"Your Vegas is Showing"

Experiential brands – brands that enable customers to personally experience the benefits of a product instead of telling them about its features – are a growing marketing trend today. And, when done correctly, experiential marketing can be a powerful loyalty tool.

During a recent trip to Vegas, I was struck that the city itself is one large brand. And, all of the marketing efforts within the city for things like casinos, shows and shopping support the Vegas brand. In fact, they work together to create a “mega-brand” that provides a “mega-experience”. From the moment you step off the plane, you feel the excitement and vibe of the “Vegas” brand – from the glitz and glam of celebrity shows to slot machines ringing winners and the promise of living large and winning big. It is truly an adult fantasyland that provides multi-level, multi-channel experiences.

Like the city, each Vegas hotel delivers its own unique experience, which also contributes to the greater Vegas brand. Whether it’s the posh atmosphere of the Bellagio or the Hollywood social scene at the Palms, these hotels understand their customer and cater to their every whim. It appears that product brands also see the value in aligning themselves with the Vegas experience – our hotel room provided us a sampling of hip products like Axe body wash and Rohto eye drops. 

The Vegas experience breeds loyal customers. It gives you a taste and leaves you wanting to come back for more – one more chance to play, one more chance to win, one more chance to live like a celebrity.

Perhaps we can learn from the Vegas model and the loyalty that Las Vegas seems to enjoy as we create personal experiences with our products that are relevant, memorable, interactive and connect with audiences on an emotional level.

Announcing the 2008 Point to Point Creative Internship

Need some real-life agency experience? Need credit hours? Need beer money? Maybe we can help.
We are currently looking to fill two paid internship positions for the summer:

Copywriter

Art Director/Designer
HOW TO QUALIFY.
To be considered, you must be a junior or a senior pursuing a major in marketing/advertising or graphic design.
WHAT TO EXPECT.
As an intern, you will become an integral part of the Point to Point creative department. You will be teamed with a second intern and will work a variety of projects, including real-life client assignments, internal communications pieces and (from time to time) some filing and copying. You can expect to be taught, guided and mentored by our award-winning staff of writers, designers, art directors and interactive gurus. And in return you will be expected to work hard, challenge yourself and have a “do whatever it takes” mentality.
HOURS: Flexible. Our internships are set up for 30 hours per week. (although this is the ad biz, and if the ideas don’t come in 30 hours, you will be expected to put in the extra time that is necessary).
DURATION: 6 -10 weeks, depending on scheduling and needs of student.

HOW TO APPLY.

Step 1: Tell us about yourself. Please send a cover letter, resume and 3 creative samples to:

Point to Point

ATTN: Internships

23240 Chagrin Blvd.
Cleveland, OH 44122
Or if you prefer to do everything electronically (we certainly do), send a pdf to internships@buildamovement.com.
Step 2: Wait. Just a little. We will be taking the week of April 7th to make our evaluations. Students who are being considered for the positions will be notified by phone.
Step 3: Let’s talk. We will schedule in-person interviews from April 8 - 18. Given that exams might taking place during this time, we are willing to be flexible.
Step 5: Get to work. Internships will commence the first week in June, or thereabouts, depending on student availability.

A funny thing happened on the way to the logo store.

A telecommunications executive, a bank VP, a copier big wig and a video game programmer all walk into a logo shop. Apparently, they all got the same designer.

Say Cheese

While traveling down the highway on a recent road trip with some co-workers, a billboard caught our eye. It didn’t say anything particularly thought provoking, and the visual certainly wasn’t eye catching:

Grandpa’s Cheesebarn, Exit 180

We had each seen this billboard many, many times over the years, passing through this middle-of-nowhere spot between Cleveland and Columbus. We’d all chuckled at the name, and were curious as to what Grandpa was all about. We agreed it was time to find out.

As we approached the exit, we wondered what we would find. Oh sure, Grandpa would have cheese. All kinds of cheese. Different sizes, different shapes, different flavors. Maybe even unusual shapes of cheese.

Immediately visions of cheese in crazy shapes filled our heads. Maybe there’d be cheese shaped like the Washington Monument. Or the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Or maybe there would be a whole line of celebrity cheeses – Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles. This is a Cheesebarn after all. Ooh and maybe there might be election year cheeses. I don’t know about you, but an Obama shaped Colby sounds mighty good to me. Who knew cheese could be so fun and exciting?

As we pulled in, we discovered that Grandpa had diversified. Grandpa’s is in fact, a “Village” (which amounted to three buildings next to each other), complete with B&B suites, ice cream and Sweeties Jumbo Chocolates. Looks like someone’s dabbling in line extensions. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But Grandpa did have some brand issues. The sign at the top of the Barn simply said “Cheesebarn”. C’mon, where's the “Grandpa”? Isn’t Grandpa the whole reason people go there? Isn’t he the draw, the charm? How can they leave the Grandpa out of Cheesebarn?

As we went inside, our hopes were dashed. No interesting or quirky shaped cheese. No Obama Colby. No Grandpa, even. Just your standard run of the mill packaged cheese. I’m sure it was tasty, but just not interesting. And isn’t that what great brands do? They draw us in, intrigue us, make us laugh or just delight us. And make us want to come back for more.

No matter how big or how small the brand, the basic rules always apply. Know who you are as a brand, know who you’re courting, and figure out how to make yourself a great catch.

Nobody Reads Anymore. So You Probably Won’t Read This.

