Why Package Design is a Critical Decision for CBD Brands
Your CBD package design could be the difference between a lawsuit and increased profits. Work with our creative & production team and save your chances. Think package design is relatively unimportant? One billion unboxing videos on YouTube would beg to differ. Great packaging has become an ever more important differentiator — and CBD package design is no exception. Why brands need to get CBD package design right The CBD market is experiencing propulsive growth, as consumers use oil-infused products for everything from health and wellness applications to beauty and skin regimens. As one of the fastest-growing consumer markets, many businesses are eager to jump into the fray and claim a slice of that ever-growing pie. While that urgency is understandable, elements such as package design should not be de-emphasized in the race to get to market. Why? It’s simple: Great CBD package design is a competitive differentiator in a highly crowded market. CBD marketing ideas are subject to laws and CBD marketing regulations, and all designs must stay compliant. For years, CBD sat inside a “gray area” in terms of legality. The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill provided more clarity, legalizing CBD products on the federal level. Yet many restrictions remain in place, and some of these restrictions involve marketing and advertising. First, it’s important to understand that CBD companies are under much greater regulatory scrutiny. If there is a misstep, fines and penalties may be assessed. This means that brands must exercise caution when determining what to include on their packaging. CBD products need to be designated as either a food item or a health supplement. This may sound straightforward, but it’s not — many CBD products exist in the space where foods and supplements overlap. Once this determination is made, an FDA-approved food or supplement label needs to be affixed to each package. Sellers must also include many of the standard labeling items: Product volume Ingredient list Nutritional breakdown Potency Brand information It’s also important to be aware that packaging and labeling requirements vary by jurisdiction. Indiana, for example, requires CBD package design to contain QR codes that can be used to reveal information about batch numbers, lab results, expiration dates, CBD / THC content, etc. One more critical consideration: Brands need to be exceedingly cautious about making medical claims. The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission have been cracking down on CBD brands that make unsupported health or medical claims about their products. The FDA alone targeted more than 450 CBD websites in 2018 for making unsupported marketing claims. This means any claims found on packaging need to be fully vetted and beyond dispute. Language that emphasizes words such as “natural,” “sustainable,” “healing,” etc. is far less likely to draw regulatory attention than language that makes a claim such as “CBD oil can be used to treat / cure” a specific disease. CBD package design aesthetics In addition to compliance, it’s also important to consider aesthetics. In this case, it’s essential to consider your audience. CBD brands that target a market where there is significant carryover with cannabis use will generally use product designs that are established within that space — think aggressive, not especially refined, and full of cannabis-related puns. On the other hand, brands that incorporate CBD within their existing product line tend to follow current designs. An upscale skincare brand may use elevated design elements with an understated “infused with CBD oil” tagline included at the bottom. For brands targeting a more general market, it’s advisable to avoid design elements or language that ties too closely to “4/20” culture, as this will have negative connotations for a sizable audience segment. Instead, focus on natural and sustainable themes and a premium feel, as these elements are aligned with current consumer preferences. The takeaway Great CBD package design is an imperative for brands, both in terms of compliance and aesthetics. Our experts help clients realize their marketing objectives by creating visually stunning product designs, supported by innovative ad campaigns. Ready to take the next marketing step for your business? Reach out to us today!
