Just as businesses thought they had a handle on social media, the landscape continued to shift in 2011. Google+ was introduced, Facebook updated its functionality (once again), Twitter continued to grow as a promotion vehicle for brands, YouTube updated its image and a new player, Pinterest, joined the game. (more…)
Author: Geile/Leon
2012 Quadrennial Effect = The perfect storm of marketing + media buying
The buzz this past December was all about the Quadrennial Effect of 2012. If you just said to yourself “Quad-a-what?” please proceed. The “Quadrennial Effect” references the perfect storm of events that occurs every four years: the Summer Olympic Games, the European Football Championship and the United States presidential and Congressional elections. Why is this the perfect storm you ask? Not only do these events form a quad-fecta of entertaining TV programming, this special confluence of events is likely to impact 2012 ad spending in a big way, which impacts the global community. In addition to the Quadrennial events, forecasters have said we can expect a bonus stimulus from the recovery of the Japanese and Thai economies since the earthquake and tsunami of 2011. According to The New York Times, Steve King, chief executive at the ZenithOptimedia division of the Publicis Groupe, said that these events combined will add $7 billion to 2012 global ad spending. This $7 billion jump is a 4.7 percent increase over 2011. Of this, the United States is expected to see a 3.5 percent increase in ad spending (in 2011 the Unites States spent $154.9 million). (more…)
What Website Platform is Best for You?
So you’ve landed on the perfect design for your new website. You’re talking about development, launch dates, SEO, and now someone brings up the question, “How are we going to manage and update all of this once it’s up?” Choosing a content management system (CMS) can be a confusing process. With so many options out there, it can be difficult to determine the differences among them, and which one is right for you. (more…)
The Nancy Factor
It’s funny how a simple hello can say so much. If you’ve visited Geile/Leon in the last 16 years, you are familiar with the cheery hallmark of Nancy Nava. “I am such a morning person,” she says with a smile, but her sunny disposition is contagious and unwavering all day, everyday. G/L credits Nancy as the best kept secret of the agency. “Without Nancy, we just wouldn’t be the same company,” says Tim Leon, Managing Partner and President of Geile/Leon.
You never know what to expect when chatting with Nancy. She’s always good for giving insight on the best deals and directions around town, but you also might learn some pretty interesting facts. The next time you speak with Nancy make sure to ask about her father who pitched a no-hitter for the St. Louis Browns the night she was born (he also managed semi-pro baseball team the Memphis Chicks and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame) or about her sister, who was a “Hee Haw Honey” on the popular 1970s TV show Hee Haw and, more recently, the creator of award winning Colts Bolts candies.
Through the years, Nancy continues to serve as Administrative Assistant at Geile/Leon with steadfast commitment after seeing the agency through three office relocations, two recessions and the most recent expansion of the agency. Responsible for overseeing scheduling, managing administrative projects and ensuring the operational needs of the business are met, Nancy keeps the office humming along. Not only does she contribute to the agency’s efficient operations, Nancy is integral to G/L’s culture. Her genuine concern to create a comfortable, personable atmosphere for employees, clients and visitors is apparent in her every action.
Take, for example, the holidays. Nancy is the driving force behind the Christmas spirit in the office. In addition to decorating and ensuring everyone enjoys the myriad of confections and goodies that find their way to the office, Nancy leads G/L’s annual participation in the Adopt-A-Family program for Our Little Haven. Organizing the office into teams, Nancy distributes an allowance to each group so they can play “Santa’s helpers” for an afternoon, spreading good tidings to deserving children in St. Louis. As a grandmother, this cause especially resonates with Nancy. “Children are happiness in its purest form. To bring to a child the magic and joy of gift giving – to make them feel special. There is nothing that tops that.”
Nancy’s attention to detail ensures everyone at Geile/Leon – be it clients, partners, employees or building personnel – is taken care of, bringing meaning to the agency. Dave Geile, Managing Partner and Creative Director adds, “The place isn’t the same on the days Nancy is out. It’s the many little things that go unnoticed, until she’s not here to do them. Plus, clients and people who call, love her. We don’t know what we’d do without her.”
So, how can you help Nancy and Our Little Haven? Reach out this holiday season, and share some ways that you know how to make people feel special.
Beer-Thirty Drink of Choice: Michelob Ultra
ROI of Employee Wellness: It’s a New Year and time to slim down that waste line
January 1st is the go-date on health resolutions across America, but have you considered the benefits of improving your employees’ health? What is the ROI of employee wellness for your business?
