Time: Idea I don't Believe in Right Now... or now...

Look how embarrassingly long it's been since I've written something for this blog. Not good. My apologies to any 5 people that pay any attention to this blog. Work picked up full steam ahead and I seemed to have lost track of thinking about anything but the fire burning RIGHT THIS SECOND that needed to be taken care of RIGHT THIS SECOND. In fact, the best way to describe how I felt was that I was being SHOVED through time. Hopefully that will change in the new year. Now there's an idea...

Loofah! Love this ad.

Found it on Fast Company. Viral video for Method. To the point but really fun. Chemical residue is lurking but aren't those bubbles so cute? Loofah!

The Death of the Average American

In Adage there's an article about the death of the average American. It's called "New U.S. Census to Reveal Major Shift: No More Joe Consumer."

It's about how fragmented our society is. It indicated that no household type will neatly describe even one-third of households, in the two largest states (CA and TX), the nations traditional majority (white non-Hispanics), will now be the minority, and finally, no racial or ethnic category describes a majority of the population.

WOW.

That is awesome and fascinating news to me. To lose "average American" from our cultural lexicon is monumental in ways that I am not even able to wrap my head around now.

The interesting thing is, while the article says that the census will be missing the average American, I think it's more correct in saying that we're missing Joe Consumer. I think based on this news, for the first time, we are becoming even more American. Isn't that what we, as a country are based on? The blurring and convoluting of demographic norms. Isn't that our founding ideals? And now finally, in 2010, we are truly beginning to see those ideals play forth in a way that embraces, accepts and lives out those notions of diversity, freedom of choice and one nation. I love the idea that we are more fragmented than ever yet perhaps it is our fragmentation that will unite us together.

Maybe this is the beginning of the end of groups of people fighting against something personally negative vs. uniting for something holistically positive. The end of me, the beginning of we. Because we are all so different, we can be confident in our uniqueness and don't have focus on striving toward differentiation. Instead we can move past me, confident in our freedom and expressions of innate individuality and strive toward a greater "we". It makes sense because my generation and the generations under me are part of something decidedly more philosophically and morally cohesive as they are the beneficiaries of what previous generations were fighting against.

The implication for marketers are huge. We have little to fight against and everything to unite for, positive change and the expectations of big corporations to stand for something bigger than their bottom line and to show transparency will only be demanded more.

So maybe I am projecting my own visions, idealistic as they may seem into this one census but I think its possible and hope you do too!

CULTURE DUNK: Knicks vs. Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv

Basketball is a sport I genuinely love to watch. I attribute it to the fact that I used to dance for the UofR Spiders SpinnURs dance team at every home basketball game and not to my 6th grade bench sitting days. I loved the energy (even though UofR is a small school) of the game and really felt it as a result of the up close and personal relationship I had with the sport. I was court-side every game, had spirit in the face of major exam crunch times, and got to see and feel the sweet, sweaty determination, competitiveness and camaraderie of the team.

That's why I went to see the Knicks play pre-season. I had NO idea what I was in for. I knew they were playing another country but I obviously had no idea the implications or what that meant.

The game wasn't that good but the atmosphere definitely was. I was completely out of my element which always leaves me inspired and awe-struck. There were more Isreali fans than otherwise and the rabbi that gave a speech during half-time lead the congregation of sports fans in a traditional song. I have never been to synogague and grew up with ZERO Jewish friends so all of this was new to me (Where did I grow up? Think more along the lines of Southern Baptist Small Town Sit on Your Hands and Shut Your Mouth South). The stadium was ready for their consumers and had kosher meals to replace the typical concessions. For perhaps the first time in my life (with perhaps the exception of the symphony/gamer event I went to... maybe), I felt like the minority, the outsider to the odd man out. What an incredible gulp of reality and opportunity to gain empathy and insight.

It made me think about culture and more specifically about creating culture. Some culture is so old, so ingrained, so loved, so big that it cannot be compromised. It is meaningful and a wellspring for identity with true depth and layers. Can we as marketers ever really create that kind of culture? Maybe, I don't know... Is that what the green movement and mentality is inspiring? Or are we just creating trends that at minimum tack themselves onto existing culture and at best help propel it along instead?

