Drumming Lessons

Butch likes to think that you learn little life lessons in everything you do.  Good brands learn from experiences, then leverage those lessons to get better and stay relevant.

I've been drumming for 36 years.  Through drumming, I've learned a lot of lessons that apply to life, business and branding.  Here's just a few:

• Less is more. Keep it simple.
• Always try something new/different or you'll get stuck in a rut. 
• Sometimes, you have to be quiet to break through the noise around you.
• No matter how much it hurts, stay consistent.  Never deviate.
• If you miss a beat, don't sweat it... just jump back in.  Always jump back in.
• Never leave your lead singer hanging.  He's counting on you.
• No one really notices your mistakes like you do.  Don't dwell on them.
• Know your role.  Don't be a glory pig.  Drummers are in the back of the band for a reason.
• Deliver what you promise. In the end, everyone's either found or found out.
• Do what you love, and you'll do it the rest of your life.

Add your own, fellow drummers.  If you're not a drummer, add a few anyway.  Afterall, everyone thinks they can play drums.  (Wink. Wink.)

- Butch

A Case Study of Case Studies

Butch had the good fortune to serve as a judge for the North American Effie Awards in NYC last week.  The "Effies" is a worldwide awards show recognizing effectiveness of advertising and marketing communications campaigns.  It's the largest ad show focused on what matters most to our clients and our brands -- ROI.

The great thing about judging case studies is that you look at them with a completely different filter than when writing them.  It was a great learning experience that reminded me of a few things I should pay careful attention to when preparing case studies for award shows, new-business RFPs, presentations, etc.

1.  Make sure that goals & objectives are focused on the most important business priorities.  Winning lots of creative awards really isn't a business priority.  Driving higher comp sales, incremental traffic or brand engagement... that's a good strategic platform.

2.  Check that your stated results & key metrics align with your goals & objectives.  I was surprised how many case studies specified sales goals, but failed to pay it off by speaking to sales results.  Again, lots of creative awards does not equate to great sales.  In fact, one case stated a sales-growth objective, followed by a chart illustrating NEGATIVE comp sales. WTF?

3.  Proof.  Proof.  Proof.  Wow.  I was shocked at how many case studies contained typos, incomplete thoughts and misspellings.  One very large, well-known agency even misspelled their own name.  No kidding.

4.  Review and follow the rules of the game.  Every awards show has its sacred rules.  If those rules are broken, you'll likely be disqualified.  It's a shame to spend hours of time and resources to enter a show, prepare samples, ship materials, then find that you didn't follow instructions and your entry has been DQ'd.  Unfortunately, the very first entry I judged was thrown out for a rules infraction.  Sad.

5.  Don't be intimidated by the big names.  Not all great work is done by the large, venerable agencies in the industry.  Smart work can come from anywhere.  My top two, highest-rated case studies were for regional brands handled by smaller agencies.  The strategies were solid, the work was brilliant, and the results were exceptional.  They beat the big brands & big agencies, hands down.

That's it.  A few simple reminders that may help make our case studies better and more successful. Thanks for stopping by.

What do you think?
- Butch

Digital Alter Egos

A recent report by The Telegraph claims that 20% of divorces in 2009 cited Facebook "affairs" as a reason for failed marriages. Sounds ridiculous, but so do many of the things people do online that they would never do face to face.

Butch is surprised at what he sees on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.  The act of posting comments, pictures and videos on a computer or mobile device seems to rob people of common sense, morality and plain ol' simple manners.  People forget that what goes online can be seen by everyone.  Do you really want your prospective employer to see you in those "crazy biatches" girls-night-out pictures?  Think the cops won't care about that video of you and your "posse" paint balling cars at the church?  There's nothing wrong with friending your old college squeeze and chatting all night while your wife is upstairs taking care of the kids, right?

Online communities are just communications tools provided by technology.  Use the same sense you'd use in real social settings.  Be nice.  Be good.  Do the right thing.

Better yet, take a break from the screen and take time to actually talk with the people in your life -- face to face.

What do you think?
- Butch  

The Love You Take

Welcome to Sonny's.  Let's talk about music.  As we wrap another decade, let's focus on the music of 2000-2009.  Question:  Who has the top-selling album in the first decade of the new millennium?  Britney Spears?  N'Sync?  Eminem?  Kanye?  Fifty Cent? 

Nope.  The top-selling album of the decade is The Beatles:1.  It topped all contenders by selling more than 11 million copies (source: Neilsen SoundScan).

The Beatles are amazing.  45 years after coming to the US, and more than 30 years after they stopped recording, they're still on top.  They are still relevant to millions of consumers.  Respect.

