Author: Geile/Leon

The Industry For Me – My Summer As A G/L Intern

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

The Industry For Me – My Summer As A G/L Intern

Design

Thinking about Geile/Leon, there’s one word that keeps coming back into my head over and over again:  genuine.

When I first stepped into the G/L office located in The Hill, I was a nervous graphic design major looking for a summer internship.  I glanced around the colorful, artfully-designed room and the creative people buzzing about. Whelp, I’m in way over my head, I thought, somebody, please, get me out of here.

That’s about when Dave Geile walked up to me, shook my hand and invited me into his office to talk.  After just a few minutes of conversation filled with more than a few genuine laughs and smiles, my nervousness had completely melted away, and I knew that I’d found the perfect place to spend my summer, and the perfect people to spend it with.

So, now, here I am, finishing up my last few days at Geile/Leon before packing my car and driving back to school.  But, before I go, I must share at least a little bit about my fantastic summer here.

When I imagined interning for a summer, I figured, “here come days filled with fetching coffee and sitting around bored.” I thought that the cliche portrayal of internships was cliche for a reason. But at Geile/Leon, on my very first day I was learning about and helping with PR projects and hearing about everything that the graphic designers had in mind for my summer. At lunch, they poured into me over tacos at a local restaurant, asking about what I had learned at school, what kind of work I wanted to do, and discussing different ways that they could help me grow as a designer and professional. I didn’t feel like an intern – I felt like a colleague.

Throughout this summer, I’ve had opportunities to design, to sit in on creative meetings, and to learn more than I ever could’ve hoped to.  I’ve been blown away by the incredible talent and creativity of the people that work here, which are perhaps most evident during brainstorming sessions, of which I’ve loved every second. Through status meetings and lunches, it’s been a joy to be a part of the jokes and day-to-day activities that make an office like this one so special.

The graphic designers spent time looking over and providing feedback on my designs, teaching me some tricks of the trade concerning layouts in different advertising pieces, the nuances behind producing a logo for a company, the significance of contrast for organization, and so much more.  I’m excited to be able to take my new knowledge and skills back to college with me, so that I can keep growing in my graphic design courses.

Even more than taking my skills back to college, I am thrilled to know that I love the world of marketing.  Spending time in the office has taught me more about what real-world graphic design will be like than any class at college could.  I find designing fun, of course, but designing for a purpose is so much more exciting. The process becomes a puzzle of how you can combine creativity with mandatory elements to solve client marketing challenges in unexpected ways.  It’s a challenge that I delight in.

I can confidently say that I have and always will cherish my time spent at Geile/Leon this summer. I will miss working with each and every one of the genuine, hard-working, talented, and inspiring employees that work here.

Natasha Ferkel | Geile/Leon’s Summer Intern
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A Crash Course In Marketing Your Online Courses

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

A Crash Course In Marketing Your Online Courses

General

Today nearly every university offers online courses to both full-time and part-time students, making online courses a rapidly growing component of an increasingly digital age. Online enrollment is the fastest growing segment of higher education and is expected to jump to 5 million by 2020*.

While these universities offer online courses on topics like marketing and business analytics, many of them don’t seem to practice what they preach. Or, perhaps more likely, many universities haven’t adjusted what they preach to reflect the new age of digital marketing and data-driven business solutions. Here are few tips based on our experience in promoting online course:

The A-B-Cs of Online Course Marketing Efforts

Three important factors in getting the most out of your online course offerings are awareness, enrollment and retention, and full-funnel reporting for attribution reporting and campaign optimization.

A: Awareness

It shouldn’t be a surprise that program awareness is critical to your success. Our experience has been that Google, Yahoo and Bing are the most likely places prospective student visit to start their search. But with so many universities all vying for the same audience on these sites, it can be very confusing to decide which school is the best choice.

We believe the best way to attract the best-fit student is for university marketing and enrollment staff to first fully understand their school’s brand, its unique point of distinction. Then clearly define the target audience. And finally, build awareness by communicating to this audience via succinct and effective targeted messages.

Through digital advertising, universities can target a very specific student based on their online browsing habits and self-selected interests on social media. With the right set of analytics, you can develop messaging based on where the student’s level of interest is, whether that be just beginning their research into programs or ready to enroll. Additionally, utilize retargeting to reach and optimal level of frequency to raise awareness, impart the brand message and provide students with definitive reasons to choose your program.

