Musings of a Trendspotter

Show me the Honey

2010-12-10T17:16:00.003-05:00

'Just be human' is the popular mantra of social media. Wherever we turn, there's another reminder the job at hand is to humanize brands, make them love their community and thus allow the community to love them back. The thought being, the more love a brand shows, the more love the brand will receive. Makes sense. There is, however, an art to delivering that love, where interactions with the community seem real, honest and valuable.

Being human is a worthy goal, but in doing so, sometimes brands (and people) overdo it to the point of seeming...well...less than human. In some social circles, being human relies heavily on over-excessive flattery, psychologists would claim likely stemming from some deeply traumatic childhood event (I blame my sycophant behavior on that aggressive girl in sixth grade who stole my coveted unicorn sticker collection). Despite some reports, an abundance of niceties and enthusiasm will not win you fans, or stickers. It will rather make you suspect. From ingratiating flattery to over-excessive #FFs, boisterous complimenting will earn you a reputation, for certain, but probably not the one you imagined, or planned.

Now, there are people (and brands) that fall into the genuinely nice category, but they are genetically/strategically designed as such. It's not a put on. It's not taken from a how-to guide on a blog written by some social media expert. It's real. Innate. Believable.

Brands are real. Yes, there is some phantasmagoric element about them that exists in the ephemeral, where our imaginations create emotional connections that project onto our lives, but at the end of the day, brands are created by and run by people. Real people. Brand mysticism aside, brands are real. Brands are human. But being human does not mean flattery to win friends. Being human means being true to who you are, what you represent, where you came from and where you are going.

It's no wonder social media is evolving platforms, such as Facebook Groups and Path, that focus on limiting our networks and mapping them based on who we love most, who we are intimately, personally committed to. Those people, those devoted consumers, deserve truth and openness, they deserve unfettered love.

The new mantra: Just be real.

And, of course, here's the how-to-be-real guide:

Focus on those closest to you. Whether selling ice cream or medical devices, the direction's the same, know who your closest customers are. It's not about driving numbers of followers and fans from all corner of the social spectrum. It's about embracing the right people and holding them tight, caring for them and delighting them with surprises, just as you would a good friend.
Remember the nuances. Real relationships have a natural ebb and flow. It's not enthusiasm and flowers every minute of every day. Fans appreciate a natural approach to language and posting. And, yes, when you do bring the flowers home, bring 'em big and proud.
Be honest. If it seems contrived when you are concepting an idea or writing a post, it will feel 10 times more contrived to your fans. Be honest, not just with them, but also to yourself as a creative, as a human being. And...there's that word again.

What are your thoughts and tips? Honestly, I want to know what you think or if you've seen my sticker collection.

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons, Hilary Stein

Posted via email from gretchenramsey's posterous

Troublemakers, An Homage

2010-10-15T19:16:00.000-04:00

The best campaigns cause trouble. At the end of the day, or the end of the check-out line, it's better to be noticed than not. In fact, Gap may have planted that horrific logo to gather some relevance. And it's probably the best thing that's happened to the brand in years.

Let me be clear, 'trouble' in the creative arena isn't destructive, it's collaborative, explosive and replete with creative energy. Juicy's campaign featuring the art of troublemaking didn't get as much attention as it should have in the mass arena, but the dirty call-to-action of its copy set the brand apart from its fashion cousins in the collective industry. It elevated the brand into a different arena, where perfect alabaster supermodels lounging on white leather couches seem,...well, boring. And what brand wants to be boring? Right, Gap?

Creativity by its very nature is the act of changing the complexion of a thing, a space, or an idea. How can that be done without causing a bit of trouble? Even when campaigns tap sentimental emotion wholly and ride on the shirttails of the heartstrings, there's a spirit of unbalancing the normal, the safe, the happiness. That's trouble. Our job is to touch a nerve, to ignite reaction.

I wonder if feigning creativity to cause trouble is a new social strategy. What do you think?

I Love Haters (and How You Can, Too!)

2010-10-08T06:40:00.001-04:00

I fall in love easily. Just look at my following count on Twitter. Every time I turn around, there’s a new brilliant person with crazy ideas and big thinking, expressing wit and irony with every post, visual creators living in color and dreamers spouting imagination and thinking into the creative stratosphere. I love everyone.

Or at least, I think I do. Of course, I’m being fed people like me. No wonder I love them. They think like me. Live like me. Work like me. I’m a ranter against homogeny and here I am creating a virtual world of people like me. Uh oh.

Social networks should have the ability to feed us people unlike us with dissenting opinions, different life perspectives and well, maybe people and ideas we don’t ‘like.’

I want it to be easier to see the other side of my opinion. My world is being colored by a socially fed optimism, a collective belief that the world is improving. That we all share a bright, shiny, democratic, creative view of the world. And when I hear a differing opinion, I balk. I balk not because I don’t want to hear it, but because I’m beginning to believe my socially delivered world is a real picture. And it’s not. How do we find dissension when our lives are constantly being endorsed by our networks?

There’s beauty in opposition. I crave it, honestly, and I see it slipping away. From a sociological perspective we should all be concerned our ‘liking’ and ‘following’ is eroding reality. Are the polarities in the world growing larger each day? Is there a giant vibrating world of hate collecting on the other side of my spectrum?

How do we bridge the chasm? Crowd thinking is beautiful, indeed, but is it endorsing a homogeny we might fear in the future?

Here are some ideas to embrace difference:

Seek out the opposite.
Talk to someone unlike you and engage them in debate.
Visit a virtual community outside of your comfort zone at least once a month.

What are yours?

Photo credit: pasotraspaso via Flickr Creative Commons

Stop. Collaborate and Listen. Three Steps to Social Nirvana.

2010-08-09T16:05:00.000-04:00

Vanilla Ice had it right. Who knew he was the arbiter of all things social, our digital Nostradamus? He may even be the father of Chris Brogan (you might want to fact check that before tweeting).

I've been knee deep in strategies for clients over the past several weeks, waxing poetically about the benefits of mass persuasion, digital voyeurism and the rising cultural approach to advertising and in my head the whole time Ice, Ice, Baby is urging me on. I think once I may actually have said: "we need to stop pushing messages and collaborate and listen to consumers." At the risk of exposing myself as a lover of fake Eighties rap, Mr. Ice had a beautiful way of saying wake up, change your ways and understand before you act. It's simple, but a surefire way to achieve social marketing nirvana. Here's my translation for today's advertising community:

Stop: Traditional is dead. Don't do it anymore, it's over. Everything is digital, everything demands a screen and everything is shaped by the culture around it. There's not a campaign that can ignore the tide of influence or shout a message without engaging and participating in the growth of the culture around it. In fact, can we start calling traditional something else? That's probably another post.

Collaborate: Give consumers the wheel. Allow them to be curators of content, give them platforms to innovate, open the brand to them and let them participate in its growth. By creating unique collaborative platforms, such as www.mystarbucksidea.com, we allow ownership and empowerment. Imagine what that does for customer service and operations.

And listen.: Frankly, this is the hardest part. As advertising folks, all we want to do is jump in and offer ideas. Ideas, ideas, ideas. Don't like that one? Well, hold on, here's another. If we wanted to be researchers, we probably wouldn't have gone into advertising. And yet, it is an incredibly important part of creating good ideas. By listening, truly listening, to what is being said and reporting to our clients on those needs and desires, we are free to present sound, research-based ideas, and maybe even abandon a course of action that doesn't match the direction of the audience.

So get out there and execute. Social media is the revolution, where brands will build unimaginable influence by stopping to stand side by side with consumers, collaborating and listening to their dreams. Wait, that inspires the title for the next post: Hammer Time!

Global Ingenuity (Or The End of Cannes)

2010-06-26T12:50:00.000-04:00

The tide is shifting. We all know it. And as our creative community sits on the beach during the final days at Cannes, competition further slips away from the center of the advertising community. We are a global creative department now. Shouting to each other across our loft space on Twitter and Foursquare. "Hey, @jtwinsor thanks for the inspiration!" and "@edwardboches where do you think things will go next?" Competitors? Hardly.

The cover of this week's Advertising Age designed by young Grey creatives Garrett Dafferner and Salina Cole captures the spirit of our interconnected creative community, all of us, gears moving one another, thinking and inspiring elevated concepts, designs, tools, campaigns. A factory of thought.

Is there an agency-owned idea any longer? We are shaping each other's thinking at a rapid, highly-involved and engaged rate. Nothing seems proprietary. In fact, it seems wrong to hold back, to protect and control thought, to hold captive this global creative spirit.

This is a new era of creative collective unconscious. Our thoughts are one. Your Lion is mine. And mine yours. Our creative experiences are being shaped together -- a unified personal perspective coming together with each glance at your digital portfolio, your worldview, a follow of the creative at the Mac behind you, a Twitpic from the copywriter in Finland. I become you. You become him. We are ingesting each other's creative thinking, inspiring one another. Global ideation 24/7. A brainstorm that never ends.

What's exciting is the diversity of experience fueling stronger creative. We are all becoming smarter together, brilliant creative, leading to more brilliant creative. It's a communal creative brief written together each day. How on Earth are we going to enter awards against each other at Cannes next year? I suppose we'll just all have to go onstage together.

Fashion Fuel

2010-06-12T07:49:00.000-04:00

It's no surprise to those of you who know me, or have been following this blog for a bit, or read my twitter feed, that I'm a bit obsessed with fashion. And I'm not talking the "loves to shop" kind of obsessed -- that's not what drives me -- nor is that as serious as what I'm dealing with. I'm talking the weep-over-a-garment-with-careful-stitching obsessed.

I started my career in the fashion industry, working with some incredibly well-known industry icons, although at the time, I thought everyone who worked in the industry knew them. Because of this, I have an unusually skewed sense of the fashion industry and a deep respect for the creators in the field.

Fashion is my inspiration, my art. And so today, I thought I'd share with you some imagery of late that I've used as inspiration in creating ideas and thinking for clients and, well, life in general.

Pictured below is the finale from Alexander McQueen's last show, the last look he created before committing suicide in February this year. McQueen was a genius. I think of the textural layering and royal heroics of this craftsmanship at least once a week.

Hold your breath. This image below is shot by Karl Lagerfeld for the 2010 Chanel campaign. Simple, emotional, space. I'm there. You?

Not that this is even close to being complete, I will share one more series of images from photographer Pietro Birindelli. I am a bit of a Kate Moss groupie, and he's been doing some amazing work with her, as well as others. His beauty work is so varied and intense, I'm completely moved by his artistry.

I've started a side blog, called Fashion Fuel, on tumblr that will be driven mainly by fashion imagery. Feel free to join me there, as well, when you need a bit of inspiration.

What inspires you?

Images: McQueen: WWD, Chanel: Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Moss and other beauty shot: Pietro Birindelli

All You Need is Love: World Cup Wisdom

2010-06-09T11:11:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a Brazilian campaign for one of my clients that has nothing and everything to do with the World Cup. Despite our football marginalism, we Americans are entranced by the energy and excitement of the sparring cleated nations. But what's more engaging is the uber-frenzied love of the people and their undying affection for their teams.

