If you were an 80’s kid, you may have missed the birth of Hip Hop in the 70’s because you were too young, but you didn’t miss out on the RISE of Hip Hop, and its Golden Era of the 80’s. The world was exposed to a mind-bending, rapidly-expanding genre of music and culture emerging from the urban core of New York City.  New York City was already the mecca for basketball (Madison Square Garden and Rucker Park). But now there was a new soundtrack accompanying the sport of basketball and its athletes. Hip Hop was an amazing confluence of style, art, dance, music, storytelling, and lyricism. Put it in the blender and out came this vivid, vibrant, and powerful new culture. It was exciting. It was fresh (and yes it was ‘fresh’). It was ‘off-the-grid’, especially for the rest of America, especially suburban and rural America. The beats and scratching, the stories, the sneakers and track suites, the graffiti, and breakdancing gave kids like me in suburban Ohio a new canvas to imagine the world upon.

I remember hearing Hip Hop for the first time. It was 1984 and rap was exploding, I just didn’t know it yet. My friend and neighbor from across the street ran over to my house on a Saturday night and dragged me to his house. His stereo was on, and he had somehow picked up an FM station from Detroit that night. It was the Saturday Night Mix Party. They were playing a mash up of rap tunes from NYC. The sounds and voices we heard blew our minds, literally. This new fantastic thing was so far off the grid of what we usually heard and what we knew. We started recording it every Saturday night on his double tape deck, with 2 double-sided Maxell 90-minute tapes (that is 6 hours of music!), front to back, the entire show. We would listen to those tapes all week, wearing them out. We couldn’t get enough. We loved every beat, rap, rhyme, story we heard. It became a weekly ritual for a long time. We got indoctrinated to Kurtis Blow, Whodini, The Fat Boys, Whistle, The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and of course Run DMC that year in 1984. Somehow, I was able to convince my parents (I was 14 at the time) to let my buddy (he was 16) drive us to Cleveland for the Fresh Fest II. It was the congregation of the biggest rap acts at the time. It was to be my first concert ever. That night we witnessed Matronix, Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, Whodini, and Run DMC. I smelled weed for the first time. I had my first ever concert tee snatched right out of my hand. And I loved every second of it. I am sure we looked like 2 fish out of water (2 ‘burb kids – 1 white, 1 Asian) in a sea of black folks, but we rapped and danced right along with everyone else because we knew every lyric. 

I jumped in with both feet into the Hip Hop culture. Boom box, check. Adidas sneakers, check. Track suits (and eventually Starter jackets), check. Gold chain, check (still wear it every day). Turntable, check. Stacks of 12 inch vinyl singles, check. Heavy bass, check. The only thing I didn’t buy was the Kangol hat because I couldn’t pull it off. We took weekly trips to the local record shop to get the latest records, hot off the streets of NYC. More records, more tapes. I am proud to say that I still have all of my original rap vinyls from the 80’s. Public Enemy’s eponymous first album, literally one of the greatest recordings of all time. Run DMC’s first 3 albums. Multiple Fat Boys’ 12 inches. The Beastie Boys first album. N.W.A’s first EP (before they even had a full album). To name a few, and keepers for sure. 

Since the 70’s, Hip Hop has exploded. The music, the art, the fashion, and the culture; Hip Hop is now global. Over the 50 years of Hip Hop, the new artists have continued to push the boundaries every year, continuing to tell their stories, expanding the art form. We have many Hip Hop fans in our Yalo Tribe. One is even a lyricist himself (in his spare time).  Here are a few of the Tribe’s favorites in no particular order:

Arrested Development, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, 3rd Bass, Drake, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (shout out to the 216!), Wu-Tang Clan, Fugees, Dr Dre, Lil Wayne, 2Chainz, Pharcyde, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Aesop Rock, Jurassic 5, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Killer Mike, Childish Gambino, Royce da 5’9”, J Cole, TI, Mos Def, Planet Asia, Nipsy Hustle, 50 Cent, Snoop, Biggie, Tupac, EPMD, Jay-Z, OutKast, Eminem, Ludacris (the 404!), Missy Elliott, Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul and of course A Tribe Called Quest