Frequently Asked Questions on Brand Messaging
Brand messaging is critical to the health of your business. Here’s a closer look at some of the most commonly asked questions about the subject. Every business owner wants to build deep, long-lasting relationships with customers. Brand messaging is the mechanism by which this is accomplished. Every communication an enterprise engages in should be done with proper brand messaging in mind. When done right, it inspires, informs, persuades and catalyzes audiences. When done poorly, it can do serious reputational harm. Now that we’ve understood the stakes involved, let’s take a closer look at some of the most common questions business owners have about brand messaging. Brand Messaging FAQ 1. I’m a brand messaging neophyte — can you explain what it means in two sentences? Sure. Brand messaging is the language, voice, tone, and ideas that a business uses to convey its core value proposition and company values. 2. Can you give me an example? Absolutely. The classic Nike slogan “Just Do It” is a famous example of potent brand messaging. It distills the company’s ethos into three unforgettable words. 3. What are the qualities that make brand messaging effective? The same qualities that make interpersonal communication effective, for the most part. Great brand messaging resonates with audiences and builds a connection. It inspires, catalyzes audiences into action and engenders a sense of personal identification with the brand. It’s how lifestyle brands are created and lifelong customers are made. 4. What happens when brand messaging goes wide of the mark? If you’re lucky, audiences simply won’t respond to it. In situations where brands badly misjudge their voice or misunderstand their audience, poor brand messaging can alienate people, anger them, and turn them into another brand’s loyal customers. 5. So how does one create effective brand messaging? Here’s where things get a bit more challenging. First, brands need to identify and segment their audience. If you don’t know who you’re selling to, you’re just throwing darts in the dark. Do research, identify your audience, and query them. What motivates them? What matters to them? How do they engage with brands? By understanding the answers to these questions, brands can then draw a line between their customers’ motivations and their own products and services, their values, and their unique value proposition. 6. What else is important? One word: Differentiation. When you’re developing a brand messaging strategy, it’s natural to review what your competitors are doing. After all, you’re targeting the same audience, so there should be some overlap between your messaging strategy. That said, it’s critical to differentiate your product or service. Sometimes you can accomplish this through features or innovations, but in many industries, it’s the branding itself that is the primary differentiator. So while you want your messaging to be informed by what your competitors are doing, you don’t want to follow what they are doing. Develop your own unique, differentiated voice and message. 7. Any other tips? Yes. Consumers are inundated by advertising and marketing messages, so it’s important to develop language and themes that stand out. Seek to be compelling and memorable, rather than aiming for a bland, middle of the road voice designed to appeal to the broadest possible demographic. It’s also critically important to be clear and concise — audiences will disengage immediately if you’re sending confusing messages. Place the audience at the center of the story and explain to them exactly what your brand can do for them. Make sure that your messaging comes through in every bit of content or communication you author, and always ensure your brand speaks in a unified and consistent voice. Finding the Right Brand Messaging Agency At BIGEYE, we’re experts when it comes to resonant brand messaging. Whether you’re looking for an innovative approach to brand video or new, tech-forward ways to reach your desired audiences, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about what a sophisticated brand messaging strategy can do for your firm.
4 Helpful Apartment Marketing Ideas for the Holidays
Despite the typical seasonal slowdown, don’t let your apartment marketing endeavors take a vacation over the holiday season! While few renters would say no to a bigger and better apartment, absolutely nobody looks forward to moving day itself. And while changing residences in the heat of summer certainly isn’t fun, moving in the cold months of autumn and winter is, for many people, virtually unthinkable. The hassle and expense of the holidays only make matters even worse for the apartment rental sector. So it’s not surprising that, despite the inherent joy of the season, real estate professionals tend to approach the stretch of time between Thanksgiving and New Years with nothing short of dread. However, despite its notorious reputation among property renters, the holiday season need not spell absolute doom for those with the right apartment marketing skills. The real estate market may slow during the holidays, but it doesn’t stop completely! A wise apartment marketing professional or multifamily marketing agency will tailor their existing marketing campaigns to effectively reach the small amount of renters who absolutely must face a cold weather move. After all, people accept new jobs, establish/terminate relationships, and face a whole host of professional and personal changes all year round. Looking for even more good news in advance of the upcoming holiday season? By leveraging the unique marketing opportunities that the holidays present, you can actually present a Thanksgiving or Christmastime relocation as a plus rather than a minus… a blessing rather than a curse. Here are just a few apartment marketing tips that can help you weather the holiday season in fine form. 1. Tailor Your Online Presence to Fit the Season If you are on top of your marketing