Football for the world represents the collective dreams of a country. Inspiration. Courage. Hope. All emotions our brands, particularly in the social spaces must represent. Love is the most powerful motivator for action and has the power to engender true trust and loyalty. Have a look at this amazing video below created by Tam Airlines for the Brazilian soccer team as they settled into their seats readying for departure to the World Cup. How will you show love today? Maybe you should dribble a soccer ball for inspiration...

Social Etiquette (or How to Not Piss Off Your Fan Base)

2010-06-04T04:11:00.000-04:00

Reputation management is not new and yet so many brands fail to honor the discipline in the social media space. Now more than ever, social media demands brands embrace a human voice and consider the way those around them interpret their actions and commentary. Think Emily Post. Social etiquette icons know the nuances of human emotion and how attitude and action impact perception.

All this to say, I've pissed people off. Inadvertently, of course. As most of us working in the space can attest, there is a great deal of experimentation that goes into deeply understanding and recommending social strategy, tactics and tools to our clients. This experimentation can lead to a maelstrom of social hand-slapping. We do this to learn for our clients and understand voice executions and limitations in the social spaces, the inner-workings of new tools and to study crowd sentiment. Because of my social sacrifice (all for you), I have learned there are three clear rules for managing a social media reputation and, if you follow them, your community and your mother will be proud.

Be authentic. Brands must be themselves and have a clear, very human relationship with their social communities. Product pushing and promotion will harm authenticity. Insider sales tips and contesting is attractive to a fan base, however cannot be the only form of communication shared in the space. Think of that guy at your friend's dinner party always trying to sell you insurance. He's really boring, not to mention untrustworthy. Don't be him.
Be original. Inspiration is the name of the game. Brands that lead with new thinking and engage and excite with participatory campaigns and thought leadership win. People want to be pleasantly surprised. Intrigue and unexpected delights inspire. Think of a new love, where treats like roses and love letters shake up perception and win hearts. Do that with your community and they will love you forever.
Be grateful. Thankfulness is an elementary human trait. We are inculcated from toddlerhood with reminders to say "thank you" at every turn. Why then, when brands come to the social space do they forget that rudimentary rule? It's simple, be thankful for the community growing around your brand. Honor them with replies, special access and inspiration. Always thank them.

People are the medium. Human interactions fuel marketing today, making reputation management a must for brands. Social etiquette is more than just a list of rules for minding manners, it is the highly visceral basis for human interaction and all the nuances and social cues that feed it. And being successful in the social media space requires an intensely engaged, attuned brand persona that leads with authenticity, originality and thankfulness.

Are there others? What social etiquette tips do you think brands need?

An Apple a Day, Keeps the Recession Away

2010-05-28T07:07:00.000-04:00

This week, Apple trumped Microsoft as the world's leading technology company, crowning Creativity leader of technology land. Despite the depressive financial statistics and persistent whining about The Great Recession, Apple's buy-it-because-it-will-change-your-life branding approach proves creativity is the answer to financial evolution. Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts posts his thoughts on the subject, claiming Apple's "immersion" tactics to be irresistible: iPad - Fad or Future . If yesterday's financial announcement is any clue, I'm pretty certain iPad leans more towards future than fad. And for us creative types, suggests the revolution is at hand. All hail the new King!

Photo credit: Inc.com

Creating Legacy: Who are You?

2010-05-05T07:21:00.001-04:00

So much talk in the social media space revolves around creating communities, building followers, and meeting business objectives. So little focuses on building legacy. Creating a lasting impression on the world, inspiring expression and providing hope are rarely at the table, but should be more commonly discussed, should be the themes around which campaigns are built.

In childhood, we're asked often what we want to be when we grow up. There's so much hope and inspiration behind that question. Something happens however when we translate that thinking to brands. Think about why your brand was created. What was the passion behind it? What was the inspirational moment that moved you to action? Brands need to live this passion in the social space. Couponing and sampling can only get you so far.

In this new world order of sharing, the best we can do as brands, as humans, is inspire one another to look fear in the face and walk right into it. Fear is just a concept, after all. It's not real. That passion that inspired your brand, personal or corporate, is the real you.

Eric Proulx, a laid off advertising copywriter and new found inspirational speaker and writer, spoke recently on the subject of living a life that's true to who you are. Here's the video, it's worth the few minutes -- you're (your brand is) worth the few minutes:

If You Aren’t What You’ve Done, What Are You?

Posted using ShareThis

Photo: Julie Blackmon, Flickr Creative Commons

Not-So-Little Women: The Few, but Mighty, Women of Twitter

2010-03-26T17:01:00.000-04:00

Women are marginalized in social media. Whoa, big fella, hold onto that comment trigger finger. It's not your fault. I actually respect and like what you have to say. I do, however, find myself opening more of your links than that of my estrogen-endowed sisterhood. It's actually my fault. Yes, I said it. My fault.

I'm certain it's something hard-wired from years of societal tutelage insisting men are the leaders and thinkers, especially in the digital space. Regardless, we need to fix the social media gender gap. Women make up the majority of social media users, but have less share of voice than our male counterparts when it comes to social media thought leadership. In @BrianSolis's "Chicks Rule" post, he shows 57 percent of the Twitter audience is female. Huh? So, where are all the smart babes? I'm thinking a decent portion of that 57 percent must be scantily-clad spambots searching for some clientele.

When I searched online to find the forbidden fruit, I found Ron Hudson's (a guy) list of the "50 Most Powerful and Influential Women in Social Media." Boy, was I excited. When I clicked on that little piece of digital gold, however, I found the link wasn't available any longer. So fitting. In content bits I found around the post, gals with more general presence seemed to make up the list, not the matriarchal power players of the marketing arena I was searching for. What I'm attracted to are those gals with killer instinct for leadership, fearless creative ideas and an ingrained design ethos that exudes through every tweet.

So who are the women leaders, the "Twestrogen Guides," to lead our pink march to the capital of Digital Land? As much as I respect both @Alyssa_Milano and @mrskutcher for their Eighties television achievements and unexplainable ability to defy aging, they are not the end all be all of social media thinking, despite their prolific and often times inspired tweeting.

As I scroll through my Twitter feed I find only a few smart social media gals I like to read:

Are there others? Please, dear God, tell me yes. And, of course, I welcome girl talk, even if you're a boy: @gretchenramsey.

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons, Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, 1991, TriStar, courtesy of Everett Collection

Room With a View

2010-03-07T06:05:00.000-05:00

I've seen a lot in my 39 years. Images that graze in my mind, flowing in and out like an ebbing tide on the shore. Babies laughing for the first time, my mother slowly losing her battle to breast cancer, jubilation in my victorious daughter's eyes, children clamoring for crayons, a quiet old man in his tattered lawn chair watching the sun set, a couple in Montreal fighting as the beauty of their language lilted in my ears, a five-year-old in a North Philadelphia playground swinging over an empty vial, my husband silently running to embrace me on 9/11 -- the human condition, my human condition, in imagery. It's my sense of place, my room with a view.

Over the past few months that room has shifted. My memories, my view, includes a lot of what you reading this see. A fashion show in London, a shop in Finland, the tarmac in New Zealand, your children playing on the beach in New Hampshire, you at that L.A. nightclub, the morning's coffee in Boston. My view is your view now. The intimacy of social media is inspiring a cultural homogeny, no, a cultural anti-homogeny, that is shifting global perspective.

I often think if former President Bush was active on Twitter in those years following 9/11, we would have a different outcome. We would have less fighting, because he saw that mother in Afghanistan smiling at her baby, or the simple pleasure of that cup of coffee in Iraq. If he saw the humanity, if he saw the humanity we share, how we are more alike than different, how our views are more alike than different, we would have less fighting. If he saw there was more beyond Texas, well...

The sun rises and falls just the same. A smile is a smile is a smile. We feel the same sadness. We claim the same joy. Our humanity is the same. Or should be.

What is unique about our individual views of the world is that we find innovations around us, or geographic markers that inspire emotion and energy. The same emotions we all share, but a different way of getting to it. We're more alike than we are different, indeed, but our views, how we ingest the experiences are unique.

That French couple fighting was beautiful to me, maybe not so much to someone who speaks the language well. But it's beauty just the same. It's their passion I loved. They were both so right. Just like you in that picture somewhere in Norway, and that art from New Delhi you posted to Flickr. The passion in what you see is what I love. And passion has a way of uniting us.

Social media is digital passion, where our cultures collide with overwhelming emotional energy. Share your love. Share your sadness. Share your beauty. Share your room with a view. What do you see today?

Photo credit: anthonyasael, Flickr creative commons

Imagination Renaissance

2010-02-17T05:46:00.000-05:00

Guess what, society has finally had its fill of reality. Bad news for "Jersey Shore," good news for...well, everyone. Magic is defining a host of brands right now from jewelery (Van Cleef & Arpels) to film (Alice in Wonderland). The creative community is taking culture to a new place, a place nearly forgotten, a destination called Imagination.

Phantasmagorical images and magic-inspired product executions are streaming to market, society's lust for fantasy flooding expectantly like a pot full of water left too long on the stove.

There's a growing belief in the impossible. The possibility of impossibility, where fairytale and fantasy rule.

Maybe it all started with the election of President Obama -- America's first African-American president, a peace-loving diplomat during a time of turmoil -- it was the world's first step into Wonderland. And now, First-Lady Michelle's Jason of Wu-nderland sent this magical, flowing gown down the runway at New York Fashion Week last Friday.

Freedom. Flowing, uber-creative freedom. Embrace the possibility of impossibility. Now is the time for the creative community, it's our imagination renaissance.

Photo source: Paula Zargaj-Reynolds; L.A. Times; Nordstrom

Brand Love

2010-02-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

Our relationship with brands runs deeper than most relationships we share with humans. Brands are with us throughout our lives. They typically don't leave us at 18, or divorce us, or find a new BFF. And we hold them up to ridiculously high standards. We expect a lot from them. They must treat us as the most important person in their lives, remember our birthday, certainly, our anniversary, tell us we are right -- always, surprise us, yet also give us gifts on a regular basis, and they must keep themselves attractive in the name of our love. God, they're dedicated. And if they slip, just once (Domino's), or lie to us (Toyota), forget about it. We are done. Forever. We're a bit more forgiving with people.

And now that brands talk to us, converse with us, we are falling deeper in love. We sense a tangible two way commitment. A true trust and mutual respect is emerging. They whisper sweet nothings in our ear on Twitter and hold parties in our honor on Facebook, they smile at us when they see us and thank us for coming to visit them. Every day they want to know how we are feeling, if we're happy and how they can make us feel better. They are the best mate we could ever imagine.

What other life partner would celebrate you regardless of your softening abs, cellulite, overgrown hair, dirty socks on the ground and penchant for watching endless hours of television? Only a brand. She loves you even more for your TV addiction. And has just the thing for your messy hair. Only a brand will embrace you and all your ugliness.

