“Nutri-Vet is looking to our team to provide a fresh perspective for their creative approach and the strategic applications of it,” said Larry Meador, evok CEO. “Since Nutri-Vet began in 1998, their business has grown exponentially, and it’s no surprise, considering nearly 75 percent of U.S. consumers view their pets as part of the family. Baby Boomers, in particular, have been the largest driver. Accustomed to serving national accounts, we look forward to introducing the new Nutri-Vet branding in this developing industry.”

“As more pet owners turn to supplements as a means to optimize their pets’ vitality and longevity, we need to provide a firm understanding of how these products benefit their health,” said Dr. Phil Brown, staff veterinarian for Nutri-Vet. “We feel evok can help us get this message out.”

Nutri-Vet advocates for a holistic approach to the well being of animals, encouraging pet owners to take charge of their pet’s health. Sold in leading retailers – including PetSmart, Petco and Pet Supplies Plus – across the U.S. and abroad, Nutri-Vet’s top-selling supplements promote hip and joint function, skin and coat health, digestive wellness and dental care.

About evok advertising

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, evok advertising is a full-service advertising, public relations and interactive agency connecting people and brands through big ideas. With offices in the Orlando, Fla. area, Memphis, Tenn. and Los Angeles, the evok team delivers knowing, “Today is the best we’ll ever be…until tomorrow.” For information, please visit www.evokad.com. Evok can also be found on Facebook and Twitter (@evoklarry).

How does someone avoid mediocrity in this fast-paced arena? These essential habits in the world of an account executive will pay dividends – literally.

• Learn to listen. Listen to your clients, your creative team, your assistants, your peers, your neighbors…the list goes on. Fresh ideas come from those you are surrounded by on a day-to-day basis and oftentimes, that brilliant idea you have been waiting for can shine through at the most unexpected moments. And isn’t that a core reason why a client comes to an agency? They want inspiring and impactful ideas. Listening will take you far.
• Be aware of others’ fears. Those of us with a strong emotional IQ, know it is important to gage others emotions, motivations and fears. Depending on their personality type, those you work with may fear loss of control, making an error, etc. Keep this in mind at all times, as this can significantly improve your work environment.
• Go above and beyond. Meeting a client’s expectations will make you forgettable, exceeding expectations makes you unforgettable. Do not expect to continue a partnership with a client if you have not surprised them and energized their marketing efforts over the course of your relationship.
• Read. There is a wealth of information at our disposal. Do not let it go to waste. Take time out of your day to pull an intriguing article. It can open your eyes to something new, adds to your repertoire of knowledge and maintains your pulse on global events. It is easy to allow the daily demands to distract you, but remember, next time you are in a brainstorming session, you want to be able to bring something to the table. In fact, keep an “ideas folder” for such instances.
• Just do it. Some think it is suffice to talk about everything and have laundry lists of what they will do, but actions always speak louder than words. Look at your list; take the first item on the top and dive into it. Once you get started, you will find things will begin to flow. Who knows you might produce your masterpiece of the day…even your career.

Weave these into your business day and you will be on the road to success. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

When plotting out the campaign, please consider these 10 steps:

1. Create a solid marketing plan – include a positioning statement, situational analysis, objectives (internal and external), target audience (primary and secondary), key messaging, strategies, tactics and the critically important, measur ement tools.
2. Look at the promotion as if you are the consumer entering the contest. What clear and compelling actions are you asking them to complete? If you don’t ask people t o act, they won’t.
3. Develop partnerships with like-minded groups or organizations. This enhances credibility and can expand the effort’s reach.
4. Set goals and metrics for your promotion. Track everything to show value and provide weekly reporting to the executive team and/or client. If budget allows, conduct pre- and a pos t-awareness studies.
5. Make it easy to participate. If consumers have to jump through multiple hoops to get involved, chances are they will skip entering and never look back.
6. Qualify the data collected from each participant for future sales efforts and data mining.
7. Every consumer promotion is subject to federal, state and local laws. It is vital to have legal counsel who specializes in promotions and giveaways to contribute to the rules and regulations, and terms and conditions. These documents are designed to minimize the risk and liability for the organization. Also, create contest FAQs to avoid any uncertainty about the campaign.
8. If the prize is valued at more than $5,000, consider bonding the promotion. Bonds are issued by underwriting companies to cover the value of the prize, and to ensure all prizes are awarded.
9. Don’t forget public relations. PR is key to a successful program. It provides an additional authentic voice for the campaign’s awareness goals.
10. Be prepared with a contingency plan. Like life, promotions can be unpredictable. Therefore, plot out the possible challenges in every marketing channel early on in y our crisis management plan.

