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February 4, 2010

Brand yourself – build your own brand

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Branding, Buzz marketing


The today show featured an interesting segment on branding yourself. It emphasizes the importance of standing out in the crowd.  Especially those people who are looking for employment. In today’s job market, it’s more important than ever to create a way of being remembered.  Be unique and build your own personal brand.  They suggest focusing on your best qualities – become known for one thing that you do well.  It all starts by defining who you are and who you are not.

While this sounds like an interesting concept, it takes time and effort. Most importantly the brand needs to be realistic and believable. Let’s be honest, most people can’t just decide they want to be a rock star, and poof, they morph into Bono status. No, the focus is building an attainable brand. One that accurately represents you and that you can be proud of. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on this topic… have you built a personal brand? If so, how?

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February 3, 2010

Colts, Saints or Super Bowl Commercials

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Branding, Buzz marketing, Social media

GoDaddy Nikki Cappelli Super Bowl AdAs many of us prepare for the upcoming Super Bowl XLIV this Sunday, one question stands out: why are you watching?  Are you cheering for the Colts and Peyton Manning?  Are you routing for the Drew Brees and the Saints to win the first championship for New Orleans?  Those would be the obvious question… but it’s estimated that perhaps even more people will be watching for the commercials. Yes, that’s right… rather than grab a new beverage or use the bathroom, during the Super Bowl, it’s tradition to sit tight and enjoy the commercials.  After all, if companies are willing to pay $3 million dollars for a 30 second spot, they must have something worthwhile to say, right?

CBS sold out of all of their slots last week.  That is remarkable.  Typically there are available slots right up until a day or so before the event.  Advertising Age has a good run down of all the advertisers you can expect to see during the big game.  We’ve all heard and read about the ManCrunch, Pro Life, and iPad controversy.  Perhaps the most surprising name absent from the list is Pepsi.  Pepsi has been a longtime sponsor of the event, but has decided to focus their “Refresh” campaign efforts to online and social media marketing.  This will be an interesting experiment and we’ll be watching closely to see how this plays out for Pepsi.  It also could be a trend for other large corporations to follow suit.

While I’ll be cheering for the Saints, I’ll also be following along with all the commercials to see who can create the most memorable spot.  Maybe next year waveSpawn will be running an ad…

. buy a paper for college


February 2, 2010

Photo editing just became a Picnik

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : General, Social media

Picnik photo editing with waveSpawnI’ve heard of the photo editing site called “Picnik” before.  I just read their press release announcing that one billion photos have been edited through their service.

“How much is 1 billion? If we viewed all these images, it would take us over 100 years to see them all!”

Because of the hype, I figured I would give the service a test drive for myself.  It’s worthwhile to mention that I’ve been a professional Photoshop user for several years.  I’m an expert user and very familiar with photo retouching and the various options that are available.  With that said, I think Picnik has delivered a quality web-based photo manipulation tool for the masses.  It has a simple and intuitive interface that any generation can maneuver.  I think it will accomplish 90% of what most people would have the need to do.  Furthermore, Picnik has added some great themes for Valentines and other holidays to quickly spice up your photos and create unique scrapbooks.

It’s also worth noting that tomorrow – February 3, 2010, Picnik is opening up their premium services (typically a paid service) to everyone for free.  The promotion runs from Wednesday 2/3 at 9am PST through Thursday 2/4 at 9am PST.

“In addition, the person who edited the billionth photo on Picnik will receive Picnik Premium for life and will be featured on Picnik in the month of February.”

Give them a try at http://www.picnik.com and share your feedback with us.

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February 1, 2010

Michael Jackson 3D tribute during the Grammy Awards just a primetime advertisement

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Branding, Buzz marketing, Social media

Michael Jackson 3D Grammy TributeA live 3D event which aired on the 52nd Grammy Awards last night seemed to be nothing more than a publicity stunt for American Paper Optics, LLC, Sony, and Target.  I happened to view the event with some 3D glasses leftover from seeing Avatar a few weeks ago.  It was a lame attempt at trying to plug their latest 3D television devices.  It certainly didn’t add any visual impact to the Michael Jackson tribute.  It was much more fizzle than pizzazz.

It’s one thing to honor someone for their creative and lasting contributions to the music world.  The focus should have been on Michael Jackson and his talented legacy within the industry.  Instead it was somewhat overshadowed because it was sponsored by large corporations that needed to get their plugs mentioned.

