tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16994793212843009922024-03-13T14:27:29.536-07:00deep ad thoughts by the cyphers agencyWe do whatever it takes to create great brands. Like a fly on the wall, we observe and listen to what fulfills your customers and clients every need and keeps them coming back for more. With this knowledge, we ask you to open your mind and set aside what YOU feel makes you great and embrace the words that will make you profitable: in the customer we trust. <a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com">Visit Our Website</a>The Cyphers Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470940985251184207noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-47367623978350137242008-07-16T06:42:00.000-07:002008-07-16T06:50:44.677-07:00New BlogDear Internet Community,<br /><br />Thanks for visiting our blog but we've moved it <a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com/blog">here</a>. We decided to give the blog an updated design and a new Wordpress management system. Please <a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com/blog">check it out</a> and thanks again for stopping by!Christina Drews-Leonardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626992510396271304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-10386756513928086482008-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:002008-06-09T07:50:59.277-07:00Thursday's Open HouseThanks to everyone for coming out to see our new space last Thursday! We had a great time showing it off. Here are a few pics:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE1DC0TOH3I/AAAAAAAAAB0/FBE2UTUtDwY/s1600-h/DSC_1367.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE1DC0TOH3I/AAAAAAAAAB0/FBE2UTUtDwY/s320/DSC_1367.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209894059615592306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE0-P_rzvkI/AAAAAAAAABs/X9TJT6hMr-w/s1600-h/DSC_1388.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE0-P_rzvkI/AAAAAAAAABs/X9TJT6hMr-w/s320/DSC_1388.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209888788451671618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE0-ManTxeI/AAAAAAAAABk/QIWXQ19PF_g/s1600-h/DSC_1380.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE0-ManTxeI/AAAAAAAAABk/QIWXQ19PF_g/s320/DSC_1380.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209888726961079778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE097lgPlWI/AAAAAAAAABc/XOr8kLLDOFo/s1600-h/DSC_1355.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE097lgPlWI/AAAAAAAAABc/XOr8kLLDOFo/s320/DSC_1355.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209888437826458978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE09wtJCgJI/AAAAAAAAABU/daFYfWmdvEI/s1600-h/DSC_1354.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SE09wtJCgJI/AAAAAAAAABU/daFYfWmdvEI/s320/DSC_1354.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209888250898055314" border="0" /></a>Christina Drews-Leonardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626992510396271304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-7665693121733632992008-05-07T10:18:00.000-07:002008-05-07T12:19:53.322-07:00Campaigns Out to LaunchCorona Cinco de Mayo<br /> <br /><embed allowscriptaccess="never" name="RAOCXplayer" src="http://video.mediapost.com/videos/CINCO30CIXT7203.wmv" align="center" autoplay="false"type="application/x-mplayer2" showc="1" showstatusbar="1" autosize="true" enablec="0" displaysize="0" pluginspage="http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/Downloads/Contents/Products/MediaPlayer/" height="302" width="400"></embed><br />___<br /><br />Morning Tongue<br /><br /><embed src="http://video.mediapost.com/videos/Tongue_30.mov" align="center" height="320" width="400" autoplay="false" type="video/quicktime" pluginspage="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/"></embed><br /><br />__Christina Drews-Leonardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626992510396271304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-38758451057908852132008-05-07T08:05:00.000-07:002008-05-07T10:46:36.326-07:00Distinguish Your Company with MarketingWhether the current state of the economy has affected your industry or not, the reality is you are probably more careful on how and where you spend your marketing dollars. To be cautious is understandable but before you make any moves consider this analogy by MarketingSherpa.<br /><br />Imagine you’re a broker on Wall Street and your client’s stock is plummeting across the board. Would you sell the plummeting stocks, ride out the storm, or invest in even more stocks?<br /><br />If you answered ‘invest in even more stocks’ you are right! Don’t stop investing (or marketing). The goal is to buy up as many stocks as you can now so when the market turns around you own a greater share of stocks.<br /><br />This same concept applies to investing in your branding and marketing efforts during this downturn. By innovating your products or services now you'll discover non-traditional customers in new niche markets, resulting in a larger slice of the market share pie when the market comes back to life.<br /><br />So although times may seem tough, take this opportunity to break away from the pack. Your next question may be ‘how do I begin?’<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Dig for the Truth</font><br />Your first step is to immediately uncover new markets and new customers since your local and traditional customers are probably cutting back on their purchases. Start by researching and analyzing your current customers and their spending habits. You could identify a new trend and then respond with a new service or product to meet the changing needs.<br /><br />By adopting this philosophy you are automatically setting yourself apart from your competition.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.pssmommymakeover.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SCHGRy5i42I/AAAAAAAAABE/ycykajDnvec/s320/mommy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197653453985473378" border="0"></a><font style="font-weight: bold;">Example:</font> Plastic Surgery Specialist (PSS) of Annapolis took notice of moms coming to them for certain procedures that would give them back their pre-mom bodies. Therefore we created the <a href="http://www.pssmommymakeover.com/">‘Mommy Makeover’</a> where several procedures are wrapped up into one nice package.