Advertising, Digitization and Regular Communications – 3Q07

In early November, top social networking websites Myspace and Facebook each announced new advertising initiatives to reach their untapped targeting potential. Myspace’s HyperTargeting product uses sophisticated targeting software to examine the personal preference information within users’ profiles and places interest-specific ads unique to each user. Even more innovative, Facebook’s Social Ads allows users to publicize to all friends their interest in brands or purchase of products, with corresponding advertising right next to the user’s name and picture. With nearly eighty million users between them, both sites developed strategies with immense potential to reach and engage consumers, and thus transform pull-marketing into mass-marketing. Concerns include the difficulty of systematically analyzing so many unstructured profiles with HyperTargeting, or the user response to the potentially invasive Social Ads, but nevertheless it will be interesting to see how they affect mass communication through online advertising.

News from Insides Articulation

Key members of the design and branding teams recently launched a major consumer website for one of the leading purveyors of the digitization and online warehousing of libraries of treasured home movies and photos. The project was a major re-branding and included creating new core messaging, extensive copywriting, promoting the depth and scope of the firm, and greatly enhancing the overall web user experience. The brand is currently launching a major national campaign to promote their service offerings and wanted an online branding experience to support their growth efforts.

Inside the Industry

An important part of any marketing strategy is regular and consistent communications. These efforts should not only pay close attention to the core message, but also the visual presentation. It is important to carry your brand across internal materials, training, sales literature, and press communications—both in the look and in the content. Branding starts from within and every piece of communication and collateral should be targeted, concise, and deliver an appropriate call-to-action. Spend the time and resources to do things right upfront and you will build your brand’s strength.

Current Projects

During the quarter, the communications team at Articulation completed an announcement campaign for a sale of a financial services firm in the Midwest. The campaign included a client announcement, press releases, an introductory background piece for the new owner, and new corporate identity materials. The entire package was created and designed to extend their brand, create awareness of the additional capabilities available, announce the transaction to the community, and drive client activity.