Google 3rd Party Cookie Phase Out & Advertising

What are third-party cookies? Well, think about it like this, you’re thinking about buying yourself a new pair of work boots. You research on the internet with search engines and end up on some of your favorite boot makers websites. Now every time you open up your browser you’re seeing ads for work boots everywhere. This is no coincidence and there is a reason you are now seeing these ads. It’s called third-party cookies. Third-party cookies are set by another website, not the one you are currently on. They are stored under a different domain than you are visiting (Cookie Script). This is how advertisers track website visitors to collect data in order to send people targeted ads. This data includes what websites people frequently visit, their purchases, and overall interest, etc. (Hub Spot). That being said, the recent Google announcement of their third-party cookie phase out has the advertising industry a little shaken. Some advertisers rely on third-party cookies to make large sums of their revenue, but not all. Browsers such a Safari and Firefox have blocked third-party cookies since 2013 so it’s nothing quite new and first-party cookies will still be allowed. Advertisers are now seeking solutions to fill this gap in a cookieless-ish environment. But how and what does that mean? One option is being given by Google itself with their Privacy Sandbox. This is something that will target groups of people with similar interests instead of individuals. This way the users are individually protected and results from testing show this could be an effective replacement for third-party cookies. Chrome has also proposed technologies to measure campaign performance without third-party cookies. It will be useful to bring back contextual advertising, which places ads on certain websites based on the contents of that website. This makes sense. If someone is looking at a hiking blog then they could benefit from a good backpack so an ad from, let’s say REI, backpacks would be appropriate. There will be more ideas coming out in the coming months on how advertisers can deal with this new cookieless ad space. We recommend getting a head start on brainstorming ideas now for ways to keep revenue up without the reliance of the digital space. Digital marketing isn’t going anywhere and it will increase confidence on sales when online policies change.

Personalized Advertising

We all know the eerie ad that pops up while scrolling through the gram based on a conversation you just had with a friend. This is what is called a personalized advertisement. Companies are investing a lot in this type of advertising now but should they be? Personalized advertising works by using online user data to target users with relevant advertising based on their searches, purchasing history, and now even face recognition to determine the users age, race, gender, etc. Let’s face it, we know that our phones are listening to every conversation that we have. That is definitely some Big Brother stuff. So, what do the numbers say about these types of ads? Well, “companies that use advanced personalization see returns of $20 per 1 cent!” according to a statistic on Startup Bonsai. Therefore, from an advertising standpoint it does have great ROI. However, people do find it creepy when they see a retargeting ad on social sites for items that they have browsed, 35% to be exact (Startup Bonsai). And according to Pew Research, “68% of people view online targeted advertising negatively; they’re averse to targeted ads because they don’t like having their online behavior tracked and analyzed.” BUT, in that same breath, people do want their consumer experience to be somewhat personal and actually, “60% of Millennials said that they would not hesitate from sharing personal information to suit their personal interests” (RRD). It seems to be more of an issue of having their personal information taken without consent in order to tailor their consumer ad experience. Let’s look to Netflix as an example. Users have the option to thumbs up or down the shows that they watch in order to receive a more personalized recommendation to their likes and dislikes. Consumers like this feature because it is of their own accord. That being said, Google has a strict policy regarding personalized advertisements that restricts the use of sensitive interests, clinical trial recruitment, gambling, and more. What is the solution here then? We honestly don’t know but personalized ads do seem to have more ROI than non-targeted advertisements. Although people don’t seem to love the idea of their data being taken and analyzed, they do prefer a more personalized approach when it comes to brand advertising. Seems that some middle ground should be determined in order to please consumers and advertisers alike. We may not know what that looks like just yet but hope to see some compromises in the coming years surrounding privacy.  

