Atomic Ideas

Slicing the World of the Wide Web

2010-03-10T22:42:51-05:00

I was at a marketing conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where many of the attendees left bemused and confused after listening to the well-intentioned panel talk about how you need to 'listen' with social media. Listen. Listen.

One of the guys after the conference said to me later, "Right. Listen. "Social media's like a cocktail party." So how do I sell my generators"? There comes a point where you need to stop listening, take what you learn, and engage. But where to start?

Marketing in a world without borders - the world wide web. What's happening more and more is that companies aren't trying to appeal to everyone on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn, but to those groups most receptive to what they have to offer.

Ford is breaking it down to go after local customers, targeting 16 regional markets.

And a point can be made that the 'Big Four' of social media - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube - are not necessarily the best road to find where your specific customers hang out. They are the most well-known, but not necessarily where people who buy generators, for example, are looking for information. Finding niche sites that align with your product narrows your focus, many times in a good way.

Instead of trying to conquer the overly heated, entire web world, try targeting the small worlds your customers live in.

Could Social Media Kill The Economy?

2010-03-09T21:02:46-05:00

I haven't been sleeping well lately. Every night I wake up in a cold sweat thinking about what the hell I'm going to post tomorrow on the Atomic Ideas Blog, on Facebook on Twitter, on You Tube. The panic is palpable. If we're not participating we're losing out... on ratings, on rankings on relevance! Trying to keep up is excruciating.

For an old school guy like me, engagement used to be nothing more than finding a nice girl, convincing her I was the best thing since sliced bread, and then spending a large chunk of my salary on a rock to put on her finger. Elegant. Simple.

Now, everyone and their brother is telling me that engagement is the very future of my business. If my company doesn't take the time to do it, WE WILL DIE. Holy s%$t! No wonder I can't sleep.

After all, I fire up TweetDeck and I see my peers Tweeting merrily away - ALL DAY LONG.

I fire up Facebook and watch my "friends" doing the same thing. Updating, commenting, liking and, I guess, ENGAGING... ALL DAY LONG.

You can see why I can't sleep. I've got so many other things to do, I just can't keep up. I obviously don't have what it takes... a complete loser.

Truth is, I have not been able to figure out how to get all the real work I need to get done... well, done... and spend the amount of time the gurus tell me I need to spend ENGAGING to ensure the future of Atomic Ideas. The world is apparently full of supermen and woman who are able to get everything they need to get done, done AND make a living, whilst constantly informing me of their latest meal, or the 250 revolutionary articles they read today they think I might be interested in. Very helpful indeed, but where the hell do they find the time?

Frankly, I think I'm pretty productive. But that productivity is almost always focused on getting things done for our clients and our company... and that pesky secondary distraction, my wife and kids

I understand and embrace the importance of social media, but finding the time to do it right is a real struggle. I have to think that a lot of people are trading real productivity for pablum because they are addicted to building their "reputation" on Twitter, or just plain addicted to Facebook and all the other shiny new engagement tools out there.

On the other hand, I wonder that If trends continue, maybe everyone (me too, with your help) will spend all their time engaging and none of their time doing. When that happens, the economy will collapse and we'll go back to the dark ages. One bright light, we'll still have social media... smoke signals and cave art.

The bottom line here... I want the keys to the car, I want to climb aboard the train... I need help! I implore some of you folks who claim to have legitimate businesses, yet apparently spend every hour of your waking days online, to share your secrets! You'll help me sleep better. You may even save my life!

What do you think. Will social media lead to the Apocalypse? Weigh in. Save the world!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/purplemattfish/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

What is there to say about Mondays (without using the word "hate")?

2010-03-08T10:49:03-05:00

What is there to say about everyone's least favorite day of the week? Thanks to ThinkExist.com, here are a few quotes. (Like Mondays themselves, occasionally you find a good one).

“On Monday mornings I am dedicated to the proposition that all men are created jerks.”

H. Allen Smith quotes (American Writer, 1906-1976)

I read in the newspapers they are going to have 30 minutes of intellectual stuff on television every Monday from 7:30 to 8. to educate America. They couldn't educate America if they started at 6:30.”

