B&Y News

The Millennial Shakedown

annaf@b-y.net (Anna Farmer) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:46:09 GMT

You knew it was coming...you were sufficiently warned by the Facebook posts, “new job” hashtags, and the many pictures posted on Instagram. The Millennials, born in 1981 or later, are now taking over the workplace. The pride and joy of their Baby Boomer parents, this Internet-obsessed generation thrives on attention. A sweet tooth for Google and a thirst for social media, Millennials can’t seem to find enough outlets to express themselves. Social media makes it easy to give and receive an immediate response from scores of friends, acquaintances and even strangers. Getting a “retweet” or “like” on a post boosts a Millennial’s mood just as much as getting verbal encouragement.

What’s causing this obsession with affirmation? Let’s rewind 20 years and peek inside their scrapbooks — participation ribbons are pasted on the pages beside beaming smiles of self-confidence. Ron Alsop, author of “The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Workplace,” states that growing up, Millennials often received rewards and praise when they excelled and sometimes when they didn’t.

Coddled by their parents, Millennials were rewarded for simply participating in a sport, event or club. In turn, they want approval and glorification from their employers. Michigan State University's Collegiate Employment Research Institute and MonsterTrak, an online careers site, conducted a research study of 18 to 28 year-olds and found that nearly half had moderate-to-high superiority beliefs about themselves.

Cue Nate*, a 20-something in the advertising world. Armed with an impressive résumé, Nate charged into the working world with the unwavering sense of confidence notorious of a Millennial — only to be segregated in the place he hoped to find equality. Immediately, he noticed the gap of dissonance between the older generations and the young Millennials at the company. “They don’t think I know what I am doing,” Nate says. “They view me as a young gun.”

Nate speculates that the older generations view Millennials as a threat to their jobs because of their technological skills and self-confidence — confidence built by parents’ praise and social media affirmations. He says that the work his company gives him isn’t quite challenging enough and feels like busy work. “I understand it needs to get done, but by someone with a 4-year college degree? Really?”

A recent CareerBuilder.com survey showed that more than 85 percent of hiring managers and human resource executives believe Millennials have a stronger sense of entitlement than older workers. Nate thinks that this sense of entitlement works in the Millennials’ favor. “We are more inclined to change and innovate. From what I have seen, most of the older employees prefer to keep things the same.” Despite their inexperience, Millennials believe they have important tools that they can bring to the occupational table.According to Nate, they aren’t always given the chance to use these tools. “I am tired of hearing that I don’t have enough work experience. Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I’m incapable.” Obtaining a job worthy of their college degrees is only a small check mark off of this generation’s to-do list. The need to excel and constantly move forward is inherent in each Millennial. Alsop says that the status and hierarchy of their older co-workers doesn’t impress or halt them; they want to be treated as equal colleagues rather than subordinates. “They expect ready access to senior executives, even the CEO, to share their brilliant ideas.”

A Millennial’s self-confidence can make their transition into the workforce a rocky one. After mastering higher education and conquering the social media world, Millennials want to rapidly advance in the workplace. With the constant affirmations they receive not only from mom and dad, but from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, no one is telling them they can’t. Maybe Millennials’ arrogance confidence needs to come down a notch until they earn their spot in the workforce. Or, perhaps this sense of entitlement is justified because of the distinct social media trade Millennials can bring. Whatever the answer, companies may want to adapt to this new generation because, no matter what, they are clutching their participation ribbons and climbing up the corporate ladder.

*Name has been changed.

