Aug
19
2010

Mindgruve Pushes SanDiego.com Facebook Page Past 50,000 Members

SanDiego.com Facebook

Network surpasses 50,000 through a combination of targeted advertising and local appeal.

SAN DIEGO, CA – August 19, 2010 – Thanks to a string of successful social media initiatives, San Diego-based digital media firm, Mindgruve, has brought the SanDiego.com Facebook Page community to over 50,000 engaged members, doubling its membership in only two months.

Mindgruve has used strategic posting techniques and targeted Facebook ads to boost SanDiego.com’s Facebook presence. Reaching tourists as well as San Diego residents past and present, community members can receive and discuss local news, event information and deals to help them get the most out of San Diego. Mindgruve also offers online contests such as the recent SanDiego.com photo contest, which encourages members to remain engaged with SanDiego.com’s Facebook community.

“We are amazed by the growth over the last two months. Mindgruve’s knowledge of San Diego as well as their innovative marketing concepts have been key to the success of SanDiego.com in the social space,” said James Earwicker, President of SanDiego.com.

Moving forward, Mindgruve will continue to develop new and unique features to keep the community engaged and encourage new users to “like” the Facebook page. Features such as the 100k giveaway, which to date has awarded over 30 prizes to community members, highlights Mindgruve’s continued commitment to SanDiego.com’s community growth.

“When we started working with SanDiego.com, we knew that social media would be an important component to the site’s future success. With an average of over 400 new members a day, we feel that we have created an environment where San Diegans can communicate online, while also stimulating growth at SanDiego.com,” explained Chad Robley, President of Mindgruve.

About SanDiego.com
SanDiego.com was created out of a love for America’s Finest City. Through a staff of award-winning writers, reviewers and city insiders, SanDiego.com offers locals and visitors the latest news in sports, events, business, government, entertainment and more. SanDiego.com is committed to being the perfect online guide and community partner by also providing hotel deals, vacation packages, coupons and reviews to visitors. www.SanDiego.com


Jul
16
2010

Online Video Marketing: Relatable, Engaging Content Leads to Successful Campaigns

online-video

Online video is a major part of the interactive world and many say it’s the future of marketing. However, it wasn’t until recently that we’ve seen companies actively use it to reach audiences online. Toyota (apart from the recall woes faced earlier this year) and Levi’s have shown great leadership with their current campaigns. Inspired by Reel SEO’s tips for creating a web series, we believe these brands hit the nail on the head with content that centers on universal truths for the target audience, encouraging them to contribute, watch and share with others.

Toyota
Toyota’s Sienna Family changed the way we viewed automobile advertising, especially after the now famous Swagger Wagon music video took the web by storm. Armed with (self-professed) A+ parenting skills, the family gave parents and minivan drivers the opportunity to chuckle at the well-known steps new parents take to meet varying family needs. Taking a step back from traditional car ads, Toyota developed a campaign around an engaging, sitcom-style series of online videos that don’t push warranties, pricing and the like.

Already, millions have gone out of their way to meet the family. As Spork Marketing Blog notes, unlike traditional TV advertising, “online video viewers have elected to watch your content – it’s not being forced upon them.” With nearly 3 million YouTube channel views and over 4 million views of Swagger Wagon alone, Toyota has achieved an online video marketing success.

Levi’s
The popular clothing brand grabbed Mindgruve’s attention with “Ready to Work” (an extension of their “Go Forth” campaign), which documents the new pioneers of Braddock, PA, through an 11-part online video series.

Unlike Toyota’s series of laughable family quirks, this series of online videos pull at the heart strings by tapping into the idea of hard work, a theme integral to America and Levi’s roots, while also highlighting a very real concept many have faced in light of economic highs and lows, starting over. These personal narratives will be carried through the entire series as it showcases the potential of Braddock residents, including Braddock’s Mayor who expresses his passion for the town with heartfelt tattoos.

Still early in the campaign, Levi’s made the right decision to captivate their audience by leveraging their Facebook Page and YouTube channel. The use of their social network makes the series easily accessible to those already interested and is sure to help spread the word about this resilient community and Levi’s brand.

Done correctly, online videos can be an engaging medium and possess the ability to enhance your marketing with repeated viewing, sharing and meaningful discussion. While there is no surefire way to guarantee a hit, choosing and executing on a theme universal to your audience is a good first step.


