• Trending: Looking Back at 2017 Social Media, and Ahead to 2018

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    2017 could have been the year that social media grew up.

    And while that statement undervalues the impact social media has had over the last decade, when it comes to mainstream appreciation and respect for what platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram can do in today’s digital age, getting hauled in front of Congress and grilled for your impact on the United States presidential election proves that social networks are more than just repositories for avocado toast pictures and Stranger Things GIFs.

    So, with 2018 looming, here are a few of our favorite 2017 social media trends – and what they mean for next year and beyond.

     

    Rise of Ephemeral Content

    Snapchat started the trend of disappearing content, but Instagram legitimized it with their Stories functionality, a feature admittedly modeled after Snapchat’s. The concept gives people the ability to post photos and videos – customized with text, art and drawings – that disappear after up to 24 hours, providing an entirely new way to stitch together a story. Apps like Facebook Messenger, WeChat and WhatsApp have followed suit, and now also now have story capabilities.

    The Generation Z group that entered the crosshairs of marketers this year has little affinity for history – chronology and historic evidence, that is. If you look at some of the Instagram feeds of the younger generations, many contain less than 10 photos. They’re focused on what’s most current, in the moment and authentic – which makes “stories” content so impactful.

    As is common with any new feature – especially for Facebook – participation tends to get rewarded in the algorithm. So toward the second half of 2017, we’ve seen some really smart, creative ways to capitalize on the impact of Instagram Stories to draw attention to content and links.

    The good news is that recently Snapchat and Instagram have added the ability to archive stories, adding some longevity to your hard-earned content by “saving to your gallery.”

    Takeaway for 2018: Do not think of “stories” content as disposable, or not worth putting dollars toward, because it will disappear in 24 hours. Stories are ripe opportunities that present unique, niche areas of each platform to communicate messages to highly engaged audiences.

     

    Increased Usage of Messenger Apps

    Apps like Facebook Messenger, WeChat and WhatsApp could be considered anti-social media, since their entire purpose is to facilitate private conversations. But that is definitely the preference of Gen Z, as traditional social media networks get noisier by the day and even Snapchat is no longer safe from parental interruption.

    For context, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger each have roughly the same number of monthly users as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat – combined. (Facebook bought the fast-growing WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014 and has since tripled its usage, recently announcing plans to monetize through larger business accounts.)

    In 2017, these channels became infinitely more important, for customer service especially, as more and more people eschew phone calls and emails in favor of immediate responses. And, although there have been mixed reviews on the effectiveness of chatbots (automated robot responses), that method of interaction is expected to evolve and become even more prevalent in 2018.

    Takeaway for 2018: If you’re not equipped to handle customer service inquiries and questions through social media (using customer service professionals), then you should work that into your 2018 planning as soon as possible. These platforms do now offer marketing opportunities (paid and organic) for brands, so this should definitely be an area of focus for 2018.

     

    “The Camera is the Keyboard”

    This popular refrain inside Facebook’s walls speaks to the ever-increasing role video is playing in digital and social media communication. Video content on social media catapulted forward in 2017, with LinkedIn and Pinterest adding video capabilities, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pushing it more and more, and Snap Inc. going so far as to call itself a “camera company.”

    And while live video might have been a headliner this year, this is a function that brands should use strategically and not haphazardly. It’s important to have an understanding of what makes for good live video content. One of the primary benefits of live video in 2017 was how much Facebook pushed it in their algorithms. But, if that priority wanes, marketers will need to be even more strategic around when they go live.

    Takeaway for 2018: This is a great weapon to have – especially when considering the benefits in employee engagement for larger, multi-location corporations and broadcasting newsworthy events. But it’s important to use this wisely. Wasting effort on a long, boring video of your intern’s thumb is not a smart use of resources.

     

    Influencer Marketing Steps Up

    Influencer Marketing was not only much more prevalent in 2017, but it saw bigger brands wading into waters that get choppier by the month.

    Whether these are truly organic “influencers” who built social media followings through real content that connected with their audience, or celebrities who are renting out space on their Instagram or Snapchat accounts, the value of influencer content has never been higher. We hear this over and over: people clearly gravitate toward unscripted, authentic, unedited content. Yet until this year, few marketers have had the confidence to loosen the reins and let that happen.

    There’s no question that it’s a leap of faith to turn over your brand. And not every influencer campaign will turn out like Casey Neistat’s infamous Nike Fuelband experiment from 2012. But that remains the prototype for influencer marketing: a brand gives an influencer budget, something to promote and then lets that influencer take over the steering wheel. Content appears authentic to the influencer’s fans, it reaches a new audience for the brand and creates a finished product – one that may or may not be more editorial than advertising.

    Takeaway for 2018: Influencers are continuing to build huge, engaged followings but they are also getting smarter and savvier, so partnerships need to make sense for both sides. Don’t waste your time trying to finagle a forced connection. It’s important to do your research and make sure the relationship is mutually beneficial and natural. Vehicles like Instagram and Snapchat takeovers became much more common and effective in 2017 – something to consider testing, if you want to more safely test the impact of influencer marketing.

