Brand Central Station

Every now and then I like to point out a site that deserves a bookmark in your browser. This is one of them. Stock.xchng is one of (if not “the”) leading sites for free photographic images on the Internet.
Thanks to Seth Godin for pointing to this in his recent post.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Art Direction, Graphic Design, Photography, Stock Photos

As bloggers and marketers, we spend so much time talking about social media and citizen journalists and media and markets that we often forget a very simple fact – there’s nearly 25% of our population who either can’t read and write or possess only the most basic skills in these areas. In fact, according to a recently released assessment from The National Center for Education Statistics, that number may be closer to one-third than it is to one-quarter.

Imagine that, nearly 100 million Americans have trouble with basic reading and math skills as the world continues to flatten, accelerate and become a much more dangerous place. Why is this? According to the article from the NCES (cited by blogger Chris Abraham):

“Many people come to the United States to get better jobs, and they don’t have a lot of time to learn English because they’re trying to get food on the table. In many ways, learning English is a luxury.”

He continues with his rant about what’s wrong with America’s education system – but I’m not interested in confronting that issue here. As marketers, we all have a role to play in the solution to this problem.

And it is our problem because if we don’t do something about it now, we’re going to have to do something about it later.

Resources like the National Institute for Literacy are great resources, but it’s important to get involved on the local level – with your local schools, churches, agencies and business groups to provide the educational material and resources people need to develop these critical skills.

We’re people who rely on words to inform and engage employees, customers and consumers. It only makes our own best interest to make sure people are educated and able to make informed decisions.

UPDATE: Chris commented on this post about the NCES quote appearing to have been attributed to him. I’ve since corrected the attribution.

Technorati Tags: Literacy, Media, Marketing, Journalism

Blame it on my background. I grew up in a printing family and type has always fascinated me. That why this site, recommended by Frederik Samuel and his Advertising/Design Goodness blog, was of premium interest to me.

The link provided in this post deep-links into the typographic information section of the site. But there’s more. Much more.

Explore the site for yourself – or, at the very least, pass it along to an art director-friend.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Art Direction, Graphic Design, Typography

As part of our on-going discussion about multi-cultural marketing (I’ve brought this subject up here and here), I thought it might be helpful to share some observations Hadji Williams made as a follow-up to my last post suggesting that more white marketing professionals work in ethnic shops.

Hadji writes:

“… you can’t go bringing white employees in any real numbers to traditionally ethnic shops for 2 reasons … (1) By and large, the typical white marketing professional doesn’t want to work for a majority ethnic shop. I know this because when i was at GM shops I’ve referred countless white colleagues to ethnic shops such as Burrell, CHW, etc. over the years and almost to a man/woman their response has been, “No offense Hadji, but I wouldn’t be comfortable in that environment.” You might find that hard to believe, but that’s been my experience.”

“… and ask folks at those agencies what happens when they try to recruit the best talent regardless of ethnicity–you’d be surprised how many whites are at ethnic agencies and how many of their white colleagues have criticized them “off-the-record” for “taking a step down” by “going to the dark side”.”

Remarkable? Yes. Embarrassing? Yes. Unexpected? No.

I know from my work on civil rights and diversity issues (and I’m a Republican, mind you), that humans tend to be discriminating, social creatures. That’s not good or bad. It’s just how we are. People tend to prefer to be around people that look and act like them because they “feel more comfortable” – which means they feel they intuitively understand that group’s point of view, biases, tendencies and preferences.

The problem with this tendency to self-segregate is that it reinforces cultural and racial biases that aren’t always what’s best. A good friend of mine, Brenda Drew-Peoples (an African-American, civil rights attorney), once gave me some advice I’ve used time and again: “Doing the right thing isn’t always easy or comfortable. But it’s still the right thing.”

So, when I made a suggestion that white marketing talent should be working in ethnic agencies, Hadji related the frustration shared by a number of owners/managers of targeted marketing shops (both PR and ad agencies):

“Ethnic professionals aren’t getting a fair shake in the hiring process at GM shops, so why should Targeted shops bend over backwards the other way? To be honest, they already are because they have no choice but to hire the best available talent they can find.”

“But if you’re Black and you can’t get into a GM shop and you open up your own company, are you now supposed to listen to white competitors telling you “hey buddy, you better be fair when the white kids graduate and come knocking on your door for a job” knowing full well that the desk’s stacked against you and yours?”

Maybe we’re looking at the wrong level here? Maybe the point isn’t to recruit entry-level talent into targeted firms but rather to find good senior-level people who are interested in the business opportunities such a partnership might afford?

Who might that be and what would it take to stimulate that kind of agreement? I’m not sure. But I get the feeling Hadji isn’t likely to let me forget I’ve brought this subject up.

Then again, I’m not sure I’m willing to let this matter drop.

If you’re interested in reading all of Hadji’s latest post on this subject, click here.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Multi-Cultural, Ethnic Marketing, Ethnic Agencies, Multi-Cultural Agencies

I know it seems that we provide a list of “how to pitch a story” every month or two, but judging from our conversations with editors and publishers, PR folks need to learn these lessons. This post from the Bulldog Reporter’s Daily Dog is an insightful look at what every PR flack needs to know – according to Darcy Jacobs, articles editor at Family Circle.

