I am writing you today to deliver some sad and unfortunate news. After 15 years in business, my wife Gretchen and I have made a decision to close our firm, Renaissance Creative.

Last night I moderated a panel discussion at the University of North Florida called Strictly Social. The purpose of the event was to bring together professionals in Northeast Florida who use social media every day in their jobs, but who each do very different jobs.

By doing so, I hoped to bring together people with different enough backgrounds, and diverse enough expertise, to facilitate a quality conversation about a range of topics. Now that the event is over, I believe that I was successful.

I’d like to thank both UNF’s PRSSA chapter, and UNF, for both inviting me to speak, and for hosting the event. Without them, it would not have been nearly as successful!

Panelists who appeared on the panel were:

Jason Sadler, Founder of IWearYourShirt.com

Aliera Peterson, Social Media Manager at Dalton Agency

Lauren Teague, Fan Outreach and Social Media Manager at PGA TOUR

Jason Pratt, Public Affairs Consultant at Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media

The panel tackled the following topics:

• What does the shifting age demographics within social media mean, both for individuals and for brands?
• What does a successful online community look like? How can one be built?
• The state of the “Check-In”. What is the long-term viability of this? In your view, is it here to stay? How will it evolve over the next few years?
• What role will niche/topic-specific social networks fulfill over the next few years?
• How will social media’s role in customer service change over the next few years?
• What is the future of of q&a sites in social, both for personal web use, and for brands?

Almost 50 people were in attendance for discussion, and lots of tweeting was happening. To see all that was said, follow the hash tag #strictlysocial on Twitter.

Here are some of the more interesting quotes/tweets from the evening:

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We’d again like to thank everyone who came out to the event last night!

Since this event went well, we hope to put together another one in the near future. When that happens, we will write about it here.

I’m very excited about this event, and have some hope that it could become a recurring event. I’ve been thinking about putting together an event like this for a little while. So when I was approached by two representatives from UNF’s chapter of PRSSA, I jumped at the chance.

The plan, initially, was that I would speak to the chapter members about social media. However, once I got to thinking about it, I saw how this event could potentially be something much bigger.

Here in North Florida, we have a considerable amount of talent and smarts relating to social media marketing and online communities. I know a lot of people who do this professionally, across numerous industries.

Knowing that, I decided to approach a few of those people about the idea of appearing on a panel discussion. Instead of having me up there talking, I would serve as a moderator for a discussion amongst a few other professionals who work in the industry locally.

Every person I approached about appearing said yes. Here’s the list of who will be appearing on the panel:

Who: Aliera Peterson

What: Social Media Manager

Where: Dalton Agency

Who: Jason Pratt

What: Public Affairs Consultant

Where: Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media

Who: Jason Sadler

What: T-Shirt Wearer/Founder

Where: IWearYourShirt.com

Who: Lauren Teague

What: Social Media & Fan Outreach Coordinator

Where: PGA TOUR

The event is free to attend. If you’re interested in social media/online communities, this is a can’t-miss event!

Back in June I wrote about how restaurants can use social media on a daily basis to drive customers in, and generate conversation online. My example breaks the day down into different parts, and offers an explanation of what could be done for each.

Today I came across a broader explanation, in the form for a flowchart.

It was developed by Spork Media, a New York-based consultancy that caters (no pun intended) to the restaurant industry, to help restaurant owners develop their business’s digital and social media footprint.

Check out the flowchart here:

The reason this works so well is that it looks at the big picture. Successful social media and online community strategies are built around outposts that each direct users/customers back to the business’s digital HQ, which in this case is the official web site.

In March of this year, Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas-Nelson, wrote a great post about what he calls a “Social Media Framework” on his blog, which I encourage you to read.

When it is done right, restaurants can use social media, online communities and even content in a way that encourages online buzz and brings in new customers.

While each business and restaurant requires its own individual strategy, the above flowchart is a good starting point for any restaurant looking to dabble in social media for the first time.

Photo credit: Cedric Leclere/Flickr

Today Pace Communications released a breakdown of where most of the major grocery store chains in the U.S. stand with regard to total number of followers on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

The results were surprising in part because it painted a clear picture of how little this industry has invested in social, outside of major players such as WalMart and Target.

While the retail and food service industries have been quick to jump into social media, food retail (grocery stores, etc) appear to be more hesitant.

Grocery stores advertise their in-store deals to drive foot-fall via newspapers and magazines. That will continue for years to come, however social media offers another platform that should not be ignored.

Services such as Groupon and Living Social offer great opportunities to drive customers with discounts, traditional social media offers an added bonus of enabling engagement between customers and stores.

Over the next year or two, I believe that more grocery stores will begin to put greater emphasis on their social profiles, both for reputation purposes, and to drive customers into the stores.

Photo credit: Doug Wilson/Flickr

One of the side benefits of businesses using social media is that it requires some maintenance by actual human beings. For every business, this presents an opportunity. Whomever is managing your company’s social media efforts could become the face of your brand or company online.

The above screen grab is of Scott Monty’s Twitter account. Scott is the head of social media engagement for Ford Motor Company. Other than CEO Allan Mullaly, Scott is the the most recognizable “face” of Ford, because that’s how Ford positioned him to be.

Corporations and brands tend to be faceless organizations: The only humans that customers interact with are the ones they meet in brick-and-mortar locations, or via customer service. Social media presents an opportunity for companies and brands to humanize themselves. It goes towards perception, trust and ultimately, comfort.

In a recent Ad Age column, Chris Malone, chief advisory officer of Relational Capital Group, discussed this at length. Here are some of the key points that he made:

Social media are simply the most obvious place to apply insights about warmth and competence. This universal model of human perception has the potential to significantly reshape almost every aspect of the way companies build, manage, service and advertise their brands.

Because social media are ultimately a platform for conversations, brands can have actually discussions with customers, answer questions and more. This is the warmth that Chris is talking about. If you feel like someone is listening to you, then you’re likely to feel positively towards them.

Putting service-related honesty and selfless intentions on display for consumers to comment on and share with others will surprise, impress and inspire them.

