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The Dangers of “Urgency”

February 1st, 2012

by David Croomes

In a creative working process, it’s not always easy to remain objective. Being able to take a step back and look at your work, whether it’s a TV spot or masterpiece painting, and imagine how the average audience member will react can go a long way towards making your work achieve maximum effectiveness.

People on the working end have a tremendous fear of their audience becoming bored. No one likes to sit through a TV spot without being stimulated, challenged, or intrigued. However, often times this fear propels many advertisers into a problem just as dangerous as boring their audience.

Advertisers get so worried about losing an audience’s interest that they resort to bombarding them with as much information as possible. Cramming too much text onto the screen, unnecessary repetitiveness, overbearingly loud voiceovers… all common mistakes that are made out of the fear of the ad becoming boring. The typical excuse (pitfall) is that the ad, for whatever reason, needs to feel “urgent”.

Try to remain objective. When you’ve written your script, take a step back and envision your finished ad: the tone, pacing, volume, and feel that it will have. Do you think that the average housewife or soccer mom that your ad is supposed to be targeting will respond positively to it? If this is your target audience, odds are that they are watching channels like Food Network, HGTV, E!, Style, Bravo — and if your ad sounds like it might as well be trying to sell monster truck tickets, odds are that they’re going to tune you out.

Urgency is necessary, especially for seasonal sales, but don’t use it as a crutch. Take a step back and look at the big picture. With a little more balance and understanding, you’ll be seeing dollar signs in no time.

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Super Bowl XLVI – Why to watch and what to look for

January 24th, 2012

by Mike Kelley

The AFC and NFC Championship games are over and the teams for Super Bowl XLVI are set. Now, advertisers hope they won’t be in similar conversations as Billy Cundiff and Kyle Williams are today. To make sure they aren’t considered a “fail” and top news for the wrong reason they must go a traditional route. For the 3.5 million dollars on average for 30 second spot they have to be following the numbers right? For some…not exactly.

For those of us who aren’t all that excited about a Super Bowl “rematch” there has to be something more, and luckily there is.

THIS YEAR’S FIRST

Breaking ground this year is the first Super Bowl social media command center in history. This is expected to be a start of a tradition and be around for years to come, but what exactly is it for? This command center will be running from Monday to Super Bowl Sunday and will mainly track fan conversation on Facebook and Twitter. This command center will used advanced search tools and analytics to reach out to fans and become a social media concierge. Fans will be prompted with directions, parking areas, recommended attractions and anything else they seem to need. Best of all, Tweets like “where is a good parking spot” aren’t needed because the command center will pick up on posting as simple as “parking sucks”.

SHAZAM!

No not Captain Marvel, the app that is available for IOS, Android, Blackberry, and more. Shazam has slowly been making their way from just finding out what song is playing to becoming a link for advertisers to use when their commercials are being aired. This Super Bowl 1/3 of all ads will be recognized by Shazam and will direct viewers to more content and deals. Full details aren’t yet disclosed as far as which commercials will be “Shazam-able”, but using the app on applicable commercials can snag you anything from recipes to free song downloads. Current campaigns using Shazam have seen a 350% increase in social engagement and during the Super Bowl companies will undoubtedly see an increase in Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

SHOWING SOME SKIN

Ads this Super Bowl are expected to be even racier than before. GoDaddy.com is leading the way (shocker!) featuring the well known GoDaddy girls body painting their newest member to promote companies. Kia is reportedly in the mix and Doritos is waiting on consumer voting to decide which route their ad will be going. H&M Clothing is also expected to show David Beckham in his underwear to promote their merchandise.

So suggestive ads with partial nudity must be popular, right? Actually, viewers like ads with clothed talent 10% more than those without. Kids and animals actually top the list of what people want to see. Sketchers is going the safe route replacing last year’s sweaty Kim Kardashian with a Bulldog, and Volkswagen is keeping the Star Wars theme, but switching to singing dogs instead of a little boy.

