The Phelps Group Creative Strategies Blog

YouTube... to YouHuge in 3 steps

2012-02-06T20:56:00Z

You’ve put a lot of time and effort into making a great video that promotes your brand – but it will get you nowhere if nobody sees it. YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine and, according to one statistic, the amount of video content uploaded to YouTube is equivalent to 176,000 new feature films each week. Your video can easily get lost in that sea of content, but only if you let it. Here are three steps you can take right now to boost your YouTube views: Give your video an appropriate...(read more)

Add Star Power to Your Social Media

2011-10-17T21:37:00Z

Celebs as media? There are many ways to promote your brand with celebrity endorsements... the latest to hit the scene is Twitter. Not only is it a great way to kick-start the conversation online, but it also allows you to measure ROI, like you would on any paid advertising, by tracking new discussions prompted by the campaign. There is evidence that celebrity endorsements work. The Journal of Advertising Research published a study that found that sales for products endorsed by athletes go up by an...(read more)

How Balanced Are You?

2011-10-06T21:12:00Z

Imaginative, interesting, inspiring, observational and even scientific, Everynone's Symmetry struck a chord with a deep and creative look into the simplicity and balance of virtually everything. Opposites: actions and reactions, karma, or whatever you want to call it. Displaying questions rather than answers. In the end, there's something to be learned from Symmetry. Present-day technology has allowed us to create social networks, find answers faster than ever, shop, play games, watch re...(read more)

Ads on Social Games Overtake Banner Ads

2011-09-28T22:13:00Z

CityVille, one of the most popular social network games, has seen the number of monthly active users reach 77 million — more than the total population of France and Sweden. This and other relatively new social games are accelerating the trend with their simplicity and high level of engagement. Ads on social games have recently overtaken standard banner ads, providing much better click-through rates. More visible ad insertion and high engagement rate can strategically enhance brand awareness and promotional...(read more)

A "Pinteresting" Site for Retailers

2011-09-08T15:09:00Z

A new social media site is bringing together like-minded people with products they love in a fresh and innovative way. Retail marketers, meet a possible new best friend - Pinterest.com . Pinterest allows users to organize and share images they find on the Web. The site uses a pinboard to allow users to pin up these visuals and share them with other users in a completely socially networked environment. If you find someone whose boards you consistently like, you can follow them. People are using Pinterest...(read more)

My formal training in PR began when I worked as a bartender

2011-08-02T17:37:00Z

I learned the essentials to being a good PR pro when I slung drinks at a seafood dive. Be persuasive, clear and enthusiastic Whether it's greeting a guest who sits at the bar or securing approval on a PR proposal, both are best done with energy and sincere enthusiasm. Be clear about what you have to offer. Explain the drink specials or components of a strategy and believe in what you are recommending. If you know it's not in the client's best interest, charm won't help. Anticipate...(read more)

Will interactive Web 3-D ever die?

2011-07-12T16:14:00Z

It can be amazing, allowing you to view and interact with an object or scene in all perspectives. So why isn't it used by more brands? Well, there are a few reasons: It has a bad history, some don't believe it's necessary on the web and others consider it to be nothing more than eye candy. Yes, it's certainly not new, as it's been around for more than 20 years but, early on, it was just too dense and too soon to be practical. Adobe tried it with Atmosphere, Macromedia tried it...(read more)

Create loyalty that’s rewarding

2011-07-12T16:04:00Z

Affinity programs are designed to promote a long-term relationship and affect shoppers' buying habits. Three out of four Americans participate in some kind of rewards program — but the trick is winning them over. Choose an appropriate strategy . Referrals to new customers are good for one-time services; amount of money spent is better for multiple transactions or regularly used products. Target the right people . Half of sales can come from the top 10% most frequent shoppers. Gather as much information...(read more)

To YELP or not to YELP? Three ways to use it.

2011-07-11T20:33:00Z

According to Experian's figures and study on the factors that influence purchase decisions, online consumer reviews come in as the third most authoritative, with Yelp.com as the consumer portal leader. Reaching 45 million visitors in January 2011 and displaying more than 13 millions reviews, Yelp can be an effective tool that companies may want to consider. And it can be well utilized three ways: 1. As a reputation management tool. Seeing what your customers say about your business may help you...(read more)

"The greatest marketing trend in the world"

2011-06-20T17:41:00Z

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, known for his documentary, "Super Size Me," is back -- delving into entertainment-based marketing in his newest movie, "POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold." Spurlock's new film is a behind-the-scenes look into entertainment-based product placement, marketing and advertising. The best part is that he financed it completely through product placement, marketing and advertising - starting with the title. In the film, he illustrates...(read more)

Twitter's Promoted Products provide new ways to leverage your presence

2011-06-08T21:19:00Z

With more than 175 million users, 95 million Tweets per day and 370,000 new registrations daily, it is important to understand how to best leverage your business's Twitter presence. In 2010, Twitter revealed new ways advertisers can target users with their Promoted Products. Promoted Tweets allow account holders to get their Tweets in front of users who do not already follow their account, but follow similar feeds. These are regular Tweets that are targeted at users who search for keywords attached...(read more)

Dominate your next presentation... in style

2011-05-31T17:51:00Z

Presentations direct the way we do business today, so why not dominate the practice - by using tablet computers (like iPads) to enhance the interactivity of your presentation? Businesses are increasingly running presentations on tablets, which often prove to be more productive and efficient. Whether it is a structured sales presentation or a simple brainstorming session, here are a few iPad apps that can change the way you do business. 1. Power Presenter lets you display a presentation (Keynote and...(read more)

Measuring social media success

2010-11-23T04:05:00Z

How do you measure the success of your brand's social media efforts? It depends on your goal. It's tempting to simply look at your fan and follower count; however, unless your only goal is to win a popularity contest, it's not always the best way to measure success. For example, retailers don't measure the success of their store solely by the number of people that walk through the door. It's important to differentiate activity from results. Gathering fans is an activity; whether...(read more)

Can you make the logo BIGGER?

2010-11-23T04:02:00Z

In light of the current logo uproars faced by both GAP and MySpace , now is an opportune time to address the perennial graphic design question asked of advertisers: Can you make the logo bigger? We've all heard it. There are even several spoofs about it on YouTube . But, making the logo bigger isn't a branding strategy. It's just a logo - not a way to get into the hearts and minds of today's fragmented consumers who need to be engaged with your brand. If you think your logo is too...(read more)

What is user-experience design?

2010-11-23T03:59:00Z

You're probably familiar with terms like graphic design and website design, but what about user-experience (UX) design? What does this encompass? UX strives to create interfaces that meet users' needs, no matter what the platform - website, mobile site or iPad app. UX designers translate business goals into easy-to-use tools for users. They work meticulously, deliberately and step-by-step to fulfill those goals. For instance, when redesigning a website, UX designers consider the site from...(read more)