Print isn't dying. It's evolving!

Here is a wonderful example of effectively combining print with digital to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience; this time from Porsche. See how they were able to bring their car to life as a 3D Hologram in this cool magazine ad. The ad appeared in 50,000 copies of Fast Company’s April issue.

If you are looking for some help on an upcoming marketing campaign or if you're struggling to figure out where to put your marketing $$ in order to drive the most ROI, Well, I'm here to help. Please reach out and I'll share a few ideas with you that are specific to your business. These are strategies and tactics you can implement right away to see instant results. I'm a hybrid marketer with over 16 years experience working with top brands across numerous industries. I pride myself on being able to take a bird's eye view of any organization and help those tasked with sales and marketing to propel business forward. If you are looking to become the next industry superstar or just need help implementing your digital marketing programs so that they drive positive results, please reach out and contact me either by email at corey@fourthdimensioninc.com or on my cell at 416-459-5993. There is absolutely no purchase necessary and zero commitment required on your end. This is my way of helping out fellow marketers who may be struggling to make sense of this ever-evolving digital landscape.

If you would like to connect with me on my social networks, here are my links to where I share a variety of great content, I answer industry questions and provide my unfiltered view of the world of digital marketing.

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/coreybarker1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marketingcor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coreyabarker

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101407892824264671929

Please subscribe to the blog if you haven't done so already and you will instantly be added to my email list where I share a once a month summary of the best of the best marketing resources, tips & tricks, my unbiased opinions and recommendations as well as the odd really bad joke thrown in from time to time.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for subscribing. Please share with your own networks where you feel appropriate.

Thank you kindly,

Corey Barker

Director, Digital

Fourth Dimensions Inc.

(416) 459-5993

corey@fourthdimensioninc.com

NEW WEBSITE AND BLOG COMING SOON

STAY TUNED :)

Top 3 Answers Revealed...

I thought I would share some questions I get asked on a regular basis...


1. How much does it cost to advertise on TV? - prices have come down substantially over the past few years and a targeted campaign can cost as little as five to ten thousand dollars. 

2. Why Television over other mediums? - I don't recommend any marketing plan that focuses on one medium however television is the easiest way next to email to reach a large audience. It's extremely effective and the results are measurable if done properly.
 
3. Do you guarantee results? - if you allow us to build a strategic media plan and guide your creative then the answer is YES 

Six Reasons Why You Need a Video

1. Visitors spend on average 2 minutes longer on your site if you have a video. 
2. 70% of customers prefer to watch a video than read boring copy on a website. 
3. Video on landing pages can increase conversion by up to 80%. 
4. 53 x better chance of getting onto page 1 of Google. 
5. 41% higher CTR than plain text in search results. 
6. YouTube dominates the search results. Your brand should be on it.
**stats are based on studies done by: AimClear, Forrester, EyeviewDigitaL, Comscore

Marketing's Greatest Hits - Vol. 1

I've taken a break recently from blogging as its been a hectic few months for me. With a wedding a new house and a new job, it seems I've taken on just as much as I can.

With that said however, I wouldn't change a thing. I am as happy as I've ever been and am do enthusiastic and focussed on the future.

I'm excited to announce a new web series that will be published weekly to my blog as well as other content hubs focussed on marketing.

Each week the series will showcase an interview with one of the GTA's top marketing talents. The series will be mostly Q&A with some surprises thrown in.

It's been an exciting week for me and I'm already booked up for December.
However if you or somebody you know would like to be featured please inbox me and I'll see if we have some room left for the January bookings.

The profile is someone who is currently working as a Marketing Manager, Director or VP level within a Toronto organization.

Please send all enquiries to corey.barker@me.com

Look for the new series to be published here in the new year.

Thanks for reading and please share amongst your peers.

Not your typical Campaign Ad? Richard Tisei: Not Your Typical Ad, Not Your Typical Politician

Oh, the horror! Another Pre-Roll....

Among the long list of problems threatening the planet -- civil war in Syria, economic collapse in Greece, the potential demise of the European Union, earthquakes in Japan -- it’s the world’s population of Internet users who clearly face the biggest hardships of all, having to suffer through paper towel and laundry detergent commercials before getting to watch the latest “kitten in a cardboard box” video.

Oh, the horror!

If the frustration expressed by viewers over having to wait 30 seconds to watch an online video for free is a little bit silly, then the readiness with which our entire industry empathizes with their plight is outright inane.  But be that as it may, and regardless of whether or not the anxiety over an otherwise harmless commercial is warranted, there are other (and better) advertising options for marketers to explore. 

To begin with, not all pre-roll is created equally, and some are clearly just lazier than others.  Taking a standard-issue TV spot and placing it in front of an online video doesn’t require a tremendous amount of money (at least from a production standpoint), but it also doesn’t take full advantage of the medium;

Look at this from another angle: Suppose a brand that typically markets itself through print advertising decides to run a TV spot.  To save money on scripting, casting, shooting and editing a unique production, they simply take the print ad and hold it in front of a camera for 30 seconds. It wouldn’t work, or at least, it wouldn’t work that well.  They’d be ignoring the true benefit of the medium – TV gives you the opportunity to entertain, inform, capture interest and tell a story.  Similarly, the Web gives marketers an opportunity that TV doesn’t: the power to engage, and connect with your viewers through direct interaction.  You’ve got your entire audience watching your spot with their fingers on the mouse button, just waiting for a good reason to click on something, and (apparently) bored and antsy because they have to suffer through your ad at all. So give them something to do; a reason to feel better about the delay.  Instead of running static VAST ads, invest some time and money into V-PAID ads, creating brand-associated games or interactive storylines that use the medium more effectively to interact with online consumers.

Even better, skip the pre-roll altogether and expand beyond the 30-second format.  Branded content can be a far more powerful tool, turning your marketing message into an informational, entertaining video that viewers will want to watch and benefit from, without even realizing (or at least not minding so much) that they’re being marketed to. A well-written, well-produced piece can appeal to viewers and be written around points you want to make, without it becoming a heavy-handed sales piece.  For example, an ongoing series called “Everyday Savings” that provides quick, easy to implement tips on how to save more money is content that many people would have a use for, and watch more of.  If that same series was “Presented by Some Bank,” it frames the sponsor as experts, helps build their brand, and entertains as well as informs – all without the perfunctory pre-roll.  What’s more, with many video networks and partners, brands can arrange deals so that rather than pay a flat CPM rate, they only pay when viewers watch a minimum percentage of any one video. 

Other opportunities are also available to brand interested anxious to take advantage of online video for marketing purposes.  Product placement is a growing and beneficial opportunity, in which brands may sponsor a video producer to mention their product, or include their products as part of the content.  Interactive overlays on specific videos, which collect answers given by viewers and provide a customized product offering at the end, based on those answers, are also strong but underutilized options to get closer to consumers. 

Pre-rolls, while by far the predominant method of online video-based marketing, isn’t without value.  But in a medium whose strength lies in extended storytelling and enhanced connectivity with viewers, it’s just a scratch on the surface of what can actually be accomplished. 

Credit: Jay Miletsky - MediaPost's Video Insider
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/185839/beyond-the-pre-roll.html