“Ten million decibels loud. And it doesn’t care if you’re tired. Or that it’s your birthday. Or some holiday honoring a saint. So, though you’d rather not, you start down the road again. The road, when it calls, it screams.”

Wow.

This is the copy from a Nike Running Shoes print ad that ran more than a decade ago. It’s one of those ads that when I first read it made me say, “Damn, I wish I would’ve written it.” And today, it still evokes that feeling in me.

I bring up this ad because it is appearing in the latest issue of One, A Magazine, which is featuring the “Legends of Advertising.”

The issue is a real walk down memory lane. And for any young creative, it’s definitely an issue worth reading.

Why?

Because it reveals an art that quite frankly, I think is being lost.

The art of writing.

Today, the approaches we take in communicating to and connecting with our audience are drastically different than the approaches we took when I was a young, green writer.

Not that the approaches we take today are less creative, or less effective or less worthwhile. In fact, I think the “job” of being a creative is far more difficult – and more exciting-- than ever before.

But as our society surges headlong into the digital age with vehicles such as YouTube and social media and guerrilla tactics and text messaging and TiVo, we as advertisers are rethinking everything. And in an era where we’ve all convinced ourselves that nobody reads anymore (please explain the growth of bookstores, amazon.com and others), we’ve taken a “hit ‘em fast and move on” mentality. 

That’s why we see so many visual solutions, without copy. That’s why we see so many invasive alt media solutions. And that’s why we as advertisers are scratching and clawing to find the next big “thing” that will reach our audience.

And in our search for that “thing,” whether it be mobile media or digital newspapers, we are forgetting to some degree the basic principles of communication. And that is talking. Relating. Understanding. Empathizing.

Ads no longer sit down with us for a nice long conversation. They don’t put their arms around us and hold us. They don’t try to be our friend.

The Nike ad does that in so many ways. It understands the mentality and thought process of its audiences. It empathizes with the passion and dedication of runners. And it communicates that understanding in a way that is downright poetic.

Quit-hit visuals can’t do that. Invasive alternative media can’t do that. And maybe the communication landscape has changed so much that we won’t ever be able to do that again. Which is kind of a shame. Because I’d really like to sit down with an ad. And get jealous again.

Happy holidays from Point to Point

Mr. Whipple, RIP

Last week Mr. Whipple died.  You remember Mr. Whipple, don’t you? The toilet-paper obsessed grocery store guy who sternly asked his customers to “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin?”

Actually, his real name was Dick Wilson. And from 1964 to 1985 he appeared in more than 500 Charmin commercials. Playing the same character. Repeating the same lines. Over and over and over and over again.

Most creatives in the ad world look at the Whipple spots and get a little queasy. It’s not Apple’s 1984, after all. But what is remarkable – and admirable -- about the campaign is how long it lasted.  Twenty one years. It debuted when I was stumbling around in my playpen learning how to walk. And it went off the air when I was stumbling around in a bar looking for my college dorm keys. That’s a long freaking time.

Today, you’d be hard pressed to find a brand out there that sticks to a campaign for 21 months, let alone 21 years. Today, many companies are just too impatient to let a campaign gain traction. Others get bored with their own work and believe (wrongly so) that their customers are bored as well. Still others are so driven by the monthly sales reports that they overreact and demand immediate change.

And, of course, with clients changing agencies like underwear, it’s no wonder that the work is changing at rapid speed as well.

As marketing consultants, we can all do a better job of guiding our clients on the benefits of consistency and repetition. And we can certainly do a better job of coming up with ideas that can grow and become part of a culture.

If we do, brands will be stronger, consumers will be more loyal, and Mr. Whipple? He’d be mighty proud.

Merry Halloween

On a recent shopping trip with my seven-year old daughter, I couldn’t help but notice that the mall was teeming with Christmas decorations and holiday music. The only problem is that it was November 1, which prompted my daughter to proclaim, “Mommy they missed a holiday – Thanksgiving!”

It used to be that we ate our pie and gave our thanks in November and the next day kicked off the holiday shopping season on Black Friday. No longer. Big box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target, chain stores like Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap, and everything in between continue to move the shop ‘til you drop date forward in an attempt to extend the selling season.

As a marketer, I understand the need for promotion, sales and the opportunity to capture market share by being first through the doors. However, retailers might want to step back and look past the short-term sales gain to the long term benefits of customer loyalty.
Nordstrom, whose brand success has was built upon customer satisfaction and experience, actually differentiates itself from competitors by pledging to not decorate for the holidays until after Thanksgiving.

Nordstrom clearly understands its audience and brand. And it leverages both of these in an attempt to gain share in a way that differs from other retailers.

Perhaps marketers and retailers can follow Nordstrom’s lead in thinking beyond the norm and explore new ways to build business with customers in mind.

I know that I’ll look forward to going to Nordstrom after Thanksgiving to start off the holiday shopping season with my family. Though I certainly won’t be the first through the doors at 4am.

--Michelle Mulchin

The Big Three and branding—now or never

Unless you’ve been in a coma this past year, you’re aware that the Detroit automakers are getting pummeled. GM recently posted a $1.6 billion loss. Ford posted better third quarter numbers than last year, but still suffered a $380 million loss. And Chrysler, facing bankruptcy, had to sell itself to a private equity firm.

But perhaps this is the very root of the problem: being hyper-focused on profits and losses, stocks and projections, numbers and figures.

You see, while The Big Three have been busy pumping out balance sheets and new fleets of vehicles over the last few decades, Toyota and Honda have been busy pumping up their brands. And bit-by-bit, they’ve also gained considerable market share.

