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CREATIVE: Proving That Those Who Can, Do.
Saturday, June 30th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
When you claim to be one of the top art, film and music educational institutions in the world, you better practice what you preach — and Full Sail University in Florida has consistently done that across 30 years, turning out stellar graduates and award-winning projects across media, entertainment, the arts and more.
So when Full Sail recently released its totally integrated, awesomely innovative new YouTube channel, well, you expected something that would wow you. And wow it is.
The Full Sail YouTube channel is the first we’ve seen that fully (and sweetly) integrates animation and motion graphics in its delivery. With each page load, a different student appears against a nondescript background, to open and hold up a blank piece of black paper — the creative canvas upon which the Full Sail story will literally unfold. From there, a brief video story engages and excites you to the Full Sail experience, dissolving to a montage of clickthrough opportunities, complete with the aforementioned student’s hands that, while still holding the canvas, move up and down with your cursor.
It’s work like this that clearly convinces you that Full Sail University’s got what it takes and delivers on its promise — proving once again two adages true: actions speak louder than words and yes, those who can do.
SOURCE: NOISE
DIGITAL: Stay Fresh!
Monday, January 30th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Working in Digital Media requires constant creativity. However, sometimes you may find yourself staring at a blank notebook page or an empty screen, wondering what to do. How do you keep the fresh ideas flowing from day to day? The folks over at Mashable have provided some suggestions:
• Take a Break From the Web – Occasionally, you need to erase your mental chalkboard. Clear your head for a few minutes by walking away from your desk, turning off your phone or doing something completely unrelated to your work. Taking the time to clear your mind will give you some room for new material.
• Expose Yourself to New Ideas and People – Striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know will force you out of whatever mindset you’re in. Surrounding yourself with people who have expertise in different areas will open your mind to different ideas.
• Find an Easy Way In – You may think that tackling the most difficult part of a situation first is best, but sometimes the opposite is true. Focusing on a task that interests you can help you approach the situation from a different, and possibly easier, angle.
• Avoid Brainstorming in Large Groups – Talking in groups of four or more can actually limit productivity and creativity, because everyone wants to get a word in. The discussion may start to head in a direction different from where you’re trying to go. Working with one other person usually yields better results. In advertising, there’s been a long history of two-person teams, going back-and-forth with ideas. If a larger group is necessary, try working digitally – chat rooms or discussion boards may function as a more welcoming workplace.
• Revisit an “Old Favorite” – Looking back on something that inspired you in the past may bring out new ideas. Books, movies, artwork and places that were motivational before are worth taking a second (or third) look.
• Use the “Jerry Seinfeld” Trick – Seinfeld came up with a system called “Don’t Break the Chain.” With this system, mark an X on your calendar every day a creative goal is achieved, whether it’s new work or just an idea. Continue to do so each day, making sure not to “break the chain.”
• Use the “Ernest Hemingway” Trick – To avoid facing a blank sheet of paper the next morning, Hemingway used to write the first paragraph of his next scene and then sign off for the day. Using this system will give you something with which to start upon arriving to your desk.
The next time you find yourself in a creative slump, step back for a moment and follow one or more of these suggestions. You’ll find yourself feeling much better once you return.
You can read the full article here.
DIGITAL: Get Your Strategy On
Thursday, January 26th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
New Year’s resolutions are part of many a person’s life. A time to reminisce on the good (and bad) happenings of the past 365 days, and to look towards the future with a hopeful eye. The same should be done with your digital media strategy.
ClickZ provides four suggestions to consider when planning for the next year of digital media:
Build Out Your Editorial Calendar
Plan out all content that will go out with upcoming articles, newsletters and emails. If you can’t plan for the entire year at once, strive to do this on a monthly basis and you will save yourself some valuable time over the long run.
Review Past Results
Take a look at analytics from the past year, then summarize and highlight your findings. Look for things like:
• Audience Behaviors
• Channel Preferences
• Highs and Lows (representative of successes and failures on different channels)
• Past Political, Environmental and Industry Changes
Keeping track of these indicators will make it easy to compare results in the coming months.
