Another Year of Super Bowl Commercials?

Each year, I watch the trends of the Super Bowl commercials. This year I decided to take a poll and see what the audience thinks. The people I polled ranged in age from from ten to fifty-five years-old. I found the most popular spots to be:

  • “The 80’s Called and Wants Their Store Back” by Radio Shack
  • “Time Machine” by Doritos
  • “Puppy Love” by Budweiser
  • “Dad’s Sixth Sense” by Hyundai Genesis
  • “Wonderful Pistachios Stephen Colbert” by Wonderful Pistachios
  • “A Better Web Awaits” by Squarespace (They’re a Super Bowl newcomer.)
  • “Romance” by Chevrolet

The consensus among the twenty people I polled was that these seven spots were the clear-cut favorites. “Puppy Love”, an ad for Budweiser beer, is a great example of a feel- good spot, and I believe the world will rank this as one of the highest of this year’s Super Bowl advertisements. In years past, humor has been a key aspect to the theme of the Budweiser brand, featuring monkeys one year and babies talking the next. However, this year was very much a free-for-all.

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In Life and Advertising, Can Less Be More?

We are busy. Everyone is busy. Each of us manages many different tasks throughout the day, but how often do we pause to think about what we’re really doing? Are we just checking things off our never-ending To Do list, or are we engaging mindfully in actions that will bring us closer to our goals? As we approach the second half of 2013, I am looking at our company’s goals and asking, Are the sales and marketing activities we are engaging in leading to positive future indicators, driving results, and ultimately winning sales? Read more

The Marketing Lesson of Lance Armstrong

Ouch! Lance Armstrong finally comes clean after lying for so many years. But how did we totally find out about the truth? Oprah Winfrey! Here is an inventive way to get the word out. However, the ratings failed.

Let me put it in perspective:

  • 34 million watched Bill and Hillary Clinton in regards to Gennifer Flowers accusations.
  • 48.5 million watched Monica Lewinsky with Barbara Walters.
  • 5 million watched Mel Gibson state he was ashamed of his anti-semitic remarks.
  • 10 million watched LeBron James announce he was leaving Cleveland for Miami.
  • And on January 17, 2013- 3.2 million people watched Lance Armstrong admit the truth.

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chicago advertising agency

20 Years Later, Start Up Lessons From a Chicago Advertising Agency

Typically when you start a new business, you have no idea what you are getting into or the curves along the way. Being in this position today and having survived 20 years, I feel this list will help any new business start-up.

1. The manager is incompetent

Most small businesses fail because the owner does not have the knowledge to run a business properly.

Solution: Go to a business class before you open your doors.

2. Finances are not in place

Solution: Write a business plan or get an accountant to assist you. Cash is king and without proper funding even the best idea will fail.

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Stay Top Of Mind By Engaging Prospects With 
Relevant Emails

If you are like most homebuilders, you spend significant dollars to attract home shoppers to your communities or website…now what? Keep them engaged with your brand by developing a solid email program that allows you to deliver relevant messages based on where prospects are in the buying process. They may not open every email you send, but your message will be visible in their inbox when they are in the mindset to make their decisions. Prospects who have provided you with their email addresses are already engaged with your brand. They want to learn more about your company, your homes, your building practices and more. So communicate back to them on a regular schedule.

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Mastering Email Database Hygiene: Enhance Your Marketing Strategy”

Ensuring your email database is pristine is crucial for successful email marketing. Learn how to identify and remove bad email addresses to boost your deliverability and engagement.

 

Content:

In the realm of email marketing, your email database is akin to the foundation of a sturdy building. Just as a strong foundation supports the structure above it, a clean and well-maintained email database is essential for the success of your email campaigns.

However, all too often, email databases become cluttered with bad email addresses, undermining the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Let’s delve into the four types of bad email addresses that should be promptly removed from your database:

  1. Role Accounts: These email addresses, such as [email protected] or [email protected], are typically managed by organizations for specific purposes. Sending emails to these addresses can lead to your messages being ignored or flagged as spam, as they may not be relevant to all account owners. Moreover, role accounts are often easy targets for spammers, further diminishing your email sender reputation.
  2. Syntax Errors and Typos: Mistyped email addresses are a common occurrence, with even a minor typo rendering an address invalid. Despite users’ best intentions, errors can occur during data entry, leading to emails never reaching their intended recipients. Addressing this issue is crucial, as consistently sending emails to invalid addresses can damage your reputation with email services.
  3. Fake Addresses: In an attempt to avoid providing their real email addresses, users may input fake addresses such as [email protected] or [email protected]. These addresses serve as dead ends for your marketing efforts, offering no potential for engagement or conversion. It’s imperative to identify and remove fake addresses from your database to maintain its integrity.
  4. Spam Traps: Spam traps are email addresses specifically created to identify and catch spammers. While some traps are easily recognizable, others remain undisclosed to maintain their efficacy. Falling into a spam trap can have severe consequences for your email deliverability and sender reputation, making it essential to exercise caution when acquiring email addresses.

To optimize your email marketing strategy, prioritize regular database maintenance to weed out bad email addresses. By doing so, you’ll enhance your deliverability, engagement rates, and overall campaign performance.

Links to Own Site:
  1. Learn more about effective email marketing strategies on our blog.
  2. Discover the importance of email segmentation for targeted campaigns.
Link to External Source:
  1. Explore industry best practices for email database management on MarketingLand.
Images:
  1. Illustration depicting a clean email list versus a cluttered one.
  2. Graph showing the correlation between email deliverability and database hygiene.

Tags: Email Marketing, Database Management, Deliverability, Engagement, Best Practices

By: Marketing Sherpa

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Victoria’s Secret on Marketing

It has been since 1995 that Victoria’s Secret figured out a big advertising secret.

First, let’s look at the Victoria’s Secret corporation because this is big business.  Victoria’s Secret is an American retailer of women’s wear, lingerie and beauty products. Sales have surpassed $5 billion dollars. It is now known for its annual fashion show, catalogs and bringing models to the forefront. Read more

Staying In Touch – It Can Make Or Break A Sale

It’s taking people longer than ever, it seems, to make a move. That’s true for young first-time homebuyers, those purchasing a new home, and seniors deciding it’s time to downsize or move into an assisted living facility. For some, it’s easier or more comfortable to stay where they are while others are paralyzed by economic fears.

What does that mean for marketers in the real estate, homebuilding and senior living arenas? We need to keep in touch with prospects multiple times and in multiple ways. Building a relationship over time is essential to ensure that when your potential customers are ready to make their move, your company is on the top of their mind. Read more