Proliferation

Apr 15
0

The First Commercials: A History of Advertising

By | content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, Utah | No Comments

Television advertisement has been around for decades and they’ve effectively helped businesses thrive for as long as they’ve been around. Advertising is defined as a form of communication intended to spread awareness about products and services with the intention of persuading consumers to choose that specific brand.

When we talk about television advertisements, we’re talking about television programs that are produced and paid for by advertisements from specific organizations that are trying to spread the word about their product or service. Throughout the 78 years that television advertisement has been around, it has proven to help brands grow indefinitely. As years go on, the value of television ads have risen throughout the years; a single, 30-second advertisement on the Super Bowl today costs upwards of three million dollars.

Video production companies today still utilize some classic television ad techniques and combine them with current techniques to create engaging content, and today we’re going to take a look at the first commercial that was ever aired and go over the history of television commercials.

The First Ever Commercial

The first commercial aired in the United States on July 1st of 1941 — the watch manufacturer, Bulova, not only aired in the state first but also first around the world. The commercial was 10-seconds long and featured a clock on top of a map of the United States with the brand’s name visible. The commercial used a voice-over to state that “America runs on Bulova.” This advertisement was aired on NBC (known as WNBT-TV back then) right before a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The Growth of Television Ads

Soon after the Bulova advertisement, other brands began to create their own commercials. Companies like the Pan American World Airways and Botany Worsted Mills started to invest in video production companies to create advertisements. Interestingly enough, the number of television sets in the U.S. increased significantly during the 40s, and by the end of this decade, the number of companies that chose to advertise on television was also growing exponentially.

With the flourishing of the advertising market, the American Association of Advertising Agencies was formed to regulate TV advertisements.

The Creation of Commercial Breaks

Today, video production companies are familiar with how commercial breaks work, but this form of advertising was brand new in the 1960s. At this time, one to two-minute advertising slots were introduced, and they were played during TV shows. This marketing technique was most efficient because long-television programs retained audience attention effectively, and companies such as Tide and Crest capitalized on this.

During an hour-long television program, nine to 10 minutes were reserved for advertisements.

After the launch of local cable TV, small companies began to reap the benefits of television advertising — this was perhaps the most important moment in advertising history. TV advertising has had a significant impact on how brands and businesses market themselves, and video production companies throughout the ages have managed to keep up with the industry’s evolution.

If your business is in need of a video production company to help get your name out, make sure to give us a call here at Fusion 360 Studios.

Apr 14
1

Images vs. Videos

By | advertising, content marketing, marketing, Social Media | No Comments

Although most content on social media platforms used to consist of images and text, now we are seeing more images and video than ever before. Visual content as the ability to capture users attention and allow them to use their imagination. Social media marketing companies have seen an increase in video marketing in the past few years, yet companies are not abandoning using images on social media.

Apr 13
0

Three Simple Things You Can Do to Promote Your New Company

By | content marketing, digital marketing, marketing, Social Media, Utah | No Comments

Starting a business is perhaps one of the most, if not THE most daunting task imaginable. You’re putting in your hard-earned money, valuable time, and all of your marbles into creating something hopefully valuable and something that will generate success for you, your family and your employees, so of course you’re going to be nervous. Up and coming businesses need to hit the ground running if they want to have a chance at success, and the best way to do this is by focusing on simple and effective tips to begin with.

Oftentimes, businesses overwhelm themselves by overcomplicating the initial promotion process, which leads to poor decisions and a devastating launch. Social media marketing companies are aware of this and know that if they want to help a start-up succeed, they need to simplify the initial process while making sure that they create a strategy that will help generate the most amount of traction. Here are three simple things that you can do to promote your new company.

Don’t Hesitate to Join Social Media

The very first tip that social media marketing companies will give you is to create social media accounts for your company. Social media is a great way to gain exposure, and the sooner you start, the better. Social platforms allow you to build and engage with an audience, showcase your content, and run free advertisements — social media is no longer just an option, it’s a necessary marketing method for all businesses.

2. Set Up a Website

Your website is going to act as your lead generation tool and information source for potential customers. To start, just worry about a basic website; don’t get too caught up in complexities, that’s where you’re going to start running into issues. Social media marketing companies often have web development teams that can help you create a website, but you can also use sites like Wix, Square Space or Word Press if you’re not looking for anything too fancy.

3. Network with Similar and Relevant Brands

Word-of-mouth is the single most effective way of marketing your product or brand. Hopefully, your customers are going to be the primary source of word-of-mouth advertising, but similar businesses can also help spread your company’s name. It’s important that you aren’t trying to solicit customers, but rather work with these companies to learn how you can grow your own consumer base.