And if they find out we are cheating on them, they don't get angry, they get even. They go above and beyond to make sure we know they are the one for us. They shower us with love, product innovations, discounts, special events, VIP offers, just to win us back. They're wrong, not us. See how great this is? They're wrong, not us. Unconditional, devoted love. Who can't help but love them? And we feel bad for cheating. We see their shiny, new look and enticing new brand story and we think, "God, what have I done?" We come running back, money in hand, to love them again.

Jeez, I've got to get Apple a Valentine--do they sell cards for brands at Hallmark?

Quit Your Job

2010-01-14T09:10:00.000-05:00

Editor's note: Read post before acting on headline.

We all need to quit our jobs. (Keep reading.) Lack of innovation is driven by an adherence to a so-called "job" that defines specific roles and specific actions taken at said job. Each day we follow that job around minding its place and purpose without lifting our eyes to see what connections we could make beyond it.

Now, not everyone does this. There are people who refuse to follow a code. Those are the innovators -- the everyman Steve Jobs of the world -- who see beyond the expected. Beyond the expectation. And, God, we love these people. Forget Steve Jobs, they are our gun-slinging Steve McQueens -- hot, sexy amalgamations of smarmy brains and brawn. The doers. Or...the don't doers as the case may be.

The point is, the most invigorating ideas come from people, or a group of people, who refuse to follow convention. And, yes, there is a need for organizational structure and clear definition of who does what, but not at the expense of progress and creativity. For so many organizations patriotic dedication to silos, boundary-defined roles and departmental division leads to slower progress, or worse, boredom.

For a brand boredom is the kiss of death. We all know boring brands that could use more innovation. They are the brands who refuse to look outside their industry with intrigue, brands that refuse to embrace mystery and excitement. Well, the same is true with people. People need to look outside their given roles in life to see what is possible to improve them. They must quit doing what they are doing in order to accept new thinking and find solutions.

Now more than ever we have the chance to improve our lives. To shift thinking. The world is in a revolutionary state of change. Brands and the agencies that serve them must jump in fearlessly and participate in the creation of this new world order. Those that abandon convention, those that integrate with other departments to create new models of thinking, those that take risks based on intuition will succeed. And the job will not be just a job, it will be a passionate fight for innovation. So, go ahead, quit your job.

Ten Creative Trends for 2010

2010-01-08T05:47:00.000-05:00

This is the year of creative freedom. I might be the only one who loves that the economy has tanked. What is evolving because of limited funds in the ad community is a ridiculously beautiful open market of creativity. Below are ten creative trends emerging in response to the economy:

Less cash = more creative freedom. Now is the time to create and present bold, brazen works that may have been closeted in years past. Because funding is down and agencies are working with clients to get the same work done despite decreased budgets, agencies are evolving into stronger business partners. Agencies are elevating their role in the business decisions, giving creative more voice.
Magazines as books. The woes of publishing hang like a thick smog over the offices on Sixth Avenue, but there is hope. Deeper, book-like feature pieces will define magazines in a new way. Consumers want more information not less this year and magazines can offer an easier format than the digital space for these longer discussions. We've seen books migrating to more pamphlet like easily-ingested entities -- this is an opportunity for magazines. Additionally, serious graphics and beautiful art from magazines will be in demand and provide fodder for the social spaces.
Social budget increases. Duh. So cheap, so measurable. For brands without fear the social arena will be game changing. Pepsi and Ford have already figured this out. Pepsi pulled ad dollars out of Superbowl advertising to fund more digital campaigning. Ford has pioneered the shift of marketing dollars to social. Not surprisingly, they were the only car company not to receive government bailout. Social is proving to have serious ROI. Our job as a creative community is to inspire consumers with creative social campaigns that engage, excite and empower.
Digital creative is the focus. Sorry newspapers, this year advertising will focus on digital as the fuel of the campaign. The best agencies and most successful campaigns will be centered on creative innovation in the digital space. Creative innovation. Digital. Enough said -- get thinking!
Energizing colors. From citron to saffron, yellow has ruled in the past few months. Consumers want inspiration. There is tangible fatigue with recession talk, soft imagery and muted colors. Bold, bright campaigns will lead the return to consumerism.
Product details. Smarter consumers will look for detail in product descriptions. How many hours did it take to craft? How many people were involved? Where is the origin of the materials? Brand stories will take products further this year as money-conscious graduates of the recession seek detail on purchases. Think mini-wikis for all products. The more detail the better and not just online, in-store, at the counter, on cups. You get the idea. Build the story.
Corporate Twitter schooling. Twitter will be the testing ground for corporations in 2010. Thought leadership approaches will be sung in every boardroom as companies realize the access to ownership of ideas moves away from third-parties. Agencies will spend a great deal of time educating and encouraging clients to enter the space.
Return to luxury. Yes, there is less money, but consumers tired of the saving cycle will look for ways to reward themselves this year. There is a true repression -- repression, not recession -- mentality among consumers. And you know what happens when someone is repressed. Brands who encourage them to treat themselves for being good throughout the recession will win big. Celebration of consumer behavior is key.
Facebook retreat. Yes, I said it. Consumers begin to understand the importance of privacy and implications of sharing too much. They will become more protective of their Facebook communities and may begin to share more selectively. Because of this newfound respect for privacy, brands will have to be more creative to reach them. The upside is if they let you in it will mean more and the relationship will be deeper.
Emerging boutique agencies will rule. Bigger is not better this year. With the launch of MTV's ad agency reality show featuring boutique agency Huge, we will see an intrigue and migration towards smaller shops, especially for digitally-minded clients. Crowdsourcing will discover new talent this year. There will be a clear renaissance among the creative community. And this gal is so excited to see what it brings.

This year will be one of the most creative on record. Inspiration is at an all time high in the creative community, despite job loss and most likely because of job loss. It is a year of creative opportunity. Grab hold to your vision and follow it. Happy New Year!

Photo credit: Katyekat30, Flickr Creative Commons

Starbucks Needs a Redesign (or How Project Runway Can Save America's Favorite Coffee House from Boring Brand Syndrome)

2009-12-20T06:53:00.000-05:00

So, similar to all of you reading this, I will be buying several Starbucks gift cards in the next few days to make up for being a lazy, last minute holiday shopper. I was just at Starbucks two days ago, before the Northeast was hit by BLIZZARD '09 (please read in loud booming local TV anchor voice), and did not pick-up said gift cards. I do not know why. It's that lazy, last minute gene. And now I can't get out of my house because the snow is literally blocking the exit and mocking me and my last-minuteness.

What I did notice on my last jaunt into my favorite coffee brewing franchise, however, was a beautiful citron green (or is it citron yellow?) mini, key chain gift card holder designed by Christian Siriano, the last Project Runway winner before the show went all Kelly Rowland and Mizrahi freaky.

Oh my God, it's f*cking snowing again. I can't believe it's snowing. Again. As I write this the snow began to fall. Really fall. Damn, last minute shopping gene.

Sorry, back to Christian Siriano's beautiful Starbucks gift card holder. The gift card holder color was such a breath of fresh design air. I picked it up and fondled it. I didn't buy it, of course, because December 18th is way too early to be buying Christmas gifts. But it was so strikingly different than everything else in the store. I wished I could tap it on the counter and the store would immediately transform into a magical, citron wonderland of modern design beauty. Then I thought to myself why Christian Siriano? Why citron? Why do the Starbucks kings not see that the brand has become...well, boring? And then I thought again...why Christian Siriano? I mean, they could have picked anyone. They have Bono singing on their promotional Christmas album for chrissakes. Jonathan Adler. Dolce & Gabbana. Anyone. Not that I'm knocking Siriano, clearly the boy has done more than anyone else on the show with his brand. But, what is going on Starbucks? Who is driving the brand development?

And I write this with all love and sincerity. I adore Starbucks. Probably more than the average Joe. I clearly spend more money at Starbucks than anyone else in the vicinity. I walk in and they light up, because they know I am responsible for the dramatic quarter-to-quarter increases in sales. They know I am why their manager gives them raises. They know I will be putting their kids through college, even if they are just kids in college themselves. I love the brand. Well, maybe not the entry into cooking breakfast sandwiches -- I did not love that. It was very smelly. Starbucks has dramatically changed the way brands think about their interaction with the consumer, with the community. She's done an amazing job. Yes, Starbucks is a she. I'm merely saying it's time for a refresh.

I know this because, yesterday, December 19th, before the unexpected BLIZZARD '09 kicked into full gear, I went into the local drugstore and saw they have a gift card wall. (Perfect.) So I dashed on over and perused the selections. There was not much to choose from unless I wanted to gift Applebee's and pre-paid telephone cards to my children. What I did find, however, was an entire section devoted to Starbucks gift cards. In the drugstore. I didn't buy any, because there are still a few days left until the "it's-Christmas-tomorrow-sweats" start to kick in and I was surprised to see how old-fashioned they looked. You know what I'm talking about -- the maroon velvet chair, brown, beige and Starbucks green. I couldn't shake the vision of my Siriano Starbucks. I wanted that beautiful, little citron key chain trinket of Starbucks joy. The feeling was intense. And as sad as it made me, I realized my Starbucks needs a redesign.

Brands age. Just like us. The trick is to keep the brand interesting. You know those old people you meet that have stories upon stories to tell, that just took up oil painting at 72, that just fell in love again; we love talking to those people. A brand works in a similar way. Years do not have to make a brand less interesting. Quite the opposite, actually. Legacy is a powerful tool in marketing. What an aging brand needs, however, is evolution and new stories. Let Siriano go crazy with technicolor. Surprise and delight loyal customers. Boring is not the same as reliable. Boring makes a brand irrelevant in a consumer's life -- a life that is always shifting and engaging and creating new stories. Brands must follow consumers and treat them to a bit of mystery and surprising turns along the way. This is how a brand remains fresh.

Be loyal to your loyal following by giving them some new stories. They'll pull up their citron velvet chair and listen for hours, no matter the weather. I'll have a tall, nonfat, no-whip mocha and sixteen giftcards. Thank you, Starbucks.

Santa Power: The Magical Mystery Machine

2009-12-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

One of the most powerful tools available to us as marketers is mystery.

My five-year-old son won the wishbone pull at Thanksgiving this year and was overjoyed to learn that because he won, his wish would come true. The day after Thanksgiving he woke up with pure joy and excitement to see his turkey bone wish come true. All day he lurked around the house looking for his wish.

10:30 a.m. "Mom, where's my wish?" 12:00 p.m. "Mom, where's my stupid wish?" 2:45 p.m. "Do you think I need to wish again? Maybe I should change my wish" 6:15 p.m. "That turkey was an idiot."

