There is an obvious and immediate value to CES for marketers: We can ill afford to ignore consumer electronics as an avenue for reaching our targets. Couple that with the growing number of products and brands that directly or indirectly fall under the “consumer electronics” umbrella. I mean, seriously—you can buy an Internet-enabled refrigerator (I first saw one in the Samsung booth at CES several years ago). A niche product, and a limited customer base to be sure—but smartphones were niche devices just a few years ago. What are the implications of more and more connected Internet-ready devices? We get exposed to new ways of reaching our audiences, at increasingly relevant moments.

And let’s not forget the impact that consumer electronics are having on business computing. Consumer tech has been influencing B2B technology for a while now. It is no coincidence that the explosion of connected devices—allowing access to everything from everywhere—mirrors the emergence of Cloud computing as both a dominant buzz term and an increasingly significant architectural paradigm. The expectations that are being set among consumer audiences are a driving force in enterprise IT. Not to mention the fact that B2B marketers must consider consumer devices as plausible ways to reach our B2B targets.

But as a marketer, the gizmos themselves are only part of why I find CES fascinating. I’m a messaging guy—I like words. CES is a great place to see not just what manufacturers are talking about—but *how* they talk about it. This is particularly interesting in any technology-based industry, given the speed with which products become commoditized. I love to see how marketers try (sometimes successfully, sometimes less so) to differentiate their products.

I also like to pay attention to the catch phrases and buzz words that are being used (or over-used). If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we marketers must really like to flatter each other. As soon as a particular phrase becomes popular, you see it everywhere. So I’ll be looking for that as well, as much to see what to avoid as anything else.

Will CES 2012 be more of the same (both products and marketing), or will we really see some revolutionary thinking? I suppose I’ll know by Friday of next week.

Online advertising spending is expected to reach approximately $36B in the U.S. alone in 2012 according to eMarketer. But is all that ad spend getting to the right people? I cannot stop the ads for software that I’ve already bought coming up on multiple sites I visit every day. And I am pretty darn sure that this software company does not have the media budget to pay for all those placements on prominent media sites. So what’s going on?

Some people out there are wasting my time and your money by serving up ads that don’t make sense. Unless, of course, your mind works like a computer.

When we surf the web, we don’t always act logically. The reality is that no algorithm in ad-serving software completely takes the place of an intelligent and savvy media planner, armed with knowledge and understanding of the audience they are reaching, not just how that audience is expected to behave. Technology should serve us in pursuit of our goals and not the other way around.

Our particular agency is focused on this as we launch a global technology practice. It’s all about understanding the uses and benefits of technologies and applying them creatively. Art and science, not technology for technology’s sake.

It’s our business to get ads to the right person at the right time with the right message. Our clients expect us to use the best tools we can to be efficient and effective. And there are great tools out there that help us do just that. But once again I am reminded that the human touch is still the key to delivering results in a technology-enabled media landscape. Now excuse me while I check out how to get rid of that stubborn belly fat.

David Sable, Global CEO of Y&R, announced today that Y&R is launching a new global technology marketing practice named Tech.YR. By aligning seven Y&R companies that focus on technology and telecommunications — Banner in London, SicolaMartin in Texas, Y&R Business Communications Geneva, Y&R Singapore, Y&R Beijing, Y&R Brazil, as well as VML in multiple markets, Tech.Y&R will provide an integrated global network to its clients.

The agencies all have extensive experience working with globally recognized technology companies. They share the same philosophy and rigorous methodologies to communicate simply and persuasively about complex products and services to both consumer and business audiences. The network will offer its clients media planning and buying, search, social and mobile, as well as the development of online and offline campaigns. Tech.YR will draw from VML’s resources to deliver digital marketing solutions across the globe.

Marcus Brown, who will remain the CEO of Y&R’s operations in Geneva, will lead the practice as its Managing Partner. Banner CEO Michael Wrigley, and Cherie Cox, CEO of SicolaMartin will each serve as Partners. Each of the agencies will remain independent but will come together around shared clients.
“Tech.Y&R allows any client with a technological, telecom or otherwise complex offering a unique and proven global network. We are offering them a global partner who understands how to turn complexities into compelling marketing. Beyond accountability and measurable value across multiple markets, which of course this brings, it is also about letting our clients tap into great resources and people around the world who have highly specialized experience in this sector,” said David Sable.

Tech.YR begins with a strong client base. Adobe and Dell are serviced in multiple locations and Symantec, Autodesk, LG, AMD and BMC Software are serviced by individual offices. The practice is built on a strong heritage of jointly servicing technology clients including Novell, Freescale, SITA, ITU and Blue Coat.

Paula Simchak has been promoted to Creative Director. Formerly Associate Creative Director/Sr. Writer, Simchak has been with SicolaMartin for 10+ years, working on a variety of accounts, such as AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, St. David’s HealthCare, and more. Prior to joining SicolaMartin, Simchak was VP/Associate Creative Director at Lowe Lintas & Partners in New York City.

Meredith Cuevas has been promoted to Account Supervisor on the Dell and Sybase accounts. Formerly a Sr. Account Manager, Cuevas has been with the agency for three years. A San Antonio native, she joined SicolaMartin after almost four years as Campaign Manager at The Advertising Council in Washington, D.C.

Kim Bissell has been promoted to Sr. Account Manager on the Dell and Sybase accounts. A six-year agency veteran, and native of San Antonio, Bissell began her career at SicolaMartin as an intern, while attending the University of Texas.

Katherine Seaberg has been promoted to Sr. Account Manager on the AMD, CoreLogic and St. David’s HealthCare accounts. A native of Virginia, Seaberg began working at SicolaMartin as an intern, while attending graduate school at the University of Texas. She has been with SicolaMartin for five years.

