The first pitches of the 2019 U.S. and Canadian soil, anyway—will be thrown tomorrow, and Twitter is ready to take the field. The social network and the league are kicking off a new initiative this season, enabling fans to choose which player’s at-bats will be featured live on Twitter that day. Plus, MLB is launching special hashtag-triggered emojis for all 30 teams. Check it out and get in on the action!
Duke freshman Zion Williamson has played a major role in Duke’s on-court success this season, but his impact on the Blue Devils has been just as epic since he stepped on campus July 1. Duke basketball already had the largest social-media following among team accounts before Williamson arrived, but the combination of the two has vastly accelerated their numbers. Williamson became an Instagram star in high school, and since officially joining Duke 7.5 months ago, the school’s men’s basketball Instagram account has added 285,000 followers, according to data from Duke Athletics Creative Dir Dave Bradley. That is more than the total number of followers for every basketball program but two — UNC and Kentucky. Williamson’s Instagram account has grown even more since July, adding 680,144 followers on his personal account, a 42% increase to 2.3 million. Learn more about his social media impact and check out his Instagram to see what the hype is all about.
The concept of a sonic logo is hardly new: The drumroll played during the 20th Century Fox intro was created by composer Alfred Newman in 1933; Walter Werzowa made Intel’s iconic “bong” anthem more than 20 years ago. Even notification alerts—such as those from Samsung, Google and Apple—can easily be associated with the brands they’re meant to represent. But recently, Pandora became the first major audio streaming service to adopt one. Seems appropriate, right? Check out what went into developing it and listen here.
ICYMI: Why Peaky Blinders Makes Our Must-Binge List
Whisky, prostitutes, drugs, guns, gambling, fighting, killing and lots of money. If you think those are good ingredients for a TV show, then you’ll like this one.
Peaky Blinders is a masterpiece. This drama follows the exploits of a British crime family in the aftermath of World War I. Their story unfolds in Birmingham, England, where a real gang called the Peaky Blinders were active during that time period. Outside of Tom Hardy (who joins in Season 2) and Adrien Brody (Season 4), you probably won’t recognize the members of this ensemble cast, but they are all remarkably talented.
Thomas Shelby leads the Peaky Blinders, along with his brothers Arthur and John. They operate and grow their illegal businesses (like fixing horse races) under the watchful eye of the British government, and in competition with rival organized crime enterprises. The balance of humanity and violence is similar to The Sopranos. The storylines are about as complex as the stories on The West Wing, but they are way more fun. Best of all, everything evolves quickly, so you never finish an episode feeling disappointed.
There are four seasons available on Netflix, and Season 5 is expected this Summer 2019. That’s 24 episodes of gripping and entertaining television waiting for you.
When I recommend this show to someone who has already seen it, their response is something like “Ooooh, Peaky Blinders. So good, right? So good.”
Give this show a chance. By order of the Peaky F____ng Blinders.
With the trend toward more companies hiring more freelance and fulltime remote workers, many of us (including the Yalo Tribe) find ourselves working from home . . . or other more creative spaces that aren’t offices. This flexible approach to workspace can have its pros and cons, but these tips have helped our crew thrive in these less structured environments.
Setting the Space
If given the opportunity to work remotely, then you will definitely want to make sure you create a work space that gives you good vibes. Ideally you should pick a space that provides ample natural light. One study suggests that access to natural light and outdoor views is the#1 most desirable office perk. Not only does natural light boost worker performance but it can also improve your sleep. So be sure to set up shop near a window if possible. Open those blinds and feed off the sunlight!
Another important aspect of setting your space is to make it uniquely YOUR space. Turn it into a place that motivates you and gives you positive energy. All it takes is one or two visuals to make the space your own. Personalize your workspace however you see fit, even down to the desk and chair options. Do you go for style and comfort? Maybe you’re a Dwight Schrute fitness orb kinda person? I opted for the adjustable standing desk and love being able to switch it up during the day.
Schedule Sweet Spot
One of the biggest benefits of working remotely is the ability to make your own schedule. But make no mistake about it, even if it changes daily, you will need to have some sort of schedule or routine to be optimally efficient each day. Much like a workspace, the actual work schedule itself can vary from person to person and day to day, based on factors like employer protocol, job tasks/duties and home-life responsibilities. While some employers hold a tighter rein on their remote workers, others allow for a bit more freedom. However, we all get to decide when that morning alarm will go off.
https://giphy.com/gifs/ItuU81md2ZLDW
Are you an early riser or a night owl? Some prefer to beat the sun, get in an early morning workout and knock out all of those emails before the day has even begun, while someone like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, takes a slightly less heroic approach. Another thing to remember is that the work/home lines can get blurry for remote workers, so it’s important to try your best to define the beginning and end of each of your workdays. For example, I officially start my workday by writing out my daily to-do list. Try different schedule/routine approaches and find the sweet spot that works best for you. You can also use a hybrid approach, shifting the workday hours (and even location) as needed.