Groucho Marx quote (American Comedian, Actor and Singer, 1890-1977)\

“Sometimes it pays to stay in bed in Monday, rather than spending the rest of the week debugging Monday's code”

Dan Salomon quotes

“MONDAY, n. In Christian countries, the day after the baseball game.”

Ambrose Bierce quotes (American Writer, Journalist and Editor, 1842-1914)

“Your idea of bliss is to wake up on a Monday morning knowing you haven't a single engagement for the entire week. You are cradled in a white paper cocoon tied up with typewriter ribbon.”

Edna Ferber quotes (American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright 1887-1968)

“I always give 100% at work:

4% Friday”

Domino's "Marketable Truth" helped to double quarterly profits

2010-03-05T06:30:00-05:00

This week, news reports indicated that Domino's doubled their quarterly profits. This is a perfect example of Atomic Idea's concept of finding a company's "marketable truth" then communicating it clearly to their best potential customers. The result...selling more stuff! The following are articles on Dominos and "Marketable Truth" from the Atomic Ideas blog.

01/04/2010

(Marketable) Truth will set you free!

Have you seen the new Domino's pizza commercials on TV lately? They fess up to their shortcomings and improve their products in order to deliver marketable truths, ie those attributes that will resonate with their best customers. How did they do it? First by listening to their potential best customers (through focus groups) then delivering what those customers wanted most. The result. They will sell more stuff!

Here is a full video from which :30 TV spots were made:

01/08/2010

Truth in Advertising

At Atomic Ideas we talk about "Marketable Truths" -- finding and communicating those things about a client's product or service that are: 1. Actually true and supportable everyday. 2. Resonate with the client's best potential customers. The comic strip below is an example of a truth that is not-so-marketable. So while the truth may set you free, a "marketable truth" will help you sell more stuff.

12/18/2009

Marketable Truths.

At Atomic Ideas, we specialize in finding a client's "marketable truths".

That means those facets of a product or service that will resonate with their best potential customers. The word "truth" here is critical. The product or service has to actually possess the attribute or feature. Otherwise, the communication to the customer is hollow.

Take for instance these spots. They are funny, memorable, but they don't contain a "marketable truth." So while we laugh and applaud the humor, when they're over, there is really no reason to prefer this dealer over another. You wouldn't mind doing business with this dealer, but would you go out of your way to do business with him? Probably not.

A slightly lower price or a closer location would easily trump this dealer's fictional point of difference. The trick is to deliver entertaining, memorable spots that contain a "marketable truth."

Does Domino's New Formula Risk a "New Coke" Backlash?

Consider this. As bad as Domino's new campaign claims its pizza is, it seemed to have served the tastes of millions upon millions of pizza eaters over the last fourty-four years the company has been in existence. Hmmm.

Sure, in the spirit of "new marketing" we respect and applaud the transparency, openness and honesty of their new campaign, and the effort to improve their product. On the other hand, was it really necessary? Or even the right thing to do?

Frankly, I never thought the crust tasted like cardboard, or that the pie tasted that bad. Domino's is sort of like White Castle or Taco Bell. It's top of mind when your brain's not working perfectly... one of those products you enjoy after a few too many cocktails. At that point, anything tastes great. In other words, it has its niche.

We don't know for sure, but I'm betting they had to throw out hundreds of interviews where the folks said, "I love it just the way it is."

All of us who love pizza have a favorite we go to when we're sober. Usually a local purveyor of authentic Italian goodness. But when we're in a supreme hurry, or just plain buzzed, Domino's is an acceptable go-to substitute.

Coke's effort to "improve" their product backfired big time. Does Domino's risk the same? You don't grow to become a gigantic, appetite-satisfying company by producing a product everybody hates. What about all those folks who liked it just the way it was? Cardboard crust and all. Only time will tell.

I'm just saying. Just throwing it out there for consideration. What do you think?

At Atomic Ideas, we specialize in helping clients sell more stuff. How? By helping them find and then communicate their marketable truths in whatever medium(s) is most appropriate. So we applaude Domino's in finding their marketable truths and communicating them. And we wish them the best in selling more stuff!