Friday Fun Favorite

Our Friday Fun Favorite this week comes from The Martin Agency. This ad spotlights Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day. The ad was created by two of their creative directors Kim Nguyen and Kate Placentra. We find it very fitting since this weekend is Mother’s Day. The ad promotes their latest book Motherhood? and it highlights the maternal anxiety and workload that many women have to face as mothers on a daily basis. Let’s be honest, in today’s day in age, most women wear many hats. Not only are they are mothers, but some are also wives that also work full-time careers and somehow still manage to make time for friends and non-immediate family. Impressive superwomen! Make sure to celebrate all of the women in your lives this weekend that are able to call themselves mothers! 

Embracing Health & Wellness as a Brand

It seems to be an ongoing trend that we keep finding in all of our advertising research lately here at Locomotive. Consumer mindsets are shifting as a result of the pandemic. People want authenticity. They want transparency. They want brands that care about the environment and social economic issues. And… they want brands that care about health and wellness, not only for their customers but for their staff. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since we all faced a major health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic for over 2 years. Many suffered from a mental health crisis due to mandated lock downs and for some, physical health fell off all together. It’s sad that it took this insane event to make people realize how important mental and physical health and wellness truly are but we say, “better late than never to this party.” Now, health and wellness are at the forefront of everyone’s minds after two plus years of bringing awareness to these topics. People realized how stressed they were in their old “normal” day to day lives with work, life and everything else in between and aren’t planning on going back to that way of life. People now want brands that are transparent about what they put into their products. They want their values to align with what type of impact their products will have on the environment. They want to be sure that what they are bringing into their homes is safe for their families. Today, this is becoming a the major factor in what is driving consumer choices, aside from “price and quality” according to a Media Post article. All brands must embrace this shift in choices by understanding and implementing what their market audience wants when it comes to these things. The health and wellness movement isn’t going anywhere and it shouldn’t. it’s great that this shift in mindset of consumers has happened and it’s an opportunity for every brand to become better. 

DEI in Advertising

One of the biggest challenges that marketers face today is making sure that their brand embraces DEI. If you don’t know what DEI stands for it is diversity, equity and inclusion. After several recent movements, society has embraced new ideals that include DEI and it’s extending into the advertising world. People want to feel that they support brands that align with their values now more than ever. 83% of millennials to be exact, according to the Consumer PR Culture Report. Brands have to include all people of any gender, race, age, sexual orientation and economic status. This means that every type of individual will need to be featured in their content. But this is not all. Companies must take stances on social issues and build diverse teams behind the scenes as well. First and foremost, brands must talk the talk and walk the walk. Taking action is the only way to ensure that your company is actually practicing DEI. We will touch on a few ways to get you started. 

1.     Always be learning. No one likes a know it all anyway. If the brand is always curious about new ideas and trends it will be in the know about what is important.

2.     Embrace diverse holidays and traditions. This will help to immerse the brand and its team in different cultures they may not be familiar with. 

3.     Make sure you have a diverse team. This will also ensure a more creative team. Many different kinds of ideas come from different backgrounds and cultures. This will keep the spark alive so to speak when it comes to creation. 

4.     Look at other brands for inspiration. See what others are doing to create diverse campaigns. 

5.     Take a position. It won’t be easy but difficult things that are worth anything, never are. Make sure your agency is showing up to social issues that are current. Your audience will thank you for it and it will build more authentic trust.

6.     Lastly, and most importantly. There must be diversity in the campaigns. This one we feel should be a given but we wanted to touch on it nonetheless. 

The key takeaways from this article are DEI is an important topic that’s not going away. And why should it? It’s helping us create a better world to live in overall. Brands need to make sure that their teams and campaigns include diverse voices. If the brand aligns with their audience’s values trust is created. People want to support brands that they have something in common with. 

