Photo By: usatoday.com
Advances in technologies create new opportunities for consumer product development. Take a look at some of the latest products that were featured at the annual CES conference, and a sneak peak at what will be competing for your dollars and shelf space in the coming months. It will be exciting to work with some of these companies to educate, engage, motivate and sell their target audiences!
During the holidays retailers usually advertise unbeatable prices and remarkable savings- all while competing with one another to get the sale.
Being in advertising, I have always had a sweet spot for commercials. It intrigues me to see what big name brands will do to catch consumer attention. Every year retailers raise the bar and expand expectations.
This holiday season, a few brands went with humor, a few warm your heart and a few just bring good ole’ holiday cheer.
Here are a few holiday ads, that in my eyes, succeed in spreading brand awareness!
Best Buy had me smiling:
“Twas” (featuring Will Arnett)
Kohl’s brought me to tears:
Holiday Surprise
John Lewis’ UK campaign warms your heart:
Bear & The Hare
Target and Coca-Cola bring Holiday cheer:
Target- My Kind of Holiday
Often when a designer starts working on a concept it is just that, a concept. There is no definitive direction for the copy. We might have a headline but since we are still in the process of pitching the client on the concepts, we won’t fully flush out the body copy. How then can it be conveyed to a client that yes there will indeed be copy points to support the headline and the visual that was excruciatingly chosen specifically for that layout?
The answer is simple. Lorem Ipsum.
What is Lorem Ipsum you say? According to Wikipedia, In publishing and graphic design, lorem ipsum[1] is a placeholder text (filler text) commonly used to demonstrate the graphic elements of a document or visual presentation, such as font, typography, and layout, by removing the distraction of meaningful content. The lorem ipsum text is typically a mangled section of De finibus bonorum et malorum, a 1st-century BC Latin text by Cicero, with words altered, added, and removed that make it nonsensical and not proper Latin.[1]
Somewhere in the recess of my mind, I think I did learn that it was derived from Cicero, but that is neither here nor there. Lorem Ipsum is standard fare when it comes to design process. It gives both the client and copywriters a general idea as far as how much copy is going to be included in a piece, which is important!
A friend had posted on her Facebook page that she wanted to create a NEW Lorem Ipsum and in turn posted a link to a Lorem Ipsum generator called “Choose Your Ipsum.” (http://idsgn.dropmark.com/107) It made my heart go pitter patter. Here you can choose from such Ipsums as:
Bacon Ipsum
Bacon ipsum dolor sit amet leberkas jowl strip steak brisket. Venison corned beef meatball tenderloin, leberkas pork loin shankle strip steak biltong andouille short ribs filet mignon pork jerky. Flank ham hock brisket turkey. Fatback chicken beef, andouille bacon shankle cow tail corned beef frankfurter brisket doner.
Batman Ipsum
Gordon… You do like to play things pretty close to the chest.
It will be extremely painful… for you
Behind you, stands a symbol of oppression. Blackgate Prison, where a thousand men have languished under the name of this man: Harvey Dent.
And why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.
When their enemies were at the gates the Romans would suspend democracy and appoint one man to protect the city. It wasn’t considered an honor, it was a public service.
Samuel L. Ipsum (definitely not suitable for work)
Lebowski Ipsum
Excuse me! Mark it zero. Next frame. Dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. A dick, man! And let me tell you something: I dig your work. Playing one side against the other —in bed with everybody— fabulous stuff, man. Praesent ac magna justo pellentesque ac lectus quis elit blandit fringilla a ut. This compulsive fornicator is taking my father for the proverbial ride. Turpis praesent felis ligula, malesuada suscipit malesuada non, ultrices non urna sed.
And quite possibly my favorite…
Busey Ipsum
It’s good to yell at people and tell people that you’re from Tennesee, so that way you’ll be safe. This is just common superficiality. Is thats whats so special about a woman? Superficiality with their face colors? Did you feel that? Look at me – I’m not out of breath anymore! Listen to the silence. And when the silence is deafening, you’re in the center of your own universe.
Now not every client could handle a project with Busey’isms thrown in there…. but it would make it more fun to review creative concepts. Clients beware!!!
WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY — NOVEMBER 8, 2013 —- DavidHenry Marketing & Media, along with their client partners, announced that they have received ten internationally recognized MarCom Awards for their collaborative work in custom publishing, healthcare advertising, integrated marketing and general creative services. MarCom Awards are administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. For the 2013 competition, there were over 6,000 entries submitted from the United States, Canada, and overseas.
“We are fortunate to have exceptional client partnerships and a terrific team here at DavidHenry,” stated David Fink, President and Chief Communications Officer of DavidHenry Marketing & Media. “It’s great for all involved to receive recognition for the creative work we produce together to drive demand.”
DavidHenry Marketing & Media and their client partners are honored to receive the following awards:
Platinum Award:
E-Communication/E-Magazine
Gold Award:
Magazine/Special Edition
Magazine/Consumer
Design (Print)/Logo
Ads/Magazine
Ads/Billboard
Honorable Mention:
Magazine/Consumer
Video/Film/Government
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrOxSB1V3JY
Design (Print)/Holiday Card
The MarCom Awards, which recognize exceptional work in marketing and communications, is an international creative competition that has grown to be the largest of its kind. The competition accepted entries from individuals and companies who were involved in the concept, writing and design of print, visual, audio and web materials and programs for their 2012 work.
DavidHenry is a full-service marketing and media company based in Westfield, N.J., providing branding, integrated marketing, custom publishing and interactive solutions. DavidHenry helps companies achieve their business goals, increase their market share and enrich their bottom line. DavidHenry works with leading business-to-consumer and business-to-business brands in a diverse group of industries. To learn more about DavidHenry and how its talented team generates demand for companies, visit www.davidhenryagency.com or email info@davidhenryagency.com.
from healthcarecommunication.com
With a keen focus on healthcare marketing, DavidHenry works with many different clients who all have this in common: they want their marketing to create preference for their products and services and lead to a decision to choose their brand over the competition. Exciting as it is, people often get caught up in the creative process — the pretty pictures, edgy messaging, concise but effective taglines, bells and whistles web sites, and compelling TV and radio spots to name a few.
All important.
But, equally as important, if not more, is the need to properly identify the strategy, uncover the resources available to support it, decide collectively on the right plan of action…then design, develop, and deploy it And don’t forget that ongoing measurement and tracking return on investment, because whether it’s year one or year five, you’ll be asked to prove that your marketing and media investments have been wise ones, so having the data and reporting in place to prove they are is critical.
All of these very important steps should be identified in your marketing plan, with each spelled out and outlined before the pretty pictures are drawn up. That way, you’re operating against goals and a plan, executing a creative effort that’s been clearly thought out each step of the way.
The DavidHenry Marketing and Media team ventured to Linden Lanes for a team building day of bowling fun. David and Tuyen proved to be the
rockstars of the bowling alley as they dominated the two games that were played. Win or lose, it was a great day for all.
The team at a pre-bowling lunch!
Happy Birthday to Debbie and Shelley!
Debbie wins for best post-bowl reactions!
Shelley’s post bowl smile.
Deana in action!
Danielle is surprised that she hit any pins!
Debbie about to knock ’em down!
David dominated the first game!
The numbers don’t lie!
Tuyen rocked the second game!
New Brand Image and Site Reflects the Full Scope of Marketing and Media Services. DavidHenry Provides Clients to Help Them Generate Demand.
WESTFIELD, N.J., October 8, 2013 – In response to its evolving integrated marketing and media services for leading business-to-consumer and business-to-business organizations throughout North America, The DavidHenry Agency, a New Jersey-based company, today announced it has changed its name and brandmark to DavidHenry. The rebranding fully embodies the essence of the unparalleled client-agency experience DavidHenry affords its current and potential clients – helping them successfully compete leveraging modern marketing tools, technologies, and tactics to generate demand for their products and services. This is reflected in the description of the company’s approach and client case studies featured on the redesigned website, www.davidhenryagency.com.
“At DavidHenry, we recognize that corporate marketing executives look for more than what is typically offered in a traditional marketing or ad agency, and we have built our company around those needs. Our brand name, mark and communications materials now reflect what we truly offer. We continue to bring strategies and resources to our clients to help them capture market share in their industries by leveraging all channels of communication and distribution,” said David Fink, President and Chief Communications Officer of DavidHenry. “With this new look, we are excited to further grow our reputation by continuing to exceed client expectations and deliver the unmatched results they have come to expect from us.”
