Category Archives: Advertising

Flash Catalyst: How You Too Can Look Professional!

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I am in a love affair with Adobe Creative Suite.  It’s true and I’m not even going to try and deny it.  The software is just so useful!  But it’s also so powerful and comprehensive that learning how to use it to its full potential is nearly impossible.  That being said, I’m starting to get decent at it.  At least I can make mock ups for graphic designers to work off of.

But I can honestly say I’ve got Flash Catalyst pretty much down!  In fact, I just built my first real site for a few friends of mine attempting to start their own Non-Profit Organization, Educators For Change.  The site is early in development and we need to pump it full of content, but I’m feeling good about it’s look.

Of course the project has a long ways to go with my next goal being a custom blog template for the project.  I’m 90% done with the Adobe Illustrator mock up.  Now just to learn PHP…  Anyone want to help out?

Call Me Old Fashioned, But I still Write Thank You Notes

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Business and society are funny things.  We talk about the rapid pace of technological progress and how technology ultimately improves our lives (and businesses), but rarely do step away from our infatuation with technology and talk about what we lose as we continue to do things quicker, faster, and “better.”  And that’s something we should do more often.  Stepping away from technology for a few hours not only allows us to reflect on what we have achieved, but in my experience, it allows us to learn how to use technology better.

I was recently reminded of this while reading a blog post from Paul Gumbinner, a NYC based Executive Recruiter who often writes about advertising jobs, interviewing, and his experiences in the Madison Avenue Advertising World.  I’ve sourced Paul a time or two for my post on Beyond Madison Avenue and I highly recommend reading his blog.  It’s good stuff.

As a whole, we are technically more connected with each other today than in any period in history.  But at the same time, I continuously find that we are much less personally connected.  In fact, I often feel like we are quickly becoming almost impassive.  Yes we email each other in what seems like a near constant stream of messages, participate in involved Twitter based conversations, and interact via social media, but less and less do we communicate via real personal interaction.

This is especially true in the business world where anonymous job posts are becoming what seems like the standard.  As a result, we have become a society that seems to feel contacting potential employers via a phone call is rude.  Furthermore when we do initiate a connection, interview with a potential employer, or even ask for advice from someone, it seems like it’s become a rare thing to write a real thank you note.  And that is  rude.

In the “old days” (the days before email, Twitter, Facebook, etc), we relied on three major forms of communication: personal interaction, snail mail, and the telephone.  And although snail mail and the telephone seem impersonal compared to a personal meeting with someone, sending a letter to someone or making a phone call can in fact be a very personal way to communicate.  Think about all the letters soldiers sent to their friends and family during the American Civil War.

Although business letters are not exactly in the same league as Civil War letters, both types of letters share many common threads; most of which stem from the effort involved in writing and sending a real letter.  Compared to email, which seems to have been reduced to quick informal messages, writing a true letter takes time no matter if the letter is three pages long or three sentences long.   And that effort shows; especially when it’s a thank you note to a business contact.  Add in the fact that the business world is increasingly tough and guess what, that extra thirty minutes may in fact lead to great opportunities.

That being said, call me old-fashioned, but I still write snail mailed thank you notes.  Yes they take time, but in my experience, they make a real impression on people.

 

 

Not Getting the Job, but Making the Right Connection

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The business world is a tough place.  And if you think it’s going to get better in the near future, let me introduce you to this novel concept called reality.  It’s something that the governments of the world are currently being introduced to (If you are unfamiliar with Marx’s Das Kapital; it’s a long, often difficult to understand set of works discussing the functions of capitalism, the history of capitalism, and most importantly, Marx’s famed view on capitalism’s diminishing rate of profit.  Like I said, it’s not an easy read.  Nor is it what I call uplifting).

But that’s not what I wanted to talk about today.  I wanted to talk about the value of being rejected by a potential employer.

Like I’ve mentioned many times before, I’m currently in a purgatory like state of employment/unemployment.  I’m in that fickle and highly stressful stage of life between my undergraduate degree and my graduate degree.  Yes I graduated from a top tier university with a true liberal arts degree (I could of graduated in 2.5 years… I studied 4) and a work ethic that most employers would kill for, but the fact remains that I’m also competing in a world that is in all honesty a wash of “cheap” undergraduate degrees.  (Notice how I did not describe the undergraduate as inexpensive.  They are anything but inexpensive).

