Four Quick Tips For Better Infographic Design

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Mickie Kennedy, founder and president of eReleases, a cost-effective electronic press release distribution service, and a widely-regarded and well-respected PR professional who maintains the company's popular PR Fuel blog. Infographics are all the rage these days; in fact, you'll find a bunch of them here on Marketing Mulligans. However, not all infographics are created equally. Some are awesome, and these present facts and figures in compelling ways. Others...eh...not so much. Here are some fast and easy ways to design outstanding infographics to boost your content marketing efforts.

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Did you know that over 80% of all human learning occurs visually? The simple truth is that most people are visual learners. Visual aids help to grab their attention, educate them, and increase their retention of new material.

That’s why infographics are such a powerful tool, and that’s why in the past I’ve talked about infographics can be a great format for your press release.

However, just because you put some information in the visual form of an infographic doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically get through to your audience. Design matters. If you can nail the design of your infographic, you’ll be able to grab readers’ attention, educate them, inspire them to share your infographic, etc. But it all comes down to getting the design right.

Here are 4 simple tips to keep in mind when designing your infographic.

1. Create A Central Focal PointThe whole idea behind an infographic is to get your information across visually in a quick and easy way. You can’t achieve this if you have a messy, scattered design. Be careful that you don’t turn your infographic into an overwhelming mess that’s impossible to follow. One easy way to avoid that mistake is to have a central focal point (one major graphic element) that attracts the eye and makes the information easy to follow.

2. Keep It SimpleYour audience shouldn’t have to work hard to understand your infographic. That’s why I suggest you avoid the use of legends that force the reader to go back and forth between the information and the legend to understand what’s going on.

3. Create Something Different
If you want to capture the attention of your audience, you need to show them something they haven’t seen before. A lot of infographics share the same basic design – pie chart, bar graph, etc. Try to come up with something new. Avoid being generic and unimaginative. Find a unique visual that corresponds with the information you’re trying to deliver in a smart, creative way.

4. Tell A Story Visually

When you get right down to it, infographics are tools for telling a story. And with infographics, you shouldn’t rely just on the words/data to tell your story; you should let your design be the storyteller. Someone should be able to quickly look at the visuals of your piece and understand the point you’re trying to convey.

© Copyright 1998-2013 eReleases® Press Release Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

The Name Game: How To Make A Name For Yourself Online

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Mickie Kennedy, founder and president of eReleases, a cost-effective electronic press release distribution service, and a widely-regarded and well-respected PR professional who maintains the company's popular PR Fuel blog. Thankfully, in the digital age, it’s possible and quite easy to make a name for yourself and your business through advances in social media and public relations. Here's how.

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In this day and age of instant communication, you think it would be much simpler to get the word about your business to interested parties. But often the opposite is true, and it’s a generally long and detailed process to make people understand how awesome you are.

Why is that? During the early stages of the Internet, when information wasn’t so readily accessible and the population online was much lower, it was easier to make a name for yourself. But the ease of use and accessibility of the Internet has made it so more and more folks log-on each day. This includes tons of businesses and interesting personalities, all of which are vying for a spot onstage.

Luckily, even with all of these competitors, it’s possible to make a name for yourself and your business. Advances in social media and public relations give you an edge every single day to make a difference… you just have to know how to use them!

1. First Steps

One of the earliest steps you must take when making a name for yourself is to decide on what your “brand” is. Your brand is anything that separates you from everyone else – something that is instantly recognizably “you.”

Companies like Coca-Cola and Nike have gone to great lengths to design and nurture their brand. When you see that check/slash symbol, you know you’re looking at something Nike has made. And Coke’s red and white designs instantly make you thirsty.

Your company needs something like this to visually separate you from the thousands upon thousands of other companies out there. When customers and the general public see your brand, they should instantly recognize it as your business. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a logo, either; it could be your shining face if you’re willing to put yourself out there.

2. Making A Name

Now that you’ve successfully designed a brand for your business, it’s time to spread it around the world! There are countless avenues for you to try your hand at marketing and PR, including social media sites like Twitter, sending out press releases, and even new tech like QR codes.

But for the most bang for your buck, I would suggest utilizing social media to its full potential. Nowhere else can you reach potentially millions of users with such little effort. Plus, if your business or product is extremely niche, you’re job might be even easier because you’re likely to find communities of people specifically interested in what you’re selling.

One rule to remember when making a name for your business: go where the customers are! If you’re spending all your time on Facebook, but all your customers hang out in communities elsewhere, you’ll still end up with an “Out of Business” sign on your door. Always remember to seek out who you want to market to and you’ll never have a problem with making a name for yourself again!

How have you made your brand stand out from the rest?

© Copyright 1998-2012 eReleases® Press Release Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

6 Ways Brands Can Get Chummy With Consumers

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Carrie Ferman, chief executive officer of Remark Media, a global digital media company focused on developing social media businesses that incorporate relevant, high-quality content. In this informative how-to guide, which originally appeared here on iMedia Connection, Ferman explains why personalization has become essential for brands striving to make meaningful connections with consumers, and how companies can learn to take these valuable relationships to the next level. You can follow Ferman and Remark Media on Twitter at @RemarkMedia.
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As brands, we strive to create deeper long-term relationships with consumers because, ultimately, our financial success depends heavily on our ability to build and maintain brand equity. Cultivating a dialogue that results in continued engagement is a vital means of accomplishing this objective. While the web has become a key platform for facilitating these types of interaction, conversation simply for the sake of conversation does not always produce engagement. For dialogue to be productive, it needs to be meaningful to the consumer; that means it needs to provide relevancy and value. This is where personalization, or as we call it, the "personal web," comes into play.

According to a Forrester Research report, "As the general content of the web gets broader, individuals will cease aimless surfing activity and gravitate toward sites that deliver products and services customized to their needs. Sites must plan now to respond to this expectation or risk being left behind as the web changes to a personal medium."

