blogs make us think

Yesterday I stumbled on 90 Day Jane > a 24 year old girl who has decided to blog about her last 90 days of life. Some call it a hoax, others have taken her plea for help very seriously (the amount of comments she has gotten will make any blogger a little jealous). Blogger.com finally reacted and took her blog off the map, but she persevered on her own site and now...I'm not sure what's happening. You decide. Apparently she is posting something to Post Secret revealing the project for what it is. Hmmm...

Jane made me think. Some of her posts are about the digital age, how connections made online may not be of much value when taken offline, and how relationships today may be more fake than ever because of this. I have made many connections with fellow bloggers and am inspired by Jen at Innovation Feeder to give a shoutout to those that make me think the most.

Noah Briar - always making new connections and pushing the limits of what we consider to be integrated communications.
Russell Davies - if there's a planning celebrity, I'd say it's Russell, this uber planner is seemingly down-to-earth. I'd love to chat if you ever make it to Dallas.
Daniel Mejia - from Columbia, he blogs in English and has a very on-point perspective about planning and strategically weaving brands into people's lives.
Amelia Torode - I always like what she has to say, very down to earth and super smart.

(check the side bar at right for more)

I don't know if Jane's mission is real or has been side-tracked by the numerous connections she has made with fellow bloggers, but I can say that being part of this community is important to me as if we all worked together in the same planning department. And that means something online and off. Inspiration is just a click away. :)

media snackers

Wake up: the media landscape is changing.

advertising High School

"Making young people see the relevance of advertising to their lives will be an important part of that goal." - says Ron Berger, CEO of RSCG Worldwide

Sounds like Ron has been smoking the "advertising is crack" pipe a little too long. Ya?
Read more at Ad Age about the High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media

In my personal experience of being a junior planner, real life experience and a diversity of dedicated studies/hobbies makes or breaks your career, not a major in advertising. I found the fact that I had said major to be debilitating when it came to presenting my resume. A focus in advertising seems to be as bland as a major in Business. Whoopdeedoo.

I'm not going to spend too long developing how I feel and why I feel the way I do about this high school concept; except to say that I think it's a bad idea. Unless of course the school is extremely well thought out and has teachers from all walks of life who understand the connections between business, cultural relevance and consumer behavior equally.

Amen to education. Say what? to this idea.

planners need to be storytellers

"It's interesting to see how much the amount of information (given) influences its retention."

My mom and sister are fanatical storytellers. Each time they launch into a story, it happens before I know it. I hesitate: "do I have time for this?" I'm listening for a noun + verb kind of story; But they can't tell a story like that. The details get me every time.

Someone said once that information is the currency of a planner. Damnit then, give me the details.

A story is accepted or rejected by "the telling of it." Planners need to be good storytellers. I know this; however, this particular facet of planning is one that I need to work on the most. I can pinpoint the elements but when it comes to giving you context, I'm more brief than beautiful.

It feels good to share this. Word.
(the initial quote was one I wrote after listening to my mom tell me about a memory she had of her dad when she was seven years old and he was a mechanic and had a Ferrari up on blocks in the garage and her uncle had this car like an Aston Martin you know like James Bond and her dad listened to the radio while he worked on the car and..........)

planning sells "the work"

While planning is increasingly the job to get, it's still the job that is least understood within the industry. Advertising has a creative foundation: what sorts of bells and whistles can we add so we can get more consumers interested? It was a problem + idea business. Planning introduced "a strategy" to the equation.

Planning is the middle child: not as strong as the Oldest - account management, not as protected as the Baby - creative. We are the in-betweens; the people that need to connect the two. And while planning might take a tad longer to input, it's worth it; because planning sells the work. And it alleviates a lot of the time creatives spend staring at a brief (if there is one) and concepting a solution to an ill-defined problem.

Concepting is one of the hardest f'n things to do. And if the creative team hasn't been given sh*t to work with, it's even harder. They've been given a problem (which used to work in the old days) and they'd come up with a solution because creativity was still innocent and un-competitive when it came to the marketplace.

But now, we all have to concept for a very competitive marketplace. We cannot forget this. Planners have the job of positioning a new product or evolving a brand to a new position within consumers minds and the marketplace. We don't fabricate the possibilities. Planners connect all of the dots. We define the dots. Then we put the dots to be visually connected into the brief. Then the creatives concept visual solutions. That's what they're good at! And what us planners are not so good at; and if we are, then we should switch departments.

Planners are here to help. We've put together (what should be) valuable information. We have fine-tuned the elements; we've pointed you in a direction; we've identified an opportunity. Planning sets up the problem to be solved, gives you a target to work with, identifies what works and what doesn't and is here to help give the creatives direction so they're not so frustrated.

Do you get it? Doesn't this sound great? Doesn't this sound useful? Why do I have to keep explaining it?

stressed out (of a job)

Got this in an Iconoculture newsletter a week ago:

According to a Watson Wyatt Worldwide study, stress is the leading cause that prompts people to quit their jobs. Yet stress is not even among the top five reasons cited by employers, who instead believe insufficient pay is why people generally leave.

Stress.org is another great resource for more statistics concerning Americans and their workload.

Are employers really this out of touch with their employees?

17 shows that changed TV

Before TV gets interactive, let's honor the shows that changed the medium and inherently, the message. TIME has a complete list of 100 if you're curious, but these are the most influential ones to note in cultural (and media) history:

I Love Lucy, 1951-57
The Ernie Kovacs Show, 1952-56
The Super Bowl (and the ads), 1967-present
Sesame Street, 1969-present
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1970-1977
M*A*S*H, 1972-1983
An American Family, 1973
Hill Street Blues, 1981-87
MTV, 1981-92 era
The Cosby Show, 1984-92
The Simpsons, 1989-present
Twin Peaks, 1990-91
Beavis and Butt-head, 1993-97
The Sopranos, 1999-2007
Survivor, 2000-present
24, 2001-present
Lost, 2004-present

And thanks to another media revolution, we can happily relive these shows with DVDs from Netflix. Side note: Is Netflix the next Bandaid, Starbucks, Coca-Cola? I just used it as a catch-all for renting DVDs and chose it over Blockbuster for more cultural appeal and timeliness. But truth be told, I've never used Netflix. Hmmm, interesting to note. Happy Monday.