Creating Value Driven and Empathetic Content in Advertising

Why is empathy so important right now to consumers? The pandemic was absolutely dreadful BUT… it did drive some good shifts and this was definitely one of them. People want to feel some sort of connection with the brands that they decide to support. Now more so than ever. According to Harvard Business Review, “25% of people are healthy first, 16% planet first, and 15% are now society first.” This means that consumers are now trying to choose healthier products, minimize their impact on the environment (thankfully/finally) and want to purchase from brands that they feel are transparent and trustworthy. These new shifts are especially true for the younger generations as well. So, what does this mean for advertisers and marketers? First and foremost, agencies will have to change the way that they do things so that their strategies are focused on a customer driven marketing strategy. Discovering new ways to understand their consumers motivations and needs is key. Brands can use customer feedback and take actions based on the results and do research to see what their audience likes and doesn’t like with other brands. This will take a little digging but the payoff is worth it. A CMIresearch study found that, “the top -performing marketers focus 88% of their marketing programs on prioritizing their audiences’ informational needs.” Next, brands need to be transparent and focus on the value of their content. Less is more and keeping it simple will assist the brand in creating trust between them and their consumers. Be conversational with your content. No one wants to feel like their being talked down to or have information shoved down their throat. Lastly, DEI is at the forefront of societal needs today. Diversity, equality and inclusion. Just in case you weren’t sure what the acronym stood for. Make sure that your marketing strategy is focused on everyone! Be the brand that says, “you can all sit with us!” Personally, we believe that this is why user generated content marketing has exploded in the past few years and it’s here to stay. Nothing says I can trust you like a real person, who’s not a paid actor. People trust “real” people. This type of content advertising creates an empathetic connection as well. It’s easier to feel a connection with videos that were created without any advertisement in mind. Just organic emotions from every day people like you and I. 

Friday Fun Favorite: Sexual Violence

We’ve decided to switch it up a little from all the dialog and do a Friday theme that is fun! We will be featuring one favorite advertising spot that came out that week. This week we will begin with a great spot from Stand Agency for the Scotland Police Department on sexual violence against women.  We love this spot because of its powerful message it brings creating awareness around harassment and nonconsensual advances from men. This is type of solution that society needs. We applaud the Scotland Police for taking such a strong stance against this topic! These are the types of campaigns that should be aired everywhere worldwide to raise awareness on how to address certain issues. 

Streaming Service Advertising

During the pandemic people were forced to inside due to the stay at home orders. This caused a major uptick in media streaming services all over the world. “With revenues of 15.2 billion in 2018 before the lockdowns it has spiked to 24.1 billion in 2020. It is predicted to hit atleast 30 billion this year alone in 2022 according to Business of Apps. Netflix is the number one leader in streaming with Prime right behind them. According to recent news Netflix lost roughly some 200K people due to price increases so they are considering offering a cheaper, ad lavished version for those that want to opt in. Hulu comes to mind when I think of this because we have the ad version of that service in our home. To be honest, we don’t even mind them and kind of look forward to seeing what fun commercials they come up with for brands because they are short and sweet. With all of these statistics in mind it seems that the streaming ad space is something that brands and agencies should be getting behind and according to Adage streaming viewers are actually becoming more receptive to ads. “It gives advertisers increased brand recognition and recall.” The time for advertising spots in the streaming world is now and it is only going to continue to grow. It’s important that brands and agencies break into this market and make it part of their continued advertising budget and campaigning.

The Different Kinds of Marketing Videos

There are literally tons of types of marketing videos and categories within categories. In this blog we will touch on a few but wanted to preface with that. This isn’t intended to be an all-inclusive article and just merely a guideline to highlight some of the most useful types of marketing videos. Let’s start with “the spot” video. We’ve helped discover and curate hundreds of these. These are short 15-30 second commercials and are great because they can be used virtually anywhere. Between commercial breaks on streaming services, as ads on YouTube. You get the idea. These are also important because people tend to decide in under 30 seconds whether or not they will finish until the end and therefore, must be immediately engaging. User generated content ads are perfect for this type of video for your brand. Next, let’s talk about product marketing videos, which are the most common type. These focus on a brand’s product or service and explain the benefits. This is where brands can connect to market demand and tell a story that’s both conversational and professional (Chameleon). Typically, these are produced but can also be created using user generated content within them. Third, mini documentaries can be done on a brand that showcase a behind the scenes look at the company and its culture. These are generally much longer and treated more like a feature film style of video. Fourth, a behind the scenes style video bring the consumer into your process. This is where brand specialty and craftsmanship can be promoted. Lastly, educational or how-to videos are always a good way to engage consumer to the brand. All in all there are so many more types of marketing videos to engage brands and their target audiences and these are just the tip of the iceberg. Visit these websites to learn more about all the different ways to create engaging video content.