The personal web is about delivering the right information to each consumer at the right time, to the benefit of both consumers and businesses. For consumers, personalization means eliminating information overload by providing relevant and timely information that addresses their specific needs, allowing for activation and decision-making. For businesses, personalization provides a cost-effective avenue for gathering information about consumer preferences and behaviors that can be factored into brand messaging and targeting. It also can directly improve site performance by increasing conversation rates, lowering abandonment rates and improving retention performance.

E-commerce businesses like Amazon.com pioneered the personalization of customer experiences by implementing filtering and recommendation technology. Today, the proliferation of smart technologies and social graphing has further enabled personalization so that it can become an intrinsic part of brand strategy.

So how can brands leverage these capabilities to form a more personalized relationship with their customers and truly embody the personal web? The following are six ways to do just that:

1. Do Your Homework

Apart from demographic segmentation, information regarding source of entry (search, direct, click-through), web history, and social graph all can be extremely valuable in tailoring one-to-one experiences. Invest in new tools and applications that allow you to better understand your customers, their preferences and behaviors; and then use this information to create customized experiences, user-by-user.

2. Create Dynamic Homepages

Pushing your brand message is important but you need to do so in a way that resonates with each consumer. Many types of people are coming to your site, with individual learning styles, modes of interaction, and different ways of seeking and finding information. There is no "one size fits all" approach for your whole audience. Avoid static, pre-built pages, and instead try rotating your content, using dynamic insertion and recommendations based on your homework, leveraging text, video and audio when appropriate. These techniques draw in the consumer, increase your opportunities to connect and provide you with additional preference information to fine-tune personalization.

3. Invite Participation and Feedback

People derive value by contributing. They feel valuable, relevant, proud and, even more importantly, included. These positive feelings can pave the way for positive brand associations. Participation can be either indirect and passive, or direct and active, and both types have value. Encourage indirect and passive participation through action-oriented titles, using a conversational tone to your text, and incorporating links into podcasts and video blogs. Encourage direct and active participation by asking questions about customers' opinions, needs or experiences, offering opportunities to create or rate products, and taking polls, to name a few methods. Creating an online environment that fosters participation opens the door for building a bond and developing relationships.

4. Make Content Complete and Easily Accessible

Be it messaging, product information, how-to articles, or FAQs -- relevant content can fuel engagement, particularly social engagement. Be the main source of complete information about your brand, and consider providing complimentary informational or interest-focused content around your products and services. Additionally, ensure that this content is easy and intuitive to find. If not, you will likely experience high bounce rates. Invest in intelligent organization architecture, smarter search, and dynamic formats like Q&A.

5. Adapt Content-Targeting Practices

Thanks to cookies, advertisers can serve up targeted ads based on search history, location, social sharing, and even emails. Leverage this same technology to serve up targeted content which, like the ads, appeals to your customers' preferences, interests and needs. They will find value in being served content that relates to interests for which they have already exhibited a passion. This demonstrates your understanding and helps to further build a trusted, personal relationship.

6. Provide Interest-Centric Communities

Passion around a topic or interest stimulates conversation and engagement. Provide the opportunity for your customers to unite around their passions. This can lead to positive brand associations, while allowing for your brand to be incorporated into the conversation in an organic and authentic manner. Move beyond message boards by utilizing sophisticated discussion platforms that are intuitive, in real time, and that seamlessly interact with content.

In today's landscape, the personal web is not a competitive edge, but rather a critical success factor necessary for building meaningful relationships. Delivering strong results through personalization doesn't have to be costly or complex. Current technology and process approaches allow for personalization in a way that was not thought possible just a few years ago. The most effective brands will leverage the above techniques from inception, strategically weaving personalization into their brand strategy for the dual benefit of their business and their customers.

© Copyright 2012 iMedia Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

A 3-Step Guide To Planning Social Advertising Campaigns

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Charles Lumpkin, vice president of product management and innovation at BLiNQ Media, the leading Social Engagement Advertising (SM) pure-play media and technology company for the Facebook platform. This commentary, which offers a three-step guide to designing and implementing social media advertising campaigns, originally appeared in MediaPost's Online Media Daily. You can follow Lumpkin and BLiNQ Media on Facebook at Facebook.com/BLiNQMedia or on Twitter at @blinqmedia.
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The amount of first-party data available on Facebook and other social networks is enough to make an excited brand marketer foam at the mouth. But social media advertising isn’t as simple as just matching ads to consumers. Successful social branding campaigns require careful planning and testing. More often than not, they uncover unexpected correlations between brand and consumer.

When plotting a social media campaign, there are three criteria to keep in mind above all others: creative, targeting and optimization. Consider the following as you prepare a campaign:

Creative
Effective advertising gives users a reason to click. The creative needs to convey this reason, whether it’s a compelling offer or a call to action. Users flock to social media platforms to converse and share with friends, so your creative team should produce short, catchy ad copy with a conversational tone.
With a few creative ideas in hand, you can test dozens of combinations of text and images. Our internal studies have found that images are responsible for 70% of the response rate on social ads, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Test images that are visually jarring or out of the norm.

Every in-ad image should have a single subject, and that subject should take up a large portion of the graphical real estate. Space comes at a premium within social ad units, and group shots can make an image murky.

If you’re using Facebook, take advantage of Like-gates for fanning campaigns and try to match the creative to target sets. Social’s targeting capabilities enable advertisers to match different messages and creative to different audiences for maximum performance.

Targeting
One key step in running a successful campaign is planning. Consider the target demographic and how you might reach them, based on their interests. This can be done concurrently with creative design, as the two fit closely together. When advertising to moms, try daytime TV show targets to appeal to their interests. It is important to sift through many different targets and think about their inclusion in the campaign before it begins.

Marketers would be wise to use Facebook advertising products, like Friends of Connections Targeting, which leverages the social graph to grow their base, building scale off of a group of consumers who match their criteria by targeting their friends.

Facebook’s Sponsored Stories product is also a great tool for reaching new users on the network. This ad format is triggered when a consumer Likes a brand’s Facebook page, application or place. The activity is then promoted across the network to their friends, via a sponsored story ad, increasing the likelihood that friends will notice this activity in their News Feed.

