http://www.kmtcreative.com/ en Taylor@kmtcreative.com Copyright 2010 2010-07-21T20:11:15+00:00 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/y8eGt0UOoQQ/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/my_life_as_the_intern/#When:19:11:15Z Most summer jobs that teens get are fast food, babysitting, or something that involves working just for the money and not because you enjoy it. I, however, have the best of both worlds because I love what I do. Yes, as a graphic design major in college (UTC to be exact), an advertising agency seems a good fit for someone looking for real life experiences. I consider myself lucky because a lot of young adults my age are struggling to find a job they love, or any job at all. So why do I love it so much?   I began working for my dad about 3 yrs ago. I wanted the money and he wanted to give me the experience. I worked for Dad for a couple of summers until I realized that working for dad wasn’t working! I even tried to hostess at a Japanese restaurant ... which lasted 2 weeks at most for obvious reasons (the language barrier)! I was ready for something more…and more is exactly what happened to fall from the sky. At first I was very nervous and wanted to make sure I did my job well at KMT. I mean, answering the phone and running errands couldn’t be that hard! Occasionally, there were days in the beginning when I was so worried I was doing something wrong or I wasn’t quick enough running from place to place. Although it seemed like a breeze, some days I swear the phone would wait until I got halfway to the restroom and then decided to ring. Then there was the time I passed a location 8 times before knowing it was the exact location where I needed to stop!   Oh yes, in the beginning I was super nervous and worried that one small error would cause my perfect job to say goodbye. I have always done the job and then some, or so I like to think. Now after a year here at KMT, I feel like I am much more comfortable with my peers and have realized that the joy I feel is because of the staff and atmosphere. Everyone is so friendly, helpful, and creative! This is been, so far, the best job I have ever had! I mean, how could it be anything less than awesome when you’re learning first-hand experience in a graphic design related field, being a part of the creative work that takes place, and getting advice from some very talented designers?  The Business 2010-07-21T19:11:15+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/my_life_as_the_intern/#When:19:11:15Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/ZiuUPCitQVI/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/im_a_hunter_not_a_blogger/#When:17:52:29Z I have a heavy southern draw, I wear camouflage as often as possible, and I drive a big truck with a licence plate that states, “Will hunt for food”. I guess some people would call me a country boy, which is PC for redneck. Neither of which offend me. As a self proclaimed redneck I have a question for bloggers, what the heck is a blog? I looked it up on Dictionary.com and I quote “blog: an  online  diary;  a  personal  chronological  log  of  thoughts  published  on  a  Web  page”.  Why the heck do I want to read somebodies diary that I don’t even know. I just don’t get it, isn’t that what facebook is for. I’m on the internet all the time, googling this and that. You use to be able to google something and BAM, you’d go right to it. Now I have to wade through pages of blogs, to find what I’m looking for. I will say I have had some computer problems diagnosed and fixed by checking out a blogs, but that’s the only thing I have found useful about them. Now everyone blogging, every company has a blog and now I am, and I’m not sure why. In the ad world every opportunity to advertise must not be taken for granted. “Keep up with the competition or you’ll get left behind”. “If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you? “ I’m not sure yet.   As an art director at an ad agency we have been told it is essential for search engine optimization. So if I want people to find my site easier I guess I’ll have to become a BLOGGER. I got a facebook account for that very reason and I barely have time for that. Now I’m told I need to blog and tweet to get people to my site. I don’t even like to text, plus I can’t type fast and my grammar sucks. What’s this world coming to? I have been trying to decide if I should have a blog on my personal wildlife art site, toddreedart.com. When am I going to have time to hunt, fish or paint if I’m facebooking, blogging and tweeting all the time. How much extra traffic will my site get by blogging? Ask that question to your web guru and you’ll see someone start stuttering. If someone can please tell me if it’s truly worth the time. To blog or not to blog? That is my question. The Other Stuff, observations 2010-06-30T17:52:29+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/im_a_hunter_not_a_blogger/#When:17:52:29Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/p23HYdVOPWA/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/no_way_its_almost_july/#When:01:00:39Z How did this happen? I swear just about three weeks ago I was thinking about the new year and what we wanted to do in 2010. Would we land that new client who wants us to fly to the Bahamas and shoot a TV spot on a cruise ship for a week? Would the economy take a sudden up turn and have us all rolling in the dough? Oh the possibilities, oh the plans. And now it's almost July! Almost half-way through the physcal year. Half-way to Christmas, another year closer to 50 - ugh. I don't have to tell anyone that time is marching on faster and faster every year. Remember when you were a kid and it took a lifetime to get from Christmas to the second favorite time of year in a kids life, summer? Now I think it's the first of the month and find out I'm closer to the end than the begining.   