Month: March 2022

Combine Earned and Paid Media for Success

Investing in developing a brand’s content by leveraging paid placements that align with earned media is a chance to both maximize brand value and increase bottom line results. Here are a few reasons to consider this strategy:

• You own the narrative
• Easy to measure ROI
• Extends the life of your content
• Results in top-tier placement

#ProTip: Paid media can include sponsored content, branded journalism, e-books, and other formats to supplement display ads, boosted social posts, Google AdWords, etc.

Take advantage of a combined approach. DM us!

Tips for a Sustainable Business

To keep customer loyalty and win new business, companies are making sustainability a top priority. Here are five sustainable business tips:

• Measure your emissions.
• Try an emissions app to start an employee sustainability program.
• Make a plan and list the actions required.
• Remeber to support local.
• Reduce or eliminate swag (promotional merchandise).

#ShoutOut to our client Uniboard on their environmental policy that is based on the sustainable use of natural resources and was implemented with the health and well-being of their employees, customers, and the community in mind.

#FunFact: A staggering 73% of consumers will change their consumption habits to reduce environmental impact. Source: Nielsen

Are you Hitting the Strip? Book a Meeting!

Thousands of professionals attend Shoptalk each year. From established retailers and brands, startups, tech companies, to investors, real estate operators, media, and more they come to learn, collaborate and create the future of retail during four days of curated meetings, productive networking and facilitated social engagements.

Zenergy’s President Linda Farha will be onsite to book a meeting DM us!

Have an Interesting Perspective on Your Industry that You’d Like to Share?

#BeOurGuest

Showcase your ideas and discuss what’s on your mind by being a guest columnist in our #FGF newsletter! With a reach of 20,000 weekly readers and an average open rate of 20%, you’ll get the attention of industry leaders directly.

DM us!

What We’re Reading

• Adidas creates paid affiliate program for more than 50K student-athletes
• The year of media mix diversification is here
• 11 LinkedIn Page Post Ideas for Businesses
• Pepsi taps Khaby Lame, David LaChapelle for new Nitro Pepsi campaign
• The Top 7 Marketing Challenges Faced Globally in 2022
• YouTube Launching 5 New Features For Livestreams
• Cryptocurrency is most popular among higher earners

Please share what you’re reading by tweeting #FGFreads or DM us.

#FGFStory: New Plant-Derived Sustainable ‘Plastic’ is Tough as Bone and Hard as Aluminum

The strongest part of a tree is its microscopic cells called cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). An MIT team has engineered a composite made mostly from CNCs, mixed with a bit of synthetic polymer, that is stronger and tougher than some types of bone and harder than typical aluminum alloys. Plus they have developed a recipe that can be fabricated using either 3D printing or conventional casting methods.

The research team’s results are published in the journal Cellulose.

#FunFact

Amazon will account for 39.5% of all US retail ecommerce sales in 2022, or nearly $2 or every $5 spent online. Source: eMarketer

Report: A look at Q1 Consumer App Activity

Consumer spending on apps has increased by more than 40% during the past two years with TikTok, YouTube and Tinder leading the way for the first quarter of 2022, according to data.ai. Instagram held the top spot, followed by TikTok and Facebook.

Read the full report here.

Five Tips for B2B Paid Media

Here are five ideas you can explore, test, or implement depending on your organization’s level of paid media emphasis and sophistication:

Make first-party data a top priority. Browser and operating system restrictions, consumer actions, privacy regulations, and walled gardens are limiting advertisers’ ability to collect and process data.

Play the long game with always-on advertising. Make sure you reserve a portion of your paid media budget for ads that are always on and working to seed future demand.

Invest in creative excellence. B2B advertising can be a bit boring, so spice up your advertising creative with concepts that engage your audience, reinforce your brand promise, and highlight your differentiating value, instead of just promoting the latest white paper or event registration.

Work well with walled gardens. Many B2B publishers are turning the business internet into ‘walled gardens’ by requiring subscriptions from their visitors to read content and limiting advertiser access to their subscribers’ data. Plan for more direct media buys, and use platforms with direct publisher relationships to keep your advertising running within the walls.

