If your clients could buy out all of the display ad (banner) space on 971TheFan.com for an entire day (streaming pre-roll and web players not included), what do you believe a reasonable price would be for this sort of exclusivity?
Please use the poll below to choose one of the preset prices, or enter a price of your own...
Your participation will help as we create web sales strategy for the coming year. Watch for more of these quick and simple polls in the future.
Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Friday, October 09, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Did You Know 4.0
This is another official update to the original "Shift Happens" video. This completely new Fall 2009 version includes facts and stats focusing on the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology, and was developed in partnership with The Economist. For more information, or to join the conversation, please visit http://mediaconvergence.economist.com/ and http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/.
Content by XPLANE, The Economist, Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod and Laura Bestler. Design and development by XPLANE, http://www.xplane.com/.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Accountability is King
From today's Inside Radio:
Marketers Seek Accountability
Do more with less isn’t just radio’s operating standard. A new survey shows two-thirds of marketers are being told by their companies to drive more sales with the same or lower budget -- and three-quarters say their marketing budget has shrunk this year. Facing that challenge, accountability has taken on a much greater significance.
The St. Louis Business Journal report the same trend in their article about ad agencies taking a hit from Anheuser-Busch spending...
Anheuser-Bush has changed it's "free-wheeling, let’s-give-it-a-try attitude" for a more "scrutinized and calculated" results-based approach.
From the article...
"A-B has always been good at listening to agencies with good ideas. But now you’ve got to do more back-end research,” Litwicki said. “The way they make decisions is a lot more mathematical. It used to be enough to do brand building and create an image that would ultimately drive sales. Now they also want to see the component that will actually incentivize the consumer to pick up the product. When you come in with those solutions, they are very receptive."
Measurable results are beginning to matter more and more to advertisers, and they are cutting spending with their agencies to find marketing resources elsewhere who can provide those results. As the article above states, when you have an idea that is based on delivering actual results (rather than just another branding campaign) companies are ready to listen.
Marketers Seek Accountability
Do more with less isn’t just radio’s operating standard. A new survey shows two-thirds of marketers are being told by their companies to drive more sales with the same or lower budget -- and three-quarters say their marketing budget has shrunk this year. Facing that challenge, accountability has taken on a much greater significance.
The St. Louis Business Journal report the same trend in their article about ad agencies taking a hit from Anheuser-Busch spending...
Anheuser-Bush has changed it's "free-wheeling, let’s-give-it-a-try attitude" for a more "scrutinized and calculated" results-based approach.
From the article...
"A-B has always been good at listening to agencies with good ideas. But now you’ve got to do more back-end research,” Litwicki said. “The way they make decisions is a lot more mathematical. It used to be enough to do brand building and create an image that would ultimately drive sales. Now they also want to see the component that will actually incentivize the consumer to pick up the product. When you come in with those solutions, they are very receptive."
Measurable results are beginning to matter more and more to advertisers, and they are cutting spending with their agencies to find marketing resources elsewhere who can provide those results. As the article above states, when you have an idea that is based on delivering actual results (rather than just another branding campaign) companies are ready to listen.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Marketing to Inactive List Members
Some marketers feel that if a member of their email list has been inactive for a great length of time, that the list might be better served by deleting the name -- even if the list member themself has not requested to be unsubscribed. This has to do with the ego and expectations of the list owner more than the preference of the list member.
They say:
Account for 10% of your total annual sales, or even generate over $115,000 in a single campaign!
The DMA Email Marketing Blog has an interesting post up redefining "inactives" as "emotionally unsubscribed." They cite several instances where a significant number inactive list members have been triggered to take action based on their personal 'itch cycle.'
In one case, over $115,000 dollars was generated by making a special offer (a really great offer) to those list members who'd not click on the previous 25-40 past offers. Another statistic showed that over 10% of the revenue generated in 2008 had been contributed to the bottom line by list members who had not opened or clicked a single message in the previous year.
The lesson is to not over-obsess about inactive members on your list. Just because not everyone feels compelled to read every single missive you send, doesn't mean they won't remember you when their needs match your offers.
