Monthly Archives: digital marketing

The heart of Times Square highlighting all of the different types of media advertising

Media Buying – Choosing The Right Media For Your Business

When you think of an advertising team, you probably picture a group of writers, artists, and account executives huddled around a conference room table. As creatives, we can spend all day creating ads, but what’s the point if they’re not seen by the right people? That’s where the media buyer comes in. Media buyers are an integral part of an agency’s success as their job is to understand the client’s goals and target the right audience on the right advertising platforms. Without the media buyer, your message can easily get lost in the static.

What Does a Media Buyer Do?

Media Buyers plan and negotiate buys for various clients. They work with other departments to better understand the client’s marketing goals and the target audience for the advertising. With this information, the media buyer will purchase ad space where the target audience will respond, engage, and buy the company’s products or services. They are knowledgeable in all aspects of media, including television, radio, print, billboard, digital, and OTT. By knowing the different areas of media, the buyer helps choose the right medium that would give the client the best return on investment (ROI) for their advertising dollars.

Look At Where Your Competitors Are Advertising

The media buyer takes several things into consideration before making recommendations on where you place your hard-earned advertising dollars. This includes looking at your competitor’s ad placement and ways to outshine and outperform what your competition is doing so you capture more market share.

Fine Tune Your Message With Consumer Analysis

It never hurts to do research, especially when you’re marketing your brand to consumers. Trends and buying habits change over time, and it is the media buyer’s job to make sure your message is seen in relation to their interests. If your target audience is a part of the generation Z demographic, buyers must look into their buying habits and current trends that could help your brand stand out.

Which Medium is Right For You?

With several different places to advertise, the media buyer has many outlets to choose from to get your message out there. Depending on the marketing strategy, the buyer may decide on television, print, radio, digital, or billboard spots. Each with their own benefits, including:

Television: Can deliver a message visually and audibly with a low cost for viewing
Radio: Provides an outstanding reach, frequency, and ability to expose the listener to build awareness
Billboard: With placement along freeways, it provide a high reach and visibility
Digital: Digital advertising has strong targeting capabilities that will provide brands a more efficient way of delivering their message to their audience
Print: This medium benefits from a highly engaged audience, which may translate into action

By combining research, analytics, and strategy, the media buyer will ensure your ad reaches the proper audience, engages with them, and gets your audience to buy your product or service.

Make Your Brand Stand Out With ON Advertising

In today’s digital world, there are several ways brands can stand out amongst your competitors. At ON Advertising, we work closely with our clients to ensure their brand is front and center. Advertising is a strategy, and knowing when and where to buy takes an experienced media buyer. Contact us today to get started.

A Person holds her phone towards the camera to show ON Advertising's website on a mobile device

Why Marketers are Moving Towards a Mobile-First Strategy

Mobile devices are responsible for major changes in how consumers buy, research and ultimately view a product being advertised across a wide range of industries. We are in the middle of a specific digital transformation, which is an exponential growth of consumer activity on mobile devices and an extreme increase in mobile advertising. Life seemingly revolves around smartphones, which is why mobile-friendly websites have become so important.

Mobile devices have become the preferred method of accessing digital media. ComScore found mobile devices account for more than 60% of all digital minutes. To put it in perspective, the time spent on desktops has decreased by 20% in the past year alone. The reality is that mobile advertising must be a priority for a company to avoid stagnation or even failure.

Every day, businesses are encouraged to focus on a mobile-first strategy to stay successful within their industry and here’s why.

Thank Mobile Devices for Half of the Paid Search Clicks

Mobile has become a key role in the consumer’s journey specifically when researching and creating brand awareness. Mobile devices have become a leader in the number of paid search clicks. Acquisio found that year-over-year, paid search clicks have increased by 45% on mobile phones. This means that desktop clicks have decreased by 16% and in contrast, nearly half (48%) of clicks are now happening on mobile devices.

