REP – Your Photography Mentor

March 21, 2018March 21, 2018 Creative ConnectionLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2018-03-20 at 6.50.48 PM SPONSORED POSTS pop up everywhere and are never wanted. But yet this one grabbed my attention. I am insecure about my photo taking abilities and appreciated the perspective of the photo in the ad.

It was as if the MENTOR was offering me his camera and showing his willingness to share the secrets of the trade. I did think that his hands seemed overexposed considering the ad is about photography.

Using name brands of cameras is a good way to relate to the viewer since the likelihood of them owning one is high. In the main heading “Using Your Digital Camera is Easy.” could have been shortened to something like “Let me show you more about your camera.” Most may be somewhat familiar with their cameras but just want to learn more and what was used has a condescending tone and someone could take offense.
The use of EMOJI’s is appealing in moderation but I feel the text was too long in the post. People don’t want to have to click “see more” AND click on the training link they provided.

It also showed me that one of my friends liked his page which can add credibility to the value of following the link. The ‘Sign Up’ link is a convenient way for people interested to easily gain access to the training that is being offered.

After following the link, the page was engaging and even offered a FREE PDF cheatsheet just to obtain a little information from you. When you try to leave the page it popped up with another call to action encouraging you to not leave empty-handed. Screen Shot 2018-03-20 at 7.12.13 PM.png

Overall, the sponsored ad wasn’t too intrusive and is solving a problem. People always wonder “what’s in it for them?'” and this ad did a good job in showing people just that.

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REP – Delish Video

March 10, 2018March 10, 2018 Creative Connection2 Comments

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This popped up on my feed and I don’t post food or follow food-themed things. I am a big fan of bananas and peanut butter so it appealed to me. I took the screenshot with the intention to go back and rewatch to critique but had a hard time finding it again on their page. It showed on my newsfeed about four days ago when I found a still photo post with the full recipe just 13 hours ago. That post alone without any video got 777 shares, over 1000 reactions, and hundreds of comments in less than a day! The shortened url from the post lead me to the 1:03 video. It has upbeat music and just listed each ingredient so you could see the ease of making this delicious treat.

Something that didn’t work well, was the shortened url in the original screenshot above didn’t work. I tried it several times and nothing. As you can see there’s been 4,316,999 views which leads me to believe this is an exceptionally well-produced video on its third day being published.

The video was sped up enough to keep it short. Delish uses commonly known ingredients to create a relationship with the viewers and lead them into other simple recipes they offer and make it easy to follow their social media and share with your friends. They use their branding is consistent throughout and ends with their name after the name of the recipe. There is satisfaction in seeing something from start to finish in such a short time and many fewer calories than eating it!

The layout would be considered a custom grid. It keeps things centered with the ingredients on that outside of the main bowl. The motion of things used more of the golden ratio with the main mixing bowl. Overall, the background stayed consistent and the ingredients flowed in and out of the frame with perfect rhythm.

Here’s the link to the actual video.

http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a58604/peanut-butter-banana-pudding-recipe/?src=socialflowFBDEL

Social Media

WHO DAT? #NoFilter

February 28, 2018February 28, 2018 Creative ConnectionLeave a comment

Some people see the world through rose tinted glasses but on social media, it’s rose-tinted filters. Filters, when used properly, can enhance and add mood to your photos helping you tell a story and connect with others in a genuine and authentic way. Our eyes are drawn to certain things on social media that will either leave a positive impression or not, there’s no black and white (filter pun).

The choices are unlimited when it comes to photo manipulations. It’s something carried in the palm of your hand. Remember, just because it’s an option doesn’t mean you should use it every time. What is put on a post should be a direct reflection of who you are as an individual in the real world. The lines between reality and fantasy are blurred now more than ever. If your online enhancements are so far from reality, viewers miss out on what makes you unique and what connects everyone as humans, differences! Would you see a movie if the previews were a summary of a life you’ve already lived or an exact repeat of something you have seen 100 times? Of course, not. Our time is precious and people naturally seek out content that creates new and meaningful insight into their everyday life.

Sharing your life with world creates vulnerability and many people filter their reality before they can click that post button. There is a way to increase your confidence and help ensure the “likes”, “loves” and comments will validate your efforts. Filters. They provide a boost to emphasize your story, feelings, and emotions. The caution of this tale is to be mindful of when, where, and how to use these enhancements properly. Filters, in moderation. Selfies, in moderation. Hashtags, in moderation. Are you seeing a pattern here? The lens of life is different for everyone, so keep it simple, purposeful, and find a rhythm that reflects you as a person and your message. Whether you are a professional or just keeping your friends in the loop of life, photos speak volumes. What are you saying?

