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Author: Chris Talbert

2022 Addy Awards – Designsensory Distinction

Posted on by Chris Talbert
Written by: Caroline Stringfellow  

Designsensory was thrilled to attend the 57th annual American Advertising Awards on Saturday February 26. AAF Knoxville’s JurADssic Park themed gala captured the essence of creative excellence as we celebrated another year of hard work, in-person. We were especially grateful to be back in the ballroom, on our 20th year competing.

To us, the Addy Awards represent an opportunity to reflect on our growth as a team, the challenges we’ve navigated and the solutions we’ve crafted. We equally enjoyed learning from and celebrating the achievements of our local competition. Our friendly rivalry with fellow agencies and our loyalty to our partners and clients drive us to create meaningful moments and spark elevated brand solutions. Thanks to our partners and collaborative team, we get to evolve our talent, exceed client expectations and practice our craft, everyday. 

The Foundry at World’s Fair Park was full of laughs and learnings as the top local entries were recognized by an esteemed panel of advertising professionals. 


Best of…

  • Best of Show Tennessee 225 – Poster Series
  • Best of Cross-Platform Tennessee 225 – Campaign
  • Best of Print Tennessee 225 – Poster Series
  • Best of Public Service State of Tennessee – COVID-19 “Safer Than” TV 


Judge’s Choice Award:


Gold Addy Awards:

  • Zoo Knoxville – “The Wild Life” Animations (Season 2)
  • Zoo Knoxville – ARC “Closer Than You Think” Campaign
  • Smoky Mountain Tourism – Website
  • Tennessee 225 – Brand Identity
  • Tennessee 225 – Campaign
  • Tennessee 225 – Poster Series


Silver Addy Awards:

  • Apple Barn and Cider Mill – Website
  • Memphis Moves – Website
  • Zoo Knoxville – ARC Campus Official Opening Campaign
  • Zoo Knoxville – “The Wild Life” (Season 2) Series 
  • Rather & Kittrell – “Meet Future You” Campaign
  • Apple Barn – Experiential Photography Series
  • Designsensory Intelligence – Website
  • Memphis Moves – Anthem Video
  • Scribble – “Of Note” (Season 3) Campaign
  • State of Tennessee – COVID-19 “Safer Than” TV Spots
  • Tennessee 225 – Website


Bronze Citations of Excellence: 

  • Zoo Knoxville – ARC Out of Home Billboard Rutledge
  • Zoo Knoxville – After Hours Branding
  • Nassios & McLaughlin – TV Spots Series
  • Food Network – “Obsessed” Podcast
  • South Dakota – Student Workforce Campaign
  • South Dakota – General Workforce Campaign
  • Designsensory – Holiday Campaign
  • Memphis Moves – Brand Identity
  • Greenwood, SC – Jingle & Mingle Campaign
  • Memphis Moves – Branding Campaign
  • Gatlinburg SkyLift Park – Tulip Tower Installation & Experience
  • Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union – Campaign (:30)
  • State of Tennessee – COVID-19 “Give it a Shot” TV 
  • Gatlinburg – “Mountains Are Calling” Campaign
  • Scribble – “Of Note” (Season 3) Podcast
  • State of Tennessee – COVID-19 “Give it a Shot” Campaign
  • Tennessee Fund – Website
  • Regal – Junkets Series
  • Regal – “Unlimited” Campaign
  • Old Dominick Distillery – Social Media Campaign

TikTok For Business: Expand Your Social Marketing Strategy

Posted on by Chris Talbert

Written by Caroline Stringfellow & edited by Chris Cable

TikTok brand use has grown rapidly in the past few years. The platform acts as an entertaining channel to build relationships between companies and broad audiences in a way consumers accept. It’s not uncommon for people to install ad blockers in their devices or opt to skip ads while streaming or using apps. With TikTok, advertisers can create original, entertaining content that audiences are open to receiving. Big brands have started using it to generate unique content at scale, measure marketing efforts, generate and nurture leads, and help grow brand audiences and awareness.

The Basics of a Strong Strategy

To reach the broadest audience in the shortest amount of time at low costs, companies can develop an effective strategy using these considerations. Start with your target market, figure out who your audience is, who you should be trying to reach and what their interests are. Once you understand this group, evaluate your objectives, the best tone for your content and what kind of ads will resonate with them. Next, assess your target market to determine how exactly you should use TikTok.

