Home page (left), Clients page (right)
Sally and I recently collaborated on the building of sallysisson.com 2.0, her online entity. The newly launched website provides a virtual introduction, necessary background information describing clients and projects, and downloadable completed work samples.
Read More
Pages from Privafy’s graphic standards manual
“Consistency, consistency, consistency!” is the rallying cry of ongoing or developing Privafy marketing projects. With tight budgets and limited opportunities for brand expression, every Privafy piece must confirm that it originated within the same organization.
Read MoreIn honor of ‘International Talk Like A Pirate Day,’ I am reposting a link to one of our (FREE) ebooks, “TWEETING BLACKBEARD: How clever brand strategy, word-of-mouth advertising & social networking, brought a premature end to the world’s greatest pirate”.
Read More
Why is it that we feel the need to shorten word groupings to either initials, acronyms, or shortened nicknames?
Read More
I was a bit taken aback that an individual who made a living selling online marketing service might consider maintaining an anonymous on-screen identity.
Read More
The original SciCoh logotype (2009)
Over the past seven years, the board has worked with me in establishing a SciCoh Sharks Brand demonstrated through a website, email campaigns, fundraising materials and apparel. It always gives me a warm feeling when I walk around town and see a young person wearing a SciCoh sweatshirt, T-shirt, baseball hat, or fleece beanie.
Read More
Obviously, I have been in the marketing communications business way too long. I know this because I now have the tendency to dissect taglines–searching for hidden meaning, as well as the reason for their existence.
Here are two prime examples.
I was recently visiting Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. On the door of their Facilities Management vehicles, the slogan beneath their iconic shield is: “We Care”. To my occasionally cynical business mind, this tagline/slogan was developed only to combat a popular feeling amongst those familiar with this fine Ivy League Institution, that this particular department really didn’t care — or worse, couldn’t care less.
I am not saying that this is true, it’s just the way that marketing mind has been reconfigured over the past three decades.
Although, when you really think about it, why would an organization spend the time and resources developing such a communications device — if it wan’t attempting to squelch a popular belief amongst the general population? Why wouldn’t they care? Why is there the need to announce it? If I am paying a gazillion dollars for a college education, I would only hope that they care-even just a little!
I recently found another example of “sketchy” marketing copy on the label of a gallon of spring water purchased at a local convenience store. Not only is the plastic jug’s content spring water, it is “Select” spring water. This begs the question — are there multiple grades of spring water, as in gasoline? What determines which is regular spring water, mid-grade spring water or select? Does select spring water carry more important vitamins and minerals? Or is the regular variety more likely to contain leaf particles and pollywog residue?
My marketing copywriter pal, Jim Montgomery often describes taglines (or slogans) as barnacles that often grow on the bottom of a boat. From time to time, they just need to be scraped off. – Doug.
(I write this with my “snarkasm” filter cranked up to 11)
If you are like me, while on business travel, you are hanging around your corporate hotel room and suddenly it dawns on you. Hey! Wouldn’t it be great to have an exact replica of this room carefully tucked within my very own residence!
Marriott's In-Room Catalog
Sure this would be great–but think of the time involved in tracking down the exact bed runner, shower head, table lamp, the slightly used terry-cloth robe and the aromatherapy personal care products. Who has the time?
The marketing wizards at Marriott have developed their own in-room catalog–providing an easy-to-follow online shopping roadmap–making this far-fetched dream an easy-to-obtain reality. Prices range from $40 for the projection alarm clock up to $3642 for the Complete King-sized bed package (Euro Sham, Euro Pillow, Accent Pillow, Duvet Cover, Matelasse Deluxe Bed Skirt).
If you are like me, your fingers will want to immediately run (not walk) to www.shopmarriott.com. Enjoy! – Doug.
