By Apryl Felver

Millennial, Echo Boomer, Generation “I”.  Call me what you will, but I am one of the 80 million born between 1982 and 1999.  We have been labeled as entitled and privileged, and are said to need constant attention and recognition.  I personally think we are just misunderstood by the Boomers and Gen Xers that publish these studies, but that’s probably a very Millenial thing to say. 

Having worked in Higher Education, and continuing to work with Education clients as an Account Executive, I have been developing integrated marketing strategies for Millennials my entire professional career.  But Millennials are growing up, and reaching this group is no longer restricted to colleges and the makers of energy drinks.  Millennials are entering the workforce, getting married, buying their first home and are becoming YOUR customers.  Here’s what you need to know in order to reach them effectively:

1. A study by UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School found Millennials switch attention between media platforms like smartphones, tablets and television an average of 27 times per hour.  Do you have an integrated marketing approach across a variety of media so that your message is seen?  Is it compelling enough to grab our attention?
2. As Jeff Kallay from Target X always says, Millenials want what they want when they want it.  So when we Google products/services you offer, you better have an optimized website that ranks in the search engines — or we won’t find you.  And if you want to keep us there, think about what you’re offering. Do  you have relevant and dynamic content, like videos?  And, is your website adaptive so we can access it and have a good experience on our smartphones and tablets?  
3. To us, an expert is anyone with first-hand experience.  That’s why when we look up products online, we’ll check out the reviews first before reading what the brand has to say in the description.  It’s also why we have apps like FourSquare, Yelp and UrbanSpoon on our phones.  Are you present on these sites, and do you encourage your customers to write reviews?  Or, better yet, do you allow your customers to write reviews to appear on your website?

Don’t ignore us!  We aren’t bad people, I promise.  And, if your brand offers us a great experience, we will not only come back, but we’ll also share our great experience with everyone we’re connected to.

And if we don’t have a good experience, well, you better just hope Facebook never gets a ‘dislike’ button. 

By Kristy Mihill, Media Coordinator

Growing up in a big family (with nine brothers and sisters…yes, I said nine and I’m not even counting my half-brothers and sisters), I watched my parents, namely my mother, pinch pennies on everything from groceries to laundry detergent to our family’s back-to-school clothing.

So when I became a mother myself, I found myself scouring websites, sales flyers, coupon inserts and “mommy” blogs, to find the best deals (and best recommendations) on everyday items from baby formula to travel deals.

Which makes me wonder — am I the typical mom consumer? In my role as Media Coordinator, am I targeting myself as a mom when I buy TV spots for some of our clients? And are companies reaching me the same way they are reaching the majority of moms in the U.S? It’s hard to say, but one thing is for sure — marketers need to focus on the ever-growing market of moms:

 Consider this:

• Ÿ  Mothers make up roughly 85 million of the U.S. population
• Ÿ  85% of household purchases are influenced by moms
• Ÿ  Moms spend nearly $3 trillion a year in the U.S. alone
• Ÿ  69% of moms are more likely to purchase a product based on what they have heard about it
• Ÿ  93% of mothers regularly or occasionally seek the advice of others before buying a service or product

It’s clear that mothers have significant buying power.  But HOW are companies reaching this mom market? Below are a few ways that marketers and brands are spreading the word online and offline— from a media coordinator and savvy shopper who’s received their messages:

• Social websites — When moms “like” a brand on Facebook or “follow” one on Twitter, they are exposed to word of mouth from consumers posting positive (and negative) reviews on their pages. They are also offered freebies and the chance to sign up for promotions and contests. I admit, I sign up for quite a few free samples and enter contests just from Facebook alone.
• Mommy blogs— Companies and marketers work closely with the moms behind popular mommy blogging websites to test their products so they can get their product out there. A few of the sites I check almost daily for good deals are www.mamacheaps.com and www.thekrazycouponlady.com. These two sites post great deals and reviews on almost everything you can think of.
• Mobile advertising— 70% of moms now own smart phones and 43% of those moms have used a coupon from that smart phone.  And research also shows that 33% of moms who use coupons, share the coupon deals with family and friends.
• Product Sponsored, In-home gatherings (Mommy parties) — Companies are hosting Mommy parties, which allow brands to bring their products into households where moms have agreed to host a party and spread the word about a particular product. In one case study of these parties, over 12,000 moms volunteered to host a party and 82% of those moms told at least 15 other moms about the product/brand they were testing.

Marketing to moms is so important there are even specialty groups, marketing agencies and conferences that are dedicated entirely to selling to the mommy market.  And according to Stacy DeBroff, CEO of Mom Central, traditional advertising, PR and direct mail are not the most effective channels for targeting mothers.  So in the coming months and years, don’t be surprised if you see digital marketing efforts and mobile advertising rise as marketers try to reach the all-important mommy market online, and on the go.

