11 Jun 2010

Selecting Top-Level Elements in JQuery

So recently while working with nested lists I came across the problem of how to disable the top-level <ul> element, but only if it had another list inside it. I wanted the elements with lists inside them to only activate the sub-list and not be clickable, but if there was no list inside it then I wanted that link to function properly. I spent a good while on it before finally figuring out the right way to select the items. First, some sample HTML:

<ul id="main_nav">
	<li><a href="#">Item One</a></li>
	<li><a href="#">Item Two</a>
		<ul>
			<li><a href="#">Sub-Item One</a></li>
			<li><a href="#">Sub-Item Two</a></li>
			<li><a href="#">Sub-Item Three</a></li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="#">Item Three</a></li>
</ul>

The solution is to first select all top level list elements and filter those out that don’t contain another list inside them:

$( ' ul > li:has( ul ) a ' )

Then you have to filter out all the links inside your second-level list so they aren’t prevented from being clickable:

.not( ' ul li ul li a ' )

Then you just attach the function that fires on a mouse click, which in our case will prevent the default action of the link:

.click( function( event ) {
     event.preventDefault();
});

And there you have it! Just throw that inside your document.ready function and you’re good to go. I’m sure there are better ways of accomplishing this, however jQuery isn’t exactly my expertise. I hope this will help somebody out though. Here’s the full jQuery code:

$( 'ul > li:has( ul ) a' ).not( 'ul li ul li a' ).click( function( event ) {
     event.preventDefault();
});

21 Apr 2010

In-N-Out, It’s What Branding is All About

Posted by: Bart in General 1 Comment

Lately I’ve been reading the very interesting book ‘Brand Failures’ by Matt Haig*. The book highlights the 100 biggest branding mistakes of all time from global companies such as Coca Cola and Ford to some smaller ones you may not have heard of.

That being said, what really struck me as interesting is how many of these failures were tied to companies trying to gain quick profits or branch into new markets without the proper preparation or thought behind the move. How can we forget such wonderful products as Crystal Pepsi, Harley Davidson perfume or Frito-Lay Lemonade? But as funny as it sounds, this got me thinking. How many companies fall victim to the allure of new markets? How many businesses see what the “other guy” is doing and immediately do the same regardless of whether the “other guy” is successful or not?

I also tried to think of any companies of which I am a patron that don’t follow this shotgun approach of marketing. Believe me, it wasn’t easy. However, I do believe I’ve come up with an honest contender that has hardly changed anything since it’s inception.

Almost Agency - In & Out Burger

That’s right, In-N-Out Burger. Good, old-fashioned Americana at its finest. Little has changed about this company since it first opened in 1948 and it is unlikely that anything will change. Now for most companies this would seem like corporate suicide. Could you imagine driving through your favorite McDonalds or Burger King without seeing a veritable explosion of signage heralding the current deals and newest items? It would feel strangely void right? But that’s what In-N-Out has done, and I can’t think of a time I haven’t been there without a line around the parking lot full of eager hamburger connoisseurs.

Now I know what you’re saying. “Well, McDonalds and Burger King are global fast food chains and In-N-Out is only located in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.” Yes, but that’s not the point. The point is that they know what they stand for, quality food at an affordable price, and it’s a formula they’ve stuck with. The company didn’t one day decide that since so many cars visit their locations that they should begin to offer gas and car washes. If they did, the In-N-Out brand would become fuzzy and people would lose some of that emotional connection they once had.

Almost Agency - In & Out Petrol

So whether you’re a fledgling company looking for a way to expand your business or a global empire researching new markets, always remember these few things:

1. Stay True to Yourself – Don’t forsake the core values that made people fall in love with your company.
2. Everybody Hates a Copycat – Just because someone else is doing it doesn’t mean you have to.
3. If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It – People like stability, and if you go changing your offerings on a whim you could suffer some serious backlash (New Coke anyone?)

———-

* Haig, Matt. Brand Failures. London: Kogan Page, 2003.

Founded in 2010, Almost Agency is a leading creative brand management firm consisting of talented, experienced and culturally relevant marketing, media and web development professionals. Almost Agency specializes in advertising, branding, church and non-profit consulting, search engine optimization, social media marketing, web and mobile development. For more information, call (310.991.0660), email (info@almostagency.com), or say hello on Twitter (@almostagency).

