By Meredith Bunche and Brian Lau
Consumerism: the social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods or services in ever greater amounts.
If you’ve been listening to what our country is trying to tell you, consumer is on its way out. Sure, there will always be those of us who cannot help but to want (we’re not talking about want for food or necessities, but for MORE, for BIGGER cars and houses, excess). But what we’re hearing is the national collective consciousness choosing what used to be an “alternative” lifestyle that is becoming mainstream: that of less is more. Simple living as it’s also called. Eco-conscious. Buy local. Meatless Mondays. The terms for the choice of many to stop the cycle of simply buying because they can or buying because they feel like they should are increasing as fast as the movement itself. All of the aforementioned movements contribute to what is hopefully just the beginning of a re-awakening of appreciation…of making MORE out of less.
EMG is rooted in this very belief—from our 9/80 Fridays* to our work with the Ecology Center to our approach to client work. At EMG, making more out of less isn’t just practical, it’s a no-brainer—it’s smart. As we’ve evolved over the years and as the web continues to evolve, we’ve honed our skills to be able to take the most strategic and streamlined approach to our clients’ business needs and craft solutions that are versatile, sustainable and efficient. Efficiency doesn’t just mean impactful (which of course our campaigns are!), it means a solution that maximizes internal and external resources and works holistically and intrinsically within an organization, eliminating the need for extra time, money and resources.
EMG is taking this moment in time as an opportunity to focus on what is important in any marketing: the message and the story, backed by utility. We’ve seen tons of campaigns out there that sparkle and cause oohs and aaaahs, cost a million bucks and barely returned half of that. EMG believes that spending too much money is tantamount to wasting money, which is something by which we can simply not abide. We move forward with the goal of conservation, of everything, which we believe leads to conservation of relationships!
As a business, one would think that EMG would like consumerism, that we’d want customers to buy our goods and services in huge amounts, but we say NO WAY to consumerism , we don’t need it. Consumerism is defined as “the social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods or services in ever greater amounts.” The past decade of excessive consumption followed by the major global economic collapse has proven this to be unsustainable. The world is coming to the realization that consumption has to be tempered to a moderate and sustainable level. We want our clients to think about maximization and cost-effectiveness and to those challenges we say “bring it on.” Who knows, maybe the pennies we help a client save could be the seed of something great.
Here’s some additional reading on the subject:
Mark and Ashley like tattoos.
Errrr…let me re-phrase, Mark and Ashley like OUR tattoos.
As soon as we found out that each of us had tattoos, an instant office bond developed. It didn’t matter that Ashley is nearly a generation older than Mark, or that we come from different cultural backgrounds—but after 10 minutes of comparing tattoos and tattoo stories, we had each other’s backs. We were no longer just co-workers, but rather friends with a common interest. (Plus, it didn’t hurt that we also both hate the Los Angeles Lakers, but that is a whole other blog…)
Tattoos allow a visible open-door for employees to interact and share their stories with one another. This creates team building and connections within the company. EMG is a place where we can truly express who we are. It doesn’t mean we can’t be professionals when it comes to pitches, client meetings and conferences. Of course we need to dress appropriately for these types of events, but during the normal workweek, allowing employees to be themselves helps ease the pressure of meeting tight deadlines and stressful days.
With that said, some employers have policies that do not allow visible tattoos. Depending on the industry and type of job, we suppose this makes sense. But we’d like to submit contrary evidence that people with tattoos work in a variety of industries, holding positions that range from entry-level to top executives. The way we see it, body art is a display of self-expression: having tattoos has nothing to do with an employee’s ability to perform their job.
To further relate tattoos to our everyday grind, it’s interesting to consider what significance our tattoos hold for us as individuals, and in context of this blog, what they say about us as team members of an ever-flexible, evolving and often fast-paced Digital Marketing Agency.
You can find out a lot about a person’s experience, beliefs or simply their personalities through their tattoos. Some get tattoos to remember a loved one who has passed and others simply get inked to tell a story of their background and culture. For whatever reason, tattoos are a part of our lives, whether it’s religion or just to have fun. Either way, we are who we are because of the choices we’ve made.
