Hasta La Creative!

Much anticipated, the switch to Digital Television, or DTV, finally took place on June 12, 2009. Despite over 1.5 years of warning, many found themselves with no programmings that fateful day. The original switch date of February 17, 2009 was pushed back due to the “lack of preparedness” of over 10% of US households. The whole effort to switch to DTV, according to the Federal Communications Commission,  began on January 23, 2001.

Eight years of planning, $10 billion dollars invested, and you’re now looking at it. Whew! Glad that’s over. Reminds me of Y2K.

Yet, it’s not really funny. Especially for the 1,700 broadcast stations that spent their money to upgrade to the new digital equipment, and then to wait patiently for the change. It arrived in February,and then the digital implementation was delayed. It arrived again in June as the cut was finally made.The money invested by the stations was to be recouped via the use of additional signals. Each broadcast station has been given its core channel, which currently carries the signal, along with 5 additional signals that “piggyback” on the original.The additional signals are actually sub-channels, capable of carrying additional programming. For instance, if a viewer wants to watch an “all business, news and weather” version of his or her local NBC affiliate, the station can theoretically satisfy this niche. Geographic areas with high Hispanic indices can have access to Spanish sub-channels.

BusinessWeek reports that there are areas of the country already utilizing DTV’s capabilities, but the others have run into a major stumbling block: the economy.

ION’s Qubo airs cartoon programming for kids while ION Life focuses on health and fitness. NBC offers its local stations a sports channel and just launched a New York City news channel. MGM aims to partner with local stations to offer a movie channel, and entertainment service LATV offers bilingual programming for young Latinos.

Here’s the problem: The cable, satellite, and phone companies are loath to distribute programming that is largely untested and may compete with their own channels. What’s more, the recent switch to digital TV coincides with a punishing recession. Local TV advertising fell 28% in the first quarter from the same period in 2008.

It is not a question of “if” the stations will use the expanded bandwidth, but a question of “when.” There has been speculation that the added sub-channels will be used to send TV programming straight to computers and cell phones, further integrating TV, Online, and Mobile platforms.

Either way, it looks as if it may be a while before the dollars flow out of DTV at the same rate they were invested.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. Reach out and touch him: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

How does White Collar crime work? What if the safety harness on the roller coaster broke? What are 10 inventions we use daily that was first used at NASA? How does WiFi operate? Who is Aaron Fotheringham?

Aaron Fotheringham is the seventeen-year-old athlete featured in HowStuffWorks.com’s online and television ad campaign in support of the popular website. The spots have been released on YouTube, and will also be seen on TV starting this week. And, it’s not who Aaron is; it’s what he does:

Aaron, born with spina bifida, and dubbed with the nickname Wheelz, lives in Las Vegas, Nevada (which may play a part in his penchant for taking risks). One day, while his brother and friends were dropping into empty swimming pools on skateboards and BMX bikes, his brother suggested that he “drop in.” Although nervous, Aaron took his first “wheelchair drop” into the pool.

He’s now known as the inventor and pioneer of an extreme sport called “Hardcore Sitting” and competes in BMX racing. Against cyclists.

He’s been competing alongside BMX bikers since 2005 and has more than 10 corporate sponsors. He won the trophy at the BMX Intermediate Vegas AmJam 2005 Finals and spends about 30 to 40 hours per week practicing the sport he invented.

In mid-2006, Aaron became the first person in history to complete a back flip in a wheelchair. On Halloween, 2008, Guinness Book of World Records certified Aaron as the sole inventor and performer of the wheelchair back flip. No one has duplicated his feat. There is a section on HowStuffWorks.com devoted to Aaron Fotheringham and his journey.

Along with the sponsorships, the accolades, and the TV appearances, he’s launched a website, AaronFotheringham.com, and was awarded $20,000 by the FOX reality TV show “Secret Millionaire.” The money will help form a company that teaches other children in wheelchairs the sport of Hardcore Sitting.

