Did Ads for Mr. Potato Head Mess Up Our Kids for Good?
In this article from AdFreak, David Gintasio commemorates the sixtieth birthday of Mr. Potato Head, the first ad campaign aimed directly at children. Has the emergence of commercials that target children had a negative effect on culture in general? Or should we blame parents for their children being fussy and acquisitive?
Is Ronald McDonald the New Joe Camel?
To activists fighting America’s obesity epidemic, Ronald McDonald has become the cause’s go-to whipping boy much like Joe Camel was for the anti-smoking movement in the ‘90s. Although some may find the comparison extreme, activists have had measureable success in rebranding the clown. Recently, Ronald has been relegated to being McDonald’s representative for their charitable activities and is rarely seen behind the counter serving up Happy Meals.
In this article published by Ad Age, Marueen Morrison takes a look back on how the fast food industry – much like the tobacco industry in years previous – is becoming the national bad guy and the ad world’s reaction.
Read the whole story at Ad Age >>
In the Age of Pinterest, Instagram, Marketers Need an Image Strategy
As Social Media reaches maturity, one fact easily demonstrated by the rise of Instagram and Pinterest is that pictures matter. The Facebook community uploads over 250 million pictures a day and one Harvard Business Schoolstudy recently estimated that 70% of all activities inside the social network revolve around photos.
Given the growing importance that pictures have in any brand’s social or mobile strategy, marketers should be certain that their visual content is shareable, engaging and profitable.
Read the whole story at Ad Age >>
Why Facebook Is Becoming the Media World’s Black Hole
With Americans now spending 16% of their total time online on Facebook, it feels like the social networking giant has taken the entire Web hostage. Facebook’s introduction of frictionless media sharing, epic timelines and continuing land grabs beyond, has effectively devalued the rest of the web. In this article, Simon Dumenco “The Media Guy” prods marketers to ask themselves how they can better acclimate to these changes to the Web’s delicate ecosystem.
Read the whole story at Ad Age >>>
Email is Everywhere (Even, Ugh The Bathroom)
Given the steady rise in email opens on mobile devices, isn’t it about time that marketers re-think their approach to email marketing in general? In fact, an AOL survey showed that 59% of people use their time in the bathroom to check emails. A recent study performed by the Energy project found that, on average, people are only away from email less than two waking hours a day.
How can we adjust our email strategies so they take into consideration the shifting dynamics in people’s access to email and how they experience it on a daily a basis? George Bilbrey at the Email Insider takes a closer look.
Read the whole story at Media Post >>>
The Secrets of the Successful Copywriter
Copyblogger tells the tale of a drink shared between the “Good” copywriter and the “Effective” copywriter. How can a writer’s change in perception help them create pieces that not only read well but sell?
No, QR Codes Aren’t Dead. They’re Just Used Badly
A new article by B.L. Ochman from Ad Age DIGITAL suggests that we shouldn’t write off QR codes as a failure. Instead, agencies should examine how QR codes have been used poorly and learn from other agencies’ mistakes.
The article also presents some brief QR case studies, including:
• A lucrative partnership between Starbucks and Lady Gaga.
• How Croatia’s post office put QR codes to good use
• Why QR Codes implemented in TV advertising are not converting
Get the whole story at Ad Age DIGITAL >>>
Wanted: Retailers Making Emotional Connections to Consumers
What really motivates consumers to spend more? A new study by Motista found that the deeper a consumer’s emotional connection to a retail outlet, the more likely they are to shop there. In fact, the study found that, “Consumers who feel emotional connections to their retailers are four times more likely to shop those retailers first when relevant needs arise, as compared to consumers who are simply familiar and satisfied with their retailers.”
This research provides a great jumping-off point for retailers and agencies looking to build deeper relationships with their consumer base.
The Most Dangerous Threat to Your Online Marketing Efforts
Have you been focusing all of your company’s online marketing strategy into social networks? In this article, Sonia Simone of Copyblogger warns marketers that putting all of your eggs in one Web 2.0 basket could be your undoing.
Should you be worried that the powers-that-be at Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+ might change their strategies midstream, leaving you company in the dark?
Get Ready for a Renaissance in Advertising
In today’s digital world, consumers can compare prices in brick-and-mortar establishments from the palm of their hand and download coupons on-the-spot. Manufacturers and retailers that don’t have the low-price advantage now need a new compelling value driver to appeal to consumers.
This new reality has convinced Ad Age: DIGITAL’s Gian Fulgoni that we may now be on the verge of a renaissance in advertising, where compelling multimedia creative emerges as the antidote to low prices.