Home Franchise Concepts (HFC) is one of the largest direct-to-consumer franchise companies in North America, comprised of eight brands including Budget Blinds. HFC was looking for a way that clients could better-visualize their window treatments in their own homes without having to carry around bulky blinds.
Yalo was tasked with developing an augmented reality application for Budget Blinds’ franchisees to use during sales meetings. Clients would then be able to visualize exactly what each of the different blinds would look like inside their home. Seeing is believing when it comes to sales!
Yalo built the AR app, ProView by Budget Blinds, to visualize more than 50 different types of blinds in multiple colors and textures. ProView’s augmented reality marketing approach gives franchisees the opportunity to display Budget Blind’s products directly in the client’s home and workspaces. All visualizations can be scaled to match the window sizes down to 1/8th of an inch for sizing specifications. Integrated directly with the Budget Blinds CRM system, the AR app allows client sessions to be saved, and to send visualized concepts directly to the clients as potent reminders of how great Budget Blinds’ blinds would look in their spaces.
Opening windows. And opportunities. Through Augmented Reality Marketing.
HFC was incredibly excited about the opportunities this app opened for them and has even moved forward with adopting it for another business unit. While testing continues on both apps, Yalo continues to move forward with this innovative approach to solving client issues.
Interested in learning what we can do for your business via leading-edge augmented reality designs or our other App & Web Development services? We would love to have a conversation with you! Scroll down and contact us below. Meet the Yalo tribe here.
IronCraft Attachments, formerly known as Titan Implements and Attachments, provides high quality farming and construction equipment on a global scale.
The challenge was to create a new company name, logo, and supporting marketing assets (website, tradeshow collateral, et al) within 90 days of project start.
THE YALO SOLUTION
Yalo went through its comprehensive discovery process then traveled to the corporate offices in southern Tennessee, working through its unique renaming and brand building process. The two-day onsite involved touring factories and whiteboard sessions in which we collectively arrived at a handful of new name candidates. Over the next few weeks, a new name was selected (IronCraft) and Yalo drove the logo creation, brand color creation and key messaging.
From there, an on-location product photo shoot was needed to capture high-quality content for IronCraft’s brand rollout, producing marketing assets (sales sheets, catalogues, business collateral, social assets) and a Yalo-designed website.
OUTSTANDING BRAND MARKETING RESULTS
Created a cohesive look-and-feel across all brand touch points
Collaborated on strategy for communications launch of new brand
Expedited website design and development, helping build in their CMS environment
Are you ready to bring your brand to life? Let Yalo create impactful, visual storytelling that drives results – we offer creative marketing & branding servicesthat can transform a brand from ordinary to outstanding. Scroll to the bottom of this page and Contact Us to get a productive conversation started.
You know how much fun it is to dress up for Halloween. You can be anything your imagination can create, whether it’s a princess, superhero, zombie or whatever else you want to be! But what if your brand was a Halloween costume?
When you think of your brand, what comes to mind? A logo? A slogan? A color scheme?
What if we took your brand and turned it into a Halloween costume? What would that be like? Would it look the same as what you’re imagining now, or would it be something different entirely?
A brand is so much more than just a logo or a tagline. It has personality and soul, and people respond to this when they recognize their own values in yours. This is why brands are so important; they create meaning for us by connecting us with the feelings and ideas they evoke in us (and hopefully not just at Halloween).
Halloween Costumes featuring fast food mascots. Credit: Michael Thompson
When you dress up for Halloween, think about the elements that you choose to make up your costume. These elements help others understand who you are (or who you want to be seen as) — whether it’s a zombie, pirate, vampire, or whatever it may be.
The costume analogy can help you really hone in on the key elements of your brand marketing strategy – and ultimately how you want to show up in the marketplace. It’s a good way to think about your brand as a whole, but it also gives you an opportunity to identify your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities.
Start by identifying the elements of your brand costume. You don’t have to overthink this part. Just jot down the first pieces that come to mind (don’t worry about quality or order just yet). Think about all of the ways you communicate with others – even those outside of your industry – this includes things like your website, brochures, email signature, social media profiles and more.
Next, consider how each one builds upon or supports another aspect of your brand identity and what it communicates about who you are or what values matter most to you as a person and professional?
Your brand is what you want it to be. It’s a costume that you can change or create, depending on your mood and the occasion. Think about how your brand would dress up for Halloween, and maybe use that as inspiration!
Remember that you’re in charge of how people perceive your brand—and all they need is an image or experience to form their opinion of it. Keep this in mind when designing new products, or launching new campaigns.
Don’t forget to share your costume ideas with us on Facebook or tag us on Instagram!
And if this exercise in creative thinking has your brain working overtime, consider contacting Yalo for some expertise with your brand marketing strategy. We’d love to dress you up for success in the marketplace!
Halloween is a great opportunity for brands to creatively connect with their customers, from Mausoleum pop-up stores to selling garlic-sauce talisman necklaces. Even celebrities such as Keke Palmer are participating in this year’s Halloween-themed campaigns.
Here’s a look at a few spooktacular strategies. ????
Heinz released new versions of its condiments designed for Vampire Influencers—Black Garlic Mayo and Tomato Blood Ketchup.
