Ahead of the curve or a long time coming?

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Target’s latest campaign is literally “without translation!” The “Sin Traducción” campaign is Target’s bold move to reach Hispanic consumers on a more emotional level. This progressive campaign features Spanish words and moments that simply can’t be translated into English.

The Spanish words “arrullo” and “sobremesa” are the stars in the launch spots that are currently airing. Arullo (ah – roo – yoh) is used today to describe the perfect ambience and setting to put a baby to sleep, and sobremesa (soh – breh- meh – sah) is a period of time right after dinner in which family and friends linger at the dinner table to talk or spend quality time together. The ads bring these words to life and point out that, “There will always be a part of you that simply doesn’t translate.”

Unlike Target’s previous campaigns, which were tailored for general audiences, “Sin Traducción” was crafted from the start with Hispanics in mind. With 64% of the Hispanic market being born in the United States and 35% of all Hispanics speaking both English and Spanish in their homes, this campaign acknowledges and embraces this bicultural reality. The commercials portray the dual world of Hispanics as they blend their Hispanic traditions with their American culture, while highlighting the many products that Target has to offer.

The campaign also sparks a larger conversation with the Hispanic community. A social campaign by design, the commercials are branded with the hashtag #SinTraducciĂłn and are meant to open up dialogue on social media amongst consumers as well as with Target. As consumers share their opinions and provide feedback the campaign will continue to evolve and grow.

Accounting for 17% of the U.S. population and consumer spending of $1.4 trillion in 2014, Hispanic consumers buying power cannot be denied. Target’s seamless blending of cultural worlds is a pioneering campaign that represents retailer’s increasing integration of Hispanic messaging into their mainstream efforts. As more and more U.S. Hispanics grow up speaking both English and Spanish, demographic lines will continue to blur.

Is Target’s push ahead of the curve or has it been a long time coming? Check out Target’s “estrenó” (es – treh – noh: premiere; release) of “Sin Traducción” and let us know what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSPtaj0Tbro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQCOWJ8kJ0I

Ad 2 2016 Election Guide

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The government relations committee wants to make sure members are informed about their right to vote this upcoming election year. Members have been asking about how to vote and what’s on the ballot. Here are the answers to all your Election Day questions. Keep in mind, Ad 2 and AAF are neither endorsing nor supporting ANY CANDIDATE in the upcoming election. Please take the time to do your own research and review the candidates before you make an important decision.

Q: When is the next election?

A: March 15th is the day that Florida gets to vote for the Presidential Primary

Q: Who gets to vote?

A: Depending on which party you’re registered, you’ll be able to vote for your choice for the presidential nominee. Keep in mind, Florida is a closed primary state meaning you can only vote from the list of candidates that are running for the party that you are registered in. Ex: Republicans can only vote for Republicans and Democrats can only vote for Democrats.

Q: What if I’m a registered INDEPENDENT or No PARTY AFFILIATION?

A:  Again, Florida is a closed primary state. If you’re a registered NPA or INDEPENDENT, you won’t be able to vote for the candidates in the Republican or Democratic presidential primary. You have until February 16th, 2016 to change your party affiliation. Also, check with your local supervisor of elections office to see if there is a local race in your area taking place January 31.

Q: How do I register to vote if I am not already registered?

A: Contact your local supervisor of elections and fill out a form and turn it into them no later than FEBRUARY 16th. Here are the links to the local supervisor of elections office:

Osceola County: http://www.voteosceola.com

Orange County: http://www.ocfelections.com

Seminole County: http://www.voteseminole.org

Q: What if I can’t make it to the polls on Election Day?

A: There are many other ways to vote rather than going to the polls on Election Day. You can early vote or request an absentee ballot and vote by mail. Contact your local supervisor of elections to get more details on where the early voting locations are or if you need to request an absentee ballot.

Q: I’m already registered, how can I change my address, name, or party affiliation?

A: Fill out a voter registration form and check off all that applies on the first line.

If you have any other Election Day questions or concerns, please contact Ad 2 Orlando’s government relations chair.

The Photoshop Controversy

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A big issue starting to get some attention as of late is Photoshopping. We’ve all seen the magazines with gorgeous, airbrushed, touched up people gracing the covers and pages.

