Decimal: Are You Feeling Lucky?
Well, are you?
If you suffer from Paraskevidekatriaphobia (a fear of Friday the 13th), then 2015 must have been a particularly bad year for you. However, with Friday the 13th happening thrice this year, you are not the only one feeling a little unlucky... And it's happening again this Friday!
Friday the 13th can evoke fear among the public, causing people to avoid doing things they would normally do. This includes big activities, like getting married, or more medial things, like going to work. This has an adverse effect on sales, especially for the travel and events industry. According to online statistics, business revenue in America can drop by as much as $900 million on this day.
Unless you’re in the film industry, or selling rabbit’s feet, Friday the 13th might not be a good day for your business.
How It All Started:
While history is a bit unclear about how the superstition started, we do know that it has been around for a while now. In fact, the number 13 has been considered cursed across the world for thousands of years. The number 12 is historically considered the number of completeness, while its older cousin, 13, has been seen as an outlier. There are 12 months of the year, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 hours of the clock, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles of Jesus, 12 Descendants of Muhammad Imams, among many incidences of the pattern historically.
Friday the 13th was also discussed in the popular 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code. In the book, a connection is drawn between the slaughtering of the Knights Templar by the Church and Friday the 13th. Historically, the arrest of Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, did occur on Friday, Oct. 13, 1307, however the association between Friday the 13th and bad luck is thought to be a modern interpretation of the event.
Even Wall Street has had a bit of bad luck on Friday the 13th. In Oct. 13, 1989, Wall Street saw, what was at the time, the second largest drop of the Dow Jones Industrial Average in history. The day was nicknamed the Friday-the-13th mini-crash.
These days, the number 13 can have a huge impact on regular life too: some buildings don’t have a 13th floor, while some cities don’t even sport a 13th street. Airports don’t have a 13th gate, and even the medical profession won’t stand for a Room 13.
Turning Your Luck Around:
Luckily, South Africans aren’t that concerned about the superstition, and it doesn’t impact on the economy too much. However, Decimal has a few ideas on how you can turn this day of bad luck into a massive marketing opportunity.
- Offer a lucky discount of 13% on all purchases instore
- Hide a lucky omen in your store, and publish clues on where to find it on Twitter and Facebook. The person who finds it, wins a lucky prize.
- Feature Friday the 13th related products on your Social Media sites. These can include items such as umbrellas, black clothing, etc.
- Donate 13% of your to a charity organisation - somebody will be feeling very lucky
- Feature an “unluckiest winner” contest online, where the person with the unluckiest day wins a grand prize.
- Have a lucky draw with 13 winners from different stores, or different clients.
- Offer a Baker’s Dozen special where the customer gets a 13th product free.
Of course, with Decimal you’ll never have to experience an unlucky day with your business. We use creativity, passion and knowledge to turn threats into opportunities, and bad luck days into the best day of the month.
Decimal: Getting In with LinkedIn
Networking: the simple act of making and nurturing connections with a group of people we socialise with, share resources with or who help us enhance productivity. Well, it used to be simple.
Before Social Networking, our “network contact sheet” consisted of our family, neighbors, friends and a few acquaintances we met through our cousin. If you were really high up in the business chain, it might have consisted of a rolodex containing various business cards from potential business partners you met at a networking do.
Then came online Social Networking: First AOL and Live Journal, then more complicated systems like MySpace and Facebook. Whatever it was called, it changed the meaning of “getting your name out there” completely.
Since its start in 2003, LinkedIn has become the largest Business Social Network in the world. LinkedIn boasts over 380 million users, and is growing with 2 new users each second. LinkedIn reaches over 200 countries and territories, with each user visiting the site for an average 17 minutes per visit. LinkedIn also has over 1 billion endorsements…
Sounds a bit better than a rolodex, doesn’t it…
The point is this: If your business is going into 2016 without an active LinkedIn profile strategy, then you should probably get out your rolodex and give Decimal Agency a call.
Here are 5 ways you can improve your business if you do:
- Finding Qualified Prospects for Your Business: By reviewing the contact lists of your current clients (and friends, if you want to be cheeky) you might find a few good leads. Ask your clients if they would be willing to forward a recommendation email to them. Minimise your client’s effort by writing and designing the mailer yourself. Not only will it grow your word-of-mouth business, but your client might also be pleasantly surprised by your emailer.
- Expanding Your Marketing: By using your LinkedIn profile, you have a big opportunity to increase the reach of your current marketing efforts. Not only is it the perfect platform to reach a group of individuals interested in you and your business, but it is also an effective way of building positive relationships with them. LinkedIN is an excellent communications platform, helping you keep your current and potential clients updated with your latest moves.