To promote these new variants, the brand partnered with Toby, a 280-year-old vampire influencer, who prefers to drink Tomato Blood Ketchup over human blood. Heinz will also open a store in the middle of the Boldu-Cretuleasca forest, in Romania, on Halloween, and will only be open from midnight to 1 a.m. Those who visit the store will be gifted with a sample of the Black Garlic Mayo. ????????♂️
PAPA JOHNS
Papa Johns launched a garlic sauce talisman necklace for Halloween. The campaign sees Papa Johns resurrect its ‘80s horror film parody series, “Jack!,” with the launch of its first-ever piece of jewelry—the Stranger Bling necklace is a nod to Netflix’s hit “Stranger Things“. ????
UBER EATS
https://youtu.be/nJfMGntAs9k
Actress Keke Palmer partnered with Uber Eats to deliver a new horror short, “Don’t Run Out,” with $1 million worth of discount codes hidden in it.
The video sees a trio of friends who, on Halloween night, realize that they’re running low on candy. Palmer’s character explains how one family vanished on Halloween after the same thing happened to them, as she rushes to order more on Uber Eats. The friends all split up, each pursued by a masked figure in the shadows, later revealing itself at the end.
CHEETOS
Chester Cheetah and Cheetos are taking their antics to virtual reality this Halloween. Cheetos unveiled Chesterville, a new, digital suburban neighborhood and the first exciting venture into virtual reality for the brand.
“This is a significant moment for both the brand and the portfolio as we broaden the ways we engage with fans, inviting them to experience Cheetos in an entirely new way,” said Stacy Taffet, senior VP of marketing for Frito-Lay, the parent company of Cheetos.
The goal is to gain access to the spooky mansion atop Cheetos Hill. Once inside the mansion, fans can unlock a chance to vote for their favorite “ghost of Cheetos’ past” and help bring a no-longer-available flavor back to life in the real world. Fans will choose from one of three favorite flavors to resurrect for a limited run: Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Chipotle Ranch, Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Pepper Puffs or Cheetos Nashville Hot snacks. ????
TWIX
https://youtu.be/yO2RW2HpbSg
If Halloween had a mascot.. it would definitely be chocolate.
Since 2012, Twix has delivered ad campaigns focused on the left and right sides of their chocolate bars. ????
Features of Right Twix
The caramel content is lesser in the Right Twix than the left Twix, and the cookie is a bit darker towards the middle.
The Right Twix is written in white color on the red label.
It tastes great as it is made from superior ingredients.
Features of Left Twix
It contains an added layer of caramel and a lighter cookie to absorb it.
The name Left Twix is written in red color on the white label.
It also tastes sweet as it is made from finer ingredients.
Need more spooky inspiration? Here is a compilation of 10 of the best Halloween Commercial Ads ever, including Burger King, Nike, LG, Skoda, Mars, Snickers, IKEA and Booking.com.
COMPILATION OF SOME OF THE BEST HALLOWEEN ADS
These commercials are fun and boo-tiful examples of creative branding and marketing that leverage our collective participation in a holiday experience. Have you ever considered how your brand might benefit from such an exercise at a certain time of the year? Allow Yalo to help you mine the possibilities – creative marketing campaigns are what we’re all about. Please scroll down to the page bottom and click the Contact Us button to start a conversation.
Skinnygirl is a brand under the B&G family dedicated to providing the highest quality low calorie product options to consumers, including dressings, preserves, and snacks. As the Skinnygirl brand continues to grow, they are expanding their business into the Canadian markets. This created the need for a brand awareness push which included a Canadian website.
The challenge was website design & development that would include both an English and French version. The French version needed to be fully translated and match the exact design of the English version of the website—all within a 30-day timeframe.
Translation? Working smarter and faster.
The Yalo team started by working with the client to get a feel for their wants and needs when it came to the new website. Once we decided on the look for the website, Yalo’s development team began building out the English version—while the translators simultaneously worked on the French translation. This strategy saved the Skinnygirl team time and allowed the English site to go live in the interim—meaning faster promotion of products.
We then had to merge the French and English versions into a seamless experience that the user could flip back and forth between with ease. The result? Two websites in one that stay true to the brand, all in a—rather skinny—timeline.
Interested in what Yalo can do for your website design & development needs? Please scroll to the bottom of this page and click the Contact Us button to get started. You’ll be saying “Merci” in no time at all!
Do you ever wonder what your shoes say about you? Who would’ve guessed that the way we dress our feet could reveal so much about who we are? Well, it turns out that they do! Your shoe style can tell us a lot more than just how much time you spend at the gym or if you’re into fashion trends.
So why are shoes so meaningful? Well for starters, they can be used as an outlet for self-expression. From glittery stilettos to sneakers and everything in between—shoes can help tell others about your personality or mood depending on what kind of shoe or sandal you choose to wear on any given day.
The Yalo Tribe is known for its Soul but now let’s look at their Soles. Here are the results from our recent favorite shoe poll:
Leading the pack for the sports and outdoors category is our own CEO Arnold Huffman with his custom Yalo kicks.
Eric, Rachel, and Brian are all on the sports and outdoors train
Tim, Giselle, and Jeff… bike, skate, and jump
Nick, Kate, and Robert are kicking it up a notch
Lance, Kenny, and Brandon are brand loyalists repping Nike
Denise and EJ are our resident Business Fashionistas
So what are your favorite pair of shoes? Here is some musical inspiration to help you decide!
