Spring 2013 From the Carolinas’ Most Awarded Agency

www.TheBrandonAgency.com

From our vantage point as an integrated firm, we’re seeing some new marketing trends in 2013 – major trends that stem from changes in consumer behavior and technology’s influence on the purchase path.

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wilmingTon’S weBSiTe iS Solid gold!

BreAking Through geoFencing For SmArTphone Ad SurvivAl

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SAy “hi” To our new TeAm memBerS

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pinpoinTing The BuSineSS ToolS oF pinTereST

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In today’s “instant gratification” society, everyone wants information, service and feedback right away. Marketers that focus on engaging their consumers instantly by way of their website, live chat, social media and triggered email will have the advantage. Engaging consumers when they’re ready, not when it’s convenient, is the key. Developing the tools and processes necessary to implement a true real-time customer relation-ship management strategy requires a shift from the traditional timeline marketing approach.

Mobile ad spending rose 220 percent in 2012! While the rise in mobile popularity has been under way for a while, the demands of modern life and constant connectivity are driving more and more marketers into the mobile space. For example, smartphone sales recently eclipsed PC sales. Your brand website and your ads should be optimized for mobile. And, when going mobile, think “simple,” “touch,” “local,” “social” and “video.”

The overlap between search, social and content is increasing at a rapid rate. Search engines are now much more in-tune with your social graph and the correlations of social sharing, linking and behavior than ever before. Social and search can no longer be approached in silos, but must work together to optimize results.

creATive highlighTS

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gloriouS SAleS increASe For gloryGlory Foods is a trusted, traditional canned vegetables brand, whose focus on flavor was captured in our “Southern Food With A Soulful Heritage” campaign. Using a truly holistic approach, we combined aggressive paid channels, a solid public relations strategy, a major ramp-up of social media, in-store intercept, plus a variety of branded events (including Glory’s first-ever NASCAR partnership and the innovative Green Bean Challenge) to change consumer buying behavior. Spring and fall flights in six markets, supported by energetic sales and distribution, culminated with a significant sales lift of more than 17 percent in same store sales within the target markets!

BeAuForT: enrichedThe Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce (BRCC), representing a unique blend of Lowcountry communities and sea islands, brought The Brandon Agency on board as a marketing partner in 2012. Anchored by the agency’s renowned branding process, the destination reached out to more than 1,500 survey participants to help us chart our marketing course. The result was an overwhelming confirmation of Beaufort’s unique depth and character, and gave birth to our lively and inviting “Enrichment” campaign. early returns are already hinting toward a boost in travel to this extraordinary seaside destination.

creScom keepS SmilingThe smiles are back at CresCom Bank for 2013. Building upon a wildly successful 2012 campaign, TBA produced four new TV spots, new print ads, Web promo panels, direct mail, email, social media videos and POS displays. early results have proven strong, with new checking account customers increasing by 27 percent.

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www.haveanicebank.comPictured here is Isabelle, our lovely CresCom spokesperson, who appears on all new CresCom ad material (wearing a bright CresCom smile).

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Asked to develop a new ad campaign to promote Williams Knife Company’s (WKC) new kitchen line, The Brandon Agency completely repositioned the brand with a clever play on words and elegant art direction. The ad first appeared in garden & gun’s december 2012 issue and resulted in overwhelming sales for owner chris williams over christmas. Look for more WKC ads this spring and fall, as WKC emerges as one of South Carolina’s up-and-coming new brands.

rJ rockerS lABel drinkS in SucceSSHead brewer Mark Johnsen was up to his old tricks in

2012. After months of test batches and secret formulas, he came up with a killer seasonal for RJ Rockers Brewing Company. After tapping into several test kegs, TBA came up with a unique and intriguing package design anchored by a fun story to back it up. launched only through social media (13,000-plus fans), the gruntled pumpkin Ale sold out in just three weeks. This year, Mark will have to brew a bigger batch!

corAl BeAch weBSiTe proveS To Be A STAndouTThe Brandon Agency and our Fuel Interactive recently launched a new website for The Coral Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach. The client wanted a website that would stand out in the highly competitive travel industry, as well as increase their conversion rate and online revenue. conversion rates are equally impressive, having risen 36 percent since the site launched.

