Is “What Ever “, The Most Annoying Phrase, A Sign?

For the fifth year in a row, the word “Whatever “is considered the most annoying word for 2013. This is generally a non-event for the most part but it does say something very important about our culture. This very annoying word, that does not seem to go away, is a dismissive term that defines the psychic of a whole generation who have grown up with the internet, gaming,  social media and all while being bombarded by advertising. 

Statistical data does not often predict cultural changes, more often - pop culture and social networks provide us with hints about what our future holds and it’s my contention that “Whatever” is just one of many small indicators that are telling us that a whole new generation has lost its trust in the daily information barrage …or has it gained a new filter for recognizing what is trustworthy or of real interest? 

The next generation has evolved to have the capacity to filter out the barrage of junk information floated in the various media and social media every day. Declarative or all-encompassing terms like “gridlock” or “fiscal cliff” are meant to dumb down ideas for mass consumption. We see this in virtually all forms of communications. The sound bite, the video clip, the Tweet, have all become over simplifications of thoughts and ideas. Maybe younger people today have gradually been able to tune in this new filter ….and when an idea is interesting to them they go deeper but otherwise it’s …”What Ever!” 

I even find myself saying “Whatever” more often, especially if you count the times that I feel that way but simply use other terms to make the same commentary.  Does this mean I am beginning to apply this filter? I think of it as the amphibian’s second eyelid that protects while maintaining visibility.  It’s an evolutionary adaptation and perhaps this is what is at work here as we seek to adapt to ever increasing flow and archive of information.  

I have used the word archive, very deliberately since in today’s world, immediate information is usually not the most trustworthy and perhaps some sobering second thought allows us to access information ‘on-demand” when we want, how we want and from a more trustworthy source. 

Maybe “Whatever” is not just an annoying word but idea whose time has come.  

E-Learning - The Shift Is On!

Many organizations today understand the need and the rationale for implementing E-Learning, i.e., reduced costs, greater efficiency in time management, better learning outcomes, more up to date content, greater consistency and the maturity of the technology. What has held organizations back from a more rapid implementation is the technology’s demand for a paradigm shift. E-Learning has far reaching effects that ripple throughout an organization in areas like administration, customer service, human resources, sales and supplier education. This has been further exacerbated by the sudden proliferation of vendors who have rushed to fill the void and perhaps most importantly, the technology’s implied relationship with hardware and software (aka IT), making it a seemingly complex issue to address.

 The state of current learning systems has as much to do with this as anything else. Most learning systems within an organization have evolved using traditional mediums such as, print, video, PDFs,workshops, presentations and web portals.  As each new medium has come along the existing legacy content has been adopted to fit the new format yet the nature of the content and the learning has not changed. If an organization or company is going to benefit from E-Learning it demands a paradigm shift, a re-thinking of how learning will help build brand, create greater awareness around its products/services, improve its partnerships and galvanize employees.

If we can now recognize the far reaching effects of E-Learning, we can begin to understand why there has been such foot-dragging on the implementation of something that seems to make so much sense on the surface of it. I generally don’t like lists, tips, rules or guidelines, so on this occasion I will simply call them thoughts to consider when implementing E-Learning stratyegies:  

1.      E-Learning is a relatively mature technology – it should work like the telephone – no special hardware or software required – just use it

2.      No IT department is required unless you plan to become a learning institution

3.      Subject matter experts are part of the solution. You will need them in designing content in a variety of learning “flavours” ranging from blended learning to self-paced learning

4.      Legacy material cannot be converted into E-Learning – it can be used as the basis to developing E-Learning

5.      Allow learners to have more control over learning: when, what, where,

6.      Be prepared to engage with learners – moderating forums, frequent updates of content, answering questions, promoting the value of content, rewarding learners, challenging learners

7.      Try an emulate the classroom, accommodate different learning styles and levels of accomplishment

8.      Start from scratch and first implement a pilot project to work out the kinks, then evolve to the next level

9.      This is a hands-on enterprise. There are great rewards to be had…along with great rewards come great responsibility

10.   The archive of images, video, etc., you have will not meet the demands of this new initiative. Think long term

11.  Allow for creative interpretation, the content has to inspire the learner …just like that teacher that inspired you…don’t drain the life, or fun out of E-Learning

12.  Create opportunity for interaction among learners

13.  E-Learning technology is constantly evolving  - avoid licensing and plan to ensure your content is portable  so that you are not trapped by proprietary hardware/software

14.   Create more opportunities for social interaction within E-learning

15.  You must provide opportunities to recognize, respond and act on learner feedback

 

If you have questions ..please post and I am happy to answer as honestly as I can... 