Mix it up
While studies show that remote workers are more productive than their in-office counterparts, there are still common pitfalls to avoid. For example, remote workers are just that…remote. Not having that everyday water cooler experience can be off-putting for some. So why not mix it up every once in a while? Going back to that schedule sweet spot, perhaps you can try blocking off some days to work from a coffee shop or a coworking space to get some human interaction. This does wonders for your mindset and overall productivity.
Bonus tips from the Yalo Tribe
Shower.
Don’t work in your nighttime jammies. At the very least, switch to daytime jammies or throw on some nice athleisure wear.
Crank up the tunes for extra motivation/inspiration.
Technology is your friend. Use it. Our Tribe communicates with each other via Viber.
Have the TV on in the background to fill the void.
Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.
Get out and see people.
Have lunch with your spouse or friend.
Work at a Starbucks for a few hours.
You can’t replace the aura of just being around other people sometimes to feel alive.
Got your brackets ready? March Madness starts next week and while we watch our favorite teams (hopefully) rise to the top, many brands will use this cultural tie-in to connect with their fans and make an impact. Check out a few ways we’ll probably see brands leveraging data and omnichannel experiences to make the most of the experiences they create.
Not surprisingly, female empowerment is a topic that’s trending even more than usual during Women’s History Month. This collection of on-theme ads proves it can be a valuable and inspiring trend to tap into for marketing any time of the year. Check them out!
Switching up the same old panel format, the TAG Winners assembled for a little competitive fun in the style of family feud. Yalo was represented by, yours truly, the Up & Coming Marketer of the Year for 2018! I was excited to participate and share a millennial view of marketing and hopefully earn a few points in the process.
The event was hosted at Industrious at Ponce City Market here in ATL on a casual Tuesday night for happy hour and networking. I love co-working spaces like Industrious. They have a cool vibe and always a great chance to meet people — so shout out to them for having us!
Once the family feud teams were divided, our host Scott Williford from vLink Solutions directed teams to put down our beers and grab the apple since we didn’t have a buzzer available. This made for a rough start and he warned us the topics would be difficult. Scott was a good stand in for Steve Harvey though!
We covered 6 topics – Content Marketing Tactics, Marketing to Gen Z, Marketing Technology, Data-Driven Marketing, CEO Metrics, and Careers. Each round the winning team would have 3 chances to answer specifics on each topic pulled from data trends and charts from leading sources for 2019. Each participant provided thoughtful views that aligned to what we see and practice every day. Because this is a blog post overview, you’ll find your Annie soundbites to take away, as words of wisdom from a 20 something:
Content Marketing – Always make it snackable. Your white paper should be a video, infographic, social post and more. Don’t have a white paper? Apply to anything else you consider content that tells your story and then measure it.
Marketing to Gen Z – Watch out for these guys! They are social and skeptical – measure their response as they grow, it will be interesting to watch them evolve.
Data-Driven Marketing – This is the future of marketing and we can’t move forward without it. Data is the key to insights from your audience to learn from.
CEO Metrics – Find what is important to them. We can throw all the numbers in the world at them and it will not make a difference to your future budgets if they don’t care or see the impact.
Careers – Interviewing is a two-way street and it needs to feel like the right fit on both sides of the table. Trust your gut and look at the big picture of your career and where you want to go. Culture is an important factor in building a team or joining a team!
All in the TAG Winner’s circle brought a fun atmosphere and sneak peak of what to expect at TAG Geek Out coming up April 9th! The TAG Marketing chapter provides great events and even better – a group of people fun to be around, check them out if you haven’t yet!
I’ll leave you with the team’s final comments as we continue to win through 2019! 😉 Yalo would love to help your business succeed with marketing technology too – contact us here and let’s have a productive chat.
From artistic health pop-ups to body-positive beauty campaigns to Absolut’s vodka packaging that literally turned hate into love, February was jam-packed with smart, creative marketing ideas that helped brands connect with their audiences. Check out Trend Hunter‘s list and get inspired for your next big marketing effort.
Since it’s inception 10 years ago, Kickstarter has become the crodfunding platform of choice for folks with big ideas and small wallets. Projects in over a dozen creative categories have gotten their start on the platform and film has been a big winner, with over a 150 funded films opening theatrically. There are 16 Kickstarter-funded films debuting at the SXSW Film Festival, which begins later this week. That’s five more than on last year’s debut list, indicating that indie filmmakers are turning to the platform (and seeing success) in increasing numbers. If you’re in Austin this week, check out these screenings to see what you think!