This is the second ad campaign HowStuffWorks.com has launched and builds upon the highly successful “Scuba Cat” campaign launched this time last year. The new campaign also features a skydiving car, with both video spots centered around the theme of “Keep Asking.” The spots ask all types of questions, along with a voice-over, “For expert answers to the world’s great questions, go to HowStuffWorks.com.” The tagline “Keep Asking” demonstrates the ability to utilize a single execution to capture a full range of emotions and tackle a wide array of topics.

Preston Kelly, headquartered in Minneapolis, provided the creative juice that powers the campaign.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. Reach out and touch him: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

Advertising and marketing have taken new directions with the recent integration of social media and consumer advocacy. Agencies have been forced to rethink their ideas and strategies to reach their consumers. One such agency, 22squared, has done just that with the help of its SVP Director of Brand Marketing, Brandon Murphy.

I had the opportunity to catch Mr. Murphy on the phone this past Friday and ask him about the company’s model, The Friendship Model: How to Build Brand Advocacy in a Consumer-Driven World.

“I think that basically it’s an approach for brands to build advocacy. When we first introduced this thing, it was mostly an internal thing, and actually still is. In essence it was an internal way to focus the agency on what marketing was about today, what a person does to make and maintain a friendship, earn enough respect, and I guess enough attractiveness for a consumer to advocate for them like a friend would advocate for a friend,” Murphy said.

Murphy says one of the hardest questions companies face when creating campaigns is the question, “How do we build advocacy?”

“A lot of times it comes down to not what you say but what you do,” he said. “How can we get the customer to interact with us. Your next customer could turn into your next 10 customers. It’s a pretty simple idea.”

Griffin Farley, senior brand planner from 22squared, has a great saying for this: “Don’t plan for the ones you reach, plan for the ones they reach.”

How can this model help an entire agency? I listed those questions and responses below:

Megan Green: For people now looking for work in progressive ad agencies, why is it important for them to know about advocacy, social media and word of mouth?

Brandon Murphy: The simple reason is because that is how brands are growing now. Brands aren’t growing by increased awareness, they are growing with people talking about them…that’s how people are choosing products and what brand to use.

MG: Media Planners are specialists at reach and frequency. Are those still important skills to know when advocacy is the end goal?

BM: I think there is always going to be a critical mass of people you have to reach to keep your brand afloat. You look at our agency, it’s not like we don’t do media plans, it’s just that we’ve changed how we do our media plans and how we engage the customer. For media planners, the one thing is that it is no longer about buying space and just calculating reach or frequency, it’s about getting opportunities for the customer to talk.  Media planning has gotten to get more strategic and inventive to get messages to customers.

MG: When you brief Creative Teams, does the Friendship Model help them get to a better creative deliverable?

BM: The Friendship Model does a few things. First, it gives a sense of direction in work and strategy. We always still do the right things in understanding a customer and how a brand can fit into a customer’s life. The key thing is to think entirely around a problem and all different ways to solve it. Sometimes it’s something really cool or something simple. We’ve looked back and told a client, “it’s not a TV campaign you need, but it’s an associate campaign,” like we told Buffalo Wild Wings and Lincoln Financial. Second, [the model is] something else that makes them work better, it forces you to figure out what the brand’s purpose is. If a brand has a purpose beyond just selling something, as a customer you’re more likely to invest in it.

MG: Has the Friendship Model helped your New Business Team win accounts or peak interest among search consultants? What feedback do you hear from them?

BM: Well the good thing about the Friendship Model is that it really does help filter out clients that are right for you and clients that aren’t right for you. The client typically hates it [the model] or loves it. It’s a nice screener for us and prospective clients. It really puts ourselves out there and we’re really passionate about building advocacy.  Also, search consultants really like it. Search consultants are tasked with bringing agencies that bring in business. With this model we can focus on the things that bring in sales. We can tell them how much they can expect to increase sales given an increase in advocacy or reach of other people. That’s really been super attractive to some consultants.

MG: Does the Friendship Model help Account Service strengthen the relationship with the clients? Do clients value the philosophy?

