Last Blog Posting!

The material within the Global Marketing Class has been eye opening regarding the world of on-line marketing. I do not think I will ever look at a text or display ad the same way again. My eye is drawn to ads with each search I conduct on the internet. Now I think- why is that ad in this position on the page- what factors are the most important in its success? Is that an expensive keyword? Is it generating a lot of clicks or just impressions? I find myself counting the characters in ads since developing ads that fit within the character limit was a challenge.... The course has inspired me to create future blogs for Chatham's PA Program, where I work. It has also given me vast food for thought about what makes for success in any business with an on-line presence. It is not enough to bring the public to your site. They must be individuals who want your product (target audience) be drawn through your web site pages, completing the actions you want them to complete that will lead them towards conversion. I was previously aware that Google provided educational material on the web, but I really had no idea how much they have invested in courses for making Google Analytics (for example) highly accessible for all levels of learning. The videos we watched over the 14 weeks varied in quality; I found the Google Analytics Platform Principals to be highly digestible and very practical in scope. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone looking to increase their working knowledge of Google Analytics. I am looking forward to seeing how the Literary Arts Boom GOMC campaign turns out. We have already learned a great deal from the information generated already. Thank you Dr. Chung for this opportunity to learn about this exciting advertising tool in the real world sandbox!

BUS 572-4: Targeting Stories for Sales, Maximizing your Position

I love stories; the human element is enthralling & unpredictable. While a story captivates your attention, it also sells. Marketers of course know this & use it all the time. What do you do to revitalize a brand whose hero & namesake is no longer as visible to new generations?  You tell a new story, insert new characters and then find a way to make it self sustaining. The successful campaign launched by the marketing agency, Weiden+Kennedy, New York promoted the Jordan Brand via the character Leroy Smith and very targeted keyword advertising on the Google Display Network. Banner ads, display & text ads and links to a web site housing a motivational infomercial created buzz, intrigue and conversations about the brand itself. Though there was a great deal of potential in the six week campaign premise itself, if ads were not targeted at those who would be receptive (fan sites, basketball enthusiast blogs etc.), it might have fallen flat. 

Are you interested now? Do you want to know more about Leroy Smith? What lessons can you take from this campaign to hyper target your key audience? What character, image or tool would you use to create interest in your client’s web site or product if you were an ad agency? Does this make you re-consider the keywords you have selected?

This concept is further strengthened by the Google Display Network videos assigned for this week. Placement targeting allows an advertiser to be very specific in targeting their audience. The Leroy Smith campaign would be compatible with the sports and entertainment categories on the Google Display Network (GDN) Reserve. It is possible to target a niche within a larger interest set- these are the basketball blogs identified for targeting by the Leroy Smith campaign.Who is your real target-how specific would you like to get? 

 

In this week, the skill set gained is perhaps more a consideration of all the tools available for a well funded and extended campaign than a specific skill. Given unlimited funds I might utilize the GDN for awareness of Literary Arts Boom (LAB)-Would a Poetry Slam team like to volunteer with a teen poetry workshop given the knowledge that LAB offers them? Would a blog targeting Pittsburgh Teachers attract more teachers to book field trips to the LAB for their classes? Will local philanthropic writers donate funds to keep the LAB offering free classes?