Washington, DC, November 22, 2011 – Delucchi Plus, a strategic marketing communications firm and Blue Bug Digital, an innovative digital marketing firm, today announced that the companies are the agency of record for The Residences at W Atlanta – Downtown.  

Working in partnership with The Marketing Directors, an industry leader in marketing and sales solutions, Delucchi Plus and Blue Bug Digital recently launched a comprehensive communication campaign for The Residences at W Atlanta – Downtown. The campaign was designed to increase brand awareness in the market and reintroduce the property as the premier residential community in downtown Atlanta. The traditional communications strategies include a complete refresh of branded collateral materials, interior and exterior signage, property brochures, and print B2C and B2B advertising.  

Additionally, a fully integrated digital approach was leveraged to position The Residences at W Atlanta - Downtown in the online environment. Digital marketing elements include a refreshed website, online banner ads, social media marketing, multi-media and video production, pay-per-click advertising and search engine optimization.

“We are excited to be working together with The Marketing Directors to make The Residences at W Atlanta – Downtown synonymous with luxury living and to bring to life the experience that only a property of this caliber can deliver,” said Christine Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus and Blue Bug Digital. “We are confident that our collaboration, creative work, and integrated digital approach will create and sustain the sales results and marketing objectives that are desired for the property.”

About The Residences at W Atlanta – Downtown: The Residences at W Atlanta – Downtown feature true modern design one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, along with six highly-appointed penthouses. Pricing starts from $199,900 and average $490,000 for unfurnished residences. Each stylish residence offers floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies and the highest-quality Gaggenau® European fixtures and Alno® cabinetry. Residents enjoy all the amenities and services at W Atlanta - Downtown including WET® heated pool, Sweat Fitness® center, preferred pricing at Bliss® Spa, preferred reservations at the bistro/American steakhouse, BLT Steak® and other exclusive owner benefits. For more information, visit www.watlantaresidences.com or follow The Residences at W Atlanta – Downtown on Facebook and Twitter.

About The Marketing Directors: The Marketing Directors, LLC was founded in 2007 by David Tufts.  He and Adrienne Albert, Marketing Directors, Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer collaborated to create a team of the most highly experienced real estate professionals in the Southeast to service developers specializing in high density residential sales and repositioning marketing strategies. With over 30 years of experience, The Marketing Directors, LLC, represents real estate clients and developers throughout Atlanta; Houston; Daytona, Orlando, Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Huntsville, Ala.; Jackson, Miss., and Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.  The Southeast offices are headquartered in the Four Seasons Tower at 75 14th Street, Atlanta, Ga., and 121 South Orange Avenue, Suite 1500 in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.themarketingdirectorsinc.com or follow The Marketing Directors on Facebook.

About Delucchi+: Delucchi+ is a full-service strategic marketing communications firm that has over 20 years experience working with local, national, and international clients in real estate, travel and resort, retail, financial services, sustainability, health and wellness, and non-profit industries. Services include branding, advertising, new media, market research, and public relations. Follow Delucchi+ on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Blue Bug Digital: Blue Bug Digital is an Internet communications firm providing a broad range of digital public relations and Internet marketing services. Services include strategy, social marketing, Internet marketing, email marketing, digital public relations & reputation management, website design & development, emerging technologies, and reporting & analytics. Follow Blue Bug Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Washington, DC, October 28, 2011 – Christine Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus (www.delucchiplus.com), a strategic marketing communications firm, and Blue Bug Digital (www.bluebugdigital.com), an innovative digital marketing firm both located in Washington, DC, announces today that the agencies won several sales and marketing awards at the 2011 Great American Living Awards (GALA) Ceremony held Thursday, October 27, 2011 at the Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner, VA. Delucchi+ and Blue Bug Digital took honors in the following categories:

Winner:                         Overall Marketing Campaign: North Bethesda Market

Winner:                         Online Social Media Campaign: Miller & Smith

Winner:                         Best Website: Foundry Lofts

Award of Merit:              Best Website: Brambleton

Award of Merit:              Best Website: North Bethesda Market

Award of Merit:              Printed Brochure: North Bethesda Market

Award of Merit:             Overall Marketing Campaign: Foundry Lofts

“We are so grateful for our clients and congratulate them and our fellow winners on their achievements at this year’s GALA Awards,” remarks Christine L. Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi+ and Blue Bug Digital. “­We are thrilled with our wins and so thankful for our continued success.”

