Trending from G/L: New Color Insights…by listening?

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: New Color Insights…by listening?

Take a moment to imagine living in a world with no color.

Or rather, imagine never even knowing color.

For Neil Harbisson, our world in black and white was all he ever knew. He was born with achromatopsia—a condition that makes him completely colorblind. That was his life until he convinced his doctors to turn him into a cyborg…

Yes, a cyborg—the world’s first cyborg. Neil has an antenna and color sensor chip implanted into his head. This antenna picks up light frequencies of colors; the light frequencies are then transposed into a sound frequency.

This allows Neil to HEAR COLOR. Each color has a unique sound, which has color insights he has memorized.

This technology now allows him to experience the world in a new way. While he still doesn’t see color like most people, his new sense at least allows him to know color.

This guy really got the Geile/Leon team talking. Some couldn’t get over the weird factor, yet others were amazed at the technology.

I find Neil’s situation very interesting. Technology is changing people’s lives and becoming apart of them—literally in his case.

Other than the technology aspect of Neil’s story, I think one of the main things I started thinking about is how we take advantage of color. Color is just there. The sky is blue, bananas are yellow—this is how the world looks. We don’t dive any deeper into the color insights that are all around us.

As a creative, I’m envious of Neil’s new sense. He gets to experience color insights on a whole new level. In the video he talks about how almost nothing is gray—everything has some kind of hue. He talks about how people are actually all orange—just different shades. He is “seeing” his environment on a level that people with no colorblindness will ever achieve.

Pretty awesome.

Be sure to check out the video and share your thoughts about Neil and his ability to hear color with us.

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Trending from G/L: Rail Safety getting the Google treatment

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Rail Safety getting the Google treatment

Despite numerous advancements in transportation technology, rail is still a massive industry. On the passenger side, ridership is increasing significantly in intercity corridors. On the freight side, it remains a very effective way to move goods across long stretches.

And yet, safety remains a critical issue for the rail industry. In mid-May, a train derailment along Amtrak’s Northeast corridor put the issue in the spotlight. On the freight side, the issue of individuals crossing train tracks at areas not secured by intersections remains a significant challenge.

The Federal Railroad Administration just announced a partnership with Google to provide information on all grade crossings via their incredibly popular Maps application. The effort comes as deaths from train-on-vehicle collisions increased between 2013 and 2014, which goes against a decades-long decrease of nearly 80% from the 1970s.

On the surface, it may seem surprising that accidents have increased in recent years. Unfortunately, there seems to be a misconception that trains move slow enough or are easily visible enough that it’d be very difficult to get struck by one. This ignores how difficult it is for a train to stop on short notice.

Recently, our client Union Pacific Railroad launched a campaign to raise awareness about the rise of high school photos being taken on or near railroad crossings. While emblematic of one’s next step in life, it ignores the inherent dangers of being so close to a dangerous area. Here’s one of the videos from their campaign:

The campaign is in line with other safety initiatives that Union Pacific and other transportation companies and authorities have launched in recent years. Being proactive with new technology partnerships, advocacy campaigns and streamlined regulations are part of the key to improving rail safety across the country.

Is your brand in need of advocacy solutions that make an impact? We’re always happy to chat.

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Trending from G/L: How Nike’s relationship with LeBron remains timeless

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: How Nike’s relationship with LeBron remains timeless

Sponsorships for professional athletes carry an extreme level of volatility for the simple reason that the outcome of the games they play aren’t predetermined (unless you’re a professional wrestling fan, that is).

It’s remarkable how quickly a golfer like Tiger Woods can watch his stock plummet while Rory McIlroy heads in the opposite direction. It’s incredible to watch a no-name utility infielder like Geoff Blum become a World Series hero in one night. It’s humorous even when it’s for all the wrong reasons and most casual fans probably don’t remember your name.

And then there’s LeBron.

There’s no question that LeBron James is a phenomenal basketball player. His legend was already well known when he was playing in high school, and this was really before the golden age of high school sports clips were available all over the internet. Even before he even played his first professional game for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, Nike had signed him to a deal just short of nine figures.

More than a decade later, that relationship between LeBron and Nike has been accompanied by everything that’s happened on and off the court. On the court, LeBron brought the Cavs to the brink of a title. Then, off the court, there was The Decision.

Shortly after, amid a strong fan backlash, Nike released this iconic spot, attempting to humanize LeBron and explain why he made the choice to leave home:

After winning multiple titles in Miami, LeBron returned home and nearly delivered a championship, falling short in the NBA finals despite a heroic effort.

Over the weekend, the Cavaliers and Nike took out a full-page ad in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, thanking the fans for their support and reminding them that the journey is not over.

LeBron

The ad is minimalist, but it strikes the right tone and tells the story that just transpired as well as what lies ahead. For a partnership like this, Nike doesn’t have to be front and center because they’ve been intertwined with his story since the beginning. It allows them to focus more on why people should care instead of trying to just sell shiny new shoes.

