September 9, 2009 – 3:36 pm
As one of the nation’s oldest advertising agencies with a reputation for great traditional work, we often find that people are surprised that we’ve embraced social media so quickly and so enthusiastically.
Michael recently wrote on this blog about how passion powers purchases. The idea of connecting to your brand’s most passionate fans and enlisting [...]
We spend our money on the people and the things that we love the most. Or said another way, our passions power our purchases. Basic needs must first be met. Food, shelter, clothing. But once met, dollars get directed towards purchases that bring us the greatest joy or emotional gratification.
Recognize that passion unchanneled drives [...]
1. A brand is a reputation, a defined set of expectations.
McDonald’s hamburgers aren’t the best hamburgers in the world. But when I order a Big Mac, I know exactly what I am getting. That experience, driven first by product and then by marketing imagery, establishes the brand reputation.
2. Sustainable brands are built upon a set [...]
One of my favorite visual metaphors served up in the public consciousness is the notion of Americans as “1,000 points of light.” I love the notion that each of us are powerful stars independent yet interconnected. Together we have the ability to illuminate a night sky. Independent we have the ability to impact the lives [...]
The 5C’s of marketing are relatively self-explanatory: Curiosity, Connection, Confidence, Conversation and Community. While the process is non-linear, certainly the foundation of the process is the twin pillars of Curiosity and Confidence. And it would be easy to stop there and simply say an interested, trusting customer is one who will stay in the fold.
Which [...]
One of the many reasons I have loved working in marketing is that doing it well requires successful relationship-building skills. On one of my many job interviews I was asked to “prove that you are as good of a marketer as you claim.” My pithy response was “I’ve been married 18 years.” Some people have [...]
“Surprise and delight” has become the Doe-Anderson catchphrase for winning the hearts of our clients’ customers. It’s a notion that transcends a transactional relationship and creates a friendship between the brand and its users.
In order to do that, we have a set of guiding principles to which we rather rigorously adhere:
1. Creating surprise and delight [...]
Imagine yourself single, independent, casually hanging out at a club. Into the room strides a person you find attractive. Is the person single? Unattached? Approachable? Interested in meeting someone new? Right now? What might the person find interesting? Memorable? Likable?
Interest arouses your curiosity, and that curiosity drives your thought process. The single most critical task [...]
“I’m not interested in what you have to say!”
Ever had a conversation with someone where they insist on telling you everything they want you to know, but you really don’t care? I’ve had a few this week. I’m always amazed at how people just start talking and never read their audience to see if they’re [...]
February 4, 2009 – 6:00 am
Here’s what most agency partners do when their client comes to them and says, “I want to build an on-line community.”
Panic – “Our Interactive Department has a hard time building billboard-esque microsites. What are we going to do?”
Call a third-party [...]
