News

Not all media calculations of Return On Investment (ROI) are created equal. A new study finds that an ad placed above the fold is visible to 100% of site visitors, yet only about 60% of them actually see it. The study also states that, below-the-fold ads are visible to roughly 70% of viewers, but only about 25% of them actually see the ads. The ratios continue to trend downward as the ads move from center placements to columns and spots on the far left side of the page.

Yet when we calculate campaign effectiveness, or ROI, we overlook on-page ad placement. And this is primarily due to delivery reports (whether supplied by the publisher, the ad network or a third party) rarely indicate what percentage of the media buy was served above or below the fold.

“It’s give and take when it comes to ad placement,” said Alexys Ruiz, an account manager at Los Angeles-based Revolution Media. “You can purchase specific, prominent areas on a site like a leaderboard or skyscraper, but your CPM is going to be higher than if you just purchase a blanket run-of-site within a network. But I don’t think you go into it thinking that the trade-off is that people won’t see the lower-priced ads. You’re buying with the goal that your impressions will be viewed.” And that is the key. As informed buyers we have the opportunity to drive change. Not only in the way we purchase ad space but also in the way we pay for it. Whether that shakes out in terms of prime placement CPMs in niche markets or causes run-of-network or remnant prices to come down further remains to be seen.

Last week, I had the pleasure of being a judge for the District 6 round of the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) put on each year by the American Advertising Federation. The event was held W-F, April 23-25, in Detroit and is the culmination of months of work by 17 student teams across Illinois, Indiana and Michigan who developed an advertising campaign for this year’s corporate sponsor, AOL.

Literally hundreds of students worked for months on these plans and the corresponding presentations. The two District 6 first-place winners – Columbia College in Chicago and Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. – will go on to the national competition in Atlanta in June.

What struck me was the unabashed enthusiasm these students have for what they were doing. They were totally invested in this project personally and professionally. While some of them may have had better plans, more creative ideas or slicker presentations, I think any one of them would be an asset to any agency or corporation.

We hear a lot about how the younger generation is lazier than the one that came before it and has a sense of entitlement to the benefits of hard work without ever having to do the hard work…but that wasn’t what I saw in Detroit.

In fact, I think the competition reminded us judges that we need to work harder and keep current in our industry…and that we need to keep a look out over our shoulder because the next generation of creative, innovative and hard-charging professionals is right behind us.

A recent article from MediaPost Publications highlights the exceptionally high rate of word-of-mouth recommendations by expectant and new mothers.  Overall, pregnant women and new moms engage in one-third more WOM conversations per day than women in general, and almost two-thirds of their conversations include brand recommendations, one study found.  The same study also showed that nearly 70% of this group deems what they hear from their fellow moms to be very credible, and 51% are likely to pass the information along to others and indicate intent to purchase based on the information.  As you would imagine, much of their conversation centers around children’s products, but it is evident that discussions go far beyond kid-oriented products/brands.  That’s the good news! 

Researchers point out that 76% of all U.S. moms say that they use the Net for support and guidance and 70% participate in online communities.  One case-in-point in our area is “mom’s place,” (www.nwherald.com/moms) a landing page linked from the Northwest Herald Newspaper’s front page online.

The numbers are clear that marketers should include WOM within the marketing objective;

·         make it easy for consumers to share info with one another

·         use artful storytelling to create differentiation in the customer’s mind

·         encourage participation, collaboration and contribution 

So, could your blog use some stories?  Have you looked at ways to reach this talkative segment of the market?  One thing is for certain, always include a ‘send to a friend’ option on email news and publications because most likely, they will.

The Bear is on hunt….particularly for small-business owners. Now, I work for a small business, most of our clients are small businesses, and chances are many of you work in a small business too…which is why I found Crain’s Chicago Business‘ special section last week on small-business survival during a recession of particular interest.

Included was a special section about how small businesses can survive in light of a recession. Aside from not cutting your marketing and advertising budgets (see the ADWire post from March 17), there were several other worth-the-read tips, including these two pieces:

• How five Chicago-area entrepreneurs are using the threat of a recession to their advantage. (Check out the second item from Chip Miceli, owner of Des Plaines Office Equipment – he mentions the Rockford market in particular.)

• Action steps for surviving from an accountant…and what NOT to do in troubled times.

There are 76 million of them…and lots of marketers think they’re all rich, fabulous and retiring early. Ain’t necessarily so, according to a new study by AARP’s marketing research arm, Focalyst. They’re a HUGE market, but there are some basics that need to be understood by any company before marketing to them. For example, while not all of them are wealthy, Boomers are indeed receptive to advertising messages, particularly those messages that describe a product or service in which they’re interested. Boomers are all about trying new things – they’re very experiential - which means they will try new brands and new experiences.

Take a peek at the Executive Summary of the Focalyst report, or listen to what the Today show had to say about it yesterday.

Google doesn’t usually advertise much, as they have tremendous word-of-mouth and brand recall. However, this didn’t stop them from using a very innovative billboard campaign.

When they launched their German version of “Google Video” they decided to do a bit of advertising for the product. The simplicity of this outdoor campaign is brilliant.

The billboards were clear, with a little strip on the top and bottom of the frame to make it look like watching a video in Google Video. In the search term box were some words describing the scene people would see through it – making the point that online video presents life in all its glorious randomness. The ads were a huge hit with pedestrians.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/Um-WL7FRANM" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

What do Dr. Pepper drinkers and Chic-fil-A eaters have in common? They’re typically Republican. Likewise, those who have Fig Newtons in the cookie jar are likely supporters of Senator Clinton, and Bear Naked granola chompers are supporters of Senator Obama. Today’s New York Times reports that political pollsters are increasingly turning to “microtrending” to slice and dice the electorate down to what brands of food and drink we like and what we do in our free time. Once they do that, then they know how to communicate with us and what message to send.

