Getting Passed a Get-Over Mentality

Creating a Social Movement #NoMoGetOver

Anyone who knows me knows that the only “movement” I am interested in…Okay, let’s start again.

I am not the social change type.  However, I have noticed an increase in behaviors that I like to describe as “Get-Over” mentality.

Let’s define this as: An opportunistic reinterpretation of societal rules in order to suit the immediate needs of an individual.  

We have all seen this.

 The guy who parks his SUV in the No Stopping zone because “he just has to run in for a second.”

The woman on line in the grocery store who refuses to meet your gaze because she knows she has WAY more than 15 items in that cart.

The co-worker who seemingly has a pediatrician who only works on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons.

On a larger scale

 The customer service line that gives you every option except the one to speak to a real person.

Or that service you canceled but not in time for them to take one more payment.

On the largest scale there are entire countries whose entire culture revolves around this concept. But let’s focus on what we can fix.

Let’s instead ponder the fact that there are people who are continuously looking to get over; to take shortcuts; to find the most convenient way to get what they want, regardless of how it affects others. What that means is people are increasingly taking less responsibility for their actions. That's not good for a social society. 

The double-parker no longer thinks about the person who may be late for work because of his sloth. 

And anyone who owns a home knows (and is probably feeling the result) of the mortgage bankers with the Get-Over Mentality who aren't  losing any sleep because you can't pay your mortgage.  

I am asking today that you stand with me against the Get-Over Mentality.  Let’s use the power of social media to point out and blow up examples whenever we see them. Raise your smartphones up in the air, and use ‘em like you just now care!

The next time you see someone double-parked just to bring their brat into school. Grab it and share it.  That over-flowing shopping cart in the 10 items or less line? Snapchat that shizz.

Let’s pledge today that we are going to stand up to the Get-Over Mentality and make people accountable for their actions.  Any time you see someone displaying Get-Over Mentality, use your social media power to share it with the world with the hashtag #NoMoGetOver. If we focus on the small-scale things, maybe the larger things will take care of itself. 

Happy hunting!

And, fade to black.

5 Social Strategic Insights to Help You Reach the Multicultural Audience

If you have yet to adopt a strategy for reaching the multicultural audience via social media, you can already consider yourself behind the 8-ball.  The latest studies prove that Hispanics, African Americans and Asians over-index for integration of social media into their daily lives.

It is not enough to have a social media strategy in place and assume the multicultural audience will adopt  the same usage habits as the general market consumer.  But the reality of the situation is that social media still has a long way to go to prove ROI.  And many clients simply don’t have the budgets to hire an entire separate agency to develop stand-alone multicultural social media strategies.

With this in mind, here are five ways you can take your existing social media strategy and evolve it to reach the multicultural audience. Let’s look at this from the traditional strategic pillars:

Target Market

The latest studies show that Hispanics, African Americans and Asians have unique habits when it comes to social media.  However the common thread running through all of these audiences is that they are somewhat exclusive.  From a targeting standpoint you can assume that Hispanics are interacting with other Hispanics, etc. When developing a hub strategy to drive audiences to certain website landing pages, promotions, offers, etc., this is a key point to keep in mind.

Communication Objective

When it comes to brands and the multicultural audience, your objective should never be to start a conversation between you and the consumer. The dialog you want is between consumers and their COI (Circle of Influence). You don’t want them going to your facebook page to comment or tweeting questions to you. You want Likes, Shares, Retweets, Repins, etc. Your objective is to be an objective conversation starter.

Product/Service Benefits

It is wise to seed benefit messages that are as specific as possible.  The multicultural audience already assumes that brands are not speaking directly to them.  When you generalize your product or service benefits—even to a specific ethnic group—that assumption still applies. Try to communicate a single-minded benefit that gets as specific as possible to the individual you are trying to reach.

Benefit Support

Social media has allowed consumers almost unlimited potential to research products. Whether it is word of mouth from a trusted influencer or the latest published data in a professional journal, it is all there with the swipe of an index finger.  Providing support for your brand benefits that are easy to access will help you get the organic promotion you will need to make it into the multicultural consideration set.

Tone and Manner

Often a throwaway in many strategies, the way in which you speak to this audience is crucial to success.  My mother actually has a phrase that captures the idea best. When it comes to connecting with the Hispanic, African American and Asian American audience…”You can pretend you know me, but don’t pretend you know ABOUT me.”  This means that your communication should be friendly and casual, but stop way short of empathetic.  Pretending you can empathize with the day-to-day lives of this consumer is bound to trip you up.  And in an age where any misstep is instantly shared and lives online forever, it’s just not worth taking the chance.

