Proliferation

Oct 17
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Registering to Vote Advertisements

By | advertising, marketing agencies | No Comments

This election season has brought on a turbulence that we have never seen before. Marketing agencies around the nation are taking the opportunity to encourage people to get out and vote, regardless of the stance. The millennial crowd has long since been the target of this plea, leaving many celebrity A-listers prepared to do whatever it takes.

A History of Voting Campaigns

With the help of marketing agencies, celebrities do their best to create social and political movements. “Rock the Vote” was introduced in the 1990s. This movement was described as a progressive-aligned group whose mission is “to engage and build the political power of young people.” After seeing the impact that a celebrity voice can have, Diddy created the “Vote or Die” campaign of 2004. The campaign was even featured on an episode of “South Park.”

This Year’s Efforts

This week we have been faced with not one but two celebrity super groups who are urging us to get out and vote. Hollywood is typically known for leaning left, and the “Save the Day” group proves that. People like Robert Downy Jr. and Neil Patrick Harris got on camera to voice their concerns and shout the plea of “register to vote and make your voice heard on election day.” Though they make their political stance very clear, this advertisement is highlighted with humor at the promise of Mark Ruffalo doing a nude scene.

The second group of celebrities promotes the “Vote Your Future” campaign. People like Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Roberts got together for a more generic piece that asks young voters to figure out what they care about and vote for it. Their movement was more about sharing what matters to them and why they will vote. They took a page right out of the handbook of top marketing agencies and made it social media accessible.

Regardless of what side you’re on, the obligation to be part of the decision is now stronger than it ever has been. If you haven’t heard it enough, get out there and make your voice heard.

Sep 21
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Fusion 360: The Michael Phelps of Digital Advertising

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

Michael Phelps has 23 individual medals, 13 of them are gold. He is one of the greatest Olympians of all time. We are especially big Phelps fans because we too have won a ridiculous amount of awards. In fact, Phelps only has us beat by one medal. Soon, we’ll have more awards than Michael Phelps. That may sound braggy, but is it bragging if it is true?

Let us take a look at our advertising agency here in Utah. Fusion 360 has been pulling in awards since the company’s inception fourteen years ago. Fusion 360 has raked in 18 Telly awards, three Emmy awards and one Webby. We do not see Michael Phelps with any Emmys.

Not only is Fusion 360 one of the premiere digital marketing companies in the country, it is the number one premiere advertising agency in the state of Utah. What does it take to be this awesome you may ask? Well, while Phelps may pride himself on swimming, does he play 19 games of ping pong a day? Utah’s number one advertising agency consumes 86 cans of soda a day. Maybe if Michael Phelps consumed sodas like we do, he would have more medals.

Phelps dropped the 200 Meter at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Fusion 360 never drops the ball. Never.

Being Utah’s Number one advertising agency is not easy. However, we are up to the challenge. Yes, Michael Phelps is one of the greatest Olympians in history. Medal count: Phelps —23. Fusion 360 — 22.

If Phelps was our older sibling we would be bragging about how we almost beat him. I think it is safe to say Fusion 360 is the Michael Phelps of advertising agencies, not just in Utah, but also in the entire United States. See you in the medal count, Phelps!

Sep 07
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How to Offer Useful Feedback to Your Advertising Agency

By | advertising | No Comments

As the premier advertising agency in Utah, we work with a variety of clients. We love our clients. We wouldn’t exist without them. Productive feedback and communication is key to successful advertising. We love when our clients give us feedback because it helps us realize their visions and meet their needs.

We have heard tales from other agencies, though, of clients whose feedback wasn’t exactly helpful. Here are a few professional tips for how you, as the client, can offer the most helpful feedback to your advertising agency.

Know What You Like

When you approach your advertising agency with feedback, make sure you know what you want. It is easy to say, “I don’t like this.” That’s not the most helpful feedback, though, because it leaves your agency thinking, “So, what don’t you like about it?” and “What do you like?”

If you don’t like something, have specific reasons why you don’t like it. Explain the exact elements that concern you, and don’t forget to offer up something positive as well. People will be more responsive to making change when they feel that their initial efforts were valued.

Have a Plan

If there is something you don’t like, offer a solution or a direction to achieve what you do like. For instance, if a design came back in a shade of royal blue, don’t just say, “We do not like royal blue.” Instead, say, “Royal blue really isn’t our thing. We prefer to use a solid navy. Could you make this navy?”

Back It Up With Numbers

If you want to make major changes, it’s helpful to have some data to back up your thoughts. It could be as simple as past customer feedback surveys or an industry trend report. Professionals love numbers, and they’ll want to create products that work with the data, not against it.

Be Open to Advice

At the end of the day, always be open to advice. Your advertising agency may create a product that is different than anything you’ve ever done before. Your reaction may initially be, “I don’t like it,” but give your agency a chance to explain its reasoning. Sometimes, it takes stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new to beat the competition.

Aug 29
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The Wonderful Women of Advertising

By | advertising | No Comments

Since its onset, advertising has remained an every-changing industry. Though Madison Avenue once wasn’t a place for women, that paradigm continues to change. The anti-feminist culture behind old advertising tactics is no more.

