from flickr

If you're managing a business with a long purchase cycle, perhaps something that requires a fair bit of contemplation (say, a new home, an automobile, or even life insurance), you're probably interested in moving the meter on CONSIDERATION. In other words, well before someone is actually going to make a purchase, you want to make sure that your target customer has your brand in the consideration set.

It's even more important if you're trying to develop a strong brand in a category with a lot of simple names or no strong brand presence.

So, say that you're marketing an apartment company and you would like to know if your marketing investments are improving your target customer's consideration of your brand. Given what can be a long sales cycle (people start thinking about moving long before they actually move), it's important that people consider your brand well before the purchase.

While there are many different options for measuring consideration (that I'll likely cover in the future), here's an interesting one that utilizes pay-per-click search ads for data gathering purposes.

1. Create two sets of search ads for your apartment complex.
   
   One will feature a generic title, something like  Luxury Apartment, and the other will include your brand name, Brand Luxury Apartment. The body of the ad will be exactly the same.
   
   
2. Monitor these two ad versions as an ongoing experiment to measure the power of your brand
   
   These two ads are a microcosm of the marketplace. You want to answer the question, am I increasing consideration of my brand (when people are actually looking for an apartment)? With this small (and ongoing) experiment, you will be able to monitor what percentage of people who have searched on terms that you've defined click on your branded search ad as compared to the generic ad. 
   
   

It's no different than selling store brand chocolate sandwich cookies next to OREOs . . . and monitoring sales results.

 

What we do with this data for our Managed Analytics clients is add it to your analytics software (Omniture, Google, CoreMetrics, etc.) so you can then use this data in your ongoing analyses.

If you're trying to move the meter on consideration of your brand, consider going to school at about 15 cents per click.

It's a new year and we're making some changes here at Digital Scientists.

First, we'll be making some changes to our blog.  In addition to letting you know what mascot Frances is up to and about the occasional new project, we'll be using our blog to help you do just what this post says - get marketing down to a science. 

And, even though we're digital scientists, we know that not everyone is ready to wade into the technical details. We'll keep things aimed at senior marketers (with just the occasional technical item that will always be linked to a helpful explanation). Our BHAG is to help you transform marketing into an analytics-driven discipline.

What does that mean?

We'll focus on how to use digital marketing analytics to do what every marketer wants to do - understand market segments, position your brand, and of course make and track marketing investments.

But that's not all.

Digital Marketing Analytics give marketers the power to rethink the role of marketing.  When I co-wrote Enterprise Marketing Management: The New Science of Marketing (you notice how science was a theme even then!) in 2003, web analytics were still little more than a way to track very basic web interactions like hits or simple visits.

In seven years, so much has changed. So, what's happened?  Something wonderful.

from youtube

It's at last possible to use analytical tools to create a real picture of customer and prospect behavior. If your financial results are your rearview mirror, then this analytical picture of prospect and customer behavior is your windshield. Given today's crazy marketplace, mastering leading indicators of sales and overall business performance are more important than ever.

So, what do we know about all of this - besides being a nerdy mix of marketing strategists, digital marketers, and people who have a certain affection for even those numbers that aren't 0's and 1's?

Well, we're in the thick of things in the world of digital marketing analytics thanks to our own Managed Analytics offering as well as our ongoing joint research effort with Heidrick & Struggles - The Digital Marketing Standard. We're practitioners if you want to sound all medical about it.

Of course, there are more tools than you can shake a stick at. While we'll talk occasionally about tools and software (Omniture, Core Metrics, Google Analytics, and many more - not to mention our own Digital Scientists Analytics helper application that works with the standard web analytics tools), we'll spend most of our time talking about how a senior marketer can put them to work. And the data that you'll find in them.

You can safely say that just about everything in these blog posts will be an opinion of some sort. However, I'm smart enough to know that there are a lot of smart marketers out there. And, I'll be working hard to help introduce you to them and to help you learn from them.

Stay tuned.

There’s some new faces at Digital Scientists (perhaps you’ve noticed the gentleman with the big smile on our scientists page).

Hemanth Pai is the latest addition to the team, bringing his knowledge and expertise of emerging web and mobile technologies to our development department. This Georgia Tech graduate (Masters in Computer Science) possesses skills in HTML, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, and Objective C (to name a few). He is currently working on the Blackberry version of the Mission Zero app, as well as various iPhone applications for our clients.

Of course, that’s all shop talk. We asked Hemanth to tell us a little more about himself. Who knew we had a budding entrepreneur on our hands!

Where do you originally hail from?
I was born in Udupi, a coastal city in South India and brought up in Bangalore, a major metropolis in South India.

Where did your work prior to Digital Scientists?
I worked for Intuit (makers of QuickBooks and TurboTax) as an intern over the last 2 summers – summer of 2007 in India and summer of 2008 in California.

