Greetings!
Welcome to our April issue of Key Notes - Marketing Keys' monthly newsletter! With first quarter done, we hope your business continues to be on an upward spiral. Key Notes is an informative, quick read newsletter to get you caught up on all things media and marketing. Our goal is for you to be informed and entertained with the latest media and marketing happenings quickly and efficiently.
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Can we finally get some shut-eye? |
Like the landmark decision, the assignment to place media for Roe v Wade The Movie may have been one of our most challenging assignments!
Marketing Keys was given the task of planning and placing media for this nationwide movie release. And, here's the kicker. We had to turn this around in 4 days!
Hollywood had never tackled this controversial subject before which gave Nick and Cathy the idea to bring this to production.
Why did Marketing Keys have such a short window? Our client was introduced to us late in the game after they were losing faith and trust with their initial media buyer.
It took a tireless effort from our entire team and our nationwide media partners to be able to turn this around. There were many late nights and many sleepless nights thinking about what had to be done and by when, We became hyper focused on this project. Personally, I was having flashbacks to my college days - pulling all nighters.
By the end of the week, mission accomplished. The media plan came within budget and we were able to buy hundreds of millions of impressions reaching our target CPM (Cost Per Thousand). We utilized key cable networks and the top national talk radio personalities voiced our spots. Additionally, we also reached our segment online through Paid Social, Connected TV and through a targeted online video campaign. There is a strong likelihood you will be served, be shown and/or hear one of our ads over the next couple weeks.
Now that this project is done, we finally have some time to sit down and enjoy the movie. If this subject matter interests you as much as it does us, please download the movie here!
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Will the 'SWAN' eat away at the 'cookie'? |
Digital advertisers are now pushing a new technology. It is called SWAN. SWAN is an alternative to Google’s cookie replacement plan. SWAN is supported by ad-tech companies including PubMatic, OpenX and Zeta Global Corp and lets people control what ads they see on the web.
Last year, Google announced their plans to end third-party cookies that advertisers rely on to track users and measure the performance of digital marketing campaigns. Google’s new plan, known as FLoC, replaces third-party cookies with a system that puts users into groups, or cohorts, based on common interests.
With SWAN, when people first visit a website in the SWAN network, they will be asked to give consent for all publishers that use SWAN to show them ads. Personalized ads is one option. However, it is not required. User preferences are then stored in the SWAN network registry and shared with other SWAN participants so individuals’ access to online content continues uninterrupted. People can change preferences anytime on any of the websites and that will be automatically updated for all sites in the network.
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Today's Forecast: Very Healthy |
As the U.S. gets back to normal, so will the country’s advertising industry. Magna’s full-year projection is 2.3 percentage points, or $10 billion in ad revenue, higher than its previous forecast in December. With the decline in COVID-19 cases, President Biden’s trillion-dollar stimulus package, and a return to regular sports programming, the advertising industry’s total 2021 revenues are set to increase 6.4% to $240 billion, according to Magna’s new report.
Nearly all ad formats will also see stabilization or growth this year relative to pre-pandemic levels. Social, digital video, search and out-of-home media should all anticipate double-digit growth in 2021. Meanwhile, national TV and radio are also due to see single-digit increases.
This year’s strongest ad spending will come from industries like travel, automotive, drinks and entertainment, all which suffered last year. One industry that might not see very much growth is retail. In the past year, everything from groceries to prescription drugs to luxury goods has adapted to a world of online shopping.
The upcoming Summer Olympics (postponed from 2020) will also contribute to this years’ growth. The international sporting event is expected to net between $800 million and $900 million for national TV ad revenues this year.
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Where do we continue spending our time? |
As we predict what consumer behavior will look like in a post-pandemic world, one thing is for sure. There’s no going back from mobile. Year-over-year, time spent on mobile increases 20%. All of this time spent in apps isn’t just from Gen Z or millennials. The increases also come from Gen-X and Boomers as well. Apps growth came out of necessity. However, they are now habits - and habits are tough to break. Here are the three mobile marketing principles to benefit from these new consumer habits.
Contextual targeting
Contextual advertising is the practice of placing ads on pages based on the content of those pages. For example, ads for running shoes on a news article about running. Also, it could be ads for laptops on a tech ecommerce site. Contextual targeting served us well for decades, and for good reason: It’s efficient and scalable. Understand where your audience is consuming content—In social media apps? Casual games? Hyper casual games?—and buy media on those specific channels.
