King Media

A Fresh Look for Your Brand in the New Year

King Media — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:15:34 +0000

The New Year brings about resolutions and a fresh start. While you’ve probably already made personal resolutions, like losing those 10 pounds or spending more quality time with your family, have you done the same for your business?

The start of a new year forces us to look back on the last and recognize what we did that was good, and areas we’d like to improve in. It is vital to your company’s success to build upon or change your current brand image to not only survive in the marketplace but to stand out from your competition. Whether you do this by being active on a new social network, redesigning your website, or updating your company logo, make sure you start off 2012 right.

Creating a fresh image for your brand is easier said than done. It requires careful consideration of goals and objectives, strong commitment, and a team of experts. Before working on the physical aspects of a redesign, there are a few internal aspects of your company to keep in mind that are essential to your fresh start:

Instead of trying to juggle more products or services than your company can handle, focus on what you excel at. It is important to stay on top of new practices and ideas in your field, but by discovering your strengths you’re able to focus on becoming a leader in a particular area in your field.
Set realistic goals for your company for both the short-term and long-term. Make sure that everyone is on the same page about these goals and clear objectives are decided on for achieving them.
Inspire your team so that they may bring new ideas and approaches for your products, services, and overall brand.
Think about how you want current and potential customers to view your brand so that it stands out from your competition.

If you’re interested in a fresh start for your company, contact the experts at King Media today! We’ll help you take your brand where it needs to be to get noticed and bring in new business.

Top Viral Campaigns of 2011

King Media — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:29:10 +0000

It’s no secret that King Media is a fan of successful, creative viral campaigns. In recent blog posts we’ve talked specifically about our love for the Old Spice campaign, how to incorporate social media with viral marketing, and what exactly a viral campaign is. In case you need a refresher, viral marketing is a form of advertising where information about your brand or product spreads like a virus, typically through the Web. The key to a successful campaign is to get people to not only talk about it but to share with friends, family and their social networks. This requires your campaign to be memorable, inspiring and to tug at the audience’s emotions. The Top Viral Campaigns of 2011 go above and beyond these requirements. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

The most successful viral campaign of 2011 was Volkswagen’s “The Force.” The spot shows a young boy dressed as Darth Vader in an unsuccessful attempt to use “The Force” on various items in his house. His powers finally work on his dad’s Volkswagen, only because the dad presses the automatic start button at the same time that his son makes his attempts. The spot was originally going to be shown as a Super Bowl commercial, but Volkswagen decided to launch it on the Web weeks before. The video gained much success, having reached 14 million views before the Super Bowl. It is still being talked about and shared, and now is its way to being one of the most-watched viral ads of all time with 48+ million views.

The second most successful viral campaign was T-Mobile’s “Royal Wedding.” The advertisement showed royal lookalikes walking down the aisle. The ad was released weeks before the real Royal Wedding and was an instant hit. It had over 25 million views and there was even a “T-Mobile Dance” performed at London’s Liverpool Station.

Celebrities can play a big part in a successful viral campaign. Fiat featured Jennifer Lopez in their campaign, Chrysler used Eminem, and Adidas had appearances from various celebrities from Katy Perry to Derrick Rose. However, having a celebrity endorse your product or brand is expensive and hard to obtain. This is why businesses with smaller budgets must have a creative and original campaign that gets people talking and sharing.

2011 provided us with many viral campaigns , some good and some bad. To look at the rest of the top viral campaigns of 2011 click here and let us know what you’re favorite ones are! If you’re looking for a fresh start this year and are interested in implementing a successful viral campaign for your company, call the experts at King Media today!

King Media is looking for a Graphic & Web Designer!

King Media — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:20:45 +0000

King Media is seeking a talented Graphic and Web Designer to join a dynamic team that is passionate about creating innovative and creative solutions for our clients. Based out of East Lansing, Michigan, with a national footprint, King Media works in a range of mediums, including print, television, radio, outdoor, web and social media. Candidates must possess excellent communication skills and excel working in team situations as well as independently. Our ideal designer will have a diverse creative style, capable of producing designs suitable for our wide range of clients. Attention to detail, exceptional time management skills, a dedicated work ethic and respect for a collaborative creative process are required.

Apply today! Email Kerri Molitor (Kerri@KingMediaNow.com) with your resume and design samples. We can’t wait to meet you!