Befriend Social Media

Companies who fail to utilize and maximize their social presence on Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms are subjecting themselves to a very small advertising box. When you compare the total U.S. ad spend in 2014 to 2018, the shift is very clear. An MDG study found that “brands are devoting 33 percent of ad spend to digital platforms—up from 25 percent in 2014 while television’s ad spend is decreasing this year.” Because mobile advertising is becoming the most popular and effective type of advertising, it takes engagement, shared content, and an appropriate strategy to be successful as a mobile ad platform.

Videos are the New Billboards

Video ads are the fastest-growing mobile category. Platforms like YouTube and Facebook are visible on mobile apps, emails, social sites and more. Mobile marketers can promote their ads on a pre-roll to capture the short attention span of the audience. This allows the user to watch the advertisement without making them feel pressured to purchase a product. Video advertising combines sound and motion to create connections between the buyer and the brand by evoking emotions. When it comes to social platforms, YouTube is on top. Forbes conducted a study and found that “73 percent of adults spend their screen time on the video-sharing site. Social networking giant Facebook ranks second, with 68 percent of consumers spending time on the platform.”Mobile users are viewing content more than ever, so logically they view more ads in the long run.

How can ON Advertising help?

There are many different ways to adhere to mobile-first advertising, which can be overwhelming and leave a little confused. Now is the time to work towards a mobile-first strategy. Not sure where to begin? We can help! ON has researched new and innovative ways to market, advertise and promote your business using a mobile-first strategy. Contact us to explore how mobile-first strategies can help your business grow.

Client Spotlight: Valley Schools

This week we are highlighting our client Valley Schools. Valley Schools has been a leader in insurance administration, vendor contracting, and consulting services for over thirty years. As a nonprofit corporation, the number one priority at Valley Schools is advising and providing their members with a best-in-class service at the most competitive rates possible.

It is a busy time of year for Valley Schools as it is open enrollment season, which means the many school districts they represent are in full swing for plan renewals. ON Advertising has been helping Valley Schools with multiple projects for this busy time of year, some of them include new designs for their member’s benefit books, creative design for multiple pop-up banners for upcoming conferences, video production, and voice-over recordings for enrollment plan booklets. Check out a recent video we created for Valley Schools here.

Many of our clients have multiple projects going on, especially if they have busy seasons. So how does ON make sure everything stays streamlined when there are multiple projects in the air?

It’s all about organization.

You would be surprised, but many advertising agencies do not leverage Traffic Managers to help workflow through various departments. This is a vital resource for Account Executives and Senior Account Executives as it ensures important items do not fall through the cracks. At ON Advertising, our Account Services team has Traffic Manager in place and builds out comprehensive quarterly plans called 30-60-90s for each client. These plans cover the action items for each client so everyone knows what deliverables to expect and their respective due dates.

Having consistent meetings with our clients is also extremely valuable. This achieves two essential goals: 1) It keeps all stakeholders informed about ongoing tactics. 2) It strengthens relationships and builds trust. Our agency is committed to being a partner to our clients, not just another vendor.

These are just some of our agency differentiators. For more information on things your agency should be doing for you, give this a quick read.

At the end of the day, our primary mission is to ensure success and ROI for our clients. We love working with organizations like Valley Schools. If you’re interested in our wide range of full-service offerings, look no further than our services page.

Hines Chandler Viridian Sign glowing during sundown

Welcome to Chandler Viridian

Have you driven by Chandler mall recently? Did you notice a few new buildings occupying a once vacant lot with a half-finished building? In fact, the development company, Hines, has recently completed its $160 million project of building class A office space, a luxurious hotel, and an upscale apartment complex on that 8,900 square foot lot. And guess what? We had the pleasure of working with the executives at Hines to create the main logo and grand opening videos! The new development is called Chandler Viridian, and we are excited to see everything come to life.

Who is Hines

Hines is a privately owned development company that works in 24 different countries around the world. Chandler Viridian was just one of many projects that they are working on. Their portfolio consists of $116.4 billion under management and is growing at a rapid pace.