Video By The Numbers

Over the years I have produced, directed and written many videos, ranging through commercials, television programs, corporate videos, documentaries, dramas, and more. I have been producing video projects since 1985. I worked in television as a producer a number of years as well so what I am about to say is drawn directly from real experience!

Fewer good videos are being produced today as most clients are blinded by a fascination with online experiences, limited budgets, little or no experience with the medium, an idea that today’s videos are low cost (because of cheap equipment), a feeling that anyone with a camera can produce video and the infiltration of the idea that reality TV is the future and its low cost.

A couple of quick observations before I get onto my main theme here …good videos still have to be carefully planned, good interviews are often a result of good interviewers, great footage demands a good eye for composition, understanding the audio mix, i.e., music, sound effects and voice are essential to completing  a  great video. The final significant factor in producing good video is having a director who the ability to see a video in his/her head. For me it’s like running a movie in your mind, images are crisp, bright, inspiring, unexpected, warm and human…telling a story that is compelling and always leaving your audience wanting more. It’s a lot more than a commodity.

That is why it’s so frustrating to see organizations, most institutional, breaking video projects down to numbers while ignoring the vision of a video and its powerful ability to persuade.  Films and video can inspire, incite action, and create a range of human emotions from pride to hatred. Video is and remains, a powerful medium with the potential to create change. 

Most videos today are produced by large organizations who have the budgets and the need for this medium. They are often used in a variety of ways both in events and online interactive presentations to maximize their effectiveness. They are planned in a boardroom and often bids are solicited through bidding portals such as Biddingo, Buy & Sell or Merx, to make sure that budgets get “the best band for their buck” ( sounds reasonable doesn’t it).  Most solicitation for bids come from institutions like schools, cities, various levels of government, health care institutions, national organizations, etc.   

Now this is where things begin to go awry … in boardrooms, purchasing managers, administrators and subject matter experts define the RFP using the same RFP that an organization might use to order medical equipment, sidewalk construction or bathroom tissue dispensers, mostly to protect their investment and minimize risk? The timing of the RFP governs when and how a video is produced. For example, for most government organizations in Canada, budgets are developed and reviewed between late fall and early spring, they are then submitted before March 31, year end for most public sector organizations, budgets are then approved and finalized by early summer and money trickles down to each department by mid to late summer. Most staff organizations then solicit RFPs in late summer early fall and budgets are then exhausted before year end March 31.  

Now what does this have to do with producing a good video you may ask? The natural world is an important part of any video, whether we are talking outdoor locations, geographic settings, exteriors, water features or public access facilities. The amount and quality of daylight usually have an important role to play in a video. Also, a region and its unique landscape & features often help define history, culture, the mood or emotional state and our level of engagement …and by reason should be included in any “good video”, but because of the nature of the process, however, most videos are reduced to being produced in winter. The funding formula, along with administrative processes dictate how a video will look and ignore what is best for this unique medium. As a result, most often videos are produced in winter.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I like winter but it does not hold a candle to summer when it comes to producing a video. Over the years I have produced many videos for real estate companies for example; who you would think, because they are not fettered by the government RFP process would want their development projects portrayed in the best light. Generally all are shot in the winter and stock footage is used to carry off summer settings. Orientation videos for new hires and staff for public sector organizations are all produced in winter… in fact winter is when most videos are produced in Canada, unfortunately. Canada has many varied landscapes, weather, geographic and historical sites & locations that add a great deal of dimension to a video. This is true with most videos.

It is important remember that video is an artistic medium  that is a powerful tool and to squeeze the best out of it… we often need to consider more than just numbers in the formula for great videos!   

Facebook: the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg

I have talked about storytelling in the last few posts and I find the recent admission by Facebook, that younger users are abandoning the medium, interesting.  It really reinforces what I have described in my last blog…that these technology tools will continue to evolve, to better emulate our subconscious desire for a more immersive storytelling experience. Now…the data in the study is not new (spring 2013) but Facebook’s admission that the data sets do confirm what they already know, is new.

