trio adzou planbook
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11AdZou Campaign
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Table of ContentsExecutive Summary 4
Moment 1: Filling a Need 6 Situation Analysis 8 Marketing Objectives 10Company Analysis 12Competitive Analysis 14Meograph Marketing Mix 26Consumer Analysis 28SWOT Analysis 30Primary Research 36 Agency Surveys 38Consumer Usability Test 40
Moment 2: Forging Ahead 42 Turn to Trio 44 Move to Mobile 46Cutting through the Clutter 48Brand Style Guide 50Mobile Social Media 52Secondary Research 54Research Insights 56Market Analysis 58Target Audience 60 Progressive, Uninspired College Student 62Target Insights 64
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Moment 3: Finding a Purpose 66 The Big Idea 68 Make Moments Matter 70Strategy 72 Communication Strategy 74App Store Listing 76Desktop Website 77Organic Social Media Content 78Social Content Calendar 80Facebook Ads & Sponsored Tweets 82Campus Rep Program 84Creative Action Liaison 86Media Plan 88Budget Breakdown 90Media Goals 91Meet the Team 92The Triciples 94Sources 96Appendix 98
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Our Mission Statement.At the start of this campaign, Team B was initially presented with a plan to market Meograph to advertising agencies as an innovative and practical solution to consumer engagement. As members of AdZou, we were faced with the challenge of developing a sense of trust and confidence in Meograph. While the product possessed an enormous amount of potential, it lacked in proven results. In order to ensure an end-product that increased brand engagement, we first needed a large base of loyal and consistent end-users.
Our marketing objective and company analysis did not align in our end goal. We noticed a clear-cut difference between our direct competition and our potential within one-on-one interaction over brand engagement. Our primary research called for critical mass and user-friendliness, while our SWOT analysis pointed us toward the opportunities that a Meograph-type product could offer. We were close, but something was off between the product and our target, and it took a complete reevaluation of the product’s position with the industry and its competition. We divided Meograph’s competitors into four groups, and rather than accepting its position on the competitive perceptual map, we decided that we were missing some glaring opportunities.
So we rebranded Meograph to Trio and rebranded Team B to the Trisciples.
Rather than brand Meograph as a video editing device, we positioned Trio as the answer to an uninspired generation of social media users. Trio’s potential within the somewhat saturated world of mobile touchpoints is simple. We want mobile application that will inspire the uninspired. Quite simply, we wanted a way to make moments matter.
Executive Summary
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Our recommendations assume a relatively small budget in a relatively small market. We searched for a relevant and plausible target and found what we were looking for in the socially and geographically convenient market of Berkeley, California.
Targeting college students – who already have a social sphere within their campus – we believed that this plan was viable and realistic. By starting small, Trio is afforded the opportunity to work out any product defects before it grows on a larger scale. It also offers the opportunity for organic growth in a social environment.
By focusing on social media advertising (paid), as well as social media presence (unpaid), Trio is able to position itself at the top of mind in a small, concentrated area. By also implementing outbound marketing efforts with unpaid campus representatives (interns), Trio can take advantage of WOM to continue this growth. There are a number of strategies that Trio can use in its deliverables and collateral to increase this top-of-mind awareness and to position itself as an convenient, competitive, and novel platform for self-expression.
Trio needs to use this positioning to market itself as a catalyst for creativity. In short, Trio can revolutionize the concept of inspiration in mobile social media apps.
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Filling a Need
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SituationAnalysis
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Marketing Objectives
Primary Objectives• Spread awareness and increase end-user consumption• Identify prospective brands/agencies/media publishers• Determine effective communication strategies
Secondary Research Objectives• Conduct competitive analysis of UGC and social media platforms and analyze
positioning strategies• Research effectiveness of existing UGC campaigns across the Web and develop
best practices recommendations• Research industry standard metrics to develop a basis for evaluating ROI of
branded UGC campaigns
Primary Research Objectives• Survey consumer and professional business audiences to determine how likely
people are to use Meograph and similar products• Conduct in-depth interviews of digital media decision-makers within brands/
agencies/media organizations to inform IMC plan recommendations• Conduct usability tests to gain insights into usability and perceptions of the
Meograph platform
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Integrated Marketing Communications Objectives• Provide product recommendations to improve usability and to increase end-user
consumption• Provide brand positioning recommendations based on research• Develop integrated strategic plan for reaching target audience(s)• Develop creative materials and integrated media plan to accomplish the following:
• Raise awareness of Meograph among target • Educate target audiences of the benefits of Meograph• Increase new users/product adoption among general consumers
Budget: Seeing as Meograph is a new and somewhat untested product, we were challenged with significant limitations on our budget. We initially allowed ourselves a relatively small budget of $11,000 in order to best reach our target to ensure realistic growth.
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About MeographMeograph has begun offering this platform to companies so it can engage its fans and consumers in creating multimedia content as a branded native experience right on its own site. It provides marketers with a fun, easy-to-use, cost-effective tool to increase consumer engagement, build brand loyalty, and generate awareness.
Company ChallengesIt remains to be seen whether user-generated Meographs would ever generate enough traffic to allow for pre-roll video ads or sponsorships to incorporate into the viewer experience as an additional means of revenue generation. This could jeopardize the future sustainability of the platform.
Industry/Generic TrendsPeople are consuming shorter snippets of media through platforms like Snapchat, Vine, and Instagram. This type of “liminal” media is becoming increasingly popular.
Company Analysis
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Miscellaneous TrendsUser-generated content is becoming increasingly important. However, it’s also unpredictable. Because we are in the “infancy” stage of this type of content, it’s unclear what form UGC will take in the future.
The rise of millions of apps and Web apps means it’s difficult for Meograph to be able to effectively cut through the clutter. Having a strong USP and marketing strategy will help to differentiate the service from others.
Mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular with 90 percent of smartphone use happening in apps. The lack of a mobile interface could be the “kiss of death” for any platform confined to a computer.
New OpportunitiesMore people are spending more time using online apps, so people are becoming familiar with this type of platform. Peer-to-peer review sites and apps are trusted sources of information, while brand-to-consumer messages are seen as promotional and untrustworthy. A mobile and/or tablet version of this product could make it even more attractive to end-users.
92 percent of consumers around the world say they trust earned media, such as word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends and family,
above all other forms of advertising. (Source: Nielsen)
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Direct CompetitorsThis competitor almost seamlessly aligns with the mission and product offerings of Meograph.
Brand: Animoto
Mobile Social MediaSocial media have recently dominated mobile activity in its ability to engage its consumers with brands and with one another in novel ways.
Brands: Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Viddy
Brand Engagement AggregatorsThese competitors allow brands and consumers to collect information, making sense of posts and insights in a meaningful and exciting new way.
Brands: Storify, Chute, ThisMoment
Visual Content EditorsBy offering video editing and presentation services, these competitors can compete with Meograph in their ability to create visual content in an effective manner for end-users.
