Swanson Russell - Orange Dot

Are You Annoying Your Web Users?

editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:58:40 +0000

I’ve been using the Internet -- and in particular the World Wide Web, which has since become synonymous with the former -- since I was just barely out of diapers. Okay, that’s a lie, but it was definitely a long time ago. Over the last two decades, the information superhighway has evolved and matured into arguably the most critical element of global communications, but like the rest of us, it didn’t get that far without picking up a few bad habits along the way.

Unlike many other mediums, the Internet is permanent but also continually evolving and changing. Because things are always shifting and improving, but at the same time surrounded by content and interfaces designed a decade ago, it can be difficult to create strict, unbreakable rules. Instead, I like to follow two simple rules: first, do users already have an expectation or assumption about a thing and second, will this thing annoy users unnecessarily?

Let’s take these rules and look at a few bad habits the Internet has picked up over the last twenty years, then use our rules to decide if they should continue or be abandoned.

1. Using “click here” as the call-to-action link text. Most likely left over from earlier years, when the concept of a hyperlink was so novel that most users needed a bit of guidance, this is a habit that modern netizens no longer rely on. From a marketing standpoint, linked text is one of the most valuable and important pieces of copy on any web site, and relying on a generic “click here” each time is an unfortunate waste of real estate and opportunity.

2. Any form of auto-playing audio or video content. The last thing you want to do is annoy the end user, and by far the easiest way to do this is immediately begin playing audio when people don’t expect it. Besides, aren’t most of us listening to music, podcasts or something on television while surfing the web, anyway?

3. Hijacking the user’s default controls. One of the more reliable ways to annoy and confuse your users is to get clever and change the way people use their device. That means you shouldn’t hijack the browser's back button, scrolling behavior, or anything else related to how users expect to control their device.

4. Splash and pop-up dialogs on page load. Just like error messages, most users are going to instinctively close the dialog as soon as possible, so any legitimate marketing goal would likely be unmet even if this habit wasn’t already dreadfully annoying.

5. Inconsistent and/or confusing navigation. This might be the only bad habit on the list that is usually *not* intentional, but that doesn’t mean it’s excusable. Any form of site navigation should be clearly labeled and behave consistently throughout the site, which means each tier of navigation needs to point to a unique interior content page -- no external links and no empty tiers that don’t actually link to a relevant content page.

Like the Internet, these rules have evolved over time as we’ve learned our lessons the hard way. Some of them are slowly fading away, and some (especially #4 and #5 due to the rise of new technology like touch screens) have come roaring back with a vengeance. After all, that’s why they are called bad habits: if they were easy to avoid, we wouldn’t need rules and lists and blog posts like this one!

Of course, now that I’ve gone and created an official list of What Not To Do, somebody will point out that we’ve done at least one of these ourselves. That’s actually just fine, as long as it’s done intentionally and with caution! Remember the two rules -- don’t annoy and don’t reinvent the wheel without a good reason -- and the bad habits described above will solve themselves.

Make Remarketing Work for Your Clients

editor — Tue, 13 May 2014 14:50:39 +0000

While planning a trip, have you ever visited a hotel website and then noticed for the next several weeks (or even longer) you keep seeing ads for that same hotel every time you go online? Is it just a coincidence? Probably not. You are likely being “remarketed” to.

What is ‘Remarketing’ exactly?

The simplest definition of remarketing is, “the process of reengaging a visitor or customer based on a recent interaction with your brand.” This reengagement might take the form of a postcard mailed to a potential customer after they have visited your store. It might also be a phone call from you to a customer whose purchases have lapsed. Today, however, the most common way of reengaging with customers is doing so online by serving digital ads to people who have previously visited a company’s website.

Why should I remarket? Won’t my potential customers feel stalked?