My musical tastes have expanded over the years, but Hip Hop will always be my first true music love. Hip Hop launched me on a lifelong journey with music. It ignited a passion within me for music and for culture, of all genres. My playlists now include reggae, classic rock, punk, grunge, R&B, Prince (yes Prince is his own genre – that’s whole other blog to be written), Delta blues, alternative, metal, oldies, Americana, Yacht rock, and even certain types of country (think more Wilco). Hip Hop did that for me. 

Most importantly, Hip Hop taught me to be my own person, to be an individual, to be myself, during the coming-of-age point in my life, in a town that only listed to Led Zeppelin. And for that, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Hip Hip. If DJ Kool Herc and his sister didn’t throw that party on August 11^th in 1973 (known as the official birthdate of Hip Hop), who knows how I would have turned out or what I would be? I thank you, DJ Kool Herc, for putting me on this path. Thank you for creating a whole new culture with just a couple of speakers, a turntable and some records.

What did Hip Hop teach you? We’re all ears and would love to hear. Drop us a line and let us know. While we’re at it, we’d love to help you with your brand as well. That’s what we do as our day job. See our creative services here.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and being together to celebrate all that’s good in life. And advertisers really know how to hit us in the feels. Here are four of our favorite heartwarming and memorable Thanksgiving ads from the past few years.

1. Publix Salt and Pepper 

This memorable Publix commercial follows the company’s tradition of producing heart-warming content that reminds us all of the joy of the holidays and being with family, but with a quirky twist.

2. Walmart Many Chairs One Table

This tear-jerker commercial from 2017 shows people from all walks of life gathering together for a meal. The commercial promotes unity and community, perfect themes for the Thanksgiving season.

3. Publix Thanksgiving Commercial 2014

Strong copy anchors this feel-good commercial by Publix. Thanksgiving togetherness is the thread that binds each of these ordinary moments. Their parting message? “Here’s to the day that may not be flawless, but it’s always perfect.”

4. Meijer Thanksgiving Commercial

Meijer insists we are still thankful despite the year we’ve had. The brand encourages us to donate to the Simply Give program to provide meals for our neighbors in need. Because after all “Together We Are Better”.

Do you have a favorite holiday commercial? Share it with us on Facebook.

Interested in seeing what Yalo can do for your brand creatively? We’d love to hear from you to get a conversation started – contact us below or right here .

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?

Marketing Budgets & Social Media  

Anticipation is high for the payback of social media marketing investments. The verdict is out for capturing any quantifiable results. A recent CMO poll completed cosponsored by Duke Business School and Deloitte Touche indicated the following:  

• 86% of the executives surveyed have social media marketing in the budget 

• Average percentage of marketing budget spent on social marketing – 13% 
• Increased spending has only resulted in moderate perceived value (3.4 on a 7-point scale) 
• Percentage having a good idea of the qualitative and not the quantitative impact – 37.6% 
• Percentage not having shown any impact to date – 32.4% 

Isolating Social Media’s Value 

With only 30% being able to show demonstrated quantifiable value, it is a bit surprising that a five-year growth projection of social media becoming 21.5% of the marketing budget. These views are held with a social media ecosystem that is in a constant state of flux. Simplifying the challenge, social media is an ecosystem where there are 3 broad forces in play: two which must be sensed and adapted to for survival and one with mindful choices it is possible to influence. First, at any given moment, it is impossible to anticipate what is happening on the internet in general or specifically with social media. Second, we are victims of “original sin,” what has been posted in the past and what followers have grown to expect. But it possible to influence the third force by what is actually introduced and how it is shared. How it is constructed and shared influences how it will be received.  

“It’s in the way that you use it.” (thank you Eric Clapton). 

