Blog - Aasman Brand Communications

reassurance is nice sometimes

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:13:25 GMT

Last week I was sent this article from Yahoo News stating that although the Old Spice Guy has garnered huge popularity and media attention, Old Spice sales are declining. The article then went on to discuss how sometimes really great creative can still fail. I was a little shocked by reading this article for two reasons; the online social media campaign launched just a week prior to these numbers coming out was, in my eyes an almost flawless strategy. I even considered switching my male body wash last time we were shopping, however I prefer the scent of Dove (when did I start caring?). As I read all the comments for the article, talking about how the product is a dud and how the creative was too big for itself, I begin to feel this was way to early to be measuring the success or failure of the online campaign (7days). I couldn’t get my head wrapped around it and though it made a great follow up to my previous post on this campaign I chose another topic. Now once again a week later this is all over the news. Old Spice body wash sales had zoomed 107 per cent in the last month. I have to admit that I was greatly pleased to read these articles and posts and to even learn that the Old Spice Guy himself was landing a movie role with Jen. I don’t use Old Spice, or even like Old Spice and I have never supported any of the NFL teams Isaiah (Old Spice Guy) played for. There was something though inside me that wanted this campaign to be greatly successful. How does one create that type of support, loyalty to a product I don’t even use (yet). Or is it simply that I wanted this great social media campaign to succeed so I can continue to push this form of media and these types of strategies into all of the projects and jobs we do. Maybe I just wanted the reassurance.

storming of the brains

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:48:33 GMT

Apparently group brainstorming doesn't necessarily produce more or better ideas than individuals brainstorming on their own. Studies show, however, that it does improve teamwork and morale. Keeping a team on-page about the thinking behind an idea is invaluable to maintaining focus and motivation. With that in mind, here's a refresher on the four basic rules on brainstorming, for individuals and groups alike: Focus on quantity Creativity is gauged by divergent thinking. The more paths of thinking you follow, the higher chance you have of producing an innovative and effective solution. Don't say "no" This is not the time to tie down your thinking cap. Let it fly! Leaving criticisms for a later time allows unusual ideas to emerge. These ideas can be evaluated later for their effectiveness, alignment with the brief, and feasibility for the budget. Nurture the unusual The best solutions come out of new ways of thinking; otherwise there wouldn't be a need for the job. Try new perspectives. Wear different shoes. Ask strange questions. Combine and improve ideas Working with association provokes the next step. What have people done before you? What is your client currently doing? How can it be better? What's working? How can that combine with something new? It's helpful to have a springboard to get started…as long as you don't say no to those out-of-the-blue ideas as well!

shifting winds? on Yukon time

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:14:57 GMT

Over the past few years in the advertising industry there has been a shift in the way we view our business models. Some agencies have pioneered these shifts and others have felt that it’s just a fad. The notion that this shift is a fad has itself become a fad. The time has come for us to recognize the changes taking place around us. The shift I’m talking about is away from a focus on paid media to a primary focus on owned media and then earned media. Sean Cornoran wrote a great blog defining each of these three forms of media. In the Yukon we have the privilege of time — well to be more exact we have the privilege of Yukon Time. In the North there is still a heavy reliance on paid media as traditional print and radio is still one of the most effective ways to reach communities outside of central hubs. That being said we have a great vantage place to sit and observe what fads are coming and going. At this particular time, with the shifting communications model, the Yukon is ready. In a city as small as Whitehorse, with the right approach, earned media is at our fingertips. Word of mouth, buzz and media stories are all ways we can focus our strategies to gain us more cost efficient earned media. More and more companies are realizing the importance of owned media as well and are taking steps to generate their own. Company blogs, Micro Sites, Facebook and Twitter accounts are all being used to help companies own their stories. Brook Johnston has a great blog on the Golden Rules of Blogging. I struggle with a number of them, particularly, “Don’t Suck.” You have to remember that as shifts occur in the industry, you have to stop and examine your surroundings to see how these shifts play out in your own world. Here in the Yukon we have to balance all three forms of media. Focus on identifying your target audience and of course your budget constraints, then categorize each form of media and the specific tactics at your disposal and make your decisions based on your goals. Easy, right?

chipmunk cheeks & a yellow mark

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:59:05 GMT

It's my first day back in town and back at work after two weeks of canoeing the Yukon River. With no food in my house, no cash in my wallet, and my car somewhere on the other side of town, I needed lunch somewhere nearby that accepted credit cards. What else? It's a busy day catching up in the studio, so I got a Subway sandwich and ate it while walking back to work. I've never had so many people smile at me on my lunch break. It was a little weird and I'm now contemplating what it was they were smiling about? Was it their understanding of lunch on the run? The big sunglasses and cheeks stuffed like chipmunks? Am I selling Subway with my high-heeled stroll through town? As I peeled back the logo-covered sandwich wrapping, a mom with her two boys passed by and commented, "Subway looks good. Let's go there and then to the park." It was just a sandwich and pop, but the bright yellow mark with the little "on-the-go" arrows sent at least three hungry people back to its source.

