Marketing to Share Your Happiness

May 31, 2013

For years, Coca-Cola has been marketing happiness through their products, ensuring that feeling when consuming Coke. With this marketing technique, they also promoted sharing the product with others to “share the happiness.” With bottles of Coke, the drink was easily shared, but now they have created a way to share a can of Coke as well. The product designers understood the difficulty in portraying the motto while sipping on a can of Coke and so, they designed a can made for this very purpose.

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Click to watch the video!

By looking into a direction that expands on the original “Share Your Happiness” motto, Coca-Cola is able to capture its original audience and keep them interested while obtaining others as well. People already recognize Coca-Cola and their relation to “Happiness.” This literal translation of the motto really transforms the brand and also intrigues people as it looks pretty cool. Thanks to this innovative design and understanding of what the people want, germaphobes are now able to share their happiness through Coke as well.

The Next Media Evolution: YouTube Channel News

May 29, 2013

Online media and news spreads faster than on any other network including television and print media. This is due to the versatility of its nature. Anything online can be seen on a desktop or on mobile. CNN and BuzzFeed are collaborating to bring television news into the online world by launching an entertainment and video news channel on YouTube called CNN BuzzFeed.

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“There has been a massive cultural shift in how people—particularly young people—consume news and entertainment,” Steinberg said. “Over 70 percent of BuzzFeed’s traffic is social, almost half is mobile, and we are seeing these huge shifts earlier than others because the majority of our readers are 18-34.”

With 60 million users, BuzzFeed already has a strong presence on the web. They have also been making steps to include more substantial news to their site by adding a business-news section. By collaborating with CNN, BuzzFeed is expanding on that idea. CNN, on the other hand, is also at an advantage as they are trying to stay relevant among the younger generation to boost their ratings.

“By pairing the journalistic strength and reach of the CNN brand with BuzzFeed’s unique editorial approach and young audience, our partnership will enable both organizations to engage new audiences,” K.C. Estenson, svp of CNN Digital, told the Journal.

This new collaboration looks like the next big thing as people are able to watch and spread the news quicker. The advantage of having the news on a YouTube channel is its mobility and the ability to share the link on social media networks. This media evolution is the start of news for the future and is sure to grow.

The Future of Blogging

May 24, 2013

Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has a voice. Blogging makes it heard. The execution of the concept is simple but what is the psychology behind it? There are many levels of this process.

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Creativity. Blogging is an artistic experience. It inspires us. It paints pictures of our experiences by expressing our thoughts. This outlet of expression helps us to explain, vent and learn through ourselves and those who react to our blog posts. By using feelings and emotions to convey messages about things around us, a new insight is seen and a deeper than surface connection is made.

Social. Communication through blogging builds relationships stronger than those on other social media networks. Through sites like Tumblr and Livejournal, people take their lives and pour themselves out like an opened paint can dumped onto a blank canvas.  Whether it’s through words, images or videos, something deep within the writer is let out and exposed for others to see. These deep thoughts help to relate and compare to others and can also link to others relevant to you on social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Identity. Bloggers discover themselves more through research, passion and expression. Through this, you will also have ideas that others with similar interests will find valuable.  Your voice will be heard by others and your readers can relate to your stories and give advice to improve your writing to build your identity.

Business. Through a personal or professional standpoint, blogging makes a difference in presenting oneself to the world. A blog goes much deeper into who you are as a person compared to a simple resume of previous job experiences. It tells of how your experiences have personally affected you and how you use them. Professionals like to see you enjoy what you do to see what you can bring to their company. If you have a blog showing your outfits, recipes, or photos of the day, these show the passion you have for these fields. Professional life in regards to such will captivate your love for the field and see you as a qualifying employee.

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Blogging has so much to offer as it is FREE and makes a difference. Anything goes. However, it’s also important to be careful as whatever goes on the internet is up for the public eye. Identity and reputation is everything. It is what makes you or breaks you so be careful. It you take blogging and revolutionize yourself how you want, the possibilities are endless as mediums may change but as far as technology is headed, blogging will be the future of everything.