Reaffirm Business and Channel Goals
Review your goals for 2012, or create them if you have yet to do so. Spread out your goals to cover the entire year – this will also aid in the creation of your editorial calendar.
Double-Check Your Tool Sets
Review your existing tools, but also keep an eye out for new and exciting possibilities. Install the newest versions of each service, and test out new platforms to see what works with your audience.
Following these four steps will put you on the right path to digital success in 2012.
SOURCE: ClickZ, NOISE
INTERACTIVE: Tumblr Reaches 120 Million People – That’s a Lot of Eyeballs.
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
[Via Social Times]
Does your company have a blog? A blog is a great way to let your customers know about anything new or fun happening with your business. Not sure a blog would work on your website? Tumblr is a great alternative.
This microblogging social network now has over 120 million users with more than 15 BILLION page views each month. Get some of those eyes on your content!
Read the full article here.
CREATIVE: You’ve Got Talent You’re Not Even Aware Of.
Saturday, October 1st, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Next time you’re gearing up for a campaign that requires a human element, NOISE creative offers up this suggestion: before you (or your agency) contact a bunch of professional modeling agencies to sift through endless head shots, comps and portfolios — stop and, instead, look around. You’ll find some outstanding talent among your employees and your consumers.
Amazing? Yes. True? Yes. Easy? Well, there’s the rub.
While the thought of working with real people scares many a hearty marketer’s heart — or sounds exceedingly boring to those of you who can’t imagine an interesting face around your place — the fact is that fascinating, compelling, engaging and attractive people types are literally all around you. You simply (alright, not so simply) need to know what to look for when you look into someone’s eyes, and that’s where your agency and their talents should come in.
We were reminded of this lesson recently at a two-day, run and gun photo shoot for a NOISE client. By the end of our assignment, we had compiled a portfolio of quality, variety and style any talent agency would drool over. Plus, our client didn’t have to pay a dime in talent fees.
Lesson: don’t be afraid of turning to real people for a campaign that requires real people. More often than many marketers assume, they’re perfect for the part.
SOURCE: NOISE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Measuring ROI Requires More Than One Yardstick.
Friday, September 30th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Maybe it’s just us, but it seems the relationship between social media and return on investment is a particularly hot topic. Here at NOISE, we can’t seem to make it through the day (or through a conference) without an e-mail, a blog or a seminar proclaiming that it owns the definitive bottom line on how to arrive at SM’s bottom line.
News alert: there is no one way or best way to measure social media ROI. The way we see it and practice it for NOISE Social’s many clients, which is the way you should see it and practice is, is that you measure social media’s return simply against what you’re asking it to do. And as you know, social media is no one-trick pony.
So, drum roll please, as NOISE reveals the top ten ways we apply (and measure) social media return on investment:
1. Brand Ambassadorship Development: Defined by the numbers of legitimate, involved social community followers you attract.
2. Consumer Engagement: Defined by the involvement and participation of your community’s followers in your brand via interactions.
3. Brand Passion: Defined by how often and how passionately your followers recommend your brand, and share it with or refer it to others.
4. Databuilding: Defined by hard counts of actual e-data consumers your social media efforts add to your overall marketing machine.
5. Market Research: You can use social media to learn a lot about a lot of things, both consumer-based and marketing-specific; if so, what’s the level of involvement and quality of data?
6. E-commerce: Are you transacting sales within your social media platforms? If so, measure your inquiries, conversion rates, transactions and profits.
7. Secondary Sales: Social media can generate sales by driving consumers to secondary transaction points (like a reservations page, or a shopping cart). Measure your efforts vis-a-vis referrals to your sites, as well as transactions.
8. Public Relations: Done effectively and creatively, social media can create a whole bunch of ancillary buzz via public relations. Are your social media efforts being acquired and publicized by other media outlets, creating value-added buzz for you?
