Tonight I sat in front of over 40 mind maps created by students at UT. I felt extremely overwhelmed. My task was to take all of these mind maps and create one supra mind map.
What I learned is that consumers have so many different insights, experiences, memories and feelings about a brand that it is extremely difficult and almost impossible to chunk all of those minds into one mind. It if I took the entire US population and mashed them all into one blanket of thoughts.
Each map possessed qualities that are beyond how I relate to the brand or how I thought people could even connect to a brand itself.
An insightful night to say the least.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A promotion or bomb scare?
In an Ad Age article Procter and Gamble may have gotten themselves into a little more than expected. The company attempted to blow away the public in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a new sweepstakes promotion, but instead called in the bomb squad.
Crates were placed all around the city in attempt to be a teaser promotion for P&G's sweepstakes called "P&G Faustao's Airplane," which would include drawings and winners with $100,000 worth of prizes.
The public responded to the crates as a bomb scare, which tarnished the whole promotion (although P&G has decided to continue with the promotion).
This goes to show that maybe that situation analysis is necessary. We need to have a full understanding of the situation and culture before placing media.
Read the full article here:
Crates were placed all around the city in attempt to be a teaser promotion for P&G's sweepstakes called "P&G Faustao's Airplane," which would include drawings and winners with $100,000 worth of prizes.
The public responded to the crates as a bomb scare, which tarnished the whole promotion (although P&G has decided to continue with the promotion).
This goes to show that maybe that situation analysis is necessary. We need to have a full understanding of the situation and culture before placing media.
Read the full article here:
The Digital Planning Process
I am beginning to learn more and more about digital. Here is a little list of what I have soaked up about the process of digital media planning:
Process of Digital Media Planning
1. Define Client goals and budget
• Entire team (not just digital) works with client
• How will you define success
2. Develop the campaign’s objectives and strategy
3. Develop target audience
• Use syndicated research: media consumption
4. Media mix
5. Research behavior and decide sites
• Site Choice:
• How well and effectively and efficiently reach target audience
• Cost efficiency (eCPM)
• Targeting capabilities
• Added Value offerings
• Contextual Relevance
• Ad Size
o 300X250 performs the best in terms of Click Through Rate (CTR)
o Awareness Campaigns: High-impact placements: homepage, roadblocks, video, sponsorship, advertorials, rich media opportunities
reach and frequency most important
o Direct Response Campaign
Most efficient way to reach users (CPC, CPA) who are already aware of product
6. Send Request for Proposal (RFP) to sites
7. Begin media plan through evaluation and negotiations
8. Buy media and begin the execution process
• Renegotiations of rates occur
9. Analysis and analytics
• Awareness Campaign: achieved reach and frequency goals, brand lift study
• Direct Response: engagement metrics, end actions and efficiencies
Process of Digital Media Planning
1. Define Client goals and budget
• Entire team (not just digital) works with client
• How will you define success
2. Develop the campaign’s objectives and strategy
3. Develop target audience
• Use syndicated research: media consumption
4. Media mix
5. Research behavior and decide sites
• Site Choice:
• How well and effectively and efficiently reach target audience
• Cost efficiency (eCPM)
• Targeting capabilities
• Added Value offerings
• Contextual Relevance
• Ad Size
o 300X250 performs the best in terms of Click Through Rate (CTR)
o Awareness Campaigns: High-impact placements: homepage, roadblocks, video, sponsorship, advertorials, rich media opportunities
reach and frequency most important
o Direct Response Campaign
Most efficient way to reach users (CPC, CPA) who are already aware of product
6. Send Request for Proposal (RFP) to sites
7. Begin media plan through evaluation and negotiations
8. Buy media and begin the execution process
• Renegotiations of rates occur
9. Analysis and analytics
• Awareness Campaign: achieved reach and frequency goals, brand lift study
• Direct Response: engagement metrics, end actions and efficiencies
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A Digital Movement
It is a little scary to think how digital our world has become. Every platform that was simply traditional is now moved to a digital platform.
Take for example radio. It has now been replaced with websites like Pandora and Groove Shark. Even scarier for our field is that now consumers have the ability to just pay a few dollars to opt out of our millions of ad dollar spending.
TV has also traveled down that road with Netflix, online streaming on Hulu and network sites.
Moving in an even more digitally way is mobile. Taking all of this and cramming it into one little hand held device.
