AT&T, Verizon, and Johnson & Johnson were among the over 100 brands that quit YouTube after a London News Reporter exposed the advertisements were aired alongside extremist videos. Soon after, conversations broke out about brand placement and how to create a safe digital space.Screen Shot 2017-03-30 at 10.17.11 AM

Especially in lieu of today’s tense political climate, it is essential to ensure that your digital advertisements do not appear in a damaging context that could sabotage the brand image.

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How can we, as marketers, try to avoid framing our creative and content in a negative light?

Promoting Transparency

A two-way street of open and transparent communication between both parties is crucial in programmatic buying. Ask the publisher to provide you full information about where the ad will run and the nature of their incoming traffic.

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Establishing Your Target Audience

Conceptualize your ideal audience. Task yourself to prioritize pushing your content to the right audience in the right environment.

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Research Your Options

There are several ad networks out there – know how they differ from each other and what’s best for you. Understand the price market. If something is cheaper than it should be, it’s likely a shady site.

 

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Know Where Your Ads Run

At the end of the day, you are still accountable for where your brand’s advertisements are placed. Crosscheck live URLs to make sure your brand values align with content on these websites.

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Certified?

When you work with vendors or ad networks, make sure they’re certified to IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) measurement guidelines. IAB has set a list of Quality Assurance Guidelines to make sure suppliers comply with the industry’s best practices. To ensure authentic inventory, use services by companies that have been certified by a third party.

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Establish Relations

Develop good relations with media sellers to build a reliable network.

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To avoid situations like this, practice methods that will keep your brand identity safe in the digital space.

 

 

 

On Monday night at the 2017 David Ogilvy Awards, CBC and our client Garnet Hill took home gold in the “Reinventing Traditional Media” category for the Beautiful, Naturally Garnet Hill Mobile Boutique.
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Named after advertising legend David Ogilvy, the ARF David Ogilvy Awards celebrate the critical role of insights that inspire great advertising. In the category of “Reinventing Traditional Media” Advil’s “Distant Memory” campaign took Silver and TD Bank Group’s “Official Partner of Big Dreams” campaign took Bronze.

The Garnet Hill Mobile Boutique, a 350-square foot refurbished shipping container, is part mobile showroom, studio, and pop-up brand experience. It made its pilgrimage throughout the summer of 2016, beginning in Franconia, NH and wrapping up in New York City. But not only that, it acted as a living, breathing billboard.

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Built to feel like a tiny home where customers can literally touch, feel, and shop all of Garnet Hill’s select products, the boutique is equipped with all of the homey essentials including a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, closet, and a roof deck.

More than just a shopping experience, the boutique embodies the brand’s essence. It was used to host community events including wine tastings, farm-to-table meals, art shows, and more.

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Lastly, the boutique acted as a broadcasting platform for Garnet Hill’s digital and social media channels. Live and produced content was shot with various partners such as Apartment Therapy and influential lifestyle bloggers.

Read about the whole story behind the pop-up experience here. The Mobile Boutique plans to hit the road again in 2017 so keep an eye out for announcements on Garnet Hill’s blog THREADS, or follow #GHMobileBoutique on Instagram.

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The last few years of digital expansion has certainly provided many opportunities for us to connect personally and professionally. This includes a rise in Business-to-Business (B2B) marketing: the marketing of products or services to other businesses.

According to Content Marketing Institute, 94% of marketers use LinkedIn as a platform for B2B sales. Twitter follows this rate at 87% and Facebook at 84%. Why is LinkedIn more popular over other social media platforms? LinkedIn is the only one that emphasizes professional networking, rather than just socializing.

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If you’re looking to optimize your company’s LinkedIn page and generate more leads, here are a few tips on how to do so successfully.

Image is everything.

Improve your company page with attractive pictures. A research by Ad Age shows that brands utilizing high-quality, original images are perceived as more creative, experienced, and knowledgeable.

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You have the opportunity to make a lasting impression at a glance. Invest in a banner that’s personable to your company, and provide clickable links to your products, website and contact information.

Set your profile settings to fit your needs.

If you want to generate leads, the leads need to be able to find you. Customize your LinkedIn URL with the company’s full name and use the LinkedIn Showcase option to promote brands under your company.

 

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Share diverse content on your page.

It is key to find a good balance between promotional posts and interactive posts. According to Content Authority, the good balance is 20-80. Toot your own horn without being annoying.

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Make sure you understand your audience by evaluating what kind of posts are getting the highest number of likes or shares.

Search for groups, and create them too.

 

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Find a group on LinkedIn that fits your niche. Be an active participant of that group. If you don’t find a group that fits you, create your own!

Paid advertising and its worth.

Organic is good, paid is better! If your budget doesn’t allow you to spend on everything, prioritize your content. Promote whatever you think has potential to generate leads. Be specific with your target audience. This way, not only will your cost-per-clicks save you money, they will be more effective.

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Ask for recommendations and reach out often.

Ask your loyal customers and companies to recommend your products and services on LinkedIn, and share what they love about them. At the same time, build credibility by posting often on your LinkedIn page with updates and latest news.
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Social Selling works 68% better than cold calling does. Use it to your advantage and generate more B2B leads by improving your LinkedIn page with the above tips!