By Tom Connors, Principal

Americans still watch more TV than any other medium, but the way they watch TV and other video programming is changing very rapidly. In fact, Neilson TV, the ratings giant, has started to redefine the rating process by rethinking the definition of a household. Neilson findings show the percentage of time spent watching video programming via a conventional TV has declined by 6.1% from 99.4% two years ago to 93.7% today. That is a rapid decline in a short period. 

What is happening is that Americans increasingly are accessing video programming from non-traditional devices and in non-traditional ways through platforms such as Youtube. This shift is causing in consumer behavior is having a big impact — causing marketers to reevaluate their television and video advertising strategies.

It is very interesting that Americans are watching more video programming than ever before, with the average viewing approximately 35 hours per week. Statistically, that means, we as a population are spending more time watching video than we are working.

Online video viewing has experienced dramatic growth over the past year as outlined in the comScore statistics below:

• Average daily unique viewers: 105 million (+30%)
• Average videos per viewer per month: 204 (+20%)
• Hours spent per viewer per month: 21.7 (+21.75)
• Minutes per video:  6.4 (+23%)

Changing viewing patterns have made it time to rethink “Prime Time.”  The prime viewing hours are no longer determined by when you are sitting at home at the end of the day in front of your traditional television. Today, we have to consider the fact that “television” comes in many forms and becomes more seamlessly accessible every year. 

Let’s face it, instant access to media has changed the practice of determining the most effective time of day for ads to play.  Instead of just looking at the 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. time slot for traditional at-home television viewing, we now have to consider the online video prime time for tablets and mobile users — and adjust our mobile marketing strategies accordingly. 

During the first quarter of this year, online viewing was highest from noon to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekends (comScore Video Metrix),  presenting additional opportunities to reach engaged consumers.

What we know is that that with these additional “prime time” slots comes additional opportunities. ComScore’s study found that aided recall of TV ads improved by nearly 50% when viewed across TV plus PC, mobile and tablet. Viewer engagement also increased by 50% when exposed to ads both on TV and digital screens, which makes this a very exciting time as we redefine prime time.  

By Chelsea Soules, Account Coordinator

Living and working in an Olympic Village, I can’t help but get excited for this year’s games in London. Add to that my interest in marketing and you can bet I’ve figured out pretty innovative ways to get in on the action from across the pond.  Thankfully, it’s 2012 and there are numerous ways to engage.  However, if we think back to the 2004 Games in Athens - when social media marketing was new- it was a different world and most viewers knew nothing of the social channels that are now ubiquitous.

The Athens games were marketed as bringing the games “back home”; however, when they brought them back home, no one went.  By the end of June 2004, 1.95 million tickets of the 5.3 million available had been sold.  The Athens games are noted as being one of the bigger Olympic marketing failures — and it was blamed on the lack of a national tourism marketing plan, a reactive government, and the fact that Athens, although historic, is not a top tourist destination.  

The lack of interest in these games leaves me to wonder — had social media been more widespread, could this fiasco have been mitigated?

By the time the 2008 Summer Olympics Games in Beijing arrived, social media was on the rise. These games were one of the first to really utilize social media to engage fans and viewers. With emotions running strong, fans finally had a public outlet to express their feelings via Facebook and MySpace. And marketers were allocating their resources to reach viewers online.  

McDonald’s spent 10% of its budget solely on new media in 2008, compared to nothing in 2004 for the Athens games.  Coke increased its new media spending by 50% from its 2006 winter games budget; and Speedo, who spent nothing on new media in 2004, spent 100% of its budget on digital efforts.  Similarly, as social media soared, search marketing was also beginning to get competitive.  That year, Speedo launched a monumental storefront, and YouTube was emerging as a new marketing outlet. 

As we head in into the 2012 London games, it’s clear that the digital revolution has continued.  London has exponentially more social media options than any Olympic games before: Pinterest, Instagram, Shazam, Viddy, among so many more. 

Looking at the “Explore London 2012” Facebook page, there is already a noticeable difference in what we are used to seeing.  Here you can “Like” and be taken directly to Team, Athlete and Sport pages, as well as the Official pages for the Olympics and specifically, London 2012; broadcasters, sponsors and other pages are planned to be added before the start.  It’s important to note that this marketing effort wasn’t something done quickly either – for over a year and a half, the Olympic Committee has been working with Facebook to create this page how they envisioned it: ad-free, with a clean slate for fans to engage.

And the IOCs efforts don’t stop there – eager to make this a social Olympics, they also plan on having a branded Twitter page, a dedicated Google+ page, an “Olympic Day” venue for users to check into on Foursquare, and continued efforts on all social media fronts including Tumblr and Instagram.

