Posts

Twitter Round Up: And The ‘BEST TWEET AWARD’ in Marketing Goes To?!

/0 Comments/in /by

Aside from the #LeonardoDicaprio winning on Oscars and inspirational speech about climate change, last week was full of events on twitter, around the world rather.

It was totally a BLAST! Collating all the savvy guides from last week, all are jam-packed with genius marketing pointers and inspirational quotes from popular Twitter influencers  and from our awesome writers.

As a way of saying thank you again, we made a recap of our BEST AND ENLIVENING TWEETS!

Here’s to start your day! Do the ‘Will Smith’ dance. Retweet and tell us why you LOVE it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We pride ourselves as Callbox was featured on Channel News Asia in Singapore!

 

 

 

What post made you hit the RT button? Aside from the list above, what are your favorite tweets? Share us below.

 

Join thousand of Savvy marketers and get the most of your marketing campaign. Check out our Blog!

Callbox - The Savvy Marketer Blog

Dull Marketing? These 20 Statistics Will Do the Trick

/in /by

Dull Marketing Tricks

There is no greater hassle than to realize that all of your b2b marketing efforts yield no positive outcome.

Common blunders committed by marketers roots from depending too much on traditional classroom-taught marketing and forgot realistic parameters that impale their marketing actions. Bid Adieu to such useless thinking.

Here the top 20 hard data-based statistics that every marketers need to revive their marketing:

  1. When exposed to Promoted Tweets followers spend 29% more from that brand when compared to organic tweets.
  2. Brands lose 15% of new Twitter followers within 3 weeks due to lack of engagement.
  3. Internationally, 44% of people never take an action on a social media advertisement.
  4. 56% of online content is shared on Facebook, compared to 12% for Pinterest, and 7% through email.
  5. Facebook and Twitter have the highest activity at 11am.
  6. 71% of social media users are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow across their social media channels.
  7. 50% of all consumers feel a brand’s Facebook page is more useful than the brand’s website.
  8. The demand for content creation among marketers has increased more than 70% over the last year.
  9. Almost 60% of shoppers trust online reviews, just as much as personal recommendations.
  10. Only 36% of marketers, who publish branded content, think they are doing so effectively.
  11. YouTube drives the most engagement traffic of all social media referrals.
  12. By utilizing video in email campaigns, brands on average, see a 40% rise in revenue.
  13. 65% of spenders do not continue using Facebook Ads because they are too expensive.
  14. 8 in 10 shoppers have changed their mind about buying a product after reading a negative online review.
  15. 68% of millennial won’t make a major decision without consulting their social media audience first.
  16. Custom emails targeted to customer loyalty programs have a 40% higher open rate.
  17. B2B marketers that use Twitter develop twice as many leads as those who do not.
  18. 75% of consumers prefer to receive special offers over any other form of call to action.
  19. Email marketing has an average return on investment of $44, for every dollar spent.
  20. 79% of online shoppers would rather get free shipping on their purchases than a discount on their total.

These statistics will shift soon but for now let it tell you the reason why you’re marketing lead generation  is dull. Regard this not as a burden but as a challenge that can make you a better player in the harsh environment of competitive marketing.

Nevertheless, the essence of marketing lies beyond complex educated theories and assumptions. It will only guide you but it will never take you to your destination. Remember, consider more pragmatic ideology that actually pushes your resources to sales funnel.

Business Week: 10 Marketing Rules from Super Bowl Ads

/in , /by

Business Week - 10 Marketing Rules from Super Bowl Ads

Super Bowl season is once again sweeping the entire nation and even other regions of the world. Football fans put their game faces on, while marketers see this as a crucial opportunity to advertise their brands and take advantage of the global attention.

Steve Mckee of Business Week shared a post on what marketers can learn from this event, especially in terms of branding focus, strategy and line of attack.

From BusinessWeek.com:

The concepts needed for a winning Super Bowl campaign are the same for any powerful, year-round marketing program, regardless of the size of your company or budget. By analyzing the winners and losers from among hundreds of contenders, I’ve identified 10 rules that make winning campaigns work. See how they apply to your marketing efforts:

1. Put strategy first. Creativity without strategy is ineffective. Back in 2000, when startups like Epidemic.com and Lifeminders.com made their game-day debut, nobody understood what they were about (and the companies are both long gone). By contrast, last year Pizza Hut bought less expensive pregame commercials rather than pricey in-game spots to capture early delivery orders on the biggest pizza sales day of the year. Not terribly creative, but pretty smart.

