The Brand Bible

New Grande Guide to B2B Content Marketing Delivers Insights for Marketers

2011-10-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

Content Marketing for B2B is quickly becoming one of the most important and effective methods for reaching buyers. According to research by Junta 42/ContentMarketing Institute and MarketingProfs, the average company spends up to 26% on its content marketing efforts. A number that is much too large to be ignored.

Curious to know how content marketing is actually defined and what kinds of tactics fall under the content marketing umbrella? Be sure to read the latest Grande Guide titled The Grande Guide to B2B Content Marketing. Authored by some of the greatest minds in content marketing including The Content Marketing Institute’s Joe Pullizzi and Eloqua’s VP of Content Marketing, Joe Chernov, in collaboration with CC Chapman and Ann Handley, co authors of the popular marketing book Content Rules.

The Guide touches on the ever-increasing number of ads that a person is exposed to in any given day (currently estimated at 5,000). And no, I am not kidding! Needless to say buyers (including you and me) have tuned out marketing messages. Businesses today must react by reaching buyers in different, more effective ways. How can marketers today reach these elusive buyers? If you guessed content marketing you guessed right.

The Guide is full of fundamentals to get you up to speed quickly on the art and science of content marketing including the various kinds of content you can create to market your company, examples and methods of measuring success. To view the guide, click on the link below.

http://www.slideshare.net/Eloqua/grande-guide-b2bcontentmarketing

Have you been successful in using content marketing? If so, please share your tips!

Online Display Ad Spending Rises, Metrics Need to Catch Up

2011-09-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

According to data from eMarketer, U.S. online display ad spending is estimated to reach just under $22 billion by 2015. The 2010 spend was $9.91 million so we can see that the projected spend more than doubles in the next five years. If these figures are correct, display advertising will also overtake search spending.

Much of this growth in online advertising is attributable to online video ad spending, which grew 52 percent from 2010-2011 alone.

As advertising spends online continue to rise, digital marketers must get beyond the basic metrics like CTR and really be analyzing engagement metrics such as time-spent on ad views. Also understanding the correlation between social and online display advertising is becoming more important for seeing the full picture of display ad performance.

What metrics do you evaluate for online display advertising?

Branding Gone Bad - Abercrombie Offers to Payoff Jersey Shore Star

2011-08-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Just how far will a company go to preserve its brand integrity? Just ask upscale clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (also affectionately referred to as A&F). Obviously famous people that associate themselves with a specific brand can have an impact on that brand's image and ultimately sales. Still, I have never heard of a clothing company offering to pay someone "not" to wear its brand as is the case with A&F executives offering to pay Jersey Shore star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.

In a public statement released yesterday, A&F expressed a deep concern over the association with the Jersey Shore star and the A&F brand. They offered up what is described as a substantial payment to the star to wear an alternative brand. Wow! I don't know what to say. Good for them or what were they thinking? Here are my thoughts on the impact of this action by A&F below:

First and foremost they have drawn attention to the situation (no pun intended). I myself am an A&F customer for casual attire and had no idea that someone from Jersey Shore was wearing the brand because I do not watch the show, nor do I care what anyone from the show does let alone wears.
A&F may have alienated a large group of their target audience (largely teens and young adults who watch the show on MTV). Whether this is their target demo or not this could likely hurt sales at least in the short-term as show loyalists react to the news.
My guess here is that some other brand like American Eagle will catch wind of this and offer to pay the Jersey shore star or whole cast to wear its line of clothing, realizing the potential lift in sales.

So I am curious to see how this unravels. Of course "The Situation" is now even more famous than he was before, which sortof backfired for A&F I think. Don't they realize that even bad publicity is good for brands - or was this public statement some sort of attempt at that on their part? Makes me wonder. Perhaps this was even a planned event concocted by some fancy New York PR agency. What are your thoughts?

Justin Timberlake Invests in MySpace Purchase

2011-06-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

He brought sexy back but can he bring MySpace back? That's the $35 million dollar question. Specific Media has confirmed Justin Timberlake's involvement in the purchase of the former social media giant. According to Specific Media, Timberlake will also be involved in the plans for revamping the network.

The new vision for the MySpace network will be announced later this summer in an exclusive press conference. Until then, Specific Media says that MySpace will become the premiere digital destination for original shows, video content and music.

Timberlake has been involved in other business ventures past and I think buying into MySpace, a social network most closely aligned with music and concerts is a good strategic move for someone as knowledgeable about the music business as he is. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for MySpace.

Most Popular Social Sites for Sharing Content

2011-06-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

According to a recent study by social sharing company ShareThis, in which the content sharing habits of some 300 million+ users were studied, it was noted that Facebook largely dominates the sharing space with 56% of all shared content originating with Facebook as compared with Twitter at 8%.

Not surprising because the Twitter universe is so much smaller than Facebook.

New Cheech & Chong Shoe Intersects Brand and Culture for Nike

2011-04-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

We all know Nike. It's one of those ubiquitous brands that transcends race, gender, class, age or sport. From the Michael Jordan basketball ads of yesterday to the simple "Just do it" branding ads aimed at encouraging people to be active, Nike advertising consistently delivers on passion and emotion - connecting imagery and icons with ease.

Just how far will Nike go to connect with its potential customers is evidenced with its new Nike SB Dunk High 420 Cheech & Chong shoe, a skateboarding shoe with a lot of hype around it and rightfully so. From the name itself to the marijuana-green laces, this is a shoe that is obviously designed to attract some attention. Sources say Nike plans to produce just 1,000 pairs of the Cheech & Chong shoes - certainly driving the cost demand for such a product through the roof. Some similar niche shoes created by Nike in the past have commanded hundreds of dollars.

I'm interested in your opinion here. Should Nike, a global brand representing athletes in virtually every sport on the planet be promoting a shoe so obviously associated with smoking pot? Personal views aside, isn't this product a little skewed from Nike's inspirational, encouraging "Just do it" tagline? That is unless Just do it also embodies the meaning of Just do drugs. So please share your thoughts: is this a harmless campaign aimed at connecting Nike with pot-smoking skateboarding aficianadios or a campaign that advocates pot-smoking among young adults, who are generally the individuals into skate-boarding?

Starbucks Shows Simplicity Prevails in New Logo

2011-01-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

When I first heard that Starbucks was launching a new logo I was surprised. Why would a brand as ubiquitous as Starbucks feel the need to update a logo that has so clearly been part of its success? Perhaps you had the same thought. Imagine for a moment if you will that Nike had decided to revamp its swoosh? Why mess with something that works?

But then again I suppose all things evolve, logos included. You'll see in the illustration to the right that the new Starbucks logo is more of a lineart version without the Starbucks Coffee name on it. From a branding standpoint this seems silly to me. When does a company ever want to use just a symbol to market itself versus its name? Sure many Starbucks fans may be able to spot the logo and render what it it - but what about the rest of the population? If they were not aware of or a customer of Starbucks before the new logo how will this convince them?

I completely understand and support the concept of simplicity but personally, I think they should have kept Starbucks Coffee in the logo and just evolved the artwork as they have done in the past. What are your thoughts?

Interesting Social Media Poll Results

2010-12-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

There is so much information available on social media - albeit much of it useless. I get excited whenever I come across actual data that substantiates using social as part of an overall business marketing strategy. That being said, I am really happy to see that SmartBrief is polling users about their thoughts, feelings and opinions about social - because this is information we marketers can actually use to make decisions!

An interesting poll I saw posted this past week asked readers to select what causes them to unfollow an individual or business on social networks. While some of the results were predictable others were insightful.

The single most important reason for unfollowing a person or business was that "Their over-communication gets overwhelming" (about 51% had this answer). Additional answers were as follows:

The person or business does not add value to my day with their irrelevant postings (33%)
They only talk about themselves or act irresponsibly toward their audience (10%)
They rarely communicate or update their networks (3%)
They're not open to feedback, dialogue or user-generated content (3%)

What I take from this from a personal and professional level is to communicate daily with a reasonable amount of updates based on the network. Twitter for example is a content sharing network so posting 5, 10 or even 20x a day is acceptable if it is relevant and useful to your followers. On Facebook or LinkedIn, that many updates would annoy people and possibly cause them to unfollow.

Also, be relevant! It's okay to post updates about what you're eating if you're a person but a business should refrain from such updates...unless your business is related to food. Make sense?

Finally, don't just talk about yourself. Share and engage in dialogue. That is why people are so enamored with social media afterall. We are social beings. So be social and keep it responsible and you'll be on your way to realizing the value that this media generates.

Online Banner Ad Performance Declines

2010-11-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

According to a new report released by MediaMind, average click-through rates on global banner advertising remains flat at 0.09%. In the report titled "Standard Banners-Non-Standard Results", billions of ad impressions were examined over a two-year period. The report indicated that the use of standard web banners today does not equal the results of previous years, when online advertising was in its infancy.

Better click-through results can be achieved today through the use of more sophisticated ads including rich media, video and flash. Once a new media is no longer new we tend to tune it out. When this happens marketers have to look for more innovative ways of cutting through the clutter of the online advertising environment.

The Demise of the Lebron James Brand

2010-11-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Can the brand of a sports superstar be destroyed in one hour? One only has to look at Lebron James to answer that question. He went from being the golden boy of basketball to being considered by many as a quitter and traitor. He promised Cleveland a championship and he delivered an empty promise. Fans may have overlooked his decision to leave had it been delivered in a more respectful way.

The new Nike campaign that recaps Lebron's "decision" does nothing to reposition Lebron. In fact his commercial just makes us Clevelanders relive the disappointment we felt just a few months ago when Lebron stuck it to us. Below you can see Cleveland's response to the new Lebron spot. Really Lebron? Really Nike? Do you think you can rebuild the Lebron brand to what it was before the "decision". Good luck with that and if I were you I wouldn't count on the support of Northeast Ohio.

