After a long day at the office last night, my friend and I settled in for our weekly Bachelor fix…. (did I just admit that?) During this 2 hours of awesome, we happened upon this painfully obnoxious JC Penny Commercial  that literally had my pal covering her ears. I of course, took one look at the call to action – “2.1 facebook.com/jcp” and had to rewind and photograph. She looked at me and said, “good god Nicole.. at least mute it first“…that’s how bad it is.

Now mind you, I’ll never get that 60 seconds of my life back… and my ears are pissed about it- but I’m fairly sure we’ll know what all the hoopla is about tomorrow. I googled the concept to see what other people thought and instead of finding intrigued marketing minds… I found really really pissed consumers. Like really.

On one site, 24 comments were posted today and it’s not even 9am. One another, a whopping 240 comments were put up… none of them favorable. People are not digging this spot but it makes me wonder… does JCP have a method to their madness? Let’s hope so …. If I were to make a hopefully optimistic guess I’d say that they anticipated a boat load of intrigue following a nonsensical commercial and what they thought was a strong call to action. Turns out it wasn’t strong enough as no one … except me.. is talking about tomorrow. It’s either that or they watched the damn commercial so many times it magically became not the most annoying thing ever to them.

Either way, it will be interesting to see what they have up their sleeve on the target day- Feb 1… it better be good. Maybe it’ll be a big Banana Republic esque Facebook sale (the 50% off for facebook fans one they did a few months back) or something totally new and innovative. Including a social call to action to what is probably a more traditional demographic is a bold move. In this first phase of this promotion, they have successfully alienated their core demographic in favor of a new, younger, tech savvy one. Let’s hope they make magic happen and win back this super obnoxious blunder.

In case you want to watch it… turn down your volume first…

So this sweet new gadget costs a bit of a pretty penny ($40) but you can’t put a price on a good laugh or attention grab when you’re a ham. Sit back, relax and use your lifeline (cough..your phone) for just one more thing … to open your beer. Drink on and prosper.

Opena – iPhone Bottle Opener from Annex Products on Vimeo.

Friends, clients, fellow colleagues… The Client Services team would like to take a moment to share with you a glimpse of what our typical day looks like around JT headquarters.

The following is a video which speaks candidly to what a Project Manager, or PM as we like to call ourselves, goes through on a daily basis.

Many of you have already experienced us PM’s say a few of the little gems found in this video. And I can say confidently that there was undoubtedly a good dose of eye-rolling and slight frustration when we did.

It’s true, Project Managers have to be the hard-asses, the nit-pickers, the nagging girlfriends of a creative agency. But please know, we do it with care and with a goal of making everyone happy in the end.

So please dear friends, watch on.

Dreaming of your perfect date this Valentine’s Day? One of our newest clients, I Dream of U, is here to make those dreams into realities. Kiss your lonely Saturday night goodbye, click off that Lifetime flick, and get the heck out of that overcrowded club. Don’t worry; you don’t even have to relax your grip on that pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Not only can you find your dream date, but you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Just sign up, answer a few simple questions, and start building your dream person. You’ll be well on your way to adding in another spoon to that ice cream carton in no time.

I Dream of U is now holding a pre launch Facebook contest where five lucky winners can each win $500 toward their ultimate dream date! Just “like” the I Dream of U facebook page and write a quick blurb about what’s a deal breaker on your first date.  We’ve all been out with a few bad apples, so remembering why they never made it to date #2 should be a piece of cake. Maybe they felt chivalry was dead and picking up the check was so 90’s. Or maybe they took you to McDonald’s because hey, there are a lot of options on that dollar menu.  Whatever the case, take a second, think back, and submit something clever.

Enter your response before the contest closes and we might just kick in $500 to fund your Ultimate Dream Date.

Dream. Build. Connect.

My name is Travis Van Vechten and I am interning here at Jacob Tyler because of my high-school’s month long academic internship. Every eleventh grader has to do one, and mine is here. When first coming to this internship I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was that we were going to have a meeting first thing when I arrived. I got here early on the first day and my Uncle Charlie showed me around and introduced me to a bunch of people, or ‘creatives’ as they call themselves. Then, we went into the meeting with some of the people that would be working with me throughout the month. We talked about what I would be working on through out my internship. They decided that in addition to developing my own brand identity, it would be great for me to work on their VOTE by Design campaign to show me every aspect of what they do at Jacob Tyler.

