Strategic Insights – We’ve Got Ideas

Heron of Alexandria was one of the most innovative thinkers and inventors of his time. He was a teacher at the Museum of Alexandria during the middle of the first century AD, about the time Paul was in the latter stages of his ministry in the eastern regions of the Mediterranean.

His books on mechanics, geometry, astronomy and engineering were centuries ahead of his time. Heron was fascinated with the dramatic arts and created highly innovative methods of moving scenery and props on and off stage using gravity and pulleys in an automated fashion.

Perhaps his most remarkable invention was a steam-powered engine called a aeolipile. It’s described as follows:

“The aeolipile was a hollow sphere mounted so that it would turn on a pair of hollow tubes that provided steam to the sphere from a cauldron. The steam escaped from the sphere from one or more bent tubes from its equator, causing the sphere to revolve. The aeolipile is the first known device to transform steam into rotary motion.”

Keep in mind that the steam engine was not invented until the early part of the 18th century about 1700 years later, and really didn’t become a force in industry until well into the 19th century as it ushered in the Industrial Revolution.

Think what could have happened if Heron had been able to take his invention the next step. Or more likely, if someone else had recognized the brilliance of his idea and had the second idea of how to put the aeolipile into some practical use for daily application. Oftentimes that’s the way it works. The person with the big idea needs the person who thinks from a different side of their brain to turn the idea into a sellable product.

This is why ad agencies are unique entities. We purposefully set out to build a team of different thinking people who each have a role to play. Some clients need more creative thinking and other clients require more strategic and critical thinking. The one thing that should be common to every good agency is good ideas and the understanding of how to implement them. If Heron of Alexandria had an ad agency hanging around or at least someone who looked at life in a different way than he did, the Industrial Revolution might have taken place in the 3rd or 4th century and who knows where we would be now, Star Trek fans.

You have probably heard a lot about weblogs, or blogs, in the past few years. Seems like each time we read the newspaper or watch television, someone is mentioning or referencing blogs.

Originally, weblogs were considered “personal journals published on the Web.” Many people rushed to put their thoughts and opinions, covering a whole range of subjects, on the Internet for others to read. As blogs evolved, some became more interactive, allowing for comments from visitors. And blogs can be just about anything! Politics. Sports. Entertainment. Technology. If you can think of it, there is probably a blog about it. (Ever heard of a blog dedicated to cuteness? Go visit www.cuteoverload.com.

Our view here at Strategic Insights is that weblogs present clients with two opportunities.

One is simply an advertising opportunity. Advertising on weblogs is becoming more and more popular. A number of advertising networks have emerged, fueling the presence of advertising on weblogs. In fact, the original and now largest advertising network is located right down the road from us, in Chapel HIll. Blogads, Inc. has over 1,100 blogs in its network. Other networks are smaller and more specialized……but are growing in importance and in number.

And steadily, the profile of the typical advertiser on blogs is being enhanced. In the old days of blogging, like last year, typical advertisers were t-shirt makers, authors, dating services, online gambling, and the like. Now, we are seeing that profile change to major car manufacturers, movie studios, television networks, cell phone makers and services, among others.

Clearly, the more prominent and established brands are feeling more comfortable advertising on blogs.

And why not?

Research from our friends over at Blogads has shown that bloggers and their visitors are indeed pretty fertile demographic territory. Educated. Salaried. Attuned to politics. Engaged in the community. Not a bad profile. You can bet the big boys are paying attention.

Granted, there are several pitfalls to advertising on blogs. The content on blogs can easily veer into the hyper political, an area some advertisers may find a bit uncomfortable. Plus, comments on the advertiser and their product/service can seep into blogs, for better or for worse. Finally, an advertiser cannot be guaranteed on things such as preferred adjacent advertisers or product category exclusivity on blogs. In some ways, advertising on blogs can still be a bit like uncharted territory.

The second opportunity is for clients to have their own weblogs and connect these blogs with their regular Web sites. This could help position the client as an opinion leader is their area of a product or service. The client could control the agenda and direct it in areas of interest.

Of course, having a blog and being a good steward of that blog requires time, effort, and energy. But our view here at the agency is that consumer engagement in a brand and having consumers perceive you as an “opinion leader” of a certain product category is invaluable. It is an excellent investment in the long-term health of a brand. In fact, we even have a whole blog post dedicated to helping you manage your own corporate blog.