The multicultural audience is a great place to build brand advocates who will create loyal and trusted consumers for your brand.  If you don’t take advantage and take the right approach, you will miss a tremendous growth opportunity.

--And, fade to black…

White People Problems

To prove, once and for all, that this is in fact just a blog. Tonight I am simply going to point out a social media trend that will not never ever become mainstream, when it comes to the multicultural audience.  No deep insights. In fact, you don't even have to take notes tonight. (but you can).

Today (topical), I came across an article that details a social media-fueled trend that is going on in mainstream (read: general market) America.  It has to do with young girls trying to achieve something through weight-loss that they have termed, "thigh gap."  For those of you who have more interesting lives than me, and don't spend your time on social media news sites, Thigh Gap is defined as the ability to put your feet together but still have space between your thighs--meaning they don't touch.  Now, this is heresy to a Cubano-American such as myself.  However, in this society where young girls judge their personal appearance by what they see on billboards and on the pages of every fashion magazine, I can understand the horrible origins of this trend.

Thankfully, this is not a meme that will catch fire with my Latino and African-American Social-Mediaratti. And don't go gettin all Jimmy the Greek on me. I'm not saying it's because of the genetics. I'm saying, there are some issues; be they financial, health, cultural or body, that simply stay in the "white people problem" realm.

Don't believe me? Ok, well let me break it down to you the way only the #thechickensview can do.

AS A GROUP, Hispanics and African Americans will never worry about....

• The best way to manage wills, trusts and estates (financial)
• Global Warming (health)
• Who wins Survivor, The Greatest Race or The X-Factor (cultural)
• And most definitely not...who can achieve Thigh Gap

Btw, this is the most PG Thigh Gap Visual I could find.

I love the fact that I seriously don't understand why anyone would actually prefer this! But I completely respect your right to...prefer this (pervs)

And...fade to black!

Hash Tag Guilty or Hash Tag Not Guilty

Far be it from me to get political or even take a firm stance on racial issues. I'm a strategist. That means, unless you work for the Klan, if you want to hire me to improve the image of your brand, chances are I will do it.

But I feel compelled to discuss the Trayvon Martin case, because as a multicultural social media strategist, I find it fascinating that we are on the precipice of the first racially charged case that will be tried in the court of Social Media (initial caps seems appropriate here).

Just as the O.J. Simpson case ushered in the era of the TV trial, this tragic event will more than likely be remembered for its impact on social media.  This recent article from BET.com even likened the social media discussion about the case, to that of the discussions being held in barbershops around the country. For those of you who don't know, in the African-American community, news does not get more real than what you hear in the barbershop.

On Facebook, many (not only African-American) are staging a "Blackout". Black squares are popping up where once a profile picture stood to show solidarity.

To me, this is fascinating because it is the first time that we can so clearly see where the lines are drawn.  I am old enough to remember seeing the shock and awe on the faces of my co-workers at the reaction of the Black people on TV when the Simpson verdict was read. Quite frankly, none of us really expected that reaction. And no one was really prepared for it.

But this is different. As a data geek, I am amazed that we can literally count the number of people who want to see this verdict go one way or the other.  You have no idea how hard it is right now for me NOT to go into what this means from a marketing standpoint. But, even I am not that myopic and cynical (close though).

The reality is a young man is dead, and another man's life is over...no matter what the verdict or your politics. This is a tragedy for our cultures; for our country and even for the media. Because, much like with the Simpson trial, I am sure this case will start to politicize the various social media outlets.  Who knows, one day posting on Instagram might be as polarizing as attending a Rand Paul fundraiser. I certainly hope not.

And...fade to black!

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Aqui Viene Las Blogueras

My mom didn't (and doesn't) blog, but she did bake. Back then baking could be seen as kind of a form of social media. She'd bake a cake for her club meeting. Everyone who tasted it would rave about it to their friends. They would comment to each other about the possible recipes. Some would hate on her--claiming she used a mix from a box (which she did). Ultimately, she would be known around the neighborhood for her baking abilities. Why? Because she shared!But my mom couldn't hold an Easy Bake Oven lightbulb to today's Blogueras!

According to one article on latinamomtv.com, a study was conducted that found that, “Hispanic women in the U.S. are one of the fastest-growing online demographics, and more than 85 percent of Latinas visit social networks on a regular basis.” That means that Blogueras have one of the strongest voices in the multicultural social media arena. 

Do you know how many cakes my mom would have to bake to hit 85% reach??

Big brands are already recognizing this and are turning to this audience to help sell their products. But that absolutely does NOT mean that these women have sold out! On the contrary, they value their audience more than they value any product sponsorship. Blogueras know at the end of the day, it is all about their reputation. So, rest assured that any product or service that you see advertised by your favorite Latina blogger, has been vetted and has past the reputation test.



