In advertising, the first few seconds of exposure can determine whether a brand is remembered or forgotten. Research into consumer behavior consistently shows that impressions are formed almost instantly, often in less than seven seconds. For businesses, that means branding must be impactful, recognizable, and easy to recall long after the initial contact. Brett Thomas,...

By Brett Thomas, Owner of Jambalaya Marketing, New Orleans, LA In the marketing world, there’s a brutal little truth nobody wants to say out loud: most people won’t give a message more than three seconds of their time. Three. Not thirty. Not fifteen. Just long enough for someone to blink, sigh, and scroll on. And...

There’s a war going on inside the human brain—and brands are fighting for shelf space. Every time someone scrolls, swipes, or squints at a billboard while dodging potholes on I-10, the subconscious mind is deciding which messages deserve to live rent-free and which ones get evicted without a second thought. If that sounds dramatic, it’s...

Let’s go ahead and say what nobody wants to admit: bland branding is the silent killer of modern business. It doesn’t kick down the door with flashing lights and a siren. It just quietly puts your business to sleep in front of potential customers and then slips out the back door before you realize what...

By Brett Thomas, Owner – Jambalaya Marketing, New Orleans, LA Let’s be honest. Watching a national chain roll into town and scoop up local customers is like watching your ex show up to your favorite bar with someone who looks just like you—but taller, richer, and with a much shinier logo. And yes, they’ve got...

By Brett Thomas, Owner – Jambalaya Marketing, New Orleans, LA Let’s get something straight: if an ad doesn’t grab attention, it’s just noise. Worse, it’s background noise. The kind that people tune out while scrolling, driving, or pretending to listen during a Zoom call. That’s why I created something I call The Jambalaya Formula — a way...

Back in the 1930s, America was going through a financial swamp deeper than anything in the Atchafalaya Basin. Businesses were folding faster than a tourist’s poker hand at Harrah’s, banks were closing, and folks were stuffing cash into mattresses like it was the only investment left. It was bleak. And then there was Coca-Cola. While...

Let’s be honest—most press releases are about as exciting as a wet sandwich. You know the kind: stiff corporate tone, vague declarations, a quote from someone with three job titles, and a few links thrown in like parsley. But if that same press release hits Google’s News tab before your competition even knows what hit...

Small towns have big personalities. Everyone knows who sells the best boudin, who fixes your truck right the first time, and which place to avoid unless you’re in the mood to argue with a cousin you forgot you had. But when it comes to the internet? That’s where things get fuzzy. A lot of small-town...

So there you are, typing your own business name into Google like a proud parent searching for their kid’s school photo… and nothing. Maybe page two. Maybe page six. Meanwhile, your competitor—who, let’s be honest, isn’t half as charming as you—pops up right there in the Maps box with 47 five-star reviews and a profile...

Let’s cut to the chase—if a business doesn’t have a Google Business Profile, it’s basically hiding from the very people trying to find it. In 2025, showing up in a local search is more important than showing up on time to a crawfish boil. And in both cases, being late (or invisible) means going hungry....

Let’s clear something up right now: SEO and SEM are not twin brothers. They don’t share a toothbrush. They’re not even close cousins. They’re more like the tortoise and the hare—both headed toward the same finish line, but with wildly different approaches, personalities, and caffeine habits. As the owner of Jambalaya Marketing, I’ve spent more...