Marketing READ

Everyone sees the world through a different lens—and that’s what makes stories powerful. In this section of Speaking Human, we share written narratives that explore life from all angles, offering fresh perspectives, emotional depth, and a spark of creativity. Whether it’s fiction or real-life reflections, these stories are designed to resonate, connect, and expand the way you see the world.

Short-Form vs. Long-Form: Which Content Is King on Social?

Short form versus long-form content on social media has gone back and forth and our shrinking attention span resembles the goldfish.

Social Media and its Positive Effect on Golf

Social media, including YouTube, introduces new people to the sport that people often view as serious or boring.

3 NFL Teams Doing TikTok Better than You and What You Can Learn

While your brand may be very different from an NFL team, we believe the same principles of TikTok apply to everybody.

Unexpected Touchdowns: What Kelce & Swift Teach Us About Social Media Magic

Brands must create fun and emotion-filled content to connect with fans on social media and bring their story to life.

Does Advertising on Streaming Services Have to Suck?

Here’s how streamers can transform the TV commercial experience from sour to sweet.

Snapchat is Running Ads about… Ads

Believe it or not, Snapchat is running an ad campaign focused on getting businesses to run advertisements on their platform.

Business Brands Should BeReal

Even if BeReal’s trending life comes to a close, companies can learn from the authenticity values BeReal aims to promote.

How Duolingo Conquered TikTok and How Other Brands Can Too

Duolingo is a language learning app that has been able to apply the FATHM formula to their TikTok account, creating massive success for their brand.

Children Influencers: Are parents exploiting their children for fame and fortune?

Imagine someone posting you without your consent, eliminating all privacy, just to make money. This is how some children feel.

Building Your Community on Discord

There is no way to advertise or market on Discord directly, but it could be a valuable tool for building a strong community.

Snapchat Locations: Good for Brands, Risky for Users

Imagine having the ability to flash an advertisement across multiple screens as customers are in close proximity to your location.

15 Unforgettable Commercial Catchphrases

Play the game that’s sweeping the nation!

Live Más Productions – The Narrative of Nacho Fries

Join us as we dive into a world steeped in conflict. This is the world of Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries ads.

Gods, Dogs and Super Villains: Electric Vehicles Swarm the Super Bowl

Join us on Speaking Human as we recount three of the most memorable electric car ads from the Super Bowl!

Speaking Vegan: The Plant-Based Marketing Boom

The plant-based food market has exploded over the last year, and their marketing efforts continue that trend of growth.

The Perfect Branding of Squid Game

The international sensation, Squid Game, has become the most viewed Netflix series of all time. How has it fanned the flames of fame?

The 2021 Tokyo Olympics – Marketing in a New World

Keep up with the 2021 Tokyo Olympics here on Speaking Human!

Feeling Good About our Top 3 Cannes Lions Champions

Take a trip with us as we review the Cannes Lions winners and pick our 3 favorites of the bunch.

P&G Commits 2,021 Acts of Kindness in 2021

P&G’s “Lead with Love” campaign looks to inspire good deeds related to environmental, cultural and social change.

A Snack Company’s First Outdoor Ad Was Only Seen by a Pigeon and a Runner

In 2020, events were cancelled, plans inevitably changed and work environments transitioned to a more online format.

Choosing Quality Over Quantity in the World of Influencers

Micro-influencers often have a credibility to uphold, so they can’t afford to promote a product unless they have used it themselves.

3 Reasons Why Companies Should Use Virtual Influencers

Virtual influencers are like traditional human influencers, except they “live” to serve the brands they’ve been created for—quite literally

AdWatch: LIQUID DEATH | Cutie Polluties

In this ad by Liquid Death we weigh in on how much plastic is entering our oceans. To commemorate the fact that in 2050 plastic will outnumber our fish they are launching a toy line called cutie polluties.

Pinfluencers Inspiring Consumers for Their Next DIY Idea, Home Project and Meal Time

With 12 million followers in 2012, Pinterest has grown to over 150 million active users as of 2020.