Some members of Congress have started to take notice of the issue with Photoshopping and how it can seriously distort the publics image of how and what people should look like. These members of Congress have recently asked the FTC to hold a meeting to discuss the nature of how Photoshop can cause serious problems and how they effect the people viewing the ads. Especially young people who look up to many of the people they see in these ads. Time and time again we see and hear of people wanting to make changes to themselves based off things they see in images. Realistically, the models in the images themselves don’t even look like that in person. It becomes quite the spiraling effect once viewers have the image of “perfect” in their heads when in reality, that “perfect” image is not the real thing at all. They also have pointed out how this can increase healthcare costs in the near future as more people will take to doctors and surgeries to make changes to themselves.

On the contrary, advertisers and brands in the billion dollar marketing industry will most likely combat this by saying that it is simply images and that they are aesthetically pleasing to the audience and in line with brand messaging. Because an image is photoshopped does not necessarily mean it is driving people to harm. Which proves a good point to the objecting argument. These advertisements continually drive traffic to stores and retailers and drive business year after year.

So what does the future for photoshop hold? We have seen the debate come up quite a few times in the past in terms of getting rid of it completely or perhaps limiting the amount of photoshop that is allowed to be placed on advertisements.

This is sure to be a hot issue as more people start to take notice of Congress’ objections.

To read more about this issue, check out this article from the Tampa Bay Times: http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/ros-lehtinen-takes-on-photoshopping-to-make-people-look-better/2216624

What are your thoughts on Photoshopping and do you think it causes any harm to the viewers of the ads?

U.S. Creates Cuba Version of Twitter

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Through past revolutions around the globe we have witnessed the power of social media in giving the voiceless a platform to be heard. This exact reason is why the U.S. Government created a Twitter clone to influence revolutionists south of the Sunshine State. Unfortunately, it may have not been the most ethical move to trick people into using a platform created by a government that has had a 54 year economic embargo against you.

“Cuba’s version of Twitter, known as ZunZuneo, was launched secretly in 2009 by the U.S. Agency for International Development, which went through elaborate lengths to hide the service’s true origins, according to the AP.”

As exemplified in recent years such as the Arab Spring, the oppressed around the world have utilized Twitter in mass movements against unjust governing powers. Recently, in Turkey the government has tried to block twitter, as it has become a voice of unrest. “The U.S. hoped ZunZuneo could perform a similar role in Cuba, reaching a “critical mass” and facilitating widespread protest to realign the balance of power in the country, the AP reported. ZunZuneo is the sound Cuban’s use to describe the chirp of a hummingbird.”

It is issues like these that privacy advocates and anti-government opinions are founded to be somewhat rational. At the end of the day, for many developing nations whose internet is controlled by authoritarian governments it’s people are omitted from having the freedom to express themselves on an international level.

source:
http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/us-secretly-built-cubas-twitter-clone-spark-unrest-ap-reports-156742

The Do’s and Don’ts for using Social Media for Small Business

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Many small businesses may hesitate to use social media for fear of making mistakes in an environment they’re unfamiliar with. However, you shouldn’t let that fear keep you from using social media to build your company’s brand. Social media is a powerful tool that is virtually essential for any growing business to reach new prospects and nurture relationships with your customers.

 

Below are four do’s and don’ts for using social media to promote your small business. Keep in mind that all businesses are different. What may work for one company, may not for yours.

 

Do choose the social media networks most applicable to your customers and prospects. For example, if your company offers professional services, try starting with a business-to-business network such as LinkedIn. For business-to-consumer communication, Facebook and Twitter are good choices, while Pinterest may work best in visual, design-focused industries like retail, fashion, décor and food.

 

Don’t decide to just use Facebook because that seems like the easiest or most popular social network to use. Don’t shy away from what’s right for your business. Take the time to figure out where your clients are and start by focusing there.

 

Do use social media for communication with existing clients and in pursuing prospects. Depending on your business, you might consider making regular how-to videos for YouTube as a way to begin a dialogue about your services or products.

 

Don’t limit your participation to responding to negative comments about your company or project.

 

Do post regularly to your social media accounts. Choose a consistent schedule, whether that’s once per week or once a day. Fresh content tends to boost your company’s rankings with search engines. Using Google+ as one of your social media tools can also help in this regard because Google emphasizes Google+ content in its results.

