Exclamations

Email, That Pesky Little Bugger

2014-10-14T12:14:00.002-07:00

Email, That Pesky Little Bugger

By Leslie Cohan, Director of Public Relations/Account Director, EXCLAIM

Have you ever written an email that was misunderstood? Have you received one where the intended purpose was lost? Ever received an email that was written IN ALL CAPS and you felt like you were being YELLED AT? Ever accidentally sent your email before you were finished? I’ve been the emailer and/or been on the receiving end of all of those. So, I’ve compiled a little list of my do’s and don’ts of email strategy learned over the years, and I thought I’d share it.

1. Don’t put the address in the “To” field until after you’re finished writing and proofing your email. This way, there’s no way for you to send the email before you’re ready. I also do the same when I text.

2. Don’t reply to an email that you’re copied on. When you receive an email and you’re in the :cc field, you are being looped in the communication, but it’s not actually directed to you. If you need to reply, reference that it’s being directed to the other person but you want to chime in.

3. Don’t email when you’re mad or frustrated. Take a bit of time to think through whatever the issue/challenge is, and once you’ve calmed down, send the email.

4. Don’t resolve conflict through email. It’s always better to pick up the phone or talk to someone in person. Then, follow-up your conversation in an email, so you have it in writing. It’s a good way to CYA.

5. Don’t count on spell check to catch your errors. Proof your emails carefully. You’re sending something in writing, after all. Too, to, and two will all spell check fine, but the usage may be wrong. I know marketing people who have written Public Relations and accidently left out the “l” in public. It still spell checks fine — just saying. Oh, and I’ve never done that myself. BUT, I’ve certainly read plenty of emails with the famous missing “l.”

6. Do include a subject line that is actually related to the content of your email. Nebulous subject lines like “Hi” or “Happy Friday” may get skipped over. And, if your email lands in a Spam folder and your intended reader is glancing quickly through subject lines, if yours actually means something, they should catch it.

7. Do remember that when you send an email, there’s a written account of your communication. So, be careful that you’re representing yourself and your company in a positive light.

8. Do put realistic expectations on response times. Because we live in a instant gratification culture, sometimes we expect people to respond to our emails immediately. Not everyone has email open and active all day long. We’re all guilty of sending an email and then two seconds later walking into the recipient’s office to talk about the email (I just did that a half-an-hour ago, by the way).

9. Do communicate in a concise and clear way. If your email doesn’t make sense to you it won’t to the recipient either. Read it again and again. I know that if I’m typing really fast trying to get a thought out it can make perfect sense to me and then I re-read it and it’s total gobbledygook.

10. Do slow down and make sure you’re sending your email to the correct person. With auto fill, it’s really easy to accidently send your email to the wrong person. Email will usually auto fill with the most recent person with that name or similar letters. For example, I work with a John, have a client named John and vendor named John. If I’ve been emailing client John and next I want to send an email to my co-worker, it will automatically put in client John’s name instead. To add a safeguard, I use last names when I email someone with the same name as others on my email list. Saves a mea culpa later.

I’m no Emily Post, but I have learned a few things over the years. Hope they save you from making a you-know-what out of yourself later. My little gift to you.

Outside of the Box

2014-09-30T09:53:00.003-07:00

By: Deanna Waters, Account Director, EXCLAIM

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" – Dr. Seuss

Remember when you were a kid and you thought that anything and everything was possible? When you could create stories out of thin air and play games with nothing more than sticks and rocks and dirt. When you weren’t surrounded by a box to color outside of and logic didn’t always win. That is called imagination, my friends. And after taking a quick, impromptu poll, most people that I have talked to feel that as they mature, their vivid imagination has been lost, and they aren’t quite sure where to find it.

I can understand that sentiment as I feel that I used to have a voracious imagination that has been stunted along the way. But researchers say that is completely normal, and according to a study done at the University of Minnesota, children spend as much as 2/3 of their time in non-reality. In fact, this time spent in imaginative play as a child has been found as a vital component to our development. Alas, as we grow, we become more regimented with more responsibility and the imagination that we had as a child seems unnatural to us as adults – yet something that many of us yearn for.

So how do we find it again? If you Google, “How to get my imagination back”, you will find 11,100,000 results! There are a lot of folks out there with ideas. I have found my own way to tap into my imaginative side outside of reading all of those articles, and that is by coming to work every day. I feel very lucky to work in a field where people with amazing creativity and imagination surround me on a daily basis. And here at EXCLAIM, just being around those folks – you know, the “creative types” – inspires me to think about things outside of my typical structure and logic. It is freeing, and I would highly recommend that if you are feeling like you are stuck in a box, you might try surrounding yourself with things and people that inspire you to think differently. Heck, come and talk to the creatives at EXCLAIM … where anything and everything is still possible (except for beating John at Ping Pong).

Your Cause and Its 15 Minutes of Fame

2014-09-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

By Eleanor Englund, Account Coordinator

The ALS ice bucket challenge filled up newsfeeds for weeks; people had never cared more about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis than in August 2014. Just like in 2013 when we were there to help the Red Cross in the Philippines, 2012 when we were really dedicated to stopping KONY, 2010 when we texted in to help Haiti or in 2008 when we were all very vocal that we were against Prop 8.

We changed our profile pictures to an equal sign, dumped cold water on ourselves, and sent $10 to another country. A new humanitarian cause or disease is trending every year, so there is always something fresh to post online. But trends pass and unfortunately many of the issues we supported in the short run still have a long way to go.

Social media sites are a great source for crowd funding, non-profit or for-profit, but the sites have users with somewhat limited attention spans. Once they have participated in whatever the latest cause is, and gotten their likes, they move on. There isn’t room for every person to care about every issue; there are too many problems, but is the short time in the spotlight worth it? Or does everyone walk away feeling like, “well, we solved that one” and not think about it again?

