Hello 2012. The year flew by fast didn’t it? Do you feel overwhelmed with all the information out there these days? Things are changing so quickly it’s hard to keep up, even for the super techno genius. Even though technology is evolving at light speed, what we really need to pay attention to is how to use these tools to best communicate with our target audiences. As marketers we need to understand the audiences we intend to interact with and how we can best achieve a valuable interaction. Technology will continue to evolve and offer us different avenues to communicate, for commerce, for entertainment, and for business. Oh and it helps us learn in real time.

We are all almost always connected by that little tiny computer we carry around in our pockets and our purses. Let’s be real, most of us do not use our phone for just the purpose of a phone. I know you boomers are facebooking and texting, and I don’t even want to know what my little cousins are doing on their phones. It scares me because it means I’m behind and have to keep up. Stupid early adoption. I don’t know what I would do without my iPhone anymore though.   I use it for everything – phone, calendar, email, directions, recommendations, socializing, entertainment, a remote, shopping list, cooking, exercising, music – you get the point. It’s funny to think that when I was in college I didn’t even have a mobile phone, let alone a smart one. It is a revolutionary invention, and only the gateway to how we as humans interact with each other and technology.  It also gives us huge opportunities as marketers to reach our audiences throughout their day and consumption habits.

Although many things are changing and evolving, the core to how humans interact and consume what we put in front of them does not. Humans have habits, we are social, and we are contextual. As we become busier, technology will help humans to maintain these behaviors. I believe there are three core areas that will be highly influential in 2012 that will affect how we think as marketers. There will be thousands of new products and trends, but the list below will be central to how smart industry peeps think ahead of the curve.

Interactive Television

TV is going to become an even more powerful medium in 2012 as it combines with the Internet and offers a more interactive, on-demand and personalized experience. A lot still has to happen in this industry for TV to get to a truly interactive and digital medium that allows for real time measurement but steps are being made.

Content continues to develop in the on demand platform from Netflix to Apple TV to the advent of cable companies such as Cox offering TV Everywhere. I can watch TV on my iPad through my cable company’s app. I can stream my favorite shows via the internet, watch YouTube videos on my television, watch premium channels with apps such as HBO Go, watch all my favorite shows whenever I want either through on-demand, my incessant DVRing, or through new applications. It’s content when I want it. TV habits are going to change to Internet based habits and usability. Free content when and how I like it. Just wait till Apple launches its TV in late 2012.

The growth of 2nd and 3rd screens interaction with TV continues to grow.  Anytime I watch TV now I have my phone and iPad next to me. I recently saw a cool integration that Bud Light did with a Shazam tie in. The ad was aimed at the Hispanic market but had Pitbull’s song playing and as soon as the Shazam icon popped up on the TV I opened my app and it took me to an interstitial branded page allowing me to download the song and sign-up for the Bud promo. We are going to see more and more of this integration between the channels this year.   This year a third of the Super Bowl ads  you see will be backed by a Shazam integration and this trend will continue.

Nielsen reports an ever-growing increase of online video usage and cites that 57% of internet consumers use TV and internet simultaneously at home. I highly recommend you put on your campaign thinking caps and strategize about how your TV ad can tie into an interactive brand experience online through tablets, mobile phones and of course computers. Extend that thirty seconds to minutes in the digital space. Just take a look at what Heineken did with their “dual screen” mobile marketing campaign.

Mobility

Being connected all the time means big opportunities for brands and products to constantly have consumer interaction. Again integrating your campaigns across multiple channels can help activation through mobile devices.

A recent study reports that 40% of Facebook’s 800 million monthly users access the social media giant through mobile apps. Meaning they are socializing with their networks on a regular basis. In 2015 the mobile internet access will surpass wired connectivity. The number of smartphone subscribers using the internet has already grown by 45% since 2010. Businesses will start thinking mobile first and then integrating into other channels.

Shopping and payments will transform forever. I use Chase’s app to pay all my bills and deposit my checks. I also did a lot of my holiday shopping on my phone this year. Why? Because it is convenient and saves me time. And I can do it anywhere! Now that mobile advertising is establishing itself you will see more brands flood this space especially as we see the “traditional” online display ad space evolve and take even more of marketer’s budgets to the digital environment.  Check out how Coke utilized mobile and social to create engagement.

