Tag: marketing

Trending from G/L: Free Lynda education in St. Louis

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Free Lynda education in St. Louis

Creative

The world of education is changing rapidly. There used to be a linear pattern of high school, then a four-year degree, then getting a job. But that path isn’t always realistic for those who struggle financially.

The rise of supplemental and ongoing education has been a talking point for those who already have degrees. But providing resources for people to study and learn independently has been a growing trend. And resources that reduce the achievement gap by providing educational materials to lower-income students have been shown to increase economic activity in the long run.

Locally, providing educational materials to students in the St. Louis region is a great way to empower people to better their skillset. And the St. Louis County Library recently announced that cardholders would have access to Lynda, an online education resource for business and creative skills as well as software.

It’s a really awesome move by SLCL. Providing access to nearly 4000 video courses to anyone really doesn’t have a downside. Plus, since LinkedIn recently purchased Lynda, the focus on career development will definitely continue to improve.

Innovation in education will likely come both from the public and private sector. Starbucks introduced their new college achievement plan about a year ago and it seems like some employees are taking advantage. Partnering with Arizona State University online has provided opportunities for those who have sought them:

“The most important thing for studying in this new digital learning environment that we’re creating is to show up for work,” observed Regier, University Dean for Educational Initiatives at ASU. “One thing we’ve found is that online coursework actually requires more maturity and self-discipline than the face-to-face classroom.”

And that might be a challenge for some. For me personally, a mixture of in-person and online courses would probably work best as opposed to simply working online. But if some of these courses and opportunities can be accomplished with a lesser cost, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

We’ve been involved with education marketing for at a number of levels for quite a while. If you’re trying to navigate the learning landscape, we’re always happy to chat.

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Trending from G/L: Are Craft Sodas about to pop?

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Are Craft Sodas about to pop?

Advertising

Because the world needs more snobs, Pepsi is planning to launch a line of craft sodas called “Stubborn Soda”—but wait there’s more—it will be dispensed from pub-reminiscent taps. Flavors include black cherry with tarragon, classic root beer, lemon berry acai, pineapple cream, agave vanilla cream, and orange hibiscus, which I’m pretty sure is a flower.

Craft Soda

Now, this is an obvious nod to the craft beer market, so let’s head down that road. Craft beer is sort of an arbitrary term, but generally speaking, it’s beer that’s been produced by a microbrewery in less than corporate-sized quantities. Microbreweries generally pride themselves on their ability to concoct personalized takes on established brew styles—like a pale ale or a stout.

So what makes craft sodas…craft?

I find it hard to believe that Pepsi won’t mass-produce these suckers, so the idea of a micro-soda-manufacturer is out of the question. Maybe quality? The Stubborn brand will boast “fair trade certified cane sugar and natural flavors,” so maybe it truly is a step up from the high fructose corn syrupy stuff we’ve been guzzling the past few decades. That being said, Pepsi’s throwback line of cans featured cane sugar, so Stubborn isn’t quite avant-garde enough to be dubbed an innovation in the soft drink industry.

It’s safe to assume Pepsi’s become self-aware of its flagship product’s decline in popularity—and it’s not just Pepsi—I’m talking soda in general. For a while, large soda manufacturers had the all-too-handy diet soda crutch to lean on in times of need. No longer. Diet beverage sales are down more than 20 percent since their peak in 2009 because of health concerns with the zero-calorie beverage’s sketchy chemical makeup.

Instead of launching a ritzier line of soft drinks like Pepsi, Coca-Cola is funding the Global Energy Balance Network—an organization that argues poor diet isn’t to be blamed for rampant obesity. Instead, they advocate the theory that inactivity alone is the main culprit of obesity in America. Really, Coke?

Coca-Cola’s approach may seem massively different than Pepsi’s, but at the end of the day, the soda giants are attempting to broadcast the same message: Soda is still a sensible consumable.

Okay, the soda giants are scrambling, so what? My main point is this:

Just as Pepsi and Coke are doing, mature brands need to make moves. Remaining stagnant and weathering the steady decline of a product in hopes of a chance revival at a later date isn’t sufficient for any sized company let alone the likes of Pepsi and Coca-Cola. Follow the lead of the big guys—they know what they’re doing. Except green-lighting that flower-flavored soda, maybe.

