#plus regular tim is not very smiley

[icarrymany]

thinking abt mutuals post on how id redesign the guys.. im writing notes and shit

[dwtspd]

DWTS S24 W8 - Time for Trios!

I always love the trios. Or well, I love the idea of it. We get to see another pro/troupe dancing, the extra person could add some creative possibilities, and some of my favourite dances from past seasons have been trios.

This time though instead of the couple picking an eliminated pro or troupe member however, they are assigned by the judges. This is kinda shady, and also makes moot another good thing about the trios - seeing the friendships amongst the pros. Think the Wit/Linds or Mark/Derek trios. I like how they utilised so many troupe members though - perhaps it’s also a ‘test’ for them for the producers to gage how they may fare as a pro.

For the regular dances this week, the pros also picked a song to represent their partner (also realistically it also has to be a song that fits a dance style they haven’t done yet).

We get a preview of the Hot Summer Nights tour featuring five couples. Nice number, if the costumes don’t look reused (haha).

Anyway, Julianne is back from Move tour.

Rashad and Emma - Jive Emma picked “Shake a Tail Feather” by Ray Charles. I don’t think his footwork has any problems. Yes he didn’t point his toes but his did point his feet and I don’t really put that under footwork. To me it’s more of like posture...but also not really. There was a moment near the beginning where he seemed to loose his bounce, but it was brief. Very fun, lots of content. The staging didn’t let me see some of the movements all the time. Definitely a joy to watch! 9-9-9-9 T36 Seems fair, but I think in the grand scheme of the night, he should have gotten 1 or 2 more tens.

Normani and Val - Contemporary Val picked “Free”. Also I kinda like her new hair. Normani talked about social media bullying, quite a prevalent issue today. I think this is the first time we actually learnt something about Normani beyond “I always wanted to be a pop singer and now I’m living it with 5H”. I don’t think contemporary was a very good dance to give her since she’s still injured, especially when the injury is in her back. Contemporary (when done right) uses a lot of the core. I liked the concept of this dance, and the costuming was good. There was some nice moves thrown into that dance. And I’m VERY glad that it wasn’t just made of dragging and lifts that many DWTS contemps are made of. I think it could have done with less running around and angsty hair-grabbing-arm-waving though. I gotta disagree with some of the judges’ comments though. Of course Normani has good performance quality. It’s part of her profession. 10-10-10-10 T40

Bonner and Sharna - Argentine Tango Sharna picked “Believer” by Imagine Dragons for Bonner. Bonner mentioned that it’s hard having to keep talking about his injuries etc for the show, and I think that’s a problem DWTS has to keep working on. Now you want to talk about footwork, dear judges? Bonner was kinda stompy and flat footed. Rashad looks like a ten next to that. He had some sharp arm movements where it counted but his intensity didn’t really meet the mood of the song. I’ve come to accept that Bonner’s movements are never gonna be sharp or strong enough for a dance, so there’s that. The ending choreography was very underwhelming. Doesn’t mean it’s good, but it’s just something we have to accept if he sticks around. Len was mean to say he shouldn’t be here this week. Even if there are better dancers who have gone, that’s not something you tell someone outright. 8-7-8-7 T30

Simone and Sasha - Foxtrot LOL it’s okay Sasha, I would react that way if someone told me we were dancing to One Direction, much less that 1D song in particular. It’s so weird a song for a foxtrot. I don’t think Simone wasn’t not authentic unlike CAI - she’s a naturally smiley goofy person. That’s who she is. Anyway it’s a foxtrot. If it’s not graceful and elegant, it’s all happy and smiley. I agree with Julianne though - it was “safe”. A very good dance, but nothing outstanding. What do they mean by “rawness” though. It’s a happy dance. Plus like Simone said, maybe some emotions she’s never experienced before. That’s not more to that to the point that you can be raw. Everyone “awwwwws” at the scores in a disappointed way. 9-9-9-9 T36

David and Lindsay - Viennese Waltz Lindsay chose “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw for David. I’ve never heard it, but it’s a very nice song. Really great dance by David! After a couple of goofy and latin dances, it was nice seeing David doing a good proper standard ballroom dance again. Apart from throwing his arms too far back a bit some times, I didn’t see anything around with David’s dancing. He did not loose his frame and knew all his steps. He wasn’t stiff, and the travelling steps were done very smoothly. Dance of the first half of the night!! 9-9-9-9 T36

Now for the trio rounds!

