Advertising Agency: BETC Luxe, France
Creative Director: Safia Bouyahia
Copywriter: Caroline Cornu
Art Director: Fanny Buratto
Photographer: Maud Rémy-Lonvis
via Business Feeds
Advertising Agency: BETC Luxe, France
Creative Director: Safia Bouyahia
Copywriter: Caroline Cornu
Art Director: Fanny Buratto
Photographer: Maud Rémy-Lonvis
Advertising Agency: BETC Luxe, France
Creative Director: Safia Bouyahia
Copywriter: Caroline Cornu
Art Director: Fanny Buratto
Photographer: Maud Rémy-Lonvis
Advertising Agency: BETC Luxe, France
Creative Director: Safia Bouyahia
Copywriter: Caroline Cornu
Art Director: Fanny Buratto
Photographer: Maud Rémy-Lonvis
Advertising Agency: BETC Luxe, France
Creative Director: Safia Bouyahia
Copywriter: Caroline Cornu
Art Director: Fanny Buratto
Photographer: Maud Rémy-Lonvis
The review did not conclude that the RET had failed to fulfil its objectives, rather it decided that the objectives were irrelevant
Lets not beat around the shrubbery: the review of the renewable energy target (RET) led by Dick Warburton was a sham designed from the very start to conclude that the RET should be wound back. If you dont agree with the overwhelming scientific view on climate change you are not going to feel any great need for Australia to bother about pursuing renewable energy. Instead, youll view renewable energy as an optional extra and that view permeates the RET review.
The RET was not implemented because of some random desire to force businesses to use electricity generated by a more expensive method. It was introduced by the Howard government in 1997 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was included as part of the largest and most far-reaching package of measures to address climate change ever undertaken by any government in Australia.
Advertising Agency: Karmarama, London, UK
Creative Directors: Sam Walker & Joe De Souza
Senior Creatives: Tom Woodington, Robin Temple
Business Director: Tess Cannon
Account Director: George Barton
Planning Director: Dan Hill
Planner: Patti Cowan
Agency Producer: Jenny O’Connell
Production Company: Partizan
Director: Chris Cairns
Producer: Monica Domanska
Production Manager: Daisy Gautier
Director of Photography: Matt Day
Advertising Agency: BBDO Proximity Thailand
Chief Creative Director / Executive Creative Director: Suthisak Sucharittanonta
Creative Director: Chalit Manuyakorn
Art Director: Tiabtawan Limjittrakorn
Copywriter: Thasorn Boonyanate
Director: Wuthisak Anarnkaorn
Producer: Yannassma Thannitsch
Production House: Factory 01 Co., Ltd.
Published: August 2014
Advertising Agency: BBDO Proximity Thailand
Chief Creative Director / Executive Creative Director: Suthisak Sucharittanonta
Creative Director: Chalit Manuyakorn
Art Director: Tiabtawan Limjittrakorn
Copywriter: Thasorn Boonyanate
Director: Wuthisak Anarnkaorn
Producer: Yannassma Thannitsch
Production House: Factory 01 Co., Ltd.
Published: August 2014
To emphasize the need for action, we staged a catastrophe and a rescue mission of the 12 year old girl Melika at the Copenhagen Central Station in August 2014.
The goal was to get passers-by to interact digitally through Instagram with the installation to raise awareness for the coming annual national fundraising for Save The Children Denmark.
Advertising Agency: We Love People, Copenhagen, Denmark
Creatives: Jamel Sundoo, Toke Eskildsen, Jenny Mattesen, Simon Friis, Jonathan Heldorf
Published: August 2014
Advertising Agency: HEIMAT, Berlin, Germany
Production: Trigger Happy Productions GmbH
Director: Pep Bosch
Camera: Paco Femenia
Editor: Marc Soria de Torre
Online: Ranchito
Make sure you know where to find your family in an emergency.
