Catalog is a Real Page-Turner
When was the last time you read a catalog? Not glanced through the merchandise and scanned a price or two, but actually read the text? Ever? That changed with the new JC Penney catalog. Pretty in pink on the outside, … Continue reading 
Groupon Goof Takes Dough From Baker
Is Groupon, the daily online deal offering food or services at a discount, good or bad for small businesses? I know what Rachel Brown would answer. Brown owns Need a Cake bakery in London. Via U.S.-based Groupon, she offered customers … Continue reading
2011 PR Year in Review
I saw a weather featurette on TV that dubbed 2011 “The Year of Destruction” because of the damage and deaths from the tsunami that hit Japan in March through the tornadoes, flooding and other natural disasters that plagued the United … Continue reading
Netflix Streaming Mistakes Directly to Customers
Have you heard the expression “shooting yourself in the foot?” It means doing something that makes you look stupid. Usually, you only shoot yourself in the foot once. Netflix is trying to empty an entire clip. First it infuriated customers … Continue reading
Blessings and Curses
“May you live in interesting times” is a saying that some theorize is based on an old Chinese curse. Not sure why it’s a curse but it made me wonder, aren’t all times interesting? Sure, we have technologies and transportation … Continue reading
A Case of Brand Overexposure?
On television and in films, significant placement of a brand can mean big bucks, both in fees for the production company and revenue for the brand owner. The concept goes back to Pavlov’s dog. People react to a stimulus. See … Continue reading
Keep Your Competition More Than a Click Away
Think of a website like a family photo. Would you feel comfortable handing out a photograph of you and the kids from 10 years ago? Not likely. Kids grow and styles change. Those shorts you were wearing are hilarious today, … Continue reading
A Marketing Idea to Bowl Consumers Over
Jesse Spungin, the general manager at Orville Redenbacher, calls it the “biggest thing to happen to popcorn in 25 years.” Is it a new flavor? A bigger kernel? Real “real” butter flavor? Nope. It’s a microwave popcorn bag that turns … Continue reading
Then Why Call it Social?
Words mean a lot to me, which is why I don’t understand why some things are called the opposite of what they are. Like “smart” bombs. “Mild” cigars. Or “social” media. I think typing onto a tiny keypad, sending out … Continue reading
At Least My iPad Is Never Overdue
Libraries used to be the primary source of information. Have a paper to write in school? Head to the library. Want to know about poisonous snakes or the Korean War? Go to the library. Even if your family owned an … Continue reading
Dive Into Re-branding, The Water’s Fine
We’ve all seen it. The kid on the diving board, scared to jump into the water, scared even more by what their friends might say if they climbed back down the ladder. I meet people like that. They want a … Continue reading
The Consumer Evolves
Not much more than 10 years ago, marketing was aimed at “the consumer.” I’ve never really liked the anonymity of that term. My mind conjures an image of a nest full of baby birds, eyes closed, beaks and mouths agape, … Continue reading
Impeachment? Just Pull the Plug
Could a computer serve as President of the United States? In the 1970 thriller “Colossus: The Forbin Project,” the nation put its weapon systems in the control of a supercomputer – only to have it link up with a Russian … Continue reading
A New ROI: Return on Ideas
A wise man I knew once told me something about a particular auto company that shall remain nameless: scratch the paint and you can see the soup can label underneath. He didn’t mean it literally. He meant the product wasn’t … Continue reading
Do Ads Have to be Everywhere?
