Hammock Inc.

Case study: How to Use an eBook for Lead Generation

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:38:59 -0600

Earlier this year 20|20 Research approached Hammock with the need to drive more qualified leads to its salesforce. We were already working with 20|20 executing an online content strategy with a clear objective: to position 20|20 Research as a thought leader in its industry while improving their organic search results on relevant search terms. This work included the management, creation and measurement of blog posts and research content for their online Learning Center.

20|20’s assignment to Hammock was to assist them in gathering contact information from potential clients that have a specific need for executing qualitative research.

Marine Corps League, WETA Aid PTSD-, TBI-Injured Warriors

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:23:31 -0600

Helping Wounded Warriors heal is a major concern of our client The Marine Corps League. Recently, an article in Semper Fihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/hammock/sets/72157628038613170/show/, the League's member magazine that we publish reported on post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. These often invisible wounds are what many call the signature wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The article " Binding the 'Invisible Wounds'" came to the attention of BrainlineMilitary.org, a service of WETA, the public TV and radio station in Washington, DC.

Reinventing Hammock Inc.

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:25:35 -0600

The Nashville (TN) Tennessean recently profiled Hammock Inc. in an interview with founder Rex Hammock. The interview focused on how Hammock Inc. has revamped its approach to publishing "by no longer viewing publishing as producing products, but solving problems" for our clients, according to Rex, who confesses to being an "accidental-geek" in the interview.

Free eBook: The 2012 Content Marketing Budget Guide

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:43:34 -0600

From generating leads to building longer-lasting and closer relationships current customers, marketers are discovering that smart content, deployed strategically, is key to reaching a wide array of business objectives. Yet where in the marketing budget are such content strategies as "thought leadership," or customer-support video how-tos, email newsletters or recurring customer publications?

Marine Corps Commandant "Keeping the Faith"

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:55:48 -0600

In a wide-ranging interview with Semper Fi, the magazine of the Marine Corps League, General James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, discusses what's next for Leathernecks as the Corps begins replacing equipment worn out from two wars, preparing for future military and humanitarian missions, and recruiting new Marines while downsizing from more than 202,000 to around 187,000. Those last two items are the most important, General Amos told writer Otto Kreisher, because the Corps must keep faith with those who have served in it. From a look at the future of the Corps, Semper Fi looks back to the early days of the American Civil War, when a Marine battalion fought with the Union side at the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas). In reporting on the battle's sesquicentennial, Writer Ross Simpson refutes an old accusation that the Marines ran away from the enemy. The September-October issue also takes a look at how Combat Cargo and Logistics Marines keep the Corps ready to move at a moment's notice, and how a new communications system may finally link up the entire battlefield. Hammock Inc. publishes Semper Fi for the Marine Corps. League.

Can't keep up with all that Google+ hype? We can help.

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:31:03 -0600

Today's Tennessean has a front page article on the response in Middle Tennessee (our home stomping-grounds) to Google+. The interview, appropriately enough, took place using a Google+ video-conferencing feature called Hangout. I appreciate being asked to participate.

Chris Brogan Interviews Rex about Google+ a Lot More

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:28:05 -0600

Social media and marketing rockstar Chris Brogan invited Rex for a recent Skype interview about Google+, publishing, customer loyalty and the topic of "Helpability," something we'll be sharing more with you about on Hammock.com in the coming weeks. Elsewhere, Rex has said he's corrected the location of his webcam so that he won't appear so gigantic next time he's interviewed. However, we like the whole 1984 look. From the many positive comments on Chris's blog, it appears there are others who enjoy Rex's passion for new media and marketing advances:

DAR, Hammock Celebrate 2 Birthdays in 'Grand' Style

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:13:47 -0600

The July-August 2011 issue of American Spirit magazine, which we publish for the Daughters of the American Revolution, signals the magazine’s 10th birthday. We knew the cover would have to celebrate both that birthday and also the 235th Birthday of the United States of America. So we decided to bake the patriotic cake shown here which is adorned with iconic American images. What we didn’t know was that there’d be a gift coming for American Spirit and DAR. The magazine had begun arriving in mailboxes when we received word on June 28 that American Spirit had won its eighth Apex Award Grand Award. The announcement also fell on the eve of DAR’s annual Continental Congress held in Washington, D.C., American Spirit editor Jamie Roberts and Hammock ceo Rex Hammock are attending the Congress, so they delivered the good news and also joined in the dual birthday celebrations. One of the best-known and most celebrated women’s organizations in America, DAR has published a magazine continuously since 1892. American Spirit is the latest incarnation, honoring DAR’s core values of God, home and country. Each issue of American Spirit explores topics that support DAR’s dedication to historical preservation, promotion of education and encouragement of patriotic endeavor. Sponsored by the editors of Writing That Works: The Business Communications Report, the 23rd APEX Awards competition received 3,329 entries, including 529 in magazines and journals. Only 100 Grand Awards were issued. American Spirit was entered in the non-profit category, and the judges showered it with praise: “This is a spectacular magazine on so many levels. The use of typography is almost an art form in itself, photography is world class, and the feature articles are captivating." We feel much the same way, and, judging from rising circulation figures, so do our readers. And that takes the cake.

