Turtledove Clemens

Providing children with the skills they need to be successful in school and beyond, Sylvan Learning Centers gives parents and students hope when they need it most. Sylvan Learning Centers in the Portland Metro Area and Southwest Washington are partnering with Turtledove Clemens for local media strategy and interactive development. Find a center near you by visiting MyLocalSylvan.com.

Turtledove Clemens is proud of the work we do for Sylvan Learning Centers and is excited that we can help children succeed.

So, what is it you say you actually do here?
I generate TPS reports. Haha. Really though, as a media planner/buyer I predominantly handle broadcast, print and digital, and multimedia campaigns. Some of the accounts that I personally get to work on are Wendy’s, Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory, and the Portland Metro RV Show.

What do you think is the biggest media trend right now?
Definitely social media. Everyone has realized its tremendous value at this point, but a lot of people don’t know how to best utilize it. I think with social, the future is endless.

The 54th Portland Metro RV show is coming up, what to you enjoy most about that account?
I started out in event marketing and have always been fond of it. You work in so many different mediums with so many different people, and get to see the results in a short time period.

Word around the office is that you are a big Foursquare junkie … how many mayorships do you have?
I got into Foursquare a year or two ago but kind of lost interest in it until recently, when other people around the office starting using it. I like the competition of it. I don’t actually have any mayorships right now but do have 30 “badges.” What’s really been driving me to use Foursquare is to raise my Klout score, which usually hovers between 44 and 46.

What are you most looking forward to in 2012?
Going to Mexico! I’m headed to Sayulita with the family for a week in March. It’s a really fun village about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. Looking forward to several days of sun, swimming, hanging around town and lounging at the beach with great food and buckets of Pacifico. A good time will be had by all!

This is a guest post by Jamie Teasdale of Propel Businessworks, a business development company that focuses on assisting entrepreneurs and small business owners achieve their goals.

They have become part of our culture and part of our daily routines. For millions of Americans, social medias have simply become the norm. These relational tools have woven themselves into the very fabric of our society by offering places to connect online to share conversations and lifestyle activities.

But many business owners still question their need to participate.

If you could, think of Social Media engagement as your customer service department or resource library, a product launch pad, bulletin board, press tool, or a marketing platform. Using social media for any of these opportunities can generally increase consumer communication as well as brand or product awareness.

Whatever the lack of understanding may be, it is fear of engaging in the right way, and from the right platform, that keeps many from taking any action at all on social medias. As a small business strategist and educator, I’m of the belief that success will depend on activating a plan.

Although individuals can easily engage on social medias using their own personal voice, businesses should carve out their communication plan from their professional brand perspective. A company may not need to engage on every platform and when a plan is developed, the ability to execute is much less daunting.

Here are a few suggested key elements to consider before and while you begin planning:

1.    Target. If you don’t know who your target market is, it’s important to define them. Think about the gender, age, social and living habits and geographic location of your target. What do they need you for? What need are you going to fill for them? This will not only help you understand who you are talking to, it will help you decide which platforms you need to be on.

2.    Messaging. Messaging isn’t as tricky as you may think. Yes, you should consider what you post as virtually permanent, but remember too, you have the chance to be real, to be a resource and to show your company’s personality. Use your brand language when posting new content and responding to audience comments. If you haven’t thought of your brand speak, now is a good time to identify it. How do you verbally convey your primary business message? What words do you use? What is your business personality?

3.    Policy. Just like always speaking from your brand language, it is just as important to share your brand specifics with anyone who might help you accomplish your social media engagements. Even if it’s just for your own use, a social media policy should clearly define do’s and don’ts, can’s and cant’s. Use this as a reference point when engaging your plan.

4.    Consistency. No matter what your plan is, once you have it mapped out be sure to stick to it. Your business may only need a few posts per week, or it may need multiple posts per day, but maintaining your plan will create a sense of trust between you and your audience. Showing up regularly not only rewards your audience’s interest in you, it will also help you and your business stay top-of-mind.

With the increasing number of consumers searching online for businesses, products and reviews, social media platforms can provide plenty of trustworthy information, not just from you, but from people who’ve done business with you. And this information may instill the confidence they need to buy from or do business with you.

While you may consider social media as a buzzword, don’t think it’s not the right place for you to find business or be recognized. This tool is helping catapult many small businesses today into global brands. What are you waiting for?

