Skar 111

July 13th, 2011

Quit Buggin’ Me! - Pesky Banner Ads Don’t Fly

Face it. Most banner ads are a fixed annoyance. Many users have become overwhelmed with deceitful ads and, unfortunately, the ones that aren’t scamming just get lost in the mix. An ad that’s creatively effective will help consumers sift through the mess.

A recent banner ad for BMW begins as an inconspicuous box but grows to 18,000 pixels high when moused over. The expanded ad contains 5,500 words that engage the reader through the voice of the brand. It’s a humorous take on bending the rules to draw attention and interest to a brand.

Pringles takes advantage of the measurability of clicks with an image of a man proposing to a woman who is wearing a Pringles can on her left arm. With each click, the copy advances and pokes fun at the user for continuing to pay attention.

So how do you create ads that stand out and engage potential customers?

Challenge the typical: Standard rules can be broken when it serves an effective purpose. Don’t feel limited by habitual tactics.
Don’t distract: Flashy, loud banner ads often draw negative attention. Create interest by engaging consumers. Talk to them instead of at them.
Strategic placement: Make sure that your ad appears on sites that appeal to your demographic. For example, don’t place an ad for White Castle’s Pulled Pork Sandwich on The Jerusalem Post website. (Yes, it happened.)

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Leave it to Bieber - Opportunities in Entertainment Marketing

July 13th, 2011

From the moment we open our eyes in the morning, we’re seeking out entertainment. Whether we’re watching The Today Show while scrambling eggs or checking our Facebook feed before bed, we crave entertainment. So much, in fact, that every form of media is becoming a vehicle to occupy our constantly shrinking attention spans. And for marketers, it presents a golden opportunity for brands to get on board and enjoy the ride.

Entertainment marketing is all about content. Your message should be part of – not interrupt – what’s entertaining consumers. It should be part of the stories that keep people coming back for more. By working products into plots and storylines, brands can showcase what they do in a nonintrusive form with established personalities. But entertainment marketing is so much more than product placement. It can include everything from sponsorships with NASCAR to working with a celebrity to boost a company’s image – for example, Justin Bieber’s endorsement of Proactiv.

All companies should take a look in the mirror and evaluate what their brand stands for and actively seek out new ways to showcase those qualities.

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Pack a Punch! - Create a Powerful Tagline

July 13th, 2011

For years KFC made a fortune selling chicken that was “finger lickin’ good.” So how come after more than half of a century did the fast food giant throw a change-up and simply become “so good”? With a struggling market share in the U.S. and booming sales internationally, KFC felt the time had come to create a message that not only represented its menu but would not get lost in translation (”finger lickin’ good” means “eat your fingers off” in Chinese).

Taglines can be a great communication tool for your business and are one of the most important parts of branding. Not only do they establish an identity with customers, but they can serve as an internal reminder about what the company represents. The problem is most taglines lack substance by putting too much focus on the product or service and not enough on the benefit.

A good tagline needs to be powerful but compact. It needs more than just clever writing, it needs to convey the essence of your brand in a logical way. If you have to explain the meaning of your tagline, you’re doing it wrong. Step back and ask yourself, “So what?” Communicate the benefits of your brand and let customers know what’s in it for them. And don’t forget to let your brand’s personality shine. If you’re quirky, be quirky. That’s what branding is all about.

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What's the Verdict? - Judging Social Media Success

July 13th, 2011

All social media campaigns are not created equal. But judging whether a campaign was successful may be difficult if goals weren’t established prior to launch. Without a definitive industry standard for calculating the ROI of social media, the job has fallen to the individuals putting on the campaigns to justify that resources used were well spent.

Here are four identifiers to help you judge your social media campaign’s success:

Number of Likes and/or Followers – This is the easiest but not necessarily the best way to judge your campaign. Seeing how your social brand is building (or decaying) is always good, but think of this as more of a long-term trend to watch.

Engagement and Interaction – These buzz words have dominated corporate social media conversations recently, and for good reason. Gauging how individuals are participating in your brand’s campaign is a great way to measure success.

Influence – Has your social media campaign led to action? Have your followers shared components of your campaign with their friends? Have they decided to promote your brand campaign on their own? By tracking these influencing factors, you can better gauge the success of your campaign.