It must be work that does it. We are constantly looking towards the next season, the upcoming trade show or print orders that have to be delivered before the holidays. No time to live in the present when you have to keep one foot in the future. Well for the next week I am going to take time to ejoy the last few days of June, enjoy the moment and hold off for a while on the future. By the time you read this I'll probably already be buying back to school clothes, planning our fall schedule and working on holiday printing schedules but for now...ah it's summer. The Other Stuff, observations 2010-06-24T01:00:39+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/no_way_its_almost_july/#When:01:00:39Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/RYDAKONTdyo/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/silence_gets_you_no_where/#When:01:42:53Z Week four and the drama continues with a surprising sudden death of Betty’s dad midway through episode four. The effects of his short time with the Drapers is sure to be exposed in coming weeks.The most true-to-life story line this week was conclusion of the Bye, Bye Birdie campaign for the soft drink Patio Cola. If you’re behind, in episode two Pepsi brought to the table the idea of finding an Ann Margaret look-a-like to introduce their new diet cola. The following episodes find the team searching for the perfect actress and ultimately shooting a spot that is frame-for-frame identical to the Ann Margaret performance. So, great. The client should be happy and leap for joy - right? Wrong. After the spot was complete, the client recognized that the idea was wrong for their target audience and scratched the campaign.OOPS, been there, seen that. One of the most difficult tasks as a marketing partner is to push back when you feel the client is making a poor decision for the brand. But if there is one thing I have learned, it’s that as a true partner it’s your responsibility to stand up and speak your mind when you see a possible wrong turn. Keeping silent can put your client at risk of spinning their wheels and in today’s economy, their’s just no time for that. The Other Stuff, tv 2009-09-11T01:42:53+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/silence_gets_you_no_where/#When:01:42:53Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/Y3xlVy0z8w4/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/nerd_book_organization_by_teiya_eubanks/#When:01:21:16Z I am slightly embarrassed to admit that while it may be deemed old school, or not recognized as “state of the art”, I am a complete believer in the value of a classic 3 ring binder full of client information. I formally call these jewels of days past my “Nerd Books”.  Being the resident trade show / exhibit guru, I find it a must to keep a copy of - well - everything. Strategic & media plans, brochures, service order forms and any communication document provides a quick reference as we plan for a clients current needs, as well as a reflection on past projects. Not only is it effective to keep an individual notebook per client, but also for each event or trade show throughout the year. This allows for all creative and production staff to have an organized, on hand reference for event guidelines, convention hall restrictions, deadlines and to do’s. What did the Venetian charge us last year for a meeting space during a trade show? I can tell you. What contractor did I use to install the overhead sign in Orlando - check out the third shelf, fourth book. Nevermind the coffee stains and occasional drops of drool on a few pages - Nerd books aren't pretty, they're practical! I am continually teased about my shelves of nostalgia, but I can't count the times that my nerd books disappear only to be found under someone's nose in deep discovery of information needed to get the job done. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in electronic files with all of their bells, whistles, and at your fingertip controls, and my laptop contains my professional documents as well as personal files. However, having a tabbed notebook for quick reference has been a true asset more than once. The Business, time management 2009-09-11T01:21:16+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/nerd_book_organization_by_teiya_eubanks/#When:01:21:16Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/zbTo2UmNB9k/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/mad_men_double_three/#When:11:43:29Z Season three, episode three and I am still not sure what is going on! The key element that drew me into Mad Men was the “tease” factor. The way the writers on the show crafted the perfect snapshot of a tip into the past or present of one of the characters made you HAVE to check in next week to see if we learned any more about Don’s lurid past or Peggy’s lonely home life. But this season we are kept in a constant state of confusion. Very little is ever solved. There are a gazillion story lines winding through the 48 minutes or so of each episode. It’s a similar feeling to that stage in the creative process where you are reviewing the objectives of the client and wondering how to make them all come together for a clear, solid solution. Do you dig deeper into Don’s recent attitude towards Sterling and his new wife or do you place bets on Pete or Ken as to who will win out as leader of the account team? It’s almost too much like real life - believe it or not. We’ll see what numero quarto brings us next week, hopefully a conclusion to something more than who stole grandpa’s five bucks. The Other Stuff, tv 2009-09-01T11:43:29+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/mad_men_double_three/#When:11:43:29Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/SpZGdBUBjbA/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/mad_about_mad_men/#When:14:30:48Z Do you remember the days of three TV channels and changing them for your dad? A time when every gathering you attended was surrounded by a cloud of Lucky Strike smoke - even on the front porch of church? Have a passion for advertising? If so you are probably mad about Mad Men. Because everyone knows I plan my Sunday nights around an hour with AMC at ten - I was asked to write a review of each night's episode on Monday morning. I am sure they asked me to do this so I will keep the comments on the blog and out of the Monday morning meeting but even so I am excited to to have a charge. Be sure to keep an eye out each week for this opporutnity to read and comment about your favorite show.     -Photo by Frank Ockenfels 3 The Other Stuff, humor 2009-08-29T14:30:48+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/mad_about_mad_men/#When:14:30:48Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/RrsYgPLecXQ/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/just_almost_cool/#When:13:56:56Z Yep that's me, always just about there - but not completely. Always one banana seat away from cool. I have a November birthday, and you would think that would mean I was ahead of the crowd when it came to the latest in greatest gifts - not so much. It started back in elementary school when I received a beautiful new bike for my birthday. I was the coolest kid around for about five minutes. Then Christmas came and everyone in the neighborhood got the bright green bikes with flower covered banana seats and curved, low sloping handlebars. Typical. I feel the same now about technology. Always seem to be behind the game when it comes to cool. I'm dying for an IPhone. I'm a freaking creative after all - isn't there some sort of law? But of course, phone contracts, provider exclusivity and friends and family programs keep me one step away from coolness. It's elementary school all over again. Now I realize this is a fairly superficial thing to worry about. I mean healthy kids and all that. But really - someone needs to talk to Apple, convince them to make the jump to Verizon. Help the "almosts" everywhere to hit their mark and be a part of the cool crowd - finally. The Other Stuff, observations 2009-08-25T13:56:56+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/just_almost_cool/#When:13:56:56Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/K98O91SZ4Qo/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/so_you_want_to_be_a_designer_at_an_ad_agency/#When:12:55:07Z I designed my first ad in 1985. Before the internet, before computers, before electricity.A lot has changed since then, but one thing has remained the same...have a great book. It’s the first step to getting your foot in the door at an advertising agency. I’m talking about your portfolio, the collection of work you put together in school, freelance projects or work as a result of an internship.There are many ways to build a good book. I’m not going to debate about art school versus a 4-year liberal arts degree or 2-year degree or any degree for that matter. An art school’s main goal is to guarantee itsgraduates leave with a well put together portfolio. But art school is not cheap and not always an option.So don’t feel like you don’t have a chance if you didn’t attend a top art or advertising school.With that said, study good work. Communication Arts Magazine is one of the best sources to view top award winning ads, logos, brochures, package design and web design. This is just one source. There are many publications and websites that are devoted to good design. Get to know them well. If possible, intern at an agency. If you know the software programs well, then you might actually get to do some production work and not just gofer.When putting your book together, be selective and include only your best stuff. An Art Director isn’t going to have hours to look through tons of work. And you don’t want to bore them. When deciding what should be included, think about where you’re interviewing and try to include what