As marketers tailor their campaigns to a more digitally engaged audience, ad formats themselves are changing substantially. Passive announcements about new products will, for instance, now make way for interactive ads that will allow consumers to buy directly off the ads on their cell phones.
The move toward high-tech offerings that allow consumers a higher level of involvement with the ad will call for a different breed of marketing professionals. Ads that allow their viewers to "test-drive" products, as Lexus and Mitsubishi actually did last year with sophisticated demos on their websites, will require advertising pros not only to understand the changing online behaviors of their viewership, but also to familiarize themselves with the different media technologies on various digital and mobile platforms. (WSJ)
Sales Buzz
Five Resolutions for 2011 (FINS)
2010, the year of the iPad and pharma layoffs, was ripe with lessons for salespeople to learn from going forward. Here are five to jot in your notebook.
Groupon's Haul (WSJ)
The deal giant, whose roughly 3,000-strong workforce is comprised mostly of salespeople, has now pulled in over $500 million of its $950 million goal in an ongoing funding round.
Getting Hired at Twitter (Mashable)
One of the first things hiring managers and recruiters at Twitter look for in candidates is that they have a Twitter account. These and more ways to get hired at the microblogging site, which recently told FINS it would hire ad salespeople next year following its recent $200 million funding round.
Marketing Buzz
Gov Officials Double As Marketing Agents (NYT)
New WikiLeaks cables have revealed American diplomats acted as marketing execs, promoting the sales of Boeing aircraft to international governments also considering French competitor Airbus.
Elle to Join Hearst? (WSJ)
Confirming months-long whisperings about a possible acquisition this year, the French parent company of the publisher of the Elle Magazine brand, announced it is negotiating the sale of its international publishing unit Hachette Filipacchi to Hearst Media.
Marketing to Muslims (AP)
Businesses at a recent American Muslim Consumer Conference agreed on plans to promote halal products to a large consumer group that most European businesses have already been catering to.
Buzz Around the Office
Fireworks Around the World (YouTube)
Miss New Year's in Sydney? How about Hong Kong? Or London? No way. Well, at least you can watch this, a video of the countdowns and following celebrations in pretty much every major city.
List of the day: Applying for a Job out of State
If you're planning to expand your job search to other parts of the country, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Read up about the state you're applying to
2. Network to find contacts at other states
3. Contact local industry groups at the state in question
(Source: Aol Jobs)
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