Top 5 Brand Building Strategies

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Brand building is the process of generating awareness of your brand through marketing strategies and tactics, such as SEO. Despite what some people think, building a brand requires a lot more than communication and exposure. Brand building encompasses everything that consumers know, feel and experience with regard to your business.

Whether you have a marketing team or work with an advertising agency based in Utah, these five brand building strategies will help your brand grow.

Define

The first thing you need to do, and the most critical step, is to define your brand. Create a checklist of your company’s greatest strengths. When writing or posting content, go through this checklist and make sure that your writing reflects your company’s strengths. By reflecting your company’s strengths in your writing, consumers will be able to clearly identify and define your brand.

Your brand values are also an important aspect in defining your brand. Show consumers that you care about the environment and society by supporting local and national organizations. Depending on the industry you’re in, you could even vow to use as much recycled material as possible or conserve energy and water.

Differentiate and Position

If you want your brand to stick out, you need to differentiate and position your brand. Why should consumers buy your product? How is your product better than competitors? Pinpoint the unique advantage that your product has and use that to position your brand in a way that helps customers see why your brand is better than the competitors’.

One of the main duties performed by marketing firms is helping brands differentiate and position their products. If you don’t show consumers how and why your product is unique, how can you expect them to buy it?

Build

Building your brand takes time and consistency. Create a voice for your brand using blogs, forums and social media sites. By creating a voice for your brand and consistently posting content, you will help your brand grow because people will start to recognize your brand.

Another important aspect of brand building is developing a brand personality. Your brand personality affects how consumers think and what they say about your brand. This is what drives people to identify with your brand.

Personalize

Give your brand an identity. Engage with consumers and let them see and experience your brand’s personality. Create a brand that consumers want to identify with and provide them with the opportunity to co-create the values of your brand. This will help consumers feel like a part of the brand and give them a reason to engage with your brand.

Review

Marketing agencies constantly review their client’s brands and how well they’re doing. The fact is that brands have their ups and downs. Sometimes, brand strategies will work well and your company will benefit from it, and other times they fall short. Don’t become discouraged if your strategies don’t seem to be working; look for new opportunities and ways that you can improve.

Like any good advertising agency, consistently review your brand and find out what’s working. Make sure that you have clearly defined your brand, as well as differentiated and positioned it in comparison to others. Over time and through consistency, your company will grow and your identity will become clearer to consumers.

Sources:

http://www.coxblue.com/5-effective-brand-building-strategies-to-attract-customers-2/

http://www.brandanew.co/top-five-branding-strategies-used-big-players/

Why You Need a Content Marketing Strategy

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The marketing world is fast paced and ever changing. Keeping up with all the new social media platforms keeping up with the level of content needed can be a struggle for many marketing firms. Therefore, a strong strategy and skilled, hard-working professionals are essential in establishing an effective content marketing strategy for each client’s needs.

Brand

Branding establishes a company’s image for the public and what they associate with said company. Most of the content used for a client will be individually tailored to work with their specific brand. You wouldn’t write content about sports for a company who sells beauty products. Know your client’s brand and work your content to establish and maintain it.

Team Work

Like any company, it takes a highly skilled and well working team to create a content marketing strategy for marketing firms. Figuring out how many employees you need to balance the workload and clients are also important. Without a team that works together and effectively completes their work, it will be extremely difficult to keep up with your clients.

Fuel Traffic

The purpose of creating content for clients is to drive more traffic to their websites. The internet is a complicated web of connections. Hyperlinking and key words help to continue to build the web, while the writers are like the spiders who create it. The point is to try to show up more on google searches and increase awareness for the client’s services.

Authority

For marketing firms, establishing authority with your audience is essential to getting people to trust your client and continuing to read what you have to say. This means that you need to find sources and seem like you know what you are talking about. Even better, know what you are talking about and find a way to get that knowledge across eloquently and authoritatively.

Sources:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/278465

https://www.brightlocal.com/2017/03/02/content-marketing-benefits/

How Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Will Change Marketing

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Marketing has to evolve in order to stay relevant and continue to be effective. Advertising through social media, print ads and digital marketing won’t be enough to keep your brand relevant in the years to come. Now, augmented reality and virtual reality have stepped into the ring.