In 2008, Dan Shust, the director of emerging media for Resource Interactive, said the 2008 Olympics would “be the biggest digital event ever”; GE is stating that the London Olympics will be the “Most Digital”; I can only wait to see what happens when we get to Rio. 

By Kathy Ford, Production Supervisor & Senior Designer

As production supervisor and senior designer at Adworkshop, I spend hours and hours looking at type. Whether it’s the perfect headline in a print ad, compelling content on a website, or descriptive body copy in a slick brochure, the written word – combined with a powerful design – delivers the core message. The quality of how this message is presented can make or break your marketing efforts.

Proofreading is an essential step in the final process of any good design. Few things will distract a customer’s attention from effective messaging more than misspelled words, grammatical mistakes, or awkward sentences. One little error can detract from the entire piece, causing the overall impression to suffer. Mistakes convey carelessness, and can undermine your credibility. A well-written ad, brochure, website, social media post, or press release relies on correctly used punctuation and grammar, consistency in style and tone, and clarity as well as accuracy in words and statistics.

It is important to proofread every marketing piece before it goes to print or goes live. Always have a fresh set of eyes proofread your work. Relying on your computer’s spell-check to catch errors can prove to be a careless or costly mistake. It doesn’t pick up mistakes that are genuine words, and a few incorrect words can make a big difference to your intended message.

The simple act of proofreading will have a great effect on the quality of your marketing, conveying a positive message to the reader and a good image of the organization behind it. At Adworkshop we never miss this crucial step, and take pride in our work and feel confident that we represent our clients as accurately and professionally as possible.

By Emily McGuire, PR, Content & Social Supervisor

The digital domain is a complex and cluttered space. New media platforms proliferate and the channels for reaching a desired audience are seemingly endless. However, before you establish a presence on every possible channel, understand that an expansive digital footprint is not always beneficial to your bottom line. Whether you’re a small business owner or you run a large company, you should strategically decide where to invest time and energy.

How Do You Find Your Channel?

1. Less is More. When it comes to social media, the number of profiles you have doesn’t necessarily correlate with marketing effectiveness. Understand that managing one channel successfully is far better than managing multiple channels poorly.

2. Plan Offline. Before you start posting, pinning and tweeting, think about what you want to get out of it. Are you hoping to interact with customers or raise brand awareness? Are you promoting products or services, trying to increase sales, or is it a combination?

3. Align Your Goals. Once You establish a goal, determine which platforms best serve your needs and objectives. Does the channel offer any unique service to effectively market your brand or business? Think about what kind of content you intend to share and find the best place to promote it.

4. Find Your Audience. Figure out whether or not your audience is using the platform and if they are engaged in it. If they’re not engaged— or not there at all—there is no point in spending time and money to build a community where there is little or no interest, and where you’re unlikely to see a return on the investment.

5. Manage the Channel. Finding someone to manage the channel is an important part of the plan. Whether it’s you, an internal employee or an outside source, determine who has the time and skills to effectively establish a consistent presence on the platform — and then execute. Post often, be patient and remember that it takes time to see results.

Lastly, as you find your voice and watch your following grow, remember that your social media marketing strategy doesn’t end with the post. Listen to what your customers are saying and monitor which posts receive the most interaction and engagement. Then use those insights to make adjustments and shift your content strategy when necessary.

Contact us today for more information on our social media services. 

By Rebecca Steffan, Senior PR Manager/Content Developer

By Kelly Frady, Account Supervisor

By Apryl Dervay, Account Executive at Adworkshop

Adworkshop has several job openings in 2012 for freelance and full time. If your New Year’s resolution is to get a rewarding job - look no further. Adworkshop is an employee-owned, full service marketing agency in Lake Placid, New York. Talented, creative, hard working applicants are welcomed!

Graphic design, search marketing, web development and advertising positions available as of this post!

Happy New Year from Adworkshop!

As an employee of Adworkshop in Lake Placid and a resident of the Adirondack Park, I am surrounded by extraordinary nature. Our marketing agency is fortunate to be able to represent the very place(s) we breathe.

This time of year we like to say thanks and this year we are giving the Gift of Nature.

A recent Wall Street Journal article prompted us to do something to nurture mental refreshment. According to the article, a dose of nature can improve performance. For those who may not be able to get out into nature, we developed this short video that you can bookmark and take with you. Whether you are at your computer in the office, on the road in a conference room, or at home taking care of business, this web page and video will display across all devices to provide the needed energy boost.

As I reflect on 2011, I am appreciative of our exceptional clients, our team of professionals who exercise quality work on a daily basis, and our friends and families who support us so we can do what we do.

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season peaks, be assured our Gift of Nature is there to help you get through! Happy Holidays from all of us at Adworkshop & Inphorm! 

Take me to the Gift of Nature video page.