Shirtless and Envious

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:16:37 GMT

I’m not the first to mention this in a blog and I surely won’t be the last. Marketing gurus and creative minds everywhere are all wishing that they had come up with Old Spice’s latest social media marketing initiative. So they should, I wish I had. The level of customer engagement and earned media is outstanding. The popularity of the Shirtless Old Spice Guy replying on Twitter with personalized videos has even grabbed the attention of celebrities who are wanting in on the fun. You can find a great article about this campaign here at TNW. We hope you enjoy these as much as we do and thanks to The Next Web for putting these articles together. Let me leave you with parting words from the Shirtless Old Spice Guy himself.

Campfires and Campaigns

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:25:22 GMT

This past Canada Day I did what most Canadians do on long weekends—I went camping. My wife and I packed our little car with as much gear as humanly possible and hit the road, no cell phones, no e-mail, no Facebook or any other form of communications that really didn’t exist twenty years ago but now we feel lost without. We spent four days disconnected from everything outside of fishing, campfires and marshmallows. When I arrived back in the office on Monday it dawned on me that we have been away more weekends than we have stayed at home since the summer holidays began. Also that this is not uncommon for most fellow Yukoners during the summer months of endless daylight. So from a communications perspective, how do we continue to reach our audiences and deliver messages during these tough summer months? and what opportunities are we missing out on? The first thing I noticed is that each time I return from a camping weekend, I empty my mailbox and go through my Friday mail much more carefully than normal, reading each piece of direct ad mail. I think this is because after staring at campfires for three days, I have become accustomed to mindless activities. That being said, I am suggesting that with the right message or product, timed appropriately, direct mail can still have a place during our summer months. Summer also means people like to slow down, at home and at work. Slowing down can translate into more time for reading. Therefore target audiences of company blogs, followers of newsletters and even those on Twitter have more time for reading. During the summer months you can really reconnect with an audience or build on already developed relationships by spicing things up and staying consistent with online written communications. Companies and organizations tend to slow down as well during the summer or at least tend to be a little more laid back. Now is the time to engage stakeholders or partners in preparation for any fall communications you have coming. This could be in the form of short discussions or events and functions designed to entice stakeholders to attend. One cannot forget that when delivering any type of message from your company, your own staff are your biggest ambassadors for your brand. The summer months present a perfect opportunity to work on internal communications. Strengthen your brand from within so that everyone in your company or organization is speaking the same language and delivering your message better than you could yourself. These are just some ideas that go through my head while trying to master that perfect s’more. Maybe you have some thoughts or strategies that work for you during the summer months?

vuvuzelas in every corner of the planet

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:42:46 GMT

I wanted to write about branding World Cup Soccer, but I got overwhelmed with all the possibilities. So rather than analyze one, here's a couple of very different levels of marketing associated with an epic international event. How do you attach your brand to an event? Nike's "Write the Future" campaign demonstrates how soccer legends are made on a global audience, and gives people a chance to write the headlines for their predicted legendary players. Here's a 3-minute ad worth watching. My favourite moments are when a row of newborns all get named after a soccer-legends, and when the fancy footwork of another player becomes a global dance-move, with a split second ode to Facebook as the "like" category escalates into the millions. So you want one of the buzzing horns? You can buy one on the official merchandise website. Apparently they are as loud as chain saws (I'm thinking bear-deterrent) but if you try to use one as a weapon it will break into three pieces. How do you touch the world and every corner of the planet? It's part of FIFA's brand mission. Here's a breakdown of their brand promise and approach behind the organization and their inspiring proposition: "For the Game. For the World." How do you Brand a country? South Africa has an international marketing council to develop a marketing and communication strategy that promotes South Africa – "Alive with Possibility."

