Look around and you’ll see many advertisers treating outdoor as an oversized print advertisement or expanded business card. BIG MISTAKE. Like all forms of communication, you have to develop your message and design to fit the media – not the other way around. Here are some tips that every advertiser should follow in order to get the most impact out of their outdoor media investment:

1)      Keep it simple. Your audience is on the move, so your message must be brief and eye-catching. You only have FOUR SECONDS to capture attention and have your audience understand the message.

2)      Tell them the most important information ONLY. A billboard is not meant to give great detail. Extra copy takes too long to read, clutters the sign, and can’t be understood in only 4 seconds.

3)      Billboards should be visible and understandable at least 500 feet away.

4)      White space is good. Don’t try to fill it.

5)      Avoid metaphors. Comparisons can be clever but should be immediately obvious.

6)      Be creative. Attracting attention is important – just be sure not to compromise your message.

Here is an example of a poorly designed billboard:

The board calls your attention with TAKE A CLOSER LOOK, but after that there is no message. The graphic provides no hint of the board’s purpose, the logos are too small to decipher who is sharing the message and the URL is much too long to recall with a 4 second glance. Simply designed, but no impact.

Another example:

The board calls your attention with the company name but after that the message is lost. Too many elements and too much information to process. Give yourself 4 seconds to look at this example. What do you remember? What is the key message? In this case white space would be very helpful.

Now here’s an example of a strong billboard:

Message is crystal clear, product is obvious and the company logo is easily identifiable. Clear message, obvious impact.

And one final example:

Clear, understandable, and done CREATIVELY enough to capture your attention.

Don’t get hung up on the fact that the last two boards are done by large corporations. It’s the message and delivery that’s strong. Any advertiser can create a board with impact – just follow the six steps. Get rid of the clutter and tell the world what you have to say. Your customers will appreciate you for it.

I see about 1 great billboard to every 9 cluttered, aimless ones. Which group is your company among? It’s time we change this ratio for good!

Dr. Colin N. Clarke is a senior strategist with the Flint Group. Follow him on Twitter @colinnclarke or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cnclarke

We are constantly inundated with advertising that annoys us, as it is obviously trying to separate us from our wallets. You don’t have to be on Times Square or the Vegas Strip to be suffocated by it. Radio ads seem to turn up the volume on their own. The surprise flyer on your windshield stops your heart for a second because you think it may be a parking ticket. Credit card offers appear like they are actually important. SPAM mail. Door-to-door sales. It comes at us from every direction.

However, why is it that people watch the Super Bowl in anticipation of the TV spots? Even water cooler talk sometimes starts with, “Did you see the ad about the …”

When advertising entertains and feels relevant, it piques our attention. Good advertising flows with our daily lives to the point we don’t realize we are being sold to. It almost feels natural.

Now that I have made my point, perhaps it is appropriate to change the title of this posting. Because, the truth is this: PEOPLE HATE BAD ADVERTISING.

Photo by hotmayo on Flickr

To print or not to print? That is the question.

I had an interesting conversation with a client last week regarding a very successful digital campaign. Successful and measurable. Bonus.

We started talking ROI, future campaign budgeting, and the hazards of completely moving away from traditional media. This particular client has seen solid success and increased sales by largely focusing on digital media with a strong emphasis on social media. But, the audience for the product is very niche, easy to segment, and prone to online, super-savvy digital consumers.

We’re hearing it loud and clear. The temptation is to shift traditional media budgets from broad-based awareness activity, to very targeted, segmented and measurable non-traditional media. So what’s the answer? It depends on the objectives of the campaign.

I like digital media. I like the fact that I can see exactly how a campaign is performing in real time. I like that prospects and customers can interact with a brand. However, there are many things that impact that interaction. Typically there is a certain level of awareness and trust that precedes an interaction. That is where traditional media continues to make a powerful difference. Basically, you have to look at the entire scope of the campaign, consider the integration and determine the points of interaction. We want to lead consumers down a path to purchase by using an impartial media mix.

