Posts Tagged ‘print advertising’
Posted by Scott Dunn on April 21, 2009
Great news. You woke up this morning and a video produced about your brand has over 760,000 views in a 24 hour period. Twitter is a buzz about your brand, your video is being translated in every language imaginable and your brand has truly gone global. You now know what it means when a video goes viral. Congratulations are in order, right?
Wrong!!! See, the problem is this. All of the hype about your brand is negative. Yes, you read it right, negative. Neither you nor your ad agency produced the buzz. Instead, a couple of employees with a little bit of time and a $150.00 camera made the video about your brand, posted it on You Tube and the world watched.
Think it can not happen to you and your brand? Do you still think social media is a fad or something your kids do for hours on end? This is exactly what Domino’s thought until it happened to them.
Last week, Donino’s Pizza faced a truly trying time when a video was posted on You Tube showing two employees defacing its food. In a 24 hour period, the video went viral and social media sites were a buzz. With 760,000 views on You Tube, it is enough to make any marketing executive shutter.
Another case in point is Aston Martin. Someone on Twitter decided to set up an account using their name and started tweeting (sending out messages) as Aston Martin. To make a long story short, the tweets were not all good. Aston Martin found out their brand was hijacked and contacted Twitter to have the account shut down. How many tweets did Aston Martin (the hijacked brand) send out? Enough that people took notice and objected to the comments.
Bottom line: Social Media has arrived. Will it have the same look and feel next month, next year or ten years from now? No, it will not. Social Media will continue to evolve as we will. These are exciting times to be in the advertising and marketing world as the industry is being turned on its heel. Change is inevitable; how you handle it is up to you.
What is your plan to protect your brand? Do you have a process in place for what to do when your brand comes under fire? Your brand will come under fire. Will you be prepared when it does?
Take action today and put together a list of the major social media sites and actively monitor these sites. Google has some great tools that will help you to do this. Find out who you need to contact at each of these sites and what the process is to have your hijacked brand removed from the site. How can you leverage the same sites to help you in your campaign?
It is up to you to protect your brand!
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Posted by Scott Dunn on April 20, 2009
Here’s the marketing outrage of the year. The Port Authority of New Jersey and New York has changed the name of the new signature building at the 9/11 terrorist strike from “The Freedom Tower” to “WTC I.”
Why? Because the word “freedom” makes it hard to sell, they say. They are trying to find tenants for the 1776 foot office/monument, and its tough sledding. But the rumor has it that China has popped for about three floors. Did China insist on the change? Why should they object? Are they afraid of the word? Or of the concept?
To me, “WTC I” invokes sad memories. It makes me think of bad, past days. Dark days of heroism, grief, and, yes, terrorists. But “Freedom” is inspirational and looks forward to days of light, progress and joy.
The old Twin Towers were not a raging success. I don’t think their occupancy was ever that great; I don’t know why. Maybe the new building will have a curse on it, and be hard to rent no matter what name it bears. If I were a salesman for the project, I know I’d rather be selling freedom than a tombstone.
There will be a brief chapter in my new textbook called “Courageous Marketing.” It will cover brands that survived the recession by plowing forward. It will describe the guts of taking uncertain paths. It will honor those who are single minded, despite pressure to diversify. It will not include the chicken-hearted politically correct sycophants like the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York.
The climate these days is to decry the greedy capitalists. The ones who make profits on the backs of the needy unfortunates. But they’re the ones who take risks for freedom, the brave people who aren’t afraid to step up with pride and say, “This is what I stand for. Want a piece of it?”
