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Understanding the Hispanic Pet Owner: Effective Pet Industry Marketing Strategies

pet marketing industry

The Latino/Hispanic households now represent 61.4% of all pet owners in the United States. It’s essential for successful marketing in the pet industry to grasp the significance of this demographic. This blog aims to offer valuable insights into the rising impact of Hispanic pet owners, the cultural aspects that shape their pet ownership, their preferences and behaviors, and practical tips for adapting marketing strategies to effectively connect and engage with this audience.

The Growing Influence of Hispanic Pet Owners

The number of Hispanic pet owners in the United States is growing rapidly. According to Hispanic Online Marketing there are 20 million Hispanic pet owners in the U.S. Cultural factors, like the emphasis on family and community, play a crucial role in shaping the importance of this market segment. Hispanic pet owners possess substantial purchasing power, making them a key market for pet brands and related products and services.

Cultural Factors Shaping Hispanic Pet Ownership

Cultural values and traditions, like the appreciation for companionship and reverence for animals, shape Hispanic pet ownership. Family and community play a significant part in guiding their decisions regarding pets. Implementing bilingual marketing strategies is vital to effectively reach this audience, as many Hispanic pet owners prefer to communicate in Spanish.

Understanding Hispanic Pet Owners’ Preferences and Behaviors

Hispanic pet owners have a higher inclination toward owning dogs rather than cats. They place a strong emphasis on the health and well-being of their pets, paying special attention to high-quality food and preventive care. Moreover, they exhibit a notable sense of brand loyalty, with 65% of Hispanic pet owners reporting that they remain dedicated to a specific brand of pet food.

How can digital marketers tailor their strategies to Hispanic pet owners?

When it comes to targeting Hispanic pet owners, culturally sensitive advertising and imagery are essential for effective engagement. Localization of language and the creation of Spanish-language content are also crucial. Social media, especially platforms like Facebook and Instagram, is highly effective for reaching this audience.

Digital marketers can optimize their strategies for targeting Hispanic pet owners by following these tips:

  1. Understand the Hispanic pet owner demographic: Start by researching and understanding the unique characteristics, preferences, and behaviors of Hispanic pet owners. Consider factors such as language preferences, cultural values, and household dynamics. This knowledge will help you tailor your marketing messages effectively.
  2. Language localization: If you want to target Hispanic pet owners, consider creating Spanish-language content. Translate your website, social media posts, and advertising materials to effectively communicate with this audience. Ensure that the translations are culturally appropriate and resonate with the target audience.
  3. Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity: Acknowledge and embrace the cultural diversity within the Hispanic community. Avoid stereotypes and be mindful of cultural nuances when crafting your marketing campaigns. Show inclusivity by featuring diverse Hispanic pet owners in your advertisements and showcasing their experiences.
  4. Leverage community events and partnerships: Engage with the Hispanic community by participating in local events or partnering with community organizations. This allows you to build relationships, gain brand exposure, and demonstrate your commitment to the community. Consider sponsoring pet-related events or providing educational resources in collaboration with local Hispanic organizations.
  5. Analyze data and adapt: Regularly analyze the performance of your marketing campaigns targeting Hispanic pet owners. Monitor key metrics such as engagement, conversions, and customer feedback. Use this data to optimize your strategies, identify areas for improvement, and refine your messaging to better resonate with your target audience.

Conclusion

Recognizing the increasing impact of Hispanic pet owners, along with their cultural factors, preferences, and behaviors, is essential for successful marketing in the pet industry. By customizing digital marketing strategies to reach and connect with this audience, pet brands and related products and services can tap into their substantial purchasing power. Enhance your marketing strategies and effectively target Hispanic pet owners. Incorporating these strategies will enable you to seize the opportunity and maximize your reach in this dynamic market segment.

Effective CTV Programmatic Ad Strategies for Your Brand’s Success

ctv advertising

Connected TV (CTV) programmatic ads offer an innovative form of digital advertising that combines the power of data and technology to deliver targeted and personalized ads to viewers who watch TV through internet-connected devices. The rise of streaming services and internet-connected TVs has allowed CTV to grow Streaming services and internet-connected TV households, making CTV advertising a prime platform for reaching a broad audience. To truly succeed with effective CTV programmatic ad strategies, it’s essential to implement effective strategies that consider the unique characteristics of CTV devices and their users.

Understand Your Target Audience

target audience Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

This involves gathering data on your audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors and understanding the unique characteristics of CTV devices and how users interact with them.

Once you have a deep understanding of your target audience, you then can tailor your CTV programmatic ads to their specific interests and preferences. 

This might involve creating multiple versions of your ads to target different segments of your audience or using dynamic creative optimization to deliver ads that are personalized to each viewer.

Effective CTV Programmatic Ads That Capture Audience Attention

With so many options vying for viewers’ attention, crafting engaging ads is a must. So, how can you make sure your ads stand out in the crowd? It all starts with creativity and a few key strategies.

1. Tell a Story

brand story telling Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

Whether it’s a narrative or a visual story, people love to be engaged by a compelling tale. If your ad can hook viewers with a story that they want to follow, you’ve already won half the battle.

2. Focus on Emotion 

Effective CTV Programmatic Ad

People respond to ads that make them feel something. Tapping into emotions is a powerful way to engage viewers and leave a lasting impression. This can be done with the use of humor, sadness, or excitement.

Visually appealing ads are also essential. Incorporate striking visuals and dynamic graphics that are impossible to ignore.

3. Set a Clear Call-to-Action

Call to action

What do you want viewers to do after they see your ad? Whether it’s visiting your website or making a purchase, a clear call-to-action will help ensure that your ad is more than just eye candy.

Collect and Analyze Data to Improve Targeting and Optimize Campaign Performance

Collecting and analyzing effective CTV programmatic Ad data is crucial for improving targeting and optimizing campaign performance. By harnessing the power of data, you can make more informed decisions and achieve better results.

1. Determine What Metrics to Track

You can focus your data collection efforts by identifying metrics that matter to most to your campaign goals. Important metrics to measure CTV performance include CPCV (cost per completed view) and VCR (video completion rate). These two metrics are crucial when measuring efficiency with the number of views. 

2. Once Collected, Analyze it

Use data analytics tools to uncover patterns and trends. if you notice that certain demographics are more likely to convert, you can adjust your targeting to focus on those audiences.

3. Conduct A/B Testing 

Running two versions of an ad with minor differences can help determine which version performs better and use that information to optimize future campaigns. Test different calls-to-action or headline copy to see which one resonates best with your audience.

4. Continuously Monitor and Analyze Data 

You can make real-time adjustments to improve targeting and optimize performance. This iterative approach to data analysis allows you to stay ahead of the curve and maximize your results.

Frequency Capping: Avoid Viewer Ad Fatigueviewer ad fatigue

Frequency capping helps manage the number of times an ad is shown to a viewer to ensure that your ad remains fresh and engaging. 

How does frequency capping work? It involves setting a limit on the number of times a viewer will see a particular ad within a given time period. You may choose to cap the frequency at three views per viewer per day.

The key to effective frequency capping is finding the right balance. For example, you want to avoid showing the same ad too frequently. Therefore, you don’t want to cap the frequency so low that your ad doesn’t have a chance to make an impact. Test different frequency caps and analyze performance data to find what works best for your campaign.

Key Takeaways

CTV Programmatic advertising combines data and technology to deliver personalized and targeted ads to viewers through internet-connected devices. To get the best results you need to tailor your ads to your audience, create captivating content that triggers emotions, collect and analyze data for improved targeting and optimize campaign performance, and cap ad frequency to avoid ad fatigue. By adopting these strategies, you can fully benefit from the potential of CTV programmatic ads and enjoy a higher ROI. Don’t be afraid to get creative, experiment, and use data to your advantage to craft ads that stand out in the crowded digital advertising landscape.

A Videographer’s Guide to Social Media Content

Whether you’re creating product demos, customer testimonials, or thought leadership pieces, video content is an effective way to engage with your audience and convey your brand’s message. 

This guide will provide tips and insights for videographers looking to create compelling B2B content that resonates with target audiences to achieve specific marketing goals. 

Goals and Audience

1. Determine the Target Audience

Understanding who your audience is will help you tailor your messaging, visuals, and overall approach to resonate with them. Start by identifying the industries your clients operate in, and consider their company size, location, and job titles. 

It’s also important to consider their challenges and pain points, and how your video content can help solve these problems. 

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, you can start developing a content strategy that drives engagement and conversions.

2. What is the video’s purpose?

Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or educate your target audience about a new product or service? Once you have a clear objective in mind, think about the key message you want to convey to your audience. 

Your message should be clear, concise, and relevant to your target audience. It’s also important to consider the tone and style of your video content and ensure it aligns with your brand identity. 

3. How will the video be edited?

Once you have a clear understanding of the video’s objective, review the raw footage and identify the strongest shots that support that objective. Next, create a rough cut, keeping in mind the pacing, tone, and length of the platform it will be published on. Consider adding music or sound effects. 

4. How will the video be distributed?

Begin by identifying what the tone of the video will be for each type of social media platform.

For example, LinkedIn is a great platform for sharing thought leadership and educational content, while Instagram is better suited for visually appealing content and product showcases. Understanding the platform will help you tailor the content to resonate best with different platforms’ audiences.

Technical Aspects to Consider

According to your video purpose and target audience, it’s important to keep in mind the following technical aspects of video creation:

1. Video Quality

Ensure the camera used is steady and the footage is smooth. Steady and clear footage is best obtained using a gimbal but in cases where one is not available a tripod can still give you a professional feel. 

Proper lighting and exposure are known to be an important elements in creating quality content. However, finding it is not always an easy task. 

The best time to film outside is shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset when the sun is not too high. This is commonly referred to as the “magic hour.” You get more flattering light when the sun is lower on the horizon.

Good windows include 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. However, this varies by time of year, time zone, and location in time zone. If the sun is too high, the harsh lighting creates long unwanted shadows on your subject.

2. Background Noise

Be mindful of background noise that may be picked up by the microphone. Traffic or ambient noise can distract your audience, and drastically reduce the video’s ability to convey your message. If filming in a noisy location is required, consider using a directional microphone to minimize background noise.

3. File Format 

Every social media channel has specific social media specs required when uploading content. Keep the following video specs for popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube in mind when creating content.

Facebook (Recommended size):

In Feed: 1280 by 720 pixels for Landscape and Portrait

Carousel Ads / Stories: 1080 by 1080 pixels

Reels: 1080×1920 or greater

Instagram:

Landscape video: 1920 by 1080 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)

Carousel Ads / Square video: 1080 by 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)

Vertical video: 1080 by 1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio)

Reels: 9:16 aspect ratio recommended

Youtube:

Min size: 426 by 240 pixels

Max size: 3840 by 2160 pixels

Video Guidelines to Follow

​​It is recommended to film for a vertical aspect first, but where possible it’s helpful to keep a wider shot to allow cropping for all platforms. 

Vertical First Content

For content on platforms like TikTok, Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, Youtube Shorts, and Snapchat, it is important to zoom out enough when there are multiple people in a shot to ensure the video does not feel cramped or claustrophobic. Also keep in mind where important visual information will be placed, as the description and other text might run over some of the footage.

Youtube Video Composition

When composing a shot for YouTube, it is important to consider the basic principles of composition. The rule of thirds or symmetry can be used to help create visually appealing footage. The rule of thirds is a common compositional technique that divides your frame into an equal, three-by-three grid with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines that intersect at four points.

The rule of thirds grid can be turned on the back display of the camera to help ensure that the elements of focus fall within the vertical lines. This ensures that the footage can be used in both horizontal and vertical orientations, without sacrificing the overall composition of the shot.

Video content has the power to engage and inform audiences in a way that other content formats cannot. With the right approach and tools, videographers can help their clients create social media video content that will make a lasting impression on their audience and help them achieve their marketing objectives.

Digital and Social Media Marketing Trends for 2023

digital marketing trends 2023

Some trends come and go, and it’s important to stay on top of them if you wish to keep up with the ever-changing digital world. From the rise of AI and automation to the increased focus on privacy and data protection, these ten Digital and Social Media Marketing Trends will help guide your marketing efforts and drive success in 2023.

1. Social Networks For Customer Service

Social networks for customer service

Now more than ever, social networks are being used more as a tactic rather than an afterthought. A 2022 survey by Hootsuite confirms this, with  59% of marketers saying social customer care has increased their organization’s overall value.

This highlights social networks’ ability to facilitate communication between customers and brands. Companies are using multiple channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as an almost near-instant chat. 

Paypal, for example,  responds to “mentions” on Twitter to help customers and respond to feedback.  Some platforms like Facebook offer companies automated responses and chatbots to improve overall customer service experiences.

2. Preparing For Post-Cookie Changes

post-cookie changes google

It’s the beginning of the end for third-party cookies as more users refuse to be tracked on websites. Loss of cookies is great for individual data privacy, but a challenge for organizations that heavily rely upon them for tracking and engagement.

With GA4 replacing Google’s Universal Analytics permanently in July 2023, it’s important to become familiarized with the update. GA4 relies upon first-party cookies – those used by the website that the user is actually visiting. By leveraging machine learning and statistical modeling, GA4 can fill in data gaps as the world becomes less and less dependent on cookies.

Marketers can leverage paid social on social media applications like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn among others. These social channels are considered “walled gardens” that contain first-party data with identity-based audiences. While limited, access to this data will aid marketers in targeting and retargeting consumers within their target audience.

3. Micro-Influencers Continue to Dominate Brand Partnerships

micro-influencers

Among the influencers on social media there exist a subset of micro-influencers. Micro-influencers are deemed to be among brands’ most powerful collaborators, and for good reason. 

