Rodgers Townsend News

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

jchambers@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Bitter rivals square off in epic contests for a shot at their one shining moment. No, it's not the art director/copywriter team you're going up against for the latest TV spot. It's March Madness and there's nothing like it.

Suffice it to say, we take it pretty seriously over here at RT. We even made a poster series for our RT March Madness office pool that speaks to the very fragile nature of tourney brackets.

Carrie Muehlemann Hired as Director of Human Resources at Rodgers Townsend

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Carrie Muehlemann Hired as Director of Human Resources at Rodgers Townsend

Small Data

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The buzzword of 2013 is Big Data. Well, so far at least. We still have a few months to go before we can officially award the honor. But the term is everywhere. It's enough to give anyone not working with large data sets a complex.

The term has moved into mainstream as more and more brands are beginning to collect data at every touch point, from social to sale. But is all of this data helping or hurting your insights? The answer is: it depends. If you are a business analyst charged with enhancing an operational process, then more data points may help you hone your output. But, if you are in charge of putting the right message in the hands of the right consumer, at the right time, then additional data might be clouding your view.

For example, Netflix is collecting and analyzing a large amount of viewing data to influence programming choices. This makes perfect sense since creating personalized recommendations heightens the relationship and can increase usage and retention rates. But, they are also capturing screenshots to analyze "in-the-moment viewing habits" like "volume, colors and scenery, to provide valuable signals about viewers' tastes". How much time and money are being invested to generate this level of granularity? If I paused and rewound two car chase scenes, does that mean I really like that genre, or did I simply use the basic feature of the service: the ability to stop and start movies around my schedule? How does this level of detail correlate to my selection history? I have a feeling that Nate Silver might question this level of analysis paralysis, and some subscribers might question any recommendations created at this level.

In most cases, Big Data is not necessary to successfully manage a CRM program. Simply collecting and aggregating customer purchase data will provide details on the buying cycle. Adding response data to the mix will provide feedback surrounding communication and offer effectiveness pre, during and post purchase. With the addition of a few household metrics from a third party data provider, you can create customer profiles for targeting and tactical optimization. And finally, you can always augment those profiles with qualitative data. One simple way to collect that data while enhancing the relationship between customers and the brand is to ask.

Rodgers Townsend Recognized with 59 ADDY Awards During St. Louis' Inaugural ADDY Week STL Celebration

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0600

Rodgers Townsend Recognized with 59 ADDY Awards During St. Louis' Inaugural ADDY Week STL Celebration

Birmingham Reminds Us That Black History is More Than A Month

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600

I was on a Southwest flight recently and saw an ad in the Spirit in-flight magazine that made me reconsider and rethink Birmingham, Alabama. The copy was as arresting as the visual of a Civil Rights protester getting arrested.

Ad Body Copy //

An afternoon at a lunch counter. A thousand arms linked at the elbow. A line of fire hoses. A pack of German Shepherds. A letter from a Birmingham jail. A children's crusade. A devastating explosion. A world that would never be the same. The year was 1963, and as the whole world watched, events in Birmingham sparked the beginning of the end of a centuries-long struggle for freedom. In the year leading up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the city's most courageous citizens fought for a world where we could all live as equals. And now, we celebrate their courage, their strength, their defiance - and their hard-won victory over oppression. Join us as we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign and experience some of the most prominent landmarks and monuments of the era, such as the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Walk in the footsteps of the citizens who changed the world forever. For more information on upcoming events planned for the Birmingham commemoration, visit 50yearsforward.com.

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The first time I read this I got upset. I began to wonder if that was Bull Connor in the photo and recoiled, frowning at the page. I saw images of fire hoses, dogs and bombed churches from Eyes on the Prize flicker across my mind's eye. I got all worked up in the window seat, thinking about "Bombingham" and the fear it inspired.

Then I read the ad again. And started to think about Birmingham differently.

The historic facts in the copy are true. But the copy also acknowledges a truth that wouldn't have come from the Birmingham of old - that the protestors were courageous citizens who helped change the world. It has been 50 years since those events. I've never been to Birmingham because I always saw it in black and white grainy photos and film footage of violence. That ad made me think. I stared at it for ten minutes, realizing that my perception of Birmingham, while rooted in its history, is dated.

A city defined by the Civil Rights Movement is embracing that history, turning it into a positive association. This fascinated me as a strategist, it intrigued me as a traveler and it made me pause and reflect as a black woman. Black History Month is over, but Birmingham has issued an invitation to come celebrate the history of the Civil Rights Movement all year long. I checked out the 50 Years Forward website, read USA Today and blog posts and now Birmingham is officially on my "to do" list this year. Effective advertising shapes attitudes and drives behavior. Clearly, this ad worked on me.

What We Thought of the Super Bowl Ads: An Infographic

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600

Like every other person in America today, we couldn't stop talking about the Super Bowl ads. To gauge our various thoughts and reactions to the infamous TV spots (and genius social media efforts), we did an informal poll to determine our list of favorite ads. And, what better way to show the results than through an infographic. Check it out.

How to Spend $275 Million in 48 Minutes: Three Super Bowl Ad Trends for 2013

jhogan@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

Want to watch $275 Million get spent in 48 minutes? Just tune into CBS at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday to see one of America's greatest primetime displays of violence, debauchery and poor impulse control. And I'm not talking about the Super Bowl…

I'm talking about the Super Bowl ads.

In all seriousness, these days it's no surprise that independent research year after year continues to show that over half of U.S adult viewers plan to watch the Super Bowl as much, or more, for the ads than for the game itself. In fact, social listening measurement findings suggested that in 2012 64% of respondents said that half or more of their conversations online with respect to the Super Bowl were about the commercials themselves.

With the average investment of $4 Million on the line for a 30-second spot, it's no wonder why the CMOs of many of these advertisers are looking to squeeze their investment for every penny.

There are three standout trends that have continued to proliferate the Super Bowl ad space for the last several years (and by all accounts will continue even more in 2013).

01. Online Ad Preview and Teasers

Online Ad Previews and Teasers are becoming more of the norm. VW made the most famous splash last year with its Star Wars parodies that received over 56 Million hits after all was said and done, largely in part to the pre-release of the spots on YouTube.

This year's early winner goes to the Kate Upton Mercedes spot, which in one week gained over 5 Million views (and counting).

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Humbling news as, by this author's account, this is one of the more ridiculously off-brand spots I've ever seen. Given the fact that the CLA won't even be available for the next 7 months, the brand needs lasting impression and awareness. Regardless of the substance, it's clear that Mercedes knows the value of online traction and will do whatever it takes, no matter how low-brow, to get an early lead among its rivals.

Regarding the idea of Super Bowl teasers, the concept is simple, but the debate still rages on about whether or not the big reveal should be saved for the big game. While we don't promote a "one size fits all" approach to advertising, and I'm sure there are errors to the rule, it's hard to argue with the facts. Mashable reports, "According to YouTube's research, ads that ran online before the Super Bowl last year got 9 Million views, on average. Those that waited? 1.3 Million." With, on average, three times as many views online over broadcast, many could argue that the real winner in all of this is actually YouTube.

02. Ads for Social Democracy

Ads by social democracy are becoming more common in 2013. While Doritos pioneered the concept with their user-generated ads in the past few years, this year we are seeing a greater variety of the concept. For instance, one of the biggest brands in the world, Budweiser, has finally launched a Twitter account in its name. The brand, which had a little more than 600 followers Monday morning, is using the account to promote its upcoming Super Bowl ad, which will feature a Clydesdale foal via their Twitter hashtag campaign. Pepsi is also using their site and Twitter to recruit some of their fans to strike a pose with their can before their half-time show.

But, the big pre-game winners in 2013 seem to be the "choose your own adventure" style ads from Audi and Coke. In what Audi says is a Super Bowl first, they recorded separate endings for their "Prom Night" commercial, and are compiling social votes where the audience chooses the ending. Coke created cokechase.com to tease their spots by highlighting three different sets of teams who are all racing to win a giant coke in the desert. The team with the most votes online will get their spot aired right after the game.

03. Second Screen

This year, more viewers than ever will be watching on a second screen. Now in real-time, technology allows brands to engage with the viewing public on their mobile phone or tablet during the event. For instance, Yahoo's Into_Now pioneered app technology that augments the second screen experience by using the unique audio digital signature in a television show to pickup, and serve up, content directly related to that show. CBS estimates ad revenue alone from their second screen engagement to be between $10-$12 Million. Being able to interact with stats, player bios, team formations, highlights and social aspects is an essential part of any second screen approach for the sports enthusiast.

Regardless of all of the hype, a few certainties remain. The Super Bowl represents one of the highest risk: reward ratios in advertising. Because of this, marketers are getting smarter by using not only the right tools, but also the right content to get the consumer's attention. Disintermediation is taking effect and the consumer is finally starting to see large-scale control of and connection with their favorite brands. As our society gets more social and mobile, so does the advertising.

Needless to say, as an advertiser, I am thankful for the Super Bowl. If not for any other time during the year - the Super Bowl gives us an annual magnified window into the progress of advertising. With so much attention to the commercials, it almost makes me feel sorry for the guys on the field.

Almost.

No Escaping The Man

tim.rodgers@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

I've been a St. Louisan, and a Cardinals fan, my whole life. I got the chance to see Stan Musial play a couple of times at old Sportsman's Park, but the '64 Cardinals were really the team and time that I began to identify with. So I was coming of age as Stan was leaving baseball.

Still, even as a young boy, I knew there was something different about Stan Musial by the way my Dad and others talked about him, even as they embraced each new wave of Cardinal stars.

And it occurred to me this week just how unusual this is. That a man would be the civic face and constant source of inspiration to a major city for over 70 years. Most iconic personalities, other than monarchs, do not achieve that status until much later in life. Because he was a force as a baseball player from the age of 20, his reign over our fair city is roughly equivalent to that of Queen Elizabeth's over Great Britain.

Stan wasn't born into royalty, but he could not have lived his life more gallantly.

In fact, the story of how Stan got his nickname is truly prophetic. The story goes that, as usual, Stan was wearing out the Brooklyn Dodgers in a doubleheader when a Dodger fan cried out above the din, "Here comes that man again." It's interesting that even in that moment, Stan was a man first, slugger second. Little did he know.

Baseball, like most sports, is one of our fondest forms of escape. We can set aside our weekly worries and daily disappointments to enjoy the super human exploits of others, with whom we could not possibly compete, and make their achievements in some small way our own.

But what draws us to Stan Musial is different, and at least to me, inescapable.

It's true that we can never match his accomplishments on the baseball field, but we can try to come close, in our own way, to his accomplishments off. Listening to the many tributes to Stan over these last few days I was struck by how the recounting of his baseball feats was almost rushed through to get to the stories of the man himself. As Bob Costas said, "He batted 1.000 as a person."

In addition to death and taxes, there's one more thing I'm sure of - I won't live to see another like him. I only hope I live to see myself more like him.

Constantinople

mmccormick@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Network shop vs. Independent. If you're in our business long enough, you'll inevitably have the debate-if not with colleagues, at least within your own skull. Truth is, there are incredibly talented agencies populating the world's largest conglomerates. And many who remain outside the gates, with shiny slingshots ever ready to take on the big guys. Great work happens in both camps. There is no clear right or wrong. No black-bearded villains with eye patches. No singing cowboys wearing white hats.

Just different.

That said, I recently had an experience that gave me new perspective on being part of Rodgers Townsend DDB. Somehow (must've been a clerical error in H.R.), I was selected to attend a week-long training course in Istanbul. I'll give you a moment for the understandable eye roll. But the fact is, while I saw very little of this beautiful East meets West destination, I departed Turkey feeling immersed in something bound to have lasting effect.

Starting bright and early on Monday at the impressive Medina Turgul DDB, I met the 17 other participants. Of course, that was after my balmy 45-minute trek, which should've been 15. First lesson. Google Maps does NOT understand addresses like Tuzambari Kasimpasa, Bedrettin Mah. Havuzbasi, Degrimeni Sok. No: 2, 34440, Beyoglu.

Anyway, once the sweaty American from St. Louis settled in, I worked with my initial teammates from Germany, Turkey, Poland and Nigeria. Long first day. With the 8-hour time difference, it started just after midnight and ended about 11 a.m. C.S.T.

Tuesday meant a new assignment with a new team that would spend the rest of the week weighing and debating 300 decisions in a simulation that represented three years running a fictional, though I'm sure based on real events, agency. Geert from Brussels, Matt from the UK, Angelika from Poland and Vesa from Finland. Much respect for these guys, especially the three reading, writing and arguing in their second or third language.

We pitched business, won business, lost business. We made personnel decisions, managed creative egos and stroked too-smart-for-their-own-good planners. All that and then some. But the best thing we did was simply interact and learn from one another. No question about it.

The exercise itself was great learning, but sharing real work or getting an opinion on an idea brewing back home in St. Louis was truly fun. Made me proud. Checking out the award-winning John Lewis work from Adam & Eve DDB or taking a shot at an English translation for a print ad in Helsinki. Over beers we talked about their lives back home, their unique agency situations and how they deal with the universal struggles we face in this business.

So what did I bring back besides some pistachio and fig candies that didn't move very fast in the RT kitchen?

The confirmation that we're already doing a lot right, right here. Renewed faith that if we fiercely protect our product and tirelessly support our people, everything else will come. And a working theory that we're at our best and a contributing member of the family when we maintain our independent spirit and personality that made us attractive to DDB in the first place. We're a network of people. More specifically, people who make things. At our best, special things that move others.

All that makes us different--background, culture and experience building influence for some of the most influential brands in the world--makes us an agency to be reckoned with. In our own red-brick city on the Mississippi or anywhere clients want 360° thinking that widens eyes and raises hands.

I didn't have to travel halfway around the world to learn these things. But now I know I like simit and goat cheese for breakfast. I know how to get lost in a labyrinth of cobblestone streets with names that sound like I'm hacking something up. I know there are 17 customs agents now wearing the Cardinals hats that never arrived. And most importantly, I know some great people with the letters DDB on their business cards.

But man, it's good to be home.

Making the Most of the Bottom Rung

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

If you're interested in an internship at RT, I can assure you, you won't be sitting around making coffee - unless you're the one who kills the joe. The sign clearly reads "If you kill the joe, you make some mo" and you don't want to be around when Ron finds the caffeine tank on E. Besides that, it's all work. No special intern assignments or busywork. Real work. RT doesn't have your standard internship program, which means looser start & end dates and a flexibility with assignments that allows for the lines between intern and employee to blur, if not disappear entirely. It's baptism by fire, and you may find yourself getting more exposure than some full-timers elsewhere.

Regardless of where you're looking, here are some tips to landing that first gig and making a good impression once you get there. Some may seem obvious. Some may not. All are worth noting.

Know what you want.

Don't roll into an interview saying, "I either want to be a copywriter or an account coordinator." You're really saying, "I don't want you to hire me."

Your first gig may be the most important.

Your first place is where you learn your habits. Don't settle. Get in an agency that does work you admire. This economy is rough, but you'll be better off in the long run.

Remain cautiously persistent.

Persistence shows that you have determination and enthusiasm. Too much, and you'll have a restraining order to boot. Never leave a potential employer hanging, but never email more than once a week unprovoked.

You're never too good for a project.

The last thing any agency wants is a prima donna intern. They bring you in for fresh ideas and enthusiasm. Bring your A-game to everything you touch, regardless of what it is.

Network.

Play Ping-Pong. Go to happy hour. Socialize. Your agency status will be based on your work, but being likable can't hurt. Plus, those connections may help down the road.

Always shoot to exceed expectations.

If you ever utter the words, "I don't have to ______, I'm just an intern" you'll stay an intern. Go above and beyond. Come in early, stay late and work on weekends. If you're not going to give it your all now, when will you?

Be ready for anything.

Seriously. That's what's great about this business. There are plenty of moments where you reflect and say: "There's no way anyone will believe I do this for a living." Anything from traveling to Denver for a shoot, to expensing lacquer, soap and a potato peeler after a failed attempt at making giant Viagra pills. You can't make this stuff up.

To learn more, go to our Fall Forum on Friday, November 16th. Click here to RSVP.

You can continue the conversation on LinkedIn and on Twitter (@RodgersTownsend #RTFallForum).

Personal Brand Growth

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Rodgers Townsend's 6th Annual Fall Forum is quickly approaching. For anyone not familiar with the event, the agency invites students and recent graduates to tour the agency, listen to a few presentations from agency executives, receive resume and portfolio feedback and get an inside view of what it is like to work in the agency environment.

During previous events, I've been a part of the resume review team and every year a question always arises in one form or another: How do I get from here to there? That question always propels my mind through the typical personal inventory of various roles and the skills acquired in each role, but what I find most interesting is how that question is an integral part of our agency's daily routine, especially within the analytics' and insight group.

Personal brands can follow the same process we utilize on a daily basis:

First, note all of the hurdles between you and your objective and the realities of clearing those hurdles. If possible, utilize outside resources and contacts for feedback. This will help you plan your path and forecast your benchmarks. In our work, we utilize research and data analysis to determine the best positioning for a brand based on market research and the feedback of current and prospective customers. In the absence of formal data, today's social environment provides a strong alternative for a personal brand.

Second, list your strategies and tactics for clearing those hurdles. The traditional path is usually crowded, expected and less than memorable. Create a list of various alternative paths and then rank your ideas for implementation. Score each idea via how it enhances or detracts from your ideal brand image.

Third, per another post on this blog, stop talking and do something. Begin testing the strategies and tactics. Request and note response and feedback and adjust your strategies and tactics accordingly. Any feedback can be utilized to strengthen your campaign. And then, as a colleague likes to say, "Rinse and repeat."

Brands are brands, whether personal or professional. And the strategies and tactics that create the world's best brands can be applied to yours.

Making A Connection

jennifer.oertli@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500

When we prepare to leave college and begin to search for a job, unless you're destined for the family business, most of us have to make our own way - and that means making our own luck. We have to rely on our college classes and all that we've learned to point us in a direction we believe we want to go. Most students start with a resume, listing their graduation date and GPA (if it was high), and any honors they received. They add in their work experience, mostly part-time jobs at restaurants and bars and maybe a student job on campus. They list the clubs and organizations they belong to and they describe their volunteer activities. They talk about their skills, their ability to be quick learners and multi-taskers and their attention to detail.

And while this is necessary, it's only the beginning, and it doesn't set you apart from the masses. The critical part of one's job search, that can't be addressed with a resume, is the ability to network to make connections. Personal relationships may not seem important when you leave school. One may think that fellow students can't help because, after all, they're looking for a job too. And while there will always be competition, the guy down the hall in the dorm may be the next Mark Zuckerberg and be in a position to give you a job someday, so you better stay in touch. Don't underestimate the impact that connections have on your career. Attending industry events, asking for informational interviews, meeting new people, asking for advice, and seeking mentors are all ways to gain unpaid yet invaluable experience in a tight job market. In this month's online Harvard Business Review, professional blogger Kathryn Minshew says, "NYFO - Network Your Face Off" - http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/10/the_serendipitous_entrepreneur.html. Her advice is to ask for and go to as many meetings and events as you can, even if it's not completely clear what may come of it.

At RT, we know how hard it can be to make that phone call or send that email asking for an informational interview. It's intimidating, and that's why we created the Fall Forum 6 years ago. We saw an opportunity to share our work and vision with kids who had no idea what it was like to be inside an advertising and marketing firm. We knew that if we could just get them here, they would see what it's like and they could begin to make those oh-so-important connections that might one day lead to a job, or better yet, a successful career in the business. And not to boast, but we were right. We have seen the light bulb go off for kids as they sat and listened to an art director review their portfolio, or heard Tim Rodgers describe his beliefs about merit, or took a tour of the agency and thought "yeah, I belong in a place like this." And the smart kids are the ones who follow up afterward with a thank you note, or a call to say how much they got out of the event, or even a quick email. They understand the value of the connections they made that day. They know that the experience at the Fall Forum gave them a new perspective, a new set of professional contacts, and a leg up on ol' Zuckerberg down the hall.

Interested in attending the #RTFallForum on November 16? RSVP at facebook.com/rodgerstownsend and click on our Event page.

Click here to join our Students Exploring Advertising Careers group on LinkedIn for questions and discussion about life in the advertising business.

The Corner of Fun and Fear

sschmiz@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

As we've blogged about in the past, a few RTers are partaking in an Improv class. In preparation for the class I saw an Improv Shop show, read the first half of Tina Fey's book and reminisced about the acting camps I went to as a kid.

Aside from seeing a show, none of that was helpful. Actually, the best preparation has been working in advertising. There are so many overlaps between my job, Improv and life. One quote that I have made a personal mantra since our teacher taught it to us is: Follow the fear or follow the fun. Mainly because, while I didn't know there was a term for it, that's what we do as Creatives and people in advertising.

In the process of designing, I'm generally in the land of fun. Starting with a concept that inspires me to create a color story, craft up shapes and photos and then pair it with a perfect font family. And it is in those moments of fun that I hope for fear to come along. When you start to feel like you're treading into new territory - wondering how accepted the idea will be, thinking through all the applications it could work in, etc.

I would argue that when I'm standing at the corner of fear and fun, it becomes amazing when I can just dash out into the middle of the intersection. Flailing about in constant fear of getting hit by a car while reveling in the thrill of how much fun it is to bend the rules. You come out of it with an insane adrenaline rush and an overwhelming feeling that you've got something good.

I should tell you now - I'm not a natural Improver, risk-taker or fun-maker. I'm awkward and terrified by being on a stage. However, it has taught me so many work and life lessons. Aside from fear and fun, I've learned to let go. Our teachers tell us the funny will just happen, not to force it. And as it turns out, something funny inevitably happens. And then you feel in your gut if it is fun or fear, and you follow it. You make it your new truth.

It is pretty impossible to tell you all the lessons I've learned in this short blog post. However, next time you're headed on an adventure, coming up with an idea or just waking up on a normal Saturday, tell yourself to "Follow the fear or follow the fun." I guarantee, if it is a really brilliant moment, you'll look back and realize you followed both.

