Debbie Laskey's Blog

Welcome to Debbie Laskey's insights and commentary about BRANDING, MARKETING, LEADERSHIP, SOCIAL MEDIA, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, and CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES. Debbie has worked in high-tech, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, nonprofits, and insurance. Expertise includes strategic planning, brand development, marketing plans and audits, competitive positioning, websites, communications, public relations, employee engagement, customer experiences, and social media marketing.

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Did your brand celebrate Women's History Month?

Like everyone, I receive a ton of promotional emails on a daily basis. However, as a marketing professional, when I see an email that clearly demonstrates a clever strategy, I take notice.

During March, we celebrate women and their overlooked contributions because it's WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, or stated more accurately, WOMEN'S HERSTORY MONTH! According to the United Nations, “Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes, and violence, a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights, and opportunities for all. To get there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.”

And as Hillary Clinton, former First Lady of the United States, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State, said, "Women's history is an essential and indispensable part of the national narrative. By understanding the achievements, struggles, and contributions of women throughout history, we gain a fuller, more accurate, and more inclusive understanding of our collective past."

According to the U.S. Census, "Women's History Month honors the successes and sacrifices of U.S. women. It dates to March 8, 1857, when hundreds of women from New York City garment and textile factories rallied to protest harsh working conditions. In 1909, New York City became the site of the nation's first Women's Day celebration, a year after 15,000 women there marched to demand shorter working hours, better pay, an end to child labor, and the right to vote. More than seven decades later, in 1981, Congress set aside the second week of March as Women's History Week. Six years later, Congress expanded the week to a month."

So back to my email inbox...I received a memorable email from nail polish brand Orly International, Inc. According to the brand's website, "Family owned since 1975, Orly products are made with love at their headquarters in Los Angeles. In 1977, Jeff Pink created The Natural Nail Look to help screen actresses speed up the time between wardrobe changes. Simple, classic, and feminine, this time-saving manicure accentuated the nails without ever upstaging the outfit. Stylists and starlets loved the new look that quickly spread through the fashion world. Once it hit the runways of Paris in 1978, Jeff knew he had the perfect name...the French Manicure!"

So, when I saw the email aligning the brand's products to Women's History Month, I took a second look! While I may not have made a purchase from Orly this month, I am a repeat customer. Therefore, I can definitely appreciate the email campaign, because as I often say, "Brands that can align their products or services to an event, holiday, or trending news that everyone is talking about have the potential to be memorable."

So, what can your brand learn from this brand's effective email marketing campaign? There's still time for your brand to celebrate women - there's a week left in March!

Friday, March 20, 2026

Happy World Storytelling Day!

World Storytelling Day is an annual celebration that encourages people to tell and listen to stories. It is a day that brings people together through the power of storytelling.

According to Wikipedia, "World Storytelling Day is a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling. It is celebrated every year on the March equinox, on or near March 20. On World Storytelling Day, as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in as many languages and at as many places as possible, during the same day and night.

World Storytelling Day has its roots in a national day for storytelling in Sweden, circa 1991. At that time, an event was organized for March 20 in Sweden called "All storytellers day." At the same time, in Mexico and other Latin American countries, March 20 was already celebrated as the National Day of Storytellers. In 2002, the event spread from Sweden to Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Estonia. In 2003, the idea spread to Canada and other countries, and the event became known internationally as World Storytelling Day. Starting around 2004, France participated. In 2008, the Netherlands took part in World Storytelling Day. And by 2009, there were World Storytelling Day events in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Australia."

According to ThereIsADayforThat, "On this day, oral storytellers around the world are busy inspiring audiences, and creating community, by telling classical tales, local stories, glorious, horrendous, happy, challenging, spooky, romantic, and dramatic epic stories. Some wrapped in music, some staged, and others intimate - but every story is told in a unique and compelling way, by a storyteller whose heart is full of great tales to bridge our divides and remind us what it is to be human."

The theme for 2026 is "Light in the Dark." This phrase has three meanings:

(1) a situation when you're in trouble and danger, struggling to escape - this happens a lot in stories.

(2) it could mean profound or meaningful water, perhaps, the waters of life or healing that are also found in stories.

(3) it could mean water that goes down in some way, for instance, a well or river.

Do you know the "3 C's of Storytelling?" They generally refer to CHARACTER, CONFLICT, and CONCLUSION, highlighting the need for relatable people, a central struggle, and a satisfying resolution.