The $10 texted into Haiti was great, but the country isn’t back to where it was. And just because it has fallen off our Trending lists doesn’t mean there aren’t still people who need help.

What do you think? Are big social media attention bumps for causes a good thing? Does it lead to long-term interest, heightened involvement, expanded research, and organization growth? Or does it mean people move on to the next thing before we see a full solution? In the end would a long-term plan serve causes better than 15 minutes of fame?

8 Summer activities there are still time for

2014-09-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

By Eleanor Englund, Account Coordinator

We think Seattle really kills it when it comes to summer. Weather, festivals, nature, there isn’t anywhere else we would want to be. So if you’ve been overly busy and feel like you missed out on all the classic summer to do’s, never fear. Here is our list of 8 required things that will get all your summer in before September 23, all with minimal effort.

1. Eat outside — Pink Door, Rays, Westward, Little Water Cantina, Ma Kai, Innkeeper — go, sit, enjoy.

2. Find a park, walk around it, have a picnic, throw a Frisbee. Maybe you hate Frisbees, or picnics, which is hard to imagine, but, believe us, the instagram photo is worth it. And the real memories won’t be so bad either.

3. Build a fire; those marshmallows aren’t going to roast themselves.

4. Head out to the water. This is one of the best parts about living here. We don’t need you to try stand up paddle boarding, but maybe rent a canoe or kayak (here, link, link), dip a toe in a lake, get on a ferry or local cruise or just hang out near it. This easily combines with number 1.

5. Have a BBQ — bathing suit weather is almost over. Enjoy that burger with bacon and cheese.

6. Go to a Fair, you know you want to do the Puyallup. Do it!

7. Ice cream, custard, non-dairy versions; whatever you like.

8. Watch the sun set.

Whatever you do, DO NOT bring out that scarf, order that pumpkin spice latte, or comment that you can feel the fall chill. We love fall too, it’s just not time yet.

Photo from Westward on Lake Union

Wearables: The Hot Trend in Tech

2014-08-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Stewart, Art Director

The year 2014 may well be know as the Year of the Wearables in the technology world. Wearables have been around for a few years actually, but now in 2014, they seem to have really found their footing. Fitness wearables like FitBit and Nike’s Fuelband have apps that sync wirelessly to smartphones so that users can track their fitness goals. Many even sync to Facebook and other social media platforms, or allow users to create groups within the apps that they can interact with.

Sports-related wearables like Recon Snow2 and Recon Jet Sports Sunglasses provide users with real-time feedback for snow sport enthusiasts and cyclists and the Zepp Golf Sensor helps you improve your golf game. Wearable cameras from Garmin and GoPro, which let you record the action from your unique vantage point, open up a whole new world of possibilities. With influx of new wearables growing every day, there’s sure to be a wearable and app for just about any sport you’re into.

Why are wearables so popular now? For one, they offer tech help and encouragement at a fairly low entry cost for the user, plus the fact that recent upgrades in technology have enabled the devices to become extremely small and easy to wear. On top of that, smart phone companies are only too eager to jump in on the wearable market, with many of the top companies coming out with their own brand name wearables in the next few months. They’re also supporting 3rd party wearable makers as a way of promoting the usefulness and expanded capability of their product (Apple’s “Strength” ad is a good example of this: https://www.apple.com/iphone-5s/powerful/).

Slower to catch on have been the “substitute” wearables like smart watches and Google Glass. That may be because they compete, almost directly, with smart phones in many ways, and consumers may not be ready to give up their phones for a lower-feature product like a smart watch, or a more intrusive product like Google Glass. This may change though, as wearable technology improves, becomes more stylish, and as other competitors jump into the wearable market.

Wearables are also entering the medical industry; with companies like Google creating a contact lens for diabetes sufferers that will monitor blood glucose.

The possibilities for wearables are unlimited, which will make the next year an interesting one in the tech world.

A Nose for News

2014-08-14T15:37:00.001-07:00

By Leslie Cohan, Account Director/Director of Public Relations, EXCLAIM

If you’re like most people you learned that beloved actor and comedian, Robin Williams died this week via social media not traditional media. This got me thinking, where do I get my news now? You see, I’m a news junkie, and I have been as long as I can remember. I guess it’s par for the course working in PR. While I used to turn on the TV or radio, or grab a newspaper, those don’t seem to be immediate enough for me anymore. Most of the time, I go to Twitter to get the most up-to-date news.

About four years ago, I basically created my own news outlet via my twitter feed. I follow reporters, editors and producers from all of the major networks, newspapers, blogs and magazines. I also follow city and state services like WSDOT, SDOT, PSE, Seattle City Light, and the National Weather Service. When I need to get immediate news, I go to my twitter feed. I’ve found it to be a great way for me to stay informed and up-to-date on developing stories, breaking news and general information. When the power goes out, I go on Twitter. When there’s an accident and traffic is stopped, I go on Twitter. When I want to know what’s happening around the world, I go to Twitter.

So, I started thinking, the last several big news stories have been broken to me via social media. I found out about the killing of Osama Bin Laden via Facebook, I learned about the missing Malaysia Airlines plane through my twitter feed, I found out about the recent air strikes in Iraq on Twitter, and I learned of the death of Nelson Mandela on Facebook. I can’t remember when the last time was that I found out about breaking news through traditional media. I’m not sure that’s good or bad. I absolutely think there’s a place for traditional media. They truly develop the stories and cover all of the angles. So when I want to learn more about a story, I do still look to those outlets to fill the gap.

