HenkinSchultz: Official Google Advertising Professionals

It’s about Analytics and Ad Ranking and CPC and Quality Score.

It’s about CTR and Keywords and Region Targeting and Content Bids.

It’s about CPM and Impressions and Ad Groups and ROI.

But really, it’s about understanding the basics - and the subtle (and sometimes complicated) nuances - of search engine marketing as it pertains to Google AdWords. And, furthermore, about presenting our clients with added opportunities for promotion and awareness outside the traditional printed and broadcast mediums.

So we finally got around to taking the test. And here we are: official Google Advertising Professionals. (And we’re pretty stoked, by the way.)

We get to show off the badge. But our clients get the real prize: an added level of knowledge and awesomeness from their chosen marketing partner.

Where Is the Line? (On Advertorials and Front Page Ads)

No one would claim that the garden variety advertorial is a journalistic endeavor. Situated alongside a publication’s content, however, it can often be mistaken as real – especially if designers have taken great pains to replicate font, layout and details.

Advertorials happen. They happen all the time. Whether you think they’re effective or misleading, you probably rarely give them a second thought.

That is, until they begin appearing on your front page.

Alice In Wonderland

Historically, newspapers and magazines have held the front page as an Advertising Free Zone. It only makes sense. No one buys a publication because of the ads on the front; they look to the cover as a de facto table of contents. That’s where the impulse to purchase is created.

But with the decline in advertising revenues, publications have begun allowing more and more leeway. Small banner ads appear near the bottom of the front page. Plastic covers promote wireless services. Post-it notes offer coupons. Ads are creeping into that valuable space, precisely because it’s valuable. Precisely because magazines and newspapers can’t sell the insides as much as they once could.

So, you can imagine, if you offer a newspaper $700,000 to print a full front-page wrap, there’s a good chance they’re going to take it.

That’s what Disney did with the Los Angeles Times. The ad – a four-page wrap that mimicked the Times’ front page – was designed to “create buzz, and to extend the film’s already brilliant marketing campaign,” said John Conroy, spokesman for the Times. It also pushed the day’s headlines to a second page.

It’s not the first time the Times has slipped advertising in under the radar. Last April, an ad for NBC’s Southland gave only minimal indication that it was, indeed, an advertisement – and that was long after the “article” would have been read.

Newspapers: a Vehicle for Journalism or Advertising?

Which begs the question: where is the line? When does journalism begin and advertising end?

According to the American Society of Magazine Editors, ads and editorial content require a clear separation, and front-page ads not allowed. But when faced with the decision between selling a lucrative front cover ad and the ASME’s minimal repercussions (a letter or reprimand and exclusion from the National Magazine Awards), there’s often no more than the approval of a publisher standing in the way.

More than anything, newspaper and magazine readers place their trust in the publications they’re consuming. When ads are placed in a way that blurs the line between editorial and advertising – when advertisers seek to gain attention through deception by designing an ad that looks like real content - that trust is taken advantage of.

In other words, the content of the ads should be considered – not the location.

The Times ad reaches the news outlets because it’s on the front page. But it’s clearly an ad. It steers clear of deception simply because it’s too big to be believable. No one read that and thought, “this is a Los Angeles Times article about the movie.”

However, an advertorial clearly wants to be seen as content. Its entire premise is dependent upon a reader seeing it as an article. Posing as something it’s not, the advertorial plays upon the trust of the reader.

In other words, outrage seems to be misguided because the definition is so hazy. The line is smudged. Possibly irreparably. And it’s up to us – as advertisers and publishers – to, once and for all, redraw the line. Clean it up. Set some standards.

The balance, really, stands between editorial honor and the need to keep the lights on. We can take sides, fighting against either the stuffiness of journalistic integrity or the demons of advertising greed. But both sides have their arguments. Because without determining where that line is – the line between honorable content and the advertising that helps pay for it – we may lose the trust of our readership.

Being a Realtor on the Web

Let’s face it. Choosing a Realtor can be scary.

A lot needs to happen in selling and buying a house, and that puts a lot of responsibility – and therefore, a lot of trust – into the Realtor/homeowner relationship. Trust that needs to be earned. Trust that can’t be forgotten.

Which means, often, homeowners are on the defensive when it comes to buying or selling. They don’t have time to set up meetings with prospective Realtors, listen to presentations and choose. And often, questions arise before the Realtor is even chosen. What will stop my house from being sold? What do I need to do to prepare? Should I even sell?

For that reason, Realtors are taking to new ways of getting their positioning statement public in more non-traditional ways. We are happy to help one local Realtor – Tony Ratchford – in this very thing.

The concept: offer a seminar on selling a home on the potential seller’s time. Instead of setting up an appointment, coordinating schedules and arriving in person, Tony and his team developed a short video that highlights the needs for selling a home – and the benefits of doing so with Tony.

It’s simple: request a password, view the video, and proceed from there – which, coincidentally can all be handled on the same site. What’s your house worth? What homes are on the market? What resources are available in the community? It’s all one click away.

