Blog

BBQ Fundraiser for Candice Spence-Villafana
At age 42, Candice is a beacon of strength for her three beautiful daughters, aged 11 and 13 (including twins), navigating the world as a single mother with grace and unwavering dedication. Candice's journey took a challenging turn when she developed diabetes during pregnancy, a condition that has since cast a long shadow over her health. The years following have been marked by a series of medical battles, each more daunting than the last. In 2016, the first of these trials emerged, with diabetic nerve damage setting the stage for what would become a relentless fight for her wellbeing. October...
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Guava Season
In January's gloom, our ad agency seethesWith budgets smaller than bikini and beadsChristmas has passed, leaving pockets so lean,Very few brands in sight, even less on the scene 'Twas a season of cheer, of grand expenditure,Now quiet reigns, not many ads after reindeerWhile Trinidad jumps to Carnival's calypso beat,Work from home is starting to feel like a retreat Airwaves are jammed with Panorama's tune,Fatima fetes under the bright carnival moon.But here in our space, the vibe's not the same,Guava season: advertising in Jan by a next name Once wild fruits fed those with naught in their purse,Now January's a curse,...
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Meet our new Intern – Joseph
We are excited to have Joseph spend some time with us as one of the many interns who have passed through our doors over the past 18 years..  We find that we learn from them, as much as they learn from us. Joseph is a St Mary’s College alumni and is pursuing his BFA in Animation at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), New York.  He expects to graduate this year.  He hopes to land a job working as a background designer for animation upon graduation.  He says his second choice for a career would be to pursue writing or...
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chat gbt talks back…and fast
ChatGPT is a chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022. made my maiden voyage a few days agohere are my first impressions: it's not too shabby briefed the chatbot to write copy for a campaign and asked it do it from 5 different angles, which I identified. provided examples of other works that it could use as inspiration for each angle. gave it the brand's point of difference [aka strategy] and also its personality and some words it should not use in the campaign. as those words belonged to competing brands. also gave it a consumer insight. in minutes the...
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Pepper Advertising launches 2 new Guys
Pepper Advertising, celebrating 17 years in business in 2022, has announced the launch of two specialized services: Email Guys and Contest Guys. Email Guys will connect brands to existing and potential customers through a specialized email service which allows for a more personalized customer experience, as well as increased opportunities for re-marketing. Kyle Roberts, Email Guys Lead noted that “ according to Campaign Monitor research 72% of people would rather receive marketing materials from brands through their email, compared to 17% who would prefer social media”  Roberts added, “Email has been underutilized by marketers in T&T. Email cultivates long-term relationships...
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23 predictions for 2023 in T&T
1. after 42 years of marriage, I will remarry the same woman because of the outstanding customer experience. 2. marketing people will complain about not being so sure about social media but still keep piling on the $$ there 3. an influencer will embarrass their client and make bad for other influencers 4. freelancers and in-house agencies will keep annoying agencies who thought that we had a God given right to exclusivity to all clients, especially the big ones 5. we still won't have a media track survey that's endorsed by the media and agency associations. so we will continue...
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Pepper picks Ariana for Golden Pepper
Ariana Tang is this year’s recipient of the Pepper Advertising 'Golden Pepper Award’.  Her award was announced during the company’s annual Christmas Party, held recently at the Kapok Hotel, Port of Spain.  Ariana is a Digital Marketing Specialist, who develops and executes digital and social media programs for clients, including measuring and reporting on their impact and effectiveness. “Each year, the Golden Pepper Award recognises the person who best exemplifies Pepper’s values of taking ownership, openness, curiosity, fairness and a passion to serve.” said Pepper’s General Manager, Keitha Oliver. She continued: “Little things count and Ariana greets us most mornings with something that...
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10 things Marketing in T&T needs to fix
10 things marketing in T&T needs to fix 1. differentiation - it is not central to our thinking. we default to tactics. we love to do stuff without first defining a single-minded umbrella that everything we do must sit under. 2. customer experience - at the very top of organisations it's not embraced. if the boss does not see it as important, her reports and their reports will ignore it too.  why is this so? I think we believe that "that is not for we" . also on the customer side, we don't demand it. so there is a low...
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The Old Agency Model has died.
The Ad Agency model died. But it has taken us agencies a while to discover the body.  Advertising Agencies in T&T got going sometime in the 50’s.  And ad agencies had a good run.  Until this blasted digital thing came along and spoiled the party.  Agencies had a nice arrangement.  We were the only game in town.  Consumers had limited media channels to get their news and entertainment. So it was easy to reach them, with our one-way broadcasts, to sell them stuff.  Clients were happy.  Consumers were happy.  And agencies were happy too.  Once upon a time, being invited to...
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Keep your Brand Engine running
According to a Family Handyman online article; a motor engine can seize due to running on low or no oil, overheating, or succumbing to a broken timing belt. If a mechanic has diagnosed your engine as seized, unfortunately, there are few options readily available to you. Depending on the severity of the damage, most mechanics will suggest a complete replacement rather than attempt a repair. Think of your brand as an engine, because it is. It is the engine that drives relationships with your customers and it’s also what differentiates it and therefore should drive everything you do with your...
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A ward of results
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In a world where ad agencies break into spontaneous choreography upon winning creative awards, it seems the real performance is often lost in the celebration....
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Stretching the Truth
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White lies, small or seemingly harmless untruths told to avoid hurting someone's feelings or for perceived benign reasons, can be dangerous for several reasons: Erosion...
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Vacancy: Digital Account Executive
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About E-Mail Guys: E-Mail Guys, a division of Pepper, is an innovative venture aimed at diversifying our agency's revenue streams through specialized email marketing services....
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You story
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You story as children when someone lied we would say: you story "moommm...Keith telling stories." Keith lying today the word story has been cleaned up...
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10 Carnival 2024 predictions
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10 carnival 2024 predictions [cleaned up my crystal ball this morning, and found these doozies staring at me] 1. Not everyone will agree on who...
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Siobhan picked as the Golden Pepper
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On receiving the year-end honour at Pepper Advertising’s recent Christmas Dinner, Siobhan Smith said, “I am very grateful to receive the Golden Pepper Award as...
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Why Contest Marketing is a must-have for B2B and B2C brands
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Step right up and brace yourself for an exhilarating journey into the captivating world of contest marketing. In this ever-evolving digital landscape, where brands vie...
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Christmas in July
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“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Am...nope. Not at 37 Picton. What...
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Be a WINNER with Contest Marketing – Create Contest Marketing campaigns that Zing!
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Contest marketing campaigns have become increasingly popular in recent years. They are an effective way to engage with your audience and create buzz around your...
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