An Ad Promoting…Another Ad?
Super Bowl ads [...]]]> Volkswagen’s Barkside is a fun teaser promoting the brands’ involvement in the Super Bowl — as an advertiser. It continues to tap into the Star Wars phenomena and mashes it up with a costumed pet meme to come up with this fun, minute-long teaser ad.

An Ad Promoting…Another Ad?
Super Bowl ads have become the TV equivalent of a retail brand’s flagship store. The ads, like the stores, forgo much of the brand’s established look and feel for something new. Advertisers want to make a big statement that gets consumers talking and ultimately buying.

In the past few years, we’ve seen several examples of how media convergence has Super Bowl advertisers building much bigger campaigns around their 30 second spot.

Streaming & Sharing the Game
Between advertisers investing more to support their TV spots to the news that the game will be live streamed this year, we’re sure to see more interesting campaigns from advertisers.

Hopefully we’ll see a better integration of mobile and the Super Bowl this year. UPDATE: Chevy just announced it’s Super Bowl App.  Last year there was no obvious app that added value to the game. This year Verizon users will have access to the live stream on their phones. But mobile doesn’t simply mean outside. The multi-screen experience holds much promise for advertisers  gearing up for game day.

The stakes are high and whether its a 30 second spot, social media, mobile or other media play, marketers and consumers will have so much to experience they’ll have to remember to watch the game.

:: By Kevin Dugan, Director of Marketing 

Content When & Where Consumers Want It
In “The ubiquity imperative: Why content needs to be everywhere,” GigaOm [...]]]>
As I debated creating a “super mega roundup” of 2011 roundups this morning, I realized I’d found three more examples of how media convergence continues to impact our industry, and the consumer.

Content When & Where Consumers Want It
In “The ubiquity imperative: Why content needs to be everywhere,” GigaOm builds on Empower MediaMarketing’s discussion of No Channels and notes content is not necessarily king. The key for marketers is to also consider distribution. GigaOm notes the importance of being on the right platform to provide consumers an experience when and where they want to have it. We agree with a broader view of content and content marketing. But we’re not sure it’s a King/monarchy discussion. Think more of an ecosystem.

Got Content Distribution Model?
Louis CK is a great comedian. But his latest news story is no laughing matter. He’s decided to forgo traditional distribution methods through an HBO or Comedy Central and is selling access to his latest one-hour special directly to the consumer. After his own costs, he’s already noted he hasn’t made as much as he might previously. But as fans catch on to this much better deal for them ($5 gets you his content), it’ll be interesting to see how his next special performs…financially.

Brands should take note that in addition to considering themselves publishers, they can also consider new, unconventional approaches to content distribution as well. As we’ve seen in the earlier story, the only question is WHERE do your consumers want this content?

No Channels: 2012
We’re already seeing phrases like “channel planning” making their way out of industry lexicon. AdAge talks about this in “The future of digial advertising.”

“Media departments and the work they produce tend to be organized around channels — in other words, around what the media is.

“I think the time has come to change that orientation, and instead organize around what our people do.”

We’ve also moved away from the term channel planning and are instead looking at how the consumer experiences it. A more sensory, consumer-focused mindset is helping us better examine how we can connect clients with consumers — on the consumers terms. Reaching the consumer on their terms at the point when they’re most open to brand messages requires more than a mind shift. As we’ve seen above, a lot of moving parts must shift to keep up with changing consumer needs.

:: By Kevin Dugan, Director of Marketing

Empower CEO Jim Price joined a variety of entrepreneurs, academics, venture capitalists and area leaders to discuss innovation.

“All About Innovation” was sponsored by Enquirer Media and [...]]]> 10 Ways Agencies & Media Are Changing

Empower CEO Jim Price joined a variety of entrepreneurs, academics, venture capitalists and area leaders to discuss innovation.

“All About Innovation” was sponsored by Enquirer Media and the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association. Held in the historic Emery Theatre, it felt like a wonderful paradox of sorts. However, while the focus was local innovation, the impact of the presenters content is far-reaching

*University of Cincinnati’s Dr. Jason Heikenfeld discussed an electrofluidic display technology which is being used to impact e-readers, smart phones, signage and display technology, boasting the color levels of traditional screens with the thickness of e-paper.