Brands: iMovie, Prezi
Competitive Analysis
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Perceptual Map
ConvenientTime-Consuming
Highly Social
Low Interactivity
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Founded: 2006Website: www.animoto.comUsers: 6 millionInvestment: $30M total, $25M for mobile development Animoto is a video creation app that allows users to combine photos and videos into professional-quality video slide shows. Best Practice/Features:• Users can choose from 50 unique background treatments• Animoto also provides stock music, to which it owns the rights• Users have the ability to add intro/outro, captions and text slides• Post to Facebook and Twitter or easily share each video through email or text
message
Animoto also offers Plus/Pro/Premium Accounts, which provide:• Further access to more filters, images• The ability to download videos• An option for “personal” or “business” plans• These premium accounts also lengthen video time limit• The video quality increases• It provides additional video styles are made available
Specialties: Video Creation, Mobile App
Animoto
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Founded: 2009Website: www.prezi.comUsers: 30M Users and 96M PrezisFunding: $14M
“Prezi is a virtual whiteboard that transforms presentations from monologues into conversations: enabling people to see, understand, and remember ideas.”
Prezi is a cloud-based presentation software that allows anyone to create visually engaging slide shows. Prezi is strictly for accompanying live, in-person presentations.
Pricing Structure: • Public = $0. Public presentations, core features, 100MB storage space• Enjoy = $4.92/month ($59 annually). Private presentations, personal logo, support,
500 MB storage• Pro = $13.25/month ($159 annually). Includes the above features, plus edit online,
2GB storage• Student and teacher licenses also available• Prezi for Business• Used for client and internal presentations
Prezi
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Launched: 1999Website: www.apple.com/mac/imovieUsers: N/AOwnership: Apple Inc.
“iMovie makes movie making faster and more entertaining than ever.”
User can edit photos and video clips and add titles, music, and effects, including basic color correction and video enhancement tools and transitions such as fades and slides.
Best Practices/Features:• 10 desktop versions, easy to upload to YouTube. • Six iOS versions that make it easy to edit iPhone/iPad footage directly on the device• iMovies are easy to share through iMessage or on the web.• The program is often updated, the most recent coming in October of 2013• iMovie for Mac is priced at $14.99• iMovie for iOS is priced at $4.99
iMovie
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Founded: 2009Website: www.storify.comUsers: “Approximately 850,000 journalists, agencies and brands use Storify.”Investment: $2M
“Storify helps making sense of what people post on social media. Our users curate the most important voices and turn them into stories.”
Often referred to as a “social media curation” tool Storify was acquired by Livefyre in 2013. It is the fifth largest network online.
Best Practices/Features:Offers a Premium service: “Storify VIP Plan”“The premium service for media organizations, publishers, or anyone seeking to deeply integrate social curation and storytelling into their site.”Service features: • Google Analytics integration to track audience activity• SEO compatibility• Privacy options• Editing services• PDF exports
Storify
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Founded: 2011Website: www.getchute.comUsers: N/AInvestment: $9.7M
“Your most powerful stories are told by your customers. Chute empowers you to discover and amplify them.”
“Chute is a back-end platform that allows developers to add any photo and video functionality to their apps or sites. While app developers and site publishers focus on the user experience and front end development, we handle the entire back end from uploading, image processing, API integration, and moderation.”
Includes “solutions” available for:• Brands: Automates the process of brands collecting UGC from their customers• Agencies: Automates the process of integrating fan photos, videos, etc. into a
creative concept• Commerce: “Social merchandising.” Publish dynamic displays using both customer
and professional photos of your products at every customer touch point.”• Publishers: Works with both editorial and advertising. It helps you discover, organize,
and secure the rights to use user’s photos and videos on your platform
Chute
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Founded: 2008Website: www.thismoment.comUsers: N/AInvestment: $34.4M
“Be your own Brand DJ. Find, mix, and share. Any content, anywhere.”
“Thismoment helps brands effortlessly create engaging customer experiences through an end-to-end content marketing platform. After you try Thismoment Content Cloud™, you’ll never look at content marketing the same way again. It’s as easy as Find, Mix, Share.”
Best Practices/Features:• Multi-language support, with more than 60 available languages• Free trials available• Major Brand Affiliation, including Coca-Cola, Intuit, Kia Motors, Levi’s, and Fleishman
Hillard• Source and curate content from any platform• Share to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc. • “Content Cloud” Product• An end-to-end content marketing platform
Thismoment
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Founded: 2010Website: www.viddy.comUsers: N/AInvestment: $30M
“Turn everyday moments into perfect little movies... Capture life in the moment.”
“Viddy is a life-streaming movie studio — on the go!”
Best Practice/Features:• Take new videos or take from camera roll, add filters, clip videos, add music (from a
selection on the app)• Real-time video discovery from around the world• Quick to consumer, with videos 15 seconds or less• Share videos on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube• Was recently sold to Fullscreen, and it can no longer compete with Instagram video
Specialties: Mobile, Social, Video, Entertainment
Viddy
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Founded: 2012Website: https://vine.coUsers: 40 million Funding: Acquired by Twitter in 2012 for $30M
“Vine is the best way to see and share life in motion. Create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see.”
Best Practices/Features:• Videos you post to Vine will appear on your Vine profile and the timelines of your
Vine followers• Posts can also be shared to Twitter or Facebook• Viewers will see the video repeatedly on a loop• The platform uses stop-motion video, as each user touches and holds the screen to
begin and halt recording• The medium is quick to consume, as each video can only be up to six-seconds long• It is owned by Twitter, so many Vines are shared on the medium
Vine
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Founded: 2010Website: www. instagram.comUsers: 130 millionInvestment: $57.5 million total, Acquired by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012 Instagram is a photo and video-sharing app that allows users to capture, edit, and share photos instantly. Best Practice/Features:• Users can choose from 14 unique filters as well as other photo editing capabilities• There is a news feed of featured and popular posts, which also allows for search of
hashtags and users.• Users have visible profiles and followers and the ability to give out “likes” and make
comments, turning Instagram into a social network• Users can create videos which last up to 15-seconds• Users have the option to make profile locked for approved followers only to ensure
privacy
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Founded: 2011Website: www.snapchat.comUsers: 60 million installs, 30 million monthly active users, 400 million daily snaps Investment: $123 million total, valued at more than $3.5 billion Users can send time-limited photo or video messages to other select users or post a collection of snaps in a public story. Best Practice/Features:• Snap Stories: users can compile snaps into a full story and post publicly to their
friend list• Users are given an option to shoot up to a 10-second video• Users can manipulate snaps by adding text or drawings with the text and pen tools• Snapchat allows limited filter treatments to be added to photos• Users get a combined Snapchat score of snaps sent and received• Users have three to seven “best friends,” which are ranked based on snap frequency• Users select a specific audience for snaps to ensure privacy• Snaps are permanently deleted after 1 to 10 seconds
Snapchat
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Product “Adobe for everyone.”Features:• Ability to curate photos and videos from the web• Meograph platform can be embedded on any site• Users can narrate videos with voice-overs
Uses: UGC marketing, personal, education, journalism
Place
Points of Contact
www.Meograph.
com
Brands’ Websites (NBA, TBS)
*Computer only, no mobile access.
Social Media
Direct Message
PriceFree for end-users
B2B2C Strategy:Goal is to integrate Meograph platform into brands’ existing digital channels to reach end-users.
Promotion
Social Media
Campaigns
Publicity
Personal Selling
Meograph Marketing Mix
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Meograph’s landing page messaging targets brands and marketers.