 Facebook is like a one size fits all medium that has looked in the mirror and ignored what it really is - in favour of becoming what the marketplace wants it to be. In doing so it has abdicated its role as an unfettered story telling medium. Advertisers and the marketplace have put continual pressure on this medium to generate verifiable sales and return on investment and in doing so corrupting the very nature of the experience.  It’s kind of like the “Goose That Laid the Golden Egg”. Instead of allowing this medium to evolve and gradually respond to its audiences while we enjoy the fruits resulting from the process, market forces have shaped this medium into a blunt instrument that has created a hollow story telling experience and in doing so alienated young audiences. In short … the Goose is cooked!

 Parents who have been trained through television’s long incubation period, to tolerate or mindlessly ignore online ads, have flocked to Facebook in droves while younger audiences have begun abandoning the medium. The co-opting of this medium by advertisers, sponsored messages, ill-conceived social media strategies and the rush by companies to leverage the medium as an advertising channel have made it more like television and less like interactive storytelling.  It has become more like a place where older people watch and share personal dramas or post quotes from other people or brands. Not much of a story there!

 Unfortunately Facebook has not had the time to evolve and it’s my opinion that it will be surpassed in the not-to-distant future by a service we have not even heard of yet and relegated to “Yahoo” status ….alive but not well. What this does tell us is ….that tools like Facebook can be used if we are prepared to tell genuine stories about others and ourselves while immersing the audience in the experience. Audiences understand the genuine article when they see it. Advertisers and the medium itself have to treat their audience with respect rather than as a commodity.

Younger audiences are seeking to create their own narrative experiences (just like we did in the sixties) only to find out their parents have flocked to the medium to become cool. I think younger audiences might have been able to work around it or even tolerate it but the combination of their parents using the medium and an oversaturation of advertising is  finally “cooking the goose”. I am not slagging Social media here ...because I believe it has an important place in the social fabric of society and will continue to evolve - to a point where it emulate more realistically that primitive story telling experience.

Story Telling: How Our Primitive Emotions Rule the Evolution of Technology

Compelling narrative remains the most important ingredient in effective communications. Modern day story telling takes many forms, ranging from episodic television, movies, traditional print to social networks to E-Learning, web sites and digital channels. While each has a unique delivery mechanism each remains tied to the technology for which it was designed …the one thing they have in common is the need to engage an audience to gain awareness for any given message. Each contributes in some small way to our social consciousness- perhaps one channel or medium more than another but all have their impact on our understanding of the social fabric we live in.

In reality we are immersed in a kind of, communications soup, each of us is absorbing information in different ways, at different times, all while we unconsciously weigh each of these mediums based on our need for narrative context; and this helps to create our personal emotional understanding of the world around us - filtered through out emotional lens. One recent study suggests that fully one third of Americans get their news through Facebook.

 Powerful narratives utilize our primitive instincts such as fear, sex and love to tap into our unconscious desires and drivers.  Advertising advice has, for years, recommended selling on emotion - just check out any car commercial – pride of ownership, bold and exciting, sexy lines and performance. In new media such as social networks and e-learning we continue to seek and interact with compelling narrative and developers are gradually modifying the interactive experience and the technology that drives it to mirror that more primitive emotional experience we long for and are conditioned to seek out and leverage our desire for a more emotional narrative experience.

 We are creatures that are at the mercy of the human condition, and for all our technology and sophistication we continue to seek out those influences and basic emotions at the heart of storytelling that define our social interaction. Technology moves ahead in starts and fits to try and respond to the user’s experience, more often failing as a result of the parameters of technology. What does it all mean? It means we are governed by hundreds of thousands of years of evolution and that we always prefer powerful narratives that encourage all of the senses.    

 We have extended out social networks today in our technology, through tweets, pintrest, linked-in, etc., we are adding a new layer that speaks to this social narrative. Our ability to absorb information still rests on the shoulders of our ancestors through powerful narratives and storytelling – the more we can simulate this experience through layers of technology  the more we engage and enjoy the experience.  It adds a more fluid dynamic to how get our information, more closely mirroring the narrative experience. What it tells us is that we are only in the very early days of truly engaging interactive learning and understanding; and that technology must conform to our desire for a more primitive and encompassing emotional experience.

Viral Marketing or Fear Marketing?

The more things change the more they stay the same…well kind of. As viral marketing is maturing we are beginning to see a conversion of technologies and strategies that allow us to use social communications to learn in new and different ways?  This combines the old school idea of carefully planning a highly creative strategy (this costs money) and a new means of a more immersive media experience ( this is where the new technology comes in). An important part of this process is the use of fear in the narrative of the viral campaigns. Think about it … we are hard wired to the verbal and visual narrative and keenly aware of anything fearful – it’s in our nature. Marketers use fear since it appeals to a wide audience as a narrative for advertising.   

