Does Product Placement Harm Entertainment?

When it comes to advertising, it has somewhat struggled to keep great pace with the media of today. In the past, commercials on TV & radio, paired with print ads, would be the bulk of the ads we would see throughout the day.

Now, we have things like online video streaming, DVR, etc. all things that make it hard to run commercials with the same effectiveness they once had. There is one form of advertising that has held its ground with such strength as it always has: product placement.

We see our favorite brands and products show up in shows, movies, etc. and be utilized by our favorite characters. This mental connection is made between the product and the love we have for the character(s) and we become more connected to that product or brand. This effectiveness has made product placement one of the biggest and most popular topics of discussion for any marketing group, just ask the people at our Chicago marketing agency!

Watch any show or movie and look for the product placement; be watchful because it can be very subtle. If you watch one of the hottest shows on "TV"-- Netflix-- House of Cards, you will notice Claire Underwood uses an iPhone and Frank uses a Blackberry. Or, look at the hit show Breaking Bad, Walter White drives a Chrysler sedan later in the series and they also drive a Pontiac Aztec earlier in the series.

One thing to consider is that product placement makes movies and television more realistic. You would not see someone in real life using a cell phone or drive a car that does not feature a logo on it (unless they manipulated it, it wouldn't be bought from the store like that). A bag of chips in the average household does not say "Potato chips" on it without some sort of product name on it.

Create a Great Marketing Plan with 3 Simple Questions

Any company that exists, whether you are a startup or a global business, needs money to survive. It is no secret. Even the nonprofits need money to survive or they could not do their work, though their money may be from donations.

What is interesting is just how many entrepreneurs in the world put their money into marketing efforts that do not have ROI. It is all about the marketing plan and strategy that is put into place that will determine if your marketing plan yields any ROI. The way you market your business is dependent on your industry and your demographic of consumers. Maybe you will gain sales from print advertisements, radio, TV, social media, search engine optimization, etc.

So what are the three questions you need to ask yourself in order to create a great marketing plan?

• Why should someone buy your product or service over someone else? 

This is a question that can be tough to answer legitimately. We like to think, "Well, because mine is better, duh." Every business owner must be able to answer this question; if you are not able to answer this question, that is not a good sign. If you are not able to say why your product or service is better, than no one in the world will be able to figure that reason out in their head and if they can't do that, they won't buy your product or service over competition. If you are not able to figure this out, then you need to hire a Chicago marketing firm.

Once you can successfully answer this question, you will know what your competitive advantage is and this is what you will deliver to your target market(s) in your marketing. 

• Is there a market segment that will appreciate your differences? Are they a big enough group to support your business? 

You will need to be able to differentiate your product or service and identify your target market. You also have to realize if there is a segment of the market that will be interested in and be able to support you with the sales. You might have a unique product, like body-odor scented candles but will people want that? No. 

• What is the best financial way to reach this target market? 

You have to realize this market and the way they are accessible. Is it via ads? Which kind? Or is it social media? Which platform? Etc. You have to research the way they communicate and how they like the messages to be delivered within that medium. 

Hire a Chicago marketing company that is able to help you get noticed and in the right way to gain ROI. Contact Integraphix. 

How You Can Rock Your Corporate Social Media

Having a corporate presence on social media is a must these days. Basically, every company has at least one social media account, if not 2, 3, or more. However, having a legitimate presence on social media for a company is much more than just posting your merchandise, your deals, etc.

Being successful at social media often means having a long list of things you need to do and many of them are correct; having a corporate social media presence that doesn't flop means doing things right, even the small stuff.

So how do you dominate your Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platforms? Don't worry your noggin, my friend, we'll tell you how!