So the question is, why go more provocative? Does sex really sell during the Super Bowl? Looking back at history, showing some skin may not be all that bad of an idea. Victoria Secret’s 1999 spot featuring strutting lingerie models is considered by Steve Jobs to be stepping stone to current Internet usage. This commercial had such an impact at a time when the Internet was not that popular of a trend that over 1 million viewers went to the Victoria Secret site causing it to crash. Viewers may enjoy animals, but will the Sketchers’ Bulldog produce more media impact than the 1.6 billion impressions Kim Kardashian ditching her trainer for Shape-Ups did last year?

In all, Super Bowl XVLI may be a great football game and considering the markets of the teams involved should produce a lot of revenue across the board. Even if you don’t care for the Patriots or Giants, there is still a little something for everyone this year. Test out the command center with some posts, have Shazam handy to see what will be in store, and decide for yourself: skin or no skin.

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Wikipedia Shuts Down in Piracy Protest

January 18th, 2012

By: Olga Gromova

Wikipedia, Google, Reddit.com, and Craigslist have joined forces in the fight against SOPA and PIPA. Wikipedia has shut down their entire site for 24 hours and created a landing page that reads “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge. For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia.” Google has blacked out its banner and posted a caption that reads: “Tell Congress: Please don’t censor the web!” Reddit.com has shut down for 12 hours and Craigslist has changing its local home pages to a black screen directing users to an anti-legislation page.

Already the protest has caused waves in the media and raised great amounts of attention around the proposed bills. While 24 hours without Wikipedia is no walk in the park, I personally think that huge waves could be made if Facebook and Twitter jumped into the picket line. I bet if Facebook shut down for a day with a statement saying that they would re-open once a certain number of people reached out to congress these bills would be squashed in no time.

For more information on the SOPA and PIPA acts please visit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

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TOMA is looking forward to the New Year!

December 20th, 2011

by David Croomes

It’s an exciting time here at TOMA. As 2011 winds down, we can look forward to what’s in store in the coming New Year. Production-wise, we are excited for opportunities that come with advances in technology and the ever-evolving challenge of positioning our clients’ brands exactly where they need to be. We are constantly trying out new techniques and strategies to keep our spots relevant, modern, and effective.

It is this drive to evolve that keeps TOMA from becoming a one-trick-pony. We’re a small agency built on customer service and quick turnaround– on time, on budget. All of this puts us in the position to enter the New Year with the ammunition to reach target audiences effectively and efficiently, more so than ever. We’ll see you there.

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Debunking 5 major myths of social media

December 12th, 2011

By Tyler Mandroian

There are a LOT of misconceptions about using social media for your business. It reminds me quite a bit of the 1990’s, when many businesses wanted a website, but had no idea why or how to use it. Obviously we’ve all evolved since the days of flickering animations and blaring Christmas music on your homepage, but the onset of social media is springing some very familiar traps. I’ve seen the good, bad, and ugly of Facebook promotions, #twitterevents, and the like, as well as having seen the thought process behind them. There are a few things you should throw out of your game plan right away…after all, you wouldn’t put blaring 8-bit music and flashing lights on your website anymore…would you? (if so…call 480.502.6852…we need to talk.)

Here are the 5 biggest myths and mistakes you can make when planning your next social media campaign:

1. Social Media is Free.

C’mon…nothing is ever really free. Yes, there is no cost to start a business page, google + or foursquare account, and if you know what you’re doing, there’s no cost to making these look and function great. However, there is a cost associated with providing the things that will make your social media page popular. Whether you’re hosting competitions, contests, or giveaways, or if you’re producing original & relevant content, there is a time and monetary commitment to producing this. You need to be doing something to engage your followers and attract new ones – at the very least this takes time to plan, write, and monitor – and coupling your social media with events or an advertising campaign is essential for success.

2. Social Media is just for kids.

Back in the days when MySpace was king and college kids just started hearing about that face-thing, this was pretty much true. However, the greatest growth demographic embracing social media is 35-54…and they are active on this platform. While the shift has gone 100% from party pics to baby photos – your target customers are the ones engaging at a much higher rate, and spending just as much time, as youth on social media.

3. People will follow me because of my _____.

It’s a bit of an oxy-moron, but the focus of your page needs to be on your followers, not on you. If you ever thought that no one would care about your business, you’re forgetting what attracts customers to your door in the first place. You provide a service that’s desired – you can do the same thing on social media. Produce relevant content that your target customers will find useful, and you’ll create an on-line brand that’s known, liked, and trusted, whether you’re ESPN, an airplane manufacturer, or an office supply company.

