A Creative Communications Agency

The networks are finding ways to deliver more promotional content during their broadcasts, have you seen it? You probably have if you watch MTV, TBS, Discovery or the big networks in the last six months. They are finding ways to beat TiVo and DVR’s so promotional content makes it through to the viewer. How is this done? By placing promotions in the broadcasts, during the shows.

MTV runs information at the bottom of the screen. Information about the shows scheduled next and even information about the songs being played during the shows. When a song is played as the soundtrack for the show, MTV displays the artist and song title in a ticker at the bottom. TBS is actually interrupting shows to promote other shows. During Family Guy, TBS is running a promotion where comedian, Bill Engvall comes out and pauses Family Guy to tell the viewers about his new show. It may only be 5-10 seconds but it has started to make an impression on other networks.

Although most of the information embedded in the shows relates to the network or program; promotion information from companies like Ford, Coke, and Visa can’t be far behind. The networks want to ease the amount of commercial content presented to viewers because overwhelming them all at once will not be received well. How far off are the networks from turning our TV screen into an online page with banner ads, pop-ups and sponsor placements?

There is something to be said about how users on the web are accustomed to ad placements on web pages. Banner across the top and sponsors down the right side of the screen, alright, we have trained ourselves to focus on the important content area of the screen. Why couldn’t TV follow the same layout? Many stations already run tickers along the bottom of the screen for scores or headlines; they could throw a few ads in there, and make more money selling space that won’t be skipped by TiVo. Would we trade-off more in-program advertising to get rid of the long commercial breaks? Will standard TV commercials be replaced by in-program advertising that runs for the entire 30-minute program? The writers and producers would have to do more work because traditionally, a 30-minute show only has 22-minutes of actual programming content. The rest is for the advertisers and we already know how to ignore them.

Think about the web generation coming up now. Highly active web users, being presented more directed ads that are more and more focused to the individual user, it’s normal.  Someone who is under 18 right now won’t see it as a problem to have more advertising presented to them as someone who is in their 50’s. It’s about perception, what is excessive and how will the transition be made. Slow integration over a time will make it acceptable. Take a picture of the TV screen right now and then let’s see how it compares 5, 10, 15 years in the future.

No Comments »

You need to learn something from your marketing. That’s all that needs to be said, really. What are you marketing for if you don’t learn from each piece you are creating? The technology that is available today allows you to track, observe and review almost every aspect of the sales process from who sees your message to who buys. There is no reason to do any marketing just because you did it before, that isn’t a reason, it’s a crutch.

In any situation: TV, print, online, direct, in-store… you should always find out what happened to figure out what can be done next time to make the next piece better, or find a better piece to create. Think of a football coach; he isn’t going to run the same play every time, he knows that from  watching film, observing the other team during the game and the abilities of his players, there are changes that will need to be made after each play to get a successful result.

So, you have a TV commercial, a website, some print advertising; what is it doing now, where is it going next? This doesn’t mean that you need to reinvent each piece it just means you should be continually refining and honing in on the next step. There is never an achievable end point, just one goal after another set farther and farther ahead of where you are right now.

Stonehenge exists but we really don’t know why it was built. Is your marketing just existing?

No Comments »

Everyone has an iPhone, right? Everyone connects to the web through their Blackberry, don’t they? We need to have a mobile marketing plan to stay in touch with our customers, don’t we? You need to do a little research into this to find out for sure. It won’t take much but it will save you from wasting your marketing communications dollars.

For some brands it is a great idea to develop mobile marketing strategies with high saturation on the web, but it’s not for everyone. Knowing where your marketing should go is more important than creating marketing pieces that don’t go where you need them. With some simple research you should be able to find out what pieces produce a reaction from customers.

This is nothing new in the business it is just overlooked by many companies. Making a TV commercial just to have a commercial is not the way to go with the market today. It is now possible to never advertise on TV, print or radio and still have a massive response from your customers.

Take a look at what you are producing to contact your market. Are you tracking the results of each piece? Is there a way to track the inquiries, calls, website visits,  and sales back to a communication piece? Yes there is.