George Lemmond
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Posted in marketing | Tagged: ad agency, ad agency alpharetta, ad agency atlanta, ad agency johns creek, ad agency miami, ad agency New York, advertise, advertise atlanta, advertise in alpharetta, advertise in atlanta, advertise in johns creek, advertise in milton, advertise in north fulton, Advertising, advertising agency, advertising agency atlanta, advertising alpharetta, advertising alpharetta ga, advertising atlanta, advertising city of milton, advertising ga, advertising georgia, advertising in atlanta, advertising johns creek, advertising milton, advertising roswell, advertising sandy springs, alpharetta advertising, atlanta advertising, atlanta advertising agencies, b2b advertising, buckhead, city of johns creek, city of milton advertising, digital advertising, emory johns creek hospital, George Lemmond, Johns Creek, johns creek advertising, johns creek business, johns creek business association, johns creek chamber, johns creek marketing, print advertising, roswell advertising, Scott Dunn, small business advertising, small business advertsing, social media advertising, sonarconnects, Town Planner, Town Planner Calendar, Town Planner GA, townplanner, townplannerga | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Scott Dunn on February 27, 2009
Ok, ok, ok, I get it. We are in the midst of one of the biggest recessions in the last 20 plus years, according to the media. Everyday I look at my RSS feeds, my google page or the news. It is all doom and gloom. Personally, I am tired of it and believe now is the best time to be in and grow a small business. Yes, I know fear sells and yes I know media companies are in it to make money, but come on people. Give me a break. Can’t I have just a little bit of good news sprinkled in with the doom and gloom?
As someone who is participating in the American Dream via entreprenuership, I am always looking for ways to improve, stengthen and grow my business. So instead of focusing on the doom and gloom, I am focusing on the positives. The positives of a good recession for a small business owner, in my mind, are as follows:
1) Invest in your infrasturcture.
- Small businesses by nature are set up to run lean and mean. We do not have access to millions and millions of dollars from ponzi/hocus pocus fianancing, so we must be practical with our resources. In good times this means sales reps don’t want to “waste their time with us” and in down times we can pick up equipment for pennies on the dollar. Now is the time to purchase the equipment you want but could never justify the cost. If you are buying used equipment, MAKE SURE you purchase a service contract. You will sleep better at night.
2) Invest in your people.
- Let’s face it. The most important thing in any business is your client base. Right after that, it is your people. Now is the perfect time to not only train your people, but also recruit new employes. The recession will end and when it does, are your people better, the same or worse for the experience? How many jobs can one employee perform and are they fully trained on that new piece of equipment? Are they cross-trained in two to three other positions? What were your biggest employee headaches over the last few years? Now is the time to solve them. Recruit, recruit, recruit. The best hires I have ever made were people that took six months to a year to recruit. Now is the best time to find new employees so you do not have to make knee jerk reactions when you do have to hire. Most everyone will at least sit down for a cup of coffee and start a conversation. Call all the people who did not want to talk to you for the last two years and meet with them. You will be amazed at what you find out about a person…like are they really worth all the hype?
3) Invest in your customers.
- This is THE most important thing that any small business can do. What can you do, right here right now, to strengthen a relationship with one of your customers? Find something in your business that you can use to help them. It does not necessarily have to be a product or service that is fee based. A tremendous value add you can provide is education. What is happening in your industry that will affect your customers? Take the time now to build trust and help your clients prepare for the future. Note, I did not say this is a sales call for you to peddle your wares.
4) Build NEW alliances.
- Stop reading this blog, pick up the phone right now and call someone. Anyone. Build a new relationship with someone outside of your current network. You are on every social media sight known to man, so pick up the phone and put a voice to that face. The more people who know you, the easier it is for them to refer you.
This “recession” will end. What you do right now right here, today will pave the road for your success in the future.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
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Posted by Scott Dunn on February 19, 2009
A lot of people say that retailing, as we know it, is dead. Why go to a store when you can compare and shop on the internet, get it paid for and delivered without leaving home?
Despite its growth and acceptance, internet sales are still less than five percent of all purchases. I predict it will never reach fifteen percent? Why? Because people need to shop. They need to get out and connect with the world,
In my experience at Target I saw nine reasons why people came into our stores. Do you fit any of these?
1. They want to be in a crowd. It’s somewhere to go, to be with human beings. They can’t stand to be alone. They need sporting events, restaurants, or just walking through the city.
