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Look out, all of you Mad Men fans, one of their fictional pitches is coming to life!

In season six of the hit TV show Mad Men, there was a pitch for Heinz that didn’t go so well in the 1960s. But in the real world, in 2017, Heinz and David Miami are taking on the (fictionally) 50 year old idea and executing it today.

The ads focus on close ups of foods that go with Heinz, with the simple line, “Pass the Heinz.” It is a straight to the point, quick, and witty concept. Despite being given a ‘no’ as part of the show’s storyline, the idea took flight in the real world, where fiction and reality meet.

Billboards have been plastered around New York City, at Seventh Avenue and 49th Street, Tenth Avenue by the Lincoln Tunnel entrance, and 23rd Street near the High Line park.

Featured Article:
Hybrid Talks

Nike strikes again with a brilliant campaign by Wieden + Kennedy, “Time is precious” revolving around the idea that we waste so much time on the internet.

“This commercial is just one minute out of the 10 hours a day you spend glued to your screens,” the robotic voiceover says. The voice then goes on to list the random and slightly odd actions internet users engage in, such as binge watching TV shows and using Tinder.

The ad ends with, “Time Is Precious…”, along with the sound of a ticking clock, and then, “Are we running today?”

This Nike campaign lacks the typical celebrity athletes, but it hits the spot, and we love it.
The message is clear; put down your phone, and get active!

Featured Article:
Hybrid Talks

Nowadays, brands have an extensive online presence, covering various social media channels and websites. That is perfect… if the brand is consistently represented over all platforms. From the name, to the logo, to the design, and on to the message, a brand must be uniform in its communication in order to achieve maximum efficiency and brand awareness.

Consistency does so many things for a brand:

1. It helps manage customers’ perception by shaping how people see you in a standard and focused way.
2. It helps represent a professional, organized, and stable brand.
3. It helps promote customer loyalty, which is built upon brand stability.
4. It helps focus your company’s core values and promise by keeping a uniform message.
5. It commands authority…
6. Which in turn builds trust, by guaranteeing a well-rounded offering.

Brand consistency is easy to achieve, you just need to be dedicated and stick to it. It is not just about design alone, or content alone. It is about the big picture which your brand portrays.

Brand consistency can be achieved through uniformity in:

1. Cover photos and profile pictures
2. Typeface and font color
3. Colors and design style
4. Slogans and taglines
5. Logo throughout brand collateral
6. Company’s goals

Communication with all employees  on the importance of brand consistency is necessary in order to keep everyone on board. Whenever something changes, it is necessary to inform everyone so that the most up to date image of the brand is conveyed to your customers.

Brand…Solid Brand: or on the importance of the tone of voice

Ashley El-Jor
Creative Writer

Slogans. They have been around for ages, reflecting brands and, most importantly, defining lifestyles and generations. Creating a strong one is not a stroll in the park. Indeed, when a slogan is well-thought out, it can become an inspiration, a value, and even a way of life.

Take the timeless “Just do it”, for example. Not only is it memorable, but it has taken its brand outside the sports industry and spread its ideology in every endeavor human beings take. It has become a motivational call for seizing moments and achieving things without procrastination. Another great example is “a diamond is forever”. These 4 words have defined the value of diamond jewelry eternally and have made every woman ask for it.

So how to proceed in creating memorable slogans?

1-Think different:
Needless to say, your slogan should be original and memorable. You should make it stand out from the rest of the pool.

2-Have it your way:
A brand’s slogan should directly reflect the ideology and culture behind its identity. If it’s not entirely your own, then it is in vain. Your brand has a specific character; emphasize it.

3-Impossible is nothing:
While it might feel like there isn’t one new and original idea left out there, think again. Although we live in a world where everything has been done and done again, when your brand has what it takes, originality is a given.

4-Just do it:
If you don’t try, you won’t come up with the best slogan there is. Get out there, start jotting down ideas, and just do it.

Brand..Solid Brand: Or on the importance of the Tone of Voice

Tony Raad
Content Manager

Creating attractive content is a huge part of digital marketing, and in these technologically advanced days, it’s important to focus on one of the major target audiences, mobile users. People are glued to their mobile phones and tablets almost all day, every day. So, marketing approaches must evolve along with these technological evolutions and our day-to-day interests. Here are some tips for writing and creating content while keeping mobile readers in mind…

1- Headlines:
Make sure your headline is something attractive and easy to find in search results page. Going for an elusive headline might seem striking, but what actually matters here is getting your point across in a short and straight-to-the-point way.

2- Images:
Studies have shown that people surfing the web on their mobiles look at images more than they do text. So, the next time you’re posting a blog or article, make sure to include some catchy yet relevant photos to go along with your copy.

3- Conciseness:
Get your point across by laying down the facts and figures. Of course, make it attractive and fun to read, but avoid going into dull details or reiterating useless points. Your readers will be more likely to read the entire piece if they are kept engaged.

