Advertisers are consistently trying to decide where to spend ad dollars between traditional media and digital media campaigns. Despite the growing influence of digital media over the past 5 years, traditional media via TV and radio still holds significant value for Houston brands. Here are seven influential reasons why brands should continue to use traditional media for effective marketing and advertising.

Wider Audience Reach

Traditional media platforms such as television, radio, and newspapers continue to have a broad and diverse audience base. In the Houston market we are looking at audiences of thousands of people for most off-prime programing, and prime programing on television is frequently in the hundreds of thousands. By utilizing traditional media, brands can tap into these established channels and reach a wide range of demographics, including older audiences who may not be as digitally connected.

Captive Audience

Traditional media often captures the attention of a captive audience. 31% of American households own four TV sets or more, and roughly 65% of U.S. households still pay for TV services. *(1) The typical American views around three hours of TV every single day. The majority is live programming.  For example, television viewers may be more likely to pay attention to commercials during their favorite shows, live news or sports programing, while radio listeners may tune in during their daily commutes.

Radio reaches 89% of US Adults per 2022 Neilsen and Scarborough data, which shows average adult listeners spending about 7 hours and 40 minutes listening a week. *(2) Brands can leverage these captive moments to deliver their messages effectively and engage consumers who are less likely to actively seek out digital content.

Credibility and Trust

Traditional media outlets have built a reputation for credibility and trust over many years, often featuring expert commentary, opinion pieces, and interviews with industry leaders. By participating in these platforms, brands can position themselves as thought leaders and gain authority in their respective fields. This association with established media outlets can help strengthen a brand’s reputation and increase its perceived expertise and trust with their target audience.

Brand Awareness and Recall

Traditional media, with its broad reach and repetitive nature, helps in building brand awareness and recall. Television for example, has the advantage of combining visual and audio elements, creating a lasting impact on viewers and listeners. This can be especially useful for brands seeking to create a strong and memorable presence in consumers’ minds.

Local Community Engagement

Traditional media outlets often have strong ties to local communities. By using local newspapers, radio stations, or sponsoring community events, brands can demonstrate their commitment to the community and build goodwill. This localized approach can create a sense of belonging and foster brand loyalty among consumers.

Targeted Local Advertising

Local newspapers, cable television, and billboards are effective for targeting specific geographic areas. For brands focusing on local or regional markets, traditional media offers a targeted approach to reach potential customers in specific locations. This can be particularly beneficial for businesses with limited budgets or those operating in niche markets.

Integration with Digital Marketing

Traditional media can complement and reinforce digital marketing efforts. By incorporating consistent messaging across various channels, including television, radio, out of home, print, and online platforms, brands can create a cohesive and integrated marketing strategy. This synergy helps maximize the impact of campaigns and enhance overall brand recognition and increase the effectiveness of the campaigns.

While digital media continues to grow rapidly, traditional media still offers unique advantages that can effectively complement a brand’s marketing strategy. The key lies in striking the right balance and leveraging the strengths of each medium to achieve the desired outcomes. By strategically incorporating traditional media alongside digital marketing tactics, brands can maximize their visibility, build strong connections with Houston residents, and ultimately achieve their marketing objectives in this diverse and dynamic Houston market.

At Brand Ranch Media, we have helped our clients scale their businesses to become industry leaders. We have the experience and foresight to help you reach your business goals. Give us a call at 713-309-6380 or use our contact form to start the conversation today!

*(1) source – Credit Donkey

*(2) source – Strategic Media Inc.

 

If you have ever turned on a radio or TV you’ve heard advertising jingles…  and NO… it wasn’t because you slipped back in time to the 1950s!

Jingles may not seem as prevalent today as they were in the ’50s & ’60s in part because they have become a common caricature of the times for video and TV producer’s flashbacks, time hops, or period pieces.  Just look at the Marvel Series Wanda Vision, for instance…

Did the “ole timers” who used music in their marketing know something we didn’t know about effective marketing and how it cuts through the clutter?  No, it’s just difficult to make a quality jingle that defines what you have to offer with a catchy tune, that speaks to your audience, and represents your company authentically. Many successful brands and marketers still use jingles today to weave music, emotion, and entertainment into their brand and value propositions.  In fact, as our culture continues to accelerate its “on-demand” pull consumption of media, punchy jingles may be just the thing we need more of to capture audience attention in a snap across media platforms.

A jingle has a way of quickly resonating in your mind… it’s the emotional side of the brain connecting the dots with the logical side. Whether it’s got musical instruments or just a few sung syllables, with logic and emotion together, brand recognition and recall rates soar. This recognition and recall can last longer than standard marketing ads and messages.

