The.Good.Life

I've finally figured it out.  I'm not gonna lie though; I've had some help.  After stumbling upon an article titled "The Age of Media Arts," the switch has finally been flipped.  What's the profound discovery?  Consumers have new demands.  In fact, consumer isn't even always the right word to use when talking advertising. There's a new end-user now, and they're called an audience.  What's the difference?  

"A consumer is someone who intends to buy, and audience member is someone who has already paid the price of admission in some way and now, intends to be entertained."  (David Burn - AdPulp)

For those who've been following my blog, it's pretty obvious that I have a strong interest in marketing for the masses - social media, interactive, television, print, video, guerilla, and viral.  I'm an advocate of attention-grabbing, call-to-action, information, communication, and education.  I've never really thought of the thing I'm most interested in though and it's been right in front of my eyes this whole time: Entertainment.

In his article on The Age of Media Arts, Lee Clow, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of TBWA/Worldwide states, "We must stop talking about above the line/below the line and traditional/nontraditional and instead talk passionately about the ideas that invite people to our brands, wherever that may be."  It's not a matter of "getting on Facebook" or "getting on Twitter" it's a matter of matching an audience, to a network, to a medium, to a message, to a creative idea.  

I'm a consumer who loves to find out about new brands.  I'm also an audience member, and I am constantly looking to be entertained.  My blog on "The Alumni Conspiracy" talked about finding ways that my high-school and college will stay connected with me.  Send me videos, links, press releases, news feeds, etc.  Entertain me.  My blog on "Interactive Advertising" talked about grabbing my attention, educating, and informing me, but most importantly entertaining me.  My blog on "The 4th Dimension" asked some of my favorite movie stars and bands to entertain me through videos and social networks.  I could go on and on.  These feelings aren't just mine though. I'm just one of the millions of consumers out there looking for ways to connect.

Why do people like Gatorade ads, Nike ads, Apple ads, and Beer ads?  Because millions of people buy into these products, own these products, and feel strongly about these products.  These products don't need any more attention.  They entertain through celebrity endorsements, sports promotions, visionary direction, and exciting execution.  It's not as big of a risk for these companies because brand awareness is no longer their priority.  They've moved on to bigger and better things now, and all they need to do is entertain.

Just as Mr. Clow states, I think we're at a time where everything a brand creates doesn't have to fall under advertising.  Sure, consumer-based advertising will always be around but the who knows what the future will bring?  One thing is for sure though.  The future will be about the blending  of art and media in traditional and non-traditional ways and agencies will need to focus on finding ways to maintain, sustain, and most importantly, entertain consumers and audience members alike.  

The future is now, are you on board?

How connected are you to your college or high school?  That's the question of the hour.  Myself?  I'd like to say I'm "actively associated" with both Whitfield and Westminster, my two Alma Maters.   I mean, I spent three years at one and four at the other, and I'd like to say my experience at both instituitions shaped me into the person I am today.  So why this blog?  What's the problem?  

The problem lies in the fact that a lot of alumni are "associated," but institutions are missing out on the whole "active" part; an extremely important piece of the puzzle.

The first thing a college asks Alumni for is money. Same goes for high schools. What are we paying for?  We're paying for the future of the institution.  What are we getting back?  A monthly newsletter, an invitation to an event, and our names printed in a book.  If that's your idea of staying active as an alumni, you might as well quit reading now.

I'd like to pose an idea that I have for alumni relations in colleges and high schools, and propose some solutions that I think could help connect, communicate, contain, and retain an abundance of alumni.  

I don't believe schools think too hard about what students actually want out of an institution once they've graduated.  At the most basic level, as alumni, we want to stay connected.  I do think that schools get that.  What I don't think they are up-to-date on is the mediums in which we want to connect, the messages we want to communicate, and the content that will drive us to maintain a connection with their institution. 

I want to propose an Alumni Action Campaign for schools around the country.  Below are some of the key strategies behind the plan.  

A portion alumni endowments will go towards the Alumni Action Campaign.  
Yes we want our money to go to the school, but why can't it go to the school     in ways that will help us stay connected.

Where will this money go?
This is the portion of Alumni Action Campaign that really hits home with me.  This money will go towards a newly established department on campus - a multimedia production department.  

