Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category

Marketing that Makes the World a Better Place

Posted January 5, 2012, by Emily Caswell

Getting 20 people to agree to have their photo taken at a certain time on a certain day isn’t the easiest task.

Add to that the fact that these 20 people are chefs with local restaurants to run, and the task gets about 100 times harder.

But if there’s one thing that can make it worth the effort — it’s babies. More specifically, babies who benefit from funds raised through the March of Dimes.

That’s why when Tiffany Dowling was selected as the 2011 March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction co-chair she didn’t hesitate to say “yes.”

Serving as the co-chair may sound easy enough (if you like planning events for 500 people — which we happen to love), but in taking on that role Dowling also volunteered the agency to do public relations, social media, event planning and marketing materials including all of the print promotions — tickets, invitations, RSVP cards, envelopes, table and event signage and the program — which included individual photos of each and every one of the local chefs involved in the event, for the auction.

From start to finish — along with a team of volunteers and the entire Signature Chefs Auction committee — a lot of the talent at Motion Marketing & Media had a hand in the planning and execution of the event.

M3’s design team of Lisa Twenter and Julie Becker developed and executed the awesome hand-made cocoa powder rendering of the March of Dimes logo, which served as the catalyst to the rest of the design and color palette for the evening. I scheduled the chef photos and gathered their bio information to be complied into the program.

M3 also helped to secure the Bone family as the 2011 Signature Chefs Auction ambassador family.

We worked to gather items for both the live and silent auction and, of course, the entire team collaborated with the Lansing March of Dimes office to be sure they loved everything we were doing.

In the end the Signature Chefs Auction raised more than $65,000 for Mid-Michigan babies in need. And frankly? It doesn’t get much better than that.

The March of Dimes project was just one of the pro bono projects that M3 assisted on in 2011. All in all we donated more than 400 hours to various causes. Other pro bono clients include:

In addition, in 2011 Capital Area Women’s LifeStyle Magazine’s Lady Classic raised more than $4,000 for the Lansing City Rescue Mission center for women and children and the CAWLM ‘80s Flashback Fundraiser raised more than $4,000 for the Westside Commercial Association Youth Mural Art Program.

While the scope of our 2012 pro bono projects hasn’t been entirely determined, we are looking forward to giving back to the community and causes we love.

Posted in Advertising, Creative Process, Industry News, Social Media, public relations | No Comments »
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Creative Traditional Shouldn’t be an Oxymoron

Posted December 8, 2011, by Julie Becker

As an advertising professional, I pride myself in ideas that push the envelope – ideas that make people feel a little bit uncomfortable, evoke emotion and ultimately motivate consumers to behave in a certain way. That being said, I’m not sure if I’ve come to terms with industry leaders using social media as a crutch for creative execution.

On more than one occasion in recent history, I have heard marketing VPs resort to the phrase, “This is great … but not for TV. We can put it on our YouTube channel, though.”

At the American Advertising Federation (AAF) District 5 and 6 conference this fall, Andrew D. Sarkisian, Manager for North American Safety Planning and Strategy at Ford Motor Company showcased Ford’s Doug social media campaign. Across the board there is a clear understanding that Doug was solely built for digital advertising. Whether by design or otherwise, even a Mashable article on the campaign states, “The Doug campaign’s humor is edgy in a way that a traditional TV campaign couldn’t be.”

Why? Or better yet, why not?

When asked why YouTube and social media channels are a better fit for tongue-in-cheek advertising, such as the Doug campaign, many advertising and marketing professionals answer similarly: it’s where our target audience spends most of their time (meaning, young adults in the 18-24 age demographic). Others say it’s expected with social media; there is a different creative standard for online advertising.

While I tend to agree with the latter statement, it’s important to examine the data and purchasing power of social media audiences.

Research proves that creativity doesn't need to be limited to online advertising.