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PRECIOUSMETTLE

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The Online Publishers Association recently released survey results that more than 2/3 of smartphone owners reported they “cannot live without” their smartphone. In addition, more than 62 percent of smartphone owners report using their phones for news weekly. Approximately 44 percent of the U.S. Internet population, (107 million consumers), ages 8-64, own a smartphone and that number is expected to increase to 57 percent by the second quarter of 2013.

Obviously, the smartphone has become essential to the consumer, so why hasn’t mobile display advertising on such an important “cannot live without” device been playing a larger part in marketing and advertising campaigns?

To answer that, we need to look at the No. 1 thing media planners consider when putting together a media plan: which mediums can target the client’s audience the most effectively and efficiently. Unfortunately, the geotargeting capability for mobile advertising has been limited to targeting an area code only, making it not efficient or as effective as compared to other media in general. Add in the fact that all cell phone numbers are mobile. Sorry, bad pun, but we couldn’t resist. Meaning, if you established phone service in another state and then move to another area code, state, part of the country, you can keep your original cell phone number even though you no longer live anywhere in the vicinity of that area code. Targeting to a general area code isn’t attractive to marketers because they can’t be sure that the consumer that they are reaching is anywhere in the vicinity of their business or event.

A new technology, called geofencing, has recently been introduced to the mobile advertising market that helps eliminate the geotargeting barriers that previously existed. Geofencing allows marketers to target only consumers within a specific radius around a location or zip code. Consumers within this geography will be served the advertiser’s mobile ads regardless of area code, solving the problem of delivering irrelevant ads to consumers. Consumers within the geofencing area will receive the display ads on their smartphones while they are on the Internet or using an app.

Geofencing is a great marketing tool for local businesses in general, but especially businesses that are advertising to local tourists. Attractions, golf courses, retailers and restaurants now have a touchpoint that most consumers use regardless of being home or on vacation.

The geotargeting barriers have now been lifted when it comes to advertising to consumers on the device they “cannot live without.”

BreAking Through geoFencing For SmArTphone Ad SurvivAl

The new wAy oF collecTing cuSTomerS And online inSpirATion

here Are A Few TipS To help you geT pinning:

righT now, our SociAl mediA TeAm iS mAnAging SucceSSFul pinTereST AccounTS, Such AS:

And check ouT TBA’S own pinTereST pAge AT www.pinTereST.com/BrAndonAgency. hAppy pinning!

Addicted to pinterest? you’re not the only one … The virtual pinboard has turned into an absolute social frenzy with the general public.

And it’s easy to see why. your creation of “boards” to save and post items you like is not only great for your personal passions; it’s also a useful tool to promote your business.

Put the “Pin It” button on your website so users can pin your brand’s products directly to Pinterest boards from your website. You can also include links back to your site on product photos you pin to your own boards.

Allow fans to contribute to your boards for contests (users can upload and pin their photos utilizing your brand to win a prize) and research purposes. Outside your own analytics, customers can pin their favorite style trends and inspirations to give you more insight into who they are.

Limit shameless self-promotion. Remember to share with your customers what your brand is all about, create boards for employees to share their interests with customers and what inspires them to create the products that make your brand.

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Southern Tide, which has seen a growth of more than 700

followers in two months.

Beaufort, S.C., Chamber of Commerce’s Pinterest page spiked an increase

of 145 followers in only a month’s time.

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www.TheBrandonAgency.com www.TheBrandonAgency.compg6

NEW SOUTH HITS A HOMERUN!Brandon and Fuel Interactive’s debut digital conference in 2012 met major success.