What’s something we don’t know about you (and would never guess)?
My friends and I could have been the inventors of electronic cigarettes. About four years back (right around the same time when some Chinese guy applied for a patent), we participated in an Innovative Business Ideas competition. We were all electronics & electrical engineers (with quite a bit of entrepreneurial skills), so we came up with the idea of electronic cigarettes.

We designed a heating element that was cylindrical in shape and would vaporize nicotine (in liquid format). We also came up with a rudimentary, yet solid business plan. And all of this happened in less than 10 hours, and our sole aim was to win. We did win the competition hands down, but the irony is we never thought of taking it forward and actually implementing it. We did use the same idea to win a couple other contests.

What’s on your iPod playlist?
Mainly Metallica, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana and some Hip Hop & Pop.

What is your favorite blog?
My favorite blog is Zen Habits.

What blog do you wish your wrote?
I wish I wrote Engadget (getting your hands on the coolest, newest gadgets + bragging about it = nirvana).

Whose quotes are at the end of your email or what comic is on your fridge?
XKCD

If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
Alizee Jacotey

As a digital marketer now, tell us what you love most about the industry:
Marketing involves anticipating and understanding the needs of the consumer/end users and satisfying those needs in a better way than the competitors. How one uniquely addresses the needs of the end user is a challenging task. There is a lot of scope for innovation and creativity. That’s what I love most about marketing.

When the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center asked Digital Scientists to design their new website to help promote their cutting-edge exhibitions and drive membership, we were thrilled to donate our services.   After all, the Contemporary has been at the forefront of the Atlanta art scene for over 25 years.

Our marketing team immediately framed the project around an Art Meets Commerce point of view.  Our design team relished the chance to show off their creative skills.  The development team couldn’t wait to introduce the Contemporary to the world of Web 2.0.

We chose to let the art speak for itself on the bold new homepage.  Then we gave the rest of the site a minimal design treatment and layout.  Pages were created to be both visually stimulating and user-friendly. Content was kept to a minimum and folded into interactive elements.   This kept the look and feel of the pages clean, while putting important details within a user’s reach.   Exhibitions, Programs, and Support are now prominently featured and more accessible.   The addition of commenting and social tools, as well as a calendar, allows users to interact with site and share art, events and dates with their friends.  Users can now follow the Contemporary on Twitter and Facebook straight from the site.

We built the site around a robust content management system (CMS) that allows the Contemporary to quickly and easily update their site as programs and exhibitions change.  To save on editing time, we added PaperClip, a plugin, that automatically resizes uploaded images to fit the different pages.   The “Add to calendar” feature found on the Exhibitions and Programming pages is an example of the custom functionality we developed.   Additionally, jQuery makes the user experience a bit more enjoyable by providing image viewers, tooltips, hover effects, accordion sliders, and ajax functionality.

Whether it’s the sleek and modern look that makes the new site engaging for users or the easy-to-use management tools that lets the Contemporary focus on what matters most – art, of course! – the new site aims to please.

Visit the new Atlanta Contemporary Art Center website today.   Check out the current exhibitions or just browse the new scenery.

Today, we are celebrating the launch of Ray Anderson’s new book, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist. Anderson is the founder and chairman of Interface, Inc., a company we have proudly partnered with on several projects in support of their Mission to Zero. It’s also the unveiling of RayAnderson.com, which Digital Scientists designed to promote the Confessions of a Radical Industrialist book tour.

Given that the author is a noted figure in the sustainability movement, it was important for the book to have its own online presence. Therefore, we developed a microsite (just a little site, but filled with lots of great content).

In lieu of a traditional navigation and search bar, visitors on RayAnderson.com are directed to take three distinct actions: Meet Ray, Read Ray or Follow Ray.

Meet Ray - This page provides an introduction to Ray Anderson, multimedia materials, and a calendar of Ray’s speaking engagements, including venue information and the ability to RSVP.

Read Ray – From here, readers can purchase Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, as well as Ray’s first book, Mid-Course Correction. They can also read selected press articles and browse Ray’s personal reading list.

Follow Ray – This is a dossier of Ray’s social media activities. Readers can choose to follow Confessions of a Radical Industrialist on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and of course, MissionZero.org.

To finish it all off, we applied a bold, modern black-and-white design treatment.

If you want to learn more, or maybe just see what the excitement is all about, check it out at RayAnderson.com.

Join us at The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center this Saturday, September 12 from 5PM – 10PM for:

• Annual Meeting – 5PM
• Exhibition Openings – 6PM
• Open Studios – 7PM
• Awesome Band – Anna Kramer and The Lost Cause – 8PM
• Brand new SHOP
• Brand spanking new Website – thanks to Digital Scientists
• BBQ (plus) Cash Bar

Friends with Benefits*

$15 per person / $10 members (children under 12 free)
*Proceeds benefit our programming.  Annual Meeting free and open to the public.