Technorati Tags: Public Relations, Journalism, PR, Bulldog Reporter, Family Circle

I’ve always accepted the story about the blog-generated PR problems faced by the Kryptonite bike lock people to be a seminal moment in the next generation of corporate communications. Interestingly, thanks to this article on the matter by Dave Taylor of the Intuitive Life Business blog, much of what I (and a number of others) had always accepted at face value turns out to be wrong.

I never would have found this interview if it weren’t for Trevor Cook and this post on his Corporate Engagement blog. And this raises an interesting point …

Just how do we go about making sure we understand the “real story” that drives the blogospheric rumor mill? Primary sources, like the PR Director of Kryptonite, are great – but not always available for an interview. Or, even when they’re interviewed, sometimes those corporate resources can’t divulge the information we really want to know.

Technorati Tags: Public Relations, Blog Relations, Blogging, Bloggers, Kryptonite Bike Lock

Clients seem to be expressing a stronger interest in blogging, asking everything from “why” and “how” to “what if…” They’re legitimate questions because companies are quickly finding that blogging can be both a powerful relationship-building tool and a potentially huge hole in the corporate wall between the public (especially customers) and the inner workings.

Have you ever heard the expression “Nobody wants to see sausage being made?” It’s doubly appropriate in this situation. Several bloggers like Darren Rowse and Robb Hecht have written about this subject, but Colin McKay, the author of the Canuckflack blog pointed us to this helpful “how to” piece from MarketingSherpa.com.

This is one of those articles you need to print out and save, even if you don’t have time to read it right now.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Blogs, Blogging, Corporate Blogs, Canuckflack, MarketingSherpa

From the Marketing Geniuses at Maple Creative, here’s a goofy promotional video they created for their client, Unique British Gifts.

Does this video have any viral value? We’ll let you be the judge of that (and, once the holiday season has passed, maybe the guys from Maple can give us a final tally). Whatever the end result of this particular promotion, however, we thought it might be a great time to consider the essential elements of a viral promotion:

1.) Virals have to be creative and original – derivative virals are boring (or worse).

2.) Virals have to be “authentic”, lest they be perceived as blatant advertising.

3.) Virals need to resonate with their target audience. Let’s face it, the only way you’re going to get pass-along is if the recipient “gets it.”

4.) Virals need to have a measurable call to action.

So, is our American Beefeater-guy video a successful promotion?

The guys at Maple may know that already. One of the great things about viral promotions is that they either catch (or not) right away. The problem with viral promotions, really, is getting them to end. As SEO marketing expert (and educator) Kent Lewis recalls in his paper on viral marketing:

“Every viral campaign has three stages: seed, germination, and growth. For a plant to thrive, the seed has to be made of quality genetic material, it must successfully germinate, and it must receive proper nutrients to grow. The same is true of online viruses. … many viral campaigns are unintentional, perhaps akin to “volunteers” in the plant world. They germinate and grow not by design, but because of enthusiastic third parties.”

So, what’s the big to-do over viral marketing, anyway? Is there any evidence that it even works? It’s a legitimate question.

There seems to be a correlation between the success of a viral marketing program and the call to action – similar, really, to what most marketers experience with direct mail programs. In general, the more expensive or complex the call to action, the less “pick-up” or “pass along” there is to a campaign.

You can find some objective criticism of viral marketing in this article by Sandeep Krishnamurthy.

We’ll keep our eyes and ears open and hope that Skip and the crew at Maple Creative keep us posted on how their promotion works!

We’ve heard from Maple Creative’s James Nestor and wanted to pass along the latest developments in this promotion. James writes:

“I developed (and starred as the Beefeater) the Beefeater in order to drive traffic to the Unique British Gifts site. The spot was filmed two days before Thanksgiving. It was edited over Thanksgiving weekend and released on November 30th. “

“Since that time, the response has been remarkable:
- Visitor numbers are rising.
- 92% of hits are entry via URL direct.
- Average pages/visitor: 5.5.
- 52% of home page entries click on past home page.
- 16.4% of visitors put UBG in Favorites
- 74% of visitors are from the U.S.”

“And most important to our client, U.S. sales have begun and continue. “

“We’ve pitched local, regional and national media prior to the release of the spot. After the spot was complete, it was sent to media from whom we hadn’t received coverage. This garnered additional coverage in major markets including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Washington, D.C.”

“Additionally, the ‘Beefeater’ made stops in major markets greeting morning and afternoon commuters with a call to action – go to this site this holiday.”

Great news, James. Good luck and please keep us posted!

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Online Marketing, Viral Promotion, Maple Creative, American Beefeater, Unique British Imports

It was a busy week – which meant I didn’t blog Monday through Wednesday. Between a trip to Florida and a 1-1/2 day meeting with a client, it just wasn’t practicle. Next week will be a pretty full one, too, but we should manage to squeeze in plenty of good stuff before the holidays take over.

Enjoy your weekend and check in again with us again on Monday!