Find your audience
Live broadcast TV has been the traditional, safe way to reach everyone. More than 80% of the U.S. population can be reached. Now, mobile gaming reaches the same number. With the diversity of channels and shows, do your research and find the best content to advertise alongside. Think about the difference between who’s on "Entertainment Tonight" and who’s on The New York Times app. Who's on TikTok vs. Pinterest. To succeed, you must treat each sub-genre within gaming as you would a TV channel or genre of programming.
The new standards
It’s not just content. It’s also about the experience. Standards for mobile ad creative have changed. They need to be both entertaining and functional. Today’s mobile users expect high-quality, relevant messaging and seamless engagement and conversion experiences.
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Is Volkswagen being 'foolish'? |
In a recent press release, Volkswagen announced the official change of its U.S. brand name from Volkswagen of America to Voltswagen of America, to lean into its aggressive electric vehicle production plans. But the release was incomplete, including one section labeled “TK, TK,” which is often used to stand for “to come.” It also contained a date of 4/29/21. The automaker later pulled the release with a spokesman saying it was “not meant to publish.” Then today, Volkwagen republished the release in its entirety, and also began updating its social media feeds, including this tweet:
“Because of yesterday’s media site error, not all planned elements of the naming changeover are finalized, but there was no sense in trying to hide for another month. We are limiting statements to the updated press release at this time and expect to provide additional comments very soon.”
Everyone is skeptic, given how the news has been rolled out with the timing of April Fools Day.
Volkswagen has also not registered “Voltswagen” as a registered trademark, according to a search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database.
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Here is a recent highlight from Marketing Keys' blog page. Please start following our blogs and let us know what you think.
Get the latest insight here!
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Get help from 'The Mouse'! |
In my previous life, I worked for many media companies including the one headed by the Mouse. During my 20 year executive run with media companies, I had noticed that if an advertiser wasn't properly represented with a media expert helping them with their media planning and buying, then that company was at a disadvantage. Thus, I created a company to provide a solution to that problem.
Marketing Keys was formed in July, 2007 to more than level the negotiation playing field between advertisers and media companies. We enabled advertisers to have a major leg up in the process.
We targeted Presidents, CEOs, Regional Managers, Marketing Directors, CMOs etc. of small and mid-sized businesses. We then went to market with our 'key' differentiator and mission. During the last decade, the company has grown from 2 clients in 2010 to presently close to 20.
To find out if we can help build on the results that you had started and eliminate the inherent disadvantages of buying media on your own, please reach out to us at roger@marketingkeys.com.
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We would like to welcome RVW Film LLC to the Marketing Keys family! On Good Friday, RVW Film LLC released Roe V. Wade The Movie. Marketing Keys was instrumental in rolling out the national media campaign promoting the film. The campaign included ads on major cable networks, host read live and recorded spots by some of the more prominent national syndicated talk radio hosts, paid social media, streaming television spots and targeted online video. For more information on how to view the movie, download the movie here!
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What is the meaning of freedom? |
As revolutions broke out in the United States, France, and Haiti, freedom movements took root in Latin America, where the colonies of Spain and Portugal fought for their own independence.
¡Viva la Libertad! explores these challenges while asking questions at the heart of struggles for independence: What does it mean to declare independence? Who is included and who is left out?
You can register for this virtual Zoom program here!
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Lycee Francais de Chicago's internationally-recognized English-based program provides a personalized approach to learning. The IB excels in challenging students to uncover their interests and discover themselves through self-directed projects overseen by teachers.
- Language of Instruction: English (~80%), French (~20%). Knowledge of French is not a requirement for admissions.
- Learning Style: In addition to class discussions, student-driven projects (supervised by teachers) are integral and offered throughout the program. Students in the program learn self-motivation, autonomy and organization, helping prepare them for college.
For more details on this program and on Lycee Francais de Chicago, click here!
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Are you Socially Challenged? |
During my 14 years as a business owner, I have discovered there are many companies out there that are challenged with the task of managing their social media.
It may be that they are confused over the platforms that they should use, the content they should post, how to boost that content and/or the time or lack thereof that goes into managing their social media platforms.
As a Social Media partner of ours, our Social Media expert will manage and strategize daily on your sites. We will also coordinate all communication so there are no surprises while all of your initiatives are scheduled accordingly.
For more information, please contact Marketing Keys at (312) 291-4630 or you can email us HERE!
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Fill up your Lead Generation funnel! |
In the days of Mad Men, creativity was everything. The goal was for a brand to be the most creative creating a tag line to resonate with the audience. Now, creativity takes a back seat to targeting through data and reaching your target synergistically through multiple mediums with an integrated marketing campaign.
Find out how Marketing Keys can help generate (on average) an incremental 30-35% more in leads and/or conversions through our system.
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