A DIFFERENT TYPE OF AGENCY

As a collective, The Factory Interactive is fueled by a passion for developing enduring messages conceived through a marriage of design and technology. At the core, we are explorers of possibility and architects of memory. We create rich immersive experiences that increase message retention and reward the audience. Our mission: give personality to products, resulting in a stronger, more effective brand.

_{October 30, 2008}
Are print newspapers dying faster than we think? _{By jason}

As reported in the NYtimes.com article Mourning Old Media’s Decline, many of the prolific U.S newspapers are enduring a fundamental shift in the way American’s attain their news.

The onslaught of staff and editorial board layoffs is staggering, and for many of us in the web world, this is no big surprise. David Carr reported that “more than 90 percent of the newspaper industry’s revenue still derives from the print product, a legacy technology that attracts fewer consumers and advertisers every single day.” Obviously, this is a major problem for the future of businesses which rely on print advertising.

A quick examination of advertising rates for “popular” print magazines reveals a fascinating conundrum that would-be advertisers are just beginning to realize. The question is simple: is it worth it to spend thousands of dollars on an ad placement in print media?

One of the most frustrating aspects of purchasing print advertising concerns ROI in the fullest extent of the term. How exactly does one quantify their expenditure after deployment? And what happens when nothing happens as the result of a $60,000.00 media buy?

When making the decision, as a company, to invest in traditional media (print, radio, television, direct mail, bill boards) or digital media (viral content, interactive advertisements, SEO, email marketing, etc.), consider how you, as an individual, react to the consistent bombardment of advertising in your daily life.

When was the last time you made a phone call to buy a product as the result of seeing an advertisement in a magazine or on a bill board? For that matter, when was the last time you were influenced to purchase a product or service after seeing any form of advertisement?

A tough fact of life for the print media world, besides consistently declining print circulation, is practicality. Financial news, for example, is moving online almost exclusively. Why? Becuase most people involved in finance require up to the second financial news – which is only available digitally. Why scrounge through epic listings of stocks in newspapers (for which you may need a magnifying glass) when you can google the ticker symbol for nearly any stock and get an up to minute quote?

Practicality is the element to consider here. Marketing, advertising, essentially communication as we know it – is changing.

Take the time to read up on the statistics, experience the headlines, and realize digital communication is replacing print media faster than your local newspaper editor would have you believe. Are we preparing for the death of newspapers as we currently know them…? It certainly looks that way.

Filed under: SEO — Tags: death of newspapers, death of print media, digital communication, technology evolution — @ 3:01 pm

_{October 28, 2008}
Understanding the 22 immutable laws of marketing _{By jason}

photo by stephenk1977

In the perpetually evolving world of cross-media marketing, formulaic strategies seldom stand the test of time. In many respects, a marketing campaign is a collective effort; a fusion of design, strategy, psychology, and research.

Although there are no set-in-stone rules in the marketing world, a set of laws (more or less) governs the perspicacious cross-media marketer. As recommended by the authors: “violate them at your own risk.”

In case you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of Al Ries and Jack Trout’s The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, we’ve put together a synopsis here for your reference.

1. It is better to be first than it is to be better.

• Make sure you’re defining or creating something which hasn’t affected your audience before.
  

2. If you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.

• Why not? There’s nothing stopping you.
  

3. It is better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.

• People remember experiences, not advertising or promotional materials.
  

4. Marketing is not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions.

• You are what you eat, but you aren’t what you think.
  

5. The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind.

• One formula: Brand Penetration = Word Association
  

6. Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect’s mind.

• Just like your first day of school – be yourself
  

7. The strategy to use depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder.

• Investigate and understand your competition.
  

8. In the long run, every market becomes a two horse race.

• Know thy enemy.
  

9. If you are shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader.

• Never settle for second. Remember Law #1 and 2
  

10. Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories.

• Time for expansion!
  

11. Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time.

• There is no “set it and forget it” solution. Be patient.
  

12. There is an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand.

• Don’t fall for peer pressure.
  

13. You have to give up something to get something.

• Choose but choose wisely.
  

14. For every attribute, there is an opposite, effective attribute.

• Get your ducks in a row before you count them.
  