Not every visitor to your website is ready to take action. In fact, the majority of site visitors are simply doing research. But because they have already been to your site, they have some kind of awareness of your company or product, and likely have an interest. Giving those visitors a reminder that they have already been to your site will increase the likelihood that they will remember you when they ARE ready to take action. These visitors are much more likely to come back to your site and ultimately covert or make a purchase.

Many times, a visitor that has been remarketed to will not click on your ad at the time it is served to them. However, the likelihood that they will later visit your site and then covert is high — it’s called a “view-through conversion.” Our experience has shown that remarketing can often drive more view-through conversions than those attributed to the initial ad click.

How do I decide to whom to remarket?

Remarketing ads are served to your site visitors while they are visiting other sites on the web. It might be when they are visiting the WallStreetJournal.com, or their local television news site. Specifically who you should target depends on your objectives, but can fall into the following categories:

All site visitors — Do you have a site whose content changes frequently? Is there benefit to you and your site visitors to return again and again? If so, you might want to remarket to ALL visitors to your site, regardless of the action they have taken previously.

Site visitors who have not converted — Do you have an e-commerce site? If so, remarketing to people who have placed items in their shopping cart but did not complete the purchase would be appropriate. These people are much more likely to ultimately make a purchase from you — they just need a little nudge.
Even if you don’t have an e-commerce site, there is still good reason to remarket. Bringing back a site visitor to watch a video or download a sales sheet can move that visitor further down the purchase funnel, even if they have to visit a dealer at their brick and mortar storefront to make the ultimate purchase.

Site visitors who have already converted — Remarketing to visitors who have already converted can be effective if there is opportunity to cross-sell another product or service. These visitors have already engaged with your site, and they are more likely to do so again.

But my customers are professional tradespeople, not general homeowners.
Remarketing can be extremely effective at reaching a business-to-business audience, not just general consumers. One of our clients who sells lawn care equipment to professional landscape contractors drove nearly 1,200 site visits during the past month through their remarketing efforts, with 31 percent of all of those visitors ultimately converting. Another saw 22 percent of remarketing visitors convert, as compared to just six percent of general site visitors.

So, give remarketing a try. It could lead to better engagement with your brand and higher sales down the road.

Infographic courtesy of Internet Ideas LTD

California. (Psst…It’s a Big, Agriculture-Filled State)

editor — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:56:52 +0000

Cotton, alfalfa, corn. Rice, beans, pomegranates, sunflowers. And almond, olive and walnut trees as far as the eye can see. Of the more than 350 crops that the state of California produces, these are just a sliver of those witnessed during a week of driving the state, interviewing growers with our client, Reinke Manufacturing.

As any good marketer will tell you, it’s important to make the time to get out and connect with your customers, exploring their motivations, needs and lifestyle. What led them to purchase your brand? How have they benefited from the use of your product? What, if anything, would they change about your product? And, will they be a repeat customer?

We sought this information and more in our travels of this emerging market. And some 1,400+ miles later, we had relished in some beautiful countryside and received insightful feedback from knowledgeable growers on their use of and preference for Reinke center pivot and lateral move irrigation systems.

In a market that’s been long accustomed to flood, drip and other sprinkler irrigation methods, our video interviews with these California growers will be useful in further educating and informing area growers on the benefits of mechanized irrigation. Such quality customer testimonials can be used in a variety of ways: traditional and digital advertising campaigns, direct mail and collateral pieces, public relations initiatives, online and social media outreach, and providing additional insight to aid the dealer network.

In true Swanson Russell form, our team will work to use this California market insight to further bring our client’s brand together with the people who live it.

2012 Lincoln AMA Prism Awards

editor — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:39:35 +0000

Every year the Lincoln American Marketing Association (AMA) honors some of the best marketing in the Lincoln and mid-Nebraska area. Several Swanson Russell employees attended the Kentucky Derby themed ceremony held at Embassy Suites this year.