Analytics

Data will start to change the way we look at how campaigns and marketing initiatives influence, engage, and activate audiences. We aren’t just selling products, awareness and consideration any more. Relationship building with brands has become an even more integral part of all strategies now that there are so many social outlets available to consumers. Agencies that are thinking about developing a complete analytical ecosystem to help develop strategies and optimizations to their plans will be thinking ahead of the curve. It’s going to be all about synchronization of this data to allow a deep understanding of the business.

There are so many tools available to clients and agencies that analyzing data has become complex. Especially the ability to tie the data together and make a rational analysis of performance that will effectively help improve insights and strategies. We will see a big movement to data visualization that will help to communicate information clearly and effectively through graphics. Companies that understand data acquisition, analysis, governance, management and mining will be able to transform their learnings into actions. Brands need to start using their agencies to help digest data and simplify it. The digital world is starting to mature and it’s time to start synchronizing data coming from social and web interfaces with marketing strategies, promotions and offers.

Ideas will still always be king but don’t let 2012 pass you by without thinking about all the channels and information available to you as a marketer.  More opportunities for better results.

Bailey Gardiner is a fully integrated multi-disciplinary agency that specializes in public relations, social media marketing, internet marketing and advertising and design.

We

are looking for an individual that will be responsible for web related design projects including but not limited to, website design and infrastructure, email communications design, online creative, banner ads, etc. Additionally, they’ll design and produce a variety of online marketing efforts and work closely with our Creative Director. A strong eye for design utilizing best practices, web standards, grids, information architecture and setting up wireframes is essential with an understanding of basic knowledge in HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, as well as experience working with CMS (Wordpress and Drupal) is a plus.

Qualifications:

• 2 – 4 years experience in web related design
• Hands on experience with the following: Adobe Creative Suite software including Dreamweaver, Photoshop and InDesign, Content Management Systems (WordPress, Drupal, etc.), Microsoft Office software including Word, PowerPoint, etc., iWork (Keynote)
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent organizational/prioritization skills with the capacity to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and communicate with all levels of management
• Highly self-motivated contributor who works efficiently on an individual basis as well as within a team environment
• Print experience is a plus

Requirements:

All applicants must submit an online portfolio. Candidates may also be asked to complete a web design/production task contingent to hire. If you fit the mold, please contact Amy Lorenzen via email only (amy.lorenzen@baileygardiner.com).

Check out our website for more information.

I haven’t blogged for a while.  Been busy busting out strategy to integrate a campaign properly in the digital space.  Clients are always looking at agencies to provide ROI.  Traditionally we as an industry have used campaign microsites as a landing portal to showcase results, create brand interaction and online engagement.  And yes, we will continue to do so, but as many of you know this has evolved to a much more interactive space.  Especially with the advent of Facebook and its capabilities to act as a microsite and database builder.

I love when you see a beautiful marriage of social networks, video, user-generated content and a well branded landing portal.  This drives brand interaction and fosters a relationship with consumers.  I was listening to Pandora the other day and was served an ad for Budweiser’s Band of Buds.  A very nice ad execution with a good promotional sweepstakes call to action incentivizing me to click on their banner to find out more.

Where did it lead me?  Right here.  This bad ass microsite uses video to explain Budweiser’s promo and drive users to get involved.  The entire site is driven around a competition showcasing your “crew” and submitting your profile online.  Check out how much user generated content they have driven as a result of effective content.  Now take a look at their Facebook page, they have developed many custom tabs around their various marketing strategies and promotions.  Lots of user interaction and commenting from their fans helping to promote the brand, their product and promotions.  You can login to the microsite through Facebook, start your own crew page on Facebook and then have it displayed on the microsite for users to vote your crew up the ladder.  Oh, and guess who markets this promotion?  The people who sign up, duh. Got to ask your FB friends to vote for you to win.  Why not use your brand advocates to market your promotions and products, right?  Got to love that social database.

Example number two was sent to me by our very own Sayamon Riddang. This microsite also uses video to communicate their PSA.  The development of their character “Rip” in the social space and through the brand site has driven interaction with all of their social channels, messaging and brand.

Weird right?  The videos and microsite act as an entry point for you to engage further with Rip the Drip on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  This allows for messaging to continue on beyond the microsite and develop a further relationship with the user.  Now I can get all my water saving tips from Rip on whatever medium I prefer, giving me a better user experience for interaction with the campaign.