BM: In two ways. One, it’s kind of a gut check for us. The way we act and the people in our agency – it creates a pretty high road for us to walk in terms of being passionate and doing the right thing. You know, it’s interesting if you think about the relationship between friends, it’s not all nicey-nicey and how can I serve you. It’s real. It gives us a nice path to travel on how we build relationships with clients. Two, it most importantly gives our clients something to circle into. Clients always have business goals, but doing it through a filter of building relationships and advocacy gives the client a way to lead that they hadn’t had before. Most of the Friendship Model is based on what we currently do for our clients. It feeds the development on how to win over customers and act differently than other brands, like Publix Super Markets, Inc.

MG: Finally, as Director of Brand Planning, what skills do you look for when you hire Account Planners that want to work for 22squared?

BM: Planners have to be insatiably curious and really, really good at writing and getting ideas across to people. Those two things are core building blocks for planners. Something else we look at is planners who are always able to take a different look at things than most people. Whenever I hire a planner, I make sure they are not only smart, but smart strategically and creatively. Our planners are much more active in participating in the creative. We look for planners that understand how to engage a customer and not just about bringing a message but about where we engage, how we engage, and the content and value of the brand. Planners are provocateurs by nature. At least we want them to be. We want them to cause people to look at things differently. They need to be the glue that holds people together.

Want more information on The Friendship Model and what it means? Check out this video that 22squared put together, “I Love Blank”, or Brandon’s white papers.

Megan Green is an advertising and marketing professional published on PR News Wire, as well as many other outlets. She specializes in social media and is currently looking for a full-time advertising position. Contact her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or at megankategreen@gmail.com.

In a world where clutter is king, advertisers everywhere are doing their best to break through the noise. A word of advice (or three) — keep it simple.

That’s exactly what Australian agency Cummins Nitro did in their campaign for Tourism Queensland.

Challenged to “create international awareness of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef” and drive tourism there, the local agency executed a campaign that placed classified ads in newspapers across the globe. Unusual? Not if you’re looking to fill a position for “The Best Job in the World.”

The job profile called for an island caretaker whose responsibilities would involve menial jobs like cleaning the pool and feeding the fish. The chosen employee would also be expected to blog weekly about their adventures on the island. Throw in a rent-free three-bedroom villa, a roughly $8,800/month salary and… BAM! One fan-freakin-tastic job.

Now, in an economic recession when thousands are looking for gainful employment… who wouldn’t love a 6-month paying gig feeding fishies on a tropical island, right?

This simple idea sparked an international movement. News and media sources picked up on the incredible job offer, millions of people flocked to the campaign’s website — islandreefjob.com — and by the end of it, over 34,000 people from 200 countries had submitted 60-second videos about why they should have the best job in the world.

Cummins Nitro put the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef back on the map. And if that wasn’t enough — they have racked up in Cannes this week, picking up three Grand Prix awards in the PR, Direct and Cyber categories thus far.

And the lucky bloke who got the job…?

A Brit by the name of Ben Southall, who reports for duty next Wednesday, July 1st. You can read more about Ben’s adventures at bestjobben.com.

Deanna Lazzaroni is a self-professed sponge of creative advertising, armed with enthusiastic vigor to tackle the challenges of the mighty marketer’s world. She’s ripe for the picking at deannalazzaroni.com.

The first time I went to Cannes, my agency booked me into a villa. A villa in the South of France! You can imagine how excited I was. Alas, though my trip had many high-points, said villa was not one of them. The accommodation was a warren of un-air-conditioned cubbyholes dug into the side of a hill, many kilometers away from town. The property did have an outdoor Jacuzzi.

Unfortunately, it was almost constantly inhabited by a group of drunk,
sunburned Germans. Vile in every way, I never went near them or it. I did, however, befriend a mouse-cat that had found its way into my room every night. In the end, if you’re in your hotel room, you’re either ill, making love, sleeping or dead. I wasn’t any of those.

On that maiden voyage I also had to sing for my passage. Leo Burnett had asked a planner and me if we could make a presentation based on one of the agency’s proprietary tools: the Brand Belief System. Of course, I said yes. They were offering a villa, for Christ’s sake! Our big presentation was slotted for midweek at 10 a.m. This being my first visit to Cannes, I had no idea how late people stayed up (all night) and how late people slept in (until noon). Every advertising professional from Europe or America was still in bed.