Inspiration Anywhere: Messaging and Research

You know what I love? Reading an article unrelated to my career that has parts that inspire my career.

Like today, I was reading the Sept. 29th article in The New York Times by Robin Marantz Henig called, "Understanding the Anxious Mind." It was about the psychology of anxiety (you inferred that from the title I'm sure), which was fascinating altogether (that's a permalink up there if you want to read it!). BUT there were two different things that inspired my thinking of strategy.

The first was a line the author wrote that feels like a great strategy, copy or message for healthcare clients or maybe even other brands. It was brilliant. She wrote these words, "draw conclusions about trends but not about destinies." I just love that. It's along the same philosophy as more than a number or more than a statistic, but it's got a unique twist and I've never heard it put that way at all.

The second was description of research that I really appreciated. The author describes two types. Here is the quippet: "There are two kinds of great research,” Susan Engel, a developmental psychologist ... told me... “There’s research that is counterintuitive, that shows you something you’d never guess on your own, and there’s research that shows you irrefutably what you had an intuition about, something you thought was true but didn’t have evidence to support.” Kagan’s research was of the second type, she says: “a beautiful, elegant experimental demonstration of an old intuition.”

In strategy, the best creative is typically a byproduct of research of the former but look at how energetically she describes research of the latter. It makes me wonder in what ways we can use such research to inspire and appeal to consumers.

Redesign This:

So I realize this is the second red sauce in a jar that I've called out. Shows you what kinds of foods I eat hunh? This isn't just about Tostitos either. It's about the jar that salsas in general come packaged in...

Here's what got me thinking. I recently took up a love of fresh pico (with the just diced tomatoes even though I thought I hated tomatoes). It's now hard for me to eat canned or jarred salsa. There was a time in my life, however, that I consumed a large amount of this stuff. My roommate and I in our undergrad years kept a jar around and snacked off of more chips with a hint of lime and salsa than I can to admit. Because we were in a dorm we didn't keep around bowls. Salsa looks beautiful in a bowl but let's face it, there's a ton of people doubling dipping straight from the jar as they share. Or maybe there's not. I've never done research but if we were doing it, we surely weren't the only ones.

The problem was, when you get to the end of the jar, you end up with what I like to call salsa hand. That liquidy ring of salsa from the edge of the opening as you strive for the last bits of salsa on your chip. It was gross.

But what if you were to create salsa that comes in a jar that's like a bowl so you just take off the lid and can eat it straight from the container without the negative side effect of salsa hand. It's really a simple idea, but I think consumers would dig it.

Salsa, used as dip for chips lends itself to that kind of sharing anyways.

Dentyne: So I'm a Little Late...

BUT better late than never to share. I just saw this gum ad from Dentyne that rolled out in 2008 that was striking and that I LOVE. I love it because it makes perfect sense and nods to the relevant culture of technology in a way that makes a statement without making a fuss. It's bold but it's got grace. That's cool.

What's interesting however, is this idea of attaching brands to relevancy. Everything communicates so the ad obviously says something about the brand regardless. The ads that attach themselves to relevant culture stand out, but the question is, to they successful differentiate themselves?

This ad makes me a believer in chewing gum, but I'm not convinced it makes me a believer in chewing Dentyne gum. On the other hand, as I walked to lunch today and saw the enormous point-of-purchase for gum along the check-out line at the local cafeteria/restaurant I find myself eating at way too often, I took notice of Dentyne for the first time in a long time (Trident Cool Colada has been the only object of my gum affection since it's introduction into the market) and thought to myself, "Aw." That "aw", while the frequency and longevity currently unknown, means something worthwhile.

Anyways, here are the ads. Enjoy!

Shock Value. Scare Tactics.

Effective or not? For me yes. The horror and grossness of this drink pouring into a glob of fat sure has made me feel revolted by still I find myself reconsidering that drink this morning. New Yorkers and her visitors- expect to see this ad from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in the subway for the next 3 months. Read the full story in the New York Times here.

Strategic Thinking Humor.

For relationships.

Quote of the Friday.