Political Advertising aka "Badvertising"

2010-11-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

It happens every time an election approaches (especially a key election). Political candidates vie for their positions and the rest of us non-political beings are subjected to some of the worst advertising known to man. Something I like to call "badvertising". Badvertising is advertising gone wrong. The sad part is that these ridiculous ads are often effective at getting peoples' attention. The fact that they are so bad leads people to remember them and make fun of them and they succeed in getting their message out albeit in a bad way.

This morning I shared a link on Twitter to Adweek's blog Adfreak.com called Election 2010: The 10 Freakiest Campaign Ads. You can read their whole article here http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/the-freakiest-campaign-ads-of-2010/. It is worth viewing if like me you enjoy making fun of badvertising.

I wanted to share with you one exceptionally bad political ad. Now I am all for hip-hop music. On my running playlist you will find everything from Beastie Boys to Jay-z to Little Wayne. That being said, using a very poorly produced hip-hop video in a political ad campaign is strongly discouraged!

If you're thinking about running for office I applaud you for wanting to get involved! We need good people in office! But I ask you to PLEASE have some dignity and use a professional advertising agency or marketing professional to develop your campaign.

Biggest Brands of Halloween 2010

2010-10-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Yay, it's that time of the year again! You know - late October! Who doesn't love making a complete fool of themselves dressing up for Halloween? It could be the most fun holiday of the year...at least in my opinion.

It's big business too! According to the National Retail Federation, the average American consumer is estimated to spend $66.28 on their costumes, candy and decorations. This is an 18% increase over 2009. Industry experts feel the increase is likely due to the down economy and consumers wanting to spend a little and have fun this Halloween.

So let's take a look at the biggest brands of Halloween for 2010. Are you ready?

• Lady Gaga - no surprise here as she had a very successful year including a highly-publicized tour.

• Jersey Shore - as if it is not bad enough to just watch the show (which btw is a complete and udder train-wreck albeit one that is hard to not watch), tons of people will be dressing up this year as the crew's Pauly D, Mike the Situation, Snooki, etc.

• Avatar - of course the biggest movie of the year would make the list.

• Other popular movie characters this year include Alice in Wonderland and Toy Story.

• 1980s retro - the 80s are coming back all-around and Halloween is no exception as many people will take this trend over the top with funny hair and clothes.

• The Old Spice Guy - one of the advertising industry's most popular campaigns will come to life with guys dressing up as the guy on the horse.

• Twilight - this one along with vampires in general will be big because lucky us, the whole vamp lit trend continues.

• Horror movie villians - there will be no shortage of Michael Myers, Freddie Krueggers and their other creepy counterparts.

• Funny couple costumes including my new favorite the Plug + Socket.

So there you have it. If you still haven't decided what to be you can opt for one of these popular Halloween Brands. Go ahead, we won't judge you if you dress up as Snooki or Pauly D (snickering). Want to add some good ones to the list? Leave your comments!

Branding Lessons: The Gap Logo

2010-10-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

Branding is a complex process for any organization - especially when you're a large, national clothing chain such as The Gap. Updating a brand requires considerable planning and a strong and strategic implementation. Can some please explain that to The Gap?

Some of you probably saw or heard about the new Gap logo unveiled via social media last week. At the time I'm sure Gap's marketing execs thought it would be a great idea to use crowd sourcing to have Gap fans come up with a new logo. As one might expect, the Gap logo redesign "contest" garnered a significant amount of interest from Gap fans, marketing execs, designers, wannabe marketers, wannabe designers, media and social media professionals.

Most people weren't sure why The Gap was changing its logo and why a professional agency wasn't used as opposed to the weak idea of using crowd sourcing for such an important business decision. A lot of people just made fun of the new logo and the method it was developed.

When a company doesn't approach branding strategically, problems are likely to arise. Take for example the backlash that The Gap has been enduring since last week. Already Gap has announced it will stay with its original logo -- proving that the decision to crowd source a new brand identity is not a good one.

I'm curious would you consider crowd sourcing for your company or personal brand? Did you like the newly designed Gap logo or think returning to the classic logo was the right decision?

Sherwin Williams "Bees" Commercial Showcases the Fun of Choosing Paint

2010-09-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

I really like the new Sherwin Williams Commercial! The idea of the bees decorating their hive with color is a cute analogy of people redecorating their homes with paint. The use of color is clever and fun. The music is hip and whimsical. Overall I think the commercial has a simple, feel good vibe to it that positions Sherwin in a positive light to consumers.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Today...Corn Sugar Tomorrow?

2010-09-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to allow manufacturers to use the term "corn sugar" instead of the now mandated "high fructose corn syrup" on ingredient lists, which has received a great deal of negative publicity in recent years.

According to CRA, research indicates that consumers are confused by labeling. Although regular sugar and high fructose corn syrup have the same amount of fructose, nearly 58 percent of consumers believe that high fructose corn syrup has more and is a less healthy ingredient than regular sugar.

From a branding standpoint this is an interesting case of a product (in this case an ingredient) having a negative perception based on consumer perceptions - although it really is not as bad as people perceive.

Is Facebook the New Email?

2010-09-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how many of us are connected to Facebook for all or most of the day. Of course that does not mean that we're just sitting around Facebooking and nothing else. Most of us are working or doing something else while on Facebook.

In a report by Morpace Omnibus about Multitasking while on Facebook, users indicated they are typically doing other tasks while using Facebook.

The survey used to compile the report asked facebook users to select the other activities they engage in while using Facebook. The results were as follows:

68% check email
55% search the Internet
47% watch TV
35% listen to music
29% talk on the phone
24% shop or do research

This got me thinking. Is Facebook the new email? We're always connected to it online, on our mobile phones, etc just as we are with email. And to take it a step further, in younger generations like my daughter's, they don't even use email anymore. They use Facebook to communicate with their peers. Interesting

Facebook Ad Sales Growing

2010-08-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

According to a new estimate from eMarketer, Facebook ad sales will reach $1.2 billion in global advertising this year. That is nearly double the $665 million in ad sales the social media giant realized last year.

While the growth in ad sales may not surprise marketers, what is surprising is the segment attributing to much of that growth - Facebook's self-serve ad platform, which caters to local advertisers who have gotten away from the old tried and true yellow pages listings. eMarketer estimates that self-serve ads represent around half of Facebook's ad revenues. The other half is from display advertising.

I would expect to see ad spending increase on Facebook for the next couple of years as more companies - especially retail begin to focus more of their media spend on social networks as opposed to television networks and some of the more traditional media. Gap's fall campaign last year is a great example of this shift from traditional channels to social media channels (Facebook and YouTube).

Brand Loyalty is a lot like Love

2010-07-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Most of us have certain brands that we are loyal to. This got me thinking tonight that being loyal to a brand is a lot like loving someone. You start out slow to see if things are going to work and as things progress and trust is built you become loyal to the one you love. And so it is with brands.

For example if you ask any Apple fan to explain to you their loyalty you will quickly see their loving emotions evoked. Other strong brands that often build loyalty include Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Nike, Blackberry, Ford, Chevy, VW or just about any car brand, Trek or Specialized or Cannondale road bikes, Garmin, Gatorade, Grey Goose vodka, etc. I could go on and on but you see where I'm going with this.

So the question is do you love the brand you're with or try something new from time to time? The brands hope you remain loyal but just as people sour on relationships so to do brand ambassadors abandon ship sometimes. How do brands ensure their loyal customers stay loyal? As with love the best they can do is treat people well, meet their expectations and continue to provide quality and innovation in product or service.

Online Video Continues to Grow

2010-07-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

Want proof that online videos are a good idea for promoting your business, product or service? According to the latest data released from Nielsen concerning June 2010, online video consumption was up 1.3% over June of last year and 4% over last month. That's more than 10 billion videos being streamed within a month!

Additionally average time spent watching video is up 3.1% over June of last year and 2.5% over May - showing that users are watching more intently.

Of course YouTube is the top channel for online video but others following in unique users for June after YouTube were Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft Sites, Google and Hulu.

It's important to assess where your audience is before selecting specific marketing tactics but if you're audience includes web-savvy teens and adults you will certainly want to consider online video as part of your overall marketing effort.

Imagine Your GPS with the Voice of Yoda! Too Cool!

2010-07-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

How cool do you think it would be to drive along and listen to Yoda tell you to hang a left at the next light? Pretty cool, huh? Well TomTom thinks so. I think their new commercial featuring Yoda is fun and will be a good candidate for going viral.

Cleveland, a region built on loyalty and innovation, not a basketball player

2010-07-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

So many of us in Northeast Ohio are proud of where we come from. We are passionate about sports, business, the arts, education, food, and other things that make the region so special. Say what you want about the departure of LeBron James...of course it was a big disappointment. It doesn't change the wonderful things about Northeast Ohio. We're not the ones losing here...LeBron lost out.

We have the Cleveland Clinic and a booming healthcare and medical market, are leading the way in advanced energy and advanced manufacturing. We have 29 colleges and universities with more than 200K students in the region. We have a wonderful arts culture across the region. And we still have the Cavaliers team as well as our beloved Browns and Indians. We have a good thing. Let LeBron leave. He will miss the loyalty his hometown fans showed him.

Chipotle's New Ad Campaign: "Food With Integrity"

2010-07-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

If you've seen Chipotle ads in recent times it's likely they were witty with bold images of big burritos and funny sayings. The new campaign has a more serious tone and message: focusing more on the core values of the food chain (sustainability, quality ingredients, healthy living).

Chipotle's Chief Marketing Officer believes that it is the right time for the chain to refocus its marketing on its commitment to finding sustainable quality ingredients as more consumers have become interested in knowing where their food is sourced from and/or buying local. Chipotle is known for buying local, farm-raised animals and local produce as much as possible, leading to a high-quality, fresh fast-food experience.

I think this new campaign shows the maturity of the chain's brand. The serious messaging and mimialist graphics really help to position Chipotle as an ideal food choice for health and sustainability-conscious consumers.

Can McDonald's Be Good At Coffee? I think Not!