Sales – Money is the common language for business. If you can prove that sales have been directly affected by your brand’s social media campaign, then you have solid evidence to use when making your case for social media’s place in your company’s marketing plan.

SKAR has the right people, knowledge and resources in place to judge the success of your company’s social media campaign. If you would like to learn more, give us a shout on Facebook (skaradvertising) or Twitter (@skaradvertising).

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Skarface Bio of the Bi-Month

July 13th, 2011

What exactly do you do at SKAR?
That remains to be seen … or at least that would be the answer if you asked anyone in our creative department.

Without droning on and on, tell us about your interests outside of work.
I love to work out and I love to bake. I don’t remember which came first, but they certainly need each other. Sorry to ramble on like that.

You seem to visit Vancouver frequently. Is that your favorite vacation spot?
Loaded question, eh? I guess when your other half lives in Vancouver, vacations are pretty easy to plan.

What’s a “trip seven”?
Boeing 777… more specifically, the plane my boyfriend flies.

How does your MBA complement your skills in account management?
A good deal of my time is spent immersed in the business of my clients, from managing budgets to helping spot growth opportunities. As an account manager I have the opportunity to lead my account teams in the creation of integrated marketing campaigns. With each project, I put myself in the shoes of the client and use my business experience and education to help guide the development of the most effective communications strategies.

If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Too easy. Jif Reduced Fat Crunchy Peanut Butter.

Where are you from and how did you land here?
Seal Beach, Calif. I come from Nebraska stock so I guess you can say it was in my blood. I attended UNL as an undergrad and never looked back. Cliché as it is, I really believe there is no place like Nebraska.

Name three things that make you smile.
Fridays. Peanut butter. My dog, Bug.

Tell us something that nobody knows about you.
I get up at 2:45 a.m. every Friday to clean. I’ve done it for years.

What do you enjoy most about SKAR?
It’s like home. My co-workers are my second family. We have a chemistry at SKAR unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before in the workplace. It’s something special.

Posted in 1 Surreal Teal Issue 07/11 | No Comments »

May 2nd, 2011

The Company Blog: Expose your culture to the world

With more and more people shifting to social media to gather news, follow their favorite brands and interact with others, the need for a company blog is stronger than ever.

A company blog is a great way for your brand to connect with customers and offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the culture of your business that a corporate website oftentimes cannot. By providing useful and interesting insights about topics that people are passionate about, you can kickstart a conversation that allows customers to connect with you right out in the open.

Blogging also helps give your website updated content that can improve your standing with search engine optimization (SEO). There are tons of online resources that can help you get started, such as WordPress, Tumblr and Xanga, to name a few. Make sure your blog keeps a consistent flow of new content, and create a list of topics ahead of time to ensure they are thoughtful and well-researched. But don’t forget to be flexible. You never know when a burst of inspiration will occur.

It’s also interesting to note that blogs now have some pull in reporting for traditional media outlets since the Associated Press recently announced blogs were credible news sources.

Contact SKAR for more tips on how to get your company blog up and running.

Posted in 2 French Roast Issue 05/11 | No Comments »

Two digital experts geek out @ SXSW

May 2nd, 2011

In March, SKAR sent VP of Digital Marketing Nate Hall and Interactive Designer Andrea Gourley to the annual SXSW^® Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. Here's a few nuggets they brought back:

User experience
The way people interact with technology is changing on a daily basis. The user experience is more important than aesthetics so keep in mind that everything needs to be tested for potential issues to allow a seamless interaction for users.

Social media
"It's not a booty call. It's a long-term commitment."

Future of the Web
Scalability and compatibility are keys to the future. New tools, programming languages and trends will continue to emerge making seamless integration between networks and platforms more important than ever.

More on mobile
Design websites with mobile in mind but be aware that as mobiles evolve many sites will work as is. Software should be user friendly, solve problems and allow participants to connect with others and share their experiences.

Austin has great food
As you’d expect, Austin has great barbecue … REALLY great barbecue. However, the thing that most satisfied our hunger, after hours of learning and discovery, was provided by the various taco trucks in the downtown area. We’re not talking your run-of-the-mill fast food tacos. We’re talking about heaping combinations of steak, chicken, pork, rice, beans and awesomeness. Some of the taco vendors had corporate sponsors and provided these tasty bites for free to SXSW attendees. They certainly made a lot of friends.