This group of influencers has between 10k – 100k followers—a presence slightly larger than a normal person, yet smaller than a celebrity. And in 2023 they are sure to dominate influencer marketing as a whole due to their ability to reach a much higher engagement rate to a niche-based following.

4. Short-Form Video is Here to Stay

short-form video

According to The Tree Top Therapy, the average human attention span is 8.25 seconds. While this can vary depending on the individual’s age, environment, and type of activity, keeping this statistic in mind is clutch when creating a short-form video.

According to Wyzowl 2022 Video Marketing Statistics, 86% of businesses are using video as a marketing tool. They are also utilizing videos for various topics, having explainer videos coming out on top at 74%.

Influencer marketing and short-form video are trends that are continuing to grow. In a study by Influencer Marketing Hub, influencer marketing has grown from 1.7 billion to $13.8 billion since 2016. And with a projected value of at least $16.7 billion by EOY, it’s key to prioritize maintaining influencers within your content strategy.

5. Niche Social Communities To Engage Consumers 

niche communities

We are seeing brands move further and further away from personas and allowing brand communities to work independently. Their ability to focus on these communities is essential for brands because it increases loyalty.

Without brand loyalty, a community will still prioritize the groups’ voice over influencers. Connecting and catering to these communities can help to understand the consumer ecosystem.

Strategically broadcasting marketing messages can work to captivate niche audiences. Depending on the brand, LinkedIn and Facebook groups offer community member exchange, which can hugely impact your brand’s messaging and trust component.

6. Digital and Social Shopping

social shopping

A 2022 report confirmed 84% of Instagram users have purchased products on social media platforms. This trend gained major traction in the past months, and the statistic proves that developing a strategy for social shopping will be increasingly important.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are continually making social shopping easier for users. People can currently shop photos and in-app stores on Instagram, or even shop live streams on TikTok.

Meta decided to venture beyond VR by launching “The Meta Avatars Store” for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram Stories, and DMs. Encouraging digital sales by providing digital outfits to purchase from Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne.

7. Sustainability And Brand Accountability

brand sustainability

No one wants to hear environmental buzzwords in 2023. Millennials and Gen Z are all about real sustainability and less greenwashing. Social media has amplified our awareness of climate change. Climate neutrality will continue to become the norm as more younger consumers demand brand transparency.

Consumers expect brands to act on environmental issues over pure profit. 

With impact-driven expectations currently trending, prioritizing these interactions on social should be a top priority. Brands must be ready to answer all and any questions to increase trust.

8. Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality

Lilmiquela

AR and VR have opened up new opportunities for user engagement. This is due to their ability to connect with audiences and help brands build better brand engagement. According to Acumen Research and Consulting, AR’s 2022 market size reached more than USD 28 billion and is expected to reach USD 451.5 Billion by 2030.

We have been seeing growth in the popularity of Virtual Humans like @lilmiquela which has accrued 6.2 mil followers on Instagram alone. Other popular Virtual Humans include @imm.gram and @rozy.gram with over 500k followers combined.

Two brands keeping up with digital shopping innovations are Nike and Ikea. Nike allows customers the opportunity to scan items like shoes or clothing for additional information. Nike’s customers can also immerse themselves into a VR world to experience the different steps in Nike’s supply chain to see where items are being made.

Ikea on the other hand, allows shoppers to use AR with their smartphone camera with the help of “The Place App”. The Place App helps customers visualize how specific furniture items can look in their homes or any setting.

9. TikTok to Compete With Google as a Search Engine

tiktok as a search engine

TikTok has now positioned itself as a search engine in direct competition with Google by prioritizing high-quality results. 

In a recent Google survey, 40% of Gen Z are using TikTok as a search engine over Google and Instagram. 

Brands may need to rethink how they’re prioritizing social media marketing and traditional SEO. Brands can use TikTok as a tool to rank within search by using trending sounds or working with micro-influencers.

10. BeReal Creating Change Within Social Media

bereal for authenticity

Consumers are craving authentic, real-time content. BeReal saw this demand and created a new platform focusing on true-to-life content by allowing users to post once a day within a two-minute notification window. Their incredible one-year growth from 10,000 to 15 million daily active users proves viewers want to see this authentic content more. 

And brands are jumping on this trend. Tourism Fiji promoted their country with an image a day in various locations, highlighting the unedited beauty of their destinations. On the other hand, Chipotle tapped into the right-now need for consumers by posting a coupon code to their account available only to the first 100 followers to use it.

Conclusion

There is no question that 2023 will increase many of the social marketing strategies that were kick-started last year. The focus on authenticity, short-form video, and the use of micro-influencers will continue to rise. 

In addition, sustainability and brand transparency will be more sought after, with social being even more incorporated into other aspects like VR and AR. With so many developments on the horizon, now is the time to review your strategy and ensure that you are prepared to adapt and thrive.

How Marketers are Gearing up for CPRA Changes in 2023

Companies have gone to great lengths to acquire consumer data for the purpose of unwanted marketing and sales efforts. The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and the California Privacy Protection Agency (CCPA) are privacy laws that have given consumers more control over their personal data and how it is collected and used. The most recent change has been made on January 1, 2023, as CPRA has replaced the CCPA and is set to bring significant changes that will impact how advertisers and marketers target their efforts.

CPRA’s added layer of consumer protection regulations will limit the processing, deletion, and sharing of personal information of any California consumers. This includes employees, job applicants, contractors/freelancers, suppliers, and B2B prospects. With this legislation now in effect (full enforcement will start on July 1, 2023) companies and marketers are already taking steps to ensure compliance.

What are the changes?

CPRA Changes data privacy

Marketers are now paying close attention to how these changes are affecting companies. The recent $1.2 million fine issued to Sephora for CCPA violations in data collection and processing serves as a warning of the strict penalties for noncompliance.

Companies are now adhering to new notice content requirements and passing on deletion requests to third parties. Marketers are regulating personal information transferred to comply with data security requirements. Some of the changes include:

  1. Personal information, with same protections as consumer data
  2. Expanded consumer data rights
  3. Right to know, right to delete, and right to opt-out
  4. Passwords and security questions protection
  5. Prohibiting numerous attempts if someone declines
  6. Stricter penalties for violating the data rights of children under the age of 16

These changes impose new requirements when managing service providers and require contracts for the transfer of personal information to third parties.

How will this affect advertisers?

The CCPA has granted California residents the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information, but the CPRA has taken a step further by introducing a new specific language allowing residents to opt out of having their data “shared” with advertisers.

This means that California residents will have even more control over their personal information and the ability to protect it from being used in targeted advertising systems.

Privacy professionals believe that the new CPRA will set a new tone for digital advertising and publishing that will change the way advertisers choose to advertise.

How to work with these changes?

CPRA Changes data privacy

Consumers base their purchasing decisions on more than just the product or price. The trust in the brand and the technology behind it plays a crucial role. It’s essential for companies to shift away from traditional, human-reliant privacy program management and ticketing systems, and instead adopt a more automated and streamlined approach to privacy management.

This programmatic approach will allow for more efficient and consistent implementation, reducing the potential for errors and strengthening consumer relationships. Companies should review and adjust their digital strategies to align with these new regulations.

A trend that is emerging in response to the CPRA is an increase in the use of first-party data strategies in the advertising ecosystem. This approach focuses on collecting and using consumer data in a more privacy-conscious manner. Companies can ensure they are in compliance with new regulations by being proactive and adapting to new digital strategies.

Takeaway

The CPRA is expected to add significant changes to marketers’ strategies. Privacy experts anticipate the new regulations to set a precedent for privacy laws around the globe. The industry as a whole will face challenges in adapting to the changes brought by the CPRA. But all is not lost.

Marketers can strategically work around these changes. How? By taking a closer look into their data collection and handling practices to ensure they are compliant with the new laws. This will help maintain the trust of their customers with the help of data privacy technology platforms.

OneTrust, our go-to vendor for data deletion and opt-out requests, helps organizations transition from compliance initiatives to coordinated trust intelligence. Their platform connects privacy, GRC, ethics, and ESG teams, data, and processes for seamless collaboration.

So whether via the help of compliance platforms or an optimized data collection strategy, the sooner marketers adjust their strategy the easier it will be to ride the data privacy wave. A wave that is sure to continue to change throughout the following years.

Pharma B2B Marketing: Influencers are Dominating the Social Media Healthcare Space

The pharma industry has a longstanding history of utilizing marketing strategies to promote products and services. In fact, it is estimated that the industry allocates billions of dollars annually toward marketing campaigns according to Statista. In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift toward influencer marketing expenditure; $13.8 billion in 2021, up from $9.7 billion in 2020. In B2B Pharma Marketing, influencers are dominating the social media healthcare space.

Influencer marketing is a tactic involving partnering with individuals who have the ability to “influence” the purchasing decisions of their followers. This includes social media influencers, bloggers, and celebrities. While this may seem like an unconventional approach for pharma, there are numerous advantages to investing in influencer marketing.

Influencers are Effective at Engaging Customers

For many, “Doctor Google” is the first stop but Google isn’t the only platform being used for information. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are continuously becoming the search engines of choice. Nearly 40% of Gen Z members (born from 1997 to 2012) prefer TikTok or Instagram for online searches, according to TechCrunch.

These platforms can provide a space for you to engage with your audience and provide valuable information about your products and services. This helps to establish trust and credibility, which are crucial in the healthcare industry. Let’s not forget the power of video content, particularly short-form videos. Short-form videos are effective at connecting and educating your audience about your healthcare products and services.

Influencer marketing and short-form videos help engage customers on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Combining these platforms with the power of influencer marketing helps a brand connect to the right audience. The benefit of working with influencers is their ability to tap into existing trusted relationships. Influencers create authentic and personalized content that can help to increase brand awareness and engagement. 

By collaborating with influencers, Pharma companies can gain valuable insights and feedback from their customers, which can be used to improve products and enhance the overall customer experience.

The term “patient influencer” has emerged to describe individuals who use their platform to promote medications and medical devices from a user standpoint. These influencers offer Pharma marketers, the opportunity to leverage patient influencers’ personal experiences for the promotion of healthcare products and services. 

Damian Washington is a prime example of how a patient influencer can help influence their niche followers on what healthcare products they should purchase. Damian was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. He has used his platform on Instagram and Twitter to help bring awareness and provide a sense of community for others suffering from this disease.

In an interview with EndPointNews, Damian states he doesn’t partake in getting paid to promote products. Damian works with various pharma companies on commercials and attended events for which he does get compensated. 

Another great example is Gem Hubbard. Gem is a disability activist sharing her life in a wheelchair via her social media profiles. On Instagram, she boasts 75k followers and on YouTube, her videos have more than 3.7 million views. Gem gives insights into her day-to-day and promotes products related to her disability. 

Key Opinion Leaders in Pharma

Key opinion leaders have been crucial in the healthcare industry. KOLs are considered physician influencers within the community. They deliver key content with credible information to their audience. Viewers trust KOLs for the same reason they trust patient influencers –  they provide relevant information that allows them to connect with their followers from a place of trust.

KOLs are highly influential individuals within their communities due to their extensive experience. They can effectively generate awareness and potentially increase sales for suppliers through their ability to impact purchasing decisions within hospitals or networks. KOLs are frequently consulted by pharmaceutical and medical device companies during various stages of product development and testing.

They provide valuable insight into disease states and existing treatments, as well as assist with clinical trial design, product improvements, and marketing strategies. KOLs can aid these companies in gaining acceptance for their products within specific hospitals or health networks through their familiarity and influence with the target audience.

TikTok is often perceived as a platform for younger users, but it is gaining popularity among people aged 35 and above. The number of users in this age group is steadily increasing. @Drspf on TikTok utilizes his platform to educate his viewers on all things skincare.

@drspf

Have you tried the #prescription #retinoid #twyneo yet? #drsugaiskincare #acne #tretinoin

♬ Sia – Xeptemper

FDA Advertising, Regulatory and Promotional Requirements

The proliferation of big pharma utilizing influencer marketing can be attributed to a number of factors. A primary reason is the increased rigidity of the FDA in regard to advertising and promotion regulations, making it more challenging and costly for traditional methods to reach customers. Patients are increasingly seeking out online sources for health information and guidance, rendering influencers an effective means of connecting with them.

However, it’s highly important to understand the regulatory requirements imposed by the FDA before collaborating with influencers. The FDA has general rules that apply, such as the requirement for all promotional materials to be accurate and not misleading. As well as the necessity for them to be submitted for review prior to publication.

While the FDA currently does not explicitly regulate influencer marketing, this could potentially change in the future. Therefore, it is vital to stay informed of the latest regulations and guidelines if working with influencers. 

Key Takeaways

It’s clear that the pharma industry is taking a cue from the rest of the digital world and investing heavily in influencer marketing. By partnering with influencers, pharma companies can effectively engage with customers and gain valuable insights to improve their products and customer experience. Two valuable assets for pharma companies looking to leverage influencer marketing in their marketing campaigns include patient influencers who share personal experiences with healthcare products and services and trusted physician influencers.

The use of short-form videos [on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts] is an effective way to connect with and educate audiences about healthcare products and services. It is clear that investing in influencer marketing can bring numerous advantages within pharma.

Pharma B2B Marketing: Key Tenets for Engaging Health Providers Intelligently 

Engaging with health providers has been a notoriously difficult task. As mentioned in our previous blog, Covid-19’s impact has transformed the Pharmaceutical marketing landscape. From face-to-face interactions to fully digital efforts, the key objective is to reimagine how marketers engage with providers.

This means focusing on reliably targeting and connecting with the right HCPs and providing informative and relevant content. Creating the best plan for your long-term success begins with developing the right strategy. In this post, we will explore some of the ways to engage with providers to help you do so. 