Social media provides me with a quick snapshot, which is fine for breaking news. What I do know is the times they are a changing…in fact they changed a while ago. I wonder what’s next?

I’m curious, where do you get your news? Do you use a news aggregate or app like News360 to filter and deliver news to you? Are you of the mindset of seeking out news or do you wait for it to come to your feed, TV, radio or newspaper?

Our Favorite Photo Apps and Photo Tips for Smart Phones

2014-07-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Stewart, Art Director, EXCLAIM

With summer vacation season upon us, it seems like everyone is reaching for their smart phone to catch the season’s best memories. As smart phone camera use rises, so does the amount of photo apps and editors to our snapshots from simple to fabulous. Here are a few of our favorite smartphone camera apps:

Photoshop Express:

The mobile version of Adobe’s icon photo editor has a nice array of features including the basics: crop, straighten, red-eye adjustment; plus filters, boarders and a few extra effects for purchase. The app allows you to save your edits and/or directly upload them to popular social media sites such as Facebook.

Instagram:

Instagram caters to the artsy set, and photos posted to this site tend to lean toward the artistic, and creative side, not the usual family or every day pictures you might upload to Facebook. Instagram filters are heavier, and more moody, with a wide selection of vintage filters and boarders. Using Instagram filters means you must automatically upload your photo to your Instagram newsfeed, although you may also simultaneously upload it to Facebook.

Litely:

The Litely app comes from Instagram founder Cole Rise, and features his favorite photography filters and the ability to make general adjustments and to add vignettes. Litely’s filters are more subtle, and tend to focus on enhancement. The app comes with a variety of filters with other sets available for purchase.

VSCOcam:

Similar to Litely, VSCOcam comes with more subtle filters, with the ability to do general photo-editing and purchase additional filters. The main difference is the user interface and the fact that VSCOcam’s filters lean a little more toward vintage effects.

TiltShift:

This unique app gives the user the ability to combine filters with different photo effects, such as tilt-shift focus, its most popular effect. With its heavy, distinctive filters and dramatic effects, TiltShift leans toward the more artsy side.

Shaker:

This fun app is popular for it’s one and only effect: recreating the traditional 1970s polaroid camera. Not only does it put a vintage filter on photos, but it also ads the traditional polaroid photo boarder and, you must “shake” the smart phone to develop the picture, just like the real thing.

Hipstamatic:

Similar to Instagram, Hipstamatic features a variety of heavier, and vintage-esque filters, with the main difference being that you do not need to post photos to a photo stream. Hipstamatic also allows you to create your own effects by choosing “film” and “lens type” with its unique photo-realistic interface.

To go along with those great new apps, here are a few photo tips to try the next time you’re playing photographer:

· Consider shooting the subject of your photo off-center. Shooting with the subject positioned to the side makes for a more dramatic and artistic look.

· Try different angles. Consider shooting that field of flowers from a low angle or that foodie-worthy restaurant meal from a tilted, high angle to get a more interesting photo. When shooting people, try shooting from slightly above, where you’ll most likely get the most flattering light and angles.

· It seems like an obvious one, but try to be perfectly still for a few seconds before AND after you snap the shot… some older smart phones may not have the shutter speed synced to the click sound you get when you snap the photo, and blurring can occur if you move before the camera has finished with the photo.

· Remember to focus the camera: most smart phones will focus automatically but it’s a good idea to tap the screen over the subject of your photo before you take the shot so that the photo focuses correctly.

· Avoid using the flash unless necessary. Unless you have a professional flash, the one on your smart phone will tend to make your subject look stark or flat when you use it. Try seeing what happens by tapping to focus and then not using the flash, or tilting the phone slightly up or down. If the photo is still too dark, borrow another person’s smart phone and set it to “flashlight” mode. Hold the flashlight phone just above your subject to light it, then use the camera on your phone to take the shot.

10,000 Steps

2014-07-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

By Eleanor Englund, Account Coordinator, EXCLAIM

Last year EXCLAIM purchased Fitbits for the entire team to help us track our steps for the day and foster friendly competition among us. I was surprised to find I wasn’t even getting halfway to the daily step goal of 10,000 on a regular basis. Having the Fitbit inspired me to walk more, because now there was a goal to meet. I also enjoyed being ‘friends’ with other Fitbit users, creating friendly rivalries and the bragging rights when you’re the person with the most steps. People love competitions and challenges because the exterior motivator helps to push them to do the healthy things they already want to do, or know they should do.

Many jobs today are sedentary, so having extra inspiration to walk to the cubicle down the hall, instead of just calling, is one of those times where they say, “every little bit counts,” and I really believe that to be true. Creating an environment that encourages healthy employees is crucial. When employees are healthy it means fewer employees will be out sick, more energy in the office, and an ability to focus more on projects you’re working on. Making it a group activity builds a sense of community, which in turn means higher morale, and therefore better mental health. The health of your employees is important to the health of your business, a little upfront investment can go a long way.

EXCLAIM is not alone in its quest to encourage health; companies often have wellness programs that vary from providing gym memberships and nutrition classes, to in-office yoga, prizes for working out, or even weight loss competitions. While it might seem like personal health is a taboo subject in the workplace most people get excited about the idea of having a group that is working toward a common goal.

Does your company have a wellness program in place? What type of motivation do you find most helpful?

The Power of a Thank You Note

2014-07-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

By Leslie Cohan, Account Director/Director of Public Relations, EXCLAIM

When I was growing up one of the first things I learned was to say, “thank you.” I understood early on that showing appreciation and thanking someone carried a lot of weight, and basically made people feel good. I also knew that being on the receiving end of a “thank you” was a nice place to be.

