Flynn Wright

Help Us Grade the Big Game Commercials

Andrea Breen — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:20:13 GMT

We're not so concerned with who wins the game on Sunday. We're more concerned about who has the best commercial. And you can help decide!

Again, we've teamed up with Harvest Research Center to determine who will have the most memorable commercial. Will it be Doritos, Volkswagen, Coca-Cola or will someone else claim the top spot? The Big Game Advertising Survey will help us decide.

Make sure your opinion gets heard by registering for the Big Game Advertising Survey. You could win one of five $100 VISA gift cards.

In the meantime, check out Honda's early released Ferris Bueller spot.

See Us at The AMA Agency Crawl

Derek Pine — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:05:25 GMT

We're one of three agencies opening our doors to AMA Iowa Chapter members and students for this years Agency Crawl. Be sure to register for the crawl and come see us along with Catchfire Media and Lava Row. This is the last time you'll see us in our current pad before we move here!

Facebook and Twitter Stats for Des Moines

Stephanie Grangaard — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:29:01 GMT

In 2011, Flynn Wright’s MarketWatch omnibus asked a few questions to help discover the use of social media among Des Moines metro residents. The first question we asked helped us determine the percentage of Des Moines metro residents who consider themselves regular Facebook or Twitter users. The second question asked those regular Facebook and Twitter users if they had "liked" or "followed" a local Iowa business in the past six months.

Do you regularly use social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter?

In the past six months have you liked, become a fan of, or followed a local business in Iowa on one of these social media sites?

Approximately 35% or 197,017* of Des Moines metro area residents reported regularly using Facebook. In addition, 10% or 56,290* reported regularly using Twitter. Among these Facebook and Twitter users, approximately two out of every five or roughly 109,000* have started a social relationship with a local Iowa business in the past six months.
*Numbers are based of the 2010 Census Bureau statistics for the Des Moines Metropolitan area.

Facebook, Twitter and Your Business
Understanding the Des Moines metro social media usage statistics, we ask local Iowa business', what are you doing to grow your social audience? I often see commercials that encourage viewers to like a company's Facebook page. Other companies use print ads, outdoor and radio spots that ask their audiences to become a fan of their business in exchange for a chance to win concert tickets or have their kitchen remodeled. Has your business run any similar promotions? And if so, which type of call to action has worked the best for you in the past; contests, challenges, giveaways, sweepstakes?

What is our MarketWatch omnibus study?
This research tool employs an established sample size and demographic model which allows results of Flynn Wright’s MarketWatch study to be reliably projected on the market as a whole.

Since 2001, Flynn Wright’s MarketWatch omnibus study has provided evaluation of brand awareness and ratings for the business-to-consumer market within the Greater Des Moines area. Gender, age and income breakouts for the second quarter reflect the most recent available U.S. census data. A sample of approximately 300 individuals has been surveyed throughout Polk County and the immediately surrounding ZIP codes. Surveys were conducted through computer-aided phone interviews (CATI) during June of 2011.

It's Art Festival Time

Derek Pine — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:15:53 GMT

Good morning Des Moines! Could we ask for any better weather to enjoy the arts this weekend? By the looks of it right now, I would say definitely not.

Besides checking out the artwork from all the local and national artists, here's what I recommend seeing at the Des Moines Arts Festival this weekend:

Live music – there are some seriously awesome music acts this year:
ScarsOn45 play at 7pm Friday, The Smithereens follow at 8pm. On Saturday check out Silent Agency at 1:30pm, Modoc at 6pm and The Envy Corps at 8pm.
Performance Art:
Get blown away Friday night at 5pm with the stunt show by Project Dynamite and then again Saturday at 5:45. Sunday's Des Moines Poetry slam at 11:30am could be awesome or disastrous, so that makes for some fun.
Interactive Arts:
Join Bank of America and the Des Moines Art Center to create a 30' by 25' inverted ice cream cone using brightly colored recycled plastic bags. Also, share your creative side by painting a picket fence assembled around the Blitz Build house. If you have kiddos get them entered in the coloring contest for a chance to win a $25 gift card to spend on the art supplies.
Interrobang Film Festival:
Check out the Interrobang Film Festival, to view 52 independent films on-site in the south wing of the Des Moines Central Library.