A wake-up call

There's talk of a recession. This may not be surprising considering the increasing price of gasoline and what's been called the worst housing slump in 40 years. In a year when a union decides if Middle America will get its Grammy Award and Generation Y can't handle the weight it's been given, I'm not too surprised either.

What will this mean for businesses? What will this mean for consumers? What will this mean for the industry who needs to connect the two? Planners, our job will not be easy this year. Consumer confidence is decreasing daily. Brands need to prepare themselves for going out of the store, into people's lives and talking to them there, listening to them there, empathizing with them in a neutral zone.

Russell Davies talks a bit about World War II and how the recession that followed had an impact on the magazine industry here. It sounds like it was a time of innovation (that doesn't sound too bad): magazines took leaps and bounds when the "pressure from advertising" no longer hindered their creativity. A recession is a wake-up call: hello, be more innovative, expand your minds, evolve.

The Writer's Strike has been a big wake-up call to the networks and shows that haven't innovated with the community in mind. When David & John returned to their shows, they realized what it was like to be without their community. The community is more necessary now than it ever was. There is power in numbers. Why haven't the media figured this out?

David Gross has some good news:

"With each passing day, an increasing number of transactions in the global marketplace do not involve the United States. We're still a powerful engine. But the world's economy now has a set of auxiliary motors.
All of which means that American companies, entrepreneurs, middle managers, and MBA students need to become more global—or perhaps change the definition of what global means."

Change the definition of what 'community' means: it's not just the people and their houses at the end of a cul-de-sac. Community means the people, places and things that keep you functioning and living at your prime. Media neutral planning is getting a bigger play nowadays because these planners get that it's not a one-way street anymore. Keeping the media alive will not keep your business alive. Media neutral planning addresses the mindset of a community. Being available for this community and being functional for its purpose will solidify long-term success in these wary times of significance and turmoil.

It's a one-for-all attitude that's inspired this change.

Web 2.0 Plain Jane

When I get online these days it's a click, click, click activity. There's not really much thinking involved, it's more of an instant gratification game: If I click on Myspace will there be new messages, comments to check out; if I click on Gmail, will there be emails from friends or just newsletters; if I click on Popsugar, will there be some juicy celebrity photos that will feed my curiosity. By the time I'm done clicking through all my sites, I'm worn out. Sometimes, I'm left emotionally void (i.e. I have not be instantly gratified). I hate this feeling. As I'm sure most of you do.

It's this ridiculous, repetitive fetish that has left me a thoughtless, Web 2.0 Plain Jane. Damnit. A little less then a year ago, I was like Dora, The Explorer: ripe with ideas and optimistic energy. The Internet was my playground, there wasn't a website I wouldn't have gladly spent an hour on just to figure it out. I was hungry for it all, curious about how it worked, and determined to find the connections.

The blog became my door to the world where I'd wanted to be. It was a resource, a network, a playground, a scrapbook, a journal, and a resume. A blog is a wondrous thing. And so I am dis-heartened that I've neglected its value for the past several months. The click click click mantra has taken me to my blog and then away to another site just as fast: no thought involved, just action > like a habit. Gross.

And so I'm breaking that habit, right here right now. I'm stopping here at JPIA for a little blog-TLC. My inspiration came from the blogosphere: a post at Innovation Feeder read When was the last time you did something for the first time? (thank you Jen) While it may not be my first time to blog, it is a first for me to draw attention to the Internet rut of sorts I've fallen into. I don't want to be a Web. 2.0 Plain Jane. I probably don't have the energy or time to be Dora, The Explorer, but who I can be is a Junior Planner. I'm pretty good at that...just lost site of it for a while.

Thanks for listening. As always, plan on. :)

What Not to Wear

I'm giving a plug for my friend Addie who will be traveling to New York this weekend to continue filming WNTW.
She has a great perspective on how image can/should be communicated and cared about. As a copywriter at The Statesman, her colleagues are supporting her transition.

'Tis true that everyone enjoys their own 15 minutes of fame here in America. Happy Friday.

Bush: A dishonest brand

Spending our money, lying to the country, killing our people. What is the Bush brand thinking?
935 false statements will solidify its demise. No brand has made a return from such nonsense. Apparently:

The statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

A+ for getting campaign results. F for casualties involved.
This brand is not favoring well with the marketplace. Expect stock to plummet; Oh wait, it already has.

trends schmends

I think the following will be big topics in 2008:

• waiting in line - I think we will see more movement in this "experience" part of retail and food service. Our lines are getting longer and Americans like to get in and get out, expect a tipping point soon. Whole Foods is leading the revolution.
• serving sizes - In these days where servings sizes are pre-packaged (oh so handy and oh so wasteful), the obesity epidemic makes the 5 o'clock news, and Super Size Me is more a movie than an order, I expect serving sizes to get a closer look. You know those smaller cups at Starbucks? If you order a double espresso to go or a "short" drink, you know what I'm talking about; well, those are 8 oz. They look "small" when compared to a venti (20 oz) but 8 oz is really all you need.
• mass market "natural" - Natural is a catchall term for "not fake, maybe less chemicals, close to organic, better for you." Every product that has an ingredient list even the company doesn't understand wants a piece of the 'organic' market. Using the term "natural" will be their Joker card for a while. See what I'm talking about here with Crest, and the fact that Chapstick thinks it needs to compete in this market is kind of funny.
• more media neutrality - for those of us in the industry of ideas, this trend is definitely not to be missed. What's maybe more important is that you get your client to understand this first. Gone should be the days that tv, print and radio are part of the first creative conversation you have. While I agree you need to play the ballgame with everyone else, you also need to differentiate yourself and spend the bulk of your budget on getting through to your target consumers, granted you've got some planners on board to help you identify how to do that. :)

Plan on.