A Softpedia article reporting on research done by the University of Arkansas on the significance of tattoos said:
A tattoo is a snapshot of a part or scene of the owner’s life, turned into a personal myth. “We continue to be struck by rapid and unpredictable change. Consumers adapt to these changes by varying their lifestyle. They downshift, upgrade, change their hair, body, clothes, car, house, career, geographic location and even family. The result is a loss of personal anchors needed for identity. We found that tattoos provide this anchor. Their popularity reflects a need for stability, predictability, permanence and identity,” said co-author Jeff Murray, marketing professor at Sam M. Walton College of Business.
There is something very true and relatable in that statement, because while we both work in a cutting-edge industry, we find comfort in being grounded and take solace in consistency. There is also a very real connection that we both have to where we came from and how we got here—a respect, of sorts, to our family legacies and our own personal history.
In an ever-changing day-to-day work environment, a strong foundation and something consistent to fall back on, or turn to, is critical. Our tattoos are daily reminders that not everything changes, despite what this industry might try to convince you.
Of course, this is all written in hindsight—we don’t think either of us could have seen some of the parallels in our careers to the tattoos we’ve selected for ourselves for more than a decade, when we actually chose the tattoos. But now, we feel like the parallels are easier to spot.
Who knew the tattoos we chose would end up holding new meaning for who we are, were and may evolve to in the future? Well…maybe now people will add an extra level of consideration to what their tattoos say about them.
By: Chrissy Winchak & Zac Keeler
It is said that music soothes the savage beast, but did you also know that music in the office cannot only increase productivity but also lead to greater creativity? There have been an abundant amount of studies on this topic with one of the first and most notable being conducted in 1993. In this study researchers at the University of California at Irvine (one of our clients found that college students who listened to Mozart’s Piano Sonata K. 448 for ten minutes prior to taking an IQ test scored eight points higher than those who did not. The concept is that listening to music might somehow enhance the brain’s ability to perform abstract operations immediately thereafter. This phenomenon is known as the Mozart effect.
This effect has not only been found to pertain to IQ tests but also contributes to and helps create a more positive atmosphere, increases focus, improves alertness, motivates people, decreases boredom and leads to increased productivity. At EMG a good number of employees have their own personal music devices in the workplace. There are also many employees who share their iTunes library. I know this was valuable for me when I first started at EMG because I got to see what types of music everyone listened to. I saw that a lot of people were into the same artists and genres as I was, so it was also a way to foster conversation and get to know people on a different level.
Some other benefits of music in the workplace are:
- Being able to focus on the task at hand without having to worry about ringing phones and background chatter.
- Wearing headphones could signal that you are on a tight deadline and want to zone everything out.
- Offering a great pick-me-up in the afternoon and be the catalyst that gets you through the rest of the day.
It has been estimated that we endure up to 60 interruptions a day, and take 10 minutes to get back to our original focus. If you add in all the interruptions throughout the day we suspect the interruption rate is higher than researched. Music is sometimes a means of escape and a way to get in the zone. Even while you are at work you can listen to your favorite band and feel like you are somewhere different if that is what is needed.
EMG understands as a company that sometimes a means of escape can lead to the greater good and that team members being able to have that choice is a valuable notion. This is the case across the board at EMG when it comes to our 9/80 work schedule, extended lunches for working out or free healthy snacks. It is great to be at a place where we all work hard and are creative as a team but we also get to be who we are.
As John Cusask’s character said in Say Anything when asked about what he wanted to do for a career, “A career? I’ve thought about this quite a bit sir and I would have to say considering what’s waiting out there for me, I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything or process anything as a career. I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed or buy anything sold or processed or repair anything sold, bought or processed as a career.” I think this quotes sums up perfectly why being able to do what you truly want to do is something people should strive for. Productivity and creativity are essential in any workplace and anything that may increase both of these is a win in our book.
