Conde Nast Brings Titles to iPhone

by Gio Gutierrez

Mega publisher Conde Nast is now taking steps in embracing this digital age of ours with electronic versions of its most popular titles for the iPhone. The first magazine will be GQ this December priced at 2.99 vs the 4.99 cost of the printed edition. Important note is the fact that the iPhone version will include the same editorial ads as the dead-tree version which is important for advertisers along with rich media content at little-to-no-extra cost.

So me being a GQ reader (and other magazines), I would not pay 2.99 for a digital copy and I don’t think I’m alone on this. The iPhone screen is pretty tiny for a reading experience of long duration and not comfortable as opposed to some tablet/ebook. Even a bigger problem for myself is the price is just too much. I think the selling point for me personally would be .99 cents and this is how I feel about any magazine with ads that I’m subjected to read on the iPhone. I could just fire up Safari and see the same content for free on the publisher’s site. Regardless this is exciting news because it’s a sign of things to come. Newspapers and magazines have been suffering long enough and have been too slow adapting to the digital platform as most of us turn to the internet and other electronic services and devices to get our content. How much longer before we see every big print title in every digital format available to consumers?

How much would you pay for Conde Nast magazines on your iPhone?
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Mobile Web Finally Easy Enough For Older Peeps

by Gio Gutierrez

Nielsen’s mobile web statics show that from July 08 to July 09, the demographic groups of 65+ showed the most usage growth. The least? 18-24 year olds, who are all up in this mobile usage already.

500x_webchart

Even our very own John Underwood jumped on the iPhone wagon this month:

It’s official. Today, I will retire my Blackberry and succumb to the iPhone phenomenon. I meet this day with mixed emotions but know that it’s something I must do. Any advice on a plan and/or options would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and wish me good luck in the next couple of weeks as I will suffer from BB withdrawal and iPhone ignorama.

Trepidatiously yours,
JU

P.S. I need an “iPhone Newbie Support Group”. Is there an app for that?
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

New TV Spots for Nova Southeastern University

Tinsley Advertising has just launched a new series of TV commercials for Nova Southeastern University, harnessing the agency’s powerful “Do what you want to do, be what you want to be” anthem with testimonials from real NSU students who are truly doing what they want to do and being what they want to be. The new spots, lensed by Chicago’s One World Productions and scored by Hollywood, Florida’s Audacity Recording, are part of Tinsley’s three-year old “Your Future. Your Terms.” campaign for NSU, which has helped the university achieve the highest awareness levels in their 40 year history, and generated an average of 1,500 attendees at each of their semi-annual Campus-Wide Open House events.

Keys Continue to Lead in State Tourism Performance Indicators

by John Underwood

For the fourth consecutive month, the Florida Keys & Key West led all Florida destinations in lodging occupancy and average daily rate, according to data released Wednesday by Smith Travel Research.

Keys occupancy was 68 percent and ADR was $141.46 for August.

Number two was Miami with 62.7 percent occupancy and $110.77 ADR.

Fort Lauderdale was third in occupancy at 58.4 percent and Fort Myers was third in ADR at $101.77.

Year-to-date, occupancy for the Keys was up 9.9 percent in August, while ADR was down 12 percent.

Tinsley implemented an additional media spend to promote the spring and summer business to the Keys. This spend included television, digital, magazine and newspaper in key in-state and “drive-down” markets. Samples of our summer advertising efforts below.

The End of Cold Calling

by Mark Slatko

I’m posting this article by Tim Williams on the death of cold calling, written a year ago. It’s a great article and has never been more relevant (he also wrote an article called “Evolve or die”). Interesting to note that his “multi-dimensional publicity plan” for agencies to market themselves doesn’t include Twitter. This is because, again, the article was written a year ago when Twitter was still an infant. I’m sure his list would have evolved to include Twitter today. The toolbox for agencies to market themselves has never been more full.

Ask any agency principal what he or she dislikes and avoids the most and the answer will almost always be the same: cold calling new business prospects. Not only is this the most dreaded activity among C-level agency executives, it’s also among the least effective.

Cold calling has always produced only modest results and today’s avoidance-enabling technology only makes it easier for prospects to hide from your phone calls and ignore your e-mails. I routinely hear from agency principals how traditional new business prospecting methods are becoming less and less effective.

Hard to reach

The dynamics that make it more difficult to reach a client’s prospective customers are the same forces that make it harder for agencies to reach their own prospective customers: media proliferation, multi-tasking, message overload, and short attention spans.

If you feel guilty for not spending enough time cold calling and cold e-mailing, here’s a really good excuse to stop: it doesn’t work.

A better alternative

Management genius Peter Drucker preached that a good marketing program makes sales irrelevant. Says Drucker, “The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous.” The aim of marketing is to make a product so relevant and compelling that it literally sells itself.

If you think this is mere hyperbole, consider the outrageously successful iPhone. Can you imagine ever seeing an iPhone salesman? Instead, eager customers are lined up in front of Apple and AT&T stores for hours.

If agencies spent more time and energy on making and marketing a relevant, differentiated “product” (their own agency), they could spend a lot less time and energy trying to sell it.