Recently, I came back from vacation to a card sitting on my desk. It was from a client, saying “thank you.” Certainly, he didn’t need to thank me, and our team, for doing our job, but knowing that he took the time to send me a handwritten note meant a lot. I’m sure when he sat down to write it, he had no idea the impact he would have. Think about the last time you received a handwritten thank you from a colleague or client.

Receiving the note brought me right back to when I was about 13-years-old. It was about that time that it was impressed upon me that I needed to write thank you notes when I received a gift. So much so, that my mom had personalized stationery made for me. I thought it was a little fancy, but I kind of liked it. As I grew older I understood why writing a thank you note was so important. For one, it let the gift giver know that I received their gift. It was also a way for me to tell someone that I appreciated them or something they had done.

Maybe I’m old school, but getting a thank you note in the mail seems more thoughtful than an email. I still write thank you notes when I receive a gift, and I still send them after meeting someone in a business environment. It’s just something I do, because it was what I was taught, and I think it’s important.

Just for fun, Google “Why you should hand write a thank you note.” When you do, you’ll see pages upon pages of reasons why a handwritten note is impactful in business and interviewing. See, the power of a thank you note. I kind of want to write a thank you note to Google now.

On the Search for Energy, Productivity and Happiness

2014-06-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

By Deanna Waters, Account Director, EXCLAIM

Seeing kids around Seattle grinning ear to ear as their school year winds up has brought on my summer break nostalgia. I remember waking up on summer mornings, eating my Cinnamon Life cereal and heading straight outside to play until dusk - only making pit stops in the house when necessary.

Fast-forward to today where playing outside on a weekday is a memory of the past, and reality is getting up from my desk chair only when a coworker hollers through the office that there is chocolate in the kitchen. Ironically (or not), my sedentary days just described are also the days that I’m sluggish in body, mind and spirit.

So, I’ve decided that this summer is going to be different. I am going to channel my inner kid and take mini summer breaks during the day – when possible – to rediscover the giddiness that walking or playing outdoors on a sunny afternoon brings. Research shows that it should also benefit me in the following ways:

The Body:

Of course we know that aerobic exercise is beneficial to our physical health. And getting some vitamin D doesn’t hurt either. But there are other assets such as giving our eyes a rest from screens and taking a break from recycled air that can increase our physical wellness and energy level throughout the day.

The Mind:

It has been proven that being active can help to maintain cognitive function and prolong mental wellbeing, according to Dr. Thomas Grabowski, director, UW Medicine Memory & Brain Wellness Center. This equates to being more productive in the present as well as into the future.

The Spirit:

Some researchers say that just 10 minutes of aerobic exercise increases endorphin levels, and therefore, boosts our mood. It can be meditative and allow a clearing of thoughts. Getting outside also opens us up to seeing things in the physical environment that we miss out on as we’re sitting at our desks. Who wouldn’t want to be super focused and super happy?

Just as I reminisce on the days of childhood summers past when I had few cares in the world, I envision looking back on this summer as the one where I find a renewed balance of energy, productivity and happiness. I invite you to join me on this journey. Let’s take small breaks from our packed workdays. Let’s allow ourselves to get up and move in creative ways. And finally, let’s find the summer break kid within us … the one who holds the key to reinvigorating our bodies, minds and spirit.

English As My First Language

2014-06-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

English As My First Language

By John Schuler, Owner/Creative Director, EXCLAIM

Today I received a nice letter from my client manager at a large banking institution. She was following up on a phone conversation we had earlier in the day. Her letter contained some oddities that immediately made me wonder about her capacity to handle my account. Here is a little snippet:

Weather it is assistance with financing, helping manage your cash flow, provide more options for your employees, or even assist you with your individual needs, I will be here.

Working in an industry based on communication, I am aware of the little grammatical errors in the letters I receive. Some are from aspiring artists who are just out of school and others, like this one, are from people hired to build a lasting, trusting relationship with their employer’s clients.

Over the course of the last fifteen years, I have noticed a marked increase in the number of people who are casual with the English language. I notice it on television as well, particularly with sports commentators. And with the increase in texting, typos have become so common, I practically overlook them. There are also more people in the workforce whose first language isn’t English.

Besides, who am I to judge? When I write copy, it goes to an editor and comes back littered with markups. In fact, when my copywriters write copy and I send it to an editor, it typically comes back with markups as well, and they are professionals. I imagine now you are looking over my blog with great scrutiny finding all the grammatical errors I’ve made. I would expect nothing less. Okay, so it wasn’t grammatically correct to start a sentence with “and,” but it flows better.

The point is, you understand what I am talking about. If I had filtered this blog through a copy editor, would it have communicated my message more clearly? I don’t think it probably would have. And that is the message. Does it matter most of the time?

There are times in my business where it is important to be rigid with the English language. We have clients who rely on us for it. But outside of those situations …I am going to try to be a little less harsh. I am certain there are many good people out there just trying to have a simple conversation with me.

It's a Love Hate Thing

2014-06-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

Eleanor Englund, Account Coordinator, EXCLAIM

More companies are acknowledging that maybe you don’t like their product. Over the past few years there have been a slew of companies saying, through advertising campaigns, “Hey, we know you might not like us. Tell us why.” Sometimes the companies are looking to fix things, but other times they’re just acknowledging that it’s okay not to be universally liked. Either way, the companies embrace consumer feedback and make sure to let the consumers know they are listening to it.

A company’s open acknowledgement of what consumers do and do not like about them can turn a normally impersonal organization into one that feels more transparent and connected to its consumers. Consumers who feel a company is listening to them will be more likely to have a strong sense of brand loyalty. Which, after all, is what we are all searching for.