Entries were judged on marketing metrics for: Challenge, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics and Results. Swanson Russell received several awards:

Prism Award Winners:

A-FAN TV Spot in the “TV, Non-Profit” category
Weatherby $299 Campaign in the “Integrated Public Relations, Large Business” category
Hodgdon CFE Print Ads in the “Magazine Advertising, Large Business” category
Runza People’s Burger in the “Social Media, Large Business” category
Cushman Corporate Identity in the “Corporate Identity, Large “ category
Vanguard Knockout Power Challenge in the “Special Event, Large Business” category

Merit Award Winners:

Humminbird Down Imaging Digital Ads in the “Internet Advertising, Large Business” category
Cornerstone Bank TV Spot in the “TV Advertising, Large Business” Category
The Fertilizer Institute Website in the “Website Design, Non-Profit” category
Cushman Website in the “Website Design, Large Business” category
Gravely Chain Tube Mailer in the “Three Dimensional Mailer, Large Business” category
Rain Bird HE-VAN Nozzle Campaign in the “B2B Marketing Campaign, Large Business” category

In addition to the Prism and Merit Awards, our very own Dave Hansen was honored with a lifetime achievement award and inducted into the Lincoln AMA Hall of Fame.Congratulations Dave! We’re lucky to have you as a fearless leader.

2012 Nebraska Addys

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:50:42 +0000

Several of us braved the cold and snow to attend this year’s Nebraska ADDY awards banquet held in Omaha. The food was good, the theme was fun and the after party was even more fun, but my favorite part was seeing the work. It’s motivating and inspiring to see the great creative work that’s coming out of Nebraska.

Swanson Russell ended up taking 30 awards and a Special Judges Citation.

Here are few of the pieces and campaigns that won:


Runza Marquee Lines Non-Traditional Outdoor Campaign	Swanson Russell Oktobeerfest Mixed Media Campaign + Special Judges Citation	Cushman Industrial Vehicle Guide, Photography and Website


Runza TV Commercials	Univeristy of Southern California – Dodgers

Our very own Interactive Design Intern, Landon Stahmer, took home 2 ADDYs in the student category. See his work on his website, www.landonstahmer.com.

Yes, we do work in an industry that is occasionally fond of patting itself on the back. And no one can deny that being recognized for our creative work is fun. But I think most of us would agree, the true reward is creating campaigns that deliver results for our clients.

Development Decoded: What is a Content Management System?

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:31:52 +0000

Content is king. No matter how impressive the visuals or other aspects of the site are, nobody can find your site without good content promoting it. Nobody will stick around for longer than a picosecond without good content grabbing their attention and keeping them interested. Perhaps most important of all, though, nobody is going to come back for a repeat visit if the content they are exposed to initially isn't engaging and useful.

But this article isn't about writing the content – that's already been covered by people much more qualified than myself. Rather, today's topic is focused on how we add new content and keep the existing material up-to-date. For that, you need a system to manage your content, known in the industry as a Content Management System (CMS), and more importantly you need people to follow and use that system.

So what exactly is a Content Management System?

In order to define what a CMS actually is, we need to define what it does. There are a few universal functions that a CMS fulfills regardless of the details.

1) Content organization and navigation structure.

2) User interface to add, edit and manage content.

3) A framework on which developers can build new websites and/or features.

All modern CMS software provides the first two features, and most systems also perform the third function in one fashion or another. Even the old school "webmaster" who maintained raw HTML code by hand has a rudimentary system in place, albeit not very user-friendly or efficient. What really differentiates the best Content Management Systems from the rest of the crowd is how well these concepts are implemented, specifically in terms of user experience, flexibility and consistency.

Alright, so, which CMS is the best for my organization?

There are literally hundreds of web-based CMS solutions for each of the various platforms and web servers, programming languages, databases and many other technical requirements. All of them eventually boil down to a few high-level categories:

1) Enterprise – Attempts to provide nearly every possible feature or option conceivable out of the box, often at an increased up-front cost. Developers sacrifice flexibility and options for a unified and polished user experience. Common among "enterprise" solutions.

