Headquartered in Southern California, Infinium Spirits was established in 2005 and has numerous brands in its portfolio including Zaya Rum, Corralejo Tequila, Seagram’s Vodka, Crystal Head Vodka and Fernet-Branca.

“Infinium Spirits has an impressive lineup of brands and we are excited to help leverage an integrated approach to promote them,” said Robert Davidman, CEO of EarthQuake Media. “We will help Infinium build awareness and sales through a multi-faceted marketing campaign that will utilize a broad array of media executions.”

Lucillia Crowe, VP Director of Marketing for Infinium Spirits, said, “We chose EarthQuake as our marketing partner because of their track record in creating compelling and efficient media campaigns. Their deep expertise in the area of emerging media is an added bonus. EarthQuake shared some exciting ideas with us and we look forward to their implementation in the coming months.”

About Infinium Spirits
Infinium Spirits focuses on developing distinctive brands in the premium and ultra premium sectors of the spirits industry.  Infinium Spirits was founded in 2005 by Wilson Daniels Ltd., and is based in Southern California; for more information go to: http://www.infiniumspirits.com

About EarthQuake Media
EarthQuake Media (http://www.EarthQuakeMedia.com) is an integrated media solutions agency. Since Earthquake’s inception in 1999, accomplishments have included major multimedia advertising campaigns using traditional as well as emerging media tactics. By incorporating multiple forms of media, EarthQuake provides its clients with the opportunity to speak directly to their target audience by not only reaching the mass market, but also engaging them one-on-one.

The South Florida location offers local clients the full range of EarthQuake’s services, including media planning and buying, the development of experiential marketing programs through events and sponsorships, and social media marketing. 

Jon Davidman, president of EarthQuake Media, has relocated to Florida to run the agency’s new office.

Robert Davidman, chairman and CEO of EarthQuake, said, “We believe there is a huge demand among South Florida companies for the kind of integrated media expertise that we bring to the table. In addition, we have already run many experiential marketing events in the region and will be able to expand our activity in that regard by having a local presence. Jon is the ideal person to ramp up our South Florida efforts, as he is recognized as one of our industry’s leading new business ‘rainmakers’ and has a unique ability to conceptualize incredibly creative solutions that address marketers’ needs.”

About EarthQuake Media
EarthQuake Media (www.EarthQuakeMedia.com) is an integrated media solutions company. Since its inception in 1999, its accomplishments have included major multimedia advertising campaigns using traditional assets and translating them to the web, in addition to integrated TV, radio, print and internet marketing campaigns. By incorporating multiple forms of media, EarthQuake provides its clients with the opportunity to speak directly to individuals by not only reaching and talking to consumers as a mass market, but also engaging them one-on-one, into interactive participation.

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CONTACT
Mark Braff
Braff Communications LLC
201-612-0707

“Despite the fact that experiences will be the essence of life in the New Economy, “… most companies trying to pull this ‘experience thing’ off will fail miserably.  They won’t get it … This ‘experience thing’ is … extremist.  Not a dab of ‘delight’ here.  Nor a pinch of ‘amusement’ there. But … An Entirely Different Way of Life.” 

Tom Peters from his book Re-Imagine!

We see it every day.  I read about one today in which a wedding themed magazine required brides-to-be to race up a giant cake covered in 50lbs of frosting to win a honeymoon.  Here at EarthQuake, we’ve helped clients like PartyPoker & Vitamin Water capture college consumers at Spring Break by bringing their products to life.  While the PartyPoker Poker Tent on the beach was an obvious way to allow engagement with the product, the Vitamin Water Sandcastle Destruction was more creative in its design & execution.  Check out the video evidence here.  Both programs achieved the stated goal of allowing the consumers to interact with the products in a memorable situation leading to a desired action.

With emerging media making a growing impact in the marketplace, vying for consumers’ attention becomes increasingly difficult.  In the past ten years, experiential marketing has become a hot topic in the branding world.  Some of the most prominent brands such as Levi’s, Nokia, Harley-Davidson, Wells Fargo and Volkswagen have implemented successful experiential programs to reach their target.  Toyota’s Scion marketing team is particularly adept at engaging their customers as hands on evangelists.