Advertising Agency: Deutsch, New York, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Kerry Keenan
Executive Creative Director: Matt McKay
Copywriters: Nick Partyka, Matt Moyer
Associate Creative Director / Art Director: Dan Read
Director of Integrated Production: Joe Calabrese
Art Producers: Cheryl Masaitis, Caitlin Byrnes
Print Producer: Melanie Magatelli
Executive Creative Director / Head of Art and Design: Menno Kluin
Design Director: Juan Carlos Pagan
Production Company: Souverein Weesp B.V., The Netherlands
Operator: Rutger Luijs, Fedde Souverein
Assistant: Thom Schrama
Producer: Lisette Kooijman
Print Photographer: Jaap Vliegenthart
Make sure you know where to find your family in an emergency.
Advertising Agency: Deutsch, New York, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Kerry Keenan
Executive Creative Director: Matt McKay
Copywriters: Nick Partyka, Matt Moyer
Associate Creative Director / Art Director: Dan Read
Director of Integrated Production: Joe Calabrese
Art Producers: Cheryl Masaitis, Caitlin Byrnes
Print Producer: Melanie Magatelli
Executive Creative Director / Head of Art and Design: Menno Kluin
Design Director: Juan Carlos Pagan
Production Company: Souverein Weesp B.V., The Netherlands
Operator: Rutger Luijs, Fedde Souverein
Assistant: Thom Schrama
Producer: Lisette Kooijman
Print Photographer: Jaap Vliegenthart
Advertising Agency: Deutsch, New York, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Kerry Keenan
Executive Creative Director: Matt McKay
Copywriters: Nick Partyka, Jeff Vinick, Matt Moyer
Associate Creative Director / Art Director: Dan Read
Designer: JC Pagan
Director of Integrated Production: Joe Calabrese
Executive Producer: Crissy Cicco
Director of Integrated Workflow: Jeremy Gelade
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Nicolai Fuglsig
Director of Photography: Greig Fraser
Executive Producer: Emma Wilcockson
Producer: Betsy Oliver
Editorial: Cosmo Street
Editor: Stephane Dumonceau
Assistant Editor: Joshua Berger
Executive Producer: Maura Woodward
Producer: Heather Richardson
Color Transfer: Company 3
Senior Colorist: Tom Poole
Producer: Dana Bloder
Conform: Method Studios
Online Editor: Jared Pollack
Producer: Christos Montzouros
Executive Producer: Cara Buckley
Sound Designer Company: Stimmung
Sound Designer: Gus Kovin
Executive Producer: Ceinwyn Clark
Audio Post Company: Heard City
Engineers: Philip Loeb, Evan Mangiamele
Executive Producer: Gloria Pitagorsky
Assistant Producer: Katie Flynn
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, New York, USA
Chief Creative Officer, OgilvyOne: Alfonso Marian
Executive Creative Director: Steve Howard
Group Creative Director: Chris Van Oosterhout
Copywriters: Gage Clegg, Ian Going, Chad Johnson
Art Directors: Becca Morton, Lauren Van Aswegen, Kevin Reilly
Executive Producer: Maureen Phillips
Global Managing Director: Russ Messner
Executive Group Director: Adam Puchalsky
Account Director: Melissa Bartolini Kearney
Group Planning Director: Margaret Rimsky
Senior Planner: Ned Sonnenschein
Director: Stacy Wall
Production Company: Imperial Woodpecker
Editorial: BigSky Edit/Chris Franklin
Music: Karl Westman
Color Correction: Nice Shoes/Chris Ryan
Mix: Sound Lounge/Tom Jucarone
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, London, UK
Copywriters / Art Directors: Ed Morris, Andy Drugan
Creative Directors: Adam Tucker, Matt Lee, Peter Heyes
Executive Creative Director: Justin Tindall
Agency Producer: Bruce Macrae
Planners: Josh Bullmore, Sarah Sanford
Media Agency: OMD
Planners: Kathryn Armstrong, Chloe Grainger
Director: Pete Riski
Lighting Cameraman: Jean Noel Mustonen
