Internship Diary #7 – Putting Faces to Names and Personalities to Faces

I remember, as everybody does now, where I was the day the world changed. It was March 13, three years ago, and my job consisted of traveling around the country with a non-profit. Traveling became, literally overnight, taboo. It was the primary thing, in fact, that you should not do at all anymore. The only thing more off limits, I suppose, would have been sneezing directly in someone’s face, but that wasn’t in my job description anyway. I went home, as the whole world went home, and my job changed, as did everyone’s. 

There was a plastic card table on the screened-in brick porch behind my sister’s house, and she had good WiFi, so that became my office. It took exactly one cardboard Amazon box and two paperback novels to elevate my laptop from the surface of the table to an even height with my face for the Zoom conferences that became my daily occupation. I badly wanted to avoid the up the chin and nostrils Zoom camera view, for the sake of my ego and my audience’s sensibilities. 

This became the new normal quickly, and I believe that for the most part we are better for it. My dad, who for my entire life had gotten up before dawn to make the 45-minute commute to the power plant where he has worked for three decades, was suddenly home in the mornings. He sat at the kitchen table with coffee and his laptop and did his work as he always did. He lost nothing in productivity, nor did anyone else from his office. But I got to say good morning to him when I woke up and made my own coffee and began my own work. 

That new normal extends to today, as the American work landscape has changed dramatically and in all likelihood permanently. I’m afforded the luxury and convenience of accomplishing all my work with Adelsberger Marketing from the comfort of the desk in my dorm, or a table at a coffee shop, or as was the case last week, from a camp chair beside the tent I shared with friends in Chattanooga. 

You will hear no screed from me about the dangers of working from home, the terrors of letting people reclaim the little minutes between work that might otherwise be spent staring at the wall of a cubicle. Enough ink has already been spilled on that subject by people who probably reminded the teacher when homework was due in grade school. 

That said, I do think there is distinct value in knowing the people with whom we create. Not every job, or every company, or every internship involves this aspect. But any working creative will tell you that it is vitally important. While there is a time to sit and think and fuel, there is also a time to exercise the muscles that allow us to actually make something. Ricky Santos and Katie Howerton, who together form the design team for Adelsberger Marketing, agree on the importance of collaboration and having a second voice. They bounce ideas off of one another all the time. That requires some baseline relationship, some idea of who the person on the other side of the screen is that includes them in three-dimensional form, a flesh and blood human. 

For all of these reasons, it was particularly refreshing for me to join Alex Russell and Tamara Waller, video team extraordinaire, on a shoot for the Leaders Credit Union podcast recently. One of the primary benefits of working with creative people is that they tend to be fun. This is true of Alex and Tamara. Over the course of the shoot, from the setup to the filming to the takedown to loading the van in the parking lot, easy conversation flowed between them. They knew things, not only about the work itself but about how the other liked to work, about how the clients liked to work, and about how to put the atmosphere at ease by having fun with the whole thing. I asked them questions about their lives and their hobbies and the music they listened to and gently ribbed them for their taste in artists and songs. They did the same to me. Though I have no wish for a permanent office or a cubicle or a desktop computer, I will say this: it’s good to get out and know the people behind the work, to put a face behind the graphic or the video. The workplace has changed, but we still need each other. I don’t think that will change.

We love stickers.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 
We love a good sticker. But really: 

There are a few reason we love stickers. Its a way for us to show our alignment with a product/thought/group/brand. It can be a great way to make ideas sticky or persistent. Putting the right sticker in the right place can help you remember an important thought or a motivational concept. 

So we produce lots of stickers, some of our favorites above: 
Our Theme stickers for our annual themes. 
A sticker sheet that we produced for our Pretzel Day celebration. 
Stickers from our successful campaign to help get AJ Massey elected Mayor. 
PURRFECT Cat milk joke stickers from a CO video a few years ago. 
Stickers for members of the OMSL. 

These custom stickers and more we have made for ourselves or clients have all one thing in common – they were printed by Sticker Mule. Sticker Mule is great and we use it a few times a year. We have always had a great experience with them and the hot sauce they send with it, is pretty tasty too! 