A great example is National Mobility Awareness Month for industry trade organization, the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA). With a budget of $190,000 the inaugural awareness month for the United States and Canada was initiated to educate seniors, veterans, caregivers and people with disabilities about the many wheelchair accessible vehicles and adaptive mobility equipment options available for living an active and mobile lifestyle. In order to further that mission, NMEDA partnered with their member, automotive industry manufacturers to give away three wheelchair accessible vehicles. A new website was designed -MobiltyAwarenessMonth.com where individuals could submit a story about how their “Local Hero” (person with a disability or the caregiver) is overcoming their challenges and living a mobile lifestyle. Consumers were able to submit a 400-word story and a picture or a two-three minute video, and then it was their responsibility to prompt others to vote on the Local Hero. The contest was promoted through social media, Google advertising, industry partners, association members, consumer and influencer print and online publications media buys, a 30-second TV spot on a cable network, and traditional media relations. A press conference was also held to kick-off the promotion and a national spokesperson was selected to advocate for mobility solutions for people with disabilities. The promotion was open for eight weeks to allow for social media and local media penetration.

When establishing the goals for this program, the agency and the client set realistic expectations for a project of this magnitude. However, the response was beyond exceptional. The initial goal was to award one vehicle, but that multiplied into three due to the generosity of the manufacturers. When considering Local Hero entries, the team anticipated approximately 100 submissions; instead over 1,550 were received.

The promotion quickly grew in popularity. So much so, the site’s server became unresponsive at times. This is where “plan for the unexpected” came to life. In order to maintain a fair playing field for the promotion, the contest was shut down for three days in order to switch the site to a dedicated server to better handle the heighted volume of traffic.

During that time, ongoing communications via Facebook and Twitter were critical, as well as frequent updates to the membership. Furthermore, a new landing page was developed offering an email sign-up sheet for those interested in being notified when s tory submissions and voting resumed.

What are the results to date for this effort? To name a few: NMEDA’s customer database grew from 115 contacts to approximately 430,000. These contacts can be sorted to expand the association’s membership base and assist dealerships with lead generation. Also, the site enjoyed more than two million visitors – individuals that are now familiar with NMEDA. The media relations efforts have amounted in nearly 1,200 news stories, and social media exposure has brought in approximately 1,400 posts. Media values total $300,000.

Building a winning awareness campaign requires clear objectives and detailed planning; however, the “prize” at the end can result in new and reaffirmed raving fans for a brand, coupled with a meaningful ROI.

With over 15 years of public relations industry experience, Ridenour has enjoyed a broad spectrum of opportunities during her career. Her work began at a Tallahassee, Fla.-based agency serving such hospitality leaders as Marriott International. She later joined NASCAR to generate pre-race publicity for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In 2000, she reconnected with Marriott, though this time as an associate. She was tapped to lead PR initiatives for the timeshare and wholly-owned real estate brands, including The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club. Following nearly 10 years with Marriott, Ridenour started her own public relations business, and now, she brings JT Wines (specifically, the FLASQ Wines brand) to evok.

