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August 29th, 2010

Idaho Preferred’s New Fair Display

We had a great time at the Western Idaho Fair on Saturday. I honestly can’t remember the last time I went to a fair when it was under 95 degrees (let alone 70 degrees)!  This year the fair even sustained winds of over 60 miles per hour. Glad to see our client Idaho Preferred’s display was still standing strong. Drake Cooper recently redesigned their display and it has been very well received. 

The strategy behind the design centered around creating a look and feel of a local country store, complete with graphics designed to be reminiscent of wooden produce crates.  On the display were small, handcrafted wooden boxes and inside were various cards, each featuring an Idaho food or agricultural product (such as peaches).

This overall design approach continues to reinforce Idaho Preferred’s mission, which is to promote the consumption of Idaho food, beverages and agricultural products. We were incredibly proud to have the opportunity to work on this display. Congratulations to Idaho Preferred for another successful year at the Western Idaho State Fair. Next stop, the display travels to Twin Falls for another fair!  Also, just around the corner on September 1st marks the beginning of Idaho Preferred Month!  Learn more at www.idahopreferred.com

Posted in Idaho, Marketing, clients, design, food and beverage | No Comments »

#posted by M.Teffey @ 10:54 pm

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August 18th, 2010

Savor Idaho Food, Wine & Scenery on the Locavore Express

Q: How do Idahoans celebrate the state’s annual bounty of locally grown products?

A: They pile into a railroad car, nosh on appetizers, sip on local wines, and roll through the scenic countryside.

For the second year, Horseshoe Bend’s Thunder Mountain Line will turn into the Locavore Express on August 29 and September 26. Participants will sip Idaho wine and enjoy appetizers with Idaho-grown ingredients as they enjoy a scenic train ride along the Payette River. The ride’s final destination is Banks, where passengers will get off the train and enjoy a gourmet feast comprised entirely of Idaho food products. Tickets are $42.50 per person and can be purchased online at http://www.thundermountainline.com/august10.htm. Or, pick up the phone and call 208-432-7245.

The Locavore Express events celebrate September as Idaho Preferred Month®, which Gov. Otter has declared as 30 days dedicated to honoring Idaho’s bountiful food products and the local purveyors who grow and produce them.

“Locavore is a term used to describe someone who eats and drinks foods and beverages that have been grown, raised or produced within 100 miles of their home,” says Leah Clark, a trade specialist for the Idaho Dept. of Agriculture and manager of Idaho Preferred®. “We wanted to give people a chance to become Idaho locavores in a unique Idaho setting.”

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August 16th, 2010

Yum, it’s The Oatmeal

Watch this quick presentation from Matthew Inman, creator and curator of “The Oatmeal,” the righteously hilarious and nutty website that gets almost 5 million unique hits a month, as he talks about why people like his site.


Sure, Inman’s content might be a little crazy or irrelevant for actual client work and marketing campaigns. But Inman’s ability to identify issues that people can relate to, and use those issues or topics in his work, is a timeless rhetorical skill – the kind that keeps millions returning to his site every month.
Often times in this industry and always in our reality TV society, we all race to come up with the oddest, most random, unique, funniest, craziest, and most eye-popping idea for campaigns. Whereas that approach is obviously not the smartest way to get attention from the masses.
Identify issues, experiences, feelings, commonalities, and genuine responses that we all encounter – that we can all relate to. Add some humor or creativity – keep it simple – and it’ll resonate.
That seems to be Inman’s formula and it’s a simple one. Five-million-visitors-and-growing-simple. 

Posted in Advertising, Business, Marketing, campaign planning | No Comments »

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August 13th, 2010

The Purpose and Objectives of a Business

The other day my computer needed a tune up and for the first time in a long time I had to go through a weekend without the web. Which affected my reading. I always have a book or two in progress but I shift around from my books to the web. So when I was shifting around looking for my web time replacement I went to my book stack and found The Essential Drucker. I’ve always wanted to read it. Now was my chance. (And actually, a book like this is kind of like a blog considering it’s a series of essays.)

The essay that really hooked me was “The Purpose and Objectives of a Business.”

I think it’s valuable to recenter oneself from time to time. Why do companies exist? From cars to luggage to home improvement stores what’s the point of it all?

If you immediately said “profit” I encourage you to read on… (And then I encourage you to watch this and try to be a little less cynical…)

Drucker’s thoughts on profit were as follows:

“Profit is not the explanation, cause, or rationale of business behavior and business decisions, but rather the test of their validity. If archangels instead of business people sat in Directors’ chairs, they would still have to be concerned with profitability, despite their total lack of personal interest in making profits.”

