I would like to end this busy week with a little TCA humor. Tidbits of our insightful conversations are worth sharing, because frankly, they’re kind of weird and kind of funny.  Happy Friday!

• You can’t calibrate a rubber band.
• Is Niagara Falls in Canadia? (Yes, that’s supposed to say Canadia)
• My onion hand is distracting me.
• If we’re going to do this, we can’t expect to get the chickens back.
• I have nut breath.
• You don’t realize how much you use your butt until it hurts.
• Do I sound too gross to go on a date with tonight?
• They should create a stroller for adults…Answer: They have that, it’s called a wheel chair.
• I’ll be over here sleeping with my eyes open.

As marketers, we are always conducting research to verify the perfect target audience for a product or service. We are experts at knowing the target audience – what they do and how they think. It is our knowledge of the demographics and psychographics of the target audience, that allow us to make strategic media placements in order to create the most effective, integrated campaigns. In a perfect world, all of these placements would fit like a glove and perform exactly as we expect them to, but of course we don’t live in a perfect world. There are no special formulas that tell us how a particular audience is going to respond to the campaign in each media and vehicle.

Until someone cracks that code (and makes millions of dollars) test campaigns are extremely important. Unless you are one of those companies who likes to toss your cash in the trash (yeah, that rhymes!), a test campaign is crucial in order to get that coveted ROI.

A properly tracked test marketing campaign will allow you to analyze the results and get a clear understanding of how your target audience responds to your campaign. Maybe Facebook ads don’t get through to your “social butterfly” target audience like you thought they were going to, but the placements on ad networks have created tons of leads. Instead of wasting money on Facebook advertising, after analyzing the results of your test campaign, you can now reapportion your budget to the vehicles that are giving you the biggest bang for your buck.

While it takes some investment (both in time and budget), test marketing will ensure a well optimized campaign, without wasting away your budget. Even if you don’t have the budget for formal test marketing, be ready and willing to change your original plans as the campaign results come in. The best research is taking your big ideas for a spin, while you still have time to tweak them and make them the best they can be.

If you’re like me, sometimes a good toe tapper is all that will get you through a particularly tedious task. This song, *Up Up Up* by Givers is a catchy little pop number with a pretty epic final 30 seconds. If you like this, grab the whole album. It’s a winner.

…coffee edition.

We’re happy to announce the addition of Laura Farnham to our work family. She has joined us as an account executive, working directly with clients like Huntington Learning Center and Mr. Beams, as well as helping on other key accounts. She’ll also be an important part our new business ventures. Laura brings agency, marketing, and graphic design experience, as well as event planning, media buying, and sales skills.

Laura graduated from West Virginia University where she majored in Journalism. She calls herself an “army brat,” and has lived in 7 different states, as well as Germany. Now she lives in Annapolis, where she is obsessed with things like sushi, WVU football, Bravo TV shows, and Pinterest. Bonus fun fact: Laura is almost half Native American – Tuscarora nation of the Iroquios tribe.

Welcome, Laura. We’re excited to work with you in the coming year.