B: Enrollment and Retention

The success of your online education marketing isn’t measured strictly in enrollment alone, it’s measured in enrollment and retention. That’s why it’s important to maximize your dollars in getting the enrollment and retention that you need. What’s your cost per enrolled students? How much higher is the cost per retained student? Your goal should be for those numbers to be as close to being identical as possible – that means developing the right messaging, on the right media channels, for the right people to attract the right, quality students. Enrollment and retention is often a result of communicating the university’s brand promise, and communicating it in a way to proper inform prospective students so when they chose your school, their experience will fulfill their expectations which leads to a satisfied and retained student.

C: Full-funnel Reporting

Digital marketing is one of the most trackable forms of marketing. It is possible to track the number of times a prospective student sees an ad down to which ad converted that student into a retained student. A full-funnel marketing is the best approach to marketing online course. It ties together the ‘top of the funnel’ efforts such as brand building and awareness to the ‘bottom of the funnel’ actions taken by prospective students. Universities can be incredibly efficient with their marketing dollars and optimize campaigns on the fly. With a full funnel view, you can shift budget dollars mid-cycle to the marketing channels that are converting the most students. From initial awareness to final enrollment, a full funnel marketing program and the proper analytics, you will identify the best performing messages, channels and call-to-actions for each online program offered. And to tie it all together, we recommend a marketing automation dashboard for data reporting and to monitor the entire enrollment funnel.

We’ve Got Answers!

Need help in increasing the efficiency of your online course advertising? To start, we offer a low cost digital audit so you can see how you compare to other schools in your consideration set. Call Dan Diveley at 314-727-5850.

Next lesson: Market Targeting – Hit Your Bullseye     

* Source: OCS 2016 Report

 

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Designing for Prospective Students

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Designing for Prospective Students

Advertising

Designing for prospective students can be as fun as it is tricky.

Prospective students can tell how adaptable and up-to-date an organization is within seconds of visiting their site or interacting with them digitally. How an organization presents itself online almost certainly mirrors what’s going on behind the curtain, and it’s pretty obvious. There are several basic things to consider when designing for prospective students:

Function and Content is Key

An organization has to be accessible and the interface has to be easy to navigate. Nothing is more frustrating than being unable to find basic information. These prospects want to know what you have to say and they want to be able to access the most information easily. Putting the most important information up front and making is easily digestible is a great way to get students interested in finding out more about the organization.

Good UI Design

Some say that the best design is invisible. At the very least, don’t let the design dictate the function. Design around the user interface and make it as clear and easy to navigate as possible. You want to be able to outline a clear path through the site for the end-user, while allowing them the freedom and flexibility to explore.

Social Media

Incorporating social media can add some honesty and even brevity to a website. It shows that other REAL people are interacting with the organization and may provide a glimpse of what it’s like to be involved. It also gives the end user the ability to share their own opinions about the organization.

Be Honest

No one has a more finely tuned BS meter than young adults. The best thing an organization can do for itself is be completely honest and transparent. In turn, the quality of people you’re trying to reach will be enhanced. This starts with research on the part of the prospect. If they are getting mixed signals on what is being presented digitally, they will find it pretty easy to move on.

Want to talk more about design? Fill out the form below or email us at [email protected] and we will lend our time to discuss your communications and design needs.

[gl-hs-form form_id=’1863abe3-c1e4-43d0-a298-c7b132f8ce03′]

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Trending from G/L: Making Your Marketing Memorable

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Making Your Marketing Memorable

General

When it comes to advertising, the most important metric is “memorable.” Not memorable like the family trip to the Grand Canyon, but memorable like something that your target audience will simply know. Memorable is what keeps us singing a silly jingle from 20 years ago. Memorable is what makes the difference between marketing and communicating.

Memorable means something that you know without thinking about. Take GEICO, for example. You know who they are, and you undoubtedly know their tagline too, but when’s the last time you thought about what GEICO actually stands for? Or what ESPN stands for? (For the record, it’s Government Employees Insurance Company, and Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.) But beyond the obvious advantage of being shorter, the names we know these companies by are quite simply more memorable.

Think about it – how did you memorize the order of operations in elementary school math? It may have been decades since you had to find the value of X, but you still remember it – Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally! Is that shorter than “Parentheses, Exponent, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract?” Not much. But is it a hundred times more memorable? You bet.

Everything around your marketing communications, from tagline to design, needs to be memorable. When your audience sees your product, they immediately know who you are. When they hear your name, they immediately remember your tagline. With a strong brand and message, any company or group of letters can become memorable for every person.