“As our business has evolved over the past decade, we’ve grown our services from purely advertising,” said Larry Meador, CEO of evok. “We are passionate about delivering an integrated marketing approach to our clients, and the opportunity to expand our public relations offerings is not only necessary, but very exciting. We’re pleased to have someone of Beth’s caliber join our team.”

Ridenour graduated from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla. with a bachelor’s degree in communications. She resides in Sanford, Fla.

About evok advertising

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, evok advertising is a full-service advertising, public relations and interactive agency connecting people and brands through big ideas. With offices in the Orlando, Fla. area, Memphis, Tenn. and Los Angeles, the evok team delivers knowing, “Today is the best we’ll ever be…until tomorrow.” For information, please visit www.evokad.com. Evok can also be found on Facebook and Twitter(@evoklarry).

Social media is like the stepper machine at the gym. It’s always moving and hard to keep up with; however, if you build a fitness plan, you’ll be in good physical shape. Social media has evolved to become an essential tool in an organization’s marketing ensemble, and in their efforts to keep up with the commitment, more college students are being hired to manage social media who have no formal education in the subject. The mentality, “the intern can do it,” can be a dangerous mindset.

“You’d never give the intern permission to write the corporate press release to accompany an earnings announcement, so why are you listening to the 22-year-old who says ‘we’re going to do this social media thing because it’s cool,’” said Peter Shankman, founder of Help A Reporter Out and CEO of The Geek Factory, Inc., in his well-known 2011 blog. “Social media is not ‘cool.’ Making money is cool. Social media is simply another arrow in the quiver of marketing, and that quiver is designed to generate revenue.”

Yes, social media outreach requires a carefully designed plan, and a unique skill set to fulfill the plan.

What’s Your Approach?

Whether a company handles socially media internally or utilizes an agency, evok CEO (@evoklarry), Larry Meador, echoes the importance of establishing an organization’s social media objectives as well as using experienced and dedicated staff to fulfill it. “From the positioning and tone to the content and tools, companies must utilize top talent to develop a strategic plan and manage their outreach to customers. We see the difference daily.”

In fact, Meador has long advocated for the brands his agency represents to humanize themselves, no matter the media channel. “There is a deeper bond when you identify a personality for the brand and speak in the first person. The connections are that much more meaningful and authentic,” continued Meador. And it’s no different for his very own, evok brand. Blogads.com just reviewed the most-followed ad agency Twitter accounts that tweet in the first person or the third person, and evok topped the “I” category by leaps and bounds with the most followers (more than followers (more than 54,000).

The Big Picture.

Knowing how to utilize these platforms goes far beyond knowing the technical aspects of the mediums. A high school student can navigate a Facebook page quicker than many industry pros, but it doesn’t mean local high schools should be scouted for social media “talent.” To find social media excellence, the individual charged with Twitter or Facebook management must have a thorough understanding of a company’s voice, brand promise and issue resolution policies; a direct line to the public relations, customer service, operations and legal departments; and they must be a skillful writer. Whether a seasoned professional or a recent college graduate, they need to understand social media’s role within the integrated communications approach. Bottom line, they need to know not only how to use the platforms, but how to build a community within them.

Ready for the Commitment?

Stepping into the social media realm is a commitment too. Once taken on, it becomes a company’s child; meaning once you commit to having it, there are no nights off from “parenthood.” It needs constant care and attention. So, how much time should be dedicated to channels like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn? According to the latest Social Media Marketing Industry report, 59 percent say 6 hours per week or more; 33 percent suggest – 11 hours a week or more; and 15 percent recommend 20 or more hours per week.

Companies must have a personal heart-to-heart to determine the capacity of their internal teams to manage their social media pursuits. If social media is going to be useful, it cannot be put on the backburner or be at the bottom of someone’s to-do list. Whether it’s being monitored or not, social media doesn’t shut down, or go to sleep. It’s always awake, always active and always unpredictable.