Presented by the Washington Metropolitan Sales & Marketing Council (WMSMC), the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA), and the Maryland National Capital Building Industry Association (MNCBIA), The Great American Living Awards (GALA) celebrates excellence in new home architecture, interior design and sales and marketing.  

About Delucchi+: Delucchi+ is a full-service strategic marketing communications firm that has over 20 years’ experience working with local, national, and international clients in real estate, travel and resort, retail, financial services, sustainability, health and wellness, and non-profit industries. Services include branding, advertising, new media, market research, and public relations. Follow Delucchi+ on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Blue Bug Digital: Blue Bug Digital is an internet communications firm providing a broad range of digital public relations and internet marketing services. Services include strategy, social marketing, internet marketing, email marketing, digital public relations & reputation management, website design & development, emerging technologies, and reporting & analytics. Follow Blue Bug Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Social media is all about engaging customers in the digital age.

Customers are no longer limited to their local stores; the entire Internet is at their fingertips. It’s extremely important to help customers find you, keep their attention when they do find you, and give them reasons to come back.

Google Doodle

This weekend, I spent almost 10 minutes playing with the new Google doodle! At first I couldn’t figure it out, so I used Google to actually figure out how to “play” with it! I was hooked, and unconsciously I am already waiting for their next one. Google has engaged me, and has given me a reason to come back.

Social platforms such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Foursquare – they all make it easier for customers to find you and get to your landing pages.

Keeping their attention and giving them reasons to come back – now, that’s the hard part. That’s our job.

My suggestion – Embrace new technology but don’t forget the basics. Figure out how to use the ever-changing set of social tools available to engage your customers. Facebook gets this; let’s take the new Facebook interface as an example…

Facebook has developed a new feature called Timeline (to be released in about two weeks). This new feature allows users to interact with their entire Facebook history as if it were an interactive scrapbook. Timeline divides Facebook pages into two columns where photos, comments, and updates display one’s own unique life story. In other words, Timeline allows users to scroll through each other’s entire lives on Facebook.

“It’s like a scrapbook, but it’s more comprehensive, it’s more organized, and you don’t have to spill out photos all over your living room floor,” said Chris Cox, VP of product management at Facebook.

This is a huge opportunity to tell the world your story especially for small businesses. This could help build a unique history with the customers and brand your organization with your fans as an important part of it.

It will give your customers the ability to see what has happened, not just what is happening.

Facebook pages are currently such a moving target – content posted one week is lost tomorrow… this almost forces you to generate new campaigns and new engagement techniques continuously.

“The way your profile works today, 99% of the stories you share vanish. The only way to find the posts that matter is to click “Older Posts” at the bottom of the page. Again. And again”, said Samuel W. Lessin, Product manager at Facebook.

Marketing teams can now spend time generating quality campaigns, which will engage your social customers for months not weeks or days. This will surely transform how companies engage digital marketing companies and increase expectations. Bring it on – we have been waiting for this! :)

Washington, DC, August 31, 2011 – Christine Delucchi, Owner, Blue Bug Digital (www.bluebugdigital.com), an innovative digital public relations and social-media marketing agency, located in Washington, DC, announces today the hiring of Caitlin Weems as Search Engine Marketing Manager.

In this role, Caitlin will oversee management and strategy of all aspects of search engine marketing to increase online visibility for Blue Bug Digital’s growing client base, through the use of search engine optimization, paid search, online media, and email marketing. Caitlin comes to Blue Bug Digital from TIG Global, a subsidiary of MICROS, Inc. where she managed multi-facetted online marketing campaigns for a large portfolio of hotel and resort clients, which included strategic paid search programs, digital media, and website content management. Caitlin graduated from Duke University, with a degree in Psychology and Markets and Management Studies.

 “We are pleased to welcome Caitlin to the Blue Bug Digital team,” remarks Christine L. Delucchi, Owner, Blue Bug Digital. “Her extensive experience and passion for the digital, online environment will be a fantastic asset to the firm as it continues to expand.”

About Blue Bug Digital: Blue Bug Digital is a digital communications firm providing a broad range of digital public relations and interactive marketing services. Services include strategy, social marketing, Internet marketing, email marketing, digital public relations & reputation management, website design & development, emerging technologies, and reporting & analytics. Follow Blue Bug Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Mike Leimback, Art Director, and Samantha DeMott, Production Artist, to provide artistic direction for both traditional and digital campaigns.