4- Summarize:
Use your introduction as an enticing summary to get readers to click on your piece and continue reading. Use short and to the point sentences that will get all your main ideas out in the open above “the fold”. Then, continue on with short paragraphs.

5- Lists:
There is nothing easier to read on a mobile device than a list or set of bullet points. It is easier to skim through and easier to locate main ideas. If the topic allows, you can focus your whole article in a list form (like this one!).

How to create engaging and relevant video content

Ashley El-Jor
Creative Writer

Whether we like it or not, every passing day we are moving closer and closer to a content marketing culture; by “We” I am referring to Lebanon, since, needless to say, in foreign countries, content marketing became the norm a long time ago. Now there are many reasons that made this shift slower in the Lebanese market, but I am not going to dive into them.

Adopting a content marketing mindset requires marketers and clients alike, to accept new changes in both their strategic planning and creative execution. From endless articles I’ve read and actual projects I have worked on, these are the main tips I can give you:

1-Think like a publisher:
This is probably the most widespread tip out there. As media has moved from being external to advertisers, to being in their own hands, the game has changed immensely to the benefit of some and the dismay of others (in this case, media owners). Brands have become their own publishers, using the media as a personal tool to promote their image, products and services, and engage with their customers.

2-Social media as a tool:
We have to accept the fact that social media has become a small marketing tool in the bigger sea of platforms. We have to shift from social media strategies to content marketing and content strategies. That being said, the media mix takes a whole new form, whereby Facebook, Instagram and other previous major players, are now part of a bigger team.

3-Put people first:
The 5th P of the Marketing Ps, People, has become a major player in the way brands handle their marketing. After all, we are talking to people, so why not capitalize on their importance? Many international brands are basing their whole strategies around their people, and making them part of their culture.

4-Tell stories:
What do people love? Stories. And this doesn’t get old. Stories hold emotions, grab attention and get viewers or readers immersed in the flow of events, wanting to know more. Stories have a personal aspect, and this has been a strength in marketing for ages.

5-Use your content wisely:
Blogs, Vlogs, videos, newsletters, images….These are barely a tiny portion of the long list of content formats available today, which brands can explore and make use of. This is why choosing wisely, according to the brand’s story and audience, is key.

6-Adapt your story:
This is where things become interesting. We have to find the best way to adopt the same story across different platforms, while preserving creativity and originality, and avoiding falling in the pitfalls of redundancy and wasted content.

7-Be patient and preach it:
The rule of thumb in content marketing is being patient. Recruiting new potential customers and turning them into leads, and then buying customers is a long process. Brands and marketers alike should keep an open mind and wait for things to shape up, provided that they are playing it right.

Did you know that Storytelling is the new marketing hero? 

Tony Raad
Content Manager

Whether following Mehrabian’s study of “7%-38%-55%”, or the saying we learned, growing up, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” or even a general nonchalance concerning the language used in daily communication, we have grown accustomed to throwing around words, big and small, meaningful and otherwise. We have forgotten about the importance of language, word choice, and rhetoric.

As a copywriter, and as a highly sensitive and emotional person, I find word choice to be of utmost importance. Whether putting together copy for a website, or writing a blog post, or even having a regular, day-to-day conversation, I always weigh my words before I set them out into the universe. In his study on communication, Albert Mehrabian concluded that impact of words, tone of voice, and body language make up 7%, 38%, and 55%, respectively. That 7% that Mehrabian discussed in his study is not for naught. One misplaced word could make or break a business deal, a sale, a reader’s opinion, or a relationship.

Words carry a magical power that can sway views and charm even the most aloof person.  In marketing and advertising, we use our words to bring to life the idea of a brand, a promise to the customer, and an enticing call to the consumer. In that, lies a responsibility towards the client as well as the target audience. As far as meaning goes, “distinguished” is not the same as “unique”.  With every word uttered comes a promise and a silent understanding between the messenger and the receiver. Not realizing the impact of this is what leads to miscommunication and frayed ends.

Every time I think of the weight of words, lyrics from a song by one of my favorite bands, London Grammar, come to mind, “If letters spell out words, son, you chose to put them in order, didn’t you?” This is an unarguable truth. The issue is that not everyone is conscious of this choice and this responsibility. It is the accountability each and every person has for the way they choose to put the letters in order, and the words in place, and the sentences in turn. Moving on from marketing and focusing on simple, everyday communication between friends, family, and loved ones, it’s easy to infer that most of us are really unaware of the importance of the way we communicate.

Particularly today, with social media, email, text messaging, and other forms of text communication, where no tone or body language can be used alongside words, communicating has become a panic-worthy ordeal. With the 38% and the 55% gone, we are left with the 7%, the words that can hurt. This 7% becomes the 100%, and if we don’t know how to weigh our words and step into the other person’s shoes for a while, we are always at risk of major miscommunication.