Instead, he says, “there is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer.”

I love that.

And the more you think about it the more true it is.

Consider:

Apple has created a customer who values design and dynamic personal expression from their technology.

Cabela’s has created a customer who believes that the outdoor experience is something deeper than what general sporting good stores can provide.

H&M has created a customer who believes in the idea of cheap chic.

In fact, the best brands are creating new types of customers before our vary eyes all the time: Mini, Facebook, Pixar, Ralph Lauren, Fast Company, the list goes on… And a good question every company should revisit from time to time is:  What type of customer are we creating?

Anyway, because its purpose is to create a customer, Drucker continues, “the business enterprise has two–and only these two–basic functions: marketing and innovation.”

Upon reading that I drew this:

And then I thought about value.

What’s the value of an outsourced marketing partner to a business today? The best value equally straddles both areas. Communicate through creativity and marketing so that the customer clearly understands how the product or service fits them. Then apply creativity with innovation decisions to help a business provide better and more economical goods and services.

I look at the drawing above and immediately companies like IDEO, Naked and Fahrenheit 212 come to mind, primarily moving in from the right. I think many ad agencies and digital firms are finding ways to effectively move in from the left. I know we’re moving more and more this way. And this is where the industry needs to be–providing creative ideas and insights that strengthen the fundamental purpose of a business.

Anyway, I liked the re-centering.

It’s good to put the computer away sometimes.

Posted in Marketing, campaign planning, creativity, innovation | 1 Comment »

#posted by John Drake @ 8:39 am

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August 4th, 2010

Infotainment & Contentising

Entertainment. Information. Content. Advertising.

As marketers and public relations practitioners, those are our wares. They swirl around in our world to varying degrees. We draw on strategy and creativity and, at the end of the day, use all these things to influence consumers to make choices that result in sales for our clients.

I read an interesting article from AdvertisingAge titled, “How HSN and ‘Eat Pray Love’ Turn Content Into Commerce.” Home Shopping Network is apparently going to capitalize on the popularity of the upcoming film and New York Times bestselling book it’s based on, and create ties between their products and the film’s themes/content.

The article is an interesting case study on how media companies are partnering with advertisers to use branded entertainment across multiple channels to make money. But it falls short, in my opinion, by keeping advertisers and media companies in their own separate boxes.

As communication channels open up and multiply, I think businesses and their agencies must take on the role of both advertiser and media producer for their brands. We’ve already seen Old Spice do this with their “Old Spice Guy” campaign. In the case of HSN, they are creating a sort of hybrid of infotainment, advertising, and sales/marketing, which is an interesting model, but one not all companies and their brands can pull off.

The point to draw between the Old Spice, Brand-as-content-producer model and the HNS/Eat Pray Love model is this: audiences are no longer impressed by pretty pictures and witty messaging. Countless outlets are demanding their attention and, as a result, their purchasing discretion is only growing. These audiences do, however, access a multitude of communication channels and consume diverse content. And that’s where I believe opportunities await for companies/agencies/brands to create engaging content that not only informs and entertains consumers, but motivates them to make purchases as well.

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Media, agency, campaign planning, creativity, digital marketing | No Comments »

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July 26th, 2010

Think Idaho. Eat Idaho.

The mission to “Buy Local, Eat Local” in Boise, and all of Idaho for that matter, smacked me right in the reusable grocery bag this weekend when I trotted down to my local Albertsons to satisfy a hot summer afternoon sweet tooth.

Even the national grocery chain store (okay, so it’s locally grown too) is supporting the body-healthy and earth-friendly, eat local trend, transforming their mainstream grocery stores into neighborhood farmer’s markets.

Partnering with state-sponsored efforts like the Idaho Department of Agriculture’s ”Idaho Preferred” program and local farmers, Albertsons will be selling Idaho-grown produce in mini-farmer market stands throughout the Treasure Valley, apparently throughout harvest season.




This is super exciting to see as we approach September, which is “Idaho Preferred Month.” And major kudos to Albertsons for exemplifying that, even though they are a nationally established chain, they can still support local businesses and farmers, and in return, sell fresh, truly local produce to their communities. I was able to score some amazing Rainier Cherries from Caldwell, right down the road, leaving my sweet tooth satisfied and my excitement about big businesses doing great things augmented.

So regardless of where you grab some groceries in the Treasure Valley, keep an eye out for local Albertsons stores carrying Idaho Preferred product that let you  “buy local, eat local.”

