Disclaimer: I’m not originally from Chicago nor am I a baseball fan first, so I can’t fully attest to knowing what the deep-seated angst of all life-long Cubs fans is like each and every year.

However, I’ve lived in Chicago long enough to know just what a Cubs World Series win would mean for this town, and that makes this hyper localized ad even more poignant. You have to live here to get all the references, but each and every location cut to in this commercial has meaning for this city and its residents, and it’s not often that a brand effectively manages to pinpoint a small, specific group of folks and tug on their heart strings like this. Color me impressed.

• Powerful brand experiences create valuable brand advocates, active promoters who recommend brands; these promoters are the means to more revenue. The “would you recommend” question is one that has been heavily relied on by companies to determine growth and profitability, using metrics such as the net promoter score. According to a recent eMarketer article, U.S. internet users are making more recommendations than ever before, as frequently as several times a week.  So, what is the secret to creating a brand advocate? One powerful tip is to focus on delivering memorable, emotional and engaging experiences vs. a quick call-to-action. Read More: What Marketers Should Know About Brand Advocates
• Let’s build a better future. These days we are continually hearing about rapid CMO movement. High turnover seems to be a growing trend due to elevated expectations that are coupled with smaller budgets all among a complicated and ever-changing media landscape. So, what is the solution?First and foremost, companies need to put an end to outdated approaches in an effort to grow with technology and capture its adjacent possibilities. It’s time to feel young again with fresh, efficient and innovative approaches. Read More: CMO Exits RadioShack Amid Final Agency Pitches
• In a recent MediaPost article, the author talks about the need to foster digital innovation by facing fears that are inhibiting marketers from realizing their full potential; these fears surround exploring innovation, shifting responsibilities and confronting complexity. As the author perfectly states, “All too often the daily executional realities supersede strategic needs, and tasks like planning, collaborative ideation and even proper workflow become the collateral damage.”  In short, marketers need to let go to move forward. Read More: Fostering Digital Innovation

• How can you make the most of your marketing budget? Today, more marketers are faced with the inevitable, budget cuts. Thus, it is even more crucial to select the “best” solution that will deliver sufficient return. Increased digital media is just one-way marketers can get more bang for their buck, as validated by many CEOs from large companies, such as P&G, Walmart and General Mills. With more shifts to digital, it’s time to start exploring and investing in efficient and creative approaches that will further enhance and extend digital efforts; this will result in even more cost-savings. Read More: Marketers: Digital Offers Us More for Less
• This says it all: “For all the sophistication of digital media, the buying and selling of advertising remains woefully behind the times.”  According to a recent Digiday article, “some estimates put 20 percent of the costs of ad campaigns on administrative costs like filling out RFPs.” Wow, that’s a hefty percentage that is probably higher among certain companies. Additionally, it’s likely to increase as more marketers rely on digital media. Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to employ an outside expert team to execute these costly, resource-training tasks? Read More: Ditching the RFP
• Is social media worth all the buzz? According to a recent Forrester study, 71% of marketing professionals and top executives believe that companies who take social media seriously will gain a competitive business advantage, while 59% of execs believe businesses that do not routinely leverage social media will not survive. While these metrics are very telling in regard to the value of social media, it is important to note that social media is best used when it is appropriately leveraged alongside other forms of media. The true success comes from an integrated, brand-building approach. Read More: Execs: Embrace Social Media or Wither

• What do digital media planners do? Are they immersed in building creative and strategic approaches? Are they media ninjas focused on hitting an exact target for advertiser success?  Where do they spend most of their time? One word: spreadsheets. The comical, yet sadly true snapshot below brings this reality to life. Media planners desperately need time-consuming administrative and logistical tasks taken off their plate, so that they can focus on what counts the most: creating happy clients through creativity, strategy and growth. See the Media Buyer Image
• What makes an effective campaign? One key factor is the incorporation of high-quality, relevant sites that are repeatedly relied on by key audiences. News sites, for example, are visited by 63% of all adult Internet users, many of which are highly engaged users. These types of sites will be particularly crucial for the upcoming Presidential campaign.  According to Caroline Little, NAA president and CEO, “comScore data for 2011 demonstrates the growing appeal of newspapers’ online content – particularly for engaged, informed and affluent users whom advertisers, especially those buying political advertising in an election year, seek to reach.”  Read More: Growth trend continues for newspaper websites; more visitors stayed longer in Q4 2011 vs. 2010

