http://www.Odney.com/blog/Odneyhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssOdney Blogen http://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=193
1.Timing is everything. People want the most relevant information and they want it now. Be the first to get that information to your followers and you'll be seen as an industry leader.

2.Be honest. The web is rife with rumors, innuendo and flat-out lies. If you don't know, don't Tweet, repeat or ReTweet. If you make a mistake, admit it and move on. Become a source that people can trust.

3.Humanity and personality. Put the "social" in social media by letting your own unique voice come through. Let your followers see the person behind the post.

4.Ask yourself what this subject, this product, this news or this idea means to your audience. Don't just tell them why you care. Tell them why they should care.

5.Brand yourself. Every communication is one of the little building blocks from which brands are built. Be consistent and true to your brand's image and voice across all media platforms.

6.Show and tell. Take advantage of multimedia to use pictures and videos when appropriate.

7.Open a conversation. You're talking with people, not at them. Ask them for feedback, encourage them to talk to you and to each other. They'll feel like a part of your company instead of a number in your database.

8.Lead them back to your website. You can't say it all in a Tweet or a status update. Use social media to start the conversation, and lead people to your site for more in-depth information. Don't just send them to the home page. Take them by the hand and lead them directly to the relevant information.

Social media is a noisy environment. Effective use of social media means cutting through the clutter and delivering interesting, relevant information that your audience needs and wants. If you're just getting started, check out some of these major social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or FourSquare, and see what's going on in your industry, or contact us. And by all means feel free to post your questions, comments or other tips you may have. Because after all, this is a conversation.
]]>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=193#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=192
1. Ragan.com and several of their great e-newsletters: They ably gather and disseminate the best of all PR, social media, internal and external communications.
2. Google: For when I need to KNOW.
3. Snopes.com: Helpful for unwelcome viral email forwards and general edification.
4. Facebook: To make things happen and find out what's happening.
5. Dictionary.com: I'm an excellent speller, but the devil is in the details!
6. The Onion: For inspiration, genius writing and a laugh riot.
7. The Writer's Almanac: Daily poetry, authors, literature. I swoon.
]]>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=192#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=191
Kin was rolled out with an ad campaign featuring "Rosa," a Kin user of course, going around the country meeting the people in her online social network. The ads ranged from dull to downright creepy.



They didn't say "run out and get this right now." They didn't say "You want this. You need this." They said, "Here's Rosa, and maybe you should be a little worried about her." Even worse, they don't show any remarkable features that you can't get any where else, or even anything you might particularly want to use the Kin for unless you feel like traipsing around the country meeting everyone who's ever poked you on Facebook.

Compare to the iPhone ads.



If that doesn't make you want an iPhone, you're dead inside. The product is beautiful, simple to use, and does everything you want or need and then some, all in one sleek gadget, all presented to you as if you were the user. You can practically feel it in your hands.

Jamie Riddell, the Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Tomorrow Today, says that Microsoft's next entry in the market, the Windows 7 Phone, will be an iPhone killer. He bases that prediction solely on the phone's features. Let's see what they do with the marketing. And I hope Rosa got home okay. ]]>Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=191#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=190
From a professional standpoint, I love the fact that we're always looking ahead to the next thing. Not mindlessly jumping on bandwagons just because it's the latest trend, but thinking about how we can use new technologies, techniques and opportunities in meaningful ways. We keep trying new ideas and developing fresh approaches into strategies that really work for our clients.

Whether you're just starting as an intern or you're a long-term Odney veteran, what qualities make Odney a good place to start or continue your career, from a professional or personal viewpoint? ]]>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTTue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTTue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=190#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=189
Here at Odney, we were recently reading a blog post by author and speaker, Maureen Johnson. She relates a story about a fellow conference speaker who insists she is a brand - that you are a brand. Maureen didn't want to be a brand, so she grabbed the microphone and said so.

The fact is, I don't want to BE a brand either. But every person, company or product HAS a brand, like it or not.

Think of George Costanza on "Seinfeld." He never intentionally creates a brand for himself. But in one episode, George is wearing sweat pants and an untucked polo shirt adorned with potato chip crumbs.



Jerry tells George that sweat pants communicate to the world, "I can't compete in normal society… so I might as well be comfortable." George looks at him without comprehending, and then shrugs. He has a brand, intended or not.

That's the way it is for every person, company, product or service. For you. It has precious little to do with ad slogans or TV commercials, unless your ads ring true with the audience's personal encounters with you.

People know what they see, what they like and what outcomes they desire. Are you delivering the goods, or are you wearing sweatpants and potato chip crumbs? The answer, good or bad, is your brand.

So put on your game face and put your best foot forward, then tell the world about it. That's how you control your brand.
]]>Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=189#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=187list of the top 25 taglines of all time. Do you agree or disagree with their choices? Are your favorites on the list? ]]>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=187#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=186
I've had the opportunity to serve as a public information coordinator for many construction projects in the Minot area and know firsthand the importance of strong communications. So in ramping up for another big construction project in Minot, developing the crisis communications plan is a top priority. That's one reason I've been following the BP oil spill so closely.

BP has some of the best PR advisors in the business and they need to make it clear that they are taking full responsibility for cleaning up the spill. The tagline in ads they are running now reads: "We will get it done. We will make this right." I hope they are right and get the job done and soon. The words they are using are the right ones, but it's up to BP to give them meaning. Once the words have meaning then it will be time to work to rebuild their reputation. ]]>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=186#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=185
In the latest ads, a couple is sitting (a little too upright) in their beach chairs. In one spot, a bikini babe walks past; the man conspicuously watches her and his significant other shoots him in the eye with a lime slice. In the next, the woman watches a hunk walk past; her guy shakes up her beer and she takes his beer. Cute, but a big departure from Corona's long-time branding efforts.



In fact, their website now uses a photo slide show of 20-somethings partying, set to the kind of music you hear in dirty movies. That, and loads of copy telling how Corona is the flavor of relaxation, nothing sets the same mood, nothing lets conversation flow so easily between friends. Blah, blah, blah.