Albertsons sells Idaho grown local produce like Rainier cherries




 

Albertsons sells local produce like cherries from Caldwell, Idaho

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July 23rd, 2010

SEO Geeks, Meet Content Nerds. SMO and Search.

I’ve been hyped up on the concept of social media optimization since I listened to a webinar from Brian Solis in May.

I love that Google is now incorporating live results from channels like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube into its search returns. Not only does this up the ante for the importance of opinion leaders in these online spaces, it also challenges companies to become media producers instead of simply marketers.

While this feels like a basic concept, it’s still new too. I attended a Social Media Club meeting last night. Social Media Optimization was on the agenda for discussion. But the panel of really smart SEO gurus talked primarily about SEO. Not shocking.

Also not shocking was hearing the three savvy individuals reiterate that there’s no exact formula for enhancing SEO. One panelist offered a really great analogy. He said that SEO is a lot like life. “There’s no exact formula for leading a highly successful life, but a lot of highly successful people express the same traits and tips for conducting themselves.” Thus, there’s no exact formula for strong SEO, but follow the practices of industry leaders and you might get somewhere. 

The ambiguity still attached to SEO is exactly why I love the concept of SMO (not that it’s a completely clear concept either). While search engines’ algorithms for delivering results will probably remain forever unknown, I belive that social media optimization offers great opportunities for companies to start producing their own content and media. Ideally then, they can really engage with consumers and provide them with content that (should be) full of added-value. From there, they can listen to consumer response, monitor, gauge and engage, etc.

It gives those of us who love things like copywriting and content development the chance to play Content Nerd and hang in the same world as the SEO Geeks.

While I might stress for hours-on-end over what keywords to buy and which keywords to stuff my tags with, it doesn’t take me that long to jam-out a blog post, assign some keywords, post some pictures on Flickr and tag them with relevant keywords too. Tah-dah. And if the content is badass, well, all the better.

One thing I don’t understand yet is what type of content search engines give more weight….a website, blog, image, or video? Although Google’s new search options let the consumer choose what form of media they’re looking for. Which is sweet.

So “yay” for social media optimization and the opportunity it provides for companies to become media producers: create cool, useful, entertaining, informative content that your audience(s) will value and enjoy; do it often; apply appropriate keywords; presto.

Whether it’s that simple or not – I’m nerdishly excited to find out.

Posted in Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Social media, social media marketing, social media optimization | No Comments »

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July 14th, 2010

Travel Trends & Technology

I was thinking about the state of Idaho’s travel industry and trends in travel, namely social media and location-based technologies, and I realized the two topics create an interesting paradigm.

The Idaho Statesman and Idaho Business Review recently reported that Idaho’s $3 billion travel industry is on the rebound, with some outfitters reporting they are expecting a 40 percent increase in their 2010 bookings, based on the busy past six months.

Idaho Division of Tourism director Karen Ballard reports that revenues from the state’s 2 percent tax on hotel, motel, and private campground lodging was up statewide in May and June.

I’m confident this growing trend will continue into the fall. Why? Because people still want to go on vacation, and I think that more than ever, people want to GET AWAY. And here’s where the interesting paradigm comes in.

In this industry, we constantly read about social media and location-based marketing platforms like Gowalla and Foursquare, new iPhone apps, and even Groupon and Living Social. These platforms are our constant topics of conversation regarding the industry. Opportunities to engage…interactive marketing…chances to listen…added value…ETC.

Moreover, I love USING these platforms. They’re fun. You get sweet deals. You’re in with the cool kids (everyone’s doing it).

But you can’t check-in to Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area. Nor should you try and update your profile while casting a fly in the south fork of the Salmon.

So while social media and location-based technologies are a big “trend” in travel and marketing, are we missing a developing trend that’s seeing travelers seeking distance from their social media profiles, cell phones, and even cell services for that matter?

The nerd in me will always love, study and consume new social media and technology platforms like Twitter, Foursquare and Gowalla. But the ideal purist in me who believes that one only needs a garden in the backyard, fresh water nearby, roof over their head, and love in their life, sort of hopes that people are using their vacation time to escape to parts of the world that remain raw, pure, entirely natural and full of adventure. Idaho’s vast outdoors certainly fit that bill. Keep an eye on us to see if the trend to truly get away is emerging right here in the Gem State.

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July 9th, 2010

LeBrand

This post is a follow-up to what I wrote yesterday about ESPN’s insanely hyped-up hour-long “special” on LeBron’s big decision.