* Northern Kentucky University’s dean of informatics showed attendees how its state of the art program is cultivating sought after graduates for jobs in cyber security, mobile and social media, health technology as well as analytics, market intelligence and cloud computing.

Jim’s deck is above as he outlined 10 Ways Agencies and Media are changing. Technology, convergence and an unprecedented rate of change is impacting consumers, media and brands. Jim’s deck highlights some of this and, while the themes should ring familiar to the marketing industry, they’re helpful reminders as we head into 2012.

:: By Kevin Dugan, Marketing Director

Shift to Multiple Screens
While TV remains one of the most popular digital entertainment platforms, computers, tablets [...]]]>
Media channels continue to provide examples of the well-established media convergence trend. The integration of network programming, consumer electronics and mobile devices as well as social platforms is changing how consumers watch television.

Shift to Multiple Screens
While TV remains one of the most popular digital entertainment platforms, computers, tablets and mobile phones offer an alternative to the traditional TV set. Even record and skip technologies such as DVRs and TiVo have not slowed the shift to multiple screens for TV content viewing. In fact cable companies and sites like Hulu give users the ability to watch their shows on their terms.

Sets Get Social
Several TV manufacturers have models that tap into this shift. Vizio and Samsung offer TVs with built in applications like Twitter, YouTube, Netflix and Hulu that allow users to stream online services from the TV set itself. This is well on its way to becoming the standard for all TV sets in the near future.

Networks Truly Connecting With Consumers
TV networks are enhancing the viewing experience by engaging viewers while they watch – usually in real-time. The Bravo network engages viewers by encouraging them to interact online with each show’s celebrities, vote in polls to see relevant social media content and to gain access to exclusive content. Bravo does a great job of using mobile apps, their site and their shows to thread viewer content with their programming. Fox’ The X Factor also takes engagement a step further with an online community using gamification to encourage viewer participation as well as using real-time voting to influence the show’s content.

This second-screen experience, derived from the notion that one is watching TV while working with an additional device, is perhaps best exemplified with Yahoo’s IntoNow application. Available on mobile phones and tablets, the app listens to audio cues from news, sports and other broadcasts that matches with a database to serves up supplementary content to viewers on their device.

Paid & Earned Media Convergence
The amount of social TV examples we’re seeing speaks to the potential of paid and earned media convergence. MTV’s site boasts a heavy branch of mobile tools and options for its younger viewers to carry MTV with them seamlessly. And its social efforts leading up to their Video Music Awards, for example, garnered the attention of millions. In fact, its VMA Tweet Tracker broke the tweets-per-second record with 8,868 tweets at one point during the program.

It’s important, now, to ensure companies are capturing Social TVs full potential with the help of paid media. Both social and paid media efforts need to coincide under a consistent brand message to work together. TV still boasts some of the strongest viewership of all media channels and seamlessly integrated social media is helping  TV maintain this lead. Incorporating these two channels by leveraging complementary efforts across each can help brands garner the largest, most relevant level of engagement with consumers they have seen to date.

:: By Zach Murphy, Word of Mouth Marketing Associate

This new effort has been coined “3MS”, short for “Making Measurement Make Sense” with the underlying objective of creating standards in how [...]]]> A September Ad Age article discussing advertisers’ concerns about the measurement of online advertising raised some interesting thoughts about our current tools and how they might be improved in the future.

This new effort has been coined “3MS”, short for “Making Measurement Make Sense” with the underlying objective of creating standards in how online media is purchased and sold and most importantly, measured.

With a mix of media partners, big agencies and well-known brands such as Coca-Cola and AT&T, it will gain some significant traction in the marketplace over the
next year or so.

Data Overload?
In the past few years, the choices marketers have in activation platforms have exploded.  Utilizing content as a proxy for an engaged and interested target has now emerged to “audience buying” strategies through the use of Demand Side Platforms, Exchanges and Network proprietary analysis
and delivery mechanisms.  The use of more and more behavioral targeting, re-targeting, and the inclusion of large networks and DSPs are now a staple of today’s media plans.