The Project

Three different videos in only 2 weeks. There were many obstacles that we had to work around while filming these videos and shooting photos to make everything look perfect. One of the most difficult aspects of shooting this development was dealing with the construction still taking place on the buildings. Working around the construction workers and manipulating the shots to make it seem like the building was finished was not an easy task. We did a lot of touching up at the end, including removing equipment, fixing dead trees, and more.

Shoot Day

Another challenge we faced was the limited amount of time we had. We only had 2 weeks to complete the entire production and only 2 days to shoot the entire 8,900 square foot land with all its features. The first day we shot was before the grand opening ceremony. We brought in various models to pose in “lifestyle” shots, giving the audience a taste of what it would feel like to live and work at Chandler Viridian. We even captured drone footage of the land to show a birds-eye view!

The next shoot was at the grand opening ceremony, showcasing all the executives and the first-ever Hines hot air balloon. This was a historic day for us and Hines, as we saw this development come to fruition.

Final Videos

With a short amount of time, multiple obstacles and a lot of hard work, everything came together! Click here to see the final video.

Logo

One of our owners, Eric Garcia, created the logo for Chandler Viridian. As pictured here, the logo is plastered on every sign all around the building, giving the new area a unique brand and contemporary feel. Having the elegant logo all over the development ties the hotel, the office, the apartment complex, and all of the restaurants together.

With the talent of our creative staff and the hard-working accounts team, we were able to produce a great video for the Chandler Viridian development. To learn more about how we can help you with your next project, contact us. Check out our portfolio page to see more creative projects we have accomplished.

Why Should You Engage in Facebook Live

Have you ever wondered if there is more you could be doing for your brand on Facebook? Are the photos and graphics you’re posting not getting the engagement you had hoped they would get? Have you ever thought about using Facebook Live? It’s an excellent tool for your company to help grab an audience’s attention and engage them in your brand on Facebook.
In fact, Facebook Live can provide viewers with unique content that cannot be easily shown in a photo or graphic. Much like your planned social media strategy, it is important you plan out exactly what you are wanting to feature and the dialogue, so you are always providing quality content. Not sure where to start? Read more below to get started!

Address Questions

There may be a blog out there that has your audience wanting to know more, or maybe you have been getting repeated questions from customers. Facebook Live is a great place to answer these questions because nowadays, consumers rarely read a long paragraph of text. Answering questions in a live event can be more intriguing for your audience and an easier way to address questions in depth.

Show an Inside Look

Many consumers only see what is on the outside of your business; they see what is publicly available but not inside the operations. Give them a behind the scenes look on some of the more exciting activities you have going on. Whether it’s the back kitchen, behind the scenes of a photo shoot, or a work outing, consumers will see a different side to your company. This can make them feel more connected to your business, giving them even more reason to stay engaged in you and what you are selling.

Promotion

Using Facebook Live is a great way to make viewers think they are getting an “exclusive” look into a new product or event. When companies showcase new products on Facebook Live, their audience may feel as though they are getting a unique advantage to the brand. It’s a cost-effective way to show a revealing of a product to more viewers.
Facebook Live can make people feel connected to your brand and can give your audience a different viewpoint on your company as a whole. Here at ON Advertising, we utilize Facebook Live for many of our clients, and we have seen positive results and received positive feedback. If you would like to learn more about how your business could be using Facebook Live to improve your brand and improve your social media strategy, give us a call!

People working at a table on freshening up their website's content

How to Freshen Up Your Brand’s Content

The world is constantly changing when it comes to business trends, new technology, and consumer preferences. Having up to date content on your online platforms to reflect new trends in your industry is a key component of being successful in marketing. Sometimes, you may find yourself running out of material to write or you are losing business to competition, it may be time to freshen up your copy. We’ve compiled some tips and tricks from the experts to help get your content in tip-top shape.

