In the pursuit of happiness...

Are you happy? Could you be happier? And what the heck defines the pursuit of happiness anyway?

VCs Venture into Branding - What a Concept

A few years back when I worked for a B2B ad agency, and responsible for driving new business, I struck upon the idea of purposely networking with venture capitalist firms located in our region and funding the emergence of IT and biotech startups in our state.

My thinking and motivation, if VCs were already investing their money and business acumen into startups, they most certainly would see the value in the early investment of branding and of course, our agency would be there to provide our talents. I was mistaken and apparently slightly ahead of the times, for after reaching out to more than a few VCs and even meeting with the senior partner of one well-respected firm,
I quickly learned branding or in the broader context, marketing of any sort was way down their list of concerns.

So, it's very refreshing to see this aversion toward branding is changing per Geoff Cook's recent Fast Company article What Venture Capital Needs Now: Serious Brand Thinking... even to the point of adding design experts to their business teams! Of course, give credit to Google a progressive technology company and its Google Ventures for making early investment in branding cool and strategically smart.

Presentism's impact on society, marketing and future thinking

I need only observe my youngest daughter to witness Presentism in today's world. Every key moment in her life becomes an iPhone photo moment (Kodak Moment R.I.P.), immediately uploaded to her Facebook page. She is constantly texting her  friends, particularly during a favorite TV show to share digital OMGs

What’s up with the slow adoption of QR codes?

Yes, I understand that smart phones and tablets have yet to reach the tipping point of mass adoption in this country, but as a marketer I have to ask the question, “What are we waiting for when it comes to placing QR Codes in advertising?”

Apple’s Subscription for Arrogance

With the sales success of the iPad, Apple recently announced the launch of its online publication subscription service through its iTunes App Store, but it comes at a cost

Advertising’s Singularity Future?

Ever heard of the word singularity? If you haven’t you might just want to get your hands on the February 21, 2011 issue of Time Magazine. What is singularity and why should we care?

Super Bowl TV Spots – Stories well told.

Not very long ago I attended a conference of community college marketing communicators. Andy Goodman, author of the book, Storytelling as Best Practice opened the conference as the keynote speaker. He was the perfect choice.

Why? Even in this age of marketing communications and all the channels available to get your advertising message out, it won't be heard let alone remembered unless you have a compelling story to tell. Think back to when you were a kid and someone would weave you a story where you became thoroughly enthralled. It happened because it involved three critical elements - a central character, compelling challenge or situation and captivating conclusion.

In today's fast moving marketing world telling the story often seems just an afterthought. Maybe we have become a little lazy as a consequence of this 144 character or Twitter by the minute world. As marketers, we need to consciously work a little harder to engage our audience and be relevant. Telling a story that creates emotion has the power to embed memories in our minds that have incredible staying power. And smart brands understand this.

Taking the principles of great storytelling to heart as I watched countless Super Bowl TV spots competing for our attention and dollars here are my top three winners and why.

Chrysler 200 – A two minute multi-million dollar buy, this spot had to deliver for Chrysler and from my spot on the couch it did. Chrysler, now owned by Fiat, is still fighting for its future as a relevant car brand. The powerful copy and imagery captured me instantly and kept my attention throughout. With Eminem behind the wheel of this sleek jet black ride and the defiant tone of the voice talent this spot was deeply emotional. Now can Chrysler deliver on the brand starting with the launch of new Chrysler 200? We’ll see. However, this spot is a strong first step in resurrecting the brand.

TelaFlora – OK, for some this wasn’t the most politically correct TV spot. But when it comes to guys thinking about girls and how they are challenged to write prose that will win their hearts and affection, it doesn’t get any more real or honest than this. A 20-something young man in the recording studio struggling to come up with the right words to convey his feelings seeks singer Faith Hill’s advice. Faith innocently responds, “write what’s in your heart.” The words that come from this guy as a result of Faith's advice couldn’t have been any more honest.

VW Passat – Darth Vader and the dark musical dirge that always follows him will capture anyone’s attention in a cosmic second. VW leverages the power of the Dark Side so extremely well by merging a child’s wonderment for all things Star Wars within a typical family household on a typical day. Kids, family and popular movie culture are spun into a TV spot that makes the little kid and parent in all of us smile. Nothing is “forced” here and the pay-off is absolutely delightful.  

Storytelling in advertising, even in 30 seconds, doesn't have to become a lost art. So what is your brand's story? If you don't have one, it's time to work on writing it. If your brand has a story but it has been ignored or forgotten, it might be time to dust it off and share it with a new generation. A well-told story that pulls on your emotions never, ever grows old and is always remembered.

Juri A. Tults