Website Landing Page
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Consumer Analysis
Consumers• Social sharers are not just young people. 60 percent of 50-60 year olds are active on
social media.• Social sharers are addicted. Americans spend 16 minutes per hour on social media. • Social sharers are on-the-go. 71 percent of users access social media from a mobile
device.• Social sharers are making real connections. 27 percent of Facebook users 18-29 have
more than 500 friends.• Social sharers are both introverts and extroverts. 45 percent of Facebook users
describe themselves as observers. One in seven Facebook users say it is important to receive “likes” or comments on their updates.
• Social sharers don’t want to spend money. 90% of iPhone mobile apps are free.
Brands• Brands typically have some understanding of UGC and the benefits it can provide.• Brands want a product that increases consumer engagement in a natural, positive
way.• Brands want a proven solution that minimizes uncertainty and has a history of
delivering results.• Brands are hesitant to adopt bleeding-edge products because of the high risk.• Brands can’t make most decisions quickly due to the many layers of management
and complex processes involved.
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S0
SWOT Analysis
STRONG BRAND PARTNERSHIPSNOVELTY FACTOR
INTEGRATIONUSER-FRIENDLY
SHAREABLEEQUITABLE
STRONG COMPANY HISTORY AND PRODUCT IDEAAUDIENCE SEGMENTATION
UNCLAIMED TERRITORY IN SOCIAL MEDIAINCENTIVE-BASED TRIALPOWER OF THE MASSES
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WT
LOW PRODUCT/BRAND AWARENESSCOMPLEX PRODUCT MAKES EDUCATION DIFFICULT
NO PROVEN ROINO MOBILE APP
QUESTIONS STILL REMAIN ABOUT BRAND POSITIONING
UGC IS UNPREDICTABLECOMPETITORS COPYING PRODUCT
SOCIAL/VIDEO/TECH CLUTTER
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Strengths
Strong Brand Partners• High power, recognized brand partnerships (NBA, PBS, NPR, TBS)• Ability to use brand licensed videos, images, and audio in video Novelty Factor• Innovative, unique offering with novelty factor• No other platform allows you use both personal assets and pull materials from other
sites• Fun and entertaining to use and see your finished product Integration• Engages customers in creation right on brand or publisher site User-Friendly• Easy-to-use platform that is accessible to anyone• Provides a call-to-action for brand advocates Shareable• Potential for users to create Meographs compelling enough for others to watch if
shared
Equitable• Meograph is designed to be a marketing service brands/networks pay for. Most
competitors are more geared toward general consumer use.
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Low Product/Brand Awareness• Low awareness among end users/general consumer• Low awareness among brands/media companies ComplexProductMakesEducationDifficult• Few high-quality examples of Meographs• Difficult to communicate clearly without product demonstrations• Difficult to understand what the product actually is and does based on current
website descriptions• No product trial opportunity or educational video on Meograph home page No Proven ROI• Lots of unknowns regarding ROI (“Will using Meograph get me promoted?”)• Product seen among target as a “nice to have” but not seen as “need to have” No Mobile App• No mobile or tablet-based platform• Social media/video startups are increasingly mobile-based Questions Will Still Remain About Brand Positioning• Will Meograph engage in strategy to reach end-users or focus solely on brands/
media/agencies?• Language used to describe Meograph lacks differentiation/positioning• Brand identity is underdeveloped (need for strong tag lines and powerful images of
brand identity)
Weaknesses
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Opportunities
Strong Company History and Product Idea• Company history/background is an interesting story with brand building power• Potential to own concept of “mixing different media” for easy digital storytelling Audience Segmentation• Potential to market Meograph to dual audience of end-users and business
customers• Rise of citizen journalism presents another unexplored outlet for prospective users Unclaimed Territory in Social Media/Video Land Rush• Increasing familiarity and use of online apps/video software means faster adoption• Trend of review apps and websites and increasing trust of peer-to-peer messaging as
opposed to brand-to-consumer messaging• Opportunity to target innovators/early adopters who will jump at the opportunity to
be ahead of the curve and use a new product• Mobile/tablet version can make Meograph even more attractive to end-users Incentive Based Trial• Incentive-based adoption through contests and opportunity to showcase work• MeoScore ranking/rating system could incentivize consumers and users to continue
creating and to create quality Meographs Power of the Masses• Opportunity to create mass consumer adoption to bring to the brands an end-user
that’s already familiar with the platform• Early adopters of social media have consistently demonstrated a willingness to
engage in and share new technology that they enjoy using (become ambassadors)
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UGC is Unpredictable• High learning curve of the concept of using rich media UGC on the brands’ own
page• Reluctance of brands to try something new until proven elsewhere• Potential for negative industry backlash of “rogue UGC campaigns” going viral• Ongoing need for moderation of user-generated content Competitors Copying Product• Indirect: YouTube, Adobe, iMovie, Instagram, Vine, Facebook, Google• Direct: Animoto, Chute, Olapic, Thismoment, Mass Relevance, Storify Social/Video/Tech Clutter• Hard to break through clutter of new social media/video apps• Social media/app space becoming more and more saturated every day• Tools like Meograph moving away from web-based and toward mobile-based
Threats
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Primary Research
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In a questionnaire sent to 2,000 advertising agency executives, we asked about emerging trends in advertising and the role of UGC in campaigns. We received 20 qualified responses that gave us insight into how Meograph would be received in the agency world.
The Agency ExecutiveWe learned that ad agency executives want (and need) to stay ahead of the curve to impress clients. Agency leaders are aware of the emergence of UGC and want to control it to benefit their clients. Confidence in new and emerging platforms comes from trusted reviews in leading industry publications, as well as word of mouth and proven results. The modern agency juggles recent technologies as well as proven results to increase brand engagement for clients.
The ProblemThe biggest roadblock to implementing a platform like Meograph in an agency setting is confidence that it will deliver measurable results. While novelty is great, agencies want and need justifiable ROI. John Heenan at Luckie & Co. said, “ROI is always calculated by sales. At the end of the day, anything else is secondary.”
Agencies are also interested in platforms that are widely-adopted so that a large number of people can be reached. That is why platforms like Twitter and Instagram are widely-used for UGC campaigns.
Agency Surveys
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As an advertising professional, I try to stay up-to-date, but we don’t look for cutting edge, we look for critical mass.
Catherine Tornow, The Richards Group
”
”
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Methodology• Pre-survey: Gathered demographic and social media usage information• Usability Test: Subjects were given unlimited time to make a mix about the 2014
Winter Olympics• Focus group: Subjects discussed their Meograph experience and other related
topics.
Findings:
Average time to complete a mix was greater than
20 minutes.
How-ToButton
Very Helpful
Usability = Good
“It’s like an easier version of PPT or
iMovie -- would love to be able to add
text.”
Consumer Usability Test
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That’s what I don’t get about the brand thing.
If I’m not promoting a brand, can I not use it? Can I not just take baby
pictures and put them in there?
Focus Group Participant
”
”
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Forging Ahead
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Turn to Trio
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Our RecommendationThrough our research, we discovered that a B2B business model for Meograph cannot perform successfully without a large following of existing users.
Although usability participants found Meograph easy to use, they noted that the process was slightly confusing until they located the instructions. The largest component they desired was more interactivity between users. On the other hand, agencies noted that the novelty of a platform alone would not compel them to use it. Instead, the agency must be confident that the emerging platform will deliver proven results — whether that is through leading industry publications or word of mouth.
