Twitter twaddle

So am I the only one who thinks Twitter is a bunch of twaddle? Weigh in. 

This latest jump-on-the-bandwagon-without-really-understanding vehicle is, as the kids say, TMI! TMI! Do you think anyone really cares that you're contemplating your nose hair right now or if you're having a cup of coffee? 

Get over yourselves. 

Marketing Hope

I could not let the inauguration pass without a comment. Or a huge sigh of relief. 

We all could take a page from Obama's notebook on marketing - find what's relevant, talk about it, be consistent, be bold, be sure. Don't be afraid to change the paradigm, don't be afraid to try new things. 

That's how he won the presidency. He knows that hype and hoopla are as empty as W's head. 

It's something we should all remember. 

Social Marketing and supposedly "New" Media

Every few years, something new comes on the marketing scene that "completely revolutionizes" it. That will make "traditional" marketing obsolete, and those who know how to write or produce or art director somehow "irrelevant". 

Well, new media and social marketing are the latest something new. Except they're not. New, I mean. Any creative or account or media person worth his or her salt should already be competent - nay - expert - in how to use these "revolutionary" ways to deliver messages. 

(Whew - I've used a lot of quotation marks in this so far. Sorry.)

Anyway, the truth is that it takes the same kind of talent to craft a message that works in this brave new world that it did in the brave old one. Good people are adaptable, flexible, inspired, inspiring and excited about finding and using new ways to communicate. If they're not, then they're probably just not that good. 

"Take" me to your leader.

Okay, so this one isn't about marketing, but it is about a pet language peeve. 

Please, please, please learn the difference between "bring" and "take". They are not interchangeable. You take something from here to there. You bring something from there to here. See? 

For example, I'm in the back hallway and I say:

Take this beer into the kitchen and put it in the fridge. 

After that I might say:

Bring me a beer. 

See? Don't "bring" this beer into the kitchen. 

Harumph. 

Size does matter - smaller is better.

When it comes to choosing a branding and marketing partner, smaller is almost always better. Why? Because unless you've got hundreds of millions to spend, you cannot compete with those clients who do, in terms of who will work on your business and how well your account is serviced. 

With a small to mid-sized agency, chances are there won't be one big behemoth in the shop to suck up all the best creative and strategic minds. You'll get your fair share of attention, maybe even more than your fair share. 

Large communications firms tend to have lots of people on staff, whether they need them or not. And they'll try to put as many of those people your job numbers as they can. Smaller agencies tend to staff up with appropriate people for new accounts because they just don't have the cash cow to float people who aren't contributing. They also tend to partner with outside firms on a by-project basis, so you're not paying for departments you don't need or want.  

You'll also get better access to the top minds with a smaller agency. So instead of having dinner once or twice a year, you'll get real face time with the people in charge. 

Lastly - and this is a big one - don't think that big agency means big names means big ideas. Smaller agencies are the refuges for those who are fed up with big corporate politics, tired of doing mediocre work, ready to take charge and responsibility. Smaller agencies can't pass the buck - there's nowhere to pass it. 

So, think about it. Next time you're looking for a branding, marketing & communications partner, think small. 

Get the creative you deserve.

When it comes to creative, everyone is a critic - and rightfully so. No matter how hard the industry tries to make it a science, it just isn't. Creative is subjective, emotional, visceral, and all those other words that mean it defies being crammed into little boxes or charted on graphs. 

This also means that when you see marketing communications that are dull, ho-hum, run-of-the-mill and unremarkable, you can pretty much bet that one of two things has happened: 1. The client is dull, ho-hum and unremarkable or 2. The client is too scared to actually make a decision, and so the work has been run through the shredder enough times to squeeze all the life out of it. 

As a client, you will get the work you deserve.  If you are excited, energized, inspiring, thoughtful, persuasive and bold, your work will be, too. If you're tentative, scared, worried, scattered, unclear and unsure, the work you get will be, too. 

Demand great work. You'll get it. If you can't get it from your current agency, others will be gathered at your feet, just waiting for the chance. A great client is worth more to an agency than all the fees and markups in the world, because a great client can give the agency a lot more than just money. A great client can give creative the chance to shine. And that, after all, is what they live for. 

So, to get great work, be a client who deserves great work.