This is all about transparency. Previously, all customer questions to a brand happened behind closed doors, on the phone, in the call centers. While a lot of that still happens today, some of it is shifting online, to social media platforms. Customers cannot be brushed aside when they leave pertinent comments and time-sensitive questions on a brand’s Facebook page.

In an article appearing today on Mashable, the author touches on this as one of the different “engagement styles” that can be used by businesses using Twitter:

With one friendly “individual” voice. This engagement style calls for a business to officially anoint someone or selected people from within the company to be the official Tweet-voice. Their personality is allowed to come through on some level within company boundaries. Customers need to feel as if they are being handled by an actual human being who is personable, but not too edgy

Businesses considering a social media presence should also consider having an employee as the “face” of the company or brand on social networks. It will lend to the credibility of the business, because customers feel like they are interacting with a person, not a nameless/faceless entity.

This afternoon eMarketer published a fascinating article based on research in ExactTarget’s “Subscribers, Fans and Followers” report.

The report highlights what many already know: That customers are listening to brands on multiple platforms. Knowing that, it’s important to present a united front in your brand’s communication and marketing strategies.

Most Internet users studied in April 2010 engaged with brands only via marketing emails, but nearly a third subscribed to emails in addition to being fans of brands on Facebook. The vast majority of social media fans or followers were also email subscribers.

Very interesting findings, no doubt. What this means, ultimately, is that there is less room for fragmentation in messaging. Your customers are getting your e-mail marketing messages, but they’re also a fan on Facebook.

This also means that there are greater opportunities to tailor offers and engagement efforts to individual platforms, knowing that your customers are on both. If you are looking to boost engagement on your Facebook page, tailor your efforts to put the spotlight on the Facebook page and incentivize customers to use it in the way that the company would like it to be used.

As always, eMarketer has condensed their findings into an easy-to-read infographic:

Looking specifically at social media, the report found that Twitter plays a specific role in how customers use social media to interact with brands:

Twitter appeals most to consumers who want to feel up to date and in the know, suggesting information about new products and services or other brand initiatives would be of interest.

I’m inclined to agree. Just look at Twitter’s latest eCommerce venture, EarlyBird (@EarlyBird) which brings “exclusive offers from Twitter’s select advertising partners” to more than 87,000 Twitter users, a number that is growing by 2,900+ every day.

Measurement tools exist to help companies determine the success/failure rate of their e-mail marketing efforts. This new information should help companies better tailor their messaging, and ensure that all of its social channels are singing the same tune.

Photo credit: Mohammad Jangda/Flickr

The entire article is fascinating, but I found this part the most insightful:

As more in-store shoppers—especially millennials, who are used to turning to their mobile phone to stay connected anytime, anywhere—become mobile web users, demand for an in-store experience that takes advantage of web capabilities will only grow.

Developing and executing an in-store mobile marketing strategy can be expensive, which is why it will mostly be done by larger companies with numerous brick and mortar stores. However, opportunities exist for small and medium-sized businesses to develop a more cost-effective strategy for developing an in-store mobile marketing strategy.

Here are four possibilities:

1. In-store web coupons: Have the coupon URL of a coupon posted in-store. A customer can visit the coupon’s site on their mobile phone, load it and show it to the cashier at check-out
2. Get an app.: This is a more expensive option, but it has the potential to pay off in the longer term. Have a mobile app. developed that gives back automatic discounts for in-store use, such as price scanning and more.
3. Partner with a geolocation service: Earlier this week I wrote about how SMBs can use geolocation. In this instance, when a customer checks in at your store, they are presented with a coupon to be used during that visit.
4. Text message discount codes: Give your customers a number that, when they text it, they are sent a coupon code that can be used in-store. Each day (week/month) the code and discount is different.

Mobile marketing is an emerging field, but the opportunities today are great and diverse. Some are more expensive than others, but all promise to engage customers who shop in-store, in a more direct and meaningful way.

Today Ad Age published an article detailing AT&T’s new social media plan, aimed at helping customers and ultimately turn negatives into positives. From the article:

On a normal day, AT&T has 10,000 mentions on social networks, but during stressful moments like these they rise precipitously. The marketer is out to calm those twit storms by staffing up its social-media customer-care corps. The team, led by its first-ever social-media strategist for customer care Shawn McPike, has been building steam since August of last year and is now poised for full-scale launch.

AT&T has the opportunity to duplicate the success that Comcast has experienced with @ComcastCares, and in the UK, BT (British Telecom) with @BTCare. With a company the size of AT&T, there will always be upset customers. But when you add social media to the equation, customer discontent is amplified and spread very quickly.

The timing also could not be better for AT&T, as a parody Twitter account has popped up recently, called @ATT_Wireless_PR. It appears to be attempting to do what @BPGlobalPR is currently doing against BP.

Chris Brogan, of New Marketing Labs, and social media marketing expert, had this to say about the move by AT&T:

“I’m glad they [AT&T] are going to push forward,” said Chris Brogan, president of New Marketing Labs. “They are a bit behind, like Comcast was. They’ve really let the media run the story for the longest time.”

Chris is right. Up to this point, AT&T has been content to let customers determine the company’s image in social media. As a result, complaining about AT&T’s service on Twitter has almost become cliche.

If you’re a big company, it’s likely that your customers are already talking about you on various social media platforms. Sitting on the sidelines is increasingly less of an option, especially in times of crisis or bad publicity. Get off the bench and start talking with your customers.

You can turn passive customers into brand evangelists and former-customers back into current-customers, all by getting involved with them on social media.

Ben has been a guest blogger for such prestigious online communities as Media140.org, Econsultancy.com and FreshNetworks.com. His areas of expertise include developing and implementing unique strategies in Social Media Marketing; Multimedia Content Creation, Distribution and Aggregation; Blogging; Online Community Development (internal and external); Customer Relationship Management (CRM); and Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM). Ben has worked in industries ranging from non-profits, to farming, IT, luxury marketing, academia, news media, textiles and destination resorts.

I met Ben through a brief Twitter exchange one evening (surprise) while we were both up late working on marketing plans. He quickly showed himself to be a very creative, intelligent and knowledgeable online marketer and journalist, the kind of professional that’s hard to find, that you can’t have too many of these days.

