by Tara Ford | Jun 10, 2025 | Advertising, Business Success, Marketing
Many gamers across the land celebrated last week when the Nintendo Switch 2 launched on June 5th. This marked an exciting milestone in the gaming world. From a marketing perspective, it’s important to understand the demographic of these gamers and the potential of advertising in their universe.
If you’re still picturing gamers as teenagers holed up in their parents’ basements, it’s time for a hard reset. These days, gamers are everywhere, and they’re not just playing, they’re paying attention. This has led popular gaming platforms like Sony’s PlayStation, Microsoft’s Xbox and Nintendo’s Switch 2 to showcasing fully immersive worlds where brands can play too. For example, big brands such as Nike, Ford and Monster Energy appear prominently in popular video games.
Microsoft is also levelling up by actively exploring a more non-intrusive advertising style by integrating in-game branded billboards and items that naturally blend into game environments. Additionally, they are testing ad-supported cloud gaming where players watch short ads to gain free access. Sony prefers to limit advertising to the PlayStation Store and dashboard, avoiding in-game ads. Nintendo however, maintains the nostalgic ad-free experience, rarely allowing product placement or traditional advertising.
Together, these platforms house around 350 million active users globally, contributing to a worldwide gaming audience of over 3 billion players. And guess who’s driving this growth? Millennials and Gen Z, those elusive, ad-resistant audiences who also happen to be aged 11 to 42.
So, should gaming be on your media plan? The answer is heck yes, and here’s why:
- Epic-Scale Engagement
Gamers spend hours immersed in digital worlds, making gaming one of the most engaging entertainment mediums today. This deep engagement results in stronger brand recall and emotional connections compared to more passive media like television.
- Total Recall Mode: Brand Edition
Product placements and branded content positioned strategically into gameplay can increase brand recall by up to 25%. This is especially true when brands become part of the game’s environment.
- Glitch the System: Get Where Others Can’t
Gaming reaches a sought-after demographic of younger, tech-savvy consumers – especially Gen Z and Millennials. This is a key venue as this demographic is often resistant to traditional ads. That said, the gaming audience is broadening: 25-30% of gamers are now aged 50 and older, reflecting its expanding appeal.
- Power-Up Your Creativity
Games offer interactive storytelling, allowing brands to become part of the narrative. This creates memorable, positive brand experiences that far surpass the more traditional static advertisement.
- Multiplayer Mode: All Systems Go
Gaming today is deeply connected with streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube, social media and highly popular e-sports. A single branded activation can amplify across multiple channels, dramatically increasing reach without extra costs.
- Precision Mode: Target Locked
Platforms like PlayStation Network, Steam and other mobile platforms, give marketers smart data to target the right players and track whats working in real time.
✅ Game On
Gaming checks all the boxes traditional marketing often misses. It’s interactive, immersive, and hits your audience where they’re most engaged with controllers in hand and attention fully locked in. If you’re looking for a fresh way to connect with Millennials, Gen Z, and beyond, gaming isn’t just a new approach it’s a great way for brands to level up.
by Miriam Hara | Jun 3, 2025 | Advertising, Branding, Creative
There’s something about a visual that speaks before words do. In our world of creative marketing, we’ve always known that. We’ve built our reputation around it.
A single image has the power to invite, provoke, reassure, even challenge. The beauty of storytelling isn’t always told. Sometimes, and I would like to believe, often, it’s felt.
Today, with the emergence of AI, the art of storytelling seems to be on a clock. AI tools are changing the game, offering up content in a matter of seconds. Need a futuristic skyline? Done. A perfectly lit dinner table? Easy. A kid in space boots, eating cereal? No problem…easy peasy.
And yet, despite all this progress, something gets lost in all this instant perfection. Something important.
Speed Isn’t Vision
At the speed of business, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind. At 3H, although we enthusiastically embrace what’s new, we don’t chase the ‘shiny’. We ask why. We dig for truth. And when it comes to AI and creative work, the truth is this: the tool might be fast, but the vision still has to be ours.