game, you are already updating your website and social media pages on a regular basis. Why not use the upcoming holiday season as an excuse to change key elements of your website and other online destinations? Switching website design to reflect the holiday season is a great way to connect with your existing resident base and reach out to future residents in a positive and heartwarming way. The feelings of general goodwill and togetherness that go hand in hand with the holidays serve as a great opportunity to welcome people into a new home. 2. Encourage Online Sharing to Boost Engagement Yes, the holidays are great at bringing people together. This holds true whether you are gathering physically around the dinner table or meeting in the virtual space of social media. By sharing holiday photos, stories, and other seasonal content, you can effectively reach out to prospective tenants by reminding them of the traditions and values that so many of us share. Get creative by encouraging employees and existing tenants and to share beloved family recipes, musical playlists, and anything else that may strike a common chord during this special time of year. Of course, the reciprocal nature of social media always begs for a response. Boost overall engagement in a major way by exchanging favorite memories and current moments of celebration throughout the holiday season. 3. Offer Creative Seasonal Incentives One need look no further than the holiday tradition of Black Friday to realize an indisputable truth: Nothing brings people to the marketplace faster than the promise of a sale. Since most members of the general public know full well that the holiday season is notoriously slow in the real estate sector, you can play upon this conventional wisdom by offering special incentives. While the precise nature of these incentives will obviously depend on the financial and operational constraints of your particular real estate organization, it is absolutely essential that prospective renters feel that they are getting a worthwhile bargain in exchange for signing a lease during the winter or late autumn months. Of course, the key to this strategy is publicizing this bargain in a manner that will draw people to your door (or website). By acknowledging the seasonal rental slump and/or adopting a general holiday theme, an effective marketing campaign can present even a relatively small incentive as an exceptionally big deal. 4. Partner with Worthy and Appropriate Charitable Organizations There is truly no better way to acknowledge the holidays than by lending a hand to the less fortunate among us. Why not make a seasonal charitable donation to a reputable charitable nonprofit that has special meaning, either to your team in particular or to the real estate industry in general? Do you offer pet-friendly rentals? Consider partnering with your local Humane Society and perhaps even hosting an on-site pet adoption fair. The holidays traditionally engender a boost in pet acquisition because…well, what kid doesn’t want to find a new puppy or kitten under the Christmas tree? Regardless of your charitable affiliations, be sure that your existing tenants and the public at large know all about it. Post key information, pictures, and other charity-oriented content on your official website and social media pages. Write and distribute a press release to local media outlets and other organizations that might appreciate and/or share your charitable involvement. For More Information A different type of marketing agency, Bigeye stresses creativity and strategy in equal measure to help drive successful campaigns no matter what the market or time of year. If you’re looking for a multifamily marketing agency with a deep understanding of the property rental sector, please contact us today.
Bigeye Announces Key Promotions to Support Continued Rapid Growth
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 24, 2019 — Bigeye (www.bigeyeagency.com), an audience-focused, creative-driven, full-service advertising agency, has announced the promotion of three staff members who are central to its expansion strategy following a recent long-term planning initiative. Sandra Marshall, Bigeye Director of Client Services, has been named Vice President of Client Services. Seth Segura, Bigeye Creative Director, will assume the role of Vice President of Creative. Tim McCormack, Bigeye Digital Marketing Manager, will now serve as Vice President of Media and Analytics. “Sandra, Seth, and Tim have been instrumental in refining Bigeye’s unique approach to achieving our clients’ marketing objectives and revenue goals,” said President Justin Ramb. “This proven methodology combines audience insights that go far beyond simple demographics, compelling creative, and pinpoint media placement to deliver outstanding results.” Bigeye serves clients in a wide range of markets from its headquarters in Orlando, FL. Its award-winning teams have expertise in the full spectrum of marketing and advertising disciplines, including research, strategy, and campaign management and optimization. Its creative work includes everything from advanced digital and video to more traditional materials like print ads and collateral. “Our strategy enables the leading companies we work with to cut through the noise and make powerful, profitable connections with their target market,” added Ramb. “I’m excited about how this trio can leverage it even more effectively to reach the right people, in the right place, at the right time in their new roles.” About Bigeye Located in Orlando, Florida, Bigeye is an audience-focused, creative-driven, full-service advertising agency that crafts deeply compelling brand experiences and the strategies that ensure they reach the right people, in the right place, at the right time. The Bigeye team of creative directors, copywriters, artists, programmers, and account managers works closely with clients to better understand the needs of their consumers and deliver measurable results.