Assessing Your Target Market

Every campaign starts with a target market. Who is your brand’s current audience? Reflect on their interests, behaviors, demographics and social media preferences. TikTok has over a billion monthly users, all of whom are potential followers, users and advocates for your brand. Because that’s a very broad, international audience, the platform has created several tools to help companies target and convert the right niche audiences into consumers. This helps leverage your brand’s tone, content and creators to reach the audiences who are most likely to react and engage with your company.

TikTok SEO can help focus your hashtags and challenges to make impressions on audiences who will respond, helping you achieve your business objective and campaign goals. The creator marketspace provides ample opportunities to expand your audience by utilizing trending sounds, hashtags and challenges—or create your own. Elf cosmetics is one success story, the brand commissioned Kash Doll to create “Eyes Lips Face,” a song specifically for their TikTok campaign, which has generated over 8.6 billion views. The TikTok community has proven to be heavily influenced by peers, presenting an opportunity to entertain and engage with exponentially large audiences through sounds, stories and stitches.

Organic TikTok

The purpose of creating content is to form connections, which you can do by developing a brand identity on TikTok that may be slightly different from your style in other spaces. The NBA creates more casual, entertaining content for their TikTok account than other channels, even partnering with some of the platform’s biggest influencers to boost engagement.

Exactly as you would find a tone to resonate with your audience for a digital or print campaign, find the best tone to use on TikTok. Timing is another important consideration. Ideally, try to post when a trend is relevant to the platform or to the general social climate. Factor in events and interests that are top of mind for your audiences, to increase the engagement viewers will have with your posts and their likelihood of connecting with the content and sharing it with friends. Users who are entertained or informed, or who identify with your brands’ voice will return to your brands’ page for more content in the future and develop brand loyalty.

Choosing the Best Ad Format

You’re on-board with uploading to TikTok, but not sure what format will click with your audience? Brand Takeovers and In-Feed ads are two effective approaches. Make sure you optimize the one most effective for your specific goal. In-Feed Ads are organic-looking videos appearing on users’ For You Page or native news feed. Full screen versions capture the viewers’ attention, and though these ads are easy to scroll past, they enable interaction through comments, likes and shares. A study by Neuro-Insight reported In-Feed ads achieve a 23% higher detail memory than ads seen on TV.

Some companies opt to use brand takeovers, which pop up immediately when a user opens the app, displaying a brief video and then switching to in-feed content. These are most effective for creating mass awareness for interested audiences. The algorithm helps drive sales by appearing as videos, gifs and images with clickable links seamlessly taking users to the brand’s TikTok landing page. To launch the “best chicken sandwich ever,” KFC created takeover ads to generate awareness, buzz, and demand for their new item. The campaign reached over 44M viewers, earning a 13.8% CTR to the website where users could order a KFC chicken sandwich, selling out at several locations.

Top View Ads are slightly more subtle versions of brand takeovers, occupying users’ feeds as soon as they open the app, but not covering the entire screen. This format is best for increasing brand awareness and triggering interactions; a recent study proved 71% of users reported TopView ads capture their attention. The strategic algorithm will help your ads find the right audiences, but it shouldn’t be trusted to do all  the work. Be sure to use real audience data and research when setting campaign goals and defining your target to help your campaign earn the maximum reach, engagement and impressions. It’s best to test different types of creative on appropriate targets to learn what resonates and interests them. This will also help generate the appropriate calls to action which will ensure your links, hashtags and sound bites are supporting interactions and driving sales.

Influencer Marketing

Influencers have viral power and their own following, they’ve essentially built a brand themselves and have the power to expand yours. Before connecting with any popular influencer, reassess your goals, budget, timeline, reach and target. Spend time on the app choosing an influencer who aligns with your brand identity. Someone who connects with your target, already has talked about your brand and earns high engagement on their posts would be much more effective than an influencer who has thousands of followers among different audiences.

Influencer marketing gives you the opportunity to build trust, increase engagement and earn more followers and sales. This strategy is a budget and time-flexible approach to see long-term results. Trust plays an important role in the effectiveness of your influencer marketing campaign. Establishing a strong relationship with the creator you’ve chosen often leads to a successful campaign. TikTok is their language and they understand the best ways to speak to and entertain audiences. Take the time to work with these creators, figure out their passion points and once they feel empowered, give them the creative control.