As a marketer, your best strategic approach depends on where you are in your Product Life Cycle. If you are a new brand that is in the Introductory phase than your best bet is to engage with Blogueras. Introduce your brand and offer sponsorship. However, if you are a a mature brand, than you want to deploy your social media listening tools to see who is talking about your brand. Use that information to develop a target profile of all the blogs that fit that target. Once you have that, then you can craft messaging that will organically appeal to those Blogueras. This way, you may get the mentions and endorsements you desire without having to go the traditional sponsorship route--at least at first.




And as always...that's all you're going to get for FREE! :)




And...fade to black!
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WHO'S YOUR TEST KITCHEN?

The February 2013 Pew Study infamously ignored the Asian American population in its study of Multicultural social media usage. For the few of us who study multicultural social media, the reaction was a resounding WTF!!!

But it was kind of an understanding WTF. Kind of like the WTF you might exclaim upon finding your wife in bed with Brad Pitt (I guess I should interject here and say that Brad and I are the same age, and I wasn't trying to make an ill...gross! reference).

The point is, I understand all the hype behind the Hispanic audience.  But please don't sleep on the Asian American population.  Statistically, it is the fastest growing audience.  It is the most affluent audience.  And they over index for adopting new technologies.

So here's what,  in my humble strategic opinion, if you are trying out a new social media platform, it is probably best to target the Asian American audience.  This audience will give you strong data as to why or why not they are adopting this platform.

I could go on, but the point of this post is to let you know what audience you need to target if you are looking to to get quick data on the potential of your social media platform.

And I think you have all you need to know...and fade to black.

Standing On the Corner of #Instagram and #Vine

You want to know how quickly the social media world is evolving? Up until yesterday, this blog post was supposed to be all about Vine.  As you know, Vine is the Twitter-friendly app that allows you to take and tweet 6 second video clips.

The app is (or should I say was) gaining huge popularity among the multicultural audience--which already over-indexes for Twitter usage.


But then, this announcement happened...

Facebook's Video Service for Instagram Will Compete With Twitter's Vine.

And all of a sudden my topic became the Mother Theresa's death of compelling stories.  No one???  No one remembers that she died the same day as Princess Di?  Jesus people, read a book every once in a while.  But I digress.

By the time you read this, Instagram will have the capability to offer video to its users, with some pretty interesting innovations.  You can check it out on this video from Vimeo.

But my job here is to provide some insight on how this will effect the multicultural audience.  Most will agree that the reason why Instagram has left all other photo sharing platforms in the dust is because it truly makes you feel like an artist--even if you aren't one.

The combination of great after affects and ease of sharing makes Instagram a natural for anyone with a creative nature.  Twitter on the other hand has always had that added element of compelling you to make a post feel newsworthy.  Instagram is to Twitter what graffiti is to blogging.

So, here's what, both Instagram and Twitter are popular with the multicultural audience, but to quote Will Smith in Men in Black (which I have been known to do from time to time) Instagram video is THE NEW HOTNESS!!!

For marketers, the opportunity exists in helping these new found artists share their creations with the world.  Please don't get on Instagram with your 6-10 second video for your latest chip flavor. No one gives a sh*t.  But if you want to feature the most creative video in your next chip commercial, the multicultural audience will be all over that.

For right now, pull back on that Twitter strategy, and keep your social media listening team busy downloading 8 second videos of butterflies who start flying when you touch them on the screen.  How cool is that?

And...fade to black!

Laying in the Cut

According to the Urban Dictionary (which is almost always wrong), the phrase "Laying in the cut," means almost everything except what it actually does mean.  My uncle used to use this phrase. To lay in the cut means to hang back and survey the situation before you make a move.

But what does this have to do with social media and the multicultural audience? Everything if you are a brand or an agency trying to reach this audience. When every bit of data tells you that the multicultural audience is ripe with Innovators and Early Adopters, the tendency is to want to throw money at the next big thing in social media.  That doesn't work for this audience.  Don't believe me? Ask someone at Coke how that multicultural Pinterest campaign is doing.

So here's what, the multicultural audience is definitely filled with early adopters when it comes to entertainment and technology. Social Media? Not so much.  Entertainment and technology are inherently cool. Social Media however still retains a huge nerd factor.

The multicultural consumer is not going to early adopt something that's "whack"!  I don't know any other way to say that.  So, if you are trying to target the multicultural consumer, please do me a favor and lay in the cut.  Don't throw any budget at the latest newest hottest thing.  Use your social media listeners.  Wait to see if thus latest platform is going to have some traction with the audience.  Sometimes, the waiting is the best part.

