Pareto Principle

I’m sure you’ve all heard of the 80/20 rule but probably not in the way we mean for this article in terms of economics. The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your results come from 20% of causes. It was observed by a man named Vilfredo Pareto in 1896. This principle explains the correlation between effort and outcome. So, how can this be applied to business? Using this technique can help prioritize tasks that are of highest impact throughout your work day. Here are a few detailed ways that you can use the Pareto Principle in your business.

1. Prioritize your day. Complete 20% of the most important tasks on your to do list for the day will result in 80% of the impact. Therefore, you must first make the list and prioritize the highest impact at the top. If any of these tasks involve collaboration or if there any that have been keeping projects from moving forward, these are to be done first.

2. Decisions decisions. This will assist with problem solving by helping prioritize the solutions.

   1. Identify problem.

   2. What are the causes of the problem.

   3. Break up problems into smaller groups

   4. Assign value to each problem

   5. Develop a plan that focuses on top 20%

This principle, in practice, can help your business become more efficient by identifying its top priorities. It will get the maximum impact with the least amount of work, therefore, increasing productivity. It will also make your day seem less daunting by breaking things up into more manageable parts. It’s time to work smarter, not harder.

Marketing Myopia

You might be asking yourself right now, what in the world is myopia let alone marketing myopia. The term originated at Harvard Business School by Theodore Levitt who was a professor there in the 1960’s. The term, coined by Levitt, is defined as a short-sighted and inward approach to marketing that has little imagination, foresight, intellectual insight while focusing on the needs of the business rather than on the needs of the customer. There are a few key reasons why this happens within a business. First, there is a disconnect between the brand and their customers. A business can get so caught up in what they’re doing that they forget why they are in business in the first place. What you do for your customers is what keeps you in business. Second, a brand will focus too heavily on the past instead of the future (short-sighted) and are unwilling to change when their audiences’ needs’ have changed. A good example of what “not to do” would be the locomotive industry. They thought they were in the train business and not the transportation business and fell into steep decline when their travelling customers went elsewhere for their transportation needs, such as cars. So, how does a brand stay away from the pitfalls of marketing myopia? First, they should stay away from these unreliable ideologies:

·      That an increasing population means increase growth industry

·      That their products cannot be threatened by competition

·      Mass producing because they think the supply will lead to demand

·      Lack of proper research that can cause them to misjudge the quality of the product/service

Now that we’ve discussed what ideology to steer clear of, let’s talk about some ways to avoid marketing myopia all together.

1.     Prioritize customers' needs!!!!! We cannot stress this point enough no matter what industry you are in! Never forget why you are in business and what you have to offer your customers. Your customers’ needs will not always remain the same so it’s important to constantly do brand research to meet them where they are.

2.     Research research research!! Review data and take the time to gain insights. This can help you come up with ways to improve and see what is also going well. Don’t get too comfortable! You can always optimize and grow. The use of first party data will come in very handy here.

3.     Know your competitors. Like we stated above, if you believe that your brand is not at risk from your competitors, you are really at risk for marketing myopia. There is always someone out there who is trying to be newest and next best thing! Understanding your competitors will keep you on top of your game!

4.     Innovation. To be doing something just because that’s the way it has always been done is an outdated mindset. It’s important to create innovation within your company. Don’t be afraid of failure and taking risks. If you stay open-minded as a leader, you can create an innovative team that helps lead your brand to success.

If you’re a business, chances are you want to be successful. I mean, isn’t that the point? Avoiding marketing myopia is one way to help your brand stay on top in its industry. Will it happen overnight? Probably not. Will it happen without mistakes? Most definitely not. But if you keep an open mind and strive for greatness, then your company will overcome any obstacles. In time, it will be an innovative leader!

