AAF Thought Leadership

Five Steps To Launching Your Next Hot Digital Marketing Campaign

AAF Staff — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:09 +0000

By: Sheila Marmon, Founder & CEO, Mirror Digital
www.mirror-digital.com

No matter which sector of media, marketing or advertising you specialize in, chances are you have experienced the need to know something about digital (or at least needed to fake knowing something about it). Here are five steps that are essential to beginning a successful digital marketing campaign.

Define metrics for campaign success upfront.

This sounds basic, because it is. Having a clear understanding of your objectives and how you plan to measure success is critical. Similar to traditional media campaigns, reach still matters, but digital offers several new metrics we can employ to determine whether or not a digital campaign is delivering. For the most part, the industry counts “clicks” as a proxy for consumer engagement. You may have fancy attribution models that take you beyond this, but the main point is to spend some time UPFRONT to define the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) so your road to success is clear.

Choose the right tool for the job.

Once you understand what you want to accomplish, you can identify which tactics will best drive the desired result. Do you want to use standard display ads? Do something cutting edge like social gaming? Or incorporate email, mobile, social media or video? Each of these digital media platforms is ideal for eliciting a particular type of consumer response. Email is great to use as a call to action, while social can get a conversation started. Even your “owned” and “earned” digital assets (such as company websites and social media platforms) have a complementary role to play to maximize your overall impact. It is important to keep in mind that each piece of the digital campaign should work together with all your other endeavors. So please don’t isolate mobile or digital video from the rest of the team.

Don’t be a lemming.

We’ve all done it, whether with a fancy car, a flashy designer handbag or the latest tech gadget. We see a well showcased new toy and you think “I gotta get me one of those.” This happens faster and more often in the digital marketing space than in any other platform. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, there will always be interactive advertising fads. Please, please, please don’t simply check the box and invest in the latest digital trend because everyone else is doing it. Go back to #2 and make sure the digital tool/s you put into play meet your campaign goals.

Find your hook.

Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages at every turn. What is going to make your campaign stand out from the crowd? The answer lies in good old-fashioned storytelling. Decide what story your brand is trying to convey and to whom. The fabulous thing about digital is that we can experiment to figure this out. With the low cost of specialization, we can create a variety of “hooks” designed to appeal to a number of target consumer segments. Take the time to leverage this capability. When executed properly, you can really hone in on your audience and what is going to move them to act.

Measure. Optimize. Repeat.

Don’t wait until the end of the campaign to take a look at the reporting! One of the most important advantages of digital is that we can take the temperature along the way and gauge performance. Check the analytics and the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you established in #1. Look to see if your campaign is meeting your goals. Monitor your results by medium, website placement, target audience, clicks, etc. and keep a close eye on progress toward your goals. If things aren’t on target, you can still implement new ways to “optimize” and improve outcomes for success.

With these 5 steps in mind, you are well on your way to launching some killer digital campaigns. Happy marketing everyone – have fun!

Contact Sheila at info@mirror-digital.com

The Ethics of Social Media

AAF Staff — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:19 +0000

By: Monica Helms, Ad2OKC/AAF Oklahoma City Ad Club

“Never write an advertisement which you wouldn’t want your family to read. You wouldn’t tell lies to your own wife. Don’t tell them to mine.” — David Ogilvy

At last year’s ADMERICA!, I wrote about ethics and social media. For my first post this year, I was asked to write about both. Given that this is a rather complicated and sometimes sensitive issue, I decided to look to various resources for guidance on how I should frame this. More specifically, I looked at Mashable, Forbes, and even NPR’s Social Media Ethics Handbook. There were probably a few others as well, but let’s face it, I don’t exactly have the best attention span.

The one that caught my attention the most was the Forbes article, which listed five “deadly sins” of social media:

unreported endorsements,
improper anonymity,
compromising consumer privacy,
overly enthusiastic employees, and
using the online community to get free work.

I don’t know if you’re seeing what I’m seeing, but I think for me, at least four out of the five points in this article could be summed up in the following phrase: Honesty is the best policy. Nobody likes feeling deceived. But what constitutes deception in social media? Is running a contest or sweepstakes to get people to “like” or follow your brand in exchange for some kind of prize unethical? Is outsourcing your social media to a third-party agency or consultant unethical? Is tweeting a vote of optimism in the face of a tragedy unethical?

The answer is that no, it’s not necessarily unethical to do these things. But it can be. As Ogilvy stated above, it’s important to treat your customers the way you would want to be treated. Would you appreciate watching your friends become zombies for a brand if it came with the promise of prizes or giveaways? Would you appreciate it if it was happening to you–especially from a brand you wouldn’t normally care about? Probably not, right

What about outsourcing your social media? I vote that it can be–specifically if you’re not transparent about who the voice is behind the brand. In the social media world, your transparency and honesty is your credibility. The internet is not a place one should tread lightly–nothing you say can be considered private upon posting or gone once erased. I’m sure you can think of plenty of politicians and celebrities who has learned that lesson the hard way.

