Media Archives - Page 6 of 12 - McLellan Marketing Group

The headless horseman comes a callin’ to get you texting!

October 23, 2008

Last Friday a flaming headless horseman galloped across Chicago’s building facades between the Loop and Wrigleyville.

Who rousted him just in time for Halloween? Meijer, a 180-store big box retailer in the Midwest.

The store gave people a chance to win $1,000 if they texted the company directly when they saw the apparition.

Fliers were distributed to get people looking for the horseman and whenever the van projecting the Horseman stopped or idled in traffic, the horse would rear its hind legs and flash the message: text Meijer for a grand.

Not only did the company receive hundreds of text messages, but they also got TV, radio and print media coverage. Declaring it a success, the street team plans to repeat the work this Friday (October 24th) in Cincinnati.

Print on demand magazines?

October 21, 2008

I don’t know about you….but even as much time as I spend online, I love reading magazines. I like the way they feel, that I can rip out an article or dog ear a page. I’d think that my age was showing except for the magazine rack at Barnes and Noble. Every time I look, it gets bigger.

MagCloud, a new self-publishing magazine service from HP Labs, is bringing the ability to be a magazine creator to all of us. Now, anyone who can create a PDF can publish a magazine.

How does it work? Users can upload a PDF of their magazine for free, creating their own profit margins by calculating the difference between their cover price and MagCloud’s charge of 20 cents per page, plus shipping.

The concept builds on the success of companies that offer a simple, online method for consumers to self-publish books (like Blurb or Lulu) and on the understanding that members of Generation C are eager to share their creative output, and expect to be paid for their efforts.

No matter what the author’s "status" in terms of credentials or experience, MagCloud provides them with a no-risk business and communication opportunity, and the ability to tap into infinite niche audiences that will find their content relevant and worth paying for.

While the site is in beta, publisher accounts are by invitation only. Shipping is currently restricted to the US, but they’re working hard to open up its service to Europe and then the rest of the world.

What do you think? Could you/would you be a magazine publisher?

Age of Conversation 2008 promotion starting to trickle out

October 11, 2008

The official launch of Age of Conversation 2008 is mere weeks away and we have lots of exciting things planned to tell the world about the book, the authors and the charity that benefits from the book — Variety, the children’s charity.

For a sneak peek into the book’s origination, how the ’08 version is different from the original and what’s next, check out the podcast that Jay Ehret did with Gavin Heaton and myself. Jay’s (who blogs over at the Marketing Spot) goal is to interview all of 237 authors of this year’s edition.

Hat tip to Jay for taking on the project and be sure to watch for future podcasts over at the Age of Conversation site.

Taking your show on the road

September 23, 2008

Trade shows are an incredibly effective way to introduce your business to a wide array of potential new customers. When it comes to displays, I have some good news and some bad news. Want the good news first? Your competitors’ booths probably stink.

Ready for the bad news? Yours probably does too.

Let’s face it — most booths look and behave the same. Think of the "standards" of a booth. How many of those do you include with yours? Is there a way to freshen it up a little?

Here are some rules to think about when you or your agency is working on your display.

~ What’s the point? Identify the one fact/impression you want everyone to remember from your display. Not three main points or five. One. Once you have communicated that, stop.

~ Force them to stop. Do something so visually arresting that people cannot help but stop. This is not the time to be timid. Be bold. Grab them and (figuratively) drag them into your space. I’m not talking (unless it fits with your brand) something silly. I am talking relevant but WOW!

~ Think of it like a billboard. Be brief. This is not the place to reproduce your sales letter or brochure.

~ Less is more. Some companies’ trade show space is like a three-ring circus. People do not want to walk into chaos. Having one good, bold idea is much more effective than throwing the kitchen sink at the attendees.

~ Do it right. Yes, you are going to have to spend more money. But, it is an investment that will last for years. This is not the place to go cheap. It will be glaringly obvious and speak volumes about your business.

If you’re going to invest the money and time resources to have a presence at a trade show, make sure you maximize that investment by having a display that they’ll remember long after the show doors close.

We’ve all been to plenty of shows. Think back — what’s the most memorable booth you’ve ever seen and what about it sticks out in your mind?

Flickr photo courtesy of the Image Group.

Should you answer back to their ad?

September 21, 2008

Last week, I wrote about not letting your competitors’ actions lure you off your path. (There were some really smart comments, so check them out.)

And then, lo and behold…an excellent example for us to discuss appeared. Everyone is familiar with the brilliant Apple campaign Mac versus PC. Just in case you’re not…here’s an example.