2. The opposite—to be alone. In other words, to be lost in a crowd. When they get stressed out they relax by shopping. Somehow they recharge their batteries there. They can still be anonymous while making human contact.
3. They want companionship. They come in pairs. “Hey, let’s get together—we can go shopping!” Some couples develop strong bonds—they are facing the world as a team.
4. They want to see what’s new. It’s a better way to be with it and not rely on what they read in the paper or see on TV.
5. They need a challenge. It’s a competitive sport. Compulsive shoppers are very competitive. They can sniff out a bargain from a hundred yards away. They bag their stuff as trophies, and come home victorious.
6. They need to pamper themselves. They need to spend in order to affirm their beauty and worth. It’s an award they bestow on their egos. It makes them feel better than a workout at the gym.
7. They need to dream. They need to see how the upper class lives. They envy wealth. Women try on stuff that there’s no way they can buy.
8. They need to brag. These are the worst kind. They have to show how smart and rich they are.
9. They need something. Duh. This applies mostly to men. Shopping is a problem for them to be solved—go out and find it, shoot it, and bring it home.
My Dad hated shopping: he waited in the car for Mom and smoked his pipe. My daughter was told by her mother, “Clean your room or I’ll make you go shop with your father!”
Of course people will switch from one reason to another, day to day. Sometimes from store to store.
But can you imagine what it would be like if there were no shopping? How else could you satisfy the basic need to be connected?
George Lemmond
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Posted by Scott Dunn on November 29, 2008
Despite reports of advertising’s imminent demise, it still does work, under the ideal circumstance.
The proof. I was comfortably vegetating on my couch watching my third NFL game of the day, when a TV commercial interrupted my peace. I sprang into action, put on my Nikes, ran to my car, and raced to the nearest place where I could buy the product that alerted me to its existence.
I completed the transaction, drove expectantly homeward, and enjoyed the satisfaction of a purchase well made.
Are you longing to know what it was that awoke my latent need or instilled the urgency of my frenetic action? Or what irresistible force overcame the immovable object?
It was Arby’s. The TV situation depicted a man who couldn’t find a living soul until he found a live one. The discoveree was stuffing his mouth and explained that everybody is at Arby’s, where they are selling five Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwiches for five bucks. That triggered me.
Why did it work for me?
- I was hungry
- I could get there quickly
- I am of their targeted audience—older, a roast beef lover
- I was a lapsed user—-hadn’t had an Arby’s in five years
- I identified with the characters. Average looking guys.
So, is this the proof that you needed that advertising can work? Yes. All you need is a product that works, the right audience, a brand that is acceptable, and an incentive. It’s obvious that timing is essential.
Technology hasn’t made advertising as we knew it passé, but it has made it tougher. Competition is fiercer, and consumer patience is thinner.
Arby’s connected with me on a late Sunday afternoon. How many commercials sped through my head, unnoticed and uncared for?
George Lemmond
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Posted in Advertising | Tagged: ad agency, ad agency alpharetta, ad agency atlanta, ad agency johns creek, ad agency miami, ad agency New York, advertise, advertise in atlanta, advertise in johns creek, advertise in milton, advertise in north fulton, Advertising, advertising agency, advertising agency atlanta, advertising alpharetta, advertising alpharetta ga, advertising atlanta, advertising ga, advertising georgia, advertising in atlanta, advertising johns creek, advertising roswell, advertising sandy springs, alpharetta advertising, Arby's, atlanta advertising, b2b advertising, buckhead, business post, city of milton advertising, digital advertising, George Lemmond, greater north fulton chamber, greater north fulton chamber of commerce, johns creek advertising, johns creek chamer of commerce, metro atlanta chamber, metro atlanta chamber of commerce, money mailer, New Media, New York, north fulton times, points north, points north magazine, print advertising, roswell advertising, savvy shoper, savvy shopper, savy shoper, savy shopper, Scott Dunn, small business advertising, Social Media, social media advertising, Town Planner Calendar | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Scott Dunn on November 18, 2008
Attached is a press release from a client, Emory Johns Creek Hospital (EJCH), who just won the E-HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP AWARD.