In a 2009 study of buying power and markets conducted by SalesandMarketing.com, the 0-17, 18-24 and 50+ age demographics held more than 65 percent of the total buying power in the West North Central region of the world. The same age demographics held more than 70 percent of the total buying power in the East North Central region of the world.

Flash forward to 2011. Research conducted by ingitesocialmedia.com shows these same demographic brackets collectively accounted for less than 33 percent of all YouTube viewers around the world.

When you boil it down, TV viewership reached all-time highs in 2009 and continues to grow; as does social media use. The same people who spend an average of 66 hours per week on their computer outside of work are the same people who spent an average of 38 hours in front of their TV. So why are companies only marketing creatively on one platform?

People who watch TV still like to laugh, feel inspired and enjoy clever strategy. It’s the reason the Super Bowl garners so much attention for advertising. Furthermore, those who hold buying power are consuming product information through traditional and non-traditional mediums alike. To achieve a truly integrated messaging strategy, creativity must be implemented across all platforms, not in digital advertising alone.

Others argue regulations to traditional media keep creative strategy off the airwaves and on the Internet. However, campaigns like Doug pose no real threat to television audiences and would likely pass FCC standards with ease. As online viewership continues to grow similar standards will be implemented and the playing field will be leveled once again.

Creative costs money, lots of it. Creative strategy and execution is clever, smart and above all, effective. So let’s put the money where our mouth … and our audience is.

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Become a Publisher – Reevaluating Tactics in the Marketing World

Posted November 17, 2011, by Taylor Kelsaw

Hosting a radio program has enabled me to do more research than ever before about marketing, the constant changes that being a leader in the area can bring about to your work place, and how you must invest the time and energy to gain acceptance and re-acceptance of your clients. What must we do to move them forward?

The variety of options for customer marketing, engagement and implementation ranges from social media to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), to email marketing to online advertising; trust me, it can be overwhelming. Content-rich online marketing changes everything and the results can be huge. One of the most common marketing questions we hear from the client side is, “When is it time to change tactics?”

One might suggest that the answer is through the intersection and/or integration of social media, SEO and content marketing. When social media and SEO are brought together like salmon and wasabi, then content becomes the rice holding everything together, and the perfect sushi is formed. Content is essential to a social media strategy, and understanding this is a part of the customer-centric social content and is absolutely required.

Social media statistics suggest that Google handles about 88 billion searches each month. YouTube is the second most popular. Facebook now has more than 600 million users. Twitter has nearly 200 million accounts. LinkedIn is at 101 million users and FourSquare grew 3,400 percent in 2010.

Consumers don’t seem to be engaged by the old traditional interruptive marketing. Perhaps it’s their desire to become more educated about behaviors, and information consumption and sharing have changed as a result. B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumers) customers both demand and expect to seek out information via a search. They also expect to become engaged with the findings of the search.

Today a lot of corporate marketing is structured to create content around products and services and not around becoming a publisher, which is a large part of what you become when you proactively create content for your social media platforms. Does this lead to the idea of tactical change involving a content-marketing program? It should, and the superabundance of publishing tools and alternative stages now make it possible for companies to brand and create content with media that challenges some broadcast communications companies.

Companies must now retool their content-marketing strategy utilizing social media and SEO. These strategies must be used in order to reach the customer expectations with frequency in an integrated format that increases reach through discovery, consumption and sharing. In addition, the integration of the social media and SEO will enlighten, and could easily bring about a cogent decision to buy.

It is my opinion, that organizations that embrace this concept should outshine and outlast their competition by taking the lead in the race to become the most successful marketing marathoner around.

Editor’s Note: This post was written by M3’s new Executive Producer. Taylor is also co-host of Michigan in Motion on the Michigan Business Network.

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Where’s the Love? A Disturbing Trend in Commercials

Posted September 29, 2011, by Emily Caswell

We’ve all been there (well, maybe the lucky ones haven’t). You’re sitting there with a couple you adore and suddenly a hot button issue arises and the couple goes from a loving display of marital bliss to … well, something completely opposite. The only thing worse than actually being involved in one of these events is having to witness it.

