More Guerrilla Marketing

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Enjoy these great examples of effective and eye-opening guerrilla marketing efforts that bust through everyday clutter!

Via Creative Guerrilla Marketing dot com

Cause Related Marketing Part III

Catch up on Part 1 and Part 2

          Looking to participate in a CRM campaign? Here are a few pointers, if you will, that you should follow while considering a CRM project. I have chosen to analyze: identifying the right issue or cause, communicate the partnership message, integrate the campaign, and track the results. First and foremost, the organizations involved need to have a related message/cause. For example, Tide laundry detergent has been traveling across the United States with huge tucks with built-in washing machines and dryers that are available for homeless shelters to take advantage of. This is a great example of a company aligning themselves with a related cause. Next, the partner message must be communicated properly. Aside from being connected, the company and cause involved need to convey a message that is consistent and effectively displayed. Integration of the campaign is also a very important aspect of the project. Correlating and integrating your message through all media vehicles is essential for not only success, but also for consumers to understand and retain the message. Lastly, tracking results is a no-brainer! If you can’t show that the campaign is effective or working successfully, then why do it? If companies follow these guidelines, they will have a much better chance of pulling off a thriving venture.
          People are learning that CRM can be done effectively and help their brand image and reputation, which is what, in time, will increase sales and profits. Some companies participate in CRM for the wrong reasons. They expect to immediately see sales fly through the roof when they partner with a nonprofit or a cause. Companies go into a CRM effort with the mindset that if they slap a good cause on their packaging, they’ll be rich in a week and consumers will eat it up. Overall, I think that CRM, if done effectively and thoughtfully, will increase “sales”, awareness, brand image, respect, and overall opinion of both parties involved (company and non-profit organization/cause) over time. Companies need to be in it for the long-haul and show dedication throughout the process.

Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing can be defined as programs designed to obtain instant results using limited resources by relying on creativity, quality relationships, and the willingness to try new approaches. This amazingly outrageous marketing approach can be extremely effective if used correctly. These guerrilla marketing ideas need to have a high level of innovation and creativity, but then multiply that by 7, then put that result on steroids. This style of marketing involves interacting with consumers and engaging them in a message as opposed to forcing a message on them. By getting customers to react or do something, the marketing effort increases the chance that the message will be retained and reflected upon.

Traditional Marketing Efforts:                                       Guerrilla Marketing Efforts:

- Requires money                                                      - Requires imagination, creativity, and a vision

- Results measured by sales                                      - Results measured by profits and satisfaction

- Uses marketing to increase sales                             - Uses marketing to gain and retain customers

- Aims messages at large groups                                - Aims messages at small groups or individuals

In a very short time, or even now, "traditional" marketing efforts will become more and more like what we know "guerrilla" marketing efforts as. Agencies are becoming more creative and they are able to target specific demographic markets as well as local and hyperlocal geographic areas. Nonetheless, Guerrilla marketing is a very exciting and fun style of marketing and it is turning heads around the world. 

There's no doubt about it, these clutter busters are the way of catching attention. Below I have included some perfect examples of guerrilla marketing courtesy of Creative Guerrilla Marketing dot com! If you like what you see here, please visit their awesome site!

Marketing Gets a Bad Rap

Don't you think? A lot of people out there don't take marketing seriously. Many believe it is full of frills, manipulation, and promises that can't be delivered. If you think these things are true, you are talking or interacting with the wrong people. Marketing is the reason why we know about companies. It's responsible for how we view and perceive businesses. Marketing has the ability to provide an image or face, if you will, for a company. If consumers aren't aware of your company or they have a negative perception of your company, you won't get any business. So smile and appreciate marketing for the art/science it is!

Cause Related Marketing Part II

Catch up on Part I here.         

          There are six main types of CRM arrangements, also referred to as “weaponry.” These options include: advertising, public relations, sponsorship, licensing and direct marketing, facilitated giving, as well as purchase-triggered donations. The one option that consumers see the most often are purchase-triggered donations. These can be found at various stores, more specifically, Gap which promotes the RED campaign that strives to end world hunger and find a cure for AIDS. Customers are asked if they would like to donate money to a specific cause, and if so, their bill or receipt will be x amount of dollars larger. I believe that this is not an effective way of communicating a message between the company, non-profit organization, and the consumer because there is no passion or outreach associated with the donation. Sure, it’s good for the cause, but I feel like there should be more interaction for the user. Overall, I think that public relations can be effective if used properly, but most people view it as a desperate cry for attention or viewage. Personally, I believe that sponsorships, facilitated giving, and direct marketing are the ones that prove to be most effective, simply due to the fact that the message or brand isn’t being shoved down your throat. Sure sponsorships can be overwhelming and direct marketing may seem too drastic, but many companies have teamed up with non-profits to increase awareness for both parties, in a respectful and peaceful way.

          The benefits of Cause Related Marketing are also discussed in the article. I think the most important ones discussed are community support, motivated and loyal employees, and reinforced company mission. The whole idea behind CRM is to better the place we live in. This should be the only benefit companies should worry about. I also think that motivated and loyal employees are a great benefit, because if people love where they work and what they do, then they themselves are happier people and will make the community a better place to be. Reinforcing the mission is another great benefit. If a company partners with a cause that correlates and integrates with their belief, purpose, and practices, the campaign has the potential to be extremely successful for everyone involved.