They say:
- Inactive list members create lower percentages of open rates
- Inactive list members lower the ratio of clicks
- Inactive members lower the percentage of return on investment
Account for 10% of your total annual sales, or even generate over $115,000 in a single campaign!
The DMA Email Marketing Blog has an interesting post up redefining "inactives" as "emotionally unsubscribed." They cite several instances where a significant number inactive list members have been triggered to take action based on their personal 'itch cycle.'
In one case, over $115,000 dollars was generated by making a special offer (a really great offer) to those list members who'd not click on the previous 25-40 past offers. Another statistic showed that over 10% of the revenue generated in 2008 had been contributed to the bottom line by list members who had not opened or clicked a single message in the previous year.
The lesson is to not over-obsess about inactive members on your list. Just because not everyone feels compelled to read every single missive you send, doesn't mean they won't remember you when their needs match your offers.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
How Does Your Marketing Measure Up?
Read a great article in the latest MarketingProfs "Get To The Point" newsletter on Marketing Analytics. They recap a post from the Email Experience Blog on measuring the success of email marketing campaigns. This specifically addresses email, but the principle applies to ALL marketing efforts and the importance of pre-establishing metrics for success.
The blog post says data gathered on email marketing campaigns might not be as useful as you think. "Real danger lurks in not measuring the right factors or not measuring accurately. You could suffer lost revenue. You might not know which messages are working. And your sales team won't know what to focus on."
There are just SO many different things you can measure in marketing (especially online marketing), that it's extremely difficult to agree upon industry benchmarks in order to make effective comparisons. People are focusing on impressions or clicks or only those clicks that lead to a single sale.
The purpose of any marketing is to trigger an ACTION. Actions could include:
The blog post says data gathered on email marketing campaigns might not be as useful as you think. "Real danger lurks in not measuring the right factors or not measuring accurately. You could suffer lost revenue. You might not know which messages are working. And your sales team won't know what to focus on."
There are just SO many different things you can measure in marketing (especially online marketing), that it's extremely difficult to agree upon industry benchmarks in order to make effective comparisons. People are focusing on impressions or clicks or only those clicks that lead to a single sale.
The purpose of any marketing is to trigger an ACTION. Actions could include:
- Forward to a friend
- Signing up for a mailing list or additional informaiton
- Visit to a physical store location
- Attend an event
- Buy a product
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
A New Perspective on "Added Value"
The expectation of SOME advertising clients is that they are entitled to free radio spots, van stops, on-location broadcasts, web banners, email blasts, etc. that all seem to fall under the mysterious category of "Value Add" -- simply because they bought an advertising schedule. This expectation is utterly ridiculous. I don't know how media companies (especially Radio) ever let themselves get roped into this one-sided deal. What happened to the "win-win" deal?
Clients like this are either asking the media outlet to outright LIE to them about their "real" price (by hiding the costs of all the freebies deep within the traditional spot costs), or they really believe that media companies can afford this sort of "buy and bribe" practice.
My opinion has always been that this sort of "value add" would NEVER be permitted in any other business. Can you imagine walking into McDonald's and ordering a "Value-Add Meal?" That's where you buy the fries and drink and they give you the burger (and some McDonaldland Cookies) for free.
What about going to the movie theater and buying two tickets to see a show, and then expecting to receive free popcorn and Snowcaps from the refreshment stand?
Buying a new car and getting a boat for free?
Why are media companies (hello, Radio!) the only ones expected to do these sorts of things? The next time you have a client hitting you up for a bribe... er... I mean "value add" send them a link to the video below. Perhaps they gain a little insight into just how outlandish these expectations really are.
You want to offer your clients some REAL value-add?
The added value I bring to MY clients is that of creativity, experience, marketing savvy, and personal dedication to help them grow their business. If they're really interested in elevating the success of their company -- I want truly to help them solve their toughest marketing challenges. If, on the other hand, they just want the cheapest rates and to have the station van out on a Saturday handing out balloons and hotdogs (or worse yet -- will only buy into an advertising campaign to get seats at the next game or concert) they really aren't seriously interested in their marketing success so much as getting all the "free stuff" they can from the media company. If their business can be earned by those sorts of bribes, they really aren't a client that I'd be interested in working with. Let them pick someone else's pocket.
