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Spring is (finally) in the air, and wedding season isn’t far behind. Whether you’re getting hitched or attending the nuptials, why not think outside the box when it comes to gifting? From party favors to engagement presents to wedding-night revelry, Bluecoat American Dry Gin is the perfect spirit to complement the big day.

As the original American Dry Gin, Bluecoat is in a class by itself. All gins begin with juniper berries and Bluecoat is no exception. However, Bluecoat exclusively uses organic juniper berries, which transmit spicy, earthy notes, as opposed to the pungent pine-tree flavors of regular berries. A premium blend of organic American citrus peels and spices complements the rich juniper notes, giving Bluecoat its classic citrusy finish.

“From your signature cocktail to the perfect bridal party gift, Bluecoat Gin makes a great addition to your special event,” says Andrew Auwerda, Founder of Philadelphia Distilling.

The fragrant botanicals in Bluecoat are a natural fit for spring soirees – a sparkling Bluecoat lemonade will enliven any bridal shower, while a cucumber Bluecoat punch adds buzz to a baby shower. Whether served neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail, Bluecoat’s versatility gives it universal appeal.

Distilled in a custom, hand-hammered copper pot still, Bluecoat American Dry Gin represents the pinnacle of artisanal craft spirits. Bluecoat is available in its classic 750 mL bottle or 50mL minis; give the happy couple their something blue or a small token of appreciation to your family and friends.

No matter what industry your business is in, you’re bound to have competition and that can make it challenging to reach everyone in your target audience. But while your efforts to attract consumers may be praise-worthy and even somewhat effective, the people that you reach could still be attached to your competitor. In order to successfully gain a bigger customer base, you’ll need to compare your respective marketing strategies and take note of the differences. By keeping an eye on your competitors, you may be able to learn what it takes to rise above them.

You can learn both good and bad marketing tactics from your competitors, and possibly save your company the time and money that it might have lost in acquiring this knowledge through its own trial and error. What is working for them? What isn’t working for them?

Every industry has different strategies that work, and if your competition is doing something differently than you and is successful at it, perhaps you can emulate it. For instance, if your competitor is effectively using print advertisements to raise awareness of their brand, it could be a good idea to utilize the same advertising medium. Combine the research you do with some common sense, however. If there’s a reason that a particular plan of action is unlikely to work for you the same way as it did a competitor, it might not be worth the risk.

Another way you can benefit from keeping a close eye on your competitors is by checking out the things they are doing wrong or the things that aren’t working. If you can avoid their marketing mistakes, your brand will benefit because you will not be financially invested in those particular tactics. This also gives you the chance to improve upon your competitor’s failing ideas – their concept may be good, but they might be delivering the message incorrectly. If your brand can devise a way to improve one of their ideas, it could work out in your favor, ultimately increasing your brand awareness and consumer base.

It never hurts to do some background research on your competitors and their tactics. This gives your business the potential to formulate new marketing ideas that could increase your brand exposure. For professional advice about your brand and how you can increase awareness, check out what Neff Associates has to offer! 

Marketing is a vital element of every business plan, as it gets the attention of your audience and positively affects your bottom line. But there are several ways to market your business, which can involve some traditional marketing mediums like print, radio, and TV advertisements, but are increasingly leaning towards online marketing.

In the beginning, a business’ online presence was almost solely focused on running the website, but with the emergence of social networks, it has become much more than that. Consumers love connecting through social media – here are a few reasons your business needs to take advantage of those benefits.

1. Cost-Effective

Every business owner knows that marketing costs money – after all, you have to spend money to make money, right? However, that statement is only relatively true when it comes to social media since creating profiles on social networks is free. This makes social media a very cost-effective marketing strategy. On the other hand, it will cost your business money NOT to have social media profiles, as you can bet the competition has them! Don’t let your competitors scoop up your potential consumers because you haven’t caught up with the times.

2. Engage with Your Audience

Imagine that you just met your favorite celebrity and they actually shook your hand! It’s almost like a dream come true and that engagement was nothing short of amazing. Well, in a marketing sense, your business can essentially be that “favorite celebrity” on social media channels by engaging and connecting with your audience. Whether it’s through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social medium, engaging with your audience is key to creating that personal interaction that your consumers desire. This makes it important to update constantly and post relevant, exciting information linking back to your business.