(http://media.photobucket.com/)

"YOUR CLIENTS ARE IN TROUBLE. THEY ARE LOOKING TO YOU TO SAVE THEM. THE AD INVENTORY THAT HAS BEEN SOLD FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS NO LONGER WORKS, AND MARKETERS HAVE STARTED TO FIGURE THAT OUT. IN THE PROCESS, YOUR CLIENTS WILL FIRE, HIRE, FIRE, AND HIRE AGENCY AFTER AGENCY ... SEEKING SOMEONE, ANYONE! -- WHO CAN HELP THEM PERHAPS ON WHERE TO GO NEXT."

- John Stratton, CMO Verizon Wireless (pulled from Anomaly's website)

Realism vs. Aspirationalism

Let's talk about consumers for a second. There's what they say they want to hear in messaging and in pictures/photos that will make them buy and then there's what will actually make them buy. Talking to consumers through my job has made me more aware than ever of the divide between realism vs. aspirationalism (I'm making that word up and coining it for my own thank ya very much!).

It's what Dove tapped into. They probably heard enough consumers say, I want to see real people so they advertised with real people. It made people feel good about the brand but I've heard beauty clients before say they are skeptical that it actually sold more Dove. People felt motivated to be more confident in their own skin but not motivated to dish out the dollars to Dove products necessarily.

It happens in other categories too across the board. People are desperate for transparency and realism but the question is, how attractive is that really? Often times, the hard, ugly reality of things is well... just that. And even though it's easier to relate to, we as, people are a society of progress and we enjoy envisioning ourselves with better skin, straighter smiles, whiter teeth, fitter bodies, better lives, etc. because truthfully, even if we can't relate to it, we want it. We all aspire.

So while you might hear your consumers saying, we want to see it real, we aren't perfect so give it to us like it is, be transparent and be true. Don't always listen to them. While it might be okay in some circumstances (b/c there are always outliers) and maybe more true in beauty, health, sports, wellness, apparel, and home categories, mirroring who and what they already are gives them nothing to aspire to and leaves your brand a bit in the dust. They may get warm-fuzzies from your brand but they may not feel like they are given the opportunity to better themselves and thus buy from you.

Mascara and fashion sells completely based on aspiration. Especially true for mascara, you know that you won't get eyelashes that look like that photo, but if you could even have eyelashes that look 1/10 as good, you'd be happy. That may be an extreme and is probably true b/c it is so appearance/image driven which doesn't hold as true or as much weight in other categories. So, I will also admit that there must be a nice middle ground somewhere out there that hybrids real and aspirational- a small bump up from reality without a total seismic shift.

Amusing Headline Copy

"For the Body-Conscious, It's Now the Ankle That Rankles" 

From the Wall Street Journal, July 23. I'm surprised this is the first time someone has made marketing around cankles. That word must have shown up in enough consumer insights by now that it just couldn't be ignored any longer. I guess I never realized there were exercises to reduce it, so I'm amused it's coming up in fitness/gym ads. I always thought it was just one of those things you accepted. And the lengths some women will go to have surgery to eliminate the problem. Wow. 

Visual Thinking.

Before starting my job I was spending a lot of time with my family. I LOVE my family and the older I get the more I appreciate our quirks and eccentricities. Aw. 

Anyways I was thinking about who we are as a family and I realized there was a beautiful way to display my conclusion through a venn diagram, a popular tool strategist often use. Enjoy.

Brandcenter Strategist Brains- Hollaaaa!

Here's an update: 

My fellow classmates Culture Standpoints paper can be viewed HERE. So proud of them all! It looks great and has some really smart, cutting edge ideas, opinions and thinking represented. 

In previous blogs you may remember me mentioning da Vinci Center for Product Design and Innovation. It's what I did in place of my Cultural Standpoint. Here's an update on that: we were invited to present to the Sweedish team. Whoop. I start my first days of work so I can't be there to present but I'm proud of my group and know they will do exceptionally well. If the Sweedish team likes it, there's a chance they'll pick up our innovation idea. So cool! Fingers crossed! Too bad I'm legally bound and can't talk to anyone about it (although, it's completely understandable)... Here's a picture of the product we worked on for a nice tease and eyebrow raise :) It's called the Alfie 500 and I know an absurd and amusing amount of information about this product's design, functionality and market opportunities, the industry it operates in and everything there in between. 