Influencers add personality to your brand, their dance moves, unboxing videos or trending TikToks see results. Gen Z and Millennial audiences frequent the app the most, but some creators have built mass followings in older audiences through educational, entertaining videos. Don’t shy away from engaging with multiple influencers for a campaign, using stitch features and creating your own challenges.

Taking Over TikTok

In 2022, let us help you break into the TikTok creative space to reach new audiences, build brand awareness and trust, and deepen connections with your target. The platform created a business landscape to make it easier for your brand to effectively reach your business goals. We can hand you the keys to a successful TikTok advertising with a solid strategy built on research and data, monitoring campaign performance and staying flexible.

In all, it’s the right time to open up your brand to the world of TikTok. Designsensory can help you with growth tools and other in-app functions for scheduling posts, generating relevant hashtags and creating challenges so your brand leaves a lasting impression. For other ideas and recommendations for marketing in emerging spaces, reach out to us for assistance in building your strategy, creating creative content and managing your social campaigns and community.

5 Trends That Have Our Eyes On The Future

Posted on by Chris Talbert
Written by Caroline Stringfellow & edited by Chris Cable

Technology, the internet and consumer behavior have created a rapidly changing landscape that influences and interacts with our lifestyles. Medical advancements, wearable technology and non-fungible finances are recent additions most of us hadn’t predicted ten years ago. Today, we’re looking ahead to reflect on how these changes have evolved our ways of thinking, behaving and, of course, advertising. Read along as we identify 5 trends that we think will continue to grow and affect us for better or for worse over the next decade.

Non Fungible Tokens … Huh?

Cryptocurrency investors, gamers and art collectors are already in on the booming digital ecosystem of Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs). For those who are curious, NFTs are Non Fungible Tokens, or unique assets that are verified and stored using blockchain technology and can’t be replaced by anything else. Existing in over 157,000,000 ethereum wallets today, NFTs are showing no signs of decline. The digital assets are built in ecosystems designed to reward long term holders, presenting an attractive business model to buyers. From Sotheby’s auctions to celebrity buys, there are many strong predictors of future NFT success—so how can you get in on it?

Companies should consider ways to establish value by taking a page out of the gaming and art collecting sectors’ notebooks. The real-world utility of buying art NFT’s has already translated to three-dimensional aspects. London and Cologne have created NFT exhibits and Manhattan is opening an entire museum dedicated to them. Consider how your brand could display, engage with or nurture NFTs to stay relevant with investors and, ultimately, consumers.

Advancing Technology: Wearables

Wearable technology has been successful in everything ranging from healthcare functions to improvements to workplace efficiency. Wristwear tech is becoming lighter, smaller and available in more brands, releasing more affordable options and giving consumers a wider selection. Facebook, now Meta, is releasing the latest in smart glasses. This past year smart watches and bracelets have seen an emergence in health monitoring features including blood-oxygen SPO2 sensors, thermometers and virus-tracking features that alert the user when their levels are abnormal. Smart masks are being produced with active filtration, virus killing UV light functions and voice amplifiers. Tech specialists have spilled plans to develop “stress canceling technology” worn like headsets, that send vibrations to specific areas of the head, producing stress-reducing effects.

Looking ahead, brands should ask themselves what innovations they can bring to the wearable tech table; benefiting mental health, physical health or entering uncharted territories. Better yet- how can your brand incorporate this technology into your team to increase efficiency and staff happiness? It also begs the question, are these items exempt from advertising? And if not, you might want to consider how your brand would integrate with these latest forms of media.

Automation = Convenience

Google Home and Alexa are two of the big players in automated tech. Employed citizens worldwide toggling between work-from-home flexibility and entirely remote schedules are taking advantage of the benefits automated technology offers. Convenience capabilities including asking searchable questions, setting reminders and calendar appointments, and learning about the weather verbally are making multitasking easier than ever.

The downside? These devices aren’t immune to data breaches, security hacks and errors in command detection. Working from home with these “always listening” devices in range poses an increased risk for data leaks, overhearing and oversharing conversations that weren’t intended to be posted, and a number of other blunders. Companies can address and prevent this by enforcing heightened privacy protections and security firewalls.