• What is the future of media? “We are witnessing a transformational moment in our industry. We are at the beginning stages where an industry lets go of broken and outdated business models (and processes) in order to be young again and creative about new models and new types of relationships,” as Shawn Riegsecker, CEO of Centro, stated in a recent interview with The Makegood. Can you imagine a rapidly changing media landscape that is also immersed in innovative approaches and processes? How refreshing! Read More: Shawn Riegsecker’s Centro Builds an Open Workflow Platform for Agencies
• Perpetual direct response campaigns can be one of the most detrimental mistakes made my digital advertisers; this is due to the fact that the brand is no longer the driving force. The good news is that more U.S. marketers are moving towards brand-based objectives. According to eMarketer, U.S. online ad spending on branding accounted for 39% of total online ad spending in 2011 and it’s expected to rise to 43% in 2016. With this shift, we should continue to see a de-emphasis on CTR performance metrics. Read More: US ad agencies spend a greater share of budgets on branding campaigns than UK counterparts
• More digital companies, even Twitter, are relying on outsourcing for digital innovation. This is becoming a trend as more companies rely on third-party experts to catapult them alongside changing technology, rather than “playing catch-up” in a less efficient manner. In essence, they are letting others do the grunt work for them, so they can focus on what they do best. Read More: Twitter Outsources Ad Innovation

• More Gain, Less Strain. This is a reoccurring theme for the client/agency relationship as emphasized in a recent CMO Council study. Top “strains” include limited knowledge of business and digital landscape, agreed upon performance metrics, integration of marketing plans/services, lack of value add strategic thinking and budget/pricing issues. The good news is that there are cost-efficient solutions such as relying on outside consultants and technology to help agencies extend their capabilities and open their possibilities. Read More: Ad Agencies Struggling to Evolve in Digital Age, Reports CMO Council; Clients Experience High Turnover of Interactive Marketing Firms
• Overworked, trapped in Excel, delayed execution – do any of these adjectives ring a bell? A recent Digiday article highlights “enemies of digital media innovation” which encompass these attributes. The real issue is the fact that there is a continual battle with these outdated approaches. It’s time to let go of the past and move with the future; this requires a fresh, new approach, rather than fighting outdated tactics and processes. What are some of your proposed “out of the box” solutions? Read More: Meet the Enemies of Digital Media Innovation
• According to eMarketer, banners, search and video advertising will make up more than 80% of all spending through 2016. “The continued strength of banner ads across desktop and mobile devices, coupled with a surge in video ad spending on both platforms, constitute the two most important and related story lines in display advertising.” With an increase in spending, marketers should ensure they deliver strong, brand experiences that engage with their target audience and reinforce their brand promise. Read More: Online Ad Spending Consolidates Among Search, Banners, Video

• According to eMarketer, U.S. online spending will grow 23.3% to $39.5 billion in 2012. Additionally, it will exceed total spend for print magazines and newspapers for the first time. Meanwhile, TV ad spending is expected to grow, albeit at a slower pace, alongside online growth. According to David Hallerman, eMarketer principal analyst, “advertisers’ comfort level with integrated marketing is greater than ever, and this is helping more advertisers—and more large brands—put a greater share of dollars online. This further emphasizes today’s marketing mindset. It’s not about IF digital should be integrated into the media mix; it’s more about how to successfully maximize it with other channels. Read More: US Online Ad Spend to Close in on $40 Billion and Online Ad Spending to Surpass Print for First Time in 2012 [STUDY]
• How can TV marketers broaden their reach? Again, it’s all about integration. A recent Nielsen study confirms the powerful impact of TV and online synergy; local TV stations gained substantial reach from their corresponding online sites. Additionally, the sites connected with a different audience, particularly among the 18-34 demographic. Marketers should focus on devising strategic and targeted plans that maximize their overall potential. Digital is necessary and essential. Read More: Cross-platform Bump: Local TV Gains Reach Online