Quote of the Friday

Without having a goal, it's difficult to score.

-Paul Arden

image credit: toptenz.com

Please Redesign This:

image credit: defendingwomen.com

I've carried this clunky thing on my keychain for the past 3 years now. Luckily I've never had to use it. It's one of those love-hate relationships. I love that I feel safe with it. I hate what it looks like. It's clunky, it's obvious and on display for the world to see. If people weren't fascinated by pepper spray, it would be borderline embarrassing. More importantly, I find myself thinking it would be hard to use if I was presented an actual situation in which it would serve its functionality.

The point is, I think there needs to be a redesign. I did some online digging and found these "redesign" examples. Seriously?! Pink, a gun, a ring, a carry case (Do explain who has the time in the midst of being attacked to take their mase out of a carry case?), a crystal, blinging one, and a miniature. 

I suppose many women love the one with crystal/bling. I see the fun in it as well. It's not really my style but I get it (the DIVA, is a bit much for me, but again, that's just me). It's been featured in many news stations so I'm assuming it's popular? Anyways, I appreciate the company, Pepperface, (www.pepperface.com)'s, valiant attempt to make this product better, less clunky, less embarrassing and less of an eye sore. This is appealing for a lot of women, but me, I'd just like something simple. The problem with this is that I just want something unobvious and the clunky one I carry is obvious but so is this studded one.  

My favorite out of all of them is the very last one, the miniature, which is a product from Malaysia. It's cutesy but at least it's fun and cheeky... and not clunky. 

image credit: mase.com

 image credit: defendingwomen.com

image credit: ubergizmo.com

image credit: notcot.com

image credit: kaboodle.com

image credit: pepperface.com

image credit: alibaba.com

There must be a more ergonomic solution to safety... Maybe one already exists and I missed it. If that's the case, please enlighten me!

Healthy Mouths Trump Healthy Smiles.

Let's be honest. Some innovation is just marketing gimmick to sell more in emerging markets. Fine. It has to be done. But some innovation that probably was meant for just that reason (to sell more) turns out to be something really, incredibly useful and appealing to consumers. 

Here's my favorite example:

The toothbrush, as one dental hygienist put it to me, is just another accessory for your mouth. It was made as a WAY to get people to brush their teeth. 

Everyone uses one. They've got all kinds of twists, bends, blue coloring that fads when it's time for a new one, grips, grooves, spins, and bristle shape and softness, etc. They've really learned how to soup up a toothbrush in so many ways. There's a lot of research and innovation being done in this area obviously.

BUT about a year ago I started using a toothbrush with a tongue scrubber attached to the back of the head (see photo below). Really smart! The packing was done well. No, it wasn't eco friendly BUT, it had a sample of the tongue scrapper on the outside that interested consumers, like me, could touch. It sure helped me make up my mind to make the purchase. All the sudden, instead of just cleaning my teeth, this toothbrush was helping me clean my entire mouth more thoroughly. We all know how ticklish the tongue is when using the regular bristles and it made it unappealing to brush the tongue that often. Soon I started seeing this across brands. I'd love to know who started the trend and when the first toothbrush of this kind was released.

Recently, however, I tried to get a bit too frugal and went for a toothbrush without the tongue scrubber/scrapper on the back of the head. I realized after one brush with this inadequate, ill equipped toothbrush, that I'm a lifer for toothbrushes with tongue scrubbers on the back of the head. I actually missed the utility and functionality of my more expensive brush equipped well enough to bring me a healthy mouth, which I consider, even one step better than having just a healthy smile.

photo credit: drugstore.com

Update.

Wow. So it's been a while. I've been beating the pavement in NYC looking for a job. I got one! whoop whoop :) I'm excited b/c it dabbles in strategy, branding, messaging, innovation, new product development annnnnd I'll get trained as an ethnographer. It's a fairly new place and I love that it has an entrepreneurial vibe. So good. 