3. Sharing is Caring

Any time that your business posts to social media, the content can be liked, shared, retweeted and favorited, opening the door for more brand exposure. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, adult Facebook users have an average of 338 friends. If one Facebook user shares something from your page, there is a good chance that their friends will see it. The potential for brand awareness and exposure is monumental, just on Facebook alone. This is when you revisit the point above and really focus on creating engaging posts.

Social media can drastically improve your business with the use of effective marketing strategies. Not only are the benefits nearly endless, but the costs are very low. Take full advantage of everything social media has to offer by getting expert help.

America’s favorite gin and America’s favorite steak house are teaming up for one exceptional evening – the Bluecoat Gin Pairing Dinner, which will be held on Wednesday, April 29^th, 2015 at 6:30pm at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House. Del Frisco’s Executive Chef John Stritzinger and Philadelphia Distilling’s Portfolio Manager & Beverage Development Specialist Chris Chamberlain are joining together to design a delicious five-course pairing menu. Each dish has been developed by Chef Stritzinger to pair with a specialty cocktail created by Chamberlain, featuring either Bluecoat American Dry Gin or, Philadelphia Distilling’s limited release of their newest spirit, Bluecoat Barrel Finished Gin.

Guests will enjoy a variety of cocktails such as the Clover Club (a cocktail with a rich Philadelphia history) and Chamberlain’s unique take on traditional drinks, like the Negroni and the Old Fashioned. They will also have the chance to meet the distillers of Bluecoat Gin, special guests Aaron Seyla and Bill Tambussi, who will attend the dinner and provide a behind-the-scenes look into the distillation process of this craft spirit.

“This is an exciting opportunity to allow patrons to explore flavor combinations they may never have examined before,” says Chamberlain, “all while showcasing the wonderful botanicals found within the Bluecoat family of gin.”

Pairing dinner attendees can also look forward to a selection of stellar dishes, such as Coffee Cured Duck and Mini Beef Wellington hors d’oeuvres and a Sea Bass with Roasted Sweet Potato Hash and Vanilla Beurre Blanc for the fish course. Of course, no Del Frisco’s meal would be complete without a delicious steak! For the meat course, Chef Stritzinger is serving his famous Grilled Ribeye with Roasted Red Pepper, Red Bliss Potatoes and Corn on the Cob to pair up with a “New Old Fashioned,” which is composed of Brown Butter-Washed Bluecoat Barrel Finished Gin and Fire Roasted Corn Syrup.

“The flavors in every food course are designed to bring out the best of each cocktail and vice versa,” says Executive Chef Stritzinger. “I am so excited to work with this great local brand to develop a truly unique dining experience for our guests.”

There is limited seating for this special dining event, which is $125 per person. Call 215-246-0533 or email Sales and Event Planner Jessica Kiefer at jkiefer@dfrg.com to reserve a spot today.

When it comes to marketing, there are numerous strategies for boosting brand awareness. Infographics have become a popular addition to many marketing campaigns. Infographics are relatively new to the marketing world, having first emerged in 2009 and since taken off, but their popularity has greatly affected the way advertising strategies work. Infographics (or information graphics) are exactly what they sound like: graphics with information, and they are meant to give viewers a way to easily digest complex information. They have also given marketers a way to break up content-rich posts with a visually attractive element that catches the eyes of viewers.

Without a doubt, people are visually oriented and infographics satisfy viewers’ hunger for quick information. With their fun and engaging qualities, infographics have the power to boost a marketing strategy with more traffic and audience reach. According to a study by Bit Rebels that compared an infographic to a traditional post with text and images, the infographic is more effective than the regular post by far. The findings revealed the following:

• Users retweeted the infographic 578 times, compared to 62 for the traditional post
• The infographic was shared 51 times on LinkedIn, compared to 7 times for the traditional post
• The infographic had 330 page views on StumbleUpon compared to 39 page views for the other post

These numbers draw a clear line between infographics and traditional posts, just on a social media level. Viewers are more inclined to share brand posts if they’re presented in a visually appealing way, and marketers can take advantage of this trend. Clearly, visualized data is more effective, but why does it work so well?

