I am extremely fortunate that I am the lead on the 2011 Louisville AdFed Dream Team. I am even more excited to have the opportunity to work with this year's Dream Team recipient, Best Buddies of Kentucky.

Every year, the Louisville AdFed partners with a non-profit in providing marketing expertise and assets in propelling the specific non-profit agenda forward. The non-profit chosen must submit an application and be selected by the AdFed board.

Best Buddies of Kentucky was established in 2009 to promote social inclusion of persons with mental handicaps in schools and the workplace throughout the state. It is a local chapter of Best Buddies International.

The Dream Team has been tasked with helping Best Buddies in the following way: 1) Support for fundraising events such as Fairway for Friendships and 2) Develop a strategic marketing plan to help build awareness of Best Buddies.

We have an amazing group of talented marketing professionals involved in the project. I firmly believe the group will encapsulate the vision of Best Buddies and help build awareness for the cause.

Market research is a top priority when planning any interactive marketing campaign. It’s important to understand the target audience — not only the demographics, but also where they go for information, what media sources are trusted most, and which social media tools are used. Recently, I had the opportunity to explore the market research available at LeapFrog Interactive, and I began to understand the breadth and depth available for our use to build accurate and consumer-focused digital marketing campaigns.

LeapFrog uses MRI to pull various target audience demographics and year over year behavioral data to support LFI’s clients’ marketing campaigns and prospects’ recommendations. Target audience demographics and how they relate to various media factors are essential when planning and executing traditional and digital marketing strategies.

From a Media + Marketing perspective, the data available to assess the best media outlets for various target audiences is invaluable. It gives great support for recommendations as well as offers the client a potential higher ROI.

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis, marketing coordinator)

The Advertising Federation of Louisville recently announced the winners of its "Hot 10" young advertising professionals at the annual Awards Luncheon. Among the 10 local winners was LeapFrog Interactive's very own media planner/buyer, Emily Carroll.

"Being nominated was an honor in itself but to actually win — and in the presence of some extremely talented, well-rounded, and accomplished young professionals — was an admittedly proud moment for me," said Carroll. "On both a professional and personal level, having my achievements recognized means so much. I won't soon forget it, especially since I have the beautifully framed award to remind me of it."

AdFed put out a call for nominees in mid-April and notified finalists in early June. Out of 33 nominees, 10 were selected to represent Louisville. Winners were chosen based upon their demonstration of professionalism, their dedication to their respective careers in advertising or marketing, and their responses to the nominee applications.

According to an article by Mediapost, the Association of National Advertisers, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and the 4As — three of the big dogs in the Digital Advertising Alliance — are reshaping expectations for measuring digital media, specifically display advertising.

Typically, we find that clients do understand that a key benefit to digital media is its ability to be tracked and measured. Erroneous, however, is the belief that simply measuring impressions or clicks is the end all, be all of understanding a campaign’s success (or failure).

These new principles are as follows:

Principle No. 1: Move to a "viewable impressions" standard and count real exposures online.

As it stands, most digital advertisers are familiar with buying digital media based on impressions, or number of times an advertisement will be served. However, it is true that sometimes web pages don’t fully load the ad or don’t appear in a format the end-user can view, thus failing to actually deliver on the promise of an impression. For this reason, “viewable impressions” are now the purported standard.

Principle No. 2: Online advertising must migrate to a currency based on audience impressions, not gross ad impressions.

Media buyers target specific audiences. “Reach,” or the total number/percent of your target audience touched by your media plan, is very important. This principle seems to indicate that advertisers should only be allowed to buy based on reach of their target audience, making targeting technology that much more crucial.

Principle No. 3: Because all ad units are not created equal, we must create a transparent classification system.

There are several formats and sizes of digital creative, which lend to a large permutation of available ad buys.

As stated in the article:

“A transparent classification system will:

• Reduce complexity from a creative standpoint

• Simplify the comparison of ad units across Web sites

• Enhance the ability to track how different types of ad inventory drive different outcomes

• Facilitate planning and evaluation across media”

Principle No. 4: Determine interactivity "metrics that matter" for brand marketers, so that marketers can better evaluate online's contribution to brand building.

Basically, akin to Principle 1, there are a lot of misleading metrics that give a false sense of campaign success. This principle speaks to the need for a standard set of measurable metrics that most accurately allow publishers to be compared in media evaluations.

Principle No. 5: Digital media measurement must become increasingly comparable and integrated with other media.