Marketing Strategies for Your CBD Product
In a head-spinningly short period of time, cannabidiol (CBD) has gone from an ultra niche product to a global craze. Walk down any supermarket, pharmacy or gas station aisle, and you’re likely to see racks and racks of CBD-based products. And that presents quite a significant challenge for CBD marketing specialists. Not only do CBD product marketers have to adapt to a rapidly evolving marketplace, they also have to: Negotiate changing regulatory standards Deal with inconsistent advertising and marketing industry practices Find a way to differentiate their products amid a sea of competition It’s a steep challenge — but the rewards make it a worthwhile one. The CBD market — worth only a few million in 2014 — is expected to be worth $20 billion by 2024. In order to take advantage, however, you need to understand the market at a deep level — and you need a well-executed CBD marketing strategy. Understanding the CBD Market Before you can effectively market CBD, you need a grounding in the subject, as the laws governing cannabidiol have changed dramatically in recent years. CBD is a byproduct of the hemp plant. Unlike cannabis, another hemp byproduct, CBD is non-intoxicating and non-psychoactive. The compound in cannabis that causes feelings of intoxication, THC, is present in much lower concentration in CBD. This means that consumers can ingest CBD products therapeutically anywhere and at anytime, and feel no intoxicating effects. Despite CBD’s non-intoxicating status, it was consigned to a murky gray area in terms of legality for much of its existence, given its relationships to hemp and cannabis, which were both broadly illegal for many years. That changed, however, with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. That bill legalized hemp production for the first time under federal law. It also legalized the production of CBD, as long as that CBD does not contain THC levels above a certain threshold. This, for the first time, opened the door to production and sale of CBD products on a mass scale. And that’s precisely what happened, as large corporations entered the CBD space in force, turning the product from a niche concern to an overnight consumer phenomenon. That story, however, leaves one critical aspect unaddressed: Why was the consumer market so fascinated with CBD in the first place? A Health and Wellness Craze If marketing has taught us one thing over the last two decades, it’s this: Consumers are perpetually seeking natural alternatives to make them look and feel better. CBD, much like kale, quinoa and gluten-free, had everything necessary to become a consumer wellness craze. It was readily available, fairly inexpensive, natural and backed by some significant research attesting to its efficacy. CBD was soon marketed as a natural antidote to anxiety, depression, pain, insomnia — all of the modern maladies that bedevil large segments of the consumer base. Now, CBD use is regarded by some as a natural, non-habit forming alternative to pharmaceuticals. Consumers have also come under the increasing belief that what’s good for them is good for their pets. CBD-infused animal products are the fastest-growing segment within the pet industry, as consumers extend their passion for natural health and wellness alternatives to their pets. Understanding the Challenges Inherent to Marketing in the CBD Space Given what we’ve covered thus far, you can hardly blame companies for getting excited above the opportunity presented by CBD. It’s a newly legal product, with extraordinary public demand, that fits squarely into one of the most enduring passions (natural health and wellness products) of the U.S. consumer. Yet while the opportunity is undeniably ripe, there are some significant challenges to negotiate. First, there are restrictions regarding what can and can’t be said when marketing CBD products, For example, brands cannot make “deceptive” claims about the health and wellness benefits of CBD. Any ad copy positioning CBD as some kind of miracle cure is almost certainly going to draw the attention of the Food and Drug Administration, the agency tasked with regulating CBD marketing. When marketing their CBD products, brands must also be careful to avoid making specific claims about treating diseases or conditions with CBD products. This, of course, should be the province of a physician. In order to stay on the right side of regulators, CBD marketers should talk about the health and wellness benefits of CBD in broad terms and rely on substantiated information. Fortunately, a plethora of legitimate scientific research exists attesting to the probable benefits of CBD in a range of ailments. Brands should rely on established studies and avoid hyperbolic medical claims. Understanding what can and cannot be said is only one part of the equation of course. The avenues through which a brand can market CBD products are also constricted. Many marketing channels that are open to conventional products are closed to CBD products. This includes some of the most prominent players in the digital advertising space. Google, for example, does not allow advertising and marketing of CBD products. Twitter, too, bans CBD ads. All is not lost, however. Snapchat still allows CBD marketing. Facebook and Instagram had rigorous restrictions in place on CBD marketing but recently eased these restrictions and re-opened their platforms to CBD ads. There are CBD-industry specific digital ad platforms that can be used to reach audiences, even if they may not have the reach of Google. The truth is that these restrictions, while an irritant, are not a formidable obstacle. CBD use has grown exponentially based on little more than word of mouth and positive press coverage. Yet these restrictions do raise another important point: How do marketers sell their products when there are countless brands, they all do the same thing and some of the largest conventional marketing channels are closed? Let’s take a closer look at some CBD marketing strategies you can employ to stand out from the wall of competition within the CBD space. Core CBD Marketing Strategies Develop a targeted brand strategy. Many CBD brands struggle with differentiation, given the nature of the
Swallow a Bluetooth-Controlled Pill and Call Us In The Morning