Production Company: Rattling Stick
Production Company Producer: Kelly Spacey
Editor: Eve Ashwell / Cut & Run
Post production: Moving Picture Company
Post Producer: Leianna Campbell
Telecine: Henri Pulla
Music clearances: Jeff Wayne Music
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, London, UK
Copywriters / Art Directors: Ed Morris, Andy Drugan
Creative Directors: Adam Tucker, Matt Lee, Peter Heyes
Executive Creative Director: Justin Tindall
Agency Producer: Bruce Macrae
Planners: Josh Bullmore, Sarah Sanford
Media Agency: OMD
Planners: Kathryn Armstrong, Chloe Grainger
Director: Pete Riski
Lighting Cameraman: Jean Noel Mustonen
Production Company: Rattling Stick
Production Company Producer: Kelly Spacey
Editor: Eve Ashwell / Cut & Run
Post production: Moving Picture Company
Post Producer: Leianna Campbell
Telecine: Henri Pulla
Music clearances: Jeff Wayne Music
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, London, UK
Copywriters / Art Directors: Ed Morris, Andy Drugan
Creative Directors: Adam Tucker, Matt Lee, Peter Heyes
Executive Creative Director: Justin Tindall
Agency Producer: Bruce Macrae
Planners: Josh Bullmore, Sarah Sanford
Media Agency: OMD
Planners: Kathryn Armstrong, Chloe Grainger
Director: Pete Riski
Lighting Cameraman: Jean Noel Mustonen
Production Company: Rattling Stick
Production Company Producer: Kelly Spacey
Editor: Eve Ashwell / Cut & Run
Post production: Moving Picture Company
Post Producer: Leianna Campbell
Telecine: Henri Pulla
Music clearances: Jeff Wayne Music
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, London, UK
Copywriters / Art Directors: Ed Morris, Andy Drugan
Creative Directors: Adam Tucker, Matt Lee, Peter Heyes
Executive Creative Director: Justin Tindall
Agency Producer: Bruce Macrae
Planners: Josh Bullmore, Sarah Sanford
Media Agency: OMD
Planners: Kathryn Armstrong, Chloe Grainger
Director: Pete Riski
Lighting Cameraman: Jean Noel Mustonen
Production Company: Rattling Stick
Production Company Producer: Kelly Spacey
Editor: Eve Ashwell / Cut & Run
Post production: Moving Picture Company
Post Producer: Leianna Campbell
Telecine: Henri Pulla
Music clearances: Jeff Wayne Music
The drivers must wear FedEx uniforms, drive FedEx-approved vehicles, and groom themselves according to FedEx's appearance standards. FedEx tells its drivers what packages to deliver, on what days, and at what times. Although drivers may operate multiple delivery routes and hire third parties to help perform their work, they may do so only with FedEx's consent.
Advertising Agency: BETC, Paris, France
Managing Director: Danièle Manasseh
Account Director: Fanny Buisseret
Creative Director: Florence Bellisson
Art Director: Marie Baillot
Traffic: Kemi Zinsou
TV Producers: Fabrice Brovelli
Head of TV production: Marine Monbeig
Assistant TV production: Gwendoline Burel
Production house: Iconoclast
Sound production: Christophe Caurret, Daniel Wolfe
Advertising Agency: Åkestam Holst, Sweden
Art Directors: Jesper Holst, Emelie Lundin
Copywriters: Mark Ardelius, Cecilia Flygt Högberg
Producer: Sandra Fohlin
Account Director: Magnus Hamberg
Planner: Henrik Sjödin
Visual Effects: FIDO
DoP: Alexander Crispin
Agency Producer: Leila Widgren
Post production: Chimney Pot
Editing Company: Thelma Louise
Music: Adam Nordén
Account manager: Ikka Norberg
Digital Producer: Alex Picha
Digital Planner: Anna Lundborg
Advertising Agency: Sugar&Partners, New Zealand
Creative Director / Copywriter: Damon O'Leary
Creative Director / Art Director: Dave Nash
Head of Art: Hamish Mcarthur
Retoucher: Gary Butcher
Your child needs your time, not your money.
Itsy Bitsy FM is a Romanian radio station for parents and kids.