Brands can use automated technology to their advantage by incorporating verbal buying options and audio ads into various device features. User data and behavior while engaging with the devices can also be helpful for brands targeting specific markets. In a world of convenience, your brand needs to find its own contribution.

eCommerce Meets Augmented Reality

Lockdowns spurred a surge in shop-aholism, overwhelming the eCommerce industry. Retailers were up to their turtlenecks in business while delivery companies failed to keep up with demands. Online shopping is undeniably accessible, and the introduction of smart mirrors allowing consumers to virtually try on various items before purchasing them makes the activity increasingly convenient. In anticipation of this trend’s growth, brands can find ways to integrate into environments where augmented reality helps users connect with products and services. Companies that provide services can find ways to integrate advertisements and evoke interest from shoppers actively using emerging devices.

However, brands should look ahead for ways to engage in environmental initiatives combating things like “fast fashion” that produce a hefty carbon footprint. Upcycling activations, spreading awareness to the public or sponsoring events battling climate change are all opportunities for businesses to help reduce the damage of these trends and to improve their perception in the eyes of the public.

The Trajectory of Inclusivity

While we’re making progress toward inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, there is still much more to be done. Minority leaders suggest blatantly addressing the huge amount of inequity that currently exists, where the gaps are and what needs to be done to close them. Diversifying boards, leadership talks offering education on the issue and creating more open environments where different perspectives can be shared are all a step in the right direction.

Flex CEO, Revathi Advaithi, says companies must “find a way to sponsor women, sponsor minorities, sponsor Black people… we don’t need more mentoring.” Looking ahead, we hope to live in a future of diversity, cultural awareness and early education promoting and encouraging perspectives from individuals of all genders, races, backgrounds and belief systems.

To move forward, businesses must truly evaluate their diverse representation, awareness and sponsorship of minority communities both internally and in their advertising. It’s no longer about only representing the idea of your audience, it’s about ensuring the public see themselves represented in the totality of the media landscape, using your products and services. You’ll never go wrong including different voices in your brand.

Tech, financial and consumer-facing industries are continuing to innovate and change before our eyes. The conveniences and benefits of these shifts should be appreciated but not overshadow the opportunities they present to brands. These functions inspire us as brands to consider how we can prepare for, respond to and maximize the benefits of these changes to create stronger and more effective presences. We are excited for what the future holds, and as we watch to see how things unfold, we hope you’ll reach out to us for help navigating your brand’s influence through innovative insights, creativity and platforms.

Bringing Great Ideas to Life

Posted on by Chris Talbert

With the arrival of August 2021, Designsensory begins our 20th year in business.

These have been challenging, unprecedented times for everyone. Perhaps a silver lining is the opportunity to reflect on things, to make changes and to renew relationships and commitments. For businesses, adverse times present an opportunity to strengthen core values and re-energize organizational purpose.

Given the uncertainty around the pandemic, our celebrations will be virtual for a little while longer but hopefully transition to face-to-face moments in 2022. What we can do now is reaffirm the spirit that drives us as a group. A brand purpose that hasn’t changed since the beginning. When asked what we do, now more than ever, the simplest answer is this:

We help bring great ideas to life.

Whether it’s connecting innovators to content, promoting and selling best-of-breed products to customers, entertaining audiences, uncovering insights that drive smart decisions, empowering athletes in their sport, inspiring people to discover a new destination or sparking people to rally around an important social cause.

What we do is hard, fun and complex. It takes tremendous talent, patience and focus. People willing to collaborate. To respect opinions and be open to change—AKA unicorns. It takes amazing people, supported by friends and families, to do what we do, and we’ve had the great privilege over two decades to be in the presence of genius every single day.

It takes a special kind of trust. A gift that we continue to receive from clients. Turning over hard-earned capital to someone with the expectation that they can take it and amplify it is a profound act of trust. Every day our clients place that trust in us to take their investment and shepherd it, allocate it wisely based on our experience and expertise and make it do something magical.

What started with Brandon and me toiling on respective passions has evolved into something we could have never envisioned in those early days. Because of our growth, capabilities and influence, we have more opportunities now than we ever have had. Opportunities to tell more stories. Impact culture. Strengthen worthy brands and elevate worthwhile ideas and initiatives.

That’s why, 20 years in, I am more optimistic than ever about the future and more determined than ever to help bring it to life.