Discover how Storytelling is the new marketing hero

Ashley El-Jor
Creative Writer

Good day loved ones!

As the month of love kicked off and the most romantic day of the year is on its way, how about we share some love?

If you are wondering what does Valentine have to do with marketing, let me clarify it in a few words. We have reached an era as most of you know, where marketing is acquiring a new understanding and a new reason for being. When once marketing was purely about selling, today, marketing is all about loving.

Yes, loving.

Take Brian Sheehan’s insightful book “Loveworks” for example, about how top marketers create emotional bonds with consumers. Aside from its content of course, the title itself and the subtitle, pretty much sum up why brands use marketing today.

With the daily increase of connectivity and smart phone usage, consumer behaviors have shifted immensely, relying on the web as their primary source of what we traditionally call “word of mouth”. But of course, it goes way beyond that, exposing users to endless stories and information about a myriad of brands and products. This amalgam of brands, channels and information has made the once powerful hard sell technique almost obsolete. Which leaves us with what? The one and only soft sell. As its name refers, soft sell relies on emotional selling propositions rather than unique features. This is where brands and marketers should shift their whole online strategy into one that accompanies the user 24/7 in a 360 experience. If we try to dissect how users make purchase decisions online, we end up with the 4-stage consumer journey based on the “Moment Of Truth” or MOT.

In a nutshell, the Moment Of Truth takes users into 4 different stages. The zero moment of truth happens when the prospect researches the ideal brand to purchase following a stimulus (the very first stage in the journey) triggered by his or her specific need.

At this stage, the brand with most exposure and information will surely catch the researcher’s attention. This is the most defining moments of all, because it will convince the prospect to convert and become a customer. Once this is accomplished, the user buys the product, and through experiencing it, becomes an influencer for other prospects, assuming of course that he or she likes what they bought.

This Zero Moment Of Truth focuses on attracting consumers through useful and engaging stories.

For those reasons, content marketing has proven to be most effective. Activations, videos, user generated content (UGC), infographics and endless other types of content, all blend together to tell a brand’s bigger story. Brands and people have become in a way “one”, sharing stories, information and emotions to create and sustain everlasting bonds.

What I’m stressing on here, is the importance of relationships in our marketing world today. No partner likes to be cheated in real life. Consequently, no brand or consumer likes to be cheated by their other half as well. Brands should consider their audience’s needs and what they are seeking, in order to make their relationship not only work, but bloom, into a forever after love story.

So dear marketers, go out there, share your love and most of all enjoy it!

And happy Valentine in advance.

Tony Raad
Content Creator and Creative Writer

Short online videos are invading all social media channels, proving to be very effective sources of engagement. Video content is indeed a very strong tool of storytelling that has been used by most international brands and presents various benefits:

• Short Length: Most people who stumble upon them will watch them because they usually don’t exceed 2min.
• Entertainment: Regardless of their types, whether they are short documentaries or mini-series, videos in their moving and dynamic nature entertain audiences.
• Credibility Source: Videos give brands more credibility according to recent research and label them as trustworthy.
• Instant: This type of videos is instant; especially with Smartphones, they can be shot and edited on the spot.
• Low Cost: As opposed to advertising spots, video content doesn’t have to cost a lot, due to its instant nature and social purpose.

Creating video content for brands is fun, exciting and challenging at the same time. Every brand needs to have its own style of videos that tell the same theme overall in a consistent way. Below are tips to consider when creating video content for any brand:

1. Have a list of stories: Before starting creating videos, make sure you have a list of stories about the brand to tell your audience.
2. One main promise: Regardless of the story your video is telling, make sure that it falls under your brand’s promise to make it relevant and unique.
3. One target audience: Stick to the main audience of the brand, tell them what they want to hear. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself: “Would I want to watch this video?”
4. Tone of voice: Just like it should tell one promise, your video should follow the tone of voice of your brand of course.
5. Create a structure: If you are creating a series of videos under one continuous format, make sure to have a common structure overall. Thus you will guarantee consistency and people will know that these videos are under the same campaign.
6. Simplicity: Keep it simple, feasible and understandable.
7. Keep it short: If you want audiences to actually watch your video and engage with it or share it, don’t let it exceed 1min 30secs. The optimal length is 45secs.
8. Be original: Although you will be reflecting one promise as explained, you need to stay original and come up with new and creative stories.
9. Keep it interesting: Use emotions or humor to keep people interested in watching and make them feel personally targeted.
10. Enjoy it: After all you’re making a movie.

So here you have them, some tips to make engaging and interesting video content. Don’t be afraid to experiment and always keep in mind that you are telling stories to create relationships.

Tony Raad
Content Creator and Creative Writer