Special thanks to Improvers Susan, Football Tom, Kevin, Eric, Crystal and photographer, Emily, for creating a fearfully fun moment by jumping in the street with me.

Seeking Creative Inspiration [Book Review]

lduplain@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Through life it's important to recognize your blessings, and one that I count often is that I fell into the world of advertising early in my career. At the start, I thought that being around "creative people" was an honor, and I held them in high regard. Today, I still have considerable respect for visual designers, writers and the like, but I recognize that the agency environment and process enables creativity--and that creative ideas can come from anyone.

IMAGINE How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer is a book I read this summer and highly recommend to all readers, regardless of your profession. It's not a prescriptive book but you'll take away many great ideas. It will inspire you to think about how you approach creativity. Jonah highlights great examples of creative people and companies-from Bob Dylan and Pixar to Second City, 3M and an IT geek turned mixologist-who approach their passions and projects in ways that enable creativity to flow more freely.

For those blog readers who are familiar with Rodgers Townsend and our culture, you'll appreciate some of the parallels in our beliefs: brainstorming isn't effective-there are more efficient ways to generate ideas; an outsider's objectivity enables higher creativity; and "letting go" is essential to creativity. On that last note, I'm looking forward to seeing the RT improv group put on a great show later this summer.

At this point, if you're still reading, then I have yet to inspire you to download the e-book or order a copy. If you need a little more convincing, check out this promo video from the author Jonah Lehrer and enjoy the read.

Greatness Isn't Exploitation

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500

This morning we started talking around the water cooler about the Nike Olympic spot that is getting a lot of buzz. You know, the one with the out-of-shape kid running down a country road. Folks mentioned the simplicity of the story and the surprise of who was running as the kid came into frame. Everyone thought it was inspiring.

We also discussed the meaning and what Nike was trying to say. The message I saw was that greatness is in the effort as well as the outcome, and that Nike is for all kinds of people - from Olympic athletes to out-of-shape kids trying to run a mile. We each related to the story a little differently, but we all related to it and liked it.

I was shocked to read that Jezebel accused the brand of fat shaming. And the Washington Post wondered if the commercial was exploitation. The unexpected sight of a fat kid in a Nike ad seems to have some cultural critics misreading it.

I went back and watched the ad again with a more critical eye. Nope. I don't see exploitation or shaming. Those accusations are over the top. Take a look for yourself.

The copy is lofty and speaks about "the rest of us" and "all of us". Here it is again.

"Greatness. It's just something we made up. Somehow we've come to believe that greatness is a gift reserved for the chosen few. The prodigies. The superstars. And the rest of us can only stand by watching. You can forget that. Greatness is not some rare DNA strand. It's not some precious thing. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We're all capable of it. All of us. Find your greatness."

It doesn't say anything mean or shaming. It must be the visual of the kid running that has them upset. The implicit argument in some of the critiques is that the mere act of showing an overweight kid battling through exertion exploits his body and shames him. Nonsense.

I prefer the implicit argument in the spot itself: people of all sizes jog and there is no shame in their game, only potential greatness. Showing Nathan Sorrell of London, Ohio running is to represent him specifically, sure, and due to the spot's popularity he's having his fifteen minutes of fame. But Nike and its agency, Weiden + Kennedy, also wrapped him in the community of "all of us" and made him heroic - an affirmation, not shaming.

Greatness is a process and a state of mind as much as it is an outcome. So if Nike is going to represent "all of us" and inspire "the rest of us" through a single runner, why not him? He was great.

2012 Softball Playoffs

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0500

After shedding some blood, an excessive amount of sweat and a few tears, the RT Chickens' 2012 softball season has drawn to a close. Last Thursday, the 9-3 Chickens left it all on the field in a single night of playoff action.

RT's first opponent, cross-street rivals Osborn & Barr, met for a sweltering 6:30 p.m. bout, dubbed the Spruce Street Series. The field had never been hotter, but luckily the bats and walkup music came just the same. It was a hard-fought game, but The Chickens advanced to the tune of a 6-3 victory.

But, there was no time for celebration as RT's next adversary, Boxing Clever, was ready to take the field. After a 7-inning display of athleticism and inebriation, the game was tied, 6-6. Boxing Clever went on to beat The Chickens 7-6 in extras.

Boxing Clever then lost 4-2 against Ninja Midgets in the championship.

Don't ask.

"I couldn't be prouder of this team." said skipper Laura Yarbrough. "We played hard all season long, and we have the empty beer cans to prove it."

A 3rd place finish, suitable for a bucket of frosty beverages, but no champagne shower. Congrats to the reigning champs, but the RT Chickens warn them to celebrate cautiously as they look to next year.

"If we can limit the number of players who fly the coop in the offseason, and add a few spring chickens," said Chickens outfielder and pun enthusiast Tim Rodgers Jr., "we could contend for a title."

"We set the bar pretty high for next year," added Yarbrough. "I expect a cut-throat spring training."

Patriotism with Washing Instructions

mmccormick@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We're sharing this a little late, but to show our appreciation for the men and women who serve our country, Rodgers Townsend created t-shirts for a great group of veterans in Conroe, Texas. Designed by Kris Wright, they were given away on July 4th, before the annual parade.

The backstory begins with my parents support of LoneStar Honor Flight. For those unfamiliar with the National Honor Flight program, it's an organization that flies World War II veterans to Washington D.C. to witness firsthand the memorials created in their honor. Before the fifth and final flight, my family raised a 60-foot U.S. flag in front of their business. So it's been a natural gathering place-complete with a casual lounge and library-for veterans of all ages ever since.

The t-shirts went fast, but our patriotism endures. For every U.S. veteran, our most sincere thanks.

Dave Hughes, Pearl Harbor survivor

Harding Boeker, 231st Quartermaster Company

Right Brain vs. Left Brain

mmccormick@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0500

When the derby kits arrived from Coolfire, I was of two minds. And recently on a heavy regimen of Nawgan, both sides are bringing stronger, more focused points of view. My left brain instantly recalled last year's losing design. Too much rear weight, flimsy axle slots, questionable alignment and fourth place. Right brain started doodling and humming Speed Racer.

As left brain Googled until the wee hours, right brain perused Jalopnik, Porsche and Motor Trend sites for design inspiration. Left brain rolled its eye. Style doesn't win a Pinewood Derby, it snapped like a wet towel to the temple of right brain. Ah yes, winning. This they agreed on.

So still a couple weeks out, they struck a deal.

Left brain donned the safety glasses and took over. Right brain said wake me when it's time to paint. Left brain got out the saws and sanders. Left brain did math, developed theories, tested hypotheses. Left brain soaked in research on center of gravity, drag coefficient and friction reduction. Right brain daydreamed of F1 grid girls. Left brain drilled and weighted. Right brain ordered shiny lacquer. Left brain obsessed over 4.8 before paint. Right brain spit-balled names with Medulla Oblongata. Mind Candy, Chaos Theory, Infinite Knowledge and Genius Juice. And while left brain caught some shut eye, right brain dipped the contenders in green, white, yellow and red.

Upon waking, left brain gurgled and fired disapproving electrical impulses, before mounting the wheels with surgical precision. While right brain marveled at its colorful fleet of miniature hot rods, left brain took out the scale and ran logarithms. As right brain practiced victory dances, left brain delivered the hard news.

Mind Candy and Genius Juice were too heavy. Infinite Knowledge looked to be unstable at speed. Chaos Theory met standards, but was the design black sheep of the bunch-the bonus what if, that surely wasn't competition material. Then, to the melodramatic shrieks of right brain, the drill came out. Left brain coldly pulled the trigger. As the wood shavings curled, right brain squirmed and pouted. Suddenly the yellow Genius Juice with its clever bendy straw looked like cheese. This meant nothing to left brain. Rules are rules. So left brain kept drilling until the scale read 5.0. And that was that. Engineering made the final call on entry day, not design. Right brain sulked.

Until race day.

After that first run, the spongy hemispheres reunited in my head. Like a slo-mo beach jog and hug in my skull. Wasn't long before they were singing and drinking Jack Daniels from their new trophy. Reveling with their like-minded RT cohorts. A fantastic night sponsored by our friends at CFM.

Left brain is already thinking about next year. And where we can rent a wind tunnel.

Rodgers Townsend Partners with Nawgan to Launch "One Brainy Beverage" Campaign

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Rodgers Townsend Partners with Nawgan to Launch "One Brainy Beverage" Campaign

RodgersTownsend.com Named Top Website of the Month by HOW Magazine

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0500

RodgersTownsend.com Named Top Website of the Month by HOW Magazine

Rodgers Townsend Offers an Inside Look at "Beyond the ADDYs"

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Rodgers Townsend Offers an Inside Look at "Beyond the ADDYs"

Rodgers Townsend's Campaign Featured by the American Institute of Graphic Artists

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Rodgers Townsend’s Campaign Featured by the American Institute of Graphic Artists

Rodgers Townsend Honored as a "Top Workplace" in St. Louis

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Rodgers Townsend Honored as a "Top Workplace" in St. Louis

Rodgers Townsend Wins 11 ADDYs at District Competition

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Rodgers Townsend Wins 11 ADDYs at District Competition

Rodgers Townsend to Support Young Talent at Annual Portfolio Review

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Rodgers Townsend to Support Young Talent at Annual Portfolio Review

Is "The Shops at Target" Idea Bad for Small Business?

akerlick@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Last month, Target announced "The Shops at Target" design program, where they'll partner directly with shop owners of specialty stores and boutiques to co-create affordable, limited-edition collections to be sold in Target stores nationwide. The first flight of "The Shops at Target" features five exclusive collections from five U.S. specialty stores: The Candy Store, Cos Bar, Polka Dog Bakery, Privet House and The Webster. According to Target, the collections are meant to "reflect each shop owner's unique perspective, offering Target's guests the opportunity to experience each shop's distinct aesthetic simply by visiting their local Target store or Target.com."

Except for the fact that it's nearly impossible to leave without spending at least $50, I love Target. It's my go-to store for t-shirts, socks, underwear and Nerf guns. Because of my affinity for Target, I initially embraced "The Shops" concept. I can appreciate a store that takes the time to curate a smaller collection of interesting high quality items. It beats the hell out of searching through racks of crap to find something that speaks to you. And bringing unique collections from shops across the country to the masses is a good thing. Or is it?

Certainly it's good for the shop owners who get featured in the store. But what about the hundreds of thousands of other local, independent shops and boutiques in this country? If I can now buy handcrafted dog biscuits at Target, why would I spend twice as much at the shop down the street? I'm not saying "The Shops" concept is bad for Small Business, but I wonder if it trivializes it, or if Target doesn't quite understand Small Business. It's sort of the opposite of American Express's Small Business Saturday. Instead of supporting your local small businesses, go buy everything at Target.

As I said before, I do love Target. I even think "The Shops at Target" is a good idea. I just wish it did something for all small businesses, not just the ones lucky enough to be in the store. The concept is supposed to last beyond 2012 and feature a rotating selection of shops, so hopefully that's the plan. Creating awareness of a variety of small shops and boutiques, as well as encouraging people topatronize their local versions of those shops would be awesome. I really hope that's the case. Because the last thing Target can afford to do is be accused of running mom and pops out of business. If that happens, they run the risk ofturning into nothing more than a better-curated Walmart.

Rodgers Townsend Named Among Top 100 Web Design Agencies in the World

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Second Chances

ryan.mcmichael@gmail.com — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Life doesn't afford many second chances. But when the opportunity presents itself, you'd be foolish not to seize it with a Rocky Balboa mentality. In early 2005, one such opportunity profoundly changed my life. I was blindsided by the news that my Dad had been diagnosed with stage-four malignant melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer. It was the ultimate gut check; the kind of stomach-turning surrealism that wakes you breathless and beading with sweat from a dead sleep. Only this nightmare was reality.

Standing virtually helpless on the daunting and untraveled road of uncertainty, the focus of my family immediately shifted to embracing every moment as the ultimate second chance. A second chance to show Dad how much we loved and appreciated him. Take one more family vacation. Enjoy one more round of golf. Relish a quiet dinner together. Hold his first grandchild. For six years, we welcomed every new day as one more serendipitous opportunity to embrace the gift of another. On August 12, 2011, those second chances ceased abruptly with one final shallow breath, and one last chance to say goodbye.

In only the way true mortality can, my Dad's death instantly presented a new perspective on life, and another reminder of second chances. Now every day without him is a platform to honor his memory through the continued tireless work of the nonprofit organization I co-founded shortly after his diagnosis. Since 2007, Come Out Swinging has raised nearly $300,000 for melanoma research funding and educational awareness initiatives. In fact, just this month we were proud to support three groundbreaking research efforts at the Washington University School of Medicine Department of Dermatology, with a gift of more than $43,000.

Tomorrow, and every Friday before Memorial Day, is National Don't Fry Day, a nationwide plea to protect your skin from the sun, as we unofficially welcome the summer season. So wherever this holiday weekend takes you, think about yourself, the ones you love, and slap on the sunscreen. Without it, you could one day find yourself wishing you had a second chance.

Small Business Infographics

awood@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Blogs are my thing, I love them. All kinds of blogs. The Intuit Small Business Blog in particular has remained a favorite on my Google Reader for years; they post great stuff about small business; marketing tools, tips, and (my favorite) smart infographics. Below I've listed my three most favorite Intuit infographics about small business.

Perhaps you remember my previous post about the JOBS act; perhaps you were, like myself, slightly confused by the fancy formal speech in the legislation. This infographic illustrates the high points of the bill and why we, folks who love and care about small business and our economy, should care about it. And even if you don't care about the bill or the economy (shame on you) you can still marvel at the pretty typography and such.

This infographic tells the story of how quickly small businesses are adopting the web and social media. We take for granted how new this technology is, that nearly 2 years ago most small businesses didn't worry about analytics tools and social media.

We all know small business owners can use smartphones, but this infographic breaks down how and why. It's packed with statistics and insights like, "The number one reason small businesses employ mobile apps is for a competitive advantage," or "28% of small businesses say they could not survive without mobile apps."

Sub Zero Vodka Bar: Brilliant Use of Birthdays for CRM & Buzz

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Last night Tracy got a free bottle of top shelf vodka at Sub Zero Vodka Bar in the Central West End because it was her birthday and she's in the Sub Zero Vodka Club. This club is free and easy to join. It's just an opt-in loyalty program … with one hell of an incentive and birthday reward.

Sub Zero is a nice bar with a huge selection of vodka from around the world. It's a local small business that has made its mark. It's been around for a long time and usually doesn't spark water cooler chatter. Yet this morning a dozen co-workers stopped multi-tasking and half-listening and joined the conversation when Tracy mentioned her free birthday bottle.

"Seriously?"

"Did you just say they gave you the whole bottle? Not just a free drink?"

"I'm going to sign up."

"I just missed this. My birthday was last month."

"I can't believe they gave you a good bottle. I wonder what that must cost them?"

"This is brilliant. We've been talking about it for ten minutes."

Even savvy 1:1 specialists have wow reactions to an impactful premium and a personalized offer triggered by a birth date. Birthday programs are highly responsive because your birthday is a magic number - it's special, relevant and engaging. That's why recognizing and rewarding customers on their birthday is a tried-and-true tactic. But if you make it worth talking about you can turn your CRM program into a brand builder with increased word-of-mouth, recommendations and awareness. So before you skimp on "Happy Birthday" to focus on revenue drivers, take a moment to think about what really drives revenue. After all, it's better to enjoy your Net Promoter score straight up than to have your brand loyalty on the rocks.

Cheers.

Burn Down the Mission: Start-ups Get Started

ttownsend@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Okay, mission statements matter. From a mission statement comes the goals, strategies and tactics that help you stay on track to succeed. It's boilerplate, common sense, obvious.

The mission is important, but start-ups can make it too important. More than a few times I've been in conversations with small start-ups that have let the anxiety over the perfectly articulated mission, all finessed and fine-tuned, distract them from getting their company going in the first place.

One company was a small brewer getting off the ground in Colorado. They had one brand that was selling like crazy, getting them all kinds of start-up attention. "But our mission is about multiple brands. We're worried we're skewing off our mission." I asked whether they had enough business from their first hot beer to start other brands. "No," they said. "That's the problem."

Selling a lot of beer right off the bat is not a problem. It reminds me of when I worked on the Twix account. After a certain commercial had been running awhile, the head of account service told me, "I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?" The good news. "We're selling Twix like crazy." Then what could be the bad news? "We're selling them to the wrong people."

Another start-up was a theater group who needed to get their first season off the ground. "We really want to produce this particular play, and it'll be a perfect start to the season, but we think it's off brand." What brand?

They hadn't put on a play yet. Yet they couldn't let themselves produce the one they could pull off best from fear that it might conflict with the brand of the company that doesn't exist yet.

As Jim Collins said, "Get the right people on the bus. Then see where the bus takes you."

Because while you're overthinking this stuff, gas prices are going up.

Closing the Relationship Gap: CRM, Customer Data and Social Media

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I spent a few days last week at Forrester's Customer Intelligence Conference. The role of the customer in today's branding efforts was discussed in detail from various viewpoints. One analogy that was used in several presentations is an old favorite of mine:

Prior to the days of mass merchandising, many brands had direct contact with their customers. This contact allowed them to quickly assimilate feedback into their business processes and it created a two-way conversation between the brand and the customer, enhancing the relationship. However, once mass merchandising quickly expanded the customer base and distribution channels, customer feedback was handled via research which turned the conversation into a brand monologue and the connection between the customer and the brand became a long-distance relationship. However, with the rise of social media, the opportunity and need to build 1:1 relationships is on the top of the marketing agenda.

So, where does this leave Customer Relationship Management, which played a role in closing this gap prior to the growth of the online conversation? That depends on how you use it.

CRM is currently caught in a war of semantics, especially the management portion of the discipline. Relationships should not be managed; they can be influenced and enhanced, but never managed. This may seem to be a minute detail, but understanding this is extremely important to the success of a brand's relationship efforts.

Many brands are still using CRM as a one-way communication between the brand and the customer. They manage communications from the view of what is best for the brand rather than what the customer wants. This process maintains the relationship gap by proving to the customer no one is really listening to them. Using aggregated customer data can help change this:

- Instead of focusing on purchases, add interactions to the customer records.

- Create models based on where, when and how the customer would like to communicate and tailor the program accordingly.

- Personalize every touch point, not via basic recognition and sales algorithms, but via the customer experience.

- Start adding emotional metrics into the value equation and view lifetime customer value as a combination of purchases, engagements and brand advocacy.

And, from now on, let's call it CRE (Customer Relationship Enhancement). I'm sure that the Commercial Real Estate industry won't mind, especially after we show them how they can improve their customer relationships.

Instagrowth: Guidelines to Help Keep Instagram, Instagram

rhutti@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Avid and often addicted Instagram users have had quite a month. First, the hashtag #iPhoneOnly became instantly obsolete in early April with the addition of millions of Android users to the photo sharing app. Then, last week, new members and old were shocked by news that social media giant Facebook had purchased the 13 person company for a jaw dropping $1B. For some, shock gave way to outrage and fear of the undoing of one of the purest and simplest forms of creative expression around.

We can be so over dramatic sometimes. Honestly, I welcome new users and the unique view of their lives and the world that Instagram makes possible. I don't mind their likes and follows either … ahem ... @robhutti. That said, I think it's worth reaching out now to these new folks to help them, help us, keep Instagram classy. These are not so much rules, but guidelines to build a better Instagram community:

01. Level the Playing Field

One of my favorite aspects of Instagram may also be the reason for its success. The #iPhoneOnly mentality of core users has created a level playing field for photography. Even after the addition of other smartphones, most of us are walking around with basically the same technology in our pocket. Therefore, anyone from professionals to amateurs have the same capacity to take incredible photos. So put the fancy cameras away, and push yourself to see what can be done on your mobile device.

02. Fill the Freak'n Frame

This is my biggest pet peeve; make sure you fill the frame. Instagram's use of the Kodak Instamatic's square aspect ratio is intentional. Not only was this a conceptual and aesthetic choice, but also allows for a much cleaner and more usable UI. To me, deciding the composition of an image is more important than what filter, frame or depth of field is chosen. When you don't fill the frame, you are throwing composition out the window.

03. Instagram Can Wait

Remember you can pull photos from your library in IG, so you don't have to use the camera within the App for your captures. There are those who would tell you that Instagram is intended to be Instant. But, I think the best Instagram users are not so impulsive. Take your time; unless your photo is newsworthy or timely, it can wait. Take multiples, explore various compositions or over/under expose it. Feel free to try other filter apps or even typography apps. Then when you have a second to breathe and really look through what you have, chose the best. Trust me, your feed and followers will thank you.

04. Quality Over Quantity

On Instagram, all a buxom female needs is her camera and a mirror to send likes, among other things, through the roof. Though my 14 year-old self would kick me for saying it; I hate this. Am I jealous? Yep. But mostly frustrated for the amateur photographers I see everyday capturing smart, unique and unbelievable snippets of this beautiful world we live in. But there's good news. Increasingly in the social space, we see a shift from how many followers and likes we get, towards the quality/substance of those with whom we are connected. Instagram is a good example of this. Don't feel pressured to post every photo you take or follow everyone you know. Instagram for yourself. Like and comment on shots you really love and you will be amazed at the people you meet and the genuine support they return.

05. The Golden Rule

Do unto others, as you would have done unto you. If you are the type of person who likes to look at other people's cats, then by all means take photos of your feline friend. But be mindful that Instagram is not just a generic photo-sharing platform. What you post should be somewhat selective, creative and purposeful. Capturing the same unvaried subject, especially if it's your kitty, will likely yield resentment and not much else. Don't get me wrong, consistency is good. Having a style is good. We all have our go-to shots that saturate our feeds; architecture, cars, round stuff and yes, even our breakfast. All I'm asking is that you try to share unique perspectives with each shot, and let me save the mundane receptiveness for my own life.