As time goes on, people seem to have shorter and shorter attention spans, which may stem from our constant desire for engagement. With more and more claims on people’s time and attention, is it any wonder that short, clear, and simple infographics are a hit? Sifting through large chunks of text just takes longer. A captivating and informative image can convey the main points of an article without a lot of time or effort expended, which will definitely help attract viewers. And when living in a society in which everyone is constantly exposed to tons of information on their phones, computers and tablets, marketers will need a way to stand out.

Infographics provide the perfect method for boosting your marketing strategy. People simply absorb information much more quickly in a visual manner than they do when reading a large amount of text. So, the next time you want to circulate information about your brand, try an infographic!

Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop is pleased to announce that their highly anticipated opening of the second location is set opened on Wednesday, April 1st. Located at 1 West Girard Avenue in Fishtown (the former New Acropolis diner) at the corner of Frankford and Girard Avenues, this long awaited opening comes on the exact date of the second anniversary of the restaurant’s rebrand from Chink’s Steaks. The beautiful 1,700 square-foot space boasts modern fixtures and furniture in Joe’s colors but keeps the vintage soda shop style intact. The restaurant seats up to 100 people (70 indoor, 30 outdoor), where guests can be served table side or sit at the countertop.

The new location has added over 40 new jobs to the area and Patrick Groh, Regional Manager and son of Owner Joe Groh (along with longtime General Manager Stefani Mahoney), has taken the reigns from his father for this location.

“Fishtown is a great fit for us and we are so happy to be part of such a wonderful community,” says Patrick Groh, Regional Manager of Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop. “We want people to know that although this is a new location, our cheesesteaks and quality will remain the same.”

Along with the new location comes several exciting vegan and vegetarian menu additions, including a Vegan Cheesesteak, $11, which is made with Vegadelphia “steak,” topped with mushrooms, fried onions and vegan “mozzarella” cheese and is served on a vegan Baker Street roll. Hand Cut Fries, $6.75, made with the skin on with Russet potatoes, have also been added, along with a Black Bean Burger, $6.00, that is hand-crafted and made with oats, veggies, a variety of spices and topped with spicy guacamole and served on either a vegan Baker Street bun or a Sweet Christine’s gluten-free bun. Other new menu items include an specialty pickle and pepper bar, extended milkshake program and a weekly Grilled Cheese Sandwich special, $5.00 that will change each Thursday and is served on Texas Toast and grilled to perfection.

The Fishtown store will have extended weekend hours to cater to the area’s late-night crowd, closing at 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The original location on Torresdale Avenue, which has been cooking cheesesteaks to order and handcrafting sodas, milkshakes and egg creams since 1949, will remain open with Owner Joe Groh at the helm.

Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop has been consistently revered as one of Philadelphia’s top cheesesteaks by the likes of Craig LaBan (in 2002), Philadelphia Magazine, City Paper, and more. Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop is also the only cheesesteak restaurant ranked in YELP’s top ten Philadelphia restaurants, sandwiched right between Morimoto and Amada.

Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop at 1 West Girard Avenue is open for 7 days a week, from 11am – 10pm Sunday – Wednesday and from 10am – 3am Thursday – Saturday. In addition to their cheesesteak menu Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop also proudly serves burgers, hot dogs, hot sausage sandwiches, specialty and traditional milkshakes, sundaes, floats, egg creams and house-made soda’s.

For more information please visit www.joessteaks.com , call their new location at 215-423-JOES or follow them!

Cook For Your Life (CFYL), a New York City-based non-profit organization that teaches healthy cooking to people touched by cancer, is launching their first outpost at Philadelphia’s AstraZeneca Hope Lodge. The program is run by founder Ann Ogden and will be facilitated by Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management. The unique partnership will expand the program from its base.

Two-time cancer survivor Ann Ogden founded CFYL in 2007. After going through her own cancer treatments, Ogden realized the impact cooking healthy food could have on both alleviating side effects and promoting a healthy survivorship from cancer. It became her mission to turn dietary advice from doctors and dieticians into practical recipes that would empower patients, caregivers, and survivors to eat better and cook their way through treatment and into survivorship.

