Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving Weekend
A special Thanksgiving-time video greeting to express our sincere appreciation for your confidence and loyalty. We are thankful and extend to you our best wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving Day.
Articulon Insights
Fired Up at the RISE Conference
Cindy with Rachel Hollis, founder & COO of the Hollis Co. | 2X #1 NYT Bestseller
Loved the first-ever RISE Business Conference in Charleston. Right at home in a stadium with 6,200 like-minded peeps. Avoiding obsolescence by saying up-to-date on digital strategies was one of many great topics.
Over-The-Top (OTT) Marketing
What is OTT (over-the-top)? It refers to the productized practice of streaming content to customers directly over the web – video streaming, audio streaming, messaging that bypasses mobile SMS networks, as well as voice and video calling via the internet.
OTT is not the way of the future, it is here now and is taking over the media marketplace. Advertisers need to adjust their budget distribution percentages to reflect the new ways their target customers are accessing media, news and information. Don’t be left holding on to the cord that was cut.
Wondering why? Let’s answer your question with one of our own: What if your video ad could be geographically targeting down to the zip code, and can be demographically targeted to viewers so accurately that two people in the same household, viewing programming on different devices, are served different ads?
Moreover, what if you can A/B test your ads, change creative on the fly and have real performance data specific to your ads, not estimates based on the viewership universe (i.e. Neilsen ratings)?
OTT advertising offers this and a whole lot more. Still not convinced it is something to consider in 2020? Check out these stats:
- OTT usage has tripled since 2013, rising to 14.1 million homes (11% of all U.S. TV households). In comparison, 12% of U.S. households view TV by an antenna (Adweek)
- 71% of internet users also use OTT services (VBA)
- OTT has ad view-through rates (VCR – Verified Completion Rate) in excess of 80% (Marketing Charts)
- While watching a program via an OTT service, two out of every three people use a second screen to look up information about a product they saw during that program (Adweek)
But wait, there’s more….
As a bonus for reading today, here is another term that is leading digital conversations – we even alluded to it earlier in this article:
Cord Cutter: A person who switches from a pay TV subscription (cable, satellite or telephone company) to an Internet-based streaming service such as AmazonFireTV, Roku, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto, Sling. There are over 200 OTT providers in the U.S. (Digiday)
Let’s go Over-The-Top together.
In-Studio Radio Scoop at KIX 102.9
Account Director Mike Gauss catches up with Doug Austin, program director for KIX 102.9 and the voice behind the Kix Cafe, about evolving programming in the digital age.
Monday Musings – Change the Narrative
The best way to change perception is to gain control of the narrative. This is accomplished in three ways.
FIRST, do not feed into the perception you are trying to change. Don’t bring up the errant concept. Simply start by stating your position.
EXAMPLE: Many people say the sky is orange. I have scientific proof that it is blue. – by bringing up the topic of an orange sky you inadvertently feed into human curiosity getting a lot of blue sky believers to look into why people think it is orange.
SECOND, be loud enough with the narrative you want to promote (not decibel level, but how frequently the message is delivered). In marketing speak it is called share of voice. State what you want people to believe in every interaction you can. Say it in multiple ways and everywhere. If you say something often enough and with enough conviction, others will start to believe it, even if they do not take the time to understand why you are making the claim.
EXAMPLE: We all know it is the Tryptophan in turkey makes you sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner, right? Actually no. Science has proven otherwise (actually never made that claim), but that does not keep us from talking about it as we fall asleep in the recliner with the game on.
FACT: there is no more of the chemical Tryptophan in turkey than there is in most other meats—not to mention soybeans, cheeses, and even sunflower seeds. If anything, that drowsiness you feel is likely caused by the high-carb stuffing and mashed potatoes accompanying the turkey. So please, cut turkey some slack.
THIRD, be right. Have the facts, stats, data and examples supporting your narrative ready so you can respond with CALM AUTHORITY and be perceived as “The” expert on the topic when questions arise and people want to know more. Just as important is making them easy to understand.
EXAMPLE: We have all seen and heard a politician make a statement to promote an agenda and then be tripped up as they are questioned about it. Journalists do their homework and fact check. You need to be ready. Often times there may be studies or research that are contradictory. When that happens, be prepared to state (clearly and calmly) why the study/research you site is a better source of information – i.e. is it more recent, are the parameters and demographics more accurate, or do the researchers/study group have greater credibility?
There will always be holdouts – people that are heavily invested in their ideas and not interested in listening to your position. That is ok. Don’t waste time and resources trying to convince them. Just be louder than they are and have credible, easy to understand facts to support your position.
Click here to learn some tips and tricks to being more effective in your PR and marketing efforts.