 

Don’t try to wing it without an actual plan. Make a schedule you can live with and stick to it. Busy periods and long gaps in posts can stall any momentum you’ve built up.

 

Do remember that email is a great marketing tool. People have work and personal email addresses and they check them regularly. Tools like Constant Contact can help you cross-promote an eblast with social media.

 

Don’t be a spammer. Allow people to choose the frequency in which they receive emails from you and make sure they can easily opt-out at any time.

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s how you handle those mistakes that matters. For something minor, people won’t care, just as long as you fix it. For example, if your tweet was too long and got cut off, or your link was invalid, just correct it and repost it. On the other hand, if you accidentally posted an offensive comment, you might want to issue a public apology. Social media lives online forever, so if you’re going to spend the time doing it, it’s worth spending the time to do it right.

 

GAP Leading the Way

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Walking through the high-fashioned Mall at Millennia located in Orlando, FL, I noticed something I had never seen before. Amongst all the storefronts and generic ads of chiseled models, one image stuck out to me. The entrance to the Gap store displayed an ad featuring a Sikh model, Waris Ahluwalia. For some it may have been just another store front ad enticing consumers with chic clothing, but for me it was much more. Gap had made a statement by choosing a religion and region of people that have rarely been represented by corporate America, let alone the fashion industry. As a Pakistani growing up in America, the Sikh religion was something I was accustomed to, but for many, there is mass confusion regarding their religion and beliefs.

As with any step forward with diversity in American society, there was backlash ready to ensue. Except in this situation, Gap decided to take their support one step further. Well done Gap, well done! Check out the article linked below and give us your thoughts!

 

www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/someone-wrote-very-very-racist-comments-on-a-gap-ad-and-gap?bffb

Fawaz Zakir
Diversity Chair

Do You Believe in a Little Holiday Magic? Airline West Jet Does

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It’s hard to face that, not too long ago, most of us believed in a cold place where a jolly man with a long white beard worked hard all year long to make toys for all the nice girls and boys (and deliver coal for the naughty). And while most of us realize that we now probably deserve stockings stuffed with enough coal to heat a furnace, it’s still nice to reflect on simpler times when you’d ask Santa for a gift and have it “appear.”

 

That’s exactly what happened to the families on board a West Jet plane last week. If you haven’t seen the video, I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you, but I will say that this is one of the best forms of advertising.

 

When a brand takes the opportunity this time of the year to evoke emotion, excitement, and spread holiday cheer (and brand awareness), true magic can happen.

 

This video, which garnered more than 20 million views in less than a week, does something that advertising (if properly researched) does better than any other medium of marketing. It tells a story.  A powerful story that creates new lifelong passengers and plays on the heart strings of those watching. It makes you think about what your airline has done for you lately.

 

Watch the video and let us know what you think about the campaign and if you believe in magic.

 

I do.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIEIvi2MuEk&feature=youtu.be

 

Happy Friday!

 

Darius Lana

Ad2 Communication Co-Chair

Legislative Alert: Advertising Tax Deductions

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Washington DC’s government shutdown will be over before you know it and with a $17 trillion debt, tax reform is one of the first things Congress is expected to tackle.

While there are no official proposals on paper, American Advertising Federation’s National leadership and other advertising advocacy groups are proactively speaking out against ANY proposal to eliminate the tax deductibility of advertising.

Here’s why: Advertising grows businesses large and small, generates trillions of dollars in economic activity, and creates millions of jobs. Legislation that eliminates the business deduction for advertising would devastate not only our industry, but nearly every other industry and our national economy as well.
Stay tuned for updates on this important issue and please share your thoughts with your Congressman and Senator. With an issue this big, we can’t afford to be asleep at the wheel.
See below for the full AAF alert by Clark Rector, exec VP for the American Advertising Federation.

“As I am sure you are aware, Congress may soon be taking up the first major reform of the U.S. Tax Code in nearly 30 years.  We have learned that Congressional leaders who are drafting the proposal have heard suggestions that the deduction businesses take for the ordinary and necessary expense of advertising costs should be reduced significantly as a way to generate more revenues to help pay for tax reform. To lower corporate tax rates, “some suggest looking [for new revenues] at the deduction for advertising [costs], a commonly used business write-off.” (Wall Street Journal, August 2, 2013). This would constitute a tax on advertising and increase the cost of advertising for all businesses, as well as the tax liability for major advertisers.