Most of all have fun this weekend! Enjoy the weather and enjoy the arts in one of the most beautiful settings in all of Des Moines.

We're Moving!

Derek Pine — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:51:36 GMT

The word is out that we're moving to a new state of the art facility in downtown by the end of the year. You can read more about the building located across from the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Garden in the Des Moines Register or Business Record.

But here is what we're most excited about with the new space:

Downtown. Can't say it enough. While we're on the outskirts of it right now, to be in the heart of it will be awesome.
The view. We will have the privilege of looking out at this every day.
New workspace. While we're at the beginning of space design we're pretty excited about creating opportunities for our talented people to work closer with spaces designed for teamwork.
Pride. We're sure this space is going to give all of us a real sense of pride for where we work and what we do.
Wow factor. We work with the best clients and we want these clients and future clients to feel wowed when they step in our doors. We're the real deal and we want them to know they deserve it.
Hub-bub. I had a chance to eat at the Jimmy John's over there last week and realized we're going to be right in the hub-bub of activity. Within walking distance we'll have restaurants, the library, the sculpture garden, coffee shops, shopping and much more.
Parking. We have it now, but to have easy parking at the new spot is more icing on the cake.

The Royal Wedding is over...

Stephanie Grangaard — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:36:37 GMT

...but our poll results are in!
Among individuals who took the Royal Wedding poll, it appears that about half (53%) were following the wedding and 35% at least planned on watching. However, 59% of poll respondents had no particular plans for the event, and 58% did not intend to watch the wedding. While respondents showed a slight interest in the Royal Wedding, the majority was not as captivated by the event as the media made it sound.

Question One

When it came to watching the Royal Wedding, respondents were just as likely to be ecstatic about it as they were to have no interest in it. At the far end of the spectrum, 29% of poll respondents said "no way" to watching the wedding. At the other end of the spectrum, 29% of respondents couldn't wait to watch Prince William get hitched. When combining the "no way" and "most likely not" responses, it appears that overall, 58% of people did not plan to watch the Royal Wedding, while 35% of respondents were "most likely" or "definitely" planning to watch.

Question Two

Approximately 59% of individuals had no special plans for the wedding. Among those who did have plans, an enthusiastic 12% hosted a very late, or early, party last Friday.

Question Three

In the days preceding the event, approximately 24% of respondents were following the Royal Wedding relatively closely, 29% were at least following it, and 48% of respondents really were not following it.

Royal Wedding Anyone?

Stephanie Grangaard — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:27:31 GMT

This Friday at 2:15am CST (8:15 in London) the Royal Wedding coverage beings. Prince William will marry Kate Middleton, making her the newest addition to the Royal Family as Princess Kate. News stations like the BBC are planning 184 hours of Royal coverage, CNN has 145 reporters in London covering the story, and specialty channels like TLC and We are showcasing Royal Wedding specials all week.

Where does your obsession, or wariness, of the Royal Wedding fall in the scope of it all? Around Flynn Wright, everyone is talking about the big wedding and discussing their plans to attend Royal Wedding parties. So Des Moines, are you awaiting the big day as anxiously as all of us?

Take our quick poll and tell us your royal Wedding plans!

Results of the poll will be posted on the blog next week. See you then.

2011 Super Bowl Ad Recap – Volkswagen Delivers

Paul Schlueter — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:59:15 GMT

Last evening, while most of us were winding down from our respective Super Bowl festivities, participants from the Harvest Research Center consumer panel and guest panelists were busy putting the final word on Super Bowl XLV advertising. Their instant feedback demonstrates the power of instant research and once again provided a first-to-market consumer perspective of the winners and losers within the advertising industry’s game-within-a-game.

And the winner is? Volkswagen.
Advertising is all about connection and if you watched the game with a large group you probably felt it the moment that ad ran. With its “Kid Vader” ad Volkswagen deftly tapped a universal shared experience and unlocked deep-seated emotions within its primary target audience. Unlike many Super Bowl ads, this one did not get in the way of its own success. With thoughtful delivery and subtle restraint, Volkswagen evoked powerful childhood memories and managed to bind that good will directly to the brand. The spot carried 97% recall and earned an 82% approval rating among the 25 – 34-year-old demographic, no doubt a critical audience for the Passat. Even master Yoda could not have done it better.