Our first-ever New South Digital Marketing Conference, held March 26 at the Marriott Grande Dunes Resort – and the first conference of its kind in this area – was a full, fulfilling day of education, empowerment and invaluable insight from the best in the digital marketing biz. From the sharp (and sharp tongued) keynote opener Scott Stratten to the debonair Aussie closing keynote Peter Sheahan, with breakout speaking greats in between from Google, Yahoo!, ExactTarget, TripAdvisor, Yelp and more.

“This was a powerful day for marketers from all over the U.S.,” says Scott Brandon. “The insights gained here were so exclusive and helpful, that many attendees were planning ahead before they left – to implement these ideas into their daily marketing strategies back at the office.”

A seat at New South was like a behind-the-scenes peek into what makes these digital marketing companies tick – and how it can for yours. From Stratten’s stressing of the importance of live customer service and how to get the most out of your company’s current efforts to Shehan’s closing advice on how to think outside the box and avoid getting trapped in the gravity of success. Morning and afternoon breakouts shed new light on topics like third-party reviews, the power of video and reminded guests that email still reigns as king of the digital marketing domain. And that was just a few of the sessions from the day.

Guests were even fed compelling info at lunch, during the Q&A with Jim Twining of digital media success story Southern Tide and an informal panel discussion on solutions to common struggles people have with different aspects of digital marketing.

Scott Brandon and Southern

Tide CEO Jim Twining

Scott Brandon moderates a panel discussion at the inaugural New South Digital Conference with Scott Stratten, Peter Sheahan, Mike Almeraris and Jeff Rohrs.

Jeff Rohrs, ExactTarget

Kyle Lacy, ExactTargetJay Baer, Keynote Speaker

Don’t take our word for it on the success of New South, here are some uber-positive feedback in the form of Tweets and Facebook posts ...

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Keynote Speaker, Jay Baer Author of “The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social,” Jay is a hype-free digital marketing strategist, speaker and president of the social media and content marketing consultancy Convince & Convert. Since 1994, he’s consulted with more than 700 companies, including Caterpillar, Nike, Allstate, Petco and more. Jay was named one of America’s top 3 social media consultants by Fast Company magazine, and his blog is ranked as the world’s No. 1 content marketing resource.

Feature Speaker, Kyle Lacy Author of “Twitter Marketing for Dummies (Second Edition),” Kyle is senior manager of content marketing & research for ExactTarget, a leading provider of interactive marketing solutions. Prior to ExactTarget, Kyle co-founded a marketing technology company that helped more than 350 clients build and deliver digital marketing experiences. He also authored critically acclaimed books: “Branding Yourself (Second Edition)” and “Social CRM.” You can follow him on Twitter at @kyleplacy or visit his blog at KyleLacy.com.

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843-916-2000 | info@newsouthdigital.com | newsouthdigital.comwww.TheBrandonAgency.com www.TheBrandonAgency.com pg 5

wilmingTon’S weBSiTe iS Solid goldThanks to the finesse and vision of Brandon’s Fuel Interactive, the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau website picked up a Gold Award in the “Best Marketing Initiative” category from the Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina’s (DMANC) annual Destination Marketing Achievement Awards. Wilmington topped 140 total entries; 22 were North Carolina-based, destination-marketing organizations. Wilmington’s redesigned portal website, Wilmingtonandbeaches.com, was launched in February 2012 and was recognized for its functionality, effectiveness, and the unique challenges of creating an online marketing tool that combines four destination websites into one portal site for better cross promotions and integration, streamlined web maintenance and budgets, reduced hosting plans, and building strong SEO campaigns.

“We worked closely with the CVB’s marketing teamand travel industry partners, bringing together various components to create the current Wilmington and Beaches website and to produce a portal that can work smarter and harder for us,” says Stuart Butler, Fuel Interactive chief operating officer. “One of the most significant benefits of the new website is our ability to more effectively track visits, conversion and user behavior.” The annual DMANC Destination Marketing Achievement Awards was held during the North Carolina Tourism Leadership Conference in Raleigh, N.C. The judging committee is comprised of national travel and tourism professionals. See the award-winning website for yourself at www.WilmingtonAndBeaches.com.