A Second Opinion

Since my measly, yet appreciated, 230 followers don't exactly grant me expert credentials, I have elicited the help of some of my favorite Instagramers for their advice on what works and what doesn't. Following these folks may change your life, or at least bring a bit of beauty to your day. Here's their advice:

@Dirka

Main thing CONSISTENCY. I'm most impressed when u can tell every pic was carefully shot/edited/chosen to post... instead of my feed just getting blitzed with mediocre pics. Love seeing a personal side on occasion. Getting to know who I'm following. Love honest, real, meaningful comments & replies. Shows that the person is not just a great photographer but a great person too.

@Trashhand

Do: Find the best users that you know will inspire you. Research apps. Develop a style and theme for your stream. Be consistent.

Don't: Spam, ask for follows or likes. Don't steal people's work or post MySpace photos of yourself or your food. Don't come off desperate.

@HerbertSchroer

Do: show interest in other peoples work, participate in contests, check who your favorite IGers are following, be inspired.

Don't: spam, ask people to follow you, upload too many photos, post photos of yourself constantly, use heavy hdr effects.

@Curious2119

Not to let @HerbertSchroer do all the work but he said it perfectly. Oh and no cats!

@_F7

Use Snapseed and Filterstorm. Both cost some yet great apps to raise curves even on night shots.

@robinmay

Do: Engage your followers and the people you follow. Comment. Share. Interact. Have fun. Be sincere. Be yourself.

Don't: DON'T think you need wild adventures for great photos. A small change in routine's enough to open your eyes to beautiful pictures.

@elixir818

Do: Create a dialogue and get to know your community.

Don't: Become a voyeur that only giggles at his/her own grams.

@chrisozer

Do: Always focus on basic photo skills while shooting - find good light, hold your camera very steady, think about composition.

Don't: Don't be aggressive with commenting in any way. Good photos speak for themselves.

@dankhole

Like the photos that appeal to you & follow the people who inspire you. Work on consistency & technique & people will notice you.

Motivation / Inspiration

jennifer.oertli@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I love Oprah. Go ahead, judge me. I don't feel a bit guilty about the pleasure I get from her shows. I love every over-the-top moment, from the scream-inducing giveaways to the broken family cry-fests. I'll watch 'em all. And damn, that woman can tell a story. But when I happened upon one of her "life classes", shown on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) featuring Tony Robbins, I said, "Whoa. Too much." Too many big white teeth in one room. How many huge personalities can one show support without egos exploding live onstage?

Tony Robbins is famous for his inspirational infomercials boasting big results for people he's helped pull out of poverty, despair, drug addiction and other afflictions. Starting in the 80s, he sold countless audio tapes and books and now travels the world, encouraging throngs of admirers to "Unleash the Power Within". Are you failing financially in Fiji? Tony can help! Are you stuck in a rut of misery in San Jose? Tony can help! His website shows upcoming events with titles like "Date With Destiny" and "Life and Wealth Mastery". Who wants to master life? Me! Me!

My initial reaction was, no way. I'm not watching this crap. This is far beyond anything Oprah would do and therefore out of my range of inspirational TV-watching capabilities. I told myself I'd give it 15 minutes and be done. But 15 minutes went by and before I knew it, I was into it. And Oprah was too. She'd planned to attend one of his live events, take a few notes and go home. Before she knew it, she was bawling like a baby. And so was I. He sucked me in because, like Oprah, he has a firm grasp on the human condition. He verbalizes the things you would never say, he confronts the pains you never could and he actually tells you what to do about it. It's up to you if you want to take his advice, but he's the one standing on a stage in front of thousands of people (at $800 a pop), cavorting with Oprah, and you're not. By the end of the show, Tony had Oprah and hundreds of others walking across fiery hot coals. Do I want to do that? No. But are there other things we can all do if we push our own limits? Absolutely.

Opening Day for The Chickens

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Big Leagues are overrated. Long lines for the restrooms, $12 beers, and a record book peppered with performance-enhanced asterisks.

Thank goodness for Ad League softball. America's Game. The way it was meant to be played. By marginally athletic, slightly inebriated, 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-somethings. Any Manny, Barry, or Sammy can knock a ball beyond the wall with a little boost from their friends at Balco. Try doing it after three Natty Lights.

It's Opening Day for Ad League softball tonight at Forest Park. The RT Chickens are out to defend last season's respectably middle-of-the-pack fourth-place finish. "This off-season was a rough one for the team," manager Laura Yarbrough mumbled through a wad of chew. She spat and continued, "We're a different group this year, no doubt. We'll have quite a few new players when we take the field next week. We'll need to rely on our veterans to establish quick chemistry and lead by example."

First baseman and lover of gratuitous chicken puns Ben Brown recognizes the need for leadership from tenured team members. "This is my third year returning to the RT roost, so I'm no spring chicken," he noted. "I know the new fledglings will be expecting a lot from players like myself this season."

Rookie outfielder Jeremy Hagen expressed both enthusiasm and nerves, as he faced the media: "I'm excited for my first game. Everyone remembers their first time. I'm pretty inexperienced, so I'm just hoping I can perform." Awkward.

But Brown sees the team's new roster as a potential advantage over the competition. "We're looking to come out beaks-a-blazin'." He continues, puns and wordplay at the ready, "We have a pretty strong pecking-order this year; from top to bottom." He offered the following warning to the rest of the Ad League: "One thing's for certain: if you come into our henhouse expecting to dish out a tail-feathering to our flock, you gotta another thing coming … because, well, we don't give a cluck."

Confidence, or perhaps a little overconfidence, seems to be a hallmark of this young team. Veteran Tim "Timbo Slice" Rodgers Jr. fearlessly proclaimed, "If you come into our coop, expect to lay an egg." Oh, snap.

We Love Loblolly Pine and the 17th Hole at Augusta National Golf Club

vambuehl@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Masters starts this week. For RT's direct mail production department, The Masters is a time to reminisce about loblollies.

A few years ago, we had the pleasure of creating an invitation to the tournament for AT&T to send to some very special customers. The creative team came up with an amazing idea that pushed the boundaries of what's possible in production. Enter: the loblollies.

The invitation was a dimensional direct mail piece delivered to each high-level executive in a hand-stained pine box branded with The Masters logo and containing a loblolly pine branch. Click here to scroll through pictures of the piece.

For those of you who aren't golf fans, the Augusta National Golf Club has a well-known loblolly pine tree on hole 17. This tree is famous for being a major headache for our 34th U.S. President, Dwight D. Eisenhower. He got so tired of hitting that tree with errant shots approximately 210 yards off the green that he fought to have it cut down. It wasn't. But the story lives on. Our creative concept was built around this lore.

In production, we knew we couldn't fake it. It had to be authentic. And it had to contain a fresh, live clipping from a loblolly. Here are some of the "making of" details we reminisce about:

- Sourcing a craftsman to build the pine boxes, hand-stain them and brand the logo.

- Calling pine tree farms all across the South. We finally found an enthusiastic small business owner in Arkansas up for the challenge. He had his workers scale the giant trees, clip off a few hundred branches to our Art Director's size and liking and ship them overnight to St. Louis every week for three months.

- Getting our local production vendor to agree to handle these living things with special care. They put a loblolly-filled locked refrigerator in the production plant and assigned a team member to lovingly turn and spritz the plants daily. The fridge was key because we couldn't exactly put the clippings in with everybody's lunch and have them arrive to VIPs smelling like a ham sandwich.

When you look at a project like this one, you realize that outstanding execution is heavily reliant on resourcefulness and commitment - matching the right people for each and every project, working the problem until you find a solution. When it all comes together, it is a thing of beauty. And it often looks effortless, but it's a lot of hard work. Climbing trees to get loblolly clippings was worth it. The piece was successful. And the making of it has become a legend at Rodgers Townsend.

2012 LouFest Lineup Announcement

akerlick@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Now in its third year, the LouFest music festival is quickly becoming a St. Louis summer tradition. Two days of music, food trucks, and local libations in beautiful Forest Park - what's not to love? Needless to say, we are more than a little excited to be working to help get the word out for such a cool, and such a uniquely St. Louis, event.

Last night at Plush, RT'ers joined fellow St. Louis music lovers for the LouFest lineup announcement party, where this year's much-anticipated lineup was revealed via the promo video that we created along with our friends at Rukus.

All the video footage was shot guerilla-style with handcams in St. Louis over a 24-hour period. From The Grove, to Cherokee Street, to The Loop, we hit up St. Louis' liveliest, most independent, bars, restaurants, shops and venues to capture what we felt was the spirit of LouFest.

And don't forget to buy your tickets: http://www.loufest.com/tickets.php

Net Promoter Scores and Social Media

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

You are more likely to hear a complaint from a customer than a compliment.

Over the past few days, we've been engaged in strategic and tactical discussions on how to help raise a brand's Net Promoter Score. If you are not familiar with Net Promoter Scores, it measures customer satisfaction via an extremely simple process. Customers are asked to rank, on a scale of 1 to 10, how likely they are to recommend the brand to a friend or colleague. Customers who give a score of 9 or 10 are considered "promoters". Customers who give a score of 6 or under are considered "detractors". Anyone who gives a score of 7 or 8 is considered "passively satisfied".

This process was created by the senior team at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in collaboration with Bain & Company and published in the December 2003 edition of the Harvard Business Review. The researchers noted that there is a strong correlation between a company's growth rate and the percentage of customers who are "promoters".

Our tactical Net Promoter Score discussion started with the basics: changing operational procedures, enhancing relational messaging and the personalization of customer touch points. However, when social media entered the conversation, a debate ensued. Given that social messaging is not 100% controllable, when and how should a brand utilize this tactic? We analyzed several brand-based social initiatives that drove both positive and negative results in search of an answer to our question.

Our analysis to date has identified several fundamental variables that should be considered prior to launching a social campaign:

1. The number of promoters versus detractors

Obviously, having a large number of detractors versus promoters is going to be a problem in the social space, so comparing your brand's Net Promoter Score to others in the category will provide insight on this particular variable. However, a low Net Promoter Score can be tempered via the other variables on this list.

2. The volume level of promoters versus detractors within the social environment

Analyzing the social footprint of promoters and detractors will help forecast the volume level of each group and the potential impact of their brand views on the intended message.

3. The number of issues driving the Net Promoter Score and the ability to separate the positive from the negative

Segmenting the Net Promoter Score via brand attributes can help identify topics and message strategies for social campaigns. Positive attributes can be promoted directly while negative attributes can be discussed indirectly or held until solutions are introduced. However, understanding the weight and correlation of each issue within the overall Net Promoter Score is crucial.

While this variable list is merely a starting point, we are continuing to analyze the impact of social campaigns on brand image; specifically, the ability of social media to facilitate a change in the likelihood to recommend a brand and overall customer satisfaction. We'll stay in touch.

Feltroning Facebook

sschmiz@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The concept of personal branding came to me when I first discovered the Feltron Report. I remember hearing buzz about it in 2006. Designer Nicholas Felton made an annual report for himself. And every year since he has come out with a new report that is chock full of sweet infographic candy that I just want to keep unwrapping.

His reports, and later his site Daytum, speak to the evolution of personal branding. Looking back at photos, we've all always had a personal brand - a favorite color to wear, a series of hobbies, and an arsenal of stories. But now our entire lives are online. In a lot of ways we're creating personal brands without even realizing it. And I'm not sure about you, but the Facebook me is way cooler than actual me. Especially thanks to apps like Instagram, and before that Hipstamatic.

One thing that has always been missing from Facebook is allowing users to make more of a visual statement. MySpace was on to something - you could change your entire background. It led to some legibility issues, but it gave the users a chance to create a look and feel that touched their entire page. And, more recently, Pinterest is so visual it makes the user never want to leave the page.

Enter Facebook Timeline. Be still my little designery beating heart. Overall, the layout is much more visual. You can also establish a sense of visual hierarchy by highlighting some posts over others. And my favorite new addition: The Cover Photo.

Bottom line - with Timeline there's more to look at, a better sense of evolution, and more design control. So it should come as no surprise that the designer behind it is Nicholas Felton. He's been organizing personal information beautifully for years. Brilliant move Facebook. I can't wait to see what's next.

If you'd like to learn more about Felton and Facebook check out this article at Fast Co. Design.

In Defense of Data

emathre@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

There's plenty of chatter about advertising being taken over by data mining. I'm not so sure. I like to think that data, analytics and creativity are all related.

For me, there are two kinds of data: my data and the other data.

My data comes from my life, my observations, my hunches, my instincts.

The other data? Click-throughs, ROI's, response rates, competitive stats and obscure numbers that live on spreadsheets.

From a creative perspective, I like them both. I need them both.

Both lead to spectacular things, once they are drafted to perform in ways that their less interesting or insightful brethren never can.

Think of it as creative mining versus data mining.

Whether I'm listening to a creative partner or writing a phrase for a piece of content, I like how my creative data can thrill me, comfort me and connect to someone's emotions. It feels more real to me than the other kind of data which surfaces as percentages, pie charts and bar graphs.

But, as an equal opportunity advocate for data, I like the other data when it's used as a compass for exploration. When stats are used to lead to an observation or a point of view, they can actually make numbers feel more relatable, and yep, human.

The other day, Jonathan Ivey, the Apple guru of design, said something that I think embraces the need for both kinds of data.

"It's very easy to be different, but difficult to be better."

He went on to say what makes the folks at Apple think different is their culture's desire to constantly question and improve on the status quo.

Is it possible the same goes for advertising? I think so. How about you?

Meantime, today I'm making a toast to data. The kind that is buried inside all of us and in columns on a spreadsheet. Data that helps clients be different. And, equally important, be better.

Our Fancy Dishes Are Fiestaware

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

One of the things that runs through our agency culture is realness and authenticity with a dash of fun. Is it any surprise then that we have orange Fiesta dishes?

I didn't realize how much our cupboard reflects our culture until I saw CBS Sunday Morning yesterday. They featured a story of how Fiesta came to be. Long story short, during the Great Depression the Homer Laughlin China Company decided Americans needed something cheerful to brighten their tables (and the people in the Ohio Valley needed jobs). The national mood has been lifted by colorful, handmade pottery ever since.

As I smiled at the story on television I realized that simple Fiestaware is our good stuff. At Rodgers Townsend we use it for visitors and VIPs. When we're being our most gracious and welcoming we bring out the Fiestaware. I never gave much thought to our orange client dishes. They're pretty and they've lasted for years. But now that I know the story behind them - how something so humble has become so special - I like them even more.

Nike Makes It Count At SXSW

akerlick@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

This was my second year attending the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin. And while it seemed a hell of a lot more crowded than last year, it wasn't that different. Corporate sponsors, as well as aspiring start-ups, had experiential displays set up in the convention center, in hotels and in bars and parking lots all over the city. From free rides across town in a Chevy Volt, to literally playing a game of foursquare on the Foursquare Court, there was no shortage of cool things to explore and experience. One of the most popular destinations this year came from a brand I wouldn't have expected to be at an interactive conference: Nike.

Nike took over an empty lot in downtown Austin to promote its latest product, the Nike Fuel Band. The next evolution in Nike+, the Fuel Band is meant to measure everything you do throughout the day - every step, calorie, etc. - no matter what sport or activity. The Fuel Band connects to your iPhone via Bluetooth, and then to the web via the Nike Fuel Band app. Naturally, the whole thing is then tied to social media. Users set goals, or fuel levels, that they want to reach each day.

The Fuel Band ties nicely into Nike's broader campaign line, "Life's a sport, make it count." And while it certainly looks cool, the actual product is just the first splash in what's quickly becoming an exciting new territory for Nike. While they'll never stop making sneakers, Nike is quickly becoming a technology company. Products like the Fuel Band give Nike fans new ways to connect with one another and share with their broader social networks. And the more people interact, the more data Nike receives on the back end. Data, as any SXSW attendee from this year can tell you, is becoming more and more valuable to marketers. In conjunction with the launch of Fuel Band, Nike has opened up their own API (application programming interface), so that developers can create applications that use their data. Pretty cool, and definitely something to watch as more brands start to blur the lines between physical and digital.

Jobs Act Stretches the Definition of a Small Business to $1 Billion in Revenue

awood@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

You may have been hearing a lot of buzz surrounding the JOBS Act lately - Twitter and political blogs are in a small business frenzy about it. The Jump-start Our Business Start-ups (JOBS) Act is making its way through the House and Senate with overwhelming, bipartisan support. Among many things, the act has specific initiatives to create jobs and opportunities for existing and emerging small businesses to succeed.

Upon deeper investigation, I found the name to be somewhat misleading. For example, the act's long-term goals include creating jobs, but in reality the legislation will make it easier for so-called "small" businesses to file initial public offerings. In doing so, the Act will effectively undo some legislation that came about during the post-Enron and WorldComm era, as they relate to shared audit information and financial regulation.

An even more misleading point can be found in Title 1 of the bill - the section that defines a small business. According to the JOBS Act, emerging growth businesses - which the government also classifies as small businesses - are businesses with less than $1 billion dollars in annual revenue. Yes, you read that correctly. I said billion. That's much larger than your average small business, don't cha think?

Naturally, this distinction spurred conversations in the Planning lair about the small business mindset - small business is more than just size, it's attitude. Interestingly, we all came to the same conclusion: A billion dollar business, though it may be classified as a "small" business, is not necessarily a small business at all; and if you ask me, it sounds more like an entrepreneur or Silicon Valley tech start-up than a corner grocer or local handy-man. The way we see it, small, localized businesses would prefer an easier loan process or a higher credit limit to simplified IPO filing.

There is a distinct personality difference between the Mom-and-Pop shop on the corner of 10th and Pine and the Yelp's and Facebook's of the world. Local businesses don't care about IPO's or investors or shareholders. They like being small, making their own rules and improving their product. Most importantly, smaller, localized small businesses work at improving their local economies through job creation and reinvesting in the community. These businesses aren't thinking of changing the entire world, they're concerned with changing their world and their community.

For companies one billion dollars strong, going public makes perfect sense - perhaps loosening the reins a bit might open the door for entrepreneurship in this country and speed along a tedious process. I just wonder if skewing a "small business" bill so heavily toward larger businesses will alienate local small business owners.

Direct Mail Personalization and Emotional Insight

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Last night I received a new customer mailing from an automotive service chain that I've frequented quite a few times over the past year. The mail piece contains all of the recommended features for a new member, retail loyalty mailing:

It welcomes me to the branded club
It has a perceived production value that exceeds the average direct mail piece
It is personalized with my first name
It references the local shop and manager
It outlines the benefits of being a club member
It includes a membership card
It contains coupons to drive my next visit

However, the message within the piece may not have elicited the expected response. I was congratulated on the amount that I spent and invited to visit again. Now, outside of the enthusiast segment, car repairs are not a recreational spend for most individuals. But, in my case, the repair process that finally ended at this shop was a long, painful journey. While this chain did finally resolve the issue and did a wonderful job, the mail piece regenerated the negative experience rather than highlighting the positive results. In this case, they should have focused on the solution that they provided rather than the dollars that I spent.

This reaction could have been averted with the addition of one profile attribute: the reason for the visit. Since this retailer connects their point-of-sale terminal to the database, collecting this data point could be a simple pre-scored entry by the employee. For businesses that do not have this point-of-sale function, qualitative scoring models can be utilized to vastly improve the personalization of their mail pieces. No matter how this process is implemented, leveraging psychographics to create better customer profiles enhances interactions and when properly executed, strengthens the relationship between the customer and the brand.

Brand Characterization: Lessons from Stephen Colbert's Riff on Wheat Thins

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

If you missed Stephen Colbert reading the memo on Wheat Thins brand guidelines, do yourself a kindness and watch this. It's hilarious.

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We had a good laugh at this in the Account Planning lair. We've written phrases like "the brand is not a rebel" and convinced ourselves it was directional enough to be strategy; what planner hasn't? The Wheat Thin memo probably makes perfect sense to the brand team and their agencies. They know the Wheat Thins brand in and out, but if we take Stephen Colbert at his word, which is always a risk, he was given this memo to help him stay on brand in a unique context - a sponsored segment on his show. He ended up making the memo itself the joke.

I now know that the serving size is 16 crackers. 17 crackers is overconsumption and off-brand.

But the funny memo got us thinking. How do you write strategy and tactical guidelines for social media and other spontaneous, evolving branding moments without being prescriptive and limiting? After all, the traditional creative brief is designed for one-way messaging, not continuous two-way interaction.

We've been experimenting with input documents for our creative teams that are directional without being limiting, but address the motivations and behaviors of the brand, so the brand can be understood and "performed" by community managers on social platforms.

Our latest experiment is a Character Sketch. We're finding the tools of the acting trade extremely useful. Regular readers will recall that a bunch of us are taking Improv classes. As we play with developing brands as characters and forge a new strategic toolkit, we're using Colbert's joke about Wheat Thins as a cautionary tale. He warns us that the input document and brand guidelines can go too far and become a bunch of sound and fury signifying nothing.

Retention Versus Reactivation

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

It costs more to acquire a customer than to retain one.

This old adage holds true across most businesses, but is especially true in highly competitive environments. There are various methods to retain customers, but let's focus on the two main phases of keeping a customer active: retention and reactivation.

First, let's take a look at retention. This process begins as soon as the first purchase is made by the customer. Remember, your best customer is a competitor's top prospect, so maintaining the relationship from the beginning is easier and more cost effective than waiting until they've begun to stray. Strategies and tactics in this phase consist of targeted relationship, support and cross-sell messages that are timed according to the purchase cycle and engagement level of your customer base.

The second stage is reactivation. As customers move further away from your forecasted repurchase window, they are now, once again, prospects rather than lapsed customers and your 1:1 messaging needs to reflect this transition. Research has shown that the purchase process normally includes both emotional and rational phases. Depending upon the product, the emotional phase is usually in the awareness and consideration period, with the rational phase coming into the process prior to, during and just after the purchase. This process reverses itself as customers fail to reengage and become inactive. Thus, emotional messaging should increase as time passes, bringing the emotional content of your brand campaign into your 1:1 communication program as a customer approaches inactivity.

The relationship between a brand and a customer is similar to any other relationship; you need to continually capture the heart and mind of a customer and 1:1 provides the perfect opportunity to deliver the best message for that process.

Fulfilling Basic Needs at South by Southwest

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The South By Southwest interactive conference is about technology, what's next, and big ideas. Each year is more jam-packed and overwhelming than the next. This year we took a contrarian approach to the conference for our team on the ground: Rather than tweet and blog the stuffing out of it in real time, we asked them to stay in the moment and pay attention.