Which begs the question — why are so many commercials these days showing us a display of relationships gone wrong?

I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t really like taking the trash out, so when I request that my better half does the deed for me, I suppose I can be a bit nagging, but I am nothing like that awful woman in the AT&T commercial who goes off on her husband about his newly acquired minutes plan.

Do people really act like that? Do they really say things like “I should have married …” No, they don’t, trust me. So, why do women in commercials?

And it doesn’t end with AT&T. How about the McDonald’s commercial that features a couple sitting at the dining room table munching on some burgers and chatting about how the weather might affect their impending home improvement plans. Since rain rules out painting the garage, the woman hints that she’s smart enough to trick her husband into window treatment shopping instead.

Do men really hate helping their significant others that much? Is window treatment shopping really punishment? Guys, wait one minute before you answer that question. Sure, window treatments might not be the most exciting thing to shop for, but here’s the thing: we women just want to spend time with you, we value your opinion and frankly I know a lot of loving couples (myself included) who like to be around each other. I might even watch sci-fi because it means being in the same room with my hubby and he might, just might, go window treatment shopping with me because he likes how much I like it. I don’t have to trick him or outsmart him or stuff him full of cheeseburgers to get my way (although one cheeseburger doesn’t hurt).

Don’t even get me started on the 5-hour Energy commercial where the man turns himself into a morning person to spend more time with his lady and she hates it. What? Who gets that nasty about having to share their workout space? Maybe it’s time to separate, you two. Most relationships take a turn for the better when each person gets on the same schedule.

It seems these days the only couples who like each other are the ones in advertisements for certain male enhancement drugs.

I’m pretty sure that with or without Viagra there are plenty of couples in a loving, healthy relationship. Can we please get some commercials to highlight the love?

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A Survivor’s Guide to Social Media

Posted June 16, 2011, by M3

I’m going to assume it is safe to say that if you’re reading this blog you know at least a little bit about social media.

But did you know, according to Marketingcharts.com, the change in social media use among Baby Boomers age 55-64 rose from 9 percent in December 2008 to 43 percent in December 2010. This means that more individuals and businesses are making the transition to Facebook and Twitter in order to promote and increase advertising.

Is it enough to just have an account to get desired results? I’m going to say, probably not. Don’t fret, below are a few ways to maximize your social media tools to create huge differences that will drive your personal or business accounts.

Facebook

It’s always a good idea to encourage interaction with your audience a.k.a “Facebook friends.” To do this you can:

Initiate discussions on your Facebook page
Have giveaways or contests
Create photo albums from events and include meaningful captions
Start polls
Post links to your wall that you think your friends would find insightful
Ask users to “like” your page to increase traffic to your site
“Like” others’ posts you find interesting
Always keep the material fresh, repeated messages get ignored
Write meaningful status updates that will encourage others to visit your page

Twitter

First and foremost, don’t be intimidated if you don’t have any followers yet. Here are some helpful tips to increase the numbers.

Start following companies you’re interested in
Write tweets that include hashtags (#) – that makes them searchable
If you can, include others in your tweet to increase viewership
Ex. Had a blast today #shopping with @Rachel_Dover! #LoveLansing
Follow hashtags you’re interested in
Find tweets from others that interest you and re-tweet (RT) it or reply
Use the 9:1 ratio. For every tweet you post, re-tweet or share nine other posts or links
Create lists so you can keep similar interests all in one spot
Stay active, don’t give up after a few tweets
Include a picture and a quick bio so others can check for similar interests

Social media can be very cost effective in getting your message across, if used to its full potential. Try these tips and watch your viewership and followers double!! There are no excuses now!

This post was written by Michigan State University grad and M3 intern Katie Hans

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First, is worst.