Certainly not everyone has the resources that Nike does, but as this ad shows, you don’t need to create something overly flashy to resonate with readers and grow a brand. If you’re ever looking for help your brand take the next step, we’re here to help.

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Programmatic Buying: How Media Is Changing

Meg Strange
Senior Account Executive

Programmatic Buying: How Media Is Changing

There’s a buzzword flying around the advertising industry these days, one that has a value of nearly $15 billion in 2015. No, I’m not talking about #Kimye (not even close). I’m talking about #programmatic.

Heard of it? Yes. 

Know what it means? Yes…I think…maybe…kind of? No…not really.

…Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Programmatic media buying is the hot new gossip in advertising. It’s new, it’s shiny, it’s mysterious and naturally, like with most gossip, everybody wants a piece of it. But does everybody understand what it is or why they want it? Not exactly.

Well fear not, my friends, for I am about to bring you into the inner circle, define what programmatic buying is, and explain why it is projected to account for over 25% of digital advertising revenue in 2015.

“That’s right, Dorothy.”
“That’s right, Dorothy.”

But let’s look away from the dollar signs for a minute, because programmatic media buying goes far beyond the colossal projected revenues associated with it. Programmatic represents the industry’s gradual adoption of a completely new way of buying digital media that could revolutionize and alter the way media across all mediums is targeted and purchased.

What is it?

Programmatic, by definition, is the data-driven, automated process of buying digital advertising. Gone are the days of exchanging phone calls and emails and IO’s with sales teams, now replaced by…well…acronyms.

Specifically: PMP, DSP and RTB. Also known as the driving forces behind programmatic ad buying.

If you love tech speak as much as me (note: sarcasm), then you’ll love these definitions even more:

Private Marketplace (PMP) is a marketplace where specific, premium publishers make their inventory available to a select group of buyers. Unlike the traditional site-direct buy, PMP’s offer buyers access to these inventories via ad exchanges called DSP’s.

Demand-Side Platform (DMP) is the software platform by which buyers purchase digital media within a PMP. DSP’s make the ad-buying process more efficient by allowing buyers to access 1st and 3rd party data that ensures them that the impressions purchased are delivered on the right sites, to the right audience and at the right time. Allowing this access to buyers eliminates the need for any humans to be involved in the buying process—no extra costs, no negotiation, no back and forth. Instead, ads are purchased via RTB.

Real-time Bidding (RTB) is the entirely transparent, auction-style method for buying and selling ad impressions in real time, like the stock market. A general assumption throughout the industry is: RTB=auction=low quality/remnant ad stock. However, with the rise of programmatic, a growing number of publishers are making their premium inventory available through PMP’s.

So, how does a buyer get their hands on this premium stock? We refer to age-old adage: it’s all about who you know.

How are we using it?

Here at G/L, we are “getting with the programmatic.” One thing we prioritize as an agency is the importance of implementing business practices that not only benefit and drive our work forward, but those that do the same for our clients’ brands. True, the programmatic waters are still a little murky, so we knew we needed to seek out a partner to help us navigate. One whose expertise in developing strategic programmatic buys would help us produce successful, optimized digital campaigns and see that our clients achieve their desired ROI. Enter Goodway Group.

Working with Goodway Group, we are able to cultivate digital media buys based on specific target audience parameters versus the traditional site-direct buy. Thus, for example, rather than assuming a clients’ regional customers are solely surfing regional sites (that often have a higher monthly premium restricting the overall reach and frequency of a campaign), we’re able to utilize rich data that tells us exactly where the people we want to target are, in real time, and serve them the message within milliseconds. In turn, programmatic also offers us the ability to access immediate reporting data to track campaign success and pause or augment the campaign based on ad performance. Insights like these effectively inform the campaign, our targeting and our creative.

In joining forces with Goodway, we are able to be a dynamic player in the ever-evolving world of digital media by adopting programmatic as a way to produce better, more strategic digital campaigns that provide our clients with the greatest impact and highest ROI. Removing humans from the process of ad buying allows us as an agency, along with Goodway Group, to make our primary focus optimizing clients’ campaigns and ensuring they are on strategy. 

Where is it going?

According to eMarketer, programmatic is the fastest growing area of online advertising. By 2017, it is predicted that programmatic media sales will account for 83% of all U.S. digital display ad spending. The trend is catching, however, and is predicted to represent 4% of U.S. TV budgets in 2015, increasing to 17% by 2019. We think it’s going to cause a pretty big shift in the industry, and we’re excited to be on board!

Want to learn more about how we’re working with Goodway Group in the developing digital landscape? Download your own copy of our webinar presentation, A Strategic Approach to Digital Media!

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Trending from G/L: Wearable Tech Cycles On

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Wearable Tech Cycles On

It seems like not that long ago wearable technology was still just an emerging trend still waiting to take off. Now, with the industry expected to be worth nearly $20 billion by 2018, and the number of units in circulation expected to be more than $110 million within the same time frame, that trend is now.

