Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category

What Connectivity Means for AMA Tampa Bay

Friday, April 20th, 2012

 

by Sean Halter

Each year the new AMA President tries to select a "theme" for their year. The theme is supposed to act as a bit of a road map and encompass the strategic goal for which the chapter can strive throughout that year (which runs July-June for some odd reason).

This year, I chose the word "connectivity" for many reasons;  most importantly it's the principle on which I have based my company, and I believe when followed, it ensures success. To me, "connectivity" is at its essence that time-tested belief that people want to do business with companies they know, like and trust – what's changed is how you connect to them! I set out the over-reaching goal of trying to find new building blocks with which to "connect" AMA to the marketing community at large, as well as ensure we are providing multiple "connections" to individual marketers. Coming off the successful relaunch of amatampabay.org, we set up several key objectives to create stronger "connectivity", including:

1) A true member database integrated into the AMA Tampa Bay website – launched in January of this year

2) More speakers from the major brands within our backyard – accomplished with several amazing local brands appearing for the first time, including HSN, Seminole Hard Rock, Gold and Diamond Source and more

3) At least one large scale event to help increase awareness and membership -incredible success with almost 300 in attendance for this sold out event with Chick-Fil-A CEO, Dan Cathy

 

As we round out the 2011/2012 year, we have exciting "Connectivity" still on the horizon, including:

1) The development of our Marketing Leaders Advisory Council – made up of key Marketing Executives in the community, to provide guidance and a deeper pool of marketing connections

2) The formation of the AMA Tampa Bay Scholarship Foundation – to build and connect the next generation of marketers to our community

3) The creation of our own local American Marketers of the Year Awards – which will highlight the work of so many companies and marketers doing great work right here in Tampa Bay

For all of you who attended an event, joined us as a member and/or visited one of our many different types of touch points – on behalf of the entire board of AMA, without whom all of the above could not have been accomplished, we thank you and hope you will continue to connect and grow with our brand in the year to come!

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Where to Purchase and Display Online Advertising

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

As more readers move from printed newspapers and magazines to online sources, online advertising should become an increasingly important figure in your marketing efforts. If your ideal client base is online, your company needs a presence there too. Reaching potential customers where they already are – their most frequently visited websites and online services – will not only grab their attention the same way a print ad or billboard would, it also gives them the instant option to click through and explore your products or services immediately. All you need to do is decide where your future customers are most likely to frequent in the online realm.

Local New Sources

If you run a local business, advertising to a large national or global market could be a waste of your carefully budgeted dollars. Instead, you need to find websites that cater primarily to those in your immediate community. Almost all local and metro newspapers have an online home where they share their stories for free. Your traditional newspaper ads may be suffering from declining subscriber rates, but you can make up for this lack by finding new customers through their online versions.

Related Blogs

If your business serves long-distance customers, you will want to find a wider audience than your local newspaper can provide. No matter what you are selling, you can find the ideal platforms to advertise from in the online world. Contact successful blogs and other related websites in your industry to create advertising arrangements. These deals can range from a graphic in their sidebar, to mentioning to your business in a blog post.

Social Networking

You can target your ideal customers using the advertising space sold by social networking systems such as Facebook. Whether you are a small local bakery or a large global corporation, most social network ads can be directed toward users in a specific region, or matched with people who list related interests and activities on their profile page. These ads are often pay-per-click, meaning you only pay for advertising space when someone actually notices and interacts with your ad.

Our helpful network of marketing professionals will assist in guiding you through the process of purchasing effective and profitable online advertisements. Join us today to benefit from the resources and tips our community can provide.

Related Posts:

Creative Advertising Placements (and why they work!)

Keeping Clean: Complying with Advertising Laws

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Posted in Advertising | 1 Comment »

Creative Advertising Placements (and why they work!)

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Have you ever been in the bathroom stall and noticed a plaque full of advertising? You probably read it, too! How about when you’re pumping gas at the gas station? Have you ever looked at the back of your baseball ticket and seen an advertisement?