Splinterization of Media| Content Machine Ep. #8

This week, our culture’s last real media focused holiday happened, the Super Bowl. The big game represents a unique moment in the US every year. It’s the closest thing we have to a unified cultural moment most years. Every year, headlines in the newspaper talk about how expensive Super Bowl ads are. And this year was no different with most ads costing between $6 and $7 million. On top of that, companies are usually willing to invest millions more in putting together star studded commercials, investing millions more in production. Why? Well, one, prestige. The company feels cool about being in the Super Bowl. It’s a big ticket purchase and one they can brag about to their friends on the golf course. Production companies also view this as an opportunity to show off. So that’s one reason many of the ads are so over the top. Super Bowl ads are so expensive that it also helps showcase a brand’s relev. If you are buying a Super Bowl spot, it’s not because you are struggling as a company. It’s because you are thriving and relevant and investing money to stay relevant as part of the cultural conversation. But the biggest reason is eyeballs.

The Super Bowl is the biggest media event in any given year in our culture. In 2022, the Super Bowl had as many as four times as the viewers of the College National Championship Game. Most every single major TV viewership event in every year is NFL related. And if it’s not NFL, it’s live sports. Why sports? Because sports is the last live event that you want to watch on traditional TV and not catch the highlights of something later on YouTube or catch it streaming. The Super Bowl is also a cultural event in the United States. Not only do we watch the game, but we have a party about it, and some people just watch it for the commercials. But the Super Bowl is unique because of the diversification of media in our lives. Would you guess that the M Ash Show back in the day, the day, the Finale, had more viewers and a bigger percentage of viewers in the United States than the 2022 Super Bowl. Why is that? Because M Ash was basically watched by everyone. Because in 1983, there were a lot less options on what to watch. Instead of having major networks and no data on a phone, let alone having a cell phone at all, people were set up to choose a very limited number of media options.

And people who grew up with that era are still having a hard time of understanding today’s era. In that era, there were household names and actors in TV shows. But I think the last touch point a majority of our culture has, the working adults at least, can go back to is Kelly Clarkson winning American idol in 2002. Since then, because of the ubiquity of the internet, the options have grown to the point where no one can keep up with them. This has tremendous effects on our marketing, but also as a society. I think it has some ramifications that will continue to play out as increasing division in our society because we have less and less cultural common ground to work with. So what is a marketer to do besides convincing clients that this has already happened? You have to take multi channel marketing seriously. Realizing that the media attention is so splintered in our society that it requires businesses to be available in many different places at many different times. For example, radio used to grab everyone in their cars on their way across town, but now you have to compete with satellite radio, podcasts, and streaming services in people’s cars.

This splinterization is only going to continue, and the cost to produce quality content has dropped, and there’s no more gatekeepers to prevent you from making content, and so there will be more and more options for people to find. Now, you can make your way onto all these platforms, but how do you prioritize? Lots of customer research. Evaluating where your customers are putting their attention will give you an opportunity to find the channels where you’re most likely to find your customers. Now, you can be on all these platforms, but how do you prioritize? Lots of customer research. Evaluating where your customers are putting their attention will give you an opportunity to find the channels where you are most likely to find your customers and people like them. We ran a political campaign last year, and part of our planning was to hit as many mediums as we could to reach as many people as possible. But we did have to rely on the mailer as well. Why is the political mailer so popular? The humble mail is still one thing that gets to everyone. They might not watch TV. They may not be on Facebook. They may not even watch YouTube, but they do get mail.

And additionally, when voters register, they give their address and political campaigns can get those. So we should think about the bigger picture here. How can we reuse the media? The Super Bowl has created such a touch point that some companies use their Super Bowl ad as an event within itself. They tease the release of the commercial or like this year, fan duell with its Gronk Kick. They have a whole series of promotions that lead up to the event, including real time things happening in their apps. So we have to think, how can we use the media we create in multiple channels? Can we use it as a radio or podcast commercial when we record it for a video? Can we use it on YouTube and TV? Can we turn it into pictures? Can we use the spot on our website or in a brochure or on a mailer? How can we squeeze every last penny out of the creative we are making to maximize the value of production for our clients? If you’re using positioning as an expert branding, so you’re creating content that has value like a podcast, how can you take the time you are investing to create good content to be used on multiple platforms?

