The Power of One Little Yellow Card

On the way to work this morning, I ran by my neighborhood grocery store to pick up a few items for the day. When I got to work, I unpacked my wares, and staring back at me was one little, yellow card.

This little card was not a coupon, it was not a receipt, or even a renegade label. Instead, there were 5 little words staring up at me- "Sacked with pride by Mark".

Now, I don't know the story behind the little yellow card, nor do I know when they started doing this. But, there was something touching about it- and the minute I saw the hand signed scrap of paper, this local grocery store somehow felt like MY local grocery store.

Reaching out to customers doesn't take much- a name remembered, an offer of assistance, or even a tiny yellow card. But reaching out in what seems like a little way can actually be one huge stride forward.

Fall Premiere Reviews #4- Modern Family

This is what I have been waiting for- my HOME RUN of the season. I actually watched the first episode last week, and laughed so hard, I wanted to watch the second one to make sure it wasn't a one trick pony. All three families are charming, and I think almost everyone can relate to their awkward quirkiness and dysfunctionality.

I think it is partially this that makes it a great fit for a variety of audiences. Young, old, men, women- I have heard positive feedback from everyone. Humor combined with heart touching story lines- combined in a documentary style format.

This all combined makes it a great program to include in any of your upcoming buys.

Modern Family- on ABC, Wednesdays at 8pm CST.

It's a must watch, and a must buy.

Fall Premiere Reviews #3- Jay Leno Show

I, like many of you have been bombarded the last few weeks with mega-promotion around the Jay Leno Show. I even heard someone say they (NBC) was hoping that Jay Leno moving to prime time would REVOLUTIONALIZE televeision.

Revolutionize? Wow! Not since MTV launched the Real World have I seen anything that I would call revolutionary. And, as familiar as we all are with the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the promos just seemed extensions of that format. Just because it runs an hour and a half earlier, doesn't mean that is ground breaking.

The best thing about the show I saw tonight was there were some good guest appearances. I mean Kayne- great luck with that one. And, Oprah/Seinfeld- all good with the older crowd. But, any season premiere would garner great guests. What is the show's potential long term?

I am sure that the Jay Leno Show will hold on for a while- but I don't see it being much more than mediocre in the long run.

When will I look to buy the Jay Leno Show- well, I think it will be a very efficeint buy for prime. So, if you are looking for an inexpensive way to get some exposure in prime, I think this will be it. But, it will not replace any of the premium programming you should be looking at.

Also, this will probably not be a good buy if you are buying younger demos- I would anticipate this will skew older, while the younger ages move toward cable programming during this hour if there is nothing on broadcast that catches their attention.

Fall Premiere Reviews #2- Glee

Glee- How the same guy who created Nip/Tuck be responsible for this program, I will not know.

Glee, on FOX Wednesday nights, is a strange combination of candy-dripping "High School Musical" teenage story lines- but with some pretty offensive stereo types. I am not sure how many times I heard the word "gay" in relation to those participating in the Glee Club, or boys who may sleep in pink rooms, but it was one too many.

The tunes themselves are actually pretty catchy- but in a way that will haunt me for days until my ears bleed.

So- enough of my personal feelings. This is about how new programming will fit with any upcoming media strategies.

Definitely an extension of the High School Musical scene for obvious reasons. Young Adults, will probably not get enough of it. The program will definitely skew younger, so the older your customer, the less likely Glee will be a good fit for your advertising message.

Glee would be a good fit for many of the same categories we touched on last night with Melrose.

* Entertainment
* Movies
* Quick Service Restaurants


If I had to make a recommendation, I would say get your spots bought early in the show's schedule. Because no matter what, I think it will garner a lot of buzz, and a lot of sampling.

Fall Premiere Reviews #1- Melrose Place

As we are gearing up for the next round of media buys, the new Fall programming is premiering. So, we thought it would be fun to watch some of the new lineup, and give you, from a media buyer's perspective, what shows we will be looking at for our clients.

First up: Melrose Place. Showing on Tuesdays on the CW. Now, I was excited about this because I was obsessed with the original. I was hesitant because anything with Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is usually not my thing.

It opens with a quick glimpse at most of the players- Auggie, Riley, David, to name a few. Cut to the same apartment complex we all knew and loved, cheesy marriage proposal, and yep, dead body in the pool. Oops- guess I should warn you there might be a few spoilers.

All in all, it was pretty much what I expected. Definitely a "chick" show- probably tweens through about 35. (Typing this as the show wraps, so no idea what the overnights will be.)