I had no idea what this VOTE Campaign was when we first started but I learned much more when I went to the kickoff meeting for the project. This project, as all projects here, requires a huge team effort. Because of this, they have involved me in all of the meetings for this project, and they then inform me on the next steps that we will take. After the kickoff, the Project Manager scheduled assets, like a splash page and logo to be created. Now we’re in the first phases of design while we also work on finding sponsors and judges. Stay tuned for more next steps.

I am also doing a side project that focuses on learning the steps of branding. I am doing this by making my own “brand”. I have designed logos, written a creative brief, and created a profile picture for my future “fan page.” Also later in this project I will be designing and creating facebook applications so keep an eye out.

High Tech High is not much different from Jacob Tyler in the way that High Tech High is all project based learning. They are similar because both of their work flows are almost exactly the same. For example, here at Jacob Tyler a client would walk in and request a project. They team would break into “groups” and begin working. At school, the teachers would create a project and then present it to the kids. Similarly, we would then break up into groups and kick off the project. Whenever we work on a project at school there is a lot of collaboration that happens between students. Here at JT, everyone works together in some different aspect of the project so that they make sure to have clear communication throughout the process. They accomplish this mainly by having meetings and emailing each other.

So far, this has been a great experience at Jacob Tyler and I look forward to getting more involved in the projects to come.

Here at Jacob Tyler, we think we’re pretty cool cats… but let’s be honest… we’re proud nerds and as such I thought I’d grace you with a list of 9 things to keep your nerd guy or gal happy on everyone’s favorite Hallmark holiday, Valentine’s Day. Good luck. Love on.

1. Start with a card… preferably this one.

2. Then use these.

3. Hang this.

4. Make a mixed tape.

5. Eat this.

6. Give her flowers.

7. Visually and graphically express your love.

8. Make your love last with a tat.
(don’t worry, they’re temp)

9. Drink this.
Because who doesn’t want to back up their bottle?

Around the time that the topic of social media arises in a business marketing discussion, comes the ever-present question of what businesses or brands can expect from their efforts focused within the social territory of the Internet. Though continuously reported financial success is simply found most anywhere social media marketing is case studied on the web, there seems to remain an outspoken, superfluous stigma regarding social media as an unproven, unpredictable dark horse of untraditional marketing media.

There is one thing for sure. If social media died today and was labeled with a legacy, I am sure that it would be nothing short of revolutionary.

It would most likely speak of a communication revolution; a revolution that has begun to build momentum toward a seeming destiny of corporate transparency. The world of brand image and controlled communication is changing. Today’s quickly evolving, content generated and viral spiraling communication cycle has accelerated through and beyond traditional communication’s capabilities. Consumers find themselves empowered with the ability to influence peers over all facets of contemporary business/consumer interaction. Businesses have never seen a market whose consumer feedback holds such high authority and been so readily available.

Seemingly, it is only through embracing social media that companies can merely hold on as the communication bull rips them out of the gate. However, through developing strategic social media marketing goals and objectives, new brands will learn that there is much to gain; and evolving old business practices may be the key to success.

You’ve heard the warm and fuzzy concepts of establishing a happy and helpful community of brand advocates. You also know that through social media, you provide a space for them to speak freely about your products and your company. What you’re really concerned about is your bottom line and where you can expect increased productivity. One measureable example of this exists through the use of social media marketing in customer service.

Energizing Customer Service

Begin to count the average amount of customer complaint calls your business receives on a daily basis. Also, keep track of the average amount of customer calls one representative can handle each hour. Over time, as your social presence builds, do you begin to see a decrease in the average call amount your business receives? Do you see an influx of customer complaints via social media? This can mean that customers have taken to the web to voice their complaints rather than call your representatives (It doesn’t mean they’ve stopped complaining).

Most often, it’s easier and quicker for representatives to address customer issues online than over the phone. For example, if in one hour a customer service representative averages 6 customer calls, and a representative online can average 8 customer complaints, you have increased the productivity of your customer service immensely. This statistic is easily measurable and will continue to grow throughout your social media marketing efforts.

Continue to measure the total amount of calls your customer center processes as well as the amount of online issues you begin to address. Understandably, this number will grow as a result of incorporating social media customer service. This means that you’ve begun to resolve preexisting customer issues that were now found via your social platform. It does require processing more issues in total, but that leads to increasing overall customer satisfaction and retention.

