When Reza out of our California office suggested I watch the movie Art & Copy I was intrigued but not too sure what to expect.

The film, through fantastic interviews, superb narration and clever editing, shows you the importance of creativity in advertising and the love advertising agencies give their work.

The filmmakers explain first hand the pitfalls most business owners don’t see when running a campaign and how good creative is set up to avoid these problems by connecting to the target audience more effectively.

The film, although not a perfect snapshot of this mammoth industry, is a very compelling piece of art in itself. I can see why this was the 2009 Official Selection at Sundance.

The agencies interviewed are those whose clients can afford large campaigns, something that is not always the case with Agencies who don’t work with giants like Nike and Apple. However it does show you how if you invest in good creative and placement you will recoup your expenses and then some.

Tommy Hilfiger tells of how so very embarrassed he was when his ad agency used a campaign comparing him (a nobody at the time) to the likes of Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Even so, he was able to go through with the pricey half page ads and expensive 7th Ave billboard in New York. And when he did, he soon became one of the most talked about designers in the U.S. sending his sales skyrocketing beyond his wildest dreams.

Despite the fact that the creators of the “GOT MILK?” campaign or the creators of the dancing silhouette iPod commercials talk about how they are pitting themselves against the giants in New York, they still aren’t necessarily feather weights either. In fact their facilities reminded me of something out of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, or maybe MTV Cribs.

Wieden + Kennedy in particular houses a basketball court, and a nice little practice space for bands, among other things! All of these luxuries are to help with the creative process because they know that good creative sells products.

This film lets you see the process agencies undertake to get a campaign. Everything from ideas to approved billboards and TV ads.
Relive the impact of the first Macintosh TV commercial. Re-experience the social movement created out of the JUST DO IT campaign, and learn the startling truth about where that line came from.

The importance of clever, responsible and creative advertising campaign’s that inspire rather than numb audiences comes to the forefront of the themes presented, and while it seems one-sided, the film does not flop.

To learn more about getting creative with your advertising watch this movie, and if you decide you need more help getting good creative remember that you can call on us any time.

A look at the recent shift in Hollywood to put marketing execs in control.

All of us have had to work hard these past few years to bear the weight of this economic corpse wrapped around our necks. Even companies that have been at the top of the food chain like Disney are taking a second look at how they’re doing business.

Earlier this month Universal president Ron Meyer told sources that co-chairs Mark Struger and David Lind would be stepping down and alluded to replacements that have strong backgrounds in marketing, as opposed to the traditional movie industry candidates. This occurring after a summer of, shall we say, less than horrible turn out at the box office.

But this shuffle isn’t a solitary incident. Disney Studio’s chair Dick Cook resigned and was replaced by Disney Channel president Rick Ross whose strength is also in marketing. The same thing happened at MGM the month before, and at Paramount a month before that.

What can we learn from this management shift?

Hollywood, along with countless other industries, are beginning to realize that they need to connect with their consumers on a deeper, more proactive level. Ideas like “Hannah Montana” from the mind of Rick Ross were (surprise-surprise) a planned marketing strategy. The idea is to get people involved in all levels of the “product” by using all mediums to promote it with the end result of the consumer being constantly drawn to it. Rick knew before he even started that he was going to make his one idea fit Movies, T.V., and music. This allows for convenience to the consumer and more recognizable merchandising.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: That there has been hundreds of the so called “triple threat” stars and that the idea is nothing new. You are completely right. But take into account that most “triple threat” stars have had to work hard for years through the industry going one step at a time to finally become recognized for their multiple talents. They never had the marketing plan laid out for all three at once, nor was there a major movie company willing to invest in that kind of marketing for a future star.

But today this concept is changing Hollywood (especially in the area of children’s entertainment) and the way consumers are spending their entertainment dollars. Which just goes to show you something that may or may not have worked 5 years ago could have a totally different effect on consumers today because of changing needs.

The next hurdle for Hollywood is to create a similar style of marketing strictly aimed at adults. This is another major factor toward the aforementioned management shift. There has been tremendous loss of adult movie goers which can be attributed to new media and T.V. options available to them during this “great recession.”

We all have to find new and innovative ways to get in touch with our clients and move them to use our products or services. So if you’re in business for yourself, or work as an executive, dust off the old marketing books and really dig in… Your income may depend on it.

Four ways to make your business more memorable and create better customer relations

If you just started a business and find you know less than you thought you did about small business marketing heed this advice: when your customers trust you it directly turns into increased profit!

Once you have a good reputation your customers will help to sell your company and validate your advertising to new customers. This is especially true for small businesses but has recently had a profound effect on large business as well.

Many people in today’s increasingly consumer conscious/eco-conscious world are actually willing go out of their way to buy from companies performing business ethically.