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Google continues to make things tough on all of us by making search engine optimization even more complex. In fact, just last year, Google tested 15,000 changes to its algorithm and rolled out 500 actual changes. It is becoming more and more difficult to stay on top of the changes that impact rankings. Marketers will need more and better data to overcome these obstacles to successfully grow their online presence.

Mobile technology is having a major impact on the way people shop and buy products. “Showrooming” refers to when a consumer is actually in a brick-and-mortar store and then uses his/her smartphone to compare prices or check reviews. This behavior undermines the traditional in-store marketing experience and suggests that retailers need to align their search, content and social media strategies closely to their retail strategy.

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conSumer reviewS AS A “mArkeTing” Tool6Recent research notes that 77 percent of consumers are paying more attention to peer reviews than to professional reviews (22 percent). Since peer reviews are now a key component of the shopping process, brands need to optimize them and use them as a marketing tool. As an example, we here at The Brandon Agency recently licensed TripAdvisor reviews for one of our clients and saw conversion rates increase by almost 10 percent (see right).

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The Bluetooth-enabled, palm-sized Cast Audio Resonant Speaker, or “The Biggest Little Thing In Sound,” uses the output of your electronic device (your iPhone, for instance) to project continuous, top-grade vibration. When this vibration comes in contact with your desktop, a cooler or the hood of your car, that surface becomes one mind-blowing projection speaker. The Brandon Agency assisted in product launch with a branding campaign, package design, an e-commerce website and social media presence.

Brandon continues to expand its healthcare marketing footprint by being selected as AOR for Elms Digestive Center in Charleston. In an effort to stand out in a highly competitive digestive treatment market, Elms will look to Brandon to provide a complete identity overhaul, encompassing a brand position, logo, creative, website, PR and social media. The best-kept secret in Charleston healthcare is about to be told.

Williamsburg Regional Hospital is a general medical and surgical hospital, serving the community of Kingstree, S.C. Deeply rooted in the community since 1919, WRH finds itself in a position of needing to evolve with the electronic age. The Brandon Agency relishes the challenge, and will start the process with a complete re-brand and updated creative campaign, setting the stage for a new communications strategy to launch in spring 2013.

W. Lee Flowers, owners and managers of more than 80 IGA Food Stores, recognized the growing need to connect with their customers digitally, especially in small communities where mainstream media are scarce. The Brandon Agency was selected to create a comprehensive Web-based communications strategy that made grocery shopping more interactive, more affordable and, ultimately, easier for IGA’s and KJ’s Markets’ customers.

The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce (BRCC), representing a unique blend of Lowcountry communities and sea islands, brought The Brandon Agency on board as a marketing partner mid-year. The agency’s renowned branding process is already establishing BRCC as a first choice destination through its lively and inviting “Enrichment” campaign.

Santee Cooper, South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility and the state’s largest power producer, selected The Brandon Agency after an extensive review. The agency is providing a full range of integrated marketing services for the client, helping navigate the intricacies of a constantly changing energy industry.

Williamsburg Regional Hospital

growing STrongIn early 2012, The Brandon Agency zeroed in on refining a suite of services that clearly met the needs of both existing and new clients. The results? We enjoyed significant successes in new business wins over the past year, and saw existing clients grow at unprecedented rates.

Client diversification was clearly the rule of the day - and continues to be - as The Brandon Agency was assigned a varied and impressive collection of work that expanded both scope of services and ever-growing areas of expertise.

Williams Knife Company, the passion of Chris Williams, an avid outdoorsman and artisan, hired The Brandon Agency to promote the utility, quality and beauty of custom knives to an audience who could appreciate his extraordinary creations. These handmade knives (“from blade to sheath”) are enjoying an explosive following, boosted by a social media strategy reliant upon total engagement and a mushrooming community of Williams Knife fans.

SAy “hi!” To our new TeAm memBerS

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As junior art director, MICheLLe BISSOn joins the palette of talent in our creative department, working with clients FTC and Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau. Michelle recently moved from Connecticut, bringing along with her more than 10 years’ experience in print design.