This media buy may be good for the following potential clients:
* Boutiques
* Beauty Salons
* Entertainment- Movies, Concerts, etc.
* Higher Education

To name a few.

However, just a note- if you have concerns about adult behavior, or content that may not be family-friendly, I would pass on this one. Just to be safe.

New Tools for Outdoor and Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing tied to outdoor advertising is not new, but CBS Outdoor has a piece of technology that has made it easier for marketers to see their results mobile/outdoor results.

Called txt2go, advertisers put a unique keyword on each board they post in a market. Via SMS, consumers text in this keyword, to get special offers or information, which allows clients to see what boards are generating the highest level of success.

Some types of messages include:
1) Special discounts
2) Enter to win sweepstakes
3) Requests for more information

Another plus is that advertisers then receive a database of respondents, allowing them to follow up with them at a later date.

This gives outdoor a advantage similar to online advertising- it allows it to be highly trackable. Campaigns that generate results will likely lead to bigger and more complex outdoor campaigns, helping the medium grow with emerging technologies.

Top Klog of the Week- 6/5

In honor of the upcoming season premiere of one of my favorite shows, True Blood, I am highlighting one of the out of home tactics they used last year.

This idea is inspired by the "Roommate Wanted" or "Guitar Lessons" signage we have all seen in grocery stores and college dorms. But, it definitely has that vampire twist to it.

Bailouts- Just My Two Cents

I don't have all the answers, but I am personally tired of all the talk about bailouts. First the banks, then auto dealers, now newspapers.

The bottom line is when people do not run their businesses properly, they fail. Why are these companies treated differently?

Part of me understood the banking industry. I sympathized with the factory workers during the auto industry's bailout. But, when newspapers got in line with their hand out, that was the last straw for me.

I am a media buyer, so I can tell you from experience about the dwindling circulation numbers, but yet undeserved higher rates. The fact that clients in all industries are cutting their print budgets for more affective forms of advertising- often for options that are online.

And yet, even though this has been slowly happening over the last several years, the newspapers have been slow to change. In some cases, refusing to change altogether. I heard a story from a newspaper lately where they told me of a board meeting that was held recently. The 60 year-old executives flat out said they didn't believe these trends would continue, and that they were staunchly against changing one aspect of their business plan. Enough said.

So no newspapers, you do not deserve a bailout. The fact that it has even come up in conversation floors me.

Let the companies who make poor decisions and refuse to change fail Then, give their bailout money to the vendors who are left holding the bag for their mistakes. We will still have news outlets and car manufacturers but, in the end, I would wager those left standing will be strong, adaptable, and able to sustain themselves.

Looking at the Pros and Cons of Radio

All media are going through a transition, and radio is no different. Yesterday, I was having a discussion with a new client about TV and DVRS, Radio and MP3 players, etc. It got me thinking about radio, and why, as marketers, its popularity has fallen off.

First of all, the quality of the spots has fallen off, especially at a local level. Commercials have started sounding the same, and frankly, have started to become slightly in your face and annoying.

There are especially few excellent branding executions. Most are call to action driven, so unless you have a specific price point or event to promote, there are more attractive alternatives for brand building goals.

Then, consider the fragmenting- ipods, Sirius Satellite, CDs- the perception is that these have eroded the audience base slowly over the last several years, particularly with the younger demographic. Before, there was only one choice to hear your favorite music in your car, etc. Now, there are alternatives everywhere.

We continue to utilize radio for local clients. Radio is efficient, we can tailor our messages relatively easy to specific niche demographics, and commuters and rural citizens alike all have access to it.

However, now that Pandora can be streamed on a mobile device, cars are being built with better MP3 capabilities (as well as Internet!), radio, like all mediums, will have to continue their evolution.

Top Klog of the Week- 5/29

Local mobile marketing can be tricky- a while back, I worked on a client who was testing the concept out. Unfortunately, it failed, partially due to a lack luster offer.

Our Top Klog idea this week features a restaurant chain in Central Florida who did a stellar job of combining a traditional outlet (radio) with the non-traditional route of mobile marketing.

The Taco Maker is a popular fast food chain based in Puerto Rico, but didn't have as much brand recognition when they launched in Florida. Their agency, BxP Marketing, set out to create some buzz and drive sales when they created a new mascot- Juan Maker.

Juan Maker was a gruff character with a thick accent and zingy personality who make radio appearances with local DJs around the area. These appearances turned into a series of 60 second spots, which ran for 6 weeks and offered a free one-pound Maker burrito to customers who sent in a variety of text messages.

