Event Wrap-Up: Morgan Richards of Cox Automotive

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We were privileged to have Morgan Richards, Senior Manager of Research at Cox Automotive join us for our club luncheon on September 21. Cox Automotive holds more than 20 companies, the two most recognizable of which are Kelly Blue Book and AutoTrader, the group’s only consumer-facing organizations. Cox Automotive primarily provides services and solutions to the auto industry, with around 90% of their business serving automotive dealerships.

Morgan led AAF NETN through a stripped-down, layperson’s version of what can quickly become a data-heavy quagmire. As with most sectors of the marketing world, digital research and data capabilities are turning the car-buying process on its head.

In research done by Cox Automotive,  only 17 out of 4,002 respondents indicated that they were satisfied with the current process for buying a car. Time spent at the dealership was one of the biggest pain points in the process, with satisfaction declining sharply after shoppers had spent more than 90 minutes at a dealership. To add to the misery, nearly 50% of the time spent at the dealership is spent on the most unpleasant parts of the process: financing and paperwork.

So is the answer online car shopping? Cox found that even in the brave new world of 2017, only 21% of respondents were ready for click-to-buy car shopping. But, 87% said they were willing to move some part of the process online.

Morgan highlighted three companies that Cox serves who are taking a different approach:

  • Tesla: The process for buying Elon Musk’s electric automobiles is very different. Tesla’s model is direct-to-consumer, eschewing dealerships for ‘experiential stores’  in the vein of Apple stores. Customers can get hands-on experience with the car at these stores and, with Tesla’s fixed pricing model, know exactly what they’ll pay.
  • CarVana: With car vending machines—yes, you read that correctly—in Atlanta, Houston, and Nashville, Carvana takes shopping for used cars fully online. Customers pick out their car online, finance and sign papers online, and can choose to have their car delivered or visit one of the vending machines, and watch their new car come down the lift.
  • Tred: Tred found a niche in the peer-to-peer car buying space. From their base in the Pacific Northwest, Tred is taking out the middle men (aka: dealerships) and easing the pain of buying and selling your car your way.
One of the most exciting developments Morgan presented, was the rapid evolution of autonomous vehicles. Ranging from your dad’s old ’73 Nova all the way to fully self-driving cars that don’t need no stinking humans, cars fall along a five-point spectrum of autonomy. And, Cox has found that assuming those fully self-sufficient, self-driving cars are available, by 2020, 59% of consumers would consider stepping up the level of autonomy in their car.

Cox also estimates that by 2034, the balance of miles driven by individual car owners versus miles driven by fleet cars will shift in favor of fleet cars. More autonomy means more efficient routes, more cost-effective ride-share models, and fewer people owning their own cars!

The future of the car buying process is evolving to eliminate the worst parts of the process, put power back in the hands of individual consumers, and use the burgeoning tech of autonomous vehicles to get us where we need to go.

Our thanks to Morgan Richards and Cox Automotive for sharing this fantastic presentation with us!

Event Wrap-Up: Mitch West of Nexstar Media Group

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Mitchell West, Regional Director of Nexstar Media Group, spoke to the club today about digital content marketing trends, mobile marketing, the Internet of Things, and much more. To listen to the full audio from today’s program or download the speaker’s presentation, click play below.

Huge thanks to everyone who contributed to our animal advocacy public service initiative by bringing supplies for SBK/Petworks!
Mark your calendars for September 21, when Morgan Richards from Cox Automotive will come speak to us about the future of digital retailing/e-commerce.

Full Audio Recording

Here’s a full audio recording of the meeting for anyone who was unable to attend:

 

Slide Deck

Download the Slide Deck: 2017 Mega Marketing Trends-Tri Cities

Marketing Stats

  • 5.7 hours per day spent on a smartphone or mobile device
  • 16.8 billion monthly searches
  • 207.2 million total monthly smartphone users
  • Content Marketing is the top 3 for reach for the past 3 years
  • Video content – 1.5-3 minutes is the optimal length for engagement

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Job Opening – Account Executive

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Account Executive Opportunity

The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia

We are seeking a dynamic professional to join the sales team of the region’s leading business-to-business publication, The Business Journal of Tri-Cities TN/VA. This is a base plus commission position and is a great fit for a seasoned business professional with a high level of verbal, written and consultative sales skills. For consideration please email a cover letter, resume and salary history to: Bill Derby, Publisher at bderby@bjournal.com.

The Business Journal of Tri-Cities TN/VA is an equal opportunity employer. The company considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation as protected by applicable city, state or federal law.