What will this multimedia production department do? 
It will be led by a chief multimedia officer.  The department will be in charge of producing creative campus content and distributing it to students, alumni, and family members through all social media networks. 

What does that mean?
The opportunities here are endless, but I'll give a few examples of different content that could be produced.

Example 1:  Homecoming Weekend at a high school
What do we typically get as alumni when homecoming rolls around?  We get an invitation in the mail to come to a party.  Now this is fun, and I guess technically it is enough to "keep us connected," but as I've said before, it leaves me somewhat underwhelmed.  

Send us an e-vite.  Produce a short video tying in the homecoming theme and promote it through social networks.  Make a facebook event outlining each day's events, games, and parties so that Alumni can plan ahead for the event and see who will be attending.  Basic stuff that could make much more of an impact in terms of connecting with alumni.  We want the news, but direct mail isn't the best method anymore.  Half the time, my parents get the mail and don't give it to me anyway.  The communication is interrupted!

Example 2:  Career Corner 
The production team could be in charge of doing a monthly production called Career Corner.  With this, they could have a student attend work with either an alumni or a parent for a day and document the footage on video.  The video could then be distributed through the schools website as well as social networks.  What would this do?  It would let viewers connect with current students and the alumni who were hosting them for the day.  It would give us something to watch, something to talk about, and something to spread to others.

Example 3:  Big Event Broadcasts
The production team would be in charge of photographing, creating multimedia and videos, and broadcasting footage from the big events on campus.  If there is a dinner, record the president speech and send it out.  If there is an auction, take pictures of the winners with their prizes and post them on flickr.  If there is a student performance, capture it on video and allow users all over the country to see if from the comfort of their own home.  We shouldn't punish people for not coming to see things in person, rather communicate to them regardless of if they're able to make it or not.  

Example 4:  Up-to-the minute Athletic Coverage
If there's one thing that alumni stay connected to most, it would probably be sports.  I love to know how the Warriors and the Blue Jays are doing in soccer, baseball, and basketball.  So do others.  Take pictures of the players and ned it out so we know who were rooting for when we attend games.  Tweet schedules and create facebook groups for big games.  Send out links to STL Sports websites that gives us up-to-date information on how our teams are doing.  Don't make us search.  That's when we start to lose interest.  We'd rather have the message relayed directly to us.  

How would this benefit alumni?
I'm a huge advocate of Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc.  These sites let you stay connected and in-the-know on every thing you're interested in.  I, as well as thousands of others, am interested in my Alma Maters.  To constantly have information directed my way about big events, campus leaders, alumni careers, student affairs, and athletic performances would be something I welcome.  Those that weren't interested could "unsubscribe" with a phone call or a click of a mouse.  

How could students benefit?
The more alumni are connected, the more the students benefit.  If we know who they are, what they are doing, and what's going on at the school, we are more than likely going to give more money, offer more opportunity, and allow more open lines of communication for networking in the future.

If it sounds like I've been bashing Westminster and Whitfield, please take back your first impressions.  I'm very happy with the way I've been treated as an Alumni at both institutions, I'm more or less just being picky.  In fact, I think Westminster College just wrapped up one of the most new-age alumni connection campaign done around the country - The Blue Jay Across the U.S.A Tour. A group of four students traveled around the entire United States hosting a variety of parties at different areas with local alumni.  Broadcasting events, managing twitter, capturing videos, and constantly updating blogs, Westminster Alums were constantly in-the-know and connected.  Was it worth the planning and the pay?  I've yet to find out.  But I do know, in my opinion, that it is a huge step in the right direction.

Back to the original idea at hand.  What am I bringing to the table in terms of  Alumni relations strategy?  I'm proposing a digital production team funded by the alumni.  It wouldn't take more than 3-4 full-time employees.  They would keep us up-to-date on all things Whitfield or all things Westminster.  It would no longer be a chore to be an "active alum."  It would be as easy as opening our computer, clicking on a link, or opening a document.  It's no longer about the message.  It doesn't have to be perfectly written, proofread, and published.  It's about the medium.  It's gotta be accessible, spreadable, and easily digested and communicated.  These are the things that need to be focused on, and these are the things that will carry institutions into the future.


