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As founder of Orbitalsocket.com, I've witnessed firsthand how artificial intelligence has transformed the marketing landscape. Gone are the days of gut-feeling decisions and one-size-fits-all campaigns. Today's AI-powered marketing tools are revolutionizing how we connect with customers and drive results. What excites me most is AI's ability to decode vast amounts of customer data in real-time. We're using machine learning algorithms to predict consumer behavior, personalize content at scale, and optimize campaigns with unprecedented precision. This isn't just automation – it's intelligent automation that learns and improves with every interaction. Our agency has seen conversion rates double after implementing AI-driven personalization. The technology analyzes hundreds of data points to deliver the right message to the right person at exactly the right moment. It's like having a thousand skilled marketers working 24/7 to perfect every customer touchpoint. But here's the key: AI isn't replacing human creativity – it's amplifying it. By handling data analysis and optimization, AI frees our team to focus on what humans do best: developing innovative strategies and crafting compelling narratives that resonate on a human level. The future of marketing isn't human versus machine. It's human and machine, working together to create more meaningful, effective connections with our audiences. -- Greg Johnson, Founder, Orbitalsocket.com
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 Orbital Socket is more than just an advertising agency. We partner with your organization to help bring a distinctive voice to your brand.
We believe that every brand has something unique to say and that every brand offers value to its audience(s). What is Orbital Socket? We help you find your audience and appeal to its interests directly. We call our process captivation: finding the place where your brand can communicate its relevance and interest to an audience in ways that generate meaningful engagement between brand and consumer. Orbital Socket is Mindful Meditation for Your Brand Ever heard of "slow down and smell the roses?" Well, we do that for your brand. With our Brand Clarifier, we help you to be present in the present. We create a space where you can step away from the onslaught of stats and trends and engage in a period of self-discovery. Because you'll never be able to tell others who you really are if you don't take the time to find out for yourself. And once you know your brand, our Brand Differentiator and Brand Activator processes can help you determine the what, how, and when to say, and to whom you will say it. We are Precise and Surgical At Orbital Socket, we excel at solving specific problems. That means we can alleviate points of stress. We do this not just by taking time-consuming tasks off your hands but also by turning them into opportunities for growth. Whether it's a product launch, a special presentation, or a one-off campaign, we are equipped to design meaningful, effective interactions with your audiences. Think of us as a booster or enzyme – we help do the things that will create momentum and energy for the moving parts around them. Orbital Socket Encourages Diversity in Thought If you choose Orbital Socket as a partner for your brand, you'll be pleased to see how diverse we are in thought. We pride ourselves on being thought leaders from many different backgrounds. We understand that there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to any project or task. Therefore, we approach every challenge as unique; this is the first time we have ever encountered this need, in this particular time, in this particular place. We offer specific solutions crafted from varied perspectives and steeped in industry expertise. That means it all starts by getting to know your brand's voice and personality and showcasing these unique qualities in a way that is of interest and relevance to your audience. We want to engage your audience in such a way that your brand becomes a part of their ecosystem, where they share it with their community. This is called The Human Exchange of Ideas, a process that encompasses the dynamics whereby ideas move from one person to another and/or from one group to another. Because, after all, humans are still at the center of it all. We'd love to get to know you. And even better, we'd love to help you captivate your audience. Contact Orbital Socket today! #seewhatspossible 704.931.3529 [email protected]  One of our core beliefs at Orbital Socket is The Human Exchange of Ideas: the phenomenon whereby ideas move from person to person and group to group. No matter how much we inject technology into marketing and the concept of activation, its essence will always be human. Humanity is the center of it all, and captivating brands understand this.