Dear Brands,
The more options that we can find to reach a consumer, we, as advertisers will most likely try if it’s in the right context. Most large brands have leveraged billboards, print, TV Commercials, Social Media, Display, Email or Paid Search at this point, in some way or form. So how can a strong brand ensure effective communication in all of these areas, and streamline messaging effectively and quickly to consumers to the point of purchase? Ideally, without creating any distractions for the consumers.
Try creating a “Brand Board” online for all of your advertisers and partners to access. Brands that can keep the conversation going internally will come out on top. Advertisers need to know what brands are doing across all mediums so that display ads have the same tone as commercials, and commercials have a way to tie consumers back online. Consumers, male and female, young and old, are spending more and more time online. That said, brands need to find a way to connect the dots offline and finish their experience or picture perfect message online.
We know a lot about today’s consumer: their gender, how often they buy, their income, age and where they go before and after they visit your site. We also know that consumers are moving extremely quick today, muti-tasking like we’ve never seen before. Having the right message at the right time is crucial for advertisers – more than ever. Creating a relevant connection from offline to online and even online to online has never been more important. This brings us to our example below.
We clicked on an online ad for Mobil 1 performance oil offering proven performance for up to 15,000 miles. The display ad we found was targeted, simple and clean. The landing page was VERY text heavy with no connection of the “Next Service Date” graphic from the messaging we saw in the banner ad. True, the banner takes me to a page where we can read about oil, but it still seems disjointed. The page does not contain the same theme or language as the display ad. Have we lost the ability to quickly reach the 18-34 year old male who may be looking for coupons to quickly print out to run to the nearest store after seeing a very similar ad on television?
Could the “Brand Board” have connected the display team with the landing page team and created a better experience for the consumer? We ask brands to think about this. Big brands that realize they have a responsibility to create a seamless interaction throughout their online and offline campaigns will have a leg up on the competition.
Brands know that their marketing dollars are going to go a lot further with a campaign that takes consumers to an end to end experience.
By Rob Dorsey and Christian Bright
Hobbies are a great tool used to bridge the gap between work, school, and personal time. They offer a unique opportunity to demonstrate your hidden talents or uncanny abilities in a setting, far removed from work or home. Personal expression of ourselves is crucial to maintaining the delicate balance between work and pleasure and to do the things we love without making a career out of them; although sometimes our hobbies manifest themselves into a career.
Unfortunately, when our hobbies become tied to any sort of monetary-gain they don’t hold the same value as something that is pursued purely for enjoyment. And often times, our hobbies can become an unhealthy addiction that drives us to ignore our responsibilities in life. It is important not to allow this to happen. For example, having a favorite TV show that you religiously watch and follow closely can be fun and entertaining; calling in sick to work because you want to finish season 4 of Lost to find out if Jack, Kate and the rest of the gang finally get off the island, well that’s another story.
Having a hobby can be very rewarding and gratifying; have you put any thought into what your hobbies might be? This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out and collect stamps or study up on the latest quilt designs. There are a variety of hobbies one can engage in ranging from sports and personal fitness, concerts and music, arts and crafts to even dining out at new and different restaurants, testing your culinary intellect. Allow your hobby to be an escape from your daily grind; an opportunity to decompress from your normal routine of things; don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Feel free to even “Hobby Hop” - no one says you have to stick with one hobby forever, get out and explore as many as you can. In turn you are exploring yourself.
Can you tell the difference between a hobby and a job? Are you appropriately designating time to indulge in your favorite hobbies, while not at the expense of your friends, family and career paths?
1. Gives you a chance to turn-off (or turn-on)
A hobby can give you a chance “turn-off” and stop stressing about your day job. You can focus on things that relax you or make you smile. Hobbies can also give you a chance to “turn-on”. Your talents might not be used at your day job but your hobby lets you shine whether it’s art, music, crafts, writing, sports, etc.