Blue Suede Shoes – Elvis Dancing Shoes – Arctic Monkeys Old Brown Shoe – The Beatles No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem – Kenny C Boot Scootin’ Boogie – Brooks & Dunn Head Over Boots – Jon Pardi Nike’s On My feet – Mac Miller Nikes – Frank Ocean Just Kickin’ It – Xscape
As you can tell by how we bare our soles, we’re not the typical creative design and marketing agency. We’re full of outside-the-shoebox ideas, and we use them to make our clients more successful every day. From marketing communications and branding to website design & development and video & animation, we’re unde-feeted when it comes to design and delivery. Scroll down a bit and contact us – let’s have a conversation and rock the world together.
B&G Foods has more than 50 brands of household-name packaged and canned foods, including several maple syrup brands. They wanted a redesigned website for Maple Grove Farms Maple Syrup to support the new packaging’s look and feel that incorporated the new watercolor logo and labels depicting the original Maple Grove Farm in Vermont.
A storybook syrup
Working closely with the Maple Grove Farms brand manager and B&G Foods Ecommerce Team, Yalo leveraged the new motif into a storybook look and feel with animation for the new branding. The design was incorporated into all the product pages, recipes, history of the brand, sustainability, museum page, and a store locator for consumers.
Yalo delivered design wireframes, built out the Maple Grove Farms Maple Syrup site on WordPress CMS, and tested and deployed the new site on time and on budget. In the end, Yalo designed and created more than 70 total pages that elevated the brand site to reflect B&G Foods’ wishes to present a high-quality product and polished, cohesive brand site. Our UI/UX designers and creative team outdid themselves on this sweet website project and we’re delighted at the tasty results. Pancakes, please?
The end of summer marks a transition into the fall season, and it’s an important time to consider the changes that come with it. In marketing, this means considering how your brand can stay relevant during such a busy time of year—and whether or not your strategy needs updating.
With that in mind, here are some top trends we expect will dominate marketing conversations as August begins.
Adapting Media Mixes To Changing Consumer Habits
In addition to demanding the content they want, where they want it, and when they want it, consumers also expect that content to be interconnected. That’s where we start to see cohesion become critical across media platforms, and media start to blend into other sectors. Adjust your media mix to adapt to massively changing consumer habits.
Personalizing Branding According to Customer Behaviors
If brands want to stay ahead of the curve, they need to get on the personalization train. The surge in online interactions since the onset of the pandemic escalated expectations—giving consumers more exposure to the personalization practices of e-commerce leaders and raising the bar for everyone else. From web to mobile and in-person interactions, consumers now view personalization as the default standard for engagement.
Aligning Brand Practices With Consumers’ Values
Today’s discerning customers have high expectations from the brands they choose to associate with and they are actively making choices based on brands’ alignment with their personal values. A purpose, rather than a promise, moves consumers to align themselves with a brand.
Telling Micro Stories
With TikTok,Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, everyone’s attention span is getting shorter and shorter. We need to be able to hook people in the first three seconds – helping people understand the story by fixing down its key turning points. This is the approach screenwriters have been using for decades, and it works very well.
Exploring The New Frontier Of The Metaverse
The Metaverse and Web3 are the future of the internet. This multifaceted extension of our physical reality, where gaming, social networks, unconventional presences and crypto converge to create new avenues is creating new opportunities for businesses with a curious digital mindset.
We know there are many different marketing strategies to choose from and we want to help you find what works best for your business. By understanding what your audience wants and how they consume content, we can ensure that your brand will grow successfully. Yalo knows brands, and we work tirelessly to build marketing campaigns that help our clients to rock in their perspective industries.
Want to find out what we can do for your brand? Let’s have an intro conversation and then take over the world together. Contact us at the bottom of this page, or via our simple online form. Don’t forget to sign-up for our emails directly below – you wouldn’t want to miss our consultative and cultural commentaries on Pop Culture, would you?
For many of us, summertime is synonymous with vacation—whether it’s a week at the beach or an hour on the porch. It’s also a time for reading and catching up on books you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t had the time. If you’re looking for a book that will help you grow as a person in addition to helping pass the time, consider Yalo’s Ultimate Summer Reading List for 2022. We’ve taken the guesswork out of what books are actually worth your time by compiling this list of titles that can impact your life while they entertain you.
Great story about focus, effort and persistence that results in tremendous success not only as a musician but his life has been enriched by putting himself in the right place at the right time meeting rock icons like Elton, Joan Jett, Lemmy, McCartney, and so many more. Not to mention being a part of not just 1 HoF band but 2! He is manically hard working and loves every minute of it.
Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is.
Sunken WWII wolfpack submarine 70 miles off of New Jersey, dangerous 230 foot depths, narcosis depths, government coverups and rewriting history, what is not to like??? This is a riveting true adventure in which two weekend scuba divers risk everything to solve a great historical mystery–and make history themselves.
In a Tokyo suburb, a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife’s missing cat—and then for his wife as well—in a netherworld beneath the city’s placid surface. As these searches intersect, he encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists. Gripping, prophetic, and suffused with comedy and menace, this is one of Haruki Murakami’s most acclaimed and beloved novels.
Driven by a passion to understand how nature works and to turn discoveries into inventions, Jennifer Doudna would help to make the most important biological advance since the codiscovery of the structure of DNA. She and her collaborators turned a curiosity of nature into an invention that will transform the human race: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA. Known as CRISPR, it opened a brave new world of medical miracles and moral questions.