Designsensory 2021 Addy Award Results: Best Of Show and More

Posted on by Chris Talbert
The American Advertising Federation of Knoxville’s Addy Awards has become an institution here at Designsensory. And while this year our team celebrated the 2021 Addys, themed “Beyond the ADmosphere,” virtually and from the comfort of the office — trading in suits and dresses for facemasks and jeans, ballrooms for conference rooms, drink tickets for to-go margaritas — quite a few things remained the same.

Like the fact that the Addys represent an opportunity for us to celebrate not just each other and our local industry but our clients. It’s thanks to our many client partners, who ask for more and turn to us when they want it, that we continually get to dig deep into our toolbox and come up with concepts, creative pieces and campaigns that not only bring to life communications that truly work but also win awards. Bringing home some hardware is always nice, but our greatest award is the success of our clients and solving the ever-changing problems they have.

Also unchanged this year, and hopefully for the many years to come, is the support we’re glad to be able to show to our local AAF chapter through these submissions. It’s the team, our clients and Knoxville that help us continue to grow and thrive year-after-year. So, thank you, everyone. And congratulations to you all!

Best Of…

Gold Addy Awards

Silver Addy Awards

Bronze Addy Awards

Twist Up a 2020 Toddy

Posted on by Chris Talbert

Picture this:

A crisp winter’s eve announces itself with plunging temperatures and softening light. The fireplace is roaring, beating back the forces of frost outside. You curl up on the couch with a mug of warm milk to watch your favorite — hold on. Warm milk?

No. No, that won’t do.

You need something bracing; something warming; something that can double as a cold medicine in a pinch.

You need a Hot Toddy.

There are countless recipes for the classic toddy. But they mostly revolve around a dark spirit like whiskey, rum or brandy, some sort of sweetener, some variation of warm spice and citrus. Some classic recipes call for the drink to be lengthened — a fancy way to say “topped off” — with fresh-brewed black tea. Others call simply for freshly boiled water. We say there’s no wrong way. And frankly, after this year, you’ve earned a chance to settle down and warm up.

Let’s look at what you’ll need:

Whiskey, rum or brandy: Any brown spirit will do, really, but each will bring something different to the party. Bourbon whiskey — we’re partial to Old Dominick — will yield a balance of spice and sweetness. Scotch whisky will impart a subtle malty, cereal note with light hints of smoke depending on which bottle you choose. When brandy is warmed it gives off sweet, plummy, toffee-esque aromas. Or, if you want to experience true bliss, use Calvados, an apple brandy from the Normandy region of France which, when heated, is utterly ethereal.

Fresh-brewed black tea or freshly boiled water: This is your heat source, and dilutes the drink so that you don’t get a high-octane dose of sugar, lemon juice and whiskey right down your throat. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Citrus: You could use orange here, but lemon is more traditional. You’ll need a little juice, and a peel you can twist up for garnish. To make a lemon twist, simply cut a slice (not a wedge) of lemon, and carefully cut the thin peel from the outside of the lemon wheel. Cut the peel so that it becomes a long strip. Twist it, holding it for several seconds until the shape is kept, and you’ve got yourself a fancy lemon twist!

Sugar: This can come in a lot of forms in a toddy. The hot drink gives you the benefit of using honey or maple syrup, ingredients that don’t play as nicely with cold cocktails. You could also use granulated sugar, brown sugar or simple syrup. Again, play around and find what you like, just note that each variable you change will contribute new flavors to your toddy.

Spices: A few cloves and a stick of cinnamon will totally transform your drink into a holiday in a mug. Alternatively, you could use cocktail bitters to add some spicy depth to your toddy.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 oz. of your spirit of choice
  • .5 oz. of fresh lemon juice
  • .5 oz. of honey or maple syrup (or 2 tsp sugar)
  • 4 to 6 oz. fresh-brewed black tea or freshly boiled water
  • 2-3 whole cloves
  • 1 Cinnamon stick

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add spirit, syrup or sugar, lemon juice and cloves into your favorite mug and lightly stir.
  2. Top with your tea or boiled water.
  3. Drop in a cinnamon stick, and garnish with your beautiful lemon twist.

Alcohol-Free Toddy

If, for whatever reason, you choose not to drink alcohol, never fear! You can still enjoy the cozy comfort of a toddy. Simply ditch the alcohol. If you do forgo the spirits, we suggest you use tea rather than water — you can even experiment with your favorite herbal tea — and use a richer sweetener like maple syrup to add a little complexity to the drink.