The latest innovations in medical device marketing are the stuff of science fiction. Here’s what brands need to know about health and wellness marketing. Google, Apple, and other high tech titans are entering the healthcare market in force, unlocking new treatment and care innovations that radically improve patient outcomes. This transformation is having an especially profound impact on medical device marketing, whereby manufacturers continue to invest in digital approaches and develop extraordinary products. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most important recent trends – and most fascinating products – in the medical device market. The evolution of IoT-powered medical devices The Internet of Things is revolutionizing how people interact with everyday devices – everything from thermostats and refrigerators to their vehicles. Yet perhaps no category offers as much potential as IoT medical devices. Sensors embedded within these devices (whether wearable, implanted or even ingested) can collect critical patient data for analysis. One remarkable example is an ingestible capsule designed by researchers at MIT that is controlled by Bluetooth wireless. Patients swallow the capsule, which then sits in their stomach for one month, dispensing custom medications and transmitting critical health information via smartphone to healthcare providers. Perhaps even more impressively, these devices are created via 3D printing. Other sensor-equipped wearables are being used to help people prevent seizures, track blood glucose levels and automatically administer insulin. An explosion in healthcare data The phrase “Big Data” is a cliche at this point, but the profound impact data analysis is having on healthcare services is hard to overstate. Consumer health apps are working in concert with electronic health records and diagnostic images to give providers and researchers a vast galaxy of health information to parse and form into actionable insights. This digital explosion has also allowed researchers to create predictive models and simulated clinical trials. These virtual trials can be simulated millions of times to assist with the analysis of medical device efficacy and safety. These simulations are also finished millions of times faster than conventional drug and device trials, which can help speed the often slow and methodical regulatory process. This can help give patients access to cutting-edge, life-saving medical device technology faster and more efficiently. The promise of precision health For all of its existence, modern medicine has taken a “one size fits all” approach to treatment. Yet thanks to technological advances, we are on the cusp of a revolution in how treatment is delivered: Precision medicine. Precision medicine allows caregivers to offer patients personalized, targeted approaches to treatment. It does this through the analysis of genetic information, environmental factors, and personal health data collected and analyzed by medical devices. This allows patients to receive therapies that are optimized to work optimally within their specific body – a transformative new approach to dealing with some of the most serious diseases in existence. As data analysis grows more refined, our understanding of genetics deepens and medical devices grow more powerful and sophisticated. The power of precision medicine holds the potential to create vastly improved health outcomes. Is your medical device marketing up to speed? There’s no doubt that medical devices are at the epicenter of some of the most exciting and innovative developments in technology. Healthcare advertising agencies, however, often do a poor job of conveying these developments to the public. Some pharma marketing agencies lack sufficient domain expertise, while others lack creative power or cutting-edge AdTech services. Either way, it’s a shame when great devices are poorly served by uninspired and ineffective medical device marketing. BIGEYE is different. Not only are we a forward-thinking, creatively inspired full-service marketing agency, we’re also experts in medical device marketing. If you’re ready to consider a new and better way forward for your next marketing or advertising campaign, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Meet Your New Property Manager – A Six-Inch Tall Know-It-All
Amazon smart devices are in millions of homes and soon might be collecting rent. Here’s what brands need to know about real estate marketing strategy. Being a property manager is no easy job – you’re on call all the time and you interact with people in problematic and stressful situations. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could outsource many of a property manager’s tasks to some powerful, all-knowing entity who works tirelessly and never sleeps? Good news – that scenario is becoming reality, as Amazon’s Alexa and other smart home devices have the potential to allow tenants to request repairs, pay rent and manage a whole host of in-home experiences. It’s a development that has the potential to transform multiple industries, and should be of deep interest to anyone formulating real estate marketing strategy. Alexa will be the first to greet you Amazon is pursuing a new product strategy that will see their smart speaker device pre-installed in thousands of leased properties across the United States. The company’s Alexa Smart Properties Team partners with homebuilders, property managers, and hotel operators to custom-fit new residential units with Alexa-powered tech. By doing so, Amazon can reap the benefit of gaining a vast new group of customers and property owners will benefit from advanced property marketing. Once Alexa is embedded into the smart home ecosystem, tenants will use the devices to order groceries, household goods and other services. As mentioned above, Alexa can also serve as a proxy property manager, easing the strain on management staff and helping provide tenants with timelier service when issues arise. This will be accomplished through the integration of third party apps such as Zego. These apps can facilitate repair requests and even deduct rent payments directly from a user’s bank account when given an “Alexa, pay my rent” command. Managers can also use smart speakers to remotely grant access to contractors and repair workers, remotely adjust HVAC levels in unoccupied units, and gather insights into tenant preferences. An evolution toward the smart home experience Global growth in the smart speaker segment is growing at a rapid pace. According to projections from IDC, shipments of smart speakers devices are projected to grow by 27% in 2019. By 2023, 1.6 billion devices are expected to be shipped annually, making smart speakers as ubiquitous as smartphones. Amazon and Zego hope to push their products into millions of new homes over the next few years. Amazon’s chief smart speaker competitor, Google, isn’t standing still. Google is pursuing its own partnerships with homebuilders and property firms, including Century Communities, one of the largest homebuilders and property developers in the United States. Amazon is also seeking to enter the stadium and hospitality spaces. Alexa can be used in hotels to provide concierge-like services: Ordering towels, room service, wake up calls and other functions. At stadiums and concert halls, Alexa can be used to order beverages, adjust seats and perform other useful services. All of these advancements point to a future where smart devices aren’t merely an intriguing add-on feature, but rather a deeply integrated tool that’s wired in to everything that occurs in a home. As smart speaker adoption gains critical mass, these devices have the potential to become the central nervous system of the home – making life easier and more convenient for residents and property managers alike. Is your real estate marketing strategy up to date? Technology moves at lightning speed – but sadly we can’t say the same for most property development marketing. Too many multifamily marketing and apartment marketing agencies are stuck in the analog world and incapable of providing their clients with innovative campaigns driven by cutting-edge technology. At BIGEYE, that’s precisely what we offer. If you’d like to see how a creative, forward-thinking agency approaches real estate marketing strategy, we urge you to contact us today.