Recently Laphroaig Scotch created an ad that was called “Laphroaig Opinions Welcome” which basically said, “We want to hear what you think, good and bad.” They then used consumer response to create a fun ad that connected with their consumer promoting their product with the understanding that, for some, scotch can be tough going down.

Check it out here

In 2012 Miracle Whip recognized some people love them and others, well, not so much; with its ad campaign “We’re not for everyone."

Dominos underwent an entire company and value change with Pizza Turnaround in 2009. They created a four minute video “documentary” that was a long form version of an ad campaign designed to show that they wanted customer feedback, and wanted to change.

Check it out here

Tell us what you think? Does this type of “honest marketing” appeal to you as a consumer?

Work on the Go: Office 365, Google Docs & Drive, iWorks

2014-06-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Stewart, Art Director, EXCLAIM

If you’re like most people, you spend more time on your phone or tablet than you do your desktop computer. That’s a fact that hasn’t been lost on the major tech companies. In order to cater to our ever-increasing tendencies toward mobile phones and tablets, and to fulfill our work-on-the-go needs, major tech companies including Apple, Microsoft and Google have all released app/web-based productivity suites. With so much technology now at your fingertips you may be wondering which is the right one for you. Here are a few things to consider when choosing:

Microsoft Office 365

This suite may seem like the obvious choice for many people. It features mobile versions of Microsoft’s big three: Word, Excel and PowerPoint and is available on all of the major platforms including Android, iOS and, of course, Windows phone. The main benefit of Office 365 is that most people are intimately familiar with Microsoft Office and already have a multitude of documents in one of these three formats. Office 365 offers access to documents via the cloud, plus an easy way to make changes to those documents on the fly using their free app for tablet or smartphone and is now available without a subscription.

There are a few drawbacks, however. The smartphone app offers very little editing or document creating abilities, and is fairly limited in general. The tablet version, however, is more robust. The other downside is more along the lines of what many Office users have complained of in the past: limited ability to using formatting and creative layouts as compared to other software.

Apple iWorks

Similar to the Microsoft Office suite, Apple's iWorks includes corresponding software called Numbers, Pages and Keynote. iWorks highlights what Apple does best: it offers user-friendly apps with a high degree of layout, design, animation and formatting options and robust app features. For users already familiar with Apple’s iPhoto and iMovie apps it also offers fairly seamless integration and is also integrated into Apple’s iCloud. In general, the suite gives users a more advanced tool for creating professional-looking documents.

While Apple’s software may not be as familiar to Office users, the programs can edit documents from Microsoft Office and then re-save them into a Microsoft Office compatible file, although some of the more advanced layout and formatting may not translate for Microsoft Office. The main drawback is that like most of their software, iWorks is proprietary and only available for Apple products, and although it is free and pre-installed on newer Apple devices, it does require you to sign up for a free iCloud account.

Google Docs/Drive

Much like Apple and Microsoft’s suite, Google’s software is also cloud-based and lets users create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms and even drawings. The advantage of Google Docs is that it is already a part of gmail, so gmail users already have access to the suite, whether they’ve used it or not. Google Docs and Google Drive offer easy ways for users to create and edit documents and store them on their Google Cloud drive and many forms of Microsoft Office documents can also be edited this way.

Recently, Google also expanded its offerings so that non-gmail users could take advantage of the software, however, you must still sign up for a free account. Also, while Google’s software makes it easy to use and share documents, it lacks the formatting and advanced design abilities of its competitors.

To find out more about these products visit:

google.com

apple.com

microsoft.com

All Eyes on Apple

2014-05-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

By Michelle Stewart, Art Director, EXCLAIM

With their highly-anticipated World Wide Developers Conference coming up the first week in June, all eyes are on Apple and what new products they’ll be releasing this year. Steve Jobs, is, sadly, long gone but here are a few insights on what made Apple different, why design matters in relationship to technology, and the impact that’s had on us all:

http://www.cultofmac.com/280593/steve-jobs-taught-everyone-even-apples-engi…

Being Addicted To My Smartphone Isn’t So Smart

2014-05-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Leslie Cohan, Advertising Account Director/Director of Public Relations

Hi, my name is Leslie and I’m addicted to my smartphone. There, I said it. To put this addiction into perspective, it’s not like I’m on it when I’m having family dinners (well most of the time I’m not). I do like to check my emails at night and on the weekends, and perhaps I may have a secondary addiction to social media. I’m that person that posts pictures of my dog, I check-in places on Facebook, and I like to take photos of food I conjure up in the kitchen. And, since I’m throwing it all out there, I sleep with my smartphone next to my bed. The last thing I do before I go to sleep and the first thing I do in the morning is get on my smartphone. None of these habits can be healthy. Okay, I’m starting to feel better now. Acknowledging is the first step to recovery, right?

I know I’m not alone in this addiction. According to PR Daily, 35-percent of people get on their smartphones before they get out of bed. Everything I’ve read and heard is that this little addiction of mine is interfering with my sleep and getting in the way of having a less stressful life. So, with all of that being said, I’ve made the decision to change my smartphone behavior.

Here are three changes that I’m going to make starting today:

1. I’m going to keep my smartphone in another room when I go to bed;

2. I’m not going to check my emails until I get into the office. If there’s an emergency I will get a text/call from my clients or a colleague;

3. I’m not going to check emails over the weekend. Same as #2.

If you suffer from this little addiction too, why don’t you try making the same changes and let me know how it’s going. In the meantime, take a look at these articles that talk about the importance of unwiring.

