There are some important questions you should ask when deciding which display network to use.   I have compiled a list of the questions to ask during your search:

1. How many sites do you have? Samples?
2. Do you have any exclusive sites?
3. Do you work directly with publishers or are you a re-seller?
4. Do you have any custom filters or filters that we would be interested in?
5. Do you do category, content, behavioral, and retargeting?
6. Do you allow rich media? What % of sites? What provider?
7. What kind of pricing models do you have? CPM, CPE, CPC
8. Who would we be working with? How much experience do they have?
9. What does your reporting look like? How often do we receive? How quickly can we get it if we need it on short notice?
10. Can you track view throughs?
11. How large (file sizes) can standard flash banners be?
12. Do you offer non-profit rates or grants?
13. Does the network have e-newsletter ads?
14. Do you offer mobile advertising?
15. Is your behavioral data based on visits to a site? Or specific pages?
16. Do you cap impressions to single users? What is your cap?
17. Agency or client minimums? Can we combine client budgets to meet minimums?
18. Are you growing? What is your growth/expansion plan?
19. Ask for reach based on filters- if filters are specific, what is the universe?
20. Do you have automated optimization? How does optimization work?

Have fun!

We have many opinions and blog posts at Bailey Gardiner about Foursquare. Most people get the basics of how to use the tool to check-in and how companies are getting creative with Foursquare offers. I’d like to continue the conversation on this tool, by sharing some of the new functionality that Foursquare has unveiled since its launch, as well as, a few of my Foursquare don’ts.

New functionality for users:

1. Find out what is “Trending Now.” By simply looking at the “Places” around you, you can see where the people are. These don’t have to be your linked “friends.” For example, I just saw that Hash House is trending. There must be something great going on there today, maybe I should check it out…
2. You can now see who is “Staff” at any given venue. If you are a marketer, and you manage a venue, you can mark yourself as staff and therefore users know the venue is being managed by someone and that the company is engaged in social media strategy.
3. The “History” section got an update. You can now easily add a category to a venue and see which of your friends checked in at the same venue.
4. The sign-up page was re-designed, making it even easier to sign-up and to see who of your Twitter followers and Facebook friends are using the platform. The ease of this new sign-up form is likely part of the reason Foursquare has seen such a huge growth in users, recently hitting the 2 million user mark.
5. Users now have the ability to opt-out of being a part of the business dashboard. For those who want to keep their check-ins private to business owners, they have that option. However selecting this would be a detriment to many users as they  may be unable to capitalize on special offers/promotions.
6. When you check a venue on the site, you can no longer see the profiles of those who have recently checked in. Now Foursqaure only reports a number, a move that is in no doubt meant to have users feel like their privacy is being protected.

So what do all these changes mean for marketers?

Trending now, accessibly to staff members, improved history, easy signups and upgraded privacy, all make for a better user experience, and are all part of the reason the platform ms growing so exponentially. It’s important for us as marketers to be aware of these changes and adjust our strategy. (Hint, you can no longer tweet at just anyone who checks into your location.)

Foursquare Check-In Here Window Cling, courtesy Foursquare

It is also more important than ever to claim your location with the Foursquare team, so that you’ll have access to the additional analytics provided by the business dashboard.

Finally, from a fulfillment stand-point, it is good for marketers using Foursquare specials to keep an eye on the growth of the platform to ensure they are still able to fulfill their offer. As Foursquare becomes more and more popular, special promos may have to be adjusted or simplified.

And last but not least, some Foursquare don’ts:

As the platform continues to grow and evolve, we’ll see more and more newbies jumping on board. If you are just getting started, here are a few of my Foursquare Don’ts.

• Don’t use your home address to check in. Let’s avoid crazies and stalkers.
• Don’t cheat. Only check-in somewhere if you are really there.
• Don’t auto-sync with Twitter. Don’t clog your Twitter stream with where  you checked-in. Leave this feature as a manual selection so that you can Tweet something about your check-in when it is appropriate.
• Don’t auto-sync with Facebook for the same reasons as above.

The 2010 Census and American Community Surveys are well underway. The first Census was conducted in 1790 when the US population was just under 4 million and in this Census, the 23rd Census of the United States, it is estimated that the population will be just under 310 million. Given that the last Census was in 2000, there will be a lot of change and new information that marketers will use to better communicate their products, speak to their audiences and concentrate their efforts.