2010-07-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article in AdvertisingAge this morning about McDonald's strides in the beverage market (specifically coffee) and it got me thinking. Can McDonald's, the old tried and true fast food junk giant, be good at coffee too? Then I thought to myself...not likely. Want to know why I think this? Experience!

I actually stopped out of convenience (or stupidity) at McDonald's about two weeks ago and ordered a quick dinner for my daughter and an iced coffee for me. You see I was on my way to a group workout and didn't want to be late and craved the extra energy of an iced coffee on that 90 degree day. Yuck! Just the thought of the coffee makes me regret the decision of not running into Starbucks or hitting a Dunkin on the way. I'm sorry McDonald's but you cannot do coffee like the companies that specialize in coffee. Stick to burgers, chicken nuggets and fries.

Now I realize that some people will like McDonald's coffee and that's okay. I am just not one of them. There is absolutely no way you can be a Starbuck's loyalist and also go to McDonald's for coffee thinking it is just as good. Dunkin, Carobou and any other speciality shop in my opinion is also hands above the wannabe-gourmet coffee they serve at McDonald's.

Now my final point for McDonald's is this: you can't be good at everything. Basic branding principles say you should focus on what you do best. Here's an idea...give up on coffee and become a fast food innovator by adding a decent veggie burger to your menu! It is a product that fits into your overall offering and would help you attract more health-conscious consumers.

Cheers to Trader Joe's for Making Grocery Shopping Healthy & Fun!

2010-06-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am so enamored with the Trader Joe's brand. What's not to love about affordable organic foods, a great wine selection and the fun, laid-back atmosphere of the store?

I have yet to be disappointed with anything I've purchased there and have never had a bad experience shopping there. The service is always good.

Bravo Trader Joe's for making the grocery shopping experience fun and interesting again. I hope to see more stores and overall success for this gem of a company. And I look forward to the new and interesting products I will find as a result of being a loyal shopper.

Green Companies & Brands Valued in Consumer's Eyes

2010-06-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

I was driving around in Virginia Beach yesterday and saw a sticker someone had made on their car that said "Boycott BP". Sure we're all disappointed and frustrated with the oil spill and damage it is causing to our fragile ecosystem, but I think consumer sentiment goes even beyond disappointment. Consumers are taking an active role. Many consumers simply won't in many instances tolerate companies, products - brands that are not green or at least attempting to be more green.

I wouldn't call green a fad. I really think it is a way of living. A consciousness of the consumer that the little everyday decisions they make regarding what products or services to buy can make an impact on the health of our planet. This does not mean we all have to be treehuggers (no offense to those who do hug trees) but rather it suggests that we can do things a better way by becoming more green in our own lives. To companies the significance is that having policies for environmental sustainability and creating products that enhance environmental sustainability may be a large part of their success going forward.

Some examples of green companies, products, trends that are popular with consumers are listed below:

• Eco-friendly cars like the Prius, Insight, Hybrid vehicles

• Eco-friendly soaps & cleaning products like Method

• Organic foods from grocery stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes and shopping at local markets

• Recycling at home and in the office

• Carrying reusable shopping bags and/or using paper bags since they're more eco-friendly

• Companies that make organic clothing, shoes that use recycled rubber like Teva, etc

Of course not every consumer is interested in the green influence but many are. And as marketers we can't ignore the heavy influence the green movement has on our market and our planet.

The King of Brands in Sports & Cleveland

2010-06-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

How popular do you have to be to have your own appreciation day? Where a region (such as Northeast Ohio) cares so much about your contribution that they will go to almost any length to keep you local? Well, if you're Lebron James a.k.a. King James this is your reality.

On June 19th The City of Akron, University of Akron and a number of other sponsors and supporters will gather in Akron at Infocision Stadium to show their appreciation and admiration for the King. Why would a community do such a thing? Because for years, Lebron has been an integral part of our community. An Akron native, he leads our beloved Cavs and continues to support causes throughout the community and bring recognition to the region for sports excellence.

Lebron is a more than a professional basketball player. He is a symbol of hope and a source of energy for our region. He is the King of brands in basketball and the King of brands in our community. Losing him would be an immense loss. For information about Lebron James Appreciation Day, visit www.lebronday.com and if you're available that day go out and show your support!

Love the Nike+" I Am Not A Runner" Ad

2010-05-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

I just saw the Nike+ "I am not a runner" ad and laughed out loud. How funny! This ad made me think of when I first started running again four years ago. I remember thinking how hard it was and asking myself why I was doing it. Then of course I acquired what I believe will be a life-long case of running fever. This commercial captures the love/hate relationship that new runners and even some veterans have with the intensely demanding sport. Well done Nike...you sure do know running!

The Rise of Foursquare

2010-05-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

How do we know that Foursquare has gained momentum and credibility as the next big social network?

First of all, big consumer brands are getting on board with the technology. Just this week Starbucks announced that it is integrating Foursquare into its Frappacino "Have it Your Way" promotion. Foursquare mayors at Starbucks nationwide are receiving a substantial discount on the beverage through the end of the promotion.

Second, Facebook is looking at geo-location as the next phase of its mega platform. If Facebook is on board with the technology that speaks volumes. There are even rumors of Facebook buying Foursquare though I haven't heard anything to substantiate those rumors yet.

Also, the movers and shakers of business and marketing have adopted the technology. When the influencers are on board the masses usually follow as we saw with the explosive growth of Twitter last year and Facebook's non-stop growth.

Finally, if you do happen to get on Foursquare you may just get sucked in from the sheer fun and competitiveness of the game-like app. Just today I became mayor of a couple of venues and unlocked some new badges and I find myself liking it more and more.

Twitter Tops Social Tools for Social Media Marketers

2010-05-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

According to research conducted by Social Media Examiner and reported by eMarketer, Twitter tops the list of most used social media tools by marketers.

The survey, which was administered in January of 2010 asked marketers to identify which tools they use most. The results were as follows:

• Twitter - 88%

• Facebook - 87%

• LinkedIn - 78%

• Blogs - 70%

• YouTube or other video site - 46%

• Social bookmarking sites (i.e. Delicious) - 27%

• Forums - 26%

• Digg, reddit, Mixx, etc - 22%

• Ning sites - 17%

• MySpace - 11%

If you're in marketing and not sure what to think of Twitter or how to effectively use Twitter, my advice is talk with Twitter users and solicit their feedback. I'd be happy to talk with anyone about my thoughts on why Twitter is the preferred network for marketers, including myself.

Dairy Queen Uses Integrated Promotion for Blizzard's 25th Anniversary

2010-05-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

I don't always think of Dairy Queen (DQ) as a savvy marketer but I really like their current campaign strategy for the 25th anniversary blizzard promotion.

First of all, the DQ blizzard is a favorite of mine and probably a million others. It is most definitely a DQ cash cow. I am confident that I have been loving the DQ blizzards for the 25 years they've been around!

Now onto the marketing strategy, which integrates old and new media channels. There is a TV ad, online social media effort asking consumers to create Happy Birthday videos for the Blizzard and submit on YouTube. DQ will select the Top 100 videos and reward customers with $25 gift cards. Additionally, DQ is promoting mobile sampling events to happen at various DQ locations where they'll be passing out free product.

This is a good example of an integrated campaign that incorporates online and offline media. And it's a feel good campaign to help DQ customers connect with the brand. Seems like a winning campaign to me.

Does Your Company Have a Social Media Policy?

2010-04-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

Does your company have a social media policy? For smaller companies the answer could very likely be no, but developing a policy may protect your business.

Even if you're not currently using social media as part of your overall marketing strategy, please keep in mind that your customers and employees are using it and you should at minimum be monitoring what's being said.

Here are some questions to consider in developing a social media policy:

Who if anyone specifically is responsible for managing your business' social media. Whose managing the Facebook page, Tweeting, etc?
Who is responsible for developing and approving content or else defining in the planning stage what topics are permitted to be shared?
What are employees allowed to say and what must be kept confidential? For example in the healthcare field there are strict patient privacy laws called HIPPA that prohibit sharing patient information with anyone not authorized to receive the information.
Are there any restrictions for employees (i.e. some may be allowed to use social media at work due to nature of their roles but for some it may not be necessary)?
Who will develop out the social media policy and how will it be shared with employees? In writing? In meetings? Both?

If you don't have a social media policy in place I encourage you to think through these questions and start formulating the framework for your policy. It's an important step in protecting your business.

Ohio Department of Health Ad Campaign = Fail

2010-04-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Really Ohio Department of Health? I'm going to have to call this new ad campaign promoting breast milk a fail. Some even consider it an epic fail - including my teenage daughter and her peers who quote say "it's nasty, nobody wants to look at breast milk"! I have to kindof agree that the message and the image are not very attractive. Is the milk all over the baby's face really needed to convey the point? What's next...showing the breast?

So this is my little plea to the Ohio Department of Health. Please rethink the branding for this campaign. How about something like Breastfeed your baby for optimal health and just show a healthy, happy baby? This campaign is just bad.

The Boston Marathon Brand

2010-04-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an exciting day for running and runners everywhere! Especially for those running in the 114th annual Boston Marathon and those there to cheer them on! While I wasn't there to run or physically cheer for my friends - I was there in spirit and know many other people were too. The Boston Marathon is widely recognized as one of road racing's premiere annual events for a number of reasons including its longevity and also the need to "qualify" to be able to participate in the race. With such wide popularity and prestige, a limitless amount of runners would LOVE to be there to participate but alas NOT EVERYONE can run it due to time and capacity issues. To Boston Qualify aka BQ is considered prestigious for serious amateur runners who have trained hard (sometimes tirelessly) to be able to participate in such a world-class running event. Even watching the event online as a spectator was awesome because the runners and crowd exude energy!

While other marathons such as New York and Chicago have gained clout, Boston is still by far the rolls royce of marathons as runners from all over the world come to compete for the chance to be recognized. Boston is the power brand of marathons and I hope to be there running it and experiencing it firsthand in 2011! Fingers crossed!