Unbelievably, the main auditorium at the Palais des Festivals was not
empty. Instead, the seats were filled with the only people who hadn’t drunk themselves comatose the night before: Asian advertising students. That was the good news. As well as the bad news. Few of the hundreds in attendance spoke English as a primary language. Of course they understood the fundamentals pretty well; the only problem was my partner and I had created a presentation rich in colloquial ideas and speech.

We spoke of cults. Challenged belief systems. Made reference to western deities. The entire thing flew over their heads like a 747. When it ended, we received obligatory applause from the polite Asians but no one asked questions. Like bad sex, it was over quick and the awkwardness malingered.

And so, Gentle Reader, I now begin my fifth visit to the International
Advertising Festival in Cannes. I work for a different agency. And I am
staying at a nice hotel. Instead of making speeches, I will be blogging.
Won’t you join me?

Steffan Postaer is Chairman and CCO of Euro RSCG Worldwide Chicago. He just completed a novel about God and Advertising and posts regularly on his blog, Gods of Advertising.

If you’re looking for another reason to cry yourself to sleep tonight over this whole “recession” thing, here’s a whole nine minutes chock-full of reason.

Warning: The following video may lead you to question your allegiance to the media world as we know it. (Or cling to it for dear, dear life.)

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Okay, so if you’re anyone in the advertising or media industry, you might have gotten a chuckle or two out of that rather painfully long parody of a Don McLean classic. (And I think the creator, Terence Kawaja, had intended for such a response.) The video, which was recently shown at Federated Media’s Conversational Marketing Summit in NYC is too long, in my opinion. And yet, despite its length, lack of editing, and downright dismal outlook on the future of media — I find it rather inspiring.

I will tell you that I am the last one you will find riding through town shouting, “The media is dying! The media is dying!” (Hell, there’s plenty of cynics and even a twitter account out there for that.) No, it is much more my style to stand up as a proponent for the future of media, and of advertising for that matter, than flood the — uh, media — with dying media talk.

The reality is that times are a-changing. And whether you perceive it as dying or evolving, traditional media is undoubtedly ADAPTING to the changing world we live in today. Advertisers are finding new and innovative ways to craft clever media plans that not only suit their strategy, but also fit nicely into their client’s pinched budgets.

It’s easy to blame “the digital revolution” for the demise of “traditional media.” But honestly, is it so treacherous to want the best of both worlds?

… Where digital and traditional combine to produce true creative harmony. Where the consumer is always top-of-mind. Where agencies are held more accountable to their clients. And where the Wanamakers of the world actually get the results they desire.

Oh yeah, and where people start talking about the new ways advertising and media professionals are rewriting the rules of the game, instead of listening to the same old song on repeat.

So tell me — how are YOU changing the game?

Deanna Lazzaroni is a self-professed sponge of creative advertising, armed with enthusiastic vigor to tackle the challenges of the mighty marketer’s world. She’s ripe for the picking at deannalazzaroni.com.

They don’t have a cool name, like Razor Burn, Cloud Nyne, or inVisible. In fact, they sound like an accounting firm. Thankfully, they’re not into accounting. What they are into is corporate survival, and other things that will make your accountant giddy.

Atlanta-based Nolen & Associates is proof-positive that contempt prior to investigation is foolish. Judged solely by name, they’d never be classified as an agency that is boldly progressive, unafraid of saying “no.” Yet, that’s exactly what they are, and they have a simple message: Market through the tough times and emerge stronger.

And that, in a nutshell, is Cricket Theory. They call it a brochure, but it’s so much more…

Available on the Nolen & Associates site, The Cricket Theory is tightly written, steeped in fact, and delivers a powerful message:

“Make as much noise as Possible in Dark times.  You will be remembered when it is Light Again”

The Cricket Theory becomes less theory and more fact as various case histories and studies are highlighted.  Yet, the marketing budget is the first to get cut during economic uncertainty.