Support niche and local publishers. Small publishers that attract B2B buyers are a great place to focus some of your paid media spending because you can extend your audience reach and give your brand a dose of goodwill when readers realize your company is supporting their favorite niche content.

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

The reason the equinoxes and solstices don’t always come on the same day is that Earth doesn’t circle the sun in exactly 365 days.

Podcasts are Helping Brands Meet DEI Commitments

Brands are upholding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments by tapping into podcast ads, a platform that Nielsen estimates a 73% brand recall among Black listeners and a doubling of 25- to 39-year-old Hispanic listeners over the past three years.

Podcast networks also are ramping up inclusion efforts such as SiriusXM’s deal with Spanish-language specialist reVolver Podcasts.

#ProTip: To reach diversified audiences authentically, use host-read ads. These are the best performing ads, because they come directly from the host’s mouth, a trusted source for the audience.

Need help connecting with a more diversified audience? DM us!

Going to Shoptalk in Las Vegas?

Book a Meeting

Thousands of professionals attend Shoptalk each year. From established retailers and brands, startups, tech companies, to investors, real estate operators, media, and more they come to learn, collaborate and create the future of retail during four days of curated meetings, productive networking and facilitated social engagements.

Zenergy’s President Linda Farha will be onsite. Book a meeting, DM us!

#DigitalServices: Open Rates of 98%: SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is incredibly popular because of its 98% open rate versus an average of 22% using email marketing. This relatively affordable approach lets you instantly reach customers wherever they are. Not only that, it can also be customized and easily automated.

While specific strategies will vary, the following are a few main categories outlining the types of SMS messages you can use as part of a campaign:

• Promotional messages including sales, discounts, new product announcements, etc.
• Transactional messages such as purchase confirmations, delivery information, etc

Interested in learning more about SMS marketing? DM us!

Have an Interesting Perspective on Your Industry that You’d Like to Share?

#BeOurGuest

Showcase your ideas and discuss what’s on your mind by being a guest columnist in our #FGF newsletter! With a reach of 20,000 weekly readers and an average open rate of 20%, you’ll get the attention of industry leaders directly.

DM us!

What We’re Reading

3 Ways Social Media Is Changing How We Do Business

GDMA, IPG Find Consumers Becoming Data ‘Capitalists,’ Willing To Trade Personal Info

Workers’ Sense Of Worth Grew During Covid And So Did Their Expectations, Says Microsoft

[PODCAST] Where video streaming goes from here, watching major events, and Gen Z’s relationship with TV

Why consumers pivot toward private-label brands

[VIDEO] Forbes International Women’s Day Celebration: The Path To Progress

Please share what you’re reading by tweeting #FGFreads or DM us.

#FGFStory: Ryan Reynolds Spoofs a British Airways Safety Video

In celebration of Aviation American Gin being served on British Airways flights, the brand is spoofing the airline’s safety spot starring Ryan Reynolds, The video, launched across social media, currently has more than 325,000 views so far on YouTube. It introduces Reynolds with the caption ‘twice played a pilot’ before he warns viewers that “spilling even one drop of the world’s highest-rated gin will result in you being duct-taped to your seat for the remainder of the flight.”

#FunFact

While gin may be the national spirit of England, the spirit originated in Holland, and that is why it is sometimes referred to as ‘Dutch courage’.

B2B Doesn’t Have to be Boring

B2B marketers need to fight the industry’s ‘boring’ stereotype with innovative content formats that deliver key information in engaging ways. Educating in an engaging manner, leveraging creative treatments, and delivering content via storytelling are some strategies that can be used.

Furthermore, a report from eMarketer found that 8 out of 10 executives agreed that most white papers are too time consuming and prefer more concise takeaways, summaries, charts and graphs to improve their consumption experience. This is a clear opportunity for marketers to find unique ways to engage with audiences beyond the more traditional formats.

Need help with your B2B content development? DM us.

#FunFact

B2B digital ad spend in the US is expected to hit $12.6 billion by the end of this year, a 46% increase from 2020. Source: eMarketer

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

Navajo Upper Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest, on Navajo land east of Lechee, Arizona.