50 All-Time Greatest Sports Movie Marketing Taglines

From Caddyshack to Creed, which one of these classic sports flick taglines do you think is the champ?

Brands connecting people during social distancing

Major brands and small local businesses are communicating their approach to handling the virus and how they’re keeping employees and customers safe.

A Sneak Peek at Behind-the-Scenes Marketing

Behind-the-scenes is a type of content that provides a revealing and intimate glimpse into the inner workings of a production.

The Truth behind #SponsoredAd

80% of smartphone users use their phone in the first 15 minutes of waking up in the morning.

Candy Brands Spook Fans on Social for Halloween

Treatmakers like Skittles, Snickers and Reese’s are pulling out their best digital marketing tricks to grab customers.

Adobe Makes a Movie Based on a Poster

An inventive marketing campaign sparked the creation of this fast, fun and clever film directed by Zach Braff.

Forget Disney World, Oregon Is Where Dreams Come True

Travel Oregon launches a slightly more exaggerated sequel to its hit campaign.

Ritz-Carlton Uses Movie Magic to Advertise Its Suites

This series shows all the possibilities that come with a stay at the Ritz.

Idris Elba is a Big, Dreaming Kid for Squarespace

The versatile actor takes us on a creative ride through his wildest dreams.

The Replacer (Mis)Manages Reality So You Can Play More CoD

The popular game franchise brings back an ad character played by the guy from “Fargo”.

MLB Steps Up to the Marketing Plate

Baseball has fallen behind the count when it comes to marketing its players. Here’s what the league needs to do to play catch up.

Ridley Scott Tries to Best ‘1984’ with Hennessy’s ‘The Seven Worlds’

The director of “Alien” takes viewers on an intergalactic odyssey of flavor.

15 TV Shows in the GOAT Conversation

Here are the <1% of shows regularly mentioned in discussions about the best television series ever.

Brand Spotlight: BioLite Looks to Light the World

The New York City start-up hopes to help lead the renewable energy revolution around the world.

ITV Showcases Great Characters in New Ad Campaign

The UK’s most popular TV channel focuses its marketing on the people that drive its dramas.

Apple Captures a Picture of Beauty Inside ‘The Bucket’

Instead of making another ad talking about what the iPhone Xs can do, Apple made this short film showing us.

The Real Tea on Social Media Etiquette

Here are five valuable tips on how your brand should use social media—written from a consumer point of view.

Music: A Major Key to Marketing Success

Drawing attention to an underappreciated artist or song is one way brands can tap the power of music.

BBDO New York Delivers Hauntingly Effective Ad for Sandy Hook Promise

Disturbing, but necessary, “Point of View” is a valuable and lingering PSA.

‘Avengers: Endgame’ Official Trailer – The Beginning of the End?

Marvel begins the marketing push for its 2019 multi-superhero behemoth with these two minutes.

3 Modern Brands with Stellar Products and Strong Character

There are some brands we connect to with our hearts and brains (almost) as much as our wallets.

Navigating Ups & Downs of the Top Social Media Watering Holes

Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are top online destinations. But they could be better.

What Do Your Most Frequented Apps Say About You?

It’s possible to get a picture of someone’s personality through the apps they use daily.

Canal+ Celebrates Creative Minds in ‘The Idea’

This commercial for a French TV channel may be the Best Picture of this year’s ads.

Civic Nation Gets Murderous with Voting Message

Sometimes the only solution to a murder mystery is to head to the polls.

Video Killing the Content Game

Real-time video is quickly climbing the charts as a preferred social content medium. Here’s why it’s a hit.

Is It Time to Change Your Hashtag Game on Instagram?

There are some smart things you can do to help get your posts seen without getting them flagged or banned by the ‘gram.

Nike Celebrates Inspiration Over Victory in Invigorating Marathon Ad

This simple yet powerful ad places viewers inside the shoes of record-breaking runner Eliud Kipchoge.

Google Chrome Makes Search Come Alive with New Ad

Every search has a story. That’s the clever conceit propelling this effective ad forward.

8 Insanely Great Halloween Horror Movie Party Picks

Not every horror movie works for the party atmosphere. Check out our curated picks to make your Halloween celebration a scream.

