Party without the Politics is the kind of work I’d print and post on my desk wall as inspiration.

Created during the 2004 Presidential campaign season by the Hilton Head, S.C. agency BFG (yes, sunny Hilton Head), Party without the Politics fictitiously promoted Captain Morgan for President, which served as welcome levity to both sides of the divisive political environment.

The campaign “employed a comprehensive range of tactics, including localized theme marketing events, large-scale media events, advertising, and guerilla marketing tactics.” To kick things off properly, the first initiative was a well-named site called “Americans for a Better Party.” (The URL americans4abetterparty.org has since been taken down.)

Party without the Politics is a great example of a “Big Idea,” a simple, but powerful concept that could be executed in almost any platform. At the time, social media outlets weren’t in full effect, but it’s a no-brainer to think social media marketing would have been utilized — which makes me wonder how much more popular this campaign would have become. Without doubt, Facebook and Twitter would have supported the wonderful concept, created more Captain Morgan brand followers, and ultimately produced more sales.

Even though the campaign is now seven years old, I’m still incredibly impressed by the concept, execution, and sheer amount of work involved. The creative and integrated marketing structure of this campaign serves as inspiration to me at LeapFrog Interactive to create innovative, entertaining digital marketing campaigns.

If the good captain had been on the ballot, I might have struck the Captain’s pose and voted for him.

(Contributed by Jeremy Reiss, Senior Art Director)

 Many philosophies of project management exist in today’s business world with the Project Management Institute (PMI) and Lean Six Sigma (LSS) garnering most of the industry’s attention. To yield improved or desired results, both are based upon structure and organization in the management of a process. These processes, while different in their exact steps, are quite similar in the overall objective, approach and reasoning. Both processes are designed to produce the highest quality results while maintaining organization and process discipline. The PMI process is to Initiate, Plan, Execute, Monitor and Control, and Close. The LSS methodology is known as the DMAIC approach: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. LSS is typically associated with manufacturing because it has an emphasis on quality and reducing errors, but many of its principles complement the PMI process. One of these processes is not necessarily better than the other, but the Project Manager’s application and selection of the correct methodology to follow during a project is very important.  

At LeapFrog Interactive, the fundamental philosophy and methodology we follow is a hybrid of both the PMI and LSS processes. By blending the PMI steps for Initiate, Plan and Execute with the LSS principles for continuous Improvement and Quality Control, we are able to adapt the process to fit the complexity of our traditional and digital marketing projects. The deliverables of our projects can vary from an interactive website to a banner advertisement and media buy to a print media campaign. Each of these deliverables, although different in the final product, typically has a similar core of Creative and Development phases. The role of the Project Manager is to successfully follow the following five process guidelines to ensure a project is successful in the eyes of the client and LeapFrog.

1. Know the Measure of Success: With the launch of a project, the assigned Project Manager first seeks to understand the scope of the project, the deliverables and the Key Performance Indicators (KPI). Most notably, the KPIs will dictate much of the Project Manager’s methods and motivations through the life of the project. These KPIs may include budget, hours, due date, and the overall efficiency goal of the project. With the KPIs as the foundation of the plan, the project will be correctly aligned with the overall goals.  
2. Plan and Organize: Once the Project Manager understands the objectives and KPIs of the project, the actual plan of how to achieve them is determined. This planning typically results in a timeline of the required tasks in the most effective order. For a Project Manager, the timeline is a by-product of the more valuable process of forming a project’s organization and structure. A mis-planned project may have an attractive timeline on the surface, but without the depth of understanding and coordination beneath it, the project will lack the agility to avoid potential roadblocks, delays, or failures. For this reason, the timeline is reviewed and scrutinized internally to ensure that depth and logic are both present. Once the timeline has been revised to the best outline of the most effective project plan, it is used as the guide for the remainder of the process. 
3. Execute the Plan: After discovering where the project must go and formulating a plan of how to get there, a Project Manager must see it through. This means leading the project team in the execution, keeping the project team focused, informed and motivated throughout the lifecycle of the project. Also, the ability to quickly and efficiently implement changes while the project is in progress has an immense impact on the overall satisfaction level of the final product. At the end of the day, it comes down to executing the plan and delivering quality results.  
4. Deliver Quality Results: Quality results are expected in order to inspect and evaluate the results of the project through the Project Manager. Delivery begins weeks before the client actually receives the product, as there are several rounds of internal review, proofing, testing, and revisions. The KPIs are again reviewed and the deliverable is measured to determine the overall match of the product to the project objectives.
5. Assess Success: Upon the completion of a project by delivery to the client, the evaluation of the project’s success is then the focus of the Project Manager. The Project Manager is expected to lead recap meetings with the project team. Items discussed include how the project went, what lessons were learned, suggestions for future projects, and to celebrate the successes. This recap is often invaluable in providing insights into team dynamics and ways to improve efficiency.