Washington, DC, August 26, 2011 – Christine Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus (www.delucchiplus.com), a strategic marketing communications firm, and Blue Bug Digital (www.bluebugdigital.com), an innovative digital public relations and social-media marketing agency, both located in Washington, DC, announces today the hiring of Mike Leimbach as Art Director and Samantha DeMott as Production Artist.

As Art Director, Mike Leimbach will oversee branding and creative concepts for current clients and new business development for both agencies. A branding expert, Mike adds personality and life to campaigns through creative concepts and brand strategies. Mike brings years of creative experience to the team including work for a variety of luxury real estate and retail clients such as Trillium Condominiums, Sport and Health Clubs and the popular Pentagon Row Shopping Center. Prior experience includes Art Director positions at both Williams Whittle Associates and The Bomstein Agency where he developed local print, radio, TV and web campaigns for clients including Ford’s Theater, the Washington Capitals and the Baltimore Orioles as well as a national campaign for HD Radio.

As Production Artist, Samantha DeMott will be responsible for designing and editing creative materials for both agencies. A self-professed social media junkie, Samantha brings a diverse creative background to the agencies.  Before joining the team Samantha held positions in New York City at Likeable Media, Milk Studios and Nielsen Business Media. A graduate from James Madison University, Samantha has her BFA in Graphic Design and Communications Studies.

 “We are thrilled to be expanding our creative team with two talented and unique artists,” remarks Christine L. Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus and Blue Bug Digital. “We are confident Mike and Samantha will add an inspired and imaginative perspective to the work and we welcome them as key members of our team.”

About Delucchi+: Delucchi+ is a full-service strategic marketing communications firm that has over 20 years’ experience working with local, national, and international clients in real estate, travel and resort, retail, financial services, sustainability, health and wellness, and non-profit industries. Services include branding, advertising, new media, market research, and public relations. Follow Delucchi+ on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Blue Bug Digital: Blue Bug Digital is a digital communications firm providing a broad range of digital public relations and interactive marketing services. Services include strategy, social marketing, internet marketing, email marketing, digital public relations & reputation management, website design & development, emerging technologies, and reporting & analytics. Follow Blue Bug Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Washington, DC, August 18, 2011 – Christine Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus (www.delucchiplus.com), a strategic marketing communications firm, and Blue Bug Digital (www.bluebugdigital.com), an innovative digital public relations and social-media marketing agency, both located in Washington, DC, announces today the hiring of Laura Rotondo as Digital Public Relations Account Executive.

In this role, Ms. Rotondo will be responsible for the successful creation and implementation of integrated public relations programs using traditional, digital and social media methods for both agency’s rapidly growing portfolio of clients. 

Ms. Rotondo brings a broad range of experience in public relations having served as Public Relations Manager for the American Society of Interior Designers, representing the media relations initiatives for more than 40,000+ members. Agency experience includes an Account Associate position with GMMB and public affairs internship with Edelman Public Relations.  Ms. Rotondo received her BA in Communications from University of North Carolina and is an experienced photographer, videographer and blogger.

“Laura is a highly motivated team player with excellent communication skills in all forms of new media.  We are confident she will be able to drive exposure and brand recognition for our clients through a holistic approach to online public relations,” remarks Christine L. Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus and Blue Bug Digital. “ We welcome Laura as a key member of our dynamic public relations team.”

About Delucchi+: Delucchi+ is a full-service strategic marketing communications firm that has over 20 years’ experience working with local, national, and international clients in real estate, travel and resort, retail, financial services, sustainability, health and wellness, and non-profit industries. Services include branding, advertising, new media, market research, and public relations. Follow Delucchi+ on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Blue Bug Digital: Blue Bug Digital is a digital communications firm providing a broad range of digital public relations and interactive marketing services. Services include strategy, social marketing, internet marketing, email marketing, digital public relations & reputation management, website design & development, emerging technologies, and reporting & analytics. Follow Blue Bug Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Washington, DC, July 19, 2011 - Christine Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus (www.delucchiplus.com), a strategic marketing communications firm, and Blue Bug Digital (www.bluebugdigital.com), an innovative digital public relations and social-media marketing agency, both located in Washington, DC, is pleased to announce an impressive 26% increase in business in the first six months of 2011 over the same period 2010. This rapid growth is attributed to:

1) Expanded National Account Portfolio: Since January 2011, Avalon Bay Communities, Forest City Washington and ST Residential have named Delucchi Plus and/or Blue Bug Digital “Agency of Record.”

