What does chugging a malt beverage have to do with the future of Viral Marketing?

There is a new phenomenon sweeping the nation among males from 18 to 35, icing. And while at first glance it seemed like a game some college student made up one afternoon while bored, the more I see it, the more I think this was one well-executed marketing plan by the makers of Smirnoff Ice. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s first start with a quick explanation of what “icing” is. If you already know, by all means, skip to paragraph 3.

The premise of the game is simple: hide a Smirnoff Ice malt beverage for a friend to stumble upon, once the unknowing friend finds this sugary surprise, he has to immediately take a knee and chug it all at once. Unless of course, he is carrying a bottle himself in which case the attacker must then drink both bottles (known as an “ice block”).

As a woman, I found icing marginally amusing the first few times I saw it. Now it bores me (note I’m not their target market). But as a marketer, I find icing absolutely brilliant.

Take a product that most men wouldn’t be caught dead drinking ­- and create a game where they can use said product to embarrass their friends. Add to that social media & electronics as advanced as they are today, and they can document their stunt and share it with the world in a matter of seconds.

Smirnoff says they have had no involvement with this viral phenomenon, but as someone who spends every day of their life in the marketing business, I beg to differ.

From blogs to websites to YouTube to Facebook to Twitter to who knows what, photos and videos of people getting iced are everywhere. That is the beauty of viral marketing in social media. It’s free and anyone with internet access can do it. So we don’t necessarily know where the buzz is coming from- whether it be the local college student who’s bored in class or the Chief Marketing Officer of a famous alcoholic beverage conglomerate.

I’m not going to come out and say Smirnoff Ice started this, but if they did, huge kudos to them. They are certainly reaping the benefits now. Stores are actually reporting running out of Smirnoff Ice- the first time this has ever happened. And celebrities have started to get in on the fun. Ashton Kutcher even has started his own site IceAshton.com where the first person to ice him and take photos will win a prize.

So what can we, as marketers, get out of a game where grown men take a knee and chug a malt beverage? Social media is a very powerful marketing tool. And it’s going to continue to influence consumers in the future. If you ask me, this is just the beginning in viral marketing.

 For more information on icing, getting iced or if you’re just bored, their official website is: www.Brosicingbros.com. Or you could just google it. I’m telling you, it’s everywhere right now.

Whose job is it anyway?

Yesterday, I read an article in AdWeek entitled Digital Dips Toes in PR Water: A need for earned media spurs big change. Now personally, I don’t mind if the digital folks want to dip their toes in my water - I dove head first into theirs - so to that I say, “Come on in, the water is just fine.”

The Adweek article discusses how social media coupled with increased competition to be noticed on the Web has led digital firms to create internal PR teams to develop creative ways to drive traffic to clients’ projects. These types of articles add fuel to the fire of an argument that is as old as the marketing profession itself - whose job is it anyway? Does PR get to call dibs on social media? Can the digital realm get in on the advertising action? Can brand managers master PR principles?

As these thoughts swarmed around in my mind, I had an epiphany…”Isn’t all of this stuff just a part of marketing? And doesn’t the client need all of it in order to sustain the longevity of a brand?”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for specialization - which is why I identify myself as a PR professional. But look at the evolution of agencies. Nowadays you’d be hard pressed to find a public relations agency that doesn’t have a digital or brand expert on staff or vice-versa. I think that’s what makes EOS a unique agency; our agency has a media neutral approach. We focus on the idea, and once it is established, we devise the best way to use our agency’s capabilities to convey that idea to its intended audiences. EOS has a range of expertise from branding and advertising to interactive marketing to graphic design to PR and more. This means that we’re a one-stop shop that produces integrated, long-term marketing solutions, which is what clients are looking for.

So what are your thoughts on this new integrated agency trend? Is it  the new normal in the marketing world?

Street Fair Fun!

We took a break from our hectic schedule to enjoy our building’s summer tenant luncheon. Every year building management throws a themed event that gives the tenants a chance to mingle. This year’s street fair-themed event was a hit! I can’t wait to see what they cook up next year!

It’s a Boy!

He’s creative, smart, and even more amazingly, he’s a guy! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s true. EOS has thrown some testosterone into the mix with the start of our new design associate, Barry Klipp.

Barry’s quick thinking, smart concepts and refined design skills gave him the edge needed to beat out the competition. He’ll be working with the EOS team and learning various aspects of what it takes to be an art director, web director, photographer and designer.

Being the only guy takes a special kind of person. So, who is Barry exactly? Well, no one can tell you better than the man himself.

The World According to Barry

1. I’m a visual person and have been credited with the ability of capturing the essence of a person with my camera within the first 10 minutes of meeting them. I also get praise for my use of light… it’s all about the lighting.

2. I switched careers from photography to art direction because I wanted more of a challenge, a new avenue. I love thinking of ad concepts and new big ideas.

3. I entered a design contest for the cover of Media Magazine and Alex Bogusky tweeted about my design. I was also featured in the same issue.

4. The things I love most in life: my wife, Liz, cheeseburgers and of course my friend Baxter (my dog).

So there you have it. We’ve added a guy to the EOS team and we’re ready for you to send the next big creative challenge our way.

Real Estate is Looking Up…at least here at EOS

April was an awesome month for our new client, Minerva Real Estate Investments. They asked us to develop a campaign for their residential golf & country club community, Heron Bay in Locust Grove. We created an advertising and social media blitz driven by the deadline for the homeownership tax credit. Our campaign strategy - The Smart Move Right Now - gave potential homeowners 5 reasons they should move to Heron Bay. We created online and print ads, developed an email campaign for prospects and Realtors, wrote blog posts and revamped their Facebook and Twitter pages, all in an effort to drive traffic to the sales center.