Along with smart apps, smart watches, FitBits and so so so much more, another really cool concept is now added to the mix:

Smart Bikes.

Trends 6-8

Well actually, it’s more of a smart bike pedal. Concepted by French start-up Connected Cycle, the pedal collects information that’s transmitted to an app that tracks usage stats and other health info. Pretty cool, right?

But that’s not all. The product also helps protect against theft by tracking the whereabouts of the pedal (and by proxy, the bike) at all times. Plus, the pedal requires a code and other information in order to remove from it the bike, so it’s kind of a thief’s worst nightmare.

Wearable tech is continuing to explode, with both established brands and tech start-ups entering the fold. Apple, Samsung and Garmin are among the frontrunners in the industry as they create products that are innovative and quickly become must-have items. And as consumer data is collected, the marketing opportunities are endless.

It’s fascinating to think about the possibilities for the wearable tech industry. Just the way that basically everything can be turned into a data point is pretty cool, if not a little bit scary. But, as more products like the Connected Cycle pedal show, keeping a focus on security and taking aim at pain points to solve classic problems (e.g. keeping tabs on a bike), the wearable’s market will keep rolling on.

(Sorry, bad cycling pun, I couldn’t help it.)

Interested in learning more about how new products can be branded effectively to make end users feel that connection? We’re always available to chat.

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G/L is Hiring! – Associate Creative Director

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

G/L is Hiring! – Associate Creative Director

Geile/Leon is growing! We’re looking for creative individuals who want to build brand-driven strategic marketing solutions that mean something to those we’re trying to reach. Folks who want to work hard and have a lot of fun along the way. If that sounds like something you think you could be a part of, read on:

G/L is looking for an Associate Creative Director with strong writing experience to assist our creative director with every aspect of the creative process, as well as management of the department. We’re looking for someone who’s comfortable leading and supervising our awesome creative team.

We’d also consider a seasoned writer who has ACD potential. If you’re not sure whether or not you should apply, our advice is DO IT!

The ideal candidate is a proficient copywriter with a strong track record of developing strong creative campaign concepts. They’re someone who can inspire our team and clients. Someone who’s able to develop ideas and creative work that’s compelling, memorable and strategic.

Responsibilities and Requirements:

  • Providing concepts for projects/campaigns to meet approved marketing communications objectives and strategies.
  • Working closely with account services as a liaison to the creative department, helping the creative department sell their best ideas to account executives and the client.
  • Managing the creative/production department’s day-to-day operations.
  • Attending creative input meetings in the creative director’s absence or at the creative director’s request.
  • Selling creative internally or to clients at the creative director or account executive’s request.
  • Making recommendations to the creative director for creative positions and freelance services.
  • Has working knowledge of all software programs needed to fulfill approved creative concepts.
  • Must have at least four years of agency experience.

Bottom line: If you want an opportunity to lead and grow with some awesome (and modest) creative minds in a mid-sized agency environment, this is one heck of a position.

To apply, send a resume and portfolio to Anne-Marie Vaughan at [email protected]

Climbing the Mountain of Interactive Infographics

Tim Leon
President/Brand Strategist

Climbing the Mountain of Interactive Infographics

I’m a Mount Everest Freak! I’ve read all the survivor books including Into Thin Air and Left for Dead. While my chances of getting to Everest anytime soon are slim (like a snowball’s chance in hell…pardon the pun), I came across one of the most engaging infographics I have ever encountered, called Scaling Everest. It’s an interactive infographic published online by the Washington Post that takes you on a virtual climb up to the peak of Everest – all from a simple click or swipe of your mouse.

In addition to serving up interesting factoids and visual eye candy, the infographic incorporates sound. Three different Everest explorers Lydia Bradey, Pete Ahtans and Suze Kelly were interviewed, and sound bites of their interviews are interspersed throughout your “climb”. Hearing these voices makes your virtual ascent even more memorable and authentic.

I found myself scrolling to the top and absorbing interesting information forgetting that I was staring at a computer screen, engaged in the moment. I finally came out of my trance to rush to an agency meeting (where I was already 5 minutes late – but hey, I was climbing Everest so it was an acceptable excuse).

What I loved about this interactive infographic is that you could “climb” Everest at your own pace. You were in control of the experience. Interactive infographics are starting to appear more often, and I think this particular infographic demonstrates the experiential nature and engagement power of this digital medium.

While video has its place in the digital space, the interactive infographic brings that same engagement, but it isn’t passive. You are more of a participant in the experience. I’m looking forward to bringing this medium to all of my clients, but in the meantime, let me share this awesome Everest experience with you!

Enjoy your climb…then get back to work!!!

Want to talk infographics? Or how about creating meaningful content that engages your audience? Let’s chat. Fill out the form below, and we will get back to you within 48 hours.

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