Last week I read an article from AdAge that likely touched a sensitive cord all around the industry. It was called “Why Metrics Are Killing Creativity in Advertising”, and in it author Patrick Sarkissian makes this startling declaration: “Just as video killed the radio star, metrics are killing creativity.”

Whoa.

But wait, you say. Without metrics, how do I measure results? Without a tangible number, how do I know that every dollar spent has a return?

Fair questions. And I don’t think anyone, even Sarkissian, would advocate the abandonment of measurable results. But I do think he has a point. Especially in this economy, clients are scrutinizing every dollar going in and coming back. They are forgetting the effect creative can have on a customer that goes beyond money. Sarkissian writes:

We are forgetting that brand preference is built on emotional connections…What works are creative and strategic communications that seamlessly engage and interact with the target audience. Most important, it’s big, new ideas - not crunched numbers - that remain in a person’s mind long after the initial experience. They are what really make a brand stick with the consumer for current and future recall…

Think of the innovative branding commercials that you’ve seen over the years. What is it that you remember about them? Did they make you run out and buy the product? Probably not, but you remember them nonetheless. The revolutionary introduction of the first Apple computer in 1984 may not have induced you to purchase one, but I’m sure it left you in awe. How about the Budweiser frogs? Or the world-uniting Coke commercial in the 70s? Personally, I hate beer, and I wasn’t alive when the Coke commercial first aired. But I remember those campaigns and how they made me feel about the brand.

Metrics are and will always be an important measure of success for a campaign. After all, a huge part of AIR’s foundation is analytics and metrics. But, just as important in our formula is creative: Analytics + Imagination = Results.

I think in the end, this is Sarkissian’s point. You can’t truly quantify creative, so make sure that’s not your be-all-end-all strategy. Take some chances. Ignore the numbers. And rediscover what it means to connect with your customer on more personal level. And you just might find your own Budweiser frog.

There have been a number of iconic music videos over the years.  Michael Jackson’s epic Thriller. A-Ha’s animated Take on Me. Ok Go’s famous treadmill dance. But nothing compares to the artistic expression, creativity and  intricate artistry of the dance between lead interactive designer Mark Hayden…and a chicken.

Happy Birthday,  Mark!

I couldn’t believe it when I read this article about MTV dropping the “Music Television” tagline from its iconic logo. I mean, “MTV” = Music TeleVision, right? Well, not so much anymore. But once upon a time, MTV was the place to see your favorite artists and music videos. Once upon a time, reality shows like Real World and Singled Out were used as filler in between the music instead of the driving force of the network.

Some people agree with the change, pointing out that MTV’s programming has dramatically shifted away from music to become much more reality-based-which is also MTV’s point in making the logo change. True. But it seems to me that they’re missing the point. MTV was revolutionary, a game-changer in television that defined an entire generation and ushered in a whole new era for people to experience music and for bands to connect with their fans. Without the music, why even keep the “M” in MTV?

So many of us here at AIR grew up with MTV, dazzled by it, addicted to it, entertained by it. I was curious to know how my colleagues felt about this change.

Heidi: “I loved MTV. I miss the time when MTV was ONLY music videos!  I like to hear the latest music and see how they portray it, not listen to it in the background of some ridiculous so-called reality show!”

Kelsey: “Back in the day, when TRL actually used to show music videos, I was addicted to MTV. I couldn’t wait for new music videos to come out. I don’t mind the new logo but I think it might date them very quickly. The “hot” celebrity on MTV is only hot for 2 seconds so it will be changing  a LOT so that could either go in their favor or not.”

Frank: “I gave up on MTV a long, long time ago. I fondly recall when MTV first started, and the VeeJays of the 80s … at the time, MTV was cutting edge, a great way to experience music in a new way and stay abreast of current music culture. Since MTV stopped showing music videos a long time ago, it’s perfectly reasonable they dropped the tagline … overdue, in fact.”

Rob, our creative intern, pointed out that the furor over the MTV logo change is similar to the debate about AOL’s (or excuse me, Aol.) own logo change, which isn’t exactly garnering rave reviews around the design world.

So tell us what you think about MTV (or Aol.). Do you agree with the change? Disagree? Wish they would just go back to playing music, already?

Congratulations to our own David Ralls for being honored as one of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s 2009 Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing!

This honor is bestowed upon the best sales and marketing professionals in the hospitality, travel and tourism industries, with honorees being nominated by their peers. According to Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI:

The Top 25 is a ‘hot list’ that celebrates the sales and marketing leaders and innovators of our industry. The creative strategies, passionate dedication and sharp intelligence of these professionals have not only made a difference within their organizations but have also truly raised the bar for the hospitality industry as a whole.

David was honored onstage in a ceremony preceding the organization’s prestigious Adrian Awards Gala this past Monday in New York alongside other professionals from such notable companies as Ritz-Carlton/Marriott International, MGM Grand Hotel, VISIT FLORIDA and Cornell University.

It was a great night for AIR Marketing, as we also picked up a Silver Adrian Award in the Web category,  thus continuing our 2009 silver awards streak.

