Creative Strategy

08/19/2014

The “Ice Bucket Challenge” and What It Means for Marketers

By now, assuming that you’re on the Internet and have access to at least one social media account, you’ve heard of the “Ice Bucket Challenge” and likely seen at least one of your friends or acquaintances—if not 100—doing it. If not your friends, maybe you’ve at least seen a celebrity doing it.

So what is the Ice Bucket Challenge? And more importantly, why should you as a marketer care?

The Ice Bucket Challenge was started by a 29-year-old Boston College alum who was recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and sought to raise both money and awareness for the ailment. For the challenge, participants pour a bucket of ice water on their heads, subsequently calling out other friends to participate via social media as well. Those who are called out must pour a bucket of ice over their heads or donate to the cause.

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08/04/2014

Expedia’s #tbt Campaign Is a Lesson for All Marketers

Every Thursday, people across the Web take to social media networks to take part in #tbt, or Throwback Thursday, when they post old photos that usually blow their peers’ minds as they’re reminded of what Little Timmy looked like in the sixth grade.

Seeking to capitalize on Throwback Thursday, Expedia, a travel company, recently partnered with 180LA to launch a #tbt-inspired campaign of its own called “Thrown Back Thursdays.” Seeking to recreate photos from the past, the new strategy calls for one of its lucky fans to be able to recreate a memory from the past—well sort of.

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07/21/2014

Louis C.K. Speaks To You Like a Friend, and It Works

Even if you’re not a fan of the comedian, it might be worth your while to sign up for Louis C.K.’s mailing list or make sure to periodically check out his website from time to time.

In terms of content on his website, there’s not much there. But you should try to take a look at the content that does live there that gets updated every few months which can be found in the news section (which, as someone who is signed up for his mailing list, I believe doubles as his mailing list updates as well). Continue reading “Louis C.K. Speaks To You Like a Friend, and It Works”

07/14/2014

For LeBron James, Four Years Made All the Difference

In 2010, NBA superstar LeBron James, having just completed his first professional contract, announced during a surreal television special that he would be leaving his “hometown” Cleveland Cavaliers (James actually hails from Akron, Ohio) and playing for the Miami Heat. “The Decision,” a 75-minute interview with Jim Gray in which LeBron waited nearly 30 minutes before actually declaring his intention, aired on ESPN and was a ratings boon for the network.

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07/08/2014

There Are 27 Million Pieces of Content Shared Every Day

There are 27 million pieces of content shared every day on social media networks.

That number comes from a three-year-old study commissioned by Nielsen, so we can somewhat reasonably conclude that the number is actually a little higher today than it was back then.

Either way, that’s a lot of material. So how can you make sure that your content is worthy enough not to drown in a sea of content? Here are some tips to consider:

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07/08/2014

Three Reasons Your Product Launch is Failing

You don’t even need to consult the market research to know that launching a new product is cumbersome, complex and costly. Often a look around at the faces sitting at your boardroom table, or a quick scan of internal team emails reveal the frustration, anxiety and sheer chaos surrounding a new unveil.

But let’s just say you did want to consult the stats. Just how harrowing are they? Well let’s take a look:

66 percent of new products fail within two years
96 percent of all innovations fail to return their cost of capital

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06/27/2014

Amongst the Tradeshow Frenzy and Exhaustion, Try Something New with Content Marketing

For those of us who have the privilege (and curse) of getting to attend a sizeable amount of trade shows each year, we’ve learned some of the essential survival tricks:

Desperately try to cram all clothing and toiletries needed into a carry-on to avoid checking luggage.
Slap a permanent smile on your face from the time you land in the venue city until you take that taxi away from the convention center at the end of a long few days.
Dress warm. You may be visiting Vegas in August but convention centers are typically well below 65 degrees.
Bring more than enough business cards—chances are you will run out fast.
EAT ANY CHANCE YOU GET

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06/23/2014

Expanding Monument Park: What Marketers Can Learn From the Yankees

For many players and fans, the Hall of Fame is baseball’s most sacred ground. Being inducted is the highest honor a ballplayer or someone involved with the game can achieve.

But the second highest honor? That’s probably being inducted into Monument Park, the New York Yankees’ version of the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. Sitting behind the center field wall of Yankee Stadium, Monument Park currently pays homage to 30 men.

When the 2014 season started, that number stood at 28. When it ends, it’ll stand at 32.

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06/18/2014

Marketing ‘Without Walls’: Using Social Media to Engage Customers

On average, people check their smartphone over 150 times each day. Just think about how often you refresh your email at work or glance at your Twitter feed for the latest news. How can your brand use this to its advantage? Simple: by getting users to advertise for you.

The clothing brand, Without Walls, is a great example of how social media can be used to spread brand awareness and increase consumer engagement. The trendy athletic wear website has launched a social media crusade to get its customers up and active in its clothing. Continue reading “Marketing ‘Without Walls’: Using Social Media to Engage Customers”

06/17/2014

Need Content Marketing Inspiration? Look Around You

As a marketer, we search for inspiration any place we can find it—at our daughter’s dance recital, on the train commuting to work, in line at CVS waiting to check out… the world is full of marketing inspiration. And it often comes when we least expect it.

We are officially at the halfway point of the year, meaning exhaustion and creative blockages are at an all-time high. You may be out of ideas for your blogging platform; you may be struggling with the motivation to finish that white paper; and you may be fearful that your innovation engine is starting to run on empty. So what’s a marketer to do? It’s time to learn from your surroundings. And here’s how to do it:

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