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;">Implement your Innovation:</font><br />Step two includes implementing your innovation. Take the research you gathered and formulate a strategic plan to implement your new product. In today’s economy where money is tight and gas is at a historical high people tend to stay home more. And when they’re home, they’re online – shopping, e-mailing, looking for entertainment and searching for ways to save a buck. With this in mind, make your marketing dollars work harder by using online marketing tactics such as <a href="http://http//thecyphersagency.blogspot.com/2008/01/search-engine-marketing.html">search engine marketing.</a><br /><br />Online campaigns are more cost-effective and quantifiable unlike traditional TV, radio and print campaigns. Since you’re launching a new product or service in a new market, you will be able to reach a broader audience at a lower cost. Plus you are able to quantify the leads better against your marketing dollar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.twinkleflashorfade.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/SCHHCS5i43I/AAAAAAAAABM/p0zWrbdTCig/s320/twinkle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197654287209128818" border="0"></a><font style="font-weight: bold;">Example:</font> Annapolis Lighting discovered their audience is mainly the high-end niche. Based on this we created the ‘Lighting Supremacy’ brand that targeted this audience. This new brand was launched in several integrated campaigns such as the <a href="http://www.hotlinktopink.com/">Pink Ticket</a> and <a href="http://www.twinkleflashorfade.com/">Holiday Campaign</a> in the fall and winter of 2007. Each campaign included a microsite, search engine marketing and an email component. These campaigns generated a 95% click-through rate, which was significantly more revenue than recent past promotions.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com">Visit our site, www.TheCyphersAgency.com, to contact us for help with your search engine marketing and advertising.</a>Christina Drews-Leonardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626992510396271304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-50127286758169217042008-05-06T12:44:00.000-07:002008-05-06T13:13:11.830-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7qfT5omq9CI/SCC4y30Xf1I/AAAAAAAAAAo/k7OwVoK5Dfw/s1600-h/Lobby.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 149px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7qfT5omq9CI/SCC4y30Xf1I/AAAAAAAAAAo/k7OwVoK5Dfw/s320/Lobby.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197357154102116178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="font-family:arial;">The Cyphers Agency has Officially Moved Up! </span><o:p></o:p></b></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">ANNAPOLIS, MD – May 6, 2008 – </b>The Cyphers Agency (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thecyphersagency.com">Cyphers</a>), a leading full-service marketing, advertising and public relations agency recently relocated their o</span><span style="font-size:85%;">ffice in Annapolis to the new building on Old Solomon’s Is</span><span style="font-size:85%;">land Road.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>This move comes on the heels of the tremendous growth spurt Cyphers experienced over the past few years. The decision to remain in <st1:city st="on">Annapolis</st1:city> was made based on current clients located in <st1:city st="on">Annapolis</st1:city> and the close proximity to both <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Washington</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">D.C.</st1:state></st1:place> and Baltimore.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7qfT5omq9CI/SCC6O30Xf6I/AAAAAAAAABQ/H4ILZ1-zuBo/s1600-h/Account+Staff.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7qfT5omq9CI/SCC6O30Xf6I/AAAAAAAAABQ/H4ILZ1-zuBo/s200/Account+Staff.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197358734650081186" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">“Our hard work and dedication over the past decade has led us to this exciting turning point. We ar</span><span style="font-size:85%;">e</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> thankful to our loyal customers who have worked with us over the years in helping them grow their businesses,” sa</span><span style="font-size:85%;">id Dave Cyphers, owner of Cyphe</span><span style="font-size:85%;">rs.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Most of the 5,000 square foot office is an open studio space that was designed to inspire collaborative thinking. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">“We wanted to create an office environment that would influence and inspire creativity,” said Darren Easton, Creative Director at Cyphers. “Visual stimulation was the key. This space energizes people and makes them want to create work at an even higher level. There was a real push to add color, angles, a variety of lighting, and whimsical elements (such as galvanized and </span><span style="font-size:85%;">glass walls) to get people to see and think differently. We made a point to sweat the details instead of skip them – I think it has truly paid off.”</span></p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7qfT5omq9CI/SCC7AX0Xf7I/AAAAAAAAABY/XUcdnrt4jIA/s1600-h/conference+room.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7qfT5omq9CI/SCC7AX0Xf7I/AAAAAAAAABY/XUcdnrt4jIA/s200/conference+room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197359585053605810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Cyphers current clients range from local favorites like Fractured Prune Donuts to Annapolis-based TSS Software, the nations leading national title software company. Most recently Cyphers won a 2008 ADDY award for their Annapolis Lighting mixed media campaign.</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p></o:p>About The Cyphers Agency<o:p></o:p></b><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The Cyphers Agency, Inc. is a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations agency with a focus on brand development and interactive services. Headquartered in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Annapolis</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">MD</st1:state></st1:place>, Cyphers was recently named one of the area’s largest advertising agencies by the<i style=""> Baltimore Business Journal</i>. Cyphers was founded in 1989, and now has 26 employees who strategically serve and advise more than 35 regional and national clients. For more information, please visit <u><span style="color:blue;"><a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com/">www.thecyphersagency.com</a></span></u>, or call 410-280-5451.