2010 US Census, Image Courtesy US Census.

Outside of marketing, the overall effects of the Census include how federal funding will be used, which includes budgets for (per the US Census Website):

• Hospitals
• Job Training Centers
• Schools
• Senior Centers
• Bridges, Tunnels and other Public Work Projects
• Emergency Services

In addition to community support, many organizations use this data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, and locate pools of skilled workers. The Census will also determine the number of seats each state receives in the House of Representatives in 2012.

Directions Magazine recently published some initial projections of the 2010 Census based on the American Community Survey. Some of the biggest insights and changes include:

• 309 million people (up 10% from last census in 2000)
• 1/3 of the population is from immigration
• The population is aging (median age is up)
• Hispanic population is up about 40% (especially among younger Hispanics)
• Asian/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population is up 33%
• African American population is up 10%
• Household composition changing from the traditional living arrangement of married couples with children under 18
• Household incomes roughly the same as 2000
• Women made the biggest gains in education and contribution to household income

These are some pretty big changes and will affect the way that we market our products and the makeup of our audience.

According to the US Census, details will be published:

• December 2010: Population counts by city
• February/March 2011: Population by race and Hispanic ethnicity for Persons 0+ and for Persons 18+, without any age or sex detail
• Summer 2011: Complete age/sex counts on a state-by-state basis and the data on marital status and household relationships.

Click through to this map to get up-to-the minute completion rates for the 2010 Census:

Real Time Completion Rates for the 2010 US Census, Image Courtesy the US Census.

I hate election years, and the political advertising that accompanies election years, for several reasons.

1. Because they legally have to pay “rate card” for all of their advertising, it raises the price for the rest of us that advertise year-round and have negotiated discounted rates. Even worse, our commercials get bumped for higher-paying ads.

2. Because I’m sick of hearing everyone bash each other. My opinion is that if you don’t have enough good things to say about your own campaign or yourself then you probably shouldn’t be running.

3. Because all of the energy and dollars that are being put into the campaign could be used for something so much better. What if someone used their hundreds of millions of dollars to put toward education or some other kind of basic human need?

I challenge someone to do something different (isn’t that what true marketing and standing out is all about?).

- Vow to not say anything bad about your opponent. Be confident enough in yourself and what you stand for that you don’t have to bring someone else down to win.

- Use your campaign dollars in the most productive way. Do something for the people that will persuade them to cast their votes for you. Use your campaign dollars to improve the communities you wish to serve.

These two things alone would create more buzz than the current mode of operation. And would certainly garner more respect.

Just my two cents.

We’re looking for someone different.

We want a person that clients–even difficult ones–and co-workers would trust and feel comfortable with. Someone that can respectfully disagree, tell people why, and then lead the way to a better solution. Someone that keeps clients happy and makes them look great.

What we need is a dynamic Account Executive. You will be required to perform all typical account management duties, provide strategic solutions for a variety of clients, roll-up your sleeves when you need to, manage budgets, measure your work and show positive outcomes.

We’re an interesting group of people with the common thread of creativity. If you’re curious about who we are, go to baileygardiner.com, check out our portfolio, read our blog, and comment on your favorite post(s).

Requirements: 3-5 years of solid advertising agency experience, positive attitude, strong presentation skills, and national consumer marketing experience. Real online experience is required – your clients will generally layer off- and online and mostly talk to their customers there. Rich media, PPC, email, SEO and social media are essential parts of our work.

Salary will be commensurate with experience. We offer medical, dental, paid vacation, holidays, sick/PT, 401k and profit sharing, not to mention great weather.

Send resume to resume@baileygardiner.com and tell us why you want the job. Resumes without salary requirements will not be considered. Last but not least: Don’t call or email us, really.

General Motors is spending a hefty sum on primetime TV advertising explaining to Americans that they have repaid the bailout dollars they were given in late 2008. The CEO, Ed Whitacre stars in the commercial and says that they have repaid their debt five years early and with interest.

Blog and internet news sites are reporting that the money they used to repay their debt simply came from another bailout fund from the government.