With that in mind, here are a few of the Jingles we here at BRM love best! A few are relatively new, and a few seem to live on forever and never die!

Disclaimer: Careful now… some of these may get stuck in your head, others may bring back memories, and some will do both!

Let’s start with a local Houston favorite first!

Thunderbolt Transmission

“We put the Yeeee-haw back in your motor and transmission!” – Its upbeat classic western sound has been stuck in my head for decades! Decades! It may have been created when the country music style was in its prime, but when my transmission went out on my truck in the early 2000’s I called Thunderbolt first… even though I hadn’t seen the ad in years!

Toys “R” Us

“I don’t wanna grow up” – It’s a classic melody that appeals to the kid in us all, and it’s one of our favorites! This longstanding jingle became the soundtrack to our childhood for many who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s. This catchy tune is easy to sing, especially for children, and appeals on an emotional level. Adulting is hard, and nobody “wants to grow up.” While the music was refreshed a time or two, the original jingle is what lives on in the hearts and minds of every one of us grown-up kids.

State Farm

“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there!” – Clean, simple, to the point… and unforgettable. It’s been used successfully for years now with interchangeable spokespersons and celebrities, and interchangeable Jakes.

JG Wentworth

“877-Cash-Now!” – This one has been loved and hated… and successful! If you’ve ever taken a sick day and been caught up in daytime TV, or stayed up late watching a network TV marathon, JG Wentworth’s Opera Jingle has probably come across your screen. It’s a catchy, totally un-alienating opera melody has us pretending we’re all opera singers too! The show isn’t over until the fat lady sings and we get our cash!

Kit Kat

“Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar!” – I don’t remember exactly when this came out, but I was a kid and it stuck for a loooooong time! Sure, the hard count on the last 3 syllables, sung as “Kit Kat Bar,” could be replaced by anything funny, crude, or downright weird, and my childish family and friends and I replaced the words over in over in good humor through the years. Perhaps that’s part of the fun that created the longevity. It’s even being made fun of in sitcoms like The Office.

Oscar Meyer

“I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner” … It’s so catchy! And its sister Jingle for B-O-L-O-G-N-A taught generations of Americans how to spell the lunch meat’s name correctly! Both versions of this Jingle have been sung by children and adults for years, and the Oscar Meyer brand is forever famous and successfully lives on, selling lunch meats and weiners today.

It’s even been referenced and made fun of by the longest-running TV show in history The Simpsons!

ACE Hardware

“Ace is the place with the helpful hardware folks” – It’s true to who they are!  It defines exactly where their value is for consumers. It’s easy to remember, and when I need help with something “handy,” that’s exactly where I go.

Mentos

This one is a little different… it’s not your standard jingle. The jingle’s lyrics and sung storylines changed from ad to ad, but the optimistic upbeat music always had the same tune playing. There were no scripts for the actors. Hearing the songs now instantly reminds me of sit-coms from the 90’s and takes me back…  It’s like a theme song for overcoming life!

Band-Aid

“I am stuck on Band-Aid cause Band Aid’s stuck on Me.”  – It’s memorable and catchy! Cute kids singing don’t hurt either. This brand became so popular that it’s almost universally used to reference a bandage! Can a jingle work too well?

Huggies

“I’m a big kid now.” – It’s hard not to love a cute kid, especially with an excited look on their face as they achieve something.

Folgers Coffee

“The Best Part of Waking Up” – Although too young to drink coffee, I’ve been craving a cup of joe since I first heard the melody in 1984. Not only is it the best coffee jingle ever created, but the branding is so strong that it’s the only coffee jingle I can think of. I think most people will agree that when it comes to coffee jingles, “the best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.”

Honorable mention: Subway

“5, $5, $5 Foot Long” – because it’s been around for a decade now, and I hate it, but still remember it every time I try to figure out what I want for lunch ????

Brand Ranch Media’s Tricks of the Trade and Some of Our Local Favorites

There are a few tricks of the trade to remember when thinking about a new jingle for your brand. Keep the target audience in mind. You want the tone and attitude of the ads and music to appeal to your audience and also reflect your brand accurately. If your voice isn’t authentic, it likely won’t last the test of time.

If you liked those jingles, check out a few of our own BRM created Jingles in the links below!

Nutrition Depot “Vitaman”

 

Northwind Air Conditioning, Heating & Mechanical Services

Edge Weight Loss & Fatigue: (This campaign may not be a traditional Jingle, but its focus on music is hilarious!)

