Overall, we think the evening proved that the Salt Lake market is teeming with creative thinking and individuals who aren’t just chasing “shiny objects” but looking at the digital arena as a critical component of any marketing strategy. As Craig said: “It shouldn’t be ‘digital’ or ‘new media’ anymore. It’s about engagement and integrated media strategy.”

If you remember anything at all, I’m betting it was a story.  No big surprise.  Stories are more entertaining, informative and memorable than facts, figures and philosophical diatribes.  Anybody that’s had any training in public speaking knows that.  Just ask any Toastmasters Club honcho.  Or, take a Dale Carnegie course.

In his book, What’s Your Point, Bob Boylan, author and consultant in the field of effective presentations, urges presenters to, “Tell stories.  They grab the audience.  You will be real when you tell your own stories.  They build on the feeling of ‘trust me.’  People love to hear stories, especially personal ones, and your familiarity with the story makes the words come more easily and believably.”

In advertising, I believe stories are critical to snagging and holding attention – whether we’re dealing with a YouTube video or a primetime television spot.  They are imperative when developing and strengthening brand awareness and preference.

The TV spot hailed as the best of the past century, Apple’s “1984,” told a riveting story, as do many of the most memorable Super Bowl spots over the years.  Remember the classic “Mean Joe Green” Coke spot from 1980? I still do, and I have a spotty memory.  Remember the pint-sized Darth Vader VW spot last year?

I believe the value of today’s highfalutin’ technology will be greatly minimized unless we learn how to apply the time-proven art of storytelling to it.  But it’s not an easy task in this time-crunched, media-overloaded society.

That fact is reflected in this comment by James Clunie, a judge for the prestigious 2011 Communication Arts Advertising Annual.  He is quoted in the Editor’s Column of that issue as saying, “I’m always surprised at how much time people expect you to engage with their brand.  I don’t have time up upload a picture of my face to a Web site so I can see what I look like sitting behind the wheel of a Jetta or on an American Standard toilet or whatever.”

Randal Rothenburg, president/CEO of the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), noted in a recent Advertising Age article, “New technology does not change the human desire for sense-making narrative or the need for us to understand the world through tales well told.  But the technology does change how we learn stories, how we tell stories, and who hears them.”

“We are concerned our industry is more concentrated on counting likes and clickthroughs than forming deep relationships with people, and that subsequently consumer interaction with brands is largely limited to likes, short comments, and critiques.  From this angle, interactive media is in its infancy.”

That relates directly to Richter7’s foundational belief that human beings are big bundles of feelings, and that emotional impulses drive behavior, brand relationships and product loyalty.

It’s up to us to figure out how to be better at storytelling within these technological confines.  What is clear is this — if you tell a story well, it will get passed on, and commented on positively, via multiple technological tools (think Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) at a speed and depth like never before.  And that’s the best kind of advertising — because it’s free.

And by “freshness”, of course we mean Google’s new Freshness algorithm that favors frequently updated content in the search results delivered to you. Amit Singhal, from Google, says that “search results, like warm cookies right out of the oven or cool refreshing fruit on a hot summer’s day, are best when they’re fresh.” While that may be true, it could also affect your website’s search engine rankings, especially if others in your market or category are updating their platforms on a more regular basis.

This new algorithm update stems from the completion of their Caffeine (aptly named!) web indexing system last year, which crawls and indexes the web for fresh content much quicker and on a much larger scale. The new Freshness algorithm further builds on Caffeine and impacts roughly 35 percent of searches. Different searches have different freshness needs and Google’s new algorithm accounts for that, differentiating between what queries require recent content and those it is less relevant for. For example, if you are searching for information on when the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting will take place, you are more likely than not interested in the 2011 tree lighting and not 2008 or 2004. However, if you are searching for a cookie recipe, timeliness is less critical. As a result of this, the search results that will be most affected include those in the following categories:

1. Recent events or hot topics (latest news about NBA lockout, Occupy Wall Street protest, etc.)
2. Regularly occurring events (elections, X Factor results, etc.)
3. Frequent updates (best SLR camera, safest SUV)

This freshness shift shouldn’t be seen as a detriment, but rather an opportunity to increase our search rankings by making sure content is relevant, updated and takes into account both social media and search. Now, more than ever, analytics, keyword research and trending topics should have an impact on the content we push out on the web, in social channels and press releases. Let’s shift our thinking to “real-time” so we can really embrace the “freshness” and provide our target audiences with the updated, relevant content they are looking for.