would be the most applicable.An ad agency would love to see awesome ads you have designed. If you don’t have a lot of experience with ad design try to create some on your own. Take a bad ad you’ve found in a publication and turn it into something great. Then during the interview you can talk about the benefits of the product, its target market and how your design is better and gets the job done.Don’t include a bunch of fine art like drawings, paintings and sculpture. I once interviewed a guy that had a book of tattoo drawings (?). Interesting work, we just didn’t have an opening for a tattoo artist. By the way, now it’s easy to prescreen work before the interview and check out portfolios online. Is your’s on there? Be prepared to talk about your work and how it satisfied the project goals.Know your core design software programs well. That would be InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. Photography knowledge is a nice plus. If you can write copy that is a big plus. If you know web design, Dreamweaver and or Flash that is a big, big plus. (You’ll probably get the job.)Do a little home work before you show up for an interview. Familiarize yourself with their client list. Look over the work they do. Can you see yourself fitting in with that group? You might even learn a little tidbit that would go a long way during the interview. For example, if you read the bios on our site you would learn that Missy and I both love thumbprint cookies. (hint, hint)Good luck job interviewing and remember to shower and smile.   : ) The Creativity, getting a job 2009-08-25T12:55:07+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/so_you_want_to_be_a_designer_at_an_ad_agency/#When:12:55:07Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kmtblog/~3/qeRQIcdr5FA/ http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/5_steps_to_choosing_an_ad_agency/#When:14:23:03Z Let me start by saying this is not written by someone who has only worked for agencies. Serving on a three-person committee to select an agency for a $400 million textile company during a stint client side gave me a new perspective on the process. My agency experience really helped guide the group and to select the “right” agency for the company. That being said, listed below are my tips to helping you in your search:1.    Have the most senior people possible in the selection process. You are not choosing a vendor for the next copy machine purchase; you are hiring a firm that will become an extension of your marketing department. They will have intimate knowledge of your business such as new product rollouts, business expansions, acquisitions, etc. The top people in the company should be making the decision in order to have total faith in the agency and get their best work and ideas.2.    Limit the people on the committee. The fewer the better. You’ve heard the phrase “a camel is a horse designed by a committee”, you get a 10 person committee choosing an ad agency and you are asking for a camel. The process will drag on due to scheduling conflicts and you are almost guaranteed not to have a unanimous consensus.3.    Do research prior to sending out a request for proposal (RFP). Send the RFP only to agencies whose work you admire or come recommended. Another surefire way to slow the process to a crawl is asking the committee to review 50 proposals. Also, limit the size of the RFP. You don’t want only agencies that have time to respond to a 100 page RFP. You run the risk of not having the best agencies respond because they are too busy working for paying clients. The main goals of an RFP is to clearly state what your company is looking for in an agency,  understand the agencies processes, read some case studies, review some work, read bios of the proposed account team and understand the agencies background. Remember, you are not selecting the agency at this point in the process, only those you want to interview further. 4.    Now that you have the finalists, it’s time for the interviews. Make sure each agency sends the people who are actually going to work on the account. Especially the account manager and creative director. Many agencies have a “new business team” that only work on securing new accounts, then turn it over to others in the agency once hired. Again, you are not buying anything – you are hiring an extension of your staff. Make sure you are interviewing YOUR account team. Clearly state what you are looking for in the interviews so each agency can prepare. After the interviews, you will more than likely have narrowed the field to a top 1 or 2.5.    Final step – but very important. Meet the final agencies at their place. Tour the agency, meet the people and see how they work. Is there a good vibe? Do the people look happy? Do you feel comfortable? This is the final litmus test. It’s time to select your new partner. That’s it! 5 steps to make sure you have selected the right agency for your company. Try to limit the time for the whole process to a month or less. By keeping focused on the task, you keep the attention level high for this very important decision. The Strategy, market research 2009-08-13T14:23:03+00:00 http://www.kmtcreative.com/blog/article/5_steps_to_choosing_an_ad_agency/#When:14:23:03Z