These days, the safest bet is that a sizable portion of the ads you’ll consume in the coming weeks will be from sports betting apps, especially with the Super Bowl just around the corner. And if you review just a sample of past campaigns from brands like BetMGM, WynnBet and TheScore, you can spot a…
As the technology industry sheds headcount and trims expenses in response to a worsening economic forecast, digital publishers reliant on Silicon Valley ad spend–namely this week, Protocol and Morning Brew–have found themselves caught in the contraction. In October, as part of these new austerity measures, 34% of technology companies cut or paused their advertising budgets,…
In business, and in marketing and advertising, the word “strategy” is held aloft. It’s as if it is the most prized of all skill sets: It speaks of intellect and cleverness, of brilliant logistical planning and goal fulfillment. Occasionally, it even has a militaristic whiff about it, conjuring up images of attack formations and plans…
With the recently announced merger of Essence and MediaCom, the formation of the technology layer GroupM Nexus and the formalization of Mindshare’s meshing with Neo, GroupM is in the midst of a big change. This extends to expanding its leadership team, and today it announced a new c-suite hire in Kathy Kline, who will join…
Brooklyn native and Macy’s strategist Kadeem Fletcher doesn’t just harness his understanding of people and culture to connect brands to influencer talents. He also understands firsthand how these moments of collaboration can potentially connect a brand to a wider audience in an intimate, organic way. Fletcher brings this knowledge to The Blooming Union, a lifestyle…
Dylan Williams, Droga5 London’s partner and chief strategy officer, has left the agency after five years. Williams joined the agency in 2016 from Publicis Worldwide where he was global chief strategy and innovation officer. During his time at the agency, he saw it acquired by Accenture Interactive and worked with brands such as Diet Coke,…
At a time when many agencies are rethinking their models, DDB Sydney’s dedicated McDonald’s team is planning to welcome back McDonald’s Australia and all of the client’s agency partners to its office on a weekly basis, beginning in January. Several years ago, DDB Sydney launched what it calls a creative review meeting. Before the pandemic,…
In January 2017, Wendy’s revolutionized brand twitter by turning their Twitter fingers into trigger fingers. A social media manager hit gold that day when the brand chose to respond to a Twitter user who, as Wendy’s playfully accused, “had forgotten refrigerators existed.” Now there are a few important things to note here. First, Wendy’s didn’t…
When it comes to the client briefing process, we are in a place where, according to the IPA, one partner in the client-agency relationship thinks they’re getting it right 80% of the time and the other partner thinks they’re getting it right … only 10% of the time. In romantic relationships, that sort of imbalance…
America is traveling again… for now. The Fourth of July weekend marked the highest rate of travel since the pandemic began, with just over 10 million people passing through TSA security checkpoints in America’s airports between July 1-5, and just over 40 million hitting the road, according to AAA–despite the national average for a gallon…
You know what the ultimate hard-luck story is in advertising? “We’re in a low-interest category.” This is our industry’s equivalent of “I got stuck in traffic” or “last night’s beer must have been off.” It’s a flimsy excuse that is used to explain a lack of creativity in categories as diverse as financial services, logistics,…
Bryan Wiener is chairman of digital agency 360i and Expion, a social content marketing optimization platform. He believes business leaders are looking high and low for digital leadership.
Writing for Ad Age, he points to a recent Forrester report surveyed 1,200+ global business executives.
While 74% of global businesses have a digital strategy, only 33% believe it’s the right strategy, and beyond that, only 21% – or less than one-fourth – believe they have the right people setting the strategy.
This is a formula ripe for disruption and disintermediation, which poses a huge threat to some of the world’s leading brands and the rest of the ecosystem.
Digital strategists are either licking their chops at these numbers, or headed for the hills.
I’m more of a chop-licker, and as such I’d like to offer four core concepts for any business, large or small.
Presumably, your company’s products and services are designed to solve real world problems for people. Simply apply this same framework to your brand communications.
