Technology is changing (us)
The inspiration for this week’s digital download comes from a quick YouTube video. It’s about a minute and a half long. Take a look: To her, the magazine is a broken iPad. There’s a whole generation growing up in an see more
Harness the content butterfly effect
In the “old” days of digital (as in just a year or two ago), I advised clients to use their website as the backstop to all their advertising, both traditional and digital. The idea was to use your website as the payoff for campaigns and as a source for deeper product information. The website was the ultimate “source of truth” about your brand.
Then came social media, and the level of direct control over brand messaging has diminished. Now smartphone penetration, along with the rapid rise of tablets, has finally achieved significant, meaningful numbers, and social media is evolving into social commerce, moving influential content closer and closer to the moment of purchase. Continue Reading…
LoMoSo: The Information Expectation
Let’s try a quick thought experiment.
Take a moment and think back 15 years ago, to 1996. In 1996 how did you: Find movie times? Learn about world news? Find sports stats? Learn about the best restaurants? Manage your finances? Pay your bills? Research a project? Learn a new skill? Share photos? Or Watch video?
How do you do all of these things today?
For most of you, the answer is online. The web has woven itself into everything we do and it’s not slowing down. Being able to get through the clutter and have the right information, at the right time, from the right sources is paramount.
A Connector rocks the green
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Stage at Rock the Green
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Kiss Me I’m Irish T-shirt repurposed for Rock the Green by Goodwill.
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Each person received a water pouch that could be filled for free at fresh water filling stations. No bottled water was sold.
HY Connectors on the HY-brid marketing team don’t just talk green, they walk it. Heck, sometimes they even rock it.
On September 18, 2011, a group of people passionate about sustainability (and good music) converged on Veteran’s Park to Rock the Green. It was the Midwest’s very first, near-zero-waste sustainable music festival, but you’d never have known it. Despite the weather, the festival ran like a well-oiled biodiesel machine.
- The lineup included big names like Ben Folds, The Fray, Michelle Branch and Fitz and the Tantrums.
- All of the food was organic and local.
- The price of a ticket included a BPA-free, reusable water pouch. There was no bottled water sold at the event. Rather, there were several fresh-water refilling stations.
- Cyclists generated part of the power for the event. They also used solar panels and 100% B20 biodiesel generators.
- Concert tees were provided by Goodwill, who in the ultimate act of recycling laundered hundreds of t-shirts from its inventory and printed the Rock the Green over whatever was already on the shirts. (My very-Irish niece received a Kiss Me I’m Irish t-shirt with Rock the Green printed over it.)
- The proceeds from ticket sales went to support to great local organizations—the Park People of Milwaukee and the Urban Ecology Center.
Every cup, plate, knife, fork and spoon was compostable. I know, because I was right there in the trenches—or rather, at a composting station—explaining to people how to separate their disposables. At times, it was a dirty job, but it was fulfilling and I was glad to be a part of such a well-thought-out experience. A lot of people were there just for the music, but as I explained to them how InSinkErator was grinding all the food waste into slurry that was being transported by Veolia to MMSD to make Milorganite (a locally produced organic fertilizer), you could see the proverbial light bulb (energy efficient, of course) turn on. People weren’t just having fun; they were learning. That was really cool to see. Continue Reading…
Buzzwords – Augmented Reality
In the interactive space it feels like every few months there is a new hot technology. Something so exciting that it becomes an industry buzzword that eventually finds it’s way to the tip of our client’s tongues. Thinking back over see more
212 Branding Steps
It used to be considered a rite of passage for a newly graduated male to purchase his first pair of formal dress shoes in which to properly enter the business world. The loafers, khaki pants and blue blazer which used to stand in as your dress-up outfit were put aside and, usually with your father’s assistance, you acquired some nice cap-toe brogues or wingtip oxfords, and almost always in black. My father strongly recommended his own brand of dress shoe, Allen Edmonds. His experience with Allen Edmonds began in the War, when Allen Edmonds was traditional issue for dress uniform in the Armed Forces.
Definition Edition – Page Types
When working on interactive projects we often come across terms that feel intuitive, but once we dig a little deeper we find that their definition seems a bit fuzzy. This week we’ll take a closer look at the definitions for see more
Dark Patterns
We’ve all been there. You’re on a website attempting to book a flight, buy a gift or post a comment and as you proceed to the last step you notice a strange box checked or something extra in your cart. see more
An Event Apart 2011
Earlier this week, HY Connect attended the Minneapolis session of An Event Apart. What is An Event Apart? An Event Apart, or AEA for short, is described as “A conference for people who make websites” it’s also been described as see more
Why we no longer have advertising on our walls.
It seems that we have always had a gallery of ads adorning the walls of our offices. Carefully crafted ads are, indeed, works of art. It provides a chance to show the impressive work we do for our clients and give visitors a chance to experience the high creative standards we set for ourselves.see more
Where good ideas come from
Steven Johnson is a popular science writer. For five years, he studied the history of innovation. He wondered whether there were recurring patterns of creativity that could be applied to our lives and our organizations. Johnson published his findings in a book,Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation. It was named one of the best books of 2010 by The Economist. Continue Reading…
Buying television is not as simple as it used to be…but a lot more fun
If you ask any advertising pro today what the most impactful form of advertising is, I believe without a doubt they would tell you that “television” still rules. Television commercials continue to have the greatest recall of any form of advertising and they also are determined to be the most influential on the buying decision. That would have been the answer for the last 40 years. Continue Reading…
Five ways to integrate the big idea
There’s a lot of talk amongst marketers about the “integrated solution” and the “integration of creative, technology and tactics,” or some version of that secret communications weapon. But it’s always positioned as a goal to be attained. Rarely is the integration of the idea spoken of in terms of how integrated thinking can be used to get to the goal of a truly and effectively integrated campaign, or what’s known in some circles as marketing nirvana. Continue Reading…
Explaining QR Codes
This week’s Digital Download takes a closer look at something we’ve all have had a little contact with: The QR Code. QR codes (or Quick Response codes) condense information into two dimensional squares that connect offline media to online content see more
Why we changed our name.
What happened to Hoffman York?
Well, we took a long, hard look in the mirror. And we realized that in the past few years we have changed in so many ways. No longer do we do just “traditional” advertising and public relations. And it has been decades since Harry Hoffman or Bill York, the original founders, even stepped foot in our doors. If they did, they would be amazed, and proud, at what they would see we’ve become: An integrated communication company striving to provide our clients seamless solutions to maximize business opportunities. Continue Reading…