So maybe the “strong brands deliver strong sales” premise we’re always preaching in our industry is the real deal. And maybe The Big Three should take the cue. Because the big difference between sobbing in the red and rejoicing in the black is that those in the black—i.e. Honda and Toyota—stand for something. They’re perceived as hip. Intelligent. And socially conscious.

But what do the Ford or GM brands stand for? If your answer comes slow, don’t worry, you didn’t miss your Ritalin. You, like most of us, are just confused. You might have an idea of what the Chevy or Cadillac brands mean (thanks to their belief in branding), but look beyond those two and everything’s a blur. There’s just too much noise. Way too many models. And way too many models.

It’s now or never that The Big Three answer a very basic, but important question: what came first, the Branded-Chicken or the Balance-Sheet-Egg?

All I know is that the Egg is severely cracked. And the Chicken is looking mighty tasty these days.

—Written by Gary Bostwick & Eric Jacobs

Brand building tips for small businesses

It's become clear to us through our work for the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), that what small business owners really need is someone who's got their back. And that special someone is anyone who can save them time and/or money.

So with that in mind, we decided to lend a hand to the backbone of our economy. Mr. and Ms. Small Business Owner, take a break and watch this video. In just 6 minutes, you'll move from "branding is just for big companies" to "I can grow my brand with my customers." And you'll learn that even with a shoestring budget, you can build a powerful brand by keeping things simple and focused.

overchoiced

Recently I joined Rhapsody, a music subscription service where I now have access to 4,000,000 songs. In iTune parlance that’s about 152 years of continuous music listening, assuming an average of 4 minutes a song.

Instead of being overjoyed, I find myself overwhelmed. Jennifer May, who heads up our interactive area, tells me that my music anxiety is due to bad interface design.I don’t’ buy that user interface is the answer. I think it’s the nature of my brain and how I manage choice. Lately I’m starting to feel overchoiced. I’m not afraid of decisions, but is it in my best interest to have to review 150 brands of wine when I’m looking for a nice red? Before you answer that question, take a look at what studies have been showing for the last few years.

Check out the American Psychology Association’s view, then read the New Yorker and finally take a look this USA Today article.

And if this isn’t’ enough info, you can read 384,000 entries listings when you Google “too many choices”.

Maybe you’re not like me and can relax in a sports bar simultaneously watching women’s field hockey, cage fighting, the NFL, NCAA whatever, NBA, PGA, not to mention ESPN the Ocho.

Too much of anything tends to be a bad thing. But are marketers really listening, or are they addicted to the easy money that comes with brand extensions and shiny new labels?  In some ways choice reminds me of urban sprawl. Instead of making what you have better, more new is created and more doesn’t always mean better.

Homeowners pay as builders cut prices

A recent article in BusinessWeek states that big builders are offering massive, often six-figure price cuts in overbuilt developments nationwide for the first time ever. These drastic measures are giving the industry a kind of shock treatment designed to move inventory off the books fast. Read the article.

Talk Like A Pirate Day. Every Day Should Be Like Today.

Today is Talk Like A Pirate Day. Why? I don’t know. And I don’t even care enough to look it up. But I think it’s my new favorite holiday. Because, apparently, it’s the only day of the year you can just look someone square in the eye and yell, “Arrggg!”

Imagine you’re standing in line at some fast food joint. You step up to the counter and some unmotivated, disassociated, poor-excuse-for-an-employee gives you a look like you’re some idiot sent there to ruin her day. Then, in a barely coherent, venom-saturated tone, she asks, “Can I help you?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, you can help me. ARRGGG!”

Now you have two choices. You can walk out – granted, still hungry – feeling as if you’ve lifted a big weight off your shoulders. Or you can continue and calmly place your order. Either way, you feel better.

Now imagine you approached every problem that way. Impossible deadlines? Arrggg! Difficult clients? Arrggg! Tight budgets? Arrggg!

Try it. It’s refreshing. It’s a release of negative energy – that nasty, life-sucking quicksand that completely saps your creative mojo. Now you can look at the situation with a clear, fresh perspective. Is the deadline really that impossible? Are those clients actually being unreasonable? Is the budget that bad?

Arrggg!

Now you’re ready to make your decision.

Taking back the streets of Cleveland: a movement worth building

Joyce Prozynski, Mark Didonato, Art McKoy, Bob Shores and Sam McNulty want everyone in Cleveland to hear their message.

But they have no advertising budget. Heck, they don’t even have a website. And they certainly don’t have a PR agency pushing their agenda (ok, well maybe they have a copywriter trying to garner them some attention).

What they do have is a purpose: to take back the streets of Cleveland.

Across the city, Clevelanders are downright fed up with the sorry state of things. The record-setting murder rate. The armed robberies and drugs. The prostitution and graffiti-covered vacant houses. And a group of city officials (save a couple) that talk a lot of talk without taking action.

So ordinary people like 66 year-old Prozynski from Slavic Village have taken things into their own hands. Or should I say, onto their own two feet. One street, block and neighborhood at a time, Cleveland citizens are building a movement. They’re forming citizens brigades and neighborhood patrols. Sick and tired of the thugs, brutes and misanthropes that would otherwise drive them from the city they love, they’re banding together to reclaim their streets and fight for their neighborhoods. Read more about their story here.