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  • Two Martin Group Clients Team Up to Support Soccer for Success

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    Soccer for Success, the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s after-school youth development program in the City of Buffalo, is alive and kicking thanks in large part to the efforts of two Martin Group clients – the Independent Health Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

    Now in its sixth year, Soccer for Success is offered free to participants by the Independent Health Foundation in collaboration with Algonquin Sports. Nearly 1,750 children in grades K-8 throughout the City of Buffalo will participate during the 2017-2018 year.

    The program scored a major goal at a Sept. 20 press conference when officials from the Independent Health Foundation announced a game-changing grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation – $650,000 over three years.

    More than 3,000 youngsters and more than 300 coach-mentors have participated in Soccer for Success since it was first launched here in May 2012. Originally hosted at 12 sites, the program has since expanded to 20 locations.

     The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s funding will enable the Independent Health Foundation to expand the Soccer for Success program to 2,250 children during 2018-2019, and to 3,000 in 2019-2020, with an added focus of expanding sites further into the Western New York region, beginning with Niagara Falls.

     Soccer for Success pairs soccer drills with nutrition education, both of which are taught by consistent, caring adults whose primary focus is to help children build confidence and recognize the value of hard work, teamwork and persistence in achieving personal goals. Participants exercise for 75-90 minutes a day, at least three times per week, for 24 weeks in the academic year.

    The youth participants – many of whom are categorized as having high health risks – have significantly improved their aerobic capacity, are making healthier choices in deciding what to eat or drink, are trying harder in school, and have reduced their Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile through their participation.

    Buffalo is one of five cities included in a recent year-long study that examined the health and fitness outcomes of children participating in Soccer for Success compared to children enrolled in non-athletic, non-nutrition-based afterschool programming in the same communities. Results released by the U.S. Soccer Foundation found the program has had a positive influence on the health of its participants.

    According to the study, improvements in health and fitness for Soccer for Success children were statistically significantly greater than those of children in non-Soccer for Success programs. Overall, children enrolled in Soccer for Success decreased their BMI percentile and improved their aerobic capacity compared to non-program children.

    A key component of the program is mentorship. Each site is staffed by caring coaches who serve as mentors to the children who participate. These nationally trained coach-mentors are invested in the successful development of the participants. They take the time to get to know each child, their family and what motivates them.

    The coach-mentors stress the importance of doing well on-and-off the field by avoiding the negative influences of drugs, alcohol and violence. They also use program success as a model for successful problem-solving in other life situations.

    In addition to the grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the program is funded by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Independent Health and the Independent Health Foundation.

    The agency played a key role in helping to orchestrate the press conference announcing the grant.

    The following video, produced by The Martin Group, provides additional information about the program.

     

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  • Building something great in Rochester

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    Many of us in this industry have sometimes thought about building a team of hand-picked people. I’ve done it my whole career; a lot of times in meetings where my mind wanders a bit. Who would I want with me in a fox hole? The young account executive across the table who routinely knocks it out of the park and is full of potential and love for the work. Fox hole. The art director at the other end of the room who has lost the passion for what we do and now routinely phones it in. No fox hole.

    A lot of us give thought to starting a team, but I’m not sure how many give thought to starting an office—the physical space where the team will sit and work and spend countless hours together.

    The Rochester office of The Martin Group represented both opportunities. Opening four years ago with just me and Duane Bombard, we chose the location based on where we lived. The village of Victor was about the halfway point—close enough to both of us and close enough to Rochester to make it easy to meet with clients. What started as a two- person office soon grew to be three and then four as a few of our past colleagues jumped into the fox hole. Soon, the small office was too small and we took the opportunity to move into a larger empty space at the back of the same building. This space was three times larger; we gutted it and it became a blank canvas to design to our liking.

    We didn’t hire an interior designer or space planner. I took the role on myself, working with the building’s general contractor. Beyond the function of the space, I wanted our environment to cast the right feeling. I wanted it to reflect not only who we are as an agency, but my personality and Duane’s, and to reflect the way we approach our business. Yes, I wanted the space to feel modern, but also warm and comfortable, with touches of true craftsmanship and charm. Our three shades of gray walls, silver/white/walnut furniture, dark hardwood floors, and gray geometric carpets give the space a modern flare, but I think most people feel at home in our space with touches like our reclaimed wood, sliding barn-style conference room door. It adds a comfortable, unpretentious element that makes the space unique in our building and sets a tone for our agency’s personality.

    Obviously, the physical growth is driven by business growth and the way that has happened is one of the most gratifying aspects of the entire TMG Rochester experience. As our team worked to support TMG Buffalo’s creative needs, clients that Duane and I had established relationships with in the past began to come on board. And by word of mouth and based on the quality of the work, those turned into others, and the four-person office soon became 11.