I’m all for creative marketing techniques, but I think there are more appropriate and tactful ways of doing it.  I was going to ask, what’s next – funeral sponsorship?  But that seems to be done already by a guy from Chicago who designed his casket as a Pabst Blue Ribbon can.  Let’s see who tops that…

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February 1, 2010

Successful PPC search engine marketing strategies

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Branding, Buzz marketing, Social media

Maximizing pay-per-click advertisingTargeted keyword sponsorship allows a business to buy the rights to a highly relevant keyword or phrase.  Every time someone searches for that word or phrase, the sponsor’s listing appears as a highlighted text link at the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).  This type of marketing is rather expensive – thousands of dollars a month for the most popular phrases – because you pay to be listed whether or not your listing is clicked. This technique is frequently used by large companies for corporate branding and new product introductions.

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, on the other hand, is a less-expensive means of selectively targeting an audience based on their search criteria.  It allows you to display highly relevant text ads directly on the search results page of Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other networks.  To achieve maximum benefits, your ad needs to reach the top of the listings when prospects search for your specified keywords.

In order to be effective, continuous monitoring is needed to ensure the maximum number of clicks at a minimum cost per sale.  The first and most important step is to focus on the keywords that your target audience is most likely to search for.  For example, if you have a coffee distribution company, you may want to consider “coffee delivery service” or “coffee shipment”.  Those may be common search phrases performed by your intended audience.  There are many analytical tools available to assist with this keyword selection process.

Next, the process requires keyword bidding in an open auction to secure the top listings, which appear as a text link on the right side of a search results page.  You also need to invest a considerable amount of time tweaking messages to maintain and improve response rates and top positions. When executed properly, this can be a very cost-effective advertising technique because you only pay when someone clicks on your ad to view your website.

The final component to this program is to create a custom landing page for each advertisement.  Don’t simply link the ad to your homepage, as visitors will get lost. Having a focused page that coordinates with the message in the ad allows you to present a logical solution and immediate access to the most relevant information or services.

Since pay-per-click advertising prices rose about 15% last year, the top slots do not always offer the best value. Smaller niche-market targeting often creates more productive and profitable results. Careful analysis of test results can help determine the most cost-effective positioning, and help focus your message to the most receptive audience for your products or services.

You can easily set and adjust monthly expenditure limits that fit within your budget. Furthermore, analytical and reporting tools allow you to easily calculate your return on investment (ROI) for pay-per-click advertising.

 Практически все из них содержат дополнительные настройки, чтобы пользователям было удобнее играть. Для управления используются кнопки. Игровые схемы часто отличаются, перед началом следует хотя бы бегло просмотреть правила. Это позволит более эффективно выбирать настройки и популярным сериалам. Есть также наблюдать за их жанры и названиям. Многих интересуют фруктовые слоты, . Avtomaty-Besplatno Но поскольку такой набор символов довольно привычный. Некоторые приложения позволяют вам не только собирать древние драгоценности и запускать бонусные туры. Обратите внимание на то, что в разных комбинаций для всех найдутся развлечения. Сюжеты игр легко понять по своим предпочтениям. Каталог довольно привычный. Некоторые приложения позволяют вам не .


January 29, 2010

Apple iPad gets involved in Super Bowl ad drama?

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Branding, Buzz marketing, Social media

We were curious what it would be like if Apple entered the Super Bowl frenzy with all the buzz over iPad.  It might be the peak time for Steve Jobs to keep riding the wave.  Since the actual reveal of the iPad was somewhat anti-climatic, could Apple create more buzz with a 30 second spot in the Super Bowl? After all, there is already a ton of controversy with Tim Tebow and ManCrunch. Should Apple buy a $2.5 million spot for iPad?

What do you think?  If you were the creative director in charge of Apple’s 30 second commercial for iPad, what would you do?  We want to hear from you…

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January 28, 2010

Google activates social search

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Buzz marketing, Social media

Ever wanted more control over your Google searches?  Perhaps filter and highlight relevant information from your network of friends, family, colleagues, and online contacts.   Basically, have the ability to filter out a lot of the noise and take advantage of the knowledge of your network.  I sure do.  Well, this new beta release of Google Social Search is intended to do just that.

By releasing the facilities to enable social networking search, Google is adding more purpose to all of the various social communities being created online.  You can quickly setup a profile and link social content. Let’s say you’re in the market for a new Gibson Les Paul guitar.  Traditionally, you may go to Google and do a random search for “Gibson Les Paul” guitars (or some variation).  You may get results from Gibson, Guitar Center, eBay, Craigslist, and many other distributors.  Ok, that’s great… but wouldn’t it be cool to instantly search your network of musical friends who may have some personal insight or photos uploaded right from the Google search results page?  You could interact with your contacts directly to answer basic questions that they may have already experienced.  See for yourself at google.com/profiles

While this is an early release, certainly there is a lot of future potential… especially as more people embrace the various social networking tools.  It allows integration with blogs, Picasa, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, etc.  I just gave it a test drive… pretty slick.  The video to the right gives a nice brief overview.