So then, what makes for a good experiential idea?  Experts say experiential marketing is the difference between telling people about features or benefits within the confines of a traditional ad versus letting them experience it and achieve their own “a-ha!” moment.  By focusing on creating fresh connections between brands and consumers, marketers can create experiences that are personally relevant, memorable, interactive and emotional.  Connections that lead to increased sales and brand loyalty are the main goals.  Experiential marketing can also be applied creatively to deliver greater impact while reducing costs and to weave in market research or customer insight research in ways that could not be done before.

At the end of the day, experiential marketing is another piece of arsenal in your marketing toolbox.  Using this tool correctly allows direct interaction with consumers in person and brings your brand alive, but it’s important to point out that simply creating a live encounter between a consumer and a brand does not mean you’ve succeeded at being an experiential marketer.  Two potential marketing potholes to be aware of include not having a defined goal which may lead to a connection, but ends up with unintended results or secondly, creating experiences that cause disconnect between what is happening and the brand. 

Great ideas require creativity, focus and integration of the brand identity.  Great experiences take time, money, research and clear objectives.  Great results come from proper execution of your plan and trusting that your product or service can excite your customer as much as it excites you.

Need a great experiential idea or just some feedback on yours? Give us a call at (212) 204-9213, we’re here for you.

Send messages that hook your audience

Do you click with consumers? Or more to the point, are they clicking on you? As online marketers, we are constantly testing new strategies and tactics to achieve our goals more efficiently. Whether we are trying to obtain new customers, increase retention, build awareness or enhance loyalty, e-mail continues to be an effective and reliable weapon in our media arsenal. E-mail’s versatility in personalizing and targeting messages is unmatched by any other medium but, like other communication tools, its impact is much greater when used correctly.

There are best practices you can employ to combat declining e-mail open rates caused by greater amounts of spam, and increase click-through rates and overall click-to-open rates (CTOR). Since the CTOR expresses click-through rates as a percentage of opened e-mail not delivered, it is a strong gauge of how well your e-mail motivates people. Consider your e-mail list the foundation of your campaign. It should be qualified and cleansed (scrubbed against your suppression list), void of hard bounces and, most important, CAN-SPAM compliant.

It is very important to take time to make sure that your list is in good shape, otherwise you risk low performance, negative sentiment and may get your e-mail permanently blocked by the service provider. Once your list is in order, carefully consider your message. Beginning with the subject line, make sure to keep it short, relevant and clear as to what’s inside (keeping it under 50 characters). The subject line is your first and only chance to influence an open. Never personalize in the subject line (first or last names), don’t use flashy/funny terms, symbols or letters entirely in caps (that’s a guaranteed spam folder candidate). Instead, let the person know exactly what your offer is in a clear and defined way. It’s also helpful to stress value, but do not use language that sounds too good to be true. It is important that the “from” line establishes what company is sending the e-mail. People should be able to quickly identify the sender.

As with the subject line, do not personalize by using someone’s name, but rather state clearly a company name that’s easily recognizable by the target audience. Someone is not going to open an e-mail if that person or company is not familiar to them.

Once the e-mail is opened, it is vital that the content matches the subject line. This connection will perpetuate trust and increase clicks. You should also be sure that a call to action is prominently displayed within the copy. Although some people might view a portion of their e-mail in a preview pane without opening your e-mail, tracking software will record it as an open. In this case, all is not lost if your copy is compelling and positioned correctly. By setting up your copy while keeping these viewable areas in consideration, you can accurately align your call to action accordingly. Thus even a small preview of e-mail copy can still garner a click.

Finally, make sure that your landing page is optimized to reflect and reinforce the offer that brought the user there. Very often marketers invest time and money into their e-mail list, subject line and content only to have people drop off once they come to the landing page. Synergy between your landing page and e-mail content will go far in guaranteeing that they will take action once there. Also don’t forget to include opt-in request language on your landing page. This allows new users to provide their information and gives you the opportunity to add information that you didn’t already have in your database.

And stop looking over the neighbor’s fence. Be sure that you compare results across your own campaigns with similar objectives to derive the most accurate changes in performance. Trying to meet or beat some kind of “industry average” is a poor way of measuring effectiveness. There are too many variables to consider when comparing e-mail campaign performance. Only focus on your own results.

Published by OMMA in March 2008

Davidman’s panel, “The Real New Media: Impact and Measurement,” will be held on Thurs., March 6 at 2 p.m. and again at 3:30 p.m. on the same day. The panel will examine early efforts to measure the impact of advertising in social media, peer-to-peer media and mobile media.