2. Injects Energy into your life
Focusing on one task or subject every day, 5 days a week, can take its toll. Most of us want to go home, sit on the couch and unwind. Are we really unwinding? I think work is still on our minds. A hobby can put our focus onto something that we enjoy and give us a feeling of accomplishment. Doing this can push the reset button in our minds. It can give us different perspectives or trains of thought to solve issues we were having at our day jobs. Or, it will simply give you more energy to make it through the next work week.
3. Develop & Nurture Talents
Few of us have day jobs that fall in line with our hobby. Those few get to develop and nurture their talents every day. Even then I suggest nurturing that hobby outside of work life to keep it fresh and fun. The majority of us don’t have jobs that manifested itself from a hobby. I find it crucial for those people to pick up one. Everyone has a talent… whether its one, two, three or more. Find what you enjoy and nurture this portion of your life. It can relieve a lot of stress and give your life more meaning.
4. Chance to explore yourself
If you have no hobbies, finding one is a great way to explore who you are. You can meet like-minded people or be exposed to something different that may change your outlook on life. You may find things that you never new you would enjoy. Explore what makes you feel happy and accomplished.
Become a fan of Hobbies
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hobbies/110094879012652?ref=search
Today Facebook introduced their new Facebook Questions feature, which allows you to ask questions to the Facebook community and is public to everyone on Facebook and perhaps viewable by search engines too.
Here are some questions asked:
Seems like a nifty new feature that distinguishes regular Status Updates from “Questions” and can be useful for brands on Facebook Pages.
Example look at Questions Feature on Earthbound Media Groups Facebook Page:
It looks like Facebook still has some work to do in terms of publishing options, where currently since I’m an admin of Earthbound Media Groups Facebook Page it’s adopting my personal profile publishing options versus the EMG Fan Page’s custom options. It may be a fluke since I doubt Facebook is now allowing Fan Page status updates to be customizable to publish to Administrators’ friends only.
Here’s a look at the difference between a Status Update from the Fan page versus a Asked Question:
You also have the option of following the Question to be updated on when people respond to it.
What do you think of Facebook’s new Questions feature? Let us know!
Posted by
Tawny @ 9:26 pm
On a dark and ominous night in the bustling and menacing streets of Orange County California, one brave man stands alone. Looking to Chicago. His call of duty igniting a scorching fire in his heart. Armed only with an 8 GB flash drive with a ferociously informative PowerPoint presentation saved on it, he knows what he has to do.
Managing Partner Damien Navarro and his trusty sidekick, Director of Communications and Brand Experience Amanda Vande Brake, are no strangers to the eduWeb Conference as this year’s event will mark EMG’s second appearance. The eduWeb Conference focuses on online marketing strategy and technology in the higher education community. With attendees from various Higher Ed institutions throughout the country, the conference provides a unique look at the frontend (MarCom) and the backend (Technology) bringing these two sides together in one conference, making it the perfect platform for EMG who happens to kick ass and take names in the realm of creating solutions that bridge gaps between marketing and technology. POW!!
EMG will begin its mission in the exhibit hall and, never fear, our dynamic duo is armed with fully loaded case studies to counter any villain challenging recruitment, enrollment and advancement success. WHAMM!! Says Girl Wonder Vande Brake: “We’re really looking forward to engaging with Higher Ed professionals from all types of institutions from all areas of the country. EMG has over 10 years of experience in education creating custom solutions for every kind of brand challenge. We know new challenges are constantly presenting themselves and our experience and success prove that we have the adaptability and capacity to solve them.” ZAP!!
In a characteristically heroic effort, Captain Navarro will be contributing to the conference his expertise in Branded Entertainment. In his presentation titled “Is Your Brand a Celebrity?” Navarro will share how an institution can cut through the clutter to reach a dedicated audience and develop a relationship that will result in increased enrollment and market share. KA-BLAM!! “Branded Entertainment is one of the most effective ways of creating brand awareness and audience engagement. You want to create campaigns that will resonate with your audience on their terms, which is essential for success. I’m hoping that the audience will find the presentation most informative.” Damien jokes, “If I fall short, I think the audience will forgive me once I give away the iPad.” CRASH?!?!