While Ben is the kind of person who may operate his own full-time consultancy one day, our plans are to slowly, get him addicted to the high-octane, double-caffeinated coffee we brew around here, then “convince” him its best not to leave. At any rate, as long as he’s working on his thesis, Ben will be ours! Look for Ben to be contributing to “Make Belief”, the official blog of Renaissance Creative with a focus on new and social media; web marketing trends; branding and community building.

He’ll also be taking a look at the online presences of businesses throughout North Florida, so don’t be surprised if you get a phone call from him one day, or if walks in and introduces himself and offers to show you how we might be able to help your business in this challenging and ever-changing new economy.

Welcome Ben!

The 2010 Winter Olympics are behind us and I for one am sad to see them go. There were so many compelling moments that defined the Vancouver Games for me, from snowboarder Shaun White’s incredible Double McTwist 1260 in the half-pipe (a trick only he can perform); to Apolo Ohno passing the Chinese team in the anchor lap of the 5000 meter short track relay to become the most decorated American in Winter Olympic history; to the final frantic seconds of regulation and overtime in the US–Canada gold medal hockey game. But nothing brought me to edge of my seat like Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller’s exhilarating performances in the men’s and women’s downhill.

What I love so much about all of our Olympic Athletes and find so well-exemplified in these two, in this event, is their absolute understanding and embracement of a simple, but profound principle. One I believe creatives should never forget: That distinguishing achievement often requires more than talent and training; more than skill and desire; more than preparation or luck. It most often requires exceptional courage and a willingness to take extraordinary risks. And that’s not easy or natural, for anyone.

Consider that when Vonn raced, in addition to a badly bruised leg, she also faced the pressures of a spectacular run by teammate Julia Mancuso, just moments earlier. Vonn was rattled. But rather than downplay the challenge, Lindsey’s husband and coach, Thomas, radioed his wife specifically to confirm for Lindsey that Mancuso had a “special run” and to relate, “You’re going to have to be perfect to win.” Vonn would later state that this strategic message from her husband allowed her to “let go” of her fears and instead, “focus on that challenge”. She subsequently took the most aggressive lines all the way down the mountain, coming perilously close to wiping out at nearly every turn. The result– she beat Mancuso’s “sepcial run” by over a full half-second.

Likewise, ignoring treacherous course conditions resulting from warm weather and light snow, Bode Miller attacked the downhill course with reckless abandon to become the first American men’s skier to stand on the podium for that event since Tommy Moe, sixteen years ago. His bronze medal time was 1:54.40, only nine hundredths of a second behind gold medalist, Didier Defago, the smallest differential between gold and bronze in Olympic history. Said Miller of his performance and his American team, “We went after it. We weren’t scared. We were always aggressive.”

Of course, while a willingness to lay it all on the line can pay huge dividends as it did in both of these instances, it never guarantees success and often sets the stage for spectacular failure. Later, attempting to go 5 for 5 in Olympic events in the slalom –the one event for which he had not won an Olympic medal– on a difficult course on sticky, wet snow that was proving difficult for many of the racers, Miller did not change his approach. The consequence: he ran into trouble almost right out of the gate. Said Miller,  “It’s unfortunate to go out so early, but you have to take risks… and I did.”

I believe creatives, from designers, to copywriters to marketing strategists should take the same approach as Miller, Vonn and others and not allow themselves to be constrained by fear. I appreciate creatives who are willing to explore their most conceptual ideas, even if it results in more misses than hits. I know that by doing so, this will give them the best chance to come up with something great, which is the only thing I ever want to present to a client.

Great creative work must always take a point of view. It has to “say something” to be memorable. Remember that people respond to “different” and “unpredictable”. In this sense, “safe” is risky. The real problems begin when fear- the fear of mistakes, the fear of looking foolish, the fear that someone won’t “get” your idea, prevents you from saying anything at all. I once heard Jeff Kling, ECD of Euro RSCG put it this way: “Screw-ups are tools of evolution. They help us survive.” There’s a lot of wisdom in that statement. Remember also, that in the business of marketing and advertising, we’re not looking to connect with the 80% of people who may not “get”, or like, or even care at all about our creative, but rather the 20% who do, and are inspired to act upon it. 

So the next time you’re faced with a daunting creative challenge (or business challenge, or life challenge), don’t allow yourself to become compromised by fear. Rather, recognize that most of life’s rewards are not without risk; that we all fall sometimes; and that even those instants leave us better prepared to make some truly extraordinary runs in the future. If nothing else, we’ll put people on the edge of their seats. At least for marketers, that’s our job.

Related videos (Note: Viewing videos from nbcolympics.com may require a quick, free upload of Microsoft Silverlight)
• How to Stomach Fear in the Downhill
• Lindsey Vonn’s 2010 Olympic Downhill Gold Medal Run
• Bode Miller’s 2010 Olympic Downhill Bronze Medal Run

Thanks to Matt Earley, an Arkansas-based creative, musician, minister, ad man and achiever for his inspiration. During a recent Twitter exchange in which I commented how much I loved the, “put-everything-on-line” spirit of the Olympic athletes, it was Matt who came back with the question, “a great parallel for life”? Yes Matt, it is. Keep attacking! Join us on Twitter: @mattearley; @thamby

1. Instead of “LifeLock.com”, someone will create “LifeHock.com”, the first web portal where you can go to freely surrender your non-identity theft personal data– name, age, profession, income, hobbies/interests and contact information, in exchange for commissions based on how many times your information is re-sold to marketers, and how desirable your demographics. They’re going to get it eventually– why not get a fair cut and receive only high-quality, targeted spam?

2. Traditional media — In a last ditch effort to survive, newspapers will give up trying to marginalize bloggers as non-journalists and begin aggressively recruiting and hiring the most influential among them, in an effort to capture those bloggers’ audiences for their own benefit (cable has already thrown in the towel). Print will continue to shrivel under the heat of digital media.

3. The science of networks, not just social and MLM, but physical, virtual, biological, mathematical, online, offline, proven and theoretical will grow into a huge topic of conversation.