I woke up this morning thinking about basic needs at the conference and how several brands are fulfilling them. AT&T and others are providing convenient ways to charge your cell phone in the endless search for a power outlet. Walk ten feet and someone with a logo will feed you breakfast tacos or give you something caffeinated to drink. And if you wish you had better notes, Ogilvy Notes has solved that problem beautifully.

I wonder if anyone has solved the basic need for peace and quiet down in Austin.

The back channel is full of people who are stimulated to the point of feeling overwhelmed. They are reminding each other to pace themselves as they navigate a sea of multi-tasking digital humanity.

Until I get there next year with my quiet room … or Quiet Room, the gamification of nothing, a hipster start-up ... science suggests folks should go outside and look at the sky with phones OFF for 15 minutes of nothing while sniffing lavender. Then run off to your next session.

8 1/2 Hour Fitness Opens in Time for Spring Training

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Winter is a time of intense caloric intake. Calories - if you'll recall your 5th-grade health lesson - are units of energy and can be quite useful. But, when caloric intake is accompanied by "hunkering down," a favorite winter activity, calories are known to congregate and gelatinize around one's hips, thighs, waist, gut, toes, cheeks, earlobes, jowls and wherever they can find space.

And when a couple of RTers' pigtailed daughters capped off the winter by hawking a ghastly number of Girl Scout cookies around the office, this chicken said enough was enough.

Behold, the brand new, state-of-the-art Rodgers Townsend gym, free to all employees. Some excellent equipment was donated, though a vibrating belt machine and medicine ball are conspicuously (and disappointingly) missing from the lineup. The weights, treadmill, elliptical and bike will have to do.

I suggest the RT softball team jiggles its way down to the fourth floor for a little preseason conditioning. Catchers and pitchers report today.

New National Holiday: Daylight Savings Time Monday

katie.mcgrath@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

I was making a note on my old fashioned monthly calendar on my kitchen wall at home this morning and realized that Daylight Savings Time (DST) starts on Sunday. Time to spring forward. Alleluia!

I love DST. I know losing an hour of sleep is inconvenient and stressful. It takes time to recover. But at some point in the week following the start of DST, the joy of having some actual day left in the day settles on me and makes me so, so happy.

This is one of those rare situations where we get more than we give. One hour of sleep in exchange for seven months of a lighter life. I did a quick survey of the RT 5th floor to learn how our team feels about the extra daylight.

It gives Terri French more energy. "I feel better and I want to do more."
Our resident gastronome, Laura Yarbrough, relishes the chance to sip wine at a sidewalk café or patio. "It's fine if it gets dark while you're there. But you must start while the sun is still shining."
Suzanne Lange walks with her dog as opposed to simply walking her dog. Every dog owner knows what she's talking about.
Timothy Rodgers, Jr. says the extra light makes his post-work exercise routine more enjoyable and safer - especially running downtown.
"The days are longer in a good way. I do more and like what I'm doing better," observes Ben Brown. Laura Duplain agrees with Ben.
The only hesitation was expressed by Rachel Barbieri. Her young kids don't buy it that it's time for bed if it's still daylight. (Blackout shades, Rachel!)

Is there a way we could get around that pesky lost hour of sleep? What about declaring the Monday following the launch of DST a national holiday: Daylight Savings Monday. That way we'd have a full day to recover.

If we'd like to put more of an historical spin on it we could call it Ben Franklin Day, since he was the one who thought up the idea back in 1784 (although it wasn't started here until 1918). Isn't it about time one of the most interesting Americans had his own day?

Ben Franklin Monday, 2013. Who's with me?

Facebook Timeline: The Branding Era

awood@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

There's been quite a bit of chatter about Facebook's latest update lately. Perhaps you recall our own Jeremy Hagen lending his voice to the debate. March 30th is the official migration date for all 'Page' users to Timeline. Folks managing brand pages have circled the date.

The original Facebook was never designed with brands in mind. In fact, Pages and Applications only came about in 2008 and 2009. Pages were stale and forced, while Applications were just plain annoying. Facebook created its own dictionary of terms that changed just as soon as a brand thought they understood. They don't even offer support or assistance over the phone.

Here's a huge warning: Don't be fooled by the fancy new layout. There's more to Timeline than a Cover Picture. Brands that neglect to check out Timeline's features, or more importantly take advantage of the preview feature, will most assuredly crash and burn in the transition.

To me, Timeline is a much bigger opportunity for brands than Facebook 6.0 and 7.0 ever were. This time, brands get to tell their story from start to finish with much more control.

Take Coca-Cola for example. Not only are they filling their page with the brand's legacy, they're encouraging followers to contribute. They have promotions and coupons in their Application bar too; who doesn't love free Coke? And here's one better: they've got videos and branded entertainment front and center.

The brands doing well on Timeline have edited themselves and created a story worth telling: Coke is sharing smile stories, Livestrong is sharing inspiration and survival stories, and Barack Obama's 2012 Presidential campaign is sharing support stories. Every single post suits the brand and fits into a larger picture. There was some serious strategy at work.

New features like Highlights, which populates top stories, Starring, or featuring stories, and the new Application bar, are really changing the way brands can use Facebook. So think about it. Don't just change your cover photo and call it a day.

Precision Targeting DRTV

menger@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Imagine.

No. Not the John Lennon song.

Imagine the ability to combine the impact and persuasion of television advertising with the targeting ability of direct mail.

The notion of addressable media has been promised for decades as the penetration of digital set-top boxes became more prevalent. Well?

Sure, there have been some tests done over the years - tests within DMAs or zip codes or cable zones - but never with the precision of household level targeting.

Imagine how pithy the television creative could be if you had the ability to reach exactly the prospect you wanted to communicate with. Even better, what if you could know you were delivering a message to one of your customers by matching to your customer database?

Imagine creative and media agencies working with clients to develop campaigns and media buys that could be used across the portfolio. For example, a packaged goods manufacturer could deliver one brand's message to one household and a different brand's message to their neighbor.

Imagine how effective and efficient DRTV could be if you could target just as precisely as a direct mail piece or an email.

And imagine how the creative team would salivate to work with a target audience and target insights that are that specific versus developing concepts for a broad-stroke demographic target, such as Adults 18-49 or viewers of select cable networks.

While the finely targeted cable TV opportunity has failed to materialize, the digital space has made huge strides with the ability to personalize advertising, content and experience unique to each user.

Sure, there are plenty of reasons for it, but is there any wonder why consumers are spending more and more time online compared to consuming traditional mass media? Of course, the ability to engage with the content and a tailored experience is at the forefront of this ongoing shift.

So while the technology for addressing television advertising exists, the opportunity has already been seized in the digital space. Consumers continue spending more time online than with the television. Hulu, Netflix, Roku, AppleTV and Amazon On Demand all offer alternatives for customizing your entertainment. User experiences continue to deliver more video and more personalization based on profiles and behavioral data.

Where television was once poised to deliver a new era of relevance to audiences and efficiency to advertisers, it now lags behind digital in both areas.

And, as television advertising continues to cost more and deliver fewer eyeballs, now is the time to find a way to make addressable media the new reality.

Branding Toughness: Marketers Should Be Bullish on Professional Bull Riders

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

One day while channel surfing I came to a full stop when a country rock teaser with cowboys and mean-looking bulls came on. "This is the PBR!" Two hours later I was a fan. Professional Bull Riders, PBR for short, is terrific entertainment. The tour is masterfully branded and marketed. Interestingly, the marketing adds to the fun because the brands fit like snug Wrangler's. Brands set the context and are woven into the storytelling.

PBR positions itself as the toughest sport on dirt. Brands with "toughness" fit.

The biggest sponsor is Ford with the Built Ford Tough Series. There is natural alignment between the F-150 and the even tougher Super Duty line both in terms of what the brands stand for and what they do. If you're hauling livestock or doing other tough jobs, you need a powerful truck. Ford did more than just put their name on the tour. Ford is introducing the 2013 Super Duty via webcast on Friday with a PBR tie-in.

My favorite piece of bovine brand integration was renaming a really tough bull Super Duty. Unfortunately that was short-lived because Super Duty had to retire from competition due to a bad back. But as a fan, every time I hear Super Duty I think of the bull's attitude. When I see the monster grille of the truck itself, I think of horns coming out the chute. This is a good thing. Melding the mental model is the whole point of branding and sponsorships.

The most visible PBR sponsor is Dickies. They make tough, long-lasting work clothes. When a rank bull leaves the chute, everyone's watching the ride. Riders are either bucked off early or they escape with as much grace as possible after 8 seconds. The bull, being a bull, can charge, kick, stomp and try to hurt the rider. That's where bullfighters come in. They distract the bull so the rider can escape. When they aren't bullfighting, they do color commentary on the broadcasts, all the while wearing Dickies shirts.

Brands with a western heritage and lifestyle appeal also fit in the world of PBR and they've signed on: Jack Daniel's, Wrangler, Bass Pro Shops, etc. If you like country music and NASCAR, you may also like PBR. But don't try to stereotype PBR. They have diverse riders from all over the world. They have female contractors and broadcasters. They invited Chad Ochocinco to try to last 8 seconds in a wonderful made-for-social-media NFL meets PBR moment.

PBR meets and exceeds expectations with a careful recipe of entertainment, engagement and outreach. Combine that with the new CBS and NBC television contracts for this season and I'm bullish on PBR. I think the toughest sport on dirt will continue to be the fastest growing sport over the next few years.

Rodgers Townsend Wins 58 ADDY Awards and Honored by Graphis

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Rodgers Townsend Wins 58 ADDY Awards and Honored by Graphis

Homebrewed Agency Kölsch

diana.frazier@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

There are an estimated one million homebrewers in the U.S. today. Who knew? Now, I am not what you would call a beer lover. In fact, I'm not much of a drinker at all. So when my beer-loving husband wanted to try homebrewing beer back in 2008, I never would have thought that within just a few years it would become such a big part of our lives.

At first, I just helped out of curiosity and a desire to spend some time with my hubby. But a strange thing happens when you take the time to go through the entire brewing process - brew day, transfer, fermentation, bottling and aging take at least 5 weeks. By completion, you have a vested interest in that beer. After waiting weeks for the beer to mature, you want it to become a success. So sip by sip and taste by taste, over time beer started to grow on me. Some beers were better than others, but now I am up for trying just about any beer; I can appreciate it for the work that goes into making it.

So when last fall rolled around and it was Rodgers Townsend's 15th anniversary, it felt like a great time to share this hobby with Tim, Tom and the rest of our work friends. After working here for seven years, I had experienced some more or less successful signature drinks at previous parties, and even as a new beer lover I still knew that my husband could brew something good. So we offered to brew a beer for the party.

After a few tastings, we decided on a Kölsch, an older-style ale from Cologne, Germany. After my husband and I brewed and bottled 432 bottles of beer, we brought them into the office for labeling. From there, RT did what we do best; we worked together across departments to design a label, write copy, apply hundreds of labels by hand and create something new that was unexpected and uniquely Rodgers Townsend.

As you walk around the agency, six months after the anniversary party, you can still see bottles of Rodgers Townsend Kölsch sitting on people's desks. It is a friendly reminder of what a great job I have. But more than that, it is a nice reminder of what we do here: go beyond what's expected, make the simple remarkable and have fun doing it.

We're all out of Rodgers Townsend Kölsch right now, but if you're interested in sampling a Kölsch try Schlafly or Samuel Adams.

The Agony and the Ecstasy of Your Supply Chain

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

I went to see Mike Daisey's monologue "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" in New York on Friday night. The crux of the piece is that Apple should be doing more to ensure workers in Shenzhen factories aren't abused and suicidal because Apple is an industry leader and a brand known for doing things differently.

This show has been getting a lot of attention. The issues raised about working conditions in Shenzhen sparked investigative reports by The New York Times, a report on ABC's Nightline, an episode of NPR's This American Life, a profile on CBS Sunday Morning, a response from Apple and a 25% increase in wages by Foxconn. Foxconn is the consumer electronics manufacturer that makes 50% of the shiny tech toys we love to play with.

As the news cycle caught up with the art cycle - the play opened in Summer 2010 - Apple lovers were alarmed. There's something disturbing about loving a beautifully designed machine and imagining that machine made by hands - gnarled hands, tired hands or even 13 year-old hands.

Apple is not alone in the Shenzhen supply chain moral quandary. Almost every major consumer electronics brand uses Foxconn to manufacture some of its products because Foxconn is really good at what it does. Faster. Better. Cheaper. Done. And it is true that for some workers in Shenzhen it's a step up to work 16-hour days, 7 days a week in a factory and live in a dormitory.

Apple's experiencing a backlash because its profit margins are huge, the balance sheet is luscious and they are a leader. The brand is about beauty and creativity and ideals. The products are insanely great. But the worker situation in Shenzhen is not insanely great. And consumers expect insanely great from Apple.

When I entered The Public Theater I expected to see a show by a man out to get Apple and make an example of them. I was surprised to see that Mike Daisey is an absolute Apple fan-boy. He is also a geek's geek. Daisey gives a riveting tour de force performance that touches on the history of computing and geek culture from the Homebrew Computer Club to the beauty of fonts to upgrade cycles debated in rumor-filled forums and, of course, those epic Steve Jobs product launch presentations. He's not attacking Apple as an outsider. He's calling them out as an insider, an activist and a long-time repeat customer.

His call has been heard and taken up, resulting in something all brands need to consider: transparency, globalization and social media mean that your supply chain and production process are part of the brand story.

At the end of the show Daisey tells the audience that how something is made is part of the design. He reminds us that design is more than form and function; it's also production. And today's consumers expect insanely great design.

Is an Offer the Best Motivator?

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

A strong offer is always the best customer motivator. Or, is it?

There is an old formula that states that the return on a 1:1 investment is based on target, offer and then, message. Target is the strongest driver, as it should be, since not everyone is receptive to every tactic. But, after you have the right target, do you really need to include an offer to drive response?

A few colleagues tested this question in the retail space. These tests involved splitting a direct mail target market into two groups: one group receiving an average to slightly above average discount on their next purchase and a second group receiving a personalized message, such as a thank you letter from the CEO or a tailored product message, without an offer. In almost all of the tests, the personalized message beat the offer in response, ROI and customer retention. And, when the message was wrapped within enhanced creative, the impact increased.

While these tests were limited, additional research has highlighted a few points regarding offer usage:

Offers can create dependency and, over time, they may weaken the customer relationship;

Offers can skew best customer profiles and reduce best customer profitability;

Offers can steer attention away from product and brand issues, skewing the overall loyalty index;

But, offers wrapped in creative or relational messages, such as a birthday mailing, drive response without enhancing the "coupon effect."

As one retailer said, "Why should we stand in front of our store and hand out $20 bills when a creative thank you will suffice?"

From Green to Good

akerlick@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Part of our jobs down here on the 4th floor is to follow trends. And one trend I've had my eye on for the last few years is sustainability. It's an interesting space. One that continues to evolve. And one that I think is critical not only for the well being of the planet, but for the continued recovery and progress of the global economy.

Remember a few years ago when everyone wanted to "go green?" For corporations, that meant establishing committees and donating time and money to green initiatives. The dirtier your business was, the more money you had to spend to offset bad PR. This strategy inevitably led to the unscrupulous practice of "greenwashing," deceptively using green marketing to promote the perception that your policies or products are environmentally friendly. And for consumers, "going green" meant paying a premium for products that were identical, if not inferior, to their non-green versions.

Then, in a perfect storm of technological innovation and economic recession, the state of sustainability was changed forever. Thanks to technology, human beings were connected more globally than ever before. The ubiquity of social media meant companies couldn't get away with "greenwashing" anymore. And from a consumer standpoint, people simply couldn't afford to pay a premium for green products and services.

Then, in true Darwinian fashion, sustainability began to evolve. It became smarter and leaner. Iconoculture summed it up perfectly: "After several years of rapid innovation and affordable, practical green products, going greener today means smart, simple, solutions that aren't trade-ups or tradeoffs." Today, brands who get it have made sustainability practical and approachable to their customers. They've become transparent in both operations and dialogue. And they've even begun to rethink their business models to consider the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits.

They acknowledge that they're not perfect and that they've learned, and are still learning, from their mistakes. But the best among them are honestly trying. And you've got to give them credit for that.

The idea that a company like TOMS Shoes can do good and make money at the same time is inspiring. Sustainability, to me, is now less about "going green," and more about "doing good." There's not a generation more attuned to "good" than Millennials. They love what TOMS stands for, they care how their chocolate was sourced, and their influence (and purchasing power) continues to grow. In the very near future, making a good product isn't going to be good enough. We should be challenging ourselves not just to be greener, but to be better. Making money and making the world a better place doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. The next generation of successful corporations, brands and entrepreneurs are going to be the ones who figure out a profitable, and sustainable, way to strike that balance.

St. Louis ADDY's 2012: Picking on the Winners

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Guess what? Our Paralympics spot for The Hartford won Best in Show at the St. Louis ADDY's last night.

The Hartford - Melissa from Rodgers Townsend on Vimeo.

I went straight to the creative source for the dish on this spot. And encountered Blush and Bashful also known as Chad and Ben, being all humble: "aww, shucks … um, uhh, yea. Thanks."

They looked uncomfortable being asked to go on the record. They spoke of the inspiring personal story and what an honor it was to be recognized by their peers. The juicy quotes weren't coming.

So Peter, a known smartass, decided to write their quotes for them:

Said writer Ben Bohling, "Steven (Spielberg) and I like to say that cinema is a state
of being. A lot of these young kids don't get that."

"If you want a quote, find us on our yacht in Cannes. Addys are Lion kibble,"
chimed Stierwalt.

After teasing them about working with Academy Award winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, I joined everyone in congratulating them. Then we all picked on them some more.

2D Barcodes: Worth the Debate

lduplain@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The usage of 2D barcodes is an ongoing topic of debate at Rodgers Townsend. For more than 18 months we've been incorporating them into client work when the opportunity's been right. We even developed a fully integrated ad campaign to launch the AT&T Barcode Solution in 2010. Our clients have been happy with scan results, although barcode scans have been viewed more as a test in response tactics (at least compared to the aggressive goals for call volume or clicks that we're generally gunning for in response campaigns).

Still, this debate on 2D barcodes surfaces about once every few weeks when someone reads an article titled 'The Demise of QR Codes', or something as pessimistic. Surely you've read 10 - 20 articles with similar titles yourself.

The question debated most often is "Should we be using the newest technology?" Today it was Mobile Visual Search. (MVS as we may come to know it.)

My point of view is that 2D barcodes are a means to connect the user to content. Not dissimilar to adding a text code or a URL in your communication.

The benefit that QR codes have for marketers today is that while they aren't visually appealing (okay, they're ugly), the code draws attention. The code acts as a visual cue, or call to action, to access more content provided by the brand. [Soapbox moment… As advertisers and marketers it's our job to reward consumers for scanning by delivering compelling mobile experiences that will reinforce their behavior to scan again.]

Today, visual search doesn't have the same advantage as QR codes. Visual search is the ability to access more information via a mobile device for essentially anything. The results I've experienced are similar to what you'd expect to get if you searched on the classic web. Google Goggles is one example of MVS. You take a picture of an image, building, etc. within the Google App and the app searches the web for the image. You may get a result some of the time but not all of the time, which may create frustration or disinterest in trying again.

One other key difference is customization of the outcome. A barcode can be unique to whatever it appears on, leading to a relevant outcome/mobile experience. This gives the marketer flexibility and control. Visual search recognizes an image and delivers relevant search results. I would expect GPS location and a few other data points known by your device could tailor results, but I haven't experienced this level of relevance.

The opportunity to connect physical and mobile experiences is being defined and evolving, but there is no doubt that other technologies will emerge. We'll continue to explore and evaluate.

One thing is for certain; the onslaught of mobile devices has changed the way we access content, where we consume it and how often. As marketers we have an opportunity to connect with customers in new ways. If we build our strategies around our customers and business objectives the technology solutions will be available.

Pinterest: Building Brand Identity Through Pinning

awood@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Everyone these days wants to be heard; that's why Twitter and YouTube are so popular. We have opinions. We want to be understood. We want to show the world what we can do, what inspires us and what we're interested in. Perhaps that is why the hottest Palo Alto start-up, Pinterest, has been on the lips of nearly every media source for about a week and a half.

We get it. Pinterest is hip.

It's a step beyond 'traditional' social media: it shows rather than tells. Users follow boards of like products grouped together by category and posted by their own personal board of trusted, opinionated influencers. It's basically a highly evolved form of raiding a friend's closet, desk or fridge.

People are more visual now than ever before and we're entering an age where digital is as much about utility as it is about art. Brilliant content is everywhere and anywhere.

Call me crazy, but there seems to be an alternative application to Pinterest where brands can leverage their personality through curating rather than displaying products and offers.

With Pinterest, brands like Gap and Chobani are so much more than retailers or manufacturers-they're showing followers how to work out, what to make for dinner, how to stay on top of the latest style ideas and trends and more. It's an opportunity to personify the brand in a way that lets followers discover their identity organically, letting consumers peek behind the scenes and gain a rounder understanding of what the brand is all about.

Check out how these four brands are using Pinterest in innovative ways (click images to visit pinboards and explore):

Chobani

Modcloth

Gap

Travel Channel

Why Creatives Should Love Analytics

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

I spent the morning at Creative Next 2012, sponsored by the Ad Club of St. Louis. It was a great panel discussion that opened on the topic of analytics and its influence on the creative process. Unfortunately, analytics was not embraced with the amount of love that one would hope to see on February 14th. The comments included: there is too much data, the MBAs hired to analyze this data are not on the same page as the agency and the creative is being unfairly judged. As someone who has worked on both the agency and client side of the fence, I think that I have an answer: leverage the analysis to your advantage.