Anyways, I've sucked at updating because I've been moving and packing and am all over the place.

Finally in NYC. Expect new post to come soon :)

Picture Credit: http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

CULTURE DUNK: High Art Society

The Dia: Beacon

Located on the banks of the Hudson River in Beacon, NYC. this museum houses 1960's to the present major collections. I didn't really know I would be going here and it wasn't my idea but it was a great escape from the concrete anyways. My oldest brother was a successful and very talented fine artists (before he opened his own business that dabbled in a separate hobby), so I have an appreciation for the craft and a fascination with the history and concepts that revolve around it all. 

However, in all honesty, I sometimes have a hard time really understanding the kind of art that is more about the process than it is about the piece. It's so important to read the pamphlets at that kind of museum to understand the significance of the work because so much of it is about how it was done. It's a bit easy to make fun of because it stems from such lofty, esoteric ideas but as a philosophy minor in undergrad I suppose I find the mental exercise just enjoyable even if tinged with a bit of, "I could have done that too." I suppose the point is, I didn't do it, huh? 

Anyways, there is one great room with a series of similar (difference caused by contrasting colors) paintings by Warhol (not pictured). There were 4 big smooshy sofas in the middle of this huge, great, open room and I have this fond memory of all the natural light coming in through the ceiling while all the people in the room sunk into the sofas to think about or not think about who knows what. It seemed like soothing place to be quiet, to stop, to hold time still for a couple of minutes and to smell the roses (or just soak in the color and the paintings). Serenity!

The New York City Ballet: Romeo & Juliet

I've danced my entire life and I worked at a ballet company. I love dance. I understand the dedication, the way the body marries itself to the music, the adrenaline, the beauty, the work ethic, the practice, the hours, and everything else in between. I'm fascinated, moved, and enamored by the poetry, the story, and the beauty that takes place on stage- usually to the point of tears. It just moves my soul and I crave dance as corny as that probably sounds.

But the point of this post is that i finally got the chance to see the world renowned New York City Ballet. I've never seen Romeo & Juliet performed and it was spectacular! The Lincoln Center is gorgeous and I loved seeing all the people dressed to the 9's in honor of this art form. The night was clear and it felt like I was in the middle of some fabulous 1950's movie. 

Thinking about the Romeo & Juliet story, I realized for the first time that it must have been so new and so incredibly moving to see it performed back in Shakespeare's day (even if not ballet). It's complex and it's heart-wrenching! And it's amazing that without words, a story, drenched in poetic descriptors and known for its iambic  pentameter can be conveyed in an equally as compelling way without using any words at all and replacing it with expression and movement instead. How cool! That's the power of a good story and I think it says something about the importance of good stories- it doesn't matter how they are told as long as they are.

Anyways, seeing the crowd at both of these places was yet another reminder that while newer, bigger, better, and faster is certainly good and often sought out, there are still people out there that crave history and appreciate the stories of a yesteryear retold from occasion to occasion. I guess some things just never get old!

I'm a sap.

Confession: A State Farm insurance commercial just brought tears to my eyes. It's very moving. I love it! As I always say, make me laugh or make me cry, just don't waste my time :) 

Wacky Inventions.

I think it could be fun to start posting some of the crazier inventions I come across and hear about. 

Here's the first I heard on the news the other morning: The Dog-O-Matic.

It was invented by Frenchman Romain Jerry and has gained popularity enough in his hometown that he is looking to expand to Britain. 

When you look it up, there's a ton of debate about the process and a lot of concern about the ethics. Some say it's a dog's worst nightmare and you'll even read a line or two comparing it to water-boarding for dogs. 

I can't help but wonder what the insight was that ignited this idea. I guess he'd heard one too many persons talking about the amount of time, expense and inconvenience of washing their dog(s). There's obvious, sincere concern about the safety which would no doubt be a barrier when entering a market like the US where pets, especially dogs, get treated like another member of the family. 

I have no idea... but from what little bit of digging I've done, it seems to have been set up with the safety of the dog in mind.

Beating the Pavement.

I've been away interviewing and have had hit and miss Internet opportunities. 