2) Modular – Focused on flexibility and customization for individual projects, each feature can be mixed and matched with others to create the "perfect" system. Reduced up-front and ongoing maintenance costs are often balanced against additional customization that isn't possible with other systems. Common among popular open-source projects and solutions.

3) Single Platform – They do one thing and do it really, really well, but aren't easily adapted or extended beyond their primary niche(s). Common with both proprietary, niche-based products and open-source solutions alike.

4) Manual – No actual system, just a developer or two managing static files as demand requires. Every feature has to be built from scratch at significant cost, which limits scalability, but there's no extra cost or work for unnecessary or undesired features.

Over the years, we've realized that there isn’t a single set of functionality, technology and interface that works for every single project. We might be able to fit 90% of our projects into a single set of shared functionality, but eventually there will come a project that doesn't fit nicely into the standard mold, and once that happens, the all-for-one solution no longer fits. For these reasons we tend to prefer the modular approach, which allows us to have a common set of functionality that can be implemented as needed, but still allows for nearly unlimited flexibility and customization for each project.

Enough is enough. What CMS does Swanson Russell prefer?

We work primarily with the Drupal open-source project as the framework for each website project. Drupal is an open-source solution developed in PHP and deployed primarily in a Linux/Apache environment, which means there are zero setup and/or licensing costs. As an open-source project, we can take advantage of common functionality developed and maintained by the thousands of Drupal developers throughout the industry and across the world, as well as give back to the community when we make our own additions and improvements. And all of this can be combined with a powerful and flexible system that allows us to extend, customize and improve nearly any facet of the overall system.

That 90% of shared functionality can still be easily shared across projects when it makes sense, or we can build something entirely unique for a specific website. Our developers are able to become experts in a standard framework, which speeds up the implementation of new features, but we're still able to rely on the wider open-source community to avoid constantly re-building the metaphorical wheel. And on the content side, we can take advantage of flexible yet consistent concepts and structures when planning and designing each project.

While there might be common concepts and interface elements from project to project, due to its modularity we're essentially building a unique Content Management System tailored to the content, navigation and users for each individual project. The end result is a system that does only what you need it to, does it well, and allows you to spend time focusing on what matters: the content!

The Power of Passionate Marketers

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:42:43 +0000

About six years ago, I had a boss who loved educating his employees as much as he loved marketing. He also had an office so full of clutter that he could barely fit another scrap of paper in it. So every month when he received his copy of Marketing News published by the American Marketing Association (AMA), he would scan the content and then throw, yes literally throw, the magazine on my desk. After a few months on the job, I found yet another copy of the magazine strewn on my desk. I grabbed it, marched directly into my boss’s office and said “if you’re going to keep giving me these, then I think I should be a part of the organization.” A few months later I was officially a member of the Lincoln Chapter of the AMA and on my way to an experience I could have never anticipated.

At my very first educational program, I was hooked. The topic was Hispanic Marketing, the speaker was great and the intensity of the audience engagement was palatable. I was introduced to numerous members of the board after the program and was so elated by my experience the first words out of my mouth to each one of them was, “if I can help out in any way, let me know.” As anyone who’s worked with a nonprofit can relate, the minute help is offered, the offer is pounced upon.

Before I knew it, I was a member of a newly formed PR committee. Six months later, I became the PR committee as the remaining volunteer members got busy with other commitments. I pressed on until I received a phone call from the President of the board asking me to take a board chair position in sponsorships. I thought it sounded like an interesting new challenge and one where I’d be working with other board members—a lot more fun than working in my now-solo volunteer position. When I started on the board, I did have more than a few moments of “wait a second, what did I get myself into?” The time commitment of the position was pretty intense, and well, not something you get “paid” to do. But being a person who will crawl on her hands and knees to honor a commitment she’s made rather than giving up, I kept going, grumbling —at first.

