New marketing stats revealed during Advertising Week XIII showed some amazing findings regarding Social Media, Mobile and even Television Networks. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Google, and Snapshot for example, are growing significantly on mobile devices. The data regarding Television was compelling as well:

Via adweek.com

There was also no shortage of numbers revealed during the New York event affirming the impact of television—and yet, even the networks are embracing mobile more than ever.The ad business, noted Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s vp of global marketing solutions, isn’t just getting into the game. “The shift to mobile,” she said, “has already bodybuilding-life.com happened.”

Advertising Week XII Reveals Amazing Marketing Stats

Without a doubt, these marketing stats prove that the only thing that is certain these days…is change. In times like these it’s more important than ever to stay on top of the latest trends. That includes doing what it takes to successfully market your product or service online and on mobile.

Tips to Staying On Top with New Media

Millennials are driving much of the growth in the overall economy. They spend their time across a lot of different kinds of media, so to reach them effectively consider being a jack-of-all-trades.

To start, you need a strong, diversified advertising plan. This plan should include a mix of traditional advertising, along with some ‘new’ media. Then you combine this with some engaging online marketing programs and popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram.

This will give you a recipe for success in the ‘new’ marketing and media landscape that consumers live in today. And then when the latest marketing stats are released, you will find yourself leading the trend – instead of being somewhere in the back, or left behind.

As customers rely more on the internet to find out information about products or services and to make their purchases – it’s more important than ever for a Small Business to have a website that will help build credibility and convert a higher percentage of visitors to customers. Therefore website redesign is one of the most important things a small business can do to help succeed in business.

Building a website that converts users into leads is much harder. Ryan Landis, the owner of KitchenBuilders.net, came to us wanting just that a new website that brought in more leads. Fast forward two months and we ended up building a site that increased leads upwards of 57%. Thats over twice as many leads monthly that they receive all because of a website redesign.

The one thing you’ll notice when you visit the KitchenBuilders.net contact page is that we kept the form as simple as possible. The only two mandatory form fields are the name and email. We even made each service a check box to save the user from having to write it out. The reason why we did this is because research has found that there is an inverse correlation to the amount of form fields and conversion rate. The less fields you have, the higher your conversions will be.

When designing your new site’s forms, think about only the information that is absolutely necessary for you to collect the moment the user becomes a lead. Remember, you can always collect additional information later on.

Read The Full Story Here

Website redesign can be the most effective way to increase brand awareness, online sales and new customer acquisition. Simply following a few of the most successful improvement tips can mean the difference between success and failure.

1. Create a brand.
2. Simplify your forms.
3. Create very clear call to actions.
4. Make sure it loads fast.
5. Make the content easy to read.

Lastly, remember to seek the help and guidance from a professional web designer and enjoy the journey. Working with the right professional can lead to more customers and better brand awareness for your Small Business.

I recently had lunch with an old friend. During the conversation he begin to talk about a new business he was starting. He was excited about the process of establishing his business and the process he and his team had to undertake to get started.

The conversation soon turned to the cost associated with starting a new business– business license, certifications, office space and more. All total he had, very willing invested over $20,000.

After hearing all he had done I asked, “Do you have a budget for marketing or a logo design?” Of course, like most business owners he had not and wanted to know how much a logo design would cost?

It’s subjective… like how much does it cost to build a new house? Or how long is the string? Where are you in your business and brand journey? Are you just starting out, making decisions, changes, and revisions? Or are you solidly established and in need of a complete logo redesign or brand update? The answers to these questions will help you decide on a budget, and select from the logo design options below.

You could run a contest, ask a friend or relative, or contact a local school with a design department and propose a class project. I don’t recommend any of these, but I know it happens, and sometimes people get decent results. But more often than not, the quality of the results is reflected by the price. This type of request is often called spec work, where logo design submissions are requested with no guarantee of compensation. Most professional graphic designers refuse to do spec work. Can you blame them?

Read the full story here

How Much Should I Spend on a Logo Design?

So what’s the answer to “How Much To Spend On A Logo Design?” The budget should be in line with the industry you are in or entering and the image you want for your company and only you can determine that.

My advice, seek help from a graphic design professional. One with a proven track record and work with them to create the desired image for your company. Set a budget, a reasonable budget, for your industry and expectations. You may even want to look for any logo design you like and reach out to them to see if you can determine what their budget was.

The bottom-line, set a budget that you can be comfortable with, work with the best possible resource for that budget and be comfortable with that. And keep in mind, as your business grows or the industry changes you can always have it redesigned.

With few constants we find ourselves dependent on simple things that give us a sense of stability. Even though the average person is exposed to upwards of 5,000 brand messages per day, the consistency of those brands give us a sense of normalcy. So when that changes too, we don’t like it.