Great Films That Did Not Win An Oscar

2010-03-04T11:55:04-05:00

It’s Academy Awards time. And in honor of all my friends who are working on great screenplays and those that are someday soon going to make a great film (this is a common dream in the ad biz), I present my on-going list of Great Films That Didn’t Win. This list started out in 1988 with just 10 films, but as the years have gone by, new films have been added. Occasionally, some movies are removed. (Duck Soup, The Big Sleep, Touch of Evil, and Casino, to name a few) The list is somewhere around 15. This years’ addition is the 2005 film, Sin City.

Here’s the rest of the Great Films That Didn’t Win –

1, Citizen Kane, 1941

A movie I first saw in a college film class. What can you say - It’s truly great.

2. The Third Man, 1949

The film noir, Orson Welles and the zither music - who wouldn’t love that?

3. Bonnie and Clyde, 1967

Great story telling, great cinematography, great acting.

4. 12 Angry Men, 1957

This movie made me realize that great dialogue is king.

5. Chinatown, 1974

Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston sure helped to make this great.

6. Fargo, 1996 - and O Brother, Where Art Thou? 2000

Two from the Coen Brothers - Once again, dialogue is king.

7. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948

A John Huston film that featured great acting by his dad, Walter, as well as Bogey.

8. Dr. Strangelove, 1964

It’s fine art wackiness, watch the trailer.

9. Once Upon A Time In The West, 1968

All I can say is, Hank Fonda.

10. Raging Bull, 1980

This was a great use of B&W.

11. North By Northwest, 1959

A classic Hitchcock story. Cary Grant was sort of a precursor to James Bond in this movie.

12. Pulp Fiction, 1994

This movie gave everything to the viewer; it was a lot of fun.

13. The Swimmer, 1968

A pretty obscure film, I think I'm the only one who saw it, but it’s one of the great performances by Burt Lancaster.

14. Hotel Rwanda, 2004

A powerful and chilling film based on a true story.

15. Sin City, 2005

A unique looking and complex film noir movie. Wouldn’t you know it - Quentin Tarantino was involved.

Marketing On Switch Always On

2010-03-03T14:46:39-05:00

Anyone can be a photographer/filmmaker/publisher these days, and we're not afraid to whip it out - the still camera, the video camera, the computer.

Every company's reality message is now easily compared to its marketing message. I have friends who've tweeted or posted in their blogs about poor service and got a timely response from the company to make peace.

The walls have come tumbling down. When a CEO responds to a post on one person's blog (because his name is mentioned in the post) the lines of communication have shifted. Our experiences connect quickly back to the company.

Transparency. So what do I make of an employee on break at a fast food restaurant, after seeing him for the third time in as many days, smoking and picking his nose, crouched right before the drive-up menu? I take a picture.

Because I can. Because we all can. The squeaky-fresh marketing and the employee with his finger stuck up his... are both part of the over-all brand message. Joe Biden at the health care summit with his recent 'off mic' comment and then speaking while the cameras are rolling add up to an over-all brand message of Joe Biden.

And that's a brand ambassador crouching over there in the photo. I like McDonald's, and I'll still go there to grab a quick lunch. But they may want to talk to their employees about the first course they're serving up to customers.

A quick refresher on how they are walking, talking, crouching, marketing messages. Because the cameras are always rolling.

(Photo taken when the person's face was covered - we don't need an unemployed brand ambassador).

Anti-Social Media -- The dark side of the force.

2010-03-01T19:06:10-05:00

Social Media presents us all with a great power -- the power to disseminate information around the globe with a touch of a button. But with great power comes great responsibility. Of course, there will always be those among us who decide to use their powers not for good, but for evil. Witness the video below, which sounds like it was put together by a high school student. How long can society hold up when the even the youngest among us has the power to instruct thousands (even millions) of their peers in one of the dark arts? The real shame is that this is just one of dozens of videos on YouTube featuring lock picking and other potentially illegal activities. I strongly urge anyone who views this video NOT to try breaking and entering -- because on the other side of any given door, there could be an angry homeowner who is armed and ready to protect their property. Maybe with a weapon they fashioned after watching a YouTube video!!