Qualifications:

Strong Graphic Design Skills
Proficiency with Adobe CS & Dreamweaver
Development experience with HTML/XHTML and CSS
Ability to develop content management system (CMS) websites without the use of a template
Ability to prepare files for print and web
Ability to manage projects from concept to production
Video editing capabilities
Experience with organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Preference given to those with programming experience in JavaScript, ASP, Action Scripts, Flash, Content Management Systems

Position Details/Requirements:

Full time, paid
Start Immediately
2+ Years Professional Experience
Design Portfolio demonstrating skills in print & web development

Going Viral: More than a Video

King Media — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:51:21 +0000

Chances are you’re familiar with the concept of viral marketing and its growing popularity in recent years. For those that don’t know, viral marketing is a form of advertising where information about your brand or a product spreads like a virus (hence the word “viral”) via word-of-mouth, typically through the Web. One of the most recent viral marketing campaigns that found great success is Old Spice. King Media shared the secrets of Old Spice’s success in a blog post back in August and the campaign is still going strong today. Many companies wish for the same response for their brand but fail to realize that a successful viral marketing campaign must go beyond a YouTube video.

While a video on YouTube itself may attain a number of hits, its hope of becoming a viral success will die quickly if people aren’t talking about it. What’s one of the best ways to engage fans, share content and get people talking about your brand? Well, social media of course! According to wired.com, viral marketing is the concept while social media is the tool. Take advantage of existing outlets by creating memorable, exciting content and people will gladly share it with others. Word-of-mouth is an incredibly powerful medium that costs nothing for your company yet has proven to be extremely influential, as people typically trust their peers and family members more than advertisers.

One of the biggest challenges with creating a viral marketing campaign is balancing the fine line of spreading content without appearing as an obvious advertisement. Your message must be original and stand out from the crowd, which sometimes requires an out-of-the-box approach, but it shouldn’t come off as a traditional advertisement. One of the most successful approaches – especially with the younger demographic – is a humor appeal, as seen in the Old Spice campaign. Younger people tend to want to share things that they like and think are funny, and often times they’ll post links and videos to their Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets, and then their friends who see it will do the same, and so on. This creates enormous exposure for your brand and will leave viewers wanting more.

This brings us to the last important step for successful viral marketing. Most campaigns come and go, so to ensure yours lasts you must follow up with your audience. If your audience wants more you need to be ready to come up with additional creative and original content for your campaign. If you use a spokesperson or mascot, make certain that they’re personable and there to answer fan questions whether through another video and/or social media. This will help to make your brand memorable and build brand loyalty.

The concept of viral marketing has been around for quite some time, but when combined with modern marketing techniques, such as social media, it can create a lasting and successful campaign. If you’re interested in developing or launching a viral marketing campaign, let the experts at King Media assist you in creating one that will not only be memorable but also successful for your brand!

Coleen King speaks at MSU PRSSA meeting

King Media — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:02:07 +0000

Recently our very own Coleen King had the wonderful opportunity to speak at a Michigan State University Public Relations Student Society of America meeting to share her expertise in branding, answer questions and give advice to young PR professionals.

Among the topics that Ms. King addressed were the importance of building a professional and personal brand, her experience spanning three decades in the field, challenges for women in the workforce, opportunities for young professionals in the field, and examples from King Media’s extensive portfolio.

The response from PRSSA students was fantastic. Ms. King always loves seeing young people in the field succeed and is more than happy to be of guidance. She is always available take a question, share advice and participate in speaking engagements. If you would like to contact Coleen or are interested in having her speak at your next event, please email her at coleen@kingmedianow.com.

If you attended the PRSSA meeting on November 22^nd, we would love to hear your feedback! If you would like more information on spring or summer internship positions, please email your resume to Kerri Molitor at kerri@kingmedianow.com.

Creating the Social Media Experience

King Media — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:36:58 +0000

Everyone knows that bad news can tarnish a brand’s name, but fortunately compliments travel just as fast as complaints and can build your brand name tremendously. When a customer interacts with your brand though social media it is important to ensure their experience is as enjoyable and memorable as technologically possible.