Lastly, Laney Catledge has been promoted to Sr. Client Accountant. A native of Mississippi and 10-year SicolaMartin employee, Catledge manages all billing and works with client teams to ensure profitability and provides counsel for client teams, regarding financial issues.

About SicolaMartin
Austin, Texas-based SicolaMartin is an advertising and marketing agency that turns marketing complexities into compelling ideas. For more than 20 years, the agency has created powerful connections between brands and their customers in industries such as enterprise technology, consumer electronics, managed services, healthcare, telecom and supply chain management and logistics. Industry leaders, including AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, McLane and Sybase have relied on SicolaMartin for innovative marketing solutions. The agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of Young & Rubicam Brands.

Best Online Technology Video was awarded to the “Dell s300wi Interactive Projector” video. A sales video targeting IT decision-makers in the K-12 education market, it was produced for Dell’s software and peripherals division to share the benefits and features that this new Dell product has to offer. Winning Outstanding Online Video was the Dell “Take Your Own Path” video. Targeting inactive and prospective customers of Dell PartnerDirect Partners, the video positions Dell resellers as critical partners to help small businesses grow, thrive and take their own path.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our work with Dell,” stated Diane McKinnon, EVP, Executive Creative Director at SicolaMartin. “The Dell s300wi Interactive Projector video helped launch a great product by making it relevant for targets in the education industry—and the ‘Take Your Own Path’ video is a great tool to help Dell partners reach more of their customers.”

View the videos here:

http://www.sicolamartin.com/portfolio/motion/motion-online/dell-s300wi-projector/

http://www.sicolamartin.com/portfolio/motion/dell-take-your-own-path-video/

About SicolaMartin
Austin, Texas-based SicolaMartin is an advertising and marketing agency that turns marketing complexities into compelling ideas. For more than 25 years, the agency has created powerful connections between brands and their customers in industries such as enterprise technology, consumer electronics, managed services, healthcare, telecom and supply chain management and logistics. Industry leaders, including AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, McLane and Sybase have relied on SicolaMartin for innovative marketing solutions. The agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of Young & Rubicam Brands. For more information, visit http://www.sicolamartin.com.

Jason McQueen has been hired as Director of Media Services. McQueen joins SicolaMartin after spending three years as Vice President, Media Director of Virilion—where he helped clients leverage new media technologies to reach their desired audiences.

Aaron Orner has been hired as Director of Digital Strategy. Prior to joining SicolaMartin, Orner was an independent online marketing consultant, helping companies improve their online marketing communications. Before his consulting role, Orner acted as Chief Creative Officer and CEO of Orner, Sproat, Zimmerman.

Nik Bristow has been hired as Sr. Copywriter. A graduate of the Portfolio Center, Bristow spent the last eight years working in Atlanta at the Austin Kelley and Fitzgerald+Co agencies on clients such as Coca-Cola, Six Flags, TVA, RaceTrac and Bio Willie, to name a few. He has also blogged for AutoBlog Green.

Andrea Ehringer joins the account service department as Senior Account Manager on the AMD, CoreLogic and St. David’s HealthCare accounts. Prior to joining SicolaMartin, Ehringer was at Raymond James Financial in St. Petersburg, Florida where she worked in the marketing department as an account manager.

Crystal Cook has been hired as Executive Assistant to the President, helping with business development. Prior to her new role within SicolaMartin, Cook worked in account service on the AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, Intertek and St. David’s HealthCare accounts.

Sonia Chaphekar joins the account service department as Account Manager on the Dell account. Prior to joining SicolaMartin, Chaphekar was at Sanders\Wingo for three years, working on the AT&T account. An Austin native, Chaphekar is a graduate of Texas State University.

Freddie Munoz joins the media department as Media Manager. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, Munoz spent four years as a media planner with MindShare on the Land Rover account prior to joining the SicolaMartin team.

Jeremy Ballard joins the media department as Media and Traffic Coordinator. Prior to joining the SicolaMartin team, Ballard worked in the operations department of LibreDigital, an Austin-based digital publisher. A Dallas native, Ballard has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Texas State University.

Flip Villela has been hired as Assistant Art Director on the Dell and McLane accounts. A Dallas native, Villela has a degree in studio art from the University of Texas and studied graphic design at Austin Community College.

Dave Johannes joins the interactive department as Junior Developer. Previously a designer/developer for the Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services group at the University of Texas, Johannes launched several new sites for departments on campus.

Stella Alvarez joins the account service department as Assistant Account Manager on the Dell and Sybase accounts. An advertising graduate of the University of Texas, Alvarez comes to us from Univision Radio Austin, where she was the National Account Coordinator.

Lastly, Kim Baze joins the account service department as Assistant Account Manager on the AMD, CoreLogic and St. David’s HealthCare accounts. A graduate of Texas State University with a degree in advertising, Baze began her career at Motion Computing before finding her way to SicolaMartin.

About SicolaMartin
Austin, Texas-based SicolaMartin is an advertising and marketing agency that turns marketing complexities into compelling ideas. For more than 20 years, the agency has created powerful connections between brands and their customers in industries such as enterprise technology, consumer electronics, managed services, healthcare, telecom and supply chain management and logistics. Industry leaders, including AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, McLane and Sybase have relied on SicolaMartin for innovative marketing solutions. The agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of Young & Rubicam Brands. For more information, visit http://www.sicolamartin.com.

Austin-based advertising and marketing agency, SicolaMartin, recently announced a new lineup within the agency’s leadership team. The 50-person agency, a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, represents businesses in the technology, B2B and consumer categories including AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, McLane, St. David’s HealthCare and Sybase.

The reorganization includes the promotion of five senior staffers, Nancy George, Kimberly Granberry, Mark Norton, Nada Saidi Smith and Alan Vassberg. All have been named vice president, retaining many elements of their previous organizational responsibilities, while also expanding their roles within the agency.

