It can take you years to build a good reputation, but just one knuckleheaded social media post to destroy it.

Those of us in PR know that social media is a force to be reckoned with. We use it for the good of mankind, quickly (and inexpensively) getting important messages out there to millions of people and creating a sense of community.

Other folks, not so much.

Cyberspace is being polluted more and more with images of fast-food workers shoving food up their noses or licking a stack of taco shells “behind closed doors.” Luckily, companies can fight this reputation-damaging lunacy by harnessing the power of the very source of this chaos — social media. Here are a couple of recent examples.Read full post...

Nightly Live Performances Anchor Event’s Silver Anniversary

Bear, DE — The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Family Carnival celebrates its 25^th anniversary beginning on Monday, July 15. The festivities run until Saturday, July 20, at 345 Bear Christiana Road in Bear.

Nightly admission is $5 for ages 13 to 64 and free for seniors and children under the age of 12. Discounted passes can be purchased in advance, weekly entrance passes are available for $10 and Mega-Passes are $35 and include unlimited rides. Free parking is provided behind the church. The parish will also raffle off a Disney Family Vacation valued at $4,500.Read full post...

Representative pixel resolutions

There’s a new TV format looming on the horizon. It’s called 4K TV. You may have seen a commercial for a Sony 4K TV last night, as I did while in the middle of composing this post.

4K, you say. What the heck is that?

Well, in this case it refers to video resolution. More precisely, it refers to the vertical resolution — not the horizontal resolutions that are more commonly used, such as 1080p (1920 pixels x 1080 pixels) for high-definition video. 1080p tells us that there are 1,080 lines of resolution stacked one atop the other like pancakes. The “p” means that the lines are displayed “progressively” from top to bottom, unlike on old-school CRT screens, which display every other line.

In contrast, the 4K resolutions are approximately 4,000 lines of vertical resolution stacked side-by-side like books on a shelf. This is four times the resolution of current high-definition video.Read full post...

Business-to-business publishers have embraced the digital world. The trend among them is to put an exact copy of their print version online. The only change most of them make is to add hotlinks to their advertisers’ websites. While digital does not yet make up the majority of the total circulation of most magazines, we need to monitor this trend to see what impact it will have on advertisers.

Target Audience Delivery

I applaud those publishers who are just as concerned about verifying circulation of their digital versions as they are of their print publications. BPA, the traditional B2B circulation auditor, now offers digital circulation audits. Media planners now have access to data on target audience coverage and composition to help them make informed recommendations. Unfortunately, some publishers are still “claiming” circulations that are unrealistic, at best.

Another way that publishers are ensuring target audience delivery is through a subscription-only basis for online viewing. Readers are required to fill out a subscriber profile for the online version with the same requirements as for the print version.

Ad Size Units

When you view an online version on a regular monitor, it’s easy to browse and read. But not so when you’re using a smart phone or a tablet. You might judge a spread to have a lot of impact on a big-screen monitor. But when you have to scroll between the two pages on your handheld device, it loses legibility, visual appeal and message delivery.

Big-Screen Monitor

Read full post...

Wilmington, DE — AB&C has hired two new employees — Kathleen Doyle (Digital Media Planner/Buyer) and Chrissy Flynn (Research & Market Analysis Coordinator). Both will work at the marketing agency’s Wilmington office.

Kathleen Doyle (left) and Chrissy Flynn (right)

Doyle will assist in the development, implementation, tracking and optimization of digital campaigns. Her responsibilities encompass online display banners, videos and behavioral targeting. Doyle, a graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia with an associate’s degree in Specialized Technology (Graphic Design), boasts more than 13 years of experience in advertising. She has worked with a variety of industries, including financial, construction, law, luxury retail, healthcare and government.Read full post...

With 120 million people listening to Internet radio, the playing field is highly competitive.

On June 10, Apple confirmed rumors that they will be entering into the world of Internet radio. iTunes Radio is expected to launch in fall of 2013 when Apple releases its iOS7 upgrade to its mobile devices. With 120 million people listening to Internet radio, the playing field is highly competitive, occupied by several providers including Pandora, Spotify, I Heart Radio and Slacker Radio.

Pandora dominates the market with 77%* of online radio listening. Pandora is a streaming music service, based on the Music Genome Project, with access to 800,000 tracks. Trained analysts use up to 450 distinct musical characteristics to identify qualities of each song that are relevant to listeners’ musical preferences. Pandora offers two types of listening: free, which is supplemented by display and audio ads, and subscription listening, which allows for advertising free listening and a higher-quality music stream.Read full post...

WILMINGTON, DE — On the heels of major wins at the Aster Awards and the Healthcare Marketing Report Health Advertising Awards, AB&C scored well again at the Winter/Spring 2013 Web Health Awards. The marketing communications agency won silver and bronze for two physician recruitment portals — the silver with Baystate Health of Springfield, MA, and the bronze with Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization of Boston, MA.

“To attract the best physician candidates, it’s critical to stay ahead of the pack,” says Shawn Kessler, senior strategist at AB&C. “Great physicians want to work where they have a voice, where they can use the most advanced technologies, and where they can collaborate. For health systems that possess these intangibles, these physician recruitment portals help them to stand apart.”Read full post...

Image courtesy of You Only Blog Once

Starting with the 2014 NBA season, teams will be allowed to sell advertising space on their home courts and backboards. No values have been set yet, but, according to Business Insider, the NBA believes this could be a $100+ million income-generator.

Just think, the next time Kobe’s sitting on the bench with a towel over his head, reminiscing about the good ol’ days when Shaq was around, he could be tapping his personalized size 14s on a Kia ad. Or when LeBron dunks on someone, he can reach for the stars — or the Starbucks ad at the top of the backboard. Why not, right?Read full post...