Maximize Engagement with Distinct Media Preferences

To reach healthcare providers where they are and engage them digitally, pharma companies need to create digital experiences that empower them. But how can pharmaceutical companies best reach and engage HCPs? The answer lies in understanding providers’ media preferences. By understanding where HCPs spend most of their time, pharma companies can develop a compelling marketing mix to engage providers effectively. 

HCPs are using social media for professional purposes more than ever. Studies have shown that providers are using social media for open conversations about clinical trial results, the latest treatment options, public health, and patient care. With providers now open to professional and product messages on social media channels, making the most out of multiple channels will help reinforce your messaging and encourage more engagement. 

Most HCPs use social media as a place to create communities with their peers on platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Pharma marketers can deliver credible, concise, and educational content including infographics, charts, and short messages with visuals via social channels to best reach providers. Making the most out of these channels is essential when effectively engaging with providers 

Make the Most out of Email Marketing

Email is the number one preferred marketing tool by HCPs. According to HealthLink Annual Report results, HCPs prefer to be reached via email for industry-related interactions. As HCPs have a greater demand for educational resources, it’s crucial for pharmaceutical companies to provide them with valuable materials. With this in mind, pharma marketers must implement the following three steps when creating an email for maximum engagement:

  1. Think creatively. Focusing on visual design will help reinforce brand recognition and increase the visual appeal of the message. This will encourage healthcare professionals to take action. 
  2. Focus on responsive design. Take into account where HCPs view emails. For the most part, this includes mobile devices. If there is an extended load this may lead to decreased response rates negatively impacting your message.
  3. Customize your content. HCPs are not one generic audience. Promoting irrelevant content to HCPs negatively impacts any potential revenue and decrease brand trust. Personalized subject lines yield higher open rates resulting and personalized messages yield increased engagement.

Focus on Niche Content

Physicians are most likely to engage with condition-specific or disease-state content and value information from trusted medical and regulatory resources. In addition, HCPs have been shown to value content that helps them better serve their patients. However, in a report conducted by Accenture, 64% of HCPs said they’re getting too much digital content, and 65% say digital marketers spam them. How can marketers avoid poorly programmed campaigns, irrelevant content, and spam-like behavior? Simple, build trust with personalized content.

As providers increase expectations, pharma companies are venturing out to gain time, trust, and influence with HCPs and their patients. Niche content can be packaged as blog posts, e-books, Infographics webinars, white papers, podcasts, case studies, videos, and more. And include medical education, patient education, and disease state information. Making sure you have specific content that delivers value is key to improved engagement.

Engagement & Retention 

The number of information physicians have to keep up with combined with the time constraints they face throughout the workday has a significant impact. Digital marketing allows pharmaceutical companies to reach physicians where they spend most of their time – online. However, an online presence is not enough to guarantee engagement and retention. 

  • Reading has a 10% retention at 2 weeks 
  • Hearing words has a 20% retention at 2 weeks 
  • Looking at pictures has a 30% retention at 2 weeks  
  • Watching a movie/demo has a 50% retention at two weeks 
  • Short-form videos are over 8x more efficient than long videos.

Regarding engagement and retention, pharmaceutical digital marketing is most effective when it uses short-form videos. Learn more about short-form video in one of our previous blog posts. Short-form videos are more efficient at engaging and retaining an audience than long videos. So, if you want to ensure that your target audience sees and remembers your message, focus on creating short, value-driven, and engaging videos.

Key Takeaways 

By now you should have a better understanding of some of the key tenets of engaging providers intelligently. Whether through maximizing engagement with distinct media preferences or making the most out of email marketing’s popularity, focusing on delivering niche content, or making sure to explore the best avenue for provider engagement & retention. HCPs want value and for maximized engagement, pharma companies must cater to the increased demand for content that matters. In the final part of this Pharma B2B Marketing series, we will explore why influencer marketing works in Pharma B2B digital marketing. 

Pharma B2B Marketing: Factors Accelerating Omnichannel Adoption

The pharma B2B digital marketing landscape is changing rapidly. Several factors are accelerating omnichannel adoption within the industry. This three-part series will explore some of the most critical components driving pharma B2B digital marketing changes and how companies can benefit from these changes. From the importance of data to omnichannel strategies, we will cover the trends shaping the future of pharma B2B marketing.

Covid’s Effect on Pharma

Covid-19 has posed an unprecedented challenge to the pharmaceutical industry, radically altering care delivery. Access constraints due to covid for in-person interactions have long been the foundation of the pharmaceutical sales model. However, the COVID-19 pandemic created an environment where these interactions are no longer safe or efficient. And with the amplification of remote engagement, connecting with patients and physicians in a remote setting has become essential. 

With the pharma industry now worth more than a trillion dollars after the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical companies are forced to pivot to digital channels and are transitioning into innovative sales and advertising initiatives. And the best way to do so has been via omnichannel marketing. An omnichannel approach has the customer at the center using all available media channels rather than a multichannel approach that is centered around the product or service, helping companies focus on improving how HCPs cater to consumers.

Data, Analytics, and Technology

The proliferation of data and analytics is evolving digital marketing in Pharma. To execute effective omnichannel campaigns in today’s competitive market, pharma marketers must have access to the right data delivered in an actionable way. Brands need data that is comprehensive, accurate, and rapidly available. Using tools that will help them understand what patients and HCPs do after seeing their ads and how to optimize all marketing touchpoints is key. Companies can also use data analytics to accelerate drug discovery and development, improve drug efficacy, enhance safety and risk management and gain insight into target patient populations.

According to Silicon Valley-based Treasure Data, capturing large volumes of consumer data and unifying it creates a better relationship between field teams and HCPs, leading to enhanced execution of marketing plans and a direct uplift in sales. Data and analytics of patients across all provider encounters lead to faster, more accurate diagnoses and better outcomes. Additionally, advanced analytics tools are helping companies make sense of this data and glean insights that can improve their marketing efforts. Social media, medical records, and other primary sources of big data can help pharmaceutical companies utilize this data for better reach and engagement. 

Customer Expectation

According to an article by Retail Dive, Omnichannel marketing is now the baseline customer expectation. With this in mind, there are two areas to consider when catering to customer expectations:

1. Prior Omnichannel Engagements with Hospitality, Retail, and Financial Industries 

Across industries, customers have come to expect a seamless, omnichannel experience. To create a similar customer experience, pharmaceutical companies need to understand customers’ expectations. The best way to do so is by exploring prior omnichannel engagement with hospitality, retail, and financial industries. 

Customers in these sectors expect consistent messaging and branding across all channels. Pharma B2B marketers must provide an omnichannel experience that is familiar to the ones their customers are already experiencing. In addition, a personalized customer experience that meets specific needs will exceed customer expectations. 

2. Multi-generation customers, comprising digital native and digital immigrants

Companies are continuously adjusting their marketing strategies to target multi-generational customers as the world becomes increasingly digitized. This includes digital natives (those who have grown up with technology) and digital immigrants (those who have adopted technology later in life). 

Digital natives are used to getting the information they want when they want it and expect the same from companies. They are also more likely to engage with brands on social media and other digital channels. Digital immigrants, on the other hand, may need more education on how to use digital channels effectively. However, they will likely be more loyal customers once they are won over. 

Commercialization Cost

Commercialization costs are a significant factor driving the adoption of omnichannel digital marketing in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, economic instability and inflation are continuously affecting drug affordability. The cost of raw materials, active ingredients, and intermediates drive pharmaceutical price growth worldwide, creating inflationary pressures. 

This is causing more countries to introduce price controls and regulations to combat these issues further. The rising costs in commercialization have given omnichannel marketing a boost within Pharma. The following factors have contributed to the acceleration in omnichannel marketing:

1. Wider Customer Reach Of Treatments For Rare Diseases And Small Patient Populations

The development of personalized medicines has increased the number of treatments for rare diseases and small patient populations. To reach these patients, pharmaceutical companies are turning to omnichannel marketing strategies. 

In addition, the increasing complexity of new molecules has required a more thoughtful approach to commercialization as target patient bases shrink and drug developers compete for dominance across more specialized therapeutic areas and smaller audiences. By using an omnichannel strategy, pharmaceutical companies can better engage with patients and maximize the reach of their treatments.

2. Selective, Targeted In-Person Engagements For Such Treatments 

In-person engagements with physicians and other healthcare providers are essential for pharmaceutical companies seeking to commercialize new treatments. However, these engagements can be costly and time-consuming. 

To maximize the impact of these interactions, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to selective, targeted in-person meetings. By carefully selecting the doctors and other healthcare providers they meet with, pharmaceutical companies can ensure that their interactions are more focused and more likely to result in positive outcomes. 

Key Takeaways: 

The future of digital media is evolving, and the need to reach patients where they are as customer expectations continue to grow is essential. While omnichannel marketing is new to the Pharma industry, it is not unique to customers. Thus, creating a need to upskill teams to embrace and execute omnichannel effectively and compliantly. 

Pharma must embrace omnichannel marketing across all customer touchpoints taking into consideration the ongoing effects of Covid-19, the increased focus on data, technology, and analytics, increased commercialization costs, and keeping up with customer expectations. Part two of our Pharma B2B Digital Marketing series will explore the key tenets for engaging providers intelligently.

How Gen Z is Transforming LinkedIn Marketing

linkedin business

As the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn has always been a go-to platform for building connections and networking. However, with the rise of Gen Z in the workforce, LinkedIn is starting to see a transformation in how users engage with the platform. For Gen Z, LinkedIn is becoming more than just a place to find jobs or connect with potential employers. 

It’s also becoming a valuable resource for research and career advice. For example, a recent study by Sprout Social found that LinkedIn is the most popular social media platform among Gen Zers for professional networking. But what does the future of LinkedIn marketing look like? To answer that question, we need to understand the habits and values of the next generation of professionals: Generation Z (born between 1997 – 2012).

Gen Zer’s Digital Habits Reflect Their Values

LinkedIn was known to encourage traditional professionalism among all social platforms by enabling users only to share highly curated content related to business and personal success. However, this has begun to change, as Gen Z’s online habits reflect their values: authenticity, collaboration, and social responsibility. Here’s a closer look at how each of these values manifests itself in Gen Zers’ digital habits: 

1. Authenticity

Gen Zers are looking for brands that are genuine and transparent. They want to see behind the scenes, know the brands they support, and share their values. To appeal to this generation, brands need to be authentic in their marketing efforts. 

2. Collaboration

Gen Zers are used to working in team environments and value collaboration. So when they see brands working together – through user-generated content or influencer marketing – they take notice. Collaborative marketing efforts will help your brand stand out to this generation. 

3. Social responsibility

Gen Zers are socially conscious and want to see brands taking social responsibility seriously. They want to see brands supporting causes they care about, being transparent about their business practices, and making an effort to reduce their environmental impact. Brands that can show they understand and care about the issues that matter to Gen Zers will be in a better position to build lasting relationships.

Brand Transparency and Gen Z 

I sat down with Danielle Farage, Linkedin’s Top Voice for Gen Z, work futurist, and collaborator, to better understand how Gen Z navigates LinkedIn. How can brands build trust with Gen Zers? Farage recalled learning about greenwashing and rainbow washing in college and how they impacted her view on brand transparency. She noted that brands must establish an active relationship with the social causes they support. 

“As a socially responsible brand, did you contribute anything meaningful? Were you a part of the conversation?” These are questions Danielle states brands should ask themselves when building a strategy around trust. Instead of only showcasing support during a specific time frame, a brand must show its support all year round. Otherwise, the lack of commitment will generate a lack of integrity, thus minimizing trust with Gen Zers. 

“Knowing your values as a brand is essential in resonating with Gen Z. Establishing how your brand is showing up and knowing if you are maintaining these values proves that you are being transparent with your marketing efforts,” stated Farage. In addition, studies around Gen Z consumer patterns describe Gen Z as a generation that conducts more research comparatively than other generations.

As a result, Genz will spend more money on brands that align with their values, and brands that prioritize establishing an authentic and transparent brand identity ultimately reap these benefits. 

Gen Z Values Brand Integrity From The Inside Out

We’ve seen a shift in how businesses treat employees in recent years. In the past, companies were more focused on profits and growth than on the well-being of their workers. However, that’s starting to change, particularly among popular brands with Gen Z consumers. These so-called “Gen Z value brands” put their employees first, invest in their development, and offer them competitive benefits.

This focus on employee experience is paying off: Gen Zers who work for these brands are more engaged and productive and more likely to advocate for them. What does this say about a brand? It shows its commitment to its employees, staying authentic, and supporting social causes. 

B2B Marketing for Gen Z in Leadership Roles 

As the founder and Director of Growth & Marketing for Café, a social hub for hybrid teams, Danielle Farage is now facing the challenge of navigating marketing in a B2B landscape herself. How should B2B companies adapt their marketing strategies as GenZ begin to take on leadership roles? 

Danielle believes brands that want to improve their strategy can take two different approaches. The first approach is to focus on the language they are trying to communicate with their brand voice, and the second is to seek out diversifying who represents them actively. 

1. Communication is Key

Despite the growing number of Gen Z’ers filling leadership roles, many businesses are still run by Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials. With this in mind, Danielle’s strategy when targeting Gen Z in leadership is to identify what language to use when communicating a specific message. This includes modern colloquial terminology without abandoning traditional professional terminology.

2. Diversify your Brand Voice

After being invited to speak for various organizations, Farage noticed the lack of diversity among panelists. Granting Gen Z leaders the authority to become a brand’s voice increases brand relatability and authenticity. Incorporating newer and younger voices to deliver your brand identity is essential in adapting to a new generation of leaders. 

In Conclusion

All in all, there’s no question that Gen Z is transforming how we think about LinkedIn marketing. It’s vitally important to understand the site, but understanding its users is equally as important; this will allow brands to create more effective campaigns and interact with Gen Z more meaningfully. Gen Z is a generation that wants to be guided. What better way to maximize this opportunity than by reimagining your brand voice and values?