But I do not let that detour me.  Doing so seems in my eyes unproductive as worrying about things that you can’t do anything about is simular to travelling via rocking chair: you expend a lot of energy, but you don’t move anywhere.

What I can do (and I encourage others to do) is continue forward progress.  It may seem like you are constantly being pushed back 4 steps, but if you make 5 forward steps, that’s still a net gain of 1 step.  It’s not a huge gain, but with the college football season coming up (and my string of productive Saturdays about to start disappearing), a gain is a gain.  It’s not a touchdown, but neither are most plays in a game.

And that brings me to my point.  When you get rejected by a potential employer, take it for all it’s worth.  Make a connection with the people at the company, make a solid impression, and initiate a relationship.  It’s not a job, but it’s forward progress.

That being said, I want to leave this post by re-visiting an old idea (the SaySomethingNice initiative) that I was reminded of by a recent (and non related) Improve Everywhere Campaign.  On a side note, Charlie Todd, the founder of Improve Everywhere is also a UNC alum and one smart guy.

 

Photoshop CS5′s Shapebuilder Tool and Reasons why I need to Learn to Read

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I really need to re-learn to read.  And I’m not talking about the ability to look at a word and know what it means.  I’m talking about the ability to see the small details in a passage that most readers skip… things like exact dates.

It’s because I “skim” most articles that I read.  ”Skimming” is a bad habit that readers tend to sink into and I personally think that it’s a result of years of having to “skim” through pages upon pages of reading for school.  I was a literature major after all.

But enough of that.  Today’s post focuses on a new tool that I’ve been playing around with in Illustrator CS5.  It’s the Shapebuilder tool.  And it’s wonderful.

So what is the Shapebuilder tool?  It basically works like the Live Paint tool that makes coloring shapes in Illustrator super easy.  Back in the days of CS4 and before, to make the shapes required for the Live Paint tool, a designer either had to use the somewhat complicated pathfinder tool or stick with very basic shapes… like circles and squares.  But if there is one theme that defines CS5, it’s the way that it has simplified a lot of simple to solve issues.  Unlike previous versions of CS, CS5 seems to have focused on doing things better, not just expanding CS’s capabilities.  In other words, CS5 didn’t just put a bigger engine in the vehicle, it fixed the cup holder problem.

If you want to learn about the Shapebuilder tool via Adobe TV, just click on this link.  Adobe has been kind enough to create this online series explaining virtually every tool in the CS5 family.  It’s a great example of how companies are using customer relationships as a primary advertising tool.

Want a quick example of what the Shapebuilder tool can do?  This comes from my attempt to enter a logo contest for a local based advertising company that ended 5 years ago…  Like I said, I need to re-learn to read.  But anyway, it was a great excuse to exercise the creating juices and learn a new tool in Illustrator.

If you can draw it, you can develop it: Flash Catalyst

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Rarely do I find a piece of software that I adore.  Most of the time I can easily find some critical flaw in the software and that seems to kill my love for it.  Adobe software seems to be the exception.  I fell in love with Adobe CS2 years ago and don’t let me get started with CS5.  It’s brilliant.  CS4 wasn’t my favorite, but CS5 more than makes up for all of CS4′s flaws.

But within CS5, there is one piece of software that I really do adore above all else: Flash Catalyst.  I’ve played around with Flash enough to know it’s an untamed mythical beast.  Yes, a good Flash designer can do marvelous work with Flash, but for 95% of developers, Flash is just too much.  It’s the odd program of CS that really isn’t approachable by novice users.  One can’t really do much with it without a lot of knowledge.  It’s not instinctive like AI or Photoshop where absolute beginners can build basic outlines and teach themselves the basics via just playing around.

But that’s where Flash Catalyst is absolutely brilliant.  It allows wanna-be Flash developers a bridge between Flash and AI or Photoshop.  How so?  Well for starters, it’s designed with the AI and Photoshop user in mind.  In fact, you can build your site in AI or Photoshop and import the file directly into Flash Catalyst.

From there, Flash Catalyst offers users a limited, but wide enough range of interaction options to build a function Flash based website without the need for intricate timelines or interactions.  In fact, with just a little practice, Flash Catalyst becomes dare I say it, very easy to use.  So anyone interested in looking good on the web… listen up!  Yes, there are some major limits (I tried to add a mailto: link with no success), but the limits are in the whole view of things very minor.  And best of all, unlike Flash, you don’t need to know any sort of code to make things work.

