Native ads here, native there, native ads everywhere. That seems to be the prevailing them of digital marketing nearly halfway through 2013. Native ads — or sponsored stories, or advertorials, or whatever is the trendy buzzword of the day — are all the rage at the moment.

A recent eMarketer report puts some numbers behind all of the hype. According to eMarketer, native ads are providing new ways for marketers to reach target audiences and new avenues of monetization for content sites that are under intense revenue pressure.

But, as we wrote back in February, native ads aren’t without their detractors. Some media and marketing executives are concerned about the potentially negative effects of blurring the lines between content and advertising. Others questions the return on investment of these ads, arguing that native ads cannot scale for multiple placements (we happen to agree on latter).

Despite those concerns, there is no doubt that native advertising has grabbed a significant foothold within the online marketing industry. eMarketer estimates that native ads will generate $4.57 billion in revenue in the U.S. by 2017, up from $1.63 billion in 2012.

So what makes for a great native ad? As my colleague Sultan Riaz wrote last February, a powerful native ad comes down to two crucial factors: a seamless blending with the editorial content and a non-disruptive message that is relevant to the consumer.

Below is an example of native advertising on Twitter.

Notice how HubSpot’s promoted tweet blends seamlessly within a user’s Twitter stream, providing relevant content that is just disruptive enough to make you stop, read the tweet and consider clicking the link. The ad doesn’t overpower the medium or take away from the overall experience. Instead, it blends in within the overall flow of content so as to seem natural within the larger discussion.

Some of the most common types of native ads include Facebook Sponsored Stories, Twitter Promoted Tweets, branded videos and other ads that appear in the content streams of media sites such as Forbes.com and BuzzFeed.

So which native ad type will perform best for your brand?

According to native advertising platform Sharethrough, nearly 50% of media executives it polled find native video ads to be more effective than conventional ads at hitting key performance indicators (KPIs). Slightly more than one-third of respondents said it was too early to tell which were more effective, and the rest said native ads were either equally effective or somewhat less effective than other ad types.

Whether you buy into the hype that native ads are the next generation of online advertising, or think they are an overhyped waste of brand dollars, there is no denying that native advertising has become a powerful force in online marketing.

Have you started to use native ads in your online marketing campaigns? If so, what success have you found?  

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The post Native Ads: The Marketing Opportunities Just Keep Growing appeared first on MediaWhiz.

Last year there were a plethora of logo changes across many major businesses. In the case of American Airlines, not every logo change is welcomed by customers or the general public.

Logo changes can play a major role in developing a new image for your company, but not all logo changes require major design changes; just ask the Minnesota Vikings.

Recently, MediaWhiz Creative Director Giles McGrath took some time to answer questions related to the benefits – and potential pitfalls – of brands redesigning their logos. He also offered some best practices you can use to ensure the successful redesign of your logo.

1) How do you know when it’s really time for a redesign and that you’re not just listening to others who say you need a new logo? How do you make your new logo/branding stand out?

There is no simple answer as to when a logo should be redesigned. Often companies will undertake a redesign prematurely. Some questions brands should ask themselves prior to undertaking a redesign include:

1. How does my logo reflect on my brand positioning and personality of my business?
2. Is my logo still unique in the market?
3. Has the focus of my business changed?
4. Would a new logo reflect the new direction of my business?

2) How do you know when you’re spending too much (and about what should you be prepared to spend)?

The cost of logo redesigns vary widely. Some of the most famous corporate logos were free, such as the iconic logos for Google (designed by co-founder Sergey Brin), CocoCola (by Frank Mason Robinson) and Twitter (done for $15 by Simon Oxley). Conversely, companies like Pepsi spent more than $1 million on the design of its new logo, and the BBC spent more than $1.8 million on its logo redesign.

It is important to measure the expected impact of the logo redesign as a factor in the cost and make sure you are in a positive-ROI position. For 90% of brands a redesign should never cost more than $50,000.

3)How do you make your company look “fresh” without changing so much that you lose loyal customers?

Using Pepsi’s recent logo redesign as an example, it is best practice to “update” a design as opposed to an outright logo “redesign.” The purpose being that after the upgrade the logo should look like it is a part of the same family. If done correctly, you will achieve a “fresh” look without distancing yourself from your brand’s original logo and current brand advocates.

