BIG Ideas from Integrated Advertising Network
Wednesday, February 3. 2010The Vikings aren't the only thing you won't see in Super Bowl
So with the Super Bowl (the pinnacle of advertising) around the corner I thought I'd pass along two ads that will be joining the Vikings on the sidelines and WON'T be seen during the big game. The first spot is from infamous "banned" ad brand GoDaddy.com and the second is from Mancrunch.com both ads got the nix from CBS.
While the cost of an ad in the Super Bowl fell from $3 million last year to $2.7 million this year it's still no small investment. With that said, these brands are are getting HUGE viral exposure without spending a dime on media. To date these ads have gotten almost 500,000 online views. So, you make the call! Shameless marketing ploy OR shrewd marketing move? Wednesday, January 6. 2010Technology
Technology can be daunting to say the least but for businesses new and old it opens new doors to advertising and marketing. Part of our job is to be up-to-date on technology to come since advertising will be part of all new technology, whether it be directly for it or incorporated into it. The future for advertising is looking exciting...possibly reaching people as they walk by your store or advertising a cheaper price for an item that someone is scanning at that exact moment. There are so many possibilities that will come alive in 2010, they really are endless. Here's a good read that I stumbled across in my current search on what's to come in the new year and I don't mean to be cliche but, I'm like a kid in a candy store.
Ten Technologies That Will Rock 2010 Thursday, December 3. 2009.dst .btw .rtm
Last week I get a call from one of our favorite clients and their vendor is asking for a logo in a dst format. So I ask, "do you think they meant eps format?" "no, they requested a dst file." he says. So, after a little google research, sure enough there really is a .dst file format. Turns out it is an embroidery format, a CAM (computer aided manufacturing) file that contains instructions for creating embroideries or other stitched decorations with a sewing machine; including codes such as "stop," "jump," and "trim" that tell the machine how to move the needle.
On the creative side of the advertising arena, we get a lot of different file type requests but it seems that there are more and more each day: jpeg, gif, pdf, eps, wav, etc. But a dst? OK, so now we've heard it all, right? If you are wondering what a specific file format stands for, there is a very helpful and thorough website that explains file formats in detail as well as listing programs that can open or create these files. The site is called fileinfo.com So, the next time you get a call from someone asking for a dst file, simply visit http://www.fileinfo.com/ for a simple explanation. Monday, November 23. 2009Is your business ready for BLACK FRIDAY?
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! Friday, October 30. 2009What would you do for a Klondike bar?
Or what would you do for a client?
That is a question that is asked of me at times. Would you tell your family how great the client's services are and that they should go and frequent their establishment? Would you go on tv and have your head shaved? Well the latter was recently asked of me. Our client, the Blue Plate Restaurant Company, needed just that. Someone to go on TV and have their head shaved for a promotion that they did for National Bald Day and for the Operation Uplink charity, so I stepped up and did it. Not only was it an easy decision, I mean who wants hair anyways, but it was a chance to do something for a client that was out of the ordinary. We do all that you would expect from a full service advertising agency, such as creating eye catching ads, developing and maintaining websites and creating brand awareness with our unique and innovative ways of reaching the targeted consumer. And we also like to be as involved with our clients as we can. Weather it is eating at one of the restaurants that Blue Plate has, visiting Severs Corn Maze, going to the Twin Cities Auto Show that is put on by GMADA or getting your head shaved on TV. It all comes down to the clients needs. See our clients are more than just clients, they are our family. Without them we would not be here and wouldn't you do anything for your family? Tuesday, September 22. 2009Advertise for the Long Haul not the Short Gain
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. Tuesday, August 11. 2009Want More Business, Grow It!
In today's current economic environment many advertising agencies have been forced to cut costs and find new streams of revenue in order to survive. It's times like these that agencies need to look within and cultivate their current client roster, instead of spending fruitless hours seeking external new business gains. My advice -- grow your clients business and your agency billings will follow suit.
The number one reason your clients have hired you is to bring value to their company. In correlation, a lack of fresh ideas is also the number one reason why accounts are lost by agencies. It is our job to ask the right questions, to challenge the norm and to move the needle. A clients goals can rarely be accomplished by taking the path of least resistance, as trusted advisors we must always make sure we are working with our clients best interests in mind and bringing new and effective ideas to the table. By investing extra time and energy into a clients work and improving their business, organic agency growth will certainly come in tandem. This fact is proving to be especially true in today's current economic environment of shrinking corporate marketing departments. With the loss in internal bandwidth, proven and trusted agency partners are now being asked to increase their roles and responsibilities for clients, making themselves full-service marketing confidants versus being simply just another vendor. So always remember, if your clients aren't successful your agency won't be successful. It should always be about quality over quantity. Go the extra mile for your clients and a mutual success will be born, earning you a bigger piece of the marketing pie, client longevity and quite possibly that ringing endorsement that may earn your agency its next new business win. To learn more about some of our current client partners and how we have grown their businesses, check out the client section of our website. Friday, June 26. 2009Get on Message and Integrate it!
In today's day and age of instant information, and constantly changing messages and mediums to promote them, advertisers need to take the advice most often heeded by our politicians: Stay On Message, and Integrate that message into all communication platforms.
It's easy to try and be all the things to all prospective customers, but retaining a focus on key messages and integrating those key messages into all your media delivery outlets Is the most cost effective way to drive a message home. Controlling the scope and quantity of what is most important for a customer to hear will most certainly deliver better results then a series of ongoing or always changing messages. Know what you do and do what you know. Simplify, stay focused, and repeat. With so many messages being delivered across so many mediums, customers now face information overload. To cut through the clutter you need to drive home a simple message, rooted in the actions you most desire, with repetition. What makes your product or service truly different? What are your unique selling points? Why should a customer come buy from you? These are the focal points of any great ad. And more often then not a business needs an advertising partner like us to help define and solidify these key points. Once you have narrowed the messaging "lens" it is paramount that all of your marketing and advertising efforts dovetail together to drive home these key messages, From your website to your in store materials, to your mass media; Integration of message is a tactic we have seen bear fruit time and time again. It needs to be communicated to salespeople, and to the public cohesively and in tandem to get maximum return on ad dollars. If you've ever wondered why candidates for political office give such great speeches, it's because they only have one speech to give and it is repeated over a one to two week window. They are masters of controlling content, and delivering that content time and time again, no matter the place or setting. It's this across the board integration of content that allows them to have their messages heard. Advertisers could all stand to be a little more like politicians , if only in this one capacity, as it relates to maximum return on effort. If you think your business could benefit from truly integrated tactics and strategies that stay on message give us a call. We can help. Ian M. Moquist President Integrated Advertising Network
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