This is not the message and execution that got them where they are today - not the date that brought them to the dance.

Let's analyze the TV commercial direction. As far as I can remember, this is the first time we've been able to see the faces of the actors (not counting spots featuring celebrities like Kenny Chesney). This is the first time the actors have been sitting in an unrelaxed, upright position. This is the first time the actors have tried to one-up each other. Heck, the ads don't even have the beautiful lighting of the past.

In the past, we've seen the actors flying the financial pages as a kite, skipping Blackberries into the ocean and even having some hanky-panky behind a sand dune while hanging a "do not disturb" sign on the bucket of Corona. It's always been about the relaxed R&R attitude. It's been about the getaway. They haven't told us to relax with a Corona; they've SHOWN us a little bit of relaxed heaven-on-a-beach that is the Corona state of mind.

Now it's about blatant jokes that I could see in any old beer ads. Guy ogles a sexy woman, girlfriend gets back at him. Woman ogles a sexy man and gets away with it. Friends party together. Bad music plays. Now Corona is like every other beer, except that it's still on a beach.

I could give the creative team the benefit of the doubt. It could be that Corona has new research that backs a push for younger beer drinkers. Perhaps that research shows younger audiences respond better to sex, parties and trite humor than to R&R.

Unfortunately, I suspect it's just a new set of writers and directors who didn't quite understand the Corona brand.
]]>Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=185#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=184
Here's how it works. Let's say you want to find a company on Facebook, so you use the site's search function. The results show an official Facebook page, created and controlled by the company. They also show a community page, which was built on the fly based on your search, and includes resources that the Facebook search function deems relevant to your search terms. The community page may include other Facebook pages that mention the company's name, discussion threads and comments, and info from the company's Wikipedia entry. Users can "like" this community page just as they would any other Facebook page.

Community pages have some advantages for companies and organizations. They make it possible to find more information and get a truer community feel for a topic, which is the heart of social media. They also provide another channel for you to listen and learn how your brand is faring.

However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. If your personal Facebook use tends toward venting about specific places and people, and you would prefer those rants remain among friends, you may need to adjust your privacy settings to Friends Only.

2. A community page is created even if your organization does not have an official Facebook presence. A community page offers insight, but you cannot respond to those posting about you. Only a fan page, created and controlled by you, allows that.

If all this scares you more than it thrills you, you're not alone. Social media is still fairly new, and Facebook is constantly reinventing itself and offering new features and functions. Odney can help. Call us and we'll help you learn how to save face on Facebook. Because now, whether you're on Facebook or not, you're on Facebook.]]>Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=184#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=183The Economist, with all the options available today, the favorite way to watch TV hasn't changed much. We still tend to plop down on the couch and watch what's on now.

The Economist article is based on "watching the watchers" - actually watching people watch TV, rather than relying on their reported viewing habits. Turns out we watch more than we say we do, and we watch more live than recorded or online. TV still seems to exert a communal pull. As the article notes, "People want to watch ‘Pop Idol' when everyone else is watching it." Yes, that's "Pop Idol" rather than "American Idol" - the study was done in the UK.

We inadvertently conducted a little experiment in our household last year. We didn't like our satellite package, so we canceled in the spring, meaning to shop for a better deal. In the meantime we started watching all our TV online. We found we could watch just about everything we wanted without a satellite subscription. We also found that we watched less TV. There's a big difference between turning the TV on and idly flipping through to the least objectionable choice, and deciding precisely what show you want to watch, locating it online, and starting the feed.

Have the available options changed the way you watch TV? Do you watch mostly live, or more recorded/online/on demand? And if you were watched while watching, do you think you'd be surprised by how you think you watch vs. how you really watch?]]>Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=183#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=182
1. A crisis management team.This team should include, at minimum, the CEO, a trusted assistant/top manager from the CEO's office, heads of each department, public relations and marketing team members, legal and security.

2. Comprehensive contact information for spokespeople and crisis management team members

3. Fact sheets on the company, each division, each physical location, and each product offered.
These should be in camera-ready condition and saved to a jump drive or CD in Microsoft Word.

4. Profiles and biographies for each key manager in your company, again in camera-ready condition and on disk.

5. Copies of your company, division and product logos, your press release format and the scanned in signature of your CEO on a jump drive or CD.

6. Pre-written scripts answering key questions that you have generated through your crisis scenario analysis. These answers should include a variation on this: "we don't have that information yet, but will let you know as soon as it becomes available."

7. Contact information for each of your key media contacts as well as the appropriate political, regulatory, and union leaders. Go wild here - some disasters may require calls to the mayor, the governor and your congressional delegation.

And finally, before disaster strikes, call us at 701.222.8721. We're prepared to help.
]]>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=182#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=181Apple's Steve Jobs recently made a statement, "Thoughts on Flash," explaining why Apple doesn't allow Flash on iPhones, iPods or iPads.


I am not a fan of Apple or Adobe, but I find it kind of funny how Apple is stating that Adobe is closed compared to Apple, yet Apple's SDKs for their phones and OS only work on Apple systems. Adobe Flash, on the other hand, has at least a version of their software that works on pretty much any OS, not to mention their OS that is only allowed to run on a Apple-designed and built computer.

I have to agree with Adobe that Apple can access only a percentage of the web. I don't know that I would put it as low as 75%, but somewhere around there,especially when you consider the number of sites that use Flash for news and video that do not have h.264 and use only Flash. Especially when you get down into some of the less mainstream but still hugely popular sites.

As for Steve Jobs' claim of not wanting developers to adopt Flash, I suppose I could see where he would not want that, but I can also see easy ways to prevent that with the opening of the Apple SDKs to all operating systems so that anyone can create content for it. Also, don't let the Flash run without the source coming from a web page. This would stop developers from creating Flash-based iPhone apps and lead them into the SDK more.

The security and battery life I will not comment to much on because I do not have enough background in Flash to know the security holes. Battery life I would think the OS could kill Flash just fine until it needs it using the CPU h.264 system when available, but I do not know enough about the OS to put my 2 cents in.