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-48914310345763354822008-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:002008-04-11T09:26:17.620-07:00See our talented team!Last night, the Baltimore Addy Award Show showcased the talents of the Maryland advertising community with the theme "Baltimore's Got Talent". See more about the Baltimore Advertising Association here: http://www.baltimoreadvertising.com/. We had the opportunity to show off our own special talents in a video created by our team. The show was a success and we took home an Addy award for our work for Annapolis Lighting. We'll post more about that later. <br /><br />Watch the video below:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5-GJLRAPc_U&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5-GJLRAPc_U&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Christina Drews-Leonardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626992510396271304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-81801342722167866862008-03-03T05:51:00.000-08:002008-03-03T06:01:42.433-08:00"The Newbies"<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0Z2TnyiLX9Q/R8wDuyCj6xI/AAAAAAAAAAo/4yddAs19cKc/s1600-h/100_1016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173514174183238418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0Z2TnyiLX9Q/R8wDuyCj6xI/AAAAAAAAAAo/4yddAs19cKc/s200/100_1016.jpg" border="0" /></a>“Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent”, but at The Cyphers Agency, we have both. We take pride in knowing we have a staff comprised of character, aptitude and determination. When we see someone that would fit us like a glove, we know we want them as part of our team. We are excited to bring on board two new employees, Nicole Thompson and Lucas Hanyok. Nicole was hired as Custom Publications Account Executive where she will be managing editorials and advertising for various publications. She brings experience from companies such as Alter Communications and Crosby Marketing. Lucas, the newest addition to our creative team originally came to Cyphers as a Freelancer. When an opportunity arose to keep him full time, we knew we could not let him go! He will be working full time on various accounts as a Graphic Designer. We are extremely happy to be working with both of these amazing people!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0Z2TnyiLX9Q/R8wDviCj6yI/AAAAAAAAAAw/bchiR8p1lCw/s1600-h/100_1003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173514187068140322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0Z2TnyiLX9Q/R8wDviCj6yI/AAAAAAAAAAw/bchiR8p1lCw/s200/100_1003.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-40698051186874801852008-01-31T10:23:00.000-08:002008-01-31T10:28:34.368-08:00Everybody says they build brands!The average American has thousands of brand experiences every day. With the heavy competition of today’s market, it is imperative to create brand awareness, and to enhance the quality of each brand experience every time we come in contact with it. The importance of your brand is relevant with the advertising, public relations, and direct marketing, as well as with every delivery of your product or service. From the messages you communicate internally to the design of your Web site, your brand must be considered with every element.<br /><br />When developing a brand, you need to take a look at all of your media and use it effectively to build your brand. The goal is to help you differentiate yourself and your products from the competition. You must communicate your brand in every way you can, in every point of contact with the many groups who invent your brand with their perceptions. All your audiences, all your relationships affect what the brand is – the collective images which, over time, develop your brand.<br /><br />Most companies are reluctant to accept any limitation on the image of their brand – they want it to appeal to all people. They generally end up with a brand that has no identity at all and doesn’t appeal to any particular audience. It is easy to give in to the pressure to change your image. But the advertiser who remains patient and sticks with their initial position for the long haul will eventually reap the rewards.<br /><br />The success of a brand is measured by “brand loyalty” – the stream of profit generated by repeat and referral sales. Many agencies spend too much of their resources on making people feel good for the moment and not enough on creating a lasting relationship with the consumer. This process involves constant reevaluation of the brand, which includes reading the market, researching the changing environment and listening to the consumer. Once your brand creates a buzz, not only does it accelerate the branding process, but sales too. It is of the utmost importance to constantly keep that fire burning. So many brands die as a result of indifference, and that begins when the agency kicks back and throws their feet up while the praises for a job well done allow complacency to set in.<br /><br />By offering the consumer the added value of a brand name, yours will more easily become their brand of choice. Branding is such an integral player in the success of your marketing campaign – it is essential that it receives the appropriate consideration.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-92198211895949263312008-01-31T07:38:00.000-08:002008-01-31T07:39:45.496-08:00Search Engine MarketingThe phone book is dead. It’s a sad truth phone directory publishers might not tell you, but we can’t remember the last time we used a phone book for anything other than kindling for a fire or a booster seat. <br /><br />IF consumers recall traditional advertising, they no longer call or visit a business. Today’s digitally conscious consumers are plugged in 24/7 and research shows they prefer to go online for research. Additionally, it is a fact that consumers are increasingly turned off by most forms of advertising – they despise being sold to, and see it as a monumental waste of time. <br /><br />So how then, if traditional media such as phone books aren’t working, do you make sure that people can find you or look you up? One of the most important and cost-effective ways is through Search Engine Marketing (SEM). <br /><br />SEM is defined by Wikipedia.com (you didn’t think I was going to pull Webster’s dictionary off the shelf, did you?) as a set of marketing methods to increase the visibility of a Web site in search engine results pages (SERPs). In plain English, it’s all the stuff you do to get to the top of search engines where people will see you. <br /><br />Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet for conquering SEM. It’s a complex process that has lots of complexities; however, conquering two main categories (or paying a professional to handle it) will get you started:<br /><br />Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the art of adjusting the makeup of your Web site so that it comes up high in organic (unpaid) search listings. Much of this is done as the Web site is being built – in copy, page titles and meta tags. But increasingly, it’s crucial to improve site navigation, name pages and images properly, and increase relevant outbound and inbound links. It’s a constantly evolving process and usually requires monthly maintenance and tweaking by a professional to maintain high rankings.