I'm a creative marketing professional that works tirelessly for my clients, and I expect a fair rate for my services. How about you?
Clients like this are either asking the media outlet to outright LIE to them about their "real" price (by hiding the costs of all the freebies deep within the traditional spot costs), or they really believe that media companies can afford this sort of "buy and bribe" practice.
My opinion has always been that this sort of "value add" would NEVER be permitted in any other business. Can you imagine walking into McDonald's and ordering a "Value-Add Meal?" That's where you buy the fries and drink and they give you the burger (and some McDonaldland Cookies) for free.
What about going to the movie theater and buying two tickets to see a show, and then expecting to receive free popcorn and Snowcaps from the refreshment stand?
Buying a new car and getting a boat for free?
Why are media companies (hello, Radio!) the only ones expected to do these sorts of things? The next time you have a client hitting you up for a bribe... er... I mean "value add" send them a link to the video below. Perhaps they gain a little insight into just how outlandish these expectations really are.
You want to offer your clients some REAL value-add?
The added value I bring to MY clients is that of creativity, experience, marketing savvy, and personal dedication to help them grow their business. If they're really interested in elevating the success of their company -- I want truly to help them solve their toughest marketing challenges. If, on the other hand, they just want the cheapest rates and to have the station van out on a Saturday handing out balloons and hotdogs (or worse yet -- will only buy into an advertising campaign to get seats at the next game or concert) they really aren't seriously interested in their marketing success so much as getting all the "free stuff" they can from the media company. If their business can be earned by those sorts of bribes, they really aren't a client that I'd be interested in working with. Let them pick someone else's pocket.
I'm a creative marketing professional that works tirelessly for my clients, and I expect a fair rate for my services. How about you?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Who's Yer GoDaddy?
Bob Parsons of GoDaddy.com is doing a great job of providing entertaining, yet informative, video content for his customers. What sort of content, advice, and expertise are you providing to YOUR clients?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Secrets of the Male Shopper
Great article in the BWOnline archive on the topic of targeting males in your marketing.
Advertising to men falls into more than the two cliched columns of the Metrosexual (fashion and 'product' obsessed) and the Retrosexual (sports and beer obsessed) -- the cliches only account for about %5 of the male population on the extreme edges of the spectrum. Here's how you reach the rest.
The best ideas from the article?
Advertising to men falls into more than the two cliched columns of the Metrosexual (fashion and 'product' obsessed) and the Retrosexual (sports and beer obsessed) -- the cliches only account for about %5 of the male population on the extreme edges of the spectrum. Here's how you reach the rest.
The best ideas from the article?
- Appeal to their inner-geek
Think Dyson vacuums and Bugaboo's new stroller - Allow for Advertiser-Activism
Today's males want to interact with their brands -- Just look at all the parody ads on YouTube - Not just Quick-Buyers -- They are Browsers
Men under 35 shop more like their sisters than their grandfathers - Provide Content Camouflage
Men's Health, Stuff, and Maxim -- all male mags, BUT -- two in every five pages pitch products. They are masks for men to shop without opening themselves to ridicule from their beer-buddies - Make 'em Comfortable
Most men might feel a bit out of place at salons and unisex spas -- but add alcohol and ESPN while they wait in queue for their pedicures and manicures, call it a "Grooming Lounge", and you just might have a $4-million dollar business like Washington DC's Michael Gilman and Pirooz Sarshar
Saturday, June 20, 2009
VBR for Video
Inside Radio shares these Nielsen stats in regard to increased interaction with online video:
Nielsen released May video viewing data that shows 134 million Americans watched online video content last month. That's up 13% from a year ago. The number of minutes a typical online video user watched jumped 49% to 189 minutes.