Women continue to bring new ideas and perspectives to what was once thought of as a man’s world. Confident women are now spearheading digital marketing firms and pushing cultural boundaries.

However, if it weren’t for the pioneering women of the past, we may have been doomed to be “damsels in distress” forevermore. So without further ado, we celebrate a few of the women who helped shape advertising into what it is today. Here’s to a future of endless innovation.

Helen Lansdowne Resor

Resor was determined to change things from her work environment to her life. She was active in the suffrage movement and fought to push boundaries that men had placed around her. Resor confidently led an entire department of women copywriters at J. Walter Thompson’s firm. She used sex and feminism in her work, and was the first woman to be successful in national ad campaigns. Modern digital marketing firms admire the footprint she left in the industry.

Caroline Jones

Living in a nation that was still in turmoil over racial boundaries, Miss Jones did everything in her power to break race and gender barriers. She started as a secretary and copywriting trainee who worked her way up to the position of Creative Director. Jones started her own agency. As the executive vice president and Creative Director, she saw success with campaigns for McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and American Express.

Jane Maas

Mass is considered to be one of the founding mothers of advertising. If it weren’t for her work, digital marketing firms wouldn’t be what they are today. Maas was the brains behind the “I Love New York” tourist campaign that has grown to be legendary. With over 47 creative awards and five published books under her belt, she continues to inspire new generations of women to take on the challenges of the world of advertising without fear.

WOMEN-IN-ADVERTISING

Aug 22
0

What Instagram’s Story Feature Means for Advertising

By | digital marketing, Instagram | No Comments

There’s a great adage from Oscar Wilde that speaks continually more truth as our society evolves: “Talent borrows, genius steals.”

Instagram has taken Wilde’s words to heart recently by releasing its newest feature, Instagram Stories. The app will now let you post videos and photos of your daily shenanigans that people can view for 24 hours. After that, the content disappears.

If you’re a Snapchat user, that feature probably sounds wildly familiar because the company implemented that same conceit into its app months ago and users and digital marketing companies alike used the feature to help broadcast their brand on a larger scale and a more creative way.

“Instagram is a follower platform where Snapchat is more of a best friend platform,” VP of platform partnerships at VaynerMedia said to Advertising Age. “Snapchat hasn’t encouraged brands to build up huge followings.”

Instagram Stories is a no-brainer, especially since the company is considered to be very brand friendly for companies who look to advertise on the app. Digital marketing companies are also looking to take Instagram Stories more seriously than Snapchat Stories because the audience base is so much larger. Snapchat revealed they have 100 million daily users, whereas Instagram has 300 million daily users.

The differences between the audience reached between the two users has already been notable. Within 24 hours, a video from Nike on Instagram Stories had 800,000 views. Nike’s most viewed video on Snapchat Stories has been 66,000.

For digital marketing companies and other businesses looking to make a name for themselves, it looks they’ll be better off investing their efforts into Instagram then Snapchat. Not only does Instagram have more users, but they tend to have a larger base of both millennials and people in their 30’s and 40’s, whereas Snapchat is almost exclusively a millennial audience.

Aug 15
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Avoiding Poor Taste in Advertising

By | advertising, Utah | No Comments

Advertising agencies in Utah and throughout the rest of the United States are always trying to push boundaries. We want to do things that no other agency ever has before. Agencies have to be careful, though, that in their quest to be creative and innovative they don’t go too far and produce advertisements that are in poor taste.

Aug 12
0

Facebook and Google Rule Mobile Advertising

By | marketing agencies | No Comments

While Facebook and Google fight each other to see who will reign supreme in mobile advertising, every other company seems to not even be trying in the ad space.

Mobile advertising is the fastest growing digital advertising format in the US, but there seems to be a hesitancy with businesses investing in it. Some marketing agencies are trying to get ahead of the curve by investing advertising dollars in apps, but some companies that dominate the mobile space like Twitter and Alibaba don’t take that as a sign that companies want to advertise on its mobile platform. Google and Facebook are betting that is what companies want, and the bet has paid off big time.

Together, the two companies own about half of the mobile ad revenue in the entire world, and that revenue keeps growing in the billions. The weird thing though is that Google and Facebook’s investment in advertising on mobile devices doesn’t seem like that big of a gamble to begin with. Twitter’s small investment in mobile advertising seems like a much bigger gamble.

Think about it: You can’t walk down the street without seeing at least a couple of people on their phones checking their social media, reading the news or playing “Pokemon Go.”

Google and Facebook have an excess of information on pretty much everyone — from your favorite type of music to what you’ve been shopping for online. Those analytics help marketing agencies understand what type of ads to place on your phone, which is invaluable information for them.

The biggest caveat to mobile advertising is the increase of actual purchases made on your phone isn’t increasing. Entering in your credit card number or buying plane tickets is just way easier to do on a laptop than a phone still.

But there’s hope that the problem will still be fixed. According to BI intelligence, Marketing agencies and companies alike are expecting to spend nearly $42 billion on mobile advertising.

Aug 08
0

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
0

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
0

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.