[image via Cultureby]

Starbucks: One year from now

A colleague and I made a friendly wager today: my $5 says Starbucks will be successful one year from now. Howard Schulz is returning to the helm because he sees the rapid growth plan is backfiring and dissipating the brand's worth. My coworker's $5 says Starbucks is sunk, soon to be outrun by the independents that sprinkle the marketplace worldwide.

A BusinessWeek article states what differentiates Starbucks, and what will ultimately test the competition as it tries to take first:

Schultz: Starbucks is the quintessential experience brand and that brand is brought to life by our people…we have no patent, no secret sauce whatsoever…. The only competitive advantage we have is the relationship we've built with our people and the relationship they have built with the customer.

McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts may have their sights set on taking the top position within consumers' minds for "coffee," but my money's on Starbucks. They owned it first and they owned it well. Howard Schultz is no sissy when it comes to passionately being unique and rising above the challenge the marketplace puts forward.

Where do you place your bet?

all the rage: Brand Utility

What is it? Why is everyone talking about it?

Brand values are in for a renaissance. The conversations needs to start with: how can we be more useful to our customers?

Charles says it well. Companies exist for a reason, they provide a product/service for customers. Marketing this product/service happens because of a promise made by a brand that exists solely because it consistently delivers on this promise. SO: if you don't serve the purpose you've set out to then how will you survive? You probably won't. That's where planners come in. We keep companies alive by continually finding relevance in customers' lives. Customers evolve and the companies/brands should be expected to do the same. Anyway.

Branded utility gets the most talked about in terms of the digital space because of 'applications' which are inherently useful. (Utility's third definition is the quality of being of practical use.) Bob Greenburg says it well here: "You have to understand applications and media; you have to have a tech capability in order to even think up some of these concepts." But you don't have to worry too much about going digital, the essence of what we're saying is: be meaningful, have a use, and stick to your purpose.

The Internet is an easy branded utility topic, because it was born from "tool blood." In this time-starved culture, we are not looking for useless activities nor do we want to purchase useless products. We still want our information: The Internet has created that demand, and it better damn well supply it.

But then the whole "make it an experience" comes into play. How can we make obtaining information an experience? And not the "college course" kind. This is where 'interactive' should raise its hand and wave it in our face until we notice. Adam (who I'm pretty sure is in digital strategy somewhere) says "Building a 'capture & release' utility for information is the way to reconnect a product/service to people and their need to experience things." Again, this does not HAVE to be digital. Just be wise when you create a message: does it contain something people want to hold onto for a bit? Do they want to share it? What WOM will it inspire? Capture & release can take many forms.

Think of the popularity of Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, Meetup, Ebay, Craigslist, blogs, video phones, text messaging, digital, digital, digital, etc. Gathering information with these services is fun. Gee, what a crazy idea!

"From my perspective the internet is redefining our expectations for all consumer experience."

I'll quit now and leave you with Scott's idea of experiences continuums. Now planners get to work on creating one, simple starter: Where does the Internet lie?

Iconolicious

"Iconoclasts explores the intersection where two great talents meet--and where creativity comes alive." ~ Robert Redford

Iconoclast
noun: someone who tries to destroy traditional ideas or institutions

7 similar words found on thesaurus.com:

• Beatnik
• Catalyst
• Nonconformist
• Opposition
• Radical
• Rebel
• Renegade

http://www.iconoculture.com/ ~ a website devoted to ideas, insight and innovation when it comes to consumers

Icono

Un icono es una pequeña imagen, normalmente un símbolo, utilizado para representar gráficamente un programa, un fichero, o una función en la pantalla del ordenador, para facilitar su localización.

where the purchase happens

Just got back from an hour (I can't believe it either) at Target. The store is pretty quiet at this time of year: No one is pushing past you; customers are actually having a fun shopping experience; the atmosphere is blissfully calming - I feel like I have the store to myself. So I don't mind that I spent an hour in-store going up and down the aisles.

THIS is where products are purchased people! This is where "the advertising" brings people to, if it does it's job right. It's either in-store or on-line (phone or Internet). What do consumers want here? How do they shop? Paco Underhill has done a fairly good job of bringing this space into strategic conversations everywhere but what have we done with his information?

I read an article today about Apple being zee best retailer. Now I'll hand it to them, it seems Apple has been doing its brand store "experience" for a while... but why the recognition so late? OH, maybe it's because they've come out, owned it first, and totally kicked ass at it so we attribute them brand history (and loyalty) because they're s so damn good. I don't know. You tell me.

The other thing that came to mind browsing in the refrigerated section (Super Target) was product design. Again, this creative messaging element is crucial to the in-store purchasing decision. I got struck by a SUPER COOL juice bottle with a sleek new design. I wanted it. I had to have it, forget my normal (the one I've been loyal to) product; this NEW bottle triggered a reaction, it got my attention. Hello, it said, Pick Me.

There's a statistic I found in one of those stacks of notes we all have: Something like 70% of purchases are made in-store while only 5-10% of a product's marketing budget is spent here; while 70% of the marketing budget is spent on advertising but ads only sway about 10% of all purchasing decisions. Hmm... I think we need to have another conversation team. :)

a green push

I'm going to make my digital self carbon neutral. How? I'm going to give you a Green entry loaded with sites where you can get the 'good stuff'.

Triplepundit - people planet profit; website provides news, tips, books, blogs and lots of research studies (click here for a study on Green Technology Consumers or here for a 25+ page report on Climate Change 2007).

Dothegreenthing - have you done a green thing for December yet?

Patagonia - their Footprint Chronicles are something every company should imitate.

Egg Log - catch a marketing pioneer's thoughts on going green

Bestgreenblogs - yep, an aggregated source of lots of Green good stuff

Treehugger - the most popular...er...well-known, their last quote of the day:

"By all indications, our responses to things tell us who we are, what we value, why we do (or don't do) the things we do. Material culture is social culture, and social culture is intrinsically connected to making -- and yes, to saving things." - Jessica at DesignObserver

Worldchanging - I like them for their outlook: the tools, models, and ideas already exist for a better future...we just need to put the pieces together.

Here's to a greener 2008.

2007: A Year in Advertising

Best of...
Top 10...
Top 5...
A Year-in-Review...

