Advice on Social Media Stories from a Brand Positioning Agency
Social stories have only been available for a few years, but as a brand positioning agency, we quickly recognized their marketing potential. Today, our expert storytellers use social stories to put a relatable human face on the clients we work with. Humanizing an organization makes it much easier for potential customers to develop a strong relationship and affinity for their products and services. Why stories sell Behavior experts tell us that humans are wired for story. We have what’s been called a “story drive” that makes us hungry for information presented in this format. In fact, we know that storytelling was the primary way that our ancient ancestors communicated. You might say that cave paintings were the first Instagram! Stories are just as important today. They are the best way to sell a product or service because we connect with them at a deeper level than we do simple information. This is extra important in a generation where our attention span has dropped below that of a goldfish (that’s a little embarrassing). People want to know at a glance what you are offering, and stories give them that information in a very quick, visual, and scannable way. 5 tips on using stories to connect with your audience As a brand positioning agency, we’re sharing insider knowledge on leveraging social media stories: 1. Start slowly Rather than diving headfirst into being storytellers across the social spectrum, you and your team should pick a platform and get a good feel for the medium. Instagram is a great place to start, in part because it has an excellent set of tools for creating social content. 2. Make the most of the tools available to you Many companies get stuck using just the basic functionality on a platform. If you want to create engagement with your audience, it pays to learn about all the features a particular service has to offer so you can make your stories stand out. 3. Work up to using multiple platforms Once you’re comfortable creating stories on one platform, start reworking and repurposing the content you create there in other places. Doing so saves you time and provides consistency for your audience. 4. Create stories that exhibit both passion and practicality While a story that is simply entertaining will get some attention, one that also provides practical, usable information will be much more widely shared, and we can tell you just how much with our social media monitoring services. 5. Be human The “story drive” we have makes us want to hear stories from other humans. Content that looks and sounds like it was produced by a robot won’t engage people and may turn them off. Utilizing content that is relatable and organic will draw more of a crowd. How can our brand positioning agency help you get the most bang for your buck through the use of social media stories? The best place to start is to get in touch with our branding experts and tell us your tale.
Decoding a Hidden World by Using a Pharmaceutical Naming Agency
When is the last time you heard someone ask a pharmacist for a refill on N-methyl-3-phenyl-3-[4- (trifluoromethyl) phenoxy]propan-1-amine? How about fluoxetine? The answer is probably more common than you think. While the scientific and generic names for Prozac aren’t particularly memorable, they do provide a revealing look into the byzantine world of pharmaceutical naming. Many small and medium pharmaceutical researchers and producers don’t realize how important naming is until the FDA rejects their patent and sends years of research and clinical trials back to square one. A pharmaceutical naming agency can help decode the mystery and ensure your work makes it to market. Why pharmaceutical naming matters The FDA strictly regulates and subsequently rejects between 20 – 25% of drugs’ generic and brand names to avoid confusion that might lead to misdosing, confusion over a drug’s efficacy, or that might lead to patient stigmatization and privacy violations. Once approved, the naming process continues to play an important role in a drug’s success because a pharmaceutical company may only market their drug under a brand name, rather than a generic or scientific name, once it has been patent protected. Competing companies may market the same generic drug under a different name to make the market more competitive. While Advil and Motrin are both brand names for ibuprofen, their name, positioning, and marketing plays an important role in which the consumer ultimately chooses. How a pharmaceutical naming agency can boost your success The average pharmaceutical naming agency creates between 2,000 – 5,000 names for each drug before beginning the FDA screening process and march to patent protection that will allow brands to compete in the market. A top Florida advertising agency like BIGEYE can help kick off that process by vetting names that may raise flags for the FDA or that will not stand out from the competition. By partnering with a creative team, your brand can focus on the science and success of your product while your agency ensures your research and work does not get delayed because its name sounds too similar to another drug or accidentally includes the common shorthand for another scientific component. Contact us today to learn more about how we’ve helped other drug producers enter the market and break through the clutter of competition from big pharmaceutical companies.