G/L deals with everything from new product launches to mature brand extensions. If you’re dealing with either or anything in between, give us a call. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you’ve got.

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7 Examples of Horrible Marketing Advice

Luke Smith
Senior Account Executive

7 Examples of Horrible Marketing Advice

Advertising

As marketers, we all want to be innovators and bring the next big idea to our clients to move the needle for their brand(s). But sometimes not all ideas are good ideas. Some marketing ideas do not align with a brand’s creative and messaging strategy, other ideas might not resonate with an audience.

We’ve compiled a list of some less-than-sound (i.e. horrible marketing advice) ideas out there to provide examples of what not to do when it comes to planning your marketing efforts.

1) If you’re trying to build awareness, advertise everywhere you can.

If you’re trying to build buzz or awareness for your new brand/product, it’s important to plan, strategize and understand your audience first. Focus on who will care about your brand and where you can reach them, not how quickly you can reach anyone and everyone. A key step to marketing success is making sure that your messages are targeted and efficient.

2) You need to be on this social media platform.

The marketing landscape has changed significantly over the past 10 years, but just because there is a new, trendy social media platform, does not mean that you need to be there. Granted, you don’t always need to be on the same social channels as your customers (consider where you might find new customers and opportunities), but if you are marketing a product that appeals to a 70+ crowd, chances are you don’t need to be on Instagram or Snapchat. Focus on participating on social channels that will be an extension of your brand and help your business flourish.

3) If you buy an email list you’ll have better email performance.

Buying an email list will definitely grow your distribution channel for direct digital marketing, but it doesn’t mean that the recipients will find your content relevant. If you choose to purchase an email lists, it should be one that is appropriate for your business. Even better, activate and focus on direct outreach through current customers or interested parties that sign up for your mailings on their own. Organic growth is ideal- this means that they want to hear from you.

4) Long lead forms are always worse than short forms.

Long online lead forms can be tedious and time-consuming. That’s a good thing. If your goal is to generate new customers, would you rather have a solid lead or a lead that might not truly be interested in your offerings? You shouldn’t necessarily make the lead jump through too many hoops to get more information, but weeding out the unqualified leads with some detailed questions will produce concrete leads that are truly engaged in what you have to offer.

5) Asking for likes, retweets or shares makes your brand look desperate.

Trying to get the word out? Asking for people to share and repost your content does not have to translate as desperation. In fact, some of the greatest online campaigns are successful due to concise and clear calls-to-action. If that CTA is having others share your content- then so be it! Tying a prize or some sort of incentive to sharing will produce more results and success. You will get more shares if you just ask.

6) You don’t need a responsive website design.

Mobile and tablet internet use have now surpassed internet use on a standard laptop or home computer. If you have a CBD company for example, and you’re not prepared to integrate a responsive design with the help of a CBD Website Design Company, it can lead to frustrated visitors and a bad user experience. This will also reflect poorly on your brand. You wouldn’t want to purchase products from a brand that has a terrible website design, would you? When you are building or redesigning your website, responsive design should be a priority. If you do not have enough resources or manpower to accomplish this task, you can think of outsourcing this work to a reputed digital marketing firm like Hooked Marketing. They can help in delivering a high-quality professional website design for your business.

7) More personalization will garner a better response.

Sometimes too much personalization can come off as a bit intrusive. It’s important to know the customers, recipients and targets for your outreach efforts, but focusing on finding the right balance of friendliness and personalization (within reason) and not coming off too stalker-ish will be key. Make sure not to include everything you know about your customer.

If you would like some GOOD marketing advice instead of horrible marketing advice, please reach out to us. We’re here to help your brand reach it’s potential and provide advice on utilizing the right marketing tools to guide you to success.

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Find Your Why: Why Do You Do What You Do?

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Find Your Why: Why Do You Do What You Do?

Advertising

What makes a company successful?

That is a question that start-ups and longstanding businesses alike find themselves asking when times get tough.

This complex question has a very simple answer. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

In 2009, Simon Sinek released “Start With Why,” a book outlining exactly what makes companies who are concrete in their purpose so prosperous.

“Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. When I say WHY, I don’t mean to make money—that’s a result. By WHY I mean what is your purpose, cause or belief? WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?”

These questions are not something that many companies have truly thought about. There are so many different brands fighting for the top spot in the same industry; to stand out seems nearly impossible. It takes an organization that has a clear vision for what they are trying to achieve, and that vision needs to be valued from the company president all the way to the office intern.