 Below I have provided three examples of recent viral programs that are currently using fear as the primary sub-text of the narrative story in their ad. Some have been successful and show us the way to new and interesting learning opportunities while others ….not so much. These examples illustrate different levels of social communications and how they play out depending on how well thought out and creative the strategies are and how immersive the media experience is.  You will notice from the examples that the more fearful and immersive the story telling is the more we are engaged.  

We devour content today…more than ever - and this is witnessed in our cultures ever growing consumption of media, we feast on tragedy in the news, we increasingly watch horror movies and urban fantasy;  and we praise apocalyptic zombie television series. The mediums have proliferated and now we can consume more fearful information through more channels than ever. So what makes one better than another to us or what makes us choose one medium over another. I have put together a few examples of this …to show you the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of fear viral marketing…each if progressively a more immersive story telling experience!

Let’s start with the Ugly. Red Bull’s recent Titanic ad has resulted in many complaints as the ad suggests that passengers on the Titanic might have survived if they had drunk Red Bull.  They get marks for being bold – but the strategy that “any press is good press” really doesn’t apply here since these are tasteless ads that do not appeal to a wide audience and really don’t hit the mark with their existing customers either. Not particularly immersive and jot a lot of story hear

Next The Bad …well not really bad in the true sense of the word. If you count the end of the world and a quirky creative as bad …then this fits the bill. This ad delivers a viral video for LG it shows people, in a job interview witnessing the end of the world through an LG screen they think is a window. Great creative, not a lot of social interaction, certainly more immersive storytelling delivering great brand awareness through the viral effect.

The Good is much more integrated ad that utilizes social media, video, learning and a narrative story to enhances our participation and emerge us in the ad. This involves accessing an App that has been developed by the British Red Cross, that links to your Facebook page , and feeds in factious comments from friends as you witness a horrific knife attack on a bus. The viral ad teaches us how to respond and possibly save a life in the process. Great creative, good integration and great story telling to engage the audience - check it out

In each of the scenarios above we have witnessed a progressively increasing emersion in a variety of mediums and interaction with fear as the primary narrative backbone to feed our insatiable desire to be entertained, share with our friends and learn in the process. Maybe we are getting tired of sex as the primary viral attraction ?

 

 

 

What's New in E-Learning?

As an E-Learning development partner we (Ycommunicate.com) work with a wide variety of partners ranging from business/corporate to institutional organizations such as health care and with educational organizations such as colleges and universities. Recently we have noticed that the nature of learning is being discussed front and centre in more of these market segments. We feel that an exploration of the “nature of learning” is a change in the thinking process surrounding E-Learning, gradually the focus on technology and software has faded to more of a background discussion.

This is an important change since this brings the student and the content into focus and the value of applying e-learning to real world problems. It also combines two issues that have lived apart since the invention of learning, academic learning and practical learning. Now as we explore the ideas of learning and how technology can augment learning (notice I said augment not replace) we, for the first time, will begin to apply a set of criteria that allows broad education at a low or no cost through such tools as MOOCs (Massively Open Online Courses) which can be applied to both practical and academic learning.

These are still early days for this technology that is stimulating discussion around how we develop learning. It’s a bargaining chip that is being sold as a no-cost solution to learning around the world. As we all know - this is a fairy tale – since someone has to prepare the content (highly paid tenured professors), someone has to host the technology and someone has to update the E-Learning programs that can include simulations, all manner of visuals, videos,  photos, audio narration, (not to mention intellectual property) etc. Many forward thinking educational institutions in both Canada and the US are currently developing courses which offer education - not credentials.

While this is the first salvo of yet another build it and they will come (i.e., we will figure out how to make money on it later) struggle, the idea has merit and moves the discussion around E-Learning forward and it brings one big player into the discussion (educational institutions) that were previously on the sideline. Let’s faced it “bums in seats” education has been ruling who and how we learn for centuries.  Their participation signals that learning is about to change in new and unexpected ways that will affect learning and how governments support learning in the future.

Currently overlooked or perhaps we have just haven’t gotten around to this part of the discussion is teaching the teachers how to utilize this new technology effectively. Since it now demands a team approach to learning given the fact that you now need camera equipment and staff, editing facilities, graphic production, scripting and storyboarding – as learning becomes more complex the production of learning is escalating as well. This is where educational institutions will have an impact in helping teachers deliver this kind of content.