Douglas Adams’s mega-selling pop-culture classic sends logic into orbit, plays havoc with both time and physics, offers up pithy commentary on such things as ballpoint pens, potted plants, and digital watches . . . and, most important, reveals the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything.
A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure and a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner.
In this entertaining and wise book, Kyle reflects on what he discovered about freeing ourselves from the pain of the past. “This story involves multiple Viking funerals, thousands of square feet of cardboard, and enough hot glue to supply your mother-in-law’s craft night for the rest of time,” he writes. “But it also involves regret, self-doubt, insecurity, and ultimately, redemption. So buckle up. It’s about to get bumpy.”
In This Is Your Brain on Food, Dr. Naidoo draws on cutting-edge research to explain the many ways in which food contributes to our mental health, and shows how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues. Packed with fascinating science, actionable nutritional recommendations, and 40 delicious, brain-healthy recipes, This Is Your Brain on Food is the go-to guide to optimizing your mental health with food.
When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.
BJ FOGG is here to change your life—and revolutionize how we think about human behavior. Based on twenty years of research and Fogg’s experience coaching more than 40,000 people, Tiny Habits cracks the code of habit formation. With breakthrough discoveries in every chapter, you’ll learn the simplest proven ways to transform your life. Fogg shows you how to feel good about your successes instead of bad about your failures.
Now that we have listed all of our favorite books, it is time to get reading! If you think you don’t have enough time for a full book, pick up a short story or article online. You can find anything from a meditation on life to a guide on how to be an effective leader in your industry. The summer is the perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy yourself while learning something new—so be sure to make the most out of it with our recommendations!
Would you like to comment on our reviews above, or tell us what you thought about the book you read from the selections by our Yalo team? Tell us on our Facebook page, or leave a message using our Contact Us form easily. Thanks for reading, and for Reading too!
Marketing & Branding Campaigns That Worked Like A Charm
On St. Patrick’s Day, “Everybody’s Irish” and it’s sure to attract an online crowd! Here are 7 lucky branding & marketing campaigns that are striking gold!
Friendliest Day Of The Year
It would have been impossible to start this post off without a nod to Guinness, a brand that goes hand-in-hand with St. Patrick’s Day. With the creation of an interactive infographic, Guinness championed friends and families coming together and making St. Patrick’s Day “the friendliest day of the year”. To top things off, they entered the book of world records for successfully creating the friendliest day of the year. Selling pints is one thing; creating folklore, a feeling of community, and a lasting reputation for your brand is invaluable.
Getting Shamrocked
Get ready to get ShamRocked at Hard Rock Cafe this St. Paddy’s Day!
The pot of gold at the end of this rainbow is the all-new St. Paddy’s Shake, an Instagram-worthy shake that combines Absolut® Vanilla vodka, creamy vanilla ice cream, Oreo® cookies, a touch of mint and homemade white chocolate whipped cream before being topped with rainbow candy ribbons and gold star sprinkles.
In addition to the St. Paddy’s Shake, those looking to sink their teeth into gold can order the Guinness® & Bacon Jam Cheeseburger, a half-pound burger topped with Jameson® bacon jam and Guinness® cheese sauce, crisp lettuce and vine-ripened tomato, served on a toasted bun with a side of seasoned fries.
Beer. Doughnuts.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, fans of Krispy Kremecan get a free O’riginal Glazed Doughnut — i.e., a green-dyed glazed doughnut — just by dressing up in green and showing up at a participating shop. Guests can redeem one doughnut each on March 16 and 17, no purchase necessary.
Not content with just one doughnut? Krispy Kreme is currently also offering its St. Patrick’s Day Collection, which includes four different St. Paddy’s-themed doughnuts decorated with rainbows, shamrocks, and the perpetually wide-eyed face of a bearded leprechaun.
Make It A Double
This Saint Patrick’s Day, Jameson Irish Whiskey will pay whiskey loving imbibers to make it a double — a double holiday, that is. After two years of St. Patrick’s Day cancellations, Jameson is encouraging fans to make up for lost time and celebrate on both the 17th and the 18th in 2022. To incentivize them, Jameson will award thousands who take the two-day pledge with cash and a full Irish breakfast through UberEats to help fuel the fun—responsibly, of course—for 48 hours.
McMagic
A brand knows it has found a pot of gold when it creates organic hype around a product. McDonald’shas the financial muscle to flex it with the best of them when it comes to marketing, but all it took was a St. Patrick’s Day themed milkshake to send the internet into a frenzy.
Every year McDonald’s releases its Shamrock Shake in the month leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. The shake is essentially a mint chocolate chip milkshake, but adding the Irish-theme creates an aura around it—and people want to get their hands on the shake.
Puzzle Me This
Wordle be damned…here comes SEMrush. They came at St Paddy’s Day creatively, choosing to create a crossword puzzle challenge for followers to win Irish-themed wares.
With their key audience consisting of marketers and small businesses that want to build their reputation online, the challenge of a crossword struck a chord and grabbed the attention of their 100,00-plus social following.
The Guinness gift set prize was an extra incentive to get people on board, in what was already a clever marketing ploy. That people still hold the campaign in such high esteem two years after its initial conception goes to show how marketing efforts around big events can create longevity.
