When the truth comes out

"The most powerful element in advertising is the truth."
-William Bernbach, co-founder of DDB

I'd like to present two cases where advertising and marketing overshadowed the reality of the product.

1) The New York Times has an article about how wireless carriers charge for SMS (text messages). In summary, a text message is extra data carried on existing cell phone transmissions. This extra data takes up no extra space. So you're being charged for air. The smartest and most creative commercials can't overcome this revelation.

Via Fast Company and the New York Times


2) GM. Despite improving product quality, the perception that foreign cars were better than domestic cars drove away buyers. Spending $3 billion on advertising for subpar quality products won't help improve the product quality.

Via Google News search and Money Morning

images from zedomax and routing by rumor

update on text messaging: A California teenager sends and receives more than 14,000 text messages a month!

Merry Christmas from AKQA

I'm back from traveling for the holidays and catching up. This is a video from It's Nice That. Eco-friendly? No. Creative? Yes.

Monopoly Re-design (spec)

Stumbled upon this re-designed Monopoly box (from a design student in Maryland). So cool and so clean...

I would love to see how a re-designed Candyland or Chutes and Ladders might look. This could be a really cool art director's project - what a great way to re-vamp something so iconic.

Things I Have Learned in the Past 42 Months

What I have learned from college, aside from the book stuff, most of which I have forgotten already:

1. Good professors inspire their students to reach beyond their potentials.

2. Brains will take you far, but hard work will take you farther.

3. There's this thing called, "inspired work." It comes when you surround yourself with the right people.

4. Ask for help. You'll get a lot more done, and make good friends along the way too. Then, offer help to others.

5. Do more than just one thing, and do some random things. You'll have more fun eating a box of assorted Jelly Bellies than a box of all Cherry-flavored ones. And, finding a peanut in the midst of the Jelly Bellies is always amusing.

6. Nothing feels better than reaching your goals.

7. It's important to slack off too.

8. You know you are comfortable with who you are when you wear baggy sweatpants, an XL t-shirt, no make-up and a messy pony-tail to public places. Sometimes picking out a wedgie in public becomes pretty bland too.

9. You can never get too many manicures and pedicures.

10. Talk to everyone. You'll meet and bond with people you never would have before.

11. Forever friends are ones you have spent weeks with, without ever arguing or getting annoyed. Instead, you sleep converse, make butt indentions in their carpet from having sat there for too long. And meep. All the time.

12. I'm going to miss UT.

13. Make a baby during your college career, figuratively. Leave a legacy!

Some branding tips

Here are some links about how to brand yourself for dating, how to brand your hospital, and how to brand your tourism campaign.


1. Seattle Children's Hospital

From Brand New. Be sure to download their simple and effective branding brochure.


2. Tip 107 - If You Are Single, You Are in Sales

From Never Eat Alone.

Technically, this is sales. But sales and branding are intertwined
-David

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We're all in sales. Do you want a raise or a promotion? You're in sales. Do you have a new idea at work? You're in sales. Are you single? You are DEFINITELY in sales. Even though I was a CMO at Deloitte and then Starwood (where I also led sales for awhile), in fact I was really terrible at applying this "sales" wisdom in bars when I was single. But the rules are the same, whether you're selling a house, the services of your start-up, or yourself:

1. Understand your product. That's you. Know who you are - your strengths, your weaknesses, your mission - and what you have to offer someone.

2. Know your target. Focus on the other person. Ask about his or her passions. Be sensitive to the other person's emotional temperament (wild, introverted, etc.) and tweak your conversational style accordingly.

3. Solve someone's problem. Be generous by introducing her to a person she would benefit from knowing or offering him advice on his struggles. If the problem is a dateless Friday night, cha-ching!

Oh, yeah, if you're no longer single, you're also in sales! This is a great time of year to develop a little more "currency" with the one you love. Go overboard this year to remind her or him how much your relationship means to you! We're all in sales.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Warmest,
Keith

3. The iconic I Love New York campaign

From Brand New. It's nice to see a campaign develop around this classic logo.