Advertisers go out of their way to place ads in some of the most unusual, and often creative, locations. Here are some of our favorite places, and an explanation of why they work:

On the stall wall: Let’s face it, everyone visits the bathroom! It’s a place where someone is always going to be. On average, a person will stay in a bathroom stall for two minutes. That’s two minutes looking at your advertisement! Where else can you get that? Another benefit is that you can reach the clientele you wish to target. If your target audience is young, hip females, a posh nightclub restroom stall might work perfectly for your ad!

Inside T-shirts: Traditionally, companies advertise on the front or back of T-shirts that are being handed out or given away. But how about advertising on the inside of T? Some companies are now printing more extensive advertising, such as a mission statement or company profile, on the inside of shirttails.

On pizza boxes: Pizza is a staple in this country, so why not use it to your advantage! Millions of households order delivery pizza each year. Try talking to local pizza shops to see if you can make a deal to place flyers on their delivery boxes. This may cost you less than simply mailing out flyers or ads and it would likely get noticed more often.

In the doctor’s office: We’re told to go once per year, and we all know that there is always a wait at the doctor’s office. If each person has a 30-minute wait, there will be a lot of eyes on your ads. Some doctor’s offices will even allow you to place flyers in the waiting rooms. Check around town to see what your options are.

Golf carts: Golf is a huge sport that draws millions of people each year, and that makes golf carts a perfect place to make your brand seen. Think dashboard, exterior, steering wheel—you name it! Talk to local golf courses or golf and country clubs to see if they can put something together for you. Golf cart advertising will allow you to reach a vast audience without breaking the bank.

Airplane tray tables: The Sky Mall magazine has got nothing on this! We spend hours upon hours on flights, and we don’t have much else to keep our attention. Why not advertise on airplane tray tables? America West and US Airways have already climbed onboard, and others probably will soon, too. This sky-high ad spot allows for consumers’ undivided attention, but the cost is also “in the sky.”

Public buildings and vehicles: With all the budget cuts, many municipalities are considering ways to increase their returns, and that includes allowing advertising. Check with your local authorities to see if buildings, recycling bins, city vehicles, highway overpasses or other structures are available for print advertising. You may be surprised to find many unique locations the city will sell you advertising space on.

Staying relevant and up-to-date is the basis of the American Marketing Association. We are proud to be an organization that provides working professionals and independent entrepreneurs in the Tampa Bay area opportunities to network and learn about current trends in the marketing field.

Sources:

Five Places You Never Thought to Advertise (PS Print)

Five New Places to Advertise (Entrepreneur)

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Keeping Clean: Complying with Advertising Laws

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Some advertisements make outlandish claims or bash the competition, some boast bogus testimonials, and some are just downright deceptive! Where do you draw the line to make sure your business isn’t dabbling in the business of dirty advertising? Start with the rules, set out by the Federal Trade Commission Act.

The Federal Trade Commission Act states that:

· Advertising must be truthful and non-deceptive

· Advertisers must have evidence to support their claims

· Advertisements cannot be unfair

You Deceptive Little Thing!

No one wants to buy something only to be let down by great expectations from an advertisement. It turns out the FTC doesn’t want consumers to get hurt either! Your ad might be deceiving if it is misrepresenting something or omitting information that could possibly relate to whether or not a consumer would buy or use the product being advertised.

Ask yourself:

· Is the ad clear in its representation of the product?

· Is the omitted information important to the consumer?

· Does the ad stretch the truth at all?

· Would a reasonable consumer find your ad misleading?

Rest Your Case

If your advertisement is going to make a claim, it had better be supported! This is especially important in ads that make claims about health and safety. Evidence for health and safety claims must be backed up with substantial and reliable scientific evidence.

Some things to keep in mind:

· Statements from customers aren’t sufficient evidence for claims.

· Money-back or other guarantees do not validate claims.