AAF and the advertising industry need your help.  It is very important that you, and other members of the industry, write, email or call your two Senators and Representative and urge them to oppose any tax on advertising in the form of a limit on the deduction for advertising costs. Ask them to communicate their opposition to taxing advertising to their colleagues on the tax-writing committees.  Here is a draft letter.

Advertising – local, regional and national – generates $5.6 trillion in total economic activity for our country and helps support 22.1 million jobs in the U.S. economy. The stimulus generated by advertising brings jobs and sales to every state and to every congressional district. Even a modest reduction that limits the amount a business may deduct of its total advertising spending could cost the nation 1.6 million jobs and $419 billion in economic sales activity.

The critical message to convey to Members of Congress is that the deduction for advertising costs is not a special preference or deduction. Every business in America is entitled to this deduction, which is classified as an ordinary and necessary business expense. Other ordinary and necessary costs that may be deducted include the salaries of employees, rent for office space, utilities and other costs that a business must pay to keep the doors open and to generate sales. This deduction is for core business expenses and has been permitted since the adoption of the Tax Code in 1913. You should emphasize that you are not seeking a special treatment or exemption – you are asking Congress to maintain the business expense deduction allowed for advertising for the past 100 years.

You can find your member of Congress and a link to his or her website, by going here. Senators can be found here.”

Join and sign our petition here.

Diversity in Advertising

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First I’d like to introduce myself and give you a little background information. My name is Fawaz Zakir, I am your Ad 2 Diversity Chair for the 2013-14 board year. I was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents and moved to Orlando, FL at the age of two. Growing up I was never exposed to advertising as a career, I did not know my fondness of commercials and the message they expressed could actually be a profession until I reached college. Why is that? It could be my roots in South East Asian culture that mostly encourage health/ technology related fields. Although still I was brought up in an American school systems where I still do not recollect ever being taught of the creative field of advertising.

In the Advertising field we have come to understand the beauty of relaying an idea to the masses. Now more than ever we have seen advertising expand to include nearly every aspect of our life. It was not until fairly recently that advertising as a career was brought to pop culture thanks to the likes of AMC’s hit series Mad Men. Whether the show is a good representation of Advertising or not we may disagree on but i’m certain we can all agree that Advertising lacks diversity within it’s foundation. In a field that is based on creativity and the power of an idea more than race or sex why is it still so far behind in representing minorities and majorities alike? The video below is a great look at  Advertising and Diversity.

 

“85% of all advertising and marketing messages are aimed at women, 90% of all communications campaigns are created by men.”   This is why programs such as Ad 2 and AAF are so vital. To display the art of advertising to the masses and create an open discussion to those who already call it “work”. I look forward to a great year with Ad2 Orlando and expanding the conversation started by my predecessor Joel A. Montilla on such an important issue.

 

-Fawaz Zakir, Diversity Chair

 

Source: Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Report 2011

 

Digital Media from All Angles

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Our Digital Media From All Angles program was a success! With more than 100 attendees, four Orlando-based digital experts as our speakers and huge support from our sponsors, this was one of our biggest events of the year and in Ad 2 Orlando history.

The event took place on Thursday, February 21st at the new office of Purple, Rock, Scissors in the heart of downtown Orlando.

Our panel of experts included:

Michael Parler, Chief Strategy Officer, Purple, Rock, Scissors
John Payne, President, Monster Media
Mark Unger, Partner/Director of Interactive, Push.
Ted Murphy, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Izea

Our Programs chairs, Jeff Malczyk and Chris Merritt, asked a variety of questions which garnered interesting responses. Notably, digital advertising is only going to continue to grow, content is key, and it’s OK to advertise national campaigns in smaller markets.

We’re proud to host programs and feature guest speakers for the enjoyment of young professionals in the advertising industry. Ad 2 Orlando is composed of forward thinking and forward moving people looking to make a difference professionally, personally and throughout the community. It’s always great meeting people who have been members of Ad 2 Orlando for multiple years as well as non-members who are attending an event for the first time.

We would like to once again thank our sponsors: Macbeth Photography, Black Leaf Signs and PRPL. Check out the event photos from Macbeth Photography here.

*images featured in this post provided by Macbeth Photography.