How Do We Deal with the Daily Deal?

Everybody wants to save a buck. I know I definitely do. After all, that’s why coworker Allison and I swap deals and coupons we hear about. And it’s no surprise that I’m not alone in my nearly overwhelming obsession to snatch up a discount. That’s why daily deal sites have drawn millions of customers since their inception.

An infographic released by Lab42 on Tuesday, September 13^th shed some new light on daily deal trends. There were a few findings reinforcing my opinion that not every business is qualified to withstand a go on heavy hitters like Groupon and LivingSocial.

One of the most notable findings in the infographic was that 60 percent of daily deal subscribers have purchased a deal from a company which they’re familiar. Only 13 percent of subscribers have purchased a deal from a company without doing any research. And now the research aspect brings me to my main argument.

Customers want that fuzzy comfort when purchasing a product or service. I fall perfectly into this statistic. Odds are, unfortunately, I’m not going to buy from a company I know little to nothing about. And if I’m the slightest bit interested in an unknown, I’m going to do my research. I’m going check reviews on Yelp, ask on Facebook and Twitter and check out their site – hoping they have one. I need them to gain my trust. I need to know that the $5, $15, $30 I’m spending is worth it. Is it worth to other people who have tried them before?

Take the recent Whole Foods LivingSocial deal. Spend $10, get $20. They capped the number of available coupons to one million and you better believe they met their mark. (And you better believe I scooped mine up.) Reports indicate the coupons we’re going 30-80 per minute. Why is that? Trust. Confidence. Brand loyalty.

I find it affirming that the success of companies who provide deals like above is because they know they’ll have buyers. They’ve already captured their customer base. Lesser known companies who are trying to ‘get on the map’ just may struggle because they haven’t gained that whole-hearted following. They’re attempting to build their brand by giving consumers something super cheap. Are they cheapening themselves just to get some business? Will the customer return after using their discount? That’s questionable.

Closing that trust gap for these companies is the key to gaining a consistent customer base. I say it’s better to build your brand, work towards gaining loyal followers and then reward them with the discount. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying lesser known companies can’t gain a swift following by tossing out a deal, but you have to wonder – is it that the way they want to position themselves for a consistent customer base?

I say we grow grassroots, you know, go “old-school”. It’s been done before. Coca Cola, Apple, Trader Joes and Target are all doing great – and I sure don’t remember seeing a buy one get one in my inbox.

Weighing the Value of Brand History

I've seen two changes for well-known brands taking place in recent weeks -- one local, one global -- that have made me think about the good/bad in changing your brand. I believe one brand came through the change in a positive manner. I'm afraid, however, the other brand may have made a move they'll regret.

Overstock.com is changing and/or co-mingling their brand to be known as O.co. As an online company, their domain name is crucial to their brand (duh). I think this will work, however, because the updated brand is shorter, catchier, easier to remember and is supported by their branding history.

How so? You may recall their series of television ads in recent years promoting "The Big O." These ads often featured an attractive woman and succeeded (with intended sexual overtones) in associating the Overstock.com brand with the letter O. Overstock.com's recent branding efforts have also included specific branding/logo references to O. As a result, it appears to me that they've made a well-planned change and transition.

On the other hand, St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo., is changing its name to Mercy Hospital St. Louis. This is a branding change I do not understand. St. John's is a well-respected institution with decades of invested brand history. Why throw that away?

The hospital is a baby factory -- both of my kids were born there -- and they will have generations of St. Louisans still referring to their (or their children's) place of birth as St. John's. The name isn't going to go away for many, many years. In addition, the hospital has the area's most respected burn treatment unit. If you hear of someone being seriously burned, you assume they'll be treated at St. John's because that's how it has been for decades.

Those are just two examples of the hospital's strong brand recognition. So why make the change? Is it to avoid confusion with other hospitals also named St. John's? If that's the case, changing the brand to Mercy Hospital isn't a novel solution in my mind. You can't swing a stick in the medical community without encountering the word Mercy. It also causes additional confusion with the myriad of health care networks in St. Louis that seemingly have the word Mercy in their name.

In short, I still like the hospital but don't like their change. They've spent years building their brand and have nothing to show for what had been a worthwhile investment. What do you think?