Houston Trane

For help with your own custom advertising jingle, or marketing guidance in general, the team here at Brand Ranch Media is here to help. Please reach out to us at 713-309-6380 or contact us through our contact form.  

By Dana Banks II, Director of Brand Growth

Many people have already heard about the Facebook Boycott. In fact, the search term began to skyrocket according to Google Trends in late June. By early July, more than 750 companies and the advertising agencies they work with joined in with larger advertisers leading the way such as Coca-Cola, Hershey, Walgreens, Best Buy, Ford, and Adidas just to name a few. At one point, over 200 additional firms joined in the boycott in a 24-hour period. The boycott originated from a call out by advocacy group Stop Hate for Profit claiming that social media providers, specifically Facebook which made 98% of its 2019 revenue from ad sales, allows hate speech on their platforms from the accounts of politicians and high-profile influencers. We briefly touched on this subject in a previous article, Medical Advertising Series Part 2: Social Media, Censorship, Fact-Checkers, and Implications. What does this boycott mean for advertisers and the future of advertising?

More Marketing Dollars for Other Platforms

With billion-dollar implications on Facebook ad revenue, where else will advertisers place ads? Some might say that other digital marketing platforms might see an increase in revenue. Facebook made almost $70 billion in advertising revenue in 2019. The Google Ads platform made a whopping $134 billion! Google-owned YouTube brought in a mere $15 billion in ad revenue in 2019 and video advertising grows more popular every year as more users are turning to YouTube to view content. OTT (over-the-top) advertising, which delivers video ad content through streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, Roku and more, could also see an increase. In 2020, OTT revenue was predicted to increase by 31% to $5 billion and with the continued popularity of streaming services versus cable TV and satellite, there is definitely room for growth.

Spending on Infrastructure

It is possible that with these freed-up marketing dollars, large companies like Coca-Cola or Best Buy could use the money within their corporations. Allocating some of these extra funds to pay off corporate debts or improve infrastructure might be fiscally responsible however since these are publicly traded companies, they would need to have some serious internal discussions as to where and how to revise their budgets. In this case, advertising firms would need to try and salvage any decrease in ad spend and convince them to increase advertising on other platforms.

Maybe Nothing

Facebook has spent many resources and time trying to appease their advertisers since the boycott began. They have had a tough go it as advertisers seem to have demands that Facebook has not yet been willing to abide by. Since ad dollars are how Facebook makes its revenue, it is likely that they will be able to come to an agreement with all or some of the advertisers. Facebook does have one advantage in that they are expected to increase to 1.69 billion global users in 2020. And even though there are 6.9 billion Google searches every day, Google search advertising is much more expensive than Facebook ads. As advertisers pause their Facebook advertising during this boycott, they will evaluate the effect it has on their overall bottom line and perhaps decide to come to an agreement moving forward.

If you have any questions about any type of advertising, we are here to help! Please give us a call at 713-309-6380 or contact us online.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/business/dealbook/facebook-boycott-ads.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/07/03/facebook-advertiser-boycott-hate/

To fight the spread of false news, Facebook and Instagram have employed third-party fact-checkers to help review and identify any news that might be considered false. These fact-checkers come certified through the non-partisan Fact-Checking Network. Fact-checkers in the United States come from various media sources such as The Associated Press, Reuters Fact Check, and USA TODAY among others. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many medical doctors and professionals have taken to various social media platforms with their opinion on different aspects relating to the virus. It is important for medical professionals to understand what is and what is not being allowed to be posted, how censorship plays a role, and what are the possible short-term and long-term implications.

What is the Policy?

Facebook’s policy for fact-checking is very clearly stated: publishers should not post any type of information deemed “false” by the fact-checkers. If the information is deemed false, the distribution of that content will be reduced, lower in the News Feed, and the author will receive a warning notice. Facebook will also act against Pages that repeatedly post or share false information. Pages will see that their content distribution will decrease and they will also lose the ability to advertise. The only way to regain the ability to post content and advertise is to either change the false content and contact the fact-checker or to dispute the claim directly with the fact-checker. Simply removing the content will not remove the strike against an account or page. As always, Facebook does not allow directly advertising content that contains false information. These ads will be disapproved from the onset.