Were you as fascinated by the Verizon/AT&T commercial battle this holiday season as I was?

Verizon’s campaign tore into AT&T’s 3G coverage with a series of cheeky and surprisingly direct digs—from spoofing the iPhone’s “there’s an app for that” with “there’s a map for that” to marooning a sparse 3G coverage map to the island of misfit toys—while touting its own “superior” coverage map and network capabilities.

AT&T filed a lawsuit against Verizon, claiming the ads were misleading and should be pulled. A judge disagreed, and suddenly AT&T went from being the darling of the cell phone market as the sole carrier of the iPhone to, well, a bit of a spoilsport whining about a bully. I have to agree with this PCWorld article:

The lawsuit was a bad strategic move for AT&T because it has the exact opposite effect of its goal…The result is that the marketing campaign is getting tons of attention and free advertising, and customers are led to question what AT&T is trying to hide.

Let me first say that I am not a customer of Verizon or AT&T, merely a (somewhat amused) observer. With that out of the way, I have to say that in my opinion, Verizon definitely got the upper hand in this ad war. AT&T’s response ads that feature Luke Wilson—an actor that I personally like but have to admit is bland and somewhat irrelevant at the moment—hardly address the claims Verizon made and instead focus on attacking different aspects of service.

 This article from MSNBC provides a simple breakdown of the claims made in both campaigns versus the truth and actuality of their services. When it comes right down to it, both companies are right in some respects and both companies are misleading in others.

What do you think? Were Verizon’s ads funny or fudging? Are AT&T’s response ads working for or against them?

I’m sure by now you’ve had a chance to see the new Domino’s commercial that reveals the less than stellar comments from focus group participants about their pizza. And from the looks of it, they didn’t hold back. “Flavorless” and “cardboard” were among the words used to describe the taste of the pizza, and participants felt overall that the quality was severely lacking.

It’s a bold move for Domino’s, considering the fact that they had quite a few rough spots over the last year or so with the YouTube debacle that involved two employees doing unmentionable and downright disgusting things at work, plus a failed “Pasta Dude” campaign that was quickly pulled because the dance moves were a little too suggestive.

But, it’s the start of a new year so let’s begin with a clean Domino’s slate. The first thing I thought when I saw the commercial was that this campaign either has the potential to really hit hard and boost their image, or it has the potential to really hit hard in the worst possible way.

Most reviews I found were positive with a big kudos to Domino’s on their upgrading efforts. Others still felt that the pizza was lacking but averaged more of a “so-so” response. The one thing that’s for sure is that people are definitely talking about Domino’s. So far the change has been featured in AdAge, on The Colbert Report, Slate.com and CBS’s “The Early Show” and has been reviewed across blogs and plenty of YouTube videos. Even I’m tempted to try it out now.

So far, it’s hard to tell what the outcome will be from this new campaign, but I have to at least applaud their efforts for being so edgy and putting themselves out there, even if it doesn’t end up garnering the results they hoped for. After all, not many companies are willing to show you their weakest points in a nationally televised commercial.

The year 2009 will most likely be remembered as the year social media finally went mainstream. While Barack Obama had already effectively used social media to become President in 2008, the various tools had actually not touched society at large. Until this year, social media was used within pockets and segments of different groups. In 2009 however, it became an ingrained part of society. From reports of Facebook fueling divorces to the local nail solon using Twitter to fill canceled appointments, society felt the impact of social media.

So, what will 2010 be like? Is this trend going to continue? In my opinion, there is no reason to think it will not. Don’t take my word for it though. Here are some articles that attempt to paint a picture of the coming year.

Predictions for 2010 from ReadWriteWeb

“Google Wave will win some respect back as people discover valuable uses for it and get used to the user experience.”

“Facebook will open aggregate-user-profile and social-graph data for outside analysis.”

“MySpace relaunches as a content network, leveraging the bands and filmmakers they already have on board and dropping the emphasis on social networking.”

Here are the main trends to watch in 2010 according to eMarketer:

“Video: Further support for video ad growth will come from sites that offer a deeper catalog of professional video content-such as whole seasons of TV shows (both present and past), exclusives of entire sports events and other premium content.”

“Search: By using social data to filter search queries, search engines will hope to deliver even more relevant results and more effective advertising. Another key change to speed up in 2010 will be more video results as part of general search queries.”

“E-Commerce: Mobile-commerce’s time has arrived, and it is an easy bet that sales in 2010 will pass the $1 billion mark. In 2010, retailers will become more serious about trying to measure social media’s impact on sales.”

The way marketers spend their online marketing budgets was big news this year.

“Online Ad Spend Trends: The main structural force is the move toward more non-advertising marketing. That is particularly true in the online space, where marketers are focusing more on social media and building up their Websites or brand microsites. For that reason, the spending numbers alone can be misleading because they fail to capture the full extent of online marketing’s growth.”

YouTube as social network of the decade (from Mashable)

“As the decade draws to a close, there’s at least one thing we can say about the social media space with a fairly high level of confidence: it’s here to stay. That said, looking ahead to the next ten years, it’s incredibly hard to predict how we’ll use social media - let alone which services will still be relevant - when we get to 2020.”