2. Be relevant. The Super Bowl is the country’s biggest party; most advertisers know that and create fun (or funny) efforts around it. In 2003, FedEx produced a captivating takeoff on that year’s blockbuster movie Castaway, suggesting an imaginative postscript to the film.  E*Trade ran a nonsensical commercial featuring a toe-tapping monkey followed by the simple caption, “Well, we just wasted 2 million bucks. What are you doing with your money?”

3. Keep it simple. One of my favorite Super Bowl commercials is Google’s “Parisian Love.” Using minimal, almost static shots of a search on the Google home page, in less than a minute the commercial takes us from “study abroad paris france” through “impress a French girl” and “churches in Paris” to “how to assemble a crib.” It’s a charming, theater-of-the-mind love story that celebrates the role Google can play in our lives.

4. Show, don’t tell. Way back in 1974 (before Super Bowl ads were so celebrated), Master Lock ran a simple commercial called “Marksman” that showed its signature product standing up to a rifle shot. It was a demonstration far more impressive than anything the announcer could have said (one did, in fact, say a great deal, but nobody remembers what it was).

5. Invest in production values. Volkswagen’s “Imperial March” took the top honors in ADBOWL and almost all the other ratings in 2011. The premise of an aspiring Darth Vader starting his parents’ car with what he believes to be the power of the Force was cute, but what put the spot over the top was the delightfully surprised reaction of the child—even though we couldn’t see his face under the mask. That’s the mark not only of a fine young actor, but a great director.

6. Provoke thought. Apple’s “1984” is considered the granddaddy of all Super Bowl ads. The timing presented the perfect opportunity to tie the launch of Macintosh to Orwell’s famous novel, and Apple did so with incredible sophistication.

7. Strike an emotional chord. Coca-Cola was one of the first brands to leverage the incredible power of emotion. Beginning with “Mean Joe Greene” in the 1970s and continuing through the “Happiness Factory” and its well-loved Polar Bears series, Coke understands the concept of what you might call nonrational marketing. There’s a place for winning the minds of your prospects, but if someone else wins their hearts, you’ll lose.

8. Don’t rush the sale. With the hilarious “Terry Tate, Office Linebacker”campaign, Reebok had a breakout year after the 2003 Super Bowl. The company understood that the big game was all about having fun, but it also knew that 30 seconds in a crowded ad environment was too little time to do it all. The commercials were designed to draw consumers to Reebok’s website, and millions visited the site to download subsequent episodes.

9. Reward engagement. Budweiser pioneered audience engagement during the big game with its long-running “Bud Bowl” series. More recently,Doritos, through its “Crash the Super Bowl” contest, has found a way to engage its customers far in advance of the airing of the winning spot.

10. Take risks. If I had to trim this list to a single piece of advice, it would be this one. Taking risks means, by definition, doing something unexpected. Show the Budweiser Frogs commercial to a focus group and it will get lambasted. Show it to consumers during the Super Bowl and it will become a phenomenon.

The Role of Color Psychology in Marketing

/in /by

The Role of Color Psychology in Marketing

In building a brand, the visual impact of a business logo or website design is as important as the value of the product or service being offered. And one important aspect of that imagery is the color.

For some marketers, a color is just something that could be picked off the top of the head and doesn’t really signify something. But for those who really invest a lot of brainwork in their business image, colors are something that helps define a brand’s reputation.

Brandon Gaille, CEO of the internet marketing company ByReputation.com, which specializes in SEO, social media, reputation management, video production, and web design, shared his thoughts on how colors can influence people to support (or not support) a brand:

From brandongaille.com:

How Do Colors Affect Us Mentally?

Think about the psychological effects of colors before using them. A short list of the meaning behind colors is listed below.

Red: Shows excitement and stimulation.
Blue: Creates a feeling of trust and security.
Green: Associated with environmental products and promotes feelings of health and tranquility. It is also associated with money.
Purple: Often used in beauty products, purple is used to resemble wise, creative, luxury, or imaginative brands.
Yellow and Orange: These colors are cheerful but are used to much can also lead to a feeling of anxiousness.
White, Gray, and Black: These are associated with a color splash but not to be used too much. White is associated with purity, black is associated with power and strength, while gray is associated with staying power.