Mike, Paula, Jackie and Jason LaPenta of Rehoboth Beach, DE enjoy Sunday’s Festa Patronale.

Wilmington, DE – The St. Anthony’s Italian Festival wrapped up a damp, but extremely successful week on Sunday. Despite losing two nights to inclement weather, the festival drew more than 70,000 attendees, including near record-setting nights on Wednesday and Friday. This year marked the 39th annual “modern” festival and 90th traditional summer celebration at the Wilmington parish. In honor of Father Roberto Balducelli, the Festival Committee chose Emilia-Romagna, the home region of St. Anthony’s legendary priest, as the 2013 theme.

“This year had extra meaning as our beloved Father Robert celebrates his 100th birthday,” says Anthony Albence, member of the Festival Committee. “Despite all the rain, our volunteers, our sponsors and the Wilmington Police Department were all tremendous. They are the reason the Festival continues to grow in popularity. This week represented the chief fundraising effort for our grade school, so hats off to our patrons.”Read full post...

In a world where advertisements hawking everything from cars to cleaning products bombard our oversaturated brains at every waking hour, a little shock can go a long way towards driving a company’s message home. Witness Kmart’s most recent YouTube ads entitled “Big Gas Savings” and “Ship My Pants.” If you say the names of the commercials out loud (try it in a crowded office), you’ll quickly figure out the hooks. Both videos rely on “potty” words and a mischievous sense of humor to relate a message of convenience and savings.

Blurring the line between propriety and indecency has proven effective. More than 22,000,000 people have seen and heard Kmart’s message in the past month. Combined, the videos received 103,732 likes and only 4,411 dislikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL4lSavSepc

Read full post...

Bring your appetite!

WILMINGTON, DE — St. Anthony of Padua will host its 39^th annual Italian Festival, beginning Sunday, June 9. The 2013 theme is Emilia-Romagna, the home region of St. Anthony’s legendary Fr. Roberto Balducelli, who celebrates his 100^th birthday this year. According to Father Robert, the region is home to the most delicious food in all of Europe, so bring your appetite.

Wilmington’s favorite festival runs from June 9 to 16 at St. Anthony of Padua, located at 901 N. DuPont Street. Weekly passes are available on-site and online for $15. Daily admission is $5 for ages 14 to 61 and free for seniors (over 61). Children (under 14) also receive free admission with a parent or guardian (age 18 or older). All proceeds benefit St. Anthony of Padua Grade School.Read full post...

Using science to get into the customer’s brain

One of the most interesting new business pitches I was ever involved in was when a prospective B2B client, a large and well-known electronics company, was trying to introduce a new product line. The problem was, these new products were very different from those that the company was well known for.

The client had spent considerable sums introducing the new line, yet had made little headway in the market. So they opened this assignment to other agencies.

We were briefed, we developed creative, and we took it to a focus group. The creative bombed, badly. But why it bombed was the same reason the product line was getting so little traction — in the mind of the customer, these new products just didn’t fit with the way they perceived the company.

Well, we quickly regrouped and developed new creative. But this time, rather than just introduce the new products, we built a connection between them and the products the company was known for. The new creative worked well, helping to create an “aha” moment with people in the second focus group.

In our final presentation to the client, we took them through our experience, even showing the creative that bombed. Not only did we win the work for the new product line, we became agency-of-record for the entire account. We also learned a valuable lesson in the art of persuasion.

We called it, “meeting the audience at its mindset.” Read full post...

Warmer weather means sharing the roadways with more motorcycles. Last year in Delaware, there were 17 fatalities involving motorcycles, with both motorists and motorcycle riders at fault. The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is determined to bring that number down by raising motorists’ awareness of motorcycles on the roads and educating motorcycle riders on ways to protect themselves. To drive home the message, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety asked AB&C to create a two-pronged campaign.Read full post...

It’s not easy staying cool — just ask the Fonz, the Rolling Stones and the CB radio. Since dethroning MySpace five years ago, Facebook has reigned supreme in the social media world. But don’t look back, Facebook — something might be gaining on you. Many teens, twenty-somethings and even thirty-somethings are turning to Twitter. If that age group factors heavily into your customer base, please read on.

It’s not easy staying cool — just ask the Fonz.

When you were young, did you (willingly) spend a lot of time at your parents’ haunts? Probably not. So when mom, dad and Aunt Edna joined Facebook, Millennials (and a lot of Gen Xers) started looking to other platforms for some breathing room. They turned to Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram among other social sites. But before you chase them all around the Internet, start with Twitter.

For everything from national broadcasts to local activities, Twitter has become the go-to site for younger social media users. Sure, Facebook still has a larger user base. But just as with your business, the goal isn’t to rack up followers, it’s to add engaged followers — people who love your brand. Facebook has double the users, but it doesn’t translate to double the fun for Millennials.

Maybe your business already has a Twitter profile. Maybe you’re late to the party. Or maybe you couldn’t care less. Whatever camp you find yourself in, here is a quick rundown on Twitter use and why it’s here to stay, as well as some tips for tweets.Read full post...

From a branding perspective, the HRC’s social media initiative linked to its logo speaks volumes about the importance of brand awareness — for any company.

On Tuesday, March 26, social media experienced a huge surge from Facebook page owners across the globe. In reaction to the Supreme Court’s discussion of DOMA (The Defense of Marriage Act) and California’s Proposition 8, which recognizes only opposite-sex marriages, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) asked its followers to change their Facebook profile pictures to a red equal sign, to signify love.

This simple request caused a massive spike in user profile picture changes, as an estimated 2.7 million Facebook users responded to the HRC’s appeal. (Did you, or any of your friends?) It amounted to a 120% increase in Facebook profile picture changes from the week before, with many people even developing their own creative version of the symbol. Read full post...