How quickly digital moves is a scary thought. I wonder what will be next?
Take for example radio. It has now been replaced with websites like Pandora and Groove Shark. Even scarier for our field is that now consumers have the ability to just pay a few dollars to opt out of our millions of ad dollar spending.
TV has also traveled down that road with Netflix, online streaming on Hulu and network sites.
Moving in an even more digitally way is mobile. Taking all of this and cramming it into one little hand held device.
How quickly digital moves is a scary thought. I wonder what will be next?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Strategy with Social Media
I recently read the article "What Advertising Strategies Work with Social Apps?" that was featured on ClickZ. The article focuses on four different social media platforms: foursquare, mobile applications, Facebook applications and social interview.
The trend here is activity based advertising. The advertiser wants to integrate the user into the experience and provide them with something of value. We have seen that, yes of course people are on all of these sites, but we need to look deeper to see their level of involvement with the social networking platforms. Dig deep to see and make the connection and interaction with the user instead of being to the side. In a nut shell- we need full on integration and interaction. In my opinion, the interaction is a much better result that a traditional CTR approach.
The article highlights that an advertiser must engage with, not at a customer. You want to be integrated with the customer's actions. Damon Burrell, VP marketing at MTV Network states that"engagement isn't about users clicking on a banner and coming to our site, but rather integrating them into the experience and providing something of value."
The trend here is activity based advertising. The advertiser wants to integrate the user into the experience and provide them with something of value. We have seen that, yes of course people are on all of these sites, but we need to look deeper to see their level of involvement with the social networking platforms. Dig deep to see and make the connection and interaction with the user instead of being to the side. In a nut shell- we need full on integration and interaction. In my opinion, the interaction is a much better result that a traditional CTR approach.
The article highlights that an advertiser must engage with, not at a customer. You want to be integrated with the customer's actions. Damon Burrell, VP marketing at MTV Network states that"engagement isn't about users clicking on a banner and coming to our site, but rather integrating them into the experience and providing something of value."
Cross Platform Model
I read an article a few months ago from MediaWeek, "Nielsen Launches Online Campaign Ratings." It wasn't until this month that this idea was once again strongly reinforced in my mind. Nielsen will roll out an Online Campaign rating in 2011 that will be bale to track the effectiveness of cross platform campaigns. The ratings will be more like TV ratings with TRP, GRP, reach and frequency.
This truly has the ability to change how we see a whole campaign. The Richards Group presented to us a few weeks ago about a "cross-training model" of someone who needs to know both the traditional and non-traditional world. This is the future of advertising.
Although the ratings system is not designed for measuring specific digital features such as traffic, the ratings will be designed for measuring a specific ad campaign. We will be able to see how digital and traditional are melting together to make a fully integrated campaign.
Look out digital world 2011.
This truly has the ability to change how we see a whole campaign. The Richards Group presented to us a few weeks ago about a "cross-training model" of someone who needs to know both the traditional and non-traditional world. This is the future of advertising.
Although the ratings system is not designed for measuring specific digital features such as traffic, the ratings will be designed for measuring a specific ad campaign. We will be able to see how digital and traditional are melting together to make a fully integrated campaign.
Look out digital world 2011.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Future
My research and thoughts into the future of advertising industry:
The job market industry for college graduates has increased 13.5 % for the graduating class of 2011. More specific to my career path is advertising and within advertising I will focus strongly on media planning. Employment rates for advertising increased 108% this year. Jobs for media planners increased 57%. These rates peaked in May 2010 and have since leveled off to what employment rates were in February 2009. Along with these rates AdAge reported that marketing services and media have gone up 3.7% to $33.7 billion in 2008. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these rates are predicted to continue to rise through 2018 for employment in advertising, marketing, promotions, and public relations. These rates will rise due an increase in the number of goods and services and the need for brands to differentiate.
The Bureau also states that the advertising agencies are looking for students with “related experience, a high level of creativity, strong communication and computer skills” in finding the best jobs. Even more so the trend of moving to digital media is being incredibly important. The industry currently is currently moving into a very “cross-trained model” says The Richards Group. This means that many media planners now have to be trained in traditional, but also the digital world. Employers are seeking graduates that have experience in new age media including social media, and using traditional media in a non-traditional way especially with the internet. Additionally, traditional media such as newspaper, TV, and radio have all moved into a digital space. Once again this shows the impact of how important digital skills are currently in the advertising industry.
