Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications

Unity Point Health...WHAT?

During the past week we've seen and heard a bunch about the new name for Iowa Health System now called Unity Point Health.  We understand this name transition has been going on for a while.  We can't confirm but sources have told us the effort has been going on for nearly two years. Clearly, based on the large number of television ads, the marketing team has been working on this for a long time.

We "get" the name change.  After all when the company is doing business in multiple states it makes sense to brand the product using a more universal name.  However, as you can see by the logo...not much really changed.  We would have rather seen a more dramatic alteration of the old logo but, here too, we understand the emotional attachment to the old.

However we're puzzled by the scripts used in the radio ads and voice overs.  Here is an example.  Listen carefully.

 

Not trying to be snarky but is Iowa Health, now Unity Point, admitting that for decades they have had this health care thing all...wrong?  Just now they have decided to put patients first?  Just now they are coming to grips with coordinated health care between the physician, hospital and clinic?  Just...now?

It's a head shaker and the result of when scriptwriters get ahead of themselves trying to re-make a brand when, in reality, only the name has been changed.  That's our take...yours?

 

 

If you want to leave a comment here, feel free.  Or join us on our advertising agency Twitter Stream @InsightADV and our agency Facebook Page is right here.  Thanks for coming by...

Video Worth Sharing...Dove

Over the years we've produced hundreds of hours of video for television and the web.  That process is so much more complex than most business people realize.  To produce a high quality video for business it takes planning, talented staff and a firm grip on the "end result".

That's why we want to share this powerful piece with you.  Dove is an old brand and we would bet it's not on the "want list" of many young women.  However, this very classy piece may just change that.

 

Well written, filmed and scored it is a very touching piece that, we think, ranks among the very best pieces of marketing video...ever.  And, again, that is no accident.  This took lots of time, talent and work.  Well done!

 

 

 

If you have a comment, feel free to post here.  And/or follow us on Twitter @InsightAdv and our advertising agency Facebook Page is right here.  Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications is a full service advertising agency based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Get Ready Main Street - The 800lb Gorilla is Coming

If you own a small business this news should warm your heart.  Walmart has announced that it will shift some of their national television advertising dollars to local TV in some 60 markets. The company will create 1,500 "hyper-local" television ads targeting price.  Actually, they will be targeting the local retail stores which dot Main Street.

Why?

Because they want a bigger slice of the grocery store business.  But, you can bet it does not stop there.

The retail giant will not only produce a mind-blowing 1,500 ads they will also extend the life of the campaign by using social media.

Before you put up the "Out of Business" sign some things you can and should be doing...now: (Uhm...HyVee, Fareway, Dahls and others...)

• Hammer Local - You are already the local business.  Today get "hyper-local" in your marketing efforts.  You live in the community.  You give back to the community.  You serve local community friends, family and neighbors.
• Get Creative - There are a dozen ways in which you can top this move if you sit down and think, "How do I better serve shoppers?"
• Get Personal - While Walmart is going to highlight price by comparing sales receipts you can highlight the people you serve and the people that serve the consumer.  Make it a personal experience.
• Get Help - Trust me, you can't do this alone. I realize you "think" you know advertising/marketing it's not your core craft.  You make stuff to sell stuff or buy stuff to sell stuff.  Marketers are the folks who help you sell...more with better communication.

You can not attack this with Facebook alone.  You can not respond with cool signs.  You cannot do this with newspaper ads.  You can't do this with a speech at your local Chamber.  You can't.  It is that simple.  To be able to extend your brand to your core audience you must employ a host of methods...and you might want to get started today.

If you would like to read the article from our friends at Advertising Age, here you go.

 

 

If you would like to comment here, have at it.  To connect with us on Twitter it's @InsightADV and our advertising agency Facebook Page is right here.  Thanks for coming by...and hope it helps.  Michael

Honest, We Were Trying to Help...

That's what we shared with our friends at the new Urbandale (Iowa) Hy-Vee last month when we authored "The SM Break Up" piece about their "tired" Twitter Stream filled with "corporate speak".