Words Mean Things - Pay Attention or Perish (like that Sea World Trainer)

2010-02-26T18:30:00-05:00

Did you hear about the trainer who was killed at Sea World by a Killer Whale? They said they were shocked because the whale and his female trainer got along really well. Don’t you think the name “Killer Whale” would have been enough of a hint to her that this animal might possibly be dangerous? I mean, if it was called like a “Play Quietly in The Corner Whale” or a “Cuddly Whale” then yeah, I would have been surprised, too. But it was a “Killer Whale.” And not in a "Lady Killer" sort of way. More in a "Kill Other Creatures" sort of way. After all, it had actually killed before! Twice! This of course, made it a much more dreaded denizen of the deep - "The Serial-Killer Whale!"

What does this have to do with advertising and marketing? Words mean things. How you name your products and services should be done carefully. Of course, a great name still cannot overcome the tendency of people to ignore the inherent value, promise or danger the name is meant to communicate. So advertise, advertise, advertise.

The Making of Old Spice

2010-02-25T11:29:26-05:00

My friend, Brad Smith sent me this You Tube video the other day.

It’s a video about the making of an Old Spice commercial that aired some time during the recent Super Bowl.

It’s a great example of how things magically get done on television. And it also shows us a little about the creative team that was responsible for this spot, something we don’t often see.

The complete commercial is also included on the video in its entirety.

Take a look.

"Hi There" Marketing

2010-02-24T22:46:22-05:00

Imagine being able to give a virtual nudge to a customer, sending an offer or coupon to their cell when they're physically near your store.

It's here, and it's called 'geo-fencing' - Take a Step Closer for an Invitation to Shop

'Location-based mobile ads', and it has awesome potential. If a customer opts in to receive messages from a company, say from Panera Bread, then when that customer is physically near a Panera they'll receive a text message.

Search engine marketing? This is 'search customer marketing'. Imagine walking near a Panera and getting a nice offer on a new bagel or coffee they're offering. The possibilities are endless.

If you want to prompt purchasing behavior, grab a customer's attention when they're in the moment.

Geo-fencing in the virtual world could help customers hop a fence to your store in the real world.

Marketing Money

2010-02-24T21:37:51-05:00

Most everyone carries a credit card or two with them. It's very convenient charging stuff. And it's nice to be allowed to have credit.

No one calls them 'debt cards', which is what they actually are. Who wants to be reminded of that? The more you buy on your credit card the more debt you acquire. That's not fun. It's great to have credit, not so great to increase your debt.

So financial institutions have successfully marketed what we're actually doing, increasing debt, into a positive, free-wheeling way of life, "Charge it"!. And they love when we take time paying down our credit cards. Finance charges (debt charges) are very, very profitable for the banks.

Next time you pull out the plastic, think of it as a debt card. Sobering thought. Especially in these times.

Photo: stargazer95050

Social Media Made Simple In a Plain English Video

2010-02-23T09:53:21-05:00

If, like many, you have a hard time explaining how social media works, you'll enjoy this video. It was created by Lee LeFever who runs a small company called Common Craft and their product is explanation. Basically, they translate complex subjects into plain English.

I thought this was pretty good, especially since I love ice cream.

Internet...Schminternet. (Nearly a third of Americans can't be reached online)

2010-02-22T18:30:00-05:00

From a recent article that appeared on AOL, It would appear that almost one in three of us cannot be reached via the information superhighway. Or even through any of the social media by-ways. (Of course, that means that 60% of us can be reached online!) All the more reason to first determine who your best potential customers are, and where they will be when you choose to deliver your brand's marketable truths.

Feb 17th 2010 By Jeremy Taylor

30 Percent of Americans Don't Use the Internet

15 Comments

Our happy hour fact to amaze your drinking buddies with.

Almost one in three Americans don't use the Internet at work or home.

New census bureau data, collected from 54,000 households, finds that seniors, the poor, underrepresented minorities and folks who live in rural areas lag behind the rest of the country, technologically speaking.