Rashad, Emma and Witney - Argentine Tango I thought they could have better choreographed the parts between Rashad dancing with Emma and Rashad dancing with Witney besides him just running from one to the other. The lighting was a very good way to complement the story. Okay Len, we get it. His feet aren’t pointed all the way but everyone’s feet are like that. Normani and Simone flex their toes. Bonner’s are stuck at right angles. Why pick on Rashad in particular? Moving on, can someone gif Bruno waving his arms and saying “eVErYWHERE”? I just find it really amusing. 10-9-10-10 T39 Len you party pooper.

Normani, Val and Alan - Jive That truck looks like it’s from Chris Soule’s jive too. “How would you describe your ideal Southern gentleman?” “...Bonner.” Hahahaha. Apart from one particular move where Normani was a bit squatty in her stance (it lasted like, 2 seconds), I didn’t see anything wrong with this dance. No CAI, I don’t think there was a lot of acting in this dance. It was just Normani being happy. Which is what jive is. Len, expectedly, throws a fuss about the country-freestyle section done right on the judges’ table. Was Alan supposed to take his shirt off at the same time as Val and failed to get it off? I thought that was unnecessary. Do all Southern guys always take their shirts off? I thought it was just Bonner’s model thing. 10-9-10-10 T39

WE FINALLY SEE TOM DANCING ON THE JUDGES TABLE LMAO.

Bonner, Sharna and Britt - Jazz Hello, Britt! First season, am I right? She seems like a cute girl. I feel like Bonner really enjoyed this dance because I saw him singing along to the music and looked like he had fun in rehearsals, as with the boy bands group dance (maybe he fares better in group settings). His problem is that he just can’t display and project emotion. Choreo wise it was very very simple, but at least Bonner looked like he knew what the steps were. Nice seeing some hip rolls from him. But it felt more like a music video than a dance, and some music videos have more dancing than that. Set design was very good! Performance wise I thought this was waaayyyyy better and definitely more clean than his first dance and to recognise that, he should have gotten all 8s. 7-7-7-7 T28

Simone, Sasha and Brittany - Paso Doble okay, even if EDM-pasos are a thing now (and it’s not something I’m against), that’s a weird song to pick. Anyway, the silver foil paso skirts are back! Anyone thought the costuming and lighting harkened back to Alfonso’s Turn Down For What? But with way more lasers. I saw some very good shaping from Simone. There was one move where she threw her arm back too much and arched her back a bit. Typical gymnast problems. Overall I thought she held her own with Brittany. Did Bruno fall out of his chair? 9-9-9-9 T36 I thought they should have had one ten.

David, Lindsay and Hayley - Paso Doble not to be outdone by silver foil skirts (that she patented along with Witney), Lindsay has upgraded to gold foil paso skirts. Before they dance though, David gives us a little “brownie points” jig. David definitely had intensity, if he was a little stiff. I was worried he couldn’t fill the grandeur of the music and the set but he did. He lacked shaping, obviously, and was a bit hoppy sometimes when he prepared for the next move. I wouldn’t say it’s “clumsy”, but it did feel a bit heavy. Lindsay cheers so loudly you can still hear her when the camera is wide. 7-7-8-7 T29

Elimination time...Normani is safe, Simone is safe, David is safe. Between Bonner and Rashad, going home is...Bonner. Well he did overstay his welcome, not that Len should have told him outright. Hope he enjoyed himself, because I think he did. It’ll be interesting to see which is the favourite dance he encores during the finale.

Combined scores: Normani - 79 Rashad - 75 Simone - 72 David - 65 Bonner - 58

I will do a data analysis post and post it up later this week!

[siliconwebx]

An Emoji Guide for Marketers: Using Emoji Professionally

Pop quiz. What is this:

A) An emoji crying tears of joy. B) A picture that’s worth 1,000 words. C) An Oxford Dictionary word of the year.