Advertising Agency: GMP Advertising, Romania
Creative Director: Mihai Gongu
Art Director: Florin Padurean
Copywriter: Laur Raboj
Advertising Agency: Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Dave Damman
Executive Creative Director: Marty Senn
Art Directors: Matt Pruett, Teela Shandess
Copywriter: Nick Nelson
Director of Production: Joe Grundhoefer
Executive Content Producer: Freddie Richards
Senior Content Producer: Jon Mielke
Producer: Jenny Barnes
Business Manager: Vicki Oachs
Account Service Team: Stacy Janicki, Sarah Brehm
Senior Project Manager: Lisa Brody
Postproduction Company: Dummy Films
Director: Harold Einstein
Executive Producer: Eric Liney
Director of Photography: Ramsey Nickell
Editing House: Arcade Edit
Executive Producer: Sila Soyer
Editor: Dave Anderson
Assistant Editor: Mark Popham
Online Artist: Tristian Wake
Telecine: CO3
Colorist: Tim Masick
Sound Design: Butter; Heard City
Audio Post: Heard City
Mixer: Keith Reynaud
Social activism reached a tipping point this summer with the ALS Association’s unstoppable Ice Bucket Challenge, which to date has raised nearly $100 million while soaking millions more.
In the latest brand-activist mashup, Dr. Martens and Tavi Gevinson’s Rookie Magazine are advancing a teen-focused native advertising and social media campaign spotlighting six advocates whose causes range from gender equality to female empowerment, which they began last year.
Starting Sept. 16, Dr. Martens and the publisher will update their #StandForSomething effort by promoting the activists’ progress via native ads. The campaign will run on Rookie’s site as well as across Say Media’s 13 other properties, including xoJane and its extended network of more than 500 partner portals.
#standforsomething | Teen activists take a stand in this
Rookie/Say/Dr. Martens campaign
“Dr. Martens stands for individuality and self-expression,” said Sara LaHaie, U.S. brand marketing and PR manager. “It is really the individuals who wear our boots and shoes that bring the brand to life, and we are giving them a platform to share what they stand for.”
Social media has become what click-to-give banners used to be, with brands increasingly using these online platforms to raise awareness of causes they support. “We’re seeing a lot of commercial brands take this approach,” noted Jennifer Catto, Say Media’s vp, global solutions. “They get their own platform to speak to their audience of consumers, and they have the ability to affect social change in the way editors do.”
Marketers were all too eager to take on the Ice Bucket Challenge—and with flourishes intended to make their brands stand out. For example, KFC announced in its viral video that it would donate $1,000 to the cause—plus an additional $100 for anyone who completed the task using a KFC bucket. “It’s just a great way to leverage something that has taken off in a huge way,” a KFC rep said.
But these efforts must be handled with extreme care, noted BIA/Kelsey senior analyst Abid Chaudhry. Artificially attaching a brand to causes or trending stories can be perceived as tone deaf or even result in a massive PR debacle, such as when Entenmann’s hijacked the murder suspect Casey Anthony #notguilty hashtag to talk about its treats.
That makes KFC’s call to use its iconic buckets questionable, as it has nothing to do with ALS, Gartner research director Julie Hopkins pointed out. But the fast-food chain claims to have received a “hugely positive” response and almost 115,000 video views.
Hopkins also cited Samsung’s use of the Ice Bucket Challenge to showcase its Galaxy S5’s waterproof capabilities as potentially off-putting: “It’s about putting something forward so a target group doesn’t feel like they’re really being manipulated. There’s a risk in going too far.”
Then again, Samsung’s stunt encouraged many users to upload personal YouTube videos of their phones’ liquid-resistant qualities. “Hey, it worked for them. We’re talking about it,” BIA/Kelsey’s Chaudhry said.
#shinestrong | Pantene encouraged women to stop apologizing for being themselves.
Marketers will keep close watch on Apple’s Sept. 9 event when it is set to introduce the iPhone 6, the next evolution of its phone that dominates the U.S. and is central to mobile advertising.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant is expected to make wide-ranging and far-reaching changes to its flagship product, which has been updated annually since launching in 2007. Leaked images and multiple reports show there could be two iPhone 6 models—4.7 inches and 5.5 inches—that are larger than the previous version. This change—with vivid viewing—would come just as mobile ad leaders like Facebook and Twitter are selling more rich media, video and in-feed promos.