With that, a great deal of complexity has accompanied these massive options and lead to serious concerns within our industry – serving multiple iFrames, brand safety, contractual compliance and
competitive separation to name just a few.  And now, the industry is questioning the standards of measurement that we have come to know for many years.

3MS Overview
But what exactly does 3MS mean and what are they trying to accomplish?  Is it making measurement better or working to create a temporary band-aid for online measurement?  To simplify, this inniative implies the following:

1. Similar to the traditional currency platforms, creating a 3^rd Party auditing
   platform such as Arbitron that validates not just media delivery, but audience
   delivery and brand safety.
2. Standardizing ad formats for online display and video.
3. Setting greater standards for how an “online impression” is served and accounted.
4. Creating standards that make digital media measurement more comparable and integrated
   with other media.

The Click Thru Connundrum
Digital media has always been very measurable, however the industry got off to a bad start by quantifying measurement by way of the click-thru rate back in 1994.  That metric has haunted us for many years and led many marketers to focus their attention on metrics that don’t really
matter.

Research has shown that 84 percent of internet users do not click on ads, but what about the rest of the metrics: cost–per–conversion, interaction rates and time spent and how true numbers
can show positive lifts or greater efficiencies in overall business metrics?  And what about creative
messaging – we are forgetting about a complete side of the story.

Creative Content is Key
Comscore studies have shown that more than 50 percent of a given online ad’s effectiveness is dependent on the efficacy of the creative message. To make the statement that online measurement is broken does not bode well with some of the digital experts at Empower.  Truly effective measurement should take into account the effectiveness of the creative message, as well as the media placement.  Research has proven time and again that there is no correlation between brand lift and click through rate.

Measure the Right Data
Could digital measurement be better?  Yes, but let’s also consider other media metrics.  Again are we focusing on the right metrics?  Perfect example…. The success of the fall line up of shows that premiere every year are solely based on ratings.  If a show does not get good ratings, it gets cancelled.

But what about all the people that like the shows that get cancelled who are engaged with those shows; the characters, the content? Do we have to send beans to Network executives each and every time to get our message across?  Are TRPs and GRPs the right metrics to be measuring the effectiveness of TV, particularly in the days of time-displaced TV consumption?   TV ratings do not take in to effect audience engagement, nor can audience response between creative sizes or executions be compared the way in which digital is currently measured.

Moving Towards Impressions
Comscore, the industry leader in digital validation and audience measurement just released their new AdXpose tool in August this year and appears to be gaining some viable traction.  The tool now allows us to gauge the actual number of impressions that were delivered above the fold and that are viewable by desired target audience. This is important not only in an effort to provide a more fair marketplace for Media Buyers, but also contributes to more meaningful metrics by which we can measure campaigns.

Gross GRPs, which are provided by other research companies, can contain up to 20-60 percent waste, because this metric is inclusive of any and possibly all of the following:

• Ads which are not seen
• Ads viewed next to objectionable content
• Ads delivered outside the target – i.e. Women 25-54
• Impressions which don’t drive brand impact.

ComScore’s solution measures validated contacts or impressions, which includes the following insights:

• Ads that are actually viewed
• Ads shown in safe content
• Ads delivered to the right target audience
• All impressions have potential to create brand impact.

Beyond TV
Moving beyond TV as we know it today, what about internet enabled TV’s and console platforms such as Microsoft’s Xbox – we have an amazing opportunity ahead of us to “get it right” based on what we know about digital measurement right now and not make measurement match or comparable to existing standards.

Aside from the questions of finding the right measurement technology and partner, we need to be focusing on the bigger picture, not just a subset of media.  And beyond that, marketers need to be focusing less on “media” per se but consumer communication platforms.

Consumers have several choices today where we are all vying for their attention.  Before we try to match one measurement standard more closely aligned with another, why don’t we start with
a holistic view and make sense of measurement metrics – regardless of whether or not it’s online, versus mobile or TV? It will be interesting to see how time treats this new initiative in the early part of next year.

:: By Jaime Arzsman, Director of Digital Media

• Record Sales: 2011 is likely to be the biggest year on record for mobile commerce, despite the lagging economy.

• Mobile ZMOT: Conversely, marketers who are not leveraging the mobile device as a part of [...]]]>
Here are a few things to consider as brands insert mobile into their holiday shopping season.

