Versant Blog Center

Advertising Networks: Media Fragmentation Meets Brand Integration

With the continued compound growth in the types of and providers of media, traditional broadcast and print media companies are seeing steady declines in their budgets.

In recent months, in order to stem these losses, Conde Nast, Viacom Inc., CBS Corp. and other major media companies have unveiled topic-specific advertising networks comprised of a series of linked Web sites. These include the media companies’ own sites (magazines and television) as well as others. This is to lure advertisers to spend more money on a larger quantity of ads than any single site would have available.

Advertisers, who are looking to build their brands, should find significant benefits from the integration of advertising networks offered by the traditional media companies. This approach should deliver the desired target audience for their message with consistent brand equity.

The traditional media networks face tough competition from the larger networks assembled by Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and AOL. However, if the media companies can execute their networks effectively, they will not only be able to reach the target consumer, but will also follow that consumer as they evolve and utilize the ever-changing media.

The biggest reason these media ad networks will work, assuming they are looking to add value, is because of their ability to leverage an advertiser’s message with traditional media. Even with declining shares, broadcast and print still have large audiences. If the media companies can help improve the quality of content people get online, this will be a winner for them and for the advertisers.

Evolution

Media is continuing at a rapid rate of change from traditional media to digital media. For the first half of 2007, television and radio media were down almost 2.5%, as compared to 2006. Newspapers continue their long-term decline, down 5.8% so far this year.

The effectiveness of television is being dramatically impacted by the use of DVRs. Forrester research predicts that by 2010, more than half of all U.S. households will own a DVR. It puts us in control and we are using that control to skip the ads interrupting our programs.

Newspaper circulation continues to decline, as more readers are going online for their local news and to look for items they once found in the Classifieds (Jobs, Auto, Real Estate, etc.).

Radio is losing market share by the use of MP3 Players (iPods) and the personal digital media they offer.

The Internet will continue to be a huge force of change with the increase in online advertising, up over 17% in the last year. This significant growth is predicted to continue at a similar rate over the next five years.

The Internet is now the source of information and entertainment for an ever-increasing number of individuals. During the month of July, there were over 9 billion videos viewed on the Web, indicating that the propensity of broadband has made video an interactive mainstay of the Net.

What this means for the future of advertising is that it will need to evolve. It has to. Successful marketers will need to integrate advertising into people's lives by engaging them in the communication. The reality is that consumers and technology are both evolving quickly, and the advertising industry must evolve along with them.

A Changing Health Care Market

I recently attended the 26th Annual Meeting of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice which took place in Denver, Colorado. I’ve gone to this show for the past three years not only because we have clients who exhibit there and we want to see firsthand what their competition is doing, but also because it’s a snapshot of what’s happening in the home care/health care market overall.

It was interesting to note that in the telemedicine field, there was no one making the “big splash” this year – some vendors had reduced the size of their booths, some were changing their brand position. I got the feeling everyone was looking around to see what the other guy was doing, which is different than the last two NAHC shows I’ve attended. There were also a lot of new players entering the field. 

My sense is that while everyone is holding back, trying to figure out how to position their ROI to the home care market within the ever-changing regulatory and payment environment, there’s a vacuum waiting to be filled. This is a prime window of opportunity for one of the new (or firmly established) telemedicine providers to take the lead in this industry with cutting edge technology, a strategically sound brand strategy and the team onboard to make it happen. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that happens by this time next year.

Pre-Wonder Years

Last week a local radio station morning team interviewed child actor Fred Savage, Kevin Arnold from “The Wonder Years” television show, on his current role as director of the movie “Daddy Day Camp.” Low and behold, Fred shared with the DJ’s that one of his first television commercials was for a shopping mall in Milwaukee called Brookfield Square.

That’s when I started getting calls. It’s true. Back in the early 80’s we cast and subsequently produced a series of TV commercials with Fred Savage.

He was seven years old – pre “The Wonder Years.” At any rate, we had to do some digging, but I found the original audition tape and shared our story on the air (Listen: WAV | MP3) with Jane and Kidd from WMYX.

