In-House Agencies: Techniques for Effective Content Marketing
Nine out of 10 marketing professionals use content marketing. But are they using it effectively? Are you?
Hearsay: CNN Money with Predictions for Social Networks
CNNMoney posted an article entitled: 7 social networks to watch in 2013. What struck me about these new networks, is they all seemed to answer one of three challenges:
How can I communicate with more people at once. And by the way, these people do not have to be my friends.
Is there a possibility that I can really make money from my online activities?
When one tweet or one photo to share is not enough, how can I go back to communicating in the long form?
Hearsay: Great Content Principles for Brands to Follow
I was sent an article, written by Jesse Stanchak, that paraphrases Scott Monty’s “social storytelling lessons” speech at NMX Las Vegas. Monty has spent the last four years as Global Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager at Ford (a Gold Sponsor of NMX). The article shares 4 principles about developing a good branded content strategy and I found its simplicity refreshing and its take-aways very similar to the content philosophies we employ at Tippingpoint Labs.
Is Print Dead or is it that the Strong Survive?
Is print dead? Perhaps we are simply witnessing a Darwinian evolution of the print species. The question is, what strategy makes a publication survive and can it be adopted by the weaker?
Brands need to think more like publishers
Brands are learning now that to connect with consumers, they must publish content. Some are really pushing that concept and have become media powerhouses.
Picture Perfect Partnerships
When brands band together, multidimensional stories emerge. Each brand needs to understand what it brings to the main story and to its more focused story. Strong partnerships create efficiencies. A brand gets more bang for the buck and garners a more engaged audience by letting consumers choose to see what they want to see behind the curtain.
Selling product does not mean selling out
Brands are great at selling product but sometimes fall short when telling stories that go beyond “advertorial” content.
Unified Content. Shared Audience. Better Results.
As a brand, you have to embrace the idea that you’re not the only company targeting the exact same audience. If you’re humble enough to do that, you’ll uncover marketing opportunities that you’d otherwise miss. Think about a wedding Luxury … Continued
Home Depot Should Build a Sturdier Foundation for Video Content
Many brands have been creating content and have an arsenal on various social media platforms. Those brands should now be looking to evolve that content or the platforms on which it resides to maximize the investment and realize its potential.
Big Companies Can Cross-Pollinate Their Brands
Our concept of brandscaping encourages complementary brands to unite in order to amortize content creation costs and realize greater reach through multiple points of distribution. What about the companies that produce a varied assortment of products, like Unilever or P&G? … Continued
What can a superhero chef, a makeup brand and a paint company bring to Comic-Con?
Big brands often pave the way in marketing and smaller companies try to ride the wave or emulate on a smaller scale. However, recently there have been examples of marketing initiatives executed on by big brands that are easy for a small brand to replicate and build upon. The Gap Styld.by campaign is a great example, as is Neiman Marcus’ outreach for a fashion photographer at SXSW. But, let’s try it with Comic-Con.
Bloggers and brands can build valuable relationships
Blogger and brand relationships can be tricky to navigate. Oftentimes brands choose to sample products and donate items to bloggers for feedback, reviews, exposure — only to find that nothing comes of it or that the response was not favorable. Bloggers want to remain editorially sound, which means that brands looking to crate meaningful relationships with bloggers need to have a definitive strategy and dedicated resources who are focused, disciplined, and track against concrete goals. Recently I’ve seen a few examples of how blogger and brand relationships have evolved and become more meaningful initiatives.
What’s Hot @Houseswares 2012
As a first-time attendee of the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago, I was immediately enthralled by the breadth of offering from inventive manufacturers looking to build diverse product offerings at retail.
Capitalize on Consumer Spending Patterns
Consumers spend a lot of money when buying a home, so how can brands get into their consideration set right from the beginning of a home build or purchase project?
Is Impress.js Impressive Enough?
Impress.js lit up the Internet in early January. Early adopters and the geekiest of the geeks were sufficiently “impressed” with the creators ability to match its competition Prezi, feature-for-feature and add more. Impress.js is certainly impressive, but is it impressive enough?
Does NFC technology live up to its promise?
