Are You B!tching?

Shakespeare said it best when he penned Juliet’s famed line, “What’s in a name?” But could it be possible that calling a rose by another name does make it lose its sweetness? What if instead that which we call a rose was named a bitch (excuse my “French”!)?

ABC has two new primetime comedies with rather risqué titles. Don’t Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 airing on Wednesdays and Sunday night’s comedy GCB (based off the book Good Christian Bitches) both hint dangerously at the big bad “B” word. So what implications if any does this have? A recent Broadcasting & Cable article explored this question and found a mixed bag of both concern and nonchalance.

The biggest problem ABC affiliates find with these risqué titles is that when people are upset with the network’s programming, they often take it out on the regional affiliates. Imagine being mad at the nice lady working at the Wal-Mart register because you disapprove of Wal-Mart’s corporate policies. But even in these instances, the pushback on the names has been minimal. GCB’s  “in development” title was originally the full Good Christian Bitches. They later switched it to Good Christian Belles and finally what we know and love today, GCB. It is interesting to note, that while the show is controversial on its own, as tackling religion and comedy must be done delicately, after ABC made the final name change, the flood of angry viewers greatly lessened.

The second issue that arises when a show has a controversial title or content is that advertisers may pull out or ask not to air during the offending show’s timeslot. As both of these shows are new, it is difficult to determine if an advertiser’s request for one of the shows to be on the “not preferred list” is due to it simply being new and therefore a rating risk or because of the controversial names.

So really, what is in a name?  A name with bitch or a similar naughty word does standout. It’s memorable and at the moment, rare. But it definitely will throw off a fair amount of people. But that’s what target audience research is all about. Don’t Trust the B---- is most-likely targeting 20- and 30-somethings who could care less about the title. At the end of the day, when choosing a name, the most important step is to know your audience and write for them.

Building Your Brand With Pinterest

Pinterest. The utterly addicting, high enjoyable online 'collage' that has taken the social media world by storm. For those of you unaware of the wonder that is Pinterest, I quote from their website: "Pinterest is a virtual pinboard that lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web." Thanks to this simple site, my wedding has been planned (I'm not engaged), my dream house has been decorated in a way that would make the HGTV Design Star judges jealous (I don't own a house) and the whole world knows that my taste in literature ranges from The Fountainhead to Harry Potter.


But beyond an individual's board showcasing the most enticing recipes they've probably never attempted, Pinterest is a subtle yet effective venue for marketing. A recent AdWeek article discusses how retailers (especially those with an online presence) are jumping at the bit to create boards and their products "repinned." According to the article, in January 2012, Pinterest drove more referral traffic than Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube combined (Shareaholic). But beyond the simple pinning of products, with its unique platform, Pinterest is a creative venue for building a brand.


We always tell our clients that it is crucial to make it personal when developing a brand. With Pinterest a company can create boards with images, quotes and more to tell the story of your organization. Interested in trying this for your brand? Check out Chobani's Pinterest page to see examples of what you could do to show your brand's personality.

Mobile Phone Advertising

I’m sitting on my lunch break, catching up on a few neglected Words With Friends games on my iPhone. After entering in my amazing 71-point word (love those triple letters on a triple words), I’m forced to spend a few seconds on an advertisement for some other game or app before I can get back to planning my next genius move. While only about as irritating as fly buzzing around, it is something I would rather do without.

Mobile advertising is a tricky business as a recent New York Times article explains. Because you are dealing with a much smaller face than that of a desktop, laptop or even a tablet, an ad that you may barely notice on the big screen becomes overwhelming on the 5-inch screen on your smartphone.

According to the article, there were more shipments globally of smartphones then personal computers in 2011. Taking that into consideration, it is clear that the advertising challenge on these mobile devices is a widespread issue. If people are using mobile browsing instead of logging on to an actual computer, how can companies reach their consumers without annoying them by constantly taking over their screen? Or, on the flipside, the ad being so small that it is completely ignored?

Facebook is one company facing this challenge. They have not yet found a way to make real money through their mobile app. With more than half of Facebook’s 845 million users signing on through their phone, the company is missing out on a giant revenue building resource.

So now, for Facebook and other companies facing the same problem, it is time to get creative. There are many more subtle ways to advertise without commandeering your screen. The article points out location services where users “check in” to different venues or perhaps sponsored stories popping into the stream of newsfeed updates.

I completely understand the challenge these companies are facing, yet also as an active smartphone user, do not want to be inundated with ads on my small screen. I believe that taking the more clever methods of location services and sponsored stories among lists of other information is a start, and am curious to see what the future holds. What do you think would be the most efficient (and creative) form of mobile device advertising?