Cross-platform media planning and buying has not yet found stability where measurement is concerned. Yes, we can track more than traditional media could ever dream to track. Yes, we can see conversion funnels, drop-off points, and determine which buyers came from which media vendors, but there are still holes and gaps in analysis and evaluation. And how can we bridge the two — digital and traditional — to show accurate lift in overall sales?

Apparently, it is the mission of the Digital Advertising Alliance to figure it out. As marketing technologies evolve and expand, this will mean that analysis and reporting may get more convoluted before we actually strip reports down to what really needs to be acknowledged. The fact that we can even begin to have this conversation means digital media is in a good spot. We can now begin looking directly into the light!

[Contributed by Emily Carroll]

Our Creative team is growing by leaps and bounds, and I'd like to introduce you to Mike Brown. Mike comes to us with over 80 awards in his back pocket. So without further ado, here's Mike!

When did you start at LeapFrog Interactive: April 2011

Where did you work before? Bandy Carroll Hellige

What is your title: Senior Writer

Agency experience: 8 years

Advertising experience: 12 years

Degrees: BA (Journalism) University of Kentucky; MA (Advertising) University of Texas

Have you won any awards for your work: 23 Gold Louies, 60 Silver Louies, and 2010 Louies Best in Show. I've also been the writer on numerous LDGA awards.

About Mike: He is quite the story teller. He's so good at telling a story that you wonder if they are true (especially when he's talking about a friend who was buried under ground and had to breathe through a tube for two days as training for his job), but they are true, and extremely entertaining.

Everybody join me in welcoming Jeremy Reiss to the team! Jeremy is working in our Louisville office as the Senior Art Director. To get to know him a little bit, I asked some questions. I learned about his work experiences, but also that he no longer fears the color pink.

When did you start at LeapFrog Interactive: March 2011

Where did you work before? Red7e - I worked there for five years

What is your title: Senior Art Director

Agency experience: 6 years

Advertising experience: 11 years

Degrees: BA (Art & Communications) Georgetown College; MFA (Graphic Design) Savannah College of Art & Design

Have you won any awards for your work: 2010 PRINT Regional Design Annual; Gold & Silver Louies

Professional Organizations: Louisville Graphic Design Association

About Jeremy: I love great design. I love my family more. I'm a baseball purist and Louisville Slugger enthusiast. I'm a sucker for anything vintage. I'm hypnotized by super-cool typography. Thanks to my daughter, I finally conquered my fear of the color pink. I'll never forget the beautiful night sky of Kenya.

Past projects: I've developed marketing and design solutions for clients like Churchill Downs, Louisville Slugger, Geek Squad, Louisville Science Center, The Filson Historical Society, and Minor League Baseball.

Every year, GfK MRI conducts the Survey of the American Consumer™ on 26,000 adult consumers in the United States. One of the great things about the work GfK MRI does is that they conduct the survey via face-to-face interviews with consumers. This, in turn, strengthens data reliability.

There are many different applications offered by GfK MRI, one of which is the Doublebase. The Doublebase is comprised of four waves of surveys (approximately 52,000 consumers). This data can be sliced and diced in a variety of ways, including weighting the total adult U.S. population. There is even an indexing feature for the metrics that provides great insights.

For example — and I’m making up numbers here — let’s say we want to know the attitudes toward mobile technology of persons who use professional hairstyling services. We run mobile metrics across this segment of customers and one of our significant findings is an index score of 125 for the attitude, “Text messaging is an important part of my daily life.” What this index would tell us is that consumers of professional hairstyling services are 25% more likely than the general population to feel this way about text messaging.

What is even more remarkable about the indexing feature is that, hypothetically, only 35% of consumers of hairstyling services may have this attitude toward text messaging. However, while 35% seems low, compared to the general population it may be high, and thus the index would be higher (in excess of 100).

This is just a small taste of all the analytical possibilities with GfK MRI. The number of metrics is impressive and includes product usage and volume data, as well as psychographics. Also, the power the Doublebase application offers, with features such as filtering, allows massive amounts of data to be sifted through quickly and accurately. All of this, and much more, makes GfK MRI a valuable tool worth leveraging — one that LFI is currently using to help support the digital marketing recommendations for clients.

 (Contributed by Ben Hill, marketing analyst)

With so many ways to advertise, how can you ensure you are reaching your target audience at the correct time and place, while also sending them a clear, uniform message? As advertising vehicles evolve rapidly, it can be tough to keep up and stay on the cutting edge in order to stand out in today’s competitive business environment. Advertisements can sometimes be invasive, annoying, or just miss the mark all together. How do you cut through the clutter and deliver a marketing campaign that is engaging and effective?