Will the general public think it is commendable and look at the automotive giant favorably? Or will they hear the other side of the story and be sick of the controversy? Does America relate to a CEO that makes more than ten times the average household income? Is General Motors grasping at straws? What do you think of this advertising move?

We’ve been talking a lot about being green, green marketing and sustainable lifestyles. Well, I realized that we have never come out and told the world what we do to live greener lives. We have a team here at Bailey Gardiner that is dedicated to finding ways for us to be minimize waste, be more efficient and sustainable, we call it bgreen (get it?). And in true agency form, we created an identity for the team.

Here are some of the things we have put into place to do our part.

• We changed our print settings to print in black and white and on both sides of the paper.
• We use scrap paper to make notepads for the office.
• We installed a filtered water fountain in the kitchen to reduce bottled water consumption.
• We recycle old coffee grinds for gardening.
• We started buying soaps and other liquid goods in bulk, this way smaller sink side containers can be refilled rather than thrown away.
• We started a recycling program for used electronics
• We altered the sleep displays on computers to cut down on unneeded electricity usage
• We buy recycled paper for everyday use. We also recommend that our clients print on FSC paper is they must print collateral.
• We trained staff to keep air and heat levels at a consistent temperature. We also hung reminders by the exit doors to remind the last person to turn off all lights and thermostats.

Do you have any other ideas of things we can do? We would love to hear about them!

Not only is this Frank’s RedHot Sauce commercial hilarious (I mean, anytime you hear an old lady cuss, it’s pretty funny), but it’s also rooted in great strategic thinking. The commercial marries the funny exaggeration (using Frank’s to grow an award-winning pumpkin) with the culture of hot sauce connoisseur (they really do put that sh*t on everything).

From the media I have seen, Frank’s RedHot “I Put that Sh*t on Everything” is running both TV and Radio.

At the end of the day, this Frank’s RedHot Sauce Campaign makes sense because it gives their expressive audience a funny scenario they can absolutely relate to.

We’re looking for someone different.

We want a person that clients–even difficult ones–and co-workers would trust and feel comfortable with. Someone that can respectfully disagree, tell people why, and then lead the way to a better solution.

What we need is an all-star Account Supervisor. You will be required to perform all typical account management duties, provide strategic solutions for a variety of clients, roll up your sleeves when you need to, and last but not least adapt to several client personalities and styles.

We’re an interesting group of people with the common thread of creativity. If  you’re curious about who we are, go to baileygardiner.com, check out our portfolio, read our blog, and comment on your favorite post.

You have 6-8 years of large and/or small advertising agency experience, positive attitude, strong presentation skills, and national consumer marketing experience. We pride ourselves on being integrated and we need our team members to think that way as well. Digital experience is required and please don’t try to fake it. For example, you will be expected to strategize and execute PPC, online advertising, email campaigns, and websites. In addition to living in an online space, you know how to integrate your approach to marketing and have worked in most, if not all,  elements of advertising (print, radio, television, outdoor).

Salary will be commensurate with experience and competitive. We offer medical, dental, paid vacation, holidays, sick/PT, 401k and profit sharing, not to mention great weather.

No calls or emails. Really.

Send resume to resume@baileygardiner.com

When ordering pizza with friends a few days ago, I was surprised at the level of interaction Domino’s Pizza offered their customers. Here are five of the ways that Dominoes is giving consumers what they want online:

1. Real time tracking of your order. Minute by minute, your order is tracked from “Order Placed” to “Out for Delivery.” The tracker even shows you who is making your pizza and who will deliver! Social media and online ordering has created a real time consumer.

2. Sharing every moment of your life. No matter how boring. Domino’s made it easy for me to connect to Facebook and share that I am about to have pizza. This message is then displayed on my wall and the news feeds of my friends.

3. Domino’s monitored social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Yelp and listened to their critics. They took all of this feedback and re-created their pizza. Then, they went on the road and found the people that were their “harshest critics.” They called this promotion the “Pizza Turnaround.” They showcase their videos on their YouTube channel and on their own website.

4. Notice in the picture just above that they highlight their Twitter stream about their new pizza. They realized they needed to listen to their customers and make things right.

5. They genuinely want to know how they are doing. They make it easy for you to leave comments and feedback about your pizza and your experience.

6. Last but not least. The email follow-up not only confirms your order and tells you that you can track your order online, it also has a “come back” message: