Waking Up Hannah Appealing to online Ladies

As we are transitioning into winter and the evenings are becoming cold and gloomy I find myself watching a lot more t.v.. In between the celebrity dance-offs and police dramas, are commercials for an online show called “Waking up Hannah”. So I was curious and went onto the website to see what the hype was all about. It is a show sponsored by Dove, (really these days, what isn’t sponsored by Dove) and it is a ‘choose your own adventure’ romantic comedy geared to the 20 something’s where we get to decide what happens to Hannah next. It’s a cool concept. It builds on the reality t.v. show audience participation overlayed with the gritty dramatic acting of 90210, cleaned up ever so nicely by refreshing Dove.

This show is intriguing because it’s a brand that now is associated with real women on an emotional side. Women become brand ambassadors because they think the brand represents something more than just keeping clean. It’s about being part of community, of understanding, of belonging. What is great about this is that they aren’t hiding the fact that it is from Dove. They are very open with their sponsorship which to me, allows for the transparency of the brand and creates an even stronger loyalty. Waking up Hannah is essentially a big long commercial. But it’s interesting, so we watch.

This isn’t Unilever’s first stab at this targeted approach. They debuted “In the Motherhood” another online tv show, which is a Suave haircare initiative, designed to capture the attention of moms. Clearly this consumer giant is seeing that women are online, and they are spending their time and money there. It is a great space to create content, promote products, be entertained and interact all at the same time.

Megan Greysmith in "Waking Up Hannah" Dove Trailer from Megan Greysmith on Vimeo.

A different view from a Motrin mom...

Ok gals. So, for all of you Motrin moms out there who have had a negative reaction to the recent Motrin ad I say-- stop taking yourselves so seriously! You have to be able to laugh at this-- albeit poorly executed. I can understand if you take it at face value with provocative statements like 'official mom' and the poor transition from 'wearing your baby' to 'but what about us moms?' but the message could have been funny if it had been expressed differently. The whole mom universe and all of the over commercialization of the mom brand and mom experience has taken over. I mean really, I wore both of my collicy kids for 10 months and it nearly broke my back! So, yes, a little Motrin would have helped.

Here's the outcry response:



Now, for the marketing part. This ad was poorly executed. The tone was wrong and the tongue and cheek humor just did not come across. If you are trying to do this well you really need the mom community behind you and from what we can see, Motrin's agency did not test this throroughly enough with moms. I do want to say congrats for doing something different though, and it is not always necessary to please all audiences all of the times and clearly it is paying off from a visibility standpoint right now. Take it from an 'official mom'. I saw through it for the funny. Next time, call us if you want to connect with your consumer community before launching a new campaign.

This will take you to the commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmykFKjNpdY

Gen Y and bringing back face time.

With the growth of social media on the web and new communities springing up – particularly for the gen y demographic -- we are missing out on socializing in the real world. Somehow our reliance on those communities has meant that we don’t need or want to continue to connect outside of the basement – where entire dramas can unfold without moving from the couch. But by doing this are we really trying to avoid that face to face time?

In the new Dentyne gum campaign, which is both print and tv ads, they are targeting Gen Y and their socializing patterns and highlighting the shift from electronic communications to “Making Face Time”. I was really taken by the print ads as I made my way home on the subway. I was like, “Yeah, I do want more face time.” Which is, I am sure, so different from what everyone thinks Gen Y wants. We want to connect with people. Online, at home, on the train, in the pub. When I investigated more about the new Dentyne campaign I checked out their website which continues to reinforce the brand. It has a counter on it to limit the time you spend on it , promoting more face time. One interesting feature is the smiley chamber of doom, where emoticons which we all used are destroyed using interesting tactics like being squished, inflated to the point of explosion, you get the point.

With social networking uptake by women evidenced by recent Facebook statistics and what we know about women and their need to nurture relationships, are women less likely to fall victim to the online social vacuum and maintain their face to face time? Hard to say, I know that I am with Dentyne and want to go back to where you actually have a physical conversation with people. Face time is back! Woo hoo.

Cadillac and Kate Walsh, firing on all cylinders!

Critique: Cadillac CTS ad with Kate Walsh, when you turn your car on, does it return the favor? Now here is an ad that I can get excited about! They creators of the ad may have had the Kate sex appeal in mind when developing this creative for the male market given that the CTS is a model designed for the male market, however, it gets A's all across the gender board in also appealing to women. This liberated and luxurious female message hits all the right chords with women and goes further beyond brand to extend to product appeal. I found myself considering what it would be like to drive a Cadillac even though this is not my auto brand of choice.

SWING gives this ad top marks for smart marketing with women!

Social media, marketers and consumers

Going through my stack of Marketing Magazine's to catch up on, I was leafing through the August issue and came across the interview with Grant McCraken on Circle of Brands. Matt Semansky, staff writer for Marketing Magazine posed a great question in this interview asking "how can marketers gain the trust of consumers in the social media space?". Although I am not sure it was exactly answered by Grant, the proposition is extremely insightful. In a world of co-creation and UGC, consumers are designers, developers and producers for marketers. As it should be. Both marketers and consumers now have skin in the game which begs a greater need for an exchange of trust.

Some time ago when we first launched the www.defineyourself.ca community for women to discuss how they feel about aging, we were criticized by a well known journalist for 'using' women and their views as research for the marketer. At the time it struct me as a highly antiquated observation but I chalked it up to inexperience with social communities as consumer pipelines for co-creation, feedback and ideation. The notion of getting closer to the consumer is just smart business and good for everyone. The formation of a win-win value exchange model opens up new possibilities for an emerging marketplace that levels buyers and sellers on common ground.

Betty and Veronica Don’t Live Here Anymore: The Changing Role of Women in Comics

The American comic book industry has had a long tradition of introducing strong and empowering super heroines and villains, including Wonder Woman, Catwoman, and Dazzler. Over the past decade, more titles have been adapted to feature films, and their popularity continues to grow. Do these and similar comic book films reflect how the role of women in comics have changed since the Golden Age, and do they draw new audiences to a literary and artistic medium they would not have otherwise considered?

According to the Friends of Lulu Retailer Handbook, women tend to purchase mysteries, fantasy, romance and science fiction. Even though the majority of comic book customers are men, female readers tend to lean towards genres that match their tastes in comparable media such as TV and movies.

Comic books and their audiences have evolved since the days of the Comics Code Authority, which sought to regulate and censor content it deemed inappropriate. Today, readers have a wider selection of genres and titles from which to choose. Comics have grown to reach mature audiences with grittier titles, adult themes, and a stronger focus on story and realism.

Romance comics have also been around since the 1940s. Originally aimed at older readers (and typically penned by men), the genre shifted to a younger audience. Storylines took on a more innocent tone, but the gender stereotypes and antiquated roles of women in the mid-twentieth century were reinforced by its content.

DC Comics recently announced it will be canceling Minx, a line of graphic novels aimed at young women. Distributors had difficulty pushing the title at mainstream retailers such as Barnes & Noble. Minx writer Mike Carey attributed the book’s poor sales to the expectations of the market. “It was an unusual format, and unusual formats have to elbow their way to the table,” Carey told CBR News.

Despite the disappointing sales of new titles like Minx, publishers continue to develop new products aimed at the ever-growing female comic book audience. As noted in The American Prospect, Marvel publisher Dan Buckley said that its growing female readership pushed the company to develop new storylines aimed at that demographic.

Writer Alyssa Rosenberg argues the disparity between superheroines in print and their translation to the big screen - evidenced by movies such as Elektra, Catwoman, and X-Men - which lessened the development of complex characters and presented audiences with two-dimensional reflections of the same.

Today’s comics have come a long way since the Comics Code to present strong, independent female role models in complex and intelligent stories. But while many in the mainstream will quickly associate traditional “female-friendly” comics to characters like Wonder Woman, the demand for new mature stories and characters continues. It’s just a matter of reaching readers.

And the next COVERGIRL is.... Ellen DeGeneres!

She’s funny, witty, successful, attractive and now SEXY too! And, she’s got great skin. Bravo to COVERGIRL for selecting her as their next... wait for it..... cover girl.

P&G explains it like this...
"Ms. DeGeneres appeals to consumers who are looking not so much for a role model as a woman they can relate to both physically and emotionally,” P&G V.P. Esi Eggleston Bracey tells The NYTimes. You may question what you actually have in common with a wealthy 50-year old talk show host/comedienne who's been the star of a successful sitcom, shills for American Express, and is a high-profile lesbian.
That is, you may question the connection until you take the "celebrity" out of Ellen's life and focus on where she's been, how she's re-invented herself and how comfortable she seems to be in her own skin these days...and then you get it. Or as CoverGirl's new tag line goes, "Easy, Breezy, Beautiful...Ellen."

