AMG's Blog

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!

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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!

Our e-newsletter, AMG Creative Express, is chock full of informational goodness—from resources and case studies to tech tips and industry trends. Basically, things you didn’t know you needed to know that you should definitely know in order to be in the know. We are on this journey, this knowledge trek, together. Let us be your guides.

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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!

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.