Back in May 2009, Atlanta-based Digital Scientists donated $25,000 worth of services to non-profits as part of our Alpharetta Grand Opening. Alpharetta High School took advantage of this great opportunity as they were planning on launching a new foundation to “support Alpharetta High School as it strives to become nationally recognized in the areas of athletics, arts, academics, & service.”

The first step in the Alpharetta High School Foundation (ASHF) project was creating an identity for the new organization. Using the school’s crest as a starting point, we were able to create a cleaner and more “corporate” identity that is appropriate for the foundation.

Next, Digital Scientists developed a website for AHSF constructed on the open-source WordPress platform. We used a premium template to cut down on design time, so that more hours could be spent in other areas of the project. The layout of the website was designed in such a way that it brought attention to the four core areas of the AHS Foundation: Academics, Arts, Athletics, and Services. Each of the four areas has its own page with a general overview of the “initiative” and the latest updates and milestones. If a parent or community member wishes to make a donation to the foundation, they can easily do so by visiting the donation page. The website also features an email subscription so visitors can stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, in addition to a list of upcoming events for the foundation.

Speaking of events, the Alpharetta High School Foundation is officially kicking off on October 2, 2009 at the “Black and Silver Celebration.” The event invites parents and community members of Alpharetta High School to participate in honoring the organization’s first Hall of Fame inductees, not to mention dancing and other fun. Alpharetta High School requested Digital Scientists to design four banner signs for prominent display the event, in order for attendees to easily observe current four “initiatives” and the identity of AHSF.

Overall, it was a pleasure working with Alpharetta High School in the creation of their new foundation. Digital Scientists is always glad to support its community and wishes the Alpharetta High School foundation the best of luck as it gets ready to launch in the upcoming weeks!

Thanks to everyone who attended our Atlanta Misison Zero / Sustainability Meetup in August.  Marcia Kinstler, the Director of Sustainability at Georgia Tech, joined us this month and gave us the scoop on all that Georgia Tech is doing in the area of sustainability.  From training the students to be sustainability-minded problem solvers to dining halls to water conservation to dormitory renovations, there certainly is a lot going on.  Marcia graciously gave us permission to post her presentation for us to share.

Open publication – Free publishing – More sustainability

You can find out more about Georgia Tech’s efforts at Greenbuzz or the Georgia Tech Office of Environmental Stewardship website.

As part of our Alpharetta office grand opening, we donated $25,000 in services to area non-profits. It was our way of saying thanks for the warm welcome, Alpharetta.

One of our first projects was to design a new website for the Alpharetta Police Athletic League. We were pleasantly surprised by how far we could stretch those digital marketing dollars (technically, certificates) and the functionality we delivered for Alpha PAL.

It was important that the website showcase the Alpharetta Police Athletic League’s offering to the community. The benefits of the league revolve around a safe and educational environment for local at-risk kids and includes programs such as:

• After School Program
• Boxing Program
• Dirt Bike Program
• Golf Program
• Guitar Program
• Mentoring Program
• NYPUM Program
• Summer Camp Program
• Tutoring Program

Promoting these activities and the many facets of Alpha PAL, while simultaneously fulfilling their basic website needs, was quite a task. We started with a WordPress implementation and a restyled theme. Next, we setup a YouTube channel to incorporate videos into the site, a Flickr account for photos, and commenting for the social functionality. We also created a Google account to display Calendars on the site. Now, program directors at Alpha PAL can easily add events, program schedules, updates, and more.

Another goal with this project was to increase the amount of donations and sponsorships Alpha PAL receives. We used a tool called ChipIn, connected to a PayPal account, to accomplish this. Visitors are able to support the league by donating small amounts through a site widget, which also displays the goal amount to be obtained.

Finally, we integrated contact forms so parents could easily get in touch with Alpha PAL and enroll their children in a program.

It was a pleasure working with the Alpharetta Police Athletic League, and we hope the new website helps this great organization grow.

The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center is holding a Friends With Benefits event on September 12, 2009.

The Contemporary has been a fixture on the Atlanta art scene since 1973, showcasing experimental – and often thought-provoking – work from local, national, and international artists alike. The Friends With Benefits event coincides with Atlanta Celebrates Photography Month, during which, the Contemporary will be opening photography and video exhibitions from artists Harry Shearer, Corin Hewitt and Will Rogan.

In addition, the Contemporary will be launching their new website at the event, designed by Digital Scientists. We’ve been anxious to unveil this beautiful design. It’s definitely what we consider modern art.

The Friends with Benefits event starts at 5pm. There will be live music, BBQ, and plenty of local art on hand. Tickets cost $15/person ($10 for members), with all proceeds going to the Contemporary’s art programs.

Event Details:

5-6 pm: Annual Meeting & Preview of 2010 Exhibits
6-7 pm: Exhibition Opening
7-9 pm: Open Studios, featuring Contemporary’s Studio Program Artists

Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
535 Means Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.688.1970
www.thecontemporary.org