Chuck Norris Gives His Powers to Toyota Tacoma

If you’ve ever wanted to see a truck save a man from quicksand, win a chess match, and surf an epic wave, this ad is for you.

Duracell Warns Fantasy Drafters about the Dangers of Depleted Batteries

Who would have guessed the profound implications batteries could have on your fantasy football season (and your life)?

4 Brands Killing It with Comedy on Twitter

Despite the many landmines of attempting to deliver laughs via tweet, these handles make us chuckle on a regular basis.

Icelandic Marathon Ad Races Through Famous Film Running Scenes

This propulsive promotional video recreates the many reasons characters run in classic movies.

TaylorMade Golf Drives Message Home with ‘Marshals’

This ad hits on the powerful impact of new TwistFace drivers by tapping into the experience of bored course marshals.

Canada’s Boston Pizza Champions the Lazy with Innovative Packaging

After years of sitting around like stale crust, the pizza box finally gets a taste of innovation.

Gatorade Celebrates Soccer’s Greatest in ‘Heart of a Lio’

Released for the 2018 World Cup, this animated short film tracks the journey of soccer star Lionel Messi.

Top 5 Album Covers of All Time (Plus 15 Bonus Tracks)

There are many great album covers. But these are the ones that keep spinning in our minds, leaving a lasting impression.

McDonald’s Ad Series Takes Celebrity Voices Away

Find out what has John Goodman, Gabrielle Union and Charles Barkley unable to speak.

Ordering an Octopus from 1,000 Meters Under the Sea

This short film shows the majestic things that happens when you order an Octopus dive watch.

10 Biggest Summer Blockbusters of All Time

See the colossal hits from the past 50 years that made our summer movie all-star team.

Am I Watching a Car Ad or a Short Film?

This “unidentified advertising object” makes the bold move of not having a clear brand message. Does it pay off?

Mitsubishi Is a Classic Reborn in BSSP’s New Ad

Mix a compact SUV with violin, piano, and rain and you have the ingredients for an audio-visual feast.

Influencer Marketing on YouTube: How to Find the Right Channels

Keep these three key principles in mind when looking for influencers to make a genuine difference for your brand.

NBA Plays to Fill the Streets

This ad shows us how a champion can fill a city with excitement and energy.

6 Best NBA Team Logos

These are the squads that hit game winners with their logo designs.

You Just Got Van Dammed by Tostitos

If you don’t get together already, Jean-Claude Van Damme will steal your friends and eat Tostitos with them.

7 Greatest Advertising Slogans of All Time

These slogans clicked with customers, brought their brands to the forefront, and became pop-culture reference points.

Whole Foods Imagines All the Pastabilities with Its New Ad Campaign

While the message is whole, this ad series is somehow oddly empty.

Diving Deeper Into ‘We Are the Coca-Cola Company’

This ad shines a different light on the company behind Coke—which is both interesting and confusing.

Freelancers to the Rescue in Upwork’s ‘Hey World’ Campaign

Quick and colorful animated spots tap into pop culture and current events.

Trailers Before Movies Is an Outdated & Redundant Concept

Does it really make sense to play trailers before movies anymore?

Does Kyrie Irving Find His Groove in This Nike Ad?

Like a mixed tape, this commercial directed by Kyrie has a lot of ups and downs and never quite gets a good flow.

Whoa. A 30-Minute Ad?

Does Qualcomm’s “Lifeline” work as entertainment and advertising?

What’s the Greatest Best Picture of the 21st Century?

20 movies have won the Best Picture Oscar since 2000. Which one is really the Best?

Growing Up Means Moving On from iPhone in This Samsung Ad

Throwing shade with 10 years of iPhone disappointments in 60 fast-paced seconds.

Headlines Help Propel ‘Black Panther’ to Phenomenal Success

It’s not just marketing fueling this Marvel movie at the box office. It’s conversation.

Notes: Brand Film Rewrites Intimacy for the Digital Age

A couple’s entire love story (and life story) told through a series of handwritten notes.