- Developing Your Contact Network: Once you are registered with LinkedIn, you can send everyone you know a personalised message, inviting them to connect with you. The personalised message allows you to remind them where you met, and how you are connected already. You can also give them good reason why building a closer relationship with you will benefit both your businesses. You can also import contacts from your other Social Media platforms, as well as your email networks. Join in on the thousands of relative discussions on LinkedIn too. This will attract attention to potential clients too, and will show them you are really interested in staying up to date with what is happening in your industry.
- Creating Additional Marketing Opportunities: LinkedIn offers many offline marketing opportunities. Not only does it provide opportunities for speaking engagements and media appearances, but the people who follow you will have access to your blogs, podcasts and videos - whatever other marketing platforms you can’t fit on your business card.
- Making Sure Your Company Website is Current and Up-to-date: In order to run a successful LinkedIN account, you need to have a dedicated team that will ensure responsiveness and interaction. You will need the latest technological hacks in order to show your followers how dedicated you are to your trade - Decimal Agency has a dedicated Social Media team that ensures your profile always looks good and is always displaying the latest news, trends and finds.
The current trend in business is using LinkedIn to find qualified, interested prospects that will be interested in your business. And visa versa… This is not about to change anytime soon, and if you want to continue to grow your business, using this powerful platform is definitely advised. Talk to Decimal Agency today about setting up your LinkedIn profile and watch your business become an online Socialright!
Decimal Heads Back to the Future Too
Decimal Heads Back to the Future Too
Impossible? If you’re an avid Back to the Future fan, then it isn’t at all!
Whether you’re a fan or not, the second film in the 1980’s Back to the Future Trilogy is known as one of the best films ever made. Starring Michael J. Fox as the adventurous Marty, and Christopher Lloyd as the outworldly “Doc”Brown, the film won the Saturn Award for Best Special Effects and a BAFTA Film Award for Ken Ralston, the special effects supervisor, an Internet-voted 2003 AOL Movies DVD Premiere Award for the trilogy DVDs, a Golden Screen Award, a Young Artist Award, and the Blimp Awards for Favorite Movie Actor, amongst many others.
The story starts of where the first one ends, on October 26 1985. Marty McFly has just arrived back from his trip into the past when Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown arrives in his flying DeLorean time machine and persuades Marty McFly and his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, to come back to the future with him to help their future children.
And this is where it gets interesting. They arrive on October 21, 2015, where they find the future littered with new gizmos and innovations that the 80’s generation could only dream of. From flying cars, 3D advertising and online communication to hoverboards, perfect pepsi and self-lacing shoes.
Today we celebrate that date, and we look at how accurately the producers of the film predicted the future, 30 years ago.
1. Augmented Reality: A cross between a digital binocular and a smartphone, Doc walks around with a device that gives information about people as they pass him. It might seem completely outlandish, but is actually not half as advanced as some of the online information devices we have today, like Facebook Face Recognition, Google Glass and Microsoft’s HoloLens
2. Self-lacing Shoes: Nike has done it again using the movie as inspiration to design the first pair of self-lacing shoes. The shoes are an upgraded version of the 2011 Nike MAG, a limited-edition replica of McFly’s sneakers. The new footwear will feature “power laces,” in which motorised rollers in the shoe’s sole sense weight and tighten the laces when someone steps into the shoes, according to Nike’s patent. How cool is that?!
3. Pepsi Perfect: Your prefered drink on command would be a really handy device. Especially when the game is on and you don’t want to miss that try while you’re getting a drink you don’t like. Well, Coke managed to design just such a machine in 2009. With over 100 drink selections, it covers pretty much every taste, and all you have to do is press a button. Pepsi, on the other hand, has released a Limited Edition Pepsi Perfect bottle, designed to look exactly like the one in the movie. However, at $20.15 a bottle, I would rather keep to my favourite drink on command.
4. Player-controlled Games: Looking back on the arcade games that were played in the 80’s, I think we can all agree that technology has evolved dramatically. While the movie doesn’t actually show the predicted gaming-technology, Microsoft’s Kinect has proven you don’t need to use your hands to be a pro, especially in its Xbox One Iteration.
5. Mobile Payments: This is one technology where we have gone even beyond what BTTF II predicted. In the movie, a man tries to convince Marty to donate money to his cause. He pulls out a mobile device that requires only a fingerprint to process the payment. Credit & Debit Card transactions, anybody? We even have online applications like PayPal that don’t need a card to make a payment. As for the fingerprint technology, you can find that on various smartphones today. Apple Pay also uses TouchID as part of its payment security system.
6. Home Automation: When Jennifer enters her future home, she is welcomed with voice-controlled lights. This feature seems commonplace these days, and doesn’t just include your home. Xbox One can control your TV viewing by voice very well. Samsung’s SmartThings can also detect when you are home and can will start the kettle before you’re home.