Just as the marketplace and technology continue to evolve, LeapFrog Interactive’s project management style and process must also evolve. At LeapFrog, these guidelines serve the Project Manager as expectations and best practices to measure success. Through thoughtful execution, a digital marketing project can be steered toward reaching its highest potential and creating a successful marketing campaign for every client.  

(Contributed by Andrew Bauer, Senior Project Manager)

Christy Belden, Vice President of Media + Marketing and Emily Carroll, Strategic Planning + Consumer Insights at LeapFeorg Interactive will present Forever Outside the Box: Lessons in Guerilla Marketing on April 27, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.

Belden and Carroll will explore the concept of guerilla marketing and present examples of how marketers have brought their imaginations to life. LeapFrog Interactive helped implement a Flash Mob at the Greater Louisville Inc. Annual Meeting in March 2011.

“At LeapFrog, we are constantly thinking of ways to engage our client’s audience target, and guerilla marketing is one of the ways we have found really works,” said Christy Belden. “When Louisville AdFed asked us to do the presentation to YAPL, we knew this was the perfect audience. Young professionals bring so many new ideas to the table, and we want to help stoke their fire of creativity.”

The presentation will be held at Louisville Stoneware, 713 Brent Street, Louisville, Ky. To register, email Julie@louisvilleadfed.org.

It appears there is another stalker on the horizon. One that will stop at nothing 'til she gets what she wants.

“The Way We Weren’t”

Expanding the reach of stalkTALK was the primary strategic marketing goal this week. stalkTALK episodes were uploaded to Facebook, FunnyorDie.com, Dailymotion, Metacafe, Vimeo and blip.tv. The overall goal being to increase exposure for the Web series through multiple social media channels.

Exploring additional digital media marketing avenues is essential for this campaign. Additional avenues allow for an expanded audience reach and greater opportunities for the stalkTALK Web series to go viral.

In order to optimize search results for stalkTALK episodes, each episode description was rewritten. Optimizing the content that describes the videos produces stronger SEO.

Creating stronger SEO and expanding the audience reach allows LeapFrog Interactive to build an increased digital and social media marketing campaign for stalkTALK.

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis)

There is no question that marketing data must be reliable. Marketing research and analysis is like a house of cards with data being the first floor: if the integrity of the data is in question, then the entire project is useless. However, generating trustworthy data, as important as it is, is only half of the battle in producing accurate and meaningful conclusions to marketing research.

Where analysts often unknowingly go astray is in the analytics report, especially when it comes to how the data is explained and represented visually. Much like aircraft pilots reading their instruments, the smallest misinterpretation can have large consequences.

These analytic and reporting mistakes range from the obvious to the subtle. Examples can include failing to disclose the type of numbers on an axis (i.e., percent, time, dollars) or using an impractical or confusing chart type for a given set of data.

Additionally, confusion can arise in the analysis and commentary of the data. For example, let’s say I am using an index where the value of 100 represents the attitude of the average adult. If the market segment I am researching has an index value of 80 for that attitude, it would be a major misrepresentation to say that “80% of this market segment has that specified attitude.” The correct commentary would actually say something to the effect of, “Compared to the average adult, this market segment is significantly less likely to have that attitude.”

Remember that generating quality data is something to feel good about, but you must not stop there. Accurate analysis and commentary are equally as important.

(Contributed by Ben Hill)

Perhaps our DOOH office changes aren’t as dramatic as Toy Story, but there have been a lot of happenings and changes at the LFI office centered on Homer and the DOOH testing area. Last week, Drew and Will, LFI developers, adhered the film to Homer and removed the blue protective sheet, putting us one step closer to testing the software and experience.