This is a collection of what I could find on the Internet and then a final Best of Strategy list at the end for all you plannerly types.

TIME did a pretty good summation of TV Ads from 2007:

1. Dave and Oprah Super Bowl Ad
2. Adidas: "Impossible is Nothing"
   
3. Gatorade: "Thief"
4. Dove: "Onslaught"
   
5. Applie iPhone: "Meredith"
6. American Express: "Tina Fey"
7. Coca-Cola: "Happiness Factory - the movie"
8. Dos Equis: "The Most Interesting Man in the World"
9. Doritos: "Live the Flavor" (CGC)
   
10. Nationwide Insurance: "Rollin' VIP"

Top Viral Videos by TIME are:

1. Leave Britney Alone!
2. The Landlord (Will Ferrell and daughter)
3. Miss South Carolina Teen USA
4. Hillary, 1984
5. Prison Inmates' "Thriller"
6. I Ran So Far
7. Can't Tase This (mashup)
8. Dan Rather Collar Up (really?)
9. Clark & Michael (of Superbad genius)
10. Daft Hands
    

Top 5 Viral Video Ads by MarketingVOX:

1. Cadbury - Gorilla Drummer
2. Smirnoff - Green Tea Party
3. Ray-Ban - Catch Sunglasses
4. Blendtec - Will it Blend?
5. Lynx/Axe - Bom Chicka Wah Wah

A collection of AdWeeks' Best Spots (of the month) 2007 (in no particular order and definitely pared down):

• Apple - "Tech Support" (Mac v PC)
• Coca-Cola - "Videogame"
• Rembrandt - "Kissing"
• Pepsi - "Pinball"
• Adidas - "Gilbert Arenas" (Impossible is Nothing campaign)
• BMW - "Feats"
• Starburst - "Berries & Creme"
• Absolut - "Protest"
• JC Penney - "The Heart"
• Saturn Vue - "Money"
• Yellowpages.com - "Tanning Salon"
• EBay - "Foxhunt"

These lists are by no means comprehensive when you consider the creativity in thinking and 'strategy' that the industry was blessed with this year. I would like to draw attention to some other campaigns and make a new list. The first seven are insightfully creative, the last three are strategic genius. So here it is, the 10 Best of Strategy List:

• Apple: iPhone ads
• Rembrandt "Brilliant Mouth"
• Dove "Onslaught"
• ***watch Rye Clifton's parody here
• Axe "Bom Chicka Wah Wah"
  
• Cadillac "Life. Liberty. And the Pursuit."
• EBay "Shop Victoriously"
• Doritos "Live the Flavor"
  
• Radiohead "Name Your Price" strategy for In Rainbows
• Samsung "Charging Stations"
• Simpsonized 7-Elevens
  

My valid attempt to scan as many of my favorite blogs I'm sure has failed to capture all of the memorably strategic campaigns of the year. Input is appreciated; this list is by no means complete or final. Happy New Year!

Round-up

Some 'nuggets' from December 2007:

• Virtual caroling spread seasonal cheer with more than 300 YouTube videos while the U.S.'s general interest in caroling declined 16% (between 1996 & 2005)
  
• 'Excessive drinking' is the third-leading preventable cause of death (after smoking and the combination of poor diet and inactivity)
• TV advertising is getting smarter with 'hybrid' spots reports AdAge; channel surfers will find themselves well into designated commercial time before they know it
  
• and while the writers' strike continues to change prime time TV, a spokesperson from the Writer's Guild says there are ample opportunities to pay writers for new media, a 'central issue in the dispute'

I am currently compiling a Best of 2007 for advertising and likeminded things, stay tuned. Merry Happy Holidays.

ch-ch-ch-Chia

It's that time of year again. The Christmas trees are out, kids are lining up for Santa Claus, those Salvation Army people are ringing their bells, and the Chia Pet commercials have popped up on TV and radio (again). A little history...

In 1977, Joe Pedott attended an annual housewares show in Chicago where he first heard of the Chia Pet. A man named Walter Houston was importing the little figures from Mexico, and they were the show's best sellers. Pedott bought the rights from Houston believing he could do a better job of marketing them. Chia Pets are now produced in China (like every other kitschy thing we own), and about 500,000 Chias are sold each year. For 26 years now, the clay figures have been holiday-season hits.

Smithsonian magazine says:

• The ch-ch-ch-Chia Pet is so much a part of the American consumer lore that it was ch-ch-ch-chosen to be included in the New York Times capsule, to be opened in the year 3000, along with a Purple Heart medal, a can of Spam and a Betty Crocker cookbook.

A Chia Pet is a gag-gift, is it not? Wisegeek says, "The faces of past and present Presidents are often found on gag gifts." Now wouldn't that be funny? Bush + Chia... "And laughter - the best gift of all - is priceless."

a trend room

I'm currently handling duties to construct a Trend Lab that functions as a think tank, findings holding ground, and all-around cool place for the agency to do some brainstorming.

To start, I collected all the trends from Iconoculture and Trendwatching.
I separated them by year and plotted them on a continuum. I started to look for patterns, but then I stopped.

What IS a trend? I wanted to figure this out first and foremost. If this was to be an ongoing project, it needs to be founded on a belief system with agreed upon values.

A trend is of significance when it concerns a mass amount of people (i.e. it's not just a blip on the radar, it's multiple blips that = a movement). A fad is not a movement; a fad is a blip. Ok, so a trend is a movement. A movement of what? Or why? I birthed a hypothesis that a trend is a reflection of consumers' needs gaining momentum. Trends with names like "Transparency Tyranny" or "InfoLust" both signify that marketing has asked a question, and the cultural cosmos has answered with a stance - a need - a reflection - an insight. Then because the trend is called out and contained within a definition, marketers can, in turn, react to this "need." Iconoculture and Trendwatching both identify brands and companies that excel in these trend times (probably because they have fulfilled a need).

Maybe this has already been out there in the ad world for a while, but I feel like I just stumbled on it for the first time. A "trend" before now has seemed like just a cool thing; a fad in itself; a subject to write newsletters on and start websites about. Trends are identified with words like what's hot, cool finds, things to watch. etc.