I’ll report back on how I’m doing in this new lifestyle change in a future blog post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/07/morning-rituals-worth-adopting_n_4025473.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/02/06/feeling-disconnected-5-reasons-to-unplug-from-technology-after-work/

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/Infographic_83_percent_of_young_people_sleep_next_9391.aspx#

The Ever Changing Social Interface

2014-05-13T15:02:00.001-07:00

By Eleanor Englund, Account Coordinator, EXCLAIM

Recently, Twitter launched a new user interface that will slowly roll out across all accounts in the near future. Layout changes occur across almost every major social network on a regular basis. They have become so common people have almost ceased complaining when they happen, almost.

With so many people using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snap Chat to stay in touch there are bound to be different opinions about social platform changes. For each change there is some level of readjusting to the program, discovering added features and having to search out where things have been moved. Some may argue these changes make things better. By adding new features and removing ones that weren’t successful the company is making the system more user friendly. Others would prefer the, ‘if it ain’t broke don't fix it’ approach. They like the platform the way it is, and once they get used to it they would prefer it if it stayed that way.

Why do these sites change their designs? It could be market research telling them images are the most important thing to highlight, a key part of Twitter’s changes over the past year are visible in the side by side example seen below.

Tell us what you think. How do you feel about constantly changing profiles, feeds, and site features? Do you prefer things stay the same or are you excited when there is a new layout?

Left is Twitter’s new layout and right is their original look in 2006. Making images the priority of the site makes it closer to other social sites like Instagram, which recently has been growing at a faster rate than the traditionally text focused Twitter.

Stress is for the Birds

2014-05-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

John Schuler, Owner/Creative Director, EXCLAIM

I moved from Seattle to California in March of last year. As with all major life changes, there was no shortage of stressful events swirling around, many of which centered around managing my business in Seattle remotely and ensuing ongoing success for me and my employees, and most importantly, my clients.

The first week working from California was filled with unexpected challenges, most of which were technology related. Trying to manage the internet, phone and other technology to maximize my productivity and communicate seamlessly with my team, in a way that felt natural to them. Well, it wasn’t always easy. Needless to say, this raised my stress level even more.

Thankfully, the apartment complex we were living in temporarily was nice, sporting meandering pathways filled with dog owners to meet on my daily walks with Walter, the corgi. This helped, as did the spectacular Spring weather.

The first week was the most intense as I sat in my new home office (dining room) with the window open and the fresh air wafting in. In this otherwise tranquil environment, a new sound emerged. It sounded like a kid was blowing on a horn. And he was tenacious. All day long, it seemed, the horn continued in three-to-four second bursts. I imagined him marching around the complex blowing on his horn, and it really added to the anxiety I was already feeling. I imagined his parent in the house doing other things, happy that their child was somewhere else. Somewhere bothering me. This built up over several days.

Sometime later I came across the kid while I was walking the dog. I wanted badly to snatch that horn from his hands. But there was no horn for me to take. Instead, I found that the horn wasn’t being blown by a child at all. It was a mourning dove. A cute little pigeon-like bird that wanders around cooing in a very unique manner. Not only did I laugh a great deal, but in an instant it washed away all the stress I had built up over the imaginary child.

Today, over a year later, I sit here my new home office (not the dining room) with my window open and a pair of mourning doves are walking and cooing in my backyard. I love hearing them. They are soothing in fact.

It’s funny how when you are in a stressful situation, you listen differently. You listen for things that will add to your stress level. When you are at peace, you listen for things that are peaceful.

When faced with potentially stressful situations, I now think of the doves. And sometimes I can even hear them. It makes me laugh. It doesn’t always relieve my stress, but at least it offers me a different way of approaching it.

Now if you hit some stressful times, you can enjoy them, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI6TGKqdOmE

Design Trends: Skeuomorphism vs. Flat Design

2014-04-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Michelle Stewart, Art Director, EXCLAIM

You may not have heard the terms “skeuomorphism” and “flat design” but chances are you come in to contact with one or both daily. Skeuomorphism is a design principle in which something is designed to look and “feel” like it’s real world counterpart. Usually this refers to computer and smart phone interfaces. For example, if you go to the “camera” app on your smart phone, it may look like a 3-dimensional camera lens. Or, if you go to the calendar or datebook on your computer, it may have been designed to look like a traditional paper calendar or datebook, with leather trim and stitching, and shadow and highlights that contribute to the 3-D look.

Skeuomorphism is a design term that became popular as earlier computer operating systems were created. To new computer users, it gave people a sense of familiarity to the digital world. It helped people to think about their computer system in a physical way just as the terms “desktop” and “folders” do. When smart phones came into the picture, the majority also had Skeuomorphic user interfaces, with 3-D buttons, realistic icons and shadows.

As often happens, this trend started to fade. As people became more and more familiar with computer and smart phone operating systems, the need for Skeoumorphism declined. That familiarity, fostered by the fact that design trends naturally come and go, brought about flat design. Flat design is a graphic style that uses icons, rather than 3-dimensional graphics, and simple blocks of color, rather than backgrounds that involve shading or drop shadows. It is often accompanied by bright, solid colors and thin, modern typefaces that are san-serif for a clean simple look. If you’re using a recent or recently upgraded iPhone or Windows phone, you are using a flat design interface. Many of the new Android systems are also incorporating flat design as well as the Google Chrome browser. Similarly, if you use the latest Windows or Mac operating system, you are using something that is created using a flat design style.

It doesn’t stop there though. Look for the flat design trend to be influencing many of the websites you visit and advertising and collateral you encounter. For an example of flat design, check out Apple’s iPhone store.

Vacation vs. Workation - Which camp are you in?

2014-04-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

By Deanna Waters, Account Director, EXCLAIM

I recently returned from a fantastically relaxing week-long vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. On one particularly gorgeous afternoon as I was walking through the main plaza of our resort in search of my next margarita, I noticed a plethora of vacationers crammed into the shady lobby area. They were all hunched over their computers, tablets and phones, taking advantage of 90-minutes of free wi-fi that the hotel offers their guests each day.

I turned to my husband and incredulously asked him, “What are ALL of these people doing?” I could not fathom why these vacationers would be huddled in this small, dark wi-fi-land when there were whales to be watching, beaches to be walking, lounge chairs to be sunning (or shading) in, and pool bars to be swimming up to. He just looked at me with a touch of sympathy and shook his head - as if I really have so, so much to learn.

You see, my husband is a “work while on vacation” kind of guy. I on the other hand, tend to be a “forget about work while on vacation” kind of gal. My personality is such that I have a really difficult time recharging if I can’t let the work go. How do I find balance in my life if I can’t unplug from time to time? Now, that isn’t saying that I haven’t worked while vacationing, because I certainly have, however, it’s not my first choice if it can be helped. I decided to do some research on how others feel about working while on vacation, and came to the conclusion that there seem to be three main camps:

Camp 1: There are those who need to completely unplug in order to recharge, and find that it induces stress to work while on vacation. Hello, fellow campers!

Camp 2: There are those who experience less stress while on vacation if they are able to keep in touch and check-in with their coworkers/clients while they are away and take care of and/or delegate issues as they arise.

Camp 3: And then there are those who must work while on vacation, either because they are expected to by their boss, or because they are the boss, or perhaps they do not have a co-worker or subordinate to cover for them while they are out.

In fact, recent surveys conducted in 2013 show that 69 percent of American vacationers bring a work capable device along on their trips, and over 60 percent of those folks do indeed check work regularly during their R and R. Based on statistics from previous years, these numbers seem to be continuously increasing. So vacations for many may actually be more along the lines of workations, and I can imagine that this will become more commonplace and expected by American employers and travelers as time marches on.

Alas, I will continue to vacation without my laptop bag around my shoulder and smartphone as an appendage whenever possible. This is how I relax. However, I will also more easily find compassion in my heart for those congregated in wi-fi-land in order to de-stress while traveling. And in the meantime, I’ll take that margarita on the rocks, please.

The Merging of Two Brands

2014-04-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

Leslie Cohan, Advertising Account Director/Director of Public Relations, EXCLAIM

When was the last time you saw a commercial where you had to do a double take, and then smile at the brilliance? For me it was last Sunday. It’s been a while since a television commercial stopped me in my tracks. As in literally, stopped me, made me rewind and watch again to be sure I saw what I thought I saw. The commercial: One :30 spot featuring Ms. Brown from M&Ms and the GEICO gecko and hump day camel from the GEICO commercials.

I couldn’t remember seeing two strong brands come together in this way before. Even the Reese’s chocolate and peanut butter commercial from the 80s didn’t promote a specific brand of peanut butter or chocolate, it was for Reese’s. And, while it’s not unheard of, it is rare. But, it isn’t new to GEICO either; the GEICO gecko did have a run in with the Taco Bell Chihuahua a few years back.

The strategy of bringing these two independent brands together was so smart and well thought out. The marketing folks from both companies showed confidence in their agencies and trusted the strength of their brands. Kudos to the agencies representing both GEICO and Mars.

For me, this was pure brilliance. If you haven’t seen the spot, read more about it and check it out here. I also hear there are more in the hopper.

http://adage.com/article/news/m-m-s-geico-s-characters-star-tv-ad/291971/

Community

2014-03-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

Leslie Cohan, Advertising Account Director/Director of Public Relations, EXCLAIM

So many stories.

So many lives. So many families with missing loved ones. It’s been a little over a week since the massive mudslide took the lives of so many in Snohomish county. It’s almost unreal to think about what happened and how many lives have been affected. I think about the moms and dads, sisters and brothers, I think about the animals. I think about how the community has rallied around the grieving families and the first responders. I think about all of the people who are donating food and water, clothing, time, and money. I think about what it must have been like for our neighbors who were sitting on their couches on a Saturday morning watching TV and drinking a cup of coffee, and then the slide happened. I think about how a tragedy can bring a community together.

I think about the stories.

The stories about the victims are being told now. We’re hearing about the high school sweethearts, who along with other members of their family are gone…three generations, just like that. I think about the plumber who went to work that day in Oso to replace a water tank, and never came home. I think about the young woman who was driving along the road running errands.

I think about the storytellers, the reporters and photographers. What an incredibly difficult job. For days now they have been covering news conferences, talking with families, reporting phone numbers for people to call with information. I think about how social media has been utilized to get the word out fast, to help raise money and to help build a community filled with people from around the world, all to lift up this small local community.

I think about how we can all help.

http://snohomishcountywa.gov/2362/How-to-Help

https://www.facebook.com/Everettanimals

Office Ecosystem

2014-03-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Eleanor Englund, Account Coordinator, EXCLAIM

Everyone thrives in different work environments. Some people work best under pressure, have papers scattered all over their desk and listen to music to help them concentrate; while others might prefer silence, order, and plenty of time to work things out. Within EXCLAIM you get all of those work styles and more, but there are a few things we all agree make a strong office:

· Communication

· Work-life balance

· Team Spirit

These are all very important to us here. These qualities are all reflected in our values, which are included in the image below. A way you might incorporate all of these elements is fostering a sense of fun within a busy workday. For example, at EXCLAIM, you might find us playing ping-pong, competing in a toaster oven cook-off or going for after work drinks. Creating that sense of community plays into all of the elements above. You don’t mind being busy at work when you’re also having fun.

I think building these qualities into a workplace are key to a successful business of any type. What’s your work environment like? Do you believe in the “work hard-play hard motto?”

Tracking Time Opens New Worlds

2014-03-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

Mai Li Lee
Managing Partner, EXCLAIM

Well, tracking time may not open worlds, but it can provide you with many tools for your day-to-day work.

In the old days, time was tracked on stones with rudimentary tools. A day might look like this: Hunt for food; 3 hours, Clean and cook food; 3 hours, Track time; 3 hours. There wasn’t a lot going on back then, and tracking time was hard.

And, we all remember the days of spreadsheets or handwritten timesheets for tracking time. How did we ever get anything done?

But today, tools exist to make time tracking easy and meaningful. Tools that allow you to quickly change from one task to another give you a bird’s eye glance at your projects. It’s also helpful for looking at the full scope of a project. Being able to see the entire team’s time allows the project manager to stay on budget and make adjustments as needed. Time tracking software allows you to keep track of time and expenses, job numbers, notes, running reports and invoicing directly from the software.

Speaking of reports, being able to dive into the details of how time is being spent on a project allows the project manager to find areas where too much time is being spent or if time is being spent on the wrong things.

And, although you may not think it, time tracking can actually be fun. It will open opportunities for you at work, allow you to price future projects more accurately and lead to a better sense of balance in your work/life world.

Our time tracking tool at EXCLAIM is called Harvest. It is a great tool that interfaces cleanly with your day-to-day work. There are lots of great time tracking tools out there like Filemaker Pro, Function Fox, just to name a few. If you’re not tracking your time, try it, you’ll be surprised what you find out.

What the Heck is Neuromarketing?

2014-03-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

Deanna Waters

Account Director, EXCLAIM

People make a multitude of decisions everyday. Some of the decisions are “no-brainers” and are determined subconsciously, without the realization that a choice has been made at all. There are other decisions that folks have more difficulty with, needing extra time to determine what the outcome of the choice might constitute.

As marketers, our strategies often directly correlate to the decisions that we think our target audience will make. And in order to do this well, we must understand the process behind how our audience resolves to buy our product. If only we could get into their brains…

We know that our old brain, or “reptilian brain” as some call it, is constantly assessing the world around us, and is to a large extent at play in our decision making process. If it had a voice, you might hear it repeatedly asking/grunting, “Can I eat it? Can I have sex with it? Will it kill me?” The old brain then transmits messages to other “newer” areas of our brain where automatic responses such as excitement or repulsion are born.

Enter neuromarketing.

Neuroscience in marketing is a fairly new concept that was developed at Harvard University in 1990, and was coined “neuromarketing” in 2002. In a nutshell, neuromarketing is a collection of subconscious data about a product or brand through the measurement of electrical activity and/or blood flow in the brain. Pretty darn cool.

So, how does this work? A neuromarketer sticks electrodes to a volunteer’s head and can then monitor (through fMRI, EEG or SST) the intensity of responses to a stimulus such as a photo, video or song being presented to the person without a word being exchanged. We now know how this person intrinsically reacts to our product or brand. Imagine as a marketer, having this type of visceral, unaided feedback at your fingertips in order to create messaging that sparks the pleasure reward center in the brains of your unsuspecting target demographic, leading them to decide that they have to have your product right now. Genius!

Brands such as Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Campbell’s Soup and Nike have used this method of research. And who knows where neuromarketing will take us in the future. It’s still in its infancy and it does indeed have its critics, however, I bet it trends just as quickly as this season’s celosia orange shift dress on the runway in New York.

Marketing the Cannabis Industry. Why it’s important they get this right the first time.

2014-03-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

By John Schuler
Partner/Creative Director

The cannabis industry is taking shape in Washington and Colorado, and the rest of the country is watching to see what will happen next. In fact, the rest of the world is watching. With so many people waiting to see what’s next, how these companies market themselves in this new industry will be a key factor in their success.

Those who voted to legalize are anxious for the industry to quickly take shape and prove that cannabis is a legitimate business that will create jobs, generate revenue for the state, and at the same time, cut down on crime and the prosecutorial imbalance surrounding it.

On the other side are people who still feel cannabis should be outlawed. That it will create a wasteland of humanity and that nothing good can come of it. These people, inspired in part by decades of prohibition, are looking for a complete failure in the system, if for no other reason than to prove themselves right.

Cannabis carries with it a stigma generated over the years by government videos, crime, social disdain and well, a lot of people just don’t like the smell of burning weed. It has been called a gateway drug and linked in stories on TV and in movies as a short step away from heroin and other dangerous narcotics.

For many who grew up in a culture where cannabis was readily accessible, it is easy to see that those stories are more the exception than the rule.

And it is for this reason that those who want to legitimize cannabis have an important responsibility ahead of them. They have a responsibility to all those who voted to legalize cannabis, to do the very best to ensure the success of this new industry. The same is true for those who work on behalf of companies in the cannabis industry.

One of the most important tools to help define the industry is marketing. From the packaging to advertising, education to public relations, the face that is put on this new industry could dramatically improve the perception that non-voters have for it, while strengthening the resolve of those dedicated to it.

The way cannabis is perceived by the media alone will have a large influence on when the tipping point occurs, transferring our local industry into the model for a national rollout of legalized cannabis. And public relations has the power to greatly impact the message the media delivers to the public.

This is new territory and nobody can fully predict the outcome. Are we at the beginning of a new industry that will grow to epic proportions, or is this merely a test that we can fail, moving us back to the era of prohibition and legal challenges?

The people involved in the cannabis industry today have a lot to say about that. I’d like to see them get this right and show the world that the fears instilled in us about cannabis have no basis in fact. To do this they will need to start with a strong brand. A mission that goes beyond growing or selling cannabis alone and a foundation in design and public relations that presents their product in a professional, safe manner.