One of the things I was most excited about when I started working here was seeing the inside of an advertising agency. While I knew my way around social media pretty well, I had zero agency experience. I was eager to see how the entire machine worked, not just the Push-n-Pull side of things. Since then, I’ve developed an understanding of the nuts and bolts of a full-service agency such as this one.

Along the way, I’ve discovered that while I really love word of mouth marketing, I definitely have an interest in traditional marketing and advertising, too. I always look forward to the chance to step outside of the web world for a bit and join in on brainstorm meetings. Even though the conversation may not to have a lot to do with the exact work I’m doing or campaign I’m implementing, hearing what the other departments are working on and giving them feedback helps me understand the client’s “big picture”. By just observing my colleagues doing what they do best, whether that be creative direction or account management, I’m learning about marketing, period, not just the social media part.

It’s pretty sweet that I work at the kind of place where I get to carry out new media projects but also dabble in the traditional side, too. Good advertising means that each part – creative, copy, online, offline – complements the other, so experience with the fundamentals of marketing is great context for the WOM I’m doing; it helps me do my job better.

A friend of mine once said that advertising doesn’t work. That he’s never bought something because of an ad. I then asked him what mobile phone service he uses and he replied, Verizon Wireless. He went on to say that he had to sign up for Verizon because he travels all over the country and needs to have a good signal. I laughed to myself and thought of the tagline: “It’s the network.”

Many people see a commercial, but don’t rush out to buy the product. Unfortunately for us ad folk, consumers see our ads but don’t act on it as quickly as we’d like. When they finally do act on it, they usually don’t even know why.

My conversation with my friend was quite funny to me. How many products do you think you have bought because of some aspect of marketing? You probably won’t be able to name many. Take a look in your cabinets and closets and see how many store brands you see. Probably not many. You’ll see mostly brand names everywhere you look. But why? Have you ever tasted Safeway store brand mac and cheese? It’s awesome. But you bought Kraft.

There’s no mistaking the power of building a top of mind brand. Even if you won’t admit it.

Hello there – I’m Danielle Destrade Ali, and I’m the newest addition to The Cyphers Agency. Jocelyn introduced me earlier this week, and shared how I will be contributing to Push-n-Pull, the Word of Mouth division of the agency. As a social media devotee, working in this department is a great fit for me! For the next few months, I’ll be blogging about my experience as the newbie around here.

The Cyphers Agency is my first job at an advertising agency, and while I have experience in online marketing for various organizations, I had no idea what to expect at an agency. Would the workplace be like a modern day Mad Men? I hoped not – I’m not really in favor of smoking indoors. While I didn’t know what I was walking into, I did know that I would be working with people who had a lot more advertising experience than myself. I was more than a little nervous about being able to measure up to all the talent here.

My first day, I sat in on a brainstorming meeting, and expected to just observe and learn. I was a bit surprised when my colleagues were interested in my opinion! I quickly discovered that The Cyphers Agency has a friendly culture where the members of our team are constantly collaborating. Even the open layout of the office lends itself to teamwork. This lack of pretentiousness really allows everyone to share their great ideas freely. I’ve been invited to contribute my own suggestions from the very beginning, and I’ve helped come up with awesome plans for our clients. I love being a part of a team where everyone works together and supports each other, and its been exciting to get validation from my super talented co-workers.

Of course, I am still just getting my feet wet. While I’ve already had opportunities to contribute creatively, I know I will continue to grow and gain more responsibility. I’m excited to continue working, especially with our campaign for The National Chicken Council, which is an excellent example of how social media marketing can be fun, useful and effective all at once!

Keep checking back to read more about what I’m working on and learning about.

Effective advertising makes relevant connections with its target audience. To be successful you must understand, respect and embrace the diversity that exists in our wonderful country.

Young or old. Black or white. Sick or healthy. Whatever group you are targeting, remember these things when marketing to them.

Look at the whole person, not one demographic characteristic. Not everyone in your demo will make the same amount of money, live in the same area or have the same values and attitudes. Psychographics can never be stereotyped.

Avoid stereotypes. It seems like a no-brainer but it happens all the time. Mainly because the advertiser fails to put himself in the customer’s shoes. Account Planners in large agencies bridge this gap but many of us out there need to think this way on our own. Remember there are also positive stereotypes. e.g. Not all Asian Americans are good at math.

Laugh with them. Humor does have a place if it doesn’t rely on stereotypes. If you’re too serious, it looks like you’re trying to be safe – as if it’s a different type of advertising category. It’s all just advertising.

Make relevant ties to their personal causes. Suggest to your client that they donate a portion of sales to causes that are important to them.

And at the end of it all, test, test, test. Test your marketing on members of the target audience.

The Cyphers Agency is proud to announce another addition to our ever growing team. Kari Miller joins us as an account coordinator, providing support on the account management front. She will be working with clients such as Plastic Surgery Specialists, Severn Savings Bank, and Heim Lantz, among others, and will help strengthen our marketing efforts.

Kari graduated from Elon University with a degree in Strategic Communications and a minor in Psychology. Aside from advertising and marketing, Kari loves Mexican food, downtown Annapolis, the beach, and country music in the summer. Her favorite tv show is The Office (whose isn’t?) and she enjoys travelling and even spent some time in London. Cheerio!

Welcome Kari, we look forward to working with you.