amg's blog

Have you been outside lately? It’s hot. Too hot, dammit. We need an Ice Age, people! If you are deeply, utterly, completely consumed and concerned with the increasing temperatures that face the planet (i.e. us), than read on. In honor of Earth Day, we’ve compiled a list of the ever-evolving steps we have taken to save the human race (after all, we need the Earth around to keep those Doritos factories running). Educate yourself, and  win over your hipster friends by reading Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

1. Everyday, we write inspirational messages to the planet, and then bury them in our organic dandelion garden
2. To save electricity (and prepare our bodies for the coming desert storms), we’ve removed all air conditioning units from the building
3. The previous step has dramatically increased our sweat production, which we will use to help restore the drought-ridden riverbeds surrounding our office
4. To encourage Mother Nature to “just chill out”, we are installing a massive speaker system in our parking lot, which we’ll use to blast calming tunes from our resident funk-star Mike Tallman’s band, Euforquestra
5. In an effort to combat heat waves, we’re installing wind turbines in the field behind our office building. Then we’ll truck in a few hundred tons of ice cubes, and enjoy the cool breeze everyday (…that it’s windy).
6. Every pen in the office is now green. Literally, not in the “we source our pens from organic pen farms” kind of way. That’s expensive.
7. We eat out at fast food restaurants everyday and save (some) of the grease to put into the gas tanks of our cars. Who said alternative fuel couldn’t work?
8. We’re starting a new “organic marketing” trend: Our office has been relocated. We’re now 50 miles away from all golf courses, supermarkets, hospitals, grocery stores, and paved roads. Sure, we’ll have to purchase massive SUVs to traverse over the rough terrain on the way to work, but getting away from all this pollution will really help us work at our best.

Have any more idea for us? Write on our Facebook wall, or send us a tweet! Unless you don’t care about the planet or something.

Worst. News. Ever. The joyful days of catalogs piling up on your kitchen counter, sifting through special sections of newspapers and flipping through coupon books may be nearing an end. Remember how fun it used to to be to sit around and go through every coupon, one by one, to find the few that were useful?

…Okay, so maybe not so much. But coupons have their benefits, and from time to time, they can save a ton of moolah. And they’re making a strong comeback, in 21st century form.

Sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, and Google Offers have become popular destinations for consumers wanting to get the best deals possible. Businesses have been lining up for a shot at these services, which offer a chance to expand their market share and brand.

The psychology behind these sites is nothing new, but it is interesting. Everyone wants to save money, but they are even more inclined to do so if there is some sort of limit on when and how they can achieve those cost-cutting measures. The tried and true concepts of scarcity, and social proof can be seen in these social coupon sites. By setting a limit on the amount of coupons available or havingg a countdown on the availability of the coupon, sales can skyrocket. And if everyone else is buying, why shouldn’t you?

Also of note is “transaction utility”, or feeling good about a good deal. If you are actively aware of the savings you are making by taking advantage of a certain offer, it is natural to consider yourself a savvy, forward-thinking consumer.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t some cons to the social coupon structure. Some businesses find that they can’t keep up with the increased demand of their product or services, and others worry that many of their new customers will never return.

These coupons aren’t guaranteed to boost you profits or make your business more successful. But they have potential.

As for dental labs, I think this business model could have some promise too. Does the future hold a potential social coupon offer for your lab or business? It’s certainly a possibility. Talk to us!

Oh jeez.

Just when I thought I was done updating my parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, neighbors, and that guy in front of me in line at the grocery store about the most used social sites on the internet (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc.), Google had to ruin my vacation to show off their newest golden boy, Google+.

By now you’ve probably heard about Google’s venture into the Narnia-esque world that is social networking, but you might not have much of a chance to use it yet. Featuring new lingo like “Sparks”, “Hangouts”, “Huddle”, and “Circles”, it promises to change how users share information on the web.

Still confused? The basics of Google+ are explained in this video:

Making Your Business More Relevant

So how can Google+ help with your business?

One of the primary features of the new social network is letting users separate people and businesses into different groups , or “circles”, which they can use to view the each group’s updates separately. This means that you can add a business to a specific circle and view that circle’s feed every time you want an update on what that business is doing. This focused effect will likely help your customers keep up to date on your Google+ activity more effectively then on sites like Facebook, where everything is pushed into one newsfeed.