The post Dissatisfied Clients Claim Digital Strategists Not Getting It Done appeared first on AdPulp.
The recession has either changed the way advertisers do business or has forced us to reevaluate the ways in which we do business. The focus has shifted to the effectiveness and efficiency of an ad campaign rather than stressing the campaign or ad variables such as reach and effective frequency.
If you work in a media department, then measuring effectiveness and efficiency is something you’ve likely done for years with little to no fanfare from the client side. Well, the climate’s changed, and clients are concerned more than ever — with good reason — that their ads and campaigns meet efficient, effective, and measurable goals. Their priority is to connect with the target audience in a manner that’s more in-tune with a reduced budget. Clients are are requiring or searching for agencies capable of providing campaigns that work harder and smarter.
In addition, advertisers (namely P&G and Coca Cola), have instituted Value Based Compensation (VBC) arrangements made up of a pay-for-performance (P4P) layout that can be attained in addition to a base fee.
The Nielsen Company has just announced that a new software product, Rapid Campaign Evaluation (RCE), a fast and inexpensive means to review ad performance in just over a week. Due to the costs incurred when an ad or campaign is launched, RCE will give agencies information quickly so as to allow them to respond in an appropriate manner.
Richard Reeves, associate director of Consumer Research Services at the Nielsen Company, notes an agency not only will have the ability to evaluate their own endeavors but the ability to evaluate their competitor’s as well.
“Whenever a new commercial is executed,” Reeves says, “there is always that element of anticipation about how it will perform in the ‘real world.’ If it’s a competitor’s ad — you are usually left worrying about the damage it will do to your brand.”
RCE was designed and tested in Australia to measure the strength (or weakness) of TV spots. How many people saw or heard the ads or whether the audience was able to determine the advertiser and the take-away message will provide advertisers with almost “real-time” data they can then use to readjust their tactics such as:
In just over a week, agencies will be able to view data in order to evaluate effectiveness or lack thereof, ensuring clients get the biggest bang for their buck.
While advertising “gurus” have bandied back and forth as to the fairness or plausibility of the VBC model, companies, such as Coca Cola, have already put it into action. In truth, it’s the most equitable payment arrangement; agencies require media vendors to prove their performance. Why shouldn’t clients require the same from their agencies?
Nielsen’s new software is just another step in the ongoing evolution of the industry.
Jeff Louis has over ten years of brand-building, media strategy, and new business experience. His passion is writing, while his strong suit seems to be sarcasm. You can follow Jeff on Twitter or become a fan on Examiner.com.
It’s a classic love triangle: The wealthy Kraft wants British beauty Cadbury. Cadbury, however, wants Hershey’s, the poor, yet perfectly sweet option. Hershey’s is of a lower financial capability than the domineering Kraft and is reluctant to make a move, though it knows the two make an ideal pair. So it goes for the two U.S. food makers and the international sweetheart Cadbury.
The drama began in September when Kraft slipped an unsolicited note to Cadbury, making it a marriage offer for $16.7 billion. Cadbury, being of higher standards, immediately rejected it. Hershey’s also wanted Cadbury’s hand, but being of a lower income bracket, the company struggled to gather the funding necessary to support the lifestyle of the demanding Cadbury. After Kraft’s shameless act of domination, Cadbury’s parents, the U.K. Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, had a nice chat with their daughter and decided to set a dueling date for the two contenders: November. The two must make a reasonable and honorable proposition by then or leave empty handed.
For Kraft, the challenge is obvious: They must open themselves up and make a smart, honest proposal for Cadbury’s hand. Doing so would boost their shares in the food-making industry to compete with the biggest and baddest of the land, Nestle. Hershey’s, on the other hand, is the hard-working visionary who is merely after the one he loves. Cadbury would open up an international market for the American-born company and offer pathways into Europe. After last year’s heartbreak from the girl next door, Wrigley, and her marriage to Mars, Inc. (creating the world’s largest sweets company), Hershey’s has done its best to put itself together and move onto to other options.