People's needs and wants are what drives marketing all around the world. We cannot dismiss the fact that people want to be dazzled, surprised, and stimulated. People desire for their needs and wants to be met in ways yet imagined and places yet ventured. They want to be surprised and delighted, AND then they want to tell their friends about their new conquests and discoveries. They want to post it, share it, and engage with it. They want to make it part of who they are and their community, too. There needs to be a two-way exchange of ideas between brands and their audience. Brands desire to gain insight into their consumers' needs and wants, and consumers desire to know what brands stand for. Are they environmentally friendly? Do they give back to their local community? What is their essence? Exchanging Ideas Through Excitement Since the dawn of time, humans have been exchanging ideas. They've been exchanging ideas about something as small as a book or a film or about a product. And, the fastest exchange of ideas occurs when there's excitement involved. If a company manages to get someone excited about their product or service, that person will spread their excitement, either through word of mouth or through reviews. Customer reviews are the perfect example of The Human Exchange of Ideas because they reveal the consumer journey. People like to know what their peers think about a particular service or product. If that experience is positive, their peers want to be part of it, too. As excitement grows, the new momentum allows the communication of ideas to other people through the conduit of happiness and joy. Brands want customers to become advocates for their product because good reviews can be more effective than simple advertisements. Peer endorsements are authentic representations of consumer experiences – the endorsement is not based on monetary gain but reflects customer satisfaction. The endorsement builds trust because it comes from someone using the product or service and someone a consumer feels like they can at least identify with or know. Exchanging Ideas Through Technology Technology has allowed The Human Exchange of Ideas to become much faster and more ubiquitous than before. Chat apps, social media, calls over the Internet, etc., have allowed ideas to spread faster. Therefore, someone can simply look at a product or a service and send it to their friends on social media. Also, people have formed groups, page chat forums, and subforums on their most beloved topics. They aggregate around those ideas more than ever before. The Internet is today's fireplace, watercooler, and pub. However, it's not just about tapping into these data transmissions. It's about looking deeper and figuring out why those transmissions occur. The core is still the same, no matter how much the medium has changed. The people who get excited about a streaming service today were getting excited about TV shows decades ago. The same people who love gaming consoles today were lining up to play in arcades years ago. It's not that The Human Exchange of Ideas has radically changed; it's that technology has allowed the exchange to grow and multiply. Brands must also realize that while people can share the good, they can also share the bad. Once again, customers want to know what your brand stands for. Knowledge of the good you are doing (environmental stewardship, community involvement, etc.) will be celebrated and shared. Knowing what you aren't doing (or at least what the public perceives you aren't doing) will be questioned, challenged, and shared in consumer communities. At Orbital Socket, we still know that at the heart of it all are people. It's just a matter of understanding your customers and finding those shareable moments that will gain traction with your audience and their friends and community. The Human Exchange of Ideas. It's essential in the world of captivation.  The term “multicultural consumers” was defined by the US Census Bureau to encompass Black, Latino, American-Indian, Asian, and Pacific Islander populations. Multicultural populations contributed to 92% of total US population growth from 2000 to 2014, and projections are that these populations will become the US majority by 2044.
