BIG Ideas from Integrated Advertising Network

Social Media websites can be powerful marketing tools when you do more than just inform your fans and followers about your company/brand.

A recent study by eMarketer has revealed that the brands have had the most success driving consumers towards purchases have done so by using one of the two following methods: They offer either coupons or discounts or they position themselves in front of their social network followers during sales and other special events/promotions.

Twenty-five percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Chadwick Martin Bailey claimed that coupons and discounts were the main reason they became fans of a brand of Facebook. Another twenty-one percent said it was because they were already customers of the brand they became fans of.

See below for the results of another survey, by Morsace, that illustrates thirty-seven percent of Facebook users joined fan pages to receive coupons and discounts.

So what's the next big thing? How often do New Yorkers "tweet"? What are Happynomics?

Part of being an effective advertiser is recognizing current trends and figuring out a way to connect your business to the latest buzz. Just consider Social Networking for a moment. A few years ago Twitter & Facebook were basically unknowns. Today, they can hardly be ignored and we've seen our clients benefit greatly from jumping on board with these trends.

So what's in store for the Future of Consumerism? The answers to these and other intriguing questions can be found by clicking on the link below. Enjoy!

6 Trend Videos

Black Friday is almost upon us and that means retail craziness for many businesses. So are you ready? In a recent Consumer Reports Holiday Poll, 66 percent of shoppers will be buying something for themselves in addition to holiday shopping for friends and family.

So what are the categories most likely to benefit from self-shoppers? Food, wine, electronics and clothing are at the top of the list with clothing in the far lead. An estimated 46 percent of shoppers planning on buying clothing are also projected to pick up a little something for their very own closet. Gender can also be a factor in self-purchases. Guys will typically be the buyers of video games/electronics while the gals will splurge on the food, wine and clothing.

If you're in the retail business hopefully you've put the word out that your products and services should be first in line as consumers make the mad rush for Black Friday bargains. To learn more about how our agency can help your business push sales in the right direction, drop us a line. We're here to help!

It's true, building a brand successfully can take some time. Creating brand loyalty is more than just convincing the consumer into buying a product. It's about gaining the consumer's trust and the trust of their family and peers. It's about return business.

Many advertisers can spike sales temporarily with fly by night campaigns offering, "Once in a Lifetime Discounts" but this can actually work against their brand in the long run. Over discounting can skew the perception of a given product or service and once the product stops flying off the shelf or the phone stops ringing, it's back to square one - only now the product or service may be viewed as the "cheap" option.

Communicate to your potential buyers that your product or service is their best choice for VALUE. Letting someone else be the "cheap" option will be rewarding in the long run.

Not all businesses can give away their products for free as a means to lure in potential customers. However, most businesses would benefit by offering more creative incentives.

I receive MANY direct mailers from printing companies. Most offer free print samples, maybe a time sensitive discount and a capabilities overview hoping I'll give them a chance with some of the printing projects we produce. Most of these offers fall flat since our agency has long standing relationships with a handful of printers that have always taken care of us in the past and have been extremely competitive with their pricing. However, I did see one offer from a print company that really caught my attention. No print samples, no discount, no capabilities overview but instead offered me a guided tour of their facility with lunch and transportation provided. I took advantage of the tour, enjoyed lunch with the sales rep and while I don't send this print company a ton of work, they do have a niche with a specific printing product and every once in a while get a job from me.

Their offer is what hooked me. It was unique and had a personal spin on it. Almost any business can offer 10% off but these days I'd put just as much weight on the creativity of the offer as potential for costs savings. Ideas are golden in advertising and some of the more far-out ones are the best in my opinion. How about the Hyundai Assurance program where someone can return their newly purchased car if they lost their income without affecting their credit? Now that's a creative offer!