And now, Microsoft has come out with a TV spot that answers the Apple campaign. (Sorry for the quality, it’s the best I could find.)

Good idea or bad? Do they sound defensive? Look reactive? Do they do a good job of making their point? Do they change your perceptions? Would this influence your buying decision?

Don’t worry traditional media — you’re not done yet

September 16, 2008

I get it. It’s sexy and new. Social media/digital marketing is to 2008 what banner ads were to the 90s. (Remember how they were going to change the world and everyone was going to make a killing?)

At MMG, we’ve done many a digital campaign for our clients. And the results exceeded everyone’s expectations. So I’m not suggesting that there’s anything wrong with digital marketing or using social media as a marketing tool. We know, from doing it, that it’s very effective.

But just like in the good old days of advertising, when everyone talked media mix, we need to remember….you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. Yesterday’s media mix might have been radio and print. Today’s media mix needs to be a blend of traditional and digital marketing efforts.

You will almost always get better results when you have a hearty mix of the two.

Jason Baer, of Convince and Convert, wrote a smart post on this topic, with a couple mini case studies to prove his point.

Bottom line — it’s not an either or choice. It’s now a "what’s the best of both?" choice. So, as you think about your next campaign and begin to formulate your media plan, remember – add plenty of ingredients and blend well.

If you’re buying media for clients or your own business — how has your media buying changed and how do you perceive the need (or lack thereof) for a media mix?

Sports sponsorships have gotten completely out of hand

September 11, 2008

Or…the other title I played with….You sponsored WHAT?

I was running some errands on Saturday, so I had the radio on. Several college football games were about to start. Then, it began.

The most absurd sports sponsorships I have ever heard. One right on top of the other. No category exclusivity. One local/regional bank after the other. Practically stacked up like cord wood the announcers were spitting them out so fast.

"The Turf Report brought to you by XYZ Bank. Boy, the grounds crew did a great job even though we had rain last night. The grass is green and ready to go. Thanks to Bank XYZ for bringing us this important information."

"The Wind Report is brought to you by ABC Bank. The wind is coming in from the north east at about 10 miles an hour, Biff. That’s going to have absolutely no effect on the kicking game. This Wind Report brought to you by ABC Bank."

"The Ingrown Toe Nail Count is sponsored by GHI Bank today. The Hawkeyes are sporting 23 ingrown toenails all total, Hank. The Black Bears are really in toe trouble. They’re carrying 46 ingrown nails into the game. Thanks to GHI Bank for the latest."

Seriously people….stop it.

I don’t care how crazy your town or state is for a sports team. (Even those fanatics in Nebraska!) And I don’t care how cheap the sponsorship is. It is a complete and utter waste of money. Being one of 20+ sponsors in a pre-game show is ridiculous. (Yes…I made up the toenail one, but the other two are legit — heard them myself!)

Unless you can be a big fish, a sponsorship is not marketing, it’s a charitable donation. The only one who wins is your radio rep who made the commission. I assure you — the listeners cannot remember you or any of the other 19 sponsors.

Stop sponsoring grass. Stop sponsoring the wind. And if anyone offers it to you, say no to ingrown toenails.

Did McCain’s speech keep his brand promise?

September 6, 2008

Just like we did last week with Barack Obama, 6 marketing pros watched John McCain’s speech through a very specific lens.

How did the speech support their brand?

McCain had a tough act to follow. Sarah Palin’s speech has shattered expectations in terms of viewers and buzz.

He had to build on that momentum and remind us that he was #1 on the Republican ticket. He also (in my opinion) had to continue the delicate balancing act of his duo-brand. McCain is part Country First/War Hero (very traditional) and part Maverick (very non-traditional).

Could he capture both sides of his brand and deliver them in a memorable, believable way?

So how did he do from a pure brand/marketing perspective? That was the question posed to six of us (CK, Ann Handley, Cam Beck, Alan Wolk, Stephen Denny, and me) over at Marketing Profs Daily Fix. We had to (in 200 words or less) critique the speech based on message, brand delivery and relevance. We also had to give a 0-5 star rating.

McCain got everywhere from a 0 to a 4.5 from the six of us.

Come read what everyone had to say and give us your take.

And if you missed part one, here’s our take on Obama’s speech last week.

The back story for the most brilliant outdoor campaign ever

August 21, 2008

Many of you, in the comments section and via e-mail, have been asking about the back story of this campaign. Quite honestly — I didn’t know it. I had stumbled upon the creative years ago and used it as an example of "go ahead, break the rules" kind of thinking.

But, all of that has changed.

A few weeks ago, I commented that one of my favorite things about blogging is that it allows me to meet some amazing people. More proof coming up.

