The Briefcase | Sutherland Weston

The DECD (Department of Economic and Community Development) here in Maine has published a report on the total sales of the state. And things are, on the whole, looking up. Several sectors are overperforming, and job growth was on pace with the national average. But if you look around and ask someone what's happening... it won't reflect as such. On this episode of  The Briefcase , Elizabeth Sutherl...

Returning from the Maine Insights Lab with fresh new ideas is Elizabeth Sutherland, CEO of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications. On this episode of The Briefcase , she talks about how Maine-based businesses view their Maine-based audiences. There's a tendency to view your audience as one large group, with a single view and a single mind. But in truth, each business has an audience, and each...

SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization". AIO stands for "Artificial Intelligence Optimization". So, what does "GEO" stand for? On this episode of The Briefcase , Makalia Hickey, Sutherland Weston's Digital Content Strategist, explains the changing world of searches, and how to ensure that you're not left behind in the great GEO race.  What You'll Learn GEO increases your chances of your busine...

" How many times have you sent   a message and it wasn't received the way you intended?"  There are intricate nuances to the way we speak beyond the words we use. Punctuation and prose carry different intonation to each and every reader, and this means that communication breakdowns are not as uncommon as you'd hope. On this episode of The Briefcase , Ric Tyler brings in Dan Cashman, Public Relatio...

Makalia Hickey, Sutherland Weston's Digital Content Strategist, returns from a trip overseas with an insight into the state of AI in London... Where is it? On this episode of The Briefcase, Makalia walks us through the differences in how AI is being used across the pond and the surprising way it might just work over here, compared to AI over there. What You'll Learn Whereas in the US AI is being h...

After 25 years of searching, Google is changing gears from giving customers a search engine to giving customers an AI, instead. While for Google it sounds enticing, and for consumers it might sound intriguing, for businesses, big and small, this is ringing alarm bells. In one fell swoop, everything is going to change, and Ian Buck, Sutherland Weston's Podcast and Content Production Coordinator, is...

We crave stability, but we live in a world of change. And when that change comes, it's those who can adapt to it who weather it. On this episode of The Briefcase , Ric Tyler tells the tales of retail, the future of film, and a mill in Millinocket- and how the balancing act of business teeters from one side to the other.   What You'll Learn Even the biggest businesses are subject to changing landsc...

Sometimes numbers will go up, and sometimes numbers will go down. Through these valleys, the slow movement might suggest your business is going through a rough patch— but take a close look at what you have, and realize what opportunities present themselves. On this episode of The Briefcase , Ric Tyler shares a little miracle from The County, and a lesson on how the customer matters more than the n...

Pine trees, town names, accent, deep history– a lot of things can be implied by a simple location. And according to the data, people respond to it as well. On this episode of The Briefcase , Ric Tyler discusses the image, the advantages, and the responsibility that comes with the phrase "Made in Maine". What You'll Learn According to a 2024 survey, 60% of Mainers think Maine-made products are supe...

Once you put words out into the world, they are no longer your own. They can be interpreted, reviewed, reemphasized, and altered in any way that the medium allows. On this episode of The Briefcase, Ric Tyler talks about one of the more notable examples: a total recall of branded pencils in 1998. What could have gone wrong with a simple printed pencil to warrant an entire recall? Well, a lot of bad...

Sutherland Weston asked around and collected the cold, hard numbers, and what they found was concerning. In a published mini-report, they found that Mainers love to live here, but they don't think they can make a living. There is a disparity between perspectives, and on this episode of  The Briefcase, CEO of Sutherland Weston, Elizabeth Sutherland, is here to break down the data and explain the ga...

Ric Tyler reads the writing on the wall in this episode of The Briefcase : letters are costly, and the shorter a message the clearer it is for customers to read. What You'll Learn In  Wheel Of Fortune and real life, each letter has a cost. Optimizing your signs will optimize your spacing and your spending. A shorter sign is easier to read, especially for a busy customer. If you respect the passerb...