One quick mentionable: 

While sitting at JFK waiting for my delayed Jet Blue flight I noticed a small but pleasant, almost unnoticeable, copy change that resonated with me rather well. Instead of, "Last call for boarding," the overhead speaker now offers, "Last opportunity for boarding," instead. It's subtle but it's nonetheless new. I like it. 

Ok, until I land somewhere, look forward to updates soon!

A Master Looking for Job.

It's official. I'm a graduate of the VCU Brandcenter. Two years of tears, a bit of sweat and some blood in the mix. Those paper-cuts and humid Virginia weather. So much for a Sweet Virginia Breeze...

Anyways, I've learned a lot. Heard a lot of people talk about a lot. Formed a lot of opinions. Met a lot of people in the industry. Pulled a lot of all nighters. It's all been a lot. 

But a lot isn't enough. It's time to get a job.

Here's my thoughts:

The people are more important than the place. I want to work for someone who wants to see me grow, wants to hear my ideas and values my opinions. I also want to work for someone who believes that some rules were meant to be broken and has a renegade, risk taking spirit. Most importantly, I want to surround myself with people who are inspired by their jobs and carry that energy with them throughout their day. 

There's so much out there it's almost hard to focus. There are design firms that need planning, consulting firms that dabble in management, traditional advertising agencies, brand development agencies, experiential brand firms, firms that specialize in all things digital, product development firms that are human centered, research arms of companies, branding arms of companies, non-profits that need marketing, trend tracking firms, and qualitative consumer research firms. 

I'd be happy to put my foot in any one of those doors so long as the people who work there are interested in and actively trying to infuse their company, culture and end product with innovative services, products, philosophies that push creativity and provide end users with utility. 

Hopefully I'll find what I'm looking for. Wish me luck on my job search!

Quote of the Friday.

The man who knows something, knows he knows nothing at all.

-Originally said by Socrates, arguably sung better by Erykah Badu

*In honor of graduating with a Master's Degree tomorrow, this is my favorite quote and something we should all remember no matter how smart we think we've become, or how much we think we know.

Feeding the Brain.

In the past week, I've been catching up on entertainment that I've missed out on in the past two years while at school. I'll call it feeding the brain with interest that lay outside of advertising for now. It's important to have a vast set of interests to keep oneself interested and interesting. It's hard sometimes when you're engulfed in one discipline as intensely as Brandcenter kids are for 24 months. Anyways, I'll try to share what I'm doing to stay dynamic here and there and maybe even link it to brand where relevant (lucky, lucky you!).

Anyway... This past week I've feed my brain by watching the following:

The Great American Trailer Park Musical: An off-broadway theater production. A comedy for the sake of comedy. If you grew up watching Married with Children and The Simpsons and find Southpark and Family Guy funny, you'll enjoy this backwoods musical. It's funny if you like that "perpetuation of grossly exaggerated stereotypes for the sake of hilarity" kind of way. The program said it was about community and how we can find commonalities with the people we least expect. I think that it's a bit of a stretch to find seriousness in a play seemingly meant to be pure entertainment. Perhaps the beauty of the play is not found in the larger lesson, but that there really is no larger lesson to be learned.

The Wrestler: Darren Aronofsky, the producer who also did Requiem for a Dream, has some twisted artistic expressions that come from a place dark enough to ignite tears in anyone really paying attention. He's obviously coming from a dark place. I didn't expect to cry as much as I did but this movie was SAD. And, it made me wonder how anyone could support professional wrestling considering the way these people treat themselves and their bodies. It's almost as if you support self destruction when you support them. I'm sure a lot has changed since the days of Randy the The Ram but still.

Planet B-Boy: A 2007 documentary on The Battle of the Year, b-boying, aka break-dancing's, International stage. It follows the stories of some of the young men from Korea, Japan, France and America who partake in the world competition held in Munich. The feelings about dance expressed are so spiritual and so soulful, they will inspire you. It inspired me, but I'm pretty biased given dance is a passion of mine. Nothing too raw or rough around the edges with this documentary. Instead you'll watch an outpouring of passion, soul, thoughtfulness, pride, will and honor. Here are a two of my favorite quotes from guys representing Korea and Japan respectively: "I am not dancing to make money, I want to make money to dance," "The reason I dance is to explode and feel free." 