As for controls, because it is mouse and keyboard based, leave that up to developers who create web-based Flash. I know a lot of games that would do great with single touch.

One thing I can say is, even though it kills me to admit it, Adobe does have one really good point. Apple stands to gain a lot more from keeping Flash locked out then letting it in through in the way of the app store.]]>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTFri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=181#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=180
But when I saw the Nike ad in which the late Earl Woods speaks of his thoughts on life, right and wrong, while Tiger looks into the camera, I was moved.

To face the world this guy apparently claimed as his own at the beginning of his career ("Hello world, I'm here.") in this raw way, affected me. We all mess up (usually not at the Tiger Woods level, but stars are bigger than us in most ways), and we all have to face those we've disappointed - whether they are with us, or those we carry in our heads and hearts.

The ad appears honest to me. It provided me with a Tiger baseline. So from here, we'll see. And that's a pretty authentic, real life scenario: we'll see how it goes with the guy. Nike made me care about a man/a brand I didn't care about before at a time when I could have moved even farther away.

That's good advertising. And good PR too.

]]>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=180#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=179
Yes, they shoved an iPad into their blender, and why not? Over the years they've also blended an iPhone and an iPod, along with a video camera, golf balls, a bag of marbles, laser pointers, hockey pucks and more. After all, just about any blender (except my piece o'crap) can whip up a smoothie from some fruit and yogurt. It takes a powerhouse to reduce an iPad to a pile of dust.



Pointlessly destructive? Maybe. Fun to watch? Yup. An impressive display of power? Definitely. Will I buy? With prices that start at $400, nope. As it happens, I am in the market for a blender, but not this budget-buster. But their videos are entertaining. I'll help them go viral by Tweeting and passing the link on to friends. Somewhere along the line that may mean this video will be seen by someone with $400 to spare and a need to pulverize expensive electronic items.

Their web site lets you suggest an item to blend. What would you like to see blended? I think I'll suggest my blender. And if they keep making funny, entertaining videos, I'll keep passing them along.]]>Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTMon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTMon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=179#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=178
So why is my favorite ad of the week a Kotex commercial? It's honest, it respects the audience and it tells me I'm not as crazy as I thought.



The problem is that I've never understood women. No, that's not true. I don't understand a lot of female-targeted advertising.

As an ad copywriter, I've tried - though not as hard as Mel Gibson's character in "What Women Want." Mel can get away with trying on pantyhose. I'm not nearly that secure. (Besides, my office has a window next to the door.)

But as I watch big brand advertising, I've had to make some fairly silly assumptions. If the ads are really on target, I have to assume women would spend all their time eating yogurt and doing cartwheels on the beach if they could. I also would have to assume that women, when put in a room together, tend to discuss their relationships with their own personal bodily processes.

I've never actually seen women do these things, so it all seems like weird clichés and horrible pandering. Worse, it seems like something a bunch of male ad copywriters and creative directors came up with. It looks exactly like a Jim Belushi view of womanhood.

So the million dollar question is, "Why do advertisers keep doing this kind of advertising?" The big payout for the right answer - told in a very funny, honest way - goes to Kotex.

As I said, I'm not in the target market. But I always appreciate an advertising brand message that respects its audience.
]]>Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=178#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=177
Here's a little window into how we work.

The process started with both of us becoming familiar with the product and project goals. I spent a few solid days thinking, staring at the ceiling, thinking and writing. In jobs past, I would have then completed the production and direction - to be a jack of all trades and master of none.

At Odney, my specialty is to understand the client's brand and audience deeply. I need to find that sweet spot where the advertiser's offering blends with the audience's needs. Then I need to put it into a concept and words that are meaningful. No gimmicks. No nonsense. Just the right message.

Then comes Jeanne with her particular specialty for television direction. Jeanne looked at my script and storyboard and immediately started imagining how to bring it to life. She called upon her network of actors and production people and brought it all together yesterday. I admire her ability to capture the story naturally on camera.

Within the next couple of days, she and Larry Brekke, our resident video editing guru (and incidentally, a FANTASTIC graphic artist), will be sitting down to find the little "aha!" moments in the footage. They'll put them together, add some music and adjust the colors to jump right off the TV screen.

I think it's going to be great. I can't wait to see it!
]]>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=177#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=176
We generally start with a rough idea of the type of person we want: an energetic, upbeat 20-something woman, a successful, upscale middle-aged businessman, a warm grandmotherly type. On camera, age has nothing to do with years and everything to do with how the individual's face "reads." I've auditioned people in their 20s who read in their 40s on camera.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not all about being pretty or handsome. We might want someone attractive but "real," who might be the soccer mom next door. Or we might want a quirky appearance if that's what the role calls for. We look at so many factors - how does this person's face catch the light? When she speaks, is it clear, pleasant to hear and pleasant to watch? What's his attitude like? Does he really want to be here? Attitude comes right through the camera. A beautiful woman can smile, and if she's not happy, it won't read as a smile.

One of the biggest challenges and rewards is in casting kids. It comes down to 99% patience and attitude. When I find a kid who's happy to hang out on a set and willing to take direction, I feel like I've struck gold.

A recent poll shows that a surprisingly high percentage of consumers -- 32 percent of men and 25 percent of women - have chosen not to buy a product because they don't like the spokesperson. What spokespersons do you think are good, bad, annoying, effective? ]]>Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTTue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTTue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=176#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=175a study showing that advertising to prevent risky behaviors (smoking, teen drinking, etc.) can backfire. This is a subject we deal with often at Odney. It's important to note that advertising works, provided that we get the message right.

The study confirms what we have long known. Guilt and shame advertising doesn't often work. Neither does being graphic about the horrid result, like the black lungs pictures we were shown in junior high health class.

So what does work? Advertising to male pickup drives, we found that they cared about buckling their own seatbelts for their families' benefit. Advertising to smokers who have had difficulty quitting, we found that they need to know they can do it with some persistence and help.

