We’re proud to announce the new Town & Country Markets and Central Market web sites. Thanks to Becky, Susan, and the entire Town & Country Markets team for your amazing partnership throughout the development process. It continues to be a privilege to work together!

In the world of similes and metaphors, a mixed metaphor is a combination of images that do not work well together. “The fullback was a locomotive, running up and down the field like a ninja.” Only Ali could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee; this football locomotive can’t move like a ninja! In today’s rich world of marketing channels, mixing traditional advertising mediums inside new digital ones is like the metaphor above, it doesn’t work very well. The weekly print ad has an important role to play in the overall marketing and communications plan. But its effectiveness and influence has decreased with the advent of new digital marketing channels. In the last three quarters of 2009 mobile and internet advertising grew by 18.1% and 9.2% respectively, and older media advertising saw declines: −10.1% (TV), −11.7% (radio), −14.8% (magazines) and −18.7% (newspapers). And most certainly these trends will continue. Newspaper print ads do not translate well in websites or mobile devices. Desktop websites do not translate well in mobile devices. Print pdf’s are not user friendly on websites nor are desktop websites user friendly with the mobile experience. So why then do so many supermarkets present their weekly [...]

What is Pinterest?
An online “pinboard” that lets you collect photos of ideas you like. Right now, the demographics are heavily weighted towards adult women

We recently received the Dorothy Lane Market Vendor Honor Roll award. It is a tremendous honor to be acknowledged by one of America’s premier retailers. Since 1991 Dorothy Lane Market has presented the DLM Vendor Honor Roll award to recognize outstanding vendors for their excellent service. Dorothy Lane Market is a Firm of Endearment, a stakeholder brand who honors and serves all of its primary stakeholder groups. Stakeholder groups include customers, employees, vendors, partners, communities, the environment and shareholders. Stakeholder brands align the interest of all in such a way that no stakeholder group gains at the expense of other stakeholder groups. According to Firms of Endearment* authors, Raji Sisodia, Jag Sheth and David B. Wolfe, “In addition to aligning the interest of all stakeholders, stakeholder brands embrace a humanistic approach to business. A humanistic company is one that is run in such a way that its stakeholders develop an emotional connection with it. Humanistic companies are the ultimate value creators; they create promotional value, experiential value, social value, and of course financial value. There are many companies that are successful and admirable in many ways but lack a strong emotive dimension. We call this emotive dimension the soul of [...]

DW Green Company was honored to receive the Dorothy Lane Market 2011 Vendor Honor Roll award. In 1991 Dorothy Lane Market instituted the DLM Vendor Honor Roll award in order to recognize outstanding vendors for their excellent service. We are deeply humbled to be acknowledged by one of the finest supermarket companies, and businesses in the United States. Norman and Calvin Mayne and their entire organization embody the highest standards of integrity, commitment, humility and love. We are grateful and blessed to be apart of their vendor community. Thank you Dorothy Lane Market.

Supermarkets have been losing center-store sales for more than a decade, and the trend is only accelerating. Aside from the usual suspects (big box stores, limited assortment and other uniquely differentiated retailers) center-store sales are going to just about every brick and mortar retailer and online powerhouse. Fact is consumers have a plethora of purchasing choices and shop multiple venues every week. This isn’t a news flash! Why then, do so many food retailers continue to lament about lost center-stores sales and their inability to get customers down the grocery aisles? I say, “Get over it. Accept it.” Because every dollar you invest in chasing phantom center-stores sales is one less dollar you can spend in areas where you can gain a competitive advantage. How much more produce, or meat, or seafood or bakery or deli business can you do? If you don’t have 40% market share in those departments you can do better. Or how can you improve your merchandising, your customer service or your customer experience? What more can you do to support your community? What are you doing with social media and other interactive technologies? What percent of resources do you allocate to those possibilities? What is [...]

We are looking for an experienced designer to join our talented interactive team. The interactive designer creates awesome user experiences through websites, email marketing, digital signage and mobile apps. The ideal candidate must be able to work effectively with executives, project managers and directors on a strategic level as well as thrive in a highly collaborative and fast-paced work environment. Candidate Requirements: • Stunning portfolio of previous interactive design work • Strong understanding of user experience, UI design and brand aesthetics • Experience with front end development (XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, SEO best practices) • Experience working with Adobe Creative Suite (Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Illustrator) • Self starter that’s directly responsible for maintaining project scope, timelines and QA in a deadline-driven environment • Excellent written and spoken communication skills Candidate Extras: • 1-3 years of agency or related experience • Mobile web or mobile app design experience • Keeps current with emerging web technologies and services • Social media marketing experience So What’s Our Story? We love food and have become an innovator in the industry over the last 20 years. We create unique brand positions that let anyone compete against the biggest competitors. What do we offer? Competitive salary based on [...]

Effecting change within an organization is a difficult proposition. And effecting change from outside an organization is even more challenging. Consequently, our central management challenge is to assemble, integrate and retain talented people who can stay at the forefront of new paradigms and techniques that affect our clients’ business. Our most sought-after employee must have tremendous skill at effecting change within client organizations, because what is in short supply, is the ability to effect change, to get things implemented, to make things happen. That’s the value provided by our company. We know that the proof of our value is found in results. Deeply rooted in our culture is the sense that if the client does well, I’ve done well and we’ve all done well. We accept responsibility for achieving results. We will, if necessary, put our selves at risk to further our client’s success; because the worst failure for our company isn’t to loose money; it is to lose a client.

Last Wednesday was my 13th anniversary with DW Green Company—I started working here as a Graphic Designer on December 14, 1998.  Since everyone is already reflecting on the passing of time as we near the year’s end, here are some lessons from my time here. 1. Companies—and people—can change. Real change doesn’t happen often; in fact we sometimes hit a brick wall trying to help a client reinvent. I’ve seen it though, in our company and others: intentional transformation. And it really is something to behold. 2. Brand is the most muddled word in all of business. It would be nice to coin a new word to describe that sub-rational stew of meanings and associations, but at this point I’m thinking it will never happen. 3. Great organizational cultures keep great employees. (They also drive some employees to leave, and that’s not a bad thing either.) 4. Culture is about the little things, and it comes from paying attention to what is true but unsaid in the organization. 5. Companies that stay focused and disciplined in booming times will maintain their momentum through lean times. 6. Business relationships are the foundation of sustainability. Advertising is a fickle industry that sees [...]