Event Wrap-Up: AAF 101

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Today, in our first program of the fiscal year, we inducted our 2017-2018 board (pictured above). We also conducted an AAF 101 panel. Here are some of the FAQs our veterans answered for the group today:

What are the benefits of AAF at the local and national levels?

Personal benefits:
By getting involved with the club (i.e., attending programs, joining committees, attending the American Advertising Awards, joining the board) you will have ample opportunity for education, networking, leadership development, and personal and professional recognition. Most members of the board have made lifelong friends and professional connections through the club – not just on the local level, but throughout the region and the country.

Members also receive exclusive discounts from many companies, including AdWeek, FedEx, Experian, Hertz, Nationwide, Office Depot, and more.

Industry benefits:
AAF National is active in government relations relating to the advertising industry. Elected officers at all levels of the club (local, district, and national) keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the government that could directly or indirectly affect our industry and actively work to protect the integrity and best interest of the industry. At all levels of the club, there are also initiatives in diversity, education, public service, and government that have influence on members and nonmembers across the country.

What is District 7?

The American Advertising Federation is a national organization. Our local club is AAF Northeast Tennessee. We are part of a five-state district (Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi). There are 15 total districts and ours is District 7, which includes 20 clubs from those five states. As part of AAF NETN, you are also part of District 7 and AAF National.

How can I “sell” the value of AAF to my employer?

AAF provides leadership opportunities. Serving on the board or initiative teams helps develop leadership skills that directly translate to the personal and professional lives of members.

AAF provides continuing education. Through monthly luncheons, the club brings speakers from all over the country to speak on a variety of topics.

AAF is a fantastic opportunity to identify talent to fill open jobs. It’s also a great way to gain exposure for your business, through both membership and club sponsorship.

What are the responsibilities of board members?

Commit to one year of service. Attend monthly board meetings. Take ownership of your role and develop and execute strategies to support your initiative(s). Recruit and communicate with committee members to help you execute your initiative(s).

What are AAF conferences like?

AAF District 7 conferences are fun and education, and they always include a good mix of professional development and club development. They’re a great way to gain exposure to the club, while also networking with members from throughout the district.

AAF National conference is the same concept, but all districts are included. You get to see top caliber work from around the country at the National American Advertising Awards. You will be inspired by the Mosaic diversity panels. And you will make friends from ad clubs throughout the US.

How can I get more involved?

Contact us at info@aafnetn.com. We’re always on the lookout for new committee members and board members!

What is this year’s public service initiative?

We are supporting Tri-Cities animal welfare organizations – shelters, humane societies, etc. At today’s luncheon, we accepted canned dog and cat food, per the request of a local shelter. We’ll be doing a variety of activities at programs throughout the year to support this cause.

How do the American Advertising Awards work?

Our ADDYs planning committee meets for several months before the event to plan and execute. We divide responsibilities based on skill set and interest and meet in the evenings to check in and make sure things are getting done.

For ADDYs judging, we bring in three judges from outside our district. They judge each piece on a scale of 1-100. Entries are not judged against each other; each entry is judged on a set of criteria. The top tier percentages are awarded gold and silver, then winners move on to district and national competitions.

There is much more to learn about the AAF, but this is a little to get you started. Have more questions? Submit them to info@aafnetn.com.

Or attend our next luncheon and ask in person:
Date: August 3
Time: 11:30-1:00
Speaker: Mitchell West, WJHL regional
Location: Gray Fossil Site

Job Opening – Director of Public Relations

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Creative Energy is a full-service advertising, digital and public relations firm with a 25- year history of leadership. The company specializes in the food, building materials, financial and tourism industries.

We are in search of a public relations leader with a history of great storytelling in print, digital, social and trade environments.

The director of public relations is responsible for developing, writing and maintaining relationships with various publications editors, influential bloggers and client industry web publishers to facilitate advantageous placement of articles and releases in the name of the agency’s clients. The applicant should be familiar with, and have access to, a wide variety of research on attitudes and public opinions.