When partnering with clients, DavidHenry develops campaigns and programs that are aligned with business goals. From strategy and design to implementation and measurement, DavidHenry works as an extension of their clients’ teams to ensure success. Testament to the firm’s unrivaled service and ability to drive results is its expansive client roster comprising a number of highly regarded and prestigious brands, including Heineken, Whole Foods Market, NFL Alumni, Hackensack University Medical Center, Selective Insurance, and Primus Telecommunications.
Realizing that a multi-dimensional approach is required for companies to reach target audiences in today’s marketplace, the DavidHenry team brings a unique blend of business intelligence and creative firepower to each integrated marketing program. Its award-winning team of talented professionals understands how to drive the strategic and creative communications process, which includes specialists in design, copywriting, interactive, multimedia, production and fulfillment. The mix of outstanding professionals at DavidHenry enables the firm to bring clients’ fully-integrated projects and programs to life.
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About DavidHenry
DavidHenry is a full-service marketing and media company based in Westfield, N.J. providing branding, integrated marketing, custom publishing and interactive solutions. DavidHenry helps companies achieve their business goals, increase their market share and enrich their bottom line. DavidHenry works with leading business-to-consumer and business-to-business brands in a diverse group of industries. To learn more about DavidHenry and how its talented team generates demand for companies, visit www.davidhenryagency.com or email info@davidhenryagency.com.
Media Contact:
Deana Paster
DavidHenry Marketing & Media
908.389.1200, ext.109
dpaster@davidhenryagency.com
In response to this Content Marketing article, I wanted to share my perspective on some of the topics that were debated by the panelists. At DavidHenry (marketing and media company), QUALITY will always trump quantity. To use media placement as an example, would you rather have 15 billboards in average locations for your campaign or 5 billboard locations that are excellent to reach your intended audience(s)? Content is not any different. Quality of content is essential – and your writing style, core message, communications platform, program and media should ALL reflect your brand. To the panelist who mentioned “quantity leads to quality” – I 100% disagree. Your content needs to be engaging, compelling, relevant, and most importantly in marketing – motivate someone to take action!
In today’s highly competitive markets, where marketing budgets are so closely monitored and return on investment (ROI) is the bible by which to gauge the success of your efforts, its important to focus not only on the services that you provide to clients, but the manner in which they are provided.
The front face of any company is crucial. While some may think it’s only the end result and ROI that makes or breaks an effort, the service delivery can often leave the most lasting impression on your client. In a recent Forbes article, Tom Post shares his best and worst customer service experiences. Bottom line? Customer service is fairly easy – be timely, be responsive, be customer-focused, and do all that you can — within reason and “business sense” — to keep your customers coming back.
It’s said that it takes 5 times as much effort to recruit a new client as it does to keep an existing one – are you doing all you can to retain your clients – and keep them happy?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tompost/2013/06/04/the-best-and-worst-customer-service/
Hospital websites today are often dynamic and slick looking with sliding images of good-looking healthcare providers, photos and videos of the latest diagnostic and surgical equipment, and plenty of platitudinal language about being a state-of-the-art and leading edge healthcare provider.
While this promotional language is deemed to be important in ‘selling’ hospital benefits to the community; what consumers really need is a relevant information portal that can be a true resource when making healthcare decisions for their family. Hospitals can benefit from having a clear path to important information regarding safety and quality as well as hospital departments and service offerings. Consumers also need to be able to navigate the site quickly and easily and connect immediately with hospital departments and physicians.
In her August, 2013 article, It’s Judgment Day for Hospital Websites, HealthLeaders Media writer, Cheryl Clark speaks directly to this issue in detail and highlights an initiative that is giving hospitals a reason to build and maintain more transparent and user friendly web sites. In 2012, seven hospital transparency website awards were presented through a partnership of The Leapfrog Group and URAC. The criteria for winning focused around five key areas including transparency, design, credibility, literacy and connectivity. Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 awards.
A hospital’s website should be a clear gateway to the content a consumer needs to make informed healthcare decisions. In what has become a crowded and competitive healthcare market, this level of transparency a step in the right direction for marketers and a chance for hospitals to truly demonstrate the important role they play in the lives of the patients they serve.