<br /><br />Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising can be wildly successful and very cost effective. It involves purchasing keywords and phrases that people use when searching online for your product or service so that you come up at the top and to the right of unpaid search listings. These are extremely effective because unlike traditional ads, these are directly related to the needs and wants of the consumer. The challenge is determining which keywords and keyphrases are going to get you the best results for the money you’re willing to spend. Through PPC advertising, you can achieve qualified leads, and you only pay if your ad entices someone to click through to your site. New technologies available to agencies like ours even allow us to target geographically and track phone calls from Web sites. <br /><br />So next time you’re preparing your yearly marketing budget, ask yourself whether you’re taking advantage of this crucial new medium that’s helping customers everywhere find exactly what they’re seeking. If not, perhaps you should consider dumping some of those print ads and phone book listings and writing SEM into your plan. Get on the bus now, before your competitors beat you to it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-42010320762509460922008-01-30T13:14:00.000-08:002008-01-30T13:19:19.941-08:00Superbowl Sneak PeekIt's not Superbowl yet, but we’ve got an inside connection to give you a few sneak peeks into the biggest commercials. Can you picture a Super Bowl without a GoDaddy.com ad? Or the pre-game lengths the company goes through to get a spot approved? I can, but where's the fun in that? The tenth time was the charm this year for Go Daddy. The first nine times, consisting of five different concepts, spelled rejection for the company. There is a plot twist concerning this year's ad; it's not the ad Go Daddy wanted to run, and it's a cliffhanger! A group of friends, except for one, are watching the big game in "Spot On," the approved ad. The other friend is sitting at a computer, eagerly awaiting the online launch of "Exposure," the unapproved ad starring Indy racecar driver Danica Patrick. Everyone races to the computer to see a snippet of the banned ad, featuring Patrick slowly unzipping her jacket.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dweTMWBG55-cqbS8fIcOLMN1pkEHn1K9FpdpcA26Rndx2fnkdEH5EqcyS9NOyqqOkApsZnZ54aM-4KbQ5OLbA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />What's underneath? Besides the obvious, who knows? The approved ad is slated to run in the first quarter and drives viewers to GoDaddy's Web site to see what Danica's hiding.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-67491499771112264232008-01-30T11:38:00.001-08:002008-01-30T13:04:07.950-08:00They're the Little Elves That Could<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JExXgp6yX60/R6DTfuDEkkI/AAAAAAAAACs/nWOYoofY_dM/s1600-h/3-ElfChart-t012108.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JExXgp6yX60/R6DTfuDEkkI/AAAAAAAAACs/nWOYoofY_dM/s320/3-ElfChart-t012108.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161357714856907330" border="0" /></a> NEW YORK (AdAge.com)<br />Forget the subservient Chicken, the Whopper Freakout and Monk-e-Mail. When it comes to digital campaigns, OfficeMax's ElfYourself has left them all in the dust.<br /><br />Some 26.4 million people -- nearly one in 10 Americans -- this season visited the office-products company's holiday site that allows users to paste images of their faces onto dancing elves. That's up more than tenfold from last year, its first year in existence.<br /><br />"It really is a digital phenomenon," said Anne Bologna, founding partner and president of Toy, New York, the agency that dreamed up the idea for the site. According to Ms. Bologna, if you add up all the time people spent on ElfYourself this holiday season, it totals 2,614 years. "There were 123 million elves created this year, up from 11 million last year," she said. "All we did was add more elves."<br /><br />In fact, the website's metrics are all over the place. When it first came back online in October 2007, the website was ranked higher than 400,000 by Hitwise, an internet-tracking agency. By December, it ranked No. 55 among all websites. "The first month the site grew 99%, the second month 89% and the third 29%," said Hitwise Research Director Heather Dougherty. "It just popped each week. Over the course of November/December, their market share of internet users grew 508%."<br /><br />According to Pete Blackshaw, exec VP of Nielsen Online Strategic Services, the site's active reach in December (i.e., how many of the 165 million active internet users that month made a visit) was 16%. That's 26.4 million people -- nearly one in 10 Americans. "They had a very nice echo effect from last year, and as far as buzz goes, pass-alongs on blogs were huge," said Mr. Blackshaw, whose company tracked the site's presence on blog posts, along with its not-so-closest competitor <a href="http://whopperfreakout.com/" title="Burger King Whopper Freakout" class="body" target="_blank">whopperfreakout.com</a>.<br /><br />But the real question is: How much help did the OfficeMax brand get from its silly little helpers? "That's always the danger with this kind of advertisement," Ms. Dougherty said. "They're cute, they're funny, but they're not necessarily related to the brand." In this case, however, Office Max came out a winner. Of the 20 most common search terms in the four weeks of December, Ms. Dougherty said, six of them included the words "Office Max," indicating that brand awareness had carried through.<br /><br />For Bob Thacker, senior VP-marketing and advertising at OfficeMax, that was the whole point. "We were looking to build the brand, warm up our image. We weren't looking for sales. We are third-place players in our industry, so we are trying to differentiate ourselves through humor and humanization," he said.<br /><br />It appears Mr. Thacker got what he wanted for Christmas: "Our goal was to double elf activity from what we'd gotten last year. The results were nearly 10 times that." That's with a budget Mr. Thacker said was less than the average cost of a TV ad, which runs between $300,000 and half a million dollars these days.