At Freebairn & Company, we never stop questioning. When a media campaign ends, we do not take a vacation day. We delve into all the data we can get our hands on – especially when it comes to digital media. With some campaigns, this means analyzing 3rd party ad serving data to understand impression delivery, click rates, reach, frequency, and view-through rate.

Did you know view-through can account for as much as 30% additional visitation to a client website over click-throughs alone?

The click is but a piece of the ROI story we can attribute to online advertising.

Uniqueness for Completeness

In other cases where 3rd party ad serving is not utilized, we turn to analytics to tell us the story. Every digital ad we place has a unique URL which passes data into Google Analytics so we can determine how much traffic is coming from each placement (visits) and how interested those users are in the information presented on the client’s site (time/pages).

We review delivery reporting from the campaign websites as well, and compare the information to what we see in Google Analytics. While these two reports have vastly different methodologies and will never match, we have built up an understanding of what looks “right” and what raises red flags.

Challenge Your Media

Recently, we noticed a site reporting several hundred banner clicks to our client’s site. After turning to Google Analytics, we detected a drastic discrepancy. We contacted the site and requested an investigation into their click reports. After analysis of IP addresses and a few conversations, we were able to determine that the site had inadequate “junk traffic” filtering on their end. The site was reporting significant bot traffic. In fact, 95% of the clicks they were reporting were non-human activity and resulted in no actual visits to our client’s site.

Had we accepted the site reporting at face value, we would have placed a higher, erroneous ROI on this site campaign.
Analytics do not lie.

And we will keep on asking questions.

Freebairn and The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education are redefining the collaborative art of movie making. The Georgia Center and the agency recently joined creative forces to promote the university’s Summer Academy Camps. These specialty camps, held in a safe and secure environment, are designed to be informative and educational. They’re also exciting and entertaining.

Rule number one in producing an Internet video that will appeal to the camps’ middle school and high school audience is clear: make it FUN!

Mack Kirkpatrick’s script set the tone. UGA’s Jen Schumann and the university’s Web ID film crew captured the nonstop action in camps across the Athens campus. UGA’s crew followed with a scratch track announcer read and edited a rough cut. Mack and Jean Cobb oversaw the final voiceover track and music mix in a session at Doppler Studios. Then, Jen and the Web ID crew put the finishing touches on the first of many successful joint-venture videos Freebairn and UGA are planning together.

Learn more about the UGA Summer Academy Camp.

Ryan Cobb’s motorcycle airbrushing business got a huge PR boost in October when the
Gwinnett Daily Post dedicated an entire section front to Twin Pistons Customs.

“Hog Wild” is the headline stripped across the top of the page in a Sunday edition of the state’s second largest newspaper. Our heavily tattooed friend is pictured, on a customized Harley Davidson Road King, in a nice 10X7 shot by Post staff photographer John Bohn.

Ryan was pleased with the well-informed questions Post staff writer Tyler Estep asked during the interview. The article continues for another half page on the jump, Ryan is having it framed.

Ryan is family around here. We’re glad we could help him with his business launch.

We’ve known Ryan Cobb for many years. After all, he’s the son of one of our own, Jean Cobb, so we’ve watched over the years as he grew into manhood-and now entrepreneurship.

Ryan, an accomplished airbrush artist, specializes in turning heads with motorcycle art. He just opened a business named Twin Pistons Customs. His market: Georgia motorcycle enthusiasts. When it comes to raising the eyebrows of bikers, Ryan rocks.

We had a blast working with Ryan to create the Twin Pistons logo, messaging, and website. We also designed his business cards, promotional material and T-shirts.

Good luck in business, Ryan!

We are excited to share that Freebairn client, The Baddour Center was recently showcased on Memphis radio.

Parke Pepper, Executive Director at the Baddour Center, was interviewed during the Lipscomb & Pitts Breakfast Club* radio show August 13, 2011. Lipscomb & Pitts Breakfast Club is a large network in the Memphis area that strives to make Memphis a better place.

• Listen Online: Baddour Center Radio Interview

*Guests were Aaron Prather (CEO of StiQrd), Parke Pepper (Executive Director at the Baddour Center), and Claude Thompson (President of Skyline Exhibits Mid-South).

Julie Kahle is smart and current. We like that at Freebairn and Company.

As an agency media planner, mommy-blogger and social media expert, Julie provides a breath of fresh air to the agency offering perspectives and experiences from what’s really happening out on the web, and even better, developing ideas how clients can capitalize on web opportunities for increased exposure in their individual markets.

Today, Julie guest blogs at the Eli Rose Social Media blog where she discusses What a P.R. Agency Wants in a Blogger.

As usual, the content is fresh and thought-provoking, offering helpful tips and techniques for providing quality content on the web. A must-read for anyone in the advertising world, whether digital or traditional, as there are some solid fundamental principles included that can help professionals get a head start on social media marketing and trusted network content development.

Way to go Julie!

Ah, we are so very proud.

Freebairn Account Executive, Kim Maloney, was recently recognized with a NAMA Horizon Award at the latest National Agri-Marketing Association conference in Kansas City.

What can we say? We always knew she was a smart, go-getter.

Now we get to show the world.

Great job, Kim!

The Proof is in the Pudding

One of the most compelling aspects of digital marketing is the ability to track online campaigns, analyze performance and quantify user interaction. Both clients and agencies use this data to better understand the wants and needs of customers and refine key strategies for a more qualitative marketing spend.

While having all of this campaign data is huge plus, it’s only valuable if it can be interpreted in a way that allows decision-makers to take action.

Enter Julie Kahle

Julie, a Freebairn & Company Senior Media Planner, recently earned Google Analytics Qualification, adding to Freebairn and Company’s arsenal of digital marketing weapons. This enhanced knowledge of web analytics allows Julie and the media team to actively review, measure, and interpret web analytics data to enhance campaigns, maximize marketing spend, and obtain the best results for clients.

It’s important to stay one step ahead. At Freebairn, we never stop learning.

Freebairn & Company is proud to welcome back MTI Whirlpools to the client family.

Known for their premium quality custom tubs, sinks, shower bases and enclosures, MTI Whirlpools has a reputation that can’t be beat; and it’s our job to make sure the residential and builder communities consider MTI whenever the job calls for the best.

The first order of business is creating a visually pleasing, but fully-functional web database of all of MTI’s unique products, customizations and configurations. Throw in a dash of public relations and spice it up with some digital marketing campaigns, then toss in some… (well, wait, we have to keep a few of our secrets to ourselves, right?)

Get to know more about MTI Whirlpools at: http://mtiwhirlpools.com

As a longtime Freebairn and Company client, Whole World Theatre turned to Art Director, Don Patton, to create a fun and entertaining poster promoting the big New Years Eve show and party at the venue.

As usual, Don took the project to the next level, using quality and entertaining imagery from a impromptu photo shoot, and creating a striking design to promote the event.

Classic.