Google+ also features the introduction of the “+1″, similar to Facebook’s “Likes”. If a user +1′s a Google+ post or any other link on the internet, it will show up on their Google+ profiles. Their friends will be able to see this and check out the posting or website themselves. The +1 feature may also have a large impact on SEO, with pages that have more +1′s being ranked higher on search results. In theory, get more +1′s from your customers, and you get more traffic to your website through indexed searches.

The Best Is Yet To Come

Currently Google has advised businesses to wait on making their own Google+ profiles. Within the next few months, it is likely Google will release a more dedicated experience for businesses, combining the best Google technologies (Like Analytics) with the rest of their already established social networking features, to create a full-fledged experience that will make marketing easier.

Stay tuned to the AMG blog for more, and we’ll keep you updated!

If you take a walk around the AMG offices, you’ll probably notice at least two things. One of which would undoubtedly have something to do with our taste for sappy music (don’t laugh!), but another would likely be our active use of social media tools.

We still can't figure out these tools though...

It is important to understand that social media goes beyond simply keeping up with friends and randomly updating the world on where you are. The fact of the matter is that more and more people are using social media everyday, making the benefits of these modern communication tools and their potential to improve your business and your client’s loyalty to you greater than ever before.

For example, we keep getting sent coupons for All-You-Can-Eat buffets on our Facebook account. How, as food lovers, are we supposed to resist taking advantage of them? Through social media, these restaurants make their best effort to keep us aware of their presence, offering us discounts and special deals for our continued business, which makes us happy to oblige.

The concept of using social media as part of a marketing strategy is by no means a new idea. Following in the footsteps of the radio, television, and those often awe-inspiring messages found under bottle caps, it is the next logical step in delivering an informative message to as many people as possible. This ability to directly communicate with your clients enables the ability to build a sense of camaraderie with them, in turn increasing the likelihood they will continue to turn to you for their needs.

By reaching out to consumers and finding your fans, you can develop a relationship that would be impossible without social media. According to eMarketer, “at least half of Twitter and Facebook users said they were more likely to talk about, recommend, or purchase a company’s products after they began following the company on social media”. Facebook, Twitter, blogs (such as WordPress), along with many others can all assist in building brand awareness, loyalty, and announcing product promotions.

The idea is to engage your fans as much as possible. Make it easy for them to involve themselves in the business. Ask for their opinions, respond to their comments, and offer rewards for following your brand. The key to building brand loyalty is interaction, and by adding personal touches to your social media efforts you will make your business stronger.

Or just go here.

With over 700 million people on Facebook and 200 million on Twitter, the chances your customers have some sort of social media activity is very likely. By creating a strong online presence, you can help your business keep competitive in a crowded industry.

We are here to help our clients succeed, and we can help you develop a social media plan that works best for your business. Feel free to call or email us today to get started!

Look familiar? This is a QR, or  “Quick Response” Code, and it is changing the world of marketing. Using the camera on your cell phone you can quickly scan these barcodes and instantly access information about a company’s latest products, special offers, coupons, videos and more.

QR Codes can be easily added to promotional materials like direct mailings and are rapidly gaining immense popularity in the United States. The US Postal service recently announced a 3% postage discount for First Class and Standard Mail containing them from July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011, so it’s the perfect time to give them a try.

Find out more about these excellent (and cost-effective) marketing tools here. Give us a call and ask about how QR Codes can be used to help you! In the meantime, relax and check out this interactive QR Code inspired music video!

QR Codes are becoming more and more common in America, and even the mailmen, err I mean, mail carriers, have begun to notice. the The US Postal service recently announced a 3% postage discount for First Class, Standard, and Presorted mail containing a QR Code from July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011.

To qualify for the program:

• The barcode must be two-dimensional and readable by a mobile smart phone

• The documentation for each mailing needs to be submitted electronically to the US Postal Service

• Each piece of mail needs to contain a mobile barcode either within the contents or outside the mailpiece

• The mobile barcode must be used for marketing, promotional or educational purposes and be relevant to the contents

Think of it this way: Right now you can save money on your direct mailings by simply trying out a QR Code System. With numerous websites to create free codes available on the Internet, it is by no means an expensive venture.