The important thing, no matter which version you choose to make, is that a Toddy is essentially a template that can be manipulated across any number of variables to create something truly delectable.

As you enjoy your beverage — responsibly, of course — we’ve taken the liberty of composing a toast:

To all the friends we’ve missed,
To all the kindness you’ve shown,
To all the love we’ve felt,
And to the holiday spirit that brings us near when we are still so far apart,
We raise our glass.
Here’s to better times ahead.
And, most of all, here’s to you.

 

Like 2020, This Cinnamon Pastry Has A Twist

Posted on by Chris Talbert

Do you know what 2020 gave us? A WHOLE lot more time in the kitchen. And while some of us took to breadmaking, others around the office delved into the sweeter side of baking. Because, really, we just couldn’t get our hands on any sourdough starter… But, hey, it’s paying dividends now!

While this year was unexpected and took plenty of turns, we’re actually pretty thankful for the time we had at home. The time we had to spend with family and hang out with friends (virtually) more often, the time to catch up on shows and books and podcasts, or simply the time that we had to learn a new recipe.

This whole year had a *twist* and so does this recipe, but we assure you it’s easy and fun for the entire family to make and perfect for every holiday occasion.

Plus, it pairs well with our 2020 holiday cocktail from our resident mixologist. Check that out here. Happy holidays, everyone, and we hope you enjoy them — even if it’s with that 2020 twist.

Cinnamon Pastry Twist

Ingredients:

  • 1 package frozen puff pastry
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Pastry Twist Instructions:

  1. Thaw the puff pastry, following directions on the package
  2. Preheat the oven to 375Fº and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
  3. Remove the pastry from its packaging and roll it out to about ½ centimeter thick between two sheets of parchment paper
  4. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together and then sprinkle in an even layer onto the rolled pastry
  5. Take one-third of the pastry and bring it toward the center to create a fold. Then, fold the other edge over the top of this fold to create three layers
  6. Cut the pastry into strips from the short end, about 1 inch wide, so that there are about 12 pieces
  7. Twist each piece, exposing the different layers and sugar-cinnamon mixture, and place them onto the prepared baking sheet
  8. Bake for 17-18 minutes or until golden and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature

Vanilla Glaze

Ingredients:

  • .5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • â…› tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Glaze Instructions:

  1. Whisk the ingredients together until completely smooth, adding more orange juice if necessary
  2. Drizzle over the cinnamon twists or pour into a bowl and serve for dipping

Recipe and photo credits to BAKED the blog.

Fall at Designsensory: Colorful Changes and a Spirit of Perseverance

Posted on by Chris Talbert

The air is crisp, sweaters are making their debut, orange decor is popping up on doorsteps, and the faint smell of pumpkin cold brew is lingering among any nearby group of millennials. Welcome to fall at Designsensory. Despite our urge to cozy up by the fire, there’s been a lot going on at our office: new faces, clients, content, and ways to tackle these times of COVID-19.

Always Original

If you keep up with Zoo Knoxville, you’ve probably seen their new, original series called The Wild Life, created and produced by Designsensory. Our very own Brad Carpenter is the host, taking you behind the scenes to learn about the animals and keepers dedicated to keeping them safe. Watch on Facebook or Amazon, and find out how conservation is making a big impact here in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Meanwhile, in Chattanooga, you’ll find us at Tennessee Aquarium filming another original series, Conservation Crew. The show stars “a team of young conservationists charged with studying and protecting wildlife from their secret headquarters under the Aquarium’s glass peaks.” Be on the lookout for the premiering episode! We will be sharing information on our social channels.

In other news, we are doing meaningful work for the Tennessee Governor’s Office, leading the charge on sending out COVID-19 messaging to help our great state’s citizens stay up to date with relevant safety information. Check out one of our campaign videos and toolkits here.

Make sure you’re keeping up with our latest original content, including our new podcast, Explorable. Explorable is a podcast about travel, disability and inclusion hosted by our very own Josh Loebner.

Website Launches + Team News

We’ve launched a few new websites recently, including an update to Scribble, Knoxville Chamber and Tennessee Lottery.

Knoxville Chamber, your friendly neighborhood chamber of commerce, came to us with a renewed vision for the future, focused directly on the partners they serve. To introduce their new vision, the path to prosperity, we designed a new website that is reflective of content for regional enhancement, economic development, and more.