Nancy George has been promoted to Vice President, Client Services. In addition to her new role in overseeing client and agency interaction, George will maintain her position as Account Director on key anchor accounts. An advertising and marketing veteran with over 20 years of experience on corporate, high-tech, healthcare, entertainment, retail, fast food, industrial, consumer and packaged goods accounts, George plays a vital role in the ongoing relationships between SicolaMartin and its many clients.

Kimberly Granberry has been promoted to Vice President, Finance. A SicolaMartin employee for over 10 years, Granberry oversees all aspects of the agency’s financial operations, developing, implementing and enforcing policies and procedures that improve the overall operation, effectiveness and financial condition of the agency.

Mark Norton has been promoted to Vice President, Creative Strategy and Development. With almost 17 years at SicolaMartin writing creative and copy platforms, Norton has built brands and worked effectively in all forms of traditional media and the latest social and non-traditional channels. Along with his increased responsibilities and new business efforts, Norton will continue as lead writer for a variety of SicolaMartin clients.

Nada Saidi Smith has been promoted to Vice President, Account Operations. In addition to her existing role as Account Director on the McLane and LifeSize accounts, Saidi Smith’s new responsibilities include development of organization policies and processes that cover account operations, personnel and financial performance. A seasoned agency veteran, Saidi Smith has been with SicolaMartin for 19 years.

Lastly, Alan Vassberg has been promoted to Vice President, Communications Planning. With 13 years of industry experience—six as the agency’s previous Marketing Services Director—Vassberg’s new role at SicolaMartin will have him coordinating and maximizing the media, research, account service and creative departments to achieve client goals via the most effective agency initiatives possible.

“Over the past 25 years the agency has developed some incredible talent and stellar leaders,” stated Cherie Cox, President. “These five individuals are helping shape the future of SicolaMartin. Diane and I are proud of all they’ve done, and in their new roles we know there’s no limit to what they can accomplish.”

About SicolaMartin
Austin, Texas-based SicolaMartin is an advertising and marketing agency that turns marketing complexities into compelling ideas. For more than 20 years, the agency has created powerful connections between brands and their customers in industries such as enterprise technology, consumer electronics, managed services, healthcare, telecom and supply chain management and logistics. Industry leaders, including AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, McLane and Sybase have relied on SicolaMartin for innovative marketing solutions. The agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of Young & Rubicam Brands. For more information, visit http://www.sicolamartin.com.

(April 15, 2011) Austin-based advertising and marketing agency, SicolaMartin, was recently named #13 on the list of top small employers in the Best Companies to Work for in Texas. The awards program was created in 2006 and is a project of Texas Monthly, the Texas Association of Business (TAB), the Texas State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management (TSC-SHRM) and Best Companies Group.

This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Texas, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The Best Companies to Work for in Texas 2011 list is made up of 100 companies.

“What makes us so unique? Turning marketing complexities into compelling ideas is what we do,” stated Cherie Cox, President of SicolaMartin. “And while we take our work very seriously, we try not to take ourselves too seriously. We have Summer Fridays, Flying Saucer Awards and Office Olympics. We strive for a healthy environment where people can balance both their work and their family commitments. We also feel strongly about giving back to the community in which we work and live.”

With an average employee tenure of 7 years, SicolaMartin has a unique culture that sets it apart from most other advertising agencies. It begins with five core values—honesty, respect, passion, fun and accountability—that are upheld by each and every employee. And because SicolaMartin looks for clients with similar values, the result is an environment of ongoing business relationships built on a strong foundation.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the Best Companies to Work for in Texas. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Texas and also analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.

For more information on the Best Companies to Work for in Texas program, visit www.BestCompaniesTX.com.

About SicolaMartin

Austin, Texas-based SicolaMartin is an advertising and marketing agency that turns marketing complexities into compelling ideas. For more than 20 years, the agency has created powerful connections between brands and their customers in industries such as enterprise technology, consumer electronics, managed services, healthcare, telecom and supply chain management and logistics. Industry leaders, including AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, McLane and Sybase have relied on SicolaMartin for innovative marketing solutions. The agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of Young & Rubicam Brands. For more information, visit http://www.sicolamartin.com.

I read an article recently about a study that says 80% of children under the age of five use the Internet weekly. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, that’s crazy, right? Toddlers aren’t on the computer. They’re learning how to walk and talk. Using their imagination and fighting over toys. Playing outside and taking naps inside. I should know – I have a 5 year-old son and 3 year-old daughter.

Then it hits me. I have a 5 year-old son and 3 year-old daughter who both know how to stream movies through Netflix, can search YouTube videos on dad’s iPhone, and play games online. Not to mention their app usage on the iPad. Which I still think is crazy! But it seems it’s the new reality. Of course Internet usage isn’t their only activity. They do all the playing and running and jumping and bickering of your average child, but they are also very tech savvy without even knowing what tech savvy means. With them, technology is not a thing you have to learn, it’s just what is. And it’s easy. Back when he was one, we put some videos on YouTube of my son easily interfacing with the first generation iPhone. And while we posted them so our family could see, the videos now have more than a half-million views and were recently picked up by Yahoo for a “Tech for Tots” segment. You can see my cutie at the 1:02 mark. And although a part of me gets a little freaked about that many people checking out my son, my pride demands I tell you all about it! I admit there’s a duality of thought going on.

And so, OK, I guess I shouldn’t have been shocked at the statistic – 80% of young kids online. Mine are certainly in that percentage. As are the children of the majority of my co-workers. An informal poll produced 87% of our young Martians being online prior to year five.

