Branding

Image Courtesy: Adweek

This week, while flipping through the latest issue of Marie Claire, a page that caught my eye—it was chock-full of statistics and quick hits of advice, organized well and filled with fun graphics. As I read through the piece, I finally settled on the small but bold logo at the bottom of the page. I was reading an advertisement, seamlessly folded into the pages of Marie Claire, practically posing as an article.

Native advertising, which mimics content and is less intrusive to readers (although a proper definition is debated), has emerged as a buzzword in the ad world. As publications crunch numbers to support their news content, advertising has become an essential source of revenue—fellow Prosekian Julia discussed this topic in September. Yet creating compelling ads for a generation of readers who want their news quicker than ever has become a challenge. Native advertising offers a unique alternative to traditional banner ads, and has already proven more effective in attracting eyeballs.

Recently, native advertising came to the forefront of conversation with Yahoo!’s acquisition of Tumblr, a pioneer in this strategy. Tumblr Radar positions brands’ posts in a reserved section on every user’s dashboard, and users can pay to promote their own blogs. Although Tumblr wasn’t able to fully monetize native ads, a company like Yahoo! may give this strategy the kick it needs to drive revenue. Certainly, the 17.5 billion page views that Tumblr generates daily may become a hotbed for ads, but Tumblr also offers Yahoo! a platform where readers are actively seeking compelling content, sponsored or not.

So, as blogs like Tumblr and Buzzfeed (also a major player in the native ad space) begin to blur the lines of editorial and advertising, what does this mean for traditional, trusted media outlets?

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1 Comment » Written on June 13th, 2013 by
Categories: Advertising, Branding, Communication, Journalism, Media, Public Relations
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The Week Unpeeled

Summer seemed to sizzle a bit last week despite an end-of-week slump in the markets.  (Although the Dow lost more than 200 points Friday—amid some reports of a leaked Fed report showing concerns about how QE2 easing may fare—the blue chip barometer ended May 1.86 percent higher and the S&P 2.08 percent higher.)

Quite a bit elsewhere, nonetheless:

  • Moo Shu for everyone:  China bid on Smithfield – the world’s largest hog farm and pork processor -- for approximately $4.7 billion, which if approved (and lots of leverage for US negotiators, regulators here!) would be the largest Chinese takeover of a US firm;
  • Closer to home:  Stakeholders okayed a plan for an Empire State Building IPO, expected to be $1 billion or the second largest REIT IPO ever, and no doubt a chance to light the top green;
  • US home prices soared at its fastest pace in seven years;
  • David Petraeus, former CIA chief and army general, joined KKR;
  • BuzzFeed continues to make news of its own with the debut of CNN BuzzFeed, a YouTube channel;
  • NewsCorp unveiled its new logo for its not-yet-launched publishing unit, a cursive version of its name (based on founder Rupert Murdoch’s handwriting), a decidedly non-digital look for a media group; and
  • Playing Doubles?: Peter Lattman of The New York Times DealBook fame reviewed Jimmy Connors new memoir, “The Outsider,” showing perhaps Wall Street can easily translate into sport. End of Story
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No Comments » Written on June 3rd, 2013 by
Categories: Branding, From the News, Media Navel Gaze, Wall Street
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Balthazar LondonBalthazar restaurant in New York carries a lot of meaning at Prosek Partners. About half of our firm had their first interview there, with me, over breakfast. Keith McNally’s well-known spot is around the corner from my former apartment and always provided a great atmosphere for morning conversation. So when Balthazar opened in London, I was excited to check it out.

This week, while visiting my colleagues across the pond, I had an opportunity to pop in and see Balthazar London firsthand. And when I walked through the door I was utterly shocked. The place is an exact replica - to the point where I kept thinking I'd be walking out on Spring Street upon leaving.

As I stepped back and thought about the experience, I was struck by the fact that Balthazar truly is a masterful example of how to maintain consistent brand standards. McNally has matched every light bulb, napkin and booth and the menu is the same. I should be impressed (our profession is obsessed with consistent brand standards, right?), but I couldn't help thinking that some small nod to the differences between New York and London and the cultures of the British and American people would be appropriate. For example should the shrimp on the menu in London not be called prawns? And despite London vernacular, the frites weren't called chips.