9. Web Traffic: Social media should generally have an end-goal, and for most brands, that end-goal should be to drive consumers to your web brand to further engage, interact and transact with you. Look at your analytics.
10. Dollar Signs. In the end, social media can specifically and emphatically deliver sales. Don’t believe us? Try creating a social-media-only sales offer, package or campaign.
Bottom line? There is no one, best way to measure social media. But social media’s bottom line can clearly be measured by how you apply strategies and tactics — and if done correctly, its impact on your branding, marketing and sales efforts can be powerful and positive.
SOURCE: NOISE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Why Google+ Just Might = Success.
Monday, August 1st, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Although Google+ has put a temporary moratorium on branded accounts for business, odds are it won’t be long before the new social media upstart opens the door to all of us impatient marketers who, like Black Friday shoppers at midnight, are lining up outside. Are you one of them? If not, you should be. Here’s why:
Google+ and YouTube = Success. The integration of these Google products means a far more pandemic viral potential for branded video marketing. Plus with Google Hangout (its multi-user free video chat), brands will be able to interact with consumers real-time.
Google+ and Latitude = Success. With Google’s geo-tracking product (Latitude), it’ll be easier than ever for people to check into a location and have that information immediately shared with their “circles” of friends — enabling brands to easily execute loyalty marketing and rewarding programs.
Google+ and Translate = Success. Are you a brand with an international audience? With Google’s Translate product, multi-lingual communications to your brand page will automatically re-render in your default language — and vice versa. A simple advantage like this could literally open up new worlds to marketers.
Google+ and Sites = Success. While Facebook remains relatively limited in its ability to enable marketers to truly brand pages, Google’s Sites product is far more flexible in design, content and functionality — another plus for Google+.
Google+ and Adwords = Success. Added bones: Google’s paid search marketing program will bring far more contextual, demographic and analytic sophistication to social PPC campaigns — bringing all of us more clarity on the value of social media marketing.
Within the first month of its “launch,” Google+ has been attracted more than 15 million users, not to mention Facebook’s attention. The question now is: will Google+ be the next social media phenomenon? Only time will tell — but if you’re an innovative marketer that in any way engages a social media community, the time is now to prepare for the opportunity that Google+ is about to open to you.
SOURCE: Memeburn, NOISE
DIGITAL: Make Your Brand Music to Their Ears.
Saturday, July 30th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
What does your brand sound like? Does it rock? Is it a little jazzy? Is it classic, or sophisticated, or chilled out? If your brand’s consumer experience happens to include a little attitude or style, then you’re in luck because now — your brand can, in fact, have its very own sound.
The new place to find it is online at Turntable, which purports to be a new online social community where like-eared friends can gather to listen to, vote on and chat up music that’s available for play free from Turntable.fm’s extensive and impressive online library, or via personal library upload. And while Turntable currently remains in beta testing and is accessible only by invitation, more than 400,000 members (according to AppData) have already hopped on the dance floor.
What’s most interesting to us at NOISE is AdAge Digital’s report that a number of brands have already staked their claims and names to their very own, free music lounges — including Pepsi, Groupon, Gawker, New York Times Digital and Bravo. And in full disclosure, so has NOISE — with our own NOISE Blues lounge, as well as branded lounges for most of our clients.
Where will it all go? We’re not quite sure and odds are, Turntable isn’t either. But one thing is for sure — brands are beginning to mark their territory. So if you’re a brand with a personality and a passionate following, you might want to tune in, so to speak, build your playlist and give your brand loyalists (and their ears) another reason to enjoy their relationship with you.
SOURCE: AdAge Digital, AppData, NOISE
MANAGEMENT: A Tale of Two Cities.
Thursday, February 10th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Five months ago, I had the occasion to opine about the potential fatal accidents that too often occur when desperate companies do desperate things — compromising their principles, usurping their leadership, selling their very souls — to rationalize pandering to star performers and justify winning. I just happened to use the preseason shenanigans of the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre as examples (see August 2010 below).
