Proliferation

Aug 08
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Navigating Advertising and Cancer Treatment

By | advertising, marketing agencies | No Comments

Advertising and marketing agencies are known for having a wide array of clients. They say it takes all kinds, and we prove that statement right. Sometimes our clients can be just plain weird, but hey, there’s a client for everybody. Our job as marketing agencies is to help our clients reach their clients. You might be interested to hear that there is one industry that comprises 86 percent of all the advertising dollars in the United States, and it is not the industry you might think.

In 2014, cancer centers in the United States spent $173 million on marketing and advertising. Research by Indiana University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh shows that in the nine years between 2005 and 2014, advertising costs for U.S. cancer centers increased more than three times over.

The study was conducted to take a deeper look into how advertising created by marketing agencies affects how cancer patients select treatment centers. The Universities’ research shows that the cancer centers that spent the most on advertising focused large amounts of their budgets on national media sources.

National advertising allows treatment centers to attract patients outside of their typical regions. However, the Commission on Cancer does not accredit more than half of the cancer treatment centers with the highest advertising budgets in 2014. So, what can marketing agencies do on their part to serve their clients and help to ensure patients get the best treatment available?

First, marketing agencies should be selective with their clientele. Running a business with integrity means taking on clients you feel good representing. Even if you wouldn’t use the product or service yourself, would you feel good about recommending it to a friend or family member?

Second, do your best to represent the facts. Most advertising for cancer centers relies on emotion. Emotion is an essential part of advertising, but try your best to present an equal amount of factual information. In this way, your agency can do its part to help those in need and give your clients the best product that you can.

Jul 26
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Advertising During the Olympics Faces Change

By | advertising, marketing agencies | No Comments

Advertising for the Olympics is second only to advertising done during the super bowl. Marketing agencies across the country are pulling up a chair and grabbing their popcorn to watch. This year, the marketing changes put in place by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make it one we can’t forget.

Exclusivity Is No More

For years brands like Coca Cola, Nike and McDonalds had a “You can’t sit with us!” kind of attitude. These 40 official Olympic sponsors created a blackout for all other advertisers. The other advertisers weren’t allowed to use the athletes or any Olympic intellectual property that might detract from these few special weeks. Athletes couldn’t even tweet a “Thank you!” to their promoters if their sponsors weren’t part of the special 40 club.

After complaints from athletes who pointed out that this was the only time the great people of America know their names, the IOC made the decision to even the playing field for other advertisers. Marketing agencies that represent these athletes now have the opportunity to feature them in generic ads throughout the entirety of the summer Olympics.

Companies like Under Armor are shouting for joy. Under Armor supports 250 athletes during the games. They have already included Michael Phelps in their newest “Rule Yourself” campaign.

Step Your Game Up

Some are complaining that evening the playing field is going to ruin the prestige that came with being part of the exclusive 40. The toughest of the marketing agencies are saying, “Bring it on.” No, I’m not quoting the cheerleader movie (Go Toros!).

Top agencies are promising to fight for the customer’s attention. Great advertising campaigns are more important than they ever were before. Who will get the gold and who’s about to belly flop? Turn off “Pokemon Go” during the commercials, because you are bound to see some legendary material.

Jul 20
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How to Get Consumers to Love Advertising Like We Do

By | advertising | No Comments

We love advertising. We do. We love it. We love it more than Kanye loves Kanye, more than Olivia Newton John honestly loves you, more than Whitney will always love you. There’s just one problem. Sometimes we think we might be the only ones. You see, marketing agencies live and breathe advertisements, but it’s becoming more and more simple for consumers to avoid them if they want to.

It started with DVR. Don’t want to watch commercials? Just skip over them. Then, there were ad-blockers. The internet was suddenly ad free. Now you can pay extra on services such as Hulu or YouTube Red to avoid watching commercials and advertisements as you stream entertainment. You can cut the cord and use streaming apps and devices like Roku to watch TV without really watching TV.

Part of us thinks that all of this is great. For decades the job of marketing agencies has been to help consumers get what they want. But we can’t break up with advertising. We love it. We want consumers to love it too.