I connected with Drew Greenwell, who is leading the charge on the development of the DOOH experience, to get some insight on the software being used and thoughts on when office testing will begin.

Q: How does the sensor detect someone in front of it?

A: The software uses infrared depth sensors built into the Kinect to draw the silhouette of people walking by.

Q: Is that different than a heat sensor technology?

A: Yes. This is different than heat based technology in that it projects an infrared dot pattern and then looks for changes in the pattern to determine the depth. The method the Kinect uses lets it detect movement of any object (clothes, prosthetics, canes, cats, etc).

Q: What is the current status of the software? What can it do?

A: The software is currently only a proof of concept to demonstrate that we can effectively show or hide layers using the silhouette as the “window” into the hidden layers. For example, the text that says, “This is the Foreground” disappears when you stand in front of it. Where your silhouette is being drawn, you can see text that says, “This is the Background.”

Q: Any thoughts on when actual testing in the office will begin?

A: The actual implementation is still up in the air. The basic idea we’ve been tossing around is to replace the text with images or video of different situations. For example: the foreground could be a dirty street. When you stand in front of it, we could expose an underlying video of a clean street. The idea is to get the DOOH user thinking that their involvement in cleaning up their community could make an impact. We’ve additionally toyed with the idea of making the silhouettes (or foreground picture) grow based on the amount of time the user stands there (i.e., the longer you’re involved, the more impact you have).

Development of the software is well underway and poised for further development based on creative direction.

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis)

You know those items you buy EVERY time you go to the store, even if they cost $2 more than the generic? Or the one restaurant you can’t live without? Or the store you just can’t seem to pull yourself away from? Have you ever thought, “Why do I love this so much? Is it the commercials? Or the product itself?” For me, I think it’s both. Sure the food, restaurant or store is great, and the fun, quirky advertising always helps. Yet, those brands that first stick in your head are the ones you fall in love with. In a way, I believe the brand and the brand’s reputation say a lot about the reason I continue to purchase the product or visit the store or restaurant. So, I present to you my top five brands.

#1: Quaker Oatmeal

I am obsessed with Quaker Oatmeal. I have tried other brands, but nothing tastes better. And to top it off, you always get the “secret” oatmeal cookie recipe on the back of the lid. J Not much more to this branding than a better flavor over all others. It’s all about reputation here.

#2: Old Navy

I love to shop, so are you surprised a clothing store would make my top brand list? At any rate, not only do I love the customer service and the clothes at Old Navy, I also value their advertising from a marketing perspective. Hello, talking mannequins! And Booty Appreciation! I mean, really — if that doesn’t draw you in, what does? Old Navy has made a brand name for itself through fun, upbeat and trendy advertising, along with great clothes, amazing customer service and sales that thrill their customers.

#3: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

I’m pretty sure I have been a fan of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese since childhood; the talking dinosaur and various childhood cartoons pretty much hooked me. But even as an adult, it is by far one of my favorite dinner sides or late night snack. While the advertising is, of course, targeted to kids and parents, I think the reason I have stayed loyal is because it just tastes better … after all, it is the “cheesiest!” Not to mention the new “grown-up” versions that are now available.

#4: Papa John’s

I am a huge loyalist for pizza and Papa John’s sits at the top of my list. I don’t know if it is the taste, customer service or the fact that the pizza was born in Louisville, but it’s my top choice for delivery. As a fan on Facebook, I do appreciate the social media marketing campaign and am an avid commenter to win.

#5: Yellow Tail

Wine … what a great way to end a day. This is probably one brand I am the most loyal to. While for me it’s the taste and the little kangaroo that draw my attention, their commercials are pretty catchy, too.  I also just started following them on Facebook as well, they provide good information about the wines and just finished running a 30 day wine giveaway...no, I didn't win :(.

“A ‘Room with a Jew’ is way too good a script to pass up. Something is definitely not kosher.” Florence Mueller

 “The Newish Jewish”

As part of the digital marketing strategy designed for stalkTALK, the LeapFrog Interactive Media + Marketing team used social media and email to extend their reach to the film industry and celebrity bloggers, as well as other media outlets in major cities, including NYC and LA.

