OUR EIGHT RULES
- Forget the words “buying and ordering”:
We are not buying toothpaste or ordering a lamb chop ... we are creating, launching, and nurturing PARTNERSHIPS. - Use media design to HELP, to stimulate, to engage, to cause a reaction: Make it VERY EASY for the targeted consumer to hear the advertiser’s message in a realistic manner that allows for engagement and action.
- Two is the limit: No more than two messages at a time ... one is preferred
- Keep it real: Media design for people not points or numbers ... we’ve never seen a rating point walk into a store ... sure, we ascribe to the most respected media research sources available, but we choose to focus our time on reaching people in as close a fashion as personally visiting each target customer at his or her home to invite them to be our client’s customer.
- Remember, always custom design the media campaign insightfully: Advertising is not limited to print, broadcast, outdoor, internet and direct mail ... be creative, be unique, understand and be tapped-into the ever-evolving media and inventive media landscape and don’t rush any part of the process. Being an effective negotiator is not enough, be a brilliant strategist; be fully cognizant of the target consumer’s lifestyle; be accountable for the paths you take; never forget to analyze the journey and then, where needed, modify, update and invigorate the mission.
- Got to have soul: Everyone involved with the media design must truly be passionate and dedicated to surpassing the client’s goals and maximizing their budget ... to define ‘everyone involved’ we mean: the media/vendor reps we are partnering with, their bosses, and their boss’s boss, the traffic person, the placement manager, the creative team, the media designer—and of course, the client—after-all, if every aspect of the back-end of the campaign isn’t inspired how can we expect the targeted consumer to be.
- Never ever complete a media design without all or at least one of the following: Placement Control, Ownership and Added-Value: re-read rule #1.
- Take care of your own: Don’t forget to “advertise” internally ... to your employees, your students, your faculty, your board of directors, your investors. Sure, companies, universities and the non-profit sector typically send out newsletters and annual reports ... but this is not enough. It is important to REMIND your “own” that they made a good choice to be a part of your business ... you need to THANK them ... ENCOURAGE them to stay on board ... you need to REFRESH the internal “scene”. There are many paths to take, from internal “ads” on flat screens and in monthly newsletters, vibrant internal signage, e-mail blasts, thank you inserts in pay- check envelopes and, the ever popular premium item with your imprinted brand.