Imbibe And Stay Alive
Although alcohol is an expected offering on this of all days, it isn’t the only voice out there. There’s also a voice of reason running about, reminding everyone of the importance of having designated drivers – and that’s the folks at the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. This year, their Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving campaign seeks to keep parade and party goers safe.
Ready to try your luck at an innovative marketing campaign? We write the book on them every day. Let’s have a beer and create something memorable! Reach out to Yalo below to get started with your own luck o’ the Irish.
It was great watching the Foo Fighters concert on my couch in VR Sunday night after the big game! While there were a few glitches getting into the event, users were treated to a front row concert experience with the ability to interact with others watching the show. I decided to mute other attendees to focus on the music, but could see that being fun, especially if a group of friends were also there. The setting reminded me of the first time I saw Foo Fighters live at the Masquerade in Atlanta, GA when they first started touring in the 90s, minus the moshing.
This particular show was filmed in 180 degrees versus 360, which means half of the venue was streaming video and the other was filled with a 3D venue environment that one could move around in and move up-and-down between balconies to get the best view. There were also several cameras setup, so the viewpoint of the band would change throughout the show to keep it interesting for viewers.
The video played back well and the sound was great. Dave Grohl and team rocked out a 45 minute set, which was above-and-beyond for a free concert!
Not only featured in Meta’s Horizon Venues in the Quest 2 VR headset, the concert was also live streamed on Facebook and Instagram. This is a great strategy as the VR user base grows to reach the greatest number of fans.
Overall, had a great time and am looking forward to more immersive concerts from the comfort of home.
Didn’t make the show? Not to worry—you’ll be able to catch the replay over the next month via an Always On room in Venues or on Oculus TV.
Interested in learning more about how you can leverage the Metaverse, and all things AR/VR? We can help! Yalo offers virtual reality design and implementation services as part of our marketing and branding expertise in Atlanta, Cleveland and across America. Reach us below and let’s talk about how to get your VR campaign rock and rolling.
The metaverse is a shared virtual space composed of user-created virtual spaces united into a virtual universe. The spaces own unique attributes for economies, currency, digital assets, and avatars. Each space requires a user to enter it, to experience it, and exists whether a user enters or not. The space exists and operates independent of the outside world and other virtual spaces. Each virtual space supports interaction for users within the space.
“Metaverse is a working term for cyberspace that enables users to “live” within a digital universe with the help of next-gen technologies.” (“A Beginner’s Guide to the Metaverse | HackerNoon”)
Why?
Metaverse interactions enable in-person connection and communication anytime, anywhere, virtually. The vision is that metaverse will service and support a virtual space’s economy. An economy that will be selective on supporting business building, commerce and virtual networking for work, training, and family events. Picture entering the International Bazaar (virtual space) to get outfitted for a return to fitness running. You (your avatar) connect with your personal assistant (avatar) who knows your health history and preferences and has prioritized which brands within the Bazaar you should try. With your digital twin you try on different shoe models and gear and take them for a test run checking fit. The personal assistant confirms your choice and enters your orders. This stresses a key point, the metaverse is more than gamification.
“Even though it was initially marketed as a new kind of massively multi-player online game the OASIS quickly evolved into a new way of life” Ready Player One.
This new way of life will afford the opportunity of bridging the physical and virtual worlds for entertainment, travel, working, and business creation.
How?
The companies that are leading in creating a metaverse solution are consistent in the stack of services for delivering a solution. Even with the metaverse being in its infancy, the service stack has emerged with seven layers.
Infrastructure – cloud computing and telecommunications needed to build the higher levels
Human Interface – hardware for metaverse access (mobile, VR headsets, haptics, smart glasses)
Spatial Computing – software 3D object rendering and interaction
Decentralization – tools promoting planning/decision-making with limited or no central control
Discover – how potential users find out about a virtual space
Experience- level of engagement, why users would come into a virtual space
Next-Gen technologies chosen by layer will deliver the capabilities necessary to meet metaverse expectations.
When?
Metaverse is in its infancy. Metaverse maturity level can be assessed by the building tool set availability and the sophistication of current metaverse offerings.
Unity – 3D engine for gaming and metaverse experiences complement by digital assets from their Asset Store.
Epic Games – in addition to owning games and sponsoring metaverse events, Unreal Engine is a 3D engine, design studio and asset marketplace.
Roblox – Supporting creators with a design platform with 3 D engine and marketplace for sharing assets and code.
Metaverses offerings that exist:
Cryptovoxesls – Origin City’s decentralization and currency (ETH) are powered by the Ethereum blockchain. The provided editing tools, avatar, and text chat support land purchase, and building stores and art galleries.
Decentraland – Decentralization and currency (MANA) are powered by the Ethereum blockchain. There is a marketplace where digital assets (real estate (LAND), wearables, avatar names) are managed, traded, and purchased.
Sandbox – space focuses on unleashing gaming creativity by providing a platform for construction, ownership, and monetization of virtual experiences. Non-Fungible Tokens allow verifiable ownership of in-game assets.
Somnium Space – The Ethereum platform supports an economy with decentralized marketplaces and tokenization of virtual land, assets, and experiences.
Is It for Real?
If the following is only 50% accurate, Metaverse progress and use has to be taken seriously.