Please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments in the replies.  Is this too darn expensive or are alumni worth the cash?  Is it what we want or an overload of information?  Who knows... maybe I'm just looking to relive the glory days.

People always ask me "What is your favorite ad?"  While the answer is always changing, (currently Bud Light Lime), it's safe to say that I'll always have a sweet spot for men's personal care brands.  What do I mean by personal care?  I mean brands like Axe, Old Spice, and Mitchum.  Each one of these brands represents products for men that appeal to men therefore the obvious strategy is to advertise towards the standard target market:  men.

The new strategy I propose, with slight hesitation, is the possibility of brands creating campaigns aimed at those directly related to the target market, but not the target market itself.  If we look back at the case of Axe, Old Spice, and Mitchum, we'd be talking about a campaign directed at the target market's better half: women.

Before the negative comments start rolling in, please let me explain myself.

Let's use the Axe brand.  They make funny, sexy, dirty ads usually involving a large group of half-naked women chasing a a guy until they catch him and clean him up.  It's the Axe Effect.  Why do guys like it?  Because they get the idea that if they wash with this stuff, if they spray it on before they go out, they'll have no problem getting girls.  Trust me, I fell for it too.  We all wish it was that easy.

Axe has done a great job of winning the guys over though.  You can't open a Men's Health or Men's Fitness Magazine without flipping to a print ad and I can't help but notice the television ads during every MTV commercial break.  They've got interactive sites showing guys how to get girls, how to style your hair with their product, and how to choose a scent based on the type of girl you want to date.  What I'm getting at is:  I think guys finally get the point.
 
What can a brand do when it has already established an extremely brand loyal target market?  It can turn the market upside down!  I've came up with a proposal for Axe to put into effect.  I want you to tell me if it would be a smart idea or a waste of time and money.  It's based around the idea of "The Axe Upgrader."  It includes online, social media, interactive, mobile marketing, in-store ads, and promotional events - all marketed towards the girlfriends and mothers of the direct target market.  

Here's the campaign:

The“Axe Upgrader”

Medium:  Online Website

Description:  Interactive website that provides girls with the opportunity to turn their boys into men.  Games that provide girls the opportunity to upload their boyfriends pictures and change their hair and body styles around and email them to friends.  Tips and tricks on how to upgrade your boyfriend into a more stylish and hip guy.  Include blogs, videos, pictures and testimonials of men who have been given the Axe Upgrade.

Axe Upgrader Facebook Group : Females Only

Medium:  Social Media – Facebook

Description:  Interactive facebook group with discussion board, videos, boyfriend gallery, and advice column.  Basically a female version of the male group with over 1,350 members.

Axe Upgrader Photo Bus

Medium:  Promotional Event/Moving Marketing

Description:  An Axe Upgrader bus that would travel the country to female frequented concerts, parties, and events.  The bus would turn into a place to eat, drink, and take pictures with male models who would be endorsing the products.  Having the men take pictures with female guests and “wash and upgrade” themselves in front of the women at the various events over the course of the summer. 

Axe Online Advertisements

Medium:  Web Ads

Description:  Axe hair product ads on websites such as Perezhilton.com, Cosmopolitan.com, and other female frequented websites promoting the Axe products that can upgrade your son or your boyfriend.

Point of Purchase Ads
Medium:  In-store

Description:  Axe hair product point of purchase ads in an easily recognized and strategically designed promotional sales shelf.  Moms shopping for their sons can easily see that this is the newest, most stylish product and will try it out for their sons.

Mom’s Guide to the Axe Upgrader

Medium:  Website

Description:  The “mom-friendly” version of the Axe Upgrader website with information about the products, how they can give their sons style and confidence, and coupons and information on where to buy the products.  Ads linking to this website would be placed on banners on mom-frequented websites.

Here's the deal.

I hate shopping.  I think most guys feel the same.  We want our moms and girlfriends to buy everything for us, but we still want the best stuff out there, and usually moms and girlfriends don't know what to buy.  Do these two subgroups make up a big enough target market to make a difference or would Axe be wasting their time and money?

I want this to be bigger than just Axe, but it's tough to think of how many companies this strategy could apply to.  I mean, essentially it wouldn't be a successful solution for most brands but for Axe, I really think it works.  Could this apply to beer companies so girls know what to buy their man?  Could this apply to Bacardi and Smirnoff so guys can brush up on what to buy their girls?  I think the opportunities are pretty endless, but it's a whole new way of thinking.  