Use Infographics

Using a graphic with information (infographic) makes it easier for your audience to view and understand a concept. Customers nowadays don’t have the patience to read text-heavy paragraphs, they lightly skim the content. An infographic can make a lot of information visually appealing and way easier to read and understand.

Stick to Relevant Content

Making sure copy on your online platforms is relevant to your service or product is very important. Stay up-to-date on current research regarding your industry and remove everything that is not appropriate anymore. Keyword research can give you a good idea if a topic is relevant enough to continuously write about or to shift efforts into a different area.

Pay Attention to SEO

It is essential that you and your company pay attention to SEO. Having good information on your website, as well as having high-level keywords in the content consistently will help your website traffic. Keywords have to naturally flow within the text, meaning it cannot be over-stuffed and used repeatedly. Putting a list of keywords next to you when you write a blog, blurb, or any copy is a good way to make sure you are using all of them efficiently and consistently.
Here at ON Advertising, we help our clients in a variety of industries freshen up their copy. We have seen their business have positive results when giving their content a face-lift. If you have any further questions about how to keep your content up-to-date, feel free to contact us.

Tools Every Social Media Star Should Use

ON Advertising is an agency that offers a range of services, one of those being social media. From the curation of posts to the management of platforms, our Social Media Manager does it all; and for an array of clients. Managing social media accounts includes a lot of moving parts and having the ability to multi-task and switch projects at a moment’s notice. You may already feel stressed reading this job description and couldn’t imagine being able to do all of that on top of mentoring our newest team members but thankfully, Michelle, our social media queen can do it all. She found time to sit down with us and chat about her favorite tools that she uses to be the social media star that we are so grateful to have.

ON: So, what are your top favorite tools?

M: Well my top favorites would have to be Buffer, Planoly, Audiense, Trello, Grammarly, G Suite (Google Suite) and it sounds archaic but a simple composition book and pens in an array of colors. I love notebooks and pens.

ON: How do you utilize all of those tools?

M: Well, each tool serves a different purpose but I use all of them together to make my life easier and to keep true to my motto, work smarter not harder.
Buffer allows me to schedule social media posts, on multiple platforms (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram) for multiple clients. It recognizes hashtags and accounts to tag, which is helpful when cross-promoting. My 2 favorite features of Buffer are; it auto posts to all of these platforms, so I can schedule the posts and move on to another client. Secondly, it keeps each of the clients together in one place, which makes it easy to access all accounts at once. Working in social media requires a high level of organization and Buffer really helps with that.
Planoly is a lot like Buffer but it is for scheduling, planning, and auto-posting only to Instagram. I exclusively use this site for ON’s Instagram. I take great pride in the agency’s social media, I need a tool that is dedicated to making our Instagram account the very best. I love the layout and organization of the site. The dashboard offers a whole month calendar view showing the days and times of scheduled posts, while on the other side shows your Instagram feed with posts that are scheduled and unscheduled. If you have a photo you want to use but not sure for what purpose or on what day, you can load it into Planoly until you want to post it. Because I schedule posts so far in advance, being able to see the images and the flow of the feed is super important to me and the ON brand.
Another huge important part of my job is checking and analyzing data. I need to know how the accounts are doing and where we can improve. Facebook’s analytics offer a lot of the details I want and need. Although Instagram and LinkedIn are not as helpful as they could be, they are not too far behind. Twitter is a platform where I feel the amount of data is lacking. That’s where Audiense comes into play. It analyzes our client’s Twitter accounts to see when their audiences are online, the best time to post, behaviors, as well as locations and interests of our demographics. I love the update emails they send. It helps me stay on top of the accounts and keep them in tip-top shape. Social media is always changing and Audiense helps me stay up to date.
Google Suite is a godsend, especially for me and my team. It’s the easiest way to share documents, ideas, photos and anything else we need to get the job done. We store all of our social media posting calendars where we can all access them and use what we need. And of course, I couldn’t live (a bit of an exaggeration but really) without my 5 (yes 5) Google Calendars. I love the option of having multiple calendars under one email, being able to see all the calendar events in one view and being able to color coordinate makes my little OCD heart sing. If I didn’t have G-Suites… well, I don’t want to even imagine my job (and life) without it!
Trello has become a huge part of my working life and now I can’t imagine my day without it. The agency as a whole uses Trello and many of us use it separately. It’s a great help to see what each of us is doing that day and helps gauge the level of businesses one might be. It also is a great way to keep track of tasks that are completed or are still needing to be done. I love that I can check it and see what my team has accomplished and if they can handle more projects or need time to complete their current tasks. Any tool that helps with productivity and organization in a flawless system is aces in my book. Bonus, you can color code tasks!
This one is probably obvious, but Grammarly, of course. I do not dare post a single thing whether it’s a Facebook post or blog post without checking it in Grammarly. Of course, working in this industry you need extremely strong writing skills, Grammarly takes those skills a step up and really acts as a great quality checker. My colleagues and I always check each other’s work, but, Grammarly is always my first stop.
And lastly, a good ol’ composition book and colorful pens. I’m a bit of an old fashion worker when it comes to listing out my tasks for the day. Yes, of course, Trello basically acts as a giant to-do list, but, I love my morning ritual of sitting down at my desk before opening my email, with a fresh cup of coffee and looking at what needs to be done for that day. I list out what tasks I know need to be done, notes about each task and the due date. Then as each task gets completed, I find the pen color of that week and I put a big check mark in the box, making it complete. It’s a ritual and habit I’ve developed since high school when I first discovered the wonder of agendas. It hasn’t left me since and honestly, probably never will.

