Why Making the Logo Bigger Can be a Big Mistake.
by Amy Phillips, Creative Director
It’s a problem that comes up in design 101, and is waged by art directors everywhere. The dilemma of whether to engage the audience or hit them over the head with a client’s logo has endured since David Ogilvy penned his first headline.
Clients who spend money on a web banner or TV commercial naturally want to get the most out of their ad dollars. But pushing the logo into someone’s face as often as a 30-second spot or a tile-sized Web banner will allow, isn’t really the best way to do it. Viewers are way too sophisticated for this tactic. And now they have technology to back them up. One click of the mouse or the remote control, and your logo and the rest of your message are history.
Unless you quickly establish why your ad is relevant to them, they’re unlikely to register anything else. Just think of it as the, what’s-in-it-for-me? syndrome. The people you’re trying to reach are caught up in their own lives. If at home, there are phones ringing, children crying, dinners boiling over and bills that need paying. At the office, things are even worse. Deadlines loom, sales goals beckon and bosses demand answers. “Now what were you trying to sell me?”
Please…do yourself and your company a very big favor. Don’t let all your hard work and good money go to waste on an audience that isn’t paying attention. Engage them first. Then they might even be interested in your logo.
The Infinite Power of One—A Non-traditional Fundraising Campaign for the Cancer Research Alliance
Challenge:
What happens when there is no product to sell, and all you can promise a customer is a warm, fuzzy feeling? This is just one of the hurdles we had to overcome for the Cancer Research Alliance. Home to nine Nobel Prize winners, CRA member centers have a long history of groundbreaking achievements in cancer research. There was, however, virtually no awareness of CRA or what it stands for among a target audience that includes pretty much everyone.
Strategy:
Convince potential donors that they can have the satisfaction of pushing cancer research ahead by donating $1 and passing the message along to others who will do the same.
Promise:
PeakBiety developed a cause marketing campaign around the theme, “The infinite power of one.” Email marketing, Web banner ads, radio spots and a Web-aired video explain that, if everyone gave just one dollar and passed the message on to their friends, the face of cancer would be forever changed.
One of the animated online banners from the campaign
Results:
The campaign is still running, so no final numbers are yet available.
To see more of the work from the campaign, including radio spots and e-blasts, click here.
My Advertising Internship Experience at PeakBiety
by Haris Silic
Finding an internship with an advertising agency in Tampa is not an easy task, to say the least. Hence my uncontrollable joy when Amy Phillips, PeakBiety Creative Director, offered me a summer internship position back in July.
I am a senior at The Art Institute of Tampa, pursuing a BA in Advertising. This degree is quite different than the BFA in Graphic Design, since the focus is more on strategy development and less on creative. However, in order to stay competitive in the industry, I have had to work hard on advancing both my creative execution as well as my strategic skills.
At PeakBiety, I have been able to apply both of those skill sets. I’ve worked on design solutions for their Tampa and central Florida-based clients and created a comprehensive SEO strategy for PeakBiety itself. I really feel like I have been exposed to all functions of an advertising agency.
Haris giving a presentation on SEO strategy
My advice to anyone looking for an advertising internship in the Tampa Bay area is to stay flexible. Try to obtain as many different skill sets for your tool belt as possible through your education and be able to apply them. Internships at premier advertising agencies in Tampa, such as PeakBiety, are very limited and competition is strong, but it was definitely worth the fight.
Good luck future interns of PeakBiety!
NDS Systems Connects with PeakBiety
TAMPA, FL – NDS Solutions, developer of ERP (enterprise resource planning) software solutions for small and mid-sized manufacturers and distributors, is partnering with PeakBiety branding + advertising to assist with their branding and communications needs.
Founded in 1985, NDS Solutions specializes in the development of company-wide software systems to manage and coordinate all the resources, information and functions of its clients. The firm provides fully integrated, all-in-one software solutions built on powerful technology that delivers high capability, flexibility, reliability and scalability at an affordable cost for an excellent return-on-investment. By linking all company operations through one ERP system from NDS, businesses can reduce operating costs, streamline processes, improve inventory planning and management, and upgrade customer service.
PeakBiety will be helping NDS define brand positioning for its ERP software, assessing all company communications and providing vital customer satisfaction research. In addition, the agency is charged with enhancing the company’s graphic identity, as well as web and media presence.
“We are excited about this opportunity to assist NDS in creating greater awareness of their advanced ERP solutions,” noted Glen Peak, President of PeakBiety.
PeakBiety branding + advertising® serves local, regional and national clients in a variety of business sectors. The agency focuses on adding value for its clients by improving customer perceptions. This commitment is summed up in the agency’s promise, “the power of perception®.”
PeakBiety is one of the few agencies in Tampa Bay to meet the strict requirements for membership in the prestigious American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As). For more information, call Glen Peak at PeakBiety branding + advertising, 813-227-8006, extension 114, e-mail gpeak@peakbiety.com or visit peakbiety.com.
The Importance of Creative Strategies
by Glen Peak
As I was watching Justin Timberlake’s crowdsourcing effort for his 901 Tequila brand, I was amazed at his proposal.
With almost no information about the product’s goals, messaging or even target market available, how can he hope to get relevant ideas that will generate interest in the brand beyond the first five minutes of buzz?
I can’t “prove” this, but it’s my sense that a lot of advertising—all media forms, including sales collateral—is developed without a clear-cut creative strategy. This sense, born out of experience, seems particularly true in smaller companies that might not have a fully staffed or thoroughly trained marketing department. I’ve also seen loosely defined (if not completely undefined) assignments coming out of larger companies as well. My point? Operating without a well-defined strategy for creative work presents huge risks:
• The audience won’t “get” or understand the value of the product/service, and the dollars spent to produce and distribute the message and materials are significantly wasted.
• The client and agency have no foundation to assess the creative work and render judgment on whether it can work – no matter “how clever” it is in someone’s judgment.
• The strategy makes the agency’s work more focused and therefore, more likely to produce on-target work in less time (read: “save money”).
• When clients and agencies agree to a strategy up front, it minimizes chances for disappointment in the work.
So, if it’s this important, why isn’t there a strategy written to guide the development of all types of advertising? This includes: sales brochures, web content, commercials, ads, etc.
Probable answer: It’s hard work, takes time, is not glamorous and requires studying the target audience’s needs and wants. It involves getting into their heads, deciding what’s unique about your advertising style and knowing how the competition has presented themselves.
So, how often have you looked at some piece of communication and wondered, “Why should I value this product or service? How will it benefit me?” or “How is this different from what I am now using or doing?”
A good advertising agency will insist on a strategy agreement at the beginning to avoid wasting time and money. There are even tests that can be applied to judging the merit of the strategy itself, but we’ll save that for another blog post…
Welcome to the PeakBiety agency blog, where you can find:
Join in the discussion by leaving a comment (option found above each article).
Follow Us:
