Distracting or Enhancing?

I recently came across this very interesting technique for literally animating somewhat dry (though to my mind, very interesting) material.

What do you think ... does the drawing enhance your understanding of the information, or detract from it?

The Customization Catch-22

Once in a while, I encounter one of those "feedback loops" in the marketing/advertising process. These are the little memes of thought that sound good and rational in a meeting, yet in actual execution lead to small inefficiencies at best and huge problems at worst.

The latest is something I call the Customization Catch-22.

The scenario is this: Your company needs to produce some piece of marketing. It could be a trade show booth. It could be a good old-fashioned "sell sheet." It could be a brand-spanking-new website. In the pre-development process, the subject of "customization" comes up. This is usually, but not exclusively, centered on attracting vertical markets. "Let's do something for the financial services types." "Let's show health care companies that we have experience in their space."

That's almost always a good idea. But here's the rub: Often, once you start going down this road, you fall into one of those "focus vs. inclusion" traps that I so love to write about. If you're going to call out technology companies, then why not your higher education experience? Your public sector experience? Retail? Agribusiness?

So you have to call out everything lest you alienate one industry or lose one opportunity. The result: You risk creating the impression that you specialize in everything, which is a logical impossibility. Or you have to create so many separate Powerpoint slides, brochures, etc., that it becomes impossible (and expensive) to manage them all.

I wish I had an easy solution to the Customization Catch-22, but I don't. I think it's more useful to look at it as a symptom rather than a problem. Is it a red flag that your company (and your brand) isn't focused enough? Is it a sign that focusing on vertical markets isn't your best sales strategy in the first place? Is it a wake-up call that you really do need to pick just 3-4 verticals that present the greatest opportunity and not worry about the rest?

Chances are, it's at least one of these. And addressing the bigger picture is the only way to pull yourself out of the Catch-22.

SOUVENIRS Behind the Scenes

Just for fun ... this is a recently produced video showing some making-of footage of my script, Souvenirs (hopefully coming to a theater near you next year).

Focus vs. Inclusion in One Photo

Actually, if you call your business "Pizza and Pasta," you don't deliver variety. You named your business "Pizza and Pasta." By its very nature, your name precludes variety. That's the point. Can I get a pint of Egg Foo Young? No. Can I get three soft-shell tacos? No. Can I get a pizza or some pasta? Yes. Because that's what you sell. It's right in your name.

Introducing the Coalition of Angry Kids

Here's an idea: Find out that September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, have a client that's willing to go a little bit against the grain, and produce some TV and radio spots (supported by print ads in People magazine, USA Today and Delta's SkyMiles inflight magazine) all in an effort to attract earned media stories by saying something unexpected and controversial.

It worked. On the national level, Conk Creative's COAK campaign was covered by papers like The San Francisco Examiner. More important, on the local level it led to dozens of local TV stations interviewing Anytime Fitness franchise owners. Still more important, the offer attached to the campaign has so far drawn more than 26,000 takers. That's nearly 30,000 qualified leads with a high potential of becoming members.

Sure, a handful of people were a little miffed by the message. But if you're not offending someone, you're simply not saying anything interesting.

Handshake Watch: Concur

Concur, Inc., you're on notice.

Really, Caribou? Really?

I hate to keep picking on Caribou, but when I see this while standing at the counter, it's hard to resist.