Legal Ramifications

There has been a lot of talk about free speech and the regulation of social media content. In a legal research paper from the Congressional Research Service, the author discusses how the courts have recognized social media sites as venues for users to express their freedom of speech. There comes into question whether these sites are doing enough to combat false speech or if they are “unfairly banning and restricting access to potentially valuable speech.” As stated in the introduction of the research paper, “Currently, federal law does not offer much recourse for social media users who seek to challenge a social media provider’s decision about whether and how to present a user’s content.” One notable piece of legislation is in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, specifically Section 230(c)(2). This “provides immunity for sites that take good faith action to restrict access to content that the provider or users deem obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable.” Furthermore, it can be argued that if a user posts content on social media, is it not also a violation of the First Amendment if the social media site is required to publish the content? So it seems, as the paper concludes, that “social media platforms may be more likely to receive First Amendment protection when they exercise more editorial discretion” thus not violating freedom of speech for users that post “obscene” or “objectionable” content.

Implications

Moving forward it is important that health providers utilize trusted sources when deciding what content to post. With such a sensitive subject such as COVID19, there are too many opportunities for what Facebook calls “conspiracy theories” that could be potentially dangerous if shared with the public. Posting and sharing of that information adds the risk of being flagged with page quality violations. It is not easy for a page to recover after receiving these violations and it is best to check your sources to make sure they are accurate in the information they share. Fact-checking is the new norm and we might also see similar use of them on other social platforms such as Twitter. It will be important to learn to adapt to them as I believe new restrictions will be put into place moving forward.

 

If you would like to talk to a social media expert regarding fact-checkers and implications, please feel free to contact us or call 713-309-6380.

The COVID19 pandemic has not only taken its toll on the health of people worldwide, it has also caused many small businesses to suffer in the wake of partial and mandatory closures. As of March 30, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported that “92% of small businesses said they have suffered negative effects as a result of the pandemic.” This leaves many business owners questioning “how can my business recover from COVID19?” There are some simple steps that businesses can take when navigating through post-pandemic recovery.  

Assess the Damage

You should run a full assessment of the financial impact that the pandemic had on your business. How much less profit did you make this year when compared to the same period last year? You may find that you will need some extra financial assistance to keep the business running. Also, evaluate your workforce. Were you forced to furlough or lay-off employees? Are you able to bring every employee back that you need? If not, you may need to hire new workers to help with the rebuilding process.

Adjust Your Business Plan

You might find yourself in the situation where you must adjust your business planning for a period before things go back to business as usual. This might cause some new opportunities and new sales channels. For example, doctor offices are turning to telemedicine and virtual appointments for non-emergency situations such as follow-ups. Technology can be applied to expand customer reach. You may also find that there will be an increase in demand for your products or services when businesses can open again. Will you need to hire more employees to help with this increased demand? You may want to increase your marketing efforts in order to stay at the top of mind with your customers.

Account for Funding Assistance

You might find that you will need some extra marketing dollars to help push your message. If you find your business hurt financially from the COVID19 pandemic, there are many financial assistance programs available to small business owners. Some of these services are provided for free such as remote mentoring services provided by SCORE though a partnership with the Small Business Administration (SBA). Other services you might have to pay for like business lines of credit, credit cards, and loans. You should create a repayment plan if this is the case and repay as quickly as possible to avoid high interest.

Rebuild

Once you have a clear picture of the financial damage and the path to recover, then it is time to rebuild. Set into motion all the action items needed to proceed and be successful. You will be happy that you went through all the work of creating a plan. This plan is your roadmap as you navigate through a business world after COVID19. Consider your customers. You may find that you need to adjust your marketing messaging. Many people will be wary and fragile when coming out of quarantine. Taking an overly aggressive tone could deter customers from using your services. Instead, try to relate to them and let them know you are there to help.

Create a Contingency Plan

Living in Houston, we are no stranger to adversity. The entire city went through Hurricane Harvey and had to endure a disruption in their everyday routines. The same is happening around the world with COVID19 with measures to keep as many people safe as possible. These things happen and unfortunately may happen again. That is why it is incredibly important to have a contingency plan in place. You want to be prepared so use knowledge gained during this time to ensure success for the future.

Stay Safe!

 

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2020/04/30/6-ways-to-rebuild-your-small-business-after-covid-19/#7bdea4fd16cc

https://www.dexcomm.com/blog/4-ways-to-help-your-business-recover-from-covid-19

On October 21, 2019, Google started to roll out the BERT algorithm in its search network. BERT is designed to better understand voice searches by utilizing machine learning and natural language processing (NLP). About a year ago, we published an article about voice search optimization and the future of voice search where we explained what voice search is, how widespread it is used, how to optimize your website for voice search, and where it’s headed in the future. Let’s investigate how natural language processing actually works and then apply it to SEO for a website.