The session will be moderated by Nick Pahade, executive director of digital development, Publicis Groupe Media. Joining Davidman as panelists will be Konrad Feldman, co-founder and CEO, Quantcast; Jeremy Lockhorn, director, emerging media and video innovation, Avenue A Razorfish; and Judy Vogel, senior vice president, director of research, PHD US.

This annual conference will feature speakers and panels covering the latest developments in media. The popular media department supplier trade show will feature over 100 booths with exhibitors showcasing their products and services. 

AAAA, founded in 1917, is the national trade association representing the advertising agency business in the United States. Its membership produces approximately 80 percent of the total advertising volume placed by agencies nationwide.

About EarthQuake Media
EarthQuake Media (www.EarthQuakeMedia.com) is an integrated media solutions company. Since its inception in 1999, its accomplishments have included major multimedia advertising campaigns using traditional assets and translating them to the web, in addition to integrated TV, radio, print and internet marketing campaigns. By incorporating multiple forms of media, EarthQuake provides its clients with the opportunity to speak directly to individuals by not only reaching and talking to consumers as a mass market, but also engaging them one-on-one, into interactive participation.

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The hype of viral video, viral applications, viral media and viral thisandthat was deafening in 2007.
A recent study by Deloitte & Touche confirmed consumer appetite for viral content with nearly 70% of all Internet users consuming UGC. Every brand is now chasing viral glory–to mostly dismal results because:

Authenticity is difficult to replicate (especially for marketers)
• Brands are competing with their customers for attention
• Viral content is episodic
• Reach is not an accurate measure
• Hype or buzz (prospects) is not equal to word-of-mouth (customers)
• Viral is often cute and funny rather than the meaningful and utilitarian

VITAL must become the new viral in 2008.
Instead of viral content, which is episodic and largely untested, VITAL content is a commitment to building a sustainable relationship with users by sharing content authentically and consistently. VITAL content is part of every aspect of your marketing and communications.

Vital content is one-to-one. Vital content is measurable.
For anyone tired of the question, “can we create a viral video” instead of “how do we engage our audiences via social media,” here are a few tips on creating a vital content strategy.

• Begin by mapping your audience segmentation to actual online communities (a demographic is not a community on the Internet)
• Identify the mavens within each of these communities by influence, popularity and relevance
• Inventory and create shareable assets by speaking to community leaders—learn from your influencers
• Distribution (sharing) is equally and (counter-intuitively) as important as production.
• Tone can matter as much as content
• Measure campaigns by influence, not reach
• Don’t try to sell, try to share
• Keep hype and word-of-mouth in balance

The reality of social media is that you are ceding (or sharing) control of your brand, because your customers are not only consuming your media, but also making their own. Buzz from viral content is ephemeral, but word-of-mouth from VITAL content is sustainable.

Giacchetti joined EarthQuake in 2003. During his time at the agency, he has developed and led numerous fully integrated campaigns encompassing TV, print, radio, sponsorship, Internet, out-of-home and wireless media for clients including HBO, Cinemax, Magnolia Pictures, Film Movement and various record labels. In 2007, he was named a “Rising Star of Digital Media” by OMMA Magazine, and he has written numerous articles on digital media issues for industry trade publications.

Prior to joining EarthQuake, Giacchetti was a senior media manager at VNU Business Marketing’s Worldwide Sports Division. There he was involved in business-to-business media marketing for clients such as Under Armour, Starter and Woolrich Brands.

Giacchetti also was a senior media buyer and account executive at TAM Communications.  In this role, he was responsible for the daily account management and media research, planning and execution for two large legal accounts.

Lumerman joined EarthQuake in 2005. He is responsible for media strategy, research, planning and buying for all EarthQuake clients. He has developed and led numerous campaigns utilizing TV, print, radio, Internet and out-of-home. Lumerman was named to Media Magazine’s “Top 10 Rising Stars” of 2006.

Prior to joining EarthQuake, Lumerman was a senior buyer at Universal McCann. There he managed the buying for clients such as Kohl’s Department Store, Maytag and Hoover.

Lumerman also served as a media buyer at MediaVest. In this role, he was responsible for the daily account management for clients such as Heineken, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Avon, Philip Morris and Procter & Gamble.