Finally, by bedtime I realized his increasing sense of annoyance with the fowl magic demanded my intervention. "What did you wish for?" I asked. His little baby face replied with sincerity and concern, "Everyone says I can't tell or it won't come true!" "Oh, but mothers have special powers when it comes to wishes -- we are the only ones you can tell and the wish will still come true," I encouraged. "Really?" "Yes, really. It's true." I had him. "A rubber band shooter!" he whispered in excitement, his eyes growing wider with each detail. "A big, AK-47, shooter that launches rubber bands at the bad guys!" My mind was reeling, half out of concern for his violent tendencies and half for my ability to find such a toy. Do they even make guns that shoot rubberbands?!? Turns out they do. A lot. And all shapes and sizes from western style to military, to accessories packs and scopes. A lot of companies are out there manufacturing rubber band guns. But not our turkey. Of course I had to find one -- and quick -- the last thing I wanted was for him to not believe in the power of the wish.

After comparing prices online for a ridiculously unecessary amount of time (I'm talking days) and weighing the shipping wait vs. my son's innocence, I opted for the old-fashioned round of calls to local toy stores. And, hallelujiah, I found one at a local toy store in Princeton. "Hold it, I'm coming!" Home I raced with my child's dream of the magical world in my bag. I swerved into the driveway and tip-toed to the front porch, placing it gently and slightly askew, as if a magical turkey elf had heaved it off his feathered back onto the cement stair.

Days had passed since he shared his wish with me. Many days. And when I tell you he is a persistent believer, I mean each morning he reminded me that our turkey was broken and he will never trust another turkey again. He was...well... he was pissed. But on this special morning, I knew the turkey elf had visited and left his little (real little, it was actually a pocket rubber band shooter that doubled as a pen--I know, I suck) wish gift on our porch.

As he woke that morning, I called out to him to put his scooter away that was leaning on the front stair -- convenient right? Luckily, my children are horribly messy and I was able to use the motherly "clean up your toys" nagging to get him to open the door and find the magic. As he rounded the corner of the house to put away his scooter he sighted the strange little package gleaming in the morning light. "What's this? Mom, what's this?!?" It wasn't entirely recongnizable as a rubber band shooter at first (remember it doubles as a pen), but once I explained, his face filled with glee. "The turkey did it!" he said. "My wish came true!" "Yeah! Yeah! Awesome!" Oh joyful turkey, he bought it. And as I watched him jump around with childhood excitement, I thought, damn, mystery is a powerful, powerful tool. He didn't even care that it wasn't exactly the right wish, just that the wish came true.

We have this same power as marketers. Mystery is completely underutilized by brands. And as I sit around wrapping toy, after toy, after toy in the name of mystery this holiday, I wonder where are our marketers of mystery? Certainly, DumDum lollipops has it right with the mystery flavor and McDonald's with the secret sauce, but who are our current mystery providers? The closest we have are the insider sales and scavenger hunts happening on Twitter and in other social media spaces. And consumers are loving this play on possibility. Just look at the lines at the stores. More mystery equals more revenue. If I were a brand this Christmas, I would wish for more mystery. Grab hold and pull!

Rock On: Five Rocker Tricks to Social Stardom

2009-12-08T16:19:00.000-05:00

If all brands embraced their inner rock star the economy would readjust. I was watching the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Anniversary Concert at Madison Square Garden the other night and realized all we need is Jeff Beck and Bono to solve the cash crunch. Here are tips rockers inherently exude that could radically shift a brand's presence if embraced:

Get them on their feet. A good social program is inspiring. The most amazing piece of the social sphere is the interconnected sharing evolving a collective creativity. People want to share and help create and grow the brands they love. Get the people who love you on their feet, cheering for the next song, the next Tweet, the next offering from the brand.

Thank the fans. "Thank you, L.A.!" So simple. So simple, yet it gets the most rousing cheer from the crowd. People want to be loved. Love your fans. Thank them. @ reply them. Give them special treats, secret sales, scavenger hunts. Please. Thank you.
Don't tuck your shirt. There is a certain rocker aura that says "I'm one of you." Don't try so hard to "fit" the mold. Maybe, just maybe, if bankers took off the fancy ties, they could have fared better in the eyes of the public. The idea is to be a part of the culture in language and look and feel. Be real. Be comfortable. Be conversational.

Dedicate the song. "This one's for you New York!" Set goals for the social program. Tell your followers what you plan to do. If they love you, they will help you achieve your goals. Challenge your followers to help grow a new market, then reward them when you hit a certain number of customers or followers.

Have a set list. Social conversations require commitment, a beat that carries the melody. Know what you will be talking about. Calendar your social program and stick to it.

While each musician has a unique approach and style, they all follow a similar approach to performing. This, too, is the case for social media. It's not a medium to fear -- just embrace it and the songs will flow. Rock on!

Photo credit: Stephen Lovekin

The Blogger's Six-Pack

2009-11-20T05:57:00.000-05:00

Blogging is like exercise. Commitment is key.

I've gotten a little soft around the middle of late and like the lax athlete have a plethora of excuses why I haven't been here exercising. Too busy. Work is crazy. Have to go in early. Have to cook dinner. Kids need a mommy. The Office is on. Have to find a lost kitten. Gold shares are down. You know the typical stuff. All important, but so are my abs...er, my writing.

I'm a voracious reader of blogs -- it sometimes feels a bit like lurking, when I'm reading and not writing. I feel a bit dirty. Like I'm taking something -- intellectual property from someone and using it to grow my thinking, but not giving anything back. It's selfish (damn Catholic upbringing). And I marvel at how fit these bloggers are. You should see their six-packs. Christ. I mean, "goodness" (damn Catholic upbringing). The Jack LaLannes of blogging in my sphere are clearly Edward Boches, William (Billy) Meakim, Seth Simonds, Chris Brogan, Jenny Lawson and Stuart Foster. They're committed to the plan. I think they actually even like it -- exercising everyday. And if they miss a day they're back in there harder than ever. Workin' it out. And it's them writing, not a collection of guest bloggers. I mean, I could do that, line up a series of guest bloggers to write for me. They'd be 365 days deep, standing there in their Nikes and spandex ready to get to it, to sweat it out for me. But at the end of the day, I'd still feel fat.

I need a plan and a trainer. I need the equivalent of Jillian from the Biggest Loser, someone who will scream at me when I'm being lazy and make me carry them across the gym. Any takers? In the meantime, here's the course of action for getting the blogger's six-pack:

Do it in the morning. Writing in the morning will ensure it gets done before anything else gets in the way. And you'll feel great all day. Plus it doesn't interrupt with Prime Time TV. Perfect.
Have a plan. Put together in writing the topics to cover for the week, even the month. Jillian will be so proud.
Drink lots of water. By drinking water, you'll ensure you won't be too caffeinated (sorry, Seth Simonds) or too drunk to write.
Create a community of support. Having other bloggers around to emulate and act as inspiration will keep the plan on track. Working out with a friend always helps.
Set goals and celebrate achievements. Little mini hurdles will add up to big-time results. Be certain to treat yourself with a blog-reading or two for every blog post put in, I know I will.

So I'm making the commitment. Everyday. Except for maybe when The Office is on or I need to go to church. Jesus, here we go again. Crunch one, two, three...

Photo: NNDB

Suspended Reality

2009-11-14T08:22:00.001-05:00

There’s a moment in the creative process when everything stops. The image of the scene hangs breathlessly in the air. It calls out “look at me, this is it, what you need to see.” It’s the moment of creative actualization.

It’s what I live for.

Despite lusting after that moment, I’ve often thought it a bit odd when it happens. I’ve even closeted the experience. Telling you, really, for the first time. I’m hoping there are others like me. Or maybe I’m just suffering from some form of advertising-industry induced hallucinations. And not the kind I used to experience in my Chelsea days in the early 90s – that’s another post.

It feels similar to when you’re in a plane hanging above the Earth. When the movement seems to stop and the rippling water below is quiet and still.

Everything clears. It’s just the idea. Standing there in solitude. A creative Polaroid.

It’s resulted in some pretty killer campaigns, so despite my possible mental illness, I’ll go on inviting suspended reality.

Posted via web from gretchenramsey's posterous

Intuition Trumps Statistics

2009-10-29T06:36:00.000-04:00

Intuition is real. Statistics are not. It’s become quite a popular practice to spew statistics through the blogosphere and on Twitter. And there’s not a client out there that doesn’t salivate when we present a good statistic (or twelve) in our Keynote. But I don’t trust a single one. Give me a statistic and I’m sure I can shoot a hole in it.

Most research is constructed. Because it’s a human product, research is controlled by opinion – usually the opinion of the guy who created the questions or poll.

Once the “data” is collected it can then be manipulated to reflect any number of your dreams or desires. I once was on the phone for more than two days with a Wall Street Journal Reporter who literally took numbers from a very popular large survey I was responsible for delivering to the media and manipulated them in such a twisted, perverted way, making impossible leaps that would shame even the most fearless free runner, to make her “compelling” point. The statistics she created were used for more than five years in various spin-off articles on the subject. Every time I would see another article I would wince and shake my head in amazement. It’s the Journal and they’ve got numbers – yes, that’s the word of God.

And then I always question the audience. How many of you reading this have taken the time to do a poll? A long poll? The kind we typically create as marketers? Most times I think we are measuring sentiment of people who are happy to get a call during the day and unless it’s a product for those with severe loneliness, I’m not sure we’re measuring the pulse of the typical American. “Yes, according to our official poll, 90% of Americans prefer watching Judge Judy to CNN, eat dinner at 4:30 p.m. and feel their sons don’t love them anymore.” And don’t even get me started on focus groups. If 100 dollars gets you to sit in a smelly room with a bunch of strangers to talk about your feelings on new gum flavors, I’m not sure I’m taking what you say as seriously as the guy who said “no.”

Why is everyone so afraid of intuition? It’s the one thing we can count on more than anything in the world. It’s a belief in the power of emotion – the power of a brand’s essential elements to tap human emotion and drive a culture. We don’t need statistics to tell us that America needed Obama. We don’t need statistics to tell us driving while texting is distracting. We don’t need statistics to tell us cayenne flavored chocolate won’t be popular. Believe in thought. Believe in emotionally charged, instinctive, battle-tested thought. That’s the opinion poll we need to read.

In our culture, our American culture, we seem to be less in tune with our creative side. Even afraid of believing in it. I’m asking for a movement driven by the creative class to herald thinking and instinct, where artists and freethinkers demand and get the same respect as a seemingly bulletproof statistic. Intuition is crafted from an environmental history of facts shaped by human emotion. It’s quite a perfect blend of observation and humanity. It’s better than a poll. I don’t have a stat to prove it, it’s just intuition.

Photo credit: C4 Chaos

British Invasion: How Mary Poppins is Responsible for my Husband's Rolling Stones Tattoo

2009-10-19T04:50:00.000-04:00

I just emerged from the other side of a 150 page strategic document. I've been writing and writing and writing some pretty heady, serious stuff with lots of graphs and analytics to support my super heavy arguments. Ugh. Lots of writing. So, when I peek out from under my strategy rock (it's really not that bad) I do what every strategist does, I grab a fashion magazine to unwind.

