Reason 1

You’re not put together
It is one thing to be a reputable and wise company blessed with many years of success. However, it’s quite another to have a site that looks old, washed up, and like it was designed and launched in 1997. No matter the product, service, or content displayed, if it looks dated, you can bet users will take one look and walk (click) away.

So how do you know if a face-lift is a must? Check your measurements. Your average number of page views, average time spent on site, and task completion rate, that is. What’s needed to look sophisticated and innovative? A harmonious design. Your site needs to be balanced appropriately, ensuring content, white space, and images complement one another to create perfect equilibrium and cater to the expectations of your audience. Make sure the look and feel of your site is inviting, trustworthy, and current, and your prospects will be seeing you as the complete package in no time.

Reason 2

You’re just looks
To turn a visitor into a prospect, you need to create a truly beautiful web experience that pays as much attention to the perceived credibility of your site as it does to the usability and function of your design.

Pages that require users to scroll more than two screen lengths are asking for a considerable amount of engagement. So if it’s a must for your site, make sure that you’re paying close attention to the structure of those pages. Is there a logical order to the content being displayed that will encourage the visitor to scroll? Are you balancing an appropriate amount of white space and imagery with text so that the page doesn’t seem overwhelming? Navigation also plays a crucial role. Remember that your website should be designed for your users. Be sure your site carries them logically and intuitively through the information on your site that they’re there to find.

Reason 3

You’re socially inept
No one wants to date someone who is socially awkward or appears to be a loner. Letting your social status shine on your website will increase your chances of building more than just your social circle. It will increase your opportunities for business growth as well. It’s not about “going social” because everyone’s doing it — it’s about being where your clients and prospects are. So be sure to prominently link to your social properties from your site if you’d like to cash in on the channel that is changing the way the world communicates.

Reason 4

You’re too closed off
Have trouble opening up and explaining who you really are? It sounds simple, but it’s absolutely vital. If people have trouble finding the essentials on your site, they’re bound to dump it for one that meets their standards and provides what they’re looking for. Ditch the industry jargon and wordy explanations of what your business does and cut to the chase. And again, remember who you’re designing your website for. Consider what it is that they’re hoping to find first. Then, frame the design of your website around your prospects desired action paths.

Reason 5

You’re not dependable
In August 2010, Firefox held 45.8 percent of the browser market, followed closely by Internet Explorer with 30.7 percent, Chrome with 17 percent, Safari with 3.5 percent, and Opera with 2.3 percent. If you aren’t testing the design and functionality of your site across multiple browsers, you’re losing business.

The same rule applies for screen resolution. While 76 percent of users are now browsing the web on a machine that has a resolution higher than 1024×768, pay close attention to the content that user might not be seeing if they’re browsing at a lower resolution.

How dependable is your web hosting service? Does it provide advanced features and truly support your website? If your host isn’t aiding your professional image, it’s definitely time to look for a new provider — one that will ensure your needs and encourage your company’s growth. What two characteristics should you look for in a web hosting company? Security (virus-free systems) and reputation (current and past clients). An inconsistent web host can make any website appear faulty.

Just like dating expectations, realizing the necessities for a well-rounded site can definitely seem overwhelming. Relax, and don’t become intimidated. The initial step for ensuring your site is a winner is to take a step back and look in the mirror (your site). Make sure you critique every angle of your site and be sure to ask yourself valid questions. Are you satisfied with your presence? Is information clearly displayed? Are you having trouble navigating and finding paths to conversions? If you aren’t impressed with you site, then you can bet visitors aren’t either. And remember — disappointing websites and dates often don’t receive second chances.

Source:  iMediaConnection

By Lisa Wehr September 27, 2010

Email is the lifeblood of many organizations, yet it is amazing how poorly so many people use email. Read More

Fox has reportedly sold 90% of its ad spots for the upcoming Super Bowl, which will be played in Texas on Feb. 6.

Experts are projecting that prices are running at about $3 million for a :30 spot.

Strong NFL Season So Far

If early ratings are any indication of things to come, the Super Bowl has a chance of once again seeing record viewers. Last Thursday’s season opener was the best-ever kickoff for the NFL, and ESPN’s airing of Monday Night Football also broke records. That show was up 7% over last year in 18-49s, averaged a 10.5 rating, and was the best opening night for Monday Night Football since the game moved from broadcast to cable four years ago.

Ads for last February’s game averaged about $2.8 million for a :30 spot, though some ads brought in as much as $3 million.