Brand G20

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:33:48 GMT

A brand is not only the raison d'être of an organization; it's also the public's perception it. This perception is often independent of what the organization would like it to be. It's moulded by a lot of factors, and in some cases, the media plays a big part. You can probably see where I'm going with this. Last night watching the news I saw footage from at least six different cameras of one measly police car burning in Toronto's city centre. There was a brief scene of the suited leaders smiling and waving goodbye while the CBC reporter announced that the Summit recognized the need to "continue stimulating economic growth". That 15 seconds was followed by more reporting on the bad-apple rioters. So what is the public left with after the G20 weekend? "Brand G20: Burnt police cars for economic growth": a perception constructed by CBC. As a member of society affected by the debates at this conference, I'm feeling pretty confused. What is the G20 Brand? What could my perception have been? What other ways can the G20 brand identity reach the public.

Applied Arts awards announced

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:04:50 GMT

In further industry news, the Applied Arts have announced the 2010 Photography and Illustration Design Awards. Check out the Photography and Illustration award sections.

Rewarding Awards

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:58:35 GMT

The best reward for doing a social marketing campaign is seeing behaviour change in response. After launching our "Don't be sick” campaign, we were thrilled every time we saw a Yukoner sneeze into their elbow. Equally thrilling and fantastic is winning the Design Edge Regional Design Awards for the same campaign in two categories: advertising design – print, and advertising design – outdoor. Remember last winter living with the threat of H1N1 and the unending variety of colds and flus? Working with our client, Health and Social Services, we developed a practical and non-threatening strategy to encourage Yukoners to take action to protect themselves. Our concept consisted of pairing a simple directive (Don't be sick) with a sickly but lovable character who communicated what not to do during cold and flu season, while consistently presenting 3 simple steps (wash your hands, sneeze into your elbow, clean shared surfaces) as an antidote to the spread of colds and flus. Did it work? We have two awards that say so, and we still see Yukoners sneezing into their elbows. Aasman was also a finalist in the logo category for an identity design for the Old Log Church Museum. The Design Edge contest received nearly 500 entries from across Canada, and a total of 142 finalists were chosen. Of these finalists, 58 winners were chosen. View the gallery of finalists and winners.

The Science Behind Design

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:42:31 GMT

A biologist recently asked me about the science behind graphic design. How many studies have been done? Where is the evidence? What are the quantifiable reasons behind the choices you make? Isn't it subjective?... Well, gosh darn, it isn't! It may be true that certain choices don't have factual evidence to back them up. For example, you wouldn't put a flashing LCD billboard in downtown Whitehorse, a town of 23,000 people. Not because it wouldn't command attention. But because many people living in the North prefer the visually quiet landscape of the natural environment to the loud skyline of a city filled with marketing. There’s no study to back this up. We know it because we live here too. There is, however, a heap of scientific data that does inform a designer’s choices. Here are a few examples to give you an idea of the scope of thinking that goes into intelligent design. Colour has considerable impact on human emotions. Associations that accompany a colour – its hue, lightness and chroma – give a rationale for choosing a strong and reliable blue in corporate business card or a somewhat garish colour combination for a campaign about germs. Here's an interesting site all about colour emotion! People focus their eye on things that stand out. Visual Hierarchy is the order in which most people will see and identify objects. Designers use size, colour, contrast, texture, shape, position, and orientation to lead the audiences’ focus through the hierarchy of importance on every design. Eyesight degrades with age. Commonly known but pertinent when designing a book on Grizzly Bear management that will be used by elders in Canada's north. I'm out of time for writing, but biologists, take note: If scientific theory is meant to be disproven, and designers are experimenting with forms of communication constantly, then I'd say the science behind design is alive and evolving…. and best of luck to the analysts keeping up with our new ideas!