• Record Sales: 2011 is likely to be the biggest year on record for mobile commerce, despite the lagging economy.

• Mobile ZMOT: Conversely, marketers who are not leveraging the mobile device as a part of their overall search/research/shopping experience, are likely to lose sales. We should expect some interesting case studies coming out of the holiday season with regards to mobile ecommerce.

• Utility: Mobile will continue to serve a utilitarian purpose for shoppers, particularly around busy periods. Price matching, comparison shopping, inventory checking, among others, will all influence where they go to shop.

• Promotional Pull: Incentives unique to mobile devices will likely be pushed to drive people to the store to purchase. Offer codes, special offers and smart phone integration with the check-out process are going to become an integral part of the holiday shopping experience.

• Smart Mom: The sweet spot target will be Moms because of their purchase power. No surprise, based on their role in purchase decisions. The mobile device is a convenience tool for her. Marketers who help deliver an additional level of convenience (as well as some sort of “deal”) are likely to gain a greater share of her purse this season.

• Display & Search: Mobile search and display are going to have a greater level of integration across campaigns this year. With publishers like Google offering packages that facilitate search/display campaign activities, we can expect some exciting and break-through creative from top marketers as a result.

• Uber-Targeted: Really successful mobile campaigns will be the result of successful mobile targeting. The blue dot on the users map represents “me here”. The new consumer expectation is that marketers organize the world around them from where they currently are. Pinpoint targeting, a relevant message and a worthwhile reward will reap the true benefits of mobile.

• Point of Need: Creative and offers that encourage clicks to mobile optimized landing pages will be the most successful in driving results. It’s all about the right message, at the right time with the right reward.

• QR Convenience: Bar/QR code integration into mobile efforts will play two key roles: to provide consumers with additional information (video, product details, etc) in store to help drive consideration; and to integrate with promotional efforts, driving to unique pages that offer opt-in opportunities. Much like Facebook and Twitter, QR codes are the retail marketing gateway to additional content.

Mobile devices drive efficiency, convenience and are an excellent platform for taking customers from online to instore. Brands integrating mobile in a simple and easy way for consumers to engage will have an edge this holiday season. But this should not be an annual consideration, mobile brings year round returns.

:: By Andy Brownell, Digital Strategy Director

Absorbed uploaded by Lloyd Spencer

Are your consumer’s life logging? This consumer trend, discussed during Empower’s recent Connect11 event, acknowledges that technology has changed consumer behavior and evolved the private diary. An evolution that started with blogs has morphed as more and more consumers, Gen-Y in particular, are capturing and sharing seemingly every aspect of their life.

The analogy of liquid barbiturates and digital technology is simple. Email, like a good glass of IPA, makes it easier to express our point of view, or it allows us to be less measured in what we say and how we say it.

Most anyone in the marketing industry has probably been at [...]]]>

The analogy of liquid barbiturates and digital technology is simple. Email, like a good glass of IPA, makes it easier to express our point of view, or it allows us to be less measured in what we say and how we say it.

Most anyone in the marketing industry has probably been at the giving or the receiving end of this phenomenon in the last year. Whether the outcome has been good or bad, digital courage is a byproduct of how business operates today. Here are a few things to consider before deciding the cost of travel is too high or before hitting send on your next email.
Offline = Quality Time
Having a consistent, face-to-face relationship with clients is critical — despite the various benefits FaceTime, Cisco and GoToMeeting can offer us. Tighter budgets force agencies to minimize the face time they have with clients. This can puts not personal relationships at risk and ultimately impact the health of the business.

Beyond the ability to look a client in the eye and really read their reaction, bonding around non-work related topics can be just as impactful as a solid PowerPoint presentation. Digital technology and remote relationships should not become a crutch or prevent a team from sometimes stepping outside of their comfort zone. I’ve left even some of the most impractical in-person visits with a better sense for who our client was, along with what motivates them personally and professionally. Having this knowledge is absolutely critical for setting yourself apart in managing most client relationships.

And while frequency of contact can always be challenging in a client relationship, consistency helps fill in the gaps. Putting a 15 minute call on the calendar at least once a month, without a set agenda, gives your client a chance to speak his mind or simply tell you about what’s going on in her life. Let them talk and get to know them more. And clients can do the same thing. If you want to chat with me about your kids’ first day of school, or pass along an idea you had en route to work, I promise I won’t bill you for it.