The texts were then tracked back to station, time of day, and even DJ, allowing them to do a high-level analysis of the results. Over 5,000 texts were received, converting to 2,500 free burritos, and a sales increase of 21%.

Just another example of how successful campaigns can be built on a blend of traditional and non-traditional ideas.

Big or Small- DVRs are Game Changing

I was a hold out. When DVRs first came on the scene, I refused to get one. Mostly because I didn't want TV to rule my existence. When I found out DVRs actually give you freedom, I broke down and got one. A few weeks ago, we became a two DVR household. That's right....two. As I am typing this now, I am tucked away in my own little space, watching my trashy reality TV that is too awful for our "main" DVR.

I write this because this week there has been a lot of research released regarding DVRs and the time shifting phenomenon. In five years, Interpublic Group of Co.'s Magna forecasts DVR usage will grow more than 70%, to 51.1 million U.S. TV homes. Tivo also just released a study stating that the majority of time shifting is occurring around the "Family Hour", or 7pm-8pm CST.

Creatives all over are starting to realize their campaigns need to take this trend into account. One second spots were all the buzz during the Super Bowl. I didn't actually see them- I guess I blinked.

But, locally, advertisers are getting creative as well. Fifteen second ads- bookended for example- are getting to be common place.

But because these are more and more common, creative is going to have to continue to evolve. Creative that delivers a message, even while fast forwarding, for example, should be something everyone considers.

I don't know about anyone else, but I watch more TV than ever. And, outside of news or sports, most of my viewing is time-shifted. But interesting creative still stands out. You can call me the Nannerpus, Nannerpus......

Top Klog of the Week- 4/10

Aerial advertising is nothing new, but using bubbles to create logos in the sky certainly is. Flogos, which can best be described as foamy clouds that have been formed into logos/letters/graphics, have used a technology originally created for NASA to take aerial advertising to a new level.

Flogos can last for about 30 minutes and travel as high as 20,000 feet. They can also be tinted, so image appears in a solid color, rather than just the standard white foam.

Not all logos are good candidates to become a Flogo, depending on the extent of curves the image has. But, Nike, Nintendo, and McDonald's have all utilized the technology thus far.

Interested? Well, the company that developed the Flogo has offices around the world, but they currently receive about 28,000 inquiries a week. So, be prepare to get in line for this unique medium.

For a look at this technology, as used by Nintendo- click here.

Top Klog of the Week- 4/3

I am one of those people who constantly has a notebook nearby, because if I don't write down a thought or idea, my world moves so fast that it slips right by.

My favorite idea this week takes that concept and translates it into an ad campaign. New York's School of Visual Arts distributed various items with the "lined paper look" to diners, bars, delis, and other public places around the area. Some of the items were napkins, tray liners, and yes, even toilet paper.

Frank Anselmo, creative director at New York's KNARF and also the instructor of a course at the school titled "Unconventional Advertising," came up with the idea when the school asked him to create a campaign to promote the school. He wanted to stress that the most important thing is the process- or the thinking. So, they went with the slogan "Think: The School of Visual Arts."

Simple, but engaging, this campaign drove home a simple idea that everyone can relate to.

Twitterfied

It seems like the Twitterverse is blowing up- I can barely turn on the TV without the site being mentioned on the Today Show, CNN, Colbert Report, you name it. In Kansas City, it is no different. Many of the local news stations are doing informational segments, and you can find at least one seminar covering Twitter every week.

But, regardless of the buzz, what does Twitter mean to local businesses? I have attended many of these local sessions, because even though I Twitter, I want to hear from all perspectives. I have heard from older women who "don't get it" to young ad professionals who rely on Twitter as their main method of communication.

Turns out, there are a lot of opportunities out there for local businesses and non-profit organizations. But, don't start bombarding your audience with sales and specials. Instead, provide them with unique content that is relevant to your brand, and you will start to gain their trust as an expert- not as someone just out to make a buck.

Right now, it is mostly national companies seeing success, but that means the local market still has a lot of growth potential.

In the end- it goes back to one solid advertising principle- know your audience. For example, many are surprised to find the average age of Twitter is 37, not younger as some expected. And, with all the coverage Twitter is getting nationally, this demographic will continue to change.

Like other forms of social media, Twitter has some basic principles that help aid success. Do a little on-line research before you start out, including monitoring the Twitterverse.

Good luck!

(you can find Cindy at www.twitter.com/auggy)

Top Klog of the Week- 3/27

A few months ago, we wrote about Original Juan, a specialty foods store here in Kansas City.