Prior to the launch of the first episode, a press release was sent to more than 500 contacts using CisionPoint, a media contact database. Brittany Burdoine-Lewis, Marketing Coordinator, took the release of episode three as an opportunity to again reach out to bloggers and media contacts via email, providing more information to keep the stalkTALK series top of mind. Additionally, Emily Carroll, Strategic Planning + Consumer Insights, and Emily Van Winkle, Communications + PR, recommended the episode to film festivals, celebrities and industry bloggers through Twitter.

Using a decidedly more aggressive approach to connect with film festivals and industry bloggers allowed LFI to increase the spark for stalkTALK to take off.

Before I even think about getting out of bed in the morning, I have checked three email accounts, Groupon, Living Social and caught up on the last eight hours of Twitter action. The way things are going these days, I’m in the majority when it comes to my consumer-minded consumption.

There is no better time than right now for B2C businesses to be pumping marketing dollars into digital marketing campaigns, including email, SEO, PPC, display, mobile and social media marketing. The greatest benefit to reaching me through these mediums is that I want you to — this is where I am.

Gone are the days of waiting for your customers to watch your TV spot or to pick up a publication to see your ad. Now is the time for integrated, interactive media marketing, using your traditional marketing as a starting point for a new integrated campaign. Your best value is to integrate digital media into your traditional campaign. One example of this is to include your website or social media information in your TV spots, as Audi did during their Super Bowl XL spot. Using your website, you can integrate YouTube videos, links to social media and other interactive media options.

This is not new news, or at least it shouldn’t be. It’s a great reminder that if your business is not actively involved in integrating all of your marketing efforts, especially through social media, you’re missing the boat — and your audience. As a child, I remember the first time I learned to peddle a bike without training wheels. Everything clicked; I felt empowered. As a digital agency, we get the same feeling every day when we help and observe our clients firing on all cylinders, driving leads and sales from a broad scope of integrated marketing efforts.

If your business is not actively pursuing your customers and clients where they are, you are missing valuable time with them. Remember that your consumers’ lives are integrated in technology on the go and the most valuable way to reach them is through an integrated campaign. Talk with your account manager or account executives about what innovative tools you can use to push and integrate your campaign. And remember: there will be something bigger and better tomorrow, so ask your digital marketing agency what else they can do for you.

(Contributed by Jacob Knight)

There’s more to creating a digital out of home (DOOH) experience than just the technology, coding and development, and finding the perfect location. To create an exceptional and memorable DOOH experience for your audience, you need great creative. And like all creative, DOOH creative begins with inspiration.

Keith Adams and Alan Gilleo share examples of memorable DOOH experiences as creative inspiration for our client’s project.

Honda’s Interactive Dream Wall

A partnership between Boffswanna and DTDigital and Honda Australia created the Dream Wall for the International Motor Show. Their DOOH piece created an interactive experience for the show attendees using face and object detection software. The software allowed the wall to deliver different messages to attendees including the “generation of dreams” as graphic animations.

2011 Digital Out-of-Home Award Finalists

The MediaPost 2011 Digital Out-of-Home finalists were an additional source of inspiration in planning for our DOOH experience. Finalists were chosen in 11 categories including Best Integration with a Mobile Device, Best Integration with Experiential/Activity, Best Integration with other Digital Media including Social, Best Use of Interactive Technology, and Most Innovative Use Of A Digital Out-of-Home Platform. Those companies represented as finalists include Google, Ralph Lauren, MasterCard, Yahoo!, Twentieth Century Fox Entertainment, Discovery Channel and Intel.

Moving forward, these top creative and technologically savvy DOOH designs will help push the LFI team to create the best experience for our client’s audience.

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis)

The mobilescape is spinning the e-commerce world and changing how businesses target and reach consumers. Mobile shopping apps are helping businesses reach consumers on the go in unconventional ways. Two popular daily deal companies — Groupon and LivingSocial — are developing apps that will provide “on the spot deals.” Rather than the traditional daily deal that runs for approximately 24-48 hours, the new idea is for the business to decide which day(s) their deal will run, at what time and for how long. For example, let’s say I own Brandon’s Pizza and I know business is rockin’ on Fridays and Saturdays, but Tuesdays are pretty slow. I decide to offer a deal using the new deal app, giving me the power to offer my deal on Tuesdays between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., to be used the day of purchase. LivingSocial’s new app, Instant Deals, is currently being tested in Washington, D.C. Watch for Groupon’s version, Groupon Now, to roll out this month.