Anatomy of a Brand Email: Netflix Price Change

Breaking down a recent Netflix customer email to identify the marketing hits and misses.

3 Tech Brands Making Big Strides with Mainstream Consumers

These names are rising up or bouncing back to build positive buzz with the public at large.

Striking Nike Lacrosse Ad Sells Sixth Sense to Athletes

Action, animals and evolution: This commercial grabs you with top filmmaking techniques.

5 Essential Early Release 2018 Super Bowl Commercials

A lot of brands release commercials before the big game. These are the ones you need to watch.

The Reshuffling of NFL Playoff Brands After Round 2

Which teams’ stocks are most on the rise after Round 2 of the NFL Playoffs?

Which Classic Holiday Commercial Is the Best?

See the nominees and vote for the classic Christmas commercial you think owns the season.

Pennzoil Takes Drivers on a “Joyride”

After watching Pennzoil’s high-octane ad series, you may never look at an oil change the same.

Droga5 + Pixar + Ancestry.com = Inspiration

Can an ad effectively promote two very different brands at one time?

Brands Across the Universe Capitalize on Star Wars Success

Check out some of the brands utilizing Star Wars in their marketing efforts…

8 App Recommendations That Will Make Your Life Better

This octet of awesome apps will add convenience and joy to your existence.

KENZO’s “My Mutant Brain” Dismantles Notions of Perfume Advertising

This wild, energetic brand video takes perfume marketing to weird new places.

3 Brands Delivering Awesome Consumer Experiences

These brands are crushing it by providing something unique and valuable.

Move Over Santa! McConaughey’s Bringing Birds for Wild Turkey

What happens when you set Matthew McConaughey loose in Kentucky with thousands of Butterball Turkeys on behalf of a bourbon brand?

Born to Run: Gatorade Animates an Athlete’s Story

How the world’s fastest man overcame self doubt to become a champion.

5 Halloween Marketing Treats from Big Brands

Sometimes to reach customers you need to scare the Skittles out of them.

Need a Lyft? Check Out This Uplifting Brand Short Film

A lonely woman suddenly finds her spirit “lyfted” in this animated short film.

Amazon, Starbucks & Netflix: What Do They Have In Common?

These big brands all share a common theme: They’re easy like Sunday morning.

Web Series Review: Lacta Chocolate ‘From the Start’

This video series from Lacta Chocolate invigorated sales of the brand. But is it any good?

7 Examples of Strong & Effective Mission Statements

These mission statements capture the essence of what the organizations are seeking to accomplish in a memorable and inspirational way.

A Visual Journey Through the Growth & Evolution of PayPal

Check out this elaborate infographic to see how the PayPal brand has evolved over the years.

Brand Redesign: The Evolution of YouTube

YouTube recently updated the brand to be more flexible across the infinite number of devices people are using to access the service.

Brand Film Review: Beyond Money, Beyond Banking, Beyond Advertising

Does Santander Bank’s “Beyond Money” branded short film deliver as both marketing and entertainment?

Solar Eclipse 2017: The Shortest Marketing Opportunity in 38 Years

The 2017 Solar Eclipse could be one of the shortest and best marketing opportunities for anyone looking to make a quick buck.

Can You Match the Mission Statement to the Brand?

Play the game that’s sweeping the nation!

1987, 1997, 2007—Which Summer Had the Best Movies?

Three movie summers ending in the number seven go head-to-head. Only one will survive.

10 Best Fast Food Eats of All Time

During a recent podcast discussion of the best fast food menu items, a question arose: What constitutes fast food? The best answer we could come up with: a drive-thru. In order for a food item to be eligible for this list, you must be able to grab it in minutes...

3 Inspiring Examples of Improbable Brand Comebacks

Every once in a rare while a brand that looks DOA will come roaring back to life.

Top 5 Coolest Team Logos in Major League Baseball

Which MLB teams deserve the pennant for their current logo incarnations?

Pulp Friction: Comparing the Websites of Leading Orange Juice Brands

A digital showdown between Tropicana, Simply Orange, and Florida’s Natural.