Once an organization has established their core belief – one that defines everything that they are doing everyday – it is time to share the message. Consumers are going to choose the brand that they can believe in. When they can relate to and understand a company’s “why,” there is a certain level of trust established – in quality and service. The customer is going to remember that brand and become loyal to it.

When you find your why, success is simple: believe in your business and others will do the same.

Are you looking to inspire people to believe in what you are doing, but can’t quite define your “why”? We’re always here to help out.

WIN A FREE WHY BOOK

Plus, if you fill out the form below, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

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Trending from G/L: What Makes Mobile Marketing Matter?

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: What Makes Mobile Marketing Matter?

Advertising

The mobile platform is advertising’s newest puzzle and it’s making creatives question their storytelling tactics. With high traffic and low engagement, mobile marketing is established enough to have brands knocking at its door, but most are questioning if anyone’s even home. Mountain Dew, BBDO NY, OMD Worldwide, and Google’s Art, Copy & Code team joined forces to figure out how video advertising needs to evolve in order to be effective in a mobile setting—Unskippable Labs was born.

The collaborators took an existing television advertisement (Mountain Dew Kickstart’s “Come Alive”) and created three versions, each varying in length and content. Using YouTube TrueView (it gives viewers the option to skip ads), they monitored the viewership of each cut in an effort to understand what catches the attention of mobile viewers.

The three cuts included:

“The Original”—a traditional 30-second TV spot with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

“The Big Punch”—a 31-second mobile ad that presents the brand before the viewer has a chance to skip.

“Pure Fun”—a 93-second cut that drops viewers into the middle of the action. Here, there’s no real story arc and the brand is subtly featured throughout.

Viewers had no clear preference when viewing the three ads from desktop computers—view-through rates were nearly equal; however, on mobile, “Pure Fun” boasted a 26% higher view-through rate than the other two cuts.

Viewers watched “Pure Fun” more frequently and for longer periods of time—an average of 1 minute 9 seconds. Despite elevated viewership, brand recall (Mountain Dew) was more or less equal to the other cuts and specific product recall (Kickstart) even plummeted.

Were viewers perplexed by the randomness? Intrigued by the uncertainty of direction? Who knows? What we can conclude is that brevity isn’t a necessary component for mobile marketing as we once thought.

Previous mobile efforts prioritized engaging viewers directly with outcries of, “Hey! You there!” within the 5-second grace period before viewers have the ability to skip. Perhaps this study will spawn a new wave of mobile marketing, ultimately ditching ad norms and turning to riffs on absurdity and unpredictability.

This goes back to the idea of making consumers care and making it mean something to them. If you have concerns about getting your target audience to take notice of your brand, contact us anytime.

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Find Your Why: How? Start By Asking Questions

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Find Your Why: How? Start By Asking Questions

Advertising

Just about everyone works for something “bigger” than themselves from a literal standpoint—a corporation, for example; but how about “bigger” in a sense of significance? Finding and implementing a reason for doing—what we call a “why”— can have a tremendous impact on clients and employees.

Our “why” – Make it mean something.

It sounds simple, and in some aspects it is; but when a company implements a carefully crafted mantra into every aspect of its labor, the result is a staff that’s collectively hip to the same inspiration—an invaluable trait, not to mention a weapon competitors fear as much as they envy.

Discovering your “why” isn’t as easy as it first may seem. Shooting from the hip may result in an off-strategy approach, confusion among employees, and even criticism—external or otherwise. Here are three questions that can help you begin to pin down your “why.”

 

  • What do you do?

This one’s easy. What line of work are you in?

 

  • How do you do it?

Specifically, how do you operate? What steps do you take to ensure your company’s providing a positive work culture while meeting financial goals? If workplace culture isn’t currently a priority, head on over to our blog on how culture extends beyond the workplace.

 

  • Why do you do what you do?

Okay—this one can be tough to answer. Try thinking back to when you first broke into the industry. What drew you to your industry? If you’re in a different industry than when you were 22, what made you change? Spend a little bit of time on this one.

It’s also worth thinking about who benefits from your company’s work and how you’d like to be perceived by that group. Image is paramount to successfully marketing a brand. Step back and ask yourself if your desired image aligns with how others perceive you.