Month by month, things started to change. I loved the educational programming from day one, but soon, it was helping me become a better marketing consultant for my clients, more equipped to recommend timely trends. I started to wax poetic with event attendees who were so passionate about marketing, you couldn’t help but get caught up in the energy. I became a Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) through AMA sharpening my marketing street cred that much further. My PCM classmates and I would meet up after our courses and discuss marketing theory with a vigor so great, I’d be jumping out of my seat to go tell my clients what I had learned the next morning. The work hard, play hard mentality of the board created a bond so strong, the majority of my social calendar started to fill with time devoted to my now dear friends, outside of our countless AMA hours spent together.

Finally, I completely and whole-heartedly “got it.” I got why these men and women gave up time with their family, friends and many weekend and evening hours to keep this all-volunteer organization afloat. I understood why they’d squeeze in a few more hours of “day job” work into the evening so that they could make time during the day for AMA meetings and events. I hopped on board so much so that I made the leap one short year after having joined the board to the position of President-Elect.

My Presidential year is one I will cherish for the rest of my life. The connections I made, both personally and professionally, are truly invaluable. My board was full of rock stars that were just as outstanding in a professional capacity as they were people you simply wanted in your life. The Lincoln chapter itself continued its award winning streak as we took home first runner up for Chapter of the Year (followed this year by earning the top honor). There were certainly twists, turns and pretty big bumps during the ride, but the intensity of the highs far outweighed the valleys. And the quality of the people made every elated, exhaustive, exciting or just plain crazy moment worth it.

Now as I’ve taken my seat in my rocking chair as a Director on the board, spouting “in my day,” whenever possible, I know my love and commitment to this organization will never wane, no matter where life takes me next. I had no intention of this path when I first encountered my boss, Marketing News magazine in hand. And that, I believe, is the true power of these passionate marketers. If you let them, they’ll take you to a place you never knew you wanted to go, but will be so incredibly grateful you did.

Serving Hope, Building Community

editor — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:52:43 +0000

It’s no secret that we’re pretty fond of Lincoln. Okay, we love Lincoln – especially its people! That’s why we’re happy to give our time as a company to organizations like Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach, a true gem in our community.

Since 1992, MTKO, a grassroots non-profit organization, has been serving hot, nutritious meals to the homeless and working poor in the area. What began as a humble soup kitchen (sans a functioning kitchen) serving a meal one night a week, is now a major center for hunger relief in Lincoln. Last spring, the organization relocated to a new, larger facility on North 27th Street to better serve its guests.

Because hunger never takes a day off, neither does MTKO, serving lunch and dinner seven days a week, 365 days a year, with each meal prepared and served by area volunteer teams. Swanson Russell is proud to be one of them.

Once a month (the second Tuesday of each month, to be exact), we get to trade in our pencils and spreadsheets for aprons and ladles to serve up something tasty and filling to those who need it most. As a volunteer team at Matt Talbot, we prepare for the lunch crowd, serve guests and clean up the facilities for the lunch rush.

Swanson Russell’s involvement with the organization began with former agency Vice President/Account Supervisor, Chris Raun, a regular Matt Talbot volunteer in his free time. Eventually, he added Vice President/Account Supervisor, Dick Placzek and the late Vice President Chip Hackley to his team. The popularity of helping others quickly spread around the office, and soon the necessity of creating a system to organize so many eager volunteers was obvious.

Cue Karen Deschane in Database Mailing and Shipping, our official Matt Talbot volunteer coordinator. Karen took over as coordinator a couple of years ago. Nowadays, volunteers rotate in teams of four to five people every month, with each person donating their time roughly every three months.

After ten plus years of volunteer service at an organization like Matt Talbot, you become acquainted with familiar faces. In his time with the organization, Dick Placzek has begun to recognize a few regulars. Although he doesn’t know them by name, the desire to help others becomes even stronger once a face is put on such lofty, nightly news terms like “near-homeless” and “working poor.” When cold winds return and long-awaited holidays approach, it’s easy to become stressed with the festival rush and forget everyday good fortunes like three meals a day and a warm bed at home.