Using Short-Form Videos in Your Content Strategy

With the continuous rise in popularity of TikTok, investing heavily in short-form video content is vital. Studies have shown that Short-form videos rank #1 for lead generation and engagement and 54% of marketers surveyed, stated that their companies leverage short-form videos for maximum conversion. As an important element of your content strategy, understanding short-form videos and how brands are using them is key.

Next, we will dive deeper into what short-form videos are, their benefits, why you should include them in your content strategy, upcoming news, and how this will affect short-form video platforms.

What are short-form Videos?

Short-form videos are a type of video content that is typically shorter in length than traditional videos. They can range in length from a few seconds to a few minutes. Often used as a way to share quick, snappy content on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. Short-form videos tend to be more informal and personal than longer-form videos. They regularly feature everyday people rather than professional actors or celebrities.

This makes them relatable and easy to consume. This has helped to make short-form videos extremely popular among social media users. While they may not be suitable for every type of content,short-form videos can be a great way to connect with your audience and build brand awareness.

Benefits of Short-Form Videos 

If you’re not already convinced that short-form videos are worth your time and investment, here are a few benefits that might sway you:

1. Capture Audience Attention

Short-form videos are more digestible than longer videos. With the limited attention spans of most social media users, you need to make your point quickly and effectively with a short video. People are more likely to watch and retain information from a short video than from a long one. As a result, businesses and individuals are turning to short-form videos to communicate their message effectively and efficiently.

2. Cost-Efficient

When it comes to cost efficiency, short-form video is the clear winner. Unlike traditional television commercials or web videos, short-form videos can be produced quickly and easily without needing a large crew or expensive equipment. They are shorter and less complex. Short-form videos are typically less expensive to produce than their longer counterparts.

Finally, due to their viral nature, short-form videos often have a much wider reach than other marketing materials, resulting in a lower cost per view. For businesses looking to get the most bang for their buck, short-form video is the way to go.

3. Versatility

Short-form videos are versatile. You can use them for everything from product demonstrations to customer testimonials to educational content and beyond. And because of its versatility, short-form video is perfect for just about any purpose. For businesses, short-form video is an excellent way to promote products and services. It’s also great for creating awareness and building brand identity. And because it’s so shareable, it’s a great way to reach new audiences.

When it comes to entertainment, short-form video is also extremely popular. Whether it’s funny clips or catchy music videos, there’s no shortage of content to enjoy. A well-executed short video will help you grab attention and stand out from the rest.

How to Implement Short-Form Videos into your Content Strategy

There are a few different ways you can use short-form videos in your content strategy. The first is by using them to introduce a new product or service. A great way to pique someone’s interest is a quick video showcasing how your product benefits the viewer. You can use short-form videos to give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your company or product.

This is a great way to humanize your brand and show viewers. You can use short-form videos by using them as part of a larger marketing campaign. For example, launching a social media challenge encourages people to create short-form videos using your product or service. Not only will this get people talking about your brand, but it will also give you a ton of great user-generated content (UGC) to repurpose on other channels.

Meta and Google: Updates and Changes

1. Algorithm Changes

Meta executive in charge of Facebook, Tom Alison, announced in late April of this year, that Meta will be changing the way people are recommended posts in their main feed. Instead of prioritizing those from accounts they follow, Facebook’s new algorithm is going to start to heavily promote posts regardless of where they came from.

Combined with an increasing emphasis on Reels, the planned changes show how forcibly Meta is responding to the rise of TikTok. TikTok has quickly become a legitimate challenger to its dominance in social media. Instagram is already well ahead of Facebook in its push to show more Reels from accounts you don’t follow, or what the company calls “unconnected” sources.

2. Meta’s Post-Loop Ads & Google’s Youtube Shorts Ad Monetization

Youtube and Facebook have been trying to compete with TikTok’s platform’s popularity. A key challenge Meta and Google face is TikTok’s algorithm strength.

In an effort to combat this, Facebook has introduced a new ad format that forces viewers to watch 4–10 second videos after every few minutes of content. These post-loop ads will be incorporated into both Facebook Reels and Instagram reel’s for creator monetization.

For the last 2 years, YouTube has developed Youtube Shorts. Youtube’s strategy replicated TikTok’s creator fund and created a similar one called the “Youtube Creator Fund”. Youtube realized creators did not fully benefit from the fund and decided to incorporate paid ads in between videos to help monetize and shared among creators.

How Will Meta And Google’s Ad Changes Affect Your Short-form Video Content Strategy

Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok have been the favorite channels among consumers when purchasing goods through ads according to a recent study by Digital Information World. And who do consumers trust the most when exploring products? They trust influencers.

The study by Oracle and CRM Essentials illustrated how social media influencers have become a trusted source for consumers. With the capped amount of monetization a creator can make on TikTok, it is possible that Facebook’s post-loop ads and Youtube Shorts will slowly lure Influencers onto their platforms.

The generic format of ad placement between scrollable videos caused a disconnect between influencer buyer trust and branded ads. Utilizing Facebook and YouTube updates are crucial for ads.

Takeaway

Curating ads to translate the same trust as Influencer content will build brand trust with your target audience. However, this will depend on how genuine your content is along with the Influencer you hire to promote your brand.

In short, effective short-form videos are an excellent way to connect with audiences on various levels and can be used for a wide range of content marketing objectives. When creating your strategy, consider how you can best use each social platform’s capabilities to your advantage to maximize the impact of your content. And if you need help getting started, our team is always here to offer guidance and support.

How to Effectively Utilize Influencer Marketing

Influencer with their web camera set up.

Is your company 100% into smart marketing ideas, or completely on board with using up an advertising budget, but cringes at “giving” money to individuals on social media just so they can talk about you to their followers? 

If so, you are not the only one. Although Instagram alone boasts nearly one billion active users, and Facebook calculates the average account holder spends almost 2.5 hours a day on their platform, many companies are still shy about spending marketing dollars for influencers. And that’s not all, according to eMarketer, spending this year is about to grow by over one-third—the highest growth in the industry. Those who aren’t on board are losing out to their competition who is. 

The hesitation for influencer marketing can often be boiled down to a couple of things. First, many marketing executives still see it as a riskier option; something they can’t see direct ROI success from. The second is understanding of influencers and platforms. Creating ads, buying placements, watching how they increase customers…these things have been done for decades. But finding the right influencer can seem a much more daunting task. Trends rise and fall, and influencers can do the same. Hitting on the right mix of product, influencer and audience can feel so risky it seems many people decide to opt out altogether. 

We’re here to simplify influencer marketing. While ROI cannot always be measured the same as traditional marketing, it can have great effects on long-term brand awareness, loyalty and purchase decisions—three things no brand would detest. 

How Influencer Marketing Elevates Brands

Advertising in all aspects is good for a brand. Be it out of home, digital, print…they can all do the three things we listed above. But they can’t always do it with the same trustworthiness that influencers can. 

This is not a shocking revelation. Think about how you feel when you see a random actor on TV trying to tell you about a product. How strongly do you believe what they say versus when your friend tells you about that same product? 

We have become a people that need user reviews. How many stars does the restaurant have on Google? What are people saying about that product on Amazon? What does the product look like when it’s tried out by someone on YouTube? 

Influencer marketing is just another one of the tools consumers use to filter brands and products. It may not be your trusted friend, but if an influencer you follow gives a brand shoutout they must believe it, right? They’re sharing it, they’re attaching their name to it, they must at some level be doing it to help their followers…even if we understand they’re being paid to share, it still feels more personal than seeing the same type of thing in a photoshop-perfect magazine ad. 

Influencer marketing is word-of-mouth. It gives social proof to what you’re learning about. But, just like an ad for ice cream may not be successful in a vegan magazine, finding the wrong influencer can completely miss the mark. 

How to Find the Right Social Media Influencers 

  • Make it authentic: One of the biggest pros of influencer marketing is that it feels more personal. It’s not all about the largest follower base, it’s about finding the accounts that really do believe in your brand, and can share that feeling with others. 
  • Keep it casual: Just like authenticity, if it feels too produced it’s going to come across like an ad you’re forcing an influencer to share for money.
  • Collaborate: In the same vein, some influencers can bring a lot to the table in terms of how to speak to their audience. Listen and let them help figure out the best way to share your product together. 
  • Realistic goals: As with any type of marketing, keeping your end goal in sight is important. Is it to raise sales, get brand recognition or something else? One ad cannot effectively do everything for your brand, and it should not be expected that any influencer can do everything with one post (or even a handful of them).

Overall, keeping long-term plans and goals is also helpful no matter how you start with influencer marketing. Especially if you’re looking for brand loyalty or new followers. Yes, things can go viral and numbers can go up exponentially. But for the majority, influencer marketing can feel subtle. Our advice for you: trust the process. Have confidence that trial and error is part of finding the right fit. 

Updating Facebook Ad Performance for Apple’s New iOS

Apple’s upcoming advertising changes are rolling out soon, and along with that is Apple’s Private Click Measurement (PCM), giving users more options to opt out of the data-tracking methods that Facebook has been using to target audiences. 

While some parts of this rollout are seen as a step in the right direction for privacy, it can mean different things for advertisers like us, and the companies that are aiming to reach the right audience with their ads. Because of these shifts, it’s important to strategize updates and changes that ensure ad dollars are still being used wisely. 

Upcoming Roadblocks 

Two of the biggest problems Facebook has pointed out are app-to-web conversion measurements and cross-domain measurements. For app-to-web, the problem we’ll start to see with conversions is that tracking within the app can no longer be recorded. For example, if your user clicks on a link within an app, like Instagram, it typically opens a browser window still within the app. This type of user experience can no longer be recorded on an iPhone because it is within another app. 

The other experience that will no longer be tracked is for companies that have a URL redirect. If a user clicks on a link, but that link redirects to a different webpage, that will be the end of tracking. 

While this may seem like only two small situations, ultimately it can become a huge issue if not addressed properly. Performance will be harder to achieve due to lack of data, current Facebook algorithms may not be as strong, leading precise targeting to become a concern. 

Solutions for a Smooth Transition

Because Facebook feels these types of experiences are important to ensure users are given ads they care about, they are building their own Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM) to work within Apple’s new protocols.

Although this will allow advertisers to access user data for better targeted ads, there are limitations and updates that need to be made. Members of Flightpath’s marketing team recently participated in a Facebook webinar that outlined these new protocols:

  • Eight-event limitations for pixel setup
  • Conversion window updates
  • Reduction in custom audience sizes
  • Value optimization within Events Manager

While Facebook did not give point-by-point instructions for how to adapt to all of these changes, we are developing strategies to compensate. One thing we will be doing is making required updates in a timely manner to mitigate any foreseeable bumps in user data. As with all advertising, it’s very imperative to us that these changes are watched closely as they roll out, and that we are making swift adjustments as necessary to ensure the best ROI for all ad dollars spent. 

For anyone working within Facebook’s platform, here is a quick to-do list to make sure you are on top of any pending changes with the new Apple iOS program. 

  • Verify your domain in Facebook Business Manager
  • Prepare to only have 8 events per domain, prioritizing events as needed
  • Anticipate changes to attribution windows, and update automated rules if necessary
  • Identify campaign optimization strategies that may require testing (alternative audience options or bidding strategies) as needed

As we said at the start, many of these changes aren’t ideal for the ad targeting we have been able to do to this point. But with proper strategies in place, and the ability to adapt to new updates as needed, we can all continue with useful ads targeted to the right audiences.

The Value of a Comprehensive SEO Audit

The Value of a Comprehensive SEO Audit

At Flightpath, we create, redesign, refine and maintain dozens of websites every year. A core consideration that impacts all aspects of this work is ensuring that sites adhere to best practices for high search engine visibility (also known as Search Engine Optimization or SEO).

Throughout our planning, design, production, quality assurance and launch processes, SEO stays top of mind. When we’re getting ready for a release, we run everything through a checklist that assesses sites based on approximately 100 different criteria that all enter into the algorithms that reward (or penalize) sites.

Oftentimes we’re called upon to conduct a comprehensive SEO Site Audit. This may be for a site that’s been created by another agency or other 3rd party. Or it could be a site that’s had a lot of post-launch enhancement and is ready for a check up. Or it could be for an older site that may not have kept up with algorithmic changes over time. Either way, we return to our checklist and begin assessing the site based upon our all-important 100 criteria.

At a high level, here are some of the most important SEO optimization attributes that we’re assessing:

  • UX: including mobile friendliness page speed
  • Tags: including titles, meta descriptions
  • Page Duplication and duplicate content
  • URLs: including length, keyword usage and word separators
  • Links: including click-depth, navigation and link location
  • Page Architecture: including keyword location and content structure
  • Site Architecture: including languages, 301 permanent redirects and sitemaps
  • Social Media: including Facebook, Twitter and Google+ sharing
  • Site Verification: including Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools set-up

While some of these attributes are more important than others, they should all be attended to and revisited and checked up on regularly.

Consumers vs. Marketers & Native Mobile Advertising

Not shockingly, the average person looks at their phone 200 times a day. But only 10% of that time is spent browsing the web; The rest of the time is spent using native apps. Unlike like traditional cookie-based tracking typical in PPC advertising, the insights gathered on users via native apps has virtually no bounds. […]

Not shockingly, the average person looks at their phone 200 times a day. But only 10% of that time is spent browsing the web; The rest of the time is spent using native apps. Unlike like traditional cookie-based tracking typical in PPC advertising, the insights gathered on users via native apps has virtually no bounds. On an aggregate level, marketers can collect data on age, gender and behavior such as where you ordered dinner or where you went to happy hour etc. All this data, but what are they doing with it? The more marketers know about their users, the more they can tailor advertisements and that’s exactly what they want. Creep factor aside, some would say this works in the user’s interest because marketers are more likely to present ads you’re actually interested in seeing. However, most users only see ads as an annoyance they instinctively “skip” or ignore. And with ad blocking software becoming more ubiquitous in web browsers (80% of Americans will be using some kind of ad blocker by 2017), that makes tracking in native apps the most logical path. Not to mention, some estimate that up to 1/3 of PPC traffic is fraudulent (that translates to $7.2B in 2016). That doesn’t make it easy to place the right ad in front of the right person at the right time. Brands and marketers still need to be smart and careful about how they position themselves in a market where consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with privacy and jaded with the typical banner ad or “pre-roll” video.