4. Ashton Kutcher will demonstrate the Klout of 5,000,000 Twitter followers, when he announces his bid for Governor of the State of California. At the height of the media frenzy surrounding his massive fundraising potential, Kutcher will show up unannounced on Larry King, revealing to scheduled guest and prior leading candidate, Jerry Brown that he has just been Punk’d!

5. The cult of celebrity won’t die no matter how hard stars themselves (Charlie Sheen, Tiger, Paris, etc.,) seemingly try to extinguish it. Celebrity is only enhanced by controversy.

6. Television also won’t be going anywhere (except to our mobile phones). And lo- I can envision a time when more brands will skip product placement and go straight into the cable network business. Consider: The Walmart Home Shopping Network; Coca-Cola “Happiness” Channel; IKEA Home & Design or Pfizer Health Sciences Networks.

7. Augmented Reality and 3D TV is (virtually) upon us. Get ready to hear a lot of, “But, ‘Fill in the Blank’ has a 3D TV!!!” from your kids.

8. “Crowds” will begin turning into angry mobs, once they realize that they are actually working inside “virtual” sweatshops.

9. The social media pendulum will begin to experience the full effects of gravity as nay-sayers, never-tryers and contrarians increasingly question its effectiveness as a legitimate marketing tool. There are already websites where people are going to commit “social media suicide”.

10. …However, I believe social media is an undeniably valuable tool for SEO (still one of today’s marketing cornerstones), and that it can be used very effectively for branding and marketing when integrated strategically, naturally, creatively and consistently. Those who give up on it too soon will be sorry down the road because networks by their nature, grow exponentially over time.

11. Aggregation and digital distribution will continue to make a lot more people rich.

12. Collaboration, a “new” old concept in work/business models, will also result in growing partnerships between brands as effective sales & product extension strategies. While Apple and Google won’t be hooking up any time soon, Ford recently announced it will use Best Buy’s sales force to demonstrate their new Sync voice controlled communications and entertainment technology.
Old concept: Collaboration. New Buzzword: Symbiotic Marketing.

13. Advertising won’t “go away”, as it is part and parcel of capitalism and free market economies. We can only hope that it will be more thoughtfully “imposed” upon us. Concepts, ideas and overall creativity will become more valued than high-quality executions in digital or traditional media, except to those inside the industry, who understand the critical importance of both.

14. Top agencies will increasingly be looked to as high-level strategic partners, contributing more significant ideas for creation of new markets, product development and broader corporate sales and marketing initiatives. In so doing, simple pay-per-service fees may be supplemented or replaced with equity partnerships and return-on-performance financial models.

15. The stigma associated with asking creative agencies for spec work will finally begin to resonate outside of the industry and into the collective consciousness of the corporate mainstream. Clients will eventually quit asking, out of concern for their own ethical reputations.

16. Giving back is going to become fundamental, and “givewashers” will be “outed”. Corporations and uber-wealthy individuals have it in their power to affect serious change in the world, while also inspiring an army of brand loyalists and imitators. Critical will be approaching it earnestly, creatively and in a way careful not to suggest self-appointed elites pushing Marxism as “progressive”.

17. “Honesty, transparency and authenticity.” Aren’t you sick of hearing those words? Me too, and I’ve blogged about them a lot. But the fact that these themes aren’t going away is a wonderful thing. If you’re something other than what you purport to be, someone will discover it; share it with ten friends; and you’ll be left to watch relevance slip through your fingers like sand.

…And my final prediction:

18. It’s nothing specific I see coming, just a feeling I can’t escape. It’s difficult to describe, and even harder to define. But, from tidal waves to earthquakes; from global warming to global recession; from fractured governments to failing banks; from falling idols to faltering families; from tea parties, to housing hangovers, to “reality” that is created and still largely controlled by the media– something over the past decade has left us feeling seriously “undone”. But, I predict that as this sentiment continues to emerge, that we’ll all respond in positive ways… By giving more to others than we expect back in return. By collaborating, sharing resources and ideas. By putting our children’s interests before our own. Listening to one another. And most of all, by seeking guidance, not from our celebrities, politicians or even our Facebook friends– but from above.

Have a great 2010.

P.S. Did I mention that I thought Leno at 10 PM was going to be a brilliant move?…

“Can a Beard blush? RT @bogusky: Flip-flopping to success http://post.ly/45kX.”

The link was to an enlightening, inspiring story that Alex Bogusky (Crispin Porter + Bogusky) had written about Clow on his blog. It’s worth five minutes of your time. Go ahead. I’ll wait…

What’d you think? Good stuff, huh?…

I strongly related to Alex’s story because I had a similar illuminative moment a few years ago at an AdWeek conference in Miami, the same city where Bogusky began his creative rise. And while our takeaways paralleled each other, the sources of our inspiration and circumstances surrounding them could not be more dissimilar- almost “flip-flopped”, you might say.

Alex’s seminal moment came when he was a young art director– a beach boy wearing a tie who felt uncomfortable faking the false trappings of business. He found himself inspired by the long-haired, back-pack toting, flip flop-wearing creative rebel, Clow, who not only stirred Bogusky with his insights about achieving creative excellence, but also let him know it was OK to just be yourself.

My experience didn’t occur early in my career, but rather a decade into it. And the person who made an impact on me was not a counter-culture iconoclast, but a Mad Man cut from slightly different cloth– Mike Hughes, CEO & Creative Director of The Martin Agency.

Like Bogusky, I’m a lifelong Florida “kid”– a die hard surfer with a genetic disdain for coats, ties and corporate BS. I also spent the first few years of my career at a small agency, earning little, but working hard to learn everything about the ad business.

When I decided to open my own agency, doing so with my former creative director and now business partner, Matt Britt, we established Renaissance Creative, a firm built upon high-level work and valuing our team-members as much we do our clients. Flexible hours? Been doing that for 13 years. Vacation? “Take as much as you need, just be responsible.” Health insurance? We still pay for every bit of it, for every full-time employee and their family, despite the recession.

Oh, and wearing ties?… please.

Now fast-forward 10 years. The agency has grown to 27 people and I’m burning out and need to recharge. On a whim, I decide to go to the first ad conference of my life. (I was just never into them. I thought they were so much pomp and circumstance. I was wrong.)

Unlike Bogusky’s experience, at the conference I attended, not a lot of people were wearing suits. Nope, there were a lot of t-shirts. Lots of artsy glasses. Lots of laid back, long-haired creative types, like Alex. I wore jeans and sneakers every day and felt right at home. Each day of the three-day conference provided terrific presentations from young, high-powered global ad execs, showcasing edgy, viral campaigns. Great stuff.

All of them were trying to answer the question, “Where is advertising headed?”, the theme of the conference.

Like Bogusky, the entire time I was there, I kept noticing this one guy who just seemed… well, kind of out of place; a tall, silver-haired gentleman who wore unassuming slacks and a business shirt. Amidst the young, hip creative types, he looked downright corporate– like some kind of tobacco industry power executive from one of Bogusky’s TRUTH campaigns. I just envisioned him as some kind of tired older sales executive, who had likely spent his life pumping hands, playing golf and who probably felt uncomfortable amongst us, “creative” types.

But, as the event went on, I began to notice one person after another approaching this man and shaking his hand. And I couldn’t help but notice the clear look of deep respect in every one of these people’s eyes as they approached him; and the warmth he exuded in taking his time and speaking to each of them.

Then, I noticed that it wasn’t just the attendees like me who were approaching him in this way, but the various conference presenters, themselves, all with that same look in their eyes, as if they were in the presence of royalty. Turns out, they were.

Wondering who this man was, I found out the following day, when they called Mike Hughes to the stage to give the closing keynote. While all of the presentations at the event had been informative and inspiring, Mike’s was downright enriching.

He began by being the first presenter at the event to admit that, he “couldn’t say where advertising was headed”. He said he “had some ideas”, but wasn’t going to try and predict with any certainty (Thanks for shooting straight, Mike. The fog was only just starting to get thick at that time, and we still haven’t come out of it).

Mike talked about how brands used to focus on one unique selling point, but had now begun to present multiple USP’s, as exampled in The Martin Agency’s, Geico campaigns. And he talked, not only about the latest trends, but also about things that endured- like the importance of a good story. Of great copywriting, of compelling imagery. And human emotion. Needless to say, I was compelled. He pulled out work that I had seen in CA years earlier, work that had inspired me and that even today, I still consider some of the best ever.

And then Mike took us down a different path… He quit talking about work and started talking about life.

He told us how he had spent much of his own focusing intently on work, often at the expense of his personal life. A life-long non-smoker, he told us how he had been diagnosed with lung cancer; and despite being given an 85% chance of dying within five years, had now been living with it for more than ten. Living with and winning a battle against cancer for so long may seem impossible for many, yet sitting there mesmerized, I began to understand how someone like Mike Hughes could do it. I also began to understand that, regardless of his decidedly unassuming, businesslike appearance, he was one of the most masterful storytellers I had ever had the privilege of hearing.

Of course, our greatest storytellers always provide a twist– and Mike did not disappoint.

He said that when he was diagnosed, he had to make some important choices about his life. Naturally, this included “spending major time, doing major things” with his family (which he said had always planned to do, but would now no longer delay). But then Mike said he, “surprised even himself”, when he realized he also wanted to continue to work. Because Mike was passionate about his work. It brought him joy. And he loved the people he worked with. Because they were his family, too.

He closed, like Clow in Bogusky’s story – by encouraging us to always pursue excellence in our work. But he also reminded us to never forget to also pursue excellence –and joy– in our lives. To be a good father or mother; a good husband or wife; a good mentor, co-worker; or just a good friend. Because life is short, you don’t get any of it back. And there are only 24 hours in every joyous day.

I share this story with you not only to provide you Mike’s profound wisdom, but also point out that whether you are a beach-loving creative rock star; a flip-flop wearing, bearded groundbreaker; or a storytelling Don Draper in business slacks, with the fortitude to beat back cancer and the courage to admit you don’t know everything; there’s much to be learned about simply being, authentically you.

Author’s Note:
Mike’s story had special resonance for me, as my other longtime business partner, friend, designer, architect and general superhuman Ed Bondi — who possesses many of Hughes’ fine qualities — won his own near-death battle with cancer at about this same time. Like Mike, Ed has long been a huge source of inspiration for myself and others around him; he’s just not as tall or famous.

Following Hughes’s speech, I wanted to go introduce myself and shake his hand, but never worked up the nerve to interrupt the many conversations that swirled around him. Nonetheless, I felt he had already given me just what I needed — a renewal of my passion for the work and confirmation of what I had long suspected— that honesty is the real genesis of good creative; a requirement for successful brands; and a fundamental quality for a truly satisfying life of excellence– and joy.

Thanks again for the inspiration Mike, Lee, Alex and Ed.

I don’t know how much buzz the profile garnered, but as a creative, I noticed a real gem in it that I felt merited further focus and discussion.

What’s that in the “frame grab” you ask? These are Chris Martin’s notes to himself and his bandmates, one of many posted on the walls, a whiteboard and even Martin’s studio piano (he scribbles on it in green marker),

More precisely, they are reminders of key principles which have helped Coldplay become astoundingly successful- a “secret formula” if you will, of philosophical beliefs and strategic tactics that the band employs consistently, covering everything from song construction; to photo / video guidelines; to marketing and public relations positioning; and general business.

In the interview, news journalist, Steve Kroft, framed Martin’s practice as somehow aberrant, stating: “He is a compulsive worrier and list-maker. He sends himself electronic messages, and scrawls notes on scraps of paper, on his hands, and anything else that’s available, lest he forget some brilliant idea. Like many artists, he is openly, gloriously neurotic.”

“Neurotic?”

I call it pure business acumen- (beautifully) equal parts creative and analytical.

How many new ideas or profound realizations arrive for many of us at unexpected moments? Insights that you just can’t afford to forget? What do you do? Grab a pencil and jot ‘em down, of course! Most designers I know keep idea/sketch books handy and I’ve got plenty of notebooks and post-it notes full of marketing, design, business and leadership lessons that I’ve either come to realize myself, or have picked up from others much wiser than me.