The Cricket Theory is a short, insightful tool that disproves this practice in a convincing, yet subtle, manner.

Over their 23 years in operation, Nolen & Associates observed as companies eliminated entire marketing plans out of fear. Yet, it was a fear rooted in uncontrollable, intangible factors.

So, the agency searched for information to determine which strategy performed better; shouting in the face of recession, or silent waiting.

The result: companies that “Chirp Loud” and “Chirp Often” come out ahead of those that remain quiet…both during, and following, a recession. There are a couple reasons for this;

“When your message is one of the few reaching the audience, your odds are much better for a greater return on your marketing and advertising dollar. When the upturn does come around– and it will – and your prospects and customers are looking to increase spending, your company (or your brand) will likely be the first one that comes to mind…”

Perhaps the most interesting fact listed in The Cricket Theory is that, contrary to popular belief, spending actually increases during a recession.

The Cricket Theory has become part of Nolen & Associates’ DNA, and is a testament to their progressive nature; while other’s founder, one agency has a plan to enable success during the best, and worst, of times. And no, it’s not your agency.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, please leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

Beyond Madison Avenue: The site’s title could double as our mission statement, as it’s not just the headlines we look for, but that which lies beyond. Or, better yet, it’s the news that the others missed.

Talent Zoo is the only site of its kind on the Internet. It’s unique and yet friendly. It carries an air of superiority, but is humble. Why? Talent Zoo plays a part in an important decision: where will you find a great job? Or, where will you learn the most and contribute to the team? (Realize though, that when applying, it’s all about them, but secretly, in your deepest heart, you know it’s about you. And they do too.)

If you’re familiar with Talent Zoo, then you know they have some fantastic writers that present factual, timely, and helpful articles to aid you during your career. Talent Zoo also owns Offset Media, a site consisting of four blogs from industry professionals (Beyond Madison Avenue, Digital Pivot, Beneath the Brand, and 12pt Type).

My main gig with Talent Zoo is writing for Beyond Madison Avenue (BMA). After looking at what I was writing in comparison with every other marketing blogger, I decided that I needed to take a new direction with my part of BMA. That, or sink into mediocrity, which is never the best positioning these days. After mulling it over for a week or so, I decided on “the new endeavor.”

My own mission statement is: separate the wheat from the chaff, the hot shops from the not shops, and the blusterers from the listeners. This will take me some time – to find and verify everything –  but in the end, I think it will be worth it.

Here’s The Deal

So, has your agency, your company, or shop stepped beyond the advertising-creative field to become an inspiration?Do you do it differently? How?

If you, your company, your shop, etc, has a unique business concept, outstanding campaign, or an innovative idea to share with the readers at Talent Zoo and Beyond Madison Avenue, send it my way. The only thing I ask is that you are prudent with your selection. If your idea is ho-hum, one day it may get written. It it’s good, probably next week. Earthshattering will be written tomorrow if everything works out. It’s all going to depend on volume.

First, PLEASE review the idea so that you can provide three or four salient points that you’d be proud to show other industry professionals. What was the challenge? Why did you/your agency go down this road? Why was it successful? What made it unique?

For instance, Right Brain Design was built on an innovative business model: instead of a brick and mortar agency, they were actually a network of at-home professionals that combined, as needed, to meet a client’s needs.

Lisa P Maxwell offered clients complete and total access to their employees, and understood that to promote social media to their clients, first they had to be social media consumers. Thus, all of their employees are connected to the outside world via personal web cam.

Boone Oakley went an entirely different route: their whole website is comprised of a series of YouTube videos. The videos are interactive: and viewers can navigate through the entire video site. Here is an example that ran in the original post:

A New York City purse designer, Rachel Nasvik, stashed hand-made bags throughout NYC at various locations and then sent clues to their followers (fans, mailing list, interested parties) about how to find the bags. Not only was this a great example of  gaining followers by giving away free merchandise (nice free merchandise), but it also showed that a campaign could consist of nothing more than a great idea, merchandise, and a clever advertising plan.