But, of course, because I'm still analyzing the hell out of every word, I can't just simply enjoy the fact that red lips are back, I have to bring meaning to the trend. I put down the magazine. I glance up

to see the reflection of my paltry lips in the bookcase glass across from me. I pick the magazine back up. Reading on.

There's a lot of reference to the British in fashion. I see pages of rock-star thin, charcoal eyed-18 year-olds leering back at me, trying desperately to channel Sid Vicious. Page 42 features Union-Jack-themed handbags, while page 88 honors the Tudor look.

I look around my house and I realize it's a shrine to the British. In front of me on the coffee table is a tome honoring The Stones and catalogs from Boden, a British apparel company I love for its bold colors and quirky designs. My hallway boasts a London platform poster from WWII era, my living room shelves hold a clock also from a London train station -- maybe it knew the poster in my hallway. A picture of this Union Jack rug I've been lusting after hangs in my bedroom. I often look at that mod piece of genius and imagine Hugh Grant giddily sipping a glass of champagne on it (don't ask). My kitchen boasts a tea collection any Brit would be jealous of and a Wedgwood commemorative plate from LONDON! And I've never even been to London. Shit. What happened while I was writing that strategy document?!?

I start flipping through my fashion look-book wish book (the girls know what I'm talking about, we all have some form of this -- guys, just skip to the next paragraph-- torn out sheets of looks we love from magazines, mine are arranged neatly in a binder). To my surprise inside is a veritable shrine to the British, their fashion prowess and expertly designed flag: Chanel's Union Jack bag, Alexander McQueen's "God Save McQueen" sweater and other London Gothic McQueen beauty, Fall 2009 Tudor-inspired shirts galore.

I wonder if in London there is a strategist reading British Vogue wondering why there are so many references to America and American-influenced fashion. Is she longing for a cowboy hat and jeans the way I long for that young, London punk look? Is she standing on an American flag rug looking at a picture of John Wayne in her hallway and eating hamburgers on an Obama commemorative plate in her kitchen?

My husband announced one night he was going to get a tattoo of Mick Jagger on a cross like Jesus across his back. At Mick's feet would be his tragically beautiful bandmates bowing in disciple-like servitude. I'm pretty certain his southern mother would disown him faster than you can say "Brown Sugar" and

he would be shunned permanently from the Bible Belt and all its surrounding regions. But of all the tattoos in the world, this is the one he would want. The Brits are God to him. Or at least the British rockers.

Sorry, Prime Minister.

What's going on? Are we feeling guilty here in America because we left the Motherland? Are we all suffering from maternal guilt? Thinking some charcoal eyeliner and a "Save the Queen" canvas tote will make up for the misstep? Uh-oh. Obama has got some bigger problems then he realized. Maybe I should send him a couple fashion magazines for field research.

In all honesty, I blame Mary Poppins.

Mick Jagger photo credit: pierodemarchi

Will the Real Brand Please Stand Up?

2009-10-05T07:39:00.000-04:00

Authenticity is an often-used term in our branding vocabulary. It's frequently the toughest thing for brands --to simply be authentic. There's a lot of discourse and deep thinking devoted to uncovering authenticity and defining brand truths. And in almost every case there's a moment in the process when it's imperative to step back and take a look from a different perspective.

I had a non-smoking professor who said he preferred sitting in smoking sections at the airport (yes, they used to exist) because the people were more interesting, more real, and had better stories. I've always used this anecdote to shape my approach to branding, to defining authenticity. What does a brand look like if polite convention is stripped away? What stories would it tell? Would it sit in the smoking section? And, if not, how can we make it more interesting to consumers based on its natural inclinations as a brand.

Now, I swear I am not looking for a Philip Morris sponsorship. In fact, I am a vehement non-smoker, but there is something brilliant in that insight. People who are true to themselves, despite consensus and common convention, see the world more clearly and are possibly more open to the adventures of life. They are more interesting. They create a legacy of stories. And that's exactly what we are trying to do as marketers, create legacy.

What if our brands were boldly true to themselves despite convention? Where would that take them? Some on a trippy ride through Crispin's creative department, yes, others possibly through Lady Gaga's closet. (The two might be one and the same.) For all, the destination is a strong place of truth and freedom.

Brands that are free are joyful and easy. And creating for them is natural and inspiring. Think of the brainstorms you've been in that sit stagnant as everyone tries to fabricate an aura that strays from the intent of the brand. I'm sure the brainstorm for KFC's "Unfried" campaign was a tough one. So, in the spirit of freedom, I've put together a smoker's lounge guide to getting to the heart of a brand:

Define a lexicon. How does she speak? What's her voice sound like? Most brands have a distinct tonality and cadence to their language.
Observe her style. How does she express herself? Define her cultural dress.
Analyze her hopes and dreams. Where is she going? Speak to to her and understand what inspires her.
Listen to her stories. Where has she been? There's something in her DNA that shapes her view of the world. Uncover this and state it simply.
Get to the emotion. What moves her? Knowing this will provide the closest clues into her true self.
Let her be free. Sometimes a brand just needs some breathing room. Especially under this new world order, she will follow her most devoted fans.

Put down the cigs. You're done. Now inhale and be authentic.

Photo credit: bwmw, Flikr

Social Media is a Waste of Time and Other Reasons It's Great

2009-10-01T04:34:00.000-04:00

In an effort to be brief, because I don't want to spend a ton of time here, I'll get right to the point. Let's take a trip through communications history and visit several turning points in our intellectual development that radically shaped our culture. I know what you're thinking, "she just said she was going to be brief, now she's talking about history and intellectual development? I don't have time for this." Indeed. It's what we hear often from clients learning about the medium -- social media is a waste of time. James Cooper, creative director at Saatchi, inspired this post and has the greatest little graphic on his blog that I think I'll use often. Thanks, James.

Now, onto the history. It might be helpful for all of us to have a guide that tracks other historically indicated colossal wastes of time, so here goes:

Books: Historically, the book was seen as a threat to political power and reigning leaders used the medium to control thought by limiting or removing access. Here's some deeper information from the highly-respected and deeply-trusted social media source Wikipedia on the matter. (I do hope those of you who read my blog are in tune with my sarcasm.) As we moved through the ages, the book became a way to control gender advancement -- don't even get me started here -- where women were prevented access to certain books. The message always: books are not for everyone, there is a better use of your time. We see how that panned out.
TV: Do you know there is a TV Turn-Off Week that schools across America promote each year? I verbally and physically banned this school district edict in my house. I explain each year to the bright-eyed, young teachers and their dusty, old leadership that if it were not for TV, the students in my house would not eat. Both my husband and I fuel this medium and it in turn fuels our bank account. Banning it would not be a good thing. And my kids are none the worse for wear. In fact, my son currently attends a fancy, intellectual school where there are lots and lots of books that even girls can read.
Video Games: Well, 'nuff said. In fact, this guy suggests reading a book instead. Good for you, books! According to BusinessWeek, it turns out gamers might not be wasting their time at all, but are actually social, strategic thinkers. And video game sales are on the rise, increasing by over 40 percent during the five year period studied, according to reports from CES 2009.

I'm sure I'm missing other examples of time-wasters and you will all let me know what they are, possibly yoga, or that dastardly chatting with the neighbors time sucker. For now, however, let's get back to social media.

Social media is not a fad. This is a new stream of communication. Avoiding it will not only weaken a brand, but make it irrelevant.

The most exciting thing to happen in communications in decades is happening right now. We are evolving and learning and growing this platform together -- consumers and their brands -- right now. It's amazing and radically transformative to the communications landscape. It's not an aside. It's not an add-on. It's not another column on an integrated plan. It is the center of the plan -- it is the most fluid and dynamic piece of the marketing approach. Embrace the medium, help shape it, learn from it and maybe, just maybe, your brands will be so profitable you'll have time to kick back and read a book during TV Turn-Off Week!

Strategists are Method Actors

2009-09-25T18:28:00.000-04:00

Strategists are method actors. I know a lot of you highbrow types are scoffing at this headline. "I'm not acting -- it's real immersion into the brand." No, you're acting. Here's how I know:

Yesterday I had three presentations, yes, t-h-r-e-e, on three very divergent brands: a hospital that specializes in quaternary care (that's medical jargon for serious stuff), a well-known franchise pizza brand, and a very large destination fashion brand. And it was my birthday. Oh, AND, to make it all a bit more pleasantly pressure-filled, because everyone knows I love a good challenge, it was my turn to host "Breakfast Club" at the agency -- a monthly agency-wide, themed breakfast for 60. Themed. Breakfast for 60. Birthday. Three presentations.

Getting a sense of the challenge?

I can't begin to tell you what Monday-Thursday looked like. Our shop went into mind-warp. There were papers flying, random people I've never seen before running around, food being delivered non-stop (Pitching clearly makes the average creative department hungrier. Imagine cubing that hunger). My desk was piled so high with studies, reference manuals, version 1 of deck 1, version 16 of deck 2, version 4 of deck 3...and don't forget the birthday card signed by the entire agency and those random guys running around helping this week. It was crazy. There was only one thing that got me through -- method acting.

First, Friday morning I wake up at three. I head downstairs and make the largest pot of coffee man has ever brewed. I head to the shower to prepare for my Mad Men-themed Breakfast Club. Yes, we had also decided to channel our Sixties brethren. There was a very complicated french-twist hair-do planned, because this is what every head of marketing I was presenting to that day was hoping I'd spend time doing -- a Sixties glamour-do and breakfast for 60. I looked good. Then I did this. Off I go to the grocery store to buy breakfast...oh, right, I hadn't bought anything for anyone to eat yet. Now it's 6 a.m. I'm in my sixties frock, rockin' my Betty hair, practicing my pitches in the car, warming up care of Borat (see video link above)...and I remember I just left the house without saying good-bye to my family. Remember, it's my birthday and I have young children that think my birthday is as important as theirs, that we must hold hands, dance around, celebrate and go to Build-a-Bear. Maybe they forgot and there won't be a meltdown for my husband to deal with. Onward...

Three Keynote presentations completed and loaded onto the Mac. Check. Call to make sure conference room prepped. Check. Mini pigs in a blanket. Check. Fake cigarettes. Check. Not clinically insane yet. Check.

Here's where the acting comes in. Before every pitch I do this thing. This breathing thing. I don't think anyone else notices, but it calms me down and opens the file in my brain where all the cultural information is stored about the brand and the thinking I am about to present. I channel the brand culture. And we all do it. If you're a strategist or creative type reading this, you know you do it, too. You adopt the personality of the brand. You talk like it, dress like it, adopt its physical mannerisms, allude to relevant cultural icons and purposefully avoid conversations that don't play into the scene. We method act.

I've come to realize throughout my career this is what makes us good at what we do -- in order to understand deeply the issues and opportunities of a brand, we must immerse ourselves in the brand culture. We must become a part of its DNA. And only then, after we feel it, physically feel it, can we begin to think about it, can we offer guidance and concept creative. So often, we jump into creative thinking without deep experience. I'm not talking about research. I'm talking about seeing the joy of a brand in a consumer's eye. Hearing the way men argue about a brand's worth. Smelling the air outside a store. Touching the fabric on a chair inside. Our brands are human. We have to experience them physically to present their worth completely.