The 8 Greatest LeBron James Commercials

LeBron does a lot of commercials. But these are his masterpieces.

20 Best Movie Posters of All Time

These movie posters are burned in our brains and imprinted our corneas.

A Visual Guide to the Growth & Power of Video Marketing

Everything you always wanted to know about video marketing packed into one powerful infographic.

What Movies Will Burn Up the Box Office This Summer?

We predict the five biggest moneymakers of the blockbuster season.

The Best, Most Definitive & Most Underrated Walken Performances

With so much great Walken out there, how do you choose?

The Art of Makeup and the Cosplay

From bodypainting to cosplay, makeup can make all the difference.

8 Terrible Tech Product Names

If you’re thinking about naming your product something like “Qriocity”, don’t.

5 Bombastic Brands That Defined the 1990s

A trip back to the decade that gave us pogs, pagers, and Pulp Fiction.

Visual Tips To Level Up Your Email Marketing

Increase the power of your next email marketing campaign.

How to Make Your Next Sci-Fi Convention More Profitable

Take your convention to the next dimension of success.

8 Examples of Exceptional Company Names

We unlock the mystery of what makes a great company name.

Why March Madness Is “The Godfather” of American Sporting Events

Here’s why the NCAA Tournament is “The Godfather” of all athletic competitions.

10 Times the Oscars Got Best Picture Wrong

Star Wars, Goodfellas, and other times the Oscars blew it.

5 Examples of Awesome Poster Design from John Wick

Coolness and Keanu. Is there anything better?

Finding the Fun and Opportunity in Tabletop Gaming

The time is now to roll the dice on tabletop gaming.

10 Best Super Bowl Ads Ever

Find out which brand is the champion of all champions.

3 Worst Super Bowl Commercials of All Time

There’s bad and then there’s historically bad. These ads are historically bad.

The Running Man, Goldblum, and Carnival Cruise Medallions

A trio of recent web gems left us with some big questions.

Nerd Fashion and Mainstream Marketing

Nerd fashion today has many faces. Marketers need to get to know them.

Most Awesome Marketing Efforts & Trends Of 2016

Everything that was awesome about marketing in 2016 summed up in 10 awards.

8 Ways Amazon Changed The World

Top innovations from the brand that made us believe two-day shipping is a basic human right.

The Great Branding Takeaway From Wes Anderson’s H&M Holiday Commercial

A smart branding idea inspired by the director of “Rushmore”.

7 Most Essential NES Classic Games

These games will give you the best return on your NES Classic investment.

Who Doesn’t Love a Good Monster In Their Advertising?

Apple shows Frankie some holiday love.

Embracing the Noid: Why Brand Villains Are More Effective Than Brand Heroes

When it comes to marketing, sometimes the bad guys win.

5 Biggest Product Disasters of All Time

Which brand product fails rank as the worst of the modern era?

Top 6 Product Innovations of the 2000s

Hailing the game changers that have propelled us into the future.

How to Grow Your Email Subscriber List Fast

Want more email subscribers? We’ve got an infographic filled with tips.

10 Best Movie Posters of Summer 2016

Sure, the 2016 summer movie season sucked. But we did get some awesome posters!

Revisiting One of the Best Viral Marketing Campaigns of All Time

The year was 1999. The internet was terrified. Marketing was changed forever.

How Uber Has Been ‘Speaking Human’ Recently

A fantastic example of how to focus on the human first and selling second.

Unofficial Marketing Medalists of the Rio Olympics

They may not be official Olympic sponsors, but these brands came to play this summer.

Bullet Point Review: Taking the Pulse of ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 7 Comic-Con Trailer

Quick thoughts on King Ezekiel, sand zombies, and waiting ’til October.

7 Best Nike Commercials of All Time

Nike has produced dozens of amazing commercials. We’ve narrowed it down to the best of the best.

A Practical Solution to Hollywood’s Reboot Problem

Big studios keep rebooting the wrong movies. We have a better strategy.

The 10 Most Useful New Unicode Emojis

72 new emojis are coming soon to your phone. But only these 10 will change your life.

How Often Should You Update Your Website?