This week's idea reminds us a little bit of that brand, and this execution was ingenious. Le Cactus, a wings restaurant in Quebec, was looking for a way to promote it's Hot Wing Mondays. They were working on a tight budget (who isn't these days!) and charged their agency Lg2 to come up with a creative way to market to young adults around Quebec.

The idea was a large sticker, of a man's face, mouth open, that was placed on the back of taxi minivans. When the brake lights come on, the man's mouth lights up in a "blaze." A sticker on the upper right corner of the window reads: "Monday hot wings. Le Cactus."

Simple, creative, and gets the message across.

Sign of the Good Times?

My youngest brother Jason is in retail, and he is always analyzing things. Yesterday he called to ask me if the declining advertising rates were a sign of the economy getting worse.

We talked a while about the auto industry and how in communities across the country, local dealers spend a lot of money in print and broadcast. And how even if this was the only industry hurting, their budget cuts alone would impact media locally and nationally.

Today, I started going through some e-newsletters, and I saw some glimmers of hope:
* Television and cable companies are starting to see auto dealers increase their spending again.
* E-commerce grew 2% in January and February.
* The media upfronts (where national advertisers/networks meet to discuss budget commitments) are looking good- and prices may be higher than anticipated, indicating more ad dollars coming down the pipeline.

What does this mean to you?

If you have been on the fence about making some advertising decisions, this may be the time to do it.

Prices are good, even great, right now. And, we know those who market in down times tend to come out stronger than those who didn't. Take a look at your marketing plan, and start executing your strategies while the getting is good!

This Week's Top Klog- 3/20

Soccer fans are fanatic. And, for reasons I don't know, they like to wear scarves. Which leads into my favorite idea this week.

If you happened to be in Seattle, Washington this week, you probably noticed many brightly colored scarves hanging around. Hanging on trees, towers, and even bridges.

These scarves were ushering in a new soccer team, the Seattle Sounders FC. Blazoned with the web address ScarfSeattle.com, folks around Seattle were encouraged to take pictures of themselves while wearing the scarves, and upload them to the site.

The “Scarf Seattle” effort ended with a huge version of the scarf on the famous space needle.

Along side the online and guerrilla efforts was a supplemental traditional media execution, giving the campaign the type of layered execution we love to see. Kudos to the agency- Wexley School For Girls.

Business Cards That Are Toys? AWESOME!

I get a lot of "average" business cards, and that is probably why I am always excited when we re-do our cards. I love having something that sticks out from the crowd, but even we wouldn't have thought of this idea from Lego.

Not easy to fit in the Rolodex, but we have a feeling these cards get some prime real estate on people's shelves.

My favorite feature is that they are supposedly design to psychically resemble the employee as well- genius!

New Feature- My Favorite Idea of the Week!

I LOVE ideas that are out of the box ideas- either just completely guerrilla, or that take traditional avenues and turn them on their heads.

So, I am going to try and pick out a new inspirational idea every week- something that doesn't necessarily take a huge budget to execute.

The first one comes from across the pond, and is a campaign to raise awareness of the homeless issue in the UK.

Advertising Agency: Rapp, London, UK
Creative Director: Chad Warner
Art Director: Jon Owens
Copywriter: Rob Prangle

Rainbow of Flavors Explosion

Everyone the last few days has been in an uproar over the new social media strategy by Skittles. Social Media experts everywhere are wagging their fingers at the brand- telling them they are "doing it all wrong." Instead of encouraging teens to talk about Skittles, they are encouraging "false conversations" about the brand instead. In other words- people are just throwing the word "Skittles" in their tweets just to be noticed, or worse, using the brand name and profanity together.

OK- let's take a breath here. How many teens are just going to talk about Skittles calmly and in a way that is organized and organic? A few, but the overall risk of social media is that you have to be prepared to take the good with the bad. If someone wants to tweet that "Skittles Sucks"- well, maybe they really believe that, and that is the risk of having a Facebook Page, etc.

But, let's face it- people all over are noticing the Skittles campaign. They are blogging about, writing articles about, and analyzing Skittles. When was the last time I wrote about the brand- right- never. I am a measly little media planner and buyer, but still.

They have taken a risk, and it has gotten people talking. And, that, is much more than many brands can say these days.

If You Won't Change, Why Should I Care?

Be warned- this is a venting post. I am venting because every day I hear how bad the newspaper industry is. But, almost everyday, I hear about or have an experience with a newspaper that makes my blood boil. I have written about this before, and I continue to be surprised at their business sense.