Others have tried warm and fuzzy ad campaigns like “Believe in Cleveland” to promote Cleveland’s friendly business environment. But with the state of affairs so unfriendly in the city itself, perhaps we should fix some other things first. Problems that are just too big for any image-based campaign.

While I applaud efforts to create a more picturesque Cleveland, it seems that the folks organizing the neighborhood patrols are the only ones who understand that bullet-ridden pictures aren’t pretty.

So why am I conspicuously touting Prozynski and Company’s story? Because I’ve lived here for 26 years and I want to see change. For too long, this city has been going in the wrong direction. Anyone who actually lives in Cleveland (sorry, Westlake doesn’t count) knows that I’m not being pessimistic—this is the reality of the situation.

The matches for a large-scale, much-needed fiery movement have already been lit. And my hope is that the creative community cares enough about this city to do something. Enough to help the people at the grassroots level. Enough to offer their brains and creative resources as they’ve done in the past. And enough to do more than just read another blog.

Any takers?

Understanding Marketing Directors

Debby Kulber, an account director at Point to Point, noticed that while we spend a lot of time gathering insights on our client’s customers, we spend very little time understanding what it’s like to be the client. To get a deeper view, Debby interviewed 14 randomly selected corporate marketing leaders and asked the following nine questions:

1.    What’s the best part of your day?
2.    Describe the worst marketing meeting you ever sat through.
3.    If you were to compare yourself to an animal at work what would it be?
4.    If you were to give yourself a title that describes what you really do, what would your title be?
5.    If you could have one super power to help you with your job, what would it be?
6.    How many people do you have to answer to?
7.    Describe a dream that you’ve had about work.
8.    Rank in order of trust: ad executive, CEO, lawyer, marketing director, used car salesman
9.    What do you complain about when you go home at night?

Here’s a summary of what she found.

People who work in corporate marketing are stressed, over-extended and under appreciated. When asked about the best part of their day, most respondents said the beginning or end. It seems that days often start with great promise, but are often maligned by a constant flow of interruptions and misdirections,  and are further stressed by an acute shortage of time.

Interacting with other executives who don’t understand the function and objective of marketing adds additional frustration. We heard several examples of meetings where the role of marketing is grossly misunderstood. One marketing director commented, “My client is requesting something that they have no idea what the strategy is or what they are to accomplish.” And of course ill-prepared agencies can make a bad day worse.

Animal comparisons filled offices with squirrels, beavers, bunnies and hummingbirds—all members of the busy kingdom. Our favorite quote personifies a dog, “Ready for fun, loyal, good in a group but content to work alone. There for others, sensitive to their needs, able to smell trouble.”

Superpower requests also tell a story of not having nearly enough time or resources. Cloning, stretching power, time machines and mind reading would all make the day move along a little more smoothly. Equipped with these new powers our research group could more easily support the “scads, hundreds and dozens” of people who each super hero reports to.

Several of those interviewed find the job doesn’t end with sleep. “I dream about doing my job, so I always wake up tired and never get a break.”

Debby’s research verifies what many in marketing already know: the demands placed on most marketing departments are inversely proportional to the resources they have. And this will probably continue to worsen with media fragmentation, budget cuts and a basic lack of organizational knowledge of what marketing should and should not do.

So why would anyone want to be in corporate marketing or advertising? My guess is that most people enter and stay in marketing because the actually believe they can make something better and help the organizations they work for succeed.

So being a corporate marketing leader may resemble my golf game. When I leave the course I forget the 109 bad shots that I endured and focus on that one great shot that I hit so sweetly. That one shot that gives me hope to return on a better day when ball and club work in harmony.

If you would like to see the full research please click here. We’d like to hear your comments and what type of marketing animal you are.

I’d like to wish Debby Kulber a speedy return to good health. We all miss her and find that her absence leaves a giant void in our office. Get well Debby, we need you back.

Blah + Blah = More blah

I remember when mission statements were the fashion of the day. Their purpose, or rather should I say their mission, was to clearly communicate what the company hoped to accomplish. In just a short paragraph, the thinking was that clarity would emerge for those who were not aware of the doctrine of their paycheck providers. Unfortunately, people can rarely divine meaning from corporate speak. To see first hand the absurdity of mission statements, check out  http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/games/career/bin/ms.cgi

Now I find myself walking into companies and nonprofits that feel compelled to hang brand positions on banners. I suppose brand statements are now more “current” than mission statements. And, once again, the paragraph has reemerged to bring some semblance to what a company's widgets or services are supposed to mean.

Blame committees, management or simple ignorance, but a paragraph or a page of text will never define why you make widgets or service gizmos. When it comes to explaining purpose, only simplicity will do. If more than four words are required, start again. Think of virtually anything with staying power and you will find simplicity of purpose.

Proof Positive That It Ain’t About Features and Benefits.