A great brand is what makes a group of letters take on a bigger meaning than the words they stand for. If you told someone a product was from “International Business Machines,” they probably wouldn’t have much of an opinion or reaction. But if you told that same person that “International Business Machines” is “IBM,” they’d hold the product in extremely high regard. A brand that’s communicated – and named – with a focus on being memorable is why cooks everywhere “spray some PAM in there” and don’t “spray some Product of Arthur Meyerhoff in there.”

If you’re looking to create a brand that’s more memorable, G/L can help with that. If you’re wondering what other companies you never knew the full names of, enjoy this article, then give us a call.

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Top-5 Focus Points For Marketing Higher Education To Generation ‘Z’

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Top-5 Focus Points For Marketing Higher Education To Generation ‘Z’

Education

Now that the Gen Z generation is coming of age, let’s take look at some interesting facts that could help you better attract them to your campus.

1 – They Are Confused!

45% of Gen-Zers find the process of deciding where to go to college confusing, according to a recent Ologie study.

What makes this an interesting statistic is that Gen Z-ers thoroughly research products and offerings before making a decision. They are notoriously skeptical and will often fact check claims from brands and friends alike. It’s evidence that universities truly need to be able to walk the walk when they talk the talk, because if they don’t, Gen Z-ers will know about it. The main takeaway? Be transparent, unique and authentic in your messaging. It makes your University more trusted, and helps to distinguish it from the clutter of universities all confusingly saying the same thing.

2 – Text Message Them?

It’s no secret that Gen Z-ers are increasingly engaged with mobile devices – and advertisers are constantly finding new ways to reach their target through mobile advertising. But there’s a line, particularly when it comes to university outreach:  only 22% of Gen Z-ers consider text messaging an appropriate way to communicate with them. It’s best for universities to stick with alternative method of mobile communication, from Snapchat to mobile display ads and more.

3 – Ok, Let’s Snapchat!

Speaking of Snapchat, social media is continuing to rise in importance. According to marketingcharts.com, 47% of teens call Snapchat their favorite platform. But, don’t go putting all your eggs in one basket. Nearly 6 in 10 still say that Instagram is a better way to reach them, and a majority said that good old fashioned email is more viable than Snapchat to reach them. Consider Snapchat a good platform for brand awareness, but less important in your enrollment push.

4 – I Want Results…

Gen Z-ers, true to their skeptical nature, are more conscientious than any other generation about the “return on investment” when it comes to their degree. They appreciate the importance of a degree – 71% say that college is either very important or absolutely necessary – but they have witnessed the financial hardships of previous generations burdened by big student loan debts. They seek a good value from their education: only 11% are interested in a prestigious institution! This could quickly lead to a rise in Technical School enrollment, and even bring about a change in the role of community colleges. There’s a new opportunity for community colleges to more prominently assume the role of a starter school – giving students college credit for a good value before they finish their bachelor degrees at a four-year institution. In fact, 39% of Gen Z-ers are interested in exploring options outside the traditional four-year, on-campus college experience.

5 – …Especially If I’m Paying!

In-line with what we know about the importance of value is the importance of flexibility. 32% of Gen Z-ers say the financial burden of college will fall entirely on them, with 65% of them expecting to work full or part-time during their education. Financial aid can make a big difference, but so can offering a flexible schedule and curriculum that makes an education fit into their already-busy lives. Communicate with potential students your willingness to bend and adapt to make their education work. It makes a big difference!

So what’s the take-away?

Gen Z-ers are pragmatic, somewhat risk-averse people who respond to transparency in marketing and results in education. They are often well researched before you even make first contact. Your messaging should focus on the tangible benefits of your education – where will graduates be heading and at what cost. Be honest. The right students will find you.

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications is a brand-driven marketing agency based in St. Louis, Missouri that specializes in higher education marketing. If you’re looking to update your university’s branding or enrollment outreach, let’s chat.

Data sources:

https://ologie.com/gen-z/#

https://www.marketingcharts.com/demographics-and-audiences-80744

 

 

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Trending from G/L: Our St. Louis Favorites

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Our St. Louis Favorites

G/L Culture

Ask anyone from St. Louis where they went to high school, and they’ll have much to say about their alma mater, along with the ramblings of people they potentially knew at your school. Now ask them where to grab the best pizza (it’s undoubtedly in our neck of the woods) or which museum could keep their attention all day long, and they will have plenty to say about that, too.

But it looks as though St. Louis natives aren’t the only ones flocking to our favorite hangouts around the city.