ReadWriteWeb readers voted the following as best products of 2009:

1. Twitter

2. Google Chrome

3. Google Maps

4. Facebook

5. WordPress

6. iPhone platform

7. Google Apps

8. Adobe AIR

9. Hulu

10. TweetDeck

We live in an age of rapid change and innovation, and in 2010 there will be plenty of it. We are excited for the coming year and look forward to it with great anticipation!

Happy NewYear.

photo credit: T@H!R

This morning in our Creative Department meeting, we got on the subject of branding and just how vital it is to a product or service, especially when it comes to public perception. This recent video from best-selling author Al Ries, demonstrates the difference between selling a product and selling a brand. It’s only about six minutes long, but the message is incredibly powerful and the proof is startling in some cases, like how GM was once ranked at the top, but has lost over $82.1 billion as a result of not being able to leverage their brand in the marketplace. Bottom line? It’s not who makes the best product; it’s who has the best brand.

Today, I was reading an article from AdvertisingAge about the top 10 marketing ideas of this past decade. It was really a revelation to realize and remember (in a sort of grown up “duh” moment) that before this decade, such current Web staples as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and even blogs didn’t exist or were just in their infancy as little seedling ideas.

But two ideas from this article really struck me the most: brand journalism and branded utility.

Brand journalism is an idea advocated by former McDonald’s CEO Larry Light, who remarked at a 2004 conferences that “you own your ideas for about an hour and a half.” As the article explains:

… the associations and meanings around a brand change over time, so marketing has to be nimble, both proactive and reactive, and liberated from the notion that a brand idea can be lodged in a consumer’s mind over time.

In other words, smart companies realize that their brand perception changes and shifts constantly, and if they want to succeed in the current climate, they must be open, willing and ready to adjust in a timely manner. Today’s increasing notion of instant interactivity with consumers through Twitter, Facebook and blogs supports Light’s idea, and successful companies will do what they can to use this notion effectively.

The other idea that really hit home was the concept of branded utility, of creating actual value that’s useful to your customers rather than, as the article put so eloquently, “just flog[ging] consumers with product.” The way a company interacts with its customers does not have to be straight product push-based. The utility can be something powerful with immediate resonance, like Hyundai’s “Assurance” program where people who lost their jobs could return their car with no dings to their credit, or the Nike Plus system that lets runners track their progress on their iPod. Think of how your product or service can transcend its obvious use or intent, and you just may create a special connection with your customer that even your competitors can’t replicate.

This decade was fraught with victories, busts, breakthroughs and loss on a breathtaking scale. But it’s often in the face of adversity and challenge that innovation and true creative thinking flourishes. I for one can’t wait to see what the next decade brings.

Google Wave really requires you to have an open mind. You need to abandon any pre-existing ideas and thoughts you might have regarding social media, document sharing, collaboration and email. You need to have a blank slate as you enter this brave new world that Google has created. Otherwise you’ll try to fit this tool into a pre-existing box and miss out on the whole experience.

For starters, Google Wave attempts to integrate many aspects of a disparate range of online environments. And in the process, it somehow transcends our current understanding of the real-time web. For instance, there is an aspect of Wave that resembles a 90s AOL chat room, but then again, has real-time document sharing similar to a Wiki. Sometimes Google Wave feels like a bulletin board, but then again, it has a nifty playback feature to help you follow conversations! In many ways, this hodge-podge of intersecting features and capabilities raises more questions about its fundamental value than answer a direct marketing need. So, let’s try to understand what Google Wave could mean to you.

In many aspects, Google Wave is a social media tool in that it allows users to interact with others within their contact database. Users can add contacts, share documents with others and do most things that can be done within any social networking environment. However, it is not just a social media tool, and a social media experience is not its biggest strength. For instance, users can’t meet new contacts here, and certainly can’t go through a friend’s friend list to develop a set of “wave followers” (like many did in the early days of Twitter). It simply is not designed to be that kind of a place.

Another key aspect of Google Wave is that it can also be used as a document sharing and collaboration tool. Users can post a range of documents from pictures, maps, video and anything else imaginable. Then a conversation can occur around this content. The documents can be edited and tracked for any updates and enhancements. The review and play back mode makes navigating the history of the conversation very easy and enables those new to the conversation to quickly become familiar with a pre-existing discussion.

Some claim (as in the video below) that this tool is a replacement for email.  They make the claim that email is an archaic and inefficient tool and there is a need to revisit this tool in order to streamline our communication.

So, what does Google Wave mean for marketing?

The short answer is that at this point, not much. It’s currently a closed environment and hence not a useful platform for pushing a message to a target audience. Neither is there a mechanism in Wave to allow consumers to connect with a brand or business. In the traditional sense, in its current form, the tool cannot be used effectively as a direct marketing tool. However, this is not to say businesses cannot use it for internal communication, marketing projects and operational efficiency.

Keep in mind that Google is a work in progress. This is not a finished product. That means we need to keep an eye on its evolution and maintain an open mind about its future potential. Just like anything else Google does, this could be a game changer.