The Latest and Greatest from the Global Pet Expo
The 2019 Global Pet Expo shined a light on some of the most interesting trends in pet ownership and pet care marketing. Here’s what we learned. If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the world of pets, the Global Pet Expo is a required stop. Much as the famed CES shines a spotlight on the latest consumer electronics offerings, this expo offers a window into the newest trends and products within the pet industry. If you’re in the pet business — or the pet care marketing business — it’s a vitally important date on the calendar. So what did we learn from this year’s “petpreneur” extravaganza? Let’s take a look at the latest products and trends about to capture the imagination of pet lovers everywhere. What pet owners will be buying this year and beyond The Global Pet Expo offers an early look at innovative new pet industry products, and this year was no exception. The multi-day expo featured hundreds of new products designed to address lingering problems within the pet care market. Those products included: Leashes that attach to bicycles, allowing dog owners to “walk” their pets while cycling. Portable water bottles custom designed for a dog’s mouth that offer easy drinking during walks and hikes. Licking pads. These pads can be smeared with peanut butter or any other sticky substance and then used to divert a pet while nails are being trimmed or paws cleaned — a boon for anyone who has ever struggled with a pet who hates nail trimming. Recyclable and compostable bags for cleaning up doggy messes. Crash tested car carriers and harnesses (these operate much like a child safety seat). Tick removal devices that function much more effectively than simple tweezers. Catnip-infused crayons. Neon colored kitty litter. Backpacks designed for portable cat carrying. Product displays are always a good barometer of what’s happening in the pet sector, both in terms of consumer offerings and overall trends. Let’s take a closer look at the pet industry developments shaping 2019 and beyond. What pet owners will see more of in the coming years If you want to predict the future of pet care, simply counting booth types inside the Global Pet Expo offers a rough — but fairly accurate — yardstick. As you might expect, at this year’s event pet-focused CBD offerings were thick on the ground, as were boutique/specialty food and treat purveyors. Additionally, the American Pet Products Association (the sponsor organization of the Global Pet Expo) compiled new research examining emerging trends within the pet industry. Among the most prominent trends cited are: Direct to consumer subscription boxes for pet owners. Pet food composed of human-grade ingredients. Ethically sourced and non-GMO pet food. More pets being kept in the classroom. This trend, which allows teachers to keep small pets for students, is being supported by grant money and charitable donations. Continued expansion of the backyard chicken movement. This practice is more widespread than many realize. According to U.S. Census data, 1% of homes raise backyard chickens and an additional 4% plan to begin doing so within four years. By understanding the role new products and trends play within the industry, brands can perform more accurate audience analysis and create deeply compelling marketing messages for today’s pet owners. Partnering with the right pet care marketing agency If you want to get the most out of your pet care marketing, you need to stay current with evolving industry trends. You also need inspiring creative work, deep sector expertise and advanced technological tools. At BIGEYE, we can help you connect with your ideal market. We can also help with package design, branding, TV production and the entire full service marketing stack. Reach out to us today to learn more about what the right pet care marketing agency can do for you.