7. Flat-screen TV’s: In the 80’s we were given boxy, unwielding cathode ray tube TV sets - big devils that took over the entire TV-room. These devices have become collector’s items, as you will rarely find a home that doesn’t sport a huge LCD flat-screen TV mounted on the wall these days.
8. Movie Sequels: In BTTF II, the producers lovingly joke about JAWS 19 showing at cinemas. At the time, the joke was funny, and everybody laughed. But, while JAWS 19 hasn’t seen the screen, movie sequels and remakes are jumping up left, right and centre. Jurassic Park, Spiderman, Batman…
9. Flying Cars: Yes, I hear you saying that we don’t see cars hovering next to us in traffic. But don’t be too disappointed just yet. In 2013 Terrafugia announced the development of the TF-X, a battery-charged hybrid tilt-motor vehicle that is rumoured to be the first flying car on the market, in 10 years time. However, AeroMobil, a Slovakian manufacturer, has unveiled a prototype vehicle that can go from car to aircraft in a second (maybe more). If this counts, then the vehicle will be available for sale in 2017. Expect it to cost a lot....
10. Hoverboards: This is my personal favorite future concept. Teenagers hovering in the sky, performing unbelievable tricks… While every teenager in the world does not yet own a hoverboard, legendary skater Tony Hawk recently tried a prototype. In development for over 10 years, recent breakthroughs have allowed various companies to put their own spin on the hoverboard. US company Hendo Hover has developed the first operational board that hovers about an inch off the ground, using four hover-engines. Not very practical. The Lexus Slide Hoverboard, however, works much more like the movie-version, but requires a magnetic skatepark to operate. It’s just a matter of time, skaterboys.
30 years ago, none of these technologies seemed possible. In fact, the concepts were laughed at and joked about. However, today we live in a world where nothing is impossible. In the next 30 years we might have tablets that replace meals entirely, artificial intelligence making our lives easier, homes on Mars or telepathic capabilities made possible by a chip implant.
Decimal embraces these changes and rejoice in the evolution of science. But more than that, Decimal strives for positive changes and growth in the advertising industry. That’s why we bring you innovative designs, strategies and developments, to ensure your business will be at its peak in 30 years from now.
Christmas Advertising: Decimal Plans to Succeed
Christmas Advertising: Decimal Plans to Succeed
It’s almost Halloween; a time where we dress up as monsters, vampires and Kim Kardashian. But the scariest thing about Halloween is that it means Christmas will be hitting stores like Chuck Norris hits a dent in a wet cloth.Businesses are gearing up for their piece of the Christmas pie, while consumers are getting ready to start spending their money. With credit cards being whipped out at a moment’s notice, good deals all abound, boredom shopping picking up and last minute spending on expensive gifts, South Africa’s Christmas spending is likely to boom this year.
However, aiming for stores alone might not be the best idea. 51% of consumers are reported to use their phones to purchase a product, and the largest purchases for the festive season are going to be digital.
In addition to this, 71% of consumers will be using Social Media to search, research and compare products for the best deal.
With all this potential for profits, you can be sure that advertising and marketing will be saturating the market; ATl, BTL and OTL. This is the season where failing to plan will lead to planning to fail.
Decimal has you covered. We have a successful Festive Strategy that will ensure you get your consumer’s mouths’ watering for your products.
1. Start Early: With all the expected communication happening over the Festive Season, and with it happening sooner and sooner lately, make sure you have everything in place as soon as possible.
2. Christmas Callers: Communication is key during the festive season. Especially when it comes to Customer Services. Make sure your consumer knows they can get hold of you over the festive period, and where.
3. Website Revamp: With online sales rising the way they are, you want to make sure your site is up-to-date and fighting-fit.
4. Talk to the Hand: More and more consumers are being influenced by Social Media. Add some value to your products by using these sites (a complete strategy online Social Media strategy that includes Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) to remind them of special offers, products and services, and competitions you might be having. Don’t forget database and email messaging.
5. Pay-per-click: Seasonal pay-per-click advertising can help you reach new customers. Think about increasing your relevant SEO keywords, and rewrite your ad campaigns to suit.
6. Golden Oldies: Remember that concentrating on your existing customers will yield more profits than searching for new customers. Think of ways to make their Christmas better, such as loyalty discounts, free upgrades, etc.
7. The customer always comes first: Show your consumer how much you appreciate them and go the extra mile to ensure their Festive Season is special.
8. It’s all about the USP: Look at putting emphasis on your unique benefit. There are loads of discounts and specials going around, but if you can communicate your unique offering in a unique way, then you have 9 feet in the door already.
9. Timing is King: When planning your strategy for the festive season, make sure that everything is do-able on time. Printers, manufacturers and media houses will be under big headlines, so make sure you are prepared for the Christmas-onslaught.
10. Staff Training: This is not a time where you want your staff to be confused. Preparation is everything, so consider refresher training and giving them additional information about new offer. This will ensure that your consumer feels well-informed and happy with the excellent service.