A Great Analogy

Google uses neural matching and natural language processing to help understand conversational English. More specifically, when people talk, what are they talking about. I recently read a great analogy for how Google uses Natural Language Processing, or NLP, for language searches:

“…if someone is experiencing the soap opera effect on their TV. If you’ve ever seen a soap opera, you’ve noticed that they look kind of weird. Someone might be experiencing that, and not knowing what that’s called they can’t Google soap opera effect because they don’t know about it.

They might search something like, “Why does my TV look funny?” Neural matching helps Google understand that when somebody is searching “Why does my TV look funny?” one possible answer might be the soap opera effect. So, they can serve up that result, and people are happy.”

Salience: Core Component of NLP

So, how does NLP relate to websites? In order to understand how, we must introduce the term “salience.” Salience attempts to understand a voice search query, website content, and whether a web page’s content is a good example of the topic of the voice search query.

In our previous analogy the voice search is, “Why does my TV look funny?” The web page is about the soap opera effect. The content on the page might mention that it makes the image on the screen look “funny” or any other related synonym. This is how natural language processes help determine what results to provide in its search results.

NLP and SEO

In our article published last year, we discussed keeping your Google My Business listing updated, utilizing long-tail keywords, and having a mobile-friendly website. There are other important content features to consider when optimizing for voice search. First, understand the audiences needs and wants and provide it. A website should be a valuable audience resource that provides relevant information and answers questions. This will work well with the function of voice search and the BERT algorithm. Second, utilize Schema Markup. Available since 2011, only about 20% of websites use schema markup. It can help Google understand the contextual relevance of a website using microdata by creating a more enhanced description that can appear in search results. These are also known as “rich snippets” and can be used for business name, business type, address, hours, telephone, etc. Search engines are prone to process this type of data faster with the use of schema markup.

It is estimated that in the next couple of years, 75% of households will have some kind of smart speaker and 50% of online searches will be voice searches. For more information, feel free to contact us at 713-309-6380 or send us an email to grow@brandranchmedia.com.

Sources:

https://moz.com/blog/better-content-through-natural-language-processing

https://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/10-natural-language-seo-tips-help-gain-edge-examples.html

We are moving along to Part 3 of our blog series on HVAC marketing where we will discuss advertising on social media, specifically Facebook. You may ask yourself, “Is there any benefit to marketing on Facebook?” The short answer is, “Yes!”

Types of Ads

Facebook Ads is a very diverse marketing platform and can help a company grow their followers, promote engagement with content, boost branding, and drive inquiries and sales. You can promote your business utilizing text, images, and video content. There are multiple ad placement locations including the news feed on desktop and mobile devices, within Facebook Messenger, and on Instagram, just to name a few. It is important to utilize different ad strategies to fill the sales funnel and nurture leads.

Measuring Ad Success

Depending on the goal of each ad, it is best to properly measure ad success. Facebook Ads has built-in success tracking that will help you gauge the effectiveness of the ad. For example, if ABC AC and Heating Co. are running an ad designed to increase the number of leads they receive through online form fills, they would want to set up a custom conversion in Facebook that will tell them exactly how many form fills were received as a result of their campaign. Facebook provides the ability to do this through their marketing platform with a seamless integration.

Targeting Your Audience

Just like Google Ads, Facebook Ads offer many different targeting methods that enable your campaigns to reach the most captivated audience. You can target different demographics such as age, gender, household income, and location. If you upload a list of your customers, you can create campaigns designed to upsell or promote services specifically to your customers. To broaden your ad’s reach, creating a customer lookalike audience is a great practice. You may want to retarget visitors to your website or people who have engaged with your Facebook page and content in order to promote audience-specific services.

What is a Healthy Budget?

Facebook Ads tend to be much less expensive than Google Ads and other types of marketing campaigns. The cost for conversions tends to be up to 75% less than Google. For a healthy budget on Facebook it’s fair to say that spending between $1,000 to $2,000 per month will get solid results – depending on the number of campaigns and your specific goals. This budget also contributes to organic traffic to the website. It is typical to see an increase in organic traffic and well as organic leads with the addition of Facebook ad campaigns. With diligent conversion tracking, it is easy to show a positive return on investment.

Keep up with us for Part 4 of this blog series when we discuss Local SEO. For more information on our HVAC marketing services, contact us or give us a call at 713-309-6380. Brand Ranch Media is a full-service advertising agency. We would love to help you achieve all your marketing goals!