GLS Blog

Coming Home AK (After Katrina)

2007-04-26T06:48:00.001-07:00

The following is an excerpt from an article by Gary Simon, owner of GLS. Memories of Katrina and what she did to New Orleans and GLS are still very fresh in our minds today.

A natural disaster is an event we accept as inevitable. If it doesn’t involve us personally, we still watch a tsunami or earthquake on television with incredible disbelief. If it does happen to you, though, a Katrina for instance, your life, within hours, goes into a tailspin and everything that was once important takes on an entirely new meaning. Possessions, of course, are still meaningful, but what will always be paramount is keeping your family out of harm’s way. But you also don’t want to lose your car or dog or favorite jogging jacket, either. Priorities, you need to prioritize your life and prepare yourself for the worst possible scenario. You can’t imagine all the details because you’ve never been in a situation where “the Big One” was coming; you’ve never lost a house or been hit by a tornado or hurricane. You’ve been safe for the most part, and so has your family and you don’t want to see anything change.

First thing then is to protect your property while you have it so there’s this other person outside yourself scrambling about like a mad person on adrenalin, tossing about objects, swooping up clothes and books to take on a trip. Your heart’s pounding, your hands are wet, and you can’t stop dwelling on the inevitable. Both sides of your brain are in high gear and you can’t seem to focus. Hard as it is you must get your head straight on packing up your family to safety and traveling hundreds of miles with your wife, dog and cats. You don’t have the time, or luxury, to consider how you’ll be imposing yourself on relatives who’ll feed you and provide you shelter. There are no minutes left to weigh the possible consequences, such as trees falling through your roof or the potential destruction to the rest of your property. You don’t have a second to spare concerning this wretched nightmare or why you’ve suddenly become the victim. You’ve always taken whatever’s come your way, but this time it’s different. This is something too bizarre and surreal. All you can do is react and prepare.

For decades you’ve lived in your Louisiana home knowing full well how foolish you were to believe you could escape the inevitable. You’ve anticipated this moment, you’ve known of its overwhelming probability and even with all your mental rehearsals it’s still impossible to internalize such a hellish chapter and make sense of it.

Your thoughts are not altogether racing. You’re numb, but still rational enough to get some perspective as you prepare to travel north tonight. You can’t altogether visualize the imminent damage although you run through categories of people who can later help repair the mess. You don’t know any carpenters since you’ve never required their services in the first place. The same goes for sheet-rock persons and tree removal companies. Later, you’ll be asking your wife to call neighbors who might know other neighbors who can tell us what to do–just in case.

All this frenzy will never equal the anguish when you do arrive back home and witness for yourself the damage. All the clichés in the world can’t capture the seconds or describe your terror because with trees lined up for miles along your streets and your lawn turned to dust and your roof caved in and your air conditioner looking like a smashed metal container, all you can feel is a dismal sense of despair. You gaze around and the trees are down and what you see is wasteland. The piece of dirt you’re standing on has no meaning because this isn’t your property any more. In fact, you don’t even know where you are.

All that was familiar once has no connection at the present. Everything that you’ve worked so hard toward has been moved or erased. You don’t know where you’re going to sleep or how you’re going to pay for any new beginnings. You don’t even know how you’re going to take care of your cats and you’re grateful that you left your dog behind in Indiana with your sister-in-law.

You can’t stand up here in the middle of your backyard. It’s almost 5pm and you worry about the dark and no air conditioning in September in New Orleans. It’s 90 degrees outside and over 100 inside a filthy, semi-wrecked house. You can’t seem to make it inside since you’re too immobile to move. You’ve never been hit with a baseball bat but now you know the numbness. It hurts so deep that you feel tears on your cheeks and for the first time you wish it were all over.

Either you convince your wife to get in the car and leave immediately or you just stop this madness at once. Not another minute can you keep your eyes open. Not another minute can you even think about living through the night because you’re already on your knees and you know you can’t get up. If there is a God, let him have mercy on me and just let me keep my eyes closed. Let me stay here, on the ground, wet with sweat and tears and just lie silent. No more. Just let me be.

2007 Super Bowl Ads–What Direction, America?

2007-02-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

Any reasonable person watching the Super Bowl could possibly have been offended by some of this year’s crop of lame 2.3 million dollar, 30 second commercials. I know I was. Every season I look forward to this granddaddy event. This is where agencies and their multi-billion dollar clients are expected to bring to the table their best marketing savvy. But sadly, at least for this premiere event, they don’t come close and this year was no exception. This time around, in fact, it only took 90 minutes before I switched off the television without looking back the rest of the evening.

I had similar feelings during last year’s Super Bowl where I struggled through three hours of pointless commercials, cursing along the way at those costly agencies that should have known better. For instance, if an audience is not told what a company does or produces, if an ad holds back relevant content or information about a product, if a commercial is so lame as to neglect to deliver a message, then why are corporations squandering millions of dollars? Why are they wasting my time?