If you have a client that you know is using using tv spots now or in the past, a video pre-roll opportunity on the radio site can take advantage of video that has already been produced, but perhaps not fully utilized due to the higher cost of television airtime.
If the client has a product or service that would benefit from visual expores to our audience in addition to the audio spots already being aired, a landing page featuring product demonstration, client testimonials, or an amusing video that drives home an important point of their service can greatly increase the likelyhood of response by your audience.
Some great examples of video used to promote products:
1. http://www.insurance-mitchell.com/
Take a look about halfway down the page to see this creative use of a simple YouTube video embedding to brand his services and point out some perfect reasons why you need great insurance coverage.
2. http://www.savingsanity.com/
Simple 'talking head' video that promotes the advertiser's product while providing real informational content to the audience via the free tips presented in the video.
3. https://www.getsnuggie.com/
And the classic -- Snuggie. Sales not only increased exponentially once this landing page was created to enhance their already successful television spot, but a cult following developed by simple virtue of the new internet audience being reached. It wasn't long before people took the brand and product and started using it for their own creative ends:
Snuggie Remix (over 300,000 views)
Snuggie Pubcrawls (video from Chicago - WGN Radio, NYC, and San Diego - complete with media coverage)
Snuggie Parody (warning: strong - but hilarious - language) (4 MILLION views and climbing!)
Encourage your clients and prospects to use video.
Who knows where it might lead?
Nielsen released May video viewing data that shows 134 million Americans watched online video content last month. That's up 13% from a year ago. The number of minutes a typical online video user watched jumped 49% to 189 minutes.
If you have a client that you know is using using tv spots now or in the past, a video pre-roll opportunity on the radio site can take advantage of video that has already been produced, but perhaps not fully utilized due to the higher cost of television airtime.
If the client has a product or service that would benefit from visual expores to our audience in addition to the audio spots already being aired, a landing page featuring product demonstration, client testimonials, or an amusing video that drives home an important point of their service can greatly increase the likelyhood of response by your audience.
Some great examples of video used to promote products:
1. http://www.insurance-mitchell.com/
Take a look about halfway down the page to see this creative use of a simple YouTube video embedding to brand his services and point out some perfect reasons why you need great insurance coverage.
2. http://www.savingsanity.com/
Simple 'talking head' video that promotes the advertiser's product while providing real informational content to the audience via the free tips presented in the video.
3. https://www.getsnuggie.com/
And the classic -- Snuggie. Sales not only increased exponentially once this landing page was created to enhance their already successful television spot, but a cult following developed by simple virtue of the new internet audience being reached. It wasn't long before people took the brand and product and started using it for their own creative ends:
Snuggie Remix (over 300,000 views)
Snuggie Pubcrawls (video from Chicago - WGN Radio, NYC, and San Diego - complete with media coverage)
Snuggie Parody (warning: strong - but hilarious - language) (4 MILLION views and climbing!)
Encourage your clients and prospects to use video.
Who knows where it might lead?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Silent Click
Interesting stats about the marketing value a banner delivers beyond just the "click." Take the information with a grain of salt -- after all, the study was commissioned by the OPA (Online Publishers Association) an organization whose best interest is to promote the sale of banner ads.
The OPA's position is that, just because a web visitor didn't click on your banner doesn't mean your money was wasted. Study findings include...
The OPA's position is that, just because a web visitor didn't click on your banner doesn't mean your money was wasted. Study findings include...
- One in five conduct related searches and one in three visit the brands’ sites
- Users spent over 50% more time than the average visitor to these sites and consumed more pages
- Users spent about 10% more money online overall, and significantly more on product categories related to the advertised brands
- Higher income audiences visited the advertisers sites
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Sell Smart - Not Hard
Very quick (but very good) interview with sales guru, Jeffrey Gitomer from SalesRepRadio.com.
"The salesperson, man or woman, who walks into the potential buyer's office and starts to puke all over them about how great they are and how wonderful their product is... they're going to lose, or they're going to fight the price because they haven't differentiated themselves in any way."
