How Can I Argue With That?

This post is prompted by my four-year-old daughter and her growing
knowledge. Last night when I was about to help wash my daughter's hair I grabbed the shampoo and conditioner - the kind that comes in one bottle. The bottle was nearly full despite being in the bathroom for quite a while. The reason - as my daughter explained to me verbatim - "shampoo and conditioner in one bottle is not healthy for your hair because it contains a lot of wax and wax is not good for your hair, daddy."

This totally explains the new bottles of - what I can only assume are - expensive shampoo and conditioner. How does she know this? Knowing she doesn't subscribe to Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Celebrity Hair Styles or other magazines, I asked.

"Ms. Donna," she said. Ms. Donna is the stylist at a local hair salon. Which according to my daughter makes her an authority on hair care and hair products. And makes anything I have to say on the subject unworthy of consideration.

The point of this post? Simple. Consider the following:

What are you an authority on?
What advice/information can you discuss, present or provide that is accepted upon delivery?
If you're not an authority yet, what can you do to become one?

Answer those questions and you're on you're way to success; ignore them and you'll find yourself in a 'hairy' situation.

Posted by Emily Bennington on behalf of Jim Nester.

Itchy Trigger Finger

One of the most common mistakes in advertising is scrapping an advertising campaign too soon. It is simple human nature to tire of one's own material. Logically, we've seen or heard our own ads way more than anyone in the audience has. But just because we feel the need for change, it does not necessarily mean that our audience feels the same.

Many a client has come to us with the desire to freshen things up a bit ... to pull the plug on a campaign that's just beginning to pull the desired results. It may be counterintuitive, but the best play is to allow a mature campaign to continue to drive results. Allowing the campaign to continue, enables the advertiser to leveraging the power of repetition and consistency to drive home a message, to clearly stake out a position, or reinforce a sales offer.

The true marketing geniuses know that when their trigger finger gets itchy, the smart move is to reach for some ointment. They never cancel a good ad campaign prematurely.

Cheap, Fast or Good

Pick two.

Because it’s an old saying in business that you can have two, but not three. You can have projects that are cheap and fast, but not necessarily high-quality. You can also have projects that are good and fast, but the quick turn-around will cost you.

I mention this because I was inspired by Skip’s blog below, i.e. “In Creative Work – Greatness Cannot Be Rushed.” The trust is, we live in a convenience-driven society where lunch comes in five minutes or less and glasses can be made “in about an hour.”

The problem lies when our gotta-have-it-right-now mentality clashes with the Truth (capital T) of creativity. Marketing is not a business where you can have your product “in about an hour.” It just isn’t.

But it is a business where good ideas, when given time to marinate and honed through research, often become great campaigns that translate into sales.

Hidden Logo Design Elements - Baskin Robbins

In its 60th year, Baskin Robbins rolled out this new brand logo. Anyone see the hidden design element in the new, jazzy Baskin Robbins logo?

Here's a clue ... what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Baskin Robbins? Okay, ice cream, sure--but what else?

How do you feel about the new brand logo? Do you think it's sweet? Is it too much of a departure from the former design? The company's brand manager, Ken Kimmel, explains the strategy and philosophy of the brand makeover in an article posted on the company's Web site.

Marketing geniuses who enjoy these sorts of brain teasers should be sure to check out the sneaky, hidden logo design elements in the following brands:

Finding Nemo
Goodwill Industries
Federal Express
Big Ten Conference

The Press Has an Appetite in November

Hello, marketing geniuses! Sorry that it has been so quiet here lately. We are in the midst of our busiest time of year. I hope you will forgive us and continue to read our blog as we pick up the pace again. Anyway, on with the show ...

According to our friends at PR News Wire, here are the topics that the American press are hungry to cover in November:

Pets - lavish Holiday gifts for pets, keeping pets healthy during this time of year, etc.

Travel - off-season deals, exotic destinations--as the US moves into Winter.

Business - end of year announcements, forecasts & projections for 2007, advice and tips for entrepreneurs to get a leg up on the competition heading into next year.

Bridal & Beauty - these sectors move well in advance of Spring peak, key shows and expos are coming up in the dead of Winter

Do any of these topics look like earned-media opportunities for you? Get busy with those story-pitch ideas, marketing geniuses!