Want to find your why? Got some thoughts rolling? Jot them down below for a free consultation.

WIN A FREE WHY BOOK

Plus, if you fill out the form below, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

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Find Your Why: Inspired Company, Inspired Growth and Company Culture

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Find Your Why: Inspired Company, Inspired Growth and Company Culture

Branding

If you have a LinkedIn account, you’ve probably seen a version of the encounter below show up in your feed:

Inspired Company Growth

It’s a fairly simple premise: if you invest time and resources in your employees, it will pay dividends. Failure to do so leads to unmotivated individuals who may not be in a position to further advance their skills. And in turn, the company itself, being only as strong as its employees, can’t grow.

But what does being an inspired company mean? And how does a positive company culture lead to growth and innovation? And can it make work fun, or at the very least, rewarding?

We’ve had the opportunity to work closely with HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company. We’ve learned quite a bit with regards to digital marketing, content marketing and business development in the time we’ve spent working with their team and learning the ins-and-outs of the platform. It’s definitely been rewarding.

In a recent article, HubSpot co-founder and CEO Brian Halligan discussed his approach to hiring and building a particular kind of culture.

“As the years passed, Halligan and co-founder Dharmesh Shah put more thought into fostering a positive company culture that Halligan said would attract the kinds of employees they wanted, while repelling those they didn’t.”

The article also talks about their annual Inbound conference and how, despite their claim that they lose money on the event, it’s still worth the cost. That’s because it can convince people to use the HubSpot platform. It can also be a Launchpad to attract top job candidates and maintain a position as the leader in inbound marketing.

Another line that stood out:

“Now, the nearly 900 employees of HubSpot, which are largely in the millennial generation, feel a sense of ownership in the company because of its commitment to transparency and trust.”

That’s a big selling point as the job candidate pool continues to crave more of a connection to their careers than just a simple 9-to-5 grind. It’s a massive shift from simply running to the place offering the biggest paycheck.

And it has translated into business success as well. The Inbound conference had just fewer than 3000 attendees in its first year, but three years later, they’re expecting more than 13,000 marketers to attend. And with more than $115 million in revenue for 2014, they seem to be doing okay financially. Happy customers, happy employees. Seems like a win-win.

WIN A FREE WHY BOOK

We’re always available to chat. And if you fill out the form below, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

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Find Your Why: How company culture goes beyond the workplace

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Find Your Why: How company culture goes beyond the workplace

Branding

When we think about work culture and environment, we allude to a spectrum of physical spaces ranging from fluorescent-lit cubicle containers to spacey, renovated warehouses with concrete floors and ill-placed lamps. But office aesthetics are but a crumb of the entire company culture cake.

Most of us spend the majority of our lives at the office. Sometimes we seem to forget that. There, we succeed gloriously and fail miserably—bask in contentment and writhe in resentment. Whether we love or loathe our jobs, workplace culture plays a major role.

In fact, the best employers in the U.S. say their greatest tool is culture. The attached article from Fortune notes three major trends.

First, because the “best employer” surveyors have used the same methodology and judging criteria for twenty some odd years, they determined that the best workplaces are getting even better—which sounds super arbitrary, but bear with me. The average amount of training for managers and professionals has increased 80% from 1998. Additionally, data from the surveyors’ Trust Index (which is exactly what it sounds like) indicates that the “happiest employees” are happier and more loyal than ever.

Second, business leaders use culture as a competitive tool in order to mutually benefit the company and its employees. So happier employees make a company more lucrative? Who woulda thunk it? It certainly makes sense. If an employee feels that he or she is under appreciated, merely spinning wheels, or worse, both—he or she may produce work of lower quality.

Third, the best workplaces have leaders who listen to their employees and implement distinctive programs that are relevant to the modern business world. Certain programs alone can instill a sense of culture. Whether it’s an intricate workshop or a simple office ritual like, oh, I don’t know, having a beer or two together at the end of each week. That’s what we do here at G/L, and let me tell you, I’m feeling the culture.

Sometimes it’s as simple as sharing an understanding of the basis of work done in the office. Why do you do what you do? What’s the purpose of your work? These questions are often overlooked in the corporate world. Routine slays passion, and without passion, brands become stale.

We’ve quoted Simon Sinek countless times: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Want to hear more about how we maintain our workplace culture? Give us a call—or better yet, stop by Friday around 4pm. We’ll tell you all about it.

