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CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 2: LOOK FOR LONGEVITY

May 22, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is another in a seven-post series on how to choose the right creative service provider (writer, designer, photographer, etc.) for your business or organization. This advice is based on what I’ve seen companies do the wrong way over the years. Hope you enjoy and find it useful!

The second step is to determine whether your prospective provider is in business for the long haul. That’s important if you’re hoping to establish a long-term working relationship with that provider. You don’t want to be left high and dry in six months if he or she decides to take a full-time job.

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 1: AVOID HOURLY RATES

May 15, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is the first of a seven-post series on how to choose the right creative service provider (writer, designer, photographer, etc.) for your business or organization. This advice is based on what I’ve seen companies do the wrong way over the years. Hope you enjoy and find it useful!

The first step is making sure you avoid the biggest mistake of all, which is to ask your prospective provider “What’s your hourly rate?” Do that, and you’re probably not going to end up with the best provider for your needs and budget.

R.I.P. TO MY FIRST CLIENT

May 1, 2013 by Scott Flood

I just learned that my first client died in early April, and as is often the case in such situations, news of her death triggered many memories. She was one of the nation’s leading celebrities for many years, but unlike so many of today’s fading stars who claw for one more desperate moment in the spotlight, she had gracefully exited from center stage long before we met.

Her name was Maria Tallchief, and at the peak of her career in the 1940s, she was the prima ballerina for the New York City Ballet. More than that, she was widely considered to be America’s first true prima ballerina. At 17, she arrived in New York City and landed an apprenticeship in a ballet company. One of the dancers became pregnant, and Mme. Tallchief stepped into her role. Soon, the American dancer‘s talent eclipsed that of the Russians in the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, where she met and soon married celebrated choreographer George Balanchine.

ACCURACY IN VISUALS MATTERS, TOO

April 24, 2013 by Scott Flood

It’s important for copy to be accurate, but it’s every bit as important for the visuals that accompany the copy to be equally accurate. Visuals either lend credibility to the messages being presented, or they detract from it. That’s especially true when they’re related to some kind of technical message.

I saw proof of this when an ad agency I worked for was preparing a major presentation to a new air cargo company client. One element of the presentation was a paint scheme for the company’s airplanes, and the art director assigned to the task had come up with a beauty. The only problem was that his drawing applied the design to a plane that didn’t exist. He had created the outline of it using a nose from this plane, a tail from that one, engines from a third, and so forth.

THE TAGLINE CONUNDRUM

April 10, 2013 by Scott Flood

I stunned a client recently by telling them that I didn’t think they needed a tagline. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s a brief phrase that is supposed to crystallize what makes your business unique, different, or interesting. It’s similar to a slogan, and the best taglines tend to be on the clever side. Some even use wordplay.

There’s a belief out there that every business must have a tagline, and I’m not sure why. I suspect one of the reasons is the success that Nike had with “Just do it.” On many occasions, companies have asked me to develop taglines that will be just as impactful and memorable as Nike’s. Usually, I’ll politely turn down the work.

FOR SUCCESS, SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE

April 3, 2013 by Scott Flood

One of the most sensible strategies used by direct marketers is what’s known as a split A/B test. A split test offers a way to compare two different messages, or two different offers, and to determine which will produce a greater rate of return.

Suppose you’re thinking of sending an offer to a list of 100,000 prospects. You aren’t sure whether those prospects would prefer a discount or some kind of bonus offer in return for their business. So what you do is take a small percentage of that list… say 5 percent… and divide that portion in half.

ADJUST YOUR SCHEDULE TO CIRCUMSTANCES

March 27, 2013 by Scott Flood

When it comes to marketing and marketing communications, I’m all about schedules. As you’re working on concepts and ideas, unbridled creativity is wonderful, but when it’s time to execute, nothing beats good-old-fashioned discipline.

But having schedules doesn’t mean they have to be carved in stone, especially if you face unexpected factors or if your target audience is experiencing some kind of major problem. For example, if you’re about to roll out a limited-time special offer and Mother Nature surprises your community with the worst snowstorm in a decade, you may want to hold off on promoting it … or if it’s already out there, you may want to extend the deadline.

WHEN IN ROME, ADVERTISE LIKE ROMANS

March 20, 2013 by Scott Flood

Many advertisers — even large national ones — seem to be completely unaware of the environments in which they place their advertising. I don’t mean that in terms of the desired audience; rather, it’s in creating ads that will work with the audience and environment.

Case in point was Greatcall, the national advertiser offering a medical response system (ala “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”). I found their ad on the back cover of the large-print edition of Reader’s Digest magazine. Given the demographics of the magazine — especially in its large-print version — the audience is well worth the extra money this company has shelled out.

MATCH THE TONE TO THE OCCASION

March 6, 2013 by Scott Flood

I was giving a talk to a business group a few weeks back, and after I stressed the importance of keeping marketing communications conversational, one of the attendees posed a question about how much of conversational tone is enough. It was a great question.

I responded that the answer depends upon the message-sender, the recipient, the medium, and the environment. For example, if you’re responding on social media to a longtime customer, you can be far more conversational and fun than you’d want to be in an initial message to a conservative prospect.