~Gitomer
Click the PLAY button below to hear the short audio interview:
Sell Smart - Not Hard
"The salesperson, man or woman, who walks into the potential buyer's office and starts to puke all over them about how great they are and how wonderful their product is... they're going to lose, or they're going to fight the price because they haven't differentiated themselves in any way."
~Gitomer
Click the PLAY button below to hear the short audio interview:
Sell Smart - Not Hard
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Meaningful Online Engagement
Heard of a new book today called "Dot Boom" about how to created meaningful online messages that engage the Boomer generation. I visited the book's website (http://www.dotboombook.com/) and watched a 45-minute presentation by co-author David Weigelt. Definitely worthwhile...
My favorite bit was a quote he used from Albert Einstein:
"Not all that can be counted counts and not all that counts can be counted."
~Albert Einstein
What a great seque line to use the next time someone wants to focus on CPM pricing instead of achieving results!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Jump-Start Your Car Business
The latest issue of Fast Company's Now Daily email newsletter (you can sign-up for free by clicking here) shares 25 ideas for getting the automotive business back into drive. Why not take a look and see how many of the concepts you might borrow for use as VBRs to contact the car dealers on your client list?
Some of my favorites...
#5 Why geckos can't solve the problem
As powerful as advertising and marketing are, they're not going to save the American car industry. What the industry needs is a vision. Tell us why we should want your cars. If you can't figure out what makes your product special, then it's probably not special. When you do have something to say, market the hell out of it.
#8 Urban Outfitters
Car-free living is the car dealer's worst nightmare, but it also may be their greatest opportunity to reinvent themselves. The auto industry could reframe itself as a transportation industry in the same way some of the oil companies have started talking about themselves as energy companies. What events or features could car companies sponsor? "Imagine a young professional driving her GM car from her suburban home to a well-maintained train station, taking her GM collapsible bike from the trunk, boarding the GM train to the city, unfolding the bike in 15 seconds, and riding to work," says the director of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking. "Now is the time."
Some of my favorites...
#5 Why geckos can't solve the problem
As powerful as advertising and marketing are, they're not going to save the American car industry. What the industry needs is a vision. Tell us why we should want your cars. If you can't figure out what makes your product special, then it's probably not special. When you do have something to say, market the hell out of it.
#8 Urban Outfitters
Car-free living is the car dealer's worst nightmare, but it also may be their greatest opportunity to reinvent themselves. The auto industry could reframe itself as a transportation industry in the same way some of the oil companies have started talking about themselves as energy companies. What events or features could car companies sponsor? "Imagine a young professional driving her GM car from her suburban home to a well-maintained train station, taking her GM collapsible bike from the trunk, boarding the GM train to the city, unfolding the bike in 15 seconds, and riding to work," says the director of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking. "Now is the time."
Friday, March 27, 2009
Powerful Questions
Sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer says: "Ask smart questions and they'll think you're smart. Ask dumb questions and they'll... well... you figure it out."
Dumb questions:
What will it take to get your business?
(If you don't know -- go away.)
Can you tell me a little about your company?
(There's a little something I like to call "research." Look into it. Start with Google.)
What's your budget?
(Jeez. Just point a gun at them and grab their wallet.)
My friend Scott Ginsberg created a great video that shares "44 Killer Questions Your Competitors Aren't Asking" and I've embedded it below. Before you wipe your brow and say "Whew!" these are "starter" questions, meaning that Scott gives you a great beginning to a question -- you're still going to have to put some thought into the subject of the question in order to really drive it home and make it personal to your customer.
Now, THAT'S smart.
Dumb questions:
What will it take to get your business?
(If you don't know -- go away.)
Can you tell me a little about your company?
(There's a little something I like to call "research." Look into it. Start with Google.)
What's your budget?
(Jeez. Just point a gun at them and grab their wallet.)
My friend Scott Ginsberg created a great video that shares "44 Killer Questions Your Competitors Aren't Asking" and I've embedded it below. Before you wipe your brow and say "Whew!" these are "starter" questions, meaning that Scott gives you a great beginning to a question -- you're still going to have to put some thought into the subject of the question in order to really drive it home and make it personal to your customer.