Promoted Tweets New Twitter Business Model

2010-04-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Twitter will be placing ads called "promoted tweets" on the network on Tuesday of this week. First the ads will show up in search results and later in users' Twitter feeds on Twitter.com as well as within thirdparty clients such as Tweetdeck and Twitterberry.

Twitter's first advertisers are Starbucks, Bravo and Virgin America - all users already heavily engaged in Twitter along with other social media sites. Twitter COO Dick Costolo has stated that Twitter is not in a rush to profit. According to him the goal is to roll the business model out slowly to see how users react to the ads.

To start advertisers will bid on keywords on a cost-per-thousand basis although Twitter is developing a model called "resonance" that may alter the pricing structure based on impact (how much a tweet is retweeted, marked as a favorite and how much a user clicks through to a link). Ads that outperform typical tweets with a lift in resonance will stay on the network while those that do not outperform typical tweets will fall out. This ad program differs from Google and other SEM platforms because Twitter will only display one ad at a time.

Watch for the promotional tweets this week and stay tuned for more updates on how the ad program develops and performs.

Insightful Social Media Demographics

2010-04-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

A co-worker was asking about recent social media stats this week so we did some digging. Here's the latest and greatest in terms of what social media sites are used most heavily, what age groups are dominating social media and what they want.

Most popular social sites:

• Facebook with more than 400 million active users
• Twitter with 75 million+ registered users (although we know not all users are active). Twitter estimates 50 million tweets per day are being sent by its members
• LinkedIn with more than 60 million users
• MySpace with close to 60 million users

Age Groups:

A recent study by Royal Pingdom pulled together statistics for 19 different social networks including the popular sites listed above plus some of the second tier sites including Hi5, FriendFeed, Tagged, etc. The results show the age group usage of social media as follows:

• 35-55 = 25%
• 45-54 = 19%
• 25-34 = 18%
• 0-17 = 15%
• 55-64 = 10%
• 18-24 = 9%
• 65+ = 3%

When looking at Facebook and Twitter's heavy users, the percentages of users 35 or older exceeds 60%. Bebo and MySpace as expected are made up largely of younger audiences aged 17 or younger with 35-45% falling into that age group.

Other interesting social age stats:

• Average LinkedIn user is 44
• Average Twitter user is 39
• Average Facebook user is 38
• Average MySpace user is 31
• Average Bebo user is 28

Social Content:

Online advertising network Chitika analyzed the interests of social networking sites. The results seem consistent with what we know:

• Myspace Users are generally interested in: video games (28%), Celebs and entertainment (23%), Business and Law (10%), Tech and Community (tied at 8%) and other (23%).

• Facebook Users are generally interested in: News (28%), Community and Other (tied at 17%), How to/DIY (13%), Shopping and Celebs/Entertainment (tied at 9%), Tech (7%).

• Twitter Users are generally interested in: News (47%), Other (23%), Tech and Celebs/Entertainment (tied at 10%), Movies (6%) and How to/DIY (4%).

Who Knew Paper Towels Could be So...Hip?

2010-03-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

OMG! Love it. Who knew that promoting paper towels could be so hip and fun? I love the nerdy scientist meets inner rapper concept. Very fun way of showing off the product and reaching out virally to the younger generations.

What Happens on Facebook...Stays on Facebook!

2010-03-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

How many of us had a wild friend or two from high school or college? Most of us will laugh and answer "I did". In the good old days those pictures of you drinking shots and giving people the bird were fairly safe from public view but in the Facebook age your privacy is...well how can I put this...nonexistant! What happens on Facebook, Twitter or any other social network you're affiliated with stays online and it can come back to haunt you. I have heard stories of people losing their jobs, significant others, friends, etc because of social networks.

So here are a few tips for keeping your public profile on social networks clean:

• Be careful who you friend. Don't allow just anyone to friend you and if you do friend someone who makes stupid comments or acts like an idiot...simply unfriend them. It's not like they will hunt you down and confront you over it.

• Watch what you post. Leave the college frat pictures in your memory box and also monitor what your friends post and if you're tagged in an unflattering photo or shot or tweet, untag or delete it. Also watch your content. If you're a professional connected to clients you should especially watch.

• Do talk about your work although be sure not to discuss confidential information to your network and do not make fun of your boss, co-workers, etc as they may be watching.

It all comes down to common sense. Think before you post and you will not have to worry if what happens on Facebook or Twitter is known to all.

In Response to Pepsi Comment

2010-02-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

For some reason Blogger is not letting me post a comment on my own blog but I want to respond to the very insightful comment that was posted anonymously this morning.

I think that Google and other "online" companies advertising in the Superbowl says advertising in the Superbowl is still one of the best ways to mass advertise. Just that it is up to the individual companies as to whether they are seeking that mass "top-of-mind" awareness that you get during the Superbowl and the week or two after versus a longer term customer relationship strategy like using social media.

Pepsi: Refreshes its Advertising Strategy and Goes Social

2010-02-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

For years companies (including Pepsi and Coke) have spent millions and millions of dollars advertising their brands during the Superbowl. While many companies including Coke still chose to do that this year, Pepsi was not one of them. Coke spent the money on the bowl while Pepsi made the decision to invest $20 million in its social media efforts. This decision means many things for Pepsi and where advertising is heading today.

First, the decision to not advertise in the Superbowl and to instead commit $20 million to social media says that Pepsi is still after all these years embracing its "cola of the new generation" positioning. While Coke continues to go with the tried and true Pepsi is leading the way in new media - a better place to reach its target audience of hipsters.

Second, this decision proves that the power and value of social media as an advertising strategy is growing as other companies like The Gap have made it a central part of their advertising strategy and the main media for reaching its target audience. I believe we will continue to see more consumer products brands taking this approach although it will not work equally well for just any brand.

Finally, as brands like Pepsi continue to market to the customer through social campaigns and channels, we'll see that those consumers who are not as engaged in the new media will hear about it from their friends and colleagues and quickly find that they are missing out.

Social Media ROI

2010-02-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

I've heard many people on both the agency side and client side say that it is difficult if not impossible to measure ROI for social media. I've also heard it said that social media only works for consumer marketing. I wanted to take a few moments to put in my two cents.

So let's start with the most fundamental question. Is social media a viable marketing tactic for your business or your client's business? You can qualify this by answering a few questions: What are your goals for social media? Can you have a social media account or do you need to go through legal, corp communications channels first? Is it okay if everyone knows about the updates you'll be sharing? etc.

Now, it is difficult to simply measure buzz and translate that into ROI. You'll need to set targets: mentions in blogs or social networks, inquiries, increased links, search rankings, leads from the social media sites you're using such as Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin, more media placements, etc. The best way to go about measuring ROI is to decide what your goals are and then measure your baseline. Once you have your baseline you can continuously monitor your progress.

You can measure and track some of these goals manually and there are also monitoring tools from companies that you can utilize for tracking the more difficult areas such as mentions.

As for Consumer versus B2B. Both need to be participating in some form of social media. A manufacturing plant that makes machine tools for example may not benefit greatly from having a Facebook presence but if they have a blog, a twitter account and participate in Linkedin and industry portals the benefits would be plenty.

It's really all in the planning. As with traditional advertising you need to have a strategy and track your progress to be successful.

New Runners Social Media Site: Dailymile!

2010-01-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me or follow my posts on social media probably already know that I'm a little fanatical about running. I basically eat, sleep, work, spend time with my family and run. So I was quite intrigued when I heard about a new social network dedicated to training and socializing about running. It's called Dailymile (www.dailymile.com) and it's easy-to-use, fun and motivational for anyone looking to run or just be fit. Go ahead...check it out!

Oh Christmas Brand! Oh Christmas Brand!

2009-12-17T06:45:00.000-08:00

What is the Christmas brand? Some people would be offended that I ask. I'm not asking to be offensive but rather because the Christmas brand has taken on various meanings as opposed to the original Christian meaning it once had.

We know that the original Christmas brand is the Christian story of Jesus being born and three wise kings bringing gifts for the baby Jesus. Christmas in that sense is a religious holiday to remember and celebrate the holy birth of Jesus.

Then there is the commercialized Christmas. Some celebrate this holiday only in the commercial sense as in the sense of gift giving and receiving and spending time with loved ones without much thought for the Christian meaning.

Then of course we have the "Happy Holidays" version of Christmas that is the politically correct way of wishing someone who may or may not be of a different faith a happy holiday.

What does Christmas mean to you? One, more or none of these?

Best Brands for Runners

2009-12-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

The last few years I've become what some would call a serious runner. Frequent disciplined practice, goal setting, competitive racing and an obsession with performance are some of the tell-tale signs that this subculture of runners is a place I belong. I've also learned what brands runners really love. Many of which I had no idea existed until running became a passion.

So here's my take on the best brands for runners by category. Please feel free to comment.

I know this will vary by individual runners but generally what I have experienced and heard from reliable sources is that the following brands are superior.

Shoes:

• Asics

• Brooks

• New Balance

• Nike

• Mizuno

Clothes:

• Under Armour

• Nike

• Adidas

• Asics

• Brooks

Gear:

• Garmin GPS watches

• Fuelbelt

• iPod

• Nike+ gear

Fuel & Hydration:

• Gatorade G2

• Cliff shots or Gu

• Cliff Protein bars

Advice:

• Runners World

• Running Times

• Local running stores like Second Sole, Vertical Runner or Fleet Feet

• Other runners and running groups like Road Runners

Celebrity Brands - Should Celebrities Be Better Examples?

2009-12-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

Celebrities have powerful brands much like companies and products. Should celebrities be expected to have a higher standard of moral behavior, the same as everyday people or lesser standards because they have more power and money than the average Joe?

By now we've all heard about Tiger Wood's affair(s). Is it really that surprising? While he is a genius on the golf course he is still merely human. And apparently a human who makes bad decisions much like Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton, David Letterman, Madonna, and all the others who have harmed their marriages because they didn't control their urges. Or what about Michael Phelps and Amy Winehouse - both talented individuals who indulged themselves in recreational drug use? Or what about Snoop Dogg and other celebrities that have been arrested for violent behaviors?