I walked away feeling both awestruck and unsettled. For a marketer like me, that is an oxymoron-like emotion, one that has left me still thinking about the Balthazar double take. End of Story

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No Comments » Written on April 26th, 2013 by
Categories: Branding, Miscellaneous Musings, Unboxed Lunch
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Change is inevitable, we’re told. Gone are the days of shouldering boomboxes while grooving down the street. That boombox fits in your pocket now and plays straight into only your ears, so no one has to know that you’re rocking out to Call Me Maybe on your way to meeting that big client. While it’s easier to adapt to the times as an individual, many big companies are starting to catch on. Add Gannett, via the USA Today, to that list.

To celebrate its 30th birthday, America’s second-most circulated newspaper has fully revamped its hard-copy and digital layout. The first new edition was published today.

It starts with the new logo. Gone is the globe with wind trails behind it from back when illustrating motion was cutting edge technology. This old globe is now a solid blue dot. It shows that today you can get your news from any city, at any time.

A new beta website, which will stream live coverage at times, is launching this weekend. The full website will launch later this fall, and a new mobile and tablet app is also on the way. You, the reader, will now have your own page called “Your Say”, where your Facebook and Twitter commentary will contribute to the editorial and opinion sections.

Synergy seems to be the goal here. There will be an emphasis on making the newspaper’s print layout read like it were a website. Parent company Gannet’s local publications will also have a stronger presence in the national spotlight when big stories break in their regions. Print reporters are also being given videographer duties, and live news reports will at times broadcast through the USA Today site.

There’s been a lot of concern about the end of the newspaper industry thanks to technology. But I’ve long believed that the industry wasn’t so much dying, it just needed to process how to adjust to the times. Once it figured out how to use technology to its advantage, it would again prosper. While this remodeling is certainly not the final solution, USA Today’s push towards multi-platform integration is certainly a step in the right direction.

So what do you think of the bold move? Will it keep the paper in print for another 30 years or is it staving off the inevitable? Share in the comments and be sure to check out what people are saying on Twitter at #newusatoday, and be sure to tweet us your thoughts at @ProsekPR! End of Story

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3 comments Written on September 14th, 2012 by
Categories: Branding, From the News, Marketing
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I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the “proper” use of social media. Having recently graduated from college, I’m used to social media being used in its true sense… socially. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and blogs are not part of a “brand management” campaign in the eyes of the average college student.

In my experience, a blog or social feed (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) will only be followed or “liked” if the brand, content or cause is something that the follower would want to broadcast to their whole network. For example, when I started working at Prosek Partners, I immediately updated my LinkedIn page so that my entire network could find out about the great company I was working for. The brand of Prosek reflected something that I was proud of sharing with my LinkedIn connections. However, as I have further deepened my understanding and interaction with social media from a business perspective over the last few months I’ve repeatedly seen companies trying to create a “social media brand” that is unique from its core business brand. This doesn’t seem to make much sense. At the end of the day, no matter how much I love my Knockaround sunglasses, I’m not going to like them on Facebook because I don’t feel compelled to broadcast my preferred eyewear in the same way I did my excitement for joining Prosek.

My brother-in-law recently sent me this article from Inc. magazine that finally addressed this issue of social media brand disconnect. Jeff Haden did a bit of research on the subject and ended up interviewing Shama Kabani, author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing. Kabani’s point is relatively simple: social media is not as much about connecting with other people as it is about explaining and building your own personal image. So while I’m not likely to promote a brand for brand’s sake, I might join a group or discussion that allows me to be part of a culture or conversation that I feel will further develop my personal brand. Kabani argues that if companies think about their consumers and what kind of image they want to project, they can more easily engage with them on all social media platforms.

What do you think is the best way to promote a brand’s image on social media sites? Where do you draw the line on your “likes” on Facebook? Share away within the comments. End of Story

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2 comments Written on July 26th, 2012 by
Categories: Branding, Public Relations, Social Media
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