Trendwatching.com says a trend is:

• A manifestation of something that has 'unlocked' or newly serviced an existing consumer need, desire, want, value.

See. They knew it all along. :p Well, at least they knew it in 2002, and Iconoculture knew it in 2003. And now I know it, and I value its application and implications.

So with a room, my teams and I will be collecting "cries" for help: Consumers who need - validation, acceptance, an answer, a response, community - a trend. A movement...to rally around a need.

In a brand world of relationships with consumers, brands have to be nimble enough to respond to these needs accordingly. If there's a movement and your brand doesn't respond, that's one notch on the "honey, you didn't listen to me" contention-belt. And points of contention in a market full of choices will weed yours out pretty quick. May the best brands win. Plan on.

Good 'Google Juice'

What comes up when you Google your name? And what does it mean now that you can Google your name?

Find out what 'Google Juice" means in the following video (via Viral Garden):



Maybe "Got Googled?" could be the next version of the Milk Campaign; Goodby want to tackle it? Come on.

connecting the dots

where do all you go for blog feedback/conversation threads? By this I mean, if you have a blog > where do you go to see who's talking about it? Or who has linked to it? Sites I check/bookmark are:

• blogs where I have posted comments
• Technorati
• My Blog Log > I can't really figure this tool out
• Digg
• Del.icio.us

Looking for some new ideas...

if Einstein blogged

Want to know your Blog's readability level? Go here and find out.

Via How does your Blog stack up against the rest? Thanks Cam!

(look to the right and down for usability purposes, and BTW, I have NO idea how they calculate their answers. I don't feel like a Genius: Did Einstein really ever know how smart he was when he was equating? This is basic stuff that I'm sharing.)

a little branding history

I saw this sign at the Fort Worth Stockyards last weekend. Cowboys were the first branders:

• Brands are one of the most interesting tools used by livestock people. Each brand is by necessity different than all the others and often conveys the character of the owner.
• Choose as simple a brand as possible.
  
• Apply the brand properly.
• Brands have a language all their own. That language, like any other, follows certain rules. The ability to read these symbols is referred to as "callin' the brand."

Hmmm, maybe this makes Cowgirl Planner even the more relevant. And for Planners everywhere, here's to callin' the brand correctly. :)

Wal-Mart as a neighborhood market?

WTF? I saw one of these yesterday in Dallas' Uptown area. Wikipedia had more:

• Launched in 1998, these "Neighborhood Markets" are a quarter the size of a Supercenter and are meant to woo shoppers in search of a quainter Wal-Mart experience. There are currently 118 of these nationwide.
  

I think this is a bunch of bologna. It's just a way for "what's wrong with America" to weezel its way into the shop local trend that is sweeping America. Ok, smart business plan WallyWorld but...I am still not buying it.

the definition of new

I was at the gym this morning, lifting some weights thinking about my form and such. I thought about all the variations of simple exercises that trainers and other likeminds have come up with purely for the sake of "something new." This is a thread from my thoughts below, spurred by Scott's comment in semi-support of "the box." In my gym metaphor, the box is traditional, simple exercises.

There is a difference between coming up with something new and using differently what's already available. Miami Ad School taught us each to find our own stride; what makes us unique as a planner; how will we position ourselves as we try to break in to a popular category. And there's much to be said for new ideas and innovation (a planner should have this skill as well) but what's under-rated but just as important is looking at the existing elements and re-arranging them: saying "what about this?"

It is our job to bring something new to the table, but now I'm starting to shift my idea of what new means. It's somewhat easier to dismiss new ideas, those that create something that's never been created before because they're too unique. Ideas that refresh elements that already exist; however, might be easier to digest.

I'm not sure if I have articulated this well enough, so stay tuned for an update. Basically, when you say "new" what do you mean? New way to think? Or is it new, never been created before?

creating Fansumers

My blogreads this AM started with "PR is useless...when actions create the real story." Real PR = Real WOM if it's 'generated at the roots'. Frontline employees tell the greatest and most authentic stories when it comes to what's really going on with a brand. After spending two years in customer-service, I definitely support deploying more of a brand's budget in creating advocates out of these people. Ben McConnell says "Campaigns are designed. Movements are born." Love it! It's just another notch in the brands-need-to-be-honest belt.

Then I hopped over to Interactive Marketing Trends where I read "Google defined the market as a 'when' and not a 'who'. Demography means little when someone is actively searching for your brand or product." The post is titled "Facebook ad model - the new Google?" While I agree that it's important to be "hanging out" in the consumers environment, I'm not sure how I feel about behavioral targeting. It makes sense, but if we're taking the brand-as-person model as an example: who lets their friends use them? That doesn't feel cool at all.

At Unit Structures, Fred Stutzman says, Project Beacon (as the Facebook app is called) is "trying to turn us all into lifestyle marketers. It might be breaking the user-experience."
My planner ears are perked.

creative intellectual juice

One of AdAge's most emailed stories of the day is It's not about new media, it's about new marketing. I would be curious to know the statistics of the recipients of these emails. It might be fair to guess that the majority is on the client-side; Using the article as leverage to open up the table for conversation about thinking outside the box. The box being one of the many traditional marketing tactics that are now ubiquitous in the mainstream.

Nick Brien, CEO of Universal McCann says the idea of new media is almost irrelevant. My thoughts are when clients ask for something new, they mean to say "something unique." And maybe using this lingo would provide the agency with more creative flexibility. New media = box; something unique = endless possibilities. Add in some planning to give some direction: unique to who, unique where, unique when, and more importantly: what is unique to our target?

Brien supports using media to enhance personality. I like that. It could be thought of in this way: the media department adds personality to the idea, gives it an attitude, gives it a feel, creates a context. I've never thought of personality as context before but it makes perfect sense.

A couple months ago, I posted about planning and its biggest challenge of being up to date. The AdAge article I cited said Today's planning ideas need to stand up to all forms of advertising. Ideas cannot be boxed, should not be boxed. They need to be insightfully strong which will make them inherently unique. But then they're really simple and that's the beautiful thing about the art of planning. It comes down to people and motivations. Brien adds support here: the two greatest motivators are love and fear.