Fully automating the Realtor/homeowner relationship while still reaching out for a personal touch. It’s the best of both worlds, and it’s the future of buying and selling homes.

Check out the site for yourself at www.WhyHomesDontSell.com.

That plane is really an infographic

This airplane is really an infographic. And, for that, I salute Kulula Air (a low-fare, small airline out of South Africa), despite the fact that I’ll probably never get to fly on a single one of these planes.

From the Fast Company article:

With the help of local branding agency Atmosphere, Kulula launched this new look, called Flying 101. It’s more proof of the ubiquitous cool of infographics, I guess–everyone loves a good labeled diagram. And what a way to stand out on the tarmac, amidst South African Airways plain-Jane fleet: white, serifed type, and the most predictable logo possible, the South African flag.

They may not have Jet Blue or Southwest level service and support, but they certainly have an extra level of awesome. Nice work from Atmosphere.

(via/ Fast Company)

Twitter as a commitment

Social media, social marketing, e-commerce, Web content, online anything, whatever you’re calling it today. The name doesn’t matter. No one cares about that.

The attention you give it, however, does matter.

Because we all know that every business is looking to jump full steam ahead into social media, regardless of need and viability, and we know that it’s totally the thing to do.

In many cases, that’s true. As long as you focus on the “to do” part of the equation. The “keeping up with it” portion.

An example, from right here in our dusty little village: The City of Sioux Falls, and its SiouxFallsSnow Twitter feed.

The goal of @SiouxFallsSnow is, naturally, to let people know when a Snow Alert has been announced, allowing residents to get their vehicles off of the roads and save them from possible ticketing.

Awesome idea. Seriously.

As long as you keep up, that is. Yesterday’s snow alert went silent on the Twitter feed. This morning, a “reminder” of the snow alert was posted. And, just 15 minutes later, a fellow ad twitterer, who relied on @SiouxFallsSnow for updates, was ticketed for being in a snow zone.

The issue: when you offer up a service – in this case, vowing to let people know when a Snow Alert has been announced – some people will keep you to your word. They will rely on your service. They will look to you for the information they need. And when it’s not delivered, they will wonder what happened, turn away and express frustration.

Nothing against @SiouxFallsSnow – on the contrary, I still think it’s a great idea. It’s just that this small incident highlights the importance of keeping up with a Twitter feed. Or a Facebook page. Or updating a Web site with new information. The content you offer doesn’t exist in a vacuum – it’s followed by real people, who look to you for information just as they would in real life.

It only takes one slip. From there, one errant situation. One frustrated follower. One mass message to the Twitterverse.

If you are going to promote social media or social marketing, make sure you’re doing it right. Similarly, if you are going to offer a service, even if it’s for free, make sure you back it up. Because whether you’re selling candy bars or letting us know about the snow alerts, we’re depending on you.

Mini’s Trash is Advertising’s Treasure

Great advertising is absolute trash. At least, it is when it comes to Mini and their insufferably cute Mini Cooper.

Click on image to see full size

Good Ol’ CP+B continued a tradition of great non-traditional advertising for the Mini Cooper line with these fantastic trash piles, adorned with a Mini-sized cardboard box. When it comes to marketing automobiles as a logical holiday gift, Lexus could learn a lot from Mini’s lead.

Via Ads of the World

On How NOT to Request Attention on the Internet

One of the first marketing mistakes I ever made happened early. It had to do with this blog, Post Haste. And, it had to do with my naivety in regards to other people’s time.

I had convinced our partners that we should develop a company blog. Very few other marketing agencies in our area had blogs, and it was time to take a dive into the ever-expanding world of Internet marketing and social media.

Searching for an audience – and looking forward to a jaunty dialog with our naturally intelligent readers – I developed a “Look At What We’ve Done!” e-mail. I sent it to every marketing and advertising blogger I could find. I said, essentially, why I thought our blog was great.

I gave them a look at something new. But I failed on one major level.

I never told them why it mattered to them.

Of the 100+ e-mails I sent out, I received only a handful back. Some were congratulatory. Some were dismissive.

One really stood out. The name doesn’t matter – I can’t remember it, anyway – but the tone was distinct.

It chastised me for asking people to care without offering a benefit. It hounded me for blindly grasping for attention - not by participation and discourse, or by giving anything of substance (because, at this time, there was very little on the blog), but by the assumption that I deserved it.

It taught me an important lesson: no one cares until you give a reason to care.

Fast forward to today.

A magazine I’ve never heard of sends me an e-mail. They assume I’m willing to help them pre-promote an upcoming issue. They open with a salutation of “Dear Blogger.” There is no mention of what I’m getting out of the deal, or why I should care.

I see this e-mail, and I see a little of myself that first time around, when I was promoting Post Haste by sidestepping relationships and blindly throwing darts, hoping some would stick.

It’s the same as sending out press releases that make more work for a journalist, or – even worse – assume a store promotion is real news.

It’s the same as blanket spamming a thousand Twitter users with a new e-commerce site.