Star power
As always, SXSW attendees were able to catch a glimpse of several celebrities at this year’s event. Famous visitors included Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Cera, Mike Tyson, Ashton Kutcher, Conan O’Brien, Paul Reubens, Rainn Wilson, Perez Hilton, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Jodie Foster and the Foo Fighters.

Tags: conference, interactive, mobile, social media, sxsw
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Bow Down! I’m the Mayor! - Checking in with location-based apps

May 2nd, 2011

Check-ins, mayorships and badges. If you’re not a stranger to social media, you’ve probably had your feeds littered with these terms in recent months. But is there something to this recent “I’m at the gym” trend that can help your business?

Location-based apps like Gowalla, SCVNGR, Facebook Places and category leader Foursquare — which claimed more than 6.5 million users and approximately 380 million check-ins in 2010 — have found their way onto millions of smart phones in the last year. These apps give users the opportunity to share their location with friends, find deals at nearby shops and restaurants, and explore their surroundings in greater depth without switching between platforms.

Many businesses have embraced this opportunity to create some true word-of-mouth marketing. Places such as Starbucks, American Eagle and Kum & Go have all used these apps as a way to connect with customers and add a unique element to their marketing strategy.

Sound interesting? Here are some things to keep in mind as you get started:
Participate — Claim your business on each platform and monitor check-in activity.

Plan — Decide if you want to attract new customers or bring existing ones back and use that as a starting point for your strategy.

Reward — Give people a reason to check in, like a secret menu item or an exclusive discount.

Listen — Find out what people are saying and use the information to fix potential problems or thank loyal customers.

Posted in 2 French Roast Issue 05/11 | No Comments »

Scandemonium! - The QR code frenzy

May 2nd, 2011

Between July and December 2010, Quick Response codes saw usage skyrocket by nearly 1,200 percent, helping bring the two-dimensional bar code frenzy to everything from Times Square billboards to business cards. In fact, a recent study showed that 52 percent of people have heard of or seen QR codes and 28 percent have scanned them. So what exactly are they?

QR codes work like a call to action. They are embedded with information — such as a website URL, coupon or video — that users are directed to when they scan the code using an app on their smart phone.

While QR codes can be a fun way to add a digital twist to your advertising, it’s important that marketers remember to use QR codes because they make sense — not just because they can. The content embedded in a QR code should add value to the user’s experience. Don’t just send them to a website without communicating what you want them to find.

It’s also crucial to direct users to content that is easily accessible on a mobile phone. Websites should be at the very least mobile-friendly, meaning pages are quick to load and free of things such as Flash, large photos and bandwidth-hogging display ads.

For examples on cool ways to integrate QR codes into your marketing, visit skar111.com or scan the code above.

Quick directions on how to scan QR codes
From the app store on your mobile, search “QR code reader” and select an app to download. Once the software is installed, open the app and scan the bar code.

Posted in 2 French Roast Issue 05/11 | No Comments »

Cool uses for QR codes

May 2nd, 2011

Self-Branding - Use QR codes on business cards, as a profile picture or wherever else you can think of to get people your contact information or direct them to a specific website.

Coupons - Scan the code to reveal an exclusive code that can be redeemed at check out.

Secret Items - Create a unique menu item that isn't on the menu and is only accessible through a QR code. Include images, reviews and more.

Reviews - Direct users to product reviews from fellow consumers. It's a good way to show the transparency of your brand and give consumers an unbiased opinion.

Tours - Attach history or other interesting facts about a landmark for users to scan and learn more.

Window Decals - After hours? Window shopping? Put a QR code in your businesses window with store hours, reviews, menu and more.

Marketing Materials - The most common use of QR codes to date. Throw one on a simple ad to give users a more in-depth experience.

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Quit Buggin’ Me! - Pesky Banner Ads Don’t Fly

Leave it to Bieber - Opportunities in Entertainment Marketing

Pack a Punch! - Create a Powerful Tagline

What's the Verdict? - Judging Social Media Success

Skarface Bio of the Bi-Month

The Company Blog: Expose your culture to the world

Bow Down! I’m the Mayor! - Checking in with location-based apps

Scandemonium! - The QR code frenzy

Cool uses for QR codes

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