Value Tracking with Lagging Indicators 

To achieve a quantifiable benefit, social media must drive to outcomes with business value. Driving users, clients, or customers through the marketing funnel. For eCommerce, the outcome is getting a loaded shopping cart and committing to buy. For concerns offering services and/or building a brand image, it is attracting eyeballs “from the wild,’ and migrating from reach/impressions to followers. Followers that value the trust relationship and are willing to repurpose posts and keep the migration process going. The most frequent approach tracks progress by using standard analytics based on lagging indicators. The intent to determine what was an effective post, but resorts instead, to just comparing summary statistics for a given time period. This can show that the process is directionally correct but: 

• There is no detailed data on how the present position was attained. 

• No clear direction on how to maintain or change course for the future. 

Sentiment Analysis Influences Desired Outcomes 

So, for a particular campaign or post, what is the “right” post content, word choice, and composition for influencing the desired outcome. This can be accomplished using a two-pronged approach. First, is the evaluate the overall context and sentiment of each sentence. Then the contribution of each word of the sentence needs to be determined. The goal is to determine the predilection, sentiment, required to influence the desired outcome. Word level lexicons exist indicating the sentiment that a word can generate. Due to the “beauty” of the English language, some words can generate multiple sentiments. The bottom line, the words matter. 

Sentiment Tools Focus Intent 

The process for addressing these challenges starts with screening the post using AI natural language tools. This identifies the sentence level sentiment (degrees of positive or negative). Select tools also define the words from within the sentence with their respective sentiment and how they contribute to the overall sentence sentiment. After the screen, there may be an opportunity to replace negative words or replace less positive words with appropriate synonyms. The sentiment of synonyms can be assessed through the use of open-source lexicons (nrc, bin, afinn) which can be customized for specific business use. After changes to the post, resubmission to the AI tool will assess the impact of the changes. When satisfied the reviewed text can be posted. 

Analytics are then used to track the posts’ performance. Post analysis establishes a valence score by combining the values of all the sentiments of the words used, and word usage at the post level. This approach is not intended to be prescriptive, like taking a pill and always getting the desired outcome. The creative resources building the content must consider followers, trending topics, and branding guiding principles in developing posts and campaigns. 

Focusing Sentiments for Value  

This approach and set of tools assist in building a set of leading indicators to be proactive in the social media ecosystem. It is important to remember, that there are two forces that we cannot control and need to understand the associated indicators to monitor so that it is possible to adapt as the ecosystem changes. It is the variability of all three forces that should keep us grounded by George E. P. Box’s counsel, “All models are wrong, some are useful.” Assessing and maintaining usability is a constant task given the nature of the social media ecosystem. 

Value Guiding Correlating & Searching for Causation 

Before the days of satellites, there was celestial navigation, where three heavenly bodies were used to determine a fix or location on the ocean as an input on any required course corrections. At Yalo, we use a combination of pre-post screening, analytics, and sentiment word analysis to asses our ability to influence funnel efficiency. These three techniques determine where we are in the social media ecosystem and how we plot our course going forward.   

With the world around us seeming to dive deeper and deeper toward large scale disasters it is nice to see that some big companies like IBM are stepping up to the plate. The company’s Call for Code contest features tech solutions to real life problems in disaster recovery — from communications to aid delivery and more. Check out the five finalists and stay tuned for the winner announcement on October 12th.

When Parisian fashion shows were canceled during World War II because of the Nazi occupation of France, designers had to find another way to promote their work. The result was “Fashion Week,” originally dubbed “Press Week,” which launched in 1943 as a way for journalists – and, by extension, the public – to see the collections scheduled to arrive in stores the following season.

In the initial decades that followed, Fashion Week, which is now held twice a year in the fashion capitals of New York, Paris, London and Milan, became the ultimate insider event. Fashion Week shows were attended only by editors and buyers, and the public saw little, if any, photographic evidence of what took place within the walls. Eventually, fashion magazines peeled back the curtain a little bit, allowing the fashion-conscious and curious a snapshot, sometimes weeks or even months after the event had passed.