It is smart to always consider print, television, radio, billboard to possibly play a part in a campaign. Think about how you personally look at brands and receive messages. What are you subconsciously picking up as you drive by a billboard? What magazines do you browse through? How often do you read the newspaper? And at what point do you go online when considering a purchase? When you do go online, what are you looking for? Is it product information? Product reviews? Specs? Options? Pricing?

That experience and the timing involved vary by what you are purchasing, how large of a purchase it is, how long the sales cycle is, etc.  In order to reach you, different mediums need to be leveraged at different stages and tie back into the objectives.  It’s the same with every product or service we promote. It’s the blend of outreach that gleans the best results.

With every channel, measure, evaluate and adjust as you go. Because we have more opportunities to look at campaigns in real-time, we want to use that information to our advantage.  We shouldn’t be thinking of digital at the expense of traditional media. Instead, think of how the two work in tandem.

The statement, “For all your [insert term here] needs” is overused, ignored, and irrelevant yet multitudes of businesses continue to use it. To prove a point, out of curiosity I ran a Google search for the term, “For all your needs.” 1.15 BILLION results! So by using the term, you essentially are saying you are just like 1.15 BILLION other businesses out there… no big deal.

Think your business is unique enough to get away with it? Think again. You can search for pretty much ANYTHING with the, “For all your needs” statement and find millions of results and other businesses just like yours using it to generalize their services… and scoring no points with customers along the way.

How about, For all your fertilizer needs (10.4 million results). Or, For all your filtration needs (7.8 million). Or Logistics (19.8 million), or Catering (10.5 million), or Zoology (7.5 million), or Votive candles (What are votive candles anyway? Seriously, 1.3 million results for all your votive candle needs!).

I once worked with an esteemed copywriter who would bristle whenever he saw or heard the term, “For all your needs.” He would flat out refuse to include it in anything he wrote. He would say, “How do they know what I need? It’s impossible for them to have everything I need!” He had a book where he kept examples of ads that used the term and as you would turn page-after-page the statement would become more and more irrelevant. A wasted opportunity to share a meaningful message with a customer.

Every business is built on some point of differentiation, be it price or quality, service or product line, convenience or style. Every brand stands for something, so let your communications be about your differentiation. In most cases you have likely invested significant time and money to cultivate a point of differentiation for your business, so let it show. Communicate it clearly in everything you do. In your service, your marketing, your direct communications and your advertising.

Make your message meaningful and memorable. Your customers will appreciate knowing what makes you unique.

Colin is a senior strategist for The Flint Group. Follow him on Twitter @colinnclarke or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cnclarke.

Convince and Convert • Social media marketing
These days you can’t throw a rock at the Internet without hitting a blog from a social media “expert.” But among the so-called experts, Jay Baer stands out from the crowd (and I’m not just saying that because Flint Group works with him). On Convince & Convert, Jay lives up to his promise of being a “hype-free” social media consultant with brilliant insight into social media strategy. Not to mention, he’s a really nice guy.

Nielsen Wire • TV and online statistics and reports
I started my advertising career in the media department, so I have a deep respect for numbers and metrics. Nielsen Wire regularly publishes useful statistics, from the top TV shows to the leading websites.

Mashable Social Media • Social media news and marketing
As the most all-encompassing social media guide online, Mashable is not where I’d send beginners to get an overview of social media. However, it’s an excellent place to search for specific information, and they have written a wealth of case studies, guides, and how-tos. Looking for a conference or social media event in your area? Check the weekly Mashable Social Media Events Guide.

Advergirl • Advertising and branding
Leigh Householder (better known as Advergirl) doesn’t post often, but when she does, it’s worth reading. She pumps her blog full of thought and insight, especially the series she has written on Getting Interactive, her Social Manifesto, and Advice for Newbies. Leigh contributes to What’s Your Digital iQ, which specializes in digital healthcare marketing. She’s also an incredibly kind person.