By lending a helping hand, we’re taking the Swanson Russell Real Connection™ approach out of the office and into the community we live and work in. We’re proud to be associated with MTKO, and this is one tradition we plan to continue for many years to come.

If you’re interested in joining the nearly 800 monthly volunteers that keep MTKO on its feet or in giving a monetary gift to the organization, visit their website.

Creating Strategic Web Content

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:21:47 +0000

The key to any good website is ensuring that the content present is highly relevant to your key audiences. Whether you are going through a complete website redesign or just a much needed facelift, targeted, unique and timely content is key to accomplishing your brand’s goals. Already have great content? Look for ways to provide your audience with fresh resources, materials and tools to keep them coming back.

Below are 4 tips for creating strategic website content

1) Identify your audience: Before you start creating new or updating existing content, make sure you know who you’re taking to. You can do this by answering a few questions:

Who is going to be visiting your site? How do they want to be communicated to?
What are the main reasons a user is visiting your site?
How are they typically visiting your site? Desktop, mobile, both? If you have an existing site and you have google analytics (www.google.com/analytics) installed, you can determine how visitors are accessing your site most often.

2) Identify and prioritize your main objectives: In this step, you should identify the key objectives of your website content strategy. These objectives should be focused around what you hope to accomplish with your site (or section of your site). A site’s purpose could be anything from teaching visitors about the mission of your organization to instruction on how to use your new product to selling your product online. No matter what your goal is, your content should be relevant to and focused around achieving those objectives.

3) Audit your existing content: Before you jump in to creating new content, spend some time reviewing what you already have. In some cases (not all) using what you have as a starting point can save time and money.

In addition to updating content, a crucial part of this step is reviewing any content that is outdated or is no longer accomplishing your sites objectives. If your content is not pertinent to your objectives or doesn’t provide some kind of value to your user it should be removed. Your content should always be relevant and serve a strategic purpose for your target audience.

Ask yourself the following questions as you’re reviewing your content:

What content could be reused as is?
What’s unnecessary or is no longer relevant and should be removed from your site?
Is there content that touches on a relevant topic but needs to be rewritten/reproduced?
Are there pages that could be rewritten to be more SEO friendly or maybe include better keywords?
Are there pages that would benefit from the addition of visuals (images, infographics, video)?

4) Planning New Content: After you have successfully identified your target audience, established your overall objectives and reviewed what content you already have, it’s finally time to start brainstorming new content. When you’re creating this content, think about what you still need to highlight or focus on to help your site do a better job of achieving its objectives. Here are some questions to help kick-start the brainstorming process:

Are there questions that customers ask the sales or supports staff on a regular basis?
Are there new products for your brand to highlight?
Are there common industry issues that your brand has the solutions to solve?

Once you’ve determined the topics for your new content, you need to decide how to produce it. Adding images to web pages with text content can add visual interest to your website and enhance visitors understanding of your content. Video may be the perfect way to deliver your message. Or, you could ask your visitors to contribute content like product reviews and testimonials. The media type of the content you produce can be just as important as the subject.

Continued Content Creation & Optimization

Remember the key to creating good content is keep it focused and be mindful of its purpose. No matter what content you create, it should always be created for your target audience and serve the objectives of your site. And as your site evolves so should your content. If you want to keep users coming back, ongoing content creation is a must and keeping content fresh is key. A quick tool for this is keeping a weekly/monthly/quarterly content calendar. This could be on paper, in a google doc or spreadsheet. No matter the format keeping your sites content timely and relevant to your audiences is crucial to your sites success.

I Saw the Sign

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:14:27 +0000

Creative-minded people like limitations. No, seriously, we do. We’re not all free-wheeling starving artists who doodle unicorns in the margins of our notebooks when we should be listening. Okay sometimes we do that, too. But most of us can’t completely stifle our left brain; we need order and boundaries to direct our thinking.

