Why The Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight is a Blessing for Brands

This weekend, the world will be treated to one of the most anticipated sporting events in recent history. For years, boxing fans have been praying for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. Some say that this is the "Super Bowl of Boxing". Beast vs. beast.

With all the hype surrounding the fight, one could agree that this is a terrific opportunity for brands to advertise, even if the fight is on exclusive PPV and not cable TV. Here is why the fight is going to be an incredible opportunity for brands, according to our Los Angeles marketing agency:

1. It's beast vs. beast in the greatest of clashes. An underdog whose story is of rags to riches in the streets of Manila to the US. On the opposing side, the flashy American fighter. It is the classic underdog vs. boasting champ story that we have become enamored with.

This is a story that can be the best story told in a long time. People love seeing this story get told and it is even better when the underdog comes out on top.

The personality clash is also what draws people in and enhances the narrative. Pacquiao has a more humble, quieter, honest behavior, according to people in the business; Mayweather is reportedly much flashier, money-driven, and boastful. Those are all things our LA marketing company has heard and read others talk about, not our own opinions.

2. It is a battle of marketing. Pacquiao has several sponsors; from the fight alone, he stands to make $5 million from his sponsorships; Manny is sponsored by Nike, Footlocker, Wonderful Pistachios, and Butterfinger. Mayweather does not have any sponsorships, however, since has made $105 million from his past two fights, he is not exactly desperate for cash.

This creates a ripe place for advertisers, specifically the ones that sponsor Manny, to create great material for advertising on TV and within the arena. So it'll be interesting to see which brands get their jabs in the ad game first… for the fight.

3. Media is jumping in on the excitement. Along with the advertisers getting ready to jump on the excitement of the fight, especially Pacquiao's sponsor brands, many other advertisers want in on the action. One brand that has made a huge bid to be in on the fight was Tecate, they paid a cool $5 million to sponsor the fight.

As a way to generate some promotions on the fight, Tecate has been creating media to post on YouTube, social media, and other channels. Tecate was able to land the talents of Sylvester Stallone and Larry Merchant, legendary boxing analyst.

4. It's all about the Benjamins. This fight is supposed to generate hundreds of millions of dollars. Which means that every seat should be sold out plus all the people that will be ordering the game on PPV. Exactly how much is supposed to be made from the fight? Well, Mayweather will likely be taking home $160 million, while Pacquiao will likely be taking home $100 million.

The record for purchases of a PPV event is expected to be broken with this fight. That is a lot of eyes for advertisers to get in front of.

5. It is boxing's comeback. When boxing moved form cable TV to PPV, many considered it to be boxing's end; and it nearly was. However, with the popularity of this fight, boxing might (just maybe) live to see another day.

One thing that is helping the potential revival of boxing is the amount of celebrities that are publicly cheering for Mayweather or Pacquiao in this fight. Some celebs are throwing down heavy wagers.

As a Los Angeles creative marketing agency, we believe that brands need to get in on this action. Will the sport be saved? We'll see. That doesn't mean it would be a bad investment for brands to run an ad for the fight. 

If your brand is looking for its "Super Bowl" to advertise in, then email or call Integaphix, a Los Angeles marketing company that can help your business increase exposure. 

Snapchat is One Step Closer to Mobile Domination With This Latest Move with Univision

The US men's national soccer team played against the Mexico men's national soccer team this week. It was a good game. You could watch the game on TV, online, listen on the radio, or watch it on Snapchat.

That's right, Snapchat.

The growing social media platform has formed a deal with Univision to bring highlights of the game, and future games, to mobile devices in this unique way. Univision is especially looking forward to the success of this deal since 71 percent of their 7.6 million unique visitors in February were on mobile.

Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms with Millennials, which is one of the reasons Univision chose them to partner with to bring the sport to more Millennial screens. Normally, this would be a huge feat but after seeing the popularity of soccer with Millennials after the World Cup in 2014, it could be very feasible.

With all the moves that Snapchat has been making, such as the money exchange feature, the platform is certainly becoming a great mobile marketing giant. Do you think they can become a true social media giant like Facebook or Twitter? Let us know! Make a comment or email Integraphix and see what our Los Angeles marketing company team has to say about it.

Top 8 Myths About Advertising

Advertising has been around for centuries. The way it has been done has changed over and over but even in ancient times, the fundamentals of advertising existed. Due to the longevity of the promotional tactic, myths have formed and some have stuck around. Our Los Angeles advertising agency has decided to take a crack at some of them.