The takeaway is, social media management should be viewed as an important skill set, just as any other role within a company. Just because a young student knows how to use social media for their own purposes, doesn’t equate to being in charge of representing your company on Facebook. Consider this, you wouldn’t hire a celebrity to handle your finances just because they know how to spend money, would you?

Carefully modulated, one-voice messaging is critical among myriad of audiences during a crisis: press, social media, internal stakeholders/staff, customers, stockholders, unions, and industry partners. No brainer, right? But easier said then done. If and when a situation arises, there are certain provisions that must be taken to resolve the issue, rescue the company’s reputation, or even better, enhance a reputation during adversity.

Gather the team and maintain perspective.

Times of crisis can cause chaos and hostility among team members. Leadership must understand this concept. Review the issue and objectives with the team, and remember, to keep an open dialogue among employees.

In order to properly assess the issue, first one must understand the factors that contributed to the crisis. Ask the following questions:

• What caused the situation to occur?
• Who is affected? Consumers? Employees? The community?
• What is the severity of the issue? Can this be resolved internally or does it have far reaching effects?
• Has this problem affected other businesses? How did they address the issue and what was the outcome? How does this impact the industry?
• Do we need additional resources to aid in the conflict resolution?

Develop an action plan.

Even with a well-documented and a rehearsed crisis plan, the plan cannot cover every possible scenario. However, with a properly trained team in place and an objective review of the situation, an action plan can be quickly developed. Consider these topics when formalizing the plan of attack for a specific crisis:

• How can the problem be resolved? Make sure to consider factors such as company goals, audiences impacted, ethics, environmental, etc. What precautions can be taken to ensure this problem does not occur again?
• What is the best method to communicate with the individuals affected by the problem? Social media? Phone? Distributing a press release? Press conference? Email?
• As part of the pre-prepared crisis communications plan, tap the individuals who have been designated to manage the various audiences. For example, direct journalists to one central location so they are not receiving conflicting messages.
• How often should the company provide updates to internal and external parties?

To give a real-world example, In 2008, an action plan was developed when Orlando-based, Golfweek inserted itself in a racially charged scenario by placing a noose on their cover. To the chagrin of Tiger Woods, he led a charge to have advertisers pull their ads from the magazine– and 70 percent did. But, evok advertising was there to clear a new path for the publication and reclaim their valued advertisers.

Evok conducted situational assessments with both internal and external audiences (including advertisers), messaging was developed and a plan was plotted for dissemination. Within eight months, press coverage was limited to the golf industry and the agency helped to stabilize revenue putting the magazine on a growth plan exceeding where they started through rebranding, industry and community outreach, and the launch of Central Florida’s first-ever, First Tee Chapter, which teaches youth life lessons through the game of golf .

Monitor the situation as a group and be decisive.

A situation can change by the minute, so it is paramount to continue to monitor the situation closely. When making decisions, the staff must be decisive. This is not a time to second-guess the plan. The scenario was reviewed closely based on the available facts. Don’t allow the team to Monday morning quarterback the decisions until after the crisis has passed, and potentially new standard operating procedures can be established based on the lessons learned.

Managing a crisis isn’t easy for any business. However, by taking the proper provisions, the pain and duration of the discomfort can be minimized, the respect of internal and external audiences can be enhanced, and perhaps even reaching heighted brand loyalty.

When you’re tweeting for a 10,000 person ad agency, should your tweets be written in the first person or the third person?

We hosted a SMWNY Social Media Week called “The voice behind the curtain,” at which we asked four intrepid ad agency tweeters to share stories and insights about representing entire organizations of creative geniuses on Twitter. One discussion that ignited the audience’s twitter-feed came from a simple question: is your agency an “I” or a “We” on Twitter?

So “we” decided to look at the voice of the 100 most-followed ad agency Twitter accounts. Here’s what we found.

THE “WE” TWEETERS

“We” is by far the most-used pronoun for agency Twitter accounts, which makes sense when you consider that the account often represents a company of many people.