We hope this helps you and your business when the time comes to redesign or change your current logo. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment or contact us on twitter @MediaWhizInc.

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By Daryl Colwell | VP, Business Development

Every good marketer knows that to generate leads, they need a robust database. And a good call-to-action. And a means of reaching the potential customers in their database in a timely and efficient manner.

While those ingredients alone won’t necessarily improve your lead-generation campaigns, they will set the stage for the one tool that is a must in any online marketer’s arsenal: email.

But how do you ensure your emails stand out from the crowd? In an age when consumers and business prospects receive hundreds of emails — some great, some OK and many just plain awful — the standard prospecting email won’t cut it anymore.

What you need is great email creative. It’s what helps turn an immediate delete into a potential prospect.

When developing your email creative, keep in mind that not all lists are the same.

Say, for example, you were a credit card issuer that wanted to acquire new customers. You would want to make sure you reach out to different audiences with different messages and cards. If you were mailing out to a group on a fantasy football list, you would want to message that user an opportunity to get a card with his or her favorite team’s logo on it. You could also message a sweepstakes to win a trip to the Super Bowl or detail how they can earn enough miles to fly to one of their team’s pivotal road games.

If you were reaching out to a list of future brides, you want to focus on cash back on housewares, earning miles or points to redeem for that crown honeymoon destination, etc.

These lists are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but they prove a point. You don’t turn on ESPN and see ads for diapers and perfume. You see relevant ads that the audience is interested in viewing. Email marketing is no different.

The key to effective email marketing creative is determining the anatomy of the list and sending consumers the appropriate and most relevant message/offer.

Email inboxes are highly cluttered these days. It’s important to make sure your email message/offer stands out with a great From and Subject line. If you’re a big brand, or a highly relevant offer/product, make sure that’s illustrated in the From line. Make your Subject line splashy by promoting a savings or unique proposition to the consumer. And always personalize the message where you can in order to capture the consumer’s attention.

Once the consumer opens the email, make sure the creative follows what the From/Subject line promised. Consumers will be quick to delete your message or unsubscribe to your offer/list if you’ve falsely advertised in the subject line.

To stand out from the crowd and ensure your prospecting email actually performs its intended function — prospecting for new clients, not annoying them — start with great creative. It is the key ingredient to lead-gen success from email in the digital age.

What are some of your ideas for ensuring high-quality email creative? 

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One of the hottest trends in online marketing is native advertising. While not necessarily a new concept — the relatively old-school advertorial has been around for decades — it has seen a resurgence in the current content marketing era. Recent examples of native advertising can be seen with Google’s paid search results, YouTube’s sponsored videos and, to a lesser extent, trending topics on Twitter.

Content marketing has led to innovative forms of online advertising. With the online user experience key to a successful marketing campaign, this non-disruptive form of online advertising will continue to capture marketers’ addition — and advertising dollars — in 2013.

Native Advertising: The Basics

Native advertising is considered one of the newest forms of online marketing.

According to a September 2012 article in Mashable, the term didn’t take root until famed start-up investor Fred Wilson told an audience at OMMA Global in early 2012 about “native monetization” for Web properties, which he described as ads that were “unique and native to the experience” of a website.

Dan Greenberg, the CEO of Sharethrough, is credited with coining the actual term “native advertising.” Here’s Greenberg’s definition: “Native advertising is a form of media that’s built into the actual visual design and where the ads are part of the content.”

What separates native advertising from the equally hot trend of content marketing is a matter of debate. John LoGioco, SVP and general manager of content at Outbrain, recently told Mashable that the two are pretty much the same. “Native advertising seems to be the thing that most are able to hang on to and get it.”

What Makes for Great Native Ads

At its best, native advertising blends seamlessly with the editorial content of a website while providing content that is valuable to the target audience. Below is an example of native advertising on Twitter.

Not surprisingly social media juggernauts are publishing sponsored content, but now popular blogs and editorial websites are beginning to promote sponsored content as well. Buzzfeed is one major publisher that is posting sponsored content for its users. Articles on its main page blend in with the surrounding content. Below is an example of a sponsored article on Buzzfeed.com

In this native ad, Volkswagen provides a unique article for Buzzfeed readers. Instead of simply scrolling through the pictures and reading the article, Volkswagen asks users to listen to the popular song “Get Happy” while they read.