Social Media

REP- LinkedIn Paid Article

February 21, 2018 Creative Connection2 Comments

My LinkedIn account was targeted with this specific ad because I am a Marketing Manager at my workplace. The image and title reference an article to help with email marketing. The company, SendGrid, uses a simple image with no more than three colors and used the “not half” composition with the monster on the left side of the layout. The text uses good hierarchy with right justification. The social media post has 25 words or less with a shortened url to the landing page. I was encouraged to click the link because of the interests of 305 likes and seven comments this shows me some success in their paid post.

I clicked the link and the landing page showed just enough content as a teaser to prompt people to submit their email address to build a relationship and potential customer of their marketing services. The page is clean and simple highlighting the free guide. It enforces their reputation with well-known brands they work with along the bottom footer. They also offer three options to learn more about the company before committing to the email option.

The myths listed could be considered common errors made by many “professionals” giving value to the reader and engaging them to pursue gaining more information from the company. Looking back at the original post you can see the comments are mostly short but give the impression that the company is worth looking into by tagging other individuals and others are piggybacking on the paid article by promoting their own services. A negative I noticed was that the comments varied in timeframe which tells the viewer the information has been available for a while and could be considered out of date to the potential target. Another thing was the post showed from a company called SendGrid which doesn’t correlate to the promoted content of HubSpot.

Overall, I feel like the post created a straightforward introduction into what HubSpot offers through information that is relatable and valued by those in the industry. But ultimately, it seems like the advertised post promoted SendGrid, not HubSpot.

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Thou Shalt . . .

February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 Creative ConnectionLeave a comment

The Bible is the most read book in the world. The doctrine within is interrupted in many ways. In the book of Exodus it highlights the importance of commandments that God asks His children to follow.

As a Latter Day Saint, I have also been reminded of these commandments and know those not of my faith to respect and know of them too. Here’s a video that gives a great representation of the importance of our individual agency and how keeping commandments bring happiness.

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The laws are given to fulfill God’s plan to have His children return and live with Him again. The word command is written 563 times in the Bible, 453 are in the Old Testament alone. It is important for us as God’s children to learn these commandments and strive to live them each and every day.

I will leave you with a few verses from Exodus chapter 40.

16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.
19 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the Lord commanded Moses.
21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the ^aveil of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the Lord commanded Moses.
23 And he set the bread in ^aorder upon it before the Lord; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
25 And he lighted the ^alamps before the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.
27 And he burnt sweet ^aincense thereon; as the Lord commanded Moses.
29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the ^ameat offering; as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Lord did not just command Moses or the children of Israel but all His children on this earth and it is up to us to show our love for Him through using our agency wisely and obeying His laws. He is wisdom and we gain knowledge through obedience.

Social Media

REP – Charmin Brand

February 7, 2018February 7, 2018 Creative Connection2 Comments

Charmin toilet paper has a consistent presence of blues across all social platforms. They are tied to the design of the webpage. They use the tagline “Enjoy the Go” and still integrate the good old “Squeeze the Charmin” from previous campaigns. This helps the audience relate to something they have seen or heard before with the newer version of Enjoy the Go.

The Charmin logos is always found on the left. The most frequently use Twitter and then Facebook. Their Google+ account’s most recent post was from two year’s ago! It is still listed as an active social media on their website. This is something I would see as a negative to their brand. Their YouTube channel isn’t that active either. There was a great use of and views on Charmin’s Relief Project. It received 3.7 million views but was posted over 3 years ago. The title used grabbed attention from users to at least engage with the 30-second commercial called “Do You Pee in the Sea?”

The Charmin brand has a cartoon bear family that portrays relatable characters using the daily and essential product.
This specific post uses great contrast along with good hierarchy. This is a good representation of the Rule of Thirds. They avoided using a layout that is exactly in half. The focal points and subsequent information are labeled 1-5.
The post was a few days before the Superbowl to encourage viewers to stock up for the big game and used the humorous #SuperPartyFoul. This was on their Facebook post the additional post below is from the Twitter account. It reinforces the message to a different audience. The previous post was a video just a few week prior. But even the little boy in the video wears a blue shirt with a white background to emphasize the contrast.