Creating happy customers is only bested by retaining current ones. These new found “brand advocates” are the burning heart of your brand’s social community and all social marketing initiatives you begin will see greater success. It all begins with embracing social media marketing. Remember to take measurable, strategized actions towards each objective. Social media is not about business marketing unless it can be strategized and measured.

Sources:

1. Falls, Jason, and Erik Deckers. No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to Social Media Marketing. Indianapolis, IN: Que, 2012. Print.

They say the most valuable asset a volunteer can give is their time. Yet in most cases, time is the hardest thing to give. Everyday our lives are moving faster than ever. With the holidays approaching, allotting time between work, friends, family, errands and responsibilities is hard. That’s why Infinite Family has paired technology with charity to make giving back easy.

Infinite Family founder, Amy Stokes, witnessed the devastation caused by HIV and AIDS, while adopting her son in Africa. Realizing how many African children were orphaned and sent off to live without plans their future, she decided to make a change.

As a working mother herself, she realized that many people want to help but just don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to traveling abroad. Infinite Family is an online mentoring service that connects volunteers in foreign countries to at-risk youth in Africa. By participating in the program, these children not only receive much needed mentoring and an adult role model, but also gain essential job seeking computer skills for later in life.

Infinite Family gives these kids hope and guidance.  Volunteers are asked to dedicate only 30 minutes of their time, once a week to chat with their chosen child. Technology is changing the way we see and connect with the world. In this one way, it had definitely done so for the better.

For more information about Infinite Family or to learn about becoming a mentor please visit them online at www.infinitefamily.org

By Michelle Peck

It’s that time of year, when we all spend our free time thinking about what gifts to buy, decorating the house with festive lights, planning parties, and singing along to a favorite Christmas carol. The holidays bring love, joy, and excitement year after year and sparks the inner designer in all of us. Design and art direction are all about providing a strategic look and feel to tell a story which is much like the well-planned gift giving and ornate ambiance of the holidays. So follow Santa’s lead to designing the perfect holiday this season with a few simple guidelines.

Think About Your Audience

Before hitting the shopping malls to purchase all the gifts on your list, you need to sit and spend time thinking about your audience and developing a strategy. Think about what each person wants, what their interests are, and how they like to spend their time. It’s important to understand how to speak to your audience, whether it’s finding the perfect gift, or promoting your brand.

Spark Emotion

By relating to your audience, you’ll be able to create a personal connection through your gift giving. You give gifts to people you care about and the right choice will evoke an emotional response in your recipient. Good art direction is all about finding this emotion and tapping into it. Good gifts should do the same thing.

Tell a Story

Christmas carols don’t only provide a festive tune, they tell a story and invite everyone to sing along. They make you feel joyous and bring out the holiday spirit. Creating a voice to convey a story is crucial in marketing a product or service. Conceptual writing makes you feel something beyond learning the facts. A catchy tune doesn’t only tell you what the Christmas story is all about, but you also feel the love and giving the season captures.

Choose a Color Scheme

Yes, it’s true everyone thinks about red and green as the traditional holiday color palette, but bringing true design into your holiday requires so much more. It’s about creating the ideal look for bringing holiday cheer into your home. Define what colors fit your personality and give the vibe your going for. Do you want your home to feel fun, formal, unique or traditional when the family arrives? A color scheme can make a huge impact on the tone of your design and create the appropriate mood.

Establish Your Brand

Ever wonder why the holidays are filled with snowflakes, santa hats, presents, and decorated trees? Visuals are a key element to good design. They are used to support the branding and concept by providing a consistent look throughout all components of a campaign. Visual cues create a culture that is quick to understand in any language. Ornaments and candy canes represent the holidays even without any mention of Christmas. They are ownable elements that can only be used when speaking about your brand.

Check Your Work

Santa knows the value of making a list and checking it twice. The last step for any designer is to proof, test, and share your work with others. The critiques and feedback you receive will only make you a better designer. So, be sure to check those holiday cards before sending them out and have a family member taste your favorite dish before placing it on the table.

In the spirit of the holidays, everyone can be a designer. Know your audience to find the perfect gift, create bliss with a well-told story, and incorporate the right visual elements into your home. You’ll be sure to have a very happy holiday season.