Now go find yourself a thinking partner and get that creative intellectual juice a brewin. Plan on.

"I saw the commercial"

I heard this quote this morning on NPR. It was a story on everyday American citizens getting swept up in candidates' marketing efforts. I think the quote was mentioned in relation to Obama's TV campaign. A woman had seen the commercial and therefore trusted (?) Obama and his message a bit more. Does advertising work? I think so.

My posting reason was not to high five advertising but rather to make note of its simplicity with middle America. It made me think about planning > we're smart people; we've got a good pulse on culture; we have conversations about strategy for pete's sake. But sometimes I think we might forget that the average person "doesn't get it." Advertising is on TV. It's what they see; what they experience unknowingly.

I don't like to admit that advertising does something to people. I like to think of the active consumer. I'd like to give them more credit than mere marketers do. I want to engage them. But... I need to think about this post: It will bring me back to reality. Advertising is a message and middle America gets it. They saw the commercial.

ps: the small print in the picture says: the Simplest solutions are often the cleverest. They are also usually wrong. - I wish the second part would meet Planning. :p

It's all for the consumer

Yesterday, a co-worker was fancying a new pair of sandals he bought online > "it was such a good deal, how could I pass it up?" The pair was a half size smaller than what he normally wears so he was apprehensive about being 100% sure of his purchase. He paced back and forth, admiring them from time to time and thinking...what to do? The "possibility to return" looming over his decision: "It's so hard to decide," he said. I tried to comfort him with the consumer community he's actively a part of: "It's not easy being a consumer."

And did you know?: Borders will accept returned magazines. Yes, really. "So, I can go home and read this magazine and then return it when I'm done?" The sales associate confirmed it was possible if the magazine was in the exact same condition that I bought it in. At home, after flipping through the magazine, I found it hard to fully enjoy the content because the "possibility to return" was looming over my head. I could get my money back! This magazine could be free! But the convenience factor chimed in: returning it takes time. Yeah, but you could get your money back!

Now, if Borders did the same type of branding spots as Sony did there would be no question. The product would be worth my money and even if it mal-functioned, and I had to inconvenience myself to return it, I wouldn't mind. Any interaction with such an awesome brand would be enjoyed. Over at Only Dead Fish, watch the teaser first and then enjoy Sony's latest addition to the Like.No.Other branding campaign.

And taking the idea of like no other into the plannersphere is Planning for Good (the link will take you to their Facebook page). The latest news from them is a listing of all the new PFG City Groups, Leaders & Participants:

• 31 city groups globally:
  
  3 groups in Asia/Oceania
  21 groups in North America
  7 groups in Europe

So start your day with a little consumer love in mind > it's not easy being them. When it comes to branding, strive to be like no other. And Planners, when it's our job to differentiate each brand by identifying a consumer need, each project should be thought of as planning for good. Because it's all for the consumer. Plan on!

calvin & hobbes

These two are a riot. Each album by Bill Watterson offers up new parodies on everyday life. Me gusta mucho.

And alas, Calvin has something to say about TV advertising:

Look at these TV commercials. Each one is a jumble of lightning quick, unrelated images and film techniques.

It duplicates the effect of rapidly flipping through channels. It's a barrage of non-linear free association.

Hobbes: I guess they're admitting that a 15-second commercial exceeds the American attention span by a good 14 seconds.

Huh? Are you still talking about that?

I've always thought of TV commercials as little movies. Each one setting up a problem for a hero character/product to over come and all the while, vying for our attention with flashy photography and images. Some commercials shouldn't be missed, but I have to agree with Hobbes's wisdom: Americans don't hang out long enough unless there's a reason to. Hmmm, a second. So significant and yet so precious and completely innocent.

i've got a viral

Today was my first "ah ha! Yeah! I gotta spread that" experience. It was with Greenormal, John Grant's (Brand Tarot) new project.

This is what I spread:


I put it on my Facebook and Myspace. Dothegreenthing has a bunch of catchy icons, tips and tools. It's merits rely on two principles: Easy & Creative.

change the way you see celebrity

In a period where the latest news with Britney Spears and her child custody problems is aired alongside the morning traffic report, Iconoclasts presents a nice alternative context for celebrities.

• Join twelve of the world's leading visionaries as they share surprising revelations and insights into their creative process and unyielding quest for excellence. Take a journey inside the lives of these remarkable individuals through the eyes of their fellow iconoclasts and forever change the way you see celebrity.

This relatively new series (in its 3rd season) from the Sundance Channel is garnering wonderful brand affiliation too: I was reminded of the series while flipping through Wired Magazine. And Grey Goose Entertainment (yes, the Vodka brand) is behind the show in the spirit of artistry and innovation. It will be a neat counterpoint to Star, Ok, Life&Style, InTouch, UsWeekly that compete for the majority of our attentions while in the checkout line.

Some celebrity pairings that have been celebrated are: Howard Schultz (Starbucks) & Norman Lear (All in the Family); Mike Myers (Austin Powers) & Deepak Chopra (mind-body specialist); Robert Redford & Paul Newman; Sean Penn & Jon Krakauer; etc.

The show will remind us that celebrities are people too; some extraordinary people with visions and goals, who have fallen into an extremely commercial and often times soulless industry. Good people are all around; Sundance is showcasing them and bringing them into our homes. Cool.

breaking the chains on advertising

Advertising v. marketing v. branding: what's the big idea here? (pun intended)

In a recent post over at Adliterate, Richard develops his idea that branding is getting crammed into advertising. Like, if we just clump the two together, then one equals the other. It's something I've never thought about, but I really like his thinking.

BIG BRAND ideas, he says, are the driving philosophy of the business rather than just a strategy for marketing communications; or short lived creative; or even one-dimensional advertising ideas that just have tactical responses.

• The desire to communicate the entire brand experience can compromise advertising's ambition to sell.

FREE Advertising! Let it be as ambitious as it can be when attached to a specific business problem. When sales are low (easy example), let advertising focus on increasing them.