Matthew Ball, CEO of Venture Capital firm Epyllion, believes that the metaverse economy could value between $10-30 trillion in the next decade
2022 and Beyond: 5 Marketing Trends to Set Your Brand Up for Success
The marketing world moves at the speed of thought. And, in 2021, we saw just how quickly the marketing industry can evolve. Here are the top 5 Trends we are excited about for 2022.
Web 3.0 is Here and Rapidly Evolving Brand Marketing
Get on board or get left behind. Nothing in the past few decades is going to shake up consumer brand marketing and selling as much as Web 3.0. Brands that secure their place in the new 3.0 universe will be ahead of the curve since they are learning and participating as the landscape evolves. This new digital retail landscape will allow consumers to experience everything from trying on a new outfit, test-driving the latest luxury car, to being part of a brand’s community. All of these experiences are quickly becoming part of the new customer journey.
Social Selling Continues to Takeover
The most active social site for brands to sell is … Pinterest. Which goes against what other social sites want us to believe. The app allows users to curate and sell a lifestyle. With Gen Z becoming more active users for the app, the sky is the limit for brands on Pinterest. Why is this important? Pinterest still only ranks as the 14th most popular social media app. All marketers need to embrace social selling across multiple channels and apps to continue to engage with key customers and prospects when and where they are searching for your brand. From shoppable stories on Instagram to shoppable Pins on Pinterest, being able to purchase in app is just as crucial as the social influencers brands partner with. Ease of purchase and the social clout of purchase are equally important as social selling continues to take over the shopping experience.
Digital Native Brands Will Continue to Disrupt the Marketplace
Supply chain issues aside, the true disruption in consumer brand marketing is the continued rise in digital native brands. With digital native brands growing almost three times as fast as traditional brands, all brands must have a digital first approach when engaging with consumers. Gone are the days of push-pull advertising and marketing programs. In addition to product innovation, Digital native brands are evolving marketing to include the use of social audio to drive engagement, augmented reality to experience a product, and customer service becoming a social first channel.
Jumbled words; messy layouts; unique spelling of names … all design choices that go against the grain. As brands look to stand out on shelf and online, disrupting the normal design tenets through strong creative expressions will be common in the next year. Stand out and sell out … that’s our slogan for the next few months.
Cohesive Multi-Touchpoint Customer Journeys are the Norm
The old customer playbook is dead and should be buried in a time capsule for future generations to laugh at us about how smart we thought we were. Learning about and researching a product prior to and after purchase can be done in a car, at home in front of the TV, in store, or wherever consumers have access to a smart device. TikTok and OnlyFans are becoming two of the fastest growing sales channels for traditional brands. CPG marketing must begin to make cohesiveness the center of all campaigns to proactively share the right narrative, as well as mitigating any consumer issues. A great example of this is Fly By Jing – you really need to give it try!
What did We Learn from Some of Pop Culture’s Biggest Moments in 2021?
Wow, where did 2021 go! It seems like only yesterday we were navigating how to celebrate the holidays in the middle of a pandemic. As we are reflecting on lessons learned, life lived, laughs earned, we were struck by a few key pop-culture moments that brands can learn from to drive business and loyalty, as well as set a course for continued growth.
Remix and Remaster to Deepen Loyalty
Is there anyone on the planet that has not heard at least one new version of an old Taylor Swift song in the past few months. Like her or loather her, she is a genius at reinventing her songs in new and relevant ways to connect with a new generation of listeners and reinvigorate her base. I am sure you watched the 10-minute version of All To Well – and felt a little bad for Jake G.
Brands need to follow her lead in being brave enough to look at core brand attributes (logo, mission, value proposition) and reinvent to engage with today’s audiences. Brands also can go back to the proverbial well, dust off some memorable campaigns or products for today’s audiences. Just remember, nostalgia doesn’t mean old.
The new Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce that Popeyes introduced to go with its fried-chicken sandwich and nuggets. (Aaron Hutcherson/The Washington Post)
Expect Unexpected Partnerships to Gain New Customers
If you missed it, Megan Thee Stallion had a partnership with Popeye’s and Little Nas X is Taco Bell’s Chief Impact Officer. Megan’s unexpected partnership was more than a limited menu item; it included “Hottie Sauce,” branded merchandise, and a six-figure donation from the QSR chain to a local Houston Charity that the singer is passionate about. Are you asking yourself why artists at the apex of their success would partner with a QSR chain. It simple – every brand and every artist, athlete, musician are new reciprocal awareness channels when executed correctly. Both brand and individual celebrity raises chatter, drives awareness, and increases sales with unconventional partnerships.
Brands can grow their sales and reputation by exploring new partnerships that align with a key prospect group. BUT, these new celebrity partnerships have to be executed in fresh, organic ways. Consumers are craving authenticity from brand partnerships rather than a celebrity showing up in a commercial or a product being featured in a movie or video.
Experiences Matter to New and Loyal Customers
We really hope no one got fired for this. But let’s be honest, the 2021 Channel Advent Calendar, albeit well intentioned, was a fail on a global scale. Stickers? Really Channel. (PS – We’re still trying to find the mythical Prada Advent Calendar – any leads would be appreciated. ????)
We won’t belabor the reasons why some promotional activities backfire, but we will point out that experiences with a brand still matter. And for the folks in the back row that did not hear, we will say it one more time –Experiences. Still. Matter. And we could argue that brand experiences matter more now that in the recent past.