Three New Things in Advertisin

Following Apple’s launch of AppTrackingTransparency (ATT), consumer data collection has started to reshape digital advertising and is affecting models for monetizing apps for publishers and advertisers, budget allocations, and measurement strategies. Companies with strong first-party data resources will be significantly less impacted by ATT.

Streaming services focus on ad-supported tiers
Several major streaming services including subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) services, have either expressed interest in or have already launched ad-supported channels.

Companies weigh brand strategies in Ukraine and Russia
Companies including Airbnb, Uniqlo, Netflix, and Shell all continue to debate the pros and cons of operating in Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine prompted global rebuke that has made it a commercial outcast. Many brands are worried that consumers may punish brands that aren’t taking action.

Shoptalk 2022: Book a Meeting

Thousands of professionals attend Shoptalk each year. From established retailers and brands, startups, tech companies, to investors, real estate operators, media, and more they come to learn, collaborate and create the future of retail during four days of curated meetings, productive networking and facilitated social engagements.

Zenergy’s President Linda Farha will be onsite. Book a meeting, DM us!

#ClientNews: Frida Kahlo Coming to Montreal This Summer

Reach of 8M+ in 48 hours!

Zenergy’s PR team is pleased to have been selected to develop the press strategy for the premiere of ‘Frida Kahlo: Life of an Icon‘ immersive exhibition making its Canadian debut in Montreal. With only 48 hours of media outreach, our PR team secured media coverage in English, French and Spanish reaching over 8 million people!

Sign up to be the first to know when tickets go on sale.

Have an Interesting Perspective on Your Industry that You’d Like to Share?

#BeOurGuest

Have an Interesting Perspective on Your Industry that You’d Like to Share?

DM us!

What We’re Reading

• Twitter tests Shops feature
• Desperate for Workers, Companies Try Help-Wanted Ads on TV
• How We More Than Doubled Traffic to the HubSpot Website Blog in 1 Year
• Covid-19 Has Pushed Americans Back To Grandma’s Kitchen, Where Meatloaf, Not Beyond Meat, Is On The Menu
• Radio Connects: Radio Facts in a Digital World: How to Deliver SCALE
• VIDEO: Entrepreneur Insights: Building The Next Billion-Dollar Brand

Please share what you’re reading by tweeting #FGFreads or DM us.

#FGFStory: Squirrels Pose Like Tiny Superheroes

Agile, cunning, and smart, squirrels can make leaps and bounds with great ease. As many photos have captured, these nimble rodents look like they just made a landing akin to Captain America. In each pose, they have a determined look in their eye and one arm pulled back as if they are ready to fight in a giant battle against an adversary. And while this would certainly be legendary, the fact is that squirrels don’t land this way. The pictures are actually of them scratching their armpits (like you’d see a cat or dog do with their hind legs).

If you want a fascinating analysis of how the rodents move, former NASA engineer Mark Rober has created an informative and fun video that showcases an epic squirrel obstacle course and dissects the physics of their jumping.

#FunFact

83% of consumers said belonging to a loyalty program influences their decision to buy again from a brand. Source: Yotpo

Brand Voice: Three Steps to Success

The most memorable brands, from Apple to Geico, are ones that have a clear and consistent brand voice. When consumers see an ad from such a brand, they instantly recognize the company behind it as they have successfully created a unified brand identity. Here are three ways to develop your brand’s voice:

Define it.
A company’s mission and value statement are a good place to start when thinking about brand voice. Information about the target audience is also essential.

• Consider the generation you are targeting, and the ways they communicate.
• Review existing pieces of content that have resonated with audiences to see how the message was conveyed.
• Define what the voice is not – not too serious or not too flippant, for example.

Document it.
To ensure that the entire company is effectively communicating with the same brand voice, it’s critical to have a clear document that explains the brand voice – what it is and what it isn’t.

• Offer key characteristics of the voice, as well as examples of how those characteristics can play out in content.

Plan routine reviews of it.
Brand identity is not a one-and-done decision. Ensuring consistency requires constant monitoring and re-evaluation.

• Schedule annual reviews and reconsider brand voice during major brand overhauls.

Need help with a brand audit or brand refresh? DM us.