Do we have to see ads every time we visit an Internet news site? Here’s what got me started. Like most other people I know, I was mesmerized by the videos and news reports in the hours and days following … Continue reading
Get Social
Stick out your thumb along a highway and you might get a free ride. Use both of them to text a message and you’ve got the ability to tap into the latest marketing tool. Social media isn’t just for being … Continue reading
Great Rebrandings Satisfy Consumers
What’s the recipe for success? Coke has one. So does Kentucky Fried Chicken. And both keep them locked up like gold in a vault, because that’s what they are. Golden. Aside from what goes into a product, another key … Continue reading
What I See is What You Get
When I Google clock radios, I get a little more than eight million results. But how many do I really need? Five? Fifty? I know I want more than one – especially when I click on a website and my … Continue reading
When Voices Strike A Chord
Of all the movies made, only a tiny fraction are nominated for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture. These fortunate few showcase compelling scripts, lavish sets and the very best actors. Like Woody and Buzz. This year’s Best Picture … Continue reading
Business Is Still In The Cards
Just when it seems almost everything has gone high tech, someone hands you their business card. Sure, the little cards have evolved over the years. Today’s versions can be personalized with unique papers, inks, etching and photos – even messages … Continue reading
Don’t Like The Latest Trend? Wait Five Minutes…
It wasn’t so long ago that business trends were assessed on a quarterly basis – at best. More often, you’d be alerted about possible trends in January – then spend the rest of the year waiting to see if the … Continue reading
The Hotel That Should Have Had Reservations
I cringed when I read about the $11 million Christmas tree in the lobby of the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi. A marketing disaster, the tree was decorated with precious gems and gold from one of the hotel’s jewelry … Continue reading
Bring That Rabbit Into Focus
According to the old proverb, “If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” That’s especially true in design and marketing. Lacking focus is the surest path to failure. When I ask a potential client who he or she envisions to … Continue reading
Great Ideas Need Time To Simmer
Have you ever had an idea hit you, like in the shower or while you were driving? Maybe. But it’s more likely what actually hit you was part of an idea. A spark. The complete idea came much later. I … Continue reading
Design Is About Being Practical
The opposite of conflict is compromise, yet many people confuse compromise with defeat. Successful design and marketing are based in compromise. Very few initial ideas are unchanged by the time a campaign goes to press. Along the way there are … Continue reading
When A Photo Crowds Out The Message
Have you ever seen a magazine advertisement that was made up entirely of words? That’s because the appeal of an image is undeniable. One expertly staged and properly chosen photograph can be worth a thousand words – and even more … Continue reading
Your Brand, The Final Frontier
Gap recently beat a hasty and well-publicized retreat after it introduced a new logo without first telling the people most interested – its customers – the reasons behind the change. Once mass hysteria over the new logo spread, it was … Continue reading
Design Recognizes Vitality of Paper
In the movie “Ghostbusters.” One of my favorite lines is when Harold Ramis as Dr. Egon Spengler turns to Annie Potts and deadpans, “Print is dead.” Five years ago, Sports Illustrated President John Squires repeated Egon’s proclamation and added, “Get … Continue reading
Thinking Inside The Box
Did your parents ever make a major purchase, like a TV or a new fridge, and give you the box to play in? Empty boxes for me were filled with imagination. I still find them intriguing, only now I am … Continue reading
E-Readers: Foresight Or The Final Chapter?
I know at least one person who dislikes e-readers, those hand-held Nooks and Kindles that allow people to download and read books electronically. He’s in the printing business, and he sees e-readers as another way to access the printed word … Continue reading
Putting You Face-to-Facebook With The Crowd
How many friends do you have? Not real friends. Facebook friends. There is a difference. I can tell you how many friends I have in real life, and it’s nowhere near the number of friends I have on Facebook. That … Continue reading
Designing From the Inside Out
Ever since the dawn of instant coffee, people crave immediacy. It’s a demand that frustrates and challenges today’s designers. Without an endless supply of duct tape, people aren’t going to sit still long enough to be educated by unfamiliar concepts … Continue reading
Should Some Brands Come With “Sell-By” Dates?
