AUG 13, 2008
Media Buyer Fairy Tale
Lesley 
0 comments
Media Director
One day, long ago . . . there lived a media buyer who did not whine, nag or bitch. But this was a long time ago . . . and it was just that one day.
The End
Lesley
AUG 11, 2008
What can I say? "Go World" gets me going.
Rob 0 comments
Copywriter
Bravo to TBWA\Chiat\Day. Amidst a swarm of Olympic-themed ads saturating the airwaves these days, the creative team behind the Visa “Go World” campaign managed to accomplish the unthinkable: a tasteful, simple campaign that merely tugs at the heart strings rather than yanks violently at them. In fact, I have to think back to Wieden + Kennedy’s beautiful Nike spot, “Move”—which premiered during the 2002 winter games—to remember an ad that achieved this feat as effectively. By now, I’m sure we’ve all seen the spots: there’s Morgan Freeman’s harmonic voiceover, the warm sepia glow that washes over the footage, some stirring music and exquisitely written copy. Quite the complete package. Take a look.
And while we’re on the subject, here’s “Move.”
AUG 11, 2008
The Discomfort of Thought
Steve 1 comments
Vice President/Public Relations
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."
John F. Kennedy made that observation nearly 50 years ago, decades before the advent of the Internet gave us all the opportunity to create blogs and anoint ourselves "citizen journalists." Today, JFK’s admonition about opinion unencumbered by the effort required for critical thinking aptly describes much of the "user generated content" that saturates the so-called blogosphere.
The all-too-prevalent intermingling of bloggers' opinions and objectives thought has direct application to contemporary public relations. PR people increasingly are using blogs and other social media to influence public attitudes about everything from voting booth decisions to corporate reputations. Much of the vast e-content universe lacks the discerning editors and skeptical reporters who, for traditional media outlets, serve as filters to separate spin and hype from documented, attributable fact. With such an unobstructed cyber pipeline to the online audience, there clearly is the opportunity for unfounded opinion to masquerade as thoughtful, reasoned insight.
The PR profession will be well-served to police ourselves and avoid this blurring of the line between blind sentiment and knowledgeable perspective. If blogging and social media interaction are ever to come of age as legitimate tools for conveying reliable information, communicators must accept the responsibility of consistently distinguishing between subjective and objective content.
AUG 7, 2008
Demystifying “Social Marketing”
Lesley 0 comments
Media Director
The first definition of “social” in Webster's new World College Dictionary states that social is “of or having to do with human beings living together as a group in a situation in which their dealings with one another affect their common welfare.”
The second listed definition of “marketing” states that marketing is “all business activity involved in the moving of goods from the producer to the consumer.”
Who would have thought that such an antiquated bound book would provide such insight to an emerging communication platform? If we take the liberty to combine these two definitions, we have exposed the simplicity of this marketing tool.
Social Marketing is a business activity involved in the moving of goods and services by involving consumers together as a group in which their dealings with one another affect their common welfare.
To expand upon that, Social Marketing is a two-way street of communicating your brand with consumers. It requires participating and commitment to engage in an active dialogue with your customers good or bad. It offers the opportunity to create advocates for your brand.
AUG 5, 2008
This business just keeps getting better.
Denny 0 comments
President & CEO
As a 30-year veteran of the persuasive arts, I have never seen a greater demand for new ideas, creative perspectives and insightful strategies. According to Daniel H. Pink, author of “A Whole New Mind,” we in the creative industry will rule the economic future. While the data-driven, analytic jobs are easily and cost-effectively outsourced, concept-driven design careers must flourish to meet the demands of our changing times.
It's about time! Not that marketing science, quantitative research, audience statistics, dashboards and diagnostics don't have an important role to play, but they don't “speak” to a customer the way an empathetic message can.
JUL 31, 2008
The lowest price? It's in your pocket.
Rob 0 comments
Copywriter
iPhone owners rejoice--the app store is live. And, for the most part, it's everything Apple promised. Among the myriad programs, games and tools, one particular application has caught my attention. It's called Checkout Smartshop. http://www.kigisoftware.com/Checkout.html. This nifty tool lets shoppers read product reviews, compare prices online---it even zeroes in on your location and lets you know if any nearby stores carry your product for a cheaper price. And how do you access this trove of information? Simply enter the UPC code of practically any product into the app's home screen. Marvelous. But the presence of a tool like this begs an important question: As it becomes increasingly easy to find a product for the cheapest available price, how long will it be before brick and mortar stores transform into giant display cases for items that can be bought elsewhere for less? In other words, how will chains like Best Buy continue to woo customers if a visit to their store leads me, in fact, back to my car or onto the web for that TV I've been lusting after? How will stores communicate to customers when they can no longer compete on price? I, for one, am eager to see what happens next.