1. Advertising is too expensive. You've heard the age old adage, "You've got to spend money to make money." And that is still very, very true. This applies to advertising and the realization that many businesses can't afford to not advertise. At least if they want to make money.

2. Advertising and PR are the same. They are not, my friend. Is there some overlap? Sure. Are they twins? Nope; their focuses are completely different. PR is earned and advertising is bought.

3. Advertising is unethical and manipulative. While some companies are selling things to people that they do not need, many companies do good for the world and need advertising to promote themselves. As far as advertising itself being unethical or manipulative, ad agencies abide by strict standards set by the FCC and SEC that forbid false advertising or misleading advertising.

4. We have enough business. "Enough business" is a relative term. Who's to say you have enough business? Having enough business is only a momentary thing; maybe you are too swamped for a couple months to take on more business but your business's goal should never be to have "enough business".

5. People don't pay attention to ads. While consumers do have a higher filter for paid ads versus "free" promotion, ads are still very effective. Google generates over $30 billion per year from their ads. Also, brands wouldn't spend money on ads if they didn't work.

6. Online advertising is too difficult. There is lots of software and internet marketing companies that know how to do advertising online. With social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. all you have to do is sign up to advertise on their platforms, which is a few clicks.

7. Effectively targeting a local target market is too hard. Effectively targeting any market can be difficult if you don't have the right data and creative behind it. With advances in geo-targeting techniques and software, going after a specific local market is not as hard as many are led to believe.

8. Humor reduces the effectiveness of our message. If you use humor inappropriately, such as too much of it, then yes, it can detract from your message's impact. However, using humor can actually help your message get through to consumers and be remembered better!

Does your business need to advertise? Email Integraphix or call us and see how our creative marketing agency can help your business increase its exposure and more business!

4 Things Companies Need to Understand to Market to Millennials

It might seem like marketing agencies are constantly talking about how to market to Millennials. And we are. Every demographic poses its own unique challenges of being marketed to but it seems Millennials have a special spot in history with this, in a good way. They are young enough to grow up with technology but old enough to remember a world before cell phones, easily accessed internet, buying CDs instead of simply downloading an MP3, etc.

They are the like a "Pivot Generation" in which they have shifted how consumers think and are setting things on a new course. Every few generations, there is a pivot generation that changes things up. It's refreshing. It's wonderful.

There are four things that brands must understand to help market to Millennials. 

1. Brands must have utility. Brands can't just pay to be shown on a billboard or poster, they have to create legitimate connections with consumers. Show how you connect with Millennial consumers. This generation wants to know what brands bring to the table, why, and not with cliché marketing techniques.

2. Not all Millennials are the same age. Remember, Millennials are anyone between the ages of 19-35. There are several stages of life within that range. You have kids going off to college, young professionals, all the way to established professionals with kids. They are not in the same mindset and consequently, they do not behave that way.

Younger Millennials will have more disposable income and be up for things like music festivals, while older Millennials have more restrictions on their income due to things like rent, mortgages, other bills, and maybe even taking care of children. One way to reach older Millennials, in regards to events, is to have it be a one day event with a reasonable price. 

3. Don't use pitchmen, especially on social media. Millennials can spot a pitchman from a mile away. And they don't like it. Having something tangible for the group to hold on to will do more for a brand than any pitch will. A physical memento is one thing this generation loves. At concerts, one of the best sellers for bands are posters. T-Shirts do well, too.

Before we mentioned how Millennials (most of them) are old enough to remember a world before you could download MP3s and had to actually buy a CD. Well, that is trending again. Millennials are appreciating actual records and CDs again. The sales of vinyl records has shot up 52 percent in the last 12 months.

4. Brands have to be willing to give stuff away. It sounds crazy to some businesses. Why would you want to give stuff away for free; won't that encourage people to get freebies and never purchase? No, surpassingly not. When people get free stuff, it enables them to experience the product or service with no commitment. This allows them to enjoy it, stress free.

It also allows Millennials to have a tangible connection with the brand. Back to the music and concerts examples, it's a great way for brands to physically connect with their fans.

It can be confusing but it really does pay off when brands comply with the various tips for marketing to Millennials. If your business needs help, then email Integraphix, a Los Angeles marketing company. With so many Millennials on staff, our creative marketing team knows how to connect with this great demographic.