Video Content Consumption Trends

What’s the main reason you watch video content? Is it to be entertained? To escape from your daily life? To learn about a new brand or product?  If you said any of the above, you’re not alone. The answers from most people are all of the above. Turns out that 32.8% of consumers watch videos to help them relax and unwind followed by 26.3% who want to be entertained or laugh, according to HubSpot. Video content has changed so drastically since the creation of the internet. It’s really hard to believe that it’s only been around for 30 years or so. Wrap your mind around that for a second! Video content now rules the web, so how is it changing today? First, it has become the most dominant form of entertainment and people have become reliant on it. 26% of consumers rely on social video platforms to find out about products according to Channel Factory. Another thing that has changed recently is that production value matters more and famous people matter less. According to HubSpot, 36% of consumers say production value is somewhat important and 28% say it’s very important. A Google survey showed that production value ranked #10 in terms of importance and famous actors ranked all the way at the bottom as #20 to consumers. Lastly, short-form video! Screaming it for those in the back. Between 1-3minutes is the optimal time for videos to catch your audiences’ attention and keep it. Any longer and you risk losing them. In the advertising world, we all know that video content is king. Keeping up with trends will keep you brand successful in its marketing and advertising strategies.

Gestalt Principle for Advertising Design

We know, we know. This already sounds like a very fancy, difficult to read article. Well, let us tell you that it’s not. We’re going to explain this design principle in laymen’s terms for those who may not be familiar with it. We don’t have degrees in psychology, so our understanding of it is at the surface level to be used for the ad industry. So, what is the Gestalt Principle? It deals with psychology that is a philosophy dictating that the human mind perceives a whole composition as something different than its individual elements. Basically, it means that the human brain will attempt to simplify and organize complex images/designs that consist of many elements. The brain subconsciously arranges the parts into an organized system that creates a whole rather than a series of elements. It is used in design to improve the aesthetics, functionality and user-friendliness. These are the principles associated with Gestalt: simplicity, similarity, closure, proximity, figure/ground, symmetry and order, synchrony and lastly, continuity. Let’s dive a little deeper into each principle.

1.     Simplicity. The mind will interpret ambiguous and complex images in their simplest form. When we see an object, we first seek to identify the outline to compare it to known shapes and patterns. A simple design that is well-defined will communicate the message more effectively.

2.     Similarity. Objects with similar characteristics will be grouped together as related or similar. This happens regardless of their proximity. This can be used to make certain elements of a design stand out from the rest.

3.     Closure. This one is the idea that your brain fills in the gaps for missing pieces of an illustration or image. The design need not include the entire image in order for the viewer to see the whole. Our brains are amazing!

4.     Proximity. Objects placed closely together are usually perceived as more related. They don’t even have to share the same characteristics. This can help you design by adding groups of items without definite borders.

5.     Figure/ground. Elements of a design will be seen as a focal point or in the background/foreground. This a way to use negative space in design. Our brains can distinguish the difference between objects in the foreground, background and focal point. Larger areas of the design will be seen as the focal point and smaller are the figure. Light and dark colors can also be used to influence what is viewed for each.

6.     Symmetry and order. People see objects as symmetrical shapes when possible. This can be done through harmonic color schemes or similar shapes.

7.     Synchrony. Parts of a design that move in the same direction are perceived as related objects. Therefore, objects that look to be moving in the same direction on a design will be grouped together.

8.     Continuity.  Lines are perceived as a continuous movement along the path. This can be used to guide the viewers eyes to particular parts of the design. It will follow the simplest path on the page.

The psychology behind advertising is quite fascinating. While this article just touches the surface of how it’s applied in the field, one can see how important it is. following these steps in advertising design will help your brand create successful print ads.

Friday Favorite 8/19/22

“The Monster” campaign was created from the region of Attica, Greece where the recycling rate is only 19%, and 79% of their waste ends up in landfills. So much plastic ends up in the ocean, killing sea life all over the world. Geologists are seeing plastic become part of rock formations. It’s absolutely maddening. This campaign is to raise awareness on the importance of recycling. The video goes to show a monster growing in size as it collects garbage along the sea floor. As it grows, each piece of trash is added on to the body. Everyone is afraid of the monster except a small girl. She realizes that she can defeat the monster by removing just one piece of trash from its body. The message of the campaign is this: “mastering the monster of garbage is as simple as recycling household waste,” according to ADWEEK. This topic couldn’t be more important now as the pandemic has increased the world’s waste problem with protective equipment and shopping packaging materials. The recycling problem is real and it needs to be addressed on a global scale in order to reverse the damage we have already done to this beautiful planet.   