From ice cream to bottled water, nearly everything that goes past our lips has a “sell-by” date on the package. Wise to check on meat and milk, but water? If it’s a week past the date, does water lose something? … Continue reading
When A Company Tunes Itself Out
I had my doubts when I heard last fall that longtime (since 1921) retailer RadioShack was finally attempting to join the 21st century with a rebranding. Rather than an engaging redesign, the company’s decision was to simply drop the word … Continue reading
Keep Watching, My Friends
It’s risky to say the least, especially in marketing. But there are times when it works perfectly. I’m reminded of this when I see Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man in the World” commercials on television. Launched in 2007, the … Continue reading
Time For Your Business To Rise & Shine
Remember when your mother used to wake you up for school by announcing it was time to “Rise and shine!” as she flung open the drapes in your bedroom? I recently read online that the “shine” in that phrase originated … Continue reading
Design Puts The You In Unique
I went to a very cool wine tasting event at a local shop. Rather than concentrate on the varietal (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc), they give six wines to taste – three whites and three reds – to help you determine your … Continue reading
Afraid of Failure? Then Do Nothing.
I have a friend whose 10-year-old son plays Little League baseball. Because the boys do the pitching, and because it’s hard for them to find the strike zone, there are probably 10 times more walks than base hits. But one … Continue reading
A Different Green Thumb
Regardless of the roller-coaster temperatures outdoors, the gardening season is here. People are eager to realize the personal fulfillment of putting a seed or a plant in the ground in May and a couple months later enjoying the fruits and … Continue reading
Design and Well-Being
Health. Happiness. Prosperity. Security. All are factors that affect a person’s well-being. But for a designer, there’s more. Designers go beyond welcoming each new day, we welcome each new project. With every challenge comes the opportunity to live a different … Continue reading
Design Requires a Pac-Man Sized Appetite
Creativity can be described as fulfilling a hunger to produce something new, relevant and exciting. To satisfy their appetites for fresh ideas, designers need to be more than skilled producers, they must be voracious, non-stop consumers. Think of Pac-Man, the … Continue reading
The Blank Face of Electronic Communication
How many emails did you send and receive today? Now, compare that to how many face-to-face meetings. Is the ratio of emails to meetings 10:1? Higher? Communicating electronically allows my recipient to read and respond at his or her convenience. … Continue reading
Design To Overcome ‘Attitude Gaps’
Designers realize the mindset of an individual changes dependent upon demographics such as education, income, even the area in which we live. But to market successfully requires going beyond obvious distinctions and examining other factors, not the least of which … Continue reading
Insist on Thrashing Early
Design, in my opinion, is like sculpting something out of a large block. First you make the big awkward block out of all the practical, impractical, crazy and logical ideas. Pile on everything the audience wants and everything the client … Continue reading
A Brand You Can Bank On
How long is a brand? How deep? Better yet, what is a brand worth? All intangibles, as difficult to measure as dedication and integrity. But still possible. A brand’s true value, once the creative process is complete, comes not from … Continue reading
Advertising Your Brand
EVERYTHING a brand does is advertising. All the tiniest details. Most people these days point to Apple as a delightful brand. But that’s hardly based on their TV ads. It’s based on how elegant (and reliable) their products are to … Continue reading
Reaching Baby Boomers
They’re defined as the generation born between 1946 and 1965. Dubbed “baby boomers,” it’s no less than 78 million Americans. At ages 45 to 64, they may not be the prime youthful group most marketers target. But they comprise nearly … Continue reading
What The Web Has Ruined
The Web was supposed to make things simpler for us all, right? At first, it seemed that way. Lately I find myself succumbing to the massive amounts of information it offers. Recently I wanted to buy a portable docking player … Continue reading
Playing Ketchup
Heinz Ketchup recently introduced ketchup lovers to a new way to enjoy their product. Their latest innovation is packaging that allows the choice of dipping or squeezing. While their press release claims this to be a monumental achievement, I do … Continue reading
Getting It Wrong The First Time
Some people sit and stare at a blank screen until their eyes hurt. They just can’t put down the first word or draw the first line. Why? They’re afraid of getting it wrong. Well, guess what? We all get it … Continue reading
The Difference Between Art and Design
I read the other day a comparison of art and design. There are definitive shared characteristics, from their creative nature to relying upon the visual senses for interpretation. Both entertain. Both connect with their audience. But the author, John O’Nolan, … Continue reading
What makes a great brand
