marketing Archives - Merryn Bourne Creative

How print marketing can complement your digital strategy

November 22, 2017

by Merryn branding lead generation print

Many say that the days of print marketing are coming to an end, but we don’t believe this. After all, similar predictions were made after radio and TV were introduced and print survived both of these. In fact, many are unaware that the statistics are looking pretty good for print at the moment, with some even saying it’s being reborn: sales of e-books having slumped, magazines still in circulation, 3D printers being all the rage and sales of polaroid cameras steadily rising again. And while there’s no denying the fact that digital strategies are often the most practical, efficient and even cost-effective at times, there is definitely scope for print marketing to survive and remain relevant, even as our world becomes more and more digital.

What does print do best?

While digital media is unparalleled when it comes to providing data intelligence, targeting specific individuals and reaching the largest numbers, print clearly provides something unique, otherwise it would probably be obsolete by now. Here are some of the main areas where it has been known to out-perform digital:

Emotional connections

Studies show that people are more likely to have strong emotions toward something that’s real and tangible than something made out of pixels. Ever heard someone say they love the smell of books? These kinds of genuine sentimental connections are really unique to print.

Creating memories

Experts have found that our brains are better at retaining information from print than they are from digital sources. This is probably because print is far more physically immersive – you’re turning the page with your hands and feeling the intricate details of the paper. On the other hand, the routine action of scrolling, clicking and typing is so instinctive to most of us, that we often forget we’re doing it.

Standing out

Because consumers are so used to digital noise, they’re highly desensitised, often blocking out anything they deem to be advertising, whether that’s mentally or through an ad-blocker. Print on the other hand, is less saturated in this way. Without digital limits in place, it can catch eyes in unique and unexpected ways.

So, what’s the best way to use print in 2017?

We’re certainly not saying that it’s a good idea to rip down your socials, deactivate your website or slash your SEO budget. But having some print integrated into your marketing efforts may just broaden your reach and draw in some new business. Here are some of the top ways companies are using print to complement their digital strategies:

Variable printing

Not a whole lot of print material is personalised, despite the mass of data we have on our clients from all our intelligence. Variable printing is now better quality, more affordable and customisable than ever, allowing you to combine the personalisation of digital marketing and the immersive elements of print.

Business cards

If someone has your business card, the chances are you’ve probably met them in person. A tangible keepsake from your meeting will always be a great way to put you in your customers’ front of mind, especially as more and more communications become digital.

Finishing touches

Being able to add unique finishes to your print communications is now more affordable, customisable and accessible than ever before. Small touches can make a big difference, offering new opportunities to expand your brand image with new style, depth and character.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your print communications:

Be you

Your print communications shouldn’t differ too much from your digital material, so it’s necessary to ensure your style, content and energy remains consistent with your unique brand personality.

Segway to web

Just because you’re using print, don’t forget to refer customers to your digital platforms. Always save space for email, web address and social handles to ensure you’re accessible as possible to your customers.

Triple check your work

Unlike web content, print mistakes can be very costly and time-consuming to mend. You should double ensure your content is proof-read, edited and thoroughly reviewed before it goes to print.

Need some help adding flair to your branding? Merryn Bourne Creative works closely with brands to develop unique integrated marketing communications strategies with a range of digital and physical touchpoints. For more information, contact us today.

supercharge your ads with facebook pixel

How to Supercharge Your Ads with the New Facebook Pixel

September 20, 2017

by Merryn marketing social media

What’s a Facebook pixel?

A Facebook pixel is a small piece of coding that allows you to track and optimise your ads, helping build targeted audiences for future campaigns.

What’s new?

Released early this year, Facebook’s new pixel is easier to use and track. By integrating two separate pixels, Custom Audiences and Conversation Tracking into one, Facebook has streamlined its system, offering improvements to its functions:

Conversation tracking

Track the actions of web visitors from your Facebook ad and monitor how they interact with your website. For example; are they buying more from desktop or mobile? How often do they drop out at your payment page? Use this to make necessary improvements.