From social media marketing companies to other brands within your industry, there are various ways to market your company, but these tips are going to get you some quick results while you come up with a more advanced and more rewarding strategy. If you need help promoting your new company, social media marketing companies are ready to help, and no company can help you more than us here at Fusion 360.

Apr 12
0

History of Marketing Companies

By | content marketing, digital marketing, Social Media | No Comments

It is hard to imagine a world without marketing, but such a time has to have existed, right? When did marketing become a thing and what was its earliest form? The goal of this blog is to explore these questions and look over the evolution of marketing/marketing companies over the years.

The First Signs of Marketing

The word “marketing” is found in dictionaries that date all the way back to the 1500s. While etymologists are able to prove that “marketing” has been a thing since the 1500s, the fact that people traded and sold goods well before this time might provide enough evidence to argue that marketing existed before that time as well. It is hard to really say when products and company owners first started to market their goods, but the printing press might have pushed things along.

Print Advertisement

Once Gutenberg created the world’s first printing press (in the 1450s), individuals and companies began to print and hang posters more and more. As time passed, people began to produce magazines, providing companies a wonderful opportunity to tell others about what they are doing. However, most individuals would agree that the practice began to take more shape during the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution

Up until the 1700s, companies were still unable to figure out a way to distribute products in a mass production and would, therefore, sell out of their products. Nonetheless, as the Industrial Revolution continued to change the world, companies began manufacturing enough product that they could sell their goods to a larger number of people. At this point, business owners could now push more people towards their products. By the close of the 1700s and the beginning of the 1800s, advertising agencies began to open up in London. While marketing companies and advertising agencies differ (especially today), this might be the closest thing to a marketing company or firm.

Evolution of Marketing

During those days, there really wouldn’t be too many marketing tactics outside of advertising in a magazine or on a poster, but with the development of technologies also came the development of marketing. Towards the end of the 1800s, companies could slap their copy onto the world’s first billboards, but once the 1900s started, the evolution of marketing really began to ramp up almost exponentially. Some historical facts can mark this evolution: the first radio ad played in 1922, the first television ad ran in 1941, telephones use became the majority in 1946 and telemarketing followed a quarter of a century later, and now we have digital marketing for the wide world of the internet. With the internet comes ads on normal webpages, in our emails, on online games, and more. As more media platforms develop, the more marketing evolves.

It is hard to say when the first marketing firm was established, but the first advertising agency is a good indicator as to when these kinds of companies started popping up. However, in today’s world, there are marketing companies for just about every different kind of marketing tactic. If you need help with any content marketing, SEO, brand development, social media and more, reach out to us, Fusion 360, the best digital marketing company in Utah.

Apr 10
1

How Realistic is the Advertising in the Mad Men TV Series?

By | content marketing, SEO, Social Media | No Comments

A lot of our understanding of reality and the accompanying mental images that we create are shaped by TV series and movies, so, with that said, how realistic is the advertising in Mad Men?

If it’s been a few years since you’ve seen Mad Men, it is the four-time Outstanding Drama Emmy-winning AMC original TV series that is based on a variety of characters that work at an advertising agency in New York during the 1960s. As you watch this fabulously-written TV series, you will follow multiple stories, all fictional, that show the characters presenting advertising pitches for companies like Kodak, Heinz, Life, Hilton and more. However, with the show still being viewed daily (thanks to its contract with Netflix), people still want to know how the “Sterling Cooper-Draper Pryce” agency compares to an actual advertising agency.

Mad Men Ads vs. Real Ads

Considering we are talking about advertising, we might as well start with the actual ads that the writers and the designers of the TV series created. Business Insider did a great job creating a compare and contrast of the ads you see in Mad Men vs. actual 1960-advertisements from the companies mentioned in the show. While the Mad Men ads have components of an actual ad that a company would produce, they miss out on the research and the captured target market in their ads. However, the creators of the TV series did a good enough job reproducing believable images that normal viewers would not question.

The Advertising Process and Pitches

There are multiple scenes that show intense pitch meetings, but where you’d usually find creative directors, account supervisors, and copywriters brainstorming and coming up with fresh ideas, you see television drama. Mad Men is often praised for its attention to detail and authenticity (as it should be), but you can’t have a successful TV series (that is based on a fictional story) by showing everything that happens at an advertising agency. For example, an area in which they lack, naturally, is how long and how much detail goes into actual meetings with potential clients. While Mad Men may share a few ideas and make negotiations in their brief meetings, they miss the additional detail of discussing casting, placement, videographer recommendations, slogans and much more that comes with an advertising campaign.