Last week Google unveiled its redesigned, mobile-friendly logo, which updates the font from a crisp, sharply defined san serif wordmark, to a blockier, rounded sans-serif. Despite its cutesy introductory animation on Google’s homepage, the new logo made me uneasy. On some days it’s my one constant, and while that sad fact should probably unsettle me more than the subtle logo alteration, Googles move threw me nonetheless.

Despite its cutesy introductory animation on Google’s homepage, the new logo made me uneasy. Both at work and outside it, I’m dependent on Google’s search-engine. On some days it’s my one constant, and while that sad fact should probably unsettle me more than the subtle logo alteration, Google’s move threw me nonetheless. I wasn’t alone. “I hate it,” my friend announced over Gchat. “It looks like the scribbling of a child.”

An informal Ad Age poll showed that most readers were also against the shift, and the reaction on social media – which, to be fair, tilts toward negative reviews – was decidedly underwhelmed.

Check out the full story here…

Ahh, change. It’s often a four letter word (Actually it’s six letters, but work with me). Unless someone is a seasoned designer, experienced marketer or advertising pro chances are they won’t be able to express exactly why they do or don’t like a new logo design. They just know how they feel when they see it. More correctly stated, “When they don’t see the logo they have become accustomed to seeing.”

Need a New Logo or Logo Redesign?

If you are looking to have a new logo created – or perhaps just want to update your existing logo – consider working with someone who specializes in logo design or logo redesigns. They will be able to help you avoid many of the pitfalls that come with branding or re-branding your company or product.

However, even working with someone to create a professional logo design is not a guarantee that everyone will immediately like the new design. They may even write articles or blogs about just how much they and their friends “Hate it!”

But don’t worry, with one more ingredient, “Time”, change will begin to shift in your direction as your logo begins to be accepted as the norm and starts working in your favor.

Snickers Replaces Brand Name with Friendly Insults in Creative Packaging Roll-out

Popular candy brand Snickers continues the trend of personalization by actually replacing it’s very own brand name with new creative packaging that features 21 humorous hunger symptoms.  Continuing with it’s current “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign – these “Hunger Bars” are meant to be shared with friends who are not quite acting like themselves because they haven’t eaten.

While some bars will retain it’s original packaging, here are some of the names you’ll see emblazoned on the wrapper instead of the familiar “Snickers” logo:

• Drama Mama

• Curmudgeon

• Ornery

• Whiny

• Testy

• Grouchy

• Irritable

• Complainer

• Feisty

• Rebellious

• Princess

• Goofball

• Confused

• Snippy

• Cranky

• Loopy

• Spacey

• Forgetful

• Sleepy

Oh, the hilarity that will ensue when you give one of personalized Snicker bars to someone who really deserves it! Or when someone gives one to you!

Read more via Adweek:

As part of the campaign, the brand has released this online spot from BBDO New York, starring a loopy goofball of a hotline operator who takes calls and dispatches bike messengers to deliver the insulting candy to those in need. A percentage of bars will remain in the original packaging. Print advertising for the campaign launches later this month.

“We believe the new bars will inspire people to not only quickly identify their own symptoms and satisfy their hunger, but give them a new, fun way to call-out friends and family on who they become when they’re hungry, too,” says Snickers brand director Allison Miazga-Bedrick.

https://youtu.be/pT6PlWjuXw0

Extending Your Brand Through Creative Packaging

Bravo to the team at Snickers for taking their marketing strategy and creatively extending it to their packaging in order to better engage consumers. That’s a bold move that many may assume is not possible in their own situations. In reality, there are all kind of ways to achieve similar results – that may or may not involve changing your packaging.

First – Like Snickers, you must partner with a creative marketing company that will take the time to truly understand you, your brand, and your targeted customers. They should also have proven experience; perhaps with brands even larger than yours – to know exactly how to market your product to create the buzz, excitement, and measurable results your brand deserves.

Businesses Say Customer Service is the #1 Priority for Mobile Apps

A new survey by FollowAnalytics of mid-size and large companies reports that for businesses building mobile apps, their #1 priority for doing so was to improve Customer Service. This might be a surprise to those who assume that a business would mainly get a mobile app just because it’s the “cool” thing to do these days…

38 percent of the survey’s 451 respondents said their primarily purpose in creating an app was improving customer service. Another 12 percent said it was to foster customer loyalty, and slightly more than a quarter wanted to extend their customer experiences beyond the Web.

“Customer service is the primary purpose of brands’ mobile presence,” said FollowAnalytics’ CEO Samir Addamine. “Especially in banking, insurance, retail, ecommerce, travel, hospitality, and automotive.”

Interestingly, less than a quarter of marketers viewed their app primarily as a means to increase revenue.