Jamie Teasdale is the Senior Project Manager and Owner of Propel Businessworks, a small business development and growth project management company. Need a social media strategy or map? Propel Businessworks can help. Contact us at info@propelbizworks.com for more information.

www.propelbusinessworks.com

www.facebook.com/propelbusinessworks

Who is your biggest hero?
My sister Rachel. We had a tumultuous relationship growing up, but have become super close. We’re opposites in many ways, but she has been an inspiration to me and part of the reason I moved to Oregon!

What would your dream job be if you weren’t in advertising?
I would love to be a traveling novelist and draw inspiration from places I visit.

What’s the deal with your affinity for owls?
Well, they are very whimsical and kind of mysterious. Plus, they are just really cute! For some reason I can’t get enough of them. It’s actually kind of creepy, my owl collection has grown a lot in the last couple of years. I need to stop collecting, but people just keep giving them to me!

What makes you excited to come to work at Turtledove Clemens?
In this industry, things are always changing. Our clients always have different needs, and that keeps things interesting. I think it’s an exciting thing to be involved in. I previously wrote for a magazine and things were always planned. However, at Turtledove Clemens I get an opportunity to solve problems and get creative more frequently!

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would have to say I’m obsessed with the carne asada  Azteca Tacos at Boulevard Tacos on Rosa Parks Way. I actually just had it for dinner last night! They are within walking distance from my house, which is a little dangerous. So I guess my answer would be those tacos, or anything with carbs. I can’t live without carbs!

Devin Barr

Volkswagen Beetle – The dog was too fat to fit through the doggy door to chase the new VW Beetle down the street.

White Label

Andy Ehlen

Hyundai Veloster Turbo – The cheetah gave up chasing the car and chased the guy who opened the cage.

White Label

Jay Clemens

Fiat 500 Abarth – What did she just say?

White Label

Sandy Carpenter & Brooke Jones

Bud Light – Here “We Go” – A rescue dog delivers beer to all of the party guests.

White Label

Jeff Bernius

Chrysler – It’s Halftime in America – Clint Eastwood talks about the struggles of America. Our second half is about to begin.

White Label

Holly Blackman

Acura – #20? – Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno try to persuade a guy to give up his #1 spot in line to buy the newest Acura NSX.

White Label

Ben Thompson

Audi S7 – Vampires / Daylight – The Vampires are flash burned by the Audi’s LED headlights.

White Label

What was my favorite commercial of the 46th Super Bowl?

Chevy Silvarado – Dave drove a Ford.

White Label

Want more? Check out my live-tweets from during the game or take a look at the actual Super Bowl commercials.

Social Media Strategies will become integrated with overall marketing strategies.
Traditional marketing such as radio, television, print, PR, will be supported by Social Media. Since its inception, Social Media has been considered to be a whole separate platform and thought as a broadcasting channel. In 2011, Media Logic predicted that brands would begin to realize the potential of Social Media as an engagement channel rather than simply broadcasting messages.

Recap: Nike opened the proverbial doors on their Twitter account at the end of 2011. In just one day, Nike had over 14,000 followers and it hasn’t slowed down since. As of this writing, Nike has nearly 214,000 Twitter followers. So, what is Nike doing to make their brand engaging? They have started a hash tag with #makeitcount in preparation to help launch a new product and are giving their followers & professional athletes inspiration: @AshleyTheophane … (see twitter comment below)

Nike: @AshleyTheophane Whether it’s 12 months, 12 rounds, or 12 minutes squeezed into a busy day, make the most of every moment.

Return on Investment (ROI) theories will be checked at the door.
Currently companies are struggling to gauge their social ROI. They want to know if they are spending their money wisely and how many people are buying products based on their social presence. In 2011, Media Logic predicted that brands will throw out the idea of measuring ROI and start viewing their social media presence as developing lifelong relationships with their customers.

Recap: There are still tools available that try to gauge your social reach but it’s extremely inaccurate. When viewing a twitter feed, you must be actively engaged to see a brands tweet. A user won’t be able to see your tweet 8 hours after you post it unless they actively seek out your feed.

Facebook will go public.
It is widely held that in the world of social media, Facebook is king. In 2011 it was estimated that in the US alone, Facebook had 138.9 million monthly unique visitors and that 41.6% of the population had a Facebook account. So, its easy to see why one of the biggest predictions of the year was that the multibillion dollar company would go public.