This month, Vogue’s Dawn Sturmon wrote a travel piece about the 314, highlighting some choice local restaurants, companies, and activities for visitors to experience. She states that she’s called St. Louis home for the past 15 years, surrendering her dual-coast lifestyle for what she calls a “flyover city.” While that may be true, who better to ask for recommendations than people who were born and raised in the STL? (That would be us.)

Eats

First, in our neighborhood of The Hill, you will find the best Italian cuisine in the state. This Italian-American district takes pride in their ancestry, going as far as painting the colors of the Italian flag on it’s fire hydrants. In fact, it’s no surprise that a few baseball legends were from this area – Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola (we are a baseball town, afterall). Gian-Tony’s Ristorante is a Geile/Leon favorite, where you can experience fresh Sicilian homemade recipes straight from their vegetable garden. If a modern take on classic dishes is more your speed, head to Lorenzo’s Trattoria, where their Northern Italian cuisine is the perfect blend of classic and modern tastes. While you’re in the neighborhood, don’t forget to grab an order of a St. Louis signature dish – the Toasted Ravioli.

Wanting to instead satisfy your carnivorous cravings? Head to Hi-Pointe Drive-In for the best burgers in St. Louis. Using locally sourced ingredients, their goal is to breath new aromas into the classic burgers and sandwiches that have been popular to the area for over 30 years.

Activities

If you’re looking for something to do while in town, another G/L favorite combines two of our favorite things – animals and beer. Head to the original home of President Ulysses S. Grant, which was purchased by the Busch family (of Anheuser-Busch) and turned into Grant’s Farm. This 80-acre animal rescue allows patrons to interact directly with exotic animals from six continents. Feed goats and participate in dolphin shows, and even visit with Anheuser-Busch’s famed Budweiser Clydesdales. Finish the trip with some brew at their beer garden. Best part? This place is free!

Drinks

While we have the beer lovers’ attention, we should definitely mention all of our amazing breweries around the city. Even if you’re not a beer connoisseur, you won’t be disappointed with the atmosphere of our favorite breweries. Free tours, delicious food, and fun tasting rooms provide a great place to enjoy the company you’re keeping while taking in the aroma of hops. Where we like to pop open a bottle: Urban Chestnut, Schlafly Bottleworks, Four Hands Brewery, Civil Life, Earthbound, and 2nd Shift Brewery (also in The Hill neighborhood).

Just like the Vogue article states, “the city’s urban hang-outs rival the cool magic of [Los Angeles and New York City].” Though none of us here at Geile/Leon can vouch for that statement, we are extremely proud of this city where we do our business.

Do you have a favorite in the STL? We’d love to hear about them. Share with us on social media!

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Trending from G/L: Do You Suffer From PAR-ENT-ING?

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Do You Suffer From PAR-ENT-ING?

Trending Now

Are you suffering from PAR-ENT-ING?

YouTube content creators from the channel The Dad, delivered a hilarious dose of parenting reality with their satirical video entitled, “Do You Suffer From PAR-ENT-ING?” The video pokes fun at cliché and contrived pharmaceutical industry ads, exaggerating parenting as a disorder that “affects 10 out of 10 parents” and often results in “sleep deprivation, headaches, thinning hair, extreme debt and loss of self-identity.” The video continues to offer parents relief via a prescription called AphukenbrakE, which has side effects that include, among others, a sigh of relief, decrease in blood pressure and hanging with the guys.

The Dad focuses its content on modern fatherhood, serving as a hub for comic relief, community and of course, plenty of dad jokes. The Dad does an excellent job of capturing the humor and the messiness of parenting in a way that’s relatable to parents – both mothers and fathers alike. So, given what we know about millennials and the content that they embrace, the success of channels like The Dad should come as no surprise.

Millennial parents gravitate towards content and brands that they view as authentic and honest, which in the case of YouTube channel The Dad is exactly how their portrayal of parenting can be described. Millennials want to see content that is relatable to their own parenting experiences. In fact, millennial parents feel better about parenting when they hear about other parent’s mishaps. Read more on marketing to millennial parents here.

Check out The Dad’s PAR-ENT-ING video below:

 

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Club Fitness Is Off To A Running Start In 2018

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Club Fitness Is Off To A Running Start In 2018

G/L Work

Our client, Club Fitness, has a New Year’s resolution that they’re sticking to and it’s paying off—they’re “The Right Fit for Every BODY.” Club Fitness is the regional fitness club where every BODY can join, feel comfortable and confident in their individual abilities and have access to all of the services and equipment they need to reach their personal goals—all at a great value. And, what a month they had in January—they surpassed their goals with an all time record month!

