As initially reported in MediaDailyNews on October 18, New York-based independent shop Horizon Media has hired digital strategist and agency veteran Paul Santello, as EVP, managing partner of its Los Angeles office. The agency said Santello is tasked with strengthening Horizon’s strategic offering, driving digital innovation at the firm and overseeing all client activity in Horizon’s Los Angeles office. He’ll also contribute to the agency’s new business development efforts. Horizon’s West Coast clients include fast-food chain Jack in the Box, independent film production and financing company Film District, imported beer marketer Crown Imports (Corona, Modelo), Constellation Wines, Southern California Honda and cable channels Comedy Central and IFC. Horizon CEO Bill Koenigsberg stated that Santello’s “passion for his clients" made him the "obvious choice" for this important leadership position. Santello joins Horizon Media from Evolve Media, a digital publisher, where he was head of strategic account sales. Prior to that, Santello was senior vice president group communications director at digital agency Moxie Interactive, a unit of Publicis Group’s ZenithOptimedia. Before Moxie, Santello was executive vice president, Western region executive client director for Aegis Group’s Carat. Earlier, Santello worked at creative ad shops Leo Burnett and Lowe Lintas & Partners; Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Procter & Gamble. Santello will report to Serena Duff, EVP/General Manager of the Horizon Media Los Angeles office.
As initially reported in MarketingDaily on October 19, “hip and funky” brand Good Earth Tea is dispensing samples at offbeat venues like tattoo parlors, vintage clothing stores, and art museums in San Francisco and Los Angeles as part of its efforts to reposition itself as an adventurous brand. From Oct. 12 to 31, the brand’s “Untamed Moments Tour” is sending young men and women, riding branded, vintage-style bikes, into “hot hangouts” in those metro areas, using a branded van to transport the team throughout the regions. Tour stops include San Francisco’s Mission District, Golden Gate Park, Haight Ashbury and Soma neighborhoods, and L.A.’s downtown, West Hollywood and Silver Lake areas. Good Earth Tea worked with Brand Connections to identify tour locations that would reach the brand’s “adventurous” consumers and execute the tour. The tour is designed to “bring the brand to life, personifying the intriguing nature of our tea blends,” said Good Earth marketing executive Anna Corini. Good Earth is promoting the tour stops, along with a Twitter-based “Untamed Moments” contest, through its Twitter account (currently about 3,300 followers). And Facebook page (currently 28,000-plus “likes”). In the contest, entrants submit a photo (through Dec. 31) of an “untamed moment” (which may or may not include the sampling team and tour van), along with a requisite 140-characters-or-fewer caption, to win chances for an eight-day/seven night “glamping” trip-for-two from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and beyond. What’s “glamping”? According to Good Earth’s Twitter site, it’s a “glamorous mix of deluxe camping, spa time and luxury accommodations -- no ‘roughing it’ required.” Good Earth Tea is part of Tata Group, which also includes Eight O’Clock Coffee and Tetley Tea.
With so many metrics at our disposal, it's incredibly easy for a social media marketer to simply focus on metrics instead of return on investment. But few of us get paid for good stats alone. Our businesses want us to make them money. Go figure. And yet, again and again we turn to stats that mean nothing when it comes to ROI. Most companies can only guess what a Like is worth or the value of a Pin. I even had a client a couple years ago have us take OUT any metrics that showed how we contributed to the company's bottom line. The client didn't want to be held accountable for any financials other than as a cost center. Said client no longer works at said company. That’s why I am so excited to moderate the panel “Is Social ROI An Oxymoron?” at the OMMA Social Data conference tomorrow morning at 9:45 a.m. If you’re in Los Angeles, you can attend by signing up here. If in-person isn’t a possibility, view the live stream of the sessions all day here. And, for you good people, here’s a sneak peak at some of the things we’ll be talking about -- not to mention some good questions to ask yourself: Is Social Any Different From Other Marketing? Social often exists in its own pantheon. It usually has its own team plugged into the matrix, like digital addicts monitoring every mention and reference of a brand. Do brands need to change who is working on social along with what is being worked on? Or, is social truly a different mindset that shouldn’t be judged like other marketing? Comparing New School To Old School For many people, social media is a lot like driving in a car with fogged windows: You can sort of see what you are doing, but if you hit any difficult situations, the chances of coming out unscathed are pretty slim. So, how do we make social ROI understandable to old-school marketers? Is there a key analogy? Can we compare it to other, more traditional marketing mediums in a meaningful way? Know Thy Enemy Sometimes the best advice is consulting on what not to do. The session panelists will talk about the stats or metrics they think do the most harm. Maybe the stat causes confusion. Maybe it distracts. Maybe it takes too much effort in exchange for the return. Basically, what stats aren’t worth the trouble and should be left off the quarterly update slides? King Of The Mountain We’ll draw on panelists’ breadth of experience to find out the best ways to judge return on investment across social. Of course it changes by vertical and business model, but what are some tried-and-true financial returns that always seem to rise to the top? Comparative Quick Round The best social media lives in harmony with other marketing – both online and offline. So, shouldn’t social media be able to contribute to the old standbys of ROI? Our panelists will talk about what social platforms are their favorites for:
Loyalkaspar launched a Los Angeles office, adding Richard Eng as creative director and Mandy Novak as executive producer.
Pulse Films USA signed Young Replicant, led by Los Angeles-based director Alex Takacs to its directorial roster.