FREE Premium Content Upgrades

May 22, 2013

Mobile users know the annoyance of having ads invade your applications but paying for a premium app seems unnecessary as well. Advertisers have decided to work with customers in this process by viewing ads to gain access to in-app premium content. By using this method, marketers are able to convey their message to the people in exchange for something customers really want.

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A study surveying 2000+ mobile-device users show that 67% of smartphone users and 73% of tablet users have participated in this exchange. Reports also show that 70% of smartphone users and 53% of tablet users were willing to go as far as to exchange personal information to gain the premium app access. This exchange has proven to give the best of both worlds as marketeers are able to obtain information and gain leads while customers get “free” access to premium apps.

Mobile device owners have demonstrated that they’re willing to interact with a brand by exchanging their time (ad-views) and personal data for free digital content,” said Jordan McKee, analyst at Yankee Group, in a statement. “Since users choose to take part in this exchange, the engagement can be far more meaningful and powerful than pop-up, banner or television advertisements. Marketers that opt to leverage this model have the potential to realize robust engagement rates because their mobile audiences view the exchange as worthwhile.”

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This study is yet another example of how effective it is to “give a little to gain a little” in the advertising industry. By saving people money and giving them what they want, you gain information and in turn, can obtain more leads and profits in this manner.

UberAds: Targeting Smartphone Users Through Social Media

May 20, 2013

As the amount of smartphone users skyrocketed over the past few years, advertisers saw this as an advantage. With internet usage on the go, ads out in the world on billboards, posters and subways are ignored as people have constantly been staring down at their phones and tablets. This is a disadvantage to brands that haven’t transitioned into mobile ads but for those who have, users are bound to come across their ads as they can be anywhere on any application, social media network or the mobile browser itself.

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Mobile ad firm UberAds is launching a new ad product coming this summer of 2013, which targets app users based on their social media data and location. By having ads that are relevant and useful to users, people see them as helpful prompts rather than annoying  ads. This tactic allows better performance and effectiveness.

“So if you follow Tom Cruise on Twitter and are near a theater, you could see an ad for movie tickets,” explained Bill Gross, UberAds CEO.

NBC Universal tested this app recently on Tom Cruise’s new science-fiction movie “Oblivion” by creating 2 million mobile impressions specifically targeting audiences including Cruise’s 3.9 million Twitter followers. The positive feedback increased significantly with a 4% mobile click-through rate compared to the average 1% click-through rate of mobile ads. With the successful trial run, NBC Universal will continue to use this method on Cruise’s new movie “Purge,” which is coming out this summer. They will also use expand to other social media networks including Instagram and Pinterest to pull interest from users.

As other advertisers saw the increasing effectiveness of these targeted mobile ads, they too have decided to join in.

“We see long-weekend types of trips in the summer months,” said Elizabeth Dorrance, director of media and analytics at Expedia. “So people‚ while driving, are more likely to book hotels last minute on their phones.”

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These UberAds will revolutionize the mobile advertising industry using this social signal targeting system. The real-time data will deliver increasing positive feedback rates for advertisers as people will be more inclined to respond to the helpful notifications. With the usage of intent, location and time, the mobile ads made for the right audience will be presented and both advertisers and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.

Don’t Burn Your Brand In Public

May 15, 2013

Brands always want customer awareness but how much is too much? Through social media, the connection between a company and its audience becomes a personal one. You are able to read each other’s thoughts and understand each other better. However, it’s important to maintain a great relationship, especially because these messages are seen with the public eye.

There will always be people who disagree with you and those who are not satisfied, but you have to remember to stay positive to keep your business running. By letting others get to them, Amy’s Baking Company Boutique and Bistro burned their brand to the ground. As Gordon Ramsey gave up on this restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz. on his show Kitchen Nightmares, the owners felt the need to defend themselves to the public. However, it wasn’t pleasing to see as they had a massive meltdown in public.

With several Facebook status rants in all caps, it was clear they were freaking out and this drew negative attention towards them.  They also swore and threatened to pursue legal action against Yelp and Reddit, claiming that God was on their side. None of it was pretty and this public breakdown came back to haunt them.

