OTT: What it is and what it means for marketers and TV.

OTT, or "over-the-top," is a term that describes the delivery of television and other content over the Internet instead of using traditional channels. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Youtube – we've all used them before, and these along with other OTT providers are becoming the standard for media consumption in the 21st century. In the old days of advertising, you used to go down to the local TV station and order a flight of 30-second slots on whichever show or program that you felt would align with your target audience demographic. Traditional TV networks used a best-guess coverage, or viewer "ratings" system to estimate how many eyeballs viewed your spot, and that was it.

Fast forward to today, where the number of people paying for cable TV is declining year over year, and advertisers are following the customer online. OTT, social media, and streaming services are commanding more and more of people's time, and they offer rich customer data and precise targeting for advertisers. Advertising with OTT TV providers like Hulu offers a new level of tracking and accountability, with guaranteed impressions and non-skippable ads, that traditional TV models can't match.

As an award-winning multi-media agency, Shark Communications produces broadcast and OTT commercials. With the rise of smart TVs, 5G networks, and more, we see TV viewership shifting rapidly to OTT and digital platforms. See below, a sneak peek of some concept storyboards slated for a 2019 launch.

:15s video storyboard for a client to be named later (CTBNL)

Five great reasons to use Google Display Ads.

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As the design team at Shark was finishing some new display ads, we thought we'd take a moment to answer a common question that, as a Vermont digital marketing agency, we hear a lot: Why should I use Google display ads for my business?

Reach – The Google Display Network is made up of over two million websites, videos, and apps where your ads can appear, reaching 90% of Internet users in the world. This includes hundreds of large sites, like YouTube or the New York Times, as well as thousands of smaller sites, many of which are frequented by your target audience.
Targeting – Ads are displayed if a user searches a certain keyword, visits a website related to your industry, or meets a criteria of demographics, interests, and location. Shark works hand in hand with clients to tailor digital display ad campaigns around their specific customer personas.
Positioning – The easiest way to get into a consumer's mind is to be first. Display ads are visual, engaging messages that are geared toward gaining impressions and building brand awareness. Whether you are launching a new startup or looking to keep an old brand relevant, the Google display network gives you an entry into the consumer's mind and more chance to create a branded impression than say, plain old text ads.
Remarketing – What is remarketing? Remarketing takes place when a user sees your ad after visiting your website. Remarketing conversion rates actually increase over time, so the more a user sees your ads after considering your brand, the more likely they are to complete a sale.
Competition – Let's be honest: everyone else is already doing it. The Google Display Network is today's digital marketplace, so if the consumer doesn't know you exist, then you've already lost.

If you're looking for a certified Google Partner agency to design and manage display advertising for your business, then contact Shark today.

Vermont's 5G Network: Everything You Need to Know.

5G is here and it's here to stay. With strong demand for 5G cell towers, it won't be long before you are streaming 4K videos and unlimited data on your smartphone.

At Shark, a Vermont digital marketing agency, we have long trumpeted the virtues of 5G, but most clients don't know much about it, except that it has something to do with Verizon and AT&T. That's true, but there's also a lot more to 5G and how it will affect daily life for you and small businesses.

"The difference between 4G and 5G is like going from a tricycle to an Indy car." –Steve Mudd, Marketing Strategy Director, Ogilvy & Mather.

If you want to be the go-to techie at your office, then read below how 5G is changing the game.

What is 5G? 5G is the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications, coming after the current, 4G LTE. 5G performance targets include high data rate, reduced latency, energy saving, cost reduction, higher system capacity and massive device connectivity.
What are the benefits of 5G for Vermont? 5G means blazing fast internet – up to 100x current speeds – less video lag, and greater support for interconnected "smart" devices. This means that city dwellers in Burlington or Montpelier can telecommute to work while Vermont farmers use 5G technology to connect their agricultural equipment with real-time precision.
How do you get 5G in Vermont? Mobile carriers Verizon and AT&T are laying the infrastructure for a 5G network across the country, from big metropolitan cities to rural Vermont farms, so you'll always be connected as soon as you step outside and away from Wi-Fi.
When can I purchase a 5G device in Vermont? Even though trial runs of the network have already begun, it will take until at least 2019 before you can buy a 5G phone or tablet.
What does 5G mean for Vermont businesses? Everything. Employee telecommuting, shorter commutes with connected smart cars, augmented reality ads in the grocery store checkout line, remote meetings with VR, and more.

The possibilities of 5G are endless, but like any digital evolution, it's important to stay at the forefront. Follow Shark on Twitter to stay on top of the latest trends in digital marketing.

A Digital TV advertising campaign - coming soon.

Digital TV advertising, Connected TV, streaming video advertising, it all offers a new opportunity for marketing. As Forbes put it in a recent article on Connected tv advertising... " Thanks to everything from smart TVs to mobile to connected devices (Roku, Amazon Fire TV et al), it’s a lot more digital than people realize. And therein lies the opportunity: take advantage of all that digitally viewed television..." At Shark, we're sidestepping the cost of broadcast TV for clients in metro markets with a new geotargeted digital TV media buy. Here's a redacted (six of 18 frames) look at a new 30 second spot in design and production.

Just a nifty little, attorney marketing digital banner that keeps on delivering.

Search Engine Marketing: Some luck with Google and display ad placement.

Thanks to Google (and for once, not our keen use of SEO and keyword tactics) Shark's current "Mad Men" vintage ad concept consistently appears alongside Mad Men articles and content.

Digital Marketing Ideas: A Quick Hit List for the New Year from Shark

Well it is official, 2015 is here. and as we finished up year-end digital marketing reports we included a short executive brief for our clients. Nothing long winded here: Our Digital To-Dos are short, sweet and give busy clients something to snack on.

2015 DIGITAL TO DOS:

DISPLAY — Display ads are turning out to be the bread & butter and a core metric for SEM campaigns. Display ads enable your business to reach people beyond search pages and, even if they are not clicked, 27% of the time their impression still triggers a follow-up search around that brand.

SOCIAL — Gone are the days when your company could get by without social media. With Google now factoring social content in its organic results, managing your posts, comments, articles, and feeds demands far more attention to the quality of your SEO efforts.

MOBILE — With smart phone displays increasing in size and more people than ever using their mobile phones as their main gateway to search the web, optimizing your website means having a well-designed mobile interface via a mobile app or responsive web design. And don’t forget that your digital ads need mobile targeting as well.

CONTENT — Content marketing is predicted to grow exponentially in 2015. But watch out, because simply pumping out repurposed or low value content can actually be harmful to your brand. Digital press releases are one way to push articles and news quickly across news engines and social media; and when they point back to your website, they work wonders for SEO.

SEO — Updates to the Google algorithm have leveled the playing field and allow high-quality websites to shine. No longer can companies purchase shady back-links or stuff content with keywords in order to increase ranking. In 2015, your business should incorporate fresh content, use of long-tail keywords, quality back-links, and descriptive tagging in order to increase SEO.

A New Social Media Marketing Strategy, In an Infographic -

2015 is right around the corner and with our new Social Media Infographic, Social Media Marketing Simplified, you'll find a a simplified understanding and strategy to get the most out of your social media marketing. The Infographic organizes social media marketing into four, easy to understand marketing phases: Attract, Engage, Convert, Monitor. You can download a PDF version here.