Prepare Yourself for a Career in Marketing, Advertising and PR

As summer winds down and the school year begins again, college students have to turn their focus from tan lines and barbecues to studying and working toward a successful career. Whenever we visit college classrooms to talk about the marketing and advertising industry, students ask our team, "What can we be doing now to make ourselves competitive in the future job market? How can we better prepare ourselves?"

In this day and age, having many talents and skills, or being a jack of all trades, is crucial to a newbie in the industry. The more you know, the better, the more valuable you become in the eyes of a potential employer.

Not sure where to start? Never fear-we've created a list for you:

How to Prepare Yourself for a Career in Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations

1. Read the newspaper. Okay, okay, you don't have to read an actual newspaper, but you should be reading the news every day. Visit cnn.com or your local online paper every day for just ten minutes. You never know when someone is going to ask about a current event, and you don't want to look like an idiot, trust me. It's important to read publications from more than one perspective as well. Not everyone shares your views.

2. Learn as much as possible about social media. Understanding the basics (i.e. updating a status, uploading photos, checking in, etc.) isn't enough. Teach yourself about social media ads and how to interact with a target market with these tools.

3. Set up a portfolio website. There are many free platforms available, and if you have the extra cash, a personalized domain looks great to future employees. It's something extra to put on your resume and allows future employers view more of your work. A portfolio website is also a great place to showcase your writing skills, which brings us to our next point.

4. Practice blogging. Start a personal blog and write things you wouldn't be embarrassed for a potential employee to see. This allows others to get a feel for your writing style and is excellent practice for you.

5. Learn about content management systems (CMS). Many websites are built on simple platforms that many non-web saavy industry professionals need to learn how to edit in right away.

6. Be creative. Whether it be through music, art, writing or another outlet, allow yourself at least a few minutes a day to be creative.

7. Intern somewhere. Anywhere. Companies want to see that you have experience and can perform in an office environment.

8. Business savviness is a growing need among young professionals. Companies are reluctant to hire someone who doesn't understand the basics of a business, i.e. profit and loss, growth rate, etc. Your basic Business 101 most likely can teach you everything you need to know.

9. Knowing AP style is a must. As a writing professional, it's crucial that you understand how to use correct wording and form. Businesses won't expect you to memorize the entire style guide, especially since it changes every year, but they do expect you to know the basics and reference it often.

10. Get involved. Your future employer knows that you had fun in college, but what else did you do? Extracurricular efforts show companies that you have drive and dedication, especially if you hold a leadership position. It doesn't necessarily have to be related to your industry-just show passion about a subject and commitment to your organization.

These days, putting in the minimum time and work for your degree isn't enough to land you a job after graduation. Follow the tips above and you should greatly increase your chances of finding a great first job. If you have any questions or would like to inquire about an internship, feel free to contact the Marketicity team.

Don't Forget the Bottom Line

As a marketing and advertising professional, it's easy to get wrapped up in all of the fascinating ways that ideas can be expressed. First I think of a great idea, then I find a creative way to tell others and I sit back and watch the target audience become enthralled with my brilliant work.

With all of this going on, it's easy to get lost in the fun of advertising and forget its purpose–the bottom line. Our clients love when we come up with engaging ideas but do great ideas always make them money?

Not necessarily. It's important for us to take a step back from our work and ask ourselves, is the target audience going to visit this store because of this work? Will they pick up the phone and call our client about this product or service? Will they make a purchase? Will this generate revenue and profits for the client or will this just be an advertising piece that generates discussion, not money?

Great advertising isn't about how funny, interesting or confabulatory (oh yeah, I just used that word) something can be, it's about how many viewers turn around and purchase a product or service from the brand.

Word of mouth marketing does wonders for brands–don't get me wrong. However, if it doesn't translate into leads and sales for the client, it's accomplished nothing. However, marketing efforts don't have to successfully bring customers in right away–after all, the point of social media is to engage customers and show a brand as approachable. Consumers aren't going to run out and immediately start throwing their money at a brand just because they read a great blog or interacted with a business on Facebook. However, if these interactions don't eventually translate into a sale at some point down the road, the marketing efforts haven't been successful.

What do you think? Do you know of an example of great advertising that you think did nothing to increase revenue for the brand? Share your thoughts by commenting below. We'd love to hear what you think.

Have any questions about how to determine your advertising and marketing's return on investment? Contact us today.