Once again Flynn Wright partnered with Harvest Research Center to conduct this annual study of Super Bowl advertising throughout the Midwest. Testing continues today with our annual Vibetrak study which collects moment-by-moment response to the game’s best advertising. Download Harvest Research Center’s 2011 results here and watch for our Vibetrak rankings of 2011 top ads to post soon.

It's Commercial Time

Derek Pine — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:05:39 GMT

Some would say it's time for some football. But in reality I think the Big Game has become much more of a commercial phenomenon than anything. Maybe it's because we're in the industry, but our office isn't buzzing about who's playing in the Big Game, even though a semi-local team is in it. It's more set ablaze with buzz about what we think this year's "big" commercial is going to be.

We've worked with Harvest Research Center to put together the annual Big Game Adverting Survey to gauge Iowan's reactions to the commercials. For the past two years, Doritos has been the fire-starter taking the top spot amongst our panel. In 2009, it was the "Chrystal Ball" spot, and in 2010, it was the "Keep Your Hands Off My Doritos" spot. It looks like Iowan's prefer their Big Game commercials to have a little humor.

As we look forward to gathering our results for 2011, we wonder if Doritos will be able to pull the hat trick and take top honors again. I'm hopeful some unforeseen contender is going to blow us away with a new advertising campaign that will be around for years to come instead of for just a short season of commercial runs. We'll see and wait with anticipation.

In the meantime, register to join the Big Game Advertising Survey panel. We've got some great prizes, including a grand prize of $250.

Your Business Card is the Prize

Derek Pine — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:35:21 GMT

Why GAP?... Why?

Derek Pine — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 09:07:35 GMT

The GAP has spent the better part of the last two decades building a brand image using its logo. So far it's worked great. It helped the GAP become one of the most recognizable American retail brands. It's a mark that speaks sophisticated yet casual, modern, strong and desired.

But all good things must come to an end, I guess.

This new "thing" (I refuse to call it a logo) looks like something made by the high school yearbook staff using Microsoft Word. And from a brand recognition standpoint, it kills everything they have done for the last 20 years. I acknowledge the need to update a logo... but when all of your advertising and marketing dollars go to building a brand that is recognized for its mark... you better be careful. Or second-guess that decision.

I give this new "thing" a few months. The GAP will realize they should have stuck with tradition instead of trying to "recreate" themselves when they already had something good going.

Some of Our Favorite Fall Events in Des Moines

Kiersten Maertens — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:45:37 GMT

I love this time of year because fun, community events are in full swing! September saw us put another year of supporting the Employee & Family Resources’ annual event – Every Family Rocks! The Des Moines Family Music Festival – under our belt. And at the end of October we’ll be celebrating the 19th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure where more than 25,000 people will show their support in the fight against breast cancer.

But right in between these two fabulous fall events is one of my favorites – the Josephs Jewelers Diamond Dash. It’s this Saturday and so far we’re expecting about 300 couples to tackle the texting scavenger hunt through the streets of Des Moines for the chance to win a $10,000 Josephs diamond engagement ring. If you’re interested, couples can still register for the event by telling us why they should be selected to play. Just visit www.josephsdiamonddash.com.

I hope everyone is taking advantage of all these great community events happening around Des Moines this fall. If so, I’ll see you there!

Mobile Eateries - 1. Villanueva Taco Truck

Meghan Sabin — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:18:36 GMT

We at Flynn Wright love to be involved in the community and support other local businesses. Given our love of food, this is frequently done by organizing group lunches at favorite local restaurants. What can I say – we’re our own Food Network. We recently expanded the definition of “restaurant” and picked a beautiful almost-fall day to visit “The Taco Truck,” also known as Villanueva to the rest of the population.