Listen to nearly any new band and you still hear the influence of The Beatles.  They didn't invent the sound, but they made it mainsteam.  They made it famous.  They made it rock.

Great brands, like great bands, don't have to be the first to do something -- they just have to do it better.  And, with more consistency.  They inspire.  They endure.

We miss you John and George.  The mark of The Beatles is forever indelible on the landscape of music.

- Butch

Cultural Morality & Tiger

The book, The Man in The Mirror, speaks to the subject of "Cultural Christianity."  Simply, it's the concept that our culture shapes our beliefs, and Cultural Christians often pick and choose their faith values based on what is convenient or works best for them in a given situation.

For the sake of conversation, Sonny's Cozy Tavern is going to borrow the concept and call it "Cultural Morality" in the case of Tiger Woods and his sponsors.  Tiger is like gold to his sponsors.  Nike built an entire golf empire from the ground up around Tiger.  Buick seems almost cool with Tiger.  I want a Breitling watch just like Tiger.  The PGA Tour would stagger to its knees without Tiger.

Tiger's image was always squeeky clean, almost super human.  Until this week. He hit a tree and a fire hydrant with his Escalade, and the story grew from one of an auto accident to one of "transgressions" with at least three women to date. 

So far, none of Tiger's sponsors have backed out of their very lucrative branding deals.  Many have already come out with statements standing by Tiger.

A case of "Cultural Morality" based on money to be gained by the sponsors?  Would these same sponsors have stood by and maintained brand relationships if it wasn't Tiger -- and they didn't make millions off of him?  You think John Daly would have received the same support?  Butch doubts it, but that's what we're here to discuss.

Cultural Morality or genuine care and loyalty to Tiger?  What do you think?
- Butch
 

Brand Voodoo

When people find out that I work in advertising, the talk almost inevietibly finds it way to the subject of subliminal messaging.  Subconscious mental manipulation.  Mind control.  Books have been written about it.  People actually believe that we all practice it... like some kind of secret advertising society ritualistic brand voodoo.

We've all seen the stories -- hidden pictures of naked bodies in the ice cubes in Dewar's print ads, the "SEX" design on Pepsi cans, and the male body part in the Joe Camel caricature.  I'm sure you have many of your own examples.

Fact is, I've been in this business for 24 years and I've never sat in a meeting where anybody plotted about placing any hidden messages in any clients' advertising.  It just doesn't happen.  It seems ridiculous to me.  I call it all incidental coincidence... even the examples cited above, I believe, were not intentional.  Rather, they were created by someone finding something after the fact and creating a story. 

You see, good marketers understand that good brands are like good friends.  Good marketers strive to create brands that are honest, genuine and care about you.  Good brands want a lifetime relationship, not a quick sale.  Subliminal advertising is counter intuitive to the concept of building genuine, honest and long-term relationships.  A friend who tries to manipulate you is not a friend for very long.

What do you think? 
- Butch

PS -- I did work with an illustrator who hid written messages in his advertising art, but they were generally declarations of love for a girl or pithy little messages all for fun... that's a whole different story.

Running Lessons

Good talk happens at Sonny's Cozy Tavern.  Butch had a good discussion recently with a friend who has run three Boston Marathons.  I am a three-time marathon finisher -- but, at 200 pounds (a certified "Clydesdale" in running circles), I have little hope of ever qualifying for Boston.  Still, we both found common ground in exploring the life/business lessons that we've learned from running:

• Set big goals. Push yourself harder than you can imagine.  You'll achieve things you never dreamed.
• Have a plan.  Stick to it.  You have a much greater chance of succeeding if you have a clear road map and a well-devised strategy.
• Have a backup plan.  Be ready to overcome any obstacle that may get between you and your goal.
• Be aware of your surroundings.  Keep an eye on your competitors, fellow runners, the road beneath you, and the road up ahead.  Learn from those around you, keep your target in sight, and anticipate the hazards.
• Surround yourself with better runners.  Don't settle.  Ever.
• Enjoy the journey.  Soak it all up. Enjoying it makes it seem like it's really not work at all.  
• Savor the victory, but do not stop.  Keep moving.  The finish line marks the start to your next run.   

The best advice I've received from a fellow runner came from a 62-year-old Cancer survivor I met during the 2005 Chicago Marathon.  He said, "Running marathons taught me that I could do things I never imagined.  That's what made me believe that I could beat Cancer.  Never forget this feeling.  It will surely come in handy for you someday when you really need it."

I will never forget it, friend.  I trust that I will need it someday.

What lessons do you take from your every day that shape your life, your approach to business?
- Butch