And...fade to black!

Smile and Say Queso!!!

If you read the Pew Study published back in February of this year, you know that Latinos are heavy users of Instagram.  This social media network that allows you to snap a picture, add a comment and a few hash tags and keep it moving--is incredibly popular with mi gente.

As a marketer you need to understand a few things that can help you leverage Instagram for success with your desire to connect with this audience.

1. Why Instagram?
The quick answer is the exclusive mobility of the platform.  Due to a number of social and economical factors, Latinos over-index for using a mobile device to access the Internet.  That means, a platform designed from inception for mobile has a better chance of being adopted.

2. What is being shared?
Another quick answer: Anything and everything.  The difference is who is it being shared with. For the most part this audience is not trying to take over the world. The Latino Instagram user is targeting family, friends and friends of friends. They are looking to be an influencer among this defined sphere of influence

And finally...

3. How can a brand get in on the conversation?
 Much like Fight Club, the first rule of Instagram is "You don't talk about Instagram." Latinos are not following brands on Instagram. They have a life.  Your job is to integrate yourself into that life.  Instagram is about sharing on a very personal and spontaneous level.  A brand is not going to tap into that unless it connects with this consumer emotionally.  So here's what... If you want to be one of those hash tags in an Instagram post, take your social media budget and spend it on something that will tap the emotions. Try sponsoring a cultural event or handing out samples at a local nightspot.
There are many other ways but you get the  gist.

The point is, sometimes social media is really about being social.

And...fade to black!

Black People Talk in the Movies and Dominican Men Don't Wear Socks!

Whenever I  meet a new Client, they inevitably have the same two questions when it comes to Multicultural Social Media Planning:

• What the hell is it? 

and

• Why is so hard to connect with the multicultural audience in social media.

Let's deal with the second question right off the bat. Whenever I meet with someone who would like to do a better job of understanding who their Hispanic, African American or Asian audience might be, I tell them to Google the following phrases (among others):

Black people talk in the movies.

Dominican men don't wear socks.

These are what I call "Multicultural Social Media Flashbangs."  I've never spent one day on a real battlefield (but I play a lot of Call of Duty). A Flashbang is this blinding thing you throw out in order to either temporarily blind someone while you sneak by, or flush them out.  In this case we are using these phrases to flush folks out.

When you throw out an MSMFB (see what I did there?),  you will get plenty of results back for blogs, twitter pages, Facebook pages, etc. hosted by members of a particular group, addressing such issues.  Some serious, but mostly comical.  The point is, all of these results are rich with social media gold...like-minded followers, friends, subscribers, etc.

So, here's what. The first step in connecting with the multicultural audience via social media is knowing how to find them.  What I describe above is just one of many methods I deploy (another Call of Duty term).

Which brings us to the second question. 

What the HELL is Multicultural Social Media Planning.

Q. Isn't social media supposed to be about all societies sharing together?
A. Yes it is, and no they don't! (but that is for another post).

Multicultural Social Media Planning is the science of leveraging cultural nuances in order to connect with your potential audience through social media. If you are a brand that has (or is looking to gain) a significant share of the multicultural audience, here or abroad, you need to know how to do this.

The beauty is, much like bowling a strike, brands are doing this every once in a while. But 99% don't know how they did it. And it's kinda hard to get a PBA card unless you know exactly what steps you took in order to bowl that strike-- and can keep throwing those strikes over and over.  (I think I have beat this metaphor to death).

The point is, I want you all to know how to throw strikes (no...NOW I've beaten this metaphor to death).


And...fade to black!

What the Producer Said...Jubilee!

In the age of the studio system, actors were contracted employees of movie studios.  The head of the studio decided in which movies the actors would be featured.  There was essentially no such thing as a “star.”  If you were an actor and you disagreed with the studio head, you were wrong.  If you were a writer and you had a story, you pitched it to the studio head.  If you were a producer you waited with fingers crossed for a call from the studio head.  And if you were a director (which was the equivalent of an animal trainer) you had absolutely no say in what projects you worked on.

The studio head was the quintessential Transparent Leader. Fast forward to the United Artist+ years and you see a system where stars dictated what pictures they would do; when they would work; and with whom they would work. The poor studio head now relegated to nothing more than the head accountant of the corporation.

So here’s what. I, as you know, am not in Hollywood, but that’s where I get my mail.  It’s post-dated with a 4 cent stamp and gives me all the direction I need.

In an age where leadership is bequeathed on those simply because they are liked by the largest agency client, I am looking to bring back the concept of the pre star-system of Transparent Leadership. 