What is the Multicultural Consumer? Multicultural consumers represent much more than just diverse populations. Multicultural consumers arise because cultures share their experiences, resulting in more varied interests and creating a diversity of thought and diversity of race and culture. Multicultural consumers also have lots of micro-consumer groups. Despite the titles we give them, such as African-American or Hispanics, they are a very diverse group within the larger groups. These micro-consumer groups are interested in the same things regardless of nationality, gender, sexuality, race, culture, etc. Thus, one approach to connecting with multicultural consumers is to understand them through the lens of micro-consumer groups. Looking at them through this lens allows you to acknowledge the overall group and the commonalities among them. It also allows you to recognize and speak to the micro-consumer groups' unique compositions, behavioral patterns, and preferences. These micro-communities hold tremendous buying power and have enormous marketing potential and monetary value for today’s brands, products, and services. Why Should Companies Cater to the Multicultural Consumer? Let’s talk about the facts before we talk about the various ways in which marketing to micro-communities can work. A 2019 report by the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) reports that 5.2% of marketing spend caters to multicultural efforts. Minimizing the importance of this ever-growing segment is bad business. Multicultural consumers make up 40% of the US population. According to the Multicultural Economic Report from the University of Georgia, they have a buying power of $3.9 trillion. In addition, the World Bank estimates that the LGBTQ+ community has a collective buying power of $1 trillion. That’s more than the GDPs of several countries combined! Together, both these figures are nearly $5 trillion - a third of the current US GDP. Too often, businesses ignore this massive and influential market. Why Should Businesses Care About Marketing to Micro Communities In the past, companies have used social media tools and messenger apps to cater to micro-consumer groups. Popular avenues for micro-consumer groups include Facebook Groups, Slack, Discord, Private Instagram Accounts, and Facebook Messenger. These avenues become places where people can talk about specific topics, contribute to discussions, and feel accepted and safe. These communities can talk about everything from video game memorabilia to history to obscure anime, etc. Very few brands have taken it upon themselves to improve engagement in these communities. While a few are trying to foster and nurture micro-consumer groups, there is ample room for improvement. Here are a few examples that other companies ought to follow: Glow Recipe The Korean makeup manufacturer Glow Recipe launched a digital sampling program in April 2020. Co-founder and co-chief executive Sarah Lee has said that the community has been the source of many great insights. Ludovic de Saint Sernin The French fashion designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin has over 94,000 followers on Instagram. However, he has a private account that has nearly 35,000 followers. There, he engages with a more serious, more niche community. Micro-consumer groups can be beneficial for both consumers and businesses alike. These engagements allow participating companies to cater to niche consumers personally, resulting in more meaningful interactions and creating relevant, interesting, and engaging communications.  Engage your audience at a deeper level with captivation. When you think about businesses marketing to an audience, the words engagement and relevance always come to mind. However, you would rarely think of captivation. That’s because captivation typically refers to something that catches your attention and doesn’t let go.
Captivation is a way to understand your audience deeply. It involves the compound effect of relevance, interest, and engagement. Knowing Your Audience Inside Out (Relevance) You don’t just need to know your audience's gender, class, age, or race. You need to know how they behave as well. This metric indicates what your audience will like, what they will choose, and how they are willing to spend their money. It includes mapping out their beliefs, likes, dislikes, inhibitions, and passions. Everything from what they use to commute to work to what they order for lunch is essential. What your audience listens to while they work out is just as important as what they choose to drink at parties. Which app they use to talk to their friends is just as important as which phone they use. All these small choices make an amalgam of what a human being is. To appeal to your audience, you need to understand your audience to the core. It’s the only way you’ll be relevant in their eyes. Giving Them a Reason to Look Further (Interest) When you understand your audience, you need to give them a reason to look at you. There are millions of brands and businesses out there. Our attention spans are diminishing, and gigabytes worth of information is coming at us every minute. To captivate someone, you need to appeal to them in a way they would prefer, to really interest them. This could be a story that they like, or a statistic that convinces them to give you a try. Some people prefer a long-winded pitch, while others would like you to get to the point. The way you present yourself to a customer is critical. Otherwise, you may lose their attention after a few seconds. Involve Them in the Process (Engagement) After you’ve captured the interest of potential customers, you need to engage them. That means you need to give them a way to participate in your world. Whether that’s an app, a discount, a contest, or a social media poll, it is up to you. All you need to know is that engaging someone in your business, even in the tiniest way, means success. However, you need to do it in a way that they prefer. All the knowledge you’ve gained from relevance and interest will help you tremendously here. With all that said and done, it seems like a pretty simple process. However, the thought that goes into it is anything but simple. At Orbital Socket, we’ve engaged millions of people for hundreds of businesses around the world. Let us show the world what you have to offer. Let Orbital Socket captivate your audience for you.