Optimising ads for conversion

Improve the quality and targeting of your ads, boosting their overall effectiveness. Use the data provided to ensure your ads are being seen by the customers most likely to take your desired action.

Building custom audiences

Facebook can help find optimal audiences for your ads based on people’s interests, likes and demographics.

You can also expect other benefits like faster loading, improved website SEO and the capability to track multiple events.

How to get started

Create the pixel and add it to your website. Find the ‘Pixels’ tab under ‘Ads Manager’ on Facebook. Click ‘Create a Pixel,’ give it a name and accept the terms. Next, paste the pixel code into the header of your website and check the status is active by clicking ‘Send Text Traffic’. This code will then send data back to Facebook, allowing you to better measure your activity. For more info about setting up your pixel, see Facebook’s guide.

How to start tracking the events that matter to you:

Once you’ve set up your pixel, you can start adding events, which allow you to customise and track the actions people take on your website. To do this, find the ‘Pixels’ tab in your ‘Ads Manager’ on Facebook, click ‘Install Events’. Choose the events you’d like to track – for example, when people make a purchase, make a search, view certain content or sign up for registration. Next, assign whether you track these on ‘Page Load’ (when someone lands on a page) or on ‘Inline Action’ (when someone clicks something) and select any additional parameters you’d like to measure. Copy and paste to your site and enjoy the benefits of improved ads!

Merryn Bourne Creative can help you optimise the way you produce, measure and track your advertising with the new Facebook pixel. Contact us today.

Is it time for a rebrand?

April 3, 2017

by Merryn branding Uncategorized

No matter how much you love your brand, there will come a time when you will need to change things up.

Your target market may grow uninterested, you may develop a questionable reputation, or new competitors may be putting pressure on you forcing you to mix up your business tactics.

When you are faced with these challenges, there are only two options; you can stay with the branding strategy that got you stuck in this sticky-mess, or you can rebrand your business, turn it into something new and start the process of rebuilding.

Rebranding a business’s goals, message and culture is hard, especially if your brand has market status – is well known or successful. And although many have tried to grow their brand, most have failed.

To be successful, a brand requires more than just a revamped logo. It demands a vision that inspires customers, investors, and others to transfer what they valued about the old and be continued on with the new. This way loyalty will remain regardless of your new identity.

It’s important to remember when rebranding that you should not to deviate too far from the core values you held and built into your business at the beginning of your journey. Dramatic brand changes could result in your audience losing sight in the business they had previously related to. So, why do businesses engage in a brand overhaul?

There are a number of reasons why businesses rebrand their brand;

- Competitors

- Potential for growth

- Keep up with the times/ staying relevant

- The desire to target a new audience

- Your business is merging with another

Damaged reputation

To nail rebranding it all comes down to smart, well-researched angles, savvy marketing and better quality control.

Learn more on how your brand could be the new #watchthisspace

We’ve discovered some businesses who experiment with their branding. In an attempt to find new ways to revive their brands these brands succeeded. We believe their brands have not only continued down the same successful road, but have also been made stronger.

Apple

Apple has possibly one of the best rebranding stories of our era. In the early-to-mid-1990s Apple came dangerously close to bankruptcy. The brand didn’t stand for much, and certainly didn’t stand out, until Steve Jobs took over the company and changed everything from the look to the product and the series of strong marketing and advertising campaigns.

Burberry

Burberry is a fantastic example of how a brand can change its image with a few simple marketing tweaks. Just a couple decades ago, Burberry was suffering from a bad reputation, being associated as gang wear. In 2001, a new creative director, Christopher Bailey, took over and started introducing new products like swimwear and trench coats that were unaffiliated with previous images of the brand. Celebrity endorsements from Emma Watson and Kate Moss helped cement the new image of Burberry, and now the company is a major luxury brand, touted as a symbol of high class and wealth.

Regardless of the motives, these companies recognised the need to implement a comprehensive rebranding strategy to take their businesses to the next level.