The Impersonal Peril of the Scheduled Tweet

The dawn of programs such as Hootsuite and TweetDeck have been a blessing to social media managers. Supervising and controlling several company accounts can prove challenging when you have a presence on multiple social media outlet. But the thing is – the certain features of these operating systems that we love so much can be brand killers. Come along and let’s talk.

Automated Direct Messages

Yes, we can agree that personally thanking someone for following you on Twitter is a polite gesture. But guess what, consumers know it isn’t genuine when they receive a general statement in the DM Inbox within seconds of the follow. As a ‘victim’ of this annoying occurrence, my first impression is that none of their tweets will be personal or direct, just a broad self-promoting callout. Meh, I will most likely pass. Businesses big and small need to rethink this action. People on social media, Twitter especially, are looking for conversation – and you’re not delivering.

Not Monitoring your Scheduled Tweets

Listen. No one cares about what promotion you have going on when significant national and local event is occurring and it’s all everyone is talking about. This is more challenging for national companies, and I usually let those slide because they can’t necessarily relate to substantial local events. But when a tornado is ripping through Lambert International – please don’t try to convince us to ‘come sit on your patio this evening for half priced martinis. Keep an eye out for situations like this and prevent appearing like an oblivious Twitter robot.

Not Responding to @ Tweets

The reason why I am such an advocate of Twitter is due to the power of obtaining instant gratification by means of a reply, especially when it comes to communicating with a business. I’ve had fantastic experiences with companies such as @redbox and @SouthwestAir with near immediate or quick responses to inquiries about policy, status, etc. While I salute companies who exhibit this behavior, I still get tripped up on the ones that take days to do so OR not even at all. Now I have to let you know that the ones I’m referring to are smaller, local companies. I would ask a question, eliciting a response and…nothing. It’s one thing to get to the game, but if you only want to sit on the bench, don’t bother.

The apparent attraction for a business to belly up to the social media bar is the opportunity to converse with their audience, the consumer of their product or service, or in some cases, sway potential consumers. As a company marketing on social media, it is your job to listen first, and then reply. If you’re not replying, you’re already losing.

This Is an Event...

PR pros will tell you to establish your key messages and stick to them as part of media interviews. This is particularly important for unannounced interview requests. Our local FOX affiliate, KTVI, recently aired an interview conducted by their well-known investigative reporter, Elliott Davis, that demonstrated this point. The subject of the interview was St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, and I have to admit that this man REALLY knows how to stick to a message.

Those who have watched KTVI's You Paid For It segments know that Elliott Davis specializes in unannounced interviews, being prepared to question several angles of an issue and an infinite willingness to be direct. Mr. Dooley, however, managed to control the interview by not allowing Elliott Davis to further probe the topic. In other words, Mr. Dooley stuck to his key messages.

Some may say the county executive was uncooperative. I would say he knew what was coming in terms of the tone of the interview -- the You Paid For It segment is well known -- and was nothing more than prepared to ensure his message was heard. I found myself chuckling after watching Elliott Davis literally drop his head and slump his shoulders after Mr. Dooley repeated his key messages for the third or fourth time.

You may or may not like the style of Elliott Davis, but it is rare that he comes out of an interview without much of a confrontation. This interview is an exception. As Mr. Dooley would say, "This is an event..." Enjoy the footage.

http://www.fox2now.com/videobeta/?watchId=e0c4f92c-cc3c-433f-ba65-5b9245dc42a8?video=YHI&t=a

Arrested for Possession of Poor Branding Grammar

I believe all professions have their pet peeves. Carpenters can spot a crooked wall, house cleaners see the lint in the corner of the room, accountants notice columns that are not right justified, etc. For me, it's spelling and grammar.

I'll also be the first to admit that I make spelling and grammar errors. I hate when it happens and, on some days, it happens more than it should.

But -- with that disclaimer out of the way -- I'm seeing more and more errors when it comes to using an apostrophe. Is this a major, world-shifting crisis? No. Is it annoying beyond belief? Yes, especially when the error is part of a company's brand.

What pushed me over the edge on this thought was a billboard on I-70 in Missouri. It was for a barbecue joint: Two Dude's Bar-B-Que. Because I love barbecue so much, my anal, journalistic mind is willing to overlook the fact that they do not use AP style in spelling the word barbecue. No biggie.