Lies, damned lies, and statistics • Statistics and commentary on all things digital
Dirk Singer of Rabbit keeps this blog full of the most recent social media news and statistics, along with commentary about why they matter. I especially appreciate the mobile/smartphone data he posts, and the commentary on news articles such as Time’s inclusion of Foursquare in their “worst inventions” issue.

Smart Brief on Social Media • Social media headlines in daily e-newsletter form
I guess this might be cheating, since it’s not actually a blog. SmartBriefs deliver the headlines daily to your inbox. A few seconds of headline skimming alerts me to trends and new campaigns from major players.

I also regularly read The Social Path, Social Media Explorer, Dim Bulb, the New York Times Media & Advertising, AdAge, AdFreak, and over 100 others. What are your blog must-reads? Please post in the comments.

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt on Flickr

Recently I started reading The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with Masters of the Craft. It brings to light one of the universal truths of advertising: everything depends on the big idea. Today, with such a fragmented media environment, those ideas matter more than ever. A sharp, strong, well-executed idea will cut through the noise and stay with you.

The first chapter of the book is an interview with William Bernbach, one of the founders of DDB. He makes many striking statements in just 14-pages, but this quote stays with me:

“We think we will never know as much about a product as a client. After all, he sleeps and breathes his product. He’s built it. He’s lived with it most of his life. We couldn’t possibly know as much about it as he does. By the same token, we firmly believe that he can’t know as much about advertising. Because we live and breathe that all day long.”

Here’s the tough part. To do good work, you’ve got to bind that client and agency knowledge together. Here’s something else from Bernbach:

“Your cleverness, your provocativeness and imagination and inventiveness must stem from knowledge of the product… And you must be as simple, and as swift, and as penetrating as possible. And it must stem from knowledge. And you must relate that knowledge to the consumer’s needs.”

Clients and agencies need each other. One must play off the other’s strength. That’s easy to understand. However, it’s hard to achieve this synthesis of knowledge and imagination, because there is no formula for achieving it.

But like any good copywriter, I’ve got some ideas.

At the risk of reducing creative professionals to a tankful of sea monkeys, here are some ways to feed them. These tips aren’t magic, but I think they’re helpful:

Figure out “the thing.”

One of my favorite things to do is listen to clients and wait for “the thing.”  Sometimes it’s a carefully crafted mission statement. Sometimes it’s an off-hand comment. Either way, it’s always something simple and unique. It sums up perfectly what  the business cares about and what its customers care about. When I hear it, my brain says, “That’s the thing!” Then I write it down, and our creative team can try to do something awesome with it.

You could also call this the differentiator. Figuring out what it is can be hard. Here are some places to start:

• Define why you do what you do. This won’t only help your marketing. It could give your company a new outlook and sense of purpose. Write down your beliefs, motivations and desires. Why do your employees come to work every day? Hint: it’s not just to build great products or deliver great service.
• Bring the creative team into your place of business. This is where you’re comfortable. If you feel like the expert you are, you will inevitably say something brilliant. Believe me. I’ve seen it happen.
• Ask your creative team to take a stab at it. As outsiders, they might have an easier time seeing what’s really different or appealing about your company. It’s not a perfect process, but the observations they make could surprise you (in a good way).

Tell them everything your products and services do… and I mean everything.

You’ve tackled the big, inspiring question of why!  Now, how about a bit about the product?  “It saves time and money” is good, but not good enough. Maybe your product is so easy to use that it makes you feel smarter than you really are. Does it give you an excuse to avoid doing something unpleasant? Perhaps it makes a noise that sounds like the guitar riff from Purple Haze. Maybe it just looks cool.

These  facts could build a great campaign, and they say a lot about who you are. Get it all down on paper – and hand it to your account executive, pronto.

Give them everything you’ve done before… and I mean everything.