Businesses ask this question a lot. We have the answer.

3 Tips on Marketing Around Taboo Topics from a Pooping Unicorn

Use these marketing techniques to work around tricky (or icky) subject matter and get your message across.

Dueling Top Fives: What Summer Movies Will Make the Most Money at the U.S. Box Office?

Using a highly scientific process we call “guessing”, the MONSTERS team picks the movies we think are going to rake in the most dough this summer.

Infographic: How to Get More Email Opens, Clicks and Forwards

In our current era of email marketing overload, what can you do to get your emails not only opened but read, clicked and shared as well?

Things to Keep in Mind When Creating a Logo for Your Brand

While a logo may be just one small element of a brand, a lot of depth, thought and strategy goes into creating a symbol that effectively captures the essence of a company.

What Is Responsive Website Design?

Responsive design describes website development that maximizes the user experience and provides optimal viewing across all devices—from desktop to mobile.

5 Reasons We Love(d) Dos Equis ‘Most Interesting Man in the World’ Campaign

After nine years and massive success, Dos Equis is retiring “the most interesting man in the world”. Here’s why we think this marketing campaign hit the spot.

3 Things We Learned from Our Interview with Voiceover Artist Kelley Buttrick

Here are a few key takeaways about the role of voiceover in marketing from our recent podcast chat with a leading voiceover professional.

4 Examples of Exceptional Emoji Marketing Efforts

Here are four marketing efforts that get a grinning face and a thumbs up for their use of emojis—and what your brand can learn from them.

Meet the Field & Pick the Winners of Our Emoji Marketing Madness Bracket

We’re pitting eight emoji marketing efforts against each other in a bracket to determine which brand gets the ultimate smiley face.

5 Glorious Examples of Viral Video Marketing from OK Go

Check out these crazy creative viral music videos created by the band OK Go through partnerships with brands that use the videos to cross-market their own products.

Can You Successfully Use Periscope as a Marketing Tool?

Our roving reporter Bob did some research on the Periscope app to find out if it could be a marketing asset. It turned out to be quite the adventure.

6 Best Pre-Game Ads of Super Bowl 50

A lot of Super Bowl advertising happens before the big game even begins. Check out our picks for this year’s best online ads and teasers.

Could VR Be a Marketing Reality for Your Company in the Near Future?

Virtual reality has returned to the forefront of technology. But is it for real this time? And will VR have a viable role in your marketing in the near future?

The Most Awesome Marketing Efforts of 2015

From Star Wars to Snapchat, check out our picks for the most creative, innovative, impactful and memorable marketing campaigns of the past 12 months.

Is This Divisive Holiday Commercial Good Marketing?

This emotional holiday commercial from EDEKA, a German supermarket chain, has stirred controversy and become a social sensation. But is it good marketing?

Should Your Company Jump On the “Star Wars” Marketing Bandwagon?

From Target to Kraft to Covergirl, a ton of brand are using “Star Wars” as a way to engage customers in their marketing. Should your company follow suit?

Should Your Brand Abandon Black Friday?

Diminishing sales numbers and some interesting new anti-Black Friday marketing efforts from brands may indicate the sales event has passed its peak.

5 Greatest Movie Marketing Campaigns of Summer 2015

From superheroes and secret agents to minions and mutant dinosaurs, we project our thoughts on the biggest marketing blockbusters of the summer movie season.

10 Visual Stats on Social, Email and Mobile Marketing

Feel free to grab these infoblocks illustrating valuable marketing statistics and share them on your social media pages. Your followers will love you.

3 Awesome Innovations That Won Awards At This Year’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity

Each year the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity honors the best of the best in creative marketing. The 2015 Cannes Lions Grand Prix winners were a particularly strong field. From Volvo's Epic Split featuring Jean Claude Van Damme to the...

Our 6 Favorite Lowes ‘Fix In Six’ Vine Videos

Vine is something of an underrated wild card in the social world. The social network, which allows users to create six-second videos, was acquired by Twitter a few years ago. While most people have heard of Vine, it still doesn't have the user base of sites like...