Which is why we love projects like this one from Runza: for each monthly promotion in the store, we’re tasked with writing little sayings to go on the letter board marquees outside their restaurants. It’s a seemingly minute detail, but then again, they’re giant words on a giant sign outside of one of the region’s most recognizable fast food names.

And it becomes an even more exciting challenge for a creative when you factor in the medium’s limitations:

Some stores have a 3-line marquee, some have a 4-line marquee. So we write for both.
Each line on a marquee can hold roughly 15 characters. So we’ve got a max of 45-60 characters per marquee. That’s less than half a tweet!
There are no commas in the standard set of letters. NO COMMAS. The copywriter’s silver bullet! How, I ask you, am I supposed to write something clever without my beloved comma crutch?
Like any project, a client must approve all the lines.
After that, each individual store manager gets to choose which line to use. If they don’t like any of the options you give them, they can write their own.

So the limitations are many. But we love the challenge, and the opportunity to have a little fun with the writing. So here are a few of the winners: headlines that fit on a marquee, didn’t require commas and were approved by several people.

Rejects

As fun as those were, there are a few beloved lines that never ended up on a marquee (at least, not that we ever saw anyway), thanks to the much sounder, wiser judgment of our client. Here are a few of our favorites from the cutting room floor:

FRIES AND RINGS ARE LIKE HALL & OATES. GOOD ON THEIR OWN BUT BETTER TOGETHER. (Promoting “Frings” – Fries and Onion Rings in the same pouch)
WE’D LIE ABOUT OUR SWISS CHEESE BUT YOU’D SEE RIGHT THROUGH IT
MORE SPICE THAN 5 BRITISH CHICKS – THE NEW SPICY JACK BURGER.
IF OUR MUSHROOMS MAKE YOU HALLUCINATE YOU’RE ALREADY ON DRUGS (Promoting a Swiss Mushroom Burger)
HEARTY BACON & SMOKY BBQ SAUCE & HEY WATCH THE ROAD!
BORING MEAL? FUGEDDABOUTIT! ITALIAN MINI RUNZAS JUST $1.99
GIVE YOUR ROUTINE THE BOOT- ITALIAN MINI RUNZAS JUST $1.99
GIVE YOUR SMALL FRIES SOME SMALL FRIES - $1.79 KIDS MEALS
EAT CHILDREN! UH OH WE RAN OUT OF COMMAS. $1.79 KIDS MEALS
OKAY SMARTY GO TO A PARTY. AND BRING SOME MINI RUNZAS.

Lots of fun. With not a lot of letters. And again, no commas. But hey, we love limitations around here.

Giving Back by Getting Dirty

editor — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:42:48 +0000

A big part of living and working in a given community is giving back to it. While we at Swanson Russell do a lot of community outreach events as a company, there are also several employees who take it upon themselves to make an impact on their own time.

One of them is Lincoln Account Manager Jeremy Stanislav, who recently completed his fourth year as the head of the Beat Breast Cancer Mud Volleyball Tournament. Hosted in his hometown of Prague, Nebraska, Jeremy founded the tournament four years ago to raise money each year for a family affected by breast cancer. The idea was conceived to honor his grandma, Georgia, and each year his committee selects a different local family to help.

This year’s tourney featured a record 175 teams – including our own Swanson Hustle – and raised more than $10,000 for this year’s honoree, Lena Sayles. In addition to being an outlet for community outreach, the tourney also helps Jeremy practice what he preaches from 9-5. Working with a small budget, promoting the tournament requires ample use of social media and email communications, including a Facebook page, YouTube channel and some paid media.

Over the next couple years, Jeremy hopes to see the tournament grow and expand to help raise even more money and awareness for breast cancer. And along the way, we’re proud to call him a coworker.