While negative feedback on your Facebook page or Twitter may seem counter-productive it’s actually okay as long as you address the issue and handle it appropriately. Knowing what customers are saying about their experiences with your brand can help you manage your company more effectively and ensure a better future interaction. If your company does not have a Facebook page for fear of hearing negative feedback and complaints, you are doing your brand a disservice. It’s important to recognize all the bad and good aspects of your brand and handle negativity in a productive manner. A prime example of how a company was hit hard with negative social media press and turned the crisis into a learning experience and opportunity to leverage their brand is Toyota.

Toyota was pummeled with negative tweets, statuses, testimonials, etc. regarding their global recalls that surfaced last February. Toyota essentially responded to threats and backlash they received from their mass product recalls and used social media effectively to turn the threats into an opportunity of sustainable growth. When the crisis went underway, Toyota immersed their brand in social mediums such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Blog Networks, their company’s main site, Digital Diggs, Flickr, and RSS feeds. More importantly their loyal customers and fans became advocates in this trialing period and began counteracting the negative comments with positive facts, experiences and personal stories with the brand. As a result of the company’s efforts and advocacy of fans Toyota is currently ranked #21 in the top 100 most engaged companies with social media. This is such an inspiring feat and proof that negative feedback doesn’t mean the end of your brand, but can provide other opportunities of positive promotion.

As evident in the Toyota case the upside of using social media services is you can receive positive feedback, comments and gain recommendations. The goal here is to convert your fans into brand advocates. When people do become brand advocates, reward them! Be proactive by monitoring your mentions and reaching out to those with concerns. By interacting with customers and encouraging engagement you will set your brand apart. Much of social marketing has to do with listening. Consciously listening to what your customers have to say will prove to have a significant impact on your marketing efforts, this is something here at King Media we truly strive for and believe we deliver to our patrons and brand advocates.

Most importantly you need to be creating compelling content. Give your customers something of value. An easy and effective way to provide valuable content is to include photos, voice applications, mobile apps and videos into your content. Media is attention grabbing and useful to audiences, moreover, you stand out from others and resonate in consumers’ minds. It is also essential to humanize your content as much as possible. It is often easy to forget this simple rule, but it is one of the most important factors in delivering compelling and memorable social media. Don’t sound like a robot; be personable to your audience!

Here at King Media we know how to deliver compelling content and we want to help your brand do the same. We understand the value media has on your marketing efforts and how to effectively manage social media efforts. Take a look at our own social media efforts and digital campaigns for more insight and to share our blog post. We would love to assist your brand in any way possible. Visit us at http://kingmedianow.com/!

Moore Trosper Construction Company Awarded Minority Business Accreditation

King Media — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:16:12 +0000

Are you looking for a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)?

Meet Michigan’s newest powerhouse, The Moore Trosper Construction Company, one of King Media’s all-star clients. Moore Trosper has recently achieved their 2011 MBE Certificate and is now affiliated with the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC). King Media began working with Moore Trosper in 2009 and developed both their general business and minority business brand. With the new ability to compete for projects alongside other minority businesses, Moore Trosper is a viable contender in the construction industry.

The MMSDC’s mission is to certify minority-owned businesses for engagement by corporate members, and now Moore Trosper is primed for this opportunity. The company presidents, Brian and Ted Moore, are enrolled members of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians with lineage tracing to the St. Ignace and Mackinac Island regions of the Ojibwe/Odawa territory. Moore Trosper Construction Company embraces this heritage and endeavors to incorporate tribal beliefs and values into the company philosophy. Their Native American roots and unmatched expertise in the construction industry make Moore Trosper an excellent partner on any building project.

“We sought out this accreditation to bring more value to our clients and their projects, and we are very proud to have achieved it. We are continually seeking ways to provide exceptional quality and innovation in our ever-changing economic climate,” commented Ted Moore, President of the Moore Trosper Construction Company.

With more than three decades of experience, the Moore Trosper Construction Company offers a diverse portfolio of skills and expertise to satisfy the needs of the Native American and general business community. With experience in a wide variety of industries, Moore Trosper specializes in pre-construction services, financing, space planning, turn key building, construction management, general contracting, design and build, renovations and alterations, pre-engineered building and tenant lease space.

If you would like to contact Moore Trosper regarding any minority business projects or opportunities, please contact Ted Moore at TMoore@MooreTrosper.com, Brian Moore at BMoore@MooreTrosper.com, or reach them both at 517.694.6310. Make sure to visit their website, designed by King Media, at www.MooreTrosper.com.

