Excerpts from our talk to the Madison Advertising Federation

Last night, we had the privilege to address the Madison AdFed at their seminar. Our portion was during the dinner hour. Breakout speakers included Bruce Bendinger, creative guru of The Copy Workshop, Jeremy Cornfeldt, V.P., Search and Affiliate Marketing for Carat Fusion and Vicky Evans Stencel, Director of Strategy and External Development for Kraft Foods.

It was an honor to be a part. We want to thank Ben Sprague-Klepzig for extending the invitation.

Our topic was “Is Consumption a treatable disease? How media and advertisers are keeping up with the ever-expanding habits of today’s consumers." Here are some excerpts. We welcome your comments and insights.

Are we changing media? Or is media changing us? And as advertisers, what are we to make of all this?

“The real interesting dynamic is that marketers and advertisers are now dealing with the challenge of being focused and the realities of fragmentation. The tensions between the two are what can drive a person crazy.”

Bruce Humbert of Turner + Humbert

The single most important thing any advertiser can do, big or small, is to define his target market. Sequester, analyze, understand and know that segment which is most likely to respond.

Once you do narrow your taarget, change your focus from “product as hero” to “insight as hero.” This step is extremely difficult, but we believe that for every brand there is somewhere one word or phrase where consumer and advertiser can meet and agree to do business.

Take the time. Make the effort to find it. Because people aren’t looking for your product. They’re looking for themselves.

Moreover, the way they’re looking has changed. Their behavior has changed. It all started with the post-TV generation who stopped listening (and, one could infer reasoning their way to a decision) and started reacting to visuals practically instantaneously.

Bob Pittman, one of the founders of MTV, put it this way. He called them “TV Babies:”

“Because of TV perhaps, TV babies seem to perceive visual messages better; that is, through sense impressions. They can ‘read’ a picture or understand body language at a glance.”

Consider the implication. A generation that needs not to be told and doesn’t want to be led. They are with us today. They’re called AARP and they’re the biggest lobby in the country. And that ability to make a snap video decision has been passed down to Generation Y and all to follow.

Next time: TV Babies get their own technology and all hell breaks loose.

Boomers become broadcasters

Continuing on the topics raised at the Madison AdFed earlier this month:

During the time of the VietNam war, when people acquired the ability to make “snap judgments” when listening to the news or looking for products, along came the Internet. As perspective, it took the telephone 38 years to get 10 million subscribers.

It took the Internet just 3 years.

Today, our ability to access and filter information means that the future is not about reach and frequency. It’s about the availability of online content, delivered across as many mediums as possible and available to those segments of consumers who truly care about it.

The Internet is the technology that is driving the new media changes. But there is a cultural change that is both a cause and an effect. And that is diversity. Diversity is gaining momentum because if you tolerate what I want to see and hear, I have to return the favor. Freedom is a two-way street. That’s because we’re capitalists. Diversity is profitable to all.

So what’s the lesson for us as marketers?

First, if you start with the question of “what medium do I use most effectively?” you’ve skipped the very crucial step of knowing who your target is and where to find them. ESPN, for example has developed content for a wide variety of media, not simply to lead the way in technology, but rather to fulfill their vision (remember that set of words we agree on about a brand?). Their stated strategy is to “serve sports fans in every way possible.”

Once you know your target, heed the words of Faith Popcorn: “Walk. Run. Go to her. You will secure her loyalty forever.” Challenge your media sources to show how they can deliver your audience effectively and economically.

The good news is found in these words from David H. Freedman, writing in Inc. Magazine, August 2005:

“The big advances in advertising technology once favored traditional giants like Procter & Gamble, which could afford to mass-market its message. The new techniques are affordable to smaller companies, too.”

Next time: a warning from a grisly old veteran of the advertising business.

Spring is in the air

So we’re particularly proud to welcome our newest client, Johnson’s Nursery in Menomonee Falls.

Founded in 1959, Johnson’s is one of the premier landscapers in the region. With almost 500 acres, they grow much of their own stock. This gives them a number of key advantages including selection, guarantee and of course, knowledge of what will work the best in any situation.

But growing their own stock is only part of what makes Johnson’s such a terrific organization. They’re staffed with experienced horticulturalists and landscape architects who just plain love what they’re doing. In fact, Johnson’s has actually created several new varieties of plants and trees that are shipped all across the United States.

We got to know Chad Johnson, as well as Jackie Weisenberger, Bill Reichenbach and a number of other great folks at Johnson’s this past December. They were gracious enough to give us an assignment and together we created a giveaway of a 25-foot tall tree at the Home Builders EXPO in January of this year. 3 lucky winners were chosen from entries received both at the show and online. Johnson’s not only has many huge trees to choose from, but they also have the expertise to deliver and plant the giants.

Instrumental in making the connection with Johnson’s was our own senior Art Director, Lynn Schoenecker. Lynn had done some work for Johnson’s in the past, so they were familiar with her wonderful taste and attention to detail. Lynn is also an avid gardener herself and loves working with native plants. In fact, Lynn is currently at work on a pretty big project in the Village of Elm Grove. She observed that a 2-acre area along the Underwood Creek, which was the former location of the American Legion Post, would be an ideal place for an educational site for native plants. It could become, Lynn thought, a wonderful way to honor our nations’ veterans.

Lynn has developed drawings and specific plant lists which she has proposed to the Village. Her concept includes educational markers on the paths and a bronze sculpture. She envisions enrolling local boy and girl scouts as well as area schools to maintain the property and in so doing, come to appreciate our native habitat and our veterans.

We’ve already seen Lynn talking the project up at Johnson’s and they’re eager to help supply what’s needed. The goal is to have the project finished by Memorial Day of 2007.

If you’d like to hear more about the project or even help with Lynn’s fund-raising efforts, just contact her here at Blue Horse: lschoenecker@bluehorseinc.com.

Meanwhile, we’re hard at work for Johnson’s, putting our “retail” hats on and helping them with everything from signage to ads to newsletters and public relations. Retail marketing and advertising is something we have a lot of experience with. It presents its own set of challenges. Fortunately, when you have people and products as good as the ones at Johnson’s, your task becomes that much easier.

Speaking of which, now would be a good time to get the jump on the upcoming season. You can visit Johnson’s at W 180 N 6275 Marcy Road. That’s just a bit north of Silver Spring. Their phone number is 262-252-4988. Or take a tour at www.johnsonsnursery.com If you just want to pick up a few bushes, or would love to have a row of 25-foot oaks planted around the house, Johnson’s has them ready to go.

Just talk to the guys in the green shirts!