Layout Design for Advertising

There is so much that goes on behind the scenes for designing an ad before the final product, that you see as the viewer. One of those processes is design layout. The process may be slightly different for each company. Approvals for each step in the process are required before moving on to the next and the first is a thumbnail sketch. This is a small and rough drawing that artists use to visualize different layout approaches. The second phase is the rough layout. This is the to scale for the ad where illustrations, text and photos are sketched in. The next step is comprehensive with an elaborate layout where all visuals are final. Fourth, the dummy. This is done with color markers and or/computer proofs. This will look like the finished ad. Paste-up comes next where text and visuals are placed in their exact positions to reproduced in printing. The last step is final approval. This is done by the copywriter and director. Although all of the steps are a required part of the process how do you know what layout to use for your ad? Layout design makes your advertisement look visually appealing to the viewer. Each ad will be different so, you as the creative will have to decide on what layout is most appropriate. There is a plethora of layouts to choose from but here are a few of our favorites.

1.     Mondrian. This layout uses horizontal and vertical bars to divide the design into rectangles. These rectangles are filled with color, text and images. This is probably the most widely used layout style especially in newspapers and magazines.

2.     Frame. Designed to block out a specific are to display a single item. This separates the ad from items around it.

3.     Circus. As the name implies, it refers to irregular composition of the elements in the design. These are known for their disarray that can be filled with reverse blocks, oversized type, and bursts of color. It tends to slow the reader down to have to really look at the ad since it seems to be “all over the place.” This is why it is believed to work so well for sales since the reader has to focus more, they tend to remember more, and therefore, will purchase the item.

4.     Multi-panel. Think of a comic book layout. This is what multi-panel layout is. panels are done of equal size and tell a narrative or display a product or both. Each panel is differentiated by keeping the block of panels larger than the block that houses the headline, body type and signature.

5.     Silhouette. The photo or illustration is highlighted through the use of shadows. Think of this one as the opposite of the frame layout. It uses negative space within the ad to emphasize the focal point. These usually follow a minimal design technique.

6.     Big Type. This style emphasizes the headline. Bold, large fonts dominate and grab the reader’s attention. Visuals are secondary and may not even be used. You will sometimes see these bold words in lower case instead of all upper case for creative purposes. 

7.     Alphabet-Inspired. This focuses on the letters that form a pattern, shape or image.

These are some common layout types that are our favorites. What are your favorite layouts? Ask yourself that question when creating your next advertisement for your brand. What would catch the eyes of your audience? What are you hoping to achieve with the display ad? As a creative, the arrangement possibilities are literally infinite!

Don’t Sweat the Technique: Common Visual Advertising Techniques

Chances are that if you’re in the ad industry, you went to college for it. However, some people landed in this industry who didn’t perhaps major in that field of study, say communications for example. For those of you who are familiar with advertising techniques and have studied this area of expertise or been the industry for as long as you can remember, then this article really isn’t for you. It will cover basic, common visual advertising techniques that are used. Some you may know and some may be new to you. We’ve talked about emotional advertising in one of our past articles but there are so many, many more. This list is in no particular order and does not include the entirety of ad techniques.

1.     Color Psychology. Creative advertising relies on certain colors to invoke particular emotions. It is found in every single ad you’ve ever seen. Expect to see a detailed article in the future from us on this one.

2.     Composition. This refers to how all of the elements are placed in the visual space of the ad. It can pull the viewer’s attention in one direction to another that creates a flow from top to bottom. It is crucial that the composition is balanced. The Gestalt Principles can contain basic rules for balancing visual compositions. More to come on this from us later.