A few months ago, we featured Alex Honnold as our artist of the week for his inspirational role as the free-climbing subject of Free Solo. Now, the film’s creator, Jimmy Chin, is getting all the attention — not only from us, but from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (you know, the guys that give out the Oscars) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Both organizations recently named Free Solo best documentary of 2019. Chin is a climber first, photographer second and filmmaker third. His cinematography work has been featured on National Geographic and Solo is the second full-length feature Chin has created with his production company, Camp 4 Collective. Check out a few things he has learned along the way.
This provider of engineered materials to the high-voltage and battery markets wants more quality leads in the top of its sales funnel. Electrolock needed a communications refresh and marketing campaign to consistently tell a story that is unique and memorable, and reach engineers who may not be aware of the full range of capabilities they offer.
Our Solution
Yalo performed current state and competitive assessments, examining everything from SEO to design and channel presence, in order to help our client understand its challenges and opportunities for connecting with engineers. From there, we developed a messaging strategy that clearly articulates Electrolock’s value proposition. Channel research and planning helped to define which communications tactics will be most effective in reaching target audiences. Bringing it all together, Yalo’s campaign concepts provided the narrative, visuals and voice we’ll use to communicate Electrolock’s unique message.
Climbing the Charts
Our integrated, multi-pronged approach delivered meaningful results over the course of six months. Electrolock’s website page views per session increased by 30%. The average session length increased by 93%. Bounce rate decreased by 20%. And monthly contact form submissions increased by 83%.
The Oscars’ pre-game fashion display on the red carpet is the show, if you ask some viewers. And over the past 15 years, the answer to the all important question “Who are you wearing?” has been answered with one label more than any other: Versace. The brand has long been a favorite of actresses, rock stars, super models and others in the super-rich set and, as such, is a cultural icon. Learn more about how Creative Director, Donatella Versace, maintains her influence on clothes and culture.
As storytellers ourselves, the Best Picture nominees provide a wealth of creative inspiration. But what will it take to actually win this year’s Academy Award? Apparently more just than telling a great story in a way that connects with the audience. See what 20 Oscar voters had to say about the finalists and what factors they take into consideration when casting their votes.
While it might not be a major holiday in mainstream American culture, Chinese New Year is a huge opportunity for marketers across the world. In January 2019 alone, the topic was featured in close to 300K mentions across Twitter, in the news, blogs, forums and more (112K in the U.S.). Brands like Starbucks, Kate Spade (yes, I bought the no-longer-available pink version!) and Louis Vuitton have created Year of the Pig merchandise sure to bring good luck and fortune, or at least help the caffeinated and stylish get into the spirit. And advertisers, especially in Asian markets, have created some beautiful stories like this one from Apple to connect with consumers during this time. Enjoy more of these holiday spots and have a happy Chinese New Year!
Artist, Alexa Meade, combines art and life — literally — in stunning scenes that incorporate live models, painting, photography, video and performance art. You may have seen her work in Ariana Grande’s God Is A Woman video. She’s also contributed her talents to activations for brands like Mini Cooper and Ralph Lauren. Check our how this artist brings her art to life.
Let’s face it. Super Bowl LIII kinda sucked. Unless you’re a Pats fan (duh) or a music fan (no, I don’t mean the halftime show), there wasn’t much that was great. Even this year’s ads have been widely panned as totally unspecial across the board. But with the Big Game in the ATL, our tribe (especially Yalo South) still scored a bunch of memorable moments. Let’s break it down.
The Game
After a season filled with explosive, high-scoring games across conferences and divisions, not to mention BOTH conference championships going into overtime just two short weeks ago, even fans with no dog in the fight at least expected a nail-biting, high-scoring game. Nope. Lowest scoring game in Super Bowl history. Womp. Womp. According to Yalo’s resident Pats fans, Denise and Kevin, the score was exactly perfect.
The Ratings
Touted as the lowest-rated Super Bowl in a decade, broadcasters and advertisers should possibly pause and reflect on whether this one night of the year is the night of the year whose basket they should put all their eggs in. Or maybe the numbers aren’t that clear cut. The official numbers don’t account for the out-of-home viewers (a.k.a. those of you who watched at a bar) or those who watched on non-TV platforms. And let’s not forget that literally the entire city of New Orleans boycotted the broadcast after a controversial call in their championship game sent them home until next season. Yalo’s resident Saints fan, Scott, will not confirm or deny whether or where he watched the game, but is confident ratings would have been up 300% with Drew Brees on the field.