Taco trucks
Around here, they are vehicles of legend. Often appearing questionable to the unfamiliar eye, they provide some of the best lunches (and stories) to the FW staff. To the best of our knowledge, nearly a dozen taco trucks serve the Greater Des Moines area, each carrying its own unique take on the traditional street taco. Villanueva is no different, offering several meat options from steak and pork to tongue and sausage, served up in your choice of taco, burrito, quesadilla… you get the picture. What they lack in menu diversity they make up for in quality – the food is great. Top it off with a mandarin Jarritos and you’ve got a tasty lunch.

The other advantage is the al fresco dining. Who doesn’t want a break from the four walls of the office to enjoy a little sunshine? Since their two picnic tables offer limited seating, I recommend bringing your own chair just to be on the safe side. Choosing between your car and the ground leaves something to be desired in the seating department.

Check back next week as we continue our tour of mobile eating establishments at the Burger Barge

Office Prank 5

Derek Pine — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:28:37 GMT

Victim: Stephanie Grangaard
Method: Balloontopia

Our original goal was to do 500 balloons. After realizing they were $16 for 100 balloons we changed our minds and decided on 200. Good thing too. I think we were all border-line passing out.

Are You Buzzing?

Derek Pine — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:56:36 GMT

This post, in some respect, is going to be the most egotistical post ever. But it's a blog and in its very nature carries some ego, right? Be honest. But for the record, I am only trying to exploit my ego to prove a point. And in order to do that I need to wade through it.

So here it goes.

Google me. Seriously, Google my name "Derek Pine." The second link below my Twitter account is a link to Flynn Wright. Which means, you already are! Googling me, that is. While recently looking through some site statistics for the last quarter, we discovered that my name is the 7th most Googled phrase that leads to the site flynnwright.com.

Head begins growing… I'm thinking, that's freaking awesome! People are visiting us online purely on the basis of my name. And they are spending a significant amount of time on the site -- visiting a pretty significant amount of pages.

Head still growing… I should feel downright proud, eh?! And I am.

Epiphany… Holy crap, I am representing a company and creating a significant amount of buzz.

Head shrinking… What the buzz am I saying?

Back to normal sized cranium… Here's the point. Do you create buzz? Do you realize the effects of your buzz? It's no mistake that I have purposely done things to position my "Google face." But I also know that it comes with a price. To some extent, I represent myself and my employer with everything I do. And as a result I am purposely aware of what I say and do online. I work to create buzz that is of value regardless of the ridiculous bio on my Flynn Wright culture page that my Googled name links too.

How about you and/or your business? Are you creating buzz? Are you aware of it? Do you like it? Are you shaping it? Take some time to Google your name or business name. If you don't like what you see, start taking steps to shape it. If you need help shaping it… you know who to call.

mrkt ur biz thru txt

Robin McKinney — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:17:11 GMT

I came across an article recently that said the average cell phone subscriber now sends/receives an average of 357 text messages per month compared to 204 phone calls. As an avid texter, this is not a surprising statistic. With my friends, texting is the most common form of communication. Frankly, I have almost forgotten what my ringtone even sounds like.

So what does this mean for the future of advertising? And what companies are already having success with text message marketing?

According to Nielsen, approximately 200 million of the 250 million wireless subscribers have text messaging capabilities on their cell phones. For those of us in the industry, that means we now have a much more personal and interactive way to communicate with our target customers. Everything from TV shows, cars, soda and deodorant are being promoted through text message. Nielsen found that 16 percent of texters in the U.S. see some form of text message advertising each month. Of those, 45 percent say they have actually responded in some way.

Coca-Cola has been using text message marketing for its “My Coke Rewards” program with great success. The mobile portion of their campaign allows consumers to enter their codes/points via text message.

Ashley Furniture is another example of a company having success with text message marketing. They sent 6,000 text messages to existing customers and 29,000 emails to the general public promoting a four-day “secret sale” at their local store. The text messages outperformed the email with almost 63 percent of the revenue generated from the sale being attributed to the text message coupon.

What’s your company doing to take advantage of this mobile marketing trend?

Who Is Texting?