Here are the three reasons why I think the modern ad agency can benefit from the Hollywood style Transparent Leader:

1. Agency culture will be clearly defined

A TL will decide which culture is the one that works best for the shared vision of the agency. But she will do this through a crowd-sourced based methodology that secures buy in before the manifesto is launched (Think DreamWorks SKG).

2. Conflicts will be solved fairly

Conflicts are the cost of doing business. The art is in knowing how to quickly resolve them. Transparent Leadership implies there is a set of guiding principles. Resolving conflicts based on which point of view is most in line with those principles, stops conflict resolution from seeming more like a popularity contest.

3. Creative will be more focused

At the peak of Transparent Leadership in Hollywood, you could tell which studio made a movie, simply by watching a preview.  Why? Because the studio leaders decided they were only going to make a certain genre of movie, because that was a space they could own.  Too many agencies try to find a space they can “share”. If you are willing to tell your UK-sourced ECD that “we don’t do things like that around here.” You will quickly find yourself with a creative team with a unified vision.

Ask yourself how amazing it would be just to address those three things. Well, it starts with putting in place leaders who are willing to crowd source; lead on principle and blaze a trail. Got one of those?

And…fade to black.

What the Producer Said...24

I am occasionally asked about the state of diversity in the advertising industry. I get asked this question because I am diverse, and happen to work in the advertising industry.  Instead of giving the standard answer detailing whether I feel there is enough diversity in our industry, I usually try to frame the picture for my interviewer.

In Hollywood, you cannot tell a story without “framing.” In industry terms, framing is the art of setting the outer boundaries within which the story exists.  Sometimes it is referred to as setting the stage.

So allow me to frame.  Advertising is an old industry. As global as it may seem, advertising is an old New York industry.  It is also an industry that was traditionally a second choice vocation.  In the 50’s and 60’s if you were not going to be a doctor or lawyer, and you were not going to work in finance, your next most prestigious choice was to go into the advertising industry.  What does that mean? Well for one, it means we were an industry of second fiddles, with more chips on their shoulders than a cold-miner.  The original advertising Mad Men, already felt so uncomfortable in their own skin, that the thought of letting in a darker hue was just too much to even imagine.

Cut to modern day: We are in a new generation, but that same second tier status exists.  However, the diverse candidate definitely now has first tier choices.  Not only that, they come from families who have very specific ideas about what success looks like. They actually have icons they can look at.  Sadly ZERO, ZILTCH, NONE of them come from the advertising industry.  How do I know this? Because up until February of 2011, I was one of those icons, yet no one has ever even heard of me.

So how does the industry combat this.  Well, for the most part, they are acting like the incredibly fit old guy at the gym.  Everybody knows this guy.  By the look of his skin, he is clearly in his late forties or early fifties, yet he dyes his hair and eyebrows, wears skinny jeans and has way too many muscles for someone his age.  When we see this guy, we almost feel sorry that he is holding on so tight.

Our industry is holding on too tight. We are being too defensive.  We see only what we want to see when we look in the mirror.  The truth is very simple.  The diversity thing is complicated. There are many wrinkles to getting the right people in the right jobs. Our approach is a little outdated. And we spend way too much time patting ourselves on the back.

So here’s what. The next time someone asks me about how I feel about diversity in the advertising industry, I’m just gonna lift up my shirt and show them my six-pack.  Because that’s as good an answer as any of us can give.

And…fade to black.

What the Producer Said...23 Skid-Do

I was recently asked to contribute to an article in the Financial Times about Harley-Davidson’s advertising outreach to women, Hispanics and African-Americans.  As you can probably guess, I did not pull any punches.  If you want to see the article, you can click here.

My issue was the way this brand is going about engaging with the audience.  Specifically, my problem is with their digital outreach.  It is reminiscent of the scene in Animal House where Kent and Larry are ushered straight through the Omega house party and introduced to Mohammed and Jugdish.

Just like Omega house, Harley Davidson is a strong brand that has a following, which includes, Hispanics and women, etc.  To make the decision that you are going to suddenly usher them to their proper sections of your website, is potentially very insulting. There are far more subtle ways to do this.  And, as always, I recommend that H-D turn to the movie business for guidance.  Specifically, look to the art that is the movie trailer.

The other day I was watching TV with my son and the trailer for Ice Age: Continental Drift came on.  He actually said to me, “Wow dad, the whole cast of the Ice Age movie is Black (he meant “multicultural)."

I thought about allowing him this Tooth Fairy/ Santa Claus/ Universal Healthcare moment , but then realized I didn’t want my son growing up in the same bubble that produced me (more on that in a future post).