4 Multifamily Marketing Analytics Tools for Your Lease-Up Goals
To optimize the marketing analytics that drive your promotional efforts, pay close attention to these four key platforms. Although advertisers still debate the comparative value of traditional vs. digital media, there is no doubt that digital analytics reign supreme when it comes to tracking the effectiveness of specific marketing campaigns and their various components. While measuring the total audience for any given radio, television, print, or billboard ad is speculative at best, modern analytics systems can not only accurately identify every individual viewer of an online ad, they can follow each viewer through the entire post-ad exposure process, measuring criteria such as click-throughs and conversions as they (hopefully!) lead to the final sale of a product or service. Even better, these systems can accomplish all of this and deliver results in real time. So where, exactly, should you go to reap the benefits of digital analytics? If you’re looking to attract renters to meet your specific lease-up goals, you’ll want to pay particular attention to the following four marketing analytics tools. 1. Google Analytics If you’re going to achieve your desired lease-up level (typically round 95%) in a limited amount of time (typically between 6 and 15 months), you’ll need a strong foundation of analytics support. A platform that is nearly ubiquitous in the world of digital marketing, Google Analytics provides just that. According to Entrepreneur Magazine contributor Thomas Smale, “no list of marketing analytics tools can be complete without Google Analytics.” The tool is so common due to its unparalleled power and versatility. In particular, it is great at tracking lead sources and helping users concentrate resources into the most effective media channels. To more effectively allocate its multifamily marketing resources, for example, an apartment rental organization can use Google Analytics to discover whether its Facebook page or its Twitter page is generating the most leads. The platform works by asking marketers to define their goals by entering a specific goal ID. A common event ID might track the number of times that users click on a specific piece of content. A company in the apartment rental industry might be interested in determining which of its three floor designs are generating the most public interest. Using Google Analytics, it can establish clicks on these floor plans as individual goal IDs and watch each as they begin to accumulate clicks in real time. In short, Google Analytics can create a report for any set of data you might desire, from simple audience overviews to complex conversion progress statements. And if you’re not impressed by its ability to lead you to unprecedented ROI, you still have to enjoy its initial price-point. Google Analytics is absolutely free. 2. Google Tag Manager An extremely flexible platform that you can easily tailor to meet your specific wants and needs, Google Tag Manager helps you capitalize on the ability of Google Analytics to track information. Briefly described, Google Tag Manager uses bits of code called tags to generate detailed information about your audience members including who they are, where they’re located, what pages they’re visiting, and even what devices they’re using. By default, Google Analytics places tags on your official website, social media pages, and other online locations to report on a wide variety of visitor behavior. As you begin to accumulate more and more tags, Google Tag Manager becomes indispensable when it comes to keeping them organized. Google Tag Manager is particularly helpful because it offers a single place to manage your Google Analytics tags as well as your tags from other platforms such as Hootsuite and Facebook Pixel (which we will discuss when we come to must-have analytics tools, numbers three and four). By clearly identifying every trackable item in Google Tag Manager, you’ll be able to easily read the data in each report and translate it into real world leads and conversions. 3. Hootsuite Hootsuite is an analytics tool with a specific focus on social media monitoring. Due to the unparalleled outreach of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the other major social media networks, a specialized social media analytics platform makes absolute sense. With Hootsuite, you can monitor a wide range of user activity across multiple channels of social media to discover what your audience is posting about your business and track the relative performance of your own posts on your official social media pages. By monitoring these activities, Hootsuite can show you which types of content produce results and which don’t, helping you optimize your social media presence with posts that are both specifically targeted and highly relevant. 4. Facebook Pixel Although overall Facebook advertising revenue has stagnated in recent months, it remains the dominant force in digital marketing, outpacing the other major social media networks by a significant measure. Facebook owes much of this success to Facebook Pixel. An analytics tool that businesses add to their official website and other online pages, Facebook Pixel specializes in tracking/analyzing the performance of your Facebook ad campaign, helping you refine/focus your marketing efforts and monitor the online activity of both existing and prospective renters. If you want to pursue more advanced Facebook Pixel analytics, you can establish event tags that are similar to those you can create using Google Analytics. Using these tags, you can gain even deeper insight into overall user behavior. To learn more about the top analytics tools A forward-thinking and creative marketing agency, Bigeye specializes in apartment analytics to aid in the development of effective leasing strategies. For more information, contact a Bigeye representative today.