And do you know the golden rule of storytelling? The widely accepted "golden rule of storytelling" is to SHOW, DON'T TELL, meaning to immerse the audience by using sensory details, actions, and dialogue to let them EXPERIENCE the story, rather than explaining events or emotions. Instead of saying a character is sad, an author describes slumped shoulders, tear-filled eyes, and a quiet voice, allowing readers to interpret and feel the emotion themselves, making the narrative more engaging and powerful.

Some memorable stories to read out loud today would be "Horton Hears a Who!" by Dr. Seuss, "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein, and "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein.

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Branding Tips to Stand Out - A Q&A with Emily Aborn

LinkedIn has often been called the "international watercooler" of business. According to Google, the metaphor refers to how professionals use the platform to discuss industry trends, company culture, leadership, diversity, and current events - topics that previously occurred around a physical office watercooler. Today, LinkedIn has over one billion members in 200+ countries.

As a LinkedIn user with nearly 2,000 connections, I have always used the platform as an "international watercooler." Over the last decade, I've reached out to second and third connections as well as suggested connections. As a result, I've "met" people all around the world and had inspiring discussions online, via phone, and via email about corporate culture, customer experiences, employee experiences, leadership, and marketing.

Recently, I "met" Emily Aborn on LinkedIn. Once we connected, we had a conversation about branding, brand messaging, brand personality, and more - and highlights follow below. But first, an introduction: Emily Aborn writes for a living, and even she struggles to write for and about herself. Successfully facing down the blinking cursor of doom is no small feat, and it can stop a brand in its tracks from sharing its message with others. That’s where Emily, a Small Business Copywriter and Podcast Host, steps in to help! She has experience writing for over 115 industries and has worked with 1,000's of individuals to help them gain visibility in their marketing. She helps a brand's voice make a distinct imprint and stand out. And for fun, Emily enjoys spending time in the great outdoors in rural New Hampshire, game nights with family, listening to podcasts, and reading every book she can get her hands on.

QUESTION: I "met" you on LinkedIn and was immediately impressed by your cover image's message, "Your voice. Your distinct imprint." How did you come up with that tagline?

EMILY ABORN: In late 2024, I was deep in the throes of reconnecting to the "why" behind what I do as a copywriter for small businesses and nonprofits. For me, words aren't "just words," they’re world-changers, perspective-shifters, connection-builders, and powerful expressions of who we are at our core. A lot of my work as a copywriter centers around helping individuals and businesses to stand out amidst the chaos of the online space and noise. The specificities of the words often get lost (a la Maya Angelou's, "They’ll remember how you made them feel") but the impact of the words and our messages ripple outward and onward. Our voice, our brand, our message...it's intended to leave a "mark" in the lives of others. When we find our unique voice, it can do just that. The tagline came to me (as most taglines do) as a shower thought, and I knew instantly it was "the one."

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Will Your Brand Celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Today, on St. Patrick's Day, there's nothing as green as the Chicago River. However, many brands choose to stand out by adding green to their logos or email communications, by creating green products for the day, or by doing something totally out-of-character to celebrate.

Here are some brands that joined the St. Patrick's Day celebrations:

SUR LA TABLE

In an email, this cooking supplies and cooking class brand promoted its green product line with the message, "Lucky finds, going green, from deep emerald to soft sage - refresh your kitchen with a verdant look."

SEE'S CANDIES

This candy brand added green and shamrocks to its packaging.

KRISPY KREME

This doughnut brand added green to its doughnuts as well as its packaging.

ORLY INTERNATIONAL, INC.

This nail polish brand created green nail polish.

And let's not forget what Sherwin-Williams (the paint brand) shared on Instagram last year: "St. Patrick's Day: No luck needed. Find your next paint color with help from our Color to Go samples."

As I often say, "Brands that can align their products or services to an event, holiday, or trending news that everyone is talking about have the potential to be memorable."

So, will your brand "go green" next year on St. Patrick's Day?

Monday, March 16, 2026

Did your brand promote the Oscars?

Like everyone, I receive a ton of promotional emails on a daily basis. However, as a marketing professional, when I see an email that clearly demonstrates a clever strategy, I take notice.

Yesterday, most eyes were focused on the 98th Annual Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Winners receive Oscars, "the most recognized trophy in the world."

So, since the topic on most people's minds was the Oscars, emails referencing the Oscars would definitely stand out. And one in particular did: Talbots sent an email early Sunday morning before the big event with the event's famous line, "And the winner is..." at the top of the image.