2020 was a year of social and political unrest. The year introduced us to Covid-19 and all the significant challenges of living in a pandemic. However, it was also a year of enormous opportunities. Wanting to get ahead of the downturn in tourism caused by the pandemic, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority approached us last April about creating a series of post-pandemic commercials informing tourists that Charlotte is open for business. And yes, you are correct. We had to film the commercials during a pandemic. Following proper protocols, of course. Our previous campaigns with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority focused on the marriage between Charlotte and the people that experience our city and give it life. Now faced with the unique challenges of showing that energy and excitement without capturing or recreating it to its fullest, we were incredibly excited to tell this story in an inventive and relevant manner. The project was significant to us. It provided us with the opportunity to create something beautiful, impactful, and efficient in a very uncertain time. We wanted to depict our current reality while infusing the spots with hope and optimism for a brighter future. Most of the commercials we’d started seeing around this time were drenched in reality and featured Zoom video calls and iPhone footage. We wanted to add a bit of polish, a sense of returning to the expected commercial “look,” to make the spot feel optimistic and somewhat “normal.” We wanted to capture our everyday lives in our homes while confined, but we wanted to present it in a cinematic way. We decided to highlight real people creatively coping with the pandemic, mastering new skills, and anxiously awaiting a return to normalcy. Perhaps a mom with her two kids working together on a small garden in their back yard, a home chef making pasta from scratch, or a woman on a rowing machine imagining herself at the Whitewater Center. We wanted to show what people were doing now that they had so much time on their hands. Going into full-scale production during a pandemic seemed impossible. Still, we believed this concept lent itself to getting creative and innovative in how we captured the highest quality footage possible while also being socially responsible. We moved forward with pre-production just like any other project but with a twist. We scouted locations and talent virtually. And, we decided to work with local cinematographers and use their families in their homes. We developed storyboards and a fine-tuned shot list and equipped them with the same camera and lighting packages for consistent commercial quality and look. Yes, this approach was creatively and logistically challenging, but it provided us with an excellent opportunity to create something responsibly that was still effective and entertaining. So, that’s how we made an award-winning commercial during a pandemic. * We won an American Advertising Federation Addy Award for the "Rediscover Charlotte" Commercials.  Because there are a WHOLE lot of brands trying to do the same thing you are trying to do. . . sell something to consumers. In a category like sauces, there are a WHOLE WHOLE lot of brands trying to do it. They are even tripping over themselves these days. Ranch has married ketchup, and they have a baby called Kranch or Retchup. I think they have third graders coming up with these names, by the way. Much respect to the third graders, but come on now. So if you have any hope of sticking out in spaces like this, you better have a lot of money to buy your way in, or you better be brilliant about what you are going to say and why that is meaningful to the people you want to fall in love with your savory, sweet, spicy, tangy delightfully saucy concoction. Here are a few tips:
1. Name it. Tell the people what it is and what it is supposed to do. You can’t do a mashup of names i.e., Kranch, unless you are Heinz.) 2. Describe it. Think about the experience you want people to have and what you want them to feel. Let that drive how you are going to describe it. Use real words. The kind that human beings use to talk to their friends and family. 3. Define it. How do you want me to talk about the thing? Give me some words to use and some context to place around the product. Make it clear and make it valuable to me. Not just what YOU want it to be to me, but what will actually make my life better in a real way that I can see and feel. Make it personal to ME. 4. Connect it. How is it supposed to fit into my life? What space do you want it to fill? Attach a trigger to it to help people easily get there. It’s like ketchup but tangier and more flavorful (or just about anything else since Ketchup is basically the water of sauces). So whether it is a sauce or a car, a boat, or a banana, building brands based on real stories that connect to people is very important. It can mean the difference in donning the clearance section or flying off the shelves. I think we both know which one is better.  *UPDATED 4/21/21