Did you say ‘give away an iPad’?! Yes, boys and girls, to all the good citizens of the world of Higher Ed, Team EMG brings an opportunity to win the latest gadget craze. Visit EMG at booth 4 in the exhibit hall to receive your free swaggerific “I Heart CHI-TOWN” t-shirt. Wear it and be entered to win the iPad. The winner will be announced at Damien’s presentation on Wednesday, July 28 @ 11am. (Sign up for Damien’s follow up webinar, on August 11th, here.)
Looking to optimize the conversion funnel? Need to create a more engaging experience? Desperately seeking better quality applicants? Want to increase advancement? Well, Chicago, Captain Navarro and Team EMG have seen the signal and we never fail to fulfill our duty!!!
Posted by
Chris @ 3:15 pm
By Chris Stark and Bob Soleimani
Over the past few years the automated testing using tools such as Quick Test Pro (QTP) have taken over software Quality assurance by storm. Now-a-days with such a short application life cycle and fast changing UI (User Interface) the question is, well, is it worth spending on the infrastructure? Usually the startup cost of these platforms is really high and there is also maintenance costs associated with keeping and updating the scripts. The best approach could be a hybrid system of both manual and automated. The portion of an application that requires forms and transactions can be automated so in these cases repetitive testing proves to be of great importance. Normally, the interfaces for forms don’t change that much from the original comp and with a couple tweaks here and there the script is up and ready to run again. But automating a full application (especially web-based) will take too long and may need frequent updates to the test script.
Automated testing has proven beneficial in a more traditional software development processes such as ‘waterfall’. In methodologies such as waterfall, the software goes through a series of specific phases of development. By the time the “implementation” phase is completed and “verification” starts, the code for the application under test (AUT) is mostly stable, unit tested, and ready to go! It could go through some modifications, but not magnificent ones. As the result, the script developed for the testing would be stable and require very few changes. One of the major challenges of the test automation is outdated scripts. This is a costly side effect of automation. Basically the time it takes to develop a good test script and debug it is the time lost in testing and bug reporting. The developed script is good so long as there is no major change in the application code base. Test team can use and reuse the script to the end of time; however, on any minor or major code changes the test scripts must be revisited and updated.
Today, with most firms embracing AGIL methodology and such shorter product life span, could automated testing be as beneficial? Well, it depends. Quality assurance (QA) engineers can still benefit greatly from automation in AGILE shops in CRMs, and applications with heavy data insertion and retrieval, file open and close. Basically, we may want to see if our form front and backend implementation can support 2000 hits without crashing the site front-end or the backend DB. However, mimicking users’ navigation on a site can be a tedious scripting task to undertake and the value of manual testing may by far outweigh the automation. The biggest benefit will come from a hybrid system of manual and automated testing. This method allows for very specific, targeted automated testing of critical components, while allowing testers to have time to manually test the application and detect bugs.
Posted by
Norma @ 7:59 pm
By: Norma Villicana and Elias Pettengill
So many companies talk about creating a work-life balance, but in this economy the reality is that many of them still have employees who are working long
days and/or on weekends so the ratio is not always so balanced. What can be or is being done to help create balance for those employees? Well, it varies
with each organization. At EMG, we are doing a couple of different things. Besides closing down the offices every other Friday for all employees due to an
approved alternative work arrangement that was adopted in 2007, EMG sponsors various FUN events such as a Cinco de Mayo celebration, Halloween
costume contest, ice cream social and other holiday inspired events. The events are generally held during the workday for a couple of hours and are a great
way to get each of the departments away from their desks and communicating with others that they may not normally talk to on a regular basis. In addition to
the FUN events, members of the EMG leadership team are also doing one-on-one lunches with employees.