2012 District Addy Winners

laurenc@b-y.net (Lauren Coxen) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:41:00 GMT

Boyden & Youngblutt won 6 Silver Addy's at Districts

Biomet "Less is More"
IPFW "Dare to Imagine"
IPFW "Dare to Imagine" animation
Hoosier Lottery "Golden Spin in Lights"
Parkview Health "Arrive in One Piece"
Boyden & Youngblutt "Security Blanket"

2012 Addy Winners

laurenc@b-y.net (Lauren Coxen) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 09:35:00 GMT

Best of Show:

Best of Show Broadcast goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Dare to Imagine" done for Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

Judges Choice:

A Judges Choice Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "The Shape of Success" done for Indiana University– Purdue University Fort Wayne
A Judges Choice Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Dare to Imagine" done for Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

In the category of COLLATERAL MATERIAL, Annual Report - Four-color

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "The Shape of Success" done for Indiana University– Purdue University Fort Wayne

In the category of COLLATERAL MATERIAL, Brochure - Campaign

A Silver ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "2013 Brochures" done for Starcraft Marine

In the category of OUT-OF-HOME, Outdoor Board - Flat

A Silver ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Awwww" done for Parkview Health

In the category of DIGITAL ADVERTISING, Websites, Consumer - Services

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Where Do You Want to Go?" done for iAB Financial Bank

In the category of A DIGITAL ADVERTISING, Social Media - Single Platform, B-to-B

A Silver ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Facebook Timeline Photos" done for Boyden & Youngblutt

In the category of DIGITAL ADVERTISING, Advertising and Promotion - Banners, Rich Media

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "The Next Generation" done for SPAX

In the category of TELEVISION, Regional/National TV, Single - Services

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Less is More" done for Biomet
A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Dare to Imagine" done for Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
A Silver ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "A New Jackpot, Every Day" done for Hoosier Lottery

In the category of INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS, Consumer, Local

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "UndeniABle Campaign" done for iAB Financial Bank

In the category of INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS, Consumer, Regional / National

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Less is More" Campaign done for Biomet

In the category of PUBLIC SERVICE, Out-of-Home

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Arrive in One Piece" done for Parkview Health

In the category of PUBLIC SERVICE, Campaign - Single Medium Campaign

A Silver ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Don't Text & Drive Tabletop Campaign" done for Parkview Health

In the category of PUBLIC SERVICE, Campaign - Integrated Campaign

A Silver ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Don't Text & Drive Mall Campaign" done for Parkview Health

In the category of ADVERTISING INDUSTRY SELF-PROMOTION, Creative Services and Industry Suppliers - Digital Advertising

A Silver ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "We Think. You Win." done for Boyden & Youngblutt

In the category of ADVERTISING INDUSTRY SELF-PROMOTION, Creative Services and Industry Suppliers - Cards, Invitations

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Security Blanket" done for Boyden & Youngblutt

In the category of ELEMENTS OF ADVERTISING, Visual - Animation or Special Effects

A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Golden Spin in Lights" done for Hoosier Lottery
A Gold ADDY® Award goes to Boyden & Youngblutt for "Dare to Imagine Animation" done for Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

2013 Social Media Predictions

katieo@b-y.net (Katie O' Muireagain) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:42:25 GMT

2012 saw all kinds of changes as far as social media marketing is concerned. So, you can’t help but wonder what’s on the horizon for next year. What kinds of changes can we except to see? Well for starters, growth is going to be an ongoing pattern this year and for years to come – including new social networks and new ways to make social media marketing more convenient and effective. Have a look at these predictions for 2013.

Strategy:

It’s predicted that more companies will continue to hop on the social media bandwagon in 2013. The big change this year is that companies will focus on fewer, more-proven channels instead of attempting to infiltrate every social network available. To make the most of their social efforts, companies will continue to produce beautiful and engaging content with the ultimate goal of building their email list. Businesses will begin to see media as active or passive and make their decisions on the best marketing mix accordingly.

How the social media giants are playing:

Facebook is slated to offer better tools for businesses that will give marketers greater insights through new analytic tools. Also, businesses will be allowed to sell products directly from their Facebook account. Self-pay commerce apps, such as Square and GoPayment, are already being used.
Twitter will be personalizing your feed based on an algorithm, which will include influence, engagement, alignment, gravity and interests.