As digital communities continue to evolve and grow, brands have a unique opportunity to talk to their audience through multiple touch points in the online space.  The big goal is to garner online interaction and convert that engagement into real world results.  Will you help save water after interacting with Rip and the Shelton Group campaign microsite?  Will you buy more Budweiser after you and your buddies enter the Band of Buds competition?  These are the true ROI indicators for measuring any successful campaign.

We know if you can drive affinity for a product, brand or message, you are more likely to influence behaviors and consideration sets of consumers.  Marketers have been doing this for years in other channels, and it’s fun to see how the use of digital technology and community building can effectively move the needle for campaign effectiveness.  A microsite has more power now than ever to extend its reach into communities and build brand advocates.  Remember to always execute a seamless branding and campaign experience across all platforms.

This week is a big week for Advertising folk in San Diego. First, 500 of our ad, social media, and web friends will get together on June 1st at the annual Interactive Day. At this one day conference we’ll be talking everything from digital advertising, to SEO, to social media. There is a bad ass line-up of speakers including leaders from Google, Pandora, Facebook, HubSpot, and much more.

The following day, June 2nd, the San Diego Ad Club celebrates its 100th birthday and hosts the national advertising conference, AAF. This will bring more than a thousand advertising peeps from all over the country into our beloved city; all to talk and learn about advertising best practices. For any of our Twitter/local friends who are planning on attending, the BG crew will be there on June 2nd, at 7:30 AM, hosting a coffee truck meet-up to get you going and ready to learn. Be sure to stop by, say hello, and grab a HTeaML or a Chai Logo Latte and kick off your first day of sessions the right way.

In preparation for this big week, I sat down with fellow SD Ad Club board member and industry colleague Chad Robley to chat about Interactive Day (#IDSD for you twitter peeps). Just take a gander at this short video that our friends shot at SOIclave to get some insight on why you should attend.

So this little thing called the Internet is starting to make a big push into brand’s pocket books. Not only are we hearing more companies investing in the display category (total revenue spent was up 15% last year) but now the advent of branded video content continues to push the space.

That’s right, TV — be scared…be very scared. Broadcast has traditionally been the mainstay and money maker in the media realm, but in my humble opinion this will change drastically in the next few years and I’m not the only one who is seeing trends of brand budget migration. This is just the beginning.

YouTube is pushing the envelope online by developing opportunities for original content development through its YouTube Creators institute. It is offering $35,000 grants to help up and coming producers on YouTube become the next big thing with its YouTube Next Up program. So what does this all mean? Well first, if you think you can create a bad-ass video in your garage that will generate a viral following, you should probably apply to one of these programs. Second, it means that original content generation on platforms such as YouTube has value to more than just dorks sitting at their computer watching web vignettes all day. People are watching this content.   Millions of people. Everyday. And that means that brands want to pay for the content and the space around the content. This will become a viable career.

It is time to recognize that online video is forever shifting how we consume content. Obviously my laptop hooks up to my TV. Yes, I have streamed Netflix and yes, there is a reason Blockbuster is going out of business people. I look at YouTube (who in addition to investing in content is also getting into the rental game) and I smell an opportunity for new media and advertisers. It’s only a matter of time until we see brand dollars pour into this space. I can’t wait.

And no I don’t work for YouTube. Google is just awesome.

Bailey Gardiner is looking for a star integrated media strategist. To be qualified for this position, you are a creative thinker who brings strategic solutions to the agency and client. You understand the philosophy and planning of media use and you know how to order space and time in the proper channels. You possess a comprehensive knowledge across all channels including – Broadcast, OOH, Online, Mobile, Print, SEM/SEO, and the rapidly changing, new media. Your daily aspiration is to support multiple account teams and help lead media strategy with other senior team members.

