The only thing more diverse and segmented than today's media and information channels are the groups using them. The need for simplicity and truth in advertising has never been greater. Understanding the people behind the statistics is the difference between communication and noise.
Neil Mortine and Kathy Cupper Obert
The acquisition, which joins the capabilities of Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations and Edward Howard, is expected to close during the first quarter of 2010 although integration and coordinated new business and marketing efforts will begin immediately.
Check out more details of today’s exciting announcement in the news release.
Last week I got invited to a lunch and learn titled The Obama Factor & FTC Update. Three associates from the law firm Frost Brown Todd came into our offices to speak about this very interesting subject.
One of the topics they addressed was collecting behavioral data online, which to me, as an advertiser is key information to my clients’ businesses. Today, consumers have control over where and how they receive messages. The purpose of behavioral targeting is to send our client’s message to the right person when they are ready to receive it.
The FTC defines behavioral advertising by tracking a consumer’s online activities over time (e.g. searches, websites visited, content viewed) to deliver advertising catered to that consumer’s interests. Why is this information important? It helps tailor content to each unique individual. I frequently visit www.target.com or www.gap.com for shopping. So when I’m doing a Google search it’s no coincidence that a Gap, Target or even Macy’s web banner is served up on my screen.
There is no denying that what was once called the traditional media landscape is fast becoming an antiquated term. Most discussions surrounding the changes with media inevitably make their way back to something related to digital applications and technology.
Our view is that technology has morphed from an additional vehicle to a great enabler and equalizer. We know Americans are more and more adept at multi-tasking. A recent Experian Simmons report revealed that approximately 90% of us watch TV in a typical day and upwards of 70% use some other media while doing so. Surfing the web, using cell phones and emailing were cited as activities most often done while watching TV.
What does a traditional landscape really mean to today’s overly connected and overscheduled consumer anyway?
Ask a different person….you’ll get a different answer.
So here’s the point of the title of this article….it’s not necessarily the technology or explosion of choices people have today. It’s understanding where it all fits in the hearts and minds of consumers.
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We’ve all heard the impressive statistics about women and the online world.
I attended BlogHer ‘09 in Chicago and the focus of this conference was specifically on women and blogs. More than 1,400 bloggers, marketers, media reps, and PR practitioners were in attendance. This is the fifth year for the BlogHer Conference and the largest to date. BlogHer was created in 2005 with a mission “To create opportunities for women who blog to pursue exposure, education, community, and economic empowerment” according to their website.
During the course of three days, I learned so much and it helped put many of the stats we all hear into context. I attended Blogher ‘09 not as a blogger but as a marketer trying to better understand the incredibly powerful world of women bloggers. The conference is set up in two parts; Blogher Business and BlogHer ‘09. BlogHer Business is directed to marketers, blog writers, and other social media practitioners who are interested in reaching women online. BlogHer Business highlights best practices and case studies for connecting with women online, specifically in the social media space. Following BlogHer Business is BlogHer, which offers blog writers many tools such as technical labs (called Geek Labs–what a great name!) education workshops, intense breakout sessions focused on hot blogging topics and lots of opportunities for networking, connecting and just plain socializing.
I attended both and was overwhelemed by the experience. From a business perspective, I learned a ton and have many great case studies and best practices to share (the top takeaways follow). As a woman and mother, I was encouraged by the sense of community, support and camaraderie these women share. You may have seen some less than flattering articles or posts about bad behavior (especially as it relates to “swag”) by the women in attendance. But overall, the women I met were smart, ambitious, considerate and they were in attendance to learn, share and become better at their craft.
At the Business conference, five case studies were shared and each used social media to build successful marketing programs. These case studies were presented by the actual marketers who developed and ran the campaigns–having a first person perspective made the cases more real especially when the marketers spoke of the challenges they faced–internally and externally.
Key takeaways:
Neil Mortine, president of Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations, has been named chairman of Fahlgren, Inc. The move is in conjunction with the announcement that current chairman and CEO Steve Drongowski will step down at the end of the year and remain a consultant to the business. Mortine will be named CEO at that time.
For more details, click through to the news release.
Co-authored by Kyle Younkman and Nathan Shipp
Each year HOW, a publication specializing in design, holds a design conference featuring a wide range of sessions including creativity, design principles, business, career, technology and production, in an effort to inspire and inform designers of all levels. This year, the conference was held in Austin, Texas and Fahlgren was kind enough to send Wendy Jenkins, Kyle Younkman and Nathan Shipp to experience everything that HOW and Austin had to offer.
Austin: The Experience
While we were lucky enough to visit Austin during a record heat wave, the average day being about 105 degrees, that didn’t stop us from getting out and exploring. Plus, due to Kyle’s uncanny ability to strike up conversations with absolute strangers, we were able to learn a lot about what to see, what to eat and where NOT to go. According to our cab driver who picked us up at the airport, Austin has “everything,” well except for line dancing. He may have been onto something. We experienced everything from cupcakes out of an airstream trailer to a mass exodus of bats from under a bridge. And then there was HOW…
Austin: The Conference
The official conference began with a networking event. Everyone received a belt buckle with 10 descriptions written on it and you had to find people who fit each of those descriptions to sign your card. This is where Nathan became VERY popular as he was the guy “getting married this summer.”
The opening keynote, Progress vs. Novelty, touched on some interesting points regarding consumer behavior and the intersections between culture and commerce. Robert Walker, a columnist from the New York Times Magazine discussed how good design can elevate the value for the consumer, partner and client. People want to display and share things that are well designed. At the same time, we need to stop targeting the same market of consumers, because they are running out of space to display these things. We need to consider the groups we haven’t spoken to, different age groups, income levels, regions, etc. We also need to listen to the consumer - consumers have more vehicles to express their opinions on products, facebook, twitter, etc - and not just simply react.
Out of the sessions, we each picked our favorite that were both the most memorable and beneficial to share: