Yesterday I attended the Automotive News Marketing Seminar.  The event was spectacular and the program featured speakers from Mazda, Honda, General Motors and Hyundai.  Each company presented their respective strategies for marketing in the digital age, or as they referred to it,  Millenial Marketing.  I won’t be able to do the speakers justice, as each one did such an amazing job, but I took away these key points I’d like to share:

1. Content is king.  No matter where you’re saying it: Twitter, YouTube, or in a direct mail piece, it’s truly what you’re saying that counts.
2. Everyone is a critic.  With the evolution of social media, everyone has an opinion.  It’s important to address the positive as well as the negative quickly and effectively, turning potential problems into opportunities.
3. Target your audience.  Again, a seemingly simple task that’s as old as advertising itself, but in the digital age, it’s key to discover where your audience hangs out and meet them there.
4. Make it relevant.  Once you find your target audience, appeal to them.  Speak their language and they’ll drink your kool-aid.
5. Measure ROI, not on quantity, but on quality.  Having 4 million fans means nothing unless they’re buying what you’re selling.

Finally, I’ll leave you with the Chevy Superbowl commercial, which really encompasses these 5 points and defines Millenial Marketing.

***Before this commercial aired, each stunt had only been featured online as individual vignettes.

If your life was a commercial – what would it be?

Martini Asti “Let Go” from Genevieve Vincent on Vimeo.

But did it live up to the hype?

***SPOILER ALERT***

If the Mad Men season 5 premiere is still sitting on your DVR, this review is not for you…  But if you tuned in for the return of your favorite ad execs, you saw an alarmingly happy Don, a noticeably absent Betty and Joan & Roger’s love child.

The return of Mad Men brought back the style and drama we’ve been missing, but we felt the first episode lacked in answers what it made up for in questions.  Why is Don so happy despite his bride’s embarrassing birthday surprise? Conversely, why are Roger & Jane so unhappy and what was the deal with creepy Lane and the picture of Dolores???  Will Red’s husband eventually do the math or will a striking resemblance to his real father give him away? Luckily we have 12 more episodes to find out!

What did you think of Mad Men’s return?

Before you dig into dinner, here are some Thanksgiving Myths and Facts, provided by National Geographic.

• Do you know what was served at the first Thanksgiving?
• Does turkey REALLY make you sleepy?
• How does a turkey get a pardon from the President?

From our family to yours, have a safe and happy holiday!

Recycling is a word we use commonly today.  We think more about our environmental “footprint” than we ever have and consciously support “green” efforts.  Segueing from paper mail to electronic seemed the natural and eco-friendly choice.  But have you ever considered the e-waste you’re producing and its potential harmful effects?

I hadn’t either until a recent presentation by Lester Lithograph on sustainability.  Paperless actually comes at a cost*, just how much may surprise you:

• 24% annual growth of energy consumption at U.S. data centers

• 62 trillion spam emails are sent every year, contributing greenhouse gases equivalent to two billion gallons of gasoline

• Over 200 million items of e-waste are thrown away every year in the U.S.

• 70% of toxic waste in U.S. landfills comes from e-waste

And most shocking of all… Reading the news online produces more CO2 per year, per reader, than reading a printed newspaper!

But it’s not all facts and figures; the idea is to find the right balance between the environment and your communications.  Design with sustainability in mind and consider all your options before making recommendations to your client.

*All facts and figures supplied by NewPage Corporation.

The nose knows

Some of my fondest childhood memories were the aromas that wafted through our house. Whether it was the honeysuckle bushes in our backyard, my parents’ home cooking or the burning firewood, certain smells transport me to a simpler time.

Today paper manufacturers are recapturing our nostalgia with scratch and sniff advertisements. The concept isn’t new; in fact, children’s books and perfume companies have long engaged our schnozes as a means of tugging at our heartstrings. But it would appear, scratching and sniffing is making a comeback in a big way.

During a recent presentation by Lester Litograph, I was privy to one of their latest magazine offerings boasting the mountain air scent of a rock-climbing ad. I admit I was taken aback and never would’ve thought to smell the paper! So the next time you’re thumbing through an issue of your favorite publication, let your nose be your guide! It doesn’t come cheap, but it definitely adds to the sensory experience, which is priceless in advertising.

For more information on this and other innovative advertising, we encourage you to contact our team!

Most of us, whether we are accountants, lawyers or creative professionals, need an outlet, which inspires our creativity. For me it has always been writing. For others art, design, gardening, cooking and sewing are popular ways to tap into the right brain. Regardless of who you are or what you do for a living, creativity is paramount to a well-balanced and happy life. Furthermore, lack thereof has been linked to depression and anxiety.

So how do you find yours if you haven’t already? Some of the best resources today are online. Without committing to any one thing in particular, browse different sites and see what tickles your fancy. Then, if you find something that you’ve always wanted to try, take a class! A group environment is a great way to get motivated and stay inspired. Finally, don’t be shy – there’s no limit to how many hobbies you can explore. So try, try again!

Finally, when you do find something you love, share it! It wasn’t until I had the privilege of blogging for Motor that writing became so important to me. It is amazing the amount of gratification a simple post brings.

Share with us, what is your creative outlet?

As marketers, our clients are ALWAYS right…  Or are they?  They tell us who they are, what they do and why they do it better.  We take that message and develop a campaign to strengthen their brand and deliver said message to their target audience.  But what if they don’t buy what we’re selling?  In other words, what happens when you have an amazing creative concept and the client sends it packing?!

First and foremost, don’t lose heart.  As previously discussed, American Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…  Art, like the artists themselves, is created by experience and circumstance.  That is what makes it so unique and why different styles of art appeal to different audiences.  Furthermore, it is our  job to present our clients with options so they have choices.  As consumers we have endless options and our decisions vary as widely as the product choices themselves.  It isn’t to say one is necessarily wrong, perhaps there is simply more than meets the eye.  Typically, as in big corporations, there is also a trickle down effect.  If someone at the top level is disapproving, even the savviest of campaigns won’t stand a chance.

So make sure you’re listening to your client, learning from them and leaving without questions.  As you develop a deeper relationship your visions will align more closely and the creative will soon follow.  Finally, reassess the client’s strategy and ensure everything is copacetic.

What do you think, is the client always right?

To continue this week’s discussion about controversial ads – here are a few more for your viewing pleasure (or pain)…

This ad was recently pulled by the Milk Board due to it’s controversial nature (that’s right guys, PMS jokes still aren’t funny…)

This ad from Google stages an “email intervention”… AOL fans, it’s officially over.

Got comments?

When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, his quote, “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” resonated with the world. An article in The Guardian made a similar stride in the world of beauty, and even as an advertiser I have to say – this is one giant leap for womankind!

There are two issues at hand; the first being the American ideal of beauty from a cultural standpoint, the second our Constitutional rights.  Now it is true, we as a society want to look at beautiful people.  We want them to act on screen, pose in pictures and model clothes for us.  Unfortunately, however, this can be a double-edged sword; especially when you compare the rates of eating disorders and self-esteem issues in our country to other nations.  It seems the rest of the world holds the statement “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” more true.  But maybe if Europeans are pulling overly airbrushed ads from their magazines, Americans can’t be too far behind.  As a woman and an advertiser, I see both sides of the coin.

The purpose of advertising is to deliver a message, but it becomes a slippery slope when the message gets lost in the art of retouching…  So who’s to blame?  The American standard of beauty or the Advertising Standards Authority?  What do you think?