Smart Advertising to Advertisers

Amazon TV Fire Stick
Custom-branded Amazon TV Fire Stick for Newsy

For the first time ever, online video subscriptions, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, have outnumbered their cable subscribing counterparts, according to a report by the Motion Picture Association of America. 

And with the rise in popularity of smart home devices, there are more and more options for smart display devices, such as Amazon Echo Show, Google Home Hub, and the newest player on the market, Facebook Portal and Portal+.

What all this means for advertisers is that there are more ways than ever for your consumers to experience your brand. And to understand the new experience from a consumer’s point of view, advertisers need first-hand experience with these new platforms.

That’s what online news network Newsy allowed its advertisers to do. When Newsy announced the Newsy app on Facebook Portal and Portal+, they partnered with FUSION OF IDEAS to customize Newsy-branded Facebook Portal devices to send to its top advertisers.

In addition to the Facebook Portal devices, the network also customized Amazon TV Fire Stick streaming devices with the Newsy logo that would allow existing and prospective advertisers to experience Newsy on subscription-based video on demand services.

The distribution of the customized devices was part of Newsy’s overall sales strategy to allow its advertisers to experience content in new ways.

“By doing so, the ad buying community was able to see first-hand how our content stands out from other news brands,” said Dominick Borgia Jr., senior account manager at Newsy.

Newsy custom-branded Facebook Portal
Newsy branded Facebook Portal devices were sent to top advertisers as part of the announcement of its app.
Newsy app on Facebook Portal and Portal+
Newsy app on Facebook Portal and Portal+

The Life Mastery Institute® iPad Brand Experience

Mary Morrissey, founder and owner of Life Mastery Institute®
Mary Morrissey, founder and owner of Life Mastery Institute®. Photo credit: marymorrissey.com

Inspirational speaker and best-selling author Mary Morrissey is a dream builder, who empowers others to achieve new heights of “spiritual aliveness, wealth and authentic success.” Morrissey is the visionary behind Life Mastery Institute®, a life coaching certification program that has transformed the lives to tens of thousands of people worldwide. 

Through Morrissey’s certification program, coaches are trained and mentored to learn how to effectively teach others and build their own successful, difference-making life coaching business. Coaches also receive in-depth mentoring, tools and templates for authentic client attraction, heart-centered client enrollment and business-building.

As part of the certification program, the coaches-in-training are given a customized Life Mastery Institute® iPad with books, music, program audios, and teaching tools all preloaded on the device. Each piece of preloaded content is handpicked by Morrisson, who encourages coaches to use the iPad as an all-in-one tool to find the resources they need for their life coaching business.

The Life Mastery Institute® iPad Brand Experience, Created by FUSION OF IDEAS

The Life Mastery Institute® iPad brand experience begins with a printed letter from Morrissey to welcome to coaches to the program. The next layer is the unboxing of a custom blue and gold branded device sleeve that is precisely fitted around the iPad box. Inside the box is the Life Mastery Institute® iPad customized with the logo etched on the back of the device. Through FUSION OF IDEAS’ proprietary laser etch process, the carefully designed artwork on the iPad will not fade, chip or rub off. And finally, the homepage of the iPad is completely personalized for the program with a custom home screen and dedicated apps and content preloaded onto the device.

To learn more about how FUSION OF IDEAS can create a brand experience for your business, visit fusionofideas.com/branding.

Custom-branded Life Mastery Institute® iPad
Custom-branded Life Mastery Institute® iPad
FUSION OF IDEAS mockup for iPad
FUSION OF IDEAS mockup for iPad

Leaders in the Making: A Look Behind the Curtain

Declare. Define. Decide. Create. Commit. Complete.

These are the steps to the path to get you where you want to go. Last week, the FUSION OF IDEAS leadership team set out on a two-day retreat to learn about what it takes to be game changers, difference makers and better leaders.

Led by two influential executive coaches, Setema Gali and Nate Bailey, the retreat kicked off with the FUSION OF IDEAS team meeting at the beach for a two-hour physical training to push ourselves beyond our physical and mental limits. We dunked ourselves in the ocean (multiple times), raced in teams, immersed ourselves with sand, squatted with sandbags, did planks, burpees, and jumping jacks, all in the name of learning to be vulnerable and working together as leaders.

Mike, our business development manager of applications, reflected back on the training and said, “You can always do more than you think you can.”

Back in the classroom, we set big goals and discovered practical ways to reach them. Together as leaders, we made a commitment to learn from one another, teach each other and confront obstacles. And together, we set out to define the company’s vision, build a culture where our teams can grow and thrive, and set standards for achievement.

Here are a few other takeaways:

  • “Embracing and welcoming uncomfortable situations tend to be the opportunities when we grow the most.” – Julia, business manager
  • “I was proud to see everyone’s efforts on the beach and pushing themselves to limits that we didn’t know were possible. We worked well as a team, and I loved seeing us work together in an extreme circumstance like this.”
    – Chandran, shipping and fulfillment manager
  • We all have to work together. Regardless of who is at fault, if one of us goes down, we all go down.” – Bryan, creative manager
  • “Being a leader means being bold, stepping up under any circumstance and having integrity. You do not need to have the title or role in your job to be a leader. Anyone can be a leader.” – Heather, director of communications.

A Raffle Prize Worth Putting For

The GOLFWEEK Amateur Tour, with 50 regional tournaments, was founded to give amateur golfers a chance to compete in a nationwide series of stroke-play golf tournaments. Open to men and women, young and old, the tournament – now in its 25th year – uses some of the best championship golf courses and concludes with a National Tour Championship, which awards the final winner among the top players in each flight.

In addition to a day on the greens, the winner of each flight is awarded a crystal trophy and each participant is entered into a tournament raffle. At the El Paso, Texas/Las Cruces, N.M. tournament, customized Apple AirPods served as one of the top prizes for the event raffle. As one of the hottest tech accessories, it was a highly sought-after prize for the 60+ participants of the event.

Additionally, Apple iPad Pro tablets with customized Smart Keyboard Folios were used to check the golfers in at each tournament and serve as a live score board. As we have seen in this event, and others, cohesive branding can significantly add value and experience for all attendees and participants involved.