Optimize
Once the creative has been tested against several different audiences, it’s time to optimize the combinations that achieve the best results. Don’t be afraid to kill all the losers, because you’re going to reward the winning campaigns. Once you build new fans, re-market to them to build engagement and drive branding goals.

Even if your campaigns hit your desired level of success, don’t stop experimenting. Constantly ask yourself, if you move more budget to social, will it replicate this success on a larger scale? Can you expand on the targets that are working?

Social advertising is opening a world of opportunity to brand marketers, but some of the biggest opportunities are initially hard to see. Keep experimenting with creative and targeting, because you never know which unlikely corollaries will drive brand results.

© Copyright 2012 MediaPost Communications. All Rights Reserved.

Promote This! 7 Awesome Tips for Better Self-Promotion

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Mickie Kennedy, founder and president of eReleases, a cost-effective electronic press release distribution service. These tips originally appeared in this article on Kennedy's popular PR Fuel blog. Promoting yourself can be tricky. You know you need to do it to create opportunities for yourself and your business, but oftentimes it can come across as boorish, overly aggressive, or even worse...offensive. Follow these suggestions to get it right, especially as you start the new year in full-on marketing and business development mode.

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Self-promotion:  some business professionals do it naturally, while others despise it. Either way, getting it right is crucial to growing your business. Here are seven essential tips to get you started on the right foot.

1. Zero In On Your Target Market

This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people get this wrong. Step one is to identify your target market. Who is best suited to use your product or service? Once you figure that out, only market yourself to them. Self-promoting to anyone else is a waste of everyone’s time.

2. Be Confident, But Not Overbearing

Getting number two right requires you to tread a fine line. First of all, you don’t want to come across as a pushy salesman who is full of himself. On the other hand, you need to be confident in what you’re offering or no one will take you seriously. It takes practice to walk this tightrope without falling on your face!

3. Don’t Interrupt

You don’t want someone interrupting your family time do you? Be sensitive to your listening audience’s time. If they’re busy — then they’re busy. You aren’t going to sell yourself to them if all they want to do is get back to eating dinner with their family. Remember, they’re doing you a favor by listening to you in the first place.

4. Get To The Point

It’s easy to ramble on and on. But the more you ramble, the less chance you have of the party on the other end being receptive to what you have to say. In fact, the more words that come out of your mouth, the more likely your promotional message is getting muddled in the process.

5. Put Your Service Into Everyday Speak

Have you ever come across a company website where you read the homepage and you have no clue what the heck they actually do? Remember, all of that industry jargon that you use — your customers probably don’t. If you’re a lawyer, you aren’t speaking to other lawyers. You’re speaking to those who will need your service. Adjust your language accordingly.

6. What Makes You Different?

Why should someone listen to you when there are a million other people offering something similar? You need to come up with your own Unique Sales Proposition (USP) and present it clearly to your target customer. Otherwise, your self-promotion will fall flat and they’ll just go with whoever else they know offers a similar service.

7. Call To Action

Think of your potential clients as sheep (and we mean that in the nicest way possible). They need to be told what to do. Your self-promotional spiel will mean little if the other party is left wondering what to do next. Instruct them!

Remember, all businesses rely on a certain degree of self-promotion. Learn how to do so effectively and watch your company grow.

© Copyright 1998-2011 eReleases® Press Release Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

Six Tips For Getting Your Product In A Movie Or On A TV Series

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Katie Morell, a Chicago-based writer and editor who frequently contributes to OPEN Forum, where this piece originally appeared. Ever wondered how different products and services ACTUALLY end up in theatrical films, and on cable and network television series? It's a difficult process called product placement, and it's big business. However, if you're a small business owner, you can still engage in this marketing practice, but you'll need to follow these tips.

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During a recent trip to New York City, I dragged my husband across town for one reason: to visit Magnolia Bakery. Why, you ask? Well, as a Sex and the City fan, my mouth had watered years ago watching Carrie and Miranda chow down on Magnolia’s cupcakes, and ever since, I vowed to try one myself.

So on a warm night in late May, we stood in line, chatted up a few tourists visiting with the same inspiration, bought our cupcakes, and feasted. I was in heaven. After all, I was eating the same pastry as the stars of my favorite show.

Think about this for a minute; In today’s rushed society, very few of us have time to watch commercials in their entirety—instead reaching for the fast forward button on our DVR — so advertisers have to get creative, and product placement is a great way to score face time with customers in a credible way.

How much did the Sex and City placement help Magnolia Bakery?

“Had that placement not happened, we would still just be a little bakery in the West Village; because that show was so iconic, we became a cultural icon ourselves,” says Steve Abrams, owner.

Since the appearance, which aired more than 10 years ago, shows such as Jimmy Fallon, Weeds and Saturday Night Live have also featured the bakery. According to Abrams, every spot developed organically.

“They all came to us — it really is a fluke, but now we are a part of culture in New York City and the world,” he says, adding that the bakery has locations in Los Angeles and Dubai, and is currently setting up a worldwide franchising model.

Understanding The Business

Small business owners can land great spots by developing their own strategic marketing plan (see tips below), or by hiring a product placement company to lobby studios on their behalf. Most companies that do this are located in Los Angeles — a few include C3B Hollywood, Hollywood Branded, and The Marketing Arm.

These companies are popular with big brands—such as FedEx, when the company landed a starring role in Castaway, Pepsi in Back to the Future, or Reese’s Pieces in E.T. Brands pay large sums of money to product placement companies and studios for such prime slots and there is a lot of competition.

Luckily for small business owners, little brands have an easier time slipping into on-air placements (and doing it for free), says Jennifer Berson, president of Jeneration PR, a Sherman Oaks, California-based public relations firm focused on fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

“Small products are less likely to compete with paid advertisers—for example, a show that has Pepsi as an advertiser will not place a bottle of Coke in a scene,” she says. Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating a product placement campaign:

1. Focus On Your Iconic Offering

Berson suggests looking at your inventory and zeroing in on a product that is uniquely yours (Magnolia’s cupcakes, for example). “Make sure it is something that sets you apart — your most popular thing,” she says.