This poor restaurant suffered through the carelessness of owners Amy and Sammy. They demonstrated a valuable lesson for all business owners out there. Through stressful times, it’s important to keep calm, stay proud and think of the positives. Gordon Ramsey may be a renowned chef but he is only one man. If the restaurant had customers coming in, they must’ve done some things right with their business. Stay aware of your actions, especially those on the internet that can are publicly displayed and can easily be spread as well. Don’t burden yourself with even more problems when you only started out with one minor one. It’s impossible to please everyone so just think about how you’re positively affecting others and work from there to make your business grow.

Content Marketing for the People

May 10, 2013

It’s a competitive world out there and everyone is pitching the same crap. From keywords to broad technical pitches, customers are left with little to no information that they are genuinely interested in. In a marketing standpoint, it looks great on paper but from a customer’s standpoint, it’s like “Why do I even care about this?”

People are much more inclined to participate in things worthy of their attention. it’s important to know your audience and understand what they want. Your pitch shouldn’t be for search engines like Google or Bing, but rather for the people and what they want is something of value. Something that says “if you don’t have participate now, you’re going to regret it.”

So what creates value? Certainly not keyword-focused garbage, but rather things like limited call-to-action offers that benefit the people. Think about it. If you always offer this, why would they jump at this opportunity right now? People like feeling special. I know I do. It’s like getting a limited-edition Rebecca Minkoff bag and having someone come up to you asking where you got it from and you going “Oh, it’s a limited-edition and they don’t make these anymore” with a smug look on your face. It makes you feel good knowing you have what others can’t have. That’s what your pitch should be like.

What else makes people jump to opportunities? Simplicity. People in this day and age rely on technology and want things instantly. In a dream fantasy world, people don’t need to do anything but receive everything they’d like to have. That’s not reality but if you can make it close to that dream, people are inclined to take you up on that offer. By doing the strenuous work for people and giving them the chance to sit back and watch all the magic happen is like a dream come true. If you say “I’m going to create a beautifully-designed, responsive website for your store so people can shop on any device and do all the necessary edits for you when asked while you go and have afternoon tea and watch the money roll in,” people will think “Wow, this is an amazing opportunity!” All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but it also makes him a very successful boy.

Think about what you can do for the people that your competitors can’t. Think about what you can do better than anyone else can and start making those substantial pitches. When you think like a customer, you’re bound to relate to the customers more. You aren’t marketing to technology but to actual people. It’s important to understand that while others are still lost in technology limbo. I’m not saying to eliminate things like keyword-marketing because yes, those things do help in a professional marketing standpoint but the most important people to affect are the people themselves.

Find Your Perfect Home Online

May 8, 2013

They say “a picture is a worth a thousand words” so why not let the beautiful images of your properties speak for themselves? The beauty of modern web design is the use of large imagery and simple navigation throughout the pages. These aspects make websites essential to real estate properties as imagery and navigation highlight the best features of a property.

How many times have you blindly trusted a broker who brought you to an apartment that did not meet your needs, only to waste your time, forcing you to make yet another viewing somewhere else? With the ability to see photos, take a tour and have descriptive information online, it’s much easier for those searching for a new home to find the perfect one without wasting any time. Timing is everything in the real estate industry as places are bought and sold in the blink of an eye. The main attraction for property websites is the value of time and how only clients interested in certain properties, after thorough research, are brought in for a viewing.

It’s understandable that there are millions of properties out there. What makes life easier through these sites are the filter options. Whether you want a small studio with one bathroom or a luxury two-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms, there is always an option for you. What you want is out there; you just need to find it (before someone else does). With filter options, you can choose pretty much anything from the number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, square foot size, price, location and so much more. This, once again, saves time and gives you what you’re looking for in the swiftest manner on the web. Once you decide you are interested in such properties, the contact information for its designated brokers are available for you to continue your process.

Not only do individual property sites give you all this and more, but sites like Streeteasy make it easy to search throughout a larger database of properties. By placing your property online, the chances of selling or renting it out grows exponentially. It’s a win-win situation for those trying to sell their homes and for those looking to find apartments in NYC. In this generation, if something isn’t online or easily accessible, it’s very difficult to find and people these days want things as quick as possible. With lack of patience comes lack of trying so do yourself a favor and start finding your perfect home online.

