Blog
Facebook Trumps Yahoo as No. 2 Digital Ad Seller
Facebook is the No. 2 digital ad seller in the U.S.—what can we credit Facebook’s success? Mobile. Market forecasters predicted Facebook would finish third behind Google and Yahoo in the digital ad-seller foot race. But the social media giant managed an upset, of sorts, topping Yahoo as the No. 2 digital ad seller in the…
Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger: Google & Rap Genius
Since its inception, Google has been fighting an ongoing war against spam. Spam sites, not to be confused with everyone’s favorite canned pork shoulder, attempt to game search engine algorithms through techniques like paid linking schemes, hidden text and keyword stuffing. Practices such as these are bad for search engines because they can dilute the…
CRM Retargeting in Higher Education Marketing
In higher education marketing, successful enrollment campaigns follow the most basic rule of relationship marketing: there’s no substitute for personal contact. Beyond “The Big Three” (Cost, Financial Aid, and Academic Reputation), Noel-Levitz’s comprehensive 2012 study reveals “Personalized Attention Prior to Enrollment” as the leading factor to enrollment among four-year private first-year students. Despite this, the…
Your Lazy Sunday Reading: Cutting-Edge Web Design
Looking for some light reading this Sunday morning? How about some articles on web design. Sunday morning used to mean a cup of hot chocolate and the Detroit Free Press Sunday comics pages sprawled out on the living room floor. Now it typically means a cup of coffee on the couch and my iPad on…
Let 2014: Year of the Horse Inspire Your Marketing
Happy New Year! Enter 2014, the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. Supposedly, people born in the year of the horse tend to be clever and cheerful—a little stubborn at times, but are still very popular people who often crave the limelight. Ella Fitzgerald was born in a horse year. So were some…
5 More Digital Trends For 2014
Customer expectations of the brands they do business with are shifting. Digital information has been invited into nearly every crevice, niche and on-demand moment of our lives. Customers, especially those of us in the 16-45 age range, have developed new and fast-evolving expectations surrounding e-commerce and digital brand interaction. Here are 5 more trends that…
Lessons from the Washington Post’s “Refuge”
There are marketing lessons within reporting on real world events. They aren’t marketing lessons so much as they are general lessons for how to make people pay attention and think—but isn’t that the point of marketing? Recently, the Washington Post ran a heartrending, beautifully human feature on Syria—specifically, the refugees and their stories. It’s possibly…
5 Digital Trends For 2014
It’s December, and 2013 is fast coming to a close. If you haven’t started thinking about 2014, it’s time. Next year is going to be another big one for digital marketing, with big, fast changes in the way people use and interact with the Internet. But don’t fret, we have you covered: #1. Converging Boundaries…
Social Reservations (The Good Kind)
Twitter is helping two brands convert followers into sales–how else can social channels reach target consumers? A constant topic around social media is how to convert a social follower or user into a sale. Well, over the past month, two brands: Starbucks and Loews Hotels & Resorts have started to do just that. By leveraging…
Madiba, The Presidential Selfie and the Importance of Context
Nelson Mandela died this past weekend and he will be greatly missed. He was an amazing human being, a revolutionary politician and a respected humanitarian. His memorial service was a reflection not only of Madiba the man, but also of his legacy; it’s been described as joyous—South Africans and many around the world celebrated his…
Perfection: Pro Infirmis’ Richly Human Campaign
Pro Infirmis, a Swiss charity advancing awareness for people with disabilities, recently unveiled its “Because Who Is Perfect? Get Closer” campaign. It’s a wonderfully human campaign and it demonstrates the power of the human side of marketing. Think about the following: the model family in the latest luxury car commercial; the house they…
Pantone Announces 2014’s Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid
About this time every year, color-obsessed designers begin checking the Pantone website for that oh-so-important announcement. What will be next year’s color? Will it be warm or cool? What color will be the trend for 2014? Is it going to be orange, red, blue or something else entirely? Today, we found out. Radiant Orchid will…