Schemes, Contrasts, and Choosing Colors

When designing a webpage, contrast is very important. Use contrasting colors to make easy-to-read text areas, and to make your product pop-out from the page. You always want the background to contrast from the product, if possible. Usually, backgrounds are of lighter colors, with the product being a darker color. For sites with lots of information, go for neutral color schemes. Choose bright colors to create a sense of vibrant energy. Monochromatic, complimentary, and triple color schemes are all appropriate. Monochrome looks sleek. Complimentary schemes appear pleasing to the eye for a large audience. Triple color schemes are the most popular.

A very beautiful and insightful infographic, as well as the entire article, can be found at Color Psychology in Marketing 

 

 

Have you been Naughty or Nice? Let Santa teach you about Marketing

/in , /by

 

What’s so clever about a big-bellied old man with white flowing beard and wearing red all over? It’s certainly not just the suspicious “ho ho ho” laugh or his secret affair with Mommy that makes him one of the most beloved characters in pop culture.

It’s his appeal with both children and adults alike that makes him a timeless figure that represents a season everyone loves.

Here are some of Santa-characteristics that we can apply to the world of marketing.

1.  Santa is the personification of reliability. Santa never let us down. As kids we would always find our most-awaited Christmas gifts under the tree or inside the sock we hung on the wall. It’s a tradition that no one expects to miss. Is your business letting your customers down? For your business to be as well-loved by everyone, it has to deliver what is expected of it – all the time.

2.  Santa aims to delight and surprise. The mere thought of an old man sneaking into our homes to leave gifts is already a pleasant thing to cherish. But it gets even better as soon as we open the neatly-wrapped presents and discover that Santa gave us exactly what we wished for – sometimes even more. Marketers are sometimes too focused on ‘getting’ attention and are missing out on ‘giving’ its target market what they want in ways that can leave a lasting smile.

3.  Santa encourages us to write.  When kids get a little picky about what they want as gifts (most of them are), they write letters addressed to Santa. Imagine if our customers had the same comfort to let you know what they really want. Normally, they wouldn’t do such a thing – ah, grownups – but as a business the least you can do is encourage them through comments sections, social media and feedback forms.

4.  Santa rewards good behavior.  Of course, we would always tell Santa that we’ve been ‘nice’ so we would get good presents. What does your business give to those who have been loyal fans? Fostering a relationship often involves getting small perks out of it, and when people have been there for your business all this time, you have to give back: offer freebies, discounts, and privileges.

5.  Santa promotes teamwork. Santa has elves and 8 reindeers.  He knows he couldn’t manufacture and deliver all his goods without the help of his team. And it’s not always just about him – pop culture has always given recognition to everyone in Santa’s household (Rudolph became the most famous one, of course).  For your business to excel and be appreciated by people, marketers alone should not carry the load. It’s all about teamwork, and when the big moment comes, everybody gets to get some credit.

 

Prepping for the holidays: A look back on 2012’s holiday marketing trends

/in , /by

As we enter the final quarter of the year, all eyes are on the looming holiday season and all the potential business opportunities, as well as the chance to strengthen customer relationships.

What better way to gear up for a busy season than to learn from useful holiday buying behavior insights from last year?

 

Prepping for the holidays: A look back on 2012’s holiday marketing trends

 

 

 

The rise of Location-Based Marketing: Is it worth it?

/in /by

 

It’s normal for a business to keep things simple. If you’re happy with your Facebook and Twitter efforts, then there’s really no urgent need for you to engage in other social media platforms. However, the least you can do is to learn about a few of them.

One of the current rising superstars in social media is location-based marketing. It basically uses a prospect’s location and preferences for brand exposure. There are several variations for this medium:

  • Location-based services (LBS): Popular applications like Foursquare and SCVNGER that provide information or entertainment to users based on location
  • Near-field communications (NFC): technology that allows two devices which are in close proximity — between two and 20 centimeters — to exchange information
  • Bluetooth marketing: like NFC, this allows data transfer over short distances
  • Location-based advertising (LBA): uses tools such as GPS and geo-fencing to locate potential prospects

Restaurant chain Subway once used LBA to market their food joint in the UK. The campaign was called “You Are Here”, and they targeted mobile users within a close proximity to a Subway branch. Passersby would receive an MMS informing them that there’s a Subway nearby wherein they can get special discounts. Of course, users have to “opt-in” to receive the message, and once they do, they will be on the list of subscribers for updates and promos. Basically, they become leads.