No Comments »

Are you cutting back on your marketing expenses? If so think of how you can get the most for the money you are willing to spend. One way is to work with a partner. Don’t haul the load yourself get some helpers and the job will be easier and you will probably get farther ahead.

There are a lot of ways to co-brand marketing efforts. Look at what you do or what you produce. Who is also involved with that product or service? If you are making car tires, look at partnering with a car brand, a tire cleaner or a wheel manufacturer. Chances are good that both of you (or all three) are in the same boat, looking for some help. This way you will be able to combine each of your smaller budgets and produce some really good marketing messages that are mutually beneficial.

When brand Zig partners with brand Zag they improve their perception in the mind of the consumer. “Wow, Zig says I should use Zag as well. And I trust the reputation of Zig, so Zag must be good.” - Consumer’s mind 

This is not a new idea but one that many people may not look for when they think they are on their own in a small marketing boat in the middle of the communication ocean. Put your thinking cap back on and find a way to make the most of the monies you have to spend, you could end up creating something that wouldn’t have been possible before. If you are having a problem thinking of who you can/should work with, leave us a note and we’ll help you out.

No Comments »

Many of us are sick of receiving junk emails that clutter up or Inbox every day, BUT sometimes there is information that we want to receive from valued sources. How do you keep your email clean but still receive the latest industry news or headlines that concern you? You sign up for RSS feeds. RSS feeds are a great way to filter news so you receive the information you want and nothing you don’t. It is like subscribing to specific articles of a magazine or sections of the newspaper, it is a great way to stay current on what is happening without wasting time searching. Almost every news source has an RSS feed that is easy to sign up for and there are a number of Free RSS Readers available, personally this writer uses FeedReader.

Here are three ways that RSS Feeds make it easy for you to stay informed and keep your email system clear of junk.

• Easy to sign up, easy to use. Aside from being free to download, after you have the reader set up you just click on the icons next to the topics you like. You don’t even have to submit an email address or any other personal information with FeedReader.
• Stories are organized by category or provider. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal have RSS feeds set up to send you news articles that are geared to your interests. All you have to do is open your RSS reader and look at the headlines under each provider. It’s like an organized Inbox just for news and announcements.
• Quick pop-up announcements. When a new story is posted to one of the sites that you requested, a small window show up with the latest headlines. This allows you the chance to take 3 seconds and see what is happening and then decide to continue on with what you are doing or check out the story. There is no wasted clicking by having to go through the homepage of the site and then find the article, it comes up right away.

So, keep your email clear of clutter and sign up for an RSS reader. It is a great way to get the news and distribute news if you have a list of customers or clients that need to stay informed of what is happening. RSS feeds are more convenient and personalized to each individual user. Many people think twice before sending out their email address because of the fear of clutter, junk mail and spam that is likely to follow.

No Comments »

It is a situation presently being addressed by many businesses, there is a recession and marketers need to make decisions to adapt. Here is a list of five things that a business who if feeling the strains of a recession should instill now to be successful when the tables turn.

1. Don’t Hide - Many businesses decide to cut marketing budgets and lay low until the storm blows over. This is not the way to go. Housing is one of the largest industries in a recession right now but there are still homes being built. Granted it is not at the volume there was four years ago but it is still moving. You need to make sure that while the rest of your competitors are waiting-it-out you are standing tall and getting your message out while the others are silent.
2. Be Smart - When times are good marketers are likely to take more chances with new technology and ideas. Right now you need to be smart. Find the direction you want your company to go and get there, then look for another target and get there. Always move in measurable, attainable increments. Think that while other marketers are cutting budgets media is looking for someone to buy up their space. You now stand a better chance to get your message anywhere you want, and for a good price.
3. Search For New Audiences - What was once a market that was dominated by competition could be opening for invasion. Even while the base of your purchasing target market may be dwindling down, the same can be said for the competition. See where they have left vulnerabilities in their armor. Go in and get new customers that are looking for support.
4. Be Confident - A recession quickly gets rid of the “also-rans” in the industry. The companies that succeed are the ones with strong support and backing that know how to move forward and will move forward. Make your message clear and the consumers looking for answers will come to you.
5. Innovate - Some companies become satisfied when their products are selling well and relax on their innovation and development. Now is the time to put energy into development of new products, service and strategies. This shows that you are confident and are leading the industry.

