PRESIDENTIAL PROMOTIONS

With the election behind us we thought it would be a great time to analyze what advertising may have influenced our voting decision.  From heated debates on job creation and taxation, the marketing campaign for each candidate had a clear strategy for targeting those most likely to vote for their party.  What issues evoked the most emotion from you, and how was the message reinforced? Take a look at the list below to see the many ways each candidate used to reach their audience.

  

TV:  The first debate attracted 67.2 million viewers.  That's nearly 22% of the entire U.S.!

Radio:  Both campaigns advertising heavily on adult contemporary stations targeting women voters in the last week before the election.

Print:  Political postcard mailings, wide-format banners and stake signs are three of the biggest products purchased during a campaign. 

Optimized lists:  99% of candidates running for (any) office will purchase an optimized mailing list based off of demographics and psychographics.

Social Media:  Obama is known as the "Social Media President" for being more engaged with the online audience on YouTube, Google+, Twitter and Facebook. 

E-mail:  Both candidates utilized e-blasts to procure donations and build brand loyalty.

Phone:  Who isn't tired of the robo-call?

Promotional:  Both candidates have e-commerce selling hundreds of promotional products:

The Romney-Ryan 2012 official store | Home & Obama for America | 2012 | Store

After all this filibustering... dream ink for President?  dream ink - creative. print. marketing.

  

EVERYONE IS A DESIGN CRITIC

While the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" is often advised, rarely do our brains practice this theory in making purchasing decisions; we often gravitate towards products with the most attractive packaging, sold by the most recognizable (and inherently trusted) brands.  This is why choosing the right designer for your marketing materials is essential to developing an effective brand image with memorable ad campaigns that will not only connect with your target audience, but help convert them to loyal customers.  

Here are three tips that will help you hire the best designer or agency suited to fit your needs:

Ignore cost.

Nike paid $35 for their logo back in 1971, while oil company BP recently shelled out $6.4 million for their current green and gold sunflower.

Moral of the story:  don't be enticed by the lowest price, or intimidated by the highest; design and designers have a very wide of scale for compensation that is not always based on true talent.    

View their portfolio.

Great design is subjective.  The best measure of ones ability is looking at the projects and client base they have successfully worked with in the past.  

Is their definition of "aesthetically-pleasing" the same as yours?  Are they familiar with your industry?  Do they have experience in both print and web design?  These questions can be answered by a professional portfolio.  

No formal education?  No problem!

Some of the most skilled and proficient designers I have worked with never received a formal education and honed their craft through on-the-job experience.  By requiring a college degree many employers are missing out on some of the most talented freelancers and individuals available.  

I've been most impressed with the creative use of the iPad in the new Lexus ad in Sports Illustrated.  This should receive every "Design of the Year" award out there!  

View it for yourself here:  Is This The World's Most Interactive Print Ad?

After you've found a designer you will need to decide on what message you want your brand to communicate in its advertising.  Join us next time when we explore how political ads may be the best (and worst!) example of effective, engaging and emotional advertising!  

DIGITALLY SPEAKING

As the world consumes iPhones, iPads and iPods at a rapidly accelerating pace, it appears we are moving to a paperless society in which your product or service will be need to be advertised through magic screens and megapixels to maintain market share. Just don't go investing every penny of your marketing budget in online advertising just yet... and here's why:

Marketing should be a multi-pronged approach to reaching your audience.
Business cards have been used since the industrial revolution, while the phone and fax were essential tools to advertise and communicate for the past sixty years. As we enter the digital age, websites, QR codes and social media are enhancing methods of transmitting information and should complement, not replace, your current marketing efforts.

The majority of consumers are looking online to research products and compare pricing and are not yet completely comfortable making every purchase from their home computer.
While Applications such as Google Wallet are making it easier and more accessible to pay for purchases through your smartphone, people still have security concerns and limited access to the internet. Experts believe it will be another ten to fifteen years before buying habits shift more to the digital dollar than our traditional paper or plastic, which gives your business plenty of time to adapt.

Ad specialties and print media are tangible products.
One of the strongest senses for memory retention is touch; sending a personalized invitation is going to leave a more memorable impression than that online invite. There is still a very large percentage of consumers who have not joined the digital age, even more who still prefer the traditional tri-fold brochure and business card for their rolodex. (For anyone under thirty reading this blog, a rolodex is what people used before cell phones became your address book!)

No matter what medium your using to reach your audience, compelling and effective graphic design stands behind every ad campaign as the difference behind striking an emotional chord with your audience, or turning them off with outdated or cluttered design. Join us next time for tips on how to hire the right designer to develop your brand image!

OPTIMIZE YOUR AUDIENCE

After a short break nursing a fractured wrist, the Dream Team's blog is back with reckless abandon to help maximize your marketing efforts! We left off promising to increase response rates with your direct mailings, which can be done several ways. Here are a few of the most effective:


• Purchase an optimized mailing list targeting a specific audience most likely to purchase your product or service.
Jim's Rocking Chairs can find "new or expectant parents" within x amount of miles from his store for relatively low cost; a little creative thinking will qualify those leads by income level and gender to design mailing pieces directed at those most likely to be holding the wallet at that time!


• A study by Baylor University showed that incorporating a promotional product can increase response rates as much as 75%.
The free gift being sent is really the trojan horse of advertising; it should have your company logo and be functional with a high perceived value to supply hundreds of exposures to your brand in their home, office or car.
BTW- receivers of a promotional product are 62% more likely to do business with an advertiser! Source: Advertising Specialty Institute


• Ask website visitors to sign up for your "opt-in" e-mail list.
These provide the best response rates as users have already expressed an interest in your product or service. Now your goal should be to create compelling content that will draw more unique and repeat visitors to the home/sign up page.


• Follow up with a phone call!
Some of us still enjoy hearing a human voice pitch a product or service. If they received a postcard and e-mail advertisement followed by your friendly voice, it may be just enough brand recognition and perfect timing to get in the door. (Have your elevator pitch ready.)


NEXT TIME ON THE DREAM TEAM'S BLOG: How Steve Jobs revolutionized e-commerce and gave your print media new purpose in the process. Stay tuned!