3.     Rule of 3rds & Golden Mean. This also contributes to balanced composition. The rule of 3rds separates a canvas into six equal rectangles: two rows and three columns. In placing important elements at the cross-point of the rectangles, they are given visual importance all the while, maintaining compositional balance. Golden Mean used the Fibonacci sequence to direct the placement of elements harmoniously. This one is really cool since it uses mathematics to balance the visual composition.

4.     Focal Point. The ad must have a clear place for the viewer’s attention. There are a few different ways to create a focal point.

a.     Selective focus: focal point is in focus and background blurry

b.     Exposure: manipulation of light and dark areas to make focal point stand out

c.     Light source: illuminate the focal point

5.     Visual Paths. There are two types of visual paths you can create. One is the Z shape and the other is the F shape. It takes the viewer through a journey of the ad through taking their gaze to specific places on the ad.

6.     Body Language. Body language is important in advertisements. This is why casting directors go to great lengths to find the perfect actor for their commercials. Body language transmits a message by how they stand, smile, sit and move.

7.     Gazes. There are two types of gazes in ads. The first is direct gaze where the person in the image or video is looking directly at the viewer without looking away. This is to invoke an emotion and it’s actually adopted from hypnosis techniques. The second is the three-quarter gaze where the person in the ad is looking into a situation and not at the viewer. The viewer isn’t part of the situation.

This list includes the more intricate types of visual techniques. Others that you have probably heard of were omitted, such as point of view, BTS, FOMO and symbolism, just  to name a few. Psychology plays a very important role in the creation of advertisements as you can see. It’s important to understand how these techniques are used to help your brand create an effective advertisement.

The Future of Video Content Creation

Social media has been growing and evolving over the past 15 years, so what’s in store for the future of content creation? We don’t have a crystal ball but we do have some ideas. This is what we predict for the future of video content.

1.     Tailored content. Video content will be tailored to fit each platform. For example, Instagram is big for reels right now, where TikTok is short form video. These trends will constantly change and will have to be adapted to on each.

2.     Livestream increase. This has been growing and we think it will only continue for content creation.

3.     Silent video content. Look at Khaby Lame. He’s made this trend blow up. However, it won’t be totally silent. Voice over is a new and growing trend so expect to see this over the silent video.

4.     Vlogs. This is just a glorified way of saying story telling. This is a great way for brands to tell their story and connect with consumers.

5.     Individuals. Not everyone has to be an influencer to create great content and the more people do it, the better they get. We source many of our user generated content videos from people who would be considered the average joe. We truly believe that the future of video content creation will be for the individual users. Real people, doing real things, in their everyday lives.

6.     Short form video. We all know attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Content creation will follow suit. Short form video will take the lead.

Though, we can’t say whether or not our predictions will come true, we will be keeping up with trends as they come along. Video content has come so far and we’re excited to see where it continues to go.

Epic Fails: Top Reasons Why Ad Campaigns Fail

Let’s be honest, epic fails are only funny when no one gets hurt and in the advertising business, if your ad campaign flops, your brand suffers. There’s definitely no single recipe for an ad campaign to succeed there are some top reasons that it won’t. Don’t fall victim to an ad that falls short of the mark. Do the research and understand what to do and especially what not to do. Here are our top reasons that we believe some ad campaigns fail epically. While, this list is nowhere near exhaustive, it’s a place to start.

1.     Budget. If the budget is too small, the campaign won’t run for very long and won’t build up enough frequency. It also may not get enough traffic to generate sales. Sometimes budget may be out of your control so you will have to do the best you can with what you have. Make sure to take on an objective that fits that budget. A great example would be to use user generated content in your ad campaigns since it is much less costly than traditional advertising.

2.     Missing the mark with your audience. Chances are if you are still in business you have a good idea of your target audience. However, you may be new in the space or trying something different. Make sure to do the research to see what kind of people buy your products or use your services. Look at their social media, do customer surveys, use Google Analytics from your website and social media channel insights.