Hershey’s is doing all it can to make the right move on Cadbury; the former even hired advisors to assist in exploring the bid for marriage. Marrying Cadbury would ensure the continuation of the boarding school for low-income children, which Hershey’s is currently running, so the stakes are high. Kraft, however, is a financial wiz and hopes to capitalize on the devaluation of the British pound during the deadline time, thus being able to bid lower and still come out on top.
Tensions are high, and the suspense rises daily. Hopefully, love will conquer all, and they’ll live happily ever after.
Rena Prizant is a Copywriter, Ad Creative, SEO Gal, and mammal in the Chicago area. Visit www.RenaPrizant.com or @WriteLeft.
In case you were unaware, the competition for the 2016 Olympics host city’s been won and the waiting is over.
It was a controversial ride, but in the end, Chicago got knocked out immediately and Rio de Janiero was bestowed the honor, marking the first time a South American country’s been chosen to host an Olympic Games. The news is bittersweet in Chicago; the city was split 54% For, 46% Against according to recent polls. The city’s debt, added traffic on over-burdened streets, and additional taxes were main contention points that kept Chicagoans from supporting the bid. Plus the knowledge that recent host’s were still paying off Olympic-sized debt.
Skepticism rose to National levels last week when President Barack Obama, and wife Michelle, agreed to attend the final stage of the Olympic pitch in Oslow, adding their political weight to a field filled with political, and royal, notables: A King and Queen (Madrid), Prime Minister (Tokyo), and another President (Rio).
Competition between Rio and Chicago was especially fierce, and accusations of unfair play were voiced by both sides: One of the larger controversies a website Chicagoans for Rio 2016. The Chicago Olympic Bid team accused Rio of setting up the site (makes sense), but it turned out that it was an inside job…really inside.
Meanwhile, a Chicagoan named Kevin Lynch is confessing that he’s the man behind the cheeky ChicagoansForRio.com, the Web site that’s been anonymously trashing Chicago’s prospects in the past couple of weeks.
Okay, so he was from Chicago. No biggie. The real impact of the story is that Kevin Lynch is one of the top creative execs at Energy BBDO’s Proximity Unit. Energy BBDO, and owner Omnicom, were both in support of Chicago’s bid for the games, providing creative services as part of their endorsement. Plus, there’s the fact that Energy BBDO’s largest client, Wrigley (Wrigley Field, Wrigley Gum, etc), supported the city’s bid.
Which led to “Drama, drama, drama”! Energy BBDO released a statement to Ad Age last week:
“I want to be clear: The agency is and has been fully behind the Chicago 2016 bid,” said Energy BBDO CEO Tonise Paul. “Our clients are aware of our position and understand the situation. The individual acted on his own accord without the agency’s knowledge.”
Kevin Lynch, the “instigator” of the controversy, said he had stopped supporting the Olympic bid for Chicago when Mayor Daley’s statements that Chicagoans wouldn’t be taxed for the games were reversed. (Chicago already carries the heaviest sales tax in the Nation at 10.25%.)
Now that the host city’s been decided, it will be at least a week to discover what becomes of Mr. Lynch…
Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, blogger, and aspiring writer. Please leave a comment or contact him on Twitter. As always, thanks for reading!
What was all over the advertising headlines last week seems to be a ploy to increasing Web site traffic. On September 21st, Togo’s announced their new campaign launch, “Pastrami Money-Back Guarantee.” It stipulated that if you try the new sandwich during its promotional month (9/23-10/20) and you don’t feel it is better than the “other guys,” you’ll get a full refund. Who wouldn’t go for that? Don’t we wish all food establishments offered this service?
What’s the price for requesting a refund, though? Let’s say, for example, the pastrami sandwich was indeed worse than the “other guys.” What then? According to the refund rules, the requirements to receive a refund seem to be more cost-per-effort than merely swallowing the five or so bucks and moving on with your life.