The weather may be turning colder, but now is the time to think about adding some heat to your 2008 marketing plans.  EarthQuake Events has two exciting opportunities to reach college students and loyal alumni, BeachBlast at Spring Break and Gridiron Bash Spring Football Tour.

BEACHBLAST at SPRING BREAK

BeachBlast is one of the largest and most successful promotional events in Panama City Beach, Florida during Spring Break.  BeachBlast is unlike any other college promotional event in that it caters to over 450,000 college and high school age students from over 250 colleges and universities in the US, and lasts for one full month.  This year marks BeachBlast’s 9th year at Spring Break in Panama City Beach.  With this kind of experience with the venue and the student demographic, we have been able to create the strongest most successful promotions in the Spring Break market.

EarthQuake Events has a full interactive approach to event marketing which brings continuous excitement and energy to our Spring Break promotions and our clients’ brands. We believe that the students are most interested in not only sampling products but in being a part of an interactive event which gives them a chance to associate the good times they are having at spring break with the products, samples and promotions that are involved.  Clients who have run successful Spring Break include:

PartyPoker.com - Poker Tent on the Beach
Vitamin Water - Sandcastle Demolition
PicksPal.com - March Madness Pick Em
1.800.FREE.411 – Dash for Cash

Since Panama City Beach attracts more college students then all the other Spring Break locations combined, we know that the promotional value of being involved in BeachBlast continues to be immense.  With more than 450,000 students from over 250 colleges and universities spanning more than 40 states in the US, this promotional opportunity is the best way to have nation wide reach while being concentrated in one area.

GRIDIRON BASH SPRING FOOTBALL TOUR

As the popularity of college football continues to rise, the desire for off-season programs to feed that appetite increases.  Sports & Entertainment have a deep rooted history together as an effective platform to reach and capture die hard, casual and periphery fans.  Gridiron Bash will become the sports & entertainment platform to take Spring Football to the next level.

What is Spring Football?  Traditionally, major Division 1 football schools hold spring practices and “Spring Games” to showcase the following year’s squad and new recruits.  Attendance for Spring Games at select universities reaches upwards of 92,000 fans.  Spectators include college students, alumni and general team fans. 

Gridiron Bash will leverage the excitement around the spring game by creating a unique fan experience.  In 2008, Gridiron Bash will occur simultaneously around the country on April 18th on the eve of the 15-20 participating schools spring games.  Total anticipated attendance is projected at 750,000-1,000,000+ people.  Gridiron Bash will encompass a wide variety of elements including pep rallies, FanFest, autograph signings, chalk talk sessions, tailgating, football expo, final team practice walk through and a premier music concert featuring artists with ties to the university or region.  Multiple events will take place on different college campuses on the same day around the country, creating a made-for-TV media platform that could become the largest sports based event platform in the country.

Now is the time to start planning for your college spring marketing promotions.  EarthQuake Events has the experience and know how to help your brand make the grade.

Headquartered in Hong Kong with production operations in Hannover, Shanghai, Mumbai, Taipei and New York, Voyages Television was established in 2001 and offers a broad range of travel and lifestyle programs.  Program formats include lifestyle, retail, short-sell and event-driven specials.  The channel provides viewers with quality programs that include a travel purchase option and advertising sales opportunities for marketers.

“Voyages Television is a compelling network with very ambitious growth projections, and we welcome the challenge of helping them with their go-to-market plan in the U.S.,” said Robert Davidman, CEO of EarthQuake Media.  “We will help Voyages build awareness through a multi-faceted marketing campaign that will utilize a broad array of media and creative executions.”

Michael McNabb, Founder, Voyages Television, said, “We chose EarthQuake as our marketing partner because of their track record in marketing television brands and deep expertise in the area of new media.  They shared some exciting ideas with us and we look forward to their implementation in the coming months.”

About Voyages Television
Voyages Television’s point of difference is that each of its programs contains a holiday offer that can be booked by the viewer on the Voyages web site or via a call center.  As a result, Voyages earns revenue from advertising sales, program sponsorship and the sale of holiday packages direct to consumers.  Voyages’ strategy is to build a global platform for the marketing of luxury travel destinations and distribution of travel products by focusing on six major markets (China, India, Japan, USA, UK and Germany).  Voyages’ focus is solely on leisure travel.