Your website, old brochures, even user manuals can give creatives a sense of what you can do for a customer. But be careful. If your materials are hard to understand, outdated, incomplete or just plain wrong, your team will need some extra guidance.

Put your product in their hands.

Pictures and brochures are fine, but nothing compares to holding that thing in your hands, feeling it, smelling it, pushing the buttons, reading the instructions, hearing it and seeing what it can do. A client of ours, Bobcat, gives its communications vendors opportunities to operate its equipment. Besides being one of the highlights of the year (who doesn’t love playing in the dirt with a skid-steer loader?), it’s an inspiring experience. I learn a lot from trying things out on my own. Not only that, I generate a lot of ideas for when I return to my desk.

Set a comfortable deadline.

Bringing a creative idea to life can be ugly. Good ideas rise from false starts; dead ends; awkward, silent brainstorming sessions; gallons of coffee; and possibly some whining. It’s important to have enough time to get all that in!

It’s possible to send ideas in 24 hours, but it could still take a week to find the right idea. Creative ideas come out of nowhere, and usually after the subconscious mind has had a while to chew on it. If you’re like me, it might not happen until you start mowing the lawn.

“Comfortable” means you should be happy with the timing as well. Still, if you have the luxury of time, consider the difficulty of the task, and its impact on your brand, before setting the deadline.

That’s all for now. What types of activities and information feed your creative brain?

Since moving back to Duluth four years ago, I have found myself adapting more and more to my surroundings. Don’t get me wrong, I love Duluth. I also loved several items of clothing, which after the prolonged stares and “that’s different”comments, I gradually stopped wearing. It was easier to just blend in.

Interestingly, this same complex manifests itself in the business world. Advertising is about getting your audience to notice you. It’s about recognizing what is unique about what you do and elevating that difference. Businesses sometimes confuse modesty with mediocrity.  They don’t want to overpromise. They don’t want to appear too successful.

Standing out can be uncomfortable. I get that. But if you’re too afraid to tell the world what you’re all about, no one will ever know.

As mobility and the speed and availability of connectivity continue to increase, local search is becoming much easier and much more efficient to accomplish online, rather than having to sift through the yellow or white pages. Besides that, they are adding value to their services through partnerships, user reviews and ratings, and more.

So is the Phonebook dead or nearing its death? What online services do you get the best return from? Please leave your comments below or on our Facebook page.

Check out SunButter at http://www.sunbutter.com

SunButter, a peanut-free spread made from sunflower seeds, is one of those products that people can’t stop talking about and are constantly praising. We love it so much we keep a supply at the office for employees to enjoy. If you haven’t tried it, try it. It’s so yummy.

The main audience for SunButter is people with peanut allergies. The number of people affected by this food allergy is astounding – more than three million in the US. SunButter appeals to health and fitness buffs and regular joes too,  just because it tastes so  good. The biggest SunButter fans are online – a lot. Social media is abuzz with conversations about the product and the comments are exceptionally positive.  They are extremely creative when it comes to uses for SunButter.  This has become a form of daily entertainment and fascination for me.
Here are some recent examples of what people are posting:

• Just tried SunButter for the first time. Holy moly, where have you been all my life??
• I used to HATE celery but lately, I’ve been enjoying celery with SunButter, which I find more delicious than peanut butter…
• We loved the SunButter samples that Janet Morse was handing out – a treat for those of us who love PB&J sandwich but have a big bad nut allergy.
• SunButter is a great substitute for peanut-butter and makes the best cookies! You can have GF and peanut-free cookies!! Wicked good!
• I just got home from the grocery store and almost started crying because they were out of SunButter.
• Oh, haha, SunButter is “dangerous” because if I have it in the house I am liable to eat more than half the jar in one sitting…
• One company makes a brilliant alternative for the peanut kids called SunButter.
• I really love SunButter.

I encourage you to check the site out, try the product, become a fan and join in the conversation. Coming soon: recipe contests, video blogs and more.