Top 8 Social Media Stories from 2014

Looking back at 2014, it was a pretty amazing year; it was filled with heart break and overwhelming joy. When it comes to brands and their digital marketing, things were no different. The social media marketing team at our Chicago marketing agency decided to put a list of the top 8 greatest stories to be talked about on social media in the last 12 months- Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. are what generated the stories.

1. Zuckerberg's comeback against trolls. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company was going to partner with UNICEF to help fight Ebola. Their plan was to bring internet connectivity to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and help improve the medical efforts in the region. Trolls said that Facebook was using this as an opportunity to improve the brand's recognition. Zuckerberg fought back. 
2. One man's ability to match with 2,000+ women on Tinder. Blake Jamieson is an up and coming content marketer and utilized his branding abilities to optimize his Tinder profile, a "hot or not" dating app. He matched with over 2000 women because of his efforts. 
3. Tweets at Brazil's expense during the World Cup. When Brazil's team was down 5-0 at the half-point of a match in the 2014 World Cup, the comedians (professional and self-proclaimed) came out of the woodwork on Twitter and launched jokes at the national team. 
4. Reaction of brands during biting incident during World Cup. Uruguay soccer player Luis Suarez bit the Italy's Giorgio Chiellini after the Uruguay team lost the match. Some brands took this as an opportunity to win the internet. This was simply great internet marketing from some brands. 
5. Michelle Phan got sued for copyright infringement. The makeup genius and YouTube star Michelle Phan got sued by Ultra, an electronic dance music label,  when they discovered their music was used in some of her videos without proper licensing. 
6. US Airways Twitter photo incident. When a social media rep for US Airways accidentally sent out a photo of a plane in her…. YouKnowWhat, the mishap went viral. Oops. 
7. Kim K and her nude photo break the internet. Well, at least they tried to. Brands tried to jump on the bandwagon and #BreakTheInternet by creating so much buzz that servers would have to shut down. Did it work? Well, no one at our Chicago marketing company had any internet problems that day. 
8. Ice Bucket Challenge. You couldn't expect this to be left off the list. For almost a month, social media users, brands included, saw and participated ice water being dumped over people to raise awareness for ALS (Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis). 

See, when social media marketing is done correctly, it can have tremendous reach; this is why hiring a Chicago marketing agency is important when your business needs to gain serious exposure. Talk to Integraphix and see how we can help your business gain success! 

GEICO Pokes Fun at Itself in New Ad

Sometimes, to have a successful marketing campaign, you have to have a sense of humor and be able to poke some fun at yourself. At least, that is what GEICO Insurance and their lead creative marketing agency are teaching us.

GEICO and their lead creative agency have made some memorable ads. They created the campaign that was very self-aware with the "So easy, a caveman could do it." That whole campaign was about advertising. The last year, they've been running the "Everybody knows that" campaign.

It was the recent campaign that sparked the "Hump Day" ad with Caleb the Camel. This ad went viral and was GEICO's most popular ad, by far. Now, they have released a spoof of the ad.

While many consumers feel that GEICO's ads are overplayed or no longer funny; however, this ad might be able to change their mind.

Does your business need to find a marketing agency that can create ads that are memorable and get the point across? Then contact Integraphix -- we are a Chicago marketing agency and would love to speak with you.

2015 is the Year for Wearable Tech

2015 is the year that we will see wearable tech move from "Ehh, maybe" to "That's it, I'm buying it!". Watch for wearable tech to become a hot item next year (which is only a couple weeks away).

According to our Chicago marketing company analysts, the love for the new wave to fashion/technology is at an all-time high with Americans ready to embrace it. 10 percent of Americans already wear some sort of wearable tech such as fitness brands like Fitbit, some already wear the Samsung watch as well. 45 percent of Americans stated that they are interested in the idea of purchasing wearable tech, such as the Apple Watch.

While 10 percent does not seem like a large number in the grand scheme of things, it is vitally important for the future and reading the signs for product adoption. Apple is expecting 10 million buyers of the Apple Watch next year, when it's released; this will set the purchase desire for consumers even higher, even if for other brands.

Intel is going to jump on the wagon as well with a flashy new bracelet that utilizes Facebook, Google, and Yelp.

Aside from the general consumer, there are big desires for the wearable tech have come from those in the medical, construction, and customer service fields; people in these fields can utilize the video, web, scanning, and photo tools on the job.

These gadgets will also change the way things like social media marketing and other digital marketing options operate and plan. This could mean some shakeups for marketing plans for some businesses.

Does your business need to adapt for the wearable tech era? Then contact Integraphix, a Chicago marketing agency.

Tweet a Photo & Toyota Will Donate Car Seats to Buckle Up for Life

Toyota is taking social media marketing seriously this holiday season with a new digital marketing campaign, paired with Buckle Up for Life and Cincinnati's Children's Hospital.

For every photo that is uploaded to Twitter (and Instagram) with the hashtag, #BuckleUpForLife, Toyota will donate 10 car seats to the Buckle Up for Life organization, through Dec. 31.