Rebranding isn’t simple, and it can’t be done overnight. Instead, you’ll need to dive deep into your company and your target demographics; why, exactly, is your current brand failing? Is there a way to recover with your current audience, or do you need to target a new audience? What’s the best way to reach this new audience? What are the best marketing channels, ideas, and images to associate with yourself? There’s no right answer to these questions, and the possibilities can be intimidating, but in any case, if your current brand isn’t working—it needs to change.

Is your business interested in engaged in a rebranding strategy? Merryn Bourne Creative will work closely with you to help your brand succeed. For more information, please get in contact with us.

Uplift your EDM open rate with A/B testing

February 20, 2017

by Merryn lead generation marketing Uncategorized

Want to improve the effectiveness of your website’s marketing efforts, but unsure how to evaluate whether the changes will be successful or not?

The solution to your problem is A/B testing.

A/B testing involves running an experiment between two web designs (A and B). By comparing the two versions against each other, you’re able to determine- via statistical evidence – which web page performs or converts the best.

From this, you’re able to gain an insight into the behaviour of the visitors accessing your web page and adjust your website accordingly to maximise conversion rates.

Not only does A/B testing help you understand the impact you’re making, but it also gives you a much fuller understanding about your customers’ behaviour and preferences.

Starting point:

Once you have determined your goal – perhaps to increase conversion rates, reduce bounce rates or increase sales – you then need to decide what it is you wish to test on your landing page.

What can you test?

A/B testing can look at anything on your website that affects visitor behaviour.

However, try focus on aspects which are most likely to have a large impact. For instance;

Headlines
Call to Action text
Call to Action Button
Any graphics used in direct correlation to sales efforts

By focusing on the aspects which have the greatest impact on your customers, you’re less likely to get caught up on minute details which may only have a minimal impact.

How A/B testing works:

In an A/B test, you take a web page and modify it to create a second version of the same page. This change can be as simple as a single headline or button, or be a complete redesign of a page.

This leads to half of your traffic being diverted through the original version of the page (known as the control, or A) and the other half through the modified version of the page (the variation, of B).

Visitors are then served either the control or variation, and their engagement with each is measured, collected and analysed through a statistical engine. As a result, you are able to determine whether changes made to the web page had an impact on visitor behaviour – positive, negative, or no effect at all.

AB-testing-INFOGRAPHIC

The benefits of using an A/B test:

A well planned A/B test can help improve your bottom line by allowing you to better understand what works and what doesn’t. This means when it comes to deciding what marketing strategies to use, decisions can be made quicker with a result that’s guaranteed to be effective as the evidence found from the A/B tests will help you better understand what your customers are responding to.

A/B Testing process:

When running an A/B testing experiment, you should treat the process in a scientific manner.

Study your website data
Observe user behaviour
Construct a hypothesis
Test your hypothesis
Analyse test data and draw conclusions
Report results to all concerned

For more information or guidance on A/B testing, please contact us on 02 8399 2223 or email us.

With a consumer driven Aged Care market – you need to be visible.

February 6, 2017

by Merryn branding

Australians are living longer and healthier lives and it is important that as people age, they have a choice about their care. These new government reforms are driving innovation and growth in the Aged Care sector.

In 3 weeks, home care packages will change to give your clients more choice about their care and who delivers it, in compliance with the 2015-16 Budget. Consumers will be able to choose a provider that best meets their needs, so get ready. People will be researching for their best fit, are you visible to your target audience?

How is your customer service? Are you keeping your clients happy? It will be easier for your consumers to change providers if they wish, for example, if they move to another area to live. If they make a change, the funding for their package will follow them to their new choice of provider.

The choice will be theirs if they are not happy they can change. Home care packages will be assigned to people based on their individual needs and circumstances. This will make sure people receive care in a way that is fairer and more consistent around the country. Be prepared for change.

As an Aged Care service provider, do you have strong messaging around how you improve peoples lives? Are you activating this campaign as part of your overall integrated communication plan? We can help you drive results in your market.

Merryn Bourne Creative can help you develop an integrated communication plan, suited to your unique Aged Care service. For more information, please contact us.