In showing me how well they have mastered their multi-media/hi-tech programs, most agencies accomplished the opposite of what they set out to do–at least from my perspective. They didn’t gain an audience or new buyer; they lost a prospective buyer (e) since a. I can’t remember who those companies were, b. what they were selling or c. even if they had a product or service I required.

This year the commercial presentations did the impossible and surpassed 2006 in terms of generating limp ideas and neglecting the age range of its audience. The ads went leaps and bounds off the consumer charts with loads of color, action and action (did I say action?) but miniscule marketing presence. Inclusive in this package of wasted stupidities was one empty missile after another. Most commercials were so recklessly concocted that my focus constantly shifted from their supposed commercial message to what really annoyed me–a haphazard and juvenile delivery.

All in all, I can’t put all the blame on the agencies that played recklessly with their advertisers’ dollars. The American public may have to share part of this blame, since it was to all of us that advertisers were appealing. Moreover, if today’s marketers believed its audience was only receptive to basement humor, silly pranks and first grade dialogue then maybe should someone check and see if they’re right?

Personally, I don’t feel the majority has quite yet sunk to these levels although, I will grant, our intelligence barometer is certainly approaching dangerous readings. I will also agree that while we continue to academically and socially miss our potential, it’s not to any advertiser’s benefit to play upon our shortcomings. In doing so he both loses a sale and an audience.

Still, there’s a warning that needs to be heeded. It’s been noted time and again that this nation has never had an Enlightened period. We started with a bang with Jefferson and Franklin. In between these two marvelous gents and the Transcendental crowd to the present there’s been a growing demise in our behavior and education. To be frank, we’ve taken a spiraling turn away from enrichment and decency. But even with this downward trend, I don’t believe we’ve fallen to levels that marketers think we have–although we’re close.

Few could argue that these Super Bowl commercials were eye-opening reminders of the rut we’re in. It’s not a place where I wish to hang my hat or spend much time. Yet, how did we go from children of Coke singing around the universal Christmas tree to people exchanging vaudevillian slaps, portraying dim-witted, obtuse antics? I don’t have an answer. I just know we have. Turn on any TV channel or radio station. Scan the magazine racks. It’s pretty much the same bubble gum and glitter buffoonery.

Given all this, maybe I shouldn’t have been totally surprised by the wasted efforts that have come to epitomize Super Bowl commercials. After the first 10 minutes of slug and punch this year I was hoping that maybe someone in Marketingville would feel a bit sorry for me and drag up an old Bud frog commercial or maybe contact Aflac and entice one of these achievers with a spot on its advertising calendar.

But we, the viewing audience, had no such luck. Not this year anyhow. Instead of Cindy Crawford crossing cow fields, high-priced agencies went into high gear with their bells and whistles. Flash without substance. Yet, it’s that area of substance that we should be looking to hook up with again. We have to up the ante and begin raising the bar a bit. We need to start to extend our reach over low comedic and frivolous attempts. Before we all go verbally deaf, communicators need to put real meaning back into their words. Their sights should strive to reach beyond the mundane and extraordinarily ridiculous.

Advertisers need to connect honestly with themselves if only to remind one another that not all Americans are the buffoons they wish to portray. We might have taken a temporary backslide in terms of academic and social progress, but we don’t wish for others to drag us through the muck time and again. To whose benefit is it really?

Besides, if we’re that mixture of buffoonery and geek they believe us to be, playing upon these denigrating behaviors probably won’t guarantee a hard sell. But try to stretch the mark and play to the creative, and even the beautiful, maybe then you might find a more receptive audience. Besides, I probably won’t turn off the TV next time, either.

Postcard Advertising

2006-07-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Recently, we had two clients at GLS pose some interesting questions about their postcard advertising. It seems their comments were almost identical. The main point was that neither received the BIG response they were hoping for from their direct mail marketing. In other words they didn't land the next Microsoft. When I said that we have to continue with the campaign neither nixed the idea; they just baulked and essentially said, "If we didn't catch the big fish last month, what makes you think it will happen this month?"

Well, the truth is I don't know if you'll bring in the "big" client any time soon, but standing on the sidelines won't turn your business around either. OK, you didn't hit a grandslam the last time out; but you certainly didn't strike out. You paid for your printing and picked up some new business. The next time out you might achieve stronger results and even capture the attention of those bigger companies you're targeting. You can try mailing the cards out to the same people, or you may wish to use another list. If you chose the former, the individual who should have received the card in the first place may now actually get your postcard in his hands. There might be follow-up on his end as well and he just might have someone from his office contact you! A new list will provide a whole new playing field. The possibilities are unknown (remember: there is no perfect answer). Yet, the probability that a strong, creative campaign with a memorable targeted message will capture attention, and hopefully clients, is the best attitude to have.

With all marketing we like our clients to do follow-through. You might not be able to call everyone on your mailing list (we can do that for you), but you can do a random sampling. You have the excuse now to make the call and to introduce yourself. You can ask the respondent if he/she received the information and if the answser is positive then you can inquire whether there is a need for your services. If they can't remember your postcard (it might have been included in the trash mail--by mistake, of course) then now's the time to introduce yourself and your company. You can't think of this as cold-calling since you already reached out to the person via your postcard. As a professional, you're simply calling to see if your printed piece was positively received, and if it was, then to try to convert your call into a potential sale.