Sometimes, when you look at it the wrong way, you can mistake April showers for a blizzard. Even when it seems dire, sometimes you must stick it out to reach the other side. On this episode of The Briefcase , Ian Buck, Sutherland Weston's Podcast and Content Production Coordinator, recounts the time a cynical viewpoint was proven wrong, and a little farmstand stood firm through the storm.  What Yo...

This season. . . The most terrifying movie you've ever seen. . . The only thing scarier than losing your appliances. . . Is what they'll do to sell. you. another. It's not coming to a theatre near you, but you'll see it at some point, sure enough. Ads are everywhere in this day and age, and unfortunately, it's no secret that the big guns at the top have their ways to target their ads to you. So wh...

When a business is working on something big, the first instinct might be to paper up the windows and say, "Check back soon!" A good mystery won't hurt anyone, but sometimes the best way to build buzz around your brand is by letting people see exactly what you're doing. On this episode of The Briefcase , Ric Tyler weaves the fable of a restaurant opening in town, and how their open windows and clea...

Because of the rise of AI assistants and agents in the workforce, you might be seeing a few patterns in the advertisements, blog posts, and announcements you see put out by businesses. It starts as a gut feeling, shifting into creeping suspicion, until the realization of what you're reading inevitably grabs you:  that's not man, that's machine!  On this episode of  The Briefcase , Ric Tyler shares...

Nobody knows your brand like you do, and sometimes that can look like a problem. It's easy to grow weary of the logos and slogans that you use, but it's a matter of perspective. There's more merit to the brand you've built than you might see. On this episode of The Briefcase , Ric Tyler urges us to hold on to our heritage: it means more to others than we realize. What You'll Learn About the same t...

A very happy Valentine's Day from... what's that? Is it not Valentine's Day anymore? It probably wouldn't be, of course, so why start out your commercial by saying when you made it? On this episode of The Briefcase , Ric Tyler walks us through the dangers of dating your work and how to save time in the long run by shirking the time now. What You'll Learn Dating your commercial wastes precious seco...

Back when the sun first rose over the World Wide Web, companies all over began to dip their toes into the concept of websites. On radio spots and television ads, everyone was asking you to visit them online… but that has largely fallen to the wayside, even as the internet itself has become the main avenue for information. On this episode of The Briefcase , Ric Tyler explains how the general public...

Taylor Swift knows it. Pink Floyd knows it. And so does Alton Buzzell, Director of Marketing at Hollywood Casino Bangor. On this special episode of The Briefcase, success can come through many avenues, but if you want to be successful, you have to be fearless. What You'll Learn Every great idea starts as someone else's bad idea. Trying out new ideas is the only way to grow your business! Don't fea...

The measure of a business is measurable results— and how you measure those is half the battle. On this episode of  The Briefcase, Alton Buzzell, Director of Marketing at Hollywood Casino Bangor, talks to Ric about some cold, hard numbers—and how to use them correctly. If you're not operating with good, clean numbers, you won't know where you're going, but when you're working with good data, your m...

February is the best time of the year for Sutherland Weston's Podcast & Content Production Coordinator, Ian Buck. But not because of the big game: he's tuning in for the ads! Every year, companies put out their best ads for the time slots where they know everyone will be watching. Some take big swings, some play it safe. Some reach the stars, and some fall on their face. On this episode of Sutherl...

This episode of  The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Kristen Oliver, former Senior Account Manager at Sutherland Weston, who shares the story that changed how the United Way of Eastern Maine operated forever. It isn't about asking someone what to do, it isn't about telling someone what to do: it's about inspiring them. (So, you can dance if you want to!) What You'll Learn Humans look to conne...

This episode of  The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Jessica Ward, Vice President of Philanthropy of Heart of Maine United Way, former Senior Account Manager of Sutherland Weston, and former teacher, who walks us through the thread of all the jobs she's held: relationships. Relationships are the pillar that upholds not only a business, but a person themselves: Jess understands this well, and...

This episode of The Briefcase brings in a special guest, Jessica Ward, Vice President of Philanthropy of Heart of Maine United Way former Senior Account Manager of Sutherland Weston, to talk about their favorite project in their history of working in the field. Her story is one with a lesson, and it connects to both the past and the present of the industry: with clients and peers, trust the proces...