What to watch for:

SlideShare, Google+ and Instagram will continue their growth spurts in 2013 and will remain strong options for business use. SlideShare is predicted to be the fastest growing social network in 2013. Not only can a company embed SlideShare in their blog, website or intranet, but it can also be used on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Google+ will continue to be the central hub for managing your online public presence in the eyes of Google. Although it hasn’t caught up with the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, Google+ has the ability to turn users into fan addicts.

An article by a group of social media experts stated that 85% of Instagram users use the platform at work, which is a much greater percentage than other social media networks. The ease of use will contribute to the increase in popularity during 2013.

So, what do you think? Does 2013 sound like a promising year for social media? After looking at these predictions, it’s hard not to look forward for what’s on the way.

Reference: King, Cindy (January 1, 2013). 21 Social Media Predictions for 2013 From the Pros. Retrieved from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-predictions-2013/

5 lessons for starting an ROI effort

jerryy@b-y.net (Jerry Youngblutt) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:58:51 GMT

When I talk return on investment (ROI) with marketing professionals and members of the C-Suite, I get a surprisingly high number of comments from folks who know it’s important but have done little to nothing about it. In good economic times, businesses have a little more leeway in not doing enough. However, since the Great Decession of ’08, there is zero room for not measuring your ROI. As a client, you have the right to care about whether the money you’re spending with your agency is driving return. As an agency, you need to care about whether the money your client is spending with you is driving return. Hmmm, sounds like a mutual need/obligation.

So, if we all think it’s important, why aren’t we doing enough about it? Before everyone starts to point fingers, know this. It takes client and agency to track ROI correctly enough to make it worthwhile. This is good news because we should be a team in everything we do anyway, and this is a critical area to partner on for both of our livelihoods. This area can determine whether our budget increases or decreases, what new services we should develop, who should be hired and fired and a plethora of other important things. So, the first lesson is that it must be done.

The second lesson is that accounting for ROI takes a partnership. Yes, a lot of the tracking needs to happen outside the client walls, but more times than not, the proof of success happens inside. Dividing and conquering what needs to be measured can easily be separated along these lines. No one has to be overwhelmed, and everyone becomes intimate with the nuances of the processes and efforts. More importantly, it is understanding and manipulating those nuances (as a team) that will maximize ROI over time.

Lesson three is that you have to start with a realistic expectation of what can and cannot be tracked. Although we’re living in a time of great technological advancement, not everything will boil down to a black and white, make-your-CPA-happy number. It takes understanding your business and the positive impact certain efforts have on growing that business regardless of the “proof.” Accounting for ROI is truly an art and science. You have to do it long enough to factor in and weigh out the value of your “gut instincts.” One last thought here. We’ve all heard the saying “this is a marathon and not a sprint.” I think it completely describes the mindset you have to have when running a return on investment effort.

Lesson four. Be diligent in writing down what you’re trying to achieve before doing anything else. It’s so easy to get caught up in the quagmire of ROI — how will we measure it? What mediums will we use? Who will measure it? And so on. None of that stands a chance or even matters if you don’t clearly and concisely write down what you’re trying to achieve. While you’re at it, write down what you would consider successful outcomes, too, and share them with the team.

Lesson five. Start somewhere. Measure anything. Ask for help. You’ll be glad you did, as will your boss, the company employees and your agency partner. You can do this. Now get started.

Need a push? Here you go. This data comes from IBM’s Global Chief Marketing Officer Study:

Of the survey's 1,734 respondents, 63% said marketing ROI will be the most important measure of their success by 2015, but less than half (44%) said they felt sufficiently prepared to manage the increasing importance of ROI.

5 Tips to Increase Your Facebook Page Reach

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:00:49 GMT

Are you struggling with how to increase your Facebook followers and reach?
You may have had your Facebook page for years, and noticed that your “page likes” have flat lined. By simply re-inventing your social media strategy, you can boost reach, likes and visibility over night. In a recent success, one of our clients increased their page reach by 700% in just one day by exploring and executing the following 5 simple steps.

These tips can help you invigorate your page and get you on the path to Facebook success.

