We recently installed Google Analytics into our site (which you should do to) and noticed a variety of trends:

1. No one logs on to adeaseonline.com.php5-4.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com on Sundays.
2. The most popular time for our site is Wednesday afternoons.
3. Most people directly type in the URL (as opposed to search for us or following a link)
4. People were actually checking out our website! I kid, I kid.

But with little new content, I wanted to add a blog to our site so those frequent visitors would know what we are up to and the new ones would really know what we are all about.

This is meant as a platform to openly discuss with our marketing peers, prospective clients, competitors and future employees. We will update it with AdEase news and developments, industry trends and information, new products and services, and advice and suggestions.

Please leave a comment, send us an email, give us a call or just read and enjoy!

Anamoly has been turning out some really great creative for Converse for the last year. I’m not normally a Converse customer, but with the launch of this campaign I’ve really started to enjoy the brand and actually looked for converse online the other day.

These sites are seemingly completely random but all of them provide a cohesive brand feel, despite the lack of actual branding. The main page is thisistheindex.com where you can scroll through and find your favorite microsites.

• ConversespellinBee.com – first ever search engine spelling bee
• Outofyourleaguegirl.com – girl who is apparently too hot for the male converse demo, but she provides lessons on who to get girls who are pretty and within reach
• Kissingwithross.com – disturbing, yet entertaining
• YouShouldDoItNow.com – site that feels more converse to me than any of the others, same messaging as the converse TV spots available for viewing here, here and here
• IsEverythingGoingToBeOkay.com – well is it?

There will always be new technologies threatening to replace current media capabilities. DVR was supposed to destroy TV advertising; Satellite radio was going to do away with terrestrial radio and the rising amount of commercials per hour listeners are forced to hear; the web is currently putting an end to print – mostly newspapers.

True innovation is finding new ways to make the traditional feel fresh. Outdoor advertising is becoming more innovative and engage despite its firm location at the heart of traditional media. Companies are really putting some creative thought into how to engage consumers who are constantly bombarded with outdoor advertising. Here are some that caught our eye:

McDonalds- yummy Milkshake

Rock Station 96.3- offers free air guitars to rock out to their station- BRILLIANT

Another interactive outdoor ad- helping you to imagine the experience

Outdoor posters for the Bronx Zoo

When I try to describe Twitter to someone unfamiliar with the social networks, I am usually met with blank stares and the inevitable complaint I don’t want to tell people where I am and what I’m doing all the time.

It’s really hard to get people past that point, but Twitter is more than just a status update.

Twitter (or Plurk) is really about more than the 140 microblogging, it’s an open dialogue with consumer. Really, if all you’re doing on Twitter is telling people what you?re doing or where you’re going, your followers will quickly lose interest and it won’t be much use to you.

But, if you use Twitter like the CEO and founder of Zappos, (@Zappos) does, you will openly and actively engage your customers in your business, your activities and generate a dialogue about your company that is hard to acquire through press releases.

While @Zappos does post some mundane and “This is what I’m doing posts” he also updates his followers with news of a new Zappos business plan.

“Been spending a lot of time working on new “Zappos 2.0″ vision document re: future of Zappos. Excited to roll it out within couple of weeks!”

He regularly engages his followers and asks them to create and submit for Zappos Prizes.

“Friendly reminder: “What can u do w/ a shoe?” video contest (win $500 Zappos Gift Certificate) deadline coming up!”

Regularly @Zappos puts new business ideas out there and lets his peers and consumers instantly give him feedback, adjust his plan and help him set a price structure.

“Thinking of starting a subscription site ($39.95/month) for business owners where we share details of how we do things internally at Zappos”

If you are going to start on Twitter or any other social platform, make sure that you’ve changed your strategy to openly communicate; Social Media is not just another mass media to disseminate your message. Social Media should be used by advertisers as it is used by consumers- to open communication, display your personality and provide an opportunity for feedback.

Google recently extended its efforts from online advertising and analytics into print, radio, TV and campaign management. Several other advertising blogs have deemed this the end of traditional media as we know it and the certain death of traditional agencies.

As a firm that spends tens of thousands of dollars annually to stay up to date on the latest trends, research, statistics, ratings and media software, we were excited at the opportunity to test it out!

After many hours playing with the various applications, putting together million dollar monthly campaigns (which was ridiculously enjoyable) only to cancel them on the payment page, we were left sad and unsatisfied.

It was an application that promised so much but fell very short in actual delivery.

Google does online very very well. Putting together an online plan for search or contextual advertising is streamlined, simple and easy to launch a basic SEM campaign. However, Radio and TV require industry knowledge, ratings, station trends and a large amount of data that media buyers dissect and match to their target audience, which Google fails to deliver.

Additionally, the three new mediums for Google (radio, TV and print) require great creative; whereas online search ads are text based and limited to a mere 70 words.

The biggest failures of the Google Media Package include (but are not limited to):

• Lack of Research -> radio and TV sold based on impressions; ignores station ratings, cost per point, gross rating points, time spent listening and a plethora of other fantastic

• Limited Availability -> only a portion of stations and publications are available; hard to strategically place media if you only have the bare minimum of options

• Bidding -> Bidding for placement online is bueno, bidding for radio play is no bueno. No guarantee that spots will run, no way to know if all of your budget went to one station in one daypart (definitely it’s worst daypart). While it’s great you had 200 spots run, if they were ALL on an AM station from 10p-3a, did you really meet your campaign goals?

• No relationship -> Radio, TV and print reps are great at providing bonus spots, providing cross promotions or helping with your placement because they know the buyer and there is a solid relationship with them.

What did they do right?

• Integrated analytics

• Vanity URLs and phone numbers

Mobile Media has been just on the verge of breaking in the US for a year or two now. Our technology is finally catching up with Japan and Europe and advertisers are beginning to experiment with a variety of applications. There are going to be a lot of great campaigns based on mobile once U.S. consumers and advertisers become more open to the idea.

So we put together a short list on favorite mobile applications!

BarCodes aren’t just for the grocery store anymore – unique 2D codes embedded on print, outdoor and signage can be scanned in via cell phone camera to deliver unique offers, additional information or instantly sign up for news alerts via email or SMS.

Brightkite is location based social networking. Log in to let others know where you are or where you’re head to meet up with friends and find new people. I’ll admit it’s a little strange the first time you receive a text message from a random stranger who logged in 2 blocks away, but location based advertising on your cell is the ultimate geotargeting.

Coupons on your mobile phone sounds boring, but when that’s coupled with a location based ad server it means that you can log on to receive offers based on your location. So next time you head out to grab a bite to eat you can log in, find out where the deals are, where you friends are hanging out and grab directions. No more missing out on a happy hour, ending up at the most expensive bar in town or forgetting that 2 for 1 coupon for your date!