Is advertising dead?

Ah, yes. Is advertising dead…the most frequently asked question in this ad-soaked world we live in.

The truth is, it’s not dead. And I’m not just saying that because if it were, I would be out of a job. A few days ago I saw a commercial that proved this very point to me. It was one of the new Amazon Kindle commercials.

The light-hearted tone, cheery music and unusual film technique spoke to me. I actually walked away from viewing this commercial not wanting the last 30 seconds of my life back. And it got me thinking…why do I like this commercial so much?

I liked it because it spoke to me emotionally. It didn’t tell me how great the Kindle was or how much my life would benefit from it. No. In half a minute, they managed to do nothing more than create a world I want to be in. A world where things are whimsical and fun. It was a break from reality for me. And sometimes that’s all that advertising needs to be to be effective. An emotional break.

So to those who think advertising is dead, I ask you this: What is your definition of advertising? Because if it is spouting off the benefits of your product or service with no regard to your target audience or watching an inanimate object crack dumb jokes and use bad puns, then yes, advertising is dead.

But if your definition is connecting to the consumer on an emotional level, then advertising not only isn’t dead, but never will be. Because in pulling an emotion from someone, advertisers must continue to challenge themselves to speak to the consumer in a way that hasn’t been done before.

Click here to view the Kindle commercials.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSAN!

Today is Susan’s birthday, and to celebrate, we have made her head goddess for the day at EOS! Doesn’t she look chic in her pink boa and crown? This afternoon, the team will treat her to a special birthday lunch. Don’t forget to Facebook, tweet or email her you birthday well-wishes.

Every Picture Tells A Story!

Two weeks ago, EOS was presented with a plum opportunity - to develop the World Water Day exhibit for the corporate headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company.  Of course, we jumped at the chance, because we recognized that it was the ideal place to bring attention to a very important cause-marketing effort RAIN - the Replenish Africa Initiative from The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation.
 
Through the use of some amazing photography from The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, we were able to tell the story about the daily struggles Africans must endure to obtain one of our most basic necessities - water.  Yet, we were also able to show many of the wonderful clean water initiatives RAIN and The Coca-Cola Foundation have been able to provide to children and families in water-starved locations.  Read more about Coca-Cola’s commitment to global water stewardship.

We’ll be launching the website for The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation/RAIN the week of April 19.  Be sure to sign up and become a RAIN Maker, which is a supporter of this very important cause.  Because with many drops, we can create a wave of change - around the world!

Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation

A few weeks ago, my former mentor and I had a friendly debate about one of her new employees. This “young kid” - as she put it - fresh off an internship thinks he can run the entire office. He’s only been an employee for 3 weeks (her exact words were “a whole 15 days”) and he’s ready to advance to the next level. I explained that he is just an ambitious young man who is excited about his new position, and if given the opportunity and guidance, he could accomplish great things. 

She rolled her eyes and smugly retorted, “I knew you’d say that. You Millennials are all cut from the same naïve cloth. Come talk to me in 20 years when a kid with next-to-no experience strolls into your office and demands to be promoted.”

Even though I was mildly offended, I knew I wouldn’t win the argument, so I humbly bowed out. Two days later, just to drive her point home, she sent me an article entitled “Managing the ‘Me First’ Generation”, which discusses the workplace power struggle between Boomers and Millennials. For those of you who aren’t up on your demographic lingo, a Boomer - or Baby boomer - is anyone born between 1946 and 1964. Millennials - or Generation Y - are those born after 1982.

Being a proud Millennial, I found some parts of the article validating. It points out that most of my generation was raised on a healthy dose of self-esteem from our über supportive parents who incessantly told us that we could do anything. Imagine being conditioned to think that way for more than 20 years. When we enter the workforce, we naturally think that no task is beyond our skill set - regardless of how limited that skill set may be. Now imagine the sheer terror and frustration we feel when our bubble is burst.

I understand this mindset can lead to some rather difficult challenges for our Boomer managers - who coincidently are from the same demographic as the parents who helped foster this attitude. Pretty funny, huh? 

Much like the author of the article, I am here to offer advice to all Boomers who are going bald from the stress of wrangling in Millenials. Are you ready? Take a chill pill. It’s that easy.

We may bring a hint of informality to stuffy - I mean traditional - work environments. And occasionally, we may have a misplaced sense of entitlement when it comes to leadership positions. However, we are fearless risk takers who are eager to tackle any project put in front of us. We crave training and opportunities to learn from you because we want to grow professionally. We just need you to be a little patient with us as we experience our growing pains. And, it couldn’t hurt for you to acknowledge that you were once in our shoes.

I hope this insight into the mind of a Millennial has given you Boomers some comfort. And if it doesn’t, know that in about 20 years, we Millennials will be going through the same thing.

Who knew bananas could spark creativity?

Stepping outside my comfort zone

As a designer, I’m always trying to keep my ideas fresh. And the best way to do that is to step out of your comfort zone artistically. Now, sometimes this produces unusual results. For example, I have an end table that is shellacked with playing cards and campbell’s soup labels. Not my best work. But it was something I did outside of my normal aesthetic. Creativity is like a muscle­ - you need to keep working it, otherwise it will atrophy. That said, I stumbled across this website the other day for some inspiration: www.jellio.com/store.html (See the picture of a cupcake chair).

Seeing this work got my blood pumping and heart racing. Who knows - perhaps this weekend I’ll create a xylophone made of twizzlers. Or a slinky hat, or an oreo mosaic, or a scrabble-tiled picture frame…. When you think outside the box, the possibilities become endless.

Tips for Entrepreneurs

Margaret and I went to Cliff Oxford’s Entrepreneur Advisors event last Friday, February 26^th at the Ritz-Carlton. We are founding members of the Entrepreneur Advisor’s group, but our hectic schedules make it difficult to attend the continuing education events it offers. Going to this symposium was time well-spent, and reminded us of the importance of “sharpening the saw” every now and then. We were excited to have our newest client, Janice Howell, co-owner of MODA Floors & Interiors, join us as our guest.

The day was filled with discussions on strategies that entrepreneurs can use to develop and improve their businesses. For me, there were several topics that reinforce the EOS business model, and the marketing advice that we provide our clients.

 I found Cliff Oxford’s Three Steps of Change Management to be very intriguing, especially in the Atlanta’s current economic climate. These steps include:

•  When tackling a major project or problem, find a bright spot then clone it. In other words, find something that’s working and do it over and over again.
• Change comes from doing, not knowing. Sometimes you just have to start moving even before you have all the facts - clarity will come with action.
• Simplify the problem to its core essence and it will be easier to identify the right course of action.

We also spent some time talking about lead nurturing & management - especially online leads. The presenter used this New Yorker cartoon to highlight some of the positives and negatives of interacting with people on the internet.

The positive aspect of “no one knows you’re a dog” is the level playing field created by anonymity of Internet - small companies can have the same impact and presence as large ones. However, on the negative side, if you don’t use your online presence to clearly communicate who you are and the value you bring to your customers, you might as well be a dog.   

We’ll keep you updated on the next Entrepreneur Advisor’s event. We hope to see you there!

Writing the conversation

I read an interesting article published by PR Tactics called “Writing the conversation: How social media is redefining PR’s content creation.”  It discusses the affects  that Web 2.0 and the social media explosion are having on the way PR professionals communicate their clients’ brand messages. I loved the fact that the article addresses the new found opportunity social media provides by creating an open dialogue, as well as the PR professional’s responsibility to harness this opportunity appropriately and ethically. Read over the article and let me know what you think.