2. Focus On Geography

This is a two-parter. First, if your product fits into the exact location of a TV or movie, you may have a chance of a placement. Second, if something is being taped in your area, offer your brick-and-mortar location as a possible taping site.

“Try to make the location consultant’s job easier by offering your location to shoot for free—it will help their budget and adds tremendous exposure and value to your store,” Berson says.

3. Contact The Right People

Finding the TV/movie product decision makers is easier than you may think. First, Berson recommends logging on to The Internet Movie Database, signing up for the Pro membership and searching for in-production movies and television shows that fit your product category or geographic location.

Identify the production company in charge and pick up the phone. If you have a hair care brand, for example, call the hair department.

“Tell them you are a huge fan of the show, you have a great hair solution that could be a good fit for the cast, and would love to send them your range of products for free; before you know it, you could be the hair brand of choice for Desperate Housewives,” she says.

Alternatively, call and ask for the prop master or wardrobe department, says Berson. Just offer your product for free and “they will happily take it; just make sure to offer two pieces for cases in which they have to re-film scenes,” she adds.

4. Promote Aggressively

After your product airs, promote the heck out of the placement. Using the hair-care example, secure a quote from the stylist of the show and use it in your sales and marketing materials, Berson suggests.

She also recommends sending out press releases to local press, posting photos on your website and alerting in-store customers to the placement.

5. Watch Your Capacity

Imagine this scenario: Rachael Ray promotes your product on her show and within 12 hours, you have 500,000 orders—about 450,000 more than you’ve ever had. If you have a plan on how to handle those orders, great. If you don’t, you have a big problem.

“If you get on something big, people will be looking for you and you need to know how to handle it,” Berson says.

6. Don’t Be Scared

Hollywood types aren’t as scary as they seem. You never know—a phone call could land your product in Leonardo DiCaprio’s next Oscar-nominated movie.

“Don’t be afraid; if you had enough gumption to start your own business, you have what it takes to pitch these people," Berson says. "Just remember that you are making their job easier and if they hang up on you, just try someone else.”

© Copyright 2011 American Express Company. All Rights Reserved.

How To Develop Successful QR Code Marketing Campaigns

Editor's Note:  The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post by Laura Marriott, chief executive officer (CEO) and acting board chairperson of NeoMedia Technologies, a global leader in mobile barcode scanning solutions. This piece originally appeared in Mashable. Named one of the industry’s Mobile Women to Watch 2010 by Mobile Marketer, a Top-50 U.S. Executive by Mobile Entertainment, and a Top 10 Women in Wireless by FierceMarkets, Marriott is highly regarded for her global voice and expertise in mobile marketing. In this contributed article, she describes how quick response (QR) codes can best be utilize for a dedicated marketing campaign, either on a standalone basis, or as part of a broader mobile marketing effort.

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Mobile barcodes are turning up everywhere – buses, magazines, television, bar coasters. According to recent research from comScore, 14 million U.S. mobile phone users scanned QR or barcodes in June alone, mostly via newspapers, magazines and product packaging, both at home and in-store. My company’s own data reveals that barcodes that offer access to a discount or coupon or that allow the consumer to learn more about a product or service are the most popular.

Given that mobile barcodes are finally cracking the mainstream, they have enormous potential to present brands with brilliant results. Here are five mobile barcode best practices to help ensure a successful campaign.

1. Be Everywhere

Mobile barcodes should be incorporated into all digital and traditional media so the consumer has 360-degree exposure to the mobile marketing campaign. This will also ensure that consumer experience, dialogue and interactivity are at the heart of the campaign and not simply an afterthought.

2. Drive Value and Make it Easy

Giveaways, discounts, free tickets and exclusive access will compel consumers to interact with and scan your code. If your code simply offers the customer a chance to view a TV advertisement or link to a website, it’s best to try again. Scanning a barcode should provide the consumer with a brand experience that is exclusive, dynamic and interactive.

Take into account where a mobile barcode is located on the ad. Consumers must be able to find it easily and scan it quickly. For outdoor ads, place the code at eye or arm-level. In a print ad, the barcode should not fall over a fold as this will hamper scanning. Be sure to leave some white space around the mobile barcode, and use a minimum of 1 x 1-inch print specification. For TV or cinema, the code should to remain onscreen long enough for the viewer to launch the scanning application and scan the code.

3. Keep it Simple

Branded or custom QR codes are certainly getting some buzz, but it’s also important to create a code everyone can recognize. Producing your code in simple black and white checkered format will increase the number of phones and code readers that can scan it. Also, ensure you use global, open standards (i.e. Datamatrix) to maximize universal customer reach and impact.

4. Build Customer Affinity

Remember that the consumer who has just scanned your code is on the move. She will be viewing the brand content on a mobile screen and, therefore, expects instant results. Make sure the barcode links through to a mobile-enabled site rather a PC-designed site. Remember that “dead links” (codes that go nowhere or deliver the wrong information) are the equivalent of a slammed door — the consumer will not try again.

Matthias Galica, the CEO of ShareSquare, provides tips for marketers and brands using QR codes, and specifically emphasizes testing a barcode for functionality across a variety of devices and scanner applications before launching. It’s important, especially because the consumers that scan codes are likely tech-savvy and vocal — the kind of consumers you want on your side.

5. Account for Objectives and Analytics

Boost sales, increase customer engagement, build brand loyalty, educate your audience. Whatever the campaign objective, be sure to define its goals before integrating a mobile barcode. Consider monitoring the campaign via a barcode management platform. Your business will be able to leverage the provider’s expertise, better assess your campaign effectiveness and evaluate its real-time success through analytics. 

Following these practices will help analyze mobile ad spending and increase the success and return on investment (ROI) of your future barcode campaigns.