Does the fact that these celebrities have problems make us relate to them more? Does it affect our own views of what is and is not acceptable or moral behavior? I can't say and it's not my position to judge people only to ask if celebrity brands affect us.

AOL Rebranding

2009-11-23T07:14:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or is society homogenizing to the point where all logos created today are trying to achieve that same modern look? It's like they all want to be Apple or Target clones or something? Case in point: take a look at the new AOL logos. Okay the two on the right upper and bottom are not too bad but look at some of these...the fish...the hand. I mean really?

AOL please take note. You are not Apple, You are not Google. You are not Target. You are more like a Microsoft (albeit not as successful) and changing your logo into a fish is not going to change that.

Get Real with Caribou Coffee?

2009-11-19T12:10:00.001-08:00

Looks like Starbucks will have a little more competition this holiday season as Caribou Coffee unveils its first ever TV campaign to generate awareness about the boutique coffee brand. Of course this is a very different strategy than that used by Starbucks who largely built their brand on a public relations/word-of-mouth platform. I'd be interested in seeing the results the TV campaign will bring and how success will be measured (i.e. increased sales, store traffic, awareness).

I like Caribou but at the end-of-the-day I'm a Starbucks girl!

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

Facebook - The World's Super Media for Today's Advertising

2009-11-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

I attended a Facebook presentation this afternoon that was sponsored by the Canton Ad Federation. Everyone knows Facebook is huge but not everyone realizes the huge advertising super media Facebook has become.

Building a brand on Facebook is critical to marketing success in today's economy (particularly for consumer products companies). Facebook provides all sorts of engagement level ads: basic ads you see with text and call to action, rich media ads that integrate video and or sound, reach blocks that blast the whole Facebook network for a period of time such as one day, etc. And there are also applications created to build brand awareness and engagement on Facebook.

To many people, Facebook has replaced email as a common means of communicating. This means any business owner or marketer must evaluate whether they should be building their own brand community on Facebook and/or advertising on Facebook to reach potential customers.

For more information on Facebook marketing visit www.facebook.com/marketing or contact me.

2009's Ten Most Popular Halloween Brands/Costumes

2009-10-29T14:15:00.001-07:00

I love Halloween. It's so much fun to dress up and check out all the costumes! It's also facscinating from a branding and pop culture perspective to research the year's most popular costumes (see list below).

1) Michael Jackson - After the untimely death of the pop-star he's on the best-selling artists on i-tunes, winning awards, people are wearing "I Miss Michael" shirts and dressing up like the King of Pop himself for this Halloween. Now if that isn't a brand I don't know what is.

2) Harry Potter - The Potter series has been popular since the first movie was made. This summer the second to the last movie came out and with it the Harry Potter brand gained momentum and you'll see plenty of Harry's this season.

3) Vampires - With the wildly popular Twilight series hitting the scene and the second movie due out in just a few weeks there will be many many vampires and creatures of the night stirring this year.

4) Star Trek - Again with the movie you see that Star Trek, which has always had a core brand following has momentum and plenty of trekkies will be knocking on doors for candy I'm sure.

5) Disney - Disney has such a cemented brand. I wonder how many little girls in the U.S. and around the globe want to be Disney Princesses?

6) Superheros - From Batman and Catwoman to Wonder Woman to Superman to X-men there are sure to be superheros on every corner this weekend.

7) Hannah Montana - Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana is so big she gets her own category. What a brand! Like it or not she is a superstar.

8) Movie/storybook characters - with the upcoming movie Alice in Wonderland coming out we'll see plenty of those along with Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, good old Wizard of Oz characters, etc.

9) The Role-Playing Costume - nurses, doctors, maids, prisoners, officers, you name it. These come in the more tame or naughty varieties. If you're out at adult parties you're likely to see the latter.

10) The Rockstar/Hippie - These ones both are popular year to year and that seems to be no exception this year.

Mac Vs. PC: New :30 Spot

2009-10-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

I always laugh when I see the Mac versus PC ads. Comparing Macs to PCs really is like comparing apples and oranges. Anyone such as myself who has crossed over years since to the Mac world knows the many benefits a Mac offers. The point I want to make here is that Mac really has done a much better job over the years with its branding than its competitor...the PC. Riding the coatwaves of the iPod success and now the iPhone, Mac's brand has become a dominating force in the personal computer space. The latest ad in the Mac versus PC campaign does a great job of reminding PC that it's not the cool kid on the block.

Apple - Mac vs PC - Live Action News - (2009) :30 (USA)

Brand YOU!

2009-10-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a luncheon focused on developing ones personal brand through social media. I am often asked some basic questions like "which networks should I join?", "who should I connect with?", "how can I stand out in my industry?", "how much time should I dedicate to social media each day or week?" and "how can my business use social media to grow?"

Networks: The big ones are Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn and YouTube, you can also have or contribute to a blog, utilize networks like Slideshare or create your own network on Ning. My advice is to think about your goals. If you're trying to market a consumer-oriented business usually Facebook is best, Twitter may also work. If you're trying to promote yourself and or a B2B product or service, LinkedIn, blogs and Twitter will likely be most effective.

Who to Connect With: Customers, potential customers, friends, family, colleagues, groups. Many people use LinkedIn for professional and Facebook for personal. I connect to all my people on all of my networks so they really get a true sense of who I am as a person because in the marketing business relationships are important.

How to Stand Out: Mostly just commit to being engaged. Post relevant and also fun information. Always be yourself but maintain a level of professionalism on all of your networks. Position yourself as an expert in your field.

How Much Time: As much as you can afford. Minimum of once or twice a day for social networks and once every week or so for blogs.

How Can it Help Your Business: create or strengthen your online brand, connect you to people so you can create relationships, promote your expertise and your products or services.

Hopefully this helps. It is very important to complete your profiles on all of your networks and to be actively engaged in conversations. If you have questions feel free to comment or contact me.

Rebuilding and Rebranding Youngstown

2009-10-13T13:17:00.001-07:00

Cities like people have persona's. I lived in the Youngstown (Valley) region for several years and came to know many hard-working, intelligent, passionate people (including the wonderful folks at YBI). People who despite what the outside world thinks or says will fight for their Valley. The persona of Youngstown that I know is one of hope and determination. Although I live outside of the region now (still in NEO though), a piece of Youngstown will always be in my heart. I am happy to see the city garnering some national attention for its many efforts to rebrand itself as a city that went through tough times but emerged years later as a center of technology. Go Youngstown!

Youngstown, Ohio: A young town again | The Economist

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The YouTube Era

2009-10-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

YouTube has reached one billion views per day! That number boggles my mind. YouTube is celebrating this milestone by showcasing a special version of its logo and rightfully so.

If your company has any video content be sure that you're not missing out on the opportunity to strengthen or even build your brand through the use of video marketing on YouTube. If you haven't done so already, you can create your own YouTube channel and upload your video and multimedia content to share on YouTube and link to other sites such as your own website and social media networks. If you're in need of help getting this setup or in generating the actual content contact me and we can chat.

Cool Twitter Directory for Companies & Execs

2009-09-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Looking for a Company or CEO on Twitter? As I was doing my daily research on social media, I came across a site that I thought might be helpful to agency or sales people on Twitter that are looking for companies or execs they'd like to follow. The site Twitter Corp (http://twittercorp.com/) is an easy-to-use directory of companies and executives that are actively engaged in the Twitter community. I love that people take the time to develop applications, tools and directories for Twitter - it's what makes the community so unique and so helpful!

New LinkedIn Competitor on the Scene

2009-09-22T11:10:00.001-07:00

I am a huge advocate for LinkedIn as it has opened many fruitful connections for me. But just because I use it and love it doesn't mean the whole world agrees. Some executives are reluctant to share information on Linked in because they don't want to share their connections or want to allow limited access to who gets to view their information. They feel linked in is "too open". A new social networking B2B site called "WhoDoYouKnowAt" is trying to carve a niche that competes with LinkedIn. It will be interesting to see how this new site performs as we all know that LinkedIn is a huge success!

WhoDoYouKnowAt: Because LinkedIn is Too Open

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Interesting New Twitter Study

2009-09-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sysomos recently released a study called "Inside Twitter" that I felt shared some interesting insights into the users of Twitter or Tweeters as we often refer to ourselves. For the survey, they analyzed 11.5 million+ Twitter accounts including profiles and status updates.

Some of the study's highlights were as follows:

• over 70% of Twitter accounts were from January 2009-on.

• 5% of Twitter users account for 75% of the activity.

• 21% of users have never posted a tweet.

• There are more women than men on Twitter (53% versus 47%).

• Market share for Twitter publishing tools is ruled by Tweetdeck at close to 20% use.

Some explanations for the data can be explained as follows:

• Rapid growth has been fueled by media attention and celebrity usage and endorsement.

• Those who understand or see the value with Twitter are likely to post more often than those who don't so the usage stat makes sense.

• Some people open Twitter accounts and just follow others or open it and never use it.

• More women in the overall population so this stat makes sense.

• As people come to utilize and understand the value Twitter provides from a monitoring and relationship-building standpoint we will see usage across Tweetdeck and other apps increase.

Interesting Stats on Social Media

2009-09-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled upon some interesting statistics regarding social media. It's funny, I still hear a fair amount of people who don't like or just don't get social media and feel it's a fad. People listen up...it is not a fad!

• By 2010 Gen Y will outnumber Baby Boomers….96% of them have joined a social network

• Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web

• 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media

• Years to Reach 50 millions Users: Radio (38 Years), TV (13 Years), Internet (4 Years), iPod (3 Years)…Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months…iPhone applications hit 1 billion in 9 months.

• If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 4th largest between the United States and Indonesia

• 80 % of companies are using LinkedIn as a primary tool to find employees

• Ashton Kutcher and Ellen Degeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire populations of Ireland, Norway and Panama

• 80% of Twitter usage is on mobile devices…people update anywhere, anytime…imagine what that means for bad customer experiences?