Stress

One of the areas that some ad junkies would agree Mad Men’s representation is accurate is the stress that comes with the job. Advertising agencies are definitely exciting places, but there is some serious pressure and high-stress that comes from trying to come up with a good idea that is supported with solid research.

Takeaway

Now, it may be a little unfair to be so critical of Mad Men — their authenticity of New York in the 1960s is quite amazing. The alcoholism, smoking, issues with gender and racism, and other reoccurring themes are definitely worth praising in this recreation, however, you just can’t capture everything that advertising is in a dramatic TV series. If you were to make it into a factual documentary, you’d be able to better see what an advertising agency looks like, but a TV series like this can only capture aspects. With that said, the depiction is pretty close, but it is like judging and understanding an individual’s entire life based on their Instagram alone.

Advertising has developed a lot since the 1960s, and we are in a world that is ran by digital media. If you want to learn more about what a modern advertising agency looks like, return to our homepage and take a look.

Apr 09
1

What is a Brand Film?

By | advertising, Utah, video production | No Comments

With all the different ways to market your company to your consumers, clients and the public, it’s hard to keep track of all the different tactics. One of the recent marketing tactics that is trending positively is the production of a brand film, but what exactly is a brand film and how does it differ from other video content?

Video production companies everywhere understand that a brand video is not a simple advertisement for a product, nor is it a promotional video. They are, however, supposed to show off your brand to your consumers and the general public in order to develop more trust and loyalty to your brand. When these videos are done right, your consumers should feel as if they can identify with your brand and connect on a deeper level. To expand more on what a brand film is, we will briefly discuss their purpose, what they consist of, and their future.

Purpose of a Brand Film

As we already mentioned, a brand film should ultimately build loyalty and trust between the consumer and your brand. Why? How? Simple. These are supposed to give viewers an inside look at your company. By giving consumers or clients a look inside your doors, they will see the culture of your company and find more ways to identify with the brand, developing an even more special relationship. In addition, video production companies suggest that these videos educate, engage and produce an emotion that viewers will feel.

What Your Brand Film Should Include

A brand film isn’t a short 30-second clip of people waving at the camera, but a two to five-minute video that conveys who your company is. This kind of video should display the inner workings of the company and consist of traditions and cultures that exemplify what makes you unique. Whether you interview the CEO, have a narrator, or simply throw up texts throughout the video, it has to have the company’s voice. If you are unsure how you might display your culture, secrets or anything special about your company, ask yourself, what makes your company tick? What is the driving factor behind the brand? What does the company do for others? From there, you should have plenty of ideas about what your video needs.

The Future of Brand Films

The more our world embraces digital content and representation, the more you’ll see brand films. Video production companies understand that these videos can have a strong influence on others, and therefore, these videos have a bright future. When a company creates a brand film that feels genuine and less like an ad, then they will see the positive results that come from consumers that trust their company.

If you want a similar result, you really should consider hiring a video production company. Without turning to professionals, you might end up with the wrong message. To guarantee your brand film turns out the way it should, consider contacting us, Fusion 360 — an award-winning video production company that has all the experience you need. For other inquiries, contact us today.

Apr 08
0

What is a Social Video?

By | digital marketing, Social Media, Utah, video production | No Comments

Videos content is amassing billions of views online, and if your brand isn’t taking advantage of video content marketing, you’re going to see yourself falling behind your competition. Video production companies exist because businesses need these professionals to create killer video content that’s going to bring in new audiences and help retain existing ones.

While you might be able to create your own video content, having a video production company help is definitely the best route to take; these companies are experts in video production and can be the difference between a successful social campaign and a social failure. Before we go on, we should probably explain in more depth what a social video is.

Social videos are a form of digital content that is designed to be seen and shared through social networks. Brands distribute these videos through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. There are other platforms such as Vimeo and Tumblr, but the big four are modern businesses’ target platforms.

Since these videos are distributed via these different platforms, they have to be optimized for each one; each platform has unique characteristics and audiences and therefore they require unique videos and editing patterns. Facebook videos will need to be edited differently than Instagram videos, which will be edited differently than Twitter videos, and so on.

Another thing worth noting when it comes to social video is that it by no means has to be a “viral” video. While it’s what we all want, social videos don’t need to get millions of views to be successful, it’s all about shareability and how effective it is when it comes to reaching your target audience.

Why Social Video is Crucial

People today watch millions upon millions of videos, choosing videos over articles, books or movies. This is why it is important for companies to take advantage of knowledgable video production companies to help them embrace social videos and connect with their audience. Brands across the nation are utilizing social videos to create more engagement, and if your brand doesn’t jump on board, you could see yourself falling behind.

