What's That Smell?

By:
Molly Stephens
Advertising Assistant

What's that you smell?  And no, it isn't coming from coffee shop down the street, it's right next to you on the billboard. 

It looks like 'scent' advertising is the new way brands are stimulating their potential customers' sense of smell. Dogs too.

For years, marketers and advertisers have relied on vibrant and cooling color schemes and sensory words to entice their audience.  Now they are unleashing the power of "scratch & sniff", a technique that used to only belong in catalog magazines, showing off the newest perfumes and colognes.

I can picture MORA ice cream or Oliver's Pet Care wanting to try out this technique. (Can you smell ice cream?)

Are there any brands that you wish were using this technique unique marketing strategy to build their customer base?

http://thecreativefrontier.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/smells-like-good-idea-to-me.html

Type is Not Just Type

By:
Sabin Arditty
Design/Production

When I talk to people about certain designs or ads, I ask them specifically what they like about them. Often times I get answers such as, "I like the use of color", "the composition is really interesting" or "great use of shapes". Now, I'm not saying these aren't good observations. However, I think one major design component that is overlooked by most people are typefaces.

Many won't think twice about a font just as long as they can read the message or that they know the difference between serif and sans serif. We forget that with each font comes certain connotations that effect the viewer's perception or even evoke different emotions when looking at a design or advertisement.

This Infographic gives an excellent look into the history of western typefaces. What are some of your favorite typefaces?

Promoting Nutrition, Disney to Restrict Junk-Food Ads

By:
Molly Stephens
Advertising Assistant

Often, I find myself thinking about brands and the marketing strategy behind each platform.

I tend to walk down the aisles of a grocery store and wonder how each brand evolved, what research was conducted and how was the advertising strategy was developed? 

Back in March, I was reminded by this video, how influential children's programming can be.

The television show, ANT Farm, on The Disney Channel, taught a 6-year-old viewer how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver when someone is choking.  The child was able to save her classmate's life during lunch time, when a peer was choking across the table from her.

This morning, I was captivated by the article "Promoting Nutrition, Disney to Restrict Junk-Food Ads", in The New York Times.

"The Walt Disney Company, in an effort to address concerns about entertainment’s role in childhood obesity, plans to announce on Tuesday that all products advertised on its child-focused television channels, radio stations and Web sites must comply with a strict new set of nutritional standards."

I love that Disney recognizes itself as a strong influence to their viewers, especially ages 12 and below.  

In an effort to take a stand against childhood obesity, Disney will refrain from advertising products such as Kraft Lunchables and Capri Sun.  Disney will hold to their promise of fighting childhood obesity, even if they lose advertising dollars from big names like Kellogg's and Pepsi.  

Moreover, Disney will also "reduce the amount of sodium by 25 percent in the 12 million children’s meals served annually at its theme parks, and create what it calls fun public service announcements promoting child exercise and healthy eating."

In addition to these nutritional milestones, Disney has also introduced a "Mickey Check" to appear on products in grocery stores. 

You can learn more about the new standards here.

I believe Disney is doing what any good brand SHOULD be doing.  They are using their marketing efforts, influence and branding power to fight against childhood obesity.  My hope is that other brands will follow their lead and do what is best for not only their brand but for those who are "brand loyal".

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/business/media/in-nutrition-initiative-disney-to-restrict-advertising.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

QR Codes

By:

Lisa Dahlby

Account Supervisor

I've been interested in absorbing more information and case study results from the use of QR codes.  I'm still understanding the benefits and the motivation to respond but in the meantime, Coca-Cola is on board.  The soft drink giant just put QR codes on all their coke cans.  Tell me about your experience with QR codes, success or failure. . .

 

Brand Positioning

By:
Rick Stanton

President / Creative Director

In a Forbes article written by Matt Symonds he addresses the idea of memorable slogans.  While this is how many people refer to this brand element, we prefer to call it a positioning line. 

It is the direct result of our own position as responsible thinkers. 

Great positioning is short hand for what a brand does that creates a connection to the end user. It’s also a derivative of a brand’s purpose statement which is simply answering the question, what do you do that matters besides making money?

When we positioned Barrier Motors with the line A promise to do more, it’s just the truth we discovered in the brand. Barrier empowers their employees to get to “yes” with their clients and has an expectation of a service model that is excellent in all ways. They believe their job is to assist, not sell and to that, more, is what they do.

Positioning is the essence of what makes a brand matter.

Some other positioning we’ve developed over the years include the following:

• There’s no taste like home. / Washington Fryer Commission

 

 

• For more dog years. / By Nature All-Natural & Organic dog food

• The one, the only. / Fox’s Gem Shop 

  

• Trusted. Respected. Preferred. / Pima Medical Institute

• Life deserves extraordinary. / MORA Iced Creamery 

I was in the grocery store a few years ago and there was a woman with her daughter at the poultry case. I overheard her ask her mom why she bought that particular kind of chicken, which just happened to be a Grown in Washington brand. Her mom said, “Because there’s no taste like home.”

Mission accomplished.