Great presentations are channeled through relevant, compelling and honest brand culture. Every presentation demands a different tonality filtered through the truths of the brand. When we see brands as people, it's easier to adopt their expression, lexicon and belief system. And we owe this to them.

Become a brand before you speak on its behalf. Just try not to do it three times in one day. On your birthday. Dressed as Betty Draper.

Creativity and Politics

2009-09-20T09:32:00.000-04:00

Obama controls the creative product. Don't believe me? Have a look at history, particularly 1950 through 1960, when America lived through a similar political environment. The Bush administration representing 1950s McCarthyism secrecy and Cold War propaganda and the Obama administration representing the crucial 1960 switch to modern influence and creative expression. We are teetering on this brink of creative expressionism right now. How we use it as creatives is key. First the history lesson, care of Al Filreis thinking and Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States:

During the early 1950s there was a clash of militant economy and socialist idealism. A desire among conservatives to hold steadfast to the prosperous war economy where industry and war manufacturers saw global growth juxtaposed with a desperation among liberals to institute a new, inwardly-focused, secure life for the people. Zinn called this a reliance on a "permanent war economy." This is the division so tangible now. Bush-era control of the people and the spread of fear supplanted with Obama idealism, radical financial programming and fearless, open globalism.

Now, in advertising, we see a similar shift. Our creative community is going through this very same change. Traditionalists, or oldster advertising models, some whom held to the past and even instituted campaigns around the fear of the unknown are being replaced by seemingly radical visionaries -- actionable new thinking -- true digital leaders. The division is so tangible. Either heels planted firmly in the ground, or shoulders leaning forward into the wheel. There is no creative centrism. You're either there or not. You're either a living futurist or a faithful traditionalist.

The crowdsourcing debate of late led by creative folks such as Alex Bogusky, Edward Boches, and Crowdspring founder, Ross Kimbarovsky (now that's a commie name for you, McCarthyists!) is a key example of the virulent debate. Fear of change vs. belief in change. There will be a growing audience of believers -- think Kennedy's Camelot aura. The dream for us, however, is radical creative. A belief in possibility. An open creative environment. Agencies and clients working together to reach the moon. 1960. 2009.

Is Facebook Irrelevant?

2009-09-19T06:21:00.000-04:00

Could it happen this fast? Is Facebook dead? Certainly there have been reports of the end of the youth movement there. And early in 2009 Time officially claimed the "old fogies" have ruined Facebook. It's not the application or audience that is wearing on me, but rather the platform. It's cumbersome and time-consuming -- and s-l-o-w. More importantly, for marketers, it's not as portable as Twitter for driving traffic to retail. And we haven't even touched on content yet...

It is not a place for thoughtful exchange. It's definitely a place to learn when your colleague has a headache and is going to bed early, that your high school acquaintance can't decide what to eat for dinner and your former colleague once liked to drink heavily with guys in Greek-lettered t-shirts. It's definitely a great place for ethnographic research of the mass consumer audience, or to learn about the daily lives of old fogies.

What's bothersome to me as a marketer, is the lag of industry understanding of the platform's irrelevance to the youth set. Most marketers still think it's a place to speak to young people. And, yet, statistics show anything but that: reports from July 2009 show college and high school user rates dropped by 20 percent, while the grey-haired audience increased by 513 percent. Yes, 513 percent. Great news for AARP, bad news for MTV.

Facebook is losing relevance certainly for millenials, but also for people who want to converse. It's become a warehouse of memories. Which is wonderful -- and needed--especially for those folks losing their memory. And it can exist beautifully like this for...ever. My argument is that it is no longer a place to market to youth. And it is no longer a place to have meaningful conversations. For that, go to Twitter. Seriously. Here's my handle:@gretchenramsey.

Open Book Test For Planners: The interview questions I ask and why

2009-09-17T10:36:00.001-04:00

Open Book Test For Planners: The interview questions I ask and why – By Scott Karambis

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Here Comes the Sun

2009-09-11T06:28:00.001-04:00

Pantone just released its Spring 2010 Color Report (Fashion Home ) in time for yesterday's opening of Fashion Week in NY. Color themes for the spring include warm brights paired with neutrals. Slightly peachy, brown undertones appear in all -- even the classic navy of spring is warmed up a notch.

What was most intriguing from the report was the influence of travel on designer's interpretation of color. Destinations such as Istanbul, Japan, London, Morocco all inspired colors of the collections showing this week.

As well, fantasy seems to be playing a role. Obvious escapes such as the beach and the reliable fashion inspiration of "safari" were cited by designers. On the more playful, whimsical front, movement influenced designs cite Degas ballerinas and the Mad Hatter's tea party as sources of inspiration.

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Ellen DeGeneres replaces Paula Abdul and becomes American Idols’ new 4th judge!

2009-09-10T06:23:00.001-04:00

Ellen DeGeneres replaces Paula Abdul and becomes American Idols’ new 4th judge! It's true. Amazing move on the part of the producers. And it gives the DeGeneres brand access to the millions of prime time consumers that aren't exposed to her by day. Super smart. Now, I wonder if Kara will have to take on the "crazy one" role. Or has she already...

Fashion Thought Leadership

2009-09-09T06:12:00.000-04:00

J.Crew is pushing hot and heavy towards owning America's fashion thinking. A few months back the brand brought Jenna Lyons, SVP of women's design, out of the closet in a big way to lead the brand's style conscience and move product.

The "Jenna's Picks" campaign pulls together elemental pieces for the season -- the must-haves -- for the J. Crew lover and serves them up in simple block-like guides sent through email or plastered like a shining shrine to commerce behind the counter at any J. Crew store. The issue, or clever marketing move, is that not all J. Crew stores are carrying all of Jenna's picks. So the J. Crewaholic must go to the larger, "better," J. Crew to access the product immediately, before it's all gone! Brilliant, really.

Jenna is on a media tour, educating the masses on the whimsical J. Crew style. And her advice is good. Simple and direct. A "do this, not that" approach to dressing. Here are her tips for men's dressing:

(By the way, in full disclosure, I just bought a ton of stuff from J. Crew for Fall. You'd think I'd be above the marketing machine. Damn.)

Rules of Style: J.Crew's Jenna Lyons

The creative director on vintage watches, slim jeans, and the horror of pleats

By: Men.Style.Com

May 27, 2009

There's nothing sexier than a blazer, a tie, and jeans. And yet most men can't put it together; they either end up with a suit and tie or jeans and T-shirt. Try taking half from one look and half from the other. Chances are you'll get something a little bit cooler.
Men don't shop enough. Being current has everything to do with finding the place you want to shop, whether it's J.Crew or Tom Ford. You have to get off your duff and get out there, because styles evolve. Certain things are classics and they do stay, but men need to keep updating their wardrobe, because change is subtle. For example, denim is getting slimmer. If you're wearing jeans from two years ago, they probably don't look current. Get a new pair of jeans.
Overplucked, overdone men are frightening to me. Women want a man who looks like he takes care of himself but doesn't look like he thinks about it more than she does.
A pressed shirt signals work mode. But a washed-cotton shirt automatically makes you feel more touchable, more approachable. It's effortless. However, if everything is washed—that's not interesting. When washed is paired with a blazer and a tie, it looks amazing.
Most men don't have a clue about tailoring. They hate to ask for directions and they hate to ask if something looks good on them. Learn to ask the salesperson. Ask a woman. Great tailoring always makes guys look better.
Get dressed, then change one element. With a suit, wear a pair of Converse, or take off your dress shirt and put on a chambray button-down instead. You can also do the reverse. Try khakis rolled up with wingtips. Tweaking one thing is an easy way for guys to modernize an outfit, even if they don't know what the hell they're doing.
Three subjects are off-limits to my husband: my mother, my ass, and my age. The worst thing you can do to a woman is to make her feel like she's not beautiful anymore. The best thing is to pay her a compliment.
What women notice are the shoes and the watch. Go for understated elegance, whether it's a vintage Rolex or a classic Timex or a watch that was your grandfather's. It's the same with shoes. I love a pair that look like they've been resoled 10 times.
A giant shirt is not cute. If it feels overly comfortable, it probably doesn't look so good. A simple fit test is to check your shoulder seam. It's designed to be on your shoulder line—not somewhere near it.
We don't need you to be perfect. What we do need is for you to look a little bit more pulled-together. And no pleats, please, not ever, ever, in your life. Ever.

http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Feature_Assortment/Jennaspicks.jsp

Nightmare.

2009-09-04T22:51:00.000-04:00

In 2001, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was a client of mine at MRM Gillespie. The Port managed the World Trade Towers. Part of our job for the Port was to promote the Towers -- to drive traffic there -- make them more of a destination. They wanted the everyday worker and families of Lower Manhattan to visit more, shop the retail stores, enjoy lunch there. Throughout the summer we promoted a live music luncheon series that took place between the two towers; we also held a children's festival for Lower Manhattan between the towers. A few weeks prior, my son, husband and I were there enjoying the space, the silence, the beauty. Looking up at the beautiful sky framed by the soaring spires and stretching up with them to the sky. That was August.

On the morning of September 11, I boarded the New Jersey Transit Train on my way into the City. For some reason my credit card wouldn't work. The portly fellow at the Trenton Train Station I've chatted with many mornings for years said he is having trouble connecting -- the credit cards aren't working. I took my bags and headed down the stairs to the platform. I think I have cash. Yes, cash. Ticket. Perfect. We started on our way. Then stopped. And waited. And waited. Something's wrong. Reverse. Please get off the train. Take your belongings. Get off the train. We are not approved to go in to New York. When? We're not certain. When will we know? They won't answer. There's no communication. Back upstairs. I could hear the hearts beating.

Everything poured out slowly like a gentle, flowing surreal dream. The sun streamed through the large windows. A crowd gathered around a small TV with a wire-hanger antenna shaped like a diamond. "What is it?," I say to a young, brown-haired man with a tattered leather briefcase. "What's going on?" He doesn't look at me. "Look. It's the Tower." Through the fuzzy screen I see the tower smoldering. I reach out for it. Someone looks at me to see if I can help. The man with the tattered briefcase answers his phone. "We're under attack," he says. "They just bombed the Pentagon." I go back to the TV. I have to focus there. My head is having trouble. I hear my name. It's been an hour. I hear my name again. My husband is running across the train station. He looks panicked. "You're here," he says. "Thank, God. You're here." "Something's going on with the Towers. We've got to go." We head home.

We have a large screen TV at our house. It was way too big for the room. The Towers fill my den. There is smoke everywhere. I try calling work. I can't get through. I try calling. I can't get through. I'm holding my husband's hand tightly. And then it goes. The South Tower explodes into a ball of gray. What is happening? No! I'm screaming. No! No! I reach again for the TV. I try to hold it up. I try to hold up the tower. My face is wet. Tears are streaming. No! My son is so confused. "Mommy, are you OK?," he says through Peter Jennings voice. I hear him, I do. But. I can't speak. I run to the bathroom and get sick. I can't breathe.

