123 eGuides

1 Minute Advice: Influencer Marketing Increasingly Important

As marketing continues to shift from brand-centric to consumer-centric, the importance of "influencer marketing" grows. Marketing to influencers -- individuals who can influence the opinions and buying patterns of others -- is relatively new, but it is likely to become increasingly important this year.

Misha Talavera, co-founder of technology and data analytics firm NeoReach writes for Social Times that influencer marketing "is the next big thing...

"For the visionary marketer, the rise of the social media influencer creates a world of possibilities. It opens up a new channel for brands to connect with consumers more directly, more organically, and at scale. By creating branded content with social media influencers, brands can amplify their message while seducing their target audience."

In his article, Misha offers ten reasons for the rise of influencer marketing, including the fact that it is powerful, social, native advertising, and targetable.

Tony Longo, co-founder of technology platform Ground Signal agrees in a recent post for Adotas. He writes, "A positive brand experience for an influencer is not only shared with friends, but with thousands of followers with the same interests. When brands can reach out to influencers in real-time, on location, with a discount or a simple 'thank you,' they are not only cultivating loyalty with that specific influencer, but they have the opportunity to build interest and acquire new customers from the influencer’s follower base."

Keep your eye on ways you can put influencer marketing to work in 2016.

1 Minute Advice: How Challenger Brands are Succeeding

This seems to be the era of the challenger brand. For a dramatic demonstration of just how far challenger brands can go, look at the current campaigns for the presidency: It is the anti-establishment, outsider challengers who are attracting the most attention.

In the product world, challenger brands are also doing well. In fact, new innovative brands are generally out-performing established, well-known brands.

Senior vice president for agency GKV, Dan Collins, writing for MediaPost, shares some of the reasons. "Being different can make a difference," he writes. Brands that have a distinct personality stand out. A clear mission is also essential. And the most successful challenger brands really know their particular audience. According to Collins, "trying to be all things to all people results in being nothing to no one. Many of the most successful challenger brands start by trying to change the lives of a small group … and when they do that small job well, their customers take it from there."

Read Dan Collins' commentary here.

If you're looking for ideas to make your brand stand out this year, consider ordering the Second Edition of the eGuide, Branding 123. This guide follows a proven three-step process for building a breakthrough brand, provides lots of practical advice, and includes a wealth of additional resources... all for just $2.99.  Get the Second Edition of Branding 123 now at the Amazon Kindle Store or in any e-book format (including PDF) at Smashwords.

 

1 Minute Advice: Use Co-Branding to Your Advantage

In a recent post about sponsorship, we discussed the opportunity for boosting your brand by being associated with another entity, such as a trade show, event, or organization. The NCAA "March Madness" Tournament is a good example of a major sports event that attracts numerous "official sponsors."

But what if you aren't in a position to invest big bucks in these kinds of sponsorships? Then another viable option is co-branding. This concept allows your brand and another brand to work together toward a common goal. Jessica Sanchez writes for MediaPost that there are a variety of co-branding relationships, including brands working together, retailers that promote particular brands, and brands that align with movies or celebrity spokespeople.

Sanchez offers three helpful tips to co-branders:

"1. Determine the lead and the supporting actor in the ad.

2. If you have two lead brands, find the common ground.

3. Keep the visual branding simple."

Read her entire article here.

If you're looking for ideas to make your brand stand out this year, consider ordering the Second Edition of the eGuide, Branding 123. This guide follows a proven three-step process for building a breakthrough brand, provides lots of practical advice, and includes a wealth of additional resources... all for just $2.99.  Get the Second Edition of Branding 123 now at the Amazon Kindle Store or in any e-book format (including PDF) at Smashwords.

 

1 Minute Advice: Big Milestone for Digital Advertising Next Year

Spending on digital advertising will surpass spending on television advertising for the first time in 2017, according to a new projection from eMarketer.

Next year, total digital ad spending will be $77.37 billion, while total television ad spending will be $72.01 billion. By 2020, TV's share of advertising will decline to below one-third of total media ad spending -- the first time in the U.S. this will occur.

Not surprisingly, the dominant area of digital ad spending is mobile advertising, which this year will grow to $43.60 billion, according to eMarketer. That puts mobile ad spending at almost two-thirds (63.4%) of total digital ad spending this year.

Martin Utreras, senior forecasting analyst for eMarketer, says, “As consumers continue to increase engagement with mobile devices for daily activities and content consumption, marketers will further integrate all marketing activities—including advertising—to the mobile category.”

1 Minute Advice: Sponsorships Offer a Unique Marketing Opportunity

Given the hyper-competitive nature of marketing, companies are always looking for novel ways to break through and differentiate themselves. One of those ways -- a sponsorship -- offers a unique marketing opportunity. Trade show marketing expert Susan Friedman writes on About.com that with a sponsorship, "you can find unlimited opportunities to broaden your competitive advantage by increasing your credibility, image and prestige in sponsoring events attracting your target market."

A sponsorship is not advertising, at least not in the traditional sense; rather, it involves financial or in-kind support of an activity or event. Perhaps the most visible form of sponsorships are those you see during televised sporting events; you'll notice, for example, that various brands tout that they are "official sponsors" of the NFL, the NCAA Final Four, and so on. All of those logos you see on NASCAR racing cars, the brand names you see on a pro golfer's cap, and even the Nike "swoosh" that seems to adorn just about every sports uniform are sponsorships. 

Friedman cites a number of benefits derived from sponsorships, including enhancing a company's image, affecting consumer perceptions, creating increased visibility, reinforcing a good "corporate citizen" role, and driving sales.

Friedman offers some helpful hints for determining if a sponsorship makes sense in an accompanying article, "Is Sponsorship Right for Your Company?"