Building brands by storm: The real mad men
The real Mad Men are long gone, but they’ve planted fertile seeds in the ever-evolving processes of advertising. Famed founder and former CEO of world-renowned BBDO, Alex Osborn, brought brainstorming to the ad world as the building block from which great ideas were born. Initially phrased “to think up,” Osborn employed this creative thought cauldron as a way of generating bigger, better and more brilliant ideas for BBDO clients. His philosophy followed that if two heads are better than one, then 20 heads would lead to gold mines. Orlando advertising agencies, and creative shops worldwide, still utilize brainstorming techniques to generate winning campaigns today. In addition to bringing otherwise untapped objectives to the table, brainstorming sessions strengthen teams within the workplace. They foster camaraderie and a true sense of belonging amongst coworkers. Encouraging your group to develop big ideas from inklings promotes a fearless well of inspiration to fill the air. People stop holding back and the notion that “there are no bad ideas” begins to take over. A look back in advertising will show us that bad ideas do exist, however. We’ve seen them launch and we’ve watched them crumble, as we’ve quietly said to ourselves, “what were they thinking?” Chances are they were thinking… together, but not thinking together. They may have all been in the room, but they all weren’t on the same page. Concepts that start without direction can lead a team to the endzone with a well-developed campaign. But if a plan is not in place before the team hits the table, your chances for success decrease dramatically. Define specific objectives. Do your research. Set a time limit – and don’t go a minute over schedule. Keep an open mind and listen to everything that is said. Give everyone a chance to chime in. Encourage participation Narrow it down and walk away with a few agreed upon concepts to build upon. Most importantly, bring your pad and paper and be ready to write down anything that comes to mind. The most successful ideas have come from the strangest places, so don’t be shy and enjoy the ride. Depriving yourself of other people’s ideas will only limit your brand’s potential. It may be your baby, but sometimes it truly does take a village to raise a child. Contact us today to help build your brand!
Music and Advertising: A marriage that withstands the test of time
We all know that the music industry is constantly changing. From records, to 8 tracks, CDs to MP3s, music will continue to evolve and keep up with the ever-changing forms of technology. One constant that remains is the use of music in the advertising industry. Whether you hear a jingle on the radio or the chorus to a pop song in a commercial, advertisers will always use music to influence the emotions and preferences of their audience. Why would an advertisement want to use music to promote their product or tell their story? In some cases it’s to provide some type of entertainment along with the ad and keep the viewer’s interest piqued. In other situations, an advertiser may use music specifically popular with their target demographic. An even simpler example is using a top-of-the-charts song to associate a brand or product with something that is already popular. Here are some examples of different ways music influences advertising and in some cases the advertising industry influences music. Many advertisers will work with independent bands and emerging artist by featuring their songs in their ads. The television commercial is the new music video. This isn’t a new concept, however. During the 2000s Apple was using new artists to promote their products. Advertising also has an effect on music. By having the opportunity to get their music in front of a much larger audience than ever before, some independent bands will find success by having their music used in ads. For example, “We Are Young”, by the band Fun had a number 63 hit. After being featured during the Super Bowl for a Chevy ad the song made it quickly to number 3 then spend a few weeks at number 1. In the case of the famous 1971 “Buy the world a Coke” ad, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (in Perfect Harmony)” a song created by the advertisers was written. The song become so popular it was re-recorded by The New Seekers as a full-length song and became a hit record reaching number 1 in the UK and 7 in the U.S. You can’t discuss music in advertisements without the jingle. Fun fact: This jingle was written by Barry Manilow. http://youtu.be/X2QnG3DwVW0 The way music has become available by so many different means recently (Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, Pandora, etc.) is also being recognized by the advertising world. Which is why one popular way to grab the attention of potential smart phone consumers is to showcase music within the media players. Music has consistently influenced the advertising world and as of more recent, the advertising world influenced the music industry. Where do you think the relationship between music and advertising will go in the future? Written by, Sarah Hall ~BIGEYE Creative, Designer