What about the last one? I’m not going to name any names, but more than one brand took heat for posting insensitively during the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. What about the brands who didn’t simultaneously promote their product with their condolences, or some other faux pas? By that I mean the brands who simply posted thanks to the first responders, or that their hearts were with the city. Was that unethical? I think some of you know exactly how you feel on this one. There’s no grey area for you, and regardless of which side you’re on, I admire that. But if you’re like me, this last one has you squirming in your seat a bit. Is it possible for a brand to send out heartfelt thanks or condolences in the face of a tragedy without necessarily being opportunistic? I don’t know if I have an answer for that.

Follow Monica @mkhelms

Trends in Digital Advertising: Valuable Disruptions

AAF Staff — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:03:49 +0000

By: Zach Glass, Account Director, RED Interactive Agency

Mobile: Advertising as Utility

96% of marketers say that mobile is currently part of their marketing mix, or it will be in the near future. The fact that mobile has graduated from buzzword to reality over the past few years is not news, but neither is the fact that most mobile advertising is terribly uninspired: Tiny static ads stuck to the bottom of the screen that get tuned out as quickly as you can move your own thumb.

I’m happy to say that the big, shiny promise of mobile ads is finally coming to fruition. Location-specific, useful information updating in real-time, interactivity, and silky-smooth animation are now achievable in the mobile ad space. If you’ve ever read an article about mobile, you’ve heard the term HTML5. The problem up until now is that HTML5 (which is really just HTML) has been costly to serve at any reasonable scale, and just as hard to develop within stringent publisher specs originally written for static images.

That is why we at RED work with animated ads using real-time information in HTML, served through standard ad tags. That last part is important because it means that they’ll work with every major mobile publisher and ad network directly – making it cheaper and better for publishers because the ads won’t require any special technical integration.

So what do we do with this space now that it’s there? Take advantage of the fact that our ads go everywhere the customer goes. The New York Times recently started offering Starbucks customers 15 free articles a day. Disney came up with an app that helps families navigate their parks. These companies are adding value to their existing products in a way that complements a customer’s existing routine and aspirations. Mobile devices are tools. Ads and marketing apps should make those tools more useful.

Video Pre-roll: Every Second Counts

Pre-roll video suffers from an identity crisis. Is it a TV ad or an interactive canvas? Users who are watching video content on their tablet might be able to quickly interact with a pre-roll ad, but the only time that could possibly happen is if they felt that the experience offered in the ad was more compelling than the video they wanted to watch in the first place. That’s a tall order—and 99.9% of the pre-roll advertising we’ve seen doesn’t meet that standard. So what then?

The good news is that pre-roll doesn’t have the same tune-out issues that plague most advertising. Viewers will hold their tablet with rapt attention as each agonizing second ticks away before they can finally see that video of cats playing patty-cake. The marketer, therefore, has a captive audience—a golden opportunity—a rare five seconds of undivided attention.

The challenge is to make the most of the time you have. Get your message out quickly, and make it memorable. There’s no secret formula for that—just really good creative. And, in the world of “skip after 5 seconds” the audience will have some appreciation for the fact that you made your point quickly and strongly.

Online Digital Display, or: The Return to Relevancy

Online display advertising is seen as something of a dinosaur these days—the only difference is, it would be much harder to ignore a dinosaur. The average American sees an absurd number of display ads every day, and the vast majority click on exactly none of them. In order to return to relevancy, display advertising needs to disrupt an experience to be seen, and add value if it doesn’t want to leave a bad taste in a consumer’s mouth.

A valuable disruption can be anything that grabs the user’s attention and then delivers a powerful, informative, awe-inspiring, share-worthy, or just plain funny message. It’s even better if it entices the user with a reason to interact. The tools are there: Flash isn’t dead yet, and it can do some really impressive stuff when it comes to video, animation, and interactivity. Use it to deliver high-concept and truly valuable, disruptive creative.

Follow Zach Glass on Twitter @REDinteractive

Mobile Gaming Ad Network Chartboost Raises $19 Million

AAF Staff — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:31:43 +0000

Launching In-App Commerce Product This Year

Link: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/mobile-gaming-ad-network-chartboost-raises-19-million-146363

Synopsis:

New advertising opportunities within mobile apps are continuing to rise. Over the past several years, Chartboost has helped mobile game developers run ads within games attracting players and revenue. This ad-network for mobile games has generated interest from different investors with a possibility of various opportunities. So far, over $19 million have been raised in support of Chartboost and its future development.