Well, just a few days removed from Super Bowl XLV and the Green Bay Packers victory, a post mortem seems in order. So, if you’re a football or business fan and you were paying attention, what did you learn?
1. Inmates Can Never Run the Asylum. Brett Favre was (and will always be) a superior football player. But he was (and always will be) only one of 53 players on a team. Elevating one person on your team above all the others — in effect, allowing that person to write his or her own rules, because you fear he or she can make or break you — is foolhardy at best, and suicidal at worst.
2. Leaders Without Power Can’t Lead. Minnesota Vikings ex-coach Brad Childress can certainly attest to this. When leaders are stripped of their power to manage, discipline or simply act without scrutiny — because above inmate or business rainmaker is clenching your keys — the rest of the inmates will most assuredly riot. As they did in Minnesota. And if you’re a manager like Coach Brad Childress, as well as his minions, you’ll all be out of a job in no time.
3. Right Makes Might. The final lesson? Be you a major corporation, a mid-sized company or a small business, stay true to your mission, values and principles — no matter the heat. Ask Green Bay Packer General Manager Ted Thompson how hot it was when he rid his company of Brett Favre. Ask him how hotter it got when, within one year of his decision, his organization had plummeted from the heights of success to a losing record. And ask him how he feels today, his values and principles justified by a Super Bowl win — and a Super Bowl Most Valuable Player in Aaron Rodgers, who credits his teammates and management, rather than himself, for his success.
Sport and business aren’t analogies anymore. Sport and business are one in the same. My organization can learn from the tale of these two cities, Minneapolis and Green Bay. How about yours?
SOURCE: NOISE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Four Facebook Dos and Don’ts: Are You Doing Any of Them?
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Experienced social media marketers already know this (we think) — but here are words from the wise, if you’re a brand that’s new to Facebook (or have been led to the promised land by less than seasoned hands):
1. Don’t Establish Multiple Pages For Your Brand. It amazes the experts at Hubspot who authored this report, as well as all of us at NOISE>Social, to see the number of brands that seem unable to control the number of Facebook pages that bear their name. The very first and best way to mark your territory is to correctly launch your brand’s page — then claim its vanity URL (www.Facebook.com/YourBrand) — once you reach 25 followers.
2. Create the Correct Facebook Page. This seems one of those pieces of advice that should come with “duh” attached to it — but again, NOISE>Social and Hubspot see waaaaayyyyyy too many brands creating profiles, rather than pages. Profiles are for people, pages are for business. Profiles (like people) acquire friends, pages acquire likes. The ways of communicating with your community, and measuring your success, are vastly superior when you do it the right way (pages) versus the “duh” way (profiles).
3. Don’t Turn Off Wall Posts. It amazes Hubspot, and NOISE, when brands jump into social media to connect with their consumers in two-way dialogue (the definition of the medium) — yet slit the consumer’s throat by not allowing commentary on their Facebook pages, viewable to the public. If your brand is so afraid of your consumer’s opinion that you won’t give it voice, you’re in poop too deep for social media to dig you out.
4. Start a Conversation and Keep It Going. About as equally stupid as not giving your consumers a voice, is not giving voice to your consumers. If your business is going to participate in social media, participate! Or fail.
Odds are, if your a Trendy Trendspotter, you’re not making any of these gross mistakes. But feel free to pass them along to others less fortunate you know.
SOURCE: SmartBrief, Hubspot, NOISE
E-MARKETING: In Defense of the Lowly Ol’ E-Mail.
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
The KISS principle. At NOISE, we believe there’s still a lot to be gained — even in today’s complex, multi-channeled communications world — by keeping it simple, stupid. And we can prove it.
Take e-marketing. Over the course of any given year, NOISE creates, produces, delivers and measures (in-house) more than one million e-blasts for our clients. And the outstanding performance of these highly branded campaigns — which annually deliver clickthroughs exceeding 400% of industry average — demonstrates why we’re passionate advocates of creative, engaging, visually- and verbally-motivating html-based messaging.