    I would never want our physical space to hinder growth, so when an adjacent office became available, we tore it down to the studs and built it back up to work seamlessly with the existing office. We doubled our seating capacity, and added more meeting spaces and some additional flare and fun. Along with the modern décor and elements of craftsmanship—like a wood accent wall comprised of 1200 walnut-stained angled wooden blocks—the new space gave us the opportunity to add some essentials that were previously missing. Now, in the center of our new space sits a ping pong table and a dartboard on our 12 ft. cork wall. Yes, we sometimes use that for work, pinning up concepts in progress, as well.

    Thanks to Tod Martin, TMG Rochester has always been part startup—from our earliest incarnation with just Duane and I, one art director and one writer—and part established agency with the power of a full-service firm under one roof, even if that roof extends 80 miles down the thruway.

    That is reflected in our office. We like to think it has the energy of a startup and the sophistication that has always been a hallmark of The Martin Group brand.

    It’s pretty comfortable for a fox hole.

    Read the recent Rochester Business Journal article featuring The Martin Group’s Rochester expansion: Ad Shop Grows With Office in Region – August 11, 2017

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  • From Scouting Players, to Scouting Companies

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    Lessons from a Professional Basketball Player Turned Entrepreneur

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  • Rich Products

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    Since pioneering the world’s first non-dairy whipped topping in 1945, Rich Products has prided itself on being at the forefront of culinary innovation. While renovating their Buffalo corporate headquarters, Rich’s approached us for environmental branding of their new Innovation Center visitors area. We designed the space to tell the brand’s story and to showcase Rich’s history, capabilities, service, and family-oriented approach. Our work included three themed walls that capture the essence of the company and pay homage to their passion for food. We also developed an app for a 55-inch interactive touchscreen, which allows visitors to explore Rich’s timeline, company values, global presence, and leadership team.

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  • Explore & More Children’s Museum

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    Explore & More, Buffalo’s children’s museum, was on the move—from its old location to a new state-of the-art facility in the emerging Canalside area.

    Prior to launching their capital campaign for the move, the museum needed to develop a suite of collateral to support their fundraising efforts. The Martin Group developed a new website featuring a mobile-responsive design and updated imagery. Our team also created an oversized brochure to help solicit large corporate contributions.

    The capital campaign needed to make the case that the museum was a way to ensure a brighter future for our children through the power of play that leads to learning. We delivered a highly successful case statement that asked people to Play it Forward and see their donation to play as a down payment on their kids’ future success.

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  • U&S Services

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    For buildings that need to operate at the highest efficiency possible, U&S Services is the company to call.

    They help famous Buffalo locations such as KeyBank Center, Solar City and The Richardson Olmsted Complex by providing not only building facilities solutions, but the analytics necessary to operate at greater efficiency. To help promote their unique capabilities, we collaborated on a new responsive website, allowing visitors to learn more about their key services and explore the work they’ve done across a wide range of industries.

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  • Three Brothers Wineries & Estates

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    As the most visited winery this side of the Mississippi, Three Brothers offers visitors a unique destination along the Finger Lakes Wine Trail.

    With three wineries and one brewery on site, the well-known stop wanted help capturing the radically different personalities and offerings of each. We created fresh label designs and supporting collateral for existing brands that needed new life, as well as exclusive hand-illustrated packaging for their new Red Apple Bombshell hard cider line, bringing the brand to life with the right amount of personality and “just the right amount of tart.”

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  • Evans Bank

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    Driving awareness and growth for a local financial institution.

    Situation

    With nearly a century of community banking in Western New York, Evans Bank needed a full-scale brand refresh that would leverage its history and highlight its distinct position as the local bank with community ties and a customer-focused way of doing business. The bank was also looking to capitalize on the departure of Greater Buffalo Savings Bank and facing competition from national bank chains coming to town. To combat the competition, we needed to leverage the Evans’ motto of “A better way” to let Western New York know that—as new banks come and go—Evans in the only bank in town that provides both neighborhood service and comprehensive financial solutions.

    Solution

    We completed a full-scale rebranding project, complete with three phases of research, including IDIs, focus groups and market awareness research, to tell the story of Evans’ unique combination of personal service and comprehensive financial solutions, while positioning the bank for successful expansion beyond Western New York’s Southtowns. The original rebrand included a new, shortened name (from Evans National Bank), the development of a more modern logo and tagline, a full suite of collateral materials, and a fully integrated advertising campaign to put the bank’s distinctive story in the local spotlight. Since rebranding, we’ve also infused the new brand into the bank’s physical environments, using key touchpoints like in-branch signage, ATM kiosk graphics and strategic promotions for new financial center openings. In addition, when new banks bought out other bank chains, we took full advantage of the acquisitions, targeting displaced customers who were looking for a better way of banking. 

    Results

    Since our initial engagement with Evans more than ten years ago, the bank’s assets have grown 133%, topping the $1 billion mark in 2016. We continue to support and evolve the brand through new financial center openings, brand awareness campaigns and targeted competitive advertising, tapping into a wide variety of channels and marketing opportunities, from billboards, commercials and digital campaigns, to ongoing web work and strategic promotions, like Evans’ most recent campaign aimed at winning over displaced First Niagara customers.

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