We at Town Planner Calendar are both proud and honored to have been chosen to develop this project with Emory Johns Creek Hospital. I appreciate EJCH’s leap of faith in choosing our agency to help them in launching their first social media site. We at Town Planner Calendar are very passionate about Social Media and its limitless roles in procuring tangible results for our clients.
Congratulations Emory Johns Creek Hospital!!!
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Johnel Reid November 18, 2008
EMORY JOHNS CREEK HOSPITAL WINS E-HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR VIDEO BLOG
JOHNS CREEK, GA – Emory Johns Creek Hospital was recognized for its outstanding website at a special presentation in Orlando on November 11 during the Twelfth Annual Healthcare Internet Conference. The EJCH blog and video blog sites earned the Award of Distinction, the number one award among hospitals of 200 beds or less, in the category of Best Web 2.0/Rich Media category. “It is an honor to be recognized for our considerable efforts this past year,” said Johnel Reid, Director of Marketing for the hospital. “What began as an experiment for us, has gained momentum and produced significant results,” she added.
Emory Johns Creek Hospital’s site was chosen from among 1,100 entries by a panel of 114 judges familiar with healthcare and the Internet. “A growing number of healthcare organizations are clearly embracing the Web and emerging technologies,” says Mark Gothberg, eHealthcare Leadership Awards chairman. Gothberg notes that many organizations have invested in new sites or made significant improvements in their existing sites. “Such rich media forms as video, audio, blogs, and discussion groups are changing the landscape of Web sites,” he says.
The hospital launched its blog and video health library with the help and video production of Scott Dunn, of SONARconnects. “We know that people are changing the way they receive their news and information and we know the Internet plays a significant role,” said Reid. The team videotaped interviews with their medical staff about a variety of health related issues and then posted the videos to the Internet. “In less than four months, the 150 videos we have posted have received more than 11,000 views,” Reid said.
“Our audience can expect to see our blog continue to evolve,” said Reid. “We are finding ways to become more interactive and build relationships with our patients and the community. Healthcare marketing, at its core, is about relationships — building trust among physicians, hospitals and patients,” she said. “Traditionally, healthcare marketing has been fairly conservative. We are fortunate to have leadership that embraces this experiment ,” Reid added. “We have exciting plans for 2009 that will include improving the quality, server response and using more social media elements.”
“It’s rewarding to work with clients to help them find ways to reach their markets in new ways. The Internet is changing how people get their news, their information, even their entertainment. It is changing how people connect with each other and with the companies they choose to do business with,” said Dunn. “In the case of Emory Johns Creek, we found a way for doctors to reach their target audiences in a very personal, non-traditional way. It’s a win-win situation for everyone – the doctors get the value of knowing their messages are being heard, the audience gets the information they were looking for, and the hospital builds relationships with the communities they serve.
Emory Johns Creek Hospital is known for its state-of-the-art technology in a luxurious, hotel-like setting. Services include advanced orthopaedic surgery, joint replacement, spine surgery, 24/7 emergency care, state-of-the-art all digital imaging including a 64 slice CT, The Birth Place with Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, 24-hour anesthesiologists, intensive care, advanced cardiac care, rehabilitation services and women’s services. Emory Johns Creek Hospital is home to the Atlanta Bariatric Center, designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons.