So, I explained to him how studios edit trailers for specific audiences.  And I reminded him that we were watching BET.

It was amazing to see the light go off in his head. That night he found a whole new respect for what his father does for a living. You are not going to ingratiate your audience by putting “place-cards” on your website.  You gotta be more like Annie Reid, who just happened to be trying to cross a busy highway as Sam Baldwin notices her.  Really? Okay here’s the link.

So here’s what! When it comes to any target audience: Women, Multicultural, LGBT, you will only have success if you can prove that you know where they are, and that just happens to be where you also want to be.  This is why Visa has over 56% purchase volume and American Express (the devil) has only 15%.  And that is why Harley-Davidson better hope their female customers have dial-up.

And…fade to black.

Imagine you navigate to my blog only to find the following message:

Thank you for visiting. I am currently out of the office but will return in five days. While I know you were hoping to be entertained, or at least amused right now? It will have to wait until I am back.

How many of you would be back? (Thanks Ali) But most of you would take that sh*t personally. Guess what? That’s exactly what happens when your Client gets an unexpected O3 from you. (For those of you unfamiliar, an “O3” is an Out Of Office message.)

In Swimming with Sharks (one of my favorite movies), Kevin Spacey’s character (Buddy Ackerman),is epically incensed by his assistant’s matter of fact acceptance that Spacey’s boss is “unreachable.”

Guy: She’s white-water rafting.

Buddy: I don’t see the problem?

Guy: Well, I don’t imagine they have phones on the river.

Buddy: They have helicopters, don’t they?

It only gets worse for Guy after that.

The point is, Out of Office messages infer that you are “unreachable.” (I had to Google to make sure I spelled that word correctly.)

As a Producer, I don’t understand the meaning of “unreachable.” You know what? Check that. As an Account Exec; as a Strategist; even as an Adjunct Professor, I have never been unreachable. Just ask any student who has emailed me at midnight on a Sunday.

I have analyzed this in myself, and realize it comes down to the basic human instinct of wanting to win.  If I miss an email, the Client wins. And honestly, I don’t want them to win.

So here’s what. 

If you want to be a Producer (which, as you all know, is my version of a Superstar Account Leader). Then you have to remove “unreachable” from your lexicon.

You need to check email even when you are out of the office and on weekends.

If it helps, make it a game. See if the Client realizes that you are enjoying drinks on the beach on Turks and Caicos (been there) instead of toiling at your desk.  Make it a game that YOU win by not giving them the last word. Make it a game by controlling the flow of information between you and your Client.  But ultimately (like WordsWithFriends), make your Client believe that the game is always in motion.

   And…fade to black. 

Think Different

Army Strong

The Driving Machine

These are not just taglines from well-known campaigns. These are examples of game-changing concepts.  Throughout history, concepts have been the way to sell in an idea. Whether we were trying to sell the idea of a country where everyone has freedom of choice or the idea that you could order a hamburger without pickles or lettuce, it has always been about the CONCEPT.

Cut to: Interior of a studio at any ad agency. Two twenty-somethings sitting in the editing bay feverishly cutting together a “spec spot.”  Creative Director with short-cropped hair, salt and pepper scruff, and black horned-rimmed glasses hanging over their shoulder.  “We need to get this perfect for the RFP submission.  Can you move in tighter on the product shot?”

WTF!

So here's what. Why are we are skipping right over concept and going straight to execution?  Since when did that win an account? 

This might be hard for some of you to conceive but clients are not buying our ability to write copy. They are not buying our ability to capture the sun setting on a Napa Valley vineyard. They are buying our ability to think.

Does creative win pitches? Of course it does.  But it is the unseen, yet to be produced creative, that actually wins the pitch. The 3 concepts you show must be strong enough to evoke 300 execution images in the mind of the Client.  That’s when you win.

Think Different.

Concept: Don’t be like everyone else buying a home computer

Army Strong.

Concept: It takes a higher level of strength to be a soldier.

The Driving Machine.

Concept: The journey should be just as thrilling as the destination.

So, here’s what! Take a cue from the iconic concepts in our industry.

Don’t be like everyone else. Go to a higher level to make sure your next new business presentation focuses on the ever-expanding journey, and not just the destination. 

And…fade to black. 

What the Producer Said...Hey 19?

My cousin Matthew Kasindorf is a very successful tax and real estate attorney in New York.  While working together on the development of a videogame, he taught me, what has come to be, my favorite word.

Fungible:

being of such nature or kind as to be freely exchangeable or replaceable, in whole or in part, for another of like nature or kind.

Something (or someone) becomes fungible when it can be easily replaced by something else with the same perceived value.  Example: If I ask you to exchange the $10 dollar bill in my wallet for the two $5 dollar bills in your wallet, then my bill is fungible.