21 Tweets Proving the Jurassic World Website Rules the Viral Marketing Universe

Jurassic World was released on June 12, 2015 and it immediately set the summer box office on fire. The fourth film in the series that began with 1993’s Jurassic Park (directed by Dr. Blockbuster AKA Steven Spielberg), Jurassic World raked in $208 million in the U.S....

Why Johnson’s ‘So Much More’ Is The Commercial of the Year

Every once in a while a commercial comes along that just grabs your eyeballs and sucks them to the screen so you can't look away (and you don't want to). "So Much More" from Johnson's Baby is that commercial. It pulls us in every time it comes on and puts us under a...

Round Table Discussion: Wrapping Our Brains Around McDonald’s Hamburglar Reboot

An ongoing series that looks at marketing and branding efforts from a swarm of different creative perspectives. There once was a little orange-haired fellow in a black Zorro mask who specialized in petty theft. More specifically: Theft of hamburgers. Even more...

Creativity on a Budget: How to Experience Cannes Lions Without Spending a Dime

For those of you humans who don't know, Cannes Lions is the world's biggest annual awards show and festival for professionals in the creative communications industry. This annual event, which has been around since the 1950s, is essentially the Mecca for...

10 Tips For Individuals or Organizations Thinking About Launching a Podcast

We recently recorded the 40th episode of our podcast Speaking Human. Over the course of those episodes, we’ve learned a lot about podcasting. From writing and recording to editing and iTunes, there’s a lot more to podcasting than initially meets the ear. In today’s...

Round Table Discussion: Debating the Marketing Merits of the Graphic ‘Hateful Eight’ Trailer

An ongoing series that looks at marketing and branding efforts from a swarm of different creative perspectives. Recently, the first trailer for the upcoming Quentin Tarantino flick The Hateful Eight dropped. The thing that makes this trailer unique: It features no...

Video Tips to Help You Get More Creative Roar from the Pictures and Words on Your Website

Marketing nirvana can only be achieved when design and content come together in perfect harmony to relay your message loud and clear to your audience. Marketing nirvana. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Like something you want? And yet for so many brands it remains elusive....

Episode 39: Kill Me Three Times

We witness a murder and get stalked by a hitman via phone, text, email, Twitter, and online video.

Round Table Discussion: Geeking Out With Gillette’s New Avengers-Inspired Marketing Video

An ongoing series that looks at marketing and branding efforts from a swarm of different creative perspectives. On the table today: The “Gillette Rebuilt With Avengers-Inspired Technology” video. This video is cross-promotional marketing effort from Gillette, a...

6 Creative Variations of the Iconic Disney Logo

Disney does a pretty cool thing where it customizes the brand logo before many of its movies. Here are some creative versions of the Disney logo.

Final Four: Choosing the Champion of Our Fast Food Marketing Madness Bracket

You may have noticed fast-food marketing has grown increasingly weird in recent years. That weirdness was on full display in the month of March when a number of top fast food chains took "March Madness" to a whole new level with their marketing efforts. With a tip of...

3 Steps To Make Your Email Marketing More Personal

Email marketing isn't new, groundbreaking territory. And personalizing an email marketing campaign is even less of a breakthrough. But you would be surprised at how many businesses don't take advantage of this very common and easy-to-use marketing tactic....

How To Effectively Track Your Online Advertising

Whether you're searching for a giant forest-dwelling ape or trying to find the right message to connect with potential customers, effective tracking is essential to success. If there’s one thing we urge clients to consider when starting a marketing...

Is Facebook B2B Marketing Dead?

Over the past year, there’s been a lot of talk about the plummeting reach and engagement of Facebook brand pages. Which leads to the inevitable question: Is Facebook marketing dead? There's No Death in Marketing, Only Evolution First off, nothing in marketing ever...

Best of the Bowl: Top Commercials of Super Bowl 2015

From kickoff to final whistle, this may have been the best Super Bowl in years. The game delivered a wildly unpredictable ending. The halftime show gave us dancing sharks. And we got a diverse lineup of commercials—not just brands trying to be funny and failing (like...