Answer: All of the above.

Emojis have been around since the late 90s when they first showed up on Japanese phones. Fast forward to the 21st century. The White House uses them in their reports. Tim Hortons expresses their proud Canadian-ness with them. Domino’s lets you place an order via pizza slice.

There are multiple emoji guides and even the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee, which has a very professional-looking web page.

Here’s why people, including businesses and their audiences, love emojis:

Emojis are available on our smartphones and favorite social media platforms now. They’re always at our fingertips.

People can quickly express their emotions even if they don’t have the time to write out the sentiment. It’s also a nice alternative for those who feel they can’t express themselves accurately through words.

Customers dictate how they want to be communicated with. For some brands, opting to use emojis is the same as offering live chat or Twitter support – it’s about discovering what your audience wants and giving it to them.

Brands that use emojis can increase engagement rate.

A Brief History of Emoji Marketing Wins and Fails

These guys got it right:

Deadpool: Audiences loved this. Celebrities loved this. The press loved this. Thumb’s up emoji, guys.

Source: Social Seeder

(The marketing for Deadpool was genius across-the-board, so check out the other stuff they did to woo audiences.)

Word Wildlife Fund: The WWF made 17 emojis of endangered animals and donated money every time one of them was re-Tweeted. It did the trick.

Taco Bell: Taco Bell went hard for the taco emoji. The Unicode Consortium says it wasn’t the taco emoji petition that sealed the deal, but I don’t totally believe them. Regardless, Taco Bell got a ton of attention with this campaign, and I’m guessing they sold a few more tacos than normal.

Source: Change.org

These guys are doing the face palm emoji right now:

Juicy Fruit: Nobody knows what you’re trying to say, Juicy Fruit. Why is there a guitar? Why is there a guitar???

Source: Washington Post

OMG Shakespeare: Maybe it’s the English major in me that makes me cringe, but these seem ridiculous and critics agreed. They snagged some decent feedback on Amazon, but YOLO Juliet was the most-reviewed one and only had 63 reviews, so…not great. Also, I think that saying “YOLO” to Juliet is kind of missing the point.

Source: The Guardian

Source: The Guardian

Chevrolet: Just…why?!?!

Source: Chevrolet

Are Emojis Right for Your Brand?

Are you only interested in emojis because other brands are using them? Being influenced or inspired by other brands is one thing; betraying your personal brand voice just to follow the lead is another. No brand has ever been successful by doing what all the other ones are doing – you have to stand out from the crowd and give customers something different.

Does it feel on-brand and/or natural? If you don’t even feel natural using emojis in your marketing, your audience is going to notice. Emojis aren’t a good fit for every brand – don’t force it.

Is your audience fluent in emoji? Consider demographics so you don’t alienate your audience. Millennials between 18 and 34 use visual expressions, including emojis, more than 2x as much as people over 65. About 25% of people in the age groups between those categories feel that images can communicate better than words.

Is your audience already using emojis? Hopefully you’re using tools to track what your audience is saying about you online. As you scroll through the commentary, do you notice that people are using emojis? That’s a good sign that you should follow suit.

Bottom Line: You always have to resonate with your audience. If emojis do that, excellent. If they don’t, leave them out.

How to Use Emojis for Business

Decide When and Where You’ll Use Emojis

Create your own emoji guide – you can add emojis to your marketing without adding them everywhere. Maybe you want to use them just in live chat or on Instagram. Maybe you want to use them just once in a while instead of making them a regular part of your marketing, like how Bud Light created an emoji flag to celebrate the Fourth of July. The only exception here is with email, which I’ll get to in a sec.

Know What That Emoji Means

Remember all those people who posted “Netflix and chill” without realizing they were referring to…you know. Don’t be like those people. Before you emoji, educate yourself.

Make it Obvious

Just like you don’t want to misinterpret an emoji’s meaning, you don’t want your audience to misinterpret your meaning, either. Make sure that your intention is clear and that you communicate what you mean to.

Relate to Customers

Emojis can be helpful in customer support if you use ones that accurately represent emotions, like a surprised face to say “Oh no!” when the customer is facing a frustrating issue. Don’t replace full sentences with emojis, just use them to add context.

