The 543 Group

Animation Need Not Be Sophisticated to Be Engaging

There are numerous ways to create content that engages viewers.  This example shows that the approach does not need to be overly sophisticated to make content compelling.  You can even work with existing public domain images as in this instance:

   

For any creative assignment, it is best to examine all the ways in which the solution can be created, including those that will save clients cost while still delivering.

A Pure Account Man

On a recent episode of the hit AMC series 'Mad Men', the principals of the fictitious agency Sterling Cooper are talking about what it means to be a 'pure account man.'  Roger Sterling says, "What is that job all about?  It's about listening to people, and never saying what's really on your mind."  Bert Cooper responds, "No... it's about letting things go, so you can get what you really want."  And Don Draper replies, "We took their money.  We have to do what they say."

Wow - what a cynical bunch.  The truth is that it is none of the above.  Being a 'pure' account person should be about doing the right thing, always.  If you do that, then you can say what is on your mind and it will be because you listened well to the client.  It can be about getting what you want because it will benefit the client and therefore your business as well.  And you should never be 'taking' the client's money.  You should be earning it and, if honestly and with integrity to the work and goals at hand, it will not be doing what the client says but doing what you agreed to do together... the right things to propel their business and help them grow.  That's how we see it.

The Devil Is In The Details

We are able to build Websites usually faster than the content for them can be approved, and then sometimes clients wonder why a site can take a while in the later stages to be totally completed.  One really good reason?  Browser testing.  Every site we build is tested not only in all of the current predominant Web browsers and versions, but often emerging browsers such as Chrome is right now.  The real challenge is how far BACK to go with browser compatibility.  

As the chart above indicates, the market share for browsers shows that Version 6 of Internet Explorer actually has the largest percentage at present, even though most would not necessarily know or believe that.  Conversely, look at how fast adoption of IE Version 8 is happening even though it has only been out a short while (credit Windows 7 for that, in part).  And, once a new Website is completed and launched, there are usually  new versions or browsers out shortly thereafter that also should be tested to see if they result in any site anomalies. 

We work to make sites as 'future proof' as possible based on our code structure, but it is not usually viable to plan for a site to work perfectly in every version of every browser available.  There are scores of them going back many years, some of which will not support the latest types of engaging content desired very well.  So the next time someone asks why the last stage of launching a site takes a while, tell the devil really is in the details - browser testing, metadata, optimization for organic search, etc.  Lots of companies can build Websites.  Properly structured and coded sites tested to perfection takes a little longer, but it's worth it.
 

Buy-ology

In the iconic Broadway show, "The Music Man," Mayor Shinn keeps telling the youth to watch their 'phraseology' - that the words they use matter and that they should show respect for their elders.  In a market fraught with buzzwords and jargon many do not understand let alone leverage properly, this advice continues to be true.

 

Buyology - Truth and Lies About Why We Buyis the title of the bestselling book by Martin Lindstrom, in which he explores, among other topics, how to optimize one's brand based on neuroscience.  From his own Website, "This groundbreaking new science will revolutionize our understanding of our own buying behavior and send shock waves throughout the marketing and advertising industries and the business world as a whole. A subject they never taught you in school, you’re about to discover your own ‘buyology’."  I have not heard the marketing world come crashing down yet.  It is always good to explore new approaches, however, and discover, as I often do, that I learn something new every day, and today it may have been that what I learned yesterday was wrong.  That's useful, humble education. 

If you are ready to 'translate consumer brains into brand action,' that's great, and we can help you get inside those brains.  We still encourage you to develop sound online marketing strategies based on your core knowledge of customer and prospects needs, attitudes, and behaviors, and then translate that into engaging user experiences and practical solutions that exceed expectations.  We'll promise to use phrases and approaches all stakeholders will understand, and deliver measurable results.  That's our theory of buyology.