In Hollywood fungible is sometimes the only way movies get made. Will Smith becomes fungible when he passes on a role that goes to Keanu Reeves (Guess before you click). Molly Ringwald goes fungible when she passes on the role that made Julia Roberts a household name (Guess before you click).  It’s just how things work in that industry.

In the advertising agency business, however, it is no fun being perceived as fungible.  More than ever before we are seeing Clients switch out agencies the way Basketball Wives switch out hairstyles.  We have no one to blame but ourselves. With all this bullshit talk agencies do about “culture” we have forgotten about what really used to define and set agencies apart...”Style.” 

Style is that particular approach someone brings based solely on their individuality.  For those who have style, it isn’t just about how they work.  It was how they live.  My son calls it "Swag" . But in any generation it means the same thing. Confidence-based leadership.   

We don’t hire “style” any more. A young David Ogilvy; Rick Boyko; Dan Wieden or Lee Clow, wouldn’t get the time of day from an agency based on the way we perceive talent.  We hire “relevant experience.”  Which is just a fancy term for “fungible.”  We hire someone with the exact experience of the person we are replacing.  We ask…we demand they have no style of their own,  so that they seamlessly mend the tear in our culture.  When you hire based solely on relevant experience, you end up with an entire agency that can be made irrelevant by the next shop filled with relevant experience. Darwin’s theory in reverse.

So, the next time you hear about a Client changing agencies after a year or so, don’t be so quick to lambaste the Client. Because it could be that the agency just experienced what it’s like to become out of style.

 

And…fade to black.

What The Producer Said...18 and Over

Think about the last time you left a movie theater thinking, “who is the idiot that approved this movie?” Now think of the last time you saw a television commercial and thought the same thing. (I know you are all thinking about this spot right here. ) Well, you’re welcome!

In Hollywood, and on Madison Avenue, it is not about what you sell. It is about how you sell it.  I get paid obscene amounts of money (sometimes) for teaching people how to present. But, since we’re friends, I feel like I can share with you.

As in life, I take all of my advice from the movies. Tonight’s point about selling comes from

Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

In this classic scene, Dumone is trying to prep his friend Rat for his big date with Stacey. In addition to his music recommendation and advice on how to order food, he offers this profound bit of life wisdom.

“Act like wherever you are, that’s the place to be.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz2zVcO9Eus

The basic premise is if you show enthusiasm for the idea you are presenting, that enthusiasm will be contagious.

In the conference room, if you show how excited you are about the information you are about to impart to a current or potential Client, they tend anticipate and prepare their mind for something great.  Think about the way you are when you are about to watch your favorite comedian. You are literally laughing inside before he or she even starts. That is what happens when you show strong enthusiasm. 

So, the next time you are in front of a Client, pretend you have invested your life savings and your kid’s college fund into “The Rum Diaries.” And sell the hell out of it!

And…fade to black.

Btw, The lady will have the linguini with white clam sauce, and a coke with no ice.

What the Producer Said...17 Again

It was almost 100 years ago when three stars, one Producer/Director (and one lawyer) banded together to form United Artists. Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, and some dude named McAdoo had the brilliant idea that creatives should control the creative process when it comes to film.  Unfortunately, this grab at creative freedom is widely considered to be the impetus for The Studio System. This was a system that essentially commoditized every aspect of filmmaking to maximize studio profit and minimize creative freedom.  It lasted for 40 years and took a government mandate to dismantle.

While United Artists (as a brand) survives today, the sea change they were looking to spearhead in 1919 simply did not happen.  From an artistic standpoint, it actually caused more harm than good. The reason is simple.  Stars, by definition, are too bright to see what is in their immediate surroundings.  Said another way, stars are too self-absorbed to either know or care about what the public wants.

In our industry, the latest stars are the “Social Media Specialists.”  These are the people who walk the ad agency red carpet. Unfortunately, in my opinion, many of them are showing way too much star quality.

As most of you know, I love Social Media and believe it has advanced and challenged everything we do as advertising professionals.  But I am concerned about it becoming commoditized.  I am concerned that a few stars in our industry will force a backlash that gives us 40 years of ad agency accountants telling us where and when we can engage.  Based solely on profitability.

Scary ass case in point; I heard the US Army is using Pinterest for recruiting. Pinterest? That is a social media channel with a 97% female user base, that is essentially for posting fashion and wedding planning pictures. But, it’s free; it’s new and somebody who’s blinded by their own stardom sold the US Army on it.  That is not where we need to be as a practice.