A brand is the gut feeling you have when you think about a product or service. It’s not the product itself. Thus, a great product or service must come before a great brand. A magnificent identity and an elegant website … Continue reading
Design’s Duty is to be Daring
What’s it take to stand out in a crowd today? Besides a stepladder. Bombarded by media messages from the moment we awake until our last text or tweet before bed, it’s become increasingly difficult to be noticed. Years ago, hippies … Continue reading
Great Marketing Can’t Save Everything
Put Eddie Murphy’s name on the marquee and you’ve got a blockbuster, right? That’s what Hollywood used to think. Remember “The Adventures of Pluto Nash?” Few people do. The outer space comedy cost $100 million to make and market – … Continue reading
Capitalize on Universal Symbols
Does everything have to be new to be effective? It doesn’t work that way with symbols. Pretty much everyone recognizes a red octagon atop a post at the intersection of two streets. Same is true with the male and female … Continue reading
Design Has No Template
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but that isn’t the path most traveled by creative thinkers. Straight-line thinking is too restrictive, because there is no template for innovation. Edward de Bono in 1967 coined the term … Continue reading
Don’t Lose Control of Your Story
Of all the sins Tiger Woods may have committed, add to the list his failure to take control of the story. From behind the walls of his gated community – patrolled by security forces who ride in, ironically, golf carts … Continue reading
A Tribute to Old Logos
Call ‘em vintage, retro or just plain old, I’m talking about logos that have worn out their welcome. Designs of the times, they’re no longer deemed hip or representative. A few get updated, like Apple computer’s current monochrome logo that … Continue reading
Why Great Ads Get Noticed
If every daytime sky was cloudy and gray, would we bother looking up? If every house was built the same, would there be any pride in ownership? If everyone was beautiful, would anyone be beautiful? It’s the same reasoning behind … Continue reading
Gamers Today, Consumers Tomorrow
My nephew invited me to play a video game the other day, and I was amazed. I’ve seen him and others play before, but I’d never picked up a controller myself and went head to head. The command they have … Continue reading
Marketing the Ridiculous
Whenever I’m on a plane, I can’t help but look through SkyMall magazine. Not because I’m interested in shopping. For me, it’s a somewhat grown up version of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Page after page, the products get more … Continue reading
The Curious Nature of Design
Ever watch the kids at a children’s museum? Their exuberance and energy flow in equal proportions to another valuable trait: curiosity. They rush everywhere, exploring every facet of the exhibits, acting out their fantasies and creating new ones. Ideas bubble … Continue reading
Mining Great Ideas
You’re thumbing through a magazine or watching television and you come across an advertisement that is so stunningly bad, so far from the mark that you stop and ask, “What were they thinking?” Maybe it was the best idea they … Continue reading
Don’t Make Your Customers Find You
One of the many things I enjoy most about this time of year is the abundance of locally-grown vegetables available at the city’s many roadside stands. I appreciate that I can stop at lunch or on the way home and … Continue reading
Branding is an Asset
Earlier this year, when Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo! for $47.5 billion, it wasn’t because the Internet giant had a fleet of aircraft or thousands of acres of real estate filled with warehouses or blocks of Manhattan skyscrapers. Those are … Continue reading
Designing an Image that Lasts
When his father died forcing his mother to enter the workforce to support the family, a six-year-old boy began caring and cooking for his younger siblings. As he grew older, the young man held several jobs but never strayed far … Continue reading
Designing for the Now
Our society has become focused on immediate results and gratification. We know what we want, and we want it now. Instant text messaging. Rapid weight loss. High-speed Internet. So much is “Flash” this and “Quick” that. If you’re the fourth … Continue reading
Being Safe and Sorry
My wife and I like to go out for the evening. We explore new places, eat at different restaurants and visit unique shops and galleries. Not every new place we go is a hit. We’ve had some bad meals and … Continue reading
Recognizing the Keepers
A visit to the apple orchards near Nebraska City in the fall can be a fascinating experience. As the harvest comes in, the apples are sorted by machine and by hand according to variety, size and grade. The very best … Continue reading
Thinking Outside the Mind
In journalism, editorial bias can’t simply be denied, it must be overcome. Because they’re human, journalists will have personal beliefs and preconceptions. But, to be truly impartial, they must check their bias at the door when interviewing a source or … Continue reading
Blogging Your Way to New Sales
In 1922, German artist Paul Klee used watercolor, ink and oil to create his classic work, “Twittering Machine.” The painting depicts “twittering” birds atop a hand-cranked “machine.” Today, America could be referred to as a “Twittering machine.” Each day, more … Continue reading
Why Should I Read Details Magazine?