For more information, please visit emoryjohnscreek.com. To find a physician close to where you live or work, call 678.474.8200
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Posted in Social Media | Tagged: ad agency, ad agency alpharetta, ad agency atlanta, ad agency johns creek, ad agency miami, advertise, advertise atlanta, advertise in alpharetta, advertise in atlanta, advertise in johns creek, advertise in milton, advertise in north fulton, Advertising, advertising agency, advertising agency atlanta, advertising alpharetta, advertising alpharetta ga, advertising atlanta, advertising city of milton, Advertising digital advertising marketing, advertising ga, advertising georgia, advertising johns creek, advertising milton, advertising roswell, advertising sandy springs, alpharetta advertising, appen, appen newspaper, atlanta advertising, b2b advertising, blog, blogs, blogs about hospitals, buckhead, city of milton advertising, digital advertising, doctor, emory, emory hospital, emory johns creek hospital, gnfcc, greater north fulton chamber, greater north fulton chamber of commerce, jcba, jccc, Johns Creek, johns creek advertising, johns creek business, johns creek business association, johns creek chamber, johns creek chamer of commerce, north fulton chamber, north fulton times, north side, North Side Hospital, points north, points north magazine, print advertising, roswell advertising, Scott Dunn, small business advertising, small business advertsing, social media advertising, Town Planner, Town Planner Calendar, Town Planner GA, townplanner, townplannerga, you tube | 5 Comments »
Posted by Scott Dunn on September 29, 2008
Any good manufacturer would deep-six a brand that has a 17% approval rating.
Any good retailer would show it the door.
Any good consumer would return it and demand a refund.
Unfortunately, congress is a brand that has tenure. We can’t get rid of it. We can only change its members every two or six years.
The current economic bail-out mess has been described as:
A failed administration, and a failed congress,
bailing out failed businesses that have failed the country,
yet we are assured that it cannot fail!
Our constitution guarantees legislative continuity, but it is silent about competence.
The market is brutal for brands that fail. Over ninety percent of new products and new stores are gone after two years. Here are some reasons why brands fail. One could only wish that our leaders would pay attention:
- They don’t stand for anything in particular
- They don’t listen
- They don’t keep up-to-date
- They think they are bullet-proof
- They think they are above the laws (of marketing that is)
I think that politicians should take Marketing #101. (They obviously skipped Economics and History.) Good marketers live by these rules:
- We exist because of our customers and survive at their pleasure
- We offer a promise and we keep it
- We aren’t the boss
- We are trustworthy
- We are accountable, right now, every day
We have term limits for our president, for good reason. Why not for congress? Sure, we would give up some experience, but we would gain more from fresh air.
I tell my students that if they want to succeed in marketing they should first go out and sell something. That is a humbling experience. They would learn how to fail—graciously. They would have to experience the real world. Politicians—likewise?
“Public Service” is a noble calling. But where has it gone wrong?
George Lemmond
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Posted by Scott Dunn on September 23, 2008
An opponent called Lincoln a baboon and a senator hit another with his cane. Not too long ago we saw legislators duke it out in Japan, and Google reports statesmen’s physical bashings in Jakarta, Taiwan, and the Czech Republic.
Are those good ole days gone forever? The worst I’ve seen lately is, “My opponent’s campaign has reached a new low with his lies and half-truths.” Really—how about really low blows with the gloves off?
I’d favor capital punishment for attacks on anyone’s family. Otherwise, let it rip.
Aren’t you sick of hearing, “My distinguished opponent, with whom I have the highest personal regard, is somewhat misguided on this issue.” That is a non-Freudian slip. What he was thinking was, “He is a bumbling fool and I question his ancestry and the circumstances of his birth.”
We need a police force that enforces non-civility in all political ads. No gentility, only verbal body slams are allowed. Politeness is very boring. Good ads are intrusive. Old-fashioned boxing (under the Marques of Queensbury rules) is being swamped by Ultimate Fights, where the only thing it seems you can’t do is disembowel. Hockey fans want fistfights, Nascar thrives on wrecks. Gladiators win with blood, toreadors earn ears. Americans want a (fair?) fight.
I want to hear what they really think about issues, and what they know about the other guy’s deficiencies (read dirt). Here’s a format that will work for any televised debates:
- In an isolation booth with one mike
- Just the two of them, seated facing each other, three feet apart
- They take turns asking any question they choose
- The other one has one minute to answer, then the first one can shout over
- After five minutes a bell rings and the other guy asks his question
- Two hour limit
All’s fair in love and war. Why not in elections? Let’s fight!
