Marketing in 2014: Out with the Old, In with the New

When the clock strikes midnight on December 31^st, 2013 will officially be behind us. What better time to step back, have a look at your old mail campaigns, and assess what’s in store for the future? This handy guideline to marketing in 2014 can help carve out the path to success.

Millennials are Changing the Game

One thing that marketers will need to realize in the coming year is that consumers, now more than ever, drive the content and channel. Millennials have been raised in an environment of constant messaging and are thus, more demanding. They’ve come to expect certain things out of modern marketing like engaging content and easy accessibility. Businesses who implement a proper system of analytics will better be able to determine which marketing tactics are being utilized by their consumers and will therefore be able to tailor to the Millennial consumer’s preferences.

Consistency is Key

Plan, plan, plan. Repeat it, know it, live it. This is vitally important for direct mail marketing. Now is a great time to have a look at the calendar and map out when you’d like to run promotions, sales, holiday events, etc. Mark them and set yourself a reminder weeks ahead of the start date to have any print materials that you’ll need made. 

Print May, Again, Take the Lead

With rapid advances in technology and social media, many feared the print age was at an end. Fear not, fellow marketers. One technology advance may lead us to a print revival. Augmented reality, or AR, blends new tech with traditional print. Those with the gumption to take the leap into AR in 2014 may very well see their efforts quickly rewarded.

Smaller is Better

Prepare yourself to do away with the idea that large, eye-catching mailers will be sure to get a second look. Studies show that large (over 6” x 9”) pieces are down by 6% in 2013 and they anticipate that number to continue declining. The predicted trend in consumer preferences for 2014? Little is more likeable.

Some of these tips and trends may come as a surprise, others may not. Either way, it never hurts to open your mind to new ways of thinking when it comes to the world of marketing. Follow our guideline and remember that the focus should always be on your customer and you may not even need good luck to be successful in the New Year, but we’re wishing it to you anyway!

Happy New Year from all of us at Tray Inc.!

Alabama’s AJ McCarron Wins The 2013 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Alabama Quarterback AJ McCarron is the winner of the 2013 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented annually by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and Transamerica.

McCarron had an outstanding year in leading the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide to an 11-1 record, completing 67.6% of his passes for 2,676 yards and 26 touchdowns against only 5 interceptions.

A top leader known for his ability to orchestrate an offense, McCarron compiled a 34-2 record (.943) as a starter at Alabama. He holds the Alabama record for throwing 30 touchdown passes in 2012, and once went 291 pass attempts without throwing an interception (the second-longest streak in SEC history).

McCarron, who was a finalist for last year’s Golden Arm Award, was selected from an original field of 30 in the annual competition to name the top college quarterback in the nation. Other finalists for the 2013 award included Tajh Boyd (Clemson), Derek Carr (Fresno State), Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), and Aaron Murray (Georgia).

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is named after the man many refer to as the greatest quarterback ever to play the game of football. Johnny Unitas was an 18-year veteran of the NFL, who played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards, 290 touchdowns, and throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games.

Candidates for the Golden Arm Award – which has been presented at the end of each college football season since 1987 – must be college seniors or fourth-year juniors on schedule to graduate with their class. In addition to the accomplishments on the field, candidates are judged on their character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, and leadership qualities.

Past Golden Arm Award winners include: Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997); Carson Palmer (USC, 2002); Eli Manning (Ole Miss, 2003); Matt Ryan (Boston College, 2007); Colt McCoy (Texas, 2009); and Andrew Luck (Stanford, 2011).

McCarron will receive the 2013 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award at a ceremony to be held this coming Friday, December 13, 6-9 p.m., at the Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor & Grand Historic Venue, 225 N. Charles Street in downtown Baltimore.

The ceremony will feature remarks by one of Johnny Unitas’ favorite targets during his years with the Baltimore Colts, NFL Hall of Famer Raymond Berry.

Proceeds from the Golden Arm Award help to support the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation. The Foundation provides financial assistance to underprivileged and deserving young scholar-athletes throughout Maryland and Kentucky.

The namesake of the Golden Arm Award has a storied football history. Inducted into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame in 1979, Johnny Unitas was named the top quarterback of all-time in commemorations of the NFL’s 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversaries. In turn-of-the-century listings, he was named to Sports Illustrated’s list of top 10 athletes, Time Magazine’s list of 10 most influential athletes, and ESPN’s series on the 50 greatest athletes of the century

In addition to Transamerica, sponsors of the Golden Arm Award include: Andretti Sports Marketing, Athlon Sports, The Babe Ruth and Sports Legends Museum, Baltimore Sun Media Group, Bloomberg Television, Century Engineering, Coach for America, Comcast, Dunbar Armored and Dunbar Digital Armor, The Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor & Grand Historic Venue, GEICO, Haddock Investments, HMS Insurance Associates, Inc., Metropolis Funding, Panini, TRAY Inc., The Scott Garceau Show, MedStar Union Memorial Sports Medicine, VAE Visual Aid Electronics Corp, VPC Inc., Weiss PR, Woodberry Kitchen, Wilson Sporting Goods, and ZBest Executive & Global Transportation Services.

To learn more about the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, visit: http://www.transamerica.com/about_us/johnny_unitas_golden_arm_award.asp    
http://www.goldenarmfoundation.com/