I think most people are creatures of habit. We get used to things a certain way, and it throws us off when things change. Even people in the creative field get used to systems and workflows—we may not even be aware of it. Some things really shouldn’t change too often or it could cause a lot of confusion. For example, imagine if every couple of months the Department of Transportation decided to unveil a new design for the stop sign or to change the color of the traffic lights to match current trends. Complete chaos. When it comes to navigation, whether on the streets or a website, too much change can cause problems.
I’m not saying all change is bad; it’s a fact of life and can lead to better things. Over the years in the advertising business, I’ve watched a lot of things come and go and just plain change into something totally different. Imagine life without the Internet or trying to communicate with clients without email. Remember when searching was done in the Yellow Pages and the phone or fax was the primary method of communication? Continue Reading →
I am often amazed at how nonchalantly some start-up companies regard their brands. I understand that “brand” has become an overused, industry buzzword, but what few new business owners realize, is that developing and maintaining a brand is probably the most important investment a company can make.
By definition, a brand is a claim of distinction. It is more than a logo, a tag line or an ad campaign. A company’s brand is its personality, its character…its voice, if you will. It’s the connection that everyone, from consumers to employees, from clients to fans, has with your product or service. And everyone within the company, from the board members to the managers to the interns, should be stewards of the brand.
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Social media hold great influence that can empower the voice of your organization or the product you are selling. With such a widespread and vast medium of marketing, the chance of making mistakes and the risk of believing in myths are high.
Here are some common mistakes that many companies make:
- They spend meaninglessly on social media.
- They create social media profiles, but don’t keep up with the interactions.
- They neglect to define their target audience.
- There is no strategy or contingency plan.
- The focus is too much on advertising and not enough attention on the feedback or reactions.
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Words and Pictures celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2012, having grown from a two-person partnership in 1987 to its current size of 12-plus employees. The founders, Rhonda Smith and Wes Shaw, took time recently to sit down and reminisce and sketch out some history and milestones along the way.
How did Words and Pictures come into existence?
Rhonda Smith: Wes and I met when he was freelancing at an agency, McCormick and Company, where I worked. We collaborated on several jobs together over the years. I was a producer then, with five or six years’ experience. I had a good idea of what the business was all about, and had learned a diverse set of skills, which is an advantage of working at a small company. Wes had the big-agency experience: J. Walter Thompson, Y&R, N.W. Ayer, Compton. He brought the sexy part of it—that’s how we got in the door lots of times. He had the big Madison Avenue experience.
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