I don’t know about you but I couldn’t imagine spending $3 million dollars on ONE :30 sec spot.  Many marketers don’t even reach spending $1 million dollars over the course of an entire year.

On a pure TV-impression alone, one can argue that the Super Bowl has become such an unusual magnet for consumer attention and recall.  Marketers must reach beyond the TV across multiple platforms to engage with their customers.

It’s just not as simple as “buying” high-reach media.  The audience nowadays is much more fragmented than ever making them harder to reach.

What do you think?  Is a $3 million dollar spot in the Super Bowl worth it?

Bozell Managing Principal, Robin Donovan, was quoted a recent issue of the  Omaha World-Herald as an advertising expert giving her opinion about Drake University’s new logo. The article is below or can be found at omaha.com.

DRAKE’S NEW LOGO GETS AN ‘F’

Drake University wanted to break through the noise and the clutter and grab the attention of young people searching for the right college.

So, it picked a symbol of academic mediocrity: “D+”

That got attention from a host of critics, including university faculty and alumni. Publications from Ad Week to the Chronicle of Higher Education wrote critical articles.

Despite, the criticism, Drake says the D+ campaign — The Drake Advantage: your potential + our opportunities — appears to be performing as intended since it launched earlier this year. Tom Delahunt, Drake’s vice president for admission, cited a 63 percent increase in admission inquiries over last summer and more than twice the visits to its admissions web page, even before the campaign garnered national attention.

The campaign highlights what the university has to offer, and the website notes: “When it comes to choosing the college that fits you best, there’s simply no higher grade.”

Yet advertising experts consulted by The World-Herald described the effort as shortsighted, saying the association with mediocrity could cause long-term damage to an institution of higher learning.

“It’ll break though the clutter, but make them more of a laughingstock,” said Robin Donovan, an owner of Omaha-based advertising agency Bozell.

Adam Wagler, an advertising lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said “D+” could wreck Drake’s brand equity.

“It may be pretty efficient right this second, gets some laughs, gets some web traffic,” Wagler said. “But at the end of the day, it’s an academic institution … and how does something like that serve them?”

The campaign came from a desire by the university to differentiate its recruiting materials from others in the mailbox full of propaganda that deluges prospective college students, Delahunt said.

University officials wanted something eye-catching. Their ad agency, Stamats, of Cedar Rapids, produced a handful of concepts. “D+” got the biggest response from a 921-person sampling of 15- to 17-year-olds, Drake’s target audience.

“61 percent said they would ask for more information,” Delahunt said. “Only 3 percent had a negative response to it.”

“We found a way to get them to read, to get them to want to know more about our university.”

Delahunt pointed out the campaign was aimed at high school students, not adults. The younger generation is different, he said. He has two teenage daughters himself, who, like their peers, spend a great deal of time watching “The Daily Show” and “South Park.”

“They get irony, they get sarcasm,” he said. “That’s the world they live in.”

Faculty members have been some of the harshest critics. Delahunt said if he had to do it over again, he would have informed the faculty of the D+ campaign before its debut.

Whether the campaign is ultimately successful depends on the quality of next year’s incoming class, Delahunt said. He pointed out the average ACT score for incoming Drake students is 27 and the average GPA is 3.7. The university is highly regarded. In the latest U.S. News rankings of Midwest regional universities in which Creighton University was ranked No. 1, Drake is ranked No. 3.

And the campaign is not limited to a big logo of an undesirable grade. It also includes information on Drake’s academic rigor and vocational opportunities, plus life in Des Moines.

Wagler, the UNL advertising lecturer, is from Iowa and aware of Drake’s academic reputation. He was so amused by an article on the D+ campaign he posted it to his Facebook page.

“I thought it sounded like a Far Side cartoon,” he said.

Donovan said large companies have rejected such campaigns outright, no matter how clever. No advertising campaign should create a negative image for the product it is trying to promote.

“People who are in these big businesses know this, so they will never let an agency get away with something like this,” she said.

Donovan recalled an effort in Hartford, Conn., in the 1980s where a company called Wiremold auditioned advertising campaigns for a product that ran wiring under carpet. One agency came up with an idea seemingly edgy and brilliant: Wiremold is going under.

Wiremold officials stopped the presentation, Donovan said, and asked the agency representatives to leave.

“Smart people came up with it,” she said. “But smarter people would have thrown it away.”

That didn’t happen with Drake’s campaign.

“It’s a cheap trick, and sometimes cheap tricks work,” Donovan said. “But I think the potential costs are too high on this one.”