So need a quick example?  My latest project… NewYorque.  It’s going to be good.

WordPress, Personal Websites, and Tequila

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If you think the job market is tough right now you are absolutely right.  But that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.  Just ask Harrison Anastasio, a Tanning Concierge at NYC’s James Hotel.  Although this type of job is probably pretty rare to come by, there are people being hired in more traditional fields.  Yes the competition is brutal, but there are a few small things you can actively do to make yourself more viable.  And from my experience in the already brutal NYC market, it’s basically a bloodsport where even the tiniest of differences have tremendous effects.

That being said, there is one area that has consistently helped me get some pretty awesome interviews: my website and active web presence.

How so?  Well let me make a quick list!

A Positive Web Presence is a Major Resume Asset 

In today’s world of social media, having a positive web presence is essential.  Companies look for people with knowledge and presence on the web.  If you are not taking advantage of that, you are basically throwing away a free-bee.

Becoming an Active Blogger can lead to Opportunities

I write for Talent Zoo Media’s Beyond Madison Avenue.  I can’t say it pays or has opened any major doors to me, but at the very least, it keeps me on my toes and pushes me to keep up with trends and events.  Plus it gives me a place to expand my web presence.  And it’s a great conversation piece at interviews.

Knowing Content Management Systems and Social Media Platforms is a Plus on any Resume

If you question the value of running your own blog and being active on the web, let me explain something to you: stop questioning the Internet.  It’s big, it’s bad (in a good way!), and it’s here to stay.  Embrace it because your employer does.  And employers like people who embrace and understand major world trends.  They tend to pick up new skills quickly and in today’s technological world, that’s a major asset.

Building a website is Easy

Ok, so I’m pushing the definition of “easy.”  It’s not hard (your need only basic web development skills), but it takes time and the real issue with a site is not the architecture, it’s the content.  That is unless you want a really custom site.  In that case, you’re on your own.  This site for example has been my pet project since September 2009 and my first trip to New York.  I vividly remember fumbling around and struggling with Word Press in my lovely 10th floor, 63rd and Lex balcony apartment (of which I have zero photos… long story), but soon enough, I had it down.  Now it’s all about maintenance and content.

Your Web Presence can be the Ultimate Portfolio

How many times have you lost a piece of work you wanted to show off?  A solid web presence can prevent that and even help you show it off.  Want an example?  Take a look at the Veloshine commercial I worked on.  It’s on Youtube and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.  Or for another example, once again my work with Talent Zoo.

Use the Tequila Principle when Building your Site

I have a close friend who has a wonderful theory about tequila: cheap, clear, and to the point.  Like at lot of things in life (like pitching to bloggers), you can learn a lot from bar etiquette.  Don’t go overboard on the design: keep it clean and clear.  And don’t spend a fortune on it.  You don’t need to.

Pitching to Bloggers: Everything you need to know, you learned in a bar

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Normally I  shy away from further relating the advertising and marketing world to the Mad Men inspired alcoholic perception that seems to dominate many outsiders perceptions about the industry, but today I’ll make an exception.  There is a lot you can learn in a bar.  And some of it may help your career!  So without further interruption… Brian’s PR Lessons from a bar.

Lesson Number 1

The first step to connecting with a blogger is scouting out the Blogsphere.  If you are looking for a mobile technology blogger, it makes no sense talking to a consumer electronics blogger.  You both obviously like tech gizmo’s, but let’s face it, they aren’t your type.  There is no real chemistry in this relationship.  And secondly, if you are a band geek, the chances of you picking up the head cheerleader are pretty low.  You might get lucky and snag a big win, but chances are that you would be better spending that energy talking to a blogger a little more in your league.

Lesson Number 2

You have 30 seconds to get a blogger’s attention.  Think of this as a your pick-up line.  Be original, be confident, and ALWAYS be yourself.  Bloggers are generally pretty savvy people and they get a lot of attention.  They know they are being hit on and attempting to trick them or hiding what you really want will not end well for you.   If you have something good to offer, let that speak for itself.  In other words, get to the point; they know that you want them.  And furthermore, don’t be sloppy!  Grammar and style count.  No-one wants to be hit on by a tipsy person.