So for me... mainstream just got a little better.

Do women vote for women... period?

John McCain is potentially committing political suicide with his VP pick in Sarah Palin. Or is he? McCain and his campaign advisors clearly feel that by putting a female -- any female-- on the ticket, he may bridge the gap and win over some disgruntled Clinton voters.

While Sarah is clearly charming and confident and may appeal to the conservative base with her strong pro-life position, she is no Hillary Clinton. In fact, Sarah and Hillary could not be further apart in their bios (or lack thereof in Palin's case).

While most of us women are thrilled to see a woman on the ticket in this election the presumption that Clinton voters will just 'come on over based on gender is mildly insulting. This clear misunderstanding on the part of political advisors to get in the minds of women is not uncommon. Women are not simply advocating women in positions of authority but more importantly getting the right person in the position to get the right job done. This means voting on the issues and by party ideology first, gender second.

Having said all that, in this case, I could be entirely wrong. Who will win this race is anyone's guess. Perhaps Palin will move the needle. Maybe women are so disgruntled that they will take this platform to make a point with their vote. One thing is for sure, I now have a reason to tune into the Republican convention.

Unearthing female role models

Female role models. Who are they? Where are they? If you go to any of the big women's conferences lately you will see that most are selling out to celebrities to draw in an audience. While we all love to get a good dose of Sally Field, is she really the flavour of inspiration that business women really need? The celebrity culture has taken hold like never before leaving us looking high and low for our everyday female leaders and role models who will lead us to higher ground. Would love to hear your take on your top female heros from the business, political, althlete or other communities.

Award Emcee's listen up - know your audience!

Our company recently traveled to New York to accept an award for Excellence in Electronic Communications. It is a very prestigious award and we were thrilled to receive it. The Gala awards dinner and event was colourful. Great high points but one particular low point that cannot go unmentioned. The Emcee was a famed model, actress and host of her own ‘highly rated’ cooking show. But all of these things did not a good or well chosen Emcee make. I am not sure if it was the lack of knowledge about the event and subject matter or her cavalier style that left several people including myself wondering why this starlet was chosen to host. She admitted upon coming up to the podium that she had finished penning her speech during dinner and started her introductory comments peppered with yada yada yada. I mean, really, she’s not Jon Stewart! This kind of casual funny just doesn’t work on her.

After presenting the first series of awards, we were shown a self-promotional video which was followed by an adlib portion of her speech that was intended to relate her role to intent of the evening (better to stick to script). My personal favourite was her complete ignorance when it came to Canada and the world of the web when referring to our particular winning website entry appended with “dot Canada” instead of ‘.ca”. Instead of relating to her audience, she came off as insincere, trite and succeeded in trivializing the importance of the event and the achievements of the awardees. Fortunately the people in the room had a healthy dose of ego themselves which got us all through.

SWING returns from New York with award in hand!

We just arrived back from New York where we were honoured by the IABC with a Gold Quill award. I guess we are striking a chord with women, and marketers!

The IABC recently awarded the Define Yourself campaign with the Gold Quill award for Excellence in creating an electronic communications platform which effectively delivers a message and engages our community of boomer women.


We are thrilled that the IABC recognized our authentic approach in appealing to women around feelings and experiences, not sales.

Watch our thank you video.
Listen to our interview with Blog Talk Radio.

It's Not Easy Being Green.

Aw, Kermit. If only we had known how right you were.

I've always been an advocate for the idea that small changes can make a big difference. I do not, however, appreciate it when the responsibility for a huge political and economic problem is passed along to the 'little guy'.

The influx of green products, and now the looming carbon tax, focus responsibility on the consumer to make better choices. That's all well and good, but Big Business needs to take their responsibility to make better, sustainable products more seriously- what need would we have for a carbon tax if there were more viable fuel alternatives, for example?

There certainly are viable alternatives to the way products are made and organizations operate - it's just easier for them to stick with the status quo. Change means work and, in my humble opinion, corporations are often much better at managing work than actually doing any.