Thank you for checking out the Content Machine Podcast. If you found this episode helpful or know someone who would, please send it to them. We will be releasing these episodes weekly, so be sure to subscribe to get more helpful content on marketing and leadership. Thank you for listening.

Dangers of Digital Marketing: Artificial Intelligence

Earlier this year an image won first place at a fine art competition. 

The image, photographed with a large blue ribbon, quickly circulated around the internet. 

The problem?

The picture was generated by artificial intelligence.

Despite not actually being created by humans, this image won first place. This situation sparked much controversy over the role AI will play moving forward in our society. 

One of the biggest concerns for the field of digital marketing is the influence this new technology will have on the job market in the future. Already, AI is capable of graphic design, copywriting, videography, and ad placement. 

Beyond the concern for the job market, AI forces us to reevaluate what media is true and what media is fake. AI presents us with more opportunities for technology to be deceptive. With the introduction of things like deep fake, misinformation can be more easily spread and viewers must evaluate if what they are seeing is really true. 

However, as AI is active in digital media, now more than ever, true creativity is needed.
With the threat of AI encroaching on digital marketing, how can we combat threats to the job market? Staying aware of trends in the industry is crucial to combating AI and other threats to digital marketing. 

Staying up to date on digital marketing requires reading as much on the subject as possible and learning from experts in the field. We recommend T-Minus AI: Humanities Countdown to Artificial Intelligence and the New Pursuit of Global Power for an insightful read on AI. 

While AI may seem like only a threat to digital marketing, when used the right way it can actually be used for good. With institutes like the AI Institute (https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/) and others researching this growing technology, the future of AI might not be as unknown as it seems. 

Want to learn more about digital marketing? Visit www.adelsbergermarketing.com/contact/ to schedule an appointment today.

LinkedIn: Making Connections in the Digital Age

LinkedIn: Making Connections in the Digital Age

 In this modern, digital age we have Facebook, Instagram, and apps for virtually everything, making connections and consuming content is easier than ever. But in a world overflowing with information, how do you form connections that are beneficial for both you and your business? How do you utilize platforms to your advantage without losing content to the algorithm?

 LinkedIn can be used for so much more than finding a job. LinkedIn provides opportunities for professionals to connect, learn from one another, and promote engagement.

 Here are three ways you can use LinkedIn to your advantage:

  1. Follow people who inspire you and engage with their content.

Whether it’s your boss posting business advice or a photographer creating compelling work, LinkedIn is a great way to not only connect with other professionals but also learn from them. After following accounts who inspire you, interacting with their content is a great way to build relationships and promote professional engagement on LinkedIn.

  1. Grow your personal brand on LinkedIn.

 Having a LinkedIn profile doesn’t mean your personal brand is always recognizable on the platform. Growing your brand is a process that requires both engagement and strategy. A practical way to grow your personal brand is to have a clear, organized landing page featuring your business logo. This will allow other professionals to easily recognize your brand and engage with your content.

  1. Use LinkedIn as a research tool.

 Considering a new hire for your business? Want advice from experts? LinkedIn is a great way to market digitally and gain valuable information to grow your business. LinkedIn allows you to keep your information and connections concise. Whether it’s a business professional you admire or a leadership strategy you’re curious about, LinkedIn allows you to learn more about people or research new topics without the distractions of other platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. 

 As the digital world grows, digital marketing has become more accessible while simultaneously becoming more complicated. Engaging across LinkedIn can equip you with the resources you need to grow your business and help your brand thrive.

 Want to learn more about digital marketing?

 Connect with Adelsberger Marketing on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadelsberger/ or visit our website at adelsbergermarketing.com to schedule an appointment today. 

Adelsberger Marketing Named Clutch Top 20 B2B Service Provider

Adelsberger Marketing was recently named to the Top 20 B2B Service Providers list in the state of Tennessee by Clutch, the leading B2B ratings and review platform. Recognized leaders are considered to be the very best in their specialized field. Adelsberger Marketing is recognized for its marketing, content creation, video production, and website development accomplishments.