ON: For those aspiring social media stars what top 3 tools do you suggest?

M: Buffer most definitely, Trello and Grammarly. Buffer will get you started in scheduling posts and they offer a simple analytics tool to get your feet wet in learning what the data means and how to use it. Trello will help you stay organized and keep track of your tasks. It’s basically like a virtual giant cork board with post-it notes pinned to it and the app is awesome for those always on the go *raises hand*. Lastly, Grammarly. They offer free and premium versions; the free version is perfect for those just starting out. The Google Chrome extension is wonderful because it will tell you right then and there what should be changed in whatever format/platform or site you are working in. My preference is using the actual site, then transferring it to wherever, but having options is always a great thing.
There are thousands of tools out there that do the same things as the ones I listed above. The biggest part of rocking the social media world is to find the ones that work the best for you, your clients and your workflow. I can’t begin to even count how many tools I’ve tested before I settled on this magic combination. Find what works best for you and make it happen!

The Ultimate ON Ad Internship Experience

ONce upon a time, two seniors studying marketing at Arizona State University met at the beginning of their last semester of college through an internship at a local advertising agency. They were both hired as Account Coordinator Interns and brought their own unique voice and perspective to the work they collaborated on. They were aware that they would learn through hands-on experience in the advertising industry, but by surprise, they also discovered how co-workers could become best friends.

Mikaela Copley

I grew up in the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley, California. Wanting a change from the tech scene as well as a great business education, I came to the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. I am a true Californian at heart, but I have found that I love the people and lifestyle of Scottsdale, Arizona. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Marketing and am now a Sigma Kappa Alumna ready to pursue my career in advertising here in Phoenix.

What was your favorite aspect of the internship with ON Advertising?
My favorite part of the ON Advertising internship was being able to experience the different types of accounts we have. The agency provides marketing and advertising services to such a wide variety of businesses, it is interesting to see how we can enhance a company with just a few steps.

What excites you most about the marketing and advertising industry?
The most exciting aspect I found in advertising is client prospecting. Looking at a business and seeing how we can potentially improve their exposure through various platforms is motivating to me. Brainstorming and analyzing different strategies to ultimately deliver ROI is something I think is important to support clients or businesses.

Where in the Valley would we be most likely to bump into you?
One of my favorite spots here in the valley is Mill Avenue. I really enjoy spending time with my friends eating Mexican food and catching up after school and work. I’m a fan of Arizona State University sports and love to watch the games with all peers at the local sports bars.

Katie Ciancio

As a native New Yorker, I was drawn to Phoenix and Arizona State University by the inclusive atmosphere and downtown art scene. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the W.P. Carey School of Business and Barrett, The Honors College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing with a concentration in Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications. During this past semester, Phoenix stole a place in my heart as I learned about this city’s marketing industry and became integrated into the creative community that originally made me fall in love with the Valley.
What was your favorite aspect of the internship with ON Advertising?
My favorite aspect of this internship experience was understanding how all the different teams that constitute an advertising agency work together. Being a full-service agency, we do everything in-house, and even though my job was technically in accounts, I was able to get involved and participate in other teams like creative and social media.
What excites you most about the marketing and advertising industry?
Digital marketing. I believe that in order for brands and companies to connect with consumer segments, there needs to be a focus on digital marketing strategies. Leveraging this aspect of marketing allows for companies to build personalized experiences for consumers through analyzing online behavior. It also allows for a company to differentiate a brand amongst competitors by building a digital community.
Where in the Valley would we be most likely to bump into you?
The Van Buren, for sure. I attend around five to six shows a month, and they are usually at this venue. I really enjoy going to concerts and music festivals. My music preferences range from alternative rock to EDM, and everything in between.
An example of a project we both had the opportunity to work on was the rebranding of ON Advertising. We were able to reposition ON Advertising as a modern agency that puts client’s needs at the forefront through unique and creative strategies.
We achieved this by condensing written content and making recommendations for the ON brand voice. We found that despite differences in personalities and opinions, we were able to bring our individual perspectives together to create progressive and innovative work. This internship has helped develop our professional skills and from our experience of working together, we will forever be colleagues throughout our marketing careers.
We would like to thank ON Advertising and all of our amazing coworkers for mentoring us during this past months. Getting to work with all of you made our last semester of college truly memorable.

Contact ON Advertising about our internship opportunities!

A person holdign up their phone looking at a restaurant app

Trends Affecting the Restaurant Industry

New developments in technology have been impacting consumer preferences and attitudes toward the restaurant industry. These changes have left consumers wanting faster and more convenient ways to purchase food from restaurants. Companies like UberEats and GrubHub have capitalized on these emerging trends. The millennial generation is also known for being more mobile than previous generations, meaning they are constantly busy and have an “on the go” mindset. Millennials are also willing to spend more on experiences rather than services and products, with 72% of millennial spending going towards experiential-based activities. The restaurant industry will need to be making some dramatic changes in order to appeal to these new trends. Some ideas we have are:

Online and Mobile Ordering

Consumers are spending more time on their phones now than ever before. Smartphones and other smart devices make it easy for consumers to place orders on their mobile devices. Having a mobile-friendly ordering platform will ensure that consumers can conveniently order food from your restaurant.

Mobile Payment Options

Continuing with the habit of increased mobile device usage, mobile payment options are starting to slowly replace traditional cash or credit cards. Platforms like ApplePay and PayPal can encrypt consumers’ payment data so all they have to do is scan a barcode on their phone. Having a POS system that supports this method of payment can speed up line waits as well as ensure that your restaurant caters to the needs of every consumer.

Personalized Experiences

One of the most influential factors that consumers now look for when choosing a restaurant is an establishment that can offer them personal experiences. Consumers are looking for experiences that document and share with their friends on social media. Restaurants can capitalize on this by offering specialized dishes, extra service features, and branded hashtags.
These adaptations may sound overwhelming at first, however, adopting these tactics will allow your restaurant to become differentiated amongst the growing restaurant industry. At ON Advertising, we understand how sociocultural trends are affecting our restaurant clients. Don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more about how we can help your restaurant thrive!