Case in point, firms are able to sustain themselves quite well solely by doing it for them. IDEO, a design and innovation firm, published a joint report with Business for Social Responsibility, a nonprofit business association, entitled Aligned for Sustainable Design: An A-B-C-D Approach to Making Better Products this last week. The A-B-C-D framework serves as a guide for companies to Assess, Bridge, Create and Diffuse sustainable capabilities in their organizations. Perhaps breaking things down in Sesame simplicity such as this may make it obvious enough for Big Business to finally get the point.

The success of the Green category shows that people are more than happy to buy better. It's not their fault that things aren't made better, though time and again they are made to pay for it, literally and figuratively. Green would be a lot easier if the powers that be would stop selling it to us and actually buy into it themselves.

Carbon Tax - Good or Bad?

I think we all want to improve the way we treat the environment. How far will we go to ensure that we are doing all we can? On July 1st, BC will be adding an extra 2.4 cents per litre of gas at the pumps as part of introducing its new carbon tax. The carbon tax will also apply to virtually all fossil fuels, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas, coal, propane, and home heating fuel. This is an attempt to create a “greener budget for 2008” which would see consumers paying for their carbon use. Laura Jones, vice-president at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business stated that, "We know from our surveys that over 80 per cent of business owners are already taking action to get cleaner." By putting a price on carbon, people will theoretically use less, thus helping reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change. Is taxing people as a way to enforce more environmental choices an incentive to move us in the right direction or should we be left to making green choices on our own? I mean really, aren’t we taxed enough?

Women and their cars

Gone are the days when women stood by and let their husband or father make decisions about their cars. Now women take their purchasing power into their own hands and in Canada they are buying 65% of new cars and influence 80% of all car purchases (source: 2007 Canadian New Marketing Report). So, where does the empowered woman go to find out more about what she wants in a car? Some start at Carsforgirls.com, which is a site that aims to educate women on all aspects of cars. It is essentially a blog with clever and interesting information encouraging women to ask burning questions they might not otherwise feel comfortable doing in a dealership. This site provides supplementary information about cars, road trips and general auto maintenance while having an informal, fun feel appeal.

It seems that some women want to keep the car a fun place to be. Girlslovewheels.com takes the exciting aspects of personalizing your vehicle to a whole new level. In addition to its interesting tips, see 75 unique and helpful tip to enjoy road trips, a substantial portion of the site features items for sale ranging from Hello Kitty decals to decorative car seats. This site also has an entire section devoted to teen girl drivers and their accessories.

For the more car savvy woman or those who like to be a bit more edgy when it comes to their car purchases, go to Askpatty.com. It is an advice based site from the US has the latest car reviews, compares brands of cars and has information on loans and insurance. I especially liked the blog section because it highlights the variety of vehicles women enjoy – not just the minivan! Car loving women have a variety of styles and preferences when it comes to vehicles, from professional Nascar drivers to stay at home moms, women are voicing their opinions on what cars they like and why. For us Canadians, AskAngela.ca is a great source of automotive information and has a handy advice section. So don’t be shy any longer! Price compare and arm yourself with great information before walking into the dealership. Be proud fellow car lovers, be proud. Together we can kill the stereotype once and for all.

Women and their offices. Designed to inspire.

One of my favourite new sites to check in on is www.wowowow.com -- a new site for women on the web launched by celebrities like Candice Bergen and Lily Tomlin. They are currently featuring their offices and what inspires them. This led me to think about women and their office environments in general and what we bring into our spaces that makes us feel great and gives us energy. I found this one -- the desk of Jane Wagner, particularly striking. Do the design aspects of female-friendly environments also appeal to men?

Greenwashing 101

As marketers, all we have is our reputation at the end of the day. Intentionally misleading consumers is a no-no, yet integrity in marketing is sometimes hard to come by. Case in point - the Green category that is currently exploding with new product entrants that are capitalizing on consumer demand.Now, while many of these companies are authentically “Green”, others are not, and it is important to equip yourself with the facts so that you know what to look for when buying Green products.

Terra Choice is a company that governs authenticity in Green claims by certifying Green products with the Eco-logo. Be sure to look for this logo when purchasing products.

The six sins of Greenwashing:
1. Sin of no proof
2. Sin of the hidden tradeoff
3. Sin of vagueness
4. Sin of irrelevance
5. Sin of the lesser of two evils
6. Sin of fibbing

Thanks to TerraChoice for keeping the industry honest!