I published the post about the Garcia’s outdoor campaign in the morning and by mid-afternoon, I had an e-mail from Rich Spears who was on the original account team (he was the media director) for this campaign. As the agency’s current Chief Marketing Officer, he generously gave me the entire back story and permission to share it with you.

So, here’s the scoop.

It’s 1990 and Garcia’s and the other area restaurants are in a panic. A big, fancy, new waterfront club was opening that summer and they were expecting it was going to mean they’d all (the existing restaurants) take a big hit.

So Garcia’s came to Crowley Webb for some counsel and a solution. Oh yeah, and they only had $20,000 to spend — creative concepting, design, production costs, media — the whole thing.

The William/Angel campaign was conceived and launched.

The plan was for everyone to believe that there truly was a William, Angel, Candi and Frankie. The media were sworn to secrecy. Reporters tried to get at the truth as the campaign was unfolding but no one cracked.

Beyond the billboard campaign, the agency also:

Had a small radio buy on one station. Two spots per week. Someone called in, as William, and did a live "commercial" that sounded like he was this desperate guy, trying to find his Angel.
Ran ads in the classified personal ads in the Buffalo News
Had a limo driver handing out "have you seen my Angel" fliers throughout downtown, near the Garcia’s location
Hired a plane to fly over a Buffalo Bison’s game (baseball), towing a banner with a message from William

All of this culminated right after billboard #8, where Angel agrees to meet William at Garcia’s. To the delight of the packed house — A beautiful woman in red appeared, fended off the advances of just about every guy in town, waiting for William.

Just then, a limo pulled up (remember the guy passing out fliers?) and William stepped out from the limo and walked inside, scanning the crowd for his Angel. Their eyes met, they talked, shared some champagne and then danced to "Lady in Red" before William whisked her away in his limo.

Rich said the crowd’s reaction was priceless. And more than one boyfriend was chided for not being as romantic as William!

The following Monday, the final board was posted, with William professing that he was in heaven over the meeting.

The net result beyond the media exposure and buzz around town? When the new waterfront club opened, every restaurant in town took a double digit drop in revenue. Garcia’s business went up. They maintained that competitive advantage for some time and never felt the impact of the waterfront club.

So they exceeded their goals and their revenues grew. Not to mention all the added value the campaign delivered.

Flash forward to today, some 18 years later — that entire area and all the restaurants in it, including the waterfront club are now gone, having given way to growth and re-purposing of that area.

I’d call that a success story and a half.

An interesting side note. When the campaign won best of show at the National Obie awards, it was the first winner ever to receive a perfect score from every judge.

A huge hat tip to the innovative team at Crowley Webb, the courageous owners of Garcia’s and the very fortunate citizens of Buffalo who had the fun of watching this all unfold.

The most brilliant outdoor campaign ever

August 18, 2008

The rules for outdoor advertising are very simple.

Never use more than 7 words
Always use an attention getting visual
Include the company logo
Leave the boards up for a minimum of 30 days to achieve frequency goals
Buy several locations to increase reach

The most brilliant outdoor campaign broke every one of these rules. Every single one. I use this campaign as an example in many of my presentations and wanted to share it with you too.

Let me tell you the story.

This campaign broke in 1989 in Buffalo, New York. There was (~~and still is~~ – my mistake, I found it on the web’s yellow pages and assumed it was current) an Irish Pub called Garcia’s in downtown Buffalo that needed to drive not only name awareness but traffic. Their agency, Crowley Webb, devised this campaign, which not only won them a National Obie (Oscars for outdoor boards) but made Garcia’s a household name in Buffalo. The campaign also showed up in the New York Times, USA Today and naturally, all of Buffalo’s local media.

No ordinary billboard series, eh?

The agency bought a single board location (this I am recalling from memory so I may be wrong) and every Monday for 9 weeks….a new board went up. This is story-telling at it’s best. Enjoy the campaign and be sure to catch my questions at the end.

Can’t you see all of Buffalo being completely caught up in this story? Can you imagine how many people showed up at Garcia’s on Fridays to see if Angel made an appearance. I don’t know if the agency took it to that level (I wouldn’t be surprised) but I would have hired actors to play William, Angel, Candi and Frankie and put on a floor show.

What do you think of this campaign? Notice the boards didn’t push the daily soup special or promise us the same cliches that all restaurants promise. Instead, they invited us into a story. A story where we could play a part.

How could you use this kind of a technique? Or, where else have you seen this sort of creativity played out?

Update: Here’s t he back story to this campaign. Now I’m even more impressed.

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