Near Field Communication (NFC) is the latest in technology for enabling commerce at retail through your cell phone. However, with the dependance on a human interaction at the register, is it a technology that currently saves time or provides the convenience it promises? Also, how robotic are we getting with our in-store customer service, and is the goal to eliminate human-to-human contact completely?
Rebuilding a community while building brand partnerships
On January 26, I wrote about the importance of great partners when building a campaign or brandscape. I was encouraged to see a group of brands aligned to literally rebuild a community in an authentic manner, while also figuring a way to help themselves. ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover, along with Crate & Barrel, The Land of Nod, and the Red Cross worked to rebuild the homes of those impacted by the catastrophic tornado that ravaged the town of Joplin, killing approximately 160 people and destroying nearly 8,000 houses back in May 2011.
Is Google’s Privacy Policy Evil?
Google recently announced their new privacy policy stating that when consumers search or enter information on any Google platform — including within their personal Gmail account, YouTube, Google Maps, etc. — it’s captured for their use. This data can now be used outside of any one particular Google property and on a different Google property. This allows Google to personalize the user’s experience. A great benefit, but at what cost?
Is Tiffany’s micro-site better than Pinterest?
Pintrest.com is generating a lot of interest and has even been sited as a leading traffic generator to retail sites, surpassing Google+ and growing at leaps and bounds. If it is the new coveted platform for gathering images based around topics of interest, then why did Tiffany’s decide not to use it for their “What Makes True Love” campaign but rather relay on their own platform?
Do We Care about the McDonald’s Suppliers?
McDonald’s is running a campaign about their suppliers – potato, lettuce and beef so far. What is it about the McDonald’s campaign that seems so disingenuous?
The right partners can make or break a campaign
Google worked with their agency GOOD/CORPS to create a series of videos that promote small business. Not unlike the American Express Plum campaign, the idea is to showcase how Google properties enhance a business and allow it to grow. The challenge, and where the campaign seemingly differs from the American Express campaign and specifically the one with Pink Berry, is do all the partners in the campaign stand united?
Is the Elle and Van Cleef & Arpels campaign one to remember?
Presented as an attempt to recreate the magic felt when falling in love, The Van Cleef & Arpels Love Stories campaign doesn’t evoke a modern day love affair feel. I am lost within it’s beautiful scapes and models but wonder what would make a young urban female (audience as defined for this campaign effort) to share the video with friends. By rethinking luxury marketing and opening up the campaign to a wider content creation and brand distribution approach, both Van Cleef & Arpels and Elle Magazine may have garnered a larger return.
“One Track Mind”: Diverge the track for greater return
The traditional one advertiser, one media publisher relationship can hinder a campaign both from a content and distribution standpoint. Brands and publishers must think bigger about the content they create in a way that garners engagement, audience, and ultimately, results. Think about how creating ancillary campaign content created by the sponsoring brands as well as partnering with more than one advertiser, can bring drive interest and untapped eyeballs.
A gem of an idea: JCK Rock Star
As a former marketing director at a New England based jewelry retail chain and as an avid watcher of Project Runway, I was smitten with JCK’s Rock Star series from the start. I think JCK is pioneering what journalism is becoming – which is certainly part entertainment, part talent scout, part branded content. As JCK starts to think about a second season of this show, I wanted to suggest some ways in which the distribution approach and the brand inclusion could evolve.
6 Ways To Amp Up Brand Storytelling
Brands should be creating stories that engage their audience, create emotion, and build connections. But without a real structure and larger thinking, the efforts can be wasted. Agencies often provide the resources that brands don’t have in-house to complement the storytelling.
Vying for the Ring
If clients are more inclined to “date their agencies” throughout the life of the relationship, at what point should the agency start hinting at a ring? Do project based arrangements have any benefit to clients or agencies.
2010: RIP RFPs
Madison Avenue is infamous for generating expensive, overwrought creative presentations that hijack agency resources and time for days (if not weeks). Under this model, when responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP) generated by the potential client, agencies compete and the winner is rewarded with a long-term retainer that justifies the energy expended on the pitch.