But there’s still a piece of me that wants to resist this reality. I’m not sure why. What about you? Are your kids participating online? Do you encourage it or reluctantly agree? How do you feel about marketers possibly using this data to sell stuff to your children? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

AUSTIN, TX, March 9, 2011– SicolaMartin, Austin-based marketing and advertising agency, announced today that they will be hosting a pre-SXSW event on March 11 at their Austin offices at 206 E. 9th Street, Suite 1800.

The festivities will begin at 12:30pm with a casual lunch accompanied by live music courtesy of Elaine Greer, indie-folk pop singer-songwriter from Houston.

Following Ms. Greer’s performance will be an informative hour with special guest and upcoming SXSW Interactive speaker, John Gerzema. Executive Chairman of Y&R’s BrandAsset Consulting, Mr. Gerzema will be speaking on his best-selling book “Spend Shift: How the Post-Crisis Values Revolution Is Changing the Way We Buy, Sell, and Live”. He’ll share his insights gleaned from the use of data to identify social change—insights that can help companies anticipate and adapt to new customer interests and demands.

In addition, signed copies of Mr. Gerzema’s book will be given away as door prizes.

According to SicolaMartin EVP Executive Creative Director, Diane McKinnon, “We are thrilled to host John Gerzema, part of our Y&R family, for this informative speaking engagement. His insights on the new post-recession consumer behavior are fun and fascinating, which is why John has a coveted spot as a panelist at this year’s SXSW Interactive show.”

Those interested in attending the event are encouraged to register at http://www.sicolamartin.com/sxsw

For more information about Elaine Greer, visit http://www.elainegreer.com/

More information about John Gerzema is available at http://www.johngerzema.com/index.php/about/

About SicolaMartin

Austin, Texas-based SicolaMartin is an advertising and marketing agency that turns marketing complexities into compelling ideas. For more than 20 years, the agency has created powerful connections between brands and their customers in industries such as enterprise technology, consumer electronics, managed services, health care, telecom and supply chain management and logistics. Industry leaders, including AMD, Blu-ray Disc, McLane, SAP, Sybase and Dell have relied on SicolaMartin for innovative marketing solutions. For the past five years, SicolaMartin has been voted one of Best Companies to Work for in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine. The agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of Young & Rubicam Brands. For more information, visit http://www.sicolamartin.com.

Austin, TX, February 16, 2011 – SicolaMartin, a leader in technology and business-to-business advertising and marketing, has won recognition in two awards competitions. The agency took gold in the Austin Advertising Federation Addys awards, and took two Gold and two Silver Davey awards. The Austin Addys honor creative work from students and agencies in the Austin area. The Davey Awards honor creative excellence in small agencies and companies worldwide.

The Addy Gold was awarded to SicolaMartin for its brand identity, developed in 2010, in the Self Promotion, Stationery category. The agency received Gold Davey awards for two projects for Dell, both in the online film/video category. The first, a video promoting the Dell s300wi interactive projector, was created for the K-12 education market, and featured a clever student speaking about the benefits of the product. The second Gold Davey winner was a series of two-minute informational videos called the “Dell Tech Two” that helped provide simple and relevant information to Dell partners on topics such as virtualization.

Dell s3000WI Projector Video		Dell Tech Two Video Series

The agency also received Silver Davey awards for its integrated marketing campaign for CoreLogic, a leading data services and analytics provider, as well as for the agency’s new brand identity.

CoreLogic Integrated Campaign		SicolaMartin Brand Identity

“We are really pleased to be recognized for our great creative work and the rebranding of our agency” said Cherie Cox, president of SicolaMartin. “These awards are the result of great collaboration with our clients and the efforts of extremely talented individuals in our agency.”

###

Austin, Texas-based SicolaMartin is an advertising and marketing agency that turns marketing complexities into compelling ideas. For more than 20 years, the agency has created powerful connections between brands and their customers in industries such as enterprise technology, consumer electronics, managed services, healthcare, telecom and supply chain management and logistics. Industry leaders, including AMD, CoreLogic, Dell, Blu-ray Disc, McLane, SAP and Sybase have relied on SicolaMartin for innovative marketing solutions. For the past six years, SicolaMartin has been voted one of Best Companies to Work for in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine and was named as one of Advertising Age’s 2010 Best Places to Work in Marketing and Media. The agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of Young & Rubicam Brands. For more information, visit http://www.sicolamartin.com .

Gain Good'er Morning

OK, Gain. I’ve got a bone to pick with you.

I’m a Tide girl. I’ve always been a Tide girl. Since the day my mom said, “You’re old enough to do your own laundry. But here’s a hint. Separate the darks and the lights. Red in their own pile.” I’m not sure why, but laundry detergent has always been one of the few products in which I am brand loyal (seeing as how the others are dishwasher detergent, toothpaste and toilet paper, it must be a hygiene thing).

Back to my point. I’ve often heard people talk about Gain. “I’ve always used it!” “I use nothing else.” “It reminds me of my childhood.” And, until recently, I just ignored what they had to say. After all, I was a Tide girl. Fast forward to two weeks ago. I was in the grocery store, getting ready to purchase my Tide. And I spotted the Gain. It was on sale. Like, really on sale. Like, much, much cheaper than Tide on sale.

Anyways, I decided, “What the heck? It will only last a month or two. I’m going to try it.” So I purchased. And, until now, it’s been fine. Granted, it’s a weird, nuclear shade of green, but other than that, no real difference. So much for brand loyalty, huh?

Well, guess what. When I finish this bottle of Gain, I will never purchase another. Never. And when I say NEVER, I mean NEVER. If the president of Proctor & Gamble called me and said, “Congratulations! You’ve won a lifetime supply of Gain!” I’d tell him he can shove it where that cute little sunburst surrounding the Gain logo doesn’t shine.

Why? What did they do to earn such animosity on my part? Such hostility? Such downright hatred?

Four little words:

“Make your morning Good’er.”