3.     Relying on a single channel. Out attentions spans are short and they are getting even shorter. I’m surprised you’re still reading this blog honestly. Just kidding but seriously, we constantly bounce back and forth between things on the web as our focus is pulled from one thing to the next. Sometimes, as brands, our audience can miss something if we only post on a single channel. It’s important to have an omnichannel approach to our strategies. It’s also important since different generations spend time on different social platforms. Knowing your audience’s demographics will help you know where to target the bulk of your advertisements.  

4.     Unrealistic expectations. Remember that story about the bears and the girl with the porridge. Yea, it’s like that. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. The goals must be realistic. If it’s too small, then you aren’t going to see any significant results but if it’s too big then you are setting yourself up for failure.  

Take a look at these red flags and set them as markers to avoid. Let’s be honest, some of it will be trial and error. Sometimes we learn more from our mistakes than our successes. Chances are, if you’re new to this then some will be made. If you’re a vet, then you’ve probably already made yours. No matter where you are in your business journey it’s always important to keep learning to grow and to stay successful.

Friday Favorite 8/12/22

 This week’s favorite should resonate with any working professional in today’s society. The print ad for the new Adsum + Timex MK1 watch takes a jab at the Apple watch stating, “Know the time without seeing you have 1,249 unanswered emails.” In the world of digital everything, this ad is spot on in the emphasis of digital detox. The sleek and simple watch design looks as though it could be a smart watch at first glance. We love this campaign and it definitely resonated with us. We hope you like it just as much as we do!

"More Human Than Human" Humanizing Your Brand Voice

Consumer trust is one of the most important aspects for the success of your business. Your brand voice is one way to secure this. Of course, UGC being the first. Wink, Wink. People respond to real people. Authentic people. This also adds to the personalization that everyone now expects in their customer experiences. So, having a unique voice that resonates with your audience is a way to create transparency but how do you do that? Think of your brand as an entity. A person. Who is this person who represents your business? What is their personality? What do they care about? Make sure that their tone is approachable and engaging that speaks your customer’s language. Here are some more tips on ways to humanize your brand’s voice.

1.     Transparency. Share your story. All of it. The good. The bad. The ugly. People appreciate honesty. This will help them empathize with your brand and its journey when they see there are real people with real stories behind the scenes. 

2.     Gratitude. Celebrate wins and give thanks to the community that devotes their loyalty to you. Gratitude creates abundance in your business and your personal life.

3.     Relationships. The foundation of any partnership, whether it be business or personal, is the prosperous, valuable relationship between two parties. Your customer is a person. With their own story. Focusing on engaging with them and connecting with them on a personal level. This will deepen the bond in an organic and genuine way.

4.     Availability. Be available. There should always be a real person on social media to respond to comments, reviews, questions and messages. Don’t leave people with impersonal bounce back messages. Although, these are ok for the short-term, make sure to reach out in response to them in a timely manner.  

5.     Blog. Keeping a blog on the brand’s website shows that you stay current in your industry. You stay educated in your field and that gives you credibility. Not to mention, it improves your SEO. If written correctly blogs should be conversational that easily invite others to read them. Thus, showing you’re a real person on the other side of the screen and not just some AI machine.

Showing your human side through your brand voice will only increase its success. Being relatable makes stronger connections and it makes you more interesting. Mysterious is out! Relatable and transparent is in! Stand out from the crowd with your brand’s unique, humanized voice to tell its story. Your loyal audience will thank you and so will your employees.