The client is usually being judged on short-term metrics. But, the agency is being judged on their creative output and how it builds the brand over time. So, the client spends their time talking about an immediate return on investment while the agency spends their time talking about long-term positioning. Here are a few ways to bridge this gap:

1. Targeting and planning. The analytics' team should identify the best target for a campaign based on the client's objectives. Once this group is established, they should become the base for insight, enhancing the focus of the creative. In addition, this group should be the main recipients of the creative so that your best work always ends up in the right hands.

2. Testing and tracking. Analytics can create an environment where creative can be fairly measured, as either a single tactic or an entire campaign. In addition, a tracking plan can be introduced so that supplementary support tactics can be implemented quickly, if the campaign is slow to drive results, giving the creative some breathing room.

3. Post campaign analysis and next steps. Customer behavior is based on many variables that no one can completely measure, so this discussion should be focused on new target insights gleaned from the current campaign, which should be turned into new strategies and tactics rather than a simple pass/fail post-mortem.

Hopefully, this process provides the CFO with the confidence that their money is being spent wisely and provides the agency with the opportunity to produce great creative work that builds long-lasting relationships.

Thinkin Lincoln

tim.rodgers@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

In case you missed it, yesterday was Abraham Lincoln's 203rd birthday. Not particularly a noteworthy one, but pertinent nevertheless because I was reminded of being recently asked about my favorite business book. While there are many that I like a lot - I find myself referring to "Outliers" quite a bit; the new Jobs biography is terrific; and you can't go wrong espousing "Built to Last" or "Good to Great" - my favorite might surprise you.

Maybe it's just being a little contrary, but I'm a one-man mission promoting a book about Abraham Lincoln as the best business book of all time. I knew it would be a great historical read when I picked up "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin back in 2005, but I didn't expect to find it so illuminating on a business level.

We all know how his story ends, but the title speaks to Lincoln's genius in surrounding himself with people who thought differently than he did. You might be familiar with David Ogilvy's famous admonition to, "Hire people better than yourself." Well, Abe took that to a whole new level, though David wouldn't utter his famous words for another four score and seven or so years.

Lincoln's "Team of Rivals" was his Cabinet consisting of, among others, three men who, in 1860, each thought they were eminently more qualified to be president than Lincoln. Each considered Abe a country rube who won the nomination only by a quirk of destiny, and destination (the 1860 Republican Convention was held in Chicago). Each joined his Cabinet because they saw it as a springboard for their own presidential aspirations in 1864:

•   Salmon Chase, a cutting edge abolitionist from Ohio, was Treasury Secretary.
•   William Seward, a moderate abolitionist from New York, was Secretary of State.
•   Edwin Bates, a conservative from Missouri, was Attorney General.
•   Edwin Stanton, a lawyer from Ohio who three years earlier had publically mocked Lincoln, was named Secretary of War in 1862.

All of these men, except the irrepressible Chase, came to adore Lincoln, just as we have. Through Lincoln's resoluteness of character and purpose, he was able to look beyond their pettiness and personal ambition to draw upon the best qualities of these confident and cavalier men. This, in turn, crafted a cadence to move the divided country forward in a way that kept it from splitting in all directions. For a homespun remedy from an 1860's rail splitter, that's still a pretty good prescription for leadership of a 21st century business.

Perhaps the most important lesson is that whether you are leading a country or a company, you need to set the right pace, no matter how convinced you are of the rectitude of your direction.

Then as now, people can't get behind you if you're too far ahead of them.

Where's the Romance in Valentine's Day Advertising?

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

If you're a brand selling men on ways to manipulate their lady, get Valentine's Day off their to do list and generally become sexually irresistible, you need to do it with a little more subtlety and style. And please stop depicting women as sex objects and complete idiots. Relationships have been unnecessarily reduced to a transaction for flowers, chocolates, teddy bears or jewelry. Where's the romance?

"Give and you shall receive."

"That heart shaped box of chocolates goes a loooong way." Wink wink.

Um, you get the picture with this one.

"Size does matter." So get her a HUGE teddy bear.

The Thrill Lives On

jennifer.oertli@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

I remember the first time I ever came in contact with Michael Jackson's music. I was in junior high and Off the Wall had just been released on 8-track featuring the hit "Don't Stop til you Get Enough." You had to dance in the car a little when that song came on. I recall being a little confused by some of the sounds he made between lyrics - like "Shamone!" It was nothing like I'd ever heard. Then in my early high school years came Thriller, which combined with the mini-movie that was the video, catapulted Michael into a whole new realm, and was nothing like I'd ever seen.

With the passing of Michael Jackson in 2009, so went the spark of a man so famous for his unbelievable musical and entertainment talent. Think what you will about his ever-fading skin color and morphed facial features and the unmentionable legal battles that plagued him late in life; this man was so huge in every way, electric and charismatic on stage, in front of an audience.

Now Cirque du Soleil brings to Saint Louis the Immortal Tour, a compilation of song, theater, high-flying acrobatics and dancing. And I do mean dancing. There are arresting visuals of Michael in re-edited video clips that play on giant video screens behind the stage. Michael's actual voice is accompanied by the band on horns and guitars along with back-up singers. There are elaborate sets, even a "Neverland" gate made of brass and gold. Dancers wear costumes with lights that change color with the beat of the music as they fly and spin through the air. From "Smooth Criminal" to "Beat It," the show wasn't just an interpretation of Michael's music, it was as if Michael was right there himself.

I'm no expert in music. I can't carry a tune, and my moves on the dance floor have devolved and are sadly closer to those of Elaine from Seinfeld. But I felt goosebumps and my eyes began to tear when I heard his music and saw his image. This magical show proves to us that he's still huge, even years after his death. Which made me think - Michael isn't dead. He's Immortal.

Embracing the Ambiguity at The Improv Shop

timothy.rodgers@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

When I decided to sign up for Improv classes, I couldn't help getting ahead of myself. Dreams of immediate success began pumping up my ego and expectations. I would walk in, wow everyone and advance multiple levels. Our first show would leave me with an absurd abundance of high fives and laughs, and I would be showered in Gatorade at the end. I might even become famous.

Then I signed up with a group of co-workers for classes at The Improv Shop.

The realization of my vulnerability began to set in. Not only would I be on stage in front of actual humans, I couldn't blame poor writing or someone else if I failed. I became terrified that I would not be showered in high fives and post-show "well dones," and that my clothes would remain free of the slightest trace of Gatorade. My scenes would be greeted with skepticism, or worse yet, silence. The crowd I pictured turned from an energetic group to an angry mob ready to rush the stage.

But as the class has progressed, I'm realizing it's not always about the results, which when measured in laughs or head-nods can be particularly harrowing. It's not whether we act out the funniest scene or can be the most convincing or twisted character, but rather the process that is often most important. Improv requires a constant give and take with those around you, and it's imperative to get out of your head, stop over-thinking, and go for it.

Perhaps the most important guide we use is to get out of our head by automatically saying "yes and," agreeing with whatever line or action was presented to us, and adding to it however we can. In doing so, we constantly build toward something that is better than what we started with, hoping to create a scene from an obscure suggestion designed to let us take it any direction we choose. The ambiguity can be daunting, but when done well, can lead to truly amazing scenes.

Most of the scenes draw laughs from the rest of the group, though some do not. Some characters are difficult to play and draw from (I once played a smooth-talking body building fireman. I have no experience being either a smooth-talker or a body builder). It's typically apparent while on stage if the scene will get laughs or fall flat. When a scene doesn't take off, rather than simply being frustrated we ask questions about where we went wrong, and do it again.

The reward for following the steps our teachers have outlined is simple: the scene works, the characters are believable and we create an emotional connection with the audience. We exit the stage knowing that we embraced the ambiguity, the uncertainty, and the fear of messing up. Being involved in a scene that works is exhilarating. The results just seem to happen when everyone trusts in a process and works on it as a team.

And who knows, maybe by the end I'll have to wash some Gatorade out of my clothes. But I shouldn't get a head of myself.

Experiencing the Super Bowl in my Backyard

awood@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Friday night I stood huddled in a crowd of nearly 200,000 people waiting for a free concert on Georgia Street in Indianapolis, IN. I grew up only 20 minutes away. I've seen the Indy 500 crowd and the Formula One crowd but nothing compared to this. The Super Bowl in Indianapolis, my second hometown.

There's no way to describe how different the city felt. It's not like a hometown World Series, because there's really no team loyalty; although most Colts diehards remained Manning loyal. #gogiants trended in Indy for over a day. I guess the atmosphere was like this: if the 2011 World Series, Indy 500, and Stanley Cup Finals had a raging week-long kegger.

The North side of Indianapolis literally turned into Los Angeles for the week. Every conversation began with, "I heard so-and-so's staying down the street," and "I have an invite to such-and-such's party." Everywhere I turned there were people strolling around in sunglasses, like the Super Bowl spotlight was just too bright for their innocent little Hoosier eyes. The weather was warm for Indiana in February. People were dressed to the nines and everywhere, literally everywhere, had a waitlist.

If Indy's northern burbs became L.A., then The Super Bowl Village was mini-Vegas complete with a zip line, autographs, pop-up bars, and beer and beverages galore. During the day the village was family friendly-ish, but by night the village was the hottest club in town. Seriously. Hoosiers flocked to the circle to get a taste of the limelight and have that 'once in a lifetime' Super Bowl experience. Indiana even loosened its open container law for the entire week. Nobodies were getting into A-List parties-The entire social order of things was completely on its head, like the Super Bowl was a damn equalizer letting the super rich party with the average Joe.

I've never stood in a crowd so massive it shut down a city, I've never shopped along side celebrities, or been on ESPN, but I did it all at the Super Bowl. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience to watch a city transform from an average up-and-coming town to a hip, ultra cool city over night.

Time Out

ttownsend@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Every day we see on the news how our economy, our country, and our species is slipping.

We think globally and act locally. We adopt charities in Africa. We occupy Wall Street. We lift up the common man, worry for the middle and lower classes. And above all, we love resenting, and hating, the rich.

Then we rush together for the Super Bowl to celebrate the most ostentatious display of wealth, insensitivity and celebrity idolatry imaginable.

To me, the most glaring contradiction is nothing new to sports and media, just more obnoxious in these times -- having a major car manufacturer give a brand new sports car to the multi-millionaire who was just crowned a bigger multi-millionaire. While Detroit is running commercials during the same game that acknowledges, in words and pictures, the Super Real World of joblessness, foreclosures and suffering families in fallen cities, they follow up by giving a brand new sports car to the least needy person in the world. And we scream and cheer. (What?) Even Eli didn't care. Did you hear in the audio track, "Oh Eli, wait! You might want the keys!" Guess how many families could use the car Eli already forgot he had?

But this year's crowning irony were the two words at the end of Madonna's millenia-spanning spend-a-thon of enormous casts of dancers, soldiers, and cheerleaders jumping across moving sets of chariots, grandstands and marching Roman armies, navigating multiple stage transformations and the additional counter-celebrity who joined her. At the end, they present the phrase, "World Peace." (WHAT?)

If the Super Bowl was just the yearly ritual of rabid football fans who were loyal, captivated students of the games, I would have no problem with deserving football junkies spending whatever they want to express a love of the game, their passion, the moment.

But it's not a football event, it's a yearly American reaffirmation that no matter what we say in our self-righteous blogs, our political discussions, and twitter feeds to CNN, we really do love our celebrities, we do love that they are rich, we love mega-productions of epic scale, and we all secretly feel that if we raise a beer to the screen and scream that one day a year, even if we don't know a touchdown from a home run, we count too; I am a part of this bombastic show too; I am in the midstream of what matters most today; I'm part of what the my world is obsessing about right now. I can always return to my more-aware, more sophisticated, more critical self tomorrow, and remember that I hate suffering, and therefore the evil money empires that enable it.

But first, I want to find out how they got those monkeys into those suits! That was awesome!

Super Sunday: In Shameless Pursuit of Likes

mmccormick@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Just moments after the confetti cannons coughed up their last shred of celebration, I had to do it. Like looking through my fingers at a horror movie, my laptop revealed the USA Today Facebook Super Bowl Ad Meter Top 5 (voting ends Tuesday with official results due Wednesday).

Dog, dog, baby, dog, dog.

Weego is a cute little fellow with a clever enough name, but somewhere in doggie heaven, Alex from Stroh's is showing his teeth. Never went anywhere unexpected. Classy nod to rescue dogs though. Good save.

In second and third, Doritos spots that come to us from, well, not us. Agency creatives were spared the trouble. Keep playing ping pong in your skinny jeans, kids. EveryMan is on the case. Hmmm, so if Joe the Plumber wrote these, why do they feel like slick, formulaic Super Bowl spots?

In fourth, a Skechers-wearing French bulldog makes greyhounds eat wake. But just before the finish, he pops it into reverse and moonwalks across to Tone Loc's "Wild Thing". And just when I'm thinking, "I bet Tone hates the moonwalk," Mark Cuban shows up. Of course he does.

Rounding out the Top 5 was VW's Dog Strikes Back. A fun spot within a spot that refers to one of the best spots ever. http://youtu.be/R55e-uHQna0

So there it is. My free critique of work that cost $100K per second to air. Truth is, I respect the hell out of any client and creative willing to expose their brands on advertising's biggest stage. So as a Creative Director in a flyover state who admittedly has never produced his own Super Bowl spot, the least I can do is expose my own Top 5.

In fifth, Audi's "Vampire Party". Aren't we all sick of vampires? O+ now in a pizza box. Daylight now in a headlight.

Honda's "Get Going". Life moves fast, Ferris. Make great spots.

Chevy's "Sonic Anthem" wasn't a laughfest, but for me it was a breakthrough. Not like Apple's "1984" or Monster.com's "When I Grow Up", but they took a risk and did something fresh. Seemed authentic in a time when we're craving authenticity. Loved the music. And if you haven't already, check out letsdothis.com. Wildly impressive video http://youtu.be/MejbOFk7H6c

Chrysler's "It's Halftime America". First Eminem made me want to move to Detroit, now Eastwood is giving me the pep talk of my life? "It's halftime, America. How do we come from behind? Our second half is about to begin." All squinty and inspirational. Count me in, Clint.

And on top, KIA's "Dream Car". Bless that clumsy sandman. Motley Crue, bikinis in the stands, rhino rodeo, lumberjacks sawing a school bus-sized sandwich, Chuck Liddell robot MMA…all before he crashes into his wife's dream to claim her back from some horseback-riding romance novel Romeo. Should I be ashamed? Too late. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHZbXvts0LE

Other thoughts.

Pretty incredible that 11 automakers made an appearance. Seems soda and beer wars have taken a back seat for now

Strangely brilliant and oddly mesmerizing, the Cars.com "Confidence" spot was bizarre enough to make me want more. Reminiscent of Tide's talking stain.

Coke's Polar Bears made a nice nostalgic trio. I wonder if the Packers were playing, would one be wearing a green scarf?

MetLife, good to see Charlie Brown with so many friends. Good grief, some producer certainly earned her money. I even spotted my old pal, Underdog.

Careerbuilder.com took it in-house and went back to the well. Monkeys are still funny. I'm just missing those beautiful little details like lighting cigars with hundys.

The legendary Nurburgring and Laurence Fishburne's voice, but still an emotionless spot for Cadillac. Probably should've trotted out the 556-horsepower grocery getter instead. It is the Super Bowl, after all.

Pepsi Max, you can't beat the original. http://youtu.be/TnXArm-NViI

Acura, can any of us relate to two of the richest car collectors in the world fighting over the first NSX? Not really, but I'm sure Seinfeld fans were howling.

For the record, I don't want undies with Beckham's name on them.

And finally, GoDaddy? Please go away.

An American Beer Renaissance

akerlick@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

In the United States, beer sales have declined over the past three years - about 2 percent in 2011. Makes sense right? A tough economy means people are cutting back on the non-essentials to save money. Wrong.

While overall beer sales are down, craft beer sales are growing. They increased 15 percent during the first half of 2011, according to the Brewers Association. What that says to me is that a growing number of Americans are choosing to spend more money on better beers. But why? As an Account Planner and a craft beer nerd I'm fascinated by the trends that seem to be fueling the craft beer movement and the implications it has for the social, culinary and economic future of this country.

More and more consumers are embracing local. They're starting to give a damn about where the things they buy come from and who's profiting off their hard-earned dollar. They want to eat, shop, and now drink local. One of the reasons I'm so excited about the craft beer movement is that microbreweries and brewpubs tend to unite and support their local communities.

Another trend I find inspiring is that out of necessity, people are doing more with less and focusing on quality over quantity. Good beers are made to be enjoyed; not chugged out of a funnel. Good beers are appreciated for their aroma, complexity and balance; not for how many you can drink without feeling full. Maybe Americans' palettes are becoming more sophisticated, or maybe we're just rediscovering how to appreciate the little things. Either way, it's a great time to be a beer lover.

At the end of the day, I think the coolest thing about craft beer is how passionate people are about it. Passionate people do interesting things. They make the world a better place. And they create jobs. In fact, the economic impact of the American beer renaissance is the subject of an upcoming documentary. Crafting a Nation "tells the story of how the American craft brewers are rebuilding the economy… one beer at a time." The filmmakers recently traveled through St. Louis, spending time at Schlafly, The Civil Life, Urban Chestnut, Perennial Artisan Ales and 4 Hands Brewery. Very cool. And very exciting that St. Louis, a city with such a rich history of brewing, is part of this movement. So, do your part. Support your local brewery wherever you live. Try something different. Keep an open mind, and I guarantee you'll find something you like.

(Un)Publishing your Dirty Secrets

jhagen@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

A lot of Facebook users are huffing and puffing about being funneled into Timeline. But I find people's complaints, particularly those regarding "privacy," to be absurd.

This notion of privacy in social media seems a bit contradictory. You voluntarily published what's on your profile. remember? The new format doesn't make previously hidden content newly accessible. It's just evolving from clicking through pictures to scrolling down a page. Timeline or no Timeline, all of your faded, drunken memories are plastered on a wall for everyone to see (within your privacy
parameters of course).

The real question is, if you don't want anyone to see that incriminating photo of you getting chummy with the intern at happy hour, why is it in your profile? Why do people publish content, only to be worried by the thought of someone actually viewing it?

When you boil it down, it's not a confusing interface or lack of privacy that has everyone flustered. It's their content. Fortunately, or unfortunately, that's one thing Facebook can't control. So spare us your threats of leaving. Take down whatever it is that you don't want people to see, and voilà! Problem solved.

Facebook may seem to be in an inexplicable flux of layouts and policies. But before you grab your pitchfork and threaten to run Zuckerberg out of town, I ask you to take a deep breath, count to three, and think about where the problem actually lies.

Defending Ding Dongs

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

I was sitting on the couch watching a hockey game with my sister the other night when she said she wished there was something sweet to eat. So I offered vanilla Oreos, various Fair Trade chocolates and a Ding Dong.

"You have a Ding Dong?"

"Yar. Upstairs in my purse."

My sister went on the attack. "You have a Ding Dong in your purse? No you don't. Why would anyone have a Ding Dong in their purse?"

"Because they're wonderful and delicious and a taste of the innocence of childhood. And they fit easily into a handbag." I defended the Ding Dong. And its presence in my purse.

This whole thing - the Ding Dong in my purse - started with the news that Hostess was facing financial trouble. Fear of a world with no Hostess cakes went through our office here at Rodgers Townsend. Suddenly, Twinkies and Ding Dongs and Ho Ho's were about. People were eating them like they may never taste them again in life and they needed to savor them.

I felt like jumping on a chair with a bullhorn and hollering, "If we pull together, we can save the Twinkie and have our Ding Dongs too. Who's with me?"

Sometimes foods, eaten in moderation, are a joy. Particularly when they stand for happiness itself. I remember trading Twinkies for Ding Dongs at lunch in grade school. Those treats mean happy days and playgrounds to me. And they're yummy. So, yar, sometimes I have a Ding Dong in my purse. It's just a fancy grown-up version of my Wonder Woman lunch box anyway.

Football Widows

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Some new target audiences are cultivated and grown slowly. But some are already established, hiding just below the surface. And all it takes to reach them is a little digging.

A few years ago we were measuring and analyzing metrics for a large retail site. In addition to the normal performance reporting, we spent some time viewing traffic patterns and discovered something interesting. On Sunday afternoons, beginning in August, we saw an increase in site traffic. At first, this spike was attributed to the introduction of the new fall product line, and when compared to the general traffic within that season, that hypothesis seemed to make sense. But when these metrics were isolated and compared to various seasons, a different view emerged. Traffic was up, but the fall line was not the only reason for the increase.

So we planned a little test. Up until this point, we were pushing emails weekly, based on general open and click trends. We maintained that weekly communication, but we started sending test emails later in the week and saw a noticeable increase in opens and clicks. After a few emails, we started seeing conversion rates increase as well.

We did a few surveys and discovered who was driving the traffic: the Football Widow. Across the country, customers were shopping our site while the rest of the family was occupied with the game. We expanded our campaign to leverage existing mass tactics and created what one colleague called, "the Sunday afternoon respite." After several seasons, this time frame expanded beyond the football season and became a benchmark for new product introductions and end-of-year forecasts.

Shopping…take me away….

SMALL BUSINESS SNAPSHOT: SUMP COFFEE

laura.yarbrough@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

When one of St. Louis' favorite sons, Twitter creator Jack Dorsey, came home for the holidays, he flooded his Instagram feed with pics from a brand-new coffee shop. Day after day, he posted new photos - of bearded owner Scott Carey, their ultra-stylish red Slayer espresso maker, and the recognizable "Sump Coffee" logo in the storefront window. And when Jack deemed the new spot "awesome" one day, and proclaimed "love this place" the next - we had to check it out.

Sump, which touts a trio of meanings - 1) a pit, well, or the like in which liquid is collected, 2) a chamber at the bottom of a machine into which fluid drains before circulation, and 3) a muddy pool - opened in South St. Louis City in December 2011 and has quickly risen to cult status. Their craft approach to coffee sets it apart from the $5 mass-produced lattes of its competition. Their goal is both simple and extraordinary: the perfect handcrafted cup of coffee. And with a variety of brewing options and a handful of hand-selected bean varieties, Carey and company are determined to help Sump customers fall in love with coffee.