Hubspot | One Market Media | 99 Designs

Video Advertising

92% of B2B prospects consume online video (Whiteboard Animation). This isn’t surprising since the rise of social media platforms that push video formats in the recent decade. In today’s society, banner advertising is a dying art form and the rise of digital video content advertising is here. There are many reasons for video format being at the forefront of the advertising space and,  one of these being that little device that fits in your back pocket. 50% of users watch videos on their mobile devices making video streaming easier than ever (BRID.TV). Here is a list of some of the top reasons to use video advertising.  

1.     Attention spans are shorter and a video can get brand messages across in a shorter amount of time. Keeping the video between 15-30 seconds is recommended so you don’t lose the attention of the viewers. “73% of consumers decide in less than 30 seconds if they will watch to the end of the video.” (Social Sorted)

2.     Video gets the message across better than other formats. A picture is worth a thousand words all of which can be determined by the creative mind of the viewers. A video is better in conveying particular brand messages because it takes the guess work out of it for the viewers. Emotional impacts of videos are important. 

3.     Videos engage the brands target audience. Most people are more apt to buy a product if they are able to watch a video on it. Videos are easy to share and are suitable for different purposes. Stay tuned for our blog on the different types of marketing videos coming soon. 

4.     Videos help generate new leads. 93% of businesses reported getting new customer leads on social thanks to video according to Hosting Canada.

5.     Videos raise brand awareness and increase website traffic. Google favors videos on the search engine results page. 

It seems like creating campaigns in video format is the way to go in today’s day in age. Making sure that the beginning of the video has a “hook line and sinker’” cadence to catch consumers attention immediately is key to success. With attention spans that are shorter and shorter the video has to reel in the viewer in the beginning to be an effective marketing tool. Videos create an emotional connection with consumers and should be in the forefront of every businesses marketing strategy. 

Harnessing Influencers for Marketing

Influencers… we can all name at least one in this day in age. Jake Paul for example has set out and created a great business for himself through YouTube and now in the boxing arena. Although, let’s be honest the guy can’t box. They just feed him poor old men who were once previously good Mixed Martial Arts fighters. Big difference from real boxers. Nonetheless, he’s made millions through his marketing strategy as an influencer. But how can brands harness the power of these influencers and what are the reasons they would even want to? Influencer marketing has been shown to produce great return on investment (ROI). It delivers 11x’s that of paid media (Sprout Social). As the digital world continues to expand, it becomes more difficult for brands to reach their target audiences and influencer marketing can close that gap through locating influencers in their market (FORBES).

The first step in this process would be to conduct research to find what type of influencer best suits the needs of the brand and which platform you should be using. If you’re a vitamin supplement company you’re probably not going to reach out to a fashion model for influencer marketing. It’s also important to know which social media channel your brand’s area of expertise is dominated on: YouTube, Instagram, etc. Fashion and beauty tend to be more YouTube centric whereas other industries may be dominant elsewhere. Once you do this, you will also need to decide on a budget that can determine whether or not you go with a microinfluencer (less than 2K followers), someone between 5-10K or higher. The more followers the influencer has the costlier it becomes, naturally. Once you have decided on the budget you will need to know what the goals are for the brand through the influencer marketing. Is the reason for breaking into the Gen Z audience that your brand hasn’t yet? Are you trying to increase brand to consumer trust? Are you looking for more credibility in your industry? Deciding on this early on is crucial. Finally, it’s time to reach out and start making relationships with influencers. 