4. I don’t want people posting on my page.

While it’s important to exercise control over your public image, this is one of the biggest mistakes a company can make when starting, or maintaining, their social media. Social media is exactly that – social. Social Media pages are effective for businesses because interaction between users is what gets shared to other followers, and what exposes your business to new potential clients. You can still monitor and delete unfriendly and unfair posts/comments, and these will happen, but it’s a risk you take giving your business public forum. The advantage is that you control the playing field; you get to ignore/hide nasty comments, while focusing the conversation and content to benefit your business. Comments and shares spread the message – let your customers do the heavy lifting for you.

5. Just make the intern do it.

Social media is the public presence for your brand. Unlike a website, in-store, or TV commercial, this is the only medium where you get to have a publicized rapport with your customers. This is your opportunity to show the public how service-oriented or how professional or knowledgeable your business is by delivering fast, intelligent responses to public inquiries. Doing this properly will allow you to reverse some per-conceived notions about your company, or strengthening the positive aspects of your brand. Either way, it’s an important opportunity that should be controlled by someone experienced with your company. Sure, the intern might teach you a thing or two about Facebook, but it’s all in the message that gets sent out – quality content is what brings your brand into the limelight.

Following this advice can keep you from avoiding the pitfalls that make social media an unsuccessful endeavor for a company or marketing firm. Give people a reason to interact with you by providing relevant, useful content, and you will become known, liked, and trusted by current and potential customers. The risks associated shouldn’t dissuade you from using this media – companies today have an opportunity like never before to hear exactly what their customers want…all you have to do is listen.

If you’d like to learn more about how to run social media with your brand, call us at 480.502.6852…we’ll show you how to get this done.

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The Best Time of Year

December 8th, 2011

With Christmas right around the corner and the New Year coming, many consider the next few weeks to be the best time of the year. College football teams that had a good season would most likely agree with that belief. Bowl games are like an added Christmas for players and team staff whether they play on December 17th ,January 9th, or anywhere in between.

College bowl season isn’t just a great time of year if you are a fan or part of a team, it is also a perfect time for branding and to release new products. Why not sponsor a bowl game?

I recall watching the Chick-Fil-A bowl a few years back, at that point I had never been to the restaurant and didn’t lived anywhere near a Chick-Fil-A. When I saw my first Chick-Fil-A in Phoenix I knew a few basic things: they had chicken, they had funny commercials with cows, but most importantly they sponsored football. Based on those details alone I decided to give them a try and I’m glad I did.

One of the four BCS games, the Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl, is held locally in Glendale, AZ at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Since the game is generally a few days after New Years, it teams up with the Insight Bowl just across the valley to sponsor the Fiesta Bowl block party New Year’s celebration. At the block party free samples of new Tostitos products like Artisan style chips are handed out. If you have tickets to the game you will be greeted with samples on your seat that are just the right size to make you want a bigger bag.

The events are even larger when the Tostitos BCS National Championship is held in Glendale as it was when it hosted the Oregon and Auburn game last January. In a study by Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business the economic impact from just the championship game was over $188 million. I have to admit I made a small contribution to that number by purchasing tickets to the block party as well as a bag of the new Artisan chips I had sampled.

Boise, Idaho’s hosting of the bowl game is a perfect example of the influence of advertising and branding on these games. This game usually kicks off the college bowl season, but in recent years has had a fairly unfamiliar name to most. The bowl game has changed names and sponsors in the last decade from Crucial.com, MPC Computers, and Roady’s Truck stops all sponsoring the Humanitarian bowl, to the new name and sponsor: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

The game this year will not have a name as common as Tostitos, FedEx, or All State, but finally the fans and viewers will have something they can recognize. When almost anyone thinks of Idaho they naturally think of potatoes. Doesn’t it make sense that the game is finally represented by the symbol of Idaho? After all, the license plates even say “famous potatoes” so why hasn’t the only bowl game hosted in the state?