Garbage In. Garbage Out.
Visual storytelling is so much more than design or a pretty picture. Every photo, every frame, should reflect something deeper. AI can’t feel the weight of a brand’s history. It doesn’t know your founder’s favourite colour or the reason your tone shifted last year. More importantly, it doesn’t understand your audience nor does it understand nuance. It understands patterns and what you tell it to understand. It draws from the information you provide to spool out visuals that articulate what you want. Without you…the output is lackluster.
Same Tools, Same Output
AI-generated visuals are starting to blend together. They’re clean, polished, technically impressive and often forgettable. That’s what happens when convenience starts to steer the process. You lose what makes a brand unique. You lose texture. Voice. Point of view.
Great branding comes from decisions that aren’t always obvious. A slightly off-centre crop. An imperfect detail left in on purpose. The shadow that softens a bold message. AI can imitate these things, but it can’t originate them
Use It. Don’t Depend on It.
That doesn’t mean AI doesn’t belong. It does. We use it. It helps us move faster when speed is needed. It helps us pressure-test concepts. It gets us thinking. But it doesn’t replace thinking.
We still build from the same foundation: insight, relevance, creativity, intention. And those things aren’t auto-generated. They’re earned. Experience, instinct, and a willingness to trust the process is what built them.
The Data Is Useful. The Direction Is Yours.
Automation can tell us what visuals perform well. It can highlight which colours draw attention or which layouts increase dwell time. But data is there to inform, not direct.
There’s still a place for surprise. For taking a risk that can’t be measured in advance. For following the feeling, not just the formula. That’s where real creative work lives.
Stay in the Story
If you take anything from my perspective, let it be this: storytelling doesn’t speed up just because the tools do. The moment you trade intention for efficiency, the message starts to slip. Fast isn’t the goal. Impact is.
AI is a tool, not a teammate. Use it when it helps, question it when it doesn’t, and don’t let it lead. That part still belongs to you. When it comes to building brands that last, it’s not about how quickly you can create content. It’s about how deeply that content can connect.
by Miriam Hara | May 27, 2025 | Advertising, Creative, Design, Marketing
Defining Design Strategy
After over 36 years at the helm of 3H Communications, there are certain truths in our profession that have endured the test of time. Creative concepts aren’t pretty pictures… and design isn’t decoration. When design lacks intention, it will be sure to miss the mark. Every curve, every hue, every seemingly simple design choice happens by the exercise of expertise and free will.
Whether it’s making the bold choice of a deep indigo, the placement of a logo, a typography selection or the subtle curve of a package corner, every decision carries weight and purpose.
Behind every great design there is a rationale. A thought process that bridges creativity with strategy.
Marketing of Design.
Design strategy articulates what must be visually contextualize. What are we trying to achieve? Who are we speaking to? How will this design help us get there? It sets to align the visual elements of a brand with its mission, values, and goals. It takes abstract ideas and transforms them into visual articulations that are compelling, working together cohesively to tell a story and drive action.
Without strategy, design risks becoming a disconnected series of aesthetic decisions. Ultimately nice to look at, missing the mark in becoming a powerful tool for communication, differentiation, and long-term brand equity.
Ask ‘Why’ Always.
Think like a 3 year old and continuously ask Why? Why this shape? Why this texture? Why this spacing? Every answer must add to the bigger picture, whether it’s solving a problem, evoking an emotion, or influencing behaviour.
A curve on a package may very well be visually appealing, but it just might be about making it easier to hold or subtly creating an organic flow that aligns with a natural product promise. A colour isn’t just a shade, it’s a signal. It can calm, energize, or provoke.
Design Driven by Intention.
When intention leads design, it shows. It feels cohesive. It feels confident. It simply works well. At 3H, design intention is simply our process.It’s not just about how something looks. It’s about why it looks that way. Brands that endure do so because their design foundations are executed properly. Design strategy catapulted by intention ensures that even as trends shift, the core brand message remains intact.