Content Creators vs Influencers

Influencer marketing is coming in the lead this year for marketing and advertising strategy. But what is the difference between an influencer and a content creator? They are not necessarily the same thing. Let’s look at content creators first. This group of creators know how to create high-quality and authentic content that resonates with the audience. They consider this to be their career. An influencer is someone who actually has influence over a particular audience, hence the name. They’re usually experts in a particular field that regularly post tips, information and tutorials on their craft that influence others. Influencers have different tiers:

1.     Mega: over 1million

2.     Macro: 500K-1million

3.     Mid-tier: 50K-500K

4.     Micro: 10K-50K

5.     Nano: 1K-10K

There are some differences when working with content creators versus influencers. Working with content creators will get people engaged whereas influencers, as the name implies, influence. They have big followings so this is a way to increase brand awareness.  Working with content creators can enable a brand to experiment with different types of content, publish more frequently, save money and work with experts in certain fields. Working with an influencer can expand your reach and help you reach your target audience. Influencers have sway over their audience’s purchasing decisions. There is no way to say whether a content creator or an influencer would be better for your brand. It really depends on what your goals are. Are you trying to reach your target audience more effectively or are you trying to increase engagement? Both content creators and influencer have great things to offer your brand. We’ve worked with both at Locomotive and we understand the importance as well as differences of both. Understanding each is the first step to knowing which to use for your campaign.

Statistics & Their Importance for Business Leaders

Statistics. Everyone reading this probably just had a nightmarish flashback of being in their college stats course. It’s a difficult subject.  But why is statistical research important in business in the real world? Well, it’s because it enables brands to analyze past performances, predict future trends and utilize critical thinking with data-driven decision making. Yesterday we talked about the importance of industry trends. Following business statistics is one way to help identify those trends within your industry. Statistics are data driven and are created using methods of mean, mode, median, bar graphs, bell curves, probability, hypothesis tests and regression analysis. There are a few top ways that businesses use statistics such as:

1.     Financial data management. Recording, tracking and analyzing your businesses accounting is one of the most important ways to use statistics for obvious reasons.

2.     Improving business operations. Measure efficiency and performance to make improvements to marketing research, projections and advertising strategies. 

3.     Improving decision making. Statistical analysis can help leaders overcome issues and changes to create a better future for your business.

4.     Measuring organizational performance and efficiency. Your business can look at various areas to see how they are performing.

5.     Identifying trends. Statistics give data on current trends and create solutions to adaptations that may be needed.

6.     Improve forecasting. This can improve sales, expenses, profit margins, production quality and capacities.

Chances are you’re not a statistician. Neither are we. Hiring someone who specialized in this will improve your business strategies as a whole. A statistician can analyze your business stats and is highly recommended in order to improve in the areas mentioned above, efficiently. No need to get bogged down in the numbers and feel like you’re in college all over again. Let a pro take the reins.

Trending: The Importance of Keeping Up with Industry Trends

Trending [tren-din] adjective: 1. Emerging as a popular trend. 2. Widely mentioned or discussed on the internet, especially on social media websites (dictionary.com). This popular term is quite new, but we’ve all heard it by now. Being a successful brand leader in your industry means being adaptable and open to change. This is why following what’s trending is important. It helps your brand understand your customer’s needs to serve them better, and if they’re happy, you’re happy. Following trends can help your business forecast the future of your industry through the use of data analysis. Seeing current trends can help you predict future trends and you won’t even need a crystal ball. You will also be perceived as leader in your field and build credibility. A brand that is not afraid of change is one that is perceived as an authority and highly respected. Be an innovator, not a follower.  If your brand keeps up with popular trends, it will help the business grow by coming up with new business and branding ideas through the consistent learning of new information. More tools for your toolbox, so to speak. This, in turn, can lead to new opportunities and conversations, where you’ll be able to take part, since you’re in the know. Don’t get caught up in awkward conversations where you don’t know what others are talking about. That’s no fun and quite embarrassing. As a brand, you can see why it’s important to stay up with current trends but how do you do it? Well, there are many ways so here are a few to get you started.

1.     Network. Regularly meet with people in your field. Conferences are great or even just a coffee with an industry connection to catch up.

2.     Social media. See what your customers are doing. Get an idea of what they’re thinking to understand their wants and needs.

3.     Sign up for email lists & publications. This is almost always sure to have current information about what’s going on in your brand industry. The more you read, the more you know.

4.     Trainings and webinars. Take advantage of these in your industry. It’s important to constantly keep learning for your business to stay relevant and successful.