3 Strange and Amazing Marketing Discoveries From the Past Week

In the offices of MONSTERS Unlimited, we have a collective passion for the strange and usual. Bigfoot has a well-known Buzzfeed addiction. And King Kong is constantly filling our inboxes with ridiculously weird links. We even have trolls who literally do nothing all...

2014 Marketing Awesome Awards

On a recent podcast, we presented our first annual Awesome Awards. The purpose of these awards is to applaud some of the fun, strange, cool and unexpected marketing-related efforts from the past year. To give our winners an extra moment in the sun—and give you a...

Top 5 Marketing Podcasts of 2014

It was a big year for podcasting here at MONSTERS Unlimited. After a couple years of work, we stabilized the tone, format and recording schedule of our marketing podcast Speaking Human. As a result, the quality of the show improved, our listener base grew...

8 Brands Delivering Marketing Tricks And Treats For Halloween

In one of our early podcast episodes discussing Halloween marketing, we agreed the great advantage of the scary season is that it gives brands a chance to have a little fun and try something different. It's a weird holiday, so it's the ideal time to go in some new...

Advertising Expiration: Obedient Wives, Smoking Doctors and Babies in Danger

Advertising—and marketing in general really—is all about a moment in time. It's based on a specific audience, an identified need, and commonly-held perceptions. The relevance of advertising comes from its timeliness. But that timeliness is also what can make...

4 Bodacious Vine Videos From Top Brands

In a recent article, we talked about our first foray into creating Vine videos. That post explored the benefits and challenges of using Vine and provided a couple examples of our own first-time Vines. Today, we thought we'd provide some examples of engaging...

What We Learned From Creating Our First Vine Video

Here at MONSTERS, we love to try new things and get our creative juices flowing. One arena where we especially love to experiment: Social Media. Recently, we decided to try our furry monster hands at Vine. What is Vine? Vine is a video-sharing site owned by Twitter....

An Example of Exceptional Product Packaging from a Yeti

To improve the audio quality of our acclaimed (by us) marketing podcast Speaking Human, MONSTERS invested in new high-quality microphones awhile back. Recently, we found the old product boxes and went to throw them away when something stopped our furry feet in their...

5 Best Summer Movie Marketing Campaigns of 2014

We love the movies. Especially summer movies. When they’re good, summer movies are joyous escapism at its finest. Just a fun couple hours lost in pure imagination and a bucket of popcorn. And almost as interesting as the summer movies themselves, is the marketing that...

It’s Time to Change The Way We Think About Generating Leads

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before... A guy walks into his boss’s office and says: “The new online marketing effort is going great! We’re getting tons of traffic and social media buzz. People are connecting to the brand and talking about us.” “Fantastic…...

Dawn of the Planet of the Apps: Why You Should Develop a Mobile App

Hard to believe there was a time when the word “app” was not a part of our everyday vocabulary. And it wasn’t that long ago. Both the iPhone App Store and Android Market didn’t launch until 2008. And this now-iconic “there’s an app for that” commercial didn’t...

Transformers 4 and the Rise of International Marketing

In the early 1960s, Marshall McLuhan theorized that electronic technology was creating a “global village”. News and information would travel faster and farther, connecting us together on a global scale like never before. That’s never been more true than it is today....

The Decision Part II: A Study In Contrasting Marketing Styles

Four years ago, sports fans everywhere held their collective breath waiting for LeBron James to announce his momentous decision. What team would the best player in the NBA play for next season?The ultimate decision came on prime-time TV, in front of an eager audience...

7 Tips for Better Small Business Google Search Success

In May, we held a Google Partner Event at the MONSTERS Unlimited offices in Akron, Ohio. During the event, experts from Google presented on a number of different SEO and Web marketing topics—providing practical tips and insights for businesses looking to expand their...

3 Recent Examples of the Surge in 1980s Nostalgia Marketing

If you were 15 in 1984, you are probably now close to 45 years old. That means you're right in the window for reaching your peak annual earning potential (this report notes a woman's income peak as age 40 and a man's as age 49). That also means marketers want...

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