Just recently, as a member of the executive leadership group, I sponsored a lunch with one of our web developers, Elias Pettengill. Having a meeting with your
HR Director can be intimidating or can become the topic of new gossip within many companies. Thank goodness that is not the case here at EMG. We went
out to sample tasty Cuban cuisine at Felix Continental Café in Old Town Orange (http://www.felixcontinentalcafe.com/). Since we tend to do FUN events that
are sometimes centered on food and culture, I coaxed him into sampling Cuban food as a potential option for a future FUN event. Elias was chosen for no other
reason than the fact that he was one of the employees I have not had the chance to spend time with at lunch. It also didn’t hurt that he happens to be the
owner of one of the heftiest appetites in the office. When asked about lunch, here is what Elias said, “I had a terrific time with Norma and was very eager to try
Cuban food which was new to me. I had never gone to lunch with Norma before, but she was certainly a terrific lunch partner. She knew her way around the
menu and was a terrific conversationalist. We talked about food, traveling and work while enjoying Medallion of Salmon. One thing I love about working at EMG
is the people I get to work with. At EMG, we are not just co-workers. Many of us are friends outside the company. I have tremendous respect for the people I
get to work alongside every day. “
“As for my review of Felix Continental Café, I would highly recommend it. The food has an authentic taste and the prices are just terrific. The food arrived
promptly, but my only knock against the place is that it is a rather small room and you’re a little cramped being so close to the other tables.”
Of course I thought the food was great. They have wonderful appetizers that were absolutely delicious!! I would recommend the place to anyone but you should
definitely get there early to get favorable seating outside.
This is a small thing we do at EMG, but many times it’s a complitation of all the small things that can make the difference. If you have an idea for a future FUN
event or hot spot to eat, or simply want to share what’s being done at your company, send us a note. We would love to hear from you.
By: Jimmy Phan and Lawrence Richard Williford
“Mobile Web” is generating an inordinate amount of buzz in the streets these days. The cause: smartphones. Such phones as the iPhone, HTC EVO, Blackberry, and Nexus One are changing how people view and access the web. The increasing amounts of users are causing websites to cater to these mobile devices due to smaller screen resolution and browser limitations. With these smartphones getting more and more popular, websites must look to new development and designs to create more compatible ways for user interactions while staying within the confines of their domain.
Development for mobile devices is about speed and compatibility. This is getting easier with new mobile browsers supporting HTML5 and CSS3 standards. HTML5 gives developers the ability to write less code and support web videos without the need of Flash; which some phones, such as the iPhone, are not supporting. CSS3 allows developers to use codes to create website elements rather than rely on excessive images which take more time to download. With these two new technologies, developers are able to create richer mobile websites and applications that accommodate users without being limited by the smartphone that a user may have.
When it comes to designing for mobile devices, it is about user interaction and understanding the fundamentals of mobile web design. Remember that even though mobile devices are getting larger screens with better resolution and have the ability to switch to horizontal viewing mode, not all sites are designed FOR mobile. Making a website “mobile friendly” is not the same as designing a mobile website!
Here are a few things that you should keep in mind while designing for mobile web:
- Understand the differences in navigating in mobile web vs. web
- Remember that with touch screens a user’s finger is doing the navigation, so make your buttons easily clickable for them
- Know your design space and phones
- Simplify your content
- There are no hover states, as of now
- Understand that your users are on a phone and on the go, so they have more immediate needs; they would be using your main site on their computer at home, otherwise.
- Test your site on a Mobile simulator. iPhone Simulator (http://www.testiphone.com/), Blackberry Simulator (http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/resources/simulators.jsp)
*Need Inspiration? Here are a few well designed mobile website that may help:
1. Vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/m
2. Burger King http://www.bk.com/en/us/kings-phone/index.html#main_menu.aspx?c=/en/us/
3. Flickr http://m.flickr.com/#/explore/interesting/
4. Twitter http://mobile.twitter.com/
So what is in store for the future of mobile devices and mobile web? Obviously one can only hypothesize and dream, but with advancements in nanotechnology (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpJQNMBNtOo), Haptic surfaces and 3D technology the line between reality and science fiction is getting more and more blurred.
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