His passion and enthusiasm are palpable - he's a sommelier of coffee, with a true love for his product and his business. On our first visit, he talks about a new bean that he's still in the process of perfecting. He discusses the various notes that he senses and expresses a mild frustration that he hasn't found the perfect method for brewing it yet. It's an honest, educated and exciting discussion about your above-average cup of joe. We opt for a Sumatran-style bean brewed through a Chemex at his recommendation, and it doesn't disappoint - bright, clean and delicious without any cream or sugar. And at less than $3 for a carafe, we're immediately hooked.

While a public endorsement from one of social media's top minds never hurts, we're sure Sump Coffee would be a can't-miss stop regardless. But we'll admit we're eager to try a cappuccino next visit, on Jack's recommendation of course.

Learn more about Sump Coffee at sumpcoffee.com. Or follow their adventures at twitter.com/sumpcoffee.

The Emancipation of the Women of Downton Abbey

katie.mcgrath@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Like everyone I know, I am caught up in the Downton Abbey swirl. I heard about it late last summer and consumed Season 1 in two short Netflix-crazed weeks. I nearly died from longing between September and the launch of Season 2 last week.

How I love Bates and hate Thomas and O'Brien. How I want to smack Matthew's and Mary's heads together for being such idiots about their obvious (to everyone but them) passion for each other and their inappropriate engagements to Lavinia and Richard Carlisle. How I wish Mrs. Patmore were in charge of my kitchen and Carson in charge of my life.

But layered amid the personal drama, the gripping war saga and the fabulous hats, there is a substantial, pervasive subplot: the emancipation of women in the Western world. The beautifully crafted story is irresistible, more interesting than a documentary on the subject would ever be. The raw, ripping societal changes are mixed with the subtle, shadow-shifting ones:

• The entail related to the Earldom of Grantham endows the title and the estate exclusively to male heirs. The present earl has three daughters. The daughters are entitled to absolutely nothing. A distant cousin is in line to inherit the whole rodeo. Among the family there's an odd mix of frustration and acceptance of the entail practice. You should see the looks my nieces give me when I try to explain it to them.

• The fast escalation of World War I created a near vacuum in the labor pool from the farm to the cities as 5 million+ young men joined the fight. Women took their places in factories and farms, including over a million servant-class women employed in munitions plants. Lady Edith served double duty in these areas, both learning to drive and working on a neighboring farm. (Sidebar: My only issue with the start of Season 2 is Edith's personality makeover. What is behind her morphing from wretched to reasonably likable?)

• The invention of the typewriter showed the relationship between technological change and social change. The rapid spread of the typewriter in business fueled the equally rapid spread of the role of female secretaries, as so charmingly depicted in the story of Gwen, Downton housemaid, and her dream of an office job.

• Sybil daringly chose trousers over the elaborate, restrictive dresses her sisters wore. Well, they're not really trousers. They are more like harem pants and I can't say they did anything for her, outside of saving her at least an hour a day of getting laced up, wrapped, cinched, and otherwise stuffed into the ensemble of the day assisted by at least one lady's maid. The time required to dress and undress at that time is unimaginable. One of my favorite points of proof: Lady Cora was directing various family members and servants to perform tasks in readiness for dinner. Her job? "I shall take off my hat," implying that it was at least as time-consuming as the assignments the others were undertaking.

Samuel Hynes wrote of Downton Abbey's Edwardian era, "It was a leisurely time when women wore picture hats and did not vote, when the rich were not ashamed to live conspicuously." Just as conspicuous is the certainty that the lives of the Downton women are shifting, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, never to return to the old ways. It's an important history lesson brought to life on Sunday nights, disguised as a brilliant soap opera about love, war and fashion.

Gold Underfoot

kbrandt@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Last week, ex-PayPal executive Scott Thompson was appointed president of Yahoo, and he pledged that data would be the key to his company's future. After years of trying to play the content game, Yahoo is finally leveraging their greatest asset - data.

After spending a decade in the world of retail marketing where data is collected, analyzed and utilized at almost every point in the decision process, I'm amazed that some companies, both large and small, are still not collecting or mining their customer data.

Data collection is fairly simple: Develop a privacy policy, collect customer data at every possible contact point, clean and aggregate it, and append product and profile attributes to the customer data so that you can utilize it in your decision process.

Mining the data is a blend of art and science, but follows a basic process: Develop business objectives for the data, create value segments for benchmarks, build profiles and tie them to the value segments, test, and then utilize the test results to enhance the segments and profiles. Testing is the most important part of a viable customer database. Customer relationships change over time, and your database should not only reflect these changes, but help you predict them as well.

Once the customer database is in place it can be leveraged for every part of the customer relationship process, from communication targeting and messaging to product development and placement.

If you have customer data, mine it. If you do not collect customer data, start.

RETHINKING THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE: THE SEQUEL

jjackson@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

"The dictionary is black and white. We operate in the greys of feeling, inclination, emotion, persuasion."

Reading that a few days ago, it occurred to me: That's why thesaurus.com is always open on my desktop.

Because that's where, instead of black-and-white definitions, you find all the variegated shades of a word. For writers, the thesaurus serves the same function as an art director or designer's PMS Book.

Does a client know how to help their customers, or do they understand what their customers need?

Should customers call to discuss things further, or would it be better if they did something more human and reach out?

Will they have the option to add more services, or the freedom? And can they do it later, or down the road?

Small choices, true. And they will each go unnoticed by anyone reading the finished letter package or self-mailer. But their cumulative effect, like the mythical naked lady in the ice cube, will be real no matter how unperceived: creating a more empathetic, approachable and empowering image of our client. Even the phrase down the road, besides the virtue of being more tangible, implies an ongoing relationship - one in which customers can count on our client to be there with them.

"A work of art," wrote Joseph Conrad, "must carry its justification in every line." Ok, so we're not exactly making Art. But every line of what we write does need to justify itself - to have a reason for being there. Otherwise we're just wasting the target's time and the client's money. Choosing the right shade of the right word is a big part of that.
And yes, you're right. I used thesaurus.com while writing this.

Business Snapshot: Pinkberry

laura.yarbrough@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Last weekend, I can come to an inevitable realization as I bundled up in frigid temperatures and harsh winds: it's never too cold for frozen yogurt.

The fro-yo trend started in the '80s, thanks to companies like TCBY. But over the last few years, it's gone from diet fad to dessert staple. And it really took off in Southern California in 2005 with the launch of Pinkberry, a small business started by two budding entrepreneurs looking to create an "inspired design and a social experience that indulges the senses." Blending a love of Italian gelato and memories of soft-serve ice cream from a Hawaiian pineapple plantation with a background in design and branding, Pinkberry reinvented frozen yogurt with unique flavors, unexpected toppings and an unwavering brand personality.

In 2007, AmEx came calling and featured the brand in a small business case study promoting their Plum card. And the rest, as they say, is original-flavored, coconut-covered history. Today, Pinkberry has more than 75 stores across the U.S., with new franchises opening domestically and overseas each year.

Over the last few years, I've studied frozen yogurt like the art-meets-science that it is. I can tell you which spots have the best texture, flavors and topping combos; which are must-try, and which are can-skip. And this obsession - much like the reinvention of fro-yo itself - started with a visit to Pinkberry in 2008. So during a recent visit to NYC, I had to reminisce and pay homage. And it didn't disappoint. From the vibrant and vivacious in-store experience to their one-of-a-kind signature flavors and toppings, Pinkberry continues to set the bar for a category that's launched thousands of small business competitors. And lest you think I'm alone in my passion for Pinkberry, check out the "Groupie" page of their website for customer testimonials, photos and a general love-fest for the brand.

Pinkberry's small-business-gone-global story is inspiring, fun and most of all, delicious. This holiday season, put down the hot cocoa and step away from the gingerbread - and treat yourself to a cup of tart frozen yogurt covered in peanut butter crunch (my personal recommendation).

Rethinking the Tools of the Trade

ttownsend@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

It would be ridiculous to suggest that writers and dictionaries don't go together.

And worse still to imply they can even be harmful to one another.

But that's what I'm doing.

Every now and then, when one of us is questioning a word choice in a script or headline, someone says, "Let's look it up and see."

First of all, if you have to look it up, just change the word. The dictionary might prove the copywriter was right. But the word is already wrong.

The dictionary is an owner's manual to the King's English. You and I are more concerned with the daily operation of everybody else's.

In the context of what you and I do every day, the dictionary is about correctness. But we are about communication. The dictionary is black and white. We operate in the greys of feeling, inclination, emotion, persuasion.

When I see a sentence such as, "Babe Ruth achieved notoriety after joining the Yankees," I understand "notoriety" to mean fame and celebrity. The dictionary says it means fame that came from notorious acts; negative, shameful behavior of some sort.

That's very different.

When I hear, "Last night I had the penultimate dining experience," I understand it to mean this restaurant would be at, or near the top of, this person's restaurant recommendations. The dictionary says it would be his second to last.

In both cases, the dictionary is right. It always is, in fact.

But those of us somewhere south of the King have our own vocabulary; born of such forces as improvisation, expediency, habit, and a constant confluence of cultures. These fuel the master evolution engine of language, creating new output daily, output that arrives at the dictionary sometime later.

But you probably have an ad due tomorrow.

Want to feel like a loser? There's an app for that.

sschultz@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Last week, my RT colleague Jeremy Hagen shared his thoughts about a new online effort by Ultimat Vodka, a Facebook app called the Social Life Audit. Now, it's my turn. If you're not familiar, it's an app that analyzes your real social life based on your Facebook persona. Problem is, it doesn't just analyze, it judges.

Overachiever Jeremy scored an impressive 10,575, I FAILED with a pathetic 1,125. (That's just how it broke the news to me-in all caps surrounded by a red box.) Ouch. Good thing 20 years in advertising have helped me to develop a somewhat thick skin. Yes, Jeremy is indeed 9.4 times cooler than I am. This should surprise no one. Yet somehow, the Audit left us both feeling like losers.

While it was fun and engaging, my main issue with the Social Life Audit, besides the clinical sounding name, is that like eHarmony and other online marketers, it ignores 7-10% of their potential audience. It faults me for the fact that only 25% of my Facebook friends are male. But, as a lesbian, that should up my social cred exponentially. So who's the real player, Jeremy? Audit tells me I have great "Hookup Potential", as 60% of my friends are single. I, however, am not. Apparently, the all-knowing Audit doesn't factor in your relationship status. Or perhaps it just doesn't care, like that crazy girl at the bar who's always trying to stir things up just because she can.

My favorite check-in spots, like the symphony and the gym, rate me a big goose egg when it comes to Trendiness. However, enough of my friends have liked my check-ins to earn me a 92% Approval Rating. And apparently 81% of the people who hang out with me have a good time. Run and tell that, Jeremy.

Beyond the viral effect I'm sure they're hoping for, I have to wonder what Ultimat Vodka is getting from this investment. None of my friends have tried it, although three did come to my defense on its dismal assessment of my personal life. (Thanks for having my back, Kat, Denise, and Heidi.) The branding is so minimal as to be almost non-existent. You'd think at least they would end it with a link to their website, or drink recipes to share with your friends no matter how uncool they are. I'm sure I'll be receiving something soon from Ultimat Vodka. If not, it's an opportunity wasted.

Then again, I never really liked vodka anyway.

All is Vanity, or, A Reminder from Ryan Seacrest

katie.mcgrath@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

A client recently asked for our team's opinion on using vanity numbers for integrated marketing campaigns.

It's funny how much and how quickly things have changed in the world of vanity URLs and toll-free numbers. I studied a POV written by Marc Enger, our account director and DRTV subject matter expert, on the subject a few years ago. While some of the basic rules have held steady, other rules have bent as a result of the proliferation of smart phones and other shifts in consumer behavior. Media that used to be strictly for brand support - outdoor, for example - are now used for DR, whether it's inviting a phone call from passersby (of course, you and I would never dial while driving) or featuring a 2D barcode to shoot. One hard-and-fast rule of DRTV was to always use unique response numbers for immediate tracking. But these days Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Allstate, Progressive and other big DRTV players prefer to use their brand-steeped 800 numbers over non-branded numbers across all media. Like so many other questions in this business, the answer is, "It depends."

Memorability Versus Measurability
In years past we would create proxy models by selecting test markets whose conditions were reasonably close to each other in key variables (market share and other elements related to the competitive set), economic conditions, media availability and cost. We'd plan the media in each market, withholding a medium in Market A to assess the impact of the withheld media by comparing the net sales within the test period against Market B, which featured that medium in that mix. Fat chance of having a clean test these days, considering the barrage of non-traditional media. We need to first decide if our priority is measurability or memorability. Measurability is key to learning the impact of one variable over another, such as two different creative concepts or one cable station's DRTV performance over another station's. But if we treat every advertising tactic as a discrete, precisely measurable medium, we lose every opportunity for creating momentum with a campaign, and limit (some would say suppress) the lift we achieve from the halo effect that frequency provides. Not to mention the fact that every medium has a specific job to do in the marketplace ecosystem. One lifts an eyebrow. Another lifts the phone.

800 Number Versus Other Prefixes
Whether you're using a vanity or non-vanity number, use one with an 800 prefix. Despite the fact that other prefixes were introduced in 1996, people still are programmed to see, hear and dial "800" instead of "866" or "888." Says something about our stubborn nature, don't you think? But the DMA reps tell us that when other prefixes are used, 20% of callers dial the 800 version of the number, and most of them don't call the correct number back. I'm reminded of this every time Ryan Seacrest announces, "Remember, these are 888 numbers, not 800 numbers, so please call 888" when he serves up the phone number for American Idol voting. Imagine being the unfortunate company who owns the "800" versions of the American Idol numbers and getting hundreds of thousands of wrong number calls.

Response Expectation by Medium
The need for memorable vanity numbers varies by how fleeting the media impression is. Broadcast media disappears instantly, so unless the consumer is poised to dial along with his radio or TV, or unless we're saying "Call Progressive today," we're not going to create calls. (This explains why we see calls spike in DRTV in the third or fourth impression when tight compression is used. By the second or third time a person sees the spot while sobbing over "Days of Our Lives," they realize they should have their phones handy for the next time Ron Popeil appears.) Depending on the market, section, reader, day of week and advertiser, DR in newsprint can be either utterly disposable or longer lasting. In any case, according to the experts, a vanity number outperforms a non-vanity.

Wireless Versus Wired Devices
Most wireless devices don't have the same letters on the keys used for wired phones, so one is unable to do alphabetic dialing without some other cross-reference to the actual numeric phone number. As with so many other problems I've faced in life, I look to "Dancing with the Stars" for my inspiration. They overcome the alpha/numeric muddle by showing the numeric number alongside the vanity version. This way, I'm able to vote my limit for Chaz on my wired phone, then do the same on my wireless without breaking a nail.

Other Elements Give Loft to Vanity Numbers
•   Words are significantly more memorable than numbers
•   The word(s) must be easy to spell and by easy, I mean really easy.
•   Other mnemonic devices such as signature sounds, rhymes, etc. add to memorability. I still hear the Empire Carpet jingle in my sleep: "800-588-2300, EM-PIIIIIIRE."

In the spirit of "best, not perfect," we seek to make the most of every opportunity to connect with customers and prospects. And where art wins out over science, we'll choose probable memorability over possible measurability if we can't prove one over the other.

Back to the Future

ttownsend@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600

It's a pretty common phenomenon.

A creative artist comes along who becomes the game-changer in his or her field. They make the biggest difference among their generation. Then, as future generations come of age, they recede a bit. Sure, they are still revered, as the old lions; yesterday's creative icon becomes today's master of "old school."

So decades after a young Steven Spielberg teamed up with John Williams to create "Jaws," "ET, The Extra-Terrestial," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and other classics, establishing themselves as the new storytellers; years after legions of other directors have, in their own ways, brilliantly stole the pop-cultural spotlight for themselves - Ethan and Joel Coen, Danny Boyle, Darren Aronofsky, Steven Soderberg, Peter Jackson, James Cameron and others - Spielberg and Williams make "Warhorse."

And in so doing they remind us not just that what they did then, they can still do now; but that what they did then is just as right, and every bit as effective, today. Because one thing will always trump new technology, innovative technique, and celebrity: a great story, told simply. Even with all the clichés, especially those that are clichés for a reason.

"Warhorse" might be criticized when it appears later this year. This movie is not hip, it's not terribly innovative. It's sappy. (After all, it's about a man's love for a horse.) But it is Story, with a capital "s." And Story will trump technique forever.

I imagine Steven calling John one night and saying, "It's time we remind everyone." And John responding, "Yeah, it's that time again. I'll be right over."

I saw a preview of "Warhorse." It will be out soon. You won't need your 3-D glasses.

Congrats, You're Being Audited

jhagen@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

If you've been waiting for your online social life to be as self-deprecating as your real life, wait no more. Introducing the Social Life Audit by Ultimat Vodka, a Facebook app that uses your photos and check-ins to develop a rating of your real social life. It even uses a face recognition API to determine how much fun you're having.

While very in-depth, the irony here is undeniable. Using your social media activity to grade your social interactions with real human beings seems counterintuitive. I've always believed if you're actually having fun, you won't think to take millions of pictures or check in on Facebook.

Nonetheless, I had to try it. In just a few seconds, I had my score. I passed with a 10,575. I don't know what that means, but apparently it's in the top 2%. As I read my criticisms, I felt like the popularity police caught me red-handed and let me off with a warning. (Apparently, no one likes my pictures or posts.)

Your personal audit is full of little tidbits about you and your profile, perhaps the most entertaining of which is the picture analysis. It shows recently tagged photos with comments on what the facial recognition picked up on, like "Buzz Kill," "WTF?," and "Fake Smile." The "Player" comment is tagged to all pictures of you with the opposite sex. Yes, that unfortunately includes sis, mom and grandma.

If you really want to see what the good people at Ultimat Vodka think of you and your family bar-b-ques, bachelorette parties, and Pensacola vacations, visit www.sociallifeaudit.com. But do so at the risk of your social self-esteem.

Designer Youth

sschmiz@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

My parents were masters of distraction in my youth. Crazy long line at Six Flags? Holiday shopping at the height of the season? I was immune to massive crowds and long lines because we were quite busy playing the alphabet game. They seemed to have a roster of games so it always felt like something new and exciting. Recently I was stuck in traffic and I remembered my all-time favorite game. Which I sometimes still play because I'm certain I'll never break the code. My dad, who is a retired art director, came up with it.

Dad would say: "Name one thing in the world that wasn't created by Mother Nature and wasn't created by an artist or designer." When the game was new and fresh I'm sure I spewed out answers. "The toilet? That signpost? My chair?" I remember him always calmly explaining what engineer, industrial designer, graphic designer, fashion designer, typesetter, etc. had a role in creating that object. It always left me stumped. Little did I know how much that game would influence my chosen career path.

Funny, because sometimes I get accused of thinking that design can change the world. Like that's a bad thing. But when you've been taught since your youth that design has made the world, it isn't such a stretch that design can change it.

A few links that keep me inspired:
The Designer Fund that helps designers raise money to make projects that will have an impact.
It would be amazing to be a part of the team that designed hearing implants and then see this 29-year-old's reaction to hearing for the first time.
A video profile of Michael Wolff that will just give you warm, fuzzy, designery-love feelings.

Rodgers Townsend Fall Forum Offers College Students Inside Look at Agency Life

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

On November 22nd, college students will get an inside look at agency life and learn about the different career paths.

The Thrill of Consistency

jjackson@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

A while back I heard someone on the radio say that doing a great show once a month was easy, while doing a truly good show every day was hard.

That applies to advertising, too. We use the word "genius" a lot. Creatives are geniuses. Their campaigns are brilliant. And that's as it should be.

Yet lightning flashes of brilliance are, by definition, rare. On life's superhighway they're the occasional, exhilarating scenic detour. But you wouldn't want to live there. Just look at Nietzsche.

This may sound like a complacent, suburban surrender to the ordinary. Actually, performing consistently, even predictably well every day is a breathtaking challenge.

It means never standing down or sitting on laurels. And, ironically, it's what we all expect of others. Consistent service is why we choose this restaurant over that one. Consistent batting makes a single baseball card worth more than all the others put together. And always striving to perform well is one of the surest ways to find those scenic detours of greatness, too.

Thoughts on Game 6

katie.mcgrath@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

"It's hard to beat somebody when they don't give up." - Babe Ruth

I'm ashamed to confess that I'm one of the handful of St. Louisans who did not witness the end of Game 6 of the World Series when the Cards beat the Rangers. I turned off the TV somewhere around the 6th inning when we were behind two runs. I had more desire for sleep than hope for victory. Good thing the Cards didn't share my lack of faith.

I rose Friday morning at the usual time. My smartphone showed dozens of emails and text messages from friends and family across the country (and one from Ireland) who kept the vigil throughout the extra innings, including one friend's midnight text that evoked Harry Caray's, "It might be, it could be, it IS!" from glory days gone by.

Back in August when the Cards were 10 games behind Atlanta, most of us gave up on them. We weren't naysayers. We were realists.

Lucky for us, the St. Louis team is comprised of un-realists, buoyed by a wave of optimism, determination and brutally tough work. Some miracles seem to strike overnight. Others creep in, half a game at a time, tenacious and brave, loving the fight, ignoring the odds. Thanks to the Cards for teaching us what a comeback looks like.

The Game 7 victory was sweet. But it's Game 6 we'll talk about at kitchen tables, classrooms, and board meetings for a generation to come.

Are We Men Really This Dumb?

jhagen@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Recently, men have been poorly portrayed in the media, but it's not a topic you'll hear much about.

You know you've seen the commercial: A strong, intelligent woman saves some poor sap from whining more about his head cold with <insert medication here>.

When you see ads targeting women (or watch any new sitcom), showcasing an inferior man is becoming an increasingly popular tactic. That's fine by me. But now, this tactic is bleeding through to media aimed at men and it's starting to leave me with a sour taste.

The most recent campaign to exemplify this is the new Dr. Pepper 10 campaign. Dr. Pepper has received a lot of flack over this campaign with people saying it's sexist towards women, but I argue that it's actually offensive towards men.