Yesterday we learned that an "in-house" person has been tasked with monitoring and responding for all the social media platforms the new "super store" controls.  And, we couldn't be happier.  Not because we did anything other than point out that doing social media well isn't a cost...it's an investment in learning and interacting with consumers.

So... @UrbandaleHyVee welcome back to the conversation and thanks for the acknowledgement that there is real value in social communication. Glad we could help. We'll be watching and sharing!

 

If you want to comment here, feel free.  Or let's get together over on Twitter @InsightADV and here is our advertising agency Facebook Page.  Thanks for coming by!

The SM Break Up...Urbandale HyVee

This is a tough post to write.  You see it's about "My Hy-Vee" in Urbandale, Iowa.  Over the years I've become friends with several of the 600 people now employed by this, the largest store in the chain.  That's not changed. We know each other, call each other by name and have a positive personal relationships.  And, yes, I still drive an extra mile to shop these "smiling aisles". 

So, I'm loyal.  And, over time I've posted a number of videos...just for fun.

However, what was also a personal social media relationship has fallen on hard times. My Urbandale HyVee, it seems, has outsourced their Twitter postings to the dreaded "Home Office" and rather than engaging their followers the Urbandale HyVee Twitter Stream is loaded with blah, blah, blah...selling messages.

They got...lazy and in getting lazy My Urbandale HyVee is losing its personality.

The Double Edge Sword of Social Media

That's the trouble with social media.  Your Friends and/or fellow Tweeps get used to your "voice" and when that changes or becomes loaded with "corporate speak" you...lose your relationship.

The answer is pretty simple but, it takes work.  Outsourced Twitter Streams can work but the folks punching the keys need to remain engaged. It's called social for a reason.  That's why we recommend to our social media clients that they...NOT US...learn the best ways to make social media work for...them. But, like everything good...it takes...time.

If you've got a comment or question feel free to say it here or join us on our Twitter Stream @InsightADV or our advertising/communication agency Facebook Page is right here.

Some Urbandale HyVee Videos

Over the years I've had some video fun with my friends at the Urbandale Hy-Vee. Here's a sample:

Ever notice how one store spends lots of time in creating "a look"?  Here's a promo for our show Insight on Business from 2010:

 

That same year I went on a "Search for Sabra Jalapeno Hummus":

 

Then there was this piece we did for a fund raising event for JDRF - The Thrilla at the Grilla:

 

In September of this year we said goodbye to the "Old" Urbandale Hy-Vee and all of humanity was...sad:

 

A month later we gave you a look at the New Urbandale Hy-Vee:

 

Fun times kids...

Buzzing in Franklin County, Iowa

We spend time in the world of social media because...it works.  We know...you want...proof.  OK, let's visit about tiny Hampton, Iowa in Franklin County. (Who, by the way, scored a congressional debate last month.)

This is about creating a buzz about something when you have very little budget...but lots of friends..."with benefits".

Deb Brown & Greater Franklin County

Last year Deb (far left), who is a connected social media expert working with the The Chamber of Greater Franklin County, suggested a "Harvest Tour" and invited several of her connected social media friends to come experience Rural Iowa.  The result was loads of content plastered across many social media platforms.

Spending a fraction of what it would cost to bring in a "big name" person or act Deb was able to help her community reach out to thousands of people by using social media. 

So Now What?

While, according to Deb, the general community is still working through what a "bloggers tour" is there is no doubt Greater Franklin County has caught the attention of...many.  So many that this weekend is the Second Annual Harvest Tour with writers coming from as far away as New Hampshire and public television from...Japan.  

Not...bad.

For more about the Greater Franklin County Harvest Tour you can head to this link.  We'll be there sharing some insights.  Hey, it's what we do.

If you would like to comment on this post, feel free. Or let's connect on Twitter @InsightADV or our advertising/communication agency Facebook Page.  Thanks for reading! Michael Libbie

 

Marketing...Education

I'm going to step out on a limb here...you see I'm not a teacher (to borrow a Holiday Inn Express line) but I know some and had children in public schools.  That being said, I am concerned with the recent data released this week from the National Assessment Governing Board and reported in the Des Moines Register.