Marketing Challenge Predictions 2022

Since the unforeseen pandemic, the marketing and advertising industries will be facing their own new challenges as a result. There are many different opinions of what types of hurdles will come this year but we’ve put together a list of the top 5 that seem to be on every bullet point list out there right now. 

1.     Gaining new leads

2.     Using multichannel marketing strategy

3.     Reaching the brand target market

4.     Complying with GDPR 

5.     Keeping up with fast changing market needs

There are many solutions presented to each one of these issues that brands face that require a personalized approach. Here at Locomotive we believe that the needs of every business vary greatly and a “paint by numbers” approach will not work across the board so we’ve added some links here to help you navigate the waters of these obstacles. To read more about marketing problems and possible solutions visit any or all of these websites. 

Linkpin | PYXL | Ignite Visibility | StrategiQ

What is the Metaverse?!?

 This term metaverse has been popping up everywhere as of late and if you’re like us, you’re still a little confused as to what this actually means and how it will affect businesses. It seems that people are being urged to grab their spot in this virtual world. But why? And to what benefit would one gain from this? We decided to do a little research of our own to better understand what this new virtual world really means. According to an article written by VICE magazine, “the metaverse is an all-encompassing digital world that exists parallel to the real world.” The term was actually coined from a sci-fi novel, Snow Crash written by Neal Stephenson in 1992, which is very interesting. This is 3D world of the internet. My thoughts first go to Simms World but most say it’s much like games, such as Fortnite. In the metaverse, users will be able to create, sell and buy goods. Some argue that creating this digital economy will boost our economy IRL. However, the question on our minds and I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing, “why would I want to buy a house, clothes and the like for an avatar in a world that is technically not “real?” Don’t we all have enough to worry about financially in reality? Well, ROI or return on investments. This is the largest driving factor in the argument for purchasing digital properties. These properties aren’t limited to real estate. It can also include things like art, music, graphic designs, etc. Purchases must be made using NFT currency in the metaverse. NFT’s have a specific unique blockchain for each one created. They give the investor ownership of the virtualized asset. This was spawn from cryptocurrency that is created in a similar fashion. “Cryptocurrency is a form of digital asset based on a network that is distributed across a large number of computers. This decentralized structure allows them to exist outside the control of governments.” (Investopedia) This is another blog all in itself but I need to touch base a bit in order to fully understand NFT’s. it has been described as like purchasing a domain name. The purchasers of the NFT’s in the early stages of the meta are seeing the costs of the same properties increasing in value substantially. To be specific roughly 500% since Facebook transitioned to meta (CNBC). The potential financial gain also lies in the fact that these virtual worlds can be rented out. Say Nike wants to rent a space in your virtual mall for their metaverse line. Yes, this does exist already. They have monopoly on the shoe commerce as of now in cyberspace. Basically, the metaverse still has a long way to go in terms of development. Some speculate about 10 years before it’s fully developed. Business owners are seeing potential profits in the future for their properties in the metaverse and thus, the reason for businesses to break into this space now. It is up to each business to decide if the metaverse is right for them. It depends on a lot of factors. What type of business it is, does it financially make sense, and does the company believe that the metaverse will be the future. Some are still skeptical. Bottom line, it’s important for businesses to do research into this new world and decide if being part of it is right for them. One size does not fit all. 

National Volunteer Week 2022

Yesterday began the first day of National Volunteer week and we would like to extend our appreciation of all those that volunteer in our communities. There are so many ways in which people can volunteer and so many good reasons why they should. For example, it is a good way to learn new skills, gain real world experience, and make yourself more employable. This is especially important for younger generations looking to break into the work force during or directly after college. Aside from these, you can help make an impact in someone’s life and empower others while connecting with your community making powerful connections. Where you volunteer depends on what your interests are really. Some examples of where you can volunteer include: aiding at your local soup kitchen, summer camps, tutoring at schools, homeless shelters, nursing homes assisting the elderly or hospitals, and blood drives are just a few. The list is truly endless. If you’re interested in volunteering a good site to visit is Volunteer Match where they assist you in searching places that fits your interests near your current location. Just punch in the city or zip and your all set to begin your volunteering journey. 