What do you guys think of my proposal?  Creating a new target market, based essentially off the opposite sex or opposite end-user.  I think it could be the next big marketing solution, but maybe I just got soap in my eyes.

Ok, so for starters, I know - I gotta work on my Photoshop skills, but for now, that's the best I got. I mean c'mon, you can't go wrong with a green background and some freshly cropped out eggs.  I mean, seriously.  The creativity is in my head, not my hands.  Sorry!

On to the good stuff though.  

So I'm sitting here looking around at some internship opportunities.  You're probably asking "why do an internship after you're out of college?"  Well, I can think of oh-so-many reasons.

1.  Get some real world experience in the industry
2.  Network with some big time names
3.  Learn from the best in the industry

What are some reasons that a company would want to take on an intern?

1.  Good press 
2.  Newest pool of talent 
3.  Cheap labor 
4.  Great coffee
5.  Fresh minds

When I think about all these benefits of being and intern and having an intern, I can't help but think of how powerful a business could be if it was comprised wholly of, well, interns.  

Here's the big idea.

Start up a company - for this example - we're using an advertising agency.  The company is going to be called "The Ad Egg." In fact, we might even go ahead and make The Ad Egg a non-profit ad agency. Well, scratch that, we'll want to make a profit somehow.  What is The Add Egg?  Why don't we just look at a possible mission statement.

"The Ad Egg's mission is to incubate the young minds of tomorrow and prepare them to hatch into industry through hands-on learning, research and development, and a virtual agency experience."

So wait, this is a pretty much school right?  No, not quite.  It's much cheaper than a school and requires more work.

Where did this idea come from you might be wondering.  Well here's the deal.  Ever since my sophomore year in college, I have been looking for an internship.  I mean, it's free labor!  How could people possibly resist.  But the problem is, they did - and they still do.  

I've got multiple bones to pick within the area of career development.  The first one lies in the fact that there is just too much darn competition out there to work with.  In college, I would apply to these internships that would have around 200 kids applying for the same position.  They narrow it down to ten, then decide on one or two lucky individuals.  I feel great knowing that I made it into two top 10's (even though I didn't get either,) but it really makes you wonder how you can be that #1 applicant.

The second bone lies in the fact that a lot of companies don't even offer internships.  I get it, it sucks to train people.  As a manager at Hollister it was my job to train the new employees.  Not only that, but I had to train the other assistant manager as well, all of which left me feeling a little pissed and a little stressed.  I mean, most of us have enough work on our own plates with no time to sit around and tell an intern how to use the company email address.  But get this - the better you train that intern, the more he/she learns and excels, the better you look as an employee and the greater chance you have of getting promoted (as the intern takes your position full-time).

So back to the idea at hand.  A company full of interns.  An agency in this case.  Why would companies use "The Ad Egg" for their next campaign?  Because they are the freshest minds in advertising.  They are cheap.  They have great coffee.  They are working harder than ever because, unlike members of big-time agencies, they don't have a paying job.  Yes that's right.  These interns don't get paid.  They are doing this all for the experience, in hopes that they will someday use what they have learned in an attempt to land a big time ad job.

Wait a second, wouldn't this hurt the existing agencies that actually charge a fee.  Yes and no.  Sure the Ad Egg would produce good material (we'd hire the best and the brightest), but agency experience would still be a huge issue.  Interns wouldn't be able to compete with the big guns and truthfully - wouldn't have the budget to either.  But the fact remains, businesses would still use the interns, because they are free and they are driven.  Our point of sale would be - to at least give us a try and if you didn't find a campaign that works, go ahead on with a big name - at least we got the experience.

This is all just a total brain spew.  But I think in this economy, investing in a place where great minds could come in, volunteer their time and effort, and work towards a greater goal would find a great home in STL.  The opportunity is endless.  If we could get companies like AB, Nestle Purina, P&G, Edward Jones, Target, Vi-Jon, and other huge companies in STL on board to help out with this business, host contests, let them play around with their next campaign, give them ideas to work on for the future, host guest speaking at the Ad Egg Headquarters - things like this - would truly help us grads.   We are stuck in this purgatory between school and a career and this could finally be our way out.