Advocacy advertising can work wonders. As with any kind of advertising, we just have to find the message that resonates with the audience.
]]>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTMon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTMon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=175#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=173
I'm on to those advertisers as it's what I do everyday. If I had taken the poll before the games, I would have probably said that I was indifferent to Olympic sponsorships. That is, until I saw the Procter and Gamble television spot. You know, the one that shows the kids in their USA gear, in the opening ceremony, getting ready for the games, at the top of the ski slope, on the ice skating rink, at the starting line of the speed skating, on the podium, and then shows the mother in the stands. The closing line - "To their moms, they'll always be kids. P & G Proud sponsor of Moms." Then they quickly show all their brand logos.



As a mom and a marketer, I was instantly moved to tears. Yes, that is exactly how mothers feel. That is how I feel when I watch my kids succeed or take a risk - even if they aren't in the Olympics. This brand actually gets me!

I'm also a marketer and love a good strategy. They did it - they had emotionally connected to the core of their target audience. So, as a marketer - they had me. They had taken the sponsorship of an event that I wasn't overly passionate about and made it about me - their target audience - while creatively executing it around the event. Pure creative genius!

I even had to share the ad with my FaceBook friends. Even though I knew it was exactly what they wanted me to do, I did it anyway because I loved the ad and was now more emotionally connected to the brand as I saw the ad over and over. I actually paid attention to their other ads, noticed the women's magazine sponsored and full of all P & G products that came in the mail with all the female Olympic athletes, and noticed the P & G coupon insert in the Sunday paper. As a marketer, they took advantage of their sponsorship and extended the brand message outside of television with call-to-action items to sell products and provide measurement.

As I look at the brands represented by P & G, I was a customer before the sponsorship. Now, I'm a just a little more loyal to the brand and in awe of their marketing masterminds.]]>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTTue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTTue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=173#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=172
In the past few months we have seen a myriad of changes on everything from Facebook's privacy policy to its layout. Facebook has always been able to take the heat its changes bring, roll with the criticism and come out with its user base intact and on board. But, these most recent changes seem to be escalating to the point of turning the killer app into something else entirely. I understand the importance of change and the value of increasing search functionality, but the most important thing for Facebook to remember is that they built their reputation on being the user's choice in social media applications. Users have considered Facebook as the best of all the offerings out there. I believe the changes to this point have been the right ones, and that users will soon be comfortable with the changes and rest easy.

But what will the next change bring? Hopefully, the Facebook powers-that-be will remember how they got to the dance. ]]>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=172#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=171Super Bowl ads, and lots of pantslessness, for some reason. One ad that I thought really worked was the one for Google. It told a story through the use of the product, showing how Google integrates seamlessly into your life.

What do you think? What stood out for being good, bad, or for not standing out at all?]]>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTMon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTMon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=171#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=170
So Dean will make a big pot of his awesome grilled chili (the secret is to sear all the meat and veggies on the grill, then let them simmer in Guinness and spices until it smells so good you can't wait to dish it up). He'll watch the game while I watch the ads. What's your Super Bowl routine? Do you go with a classic, like hot wings and pizza? Cook up a specialty or order in? Go to a party or throw a party? Or do you ignore the game entirely and watch a chick flick on Lifetime?

Meet you back here Monday. The Monday morning quarterbacks can discuss that whole game thingie. The rest of us will be talking ads.]]>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=170#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=169
Parents immediately began flooding the forums with complaints. The comments on P & G's own Pampers web site were overwhelmingly negative. One unhappy customer posted complaints on more than 75 web sites.

While some complaints have been specific to product performance, mostly citing leaks and rashes, many were upset that the product had been changed without their knowledge, and with no indication on the packaging that would let them know they're not getting what they expected. New Coke is generally regarded as one of the biggest marketing failures in history, but it was clearly marketed and labeled as New Coke. Consumers may not have liked it, but they knew what they were getting.

If you change your product, tell your customers. Tell them how you changed it, why you changed it, and why it's better. Tell them in your marketing campaign and at the point of purchase with clear packaging that explains what's new, what's different, and what it means to them. Changing diapers can be a good thing. Just make sure your customers know what's changed, and why the change is good. ]]>Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTMon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTMon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=169#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=168too honest. The ads include comments about the poor quality of their pizzas: "Crust tastes like cardboard," "sauce tastes like ketchup," "void of flavor."

The story behind the new strategy is spelled out in a mini-documentary at pizzaturnaround.com.

Domino's selling point has always been speedy delivery. Their ads have tended to focus on getting it there quickly, rather than taste or quality. Does the new ad campaign make you think, "Great. They know what's wrong and they're fixing it," or "They've been serving cardboard-ketchup pizza all these years but haven't fixed it until now"?

Whatever the results for the chain's reputation and sales, the campaign's bold approach did earn Domino's the title of Stephen Colbert's Alpha Dog of the Week.

Bottom line: does the new ad campaign make you more or less likely to call Domino's the next time you want a pizza?]]>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTThu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=168#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=167Inspired Woman, and was bemoaning the fact that she had sounded "too much like herself and not enough like someone from Yoga Journal."

I told her that I couldn't disagree with her more. For an interviewee to speak naturally, and then for the writer to capture that unique voice, is one of the most important outcomes for any piece of writing.

For a yoga teacher to be herself in a single article is one thing, but how do executives keep their quotes fresh? Standard CEO quotes are notoriously boring and company-centered. The key to a good quote is to answer the question asked in conversational terms. Explain your news from the customer's perspective. A new widget application is NOT "an exciting milestone for X Company." It is "a tool that will make widget use much simpler for our customers because we've eliminated a step in the process."

One more piece of advice: As you rethink your next quote, whatever you do, don't say "excited" -- show your excitement with other words. A recent article by Tripp Frohlichstein on ragan.com noted that, in a single day on businesswire.com, 48 news releases contained the word "excited" within the quotes used.