Or perhaps I should say three words, because as any five-year old knows, “good’er” is not only NOT a word, it’s a massacre.

I have two children, ages five and seven. They are like little sponges that absorb everything they run across. And let me tell you, having them hear the word “Good’er” used in a nationally aired TV commercial is the last thing their teacher and I need.

As a 20-year marketing professional with degrees in both English and Advertising, I felt more than qualified to write the Gain Corporation and express my dismay. In fact, I was sitting down to do just that, when I came across a blog written by a gentleman who had already undertaken the task. He was kind enough to post Gain’s reply:

“Thanks for your comments and concern. We chose to use the word Good’er for a dramatic effect. This was an attempt to play off of the expression ‘Have a Good Morning’. We believe that families and companies should be doing all they can to promote education. The process of doing laundry can often be a boring, monotonous process. The Gain team is hoping to make this process just a little bit more fun, and this is often demonstrated in the advertising.”

It was signed by Mary, of the Gain Team.

Well, Mary, here’s my response to you. Using the non-word “good’er” in your advertising does not make the process of doing laundry any less boring or monotonous. What it does do is piss me off. Raising literate children is a full-time job. But if we want children to learn to read BETTER, they need literate ADULTS to teach them. And if Gain really believes that they, as a company, are “doing all they can to promote education,” they might want to re-think their advertising efforts.

They could be doing a hell of a lot good’er.

Drum Machine Ring

I’m a huge fan of music and art, probably because they have so many things in common. Whether using pictures, sounds or words, both can create an image, change an attitude or offer inspiration. What’s more, in both genres, it’s really hard to create a big hit—and even harder to create something timeless.

The other day I came across the article “8 Critical Marketing Basics for Musicians” and realized how relevant it was to the advertising industry, as well.

Lesson #1: It’s about THEM, not YOU
Lesson #2: Unsolicited actions will get you nowhere
Lesson #3: No one is coming to save you in the music industry
Lesson #4: Reach people the way you want to be reached
Lesson #5: Sharply define what you do
Lesson #6: DIY does not mean do it all yourself—it means decide it yourself
Lesson #7: Act AS IF…“You are whatever you pretend to be.” – Kurt Vonnegut
Lesson #8: It’s who you know mixed with how you persevere

I would like to add one more to this list: Lesson #9: Be true to yourself

As a marketer, everything you create is designed to talk to someone. To engage, to entertain, to persuade, to educate. That’s why it’s crucial that people believe you and trust what you say. The same holds true when you talk about your own brand.

Last year, SicolaMartin decided to look in the mirror and define who we really are. Not an easy task for any agency to undertake. How did we do it? Like any good creative exercise, we started with good positioning. We looked at what the competition was saying, we conducted employee and client interviews, and we worked our way through countless other exercises. What we discovered was that our agency really liked to solve problems, and that our clients really appreciated the way we understood their complex challenges.

By building on our strengths, we came up with a brand promise that was both authentic and unique. “Turning Marketing Complexity into Compelling Ideas”. Now when people meet us, they understand who we are, right off the bat. When we’re not there in person, our materials convey our promise for us. By linking our clients’ challenges to our agency strengths, we’ve been able to shape our brand into something people can easily understand and believe.

Like any other company, our brand is not a product. It’s the sum total of everything we do. It’s how we interact with clients, vendors, employees and anyone else we come into contact with.

Salesmanship and slick marketing aren’t enough to succeed in business any more. Perhaps that’s why I found the recent TOMS vs. BOBS debate to be so fascinating. It goes to show that you can spend millions of dollars on a campaign, but if people don’t believe what you’re selling them, it’s sure to fail.

In closing, whether your brand likes to bang its head or dance the night away, before you put it out there for the world to see and judge, ask yourself these three questions:
Is it meaningful?
Is it honest?
Is it compelling?

Online Ads

“AdKeeper, an ad-technology company that looks to make Internet advertising as easy to “clip” as magazine ads. Clicking on these allows users to return to the ads later on the AdKeeper Web site”.

The question here should not just be would an internet user actually save banner ads to view later, but what information will be tracked and how will this information be utilized by advertisers and marketers?  Additional questions should be asked about how this fits into the larger picture as well as how can this be translated across both B2C and B2B companies. Overall I think this technology sounds appealing so it will be interesting to see how this will evolve over the coming months and years.

Below are just a few questions we should ask ourselves about this new technology.

-       How will AdKeeper track this for an advertiser so it could potentially be a valuable metric?

-       Would an individual be profiled based on all the ads they have saved?

-       Would an individual’s preferences be shared with each company they saved ads for?

-       Would this technology be able to plug-in with 3^rd party ad servers?

-       Consumer brand companies like Gap, McDonald’s and Best Buy are going to try out this technology, but how does this technology impact B2B advertising or will B2B companies lag behind?

Adweek Article

Sale

Did you know that airline tickets are cheapest on Tuesdays? Or that if you need to buy a swimsuit, you should do it on a Sunday? Or that if you’re considering a new gas grill, it might be worth waiting until winter?

Savings.com’s “When Are the Best Times to Buy” infographic breaks down the ideal days, months, and seasons for making various purchases.

Wired Cover

Interesting article about the difference between users spending time on the Web and spending time on the Internet.

Wired Article

Targeted Ads

What do consumers really think of advertising online? According to a study conducted by Data & Management Counsel Inc. consumers don’t seem to mind ads targeted to their likes, ads with photos, sponsored ads in search results, banners with functionality and the ability to share on Facebook or  e-mail to a friend. In  my opinion, this illustrates the importance of having a variety of tactics for each online campaign.

Adweek Article

Aol.

AOL plans to reinvent the web as a branding environment. The nick-named Project Devil will include new ad units that are more editorial in nature so that it’s hard to tell what is content vs. advertising. This is something that we are seeing more in the media community across the board, but it will be interesting to see where AOL takes this opportunity moving forward.