George Lemmond
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Posted by Scott Dunn on August 4, 2008
We’ve given you the first five Guides:
Don’t innovate, don’t try to relate to your staff, don’t try to be friends with your customers, forget about long-term planning, and don’t get hung up with objectives.
Now here are last six. Remember, the number one objective is survival, not excellence or fame.
6. Advertising and Marketing: From Positioning to Posturing. Positioning has been rightly described as the art of irrelevant distinction. The most mediocre are never trapped into over-defining and hence limiting their offerings. We have seen a pattern among our select institutions that we call “Power Posturing.” You have reached this level if you can make these affirmations:
- My company has taken the high ground on all issues, such as corporate responsibility. (For proof, see our Mission Statement!)
- We don’t want customers. We want friends who share our values. They’ll be happy with 23/6.
- We don’t satisfy needs. We offer fulfillment.
7. Public Relations: The Spinning Age of Disinformation. There is but one cardinal rule: Facts and truth, like beauty and spooned grapefruit juice, are in the eye of the beholder. Learn from the politicians—answer only your own questions. Muddle through. Don’t take a stand, step aside.
8. Finance: A Borrower nor a Lender Be. The intricacies, uncertainties and risks of modern financial management requires expertise beyond the skills of mediocrity. Therefore, keep all funds in an on-line checking account.
9. Manufacturing: Make it or Break It? There is a bogus issue in some quarters called “quality control.” This is anathema to mediocrity. As long as your output is a sincere effort, buyers should be happy to get it. Outsource wherever you can, settle for Sigma Five and a Half.
10. Organizational Planning: From Lean to Neo-flatulent. Mediocrity cannot be achieved on an empty stomach. Leanness must be eschewed. Proper staffing requires back-up support at every job level. Here are tests to indicate adequacy:
- Generic job descriptions are good enough for all positions.
- Tenure is granted for all employees as soon as they qualify for major medical.
- Hire well-rounded, socially aware C students
11. Visible Management: Back Row, by the Aisle. In some circles, “hands-on” management is extolled. But why? How can workers be fulfilled if they are watched? The proper place for mediocre management is at the rear, by the aisle. From there they have a clear view of the proceedings, but can escape quickly in case of fire.
These guides should suffice for now. We will continue to watch for stories that don’t make the papers. But we doubt we’ll learn anything more, because the strength of mediocrity is that it doesn’t change. You can’t be too cautious. You can’t just talk about mediocrity– you have to live it—to execute it every day.
George Lemmond
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Posted by Scott Dunn on May 28, 2008
In the first session of my advertising classes I ask the students if think they could be copy writers. They all say yes, with varying degrees of conviction.
Then I ask them to prove it: “OK, I have reserved advertising space in tomorrow’s paper. I have a goat that I want to get rid of. Write a headline for my ad.”
They set to work, and after a few minutes they gleefully want to share their inspirations. Some of the memorable lines were, “Buy a cheap labor saving device,” or “Give this poor goat a loving home.” In every class someone comes up with a version of, “Don’t let somebody else get your goat.”
I stop the hilarity and say, “Is this a Billy or a Nanny Goat?” Someone answers, “We don’t know, you didn’t tell us.” I reply, “You didn’t ask.”
So it goes with other questions: How old is this goat? Is it healthy? Does it come from a line of good goats? Why is it for sale? “You didn’t tell us!” Again, “You didn’t ask.”
Then I get into the buyer. Who buys goats, and why? What are some problems with goats? “How should we know?”
The point of this story is you should never write an ad until you know what you’re talking about. So far I’ve only had one student who refused the assignment. She said, “I don’t know anything about this goat. I can’t do it.” (She was engineering major and knew nothing about marketing.)
If you want to sell a goat, get steeped in goat lore. Get to know goat owners and goat lovers. Go so far as to get one yourself.
Then decide, what is the one most important thing you should claim about this goat? That is its positioning. Now you are ready to write an ad. And your ad will have a good chance of actually selling that goat.
George Lemmond
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