Reports to the president

Responsibilities:

  • “Tells the organization’s story” using all appropriate media and communication channels.
  • Generates and promotes ideas aimed at gaining support for client goals and policies from its target audiences.
  • Serves as an advocate for client businesses; builds and maintains positive relationships with the public.
  • Handles organizational functions such as media, community, consumer, and governmental relations; political campaigns; interest-group representation; conflict mediation; or employee and investor relations for designated accounts and/or the agency.
  • Understands the attitudes and concerns of consumers, employees, and various other groups; keeps management aware of public attitudes and concerns of all groups and organizations with which the client must deal.
  • Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, and public interest groups and with representatives from print, broadcast and web journalism.
  • Informs the general public, interest groups, and stockholders of an organization’s policies, activities, and accomplishments.
  • Directs the creation and implementation of all public relations campaigns, programs and publicity activities for the agency and its clients.
  • Writes or coordinates the writing and production of all publicity stories.
  • Meets weekly with media director and account services to coordinate media and publicity placement for maximum agency and client benefit
  • Determines when and where all PR releases will be sent for placement.
  • Works with account service personnel to develop publicity ideas for clients one month prior to the date of publication.
  • Meets once a month, or as needed, with senior management to update them on department status and make any changes deemed necessary.
  • Maintains current computer skills related to public relations department daily functions; ensures all public relations team members do the same.
  • Authorizes department computer hardware and software purchase requisitions and notifies the controller/business manager. Authorizes subscriptions to newswire services and clipping service bureaus.

 

Experience

The Director of Public Relations should have a minimum of five years experience in the development and management of public relations within either a corporate or agency environment. The ideal candidate will be a member of the PRSA and an active member of community or civic organizations.

 

Salary

Salary will be commensurate with experience and proven capabilities in communications skills. Creative Energy offers generous vacations and benefits including health, dental, vision and life insurance as well as 401(k).

 

The Creative Energy Group, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.

Send resume to:ttreadway@cenergy.com

 

 

 

Event Wrap Up: Pal’s CEO Thom Crosby

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Thank you to Pal’s for hosting our March 24th lunch at their corporate headquarters in Kingsport! A big thank you also goes out to Tony and Teresa Treadway of Creative Energy for convincing Thom to host. Pal’s has been a Creative Energy client for over 25 years – a tremendous partnership that’s very different from most food/agency relationships.

Pal’s opened their first location in Kingsport in 1956. After a bit of espionage by their founder, Fred “Pal” Barger, and a chance meeting with McDonald’s founders Ray Kroc and Fred Turner, Pal’s has become the #2 restaraunt in the Tri-Cities and a unique cultural icon for our region.

The restaurant industry as a whole has a turnover rate of about 60%, but Pal’s have maintained a rate of only 18% through their unique training methods and their focus on Performance Excellence. They have 29 stores, owning all the land and buildings with no debts owed to anyone. Their leadership program (Pal’s BEI) has trained business leaders all over the globe from companies like Coca-Cola, 3M, NASA, American Greetings, and more. They teach their tried-and-true 8 step business excellence model, and Thom went through each of those steps with us:

  1. We only work on high value problems.
  2. Every standard is stated as a gap. We’re here, want to be there, how to we get there?
  3. Root cause analysis: ask “Why?” 3 to 5 times to find out the real problem. Any problem is really either a management, equipment, or process design problem.
  4. Create a pool of solutions and pick the best one.
  5. Implement
  6. Verify
  7. Once we know it works, we standardize it and create documents and training around this new standard.
  8. We then market it to everyone in the company.

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2016 – 2017 Scholarships Awarded

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The American Advertising Federation of Northeast Tennessee (AAF-NETN) has awarded academic scholarships for the first time, to Milligan student Gloria Vazquez and East Tennessee State University (ETSU) student Olivia Page. The awards were announced by AAF-NETN’s education co-chairs: Dr. Carrie Swanay, chair of Milligan College performing, visual, and communicative arts; and Art Brown, Milligan College assistant professor of graphic design. The scholarships are given for the 2016-2017 academic year.

“We’re excited about the new scholarship initiative offered by our local chapter,” Swanay said. “In addition to the scholarship awards, each student will receive a free one-year membership to AAF-NETN. This gives students the opportunity to network and will help them get to know local industry professionals.”

Gloria-VazquezVazquez, a sophomore at Milligan College, is pursuing a career in graphic design. “I have always enjoyed creating art since I could hold a pencil,” Vazquez said. “It made my day when I would show friends and family a sketch, and they would be surprised with what I had drawn. Graphic design is a career that communicates a message through the arts, and I want to create designs that could change the world.”

The first of her family to attend college, Vazquez sees this as a real opportunity. “This scholarship will greatly help me to continue my work as a graphic designer and meet designers in this region,” she said. “Since the scholarship was determined by the quality and uniqueness of the student’s online portfolio, I was nervous about developing mine for the first time. When I knew that I had impressed the AAF-NETN panel, it gave me more confidence toward my work.”