Not only are businesses using mobile technology to reach consumers, but the consumers have much more control on where and when to buy than ever before. Consumers, me included, can use non-specific retail apps like Google Shopper to look for the best price by scanning the bar code or product image. Don’t get me wrong! E-commerce and online shopping have been phenomenons for years, but today I could be discussing an item with a friend over lunch, and when we don’t know where it is sold, we immediately use an app or the mobile Internet to find the item, research a price and purchase — all within minutes, all within the palm of my hand.

Will deal apps be the future of local e-commence? Maybe, but I don’t believe this is the end of retail as we know it. However, the opportunities for retailers to change their e-commerce landscape and buy into the digital and mobile age is definitely upon us.

This is my final entry in a four-part series discussing what I wish someone had told me about the wild world of interactive marketing.

Over the last several weeks, I have covered what I wish someone had told me about email, successful website design and innovative marketing tools in the world of interactive marketing. It seems only fitting to end my four-part series with a topic everyone is talking about: social media.

Social networking is not a fad. I have heard from countless people at various companies who truly believe social networking is a fad and will eventually phase out as a way of communicating. That’s truly not the case, but if you create a page for your company on Facebook, Twitter or other social properties, enlist a partner to either manage it or, at the very least, educate you on best practices. Although you do have to be careful regarding how you handle comments on your company’s page, it’s not as scary of an endeavor as people make it out to be. Plus, did I mention there are experts out there — like LFI — who can manage it every day for you? So, please push back on management if they think it’s a fad or that it’s too dangerous. It truly doesn’t have to be if you enlist the right partner to help you.

Clearly, I work for one of the experts now — LFI. I honestly felt it was best to go back to the agency environment. Except this time, I’m focusing on the digital side of things. In some companies, interactive marketing is considered non-traditional. When I hear that from colleagues, it seems silly. It’s anything but non-traditional. It’s the future and, eventually, it will be odd if your marketing campaign doesn’t rely heavily on interactive tactics. So, I encourage you to do exactly what I did. If you don’t know how to execute campaigns like this, trust the experts and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’ll have an easier road because of it.

(Contributed by Ashli Worden)

“I need your help getting backstage so that I can steal a strand of Pee-wee’s hair.” – Hermes Rafferty

Wednesday evening marked the NYC screening party for stalkTALK with the release of episode two of the hilarious, rash and totally not politically correct new comedy series about rehab for celebrity stalkers.

While Rachel, Wendelin and the stalk team premiered the episode in NYC, the Media + Marketing team and Kyle Fertig, account manager, at LeapFrog Interactive held a screening party of their own. Prior to the episode, Facebook and Twitter were abuzz with anticipation of the episode launch.            

Each member of the “screening team” was assigned a character Twitter account to manage during and after the launch. This allowed concentrated digital marketing, social media efforts and integration between the characters all at one time — making the conversation livelier for stalkTALK followers.

Creating a dedicated strategy for the stalkTALK screening party is only one of the many pieces to the social media marketing strategy and management for stalkTALK. Prior to the screening party and episode two launch, the Media + Marketing team continued outreach to film, TV, news and the entertainment industry in an effort to create a buzz for the show.  

Episode three is scheduled for launch on Wednesday, April 13. Between now and then, you are sure to see more out of the box thinking and creative digital strategy to move stalkTALK to a viral web series.  

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis)

Behind Development Lines

Development is under way for Homer. The testing necessities have arrived, including a dedicated computer, two Microsoft Kinects, custom software, and a big ol’ piece of plexiglass (a.k.a. Homer).

This week, Drew and Will, two LFI development gurus, started investigating and testing various screen materials — HD film, Screen Goo Screen Paint and Glass Etch Vinyl — to find the best fit for the window and outside environment.