· You must have the level of evidence you say you have (e.g., statistics, studies, etc.).

· Tests or studies backing up claims must be conducted in accordance with standards set out by experts in the field.

Play Fair

Does your ad play fair? Can it hold up to ethical standards? Although it has been debated whether or not “unfairness” can be encompassed by a set of rules, the FTC sees ads or business practices as unfair if they:

· Could injure customers

· Violate public policy

· Are unethical or dishonest

Showing Your Competitive Side

Mentioning your competitor or comparing your product to another brand has become one of the most popular advertising techniques, but it can bring substantial risk. It is legal to compare your product and service to a competitor, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take you to court for it. Keep within the law by:

· Staying truthful when making comparisons

· Using the registered trademark symbol if you show a competitor’s logo or name

· Always having evidence for your claims about competitors

· Providing a disclosure, explaining you have no affiliation with the company you are comparing

These are very broad guidelines, but they are a great starting point to use when evaluating your own advertising. You may also want to check with the state you live in as well as the states where you do business to see if any other specific advertising laws apply. If you are uncertain whether you are in line with the law, another option is to run your proposed advertising plans by a lawyer who is well-versed in advertising law. Visit the FTC online for more information on advertising laws, rules and guidelines.

Sources:

Tens Things to Do So Your Ads Comply with Advertising Laws (Advertising Compliance Service)

Fair Advertising FAQ: A Guideline for Small Business (Bureau of Consumer Protection)

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Getting in on Cell Phone Applications

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

We live in a technology oriented society. Four-year-olds can surf the web with ease, flat screen televisions are installed in gas stations, and millions of Americans now cannot live without their smart phones. A smart phone basically gives consumers a computer that they can fit in their pocket and pull out to reference whenever needed. Sometimes they even make phone calls on them.

The backbone of smart phone usage is based around applications. Little pieces of software, some more complicated than others, that help smart phone users to do everything from check in on Facebook to find healthcare information have established themselves as a mainstay in our world. The great thing for marketers is that they can be used to reign in customers.

Some cell phone apps are purely sales oriented. Impressive new applications allow users to photograph a product and immediately order it online. Others direct users to a useful information bank that is hosted by a particular company, which leads directly into building a relationship with customers. Further still a good developer will install features in the application that allow you to collect data on your customers. You can obtain hard numbers as to what products people view the most, times of day that sales tend to happen, and much more.

You do not need to be a Fortune 500 company to have an application. In fact, if you have an online retail presence and a somewhat tech savvy customer base it would behoove you to look into the subject in depth. As technology develops and the internet gains even more ground (as hard as it may be to imagine), having an app on a customer’s phone is a way of constantly being with them. Think about it: how close to your bed do you keep your cell phone?

Sources:

Android Wins in the U.S. Smart Phone Wars (Mashable)

Crowd Sourcing Healthcare With Cell Phone Apps (Crowd Station)

Cell Phones Let Shoppers Point Click and Purchase (New York Times)

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To Text or Not To Text

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Is Bing Gaining on Google?

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

Since the launch of Microsoft Corporation’s new search engine, Bing, in June of 2009, the blogosphere has been abuzz with the question: Can Bing topple Google? Some say yes and some say no. While Google has not only become a household name–and verb for that matter–it also still has a significant lead over all other search engines in percentage of searches both globally and in the US. As of February 2011, Google had 65.4% of the U.S. search market, according to ComScore. StatCounter estimates that Google has 89.94% of the global search market, whereas Bing has only 4.37%. Still, is it possible? Could Bing be gaining on Google?

Microsoft spent $80 million for advertising and marketing to launch Bing in 2009. Within the first week that Bing was launched, it captured 8.4% of the search market in the U.S., a number that surprised many in the search industry. Bing’s percentage of the search market has been steadily climbing ever since and was estimated at 13.6% as of February 2011. It was up a half a percentage point from January whereas Google was down from 65.6%. Similarly, Google stock fell $3.59 on the Nasdaq in February, and Microsoft stock went up $.27. Despite all of this, Google still has a significant lead in percentage; 13.6% to Google’s 65.4% can hardly be considered gaining, can it?