The Next App Store Is In Your Car, Auto Opens Road for New Media, Ad Channels

AAF Staff — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:30:11 +0000

Link: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/next-app-store-your-car-146441

Synopsis:

As the advertising industry attempts to grab the mobile sector, there are growing reports that the next venture may very well be within the auto industry. Today, more and more vehicles are becoming connected to mobile devices and even some in-dash navigation systems are exploring an in-car app platform. These in-car apps can provide new opportunities for advertisers; however, not many are fond of the idea. Current in-car apps such as iHeartRadio do not allow advertisers to target consumers. Other companies such as AT&T and BMW are implementing campaigns against texting and driving, causing this opportunity to generate further question as to the kind of in-car app platform to be implemented.

If Pandora Can’t Monetize Mobile, Can Anyone?

AAF Staff — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:26:37 +0000

Massive Mobile Usages Comes With Big Costs

Link: http://adage.com/article/special-report-ces/pandora-monetize-mobile/239096/

Synopsis: Today, many digital-media companies such as Facebook, Apple, Google, and Microsoft claim to be mobile-media companies. As a way to target the growing mobile community, these companies are still trying to find ways of creating streams of revenue from mobile-ads. The music-streaming giant, Pandora, is currently facing the many challenges most of these companies are enduring. Currently, mobile-media companies are teaming up with the Mobile Marketing Association to achieve some industry-wide standards and practices for mobile advertising. As the amount of consumption is growing exponentially with users, mobile-media companies are striving to come to an agreement with publishers and the mobile community, in order to create new research allowing better advertising and new business opportunities.

Increases in Digital Spending on the Horizon

AAF Staff — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:15:20 +0000

Significant increases in digital spending are on the horizon for 2013. While TV spending will still account for the majority of the global marketing spend, many CMO’s realize the potential impact of digital advertising. It is important for agencies and clients to understand how to maneuver through this new digital market in order to create efficient digital strategies that will have a positive effect on their bottom line. There will be a ton of new business for agencies that understand how to effectively utilize digital technology in creating digital campaigns, as 60 percent of CMO’s surveyed in the Chief Marketing Officer Council’s “State of Marketing 2012 report say they will be making agency changes in 2013. The top reason for these changes is the need for improved social media expertise.

Read the full story on Adweek.com

5 Trends That Will Shape Digital Services In 2013

AAF Staff — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:54:46 +0000

A recent article on Fast Company written by Olof Schybergson of design firm Fjord predicts five key changes in business and design which will shape digital services in 2013. They are:

1. Dawn of the “Personal Ecosystem”

Connected objects start to take their place–right by your side.

2. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

How good old-fashioned K.I.S.S. principles are making a comeback.

3. Access Will Supplant Ownership

What does it mean to own something in the digital age?

4. I Belong to Me

How to survive if you find yourself on the personal data battlefield.

5. A Personal Shopper for Everybody

The coming revolution in retail

Read the full article, including in depth explanations for each prediction.

Study Results Show Parents/Adults For Expansion of COPPA

AAF Staff — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:31:26 +0000

Results from a recent study commissioned by the Center for Digital Democracy and Common Sense Media were released today, showing strong disapproval (80 percent) from parents and other adults over a variety of digital marketing techniques currently being used to collect information from children online. According to the study, 91 percent of those surveyed were opposed to advertisers collecting and using information about a child’s location via their mobile phone, and 96 percent of parents (94 percent of adults) responded against websites asking children to provide personal information about their friends online.

The study—conducted in November by Princeton Research Associates International—comes just before the Federal Trade Commission’s likely expansion of the 1998 Childrens Online Privacy Act (COPPA) which requires marketers to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13. This expansion of COPPA would extend the FTC’s authority to include mobile devices and would make targeting children online and via mobile devices much more difficult.

As expected, the online advertising industry has lobbied heavily against this proposed expansion, which would essentially collapse a massive ad market consisting of tech-savvy children carrying mobile devices in their pockets and using mobile technology daily.

Also see: Study: Parents Concerned About Digital Marketing Practices Targeting Kids from Adweek.com.

Diversity Achievement and Mosaic Awards & Forum

AAF Staff — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:44:58 +0000

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The Hilton New York
1335 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019

Tickets still available!

The AAF hosted its first Mosaic Awards & Forum program in 2001 to recognize successful multicultural marketing and diversity efforts. In 2004, the AAF and its District Two joined forces to host the Diversity Achievement and Mosaic Awards & Forum during Advertising Week New York. The partnership has proven to be very successful and the Diversity Achievement and Mosaic Awards & Forum has established itself as Advertising Week New York’s premier diversity and multicultural event.

The Mosaic Award categories are consistent with the tenets of the Mosaic Principles and Practical Guidelines. Click here to download a copy of the Mosaic Principles and Practical Guidelines.

Mosaic Awards are presented in seven categories:

Workforce Diversity
Multiethnic Ad Campaign
Multiethnic Media Usage
Multiethnic Supplier Partner
Multiethnic Student Programs
Multiethnic Interactive Media
Multiethnic Talent in Advertising

View the 2012 Winning Entries!