I could be speaking for myself on this one, but I would love to have a business to go to each and every day.  A place where I could gather with other recent graduates, blog, work on advertising projects, network, hear speakers, and get prepared for a future in the industry.  I think a lot of people would buy into the Ad Egg.  Heck, if we could make the building look like an Egg, I think we'd even be sending more of a message.  We'd be passionate, driven, and companies would recruit out of the Ad Egg.  It would be a great entry level path for those who don't want to work at Starbucks but haven't found their dream job.  Or heck you could even do both, but at least you'd be moving closer towards that dream job in the process.

Enough with the rant, but I want your ideas.  Would you volunteer your time with a company if you weren't getting paid?  A place where you could develop your skills and work with real companies on real campaigns.  A place to spend time preparing yourself and branding yourself for future employment? I know I would, but please, let me know your thoughts because my mind might just be a little scrambled.  

...Creative Thinker
...Hard Worker
...Self Starter
...Brand Liberator
...Idea Generator

I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what I want to do next.  While my future is still up in the air, there is one thing I can be sure of:  I want to be involved with the marketing/advertising industry.  

I know, I know, a ton of people want to be in advertising.  What does it take? For starters, it takes extreme creativity and a passion for developing a brand.  While I have the creativity up here (points to head), I don't have the creativity here (lays out hands), so what have I decided?  I'm looking to be an account guy, a salesman of sorts.  What do I want to sell?  A product, a service, an idea, and a brand.  How do I plan on selling this?  Through an analogy that popped into my head just a few days ago, something I'm tentatively titling (and awaiting suggestions on), called the "Marco Polo Plan" an the "Sharks and Minnows Solution."  Just a little something fun to think about next time you're out back at the pool.

In advertising, the two most effective ways of reaching an audience are communicating directly with them or letting them come directly to you.  More or less the push and pull methods.  Which is more effective?  It all depends on the planning and execution, but it's safe to say that each are very reliable in terms of reaching an audience.  

The first plan I'd like to talk about is based loosely off the popular swimming pool game Marco Polo.  Why am I resorting to children's pool games to get my point across?  Because everyone knows it, it's a simple concept, and it describes exactly what a company wants to hear in terms of results.  Where am I going with this?  Let's look at the game at its most basic level.  


There is one player, Marco, who is unable to see anyone else in the pool.  There are then numerous other players, Polos. who hide amongst themselves in the pool.  The catch?  Each time Marco states his name, the other individuals must reveal there location by stating Polo.  Enough of the history lesson - how does this relate to advertising?  There are so many companies out their without a brand identity.  Their target audience is out there, revealing their locations, and still they cannot seem to find them.  I want to help companies make sure that they never have to be Marco again.  It's the simplest push method around.  Find their target market, where they spend money, where they shop, where they network, what websites they visit, etc, and put them in direct contact with them through targeted campaigns and promotions.  No longer shoud companies swim blindly through the water asking for signs of life- take your blinders off, get out there, and make your presence known.

Never heard of Marco Polo or just don't like the idea of the MPP?  Well let's try the pull method, based off the other popular swimming pool game, "Sharks & Minnows."  This one might be a little less popular, but the basics are still there.  One individual, the shark, stands outside the water while the other individuals, the minnows, try and swim across the pool without making a splash.  When the shark hears a splash, he/she is then allowed to jump in the pool in an attempt to tag a minnow.  No one wants to be a shark, but in case, you should be willing to take a risk.  Advertising says, make a splash, let the consumer come to you.  Just being a small fish, flying under the radar, doesn't work for businesses.  In this case, the shark is the consumer.  He/she is waiting to be shaken or stirred.  Advertising makes it possible to reach the consumer, communicate knowledge, and allow the user to act upon his or her discretions.  I want to be the one who makes it possible for small businesses to be heard, and I want to be responsible for creating the splash that gets the sharks biting.  
Let me know what you think about the Marco Polo Plan and the Sharks and Minnows Solution.  Pitch it to the clients or pitch it in the trash?  You be the judge.  Either way, this should hit home with a few and give you a little something to think about next time you hear the kids in the pool.