The results of the campaign were amazing. The community’s web traffic grew by 30% and their social media following grew but, more importantly, traffic to the sales center increased and Heron Bay sold 19 homes in 6 weeks! We are looking forward to developing more targeted campaigns for Heron Bay in the future.

We’ve seen a lot of interest and activity among our other real estate clients and some new business opportunities as well.  We’re looking forward to getting busy again in this category we know and love!

EOS wins Green Day Corporate Challenge award

Last week Friday, I attended the 8th annual Leadership Breakfast for EarthShare of Georgia with our good friends from Tomorrow Pictures. At the breakfast, our team was awarded the small group Green Day Corporate Challenge winner for the work we did a Riverside Park! This was our first year participating in the event, and the judges from EarthShare were very impressed with the large amount of work our small group accomplished in such a limited timeframe.

Preparing the community garden at Riverside Park was truly an enriching experience. It’s was a great feeling knowing that we were taking part in an activity that will have a positive impact on an entire neighborhood. Our team is excited about seeing the “fruits” of their labor once the garden is complete. I’m looking forward to inspiring more change at Earthshare’s next Green Day Corporate Challenge.

Think you got what it takes to be EOS’ next graphic design intern?

We are looking for a graphic design intern for the EOS summer internship program. Our ideal candidate will be a graphic design student or recent grad with experience in Adobe CS4 - Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. S/he will have the opportunity to participate in brainstorming sessions, help to produce print and web marketing materials and assist with day-to-day office duties. 

This paid internship is a great way to gain real world experience and work with some of the best creative minds in the business. If you’re interested, please click here to download the job description and learn how to apply for the position. Thanks and good luck!

Happy Earth Day from the EOS Goddess!

Last Saturday morning, we met our friends from Tomorrow Pictures at Riverside Community Garden for the Corporate Green Day Challenge. Every year, EarthShare of Georgia hosts a work-day to give Atlanta businesses an opportunity to celebrate Earth Day by volunteering in local community activities. Hundreds of volunteers have participated over the years, and the event was expected to be even bigger this year. 

Our group worked with the neighbors in Riverside to prep the Riverside Community Garden for planting. The project , which started last year, provides low income residents in the area with access to fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits. We spent the morning mowing, tilling, weeding and building raised beds so the garden would be ready for the neighbors to start planting in the coming weeks. While landscaping the garden entrance, we discovered a beautiful oak tree tucked away behind ivy, an old chain link fence and trash. It was an amazing transformation, and I am planning to go back later in the season to see what is growing (and hopefully get a taste of some fresh produce)!

I love opportunities to give back to the community and what better to do it with co-workers and the extended EOS family at Tomorrow Pictures. Check out pictures from our adventure to really see how much fun we had!

The Client Factor

Last week Lauren and I went to SCAD Atlanta to speak with students about life after art school. Well, I spoke with them about life after art school. Lauren had much more professional and beneficial insights to share.

Since I’ve been working here at eos, my life has been a whirlwind of designing websites, concepting, creating print collateral, logo redesigns, anything creative you can imagine, I’ve had the great fortune to do it all here. And I love it. So on the way to speak to these design students, I took a moment to reflect on how different life is when you leave art school and enter the corporate world.

The biggest and most important difference is what I like to call “The Client Factor.” Simply put (but not so easily executed), you are no longer creating for yourself, you are creating for the client.

And creating for the client takes modesty and professionalism (something that a lot of artists have trouble with). It also requires you to establish a level of trust with your client. After all, this is THEIR money you’re spending. Their hard work has earned that money. It’s imperative that you are empathetic to this.

That said, The Client Factor requires thorough planning before you even consider the execution. A lot of times people think creative work is just making something pretty. Not true at all. You must have a concept. A strategy. A support system that assures your client you are handling their hard-earned money with the utmost amount of sensitivity and smarts.

Look at good design out there today, I promise you it was made possible because of a domino-effect series of events between the client and the creative.

1. A plan was established
2. Trust developed between the client and the creative team because of this plan
3. This trust allows the creative to have more leeway when developing the work, leaving both companies with work that they all can be proud of.

So, in looking back after art school, I’ve learned that it is no longer about me. It’s about the client. It’s no longer about me. It’s about the client. If you’re a creative, say this over and over and over. And then over again. Because it can be tough at times. But if you can get that burned into your brain, I assure you, everyone involved will come out on top.

Million dollar comma

Last week Friday, Lauren and I attended the the Fred Pryor mistake-free grammar & proofreading seminar. The class was a great refresher on grammar basics. It’s always nice to take time to stretch the old grammar muscle every now and then.

If you know me, then you know that I love when presenters have entertaining anecdotes that tie into the their lessons, and Dr. Faye Fulton was full of them. The story that stuck with me the most was a multi-million dollar lawsuit that was decided by a comma.

An extremely wealthy man passed away and left his estate to be divided evenly among his two nephews and one niece. In his will, it clearly stated that “Bob, Andrew and Leslie” would all receive an equal share of his estate. Bob contested the will stating that because there was no comma between Andrew’s and Leslie’s names, they were legally one entity. This means he would inherit 50 percent of the estate and the other two siblings would split the remaining 50 percent. The court ruled in favor of Bob.

Now obviously this judge was not aware of the Associate Press Stylebook, and I have no way of verifying the validity of this story - I wasted a full 30 minutes searching for it on Google - but, it still goes to show how important it is for our written work to be grammatically correct. A simple punctuation error could completely change the meaning of a sentence. And if a comma is the difference between $15 million and $30 million, you darn well better have it in the right place.