The most prominent factor in advertising agencies’ confidence equation is measurability and a high ROI. Unfortunately, they are not interested in utilizing cutting edge technology for their clients; instead, they want platforms that will reach the critical mass — like the millions of users on Twitter and Facebook.
Therefore, we recommend that the creators of Meograph focus their attention on the Trio app, which has storytelling functionality and potential for a successful B2C business model. It fits every need that we’ve discovered through our research. The most promising target audience is Millennials, because they are the most open to learning about new social media apps that they can access on the go.
Move to Mobile
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Updated Perceptual Map
ConvenientTime Consuming
Highly Social
Low Interactivity
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Categorized PostsThese are intended to spark people’s creativity and get Trio off the ground in its early stages. Categories reinforce the idea and messaging of purposeful social media because they allow the user to explore his or her interests. Each category should have a few sample missions to begin and users can tag categories to add missions.
Sample Categories• Health/Fitness: Fitness challenges, healthy eating• Campus Life: School spirit, game days/athletics, specific events• Music: Concerts, festivals, personal performances• Fashion: Seasonal looks, latest trends, costume/party theme ideas• Outdoors/Nature: Wildlife, scenic views• Nightlife: Bar hopping, social events
Sample Mission: Concert Challenge
Cutting Through the Clutter
Moment 2Close to the stage
Moment 3Record favorite song
Moment 1Selfie at the concert
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SubMissions These are user-submitted missions that show up on the mission feed. We think it’s important to empower the users to create their own missions and challenge others. Popular or promoted SubMissions will be featured somewhere on the app.
Benefit: Huge potential for celebrities and brands here (featured missions, celebrity accounts)
Secret MissionsThese are customized private missions sent directly to friends of the user. Similar to Snapchat, responses will only be seen by the sender. Push notifications will alert users who receive a Secret Mission.
Benefit: More organic way to invite friends to the app, sense of privacy
Geo-Targeted MissionsUsers will receive a push notification for a mission upon entering a certain location. These can be administered by Trio or by brands and events.
Benefit: Allow brands/events to use Trio to interact with their customers, additional creative sparks
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Visual ElementsIn order to rebrand Meograph into Trio, it was necessary to design a new logo. It made sense to create a simple, clean logo that matched the simplicity of the Trio platform. Incorporating the number “3” into the logo, was complicated, but necessary nonetheless. The “3/i” icon in the logo creates an unadorned emblam for the brand, providing an easily recognizable yet a fun and unusual symbol for the Trio brand. The use of the negative space as the “i” pays homage to the overall brand strategy, that reminds end-users to reject normalcy and to continue to think outside the box.
Color UsageAnother key to Trio’s brand image relies on the use of color. When considering the Trio logo, it was important to to keep the brand pallette simple, creating a primary color of a darker blue that might be considered halfway between royal and navy. The brand style then depends on its simplicity, adding only black, white and light blue to the pallette. The light blue serves only as the dot in the “i” for the white and darker blue text in the logo.
FontThroughout the planbook, the brand style has remained simplistic and tasteful. For the headlines, as shall be mimicked for much of the brand material and collateral, the typeface “Steinem” should be used. Throughout the body copy, as well as the sub headlines, the typeface “Avenir,” using the Book and Medium subfonts respectively. Avenir was also used in the logo itself.
Brand Style Guide
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Trio BlueRGB: 37, 64, 143 CMYK: 100, 90, 10, 0
Light BlueRGB: 144, 195, 225 CMYK: 41, 11, 4, 0
WhiteRGB: 255, 255, 255 CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0
BlackRGB: 0, 0, 0 CMYK: 100, 100, 100, 100
Fonts:HeadersSteinem Roman, 30pt, Trio Blue abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
SubheadersAvenir Medium, 18pt, Trio Blue abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZBody copy,Avenir Book, 10pt, black abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
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Positioned Against the GiantsWhile Trio is operating in a highly competitive space, there are points that set it apart from the rest.
NoveltyTrio is novel. Some websites and mobile applications like Facebook seem dated and might not be as “cool” as they used to be. Trio offers a fresh new look at social media. Our target is always looking for a new app that redefines social sharing, and that is what Trio is setting out to provide.
Competiveness Trio is highly competitive, in that there is a gamification aspect that makes it exciting and social among friends. Missions offers an addictive platform to participate and engage with other users. This sets it apart from apps like Facebook and Snapchat that don’t encourage competition and don’t have many “gamified” aspects that encourage repeated use.
PurposeTrio is also highly purposeful. Apps like Snapchat and Vine don’t have as much of a purpose for posting, but Trio has prompts in its Missions. These calls-to-action encourage the user to share the right content at the right time.
Mobile Social Media
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Social Media Perceptual Map
NovelDated
Purposeful
Purposeless
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80 percent of millennials sleep with their phones next to their beds, so technology is near and dear to our target demographic’s hearts. In fact, millennials are 2.5 times more likely to become early adopters of new technology as compared to non-millennials.
Our target is also uniquely positioned to become advocates for this new platform, sharing updates with their friends and family. About 60 percent of Millennials upload content to the Web, compared to only about 30 percent of non-Millennials. 20 percent update their Facebook status multiple times per day, while 36 percent of Boomers report never updating their status. Compared with Boomers, they aren’t as concerned with privacy and security issues in sharing personal information online.
Millennials are also more connected on social media than non-millennials, making them the perfect target. A majority of millennials report 201-500 friends on Facebook. In contrast, most non-Millennials have 51-100 Facebook friends.
Secondary Research
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Research Insights
“Millennials are an open book, sharing all their thoughts, pictures and videos instantly with their online community, 20 percent update their Facebook status multiple times per day,
while 36 percent of Boomers report never updating their status.
Compared with Boomers, they aren’t as concerned with privacy and security issues in sharing personal information online.”
Nielsen Case Study
“Technology defines Millennials. They sleep with their mobiles and
post status updates from the bathroom. When interacting with companies via social media, they value authenticity – they want to feel like they have a personal, direct interaction with the brand –
and in return, they’ll advocate and endorse that brand.”
Nielsen Case Study
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Millennial Facts from Barkley Case Study:
Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to become early adopters of new technology as compared to non-Millennials. (26 percent of Millennials stated they would be very likely to be one of the first to try a new technology, while only 10 percent non-Millennials said the same).
• 77% use a laptop computer at home• 72% own MP3 players • 67% own gaming platforms • 59% have smartphones • 15% use tablet computers, compared to 6% of non-Millennials
“Millennials make up 24% of the U.S. population.”
“Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to adopt new technology.”
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Market AnalysisMeograph is a platform that can be accessed from nearly anywhere in the world. However, its marketing efforts should still be prioritized. While many efforts — such as redesigned on-site material, app store copy, etc — are non-geographic based, we have also included a guide to reaching tech-savvy and influential users on the map.
A. This map shows the average “Klout” score — or social media influence score — by city. Note that San Francisco, Austin, and Seattle have the top scores. This means that these cities are very influential in social media and could be a good starting point for geographic campaigns. Also, the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose region is particularly influential, which makes it uniquely poised as an influential tri-city area.
B. The below map shows the smartphone device penetration across the United States. This further supports the case that the highest-ranked areas in the above map are good starting areas for campaigns.