Well, according to Forbes writer, Tony Zook, “It should come as no surprise that healthy employees boost a company’s bottom line. They experience less sick time, take fewer disability days and suffer lesser risk of premature deaths. This is why so many companies have been looking into Employee Assistance Programs, both for their mental and physical wellbeing and health. This has many positive effects, both for morale and for business operations. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 75% of employers’ health care costs and productivity losses are related to employee lifestyle choices.” (more…)
Employee Communications: How internal marketing makes external impacts
I can’t tell you how many clients have told me that what differentiates them from their competitors is the quality of their people, their processes and their technologies. So it would follow that one of their most important functions would be employee communications, especially to ensure that their people are representing the brand as accurately as possible. Yet only a handful of the folks I talk to have formal employee communications programs and budgets committed to this invaluable internal marketing component.
So, You Think Direct Mail Is Dead…Well You’re Dead Wrong.
Guest Author & G/L partner: Maurice Parisien, Digital Intersection
According to DMA 2011 Statistical Fact Book, a catalog lead costs $47.61, while email comes in at $53.85 per lead, and, what’s more, the response rate to direct mail has consistently been three times higher than email.
Still not convinced direct mail is alive and kicking? When going through your office mail, what’s the likelihood of you or your assistant opening a Priority Mail piece as opposed to throwing the piece in the circular file. I suspect that that mail piece gets opened and read. Direct mail still has its place in the marketing mix. (more…)
Penn State: Smart PR and Stupid PR
While this whole, sordid, Penn State scandal continues to unfold, it occurred to me that just within this one situation, we’ve already seen two examples of how public relations is being used.
One example illustrates how public relations should be used—as an invaluable communications tool during times of crisis.
The other example illustrates a lot of things—stupidity, incompetence, naïveté and arrogance, to name a few.
Let’s start with the smart one. The university has retained the services of PR giant Ketchum to help guide it (from a communications standpoint) through some scary, uncharted waters. Now the case can be made that Penn State was late in bringing Ketchum on board. That’s a fair shot. In the end, they made the right decision, even if they were a little slow pulling the trigger. In my opinion, I don’t think the damage incurred by waiting is irreparable. (more…)
Is Black Friday Becoming Too Sinister of a Marketing Holiday?
Waking up at the crack of dawn after Thanksgiving to save on a new flatscreen has become almost as much a holiday tradition as a plateful of turkey and mashed potatoes. And this past Black Friday was one of the most aggressive in marketing history. Stores even began opening their doors on “Black Eve,” meaning stores opened at midnight on the night of Thanksgiving. Now we have to ask ourselves…is this crossing the line? Is it asking too much to have salespeople come in for shift on Thanksgiving and work through the night so the Black Friday shoppers can get a head start on camping out for sales? (more…)
Content is King: If it’s worthwhile to read, it’s worthwhile to click
With new algorithms constantly being generated by search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing everyday, generating new content has never ever been more critical to upping your website’s ranking on a search engine results page (SERP). Sure you can fire out a trillion spam messages all over the web, but don’t expect such an ill-inspired idea to work anymore. 
Crawlers are catching on. Actually they’ve already caught on, and it’s harder to post spam and easier than ever to get it down. Not to mention, consumers hate it. Meaning once they see that fake posting for a free cruise on their favorite forum, they will associate hatred with the culprit of that spam (hatred may be a strong work, but you get the point).
Now, a digital marketing strategy that does work is spending more time generating interesting content. The consumer doesn’t want to be tricked; they want to be entertained and informed. Marketing agencies are retargeting their efforts and hiring specialized writers to generate a web presence that drives traffic instead of wasting space.
Besides spam, another thing search engines are picking up on is top topics, frequently visited content and viral buzz. With that being recognized….engaging, informative and attractive copy is the mainstay of all websites that have managed to maintain their great SERPs. It’s a given that every business’ website should be well written and provide the information and insight that visitors want to see. But to get people there, we need to place a higher focus on generating REAL buzz through can’t-tear-my-eyes-away-from-the-screen-press releases, blogs, social media and directory submissions. A keyword thrown into a meaningless blasé post isn’t going to get clicked on, sorry to break it to you. But a keyword incorporated into a gripping, informative post just might do the trick.
Generating material that people want to read consistently, helps your following. Consumers will position you as a thought leader—witty, interesting, maybe even a little out there, but at least they are coming back for extra helpings of what you’re dishing out.
So, if you’re serious about getting that click-through rate up or a higher spot on the SERP, it’s time to focus on purposeful posting. Just because something is posted on the internet doesn’t mean it needs to be any less poignant than print content. Content is king.