In today's world, people live on the Internet. According to Statista, the average American spends about eight hours a day consuming digital media. The increased online presence of target markets demands that marketers change the way they approach marketing. Suppose the target market spends more than half of his day on the Internet. In that case, it means that offline marketing strategies need to be integrated with online marketing strategies to provide a comprehensive approach to effectively engaging your customers. Here are the reasons why you must create fully integrated marketing strategies that bring the best of all media worlds together: #1. Digital Marketing 'goes' to the people The Internet is a massive pool of many possibilities. There are always people imbibing online content, and the best you can do is to go where they are; online. The number of adults who constantly use the Internet has increased by 5% in the past three years, and the number is still growing. Digital marketing is, therefore, the easiest way to reach a broad audience with fewer expenses. The best marketing strategy is that which 'hits' the prospect when he least expects it; the prospect should not be active in seeking the information — the information should find him! That is what digital marketing does. With proper search engine optimization practices, the Google search algorithms can use the prospects browsing history to suggest products and services that might interest them. This way, your marketing strategies reach a bigger audience and a more targeted crowd. #2. Digital Marketing is versatile and efficient Marketing should never be a one-treatment-fits-all undertaking. The different market dynamics and demographics dictate that a marketer must have varied ways of reaching different people. In offline marketing, the options are limited; you can create a brochure and send it to people's mailboxes, then what? How do you know they read it? How do you interact with them to get their opinions on your new product? Digital marketing allows you to interact with your prospects at their convenience. You can utilize the following strategies to reach your prospects:
#3. Measurable results With digital marketing, you can review what works and what doesn't quickly. With online marketing analytics, you can measure the results of every marketing campaign. The online metrics can show you how much money you have made from every online marketing tactic; real-time statistics can help you improve your results by adopting what works and quitting what doesn't. Well, your business success depends hugely on your marketing potential. You can decide to stick solely to the old path of traditional marketing, or you can increase your market reach by including digital marketing into the mix. Choose wisely. We have been in the business of helping businesses build their brands through extensive market research and target marketing, contact us today. We can help build your brand presence. #seewhatspossible @orbitalsocket  The way we view and process entertainment, advertising, and general information has changed so much over just the last 10-15 years. With the rise of the internet, our short attention spans have never been shorter.
One thing that hasn't changed over thousands of years of written human history? The appeal of a good story. Whether we're listening to a podcast via our smartphone, watching television, or seeing a play in the theater, the desire to hear good storytelling is woven into our DNA. No matter what type of media through which we consume them, people will always love to see, hear, and feel stories. This is also true when it comes to advertising. Scratch that - it's especially true when it comes to advertising. Let's look at three reasons why storytelling is such a powerful tool in building your brand. Allows You To "Show, Don't Tell" There's an old saying in the worlds of writing and entertainment. It applies to TV, film, novels, and pretty much any other form of communication you can think of. "Show. Don't tell." You can tell your customer exactly what to think or feel. You can coldly state facts in a rote manner. It may or may not work. Showing them the power of your product through a well-told story? That goes a lot farther. When it comes to persuasiveness, anecdotes trump cold, hard facts every time. There is scientific evidence that stories help messages resonate. These stories can be true, dramatized, or apocryphal. The specific facts don't matter as much as the feeling of authenticity the story brings to mind. Demonstrate your brand's message and value proposition through a well-crafted narrative as opposed to droning on about all the reasons you're so great. Think of it like this: how would you rather get your information: from a gripping novel or a book report? Relatability Another strength of storytelling is the ability to relate to the consumer. Recreating a story your customers may have personally experienced themselves is a great way to create a connection between you and the viewer. The story becomes personalized. It lets the viewer know that your brand understands at least one specific issue, concern, or problem they may have experienced and may have something that can help with it. Or maybe your brand isn't about solving problems, but about cultivating a lifestyle. Maybe you're a luxury brand that leaves your customers feeling like a million bucks. Telling that story is also effective. You can put the viewer into the shoes of someone whose lifestyle has markedly