<br /><br />"The proof is we're still talking about it," Mr. Blackshaw said.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-73073773633811159292008-01-22T11:24:00.000-08:002008-01-31T10:18:00.005-08:00The Cyphers Agency announces TSS Software Account!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JExXgp6yX60/R5ZD7ZYgzVI/AAAAAAAAACI/_rDP4U7N9gE/s1600-h/header_logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JExXgp6yX60/R5ZD7ZYgzVI/AAAAAAAAACI/_rDP4U7N9gE/s320/header_logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158385110904524114" border="0" /></a><br />ANNAPOLIS, MD – January 31, 2008 – The Cyphers Agency (Cyphers), a leading full-service marketing, advertising and public relations agency announced today that they have been chosen as agency of record for TSS Software Corporation (TSS), the nation’s leading independently owned provider of software exclusively for real estate title, settlement, and abstracting companies.<br /><br />Cyphers will be working with TSS on strategic marketing efforts that include brand development, public relations, web marketing and launching their newly enhanced AbstractExpress product. <br /><br />“We choose Cyphers after an extensive review of agencies,” said Bob Miller, CEO of TSS. “They understood our 2008 goals and were able to grasp what we needed to do marketing and branding wise to reach our goals.”<br />TSS’ flagship product, TitleExpress, fully integrates the title and settlement processes. Their software is designed to be underwriter neutral and underwriter friendly. More than 16,000 users of title and settlement companies nationwide have chosen their title and settlement software. TSS’s full product suite includes five additional applications tailored specifically to companies needs.<br />In a recent nationwide survey TitleExpress received the highest ratings in overall customer satisfaction, ease of learning and use, value for the money, quality and availability of technical support, and the ability to deliver products in an increasingly electronic environment. The survey, conducted by October Research Corporation, is the Title Technology Survey of Independent Title Agents. The ratings compared the four leading national software brands.<br /><br />“We are honored to have been chosen by TSS,” said Dave Cyphers, owner of Cyphers. “They offer a very dynamic platform in a niche market where they are thriving, despite the real estate market downturn. We are thrilled to support their marketing strategy during a time when they are experiencing significant growth,” said Cyphers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-36604664968813195612008-01-15T12:59:00.000-08:002008-01-15T13:01:46.706-08:00Welcome Baby Evan!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3msqnXxwm90/R40fCbZw_sI/AAAAAAAAAAM/jULiGEB7Ur4/s1600-h/Evan.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155811274985111234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3msqnXxwm90/R40fCbZw_sI/AAAAAAAAAAM/jULiGEB7Ur4/s320/Evan.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We’d like to welcome Christina’s new baby boy to the Cyphers Family! Evan Thomas Drews was born December 31st, 6 lbs 3 oz. and looks just like his older brother. We’re all very excited for Christina and Pat and can’t wait to see if little Evan will join us in our marketing world one day. With as much as both his parents know about web development I imagine he’s already surfing the web and will very soon be building the back end of a Web site!</div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050406723509546846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-67742781358656967852008-01-08T06:23:00.000-08:002008-01-08T06:30:12.539-08:00How does your tag line stand up?<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Testing a Tag line for Effectiveness:</span></span><br />The line may look good on paper, but there are some tests you can give the words to see if they really work:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br />Does the line help when you're ordering the product or service?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Some examples that do:</span><br />"I want to have 'the ultimate driving machine'." (BMW)<br />"Give me 'taste. Not waist'." (Weight Watchers Meals)<br />"'Why fool around with anyone else?'" (FedEx)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Some examples that don't:</span><br />"I want a beer that's 'good, but not that good.'" (Tennents)<br />"I want two tickets to Brussels on 'Britain's second-largest international scheduled airline'!" (Air Europe -- now out of business)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Does it prompt a sarcastic or negative response?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Some examples that do:</span><br />Delta Airlines: "We get you there."<br />Mobil: "We want you to live."<br />FileMaker software: "What's your problem?"<br />Eastern Airlines: "We have to earn our wings every day."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Does it sound a bit pompous?</span><br />This is where you read the line with the utmost gravity, like an American narrator in a 50's corporate film, giving it the true spin of importance. These fail the test:<br />Ariel Ultra: "Digests the fatty food stains ordinary compacts leave behind at 40°."<br />Churchill: "Surprisingly passionate about insurance."<br />Kyocera: "Doing what others dare not."<br />Olivetti: "Our force is your energy."<br />The Hair Clinic: "Where excellence is an everyday word."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Does it reek of 'corporate-speak', sounding unreal?</span><br />Most banks: "Where people make the difference."<br />Ames Rubber: "Excellence through total quality."<br />Neptco: "Committed to innovation, quality and service."<br />Powergen: "We do everything in our power to put you first."<br />United Research: "Accelerating strategic change."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Does it make you say "Ho hum...", like these?</span><br />Cadillac: "It out-steps its own great traditions!"<br />Izod Lacoste: "We are what others pretend to be."<br />Staffordshire Building Society: "A real building society -- mutual since 1902."<br />Currie Motors: "Nice people to do business with."<br />"Visit your Tetrad stockist and discover the Tetrad lifestyle."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Does it make you say "Oh yeah?"</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">These do:</span><br />British Rail. We're getting there.<br />British Telecom. It's you we answer to.<br />Kmart. Changing for the better.<br />Tellabs. Leadership in providing innovative solutions to the telecommunications industry worldwide.