The things you will do:

PLANNING AND STRATEGY

• Analyze competitive information to determine appropriate and targeted recommendations
• Collect and organize appropriate vendor contacts, acquire publisher rate cards and media kits, and request pricing & avails along with publisher collateral
• Work with the account and creative team to insure the use of the most appropriate, effective media venues for each client/project
• Develop buying strategies for maximizing media dollars, and handle media negotiations
• Work with internal agency teams and clients to identify issues and opportunities and develop recommendations and opinions in the area of emerging digital media
• Prepare custom client site/media lists using Third Party data or other user profiles or demographics
• Create thoughtful media plans based on planning research, market size, and audience availability using tactics and targeting that will reach the right user with the right message at the right time
• Research and compiles statistics on reach, frequency, CPMs, cost-per-click, CTRs, unique users, page views, conversion, cost-per-action and cost-per-sale data, for personal reference and to educate client service team members and clients
• Assist in presentation development for key client initiatives

BUYING AND EXECUTION

• Interface with other agency department heads/client service teams to keep projects moving forward on a timely basis
• Structure, organize and maintain media plans/schedules based on briefings from account executives
• Meet with and develop/maintain relationships with media suppliers
• Provide ongoing media education to clients and internal audiences
• Present a professional image and possess excellent communication, stewardship and organizational skills
• Maintain media budgets or media spend summaries
• Evaluate editorial content and audience composition of a wide range of media vehicles to determine which would most effectively reach target audience
• Provide input and creative recommendations when appropriate to improve media performance
• Monitor media for placement and time discrepancies and negotiate credits or billing adjustments when necessary
• Maintain some aspects of client billing and budgeting process.
• Keep Account Management informed of space and material deadlines
• Train junior staff in all aspects of media planning and buying from insertion orders to day-to-day operations

REPORTING & OPTIMIZATION

• Focus on results, metrics and campaign optimization
• Provide ongoing reporting of results, implications and recommended action steps
• Effectively monitor and manage campaign and partner performance and budgetary pacing to ensure best possible results are being delivered based on client goals and objectives (CPP, GRP’s, Impression delivery, CTR, Conversions, Delivery, etc)
• Revise and optimize campaigns based on measurable results according to analytical support and data findings. This includes adding or removing partners, adjusting bids and budgets, shifting inventory from sizes, sites, or placements, adjusting targeting, etc. to increase performance based on client goals.
• Prepare weekly job summaries and finalizing monthly delivery, accounting, and performance reports

Skills and qualifications you bring with you:

• BA/BS degree preferred from an accredited institution
• 5-7+ years of media planning and buying within an agency environment
• Experience in vendor negotiation and management integrated media buying knowledge and experience (including print, online, mobile, television, radio, out of home)
• Strategic and analytical approach to marketing initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to focus on results, metrics and campaign optimization
• Proficiency in Strata is a plus
• Must have strong background in broadcast and interactive negotiations
• Strong skills and experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, ComScore, MediaMind, Nielsen, Arbitron, MRI, Scarborough, and Kantar preferred
• Proven presentation skills

Salary is commensurate with experience. We offer medical, dental, paid vacation, holidays, sick/PT, 401k and profit sharing. As well as the perks of working with an awesome team in San Diego.

Send your resume to resume@baileygardiner.com with a brief explanation of why our search should end with you. Please include your salary requirements. No calls, please.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Sean Monzet from NBC.  Sean was listed as one of the 50 People to Watch in 2011 by San Diego Magazine and has been helping NBC move into the digital space by integrating their media offerings. Take some time between meetings to check out the 3 videos below. Sean has some excellent insight into utilizing multiple channels and the digital space to support local marketing efforts for both small and large campaigns.

Video One: This first video covers some of the recent changes in media habits and how marketers should think about reaching audiences locally.

Video Two: The interactive landscape is changing and consumers have become much smarter about how they interact with advertisers in the space. Branded (sponsored) content has become a valuable tool that allows advertisers to reach their audience without being interruptive. It also provides excellent engagement with the brand, allowing for better communication with the consumer. In this clip, Sean provides background on recent programs he has seen work well in this space.

Video Three: NBC recently launched, with great success, two entities focused on lifestyle in the local market. The first, SoundDiego, is a blog that has a beat on the local San Diego music scene while offering monthly hosted events focused on different genres of music throughout the county. The second site, The Feast, is another NBC property that details three main categories – Eat, Shop, Play and has been launched in other owned and operated NBC markets as well. By building these entities the media outlet is able to offer great cross-platform content through broadcast and digital, reaching several different demos and channels. Hear more from Sean on the opportunities for marketers in this video.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Mike Hodges and pick his brain on the newspaper and publishing industry.  Mike is the VP of Interactive for the Union Tribune and General Manager of SignonSanDiego.com and has extensive experience in the digital space.

