Monthly Archives: March 2011

Stop. Now read the next two questions.

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Who am I? And why am I here?

These are the questions that circled through my mind as I read Ad Age this morning, as has become my habit to do just about every morning.

I especially love the “Small Agency Diary” articles because most of the things they talk about are experiences we’ve all had in the marketing world. It’s like my pals in Ad Age land have been spending time right here in our office.

But all I could think about as I read Derek Walker’s blog post this morning, “Who are you and why are you here?” was how would I answer that question?

It’s such a simple thing. A straightforward and direct request. Who are you? And now that I start to think about it, Derek is right in his point. You go to so many advertisers and marketers’ websites, and you get no idea about who they really are. What is their perspective and their raison d’etre? What do they think is their most powerful offering?

For goodness sakes, give us a little personality! I mean, as marketers we’re supposed to build brands and deliver messages for our clients. If we can’t tell you who we are and why we’re so special, how could you ever trust us with your own company’s image?

So with all of this reflection I digress. I take a step back to the MOS website and take a fresh look at how we represent ourselves as a company, as individuals, as creatives. And again I ask, Who am I? And why am I here?

Finally: Facebook brings you instant ads

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Did you update your status recently?

Pay attention to the ads in the right column. You may soon notice an uncanny relevance to your instant desires. No, it’s not the universe giving you a sign. It’s Facebook’s newest advertising platform that is currently in testing (you know, a small study group of only 6 million users or so).

So what’s the big idea? It’s Facebook’s version of intent-based advertising. It basically delivers real-time ads based on your wall posts and status updates.

Here’s how it works. Let’s say you’ve got the munchies and update your status to, “Could really go for some pizza right now! Who’s in?”

You could get an instant ad or a coupon from Domino’s, Papa John’s or Pizza Hut. Continue reading →

Google Places: Where Am I?

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Whether you know what it is or not you’ve probably used it.  Google Places is essentially just one more way for businesses to STAND OUT.

When you search for a business or even an industry using Google often times Google Places will work its magic.  Sometimes on a Google search you will see Google Maps appear with listings of companies or stores which you are searching for.  Sometimes these businesses are “claimed” while other times they are not.

When you claim your business you become much easier for people to find. You can verify your correct information with Google and they will display your hours of operation, location, contact information, as well as customer reviews.  Continue reading →

The Big Screen Comes to Facebook

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Facebook has already been on the big screen, well what about taking the big screen to Facebook?  We’ve seen over the last few years how Netflix has cashed in on the industry, not to mention Hulu and iTunes.  Well now it might be Facebook’s turn to cash in.

Warner Bros.’ is planning to rent and eventually sell films on Facebook.  They are currently running a test right now with “The Dark Knight.”  For 30 Facebook Credits you can watch “The Dark Knight” right through Facebook.  You can purchase 15 Facebook Credits for $1.50 or 50 Credits for $5.  Either way, that adds up to about 3 dollars to watch the movie.  Not too bad of a price considering the alternatives and you don’t have to leave your couch or send away for it in the mail.

For now the industry leaders (Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes) have the advantage.  Continue reading →

Looking to Blend in With the Crowd?

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MOS Creative strives to make you STAND OUT.  But maybe that isn’t your goal.  Maybe you want to get lost in the crowd, and if so, we’ve got advice for that too.

Here’s how to NOT stand out:

-When choosing a name for your business, choose a name that means nothing at all. Think about how many company names you know of that sound like “Global Technology Solutions” or “X & Y Associates.”  Maybe simple names like this do mean something to you, but what do they say about your company?  Well, not much really.  So if you don’t want to STAND OUT, then by all means take this route.

-Be vague. When explaining what your business does and how you operate be generic.  Continue reading →

Mobile Advertisement Impressions Up, Up and Away.

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InMobi, an Indian mobile advertising company, recently released data about the mobile web, mobile advertising and smartphones.  This report compares data found from July of 2010 and October of 2010.  By collecting the same data three months apart InMobi could compare numbers to see both growth and decline in certain categories.

Here are some of the main points which should grab your attention:

-InMobi broke down their information based on various markets and we will take a look into the US segment.  In the 90 days between July and October 2010, InMobi saw mobile ad impressions increase by 600 million a month, which was a 25% increase.  Total ad impressions for the month of October sat at a measly 2,984,592,565.  Just short of 3 billion.

-The iPhone dominates…for now. Continue reading →

Playing Detective on the Job

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Looking to stalk your latest prey? Snoop around on what you’re competition is up to? Okay maybe we should tone it down a bit.  But isn’t it good to at least find out what your competition is up to?  We will offer you a few tips on how you can monitor and keep up with your competitors.

1.Twitter. We’ve said it before, if you want to know what people are saying about your company, search on Twitter.  Well take the same theory but apply this to your competitors.  You may find out one of your competitors is releasing a new product or service.  Maybe they are offering a huge sale on what is typically one of your best months for sales.  Think about how useful knowledge like this could be for your business.  Take what you know and use it to your advantage.

2.TweetBeep. Continue reading →