Brands must think through, update, and challenge themselves on the experiences they are providing. Big and small. Experiences from unboxing to behind-the-scenes to once-in-a-lifetime getaways are currency in todays digital world.
The Story Still Matters to Customers (and media) and So Does the Channel
Free Britney. Simone Biles. Richard Branson. We are sure each one of these names brings a story flooding back into your mind. We all can remember where we were when we first heard at least one update on each. And we could have named many other stories that would illicit the same response. Why? Because each of these individuals shared their honest, true, transparent and organic story. On their terms. When they wanted. And by doing so, each embraced by the public.
What can brands learn? Tell their stories honestly and allow consumers to become part of the story. Brands have one of the biggest stages – their social media accounts – to tell their layered brand story how and when they choose. One sizes does not fit all in today’s multi-channel, multi-audience world.
What were your favorite moments in film, art, music, and sports this year? Share them with us on Facebook – we’d like to read your memories.
Want to make something commercial and creative at the same time that causes your business brand to stand-out from the masses? Yalo can help you out – it’s what we’re here for 365 days a year. Please reach-out to us below!
You always know that spooky season is around the corner when the big brands start to get involved. When TV spots start to get autumnal, something wicked this way comes!
Here are 5 Fangtastic ads to keep you inspired this holiday season:
McDonald’s
If you’re a horror fan, then you’ve got absolutely no choice but to stan these incredibly genius McDonald’s ads featuring everyone’s favorite holiday.
2. Skittles
Skittles ‘House that Trick or Treats You’ aims to bring the magic of Halloween back to those that can’t trick or treat. Functioning as a mobile house, the ‘Skittles House that Trick or Treats You’ activation travels to your front door to deliver candy.
3. M&Ms
Ghosted: This year, M&Ms wanted to create a new spot to continue the excitement around Halloween and surprise fans in a colorful new way that brings humor to one of the scariest nights of the year by sharing a comedic, M&M’s take on the classic ghost story.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=c1_jPveBfxg
4. Guinness
A rare full moon brought a treat to the skies for Halloween.
5. Geico
When you’re in a horror movie, you might make poor decisions. Let’s hide behind the chainsaws – said no one ever.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fs5FWIUqu20
Need to scare up some ideas for your brand this Halloween? You can Count on the Guys and Gouls at Yalo! ???? Reach us here – Boo-yah!
Here’s what makes her a great agency partner (and superhero advocate).
She knows her heroes’ strengths and tailor-makes assets based on THEIR SPECIFIC super power (elasticity, speed, invisibility, etc.)
To stand out, you have to figure out how to create a fully custom experience – from the design, to the ease of use, to the items you offer, and how you can make them unique. If customers can get the exact item or service they want from you, they will come back again and again.
Everything is on brand–the super suits come in different sizes and functionality, but they are all a part of the INCREDIBLES design family.
Keeping your brand consistent allows it to be more immediately recognizable within your industry and with your target audience. Building a recognizable brand can take a lot of time, but your brand can quickly be distinguishable by adhering to your brand guidelines.
She creates things for her clients they don’t know they need yet.
This kind of proactive customer support is not just a nice-to-have, it’s something customers have come to expect. More than 50% of customers in a survey said they expect companies to anticipate their needs and make appropriate suggestions before they even ask for help.
She says, “Dah-ling.” Every good agency has a quirk that makes them special and memorable to work with.
A brand quirk is a feature or attribute that does nothing to enhance the performance of the product or service, but provides a unique point of differentiation. In areas where the delivery may be considered a commodity, differentiation is at a premium. This is where the value or a ‘quirk’ may be really telling – it ups the ‘Quirk Quotient’.
She’s their biggest fan. That’s right–great agencies make your costume (ie. brand, strategy, marketing) and then congratulate you for saving the day.
Excellent customer service is a competitive advantage. The intersection of business strategy, brand and customer experience provides you the ability to delight and amaze your customers.
In celebration of National IPA Day we are sharing our favorite ideas for beer sales and promotions. Categories include: Contests and sweepstakes, promotions, on-site and online activities, and charitable initiatives.
“Our public Hop College program is one of the main ways we bring beer education and an elevated tasting experience to our customers, so we thought we’d create a bite-sized version of one of those programs that could be easily accessed from home. Because we just launched our flagship Dortmunder Gold Lager in cans, it made for a perfect Hop College at Home 101 course. A little history, a little style education and some fun stories accompany a guided tasting of one of our most iconic beers.”
Kicking off in October, craft brewers from states around the nation handcrafted a signature charity beer, Rising Hope, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting NPCF.
From Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, for every Urban Underdog Dinner Pack sold at UCBC’s Grove Brewery & Bierhall, the pet experts at Purina donated $10 to the Petfinder Foundation to help local shelter pets and the organizations that serve them. The campaign in total aimed to raise $25,000, which will be shared among shelters in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Rogue Ales & Spirits celebrated the 30th anniversary of its flagship beer Dead Guy Ale by challenging fans to ‘Paint the Can Dead’ by creating their own original Dead Guy can art.
Paruzal games are not only cool, they are pandemic appropriate. The Denver-based internet business basically brings the escape room experience into your house. While the business seems like a reaction to Covid-19, it actually started in 2019, and its premise is now perfect for our collective homebound lifestyles.