Adweek Article

Haitian Orphanage

Interesting use of the tweet – celebrities agreeing to meet fans in return for cash contributions to charity programs such as a Haitian orphanage in Bonneau. This auction is running on eBay and so far has raised $215,000. Check out the details.

WSJ Article

Samsung

Samsung does a really good job of creating some innovative viral campaigns using YouTube.

Video #1

Video #2

Paula Scher

Paula Scher has been working for some time on a series of large-scale map paintings and prints. Under the auspices of New York’s Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art program, which funds artists to create permanent public artworks in municipal buildings and spaces, Scher was commissioned to create the murals for the two schools of the Queens Metropolitan Campus in the city’s Forest Hills area.

Fast Company Article

Creative Review Article

Ad Age

We are excited and honored in being selected as one of the top 30 agencies to work for in the nation. Check out our featured profile. As always, I’m very proud to be a Martian!

SicolaMartin Article

Larger Ad Age Article

Smartphone

As the Gowalla/Foursquare (and now Facebook) battle rages on in pursuit of geo-location app dominance, what is truly exciting is looking at how this type of technology can be utilized in other social-based applications.

One area that’s coming on strong is mobile commerce. It seems like every day a new retailer or top B2C brand is unveiling a social/geo-location-based app that “sends” your phone a coupon or incentive based on where you are located at that exact moment. Starbucks, Target, McDonald’s, Gap are once again leading the way in this area. (Like I need any more incentive to go to Starbucks in the morning.)

Somewhat surprising, however, is the willingness of mobile users to give up their personal data just to get these digital coupons. A study done this past February by Small Business Trends said that 50% of 18-34 year olds would give their mobile number to a retailer in order to receive coupons. (You have to wonder how much higher that percentage is today, just six months later.)

But thanks to the growing pervasiveness of smartphones, the avalanche is definitely coming. And this upcoming holiday season is sure to be one to watch.

Another area I can’t wait to see materialize sooner rather than later is mobile payments. Bank of America announced this week that they’ll be doing a trial run on using smartphones in lieu of credit or debit cards.

With many financial institutions already adopting such timesavers as digital deposits and teller-free branches, one has to wonder if retail bank locations will soon be a thing of the past…

Speaking of the past, can you believe it has been almost 20 years since AT&T and Tom Selleck teased the world about the possibilities of mobile health records. Will it ever happen, who knows? But one thing’s for sure, the mobile space is transforming before our very eyes.

So what’s the next thing you’d like to see come to your smartphone?

Apple

With all the noise around the iPad, Adobe, iAd and Google, what is the meaning and impact of Apple becoming the world’s most valuable technology company? It appears that in gaining that lofty position, Apple may have lost a little of its soul.

Now there is simply no arguing that fact that Apple’s product design has not only outpaced the competition in the PC and mobile device realm — let’s face it — they have outpaced the imagination of the consumer. The world has started to bend around the Jobs-ian vision of gorgeous, light, mobile, entertaining, game-changing devices. But there’s a catch: other technology companies — even former allies — had better toe the line to the cool kids, or they will be shut out. Great. The evolution of personal technology has devolved back to the rules of junior high school.

Is seems that Mr. Think Different is out there trashing Adobe, one of the software companies that helped Apple bridge the gap between early cult-like devotion and its comeback as a consumer and business products company. Those of us in the advertising and design industry remember that Adobe made the leap to OS X with Apple and essentially secured the future of digital design on the Mac. I have no doubt that there are legitimate frustrations with Flash and it appeared Adobe was ready to address them. But never mind.

Meanwhile, out in the crazy parallel universe, Bill Gates, Chairman of the formerly most-hated technology company on the planet (I have no empirical data here, but come on) has joined forces with Warren Buffet to ask every billionaire in the world to give half their wealth to charity. Gates and his wife Melinda, in partnership with Buffet, may have more impact on the future of health, education and human welfare in the 21^st century than any president, prime minister, diplomat or general. As Mr. Jobs denies Google a chance to compete for mobile ad revenue, Bill gates defies expectations and brings his fortune and intellect to bear on educating the world’s children. Not that we have to root for Google, either. But the fact remains that Steve Jobs seems to promote an “us and them” universe, where you do not want to be left out.

The comparisons, both favorable and unfavorable, between Apple and Microsoft seem destined to continue as Steve Jobs determines what technologies we simply can’t live without.

Tony Hayward

I’ve sat on this thought for weeks because I wasn’t sure if the world really needed another commentary on Tony Hayward… but I need to get this off my chest. Are you kidding me??

I was as shocked and saddened as everyone when I first heard of the BP explosion. 11 men lost their lives and their families still grieve. 17 are still recovering from injuries. The resulting oil spill has taken over the Gulf and I’m repulsed by the video we see of the crud gushing into the water and onto the shore. The ecological devastation is still to be determined.

And I’m still sad, but I’m no longer shocked.

Check out my past posts and you’ll see I’m a champion of leader-driven corporate culture. So when I hear BP’s CEO, Tony Hayward, say things like

“What the hell did we do to deserve this?”

and

“The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean.”

and his famous

“I would like my life back.”

I come to believe that the company is being run by someone so out of touch and uncaring, that of course BP is going to have 760 “egregiously willful” safety violations. That he has fostered, in my opinion, a culture so focused on results and profit, that basic human decency is all but ignored.

You don’t have to ignore it, though. Newsweek and CNN have put together a listing of ways you can help. And a Google search offers up plenty more. In fact, you can turn this tragedy into a culture-building exercise for your organization. Rally around a cause and collectively contribute to making a difference.

And if you ever find yourself asking “are you kidding me?” regarding repeated statements or actions your leaders are making, it may be time to take your considerable talents elsewhere. Again, just my opinion.