“The most powerful element in advertising is the truth”…
“Always have a point of view”…
“Make an emotional connection”…
“Don’t be afraid that a concept will go over your customers heads. If you assume they’re dumb, they may be smarter than you”…
“Safe is risky”…
“Advertising can’t create product advantages, only convey them”…

And so on.

I keep them where I can always be consciously reminded of their powerful truths. If you happen to be the kind of person who instinctively organizes your standards and observations into digital files- congratulations! If you prefer a bulletin board, whiteboard or post-it’s, I can relate. If you use a green sharpie on your white grand piano, then ummm… well, o.k…. maybe Martin is a little bit more obsessive than most.

But, based upon what I can clearly see in Chris’ notes, he is a man that is more calculating than confused; more cognitive than compulsive; more analytical than anxious. I see someone who is introspective and intelligent, and not inappropriately impulsive. Creatives, take note.

Coldplay’s “mysteries”, revealed:

1. Albums must be no longer than 42 minutes, or 9 tracks.
2. Production must be amazing, rich, but with space, not overlayered, less tracks, more quality, groove and swing. Drums/rhythm are the most crucial thing to concentrate on; difference between “Bittersweet” and “Science of silence.” [A reference to The Verve and Richard Ashcroft solo]
3. Computers are instruments, not recording aids.
4. Imagery must be classic, colourful and different. Come back in glorious technicolor.
5. Make sure videos and pictures are great before setting release date. And highly original.
6. Always keep mystery. Not many interviews.
7. Groove and swing. Rhythms and sounds must always sound as original as possible. Once Jon has melody, twist it and weird it.
8. Promo/review copies to be on vinyl. Stops copying problem, sounds and looks better.
9. Jacqueline Sabriado, ns p c c, face forward/review. (?)
10. Think about what to do with charity account. Set up something small, enabling and constructive. Ref J. Oliver Fifteen [a reference to Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Restaurant in London]

No sooner than I had thought this, than another group member, posted this reply: “This approach assumes that design is to be judged on some standard of design, independent of anything else. First comes an objective in regard to marketing materials. Marketing establishes an objective (or objectives) and develops a strategy to realize those objectives. Design not only does not perform independent of these things, but to be successful, it must assume that marketing did their job correctly and visually enable the strategy to effectively work, to realize the objectives. Good commercial design (i.e. graphic design) when done well is a measurement of how well marketing did their job.”

This designer’s thoughts were similar to mine, but I believe there’s a little more to it. Criteria is the foundation of effective design and includes more than just objectives and strategy. It includes things like a thorough understanding of who your audience is, how they are unique, where they are, what they do and what their passions are. It includes understanding attributes, benefits, strengths and weaknesses of the brand. A study of competition, how to stand out… and much more. The designer should help contribute and synthesize all this in the design process.

I think more thought leaders (CEO’s, CMO’s, CTO’s), are recognizing the rich benefits of seamless collaboration between disciplines and “departments”. I believe it is critically important that marketers understand design methodology and that designers be actively engaged in criteria development from the start- not sitting and waiting for the next “order”. How can you achieve full creative potential with an assembly-line mentality? You can’t.

The same holds true for interaction between web designers, programmers, PR, strategists, media planners, writers, etc. Here at Renaissance we are about seamless collaboration. Our designers are intelligent, strategic thinkers who have a broad range of individual capabilities. And we use all of them to achieve the best results for our clients.

Many years ago, legendary ad man, William Bernbach had the vision to combine copywriters and art directors into two-person teams—they had commonly been in separate departments. So, why did we ever stop there? Fragmenting the brand internally will inherently, weaken it externally. The bottom line is that the more diversified skill sets you put on a problem from the onset, the better your chance of arriving at an effective solution. In my opinion, this is one “general” principle of design that if utilized uniformly, would allow us to say with conviction, “Here’s what all great pieces really have in common”.

1. Provide Valuable Content – For successful search engine optimization (SEO), content is king. Provide information on your site that your target audience will appreciate. Make yourself a resource. COST: FREE

2. Write Effective Meta Tags – The three most important are your Title, Description and Keyword tags. Titles are the text seen at the top of browser windows on all pages. These are the most important to search engines. They indicate what each individual page is about. They should be succinct (not exceeding 75 characters), include high traffic keywords and for most businesses, be geographically specific.
Description tags are the descriptive copy web-surfers see when organic search results pop up. This information helps people determine if they want to visit your site, so make them strategic (use keywords), informative and compelling (250 characters or so).
Keywords are a list of words and phrases relevant to the content of your site. They are not as important as Titles and Descriptions, but still help. COST: Once written, an hour or two of coding time

3. Secure Inbound Links – Incoming links into your website increase traffic. Also, when Google and other search engines see multiple incoming links into your site, they assume it’s important and rank it higher. Encourage as many relevant links into your site as you can. This can include strategic “partners”; satellite offices; Chambers; subs, etc. One-way links are considered the most natural and desirable, though “reciprocal links” are fine, if they are logical. COST: FREE

4. Submit Your Website to Directories – Submit your site to key directories, providing as much information as possible. Then scouting the numerous other business and specialized industry directories. The important ones include: Google Local Listings (aka Google Maps); Yahoo Local; MSN Live Search; and the Open Directory Project (dmoz.com). COST: FREE

5. Blog – Want links? Become a resource; encourage inbound traffic; publicize new content; and encourage others to pick up your stories, all in one step! The secret to blogging: Don’t worry about being a journalist; keep it short, conversational and dedicate a set period of time to it (an hour or two a week). COST: FREE

6. Pinging Services – If you’re going to put in the time to blog, make sure people know. Each time you make a new entry, visit Google Blog Search Ping Utility at http://blogsearch.google.com/ping and type in your blog address. Pingomatic.com is another good one. COST: FREE

7. Write & Submit Articles – See #5 Above. Submit content to article directories for abundant backlinks. Go to www.ezinearticles.com to begin. COST: FREE

8. Write and Distribute Press Releases – Yes, you can do it yourself for only the cost of your time. Distribution is free at PRlog.com COST: FREE

9. Leverage Social Networks – Linkedin for professionals; Facebook for friends and family. Both provide invaluable exposure for your website and your content and there are many more. COST: FREE

10. Promote Yourself In Online Forums & Blogs – Participate in online groups. Get started by investigating Google Groups (groups.google.com) COST: FREE

The story applies beautifully to all of those who become too comfortable with any aspect of life, not anticipating change and innovation, nor planning appropriately for the future.