Stimulus Plan - Focus on Greater ROI

The 543 Group finished 2008 with significant triple digit increases in revenue and has experienced similar good fortune thus far in 2009, at a time when so many of our colleagues in the industry did not fare so well or went out of business entirely.  We are both gratified and humbled by the progress we have made with our business model.

How did we do it?  We can't divulge every competitive advantage here, but suffice to say we sharpened our focus even more on the needs of our clients, and how they can maximize return on investment for their marketing initiatives.  Smart marketing executives know they need to constantly look for ways to lower their costs and provide greater ROI, and we developed even better methods to deliver our services and solutions as cost-efficiently as possible, without sacrificing quality.  We even implemented a rather compelling outsourcing model that is finding significant traction in these challenging times.

This is a business where almost everything is measurable, and it is time to build better 'mousetraps' to maintain competitive advantage and capture, or re-capture, market share and share of mind.  We encourage you to do so for your own organization and invite you to call upon us if you need assistance.  We would love to share our ideas with you.

A Chuckle a Day

Reading through a recent article on the death of Tim Russert, a sage commentator on politics regardless of party affiliation, I was struck by a quotation given to Russert by a longtime friend and aide to John F. Kennedy.  Inscribed on a silver mug given to Powers on his birthday, Kennedy wrote the following:

"There are three things which are real:  God, Human Folly, and Laughter.  The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."

Being a deeply religious man, Russert loved it.  So do I.  We get so caught up in everything we do and the stresses of the day, we all need to laugh more, at the right things, of course.  We're not doing brain surgery or saving babies in the work we do.  It is not life and death, and we need to keep it all in perspective while continuing to keep our eye on all the balls we have in the air.

I have often said that the most important contribution anyone can make to their company is to do the job right the first time.  What I also continue to know is that we all learn something new every day, and sometimes it is that what we learned yesterday was wrong.  And, sometimes, we need to laugh about that.

Disaboom

When I was a kid playing in Little League, everyone who saw me that really knew baseball said I had a swing like Lou Gehrig's.  Given my limited talents on the ball field, I took the compliment in stride (remember they said that I looked like Mr. Gehrig; I didn't hit like him!).

In doing a little research on Gehrig recently for a new novel I am writing, I naturally came across several references to Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS.  That led me to a very interesting site, Disaboom, a new online information clearinghouse and community 'connecting the millions touched by disability.'

There's no great insight in this blog entry.  Just a plug for a site that provides lots of good resources and information, and a place for any of the disabled and those that care for and about them to come together, to share stories, and perhaps gain new insight. 

What constantly amazes me is that those that are disabled are often some of the most able people in the planet, not letting what they have been 'touched' by slowing them down.  For so many of us with so few real challenges, they continue to be an inspiration.

Social Media Marketing Lesson #2 - "How To Get Your Web 2.0 Budget Approved"

A recent article with the title in quotes above discussed tips from a multi-billion dollar global banking company on how to help ensure  proposals for Web 2.0 initiatives gain approval from top management.  Their first strategy suggested 'selecting the right features' such as user-generated content, open software, rich Internet interactions such as guided selling, and digital interactions that included widgets and browser extensions.  This was followed by advice to show the benefits of each feature and then to 'step carefully.'

No kidding.  What the article failed to point out is that the first step toward gaining approval for anything called 'Web 2.0' is likely to start by not calling it that.  Web 2.0 refers to a set of tools that all generally support advanced and more user-centered content creation, collaboration, and sharing, but all are only tools that enable social brand marketing and enhanced user interactions.  The right strategy is to start by understanding the true needs and desires of all target audiences at each stage of the customer lifecycle, and what types of reach and engagement activities, socially shared/collaborated or not, will provide the best predictable ROI.  Then the right set of available content and functionality can be offered through the best media mix and campaigns possible, including leveraging every so-called '2.0' tool that might be appropriate. 

Show true ROI generated by getting and staying closer to customers and prospects so they beat a path to your brand versus the competitor - that's how to get budgets approved.