Just launched a new app.

iBlurb was launched about 3 weeks ago. Sales have suddenly grown exponentially. See what all the fun is about!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iblurb/id349886725?mt=8

Cold Country

You know the climate you are living in is brutally cold when you reach into the refrigerator just to warm up.

Zig While The Others Zag

Shiny Object! Shiny Object!

Social media and on-line marketing are the darlings of today’s marketing efforts.

And for good reason. It is inexpensive, flexible, trackable and oh so now! But keep this in mind, while everyone is gravitating towards this new-age format that has already changed the way we communicate, there is a hole being left.

The vast empty space of print advertising and collateral.

In other words, while everyone is jumping on the band wagon to lemmingville, a big opportunity to make a continued impression and still place your brand on a wide-open pedestal exists now like no other time in recent history.

So while the shiny objects in the corner are attracting a lot of attention, now is your time to go old-school and capture greater market-share.

When competitors “borrow” your marketing message.

A question was recently asked of me by a very accomplished Marketing Director. She asked: “With the thousands and thousands of communities in most major metro areas, they all use the same verbiage. As soon as we try to use something “different” or “unique” we see it in a competitors advertising right away. What advice or tricks would you suggest in coming up with a truly unique message?”

 

My response:

Unfortunately, as soon as something unique or cool is developed, there will always be someone out there to imitate, “enhance” or just plain rip it off. Apple knows that. The folks that created “Got Milk” know that. (Think of all the headlines that came after that: “Got___?”)

On the other hand, it can sometimes create a healthy form of competition. Camero vs. Firebird, Mac vs. PC. Paper vs. plastic!

I think the best way to answer the question is in how we execute concepts.It is our style to continually create and innovate. We try to never let our clients rest on one design or one message for too many consecutive weeks or even months. Instead, we focus on creating a “concept” that can continually be modified over time. That way when we zig and the others zig, we are poised to zag.

Hire an ad/design team that honors the concept of “the Big Idea” and you will potentially grab ownership of that share of the market. Maybe even become synonymous in the way that people ask for your brand, like Coke and Kleenex.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but frankly, I think it’s a compliment we can all do without it.

Pushing The Agenda

There seems to be a shift in the messages and stories that we are seeing and reading. Especially in the advertising trade journals.  It’s all about social media. Does anyone get the feeling that we are in the middle of a swell that is shifting how, when, where, why and who we communicate with?

For those that have been a part of it for years, it may seem like the world is infringing on their private domain. Those days are over. Marketers and the curious are now jumping on this bandwagon that is already moving at breakneck speed. And as more and more people take a seat, the added weight is propelling it at a faster rate.

If you have been a part of this for years, you have the upper hand. Use it to pat yourself on the back. If you are on the sidelines wondering what it is all about, I say, jump on and figure it out as you go along.

This is no longer a fad, it is the way communications is trending. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.com/mikellads and – of course – our site www.mikelladvertising.com

or read this quick commentary.

http://utahpulse.com/featured_article/social-media-minute-social-media-101

Cheers!

a brief pause for man, woman and children’s best friend

Today I said good bye to a very cool dog. Indy, our family Golden Retriever, was one week shy of 15 years old. She lead an uneventful, peaceful life filled with sleep, play and regular eats. She aptly lead a dog’s life. Over the decade and a half, she became not only a loved and valued family member but a source of calm, laughs and comfort for us all.

Time is a funny thing. An eternity in some respects and a blink in others. A dog’s life, while seemingly meaningless, truly embraces the concept of relax, share, take it easy, be loyal and love. So here’s a heartfelt, farewell to a great Golden. The leash is now gone. Take the lead, it’s time to run free.

Scrappy Lil’ Agencies

I recently read an article that credited the small entrepreneur for being the foundation of the economy. Remember, it’s the little folks that have something to prove on a regular basis. Hire them and they will fight for you. Partner with them and they will help to carry you. Challenge them and they will respond. Long live Scrappy!