Zuma Fashions opted to use NFC by embedding a microchip in point-of-sale posters within the vicinity. Customers were then encouraged to download the Zuma Fashions app from iTunes or Google Play. Once they have it, they can swipe their handsets over the NFC chip to fill out a short survey. Afterwards, they would receive a digital discount they could use immediately. They could also swipe NFC tags attached to blouses and get price details and even learn about the materials used to make it. What a way to improve customer experience!

UK-based body spray company Lynx installed vinyl floor tiles in populated areas of various colleges and universities. Students who stood on or near the Lynx floor can wirelessly download a branded dating application via Bluetooth. The campaign was a success not only because of the tremendous brand exposure it gained, but also because more than 500 students a day downloaded the app.

Lastly, Domino’s Pizza created its own location-based app for customers to order pizzas in specific branches. With 4 pizza sizes, 4 types of sauces, 22 toppings and many other add-ons, there are 522 billion possible combinations that customers could choose from, and the app was able to manage it all. It made the ordering and delivery process more fun and convenient for customers, and the likelihood of public support was very high.

These are just simple beginnings of location-based marketing and judging on its apparent success, the future is looking bright. That is exactly why companies should at least get an idea about this technology. For marketers, this could be the thing of the future.

10 Factors that Compel Prospects to Trust your Company

/in /by

 

Authors Dan S Kennedy and Matt Zagula theorized that there are 10 possible sources of trust that prospects give to a company. It was detailed in their popular book entitled No B.S. Trust-Based Marketing.

“People trust for the wrong reasons. By understanding how people actually come to trust, based on the above sources and others, you will be able to deliberately manufacture maximum trust”, the authors said.

Trust is valuable resource that a company should aim for. It not only cements a reputation in the minds of the public, but it also gives confidence by knowing that everyone regards your company as a dependable enterprise. The book emphasizes that marketers should draw trust from customers using these “sources” as a long-term business investment:

    1. Credibility is established through consistently publishing or declaring content that through time are considered fundamental facts in a field of knowledge.

 

    1. Through demonstration, a company embodies the “seeing is believing” concept of gaining trust.

 

    1. Authority, compared to credibility, is usually associated with rank, function or prestige in a certain community. W

 

    1. ithout really doing anything, a company may still earn the people’s trust by virtue of just being an authority figure.

 

    1. Longevity is closely related to the previous, but doesn’t necessarily require high ranks. When a company has been in the business for quite a while, people trust it and peers listen to it.

 

    1. A company may also gain trust by being a celebrity among the people. For instance, a person who has never used an iPhone or iPod would still trust Apple only because the name is popular.

 

    1. Meanwhile, familiarity is not just about being popular, but is also about having a prior experience that makes one aware of how a company works.

 

    1. Affinity is influenced by a shared history or fraternity, as to a previous employee who trusts his former employer, or trusting a company founded by people you know very well.

 

    1. People also trust a company just by virtue of strategic placement, like trusting your local Wal-Mart more than you trust a big-time mall.

 

    1. Second-part transferral trust is gained thorough endorsements from other people as well as those reputations that are built from monetary publicity.

 

  1. Frequency is established when a company has become the go-to resource for a certain product or service, therefore leaving the customer no choice but to trust a proven and tested formula.

Crowning Glory: Beauty pageants can teach us how to market effectively

/in , /by

 

If you think about it, the very concept of beauty pageants is rather odd; first of all, beauty is relative, and there should be no universal standard in judging whether one person is more beautiful than another. But then, that’s the tricky part: pageants don’t necessarily decide on beauty itself, but on the way beauty is presented.

In other words, it’s about “marketing” the beauty of a person.

That’s the reason why pageants usually include talent showcases, interviews and seemingly endless exhibitions of various clothing: swimwear, evening gowns and national costumes. People need to see different ways that beauty is featured. If it’s really just about beauty itself, then judges could just look at their faces and the show would be done in a matter of minutes.