© 2005-2011 Mashable, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Game Changer: How Social Media Is Altering The Advertising Landscape

It goes without saying that marketers today have a ton of advertising options available to them, and far more than ever before in history:  print (newspapers, magazines, newsletters, etc.); radio (terrestrial and satellite, TV (cable, network, and online); online (websites, blogs, search engines, and e-mail); product placement (TV, films, and video games); and outdoor (billboards, transportation centers, and a myriad of out-of-home options).

And for those brands fortunate enough to have the dollars to spend on multi-faceted advertising campaigns, this never-ending list of choices makes it difficult to allocate dollars to any one medium with predictable results. In the end, most advertisers throw money at a combination (or all) of these channels  to generate the widest possible coverage with their primary target audience. It's not a bad strategy, although it can be extraordinarily expensive. In addition, it's one which has been followed for years, dating back to the "Mad Men" era of mass marketing, and long before the advent of online, satellite radio, and some of the newer, more technology-centric alternatives.

So where does social media fit into the advertising picture? Certainly, it presents yet another confounding series of choices to make when developing an ad campaign:  promoted tweets? Display ads on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Myspace? A compelling viral video posted on YouTube, and then doubles as an online video ad? Some or all of these? In the end, social media has dramatically altered the landscape of advertising, but the key question remains:  for better or for worse?

MDG Advertising, an award-winning agency headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, has attempted to get to the bottom of this by mapping out the many changes in advertising between its two primary timeframes:  the mass marketing era, and the new media era (read: now).

The findings are compelling. First, in the mass marketing period, the primary objective of an ad was to deliver a message to a targeted consumer in a one-way communication. However, in the new media age, the brand has to engage the customer in a conversation, and that requires two-way communication:  message disseminated to the consumer, and then listening to and responding to that consumer's feedback. Second, there is tremendous demand for and interest in online video ads, and that interest carries over to the mobile sector.

Check out MDG Advertising's infographic below to review all of the agency's findings on how social media platforms continue to alter the landscape of advertising. Click here to view a larger version of this image:

10 Event Planning Essentials Learned From Crashing An Ad Agency's Party

Editor's Note:  The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post by Jessica Levco, a staff writer at Ragan.com and the editor of Ragan's Health Care Communication News, and that originally appeared on Ragan.com's events channel. There's a ton of planning and attention to detail that goes into the orchestration of a successful event, whether it's purely a social affair such as the one described in this article, a press conference, a media and analyst tour, or a high-end dinner for important clients. So what are some of the most important elements of an effective event? Read on to find out.

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Recently, I attended (read: crashed) an ad agency party Chicago. Every year, Optimus, a big ad firm, throws a "block party" for its clients and employees.

I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of what it would be like to enter Don Draper's world, 21^st Century style. (Note: It involves a lot of plaid and aviator sunglasses.)

Waltzing into the party was easier than expected. After saying the name of my employer and getting my ID checked, I was given a wristband and was greeted by throngs of artsy-types: digital media directors, graphic designers, and copywriters. I watched them all checking out each other's texting ability, color sense, and grammar, respectively.

But as it turns out, I wasn't the only party crasher. Apparently, everybody else was, too. This party was open to the public—including a few tourists, who said they just happened to stumble into the party and had no idea what it was for.

Slightly disappointed that I didn't technically crash a party, there was only one thing left I could do —report.

If you want to throw a kick-ass company party, here's what I learned:

1. Invite Everyone

Limiting a "work party" to just "work" people isn't much fun. Just imagine the conversations you and your co-workers can have when you open up your party to the streets of Chicago. Ok, that might be a bit much, but you get the idea.

2. Theme

Picking a theme for your party is essential. Go with something that shows the vibrancy of your company. The Optimus party centered on that feel-good neighborhood block vibe, with lots of hot dogs and beer. In a city of more than two million people, this block party felt very homey.

3. Timeliness

The party was on a Friday night, on the eve of Lollapoolza, a three-day music fest in Grant Park. Already, the environment was ripe for dancing, talking and listening to music. If you're going to throw a party, don't just pick an arbitrary date. Plan wisely.

4. Swag That Stays

Not only did I write this story on a free notepad and pen from the agency, but I also took home a beer koozie and a fake tattoo. If you want people to leave with a positive impression of your company, give them a tchotchke they can show their friends.

5.  Special Guests

Each year, Optimus invites a guest to attend the party. Illinois ex-governor Rod Blagojevich went to the party last year. This year, party-goers were entertained by the Chicagoan who won the U.S. Air Guitar Championships. Why promise a special guest? Because the buzz and anticipation lasts longer than two glasses of Chardonnay. Your guests want to stick around and see who it will be.

6. Be Transparent

If you really want to show off your company, open your doors. I was free to roam the ad agency's headquarters, peek into offices, and sit in the cafeteria. Inviting people in is a great way to give people a feel for your company's culture.

7. Clever Signage

Even though the block party was in a confined area, there were a lot of signs to point out the essentials: bathroom, food and beer.

8. Crowd Control

Friendly staff in blue shirts helped party-goers find the bathroom or beer, just in case they couldn't read.

9. Brand Ambassador

One person at the party was unmistakable:  a guy dressed in a brown bear costume. Word on the block says the "bear" attends the party yearly. Make sure your party has someone that party-goers can look forward to seeing every year. You want someone who stands out — against the vintage tees and plaid shirts.

10. Free Beer and Wine

Need I say more?

© 2011 Ragan Communications, Inc.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving: Anatomy Of The Perfect Corporate Gift

If you've ever had to purchase a meaningful thank-you, service appreciation, or holiday gift for your boss, a co-worker, or a valuable client, then you know exactly how difficult a task it can be!

The wrong gift, even if expensive and carefully chosen, can send the wrong message. For example, a wine basket may be inappropriate if the individual does not imbibe. A collection of cookies or candies could be a poor choice for someone who is diabetic or hypoglycemic. A gift card, even to a retailer or restaurant that you know the person likes, may appear like you didn't put any thought into the gift-giving process. And funny gifts may fall flat if the recipient does not understand or appreciate your humor. In other words, you have to REALLY know the person to whom you are giving the gift in order to make the best possible selection. So what to do?