2) Diversification of Client Industries: New clients in 2011 also include six retail properties for Federal Realty Investment Trust, Trump Hotel and Condominium, Main Events Caterers, and Pathwork Diagnostics, demonstrating the agencies’ expertise in providing services in a broad-range of industries including retail, hospitality and healthcare.

3) Holistic Approach to Digital Public Relations: Blue Bug Digital’s holistic approach to online reputation management fully integrates social media, public relations, viral marketing and search engine optimization to create a comprehensive, positive social media footprint for businesses. This holistic approach to digital public relations garnered ten new accounts for the agencies since the beginning of the year.

“We approached 2011 with a proactive game plan to provide our clients with the best-ideas and strategies in the industry coupled with outstanding customer service. We added several highly qualified senior staff members to manage these initiatives and the positive results are evident, ” remarks Christine L. Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus and Blue Bug Digital. “We are honored to be working with such a high caliber portfolio of clients on their strategic marketing both nationally and internationally. ”

About Delucchi+: Delucchi+ is a full-service strategic marketing communications firm that has over 20 years’ experience working with local, national, and international clients in real estate, travel and resort, retail, financial services, sustainability, health and wellness, and non-profit industries. Services include branding, advertising, new media, market research, and public relations. Follow Delucchi+ on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Blue Bug Digital: Blue Bug Digital is a digital communications firm providing a broad range of digital public relations and interactive marketing services. Services include strategy, social marketing, internet marketing, email marketing, digital public relations & reputation management, website design & development, emerging technologies, and reporting & analytics. Follow Blue Bug Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

With the newness of the QR code technology, a lot of businesses are rushing in to stay at the edge of the digital field.  Unfortunately, this haste can result in campaigns that are not fully fleshed out, and provide a poor user experience.  The importance of the QR code should be on the final destination, with a focus on designing the user experience and integrating with multiple media, including social media.

The integration of QR code technologies can be a struggle, as a rich experience can typically be shared via social media on a desktop in lieu of the mobile phone, particularly if a user is already on a computer.  However, this integration can successfully supplement social outreach in a manner that doesn’t feel overtly forced.

ScanLife, an organization known for its versatile QR code platform, recently published a sponsored tweet that promotes a sweepstakes to attend the Webby Awards.

When users click the link, they are directed to an image posted on the ScanLife Facebook page, and prompted to scan the code.  The caption provides the remainder of the missing information, and informs users that they can come back daily to scan for a chance to win.  The QR code is perhaps not necessary for the campaign functionality, but it provides an additional level of intrigue that encourages users who might otherwise not take the step.

Our one serious complaint with this campaign is an execution flaw.  The mobile landing page, while designed to work well with mobile browsers, unfortunately did not have full functionality on the BlackBerry.  Hopefully users with different smartphones are enjoying a better user experience, although this does demonstrate the importance of carefully planning and testing the final destination.

Additionally, the ScanLife Facebook page offers users the chance to scan a QR code to enter the QR Code Lotto on their promotions tab (powered by Involver).  This is a simple contest that will result in lots of engagement for ScanLife, and the mobile landing page encourages users to Like the brand on Facebook or Tweet.

The beauty of this campaign is that each and every component is a marketing feature for ScanLife.  Since their product is the QR code, the integration is necessary for them.  So, how do we take these lessons and apply them to our campaigns?

The answer is that there is no easy answer.  However, with some creative brainstorming, there are nearly limitless applications for integration between QR codes, social media, and other traditional and digital media.  Contests will always remain a great engagement tool that can augment your number of fans or followers, but the level of loyalty will be significantly lower, so it is important that you consider how you can tie in mobile content with your social content in a way that provides consistent value to your fans.

Some key ways that you can make sure your campaign is set up for success:

-Ensure mobile functionality: Design mobile landing pages optimized for the mobile browser experience.
-Provide exclusive content: Exclusivity will incentivize users to scan and encourage higher engagement levels
-Enhance the user experience through related content: Enrich content through additional facts, features, or information
-Encourage mobile access to social media platforms: Link to social media platforms, or take it a step further and provide a button that actually completes the full “Like” or “Follow” process

For example, if you were to devise a campaign for a real estate organization, you might design a mobile landing page that displayed driving directions from signage, in conjunction with a QR code shared via Facebook or Twitter that connects users with a specific model home or floorplan that they may be interested in, and offers the opportunity to share with their contacts via SMS or email, all without interrupting their Facebook or Twitter experience.