Destressing Your Work Life

April is National Stress Awareness month. Work stress tends to creep up on all of us despite how much we may love our jobs. According to the Mental Health Foundation, “people affected by work-related stress lose an average of 24 days of work due to ill health.” Whether it be in the office or working from home it’s important to realize what ways stress manifests itself in your body. Every-body is different. Here are 10 quick tips to destress your body and mind throughout the work day. 

1.     Eat healthy. You literally are what you eat. When you chose healthy foods over processed ones your mind and body will reflect that. You will think clearer and feel better from getting proper amounts of essential vitamins, minerals and overall nutrients. And please don’t forget to eat. A lot of people get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle and get hyper focused on working. This is all bad but make sure to set reminders in your calendar to eat lunch and snack. Not eating enough can affect your mood and not to mention slow your metabolism.  

2.     Exercise at your desk. Take a 5-minute break here and there when you’re feeling fatigued. Do some jumping jacks, pushups, maybe even some burpees. Get your blood flowing. This is especially good right before a big meeting. There are even some companies, such as BurnAlong that assist employers. They specialize in instructional videos for mental and physical wellbeing. They even offer nutritional counseling. 

3.     Focus on your breathing. Take a few minutes away from your work day to meditate and just simply breath. It’s amazing what this simple act can do for our bodies that we so easily take for granted every moment. Apps, such as Calm help guide you through this if you’re unsure where to begin. 

4.     Step away for a moment. Run a work errand and get a change of scenery for a few minutes. You could even go grab a cup of calming tea from the break room or your kitchen if you’re working from home. 

5.     Stay hydrated! The general rule is to drink 8 glasses of water per day but an even better marker is to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day. If you’re one of those people who finds this difficult buy yourself a large reusable water bottle to make keeping track that much easier. Not to mention it’s better for the environment anyway ;) 

6.     Listen to your favorite jams! Put in your ear buds or air pods and listen to your favorite music while you work! 

7.     Keep your space organized! Your outside space reflects your inside space. Declutter your mind and your desk. 

8.     Have a quick stretch. Sitting all day can take a toll on your body. Muscle soreness and stiffness can restrict blood flow. Get up a stretch every hour or so. Set an alarm to remind yourself. 

9.     Prioritize your tasks accordingly. Focus on the harder tasks first thing in the morning when your fresh and more alert. This can make the rest of the day more manageable and will give more flexibility to handle unexpected concerns that may arise later in the day. 

10.  Positive beliefs. Say affirmations at the beginning of your work day. Just pick one positive thing about yourself that you believe to be true. It can be something like, “I am great at (insert something in your work-related field here) and have the skills necessary to be an asset to my team.” You can make this one whatever you like but keep it positive and keep it something unique to you. The way that we speak to ourselves is important. Our subconscious mind believes what we tell it. 

In a nut shell, we all have work stress and there’s no getting around it. What truly matters is how we learn to cope with and manage it. Learning new ways to help deal with work stress with keep you productive as your overall wellbeing isn’t being compromised. Healthy mind. Healthy body. Healthy work life! 

Reflection 2022

And just like that the first quarter of the year is already gone! As a business, we always wonder what the new year ahead will bring in comparison to last, so we started to reflect on the projects and partnerships that we have helped create so far this year. We honestly love what we do and firmly believe that life is all about the connections we make with one another. This is one of the reasons why here at Locomotive we believe so deeply in the brand connections with consumers through the use of sourced content advertising. We’re so grateful for new partnerships with ad agencies that have come to fruition this year. You know who you are and thank you for deciding to work with us! As far as campaigns go, some that we’re most proud of so far this year are: Xbox featuring Khaby Lame, Ritz Crackers: A Taste of Welcome, Comcast Lift Zone and the March Madness Oreo: Stay Playful spots. So far, we’ve been sharing blogs on advertising trends, creative tips, and other important topics in the industry. We hope you’re enjoying what we have to say but we thought it would be a nice breath of fresh air to just say thank you to all of our partners. We’re so grateful to have help discover and clear content for your campaigns. We’re very much looking forward to see what the future has in store for us. Stay tuned for more fun upcoming spots. Cheers to another great year ahead!