First, create your strategy and put it on paper. Break your message pie into pieces, and designate how big each will be. Sounds easy, right? Chances are, your current message strategy is 95% "inside look at our company/promote our event/promote our services." Rethink this message strategy and turn your posts from “about you” to “about them.” We have found that human stories increase engagement up to 15% more than an event or informational post. As a healthcare organization, you’re full of wonderful human stories that involve your employees, patients and community. Share them with your Facebook fans!
Create a content calendar. Do it. Really. Post every day at the prime Facebook times, and plan it 1 month in advance. By creating a content calendar, you are able to run a thread through all of your messaging. For example, during the holiday season, your “thread” may be winter safety, family activities and health information for the colder months. Make the theme continuous throughout the month. You can always replace a few later to respond to current events.
Consider supplementing your basic content with incentives like contests, promotions and advertising. These can get you over the hump and grow your fan base exponentially, especially for “like-building” campaigns. For example, we added 3,000 fans in just one month on a recent campaign by simply promoting an incentive. If a broad reach isn't your objective, use geo-targeting to hone in on your target communities.
Let it go! Release the death-grip on your Facebook page and be open to some new ideas. Facebook is a place for social interaction and conversations, not a place to “copy and paste” your most recent promotions and community blood drives. Use this as an opportunity to re-invent your strategy. The most common problem with Facebook engagement is, well, the lack of engagement. Remember, your posts should be about THEM, not you!
Track, tweak and repeat. Don’t expect perfection right out of the gate, but learn about what works and then revise your strategy. Each month, start with step 1 and go through the process again. Refine your approach and reap the rewards.

4 Ways to Evaluate Digital Marketing Tools

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 15:47:00 GMT

So, you've changed your LinkedIn status to "Digital Marketer?" Congrats. Now, quickly read this article before the tidal wave of e-blasts, guru marketing and software offers inundate your inbox.

Yes, I know it's overwhelming – you're receiving e-mails, direct mail and phone calls with free offers of software, advice and tools. By simply subscribing to their software for a mere $149, or attending their free webinar, you're guaranteed more fans on Facebook than Lady Gaga. Not to mention, a Twitter campaign certain to touch all ends of the earth. It looks valuable, it's cheap and it's worth it… right?

The answer is YES. Yes, you will learn something. Yes, it's cheap. Yes, it could help your next Facebook campaign. Yes, the input from an outside consultant will help you.

I'm here to tell you that there are thousands, if not tens of thousands of very good offers for experts, software and webinars aimed at helping build your digital presence. So, how do you decide which webinars to attend, and what software to buy?

Consider these questions:

What percentage of your time are you willing to allocate to learning and testing emerging media?
Personally, I allocate 10% of my week researching trends, testing new software and implementing new tools. This means that if I work 50 hours in a week, that's 5 hours of time I spend on these types of activities weekly. Every successful digital marketer I've met has a personal policy. This goes for their department, their staff and their personal time – unless you have a dedicated team member working solely on identifying and testing new media and interviewing consultants. Spend the time that fits your business need.
Where are you in your knowledge of digital marketing?
If you're a beginning marketer, walk before you run. You'll work your campaign straight to nowhere trying to implement bleeding-edge tools or having an outside consultant advise you in a one-hour meeting. It shouldn't be: “Where is our organization with the social campaigns?” It should be: “Where am I?” On Facebook, if you're not seeing engagement on your page, using good writing and compelling content, you'll waste money and destroy your reputation by moving into ad campaigns. On YouTube, if you aren't regularly posting videos with actual descriptions and tags, you won't increase views by buying software that promotes your videos for a fee. Take time to know and implement the basics and then move to making your campaigns more complex with what you’ve learned.
Does it fit with your overall digital strategy and goals this quarter?
Ask yourself how the new software or outside expertise fits in with your overall strategy. Don't have a strategy? Then hang up the phone and stop reading the e-mail offers. Get that ironed out then keep reading. Will it be useful in the next 3 months? Digital media moves too fast for you to consider software that would be implemented in 6-12 months. What you learn today could be obsolete tomorrow. Most software I use changes on a monthly, if not weekly basis. So, why spend 2 hours on something now that will be useless later? It’s easy to criticize this by saying, “This is too narrow minded, and I should have a long-term strategy.” That’s for part II of this lesson and we’re not there yet.