What blows me away, however, is that they've included a punctuation blunder in their name that guarantees everything they create for their brand -- from menus to bibs, ads, billboards and shirts -- includes an error. I'll explain.

Two dudes own this barbecue joint. The word dudes is obviously plural. There are, after all, apparently two dudes involved. The fact that they own the joint makes it possessive. So, we have a plural possessive. The correct use of grammar in this case would be Two Dudes' Bar-B-Que. Just move the apostrophe to be behind the s and you're good to go.

Or, change the name to Two Dude's With Poor Grammar Bar-B-Que. Although somewhat funny, that would be a real son of a gun to fit on a logo.

I have one last apostrophe thingy to get off my chest. When describing a span of time such as a decade or century, please don't use an apostrophe unless the span of time is a possessive. If you're discussing your love for Devo or Belinda Carlisle, it's the music of the 1980s, not the 1980's.

Okay, I feel better now. Carry on.

Twitter Gets a Religious Experience

With more than a billion members, the Catholic Church looks to His Holiness, the pope, for direction and guidance. Now those who wish to find a more intimate relationship with the church don't necessarily need to visit the Vatican City. They can communicate with the head of the church through a social media website they are already familiar with–Twitter.

The Church's acceptance and use of this new form of communication further proves the prevalence of social media in today's world. Consumers and parishioners alike are no longer reaching out to businesses and organizations the way they used to. They now expect those entities to come to them.

This presents several opportunities for the Catholic Church. It has the large opportunity of spreading the word of God and his teachings among their followers. It also may renew an interest in the church and attract new members. This move could renew the faith of those who have lost interest. It also serves as a direct line of communication between the Vatican and the world. Any news can immediately be relayed to the public.

However, the addition of a Twitter account could also pose several problems and threats for the Vatican. The Church faces many opponents and Twitter allows their comments to become much more public. However, as long as these negative comments are handled appropriately and quickly, the Vatican can spread its messages in face of adversity.

The success of the Vatican's new Twitter account will depend on how carefully and quickly representatives respond to questions, positive feedback and address negative comments. A designated staff member from the Catholic Church's communications department should manage this Twitter account full time to ensure vigilant monitoring. As we tell our clients, social media can work wonders for a business but only if it is handled well.

Do you have questions about how to manage your company's social media? Contact us today. We'd be happy to help you out.

Get In the Game

In-Game Advertising is on the Rise

As social media expands and draws bigger audiences, a veteran industry quietly gains strength in advertising. Video gaming, a force since the 1980’s, and online gaming, as old as the Internet itself, have emerged as a powerful advertising alternative.

Because gamers usually concentrate on only one medium while playing, their attention is undivided, and they are more likely to remember the brands within the game. In a day in which TV viewers can fast-forward through commercials, brands have the opportunity to gain more awareness. In fact, a study by BlueNoodle shows that gaming advertising is more effective than traditional TV advertising.

There are several avenues that a company can take to advertise within a game. A business can promote itself directly in the game, such as on a billboard or through a strategic placement in which a character uses the product. For example, some sporting games allow companies to place signs on the playing field or have characters drinking its beverages. A company can also place a basic image advertisement in between games or levels. If clicked on, the user moves to the advertiser’s website. A new trend emphasizes a gamer’s need for currency within some games. A business can convince users to buy its product in exchange for game currency or goods.

While some gamers find the advertisements annoying, most do not mind the small pauses in their games. In fact, in-game advertising keeps most games free, which most users prefer. A study by EA and Activison shows that 82% of gamers find games with ads just as fun as games without them. For the time being, in-game advertising is not only profitable, it’s also safe from deterring gamers.

Businesses can greatly benefit from gaming advertising. However, there are several important points to remember:

• Your placement must make sense in the context of the game. In a sporting game, a beverage advertisement makes much more sense than one for a doll store.
• The advertisement must resonate with the gamer demographic. Games can provide this information before advertisements are developed and purchased, and it’s something to take seriously. If users of a certain game are teenage boys, advertising alcohol is not the best idea.
• A unique angle must be found. While the gamers’ attention is usually fully on the game, a great eye-catching ad will remain in their mind long after the game is over.

If you’d like to learn more about these advertising opportunities, contact the Marketicity team. We’re happy to tell you more about them.