And that's boring.
]]>Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=167#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=166North Dakota Tourism's new creative strategy and campaign "I Am Legendary. RU?" is all that a brand should be and more. Back in 2001 when Odney first developed the brand with ND Tourism, Legendary was intended to be a social brand. We wanted to ensure that the audience envisioned themselves experiencing North Dakota. As a matter of fact, it was a social brand before that language even existed. As the Legendary brand has evolved over time, it has become something that people not only internalize because the message resonates with them, but because of how it is communicated. The creative execution - the very personal day-in-the-life visuals in the print ads, the challenge conveyed in the television ads and the opportunities to tell stories online - establishes a natural and intuitive engagement with the North Dakota brand.



For North Dakota, "Legendary" is a strong brand, "I am Legendary" is strong AND personal, and "I am Legendary. RU?" is strong, personal and truly engaging. The new campaign draws the audience further in and helps them share how their North Dakota experience has changed them. Such engagement defines a successful brand.

Whether you live in North Dakota or visit North Dakota, we challenge you to get involved. Tell your story at RULegendary.com.
]]>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTWed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=166#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=165
While we get a kick out of these loudspeaker announcements, we get a thrill out of the effect our work has on these vitally important social issues. From distributing public service announcements to tribal radio stations, to creating full-on advertising campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking, we are extremely proud to help North Dakotans kick their bad habits or gain a deeper understanding of issues that affect their health.

We've figured out how to shift perceptions and make a difference in the world through this work. So, feel free to call us if you have an issue. We can do something about it!
]]>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=165#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=164
And that leads me to a little holiday wish for one and all: In this holiday season, don't forget to nurture the spirit within so that you can happily and joyfully share that spirit with friends and family.

Happy holidays!]]>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=164#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=163
Not that I try to eavesdrop, but I overheard a conversation at the gym yesterday. Guys talk loudly in the locker room. They just do. I'm just saying.

Anyway, two men were talking about what so-and-so is doing, where this guy's son or that guy's daughter is working, and who had to come to Bismarck to see their doctor about such-and-such.

Not surprisingly, I heard references to a number of clients and industries Odney promotes every day, from power generation to medical to tourism and more. And it wasn't even that long of a conversation.

Though these men may not have even been aware of the role a company like Odney plays, it is nice to know so many people are affected as we lube the wheels of our economy.
]]>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTThu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTThu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=163#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=162


The ad is cute, entertaining, and always gets my attention - great. But I never remember who or what the ad is for - terrible. I usually tune out TV ads, so they have to work hard to get my attention. This one succeeds at first. But it fails at delivering any value for its advertiser because even though I remember the ad, all I remember is the little girls and the pony. I don't remember the sales pitch that follows, because the ad loses me at that point.

Have you seen any ads that you consider great - it got my attention, but terrible -- it didn't deliver the message?]]>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=162#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=161
Hearing how our PR department builds relationships with writers, how our media department reaches people with our message, how our interactive department truly opens channels for interaction and how our creative directors connect with the feelings that motivate people. All these left me humbled to have a seat at the table with them.

I was impressed by Odney long, long before I came to work here. Now I am impressed all over again.
]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=161#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=160
I rediscovered how little gray exists in the teen world. As I watched my group work through an ethical exercise that I'd done at a professional development event, I was amazed at how straightforwardly they arrived at their conclusion. They were much more able to justify their conclusion and move on than I was when engaged in the same exercise. I loved their confidence and, to be honest, their lack of willingness to compromise. They were so righteous and sure in their opinions. Being with them made me want to peel back all the convoluted reasoning I use and be more certain.

I was surprised by them, too. My table of teens was a very diverse little group. Those probably most pigeonholed by their peers were the most adamant about inclusion, and the prettiest girl in the group placed the highest value on scientific contribution to the world.

After a day with them, I gained some valuable insight:

1. I completely understand why teens are tough to market to. They live in absolutes. And in PR and advertising, that gray area is the area of opportunity. The complexity and the layers of consideration that adults apply to the world are the very things that allow advertising and public relations messages to work.

2. If I can't think more simply, at least I can speak and write more simply. As my table of teens might have said (with some extravagant eye-rolling): Just answer the question!

So I volunteered in order to do good and I came away with insights into my work and life, which made me feel pretty good.
]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=160#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=159My son just proved that Geico's TV commercials really are memorable - a good counterpoint to what I recently wrote here. Assuming they are targeting six year-old boys, their ads are a big success.

Last night, he and I were driving into the Walmart parking lot. He asked, "Where are we?" (We don't often shop there.)

I replied, "Walmart."

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I like Walmart. It's my favorite store!"

High praise, I figured. Especially coming from a kid who, seconds before, didn't recognize the place.

"Your favorite?" I asked.

"Yeah! Dad, you want to know what my two favorite stores are?"

"What are your two favorite stores?" I inquired, figuring the other might be Target, Menard's or Ace Hardware.

"Walmart and Geico!"

I think he may be watching too much TV.]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=159#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=158
I'm not really sure what they want me to remember about them anymore. I'm not sure why the gecko is Australian or why he has glasses. In fact, I can't really remember why they have a gecko. At least the cavemen thing makes sense and it's funny.

There's really only one reason you and I remember any of this. It's because they advertise a lot. A really, really lot.

I guess the lesson to be learned here is this: If you have a foggy brand message and disconnected advertising, you'd better have deep pockets. For the rest of us, being clear on the brand and remaining true to it is the best bet.
]]>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=158#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=156
Even a little information is better than none. Sometimes the only thing you can do is state the obvious and promise more information later. But without some internal communication, people lose trust. Sharing information about the workplace is an opportunity to increase trust and loyalty in employees. Even in bad times, sharing information can help bring people together.

So let me know if you need to talk.

Learn more by following this link.]]>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=156#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=155
Take for example, two recent TV ads by Hardee's (Carl's Jr., for those of you in other parts of the nation).

In one, a fantastically sexy woman sits there and eats a burger. Of course, it's not just that she eats it. It's the WAY she eats it.

The sauce drips down her chin. She wipes it from her thigh. She licks her lips and fingers. She makes mushy eyes at the camera.

She gives many members of the targeted male demographic a funny feeling, though I'm not sure it's hunger.

We call that "borrowed interest." She raised plenty of interest, but it had little to do with the burger. Now consider the Hardee's commercial for its French dip sandwich.