Read the full story right here…

Businesses who utilize their apps to enhance their customer service are making a smart move. They realize that they are now only a tap or two away from their customers at any given time.  That immediacy and efficiency is great – compared to the customer posting a negative review or comment on Twitter or Facebook – and it possibly going viral.

Many businesses go a step further and use their apps to collect data and communicate on a detailed level with their customers. For example, users of an Insurance app can report incidents, submit photos, and follow the progress of a claim. Or users of a Restaurant app can send a voice message to the Chef; or even a video testimonial if their service or meal was excellent.

Others are incorporating their mobile app data with their CRM’s to help ensure their customer records are as complete and accurate as possible. They can then utilize that for cross-sell and up-sell opportunities and for customer loyalty programs as well.

For those businesses on the sidelines regarding a mobile app, all objective measures indicate that now may be an excellent time to get in.  Whether you goal is to improve customer service, extend the experience from your website, build customer loyalty – it’s absolutely critical that you get a mobile app developer that understands your specific business needs and can effectively promote your app to your customers and your prospects.

If you’re a Marketing Director at a Community Bank, you probably have a lot of Now What? Moments. Constantly pulled in many directions. Juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities. Not enough staff or resources. You get the idea.

It’s during times like thesea when you must be clear-headed and efficient in your next steps. Sometimes the best thing is to just step back and take a moment to assess your current situation. Then you can consider the best approach and strategic marketing strategies to move forward.

Here are 7 marketing strategies that every community bank could use to help you boost performance, minimize costs, and set your priorities for success:

1. Cross-Selling/Marketing
2. Onboarding
3. Offboarding
4. Referrals
5. Community Engagement
6. Social Media Marketing
7. Content Marketing

Read the full story at thefinancialbrand.com

In addition to these 7 strategies, you should also consider New Account Acquisition strategies like:

• New Resident Mailings
• Digital Advertising
• Targeted Emails
• Data Mining

Getting It All Done

Like anything else, Implementation is Key. While a solid marketing plan is the foundation for success, you also have to successfully implement that plan in order to meet your performance objectives.

So if you have any doubt whether or not your internal team is 100% committed to the goal – or that they have the proven skill-sets needed to develop and consistently execute your community bank marketing strategies, then you owe it to yourself and your Board to bring in skilled partners who will guarantee your marketing success to help.

In a brilliant bit of branding coup, Oscar Mayer has created and released an actual dating mobile app that aims to bring together like-minded people who share a deep and abiding love for…bacon!

Proving once again that “there’s an app for that” – this free iOS app called “Sizzl” aims to give dating apps like Tinder a run for their money and match up people nearby based on your preferences.  This is how it works:

Via adweek.com

You download the app, specify your bacon preferences in a customizable profile, upload photos and start swiping your greasy digits through pics of local fellow bacon lovers. Depending on how “Sizzl-ing” they are, you can message and meet up with other Sizzl users, based on a mutual-matching system, for what Oscar Mayer is calling “bacon-wrapped dates.”

“In love, as it is in bacon, it’s important to be discerning when selecting your perfect match and to never settle for less than the best,” Eric Dahmer, marketing director at Oscar Mayer, says in a statement. “We passionately cure our bacon for 12 hours, and lovingly smoke-house it for another 12, making it the true bacon for bacon lovers. With the launch of Sizzl, we’re thrilled to give our true bacon lovers the chance to find each other and potentially meet their soulmates, in life and in bacon.”

https://youtu.be/Vh3RuV-xoZc

This Sizzl app from Oscar Mayer is a great example of what you get when you take a pinch of strategy, mix in 3 parts creativity, add a bit of branding – and package it all in a custom developed mobile app cleverly designed to engage your core and desired target audience and generate buzz.

Very clever indeed!

If you want to check out the Sizzl app for yourself – it’s only available for download for the next 6 months – and exclusively on iOS, for iPhone 5 and up (sorry Android and Windows users).

When it comes to technology, facial recognition and emoji’s are two trends that have made great gain in popularity recently. Quick to capitalize on this is global advertising leader Coca-Cola, who just released a “Coke-moji” interactive ad campaign in Sweden that consists of a digital billboard that actually winks and smiles back at you when you do!

Few tech trends have exploded as fast in recent years as facial recognition and emojis, and now Coca-Cola is bringing them together for an interactive billboard.

While facial-recognition software is probably going to be fairly commonplace in public spaces someday, right now, the technology certainly still has a “wow factor,” and Coke’s ad shows that the implications of facial recognition can go far beyond mobile and social.

Read the full story via adweek.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2gvKrfZTAU

This is a great interactive ad execution – and shows just how far you can go when you blend technology with creativity to create effective advertising that strategically and literally engages with your target audience.