In a nutshell the report tells us that Iowa students, who twenty years ago ranked in the top national percentages in reading and math, have slipped to the "middle of the pack".  And, it's across the board, white kids, minority kids, rural, urban...  That's troubling for...business and it should concern you.

I don't have an answer as to "what to do".  I'll leave that up to Jason Glass the Iowa Education Director.  However, as a "life long learner" who is fascinated with consumer trends let me offer up some marketing advice to all sides:

• It Isn't Political - There are some folks who will latch on to this information and run to their partisan corner of the world pointing fingers at the other corner.  Stop it.  Consumers, the public, are sick and tired of that behavior.
• Consumers Want Action - It doesn't matter if you're talking about telephone service or education.  Consumers do not understand how it is that hundreds of administrators, often without field experience, can tell the grunts how and what to do.  It ends in non-action and that is frustrating.
• Be Simple - If you can explain "education reform" in thirty-seconds do this:  Film the answer and get it in front of as many people as possible.  We want answers.
• Be Honest - Education doesn't have to be "fun"...it has to be "interesting" but if children spend six hours in an interesting classroom and go home to an "emotional wreck" with stressed a stressed out parent(s) it doesn't work.  There is a direct tie between economics and education.
• Old Isn't Better, It's Different - It's not time to say, "When I was a kid..." it is time to look at how we use technology in the classroom and in the home.  When the folks that are writing the lesson plans don't understand how technology works...how can it work for students?
• Parents - When will somebody start a media campaign that looks into the camera and asks how much time you, as a parent, work with your kids...learning?  This isn't all the responsibility of "somebody else".  Seriously...if companies can spend millions selling a new beer to consumers can't we find a way to sell the idea of responsibility to parents?

I'm just a marketer, a guy who creates desire among consumers.  Maybe its' time to create a desire for learning.  More rules, more tests and more politics don't seem to work well...  Sorry for the musings...it just bothers me.

If you want to leave a comment here, feel free.  Or we can connect on Twitter @MichaelLibbie (personal) or @InsightADV (business) and here's is our ad agency Facebook Page.

 

 

Being Stickey Might Get You...Stuck

For years marketers have preached "stickiness" as one of the  measurements of having a successful web presence.  "If we could just get people to stick around longer perhaps they will be more motivated to buy our self-weasel-winding torque inducer!"

And so we would create all kinds of do-dads to entertain, inform and build up the amount of time a visitor would "stick around" the website. 

That day may be...over.  And, what is worse, being sticky might get you stuck in the back of the pack.  Why?

Mobile

In a recent study by Summus Limited reported by Alexandra Carroll it's suggested that mobile users access web applications more often but at shorter duration.  (Which also begs the question...you do have a mobile site...right?)  Frequency, rather than "sticky" might very well be the new measurement.  However, this creates another issue:

What's New That Will Drive People Back?

We've said for years that static sites that are not or never upgraded take a beating when it comes to SEO...but now if there is nothing new, different, unique or entertaining you might also get pushed to the back of the pack.

Our answer to that continues to be relavant information, specific to the demographic that engages an on-going dialogue...the new "sticky".

What do you think?

 

Measuring Social Media - Who, What, Where & Why

For years part of my job has been to share with business owners and  managers across the country the impact social media can have on their product/service.  It's not an easy sell because most folks can't grasp the who, what, where and why of this form of marketing/connecting.

Now our friends at Nielsen Research (think television audience measurement) have released an in depth study of who is connecting, why they are connecting and their habits.  Several key results:

• Women - Use social networking more than men;
• Blogs - Still a favorite tool to expand your "voice";
• Men - Watch on-line video...longer
• Platforms - Who is using what platform...and what has Asia got to do with it?

It takes a little time to digest all the information...but well worth it for any business.  Have a look.  Remember, the best ROI is engaging your customers...failing to do so can be a disaster.  But it all takes, work. 

Thanks for coming by.  If you wish to connect via Twitter my personal location is @MichaelLibbie our advertising agency is @InsightADV and our agencyFacebook Page is right...here.