In this one, Hardee's shows quite clearly why just any old maid is not like a French maid with a uniform short enough to reveal the length of her hosiery.

They show a regular old kiss compared to a French kiss by a woman lustier than most of the audience could likely handle. (By the way, my wife loves this shot.)

I guess French really IS better. Oddly enough, this one still didn't make me want to eat.

There's a reason for that. It doesn't play to the real Hardee's brand, which incidentally is pretty good.

Hardee's is where you go to pig out on a big bunch of low-cost, flame-broiled meat to make your belly just nasty full.

So when they show a Big Fat Hardee's Burger next to a not-so-Big Mac, they're selling the brand. When they say they've got twice the meat and cheese for less cash, they're selling the brand.

When they show a bunch of sweaty, manly construction workers and firefighters ravenously eating half of a half-pound burger in a single bite, they're selling the brand.

So to summarize, I think Hardee's ads are better when they show hot, sweaty firefighters. My wife prefers the ads with the French maid and the rapturous woman delivering a French kiss.

Suddenly I feel fairly smart about advertising, a little bit hungry - and really, really confused about life.
]]>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=155#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=153We spend a lot of time talking brand around Odney. And in my areas of PR and social media, we talk a lot about getting those who care about the brand to relay their passion to their friends and to spread the word at a grassroots level. Few things in life inspire passion and loyalty like your alma mater. There is something about the place that shapes your ambitions (and serves as the setting for your party years) that inspires deep love and passion. I was reminded of this last weekend when I attended NDSU's Homecoming festivities for the first time in years.

Since I last attended a Bison event, NDSU has gone Division 1 and grown into the largest university in the state, with more students than UND. President Joseph Chapman has charged the students with the school's success, and they are running with it like . . . well, like Bison. From the pirate-themed Homecoming parade to the game to the Bison Bidders Bowl and the crowd at Chub's Pub, Homecoming feels super-charged with possibility and energy. The students are loyal and loud, the fans are engaged and inspired and the entire town feels alive with this annual event. It is this kind of energy that we strive for in our PR and grassroots efforts. It's finding the emotional tie-in, the possibilities and our connection to those things. Homecoming is all our past and future tied together in one great event, and a great reminder of what brand loyalty looks like.

At the end of our Homecoming Saturday, my oldest son's eyes were ablaze with his new dream to play football for the Bison; my younger boys' eyes were glazed with the happy exhaustion (and sugar high) a parade produces, and I was reconnected to a place that shaped me.

And now, as the work week moves forward, I'm looking at brand loyalty and the possibilities of true grassroots involvement through a lens of green and gold.
]]>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=153#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=152
Ole Olson from Jamestown is interviewing entertainers and exhibitors at Norsk Hostfest. Next up, Mary Klecker with Basin Electric talking about Touchstone Energy.

Norsk Hostfest day three...Mr. Bob Beck joins us in the radio booth. Can't wait, always a fun time.

Tracy Fugere is a Rock Star...bright and early on KACL-COOL 98.7!

What struck me is that this was a perfect example of how Facebook allows us to combine work and personal interests and add a level of fun into what used to be cut and dry media relations. Friends of Tracy and Mary tuned in to hear them, and our media hosts loved the extra plug.

You've got to love a job that's as much fun as this one.]]>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=152#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=149
For some channels, such as Twitter, you'll want to edit the latest news to fit the format, in this case a limit of 140 characters. For our Twittering clients, we can add a Twitter interface in our iAdmin content management system (CMS). When you log into the CMS to add new content to your site, you can also log into your Twitter account, edit the content to make it Twitter-friendly, and send the Tweet, all from within your CMS.

The right tools can make it faster and easier to make use of your newest content on multiple channels. You get the benefits of increased awareness and increased traffic, and with less time spent on getting your content in place, you can spend more time on what really matters: the quality of that content. ]]>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=149#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=145
There's a lot of buzz right now about newer social media tools. But opt-in e-mail is still one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to keep in touch with your customers. It's inexpensive, versatile, and lets you be as precise as you like in targeting your audiences.

Newer social media can be a great complement to other avenues of communication, but you don't necessarily abandon older tools and methods just because new ones come along. It doesn't matter what's new or trendy. What matters is what works for you.]]>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=145#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=144
So I've been experimenting with maintaining balance through the help of vinyasa yoga. Sure, it sounds crazy. But it just might work.

I like to start in the "mountain pose." This is what I used to know as "getting off my butt and standing up straight." Then I begin "breathing," which I used to know quite simply as "breathing."

Of course I do this differently now. I have learned to use three-part nose breathing. Among other things, this type of "pranayama" helps me to focus on the present moment. Our creative department manager also helps with that.

I like to retrain my thoughts on my project through a short series of "sun salutations." In this, I go through a sequence of yoga poses, changing pose with the alternating inhaling and exhaling of my breath - all while energizing my "prana" and focusing my creative process. It goes something like this:

Breathe in. Bring hands together in front of chest. Read the creative blueprint.

Breathe out. Watch hands while raising them toward the sky. Write an ad.

Breathe in. Bend backward, allowing chest to expand and core to remain strong. This ad is horrible.

Oops. Breathe out. Remember that the practice of yoga requires letting go of expectations and judgment. Try again. Several times.

Breathe in. Place hands on floor and go to the "plank" position. Remember a funny story about one of the graphic artists.

Breathe out. Fall into an "upward facing dog" back bend while laughing. Ouch *$#&@!!!

Breathe in. Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. Well… sit in cross-legged position. Okay, just sit on the %$#@* chair. Get an ice pack and refocus on breath. Write another ad.

Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. I'm learning to accept what comes from this. I'm sure it will pay off in the end if it doesn't kill me first.

I'll keep you posted.


]]>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTTue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=144#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=143
Employees create your corporate culture. They live your corporate culture. These days that culture extends far beyond the conference room and the water cooler. It's on your employees' Facebook pages, in their Tweets, and in the messages they post to industry blogs. The days when corporate culture and company communications were sealed inside the walls of your office are long gone. You might as well open those doors, because people can see inside anyway.