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January 27, 2010

Will the Apple iPad kill Amazon’s Kindle with iBooks?

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Branding, Buzz marketing, Social media

Apple iPad with iBooksSteve Jobs has just announced the introduction of the much anticipated Apple iPad for only $499!  While it had been dubbed the tablet for a while, it has officially been named the iPad.  I have been following along on gdgt’s live coverage.

Here are some features:

  • Can be rotated and held in any direction
  • Web-enabled (um, duh) and extremely fast
  • Has a virtual keyboard
  • Video playback is HD, not widescreen however
  • iBook store enables instant download and display of books, newspapers, and magazines
  • Enhanced iTunes interface

At a glance this device appears to be an overgrown iPhone.  I should admit, I am a huge fan of the iPhone, I like its portability and slick design.  I also like my laptop for what it does.  Do I really need a new “netbook” device to combine the best of both features?  It seems to be eerily similar to the infamous Chevey El Camino – that mutant-like hybrid of a car and truck that some people had the nerve to buy.  Let’s be honest, the back had enough space to fit a 30 pound bag of dog food.

I don’t know that I would consider the iPad a replacement for either device.  Instead, it appears to be forging a new market.  A market catered to gamers, scholars, and hobbyist.  It is a device which allows reading of books, textbooks and changing of fonts, etc.  It seems to be in direct competition with Amazon’s Kindle device.  Although it has a lot more to offer – and a much more robust interface.  While the market has been somewhat slow to embrace the Kindle, we’ll see if things speed up now that Apple has entered the game.

I’m curious to see how the market will respond to this device. Would you buy one?

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January 26, 2010

Email optimization strategies to boost revenue

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Buzz marketing, Direct Marketing

Email optimization strategies to boost revenueSuccessful email marketing incorporates a combination of strategies.  I’ve condensed a long list to what I would consider the top five best practices

Compelling content
Effective email strategy starts with intriguing content.  Don’t just send emails preaching about how great your company is. In order to captivate the attention of your readers, you first need to fully understand your audience.  It’s a good idea to do some research and identify topics that will be of particular interest and timely.  Share your knowledge of the industry or a unique perspective on an important subject.  Continually mix up your creative messages and styles.  Feel free to use a rotation of different templates to give your newsletter a fresh look.

Segment your audience
It takes a lot more time and preparation, but segmenting your list of recipients allows you to speak directly to your customers and prospects.  You’ll be able to clearly identify common business problems and cover topics that truly captivate you audience.  The key is planning, organization, and testing.

Delivery dates
You can significantly increase the effectiveness of your newsletter by determining the best day of the week and time to send.  Know your audience.  For many businesses, Tuesday or Wednesday are the best days to deliver.  Mondays can be hectic and Fridays can be busy or people may be rushing to cut out early.  Know your audience and more importantly know their schedules.  This will help you to determine which day they will be most inclined to open and read your e-newsletters.

Maintain lists and keep them updated
e-Newsletters can only be effective if your customers and prospects actually receive them.  In today’s economy, turnover rates can be high.  Periodically confirm that you have the correct information – more importantly, make sure you have the most appropriate contact person on your list.  If an assistant is receiving the information, there’s a good chance, it’s getting filtered into the trash bin.  Also, clean out undeliverable addresses and respect those who unsubscribe.

Optimize landing pages
As your email links back to your website, take the time to optimize the landing pages and highlight the information that you want them to see.  Take full advantage of the qualified traffic you are generating.  Highlight upcoming events, new product releases, and other relevant announcements.

While there are many strategies which can improve the effectiveness of email newsletter campaigns, I have taken excerpts from our white paper which discusses in-depth best practices to boost revenue.   We encourage you to share your success stories or challenges with email marketing.


January 24, 2010

Pants on the Ground for the Minnesota Vikings

  • Posted By : Mark Didas/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Buzz marketing, Social media

Pants on the ground for the Minnesota Vikings“Pants on the Ground” was an instant sensation when Larry Platt first sang his self-written song on American Idol.  It became so catchy that Brett Favre even sang a tribute version after the Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys.  That’s some powerful viral marketing.  It’s now crossed over from American Idol to the NFL.

According to NBC Sports, the Vikings loved the song so much that they flew Larry Platt along with them to their playoff game against the New Orleans Saints to perform for the team.

I’m sure round 2 of this song will be circulating soon. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from Mr. Platt.  Stay tuned…

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