With contruction well on its way for what could prove to be one of New England's premier spa and resort destinations, Shark has been developing the spa's branding in coordination with the innovative design approach being taken by NY Architects Asfour Guzy. We've avoided the overused Bamboo leaf, and now have a logo that is disitinct and yet integrated with the Woodstock Inn & Resort's brand architecture put in place by Shark over the past two years.

As an SEO and Digital PR agency, Shark blends search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, landing page development, and article and press release syndication into  a turnkey, state-of-the-art, digital marketing service. It's a fast, efficient and economical SEO marketing system that builds multiple incoming links to your website while quickly enhancing your brand's message across the internet. Shark's Digital PR service is perfect for companies or individuals who wish to enhance  pay-per-click advertising, need better online reputation management, or want to take advantage of  low cost marketing through the power of online public relations. With an  organized keyword strategy, optimized destination pages, and SEO-friendly press releases syndicated through our partner Marketwire, many of our clients quickly see Shark's DIgital PR service outpacing their traditional marketing and have made it their "go-to" marketing strategy for 2010. Contact us to learn how an SEO agency like Shark can bolt-on to your marketing program the power of Digital Public Relations.

(This article originally released on Marketwire) Burlington, Vermont - Given recent economic events in the banking industry, more community banks are taking a closer look at how current and effective their brand message is within their marketplace. Although negative press for big banks has opened the door for community banks to reach out with themes of  "strength and stability," community banks are beginning to consider that the "safety" message may be running its course. It should not overwhelm a community bank's messaging, but rather be part of the bank's overall marketing mix. At Shark Communications, a Burlington, Vermont-based community bank marketing agency, we have found that bank customers can conceptually move quickly past the idea that a bank is solid. It's a position that doesn't necessarily reward the bank's marketing efforts with a lot of brand differentiation. Customers may be far more interested in how a community bank can deliver the products, service - and the ideas that will help its customers more successfully manage their finances.
   A case in point, new branding and marketing recently developed by my marketing agency, Shark Communications, for Brookline Bank in Brookline, Massachusetts, was designed to shift the focus away from the bank as simply a safe place for savings, and towards a more enduring and valuable perception of the bank as an important partner to its customers' financial lives. The new bank marketing campaign features customer profiles in contemporary lifestyle situations commenting on the bank's responsiveness, flexibility, and ability to "go the distance."  With a new, contemporary graphic interface deployed across the bank website and marketing, a new sense of excellence and customer-focused energy has invigorated the bank's marketing and provided the starting point for creating strong brand differentiation in the marketplace.
   With an updated brand image, community banks can then reap further rewards by taking advantage of a wide variety of highly effective online marketing techniques including developing bank product landing pages, community bank blogs, and integrating search engine marketing along with the many free and popular social media websites and services that are available to everyone.
   Shark Communications, and Strategic/Creative Director Peter Jacobs,  offer nearly two decades of creative excellence and deep, strategic knowledge of community bank marketing. Shark's marketing solutions include bank branding, advertising, web development for community banks, social media and search engine marketing, and more. Shark's portfolio of case histories includes the agency serving the growth of a $700 million community bank into a $9 billion financial services company.

Burlington, Vermont attorney Leigh Cole writes a great blog on small business, higher education, taxes, immigration, the green economy and more. Leigh is a shareholder and director of Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, PC, and manages the firm's well-regarded, national immigration law practice. She will soon be joined by David Gurtman who advises individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations in both real estate and business transactions.

The new Woodstockinn.com is now live, with a "Big Visual, Get to the point" development strategy behind it. The Preferred Hotels booking engine has been embedded to follow visitors throughout the site, and pages are easily managed for search engine optimization.