The Future of Food: A horrifying 2004 documentary on the genetic engineering of food. It will make you angry, it will frighten you to eat certain foods and it might even be the thing effects you so much you promise to only buy all natural and change where you grocery shop forever more. I had NO IDEA what was going on with agriculture, food, science, corporate America, greed, politics and cover up that affects this issue. We have no clue what we are putting in our bodies, scientists have no clue what the long term effects are and researchers have no means to find out. It's a horrible, screwed up system that is sure to make you question just how messed up the world must really be.

Ideas In The Raw: Single Servings.

Here's a problem I have. I am a single person household and I waste so much food and money having to buy such large portions for myself. Take for example, spaghetti sauce. I've never used a full jar. They make them so huge. The smallest size you can usually get is around 9.5 oz. It goes bad before I can get to it. Now I realize this isn't a HUGE problem in life but I hate being wasteful.

My solution in the past has been to a) freeze it (so much for fresh), b) cook it all at once (and I still end up wasting it) or c) throw out the rest. Sacrificing dietary variety is the only surefire way to assure I eat it all within its expiration date often times.

But here's an idea that centers around packaging. Make single servings for us singles. Please! You can sell a two pack of 4oz jars. They make single servings for people who have health concerns but the packaging industry could meet the needs of other people following that same concept with a different spin. 

If any of you packaging people out there have the urge to take my recommendation, please apply the concept to bread too. How many times has that huge loaf molded before I can eat 4 sandwiches?

Peace One Day + Google.

A couple of blogs ago, I wrote about a pitch presentation one of my branding classes gave to Google about Peace One Day and how they could participate. Out of the eight presentations, my group's was chosen by Google as one of two finalist to give the pitch to Peace One Day.

We present today via phone conference. Wish us luck! In the meantime we made a video to capture the campaign idea. It's a little long and a little rough but you get the point. Enjoy!

Campaign Video for Team Orchestra's Peace One Day Pitch from Tristan Smith on Vimeo.

On Vision Statments.

Last week was finals week and I saw 5am at least 3 times. I'm back and feeling great now. I'm about to be a master after all. But onto the topic at hand...

In the past couple of weeks I've done a ton of thinking about brand vision. I first learned about brand vision in my Leadership in Organizations class in undergrad at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. During my first year at the Brandcenter, the topic came up in one of my classes and it has played an even larger role in my experience branding during my second year.

Here's my opinion: I don't think a company should ever change their brand vision. I think it should be that one thing that is so lofty and so elevated it would be a mere dream to actually achieve. I think it should be set in stone, inspired and give meaning to the brand, but also to employees and everyone who experiences the brand and the company in any way. It should be the heart and soul and reason for being.

For example, I worked at the Richmond Ballet for a year and their vision statement inspired me so much that I taped it to my computer. It was, "To uplift and awaken the human spirit for audiences and dancers alike." I loved reading that every day. It gave my job meaning and made me believe that the company was committed to doing extraordinary things. It was big and it felt good to associate myself with just an elevated cause. I think I would be heartbroken they ever changed it. 

Walmart is another great example. They went back to Sam Walton and his original intent for the company in order to revive and refocus the brand. There, at the company's inception they found their reason for being, the vision. It worked. Save Money. Live Better. might be the tag, but it's also an inspired vision.

I have been adamant in my beliefs about brand vision but it has been difficult to maintain confidence at the Brandcenter with so many differing opinions flying at me at all times. There are definitely people, even some professors at the Brandcenter who generally disagree with my opinion on this topic. In fact, I was feeling  most deflated about the entire concept of the vision being the unchanging heart and soul of a brand after one of my professors recently casually mentioned that my ideas on the matter were immature thinking on my part lead by lack of experience. It felt personal and I don't know when opinions became immature, but I know she meant well and she is obviously entitled to her opinion too.