Why It Matters.
We already live in an over-saturated world where consumers are bombarded with visual stimuli every day. Design without intention is noise. But design with intention? That’s where magic happens.
At 3H, our philosophy is simple: design is a strategic tool. Every project, no matter how big or small, starts with intention and is guided by rationale. We design with purpose. And in a world that’s always looking for the next big thing, that makes all the difference.
by Miriam Hara | Mar 11, 2025 | Advertising, Agency, Marketing
Test Marketing Needs a Great Concept
It’s always exciting being part of something new. To have a brand venture into a new territory. Reaching out to new audiences with a brand is bold. Often, media costs and full outreach takes dollars… and that’s where test marketing comes in. Suddenly everyone’s talking numbers, timelines, and geographic reach. SO what about the creative?
If you’re rolling out a test market without fully investing in the creative, you’re not testing your brand’s true impact. You’re just guessing. And guesswork has no place in serious strategy.
The Pitfall of Ignoring Creative
When implementing a test market, the focus is often on logistics: which channels, which regions, and what budget. Those things matter, for sure.
But here’s the thing: they only matter if your creative concept is strong enough to deliver
We all know this: creative isn’t just a pretty picture or window dressing. It’s the most essential element in any campaign. Creative is the core of your brand message. It’s what your audience will see, feel, and remember. Skipping over creative development, whether to test a channel or save budget, is a costly mistake.
Think of it this way: placing a “meh” ad in prime real estate is like putting up a billboard with a dense paragraph of unreadable copy. Sure, your brand is in the right place, but without compelling creative, it’s not going to grab attention or make an impact.
“Good Enough” Isn’t Good Enough
Think of it this way. You’re trying a new channel, like TV, radio or digital, to reach new audiences. These are people who may not be familiar with your brand. What kind of impression do you think a lack lustre ad will make?
Test marketing is about seeing if your idea can resonate, but resonance starts with a strong, compelling message, and that’s all about the creative, not the media. (albeit, they need to go hand in hand).
Half-hearted creative efforts lead to muddled results. Instead of testing the potential of your idea, you’re testing a watered-down version of it. So when that version fails to connect, you might assume the whole idea doesn’t work, when the real issue is that you didn’t give it the chance to shine.
Test Marketing isn’t Tactical
It’s tempting to think of test marketing as a purely tactical exercise. You’re testing TV vs. radio, or digital vs. print. But here’s the truth: channels don’t sell ideas, creative does. The channel is just the stage. The performance rests on your creative concept and execution.
If you’re exploring a new medium, your creative has to adapt without losing the core essence. TV needs visuals that captivate. Radio requires messaging that paints pictures with words. Digital demands agility and interactivity. Print needs to speak volumes. Regardless of the channel, all creative adaptations must be remarkable and memorable. The best campaigns understand the nuances of each channel and craft creative that works within them while staying true to the brand.
Test Marketing: Show Up Like You Mean It
Your test market audience doesn’t know they’re part of a test market. For the audience, this is the first impression of your brand. And if you show up with “just good enough” creative, that’s the impression they’ll walk away with. Think of test marketing as opening night for a smaller crowd. You’re not rehearsing; you’re performing. Show up like you mean it.
Creative Is the Test
So the next time the you’re working on a test market initiative, pause and ask: is the creative ready? Is it compelling? Does it reflect the brand’s essence and true personality? Without great creative, you’re not testing your campaign’s potential. You’re testing what happens when you don’t take your own idea seriously.
Test marketing is a chance to learn, refine, and validate. But to get real insights, you need real effort. Don’t just dip your toes in the water. Commit full on. Dive in with creative that makes waves!
by Tara Ford | Dec 17, 2024 | Advertising, Agency, Branding
The holiday season is full steam ahead, bringing with it sparkling silver bells, holiday imagery and of course seasonal advertising. It almost seems as though snowflakes come pre-loaded with cherished memories and iconic movie moments that have shaped how we see the holidays, and smart marketers know just how to tap into that nostalgia.
