Published: The Selection Process for the American Advertising Awards

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Published: The International Executive’s Resource Guide

I published “The International Executive’s Resource Guide” on @Medium https://ift.tt/2FHsjlv

Published: IERG Assessment of Board Effectiveness Provides Insights

I published “IERG Assessment of Board Effectiveness Provides Insights” on @Medium https://ift.tt/3jHtqQE

Published: Unilever Sustainable Living Program for Responsible Growth

I published “Unilever Sustainable Living Program for Responsible Growth” on @Medium https://ift.tt/2CZR3Ex

ADDY Awards Support Advertising at All Levels

ADDY Logo image from: aaf.org

An experienced sales professional and marketing manager in Connecticut, John Finneran serves as a marketing and sales consultant for start-ups. Prior to this, he spent more than two decades as a marketing manager for such companies as Unilever Home and Personal Care. During that time, John Finneran of Connecticut won 10 industry awards, including one ADDY Award.

The American Advertising Awards, or ADDY Awards, is the largest competition for the advertising industry. Sponsored by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), an organization consisting of close to 40,000 members across the United States, the ADDY Awards are given to students and professionals who demonstrate high levels of creativity and excellence in advertising.

There are three tiers of ADDY Awards that individuals must go through, beginning with entry at a local level. Winners of a local ADDY stand out within their market, and are then moved on to the second tier of the awards, which recognize outstanding individuals based on their district. The AAF recognizes 15 district competitions, and the winners in each district compete at a national level for a national ADDY Award.

The AAF supports the entire advertising industry via its awards program. The proceeds from the national, district, and local competitions all go toward programs in each community that support professional development, public service, and advertising education.

Four Effective Ways to Build Hype ahead of a Product Launch

Marketing
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Easton, Connecticut resident John Finneran is an award-winning marketing executive who has worked with numerous global brands from Unilever. From his office in Greenwich, Connecticut, John Finneran managed Unilever’s marketing operations, planning and executing new product launches, among other responsibilities.

The seeds of a successful product launch are planted long before the actual launch. Marketers must start early to build hype around the product. The goal of this buzz is to generate significant sales in the first week of launch. Here are a few ways to hype a product launch in 2019:

- Engage influencers beforehand. Reach out to thought leaders in your industry and influencers (whether bloggers or celebrities) and ask them to use and review your product. Because these people have huge followings, they can talk about your product to their audience, informing them about it, highlighting its benefits, and telling them why they should buy it.

- Talk about it yourself. Through your social media, website, press releases, and even newsletters, explain how revolutionary the new product is, how it will benefit consumers, and why it is a must-have. You can even create a teaser trailer for it. Be careful to give just enough information to build anticipation while keeping the suspense alive.

- Build an event around the product launch. Apple does this well. You can borrow from the tech giant by turning your launch into a big event with media coverage and attendance that features influencers. If you are working with a small budget, you can hold a contest on the launch date or simply host an online event.

- Take pre-orders. Build out your sales funnel early, inviting people to join your early-access list. This will make your customers feel special. Take pre-orders to harness their enthusiasm early on and get them invested in the launch.