• Be good at:
• Communicating. This means that you will need to be a good writer. Now, you're not writing dissertations on your social media, so you don't have to be that worried about writing exceptionally; however, you have to be good. Punctuation, grammar, write like a human (not a robot), and be concise (why use 5 words when you can use 2?). 
• Using images. When you can use an image to draw attention to your post, especially when it helps with the message, then do it! Now, do not go image crazy but use them when you can. 
• Using video. YouTube and Vimeo are great for this. When you have a video that you can share, especially informational, then go for it! 
• Utilizing more than one social network. Sure, your business has a Facebook page but you can also use other platforms as well! Depending on what your business does and where your target market is (in terms of social media), then join more than one! If you're a visual business (perhaps a bakery), then Pinterest and Instagram would be great since you can showcase your pastries and even share recipes (more so on Pinterest). 
• Responding. When you let days go by before you respond to someone on social media, if you respond at all, then you're not doing social media right. Social media is a fantastic tool for customer service and if you respond to things right away, it can vastly help improve (or maintain) your image. If it's a response to a complaint, then you contain the damage that much faster! 
• Not being emotional but having emotion. Do not get angry or frustrated when someone complains about you; do not give your negative emotions a chance. However, show that you have emotion! Say you're happy (and other positive feelings) about stuff. "We're so excited we could get deep dish pizza for our company lunch!" 
• Avoiding "ME". Sure, you want to promote your business but remember, a little of that goes a long way. The majority of your posts should be answering questions, giving tips, conversing, referring your people to someone else's great info, and commenting. Share, retweet, +1, repin, etc. If you can share someone else's post, they will notice and so will your followers. Which kind of person do you like better (in real life): the person who always wants to build themselves up or build other people up? 

Doing corporate social media marketing is not always super easy but it can be done. If you have any questions, then feel free to contact Integraphix. We are a Chicago marketing firm. 

Coca-Cola Strikes Gold with New Marketing Campaign

If you pay attention to marketing news, then you may have heard about this idea that was published today, if you don't, then congrats! We'll inform you.

Coca-Cola has invented 16 awesome caps that you can apply to your empty Coke bottle; turning it from something to throw away to something you want to keep and play with. It's called the "2nd Lives Campaign."

For those of us who want to help preserve the environment and drink Coke, this idea is a win-win. The caps allow you to turn your empty Coke bottle into a squirt gun, pencil sharpener, rattle, paintbrush, soap/shampoo dispenser, bubble maker, dumbbell, sauce bottle, whistle, nightlight, and more. There are 16 designs total.

The message brought forth from the campaign is, "What if Coke bottles were never thrown away?" Kind of an interesting concept, hmm? Whether you truly do use it for a long time or you use it once with the alternate cap and then toss it anyway, it's still very cool and a unique idea.

The idea was created by Ogilvy China (of Ogilvy & Mather). If there's one thing Coke knows how to do besides make a great product, it's make its way into the hearts of people; they did it back in WWII by being the only soda supplier to American GIs, they continue to do it with ideas like this.

As a Chicago marketing firm, we love ideas like this that show true creativity. Marketing and advertising is more than getting products out there and purchased, they are also about making life easier and more fun.

How To Create a Great Elevator Speech

Elevator speeches are a necessity in the 21st century business world, especially when you are in marketing, sales, public relations, etc. If you are trying to gain awareness for your business, then you need to have an elevator speech planned.

The term "elevator speech" is a synopsis of your business that you can deliver very quickly; the term comes from being able to do so in the time it takes to ride in an elevator. Nowadays, it can still happen in elevators but you can also deliver you speech to someone at an expo, trade-show, in the hallway, or at a coffee shop.

Here are a few things to remember when creating that awesome pitch:

1. Try to not make it sound too sales-y but it's okay to have it sound just a tidbit sales-y. You can use adjectives like: original, leading, certified, pioneering, etc. You just have to make sure your pitch still clearly sends the message you want it to and give a good description of your company. 
2. The pitch has to be short. Clearly state the name of your company and what your company does. Give some details, enough to encourage the person to inquire further. Just make sure it is no more than a minute long but shoot for 30 seconds. 
3. Use language everyone can understand. Your elevator speech means nothing if you are using jargon from your industry that is gibberish to people outside the industry. If the person has to use a dictionary to understand what you're saying, you might as well not even deliver the speech. 
4. Consider starting it off with a question. This will get the person involved in the speech and so they feel that connection. You can try something like, "Do you feel pleased with your company's marketing efforts?" Pause for answer, assuming they said no, "Well my company is a pioneering internet marketing agency…"
5. Be comfortable. Nothing is more awkward than hearing an elevator speech that is rigid, fumbled, and robotic. Be loose, know your speech, and act like you've done it before. And know your speech well, that will help. 

If you need help with this or are looking for other marketing tips, then contact Integraphix. 