Recap: 2011 did not see Facebook go public…but as of 2 days ago it has! That’s right, on the first of the month the company filed documents with the SEC for an initial public offering of $5 billion. Although predictions were slightly off last year, this one will surely see the rise of one of the largest companies in both tech and internet history.

Big name retailers will hop on the mobile wagon.
These days we are starting to see more and more uses for mobile phones and apps, especially in the social department. Media Logic thought that 2011 would be the year that big retail chains would partner up with mobile phones and develop shopping apps, QR codes or QPC. This would allow for a whole new way for consumers to interact with retail companies, and potentially turn shopping into more of an adventurous experience.

Recap: A few companies began to integrate social shopping into their businesses. Amazon developed a Price Check app that allows consumers to scan a product and find cheaper prices online. American Express partnered up with Foursquare, and Apple created a store app that lets customers make purchases on the spot in the store. Overall though, most companies have not switched gears in this direction.

USA Today’s Ad Meter measures and ranks the TV spots by popularity with the viewers.  Last year Bud Light’s adwith the dog-sitter throwing a party and using the dogs as servers and dishwashers was fun and lighthearted. Anthropomorphism seems to be a fan favorite, as it was the most popular spot last year along with Doritos’ ad featuring a man being tackled by a small dog after he teases the dog with his chips.

This year, you can expect a little something extra from Coca-Cola. The company will use the Super Bowl as an opportunity to engage viewers in a unique way and integrate social media. The Coca-Cola polar bears will be watching the big game this year, and they will be responding to plays, comments, performances, and even the ads themselves in real time. The idea is to draw viewers to CokePolarBear.com where they can see the reactions of the bears in real time and then people can send, or share these reactions with people. The Coca-Cola mascots will appear across multiple platforms of social media. Whatever team you’re rooting for, you’ll have a polar bear on your side, cheering along or hanging his head in despair right along with you.

ETrade, Audi, Pepsi, GoDaddy, Best Buy, Doritos, Acura, Skechers and Dannon are just a few brands lined up for this year’s Super Bowl. Game on!

It’s Five Question Friday again! Woohoo! This week we sat down with Jackie Hensel, our sassy media buyer who has one of the most infectious laughs you’ll ever hear. We’re excited for you to get to know her!

If you could have any super power what would it be?
Batman is my favorite Superhero but he doesn’t have “Superpowers”.  I’d probably have to go with being able to fly.

What is the best prank you have ever played on someone?
I’m a Scorpio. You don’t even know it but I’m playing a prank on you right now.

What is your favorite part about working at an ad agency?
I’m a major TV junkie, so I love that being a media buyer allows me to get the inside scoop on so many programs before they air.

If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Take the red pill!

Living or dead, name any three people you would have dinner with.

1. My Grandfather, Jack Hensel Sr., because he passed away when I was two and I never got a chance to know him.
2. My nephew Danny because he’s the most interesting person I know, and he’s a cutie patootie.
3. My celebrity crush – Ben Affleck.

If you are new to the online marketing arena, you are going to try as many of these social networks as possible to find your audience and to see what sticks. However, you should know that there are three big names in social media that you should be taking advantage of first before venturing out into the wild.

Facebook

With over 800 million users and 175 million in the U.S. alone, Facebook is by far the biggest social network. Facebook is projected to reach 1 billion users by August of 2012. This should be your number one focus in any social media marketing strategy.

Twitter

Currently, Twitter has over 100 million users and is projected to reach 250 million users by the end of 2012. Engagement with Twitter users should be focused on more direct one-on-one communication. This is where you have a chance to really get to know your audience and ask them questions to help improve your products and services.

YouTube

Did you know that YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine? And what better platform to release your great marketing campaign videos? With over 800 million unique users each month, YouTube is among the most visited content sites on the internet and should not be left out when putting together your social media marketing strategy.

What’s Next?

Try to expand your social presence. Put a QR Code on your business card, mention your Facebook page in your radio spot, place a hash tag in your TV ad and get people talking about your brand. The possibilities are endless.

When you’re satisfied with your plan on the big three, try Google+, Foursquare, Pinterest, Tumblr and many others. But, keep your expectations realistic and don’t spread yourself too thin. After all, you still need to make those awesome products and provide that quality service.

What are your top 3? Let us know in the comments below.