I attended a meet-up during Internet week hosted by Jun Group, presented by their CEO Mitchell Reichgut titled “Don’t Call it a Phone – How to Advertise on Smartphones and Tablets in the Age of Applications.” Here are key insights on how to stay ahead of the herd and adjust your digital marketing strategy to meet this ever changing market:

  • No interruptions: That means absolutely no auto-play ads (that you can’t skip) and no pop-ups – ever.
  • Consider context: How and where users see your content is just as important as the content itself. Opt for custom placement (visible, relevant but not in the way) and tailor content specifically to the website or app’s audience. Yes, this will require development of more versions of ads but it’s worth it in the long run.
  • Know where your ads are: Many advertisers buy placement but don’t really know exactly what websites or apps will display them and what placement they’ll receive.
  • Look at media differently: it doesn’t always have to be banner ads or pre-roll videos. Many marketers have had success with value exchange programs within games. For example, a user might be asked to watch a 30 second video (between levels) in exchange for bonus points or a gameplay advantage. However, be careful that the games demographics align with your intended audience, which can be tricky to figure out.

Above all, measurement is the most important component of a successful ad campaign. Some of the above tactics may actually result in seemingly less impressive metrics but If you’re still measuring the success of your campaigns on impressions and clicks alone, don’t forget there’s a good chance much of that data is fraudulent.

Cultivating and Utilizing UGC

In this day and age, people are constantly taking and sharing photos. Thanks to their 8-megapixel smartphone cameras and built in filters, it’s easy to take a glorious picture. But the real moneymaker moment happens when someone shares a photo involving a brand. This is what we call: User Generated Content. UGC is any form of […]

In this day and age, people are constantly taking and sharing photos. Thanks to their 8-megapixel smartphone cameras and built in filters, it’s easy to take a glorious picture. But the real moneymaker moment happens when someone shares a photo involving a brand. This is what we call: User Generated Content. UGC is any form of content such as a, video, image or blog post created by a consumer or end-user and is publicly available. Social media mediums have proven to be continuously reliable sources for UGC. This is due to the simple fact that platforms such as Instagram and Twitter are hashtag based and easily searchable; vice versa, users are able to tag brands on posts, sometimes eliminating the need to search at all. Not to mention, everyone’s on social!

UGC posts become a kind of endorsement for brands; with the proper permission brands can repurpose these posts and show them off on their own social media page. “User-generated content as a media channel comprises an increasingly significant share of time that consumers are spending with content overall- indicating that consumers are ever more receptive to it. (Crowdtap)”Here’s how top brands go about acquiring and utilizing UGC.

 

The first step is always getting permission

starbucks

A big name like Starbucks has so much UGC at their fingertips (literally), but they still need to take the appropriate steps in order to share a consumer’s photo.
Often times brands will create campaigns encouraging users to create content
ModCloth2
In August 2015 Modcloth launched a contest on Pinterest “Be Our Pinspiration,” asking users to create a Pinterest board filled with inspirational images and named after the Modcloth campaign. The winner received a gift card and clothing pieces named after them.

 

For brands, hosting contests on Facebook is a simple and easy way to get UGC

Screen Shot 2016-02-10 at 11.32.58 AM

Dove’s “Share Your Beautiful Self” promotion asked users to upload a photo of themselves and a friend. Dove turned each entry into an e-card that could be shared with Facebook friends.
But even a simple hashtag search can reveal a plethora of UGC

Screen Shot 2016-02-10 at 11.47.28 AM

Interlux-on-Instag

Our client, Interlux Paint, receives a lot of UGC from Instagram

 

You can cross promote UGC on other social platforms, like Facebook
1

 

The biggest content drivers are people between the ages 25 and 54 and contribute to 70% of all UGC (SparkReel). UGC continues to dominate the majority of web content, with Pinterest creations up by 75% (Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers). Everyone with a smartphone is a potential content creator and this gives marketers and companies alike a huge pool of content to choose from. Content curation is a vital part in telling the story of your brand, so it’s important to see to what your consumers are saying/posting and being receptive to them. Sharing their posts is a great way of doing just that! Not to mention it’s easy and cost-efficient!

Top 5 Super Bowl Moments in Digital Marketing

In the world of marketing, the Super Bowl is the ultimate platform for brands to get their audiences engaged. It has turned into more than ‘just commercials’; brands are flooding their audiences with campaigns from TV ad spots, tweets, Instagrams, and Facebook posts. Some campaigns get all the attention, and others fall flat. Here are […]

In the world of marketing, the Super Bowl is the ultimate platform for brands to get their audiences engaged. It has turned into more than ‘just commercials’; brands are flooding their audiences with campaigns from TV ad spots, tweets, Instagrams, and Facebook posts. Some campaigns get all the attention, and others fall flat.

Here are some top moments from past years, as well as our favorite from this year’s Super Bowl 50:

#5. Audi Uses the First Hashtag in a Super Bowl Ad

2011 – Super Bowl XLV

audi

Audi created the first 60-second TV spot that used a hashtag for Super Bowl marketing – #ProgressIs. Viewers who used the hashtag and the URL in their tweets were entered into a contest, the grand prize of which was a trip to Sonoma, California and a test drive with Audi – among other things. Although this hashtag didn’t make the “trending” list on Twitter, Audi saw a huge spike in their followers – about a 47% increase. The increase was at the same time as their YouTube teaser campaigns, and this showed that audiences were engaged in the campaign.

#4. JC Penney Super Bowl Mittens

 2014 – Super Bowl XLVIII

jcpenney-tweets

During the game, J C Penney tweeted numerous times with egregious typos. There was a lot of buzz around these miss-spelled tweets. Were they drunk? Did they get hacked?

This never occurred to the company when they were planning their campaign. In reality, the tweets were a part of the ongoing JCPenney campaign for the Olympics – they had “Go Team USA” mittens. The original plan was to tweet a few of these erroneous quips, following up with the hashtag #tweetingwithmittens. Although not interpreted how they were intended, the two jumbled tweets along with the hashtag generated 46,951 retweets and 21,357 favorites. Their brand got a lot of attention and this was a widely talked about digital marketing moment for Super Bowl XLVII.

#3.   Bud Light’s “Up for Whatever” campaign

 2014 – Super Bowl XLVIII

budlight-upforwhatever

The cast of the “Up for Whatever” campaign attracted huge attention from the public, as it featured 5 rock stars, 4 celebrities, and 412 actors. #upforwhatever was a top trending hashtag, also used on three highly shareable videos which received more than 1 million views and 55k Facebook likes within 72 hours.

These videos posed the question to viewers, as well as their star studded cast, “Are you #UpforWhatever ?

#2. Oreo Dunk Tweet

 2013 – Super Bowl XLVII

oreo-image

The Super Bowl, in 2013, had a temporary electrical blackout, and the Oreo marketing team quickly jumped on this opportunity with their ad, which must have been made as a snap decision and put together literally during the Super Bowl.

“You Can Still Dunk In The Dark” got nearly 15k retweets, more than 20k likes on Facebook, and is a great example of real-time marketing.

 

#1. New Super Bowl Moment

2016  – Super Bowl 50

esurance-image

Esurance promoted a contest this year where viewers could tweet and retweet for a chance to win up to $1 million.

Their hashtag, #EsuranceSweepstakes, trended nationally for 15 minutes, and generated 9k tweets per minute last night. In fact, Esurance ranked #1 on Spreadfast’s first quarter Super Bowl data, with 375k tweets.

The Super Bowl has been, and continues to be one of the largest marketing and advertising opportunities for companies advertising in the US. Being different and coming up with new and engaging ideas is the challenge facing these brands year after year, and with all that competition, this list was only able to mention a few of the best, most buzz-worthy campaigns. Check out other Super Bowl ads on YouTube, and remember to tune in every year for these great ads – and also the game.

 

For more on these digital marketing moments:

https://upennsocialbook.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/-study-audi-progressis-super/

http://digiday.com/brands/jc-penny-super-bowl-twitter-mittens/

http://sites.psu.edu/dylanfreieriampr/2015/11/18/38/\

http://www.wired.com/2013/02/oreo-twitter-super-bowl/

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/esurances-1st-quarter-super-bowl-ad-helped-generate-9000-tweets-minute-169495

A Look at the New Facebook “Reactions”

On Thursday, Facebook gave us a look at their new “Reactions.” Unfortunately, the Reactions are just being tested in Spain and Ireland for the time being, but will add to the limited “like” button, introduced back in 2009. Hitting “like” on Facebook is a way for users to give positive feedback, and to ensure that they are updated with regard to a […]

On Thursday, Facebook gave us a look at their new “Reactions.” Unfortunately, the Reactions are just being tested in Spain and Ireland for the time being, but will add to the limited “like” button, introduced back in 2009.

Hitting “like” on Facebook is a way for users to give positive feedback, and to ensure that they are updated with regard to a topic or post, without all the commitment and effort of actually writing a comment. Although we don’t yet have an official release date, Facebook has responded to the overwhelming desire for a “dislike” button with their new spectrum of one-click responses, called Reactions.

 

Meet the new Reactions:

Facebook’s Reactions include the classic “Like,” along with Love, Haha, Yay, Wow, Sad and Angry. While this promises a much more articulate way of presenting input on posts for the average user, it will also serve as a diverse and emotional set of data for marketers and businesses using Facebook ads. As of now, Facebook’s newsfeed ranking algorithm will be calculating the reactions as likes, but they hope to learn more over time about the different ways marketers can use ‘loves’ versus ‘angries,’ and so on. For instance, a company might target people who’d marked “angry” on a competitor’s post, or double down on users who ‘loved’ a post, rather than ‘liked’ it.

With the recent change from billing marketers per ‘like’ and interaction, to focusing on product sales and app downloads, Facebook’s new feature will be able to provide a broader array of diverse data to advertisers, allowing them to mold their ads even more specifically.

These new emojis will do more than just allow you to “love” your friend’s new apartment; it will allow users to receive more ads targeted to their desires, and help advertisers to create content that makes you say “Yay!”

Fundamentals of Responsive Website Design

As you probably know, Responsive Web Design (RWD) delivers one website, with one code base, to a multitude of devices from laptops to tablets to mobile phones. At Flightpath, we get so many questions from clients and potential clients about responsive website design these days that we thought it would be a good idea to […]

As you probably know, Responsive Web Design (RWD) delivers one website, with one code base, to a multitude of devices from laptops to tablets to mobile phones. At Flightpath, we get so many questions from clients and potential clients about responsive website design these days that we thought it would be a good idea to briefly summarize some fundamentals and best practices.

 

Responsive Web Design Benefits

 

  • Better user experience by supporting a wide range of devices, particularly mobile
  • Better Google search engine ranking – With Google’s recent mobile-friendly algorithm update, websites that are responsive have a higher likelihood of ranking higher than desktop-only
  • Easier and cheaper site management compared to maintaining separate desktop and mobile websites

 

Responsive Web Design Conventions

 

  • RWD utilizes flexible images and media atop fluid grids that ebb and flow with a devices’ screen size
  • Major “breakpoints” are established to allow a design to adapt and optimize better to certain screen widths. Typical breakpoints are as follows:

 Screen Shot 2015-09-24 at 11.02.23 AM

 

Responsive Web Design Creative and Production Considerations

 

  • A non-responsive site cannot be simply “converted” to a responsive site.
  • The code framework is entirely different
  • Non-responsive website design elements will likely not work well on small screens
  • To start, website content and design should be developed with smaller mobile screens in mind – where the focus is only on core content and functionality.
  • While one of the hallmarks of RWD is to provide the same content to all devices, it is not only permissible but recommended to optimize some site attributes for different device sizes. (Example: Use show/hide button to limit the amount of content that shows at one time on small mobile screen.)

 

Responsive Web Design and Google Rankings

 

Google has updated its algorithm to prioritize search results per a variety of criteria associated with mobile usability and responsive design. These include:

 

  • Font sizes
  • Touch/tap element size & relative proximity
  • Pop-up/interstitial usage
  • Viewport configuration
  • Flash usage

These factors should be borne in mind to ensure optimal search engine visibility for your responsive site. You can learn more about this via this blog from Google.

Ten Millennial Marketing Tips from AdWeek

Millennials are adults ages 18 to 34. There are roughly 80 million Millennials in the United States alone, and each year they spend approximately $600 billion. In marketing, the group has been described as high influencers with a heightened awareness of marketing schemes. According to AdWeek, marketers are constantly working multiple social media platforms and […]

Millennials are adults ages 18 to 34. There are roughly 80 million Millennials in the United States alone, and each year they spend approximately $600 billion. In marketing, the group has been described as high influencers with a heightened awareness of marketing schemes.

According to AdWeek, marketers are constantly working multiple social media platforms and tweaking digital ads to target elusive millennials who don’t respond to traditional advertising. While it is a challenge to market to this ‘elusive’ segment, here are some key tips on engaging Millennials.