While I am a sports enthusiast, I admit there are countless more dire issues to tend to in our world right now. (Hey – have they plugged that oil leak in the Gulf yet?) But – this was an interesting ‘event’ that touched on so many issues in the advertising/marketing/media industry.

I want to share a couple of posthumous thoughts about LeBrand, LeBron James, Cleveland (the city), ESPN, and the ‘supporters’ of last night’s ESPN special - and how marketing and a local economy are all intertwined in this distasteful mess.

1. LeBrand. Whoever is working behind the scenes to promote the “King James” brand certainly did an efficient job building up the hype to last nights TV special. For a week, ESPN spokespeople reiterated that there has never been anything like the press conference/interview we were all about to watch. Never before had one pro NBA player’s decision to further his career with another team been so crucial, so intense, so drawn-out. But that’s because King James is unprecedented, adjective, adjective, and adjective. Hype hype hype. LeBrand has been created, hyped, and positioned very well.

2. LeBron. If you watched the program last night, and you saw the 25 year-old professional athlete walk into the oddly lit gym in the middle of Ohio, wearing jeans, Timberland boots, and a plaid button-up shirt, and then heard him interject a million “uhms” into the answers he gave to the softball questions he was tossed, you likely realized that LeBrand is indeed a lot of hype, and LeBron James is just a dude. Sure, he plays a sport really, really well. But he’s also simply a person. Neither advertisers, sponsors, ESPN, or LeBron himself should pretend he’s anything more than that. (Why? Because when advertisers and the masses start treating their sports stars like they’re superhuman gods, well, the results look like Tiger Woods. That’s why.)

3. Cleveland. While LeBron/LeBrand was certainly a revenue generator for the city of Cleveland and the Cavaliers franchise, the city/state have a lot more to worry about than one arguably narcissistic pro athlete and the revenue his brand brings in. Cleveland and the Cavaliers simply need to rebuild – their team and their local economy – on resources more stable than one human being’s athletic skills.

Not that it truly helps/hurts Cleveland’s economy, but LeBron could have done his home state a favor and held a more tasteful, less-hyped/less painful press conference to announce his departure. But he didn’t, which leads me to point 4.

4. The Sponsors. I felt like last night’s hour-long ESPN special was entirely created by the “sponsors”. The show was dubbed “The Decision” and sponsored by Bing, the decision engine. Vitamin Water at one point presented itself as “The Decision Water.” Pretty blatant.

I wondered if the show was entirely the sponsors’ idea. Did LeBron have any doubts about going along with the program, and thus dragging his home state through the proverbial mud? Or did he have to, to maintain contracts?

Did the entire production result in positive exposure for LeBrand and sponsors like Bing and Vitamin Water?

I have my own opinions – but would rather hear what others think. Do you think it’s ethical as an advertiser to create content and news events like this? Do you think ESPN was right to allow it? What do you think about LeBrand? Did last night’s media event hurt LeBron’s LeBrand?

Sound off – share your thoughts.

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July 8th, 2010

Freedom of Advertising?

Whether you’re a sports junkie or not, you may have heard that LeBron James is going to announce his next professional basketball career move on ESPN, tonight.

All you LeBron and NBA haters can stop rolling your eyes.

LeBron laid down some stipulations that ESPN accepted in exchange for tonight’s interview (one of which was that LeBron got to select the reporter to interview him). Read all about it in THIS AdAge article.

The resulting media hype that’s unfolded since has been fascinating to watch.

Another of LeBron’s stipulations was he got to select which advertisers would be “sponsors” of tonight’s program. On a cool note, proceeds from the program will reportedly go to the Boys & Girls Club of America.

I don’t suppose that would make a difference to any of the advertisers who were ready and willing, however, to purchase advertising spots for this particular evening’s program. And this raises an interesting issue.

Freedom of the press is an issue people in our country vehemently support. But what about freedom of advertising?

What might start happening if starving media outlets increasingly agree to give superstar athletes and even C-list celebs all the coverage in the world if those celebs bring enough advertising power with them? (Imagine if the likes of Britney Spears and that horrible boy who impregnated Bristol Palin dominated the airwaves!!!!!)

On the one hand I come to expect “infotainment” from outlets like ESPN, and I truly don’t mind what they’ve allowed LeBron to do tonight (that may just be because baseball is the only sport on and I need some sports-related drama).

On the other hand, I don’t think this proposition is too far-fetched for corporate-owned media outlets who, at the end of the day, need to make money too.

We’ll see if LeBron and ESPN’s agreement for tonight’s event set any precedent in the future. And in the meantime, get your news from diverse sources and appreciate the range of advertisers as well.

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