Teachers and industry professionals each have their barriers to implementing effective E-Learning through such new technologies as MOOCs. While teachers are ill equipped to take advantage of the benefits of multi-media course creation, business or industry professionals have been developing learning  for their organizations for decades – and for them “bums in seats” are not important – what is more important is cost and effectiveness. As you can see, cost, understanding the use of the technology, underwriting its cost and ensuring that content is meaningful to a broad set of audiences are issues that will be worked out over the next few years as MOOCs compete with current E-Learning strategies and traditional education programs.

10 Ad Mistakes: Online or In Print

 

1. A one-time exposure is not an adequate investment to get the return you seek. Avoid running an ad infrequently. This is the most classic of all advertising errors. Viewers need to see an ad multiple times.



2. Don’t have unrealistic expectations. The first time someone sees an ad, they normally don’t go running for the phone or even click on the link. The first ad creates awareness. Exposure increases interest and, over time, the possibility of action.

3. Avoid including too much information. The message is more effective if it is focused. Instill one to three key thoughts. Studies show people can remember this amount -- much more and they do not retain it well.

4. Don’t draft your message around what you want to say but around what your clients want to hear. Understand their hot buttons and then craft your message. If you are not sure of what they want to hear, ask them -- before the ad goes to print. 

5. Avoid the dull and boring stuff. Make the ad more memorable by considering the use of color or unique imagery. In todays digital world a picture showing the benefits of using a product is better than a picture of the product itself - sell on emotion.

6. Don’t use poor quality photos and graphics. While pictures get more attention, poor photos and graphics can convey negative information about you. Make sure your graphics are optimized and scales for use in digital mediums properly.  

7. Don’t forget to insure you identify all the ways the client can contact you in the ad. Websites and e-mail addresses are often forgotten as valid communication channels. 

8. Don’t run the ad in varying positions. Readers for both traditional and digital media get used to seeing the same things in the same places. Try for consistent placement. In electronic ads and banners the placement will change depending on the site or service offered but usually the ad will appear consistently.

9. Don’t do it by yourself. Call the advertising department of the newspaper you seek to publish in to see if they help with design. They can also explain the impressions, circulation, demographics depending on the medium. Many digital publishers now have tools that allow you to create ads automatically, try and avoid these - well thought ads offer much better value.

10. Don’t forget to collect data and analyze it to understand if your ad is effective. By adding a distinct phone line or web page address you will be easily able to identify traffic generated from your ad. Always ask where you heard about us on phone calls and put in place a system to collect that information.  

Art Direction: A Product of the Adaptive Unconscious?

Art Direction, where do I start? There is little or no prescribed training for becoming a Creative Director or Art Director. This position, or should I say profession is perhaps the most important position in any media production regardless of the media or the message.

It combines years of experience working in a variety of media, a natural passion for expression and an innate curiosity about the human condition.  This skill draws upon your ability to think laterally and a passion for history, art, literature, popular culture, music and poetry and often demands “gut reaction” decision making.  It is also well served by a healthy curiosity about what motivates people emotionally and that can be expressed into a very defined work space like advertising in radio, print, videos, web sites, interactive design, etc.  

Many of today’s creative deigns are just that, simple designs made to look nice by a graphic artist but with little depth and understanding of subtle creative nuance that uses white space, layout, messaging and unique ideas to capture an audience and engage them emotionally. Why are good Creative Directors rare? ...well, because it is an impatient process, driven largely by a client’s subjective appreciation of good creative and an industry that values a process driven by time and cost rather than effectiveness. Quite a mouthful but true none the less…in a world dominated by short term goals and often young, short-staffed marketing and communications people, there is little appetite or ability to defend the creative process and all that it can achieve.  

Advertising or any media project, when done well can be a work of art, literally, and must be allowed to breath, and that often takes time and money to create something that will truly inspire people rather than simply inform them. An art director is a leader...he or she ...must trust their instincts, gained from exposure to a broad range of media, artistic ideologies and artists, emerging artistic trends and historical relevance. They must inspire the best out of their production team and in the end; the Creative Director must communicate that vision to clients and stand behind what are unorthodox ideas and unique creative concepts.  