The Legal Side of Sourced Content

Obtaining sourced content can come with a dark side. We find it interesting that so many articles found on the internet state that using sourced content is actually free. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Users are protected by U.S. Copyright Laws. The content that they create is considered to be their intellectual property and permissions must be granted from the owner of a video or photo. This also means that anyone seen in the video or photo must give permission for use as well. There is also something called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that criminalizes production and publication of technology, devices, or services intended to bypass measures that control access to copyrighted works (Wikipedia). Basically, it’s a copyright law intended for the digital world that protects website operators but not the speakers. For example, if I posted a user generated videos in a commercial that I edited on my home computer with sourced content and did not get permission from the video owners, they can come after me but not the social media platform itself if that makes sense. This is why getting the proper licensing for videos is vital! Permission must be granted from the copyright owner and releases obtained from anyone in the videos, photos, or even audio tracks. Having professionals source videos for ad agencies that don’t specialize in the field is tricky business. Indemnification for the license of the content should be obtained in a case of a situation where someone falsely claims content that was not theirs by copyright. This is where companies that specialize in UGC, such as us, come in handy. We have a very strict verification process and are able to identify red flags early one during the clearance process. This allows us to protect our client partners from any legal issues so that they’re commercials are free of any liability. Since this type of advertising space is fairly new the waters are still being navigated by most but our founder and CEO has almost 20 years of experience with licensing and agreements in the sourced content field. Legal issues are no

Hybrid Work & the Freedom of Choice

We recently did a poll on LinkedIn to see how many people would prefer to be back in the office. Did they feel more productive there or working from home? The results showed that out of the 21 people that voted, 90% said that they prefer to work from home and feel they get more done. This is a hot topic right now since a lot of businesses are demanding that employees come back into the office full-time. What’s interesting is that the pandemic shifted employee mindset vastly into what social scientists are calling “The Great Reshuffle.” Workers now have a new “worth it” equation and 53% of employees are more likely to prioritize health and wellbeing over work than they were before the pandemic (Work Trend Index Report 2022). What is also interesting to note is that most of Gen Z and Millennials that entered the work force during the pandemic right out of college haven’t even been inside of an office yet and it seems they prefer it that way. 58% are considering a shift to hybrid work in the year ahead and 56% are considering to shift to fully remote (Work Trend Index Report 2022). As expected, management everywhere is under pressure to make the choice to either A.) lose employees if they require full-time in person employment. Or, B.) offer hybrid work options to entice people to stay. Josh Bersin, business analyst and adviser specializing in talent management and HR issues stated that, “Generally speaking, what most companies tell me is that working together comes easily and people really enjoyed being back together, as long as they don’t feel forced to show up when there’s no real reason to be present” (ADAGE). So, what it really boils down to is employees seem to not want to feel like their being (work) forced into coming to the office. Now, there are some benefits and draw backs of hybrid work systems. Let’s discuss the benefits first. Hybrid work allows employees to feel more power in their roles. This gives them the choice to decide when and why to come into the office. It also allows for more employee overall work-life balance and wellbeing. Being that Locomotive is a fully-remote agency, we understand the importance of both. Now, let’s talk about some drawbacks. Remote employees have fewer work friends and feel less included. The work cultures have taken a hit with fully remote work. Another draw back from remote and hybrid work is digital overload due to lack of structured hours and increased number of online meetings that would typically be done in person. With these few things in mind, there are solutions that can be determined in order to keep hybrid work environments thriving without suffering the disadvantages. Managers will have to take strong roles in creating new norms for the office. They will have to establish guidelines to see what works best for everyone. Here are some of our tips to making hybrid work, work. 