Social sharing and online learning not just a trend for women

As female consumers and entrepreneurs network and build their profiles, their online tools are only getting better. Here are some resources and statistics that have recently popped up.

The Goldman Sachs Group has launched 10,000 Women, a site dedicated to helping women in emerging economies launch and build their businesses. Partnering with universities in Europe and the United States including Harvard and Columbia Business School, 10,000 Women places women in flexible programs and traditional educational environments, supporting their path towards earning an MBA or BA.

In a social networking capacity, women have a slightly greater presence on popular social networking sites over men. According to a study by RapLeaf, a sample of over 30 million users found that women are more likely to spend their time online establishing and nurturing relationships on sites such as Flickr and Facebook.

With new blogs and sites popping up regularly on topics ranging from pop culture to the environment, women are proving to love debate and dialogue online. A great new site, wowOwow: The Women on the Web, was created by fifteen women in different fields including entertainment, journalism, and publishing. Contributors include Whoopi Goldberg, Candice Bergen, Lesley Stahl, and Lily Tomlin, all providing their unique views on topics ranging from current events, politics and pop culture.

Women are getting smart about what’s in their cosmetics

Aimee Racine, Account Manager
SWING

As women, we are constantly bombarded with different health care and makeup products that can "cover up this" and "anti-age that" but are they really safe? If it's approved by Health Canada or the FDA in the States then we assume that the product is ok. But after the revelation about the harmful hormone, Bisphenol A, surfaced with plastics (especially those that were in baby bottles) as consumers we have to be proactive and keep on top about what could be harmful to our health.

A site that is looking out for the consumer called, Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database, run by a non-profit company, Environmental Working Group, who evaluate over 25,000 cosmetic and personal care products against 50 different toxicity and regulatory databases. They rate each product, which span from make-up to baby and pet products, out of 10; 10 being the highest toxicity.

As I read the information on the site, I was intrigued to find out so many common products that we all assume to be ok were in fact quite harmful to our health and/or the environment. So last night I went to the drug store and bought shampoo, Pantene Pro-V Texturize, and I was able to find that product evaluated on the site. Just so you know gals, this research tool is not just for ladies. In fact, Skin Deep was recommended to me by my boyfriend who was comparing sunscreens. Check it out to see how the products in your drawers shape up.

"Letta Mama feed you"

Aimee Racine, Account Manager
SWING

Commercials. Most of them are boring and don’t really catch my attention. However, this week I saw an exception. Michelina’s. Their current campaign has two commercials airing, with the character of Mama Michelina as the star. She appears in two out of place locations --a climbing wall and an indoor football field. Mama Michelina comes to the rescue with a microwave Michelina’s dinner and saves the day. Here is the one with the girl wall climbing. I know it is a simple concept that has been used to sell products for decades but the “Mama knows best” angle made me laugh out loud and appealed to me as a woman.

I often feel pressure to look a certain way, but when I watched this commercial that seemed to melt away. For a brief moment, Mama Michelina was my grandmother, taking care of me and all of my problems including making sure I eat enough. I was able to take a nostalgic look back to my childhood eating habits, a time when I never once thought of my waistline and the fact that I have to exercise like a maniac in order to stay healthy. For that 30 seconds, I watched someone reaching out and caring about another’s well-being. In the end, I guess sometimes we want our grandmother to swoop in on a carabineer line and spoon feed us, even though it is a microwave pasta dinner, and take us away from our diets and exercise and love us, no matter what we look like.

Creative campaigns find new ways to “go green”

Over the past few months, green initiatives have given birth to some very interesting campaigns and programs. The latest from Al Gore’s “non-profit, non-partisan effort,” Alliance for Climate Protection, brings political rivals Reverend Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson together for an unconventional public service message. The video, available at wecansolveit.org, features the unlikely pair urging viewers to work together in helping our planet.

The Green is Universal website from NBC Universal features programs and tips, as well as an extensive “Green Glossary” of related terms. The site provides a portal to its other company websites, including NBC. The network’s television prime time schedule has also adapted to the growing movement. Shows such as The Bionic Woman and Scrubs have tailored their storylines to promote green living.