Cultivating Culture

Hello again. If you’re new to my blog postings (all two of them!), may I suggest you take a couple minutes and check out Part 1 of this topic exploration on corporate culture. In it, I talk about what culture is and suggest ways to help define your company story. It sets this post up nicely (I think).

Here, I want to discuss the concept of culture change. I say “concept,” because each organization is so unique in its practices and goals that there’s really no easy formula to guarantee a positive culture shift. But I will attempt to lay out a broad roadmap that those not faint of heart might want to travel. But I warn you, it’ll be fraught with danger. Ok, maybe not danger (there’s really no need to be that dramatic) but it will be hard, frustrating and possibly take a long time.

The first thing I suggest is to get buy in from management. This can be tricky, depending on if the leadership agrees or not with your assessment of the culture. If you feel you might have a challenging time effecting change—due to roadblocks from above—then do your homework and build a case. You don’t want to walk in unprepared. Create informal focus groups and talk to employees and trusted members of your industry. If you can solicit information anonymously, then great, as folks tend to be a bit more honest in that format. Once you feel like you’ve got a good cross-section of data, analyze it with an eye towards specific improvement projects. And wear your skin thick. You asked for this, so don’t get bent out of shape at all the negative comments. Then buck up and advocate an action plan. Sell it into leadership and move forward, openly communicating with employees. Be as transparent as possible, communicating often and consistently on how these changes will benefit the WHOLE. I can’t stress the importance of this enough because you are going to face resistance. Remember, your culture is a reflection of your people. There’s a reason your culture is what it is. This is why it’s so hard. But change can happen, as long as you and your management teams are persistent and consistent. You just have to keep moving forward and repeat the exercise with the entire organization in mind. Broaden your focus groups. Get those that are resistant to change in your core group of change drivers. If you can get them on board, the rest will come easier. Continue to analyze your data and stay focused on a few items that will have the biggest impact. There’s most likely no need to start from scratch, and in fact, trying to do so will probably alienate the very folks you’re attempting to motivate. So, stay focused and take it chunk by chunk, story by story. And if you can, evolve your stories. Get people telling a different, more positive narrative about your organization. In time your culture as a whole will evolve, as well.

Or, you can just come work at SicolaMartin. We have a great culture.

Cultivating Culture

I’m HR and so I tend to talk a lot. Communication is a big part of what I do and knowing how to best communicate in a given situation is key. And although most of my conversations are done one-on-one (how I like it), I had an opportunity recently to share our company story with a larger audience… and it was enlightening.

I was invited to speak at an HR conference on corporate culture and to discuss ways that companies can learn to tell their story (I have it pretty easy, because SicolaMartin has a great story to tell). I also met folks from other great companies, like Rackspace and St. David’s, who—like SicolaMartin—score high on the culture scale. But I was a bit shocked to hear from so many whose companies seem to be suffering from an identity crisis. So I thought I would contribute a blog post (or two) on this topic of culture from HR’s perspective. It’s an area I am extremely passionate about. A passion inspired and nurtured by the leadership of SM. And it will also finally get that “she’s a slacker and has not written anything yet” statement off my page of the website.

Culture, in its most basic description, is your organization’s personality. Personality can be defined as the visible aspect of one’s character and develops over time based on preferences, choices and exposure to different experiences.

Your company has a personality. A culture already exists. Whether you like it or not is the question.

Before I go any further, let me tell you my point of view on HR’s role in an organization’s culture. We are there to support it, cultivate it, manage it and recruit into it… we make suggestions, offer insights and (if it’s a positive culture) use what the culture offers to inspire. BUT, we don’t create it. Or, in my opinion, we shouldn’t. Culture, at least long-term successfully sustained cultures, is created by the top leadership of the organization. If your C-levels aren’t exemplifying the culture you hope to communicate, then it’s going to be an uphill battle to get the employment force to believe in it. We’ve all experienced that, right? Without buy-in from above, it’s very difficult to get a program off the ground. It can be a challenge, though, selling it up because so much of culture is intangible. Sure, there are the things you can see that give you a quick read about a firm. The dress code. The work environment. You can ask about perks and hear about the benefit offerings. But that’s pretty surface.

It’s the things you can’t see that are usually the more powerful, but by nature, harder to define. And it’s these things that truly make up the cultural core of a company. It’s the values and beliefs, the attitudes and standards, the moods and worldviews of the people in the group.

And much of these views are created organically. I’m a big fan of organic growth and it can be an extremely positive thing. But, granted, there are some risks. On the “pro” side, organic implementation gives ownership to those instigating the change; it allows leadership to be perceived as open to new thinking and ideas. It can create loyalty among employees and most importantly, it creates its own story.

But you want that story to be a good one, so it’s HR’s role to support positive cultural momentum and redirect practices that could lead to opposing the company’s values and goals. And that’s the risk. If you just let it go with no management or cultivation, there’s no telling where your company’s story may end up. So, first, you have to know what the values and goals are. Does your company have a mission? Do you know what it is? Do your employees? This is how you can support a positive culture—by asking the right questions. Look to your industry. Advertising is fun and creative. We work hard, but we can also have Martians and critters (check out our website if you don’t know what I’m talking about). We make the complex compelling. That’s our story. Every employee knows that we turn marketing complexity into compelling ideas. But what’s your story? That’s the most important thing. Knowing who you are. Identifying your key talent and asking them what they like about working there. Where are they getting their motivation? Talk to clients and vendors. Get their perspective. Just make sure you’re being authentic with who you are. If the story you’re trying to tell is at odds with the reality, it’s going hurt your culture, morale and perception more than help.