C. Finally, this third map shows colleges and universities across the United States. The high penetration of college campuses on the lower west coast suggests the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose region (or Seattle) would be a good starting point for a geographic campaign designed to reach a target demographic of college students.
Market Analysis
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A. Average Klout Score
B. Smartphone Penetration
C. College Campus Density
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Target Audience
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Our Target: Berkeley CollegiatesOur target is based off of the Progressive, Uninspired College Student, who wants to use social media more frequently as both a method of communication and a catalyst of creative expression. This West Coast student keeps up with the newest apps and follows the latest trends. He has Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but he wants to be more inspired by his social media offerings.
Technologically Progressive This student stays up with the latest trends and is eager to stay on the cutting edge. The progressive college student realizes how quickly technology is moving, and is both willing and motivated to put time and energy into learning about new opportunities on their mobile devices. They download multiple new apps each week to try them out, without hesitating or batting an eye whatsoever when it comes to giving mobile applications a chance.
Progressive, Uninspired College Student
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Creative, Yet UninspiredUninspired doesn’t have to be negative. Trio can see this as an opportunity. There is something missing from social media: there is no effective inspiration or call to action from any one medium. The target is creative, they just have little direction to take their imagination. They want to showcase their ability to think outside the box: they just lack an opportunity. They are willing to work creatively if it is hosted by an open social network, so they can be given recognition for their posts.
Connected College StudentThe target is a college student, participating in campus life and living close to other students. Quite simply, our target uses social media socially. They are involved on campus as a part of a number of student organizations, and they might assume roles of leadership. This connected aspect of the student is crucial, as they don’t simply need a medium from which they can create. The want to share posts with their friends and classmates.
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Target Insights
Friend 1: What are you guys doing tonight?Friend 2: Party at my place. BYOB.Friend 3: Who have you invited?Friend 2: Check out the Facebook event, there should be a lot of people. Friend 1: Cool, see you tonight!
9 Reasons Millennials Love Having the Newest Social Media App
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“ I don’t even know how to use these things. #selfie #tbt #hashtag”
“I don’t always post on Facebook, but when I do, a relative ruins it with an embarrassing comment.”
Uncle Greg likes this.
3
Finding a Purpose
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The Big Idea
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Inspiring the UninspiredOur target is bored by their social media feeds, leaving them feeling apathetic about contributing to the clutter. They are tired of seeing all-too-serious selfies, floods of baby photos, and glorified shots of their friends’ meals. Our target craves something more meaningful out of a social media experience. They are creative and have the need to share and connect with friends through social media, but are tempted to give up. Enter Trio.
Trio gives these college students a fresh and exciting opportunity to become engaged in the social media playing field again. It gives them the opportunity to “Make Moments Matter.” The theme of our campaign will highlight this unique opportunity, introducing the idea of purposeful social media to the target. The objective of this strategy is to help them rediscover their inspiration.
Make Moments Matter
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Strategy
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Communication Strategy
Communications PlanInvade the spaces that college students already occupy with heavy frequency in order to keep Trio top of mind as a social media app unlike anything they’ve seen before. We will communicate this through a mixture of online advertising and one-to-one, personal marketing. The key to this communication plan is having the unique identity of Trio present in each tactic.
Media Tactics1. App Store Listing2. Trio Desktop Website3. Trio Facebook App Page and Twitter Account4. Facebook Ads and Sponsored Tweets 5. Campus Rep Program (CAL)
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TacticA compelling and concise description of Trio is key so that people can immediately understand what Trio is.
RationaleThis is the last opportunity Trio has to convert potential users to actual users via download. The goal is to inform the potential user while clearly communicating the differentiating aspects of Trio. Certain keywords in the description will help the app appear in the user’s search.
App Store Listing
Spark your own creativity and inspire others. Trio is the fun and engaging way to share your story and make moments matter.
How it works:• Select a mission from our categorized list• Create your own unique series of three moments to complete the mission• Post your Trio to the public and watch it rise up the ranks• Challenge others by entering your own SubMissions• Invite friends to try private Secret Missions
Spark your own creativity and inspire others. Trio is the fun and engaging way to share your story and make moments matter.
How it works:• Select a mission from our categorized list• Create your own unique series of three moments to complete the mission• Post your Trio to the public and watch it rise up the ranks• Challenge others by entering your own SubMissions• Invite friends to try private Secret Missions
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TacticA website gives Trio a chance to more thoroughly explain the app and its benefits. The goal of the site is to inform potential users while driving traffic to application download screens. The website should feature example moments and missions so that new users can get a visual explanation of the objectives.
RationaleWe believe an informational website is important to Trio since the app requires a little more explanation than our competitors. This will be a good place to explain the function and finer points of the app while directing potential users to the download screen.
Desktop Website
PrivacySupport PrivacySupport
The fun and challenging way to share your story and create purposeful social media.
How it Works PrivacySupport Careers
Make Moments Matter.
www.trio.com/
Google Chrome
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Organic Social Media Content
TacticSocial media has become the hub of the millennial market’s world. College students use social networking to stay in touch with old friends and connect with new ones. Trio needs to have a strong presence on our target’s favorite social sites: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’ve offered a content calendar with content themes and timeliness suggestions.
RationaleMillennials expect personal, direct and customized messages from the brands they choose to interact with on social media. Over 50% of them enjoy following brands on social media. Trio must offer engaging content that draws in the target and invites them to participate in conversations. A mixture of original content, shared content and reposts of Trio missions will prevent followers from becoming bored. The importance of having a presence on Facebook and Twitter is pretty obvious due to the high saturation of these platforms. Instagram is the newest, most popular social sharing app and Trio must insert itself in this space in order to keep up with the social media landscape. Instagram could be a way to share behind the scene shots of campus reps’ work, current events, or even promote contests.
The most important factors for successful social networking accounts is to be genuine, keep it fun and to utilize trending hashtags. This will keep existing followers satisfied and invite others to follow the company.
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3,215 likes - 23 talking about this
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PlatformsFacebookA mixture of images, Trio videos, and links to other pages. Posts should occur five to seven times a week and be a mixture of original content and shared content.TwitterBrief and entertaining tweets that will be of interest to the target. Keep up with trending hashtags, and find ways to insert Trio into current conversations.InstagramSimilar to the themes posted on other platforms. This will act as a “behind the scenes” look at missions, the Campus Reps, and what Trio is all about.
ThemesTop Trios, End of the WeekPost the most popular Trios from that week.Top Trios, Weekend RecapPost the most popular Trios from that weekend.Special Event/HolidayPost a mission that relates to the corresponding holiday or special event.School PrideShare content about the school.Original ContentEx: Trio Tips, How to Achieve Trio Fame,“Selfie Sunday,” etc.Shared ContentFind content (pop culture, social trends, etc.) around the web of interest to the target.
Social Content Calendar
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25 26 27 28 29 30 31
September 20141 2 3 4 5 6 7
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22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Labor Day
9/11 *USA*
UCB Football
UCB Football
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Facebook Ads & Sponsored Tweets
TacticTo reach mobile social media users, we will place Trio in the “Suggested Apps” section. This graphic is more informational because users can download directly from that screen. For desktop users we will use “Suggested Pages” to drive users to Trio’s Facebook page. This graphic will spark the curiosity of our target leading them to our page.
RationaleCollege students are in the social mind-set and interacting with their school friends on Facebook, so they will be more receptive to ads about new social media apps featuring their campus. News feed ads have a 44 times higher click-through rate than sidebar ads.