CBD Challenge: Market a Health Product Without Health Claims
Navigating CBD advertising restrictions or shifting consumer perception can be tricky. Don’t make it harder and market your product using health claims. Perhaps you’ve heard the tale of how lobsters were once considered worthless and fit only to be served to prisoners? CBD products have a similar origin story. Until recently, growers went out of their way to breed CBD out of plants. Oh, how times have changed. Now, CBD products represent one of the fastest-growing markets in the health and wellness industry. Consumer sales of CBD products grew an astonishing 500% between 2014 and 2018. Because it is safe, non-intoxicating, and has wide health and wellness applications, CBD is poised to be the most significant new consumer health product category in decades. The best part for brands in this market? Growth is only getting started. Consumer perceptions of CBD are shifting quickly, and the regulations guiding CBD products are changing. Both developments have the potential to unleash a wave of growth – and brands need to prepare now in order to capitalize. The accelerated evolution of an innovative consumer health product The velocity of change in the CBD marketplace has been remarkable. Just five years ago, CBD products were essentially unknown. A Google Trends chart outlining historical search interest in the phrase “CBD” appears as a virtual flat line from 2004 to 2016, before spiking dramatically in 2017. That interest is coinciding with research that indicates CBD products may have far broader health and wellness applications than previously imagined. Scientists have established that CBD products are especially effective in the treatment of severe childhood epilepsy. Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes both induce major seizures in children and typically do not respond to conventional epilepsy medications. CBD-derived medicines, however, have been proven to inhibit or even stop such seizures from occurring. While that application is powerful, it is also quite narrow. CBD’s broader application (at least at the moment) is to be used in the treatment of depression or anxiety. Although CBD is not intoxicating, it shares some of the mood-stablizing qualities of other cannabinoids. Studies also suggest that CBD has significant potential as an insomnia remedy. While the healthcare sector has developed a number of powerful insomnia treatments, most of them are habit forming and must be used under a physician’s supervision. CBD holds the potential to be a safe, effective, non-habit forming alternative — a melatonin of sorts, but with much greater efficacy. CBD has also been shown to reduce pain in clinical settings. A recent study in the European Journal of Pain demonstrated that when topically applied, CBD can reduce pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. CBD is believed to inhibit inflammatory and neuropathic pain, two of the most difficult forms of chronic pain to treat. Ultimately, these health and wellness applications illustrate the most exciting thing about CBD – it’s a widely available consumer product that’s safe, easy to purchase, and can theoretically help almost anyone improve their health or quality of life. There’s just one catch: CBD brands can’t really broadcast this yet. The challenge of marketing a great health product…without making health claims Though the 2018 Farm Bill took CBD products out of a legal gray area and conferred federal legitimacy, the reality of buying, selling, and marketing CBD products remains fairly complex. In the context of health, the most important thing to understand is this: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not allow brands to market CBD products as therapeutic treatments for disease or other conditions. The FDA also does not allow CBD products to be marketed as dietary health supplements. This doesn’t mean the FDA believes CBD has no therapeutic utility; the agency gave its blessing to a CBD-based epilepsy treatment, Epidiolex, which is marketed as such. The FDA’s position means that CBD brands must approach any health-related claims with caution. A CBD marketing plan must be carefully crafted, and include precisely calibrated language, in order to stay compliant with FDA rulings. Working with a top CBD advertising agency or CBD marketing company is often the best way to ensure that a campaign is compelling, yet still designed to stay on the right side of CBD advertising laws or CBD advertising restrictions. A CBD marketing agency can also serve another key purpose: Helping brands navigate the minefield of CBD online advertising. Large platforms such as Facebook and Google do not allow CBD ads, which means that alternative CBD marketing ideas are necessary Fortunately, more guidance from FDA regulators is coming; a meeting on the topic was scheduled May 2019. Once the FDA provides greater clarity with regard to CBD marketing, CBD advertising restrictions may ease on some of the larger online ad platforms. Preparing for product liftoff Few product categories hold the potential of CBD. Though its applications within the health and wellness industry are immense, CBD also holds promise as a beauty treatment, and additional applications or use cases are still likely to develop. The complexity of the legal and regulatory landscape surrounding CBD products has acted as a brake on growth, and has also likely dissuaded some from entering the business. This isn’t a negative, however. Brands that transcend these challenges by creating the most compelling, legally compliant marketing and advertising campaigns – and distributing them through the best available channels – will be ideally positioned to thrive when the floodgates truly open. About us At BIGEYE, we’re experts at helping brands negotiate the inherent challenges associated with CBD advertising restrictions and marketing regulations. Contact us today to learn what we can do for your CBD brand.