It is hard to recall a time when there has been more turmoil in the world than there is today. Everywhere you turn, there is another massacre, plane crash or senseless attack that takes innocent lives. It’s real, it’s scary and it’s not slowing down. Living in Southern California has its own unique challenges like traffic, the homeless and the …

A recent study via LinkedIn’s B2B Technology Marketing community showed that many B2B marketers are using new digital marketing tools for lead generation, customer acquisition and thought leadership. Content marketing ranked highly (72%) for B2B marketers as part of their marketing tools makeup, while social media, email marketing and mobile marketing ranked just behind. Other studies show that B2B buyers …

Over the past decade two trends have caused the rise of responsive web design: Smart Phones Big Screen TV’s Together, they have driven the need for website developers to create sites using responsive design tools so that the content of any given website formats itself to fit the device on which it is displayed. Okay, so you knew that already. …

Claude Hopkins joined Lord & Thomas as copywriter in 1906 and proposed that more effective advertising was a matter of scientific principle. He demonstrated his point with the invention of Market Research and Product Sampling. He also created advertising techniques that included coupons, sampling, copy testing, demonstrations and testimonials. With his help L&T successfully snagged blue-chip clients as Sunkist, Van …

Microsoft and its CEO Satya Nadella have a big challenge ahead. They need consumers to LOVE its new operating system. Anything less will be failure. For some time now, Apple has been on top in terms of sales, global market capitalization and their NPS (net profit promoter) score. And even Tim Cook, who took the reins from business god Steve …

Beginning this weekend,the newly renovated Festival of Arts opens its doors with an outstanding array of artists and live musical performances. This venue is one of three art festivals located in Orange County’s center of creativity, the city of Laguna Beach. The festivals include: Sawdust Art & Craft Festival, Festival of Arts and Art-A-Fair. We are offering you free admission …

After 15 years in the same location, we are adding an office up NORTH. Join us June 4th, 5:30 – 8:30 pm Young Company North 361 Forest Ave., Suite 206, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (Only footsteps from First Thursdays Art Walk) Please feel free to reach me anytime at byoung@youngcompany.com or 949-438-2722. Intern Spotlight: Gil Marom Gil Marom recently graduated …

After fifteen years of bumping chairs, and suffering the long lines outside our unisex restroom, Young Company has decided to make a move. We are adding much needed office space on the floor above us at 361 Forest Avenue in the heart of downtown Laguna Beach. Please join us at our open house on June 4 to help us celebrate …

My friends from the Bay Area continually comment on its superiority over Southern California. I don’t bother to argue. Being SoCal born and bred, I have an innate preference for the sunnier half of the state. So, when I read last December that Oculus VR (the highest profile OC start up in years) was moving to Facebook’s home of Menlo …

Despite the huge growth in Internet marketing over the past 20 years, we find that many clients are still spending big on trade shows, a medium that offers a higher level of engagement between clients, prospects and customers. While digital marketing offers great efficiency, there is no substitute for a positive in-person experience. The investment in pre-show marketing is directly …

While some folks will be cheering for the Seahawks and others for the Patriots on Sunday, I’ll be cheering for the ads. And may the best ads win. At a cost of $4.5 million for 30 seconds, it may be the best advertising value of all for mega brands. After all, it is a rare opportunity to reach over 100 …

As we close out 2014 and set our sights on 2015, there are at least 5 good reasons to be optimistic: U.S GDP grew a hefty 5 percent in the third quarter. The most we’ve seen since the late 1990’s. This momentum will positively affect every segment of the economy. Lower energy prices give people more money to spend, and …

The holidays are a time for giving thanks and spreading cheer to all – especially to those less fortunate, which is why we’ve adopted FRISTERS (Friends & Sisters) as our favorite charity. Every year over 4,000 teens give birth in Orange County. Many lose the support of family and friends. Most have no high school diploma, no job, no driver’s …

In October I had the honor of meeting Bob Lauterborn (the father of integrated marketing communications) and he reinforced why mass advertising no longer works and the importance of a well-engineered IMC program. At the center of IMC is the customer, not the media. By focusing on what the customer cares about and how they want to be reached, today’s …

