I work in advertising so I like to believe the messages we create are always hitting home with the people we reach. But I'm not naive. As a digital savvy consumer myself, I know there are more factors that go into making a purchase than a witty headline or jaw-dropping TV commercial. My cell phone is home to damn near a dozen apps that let me compare prices, find deals and -- most important to me -- read customer reviews all while I'm standing in the aisle at the store. Here's an exercise to try: Type in a brand or product name with the word review in Google right now. What are people saying? Are they telling anyone who will listen how durable the product is or are they saying it's the biggest piece of crap they've ever bought? Are the people checking in at businesses on foursquare or writing reviews on Yelp beside themselves for how delicious the lunch special is or how terrible the service can be? Do the businesses and brands even care what's being said? They should. Honest feedback has always been important. And in this new-age society where word-of-mouth advertising is constantly at our fingertips, it's more important than ever. Consumers like to hear from people who have already been in their shoes. Here's a couple personal examples: Last week I was digging through the Internet trying to find information on these sweet Super Mario decals for the wall in my office. All the reviews I read had nothing but good things to say so I knew the product was quality. If they had said the decals didn't stick or they were way smaller than they thought, I wouldn't have taken the plunge. If I buy shoes or clothes online, I always check out the user reviews to see what other peoples' experiences were with the sizing or how the item holds up after washing. When I was at Target looking at covers for my cell phone, I scanned the barcode of the one I wanted to see if Amazon has a better price AND see what others thought of the product. Nearly every purchase I make involves some type of research, and I'm not going to the corporate website to find it. This isn't to say brands should focus all their attention on customer feedback and ignore advertising. Far from it. Advertising will always have a prominent place in our everyday lives, but a cute talking oven mitt can only do so much for your brand. At some point, you've got to rely on quality products that satisfy consumers' wants and needs. And the best way to make sure you're doing that is to see what they're saying behind your back -- because the rest of us are listening.

We recently completed work on a new campaign for Sue Bee Honey called "Trust the Taste." SKAR was fortunate enough to work with Olympic champion Summer Sanders to create a number of new printed materials, videos and digital elements for the campaign. One of the elements, trustthetaste.com and the Interactive Kitchen, provides users with a totally new way to peruse the Sue Bee recipe database. Users can follow on-screen instructions from Summer Sanders and select food items from a virtual kitchen setting. The idea is that they can choose items that they actually have in their own kitchens. They can then use the site to find recipes relevant to the items they selected. At any time, a user can alter their choices, print their recipes or share them with their online community.

Energetic and self-motivated communicator sought for mid-sized agency in the Midwest. This individual should be immersed in the world of social media, the latest technological trends and communications strategies. Primary responsibilities of this individual will be to develop intuitive communication strategies, valuable content and beneficial relationships within the social community. This individual will need to have the ability to examine a brand's social media efforts, identify tactics to evolve a brand's social voice and monitor the growth of social influence for a brand. Other responsibilities include creative strategies, the development and management of personality associated with various brands, and the ability to effectively write to targeted audiences in a conversational manner. The ideal candidate must provide insight and strategy to plan and create social campaigns and be in-tune with emerging social media trends. Qualifications: • Strong copywriting skills • Mid-level experience with an interactive advertising or marketing team • Solid experience with major social media entities such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, StumbleUpon, etc. • Knowledge of Web analytics and monitoring • Strong verbal and written communication skills • Well-organized and have the ability to maintain multiple projects at once • Highly immersed and passionate about social media, its relevance in today's world and how it has grown as a mainstream reflection of human behavior. SKAR is headquartered in Omaha, Neb., with clients and relationships across the country. We are a shop that is quick to get excited about innovative things, awesome clients and progressive ideas. To learn more about SKAR, check us out at skar.com. To submit a resume or for more information, Email nhall@skar.com.