  1. Break through the noise by utilizing the tools that are available.
  2. Get the consumer excited with engaging content.
  3. Millennials look for instant gratification. Allow them to personalize/customize their experience.
  4. Be authentic. Fans can detect BS.
  5. Consumers base their purchases based off their perception of the brand.
  6. Mobile first. Two-thirds of Millennials view content on mobile. 70% tweet while watching television or other shows.
  7. Create something people want to watch, and they will share that content.
  8. Be culturally relevant. For brands, find something that is interesting and fits into the cultural space.
  9. Content is designed to engage the consumer regardless of platform.
  10. Listen to your audience. If your content isn’t working, pivot.

The Significance of Emojis in Brand Marketing 😃

When cell phones first came out over thirty years ago, no one could have ever predicted how vital they would be in marketing, let alone our daily lives! The same can be said about major social platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. With this in mind, we’re taking a look through our marketing microscope; is it […]

When cell phones first came out over thirty years ago, no one could have ever predicted how vital they would be in marketing, let alone our daily lives! The same can be said about major social platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. With this in mind, we’re taking a look through our marketing microscope; is it possible that Emoji’s share the same fate of marketing success as the aforementioned? From cell phones, to social platforms, is there a future for this “social expressionism” in brand marketing? Here we examine how brands utilize Emojis across different social platforms to engage with their target audience.

Brands are successfully coming out with their own campaigns using emojis and impacting social media in new creative ways, keeping brands ahead of the pack (credit shirley)! According to The Guardian Magazine, “This allows brands to “communicate with their target audience, to infiltrate their mobile phones, to demonstrate that they are on top of the latest communications trends, and also to convey messages in elegantly simple ways.

 

Bud Light: Twitter & YouTube

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk6KkzElqCM

 

 

GE: Tumblr

 

PETA: YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AevC1bPr6UM

 

 

Admit it- you use emojis on a day-to-day basis. Whether it’s on your phone via text, Snapchat, Twitter or Instagram; it’s undeniable how universal the emoji language has become. Now that brands have jumped on this bandwagon, what does this mean for the future of emojis?

For starters, expect to see more branded emoji keyboards available for download on your phone. Emoji’s will also appear in your search engine and vice versa, your search engine will be able to read emojis:

 

 

Actual Website URL’S will have emoji’s in them:

Coca cola

 

And if we peer into our marketing telescopes, perhaps there is a future for emojis on a lexical scale? Or maybe they will finally come out with the taco emoji!

How to Utilize User Generated Content

It’s the age of the Millennials, the first digital natives, the social media enthusiasts and the content creators. According to Crowdtap, Millennials, “report spending 5.4 hours a day with content created by their peers.” That said, not only is there more user generated content being produced at this point but it is also the preferred […]

It’s the age of the Millennials, the first digital natives, the social media enthusiasts and the content creators. According to Crowdtap, Millennials, “report spending 5.4 hours a day with content created by their peers.” That said, not only is there more user generated content being produced at this point but it is also the preferred content for users to consume.

But, what is user generated content (UGC) really? User generated content (UGC) is defined as “any form of content such as blogs, wikis, discussion forums, posts, chats, tweets, podcasting, pins, digital images, video, audio files, and other forms of media that were created by users of an online system or service, often made available via social media websites.” As marketers we often use UGC to our benefit. However, are you sure you’re getting the most out of user generated content? Keep reading for three ways to use UGC to better your marketing game:

 

Content

The first use of user generated content may seem obvious, since it’s part of the phrase itself: content.  Repurposing user generated content for a client’s digital content, including social media posts, blogs and videos, can be a big win that can make a brand appear more approachable. The right usage, attribution and timing can result in shares, engagement and additional user generated content that a brand can use.

According to Socialnomics, “90% of consumers trust peer recommendations.” With that in mind, it makes complete sense to leverage content produced by average consumers who have naturally become brand advocates, instead of a traditional celebrity endorsement or spokesperson. The authenticity that is created when a “real” everyday person advocates for a product is what using UGC as brand content is all about.

 

Focus Group

A focus group is a demographically diverse group of people assembled to participate in a guided discussion about a particular topic. When it comes to sampling a demographically diverse group of people, there is no better place than the world wide web. Once of the greatest accomplishments of the digital age, is the ability to connect with people all over the world.

We recently learned about a new third party program called Chute Insights, “which monitors photos and videos shared about your brand, industry and competitors in real-time and organizes then by popularity, trends, content creators or time.” When Chute’s co-founder, Gregarious Narain, introduced Chute Insights, he referred to it as an “always-on focus group.” This analogy immediately made sense in a broader way.

As marketers we have the access and knowledge to utilize user generated content as a focus group anytime we need. By viewing UGC in this way you’re able to glean insights about demographics, sentiment, etc. and use that information to inform future strategy, campaigns and product development.

Campaigns & Promotions

We’ve all been there before, it’s been a long week and now you need a brilliant idea for a new promotion/campaign but your creativity well has run dry. This is the optimum time to turn to user generated content for inspiration. Taking a look at what consumers are celebrating about a brand, as well as, the negative chatter surrounding a brand is a great jumping off point when dreaming up the next big idea.

UGC may just be at the center of that next big idea. Everyone from Red Bull to Target have launched campaigns that revolve around eliciting user generated content from consumers, which in turn creates more content for these brands to use.

User generated content has become a vital tactic in content marketing to increase brand legitimacy, visibility and sentiment. As marketers we think we know brands better than anyone else, but as the saying goes, “The customer is always right.”

5 Things We Learned at SXSW Interactive

Hard to imagine it’s been 30 days since the Flightpath team set our sights on SWSW 2014. While the SXSW glow slowly fades, what remains is the energy and excitement about the work we do, the clients we serve and the enduring lessons we learned: 1.    If we’re too focused on the technology, we lose […]

Hard to imagine it’s been 30 days since the Flightpath team set our sights on SWSW 2014. While the SXSW glow slowly fades, what remains is the energy and excitement about the work we do, the clients we serve and the enduring lessons we learned:
1.    If we’re too focused on the technology, we lose sight of the psychology
In this evolving digital world, nearly every IPO heralds a new tool that promises increased engagement (ooh!), better functionality (ahh!) and less ads (ohh!). But when we get so excited about the medium, do we lose sight of what we’re trying to share with consumers? That’s when campaigns fall flat.

During Jonah Berger’s session, What Drives Word of Mouth, he highlighted a need for marketers to gain understanding on why people talk and share. True understanding of human psychology will help us create the right message to reach our brand advocates and get them talking. We were so jazzed after the session. We grabbed a copy of the book at the SXSW bookstore and have plans to reinstate our Flightpath book club with Berger’s Contagious as our first selection.
2.    Never underestimate the importance of strategery*
We’ll admit, we first went to this session based on its title: Go Home Marketing, You’re Drunk. And we weren’t disappointed. Kristina Halvorson broke down the importance of a clearly defined strategy in the content marketing space. If our goal is to create and distribute valuable, useful content to our audience, we need know what we’re saying and why we’re saying it. Without a smart strategy? We don’t have focus and will find ourselves working hard but not smart. Smart strategy provides us with the guardrails to know where we’re headed. If we do it right, we end up doing great work with both substance and integrity.
3.    We’ve seen the future, and it’s the debate over wearable technology
Walking around SXSW, we saw our fair share of Glassholes. But as these “explorers” lead us toward a new frontier of wearables, society is asking more questions than the experts are providing answers to at this stage.

During Glassholes: The Cultural Dissonance of Technology, panelists debated wearables as ushering in the next phase of human augmentation (or how we expand our own capabilities with technology). The biggest concern levied by the panelists and the audience was how wearables separate us from the physical world. The Google Glass enthusiasts argued (persuasively) that Glass allowed them to be connected without interference. Those on the other side of the issue felt that the very nature of the wearer using them was interference since unsuspecting bystanders would be drawn into the digital world without their consent. While nothing was solved by the end of the session, it made us think about the digital personas we spend so much time cultivating versus how to live an authentic life where we benefit from technology but aren’t ruled by it.
4.    Use social media for social good
What is a conference without free swag? The notorious stuff we all get was abundant in the exhibit hall. Hordes of people clustered around booths in hopes of securing a shirt, a tote or other tchotchke. But thanks to Twitter and the #SXSW hashtag, we discovered that all those random goodies that we didn’t really need (but couldn’t say no to) could go to a good cause. It made the exhibit hall experience a grab-bag game — how many tees (that you would never wear) could you snag for Austin’s Foundation for the Homeless? Finding the volunteers outside the Convention Center and dropping the goodies into their outstretched arms just felt right.
5.    The true lessons are revealed when you return
Sure, waiting in line for a chocolate chip cookie shot can be a fun way to spend an hour or two, but the real fun? Spending time with colleagues and learning from thought leaders and experts who are pushing the envelope and bringing new technologies forward, left us looking for connections on how we can harness the latest digital trends on behalf of our clients — to help them reach and engage with consumers in a meaningful way.
Until 2015…

 

*Kristina Halvorson even gave a shout out to Will Ferrell’s hilarious George Dubya character from Saturday Night Live.

 

 

Happiness is in the Marketing Air!

Spring is finally in the process of springing, Baseball and Budweiser are trying to get the national past time’s Opening Day to be a national holiday Budweiser Opening Day and even Pharrell William’s “Happy ” shows no pull back or wear out. Oscars or not, it just fills your head with happy. It’s an amazing time to be […]

Spring is finally in the process of springing, Baseball and Budweiser are trying to get the national past time’s Opening Day to be a national holiday Budweiser Opening Day and even Pharrell William’s “Happy ” shows no pull back or wear out. Oscars or not, it just fills your head with happy.

It’s an amazing time to be alive and happy.  Marketers, can’t you just smell it?  I think people are more likely to part with their hard earned money when they’re happy. There’s tons of data regarding “sadness spending”, but volumes of emerging research in the role of happiness and positivity’s role in work and play.Gallop recently asked 350,000 people about happiness. December is the happiest month (and 12/25 is the happiest day!) The food, giving, gifting, spending spirit is hard to compete with.

Holidays aside,  April is a great opening act to all the warm weather, longer days and six months of airy lightness for much of the country. Why is this important?  Glad you asked! The exceptional work within the positive psychology movement validates for marketers that leading with emotionally compelling and meaningful “happy” messaging causes people to act and be more positively disposed.  Which translates to things like greater engagement, richer connection/stickyness and transactional conversion.  In other words, marketers acting happy may very well lead to more action.

Positive psychologist, author and TED extraordinaire Shawn Achor lays out a framework regarding flipping the “work to be happy” (i.e. finding the job of our dreams will lead to a happier life) to the idea of front loading happiness in inspiring productivity and many other positive outcomes in the job we’re already in.

So, the message to my fellow marketers on this sunny day as we start the beginning of April, is raise your happiness game. Could be in simplifying the message, more intuitive navigation or maybe just adding a wink or whimsy to a brand/category not known for it.  Just remember what the Joker said ”Why so serious?”

The Super Bowl, There’s No Icky in Sticky!

Walking down the Super Bowl boulevard of not broken dreams this morning on Broadway in New York City, it became obvious why commercial America loves The Big Game.  People can’t get enough of pre-game hype, pre-game previewing of the spots, pre-game everything Super Bowl, preparing Super Bowl foods, planning parties, etc. No, it’s not just […]

Walking down the Super Bowl boulevard of not broken dreams this morning on Broadway in New York City, it became obvious why commercial America loves The Big Game.  People can’t get enough of pre-game hype, pre-game previewing of the spots, pre-game everything Super Bowl, preparing Super Bowl foods, planning parties, etc.

No, it’s not just the massive eyeballs that come with Super Bowl ads and posts each year.  Spending $4 million bucks can quickly aggregate a lot of eyeballs by any number of “road-block” media strategies on and off-line.  But that’s not it.  Watching adult people running to get their photos taken with Denver and Seattle player “standees” in Herald Sq. and seeing teens running after a living football player for “selfies” brought all the optical clarity one needs to understand the Super Bowl’s gravitational pull.

Best Buds 2014 Budweiser

The Super Bowl is the “stickiest” thing in America. The stickiest thing ever created in our country.  And, it creates a stickiness for any and all things attached, associated or aligned with The Big Game.  Just ask Bruno Mars or his agent.  Plus, the Super Bowl is made and still played in America- even as it expands its global reality. Love French food, Italian fashion, German cars… but the Super Bowl in NYC (no less and way more!) is so us, so USA, USA, USA! Excitement personified.

Year after year where ever it goes, the Super Bowl dominates the media for practically two weeks. The President is even part of the stickiness, joining forces with the Super Bowl pulpit/telecast – even on Fox – to bring the country (car and truck buyers, beer and soda drinkers, website “URL” hunters) together.  And, at the end of the Super Bowl Sunday, its broad stickiness is deeply rooted in the emotional connection it fosters and creates among so many of us.  That’s worth watching and paying for!

So, even though I have viewed the Best Buds dog and horse spot personally 1.5 million times, I still can’t wait to down it with some wings and friends on Super Bowl Sunday!!

Enjoy, America!

 

Editor’s note: We had some internal debate about using “Super Bowl” since this is a blog post and not an event for money or an ad. I bet we are not the only ones debating the finer points of trademark and copyright law this week!

SXSW Crazy Energy One Week, “End of Social Media” the Next…What Gives?

We all know the truth can hurt. We also know it can help. But the truth, whether you can handle it or not, has a lot of shades to it. Last week’s AdAge CMO column framed a POV on social media that got some of us at Flightpath – and from the post’s comments,  many […]

We all know the truth can hurt. We also know it can help. But the truth, whether you can handle it or not, has a lot of shades to it.

Last week’s AdAge CMO column framed a POV on social media that got some of us at Flightpath – and from the post’s comments,  many other digital shops, too – really talking about the state of social media.  Given the recent evangelism at SXSW Interactive, attended by the rock stars of the industry (including our own #AustinSix), we figured why not share!