It's offensive because this campaign is working under the assumption that as men, we will drink anything we are told is "manly." While Pepsi Max and Coke Zero are examples of this, they aren't as blatantly "macho." Do we need the word "diet" eliminated, complete with a gunmetal colored can? Do we really need to be told "Not For Women" to know it's okay for us to drink it? I would hope not.

The World Series is a Big Deal, Right?

awood@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Rain clicked against our fourth-floor windows, reminding everyone inside that summer has long gone. There'll be warm days, sure, but they will begin later and crisper than they used to. Our carefree summer attitudes have been replaced by the concrete grind of full workweeks and fourth-quarter deadlines. This October day, however, is unlike all the others. A city that in any other circumstance would shield itself under a warm blanket is instead parading about the soggy streets. No amount of jaw-chattering chill or haze can keep Cardinals Nation indoors.

"Great, history-making events such as these only strike once in a lifetime," my Grandfather once told me - and for a city that only two months ago believed the World Series was not only a long shot, but a fantastic dream that was fading even for diehards, this is nothing short of a miracle. It seems the entire world walked the St. Louis streets Wednesday evening. From every corner came hoots and hollers of Cardinal pride. "Go Cards!" the city shouted. On every street, red-and-white cotton or polyester shuffled frantically, hurriedly rushing to the hottest ticket of the baseball season. Cardinal pride shone amid grey plumes rising from city drains, the streets electric with anticipation. This is the type of event where CEOs and the homeless clamor together, dressed in their finest regalia, chanting in harmony. Unified by a truly American pastime.

As my Grandfather says, "It's easy to be a baseball fan on sunny days, but to have faith in your team when a Missouri storm rolls in separates a baseball fan from a Cardinals fan." I never understood my Grandfather's nostalgia for the team until I lived it for myself, and let me be the first to say, standing in a crowd surrounded by a chanting swarm of fans is an overwhelming experience, holding in it the breath of our city. It is unlike any other walk past Busch Stadium. As an onlooker, the series, the players and this game seem to measure the stability of our city, our country. No matter how grey the day, no matter how chilly and God-awful the weather, Cardinals fans stand by their team, much like the people of this nation stand by their country. The series is a nation's rally cry, recharging the American spirit. The Cardinals, much like the city they represent, are preparing to defy the odds and overcome a season of defeats.

Never doubt the tribe. Go Cards.

Backlash: Afros, Vaginas and PMS

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We recently had a Lunch & Learn with the same title as this blog post. If you're going to give a presentation about race and gender issues in advertising, you can't back away from the topic. It is what it is.

It all started with a series of discussions in The Account Planning Lair over the summer. We wondered if there was a new trend: Consumer outrage about offensive advertising, stinging online critiques, followed by ads getting pulled within a week.

First there was the "Everything I Do is Wrong" campaign by the California Milk Processors and sexism critiques (pulled July21).

Then the Summer's Eve "Hail to the V" online videos were accused of using ethnic stereotypes (pulled July 27).

And finally a Nivea for Men "Look Like You Give a Damn" print execution in GQ was called racist by some, insensitive by others (pulled August 18).

I asked Abby, our planning intern, to help investigate after the third incident. She unearthed fascinating facts and artifacts to inform the dialogue. We ended up with more questions than answers. Are ads going too far to get attention? Is this cultural cluelessness or provocative strategy? Is social media reflecting, amplifying, or distorting consumer reactions? What should we as advertising professionals take from all the brouhaha and ballyhoo?

And the most difficult question of all for me: Can you raise these questions about sensitive subjects and discuss them in a business meeting without it getting weird? I found out that at Rodgers Townsend, you sure can. People were as curious about what their colleagues thought as they were opinionated themselves. It didn't get weird. We talked about it in that no-taboos, straightforward RT way. We munched on homemade cookies. And we laughed out loud at this clip from The Colbert Report on vaginal puppeteering. This clip is safe for work … if you work at RT. Enjoy, and talk amongst yourselves.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/393043/july-25-2011/vaginal-puppeteering-vs--d--k-scrub

Finally, if you'd like to take a peek inside RT, click here for a link to the presentation.

Steve Jobs: The Mindset that Enabled the Magic

ttownsend@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We all know he made big differences. And we list those differences by naming the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone.

But Steve Jobs was different in a more particular, private way that we don't talk about much; a way that actually enabled all theother differences that we do all talk about, every day.

Jobs saw himself not just as his role in a particular career, or his identity in his family, or as a passionate practitioner of any number of other interests.

He also saw himself as a single life in a big cosmic universe that was not always his to control, that was unpredictable and full of change both wanted and unwanted, and remained open to what was in store from either side.

In his 2005 commencement address to Stanford University, Jobs told the story about having dropped out of college, yet shortly thereafter hanging around a typography class. He said that he had no idea whether that class would have any long-term relevance to his life.

But he called on that appreciation for the beauty and craft of typography later when creating the essence of what was so different, so human, about the Mac.

He talked about being fired by the board of Apple. Many would shrink back in permanent self-doubt after being fired by the company they started.

He just bought Pixar instead.

I would argue Steve Jobs saw life experiences as things to collect, and as they added up, things to put together, consciously or unconsciously, to make whole new better things; new life experiences made richer by the combinations of experiences that made them up.

He brought the same view to creativity at Apple. He said that creativity is about combining what already exists with other things that already exist - it's about putting together, in new ways, what we already have.

Later in that commencement address Jobs said that looking back on his life, over all those ups and downs, he could see that the dots all connected.

The legacy of Steve Jobs, if we pay close enough attention, is about more than brilliant gadgets. It's about a perspective on life that never allowed its ups and downs to define him; rather enabled him to greet every encounter as a new dot in his collection.

And he lived trusting those dots would connect.

Acculturating Steve Jobs

tim.rodgers@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

How, in a few words, do you express what Steve Jobs has meant to me, and our agency? Plenty of others know much more about him and have already more eloquently expressed the immeasurable impact he has had on our personal and professional lives.

And maybe that's the opening. Only knowing the basic facts, I'll stick to what I know he has meant to me, and how his legacy will continue to impact me and our agency going forward without him.

Whether consciously or not, Jobs was a disciple of the principle of the Adjacent Possible, expressed by Stuart Kauffman in 2000, which holds that meaningful innovation most often happens by looking at the next or adjacent step, and rarely the revolutionary leap forward.

Jobs freely admitted that he borrowed or stole great ideas from others, and built upon them for his greatest achievements. So perhaps it's no coincidence, or even serendipity, that he named his post-Apple/pre-Apple computer company NeXT, not Revolution. He often said that Apple's real breakthrough came in making the decision that, "We don't make computers. We make tools for creative minds."

What we can all learn and apply from his remarkable story, is that his remarkable achievements came about because he saw creativity as the innately powerful tool that it is. One that can be wielded with equal force in any number of ways, or ventures.

For us mere mortals, this means we need not be daunted or bowed by the spectacular success of Jobs and Apple, but buoyed by the idea of how we can use our own creative passion and energy to look for ways to make everything we do just a little bit better. And then, just a little bit better than that.

So, while none of us is likely to transform an entire generation as Jobs has, we can transform our own vision of what we can reasonably, and proudly, achieve.

We should all be thankful for that.

Crystal and Abby’s Excellent Adventure

cmerritt@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We've been watching the Occupy Wall Street movement grow online and in the streets of New York over the past few weeks. The non-violent movement has attached itself to the unequal distribution of wealth in the U.S., where only 1% takes home nearly 24% of the nation's income. To find out more about the 99% check out their Tumblr. We decided to take a walk and talk to some of the protesters at OccupySTL this morning.

On the way, we talked about what we might find. We had this prejudice that the protesters were going to be unemployed or undergraduate, politically engaged hipsters and their hippie predecessors. We expected some disjointed rhetoric and homemade signs. We expected megaphones. What we found was surprising: a peaceful, thoughtful-leaderless- occupation. The biggest surprise being we related to them and liked them as much as we did.

We're not experienced protesters-we aren't really protesters. Interestingly, the people there aren't really experienced protesters either. We went as observers to talk to the people and get insights on this social movement.

It's Monday, and about 25 people lie on the plaza steps just waking from the weekend swirl of nearly 400 occupants on Saturday. Today, however, most of them had to go to work. That was a surprise that shouldn't have been surprising. These are working people who say they are part of the 99%. Our new friend Alex told us why he was 'camping': "I was a student but I lost my job selling pizzas, because of lay-offs, and can't afford to go to school anymore. I'm camping. I thought I should do something good with my free time-so I came here."

Another protester had a completely different story: "I'm a full time student. I'm here now, but I have to go to work tonight. But I'll be back. I'm not sure I agree with what everyone says - I'm not that liberal - but I just like the unity and I agree that something's got to change. 1% of the people have all of the power."

As we chatted with our new protester friends support rang from the streets of St. Louis in the form of an 18-wheel Budweiser truck's blaring horn and a BMW 3-series honking wildly at sign holders. Pedestrians stopped. Homeless Keiner Plaza residents were listened attentively. Even the city cops are lending a supportive hand to the occupants. Alex told us, "The cops have been great. They have been really, really nice. They are protecting us and they said that they will warn us if they need to take action."

Our new friend Alex really touched us. He isn't pitiful or sad even though we both want to feed him. His situation is like that of many other people and giving him a ham sandwich isn't the same as giving him a future.

- Abigail Aurelia and Crystal Merritt

The Message in Moneyball Nobody Talks About

ttownsend@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The film "Moneyball" tells us that building a baseball team, by sheer data alone, can work.

In fact, it may even work better. Better than the time-honored, scouting-based art of combining data with another measure -- messy, unquantifiable, unpredictable, sometimes-down-but-sometimes-miraculous, humanity.

Caught up in the movie, you root for Billy Beane. The numbers guy with the new approach, taking on the established ways of old. The old school is represented by the wise old codgers who aren't ready to throw away their dignity, or the credit they deserve for their nuanced expertise, honed over years in major and minor-league ballparks across America. We watch them argue to Billy that this isn't science. Crucial intangibles are part of this, too. Heart. Passion. Previous experience, private dreams.

So I'm cheering Billy on against the old dinosaurs.

But wait. Something is making me uncomfortable about this. I'm pulling for the guy who represents what I fight all the time. And those old codgers are saying the stuff I've said. And I know nothing about baseball.

The other day a colleague of mine, but from a PR background, was tearing apart a print ad he'd recently seen. He told me, "You wouldn't believe it. These are professionals doing this work. And they're totally disregarding what we all know, the facts, about how people consume advertising."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You and I know that studies prove time and again that people do not read italics in headlines. In fact, they don't read all caps. The eye scans the tops of letters only, so upper with lower case letters words reads better. Also, color. Everyone knows red is alarming. Yellow is fun. And the people who did that ad call themselves professionals?"

I'd heard it before. And since that meeting, saw it again. In quotes like "(Blue) can send a cold and uncaring message."

Suddenly, instead of talking to my friend from PR, I'm talking to Billy Beane. Crucial intangibles are part of this, too. Heart. Passion. Previous experience, private dreams.

Some will tell you the message in the movie is that data rules. That technology is what you leverage if you're smart. Suddenly old ways, and invisible tools, like instinct, ingenuity and guts, appear lame and naïve.

I loved the movie. I cheered Billy on, and I would again. He's an underdog who beat the big guys by their own rules. But to me, that's the message here. If you believe in yourself, you can do it.

I just hope the next underdog is on the side that recognizes the mysterious, unpredictable, and often awesome power of humanity.

Wait a Minute

ttownsend@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The following is not a commentary on our business, but our culture. It's about anthropology, not advertising.

Over the last 25 years we have done a pretty good job of finally confronting some difficult subjects that affect Americans of all ages: depression, bi-polar disorder, and suicide, among teenagers and others. (Our own industry has made a positive contribution to this education and dialogue, through public service announcements, pro bono campaigns, and other efforts.)

But while we have become more aware of this crisis in our country, at the same time, we have become more cavalier about it.

Think about it. We can come home from the funeral of a victim of suicide, where we heard a sermon about the seriousness of the diseases that can result in it, and where we engaged in hushed conversation, saying such things as, "What's this world coming to?" We can then loosen our tie and turn on the TV, and see a sleep aid spot that promises a good night's sleep, with the risk that side effects include "suicidal tendencies."

And we don't flinch. "A good night's sleep? Maybe I'll try that stuff."

Does anyone else see this? In the morning we say, "Suicide is becoming a terrible epidemic. What is this world coming to?" And in the evening, we say, "Hmmm... I'll risk wanting to commit suicide if there's an extra hour of sleep in there."

Believe me, I know about legal copy. I know lottery ads have to say that the ads are not meant to induce you to play the lottery. Pharmaceutical ads have to be transparent about side effects, no matter how remote the odds.

To me what's striking is that our audience accepts the side effect of suicidal tendencies. The same audience that decries the increase in teenage suicide.

What's this world coming to?

Amazon is on fire!

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Ok, that was cheesy. But I am impressed with Amazon's new line of Kindles, especially the Kindle Fire. This is the most buzz I've seen from a non-Apple product launch in a long time. The Kindle Fire looks amazing. Fast, cloud-based and, most importantly, half the price of the iPad. With Kindles ranging from $199 down to $79, it's a damn good alternative for someone who really just wants to browse the web and read books.

No, I'm not going to be giving up my iPad anytime soon. The Kindle Fire isn't as powerful as my iPad, it's not 3G, and it doesn't have the Apple App Store behind it. But Amazon has done what no other tablet maker has tried. They are targeting a different demographic rather than try to "better mousetrap" Apple.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/09/dynamite-the-levees-amazons-triple-threat-to-undercut-the-consumer-biz/

Small Business Snapshot: Jonathan Adler

laura.yarbrough@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Agencies love great design. It's a fact - like that the earth is round. Or that George Clooney is the world's most eligible bachelor. Indisputable.

And this agency has a particular fondness for the happy-chic design style of celebrity small business owner Jonathan Adler. For nearly 20 years, his aesthetic has wowed and inspired us - we drooled over his Target collection (long before Missoni made it mainstream) and fawned over his judgements on Bravo's "Top Design." For years, we've admired him from afar like so many fans who've turned jonathanadler.com <http://jonathanadler.com> into a must-stop (online) shop.

The Adler website is a mecca for fun-loving designers and wannabes. One of the most fabulous home design e-commerce sites, shoppers can snag everything from a set of $5 coasters to a $5,000 sofa. Highly interactive, the site invites visitors to show their style by uploading photos. You can design your own virtual space using JA products or read through style musings from the man himself. Easy to navigate and loaded with high-style finds, the site personifies the JA brand - happy, friendly and super-chic.

But on a recent trip to the Windy City, our online infatuation turned into a real-life romance when we visited one of the brand's flagship stores. It was as if the website came to life - bright colors, bold patterns and a general feeling of happiness. With everything from iPad cases and umbrellas to sofas and sculptures, the options were limitless. (Our personal favorite purchase was a colorful notebook, perfect for to-do lists and doodles.)

As the Jonathan Adler small business brand continues to evolve into a design empire, we can't wait to see what's next - maybe an iPad app? Or an e-magazine? The ideas seem limitless. But in the meantime, we'll continue to pick up tips and ideas from jonathanadler.com <http://jonathanadler.com> - and doodle in our brand-new JA notebook.

Why I'm Quitting Facebook (Maybe)

hdean@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Last week, the topic of Facebook's latest changes came up. I said something like, "this might push me over the edge into leaving Zuckerbergville." Someone else said, roughly, "Ha! Everyone says that, but they never quit." That's generally true - the cycle of protesting change and accepting it is shorter than ever these days - but truthfully, I'm very close to putting my money where my antisocial mouth is.

The reason might surprise you. It has nothing to do with privacy or the silly new faux-Twitter ticker. It's just this: I don't think I should work for technology. I think it should work for me. And every time Mr. Zuckerberg expands his empire, I feel like I work for it, and him, and a whole bunch of people who want to profit from tracking what I like.

I'm tired of checking my privacy settings to make sure they're where I want them every time there's an update. I don't want to spend my precious scraps of free time sorting my "friends" into groups. Even if I did, the thought of deciding what to share with which group every time I post makes me sleepy. And all of this feels like work - unpaid work.

But is it really work and is it really unpaid, you ask? Isn't it worth it if it lets you connect with people? Perhaps, but I think that's a pig in a poke. I believe that a lot of us are on Facebook only out of fear. We worry that if we're not on it, we'll miss out on a conversation, a piece of news, or the latest photos of someone's baby/dog/dinner. This is part of the genius of Facebook: It attracts and retains users in part because it taps into the primal human need to be part of a tribe.

But is fulfilling that need worth it if you're forced to readjust your profile every six months? What do you get out of the experience of scanning people's updates? What are you really accomplishing when you post something? Put another way, do you get more out of it than you put into it?

Personally, I'm undecided.

Responsive Architecture

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In my study of Responsive Web Design, I came across a few examples of how the physical world is also becoming more responsive. Responsive architecture refers to buildings that will physically adapt to their environment. Rooms that will get bigger based on the number of occupants, walls that will automatically dim to provide privacy or surfaces that will react to user input like sound. The concept of responsive architecture has been around since the 1960's but it wasn't until this century that we're starting to see actual examples of it at work. The more I read about it, the more fascinating it looks.

http://vimeo.com/4661618

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf7IL_eZ38

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHRWa0uvCb4

http://vimeo.com/5507288

Are They Listening?

jhogan@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Maybe it's a slow news week already, or maybe it's a bigger deal than we originally thought, but it appears Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings is under fire again for making what critics believe to be a disastrous business decision.

The main point of Hastings' announcement (posted on the company's site: http://bit.ly/pdA81h) is to attempt to apologize for July's rate increase debacle (AKA "The Worst Thing to Ever Happen to White People"):

Netflix Relief Fund with Jason Alexander

Netflix Relief Fund with Jason Alexander from Jason Alexander Netflix Relief Fund with Jason Alexander

Buried more than halfway down the page, however, is what is probably the real point of the post: The announcement of the separation of their Instant Streaming business from their DVD/Blu-Ray mail service (rechristened as Qwikster, even though that Twitter handle is already taken - yet another misstep in the process.). Here's an amazingly produced 3 ½ minute long video that elaborates on the post:

An explanation and some reflections

After scouring comments on a few of the most recent articles about this, (see comments on the YouTube video above for an example) I guess the real issue that I struggle with is how a company, born online, reliant on the Gen Y / Millennial tech-savvy demographic, could be so seemingly bad at listening to and communicating with its customers. The very fact that Netflix issued this apology not in July, when the flurry of negative online conversation persisted, but instead when the balance sheet started reflecting the actual drop-off, tells me that this great company still has a lot to learn about listening to their customers.

Thanks to a wealth of amazing new software packages, companies large and small can monitor and engage with their customers fairly easily online. From simply receiving alerts to building a full-scale sentiment management and online conversation campaign, businesses like Radian6, Sysomos, and Klout offer powerful platforms to assist companies in online listening and reputation management.

Maybe it goes without saying that listening to our customers is paramount to a successful business. I'm not necessarily saying that companies should radically shift their models and economic plans based on customer opinion. I would argue though, that 50% of the message isn't actually WHAT you say, but HOW you say it. I'm not sure Netflix understands that yet.

What would our businesses look like, how would our customers perceive us, if we connected with them in a way that makes them feel heard? What have you learned by listening to your customers?

Artistic Ecdysis – Shedding the Creative Skin

jchambers@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The newly redesigned RT website has sprinkled its sparkly clean freshness not only online, but in the agency halls as well. And the ushering in of this new RT presence finds me embroiled in yet another infamous conversation with myself. The topic: Personal creative renewal.

But as I've now grown tired of listening to the sound of my own back-and-forth bantering - yes, really - I encourage you to have a similar mental tennis match in your own head. Below are a few points to get you started. Now, go. Talk amongst yourself.

How can I breathe new life into my old creative brand? How can I better my own brand promise? And even better, deliver on it? Can I build a fresher, smarter version of my creative self? Not simply repackage tried-and-true creative tactics, but honestly challenge myself to sort through my creative bag of tricks, discarding anything that's grown tired and expected? Or maybe I should just throw it out altogether? Start fresh. Run to the closest 6^th floor window and in a deep, bellowing JG Wentworth kinda way, scream, "Papa's got a brand new bag."

Imagine how liberating that might be. Imagine the freedom of living and creating that completely dangerously. With no safety net. No plan B. No fallback position.

Imagine what new ideas might come from combining over a decade's worth of lessons with the new possibilities and wide-eyed wonder of approaching every assignment like I've never done this before.

I'm curious. Would it make me a better writer? Maybe a better partner? And If I did all that, might I become a better creative?

I don't know. But I know I'd be different. And I think I'd like to try.

It's the "From," Stupid

katie.mcgrath@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I was in Dallas last week with our permission marketing specialists, Laura Yarbrough and Katie Chadek, presenting a seminar on B2B Email Best Practices. It was interesting to note how digital technology has transformed some areas of 1:1 communication, while in others the traditional guidelines relating to targeting, relevance and impact still apply.

Email costs just pennies to send. So if we compare the out-of-pocket costs for email versus other forms of 1:1 communication, it's a heck of a bargain. And it's tempting to take a one-size-fits-all approach to email messaging, blasting it to every email address in the database, active or not. It's easier than segmenting the opt-in database and be more selective about who gets what message, when. But one-size-fits-all messaging hardly fits anybody well.

From our experience, there's a steep price to pay for over-messaging, or for bombarding opt-in subscribers with irrelevant emails. Open rates drop. Click-through percentage plummets. ROI dives well below what it could and should be. Most importantly, we risk alienating high-value customers by telling them, in effect, that we don't know them and we don't care if we waste their time.

For years we've been busily cranking out subject line tests in small volumes and then blasting the big numbers with the line that produced marginally higher open or click rates. Now we know that the much bigger influencer is the "From" address. Consider the parallel to Caller ID on our phones. The easiest thing in the world is ignoring an unfamiliar or undesirable person, and we do flips to get to calls from those important to us. Similarly, there are certain people and companies whose emails I open without hesitation, whatever the subject line. Engagement rates for tests of "From" addresses can have wide swings. It's important to establish which one(s) have the highest resonance for each audience.

