Color psychology is the study of how certain colors impact human behavior. Otherwise known as color theory, colors impact each individual differently based on preference and cultural background. Today, color psychology is used mostly in advertising. Some brands have even gone as far as trademarking a specific color that is associated with their business. Colors are chosen very carefully in advertising because of the associations that our brains make with them. Let’s look at the basic colors and see how they invoke certain associations.
Social Media Planning
You plan everything in your life. Your Google calendar helps you keep track of everything you do from personal to business. So, why wouldn’t you plan your businesses social media posts as well? It’s important to keep a schedule for your content in order for your social media strategy to be effective. Here is what your calendar should include.
CTV
In 2020, 80% of homes have at least one connected T.V. according to MediaPost. We’ve all heard of CCTV from British crime dramas but what is CTV and what makes it different from OTT? What is OTT? All these acronyms are making us dizzy. Let’s look at the difference between OTT and CTV. OTT stands for over-the-top and is defined as content delivered over streaming services or apps. Examples are Netflix, HBO Max and HULU. CTV, otherwise known as connected T.V.,….
Friday Feature 10/7/22
We’re taking you to the sunny beaches of your living room. Wait what? That’s right! You heard us. This surf video went viral back in March of 2020 of Sailah Nicol and her brother surfing on the rug in their living room. Their father is pro surfer, Yadin Nicol who is also featured in this video pulling the rug up into a wave. This video is probably up there with one our favorites that we’ve licensed over our years here at Locomotive. Head over to Instagram and show her page some love and support with a follow.
Short Form Video Trends 2022
These are our top 5. There are more out there that are expected to be trending this year. All of these video styles are easy to throw together. Be creative and focus on the audience instead of the product. Plan your strategy and make sure editing looks professional. We recommend utilizing Instagram and Facebook for your short form video content.
Psychology of Advertising
Good Reads for Marketing Businesses
Artificial Intelligence & Marketing
Well everyone, it seems that the future is here. No flying cars just yet but that doesn’t change the fact that artificial intelligence has now become a part of marketing. Strange times we live in, now right?! Seriously though, AI is becoming more important for the improvement of marketing and real-time engagement. Think about the chat box that helps you when you have a question on a website. This is AI but this isn’t all it’s doing now.
Friday Feature
This week we turn to a producer and director, Christin Baker. She is co-founder of tellofilms.com and proud creator of lesbian content. We worked with her on a Rapinoe spot many moons ago now. It’s our pleasure to showcase her talent. She was great to work with. To read more on the amazing work she produces, visit her IMDb page.
When to Send an Email
First off, please stop sending work emails on the weekends. Not only is this bad practice but you will receive an extremely low response rate. Let’s talk about what times of the day are best to send emails for high open and response rates. There is no one size fits all for this but data shows that there are some optimal times that people will open their emails. Of course, work emails sent between 9-5 have the best open rate but it should be noted that 47% of emails are opened outside of work hours on mobile devices.
Brief History of Advertising
It all started with newspaper. Someone wanted to place an ad in the paper so they reached out to an agent who represented newspapers. They compiled lists of papers and placed ads in them on behalf of brands who wanted to advertise. Newspapers would negotiate with the agent who would get on the list. The agent also contracted with the newspaper for large amounts of space at discounted rates. They would then resell these spaces to advertisers at a marked-up rate….
Customer Retention Strategies
Almost 65% of a business comes from repeat customers. That’s a big chunk of revenue. It’s also cheaper to retain customers than it is to get new ones. Customer satisfaction is greatly linked to retention numbers but there are some strategies to consider on top of this.
Ad Fatigue
We all know what fatigue is and many of experience it often but what in the world is advertising fatigue? Think about it like this. You know that new song that you love and can’t get enough? Yea that one. Then, your favorite radio station plays it over and over and over and over. You get the idea. Now, it’s become you’re least favorite song. You’re sick of hearing it. This is what ad fatigue is except that it’s for advertisements that we’ve seen one too many freakin’ times! What’s the first thing we do when that once favorite, now annoying song comes on the radio? We change the channel. Same thing applies here for ads or your audience will become “blind” to them. As an advertiser how do you know if your ad is causing ad fatigue? Here are a couple of signs.
Friday Feature
This week’s content feature goes out to talented movie character, Nick Darnell. We loved working with him to license his dancing video of the #sugechallenge. Not only can he act, he can definitely dance too! As we are watching this video shot in front of a Circle K gas station with the caption, “They kept tryna gas us up all weekend,” you see the gas prices on the sign behind them. WOW! This may give you an idea of how long ago we sourced this video. Give him a follow for fun content.
Seasonal Campaign Marketing
Every year we watch as department store decor changes looks as summer fades to fall. Then, fall turns winter that eventually circles back to summer. Every season or holiday comes with its very own promotions. This is an opportune time to connect more with audiences through emotional marketing strategies. It can also help reach new audiences.
Instagram’s Nudge Feature
Instagram’s new(ish) nudge feature “is designed to encourage teens to discover something new and excludes certain topics that may be associated with appearance comparison,” according to The Verge. This is a serious step in the right direction since the Facebook whistle-blower, Frances Haugen, outed them for choosing profit over safety back in 2021. The trial that took place revealed documents of internal research studies resulting in data that it negatively impacts young users. Specifically, the negative impacts on teenage girls who see constant images of ideal bodies and how teens felt addicted to the platform. An external study showed that “58.2% of people agreed that these new nudges made their social media experience better.” This is step in the right direction in helping guide young women away from negative body imaging.
Business Podcasts for Advertisers
Did you know that listening to podcasts can stimulate multiple parts of your brain, such as an adrenaline rush or releasing endorphins? (UC Berkley, 2016). Podcasts have been quite the popular topic recently and we know that we listen to one every morning. It’s a great way to learn, cut down on screen time and support small businesses. Whether you’re looking to learn something specific, meditate or just be entertained, there is something out there for everyone. This short will comprise of our top 3 recommended advertising podcasts.
Block(chain) Party
It’s time to get down… down with blockchain that is. NFT’s are a hot topic right now along with the metaverse, bitcoin, cryptocurrency and yes, blockchain. We’ve touched on the first two of these but not these last three. When we started down this rabbit hole our first question was, what is the difference between cryptocurrency, bitcoin and blockchain?
Friday Feature
This week our spotlight goes out to a fitness trainer, Kari who specializes in women’s weight lifting. Also known as @thedonuttrainer, this Canadian woman is a certified personal trainer and gym owner in Sarnia, ON. It was a pleasure working with this creator on one of our previous campaigns. Her social media account focuses on fitness, nutrition and weight lifting. She posts often about nutrition information, workouts and fitness tips. Give her a follow for healthy lifestyle info and proper workout techniques.
SMS Marketing
Do you know what marketing type will get you a 98% open rate and a 90% engagement rate? Yep, that’s right. SMS marketing. Otherwise known as text messages. This style of marketing is one that often gets overlooked yet has powerful results. This is a great way to personalize promotions, offer discounts specific to SMS participants, purchase reminders and conduct surveys. There are a couple of things that a brand must know before getting started.