Our friends at Flowtown, a social media marketing focused on delivering solid return on investment, came up with this humorous image of the perfect corporate gift, which essentially combines every possible option so that you cover all your bases!

It truly is the perfect SUPER gift!

O.K., this is all in good fun, but seriously...if you do have to buy a business gift for an individual of important, please make sure to evaluate his/her likes and dislike, and allow yourself enough time to evaluate a broad range of appropriate options. As the saying goes, "Choose wisely."

How To Make Your PR And Marketing Believable

Editor's Note:  The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post by Erica Swallow, an associate editor of partner content at Mashable, where this piece initially appeared. All marketing and communications relies on credibility, or in this case, being believable, to be truly effective. Read on for a more detailed look at this important issue.

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Public relations and marketing professionals have dug themselves into a hole. With the overwhelming amount of PR spin and marketing messages flying at consumers on a daily basis, individuals are constantly on guard, trying to spot the underlying motives behind each claim, motto, message or deal that brands introduce. Many times the assumption by consumers is that marketing messages are motivated by greedy or deceptive intentions. This phenomena is what Ogilvy’s senior vice president of global strategy and marketing, Rohit Bhargava, recently called a “believability crisis” during his presentation at Mashable Connect 2011.

“Affinity has become the new secret weapon — we believe in people and companies that we like,” said Bhargava. For those in the public relations and marketing industries, it is important to gain back the trust they’ve lost from consumers by understanding what makes people, ideas and organizations more believable.

Bhargava spoke about what he calls Likeonomics, which “explains the new affinity economy where the most likeable people, ideas and organizations are the ones we believe in, buy from and get inspired by.”

What makes a person or organization believable, then? Bhargava said that Likeonomics is based on being simple, human, brutally honest and emotional.

1. Simple

To be more believable, the first step is simple and based on personal relationships, said Bhargava. “Be genuine, be honest, be open.” He believes that this concept has powered the social media revolution and the brands that have embraced it.

Bhargava pointed to Ally Bank as an example of a brand that gets it. Using the slogan “Straightforward,” the bank sheds light on deceptive industry practices and aims for complete transparency on rates and terms. Says one Ally ad, “we make money with you, not off you.”

2. Human

If you’re trying to build relationships, it’s a good idea to be human. Simply said, but not easily done.

Bhargava pointed to Innocent, a UK beverage brand that puts a lot of initiative into showcasing the humanity behind its brand. Each winter, Innocent runs the Big Knit, in which Innocent fans knit and send in hats to place on top of its smoothie bottles that are placed in stores. For each hat knitted, the company pledges 25p to Age UK to help make winter warmer for older people across the UK.

This initiative not only illustrates that the company’s founders care about those around them, but it is also a genius marketing idea. Walk into any grocery store and take a look at the beverage aisle (or almost any aisle). Row after row, you’ll see similarly shaped and colored packages. Now place smoothie bottles with cute knitted hats into the picture — get the point?

3. Brutally Honest

After ranking last in a consumer preferences survey of national chains in 2009, Domino’s Pizza launched its humility-filled Domino’s Pizza Turnaround campaign, which featured consumers hating on the product. Consumers complained that Domino’s Pizza crust tasted like cardboard and its sauce tasted like ketchup, among other pitfalls. Domino’s listened and its chefs got to work, reinventing a “new pizza.”

Relationships of any type are based on trust — trust isn’t possible without honesty. Bhargava said that brands must practice “brutal honesty and extreme transparency” in order to “get people over that hump of ‘I don’t believe you. I don’t trust that what you’re doing is anything more than spin.’”

Bhargava noted that “disclosure is not the same thing as honesty.” Outing the naughty deeds that your company participates in on your annual report isn’t enough.

4. Emotional

Founded by eccentric millionaire Christian Ringnes, The Mini Bottle Gallery is billed as “the world’s first miniature bottle museum.” Having recently visited the museum in Oslo, Norway, Bhargava told the story of its founding and why its so unique.

Ringnes “treats the museum with a great sense of humor, because he realizes that he has built an entire museum around something that most people who might think of visiting consider silly or at least strange,” said Bhargava. As a result, he doesn’t take himself too seriously when he markets and promotes the gallery. “The museum itself features a built in slide, a monthly award for the “tackiest miniature bottle” and even a fake brothel with a collection of 40 custom bottles from the 40 legal brothels in Las Vegas,” explained Bhargava on his blog.

Because collecting the mini bottles is his personal passion, it’s Ringnes’ goal to get potential visitors emotionally invested in it, too.

© Copyright 2005-2011 Mashable, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Six Tips For Aspiring Event Organizers

Editor's Note:  The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post from Natasha Alishan, an account executive at Moonlight Media, Ltd., a U.K.-based PR firm which works with companies that develop technologies used in wholesale financial markets. This piece, which first appeared in PRNewser, discusses the basic criteria required to plan and orchestrate special events, a vastly-underrated skill not typically possessed by most marketing and communications professionals. Event marketing, along with the strategic management of the thousands of details associated with the coordination of a special event, is an art form in and of itself, and an outstanding capability to add to one's resume and skill set. This represents some invaluable advice to one and all.

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One common misconception is that creativity isn’t, or shouldn’t, be structured. Having good ideas is great, but you must organize these ideas to successfully execute them. Every event is different so there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but with a bit of common sense and the following tips, you should be good to go.

1. Define Your Goals, Audience, and Theme

The event must serve a clear purpose whether it be to create awareness of the brand/company or simply to celebrate an achievement. This leads to the theme of the event, which in turn determines the target audience.