Lesson 3

Follow up.  The three day rule most definitely applies.  Just because your first attempt didn’t end in a homerun doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again.  Second attempts prove your interest.  But don’t try too hard.  That’s just sad and kinda creepy.

Lesson 4

Bloggers are not one night stands.  Using a blogger and ditching them after you get what you want is mean.  If your campaign is a success and you are hired to do further work for your client, it’s nice to have a little black book.

Lesson 5

Send a Thank You Note. This one doesn’t really come from something that you learned in a bar, but I’m going to include it because it’s the considerate thing to do.  And in a world that doesn’t really like PR people (it’s true), a personal thank you goes soooooo far.  I’m serious.  Thank You Notes may in fact be the most beneficial thing that you can do to nurture a relationship.

Freelance Rates and SEO

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Today I thought I would take the time to explain a really basic rate structure of freelancing and do something that advertising agencies are increasing expecting… work for free.

So for the first order of business: the rate structure.  What is a freelancer’s time and skill worth?  That really depends on a lot of things, but at a vary basic level, it’s really a function of three things: “experience”/experience, talent, and location.

The first area I’ll talk about is the effect of location.  This one is pretty straightforward: a freelancer with a New York address is historically going to be able to charge more for their services than a freelancer based in say, North Carolina.  It’s silly to assume that just because someone has an NYC address that they are inherently more valuable, but from my experience, it’s the truth.  I could attempt to make the argument that the Internet has helped reduce this archaic fact, but I’m not quite ready to do that.  The idea of outsourcing creative services to the developing world in order to save a buck pretty much debases that argument.  There are simply too many sub-factors such as location based cost-of-operation costs that play a major role in determining location related overhead/variable costs and that’s more detail than I want to go into today.  Just take it for fact, location plays a major role in rates.

The second area is talent.  At a basic level, it’s defined as one’s natural ability to do something.  In the real world, I’ll argue that it’s one’s ability to do something well.  That’s a function of natural ability and learned ability.  I’ve got a lab tested VO2 Max in the range of 70-75 ml/kg/min.  Compared to the average 23 year old male at say 45-50 ml/kg/min, that’s high.  In non-science-y terms, that basically means my body can take in oxygen at a level comparable to many professional endurance athletes.  The guys winning the NYC Marathon and Tour de France are normally just a wee bit higher at say 80-85 ml/kg/min.  That being said, I routinely get dropped by Cat 2 amateur cycling racers.  So I may have the natural capability to take in oxygen like a pro, but right now I’m not able to take my natural ability and fully exploit it.  And that’s “talent” in a nutshell: it’s not about potential, it’s about being able to exploit it.  Those people who can tap into their strengths tend to be really good at what they do and thusly have the ability to charge higher rates.

Now for the most difficult area, “experience” and experience.  This is the hardest area to simplify into a few sentences.  That’s mostly because it’s the easiest to manipulate.  And on that note, how do you really define experience?!?  I can’t even begin to give you an answer for the last question, but what I can tell you is experience is very subjective.  Just because you have 10-20 years of business experience does not mean you know anything about social media, SEO, etc.  It’s a great background, but the fact is “time in the business” or a long list of projects is a poor indicator of value or expertise.  What it does do is allow “experienced” freelancers to create strong networks of business relationships resulting in higher wages for the same work.  That’s “experience,” not experience.  Experience on the other hand is a major asset in setting your rates.  And from my personal experiences, experience does not have a direct relationship to time.  It’s correlational.

So know for the free work part: some SEO Tips.  SEO works like a skyscraper.  You need a solid base (good content) before you can build up (increase visibility).  Without it, your building will fall down.

 

1) Content.  If you have a boring website, no one will want to read it.  If you have content that is both relevant and engaging, you have your solid base.  Take for example Rem Koolhaas’s Seattle Public Library.  It’s got both and I never miss going to see it when I’m in Seattle.  How many libraries have that?

2) Internal Structure.  If you get the chance before it’s complete, visit the site of the NYC Freedom Tower.  I’ve been lucky enough to see the memorial lights in person two years in a row now and I’ve also made it a point to visit the area once a year to see the building’s progress.  Be like a skyscraper: make sure your site has a strong and highly interwoven internal structure (like the prior link).  Keep things organized with hierarchal organization and the sky really is the limit.