From a Subscriber's Perspective:
I admit, I subscribe to the newspaper. But, if I were not a media planner/buyer, it would be one of the first things I would cut from my household budget. As a person in their 30's, I am bored with the paper. Outside of the front page, and a section here or there, the only thing I enjoy about the paper is the Target insert that comes every Sunday. I keep thinking newspapers will get the hint- make their content and formats change with the times. But, it is essentially the exact same paper my mom and dad were reading 30 years ago.

And, on top of that, every year my rates go up. So, I pay more for less. Or, at least for less appealing content.



From an Advertiser's Perspective:
This is where I have the biggest issue. Currently, I am drowning in media buying and negotiations. And, all across the board, I am seeing media outlets dropping rates to be in line with the current economic situation. Not only do they have more inventory open, but they realize that their clients are hurting too. And, without lower rates and more innovative ideas, those clients will leave, leaving more open inventory, and thus, the domino affect.

But, not so with newsprint. I can cite instant after instant where long-time advertisers have been pushed into signing more expensive and in-flexible contracts. Today, I even had a situation in which a paper refused to honor a previously quoted price because they made a mistake on their side..... a simple $100 mistake.

If they are not able to cut $100 off of an ad for someone that has been running newsprint for 50 years, then why should we be willing to sign away such large chunks of our budget when all we get is a shrinking audience?


Obviously, not all of my experiences are like this, but I am tired of the doom and gloom from the newspaper industry, when I see very little innovation, flexibility, or customer service from them.

WHOA! Someone is Actually Spending More?

Budgets have been a big topic for me lately, mostly because we are wrapping up the planning on several 2009 plans. There have been two big trends I have seen this year:

1. Everyone has been slow getting 2009 up and running.
2. No one wants to tell us what their real budget is.

Number two is what has been giving us the most trouble, because it means we spend a lot of time trying to guess where we should land. And, we hardly ever get it right, so it results in constant revisions.

With our current clients, I think the biggest reason they are hesitant to give us that magic number is because the economy is so unpredictable right now, and they are worried about spending more money and getting fewer sales.

But, marketing professionals know the tough times are not the right time to cut budgets. In fact, because it is harder to get that piece of the pie, you may have to spend more. Scary- I know.

Wal-Mart is proving this theory right. The giant retail chain has been one of the few out there that have been seeing successes in these trying times. And, today, it was released that their measured media budget has increased by over 50%. Now, let's not kid ourselves- their low prices are contributing to their success as well, but in a time that would be easy to be conservative, they have ramped up their advertising.

While increasing budgets by 50% are not realistic for local businesses, staying flat is minimally what you should do. Fighting for the market share now will result in success now and in the future.

Where are the Successful Facebook Campaigns?

Several times a day, I hop onto Facebook, and check in on my various acquaintances, to see what is going on in the world- or at least, in THEIR worlds.

This morning, while checking what new events I have been invited to, it occurred to me, there are not very many people I know who are NOT on Facebook.

There has also been a lot of studies lately into the expanding demographics of the site, the increasing traffic, and the exodus away from MySpace.

That being the case, why are we not hearing about any success stories from marketers using Facebook? I have visited with others who have ventured into this arena, and their reactions are always ho-hum. Many of my clients have inquired about Facebook, but the lack of results make me hesitant to recommend it.

Have we just not found the sweet spot with consumers, or do they look at the space as their private arena, and therefore, are turned off by the pitches to learn more about laundry detergent or buy shoes?

Until we know, we advise cautious curiosity with your marketing dollars.

My Two Favorite Things- At Least This Week

I love out of the box ideas- and here are two that I have seen this week that I think are genius!


First, "thought bubbles", a project that Katie Sokoler and Matt Adams undertook in Brooklyn. OH, think of the advertising possibilities!


Second, a "Bring Your Kids to Work Day" piece by BBDO. These monitor "clings" for a lack of a better word, were found on everyone's computer when they came in to work in the morning.


Kudos- both are very inspirational!

Battle Between Good Placement and Good Creative

My biggest pet peeve is convincing a local client to upgrade their media plan, only to have the creative come in and widely miss the mark.

Page dominance is great- but there are two things to note:

1) White space is eye catching......Just because you have half a page allotted, doesn't mean you have to increase photos/ font sizes so that every square centimeter is utilized.

2) If you are going to use dominant images, make sure they are professional looking. Increasing low rez photos to the point where you can see pixels makes the ad look cheap- and what does that say about your product?

If you can't afford both the big ad and a professional looking one, re-evaluate. Find a balance between it dominating the page with it's size and its professional, polished look.