improved due to a brush with your brand. Emotional Reaction Whether it makes us hold our sides from laughing or stings our eyes with tears, a great story also has the ability to stir strong emotions. Tapping into these emotions - whether happy or sad - tends to lead to a strong connection. Watch this Super Bowl ad from 84 Lumber. In only a few minutes, it tells a story more compelling than many of the movies in theaters this weekend! It taps into some primal emotions - fear, uncertainty, patriotism, pride, elation, and relief - and ties them to a brand's message. They anchor these strong emotions to their brand, making sure viewers will associate this uplifting story with their product. It highlights what the company values, which are values most reasonable people would like to share. Telling a story - with your brand as the narrative centerpiece - is an incredibly effective way to showcase what you do best. It lets you demonstrate how and why your product works. It relates to the viewer, showing them an experience they themselves may have lived through or want to emulate. And it can draw on powerful emotional reactions to strengthen the connection between the subject of your ad and the consumer. At Orbital Socket, we consider ourselves storytellers. We want to help you tell your story in the most imaginative, striking way possible. For more on how we can do that, contact us today!  In an age of digital transformation and digital transportation of ideas, creativity still matters. I would even argue that it matters more. According to Menmood Hanif, quoted in a Huffington Post article, the average internet user gets 11,150 ads per month. Another CBS News report stated that in the 1970s consumers were exposed to about 500 ads per day and now they are exposed to about 5,000 ads per day. So somewhere between 11,150 per month and 5,000 ads per day lies the opportunity to be seen and heard. But based on this quantity of exposures, it better be creative if you want it to be seen or heard.
Ads don’t come knocking on the door announcing that they are ads any longer (think TV commercials). They sometimes find their way into your online social community as YouTube videos you love to watch and celebrities that you follow. They are in your feeds and part of the shows you love to watch. They provide the landscape in the game you are playing and are probably in the songs on your playlist. In addition, the rapid rise of mobile as an advertising medium has challenged everything we have learned about how to capture attention and tell stories. Advertisers had decades to get familiar with and proficient on traditional mediums like TV, but mobile is presenting a whole new set of opportunities and challenges. Given the potential for consumers to see lots of ads, it is even more important that if we want to stand out in this crowd that we work at being creative. That is, being imaginative, original and emotionally compelling. Facebook recently reported that in their analysis of over 800 video ads from 2015 and 2016 of major advertisers in North American and Europe, only 22% could be understood in the first 10 seconds without sound. That presents a huge missed opportunity as consumer’s attention spans are shrinking given the number of exposures and viewing options. I agree with Barbara Dyer, president and CEO of The Hitachi Foundation, when she said that creativity is rapidly shifting from a “nice to have” to a “must have” quality for all types of successful organizations – from delicatessens to design firms. A firm’s embrace of creativity in their workplace culture requires a disciplined approach to unleash the chaos of inventive ideas. Here are some of the things we can do to cultivate a culture of creativity among our teams according to Inc. magazine to ensure that we are developing work that will be seen, heard and experienced. 1. Build a Diverse Team – Having everyone on the team look alike and come from the same background stifles creativity and presents a missed opportunity for your company and team. Seek to build a diverse team whose strength lies in its members' range of work experience, education and cultural backgrounds that play off of one another. 2. Surround Your team with Inspiration - Whenever you see something from the big wide world that captures your attention, put it on display. It can be any discovery: an awesome ad in a magazine, an unusually arranged menu, or even a well-written email that made you laugh. The more provocative, the better! 3. Flip Your Assumptions - Over the course of the day, identify all the tasks you do without thinking. Take a moment to talk about how you could do them differently. Sometimes it won’t work (spell check might always be the best way to proofread your work). However, it will often lead you to find a new way of doing the same old thing. 4. Bring it to Life - Put your thoughts into words, your words into pictures, and your pictures into prototypes. When people can see your idea, they’re less likely to forget it and much more likely to take it seriously and become involved in its development and bullet-proofing. Even a bad drawing is better than no drawing. |
AuthorGreg Johnson, Managing Director-Orbital Socket Archives
January 2025
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