Agency Insights

This Wednesday, homes will be visited by countless kids dressed as witches, vampires, zombies, and any other ghoul, ghost, or hobgoblin imaginable. Or, schools or local community centers will host parties where these kids-as-creatures will converge to devour candy, cakes, ice cream, and other goodies. Yes, Halloween will be here before we know it. And Halloween makes for marketing opportunities. Just look at a recent movie – of the same name – for some tips.

Since that page with blue, red, yellow and green lettering that spells out “Google” appears on many a desktop and mobile screen, this would seem the obvious “go to” place to conduct an online search. But Google has been facing competition as a search engine and is therefore doubling its efforts to keep retain its place amid the competition. How so? By intensifying usage of one of its subsidiaries – YouTube.

Security – online security, that is – continues to be a growing concern. Any person, place or thing which can be found in an online search is at risk. And when it comes to marketing, there are potential doubts as to what audiences are being targeted and whether the related data is reliable. In a perfect world, the answer to these issues would be for all online parties to stay transparent. But it is not a perfect world, and to “stay transparent” may be easier in theory than in practice. Until now. Introducing the “Data Transparency Label,” which may be a first step in handling these issues.

 Image Credit: MultiVu

Winter is coming.

To help get you through winter and safely to the next season, Johnnie Walker has created a special edition “White Walker” Scotch to commemorate what will be the final thrilling season of “Game of Thrones.” It’s true. Brace for them – both the product and the show’s end.

In a perfect world, a brand’s marketing campaign on social media operates at full capacity, with representation on all leading platforms. But should only one or two social sites represent a brand – and Pinterest is not one of them – now may be the time to establish presence on this platform. This image-centric social media site is poised to increase its already impressive impact in marketing.

Image Credit: KOMO News

Why would an online retail giant such as Amazon open brick-and-mortar retail stores? Maybe just to conquer the world. Maybe because Amazon’s offline stores could be beneficial to their online experience. In the opinion of Sucharita Mulpuru, retail analyst at Forrester: “It seems counterintuitive they are investing in any physical stores when they are blamed for the demise of so many of them, but no cow is sacred.”

Influencer marketing and brand ambassadorship, that new relatively new method of advertising born from the rise and impact of social media is one of the most popular and – well – influential marketing strategies active today. Think of it: Customers who like a particular product or service become enthusiastic brand ambassadors who gain a following. They post on social media about how great the product or service is. As a result, the brand gets even greater exposure. Ideal situation, right? Yes – if proper attention is paid.

Image Credit: Colin Kaepernick/Twitter

In the live-or-die world of today’s advertising, Shakespeare is ever more relevant. Brand wars are dramas, after all. Each brand tries to achieve its goals while facing challenging obstacles. Twists and turns add flavor. But Nike chooses to get what it wants (sales) by being more irreverent, edgy and risky than its competitors. The recent Nike ad, featuring a headshot of former San Francisco Forty-Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick, with the caption – “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything” with the tagline – “Just do it” is a perfect example of the question of life or death for a brand: How far can (or should) a brand go when it comes to taking a controversial position?

Television, like radio, has been reorganized, revolutionized, and reimagined. In its infancy, there were the few broadcast channels to choose from – with commercials. Then there was the cable boom that offered more channels – and commercial-free viewing. Then satellite. For the last few years, video streaming has taken civilization by storm. One company in particular has used this over-the-top (OTT) streaming technology to create an extraordinary advertising opportunity. Yes, commercials ­– but with a difference.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to social media, a video is worth way more than that. Adding motion to posts or ads is a great way for brands to get noticed within the crowded social media feeds of their customers – which can lead to more clicks and sales. Some advertisers, however, may lack the assets or ability to produce video content for social ads, which leaves them one step behind their competition. That is, until now.