California is still the place to be There are a lot of valid reasons why some companies want out of California. On paper, thousands of other locations pencil out cheaper than the Golden State. But when value is assigned to California’s mild year-round weather, outdoor lifestyle, progressive culture and thousands of great companies still located here, I still believe California …

Everyone in marketing is looking for cost-effective tactics. There is a lot of compelling evidence that online video marketing should be a major focus of your advertising and marketing budget. According to Forrester Research, online video marketing is the single most practical use for your marketing time and energy. Seventy-five percent of U.S. business executives told Forbes that they watch …

Many businesses are seeking the big idea. The homerun campaign that will make them the thought leader in their respective industry. Unfortunately, great advertising is only a part of the solution. A company’s products and services are critical to differentiation. The late Eli Calloway devoted his career to creating brands that are “Demonstrably Superior and Pleasingly Different.” He spent years …

Soak up the sun and have fun on Southern California’s coast while enjoying creative art, live music and great food. This summer, your friends at Young Company are pleased to invite you as our guest to the art festivals located in Orange County’s center of creativity, the city of Laguna Beach. The festivals include: Sawdust Art & Craft Festival, Festival …

The Power of One: How one young man creates one video designed for one audience and impacts thousands. Many are now aware that president Barrack Obama will be speaking at UCI’s commencement on June 14th. What you may know is that it was creative video of Wilbert Cheng (2013 Young Company summer intern) featuring a personal appeal from 7-foot-6 basketball …

Marketing research is still at the heart of the marketing concept. And most cost effective than ever. About 100 years ago, a very famous advertising copywriter by the name of Claude Hopkins invented the concept of marketing at the Lord & Thomas agency in Chicago. He thought that he could write better ads if he asked people what they wanted. …

To print or not to print? I recently visited a Cadillac dealer to pick up a brochure on the CTS. The car is so stunning, I figured the collaterals would be top notch. I was disappointed to learn that Cadillac no longer prints brochures. Too bad. Automotive brochures are often the highest expression of art in printed marketing materials. The …

Welcome to March! It looks like we have had our splash of rain and summer is starting this week. I’m not sure how our water supply will hold up, but I do think it’s time we invest in desalinization plants in Southern California. A very successful new company called Nano H2O in El Segundo has developed a more efficient filtration …

Well, it is official. Satya Nadella is the new CEO at Microsoft. Though born and raised in India, he was educated in the U.S. I see a few reasons to celebrate Microsoft’s decision. He’s a global guy. This appointment speaks volumes about Microsoft’s commitment to global. He is an insider. He is an engineer. He is a Microsoft lifer. This …

Welcome to 2014! This is a year that holds more promise for progress and prosperity than any in recent memory. Sure, the world has its share of problems, but we have more smart people willing to solve those problems than ever before. When you look at the stock market, 2013 was the greatest growth year since 1997.Foreign companies are investing …

“If they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” said the late Nelson Mandela whose words leave a legacy of hope and inspiration for people around the world. Mandela (who passed away yesterday at 95) was always mindful that his leadership role in the liberation of South Africa from apartheid might not have been possible if he …

The informal corporate slogan of Google “Don’t be evil” is crumbling fast as the Internet giant begins to shift to a new cookie technology. Cookies are tiny pieces of code that marketers deploy on web browsers to track people’s online movements. Microsoft and Facebook have each announced recently they are developing propriety systems to plug into and control this river …

Hummingbird, the new search algorithm at Google, is not as sweet and innocent as it sounds. By disabling keyword search data which matched keywords in a search query to the same words on Web pages, Google has in effect removed the compass from the SEO cockpit, crippling the search-meister’s most valuable navigation tool. Google is defending this move on the …

Total-Apps of Aliso Viejo is driven to help clients double their income with new ways to pay online and through mobile devices. Known in their industry as the “Rocket Scientists of Credit Card Processing” partners Rey Pasinli and Jason Taylor research refine and develop the hottest technology.Payment processing is a serious and sometimes boring business. Not to mention a daunting …