Video Pick of the Week – Sometimes Less is More

Verizon executives probably grew a few more grey hairs after last week’s episode of Saturday Night Live. In a hilariously accurate skit, cast members demonstrated exactly why advertisers need to stay away from using too much technical jargon.

Listening to all that isn’t just an old person’s nightmare, its everyone’s nightmare.

Enjoy this week’s Video Pick and be sure to check back next week!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cupid is a busy man today!  The old expression, you can learn a lot about a person through their music certainly holds true for the ODM Group.  Whether you married your high school sweetheart, built a business with the support of the woman of your dreams, or enjoy 2012′s greatest hits and long walks on the beach, here is the ODM Group’s Valentine’s Day playlist compiled of songs for any mood you are in today! Take a look, and feel free to share your own favorite playlist!

Jay

1. New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
2. Jaded – Aerosmith
3. Wanted Dead Or Alive – Bon Jovi
4. If You Were Mine – Slim Man
5. Something To Believe In – Poison

Stephanie

1. Stoned Beautiful – Reed Foehl
2. With or Without You – U2
3. You are the Sunshine of my Life – Stevie Wonder
4. Good Man – Josh Ritter
5. Never Let Me Go – Florence and the Machine
6. Taking a Chance on Love – Tony Bennett
7. Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison
8. I Want You – Elvis Costello
9. Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
10. Sail Away With Me – David Grey
11. Let’s Dance – Ramones
12. I Follow Rivers – Lykke Li
13. Green Eyes – Coldplay
14. Steel My Kisses – Ben Harper
15. First Day Of My Life – Bright Eyes
16. West Coast – Coconut Records
17. One And Only – Adele
18. All I Want Is You – U2
19. Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard And Marketa Irglov
20. Change Of Time – Josh Ritter

Mickey

1. I Won’t Forget You – The Riverdales
2. Only of You – Green Day
3. Hopeless Romantic – The Bouncing Souls
4. From Your Boy – The Queers
5. Teenage Love Affair – Weston
6. Your Name is Tattooed on My Heart – Screeching Weasel
7. I Need Your Love – The Ramones
8. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend – The Ramones
9. I Melt With You – Modern English
10. In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
11. Space Age Love Song – A Flock of Seagulls
12. I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany
13. These Arms Of Mine – Otis Redding
14. Beach Boys – “Surfer Girl”
15. Sleep Walk – Santo & Johnny
16. All I have to do is Dream – The Everly Brothers

Jacqui

1. Pursuit Of Happiness – Kid Cudi
2. Love Is A Battlefield – Jordin Sparks
3. Underneath It All – No Doubt
4. You’re Still The One – Shania Twain
5. Good Day – Nappy Roots
6. Crazy Girl – Eli Young Band
7. Pink Cadillac – Bruce Springsteen
8. Electric Feel – MGMT
9. On To The Next One – Jay Z
10. Out Of My League – Stephen Speeks

Matt

1. In The Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett
2. Spend The Night – Deer Tick
3. Blue Eyes – Middle Brother
4. Walk The Line – Johnny Cash
5. Wild Night – Van Morrison
6. The Old Days – Dr Dog
7. Montana – Youth Lagoon
8. Twistin’ The Night Away – Sam Cooke
9. As Long As I Can See The Light –  Creedence Clearwater Revival
10. You Love The Thunder – Jackson Browne
11. Rocks Off – Rolling Stones
12. Operation – Yuck
13. Doctor My Eyes – Jackson Browne
14. Are You Ready For The Country – Neil Young
15. As Long A There Is Whiskey In The World – Murder By Death
16. Strange Vine – Delta Spirit
17. Cradle – Joy Formidable
18. I Hear Them All – Old Crow Medicine Show

Chris

1. Can You Feel the Love Tonight – The Lion King
2. Don’t Wanna Miss One Thing – Aerosmith
3. Crush – Dave Matthews Band
4. Amazed – Lonestar
5. I’ll Be – Edwin McCain Band
6. You And Me – Lifehouse
7. She Will Be Loved – Maroon 5
8. The Longest Time – Billy Joel
9. Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers
10. I Just Called to Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder

We’re In Love…With Mobile Marketing

Why Valentine’s Day is the Ideal Opportunity for Mobile Marketing

By: Jay Osterholm, Founder and CEO of the ODM Group

The Hallmark holiday is upon us, and the top brands are prepared with mobile marketing strategies. And, with good reason. The National Retail Federation released a survey that an expected $17.6 billion will be spent this Valentine’s Day.

Brands such as Starbucks, Dove, Michael Kors, and Tiffany’s are all hoping to tap into the large retail opportunity on Valentine’s Day, and are employing mobile marketing tactics to accomplish that. 74 million consumers in the United States already shop from their mobile devices, which makes mobile an ideal opportunity for consumer engagement.

Many consumers enjoy the convenience of using their mobile devices to make purchases, find product information, and compare prices. Mobile commerce centralizes the buyer’s purchasing process, and 16 % of smartphone users report that they have made a purchase as a result of a marketing message they received on their phone.