You can fear transparency, or you can embrace it and make it work for you. Be open, authentic, positive and honest. For a CEO used to stamping all her memos with a big red "confidential" and filing them in a locked cabinet, that might be a scary thought. But savvy CEOs these days are making sure that their corporate communications, even internal memos, could safely be published on the front page of the local newspaper.

Of course every company has information that needs to be kept confidential. But corporate culture and corporate communications have a way of getting out through all the new channels available these days. If that scares you, we can help. Give us a call. Because whether you're ready for transparency or not, the windows are open, and you don't want to be scotch-taping your company's image back together.

]]>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTThu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTThu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=143#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=138
•Catch catfish on the Missouri with my kids;
•Pig out at a BBQ rib-fest;
•Slip the rib leftovers to my dog;
•See 19th Century soldiers use a head of cabbage as a cannonball;
•Give my kids their first horseback ride;
•Stay in a log cabin that may have once welcomed Teddy Roosevelt;
•Swap stories and songs with an author a certifiable cowgirl;
•See bison, pronghorn antelope, deer and wild horses roaming free;
•Bike the hilly, winding scoria roads of the badlands;
•Hike the back country of our National Park;
•Canoe 18 miles of the Little Missouri River.

This is all stuff I would have done (and written into stories) anyway, regardless of my job. My parents brought me up to treasure these things; now it's my turn to share them with my family. I'm just really fortunate that it renews my sense of wonder about my most frequent professional writing topic.

]]>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=138#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=154
Then you get one of those great "Eureka!" moments that creative types live for. Dancing pigs . . . in hats! What a great idea! The creative director's debating hat styles. The graphic designer's sketching jitterbugging pigs. The video director's thinking about music for the animated TV ad. This why we work in advertising! We love this! Then, inevitably, you have to ask the big question: "How does this serve the brand?"

Your great idea may be clever, original, funny, charming, endearing. But if it doesn't serve the brand, it's not a good idea. The point of advertising isn't to make great ads. It's to create a connection between the audience and a product, service or idea. In the short term, it maybe about raising awareness or increasing sales. In the long term, it's about building the brand.]]>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=154#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=137
The whole thing struck me once again as being a wonderful demonstration of the way language evolves.

Snipe hunting is a joke that gets played on unsuspecting souls, often while camping. There are many great techniques for hunting snipe. A common method is to take the novice out into the woods and have him shine a flashlight into a burlap sack while making a sound like a snipe… whatever that is.

Meanwhile, you tell him you're going to go make a wide sweep through the woods to drive the snipe toward the burlap sack where the snipe will jump right in. Then you go back to the campfire, have a beer and wait for the new snipe hunter to realize he's been had.

The funny thing is, even among those who play the prank on others, there's not much knowledge about real, live snipe. I've even heard that a snipe is a purely fictitious creature. Not true.

A snipe is actually a species of shore bird that lives in wetland areas. (Sorry to those who have told tall tales of a creature with one leg longer than the other, allowing it to walk upright on hillsides - and making it easy to catch by getting its attention from behind so it turns and falls down.)

Here's where the fun language stuff comes in. A real snipe is, in fact, notoriously difficult to hunt because you just can't get close to them. Years ago, marksmen used an early prototype of a telescopic site to shoot the birds from long distances, giving us the modern word, "sniper."

Further, the difficulty of hunting real snipe was what kicked off the evolution of these tall tales - and the popular revolution of good, old fashioned snipe hunting. (Though the jokes would continue with or without the name: novice Navy sailors are often sent by their more experience shipmates on a mission to bring back ten feet of "shore line.")

And this is why I love language. It has tremendous entertainment value.

]]>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTThu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTThu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=137#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=142so funny. The human resources director who just interviewed you for your dream job might find them not so much funny as . . . informative.

A recent CareerBuilder survey found that 45 percent of employers are now using social networking sites to research potential hires. That's up from 22 percent last year. Another 11 percent plan to start using social networking sites to check on job candidates in the future. The most popular site used is Facebook, followed by LinkedIn and MySpace.

That doesn't mean your online profiles need to be nothing but pictures of you in your best pin-striped suit giving a PowerPoint presentation on, say, "Achieving synergistic total quality management through leveraging core competencies proactively across multiple platforms." Just think before you upload. The online world is an open world, and anyone might see what you post. And if that's actually the name of your PowerPoint presentation, you might be better off going with the tequila shooter pics after all. ]]>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTThu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTThu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=142#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=140hackers attack two of the social networks most used and most admired - Twitter and Facebook -- causing issues for users worldwide. While I don't condone hacking, the perpetrators did us a favor. They reminded us that you cannot rely on one communications channel (no matter how hot) to get your message out. You will have much better results if you use multiple communications channels to get your message to its intended target or targets.

It's not just about hacking, it's about the audience too. The more we hear it and the more ways it reaches us, the stronger the impact. Reinforcing the message is vital to seeing it embraced. Imagine how this affected organizations launching a Twitter blitz or someone organizing an event using Facebook. You can't put all your faith in one site and expect to get the return you strived for. Use traditional media, email, your web site and social networks in harmony and you will have better results -- especially with timely or time sensitive information.

Remember, it takes a strategic mix to get the message out!]]>Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=140#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=141
In a study of 300 workers, 70 percent of those who used the internet at work engaged in leisure browsing. The most popular online leisure activities were searching for product information, reading news, playing games and watching YouTube videos. Workers who engaged in these activities were nearly ten percent more productive than those who didn't. The study surmised that short breaks helped refresh the workers' minds and enabled them to return to their tasks with improved concentration.

Do you goof off engage in leisure browsing at work?]]>Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=141#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=134
I'll miss Billy. Kind of.

Sure, I like to think of myself as the kind of person who responds better to subtlety, reason and well played emotion in advertising. Many times I have wondered at the wisdom of pitching a product with an outside voice that can put Dora the Explorer to shame.

"WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO THE NUTTY FOREST! BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO GET PAST THE LOUD MAN SELLING BATHROOM CLEANER! VAMANOS!"

