Archive for March, 2008
March 31st, 2008
One study showed that award-winning commercials - like the one below by Nike - engaged viewers within 1.5 seconds, versus the traditional 5 to 7 seconds.
Companies like NeuroFocus (in which ratings giant Nielsen bought a stake last year) and EmSense are some of the leaders of this type of work. More in-depth information is available at the Advertising Research Federation, which is hosting its annual conference this week in New York.
March 27th, 2008
Who knew? A major national survey reported this week that wealthy donors - those who give a minimum of $1,000 with an average annual donation of nearly $11,000 - PREFER to donate to their favorite non-profits via online tools versus any other method.
The survey was conducted by Convio, Sea Change Strategies and Edge Research and talked to more than 3,000 donors from 23 major nonprofits. Some of the results include:
- Major donors are online - 80 percent say they’ve made donations off- and online, with 51 percent saying they prefer to give online.
- Email is under-utilized to reach donors - 74 percent of survey respondents said they’d like an email from non-profits to remind them to send in their annual gift.
Traditionally, non-profits are focused on relationship-building, wine-and-cheese receptions and direct mail…but perhaps they need to catch up to the wired world. So many of our activities are online now, and it’s time for non-profits to take heed.
Online communications are not only the trend, they also provide non-profits with a lower overhead and administrative costs. Email blasts, for example, cost pennies per mailing, whereas direct mail pieces cost hundreds of times more.
Reducing administrative costs while increasing donations - now that’s something all donors would support in their favorite charity.
March 17th, 2008
It’s well-known among advertising and marketing pros - those companies that maintain or, ideally, increase their marketing dollars during a recession will gain market share and a better return on their advertising investment. Today, the market place seems to be holding its breath (particularly after last night’s firesale of Bear Stearns), and there’s a lot of uncertainty and confusion.
During times like these, business owners may be inclined to pull back on marketing because there are employees to pay and inventories to maintain - and marketing can be seen as just an expense on the balance sheet. But that’s a mistake. Here are just three reasons why you should maintain or increase your advertising during a recession:
- You’ll stand out from your competitors who cut back, and probably eat into their marketshare.
- Customers need to know your name now - people still need goods and services, not matter what the economic climate…and they tend to turn to trusted names and brands during a down economy.
- Customers will remember you when the economy picks up again.
But don’t just take my word for it. John A. Quelch, the Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, posted this article - Marketing Your Way Through a Recession - a couple of weeks ago. Or take a look at Marketing Lowdown: Ad Spending During a Recession by Robert Grede, best-selling author of Naked Marketing: The Bare Essentials.
March 13th, 2008
So what does South By Southwest (SXSW) have to do with North in Illinois? Perhaps more than you think. This conglomerate show of music, new media, film, web and art design has grown into one of the best showcases of new talent and a preview of coming trends. Known by many as the Live Music Capitol of the World, Austin, Texas is a town of idea generation and the festival is growing exponentially. Having attended 2 years ago myself, I can attest to the sometimes baffling and no less than amazing amount of music (happening on 80 stages across the city), but have now become more attuned to what’s new in New Media and by viewing this year’s winners and it is clear to see that the rest of the country will be taking notes from the Texas capitol.
One of the most notable aspects of SXSW is the seamless integration of each division of the festival through websites saturated with video, links and interactive teasers sure to grab attention. We are talking about interactive podcasts, video of where to go in the convention center, and live chat with participants and presenters. It truly does seem like you can feel the pulse of what happened… http://pulse.sxsw.com/
Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh presents “Top Ten Lessons Learned in E-Commerce” at SXSW Interactive 2008. Photo by David Fox.
Check out top creative minds in music, art, interactive, blog, web design, business and film making, and learn how to stay fresh and inventive from the best in our field. http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/web_awards/winners/
“The SXSW INTERACTIVE FESTIVAL celebrates the creativity and passion behind the coolest new media technologies. In addition to panel sessions that cover everything from web design to bootstrapping to social networks, attendees make new business connections at the three-day Trade Show & Exhibition.” http://2008.sxsw.com/interactive/
Explore these sites and there is no doubt you will be energized to get creative!
March 10th, 2008
Is there something that your company can offer that will connect you with the community and potential customers, even at 2 a.m.? White Castle grabbed some attention by marking the time change over the weekend…something most people sleep through… and offered 2 free burgers to customers who came in between 1 and 2 a.m. Sunday morning. They made a celebration of a very mundane event, calling it “Daylight Cravings Time.” Though this was a short term promotion, it shows ingenuity and creative thinking and begs the question – how can your company or organization tie in to a holiday or calendar event like St. Patrick’s Day even April Fool’s Day!
Full article: http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=77966&Nid=40156&p=927852
March 6th, 2008
Fashion colors spring 08
There is plenty of evidence that colors in design mimic trends in fashion. As spring approaches, (and it is coming), it could be advantageous to bring some new color into your marketing materials to reflect the season. You can attract attention and reflect a contemporary image by simply adding new colors to an E-newsletter or postcard, or even something as simple as changing the color on your email signature. Check out this assessment from Pantone, the experts on all things color…
“Vibrant Snorkel Blue, a favorite this season among designers, is a dependable navy, but with more animation and sophistication. Warm, cheerful Freesia is an uplifting and inviting color to which people are instinctively drawn. It is also a color that allows for diverse accessorizing opportunities in jewelry and shoes. Brighter reds are consistent favorites in spring, and provocative Rococco Red is an exciting, attention-getting classic. The deep pink undertones of flowery Spring Crocus make it among the prettiest, most wearable purples.”
Read the rest of the article and get the latest news on color trends -
http://www.fashiontrendsetter.com/content/color_trends/2007/Pantone-Fashion-Color-Report-Spring-2008.html
March 5th, 2008
Is advertising on mobile phones the next great trend in the United States? With Nielsen’s latest report saying mobile phone ads are getting response rates of up to 50% - meaning HALF the people who viewed an ad actually responded to it in some fashion in the past 30 days - it would appear so. (And, for comparison purposes, a response rate in the mid-single-digits for a direct mail campaign is considered a smashing success.)
See the Nielsen survey results here.
This echoes earlier studies that shows mobile phone ads gaining acceptance - especially among “Generation Y.” This survey also noted that up to one-third of users would opt in to receive advertising in exchange reducing the cost of text messaging or other mobile communications options.
Certainly the field is in its infancy…at least here in this country…and will need to shake out before a reliable model is in place that everyday advertisers can use.
But, maybe ads on mobile phones aren’t as annoying as detractors would have us believe.
March 3rd, 2008
Rockford is home to lots of great advertising….and many of the area’s advertising pros gathered last Thursday (2.28.08) for the annual ADDY advertising award to recognize our work.
These awards are held by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) of Northern Illinois and are the first stop for campaigns as they move up to regional and, ultimately, national competition. Lots of great campaigns were recognized - take a peek at the winners and the video of the presentation:
List of winners
Award Presentation Video
ADDY Awards celebration pics
About the ADDY Awards