One fun thing in this horribly un-fun year was seeing all the new, inventive ways craft breweries are trying to connect with customers. If they can’t come to the taproom, bring the taproom to them. For its sixth anniversary celebration, Las Vegas’ CraftHaus Brewery hosted its usual awesome birthday bash, complete with a concert by local rock trio, The Dirty Hooks. But they also put together a tasting kit for fans to enjoy virtually.
With social distancing and the closure of bars and restaurants across the country, some breweries are trying to revive that community spirit in virtual hangouts. Our favorite approach thus far is Urban South Brewery‘s live web”BEER”nar concept. Customers were sent an invite to sample a handful of specialty beers and learn more about the intent behind the beers directly from Alex Flores, Head Brewer at Urban South Brewery, from the comfort of their quarantine.
It’s the lazy, hazy, dog days of summer. People go on vacation, business slows down, and you take a moment to catch your breath especially after the year we’ve all had.
Many businesses are doggy paddling through this seasonal lull. So we came up with a few marketing & communications suggestions to make the best of the pause.
Refresh Your Messaging
Last year, many companies focused on work from home or quarantine-related campaigns. While that may still be some customers’ reality, it is time to develop hybrid marketing messages that reach the full spectrum of your consumer base. Sometimes your business may require revisiting your Message House. The Message House determines your key message(s) and how pieces of your story work together to express that idea. It will be the starting point for any future work and the measure by which ideas are validated. The message house will clearly articulate a value proposition to potential and current customers that is differentiated and meaningful.
Update or Create a Content Calendar
Use the Summer months to create a Content Calendar for the remainder of the year. Your calendar may be organized on a weekly, monthly, or on a six-month basis, depending on your marketing needs. The main benefit from having a content calendar is that planning ahead saves you time, energy, and money in the long run.
When planning your content calendar, you need to:
Identify content that reinforces your message house
Identify relevant and timely topics that are directly related to your company’s messaging goals
Assign specific topics to specific months over the coming year for greater impact
Next, establish the type of content you want to publish. This may include:
E-books Case studies Opinion pieces Landing pages Podcasts
Blog posts Videos Newsletters Presentations Memes
Then – schedule, schedule, schedule!
Clean-Up Your Marketing Database
This is not a fun or glamorous project, but it’s one of the most important and most frequently overlooked aspects of an effective marketing communication strategy. The slower pace of business in Summer provides a great opportunity to clean up / improve your database of clients, prospects and referral sources.
The most obvious groups of contacts that you need to get rid of are your unsubscribes and bounced emails. You should take a look at engagement metrics to decide whether bounced emails deserve to stay within your database. There are many reasons for emails to bounce: mistyped emails, bogus emails, very strict spam filters, etc. Each of those reasons requires a different solution.
Lastly, you have to identify and merge duplicate contacts within your database. People don’t like to be targeted twice for the same offer, so merging duplicates will help improve the experience of your prospects through the nurturing process.
Doggone it.. now you are on your way!
If you need support creating a Message House, Marketing Calendar, or building an effective Email Campaign, be sure to reach out to the Tribe at Yalo. We’ll help you to make this time a pause that refreshes.
Getting someone to take action after reading your post, ad, etc. is a true skill and a sign of a talented marketer.
You can have all the right pieces in place…from a killer headline to an amazing article, but if it doesn’t result in action, is it worth it?
Here are 5 effective principles for writing a better Call-to-Action (CTA)
What is your goal? When writing CTAs, start with an end goal in mind. What action do you want your audience to take?
Who is your audience? Knowing your audience goes deeper than creating a random marketing persona.
Create a sense of urgency FOMO is real. Without a sense of urgency, your audience would most likely not take any form of action.
Strike a balance between creativity and simplicity Don’t try to be too smart or witty by using phrases or words your audience doesn’t know.
Because I said so In 1978, Harvard professor Ellen Langer carried out a study that showed the power of using the word “because”. Instead of just telling people to do something, tell them why they should do it.
Check out the Learning Hub for more great examples. And check out Yalo’s Marketing Communications Services when you want help with digital and analog copywriting, content and strategy that urges your readers to take the Next Step.
When it comes to lead generation on your website, it all starts with one page; the homepage.
Not only does your homepage set the tone for a good (or poor) user experience, it can also mean the difference between a lead and zilch.
As you know, a good homepage should include a strong CTA and be tested with a few different elements.
Here are 4 tactics to consider to optimize your homepage.
Opt-In forms and gated content: Gated content is all about capturing a lead. Offer something of value to visitors on these pages in return for their contact information. E-books or whitepapers are another example of gated content that you can offer to visitors. Remember to keep your opt-in form short and sweet – name and email should suffice.
Chatbots:Chatbots offer a non-threatening first engagement with your users. If your chatbot is able to help a potential customer, there’s a good chance you’ll get a lead from it. Make sure you program your chatbot to sound as human as possible.
SEO: With over 3 billion searches a day on Google, you’d be foolish not to rely on SEO tactics. While the days of keyword stuffing are long gone, don’t sleep on quality, relevant content that’s updated regularly. It may take some time, but it’ll make a difference.
Referral system: How much is a lead worth to you? Some companies offer a discount to previous customers for coughing up a friend’s email address. Do keep a close eye on the KPIs to see if a referral strategy works for your business.