• Advertising is always sharper when it is attached to a specific business problem rather than wafting around conjuring up beautiful brand worlds.

A problem ad agencies are facing these days in the new (brand) world is that of branding being stymied by traditional media: 15, 30 or even 60 seconds is not a lot of time to communicate a brand, and if you're dealing with a banner ad or other digital tactic, it's even less time. So why are we forcing branding into the small confines of advertising? If it's so hard, let's look closely on why it's so hard: maybe Richard has hit on it -- because advertising is just not meant to be the (one and only) branding tool.

It's something to think about. It's here that planners can play the biggest role. For now, let's free up advertising to do what it needs to do: stay close to the product; involve the consumer and his/her attention; and when it comes to real engagement, then (and only then) pull out the branding guns (if the client has the budget).

Plan on.

on the tail of Blog Action Day

Ok, so I missed Blog Action Day, but I'm dedicating this post in its wake.

The Pixel is Mightier Than the Sword over at Get Shouty, took me to threeminds@Organic, which is where i saw this:



and it made me think of when Richard Wolffe of Newsweek asked Bush for his definition of torture:

• "QUESTION: The word torture, what's your definition?

  "BUSH: That's defined in U.S. law, and we don't torture.

  "QUESTION: Can you give me your version of it, sir?

  "BUSH: No. Whatever the law says."

[via Cliff Schecter]

The issue of Blog Action Day in its inaugural year was the environment (whose issue isn't the environment right now?). My Tail issue is that of Bush's idiocy and the issue of Torture. Errrr! I am pained to be recognized as an American in a country that condones torture as a form of interrogation. The U.S. has a prominent place in interested minds worldwide. Bush needs to get his ducks in a row on this one. The above, wonderful piece for Amnesty International could certainly be applied to Mr. B and his illegitimate definition of "security" for this leading country. Peace.

For Blog's Sake

I was over at Misentropy just now, reading what blogging does to planners. I think it should more accurately be titled: what blogging does FOR planners. Here are some of his highlights:

• helps us take notes
• mimics the process of memory formation
• helps us all grow big but remain small: i.e. we can have a multitude of conversations from one small place online, spreading our brand and our ideas everywhere but remaining in one place at the same time.
  

He leaves some more reasons unexplored: the 'Sandbox Universe,' the 'Mesh Memory' system, and the 'Free Lunch Cafe'. Send him a note over there if you want to know more, and let me know when you do so I can hop over and read it too. :)

I think blogging is great. I think growing, exploring, enthusiastic planners should be encouraged to blog: to share and develop their ideas. It's also very encouraging to read a blog and be inspired to push an idea further. A blog is a great digital example of how hard people work and how much time they devote to the important things in life (their life). A blog needs attention, it needs to be cultivated, organized and shared.

These are some planning/idea/creative blogs that get top honors for their devoted author and audience participation.

• Diablogue
• NoahBrier.com
• Herd
• Whistle Through Your Comb
• Russell Davies
• Get Shouty

And if you're a TED lover, hop over to Keeping Track to see a list of the 150 posts so far.
Blog on!

branding at its best

two spots to note for awesome branding:

Dove Onslaught



and Axe Naughty to Nice



Girl Branding and Boy Branding aren't categories yet but I think if they existed, these spots would win awards in each for their brilliance.

convenience, food tech, control and opportunity

The consumption of food is a cultural conundrum. Us Americans just can't figure it all out: diet, convenience, health, family-time, 6 small meals, 3 large ones, no breakfast, Kellogg's flakes for breakfast-lunch-and dinner, etc.
How does one make sense of it all? A recent article in Dallas News, has called it out: Convenience.

• Restaurants are in a bid to replace Mom as the family's primary chef.
• Today, consumers are eating more but cooking less. (ouch)

For some examples, look at California Pizza Kitchen, TGI Friday's, Wolfgang Puck and Marie Calendars. More from the article:

• Food technology has blurred the line between ready-to-eat food from a restaurant and ready-to-heat food from a grocer.
• Sales of frozen entrees are growing slowly > the challenge has set in.
• "Companies will be tempted to offer fresh - not frozen - prepared meals. And that will put the competition between grocery and restaurant take-out on more equal footing."
  

There is something to be said for being the brand on the shelf when the consumer says, I want convenience.

• "It all goes to the Starbucks strategy of giving the consumer 360-degree exposure to your brand."

Personally, I don't think restaurant take-out can viably compete with ready-to-heat frozen food. Both sound as in-convenient if I'm in a lazy mood. I propose we combine a delivery service with customer-service for a solution. These vehicles could be a chance to exhibit more sides of a brand personality: say an SUV with TGI Friday's comes to your door and a hybrid from California Pizza Kitchen pulls up at the neighbor's. I know some consumers would cringe to hear about advertising creeping into another area of their life but there already is advertising on the road - Billboards.

Delivery = Convenience. Brand that pulls through with the solution = Awesome. Let the races begin. Good lucK!

NYC's new tourism campaign

this is what it was like...

My Planner 10

inspired by Gretchen over at The Happiness Project, The Ten (absolutely hilarious), and the fact that I'm starting a new gig - these are My Planner Ten:

1. be creative
2. focus
3. enjoy the process
   
4. keep it simple
   
5. listen
6. beware of over-thinking
   
7. don't be on auto-pilot
   
8. show rather than tell
   
9. own it
10. continue learning
    

Bluetooth: The Borg

A friend emailed the other day: I want a robot.

My first question was: Do you use the voice activation option on your phone or in your car? This was the only robot-esque behavior that came to my mind. I completely forgot about Bluetooth! (This guy to the left looks part-robot, no?)

It seems a design that all futurama enthusiasts and trekkies would love. I can see a fashion show now that molds metal-technology with livable, breathable nowadays comfort: here we have the latest cyborg fashion, technology that fits to your head, etc. Are we really watching two worlds come together? Is there a slow transition happening that some people are a part of and others are oblivious to? ARE WE BECOMING ROBOTS? or rather, ARE WE BUYING INTO ROBOT LIFESTYLES?