So imagine our antler dance when testing of simple, text-only campaigns rocked those numbers — generating clickthroughs almost 800% greater than industry average, as well as numerous social community mentions and referrals seldom seen by traditional campaigns.
Now, there’s a strategy to text-only campaigns that (as a service to our clients) we won’t reveal here. But suffice it to say there’s strong evidence that as sophisticated and studied as e-marketing has become, there’s still a time and a place — even today — for selectively pulling out the KISS principle.
Ask your marketing partner. Or even better, ask us.
SOURCE: NOISE
MOBILE: Where the Web Is Headed.
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Four years from now, where will the majority of us hop online?
If Morgan Stanley analysts are correct, more users will access the Internet in 2015 via mobile devices than our computers.
Impossible, you say? Or at the very least, hard to imagine? Not really, when you consider the widespread acceptance and exponential growth of smart phones; the proliferation of faster 3G mobile service, combined with affordable pricing; and the rapid rollout of innovative and exciting new mobile applications, technologies and uses.
From its introduction in June, 2007 via the iPhone and iTouch, mobile web in less than three years has become the standard for anywhere and anytime access to friends, games, video, entertainment, shopping, sharing, mapping, research, wireless home appliances and much more tomorrow. In fact, the average iPhone user today spends less than half of his or her on-device time making phone calls!
As the landscape changes for web marketers, the challenges will be many. But so are the opportunities. So charge up your smart phone now.
SOURCE: Morgan Stanley, Mashable, NOISE
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Where DuPont Fails to Shine.
Sunday, June 28th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
DuPont HIgh Gloss Sealer & Finish is hyped as a premier tile or stone surface treatment and color enhancer that provides a “long lasting wet look that protects against stains.” The product’s recommended for (among many surfaces) slate, concrete or travertine with an anticipated life expectancy of three to five years (remember this fact). Plus, it’s water based, so applying it while actually breathing won’t kill you.
Sounds like a winner for anyone looking to turn up the sheen of their flooring, right? Well, it did to me, even at $30-plus per gallon times six.
But the best advice that I can give you today is: run away, run away! That is, if you dare run on such a poor-performing sealant as DuPont’s.
Despite following all the instructions, using the proper application tools, applying the product per instructions to a recommended surface and waiting the appropriate time period between my three applications (two to four are recommended) upon more than 2,000 square feet of travertine (which consumed more than 20 hours of my life over the course of two weekends), it took less than four weeks before surface blemishes began to appear on our “three-to-five-years-lasting” finish. And appear here. And appear there. And appear appear everywhere, with every drag of a chair or scrape of a heel to the extent that our floor today looks distressed and, frankly, ruined.
Upon my complaint to the manufacturer, DuPont was ready to provide a full refund — with or without receipt — almost immediately upon mentioning the product name. All I had to do, they said, was return to the retailer (in my case, Lowe’s) and explain my dissatisfaction.
Guess what Lowe’s told me? It’s not our problem. And they’re right.
Here’s what I think. I think DuPoint continues to sell a product that they know should be recalled; why would they be so very quick to offer up a full refund almost without question otherwise? I think DuPont has a blame-shifting problem as well; why would they try to push the onus for refund to Lowe’s, when Lowe’s logically explained that a DuPont “return authorization” would be required? I think DuPont is oblivious to the value of a consumer’s time, too; why would they dismiss the 20-some hours I invested in applying their product, by seriously suggesting that my best solution would be (get this!) using a DuPont stripper to remove their product (which I would have to buy)! I respectfully or maybe disrespectfully declined, by the way.
In the end, I think DuPont fails to shine in customer service, just as much as their $30-per-gallon product fails miserably to shine a “recommended” surface.
Opportunity opened. Opportunity closed. Too bad DuPont. Let the stone sealer beware. Let all other marketers take note: if you screw up, fix it. People will forgive you.
Source: NOISE
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