15. When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive.

• Honesty is the best policy.
  

16. In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.

• Think checkmate.
  

17. Unless you write your competitor’s plans, you can’t predict the future.

• Go with the flow, but know where the river goes.
  

18. Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure.

• Be humble.
  

19. Failure is to be expected and accepted.

• “Never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill
  

20. The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press.

• Don’t believe the hype.
  

21. Successful programs are not built on fads, they’re built on trends.

• Be a trend spotter.
  

22. Without adequate funding, an idea won’t get off the ground.

• Be frugal, but not cheap.

Filed under: SEO — Tags: 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, marketing philosophy, Miami Marketing Agency — @ 3:05 pm

_{October 24, 2008}
Revisiting the PEW Internet and American Life Project _{By jason}

If you haven’t taken the time to check out the PEW Internet and American Life Project, set aside a solid two hours of time to catch up on the perspicacious musings of some top notch researchers.

On August 8th, Senior Research Fellow Deborah Fallows released a report on Search Engine usage in the United States. The study offers some enlightening statistics, which we’ve summarized for you here:

• The percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has been steadily rising from about one-third of all users in 2002, to a new high of just under one-half
  (49%).

• Underscoring the dramatic increase over time, the percentage of internet users who search on a typical day grew 69% from January 2002, when the Pew Internet & American Life Project first tracked this activity, to May 2008, when the current data were collected. During the same six-year time period, the use of email on a typical day rose from 52% to 60%, for a growth rate of just 15%.

• Those who are using search engines on an average day are more likely to be socially upscale, with at least some college education and incomes over $50,000 per year. They are more likely to be internet users with at least six years of online experience and to have their homes wired for fast internet connections. Younger internet users are more likely than older users to search on a typical day. men are more likely than women to search on a typical day.

• Of all the demographic variables analyzed, the presence of a home broadband connection had the strongest relationship with a user’s propensity to use a search engine on a typical day.

• Younger internet users have been consistently more likely to search on a typical day over the last five years of survey research. Here are the percentages of searchers in different age groups who search on a typical day:
  18 – 29 years 55%
  30 – 49 years 54%
  50 – 64 years 40%
  65 years and older 27%

And that’s not all, there’s a notable shift in the top activities people are engaging while using the internet…and guess what’s right at the top next to email? That’s right…Search! So what does this mean for you and your business? Well, principally:

1.) It’s time to start reading up on internet usage and toying with Google Trends
2.) It’s time to start exploring new ways to enhance your company’s web presence

Definitely check out the Deborah Fallows entire study on search engine use. It’s a fascinating read and an insightful glimpse into the future role of search engines in the U.S.

Filed under: SEO — Tags: Deborah Fallows, Google Trends, PEW Internet study, search engine usage, The Factory Interactive blog — @ 3:08 pm

_{October 22, 2008}
The Factory Interactive guide to getting the most out of Google _{By jason}

Google Bot is your friend

It’s hard to say whether or not Larry Page and Sergy Brin really knew what they were getting into when they hypothesized that a search engine which analyzed the relationships between websites would produce a better ranking of results than existing techniques, which ranked results according to the number of times the search term appeared on a page.

Regardless of the company’s history, Google has come to define how people find information online. In fact, people use Google more than any other search engine:

Aside from offering a prolific search engine, Google provides a variety of web based tools to improve efficiency and help businesses optimize themselves for efficiency. The Google staff has already done an excellent job of explaining how to best utilize their public resources. The list below reflects some of the tools we use here at The Factory Interactive to stay organized and to keep a careful eye on the world of search:

The Factory Interactive Recommended Google Applications

1. Gmail

If you’re not using it, you should be! There are ten ways gmail makes email easy and efficient, but we could list a thousand more. The interface is simple, clutter free, and functional. You can even send emails from multiple accounts, so forget bouncing between yahoo, msn, hotmail, or aol addresses.

2. Google Trends

straight from the horse’s mouth: “With Google Trends, you can compare the world’s interest in your favorite topics. Enter up to five topics and see how often they’ve been searched on Google over time. Google Trends also shows how frequently your topics have appeared in Google News stories, and in which geographic regions people have searched for them most.” Nuff said.