Or is technology becoming much "more convenient"? Is convenience really to blame (?) for these tech animals? Telecom is already a category, but have we ever considered one for robots?

Or maybe it's the Robot-Fashion one, like this guy: found via Stumbleupon in hemmy.net's Gadget category.

I need to know more about the positioning strategy of BlueTooth, but currently, I think they are Borg-like: just waiting to assimilate more people.

consumer responsibility

wanted to share a response I gave at Now in Colour. Andy talks about the choice consumers have to pay what they want for the new Radiohead album and asks: if you decide to be tight, are you cheating the musicians, or yourself?

• Great post! I love that I don't have an answer. I think this topic comes at a good time in the history of consumer-honesty (with themselves). It's sort of like Planning for Good on Facebook (more here) or All Day Buffet. People want to do the right thing; they'd like to imagine they have good intentions; at the end of the day, they want to be happy and feel good.

• Planning has a huge role to play here (I think). If we can properly identify what consumers' needs really are, then we're one step closer to making them feel good and happy about themselves and their purchases.

• When I saw the Radiohead news a while back, I thought Cool! But I think I thought cool, only because it's so unique. Go Radiohead! If we give consumers the responsibility to think for themselves before they're ready to, then we might be opening a huge can of worms. People love to place blame and find fault (is it really human nature?) and this kind of free-for-all sounds like it might have loopholes. Who knows. I don't.

• Anyway, still don't have an answer. I really liked your thinking process. So keep it up!

consumer reaction time

I was having a G-chat (Gmail) with a family member: Messages are flying back and forth. He's typing, I'm typing, a date & time are entered for reference, etc. etc.

This made me think about a "consumer reaction time" section for briefs. If you think about media and markets, there are different times allotted for messages to attract, sink in and motivate. Not only that, but we all live in different communities, each with its own communication intensity level. New York would be a 10 on this scale, Langlois, Oregon (where?) would be a 1.

Media Planners/Connections Planners/Engagement Planners, whathaveyou, are slowly etching their importance in regards to this communications environment. Time is of the utmost importance in this (American) culture. Time is probably really important to Yugoslavians too, but America exacerbates 24/7 to an exciting (and overwhelming) degree. To stay on the positive side of things, we all want to be happy and give our attention to the things that will give us the most pleasure. Our culture has groomed us to look for the things (all-encompassing term) that will give us gratification quickly, hence the term instant gratification.

G-chat is the perfect example of instant gratification; along with text-messaging, these two environments can quickly make us happy: just like Google or TiVo or redeemable in-store coupons (what's going on here these days?).

Thinking about a consumer-reaction time means we've taken their messaging environment into consideration. And it makes us a bit smarter. I don't know if this has any merit, just an idea I'm hashing out. Time is precious to all of us. Advertising competes for our attention. Attention takes time. I think it's about time (damn play on words) that we consider "reaction time" in our strategizing. Anybody with me?

kid's advertising: Kandoo

For just $4.69 you can make wiping FuN! Kandoo wipes are flushable and smell like melon; Perfect for the kids!

Was watching the Biggest Loser (more on this later) and a surprising amount of kids' commercials were being aired. (based on audience demographics/psychographics...think about it; kind of interesting to think that the audience watching the biggest loser are parents, and not just parents, they are obese parents: what does that say between the lines?) Kandoo has a cute, playful, brand character that is geared to intrigue and excite children.

[Kandoo makes you think of Kangaroo, but the character is more of a frog creature than anything. I think some creatives were getting high or were tripping on acid; or maybe it was one of those genius word agencies that label themselves Verbal Identity.]

Kandoo is a brand available to help kids through their stage of potty training. On the website, you can click the character to hear songs to help kids master the toilet. And actually, now that I think about it, kids these days in their potty training stage ARE online, clicking around, going to websites, etc. I met a 5 year old who has her own laptop for crying outloud; so suppose this 5 year old is having problems in the lavatory > Presto, she's got a fun brand to access in her own time to help her in a fun way. Wow!

Kandoo maybe for You!

creative inspiration & clues

was researching the new JCPenney Ad with (I believe) Feist as soundtrack vocals, and stumbled across Boards > "the creative edge in commercial production."

• Boards is a brand focused on bringing the international commercial production industry community together for dialogue, debate and discussion about the global business of commercial production.

kind of cool.

next steps in customer-service

In a USA Today story this morning, it's reported that Concierges go the extra mile in the Internet age:

• High-end brands are upgrading concierge operations and training staffs to improve their neighborhood knowledge. And other brands are looking for better ways to share information with guests...

I think it's a great way for the consumer review popularity online to mix with a Let's Go/Lonely Planet DIY feel, moving the authenticity of these reviews to a brand experience.

• Hotels must not only figure how to get local knowledge in the hands of employees and train them to deliver it, but also how to provide local knowledge that is relevant to guests' needs. (Marriott)
• Guests are looking for whatever it is that makes Detroit Detroit. There's a desire to say, I caught a slice of that. - Michelle Lapierre, Marriott's senior director of customer relationship marketing. COOL!

This could be a push for updating the hiring process when looking for hotel employees. Hire the people who are passionate about their city and enhancing tourists' stays. See the sites! Get out: go to this restaurant, see this offroad place, etc.

Some of the more notable initiatives are:

• Courtyard by Marriott later this year will roll out its first "Go Board," a flat panel HDTV with local information, including restaurant recommendations, for guests.
  
• At Loews, the new "In The Know" program calls on concierges each week to come up with a list of local tips.
• Marriott's extended-stay brand, TownePlace Suites, plans to put an 8 by 8 feet wide map marked with restaurants and local places of interest on the lobby walls of all 128 hotels.
  
• Marriott (clearly the leader in this trend) will also give guests pocket guides and two-sided cards with local information.
• Hyatt will launch a website that lets members chat with concierges and other travelers.
  

I'm not sure if recommendations will be tainted with marketing sway...but I'm hoping for a more "consumer review" / authentic approach to the information provided. It could be real easy for money hungry, less-educated advertisers to see this as a marketing jackpot calling their name. Let's hope it stays more honest and real. :)