So whether or not you receive emails or phone calls from your postcard advertising, there are ways to capitalize on the campaign. If you feel strongly about your messge, but come up short with the first mailing, then wait a few weeks and repeat the process. While some might have liked what they saw in your messge but still neglected to respond, maybe this time they will. Reminding others that you're with a great company that does great things is the best approach I can recommend. If they hear and see the message enough times and they like it, chances are they just might pick up the phone and wish to talk.

The State Of Marketing

2005-06-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

It seems that most companies still don't get it, particularly smaller and individually-owned companies. They either don't perceive the value of marketing or refuse to put their money in areas they don't understand. Even when the "true, real" value of advertising is explained, the vast majority will remain comfortably on the sidelines. Why?

If company A perceives that company B is doing little to promote its business, then company A will follow suit. It's always been a game of grab the elephant by the tail. The players may be different but their marketing sense is often faulty and self-destructive. Timid, fearful caution is not what this overly competitive world needs now.

If the business community had more of an aggressive mind-set, if it were more sophisticated and knowledgeable, then the advertising market would reflect those core values.

Unfortunately when there are ten similar businesses marketing themselves in exactly the same indistinguishable way, then what incentive is there for others to pull away from the crowd? There is, in fact, no impetus to raise themselves above the mundaneness of colored flyers, template websites and embarrassingly self-scripted and self-directed commercials. Consequently until all this unsophisticated mess and poor graphics go away, our markets will remain in a constant tailspin.

Clients must perceive value in how they spend money. They must recognize that those who advertise well are usually the better companies for it in the first place. They must understand that standing still means just that: never elevating oneself above mediocrity.

It's inconceivable how companies who can afford creative, memorable advertising continually revert to in-house graphics that can only reflect poorly upon themselves. For that reason it's always a delight, as well as a measure of marketing justice, when an organization takes its marketing by the reins and ups the standards for others around them. Only when more do the same, will we have a more enlightened public. This in turn will also lead to more demands for better goods and services.

I can only hope that that day is around the corner.

What's In A Logo?

2005-06-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Make the investment. Spend the money and have a professional logo created for your company. Having your name set in Times Roman or Script is not a logo; it's nothing more than type.

So what's a logo? A logo can have a unique font but foremost it should be rendered creatively. Your image should be memorable. People may not remember your name, but if your logo is distinctive they will have a hard time forgetting it. In some cases a logo may have an icon. This is not always a given. If the design lends itself to an icon, then consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Last, and again depending upon the configuration of the design, a logo may include artwork. Icons and artwork are not requirements for an acceptable logo. Just the same, if your logo is different and special; if the font clearly reflects your company's message; if the artwork conforms to the design and if your icon can stand on its own, then you've hit a home run.

Once you have a logo, what then? Have your design firm create your new stationary. At the same time, and if it's in the budget, send out postcards that will introduce your logo. This is a great opportunitiy to make a new pitch to your existing base as well as prospective clients. With this 5 x 8 postcard you'll have the chance to tell your audience something it doesn't already know about your firm. Furthermore, if there's a special that you can offer, now's as good a time as any to include that as well.

Your logo should be placed on your building or on a sign near your building. When appropriate, it should also be on vehicles. If you have a web site, then add the logo to the beginning of your site. If you don't have a web site, then start today because your web site is your calling card.

Your logo is a permanent fixture of your business. It's never to be discarded. Instead, it's to be brilliantly displayed in all prominent places. After a few years you may want to update your logo. When that day arrives, don't delay because you'll always want your logo looking fresh and vibrant. In time these efforts will have paid off tremendously.

Commitment To Marketing

2005-05-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I was very young I thought most business persons quite foolish for either not marketing themselves professionally or not marketing themselves at all. As an adult and owner of a marketing firm, I'm still amazed at how many small and large firms can still be so shortsighted when it comes to their own advertising.

What many fail to realize is that marketing involves a commitment to begin today and not tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. There are hundreds of reasons why one should not start his or her campaign now. These are excuses for not moving forward and they're usually founded on fear, an unwillingness to spend money or the inability to realize the worth of the creative force.

There is no magic bullet when it comes to promoting your company. Where to begin though is in finding the right firm today where there is interchange, trust and camaraderie. Once your team of designers is selected and your logo and slogan are in place, then you can move forward boldly and with confidence.

If the creative is handled properly and the campaign is placed in strategic markets, postive results should follow. Maybe not in the beginning. If the message is on target though, the public will start taking notice.

Always keep in mind that this is not a one time deal. Marketing involves consistency; marketing involves determination; marketing involves wanting to distance yourself from the competition.

There is no room for delays in marketing. There is no room for excuses. If you trust yourself and your message is clear and memorable, the tide should turn your way. Waiting for tomorrow will never make this happen.