It’s not entirely about physical beauty

Most marketers think that the appearance of a product is the basis of consumer appreciation. While it does help in drawing buyers into the hype, it can never be more important than the actual function of the product. Steve Jobs wanted Apple products to look nice, but he didn’t want to compromise quality. For him, functionality is part of the design.

Charm and appeal can move mountains

Not all beauty queens are beautiful in a strict sense. Some of them just had enough charm and appeal to wow the judges and carry themselves through the end. People call it the “x” factor, and there’s no science behind it; in fact, you can’t even describe it in plain words. Products don’t need to strive for perfection, as long as it can capture the hearts of the masses. Does your brand have the “x” factor?

You’ve got to have brains, too

Why do question-and-answer rounds come last in pageants? Simple. The ultimate test for a woman’s beauty is her brains. If you’re beautiful and you say something stupid, people will mock you. But those who speak intelligently are respected, no matter how ugly they could be. The same goes for brands; people will never learn to appreciate a product or service that looks good on the outside but fails to deliver.

Reputation is wealth

You’ve probably heard of beauty queens who have been stripped of their titles because of their scandalous behavior behind the public eye. Society is as critical and unforgiving as ever. One wrong mistake has the potential to destroy everything your company had worked for. As a marketer, you should make sure that everything you do – publicly or otherwise – will not blemish the name and image of your brand.

The Generation Y: Who they are and what tickles their marketing bones

/in , /by

 

To know who belongs to Generation Y, it is important to know their predecessors. According to geography.about.com, this is how demographers and the Population Reference Bureau classify each of the generations in the last century:

Basically, Generation Y belongs to those born from 1980 to 2000, which pegs their ages between 13-33 years old in 2013. These are your typical teenagers, co-eds, fresh grads, young professionals and newly-formed families. They are smart and able to decode brand symbolism and iconography. They are the ones who saw technology develop from its early stages up until its current state. They are inclined to watch current news and then immediately forget about them as they play with their smartphones. They have the strongest need to express themselves and be part of a certain group of people to reassure their worth.

In the US, there are approximately 70 million Generation Y consumers, and in 2010 they have already outnumbered the Baby Boomers. By 2020, they are expected to grow to 90 million.

Here’s what marketers should focus on to get the attention of Generation Y:

  • They are family and friends oriented, so they value communication, civic activities, and quality time with other people.
  • Word-of-mouth is very effective on them, so viral marketing is a popular and prevalent.
  • They are attracted to things that make their lives easier, as compared to Generation Z which only looks at surface value.
  • They like to have constant access to information.
  • They also love to travel and explore new environments.
  • They tend to go back to places they like to hang out, like coffee shops and malls. This gives marketers targeted locations for exposure.
  • They are generally tech-savvy and are less gullible compared to Generation X.
  • They are attracted to things that are cheaper but with good quality.
  • They value fast service and pleasant experiences.
  • Generation Y people are video game junkies, music lovers and movie enthusiasts, so marketers should incorporate popular media in marketing.
  • They take care of their careers and appreciate opportunities for ongoing learning.
  • They are critical of social blunders and people who commit public mistakes, so marketers will most likely receive negative feedback from a majority of Generation Y consumers.

Reference: Names Generation and Marketing to Generation Y

 

A Moveable Feast: 6 Hemingway quotes to stir up your Marketing Senses

/in /by

A Moveable Feast: 6 Hemingway quotes to stir up your Marketing Senses
Virtually every writer who ever got to hold a pen has cultivated utmost respect for Ernest Hemingway. His experiences in World War II and his decadent view towards Western civilization has influenced his style of writing, therefore giving birth to some of the most unforgettable pieces of literature.

What made Hemingway stand out among the rest are his ideas of self-confrontation and his unwavering desire to stay grounded in reality.

His philosophies make it easy for us to apply in our own endeavors what he had written in the past, perhaps not with the same decadence but with the motivation to be better than who we are right now.

Here are some of his famous words made relevant in the context of marketing:

  1. Courage is grace under pressure. Marketing has always been a game of risks. Reaching your marketing goals often necessitate the resolve to take challenges and being brave to do whatever it takes to succeed.