Refund Process:
NOTE:
*Properly submitted and eligible claim entries will receive a check in the amount of the purchase price of a Regular #9 Hot Pastrami Sandwich from the original Togo’s receipt submitted (tax not included). Large and family-size purchases will receive the suggested retail price of the Regular #9 Hot Pastrami Sandwich. The suggested retail price for a Regular #9 Hot Pastrami Sandwich is $5.59 (tax not included).
Are they serious? Why don’t they require getting the redemption letter notarized? I’ll just skip the sandwich altogether, thanks. Just writing the steps above made me hungry for Jimmy John’s anyway. Nobody loves pastrami this much — nobody!
If Togo’s wants people to go to their site, then offer a better incentive, not a 1980’s rebate procedure. It’s almost as if Togo’s just crawled out of a bomb shelter and decided to increase sales. In this age of ADD Tweeting, are they really expecting successful product promotion? Sorry, Togo’s, if you can’t get with the zero’s, get back in your shelter.
Rena Prizant is a Copywriter, Ad Creative, SEO Gal, and mammal in the Chicago area. Visit www.RenaPrizant.com or @WriteLeft.
This post covers two of my favorite topics: Breasts and advertising. When they’re grouped together, it usually means a 30-minute Girls Gone Wild infomercial. However, this post actually covers a couple advertising efforts behind breast cancer awareness, which is nothing to joke about. While humor is used in writing, and can be seen in the TV spots, no disrespect, implied or otherwise, is intended. My prayers go out to all those who have been affected by breast cancer.
All men love breasts. Some love them secretly. Others wear t-shirts that shout out that they are “breast men.” Even men that don’t dig women are drawn to a woman’s chest…not sexually, but out of curiosity. (It’s a cruel society that labels a straight man as a stalker for staring at a woman’s assets for too long while a gay man has free reign to reach right out and grab a woman’s chest in public…)
Listaholic alphabetizes 138 different slang names for breasts, among them; whimwhams, muffins, kawangas, and dinglebobbers. Which proves that when men don’t understand something, they either rename it or make fun of it.
The truth of the matter is that we probably love breasts more than their owners;
We just don’t know why…
Which leads to an obvious question: Why haven’t men been involved in the fight against breast cancer from the beginning? Like a favorite bra, it’s a natural fit; breast-lovers attacking breast cancer. As you’ll read in a couple of seconds, a couple of organizations figured it out.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 500,000 people die every year as a result of breast cancer. It ranks as the second most common form of cancer, and it’s the 5th highest cause of cancer deaths.
The push towards early detection and education of breast cancer began in earnest in 1982, following the death of Susan G. Komen. Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977 and died three years later. Susan’s younger sister, Nancy, was the impetus behind the push; keeping a promise to her sister, she founded The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation with the belief that education, early detection, and research would have saved Susan.
Now known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure, or simply Komen, the foundation has raised over $1.3 billion dollars for cancer research since inception and is the largest cancer charity in the world. On the global level, Komen has but one mission: To end breast cancer forever.
Spurred by National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), two separate advertisers have launched PSAs that have expanded their target audience to include men, which is ingenious: Who thinks about breasts more than men?
Yoplait has just released, “Yoplait Pledge.” It makes fun of the fact that nicknames were given to breasts at some point (hmm).
The second awareness spot comes from ReThink Breast Cancer, a Toronto-based organization that addresses the breast cancer concerns of young people affected by the disease. Rethink is a volunteer organization that is “thinking differently” on methods to defeat breast cancer (like getting men involved). The spot (below) is airing in Canada on MTV, and the woman featured is an MTV Host.
It’s obvious that breasts get plenty of attention. It’s breast cancer that we need to focus on.
Jeff Louis: Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, blogger, and aspiring writer. Please leave a comment or follow him on Twitter. As always, thanks for reading.