WIN A FREE WHY BOOK

Regardless, if you fill out the form below, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

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Why Storytelling in Media Relations Matters

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Why Storytelling in Media Relations Matters

Advertising

As of January 2013, there were more than 600,000 restaurants in the United States. With so much competition, how does one stand out from the pack?

The first option is paid media or marketing.

Television spot during a Cardinals game – $500-$2,500

Radio spot during primetime commute – $1,000-$3,000

Prominent Highway Billboard (per month) – $1,500-$5,000

You get the idea.

Advertising is necessary, but expensive. And don’t think for a second the restaurant down the street isn’t looking into the same methods.

So how do you make your business different? How do you effectively reach your targets and make them remember you? That is where public relations, or earned media, comes into play.

When a public relations professional first approaches a pitch, they are focused on one thing: storytelling. There may be more than 600,000 restaurants in the United States, but each one has a brand story. The key is figuring out what that story is.

Here are five tips for identifying an effective brand story:

1) Stop trying to sell

You aren’t mining for the brand story behind your business simply to drive sales. Sure, that is the end goal, but with brand storytelling there is so much more that goes along with it. You want to engage customers. You want them to remember you. Next time they are thinking about going to an Italian restaurant for dinner, you want them to think of the restaurant they read about in the newspaper that has been run by the same family for three generations.

2) Know your client

This is a big one. Nothing is more frustrating for a client than hiring someone to work on PR that isn’t willing to put in the work to find out about your company. It is not enough for someone trying to write a pitch to simply know the basics. It takes digging and asking questions to find that story that is going to grab a journalist’s and the audience’s attention.

3) Know your audience

Just as important as knowing your client, you need to know your audience. Who does the client want to target? What publications are you pitching this to? There may be one story, but there is more than one way to tell it so that it hits the target.

4) Be relatable

What is the point of telling a story if it isn’t one that people are interested in? It is probably not advantageous to talk about the billionaire that added this restaurant to his portfolio. No. This is not a story that people are interested in. This is not a story that is going to make customers want to experience what you have to offer. Make it a personal, relatable story.

HINT: If the brand story that you create is something that customers can mention in casual conversation, you’ve nailed it.

5) Be newsworthy

This is more important in the drafting of a pitch than in the storytelling, but it is certainly still an element of effective storytelling. Create a story that makes sense in the world. Find out what your target audience is talking about, and mine for a story that aligns with that. This also makes it easier for a journalist to take what you are offering and turn it into something more than a mention on page 10.

Does brand storytelling sound a bit like journalism? Well, it should. Developing your story takes some digging, but once you find it, have some fun with it! Take advantage of the opportunity to give your customers an inside look at your business. Tell your story and I guarantee they will remember you.

We know your brand has a story to tell. Let us help you find it.

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Trending from G/L: Hiring an Advertising Agency the Right Way

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Trending from G/L: Hiring an Advertising Agency the Right Way

Advertising

The processes that companies use to find an advertising agency have evolved dramatically over the past few decades. The standard requests for proposals (RFP) are sill around, but with some brands working with multiple agencies, as well as freelancers and internal marketers, the landscape has become infinitely more complicated. Agencies of record still matter, but project work is everywhere.

Despite all of this, a strong agency partnership fosters trust and paves a path for high-quality strategic, creative work to emerge. That path can start with the agency selection process. While that process can be arduous, making it as streamlined and conducive to finding the right fit is worth it.

Argentum Strategy Group recently published a case study for choosing the right creative agency and we were fortunate enough to be indirectly mentioned.

In the case study, a business-to-business technology brand was searching for an agency to help differentiate their message and grow their local awareness. They took a number of critical steps to determine a budget, vet selected agencies based on selected criteria, and rate each agency in an unbiased manner. In this case, the client XIOLINK chose Geile/Leon as their agency.

Working with Susan Silver and the team at Argentum gave us the opportunity to meet with, and eventually, work with the client on an ongoing basis. They do a fantastic job of bringing together the right clients and the right agencies to find a strategic fit. And from an agency perspective, we found the search process valuable and inclusive.

Our approach to new business in general has evolved for the better over the course of more than 25 years in business. But our commitment to helping brands grow is still at the heart of everything we do. If you have a marketing challenge, let us help you solve it. We’re up for it.

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