Here are some takeaways I hope you'll appreciate and implement:

Be clear on the amount of time you spend on emerging media. Use simple time management to decide which software offers to test, which webinars to attend, and what phone calls to answer.
Test and learn about software that fits your level of expertise. Participate in webinars that speak to an immediate need or hole in your knowledge.
Don't try to do them all. Yes, they are all good! But they're not all right for what you're trying to accomplish.
Stick with your strategy. Your time should be spent making your next 3 months the best it can be. Hone in on those software tools and consultants who can help you be successful.

The most important tidbit I’ve got? GO FOR IT. But, make sure it’ll be helpful to you today. If you’re going to spend some of your precious time investigating and evaluating something, then make certain you put that investment to good use on an actual campaign. Good luck!

User-Experience Developer Wanted

shardiy@b-y.net (Shardi Youngblutt) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:39:36 GMT

It's time for us to add a new B&Y-er to our ever-expanding team of thinkers. We’re looking for a full-time User-Experience Developer with a lot of passion and an equally large amount of personality. If you think you’ve got the “oomph” that we’re looking for, don’t hesitate to contact us. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table.

The low down:
-Work with an award-winning team on global, national and regional brands.
-Must be talented with translating designs into a functional web experience.
-Should be proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery, as well as Photoshop and Illustrator.
-Have experience in addressing cross-browser issues.
-Any submissions with games, interactive sites, Flash, cool web stuff (no matter how weird) and other "tinkering" earns brownie points.

Email us at talk@b-y.net with the subject line “User-Experience Developer” to apply. Oh, and we forgot to mention – BRING IT (we know you will).

Primal Creative Ooze.

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:40:14 GMT

The primal urge to think. It’s the only way to describe our culture. It can’t be bought or forced to happen – it’s primal. We’re just a bunch of passionate people that need to think. When coming up with a creative concept, it’s like training for a food-eating contest – you’ve got to stretch your mind (and your stomach). Eating 21 hotdogs in a row just might get you where you want to be. Or, it might make you sick. That’s a chance you’ve got to be willing to take.

Thankfully, B&Y is full of stretched-out minds. We fulfill our urges to think every single day, which leads to out-of-the-box ideas for our clients. We like to call this our ooze – fun to say, fun to play in. Our ooze not only leads to happy clients and happy CFOs, but it leads to happy B&Y-ers too. When we ooze, you win.

Always Doing Your Best?

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Sun, 06 May 2012 14:52:00 GMT

What happened to people doing their bset, bust, best?

Man, a few things change (economy, unemployment), and everything you knew that was right seems to go flying out the door. Funny thing is, we appreciate the brands that exceed our expectations and go the extra mile to surprise us. However, we also hate it when someone shortchanges us.

Yet in every down economy, we see manufacturers and service businesses do just that. This is your chance to pluck money from the proverbial tree. I’m not saying everyone shouldn’t scale it back a bit, but let’s be smart about what we do pull back.

Many of us who have prided ourselves on blowing past client expectations need to look at where the client saw the value. At B&Y, it’s nothing for us to give a client 7 different concepts for a project. We could probably cut back on 2-3 of those concepts and still meet our goal of exceeding client expectations.

The world has this habit of causing good, solid-thinking businesses to leave the game plan that got them to their current level, and replace it with all the things they used to sell against. Don’t give in unnecessarily. Think.

Building our Tagline

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:28:00 GMT

For 20 years B&Y has been crafting taglines, or positioning lines if you prefer, for clients. Yet, it wasn’t that long ago we added a tagline to our agency’s name. “We Think. You Win.” Funny how you sometimes ignore your own brand in your efforts to grow others’.