All across the country, the lingering economic recession has caused businesses of all shapes and sizes to rethink their marketing efforts. More often than not, this has meant cutting overall advertising budgets while investing more heavily in free and low-cost social media marketing.
Even the United States Army has had to cut back on marketing, but not for the reasons you might expect. As detailed in a recent article from the Associated Press, the Army has cut its marketing spending not because it’s been ineffective in drawing recruits, but rather because the recession itself has created so many new enlistees that spending on advertising is superfluous.
While the increase in recruitment is certainly compelling, it is by no means surprising. Since the very inception of the armed forces, the honor of serving one’s country and the lure of steady pay and government benefits have drawn countless men and women to the military. What I find more interesting in the AP story is the type of high-cost marketing efforts the army is considering shutting down.
Last year, the Army began a pilot program for a new immersive marketing initiative called the Army Experience Center. Based in Philadelphia’s Franklin Mills Mall, the Army Experience Center was designed specifically to appeal to teen boys, combining walls of video game consoles with army combat simulators and video exhibits of military life. In total, the program costs $4 million a year to run.
While the marketer in me lauds the Army’s ingenuity, I find myself questioning the ethics of mixing video games and combat simulation programs under the same roof. It’s no wonder that peace activists staged protests against the center, claiming children are being “desensitized to violence.”
On the other hand, I have immense respect for the men and women of the military, and the idea that young men could be duped into enlistment through video games alone is insulting to the integrity of our armed services. In order to visit the center, individuals must be at least 13 years-old. Furthermore, visitors must opt-in to receive information about recruiting from the Army Experience Center, something the majority of teens choose not to do. Are these not sufficient protective measures? If the Army is not allowed to experiment with new marketing tactics, how are they expected to maintain an all-volunteer military?
What do you think? Despite the fact that the recession has rendered the Army Experience Center unnecessary for the time being, do you have a problem with the Army’s increasingly integrated marketing efforts? Whether the answer is yes or no, I’d love to hear your reasons in the comments.
Rob Frappier is a marketing copywriter and blogger working in the social media sphere. To reach Rob, visit his blog, or follow him on Twitter.
Football is here, the glorious season of games, players, stadiums, grill-outs, and beer. What many people don’t realize is that it’s also the beginning of the newest advertising campaigns. Yes, we all know that the Superbowl is a haven for new, witty commercials, but what about the rest of the season?
You may be surprised to know that many of the greatest commercial campaigns have been started during football games during the typical season, and for advertising companies, this is the perfect time to showcase their top A-game commercials (pun intended).
Football is something everyone watches, and it’s seen as a reason for everyone to get together. This makes it the perfect time not only to target an audience, but to also reach out to even more people that may not usually be interested in your product.
Take, for example, the coming of the Geico caveman. More than likely, this first commercial was aimed at men (hello, caveman?!), but because it was broadcast during football, female viewers also saw this commercial and found it funny. It was witty, unique, and most importantly, it started a conversation.
I know what you’re thinking – Wait, guys don’t watch commercials, they flip through channels on breaks – but hold on, they do watch commercials when they don’t want to miss those first few moments after the break when the game comes back on, especially if a call or penalty will be made. What better time to target that demographic?
Probably one of the most notable commercials broadcast during football season is Budweiser’s frogs. Remember? “Bud. Weis. Errrr.” An epic commercial. And because everyone watches, the campaign can then expand and become bigger, targeting those who didn’t catch the game or those who don’t watch football (weird, but true). There was a plethora of Budweiser frog commercials after that aired, it was so huge. It also prompted other talking animals – Quiero Taco Bell, anyone?
A few things to remember when airing or planning to air a commercial during football is this:
Let me end this post with this one remark: plan a commercial or new campaign during football season, and it’s sure to be a touchdown (I didn’t say it wasn’t cheesy).