Posted January 25, 2010, by Julie Becker

clients-from-hell A group of team members at M3 have recently become something just shy of obsessed with the Web site Clients From Hell. The site is tragic, hilarious, painstakingly true and reflects the plight of designers and Web developers the world over.

There wasn’t a single post I couldn’t sympathize with. Well, that was until last Friday when this “client from hell” was posted:

“Hate it. Try again.”

At first read, yes, this is never something an agency likes to hear. But anyone on the inside will tell you, agencies that produce award-winning design pay creative directors to replay this prerecorded phrase to lowly design monkeys over and over. The best design and art instructors I ever had would tell me this time and again, pushing me to move past my first, second, third idea.

Great designers know the first idea/concept/design is never the best. (Sometimes the 27th isn’t even that great.) To express this point further, please enjoy a short list of other things that aren’t so great the first time, but get better as you push yourself to move past the bad parts:

First day on the job
First French kiss
Trying wine/beer/alcohol
First time you get behind the wheel (some never really get better)
First day of school/class
Preparing a new recipe (some of these never really get better, either)
Anything athletic
Wearing a new pair of heels
Dancing
Public speaking
Riding the CATA, figuring out public transportation in general
Playing a video or arcade game, (specifically DDR, for Justin)
Anything to do with hand-eye coordination
Learning to read
What to tweet when you first set up your account
Becoming bilingual
Pulling off a good prank
Making coffee
Remembering to feed your pet, (specifically Emily and her cat)
Grand theft auto

(You really only get one chance at the last one; if you’re not good enough to pull it off you don’t stand much of a chance to try it a second time.)

Essentially, everything we attempt to do in life gets better as we invest ourselves into that particular thing. The difference between life experiences and idea/design generation is the degree to which we push ourselves. In the fast-paced world we live in, it’s a lot easier to run with our mediocre ideas that took 15 minutes to conceptualize than spend another 45 and produce something outstanding.

So, if only for today, push yourself to redesign, rethink, reinvent; see what your ideas and designs are capable of achieving. Chances are, it will be more brilliant than what you started with. And when you show to the higher-ups, I hope they say, “Hate it. Try again.” You will be better because of it.

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Toot your own horn

Posted December 10, 2009, by Joni Rainbolt

For some of us, it can be uncomfortable to talk about ourselves. We do not like to broadcast our accomplishments because it may seem like bragging or we’ll be tagged as having a big ego. I get that.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of companies out there that, for whatever reason, act the same way. They go about their day-to-day plugging along and trying to move their business forward, but it never dawns on them to put public relations into the mix.

“Integrated marketing,” the latest industry buzzword, means taking an overall approach when developing your company’s marketing plan. Buying advertising (paid media) is one thing, but thinking consciously about how to promote your company by leveraging public relations (earned media) gets you something paid media can’t: influence over what others say and think about you, particularly the media.

Take control of what people are saying about you — don’t leave it to chance. Putting forth a good, consistent corporate image and being a good corporate citizen of the community can go a long way to keeping you top of mind should a prospective customer need your services now or in the future.

Remember this: the media are looking for stories to tell, especially good stories, particularly when most of the news these days is such a downer. So consider this:

Are you promoting someone?
Have you developed a new product?
Have you made a contribution to a charity?
Did you hire a new employee?
Have you won an award?

Let the public know about it!

Just one word of caution — don’t become the boy who cried wolf too many times. Space out your announcements, press releases and interviews, or it may quickly become overkill. Knowing the right balance of advertising, PR and promotions within an integrated marketing plan is key to developing an effective strategic plan, but make sure you do consciously think through the PR piece of it. Plan it out, don’t just let it occur by happenstance, or worse yet, ignore the opportunity to leverage this important element of marketing.

Tell someone, and toot your own horn!

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Where’s the Love? A Disturbing Trend in Commercials

First, is worst.

Toot your own horn