03 Mar 2010

Facebook Advertising – Make An Impression

Posted by: Bart in General 1 Comment

If you’ve been exploring the world of online advertising via cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-thousand (CPM) methods you’ve probably come across the kingpin known as Google Adwords. However, have you considered other methods such as advertising with Facebook? Would the potential to reach some of their estimated 400 million registered users change your mind?

Almost Agency - Facebook Advertising

First, lets break down the difference between what CPC and CPM advertising are. With CPC, you’re paying only when a user clicks on the ad and is transferred to your landing page. You can get several thousand impressions (when your ad shows up on the page), but you only pay for that coveted click. CPM is different. With CPM you’re paying per every thousand impressions and not for clicks. So why would you use one method over the other?

The answer depends on your advertising goals. If your goal is user conversion (driving them to your site) then CPC is the answer for you. You only pay when a user takes that extra action of clicking your ad. If your goal is more geared towards brand awareness then you’d be more likely to take a CPM approach. Dan puts it like this, “CPC is like eating a la carte, where you only pay for what you eat. CPM is like a buffet. You pay the same price for a predetermined amount of food.”

Almost Agency - Facebook Advertising

Facebook takes advantage of both advertising models and offers you in-depth analysis of how your ad is performing, amount of impressions, clicks, amount of ad budget spent and so much more. Like Google, you can target your audience based on age, gender, location and keywords describing their interests. You can also set your own daily ad spend, monthly advertising budget and easily track how it is being spent.

While this information is in no way meant to detract from the validity of Google Adwords as an advertising option, when the two are paired in an online advertising campaign the combination can yield highly targeted results. We have experience managing successful Google Adwords and Facebook advertising campaigns and work closely with our clients to meet their goals. Let Almost Agency help you with your online advertising.

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02 Mar 2010

There’s a Map For That – Verizon Wireless Campaign

Posted by: Dan in General 3 Comments

I just finished reading an incredible article in Advertising Age written by the respected Al Ries (the man is a legend). The article is titled “What good are the words to a song with the music? (Feb 8, 2010).

Here’s the quick and dirty on the article: “Advertising needs visuals in the same way that lyrics need music, if you want to drive your words into the minds of your prospects. Without a visual hammer, an advertising campaign is almost certain to fail.”

Mr. Ries goes on to discuss how just having a visual in your advertisement does not make it a visual hammer….you need a to own a word in the mind. A perfect example of this is Verizon Wireless and their “There’s a map for that” campaign….and we pick up in the article from Mr. Ries…

Almost Agency - Verizon Wireless Map

“For years, No 1. Verizon and No.2 AT&T have been blasting each other with massive amounts of advertising. A typical Verizon slogan: ‘Switch to America’s largest and most reliable 3g network.’

For most consumers this slogan was just “we’re-the-biggest-and-the-best” advertising puffery. Nor did the slogan lend itself to a visual hammer.

The last October Verizon launched its “There’s a map for that” campaign. Its commercials showed two U.S. maps, one marked “Verizon Wireless,” the other marked “AT&T.” The caption: “5X more 3G coverage.”

Verizon’s coverage is almost solid red on a white map. AT&T’s coverage is very spotty blue areas on a white map. In other words, with Verizon you get five times as much 3G coverage. That’s what I mean by a powerful visual hammer.

You know the campaign is working because of what AT&T is doing in response. Soon after the Verizon campaign was launched, AT&T struck back with ‘When you compare, there’s no comparison’ and a new website, TruthAbout3G.com. Unfortunately, the ads are all words.

‘Nations fastest 3G network.’

‘Talk and surf the web at the same time.’

‘Most popular smartphones.’ (Translation: We’ve got the iPhone. They don’t.)

‘Access to over 100,000 apps.’ (The iPhone again.)

Now who do you suppose is winning the wireless war? My bet would be on Verizon. A visual campaign will always be more persuasive than a verbal campaign.

Tested 72 hours after exposure, people remember only about 10% of information presented orally, according to one study, but 65% of information presented visually. The assumption is that you can say anything, but a picture is proof.

Hence the Verizon campaign: “There’s a map for that.”

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*The quoted parts of this blog can be found here. Much thanks to Advertising Age.

19 Feb 2010

12 Signs a Web Company Isn’t Worth Your Time

Posted by: Bart in General 1 Comment