A multi-dimensional approach

Witness the hyper-successful Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Not only have they devoted themselves to making a differentiated product, but they have invested considerable time and money marketing the CP+B brand to the business community. Getting mounds of press – both offline and online – is the result of a concerted effort by a dedicated team of PR professionals whose only client is the agency.

Most of the agencies that constantly kick themselves for not devoting enough effort to “prospecting” are the same ones that have devoted below-average resources to marketing their own brand. That’s no coincidence.

In addition to focusing on the business press, entering the awards shows, and joining business organizations, the most progressive agencies have also engaged in an online conversation with both their peers and prospects. In place of a traditional PR plan, you need a multi-dimensional publicity plan that includes:

Search engine optimization (SEO) program
Postings and comments on relevant blogs
Search engine marketing (SEM) program based on keywords
Letters to the editor
(both offline and online)
Landing pages (based on owned URL’s)
Paid and reciprocal links
Listings in both paid and complimentary online directories
Wikipedia entry
Membership in relevant online professional networks
Facebook page
Participation in professional online forums
YouTube channel

The only limit is the amount of creativity you apply to marketing your own brand. So stop thinking sales and start thinking marketing, which starts with how your firm is positioned in the marketplace. Trade the time and money you spend “selling” your brand and invest it instead in differentiating and marketing your brand and you’ll get a much better return on your investment.

– Tim Williams, Ignition Consulting Group

True Blood Marketing

by Gio Gutierrez

HBO has set up many clever marketing angles for True Blood, and now that the show is such a hit, HBO is making a “real” version of the blood-substitute drink. It is designed to look like the beverage from the movie but tastes like blood orange soda and actually comes in different “blood types”.

We just received a 4-pack in perfect time for this weekend’s finale and the packaging’s great. We’ll be using these to celebrate in our way. Grinning Vampire Emoticon

photo-on-2009-09-11-at-1144-2

Flagler Awards 2009

by John Underwood

The Agency walked away tonight with three (3) Flagler Awards at the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism held at The Fountainbleu Hotel. We were actually finalists in four categories and won the three below:

Radio: Tropical Storm Fay
TV: Go Green
Multicultural: The only time we’ll tell you to go straight and Flaming and Fabulous

About The Flagler Awards:
“The Flagler Awards were established by the Florida Commission on Tourism to recognize outstanding tourism marketing in Florida. Every year, the Flagler Awards honor many of the countless individuals and organizations that help sustain and improve Florida’s position as one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. It is a way to recognize the determined efforts of those who use their skill, resourcefulness, creativity and innovative spirit to market Florida to the world, and in doing so help ensure the continued success of the state’s most important industry.”

Thanks to ALL for their hard work. Harold and Rita Irwin (TDC Chair) were in attendance with Harold accepting the “Henrys”.

66% of companies are Using Social Media in 2009

Nearly two out of three companies are Using Social Media in 2009.

As marketers embrace new media platforms, social media and viral videos have seen the largest jump in ranking, according to a survey done by the ANA (Association of National Advertisers), BtoB Magazine and in partnership with marketing services firm ‘mktg.’ The survey had the following findings:

  • 66 percent of marketers utilized social media in 2009, as compared to 20 percent in 2007
  • Fifty percent employ viral videos, up from only 25 percent in 2007
  • 55 percent of respondents funded new media formats by shifting funds from their traditional media budget, while 48 percent shifted funds from other marketing communications budgets. Twenty-six percent of marketers created an incremental budget.
  • The top concerns for marketers when considering newer media platforms are the inability to prove ROI (45 percent) and having metrics to properly allocate the mix of traditional and digital media (43 percent)
  • Among social networks being embraced by all marketers, the top sites used are:
    • Facebook (74 percent)
    • YouTube (65 percent)
    • Twitter (63 percent)
    • LinkedIn (60 percent)

YouTube Viral Videos Are Great For Advertising

by Gio Gutierrez

In a blog post today, YouTube presents a case study on Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz’s wedding party. The video (see below), set to R&B star Chris Brown’s hypnotic dance jam “Forever,” became an overnight sensation, gaining more than 10 million views on YouTube in less than one week. What’s happening is that most advertisers don’t want to associate themselves with user-generated videos (the bulk of YouTube), just the professionally produced videos on YouTube, Hulu, etc. and YouTube wants to change your mind. YouTube presents this as proof that advertising works on viral videos even if they are audience produced.

This traffic is also very engaged — the click-through rate (CTR) on the “JK Wedding Entrance” video is 2x the average of other Click-to-Buy overlays on the site. And this newfound interest in downloading “Forever” goes beyond the viral video itself: “JK Wedding Entrance” also appears to have influenced the official “Forever” music video, which saw its Click-to-Buy CTR increase by 2.5x in the last week.

So, what does all of this mean? Despite compelling data and studies around consumer purchasing habits, many still question the promotional and bottom-line business value sites like YouTube provide artists. But in the last week, over a year after its release, Chris Brown’s “Forever” has again rocketed up the charts, reaching as high as #4 on the iTunes singles chart and #3 on Amazon’s best selling MP3 list.