We believe in this principle with such conviction at Renaissance Creative that we use the phrase, “Think Forward” in conjunction with our logo and brand identity. It’s how we help our clients think about their own products and services and the mindset that we apply to all of our creative work. Because failing to do so can have serious consequences, as Kendrick and Orthlip’s history lesson shows:

“Colonel Mastalerz was one of the most prestigious men in all of Europe- a decorated soldier and leader of the Pomeranian Calvary Brigade. As head of the 18th Lancer division, he was in charge of defending the Pomeranian Corridor. Built around the strength of its 84 infantry regiments, the Polish military had reigned supreme for two decades, turning back numerous assaults and defending their borders victoriously.

Tactically, they were superior. Their training and horsemanship were unsurpassed. Their determination and bravery had earned them an international reputation as one of the fiercest fighting units the world over. But on the morning of September 1, 1939, even Col. Mastalerz knew that Poland’s string of victories was about to end.

The horses of the Polish calvary grew skittish and reared up restlessly. A deep rumbling sound shook the earth, growing louder by the minute. In the distance, Mastalerz could hear the sound of trees cracking and falling to the ground. Through the morning mist, the 2nd and 20th Motorized Divisions of the Third Reich made their way toward Masterlerz and the small hamlet of Krojanty. The invasion of Poland had begun.

In the hours that followed, Polish soldiers on horseback fought a war of attrition against a German unit of tanks and armored cars. It was one of history’s great juxtapositions. The unthinkable was happening. It was a contrast equal to the Wright Brothers observing a space shuttle launch, or Alexander Graham Bell witnessing an Internet Videoconference. Residents from two different worlds met in an iconic exchange of ideologies, as one bygone era surrendered indefensibly to the next. Time and technology had marched by unnoticed. And that changed everything”.

Just like the Polish army, we as marketers must continue our push to evolve. Enduring success will be enjoyed not by those looking to leverage the tried and true, nor those satisfied with remaining in lockstep with their peers; but rather, by those willing and committed to thinking forward and considering: What’s next? How can I do this differently? How can it be improved? What changes can I anticipate (cultural, media, technological)? How can I leverage these trends?

Our industry today (integrated marketing, advertising, public relations and brand communications) is characterized by profound change– extreme shifts in technology and fragmentation of media, all occurring at unbelievable speed. Is there really any question that the ways we deliver messages must always continue to evolve?

As the Pomeranian Calvary Brigade proved, if you’re not committed to the process and looking far enough ahead; you’ll one day find yourself at the unwelcome crossroads of time and technology; of the past and the future; of foresight and hindsight. And you’ll have no choice but to surrender to those who eyes were fixed on a point on the horizon, much farther than your own.

As Kendrick and Ortlip so eloquently put it, “the advance of time has a great way of correcting nearsightedness”.

Note: The Blueprint for Life Study from which the story of the Pomeranian Calvary is referenced, is a truly enlightening (and exceptionally well-developed and designed), multi-media resource that takes valuable, secular-styled lessons for intentional living and goal-setting and applies them to Christian principles. I highly recommend this $59 study for groups or individuals. You’ll find many more brilliant illustrations you can apply to every area of your life. www.blueprintforlife.com.

We believe in this principle with such conviction at Renaissance Creative that we use the phrase, “Think Forward” in conjunction with our logo and brand identity. It’s how we help our clients think about their own products and services and the mindset that we apply to all of our creative work. Because failing to do so can have serious consequences, as Kendrick and Orthlip’s history lesson shows:

“Colonel Mastalerz was one of the most prestigious men in all of Europe- a decorated soldier and leader of the Pomeranian Calvary Brigade. As head of the 18th Lancer division, he was in charge of defending the Pomeranian Corridor. Built around the strength of its 84 infantry regiments, the Polish military had reigned supreme for two decades, turning back numerous assaults and defending their borders victoriously.

Tactically, they were superior. Their training and horsemanship were unsurpassed. Their determination and bravery had earned them an international reputation as one of the fiercest fighting units the world over. But on the morning of September 1, 1939, even Col. Mastalerz knew that Poland’s string of victories was about to end.

The horses of the Polish calvary grew skittish and reared up restlessly. A deep rumbling sound shook the earth, growing louder by the minute. In the distance, Mastalerz could hear the sound of trees cracking and falling to the ground. Through the morning mist, the 2nd and 20th Motorized Divisions of the Third Reich made their way toward Masterlerz and the small hamlet of Krojanty. The invasion of Poland had begun.

In the hours that followed, Polish soldiers on horseback fought a war of attrition against a German unit of tanks and armored cars. It was one of history’s great juxtapositions. The unthinkable was happening. It was a contrast equal to the Wright Brothers observing a space shuttle launch, or Alexander Graham Bell witnessing an Internet Videoconference. Residents from two different worlds met in an iconic exchange of ideologies, as one bygone era surrendered indefensibly to the next. Time and technology had marched by unnoticed. And that changed everything”.

Just like the Polish army, we as marketers must continue our push to evolve. Enduring success will be enjoyed not by those looking to leverage the tried and true, nor those satisfied with remaining in lockstep with their peers; but rather, by those willing and committed to thinking forward and considering: What’s next? How can I do this differently? How can it be improved? What changes can I anticipate (cultural, media, technological)? How can I leverage these trends?

Our industry today (integrated marketing, advertising, public relations and brand communications) is characterized by profound change– extreme shifts in technology and fragmentation of media, all occurring at unbelievable speed. Is there really any question that the ways we deliver messages must always continue to evolve?

As the Pomeranian Calvary Brigade proved, if you’re not committed to the process and looking far enough ahead; you’ll one day find yourself at the unwelcome crossroads of time and technology; of the past and the future; of foresight and hindsight. And you’ll have no choice but to surrender to those who eyes were fixed on a point on the horizon, much farther than your own.

As Kendrick and Ortlip so eloquently put it, “the advance of time has a great way of correcting nearsightedness”.

