Media Hunter

Newcastle digital agency nails the SEO formula

Note: Blatant self-promotion

Newcastle-based advertising agency Sticky recently announced their transformation to become the Hunter Valley's first digital, social and tradition media agency. The agency is particularly focusing on better web design and search engine optimisation, and already are achieving spectacular results.

Less than one month after making the announcement, Sticky has secured numerous new clients for their fully optimised web designs.

Sticky's search engine optimisation approach has been working even better than the agency anticipated. The following is from the Sticky Advertising website:

Propaganda Blitz for Sticky

Newcastle advertising agency Sticky has launched a propaganda blitz as part of its (r)evolution. Last week the agency relaunched as Newcastle's first digital, social and traditional media agency.

Sticky's new website unveiling has been followed quickly by coverage in today's Newcastle Herald and Adnews.

Sticky Advertising starts regional digital (r)evolution

Warning: blatant self-promotion

Newcastle agency Sticky Advertising has undergone a (r)evolution this month, relaunching as Newcastle’s first Digital, Social and Traditional media agency.

We have been closely observing the changes to the modern media landscape and feel that emerging media trends are becoming too significant to ignore.

We have seen the future and it’s digital.

As a result we have evolved to include Digital and Social media in our core services and have released some revolutionary new products to coincide with the changes.

Amongst the new offerings is Newcastle’s most dedicated Search Engine Optimisation package, allowing businesses to dramatically improve their rankings with online search engines.

Our theory is...."What is the point of a website that nobody sees?”

So many websites have been poorly designed and do not perform well, or at all, in Google, Yahoo and other searches. That is severely hindering the online success of those businesses. We can fix this quickly and cost-effectively.

Holding Page Blues

How many times have you been to a site and seen the old message "Under Construction" or "Coming soon". Obviously all sites must undertake a refresh from time to time, but what stuns me is that many businesses that should be profiting from a strong web presence are willing to leave lame holding pages up for long periods of time.

One radio station in my market appears to have had a holding page, or at least a very basic interim site, up for close to six months. In some ways I hope that's their interim site, because if they aren't feverishly working away on an amazing site as we speak, then they have absolutely no appreciation for how they should be marketing themselves and interacting with their audience in 2008.

(Shameless self promotion time).

Sticky Advertising is just days away from launching a totally new web presence. It's been carefully planned  and developed for several months...not just the site, but the lead up announcements, the release and launch strategy....even the holding page.

Rather than just stick up a lame holding page, we felt it necessary to leave something entertaining, dynamic and indicative of the agency's attitude. This holding page is really a chapter in our evolving story. And in my own humble opinion it is more interesting than many full sites (ok, I am very biased, but check it out and judge for yourself).

My question is...why don't more businesses dedicate a little more thought to their "transition sites"? Surely they realise that potential customers might visit and get a poor impression of the business. Any thoughts?

In the meantime, Sticky's holding page is up for only a few more days. We launch the new site next week.

OK....it was us

A few weeks ago The Marketer and I
posted about an interesting job advertisement
that was doing the rounds. It probably wasn't
hard for many readers to work out that it was for my Newcastle advertising agency, Sticky.

The campaign to attract a new web designer is a great example of the direction we are taking Sticky. Employ totally different thinking to traditional advertising challenges.

And didn't it work a treat?!

Expert brand advice with the all new Sticky Branding

Media Hunter has a new sister. A sister weblog that is. I am proud to announce the birth of Sticky Branding, a dedicated brand advice and analysis site.

Here at Sticky Advertising we are passionate about strong branding. Not just brand and logo design, but carefully positioned, well-articulated brands. We believe in communicating the brand personality and crafting a powerful and memorable tagline.

Its all part of effective branding. And its all discussed in detail at Sticky Branding.

In fact, the site will even go so far as to explain a step by step process for creating effective brand communication.

So drop by and meet Media Hunter's sister.

Help Taglines Regain Lost Glory

For some time now I have been observing the advertising world move away from the effective use of slogans or taglines. It seems that, along with jingles, slogans have become "uncool" within an industry that prides itself on being "current" and "cutting edge". Perhaps it has something to do with our current generation of marketers not wanting to do what their predecessors did. Maybe slogans and jingles are considered "old-fashioned" marketing devices.

I couldn't disagree more (a quick look at our agency show reel displays my appreciation for slogans and jingles). I think "cool" is to blame for the blandness of most campaigns today, and why few current campaigns will ever stack up against the legendary Australian campaigns of yesteryear such as "feel like a Tooheys", "Meadow Lea, you oughta be congratulated", "Woolworths, the fresh food people", "Its time" for Gough Whitlam's election campaign and "C'mon Aussie C'mon" for World Series Cricket. Mo & Jo would be shaking their heads in disbelief.

I still believe that well-conceived slogans attached to a memorable device, such as a jingle, are extremely effective and should be part of every marketing campaign. Today I found an excellent article in AdAge (USA) extolling the virtues of the marketing slogan. It is wonderful advice:

Latest Newcastle media and advertising news in The Sticky Report

Newcastle advertising agency Sticky Advertising publishes a bi-monthly media and advertising analysis for clients and subscribers. The Sticky Report is packed with all the latest radio and television ratings results, news-press information and  online marketing advice.

Of particular interest are Sticky's TV cost-effectiveness rankings. These reports provide advertisers with suggestions as to the best value TV programs for different demographics.

Tough times for ad agencies

Suddenly the once crowded Hunter advertising ranks are looking decidedly thinner, with another Newcastle advertising agency closing shop. The Boutique Agency was a partnership between well-known media identity Deb Austin and Tim Neve. The agency ran for 5 years before shutting its doors at the end of January 2008.

Bloody hell, let's have another go

Source: Lara Sinclair, The Australian 
TOURISM Australia looks set to finally dump the controversial $180 million "Where the bloody hell are you?" global advertising campaign starring model Lara Bingle, after calling a review of its advertising agencies.

Tourism sources said the authority began what will be one of the year's biggest, hardest-fought and most coveted pitches in December, less than a month after Labor came to power, although existing contracts do not expire until June.