We have done some research in this area just to see what kind of advertising is on blogs, what form it is taking, and just who is advertising on blogs. If you are interested in this research and its findings, please let us know.

David Ranii’s article in the News & Observer (6/13/06, Business Section) on ad campaigns using corporate icons exposed the pitfalls of using real people or even actors as brand spokespeople or icons such as the Maytag repairman.

As the article stated, people as actors have real problems with their lives that can bleed into public view. They age, get sick or want to move on to other things.

In our experience rather than real people the animated brand icon sometimes works best for the long haul. If you think back you can easily remember the Energizer Bunny, Tony the Tiger, Ronald McDonald, Mr. Peanut and the M&M Characters. All of these are recognized in association with their brands. They tend to be friendly, engaging and positive messengers. They can take on any personality you wish and even be problem solvers if the marketing strategy requires it. Further, you can dress them up or down, evolve them over time to current looks and dress or give them flaws if necessary. The Geico Gecko is the most popular of the current animated characters that has changed its look and demeanor since its inception a few years ago. Two years ago 26 ad icons were nominated to the Advertising Walk of Fame in New York City. Of that group there was only one human, Juan Valdez of Columbian coffee fame. 22 of the 26 were animated.

That’s strong evidence that this type of tactic works. Check out some of our animated brand icons all over our website.

A recent trip up the east coast gave me reason to reflect on several issues and how it can be a learning opportunity as it relates to marketing and branding. My wife, Susan, and youngest daughter, Adrienne, and I traveled to the upper regions of Vermont to visit my oldest daughter, Zandy, who is teaching tennis at a Windridge Tennis Camp near Craftsbury Common. We were only able to see her for a few hours and meet the kids she taught who were from many foreign countries and the New England area of the USA.

Upon leaving we trekked down Interstate 91 for a three-day stay in New York City which my youngest daughter had never seen. It was the first time I had been able to visit Ground Zero. It seems to me to be sacred ground even without the physical memorial. There are only a handful of pictures and a timeline of the roughly two hours that the entire event took place. Otherwise, there is a big hole in the ground with work crews making the site ready for the next building to replace the Twin Towers. Yet a simple hole in the ground has a profound and emotional effect on nearly everyone who visits.

Later that week we continued our trip to Washington where again we were introducing my 10-year old to our nation’s capital. We visited the Vietnam War Memorial and the new World War II Memorial. The Vietnam Memorial is a very simple structure with hundreds of people around but hardly a word being spoken except in whispers. The WW II structure is a little more grandiose but mostly filled with memorable quotes from the leaders of that time. Again the simplicity of the memorial grabbed my attention. Could it be that a memorial is not a physical structure at all. If it’s make out of granite, wood or just a large open expanse it can have the same meaning. A memorial is the individual memories of the people who visit it and a big hole in the ground had an impact on me as big as the hole.

Now what does this have to do with marketing? It’s a method of teaching that a brand like a memorial is not a physical thing like a logo or a product. A brand is a promise made by the company to its customers. A memorial is a promise not to forget and I’ll never forget that big hole in the ground.

Like any intern, I was nervous on my first day of work at Strategic Insights. Those butterflies could have been the fault of the unambiguous display of awards and recognitions that wallpaper the halls of our office, or perhaps I just needed to get use to the 6 foot propane superhero that stares at me from my desk. Either way it was certain I was in the presence of a very creative and unique group of individuals.

With characters like Propane Joe, Strategic Insights delivers more than just advertising savvy, they bring branding and personality to the clients they represent. In my first month I have been saturated with the concept that a brand is a promise, symbolic of everything that defines a company or a product.

In my most recent meeting with Dr. Haygood we discussed the value of a solid Brand Architecture and the long term importance of branding. Brands must have that consistent, identifiable image, establishing enough to keep consumers coming back to their products year after year.

Strategic Insights creates brand loyalty by conceptualizing their clients, connecting customers with a feeling and an instinct that occurs when a product is mentioned. Once this feeling of recognition is implanted our clients establish unbreakable relationships with their customers, directly resulting in growth and expansion of their companies. You can not extend a brand with an inconsistent personality.