5 Successful Rebranding Campaigns

Every company has branding, it's just part of the process to create and run a business. Whether you consciously created branding for your business or not, you created one. The concept of holding the same branding for the lifespan of your business is unheard of; at some point or another, there is reason to go through rebranding. There are several reasons to rebrand your business; it can be a scary decision because it means doing something new/different, you are taking your business into unchartered waters. What if it turns out to be a bad rebranding experience and ruins your company? What if it turns the company from a small fish into a big fish? You never know unless you try.

Here is a list of five brands that went through rebranding and what made them successful.

1. J.Crew. J.Crew is known to many as a high-end clothing brand that sees customers anywhere from high schoolers all the way to A-list celebrities. They are doing really well and are a coveted brand for fashion lovers. However, they were not always this beautiful in the eyes of the world. It wasn't until 2003 when they hired a new CEO. At that time, they were seeing deep declining sales; however, once they hired the new CEO, they rebranded themselves as a store that sold simple clothes made from quality fabrics. They utilized high-profile faces like the Obamas to wear their brand during the 2008 Presidential campaign; Michelle wore a J.Crew outfit on the Tonight Show. 
2. Pabst Blue Ribbon. In the past, PBR was known as a cheap, low quality beer that was only intriguing to hipsters and frat guys. This blue-collar lager is still not seen as a great beer in the US but in other countries like China, it is seen as premium stuff. They launched a product extension called Blue Ribbon 1844 and put it in some fancy packaging and now it sells for $44 in China, the world's largest beer market. 
3. Harley-Davidson. In the wonderful year of 1985, HD was a motorcycle that was one flat tire away from being wiped off the corporate map. Once they hired the new CEO, their fortune began to change. Harley knew they had to improve their product so they did just that; once they improved their bikes, they focused on being the name they claimed, which was a quality bike made for the road warrior. 
4. Target. Up until the late 90s, people saw Target as just another store, like Walmart and Kmart, that was for bulk purchases and rather low quality. However, Target realized they had to stand out from their competitors, which they did by offering pared down versions of goods from high profile designers, this decision saved Target. Still, Target is number two in the race, behind Wal-Mart, but they are seen as a higher quality store and their clientele is seen as more affluent than their competitors too. 
5. UPS. UPS was, and still is, in a huge battle with FedEx. UPS used to be well behind their competitor in the race, though. FedEx was mopping the floor with UPS with their decisions like overnight delivery. In the late 90s, UPS decided to rebrand and switch their slogan from, "Moving at the speed of business" to "What can brown do for you?" They then launched ads showing mailroom guys to CEOs using UPS and loving their experience. They showed their consumers that they are adapting and looking forward to constantly meet their consumers' needs. 

If you are looking for branding or rebranding needs, then contact Integraphix - a Chicago marketing agency. 

How Creative People Are Different

To be successful in marketing, you have to be of a creative mind. Sure, you don't have to be artistic but you have to be able to think originally, abstractly, uniquely, thoroughly, and so many more adjectives that could be used to describe a creative mind.

So what are some things that creative people do that their non-creative counterparts do not do (or as often)?

• We tend to daydream more. Daydreams are not a waste of anyone's time because they are often how our minds express desires, thoughts, realizations, and allow us time to escape our current moment. Daydreams are a way for our minds to utilize the process that is called "creative incubation" which is how we have those random amazing ideas. 
• We like to observe. A lot. We observe people, objects, processes, social norms, rules, language, interactions, relationships, how other people observe, etc. This is a biggie if you want to be in marketing (internet marketing too) because you have to understand how the mind works when looking for products, especially your product type. 
• We tend to work on our own time. Now, yes, when you work in the business world, you have to work certain times; however, within those hours, you will find that creative minds are doing other things when their creative hours have not come yet or have already passed. Some creative minds do have the luxury of working whenever they feel like it. 
• We are resilient. We tend to not take failure so personally and when we do fail, we look at it as improvement instead of a step backwards. Failing only means one less thing to consider next time, clarifying the road to success. We fail and do it often, if you don't fail often, you are not trying enough. 
• We ask questions; we tend to ask the big ones. We are curious people, we see things and wonder what they are or what could be different about them, etc. We do it through conversation with others or with ourselves (in our minds, of course).
• We like to change things. We see things the way they are and like to shake them up. We like diversity in things as well.