Augmented and virtual realities are going to make for some big changes in the field of marketing, whether you work for local Utah marketing agencies or national marketing firms. Augmented and virtual realities are no longer a thing of the future. Several marketing firms now have to come up with ideas for incorporating augmented reality or virtual reality into their marketing strategy. Here are some of the ways that augmented reality and virtual reality are going to change marketing.

Brand Values Will Become Clearer

Communicating a brand’s values is part of marketing. With virtual reality, marketing will have to dive even deeper into brand values. As consumers, virtual reality will allow us to source exactly what items we want and wearing those items will show others what brands we support—and thus what values we align ourselves with. Everything we wear and use will represent our values.

Effects of Augmented Reality

There are limitless opportunities for advertising using augmented reality. With augmented reality, you can display your product nearly anywhere. Augmented reality is especially popular for clothing brands that now have virtual fitting rooms which allow consumers to try on products without having to be in the store physically. Marketing agencies are even seeing furniture retailers placing their product in people’s homes virtually.

Effects of Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is another great marketing tool that is going to cause some major changes in the world of marketing over the next few years. Virtual reality can do some things that augmented reality can’t, like storytelling. Through virtual reality, companies can show consumers how the company came to be while fostering engagement.

Augmented reality and virtual reality present a lot of interesting ideas and ways of marketing. No longer a thing of the future, augmented and virtual realities can give your brand a unique advantage and show your consumers what your brand is all about.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/09/12/virtual-reality-is-about-to-completely-change-marketing/#7d22b13a1079

https://blog.markgrowth.com/how-augmented-and-virtual-reality-will-change-the-future-of-marketing-36c2ff1f8c8

4 Digital Marketing Trends of 2018

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We’re two months into 2018 and we can already see what marketing trends are beginning to rise in advertising. Here are four marketing trends to jump on in 2018.

Twitter May Fall as LinkedIn Rises

Digital marketing agencies are beginning to see the fall of Twitter. Twitter has attempted to expand its reach by extending its traditional 140 characters to 280 characters. This effort has seen little success, however. Some users are even upset by the change because they viewed Twitter as unique due to its 140 character limit.

In contrast to Twitter, which made few changes in 2017, LinkedIn has made numerous improvements including an updated user interface. With all of their new improvements, marketing agencies suspect that the platform will rise in popularity.

Influencer Marketing

Marketing firms have continued to see the rising popularity of influencer marketing. Over the past few years, several clothing and beauty brands have experienced great success as a result of influencer marketing. Now, companies like Amazon, Starbucks and Coca-Cola are beginning to employ influencer marketing.

When it comes to influencer marketing, consumers play a big role. User-generated content allows brands to include consumers in their brand stories and makes them a part of the buyer experience.

More Targeted Ads

Ads are becoming increasingly targeted and specific to consumers. Many advertising agencies predict that ads will continue to become more specific and that they will grow to have only a single purpose, with a specific goal.

Live Video

Facebook is filled with videos produced by professional video production companies all over the United States, whether they are based in Utah or the Golden State. Now, live video has become a new marketing strategy that several social media platforms now offer. Facebook and Instagram are two social media platforms that allow you to live stream whatever you are doing, whether you’re holding a contest or conducting an interview.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/12/18/how-digital-marketing-will-change-in-2018-15-top-trends/#15a854132d9a

https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/2017-12-11-5-digital-marketing-trends-for-2018

What You Need to Know About Advertising Today

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Over the recent years, advertising has seen a great deal of change due to the advancements made in technology. The world has been reduced into one small global village. With the internet alone taking over 50 percent of all advertisement platforms, marketing firms, digital companies and advertising agencies are on a frantic race to take advantage of these methods. This is to keep them relevant in their fields and also increase business.

We’re going to highlight some of the top methods of advertising and why marketing firms and advertising agencies should adapt them.

Online or Digital Advertising

This is currently the biggest way of advertisement on the planet. All companies that do advertising, i.e. marketing firms, digital companies and advertising agencies, strive to keep up with all the internet has to offer in regard to advertisement. The internet has the potential of reaching anyone anywhere seconds after an advertisement has been posted.

Mobile Advertising

Today, almost 80 percent of the world’s population owns a smartphone and advertising through these devices has increased due to the social media platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram.