I have been fortunate over the years, having been mentored under a number of good art directors and I have come to understand that my natural instincts, fostered over time through exposure to many unique artistic projects, and love of the humanities serve as important fuel for great creative decisions.  Understanding the use of typography, videography, imagery, white space, asymmetry, composition, depth of field, ideology, passion, curiosity, language, culture, boldness, spirit, truth, size and texture are but a few of the learned instincts that go into making an artistic decision.  Bringing these innate instincts to the creative decision making process, which often takes the form of quick gut reaction to a creative idea, take years of experience as postulated in Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink through his term the “Adaptive Unconscious”.

As a society Malcolm suggests in his book, “I think we are innately suspicious of this kind of rapid cognition. We live in a world that assumes that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into making it.” Malcolm goes onto to say, “The power of knowing, in that first few seconds, is not a gift given magically to a fortunate few. It is ability that we can all cultivate for ourselves.”

Art Direction or Creative Direction is a cultivated skill that demands time and experiences. As Malcolm Gladwell postulates in another book, entitled Outliers, the 10,000 hour rule applies here. It claims that the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. While 10,000 hours may seem like a lot...it really is only a lifetime’s passion!

The Advertising Checklist

The questions I have outlined in this strategy for selecting the right media mix for your advertising plan are not earth shattering, or even surprising,  individually, but as a whole they represent the kind of information you need to make  good advertising decisions.  The questions are relatively easy to answer …you just have to find the time to answer them honestly and take a few minutes to do a little research if you are not sure.  

Unusually, all the answers will fit on a single page. Once you have accumulated the answers, let it sit for a day or two and then come back to it. With a fresh set of eyes you will begin to see a picture emerge about your customers, your products & services and your relationship with them. You will begin to connect the dots between the information on the page and designing an effective advertising program.

 Industry

1. Does the industry you work in use leading edge technology? If the answer is yes than often an industry’s exposure to technology will predispose it to the use of new technology in its communication.
2.  Is the industry vertical you work in broad or narrow? This will help determine the “reach” of media you may wish to employ in advertising, i.e., the size of audience you are talking to will dictate a great deal.
3. Does your industry have strong recognition in popular culture? This helps determine media as well – using references to popular culture and a reaching out to boarder audience can help drive traffics, create awareness and increase sales even in a very narrow industry vertical.
4. What is your industry’s “cool” factor? If the answer is no you may want to leverage new media to improve its image or develop a message in your marketing that will underscore this.
5. What is the perceived “importance “of your industry in society? This will help you understand if the message and medium are taken seriously and trusted by your audience.

Audience

6. What is the size of your audience -“small” or “large”? This helps you understand if you should use public forms of media such as TV, radio or magazines.
7. Is the Audience well educated? This understanding will help define the creative e message and the choice of medium based on an educated audience’s preferences over those of a less sophisticated audience?
8. What is the age and gender of the decision maker buying your products? This will help decide creative approach to your message and the medium as well as men/woman old/young seek information from different sources based on these factors.
9. What kind of hobbies does your audience engage in, NASCAR or yachting? Using hobby or enthusiast media to reach your audience ads trust to your message.
10. Is your audience technology savvy? Today technology drivers many new mediums and your customers ability to be comfortable using that technology will help you define the mix of media.

 
Product

11.  Is your product a repeat, volume product or a one-off purchase? The medium you select i.e., TV, radio, internet etc. may be better suited to public consumption if you have a one a volume product but the message you select may have just as much to do with it if you are selling a onetime purchase – always seek to sell products on an emotional and trust worthy level. 
12.  Is your product extremely expensive ort extremely inexpensive? This will dictate the medium you advertise in. For example, those who have yachts do not read the same magazine’s as those who bowl.
13. What is the USF of your product? If the unique selling feature is its technology, then using technology as a media channel makes sense since your audience made need more time than15 or thirty seconds (i.e. radio or TV) to understand the technology’s benefits.
14. Is your product seasonal or is there a predictable buying cycle? When you advertise your product can be one of the most important influencing factors. Make sure you create the greatest opportunity to buy when your customers are most likely to buy.
15. Are there pipeline opportunities for your product? Changing your product incrementally or adding new variations of your product to the product line is an effective strategy. Many products have become indispensable based on their “new and improved “advertising strategy. Laundry soap’s new and improved strategy has worked over the past 5 decades yet the soap you buy today is not much different than the soap you bought in the sixties.