#FunFact

Consistent branding drives an average 23% uptick in revenue. Source: Semrush

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

Rachael Rodgers is a photographer dedicated to finding dogs their forever home and she uses her instagram account, TrailsandBears, to feature these furry friends. In the US, there are approximately 4 million dogs and cats adopted from shelters each year.

66% of Brands Spent More on Creator-Driven Marketing

According to a new report from CreatorIQ and Tribe Dynamics, brands are increasingly shifting budgets to power creator-driven marketing campaigns, with 66% reporting they spent more in this area during2021 as compared to the previous year. Additionally, 52% noted that their relevant team has expanded to support this growing trend.

While Instagram and its Stories function remain the most popular social platforms for creator-driven campaigns, TikTok has forced marketers to rethink their approach for finding and engaging with consumers. About 96% of brands and 88% of influencers reported regularly using Instagram Stories. Comparable numbers are approximately half on TikTok, with reported regular usage of 46% and 42% respectively.

#ProInsight: Amid swelling budgets, emerging platforms like TikTok, and the proliferation of social commerce, brands and creators will continue to experiment and seek out best practices for the evolving influencer marketing landscape.

Adapting to a More Nuanced Social Landscape

The days of the one-size-fits all social media approach are seemingly over. The way people use these platforms is changing, pressuring brands to abandon broad campaigns and adopt the creation of content specific for each individual channel.

As the social media landscape becomes more competitive, it also becomes more nuanced. Competition for user attention and media dollars has led platforms to roll out more individualized product features for users and advertisers. And in the digital age, people are increasingly weary of being advertised to, meaning marketers have to fit their creative into each platform more seamlessly to reach their desired audience.

#ProInsight: Users are looking for ads to be an unintrusive part of their social media experience, and marketers need to be more mindful of how they appear on each platform.

Need help with your social media advertising strategy? DM us!

#TeamTips: B2B Media Planning

Part 3: Strategic Tactics

Missed out on the first two parts of the B2B Media Planning? Read the full blog here.

Following Phase 2, ‘Target Audience Overview’, our media planners are now ready can work on a tactical approach and evaluate B2B outlets. This that can include:

• Publications/Sites – Assess which make the most sense given the objectives, industry verticals, and job functions of the target audience.
• Lead Generation – Evaluate different sources of lead generation options based on the target industry.
• Content Syndication – Some verticals offer the opportunity to push out content to trade sources, which can establish thought leadership.
• Conferences and Webinars – Conferences and events can put your organization, and its messaging, directly in front of target audiences.
• Industry Associations – Associations often offer newsletters, memos and specialized publications that are sent to members.
• LinkedIn and Social Media – LinkedIn has become the hub of all B2B networking and is usually a staple for any B2B strategy. Outside of LinkedIn, other options like Twitter, Facebook and Reddit can have targeting options that may make sense depending on the industry.
• Programmatic Digital – Various first- and third-party data segments can be leveraged to target people during their daily online browsing.
• Lifestyle Targeting – Lifestyle targeting can be used if it matches the B2B audience. For example, we know truck drivers are on the road a lot, and often stop at service stations. We also know that someone who works in IT, tends to be tech-focused and early adopters. We can use insights like these to target audiences as consumers outside of the B2B realm.

Matan Ahlfeld is a Media Planning Strategist at Zenergy Communications

Need help with your social media advertising strategy? DM us!

Have an Interesting Perspective on Your Industry that You’d Like to Share?

#BeOurGuest
Showcase your ideas and discuss what’s on your mind by being a guest columnist in our #FGF newsletter! With a reach of 20,000 weekly readers and an average open rate of 20%, you’ll get the attention of industry leaders directly.

DM us!

What We’re Reading

• ‘More self-sufficient’: The changing (yet again) and increasingly challenging role of the CMO
• In advertising, the pandemic is (mostly) over
• [Infographic] TikTok Shares New Tips on How to Maximize Branded Content on the Platform
• 3 new things in social media AI: Reddit’s Discover, Meta’s innovations, and China’s regulations
• New mobile grocery vending machine to hit the streets

Need help with your social media advertising strategy? DM us!