How do you help a consumer fall in love with advertising? Make it relevant to them. The days of tossing a catchy jingle out into the open air and hoping for the best are over. Most consumers will never even hear the jingle.

Today, marketing agencies have to work together with brands to produce advertising that is less display and more distribution. Advertisements must become something consumers don’t want to live without. What will your advertisement teach consumers? What information will it provide that they absolutely need to know? Will it make their lives better? Will it make them feel something — nostalgia, pride or… love?

When in doubt, think Super Bowl. Super Bowl commercials are probably some of the last advertisements consumers actively seek after. Why? Because they inform them, teach them and make them feel something. For 30 seconds, they make consumers love advertising too. Don’t break up with advertising. Just make it better.

Jul 15
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The Most Influential Advertising Execs of All Time

By | advertising, Utah | No Comments

We don’t know about you, but when we think of advertising geniuses, we think of “Mad Men,” Don Draper, Roger Sterling — basically anyone from the AMC hit series. But there are real Don Drapers in today’s market of advertising, and they have killed the advertising world. Advertising agencies not only in Utah but around the globe have looked to these individuals for inspiration and tips on how to be a better advertising agency. They have mastered the art of advertising and have made billions of dollars in revenue for their companies.

Not all advertising is about giving great presentations and using the right colors, and these advertising agency execs, can prove that to you. Some of these names you might not recognize, but their companies you just might.

infuentialadvertisorsREDO

Jul 13
0

The First Advertisement Was Aired 75 Years Ago

By | advertising, commercials, Utah | No Comments

Advertising agency employees from Utah to the East Coast use the month of July as one of remembrance. No, we aren’t mourning a loss. Seventy-five years ago, on July 1, 1941, the first legal commercial ran during a baseball game and television would never again be the same – except for baseball, that’s always the same *yawn*. This date is a reminder of the continuous cycle of innovation.

The Illegal Ads

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) originally ruled that advertisements weren’t allowed on television. Advertisers across the country were about as bothered by that fact as Tyrion is bothered by being short (“Game of Thrones” spoiler: he’s not).

Ad men thought television lacked the prestige that came with traditional media. As the men who “drink and know things”, they weren’t questioned. Radio reached 90 percent of American homes. It was hard to picture anything that could top that.

In the 1930’s the rebels of advertising who proved to be “bad to the bone” created product placement. The announcer of the baseball game ran an ad for Proctor & Gamble, Socony Oil and General Mills. He held a bar of soap, wore a cap and sliced a banana into a bowl of Wheaties — though it’s hard to imagine how awkward this looked, the loophole was a doorway for advertisers.

The First Legal Ad

Television’s first legal commercial was reminiscent of the radio ads that would run. Bulova, a watch company, ran a grainy, shaky, 10-second ad during another baseball game. During the live ad the announcer read, “America runs on Bulova time.”

The first ad cost Bulova’s advertising agency a whopping *gasp* $4 to create and didn’t even reach those in Utah. Television has now become a $70 billion market place.

The Future of Television

What was once considered the bread and butter of the advertising agency industry is now questioned for its viability. In an age where viewers can skip the commercials to see if Khaleesi will finally rule the seven kingdoms, it leaves professionals from the state of Utah wondering where the innovation will shift next.

Jun 13
0

Advertising Must Make the Move Toward Mobile

By | advertising, marketing agencies, Mobile marketing | No Comments

With the drastic increase in smartphone popularity over the past 10 years has come a sudden decrease in the popularity of other media. The smartphone has become the GPS, television, calendar, ultimate connector and so much more.

While Americans are spending close to a quarter of their daily media time on mobile devices, advertising and marketing agencies are only spending a small fraction of their budget on mobile platforms. Some forward-thinking advertising and marketing agencies are calling for a shift in advertising and a conscious move toward an increase in mobile advertisements.

Out With the Old

In a world where the selfie is king and Facebook is the most popular media platform, big advertising and marketing agencies are still spending huge sums of money on print advertising. Though there is still a place for print advertising, there are several instances in which mobile advertising is drastically more effective.

Advertisements placed on TV and radio are doing reasonably well, but advertising on the internet is sub-par — and where mobile is concerned, nearly non-existent. In order to have a blended and totally effective campaign, it is important that advertising and marketing agencies let go of preconceived notions and get on board with mass mobile advertising.

