It’s obvious why we so often see Fido and Bobby — as well as beach scenes, warm smiles and embraces — in so many advertisements, promotions and appeals. They work. As we all rush about “doing our thing” in this crazy, pressured world, it’s nice to be reminded of nice, simple things. Nice is … well, nice.

There is another camp of advertising appealing to a polar opposite feeling. Fear… A far different approach, but, at times, equally effective. Think “This is your brain on drugs” or any number of recent ads imploring people to quit smoking.

Does advertising that purposely causes us discomfort have its place? Surely. The shock factor can powerfully and successfully get an audience to snap to attention and remember something. Have you seen the UK public service announcement that went vital on YouTube featuring teenagers texting while driving? Seconds into the video, a graphic and terrible crash occurs.

Personally, I prefer advertising that makes me smile, laugh or feel good inside. A public service ad produced by Stimulus Brand Communications on behalf of The Partnership for Drug Free NJ advocated a positive, visual and memorable approach to a serious message. Drugs are scary things. They kill, bankrupt and ruin childhoods and lives. But, our firm chose to not go to those dark, scary, places. Instead, we focused on taste appeal, touting the healthy benefits families can derive by simply spending regular time with their teens over meals.

It can be quite fun to develop ads that tap into audiences emotional, humorous and playful sides. Who doesn’t enjoy the series for E-Trade with the super savvy babies?

Maybe if more ad firms put out creative work that uplifts, our world would be a more positive place. Or… perhaps, like good martinis, we all need to be shaken once in a while. Share your thoughts — and your favorite positive v. negative ads!

– Tom McManimon

– Diane Blaszka

With January being the month for “Top 10” lists, we are adding our own Top 10 list twist to your bombardment. Okay, it may not be as amusing as one of Letterman’s, but we hope it reflects how highly we value our customers and relationships! Thank you.

Top 10 Things We Learned from Our Clients in 2011

1.      When you go the extra mile for a client, often higher fees are a non-issue.

2.      Good clients expect executional excellence. But, they value you for your thoughtfulness, creativity, experience and openness to work together on their behalf.

3.      “Marketing-focused” clients are always engaged in the “possibilities” and excited in the process. Budgets are flexible. “Sales-focused” clients are more immediate, analytical and sometimes desperate. Budgets are rock-solid.

4.      Clients who are ill-prepared to offer you input, background and direction, but expect miracles are usually bad clients. They are the ones often heard saying, “I’ll know it when I see it.”

5.      Good clients ask, listen, lead, direct — and set you free. Not-so-good clients tell, yell and disrespect.

6.      Good relationships last. Just because the workflow has slowed, doesn’t mean the love is lost. Two great clients for several years had very little activity with us in nearly a year. And then … the phone rang!

7.      When a client thinks you are expensive, they are right. You may not believe so considering the measure of your work and what competitors charge. However, for them, it’s all relative to their cost vs. value position.

8.      Just as your client may be only one of several you are serving at the same time, the work you do with them is only one small element of all they are juggling and managing on their end. Patience has its rewards.

9.      One of the most powerful things you can derive from a good client is a strong referral.

10.    When a client remembers seemingly small things, such as the names of your family members, an important event you  mentioned, a hobby you spoke of, etc., it brings a smile and deepens the relationship. You should make a point to do the same for them.

We wish our past, present and future clients much health, happiness and success in the year ahead. Let’s make it another top year!

www.stimulusbrand.com

- Tom McManimon

- Diane Blaszka

It’s interesting to think that most of the commercials we are seeing all over television now were planned and created way back in the heat of summer. Holiday advertising is huge (sometimes make-or-break) business for advertisers and agencies alike. Come Super Bowl and holiday time, consumers’ attention, as well as expectations, rise — and commercials can prove most memorable. Think Budweiser Clydesdales; Lexus cars wrapped in bows; and Folger’s Coffee’s  “Peter Comes Home for Christmas.” Companies seem harshly aware that people’s gift buying budgets are smaller this year — and they want to claim their piece. Perhaps because they are also aware of the stresses many folks are under, a recent advertising approach gaining in popularity is to mock the excesses and craziness of the gift-giving season.

Two examples featuring characters with very different demeanors are Honda and Target.

Perhaps best known as Puddy on Seinfeld, Patrick Warburton serves as Honda’s laid back, almost catatonic, but humorous spokesman in the “Happy Honda Days” series. The ads feature great comedic writing and are quietly dismissive of all the holiday hoopla — while still making an effective holiday pitch. As Tim Nudd writes in Adweek Magazine, Warburton “can get away with this, partly because he acknowledges the hypocrisy and partly because he’s so likable. In one ad, he opens by suggesting that ‘Elves are shoddy craftsmen,’ then points out that Hondas are made by ‘real human beings.’ In another, he ridicules holiday ads from luxury automakers that show cars wrapped in bows. ‘Are you a millionaire? No? Well, then you probably don’t give cars to people as presents,’ he says, as he rips the bow off a Civic. (Again, though, this is disingenuous—as another spot urges you to give the gift of a Honda, just to watch the person’s joyful reaction.)”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjwULyeyzkc&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OThgvHPQkc&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz8zcjoUlvU&feature=relmfu

With its “crazy Christmas lady” that people seem to either love or hate, Target also mocks seasonal pressures, but by depicting the opposite of Honda — a stressed out, Type A shopper whom some of you may have bumped into on Black Friday! With wild eyes and chanting “You will win this,” she plans and trains like Rocky for the big door buster sales.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqXsLHXX_pE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqG6WYJAM2I&feature=related

Two different approaches. Which do you prefer?

Although outside the mix of actual holiday ads, I am also reminded of the 1996 commercials for Staples a few years back promoting the back-to-school shopping craze featuring the often heard music, “It‘s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.” This surely produced a smile or a laugh from giddy parents who were more than ready to unload the “kids of summer.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIyKG6WkYa8

Do you have a commercial you love or hate this holiday season? What are some of the commercials you remember most fondly from your childhood? Share your thoughts by e-mailing tom@stimulusbrand.com. To see a handful of our ads, visit www.stimulusbrand.com.

–Diane Blaszka

–Tom McManimon

I am reminded of an impassioned phrase spoken in the movie Network: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take anymore of it.”

Emphasizing the importance of a well-honed mission statement, the main criticism of the “Occupy” movement has been that protestors are sending unfocused, mixed messages, with some not even knowing what they are protesting. A consequence is that many do take them seriously and feel that it will soon die off. It’s
almost as though the protestors do not know exactly who to protest toward, so they “vent” in hopes that someone who can make a difference hears
them.

One unifying message, however, seems clear — unless corporate political influence decreases, America will no longer be a land of opportunity and equality. Protestors point to the corporate bail outs and fact that 25 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed as proof that Washington’s policies cannot continue to favor the most privileged 1 percent among us. The ongoing division in Washington and lack of respect for leadership seems to feed this protest. They’re simply not helping the situation.

As one middle-aged white woman’s hand-made protest sign read: “You know things are bad when middle-aged white suburbanites come out.”

No matter what “side” you’re on, it is alarming that the typical working-age family’s earnings are no higher today than they were almost two decades ago. And, according to a study by a Federal Reserve economist, a poor family now needs nearly 10 generations (more than 200 years) to achieve middle-class income.

Put another way, if you are poor today, then you may reasonably hope your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren will finally climb into the middle class.

Are we content to have that be the revised brand of the American Dream?

Let’s hear the thoughts that occupy you on this matter.

- Tom McManimon

- Diane Blaszka

Let us help you with your brand. www.stimulusbrand.com

It’s similar to those people you see on the road; they’re driving, drinking coffee, talking on the phone, maybe shaving or fixing their hair and even trying to read something— all at the same time. Come on! Aren’t they really just doing lots of things at maybe 25-50% or less, instead of one thing at 100%?

Here’s a sad excuse-for-multi-tasking story: I met a colleague for a scheduled meeting over coffee one morning. Once we sat down, the entire time they were
texting others and taking calls. So, to get their attention…I texted them back asking if we could have our meeting. They looked up and replied, “I’m listening!
I’m just multi-tasking.” We never really got the conversation started. I then got up and left and texted them suggesting. “When you have time for me, let’s
reschedule…”

My point: Respect the task (or person) in front of you. Then, take time to actually look, listen and participate in the moment with full focus.

– Tom McManimon

See how I multi-task with great clients and projects every day — but never, ever forget to LISTEN. www.stimulusbrand.com

CNBC reports that this marks the first time that a brand that broke ties with an athlete re-signed them. It makes me and, obviously scores of others, wonder what the heck Nike — typically a masterfully managed brand – is thinking.

Sure, Vick “served his time” (19 months in prison) for running a dog-fighting ring and is a tremendous athlete. In an impressive comeback, he rose above some passionate media and fan protests to win the starting quarterback job and lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFC East Championship last season.

But, as they see him associated with Nike’s famed “Just do it” slogan, will people reflect on Vick’s comeback and prowess — or on his cocky, cavalier and violent demeanor as he “just did it” and subjected innocent dogs to torture and death?

Personally, I’m surprised and feel this is a backward-looking, ill-advised brand decision. Nike can have just about any spokesperson it chooses. By linking itself with Vick, it has placed itself in the proverbial doghouse with many current and potential consumers.

I’m all in favor of people vindicating, improving, and renewing themselves. It’s true Mike kept quiet and just did what he had to do to regain his life and career. It seems however, that his name will be forever mentioned with an asterisk by it, just like baseball players accused of using performance enhancing drugs — and those brands who endorse them.

The larger-than-life message and culture that Nike spawned many years ago seemed to tell us how life should be. The brand guided us. Nike aligned its brand not just with hard work and achievement, but also with goodness.

Vick’s re-signing will likely (but unfortunately) sit just fine with most true football fans. We are such an entertainment-driven society that fans don’t really care as long as he plays good ball. Vick is hot right now, so Nike stands to ride his tail and make lots of money. You can bet the moment Tiger Woods roars back to another Major tournament win, Nike will come-a-calling. With a contract and asterisk in hand!

- Tom McManimon

- Diane Blaszka

Like informal summer gatherings, online platforms, such as Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo, etc., offer wonderful opportunities to hang out and engage with large groups of people. There are some people who are close friends, some you know vaguely, some you don’t know and some you hope to get to know. The best interactions are casual, not forceful.

For example, most of us would not aggressively approach a group engaged in conversation at a BBQ and spout off a top 10 list of successes or a rehearsed elevator speech about our company or services. It’s more likely that we’d politely wander over; linger long enough to listen and get a good grasp of the subject being discussed; and then insert ourselves into the conversation as appropriate. Our chatter would likely be on topic and not overly sale-sy.

Think: How ‘bout them Yankees? (or fill in favorite team); not how ‘bout that quarterly report? Or: Where are you heading for vacation?; not where’s your bottom line heading? Make a great pitch – on the ball field; not in the boardroom. This is the time for refreshing libation rather than professional ovation.

Smart, effective (and non-irritating) users of social media follow similar principles.

1)      Observe and listen first to get a full understanding of the topic of interest.

2)      Determine if you have anything, personally or professionally, to offer.

3)      If so, gently insert yourself into the discussion in a helpful and friendly tone.

4)      Give enough on-topic information to convey that you’re knowledgeable (and available if they’d like to hear more) but not so much information that you bore people or seem boastful.

Every day, more people are wisely jumping on the social media bandwagon — and then quickly realizing they don’t know the first thing about how to ride it. BBQ etiquette is easy enough to remember and can help guide us all.

Happy summer!

- Diane Blaszka

- Tom McManimon

And that doesn’t simply mean being a good talker, schmoozer or salesperson. It means being a good listener, a skill that appears increasingly hard to come by in this age of instant everything. It takes patience, focus and persistence to truly listen — to get to the heart and soul of what the customer is trying to say. What do they need to communicate? Why do they need to say it? To whom? What is most relevant in the message? Why should anyone care?

I consider the answers to these types of questions more important than the graphics, fonts or content when I create an advertising campaign or marketing collateral. Information feeds relevance. It’s the “why‘s, where’s and how’s” that ultimately lead me down the path to my finest creativity.

Have I ever developed creative work without them? Yes, certainly. But, I have always had an easier road to the creative solution, believed in it more and, ultimately, been more successful by asking, researching, challenging and digging.

Maybe that’s rare in a creative guy, especially an art director at heart. There is so much design around us, advertising in front of us and overwhelming media in our face that appears purely shallow. When I sense that kind of vapidness, I sometimes get depressed about the field of communications. I feel as if I’m engaged in a constant, lonely uphill battle to create meaningful communications that can make a difference.

Thankfully, though, all is takes is one really great marketing piece to lift my spirits. One really creative commercial on TV, one engaging print or radio ad, one crisp and memorable logo…. There is still greatness around us. And it often springs from simply taking the time and effort to get to the true heart of the matter.

Good luck and good listening,

Tom McManimon

For example, a recent redesign of the well-known Starbucks logo sparked a wave of social media chatter disliking the new identity. It appears to have become its own Café-no-a-lika-Grande.

Five of the most common logo mistakes you should be aware of include:

1)      Amateurish design – A professional business should look professional. A logo designed by a friend, relative or cheap online site will likely not. Using clip art or aspects resembling another company’s logo could lead to licensing and legal troubles. Your logo is your unique, memorable signature — and should be treated with respect.

2)      Too trendy – Following design trends is tempting, but is akin to putting a sell-by date on the image. Trends come and go. A strong logo is timeless.

3)      Poor reproduction – A properly designed logo can be reproduced in various sizes and mediums (t-shirts, billboards, automobile wraps, etc.) It should be designed as a vector graphic, using software such as Adobe Illustrator that creates mathematically precise points, not a raster graphic, which can result in poor pixelation. In this electronic age, a logo must reproduce online just as well as it does in print.

4)      Too complex – A well-designed logo will be simple. A complex design with photos, drop shadows, small text or special effects may be illegible and look like a smudge when printed in smaller sizes, such as on letterhead or business cards. A good logo incorporates no more than 2-4 complimentary, business-appropriate colors and 2 easy-to-read fonts. It will appear just as professional and attractive when printed in black as in full color.

5)      Not well studied – There are numerous (and comical) examples of costly logo designs that were approved and implemented, only to be retracted or scorned when others perceived unacceptable images or messages within them. A new logo should be studied up, down and sideways for anything that could even remotely be perceived as organizationally, sexually or culturally inappropriate!

StimulusBrand Communications has developed a significant business and reputation designing award-winning logos for major corporations, small businesses and nonprofits. “We take these assignments seriously and love it when launching or refining a brand requires new identity and positioning. What may seem like a simple design project is actually an exhaustive and critical step in properly defining the tone of a brand. Designed well, it should indeed appear to be simple, memorable and easy to consistently display,” states Tom McManimon, Principal of StimulusBrand Communications. See our logo sample sheet below. Or visit www.stimulusbrand.com.

Click here to see some logos designed by StimulusBrand Communications

– Diane Blaszka

– Tom McManimon

“We surf the Internet.  We swim in magazines.” 

The Internet is exhilarating.  Magazines are enveloping.  The Internet grabs you.  Magazines embrace you.  The Internet is impulsive.  Magazines are immersive.  And both media are growing.

Barely noticed amidst the thunderous Internet clamor is the simple fact that magazine readership has risen over the past five years.  Even in the age of the Internet, even among the groups one would assume are most singularly hooked on digital media, the appeal of magazines is growing.

Think of it this way: during the 12-year life of Google, magazine readership actually increased 11 percent.

What it proves, once again, is that a new medium doesn’t necessarily displace an existing one.  Just as movies didn’t kill radio.  Just as TV didn’t kill movies.  An established medium can continue to flourish so long as it continues to offer a unique experience.  And, as reader loyalty and growth demonstrate, magazines do.

Which is why people aren’t giving up swimming, just because they also enjoy surfing.

For sure, both online and print advertising have strengths and limitations. Online offers clickability; immediate updating; targeted placement strategies; lower pricing and detailed tracking. Print offers tangibility; strong branding and memorability; portability (not many readers take their computers into the bathroom to read); and readers who tend to be more highly engaged. Many designers feel they have more creative options with print, which is also not reliant on a consumer having a computer and internet connection.

The wisest choice is likely dependent on the specific product or service being advertised, as well as many variables that professional advertising executives help clients explore and identify. What’s crystal clear is the fact that technology plays an increasing role in the lives of readers and consumers, who appreciate choice – print, digital, mobile, iPad…  A strong advertising campaign will integrate as many of these venues as possible — including print, which can borrow an old Mark Twain line and declare, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

At StimulusBrand, we are very active and experienced in the website/interactive arena. While we are not by definition a web design company, we have developed and launched a dozen new websites in the last year with several others in our current workflow. Still, we continue to build lots of print into the mix. Take a quick browse of our StimulusBrand portfolio featuring some print work we’re proud of. Or visit our website at: www.stimulusbrand.com. You can see a sample of our print portfolio at  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=147690025260939&id=146922775337664&aid=28746.

A sample print ad designed by Stimulus Brand Communications.

- Diane Blaszka

- Tom McManimon