“Folks gravitate to the larger screen, and some think ‘banner ad,’ but that’s outdated thinking,” said Gian LaVecchia, managing partner at MEC. “We’re seeing programming delivered through mobile feeds. And there’s going to be a new richness to the canvas.”
Facebook wouldn’t discuss its strategy for larger iPhone screens, but what’s clear is that it’ll offer a different experience when compared to other platforms like Android. Just last week, Facebook launched Hyperlapse, an Instagram companion app that uses Apple technology.
Indeed, any changes to the iPhone will affect more than 40 percent of smartphone users in the U.S., per comScore. From screen adjustment to policy changes around location tracking, there could be profound impacts on how marketers attack mobile going forward. And the latest operating system is reportedly more powerful, giving increased flexibility to developers. For instance, new services will allow users to monitor health signs, which marketing experts said could push pharmaceutical brands to engage more on mobile.
And that may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to consumer utilities. Reports indicate the iPhone 6 may have innovative abilities to sync up with wearable devices.
What’s more, Alan Simkowski, vp of mobile solutions at GMR, remarked that the in-store marketing technology called iBeacon—an area that Apple dominates—is just starting to take off.
The iPhone 6 could help perfect the iBeacon, he said, by limiting the amount of battery it drains when it uses Bluetooth to communicate with shoppers’ phones.
“We know pilot programs are taking place, and there’s a lot of activity testing going on with brands and the iBeacon,” Simkowski explained. To his point, marketers for Faberge, Tribeca Film Festival and the Orlando Magic have recently trialed iBeacon campaigns.
And Apple’s latest iOS 8 software, always released before the company delivers a new device, will likely emphasize how notifications appear via its phone. Notifications are a key part of the iBeacon experience because it is what alerts consumers to offers and promotions when they walk the aisles.
One rumor is that the Apple logo on the back of the iPhone will light up when notifications arrive, which would represent a small-but-nostalgic change—a glowing logo is a classic look in past Apple products.
“With enhanced notifications, it’s even better for brands and retailers,” Simkowski said. “On the brand side, there are opportunities to engage people based on their location if they opt in. Then it’s clear sailing.”
The NFL season has yet to begin, but Russell Wilson, the reigning Super Bowl champion quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, is already retweeting sponsors like Braun. The 25-year-old represents a new era of sports spokespeople where athletes’ performances on social media channels are almost as important as how they play on the field.
Here’s the bottom line for brand sponsors: Those that align themselves with players who engage with large social audiences are getting the biggest bang for their bucks. Tech vendor Stout Social pulled data from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+ to generate its MVP Index (with 1.0 being a perfect score), crunching reach, conversation and engagement stats to zero in on the top seven NFL players in terms of social impact. Six are quarterbacks, with Seattle’s outspoken cornerback Richard Sherman proving to be an exception to the rule. Everyone loves a winner, indeed.
Advertising Agency: Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis, USA
Chief Creative Officer: Dave Damman
Executive Creative Director: Marty Senn
Art Directors: Matt Pruett, Teela Shandess
Copywriter: Nick Nelson
Director of Production: Joe Grundhoefer
Executive Content Producer: Freddie Richards
Senior Content Producer: Jon Mielke
Producer: Jenny Barnes
Business Manager: Vicki Oachs
Account Service Team: Stacy Janicki, Sarah Brehm
Senior Project Manager: Lisa Brody
Postproduction Company: Dummy Films
Director: Harold Einstein
Executive Producer: Eric Liney
Director of Photography: Ramsey Nickell
Editing House: Arcade Edit
Executive Producer: Sila Soyer
Editor: Dave Anderson
Assistant Editor: Mark Popham
Online Artist: Tristian Wake
Telecine: CO3
Colorist: Tim Masick
Sound Design: Butter; Heard City
Audio Post: Heard City
Mixer: Keith Reynaud
New Yorkers who tweet their shoe size and address with the hashtag #ReebokHDS could get a visit from the brand's Human Dispatch Service.