• Generation Y and Z consider e-mail passé…In 2009 Boston College stopped distributing e-mail addresses to incoming freshmen

• The #2 largest search engine in the world is YouTube

• There are over 200,000,000 Blogs & 54% = Number of bloggers who post content or tweet daily

• People care more about how their social graph ranks products and services than how Google ranks them

• 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations, Only 14% trust advertisements

• More than 1.5 million pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared on Facebook…daily.

(note: the sources to back up these statistics can be found on Socialnomics Blog)

Gap Fall Ad Campaign Goes Social!

2009-08-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so anyone who knows me (loved one, client or friend) knows that I am a huge advocate for social media and have recently been touting social media as "the new mass media". Just this week I have given three presentations on how to use social media and I came across this news from The Gap this afternoon, which made me squeal with delight.

The Gap will not be using its tried and true television advertising for its "Born to fit" fall ad campaign. That's right folks. The Gap is trading in its old denim for the new media...Facebook! They will have print ads, cinema ads and outdoor - all driving traffic to their Facebook page! I love it! The message they are sending to others is loud and clear...be there or be square.

We're developing social media solutions for clients in a wide variety of industries. Have questions? Give me a shout. I'd love to talk shop with you.

Cutest Dog Competition

2009-08-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Okay so I love my dog Yetti! He is sweet and cute and very well-behaved. Please vote for him. If I win, I'll be sure to throw a big party and invite all who helped me win!

What's up With Twitter & Facebook?

2009-08-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

So apparently Twitter has had some kind of long-term failure as it's been down all morning as far as I can tell. Tweetdeck was missing a lot of data when I opened it as well. Okay this we know. So what's going on with facebook? All morning it's been slow and giving network transport data errors. Weird!

Those of us who relay on social media as part of our daily routines and jobs are frustrated by this as I can tell from the numerous status updates on facebook about. I hope this is fixed soon!

Social Media for Businesses - Large and Small

2009-07-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

One of my former agency managers said "social media doesn't work". That's odd because I see it in action all of the time. Take yesterday for example, I went to a new salon to get my hair done. I learned about the salon because the owner friended me on Facebook. I talked with her yesterday and she said she has gained many new customers through this kind of marketing.

I've learned of chiropractors, new musicians and special promotions at Starbucks, etc all from social networks. All of these businesses have benefited from social media. Big brands can capitalize on community-building for their brands and achieve reach and frequency more often and less expensively. Small brands can build their awareness and their communities just the same - although smaller the principles still apply. The link below is an article I read today on Mashable, highlighting some additional small business success stories.

http://mashable.com/2009/07/28/social-media-small-business/

Additionally, the intelligence one can gather on social networks (especially Twitter) is invaluable.

So to my former agency manager, I have to kindly disagree because I see it working everyday.

Social Media Helps Brands Grow & Yield ROI

2009-07-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

I was just reading the results of a study by Wetpaint and the Altimeter Group, which indicate that companies using social media as part of their overall marketing efforts are realizing financial gain. Brands like Starbucks who jumped on the social media bandwagon early are reaping the rewards but they've also invested the time and resources to do it right.

I've been talking with several companies over the last couple of months about social media and the implications for their business. I am an advocate for it because of a number of reasons including but not limited to realizing personal success and also because this is how people are communicating now. It can't be ignored or dismissed as "the latest thing". Growth in social networks has exploded in the last year or two and that trend is not going to change.

The best way to get started personally is just to dive into it, but I will caution you that the time investment initially is great if you are to develop a thorough understanding. If you're interested in social media for your business, start by putting together a plan or have an agency (like WhiteSpace) put a plan together for you. If you create objectives in the beginning, it will be much easier to track success.

DMB Concert Opener is Old Crow Medicine Show

2009-07-21T06:37:00.001-07:00

The video below is for a song called Caroline. This band (Old Crow Medicine Show) will be opening for Dave Matthews at Blossom in Cuyahoga Falls on July 29. I've never heard of them but it's a big deal to open for DMB so I would say following the tour they should be getting much more attention.
Old Crow Medicine Show - Caroline Video by Old Crow Medicine Show - MySpace Video

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Ad Agencies: 5 Ways to Find Prospects on Twitter

2009-07-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on using Twitter to find agency new business. I love Twitter and think it is a tool worth learning and using for this and numerous other reasons.
Ad Agencies: 5 Ways to Find Prospects on Twitter

Social Media Report Released

2009-07-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

A new social media report has been released by Razorfish.

Some of the contents include:

• Explanation of how social media is becoming both a paid and unpaid distribution mechanismfor advertising content.
• A look at how social features are becoming integrated into online display advertising.
• A piece on how tools such as Facebook Connect are moving the social graph out onto the Web.
• An introduction to the SIM Score and what it means for marketing.

To access the report click the link below.

http://fluent.razorfish.com/publication/?m=6540&l=1

Latest Facebook Stats

2009-07-09T05:34:00.000-07:00

The latest Facebook stats released indicate an aging demographic for the popular online social network. Facebook at one point was dominated by college students and while many in that age group are still using Facebook, so too are young and middle-aged professionals.

According to new research by istrategylabs, the latest stats show a staggering 513% increase in Facebook users 55+. Facebook users aged 35-54 has seen almost a 200% increase and ages 25-34 have seen a 60% increase. This is according to data analyzed over the last six months. Also, important to note that as the older population increases, the high-school and collge-aged users are decreasing from 15-20%.

Bing Now Bigger Than Digg, Twitter and CNN

2009-07-09T04:40:00.001-07:00

Bing Now Bigger Than Digg, Twitter and CNN

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Although I'm not generally a PC or Microsoft user anymore as I love my macbook and safari, it's important to note the progress that PC's and MS are making. I find it interesting that Bing is doing so well.

Stop! Hammertime Again?!

2009-06-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, I had a fear once that MC Hammer pants would come back in fashion. Today, I'm afraid that irrational fear could become a reality. A new show called Hammertime will air on A&E. The guerilla video below is being used to promote the show. Pretty funny given the latest fad of "skinny jeans" being all the rage.

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

Facebook Vanity URLs

2009-06-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

If you're a professional or business owner using Facebook as part of your marketing strategy, be sure to take advantage of the new Facebook vanity pages. You can sign up to get the username or company name you want. For example I am www.facebook.com/pachladis, which ties into my Twitter handle of @pachladis as well as my email, etc. If you're trying to create a personal brand or have an online brand for your offline business, consistency is important so try to keep your identities the same to get the benefits of the search engines indexing you or your company.

To sign up for your personal page, go to http://www.facebook.com/username. Dont wait long, because if someone gets the name you want before you do - it's too late. Also note that once you've chosen your vanity URL you can not change it, so choose wisely.

GM "Reinvention" Spoof - Because People Can't Help Themselves!

2009-06-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, first I want to say that I saw the new GM "Reinvention" spot and I was impressed with the messaging and quality and imagery. I thought the agency who produced the spot and GM did a great job of conveying strength and hope for the future of the American auto giant...that being said, the GM "Retardation" spoof is still funny. After all the scandals and bailouts of American corporations over the last decade, how can one not make light of the positive spin that corporations in bankruptcy reorganization use?

New Heinz Bottle Spot True to Legacy of Heinz Brand

2009-06-12T07:55:00.001-07:00

Just watched the new Heinz "Bottle" :60 spot (produced by Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO). Love it! I think it does an excellent job of reinforcing the Heinz Company's "anticipation" positioning and of reinforcing their leadership in the ketchup category.

Is Your Brand Really Different?

2009-06-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Branding a product or service based on differentiated attributes or features is not a new concept...yet so many companies get it wrong.

To be unique, a brand needs to 1) Be important to the target audience, 2) Meet a need or promote a brand promise not currently being used by a competitor and 3) Be supported by company strengths and/or processes.

Typically in branding, the brand tries to own only one or two key benefits or attributes. The more complicated a brand promise or brand message, the less likely a consumer is to remember it. We need simple yet powerful concepts that consumers can and will relate to.

Below are some possible ways to differentiate a brand. Keep in mind that choosing several of these and lumping them together will not be advisable. Again, focusing on one or two key areas is best.

* Brand is a category leader (Crest)
* Brand is a category inventor (Sensodyne - toothpaste for sensitive teeth)
* Brand was a pioneer in a market - Ford, Coca-Cola
* Brand is the category innovator (Toyota, Dell)
* Brand is the most convenient or easy to use (Band-aid)
* Brand meets a niche need and leads at serving that niche
* Brand delivers a unique product purchase or usage experience (Apple, Dell)
* Brand is the "next big thing"
* Brand tells an engaging story about itself that consumers connect with
* Brand is trusted
* Brand is a technology leader
* Brand has unique qualities
* Brand comes from a place known for excellence in category (California Wine, Italian Olive Oil)
* Brand is the choice of experts (Tylenol, Jif)
* Brand is the best value for the cost (Wal-mart
* Brand is the definition of luxury in a category (Lexus, Rolex, etc)
* Brand is all-natural (Horizon organic milk, Kraft naturals)

Once you've adequately branded yourself based on what you and your market dictate, then you must craft marketing messages and use tactics that constantly reinforce that central brand idea.

LinkedIn Demographics

2009-06-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

LinkedIn is a great tool for networking online. It's a great way to connect with people you work with now or have worked with in the past as well as to create new business relationships. Recent LinkedIn statistics show the following data:

Average age: 41

Male: 64%

Household Income: $100K+ = 53%

Own Smart phone or PDA: 34%

College Grad/Post Grad: 80.1%

Business Decision Maket: 49%

Portfolio value of $250k+ = 24%

Job Titles:

C-Level Executives - 7.8%
EVP/SVP - 6.5%
Sr Mgmt - 16%
Middle Management - 18%

These statistics were provided by www.linkedsecrets.com/blog.

Bud Light Commercial - Poor Guy

2009-06-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

LOL! The new Bud Light commercial with the guy in the store buying beer and a dirty magazine "for his friend" is really funny. It makes me wonder how many guys have had this experience...although I'm not sympathetic!