The average 30 minute sitcom is comprised of 22 minutes of content (or signal) and 8 minutes of noise (or advertising). That’s 73% show and 27% dough (ahem, for the network). I bet Details realizes how little op/ed content they … Continue reading
Selling to ‘the Next Generation’ of Consumers
When you see the new Pepsi brands – from different tastes to the amazing cans that change artwork with every 12-pack you buy – do you wonder why they would tinker with something that always appeared to be working? What … Continue reading
Continuity Across an Integrated Campaign
There is an underlying, almost invisible vocabulary associated with the design of an integrated campaign. Difficult to detect, cumbersome to explain but nonetheless present. This dialect usually holds the common parts (and uncommon parts) together into a cohesive group. It … Continue reading
Marketing in a Recession
Business today reflects our volatile economic environment. And while we don’t want to appear presumptuous, our years of marketing communications experience give us a perspective we’d like to share. We hope you’ll find it worth considering. Pare expenses, but spare … Continue reading
Super Bowl Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist, or “the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation” is usually reflected in the design around us. From shoes, to packaging, to tv commercials and products – DESIGN – swims in the prevailing stream of art, culture, … Continue reading
One Letter Gatorade Print Ad
So I’m reading Rolling Stone the other day and happen upon the new G ads from Gatorade. These ads prove, to me anyway, that advertising doesn’t have to tell you the whole story, half the story or any story at … Continue reading
Viral Marketing
Internet videos pop up everywhere and we all watch them from time to time. They get passed around through e-mail, MySpace, Facebook, and of course you can find them on YouTube. If they catch on and go Viral, they have … Continue reading
Reinventing the Milk Jug?
Perhaps some of you have noticed the newly designed milk jug at your local stores? This boxy new design was made with cost in mind. The case-less milk jugs save on space which means more efficient transportation, fresher milk, and … Continue reading
Would You Like to Biggie Size That Brand?
The other day I was sitting in a McDonald’s drive-thru when I noticed a sign on the wall inside that said, “The dictionary is the only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK.” Believe it or not, the same cheap slogan … Continue reading
Motion in the Midwest
Ever notice entertainment seems to be getting a bit more entertaining? I suppose there are many different facets that deserve credit, but one in particular has been stealing the spotlight. I am referring to Motion Graphics. Motion has not only … Continue reading
Take Away the Sword
What sword? Remember the swooshy logo phase? Now we’re ending the stock photo phase, and we’re at the high point of the “eclectic, organic graphic overlay” phase… When was the last time a commercial, ad or collateral piece was entirely … Continue reading
It Is Easy Being Green
Every time I take the trash out, I imagine my neighbors doing the same, then the city, then state, then country, then world – and think… wow, where does it all go? Where does something go when you throw it … Continue reading
It is Black and White
How important is color to you in the potato chip aisle of your local supermarket? Do you use it to find the chips you’re looking for? Do you see the blue of Ruffles before you can read Ruffles? If Doritos … Continue reading
