The market shift from traditional advertising to digital format advertising is not new. For the last ten to fifteen years, companies have started to see the importance of having a digital presence, but most don’t understand what they are getting into. Many businesses have found that when trying to execute a digital project, they are lost and unsure of how to market themselves in accordance with the vast space of the Internet. The whole process of pursuing digital efforts can be intimidating to many companies.
 
Traditional advertising has been increasingly stagnant for many years. There have been many changes and innovations, but at the end of the day you usually get what you pay for. Many companies have done advertising the same way for years but they are missing out on a large market and even larger potential profits.
 
Digital advertising and presence are simply essential in today’s market. The digital generation is growing older and younger at the same time. Making the move to digital can feel risky, but if executed well it can completely change how consumers feel about your brand and gain exposure to people and markets that have been missed in the past.
 
The bottom line: your company needs to evolve with the ever-changing culture or it will be left behind. Traditional advertising is very important and still extremely effective, but as the markets change and technology grows, your message must be fluid and able to reach those who have made the change from traditional to digital.

Respectfully Yours,

We have talked about creating an optimal website (see our February 2010 Newsletter here) and it is more important than ever to follow these guidelines. Today’s market is fixated on usability, modernity and quality. In order to successfully utilize these guidelines, all of this information should be available to viewers of your site within seconds.
 
A website is just the first step in creating a digital presence and advertising initiative. Advertising has changed. Gone are the days where knowing the name of a company is enough. Most buyers now will research products before making purchases. The process of a sale goes through a number of steps. The most effective way to turn this information into sales and profit is by investing in digital efforts.
 
Use traditional advertising to keep consumers aware of your presence and services. A great addition to this would be the use of online advertising to enhance your traditional advertising efforts. Prompt viewers (listeners, etc.) to go to your website, comment on your blog, follow you on Twitter, and participate in your social media initiatives. This prompt will draw traffic to your website that will likely result in sales, boost your search engine optimization (SEO), create inbound links and give your company credibility.
 
Your company's website should have a good organic SEO foundation so that the site can be easily found by a search engine. Basic organic SEO can be completed during website creation or it can be added to enhance an existing website. Other forms of marketing SEO can be achieved using paid ads on popular search engines. SEO can also be boosted with social media, which in turn allows you to take an active role in the voice of your brand and can be a great public relations tool.
 
Many consumers will be doing extensive research to ensure that your product is the best, so stay on top of online forums, respond quickly to email inquiries and take suggestions from users. Studies have shown that companies that use product reviews and product ratings have more sales.
 
When you do start making sales, be sure to follow up and use e-communications to stay in touch with past, current and future buyers. E-marketing is on the rise and when executed digitally can be extremely cost effective and consumer-friendly. These marketing pieces are easily customizable and can be targeted toward any market or demographic.
 
Remember to keep up with traditional practices - be consistent, follow through, create recognition and need and be willing to go the extra mile to make a sale. Digital advertising and marketing can complement these strategies and create a stronger brand, greater awareness and increase sales.

As you have probably seen, this month we have been working on a digital advertising campaign that provides a fresh approach. Our campaign is called Mission: Impossible - Capturing Share of Mind in a Saturated Market. The goal behind the campaign was to use an educational approach to inform readers and also show them the challenges they need to overcome when undergoing a traditional or digital marketing initiative.

The target of this series of e-campaigns is to show how consistent branding can be used to differentiate your company. Using Travel Advantage Marketing and their partner companies as our case study, we set out to highlight how marketing should help both already established companies and start-ups. The unique challenge for this company was their market: Las Vegas. Las Vegas has been overpowered with marketing for years and trying to break in to this market is easier said than done. It all comes down to strategies.

King Media has set out to conquer this impossible mission of using advertising, marketing and branding to set companies apart. Stay tuned to learn how we have succeeded thus far.

If you missed our first installments of our Mission: Impossible Campaign click the following links to view them:

Campaign 1: Capturing Share of Mind in a Saturated Market
Campaign 2: Branding for Market Recognition in a Competitive Landscape
Campaign 3: Designing to Differentiate in Over-Stimulated Market Segments
Campaign 4: Building a Virtual Empire from the Ground Up

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King Media recently completed an initial rebranding and awareness project for the Michigan State University HealthTeam.  The project included the design and manufacturing of vinyl light pole banners, which will be hanging year-round on the Michigan State University campus.  The MSU HealthTeam was looking to increase consumer awareness of the HealthTeam entity, clarify definitive areas the HealthTeam specializes in and create a physical marker for their Clinical Center facility.  They recruited King Media to develop an eye-catching piece, which combined typography with imagery that clearly communicated the HealthTeam's message.  As a result, three separate designs were created in order to include all of the HealthTeam's most important messaging points.

 The banners can be seen outside of the MSU Clinical Center and outside of Olin Health Center.  King Media had the banners produced with a material durable enough to maintain integrity for at least five years as well as withstand all Michigan weather conditions.  Bright colors were pointedly included in the design so that the banners would stand out against the gray skies of winter.
 
The MSU HealthTeam is a multi-specialty medical practice comprised of teaching faculty from MSU's College of Human Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine and College of Nursing. They are continuing to grow, offering primary and specialty health care services to the general public.  King Media is looking forward to continuing a beneficial relationship with the MSU HealthTeam and aiding in their continued branding initiatives.

Q: I have a website, but I'm not sure how to break into other forms of digital advertising. What is the best route to take?

A: There is no one route for every company but there are strategies that work for most. If you have a great website you are already on your way to using digital initiatives to drive sales.
 
First you should think about your target audience and product. What is your product used for? Why do consumers need it? Who are your customers? The answers to all of these questions can help you decide where to start.
 
E-Newsletters (like this one!) are a great way to keep your current customers informed and introduce new products and services. Similar platforms can be used to advertise in a more visual manner. If your customer base is younger, you may consider banner ads, pay-per-click ads on search engines or using social media campaigns to increase awareness and bring traffic to your website. Social media is a great, cost effective place to start your digital endeavors.
 
Along with being cost effective, these digital formats are often more dynamic and easier to track. With all of the technology available, a campaign can be monitored and modified at any time to increase click through rate and total clicks. These clicks are very important; as a general rule, the more clicks, the more revenue.
 
Don't be intimidated by the digital world, it is here to stay so make friends with it and take advantage of all of its opportunities for sales.

Send your questions or comments to Ralphie@KingMediaNow.com

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