This type of interactive article is non-disruptive. It also provides an entertaining experience for the user. Volkswagen’s sponsored content partnership with Buzzfeed is a good example of a brand’s owned content mixed seamlessly with a publication’s editorial content while providing a valuable experience for the user.

Publisher, Advertiser or Consumer: Who Benefits?

Forbes has reported that consumers find native advertising to be “misleading”; however, reports such as this haven’t prevented marketers from focusing on native ads in 2013. Solve Media reported that 57% of media buyers plan to increase their investment in native advertising in 2013.

While publishers and brands can’t seem to get enough of native advertising, consumers aren’t yet sure of their benefit. For example, Volkswagen’s sponsored content in Buzzfeed blends in well and provides value to consumers, but does it connect to Volkswagen? The answer largely depends on a consumer’s affinity for Volkswagen and its products.

If you’re a fan of Volkswagen and its famous array of critically acclaimed advertisements, then the connection is obvious. However, if you don’t closely follow Volkswagen, or its various marketing campaigns, the business purpose of the brand’s “native ad” likely wasn’t clear.

That disconnect is what marketers still need to overcome when utilizing native ads and sponsored content. Blending their brand’s messaging and imagery with a publication’s editorial content is great, but if the business purpose between the article and the sponsor isn’t clear, the ad will do little to convert potential customers into actual buyers.

Publishers benefit from native ads that are relevant and valuable to their user base. As our SEO in 2013 infographic details, frequency of new content is essential for brands to reach their SEO goals. Most publishers have little issue with posting sponsored content on their sites, provided it offers a value to their readers and is differentiated from editorial content.

While native ads help publishers generate some much-needed online ad dollars, advertisers are left with campaigns that are often difficult to measure, particularly with respect to moving product and securing new customers. Until marketers can consistently produce results and generate leads, native advertising risks becoming another overhyped marketing trend.

In my next post I will discuss some of the best practices for native advertising.

Is native advertising something you and your company plan on investing in 2013? Tweet us at @MediaWhizInc to discuss.

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The post Native Advertising: Are Marketers Getting Ahead of Themselves? appeared first on MediaWhiz.

Editor’s note: “Around the MediaWhiz Nation” is a regular editorial series in which MediaWhiz employees discuss the intricacies of their work. 

The internship experience at the MediaWhiz’s New York office has helped students develop their skills in their respective fields. This month I sat down with Chelsea Birns, Art Studio and Communications major from NYU. She discusses her experience as an intern in the Art Department and how MediaWhiz experts, Giles McGrath & Trevor Ashley, helped her sharpen her graphic designing skills.

RELATED: Read all posts from the “Around the MediaWhiz Nation”

Name: Chelsea Birns
Title: Intern, Art Department
Location: New York City

Sultan Riaz: What was your first day like at MediaWhiz?
Chelsea Birns:  My first day was really great! Giles, creative director, and Trevor, art director, both were very helpful in getting me setup for the internship. They gave me an overview of what they were working on along with what I would be working throughout the internship. I jumped right into it and worked on different projects with advertising, newsletters, and email letters.

SR: What goals did you set for yourself before joining MediaWhiz as an intern?
CB: I came in with the goal to improve my Photoshop and Adobe suite skills because that is what will help me in the long run. Working on my portfolio was another goal I set for myself because when I apply to a job I want to show the work I have done within the field. Eventually, I would like to get
Gile’s and Trevor’s advice on creating a new website.

SR: Do you believe your goals have been met?
CB: I think I am working towards it. I only work once a week so it makes it a little difficult for me to achieve all the goals I want, but my Photoshop skills have improved and it has helped me not only at work, but in the classroom as well.

SR: Have you benefitted by working with the experts at MediaWhiz?
CB:  Definitely! Getting to work with Giles and Trevor directly, two people who have a lot experience in the field, has been great. Also, since I am the only intern right now I get to do work like I am part of the team.

SR: How has the school/work balance been for you?
CB:  I only come in once a week, so it hasn’t been too hard.

SR: What has been the best thing about the MediaWhiz internship?
CB: The experience with working with two people who have done so much in the advertising industry and getting their advice and feedback has been very useful for me.