We may have a knack for identifying good talent. You also might get a kick out of knowing that we produced a commercial for our client Bank Mutual featuring Tina Fey. She went on to be a head writer for “Saturday Night Live” and now stars in her own show with Alec Baldwin on NBC, called “30 Rock.”

I’m not sure we can take credit for their success, but I do think it’s safe to say we can spot talent when we see it.

Going Full Circle

Twenty years ago I started a graphic design and commercial photography studio in West Bend. After 15 years as owner and creative director, I realized I needed more. I was fortunate to find a great fit with Versant.

I am now in my fifth year at Versant and have recently found myself back in West Bend, but this time as a Versant representative. Some of my past West Bend contacts are reaching out to me with new work and Versant has the talent and depth to get the job done.

Versant recently completed the re-branding of the West Bend Art Museum which is now the Museum of Wisconsin Art. State of Wisconsin Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton unveiled the new name and logo on January 12th. Tom Lidtke, executive director of the museum said that the logo has “a bold and contemporary image that reflects the forward thinking of the museum’s vision for the future. In terms of color, the brilliant orange played off the subtle gray and the unique way the positive font plays off the negative font provided a push- pull dynamic that reflects a multitude of artistic mediums and style.

“In short,” continued Lidtke, “the logo represents the richness of Wisconsin art that has been created over the last two millennia.”

More recently, Versant was hired to assist the West Bend Mutual Insurance Company on their facility branding efforts as they more than double the size of their facility. They saw the important need to create a professional naming and wayfinding system for some of the unique areas inside their facility as well as throughout the 160 acres on which their corporate headquarters is situated.

After the completion of our research and strategic naming process we provided West Bend Mutual with a list of over 30 unique names to be used within the new facility. The team at WBM was thrilled with the results and we are looking forward to the next phase on this exciting project. And I’m looking forward to the continued connection with my old stomping grounds.

Versant is Hiring

We have the following opening in our Milwaukee office:

Interactive Project Manager

We are seeking a highly skilled Interactive Project Manager. This person will lead and guide client projects in the Web development life cycle. This person will act as primary liaison between clients and Versant’s Interactive team, responsible for managing client expectations, regulating project scope and ensuring on-time, on-budget project delivery.

You can view the job description and apply online in our careers section.

Trying New Things = Learning = Fun

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for Versant’s Biggest Loser contest. The format is simple, the associate with the greatest percentage weight loss by the end of April is the winner, and the top three “Losers” win a cash prize. I’m a mother of two young boys, 2 years and 6 months old, and I have some extra weight after the pregnancies that I’d like to lose.

This week, my husband and I joined a gym. It was my husband’s idea, and the timing came together nicely with the weight loss contest. Historically, I’m not a gym kind of person. But I’m determined to give this a try. And getting started at the gym, I’m learning a lot, including that one bottle of water is not enough for a 60-minute Zumba class.

The gym is a lot of fun. The newness is extremely exciting and motivating. I can’t wait to do more and discover more. It’s pretty easy to get grounded into a steady routine in any area of life. And while routines can be very productive, I’m re-discovering the joy of trying something completely different. 

When applying this to work life, I’m wondering how we can step outside our comfort zones and try something new? How can we balance the efficiency of routine with discovery and exploration? I’m not sure of the answers, but I think that seeking out a few completely new experiences should be in everyone’s yearly work plans.

As for the weight loss challenge, I’ll let you know how it goes.

This blog is interactive; please share your comments!

Multi-Channel Malaise

Both good and bad, we live in an age of hyper-connectivity. Depending on one’s point of view, this either empowers us through efficiency and speed, or irrevocably chains us to an ever growing amount of information overload and non-stop work. 

Compounding this is the challenge of delivering cohesive, meaningful messages in a time-stressed world. The impact of this challenge came to light in a unique way as I was listening to a younger co-worker describe the emotional roller coaster of miscommunication he encountered while trying to establish a relationship with a woman he had recently met.