Olivia-PagePage, a junior at ETSU, is pursuing her degree in media and communications, with a concentration in advertising and public relations.

“I chose the field of media and communications because of the impact it can make on people’s lives,” Page said. “I love to engage and be present with the people around me, and I believe communications can provide an opportunity to do that. Whether working for a corporation’s next campaign or creating a press release for a new children’s hospital unveiling, there is always a new challenge in front of you to make a difference in the piece you are working on.

“I realized early that this field is the perfect blend of creativity and organization,” Page added. “That is a big reason why I enjoy it so much. These characteristics are what really led me to this field.” Upon graduation, Page plans to pursue graduate school and earn her master’s degree.

“Our local club is proud to provide deserving students with additional resources to further their education in our industry,” says club president, Samara Bolling, who is the director of integrated marketing and insights for Ntara. “Our affiliation with area colleges and faculty allows us to stay involved and see new young professionals enter the field of advertising.”

Dr. Stephen Marshall, chair of the ETSU department of media and communication, agreed. “AAF-NETN has always been amazing and supportive of student outcomes,” Marshall said. “I don’t know another group that is more focused on education.”

AAF-NETN meets monthly to provide speakers and workshops as continuing education for local professional members and the community.

Event Wrap Up: Preparing Students (and you) for the Experience Age

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Dr. Stephen Marshall hosted our monthly lunch event at East Tennessee State University today, giving us a lot to consider in the Experience Age. As many companies transition from promoting their platform to promoting an experience around their brand, they need marketers and advertisers able to deliver their message through a variety of mediums.

ETSU is the first of over 2500 universities throughout the US to take advantage of a partnership with Adobe to prepare college students for the Experience Age. The number of jobs in digital marketing continue to rise higher than the number of qualified applicants, and Dr. Marshall is helping to alleviate this issue one student at a time.

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He gave us so much info, it’s probably best to list it all in bullet format.

  • The average person checks their phone over 150 times a day
  • 90% of marketing professionals feel behind in their digital knowledge
  • 51% of consumers discover new companies on their phone
  • 1 in 3 phone users purchase from a company other than their intended search
  • 40% of users abandon a site that takes 3 seconds or longer to load
  • 90% of consumers use multiple screens. Make your site cohesive, simple, and quick on all platforms.
  • 48% buy from companies with instructional videos

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Event Wrap-Up: How to Find Your Flavor with Jose Castillo

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2016-12-15-12-17-37On December 15th, entrepreneur and 3rd generation advertising pro Jose Castillo shared his story with AAF NETN at the Birthplace of Country Music. From his grandfather’s advertising firm in Mexico City, to his father Joe’s stint on America’s Got Talent, to Jose’s company Flavor Inc, the Castillos have cemented their legacy for doing “spicy” things all over the world.

Bland is the Enemy

If being flavorful and impactful is our goal in what we do, then being bland is the enemy. Here are the ingredients that create Jose’s recipe for being spicy:

  1. Unique – Copying others isn’t going to cut it. You have to find your own voice and share with the world what makes you or your company different from everyone else.
  2. Honest – Tell the whole story. Don’t be afraid to get real.
  3. Shared – You can’t share your flavor if you hoard it all to yourself. You have to share to grow.
  4. Inspired – Can you impact others in a way that they want to take immediate action?

2016-12-15-12-33-08In sharing his family’s super secret Pico de Gallo recipe, Jose shared the ingredients which each make up a part of his life. The tomatoes are the sweet base, giving him a foundation of goodness. The onions are the sad or difficult parts of life, necessary to create a truly flavorful life. The cilantro, lime, salt, and jalapeños all add their own unique flavor to create the final, tasty recipe.

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Art Director, Copywriter, & Front End Developer – Creative Energy

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Art Director

We’re looking for an Art Director who is both exceptionally qualified and fun to work with, including qualities such as:

  • A sense of humor and curiosity
  • Excellent conceptual and design skills with a strong portfolio showing your interactive talents as well as print and motion
  • Strong experience on large cross-channel and/or direct-marketing initiatives across media, both online and off
  • An ability to manage time and resources efficiently
  • Team player and self-starter
  • Expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud
  • A knack for strategic brainstorming, campaign development and creative execution
  • A four-year degree, plus two to four years of art direction experience in digital and traditional medias (agency experience preferred)
  • Able to present creative ideas in client meetings
  • Broadcast experience a plus

Sound like you?  Give us a shout!  Send a link to your portfolio and a resume to: work@cenergy.com

Creative Energy believes its most important asset is talent, and each employee contributes to the success of the agency. We are proud of our working environment, competitive salaries and benefits including health, dental, and disability insurance, 401(k) and more.