So here’s what.  How about we make sure that Social Media strategists remain social.  Don’t leave them to operate in a vacuum.  If you have these specialists on your team or at your agency make sure they are intimate with the strategy and integrated with the team.

The last thing you want to do is leave a star to his or her own devices.  That’s how you get movies like Apocolypto…and commercials like GoDaddy!

And…fade to black. 

What the Producer Said...Sweet Sixteen.

In the movie business, there are two times during the year when “Big Movies” are released. Traditionally, the Fourth of July weekend is big for over the top action-packed blockbusters (which today seems to mean the latest awful version of a Super Hero movie).  Christmas, or rather, the Holiday Season is when the big family friendly movies come out.  In order to keep this post “evergreen,” I will let you determine which family movie took the top prize this weekend.

The other thing these two times of the year have in common, is they are your psychological career introspection peaks. (You can look this up if you don’t believe me).

Especially among those new, or a few years into the business, the summer and the end of the year represent big time decision periods.  Here is how it works.

In the summer, you start thinking raise and the timeline toward a promotion.  It’s not your fault.  In the summer, the prices go up on everything.  All the new Fall clothes come out, and you have just finished making your last payment on your share in (ugh) Hampton Bays. 

In a sense, this is your Action-Packed Blockbuster time of year. This is when you turn it on. All of a sudden you’re coming in (close to) on time. Knocking out the assignments like a Tyson blow.  And you want absolutely EVERYONE to see how spectacular you are.  In your mind, you are ready to blow up bigger than anyone has ever done it!  All that, and you want to make damn sure you are noticed by the people who dole out the Academy Awards.

Fast forward to the end of the year.  You’re probably 0 for 2.  You didn’t get the promotion and there is a “raise freeze.” (Code for “We only gave raises to those who can walk out the door with Clients.”)  The movie on the marquee has changed. 

Now you are in Holiday Season mode.  Instead of blowing people away, you’ve turned into the “feel good movie of the year.”  You’re displaying all the classic elements of the family movie.  You start thinking about how you are going to triumph over adversity. You fantasize about leaving the business to do that thing you really love.  And no matter what, you see a happy ending (Which usually has you signing an offer letter from another agency).  

So, here’s what. You are not unique when it comes to this.  Let me be more specific. I am writing this on December 27^th, so I want to let you know that you REALLY don’t want to open that bakery/bike shop/bed and breakfast/ that you think you do.  It’s the holidays talking.  And just like the movie biz, there will be another season coming along.  Stick with this business and I guarantee the golden statue will eventually come.  Feel free to thank me in your acceptance speech.   

 And…fade to black. 

What the Producer Said Catorce

One of my fondest memories from childhood is sitting in the bed with my mother and watching Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes.  This week, I would like to pay a little tribute in my own way. (This will be more fun for you if you read it thinking of his voice.)

I have this post-it on the lower right side of my laptop that has been sitting there for the last couple of weeks. It just says “Nice Guy.”  It’s a reminder to myself that I wanted to write about how it’s becoming more and more acceptable to be a nice guy in the advertising industry.

When I was a kid, all the successful businessmen in the movies (and most of them were men), all seemed to be mean.  Not the kind of mean where they’d call you names; the kind of mean where they kept the $8,000 dollars you need to save your bank; killed you and a bunch of other people during their kids christening; or bought all the stock in your dad’s company and then liquidated the company for profit.  That’s the kind of mean we all thought it took to be really rich.

When I started in the advertising business, there were mean people too. But they were a different kind of mean. Most of them weren’t rich. And maybe they were mad about that. So they were the kind of mean that yelled at their assistants; threw storyboards across the room; or sent you on a wild goose chase around Manhattan to find refrigerator magnets shaped liked little pizzas (If it’s still there the store is on 6^th Avenue and 57^th street). 

These days, with all this spiritual awakening; self help guru stuff and Dr. Oz cleaning out everyone’s colon…people just seem to be getting nicer.  Most bosses don’t yell. If an assistant starts crying everyone runs to their side.  And even people who get fired take the time to make a funny YouTube video thanking everyone at the company. Actually you can’t say fired anymore.  In the agency business getting fired means you went from being President of North America to CEO of Cleveland.

I, for one, don’t miss the mean people.  I hope we are truly getting to the point where “nice guys finish last” means they are the ones still standing. Because I know a lot of nice people in this business and they deserve to be successful. The last thing I want is for another generation to enter this industry thinking they need to be assholes to succeed.  Because I can tell you those days are over.

And incidentally, I’ve always thought of myself as a nice guy—even though I did once kill a bunch of people during a relative’s christening. Probably shouldn’t have brought my PSP to church that day.

Rest in peace Andy. We could have used a few more minutes.

And…fade to black.