It’s the same as knocking on my door, asking me to tell all of my friends about your product, and then leaving without even acknowledging my time.

And I know from experience. It’s not impressive. And it doesn’t work.

Another batch of Wolff Olins snake oil

AOL (or, I guess, Aol.) revealed a new logo treatment today.

You can look elsewhere to see what the overall consensus is. (My take: What. A. Joke.)

That being said, there’s a bit of inconsistency that proves Wolff Olins’ ability to b.s. their way through a logo design.

From AOL’s press release:

“Historically brand identity has been monolithic and CONTROLLING, little more than stamping a company name on a product. AOL is a 21st century media company, with an ambitious vision for the future and new focus on creativity and expression, this required the new brand identity to be open and generous, to invite conversation and collaboration, and to feel credible, but also aspirational.” said Karl Heiselman, CEO of Wolff Olins.

Their solution, naturally: stamp the company name onto a handful of stock images.

Come on, guys. After the London 2012 debacle, don’t you think we should be trying a little harder? I mean, THE LEAST YOU COULD DO is make sure the fluffy, inspirational quote defending your work isn’t at odds with the nature of the work itself.

SEO vs. Content: Not a Battle After All

Search Engine Optimization gets people to your site. It boosts your page rank. It performs magic tricks, prints money and cures cancer. It’s the golden god of content management, at times, and it’s the number one goal of a company: get your name out there, and get it noticed.

If I sound a little sarcastic, you’ll have to understand that I’m a writer. Which means I have one goal over any other: create interesting content.

It’s this goal that makes me cringe when people say that SEO is the most important part of putting together a successful Web site; that copy should be manufactured with the robotic eyes of a search engine in mind.

And it’s this goal that often leads me astray, railing against SEO in the name of art and literature and everything the act of writing stands for.

Because the truth is – SEO isn’t king. And neither is content, anymore. Seems that both have to work in harmony.

See? Now I’ve just upset both sides of the debate.

There are two arguments in the battle. For SEO champions, it’s, “If your content is good, but no one sees it, is it worth it?” And for the content wonks, it’s “If you get people to your site, but they aren’t interested in staying, is it worth it?”

The real answer lies somewhere in between. It isn’t all or nothing for either side. You need both. In fact, one should naturally lead to another. Great content should generate positive SEO, as great content relies on communicating in a way that gives the reader exactly what they came for. And great SEO means you’re covering all of your bases – that you’re thinking for the masses instead of your little corner of intelligentsia.

It means more than compiling lists of regurgitated facts and keyword-laden copy. Conversely, it means more than developing beautiful prose more akin to Steinbeck than Sergey. It’s right in the middle. It’s what we sought out when we redesigned our Web site. And it’s helped us in both cases: better content and better search results.

No, it’s not SEO über alles. Nor is it content without regard to searchability. Simply put, it’s writing the way people will read. Will think. Will care. It’s managing content logically and creatively.

It’s copy written for robots and people. How futuristic. Are you doing it?

Defending jingles

Jingles are primitive. Jingles should be reserved for local companies on AM radio. Jingles show a disregard for the listener’s intelligence. Jingles are hacky and stupid.

Jingles get a bad rap, especially by some enlightened advertising experts.

But you know what? They work. They work really well.

Sometimes, too well.

Take my daughter, Sierra. Though we try to keep it at a minimum, she sometimes breaks through our barriers and steals a few minutes of television. Which means she sometimes takes in the fruits of my industry’s labors: television advertising.

So it shouldn’t have been a surprise when, upon spotting a yogurt cup, she began singing.

“ACTIVIA!!!!”

My wife and I looked at each other. Did she… Was that… Wait, here it comes again…

“ACTIVIA!!!!”

Though the pronunciation needs work, the pitch was perfect. It was the Activia jingle. And we couldn’t have been more surprised if she’d buzzed her hair and begun acting like Jamie Lee Curtis.

Admittedly, I was kind of proud.

For me, these jingles aren’t cheap or grating – they’re part of my nostalgia. To this day, I can’t see the name “Mennen” without humming the three-note tag jingle. I still have the Carnival Cruise “If You Could See Me Now” jingle running through my head from time to time.

You have the same memories, I guarantee. Maybe not the same songs, but most certainly something similar – something that keeps that brand’s name alive in your mind long after you’ve turned off the television. It could be something ancient - the short burst of a jingle that signed off old Diet Coke spots - or something more recent.

So before you go slagging on the artistic merits of jingles and their place in popular customer, think of it from an advertising standpoint.

They work. And they can be a lot of fun, too.

(As long as we ignore Subway’s entire history of jingles. Those have all been preeeetttyyy awful.)

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About HenkinSchultz

HenkinSchultz is an agency. An advertising and marketing and branding and design and production agency. All of those things, and then some.

But, underneath all that, we're really a bunch of thinkers. As in, we think about stuff, both pertinent and not, with and without boundaries, as if our lives depended on it. And this right here, Post Haste, is where we write about it.

Visit us at http://www.henkinschultz.com.

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