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Does it sound a bit mixed up?</span><br />Caltex Oil. At the heart of your engine. And the community.<br />XS Health. Medical insurance for you. Because you don't get ill.<br />Stillwell Ford. We put people in front of cars.<br /><br />How did yours do? In any event, here's to more creative, effective slogans.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-55306724605464770562008-01-03T08:05:00.000-08:002008-01-03T08:21:36.816-08:00Darren Rocks!I happened upon an impressive piece of information regarding our very own Creative Director/VP that he would never display himself. So I’m stepping in! <br /><br />Congrats to Darren Easton for being named one of <a href="http://www.biltmorewhoswho.com/">Biltmore’s</a> Who’s Who Among Advertising/Marketing Executives and Professionals. Darren was chosen along with achievers in the Advertising and Marketing industry across the nation based on his individual accomplishment in our geographic area. He’ll be listed in the 2008 Biltmore Who’s Who Honors Edition. <br /><br />Here at Cyphers we’ve know the caliber of Darren’s talents for years. He keeps us all inspired and ensures everyone is thinking creatively on a daily basis, from the account executives to the production director to the copywriters. Darren works extremely hard to lead the creative team and allow their innovative and strategic talents to shine. So congrats Darren!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050406723509546846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-47894631429192670352007-12-27T11:27:00.000-08:002007-12-27T11:45:43.635-08:00Anna Forbes v. 2.0!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gWSp7YIVeI8/R3P9_8aqPuI/AAAAAAAAAAU/paGmfa58xR4/s1600-h/anna.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gWSp7YIVeI8/R3P9_8aqPuI/AAAAAAAAAAU/paGmfa58xR4/s200/anna.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148738074006142690" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">New and Improved Version.</span><div>We are pleased to announce the official addition of Anna Forbes to our shop. We say "official" because while Anna has worked with us for many years she has been continuing her education in the marketing and PR disciplines to take her career to the next level. Now that she has satisfied her most recent thirst for knowledge, she is more prepared than ever with the same level of commitment and passion she has brought to our agency for nearly four years.<br /><br />In her newest role, Anna will serve as an account executive for such clients as Precision Tune Auto Care and Len the Plumber. She will also play a key role in the strategic process for many of our other accounts -- most importantly in the market research and account planning areas. “We're excited to improve upon our account planning within the agency. We feel Anna has a special skill for adapting and relating to a particular target audience and therefore allowing us to create ideas and media strategy that those audiences can relate to. Also, brand stewardship is very important in today's market and once we gain momentum with a brand, we intend to keep it topical, fresh and enticing to the consumer", says David Cyphers, President of <a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com/">The Cyphers Agency</a>.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-81197811612011786752007-12-19T11:12:00.000-08:002007-12-19T11:27:50.910-08:00Happy Holidays from The Cyphers Agency!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Hi Everyone,</span><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">We are celebrating the holidays this year by giving our friends a chance to show their creativity. Creative people have the ability to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/R2lwKFcSn7I/AAAAAAAAAA0/xayEMoYHMyY/s1600-h/email-sample.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/R2lwKFcSn7I/AAAAAAAAAA0/xayEMoYHMyY/s320/email-sample.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145767367809343410" /></a><br />We do this with brands every day. Here's your chance. Try your hand at putting a creative spin on a traditional holiday classic. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com/php/index.php">Click here to create your own gingerbread man (or woman) to send to your friends.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> Send us your card, we'd love to see what you create!</span><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Christina Drews-Leonardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626992510396271304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-49361054421319829982007-11-28T05:58:00.000-08:002007-11-28T05:59:21.833-08:00I got elfed<p class="MsoNormal">Yesterday I got an email from my sister, the subject was "I got elfed." I thought, 'what did she send me now' because she is always sending me something a little off the wall but funny. I clicked on the link and two elfs pop up, one had my face on it and the other had her face on it. Then they started to dance to this big band type Christmas song...and it was too cute for words! After the dancing elfs disappeared my curiosity of where this came from led me to the OfficeMax website. Who knew OfficeMax could be so creative to create a viral campaign such as this?! Well, they sure did succeed because I've been emailing my buddies across the country 'my-elf-dancing-self' and they too had been elfed!! I even had a friend of a friend in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country-region> who got elfed!<br /><br />I did some research to see who the clever ad agency was that created this elfamorphosis. And apparently this elf phenomenon started in 2006 and generated more than 11 million elves last year! This year, visitors have the option to either "Elf" themselves or expand the elf concept by "elfing" themselves along with three other friends -- creating a band of four elves. And for the scrooges out there, OfficeMax created a new character called -- ScroogeYourself.com.<br /><br />This is a perfect example of a successful viral marketing campaign using an interactive video clip. Everyone loves to see pictures of themselves and post them online for all their friends and family to see. So when you put your face on a very cute animated elf, who doesn’t want to pass it along to their friends and then their friends and so on…resulting in millions of elves by the end of the holiday season. We have been following this viral marketing trend for quite some time now, check out our white paper at <a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com/">www.thecyphersagency.com</a> and click on the “hmmmm” tab. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><b style="">But here is the BEST part about this blog – watch us get “Elfed!” </b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9625690954" title="blocked::http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9625690954">http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9625690954</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-71561795322616263672007-11-20T07:40:00.000-08:002007-11-20T07:41:38.329-08:00Cyber Monday – Is your website ready?<o:p></o:p>As I ate my favorite Special K cereal today, I caught a short segment on the morning news about Cyber Monday – the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday. The National Retail Federation coined the term back in 2005 when they saw sales spike the Monday after Thanksgiving as people returned to work. The possibilities are endless when you think about alllllll of the stores you can visit anytime of the day or night without having to physically walk into any stores. Talk about competition, can IT get any tougher? The answer is YES. More than 70% of online retailers are planning special promotions for the five Cyber Monday’s this holiday season, compared to the 42.7% two years ago, according to a survey by Shop.org. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>With this being said, is your website ready to compete with top online retailers this holiday season like Amazon.com, Overstock.com, or even Best Buy? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>The key to cutting through the clutter and reaching these online shoppers is to optimize your website with special keywords and to purchase relevant Google AdWords. For example, this year I’m searching for the perfect organic blanket for my new little nephew. Although I might change my mind if the blanket is not soft and cuddly! But the point is if I’m searching for this ‘organic blanket’, the Google results are full of unheard of retailers across the world. What is stopping your shop from coming up in the #1 spot on Google for an ‘organic blanket’ or a ‘cashmere sweater?’ Well – we’d have to research the answer to that question. But marketing your website gets increasingly tougher each day because top search engines like Google, MSN, and Yahoo are constantly evolving and changing. Therefore, you have to stay on top of your website’s optimized keywords to ensure they are ranking you as the top player in your space.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>If you haven’t already – start testing the ‘search engine optimization’ or ‘SEO’ waters. You’d be surprised how a little tweaking to your website and a few purchased Google AdWords can put you ahead of your online competition. Besides – think about how you found us? We like to call it the mysterious SEO phenomenon! </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>So this holiday season think about if your website is ready to handle the 68.5 million people who plan to do some holiday shopping online at work. I will continue my quest for the perfect organic blanket for my nephew and good luck to you in conquering your holiday shopping quests! </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>To read our white paper on Search Engine Marketing go to <a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com/">www.thecyphersagency.com</a>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-52151762325569004062007-11-12T11:17:00.001-08:002007-11-12T12:12:35.510-08:00Liz Gaither Joins the Cyphers Team<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/RzipU0b5mJI/AAAAAAAAAAM/3x_MG9VFzWs/s1600-h/lizforweb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vnagAevy5Bc/RzipU0b5mJI/AAAAAAAAAAM/3x_MG9VFzWs/s320/lizforweb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5132037950526822546" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">We are pleased to announce the addition of Liz Gaither to our account staff. Liz is now our Public Relations Account Executive.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Liz built her public relations career at RMR & Associates in Rockville, Maryland as a Senior Public Relations specialist. At RMR, Liz managed, planned and executed marketing and public relations campaigns for seven technology companies and cultivated new business. A graduate of East Carolina University with a BA in Communications, Liz has newly relocated to the Annapolis area with her husband.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">In her new role, Liz will serve as an account executive and will provide public relations services for customers. Additionally, she will pursue new business opportunities. “We are excited to have Liz join our team – her public relations experience, especially in technology sectors is a perfect complement to our account staff”, explains David Cyphers,</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> President of <a href="http://www.thecyphersagency.com/">The Cyphers Agency.</a> </span></span>Christina Drews-Leonardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626992510396271304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-2318122347423397922007-10-29T12:30:00.000-07:002007-10-29T12:40:36.084-07:00An Interactive Twist on the Consumer GrapevineIn doing some research I stumbled across this very cool site I thought I’d share. It’s ExpoTV’s online platform <a href="http://www.expotv.com/">www.expotv.com</a>. They call it the ‘consumer grapevine’ and that’s exactly what it is. Thousands of video reviews, product ratings, and more in a consumer content driven environment. For consumers looking to get information about a product from someone more like themselves as opposed to ads or market research, this is the place.<br /><br />Consumers sign up and then create these “Videopinions” as quick and simple reviews on a wide range of products from a new flavor of Doritos to vacation spots to cars. There is no shortage of reviews on any given product as consumers are actually paid to post their opinions, $2 or $10 for each review, depending on the product category of the reviewed item. <br /><br />Not only is this a perfect place for consumers looking for unbiased product information, it’s an easy way for companies and marketers to see what consumers think of their products, and view a wealth of information on what consumers are enjoying, but more importantly – <em>why</em>. Many of the reviewers are explaining what they like and dislike but without realizing it, they are also revealing what they value, how they relate to products, how usage of these products makes them feel, what is irritating and what turns them off.