I got this great brand story from my colleague Eric Sauter, Senior Technologist in Jack Morton's Technical Services group:

"My son is a projectionist at a local Cineplex. Not a career AV gig, but decent part-time work while he and his new bride are in school. Sunday morning when I saw him, he had a branding story with camera-phone images as documentation.

When a 3D film comes in to the theater, it is accompanied by a sheet detailing various specifications that must be set on the projection gear for the images to work properly. This normally takes the form of an 8½x11 piece of paper, sometimes with a studio or movie logo at the top. This weekend however, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland opened. Disney does things differently. Being one of the more brand conscious companies on the planet, Disney sent the projector settings as part of a kit, printed full bleed in process color on heavy paper stock that mimics parchment, with every insignificant detail carefully adhering to all graphic standards and branding guidelines put forth for this movie release. This document would never see the light of day, only the projection rooms of theaters where the 3D version of the film is being shown. For this very tiny audience of 3D projectionists, Disney put the time and money into making sure that the same face shown to the public at large is seen in every document. I’m impressed.

Disney sweats the details, sometimes better than others, but always with an eye toward the brand. They know that marketing goes beyond the TV spot, printed piece, or consumer experience; it is something that lingers in the subconscious, influencing us even when we may not realize it. A friend of mine refers to this as being “between the frames”, as explained here. It is a short yet worthwhile read that I’d recommend.

On any given day we represent a multitude of brands. Our clients. Jack Morton Worldwide. Sometimes sister agencies. You are always representing yourself and your own personal brand. Every so often, it may be worthwhile to take an inventory of what details we sweat vs. slide. Remember the 3D projectionists, and what happens in between frames."

Brandweek reports that the adult incontinence category -- worth $1.3 billion and growing given aging Boomers in the US -- is an increasing focus of marketing spend, with big campaigns running for Kimberly-Clark's Poise and Depend as well as rival Tena.

My two cents: this is a category crying out for brand experiences, for at least 3 reasons:

1. Given all the embarassment and bad jokes surrounding the adult incontinence category, you can practically see those expensive ads being skipped, fast forwarded and otherwise tuned out.
2. Brands need to offer consumers a combination of education to overcome misunderstanding and anxiety, plus samples.
3. Research shows that Boomers are receptive to live brand experiences as a way to learn about new brands.

What if you could offer a true training “experience” that provides newly hired or promoted first time leaders the skills they will need to effectively delegate work, set and execute direction, establish constructive dialogues, build trust and credibility, motivate their teams, and work effectively in the agency environment?

Here’s an answer: TASL.

Continue reading "GREAT IDEA FOR THE DAY"

The Event Marketing Institute is conducting a survey on best practices and current reality for integrating social media and live experiences.

Survey is open at >> http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=wpO_2bj7S9btJm9KdS6_2f_2fNNw_3d_3d

"Energy company Statoil has praised Jack Morton Worldwide for staging a multi-media conference that brought together thousands of international employees." - CIT Magazine

http://tinyurl.com/yd8x697

So, Anna Wintour, Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg and Kate Hudson walk into a Macy’s in the Queens Center Mall. No, this isn't the opening scene from The Devil Wears Prada 2. The stunt was part of Fashion's Night Out, a worldwide event meant to encourage consumers to part with their hard earned and these days well guarded cash by keeping stores open until 11pm and asking celebrities to go out and shop. The choice of her first stop - off the island of Manhattan in one of the city's less than hip and trendy burroughs - was meant to combat the idea that this was yet another elitist fashion industry event. I don't know how anyone could make that mistake.

The New York Times reported that "The scene was utterly chaotic, and it was not entirely clear that many people had bought much more than a Fashion’s Night Out charity T-shirt to benefit the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and the New York City AIDS Fund, so they could have it autographed by Ms. Wintour.

Continue reading "Anna Wintour's Non-Elitist Stunt to Drive Retail Sales"

My ever insightful colleague Pat (Hi Pat!) recently posed the question "What is the new normal?" How will this past year affect us? Our clients? I'm interested to hear your opinions and thoughts.

If I can take the more positive approach (don't mind if I do), one change I've noticed in the workplace is a breakdown of proverbial walls. I see a lot less of "well, that's not in my job title, my department doesn't do that, that's not protocol" and more of "How can I help you, let me know what you need" mentality.

This past year (+) has been a humbling experience for a lot of people--a wake up call that not everything is set in stone and sometimes you just need to get your hands dirty (again), think a bit more creatively and help those around you. As a former athlete and teammate, I know this approach is much more successful than every-man/woman-for-themselves.

What's your new normal?