These ads can be highly targeted to achieve the most successful return. Users can be selected by age, location, education, interests and behaviors. In addition to Suggested App Page news feed ads, we suggest mobile, Sponsored App Download ads. These will show up on college students’ news feeds while they are browsing Facebook on their smartphones, offering them an easy way to go straight to the App Store and download Trio. Click-through rates for mobile-only ads are 187 percent higher and costs per click are 22 percent lower.
To reach our target several times, we also suggest Sponsored Tweets on Twitter. This platform also advertises mobile apps with a user-friendly download capability. These tweets can also be highly targeted, similar to Facebook, choosing users based on demographics as well as who they are following.
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Trio
We’ve made it our mission to inspire creativity. Browse prompts for a spark. Use photos and videos to make it your own.Download the fun and challenging way to share your story.
Make Moments Matter.Try the FREE app today!www.trioapp.com
How Can YouThink Outside the Box if There Isn’t One to Begin With?
Trio
Tired of uninspired social media? Download the fun and engaging way to share your story and make moments matter.
Download the FREE app!
Browse missions to spark
your creativity
Answer the challenge with three unique
photo and video moments
Share your story and watch it
rise up the ranks
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Campus Rep Program
Creative Action Liaisons (CAL)These Trio Ambassadors will be formally known across campus as Creative Action Liaisons, or CAL. Each CAL will be provided with t-shirts, water bottles, draw-string bags, koozies and other Trio-branded promotional items to distribute on campus and downtown.
CAL’s will also lead promotional events, educate and generate interest among students across campus, and posting promotional material with fliers and chalk. Select missions will be promoted through chalk and flier promotions and at events such as football tailgates and social and philanthropic events.
This campus rep program can be easily duplicated at campuses around the country to grow Trio’s user base.
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Creative Action Liaisons
RationaleTrio should look at a select few campuses in which it would focus its outbound marketing efforts at its early stages. The Trio brand is not strong enough to generate downloads from word-of-mouth alone. Instead, Trio can target specific campus in which average students might be more likely to adopt new social media.
Based on our market analysis, a campus representative program at University of California - Berkeley would provide the greatest opportunity for rapid organic growth among a student body. Another social media app, Erodr, implemented a similar campus rep program on the University of Missouri’s campus with great success. The app achieved 8,700 downloads in less than one year.
Millennials trust their friends more than brands, so this program will be key in spreading the app around campus. Trio will select three highly motivated and digitally-minded students to promote the app as unpaid interns.
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Media Plan
4/30/14 Revision #0 Page 1
TRIO PAID MEDIA PLAN FALL SEMESTER 2014
2014Broadcast Month
Week Starts on Monday 28 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22Social DetailsFacebook Mobile Newsfeed Ads A 18-22 Berkeley Area
Sponsored Tweets Mobile A 18-22, Berkeley Area
Facebook/Twitter Accounts See content calendar
$5,000
Campus Rep Program Details
UC-Berkeley - 3 Reps Promotional items
Commission-Based Stipend
$6,000
Monthly Totals $11,000.00
$500.00
$500.00
$0.00
December
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0
August
$500.00
September
$500.00 $500.00 $500.00
$1,250.00 $1,250.00
$1,250 $0
$5,000
$1,000
$0 0 0
$7,250.00 $1,250.00 $1,250.00
$6,000 $0
$1,250.00 $1,250.00
App Launch
$500.00 $500.00 $500.00 $500.00
October November
4/30/14 Revision #0 Page 1
TRIO PAID MEDIA PLAN FALL SEMESTER 2014
2014Broadcast Month
Week Starts on Monday 28 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22Social DetailsFacebook Mobile Newsfeed Ads A 18-22 Berkeley Area
Sponsored Tweets Mobile A 18-22, Berkeley Area
Facebook/Twitter Accounts See content calendar
$5,000
Campus Rep Program Details
UC-Berkeley - 3 Reps Promotional items
Commission-Based Stipend
$6,000
Monthly Totals $11,000.00
$500.00
$500.00
$0.00
December
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0
August
$500.00
September
$500.00 $500.00 $500.00
$1,250.00 $1,250.00
$1,250 $0
$5,000
$1,000
$0 0 0
$7,250.00 $1,250.00 $1,250.00
$6,000 $0
$1,250.00 $1,250.00
App Launch
$500.00 $500.00 $500.00 $500.00
October November
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4/30/14 Revision #0 Page 1
TRIO PAID MEDIA PLAN FALL SEMESTER 2014
2014Broadcast Month
Week Starts on Monday 28 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22Social DetailsFacebook Mobile Newsfeed Ads A 18-22 Berkeley Area
Sponsored Tweets Mobile A 18-22, Berkeley Area
Facebook/Twitter Accounts See content calendar
$5,000
Campus Rep Program Details
UC-Berkeley - 3 Reps Promotional items
Commission-Based Stipend
$6,000
Monthly Totals $11,000.00
$500.00
$500.00
$0.00
December
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0
August
$500.00
September
$500.00 $500.00 $500.00
$1,250.00 $1,250.00
$1,250 $0
$5,000
$1,000
$0 0 0
$7,250.00 $1,250.00 $1,250.00
$6,000 $0
$1,250.00 $1,250.00
App Launch
$500.00 $500.00 $500.00 $500.00
October November
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Our suggested plan can be scaled up or down based on available budget or campus size. The University of California – Berkeley budget is an almost even split between paid social posts and promotional items for the campus reps.
Budget Breakdown
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We have set several goals for this campaign to be measured at the end of the fall semester. Each objective fits into a funnel that leads to app downloads, our ultimate goal. Since this is a starter campaign that can be extended to other campuses, we began with goals for the UC-Berkely campus, which consists of about 26,000 students.
• The funnel begins with awareness of Trio, which can be measured by surveying the students. Our goal is for 25 percent of the campus (6,500 students) to say they have heard of Trio.
• The next step in the funnel is to measure visits to the Trio website and social pages, easily measured by Google analytics and each social networks’ analytic software. Our goal is 15 percent of the campus, or 3,900 students.
• We hope for a percentage of these visits to convert into “likes” and follows; 1,300 Twitter followers, 1,800 Instagram followers, and 2,600 likes on Facebook, which is about 5-10 percent of the campus.
• Our ultimate goal is to have 2,600 Trio users on campus by December 2014, about 10 percent of the campus. A successful campaign can surpass this goal.
Media Goals
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Meet the Team
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Patrick Mulvihill, Account Executive
Patrick Mulvihill hails from Webster Groves, Mo. After graduation, Patrick hopes to work as an account executive at an advertising agency in Chicago. Patrick is proud to announce that he ate his first pear on December 21, 2013. He’s not so proud to admit that he wore diapers until he four.
The Trisciples
Ali Greco, Media Planner
Ali is from St. Louis, Mo — specifically University City, proud home of Nelly. She plans to move back to St. Louis after graduation to hunt for her first paid gig in the advertising world. She’s passionate about cooking, and especially enjoys finding new, creative combinations in the kitchen.
Mark Hodges, Account Planner
Mark is a native of Indianapolis. He plans to make Columbia his home after graduation working at Influence & Co., a content marketing agency. He enjoys spending time outdoors — so much so that he is a certified SCUBA diver as well as a zip line tour guide.
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Danny Walsh, Copywriter
Danny is from Plymouth, Minn. — the land of 10,000 frozen lakes. He has plans to return home after graduation to look for a copywriting job, but he eventually would like to coach youth hockey. He is a loyal consumer of Chobani; however, he can’t stand ketchup.
Diane Kielhofner, Public Relations Specialist
Diane was born and raised in Springfield, Mo. She currently works at Influence & Co., a content marketing agency in Columbia, as an editor, and plans to come on full time after graduation. Oddly enough-- despite the general public’s distaste for them-- her favorite food is brussel sprouts.
Qiucen Liu, Art Director
Qiucen is originally from Chongqing, a major city in Southwest China. This summer she landed a fashion internship in New York City, and she hopes to someday attend graduate school. She loves to travel because it opens the door to a bigger world, and she enjoys learning from different people through her journeys.
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http://blog.curalate.com/three-reasons-user-generated-content-will-hot-2014/
http://blog.curalate.com/three-ways-use-pinterest-instagram-build-stronger-consumer-
relationships/
http://blog.filemobile.com/ugc-statistics/
http://www.convinceandconvert.com/digital-agency-toolkit/23-social-and-digital-
services-agencies-should-be-selling/
http://www.growsome.com.au/1/post/2012/09/selling-ads-to-an-ad-agency-how-to-nab-
the-big-guys.html
http://www.marketforce.com/press-releases/item/research-social-media-influence/
http://www.siliconprairienews.com/2013/10/social-media-app-erodr-establishes-itself-at-
mizzou-expands-to-15-schools
https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2012/08/07/introducing-new-mobile-ads-
for-apps/
http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/30/facebook-earnings-apps/
http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2282529/Facebook-Mobile-App-Install-Ads-
Optimize-Beyond-Clicks-to-Drive-Higher-ROI
http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2333625/5-Tips-for-Using-Facebook-News-Feed-
Ads
http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/24089/facebook-news-feed-and-mobile-
ads-outperform-prior-units
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http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/twitter-tests-click-to-call-button-in-sponsored-
ads/#!DTLwb
http://www.insidefacebook.com/2013/12/19/what-do-facebook-marketers-need-to-
know-in-2014/
http://blog.flurry.com/bid/99013/The-History-of-App-Pricing-And-Why-Most-Apps-Are-
Free
http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-research/11-shocking-new-social-
media-statistics-in-america/
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/01/17/20-social-media-facts-and-statistics-you-should-
know-in-2014/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/02/03/6-new-facts-about-facebook/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/20/instagram-vine-and-the-evolution-of-
social-media/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/03/04/more-than-half-of-millennials-have-
shared-a-selfie/
http://socialmediatoday.com/nowsourcing/1999616/social-media-and-narcissism-
infographic
http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2014/04/13/breaking-facebook-brands-young-
users-going/
https://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-media-personalities_b40061
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Usability Survey FindingsFocus Groups and Personal Interviews
Purpose:Our goal is to gain insight from real consumers on the usability and overall satisfaction of Meograph. From this we will learn the desirable features of Meograph, and a list of potential product improvements as well. Procedure:Sit everyone at a computer with media files uploaded, open web browser to www.meograph.com. Instruct everyone to wait until everyone is seated (if possible)Click “try” in upper rightInstruct subjects to create a Meograph about the 2014 Winter Olympics, be sure they only use YouTube links and photos available in media folderUnlimited amount of time, raise your hand if you get stuck on anything so we can make note of itOnce completed, have subject(s) stick around for a quick 10 minute focus group to discuss Meograph experience. And eat pizza.
Demographics: What is your sex? (Male / Female / Other)What is your age? (18-19, 19-20, 21-22, 23+)What grade are you in school? (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Graduate)
Appendix
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Survey Questions:1. Do you ever talk about brands online? (y/n)2. Would you be more likely to if there was an incentive? (y/n)3. Do you trust your friends’ recommendations about brands on social media? (y/n)4. Do you consider yourself ahead of the pack when it comes to adopting new social-media tools? (y/n)5. What is your favorite social-media network, and why?6. How much time do you spend watching videos online a week? (0-1 hours, 1-2 hours, 2-3 hours, 4+)7. How often do you check your social-media platforms during a regular day?(0-2 times, 3-5 times, 6-8 times, 9+ times)8. How do you most often access your social media?(smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, laptop, other)9. What is your main goal when using social media?
Notes:Some participants got confused after adding the first moment, went to watch the meograph, hard to figure out how to add music, people spent more than 10 minutes, want to use it to share with friends, posting video, seems like powerpoint, want to use it for powerpoint, confusion about why brands would use it, youth are easy to adapt to, how to button should be bigger, could be difficult on a phone, tablet would be cool, would like to have an ability to add text, would consider for school projects, got the easy adobe software, confused about sharing aspect, sell it to facebook, hard to start sharing, “could be great” sharing aspects is most important.
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Advertising Agency Primary Research ResultsUniversity of Missouri Survey: Emerging Technologies in Advertising 1. Please list 3 to 5 areas in which you’re looking to augment or further develop your service offering, and explain why.
Data analytics, Digital trends, Quantifying the value of social media
Mobile, Wearable Tech, and Location based marketing.
Content Marketing - clients are starting to understand how critical it is to SEO.Video - Growing in B2B marketing. People want to see why your service or product is different.
Content marketing - because SEO, Social and branded advertising all require it and that’s one of the only ways a brand can differentiate itself aside of course of their unique selling propositions Multichannel attribution - we have been doing it for 2-3 years, but still need to get working attribution with many of our clients Localization - we have offices in 4 countries, but since there are many languages worldwide, we still need to fill the gaps where our staff don’t have those languages covered
Video - the fastest growing category of content and so far has proven to be one of the best formats to generate engagement, response or clicks and sales. Big Data - measurement and ROI analysis, customer and marketplace understanding, and purchase behavior modeling are all areas we need to get better at Social - we’ve made great strides but have yet to consistently demonstrate ROI in the sales funnel. We need to improve orumetrics and measures to give credit to this channel. Mobile - the fastest growing channel has tough limitations for advertisers. We’ve got to figure out how to properly use this channel where response actions justify investment
In house video editing and post production services: technology is not cheap enough to justify it and the need for video content of all lengths continues to grow.
Appendix
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Social media: We continue to develop ways to service and take advantage of social media for our clientsTarget audience identification through dataWe continue to develop our services as new ways are developed to find and reach audiences using data pulled from internet conversations and profiles
Social Media Native Marketing – Consumers no longer have tolerance for disruptive or interruptive advertising models.Multi Screen Engagement – People are still watching television, but while holding a tablet or smartphone and engaging with their peer groups and information sources. We need to figure out how to tie them together.Mobile Marketing – Smartphones are helping populous third world nations leapfrog onto the Internet, so we need to look at how to best develop desirable marketing messages that work within that ever present medium, taking advantage of the features available within the OS of the device.
2. Please identify the biggest problems that you face when working with third-party constituents to offer services to your clients, and explain how these issues potentially damage your agency-client relationship.
We don’t often work with third-party constituents. If our clients have needs, we build the expertise to address those needs.
The biggest struggle on every campaign is synergy, UGC is a piece of the puzzle to upload things AM Air is extremely conservative and then people will be putting up profane languageBiggest struggle is how do we moderate these forums?