2. Create A Detailed Action Plan

Make a thorough plan of all the steps needed to achieve your goal. Usually, in event organizing, there are many elements to pull together at the last minute so it is useful to have everything written out, with a timeline and the dependencies. Set out the steps assuming everything goes to plan, but also have a plan B. What if something goes awry? Don’t forget to double-check every detail; don’t just rely on yourself, but also on everyone in your team. Event organization is about teamwork, and two heads are better than one. Keep every document and write everything down for back-checking when expected phases don’t happen on schedule.

Don't let your next event turn into a "Real Housewives"-style fiasco.

3. Choose The Right Venue

Consider your budget limitations vs. expectations and impact. The venue is essentially the first point of impact of the invitation. Not everyone can afford to have an event at a prestigious venue but choosing a location that has some links to your client is important. It must be easy to get to and appeal to your target audience.

4. Choose The Right Date

Think about which date will have the most impact. It was no coincidence that the Royal Wedding was the weekend before a holiday. Avoiding major sporting events is also extremely important and, much as I hate to admit it, no one’s going to turn up to your event if it falls on the same day as the Super Bowl or game seven of the World Series or NBA Finals.

5. Learn To Love Your Phone

Emailing is valuable but not enough. Calling your vendors, suppliers, and potential guests (simple rule – if you don’t ask, you don’t get) is more personal and in these situations tends to be more effective. However, follow up all calls with a confirmation email, to ensure all parties know what they’ve agreed to.

6. During The Event, Be Proactive and Stay Positive

There really is no problem too great. You can deal with any unexpected hitch if you remain calm and focused. If you believe in the event and its success, so will your team.

7. Enjoy!

And finally, enjoy. A good party is often influenced by the organizer’s demeanour, and you’ve worked hard to achieve success. Savor the moment, and take pride in a job well done.

© 2011 WebMediaBrands, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

4 PR Lessons From "Saved By The Bell"

Editor's Note:  The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Arik C. Hanson, the principal of ACH Communications, a digital communications consultancy, and which originally appeared on Ragan's PR Daily. We happen to love "Saved by the Bell," so we couldn't resist posting this today. You can follow Arik on Twitter @arikhanson, or read his blog, Communications Conversations, here. 

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It’s so retro to love the now classic sitcom "Saved By The Bell" these days.

I was a fan back in the ’90s. I spent way too much of my college career soaking in Tiffani Amber-Thiessen and Lark Voorhies.

The show was very campy, but it did tackle tough issues from time to time.

Remember the episode when Jessie took the speed to stay up all night so she could study? What about the episode in which Zack made the fake IDs to impress a girl? OK, so maybe that’s not a hard-hitting issue, but the show did have some teeth, right?

Fine, maybe not.

The show did teach us something else:  A number of PR lessons.

That’s right: PR lessons. Bear with me.

1. Persistence Doesn’t Always Pay Off

How many times did Screech proposition Lisa? The number is probably north of 500.

How many times did Lisa say no? Probably a similar number.

Yet, Screech never gave up. He looked for new angles, tried different approaches. Unfortunately, Screech didn’t end up with Lisa.

The lessons?

Persistence doesn’t always pay off. In PR, that means badgering a reporter won’t necessarily get you the placement. In many instances, you need to work smarter— not harder.

2. When Everyone Is Zigging, Try Zagging

Remember some of Screech’s outfits on the show? They were borderline outrageous.

What Screech realized long before most of us is that when everyone is zigging, you should be zagging. That is, when your competitors are telling the same story and lauding the same benefits over and over, you should try a different tack.

Don’t be afraid to go a different direction in your blog posts — even if it’s not a wildly popular opinion. On your Facebook page, take a stand on a pivotal industry issue. You might be surprised where all this “zagging” leads you.

3. Success Is Never As Easy As It Seems

Think back to the episode in which Jesse took the speed pills so she could stay up all night studying.

Jesse was that kid in school who got straight A’s. The kid who seemed to get it all so easily. The kid that was going to an Ivy League school — on a scholarship.

As it turns out, life didn’t come so easy to Jessie Spano. She had to work just as hard (if not harder) than everyone else to keep up those grades.

That’s the key lesson. Those people who appear to be killing it and winning by leaps and bounds? Chances are it’s not easy. They’re probably putting in 80-hour weeks to start. On top of that they probably don’t see their family as much as they would like. And there’s no question that they are absolutely working their tails off.

So, the next time it appears that someone is “making it look easy,” don’t assume that’s not coming without a pretty heavy cost.

4. Regular Communication Is Key To Productive Relationships

Did it ever seem odd to you that Zack was in Principal Belding’s office virtually every day? Or that Belding came to class to talk to Zack at least once an episode?

Sure, Zack was the class clown, but was Mr. Belding just riding Zack, or was it part of his ingenious plan to build a stronger relationship with Zack in hopes of helping him realize his full potential?

OK, that might be taking it a bit far, but you see what I’m getting at. Constant and regular communication is the key to any productive relationship.

Think about the client/agency relationship. If you don’t have open lines of communication — and regular meetings — things can go haywire quickly. Think about what the lines of communication look like between you and your team, you and the agency that assists you, and you and your boss. Make sure you are honest, forthright, and punctual and that you always respond in a timely manner.

What about you? Learn anything from Zack, Slater, and Jessie?

© 2011 Ragan Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Are You Making Something?

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by world-renowned marketing expert and best-selling author Seth Godin. It’s a short, but intriguing, essay about work and what is required to create lasting value, often short- and long-term objectives of the product development and marketing functions.
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Making something is work. Let's define work, for a moment, as something you create that has a lasting value in the market.

Twenty years ago, my friend Jill discovered Tetris. Unfortunately, she was working on her Ph.D. thesis at the time. On any given day the attention she spent on the game felt right to her. It was a choice, and she made it. It was more fun to move blocks than it was to write her thesis. Day by day this adds up... she wasted so much time that she had to stay in school and pay for another six months to finish her doctorate.

Two weeks ago, I took a five-hour plane ride. That's enough time for me to get a huge amount of productive writing done. Instead, I turned on the wifi connection and accomplished precisely no new measurable work between New York and Los Angeles.