However, it is important for marketers to engage consumers through their devices in a variety of ways, and offer a seamless experience across all marketing channels. Successful mobile marketing campaigns are not based on uniformity but rather connectivity.

By this, I mean there are many elements that affect the outcome of a successful mobile marketing campaign. Before implementation, marketers must look at the advantages of each individual element and leverage those in a coordinated and connected effort, which ultimately will lead to user engagement.

Additionally, this Valentine’s Day, many brands will appeal to the emotional aspects and encouraging users to think of those they love while interacting with the app. By evoking emotional appeal, retailers will have the perfect opportunity to engage with consumers and thus increase transactions through gift purchases.

So, as we all prepare for this national day of hearts, love and all things red, be sure to incorporate a mobile element into your marketing strategy and Valentine’s Day will not only be a day of love, but positive sales as well.

[Infographic]: Centralized Convenience

Video Pick of the Week

This week’s video pick spotlights a short film promoting wind energy as an alternative to traditional energy sources. Ecotricity.com, a pro-sustainable energy website responsible for the video, uses a creative and provocative approach to solicit the sympathy of the people in their fight against companies who create energy from fossil fuels. With such a relevant subject as sustainable energy, we expect this video to spread quickly across media platforms

Enjoy this week’s Video Pick and be sure to check back next week!

Video Pick of the Week

In this week’s Video Pick, Old Spice continues to amaze us with their advertising ingenuity. By teaming up with Proctor & Gamble they give an unexpected spin to their in-your-face ad style. It is the perfect Super Bowl commercial, containing all the elements of a hit television commercial along with ability to go viral. In two days it has amassed over eight hundred thousand views on YouTube.

Enjoy this week’s Video Pick and be sure to check back next week!

[Infographic]: The Marketers Paradox – Social Media ROI

The New ROI: Return on Influence

How to define, measure and find return on your social media campaigns

By: Jay Osterholm, Founder and CEO of The ODM Group

Perhaps the greatest marketing challenge of 2011 was determining social media ROI. As more and more companies devoted marketing budgets to this now necessary business strategy, executives questioned the value, and most importantly, the return of this investment.

We are now in the second month of 2012, and there is no clear industry-standard or formula to calculate the absolute ROI of social media. There are varying theories, and many social media experts have their own definitions and ways of determining ROI for clients. To some, this may seem catastrophic. I see it as a challenge, and therefore an opportunity.

A few years back, as marketers we had to transform the mindset of our executives, clients, and the public to embrace social media as not only a new communication tool, but the tool of the future. The challenge to calculate social media ROI leads us to yet another moment of transformation. A simple transformation of thought can solve this debate. For me, it is evident that the solution may not lie in the way we define social media in terms of absolute value ROI, but more the way we define ROI in terms of social media.

Earlier this week I was at the GPCC’s Economic Outlook event, where I probably handed out 10 business cards. What was the ROI of that? It technically is a marketing tactic for my company, as well as my personal brand. I received one phone call from those 10 cards. But strictly from a quantitative standpoint, I have a 10% return rate. That sounds rather grim. However, with a small transformation of thinking, I exposed 10 people to my company, my name, and our contact information. I created a personal connection with each of those 10 people. At its core, isn’t that the holy grail of marketing? So quantitatively, I am currently at a 1 out of 10. But qualitatively, I excelled.

Social media benefits are achieved directly through connections with customers, who go on to make recommendations, share product information and make purchasing decisions. A recent e-marketer study found that over 50 % of Twitter followers are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow. Moreover, according to Mashable.com, 60% of brand followers are more likely to recommend a brand to a friend after following the brand on Twitter. In my opinion, these numbers certainly prove some value for social media. Through social channels, we are making connections and influencing purchasing decisions, which once again are two main objectives of marketing.

That being said, I propose a new definition for ROI – Return on Influence rather than Return on Investment. The social connections made on these channels offer influence and exposure which should be the core factors for ROI or influence. As a business owner, I understand the need to monitor return on expenses to maintain your bottom line. However, as a marketer, I see a need for a different mindset for the new paradigm shift of social media ROI.

Analytics should connect to engagement rather than monetary investment. Popular research found that 48% of corporations are creating ROI measurements for internal programs. Of that 48%, 65% of corporations use engagement as a top metric.

Measure the number of interactions your brand has on social media channels – not just followers. While followers are important, interactions are conversations and the instances where direct contact is made with the consumer. This is where the sale conversion is likely to occur.

Video Pick of the Week

This week’s Video Pick has all the components of a homerun advertisement, minus the advertising. Successful marketing is centered on tapping into the public’s current interests and providing them with a fresh and unique perspective. It would be no surprise to see some hairy forty-something bawling like a little kid over their favorite team’s big loss. Just go to the local sports bar for that.

But who would expect a little kid to show more emotion than a veteran fan? It’s a unexpected take on the over-hyped Super Bowl, and we expect it to go viral over the weekend. We can learn a lot about reaching a wide audience from this video, and we can learn a lot about loyalty from that little guy.

Enjoy this week’s Video Pick of the Week and be sure to check back next week!