On Monday, Drew and Will tested the Screen Goo Screen Paint and HD film. The paint was tested to see how it would look if it was put on with a roller, which failed; then they quickly tested to see how the HD screen film would look if it was cut and laid against each other. The film decidedly looked better than originally thought. Once the glass etch vinyl is tested, Drew and Will will be able to make the best judgment as to which screen material should be used for the digital out of home experience.

  

Mastering the best material to use on the windows for this DOOH is essential to the success of this digital marketing platform. We are all anxiously waiting the first round of testing of Homer, ready to see what this DOOH piece can do!

Could This Be the Spot?

Christy Belden, VP of Media + Marketing, visited one potential site in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday. It looks like it has great potential to be our DOOH placement winner. This vacant space has great foot traffic in the middle of the day and appeared to be clear of any direct sunlight problems in the afternoon. The window size is approximately 20 feet wide by 10-15 feet tall — a great size for the experience we are looking to create.

Could this be the spot for the DOOH?

No, we promise we’re not making it up! April is National Frog Month and LeapFrog Interactive is taking much pleasure in embracing our little mascots.

We gather that these special amphibians are honored during April because this is the month when most populations of frogs begin their breeding process. It’s why if you grew up on a farm or near ponds and other larger bodies of water, frog croaks and ribbits are part of your memory of Springtime.

Organizations around the country celebrate National Frog Month in many different ways. For instance, the Save The Frogs! non-profit program holds an annual Save The Frogs Day – this year, it’s on April 29^th.

National Geographic uses programming to show the wonder and beauty of tropical frogs.

Being that we are a creative digital agency, LeapFrog Interactive's "Funtabulous Friday" team celebrated this month by turning our office into a giant tropical rainforest. From the greenery of our canopy to our beauty of our man-made waterfalls… we never do anything halfway!

What highly imaginative office rainforest would be complete with out tiny little mascots? Meet our two newest additions to the office!

We’d like YOU to help us name them. Go to our Facebook page to see more pictures and to suggest names for our little bundles of joy. The best we can tell, one is male and the other is female!

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke on media convergence and the impact it is having on our lives and how, as marketers, we reach audiences. A core theme of media convergence theory is bringing together many facets to create one unified experience for the consumer.

In a speech at Web 2.0 Expo on the future of the web, Kevin Kelly of Wired magazine, goes slightly further and outlines six different areas that are transforming the web. These six attributes definitely play key roles in moving the concept of media convergence forward.

• Delivering content across multiple screens
• Interaction with the content
• Sharing content
• Continual stream of content
• Access content any time, any place without the need to own the content
• Creating unique, engaging content

In the 1990s, businesses and individuals were becoming interested in getting their messages online and building websites, which typically involved contacting a developer to code and create the site. When changes needed to be made, the customer would have to contact the developer again and request those changes.

As the web industry boomed and more businesses wanted sites, these change requests became increasingly more common and more expensive. The 2009 recession caused many companies to revisit budgets and spending. It became clear that companies wanted to do more of the work themselves to avoid paying for site changes, so in came the Content Management System (CMS).

Many different CMSs have developed through the years; while some companies have been using them for nearly a decade, just recently they have become a necessity for small to medium-sized businesses. There are now a plethora of great out-of-the-box solutions that are highly customizable for web developers for various business types.

Once a web company sets up a CMS, the customer has the ability to log in and customize his or her site without the additional change order or fee. This structure also gives smaller businesses a chance to have a site set up more cost efficiently because they populate all of the content. Updates can also happen on the fly from digital devices like phones and tablets as well as personal computers.

The website needs of budget-conscious companies are being filled by using a CMS. Development firms and agencies need to focus on helping their customers help themselves, and businesses should look to their digital marketing agency to help identify the best CMS strategy to meet their needs.

Google is rolling out +1 within their organic search and paid search results. +1 is a way to like, recommend, favorite, or share content directly in the search results. Instead of having to click into a site and “like” each individual page, you can now quickly “like” search results so your friends, family and connections can find the content you recommend.

According to the Google blog, the +1 is an additional relevancy factor and will affect the search results displayed. Users must have a Google account and a profile to be able to use the feature. Google also offers a +1 video to explain the theory behind +1.

Google has been trying to harness the power of social networking for some time now, and this appears to be a way they can introduce it into search without the need for a separate social network platform.