The Dallas Cowboys are the most popular NFL team in the US, according to recent data from The Nielsen Company.

Cowboys Earn Perfect Score
According to The Nielsen Sports Media Exposure Index, which measures media exposure on TV and online, the Cowboys were the most popular NFL team in America last season. The Cowboys earned a perfect score of 100 on the index, far surpassing the runner-up Pittsburgh Steelers, who finished with an index score of 81.

The Cowboys’ top ranking was boosted by first-place showings in two of the four categories tallied by Nielsen.

The other two categories, local team ratings and total buzz volume, were captured by the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints and New York Giants, respectively.

Vikings Climb, Redskins Fall
The Cowboys have held the top spot in each of the last two years. The Steelers moved up from third to second, swapping places with the Giants. The Minnesota Vikings, likely aided by the addition of top-performing quarterback Brett Favre, climbed from 13th place in 2008 to a tie for fourth with the Green Bay Packers, a former team of Favre’s, in the 2009 regular season ranking. The Washington Redskins, meanwhile, dropped from fifth in 2008 to 11th in 2009.

NFC Captures America’s Hearts
The NFL is divided into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC). NFC teams dominated the 2009 rankings. Seven of the top 10 teams represented the NFC, while the Steelers, Indianapolis Colts (tied for eighth with the Saints) and New England Patriots (10th) were the only three AFC teams to crack the top third of the list.

Giants, Raiders Outperform Local Rivals
Some markets have more than one NFL team to choose from, the most prominent being New York and the Northern California Bay Area. Among the two New York teams, the Giants had the most media exposure, ranking 15 spots ahead of the Jets.

In the Bay Area, even despite drawing 38% lower local market ratings than their local rivals, the Oakland Raiders were the most popular national brand, ranking two spots ahead of the San Francisco 49ers (25th vs. 27th).

Who is your favorite professional team? How do they stack up?

Source:  The Nielsen Company

The once popular Bloglines RSS feed reader service will be shutting down on October 1^st. I used the service regularly for a couple of years to keep up with numerous industry and personal interest websites. Over the last couple of years though I just seemed to slowly abandon it. It looks as though I was not alone.

The current operators of the service at ask.com noted that the major uptick in the usage of services like Twitter and Facebook have destroyed usage of feed aggregation services. I think it makes total sense for users to make this move. While feed readers are very helpful they still require you to define specific RSS feeds to be pulled in. Social networks are different in that you can subscribe to feeds (if published through sites like Twitter) but also get individual articles from relevant users and brands you wish to follow. These services also allow for you to comment on the material and easily share it again with your followers and friends.

So while I am saddened that Bloglines will be going offline, I am thankful for the time we spent together.

Last week Google unveiled its new search titled Google Instant. This new search process allows for users to search real-time and tailor their query as results are automatically presented to them. For users this will mean the end of the search button and vast improvement in finding relevant results.

Not everything we see is a bed of roses however. With the old auto complete technology Google would provide the user with potential search queries based on the terms typed into the search box. This alone would drive the user to perform a specific search. With this new instant technique, we are allowing Google to provide even more direction into how we search for what we want. The risk here is we are allowing Google to make decisions for us regarding how we articulate our thought processes.

While this new search process may benefit users, what does it ultimately mean for marketers?

Google will now consider any search result that remains presented on the screen for three or more seconds an impression. This could ultimately result in a lower click through rate for search results. If users take a longer time to search due to slow typing or pause during their search to respond to another immediate need they may trigger two or more impressions when unintended.

This new search may also increase the number of long tail searches and reduce those for basic terms such as “car repair”.  If a user searches for this term they are immediately provided with search options relevant to the users physical location. This will ultimately reduce the number of searches for the primary term and therefore make local or long tail keywords that much more important.

Another important note is the visibility of brands in this new search. If you type the letter “e” in the search box your suggestions will be eBay, ESPN, Expedia and Eminem. This could make it tougher for smaller brands to achieve the same suggestion level as national brands.

It will be very interesting to see how this new search plays out for both users and marketers. One thing can be assured in that the results we see today will not be what we see in the future. We must remain vigilant and modify our thinking and processes to ensure our campaigns and tactics are the most effective they can be even in the turbulent tides of search engine marketing and optimization.

SNL Kagan says U.S. ad spending will climb nearly 3% this year, to $210.5 billion.

That number will reach $214.3 billion next year, and by 2019, ad spending will total $275.8 billion, according to SNL Kagan.