Recently, I doled out $400.00 for a product that isn’t very good. It has a track record of failure. It gets bad press almost daily. And with nearly every customer interaction, it disappoints. In fact, if I were to do one of those “side by side” comparison  ads we often see on TV, the product I purchased would lose to virtually all its competitors. Yet, I bought it anyway. And gladly. The product? The Cleveland Browns. You see, I’m one of the 60,000 or so who every year shell out a lot of money for Browns season tickets.  On a rational level, there’s no way I should be a Browns customer. But, clearly, this is not a rationally-driven purchase decision. While they may struggle on the field, The Browns have accomplished a feat that few products have : They’ve gotten me emotionally involved with them.  And despite 9 years of disappointing product performance, they’re still enjoying record sales. Which makes me wonder why more marketing managers aren’t trying to create that same connection with their own customers. It seems that so many are content to simply deliver “the facts” in hopes that their customers will sit down, make their own f&b chart, and  come to a completely rational purchase decision.  Even marketing heavyweights, like Miller Lite, are going this route. Why? Because it’s easy, it’s quick and it’s measurable. Developing a long-term connection with your customer can’t be quantified instantly on a balance sheet. And that makes marketing managers nervous. Creating an emotional bond also takes a lot of patience. And when your job is on the line every time a sales report comes out, patience isn’t an option. Taking  a long term, relationship-building strategy  means taking a few short-term risks. But, in the end, the rewards are tremendous. Because when a consumer is emotionally-involved with your product, they become loyal customers. Lifelong enthusiasts. And over the course of time, they’re willing to ignore a lot of your warts along the way. And if you’re a marketing manager trying to generate sales, wouldn’t it be nice to know that you didn’t always have to have better features than your competitors to accomplish that goal?

America's Best-Loved Brands

What are America’s best-loved brands? Market research firm Brand Keys recently released its list  and some of them may surprise you. But despite their popularity, they’re certainly not without their slip-ups.

Case in point: JetBlue Airlines, whose storm-related cancellations back in February resulted in thousands of stranded passengers and cost the airline $30 million. 

So how come they’re on top, at least as far as consumers are concerned? Simple. They provide a better overall customer experience than their competitors (except for that ill-fated day in February, of course). So do Target, Wachovia and Macy’s, which are just a few of the other Best-Loved brands.

And as we all know, a better customer experience translates to higher loyalty and increased sales. Kinda makes me feel a little sorry for all the companies out there busting their butts every day, who never have a major goof up like JetBlue did, or worse, the disaster that Tylenol experienced 25 years ago (another Best-Loved brand according to the study), and yet they struggle to gain market share and win new customers.

I suppose it’s not about being error free, day in and day out. It’s about doing something different or just plain better than others in your space.

Shrek says, “Get up and play,” but finish your Happy Meal first.

As the release of Shrek the Third quickly approaches, the advertising campaigns to market the friendly giant to America’s children are hitting fever pitch. And that’s all fine and good—to a point. What I don’t have a problem with is kids going to see the movie. They should. I think the last two Shrek movies have been enormously funny and entertaining, and as a character, Shrek is extremely affable. But I’m concerned that movie theater seats just aren’t wide enough for all the overweight kids who love Shrek and everything he promotes.

The bone I’m picking here is not with the kids, but with the Ad Council and GSD&M in Austin. Sponsored by the Department of Health and Human services, these two advertising entities launched a series of public service announcements, using the slogan, “Be a Player: Get up and play an hour a day,” urging the more than 10 million obese school age children in the U.S. to get off their asses and do something physical. To the folks at those agencies—which typically put out solid creative work—with all due respect, what the hell were you thinking?

Sure, you had focus groups that proved Shrek was a well-known character in the target population of the “Player” campaign. And that kids will likely listen to what Shrek has to say. But the research ignores the most glaring reality of all: Shrek is a big fat ogre. Austin, we have a strategic problem. And to top all that off with whipped cream and mayonnaise, he’s a big fat ogre who’s being used to promote McDonald’s Happy Meals, Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, M&M’s, Pop Tarts, Snickers, Sierra Mist, Cheez-Its and Keebler cookies to name a few. Sounds healthy, doesn’t it?

Surely, the Ad Council and GSD&M did their homework and knew these campaigns were in the works. But apparently the public relations opportunities for donating their services outweighed (pun intended) the aforementioned strategic problem and the inherent conflicts of interest.

So kids, listen to Shrek (like the focus groups proved you would do): Binge and purge. Stuff yourselves until you’re green in the face. And after you finish gorging yourself on that bowl of French fries and Fruit Loops, put down your Sega Game Gear from 1991 (seriously, that’s what the kid is playing at the beginning of the TV spot) and get up and play. That is, if you can move. And boys, don’t forget: be a player.

The time I apologized for creative excellence

Let me begin this blog entry by saying I am a passionate advocate for great work. On every job, I push for the surprising, the emotional, the unexpected. I enter our agency’s creative in the national award shows because I think it’s important to size up our thinking with the thinking that’s being done around the country and around the world. And, I’m proud to say that we’ve won a lot of awards. But not long ago, in a new business pitch, I didn’t act that way. When asked about our creative, I found myself apologizing for the awards we won. I was couching our accomplishments with, “Not that awards are important, but…” and “We don’t put a whole lot of credence in awards, but…” And that was bull. I doubt Crispin  has ever apologized for their awards. Fallon either. And I won’t do it again. Because agencies who typically diminish awards are the ones who can’t come up with compelling strategies, who don’t spend nights and weekends concepting, who don’t have the passion. These are agencies who either can’t raise their game to a national level or don’t have the fire in their bellies to try. And those agencies who say that “we don’t win awards, we just focus on results” are lying to their clients. Because if they were truly focused on the results, they’d be making damn sure that the communications they were creating were insightful and impactful and emotional and breakthrough and as good as or better than anything the Fallons or Crispins could ever do. So to that client I was speaking to the other day: I apologize. Not for winning awards, but for telling you they didn’t matter. We are proud of the trophies we’ve had bestowed up us. The Athenas. The CAs . The Addys . All of them. Because they say a lot about the commitment and passion of our creative and account folks. And they say a lot about the commitment and passion we have for our clients’ business. And if you do decide to hire us, you can expect more than a few of those trophies to land on your desk.