Microtrending is certainly something the big consumer-goods marketers have done for a while now, and politicos are catching on. In fact, Mark Penn – he formerly of “chief Clinton strategist” fame – is actually a leader in the field. His book – Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes – was published last year.

Locally, you’re still likely to see mailing lists and other marketing communications tactics being tailored based on general demographic information like age, household income, etc. But the data we parse locally is just the surface of what you can find out about the general public when you’re marketing to them. So, what’s in YOUR fridge?

The best way to improve your Web site search results is to understand how search engines work. Each engine works a little differently, but since Google is king we will focus on them. The below video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS1Mw1Adrk0) discusses the anatomy of a search result, and gives some useful tips on how you can help improve how your site appears in search engine results pages. This talk covers everything you’ll see in a search result, including page title, page description, and site links, and explains those other elements that can appear, such as stock quotes, cached pages links, and more.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/vS1Mw1Adrk0" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon judging plan books for the American Advertising Federation’s student competition and two of the schools mention in-subway advertising. Not those ads on the inside of the cars, but ads on the WALLS of the subway tunnels. Certainly not, I think the first time. But I see it mentioned again in another school’s presentation, so I do a quick Google search and, sure enough, they’re painting ads on the walls of subway tunnels so that riders see a “flip book” type of ad whirring by as you speed on down the line. Take a peek:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/N2VQHpIxxUs" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Just to show how long it’s been since I’ve been in the “big city” on a subway: Submedia - the main US shop for this work – has been around since 2001.

Now I know Rockford doesn’t have a subway but maybe it’s a revenue stream the Park District can take advantage of for the Forest City Queen or the Sinnissippi trolley (albeit at a much slower speed). Whaddaya think?

Evolution is about both fact and theory. Before you check the topic of this blog to make sure you are in the right place, let me explain. The point of this statement is to differentiate the concept of observed changes (fact) and of predictive explanations of how those changes come about (theory).

I came across an article dated September 1997 with the headline “Why Advertising Doesn’t Work on the Web“. Through some research I found that around this time many Analysts theorized that the Internet was overhyped and not a place for corporate advertising dollars. One of the most viewed stories on newsweek.com at that time was a piece about “That overhyped thing called the Internet” by Clifford Stoll.

We now know these theories have been proven false and the fact is the Internet is and will continue to be a profitable advertising medium for corporations. Am I implying that all advertising will evolve to generating mass amounts of revenue? No, I’m simply saying that capitalism, uh… finds a way.

You too need to find a way. From a marketing standpoint don’t be afraid to incorporate the Internet into your marketing campaign. If at first you do not realize expected gains, don’t give up, try something new. And if that doesn’t work, try something new. And if…try something new. Overtime your Internet advertising strategy will evolve and along with it those theorized profits will turn into factualized gains.

Spent this morning listening to Tripp Frohlichstein, president of MediaMasters, Inc., talk about how to uncover your company’s “message.” Tripp is in town as part of today’s seminar by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce called “Get the Message” which talks about messaging, how to use it and how to work with the media to get that message out.

Here are some tidbits I picked up about how to figure out and use your company’s message to its best advantage:

• Get a Home Base – “Home Base” is the single most important message your company promotes, and it is the message that should be carried out across all levels of your organization from your employees to your investors and customers. It is the essence of your message. It should be high-level, but not high enough so that no one understands it.
• When thinking about your message, Tripp says, it’s not WHAT or WHO you are but WHY you are. Don’t just tell people what your company does – tell them why do you do it. For example, if you’re an accounting firm, you do more than the books. You help your clients improve their bottom line by providing cost-effective solutions to their problems.
• Talk in Human Terms – use storytelling and concrete examples whenever possible. Stories generate a more emotional response than virtually any other type of speech.

Next post: What is a “23-Word Salute” and why should my company have one?

In my last post I wrote about viewing ads from space. Trying not to ignore an entire demographic I thought I would follow up with a post targeting the opposite end of the spatial scale – Nano Advertising.

An entry in a German science-photo competition, the image shows a fly sporting a set of designer lenses crafted and set in place with a cutting edge laser technique. The glasses fit snuggly on the fly’s 0.08-inch-wide (2 millimeter wide) head.

I am imagining white robed ad scientists unleashing swarms of flies sporting branded attire as the ultimate form of pervasive marketing.

Advertisers are slowly discovering the potential of Google Maps and other satellite imaging tools. Some commercial outfits are painting giant ads on their roofs for the benefit of the aerial/satellite photos used by services like Google Earth. If you are flying in/out of O’Hare you might look around to see if you can spot the below Target rooftop ad.

Marketers and text ads? Sure, if you’re trying to reach pre-teen and teenage girls like consumer products giant Unilever is doing with its latest campaign featuring Ashley Tisdale (she of High School Musical fame) in a sweepstakes about “OMG! Moments.” But make sure you know who you’re targeting with text-message themed ads – anyone under say 25, including all those American moms who make the vast majority of purchasing decisions, likely will NOT be N2it.

An apostrophe. Such a small thing. Except when it’s not….and then the bad PR will just about kill you. Pity the poor guy who sculpted the new Ernie Banks statue that was unveiled outside Wrigley yesterday and forgot a very important apostrophe.

Nothing will mar your campaign – or your sculpture or your novel or whatever it is you’re working on – more quickly than bad grammar and misspellings. Proofread. Do it again. And then ask someone else to do it too. ‘Nuf said.