A New View on QR Codes

King Media — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:28:29 +0000

In a previous blog post about Decoding QR Codes, we shared facts about the latest trend in the advertising world. QR, or quick response, codes can be found these days in unconventional locations, such as on t-shirts, online videos and even business cards. Perhaps the most unusual methods appeared recently with one QR code placed on top of a building and another painted on a racetrack. These methods are definitely out-of-the-box, but do they work?

A public relations firm in Austin, Texas, Phillips & Company, is trying to find a way to help you get free advertising on Google. The marketing service they provide, called Blue Marble, will turn an ordinary building rooftop into a “space-accessible billboard” for your company. By integrating a QR code that can be seen from an aerial view, your building’s new code can be seen from Google Earth and Google Maps. This may seem like free advertising, but one will pay a hefty fee for this service. A QR code for your building rooftop will cost you $8,500, plus a recurring $200 support fee. However, the cost may be worth it to some after hearing that Google reported that the Google Earth app has been downloaded 1 billion times. Just don’t expect to see a QR code atop of your building right away – it takes about a year for the code to show up on Google Earth.

Another extraordinary placement of a QR code occurred on a Jersey Shore racetrack in an attempt to create the largest functional code. Spanning 10,000 square feet on the Wall Stadium Speedway, there is a painted QR that code can be scanned from 2 miles above. As part of a promotional stunt by Skanz, a QR code social networking service, professional skydivers were called in to parachute over the code and scan it. Check out the video here to watch the entire process. At the end of the video, you can actually scan the QR code with your Smartphone to be entered to win tickets to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Watch the Throne” tour!

With all of the fun, unconventional uses of QR codes recently and their rising popularity, there’s no doubt that this is a trend that is here to stay. If you’re interested in creating a unique QR code for your business and boosting awareness for your brand, give the experts at King Media a call today! We’d love to hear your thoughts about these two examples of QR codes, and for those who scanned the QR code in the video let us know if you’re a lucky winner!

Graphic & Web Designer Position Available Now at King Media!

King Media — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:55:01 +0000

Apply today! Email Kerri Molitor (Kerri@KingMediaNow.com) with your resume and design samples. We can’t wait to meet you!

Qualifications:

Strong Graphic Design Skills
Proficiency with Adobe CS & Dreamweaver
Development experience with HTML/XHTML and CSS
Ability to prepare files for print and web
Ability to manage projects from concept to production
Video editing capabilities
Experience with organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Preference given to those with programming experience in JavaScript, ASP, Action Scripts, Flash, Content Management Systems

Position Details/Requirements:

Full time, paid
Start Immediately
Design Portfolio demonstrating skills in print & web development

Newest Features on Google+ Sound Promising for Marketers

King Media — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:18:06 +0000

Google has announced the addition of real-time search and the use of hashtags to its social media network Google+. These two features will undoubtedly help users gain search information more efficiently, but this could mean more work for marketers. Now more than ever marketers will need to be conscious of actively updating their social media accounts with fresh keyword optimization content. If businesses understand the importance of proper development of SEO it will increase the chance of getting their content into search results, thus increasing exposure and brand development.

Real-time search allows the user to receive streaming posts relevant to their search in real-time. As a user submits a search topic, an option for “more recent posts” will appear. The second addition, the hashtag capabilities, is a really unique feature. The network will now link to search results centered on a specified hashtag, making it possible to use hashtags for search. This will allow users to find relevant information across not only a social network spectrum, but the entire web, making your search for pertinent information easier.

Businesses that use these new features properly will reap positive advancements and gain increased exposure. Moreover, it will allow marketers who focus on providing the best customer experience possible to deliver to their customers. Real-time search and hashtag features will allow for greater SEO because it is becoming so extensive and advanced. Businesses can now remain even more relevant to their target markets. It is crucial in the advertising and marketing field that your brand is fully immersed in social media for the health and success of the business. SEO with Google+ is a new strategy altogether and marketers must continuously focus on improving their search rankings.

At King Media we understand the importance of effective SEO and social media strategy. We can help you stay on the radar when it comes to the online marketplace. We offer professional expertise for your social media endeavors that will ensure online marketing success! Make sure to visit our website for more information on our SEO capabilities or call our office, we’d love to help in any way we can!