Advertising Agency: Venables Bell & Partners, USA
Executive Creative Directors: Paul Venables, Will McGinness
Creative Director: Erich Pfeifer
Associate Creative Director: Eric Boyd
Design Director: Cris Logan
Art Directors: Sean Flores, Rich North, Matt Miller
Copywriters: Nate Gagnon, Craig Ross, Matt Keats
Designer: Jarrett Carr
Head of Strategy: Michael Davidson
Communications Strategy Director: Beatrice Liang
Brand Strategist: Jake Bayham
Experiential Production House: Mkg
Production House: Fertl
Director: Jordan Bloch
Director of Photography: Derrick Monks
Line Producer: Mikyo Clark
Editing Company: Fertl
Editor: Derrick Monks
Sound Design: Richard Devine
Music: Marmoset Music
Mix: M Squared
Director of Integrated Production: Craig Allen, Manjula Nadkarni
Experiential, Broadcast Producer: Nalina Baratz
Production Coordinator: Megan Wasserman
Digital Producer: Marc Mclean
Account Manager: Ashton Atlas
Project Managers: Daniela Contreras, Shannon Duncan
Growth in UK manufacturing has eased back to more moderate levels, but companies remain confident about the economic outlook, according to a new study.
A survey of almost 300 businesses by the EEF, the UK manufacturers' group, suggested a continued positive picture, with plans to invest in machinery and recruit skilled employees. Investment intentions have been positive for 17 consecutive quarters, said the group.
The CBI is calling on the Airports Commission to recommend a single, larger hub airport for the UK, saying the move is critical for maintaining Britain's long-term economic growth.
The CBI report, released on Monday, effectively endorses Heathrow over Gatwick, just days before the commission is due to decide whether to eliminate the Thames estuary airport option from its consideration.
If you have an eCommerce business, you probably think that location doesn’t matter. But that isn’t always the case.
New research from the Wharton School suggests that real-world factors such as location can actually have a big impact on online businesses. In this instance though, the location that matters is that of the customers rather than the business itself. In an interview with Knowledge @ Wharton, Marketing Professor David Bell explained:
“What we’re finding is that it’s still about location, but this time it’s about the location of the customer. Where is that customer and with whom does that customer also live? That’s what’s really important in the world of eCommerce.”
Here are more of Bell’s observations:
The reason that a customer’s location matters so much is pretty simple, when you think about it. Existing customers can sometimes be the most powerful source of referrals, even for online companies. That’s because customers often talk to friends and acquaintances in the offline world about their experiences with online companies. So their location, in relation to potential new customers, is paramount.
Bell offered a practical example based on his research surrounding online men’s clothing retailer Bonobos.com:
“The firm that we looked at…in locations where customers were more apt to talk to each other and trust each other, there was a greater sales diffusion online. The target customer in this case is a male, aged 25-45, who is somewhat fashion-forward. It turns out that a good proxy for where those males are congregating is the number of bars and liquor stores per capita in a location. We had some sociological theory that told us about interaction and then we were able to go to public data and find a variable that was actually a pretty good proxy.”
So what’s the takeaway from all this data?
Bell insists that more online companies are learning the importance of also operating offline. Of course, there are still benefits to operating online, says Bell. It makes it easier to reach large numbers of potential customers, makes fulfillment easier and makes it easier to scale your business. But it could be a mistake to only focus those efforts online.
He says that businesses can find correlations between online customers and their offline activities, as Bonobos.com found. And finding these links can help to plan offline marketing activities that can lead to online sales.
Location Photo via Shutterstock
The post Hey, Ecommerce Companies – Location Still Matters! appeared first on Small Business Trends.
If you have an eCommerce business, you probably think that location doesn’t matter. But that isn’t always the case.