Here's an introduction to the brand from its website, "Talbots began from an inspired commitment to provide women with timely and timeless style, extraordinary quality and memorable service. We are the original New England lifestyle brand for women who love looking well put together, with sizes for every body. In 1947, Nancy and Rudy Talbot, two entrepreneurial New Englanders, created a clothing catalog with a highly dedicated and passionate following - treasured for its spirited voice and modern classic style. Soon they moved into a historic house in Hingham, Massachusetts, a quaint and picturesque town on the South Shore outside of Boston, where they painted the front door a welcoming red to signal hospitality. Today, Talbots is a dynamic women-led fashion brand offering smile-worthy style for every area of life."

According to CRMGroup, "Nearly 50 percent of consumers made a purchase directly from an email in the past year. This confirms email's direct impact on driving sales."

While I may not have made a purchase from Talbots yesterday, I can definitely appreciate the email campaign, because as I often say, "Brands that can align their products or services to an event, holiday, or trending news that everyone is talking about have the potential to be memorable."

So, what can your brand learn from this brand's effective email marketing campaign?

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Join Me in Celebrating RBG Day!

Why is today special? It's the birthdate of former Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and in her memory, let's celebrate her passion for gender equality advocacy.

According to Kim Elsesser in Forbes, "How did Ruth Bader Ginsburg become such a feminist rock star? Ginsburg learned about gender discrimination firsthand at school and in the workplace. At Harvard Law School, Ginsburg and other female students were questioned by the dean as to why they felt they were entitled to take the spot of an aspiring male lawyer. Ginsburg realized that women could never achieve equality with men if outdated stereotypes were holding them back."

I've chosen three of my favorite RBG quotes below:

Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.

Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn't be that women are the exception.

We are at last beginning to relegate to the history books the idea of the token woman.

How will you celebrate RBG's legacy? I invite you to chime in and share!

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Let's Celebrate Pi Day!

Is your brand planning to celebrate Pi Day today? Pi is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite as many recalled digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and, of course, also eat pie and/or pizza pie.

According to Wikipedia, "Pi Day is observed on March 14 (the 3rd month) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant figures of the mathematical symbol Pi. It was founded in 1988 by Larry Shaw, a staff physicist at the Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco."

According to PiDay.org, "Pi has been calculated to over 50 trillion digits beyond its decimal point. As an irrational and transcendental number, it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits."

Which brands can, and should, celebrate today?

Frozen pie brands Marie Callender's, Sara Lee, and Mrs. Smith's would benefit from the extra publicity.

And then, there are fast-food/delivery, restaurant, and frozen pizza brands such as Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, Little Caesars, Blaze Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen, Lou Malnati's, DiGiorno, Red Baron, and Newman's Own.

Since today is a great day for these brands to showcase clever marketing, who will stand out?

SHARE THIS: What was Sir Isaac Newton's favorite dessert? Answer: Apple pi. ~TheNinePlanets #PiDay #PersonalBranding #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: What do you call a mathematician who becomes a private investigator? Answer: Magnum P I. ~MashUpMath #PiDay #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: Why did all of the other numbers avoid conversing with pi at the party? Answer: Because he goes on and on forever! ~MashUpMath #PiDay #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: On March 12, 2009, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing March 14, 2009, as National Pi Day. ~NationalDayCalendar #PiDay #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Some things that happened on March 14 in history:

In 1927, the American Society of Civil Engineers elected Elsie Eaves as an associate member. She was the first woman elected to the society.

In 1879, Albert Einstein was born in Germany. In 1921, he won the Nobel Prize for Physics.

In 1997, gymnast Simone Biles was born. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history and one of the greatest female athletes of all time.

Image Credit: Mashup Math FP.

Check out the history of Pi Day from San Francisco's Exploratorium:

https://www.exploratorium.edu/pi/history-of-pi

Debbie Laskey's Blog

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Did your brand celebrate Women's History Month?

SHARE THIS: Brands that align their products or services with trending news have the potential to be memorable. #BrandAlignment #BrandExperiences #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. ~Shirley Chisholm (U.S. Congresswoman) #WomensHistoryMonth #WomensHERstoryMonth #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water. ~Eleanor Roosevelt (First Lady and Diplomat) #WomensHistoryMonth #WomensHERstoryMonth #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right. ~Rosa Parks (Civil Rights Activist) #WomensHistoryMonth #WomensHERstoryMonth #DebbieLaskeysBlog