5.     Keep up with competitors. What are they up to? Who are they targeting and what are they selling currently? Look at their website and social media to find out.  

Trending. Not just a cool catchy term that young kids use nowadays. It is actually important to businesses as you can now see why. Don’t get left behind in old-school methods that may have outgrown your brand. Following trends isn’t just about being hip with the cool kids. It’s about understanding your audience on a deeper level and growing exponentially as an industry leader.

Friday Fun Favorite 8/5/22

This week we’re taking a different direction with the fun favorite going to Zippo. We’re going to talk about two different campaigns. One print and one video. One old and one new. But both creatively badass. The first talks of the amazing story of a Zippo that worked after being taken from the belly of a fish. This throwback was done in the 1960’s when a man was fishing for pike. He caught the fish that must have grabbed the lighter as it slowly floated to the bottom and when he fileted it, found the lighter within the belly. The company promoted this story as a true testament to how well the lighters work. “No matter how old it is or what its condition, if a Zippo ever fails to work, the Zippo man will fix it for free!” Now, fast forward to today. The new Zippo, “All Fire, No Smoke” campaign promotes new and interesting ways to use a lighter. In the video there is a woman doing a handstand while holding a bow and arrow. The arrow is on fire and as she flips herself upside down, she places her feet into position. Once ready, she fires the arrow off to hit a bullseye on a nearby tree. I mean, I cannot think of a cooler way to use a lighter. Not to mention how difficult it would be to do what she did. I couldn’t stop watching it! Overly impressive. This Ogilvy campaign will definitely get the audience’s attention. We wonder what they will come up with next! Dare we say it? Their new campaigns are fire…

Personalization is No Longer an Option

Demand for personalized experiences from consumers with brands are increasing. 76% of consumers get frustrated when their interactions are not personalized and 71% expect it (McKinsey & Co.).  Personalization is a topic that we have written about before but its importance is ever increasing and cannot be denied. Purchasing decisions are now progressively being motivated by it. It can increase brand loyalty, customer retention, engagement and overall ROI. Turns out, it can even increase revenue if companies exercise the opportunity to approach personalization properly with the long term in mind. Here are some things that top performers of personalization do.

1.     Look at personalization as an opportunity. This is where you can determine where there is the most value using insights from customer behaviors. Use 1st party data to collect this information.

2.     Agile operating business model. Employ teams to handle each specific step of the personalization journey of your customers. Divide them into groups such as marketing, products, tech, etc.

3.     Balance of privacy and personalization. 48% of consumers say they trust brands to keep their personal data secure and use their info responsibly (State of Personalization Report Twilio, 2022). Using 1st party data to get information about your consumers is the safest and most responsible way to collect. It’s also easier to manage because the brand owns it and it provides higher quality data.

People now expect their interactions with brands they love to be personal. Brands must rise to the occasion to ensure that each individual feels as if they are being catered to, no matter how large-scale the company may be. Failure to do so can result in loss of consumers and overall revenue. Stay ahead of the curve and treat your audience like they’re business is important to you because it is. There is a person behind every purchase, behind every screen. Fostering these relationships is the way to building a successful brand.   

How UGC Can Help Recession Proof Your Brand

50% of people say that they are already experiencing financial hardships due to inflation (Gallup). Most brands are already cutting budgets or see it on the horizon due to the fact that their consumers are already watching their spending more frivolously. During these times, the best way to keep your audience is through brand loyalty that is fueled by trust and transparency. UGC checks all of those boxes and will be less costly than traditional advertising. 92% of consumers trust UGC more than traditional marketing and it cost 62% less than traditional marketing, according to Demand Metric Report. Brands and ad agencies listen up. This can help you during times of economic downturns that result it cut backs on advertising budgets. Harnessing the affordability of UGC campaigns can save your brand a ton of dough and time since the turnaround time is much faster than production campaigns. You can save money while increasing brand trust through adopting a UGC campaign strategy for your ads. It’s really a win, win situation so what are you waiting for?