The Question

Ask any Marketing Director in the world one question, “What’s your favorite ad?” They’ll be quick to answer – saying the ad moved them in some way. Maybe they laughed or cried or thought differently about something. But one thing is for certain – they’ll say the ad was unique. They’ll say they had never seen anything like it before and that the experience has given them a positive association with the brand.

Now ask those same Marketing Directors why they demand forgettable, ho-hum advertising from their agencies.

You’d probably get some blank stares followed by some meaningless banter about low budgets, challenging marketing objectives or differing target audiences. The excuses would come fast. Because every company feels they have unique situations. Different challenges. Fickle customers. And they’re right. They do. So do those companies who allow their agencies to do great advertising. But those companies chose to trust their advertising agencies to do their jobs. And it worked.

I can go on and on naming companies like Nike or Apple to illustrate my point. But I think you get it. And, if you’re a Marketing Director who’s getting a little angry as you read this, you really get it. Because you know you can take your company to the next level. You just have to take the first step and trust your advertising agency to help you do it.

And if your agency won’t take you there, find one that will.

There are millions of ads out there that nobody sees or remembers because they’re too safe, too generic and too boring. Is that an effective use of marketing dollars? Is that what companies want from their Marketing Directors?

Or maybe I should ask, “Is that job security?”

Advertising in Virtual Worlds Takes the Brand Experience to a New Level

Giant consumer brands are taking notice of the explosive growth of virtual worlds. And these companies are using virtual worlds to build brand awareness, test products, and even sell merchandise.

One of the most popular virtual worlds is Second Life, a 3-D world that is created and owned by its residents who act out parallel fantasy lives. They have jobs, they date, they build houses, they go shopping, they attend concerts. They can even, um, well, you know, do the old posteurpedic polka. I’m not kidding. Pretty much anything you can do in the real world, you can do in a virtual world. And consumers are spending a significant amount of time there.

Second Life uses linden dollars, which players buy with real dollars to conduct business with vendors within the game. They can purchase virtual products such as homes, real estate, clothing, accessories, and more.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts used Second Life to launch its newest chain, Aloft. Starwood views the SL crowd as early adopters who can provide valuable feedback to its real world efforts before the actual chain is launched in 2008.

Toyota created Scion City, where avatars can customize Scion models and take them for a virtual test drive. Their goal is to engage and involve consumers in a way that reaches well beyond the boundaries of traditional marketing.

Other companies with a presence on Second Life include General Motors, Dell, Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, Adidas, H&R Block, Reebok and Reuters Group. IBM has acquired 24 Second Life “islands.”

Even ad agencies are getting into the game. Leo Burnett set up shop with its “Leo Ideas Hub”.

But are any of these companies actually generating revenue? American Apparel has sold over 4,000 items, which members use to outfit their avatars. And while this probably doesn’t represent a significant revenue stream for the company, American Apparel is driving virtual shoppers to its brick and mortar locations by offering them a 15% discount.

Virtual worlds present an interesting opportunity for marketers to interact with consumers in a way that conventional marketing doesn’t allow. Time will tell whether virtual worlds become a viable marketing strategy for companies, but in the meantime it’s difficult to ignore their growing popularity.

Is your company thinking about entering the virtual world? Do you think it’s a good or bad idea? Do you think virtual worlds are the future of marketing or a passing fad? Share your thoughts!

Announcing the 2007 Point to Point Internship Program

Need some real-life agency experience? Need credit hours? Need beer money? Maybe we can help.

We are currently looking to fill two paid internship positions for the summer:
Copywriter
Art Director/Designer

HOW TO QUALIFY.
To be considered, you must be a junior or a senior pursuing a major in marketing/advertising or graphic design.

WHAT TO EXPECT.
As an intern, you will become an integral part of the Point to Point creative department. You will be teamed with a second intern and will work a variety of projects, including real-life client assignments, internal communications pieces and (from time to time) some filing and copying. You can expect to be taught, guided and mentored by our award-winning staff of writers, designers, art directors and interactive gurus. And in return you will be expected to work hard, challenge yourself and have a “do whatever it takes” mentality.

HOURS: Flexible. Our internships are set up for 30 hours per week. (although this is the ad biz, and if the ideas don’t come in 30 hours, you will be expected to put in the extra time that is necessary).

DURATION: 6 -10 weeks, depending on scheduling and needs of student.

PAY: $225 per week.

HOW TO APPLY.
Step 1: Sell some VEGGIE GUM.
We just landed... ahem... this really cool client who makes chewing gum that tastes like vegetables. Your assignment: Create a piece of communication that helps sell this product to America’s youth. To get all the details on the project, download the creative brief. And hurry, the assignment is due to us (via mail or pdf) by May 6.

Step 2: Tell us about yourself. Please send your VEGGIE GUM solution along with a cover letter, resume and 3 creative samples to:
Point to Point
ATTN: Internships
23240 Chagrin Blvd.
Cleveland, OH 44122

Or if you prefer to do everything electronically, send a pdf to internships@buildamovment.com.

Step 3: Wait. Just a little. We will be taking the week of May 6th to make our evaluations. Students who are being considered for the positions will be notified by phone.

Step 4: Let’s talk. We will schedule in-person interviews from May 14 - 25. Given that exams might taking place during this time, we are willing to be flexible.

Step 5: Get to work. Internships will commence June 11th, or thereabouts, depending on student availability.