right-to-left vertical lunch

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:30:41 GMT

I had lunch with my Japanese friend today, and it turned into an unexpected, eye-opening typography/communication lesson. Let me explain… With his usual enthusiasm, he proudly revealed his newly acquired Japanese book from the 50’s about Alaska, only to become sooooo sad when he realized I wasn’t in a position to fully share this treasure since I can’t read Japanese. But I am not so easily deterred, and immediately grabbed the book out of his hands…my designer mind finding TONS of treasures in the ultra-simple typography hierarchy, the oh-so-elegant covers, and in our animated conversation that followed. We went from that book to a Japanese magazine, to a pocket pock, to his translating tools online…I even got excited about online vertical field forms. I was suddenly aware of the depth of our language differences and the opposite angles of our perceptions. But mostly I was absolutely impressed by the acrobatics of his brain, juggling without difficulty phonetic Japanese symbols (Hiragana & Katakana) and semantic Chinese symbols (Kanji), reading sometimes vertically from right to left in the traditional way, & sometimes reading left-to-right and top-to-bottom the same mixture of Asian symbols, all juxtaposed with the English alphabet. And all this in the same layout! He mentioned he thought this chaos served design purposes. This being a new world to me, I did not have a ready opinion…but upon reflection I suspect it had its origins with politics, globalization, computer-friendly writing, and Internet coding, since design always serves a function. I read a bit more about it here: Explanation of the Japanese Writing System (Wikipedia). Since I’m currently working on a social inclusion awareness campaign, this directly connected me to the countless layers of differences that surround us, enriching and strengthening our community. Thanks 本山直人

Shawarma anyone?

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:50:56 GMT

Who doesn’t like free stuff? I love it. I am the type of guy who takes everything at showrooms and will always jump on a competition if I think I may have a chance to win something. Just last week I was engaged by Yukono’s Facebook page in a competition, which resulted in two free shawarma combos from a restaurant in town. I can’t help myself. The idea of gaining something for what we would consider almost nothing has always appealed to me. So what makes a good incentive to engage your audience? Do you remember back when the banks would offer you a free toaster to open up a new account? How about the ever-classic McDonalds Monopoly contest? Or for us in Canada, I will skip my regular non-chain coffee joint for Tim Horton’s when “Roll up the Rim” is on. Some incentives are to just get your audience in the door and others are to gain customer loyalty. When developing or choosing incentives, the needs and wishes of your audience are very important to take into consideration. Timing is also important. Positioning incentives during slow seasons or when releasing a new product can be a very useful tactic. Incentives can also be very effective when trying to get your audience to engage in a specific survey. When done appropriately the data you receive will be priceless compared to the expense of your carrot of choice. Do you remember any old incentive programs that hooked you in? I know I will definitely be enjoying my shawarma this week.

the North rises higher

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:51:43 GMT

Yellowknife based Up Here magazine won Magazine of the Year at the National Magazine Awards this month. Acclaimed for being the magazine that most consistently engages, surprises and serves the needs of its readers, the judges described Up Here as "distinctive, fresh and unpredictable with engaging and accessible content that crosses both disciplinary and geographical boundaries. Its commitment and passion are very evident—and contagious." A few other mentionables include: - Best Magazine Cover: for Report on Business, art directed by Domenic Macri, designed by Julie Dickson - Illustration: Roxanna Bikadoroff for "Floating Like the Dead" in Vancouver Review. - Website of the year: dogsincanada.com A lighthearted-feeling site with enticing puppy videos and piles of easy to find information, all about dogs - Best visual design in web: lametropole.com Slick and cool without being convoluted, this site is all in French if you're looking for news that way. - Best art direction for an entire issue: Janine Vangool for the launch issue of Uppercase, Spring '09. I'm particularity excited about this new magazine because it's all about making, curating and publishing visual culture. For the complete list of winners, visit the National Magazine Awards website.

some healthy redundancy

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:06:57 GMT

Here at Aasman, we take pride in quality. It's a core value. It's part of our brand. We apply numerous strategies to keep ourselves to that task, from creative brainstorms to Photoshop wizardry. But not long ago, a less glamorous tool came to light, and boy did it shine brilliantly: our archival backups. Earlier this year, one of our backup systems went down. No worries, we thought, we'll just run the backup manually until we get this sorted out. The next morning, everyone was panicking as their last 2 weeks of work had suddenly disappeared. It didn't take Paul and I long to see that we had inadvertently over-written both our backup and our working files. Ooops. It took significantly less time for our hearts to sink to our guts. An hour later (including a dreary staff meeting asking everyone to start re-creating files) we remembered about that 3rd redundant archival backup we have. In a snap, we had everything back up and running. Man I love that 3rd redundant archival backup! We maintain a digital archive of all the work we've done. And we back it up. Of course we also back up our current working files. Then we back it up again, every night. Then we send another backup home with Paul. After all, how would our brand reputation stand up if we lost all our work to a tired hard drive? Our primary backup drives step in and protect us from the possibility. What if someone accidently hits the delete button on that system, you ask? As has been proven, our redundant backups protect us even from that. Crisis avoided, reputation in tact.