Test it Out

Updating your marketing to incorporate emojis is a good exercise in changing with the trends. The more you evolve your techniques with the current culture, the easier it will become to make changes as needed. Not everything is going to stick, so do a trial period. World Emoji Day, July 17th, is a good opportunity to test the emoji waters to see how your audience responds.

Get Your Audience Involved

Ask your audience to use emojis in order to describe something. Taco Bell encouraged their audience to use emojis with this Tweet:

You can also post a question or statement on social media and ask your audience to reply with an emoji, like a smiley face or a sad face, or challenge your audience to decode an emoji message.

Carefully Consider Emojis in Emails

Be extra careful when using emojis in email marketing. If you’re sending a newsletter to your VIP customers who are already familiar with your brand voice and how often you use emojis, go for it. Otherwise, you could hurt open rates by using an emoji in your subject line. Also, don’t ever use emojis in email if you’re not using them elsewhere, too.

Using Existing Emojis vs. Creating New Ones

Using existing emojis couldn’t be easier. They’re already available and you can reference an emoji guide to see exactly what they mean, so you just have to incorporate them into your messaging however you decide to. When choosing which emojis to use, consider these questions:

Which emojis are your audience members already using?

What are the emojis that seem to carry the most interest or meaning for them?

How can you apply that meaning to your brand or extend it to appeal to your customers even more? Sephora does this well on Twitter.

The Case for Creating Your Own Emojis

Yes, using existing emojis can help with communication, immerse your brand in the current culture and help you relate to young audiences. However, they’re not going to be impactful for your overall branding – your audience won’t necessarily think about you when they use an emoji in a different context.

If you want to use emojis as a branding tool, you may have to create your own. Tick one or more of these boxes when designing branded emojis:

Add to the conversation in a more convenient or impactful way than words can express.

Enhance the customer experience.

Delight or surprise your customers, or strike another emotional chord.

Fill a need. For example, Dove created a Love Your Curls emoji keyboard to represent women with curly hair, a group that didn’t yet have their own emoji.

Source: The Shorty Awards

4 Tips for Creating Your Own Emojis

Branded emojis require your audience to download and set up a separate keyboard. This is an extra step (or two or three) that consumers have to take. They need (a) awareness that the keyboard exists, (b) guidance on how to do it and (c) enough of a reason to go through with it. You may want to create a contest for people who use your new emojis.

You want your emojis to become synonymous with your brand, but you don’t want to over-brand, which can keep your customers from actually using them. Customers should be able to use your emojis in their normal conversations.

Create a collection of emojis instead of a one-off emoji. A singular emoji is forgettable and looks like your company didn’t try very hard.

The emojis in your collection should represent different things – if you’re a cafe, you don’t necessarily need 3 different cups of coffee. Think of the products and themes you want to represent, as well as the different audience segments you want to appeal to, then design one emoji for each.

A Note About Stats

The jury’s still out on whether or not emojis increase brand engagement – there are articles that refer to increased brand engagement but don’t include any stats, there are a few articles that do have convincing stats and then there are articles that say that emojis don’t increase brand engagement at all.

Those negative stats are a little misleading, though. One study reports that 5% of responders said they wouldn’t be more likely to buy from a brand that uses emojis in their digital marketing. But brands aren’t necessarily using emojis as a precursor to getting a sale. Sure, sales are always the ultimate goal, but the touchpoint where the emoji comes in separate from the sales conversion.

Emojis are used in the branding stage where the company is creating and showcasing their voice; in messaging with current customers who already have and will again buy; or in marketing campaigns that spread brand awareness. Plus, consumers don’t always realize how much branding will impact their future purchase decisions.

Bottom Line: The stats and studies you have to worry about are your own.

Emojis have their time and place, and powerful brands know when and when not to use them. Whether or not you add emojis to your marketing, keep track of their impact on culture. Staying in-the-know will give you insight into your audience and inform your brand of when to jump in and get involved.

Ready to create a marketing strategy? We got you.

The post An Emoji Guide for Marketers: Using Emoji Professionally appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

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