QUESTIONS.
Please direct all inquiries to internships@buildamovment.com.

Advertising Truck Driver Style.

The other day, I was trying to pull out of a parking lot onto a decidedly busy street. The light was red, and the cars were about 10 deep waiting for the signal to change. So, as is the custom, I nudged my way out onto the road, hoping that guy in line would wave me in.

He didn’t.

In fact, he made every effort to ensure that I didn’t get in line in front of him. You know the kind. They nose up as close as possible to a car in front of them. They avoid eye contact. They lay on the horn if you dare try to make your way onto street.

Yeah, I got that guy. And I wouldn’t have thought much of it after the fact, except that this guy was driving a delivery van with some very famous company’s logo on the side of it.

So as I sat there, I wasn’t just getting pissed at the guy. I was getting pissed at the company who hired him. And any goodwill I had toward that company was quickly eroding as I stared at their humongous logo, waiting for someone to let me into traffic.

This was, unbeknownst to that company, a customer transaction. Sure, no money changed hands and no products were purchased. But a feeling was exchanged. A good one for a not-so-good one. A happy one for a disgusted one. Even if that feeling was fleeting.

The point is: companies must remember that their employees on the street are their most powerful advertising of all. And these people –from the delivery drivers to the teenagers waiting the cash register -- have the ability to instantly wipe away any positive feelings those multimillion dollar ad campaigns have created.

And in today’s world where one bad experience (even one as minor as my own) can be retold to thousands through email chains, chat rooms and blogs like this, companies had better pay extra attention to minimizing negative customer interactions at all points of contact. Including those where they didn’t realize one existed.

The Latest Word on Word of Mouth Marketing

The last few weeks I’ve been digging into word of mouth marketing (WOM). Ron McDaniel of Buzoodle suggested I take a look at WOMMA. Once on the site, I had an abrupt awakening to the speed and depth of which this new discipline is evolving. WOMMA lists 11 different ways to leverage WOM and is now introducing methods and measurement to further credential a new discipline.

But what has really surprised me is how many WOMers believe that “conventional” advertising sucks, doesn’t work and represents just a big waste of money.

Now I’m not one to doubt change. I worked beside my father in a typesetting business where I witnessed an entire industry laid to waste in seven years. Nor do I bemoan change. Change is what makes things happen. But does change completely modify all our realities?

At least half of us know that Wanamaker said it best:

Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.

Marketing is an imprecise discipline like the many things we encounter in our daily lives. There is no perfect approach to weight loss, politics and finding mates. If there were, we’d all be thin, cheering for a brilliant president and unsure of the purpose divorce lawyers serve.

What I do know is that what worked a few years ago will not work as well this year and that hard and fast rules and absolute statements are for suckers. 

Advertising as we have known it represents a marketer telling a potential buyer or customer about a product or service they need. WOM is about what I want. Conventional advertising is pushing while the new is pulling. Both share one common connection that defines their relevance and effectiveness: the consumer has to be interested or they simply won’t hear what’s being said. So listen up, and realize that there are a lot of ways to start a conversation.

Clients need leadership. Not just advertising.

Regardless of how good creatives are at their craft, almost every creative brief that lands on their desk can lead them to the same conclusion.

Before noodling a single headline or stick figure drawing on a college-ruled white notepad, it becomes apparent, sadly, that there’s no way in hell a 4-color magazine ad, a 30-second TV spot or (insert media vehicle here) can adequately address the client’s business problem as stated in the brief—no matter how strategic and creative the message may be. And it’s not because the client’s business problems are too big. It’s because most agencies’ autopilot, instinctual responses to these problems are too small.

I think it’s absolutely insane that the creative brief determines what medium is going to be used as the communication channel before the message that responds to the client’s business problem has been developed. Eons ago, communication theorists established that message and channel are inseparable. Yet here the industry sits, at the top of the communication food chain, unable to see the forest through the trees. Not recognizing that media and creative are equal halves of the same whole.

I think that ads—the most immediate response most agencies have when dealing with any client—are a relatively small part of what clients really need to build their brands. To engage with their audiences. To develop long-term salience. To make more money at the end of the day.

The fact is, clients don’t need advertising. They need leadership. They’re desperate for it. And those who are willing to change the agency model are going to reap the rewards. The agencies that survive—and most importantly, thrive—will completely overhaul how they do things. From timesheets and billing to intellectual property and product development.

Agencies that thrive will still produce great ads. They’ll just come from a different point of origin. Instead of looking at things from the perspective of the agency—i.e. capabilities as they relate to print, television, web, etc.—agencies need to look at things from the perspective of the client. Discover what their unique problems and needs are, then develop integrated solutions that address and solve these problems. Maybe a television campaign is part of that solution. But maybe not. The solution will and should be different for every client.

Just look at what Anomaly did with the Virgin Atlantic pitch. You had Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and other elite shops all competing for the $178 million U.S. passenger service launch. And the agency that got hired didn’t even mention a single ad.

Perhaps that’s because Virgin Atlantic wasn’t looking for a new advertising agency at all. They were looking for new leadership.

Now, the only question is, who in the industry will follow?

Builders’ Show 2007. It’s Déjà vu all over again.

Is it just me, or did this year’s International Builders’ Show seem vaguely familiar?

And by “familiar,” I mean “identical.”

From what I saw, IBS ‘07 was the world’s biggest, most lavish rerun. A week’s worth of repeats, rehashes and I’ve-seen-that-befores.

