you who already have your presents wrapped and sitting under the tree, this blog post may be a little late for you. But if you are like me, and you still have some (OK, most) of your holiday shopping to do, I’d like to offer up...

Gnome Pants

by Lisa Sisley on December 3, 2012

Sometimes I’m asked what kind of incentive programs we have for employees. Really, we have just one: the pants. A pair of XXL Old Navy pajama pants, drawstring waist, printed with tiny gnomes all over. Gnomes have been a thing here since our early days. About six years ago, my...

The Anarchy Logo: A Lesson in Branding

by New Boston on September 10, 2012

Sometimes the Purple Cow Hurts

by Lisa Sisley on August 3, 2012

Seth Godin, marketing guru, coined the term “Purple Cow” to explain the notion that in marketing, you have to find some way to stand out from the herd. A purple cow would be distinct from all the brown cows. We apply this to community marketing projects by helping cities think...

How to Blog: Tips & Tricks to Make Blogging Simple

by New Boston on June 26, 2012

Recently, a client asked us for tips on how to start a blog. Coming up with fresh ideas and writing a blog that appeals to your audience can seem like a daunting task, but really, blogging is just another way to communicate and make yourself likeable (and valuable) to current...

Explore, Experience and Enjoy: The Importance of Distinct City Taglines

by Kristin Brighton on June 12, 2012

Whenever we work with a city, we are always on the hunt for what Seth Godin calls the Purple Cow. Our job as marketing strategists is to help clients figure out what makes them distinct from the pack. And it isn’t always easy. Many Midwestern towns share many similar assets. As...

A Little More Conversation

by New Boston on June 7, 2012

A month ago, Jami and I traveled to Salina to meet with a group of high school seniors to find out where they get their information about colleges and how they make a decision on which to attend. This was part of our research for a small college looking to expand their...

Does Your State Suffer from an Inferiority Complex?

by Kristin Brighton on June 5, 2012

To date, most of the work we’ve done at New Boston has been done in Kansas. We’ve conducted focus groups with people living in cities all across this vast state, and those hundreds of conversations have led us to two conclusions: