Custom Packaging, Eco-Friendly Binders and More

Another EBSCO company I blog for is Vulcan Information Packaging (VIP), whose site is binders.com. VIP specializes in B2B custom packaging and bulk supplies for marketing applications, business presentations and mass mailings. Here are a few recent posts I wrote:

• Cheeriodicals Care Packages Bring Smiles to Hospitalized Kids
• 5 Benefits of Running an Eco-Friendly Business
• Cost-Effective Products for Last-Minute Presentations

Featured in the first post is Cheeriodicals, a Birmingham-based company that delivers personalized gift boxes to hospital patients throughout the United States. VIP designed and produced these branded boxes, thousands of which have been been distributed to hospitalized children by way of corporate-sponsored team-building events. EBSCO as a company has always had a strong philanthropic streak and supports many local and national causes, so this dovetails quite neatly with the company's ethos. 

Siegel Says, "Display the Right Way!"

Siegel Display is a division of EBSCO Industries, a Birmingham-based company I worked for while living in Alabama. Siegel manufactures display products and storage solutions for offices, waiting rooms and trade shows. To drive traffic and promote SEO rankings, I wrote several posts for their blog, called Siegel Says. The most recent are here:

• 5 Space-Saving Solutions for Office Organization
• Drive the Right Attendees to Your Trade Show Booth
• Safely Transporting Your Trade Show Displays

Writing business articles was something a bit new for me, and it was also my job to offer the client a selection of images choose from to accompany each post. (Click images to enlarge)

The Town of Mt Laurel

A master-planned community in concert with nature, this Traditional Neighborhood Development was designed and built by EBSCO Industries, a Birmingham-based company I worked for while living in Alabama.

Beautifully crafted homes, naturalistic landscaping, front porches on every house, broad pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, myriad green spaces, and a walkable Town Center populated with specialty shops and independent restaurants were just a few of its selling points. As such, it won the distinction of being the area's only Southern Living Inspired Community and the location of Southern Living's 2016 Idea House, a luxury showhome opening this summer.

To promote the Town of Mt Laurel to prospective buyers, I wrote several blog posts. Here's one about sustainable living in Mt Laurel, based on an interview with the town's landscape architect. I also wrote a Q&A with the builder of the Southern Living Idea House and another spotlighting Mt Laurel's Gold Award-winning entry in the 2016 Parade of Homes.

Charmed, I'm Sure

At charming charlie, a fast-fashion jewelry retailer with nearly 300 stores nationwide, I managed a team of 3 writers and wrote marketing copy for all new collections, including the company's first-ever bridal collection. I also got to work on video scripts for online fashion tutorials hosted by the Editors of Lucky magazine as well as copy for our Moms' Night Out movie sweepstakes.

charming charlie Bridal Collection Banners

I created these product category banners for the launch of charming charlie's debut bridal collection, which was a resounding success and helped our team well exceed plan for the quarter. The line included traditional pieces in rhinestone, faux crystal and pearl as well as faux opal and a Something Blue collection.

TOMS Shoes ... Sunglasses, Apparel and More

Whilst working at TOMS Shoes, I wrote home page copy, the fall look book, newsletters about the company's giving efforts, store outreach materials and product descriptions for Marketplace, their new-at-the-time partnership with like-minded companies who donate proceeds of their sales to philanthropic causes around the globe. I also wrote translatable/idiomatic copy for international sites, as TOMS sells its products in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France and the Netherlands. (Click images to enlarge)

TOMS Shoes Emails and Subject Lines

Getting customers to open emails is half the battle! With that in mind, the team at TOMS Shoes put a premium on subject lines. Not only did they need to be as compelling and brief as possible, but subject line variations in some cases needed to address different markets (overseas), different offers and available styles.