Cook For Your Life began in New York City by offering free healthy cooking classes in conjunction with the cancer centers of local hospitals. In 2009, with generous support from private donors, and in collaboration with the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge NYC, Ogden was able to expand the program to offer regular free monthly classes open to patients, survivors and caretakers dealing with all types of cancers. CFYL has also collaborated in NIH/NCI funded research projects and Ogden is a peer reviewed and published co-author on several papers resulting from this work. CFYL now has hundreds of recipes and a website that serves as a platform for free education and ongoing support.

Jonathan Deutsch, Ph.D., professor and director of Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality & Sport Management, is a former board member of CFYL. Deutsch learned firsthand the importance of nutrition through treatment when his father was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. Now a pillar of the Philadelphia food scene, Deutsch was inspired to bring CFYL to Philadelphia.

Deutsch recognized that Philadelphia is the ideal place to expand the program: it’s the east coast’s healthcare epicenter, and home to countless top chefs and a burgeoning food scene, while the Drexel Food Lab, part of his nationally acclaimed program, is at his fingertips. The Drexel Food Lab is an interdisciplinary research group that aims to solve real-world problems in the areas of recipe development, product development and product ideation. He has commissioned the lab to lead CFYL in its Philadelphia edition; professors and students are at the helm of the program, having developed over 100 new recipes for use.

Deutsch also recognized the perfect leader for the new chapter: Ana Caballero, a cook at Philadelphia’s a.kitchen an adjunct professor at Drexel will be the Chef Instructor for CFYL. At the age of 24, Caballero was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Drexel students in the food lab are working with Caballero on developing recipes and teaching the classes. Ally Zeitz, a senior at Drexel and food lab manager, is working alongside her classmate Heather Krick, a junior majoring in nutrition. If the program is successful, it can continuously be passed down to other students in culinary arts. The value of this partnership is symbiotic – endless students mean limitless potential for the program, while CFYL offers students real world experience.

On March 19^th, Cook For Your Life kicks off at the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge. Caballero, Zeitz and Krick will lead 10-12 patients and caregivers in a three-course cooking class – the menu may include Herbed Ricotta Cornbread, Napa Cabbage Salad, Vegetarian Chili and Chocolate-Tofu Pudding – followed by a community-wide dinner open to all Hope Lodge guests.

The classes will continue once a month for a year, in addition to quarterly community dinners. Organizers hope this is the first of many CFYL outposts across the country – with additional support, the program can flourish in all 50 Hope Lodge locations. For more information on the program, please visit http://hsm.drexel.edu/du/foodlab/cook-for-your-life-classes-at-hope-lodge/.

#CookForYourLife #CFYL #Drexel #Healthycooking #Cancer #Cooking #NeffKnows

Is the press release still a relevant way to distribute news? In today’s digital age it may not seem as though the longstanding press release retains much value. However, the truth is that the press release remains as vital and integral to successful public relations as ever. Press releases have the power to attract the right attention, create buzz about your business, and drive traffic to your store or website. While quality writing is undoubtedly an essential component of an effective press release, as it is with all web content, there are other factors that can ensure your press release is truly powerful.

A recent study from pr.co, one of the web’s press release powerhouses, has evaluated over 50,000 press releases to learn more about what makes some press releases more effective than others. Here’s what they found:

The day of the week a press release is distributed can impact the amount of views it receives. While most press releases are published on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s on Wednesday that releases receive the most views from media sources. However, publishing a release late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning also means you’re competing with a lot of other releases that are fighting for a top spot in a recipient’s inbox. Conversely, less than 20 percent of press releases are published on the weekend, which creates an opportune time to snag the attention of the journalist prepping for next week’s stories.

