DMG Accolades

Deco Marketing Group was just told they are part of the Who's Who of Marketing/Advertising and PR for the Santa Barbara area!  This will be the 2nd year in a row we are included and we want to thank the Pacific Coast Business Times and, of course, our clients!!! The publication comes out 2/25.  Check out www.pacbiztimes.com for more information.

Super Bowl 2011: Stories, Humor and Tags

The best of the best Super Bowl Ads were all about the story this year: Eminem and Chrysler, Audi’s Escape the Confines of Luxury, Darth Vader.  (hmmm, and apparently cars!!) But that doesn’t mean there were some hilarious moments, too – Roseanne, anyone?

Here is my breakdown of winners:

I loved the Eminem spot – a 2 minutes spot promoting the Chrysler 200, but so much more. Motor City- awesome PR for Detroit, a city that really needs some love.  What was great about this spot was that it had heart. It was a big move to spend two minutes on a message about a car, but what we realized was that the spot was much more. And to summarize it in one simple tag is the ultimate in marketing success.  Imported From Detroit. Enough said!

Speaking of tags, are they making a comeback? I really like Bud Light’s “Great Times Are Waiting” and felt it was worth mentioning.  The spots, however, are another story.. moving on.

Volkswagen really won fans with its heartfelt Darth Vader commercial. When my husband called it cute (having seen it before I had) I mocked him. But he was right, it was perfectly adorable.  Not a word was spoken, but the mix of music, imagery, childhood dreams, and a good dad, made this spot a perfect representation of a brand and has been continually talked about for a week.  Mini Darth even appeared on the Today show – that shows you how successful ads can be!  Take a look at it for yourself:

RELEASE THE HOUNDS!  Kenny G! Again, a story unfolds.  The confines of a luxurious prison, the clinking of the crystal, the escape attempt (or stroll as the guard commented), and the inevitable choice between old and new luxury.  We were on a little ride with these gentlemen and wanted them to succeed.  The message was clear and the execution flawless.  Again, story intermixed with humor and a brilliant spot resulted.

Stylistically, I loved the 21st Century Beetle.  take a look at this commercial:

As for the hilarious, Doritos started out slow… I don’t know what was up with the guy taunting a pug who then can break down a door. Not funny – although I have a feeling I am in the minority on that one.  But I was hooked from there on out… the Office Space guy licking his colleagues fingers was perfect – isn’t that how much we love Dorito’s?  And they continued to impress with the spot about a lazy roommate who used Dorito’s to restore plants, fish… even Grandpa.  I think Dorito’s captured humor the right way and hit this year’s spots out of the park!

A lot of people thought that Timothy Hutton’s shall we say, mockery, of the political times in Tibet was of poor taste but wasn’t it more of a mockery of Cause-Oriented Celebs?  I think Hutton took a page from the Ricky Gervais book of humor and I was on board. I give Groupon.com a solid B for that ad.

Snickers tried to reignite the spark from last year’s Betty White spot (who knew an ad could refuel someone’s career?) but came short.   Roseanne was hilarious but Richard Lewis didn’t bring it for me. Maybe if someone else had been cast to play the whiner it could have worked, but it was just not there. I do know that this spot was the most popular TIVO spot to get rewound and watched multiple times… but I am guessing it was to watch Roseanne get knocked down by a big piece of lumber.  Watch it again here:

What’s a Bieber? So funny! Ozzy and Justin Bieber were a great blend of humor and demographics.  Best Buy kind of reached out to everyone in that ad, and did it with fun.  I thought the spot was great.

Finally, I have to give the NFL some acknowledgment. Best. Fans. Ever. After watching this, who isn’t nostalgic or reflective of all the great times celebrated in front of the TV, watching the game, with your real life family and your TV families.  That was a perfect wrap up of what the Super Bowl is about and positioned deep in the 3rd quarter – perfect placement.