  2. Never confuse movement with action. Sometimes along the way, you may lose that sense of fulfillment and you become contented with the mere fact that you made efforts just for the sake of doing your job. Prospects don’t seek out marketers – it’s the other way around. Marketing will not work with a passive attitude; sometimes you’ve got to take matters into your own hands and make a move.

  3. When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. Listening has always been the heart of marketing ever since it was conceived. Everything used to be so simple, but with today’s technology and rapid evolution, things can easily become more problematic. The demand for people who truly listen has never been this high.

  4. The shortest answer is doing the thing. All the sources of information that we need are readily available to you, and all you need to do is look for wisdom and knowledge from the right places. But in marketing, there are times when the only way to know for sure is when you engage yourself in the situation. You can’t really apply someone else’s experience into your own – you’ve got to o out there yourself.

  5. The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. Marketing is all about relationships – new, existing, and old. Trust is the backbone of relationships, and in this complicated industry, trust is hard to come by. The ultimate test is to trust people, trust the system, trust the process, and trust yourself.

  6. My big fish must be somewhere. At the end of the day, all your efforts will not have been wasted. Marketers are used to dealing with rejections and failure but the important thing is resiliency, coupled with an optimistic certainty your success is just around the corner. Grab it.

Smart moves: Four Inspiring Examples of Marketing Brilliance

/in /by

 

The best marketing maneuvers ever conceived mostly came out of necessity rather than brain work  Nevertheless, the will and courage to seize those opportunities are still commendable traits of those who executed the moves, and they will always be remembered as benchmarks for other marketers to emulate genius in their craft.

These 4 remarkable (and arguably classic) examples of sheer marketing brilliance will leave you with the following good advice:

  • Be clever.
  • Do it with a cause.
  • Innovate.
  • Take risks.

BE CLEVER. The Puma –Pelè Connection In the 60’s to the 70’s, Pelè was the greatest soccer player in the world (he’s semi-Portuguese, so he only uses his first name). During the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, shoe companies Puma and Adidas decided NOT to bid for Pelè’s sponsorship to avoid brand wars and lose a lot of publicity money. The decision would come from Pelè himself (who was playing for Brazil). In the final game against Italy, Pelè ultimately decided to go with Puma, and before the opening kick, he asked the referee for extra time so he could tie his shoelace. The cameras zoomed into him, panned down and that’s when everybody saw that he was wearing Puma shoes (to the dismay of Adidas). It was found out later that it was part of the act and Pelè was actually paid $25,000 to tie his shoes at that exact moment. That clever exposure increased Puma’s sales multifold and made it a household name ever since.

DO IT WITH A CAUSE. Oakley and the Chilean miners In August 2010, 33 miners were caved-in at an old copper-gold mine in Copiapó, Chile. They survived a record of 69 days trapped underground with limited food and ventilation. A few days before the rescue mission was coming to a success, eye wear company Oakley donated 35 pairs of high-end sunglasses (normally sold at $180) for the miners. Living without sunlight for 2 months they would need those sunglasses to avoid serious damage to their eyes once they get out. As a result, the whole world watched as each surviving miner came out of the hole wearing Oakley shades. Because of their noble service, their sales also skyrocketed into record heights.  

INNOVATE. Coca-Cola and the modern-day Santa Clause Before 1930, Santa Claus has always been depicted as a green-clothed elf who looked more like the ones in the Lord of the Rings films. Although there were other versions of him being a real person wearing red, it was only until soda company Coca-Cola introduced a new Santa Claus who was jollier, stouter and was sporting a flowing white beard. The red color also became the standard for him as it went well together to the company’s official color.

TAKE RISKS. Nike and Michael Jordan In the early 80’s, struggling shoe company Nike signed a rookie NBA player, who, despite of his athletic abilities and natural charm, has not achieved anything yet at that point. His name was Michael Jordan. Back then, NBA players were required to wear predominantly white shoes, and because of the vivid red and black colors of his Air Jordan shoes, Michael Jordan was fined $5000 per game for violating the rule. Nike instructed Michael to keep wearing the shoes and later on reimbursed him with his expenses for paying the fine (which were cheaper compared to the sales generated by the brand). Because of the shoes’ unstoppable popularity, NBA eventually decided to allow colored shoes in the league, and Air Jordan went on to become the highest-selling shoe brand in history.

Pages