Applicants will be evaluated based on experience and portfolio quality.
**You must submit samples of your work to be considered** 

 

Copywriter

We are looking for an advertising copywriter to help create some pretty amazing work. 

The work you do demonstrates craft and elegance. We expect bold and unique thinking with a high level of maturity and strong grasp of digital.

Your ability to produce effective communications from even the most complex creative brief is critical. You will partner with art directors or work individually to develop concepts for broadcast, digital, print and design. Your creative team will work independently at times and will be given opportunity to show leadership.

Requirements:

  • A sense of humor and a passion for the work
  • Strong conceptual thinking
  • Big and unexpected ideas
  • An ability to manage time and resources efficiently
  • Degree in advertising, english or communications  (portfolio school preferred)
  • 3-5 years agency experience
  • Able to present creative ideas in client meetings
  • Understanding of strategic marketing objectives
  • Attention to detail

Sound like you?  Give us a shout!  Send a resume and PDF of your book or portfolio link to: work@cenergy.com

Creative Energy believes its most important asset is talent, and each employee contributes to the success of the agency. We are proud of our working environment, competitive salaries and benefits including health, dental, and disability insurance, 401(k) and more.

Applicants will be evaluated based on experience and portfolio quality.
**You must submit samples of your work to be considered** 

 

Front End Developer

Creative Energy is focused on delivering exceptional creative work and user experiences to our clients. As a front-end development engineer, you will collaborate with the digital media and creative teams to develop award-winning interfaces and apps that drive engagement.

You will be well-versed in HTML, CSS, Javascript and best-in-class front-end web frameworks such as Bootstrap and Material. You’ll be knowledgeable and capable in integrating with third-party APIs and REST APIs. You will also have working knowledge of top CMS platforms such as WordPress, and you are comfortable utilizing Git for version control.

You will have solid coding habits, writing efficient, well-organized code that performs well. You must have a passion for learning new methods and new development languages and frameworks.

You should have a desire to work in a collaborative space, and value the benefits of working with a diverse team of professionals. If these aspects align with your goals and you’re looking for an opportunity to bring your talents to bear on these types of challenges, then we would like to begin talking with you. Creative Energy is growing; be a part of that journey.

Responsibilities include:

  • Work closely with digital media leadership and designers to interpret designs and UX wireframes, ensuring excellent code performance and stability across multiple browsers.
  • Collaborate and interact with partner development firms in the development of web and mobile projects.
  • Work closely with full-stack developers to integrate front-end code to various production environments.
  • Work with digital media leadership to help guide design decisions to improve project performance.
  • Stay on top of bug and task management for assigned work, and be able to coordinate work on multiple projects during the course of the average business day.
  • Maintain flexibility to jump into new areas and new technologies, and stay in-step with the latest advances and trends in front-end development methods.

Requirements:

  • A minimum of 2 years of experience in web development as part of a development team.
  • Solid command of core front-end technologies such as: HTML5, CSS3, Javascript/JSON.
  • Experience with the full development lifecycle of web and mobile sites and applications from requirements building to launch.
  • Familiarity with languages such as PHP, Python, AngularJS and Node.js.
  • Experience in front-end interface design, the creation of interface interactions through animations and behavioral feedback.
  • Demonstrated experience implementing web interfaces with a degree of complexity across top browsers, with attention to browser capabilities, troubleshooting for cross-browser compatibility adjustments and browser security concerns.
  • Familiarity with core practices in interaction and web usability design.
  • Experience in optimizing front-end performance (page load, code efficiency, performance optimization).
  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required. Computer Science/Engineering or Web Development/Code School degrees or diploma preferred.
  • Must be able to demonstrate abilities through portfolio of past projects and examples of original code.

Preferences:

  • Experience with responsive web design principals
  • Experience with Sass or LESS
  • Have a public GitHub account with current code examples

Sound like you? Give us a shout! Send a resume and work examples to: work@cenergy.com

Creative Energy believes its most important asset is talent, and each employee contributes to the success of the agency. We are proud of our working environment, competitive salaries, and benefits including health, dental and disability insurance, 401(k) and more.

Applicants will be evaluated based on portfolio of past projects and examples of original code.