Once again, Google is keeping us on our toes

Google announced last week that they are designing an alternative to their AdWords program, called Dynamic Search Ads. The concept is quite simple: instead of using a keyword and matching it to a relevant page, Google is taking a page and matching it to a relevant keyword. Ads are generated straight from your website.

So, what does this mean for your brand? As of now, Dynamic Search Ads can really be an asset to your business. You no longer need to churn out hundreds of keywords, you have more control over what you target, and you'll probably also see an increased number of clicks, giving you a greater ROI.

But there is a downside: although the user is seeing exactly what they want, this limits how sneaky you can be when it comes to Search Engine Optimization. Because search results are based on your website content, you can't advertise alongside similar products (for example, you can no longer use your competitors name or product as a keyword) which cuts down on potential click-throughs.

However, this new method places high importance on one thing: good website design and content management. If an advertiser wants to fully optimize the new Google AdWords, they need to be sure their website is up-to-date and has the appropriate content. Otherwise, their AdWord campaign may not be as successful as they hoped.

All of this begs the question, does your website say what you want it to say? What products do you most want to highlight? Is there any outdated information listed? There are numerous considerations to keep in mind when designing a great website, and I think now more people will realize how vital great website design is to their business.

Designed for Success

While I was writing this blog, we received the sad news that Steve Jobs had passed away. What a wonderfully creative legacy he leaves behind, and I can't help but wonder what amazing "inventions" we'll miss.

Vrginia Business magazine had a great article in its September issue, which argues the impact that design can have on business. In the wake of Steve Jobs' untimely passing, I find it even more appropriate that President and Publisher Bernie Niemeier chose to use Apple as evidence of how the two can successfully intertwine. He even goes so far as to re-bal it a "design"company rather than its original title of "hardware" or "software" company.

In my opinion, it's indisputable evidence of the ability for design to "separate winners from losers in business," as Niemeier asserts. And for me, this confirms the very essence of what we've done for years. The foundation of a company is of course the talent, ideas, products and expertise; but growth depends on successful brand development and marketing. As consumers, we subconsciously identify successful brands with malleable attributes like design or company culture.

We recently helped Stacey Sparkman Hall, D.D.S. launch her new dental practice, Williamsburg Center for Dental Health.

Our first step was to get to know Stacey, and in the process identify her brand. We then found ways to funnel these ideals, images and colors into a brand platform, which extends from her logo and tagline ("Personalized Solutions You Can Smile About") to the laid-back "Nantucket"-inspired decor of her office and teal-accented promotional launch campaign. As with the oft-discussed Apple Stores, we focused on the consumer experience and brand connectivity of her firm, moving beyond the service itself.

And in the process of doing so, everything from her office paint colors to her website now has a sense of unity that "is" uniquely Stacey.

I always say our job is to speak for our clients before they meet their customers, and the leave the door cracked afterwards. Helping them build and sustain a successful brand does just that. And what's even better - we think it's fun!

The original article in Virginia Business magazine can be found here.

What's Good Writing Got to Do With It?

Way back when, my late father, who was managing partner in a large accounting firm, complained that many of the young people coming on board didn't know how to write properly. While these college graduates displayed sufficient talent for performing accounting tasks, the reports they were required to prepare contained writing flaws of all sorts: incomplete sentences, grammar gaffes and, of course, horrendous spelling errors.

So there were already numerous minefields out there in the writing world when along came the Web, email, Twitter and texting. And before long we were knee-deep in shorthand, because 1) we were all so busy, and 2) it was all so hip.

As an English major, I cringe when I open an email message that is not only rendered with indecipherable brevity but in all lowercase letters as well. A complete sentence might be hidden in there somewhere, but it's tough to find. And I resent even having to try.

Back in the day, good writing was essential to good business. Oddly enough, it still is. Writing, after all, is a communication skill. It is a critical component of effective marketing. It provokes thought, makes a salient point, drives clarity. Simply put, good writing packs a lot more power than even the most clever cyber shorthand.

There are so many places you can go to brush up on English usage and writing essentials, but two of my favorites -- because they are invariably useful, straightforward and entertaining -- are The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White and The Chicago Manual of Style Online.

Dad would have loved them both.

Brand Protection "Situation"

Protecting brands has risen to a new level...or maybe I should say fallen.

Abercrombie & Fitch is paying Michael "The Situation" of Jersey Shore to NOT wear their branded clothes.

Is it real outrage - or just PR? We used to say that all PR was good PR, but sometimes doesn't it just seem like trash is trash? What'cha think?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/08/18/exp.am.abercrombie.hanft.cnn?iref=allsearch