More and more, we're finding it easy to get engaged with activities that feel like work, but aren't. I can appear just as engaged (and probably enjoy some of the same endorphins) when I beat someone in Words With Friends as I do when I'm writing the chapter for a new book. The challenge is that the pleasure from winning a game fades fast, but writing a book contributes to readers (and to me) for years to come.

One reason for this confusion is that we're often using precisely the same device to do our work as we are to distract ourselves from our work. The distractions come along with the productivity. The boss (and even our honest selves) would probably freak out if we took hours of ping pong breaks while at the office, but spending the same amount of time engaged with others online is easier to rationalize. Hence this proposal:

The Two-Device Solution
Simple but bold: Only use your computer for work. Real work. The work of making something.

Have a second device, perhaps an iPad, and use it for games, web commenting, online shopping, networking... anything that doesn't directly create valued output (no need to have an argument here about which is which, which is work and which is not... draw a line, any line, and separate the two of them. If you don't like the results from that line, draw a new line).

Now, when you pick up the iPad, you can say to yourself, "break time." And if you find yourself taking a lot of that break time, you've just learned something important. Go, make something. We need it!

Copyright © 2011 Seth Godin. All Rights Reserved.

Take Your Time To Develop Your Brand

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Deborah Shane, an author, entrepreneur, radio host and expert, that first appeared in Small Business Trends. Shane is a well-respected author, entrepreneur, radio host, and marketing expert who writes for several national business, career, and marketing blogs and Websites. In this interesting commentary, Shane asserts that that the branding process...for any company...is a steady one which only gathers momentum and awareness over time. Find out why...
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Does your brand splash around and do cannonballs off the side of the pool, or do you dive straight in and swim with a smooth, steady stroke? Rome wasn’t built in a day and your personal brand, reputation or business brand can’t be, either.

Trying to rush it, bombard people with it and be too much in people’s faces is not going to make them notice you faster or get them to buy more consistently. In fact, think about all the emails and newsletters that you now block, delete and unsubscribe to. People tell me all the time they are only following and getting emails from people and companies that really connect with them and provide them with timely information they want and need.

There are some really great professionals and companies who I like and admire, but I just don’t want daily emails (and sometimes it’s two or three a day). Those relentless reminders, repeated offers, re-framed messages, reminders about offers ending, multiple articles just posted on their sites, and so forth really turn me off. Probably turn you off, too.

What’s the best practice here and does this help or hinder brand development and recognition?

Just when I think I’ve gotten through all of them, another slew of them downloads into my browser. I am really exhausted trying to keep up. Aren’t you?

More and more people I am speaking to are putting new boundaries on emails and email marketing. We know how important and effective email marketing, is but how often and for what reason do we need to be sending email marketing messages?

I am on my social platforms a few times per day; post two to three blog articles weekly; and write for several other business, career and marketing sites. I also try to send a dedicated, purposeful email out to my permission-based email list once per week; about every two months I send out a themed newsletter.

So, how much more do I need to do to be out there to grow my brand and authority?

I believe it’s the consistency of your activity, the length and content of your messages, and finding just the right frequency that develops a brand organically over time. Brands should meander with purpose to where they are being naturally led.

No need to rush it or bombard people with your brand. Let it unfold, be consistent and “go with the flow.”

© Copyright 2003-2011. Small Business Trends LLC. All rights reserved.

Post-Sale Marketing: 10 Ways To Continue Customer Conversations

Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post written by Eric Groves, senior vice president of Constant Contact, which first appeared on AmEx OPEN Forum. Constant Contact helps small organizations grow their businesses by building stronger customer relationships via easy-to-use, affordable communications tools that engage casual customers, members, prospects, and passionate customers. In this excellent piece, Groves explains several important ways for firms to enhance their relationships with their respective customers AFTER the sale is over — an often-overlooked, but critical, component of the marketing process.
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For too many small business owners, once a customer leaves your shop or your service is completed, the conversation ends. But it doesn’t need to stop there. If you can continue those threads of dialogue online through e-mail, newsletters, and social media, you have a better chance of building stronger ties to your customer base. This, of course, will lead to repeat business.

The trick is to find the balance between providing your customers with relevant information, while not abusing your online access to them by trying to sell them more “stuff.”

Whether you have infrequent in-person contact with customers or you see them every week — or even every day — the No. 1 rule in moving in-person conversations online is to consistently provide relevant information to the customer that will improve at least one aspect of their lives.

So just how do you connect with those customers and engage them in both the real and virtual worlds? First, you need to get their permission to contact them via e-mail; do that by asking at the point of sale, on your website, on social media, at events -- wherever you interact. Then create content that will engage and help your customers, allowing you to be seen as a partner, not just a vendor.

Engaging customers in more meaningful dialogue that’s focused on them will inevitably lead to longer-term, more profitable customer relationships. If you’re committed to turning today’s business transactions into actually connecting with customers, here are 10 things to keep in mind.

1. Treat the receipt of an e-mail address like a customer pact where you agree that it will never be abused, shared, or taken for granted.

2. Never send unsolicited communications.

3. Always provide free expert advice in your newsletter.

4. Never use the communication as a substitution for advertising.

5. Don’t overstay your welcome: Be brief, be relevant, and be gone.

6. Use compelling, yet not misleading, subject lines to prompt subscribers to open the communication or to follow the online stream.

7. Start a conversation that begins and ends with your customers. Think ‘you, you, you’ and not ‘me, me, me.’ Then point them to an online destination where they can share their thoughts and opinions.

8. Strike a balance in your frequency of communications to gently remind customers of your products and/or services, yet allow enough time in between to actually be missed.

9. Track the readership using tools that provide insight into opt-outs, unopened e-mails and the like to assess the interest of your customers.

10. Provide information that illustrates your expertise that your subscribers don’t already know and can’t easily find elsewhere.

Remember: If you focus on the relationship and engaging customers in meaningful ways, the sales will automatically follow.

© 2011 American Express Company. All rights reserved.