Not everyone was a winner.. there were a few that just didn’t have it.
On the Sidelines: Teleflora.com, BMW, CareerBuilder.com, Pepsi– they were just ok.
Losers: Stella Beer with Adrien Brody, E-Trade
So, agree or disagree, these are my thoughts.  I am happy to hear yours too… feel free to share!

Marketing Consultants…What are they good for?

 I met a potential client the other day and I really hope we can bring on this account because it’s perfect for our group.  It has a true entrepreneurial story that we love: A business born of an idea and grown from the heart.    This meeting got me thinking about how consultants can help small businesses grow, how marketing is such an important part of a business plan but often neglected,    and how consultants are sometimes more like partners thank vendors …. Like many clients we have worked with, this group contacted us because they needed marketing direction, but as we discussed their situation, it became clear that they also needed assistance streamlining business objectives. We stand by our credo: DMG is your personal marketing department, and we work with many smaller businesses that don’t have an internal marketing department to speak of.  In this capacity, we tend to act as a business consultant with marketing expertise.  This has become a natural evolution of our role, as it’s important to understand a client’s full business model in order to improve and grow the company. 

The problem many companies face is finding the time to implement marketing strategies that they know need to be done.  As you can see from the graph, a marketing plan has many components.   You spend so much time doing the busy-ness of business rather than doing the business of marketing.  With so many options today, it is essential for businesses to focus on what they do best: sell a product or service.  

So, what does this mean for you when you decide you need marketing help?  It is important to think about what you really need.  Maybe all you want is graphic work or a new website, for example.  Like DMG, many marketing groups can provide that.  But maybe you need a partner, a coach who can help you formulate marketing plans and strategies. This is when you want a consultant who will:

·         Develop a marketing plan

·         Refine business plans

·         Analyze business operations

·         Create corporate identity

·         Devise marketing strategy and execute it tactically

Bottom line, think of your marketing consultant as your partner.  Maybe you want to start out with only collateral pieces.  But when you are ready, make sure your marketing consultant is equipped to offer you much more than that.  If you need us to be, we will be your partner and get down and dirty, so you can spend the bulk of your time building your business, doing what you love and making your dream a success!

Local Marketing Tactics that Work

We are getting close to the Super Bowl which means I will be sharing my analysis of the spots: all that is bright, boring, and blog-worthy!  In celebration of this annual tradition, where national advertisers are just as important as the game itself, I thought I would give kudos to some local marketing efforts that have recently grabbed my attention….

First of all, in a small city like Santa Barbara, we may not have as much a need (yet) for groupon.com BUT we do have sbaxxess.com. We all know about the annual savings book that gives back to local schools but one of my favorite perks of being an Axxess member is the Axxess Daily Deals email.  Friday’s email? A mani AND pedi for only $27! I’ll take that.  No matter what deal they offer, there is always a savings that I can review quickly.  It is an effective marketing tactic because it offers an immediate benefit and saves me time! 

Email marketing can be effective if you do it right.  Like Axxess, use your current customers and offer them a benefit right up front.  Don’t forget about loyalty.  It is more expensive to get new customers than to retain your current ones so give them reason to stay with you. People are busy and don’t have a lot of time to spend sorting through emails.  Make the email professional, graphically pleasing, and clarify the benefit immediately.  You’re sure to see your click through and open rates rise by following these very simple rules.

How about your mailbox?  Think that print marketing and direct mail are a thing of the past?  Think again….Ablitt’s is our dry cleaner and every month when I get a bill, the first thing I do is read that little insert that’s promoted everything from new management announcements to word definitions to non-profits.  This month I learned how Ablitt’s is modifying its biodegradable plastic process to be a bit greener.  These notes of humor and information make opening a bill a little more enjoyable. 