Print Advertising

This method has been integrated with modern day digital methods and it has worked wonders in improving sales. It includes printed brochures, leaflets and fliers, periodical advertising and direct mail advertising.

Broadcast Advertising

Although this is not exactly new, it has become more effective with modernization because unlike the olden days, today everyone has access to a TV or a radio. Advertisements come on designated times and occasions like sport or programs that have massive viewership.

Endorsements and Testimonials

This is the use of celebrities or known and trusted figures in the society to promote a brand and boost sales. This is mostly effective to reach the younger audiences.

Modern advertisement has made it easier, faster and way cheaper to advertise your products to a global audience unlike anything before. Growing technology and the internet are to be credited for these advancements in Advertising. The technology-based advertisement is still growing, and businesses need to shift to such platforms to remain relevant.

Super Bowl Ads: A Cultural Phenomenon

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Super Bowl advertising is not just another advertising opportunity for companies. It’s a chance for millions of people to see your company’s ad that, hopefully, will be talked about in the weeks following the Super Bowl. These ads have become a cultural phenomenon that is talked about leading up to and following the big game. That means a lot of exposure for your brand.

The History of Super Bowl Ads

Over the last half century, super bowl ads have become a cultural phenomenon. Marketing agencies and marketing firms ship out big bucks, whether they’re in Utah or California, to get an advertising spot in the Super Bowl these days. Starting out as just 60-second ads running about $85,000 per ad nearly 50 years ago, today a single 30-second Super Bowl ad costs more than $5 million on average. These ads started out as discounted ads sold for less than 100 grand and now marketing agencies spend months working on campaigns and creating ads for the Super Bowl.

Share the Secret?

While some companies opt for sharing their commercials before the big game, other brands keep it a secret until the big day. Some brands like releasing their ad before the game so that they can get people talking about it before the Super Bowl. Other brands even release teaser ads before their Super Bowl Ad airs to tease consumers and get the PR ball rolling.

Why Do We Love Super Bowl Ads? 

For starters, most of us love seeing what crazy and unique ad campaigns marketing agencies have been cooking up all year. Marketing firms—like our Fusion 360 firm based in Utah—love Super Bowl ads because they present the opportunity to create a truly memorable commercial that will be viewed by millions of people. Super Bowl ads get a lot of hype and truly great Super Bowl ads will be talked about for years to come.

From Apple’s “1984” ad nearly 30 years ago to the Doritos Blaze vs. Mountain Dew Ice commercial this year, Super Bowl ads present the opportunity to create a truly memorable ad. If you want to make your way into the Advertising Hall of Fame, an unforgettable Super Bowl ad is a great way to get there.

Sources:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-50-years-super-bowl-commercials-20160203-htmlstory.html

https://www.ceros.com/blog/super-bowl-commercials/

Why Do Some Ads Fail?

By | advertising, content marketing | No Comments

With as much hatred advertisements get, commercials and television advertisements have roots embedded deep within our culture. Classic talk-shows like the “Johnny Carson Show” often took time out of their programming to mention their sponsors.
From there, a golden age of advertising was born. Pinup girls and macho men from all across Hollywood joined the process to market new inventions and luxuries to people all across the country. Marketing firms popped up all over the place in order to help drive these products to the masses.
What many people fail to consider is the formula that can cause an ad to become an icon. Great advertisements are born of creativity and written with humor. They have ways of sticking around long after airing.
Successful Ads
Take a look at Super Bowl commercials. Some might even say that they are as American as apple pie. TV specials dedicated to the celebration of Super Bowl commercials air year-round in order to remind us of the best advertisements of the year.
The reason advertisements fail is that marketing firms fail to capture an accurate representation of their market. Oftentimes advertisers will make a half-hearted effort at humor that will come off as either cliché or just stupid.
Geico commercials stand out because they are quick, witty and to the point which makes them excellent candidates for iconic parts of this generation. They often use clever puns in order to make the viewer give thought to some ridiculous idea.
What Works?
Advertising isn’t something you can just throw together. A good commercial is something that is planned out and developed over time. The only problem is keeping up with your target audience.
Marketing firms often do extremely extensive research to try and figure out what jokes will do well with the current generation. Using jokes and subtle humor to pique the interest of viewers is by far the best way to make an advertisement.