Another notable program closer to home is Green Enterprise Toronto, a site dedicated to helping businesses and consumers “become greener” and “think locally.” Its site offers a directory of Toronto-based, environmentally-friendly businesses - featuring everything from health spas, landscapers, restaurants, and specialty stores geared to women.

Aside from local activism and consumer awareness, the green movement has motivated people to look at almost every aspect of their life and health from a different perspective. An article on CanadianLiving.com offers tips on “how to have a green baby”, including preparing organic diets, how to avoid everyday toxins, and making your own baby food.

Are women loyal to loyalty?

All this talk about loyalty programs and it begs the question; are women loyal to loyalty programs? Where are marketers missing the mark? And, where is loyalty when you need it?

Take a particular Canadian telco that will remain nameless. For now. In the last year, I have switched over both of my business phone accounts, set up a new business Internet account, switched over my home phone account and upgraded my wireless data account. In all, between my businesses and my personal and household telecommunications and data use, we hold 6 accounts with this telco.

Now, what would make good sense is that I would be rewarded and recognized for the total sum of business that I have with this company and will bring to this company over time (lifetime customer value). Yet, when I call, I wait on hold for more than 30 minutes (on my cell phone!), they often cannot find my account at all, and the technician doesn’t show up for scheduled appointments making me waste countless, valuable business hours waiting to give them business. I have complained many times with no acknowledgement.

Now here is my prescription for an ideal rewards and recognition program that would work :

· Discounts on monthly fees based on total business value (across all accounts)
· Consolidation of accounts- single view across call centers
· Front of the line service and recognition flagged for call centers (key codes reducing waiting time)
· Prompt resolution when problems arise

Are women loyal to loyalty programs? Essentially we need to separate the brand from the program. There are programs that we have an emotional connection to where a loyalty program may be icing on the cake but won’t ultimately affect the brand love. Then, there are brands that we tolerate and sometimes like where a great loyalty program can make all the difference. In short, loyalty programs need to:

1. Be highly usable (not creating extra work at uptake or for ongoing use)
2. Show immediate reward ($ off, front of the line recognition, other redemption opps)
3. Bring the consumer closer to the brand (increase switching costs, increase frequency of purchase and increase brand favour)

Gender differences. The quote of the day!

This morning, my four year old daughter shared with me what I found to be quite an accurate statement which transcended and true stereotyping when it came to gender differences. As she was packing her favourite book-- Fancy Nancy-- into her knapsack she said to me "Mommy, boys are stronger but girls are fancier." I reflected on the accuracy of the statement, and as usual, had to smile.

Marketing to Women Online: Attracting Your YouTube Audience

Female vloggers (video bloggers) and personalities have relied on the ease and accessibility of popular video sites to build and sustain significant audiences. Many users can produce engaging, entertaining content at little to no cost. But with so much content out there, how can women just starting out reach their audience?

Most have turned to YouTube as their default video hosting and community site; and while it may be easier than ever to upload and share your clips online, drawing people to your content can be a challenge. Is there a set formula for creating a “viral video”, or does the organic nature of the web make it difficult to reach your potential audience directly?

YouTube and other hosting sites such as Yahoo! Video, Metacafe, and Revver offer similar features (search by category, user comments, embedding), but can one site generate a greater audience than others? Like traditional media, content is key – and while YouTube may offer an extensive catalog of videos, a lot of the good stuff can get lost in the mix.

Taking advantage of the reactive nature of the internet means more than just uploading a video and waiting for people to watch. Engaging viewers is just as important. In an August 2006 interview with Wired Magazine, comedian Dane Cook describes how social networking and video sites helped to garner a mainstream audience by maintaining an open and immediate online dialogue with his fans.

Users often produce outstanding content that never makes it to Time’s Top Ten, but there are ways to enhance your view count. Second party services such as Vodpod and SplashCast allow users to showcase and embed selected videos to a customizable, personal video channel. These and similar sites not only optimize organic search engine ranking, but also incorporate your content into their own exclusive communities.

Some may be hesitant about levering open source tools and community sites to establish an online presence. Those now taking advantage of Web 2.0 may express concerns over privacy, security, and public perception; but as internet culture and technology extends its reach across other media, new users are quickly adapting. Lee Gomes of the Wall Street Journal, for example, studied how users engaged YouTube and determined growing trends amongst specific groups. However, as online content continues to grow at a seemingly exponential rate, reaching your audience early becomes increasingly important.