Social Media and Mother Nature

Born and raised in the Midwest, I believe in one way or another we all acquired a keen fascination (or terror) for meteorology and the wrath of Mother Nature. As we saw this week in Joplin, last month in Tuscaloosa and last year in Hammond – destruction of tornadic magnitude is out of our hands. But as we’ve also seen when these disasters hit (whether as severe or not) what we do have in our hands is the power to inform. And we’re informing on social media.

Sunday evening, as I sat on the couch in my South City home, I had the TV on, iPhone in hand, laptop on, well, my lap. Each avenue of technology was delivering the bits of information I was anxiously awaiting. Local TV stations have long been the go-to source for up-to-the-minute weather information and warnings in unstable situations such as those displayed yesterday. But I already knew there were storms coming; I wanted to know what they were doing.

Twitter was abuzz. I follow over 1,000 users, most of who reside in the St. Louis Metro. My Hootsuite feed could barely keep up with the 10 tweets per second. Photos of damage, hail measurements, rain intensity and simply, descriptions of the sky as the storm rolled in. By the time the impending storm reached my neighborhood, we endured a bout of heavy rain and some thunder. But once all was said and done with the evening storms, I wasn’t quite ready to power down my up-to-the-second newsfeed. Joplin was destroyed and I wanted details.

Retweets were flying through my stream faster than I could keep up. People were tweeting to make contact with family and friends in and around Joplin; survivors were clarifying their well-being; Red Cross was directing folks to their Safe and Well site; raw audio and video began erupting; pleas were made to medical personnel to flock to southwest Missouri, and info on crisis center locations were being established.

A Facebook page, Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery, was created that evening on the relief efforts already being set in place. At 9pm on Sunday, it had already gained 6,800 likes. At 9am on Monday, over 50,000 and not even 48 hours after the tornado struck, nearly 150,000. Because of this Facebook page, people have gained contact with loved ones affected by the storm, provided resources to Joplin area residents established opportunities for donation and simply been a way to say, ‘Joplin, we’re with you’.

My respect and fascination with social media takes on a whole new meaning when such monumental national and international events like this occur. Social media is no longer just another option to chat with old friends, potential colleagues and fellow professionals. It’s a commercial-free instantaneous avenue for answers and if you’re not on-board now, you risk being left behind.

To make a donation to the relief efforts taking place in Joplin, please text:

REDCROSS to 90999 for a $10 donation to the American Red Cross

Joplin to 864833 for a $10 donation to the Heart of Missouri United Way

JOPLIN to 80888 for a $10 donation to The Salvation Army

New Job Opportunity at Marketicity

Marketicity Inc., an award-winning advertising and public relations agency since 1994, is reviewing applications for a SEO/Social Media Specialist. In this role, the individual will be responsible for recommending, creating and implementing marketing communications projects and campaigns using advertising and PR strategies. The role will include opportunities for account management. Proven agency new business development skills are an advantage, as well.

Confident and creative self-starters will be successful in this role and enjoy the wide array of projects available through our growing base of clients. Our firm will be a welcome challenge for those who are tired of being pigeonholed in a large agency or organization with rigid roles that make for a boring (or frustrating) work day.

Requirements:
· Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism or similar field
· Exceptional creative writing skills and thorough knowledge of AP writing style
· 2-5 years of communications/advertising/public relations experience
· Demonstrated SEO strategy skills
· Demonstrated use of effective social media campaigns
· SEO copywriting, PPC ad writing skills
· Strong agency new business development skills
· Familiarity with progressive mobile/e-marketing campaigns
· Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and basic ad design (preferred, not required)
· Excellent proofreading skills and attention to detail
· Strong project coordination skills
· Strong public speaking, persuasion, presentation and interpersonal skills
· Ability to manage and work with vendors and freelancers
· Familiarity with print and Web production processes
· Critical thinking, originality and the ability to work independently, i.e., self-starter
· Media buying experience a plus, but not required

Position salary is commensurate with the successful candidate’s experience and skill set. Marketicity offers medical insurance, a SIMPLE 401k retirement plan and other benefits.

To Apply:
Mail or email three writing samples (one news release, two creative writing samples/articles/ads), a resume, salary history and salary requirement to:

P.O. Box 168, Columbia, IL 62236
theteam@marketicity.com
Phone: 618.281.6648 (ext. 1)
Fax: 618.281.6667