Relationships with Co-Workers
The bonds we build with fellow co-workers are something entirely different. I’ve jokingly introduced fellow team members to my wife as my “office-spouse”. The reality is that most of us have more contact with co-workers than our own children Monday through Friday — and sometimes into the weekends. When we begin to rely on voicemail and email as the primary form of communication to people one floor, or even one cube, away from us a breakdown begins to take place. Imagine what would happen if you operated that way with your real spouse!

Even the most well-written email can’t clearly convey tone of voice, mood or even the true intent of the sender. Even emoticons can only do so much. Email and voicemail can prevent efficient and clear communication. Face to face conversations make it easier to get things done. They can also help you form a more personal bond with colleagues — people with whom you’re spending an inordinate amount of time. You’ll be amazed at what stepping away from the computer or phone and walking a few feet or a few flights of stairs to your co-worker’s cube can accomplish.

Better Working Relationships Fuel Better Health
One last thought to consider, getting up and moving around keeps your brain more active and is less likely to cause long-term health issues. One study even shows us that sitting at our desks is slowly killing us. It’s just one more reason to step away from your computer and go talk to a client or a co-worker, which is exactly what I’m going to do now.
:: By Andy Brownell, Digital Strategy Director

Anonymity; and the Internet. uploaded by Stian Eikeland 

Once again, South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive has been overwhelmed with panel proposals — more than 3,200 have been submitted. Only 500, or about 15 percent, of these proposals will be presented in March of 2012. Empower MediaMarketing has submitted three for your consideration on topics including gaming, word of mouth marketing and persuasion [...]]]>

Once again, South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive has been overwhelmed with panel proposals — more than 3,200 have been submitted. Only 500, or about 15 percent, of these proposals will be presented in March of 2012. Empower MediaMarketing has submitted three for your consideration on topics including gaming, word of mouth marketing and persuasion in a social age. They’re below, along with voting instructions.

Gamification: Get Past the Buzz & Down to Business
Game layers, badges and check-ins were a hot topic of discussion over the past year. But is gamification more than an esoteric discussion? How does it fit into marketing strategies? Can businesses use it and show how it helps them reach business goals? Join a brand (Chiquita), an agency (Empower MediaMarketing) and a technology provider (Bunchball) to look at what’s real and what’s not when it comes to serious play. Steve Daly, Empower MediaMarketing’s director of digital technology, is on this panel.

Want Social Media Success? Take it Offline
Far too many people think the definition of social media is a single site like Facebook or, more likely, limited to only taking place online. Online is only part of social media. Listen to industry veterans share their differing opinions on how creating community and tapping into social media for real results requires an offline approach. What works, what’s short-sighted and how you need online and offline for your next project to truly succeed. Jessica George, Empower MediaMarketing’s vice president of word of mouth marketing, is on this panel.

Life’s A Pitch: Make Sure Yours Doesn’t Suck
Journalists from Huffington Post and Reuters, as well as the co-authors of The Bad Pitch Blog, will discuss the consequences bad pitches of any kind can bring in our socially-networked world. Bad pitches can spread across social platforms for Google to catalog and archive — forever. You’ll leave this interactive discussion with the key steps required to stand out from all of the noise – in a good way. Kevin Dugan, Empower MediaMarketing’s director of marketing, is on this panel.

Helping Out: A Four-Step Process
The SXSW PanelPicker accounts for 30 percent of the decision-making process, so your votes are much-appreciated. Here’s what you can do to help.

1)      Create a FREE account so your vote will be counted.

2)      Give the above panel proposals a thumbs-up vote if you see value in the topics. Each proposal links to its voting page.

3)      Consider commenting on the panel proposals. The comments can help even more than the votes.

4)      Spread the word. If you’re willing to help us stay involved in this international, interactive discussion – you can share your vote with others via the social platform of your choosing.

SXSW is a great opportunity to stay up on the latest in the interactive industry with a look towards what’s next. We enjoy participating in SXSW and we greatly appreciate your support of Empower MediaMarketing.