I'm really on the fence about infographics and I want to get your take. Do you like them? Have you ever incorporated them into your marketing campaigns? Making them seems easy enough as long as you have the data and a vision for its appearance. This example from Marvel Comics is both informative and educational. That is, if you ever found yourself wondering if Wolverine was taller than Captain America.
Click here to see a full-screen version of this infographic.
I understand their appeal - a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Infographics utilize images to relay information, and we like that in today's world of super-instant gratification. But it's very rare that I fully read an infographic. The majority I come across are overwhelming and contain too many details. That's why I'm on the fence.
The old saying that "more is less" can really go both ways, I suppose. I mean...it wouldn't be a bad thing to have more money but maybe the increased taxes, relatives that emerge from the woodwork and other problems associated with increased wealth would contribute to having less sanity.
This saying came to mind when I recently saw NAPA's latest television commercial during a college football game:
Now watch one of the ads that NAPA ran in the last few years and let’s make some MORE / LESS comparisons.
MORE
NAPA definitely has more advertising money to work with as they've hired Patrick Warburton to do a manly voice-over.
There’s more silence in this year’s ad. It’s very awkward and very unlike the previous ads that have featured musical jingles.
There’s more specific NAPA product placement in this newer ad too.
LESS
There’s less of that jingle that everyone either loved or hated in the new crop of ads.
The newer ad makes less of a memorable impression.
I've heard less “street chatter” about the new ad. Last football season, the NA-NA-NA-NAPA jingle could be heard recited all the time.
I consider the 2013 NAPA ads to be of high quality and they do a great job of representing NAPA’s brand. I’m sure they’ll positively influence some purchase decisions too. But did MORE mean LESS for NAPA television ads? It seems that way. Maybe it’s just me but I prefer the earlier ads.
Hashtags have always been synonymous with Twitter and smart brands make sure to incorporate them into their marketing campaigns. As we've seen in the world of sports, hashtags help embody an experience and marketers are wise to tap into that feature. As Google+ (and now Facebook) has embraced the use of hashtags, these tools aren't going away anytime soon. Here are five best practices for hashtags to consider for your next marketing campaign.
KEEP IT SHORT
Twitter, Google+ and Facebook allow different character amounts. Since hashtags are mostly associated with Twitter, it's important to be considerate of Twitter's 140-character limit when creating your hashtag. You don't want your hashtag to be so long that it impedes on the length of Tweets. Your campaign’s hashtag should also be short enough for today’s short memory spans.
MAKE IT UNIQUE
If your campaign's hashtag is similar to a hashtag that used in another campaign or in another context, you run the risk of your hashtag not being used for its intended purpose. Even worse, your hashtag could get lost in the mix. Be unique and your hashtag will have a better chance of reaching a trending status.
Along these lines, do you know who really excels at coming up with unique hashtags? Jimmy Fallon, that’s who.
CONSIDER PARODIES
Can the letters used in your hashtag be rearranged to spell out a vulgar or unintended phrase? If you’re not sure, you better believe that social media trolls will be happy to make this determination for you. Having someone play on your hashtag could negatively overshadow all the other great elements of your campaign.
USE IT OFTEN (AND EVERYWHERE)
If you want your hashtag to catch on, it’s got to be seen often…and not just in Tweet form. Include your hashtag on all of your campaign’s printed materials, on your website, on promotional items, on business cards, in your email signature…the opportunities are endless.
AVOID NUMBERS, IF POSSIBLE
Some may consider this last practice to be a little nitpicky. I only suggest it because numbers can be easily transposed by Tweeters sharing your hashtag, which would point follwers in the wrong direction. If your hashtag is associated with an annual event, the use of numbers would be acceptable when indicated the year of the event in your hashtag.
I hope these practices help your hashtags or at least give you something to ponder. Please feel free to tweet some of your hashtag tips to me - @nick_baggett. Thanks for reading!
Car tags (or plates) in the State of Alabama used to be so uniform that it was easy to spot cars from another state. In fact, it was almost like a nice surprise to see a different car tag every so often. But these days, drivers in the State of Alabama have so many options from which to choose that the normal, standard-issue tag is the new oddity.
I spotted a tag a few weeks ago while driving in Birmingham that I've never seen. It was an Indiana tag that acknowledged the Hoosier State’s upcoming bicentennial. For me, it's perfectly feasible to think of car tags as an extension of a school or cause's marketing campaign. I give the folks behind the promotion of the bicentennial celebration an "A+". Here’s why:
IT PROMPTED ME TO TAKE AN ACTION
The Indiana bicentennial tag features a lovely color scheme and “200” in a font so large it prompted me to go online and learn more about Indiana's founding and more about their bicentennial celebration. This is the core goal of any marketing effort.
NEXT-LEVEL CAMPAIGN PLANNING
I spotted this tag in the year 2013. Indiana’s bicentennial won't occur until 2016. Given that car tag designs usually change every four years, the marketers of the bicentennial had to act fast. And because there’s only so much working room on a car tag, I image that these marketers had plot the base concept and finalize the logo at an even faster pace. Planning marketing campaigns of any length is difficult but this is next-level planning!
THEY GOT THE BALL ROLLING
Politicians also change every four years (well, some do). When the concept of this bicentennial campaign kicked off in December of 2011, it was one of the last acts of the then-Governor of Indiana. There’s always a chance that the current Governor and other officials may not be in office during the bicentennial year of 2016. But even though the Indiana Bicentennial Commission’s website is not yet filled with information about upcoming events, the marketers behind this campaign have already done enough that no politician would dare scrap the program. In the world of marketing, sometimes creating job security is half the job!
Kudos to the Hoosier State and the people doing such a great job promoting the bicentennial! I’ll be sure to check in often to learn about what’s new with the campaign.