Long story short, we (B&Y) needed a way to explain what set us apart from everyone else who was doing or trying to do what we do. What we realized is, clients who love us learned to love us. You can look at our portfolio and see the work is of national quality, but what was it like getting there? Are we difficult prima donnas? Do we listen? Go the extra mile? Have your back? For the record, the answers to the above questions are: hell no, you bet, for sure and without question.

We also learned that we didn’t just do advertising. We helped solve basically any problem a client would share with us. What we came to realize is that none of it was possible without being good strategic, creative thinkers.

"Y" Marketing Will Never be the Same

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:33:00 GMT

Who are Generation Y-ers? They’re a multi-tasking bunch with miniature attention spans. They are opinionated and always ready for the next big change.

Almost everything that is done physically can also be done virtually. If my day involves reading a book, going shopping and getting a bite to eat, it really means I read a virtual book on my Kindle, shopped on Amazon.com and checked into my favorite restaurant on Foursquare.

So what does this mean for the marketing world? It means if you don’t show up on my Blackberry, you’re old-fashioned, or worse – you don’t exist. Because I’m a multi-tasking Millennial whose attention span is about as big as my iPod, your message should be short, entertaining and at least 80 percent virtual.

As customers, Generation Y-ers can be a little intimidating. We’re suspicious of advertising and we get bored easily. However, if you can win us over in our virtual realms, you might just get us buzzing about you.

Clean Your Head and Listen

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:35:00 GMT

Not long ago, we faced a recurring issue with an under-performing vendor. We’d been through months of banging our heads against the wall and were at our wit’s end.

Finally, the revelation came when (surprise!) I was explaining it to someone who hadn’t been involved in the details. They weren’t scarred by the experience. They were refreshingly green. Their perspective was pure. And apparently, that’s exactly the clarity we needed to resolve this issue.

Now, could I have come up with the solution if I’d cleared my mind? Yes.

That is, if I’d allowed myself to ask the simple questions. If I had stepped out of the trees. If I hadn’t been so busy dodging the road kill, complaining about the stench, and hoping that someone else would clean up the mess. Yes, I too could have been the wise sage of the day.

Lesson learned?

We deal with distractions and minutiae all day long. But, it’s during these times of craziness that it’s even more important to find that source of clarity. Those gut feelings mean something. Take the time to listen to them.

Finally, Mobile Marketing is Here

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:37:00 GMT

Okay, I’ll admit it. I love to be on the forefront of new technology. I like to delve in and know as much about a potential technology as possible.

Mobile is no exception. The only thing I wonder about in regards to mobile marketing is the timing. We’ve heard for four years that it was “the year of mobile.” During that time, a quick survey of friends and family made it very clear to me that mobile hadn’t reached a point of engagement. But now, smart phones are commonplace, data plans are becoming required, and new devices are a reality. Mobile is here.

Mobile has a real chance of setting the communications world on fire. The competition is almost non-existent. And with mobile being an opt-in vehicle, you’re getting an audience that’s interested in what you have to say and share. It’s up to you to manage that relationship so they don’t ever want to leave.

Two cautions. One, don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s the marketing “silver bullet” you’ve been looking for. And two, don’t wait too long to jump in and miss the advantages of being an early adopter. Good luck.

Is the Web Change Good?

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:39:00 GMT

Being an early adopter of the web, I’ve been in awe of the advancements that have come along. Back in the day, you really had to want to surf to put up with the speed issues, among other things. Then, everything seemed to click. I’d hop on Yahoo or Google and be very productive in a short time.

Then came social media. People began to connect on levels they had never connected on before. They got to know one another, one another’s friends, vacation spots, and on and on. As social media began to reach critical mass, the foundation of my perfect (search) world began to shake apart.

In recent months, I’ve noticed that finding good business data has been more difficult. I’m several pages into a search before I find anything usable. What’s taken its place? A ton of social media links. It’s beginning to feel like 1995 all over again.