Sources
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/182404

12 Causes of Advertising Failure

The Effectiveness of Snapchat Ads

By | Social Media | No Comments

When it comes to advertisements most are pretty boring and we usually just ignore them. Marketing firms have tried for decades to figure out the perfect strategy to advertise to everyone and get them involved. It wasn’t until 2015 when that strategy became a little more clear.

On Halloween that year Snapchat Inc. released sponsored lenses for companies to buy. These lenses allow companies to create filters for users to put over their face or decorate their snaps. The genius behind it is the fact users have to interact with them in order to use them. They share these sponsored snaps to friends or even save them for fun, but the company is still there. This allows users to become familiar with the company and remember them when they are needed.

Start Marketing on Instagram Now

By | Social Media | No Comments

Social media platform Instagram has 800 million followers and counting. Adding another 100 million from April–September, they are constantly making connections and gaining users. The seven-year-old app has made great strides as a social media platform and as a marketing platform, turning inexperienced young adults into photographers and food bloggers. While doubling as a free advertising agency, Instagram has helped start thousands of careers and grow thousands of industries.

Location

An advertising agency, whether in Utah or any other state, can invite users into their workspace or company shop with the location feature. This humanizes the company and makes customers feel part of the brand. Additionally, a company like Disneyland, that highlights different things during the year, can heavily promote their location to show Disney fans how the decorated the park for the season.

Hashtags

Marketing firms can develop an entire advertising campaign around a hashtag. By simply posting the hashtag or asking your consumers to use it will bring a company’s profile a lot of traffic. A hashtag can be the voice that shares your company’s stance on a matter and lets customers interact with the brand.

Price Tag

Free. $0.00. Nothing. Nada. Instagram is free! Anyone can use Instagram as much as they want with zero cost to them. Of course, users can choose to sponsor a post, but it’s free to use otherwise. Nothing is better than free marketing.

Live Stream and Stories

The media has newer features called Instagram Live and Instagram Story. When a user “goes live,” followers get a notification and can watch them as they make the video. Many users use the live feature to interact with their followers. Followers can ask questions directly to the company that can be answered on the spot. Instagram stories are clips or images that are posted for 24 hours. This is a non-committal way to promote an event or share your travels. Agencies often do a countdown to a sale, store opening or countdown to an expansion announcement.

Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/25/how-many-users-does-instagram-have-now-800-million.html
http://mashable.com/2011/05/12/social-media-change-marketing/#33tv8eastmqd
http://time.com/4408374/instagram-anniversary/

Will AI Take Over the Marketing Field?

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Imagine a world where unnecessary work is controlled by algorithms. Businesses will save money from the lack of human work being done and harness the work that is completed. Artificial intelligence (AI) is slowly working its way into every field of work and eliminating work that is unnecessary and too extreme for humans. AI has even started to enter marketing firms.

The Rise of Digital Marketing

Here at Fusion 360, we understand the importance of digital marketing companies staying ahead of the competition. That’s why we see the value in AI. One of the tasks it can accomplish is the analytical part of marketing. Establishing people’s interests and what they’re consuming has never been easier. A simple algorithm runs through all the raw data that’s available and organizes it into an understandable language within hours.

If a human were to do this it would years of work to get it accomplished. The amount of raw data that would have to be characterized is easily chartered for you by an algorithm. Advertising salespeople, market research analysts and computer support specialists all have a high likelihood of AI making them obsolete. These are all vital careers for marketing firms as they dictate what ads should be created.

However, AI isn’t going to stop with only analytical careers. Writers are on the list of AI destruction. The Associated Press (AP) releases an estimated 3,000 AI written articles every quarter. Granted, AP only has the AI writing analytical stories, like sports games and stock updates, but the fact it can even write articles should worry writers everywhere.

What’s Next?

Marketing agencies have to understand that this shift is coming and need to take steps to work around it. But, until that time comes marketing agencies are here to stay. The transition might not even happen within the next two decades, but the change is coming nonetheless and we all need to be prepared.

Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2017/05/18/will-ai-eventually-take-over-the-content-marketing-industry/2/#4437a3660319
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/jobs-artificial-intelligence-will-replace