Plus:

21.1% of texters have a household income between $75,000 and $100,000
33% of 25- to 34-year-olds and 26% of 35- to 44-year-olds have opted to receive text messages from a company
60.2% of 25- to 34-year-olds and 46.2% of 35- to 44-year-olds have received some form of marketing message via text message

Loyalty Programs That Bite You Back

Bridget Flynn Proctor — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:24:21 GMT

Customer loyalty programs can be a great tool for promoting long-lasting relationships with your current customers. In fact, we spend a lot of time talking with our clients about how it’s often easier to retain and grow your current customer base by getting them to continue service each month, purchase more, upgrade services, etc, than it may be to convert an entirely new customer to your pool. However, while customer loyalty programs are a good tool for increasing satisfaction and retention, they can have the total opposite effect, creating both customer dissatisfaction and disengagement, when they are poorly implemented.

Getting bit for being loyal
My case in point...yesterday we received a letter in the mail from my husband’s cell phone company. The letter thanked us for being one of the company’s “most valuable customers,” and for our “continued loyalty” offered us a special gift at no charge. Okay, cool! The gift, a free mini cell tower, could be picked up at our local cell phone provider store. Here’s what the letter said about the free gift, “The mini cell tower will help boost the bars you receive in your home so if you are not getting the signal you expect in your house, this may be the perfect solution for you.”

My husband gets garbage for signal at our house – too many other places as well. This offer put him on cloud nine. The mini cell tower would be the perfect solution and because of our “loyalty” the company was taking care of it for us. That is, until my husband called to verify pickup of the free gift.

See, while the product was being given to us “free of charge,” the cost to operate the free gift each month would be $10 plus tax. How does that reward us for our loyalty? Where’s the add service, the extra value? How is this company really stepping up to show us their thanks? They’re not.

For this to have worked as a true loyalty reward, the cell tower and service should have both been free – even for a year. Instead it doesn’t work, because essentially while the company tells us we are valued and loyal, it promises we will never be treated as such. By pointing out a real problem and then basically forcing the customer to pay the price to fix it, the cell phone company doesn’t meet the objective of the loyalty letter, to tell the customer “thank you.”

And so, my husband’s response to the customer service representative on the phone after inquiring about his free gift was, “I already pay more than $120 a month for your cell phone service. Now because I’m a loyal customer, I need to pay $10 extra a month just so I can use the service I’m already paying for!? No thanks. I think it is time I made a switch to a carrier with more coverage.”

#30DaysOfCreativity - Day 30 - Celebrating 26 Years

Derek Pine — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:52:14 GMT

Creator: Susan H
To wrap up 30 Days of Creativity we are going to sign off with an Ode to Flynn Wright. Why? Because we're celebrating 26 years of business. And we think that's a pretty big deal.

It started many years ago
with a vision and a dream.
To be the greatest agency
Des Moines has ever seen.

From Ingersoll, to Riverpoint,
to right across the street.
Flynn Wright keeps on growing strong,
and this is no small feat.

We owe it all to Pete Flynn Sr.
and to Celia Wright
for their devotion and hard work
every day and night.

And don’t forget the other Flynns
who helped the business grow.
To them, we want to make it clear
the gratitude we owe.

Shout it from the rooftops
every hour of every day,
our hearts are with the agency
and we’re all here to stay.

So, here’s to Flynn Wright’s family
and what it has become.
We’re anxious for the future
and the many years to come.

HAPPY 26TH ANNIVERSARY!

#30DaysOfCreativity - Day 25

Derek Pine — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:35:44 GMT

Creator: Derek
This is a follow up to the 30 Days of Creativity post for Days 17, 18, 19, 20. It's the last part of the new stage design for The Ridge. I call it the "The Wall of Awesomeness" because it turned out so cool. I had to take the pictures up close because there are risers set up in front of it for some kids music performance this weekend. Come see it in person and I can show you the backbones of how it was built (surprisingly simple).

{ 30 Days of Creativity is a social initiative that encourages people to create stuff every day for 30 days. }

#30DaysOfCreativity - Day 24

Derek Pine — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:48:45 GMT

Creator: Flynn Wright
The new issue of BrainStorm hit mailboxes yesterday; hopfully the scratch-n-sniff popcorn printing on the cover tantalized the senses of all our readers. We sure had fun with it! To correlate with the buttery issue, we matched our website's homepage banner with the popcorn awesomeness. Buckets up!

{ 30 Days of Creativity is a social initiative that encourages people to create stuff every day for 30 days. }