In August 2010, Yahoo teamed up with Microsoft to have Yahoo searches powered by Bing. Together Bing and Yahoo command 28.48% of the search market. Around 16.1% of those searches are happening on Yahoo. In October 2010, Facebook and Microsoft announced a new social search tool to be added to Bing, called Bing Social. Bing Social is a search tool that consults your friend’s Facebook pages to narrow your search for things like movies that you might like to see. Rumors are circulating that Bing and Facebook have plans to offer even more exciting new tools.

Could Bing be gaining on Google? Perhaps. As the Internet giants Microsoft, Yahoo, and Facebook continue to team up against Google, the race could become neck ‘n neck. Which horse is your money on? Keep in mind that tides turn and giants fall. With the focus that Bing has been displaying thus far, it is entirely possible that they will be the world’s leader in search.

If you want to stay on top of your game we invite you t join us on April 26. We will have a representative from Bing on hand to educate us on the platform and how it can be used to reach consumers.

Sources:

PC World

Digital Trends

Time

Bloomberg

Network World

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Newspapers are Dying and It’s Our Fault

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

This post definitely isn’t the first time that you have heard of the demise of the newspaper. Readership is down, which isn’t good for publishers, but the real reason, as we all know, is that advertising in printed newspapers is dropping off. According to eMarketer, 2010 represents the first year that online ad sales surpassed newspaper ad sales. Over the course of the year the internet roped in 3 billion more dollars than did newspapers. Accordingly newspapers saw a percentage drop in ad revenue, while virtual ads experienced a percentage increase. The trend is clear: those of us in the marketing community—media planners and buyers specifically—are killing the newspaper.

It’s no secret that we are a digital society. Six-year-olds have iPads and grandparents are on Facebook. It is reasonable to say that most printed forms of communication in general, not just advertising, will soon enough be transitioned into the digital world. For marketers the internet provides some options and assurances that just aren’t available from newspapers, no matter how well read or respected the periodical might be.

Advantages of Virtual Advertising

  • Targeting- Everything from Google AdWords to Social media advertising can be targeted towards a specific group of people. While you might have an idea of who reads which section of the newspaper, online ads offer a more certain picture of who will actually see you promotional effort.
  • Reach- It is clear that there is more potential to reach a larger audience via the internet than there is by way of advertising in newspapers. More readers, far more expansive geographic coverage, and the possibility of people sharing a good ad via email or social media make it clear that newspapers are behind the internet when it comes to reach.
  • Metrics- Outside of estimated circulation and days that your ads run, newspapers offer very little in the way of advertising metrics. The internet can report back how many visitors a site has, what times the sites are most active, and how many of the visitors chose to click through to your website or otherwise responded to your ad. When you have to justify an advertising budget, having some metrics makes the expense a lot easier on your nerves.
  • Cost- This point is simple and requires no explanation….online advertising is generally less expensive than is taking out space in a newspaper.
  • Interaction- As we said during the metrics portion, consumers can immediately respond to your online advertising efforts. Whether it is clicking through to your website or signing themselves up for a promotion, you can begin interacting with core customers as soon as they see the ad. Factor in that people are responding more and more to experiential ads which are well suited for video/audio—something newspapers are obviously incapable of—and the internet yet again bests a newspaper.

It’s only a matter of time before the internet takes over as the world’s number-one news source as it is. Online television is becoming increasingly more prevalent, and Google is starting to be featured in advertisements for televisions themselves. As our favorite communication outlets slowly merge into one single device, knowledge of what works online will make or break advertisers.