A visit to Bajibot’s website is like going into another world. It is so rich with visuals and 3D animation that it’s almost like a video game… you just keep wanting more. I connected with New Business Director Martin Fernando and he put me in touch with Vince Mei, founder of Bajibot. Due to their hectic schedule, I sent my interview questions to them via email. The response came back in half a day, so thank you Martin and Vince for your time — I know you guys are busy.
Bajibot is a web-design company that specializes in 3D animation. I became interested in Bajibot because of its partner list, which not only consists of other agencies such as TribalDDB, BBDO Atmosphere and Digitas, but also includes clients like Pepsi, Nike, Philips, HSBC, Novartis and the NFL.
I thought, “Holy Crap! Look at the brands supported by this company,” and knew that there was something special hidden just below the surface. Following is an excerpt of our interview:
Tell us a bit about the history behind Bajibot. What is (a) Bajibot?
Bajibot Media was founded by myself and a partner in 2006, we came up with the name Bajibot from our screen names, I am known as the “Bajiking” and my friend’s name was “Dxxbot” so we combined our names and came up with “Baji-Bot”. My partner friend decided to take advantage of a real nice offer at an agency so I started Bajibot on my own.
Bajibot’s first project was a huge banner campaign for Nike+ through R/GA, and projects started to roll in. After a month of working from my apartment my wife kicked me and my assistant out and with a budget of $5,000 I rented a small 100 square foot office near Rockefeller Center, and that was Bajibot’s first official location. For three years we’ve continued to grow, working almost exclusively with global agencies in New York, delivering the best digital content for the web.
What makes Bajibot unique?
Technically speaking we are a web design shop equipped with heavy duty 3D capability. I studied 3D animation in college but my 10 year career had been in the Interactive field, and so combining these skills created a niche of providing broadcast quality 3D content that works on the web. By knowing the limitations and possibilities of the web and Flash, our clients value us because we provide smooth integration of our work into their Flash projects. Our clients often come to us for fresh creative ideas from a 3D perspective to add value to their interactive projects.
We like our clients to think of us as their “in-house” power team instead of an “outsource vendor.” We try to keep our shop at a compact size to maintain direct communication and because of our expertise we have the capacity to take on larger tasks. We offer a single point of contact with our clients – our producer or myself – so the client’s messages get to our artists fast and clearly. Plus the advantage of being in NYC is that we are always on call to go to our client’s office for face to face meetings.
We have a super laid back, friendly working environment, and that’s the secret of how we keep our creative juices flowing. My dog Baji often visits our office and Baji helps to nurture that environment, too.
What is the most outrageous site that you’ve worked on?
There are many, but without a doubt the Intel Rich Media Banner Campaign project from MRM would be at the top of the list. In just 4 weeks we produced a serious of 6 super rich media ads that feature stunning 3D and interactivity inside those banners, and the special thing about the project was that it was the turning point of Bajibot. Many thanks to Duncan Mitchell, MRM’s Creative Director, who worked with us on the project and gave us enough trust, creative freedom, and a generous budget!
Advertising has changed a lot over the past year. How has Bajibot changed to meet these challenges?
The advertising industry is definitely changed quite a bit over the past year, primarily in budget. Clients are asking for more and better work done with less budget. But Bajibot’s business model has always been designed for this kind of demand. We’ve always stayed on top of the trends and technology to offer the latest “cool” things to do. We’ve always kept a reasonable and affordable rate card, and we’ve always been super flexible with time with many examples of “mission-impossible” successes.
How would you describe Bajibot in three words?
Flexibility – Creativity – Execution
Three words that have refined — and continue to refine — the creative products that Bajibot provides its partners. Bajibot exemplifies a shop that’s ahead of the curve, way ahead. View its 2009 media reel and you’ll see what I mean.
Jeff Louis: Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, blogger, aspiring writer. Please leave a comment, or reach out to him on Twitter or LinkedIn. As always, thanks for reading.
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