So how do we define every BODY to Club Fitness customers? It means Club Fitness fits:

  • Every budget
  • Every body type—no matter the shape or size, age or fitness level
  • Every schedule—24 locations near work or home
  • Every workout style—free weights, classes or cardio
  • Every individual’s goals—whether it’s better physical health, weight loss, mental/emotional break, sports training or competition

G/L used a combination of television and radio to bring the campaign to life, with the ultimate goal of driving better retention against current members and increasing Club Fitness’ new member base. The overall brand message encompassed the total value of being “The Right Fit for Every BODY.”

2017 was a great year for Club Fitness and they’re off to a record start in 2018. See more Club Fitness work here.

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The Big Game vs. The Big Picture

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

The Big Game vs. The Big Picture

Advertising

Every industry has “their Super Bowl.” Some have conventions, others have awards shows, but for advertising professionals, our Super Bowl is, well, the Super Bowl. Each year, major brands pony up massive amounts of money for a 30-second spot during the big game, often launching new campaigns or products in the process. It’s the biggest stage for big ideas. But is it really worth it? And what’s it look like in the big picture of full-funnel marketing?

During this year’s Super Bowl, a 30-second spot cost up to $5.2 million. According to Digiday, that sum of money could also have bought:

  • 32 years’ worth of mobile video ads.
  • 33 social media games.
  • 4 weeks of Snapchat lenses.
  • 2 million more people reached on Facebook.
  • 2.6 billion Instagram impressions.
  • 2.6 million paid search clicks on Amazon.
  • 1.85 billion display ad impressions.
  • 8 posts from Selena Gomez.

In the past, perhaps the Super Bowl was worth the super spend. But today, advertisers don’t face the same limitations or challenges in creating a media plan that will reach their target audience. Marketing and media have evolved into a new, better era.

Instead of forking up millions of dollars to cast one big net and message trying to capture all of the various audiences watching the Super Bowl, a more diverse media spend allows you to tailor specific messages to specific audiences – and do it at every stage of the sales funnel for a fraction of the cost.

That’s what full-funnel marketing is all about. Reaching your different audiences with tailored messages through the mediums that they interact with the most. Every touch point has a different “specialization” in what audience they impact the most and in what kind of message will be most effective in progressing them through the next stage of the sales funnel. Why waste your dollars on marketing efforts that are anything less than as efficient as possible?

Look again at the Digiday list above. Imagine an integrated media approach that includes different messages, different mediums for different audiences at different stages of the sales funnel spread across all of those different purchase decision points over a length of time. Now, what sounds better? That? Or one 30-second spot that costs more and is aired one time?

If you’d prefer the first choice, you’re doing just Super. Get a free copy of the Full Funnel Marketing Guide here.

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Trending From G/L: Crock-Pot Is Innocent!

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending From G/L: Crock-Pot Is Innocent!

Trending Now

Warning: Spoilers ahead for season two of This Is Us.

After the heart-wrenching reveal of Jack Pearson’s anticipated death in last week’s episode of This Is Us, viewers learn that a Crock-Pot—err, slow cooker ignited the fire that consumed the Pearson’s house, ultimately leading to Jack’s fatal heart attack. What happened next, you would never expect.

Fans took to social media in anguish and shock that Crock-Pot could ever be the culprit of such tragedy. Could it be? Nope.

Due to an overwhelming amount of concern Crock-Pot was receiving from This Is Us fans, Crock-Pot had to address their role in the fictional storyline. In a hilarious, but totally serious statement, Crock-Pot responded:

Crock-Pot understands the concerns brought up by last night’s episode of This Is Us, and we too are heartbroken by the latest development in Jack’s storyline. However, it is important that our consumers understand and have confidence that all Crock-Pot slow cookers exceed all internal testing protocols and all applicable industry safety standards and regulations as verified by independent third-party testing labs. For nearly 50 years, with over 100 million Crock-Pots sold, we have never received any consumer complaints similar to the fictional events portrayed in last night’s episode. In fact, the safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible.

In the same statement, Crock-Pot asked NBC’s This Is Us to take some responsibility to inform the public regarding the product’s safety.

This Is Us delivered a brilliant response across all of its social platforms featuring Milo Ventimiglia seemingly making amends with Crock-Pot. See the video below:

 

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