Newspapers around the country have been looking to re-invent themselves and take advantage of their existing offline audiences while building online audiences and implementing new programs within the interactive medium. Lots of changes are taking place in this space as newspapers look to please multiple audiences and continue to provide great content.

Take a break from your emails and watch the interview for an inside perspective on the changes in the newspaper and publishing industry.

Bonus Tip: check out this ComScore report on audience segmentation between online readers and offline readers

This is my first video in a series of  interviews with industry partners doing great things here in San Diego.  I had the pleasure of sitting down with Giving Back magazine’s publisher and co-founder Esteban Villanueva to discuss his publication, and also how to best reach the Hispanic market.  The video is a bit long (6 mins), but I didn’t want to cut out more of the great content and advice he provided.

Giving Back magazine is a bilingual, monthly publication that focuses on society, arts, culture, entertainment, fashion, dining and travel in the Southern California and Northern Baja California region. The magazine reaches the high-end resident of the region including the affluent Hispanic.

Take some time to watch the video and learn a little something about the Hispanic community and how to effectively market, advertise and communicate with this essential demographic here in San Diego.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau over 31% of San Diego County is made up of persons of Hispanic or Latino origin and over 37% of the total California population.  If you aren’t already talking to this market segment you should be, and there are many things you need to consider when marketing and communicating to this demo.

Oh and one more thing.  Don’t be afraid to start using video yourself.  Video can be a powerful marketing tool.

There has been a ton of chatter over the past year about online privacy and data collection related to social sites and online advertising. As technology continues to improve advertisers are able to learn more about their audiences based on information gathered from social networks and from their behavior online. This data collection allows us to target consumers on a deeper level, but at what cost to the consumer?

Data collection has been going on for years. I remember back in the early 2000’s when Yahoo pitched their behavioral advertising program and told us that we could target a user based on their interests. What? You mean we can target someone based on their web browsing behavior? This was absolutely amazing because for the first time advertisers could run highly targeted messages to specific audiences.

The problem? You need data to be able to do this, and that means that consumers’ browsing habits are being tracked and categorized.

Currently, the most common way data is collected for Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA) is done by placing a ‘cookie’ on the users computer. This cookie is a small piece of invisible text that gets stored on your computer and then gathers information about what you do online. These cookies are not only extremely helpful to advertisers, but to consumers as well. By recognizing browsing behavior, they allow sites to remember user preferences, passwords, and any custom personalization. They also allow advertisers to limit the number of messages a user sees and can target the ads to the audience. This means a 21 year old male won’t get served ads for dentures, which allows advertisers to better target the consumer and utilize their budget more effectively.

Users can easily clear their cookies now, this may not be the case for much longer. With the advent of HTML5 there are new tracking methods  that will make it extremely hard to get rid of them. These new cookies will also give data collectors access to more than just browsing history. The Evercookie created by Samy Kamkar is a perfect example of this technology.  This new cookie could include tracking data such as a users location, time zone, photographs, text from blogs, shopping cart contents, emails and a history of webpages visited. Of course, this is somewhat frightening to many users of the web, and has already created a stir in the industry along with a few class-action lawsuits against some big name companies.

The advertising industry’s hope is that these privacy concerns won’t force government regulation or intervention. Instead, a collaborative has been formed and has created Self Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising. This collaborative is well respected and is supported by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and the participation of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB). The objective is to get everyone in the industry to self-regulate and to follow these seven principles:
• Education
• Transparency
• Consumer Control
• Data Security
• Material Change
• Sensitive Data collection
•Accountability

You can find detailed information on each of these principles at About Ads but the main point of all the regulation is to give consumers the ability to opt out of data collection and to have security guidelines in place. Currently the principles are meant to apply only to First Parties (web site publishers and operators), Third Parties (ad networks and data companies) and to Service Providers (internet access provider, search engine, browsers, or other providers that collect and use data).

In addition to the principles, the collaborative has developed an opt out icon so that consumers can get information on the data being collected and give them an option to opt out. The hope is that all of these measures will satisfy privacy advocates while lawmakers continue to request “do-not-track” legislation.

In truth, this issue is only just beginning. As it continues to evolve it will be extremely important for agencies, marketers and advertisers to keep up to date with future policies to ensure they are in compliance and that consumer privacy is respected.