Love the Geico Kash Commercials?

2009-06-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

I don't care what anyone says, I love the Geico "Kash" spots. There's something really really funny about a pair of eyes on a pile of cash with 80s music like Michael Jackson's Somebodys Watchin Me. And even if other ad people don't like the spots, they still have to admit that is it yet another creative way of expressing Geico's "save money on car insurance" position.

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

New Burger King Late Night Menu Spots

2009-05-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

Haha! I love the new Burger King Late Night Menu Spots with the King sneaking up on sleeping people and obnoxiously waking them with bullhorns and cymbals. Check out one of the spots here.

Brand Appeal Among Young Adults - Image Isn't everything?

2009-05-27T10:00:00.001-07:00

According to a new study done by MTV Networks, young adults are motivated by more than a brand's image or popularity. To find out what ranked high read the article at e-marketer. Brand Appeal Among Young Adults - eMarketer

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B2B Marketers Turn to Digital Tactics - eMarketer

2009-05-27T09:52:00.001-07:00

B2B Marketers Turn to Digital Tactics - eMarketer

Some interesting stats on how B2B companies are relying more on digital tactics to effectively market themselves.

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Candy Bar Commercial For New Fling

2009-05-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Using sex to sell products...how original. Okay, maybe it works...but doesn't it work more on men then women. One would think. So who's the target audience for the new Mars "Fling" (skinny 85-calorie chocolate bar)? Watch the new spot. You decide. I think it's bad branding. "Naughty but not that naughty" just doesn't make the cut for me. Tell me I'll look better in my bathing suit. That's what women care about! That's why we cut calories.

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

Innovation Wins Even in Hard Times

2009-05-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

I am so over hearing about the recession. Duh. We all know the economy is down...real estate and retail are down and unemployment is up. There are still opportunities and innovations galore. Seek out the positive things and you will see them. And marketing my friends is all but dead. Businesses need marketing now more than ever. Smart businesses know that times like these lead to more market share for those who work harder.

Here's a link to some inspiring things going on at TrendWatching.com: http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/innovationjubilation/

Twitter Marketing Examples

2009-05-21T14:53:00.001-07:00

As a Twitter user and advocate for its usage in marketing (for selfish reasons of course as well as some less selfish) it is wonderful to see how companies are integrating Twitter into their marketing efforts and how users are leveraging Twitter for their interests.

Some examples of recent Twitterage (Twitter Usage) include:

United Airlines offering special fares, which they've ideally named "Twares" to their Twitter followers. You can sign up for Twares at www.united.com.
The TV network that recently put an RFP for an ad agency with social media savvy. A great opportunity for those who are using Twitter as a business development tool.
Recently cancelled NBC show My Name is Earl - fans have organized a Twitter campaign to advocate for the show's continuance (see @EarlTwitition).
Land Rover using Twitter to drive traffic to see its new models at the NY Auto Show
etc.

The more popular Twitter becomes, the more practical using it for marketing will become. For now it's still innovative but then again Facebook used to be innovative...now people's grandparents have one.

Cleveland Rocks!

2009-05-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Poor Cleveland. I love this city and grew up here. Despite all the progress and advancements we've made...people still love to trash us as evidenced by this video.

We have a basketball team that just swept two teams in the playoffs, The world class Cleveland Orchestra, The Rock Hall, Some of the best healthcare and universities in the country...probably even the world, The Cleveland Marathon, The Warehouse District, lots of culture like the PlayHouse. It's okay to joke. I hear the "Cleveland Curse" all the time. I just hope we all recognize what a great place and brand Cleveland is. It's a shame the people on the outside think higher than the people who live in the community.

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

Another Funny Twitter Spoof

2009-04-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

When you're the hottest current social media app as is the case with Twitter, people are going to make fun of you. Case in point...the video below from collegehumor.com called "Twitter in Real Life". It's actually pretty funny. While watching it, I thought about how different the online world versus the real world are. I wouldn't yell my status updates out at my co-workers or random people on the street, yet in a sense in the online world on Twitter, that is what is happening. Of course we all have our own thoughts about Twitter and its usefulness. No matter what your opinion is, I hope you enjoy the video.

Watch Real Life Twitter on CollegeHumor

Japanese High Blood Pressure Tea Spot

2009-04-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Got high blood pressure? No problem...just drink the new Japanese tea featured in this commercial. Oh yah, the spot is pretty funny too. Even if you don't speak Japanese (which I don't), you'll understand it as the dialogue has subtitles.

New Heineken Spot - Wish You Were There!

2009-04-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, we've all been in the car with friends on the way home from the bar after a couple drinks singing! The new Heineken spot shows that exact scenario. I just watched it. It gave me that nostalgic, wish I was there kind of feeling. Probably the best part is the music...old-school Biz-Markie...oh yah and the cabbie singing along! Heineken is a fun brand with great advertising! Check it out.

New Harris Data Shows About Half of Americans Use Popular Social Media Sites

2009-04-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

Doesn't everyone today use the Internet and social media tools to communicate?! The answer is no...not even close. Just the other day while visiting my parents, my father clearly stated his lack of understanding or interest in the Internet and social media. I think this is partly a product of his age, profession, stubbornness and lack of understanding. This struck me. How could someone living in today's world be so disconnected from the very tools that help keep me connected to the outside world? Apparently my father is not alone. The latest Harris Interactive poll supports my father's position. The results were as follows:

51% of Americans do not currently use social media.
49% of Americans use Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
48% have either a MySpace or Facebook account though only 16% say they update daily.
5% say they are using Twitter

The data varies depending on who is using the media:

75% of 18-34-year-olds have a MySpace or Facebook
24% of 55+ have an account

I guess I have to avoid being myopic and assuming that because I am using social media and many of my friends and colleagues are that the whole world is. Although I think we will see the percentage continue to increase over time.

Land Rover Uses Twitter for New Ad Campaign

2009-04-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Land Rover recently launched a new ad campaign...but it's not your average everyday media being used. The new campaign was launched largely through the use of Twitter (yes Twitter) and out-of-home items like taxi TVs and outdoor boards.

The campaign is an effort to try and build online conversation regarding the release of the new Land Rovers at the New York Auto Show. According to AdAge, Twittad (a social media network) was tapped by direct marketing agency Wunderman to help with the launch.

To see details about the campaign on Twitter, search the hashtag #LRNY (think of a hashtag as a keyword for Twitter).

Many companies are trying to incorporate Twitter into their online marketing efforts. This is a good example of how Land Rover has done that. I think we'll be seeing and hearing much more about advertising on Twitter over the next 6-12 months.

Twitter Brand Keeps Growing

2009-04-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

For those of you who think there is not a market for marketing on the infamous Twitter...

I could go on and on and write a long, boring post on why you should be learning and using Twitter to market your brand and/or yourself. Fortunately, I think the image here speaks volumes. Twitter is so big that the fail whale is becoming more of an icon everyday. Whether you like or use Twitter, you've got to admit that it has brand power.

Brand Beginnings

2009-04-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Ever Wonder where the names of some of our favorite brands came from? Below is a short list of popular companies and details about how their names came to be.

Wendy's - Melinda Thomas of Dublin, OH (near Columbus) was nicknamed Wendy growing up. When her father Dave Thomas started his hamburger chain he chose his daughter's nickname. At that time she was eight years old.

Coca-Cola - John Pemberton, an Atlanta, Georgia pharmacist created the original soft drink. His bookkeeper Frank Robinson named the beverage according to its two main ingredients, which were coca from coca leaves and kola from kola nuts.

Apple - Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak named their computer company after a record label they both liked.

Honda - The popular auto company was named after its founder Soichiro Honda when he started the company after WWII...however at that time Honda was a motorcycle company only. It was not until Honda entered the U.S. in the 1960s that it started manufacturing automobiles.

Mickey Mouse - Back when Walt Disney was first starting out in his art career he had developed the classic concept for Mickey Mouse. The original name he wanted was Mortimer Mouse but his wife Lillian convinced him to use Mickey instead. In 1928 when Mickey debuted in his first film, a star was born.

Banana Republic - The safari-inspired attire that began in 1978 and has grown into a luxury career brand as well as an upscale casual retailer today derived its name from an uncomplimentary term used to describe an unstable Latin American country.

There are so many good examples. You may see similar posts in the future.

Nielsen Data for March 2009 Shows Growth in Search & Video Marketing

2009-04-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

The latest Nielsen data for search and video show continued growth in online use for research and entertainment. It's hard to imagine that just ten years ago the Internet was still a baby.

According to Nielsen search data for March 2009:

Search was up 16.7% over March of 2008
Google owned 64.2% share of search
Yahoo Search has gained a little ground (1.7%) on Google for a total of 15.8%
MSN ranked third in share of the search market at 10%

According to Nielsen video data for March 2009:

Number of video streams in March reached 9.7 billion (up 8.7% over last month)
Google-owned YouTube is top-rated with 5.48 billion streams
Hulu has the second spot with 348 million
Yahoo ranks third followed by Fox Interactive Media, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Network.

These numbers are further proof that your brand should be highly engaged in search, video and other types of interactive marketing.

Social Media Hurts Domino's & Maybe Others

2009-04-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Okay so the latest example of brand defamation via social media was thrust upon an unknowing Domino's Pizza. Two Domino's employees thought it would be cute and funny to post YouTube videos of them messing with people's food. The videos quickly rose to popularity (over 720K views) and disgusted a lot of people.

Although these actions were merely taken by two idiotic Domino's employees, their actions have harmed the brand and maybe the brands of key competitors such as Pizza Hut and Papa Johns. Of course they were fired but the damage is done. I hear there is talk of Domino's suing the former employees, which I feel is deserved but how do you get money from two obvious losers who work at a low-paying fast food job?

I see where this is going. Companies are now going to have to add a page to their employment manuals about responsible social media usage. Most people are smart enough to not do things as stupid as these former Domino's employees but the couple of idiots that are the exception can cause a lot of damage.

As consumers, we need to be aware that a) this is not Domino's fault but rather the gross people who chose to record and post the YouTube videos and b) this is not the norm in food prep.

As marketers, we have to consider how social media is affecting our brands and learn how to better manage the dissemination of content that could be detrimental to our business.

Branding the New Palm Pre

2009-04-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Ready for the next big phone ...at least in the world of non i-phone using business execs? The new Palm Pre, which operates on a 4G network is the latest and greatest. I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade from my Treo 800 to this or wait until my contract expires and switch to the i-phone. Anyways, check out the cool demo for the Pre. Even if you're an i-phone loyalist, you can agree the Pre looks pretty cool.

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The Latest Facebook Stats - Why Branding on Facebook is Important

2009-04-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Facebook reached its 200 millionth user last week and continues to grow rapidly - especially among the 26-44 age group within the U.S. Many of whom are educated professionals and buyers with disposable income.

Your business can't afford to not at least consider how it can tap into this growing social network. Think of Facebook as an investment in your overall online brand. It's not difficult to get started. It is easy enough that most people or companies can setup their own accounts and pages, but if you're in need of professional help, drop me a line or give me a call or get in touch with another professional who specializes in social media.

What is a Brand?

2009-04-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

Often clients and prospects ask me to help them better understand what a brand is or what a brand means. I thought I would take a few moments to define and explain what a brand is and isn't and what is significant about a brand's meaning.

First, let's start by clarifying what a brand is not:

It is not a logo
It is not a symbol
It is not a tagline
It is not a font or color scheme
It is not what you say it is

Now, let's work on defining what a brand is:

It is in part an identity made up of name, logo, colors, fonts or symbols
It may or may not include a tagline or taglines
It is a means of differentiating a product, service, person or place from competing products or services
It is a collection of perceptions held by consumers and prospects about a product, service, person or place
It is an experience associated with a product, service, person or place

A brand has to have a meaningful difference for consumers to understand it and decide whether or not it is a brand they want to buy or a person or place they want to endorse or visit. This meaningful difference has been called a brand position, unique selling proposition, differentiating attribute, etc. It is the perceived difference a consumer or prospect believes about a brand. For example, Volvo's meaningful difference is safety. Federal Express's meaningful difference is overnight delivery. Listerine's meaningful difference is kills germs, President Obama is change we can believe in and so on.

Dunkin' Donuts Brand: Simple = Success

2009-04-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

I noticed a sign close to where I live this morning that said "coming soon...Dunkin' Donuts". I thought to myself there are already two nearby Dunkin's...why are they building another. Then I thought about it and realized how many new Dunkin Donut stores I have seen spring up over the last year or two. There are several new stores within a 10-15 mile radius of my home. Talk about a revitalized brand!

I remember my parents bringing home dozens of donuts from Dunkin' when I was a kid and remember that feeling of carefree bliss I felt when those tasty donuts hit my lips. Then as the population became more health conscious and more interested in luxury brands like Starbucks, old Dunkin' seemed to take a back seat for a while. Yet in a time like present...when Starbucks is closing stores left and right...Dunkin' is opening stores just as fast.

The Dunkin' brand was revitalized a short while back with their "America runs on Dunkin'" campaign and corresponding store makeovers. Dunkin' is positioned as a quality, no-frills American coffee and breakfast brand. I guess at the end of the day, Dunkin's strategy shows us that simple wins over complicated and value wins over over luxury.

Marketing Your Brand Through Online Search

2009-03-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Companies large and small that understand how important search marketing is to their overall online marketing strategy are reaping the reward of a strong ROI. A former manufacturing client from a previous agency called to check in and rave about how well his pay-per-click campaign is working. They've added a substantial amount of new business from integrating paid search into their online marketing strategy. This is just one example. I hear success story after success story from companies that are looking to grow and using online search marketing as a core component of their strategy.

Case studies like this prove just how valuable search marketing is. Also, the proof is in the data. According to data from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers, Internet advertising reached $23.4 billion in 2008 - a new record high. Search was largely responsible for that growth at 19 percent over the previous year.

To succeed at marketing today, businesses must have an online brand that people desire and must be easily found through search and/or other online marketing tactics. Marketing online does not utilize a "build it and they will come" strategy. You must be proactive in helping people to find you. Just remember search is only half of the equation, the other half is how professional and relevant the online brand you've developed is perceived to be by your target audience.

Do-it-Yourself Brands Winning in Tough Economic Times

2009-03-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Information Resources Inc (IRI) reported its findings on the most popular new food and beverage and new non-food brands. The results indicate further how consumers are adapting their lifestyles to save money and realize value during difficult economic times.

The results in a nutshell indicate the following:

While some premium brands like Starbucks are suffering, brands seen as quality value brands such as Dunkin' Donuts Coffee (which was the 2nd of the top 10 food and beverage brands) have performed very well.
Also in the food and beverage category, brands that cater to the health conscious seem to be doing very well as evidenced by Gatorade's G2 occupying the top spot in the top 10 and Progresso Light taking the third spot).
Consumers are trying d-i-y products at home in many instances versus going to a professional first. For example the Ped Egg is on the top-ten list of non-food brands showing that pedicures on the home are on the rise. Not good news for spas but nonetheless people still want to be pampered even if they have to or choose to do it themselves.

The top 10 brands for Food and Beverage were as follows:

Gatorade G2
Dunkin' Donuts Coffee
Healthy Choice Cafe' Steamers
Progresso Light
Hormel Compleats
Digiorno Ultimate
Smirnoff Ice Flavors
Pepsi Max
Tyson Any'Tizers
Diritos Collisions

The top 10 brands for new non-food products were:

Zyrtec
Alli
Charmin Ultra Strong
Ped Egg
Secret Clinical Strength
MiraLax
Dawn PLUS
CoverGirl LashBlast
Maybelline Define
Tidy Pure Essentials

Bottom line: brands that show value and or innovate in these economic times have a better chance of prospering.

Premium Brands in a Recessionary Economy

2009-03-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

I read an article this week in Business Week about premium brands that despite the ailing economic times are not looking to change their pricing strategy to accommodate financially conservative consumers. Panera Bread and Apple were two examples specifically mentioned in the article.

The article got me thinking. Who is smarter here (from a marketing perspective)? The companies that are adjusting their prices to reach more consumers or those who refuse to accommodate cash-strapped consumers? Some premium brands like Starbucks have certainly felt the pain of the recession and as such have created new lower-priced product offerings with the hopes of appealing to more people looking for value.

In my own experience, each time I have been to the mall recently or out to eat it seems everyone is running a sale or special. I think (and I could be wrong here but will say what I think nonetheless) that premium brands who refuse to budge will be hurt by this decision. As more people continue to lose their jobs or fear losing their jobs, savings grow and spending tightens. As spending tightens more people will look for values - particularly premium values. I guess my thinking here is that even premium brands have to be adaptable to survive in the long run and part of that adaptation is adjusting to economic conditions.

Can the World Forgive Vanilla?

2009-03-24T11:18:00.001-07:00

Vanilla Ice Apologizes for 'Ice Ice Baby' in Virgin Mobile Ad, Not for Flowing 'Like a Harpoon Daily and Nightly' (Video)

I think Virgin Mobile's use of Vanilla Ice in their new commercial is just too funny. Vanilla Ice is a great case study on branding based on authenticity. Given that the whole Vanilla Ice debacle happened years before the social media evolution...it will be interesting to see if people are willing to give him another chance.

Visit the link here and you can view the spot and at the end Virgin points to a website where you can vote on whether or not you can forgive Vanilla.

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$4 Foot Long? Quiznos Versus Subway.

2009-03-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

I was just reading about Quizno's latest ad campaign, which is apparently going to be promoting $4 footlong sandwiches in an effort to try to steal market share from Subway. I haven't seen the TV spots yet but read on Adrants that the spots use a sexy theme...using phrases like put that foot long in me. Even though I haven't seen this yet, I just want to say WTH are they thinking?

First of all, $4 footlongs just doesn't roll off the tongue with quite the same ease as $5. Okay, I guess if it's an all-out price war then maybe Quizno's will up its volume for the short term. A temporary solution to the overarching Quiznos problem. Problem: Quizno's is a me-too brand in the sandwich category and has yet to develop its own meaningful brand identity. I mean who are they? I honestly can't say. Subway, on the other hand, has long-standing brand recognition. And healthy and fresh coupled with price is what Subway claims to be best at.

Secondly, using sex to sell sandwiches may not be the strongest approach...especially against a solid family-centered brand like Subway. Tying to differentiate this way will likely backfire. I really think Quiznos just needs to figure out how they're different from Subway versus trying to just be cheaper. That works for Wal-mart but not for everyone. And it only works on wooing consumers who solely care about price.

New Nike "Believe in the Run" Spot - Another Great Demonstration of the Nike Brand

2009-03-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, just watched the new Nike "Believe in the Run" spot and I am literally ready to jump out of my office chair, run home, throw on my Asics and my running gear and hit the pavement. Wow! I'm including the link to the video (below) on the blog so you can watch it.

http://www.adgabber.com/video/video/show?id=546804%3A160971

The Nike brand is simply one of the best brands in the world...it may be thee best brand in the world...although that's a matter of opinion. Personally, I run in Asics shoes because of the stability, but many, many, many people swear by Nike. I also should mention that 75 percent of my running gear (shorts, pants, tops, hats) are Nike. Why? Because Nike is synonymous with style, quality and functionality. Their products look good, last for many wears and actually work. Take the Nike Dri-FIT product for example. I have several Dri-FIT shirts and I will keep buying more because they actually work.

One more thing I want to mention about Nike is that they know their audience and they have this amazing ability to target them. Back to the new running commercial...only Nike could develop a spot so emotionally and theatrically realistic to its running customers. Kudos to Nike for developing one of the coolest most innovative brands of all time and to the Nike agencies who again and again demonstrate the power of great creative.