By Mark Pinsent, Managing Director Europe, The Hoffman Agency . . Breakfast: the most important meal of the day (they say). But often the easiest one to skip as a shortcut to the goal of weight loss. Too many marketers treat a proper investment in strategic development in the same way. But as skipping breakfast …more
In this era of fake news sites and outlandish assertions touched by social media suddenly morphing into perceived truths, Russia also depends on the advertorial as a “weapon” of choice to tell its story. With ex-FBI Director James Comey’s recent testimony reigniting the Russia maelstrom, it’s easy to forget that Russia’s approach to disrupting the …more
Most PR consultancies implement some type of PR program for themselves. Few PR consultancies embrace advertising as part of their outbound arsenal to raise awareness and build their brands. In our quest to punch above our weight when it comes to the world order of PR companies, we believe advertising has place in the mix. …more
Can we all take a breath? The latest uproar on fake news comes compliments of 20th Century Fox when it created fake news sites as part of a marketing campaign for an upcoming movie. A New York Times story on the topic quoted Susan Credle, global creative officer of the ad agency FCB: “Fake news …more
If the intended audience doesn’t trust the format of the ad, the actual content has no chance. We know that the rise of digital consumption has brought advertising along for the ride. In fact, projections call for the digital ad spend to surpass TV advertising dollars for the first time this year. So back to …more
Mantra for the Digital Age: Judge a Book by Its Cover By Nicole Rideout, The Hoffman Agency It’s true when they say that you never get a second chance at a first impression, and it’s no exception in visual content marketing campaigns; according to researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, it takes …more
Why don’t companies care about job descriptions? It makes no sense. Every company claims “people are our most valuable asset.” Every company is fighting competitors for talent. Every company recognizes that first impressions count. Yet, most companies churn out job descriptions that sound like they came from the same HR 101 handbook. The end result …more
After deep study and discourse, the FTC delivered its enforcement policy on native advertising last month. And to help corporations toe the digital line, the FTC offered up “Native Advertising: A Guide for Businesses” with 17 examples covering every imaginable scenario. If only it were that easy. Take the sponsored content from Marketo that recently …more
I wasn’t going to write about the FTC’s latest salvo on native advertising. When the agency announced its “enforcement policy” on Dec. 22, I was focused on making sure there was enough “Bud’s Famous Egg Nog” in the fridge and constructing my argument that binge watching Empire absolutely fits the holiday spirit. But so many …more