#FGFStory: At 107, Montrealer and Zenergy Friend Mary Katz, Attributes Her Longevity to Positivity

Montrealer Mary Katz has had a simple mantra to get through life and she passes onto family and friends: “Yesterday was history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today is a gift.”
She has seen and heard it all, having lived through epidemics, wars, genocides, and all manner of human madness. “But I stay positive because I believe there are more good people than bad ones on this earth, and that goodness will prevail. So live for the day, and keep smiling.”
Katz doesn’t have many hard and fast rules on diet, although she favors salmon, chicken and vegetables. She also enjoys the occasional goblet of wine.

#FunFact: The oldest person alive in the world today is Japan’s Kane Tananka who is 119 years old. Source: CNN

#ProTips: Three Tips for Content Marketing

• Measure content performance. Understand what content is resonating and establish areas for improvement.
• Take advantage of content marketing technologies. From organizing processes, making collaboration easier to CRM systems and performance analysis, the early adoption of technology can make content development more efficient.
• Differentiate content. Deliver top content by reviewing that of competitors to ensure that you aren’t ending up in a ‘sea of sameness’ and that it adds value to your audience.

#FunFact

Programmatic direct advertising spending, which is mainly made up of social ads, will account for more than 75% of total digital display expenditures in Canada in 2022. Source: Insider Intelligence, eMarketer

Took a photo that you are proud of?

Send it along and our team will select amongst those submitted to be featured in our next FGF.

Zenergy celebrates the 3.946 billion women on the planet, not only on International Woman’s Day (March 8), but every day.

There is a lot more to B2B media planning than finding the most appropriate trade publication/site and targeting on LinkedIn. The first fallacy of this process typically happens when, perhaps subconsciously, we assume the only way to reach a B2B target audience is when they are at work or doing work.

The world has changed significantly over the last few years. Many magazines have ceased publication or significantly reduced frequency, in favor of online. With the COVID pandemic, more and more professionals are working remotely from home. This is unlikely to go back to where it was pre-pandemic. Leading industry events and conferences have also gone through a major overhaul and are now being watered-down by online events/conferences and webcasts.

So, what does this mean for B2B marketers? Well, there is both good and bad news that comes out of this. The bad news is that we can’t rely on old fashioned means of face-to-face networking, necessitating a much more strategic and disciplined approach to reaching your B2B target. The good news is that there is a lot more data available through measurement and tracking of new marketing efforts. With this comes more informed analysis and strategies.

The Brief

A detailed and accurate campaign brief can make the difference between a successful, disciplined B2B strategy, and one that is just a combination of unrelated tactics. The brief should contain all the information about what the advertiser wants to get out of the marketing campaign. This includes company vision, marketing objectives, media objectives, KPIs/sales goals, target audiences, customer insights, among other things. This should be a collaborative effort between all stakeholders, to ensure everyone is on the same track, and working towards the same goals.

Audience Targeting

• Are they the decision makers? If not, how influential are they to the decision-making process?
• How do they get information related to your product/service?
• What is their psychographic profile?

Strategic Tactics

Once the target audience has been defined, Zenergy’s media planners can start looking into a strategic tactical approach by evaluating various media outlets that can include:

• Trade Publications/Sites – Assess which make the most sense given the objectives, industry verticals, and job functions of the target audience.
• Lead Generation – Evaluate different sources of lead generation options based on the target industry.
• Content Syndication – Some verticals offer the opportunity to push out content to trade sources, which can establish thought leadership.
• Conferences and Webinars – Conferences and events can put your organization, and its messaging, directly in front of target audiences.
• Industry Associations – Associations often offer newsletters, memos and specialized publications that are sent to members.
• LinkedIn and Social Media – LinkedIn has become the hub of all B2B networking and is usually a staple for any B2B strategy. Outside of LinkedIn, other options like Twitter, Facebook and Reddit can have targeting options that may make sense depending on the industry.
• Programmatic Digital – Various first- and third-party data segments can be leveraged to target people during their daily online browsing.
• Lifestyle Targeting – Lifestyle targeting can be used if it matches the B2B audience. For example, we know truck drivers are on the road a lot, and often stop at service stations. We also know that someone who works in IT, tends to be tech-focused and early adopters. We can use insights like these to target audiences as consumers outside of the B2B realm.

 

Article written by:
Matan Ahlfeld
Media Planning Strategist
Zenergy Communications