1.     For what reasons it will be important to come in?

2.     Create relationship building events for employees.

3.     Create quiet spaces at the location to promote productivity when employees are at the office.

4.     Reduce the time spent in meetings.

Managers and CEO’s must realize that employees have lives of their own. It’s easy to want to micromanage when they work from home but giving them the space, they need to do the work will give them the freedom to give it their best on their terms. 

Creating Good Content

We’ve all created a video at some point on our social media channels but what makes one video creator more effective than another? High quality UGC videos are important when sourcing in the advertising space most of the time, so it’s important that content creators make high quality videos. So, let’s dive a little deeper into what makes a video great. First, let’s discuss authenticity. This is the most important aspect of one’s social media presence. If you’re unsure of how to narrow down your online personality, start by asking yourself these questions to help you figure it out. What five personality traits/words do you have that would use to describe yourself? Examples would be capable, direct, etc. (Angela Chang, blogger/social media marketer). Also, take a few minutes to write down topics that are important to you. What are they? Unless you’re into politics, may we suggest staying away from heated political topics? Anything else is fair game. After you do this, what are some things that you absolutely do not want to discuss on your platform? Even choosing particular aesthetics for your page, such as a color pallet to stick with, is important. If you had to pick only two what would they be? Now that you have taken the time to answer all of these questions, let’s chat about making good content videos. Three things of high importance that first come to mind are quality, authenticity, which I touched on a bit already, and consistency. Always ensure that the video quality is the best that it can be. Without quality, you will lose engagement from viewers who have come to expect high-quality content (Forbes). Also, a recent study, “revealed that, content and technical quality of UGC have significant effects on UGC’s functional and emotional values” (Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, VOL 21, NO1, 2020). Filming horizontal is always good practice. Vertical is alright from time to time but it’s most important to make sure that the video is not blurry and does not contain any logos. Aside from being logo free, be sure to wear clothing without any striking patterns. This will make it more appealing to the agencies who source user generated content for advertisements. Secondly, be yourself. Organic content is always more alluring than something that looks overly produced or scripted. Have slight control over the narrative and try filming a lot of raw videos. Then, you can choose what you like from these and edit it together later. Authenticity is what will build trust between you and your audience. Finally, be consistent. As with anything, consistency is key. Being consistent will keep your followers with you long-term. Posting 3-5 times weekly is always a good place to start. Think about TikTok star Khaby Lame. He has a very specific style. His sarcastic style is shown through overly exaggerated facial expressions in each and every single one of his videos. He has his own online voice (which for him is actually no voice at all), he is consistent with the type of content he posts and it is always authentic to his particular style. Overall, creating great user generated content isn’t rocket science but that doesn’t mean it’s not difficult. Using these simple tips will help you improve on your filming technique and assist you in finding your unique online voice. Happy filming creators! 

Cost Effectiveness of UGC Marketing & Advertising

To source or not to source? That is the question! We all know the many benefits of sourced content advertising in terms of brand authenticity, loyalty, customer engagement, etc. But what about the pricing of this type of marketing over traditional forms of marketing? When we say traditional we mean production team, actors, studio. You get it. The whole nine. Traditional forms of marketing tend to be more polished and present mostly information about a product. It can also be very time consuming where user generated content marketing has a much faster turnaround time. Of course, like all businesses, there is always going to be a budget involved for every single advertising campaign that they do. Statistics show that content marketing costs 62% less than traditional and will generate 3x’s as many leads (Demand Metric Report). Also, the risk of traditional marketing forms is in the fact that the brand won’t know the end result or its impact it will have with their consumers. Whereas, sourcing user generated content that is already made, the brand will already know what the emotion the clips incite and how it may fit the final edits. Already knowing the emotional response will also give the brand insight as to how how it will impact their audience before it even goes into market. Often times, these agencies will come in well under project budget utilizing a sourced content agency such as Locomotive. Of course, it’s not feasible to use sourced content for every single ad campaign. However, it is extremely beneficial to blend a mix of traditional and content marketing together in order to get the best use of a company’s advertising budget.