New research from the Wharton School suggests that real-world factors such as location can actually have a big impact on online businesses. In this instance though, the location that matters is that of the customers rather than the business itself. In an interview with Knowledge @ Wharton, Marketing Professor David Bell explained:
“What we’re finding is that it’s still about location, but this time it’s about the location of the customer. Where is that customer and with whom does that customer also live? That’s what’s really important in the world of eCommerce.”
Here are more of Bell’s observations:
The reason that a customer’s location matters so much is pretty simple, when you think about it. Existing customers can sometimes be the most powerful source of referrals, even for online companies. That’s because customers often talk to friends and acquaintances in the offline world about their experiences with online companies. So their location, in relation to potential new customers, is paramount.
Bell offered a practical example based on his research surrounding online men’s clothing retailer Bonobos.com:
“The firm that we looked at…in locations where customers were more apt to talk to each other and trust each other, there was a greater sales diffusion online. The target customer in this case is a male, aged 25-45, who is somewhat fashion-forward. It turns out that a good proxy for where those males are congregating is the number of bars and liquor stores per capita in a location. We had some sociological theory that told us about interaction and then we were able to go to public data and find a variable that was actually a pretty good proxy.”
So what’s the takeaway from all this data?
Bell insists that more online companies are learning the importance of also operating offline. Of course, there are still benefits to operating online, says Bell. It makes it easier to reach large numbers of potential customers, makes fulfillment easier and makes it easier to scale your business. But it could be a mistake to only focus those efforts online.
He says that businesses can find correlations between online customers and their offline activities, as Bonobos.com found. And finding these links can help to plan offline marketing activities that can lead to online sales.
Location Photo via Shutterstock
The post Hey, Ecommerce Companies – Location Still Matters! appeared first on Small Business Trends.
One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. According to the National Business Incubator Association (NBIA), there are over 7,000 of these locations worldwide, and even new online versions like Pitchswag springing up here and there.
Most of these are non-profits, set up by a university to commercialize new technologies, or a municipality to foster business development for the local economy. A few are still trying to make a profitable business out of nurturing startups, but it's a challenge to make money when your customer startups don't have many resources to give.
But there are a notable examples of for-profit incubators that are thriving, including YCombinator, led by Paul Graham in Silicon Valley, and TechStars, led by David Cohen and located in several key cities around the country, that have an excellent reputation and track record. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors.
Variations on the incubator theme are sometimes called business accelerators, science parks, or the Small Business Administration's Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) in almost every state in the US. Accelerators generally accept startups at a slightly later stage, and attempt to compress the timeline to commercialization into a few months, instead of a year or more.
Common resources provided by most of the incubators and accelerators today include the following:
If you don't need these common resources, but need specialized technology services, you should look for technology parks and research facilities, often sponsored by leading companies in specific technologies, like Intel New Business Initiatives and Google Ventures. As well, these companies usually bring real new venture funding opportunities to the startups they sponsor.
To get started, go to the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) web site, and use the lookup tool provided to see what's available in your area. This association is definitely one of the world's leading organization for advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. Another good online approach is a simple Internet search for articles like the "The 15 Best Startup Accelerators in the U.S."
But don't expect incubators to magically convert your pre-hatched idea into a successful company. The good incubators are highly selective, and expect you to demonstrate your commitment and a hard work ethic to meet expected milestones and show continuous progress. In a recent cycle, YCombinator had a thousand applicants for thirty slots, and several of these fell out before completion. Think of the that challenge like competing for limited venture capital.
I believe the real value of an incubator is in the relationships you can build there, with peers as well as domain experts, investors, and potential strategic partners. An incubator won't help you if the market opportunity is small, the competitors are large, or your solution doesn't address a real need.
As evidence that it does work, TechCrunch recently aggregated the combined valuation of YCombinator graduates at $14.4 billion, with the total amount raised topping $2 billion. That's over 500 successes in less than ten years. However, if you are looking to find an incubator like YCombinator for easy money and free services to hatch your startup, it probably won't work.
Growing up and surviving in the entrepreneur world requires a fine balance between an independent determination to be self-sufficient, and a humble willingness and ability to listen to and learn from the best and the brightest startup mother-hens out there. Are you and your startup ready to make the cut?