While being recognized as a top firm in your field is always an honor, being recognized by Clutch.co is particularly important to Adelsberger Marketing. While many sites rank companies based on reviews and feedback, Clutch gathers reviews based on in-depth interviews conducted with actual clients. These aren’t just reviews that we’ve asked our favorite clients to give, but instead third-party managed interviews that give a true representation of our work product and our clients’ experiences.

We intend to stay on this list for many years to come by listening to feedback and continuing to learn from our clients’ experiences. If you want to check out some of our reviews and rankings, visit our Clutch.co profile here: https://clutch.co/profile/adelsberger-marketing

Click here to view the Clutch Press Release

Working with a Legacy Brand: Coca-Cola

Corinth Coke

There is something special about working with a legacy brand. A brand whose color and logo invoke a feeling in most everyone who sees it. A brand whose products have been consumed by almost every individual in the United States and in most every country in the world. Of course, we are talking about Coca-Cola. 

Coca-Cola in America is distributed by regional companies. In the Jackson, Tennessee and Northern Mississippi areas, that company is called Corinth Coca-Cola. We were excited to get a chance to submit a proposal for this project and honored to be selected to create this new home on the web for this great company. 

Corinth Coca-Cola has been in operation for over a hundred years and is owned by the same family that started it. That statement alone is filled with so much awesomeness that you could almost forget to talk about the wonder they were to work with. The family team behind Corinth Coca-Cola are committed to their company, their community, and their employees. They also were great customers (which any creative service company will tell you are things that are automatically connected.) 

One of the interesting aspects that surfaced during the brainstorm portion of this project was the unique audiences that Corinth Coke needs to speak with. Unlike most businesses we work with, there is an entire global culture built around Coke fandom. We needed to build in part of the website to service those fans. We also needed to feature their biggest community event in the Corinth Coke 10K and their museum.

It was an honor to work with such a classic brand and such a great family! 

How To Maximize Google’s Free Advertising

Google My Business Listing

 

Typically, when you think of advertising and marketing, you think of spending money. But before you carefully plan out a marketing budget, make sure you are fully utilizing the free marketing options available to you! 

One of the most effective free marketing options available is the Google My Business Listing. When you search for a business on Google, results will display address, map, phone number, website, photos, reviews, business hours, and more. With 5 billion searches on Google for restaurants, 3 billion searches for hotels, 1 billion searches for clothing stores, 600 million searches for hair and beauty salons, and 5 million searches for coffee shops, as a business owner, you need to have control over this information. An unflattering photo of your location coupled with incorrect business hours is not a good combination for a potential customer!

You can strengthen your local search result rankings by ensuring that your business profile is complete and updated. High ranking local searches reassure customers that you are a legitimate and relevant business. By posting photos, up-to-date offers, temporary business hours, and other appropriate information to your profile, you instantly boost the visibility of your business to your customers. 

Don’t overlook the simplest details. Take your city and state as an example. If you’re a tree service in Jackson, Tennessee, you don’t want to waste your day receiving phone calls from customers in Jackson, Mississippi. 

And consider your business hours. Are you closed on Mondays? Be sure to include that information! Few things are more frustrating to a customer than showing up at your location and discovering it’s closed. Since most of them googled you first, be sure to include an accurate listing of your hours of operation.

The Google My Business listing is 100% free – so if you haven’t claimed your business listing, drop everything and claim yours by visiting https://business.google.com/ or by finding your location on Google Maps. You won’t regret taking the time to set this up properly. 

Are you ready to conquer even more aspects of digital marketing? Click below to schedule a meeting with one of our experts at Adelsberger Marketing.

 

Client Spotlight: United Way 2019

https://vimeo.com/343727502

One of my favorite parts of my job is helping people tell their stories. This year the United Way of West Tennessee‘s First Ladies Luncheon chose to focus on a story from an organization they support – The Scarlet Rope Project. Tiffany was kind enough to share with us her story of survival and the life-giving work of Scarlet Rope.

We also worked with the United Way to create a promo to help let men know they were invited to the First Ladies Luncheon. This was a fairly organic project. It evolved as we shot it with board members and the fantastic Becky Fly, who was a great sport about the whole thing!

https://vimeo.com/343727428