Mad Avenue Blues
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts
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, 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?
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?
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!
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.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Godin Delivers the Goods
Video recording of a live seminar with Seth Godin.
Well worth the investment of an hour to view.
Pass this opportunity up at your own risk!
Well worth the investment of an hour to view.
Pass this opportunity up at your own risk!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Landing Page Video Piracy
Interesting take on providing engaging content on an advertising landing page:
http://www.vidsense.com/touchofgray/index.html#evtv1-2121
"Touch Of Gray" took video accessible from a video sharing site of a scene from "A Few Good Men" and embedded the video player on a promotional page. Since the video was actually provided via a social site using their embedded video player, I think this effective skirts the issue of licensing rights -- the infringer is actually the site that provides the video -- not the owner of the landing page.
We use similar reasoning when posting music videos from YouTube on the Mix site and sports videos on The Fan -- this example took it a step further by using a single advertiser. This could be a concept to exploit for advertisers of our own.
A Veterinarian landing page that displays a funny animal video...
A Sports Bar that displays a funny beer commercials...
A Travel Agency that uses a clip from the movie National Lampoon's Vacation...
An Employment Agency that uses video from Office Space...
An Insurance Agency that uses videos of catastrophes...
Lots of possibilities.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Videos Worth Viewing
A couple great media videos -- the first mocking banner ads (one of my favorite past times!) and the second mocking how pharma markets to women.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Tuning Out TV
An Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research TV & Technology study says some marketers have concerns about television as an ad medium and are relying more on the Web.
Some of the details of the January survey of 78 major advertisers:
Some of the details of the January survey of 78 major advertisers:
- 62% said TV ads have become less effective in the past two years
- 87% will spend more on Web advertising this year
- 44% are experimenting with TV ad models to work with consumer use of digital video recorders
- 49% are working on ad models for video-on-demand programs
- 87% said branded entertainment (such as sponsored shows) will play a stronger role in TV advertising in the coming year
An especially alert Radio Account Executive could probably name at least three opportunities that already exist in our Web tools that can not only take advantage of this trend, but provide valuable VBRs for contacting targeted prospects who could take advantage of the ideas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)