Sources:

Bloomberg.com

Brown Bear Media

Advertising Age

Advertising Crossing

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The (Advertising) Revolution Will Be Televised

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Technology and lifestyle trends are working together to change advertising. They are making significant alterations to how marketing communications are developed and delivered. Advertising is not static; it will constantly evolve to remain effective.

Television Is Not Dead

If you took a poll a few years back, many people might have suggested that television advertising was a dying medium. If you asked anyone who took into account the fact that there wouldn’t be television stations (as we know them) without paid advertisements, they would have had a different opinion. Yes DVRs make it possible to skip commercials. Consider that in the not-so-far-off future, television will likely be streamed via the internet and we can identify opportunities. Look at the current industry leader in online television in the Tampa market, www.hulu.com. They have been experimenting with making advertising acceptable to online viewers for some time. Here are some of their ideas:

  • Asking viewers if the ad they watched is relevant to them. Not only is this valuable targeting information for the future; it tells you whether your ads are being watched by the right audience in the present. Less advertising that goes only to your target audience is arguably more effective than casting a wide–and expensive–net by buying air time on multiple stations during multiple commercial breaks.
  • Letting viewers choose advertising they prefer. Hulu sometimes lets a user choose between specific ads (again targeting) or between watching one long ad or several short ones. Increasing autonomy likely increases engagement–not a bad idea.
  • Polling as opposed to promoting. Sometimes Hulu offers up surveys and not commercials. It isn’t hard to figure out who is behind the survey. For instance one was entirely about smart phone purchases and interests and was easily associated with the Android sponsorship of the Hulu platform. This might not be traditional advertising, but it definitely lets a sponsor address the “Product” and “Place” aspects of the marketing mix.

Sneak It In

Outside of advertising via commercials, product placement is certainly here to stay. Whether it involves physically putting a product in front of the camera or in a character’s hand or merely mentioning it, product placement is gaining popularity. Even Zappos CEO and friend of AMA Tampa Bay Tony Hsieh seems to be coming around. Despite Zappos’ lack of involvement in many traditional forms of advertising, any fan of NBC’s “30 Rock” might have noticed that they paid for their name to be mentioned during the show–when consumers are certain to be actively engaged–in a recent episode. While some brands have been doing this since the ‘80’s, it seems to be growing in popularity with both advertisers and TV networks. There is currently no way for a consumer to avoid being advertised to if the ad is included in something they want to watch. The more seamless the product placemen,t the more effective it is likely to be.

While the future is still a bit uncertain, it appears as if television advertising will be alive and well for some time.

Sources:

Marketing Pilgrim

Ad Age

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Better than Buzz? Building Word-of-Mouth Advertising

Friday, November 19th, 2010

There is a lot of uproar about building buzz and getting your brand out there. While you definitely want people to be talking, you may be better served to look for word of mouth rather than buzz. It’s true that the two concepts are very similar, but it is important to make the distinction and target your efforts accordingly.

An advertising campaign that gets people’s attention will create conversation and build buzz, but if the conversation does not involve your key customers or brand ambassadors–choose your favorite lingo–advertising to others for you, then your buzz has not evolved into word of mouth. Engineering word of mouth usually takes a combination of a few factors: having a quality product or service; building great relationships with your customers; not being afraid to let your audience have a stake in the conversation; and of course a little creativity.