It began when he received an early morning text message that, in its brevity and vagueness, put into doubt what he had considered a successful date the night before. The tension mounted when he answered her cell phone call on the way to lunch with a group of co-workers. An innocent move to clarify the text message was quickly confounded by a lack of privacy, jovial co-workers and a promise to call back soon. With an ill-defined meaning of “soon” and a busy afternoon ahead, the call was quickly forgotten. That is until the second cell phone call later that day when she wondered why he hadn’t returned her call and questioned what was really meant by some of his MySpace.com postings. As he relayed this unfolding drama, I was struck by the new challenges of communicating in a hyper-connected world — and how glad I am to be married.

As this story illustrates, hyper-connectivity can easily result in hyper-misconnection. And business communications are equally at risk of being confused. Certainly, business communication is more objective, but the challenge of speaking with one meaningful voice across multiple channels remains the same. It highlights the fundamental truth that regardless of communication channel, timing or topic — taking the extra moment to ensure clear, consistent, readily understood communication is imperative.

Super Bowl Media 101

The Super Bowl is one of the few, if only times of the year when television viewers anticipate, look forward to, and pay attention to commercials. TV networks face the daunting task of trying to keep people engaged in the age of online user-generated video sites like YouTube.  And marketers have to worry about how effective TV ads can be when people can simply fast-forward past them with video recorders. This isn’t a big issue for Super Bowl advertisers.

According to TNS Media Intelligence, advertising during the Super Bowl has accounted for over 11 full hours of commercial time throughout the past 20 years. Those 11 hours represent 221 different advertisers, more than 1,400 commercial announcements and translates into $1.72 billion of network advertising sales. The top Super Bowl advertisers over the years have been Anheuser Busch and PepsiCo each at 20 years and General Motors at 15 years.

The cost to place an ad in the Super Bowl has more than quadrupled in the past 20 years; reaching as high as $2.5 million in 2006 for a 30-second unit. CBS has reported over $2.6 million for the 2007 game. 

That’s significant investment for any company to make for a one-time viewing. And in the past, a company had a hard time knowing if it was one that would pay off. Today, however, they can receive measurable results. The number of hits to the company Web site alone should increase significantly if the ad was a success. A popular spot will be picked-up by an Internet user and placed on YouTube. That too, will tell the number of times it has been viewed. Bloggers will discuss it, putting the company or their brand name out for discussion.

Of course, you want positive discussion, so it needs to be a great ad. What makes for a great Super Bowl ad? Ask someone what the most memorable commercial in Super Bowl history is and they are likely to cite either Coca-Cola’s “Mean Joe Green” spot in 1980, or Apple’s famed “Big Brother” spot in 1984. Today’s commercials are being remembered for their humor.

These days there are so many gimmicks and new ways to build buzz for your commercial. With YouTube, bloggers, chat rooms and so on, the Internet is a natural for pre- and post-game publicity.

This year there is a great deal of buzz in two areas. The first is the K-Fed commercial for Nationwide. This insurance company’s commercial has caused controversy because, according to the National Restaurant Association, it’s offensive to folks who flip burgers for a living.

The second is what we are referring to in the business as the "Average Joe" spots. These are commercials developed from ideas submitted by the public via contests. This year there are three of them and the winners will be seen during the big game. The NFL is running one, as is Doritos and long-time advertiser GM. These have generated engagement by the consumer on multiple levels. They are given the freedom to create the message for the brand, but they also allow consumers to have a say in which one is the winner. Doritos posted the top spots on their Web site where viewers would have to go to make their selection.

GM created the “Chevy College Super Bowl Ad Challenge” to get a much sought after demographic for whom the new media is a natural environment to talk about and interact with their brand. In addition, GM showed video mock-ups of the spots each weak on The Early Show.

Of course that doesn’t mean GM is only leaving their brands in the hands of college kids. They also have a 60-second agency produced spot. In addition, they released a 30-second preview on YouTube.