<br /><br />ExpoTV has partnered with numerous cable operators to create buying guides on demand. Crave is one of the newer series that features the top rated Videopinions from the Web site. These on demand programs can be found on Comcast, Timewarner Cable, VerizonFiosTV, Cox Communications and several other cable providers.<br /><br />The online portion of ExpoTV and the on demand capabilities are extensions of the ExpoTV Network, which is the first of its kind as a consumer-information centered network to offer shoppers what amounts to a catalogue on TV. It showcases product demonstrations, ratings and reviews 24/7 with shows that cover specific product categories such as home electronics, the travel industry, and fitness and beauty. Marketers can take advantage of this type of TV Network too, using more long-form advertising. Especially with TiVo and DVR becoming so widely popular, consumers are quite used to fast forwarding through TV commercials. But with on demand services becoming more and more utilized for product research and shopping, it’s a crucial environment to be present in to reach consumers looking for information on a variety of products.<br /><br />Check it out sometime; online, on demand, on the network, take your pick and let me know what you think.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050406723509546846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-51273874978132263982007-10-19T08:42:00.000-07:002007-10-19T08:44:51.377-07:00A Blog About BloggingPerhaps it’s a bit elementary to blog about blogging but for those of us in the advertising and marketing industry it has become such a powerful viral tool we simply cannot ignore the benefits of entering the blogosphere.<br /><br />I was inspired by a recent Webinar I attended on this subject, presented by Second Wind. (www.secondwindonline.com). I’ve never had so many notes from a session like this, so here are some of my favorite highlights on blogging and interactive media, mixed in with some notions of my own.<br /><br />With a constantly changing marketplace, consumers aren’t looking for slap-in-the-face advertising anymore- that has simply run its course and it’s not enough to truly capture audiences anymore. People don’t want obvious ads; they’re looking for more obscure marketing tactics that give them the power to choose to be associated with something. Interactive mediums, such as blogs, are our portal into the consumer generated content world and allow us to make valuable connections and establish irreplaceable relationships with consumers.<br /><br />Blogs cater perfectly to the ever-changing desires of savvy consumers. They’re simple and easy to find via online searches, and if you use them properly they can be a powerful tool for you. Obviously blogs are a forum for truth and discussion, rather than sales pitches and ad messages, so if your motives are simply to jam your ad copy into another vehicle stick to the traditional stuff. Because it’s useless to be present in the blog scene if you’re not presenting relevant and worthwhile content. However, if you truly have something to add you can create valuable relationships with the people that matter most to your brand. Given the viral nature of blogs, those relationships often spread quickly, and then you’ve created a serious buzz factor simply by introducing your brand into the blog world.<br /><br />For marketers, allowing consumers to see inside your company and identify with you creates transparency that forges a bond of trust with consumers, leading to brand engagement. And getting consumers to interact with the brand is ultimately what we’re after.<br /><br />So if you’re only reading this and you don’t have a blog of your own, go start one! <br /><br />But when it comes to interactive media, utilizing the power of blogging is only the beginning. There’s a lot out there beyond blogs. Podcasting, webcasting, streaming video, wikis, social networks to name a few, but the list goes on. The point is- if you’re not taking advantage of these interactive opportunities you’re not capturing your full marketing potential.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15050406723509546846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-64077657669792973512007-10-18T07:19:00.000-07:002007-10-18T07:21:29.267-07:00Advertisers go stealthI live by my DVR. If it’s not recorded, I don’t watch it. I don’t have time. And who would with a full time job, a 3 year old and a cat with more health issues than my 99 year old grandmother? One gets used to zipping through the commercials at lightning speed. Sure I make them, but even I don’t want them interrupting my Thursday night Survivor hour. That’s the beauty of the DVR. TV commercials are a thing of the past – the tribe has spoken.<br /><br />But seriously, did you think advertisers would give up that easily?! In what is called “stealth advertising” Jerry Seinfeld promotes his latest project “Bee Movie” through his guest appearance on 30 Rock. Then, in an effort to halt the DVR speed throughs of commercial breaks, they’ve placed short stand up skits of Seinfeld in the middle of the advertising blocks to get you stop and watch. Sneaky, but brilliant…not to mention all the free PR…<br /><br />http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN0243829420071003?sp=trueSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08449445555708269713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-4263681541217209602007-10-02T09:04:00.000-07:002007-10-02T09:33:10.883-07:00Joyce Miller joins Cyphers and more newsWe are happy to note that Joyce Miller has joined our team as our new office manager. Joyce will use her skills to bring order to our office chaos. She is highly organized and will excel in keeping our office running smoothly.<br /><br />On another note, I recently reached my ten year anniversary as an employee here. Everyone came to a nice lunch at Jalapenos Restaurant in Annapolis to celebrate. We had a great time! We have a group of long-termers including Darren Easton, Barbara Franke and Danielle Reigle who have been with Cyphers for quite some time.<br /><br />-Christina Drews-LeonardThe Cyphers Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470940985251184207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1699479321284300992.post-44976769906554624592007-09-21T12:48:00.000-07:002007-09-21T12:52:38.857-07:00deep ad thoughts, part IIHi,<br /><br />Get ready for more posts soon as we transition and revise this blog a bit. We are sad to see our favorite author Garret leave. He will be taking on new challenges at his new position in Baltimore. We will do our best to continue posting news about Cyphers and advertising. Email me your ideas for posts!<br /><br />-ChristinaThe Cyphers Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05470940985251184207noreply@blogger.com1