We’ve heard it countless times, but strategies shouldn’t (can’t!) be silo-ed anymore. Think of some of the most memorable campaigns you’ve seen recently; The Old Spice “Man Your Man Could Be” comes to mind (though now slightly tainted by the long locks of Fabio…) This campaign originally aired during the Superbowl but then was posted to YouTube where it received tens of millions of page views. Following that and the overwhelming buzz (particularly on Twitter) the commercial began to receive, they took it one step further – directly responding to tweets via YouTube.

The results were phenomenal. The company saw a 107% sales increase and had a combined 135 million YouTube views. Individual products that were slipping in sales even saw spikes after being shown in the spots.

Another interesting topic was the evolution of the traditional marketing funnel – with social media, we’ve seen a new approach: awareness building –> favorability –> likelihood to recommend –> intent to purchase. Studies have also shown that consumers exposed to a brand through social media and paid search are more likely to search for the brand later and fall lower in this funnel to begin with.

As we develop marketing strategies for clients, it’s no longer individual departments (advertising, digital and PR) meeting separately and coming together with multiple ideas at the end to see if everything fits together. We now approach things from an integrated stance from the very beginning. This applies to in-house marketing departments as well. To promote a new product launch, store opening, company milestone, etc. sit all departments down in one room and brainstorm how it can be promoted across all platforms. Should a Facebook page be created for your new product, supported by paid search on certain terms and a TV or print campaign that drives people to connect on the Facebook page? Would a social media hub on your website help generate excitement and drive consumers to platforms where they can talk about your offering with other like-minded individuals? How can you build an army of advocates?

The possibilities are endless but should operate as a cohesive effort rather than individual tactics. This way, you will be hitting your target audience from multiple angles and ultimately see the greatest return on your investment.

Forget about deciphering the future, or trying to envision what new technology or digital tools will appear next.

Pause from that frustrating pursuit for five minutes while we peer into advertising’s distant past, in order to re-discover what the future will require – no matter what quirky Facebook rip-off or magical mobile app surfaces next week.

Look backwards for a moment.  Way back.  Keep going.  And going.

1925, bingo.

Lord & Thomas was the largest ad agency in the world at that time, and forerunner to what later became known as Foote Cone Belding (which itself became a behemoth in the ad industry).   Although his name never appeared on the door, L&T’s creator was Albert Lasker, a tireless taskmaster and one of the advertising industry’s greatest pioneers during the first half of the 20th century. With the assistance of Claude Hopkins, one of the first great professional copywriters, Lasker transformed brands such as Kleenex, Kotex, Pepsodent and Lucky Strike into household names.

That year, his agency published a series of magazine ads.  (Imagine that, an ad agency practicing what it preaches.)  The long-copy ads, mostly devoid of graphics, taught tenets of truth that may well be eternal.  Here are some excised jewels from that series.  See if you agree.

1. “Look for two certain qualities in every advertisement: ‘Fire and Feeling.’  Elements which, possessed, make one man a super-salesman.  And lacked, another a misfit.  Which make one ad sway millions to buy.  And left out, make another costly mediocrity.  ”
2. “The advertisement that trumpets ‘Here Is the Greatest Thing on Earth’ is, in modern advertising practice, judged a liability.  Only medicine shows and street carnivals any longer employ ‘barkers.’  Avoid boast and bombast.  For the whispered word is often more potent than the shouted.”
3. “When you find a winning story in advertising, stay with it.  Don’t, in the struggle for ‘something different,’ change it.
4. “The true science of headlines is to strike the right balance.  Not common-place, for that’s without excuse.  Not bizarre, for that’s a costly folly.  Not indefinite, but definite and compelling.”
5. “Many slogans can apply to ten or fifty products, but your claims as to the exclusive features of your product can apply only to yours.  If your ad copy features generalized slogans or extraneous ‘human interest’ leads more pertinently than your product, then change your copy.”

Sound familiar?  Some things never change, and shouldn’t.  These principles, circa 1925, apply every bit as much today, whether we’re creating a Flash banner or a matchbook cover.

I have long believed my job is to sell my clients products and services.  Awards are a bonus for doing that job right in the first place.  With that in mind, I offer a sixth excerpt from the Lord & Taylor ad series – again illustrating that the past can be totally applicable to the present:

• “The object of advertising is to sell.  Its only court of judgment is a profit sheet.  Men may deceive themselves, but profit and loss columns – never.”

Hats off to Mr. Lasker and Mr. Hopkins for leaving us a history lesson that has never gone out of style.

Perhaps the best part, though, is this is Richter7’s 8th year receiving the honor. And while we only focus on the advertising category, my 21 years at this agency has shown me that we have outstanding divisions throughout the company in Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Research, Design, Media Planning and the explosive Online Marketing/Web & Mobile Development division. All add to make one great company.