Marketing & Media
Video Is E-Mail Marketing’s Future (12/16/2005)
Fighting Words (12/16/2005)
A News Media’s Ultimate USP (12/15/2005)
Will The USA Become A Mobile Community? (12/15/2005)
From Cross-Cultural Branding To Multi-Cultural Marketing (12/15/2005)

Advertising, Design & Creativity
A News Media’s Ultimate USP (12/15/2005)

Public Relations & Journalism
Editorial Cartoonists Stage Protest (12/16/2005)
Top 10 PR Blunders Of 2005 (12/16/2005)
A News Media’s Ultimate USP (12/15/2005)

Blogging & Web Sites
Will The USA Become A Mobile Community? (12/15/2005)
Considering A Web Site Re-Design? Keep This In Mind (12/15/2005)

Branding & Corporate Leadership
Branding Insights And Opportunities (12/16/2005)
From Cross-Cultural Branding To Multi-Cultural Marketing (12/15/2005)
How Does 2006 Look To You? (12/15/2005)

Misc.
Fast Cities – Can The US Keep Up? (12/15/2005)

All comments (c) 2005, Brand Central Station – all rights reserved. For more information about BCS, please visit our website.

I was an editorial cartoonist in college. Not a good one, mind you. But good enough to get them published with some frequency and to generate occassional letters from pissed off students and faculty and, on at least two occassions, requests for my dismissal from the administration.

Those rebellious days may now be long passed, but I can’t help but feel an emotional bond to last Monday’s “Black Ink Monday” protest staged by more than 80 eidtorial cartoonists here in the USA. The trade publication Editor & Publisher has covered the protest with a fairly concise article on the protest and also provides a link to the protest site that features 106 cartoons. More on the protest can be found here.

Editorial cartoons and their creators have a long and storied tradition in American journalism – including the famed Thomas Nast who created to modern concept of Santa Claus in “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Which leads me to this last cartoon.

This shot at the “brains” of the Tribune Company is actually an homage to a caricature Thomas Nast did of “Boss” Tweed – the political godfather who ran the Democratic machine in New York City around the turn of the 20th Century. Tweed scared people and bullied everyone from the newspaper reporters to city officials to opposing politicos – but it was Nast who kept sticking the dagger into Tweed until the heat got so bad, the “Boss” fled the country to avoid prosecution.

But the story doesn’t end there. “Boss” Tweed was eventually picked up and extradited to the US because he was recognized while vacationing in Europe. The authorities didn’t use a photograph to identify him, but rather compared his likeness to Nast’s cartoons and made the crime bust based on the similarities in the drawings.

No, I’m not a rebellious sort any more. But this is one protest I may well find worthy. Join me, won’t you?

Technorati Tags: Journalism, Newspaper, Editorial, Cartoons, Editorial Cartoons, Black Ink Monday, Editorial Cartoon Protest

What does the future of e-mail marketing look like? Well, according to Michael Murray of KOTW, it looks a lot like video. Streaming video.

Murray’s company was featured in this review on AdRants on Thursday (12/15). KOTW provides a whole slew of video services including video e-mail, web site video, video-on-demand and much more – but it was the video e-mail that grabbed the eye of Steve Hall and the AdRants team. Here’s why:

Video is an engaging medium. Done well online, it can be positively enthralling. And, best of all, video messages are easy for the customer to receive. Current research puts the retention of messages delivered via video at 74%.

Is KOTW here for the long term or will it face the same fate as so many other streaming video companies from the early days of the dot-com boom? We’re not ready to make any predictions on the company’s future – but as bandwidth continues to increase and technology continues to improve, we think video will proliferate on the web and that includes e-mail video.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Online Advertising, E-Mail Marketing, Online Video, E-Mail Video, KOTW

We’re approaching the end of the year and that means it’s time for a look at various lists of “the best” or “the worst”, etc. And our friends at the Media Orchard blog have passed along Fineman PR’s list of the ten worst media blunders of the past year. Here they are (in abbreviated form):

#10. National Academy of Sciences publishes a “how to” manual for terrorists wanting to pollute the USA’s milk supply.

#9. Snapple rolls out a 35,000-pound ice pop onto a New York City sidewalk on the first day of summer.

#8. Merck gets caught in a twist over Vioxx.

#7. An Easter Egg in the popular video game “Grand Theft Auto” reveals more than your regular surprise when animated characters start having sex on screen.

#6. The US Military buys positive coverage in the Iraqi media.

#5. Harvard’s president, Larry Summers, says gender differences are why fewer women than men excel in math and science.

#4. Michigan-based, Benefit Management Administrators, Inc. fires an employee for taking too much time to say good-bye to her husband when he left to fight in Iraq.

#3. UAW president Ron Gettelfinger bars Marine reservists from its parking lot if they drive foreign-made cars or sport pro-Bush bumper stickers.

#2. Pat Robertson urges the assassination of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

And the worst PR blunder of 2005 …

#1. Tom Cruise blows up at Today’s Matt Lauer after getting on his Scientology soap box.

For more information on the PR blunders list, check out the information on Fineman PR’s website.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, PR, Public Relations, PR Blunders, Fineman PR