Cause Related Marketing Part 3 will be coming shortly!  

Your Content Used for Ads on Facebook?

I just came across an article that discusses how Facebook is testing a new ad system that uses content, status updates, and posts of current users for advertisements. For example, I "like" Breckenridge Ski Resort on Facebook. Lets say that I make a status that tags Breckenridge and explains how much fun I had there this season, or I post something on their wall about how I love their resort. That content, based on this new ad system, could be used as an advertisement for that company. This will take advertising to the next level. These statements are more or less testimonials, and are extremely effective since word-of-mouth and beliefs of people in our network are some of the most important factors consumers consider before trying/buying a product or service.

But will this cause problems? Perhaps. I can see people strictly making posts about things just to get their 15 seconds of fame. Another aspect that could be an issue is that some people might not want others to see their opinions about specific products or services. Plus, some individuals will naturally be concerned with privacy issues. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Facebook's new ad system works out. It is anticipated to raise over $2 billion in ad revenue. What are your thoughts?

Cause Related Marketing Part I

          “Cause for Marketing or Marketing for Cause?” Prashant Kumar, author of this article, addresses Cause Related Marketing (CRM). CRM can be defined as a hybrid type of marketing that companies implement to try to connect their corporate identity to a positive cause or nonprofit organization. In recent years CRM is becoming more prevalent for a widespread number of companies. 

          These organizations are realizing that they need to have a perceptible sense of social responsibility in their practices, sales, operations, and all communities affected by these things. Another reason for CRM’s growth is that public-opinion research has become that effective cause programs can enhance a company’s reputation and brand image and increase the credibility of its marketing effort while giving customers a convenient way to contribute to nonprofit organizations through their purchasing decisions.”These increasing involvement of companies in cause related actions have led to the growth of CRM. The article looks at one success story about American Express and their campaign to raise money for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. American Express was pledged to donate one dollar with the issue of every new card and one cent when card holders made a purchase. The results were staggering; $1.7 million dollars were donated towards the cause. The Statue of Liberty was not the only satisfied part. American Express card usage increased by a confounding 28%, along with an increase of 45% of new cardholders. This was one of the very first successful cause related marketing efforts that helped all parties involved: the cause at hand, the company supporting the cause, and the consumers giving to the cause.

Please keep a lookout for Cause Related Marketing Part 2 and 3 coming soon!

Video Bio: Next "Must Have" for Job Seekers?

One of my IMC Professors, Dr. Linda Showers, passed along this article to me today, which discussed the intriguing topic regarding video bios. Personally, I can see this aspect of telling your story becoming an essential for all college students who are actively searching for jobs. If students keep the videos to strictly a bio, instead of a video resume, it has potential to be the next expected standard for job candidates.

I can remember when I created my LinkedIn profile a couple of years ago, I thought to myself, "I honestly don't see how this will help me network and find people and jobs," granted, I was not too familiar with how LinkedIn worked, and it wasn't too popular at the time. But LinkedIn caught on BIG TIME and became an absolute must-have for all professionals. This video bio option has the potential to really catch on, set individuals apart from the crowd, and be a necessity in one's job search.

Advantages:
• It gives employers a glimpse of your personality
• You can elaborate on your personal story, which can't be told in a cover letter or resume
• Has the potential to build your brand/image and set yourself apart from others

Disadvantages
• Videos are staged
• They could seem fake or artificial
• If they feature poor video or production quality, it could hurt your brand

Overall, *if the production quality is professional,* and the individual isn't over-top-fake or cheesy, I'd say go for it! Set yourself apart! I might just have to look into this and have a professional video bio made. What do you think?

Behance Profile Using Facebook Color Codes

I recently edited my Behance Creative Profile to look like a Facebook profile by using the same colors. It looked great and very fresh, but I want to switch up my profile’s look for a bit. By using the eyedropper tool in Illustrator, I was able to get the exact color codes that Facebook uses for their sight. You could use these codes for any profile you can customize with color codes, even Twitter!

• Facebook Blue: 3C5A97 

               - Color of the logo, top panel, and names/links

• Facebook Light Blue/Gray: ECEEF2

               - Color of the background for the like or comment sections

• Facebook Text: 3B3B3B

               - You guessed it, the color of the text Facebook uses

Now, these are the sections and corresponding codes for the Behance profile.

General

Back: FFFFFF           Line: ACACAC

Headers

Box: 3C5A97              Text: F5F5F5

Profile Tools

Box: ECEEF2             Link: 3C5A97

Panels

Back: EFEFEF           Line: ACACAC

Text: 3B3B3B             Link: 3C5A97

Project Covers

Box 1: EFEFEF          Link: 3C5A97

Box 2: 3C5A97           Line: ACACAC

Text: 3B3B3B             Field: FFFFFF

Comments

Text: 3B3B3B             Link: 3C5A97

For all of you visual learners out there, I have included a screenshot of what you will see when you are editing your profile’s colors as well as a screenshot displaying what your profile will look like when you apply the Facebook color codes. I hope this helps everyone! I know I searched for Facebook’s color codes for a long time, which led me to just do it myself. Get customizing!

 

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Illinois State University - State Farm Hall of Business

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Chicago Skyline from Lake Michigan