That’s all changed in the current Instagram age, when it sometimes seems just about anybody can be an “influencer.” Today, Fashion Week is accessible not just with a tough-to-obtain ticket but right in the palm of your hand. Online media platforms stream runway shows to millions of viewers, connecting commoners to the catwalk. Meanwhile, shows that used to be invite-only have become purchasable experiences. The 2020 spring/summer London Fashion Week, held in September 2019, became the first to sell its coveted front-row tickets to the general public.

Fashion Week, therefore, is more accessible than ever. But given the way modern consumers acquire information and spend their money, is it possible that Fashion Week is less relevant than ever? Designers have been asking themselves that very question in recent years, as the brick-and-mortar model has given way to e-commerce-centric shopping habits.

In 2016, for example, the famous brand Burberry radically adjusted its schedule, reducing its runway shows from four per year to just two and making the clothes instantly available online and in-store after the showing, instead of waiting several months after the fact. That same year, designer Tom Ford told Women’s Wear Daily, “In a world that has become increasingly immediate, the current way of showing a collection four months before it is available to consumers is an antiquated idea and one that no longer makes sense. We have been living with a fashion calendar and system that is from another era.”

For smaller designers, the determination of whether to participate in an expensive fashion show (given the price of models, lighting, sound, etc., the total tab routinely ends up north of six figures) in the name of brand awareness can be daunting. A well-executed social media strategy can be more cost-effective and more effective, period.

These concerns haven’t prevented the concept of Fashion Week from continuing. In fact, cities other than the aforementioned fashion capitals – including Shanghai and Seoul – have launched their own version of Fashion Week in recent years. Designers often can’t resist the allure of the exposure and the prestige of participation, where you can still catch the eye of influential stylists.

But as far as stoking enthusiasm for buying things is concerned, Fashion Week is arguably not as influential as a photo-sharing social networking service like Instagram.

The motivation to go green has increasingly become not only a part of many companies’ corporate social responsibility efforts, but also as an aspect of remaining relevant in the future business environment. Additionally, there are more and more environmental concerns that can only be addressed through green initiatives in terms of production, servicing and manufacturing. That’s why more and more companies are continuing to “go green,” including these 17 heavy hitters. Check them out and, as we get ready to celebrate Earth Day, think about what steps your company is taking to help our planet. 

My favorite Yalo time of year . . . In true Yalo fashion, we held our summer outing in August in Georgia on a party boat. I am happy to report that there were no major injuries. But there were absolutely some sore body parts from folks launching themselves from all parts of the boat, up/down/left/right, oh and from the slide off the back (face first). We basked in the hot sun and admired the beautiful dusk of a fine summer’s afternoon on Lake Lanier. And on a Wednesday, we practically had the lake to ourselves. It was really a great day to pull our heads out of the sand/get off the hamster wheel/take a deep breath and conjoin as friends that happen to work together, trust each other and support each other to make our clients the best damn clients any agency could have. Throughout the day, we bonded, listened to music, drank a little (or a lot) and laughed even more.

You might wonder, did we work? The answer is “a little.” But that “little” was critically important to our future being and direction. It is the rare time when we all get to discuss who/what/where we all collectively want to be going forward. That conversation this summer revolved around simple things such as our Mission, Vision and Values. You know, no biggie . . . But certainly worthy of a few cocktails to open up the trust-tree-feedback loop. Approaching our 6^th anniversary, this year has been a growth period for Yalo as we transition into an established Agency to be reckoned with in the Southeast and in the Midwest. Being in that position, we have a duty to ourselves as well as our current and future clients to map out how we view ourselves today vs how we view ourselves in 2, 3, 5 years.

There was a healthy banter about language, terms, specifics, vibe, positioning and more. “Is this the right attitude?” or “Is that word more representative of Yalo?” But it was inclusive of everyone thinking about not themselves, but Yalo as a whole, and as Yalo as a part of themselves. Which reminds me of the great statement “The best employees are the ones who treat the business as if it were their own.” When that happens and you get to be a part of it, witness it . . . well that makes this all worth it.