Idaho potato producers decided that should change this year and will pay $2.49 billion over the next 6 years to make sure the game is named after their famed product. That price includes the following:

- A 30 second welcome to the game
- Five 30 second TV ads during the broadcast
- Four 30 second radio ads during the broadcast
- Their logo on all print ads for the game
- Two full pages in the game program
- The official bowl logo having their name
- Numerous stadium signs with their logo
- Eight public address announcements
- Eight video board announcements during the game

On top of that Idaho potatoes will seal their positive image and reach consumers across the country.

The basics of this are simple. If you have the money and want to increase awareness of a new product or branding for an existing one, why not choose a bowl game to do it? Companies can use this time to reach new targets and link their name to a huge yearly event. Whether you are an athlete, a fan, or a business this could really be your best time of year.

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How Coke Created Santa

November 28th, 2011

by Olga Gromova

Santa Claus is a famous man; he is loved in every household, is the star of countless movies, and has children leaving him milk and cookies every Christmas Eve. He’s the jolly old fella that we tried catching a peak of every year on the 24th of December, and is now the only thing our kids talk about when the Christmas season rolls around. His appearance is no big secret, we watch him in commercials, admire him on billboards, and take pictures with him at the mall. So it’s no surprise that when you ask someone for a description of the famous Claus, the response you get is always the same: jolly old man with a big belly, white beard, red suit with white fur lining, and a big smile on his face.

This may come as a shock, but Santa was not always “jolly”, in fact, back in the early 1900’s we was a bit of a creeper. If you saw him in person you wouldn’t let your kids get anywhere near him, let alone sit on his lap and ask him for presents. This is where Coca Cola came into play and re-created Santa into the man we all know and love.

The Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper’s Weekly in 1862; Santa was shown as a small elf-like figure who supported the Union.

In the 1920’s Coca Cola began its winter advertising with shopping-related ads to remind people that Coke was a drink for any month, not just warm weather. This began with the “Thirst Knows No Season” slogan in 1922 and grew into a campaign connecting Santa Clause with the beverage. The first images of Santa associated with Coca Cola were more of the strict looking Clause, but in the early 1930’s Coke decided that the creeper had to go and commissioned Michigan born illustrator, Haddon Sundblom to re-create the image of Claus. Thus, the new, jolly version of Santa was born.

The Coca Cola Santa has had a powerful and enduring quality that continues to resonate today, so in a way, we can say that Coke saved Christmas. If it wasn’t for the Coca Cola brand, I would be terrified to think that a creepy old elf was crawling down my chimney every year, eating my cookies, drinking my milk and sitting on my couch. Instead I am pleased to see the happy, robust, old man who greets you with a “ho ho ho” and brings the goodies you’ve been waiting all year to play with. So this year I think I’ll toss out the milk and leave Santa an ice cold Coke next to the chimney instead.

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The Human Element

November 21st, 2011

by David Croomes

In the sports world lately, there has been a lot of talk of the “human element” in officiating. In the age of technology where instant replays truly are instant, it would seem to make sense that we could start having computers and video monitors let us know if a player was in bounds or if the pitch was a ball or strike, every time without error. This argument exploded last year in the wake of umpire Jim Joyce’s blown call on the last out of (what would have been) a perfect game in Major League Baseball.

In spite of such mistakes, some of which turn out to be extremely significant, there is a push within the sports community to keep a sense of non-automated humanity involved when it comes to officiating. Why is this? Perhaps it makes it more entertaining, but I think it has more to do with making everything more relatable. Human interaction is the driving force of our lives and community, and it is clear that people value such interaction.

In advertising and marketing, one of the main goals is get other humans to interact with what you are promoting or selling, ideally by making a purchase. A promotion that makes the product/service relatable and relevant to the human is bound to spark that sort of interaction. Showing how someone’s life could be bettered or made more enjoyable by using a product has much more impact than simply showing your best price and leaving it at that. The need for a human element exists outside of the sporting arena, and can be applied to any situation to make it more relevant, relatable, and emotionally intriguing.

When you bring the human element into your promotion, you have the ability to reach consumers’ hearts as well as their brains. Sure, a good deal can always sell, but think about how many times people spend more than they actually intended to because they made an emotional, human connection. Wouldn’t it be nice if they were handing that extra money to you?

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