3) Nepotism works.  Ok, I’m not sure that’s the best description, but the principle is the same.  People recognize names.  Take for example this picture of UNC’s South Building.  As much as I would love to say this picture is a popular pathway through which people discover my site because it’s a great picture, it’s more likely because of the way Google classifies it according to its description.  In other words, if you want people to find your office on floor 42, don’t label the elevator button, aousdfa.

4) Visibility.  I’m going to bet that most of my readers could recognize the Empire State Building without me telling them it’s the Empire State Building.  Classic associations like the King Kong films really make the otherwise boring building (The Chrysler Building is much more interesting) a commonly recognized shape.  In the world of SEO, link building does the same.  Take for example Wikipedia.  According to Yahoo’s Site Explorer, it has 240 million in links.  I currently have 75 in links.  Guess which is going to score better with Google?

 

 

What’s in a Product Name? A lot.

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When consumers notice a new product that catches their eye, they notice two things: the visual look of the product and the name of the product.  Both are very powerful by themselves, but when combined, their power is enough to convince consumers to pay high premiums for name-brand products.  Oftentimes other more practical qualities influence the value of a product, but in markets like the vodka market, where there isn’t a huge difference between a $10 bottle and a $50 bottle, the product really is judged by its cover.  It’s the ultimate example of why branding is big business.

And that’s what makes product naming such a huge issue for new products and companies.  Coming up with the perfect name for a product or a company takes talent and it’s not something you can really learn.  Yes, it helps to have experience, but let’s face it, Ernest Hemingway didn’t learn to write, he learned to evolve and master his natural talent.

So what makes a great product name?  Does it need to be descriptive?  Does it need to evoke a feeling in the customer?  Does it need to be catchy?  Well the easy answer is, it all depends on the product.  There is no perfect check list for product naming.  I’ll argue that companies like Apple Computers have mastered the naming game (and I’m a fan of my own pet projects like DZ Nuts Blue Balls Edition), but that doesn’t really answer the question of what makes a great name?

Well, there is one thing I’ve noticed.  Good product names are memorable.  They contain an unnamed and indescribable quality that makes them perfect for their product.  Take for example Google.  Can you imagine Google being called anything else?  Or once again, look at Apple Computers.  Not only is the name easy to remember, but the name Apple fits Apple Computers perfectly.  Their products are like the fruit, traditionally non-flashy on the outside, but sweet in the middle.  And the way they have incorporated their personality into their advertising… I can pretty much answer “let’s look at what Apple did” to any advertising strategy question that comes up and come out safe 90% of the time.

But beware of having an odd name like Google.  In Google’s case, their name has that unnamed magical quality, but in most cases, odd names fail.  They pretty much end up becoming “that product.”  Consumers can recognize the product when they see it, but they can’t name it.  And in a world where it’s a lot easier to tell your friends the name of a product rather than showing them a picture… that’s not a winning situation unless your company is named Koenigsegg (Top Gear’s testing of “that car.”)

For a great example of a company that recognized the value that a great name can bring to a product, think of Finlandia Vodka.  The product name is unique, easy to say, and it instantly makes the consumer associate the product with Finland.  Compared to its sister product back in Finland, Koskenkorva, I think we can agree that Finladia is just a little better name.

DZ Nuts Blueballs Edition

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If you ride a bike much, you have probably experienced something known as a saddle sore.  It’s painful and not exactly a fun experience.  Luckily chamois creams are available and very effective.  And the best one I know of…  DZ Nuts.  I’ve tried many, but DZ Nuts is a clear winner.  And how can you expect anything else with a name like DZ Nuts?  Thank you Mr. Dave Zabriskie.  Seriously, thank you.

Well last spring I was out on a nice long early spring training ride (50-70 miles if my memory serves me well) when a glorious vision came to me.  Either that or it was some cyclo-based hallucination…  Either way, meet the DZ Nuts Blueballs Edition.  I think it’s a great product idea that fits well into the whole culture of DZ Nuts, but more importantly, I see this as an opportunity to take my cycling inspired joke product and do some good with it.  After some thought, I figured, why not try and get DZ Nuts to make DZ Nuts Blueballs Edition, partner with the LiveStrong Foundation, and raise some money for Testicular Cancer?  It’s a solid idea right?  Right now I’m still trying to get a hold of DZ Nuts, so if you know anyone…

And for some more entertainment… Dave Zabriskie.