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Is Brand Loyalty Immune From Economic Downturns?

The economic climate in the U.S. is changing. We all know it. Even though it hasn’t been dubbed an official recession yet, consumers already have. Let’s be honest, that’s all that matters because their perceptions determine how they purchase. 70% of the American population think that the recession is already here, according to an article in Media Post. However, according to a study done by Brand Keys, 38% of industry categories have reported decreases in loyalty whereas, 44% have seen it grow. Why is this? Does this indicate that brand loyalty may be “recession proof” depending on the field? While we don’t have the answer, it does indicate that consumers will have to adjust their spending, but it may not affect their loyalty to brands that they love. Industries that are tied to economics seem to take more of a hit than others when it comes to loyalty. This depends almost entirely on how the brand’s marketing deals with economic issues during downturns in economy. Loyalty can actually be strengthened during economic downturns since customers will concentrate spending with companies that they trust. Brands who focus on protecting and growing loyalties during these times of unrest can sustain loyalties and revenues. It can be difficult but it’s not impossible. You need to know your core audience and how they’re being affected. What changes will they have to make and how can you appeal to their needs during these tough times? Although, we cannot give you the answers to these questions because they will be very different for each industry and audience group, we can give you a couple of tips that may help your brand keep its loyal customers. That being said, according to Bain & Co., there are three distinct characteristics that can make a brand stand out as a loyalty leader during economic crisis. One, they don’t try to discount too aggressively. It can be hard to keep customers once the downturn is over when prices increase again. Two, they apply practical means to keep their most important audience before others. Keep that core group at the front of your mind when making marketing decisions. Lastly, they identify critical moments that positively impact their customers most. This can be done through a simple “rate your purchase or experience” questionnaire. In the end, we all know it’s easier and cheaper to keep customers than to gain new ones. Customer satisfaction will keep loyalties high while spending is low.

LinkedIn Takes the Lead

89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation and 62% say it generates them leads, over 2x’s more than the next-highest social channel, according to the Wpromote State of B2B Marketing Report. Why is LinkedIn taking over for lead generation? Well, there are a couple of standout reasons that make it the best for B2B leads. First, you should know that their lead conversion rates are 3x’s higher than major ad platforms. Here are some other great reasons why they’re perfect for generating B2B leads.  

1.     Professional space. There are over 575 million professionals on LinkedIn. It shows a professional’s position, industry and location. This will assist your brand in reaching the right people in the right positions.

2.     Business context. It is well known that LinkedIn is up there as one of the top professional social channels. It is where working professionals go to advance careers, search businesses, etc.

3.     News Feed. The ads on LinkedIn actually appear next content in the feed that allows for a better experience.

4.     Costs. Average cost per lead on LinkedIn is generally lower than others.  

5.     Extensive filters. Layering your targeting domains is easier here with extensive filter options, such as level of seniority.

6.     Matched Audience feature. This can help with website retargeting, account targeting and contact targeting.

LinkedIn is a good social network of working professionals and from the number of reasons listed above, you can see why it is good at generating new B2B leads for your brand. Give it a try for your business to reach new potential business partners in your field.

Friday Fun Favorite 7/29/22

We thought this week we would switch it up and do a throwback favorite from 2011. The ad was named, “What Will Your Mouth Go Through Today?” This campaign was done for Listerine and depicts the different items that you put in your mouth throughout the day. There were three prints done. The first was two burger buns that sandwiched not only the burger and toppings, but also pens, mints, cheeses, paper clips, sugar packets and a coffee mug. The second print was a milkshake glass filled with the contents of the shake, various candies, pistachio shells, fries and a lemon slice to name a few. Lastly, the final print was a skewer containing an ice cream bar, candies, beef chunks and lipstick. The ad brings attention to these various things that go into your mouth. Seeing them together looks absolutely unappetizing, but when isolated alone, they are delicious. This leaves the viewers ready to grab that bottle of Listerine and clean out their dirty mouths. It was a great ad done by Wunderman Thompson, UK.