When mailing to clients or potential clients, it doesn’t always have to be a blatant sales pitch.   Remember, your brand isn’t just what you offer but who you are.  I look for the Ablitt’s insert every month and have come to expect it.  When trying a clever mailing, be consistent.   By creating a message, you are developing your brand.  I recently read a statement “Your brand is how you communicate the essence of your business.”  By mailing something consistently, that offers humor, information, or some other BENEFIT, you are creating the essence of your brand, your business.  Create an idea of who you are in your consumer’s mind by not only offering services or products and putting your logo everywhere, but by expressing your brand through nontraditional pieces.  If you are a yoga instructor, send a health tip each month, if you are a restaurant owner, highlight seasonal recipes in a recipe card. 

I always love hearing about creative and interesting marketing pieces and will happily highlight your favorites, too. The next time something inspires you, share it with me at inspiration@decomarketinggroup.com!

Your Brand Is What Your Consumers Think It Is

Building a brand is not simple, but if you dedicate some time to thinking about who you are and who your customers perceive you to be, you will probably discover simple tweaks that can make your brand stand out.

The Pac-10 is in the middle of a complete rebrand. It has a new logo, for one, to illustrate the essence of the Pac-10. It was found that the Pac-10 elicited an awareness of place – the ocean, the mountains majesty, etc… The new logo is built on this awareness – attempting to emphasize West Coast, Innovation, and Championships. The conference has identified its brand and is now trying to reintroduce itself to the sports world, increasing media exposure and hoping to attract the big media dollars. Obviously with a budget like the Pac-10's, the conference can renegotiate with ESPN, extending the brand to Asia, and hire its own Ari Gold by using lead agency CAA to leverage its Hollywood connection. 

But there are also simple modifications that will make a difference – ones that you can utilize immediately. Before now, teams were never required to wear conference patches, displaying the conference logo, on uniforms. What? Doesn't that seem obvious? Free exposure! Brand building! Creating awareness! But even large organization like the Pac-10 can miss the obvious. So what is the lesson? 

You don't need to hire an expensive branding firm who will execute thousands of interviews to establish what your brand is or how it's perceived. Do your own study. Ask your clients what they think of when they think of your business. Offer discounts for those who take the time to provide feedback. Email out surveys – Constant Contact has them at an inexpensive rate. Create a social media plan – it doesn't take long to update Facebook and Twitter with ideas, discounts or general industry comments. Your customers will respond. Read these comments and start assessing what you can do differently, what you are missing, and where you are getting it right. Simple steps and tweaks can help you communicate more clearly with your customer.

If you have a moment, take the time to read more about the Pac-1o's rebranding efforts: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/07/26/pac-10/1.html.

Daily News - Old Spice Ads Win Fans, Not Sales - TAXI: The Global Creative Network

Why isn't the Old Spice Social Media Campaign turning into $$$?

Daily News - Old Spice Ads Win Fans, Not Sales - TAXI: The Global Creative Network

How to Keep Up With Your Blog Roll

If you are like me, you follow a ton of blogs.  My good friend, Donna Romani, shared a great tip with me and I am passing it on to you!

We all read blogs for inspiration, information, or pure enjoyment. Whether for work or play, it sometimes feels like a job in and of itself just to keep up.  Google Reader is a great way to manage all of your blogs, websites (with feed) and online sources of information.  Sign in or create an account with Google Reader to get started. (www.google.com/reader)

This tool offers:

• a personalized front page that shows snippets of headlines from your favorite blogs/sites/etc.
• an easy way to review headlines - either as a list or in expanded view form - where you can read a few lines or a few paragraphs to decide if you want to head over to read the entire post
• ability to search through your blogs/sites/etc (also called subscriptions) to find topic related information
• ex. search "marketing" and entries from Chief Inspiration Officer will come up 

Here is what my front page looks like:

Obviously, there are a lot of other features you can explore with Google Reader.  For easy time management, start with the basics.  I know you will love it. And... don't forget to add Chief Inspiration Officer to your subscription feed.  (Or, simply subscribe so you don't miss anything!)

One last tip, check out Donna Romani's blog for the latest trends and tips in the event planning world. 

Go create.

Your Chief Inspiration Officer