Hopefully, this blog has helped give you an idea of what a social video is and how it can benefit your company. Video production companies know that these videos are valuable pieces of content, so your business shouldn’t hesitate when it comes to giving us a call here at Fusion 360 Studios. We’re ready to help you get started on your next social video project.

Apr 06
0

Which Social Platforms Should You Be Using?

By | content marketing, digital marketing, SEO, Social Media | No Comments

As a business, you want to make sure that you’re doing everything in your power to stay relevant in order to keep growing in your industry, and the best way to do this is by taking advantage of social media platforms. While you might be familiar with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, do you know which ones are going to help your company? You probably know that you don’t necessarily have to have an account for all of them, but you do have to make sure that you choose wisely on what platforms you’re going to decide to use.

These platforms all have their benefits, but there are some specific ones that you’re going to want to focus on if you want to help your business thrive. Here are the social platforms that professional marketing companies suggest you try utilizing based on your needs.

Twitter: Twitter is going to benefit your company if you want to provide your consumers with breaking news, announcements and other important and time-sensitive information. Easy, digestible text thrives on twitter and marketing companies recommend this platform for businesses who are based around immediacy.

LinkedIn: B2B businesses should have a LinkedIn account because it will help with lead generation. This platform can help you establish your company as a trusted leader in your field by posting a lot of editorial content. Marketing companies have also pinned down that the demographic on LinkedIn ranges widely from the 30-49 age range.

Pinterest: If your brand uses lots of images within your content, Pinterest is going to be the number one platform that you should be using. Marketing companies have found that 90 percent of users plan purchases while on Pinterest, so this graphics-heavy site is good for driving sales.

Facebook: This is the largest platform to date. With over two-billion users, Facebook is another great platform for lead generation, and it can also be beneficial to your brand in terms of building relationships and showing consumers the human side of your business. It is worth noting, however, that since Facebook is the largest platform, there is also going to be a great deal of competition on this platform.

Instagram: Once again, Instagram is a photo-focused platform, and you’ll want to create an Instagram account for your brand if you’re planning on showcasing your work.

These different platforms are great for different reasons, but you should narrow down your options to avoid wasting any valuable time trying to create a presence where it isn’t needed. If you’re looking to get some help establishing an online presence, give us a call here at Fusion 360.

Apr 05
0

4 Reasons Your Marketing Department Still Needs an Agency

By | content marketing, digital marketing, SEO, Social Media | No Comments

As a marketing agency, we understand that a lot of companies have their own marketing department, but does that mean that they will never need the help of an agency like ours? Absolutely not. Here are four reasons your in-house marketing team will need the assistance of an outside marketing company.

During Turnover

The first and absolute, no arguments about it, time that an in-house marketing department will need to outsource some of their work is during turnover. No matter how successful or unsuccessful your business is, every company experiences times where they have parts of their staff leave. Once one or two individuals on your marketing team take their careers elsewhere, the workload does not wait for your team to rebuild. In these moments, a marketing team can temporarily turn to a marketing company to help fill in the gap.

During a Surge of Work

There are moments when your team might confront special projects, annual reporting, or a major rebranding phase. At these times, an internal team can find their hands full with additional research and work that adds on top of their daily 9-5 work. To help your team avoid late hours and high amounts of stress, outsourcing your work will ensure that all the routine work is finished in a timely manner and the special projects get the focus and work that they need. Instead of an entire team feeling overwhelmed, it’s much easier to simply rely on the help of a marketing company.

Additional Knowledge and Specialties

An in-house marketing team is likely to have the talent they need in order to run their social media platforms, create strategies to increase their list potential clients/consumers, and even continue to develop their website or app, but what about other marketing specialties? You can find an assortment of marketing companies that provide you with additional abilities that your team doesn’t have but needs. Specialties such as SEO work, radio advertisement, or video productions are just a few examples of additional marketing skills that an outside marketing company can give you. Like we said, you may have talented individuals that can create plans and strategies, but there are other areas that you will want to rely on the experience and knowledge of others.

An Outsider’s Vision

Along with the additional knowledge and specialties that an outside agency might give you, they can also give you a new perspective. While your company and its employees may know their own selling point, content and functions unlike anyone else, this can sometimes blind you. After years and years of coming up with new ideas for the same product, the results might become redundant and need a fresh look. An outside marketing company could give you a new idea that your company really needs, but without taking the chance to outsource your work, you will miss out on the opportunity.

Whether you have a large marketing team or not, you can always find a need for a marketing agency. If you need any additional knowledge, specialty or perspective, don’t hesitate to contact us, Fusion 360.