As our new traffic manager, JenI COFFeY manages timelines and projects to help us meet deadlines. She comes to us with several years of marketing experience, including roles as a graphic designer, art director and marketing manager.

CAROL BLOnOWICz joins The Brandon Agency as a media planner/buyer with 20-plus years of experience in the media field working with clients across all lines of business. Carol works on Glory Foods, CBL & Associates Properties, Santee Cooper and Anderson Brothers Bank.

Media coordinator COuRTneY ABBOTT is new to the media team, providing support and follow-up on everything from presentations and media plans to research projects and proposals. Pre-Brandon, Courtney worked in retail management and studied business management at Horry Georgetown Technical College.

Social media coordinator JILLIAn SOBeCk assists with developing engaging online content for clients, as well as creating analytical social media reports and overseeing Facebook advertisements. We’re excited to have this social media trend spotter and Clemson alumna on board!

JOYCe BuSnARdO, our new accounting and human resources associate, comes to The Brandon Agency with several years of accounting, human resources and management experience.

kAThLeen BenTOn our new program coordinator, helps our account managers plan out and aquire new business on a daily basis. The Myrtle Beach native graduated from Clemson with bachelor’s degrees in travel and tourism, and business administration.

JOhAnnA WILSOn joins the agency as a public relations associate after spending several years as an award-winning journalist with The Sun News. Her ability to tell a story and know what media are looking for is an asset in her day-to-day work with Glory Foods Inc. and Brittain Resort Management.

eLeAnOR PIeRCe is a web content creator, which means she blogs more than most people you know. Before joining The Brandon Agency, she worked in marketing for a software company in Florence, S.C., and as a features reporter for a daily newspaper in Bend, Ore. She also writes for Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Institute, a line of trivia books that has sold nearly 5 million copies.

kIMBeRLY JudAY recently joined the agency as our senior public relations associate and works with clients such as the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Southern Tide and Williams Knife Co. She has several years of experience working with luxury retail, travel and entertainment brands.

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No, email marketing is not dead. In fact, it is more alive than ever. It’s just evolving. Open rates and engagement continue to erode for those that simply pound their opt-in database with generic messages. In 2013, we will see less “Batch & Blast” and more personalized, relevant and targeted emails based on real-time data. Further emphasis will be placed on obtaining true “opt-in” subscribers that are engaged with brands versus purchased lists.

While traditional media continues to struggle against the digital on-slaught, there are some bright spots. One, in particular, is pricing. With demand backing off, media inventory prices have also fallen. Marketers are returning to a balanced mix of traditional and digital – traditional to build their brand and create interest, while closing the sale using digital for price and promotion.

Whether we like it or not, content is still “King.” Creating content that is interesting, valuable and helps increase your search engine rankings is a top priority for marketers in 2013. You no longer have to be The New York Times for consumers to value your content. Content strategies ripple across every marketing discipline, including search, social, interactive, PR, advertising and creative. The idea of becoming your own media and delivering the content to your customer when and how they want it will drive marketing strategies this year.

mulTiScreening7The way people consume media continues to evolve. Multiscreening, or using a connected device while watching TV, is now very common. And, it’s not limited to one device. Kids today have their laptop open while their mobile phone is blazing with text messages and tweets - and still figure out a way to watch TV. TV campaigns need to closely align with search and online content. Coming up with unique and fun ways to engage consumers with games, apps and widgets within campaigns will be a growing trend for marketers this year.

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chArloTTe2015 Ayrsley Town Boulevard Suite 202Charlotte, NC 28273843-916-2000

chArleSTon51-53 Broad StreetCharleston, SC 29401843-916-2000

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Agency hAppeningS OFFICe ChRISTMAS PARTY OYSTeR ROAST

All were merry and bright at our annual Christmas festivities, held in December at Longbeards Bar & Grill.

Friday afternoon is always a shucking good time when an impromptu oyster roast is thrown at the agency under the January sun.