All the same exhibitors were there. All the booths were in the same place. And the messages emanating from those booths were pretty much the same, as well. Heck, even the goodies from Lowe’s was a repeat.

Which, speaking from a marketing perspective, is really a crime. If we expect our potential customers to take off valuable time, spend wads of cash on planes, hotels and food, and put their feet through living hell at the show, we’d better at least give them something for it in return. And I mean a lot of something. Something new to pique their interest. Something exciting to see. Something different than what they saw the past two years.

Let’s start with some new products. Sure, there was a smattering to be seen. But I found myself really having to search for them. Where was the fanfare surrounding these new offerings? Where was the buzz? The hoopla?

C’mon. You can’t announce a new product with a whisper. You gotta do it with a bang.

And, even if you don’t have new products, you’d better make those folks walking the show believe you’ve got something new to say to them. But few took the opportunity. Instead, manufacturer after manufacturer trotted out the same old booths with the same old messages and the same old graphics they’ve had the two years before.

I know times are tough and budgets are tight and the cost of designing and building a new booth every year is expensive.

But what is the cost of a builder walking right past your booth muttering, “Don’t bother, we saw that one last year.”  Lost is the chance to give your sales pitch. Lost is the chance to start a relationship. Lost is the chance to begin a dialog that could ultimately lead to a big order.

And, you don’t need a big check to make an impact. You just need big thinking. In the message you deliver. In how you deliver it.  In other words, you’ve got to be creative.

A trade show is such a tremendous opportunity to make a connection and start a movement. You have a captive, willing and eager audience. An audience who wants to be ‘wowed’ by you. An audience who’s looking to you for solutions. And yet, it seems, so many exhibitors let that opportunity slip through their fingers.

Good marketing means surprising and delighting your customer at every point of contact. And at this show, I saw very little surprising going on.

The good news is we have one more year in Orlando to show builders that we are worth their attention.

--Mike Hudock

How tuned in are you to your customer?

A couple of years ago I was reading a magazine article and stumbled upon an interesting quote. “Argue anything for your own advantage and people will resist to the limit. But seem unselfishly to consider your customers’ desires, and they will naturally flock to you.”

I don’t even remember the magazine I was reading. Ad Age maybe? Who knows, but the quote caught my attention. So much so, that I decided to clip it out and thumb-tack it to the fabric covered portion of the wall in my cube.

So there it sits, modest and unassuming in its 1” x 2” size. It may be small in size but I believe it communicates a significant truth.

It’s the idea that marketing communications shouldn’t be a chest beating, ego driven, feature benefit dump. It should be focused on the customer. It should show a deep understanding of their attitudes, thoughts, needs and problems. I believe one of our greatest needs as humans is to be understood. When you feel truly understood by someone, a connection happens. You feel validated. You have an ally. Someone in whom you place your trust and loyalty. The best marketing is that which treats the customer like a friend in need.

Essentially, the message of the quote is, be unselfish. Don’t think about selling products or services. Think about providing solutions and experiences. Serve others, and you will end up reaping the rewards.

It seems to me that a lot of life’s troubles would be greatly diminished if we all adopted this mentality. Think what would happen if your spouse, partner, parents, or kids consistently put your needs above their own. What if our communities adopted this way of thinking? Our country? Our world? But I digress.

Back to my quote. Every once in a while I glance up at it, especially when I’m completely immersed in the details of a project and need a little reminder about what good marketing communications should do. The big picture, if you will.

So recently I decided to put it to the test. I started flipping through magazines, looking at ads to see if any marketers embraced this approach. What I saw was a whole lot of features and benefits. Products touting affordability, less maintenance, faster delivery, longer life, energy efficiency, moisture resistance, safety, ease of installation, and broader selection just to name a few.

And there was no shortage of chest beaters. “Stunning pieces of art”, “Legendary strength and beauty”, “A lifetime of excellence”. Gimme a break.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many ads that showed a true understanding of the customer’s point of view.

Why? I wish I knew. To be sure, gaining deep customer insight is hard work. It takes time and resources to do the right research, and then use the insights to develop an impactful communications strategy.

But I’m convinced that in the end, the pay back is huge.

Maybe I can’t change the world, but I can remind my clients that it’s not about selling skus, it’s about the customer.

And all it took was a little 1” x 2” piece of paper. I guess big things really do come in small packages.

–Heather Evans

Are Advertising Awards Good Or Bad? Perhaps we're asking the wrong question

Every year about this time, the debate about the importance of creative awards is reignited. And every year, the same people stand on the same side of the fence vehemently making their case.

On one side, are the people who believe that creative awards are meaningless and a waste of time. (After all, what really matters is sales, sales, sales!)

On the other, are those who believe that getting in the One Show, CA, Cannes is the only thing important in their lives.

But if you step back for a minute and take a long hard look at both arguments, you’ll find neither side is completely wrong. Or completely right. Because the fact is, sales do matter. And, ironically enough, award-winning work is usually the kind of work that builds those sales.

Which leads me to believe that perhaps we’re debating the wrong point about awards.

Should the question be “Are awards worthwhile?” or “Why are you creating the award-winning work in the first place?”

Ask yourself: Are you doing that ad or TV spot or DM piece for the good of your client? Are you doing it because you want to build a brand? Are you doing it because you want to grab the customer by the pocket and shake every last penny out of it?

Or are you doing it because you want to make yourself feel good, important, famous?

If you answered the latter, then awards probably aren’t such a good thing.