Take A Christmas Story and the infamous leg lamp as an example.
It isn’t just a quirky movie set prop, it’s become a pop-culture icon that shows up everywhere, including in Wayfair’s holiday ad this year. And get this, the actor who played 9-year-old Ralphie Parker even appears in the ad! Suddenly, we’re transported back to cozy Christmas mornings, unwrapping gifts by the tree, and perhaps even daring each other to stick our tongues to frozen flagpoles.
Then there’s Home Alone, where Kevin McCallister peaked our imaginations.
What fun it is to watch him defending his home with creativity, determination, and a heart filled dose of holiday spirit. It’s no wonder brands still reference his booby-trap antics decades later. The mischievous satisfaction of outsmarting the bad guys never gets old.
Even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, that beloved holiday classic.
This household name owes its existence to a clever marketing campaign. Did you know Rudolph was originally created by a graphic designer for a department store promotion in 1939? Talk about branding brilliance that stood the test of time.
These memories create a common ground for fun conversation across all generations.
It’s funny how something as simple as a familiar movie scene or beloved character can spark such warm feelings. Nostalgia is powerful, and when brands tap into it authentically, they create emotional connections that last far beyond the holiday season.
So, as you wrap up this year (pun intended), take some time to enjoy one of those timeless holiday films that still make you smile. Cheers to a season filled with joy, warmth, and maybe even a leg lamp or two.
by Miriam Hara | Dec 3, 2024 | Advertising, Business Success, Communications, Marketing
Are Greeting Cards the Next Dodo Bird?
In 2024…
…with our inboxes overflowing and social media delivering instant “Happy Holidays” posts, is this the year paper greeting cards join Tupperware and the dodo bird in history’s archive of nostalgia? Tupperware, once an icon of kitchen innovation, now on the brink of extinction. It’s a fate sealed for so many beloved traditions and items of yesteryear. And it raises the question: Are greeting cards next?
Every year…
…as the holiday season rolls around, I find myself wondering the same thing: Are Christmas and seasonal greeting cards becoming a thing of the past? For as long as I can remember, holiday greeting cards have been a cherished tradition in the creative, marketing, and advertising world. Every year, my creative team would push the envelope (pun intended) to show just how imaginative we could be.
I’d like to think…
…our clients, partners, and contacts looked forward to seeing what we’d dream up, year after year. Or is this wishful thinking? In the recent past, every year November rolled around, the 3H Team had a lively internal debate. Should we embrace digital greetings to showcase our tech-savvy side? Or stick with traditional cards, which feel more personal and tangible?
On one hand…
…digital communications reflect the fast-paced, connected world we live in. On the other, a beautifully crafted card; something you can hold, display, and enjoy, offers a level of warmth and thoughtfulness that pixels can’t replicate.
The annual debate…
…had been silenced….another COVID casualty. Cards couldn’t reach the intended person in a timely manner, so during COVID, why bother? E-cards were the only mode available for close to 2 years.
As the world turns…
…and seasons change, what was once off-trend, is now in. So what do you think? Paper or digital cards? We resolved the issue by doing both. After all, why does it have to be an either or? We do traditional cards for the seasons, and a digital new year’s card! The best of both worlds, and more importantly…. we connect with our clients and business partners twice!
Ultimately…
…the tools may evolve, but the principles of great marketing never change. It’s about connection, creativity, and making someone feel seen and valued. That’s why embracing relationship-driven approaches, never feels outdated. Actually, they are timeless.
My personal perspective…
…has always been that this time of year is the perfect moment to pause and reflect on the power of personal touches. In a world overwhelmed by emails and instant messages, the act of sending a card stands out. It’s a simple but powerful reminder that business is, and always will be, about people.
Of course if you’re living in Canada, this is a moot point….Canada Post Mail Service is on strike!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to one and all!