Jul
9
2010

Mindgruve Launches New Indy Scale Website.

Indy Scale Website Launch

Premier, user-friendly site extends Indianapolis Scale’s reputation for top notch products and services.

SAN DIEGO,CA – July 9, 2010 – To provide visitors with a better experience and streamlined service process, San Diego-based digital media firm, Mindgruve, launched a new website for the Midwest’s leading scale and force measurement company, Indy Scale.

Using improved navigation, increased product information, and highlighted features such as 24/7 emergency service and online quoting, Mindgruve has provided Indianapolis Scale with a clear conversion path for their existing clients and potential customers. In addition, the new website possesses an updated design and improved search engine optimization (SEO) to help users quickly locate and engage with Indianapolis Scale online.

Mindgruve has also initiated a new email marketing campaign for Indy Scale to provide timely updates regarding customer deals, new services and industry news. These emails will provide a periodic reminder of how businesses can utilize Indy Scale’s services to improve productivity and profitability.

“Indy Scale provides an unmatched offering in their market segment,” Stated Chad Robley, President of Mindgruve. He continued, “leveraging their reputation for service and quality products, we were able to create an interactive environment to drive sales and revenue.”

About Indianapolis Scale
Established in 1985, Indy Scale is the leading scale and force measurement company in the Midwest. Their reputation for quality work is built on providing prompt, professional service, and state-of-the art equipment to maximize their client’s productivity and profitability. www.IndyScale.com


Jul
7
2010

Mindgruve Powers Sunfood Facebook Page to 50,000 “Likes”

Sunfood-Facebook-50K

Through a strategic social media campaign, Mindgruve increases superfood community to over 50,000 members in seven months.

SAN DIEGO, CA – July 7, 2010 – Seven months after launching the Sunfood Facebook page, San Diego-based digital media firm, Mindgruve, has produced a series of key social media engagements to propel the online community, Facebook.com/Sunfood, to over 50,000 members.

Closely collaborating with Sunfood, Mindgruve continues to improve their efforts by utilizing a custom-built weekly deals Facebook tab, weekly product sample giveaways, targeted Facebook ads, website display ads and email marketing. “This is a huge milestone for Sunfood and our online community. Mindgruve’s guidance and knowledge of this space has allowed our Facebook Page to become the hub for all conversations relating to raw foods and superfoods, and given us countless opportunities to directly connect with our consumers,” stated Brian Bowers, Sunfood’s Director of Product Development.

With an average of 300 people joining the page daily, Mindgruve is actively working to create and implement additional features for Sunfood’s Facebook Page, including custom tabs that will give health-conscious individuals the ability to shop within Facebook, contribute to important topics of conversation and find recipes for their lifestyle.

“Every day Sunfood is doing their part to share the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. With an average of over 600 monthly interactions, it’s clear that Sunfood’s page members are actively seeking this information. We’re eager to help Sunfood provide valuable insights through more integrated features, such as custom applications, as well as other exciting initiatives, including SunfoodTV and a Superfoods Community,” explained Chad Robley, President of Mindgruve.

About Sunfood
Sunfood is the world’s leading provider of high-quality superfoods, including sustainable, organic and raw products. Distributing over 700 different products, their website has become the nucleus of the growing superfood global community. Sunfood also provides staff experts, educational materials and various other tools used for integrating the health benefits of superfoods into their patrons lifestyles. www.Sunfood.com


Jun
21
2010

Interactive Day San Diego – A Review

IDSD

The 6th Annual Interactive Day San Diego has wrapped and we couldn’t have asked for a better day of fun and learning with industry thought leaders regarding mobile, web design, online video, SEO, social media, email marketing and more!