No Comments »

Taking a chance comes down to the battle between the brain and your guts. You can pull all the logic and facts together but the feeling that is in your gut could outweigh even the most convincing data. Marketing managers and the relating creative team want to base their ideas on their gut instincts but many times the pressure makes them follow the data and trends.

For marketing to truly be innovative and different it is about taking the chance on what you think will work. Your gut has a lot of knowledge that it doesn’t share with the brain. Focus groups do not get mixed in with gut instincts. That is why some of the most innovative marketing is achieved and praised because the creator did what they felt confident about.

Why not take the risk? Job security. That is the bottom line when people consider taking a chance. If the campaign that you approved or created fails, guess who is going to be blamed by everyone else looking for a scapegoat, the one who signed the bottom line. The pressure on marketing managers is huge. For a new marketing manager who has just taken over it is a struggle to fit in with the mold of the company or jump out and blaze your own trail? That is why large committees seem to become more common in companies.

Committees stifle the creative idea. No matter if there are 3 or 30 people on the committee, each person wants to add their own flair to the piece and the creative team is left to ponder numerous comments and feedback that don’t relate to each other but must be combined to get the piece completed. The presentation is vital to this phase of the process.

Put the showman up in front of the group to explain the idea. It is selling a philosophy, the snake oil salesmen use to do it an now the creative team must do the same. The wonders of this idea are endless. This idea will solve all of your sales woes and cure what troubles ya.

Where does this leave us in order to move forward? It comes down to the strength and conviction of the individuals. Will you stand up for what you believe in, or fold under the pressure and just turn the crank to produce another piece that is watered down and blends in with the background? Believe in your gut, when it speaks up take notice.

No Comments »

It’s not hard to say that the economy and has made the turn into a recession. The housing market was one of the beginners and other industries are feeling the same pains now. As a company in a recession what should you do? When the market turns sour many companies cut marketing budgets first, is that the right thing to do?

Here we will go over the two options that CMO’s are facing.

1) Cut marketing communications budget to save some money and hope to surface when things are better.

or

2) Market more. Get your message out to more people so they see you are the one leading the way in your industry and has the strength to power through the tough times while the competition chooses to be quiet.

The first option is one of the more common for many companies afraid of what might happen. The thing to do is look at the companies who have survived for a long period of time and are an industry leader; Nike, BMW, and Apple. These companies know that they need to stay in front of people and keep pushing even during the low tide times of recessions. Saving a few million dollars right now could cost you multi-millions in the future due to lost customers and brand position.

The good companies have instilled marketing and communications into their main business strategy. It is not a side item that can be cut away to save a few bucks.

That gets us to the second option. It may be obscene to some that are always trying to tighten the belt that spending more when sales are down can have a better long term result. This is exactly why the ones who decide to speak out benefit. They are the only ones speaking to the people. While the competition is hiding out, waiting for the tide to change, you have free run over the landscape to gather more supporters and take more ground on them. And, if/when they return you will have already strengthened your forces and are stronger than ever.

Take another look at the situation, sales are down and your company needs to increase profits. Will you be successful by taking the wait-and-see approach? Or should you be aggressive and pursue people with more determination than ever.

It is easier to capture someone’s attention when you’re the only one on stage with something to say.

No Comments »

With the technology we have developed there is more of your personal information floating around than you may realize. How many online forms have you filled out to get access to information, news, a free trial offer, special offers, or services that make our lives more convenient because we can now use a computer rather than going into a bank?

More and more marketers are trying to create personal messages for each user on the web. The more information we can gather about a consumer the better we can craft our message to that individual to get a response. Think about the information you entered into MSN, AOL, Google, Yahoo… to set up an email account. Now imagine that all of your information is available to those companies to possibly sell to other businesses for marketing purposes. Many of these companies have privacy policies that they mention not releasing your information to other companies. But what about the companies they own? Look at the businesses in the AOL/Time Warner family.