As a marketer, I value social media and the power it wields. But as a businessman, I’d like a little more balance in my search engine. Is this an opportunity for Bing or Yahoo? Maybe. Or am I alone on this? Maybe. Could be time to start my own www?

Tridimensional Chess, Anyone?

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:41:00 GMT

Yeah, 3D chess.

A quick Google search or a Wikipedia read, and you’re in the know. In fact, you can see 3D chess being played on YouTube. Captain Kirk and Spock aboard the USS Enterprise played it to pass the time in the 23rd century.

Now, let’s tie that to 21st century advertising. It’s easy. The first two sentences give it away. We’ve gone digital. It’s a real game changer for traditional agencies locked in the past. But for B&Y, this is an exciting time – a new way to apply what makes us different.

Is it a brave world where we boldly go where no one has gone before? Sure. Is it new? Yes. Have we been through a change like this before? Heck yeah.

Think about it. The 40s and 50s were all about print. The 60s were TV. The last 30 years, commercial television has reigned. Then about 15 years ago, websites started to crawl out of the digital evolutionary ooze. And now, for all practical purposes, we’re walking upright – but slowly and hunched over compared to what’s going to happen in the next 10 years.

Which brings us back to what they’ll be using in the 23rd century – thinking. That hasn’t changed. Warp speed, Scotty…

Traditional vs. Online Media

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:43:00 GMT

Over the last few years, agencies have been stuck figuring out whether online media should merge with traditional media, rely on traditional media, or be completely separate from traditional media. I must admit that I was a firm believer in online and traditional media having separate budgets, separate planning teams and hell, occupying separate ends of the building. After working in more of a traditional position this past year, my thinking has changed.

The industry has proven that online media can have its own campaigns and work completely independently of traditional media. Recent studies from Nielsen have found that combining online video placements with on-air TV spots can increase ad recall by 65%. Even the likeability of the spot is up 26%. Can this be true? Can online media actually complement traditional media?

Absolutely! By using the same TV spot, viewers are recalling the exact message 18% more than if one of these media was used alone.

The next time you’re planning a TV campaign, make sure online video placements are a good-sized portion of your budget.

Interactive or Traditional Agency

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:45:00 GMT

The answer is both – with a Godzilla-sized warning. I’ve seen clients dump their tried and true agency for a newly created interactive one, and this confuses me. Why would they put themselves in such a precarious position? The only way that makes any sense is if their present agency simply isn’t willing to morph with the times. Then, by all means, give ‘em the boot. But if you haven’t given them the chance and you just want to date the new girl in town – shame on you.

The deal is, we’re in a transition period – purgatory. We’re caught right in the middle between the old traditional ways and the new, tech-driven ones. Everyone wants to sell you what they’re comfortable with, but that isn’t necessarily what you need.

There is no Holy Grail that will solve all of your problems. You’re not going to miss the boat by not being on the bleeding edge of technology as it relates to your marketing. So, don’t panic. And don’t make matters worse by casting out your existing agency for a new interactive one. Be selfish. Hold on to the people who have helped you get your brand to where it is and expect them to keep up.

The “Art” Behind Marketing

lindac@b-y.net (Linda Clevenger) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:47:00 GMT

In advertising, art and science are on a constant collision course. And you know what? They should be. Too much of one or the other, and you miss your objectives completely.

So the question is: how do you avoid these near death experiences?

First and foremost, know what you’re trying to achieve (and if you’re trying to achieve more than one thing, put your objectives in order of priority).

Second, shelve your personal ego and let the best concept rise to the top.

Third, trust your partners in crime. You do what you do and they do what they do. The harmonious blending of the two makes everybody a hero.

Fourth, make sure you understand your assignment and you understand your partners’ assignments.

Fifth, put the work up in plain view of everyone on the team so they can see it as it goes through the various stages of completion.

Sixth, step away from what you think is your final offering and give it some time to breathe.

Lastly, be as consistent with your process as possible based on the assignment.