  Budget
 

16. What is the size of your budget? The size of your budget directly affects advertising results regardless of any other factors. Remember longevity is the most important factor – rather than one big splashy ad try repeated versions of a smaller ad but make sure you stick with it or all will be lost.
17. Trying to advertise without a budget is folly. Having no budget probably means you are trying to do it all yourself to save money. If you are going to be successful you have to invest in yourself.
18. Budgets can come for partnerships. I often recommend working out a partnership to buy bulk advertising at a reduced rate which is then shared among the group of lie minded businesses.
19. Longevity is the key. Advertise over many years not just over months or even a year. You have to make the decision to be in business over the long haul – your clients certainly appreciate that and make some buying decisions based on reliability.
20. Internal vs. external budget. Make sure you have the proper expertise inside if you are going to create your own plan and supporting budget. If you chose an external resource make sure that the knowledge gained is transferred back to you.

Creative

21. Great creative is the next most important influencing factor after budget. Most people think they are creative and can develop their own, more often than not they fall prey to poor execution and lack of appeal to the emotion of the buyer.
22. Mistaking features for creativity. Most companies left to their own devices provide descriptions of product and do not understand the emotional appeal – resist the temptation.
23. A good creative can change the fortunes of a company overnight. Never underestimate the power of humor and creating a relationship between your product and the buyer.
24. Great creative comes in many sizes. Good creative needs only a few words or a unique image to create a resonance in the mind of your audience. This is true for all media including the web.
25. Great creative takes time. Don’t rush the creative process. Good creative ideas are hard to come by and take a lot of thought - a thorough understanding of the audience, product and industry, time and a good creative mind can create a memorable media advertising campaign.

Now I am sure I missed a thousand influencing factors in helping you create a great advertising plan  but give me a break … I trying to do this  in blog. I would be happy to share any comments  and additional thoughts you might have. 

 

 
  

Choosing the Right Media Mix

To Grow Your Business
 

Media Type	Industry	Budget	Product	Audience	Creative
Digital Media
Social Networking
Tweeting
Interstitials
Ad Words
Search Engine
Web Sites
Webinars
Traditional Media
Billboards
Radio
Television
Magazines
Newspapers
Trade Shows
Trade Journals
Direct Mail
Live Events
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Many new media channels, ranging from social networking, tweeting and web sites to interstitials, ad words, search engine marketing have made advertising increasingly complex in recent years for businesses as a new dimension has evolved, known as digital advertising.  Add these to traditional mediums such as radio, TV, newspaper, magazines, trade journals billboards, trade shows, and direct mail; and clearly it becomes a difficult proposition to decide on reach, frequency and weight let alone the proportion of each and how together they can best create a synergy for your product or service. 

The choice of the type of media, and mix of media in advertising is predicated on the audience; their habitats, likes and dislikes. For example if your product has a young audience who use tablets and PDA’s primarily for getting their information then it makes sense to utilize a largely digital advertising strategy, but one always has to be aware of cutting through the clutter in a completive advertising space so using billboards at party clubs and ads in trendy age appropriate print vehicles can create a synergy with your digital campaign. Combining elements of both traditional and digital marketing channels will result in a more effective advertising outcome. While there can be many strategies there can only by one most effective advertising plan, like Lord of The Rings where “One ring to Rule Them  all”, in advertising one strategy rules  the mix of advertising channels. 

Like a finely tuned recipe for media, their frequency, reach and weight have to be proportionally adjusted depending on the objective for an advertising campaign, the industry you are in, the size & make-up of your audience and the type of product or service you are selling and the nature of your creative message. 

To make this more meaningful let’s focus the advice in this article a little more, by removing both ends of the company profile spectrum including small companies, (they do not have the resources & budget) and large companies (they are already the resources and budget and process) and focus only on medium sized companies, (which I would define as 10 employees to 200 employees). The chart below is a simple way of considering the process and helping you select the right media and the mixture required to achieve your goals. The chart is not a magic formula that allows you to blindly design a program by plugging in numbers etc. The chart should be cross referenced with the questionnaire which will be included in my next blog  - by seeking to defining how reach category relates to your product  ranging from the kind of industry you are in , your products audience and your budget it will help provide you with clues on selecting the right media.

 

A footnote to this is that word of mouth, sales and person to person advertising is not included. These, we are assuming, are in place to some extent for most organizations since they are more effective and less expensive although they reach a much smaller audience.
 

 Stay tuned for my next article which includes the questions that help you effectively define the advertising for your product or service.