The good news is, I stopped feeling deflated after I sat in on a presentation by the brilliantly inspiring Dan Cherry from Anomaly. He is a partner and strategist with a degree from the prestigious Wharton School. In his presentation, I  saw my rejected thoughts (questionably immature thoughts) realized in his own philosophies. I must admit, it felt good.

One of the most passionate points in his speech was about Brand Conviction (just another way of saying brand vision). He said at the top of every Anomaly brief was Brand Conviction. It's what should be etched in stone and is unchanging. He said that brand conviction is a brand's most basic belief philosophy, their reason for being that influences process, service and general brand behavior. He mentioned that Nike's is Human Potential and that typically you can find the brand conviction from the visionary who started the company.

I'm sure we all have our own opinion on what a brand vision should be. Those differing opinions are what makes this industry interesting after-all. Hearing Dan speak gave me renewed confidence in what I have always believed a vision statement should be. Now I realize, the only thing immature was me questioning and losing confidence in my own philosophies, and allowing someone else to make me feel like my ideas were immature just because of their personal and differing opinions, ideas, and critique. Lesson learned. Thanks Dan!

CULTURE DUNK: Gamer Enthusiasm

For me gaming was something that I did when I was 8 years old in my brothers room on a bean bag in front of his play-station. It was my sole goal in life to beat Sonic the Hedgehog and I must admit, I wanted to be Chun Li. In fact she made her way into my third grade novel where a prince had to choose between a princess and Chun Li. He picked Chun Li. Obviously. But that's another story. 

Since the 6th grade or so my only interaction with gaming was buying Christmas presents in the form of video games for my 30 year old brother. I neither understood nor empathized. 

That's why, when I heard the Richmond Symphony was playing a special show of only video games called Video Games Live, I jumped at the opportunity to attend and understand once and for all the fascination. Its original intent was to attract a different audience, including young kids, to help them appreciate the symphony. As a person who already appreciates the symphony, my intent was to appreciate gaming and gamers instead. They are an important segment and gaming is an important, growing, media channel. 

The crowd was full of children, pre-pubescent boys, and also, a lot of other more middle aged couples. The show was a bit interactive. There were projectors that showed the video games, a chorus and the symphony that played popular scores. I have NEVER seen the Landmark Theater so packed in all the different shows I've attended. 

I've actually never been around such an energetic, enthusiastic, participatory crowd. I had no idea what was going on but there was humor and drama and stories and nostalgia and innovation. I enjoyed the music and the energy from the crowd was infectious. I actually almost cried once. It was really incredible. 

I won't be a gamer anytime soon but I will be able to appreciate this important segment a bit more. 

Culture Dunk.

In the creative industry you always hear how important it is to stay on top of culture. To engage in, to immerse yourself in, or to simply observe culture. 

I think it's best to do that with culture outside the one that you call your own. To make yourself uncomfortable in one situation just to learn how to be more comfortable in all situations is an incredible exercise in developing and cultivating empathy, a must for strategists. 

I've decided to include culture dives, immersions and observations I conduct like the aforementioned in this blog in a series called Culture Dunk. 

Be on the lookout!

Quote of the Friday.

"If you always do what you've always done, 

you'll always get what you've always got."

-unknown

Word of Mouth Reminder

I've been meaning to blog about a lot of things lately. Today, however, I can't help skip over some of those important posts to discuss my most recent word of mouth reminder. 

Over the past few years there's been SO much talk about word of mouth and how important it is to branding. Most of the time we talk about it as if it were something only friends, family and co-workers pass on to one another. I've never had a discussion about the prospect of word of mouth from one stranger to another when not associated with a blog or the Internet in some way.

But just today in the supermarket I was on a mission to buy my first ever package of whole wheat spaghetti. As I stood there I felt so confused. Pasta is certainly a saturated category. The aisle is long, there are multiple versions of whole wheat, not whole wheat, shapes, sizes, you name it. It's confusing. 

Who came to my indecision rescue? A complete stranger. 

I was on the phone and mentioned to the person on the other end how hard it was to pick a pasta when there were so many choices. The stranger must have overheard me and pointed to a pasta and mouthed that it was really good. He looked fit so I trusted him.

And I bought that very pasta.