Now, THAT'S smart.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Social network ads are tough sell to Gen-Y
Seeking to grab the attention of Gen Y's on social networks? Better put away the old online display ads if you're seeking to grab the attention of Gen Y's on social networks. A new study by the Participatory Marketing Network and Pace University shows traditional banner ads to be ineffective to young adults aged 18-24.
Researchers asked a group of Gen Y's if they notice ads at all when navigating through a social community, and if they approve of them. While 84% said they notice ads on social networks, only 19% said they find them "relevant."
Researchers also found that 74% of the young consumers in the study click on social network ads "infrequently," and 36% don't click on the ads at all.
There were a few signs of hope in the results --
62% of the respondents said they have "visited a brand or fan page on a social network" and 48% said they have "become a fan or friend of the company or organization" showcased on a brand or fan page.
The top three reasons respondents cited for joining a brand or fan group were: get product updates ( 67%), view promotions (64%) and view or download music videos (41%).
Read full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=29703
Researchers asked a group of Gen Y's if they notice ads at all when navigating through a social community, and if they approve of them. While 84% said they notice ads on social networks, only 19% said they find them "relevant."
Researchers also found that 74% of the young consumers in the study click on social network ads "infrequently," and 36% don't click on the ads at all.
There were a few signs of hope in the results --
62% of the respondents said they have "visited a brand or fan page on a social network" and 48% said they have "become a fan or friend of the company or organization" showcased on a brand or fan page.
The top three reasons respondents cited for joining a brand or fan group were: get product updates ( 67%), view promotions (64%) and view or download music videos (41%).
Read full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=29703
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Nationwide Is All A Twitter
Meet Shawn Morton.
He's the Senior Consultant for Social Media at Nationwide Insurance.
Nationwide Insurance hired a full-time guy to oversee their social media. That's huuuuge. Shawn's job (according to his linkedin.com profile) is "establishing the enterprise social media strategy and advocating social media within the organization." (Watch your back Shawn. I want that job.)
Shawn recently held a Twitter 101 seminar for his Nationwide associates and was kind enough to post his slides on a (what else?) social website dedicated to sharing presentations.
Slide 12 should be of special interest to any of you with 'boring old insurance accounts who cut all their advertising budgets this year...' It's a screen filled with some logos of corporate entities who are using Twitter. Among them: State Farm Insurance, Allstate, and of course Nationwide.
For any of you who've wondered why I send links to companies and articles and examples of businesses who are embracing new media as an option to traditional advertising -- THIS is the reason. Because, although they've reduced their spending on traditional media advertising, they are embracing and investing time AND MONEY into developing their social media efforts.
Become an expert in social media and apply the concepts of effective marketing principles to this new way of communicating to your audience and YOU will be the expert to whom they turn when they decide to reallocate advertising dollars to social media dollars. YOU can be the social media expert who gets rewarded for helping these companies strike up a dialogue with the audience that already loves YOUR brand and communicates through YOUR traditional media and social media tools.
He's the Senior Consultant for Social Media at Nationwide Insurance.
Nationwide Insurance hired a full-time guy to oversee their social media. That's huuuuge. Shawn's job (according to his linkedin.com profile) is "establishing the enterprise social media strategy and advocating social media within the organization." (Watch your back Shawn. I want that job.)
Shawn recently held a Twitter 101 seminar for his Nationwide associates and was kind enough to post his slides on a (what else?) social website dedicated to sharing presentations.
Slide 12 should be of special interest to any of you with 'boring old insurance accounts who cut all their advertising budgets this year...' It's a screen filled with some logos of corporate entities who are using Twitter. Among them: State Farm Insurance, Allstate, and of course Nationwide.
For any of you who've wondered why I send links to companies and articles and examples of businesses who are embracing new media as an option to traditional advertising -- THIS is the reason. Because, although they've reduced their spending on traditional media advertising, they are embracing and investing time AND MONEY into developing their social media efforts.