A huge challenge for advertising is that it is so dependable on consumer interaction and the economy. One reason for the change to the digital world is that is has much easier measurability than traditional media. As seen in the past history of advertising when the recession, many companies cut back on advertising. This is bound to happen again in the future.
The competition for these media and advertising jobs are very high. The number of applicants applying for a position outnumbers the spots available. The average salary currently for media planning is $47,900. The Bureau believes that there will be high earnings, travel, and longer hours associated with these positions.
In 2009 MediaBistro.com released a “Media Job Report” which analyzed this job sector. The most desirable jobs were marketing director, senior advertising sales executive, account manager for digital media, and online publishing.
The leading advertising agencies ranked by revenue of 2009 are BBDO Worldwide, McCann Erickson, BBD, TBWA, and JWT. The top media agencies are Zenith Media, MediaVest, Carat, Sarcom, MediaCom, Initative, OMD, Universal McCann, PHD, Mediaedge:CIA, Horizon Media, Optimedia, MindShare MPG and Maxus.
The job market industry for college graduates has increased 13.5 % for the graduating class of 2011. More specific to my career path is advertising and within advertising I will focus strongly on media planning. Employment rates for advertising increased 108% this year. Jobs for media planners increased 57%. These rates peaked in May 2010 and have since leveled off to what employment rates were in February 2009. Along with these rates AdAge reported that marketing services and media have gone up 3.7% to $33.7 billion in 2008. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these rates are predicted to continue to rise through 2018 for employment in advertising, marketing, promotions, and public relations. These rates will rise due an increase in the number of goods and services and the need for brands to differentiate.
The Bureau also states that the advertising agencies are looking for students with “related experience, a high level of creativity, strong communication and computer skills” in finding the best jobs. Even more so the trend of moving to digital media is being incredibly important. The industry currently is currently moving into a very “cross-trained model” says The Richards Group. This means that many media planners now have to be trained in traditional, but also the digital world. Employers are seeking graduates that have experience in new age media including social media, and using traditional media in a non-traditional way especially with the internet. Additionally, traditional media such as newspaper, TV, and radio have all moved into a digital space. Once again this shows the impact of how important digital skills are currently in the advertising industry.
A huge challenge for advertising is that it is so dependable on consumer interaction and the economy. One reason for the change to the digital world is that is has much easier measurability than traditional media. As seen in the past history of advertising when the recession, many companies cut back on advertising. This is bound to happen again in the future.
The competition for these media and advertising jobs are very high. The number of applicants applying for a position outnumbers the spots available. The average salary currently for media planning is $47,900. The Bureau believes that there will be high earnings, travel, and longer hours associated with these positions.
In 2009 MediaBistro.com released a “Media Job Report” which analyzed this job sector. The most desirable jobs were marketing director, senior advertising sales executive, account manager for digital media, and online publishing.
The leading advertising agencies ranked by revenue of 2009 are BBDO Worldwide, McCann Erickson, BBD, TBWA, and JWT. The top media agencies are Zenith Media, MediaVest, Carat, Sarcom, MediaCom, Initative, OMD, Universal McCann, PHD, Mediaedge:CIA, Horizon Media, Optimedia, MindShare MPG and Maxus.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
A Target to Remember
As I work on more and more projects I realize the importance of defining ones target market. It is one of the most tedious tasks, but once that one shining piece of research is found the media world seems to set well.
The target research is your true foundation. A foundation that everything else in your campaign will be built off of. My way of thinking of the process is like so:
1. Set your target audience (this will be through hours of research and countless pages of articles)
2. Define your strategy (what is the one word that can be used to encompass how you are going to reach them)
3. Make everything else fall into place (start your media mix & placement)
Somewhere deep inside I enjoy the little glimmer of joy when I find that key piece of research. That hidden piece that will set your whole campaign into motion. I hope that every media student somehow feels that little tinge of joy.
The target research is your true foundation. A foundation that everything else in your campaign will be built off of. My way of thinking of the process is like so:
1. Set your target audience (this will be through hours of research and countless pages of articles)
2. Define your strategy (what is the one word that can be used to encompass how you are going to reach them)
3. Make everything else fall into place (start your media mix & placement)
Somewhere deep inside I enjoy the little glimmer of joy when I find that key piece of research. That hidden piece that will set your whole campaign into motion. I hope that every media student somehow feels that little tinge of joy.
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