If your target market mirrors the behaviors exhibited by the vast majority of Americans, then it is safe to say that mobile consumes your market’s time — and unless you meet them there, you risk being completely ignored.

In With the New

With the future of advertising tied so closely to Facebook, it is time to revolutionize the way advertising is executed and bring the ads to the masses. If smartphones and social media are the future of advertising, then that is where we must go.

Take the time to develop a serious plan to integrate mobile advertising into various campaigns.

In the past mobile advertising was considered a bonus — but today it is essential. You wouldn’t fight a Sith Lord without a lightsaber — a campaign without mobile advertisements is equally as hopeless.

Mobile advertising is more than just ads that pop up between levels of Candycrush or business pages of Facebook. Advertising and marketing agencies have the potential to put creativity in action and push the limits of mobile advertising. Whether these advertisements come on Instagram or Snapchat, there are hundreds of ways to advertise and interact with customers.

Apr 25
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How Do Good Slogans Influence Public Perception?

By | advertising, content marketing | No Comments

Good slogans are a mainstay of any successful marketing campaign. Since the dawn of advertising, these short, often simple phrases have been used to promote everything from diamonds to drain cleaner, cereal to cell phones, fast food chains and car insurance.

From digital marketing firms to old-school ad agencies, everyone in the industry knows the power of a good slogan. But how, exactly, do slogans work to influence public perception of your brand?

In essence, a slogan works by building a link between your brand and a higher purpose — whether that be a call to action, a broader concept or a far-reaching cultural norm. Through a powerful slogan, your brand transforms into something greater than the sum of its products; instead of selling a mere physical object, you are selling an idea. The more unforgettable the idea the better — as The Atlantic wrote in 2011, “The best slogans capture higher purpose in a memorable way.”

While it’s tempting to appeal to some grand, lofty purpose, a brand’s slogan still needs to have something to do with the brand itself. Stray too far from your brand’s original purpose and you’ll likely succeed only in confusing your target audience and digital marketing companies alike. Without a clear link to your brand’s identity, your slogan will bomb as badly as Dr Pepper’s “It’s Not for Women” (yes, that really existed).

A good slogan can also appeal to consumers subconsciously. Any digital marketing firms can tell you the importance of a call to action, but where slogans really shine is through call to actions that don’t have any specific endpoint. Consider the well-known Subway slogan, “Eat Fresh.”

The slogan itself is a clear call to action, but to what, exactly? “Eating fresh” is a rather vague concept; at what point has someone “eaten fresh?” In creating a slogan that primes customers for an unattainable goal, Subway ensures its consumers will always keep the sandwich company in some deep recesses of their minds, in endless subconscious pursuit of the elusive goal of “eating fresh.”

From digital marketing firms to multinational corporations, everyone relies on slogans to get their brand message across in one way or another. Whether your slogan speaks to family values, personal success or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a company mantra that resonates well with consumers is one with staying power.

Apr 15
0

How to Become a Video Marketing Master

By | advertising, Video | No Comments

In the current digital age, it’s become apparent that content marketing and video play a key role in the work of any advertising agency, from Utah to the East Coast. Video can easily capture someone’s attention — and video makes it increasingly easy to deliver a message. In advertising, things that are visual have been proven to be effective, helping to incorporate and engage your target viewership.

The Stats of Video Marketing

According to comScore, an American Internet analytics company, “just over 45 percent of Internet users viewed at least one video per month, and the average user is exposed to an average of 32 videos a month.” This is quite the amount of videos being watched. Imagine if your own video was being viewed that many times a month — it would make an incredible difference in your website’s traffic. Major retailers report that 90 percent of their shoppers find that video plays a critical role in a shopper’s purchasing experience.

Why Video?

In Utah and around the world, video is becoming a preferred form of marketing among consumers. A video is effective and can make the products or company more visible — rather than just the words on a page. According to a survey conducted by Internet marketing services Demand Metric and Ascend2, video is being used for brand awareness by 52 percent of marketers, and online engagement by 42 percent of marketers. The second largest distribution of channel usage by companies is through video sharing website like YouTube. The marketing services found that this was the second most effective distribution channel, just below the companies’ or brands’ own websites.