In addition to posts on social media, Toyota is also pushing ads on social media that will target Millennial parents and show pets and other objects strapped in, in addition to the children, of course.

Toyota knows that one of the best ways to succeed at social media advertising is to get people involved; by having ordinary people submit their own images and use a simple hashtag, people are more inclined to be involved because the level of commitment is small while the reward for commitment is great. This will also likely get their friends and family to do the same, utilizing word-of-mouth marketing, or WOM. 

Safety and philanthropy are big hits for younger generations of parents, as is social media. It is a perfect strategy for Toyota, we will see how this turns out. The near deadline will encourage people to jump right in, too.

Does your business need a social media campaign and strategy that will make an impact like Toyota's? Then contact Integraphix, our social media team will work with you and help create a plan to succeed at social media marketing. 

Advertising News: Budweiser Plans to Keep Its Clydesdales

In the spirit of the season, we thought we would give you a gift… a gift that is the news about Budweiser has decided to keep its clydesdales in its advertising schedule.

Last week, the beer brand decided to make it known that it had plans to keep the iconic horse in its advertisements for the foreseeable future. This was in response to some news, broken by +Wall Street Journal, that Budweiser that Budweiser wanted to put the horses out to pasture in favor of a more modern approach that appealed to Millennials. Budweiser posted on Facebook and Twitter about their response to the rumor, "Don't believe everything that trends. The Budweiser #Clydesdales aren't going anywhere."

If you have been a fan of the clydesdales being featured in recent Super Bowl ads, then you'll be happy to know that they will be featured in the 2015 ads as well. The ads are going to be pertaining to responsible drinking, one of the ads will be alongside Lyft, the popular ride-share app.

"What about that rumored appeal to Millennials?" You ask. Well, since Millennials tend to favor the craft beers and hard ciders, the brand has decided to focus on nostalgia via using wood crates for beer and pull some heart strings with its Holiday Buds campaign.

Do you want an icon for your business that has the potential to become famous, like the Budweiser Clydesdales? Then talk with Integraphix-- a Chicago marketing company. As a Chicago marketing agency, we have over 20 years of experience with branding, advertising, and creative marketing.

Ads to Come to iPhones: Apple Launches New iAds

Apple, a serious player in the tech game, has shown that is is serious about digital advertising with its new mobile ad venture. Apple has recently allowed advertisers access to publish ads for iPhones, iPads, and Macs in hopes of gaining real success with its iAd business.

Over the past year, Apple has been planning programmatic mobile advertising with hopes of serving up some iAds via companies like AdRoll. In the past, iAd was considered to be a high-end marketing tool for businesses with the most cash.

Apple has wanted to have wanted to create mobile ads in-house for a w
hile, hence, their purchase of Quattro Wireless. Now, with partnerships such as Adroll and The Rubicon, they can begin to meet the benchmark set by Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

How will a partnership with AdRoll help? Well, AdRoll is a firm that allows marketing firms to use their own data to supply ads across a variety of platforms.

Higher-ups at Apple and AdRoll believe that this move will reshape and revamp the mobile advertising scene.

Ads will be given data from the iTunes and App store as well as info from Apple Pay so ads will be targeting appropriately. The ads will show up in apps that allow iAds.

How effective will the ads be in terms of getting consumer attention and making Apple a big player in the mobile ad game? Time will tell. As a Chicago marketing company, we're excited to see how this plays out; it could indeed change the landscape.

Do you want to advertise with iAd? Then contact Integraphix -- a digital marketing firm to help you create great ads that you'd be proud to display on Apple's new advertising platform.

Target Will Be Using Location Based Marketing on Black Friday

Despite the immense popularity with shopping online, it seems the trip to the actual store will dominate this Black Friday as crowds of people head out to get their hands on incredible deals. The only hangup for some brick and mortar stores is how to get through to people who use their smartphones for price scanning.

Target has found the answer: location-based marketing. Their plan this Black Friday is to use location beacons in their stores that communicate to consumers via the Target app, telling the consumers where to go in the store by linking products to a store map. On Black Friday, the app will help shoppers find the best deals within the store they are in, making it a much more personal user experience.

Users of the app will be able to build shopping lists in the app and search for products and find out where they are in the store. As a Chicago marketing company, we think this
is a huge leap forward in enhancing the shopping experience.

The app is Target's attempt to transcend the ideal shopping experience between physical and online stores. A bold move, will it pay off? Another great move that should pay off for them this year is their decision to use Apple Pay. 

As a Chicago marketing agency, we love a great idea that is paired with another great idea, it's what makes for successful marketing. The beacons and the payment system that Target will be offering on Black Friday should give them a nice competitive advantage.

Does your business want to gain more sales and expand its reach? Perhaps take a new approach to its existing target market? Then hire Integraphix, a Chicago creative agency. Call us at 847-537-0067 or visit our site.