The key is to create an integrated marketing campaign in which you deliver your message across several mediums with impeccable timing and consistency. This takes strategic thinking. Where are your consumers? What are they watching? What are they doing? Buying? Listening to? Reading? Downloading? The list goes on. An integrated marketing campaign will reach your target market on several of these levels, if not all of them.

Once you have researched your audience, then you can decide the best place for your message. Every brand is different. Reaching your audience may be best served through interactive marketing like text messages, social media like Facebook and Twitter, or online videos. Or it could be traditional marketing like television ads, radio or billboards.

So, what are some of the trends in integrated campaigns? Which brands are raising the bar?

One integrated marketing campaign I love is from Audi USA. Their Audi A7 Bold Design campaign is based on the theme, “A boldly designed car deserves a boldly designed world.” It utilizes several traditional and digital marketing channels and incorporates user interactivity. The campaign consists of TV commercials, FourSquare promotions, billboards, QR codes, a Facebook app and a YouTube channel. Each channel has its unique twist, but together you are able to educate yourself on the Audi A7 model, watch videos and even tweet about it. The tweets and FourSquare check-ins are streamed live on a billboard in Times Square!

But it doesn’t stop there. Audi USA even created a Google map application that incorporates Facebook and the YouTube channel so people can create their own bold design and nominate their favorite bold destinations throughout the U.S. What a great interactive element!

One might think this campaign is too much or perhaps tacky because it involves so many advertising vehicles. Well, the opposite is true. Audi USA has created a marketing campaign that is sleek and classy, yet informational and integrated enough to stand out among the clutter. It’s not just another car commercial. It is so much more.

The interactive billboard was timed around the New York International Auto Show, which is also one of the boldly designed locations featured in the campaign.

(Contributed by Emily Blankenbaker, account coordinator)

In hindsight, random connections can seem like destiny. A chance encounter in an elevator leads to a 40-year marriage. A random dorm room assignment becomes a lifelong friendship. Two moms meet at a soccer game, and two years later they’re co-owners of a wildly successful chain of cupcake bakeries. It’s tempting to think such chance encounters weren’t chance at all, but instead were meant to be.
 
That’s because the idea of destiny is comforting. It protects us emotionally from the unpleasant reality that when we succeed or fail in life, love or business, it is often because of the random connections we make with other people. But while believing in destiny may make us feel better, it also limits us.
 
When we assign fate to the connections that lead to success, we fail to appreciate all the connections that were never made — all the missed opportunities. How many would-be spouses have shared a fleeting glance in the grocery store aisle, but never spoke to each other? How many would-be business partners have screamed at each other in a traffic jam? How many would-be fortune 500 companies have gone bankrupt despite offering a product or service for which people would have gladly paid had they only known it existed?
 
Fortunately, new technologies can help us make these important connections. These days, there are infinite ways for couples to meet through the Web, from online dating services to social media. There are even more opportunities for businesses. But to take advantage of them takes expertise in both these new technologies and the cultures built around them.
 
If you don’t have this expertise, you need a partner who does. You need a partner who knows how to use websites, mobile apps, Facebook pages, and Twitter feeds to not just push messages, but to build communities. You need a partner who knows how to build an effective and flexible SEO strategy, so that not only can you find your target, but they can also find you. You need a partner to help you quit relying on chance and instead take control of your destiny.

(Contributed by Mike Brown, senior writer)

Sometimes our Media + Marketing team gets asked if email marketing actually works. Bottom line, yes it does. And I am going to tell you a story on how it started a spontaneous road trip.

Last month, my mother and sister were visiting me for the weekend. We didn’t have any plans on Sunday and were just lounging around my place that morning. We had made breakfast and were drinking coffee while we tried to figure out what we were going to do.

We are kind of fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants (or skirts) ladies, so I was on my iPad looking for things to do around Louisville. That’s when I saw an email in my inbox from the Coach Outlet: 30 percent off all products in their store. And this is how the conversation went:

Emily: Ohhh, Lauren (my sister), I got an email from Coach…

Lauren: Sweet! What did it say?

Emily: 30 percent off.

Lauren: WHAT!

Emily: Today only.

Lauren: How far away is it?

Emily: About two hours… wanna go? Looks at Lauren who is nodding head excitedly. Looks at Tamara (mom) who is looking at us like we are nuts, but with a smile on her face.