As a rule, it's better to say something better than to say it louder. Still, I liked Billy. Annoying as his ads were, they reminded me of the oldest and simplest forms of advertising.

Remember the kid selling newspapers on the street yelling "EXTRA! EXTRA!" at the top of his lungs? Neither do I, but I bet he sold a lot of newspapers. So this is the roots of advertising: being excited about your product and hollering about it from the rooftops.

Of course there will be other advertisers pounding their messages into my eardrums. But I believed Billy. Look at that hair! Look at those rolled up sleeves! This guy knew bathroom cleaner, and he made sure I knew he knew it.

Now my television will be a little quieter. Now no one will wake me from my Law & Order rerun at the bottom of the hour.

Rest in peace, Billy Mays. I will.
]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=134#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=132
These days, look, design and color affect people more than ever before. Loyalty to product is not what it used to be so harking back to graphic design and color as a focus and a hook has become necessary. Because of the thousands of products and brands out there a lot of companies like ConAg, Pepsi and Walmart are redoing the look and feel and changing up their colors to be more friendly, approachable and simpler.


I think that only recently has design truly become integrated into the advertising world. It really started with the Apple iPod campaign. The ads were just music and pure graphics with the product hidden in that.

It was a lot of that pure visual impact. This works. Today, kids are more attuned to design because they are more exposed to it through new online mediums and products directed toward them. This is new. You see the influence this has on kids who respond to and even design stuff on their own at a young age. The exposure to this kind of design was isolated before to things like album covers and rock posters. Today you see design everywhere - from environmental designs to packaging to websites. It is exciting to see the art be fully in the mix now. It's an evolution that keeps me excited and keeps the ideas coming.
]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=132#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=131
We make ‘em shorter, sweeter and link them out a lot more than we used to, but they are well worth the effort. They help reporters get the facts right, and in smaller markets, where news staffers are stretched thin, they are sometimes used as not just the base of the story, but printed in full.

While our journalist friends may rely on releases, they also think better of us if those releases are newsworthy. A release needs to be meaty and it needs to be concise. Have you got a good story to tell? We can help.
]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=131#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=136
Forget the G-forces of liftoff in a Saturn rocket for a moment; I'm not sure I could have taken the pressure of coming up with something important to say upon arrival. Armstrong gave us "one giant leap" to remember. I'm afraid if I were in his moon boots, I would have given mankind something with far less gravity: "Ooh! Squishy."

]]>Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=136#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=151If you're planning a big contest or promotion, you should use that to drive traffic to your website, right? Not necessarily. A better strategy might be to create a separate site dedicated to your contest. It's all about the focus.

We've developed separate sites for contests and promotions for the National Sunflower Association, SRT Communications, and I. Keating Furniture World. The contest sites were focused on specific target audiences and invited participation and interaction with the activities of the contest. Site visitors were encouraged to enter contests, upload videos, watch and vote for videos, check out the winners, and order contests merchandise. These separate sites appealed directly to their target audiences, while the clients' regular sites stayed focused on their main constituencies.

When the contest is over, information and content from the contest sites can be used in different ways on the main site. E-mail addresses gathered with the user's permission can be added to subscriber databases, videos can be uploaded, and the winners' stories can be placed in a special section. The result is a win/win, with attention-getting websites focused on the contests and main sites that stay focused on the visitors they serve.]]>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=151#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=135
But really, why do I need to get all of my day's nutrition in that one bowl? Is there none in my lunch or dinner? Is there none in my Starbucks French Roast or the Kit-Kat bar I stole from my coworker's desk? Of course there is!

Now, I don't know whether the fear of malnutrition sells that much Total. Perhaps. Surely there's something to be said for brand positioning that isn't quite so absurd. Surely advertising works when it fulfills needs, wants and desires in a more real and honest way.

On the other hand, maybe this is just my malnourished brain at work.
]]>Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTFri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=135#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=133
Along comes the new Nike commercial, "Driven," featuring Lance Armstrong and film shots of cancer patients fighting for their lives. Wow.

Lance is a cancer survivor himself, now trying for an unheard-of eighth Tour de France win after four years of retirement. Plenty of people think he should have stayed in retirement. Here he tells us quite pointedly that he isn't doing this for them.

Never one to wear the yellow leader's jersey until later in the race, Lance has been gaining ground over the past few days. As of this morning, he is in second place with less than one second between him and the number one spot.

To some, Lance is a little too superhuman - too good to be true. They don't get why he is doing this. Well, I have lost friends to cancer. And even if I never do something as awesome as winning the Tour (once, let alone eight times), I want to take on the big challenges.

So, thanks for the great commercial, Nike and Lance. I get it.
]]>Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTWed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=133#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=147
1. Search engines: 31%
2. Print Yellow Pages or White Pages: 30%
3. Yellow Pages websites 19%
4. Local search websites: 11%

Last year's statistics had print Yellow Pages at 33 percent and search engines at 30 percent. Add up all the online versus print statistics and it's clear that, even when searching for local businesses, consumers prefer the web to print by more than two to one. ]]>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=147#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=148
What does it all mean for you? Fast-changing online trends are one reason we recommend that our clients maintain an ongoing relationship with us. Twitter started out as a casual, ‘here's what I'm doing now' mini-blog. It's becoming a place for networking, social marketing and headline news with on-the-spot eyewitness reporting. If its popularity as a link-sharing source continues to grow, it could start driving web traffic as well. ]]>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=148#commentshttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=146
Website owners often make the mistake of thinking of mobile as just another way for people to access their regular website. The mobile environment and the mobile user's needs are different. It's not just a smaller screen. A mobile user is on the go and likely to be driving, pushing a shopping cart, or walking down the street juggling a phone, coffee cup and briefcase. They don't want to wait for graphics to load, or have to scroll, search or fumble with keypads. They want quick access to information they can use right now. Give them what they need in a mobile-friendly format and they'll be back. ]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTMon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMTOdneyhttp://www.Odney.com/blog/blog-details2.asp?BID=146#comments