Just like Santa’s main reindeer, Decimal Agency is here to help pull you through the most important time of the year. Using our Festival-Strategy, we help your business plan for success.
Decimal Howls At The Moon
Decimal Howls At The Moon
“Well, it’s a marvelous night for moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
‘neath the cover of October skies”
Van Morrison, Moondance
October nights are upon us, but the 27th of September 2015 did bring one of the most beautiful night-time views South Africa has seen. An event that will not happen again until 2033.
Known as a “Blood Moon”, we look at why this breathtaking view graced us with its presence:
- The Blood Moon is better known as a “Supermoon Lunar Eclipse”.
- This event has not happened since 1982.
- An eclipse occurs when the light of the moon is obstructed by the earth between the moon and the sun.
- The moon must be completely covered in Earth’s shadow for a total Lunar Eclipse to occur.
- The Moon was plunged into darkness for 1 hour and 12 minutes.
- The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours and 20 minutes in total.
- The term “Blood Moon” is used because of the moon’s coppery-red colour, caused by the dispersing light from all the Earth’s sunrises and sunsets falling on the face of the moon at mid-eclipse.
- The September 2015 total lunar eclipse aligns with the feast of the Tabernacles: a Jewish festival that commemorates God’s provision in the Wilderness and looks ahead to the promised Messianic age.
How to be a Better Client for Your Agency
How to be a Better Client for Your Agency
When you hire an Ad Agency to do your advertising, you expect to get better than the best work from them. This is understandable: you are relying on them to grow your business and build your brand. But to get consistent, breath-taking work, you need to understand how to be a better client.
Here are 5 tips to becoming your agency’s most valued partner:
1. Start at the beginning: Do your homework and choose the right agency that will meet your needs. Research their heir current clients and projects to get a better idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are.
2. Recognise their efforts: All agencies want to do a great job. Trust your agency, and their expertise, and allow them to apply their knowledge to your campaign.
3. Work with your agency, not against them: Discuss and manage your expectations from the beginning. By making your needs, desires and goals clear, your agency will have a clear view of what you define as success.
4. Listen to your agency: Any relationship has its ups and downs, and there will always be a few debates. Just remember that your agency isn’t always trying to be a know-it-all, they just have a differing point that they would like to get across to you.
5. Give your agency time: Let’s face it, there will always be last-minute projects that need to be done. But keep these to a minimum. The less time you give your agency on a project, the less chance you have of getting a good result. Reasonable deadlines mean your agency can give you a wider range of solutions, concepts and possibilities.
Do You Like Facebook’s New “Dislike” Button?
Do You Like Facebook’s New “Dislike” Button?
After 9 years of begging and pleading, Facebook co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, finally announced that Facebook is developing a ‘dislike’ button for the popular social media site.
The new addition to Facebook will allow users to express their ‘dislike’ of a post, as opposed to the very popular ‘like’ function currently available.
Zuckerberg said of the button: “People have asked about the dislike button for many years. We’ve finally heard you and we’re working on this, and we will deliver something that meets the needs of the larger community.”
For years Facebook has dismissed this idea. In 2013 Bob Baldwin, Product Engineer for Facebook, reported that the company will not be looking into designing this feature. “Actions on Facebook tend to focus on positive social interactions... I don’t think adding a light-weight feature to express negative sentiment would be that valuable.” said Baldwin. Zuckerberg also said that he wanted to avoid a Reddit-like style systems where likes vs. dislikes outweighed each other below someone’s posts.
2 years later, Zuckerberg has changed his tune, and the button has almost reached testing stage. However, he says the ‘dislike’ button is not meant as a negative feature:
“What people really want is to express empathy. Not every moment is a good moment.” notes Zuckerberg. Using news reports such as the Syrian refugee crisis or the death of a loved one, Zuckerberg said that the ‘like’ button did not always convey the the user’s true emotions on the subject.
However pure his intentions are, and even though it works on other less-personal sites, there are a few negative aspects to this.
Raffaele Mc Creadie, owner of Decimal Agency, says: “The function carries a few complications with it. It is too easy to interpret the response as an insult against the user who posted the comment or article. Also, paid-for ads might get drowned in a sea of ‘dislikes’, disencouraging companies to use Facebook advertising. Social media is an important part of online advertising, and Facebook is the biggest performed of all.” In addition to this, psychologists are noting that Facebook would become a platform where individual posters will start to feel less confident about themselves. “The word ‘dislike’ has a very strong, negative connotation. Receiving dislikes for your most intimate posts or selfie photos will foster a feeling of not being liked, or not being good enough. Trolling has also been an issue on social media sites lately, and people might abuse this feature to further their own negative agendas.” comments Mc Creadie.
Has Facebook made the right decision in answering the call of its users? Let us know what your opinion is on the matter.