While a good chunk of the nation remains offline, high-speed broadband has made significant inroads with those who are surfing the Web. By late 2009, 63 percent of overall households had opted for the faster service, which is up from 40 percent in early 2007.

Still, we can't help but be baffled, and slightly insulted, by those who continue to shun the information superhighway, which we call home.

His-Tweets....Major Events in Human History in 140 Characters or Less.

2010-02-19T06:30:00-05:00

Twitter can be such a powerful marketing tool, it got me wondering. Could some of the most profound events in human history be winnowed down so as to be tweetable? Sure!

If Moses had to tweet the ten commandments: God says "Stop that!"

If the colonists had sent the Declaration of Independence as a tweet: "This relationships isn't working. You'll find your tea in the harbor."

If the Magna Charta had been sent as a tweet: "Who died and made you king? Oh right, your Dad. But still. That doesn't give you the right to treat us badly."

If Abraham Lincoln's assassination had been tweeted: "Lincoln killed in Ford"

If the Hindenberg tragedy had been tweeted: "Sell Zepplin stock...now!"

A passenger tweet from the Titanic: "The icebergs are so close I could almost reach out and touch them!"

Hitler's Mein Kampf as a tweet: "Aryans rule, sub-species drool."

A tweet from the final day of the Jurassic period; "Look, a shooting star. Make a wish!"

A tweet from the Roswell crash site, "They tried to probe me, that's when all hell broke loose."

Lindberg tweet after landing in Paris: " I made it! I flew the Atlantic. Now I'm just waiting for my luggage."

After the Lindberg baby kidnapping: " He was just here a minute ago!"

Madame Curie after taking first X-ray: "New photo technique makes me look as thin as a skeleton!"

Buzz Aldrin after setting foot on the moon: "I'm number two! I'm number two!"

Isaac Newton just before discovering gravity: "Ow, an apple just hit me on the head....hey...."

Tweet immediately after the final spike of the TransContinental Railroad was driven: "Experienced rail layer looking for work."

Orville Wright: I can see our house from here!

To the followers of the Knight's Templar site: "Anyone seen the Holy Grail? Seems someone --who shall remain nameless -- has misplaced it!"

Socrates after drinking the hemlock: "The pois jxw apjem lqwe zgrrrrrrrrrr....."

You could say a few of these are an example of anti-social media. Hope you enjoyed them. Have a great weekend

Photos that tell a story.

2010-02-18T11:27:04-05:00

I’ve always liked good photography whether it’s professional or photojournalism. I’m a big fan of those classic Vogue fashion shooters like Irving Penn, right, (who died last year at 92) and Richard Avedon, above, (saw his show at the DIA last month.) I liked their simplicity, their clear-cut, striking black and white look - always displaying a lot of texture, shadow and drama. Though their work was created to help sell a fashion look and to help sell a magazine, the work was always art.

Art, in the same way Ansel Adams majestic landscapes of Yosemite are art. Like Penn and Avedon, Adam’s works (above) required a lot of patience, technical proficiency, subjective judgment and luck. His dramatic photos show us the power and grandeur of nature’s scale.

Photojournalism has a similar power. A frozen image tells a story, big or small. A story captured at the right moment with many having the elements of drama and composition that the fine art shooters posses. The difference being, one creates the moment of truth, the other records it. And that truth can carry a lot of emotion.

With that appreciation of good photography I have to point out last week’s release of 12 new aerial photos of the 9/11 collapse of the World Trade Center. Greg Semendinger, a former New York Police Department detective took the 12 pictures. Here's two:

These shots are amazing. They say so much of that day, eight plus years ago. These photos make us remember much of the stories and horrors from afar and they connect us to the other places of terrorism of that same day. Seeing this tragedy from the outside yet we reluctantly and painfully imagine what happened inside. Though shot in full color on a bright sunny day, the smoke and debris of the collapse give the photos a composition similar to the black and white, gelatin-silver print effect like those of Ansel Adams.

Because these powerful photos moved me on many levels, I wanted others to also see them, to be reminded of the event that reshaped our world to what it is today.