Below is the beginning of the column by brand strategist Jonathan Salem Baskin. He heralds the end of “a fad. No, not the end of social media, but rather the beginning of the end of social media’s infancy.” (Guess they went for the extra shock value of a misleading title.)

Do Campaign Failures, High-Profile Firings Signal the End of Social Media?

The latest news involving social-media pioneers isn’t good. Pepsi has fallen to third place behind Diet Coke in spite of its widely heralded switch from Super Bowl ads to a huge social charity program called Refresh Project. Burger King has grilled through a couple of CMOs and fired agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky after producing Facebook campaigns and viral videos that got lots of attention while the business witnessed six consecutive quarters of declining sales…

Every CMO should use this occasion to pause and reflect on the assumptions that were behind these efforts, especially if you’re about to roll out a social-media campaign or start giving away content for free. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t, and may not.

For one of our troops, Michael Liss, it all goes back to Gary Vaynerchuk‘s presentation at SXSW about his new book, The Thank You Economy. Some highlights from Mike’s notes:

This is the beginning of the humanization of business. It’s about hitting an emotional center, not pushing coupons. Social media marketing shouldn’t be about push. You shouldn’t be trying to close in one minute – everyone in social media marketing acts like a 19-year-old boy, trying to close too fast. You need patience – this is a cocktail party, start the conversation, break through the noise. There’s no such thing as a social media campaign – a social media campaign is a one-night stand; this is about relationship-building. Social is about talking to human beings. We’re living in the first time when the consumer can interact with you. It’s accepted for us to go into the conversation.

And then, interestingly enough, Gary predicted this entire debate:

Social media is going to start getting beaten up: Does this really have value? People will start looking at the money they’re pouring into this. The next couple of years might be a bad time for social, like the internet from 2000-03, when people thought the internet was a fad.

(You can read much more about the seven things Mike brought back from SXSW – five extra lbs. not included.)

Flightpather John Whitcomb agrees completely with the notion of “smart social,” as referred to in some of the AdAge post comments. He finds some of those comments  dead on, especially when it comes to ROI:

It’s amazing we still haven’t been able to come up with a system that utilizes social media metrics and quantifies them with actual results tied into business objectives. If this was the case, perhaps Pepsi and Burger King would have abandoned the strategy mid-way or at least tried to tweak it to make their campaign work.

I think the real issue, though, is that we cannot force people to buy anything using any sort of advertising medium. All we can do is create brand awareness, and hopefully drive affinity through the connections we forge on these various platforms with our consumers. But that’s still just leading the horse to water.

The Beginning is Ending, Yeah, Long Live the Ending!

So what to make of this debate? The coolest part of being involved in social media is the constant state of change. Change isn’t just in the air, it is in the DNA. The importance of social marketing (fine, media!) is how it connects people to people, people to brands, and people to opportunity in the most seamless, organic way.

If you believe the reality of “if you build it, they will come,” then you know what the build-out of any new and imaginative field is about: not infrastructure, but possibility.  Brands will take advantage of an ever-growing range of social options because community engagement is as rich a philosophy in marketing as it is in life. Social media will clearly lead brands to people and meaningful revenue to brands in the years to come.

Or, to slip in one more movie quote: “Evolution finds a way!”

SXSW 2011: Photo Report – Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of our collection of SXSW photos. (If you missed Part 1, you can find it here.) In this final installment of our Photo Report, you’ll see more people, panels, food and fun stuff. Enjoy! Star Wars Uncut was a scene-by-scene recreation of the original Star Wars film made by fans around […]

Welcome to Part 2 of our collection of SXSW photos. (If you missed Part 1, you can find it here.) In this final installment of our Photo Report, you’ll see more people, panels, food and fun stuff. Enjoy!

sxsw-2011-star-wars-uncut
Star Wars Uncut was a scene-by-scene recreation of the original Star Wars film made by fans around the world, using everything from animation to live-action to stop-motion. And it’s a great example of crowdsourcing. The first 15 minutes of the movie was played, and it was truly a blast.

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The folks behind Star Wars Uncut, left-to-right: Jamie Wilkinson, Casey Pugh, and Annelise Pruitt.

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At the “Has Facebook Jumped the Shark” panel, everyone pretty much agreed that it hadn’t. More interesting was the debate that emerged on whether or not young people should or should not censor themselves on Facebook.

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At the great “Social Media and Comedy: F**k Yeah!” panel, featuring Marc Maron and Michael Ian Black (far left and far right).

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Marc Maron discussed (in hilarious detail) an infamous tweet he made next to former GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman.

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Marc Maron gets emphatic!
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The view from the trade show floor. Tons of companies, ranging from small to large, all showing off interesting software and gadgetry...

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But this was my favorite thing there.

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My view from the floor of the Google/Bing Q&A. The message, as always, was that content is king.

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Harry Knowles, founder of Ain’t It Cool News and altogether Nerd God, along with fellow AICN writers at the “Ain’t It Cool News 15th Anniversary” panel. What I learned here: their early review, which was not too positive, of “There’s Something About Mary,” earned them major respect from both the studio and the Farrelly brothers. Also, Jar Jar Binks was originally going to die in Episode III!

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Josh Shabtai (hands), Creative Director/CEO of Vertigore, shows off his company’s awesome iPhone/Droid game, “Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Gunner.”

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Finally, I leave you with this. Bask in the glory of Lucky J’s

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...and their amazing chicken-in-waffles taco.

And that does it for our SXSW photos! If you want to share your own SXSW memories (especially if they’re chicken-in-waffles-taco-related), please leave us a comment!

SXSW 2011: Photo Report – Part 1

We know that many of you couldn’t make it to SXSW this year to experience all the panels, sights, free stuff, parties, people and BBQ. But fear not! Flightpath gives you a glimpse into what SXSW was like with Part 1 of our SXSW Photo Report. Enjoy! And that’s it for Part 1 of our […]

We know that many of you couldn’t make it to SXSW this year to experience all the panels, sights, free stuff, parties, people and BBQ. But fear not! Flightpath gives you a glimpse into what SXSW was like with Part 1 of our SXSW Photo Report. Enjoy!

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Outside the Austin Convention Center, the main hub of SXSW, in the morning. Lots of people, but nothing compared to inside the building...
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Badge pickup. Not the most exciting part of SXSW, but essential nonetheless. The wait wasn't too bad, and all the convention volunteers were really friendly.
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The view from the escalator at one of the many hotels in the area hosting panels. For as many people as there were, it never felt suffocating like some other (::cough::New York Comic-Con::cough) conventions I've been to.
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The crowd awaits Anjuan Simmons' discussion about what lessons app designers can take from comic books.
SXSW-dual-twittering
As would become my habit, I was covering all the panels I went to with both my personal and Flightpath Twitter handles. And praying I didn't make a Chrysler-like mistake.
Anjuan Simmons, right, discusses comics and comic book fans. He ended the panel with a comic book trivia contest. Not to brag or nothin', but...
SXSW-comics
...I won.
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The PepsiMAX lot. Free wi-fi, free food, and the PepsiMAX flowed like water.
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What would SXSW be without clowns on stilts...
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...and free ice cream sandwiches.
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The view from the escalator at the Austin Convention Center. Pretty amazing.

And that’s it for Part 1 of our SXSW Photo Report! Come back soon for Part 2, as well as more coverage of SXSW 2011!

SXSW 2011: Finding Twitter Secrets Through Comedy

SXSW 2011

Before I jump into the topic of this post, I just want to report that SXSW 2011 is indeed living up to its hype. Tons of interesting panels, people, and an amazingly good spirit throughout. It is definitely the best convention/trade show/conference I’ve ever been to. Now, to the topic at hand. Two of my […]

Before I jump into the topic of this post, I just want to report that SXSW 2011 is indeed living up to its hype. Tons of interesting panels, people, and an amazingly good spirit throughout. It is definitely the best convention/trade show/conference I’ve ever been to.

Now, to the topic at hand. Two of my favorite panels thus far have been, “Being Funny On Twitter (Without Getting Fired),” with talk from Chapin Clark of R/GA and Ross Morrison of Huge Inc. on bringing humor and personality to brands through Twitter, as well as “Social Media and Comedy: F**k Yeah!”, which featured comedy-Twitter giants Marc Maron and Michael Ian Black, among others. These were especially timely panels after the Chrysler Twitter debacle last week.

While the two panels attacked a similar topic from different angles – “Being Funny” was about knowing when to use humor on Twitter and for which type of clients, and “Social Media and Comedy” was more about how Twitter has become a new tool for actual comedians – they both ended up presenting similar messages. As Maron said during the “Social Media and Comedy” panel, “You’re not rewarding your fans [if you’re always promoting something].” In other words, people go to Twitter for honesty. If you’re a comedian or a corporation, people aren’t interested in following you to be bombarded with advertisements for your next stand-up special DVD or product release. They want to get a sense of who you are and what your personality is. That’s why being funny on Twitter is valuable to companies where it doesn’t stretch the brand image too far, and why Twitter has become such a great source for comedy from comedians: it’s all about cutting through the facade and learning something real about a person or company.

During “Being Funny,” R/GA’s Clark talked not just about being funny on Twitter, but general conduct as well for when you’re managing a corporate Twitter stream. First-person Tweets from a corporate account tend to raise eyebrows, whether they’re humorous or not — people want to know who is actually writing this stuff. Remember that you’re not just playing to the room, you’re playing to the world. If not everyone is going to get your joke, especially if it’s a corporate Twitter account, it’s best not to Tweet it. Also, however, don’t be afraid to experiment a little bit. If you’re going to try and create a Twitter account for a company with some humor and personality injected, try different styles of humor and see what the audience likes. But what happens when you achieve Twitter success through comedy? Do you hold back once you have a mass audience?

At “Social Media and Comedy,” we asked Marc Maron and Michael Ian Black during the panel whether or not they feel pressure to self-censor as their Twitter followings grow. Both said no — they’re only emboldened to share more of themselves, though Ian Black admitted that when he does feel like he’s self-censoring, he says something more outrageous. This might not be the best strategy for a company using humor, but it does speak to the need to be consistent and not let your followers down. As long as you’re being true to them and yourself, you’re doing your job on Twitter.

We have lots more coming in the days ahead from SXSW 2011, including a photo report, more blog posts, and as always, more Twitter updates! Keep an eye on this space, as well as our Twitter account, @FlightpathNY, or the hashtag #austinsix for all updates from the Flightpathians at SXSW 2011.

SXSW Always Gets The Human Side of Digital

SXSW

Man, did I love SXSW 2010!  It was an incredible experience for a creative marketing digital-newbie-guy, even when gagging on people talking in code…like CSS and HTML5.  Honestly, it was the most profoundly immersive trade show or festival experience I had ever attended. This year I am SOL (meaning so out of luck…I need this […]

Man, did I love SXSW 2010!  It was an incredible experience for a creative marketing digital-newbie-guy, even when gagging on people talking in code…like CSS and HTML5.  Honestly, it was the most profoundly immersive trade show or festival experience I had ever attended.

This year I am SOL (meaning so out of luck...I need this job, okay!) with personal commitments and tons of client stuff; there’s no way I can attend. But six lucky Flightpathians are going – I have affectionately dubbed them the “Austin Six” (hashtag #austinsix on Twitter) – and here’s their rap sheet. They are great, interesting people. If you see them, their Twitter stream, or their meme badge, just say hi for me.  This year there is so much human-ness in the presentations, sponsors and all the before/during and after parties; I know because I have been jealously digging anything SXSW 2011, and wish I could be there with the Austin Six.

I want to end this quick post before having to run to a Vet appointment – my digitally native Airedale Abby had major ear surgery a few days ago and is now deaf, but doing great – with three things you must do in addition to hooking up with the “A6”:

1.       Go to Wholefoods. Their global headquarters store is an easy one mile walk from the show – it is the coolest foodie store – and their breakfast tacos are clearly illegal in NYC!

2.       Think/act like somebody else, for at least one day. If you’re a geek, act like a designer or story teller or desperado for a breakfast taco…but leave your comfort zone for a bit!

3.       Forget about the parties as networking opps. Think about the networking opps as parties. You walk into opportunities everywhere, every minute. Make it all a party – it is the best freakin show on earth, and what better way is there to capture the human side of digital than by truly enjoying your time with the people behind it all?

Make sure to follow us on Twitter @FlightpathNY for continuous SXSWi coverage, as well as hashtag #austinsix to keep up with all the Flightpathians in attendance. We’ll see you there!

The “Austin Six” Are Psyched for SXSW

SXSW The Austin Six

Six members of the Flightpath team (dubbed the “Austin Six” by Flightpath’s own Cliff Medney) are eagerly anticipating their trip to the South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival in Austin, TX. The festival promises to be a whirlwind of networking opportunities, learning at every corner and of course the chance to experience all the sights […]

Six members of the Flightpath team (dubbed the “Austin Six” by Flightpath’s own Cliff Medney) are eagerly anticipating their trip to the South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival in Austin, TX. The festival promises to be a whirlwind of networking opportunities, learning at every corner and of course the chance to experience all the sights and sounds that Austin has to offer.

SXSW has a huge following and just keeps getting bigger every year. Taking place this year from March 11th to March 15th, topics covered range from social media to design to programming. Most of the members will be experiencing SXSW for the first time, but we do have one repeat visitor as well. So starting with the experienced, here is what our team members are looking forward to the most.

Denise de Castro – This is my second SXSW trip. I’m looking forward to great eats, great panels, and catching up with other social media mavens that I tweet with but have never met. I learned my lessons from last year: I’m bringing a battery charging case for my iPhone and planning out what panels/sessions I’m going to attend. Okay okay, what I’m really looking forward to is The Food: barbecue, tacos, and bbq tacos =)

Dan Brooks – Definitely “Social Media & Comedy: F**k Yeah,” on which Marc Maron (who I talked about in my podcast blog post) will be a panelist. (This is a subject we’ll be tackling soon on the Flightpath blog via an interview, though I won’t spoil with whom!) Also, “Ain’t It Cool News’ 15th Anniversary” panel – I don’t think they create the most well-written (or well-thought out) movie/comics reviews around, but they were just normal dudes who created something huge out of nothing, and I’m interested to hear their story. Last (but not least), I’m looking forward to “Second Screen: TV Meets the Web Backchannel,” which is about laptop/mobile usage during TV viewing, a subject recently debated on the Flightpath blog.