Together with SanDiego.com and Chad Robley, sponsoring IDSD 2010 was an honor for Mindgruve and we’re already looking forward to next year! If you didn’t get a chance to check out the event, here are our highlights:

Opening  Session: 2020 Vision: The Most Important Advertising Issues for This Decade with Jack Myers, Founder of M.E.D.I.Advisory Group
Jack Myers kicked things off by discussing the changes happening in the market today, forcing advertisers and marketers to be more innovative than ever. Read the full recap…

Email Plus with Joel Book, Exact Target
Pointing out that email marketing is nothing new and still a very lucrative business, Joel Book explained some key insights, including the fact that 75% of social media users say email is the best way for companies to communicate with consumers. Read the full recap…

SignOnSanDiego.com Social Media Demonstration and Q&A with Mike Hodges, SignOnSanDiego.com, and Indra Gardiner, Bailey Gardiner
Mike Hodges led the group in a social media demonstration, discussing the importance of creativity in order to have more consumer impact. Indra Gardiner also shared her thoughts on how social media guidelines are key to leveraging client and company interactions. Read the full recap…

Advanced SEO with Rand Fishkin, SEOMOZ.org
Rand Fishkin discussed the balance of SEO vs PPC budget and the four areas of SEO acceleration, laying out the formula to increasing individual rankings: low competition + high search volume + high value to visitor. Read the full recap…

Mobile Marketing with Amielle Lake, Tagga
Amielle Lake explained the marketing shift taking place in the industry, moving from traditional to digital to mobile marketing. Noting that the mobile target is millennials, digital moms and techie men, she emphasized that efforts are most effective when it is campaign driven to offer immediate and branded payoff to consumer. Read the full recap…

ValueClick Media Demonstration and Q&A with Tony Winders, ValueClick Media, and Tamara Bousquet, MEA Digital
Together, Winders and Bousquet provided session attendees with insight into the importance of ad exchanges, demand side platforms (DSPs) and ad verification in a media plan. Read the full recap…

Marketing Convergence – Are You Ready? with Warren Raisch, Digitaria
Warren Raisch led the discussion by providing key insights regarding marketing in the industry, noting that mobile is becoming the ultimate Channel Aggregation point and that 92% of social users trust a recommendation from people they know over the marketing channels. Read the full recap…

Luncheon Keynote: The Identity Web with Paul Ollinger, Facebook
Facebook’s Western Region VP of Sales discussed how the internet has changed social marketing to make it enormously effective for marketers, pointing out that relationships and authenticity will allow businesses to truly learn, grow and create a social web. Read the full recap…

“POV” Point of Video with Tod Sacerdoti, BrightRoll
Providing insights into the growing online video space, Tod Sacerdoti noted that online video advertising is the future and is the best place to involve yourself. Also offering tips for moving into online video advertising, Sacerdoti says it is important to test, measure and optimize, as well as remove under-performing content. Read the full recap…

Mindset Marketing with Denny Reinert, Placecast, and Andreas Roell, Geary Group
Using Placecast as an example, Reinert led the session with a special focus on reaching consumers while in the right mindset. For location-based marketing, an opt-in mobile service is the right way to engage with consumers. This and a combination of other factors create relevance and increase purchases. Read the full recap…

Website Redesign for Lead Generation with Rick Burnes, HubSpot
Burnes discussed that the purpose of a website redesign is to be found by more prospects and convert those prospects to leads and customers. All website redesigns should have specific goals in mind, while being aware that some design and taste sacrifices will need to made to generate traffic. Read the full recap…

Digital Download: What You Need to Know About Ad Networks with John Yearout, Undertone Networks
After reviewing the timeline of ad networks over the last 15 years, Yearout pointed out that as DSPs become more prevalent, ad networks need to deliver unique inventory, targeting, products, insights and research to stay relevant. Read the full recap…

Sorenson Media Demonstration and Q&A with Eric Quanstrom, Sorenson Media, and Montana Triplett, Tremor Media
Both industry experts made a point of saying that online video is still the wild wild west for marketing and advertising. A customized user experience should be based on your objectives. Read the full recap…

Google Analytics with Joshua Knox, Google Analytics
Google’s goal, as explained by Knox, is to speed up the web to improve conversion flow. Knox also led the group in better understanding the impact AdWords has in creating valuable traffic when used correctly. Read the full recap…

State of the Industry Roundtable
At the close of IDSD, Panelists Heather Blank, Responsys; Torrey Lincoln, LinkedIn; Brian Lynch, Yahoo!; Paul Ollinger, Facebook offered their thoughts on the State of the Industry as well as some companies to keep an eye on in the coming months.

If you’d like to learn more from or contact the presenters, a list of slide decks and twitter handles can be found at the San Diego Advertising Club Facebook page. We hope to see you next year at IDSD 2011!