With the biggest sporting, and advertising, event of the year upon us, now is the time when viewers tune into commercials, especially when there are celebrity spokespeople backing the advertised brands.

But, there is one familiar face that won’t be present, at least for the commercials, during the big game. Although Peyton Manning will be starting for the Colts on Sunday, he won’t be spotted during commercial breaks as he frequently has been in the past. It’s not because he’s no longer one of the biggest names in football and advertising (he is still one of the most used spokespeople in ads), but because the brands he endorses, like MasterCard, Sony, DirecTV, Gatorade and Sprint, have all pulled their Super Bowl advertising spots.

Does this mean that times are changing for advertising? Are big-name advertisers no longer willing to fork over millions of dollars to run a 30-second spot during the game? Has the explosion of social media caused companies to rethink budgets and reinvest money that was traditionally directed toward advertising to other areas?

Maybe paying big bucks for ads isn’t the way to go anymore. It’s time that marketers strategize and rethink to ensure that marketing dollars are being spent wisely, getting the most bang for the buck and reaching customers.

So, what do you think? Have you seen companies redirecting advertising dollars to other areas? Are you going to miss seeing Peyton in commercials? I know I’ll miss seeing him, but I’ll still be cheering for the Colts during game time!

photo courtesy: www.flickr.com/photos/Leyinglo

Let’s face it, spam filters can make a marketer’s life a nightmare, but there are some tricks that you should know to ensure a high delivery rate for your next e-mail campaign.

To help avoid the ‘junk e-mail’ folder, resist the following:

• Spam-type words
  i.e. – free, #1, no cost, guarantee, marketing, credit card, etc. To see a whole list, visit this helpful site: Mannix Marketing, Inc.
• Red text
• All capital letters
• Incomplete information
• Excessive punctuation !!!, ???
• Excessive use of “click here” especially in all capital letters
• No “From:” address
• Misleading (or missing) subject line

At Canyon, we use Constant Contact to distribute and track e-mail marketing campaigns. This web-based e-mail marketing service allows marketers to easily and efficiently develop HTML/Text-based e-mail marketing campaigns at the touch of a button. Plus, it allows you to instantly upload distribution lists, track progress and view on-demand reports to help measure campaign success and track ROI.

Following these helpful guidelines and suggestions will help you avoid the junk mail folder and make it into your customers’ and prospects’ inboxes.

Do you have any tips to add to this list?

Recently, while brainstorming ad concepts for a client in a conservative industry and I came up with an off-the-wall idea. Why not put ninjas in the ad? C’mon people, let’s step out! Since everything ‘has been done’ and we’re looking to make a big impact, why not do something completely crazy and generate attention for our client? After all, we’re looking to show customers that they can ‘cut through the product marketing BS’ and ‘slice their estimating time in half.’ What better way to illustrate that than branded ninjas with samurai swords and throwing stars?

Of course, my idea crashed and burned! However, in a creative environment, I think it always pays off to step out on the edge and throw out some highly unconventional ideas. Our design team leader, Ryan, always says that you have to get all the bad ideas out of the way before the good ideas come. Plus, you never know what an idea that’s way out there will spark. Perhaps it will lead to ‘the big idea.’

So, I felt pretty stupid about my ninja concept, but I still think it’s a good idea to throw out bad ideas. It stretches your creative muscles and, you never know, you may stumble on some good creative in the process.

Do you have an example of a crazy idea that you’ve presented in a brainstorming session? Are you a fan of ninjas? Do you believe in unrestrained creative expression?

The largest marketing event in the world will be upon us next weekend. A magical five-hour time frame when people actually WATCH commercials. When they turn UP the volume to avoid missing the punch lines, rather than missing the commercials altogether while taking a potty break.

Super Bowl XLIV will not only be chalk-full of brilliant strategies on the field, but smart marketing moves from the advertisers as well. For instance, Pepsi’s decision not to run any ads during this year’s game in order to allocate more dollars to social media and community outreach.

Some say Pepsi’s move is risky, but I disagree. I think this bold decision demonstrates that Pepsi knows it’s necessary to adapt marketing strategies to complement how consumers get their information. Even though the Super Bowl presents a captive audience, advertisers should realize that people are watching the commercials for their entertainment value, and their purchasing decisions are not likely to be influenced by a clever 30-second spot.

The lesson to be learned here, for B2C and B2B marketers alike, is just because something has worked in the past, doesn’t mean it’s the right way to go. Think about where and how your target audience gets information and base your strategy on those factors.

Do you think Pepsi made a wise decision? Do you think more advertisers will pull out from the Super Bowl in the future?