Note: The Blueprint for Life Study from which the story of the Pomeranian Calvary is referenced, is a truly enlightening (and exceptionally well-developed and designed), multi-media resource that takes valuable, secular-styled lessons for intentional living and goal-setting and applies them to Christian principles. I highly recommend this $59 study for groups or individuals. You’ll find many more brilliant illustrations you can apply to every area of your life. www.blueprintforlife.com.

You probably thought, as I did, “Oh my God, you have got to be kidding me! Is this a joke? They’ll be lucky if they sell even one of those ridiculous things…”

The goofy garment — basically a blanket with sleeves and a hole for your head —and its surreal commercials spawned an organic, positive viral response including a couple of hundred YouTube parodies, SNL skits, Facebook Fan Clubs and celebrity comic monologue jokes.

But, the joke is squarely upon all of us cynics.

According to the Ad Age article, Scott Boilen, president of Allstar Marketing Group of New York, the man behind The Snuggie, says they can’t process orders fast enough. Online orders continue to pour in; The Snuggies have sold out at Walgreens and Bed, Bath & Beyond; and they’re now headed for the big time: Walmart.

So I, as a marketer, I ask: What gives?

Boilen claims it’s a combination of price and timing, that in this economy, with people stuck at home, looking to save money on things such as heating bills, etc., that The Snuggie at $19.95 (plus a free booklight!) is simply a bargain too good to pass up!

Boilen says the DRTV model (think Ronco products), usually involves breaking even on the initial television/online launch, then moving into profitability with the introduction of the product onto retail shelves. But The Snuggie didn’t wait, enjoying almost instant success. So again, what’s going on?

I’m sure that (thanks to the recession), Boilen and his infomercial pals enjoy fire sale media pricing that allows them to come in from the cold, wee hours of programming to bask in prime time hot spots at reduced rates. But still…

Is it truly a viral joke that turned remunerative? Or just a classic example of behavioral marketing, where the “chronology of purchase intent” lines up in perfect harmony for sales conversion?; (i.e. near-broke consumer, shivering at home, longs for immediate, fleecy security; sees the commercial and instantly buys into Snuggie’s irresistible value proposition).

My two cents: This is a “girly thing”. It’s a “mom thing”… and a “kid thing”… But, before you start sending me nasty e-mails, please let me qualify. I’m not a sexist. I’ll even own up publicly that I love to take baths (albeit, with a beer); I saw Titanic at least three times; and have Norah Jones on my Ipod. So back off.

Proof of my theory: When I first saw the commercial, I turned to my wife and said , incredulously, “Can you believe this?!!” She giggled, but said, “Shoot, I bet both of your daughters (ages 6 and 10), would LOVE one of those things! They’re always wrapped up under a blanket, on the couch reading, just like that!”

Next, for fun I posted the Ad Age Snuggies article on my Facebook profile, labeling my post and link to the article with the same cynical title of this blog: “Tim is convinced the end is near: adage.com/article…”

Within minutes, I received a response from a friend and former Account Exec at RC, now a stay-at-home mom: “OMG! This is so funny! My 7 year-old-daughter has been BEGGING me for this blanket! She walks around with her blankets acting like she has one…”

I then recalled my wife’s comments and started putting it all together: The ridiculous name–– Snuggie… Rhymes with Huggies… Snuggle® (you know, the fabric softener with the teddy bear); the simple commercial with the mom and the little girl at home… It all started making sense. My marketing brain kicked in and I thought, “Oh, how I’d love to take a look at their tracking sheets and demographics. This is all about moms and daughters!”

Finally, it occurred to me that I had recently seen an even more surreal version of the Snuggie commercial, one noticeably showing more men in these things– large groups of people, wearing them outdoors at football game and on camping trips. Yep, a classic product extension effort– trying to get the guys to buy in!

I was utterly satisfied that I had so quickly and shrewdly dissected and analyzed the fundamental forces associated with The Snuggie’s surprising success –– that is, until Ed (one of the Partners here), weighed in and blew things up:

“I really don’t know what the big mystery is. Why are you making a big deal out of this? They’re functional. They’re cheap. They’re warm. It’s good design. I’d buy one”.

Hey–– I wonder if they make those things in Florida Gator colors?

Apparently, our ad, which featured an interesting crop of a beautiful young woman sipping tea and the headline, “I Dare You. Make a Move.”, was deemed “too sexy” for the publication. They specifically noted a policy that prohibited them from running any ad that might result in a potential complaint from any reader who might find it objectionable.

Before we proceed with our discussion, you might want to take a peek at our ad, yourself.

What do you think: Does it suffer from over-“exposure”?

Pretty hot, huh?!!

I’ll admit it. I let the job folder sit on my desk a couple of days longer than usual. I really, really loved it, ummm… creatively speaking! BUT, before you call me sexist and send me to the corner—allow me to make a couple of observations.

First, interestingly, the Designer, Copywriter, Account Manager and (client) Marketing Director for this ad were/are all exceptionally talented, intelligent, empowered women. So rest assured, there was no “Mad Men” foul play in the background here! (Side note: Check out more of lead designer Emily Rawitsch’s award-winning work in the latest Communication Arts Design Annual and Black Book AR100 Competition. Emily is neither a feminist nor a prude—simply a supremely talented designer!).

Second, as far as the “exposure” factor goes, I’m a father of 5 and 9 year-old daughters and very sensitive as to what their innocent, impressionable eyes see. In fact, the original image used in this ad showed the woman in it wearing a ring on her left “wedding” finger, which I specifically asked Emily to remove (it’s now on her right hand). Additionally, unless my daughters will be perusing apartment communities in the rental guides any time soon, I doubt they’d ever even stumble upon this ad. Heck—I see worse every single day in the checkout line at the grocery store, on the covers of People, US Magazine and… Health and Fitness!

Last—and this brings us to the point—the ad is reflective of everything good design should be! Targeted and compelling; Clean and sophisticated; An eye-catching image with a beautiful graphic quality. The copy is smart, edgy and succinct. It ultimately does exactly what you want great creative to do, which is to stand out, be memorable and provoke an emotional response.