QR Codes make it easy for your clients to find out more about your products, contact information, special offers, and coupons, and they can do so without much effort. It’s a perfect time to get an edge on your competition and give QR Codes a try.

When interviewing candidates for this summer’s interns, we wanted to find the best. What criteria did we use? Well, we wanted talented, driven and creative interns with a potential for greatness. Mostly though, we needed interns with really cool superpowers.

Through a rigorous testing process (top secret, of course), we’ve put together a team of superhero interns unmatched by any other before them. Nowhere else will you find a graphic designer who can shoot fish out of his hands, a copywriter who can spontaneously make Ovaltine out of nothing, an account executive with Google built into his brain, and another who, almost like Wolverine, has corndogs for claws.

Chris – Account Executive Intern (Google Boy)

Chris spent the majority of his younger years constantly asking questions, as if he needed to know something about everything.  Do racing stripes make model rockets fly higher? Is it possible to overdose from twinkies? These were things for which he desperately needed answers. With the rise of the Internet he began to use Google to aid in this inexplicable quest for knowledge. One day during his usual Googling time (which was all day), he started to feel strange. He was slowly beginning to know the results of each Google search before he even entered them. Within a few days, Chris discovered something: Google had become a part of his brain, and he knew the details about anything he wanted almost instantly without using a computer.

This ability to harness information about practically everything has sparked a fierce debate around the office over whether Chris can fairly participate in AMG’s annual Trivial Pursuit Tournament, and if so, who gets to have him on their team.

When not impressing clients with his ability to answer their questions on the spot, Chris spends most of his personal time developing a pizza rating system which he hopes will one day become the standard of food critics everywhere.

Mimi – Account Executive Intern (Corn Doggerine)

Mimi likes eating. A lot. No matter how much she eats she always seems to want more. This could be due to the fact that she spent a large portion of her childhood being raised by street vendors. This constant need for food likely led to her super ability: Corn Dog Claws.

Although possibly less ferocious (but much more tasty) than Wolverine’s super strong adamantium claws, Mimi insists she could still be an effective crime fighting force; which we might believe if she didn’t do so with a mouthful of corndog. Not exactly the most effective superpower, sure, but at least we’ll never go hungry again.

Mimi currently focuses most of her attention on three things: our clients, eating, and Mortal Kombat. One day she hopes to be the first person to skydive into a McDonald’s.

Andrew – Graphic Design Intern (Captain Shore Shot)

On a hunting trip long ago, Andrew suddenly found himself lost. What to do in such a situation? Go fishing, of course. He found a picturesque lake, cast his lure, sat back, and waited for the first bite. It didn’t take very long; Andrew was soon struggling to bring something huge out of the water. But it was too much for him, and instead he was pulled under the water briefly. It’s unclear what happened while he was below the surface, but the next thing he knew he was back on the ground, and something was very different: He could now shoot fish out of his hands.

We figure this shocking ability could have a lot of potential, and we’re not sure if we should just get another aquarium or open up some type of seafood restaurant.

When he’s not littering the streets with flopping aquatic creatures, Andrew can be found designing the latest AMG creations.

Thomas – Copywriting Intern (Mr. Oval Tine)

Is there such a thing as too much Ovaltine? If so, don’t tell Thomas. He once drove to three different states in order to find a store that still had some in stock after he had used up the supplies of everywhere close to him. This enormous consumption led to a peculiar ability-Thomas can now spontaneously make Ovaltine on demand. This has led to a serious shortage of clean spoons around the office and what we’re pretty sure is a permanent chocolate milk mustache.

Despite the fact he now has an unlimited supply of the stuff, he’s still stingy about letting us have some. We might have to start hiding the milk from him if he doesn’t change his attitude.

When not focusing on his copywriting duties, Thomas currently spends his time writing a book about stirring techniques, which he expects will one day be made into a blockbuster movie.

Besides their wacky superpowers, each of our interns brings something special to our team, and we have no doubt they’ll be able to excel in helping AMG put forth the best work for our clients.

Welcome to the league, kids.