Ryan Kitson – Sunshine, tacos, and nerds will definitely make for a great environment to absorb information. Though not surprising, it’s nice to see there is quite the assortment of mobile and tablet sessions, and “Your Mom Has an iPad: Designing for Boomers” has already got me thinking.

I recently had a conversation with my girlfriend about the fact that her mother (who has never had any interest in technology or SXSW, for that matter) is a proud iPad user. Since bringing home her iPad, she heads to bed early each night, curls up with her new Apple wonder, and watches past episodes of “The Bachelor.”

She may not be making full use of the device there, but it’s nice to know us technophiles are not the only ones enjoying the portability of this technology. I look forward to hearing the shtick.

Michael Liss – BBQ. Okay, other than eating some real BBQ, I’m most excited about being awash in people who eat, drink and breathe all things digital – that contagious passion I pick up at industry events that should be rocking to the nth degree at SXSWi. The people, companies, products and ideas that are changing the landscape faster than we can map it. SXSWi doesn’t just gather to examine where the digital world is going, but to forge it, to make it happen, right there.

New products and companies roll out in front of your eyes. Ideas and new ways of thinking come flying from all directions. I’m excited to be in the middle of it, to soak everything up, discuss and debate it, be inspired and invigorated, meet new people who live for this, and come back ready to reengage with a fresh perspective, fresh approach, fresh ideas and a pure excitement for putting what comes next into action.

And I also can’t wait for the BBQ.

John Whitcomb – Everything is bigger in Texas. While this may or may not be true, it does reflect what I am looking forward to the most. A chance to experience a new area of the country that I have not been to that has its own culture and way of doing things. From what I hear, Austin is not your typical Texas vision but it is a different city and will give me a chance to get out of the New York area and discover something new. I am sure the sessions will be full of new discoveries as well and that excitement of seeing and learning something for the first time is what I anticipate the most.

Alex Lindgren – Right now, nothing too specific. But I’m excited to see what new things companies are doing and announcing, and learning about new trends in tech – particularly mobile. I’m also really hoping not to be shot, since it’s my first time in Texas, and I hear it’s a place you don’t mess with.

There you have it! That is what each member of the “Austin Six,” as we are known, is looking forward to during SXSW. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @FlightpathNY as well as hashtag #austinsix to keep up on how the festival is living up to our expectations. We’ll see you there!

Pod People: How Podcasts Are Changing Niche Marketing

Podcasts

I’m a guy with admittedly niche tastes, and I really love the stuff I love. I’m at the comic book store every Wednesday (usually Manhattan Comics, located just a few blocks away from the Flightpath offices) to check out new releases, and there’s always a graphic novel in my bag or on my nightstand. (Currently, […]

I’m a guy with admittedly niche tastes, and I really love the stuff I love. I’m at the comic book store every Wednesday (usually Manhattan Comics, located just a few blocks away from the Flightpath offices) to check out new releases, and there’s always a graphic novel in my bag or on my nightstand. (Currently, I’m reading the Star Wars: Legacy trades and the Deadpool ongoing series collections. I highly recommend both. Yes, I’m a huge nerd. Please don’t judge me.) I also love comedy, having been raised on a diet of SCTV reruns and Turkey Day marathons of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I’m a hockey addict, going to as many New York Rangers games as I can, and wearing my schnazzy new Heritage Jersey at every opportunity, while at the same time hating the New Jersey Devils with every fiber of my being. It’s a good life.

I like to talk about the stuff I like, or even better, listen to other people talk about the stuff I like. The biggest problem for a guy like me, however, is that there are no mainstream outlets for that to happen with my niche hobbies. There’s nothing close to comic book talk on the radio or television and probably never will be. Comedians are all over the media, but rarely do I get to hear them improvise without a filter, or speak, long-form, about who they are and what they do. Even with hockey, the coverage on local talk radio stations like WFAN is minimal. In the local papers, articles are banished to the back pages of the Sports section. So, if I want to hear actual human beings dissecting and exploring the things I love, where am I to turn?

Enter podcasts. Podcasts, for those who don’t know, are downloadable MP3 audio files (occasionally video), almost always free, that can be played on your computer, iPod, or essentially any device that plays MP3s. And what they’ve evolved, and seemingly settled into being, is niche radio made at home. If you want to hear someone talk about it, chances are, there is a podcast covering it. And unlike public access television, which for the most part, has brought us nothing but junk (and in the best case scenarios, weird junk), podcasts can actually be pretty excellent.

I first discovered podcasts through a fellow comic book fan, who suggested I check out a show called Around Comics. Hosted by a few friends and recorded in their local comic shop in Chicago, these guys were smart, witty, and spoke the language I knew. They weren’t afraid to say what they didn’t like, what they loved, or to disagree with each other. Moreover, they featured tons of in-depth interviews with comic book professionals, including controversial writer/artist John Byrne, legendary Silver-Age creator Carmine Infantino, and future all-time great, Goon creator Eric Powell. These names may mean nothing to you, but they mean a lot to me and others, and the result is a true emotional connection between audience and product that is essentially impossible on modern radio.

I won’t bore you with all the details, but the same holds true for comedy and hockey podcasts I later found. Marc Maron’s WTF podcast delves into the comic’s own personal life with brutal honesty, and he gets his interview subjects (comedians, comedy writers and directors) to open up about almost anything. There’s also the Pop My Culture podcast, more light-hearted than WTF but still very smart, in which hosts Cole Stratton and Vanessa Ragland deftly mix serious discussions about craft with very funny riffs on just about anything with their guests (see the Bob Odenkirk and RiffTrax episodes for proof). For hockey, I turn to the NYRangerscast, hosted by a couple of knowledgeable young fans who adeptly express all the joy and pain every Rangers fan feels through the course of a season, as well as the insightful Puck Podcast, which features highlights and clips from around the NHL.

Now, why should this matter to those of us in digital marketing? Most successful podcasts end up being sponsored, and anecdotally at least, I submit that podcast sponsorships are a great opportunity to reach target demographics. Through Around Comics, I discovered InStockTrades.com, which offers incredible discounts and packs each book—even the dumb Thundercats trade I ordered—like it’s the most valuable thing on earth, not to be damaged under any circumstances. (This shows that they know and care about the needs of neurotic comic book fans like myself. I will be a customer for life.) But larger businesses can find value in sponsoring podcasts, too; companies like Audible and Netflix have sponsored Around Comics and WTF. When I hear their promos (read live by the hosts), and see that they are supporting something kind of underground and kind of off-the-grid, like a comic book or comedy podcast, it makes me think, “They get it. And they’re helping something exist that could not exist anywhere else.” It changes my perception of them as a nameless, faceless corporation. Suffice to say, I’m a Netflix subscriber and consider Audible one of the good guys.

The New York Times recently took notice as well, highlighting the mega-popular This Week In Tech (or TWIT) podcast hosted by Leo Laporte, which receives a quarter million downloads each week. According to the article:

“Advertisers, especially technology companies, appreciate Mr. Laporte’s reach. Mark McCrery, chief executive of Podtrac, which is based in Washington, and measures podcast audiences and sells advertising, said TWIT’s advertising revenue doubled in each of the last two years and was expected to total $4 million to $5 million for 2010.

Starting at $40 per thousand listeners, TWIT’s ad rates are among the highest in American podcasting and are considerably higher than commercial broadcasting rates, which are typically $5 to $15 per thousand listeners.”

This is great news for successful podcasts, but even better for advertisers.  Ad rates may be higher, but advertisers, some of which are huge corporations, know that they’re getting an audience that’s interested in their specific product. Indeed, TWIT counts Ford as one of its many sponsors.

Podcasts, ultimately, fill much-needed gaps: they give us the chance to be our own talk radio program managers, letting us choose what we would want our own station to be. They tell you that there are other people out there who love the same stuff you do, which, to put it simply, means a lot. Because of this, the bonds between show, hosts and audience are that much stronger, no matter if the podcast is recorded in someone’s kitchen or in a studio; thus, sponsorships seem more honest as a result. And there’s also the fact that, in most cases, podcast listeners find the shows they love on their own. They’re not being advertised and they’re not being sold to you. You find them on your own terms, you give them a shot, and you choose to subscribe or check back in. And the emotional connection created, because you found something that isn’t cynical and speaks to who you are, is real.

So, try a podcast—whichever it is, I promise not to judge. (Unless it’s about something I don’t like. Then, woo-boy, are you a weirdo.)

Plan to Succeed Using Social Media

Some of you might be familiar with the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This is true in many of our everyday tasks, from making sure you have a shopping list to creating an emergency plan in case a crisis ever strikes. Planning is especially important when talking about any kind […]

Some of you might be familiar with the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This is true in many of our everyday tasks, from making sure you have a shopping list to creating an emergency plan in case a crisis ever strikes. Planning is especially important when talking about any kind of communications plan or strategy development. However, the speed of execution sometimes makes that task difficult to complete.

I still hear, from time to time, the dreaded phrase “we need a Facebook Page,” or “we need to be on Twitter.” This is fine, and for the most part true, but creating a profile on Facebook or handle on Twitter doesn’t lead to immediate success. And instead, you may be disappointed in the results if you rush in headlong. It’s best to take a step back, breathe deeply and think about why you think Facebook or Twitter will benefit your company. Do some initial research about each platform to learn about the strengths, weaknesses, and tools available. Brainstorm to develop an effective plan on how not only to create a presence, but also to capitalize on these platforms and tools to help achieve your business goals.

Solid planning also allows you to gauge where you are, in terms of overall effectiveness. Evaluate your entire industry and take a really close look at your competitors to learn some best practices. You’ll discover what’s working and what isn’t and gain deeper insights into social media platforms. With a little bit of luck, you’ll start picking up the language, too.

Once you feel confident that you understand this new space, it’s time to look at measurement. Once you launch this Facebook page or start tweeting on Twitter, how will you know how it’s going? By taking the extra time to plan, you give yourself the opportunity to develop a system for tracking and measuring. Even more importantly, you can record from the onset how your social media efforts on these new tools can tie back into your overall business goals.

I am personally a very goal-oriented person. The main reason I think goals are important is because they give you something to measure yourself against. After all, how do you know where you want to go if you don’t even know where you are? Once you have goals set, the next step is to utilize what you learned from the research phrase. Analyze the best practices insights and target audience research you gathered to develop a road map to help you get to your destination. And just like planning a road trip requires accounting for some unexpected stops, as well as some necessary pre-planned detours, so too, should your communications plan, or your plan for pretty much anything.

My First WOMMA Summit: Not Everything that Happens in Vegas Should Stay There

Last week, I attended my first Word of Mouth Marketing Association Summit (WOMMA).  It was a great experience full of amazing insights that truly gathered some of the best and brightest in the business…and it was in Las Vegas. It’s ironic when you think that a word-of-mouth marketing conference would take place in a city […]

Last week, I attended my first Word of Mouth Marketing Association Summit (WOMMA).  It was a great experience full of amazing insights that truly gathered some of the best and brightest in the business…and it was in Las Vegas.

It’s ironic when you think that a word-of-mouth marketing conference would take place in a city that has long used secrecy as a campaign slogan. “What happens in Vegas…”you know the rest.  And I’m sure that some should probably live by that rule.  But key concepts and ideas discussed at this year’s WOMMA should definitely not stay secret. So here are a few of my takeaways:

  • Measurement is still a hard thing to quantify. Ask anyone who works in social media what one of their largest challenges is, and inevitably, you will have them list measurement, ROI, or proving the value of their efforts. This is a problem that has not disappeared, but one that, according to many in the field, we are getting closer to figuring out. Josh Bernoff of Forrester, and author of the new book Empowered, addressed this issue in his keynote speech by introducing the “ROI of Word of Mouth Pyramid.”  Bernoff identifies three levels to this pyramid:
  1. First, is the measurement of activity or items, such as interactions, fans, twitter followers, etc.
  2. Second, is comparisons, slightly more advanced than straight reporting, as this involves taking those numbers and comparing them to other efforts.
  3. Third, is the pinnacle, and the point where all efforts converge is the final measurement of value. This includes emphasis on comparing one activity to the other and a deeper look at what value these interactions have to the overall marketing objectives.

In addition to Bernoff’s keynote, a number of sessions featuring some high profile brands (ESPN, Coca Cola, etc.) also addressed the topic of ROI and measurement.

  • One-on-one conversations are hard to scale. One of the last panel discussions, moderated by Jeremiah Owyang, a leading researcher and analyst with The Altimeter Group, discussed the importance of brand ambassador and advocate programs. Owyang explained that it is impossible for any company to scale individual conversations with customers, but programs that are designed to utilize brand advocates and ambassadors can prove to be very valuable.
  • Engage in dialogue with your fans. This last piece of advice seems like a no-brainer but was still a very popular discussion.  Complete panels were devoted to delivering the best customer service via social media and the resulting wins for the brand.  A panel from Ben and Jerry mentioned they saw a huge uptick when, instead of telling their followers where they were going to be, they asked them where they wanted them to go.

So what is the number one thing that I took away from the summit?  I think it’s this: As much as technology can change and move from platform to platform, there are still going to be some golden rules to live by in social and word-of-mouth platforms.  Keep in mind the three items listed above, and make sure that everything you do provides some sort of value to your community.  Do this and you will have a huge leg up on your competition.