Why You Should Never Delete Your Facebook Friends

May 7, 2013

“Just cleaned out my friends list on Facebook! If you can still see this status, you made the cut!” Yes, because nothing says friendship like a Facebook official friendship.

Social media has become a valuable aspect in our lives that defines things “officially.” When Facebook first started, you added EVERYONE. You just met this girl in the bathroom of a frat house last night? Why not add her on Facebook! The advantage of these actions in the early stages of Facebook is that pretty much everyone you know became a part of your social network.

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With adding people to define friendships came deleting people. Whether it was passive-aggressive technique to evoke a certain reaction from the other party or a “Hi. I never talk to you in real life so why should I continue to be Facebook friends with you?” thought, people have been “cleaning out” their list of Facebook friends. These online goodbyes are made in a purely social aspect but is there more to that by being someone’s Facebook friend?

From friendships to relationships, we see how people are connected to one another through social media. However, the most valuable aspect of it all is usually overlooked. What adds value to social media is the business networking potential of these connections. Through a Facebook page, you can see where people attended school, where they reside now, where they are working and so many other things without even having to speak to your so-called Facebook friend. If you were interested in a job field or needed a service provided to you, you can simply go on Facebook and see what your friends have to offer.

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You have more knowledge of your Facebook friends than you do of a service you found on Yelp or a human resources agent in a large corporation. With this in mind, you can speak more openly about your opinions and really get to know things. You can also see the benefits of working at a company based on the accomplishments your friend has made. On top of all this, not only do you get your friend’s opinions, but you can also get mutual friend’s opinions as well. You know the personality of your friend and the potential they have, which also gives you an advantage for how it’d be if you worked at the same company or used her services.

There are so many benefits to just having a connection on a social network so think about this before you decide to delete your friend on Facebook. You probably never looked at social media this way but the business possibilities are endless with this route. From friends to friends of friends, the potential for success in this manner is much higher than just simply applying for a job with no referrals or searching for the top services online. Connections are everything in life as they get you what you want where you want it so take advantage of your social media network.

When the Future Recalls the Past

May 6, 2013

Nostalgia is an emotion that everyone can relate to as the past affects the future. It is a way to bring people together with one common theme that hits home. Advertisers understand the power of emotion and how it can consume and divert one’s thoughts. By looking back on their past, many large brands are paving their way into a brighter future.

Click here to watch “Child of the ’90s”

Microsoft Windows aimed their campaign for the new Internet Explorer towards those who grew up in the ’90s with a video filled with reminiscent things. This “Child of the ’90s” video includes many unforgettable things from floppy disks to yin-yangs to Tamagotchis. It sends viewers in a blast from the past adventure showing the original Internet Explorer transforming into the browser it is today on a Windows Surface tablet ending with the tagline “You grew up. So did we.” This gives the program a chance to reconnect with its original audience and shows how advanced it’s become in the present.

Click to watch the revival commercial for Herbal Essences Smooth Shine Hair 

Unlike Microsoft Windows, Herbal Essences took a different nostalgic route. Rather than showing the advancements made from the original products, they just brought them back to the public. With their unforgettable commercial featuring a women shouting “YES! YES! YES!” while in the shower, the products became a hit in the ’90s. By bringing back their old-school campaign with slogans stating “Now back and more irresistible than ever!” Herbal Essences shows the love for the original product rather than feeling the need to show its transformation into the present. This route of nostalgia brings back the feelings of happiness rather than frustration. The original colors, images and bottle bring back a sense of youth that triggers memories from the past.

Many brands leave their past in the past when it is their connection to the people. Similar to how certain movies or songs or that hoodie your ex-boyfriend used to wear every day has a connecting story, it is how each individual relates to the products. The connection and story behind each product and how it affected customers in the past are what inclines them to continue participating and purchasing in the future. This nostalgic tactic makes customers happy and boosts ratings for brands, making it a win-win situation for all.