During our foray of friendly debate, the best output came rocketing out of the discussion around our Vision. We were debating who we want to be someday (as you do when discussing your aspirational Vision). By the way, there are plenty of guidelines and examples of what great Vision statements look and sound like out there. For example, Tesla’s is to create the most compelling car company of the 21^st century by driving the world’s transition to electric vehicles.” And we could have used these guidelines to keep us on the well-traveled path.

BUT! This is Yalo. We endeavor to always Defy. Fly. Thus, I was truly inspired by 2 things that happened during this Vision discussion.

• First. There was a statement that shoved us off of the well-traveled path and to be truer to our Yalo-selves, our core essence. “That doesn’t feel like Yalo, that feels/sounds like a lot of other agencies.” Hmm, that person was 100% right, and that was a great way to express what I think a lot of folks were struggling with. That got us moving in the right direction.
   
• Second. “We are inspired by film, arts, music and sports. So then our Vision should be inspired as such. It should not be a statement of words but rather a visual that expresses our Vision.” Well hot damn, that got us cooking with fire.

It was a great day by all accounts. By the end of the long day, we had expressed ourselves, we had contributed to the Yalo fight and we had fun doing it.

Our Mission, Vision and Values are set.  Time to Yalo On!

Inventing new and unique ways of operating can improve the quality of your customers’ experience, bringing outsized returns for your business. That’s why many companies pepper “innovative” in their mission, vision and values statements. But for far too many businesses, that’s as far as they get in their quest. Read More

If you don’t know Donald Glover’s name, you haven’t been paying attention lately. And don’t mistake him for Danny Glover of Lethal Weapon. Donald is a multi-skilled talent from Atlanta that is excelling in all areas of entertainment from writing for SNL to acting in Community and Solo to rapping as his alternate ego Childish Gambino with a Billboard hit This is America to directing his own Emmy award winning show Atlanta. He has a bright future and we plan on following it closely. Read more here.

Conventional thought would probably tell you that millennials only pay attention to their social media feeds. However, this article provides a very compelling insight about email marketing and millennials. Viva la email! Read it here.

Measuring marketing’s many contributions to revenue growth is becoming more accurate and real-time thanks to analytics and machine learning. Knowing what’s driving more Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), Sales Qualified Leads (SQL), how best to optimize marketing campaigns, and improving the precision and profitability of pricing are just a few of the many areas machine learning is revolutionizing marketing. Read More Here

Summer usually brings some down time, but not for our team. Constantly in search of inspiration and learning new things, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite reads from the Summer.

1. Startup: A Novel – Doree Shafrir
   Capturing the world of crack-of-dawn juice-fueled raves before work and debaucherous SXSW pilgrimages, while exposing our collective obsession with technology. Breezy & Easy!
2. Living With A Seal – Jesse Itzler
   A buddy movie if it starred the Fresh Prince of Bel- Air…and Rambo – that ultimately shows you the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone!
3. Awaken The Giant Within – Tony Robbins
   Not my guru, but definitely the guy that will enable you to discover your true purpose, take control of your life, and harness the forces that shape your destiny.
4. Originals – Adam Grant
   How to reject conformity and improve the status quo by generating creative and original ideas. Make a difference being different!
5. Shoe Dog – Phil Knight
   A true master – Phil Knight and his entrepreneurial journey of how he built his startup Nike into the global brand it is today. Just Read It!!
6. #AskGaryVee – Gary Vaynerchuck
   The inspiring and unconventional entrepreneur who introduced us to the concept of crush it—knows how to get things done, have fun, and be massively successful. Google It Already!!
7. The Power Of Broke – Daymond John
   Starting a business with limited resources is a competitive advantage, not a liability. Desperation breeds innovation!
8. Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
   A new way to look at the two cognitive systems that shape the judgments and decisions we make in our everyday lives. Are you judging me?

What made your reading list this summer?

We’d love to know and add it to our Fall list! Happy Reading!