Would you listen closer to a TV ad that specifically included your name? It would be a shock at first, possibly making you happy, but then turning to rage when you realize someone has released your information. That is what is being discussed with several of the large internet based companies that are collecting your information. They are collecting a lot of information and some are considering to allowing advertisers to market directly to you with your name. Is that right? Is it fair? Are they allowed to do that? Did you really read the Terms and Conditions when you checked that box before you hit I Agree?

They say: “don’t sign anything without reading it first.” Well, why would you send out your name, phone number, email address, or possibly your social security number without reading the fine print first?

A few helpful recommendations to keep your personal information safer on the web:

1) Set up junk email addresses - If you want to get access to a free trial offer or any other information that you just want a quick glimpse at, set up a phony email address. Use a junk name and only fill in the Required information.

2) Don’t sign up for everything in sight - Sure it is free access to some special information but do you really want to be bothered the rest of your life because you gave out your phone number to see a special video clip?

3) If you do find something you truly value, make sure you know what your getting into - Information on the web can look official but make sure you really know who and what they are.

4) Know the network you’re on - With free Wi-Fi becoming more and more common in places like coffee houses, campuses, and even neighborhoods, realize who could get access to the same network. It’s possible for people to go into your computer through a public Wi-Fi and see exactly what is on your computer and where you have been and the information you enter.

5) Don’t talk to strangers - It’s the first lesson our parents gave us when we ventured out of the house. Why are we so forgetful when we are on the web? It is one of the most common ways for hackers and the “Bad People” get into our information and build a false sense of security.

No Comments »

Many people try to focus on the current time as a new, ever changing business environment where innovation and technology are advancing so quickly that companies are constantly struggling to catch up. The truth is that throughout history, business has always been changing. This is not a new phenomenon.

Yes, the internet and all the digital technology that is being developed and accepted by consumers is highly advanced but so was the development of currency, electricity, the telegraph, the automobile… Imagine when a business first installed electricity in it’s store, they are now able to be open later, factories and textiles were replacing human or steam power machines with electrical motors. The comparison to a company adapting to use the internet isn’t even close to how companies had to adapt to use electricity.

Even greater was the adaptation to currency. The old form of business was based on trading; three chickens for 12 wool blankets. One hammer for a pair of shoes; what was the day like when someone walked in with 3 silver pieces for a pair of shoes? Who would take a few pieces of silver for material goods? Who could you pass the silver off on to get the good you required? The ancient world wasn’t a world economy. You may have a pile of coins from the Roman Empire but it couldn’t buy you one ounce of spices from India. That was a volatile and difficult environment to adapt to and consumers had to be willing to make the change.

Why is there fear that now is such a difficult time to adapt? It’s for the same reasons that each generation thinks the other generations are strange. Have you ever heard an elderly person talk about the first time they saw an automobile? It seems impossible to comprehend in the mind of the Y generation but it is true. Has anyone in the Y generation tried to explain the internet to that same elderly person? The trouble many people get in is trying to catch up to the now while the future is moving farther and farther away.

But will there be a leveling off point for all of this technological advancement? No. Not as long as there are still people who have an imagination and need to create. Necessity is the mother of all invention and there is never an end to the needs of the world. Human, animal, plant or mineral; there is always something needed to get, preserve, maintain, enhance, collect, find, analyze, simplify, complicate, alter, dissect, combine, eliminate, develop, produce, fix, tear down… etcetera, etcetera.  

So keep developing you thinkers, innovators and tinkers. We don’t even know what we are missing but I’m sure you’ll come up with it and we’ll all realize we absolutely must have it.

Little known fact: On April 24, 1908 Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Murdock became the first people to travel across the U.S. by car. The drive from Los Angeles to New York City took them 32 days, 5 hours and 25 minutes. How long does it take to travel across the U.S. in 2008? Three days by car, a few hours on a plan. How long will it take in 2108? And how will humans be able to travel then?

No Comments »