Lauren: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

We make a mad dash to get ready, and within an hour all three of us are in my car on a spontaneous road trip to the Coach outlet store. Had it not been for this email, we would have done something in Louisville. But this email put a fire in our britches for some gals who love a good bargain on wonderful brands.

This email brought in $300 in sales from my sister’s bank account alone. And there is no telling how many of the other women in the store were there because of the email.

But I can tell you one thing: the email worked for the Van Winkle ladies. It got us in the door, and we dropped some dough.

[Contributed by Emily Van Winkle]

I had the absolute pleasure of participating in the Stevie Awards 2011 American Business Awards final judging.  The Stevie Awards were created to bring awareness of the work created by brands worldwide. Many companies participate in the Steve Awards every year.

I was fortunate enough to judge web sites, blogs, live events and new product launches. I was very impressed with the creativity of fellow marketers and designers in all of these categories.

The judging allowed me to compare how LFI approaches different verticals versus other agencies and internal marketing teams. I am proud to say our creative designs stack up against some of the best. It is gratifying to know the concepts and executions put forth by our team are some of the best ideas out there.

In college my professors told me how important brainstorming was — how it was essential that every idea was considered because somewhere in there was the best idea. It wasn’t until I became part of a digital marketing family that I was acutely aware of this being true. In my previous positions,  “brainstorming” occurred — but, in the end, it was always what the boss wanted to see happen rather than looking to others for the best way to market or present an idea. This is why I was never convinced brainstorming had any impact on marketing strategy.

At LeapFrog Interactive brainstorming is serious business. It involves multiple teams: from Media + Marketing to Business Development (for new & prospective clients) and Client Services (for current clients) to Creative. Because each team is an essential piece of any interactive marketing project at LFI, it is important for all teams to be involved in the creative process.

Brainstorming happens before an initial prospective client meeting to help generate an outpouring of innovative digital, traditional and out of the box marketing ideas. This initial step helps the prospective client see all the digital marketing concepts we can create for them as well as giving them an inside look into our creative process. For current clients, brainstorming is conducted as the first planning step for the upcoming year, as well as developing new ideas or suggestions we may have to increase their digital marketing campaigns.

Interactive marketing strategy builds through brainstorming. One thing I have learned since beginning my adventure at LFI is through successful, open brainstorming comes amazing, big ideas. I am continually surprised by how various marketing ideas — in varying marketing sectors including digital, traditional and event — can come together to form an incredible, unique marketing campaign and package for LFI clients.

(Contributed by Brittany Burdoine-Lewis, Marketing Coordinator)

Mobile transactions are the hottest technology advancements within the mobile space. Mobile transactions include the ability to make purchases over the phone, redeem coupons and, now, perform  near field communication. Near field communication allows users to swipe their Smartphones across a reader at checkout and pay for their purchases. No need to dig out your wallet or fumble in your purse for credit cards — your phone will be able to make the purchase for you!

Can’t wait to try the new technology? Well there are many caveats to the program:

1. Must have the near field communication technology embedded on your phone. Samsung is the first carrier to offer the technology.
2. Retailers must have the proper POS system to check you out.
3. Your credit card must be tied to your smartphone; only a few credit card companies will have this capacity in the beginning.
4. Google is set to announce the technology and will begin rolling it out on Android Smartphone.
5. Google has partnered with Sprint to be the carrier. Most other major networks will not be able to start testing the technology until mid-2012.
6. New York and San Francisco are the only current markets slated for the technology.

If you are in the market for a new smartphone, this is definitely technology you will want to consider when making your purchase.

“Tom! What are you doing? ... Now will you please not touch anything anymore!” – Florence Mueller

Episode 9: How Do you Jew?

The final episode of stalkTALK, an original web comedy series, was released last Wednesday, May 25 via blip.tv. Over the course of this nine-week marketing campaign, the strategic marketing partnership between stalkTALK and LeapFrog Interactive produced successful viewing results for the new web comedy series, as well as innovative digital media ideas from the Media + Marketing team at LFI.

Through this partnership, LeapFrog explored unique interactive marketing ideas and implemented creative digital strategies to develop a successful, innovative and integrated campaign. In addition, the Media + Marketing team was able to expand its digital video repertoire while learning about and discovering various video uploading sites, including blip.tv, Vimeo, and Dailymotion, as well as Internet talk shows and entertainment media. Understanding and using these new digital marketing tactics, processes and resources provided LFI with the knowledge to create a successful interactive marketing campaign for any current or future client.