But the real bonus is having stellar clients who authorize us to do outstanding campaigns. Without their trust and a collaborative vision, we wouldn’t have the award-winning work to move their business forward. Thank you to all.

According to a recent tweet, AP Stylebook will now include such terms as end user, geolocation, geotagging, link shortener, stream and unfollow.

Luckily, with today’s technology, it’s easy (and even fun) to keep up via apps, Twitter feeds and the like. No more lugging that 1-pound, 1.6 ounce paperback around with no search functionality but your weary, opposable thumbs (don’t tell the printers that we suggested it).

If you didn’t join the conversation with @APStylebook on Twitter today, familiarize your inner journalist with the bible of the newspaper industry by searching hashtag #APStyleChat for tips and refreshers to improve your writing.

As a first-time contributor to this blog, I thought it would be best to start out with a little introduction about myself. My name is Kylee Snelgrove and I am a Public Relations Intern at Richter7.  I graduate TOMORROW with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication from the University of Utah. (Go Utes!) Outside of this fabulous world of PR, I love to spend my time dancing, shopping and spending anytime I can out in the sun.

I could make a list a mile long of all the things I have already learned from my internship, but for the sake of blog writing I will shorten my list to my top three.

1. I can always improve my writing.
2. Give 100 percent to every project.
3. Busy is better!

In the PR world, you write a lot! Whether it is for a press release or blog post, I find myself writing every day.  After I write something, I take it to get edited. When it comes back with red marks all over the page, I realize that extra set of eyes makes a huge difference. Improving my writing is one of the goals I set for myself when I started this internship, and it will be one of my goals until I finish because it is a constant learning process.

The next thing I have learned is that I have to give 100 percent into every single project. PR is client- driven and therefore, you have to do your best to impress each client by going above and beyond for them.

I became a PR intern in December 2010 and have already gotten a feel for the fast-paced agency life, and I love it. As I leave each day, I always think there are projects I could keep working on. I have had the opportunity to work on so many different things, such as media training, press conferences and school presentations. Every day is different and every day is busy!

Over the next few months, I know I will keep gaining a greater knowledge of what it will take for me to become a successful PR professional. I’m learning from the best and know they will help me become my best.

Who would’ve guessed that just two days later, we’re hearing about this 10-year-long manhunt coming to an end? The media has shifted and is now riddled with stories regarding the compound where bin Laden stayed, and how his death triggered a spread of computer viruses, affecting millions. What does this mean for the social media world around us? How long will this stay in the news? How many videos will be released regarding this event? It is an exciting time to share information and learn about this event in its entirety from the comfort of your home.

One thing is for sure: information is often emotionally charged. And that kind of information, spread through so many traditional and social media platforms, can affect the world. The morning after I heard the news about Osama, I was heading over to a conference. While entering a building, a man held open the door for me, wearing a giant American flag t-shirt, just beaming. He motioned me in and said, “It’s a great day to be an American!” It truly is a great time to be an American when strangers become friends, and all can rejoice together as patriots. But possibly the greatest celebration took place at the First Lawn of the White House. Read more details about the celebration here.

So stay tuned, contribute your two cents, and enjoy this victory we’ve won. As a side note, I predict there’ll be a Hollywood movie out recapping this bin Laden saga within one year from today.

BUT, you can’t develop this strategy without first listening to how your consumers are talking about you and your competitors online.

Do consumers talk about you predominantly in a negative or positive way? Are they letting their social graph know when they are on the way to your location or that they just finished eating your pizza? Do they want their friends to know they attended your event or are they complaining about lost luggage? And, are they doing this on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare or through forums, blogs etc.? Once you have a strong understanding of this, your social strategy can develop into something that will help effectively engage with and serve your customers and increase dialogue about your brand.

There are a number of monitoring tools out there that help facilitate this process. Programs like Radian6, Collective Intellect, Alterian and others aggregate mentions of your brand across online platforms including blogs, forums, Facebook, twitter, aggregators, etc. This is critical for a number of reasons:

1. Helps you gain a better understanding of how consumers feel about your brand;
2. Gives a quantitative understanding of the reach and influence your marketing initiatives are having; and
3. Increases your understanding of what platforms your brand and competitors are being talked about on which could influence your marketing strategy in terms of where you are advertising or platforms you may want to interact on.

Advertisers run focus groups and do research before presenting new brand messaging and the same should be done through social media. Listening gives you real-time, ongoing and trustworthy feedback on your company, product, offering, general sentiment, competitor comparisons and more.

Whether you listen through a paid service or have a team culling social media platforms through search engines, it’s an opportunity that can’t and shouldn’t be missed.