Several hours go by. They're gone. The towers are gone. Burning. I stare at the screen -- my shirt is wet. Where is everyone? I get a call finally from work. We have to get emergency messaging together for the families of the Port Authority. The entire media relations team was in the building. I sit down to write. "All families of Port Authority employees please call the hotline for information." I call the TV stations. Give them the correct number. They were all in the building.

Two days ago, I saw DDB Brazil's ad for WWF. I lost my breath. A nightmare. All those planes. The rumbling. I felt myself reaching for the City again. I got sick. Again.

We all get the point. The tsunami was immense when comparing the number of lives lost. But this is too close for us. We lost colleagues, friends, family members. The images are too powerful. For those of us close to the City, for those of us who lost people, for those of us...for all of us...the images are too powerful. They weren't just buildings. They were America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRFZxIX2O3I#watch-main-area

The Bob Saget Effect

2009-09-03T05:29:00.000-04:00

People like to be surprised. I'm talking full-on, cigar-smoking, curse-slinging Bob Saget surprised. I just watched his roast on Comedy Central and I got to thinking that we could build an entire marketing theory class around this guy. Forget Madonna, this guy is the King of re-invention. Although, I'm not certain he is actually re-inventing anything -- just revealing himself. First, let's just reflect for a moment about this photo shoot:

They really loved that sweater. "Bob, let's get a close up of you in that acrylic number. Yes, hand on cheek, gently... not too masculine...perfect...and a little semi-smile, just a bit, not too much...no teeth...yes...yes... Got it!" So, what's so fabulous is that this guy was actually acting. He really was acting. All through the Eighties -- laughing at little twin babies who can't talk so well, hugging awkward teenage daughter, paltry jokes, semi-smiles. Eight years of this. AND we haven't even begun to talk about America's Funniest Home Videos. Which is known by the entire South as AFHV. It actually is known by the acronym -- and Saget is the God of the acronym to the most conservative faction of our global society. He may be the best actor of our time. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he is. He is the best actor of our time. Because he's a dirty old man. A dirty, dirty, lover of spandex-wearing Hollywood hotties, dirty old man. Or maybe that's an act, too. Jesus. He's the Einstein of pop culture. And he's funny. Surprisingly funny. Dirty and funny.

Now, what does dirty and funny have to do with advertising, you might ask? Or maybe you are not asking, in which case you probably work at Crispin, Porter and Bogusky, or some scary little shop down a back alley in Las Vegas. Well, it has to do with surprising your audience. We love to discover something new about our brands. We love little unexpected presents. We love secrets, discovery and mystery. The best brands offer engaging new products, hidden campaigns for the most zealous of supporters, operational solutions, brand experiences beyond reason. They surprise us. Over and over again. It's the Bob Saget Effect. I'm not suggesting you run out and make a Keynote about the Bob Saget Effect, unless you have some really liberal clients -- like Hugh Hefner liberal -- but I do believe we should embrace this thinking when our brands seem tired and our consumers even more so. Just peek beneath the acrylic sweater. Just a bit, not too much...

Opinionists

2009-09-02T06:08:00.000-04:00

Bloggers are not journalists. They are opinionists. And in my opinion, more powerful in many ways. In the latest Neilsen Global Online Consumer Survey, more than 70% said they trust consumer opinions posted online...from people they don't know. That's huge. Now, I'm not knocking Katie Couric. Well, maybe I am -- or at least her make-up artist -- what is with all that eyeliner? But the truth of the matter is people believe their peers. Possibly because they feel they have nothing to gain from a complaint or recommendation. There is no intention other than to help the online community form an opinion. Bloggers, reviewers, commenters are the rock stars of the written word. The new pushers. Or as Trendwatching reported in its most recent trend report: the new advertisers.

And they are only going to get more powerful as the mobile web becomes more mainstream. Offering opinion is now, and will become even more so, a way of life. Check out ShoutIt or Yelp for a mobile review app. Here's a review of the review app: http://www.appstoreapps.com/2008/08/16/shout/.

And reviewing is immediate. Twitter is the most acceptable and definite quick source of reviewing available today. As marketers, we should jump on Twitter quicker than you can say "tweet." Forget expensive research, just sit with your brand on Twitter one day. Follow the crowd -- see where they take your brand, what they believe, hear their opinion.

All Together Now: How to Not Suck at Crowdsourcing

2009-09-01T19:12:00.000-04:00

I was just reading a bit of Twitterly chit-chat about crowdsourcing. I'm begining to feel a bit like I'm reliving my existential days at Penn--crowdsoucing thought about crowdsourcing. Good. God. For neophytes, crowdsourcing is the mass undertaking of an assignment to meet a business goal. Simple. Or is it? The most difficult thing about crowdsourcing is not the actual call to action, but rather the willingness of the individual to give up control. And by individual I mean CEOs, CMOs and the brand officers that "protect" the image. Trust is really the most perplexing piece of the crowdsourcing puzzle. Getting clients to the place where opening their brand up to collective thought may be the biggest hurdle. Great brands will thrive on this new world order of crowdsourcing. Trust will open the brand to its most innate evolution -- one driven by truths and built by believers. Consumers not only own brands now, but shape their reputation. Every day. On Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Wordpress, Blogger (knuckle-punch)...could crowdsourcing be replacing advertising? It's free thought commerce. A collective advertising agency. What could be better? For more on the crowdsourcing revolution read Jeff Howe's blog -- he's the guy from Wired who coined the term: http://crowdsourcing.typepad.com/cs/.

Heathrow Airport installs Alain de Botton as writer in residence - Springwise

2009-09-01T06:11:00.001-04:00

Super cool. Wrters are taking over the world! Heathrow Airport installs Alain de Botton as writer in residence - Springwise

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The Power of One

2009-08-29T07:02:00.000-04:00

One of my most loyal followers is a popular Daddy Blogger -- William at www.poopandboogies.blogspot.com. We've been discussing the power of the individual in communications. Clearly this is the new model of conversation -- I've heard fancy marketer types talking about "dialogue" replacing "one way" advertising. But I'm not certain it's as clear and simple as that. Sorry Wharton. Coming from a deep public relations background and being a former reporter myself, I am intimately familiar with the ethics of journalism. And ethics are not the first consideration of this new Everyman empowered communications landscape. It's almost as though "dialogue" is a less than acceptable term among some of the superstars of the blogosphere. A beautiful example provided by William: http://kalisah.blogspot.com/2009/08/it-would-be-obscene-misuse-of-power.html. What we have are opinion columnists, intensely more powerful than former advertising models, because we know these opinion leaders "personally." We trust them. We trust them and their recommendations. Finding that one gem of opinion may be our first goal as marketers here on out. Where blog relations becomes less an "add on" to the marketing plan and more the lead strategy. And certainly agencies are doing it -- mostly boutique PR firms with maverick CEO clients that believe in the focus there. It is not the norm. Not yet. Imagine what an advertising campaign would look like focused entirely on seducing one person. A TV spot for one. A glossy magazine buy for one. A signature series of events focused on one. Bloggers, not celebrities, getting the swag bags. That one voice. That powerful one voice.

Infectious Idealism

2009-08-26T21:03:00.000-04:00

I often talk about optimism with clients. It seems, especially in the past year or so, with the dismal news emerging from the grey corridors of Wall Street, there is an acceptance of negativity. Today on a call with a research team, I asked why they were focusing solely on measuring negative impressions of the brand we were setting out to measure. "Don't we want to know what moves people, what stirs and inspires them about this brand?," I urged. I had to explain myself several times before they understood I was looking for good marks for the brand, positivity, dare I say,... joy! I've always been moved by those who can see beyond sadness to correct perception and literally change the world. Ted Kennedy was one of those people. He is an inspiration, a prince of possibility, a force in optimism. In his honor, I urge everyone to believe in the possibility of their brands. Brands are very personal stewards of emotion -- we invite them into our lives -- they have the power to improve and change thinking. Brands with soul. Brands with infectious idealism.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5266977n

Eco-Outdoor

2009-08-25T17:13:00.000-04:00

Super cool new Outdoor tools. Moss. Mud. Friendly to Mama Nature and will make you look like that super hip creative thinker you know you are. Could it be the end of vinyl?

http://www.ecologicalpromos.com/2008/06/eco-graffiti.html

Crispin VW Cause

2009-08-24T21:08:00.000-04:00

Dear Crispin,

I'm sorry you lost the VW account. I am most concerned about what will happen with the Routan crisis. Is it for love? No. Babies for the love of German Engineering scares me. Will the new Agency of Record take on this cause? I do hope so. Is there a petition somewhere I can sign? Please let me know.

Yours in motherhood,

Gretchen

P.S. I read in Ad Age that this campaign was too smart for people. Boy, will they be surprised when they discover it's real. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDZSxFLcMVg

Fear is Killing Creativity

2009-08-23T11:49:00.000-04:00

We are creating advertising in one of the most radically transformative times in advertising history. Recently, I've heard clients say they "can't afford to fail -- not now." "Failure is not an option." And what's evolving from this paranoid state --this "challenged" economy-- is safe advertising, laden with pricing, sales messages and desperate tonality. Now, more than any other time in recent history, we have an opportunity to unite for dramatic creative, emotionally charged, delivered by social systems of friends inspiring thought and action. Humankind has turned inward for reflection, connection and discovery -- we must tap this. The time is now. Clients with the bravery to speak in very human terms, on truly emotional levels will win, will win big. Clients who brave the new social world online will enhance not only their sales, but their legacy. If you don't have a creative mobile program, a vibrant social media space, a dialogue where consumers live, opportunity is escaping--new media is not experimental -- it's exponential. Down with fear. Embrace the thought of failure -- it means you are moving, risking, changing perception, shifting the landscape. Welcome to the world of risk-takers.

sisomo - TV Ads & Viral Video

2009-08-22T15:12:00.001-04:00

Beautiful spot by Saatchi on the 250th Anniversary of Guinness. I'm not even a certified beer drinker, but damn this makes me want to drink a Guinness.
sisomo - TV Ads & Viral Video

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Marable encourages graduate students to examine their academic environment - Archive

2009-08-21T06:12:00.000-04:00

I found an article I wrote on racism while a reporter at Penn. I love the language of "deconstructing whiteness." Marable is so ridiculously smart.
Marable encourages graduate students to examine their academic environment - Archive

Websites are Cool

2009-08-21T05:28:00.000-04:00

Here are a few sites that rock new thinking. This one posted below from BooneOakley is entirely on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elo7WeIydh8

And this one from CPB is a beta:
http://beta.cpbgroup.com/

Crazy. Keep on truckin'.