SR: Would you recommend this internship to someone who is majoring in Studio Art and Communications?
CB: Definitely! There are plenty of things to learn and it is a real hands on experience. You are not treated like an intern here; you are treated like someone who is really part of the MediaWhiz team.

If you are interested in having an impactful experience as an intern here at MediaWhiz, contact our HR department by visiting us on LinkedIn or by checking out our Career page. To see the experiences of other MediaWhiz employees just visit our YouTube channel. You can follow us on Twitter or “like” us on Facebook for MediaWhiz updates as well.

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Welcome to The Friday Five, curated reads about marketing, advertising and digital media from the team at @MediaWhizLLC. Read previous Friday Five posts here. 

What’s Premium in the Post Homepage Era? | Digiday
Search was first to put a serious dent in the primacy of the homepage. Now, with social and mobile gaining steam, publishers are left without the big, splashy homepage premium ad placements.

The fact is, most publishers see half or more of their traffic come in through the side door, whether through search, social or other means. That means publishers need to create new premium placements in a world where “every page is a home page.”

Coupon Sites Prove Attractive for Retailers Doing Affiliate Marketing | Internet Retailer
When it comes to affiliate marketing, coupon sites have proven far more valuable than content and comparison shopping sites for Bake Me a Wish, an online retailer of cookies, cakes and brownies, says says Joseph Dornoff, the merchant’s vice president of marketing and operations.

Why Big Bird Remains Powerfully — and Globally — Significant | Harvard Business Review
Big Bird has had a big presence in the collective conversation lately, thanks to mentions in the first two presidential debates. The outpouring of support for the giant yellow puppet that followed the first debate is a testament to his and Sesame Street’s continued relevance in people’s lives. Sesame Street, in fact, is a great case study of a brand that has managed to remain powerful over decades and across cultures.

Tweets Spawn Ad Campaigns | The Wall Street Journal
Consumers’ tweets are starting to influence and find their way into brands’ traditional, online and TV ad campaigns. What impact will that have on how brands engage with consumers online and the efforts they take to develop digital consumer advocates via social media?

What Red Bull Can Teach Content Marketing | Digiday
The marketing world woke up recently with Red Bull envy. At a time when brands talk of being publishers, Red Bull showed how this can be done on a grand scale: enabling Felix Baumgartner to complete a historic (and awfully cool) skydive from “the edge of space.” Red Bull’s bold sponsorship of Baumgartner’s historic jump shows a glimmer of the future of brand content marketing.

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The post The Friday Five: Premium Display Advertising Under Threat appeared first on MediaWhiz.

Editor’s note: The following post was originally published in the September issue of the MediaWhiz employee newsletter. It reflects the vision of MediaWhiz Creative Director Giles McGrath for the type of creatively innovative campaigns he and his team will design for the agency’s clients. 

Brothers and sisters: Our Herculean odyssey to the hallowed plains of creative excellence continues. Long since are the days where our banners sat quietly by, unnoticed, floating in a sea of blogs and tweets. Gone is the age of landing pages that informed but did not engage, that were live but did not live. Behind us is a time when our work squeaked as the world sought a voice to rise above the huddled masses.

Before us, arms unfurled, is our Nirvana; our Shangri-La of conceptual virtuosity ripe for the taking by anyone bold enough to tread upon it’s virgin soil.

We must stand as one in the face of those who would strive to hold us back. Push forth and show clients, competitors and the industry at-large that our creative cannot be ignored and will not be trifled with.

In the past few weeks our revolution has grown. New recruits have joined the ranks, and our numbers swell with creative prowess. Please welcome Trevor Ashley, to our resistance. He sits directly across from Gini, and these two lieutenants spend their days plotting our next creative coup.

The upcoming weeks will see increased growth with the addition of a frond-end developer whose skills in assassinating JavaScript and HTML code will be invaluable in our fight with those traditional Flash dogs.

Keep your eye affixed to the Horizon. Compare Top Colleges is going live, and the user experience is one to be reckoned with.

There is growth. We are making an impact. Our voice is being heard, and the weight of our creative strength is being felt by friend and foe alike.

Keep on the fight. ¡VIVA LOS CREATIVE REVOLUTION!

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