I will be watching those spots with a great deal of interest to see if this is the beginning of a trend. They all have to be winners for that to happen.

Speaking of winners, does anyone remember who won the game?????

Community Counts

Not unlike many baby boomers, I am part of the sandwich generation. I’m juggling my role as executive creative director/partner at Versant with my roles as a husband of a working spouse, father of two young children and son of an aging parent. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming.  Don’t get me wrong. I feel very fortunate. In fact, I’d love to give back to the community in some way. The challenge is time, or lack thereof.

This is where my work family comes in.

At Versant, associates are encouraged to take an active role in making our community a better place to live and work. It’s a simple, but important, alignment of the company with our associates’ values.

Often times that effort can be co-mingled within our daily activities and client interaction, and admittedly, there is some business benefit to this. But more than any other reason, we do it because it is the right thing to do. Whether it’s contributing to the performing arts, www.upaf.org, participating in an asthma walk, www.lungwi.org, or visiting a school to read to kids, www.milwaukeerotary.com, Versant understands how important the community is and supports it wholeheartedly.

I once heard someone define the difference between management and leadership as the following:  Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right thing. I’m glad to be part of a company that is leading.

Versant is Hiring: Multiple Positions

We have the following openings in our Milwaukee office:

1. Web Developer
   We are seeking a highly capable Web Developer. As a member of our Interactive team, you will lead the development and programming of all Versant interactive projects while developing and maintaining client technical infrastructure, including Web and database-server setup and management.
   
   
2. New Business Development Director
   We are looking for a qualified New Business Development Director to take responsibility for maintaining the visibility and credibility of the organization while providing support strategies that “set the stage” for adding new business. Evaluating new markets and referral channels, this person will generate new business leads and prospects according to a pre-defined set of client criteria.
   
   
3. Account Manager, Recruitment Marketing
   We are seeking an Account Manager to join our VersantWorks team. This person will be involved in all aspects of account management and planning, including developing and maintaining successful client relationships, interfacing with various disciplines of the company, generating new business leads, managing online job board contracts, proofreading and production.
   
   
4. Executive Administrative Assistant
   We are also seeking an Executive Administrative Assistant to provide administrative support to the company’s CEO/Managing Partner and COO. The Executive Administrative Assistant will also contribute to the organization by providing administrative support to other executives and coordinating projects for the company. 

You can view the job descriptions and apply online in our career section.

Williams Bay Retreat

Being a young and single Millennial, my typical weekend consists of time with friends, an occasional watering hole, sports and housework. Last weekend, however, I was on a company retreat in Williams Bay with my co-workers. While there was no housework involved (we each had our own hotel-style dorm room) there was certainly no shortage of friends, fun and sports!

There were four key goals outlined for the Williams Bay Retreat:

1. Build esprit de corps (Honor the group):

   This was done through a myriad of team-building activities, a Saturday night bonfire, leisurely strolls along beautiful Williams Bay in Lake Geneva, and cheering on our beloved Badgers, Nancy's USC and my Arrowhead Warhawks.

2. Learn and teach:

   Agency life is busy and at times I find it difficult to know about all of the projects happening throughout the company. It was exciting for me to take part in breakout sessions that involved other aspects of the business, and to see department-specific presentations and exemplary work created by other Versant associates. We left asking ourselves how we can incorporate these great concepts into work for other clients.

3. Align associates to the goals of 2007:

   This was the primary goal for the retreat and I feel it was accomplished not only by way of bringing us together on the same page, but also by giving us even more reason to be excited about who we are and where we are heading as a company.

4. Have fun:

   We had a great time! If I could only explain to you the experience of being the karaoke DJ for performances like "Born to be Wild," "Copacabana" and "Turn the Page!"

This retreat was a great way for me to hone my own business acumen while, as a team, strengthen the Versant bond and get to know my fellow colleagues on a more personal level. It is experiences like these that make me grateful to work for a company like Versant that makes an effort to cultivate the skill sets and careers of its associates.