So here are four things you can do to create a better foundation for your marketing and make your company stand out in the mind of the customer.
• Create guidelines- If you don’t have a mission statement take the time to make one. But don’t stop there. Create a code of conduct pertaining to service. This way you can ensure that your customers are getting the level of service they deserve.
• Engage the customer- Let the customer know what promotion is available right when they walk in or after you have assessed their needs. Get your customers in the mindset that your business is part of the family by keeping them informed and involved as much as possible. Remember, every little bit counts. Simply having your cashiers fill customers in on promotions, for example, at the register may be all you need to increase your profits.
• Create Value- Creating truly valuable promotions and delivering on it will leave clients feeling that you always do things for the good of the customer. Whether they take part in the promotion or not. If one person doesn’t have need of your service that doesn’t mean they don’t have a friend that DO need your service.
• Create a community- When people feel they belong to something bigger than themselves it gives them a sense of belonging which humans all innately desire. It also gives people reassurance that what they are doing is a smart choice.

Giving your clients a place to do socializing can give you a group of company cheerleaders. There are many ways to do this: special sales days for long time clients, holding charity functions, or, a tool that has become ever so popular in the last five years, the online community on your website. Customers love to discuss issues and topics with people who have similar interests or live in the same community. Establish a safe place for them to do this sponsored by you.

These are all just foundations to ideas, feel free to get creative and go as far with these creative platforms as you can. Feel free to let us know how you did.

Creativity truly is the fuel for the engine we call business, we need to make sure my we are always running with a full tank.

Companies want to create good advertising but they tend to forget it is necessary to have something good to advertise to get peoples attention. I’ve seen many ads that are just the name or logo of some company and a slogan. Graphic design and copy alone can’t move products or sell services. Give your customer an excuse to buy from you with a unique promotion.

Recently a lot of advertisers have become more innovative as the slumping economy has created a need to be more aggressive with their promotions and they have come up with some great ideas.

If you buy a Hyundai Sonata you can get $1000 to trade in your car, some sort of $2000 dollar rebate and, last but not least, gas at the price of $1.49 for a whole year. Now if you haven’t ever worked for a car dealership, know this: these offers are no different than the normal rebates which have always been available (as far as out of pocket expense for the car company). It has just now been set up in a way that gets you thinking differently and attracts you to it because of your current needs. Everyone wants to get cheaper gas especially if you have a family and need to get a roomy car like a Sonata.

Chili’s new “Two for Twenty” deal is another great advertising idea. It’s a meal for two people for only 20 bucks. You could have always had two meals for twenty bucks at Chili’s if you try hard enough or walk in with a Sunday paper coupon, but Chili’s has taken the work out and given themselves a great excuse to run an ad campaign.

Make sure your company is doing this type of advertising. Just putting your name in the paper with a great ad concept will not entice your buyers to…well; buy anything from you right now.

One notable way to get ideas is through research. Look back at your old records to see which promotions worked. This gives you a starting point to be creative. A lot of times you can combine two old ideas to come up with one amazing promotion. So go ahead take some time and get creative.

Another way to come up with new innovative promotions is to test them. If you don’t have big money tied up in your business for rigorously testing your promotions, go ahead and talk to some of your clients. Ask them what types of promotions they would love to see offered, and out of those which promotions would be too hard to pass up.

Give your clients a reason to pick up the phone and call or to come in and buy. Create the need with a strong call to action!
Your customers will act.

]]> http://www.smallbusinessmarketingandadvertisinghelp.com/blog/2009/09/19/great-advertising-ideas-to-make-your-own-ads-better/feed/ 2 http://www.smallbusinessmarketingandadvertisinghelp.com/blog/2009/06/08/should-i-advertise-in-a-recession-a-time-to-gain-market-share-part-one/ http://www.smallbusinessmarketingandadvertisinghelp.com/blog/2009/06/08/should-i-advertise-in-a-recession-a-time-to-gain-market-share-part-one/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:03:16 +0000 admin http://assuranceadvertising.wordpress.com/?p=45 Should I Advertise in a Recession?

(A time to gain market share!)

*PART ONE*

Did you know that you could set your business up to gain market share when the economy is bad?

All you have to do is focus your marketing efforts to gain the clients your competitors are no longer fighting for. The key here is to get really good at understanding your competitors and your target markets.

First, let’s talk about understanding your competitors. You need to know their names, locations, websites (not just how to get to it but actually what it looks like and what sort of content is on it). Find out what their current sales promotions are so you can make sure you are playing in the same ball park. But most importantly, how are they (or aren’t they) reaching their target audience.

Second, look at your own target market. Think of this more like looking at one or two specific people that would be the perfect customer (or the new type of customer you’re trying to gain). What makes them view one company as a superior choice to another? What types of media do they have exposure to? For example, if they regularly ride the bus to work or drive certain freeways the understanding of these facts can let you know how to take advantage of all sorts of media that will get your message to a very specific group of people that aren’t being reached currently. Is there a promotion that those customers will feel the benefits of more than another? What level of service do they expect? How do they actually get your product or service? Study these things, and write them down. Analyze the information and then your campaigns will be more effective in making you more money, even in a so-called recession!

Digest that information and start employing some of those practices into your daily routine and tune in next time to read about more you can do to gain that competitive edge!

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