Some Twitter accounts specify the authors’ names. Of the 64 “we” accounts, eight list multiple people tweeting, which further validates the use of the plural personal pronoun.

But what about that other slice in the pie? Four of the “we” accounts give a byline tweets to a single person at the agency. So are the individuals behind @McCann_NY,@W2Optimism, @4As and @McCann_WG making a conscious effort to call themselves a “we?” Was the plurality established when the account was started, or did it evolve over time?

Average ratio of following/followers for “we” tweeters: 23%

“We” account with the biggest following: @frogdesign

THE “I” TWEETERS

According to the “Flawesome” trend, consumers in 2012 expect brands to be more human, exhibiting traits like humor and empathy. It stands to reason, then, that the agencies who are advising their clients’ brands to be Flawesome would affect the same sense of humanity with their own brand.

One way that an agency can show a human side is by calling itself “I” on Twitter. For some smaller shops, for whom the president or CEO is literally the face of the agency, using the “I” pronoun is a natural and logical fit.

Some agency accounts use a mix of “we” and “I,” using the former for tweets that represent the entire agency, and the latter for “at replies.” But something feels unnatural about not knowing who “I” am — er, who “I” is… are…

Of the 17 “I” agency Twitter accounts in the top 100, only eight give individual agency folks bylines for the tweets.

Would the “I” behind @madebymany, @workatplay, @firstborn_nyc, @digitalkitchen,@AdContrarian, @jackmorton, @the_nerdery, @Rockfish and @TribalDDB please stand up? “You” are confusing “us.”

Update 3/1: The tweeter behind @madebymany has revealed himself. Thank you, sir!

@blogads I is I

— William (@WRoissetter) March 1, 2012

Average ratio of following/followers for “I” tweeters: 48%

“I” account with the biggest following: @evoklarry

THE NEUTRAL TWEETERS

The majority of the most popular agency Twitter accounts has chosen a side in the “We” vs “I” debate. However, we did find 19 accounts that either refer to themselves in the third person or not at all. Some of them are clearly auto-feeds from Facebook or a blog; other agencies just really like to make the pronoun omission popularized by the likes of LeBron James, Elmo, andSeinfeld’s “The Jimmy.”

Average ratio of following/followers for neutral tweeters: 26%

Neutral account with the biggest following: @OGILVY

Who is “we?” This post was written by Nick Fabar based on research

View the published story

Evok’s history in the consumer electronics industry spans back to 2002, when the agency was founded in part by Larry Meador, the former national brand manager of Recoton Corp., a Lake Mary-based electronics accessories manufacturer. The evok team later spent five years working with Metra Electronics and eight years in a successful partnership as a brand steward to Dual Electronics Corp., a Heathrow-based business.

Senior Account Manager Cheryl Parker, who has more than 15 years experience in advertising and consumer electronics said, “The evok team excels in this industry and we’re looking forward to getting back to our roots.

Keith Lehmann, Senior Vice President of Kenwood’s Consumer Electronics Sector, said “One of our key marketing goals is to convert the consumer from browser to buyer through leveraging the latest in digital lifestyle trends. We are very impressed with the understanding and command evok has over digital media and their ability to deliver unique campaigns that are relevant to today’s connected consumer. Kenwood is looking forward to 2012 as a breakout year in our marketing and communication development, thanks to the efforts of the evok team.”

Larry Meador, Chief Executive Officer of evok said, “We’re proud to be part of the Kenwood team and are confident that through our resources, industry knowledge and previous work with other companies in the category we’ll exceed Kenwood’s marketing needs by creating and executing successful campaigns that deliver on all fronts.”

Kenwood USA is the third national brand to join evok’s client roster in the last 90 days. Other leading accounts managed by the evok team include the Education Management Corporation, one of the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America with 106 campuses, and Eurotire, a global leader in the OTR tire industry. When asked about their newest acquisitions, evok notes that the team is proud to keep a diverse and growing portfolio of client work.