TN Lottery is a big win for us (ha!) on the technical side of website development. We spent time on the backend cleaning up games and ensuring that players have a quick, easy-to-use experience.

Scribble, South Carolina’s toolkit for innovation, has been with us for years. Not only have we continued to refine its brand and voice, we’ve also continued updating videos and, now, its website! Check out new content categories, resources, their newsletter, and more!

This fall, you’ll also see a new face around the office—or, rather, in that Google Meet meeting. We’ve hired a new project manager, Jordan McClendon. Jordan attended Johnson University, where he played college basketball. His team spirit helps everything and everyone stay on track here at DS. (Thanks, Jordan).

That’s all, folks! See you in winter. For now, stay tuned weekly, daily, hourly (if you so wish) on Facebook and Instagram. 

After All These Years, Content is Still King

Posted on by Chris Talbert

The year was 1996. George Clooney was an ER doctor performing death-defying procedures on your analog TV set; the world couldn’t get enough of Jim Carrey; and the only thing remotely close to a global pandemic was the “Macarena.” 

It was also the very beginning of the Internet… and the year that Bill Gates would make an incredibly prophetic statement in an essay published on the Microsoft website. 

“Content is King,” proclaimed Gates to all the marketers, advertisers and brands of the world. That phrase would live on in cliched infamy for decades. Now, here we are (25 years later!), and all of us marketers have become jesters in the court of the King, juggling for relevance and kneeling for Likes, Shares and those sweet, sweet, Impressions. 

Did you know that 62 percent of consumers say they are more likely to buy from brands that create one-of-a-kind, custom content? 

We’re living in an era when marketing and branding are in a constant state of flux. More and more people tune out traditional advertising. Welcome to the generation obsessed with on-demand shows, viral videos and unique experiential activations. We block banners, skip ads and throw full-blown fits when an ad interrupts our three-hour-Instagram-scrolling-sesh! Companies are now forced to rethink how they get their message across. And this is a GOOD THING. Thus the rise of Branded Content.

Enter “the King,” Stage Left.

What is Branded Content?

Simply put, branded content, rather than having the look and feel of overt advertising messages, is more in line with content that users seek out for themselves. 

With branded content, the marketing message is so subtle that it’s almost invisible. It’s a way for companies to engage with their audiences, improve their reputation and cultivate new relationships.

In understanding branded content, it’s important to have basic knowledge of why people seek out certain media. This process gets a bit complex, as there are several sets of “Content Needs” that your customers may be trying to satisfy at any given time. For the sake of simplicity, these Content Needs can be grouped into two larger categories: Rational or Emotional. A successful branded content strategy takes into account both of these needs and delivers content to satisfy each. 

Let’s take a look at a recent example of branded content from Designsensory as an example that appeals to both needs. 

The Wild Life

Zoo Knoxville came to Designsensory with a unique challenge: 

Create an entertaining and informative digital content series that showcases 

(1) individual animals at the zoo, 

(2) the zoo itself, and 

(3) the people who work there. 

Armed with these clear goals, we set out to design a show to inform and entertain. “The Wild Life” was born from the strategy of fulfilling the two Content Needs: Rational and Emotional.

We knew early on that the show would be a hosted experience going behind the scenes of the zoo. Why? Because this particular show format is well known to consumers and easily digestible, leaving plenty of room for the host to tell stories and jokes and have fun interactions. 

We met the Rational elements of the content by presenting facts about Zoo Knoxville and its animals. The Emotional pieces of the content came from interactions with zoo personnel, learning about the daily efforts of conservation and giving consumers a window into the never-before-seen places of the zoo.

The end result is a fun show that goes behind the scenes at Zoo Knoxville. Each episode is a blend of conservation messaging and adventure, showcasing the life of the animals and the people who care for them.

Currently, we have two episodes of “The Wild Life” available to watch: The Giant Anteater and Giraffes. Stay tuned for episode 3, Turtles, coming very soon. Check us out on YouTube or even Amazon Prime.

Wrapping Things Up

Now we know that people seek out content to satisfy a need, and that demand for content is growing—so much that it’s outpacing the supply. What does this mean for the future of your marketing strategy? Branded content is here to stay, and it will continue to become more popular. If your company hasn’t gotten on the branded content wagon yet, it’s not too late to get started. Make 2020 the year you connect with your customers in an authentic and engaging way. Put on your creative caps and begin the development process. Long live the King!