Finally, the Charmin brand uses Twitter as their main social media platform. They did a great job in taking advantage of the SuperBowl craze to connect with their followers. See the Tweets below and notice the reference to the Doritos commercial and they were tagged to cross over to their followers too. They engaged their followers with a Poll about when to use the bathroom during the game. The numbers aren’t huge but it was during the SUPERBOWL, any engagement is a win.

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Reverse Engineering Post

January 25, 2018 Creative ConnectionLeave a comment

Being in a rural area Amazon is a goto for daily essentials. Using the marketplace on a weekly basis I never actually followed or liked any of the brand social media. . . Until now!

Here’s a screenshot of the post I am reporting on.

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The main purpose of this post is to build up excitement and introduce the new Amazon Go venture. It acts as a teaser to the already loyal Amazon users. The strengths I see in this ad is that the consistency of the brand is throughout. You have the signature blue smile in the profile picture that compliments that imagery that was chosen. The photo shows the Space Needle in the background adding interest and reminding users the roots of Seattle mentioned in the text of the post. I also think using the shortened hyperlink with amzn in it is a great reinforced message and gives the viewer an option to read more about the Amazon Go spin off. They also kept the message short in length that appeals to most users preferences on posts. It is engaging with the positive reactions and multiple shares. There are some issues that people are expressing that could be addressed before they expand their services.

Some of the ads weaknesses I noticed was reading the other users comments weren’t positive. It gave an opening for complaints to be aired and addressed but seemed unrelated to the original Amazon Go launch post. I noticed the post was on Sunday and they mentioned Monday, January 22 instead of building up the fact that it’s tomorrow. They could capitalize on the urgency and timing of the announcement. The link has a video and explains that it is something launched in Seattle and isn’t relevant to the majority of its users, yet.

At first glance, this campaign is going to take multiple exposures to have the potential user fully understand its benefits. Amazon Go is its own beast needing a separate application download but is used with the existing Amazon account. Overall, I feel visually the post was appealing enough to engage the viewer to want to learn more about the newly developed platform.

Campaign

RayBan Campaign

January 18, 2018January 20, 2018 Creative Connection4 Comments

I just bought my first pair of RayBan shades directly from their site and since then I have received Facebook messages, emails, and even text messages. I was interested in this brand for it’s longevity and classic style but never sought out any of their social media platforms. UNTIL NOW. . .

They have several channels they use including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, and You Tube. Interestingly enough they have two different channels on YouTube. Ray-Ban Noise and Ray-Ban Films.

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The Ray-Ban Films channel has more subscribers and views of their video but both were listed as separate links on their webpage. From these post, I noticed Ray-Ban Films post were more recent and used #RaybanReinvention and a NeverHide shortened links to their webpage. The only thing was there was a lack of consistency with RayBan, Ray-Ban, and Ray_Ban across their channels. From their website on the bottom, I clicked all their social media icons.

The attention principle was used because most people wear sunglasses and to #NEVERHIDE encourage them to interact with the content being shared and even post their own content wearing the brand. The user is more engaged in the Pins and resharing Instagram posts and retweeting, even though the same imagery and hashtags were used on every one of the channels.

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The presentation principle was also used in the marketing of this campaign. People that follow a brand want to look and feel a certain way and Ray-Bans is one of those brands. They are higher end optical accessories that serve a practical function.

Overall, I felt the campaign was successful because of the rich imagery and languaging appealed to many demographics without compromising their longstanding followers pre-social media. This company made the user’s engagement easy and relatable.

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You can’t take it with you. . . Or can you?

September 4, 2017 Creative ConnectionLeave a comment

There’s an app for that! Or just ask:

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There are so many times in life we measure success on what materials we obtain. We are good people if we use our time, and money wisely. Be charitable, sacrifice, and don’t live beyond your means. All these things we do in life give us knowledge and a perspective that carries on through the eternities.

In the New Testament 1 Peter chapter 4, we learn that the gospel is taught to those who are dead. It goes on in verses 8-10 we read: “8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: ^afor ^bcharity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use ^ahospitality one to another without ^bgrudging. 10 As every
man hath received the gift, even so ^aminister the same one to another, as good ^bstewards of the manifold grace of God.”

This gift is the gospel of Jesus Christ and we can take it with us. We are chosen children of a Mighty King and with that comes the great responsibility to treat each other and ourselves as such. The things in this life matter but what is most important is what we CAN take with us. Our: FAITH, LOVE, CHARITY, and COMMITMENT to our Father in Heaven and His plan.

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We get to become like Him and our time on this earth prepares us for that very thing. Our focus should be on things we can take with us. Striving to live a life serving God and showing others they can do the same.