Marine South Expo 2011

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:36:03 -0600

With eyes on threatening skies, exhibitors and attendees thronged the 19th Annual Marine South Expo held April 27-28 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (that's pronounced "Luh-JERN") in Jacksonville, NC. The Expo is one of three annual gatherings of defense suppliers and Marines sponsored by Hammock client the Marine Corps League. This year some 200 vendors showed their wares to about 3,500 visitors. Attendees included active-duty Marines who frankly critiqued every item, from hardened computer network servers to waterproof socks. This kind of interaction is the reason for the Expos, said Lt. Gen. John M. Paxton, Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based on Camp Lejeune. He advised vendors at the opening ceremonies that "there are two things you can say about Marines - one, they got a better idea and two, they're not afraid to tell you about it." Having faith in their equipment tremendously bolsters Marines' confidence and leadership ability, Lt. Gen. Paxton added. Noted Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Ronald S. Coleman, the Marine Corps League Exposition Coordinator, at the opening, "This show brings the greatest minds and greatest equipment together with the greatest fighting force in the world. It's all about our Marines." The show closed early on Thursday, 28 April, as the remainder of the storms that created tornados in Mississippi, Alabama and other states swept into the area. A full report on the show will be in the July-August issue of Semper Fi, the Magazine of the Marine Corps League, which Hammock publishes.

Why Content Marketing Works: People Like It!

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:48:41 -0600

The Custom Content Council, the national trade-group of content marketing companies founded by Hammock and five other companies 15 years ago,* continues to issue ground-breaking research related to the effectiveness of custom content -- ranging from traditional magazines to iPad apps -- used by marketers to build deep, longterm relationships with customers, members and other audiences. Recently, on our Content that Works blog, we reported on research the Council commissioned that surveyed Chief Marketing Officers' use of custom media and content. A new, related study explores Customers' Attitudes Toward Custom Content. Our proprietary research reveals that custom media and content programs can be focused on supporting specific business objectives. This new research, conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications, provides some background that can help explain why content marketing is so effective at generating desired results -- consumers like it. Among the findings:

Nice to be recognized

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:32:30 -0600

Since 2002, Hammock has published American Spirit, the multi-award winning member magazine of the Daughters of the American Revolution.Recently, the Jethro Sumner Chapter, DAR, in Gallatin, TN, put up a display in City Hall that included samples of the several different magazines the Society has published since its founding in 1890. Bill Hudgins, a Hammock editor and frequent contributor to American Spirit and also resident of Gallatin, spotted the display during a visit to City Hall and snapped a couple of photos for the magazine's editor, Jamie Roberts, and for the blog.

Blue blazer day and a book recommendation

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:01:48 -0600

John Lavey (far right) and I (Rex, far left) were at lunch today with our longtime friends and clients Bob Davis and Faye Porter, of HealthTrust, when we noticed we were all sporting the same navy blue jacket, blue shirt look -- so we had to capture the moment. Seeing this photo made me recall that we've worked with Bob and Faye on projects stretching back over a decade -- and for two different organizations. I'm not

Faye Porter's delicious new book

suggesting that kind a rapport means we all now coordinate our apparel, but it does mean we've grown to have a deep appreciation and respect for one another -- and that never goes out of fashion. Speaking of meals (nice segue), a cookbook by Faye, At My Grandmother's Knee: Recipes & Memories Handed Down By Women of the South, was recently released by Thomas Nelson -- and it's getting great reviews. The book is a compilation of shared and loving memories (and recipes) from granddaughters about grandmothers who shared with them their love of cooking and food. As some of those granddaughters are here at Hammock, we're especially excited about the book (and I've been requesting a pot-luck luncheon with dishes from the beautifully photographed book). In a month or so, when you're looking for the Mother's Day gift for your grandmother, it would be perfect.

Why Objective-Based Content Marketing Works

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:25:26 -0600

While research and a strategic approach has always been a part of the way Hammock serves its clients, last year we instituted a formal process for new and existing clients to ensure that the work we do for them is tied directly into their business objectives. The process, which we call objective-based content marketing, begins with a research and strategy phase where we develop a Content Marketing Intelligence Report (CMIR). In it, we collaborate with our clients to agree upon a specific set of measurable objectives (metrics) that can be influenced by our work. These metrics can be continuously monitored in order to ensure that our work stays in sync with the priorities of the client.

We've moved!

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:26:27 -0600

We’ve slung our Hammock in some new digs! On Jan. 27, we moved our offices about 70 feet straight down to Suite 100 on the first floor of our longtime home at 3322 West End Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. We’d been in Suite 700 almost 20 years, and, despite some dedicated clutter clearers, we had plenty of stuff to sort through: Mounds of magazines both ours and others, and bunches of books submitted for reviews. Cornucopias of computer cords. Masses of mouses. You get the idea… Wanting to be green and do some good, we sold many of the books to used book stores and took the magazines to a local elementary school that recycles magazines and other paper as a fundraiser. Our goal was to execute the move in one day. The 5P Rule ruled: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Moving day was a “work-at-home” day; having shifted our email, calendar and document sharing to Google, we were already free from much of the impact of having servers down for several hours. Amazingly, nearly everything went according to plan, if taking a little longer than we had hoped. We were totally functional the morning after. Now all we have to do is break the years-long habit of punching “7” in the elevator. Come visit us!

Merry Christmas from Sans-serif Claus & His Hammock Elves

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:11:01 -0600

Every year, we gather 'round the Yule log-in button and recall how one Christmas Eve, not so long ago, Hammock was visited by a mysterious elf from North Helvetica named Sans-serif Claus who delivered us a shiny new logo. Click the "play" arrow below and we'll show you how we remember it happening. [If you're viewing this on an iPhone or iPad and don't see the video, we'd be surprised -- but just in case, you can click over to YouTube and watch it there.]