Mobile, broadcast TV and the internet will see the biggest jumps in ad spending, while newspapers and business pubs will fall.

Newspaper ad spending plunged 29% in the second quarter of 2009, followed by a 27.9% drop in Q3 and a 23.7% drop in Q4. The newspaper ad decline slowed in the second quarter of 2010, though ad spending still fell 5.6%, according to the Newspaper Association of America.

Though ad losses are narrowing, newspapers are still struggling with significantly reduced ad revenue. In fact, the Q2 ad revenue of $6.44 billion is the lowest second-quarter total since the pre-internet year of 1985.

Internet ad spending will climb sharply, reaching an estimated $27.8 billion in 2011 (up from $4.7 billion in 1999) and more than double that – $60 billion – by 2019.

Cable TV will continue to stay strong, growing to $30.2 billion in 2011, up from $12 billion in 1999. Spending will reach $55.1 billion in 2019.

Dollars are shifting into new platforms. New media, such as mobile and internet advertising, continue to boom, while old media, particularly print, is increasingly losing its relevance.

Source:  MediaBuyerPlanner

Despite signs that the economic recovery is losing steam, the outlook for online holiday sales remains upbeat.

Still, the uncertain economy does pose complex challenges for retailers’ holiday season preparations. How they manage inventory will be a critical success factor, so smart retailers are working more closely with supply-channel partners to deal with different consumer-demand scenarios.

The same bargain-hunting attitude adopted during the past two holiday seasons is likely to define shopping behavior again this year. Consumers will go online to find coupons, compare prices on shopping engines and research items, even if they plan to buy them in-store.

Savvy consumers, knowing that retailers are posting some of their best Black Friday deals online, will shop the web on Black Friday from the comfort of their homes rather than rise early to face crowded stores. Those who do head to stores are likely to take their smartphones with them to compare other retailers’ prices for items of interest.

There are still many preparatory steps online retailers can take in the weeks leading up to the holiday shopping season. For example, they should stay up to date on the many changes taking place with search engines like Google and Bing and explore the best ways to capitalize on them. They can test their website performance for the large traffic volumes expected. They can set up gift centers to stimulate purchase ideas. And they can develop new email marketing strategies by analyzing purchase behavior from the past few holiday seasons.

Source:  eMarketer

(OMAHA, Neb. – August 30, 2010) The work of Bozell designers Carrie Ratcliff and Jill Rizzo is to be featured in the upcoming publication Fingerprint: The Art of Using Handmade Elements in Graphic Design, set to be released in spring of 2011.

Ratcliff and Rizzo’s chosen design was created for Porridge Papers, a paper-making and letterpress studio in Lincoln, Neb. Porridge Papers wanted to host a Sweet 16 themed anniversary party to celebrate 16 years in business. Ratcliff and Rizzo used handmade white, bubblegum scented paper to create the wide belly band and the number 16 was die cut out in stencil form. They carefully selected paper with fine shimmery sparkles and printed images from past newspaper articles featuring Porridge Papers. They used over 100 of Porridge Papers’ photos and documents for the wrap. Ratcliff also hand-lettered the invitation using neon ink which was then letter pressed onto thick paper that matched the belly band. This fun, dynamic design has also won many other awards in addition to being featured in Fingerprint.

“I love using handmade elements in design, and I’m so happy that Fingerprint has created more focus on this aspect of the industry,” Rizzo said. “I agree, and it creates an opportunity to see what handmade elements other designers across the country are incorporating into their graphic design,” Ratcliff added.

Fingerprint was created to highlight the design community’s passion for handmade elements and resistance to computer-only design work. The book showcases work created with varying media including mixed media, illustration, letterpress, screenprinting and collage. It also includes essays about incorporating handmade design elements by Debbie Millman, Jean Orlebeke, Jim Sherraden, Martin Venezky and Ross Macdonald.

Fingerprint is authored and designed by Chen Design Associates (CDA), a visual communications company based in San Francisco, Calif. CDA has been in business for close to 20 years and is focused on telling the stories of their clients’ businesses in bold and authentic terms. For more information, visit http://www.chendesign.com.

About Bozell
Bozell is a creative marketing communications company with offices in Omaha, Nebraska and Overland Park, Kansas. Bozell combines qualitative and quantitative methodology to get close to its clients’ customers. Bozell then uses advertising, digital marketing, dialogue relations, technology and innovative creative to provide targeted solutions for local, regional and national clients. For more information, visit www.bozell.com.