SPAM, anyone? This acronym, written by our government in 2003, stands for controlling the assault of non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing. Nowadays it means, essentially, unwanted email whether it's solicited or not. The implications of unwanted versus unsolicited are significant for email marketers. If opt-in subscribers decide a given message we send them isn't their cup of tea, they may go right to the opt-out request which bars us from the opportunity to have future conversation. But if subscribers are annoyed enough, they could report us as having spammed them. If that happens with any frequency, we risk being blacklisted by Google, Yahoo and the other powerhouses altogether. So if we have no other reason to be vigilant about relevance and selectivity in our message and target, let's do it because otherwise we may lose our voice altogether.

Like so many things, it comes down to the basics. 1:1 marketing soars when we have the right message at the right time to the right audience, from the right sender.

Relaunched RodgersTownsend.com Named CommArts.com WebPick of the Day, Gathers Other Honors

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Rodgers Townsend's redesigned agency site named the Communication Arts WebPick of the Day for September 14, 2011

I LIKE PIE!

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Just found this tool that allows CSS3 effects to work in IE6, 7, 8 and 9. It's called CSS PIE (Short for Progressive Internet Explorer). Super easy to use and finally allows us to do some nice things with CSS without having to worry about IE support. Border-radius, multiple backgrounds and gradients are finally within reach of our greedy little fingers. Box-Shadow has a few bugs but still works pretty well in our tests. Sadly, not everything in CSS3 is supported (damn you IE and your CSS transitions support) but it's a huge help. Combine PIE with Modernizr (http://modernizr.com) and I am one happy camper. For anyone who writes code, definitely worth checking out.

http://css3pie.com/

What Do You See?

tim.rodgers@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Katie McGrath, who heads up 1:1 at RT, sent around a link this morning from an agency consultant named Michael Gass that listed his favorite inspirational quotes from Steve Jobs. All of them were great, but one, in particular, caught my eye because I had been contemplating something similar while traveling on business the week before last.

It was a bright, beautiful, early Monday August morning and I was flying to another of the countless business meetings I've traveled to over the years. As I've learned to look for simplicity in all things, it occurred to me that I was headed to that meeting primarily because the people paying me thought I might see something potentially important that they might otherwise miss.

Quite simply, our value in business, and it could be argued in life in general, is based on our ability to see and perceive things. Here is the Jobs quote I referenced earlier that states something along the same lines, albeit a lot more eloquently:

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they've had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people." - Steve Jobs/Wired Magazine April, 2002

The trick, then, to driving up your value is to improve your ability to see what others can't, or won't. And to turn those observations into simple, practical, yet inspirational applications.

Let your curiosity take the helm and really observe the world around you from as many different perspectives as possible. Set aside blocks of time on your busy calendars to explore, the same way you make time to exercise, or eat. And just like you do for physical exercise, find the time of day when your intellect and curiosity are at their peak performance.

It will greatly improve your ability to see. And be seen.

Fall is in the Air

mmccormick@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This weekend's cool snap and this morning's agency news have me thinking about apples and pumpkins. We've got a team out at Eckert's today launching orange squash into blue sky with the orchard's famous Jack-O-Lobber cannon. Lucky guys. As we prepare to promote haunted hayrides through the orchard, evening bonfires and all sorts of family fun on the farm, I recalled a bit of advertising folklore one of my instructors passed along in ad school. While I can't attest to the absolute authenticity of the story, I can assure you it had an impact. See what you think.

Legendary adman James Webb Young, who started selling fruit by mail around the same time that Harry & David did, tells the story of an apple-growing season where he was nearly ruined. Violent hail storms bombarded his apple trees with ice pellets, causing bruising and pock marks. He feared massive complaints and returns if he shipped the bruised fruit to his mail order apple buyers. But if he didn't ship the damaged apples, he would have to refund all the orders, and his mail order business would be ruined. The apples were damaged only cosmetically. The hail had pockmarked the skin, but this did not affect the flavor or freshness.

Young went ahead and filled his orders with the pockmarked apples, and in each box shipped, enclosed a preprinted card that read as follows (paraphrasing): "Note the pockmarks on some of these apples. This is proof that they are grown at a high mountain altitude, where the same extreme cold that causes sudden hailstorms also firms the flesh and increases the natural sugars, making the apples even sweeter." According to Young, not a single order was returned. In fact, when orders came in for next year, many order forms had handwritten notes that said, "Pockmarked apples if available; otherwise, the regular kind."

Sort of gives you an old-fashioned grin, doesn't it? Of course it was a simpler time back then, but as traditional media gives way to seemingly infinite new incarnations, the story of James Young and his bruised apples serves as a great reminder of the power of storytelling. It's never merely about what you say. The magic happens with how you say it.

Pinteresting

sschmiz@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Ever seen the TV show 'Hoarders'? It is about people that live buried in stuff they feel completely emotionally attached to. A year ago my bookmarks, in Firefox, looked like I should be on that show. I remember flipping through links buried in carefully labeled folders to find my perfect chocolate cake recipe when it hit me: I am a virtual hoarder.

Then I discovered Pinterest, a visual bookmarking social network. Pinterest not only helped me shed my hoarding issue, it revolutionized how I define my design style. Seeing everything I love together, I can't deny that I'm inspired by hand-crafted type, organic patterns and infographics. And I favor recipes that involve baking.

Pinterest will always be my first bookmarklet love, but there's a new site in town. It is still in beta, but the clean simple lines and ability to make your finds private have drawn me in - https://gimmebar.com/

Happy Pinning. Or Gimmebarring. Or (if you're like me) both.

pinterest.com/freshencounters

To Be Young Again

ltorpey@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

There was no greater time creative time for me than when I was in design school. The ability to make education and creativity out of anything you want. As long as the journey ended with a feeling of success than it was deemed great. Watching this video reminded me of all those moments, http://we-need-more.com/about/.

The Dao of Web Design

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We are in the midst of a pretty big change in terms of technology on the web. The emergence of HTML5, CSS3 and the decline of Flash has pushed everyone in a new direction very quickly. Because of that, I reread an old article by John Allsopp called "A Dao of Web Design". Eleven years later, I'm amazed at the relevancy of the article. Quite a bit has changed since it was written in 2000 but quite a bit still remains the same.

The article focuses on how the new (at the time) medium of the web is borrowing practices from its print forbearers. It compares how TV grew out of radio. TV eventually learned to stand on its own but not without its missteps. Eleven years after the article was written, it looks like we still have not fully outgrown the "limitation of the printed page".

Recently, I have put a lot of emphasis on responsive design within our development team but this article reminded me of how far we still have to go. Our sites adapt fairly well in different mediums but they still don't allow users to change font sizes, they don't scale as well as they should and they have trouble adapting to odd proportions like landscape on an iPhone. In short, we are still trying to "control" the experience as we see it instead of allowing the user to experience the site as they prefer to see it.

Even in terms of process, we still sometimes find ourselves falling back on the previous medium. Developers can be seen as "implementers" as opposed to true creative partners. At the same time, many developers have failed to accept their new role as creative. As we work through this process, I often think of Bill Bernbach, the "B" in DDB. He was credited at being the first to pair art directors and copywriters into creative teams. I often wonder how painful that transitions must have been. I can see copywriters saying "The words are the idea. Designers don't write. Why do I need a designer to comment on my idea?"

These days, we all embrace the power of the art director/copywriter relationship. For digital work, we are transitioning from a two-person (art director/copywriter) to a three-person (art director/copywriter/developer) creative team and the transition is not without bumps. But, at least at Rodgers/Townsend, we are learning a lot, growing as a team and creating some fantastic things. I'm honored to work with the designers, developers and copywriters here. Every day, I learn from their experience. I'm also excited about the possibilities ahead of us. To quote the article:

"Now is the time for the medium of the web to outgrow its origins in the printed page. Not to abandon so much wisdom and experience, but to also chart its own course."

If you get a chance, give it a read at http://www.alistapart.com/articles/dao/

Send something to the printer and get a 3D object

shan@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We live in a world today where everyday there is a new technological product that makes news but every now and then one punches me square in the face and wakes me up to how amazing innovation is. This happened the other day when I saw a video about 3D printing. Heard about it a little while back but never seen a video demonstrating it. Unbelievable how far we have come. An actual blend of print and digital innovation. Watched it several times but I still have no clue how the damn thing does it.

Take a look yourself:

Confessions of a Failure Phobic

jhogan@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Weiden Kennedy's founder Dan Wieden famously once said, "You're only good to me after you've made three tremendous mistakes."

As a professional, as a father and husband, as a friend, heck… as a man… I confess I hate to fail. Whether it's missing a deadline, forgetting a birthday, or losing a pitch, I want to be right, and I want to win. Who doesn't? It's hard to tell if this is built into our genetic code, or if it's simply a societal pressure. Either way, it sucks when things don't go the way we want them to.

On the eve of some recent failures, it was comforting to find a rather large cache of articles, videos and the like all about the positives of failure. Really? Sounds more like rationalization, I thought. I mean, who really sets out to fail? Ok, probably not many folks, but like many things, maybe it's our perspective that needs changing.

Carmel Hagen at 99% by Behance did a nice job of compiling "9 Reasons Why Failure is Not Fatal." http://bit.ly/pRe3Z2 Here, slouches like James Dyson (Dyson Vacuums), JK Rowling, Seth Godin and Gillian Welch (just to name a few,) spent some time commenting on subject. The authors postulate that learning how to embrace failure, not being afraid to be wrong, and learning how to "roll with the punches" actually produces not only wisdom and patience, but also allows us to often learn more from our losses than from our successes.

In an agency, creativity and innovation are not just buzzwords, but actual valuable assets to our business. Regardless of where you work, or how accepting the culture of your company is (RT is a great place to work by the way). I believe much of our motivation in life is about gaining personal fulfillment through approval and success. It's not so astonishing then that many of us over time wrestle subconsciously with wanting to stay safe, rather than being courageous enough to fail. If you are someone who's ever created anything (art work, a proposal, a script, a powerpoint presentation, a frigging excel spreadsheet) you know that often you go through a series of beat downs to come up with a winner.

What kind of bosses, employees, parents, clients, and all around people would we be if we really were not afraid of what other people thought? What kind of ideas would we concept, or work could we create if we knew that failure was valuable? Sorry Sheen, but maybe it's not all about WINNING after all.

Pi on the Spot

laura.yarbrough@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The RT obsession with food trucks is undeniable - and Pi Pizzeria has been a long-time agency favorite. So when their mobile truck became the first spot in town with the Square app, we had to check it out. In the name of research, of course.

The premise is hard to beat - the app lets customers set up an account with the restaurant, registering credit card info and storing it on their phones. Then the next time they visit, the customer pulls-up the app and voila - pizza on the spot, no cash or credit card required. During our outing, we encountered a few glitches - the app was slow to load and the GPS functionality seemed a bit limited. But the world of opportunity seems pretty endless - oh, and the pizza was yummy too.

Check out more about Square at squareup.com

Or visit our friends at Pi (we recommend the western edition deep dish with apple pi for dessert) - www.restaurantpi.com

Rodgers Townsend Brings Home More Big Wins at the 2011 CADM Tempo Awards

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Rodgers Townsend/DDB made another huge haul at the 2011 Chicago Association of Direct Marketing (CADM) Tempo awards.

Sacred Cows to Slaughter

tim.rodgers@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I'm vexed about a new TV commercial running for Charter Communications (admittedly, a competitor to one of our main clients, though you'll see that has nothing to do with this). It uses the song, "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" to tout Charter's NFL packages to deliriously happy NFL fans.

I don't know about you, but when I hear that song I immediately think of the iconic spot for Staples depicting deliriously happy parents dragging their sorrowful kids through Staples picking out school supplies in the annual back-to-school ritual, at exactly this same time of year. I don't use "iconic" lightly, but Ad Age and others have agreed with that sentiment about that spot throughout the years.

The Charter spot isn't parody; it's pilfering. It is the exact same creative idea used by another agency for another client, and it's not as if the good people at Charter's ad agency aren't aware of the Staples spot.

My reason for calling it out is that in my puritanical ad mind, the good citizens of Ad Land should be snaking up the drive in mob (or flash mob) fashion to Charter headquarters, brandishing torches and swords a la the assault on Dr. Frankenstein's castle. Alas, that will not happen.

And to me, the sad truth is that the spot probably works very well for Charter, and I doubt anyone really cares that it has been used before. Does anybody? Should anybody?

If we put the sacred cow of not poaching great ads and campaigns to permanent pasture, wouldn't that open a treasure trove of ideas to be recycled for contemporary use?

I hate the thought, but I can't say it's not a smart marketing move when the only people likely to take offense are the denizens of our own industry.

She Says

jennifer.oertli@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In a conversation I had recently with a professor from the University of South Carolina, she recommended a site called shesaysus.com, which is an organization of women in creative positions at agencies. While I'm not a 'creative' per se, I like the idea. Straight from the site - "The world is pretty much half men, half women. So why are there hardly any women doing top jobs at agencies?" It's less about girl power or burning bras and more about career management and opportunities, networking and mentorship. Check it out.

Phillips 66

mmccormick@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I've really been noticing this work over the last few months. An outdoor board struck me first. Simple, beautiful art direction and an attention to detail, though not resulting in something that feels overworked. For me, it's similar to what we strive for. Beautiful work beyond the sexiest categories. The further along I get in my career, it's the work I appreciate the most. Nice job Venables Bell & Partners.

http://www.phillips66.com/

Good, Clean Fun.

Kay.cochran@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

It's great to be surprised by creativity when you least expect it. Little did I know when I hired Herb N' Maid to clean my house every other week, that our cleaning elves (we call them "elves" because we never see them) would arrange the kids' stuffed animals and toys in surprising ways. Often times we come home to find them having a tea party. One week, a stuffed dog was reading a story to the other animals. Other times, we've found them breaking into the cookie jar, doing a jigsaw puzzle or just wearing funny hats or glasses. Every time we arrive home on cleaning day, we run to see what's happened next. How many businesses can say they have that effect on their customers?

Careening Around Cameroon

mmccormick@rodgerstownsend.com — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

While technology and technique shouldn't be the genesis of an idea, I admit I've had a crush on tilt-shift photography for a couple years. But after watching this clip shot in Africa, I think I've got a new girl. And her name is Hexacopter.

http://devour.com/video/flying-around-africa/

Get ready for the gPhone

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Google announced today it is buying Motorola entering the hardware market. Unlike Apple, RIM and Palm, Google has relied on outside vendors for their hardware. Since Android is already the largest mobile platform (http://bit.ly/nvcNDC), it will be interesting to see if this gives them an even greater edge.

http://bit.ly/npzIfs

Cicada Love Bus

mmccormick@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

RT rolled into Coolfire today and issued two serious challenges. One in the form of a 4.98-ounce race car, which we'll cheer on tomorrow night. The other, a show car complete with lights and surround sound. Sure, it's a little racy, bordering on NC-17, but Kris and Eric put hours into doing us proud. Let's make sure when RT rolls out, we make some noise.

Google+

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Google has opened a private beta of Google+ earlier this week. While it's getting lots of positive reviews, I'm not sold one way or the other. But, I will admit, it has a ton of potential if it's done right. I know it has to be at least good enough that Mark Zuckerberg felt the need to respond.

http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/

The Mobile web is dead.

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Recently, Flurry Analytics posted data that shows that app usage on phones has overtaken web usage. Ok, I can buy that. In fact, I'm surprised it's taken this long to happen. Wired.com posted an article about a year ago that talked about the decline in web browsing. I've often said that mobile browsing is "task specific" simply because the medium is not optimized for long term reading or interaction because of the size of the screen. Note: I'm not saying people don't do it. I'm just saying that it's not optimal. Which means that as soon as something better comes along, people will switch to that.

An article on the msgme.com blog brings up a question that I've asked several times. "How do you define app usage vs. mobile usage?" If I use Instagram, it posts my photos to the web. Does that count as 10% web? If I use the Facebook app, that obviously pulls all of its contents from the web. Does that count as 50% web? Does Netflix, the most bandwidth intensive activity you'll ever do on your mobile device, count as 100% app? The same question goes the other way. Does "web usage" only mean using mobile Safari or another browser?

I have often seen these statistics around "mobile web usage" but I've never seen anyone adequately define the line between "browsing" and simply "data transfer". In the Wired article, they did not mean the "web" is dead. They meant people are switching to other mediums to get their data. That distinction seems very important so we can determine the potential market for our apps vs. mobile websites, and where we should be focusing our efforts moving forward.

LINKS:

Mobile Apps Put the Web in Their Rear-view Mirror

The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet

Mobile Apps Overtake Web - Is This the Turning Point?

Getaround

hdean@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Most American cars just sit around doing nothing for 22 hours a day. A few brainy people in San Francisco thought there should be a way to get them moving, and came up with Getaround, a peer-to-peer car rental service. Think of it as WeCar between people.

The venture is heavily dependent on social media and smartphone technology (owners and renters must download the company's app). It's also very practical: Berkshire Hathaway provides liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage for the duration of each rental. And of course, it provides a bit of spare cash to car owners.

For more, click here.

Mobile Patterns

shan@rodgerstownsend.com — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Something all art directors should have handy... Designing "websites" is thing of the past. Need to learn to design for whatever's next.

http://mobile-patterns.com/

Rodgers Townsend Announces New Executive Creative Director

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

RT has promoted Michael McCormick to Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director.

Windows 8

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Windows 8 will be a touch optimized operating system. Microsoft is obviously trying way too hard to be "innovative" and regain some of the market share they have lost to Apple. Unfortunately, they are still missing a lot of the elegance and beauty of Mac OSX and iOS. This "tile based" concept has not worked well for the Windows Phone 7. I can't imagine it's going to be better as a desktop OS. Might be time to switch to a mac.

Watch the Windows 8 demo here.

Will canvas replace flash?

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

New browsers are starting to hardware accelerate javascript. This means that code written using the canvas tag has the possibility of replacing Flash as the next big animation platform. Here are a few great examples of canvas available in the latest versions of Chrome. They also work in Firefox 4 and IE9 but not quite as well. Can't wait for IE to catch up so we can start writing some code using HTML5 Canvas.

chrome.angrybirds.com
worldsbiggestpacman.com
helloracer.com

Jam For Joplin

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

RT-ers made it out last night to support the good people of Joplin, and to see our very own J Chambers and New World Spirits rock out.

Throwback video:

Upside-downy Face

kwright@rodgerstownsend.com — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I made Creativity.com.

At least my face did.

I expect my phone will be blowing up with more offers to model now.

Ketchup Packet

ltorpey@rodgerstownsend.com — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Pretty cool redesign of an old standard. Check it

Mumford in STL

ltorpey@rodgerstownsend.com — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Quite a few RT folks made it out to see Mumford at the Pageant this weekend, check out the review. Be the most jealous of Laura, who got to bowl with them (or in their vicinity, same diff).

Rodgers Townsend Wins Two Creativity International Platinums

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

RT has received six awards from the 41st Creativity International Awards, including two “best of category” awards.

Tom Huck

shan@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Loving Tom Huck's work. He makes very big, complex, demented woodcuts.

SLU is exhibiting his work, and next Friday they're having an opening/scavenger hunt where you have to find things in his pieces. Thought this might be a cool thing to do.

Keep On The Grass

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We were out in full force last week to flaunt our tiny hats and support Forest Park Forever at their annual Hat Luncheon. While we didn't win the prize for best hats (robbed), we had a great time in some gorgeous weather while helping a great St. Louis institution.

Check out some other party pics on our Facebook page.

New Window

ssteward@rodgerstownsend.com — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

It's official. While multi-screen experiences have been hiding in iPads, iPhones and other high end displays, they are officially mainstream.

Check out the Wii U.

Rodgers Townsend-Built Site Garners Multiple Honors

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500

RT has received two more major digital honors, this time from Communication Arts and the Awwards.

Rodgers Townsend Named as Webby Awards Honoree

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500

RT has received a third major honor for the Achieve What's Ahead website, this time from the 15th Annual Webby Awards.

Rodgers Townsend Dominates ADDYs With 59 Awards

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

RT took home 59 awards at the St. Louis advertising community's ADDY® Awards, by far the most of any agency.

Rodgers Townsend FWA Wins Elevate St. Louis's Creative Reputation

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600

For the second time in under three months, a website created by RT was named Site of the Day by The FWA.

Josh Hogan Hired as Director of Digital Communications at Rodgers Townsend

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Rodgers Townsend welcomes Josh Hogan as Director of Digital Communications.

AT&T Mobile Barcode Site Honored by The FWA

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

The FWA honored the AT&T Mobile Barcodes site by naming it the site of the day for January 11, 2011.

Communications Arts Honors Achieve What's Ahead Site

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

AchieveWhatsAhead.com has been named a Communication Arts Webpick for November 15, 2010.

Achieve What's Ahead Website Honored by The FWA

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The FWA honored AchieveWhatsAhead.com by naming it the site of the day for October 29, 2010.

Integrated Small Business Campaign for The Hartford Launches

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

RT recently launched a comprehensive campaign for The Hartford, the marketer's first focused on small business owners.

Rodgers Townsend Wins Daytime Emmy® for PBS Spot

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Rodgers Townsend has won plenty of industry awards but on Friday took home a rare honor for advertising firms.

Rodgers Townsend Takes Home 32 CADM Tempo Awards

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

St. Louis advertising agency Rodgers Townsend won a total of 32 Chicago Association of Direct Marketing Tempo awards.

Rodgers Townsend PBS Spot Nominated for Daytime Emmy®

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

RT was recently nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the category of Outstanding Promotional Announcement – Institutional.

BtoB Magazine Names Rodgers Townsend A Top Interactive Agency

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

RT was listed among the top 100 business-to-business Interactive agencies in the November issue of BtoB Magazine.

Crystal Merritt of Rodgers Townsend to Present at College Speaker Series

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Crystal Merritt will present a special two-hour session on Account Planning/Creative in Advertising at SLU on 11/20.

Rodgers Townsend Wins Hartford Corporate Ad Work

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

RT was selected over five-year incumbent Campbell-Mithun to officially become The Hartford’s Brand Agency of Record.