If you are promoting a product, use a POS sign to can send people to a landing page that allows them to add the product to their Amazon wishlist and/or post to Facebook.  The key component is creative thinking to ensure that the end experience will continue to guide the user along the purchase path.

Contact Delucchi+ and Blue Bug Digital for more information on how you can get the most out of your social media strategy.

WASHINGTON, DC (July 6, 2011) - Christine Delucchi, Owner, Blue Bug Digital (www.bluebugdigital.com) an innovative digital and social media marketing agency specializing in the real estate, travel and resort, retail and financial services industries, announces today that the company has been named the national social media agency of record for AvalonBay Communities.

In this role, Blue Bug Digital will provide the overall strategic guidance, customer support, training, and consultation on company-wide social media initiatives for AvalonBay Communities. In addition, Blue Bug Digital will manage the implementation of the social media for the AvalonBay Communities corporate initiatives and a portfolio of lease-up properties.

“We have so much respect for AvalonBay and its dynamic marketing team and know our collaboration in the social media space will produce tangible results for the company,” said Christine Delucchi, Owner, Blue Bug Digital.

“We have worked with Blue Bug Digital for several years and are consistently impressed with their strategies and successes with social media marketing,” said Kevin Thompson, Vice President of Marketing, AvalonBay Communities. “We are looking forward to continuing our successful working relationship with Blue Bug Digital, and are proud to have them as our agency of record for social media initiatives.”

About Blue Bug Digital: Blue Bug Digital is an innovative digital communications firm providing a broad range of digital and interactive marketing services. Services include strategy, social marketing, internet marketing, email marketing, digital public relations & reputation management, website design & development, emerging technologies, and reporting & analytics. Follow Blue Bug Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

June 29, 2011, Washington, DC - Christine Delucchi, Owner, Delucchi Plus (www.delucchiplus.com) a strategic marketing communications firm and Blue Bug Digital (www.bluebugdigital.com) an innovative digital and social media marketing agency, announced today that the companies have been appointed “agency of record” for The Yards and Foundry Loft Apartments by Forest City Washington, a subsidiary of the Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises, Inc.

Forest City Washington will draw on Delucchi Plus and Blue Bug Digital’s expansive experience working with real estate companies to develop comprehensive marketing campaigns that seamlessly integrate research, creative design, precise media execution, and online digital and social media strategies to position real estate assets for long-term growth and appreciation.

“We are excited about the opportunity to work with Forest City Washington to brand this beautifully designed, mixed-use development along DC’s Capitol Riverfront,” said Christine Delucchi, owner, Delucchi Plus and Blue Bug Digital.

“The marketing expertise and commitment to quality of Delucchi Plus and Blue Bug Digital will ensure a strong creative brand for this redevelopment project,” remarks, Ramsey Meiser, SVP Development, Forest City Washington.

Forest City Washington’s premier urban mixed-use development, The Yards is an adaptive reuse and redevelopment of portions of the historic Navy Yards located in the Capitol Riverfront of Washington, DC. Upon full build-out, The Yards will comprise of approximately 2,800 residential units for sale and for lease, 1.8 million square feet of new office space and 400,000 square feet of retail shopping, dining and entertainment venues.

The Foundry Lofts is a creative rebuild of an industrial building into a modern, luxury apartment building featuring 170 loft apartments including 33 two-level penthouses and 10,000 square feet of retail on the street level and is scheduled to open October 2011.

About Forest City Washington: Forest City Washington is a subsidiary of the Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises, Inc., a NYSE-listed national real estate company with $11.5 billion in total assets. The Company is principally engaged in the ownership, development, management and acquisition of commercial and residential real estate and land throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.forestcity.net.

About Delucchi+: Delucchi+ is a full-service strategic marketing communications firm that has over 20 years’ experience working with local, national, and international clients in real estate, travel and resort, retail, financial services, sustainability, health and wellness, and non-profit industries. The company has been involved in green marketing for over 10 years and is currently marketing multiple green commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments throughout the United States. Services include branding, advertising, new media, market research, and public relations. Follow Delucchi+ on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Blue Bug Digital: Blue Bug Digital is a digital communications firm providing a broad range of digital and interactive marketing services. Services include strategy, social marketing, internet marketing, email marketing, digital public relations & reputation management, website design & development, emerging technologies, and reporting & analytics. Follow Blue Bug Digital on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.