How to Make Engaging Videos

Any advertising agency would argue that most people aren’t excited to see the advertisements before their videos, but even so, this is a great way to market. As a Utah-based advertising agency with a video, you only have 10 seconds to grab the viewers’ attention. This is a critical thing to learn, because this will give you an idea of how long you want your video to be. Desktop users only have an attention span of approximately two minutes — so keep your videos short and to the point.

Make sure any video that your advertising agency produces is high quality — nothing makes your company look bad like a low-quality video. Your video should provide information that is both useful and informative. Also, making your videos user friendly can make it more appealing. Make the video interactive: have surveys your Utah consumer can take, make it engaging, but don’t get crazy.

Make sure you’re utilizing your videos for SEO purposes as well — include hashtags and your brand name. As an advertising agency in Utah, this will be critical to helping your client get the best of the best when it comes to their video marketing.

Mar 24
0

The 4 R’s of Good Content Management

By | advertising, content marketing | No Comments

In content marketing, both how much content you produce and what kinds of content are equally important for consumer engagement, sales and ultimately return on investment. Effective content management is an essential component of any content marketing campaign, for businesses in Utah and across the globe. For great content marketing strategy, follow the four R’s of content management.

Recycle

Unless you’re part of the world’s largest content marketing agency, chances are you don’t have the budget to produce only 100-percent-unique content every single day. Get the most out of your marketing content by recycling content and applying it to different mediums, tweaking things as appropriate. Change things up enough to develop a slightly different message for each format.

Reinvigorate

When you pull out old content to recycle it, make sure that all the information is still relevant in the present day. Update your information with all the latest statistics, latest website URLs, branding, etc. There’s nothing worse than recycling an old piece of work only to realize that one company in Utah or that particular website you reference no longer exists. And besides, content that’s no longer relevant is not content that drives conversions.

Retire

On the flip side of recycling content, know when to give up and retire old content that is simply no longer useful. Technology becomes outdated, trends change and people move on from one thing to another. Don’t risk letting your business get left in the dust, and get rid of old content in a timely fashion. Nothing’s worse than giving off the vibe of an outdated, out-of-touch business.

Replace

When you finally retire old content for good, it’s essential for content marketers to replace old content with something new and exciting. Keep things fresh and up-to-date with a mix of new and cutting-edge content and older staple pieces. You can even just spice up older pieces in order to maintain those original links and SEO value.

From businesses in Utah to the East Coast, content marketing is all about bringing in consumers organically. Stay on top of the game by following the four R’s of content management.

Mar 24
0

How Instagram’s New Algorithm Affects Mobile Marketing

By | advertising, Instagram, marketing agencies, Social Media | No Comments

If you do have an Instagram, then you already know the the Instagram traditionally posts from newest to oldest. Recently, however, Instagram has decided to change its digital marketing strategy. The new strategy involves having an image on top that Instagram thinks you will want to see the most, even if it was posted hours ago. So in relation to content marketing, the content a company advertises will now have to be an ad that an Instagram user will want to see.

So even though your friend posts another picture of her feet five minutes ago, that won’t be the first picture you’ll see which could be a good thing. Instead, Instagram will post a picture first based on the interaction you’ve had with another friend.

So What Does This Mean for Digital and Content Marketing?
Companies will definitely be put to the challenge of content marketing, making sure that the new 30 percent of photos that the viewer is seeing, is something that they’ll want on their feed. Digital marketers will need to revamp their looks and images to make them appealing at a glance. According to Instagram, people are only seeing 70 percent of their photos, and the new change will on average let them see about 30 percent, that 30 percent though is based on what the viewer wants to see.
Digital marketing companies who pay to have their ads on Instagram may likely have their post within those posts being seen by users. Users then have the option of following the business on Instagram and if they do want a follow, your company will be showing up on their feed more often. Of course the content marketing they see will be based off what the person is interested in.

Digital marketing companies, however, are seeing pros and cons to the change. Many have said that their posts may be missed due to not having much relevance to the viewer, while others feel that this new change is going to challenge them and they’ll have to bring a new strategy to the table.