The bene: Not only will your company be mentioned on the site, but it will also go to my Facebook page (read by 6 adoring fans), my mother (not kidding), and  will be sent to my Twitter followers 2x/day. Additionally, the blog will be sent to LinkedIn groups for which it is appropriate (ie, a TV campaign would not go to Social Media 2.0). Plus, there is what ever you decide to do with it…send it to clients, block the site, etc.

Thus, this small effort on Beyond Madison Avenue will cross a lot of eyeballs.

Although there’s no official name for this effort, my working title’s been “SHOW me, don’t TELL me.”

Or, in playground terms, “I double-dog dare you…”

So, this is a chance to shine. A chance to promote your efforts above the rest. We’ll even use your quotes if you want.

And there ain’t nuttin’ better than free publicity on a scorching summer day, ‘cept maybe a Popsicle…

What, you may ask, do I get out of this? Hopefully a “good job” or a “thanks” or a “great job, but you misspelled dinosaur.” All of that, and the fact that it makes me feel good. Plus, if content is king, I don’t want the same content as all of the other bloggers….

And there you have it.

Please pass this on.

Jeff Louis Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, please leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

“Are you right or left ‘brained’?” (Not sure? Take a  test to find out.)

The right brain/left brain theory was pioneered by psychobiologist Roger Sperry in the 1960s. His research postulated that the right eye and right hand were connected to the left brain (actually, the left lobe), and vice versa. Each lobe interprets information in a different manner; the right lobe is visual, processing information intuitively, while the left lobe is an analytic, sequential processor. Although unproven, testing has shown that visually creative people tend to be “right-brainers.”

Right Brain Design, located in New York, is much like any other Madison Avenue ad shop, with one major exception: The agency does not physically exist. There is an agency website that seems authentic, and the client list includes work for actual companies, including; Estée Lauder, HSBC, JCS Tradecom, RPD Media, and HartLee Industries. However, there isn’t an employee profile page, nor is there a nifty contact page including directions from major airports.

So, what’s the deal?

Right Brain Design, founded in 2000, is an agency without walls. Although the agency technically “exists” in New York, it’s really a global web of advertising and marketing professionals. Yes, global. The innovative business model was implemented by Catherine Wachs, the agency’s Creative Director and Principal. Prior to Right Brain, Ms. Wachs spent her career creating and producing work to promote some of the nation’s best-known brands including: Ruby Tuesday Restaurants, Kraft Foods, Advil, Gold Bond, Dannon, Breyers Ice Cream, IBM, and many others. She has served agencies of various size, ranging from smaller, creative boutiques to WPP.

So, why Right Brain Design?

“[A]gencies are becoming giant dinosaurs that take up a lot of room and cannot adapt their business models quickly enough for this new economy. Whereas it took a large team to do a national advertising…it now takes only a few people narrowcasting…”

Narrowcasting is the process of sending information to a specific group of people, such as a fertilizer company targeting an online gardening community. The best examples of narrowcasting are electronic mailing lists, where messages are sent to individuals who subscribe to the list. Yet, this is but one of the agency’s unique traits.

Right Brain Design’s success partially stems from their unique ability to build customized, strategic teams equipped to meet diverse client challenges. The scope of work determines which creative disciplines are engaged, streamlining processes and eliminating waste. Thus, Right Brain Design maintains a high degree of flexibility over agencies that lack creative advertising services or are unable to compete on an economic level. Communicating mainly via Skype and IM, the agency’s overhead is minimal, increasing client ROI in comparison to agencies with real estate.

After nine years of operation, it seems that Right Brain Design’s right-lobed thinking was the right approach, putting them right on course for continued success.

Jeff Louis: Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Account Coordinator. His passion is writing. If you would like to get in touch with Jeff, please leave a reply or follow the links: www.linkedin.com or www.twitter.com.

Recently, London documents implying “a global arrangement involving kickbacks, bid-rigging, discounts and client over-billing”” by Grey Group will now be sealed forever. Seems a pissy ex-employee took some documents and brought them forward to make a case, but of course because of the oh-so protective non-disclosure we all sign mum will now be the final word.

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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/