Not being able to predict the outcome of an idea/ solution is the biggest issue. We overcome these by unleashing out tech teams to fully understand any platforms we engage with.
I’ll say my experience with a vendor pitch to us, direct contact, in a way it was so nebulous that we didn’t know what it could do and it couldn’t do, they explained the capabilities, but they were trying to do too much. Stick with something specific and do it well
Pricing: it’s helpful to be clear with pricing. We’re very budget conscious here, they wanted to go through what we needed top bottom before even giving us ballpark pricing, $100-$10k?
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Appendix
Product understanding - lack of understanding of how the products or services our clients sell are differentiated. Knowledge of sales channels limited.
- simple systems for communicating back and forth - competing interests - when a vendor tries to go direct, like Google does, it makes it hard to trust them
Dependability - a third-party vendor can screw up and move on to the next project however we rick losing our client Client knowledge - it takes time to bring third-party vendors up to speed and is always problematic for decision making without client knowledge Finding the best resource - since we do most things in house it is always seems to be an emergency when a thid-party is needed limited the time to find on and the vetting process.
We’re vertically integrated. We don’t use third parties much, if ever. All our production, even our music, is in-house.
Technology companies are tough as we often outsource services that we do not understand well so it is hard to control and lead.
3. Please explain how you combat these issues to foster a healthy agency-client relationship.
We take pride in our client relationships. As an Agency we are essentially acting as our clients’ agents. We need to show value or we’re not doing our job.
We’ve done everything, we’ll put a team of interns on it and approve everything before it posts but that’s obviously not ideal, or we’ll let the whole community
Clients are pretty onboard and know that UGC means engagement, but monitoring it is always a huge deal, will it be active or passive, and who will do it, agency or client?
Brief them on client basics prior to work. Try to use suppliers who know the industry. Many times we have
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NDA’s which limit our ability to work with anybody, but current vendors. we have implemented some systems to communicate with vendors, and have them “come in” to our systems such as Central Desktop - a collaboration platform competing interest are combated with clear understanding of interest at the beginning of a relationship
We try to grow or develop services in house to the extent possible. We also try to stay up to speed on leading edge technologies and firms. We try to network to know who is best at what so when the need arises we know where to go.
We try to set realistic expectations and keep communication open
4. What resources do you utilize to continuously educate yourself on new services/offerings to offer to clients (e.g., magazine/publication, trade show, vendors, etc.), and how do you vet these offerings/services to determine their trustworthiness?
We have a digital nerve center whose job it is to bring forth the latest technologies/platforms/tools to the firm in a way that’s applicable to our clients. The only way to vet those offerings is to provide case studies, if they exist, on brands who have used the platform successfully. For trade shows and vendors, we ask for references and success metrics.
As an advertising professional, I try to stay up to date, but we don’t look for cutting edge, we look for critical mass, whether people would like that or not?
The internet and partners. We live a breath strategy, creative and technology. working and communicating everyday all day with partners, clients and products keeps us up to date.
I personally haven’t gone to any trade shows, but running across something, especially in the news, trustworthy existing clients and honestly word of mouth.
We have all staff meetings for digital and we talk about what’s going on, what the new technologies are
Track client industry publications. Keep abreast of marketing trends through webinars and online training
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Appendix
That’s a loaded question, here are some of the publications I read as religiously as possible: IAB newsbrief, AAAA newsbrief (although not that good), The internationalist, center for media research, shop.org newsbrief, Ted.com. Here are some shows that are worth something: iBrand Summit
Ad trades, conferences, award shows, word-of-mouth, industry groups, news sources, and friends
We learn from vendors via webinars and attend seminars and keep up with campaigns being done by other agencies through the trade pubs.
5. On a scale from 1 to 10, how much do focus on discovering new technologies/mediums? How do you facilitate this focus?
8, 8, 10, 5.5, 2, 0, 7
6. What value does user-generated content provide to your clients’ brands? Explain.
It depends on the brand. Some brands, like Sub-Zero/Wolf don’t have a need for UGC nor do they have a target who is interested in generating content. For a client like ULTA, UGC is fundamental to the marketing strategy because we’re looking to engage our customers as a community, sharing style tips, etc.
Personal investment: anytime you’re engaging with the brands the brands want you to have an experience, UGC offers a personal experience, interactive, token of the brand
Depends on the brand and the idea, but overall we encourage our clients to continually engage with their customer. Therefore UGC becomes inherently part of each idea session.
It’s now caught up to four years ago, UGC is important even if there is slow adoption, UGC helps us know where people actually want engage
In B2B very little user generated content is out there.
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UGC is crucial to all organizations, but most don’t know how to get it from their users, take it in consideration, and use it.
We utilize UGC for some clients for specific needs, mostly for customers reviews, product feedback and occasionally for contests to showcase fan appreciation. We’ve tried generating product ideas, marketing ideas, flavors, names, etc but have been generally underwhelmed with the results.
What feeds into our stance on #6 is that you can’t predict it. I know that X million people between the ages of Y&Z with $Q of disposable income will be watching Nashville this week. I can predict it, buy it and message to those people. UGC? totally random. totally unpredictable on so many levels. Product cycles take years in some industries. Which cat video is going to blow up this week? Who knows.
First of all it’s the cheapest content there is so monetary value. It also provides “word of mouth” feel which is more valuable then messages that come from the company.
7. What setbacks might you encounter with user-generated content platforms? Explain.
The very definition of UGC is that you don’t have control, the consumer does. So constant monitoring to ensure the UGC reflects the values of the brand without being too controlling is critical.
User Backlash, Poor UX. Don’t just to UGC because you feel like you have to. Do it if it makes sense and can provide value to the user and the brand.
Driving participation and unsatisfactory results
During the first few months when you open up UGC, most unhappy customers will use it to voice their aggravation with that company. A platform needs to be easy for a brand to quickly route such comments to a “command center”
The product needs to be something the user is passionate enough to generate content for. The production of user generated content can’t be overly produced or it feels fake or under produced where it feels cheap.
8. What do you value regarding ROI and what sort of metrics are you looking for?
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It’s impossible to answer that question holistically. Every client has its own set of goals, objectives, and measurement tools because each is solving a unique problem or challenge. In all cases, however, we’re very attuned to ROI being an important measure of success.
There have been times, some campaigns on very specific promotions (cruise line) games, not UGC but looking at UGC, again Am Air is very conservative but that was really the one time we looked awareness campaign, we’re lucky that they aren’t holding our feet over the fire
Data is everything. Engagement numbers, sign ups, sales, users, any data we can get our hands on. The ROI is built specifically for each case/ client/ project.
If just for UGC, ROI is pretty simple, how much does the platform cost, how much resources do I need to implement and maintain the tool/platform vs. how much efficiencies do I gain over 3-6 months (if not 12 months).
ROI is always calculated by sales. At the end of the day anything is secondary. We do value all metrics along the custoemr’s journey from engagement, inquiry, click actions, participation, sharing, site traffic, store traffic, et al. Any measure that indicates a response is good for optimizing the ecosystem however our success is measured by the growth of our client’s business, I.e sales.
Metrics are simply set by the client goal of each project. This could be simple awareness like building more social media fans or sales related like driving a certain amount of traffic to purchase.
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