Ways to Foster WOM

  • Levy distribution- Great products that people love should be sold year-round right? Not always! Sometimes holding back can get word of mouth started. Take McDonald’s for example. They are currently selling the McRib Sandwich nationwide. This pork patty has a cult-like following that promotes the product almost as much as McDonald’s does. There are websites, blogs, social media accounts and all kinds of other outlets where sandwich aficionados spend their time promoting the sandwich to others for no return. Part of the mystique is wrapped around the fact that distribution is limited both chronologically and geographically.
  • Make friends- When people really like your business, they will convince others to like it as well. You can do this with follow-up thank-you cards, remembering specific things about them (this shows you took the time to identify them as people and not just customers) or by simply providing the best customer service possible. Make people happy, make them remember you and then wait for new customers who tell your sales staff that they were referred.
  • Pay for it- Paying for referrals can help build word of mouth. You can offer coupons, discounts or anything else that you think your current customer base might like. This tactic is best used in combination with one of the other suggestions, though, as your ambassadors will need some substance for their sales pitch aside from “I am getting a discount.” Aside from compensated referrals, you can also give free products and services away to your ambassadors to keep them happy and involved.
  • Start a conversation- Talk to your customers. Ask what they think about your business or what you could change to make it better. People like to have input and feel as if they are being listened to. Do more than make them feel that way–actually listen. Aside from the value of feedback from your best customers, you will be establishing a relationship that can lead to word of mouth in the future.
  • Give up some control- If you want people to advertise for you for free, you have to understand that some of it is going to be on their terms. Don’t regulate word of mouth just because you would rather see different verbiage or timing. You can always get involved at some point, but keep it casual and always let the customer do the talking. Coca Cola has one of the most fanned Facebook pages out there and guess what…they didn’t start it and the original ambassadors still maintain it.

As culture, communication platforms and business go through changes, word of mouth will evolve. The one variable that is likely to remain constant is that word-of-mouth advertising will be gold for marketers. If you are interested in finding out more about how to get the conversation started for your business, you would be best served to look for marketing expert who can walk you through the process.

Sources:

Ad Age

Mashable

Marketing Success Blueprint

Zuberance Blog

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Hyperlocal Targeting: Does it fit Your Needs?

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

One of first things that businesses consider when either starting or growing operations is location. You must be located so as to be accessible to customers. These days the internet is a location itself, allowing businesses to reach as far as the virtual world itself, but brick and mortar is by no means dead. If you are marketing brick and mortar, on the internet, the idea of hyperlocal marketing is taking hold as a mainstay.

Hyperlocal marketing basically means that you advertise to people who live work or at the very least commute by your physical location. This makes sense but new techniques are making it more possible to reach customers and pointing out the effectiveness of appealing to people based on getting them what they need close to home.

Traditionally, and still today, there has been multiple mail out campaigns that you can be a part of in order to send marketing collateral directly to houses in targeted areas. Being that we live in a digital age it may be more effective to move these mail out campaigns to the internet. After all, most people take to the internet to find what they need far before they head to their mail box. The internet allows you to be specifically searched for and found, as long as you have placed yourself correctly. In this instance SEO is not the topic. There are hundreds of coupon websites that you can be a part of. While this post isn’t being written to support any single one, it is being written to recommend the concept. Yes your clients might be weary of people who only want to buy when there is a deal, but regardless well put together coupon promotions can stimulate sales while increasing brand awareness. From a hyperlocal standpoint many sites allow you to choose which zip codes you will distribute in so that you aren’t wasting time promoting to customers who live too far away.

Google has gone (even more) hyperlocal as well. They have recvently added a feature to their Adwords campaigns. If users choose to share their physical location with Google (keep in mind that the location can be a PC, Lap Top or Cell Phone) then AdWords can now tell searchers how far they are from a particular store. They even provide a map to help them get to you. To make things easier there is now a way that people can click on the phone number in the AdWord listing and Google will connect their cell phone to your location. You still pay per click when users use the ad to visit your website, now you will “pay per call” when they choose to call you. While this is obviously another revenue stream for Google, it is one that might be very helpful to you. After all, a customer that wants to talk to someone at the business location is arguably more likely to become a paying customer than someone who peruses your website. With this development Google is doing everything that they can to lead a horse to water. You need to be there to show them how to drink.

Consumers love easy. Anything that can be done to make anything easier, including shopping, will pay off. It’s clear that limited traveling distances makes shopping esier so why not got hyperlocal yourself?

Sources:

Tampa Bay Business Journal

Search Engine Land

American Marketing Association Tampa Bay

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Posted in Advertising | 2 Comments »