I think I'm in love with Alex Bogusky

2009-08-21T05:15:00.000-04:00

My husband knows. In fact, he's encouraged it. What I love is what he's most criticized for -- humor. When I was at McCann we had these little cookies at client meetings that said "Truth in Advertising" with Rodin's The Thinker embossed on top. They were so damn serious. Who'd have thought a cookie could be so dramatic. Great line, sure, but what about compelling emotion by not taking advertsing so seriously. Alex wears this wig -- I'm not sure I understand why, but it's funny. I imagine he would have looked great embossed on the McCann cookie. More on Alex later I'm sure on my FB page.

Queen of Pop

2009-06-27T09:05:00.000-04:00

OK, so after I posted this morning about Lady Gaga I started feeling guilty for saying nothing about the passing of Michael Jackson. I don't know how it's relevant, other than I think as someone responsible for being current on pop culture I should have probably mentioned the passing of the King of Pop on my blog before posting shiny neon rave bracelets from Lady Gaga. I have mixed feelings about him for sure with all that little boy love and such, but that wasn't what kept me from posting. I guess I'm just kind of thinking he has existed outside reality for so long that maybe his death doesn't seem real to me (btw, to read some funny postings about death visit The Bloggess: http://thebloggess.com/). Again, that last link is probably not appropriate. I do love the man's music and he clearly has influenced a lot of the sounds and talent we've seen over his lifetime, as well as broken down racial barriers. Thank you, Michael, and I'll be sure to post more about you after I play the Matching Game with my five-year-old son who is tugging on my leg right now. But, you'd probably approve of that distraction.

Gaga for Gaga

2009-06-27T07:52:00.000-04:00

OK, I've got a bit of an addiction right now to Lady Gaga. Ben, please no comments here. It's quite serious...and could be battling for the number one spot over my Starbucks obsession. My addictions are a bit different than most in that what appeals to me goes beyond product into marketing expertise. Starbucks, hands down, has led us into the coffee lair through brilliant marketing strategy. I won't talk about that here--there are hundreds of books you can read on that subject. Let me rather turn to our new popdiva, Gaga. I just happened to visit her site this morning http://www.ladygaga.com/splash.aspx and found Lady Gaga gear. A batwing hoodie, retro shades, stickers and this glow braclet...we're brainstorming some gear over at Oxford Communications and this just cements it for me.

Death of Canned Goods?

2009-06-24T06:27:00.000-04:00

Could it be? As local farming and home gardening become the new darlings of food creation, is the canned good on the outs for good? Ad Age is reporting a loss in market share during the recession. http://adage.com/article?article_id=137436 This is significant when compared with depression-era adherence to the canned good. Maybe, just maybe, our palettes have evolved beyond tomatoes in tin?

A Starts With Apple

2009-06-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

My five-year-old son, Dylan, is trying to learn the alphabet. You can tell he is raised in a creative house because his "Apple starts with A" is a sleek, silver number on a glass desk, not the red one you can eat the neighbor kid across the street is referencing. What's interesting is that he is inverting the phrase..."A starts with Apple," as if the entire English language was founded on Apple design principles. I love Apple as much as the next guy, but this kid reveres the brand.

Check out this amazing Apple App wall that pulsates every time someone buys an app: http://is.gd/YjqQ. Dylan's head would explode if he saw this!

Twadvertising

2009-06-14T10:55:00.000-04:00

Have you all spent some time on Twitter? It's super simple conversation. I think I'm in love. In my line of work those who converse best win. Share of voice. Thought leadership. Messaging. Ugh. At the end of the day, all we want to do is get the point across simply, succinctly and with emotional impact that will change the way people behave. I've always been drawn to people who are direct or quick witted. If you're direct with a quick wit, please tweet @gretchenramsey. So in thinking about pop culture, I realized some of the best lines are tweets:

I love you.

You had me at hello.

Buy one, get one free.

I'm thinking Twitter will lead to less copy, as our desire for prose wanes. Less copy. I love you.

Hara Juku Girls Are Fun

2009-06-14T06:39:00.000-04:00

Fashion is fun. Tokyo is fun. Nice little piece of art by Uniqlo here http://www.uniqlo.com/uniqlo1000/map/.

What?!?! How did Adam lose?

2009-05-20T22:25:00.000-04:00

If the Queen performance didn't prove that music needs Adam Lambert, I don't know what will. He's a lead showman that can step right into Mr. Mercury's shoes. How did he not win? Was there a bank of insurance agents and grandmothers voting? Kris has a lovely voice, no doubt, but those weird, uncomfortable faces he makes when he sings should have kept him out of the finals. Regardless, thank you Simon for finding Adam. Long live the king!

Go, Biden, Go!

2008-10-03T05:17:00.000-04:00

What a brillant job Joe Biden did last night. It must not have been easy to avoid attacking Palin -- she is such an idiot. She reverses all the good work women have done in the women's rights movement. She winked three times during the debate -- yes, she winked -- three times! Despite her "folksy" talk, her hometown of Wasilla has major social issues and a serious meth addiction problem she did little to help: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.feminism/browse_thread/thread/3ee89857aba5b6c4/c6f7a527bd2ba01b?lnk=raot. The picture looks different now, right? She's embarrassing to us as Americans. We are working so hard to build credibility and the best she can do is giggle, message about "mavericks" and wink. She's not a leader, she's a cheerleader. I guess you know now my vote is going to Obama/Biden ticket.

Fashion Week Spring 2009: Diane Von Furstenberg

2008-09-09T06:30:00.000-04:00

Madame Furstenberg launched her fairy-like rock goddess collection at Fashion Week replete with flowing mini dresses, a killer gold sequined pencil skirt, and the best damn oversize orange bag this fashion-obsessed girl has ever seen. After 40 years in the business, Diane Von Furstenberg proves her place as its Queen.

Fashion Week Spring 2009: Marc Jacobs!

2008-09-09T06:23:00.000-04:00

I've been trying like mad to get tickets to the shows. My friend Mark-Alan Harmon sat third row Marc Jacobs last night. So jealous. Here's some of the whimsical, 40s-inspired collection HE saw. Hats, brooches, t-strap heels, mismatched suits, big, animal print, look-at-me bags. Long live Marc Jacobs!

H & M: How & Must-You?

2008-08-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

I adore Roberto Cavalli. Beyond his design it's his philosophy of fashion I follow. He insists woman have quality tailored pieces -- his mother was a tailor -- that they embrace sophistication and eclectic design simultaneoulsly. He is about self-expression. An amazing quote: "In the '80s, designers started to make unisex fashion. They tried to make the man and the woman the same. I think this is the most disastrous thing in the world." Something I'm tracking as disastorous, as well, is the new H&M line he is creating. I believe in accessibility to good design. However, design starts at its core with good tailoring. How does this come from H&M? With mass-production and financial margains, blah, blah, blah, is it possible to produce something wonderful? I don't think so. I feel we need to preserve the integrity of our brands. Cavalli and others before him -- Mizrahi, Rowley, et al. are not mass brands. The essence of their beauty lies in quality fabrics, beautiful seam lines. Stop the madness with the massification of high fashion. It's killing our icons.

If the Suit Fits, Wear It

2008-08-29T06:17:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's been a while (thanks, Bill, for pointing that out), but I was so moved by Obama's speech last night that I have to post. As an observer of things, I listened to his words, yes, but was more moved by the images I consumed. The stadium was vibrating right through my TV screen. I felt as though he were with me in my home, talking directly to me. Actually, kind of similar to when Princess Leia popped out of R2D2 looking for help. He was talking about us. He was talking about us. He was talking about us. How long has it been since a leader looked in our eyes and said "You can change the world." His eyes were shining -- did you see? Shining like some crazy beautiful Greek God, or as my friend Sue exclaimed last night -- the second coming of the Messiah. More importantly (read with great sarcasm), for the first time in the entire election, his suit fit! Halleluia to his dresser and the custom-made Hart Schaffner Marx suit. Finally. This man looks and feels like a President.

When Bad is Good

2008-07-12T08:58:00.000-04:00

Please, dear God, tell me whomever created Mad Men is getting some kind of special treatment in this world. What a phenomenal character, that mystery man Don Draper. He's got me thinking about the beauty in bad. The uncompromising, pompous exploration of "manhood" and everything it's expected to be. I studied feminism at Penn, for christsakes, but I just love this bad boy behavior the pure objectification of the women around them. Yes, I said it. What's equally intriguing is the counterpoint exchange of power from the femme fatales pushing their folders around from typewriter to typewriter with a flash of their mascared eyes. What has happened to me? Power is beautiful. Here's another pop icon that works this. Mr. Kid Rock. He's taken the power of manhood and objectification to a level of celebration quite similar to Don Draper's den. The baddest mother-fucker on the goddamn planet. Thank you, Kid. Yes you are. Well, you and Don.

Sunglasses at Night

2008-06-27T06:39:00.000-04:00

Not that this is a new trend, by any means, it's just a classic trend. My first job in the industry was working at a boutique PR firm, Ted, Inc. led by fashion event impresario Ted Kruckel pictured here to the immediate left. Ted always wore his sunglasses either covering his eyes or on his head, but they were a fixture. My best Ted memory was watching him walk at night after work toward Seventh Avenue with his shades on, blocking the moon (?), and tossing the glass of champagne in his hand into the garbage as he flagged down a cab. Ah, yes, fashion scene, New York. Perfect.

And how can I talk about the power of sunglasses, without mentioning Mr. Dark Eyes himself, Karl Lagerfeld. I'm not certain what iconic accessory I like more from this man -- the shades or the fingerless gloves, but my God, thank you, Karl, for creating this image. Whenever I'm not certain if shades are needed, whether there are dark clouds in the sky or I'm afraid of crushing my Oliver Peoples in my bag, I think of Karl and his omnipresent shades. Yes, I think I'll wear them tonight.

Two Are Better Than One

2008-06-26T07:30:00.001-04:00

These girls will always be a part of the fashion scene. Passion for design aside, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are consummate business women who understand the value of their twin brand. What's more they never seem as though they are trying to hard and yet, yes, they do push the envelope in their own personal style. Ultimately they will be icons for the industry. They are different than Posh -- not a flash in the pan, this dynamic duo. Fashion brands would be wise to cozy up to them more aggressively.

2008-06-20T07:08:00.000-04:00

Here he is Celebrity Stylist Mark-Alan Harmon at Prime Outlets International Orlando. I work with this beautiful man throughout the year on various events and wanted to officially give him props. Clearly the best stylist Hollywood has to offer and this child can wear plaid pants like nobody's business.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

2008-06-19T10:31:00.000-04:00

Ok, I love Balenciaga. I have a beautiful green leather wallet from this amazing designer that I truly cherish, but what were they thinking with these shoulders. As if women don't have enough trouble as it is with body image and proportions. Good God. I was in Barneys Tuesday and was able to see these bizarro shoulders for myself in person. It's just ridiculous. It looks like armor -- King Arthur gone awry.

Seriously

2008-06-19T07:53:00.000-04:00

I am always amazed by what I see. BBDO's "Voyeur" campaign for HBO is crazy beautiful.

Thank God for innovation in outdoor. I think I will start a protest against bad outdoor. Would you like to join me? Advertising is art. Stop the madness. Protest with me.