The Ads
Sure, we saw some familiar faces like Budweiser and Pepsi this year, along with a few new ones like The Washington Post and Bubly. But even with all the celebrity endorsements and high production values, there simply weren’t a lot of wow moments and many of the ads just seemed to be trying too hard. According to USA Today’s Ad Meter, the NFL’s own The 100 Year Game might just have been the best part of the game. A few of our favorite spots included
Hyundai: The Elevator
The “painful experiences” theme really resonated with our crew.
Budweiser: Wind Never Felt Better
Dalmation + Clydesdales + Dylan + Green Initiative = Winner
Expensify: 2 Chainz x Adam Scott
Hey, if 2 Chainz likes it, so do we!
Amazon: Not Everything Makes the Cut
Because dogs would order everything!
But one thing we noticed was all the great music. From Lipps, Inc.’s Funky Town in Pringles to Ludacris’ Stand Up in Mercedes, the music was definitely one facet of Sunday’s show that delivered. So, of course we made a playlist. You’re welcome.
The Experience
Finally, another area that did deliver was the experience in Atlanta. Many of us here were able to get downtown to join in the many festivities over the weekend, along with a million of our closest friends. We played at the Super Bowl Experience, hung out in the fan zone at Super Bowl Live and rocked out to Run the Jewels/Foo Fighters, Cardi B and Bruno Mars.
There were celebrity sightings (David Spade, Odell Beckham, DeSean Jackson and Terrell Davis) and the buzz of fighter jets overhead. The energy around town was incredible. Even Pepsi appreciated the Southern hospitality. And one lucky girl got to see her Tom Brady win the game inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
So despite a lot that didn’t live up to expectations Super Bowl LIII had some worthy silver linings . . . LIV, we’re looking forward to great things from you next year!
KISS kicked off their farewell ‘The End of the Road’ world tour on January 31st in Vancouver. And we couldn’t be more stoked. We can’t wait for them to hit the stage on April 7th in Atlanta with prime viewing from 20 rows back on the floor. Shout it out loud and get ready to rock n’ roll all night, and party every day. Check out the setlist and clips here from Vancouver. Oh and if you are a KISS fan, get your official KISS Wine on our client’s website here!
European & North American Account-Based Marketing Campaign
The Challenge
Metalogix wanted to leverage sponsored whitepaper content to interest new European prospects in its services. But time was of the essence with the European summer holiday on the horizon. Our client needed to make a quick impression or lose an entire month of relationship building. Given that vacation, not data security, was foremost on the minds of these prospects, Metalogix also didn’t want to turn up the pressure so high that their prospects were turned off.
Our Solution
We created a memorable campaign designed to pique interest and gain respect by giving these prospects something they needed right then as a teaser to giving them something they would need later. The idea was to convey that the prospects could relax while on vacation because Metalogix had the answer to data security issues they’d need to solve when they returned.
Each prospect received a mailer fastened with a padlock to bring home the security message. Inside the box was a Metalogix embroidered towel and Polaroid Snap to enjoy while on holiday. A series of personal emails from sales reps and a personalized landing page ensured that Metalogix remained top of mind before and after the summer break, but without a hard sell to schedule a call.
Rave Reviews
Our client successfully engaged C-level executives that had not responded to previous outreach attempts both at existing and new accounts. The response to the European mailer was so positive that a second round of the mailers were created for North America and targeted at a larger audience just 2 months later. In total, 130 mailers were sent (50 in Europe and 80 in the U.S.) and generated 52 new opportunities/leads, which was a 40% boost in new opportunities/leads at the ABM targets. The campaign generated a >2x increase in the pipeline ($2.2M vs. $1M) at the targeted accounts. And average deal sizes increased by 20% with the ABM targets.
For Yalo South, the upcoming week is a big one! With Super Bowl LIII coming to town, Atlanta is looking forward to not only hosting the big game, but also an entire week of events that will showcase our city and the talents of many of our hometown musicians and artists. And we plan to take part in at least some of the festivities.
Super Bowl Live kicks off this Saturday featuring six days of free concerts with Atlanta-based acts like Goodie Mob, Monica, Waka Flocka, Tyler Tritt and Craig Campbell. Next Saturday, Rolling Stone Live will feature performances by Ludacris, Young Thug and Questlove. And as if that weren’t enough, DirecTV Super Saturday Night will feature Foo Fighters and Run the Jewels in a 72,000 sq. ft. venue being erected just for this event.
And while most of the buzz around events has been related to all the amazing music, another quieter project has been making its mark all around the city. A collaboration between the city, the Super Bowl Host Committee and community arts organization WonderRoot, Off the Wall is an art project that aims to showcase Atlanta’s unique culture and history through 30 new murals painted on walls throughout the city, paying homage to Atlanta’s role in the movement for civil and human rights. Learn more about the project and see some of the designs here.