Become an expert in social media and apply the concepts of effective marketing principles to this new way of communicating to your audience and YOU will be the expert to whom they turn when they decide to reallocate advertising dollars to social media dollars. YOU can be the social media expert who gets rewarded for helping these companies strike up a dialogue with the audience that already loves YOUR brand and communicates through YOUR traditional media and social media tools.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Branding vs. Awareness
The PR News Blog has a nice post on the difference between branding and awareness...
"Often people mistake branding with awareness. Awareness is fleeting. Like a fireplace -- there's fire as long as you're feeding it logs. Branding is the ability to leave the family room and still feel the glow of the fire within."
I also liked their advice on making sure your brand possesses the four tenets of branding: intellectual, intuitive, emotional, value-based.
A good article to keep in mind when discussing awareness and branding campaigns with clients.
"Often people mistake branding with awareness. Awareness is fleeting. Like a fireplace -- there's fire as long as you're feeding it logs. Branding is the ability to leave the family room and still feel the glow of the fire within."
I also liked their advice on making sure your brand possesses the four tenets of branding: intellectual, intuitive, emotional, value-based.
A good article to keep in mind when discussing awareness and branding campaigns with clients.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Dismantling Trusted Marketing Strategies
Great post from Brian Massey at the Society for Word of Mouth Marketing.
Your Wake-Up Call...
Your Wake-Up Call...
- TV is not an effective way to communicate, video is.
- Radio is not an effective way to communicate, the human voice is.
- Print is not an effective way to communicate, words and images are.
- Web sites are not an effective way to communicate, solving problems is.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Do Ads Work?
A great post to kick-off the new year for anyone buying (or selling!) advertising. Forward this post to your favorite media salesperson or buyer.
Do ads work?
by Seth Godin
If the local bank were offering a sale on dollar bills, ninety cents each, how many would you buy?
Most rational people would say, "I'll take them all please." Especially if you had thirty days to pay for them.
So, why, precisely, do you have an ad budget?
If your ads work, if you can measure them and they return more profit than they cost, why not keep buying them until they stop working?
And if they don't work, why are you running them?
The time-tested response is that you're not sure, that ads are risky, that you can't tell. And for some sorts of products and some sorts of ads, you'll get no argument from me.
Digital ads are different (or they should be). You should know cost per click and revenue per click and be able to make a smart guess about lifetime value of a click. And if that's positive, buy, buy, buy.
And if you don't know those things, why are you buying digital ads?
When Amazon was at its key growth peak, the mantra there was $33. They would buy unlimited ads, of any kind, as long as they generated new customers for $33 or less each. There was a risk that $33 was too high a number for the business to sustain, but the ads were no risk at all. As long as they came in under that number, there was unlimited money to buy them.
How often do year the marketing person say, "that's a neat idea, but we don't have the budget this year"?
Shouldn't she say, "We have an unlimited budget for ads that work"...
Do ads work?
by Seth Godin
If the local bank were offering a sale on dollar bills, ninety cents each, how many would you buy?
Most rational people would say, "I'll take them all please." Especially if you had thirty days to pay for them.
So, why, precisely, do you have an ad budget?
If your ads work, if you can measure them and they return more profit than they cost, why not keep buying them until they stop working?
And if they don't work, why are you running them?
The time-tested response is that you're not sure, that ads are risky, that you can't tell. And for some sorts of products and some sorts of ads, you'll get no argument from me.
Digital ads are different (or they should be). You should know cost per click and revenue per click and be able to make a smart guess about lifetime value of a click. And if that's positive, buy, buy, buy.
And if you don't know those things, why are you buying digital ads?
When Amazon was at its key growth peak, the mantra there was $33. They would buy unlimited ads, of any kind, as long as they generated new customers for $33 or less each. There was a risk that $33 was too high a number for the business to sustain, but the ads were no risk at all. As long as they came in under that number, there was unlimited money to buy them.
How often do year the marketing person say, "that's a neat idea, but we don't have the budget this year"?
Shouldn't she say, "We have an unlimited budget for ads that work"...
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