3. Google Insights for Search

Did you know you can compare search volume trends across specific regions, categories, and timeframes? With this tool, you can anticipate seasonal demand for products/services, discover where your customers are really coming from, and even get a sense of popular keywords.

4. Google Calendar

This is a phenomenal shareable scheduling resource which can easily adapt to any business application. It’s a must have if you’re a web based consultant or an executive on the fly who’s had it with Outlook.

5. iGoogle

Did you know you can personalize your Google homepage? Get the latest info from virtually any niche by selecting and adding categories. It’s drag and drop…so you can’t miss. A great way to personalize your Google experience.

6. Google Webmaster Tools

Everything you need and more to help manage your web presence. If it involves using Google to make your business more profitable, you can find it here.

7. Google Image Search

A comprehensive resource for quick visual reference. need a picture of Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still? count on it! If you can think of it…there’s probably a picture for it. Moneky playing piano? you betcha!

8. Google earth

It wasn’t enough to index most of the internet, they had to visually index the earth. Check out the forbidden city in China or find a local churrascuria in Miami. Whatever you need to find on the face of the earth, you can find it on this incredible digital rendering of the world.

9. Google Docs

A great way to share and collaborate with colleagues on important projects. It even has a web based word processor.

10. Google News

An aggregation of headlines from nearly every category of news. A great way to consolidate your daily reads.

Google is constantly evolving to offer its user the best possible search experience. Make sure to explore your own ways of utilizing google’s arsenal of web tools and see just how productive you can become!

Filed under: SEO — Tags: Google, google bot picture, google resources, google tools, how to use google, The Factory Interactive — @ 3:10 pm

_{October 21, 2008}
don’t fear the evolution of technology – prepare _{By jason}

The internet is fostering a new era of global communication. As the digital world continues to evolve, companies of every variety will ultimately be forced to engage their markets through a medium which is just emerging from it’s infancy.

With every generation, there are people who shy away from technological innovation in an attempt to control their perceived reality. Intrinsically, digital marketing is evolving at a pace which far exceeds traditional marketing. The exposure from a successful viral video on youtube can cost less than a tank of gas to produce, but can deliver more eyeballs to a marketing message than any high dollar magazine ad or PR campaign. It’s a tough reality to comprehend, but the digital world we know and love is changing faster than we could ever grasp.

Planned obsolescence is certainly something to consider when discussing how to prepare for a technological revolution, but unlike the industrial revolution, it will not only be our technology which shifts, it will be the way in which we communicate as a nation and as a global community.

So how do you keep your business afloat in a sea of digital competition? The process is inherently simple…just follow The Factory Interactive 5 Steps to Preparing for Digital Evolution:

1. Keep a lookout for technological shifts in everyday information resources.

• If you had a choice between reading a newspaper and experiencing a newspaper, which would you choose? Not surprisingly, most people choose experience – which is why major time-tested publications have rolled out an entirely innovative approach to delivering the news. The New York Times, for example, provides every form of digital communication to its users in order to facilitate a cross-medium learning experience. You can watch, listen, comment, submit, vote, share, embed, and even contribute content. Even the advertising is interactive.

2. Pay attention to how the generation behind you is using technology

• Think you could out-text an 8th grader? Has your son or daughter showed you how to access a web application? have you used a social networking site recently? When was the last time you read up on the latest PEW study on internet usage?

3. Do some research into the decline of print media

• Most people aren’t aware print circulation for major newspapers, magazines, and publishers is dropping off the map. Why? You should find out. Here’s a great place to start.

4. Think critically about how you locate information on services, products, or driving directions

• Internet technology may be a bigger part of your life than you realize. Did you know people scientifically study how other people locate information online?

5. Experiment with new forms of digital communication

• Ever tried skype? Reached out to a colleague on linked-in? Have you checked out the latest high definition videos on Vimeo? Did you know you can check headlines from every major information portal online through PopURLs? Browse around, you might try reaching out to family, friends, and fellow professionals find it easier than fumbling with your blackberry.

Filed under: SEO — Tags: Google, google bot picture, google resources, google tools, how to use google, The Factory Interactive — @ 3:13 pm

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