The more media contacts that receive a press release the better, right? Not exactly. It’s been found that the shorter a distribution list, the more likely recipients are to actually open the email. For example, when a distribution list is comprised of just two recipients, there’s a 51 percent chance that they’ll open the email. Yet when a distribution list includes over 1,000 recipients, there’s only a 16 percent chance the email is opened. What accounts for the disparity? Chances are that a large distribution list covers a broad range of recipients, including many who are probably not very relevant to the topic of your release. However, smaller lists are usually a reflection of a public relations company that’s taken the time to ensure the release could really be of interest to its recipients.

In fact, the negative correlation that exists between open rates and the size of a distribution list can be attributed to this type of press release customization. Customized press releases, which contain a personal message and are delivered to the appropriate media contacts, are far more effective than releases that are distributed to a mass audience that may find the content irrelevant. Mass distributions usually also result in a barrage of automatic responses stating recipients’ contact information is outdated, or that they’ve moved on from their place of employment. Customized distributions are therefore both cost effective and better at yielding inquiries, and can also lead to the formation of some valuable working relationships with journalists.

So if your business is seeking marketing companies in Philadelphia that can make your press release more powerful, know that at Neff Associates, we have the insight and experience to meet your expectations.

It’s time to gear up because Cupid has his arrows ready and he’s aiming them at all of you lovebirds. If you’re still undecided on what to do for your significant other on Valentines Day, look no further than these romantic fun options from our clients here at Neff!

Rex 1516: The perfect date night spot for any occasion will be featuring a special Valentine’s Day menu. Kick off your meal with some delicious Roasted Parsnip Soup ($7) followed by the Cornmeal Dusted Catfish ($19). Wrap it up with a Spiced Chocolate Panna Cotta ($9) and wash it down with a glass of Jack Rose ($9). Reservations are filling up fast so don’t hesitate too long! For more information, please visit www.rex1516.com.

Jet Wine Bar: Have the perfect night out with that special someone at Jet where they will be offering brie baked en croute stuffed with raspberry jam and 1/2 bottle of Paul Clouet grower champagne for only $67. For more information, please visit www.jetwinebar.com

Café Ynez: Head over to everyone’s favorite Mexican BYOB spot to enjoy a 3-course meal for only $30! Bring your favorite tequila and match it with their fresh juice cocktail to make a delicious margarita (or two). You have a choice of soup, salads and of course tacos before giving into your sweet tooth for a slice of chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream.  For more information, please visit www.cafeynez.com.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse: Philadelphia’s premiere steakhouse will be hosting a $79 steak and lobster dinner Thursday, February 12th through Sunday, February 15^th. They will also be opening at 3pm on Saturday and Sunday with a free champagne toast or VIP martini. For more information, please visit delfriscos.com/philadelphia.

The Gaslight: Get yourself out of the cold and into a warmer weather by visiting The Gaslight for their ‘Everyone gets lei’d luau’ on Saturday, February 14^th after happy hour and their 3-course tasting menu: http://www.thegaslightphilly.com/three-course-tasting-menu in the restaurant. This party is set to start at 11pm and will feature a DJ and drinks such as:

• “What a Floozie” a frozen pineapple puree cocktail served with coconut, lime, orange curaçao and spiced rum. ($12) or ($25) if you want it in a pineapple (which is 2.5 drinks in one)
• “Punch Drunk Punch” is mixed with tequila, lemon grass syrup, champagne and blue curaçao ($9)
• “Coconut Bikini Killer” has two-tone jello shots with coconut, ginger and hibiscus vodka ($2)

For more information, please visit http://www.thegaslightphilly.com/. Hawaiian Aloha shirts and grass skirts are encouraged!

Sullivan’s Steakhouse King of Prussia: Guests at Sullivan’s Steakhouse of King of Prussia are in for a sexy evening with the upcoming Tempt Your Senses Aphrodisiac Dinner. For just $69 per person, start your date off with a three-course decadent dinner prepared by Executive Chef Jim Wolf. Enhance your experience by enjoying the entire meal blindfolded. A love expert will be on hand to teach patrons about romance, food in the dining room and beyond. This special menu is offered through February 17th, making this the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. For more information, please visit http://sullivanssteakhouse.com/king-of-prussia.

Fall in the love with food this Valentine’s Day and find the perfect fit for you and that special someone from some of the top-notch restaurants in Philly!