But it’s not good enough to just know it. It has to be practiced and supported by management. If a core value is RESPECT, but a manager is disrespectful to an employee they supervise, and no action is taken on the part of HR or leadership, that value diminishes. That’s why it’s so important we stay engaged with our employees. Don’t ever underestimate the impact of word of mouth.

You’re not always going to be able to keep what’s repeated about your organization positive. I get that. But as HR, we can certainly manage it with that goal in mind. Even in exit interviews you can do your best to manage the transition and shoot for a positive result. You see, culture can’t only be good in the good times. Often, it’s in the down times that our true selves, our true culture, are revealed. In fact, it’s a strong culture that may help your company pull itself out of a downturn. That’s another experience SicolaMartin has had. We’re 25 years old…we’ve pretty much seen it all.

And although we have had to tweak our business model over the years to evolve with the times, we really haven’t had to make many changes to our core culture—thankfully—because culture change can be difficult and require a great deal of perseverance. But, if you find yourself at an organization in need of change, we’ll talk about some of the things you might be able to do to get that going in Part 2. Stay tuned.

Complex

It amazes me how often I read marketing materials and come away with no clear understanding of who the company is, what they do, or more importantly, why I should care. Admittedly, SicolaMartin often works with technology companies with highly complex products, so maybe it isn’t surprising that I occasionally get lost. I’m not the target audience, and sometimes I lack the technical background to understand. But I’m a marginally intelligent guy—shouldn’t I come away with something?

When I encounter convoluted copy, my first thought is “they need better messaging.” As the main messaging architect here at SicolaMartin, it may be that I’m the proverbial hammer, seeing every problem as the proverbial nail. But my experience has been that most companies could benefit from taking a closer look at the story they’re trying to tell.

So where do marketers go wrong when dealing with complex subjects? Occasionally the problem is omission of the obvious. Have we jumped straight past explaining “what it is” in favor of benefits? Are we describing a detail without having given context? Sometimes marketers spend so much time inside our own products that we assume basic things are understood when they may not be.

More often, though, the problem is not lack of information—it is too much information. The common mistake in complex marketing situations is to assume that listing all of the features, benefits or capabilities is necessary, if you don’t know which is most important. But all too often I see companies trying to say so many things—that they communicate nothing. This glut of information happens when nobody puts a stake in the ground to say “our product/company/service stands for THIS.” It happens because people are afraid of taking a risk. What if we focus on the wrong thing? But an unfocused message is no more effective (sometimes less effective) than an off target message.

The key to doing it right is to keep it simple. And if you worry that conveying your competitive differentiation requires details, remember that clear, uniquely articulated messages can separate you from the competition more effectively than a list of unique features. Think of any memorable tagline—“Just do it,” “Coke is it,” “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” etc.—it works not because nobody else could say it, but because nobody else *HAD* said it. It’s simple, clear and memorable. That’s what any set of marketing messages should be. And by keeping it clear and simple, you’re making it easier for audiences to connect to—and remember—your brand.

Bus

At approximately 11:02 last night I said, “Rita (I call myself Rita…no I don’t. Just kidding) you’ve got to just get on the bus and do it. No more ‘I wanna ride the bus someday,’ tomorrow is your day. Look up the schedule and ride.”

So this morning at 7:30, as I was listing reasons NOT to follow through, a small bird flew through my window and chirped, “Follow your dreams, get on the bus.” So I did. And NOW, instead of a list of reasons NOT to ride, I formulated a list of reasons why I WANT to ride the bus all the time:

1. The walks from my house to the bus and from the last stop to my office were brisk; just what I need in the morning. That and a couple shots of Cuervo. Ohhhh, Sarah!
2. Riding the bus reminded me of when I lived in New York. All these memories flooded back of being completely reliant on public transit. I remembered scurrying down the street every morning to 86th and Lexington, hopping on the 6 and flying to 51st street. I can still smell the lingering cigarette smoke from the tiny Hispanic girl that inevitably made her way in front of me at least 3 times a week on the walk across Park and Madison over to 30 Rockefeller Plaza…and yet, despite the fondness of those sights, sounds and cancer-inducing smells, I have no doubt or reservation that Austin > New York. By far.
3. I will save at least $8 million/year in gasoline if I ride the bus a couple of times a week.
4. Another reason I want to ride the bus is people watching…and randomly talking to (at) the people I’ve been staring at. Today I was nervous about missing my stop so I kept quiet and focused, but I have grandiose visions of becoming best friends with my fellow riders.
5. I want to ride the bus so I can bring donuts or breakfast tacos for people. I was on the bus with the same people for 20 minutes. No additions, no subtractions. Just me, Louie, Marie, Candice, Jared, Cathy, wait I’m making all these names up. But really, I think it would be SO fun to bring breakfast for my busmates! (DANGIT, my coworker just told me that you can’t have food or drink…hmm…maybe if I pass out tacos discretely he won’t notice. What can he do, throw me off?! Uhh, probably.)
6. The less I get behind the wheel of a vehicle, the better.
7. It will force me to get up when my alarm goes off because if I miss the bus, I have to wait 30 minutes for another one and well, I can’t do that.
8. It’s FREEING not having to weave in and out of traffic and flip people off while trying not to hit pregnant ladies as they cross the street—I just got to sit back and ride! PLUS, the reason I got to SIT is because two fine gentlemen gave up their seats so that I and another girl could sit down. I love that! Thank you, Ernie and Leon! Or whatever your names were!
9. Riding the bus is a good reminder that it’s not about me. I don’t have any control over how fast he drives, and I don’t have any control over whether or not the guy next to me bathes and/or deodorizes himself. That being said, riding the bus was a great test of my new deodorant. I smell like flowers and it was in the upper 80’s this morning so I think it passed the test.
10. Finally, the last reason I want to ride the bus is: IT’S FREE BECAUSE I’M A “STUDENT” (I’m going to school at night to get a degree in American Sign Language interpreting)!