Cooking Up a New Direction for Dorothy Lynch

editor — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:27:42 +0000

For 20+ years, “There’s No Taste Like Home” has served as the signature for Dorothy Lynch Home Style dressing—a tip of the cap to both its Nebraska roots and its sweet and spicy, one-of-a-kind taste. An iconic brand here in the Midwest, Dorothy Lynch has steadily been expanding its distribution to 23 states west of the Mississippi.

With the recent launch of a new campaign (“Whatcha got cookin’?”) and website, Swanson Russell has now also expanded the brand promise of the popular dressing, promoting different uses beyond traditional salads. Art Director Monie Hetrick explains, “One of the beauties of Dorothy Lynch is that it is so much more than a salad dressing. It can be used as a marinade, dipping sauce, barbecue sauce, in baking and so on. ‘Whatcha got cookin’?’ engages consumers in a way that gets them thinking about all the possibilities with Dorothy Lynch.”

The effort includes: 30-second television commercials, on-bottle neck hangers, in-store POP, recipe folders, and a shiny new website that features a searchable recipe section with tasty ideas for marinades and sauces, appetizers, salads, meats and fish. Consumers are invited to share their favorite Dorothy Lynch recipes by uploading them into the site’s database.

In addition to the media launch, Dorothy Lynch will also have an expanded presence at home games for the Nebraska Cornhuskers with in-stadium signage, sponsorship of instant replays and an aggressive sampling program on gamedays.

Dorothy Lynch TV Spot

Dorothy Lynch Outdoor Board

I Heart Omaha Advertising

editor — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 21:56:54 +0000

"Why would we hire an agency from Oklahoma?" Someone said to us during a creative pitch.

"Well, we're from Nebraska. Omaha, actually," we replied.

This response was met with a furrowed brow and a piercing stare.

It's pretty easy for people to take shots at Nebraska. The general population thinks all we know is football and corn. While we do know a LOT about both of those things, I'd say we know a whole lot about good creative, too.

Funny enough, the same person who previously expressed their disdain was left standing and applauding at the end of the presentation.

We were competing against high profile Los Angeles agencies and we wound up winning the business. Thus began my love affair with Omaha.

Here's what most people in the ad biz don't know about Nebraska: we're smart, creative, and innovative, but we never flaunt it. We can't help but reach for bigger and better opportunities on the horizon, but we're respectful enough to know that we're not entitled to anything.

From an advertising perspective, we have large agencies and small boutique shops, and while we sometimes compete over the same book of business, we all have a mutual respect for each other and we genuinely care about elevating our craft, whether we receive industry recognition or not.

That's why I love working in Omaha. Good people who are passionate about every detail of their work surround me. They have a drive that is at once both exciting and unassuming. I'm not alone. Many others love living and working in Omaha. So much so, local web design and development studio, What Cheer, devoted a website to Omaha natives, allowing users to ruminate over their affinity for their hometown.

The enthusiasm here is amazing. For example, take Omaha's national conference on entrepreneurship and innovation, Big Omaha. Every year, a group of nationally renown young innovators descend on our city, injecting new ideas and opportunities into an already thriving creative community. Wired Magazine recently featured a cover article on Omaha's downtown revival and the new jobs created by booming tech towns, such as our own.

On top of that, we live pretty well out here in the heartland. Nebraskans often refer to it as "The Good Life." In fact, Omaha was listed as the number one "Best Value" and "Most Affordable Cites to Live," by Kiplinger's and Forbes, respectively. Forbes also listed Omaha as number five on its list of "Best Cities for Young Professionals."

I'm confident in saying that our creative culture and drive to succeed is on par with (if not exceeds) other bourgeoning epicenters around the country. There is a palpable energy here in Omaha. Nothing against Madison Avenue or other highly regarded global ad agencies, they have their own unique upside, but Omaha is on the verge of something really special, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

What do you think, Omaha? Do you feel the same way?

Are you paying attention to the mobile web?

editor — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:25:01 +0000

The World Wide Web has continuously evolved at an exponential rate since its creation. The current change is how we are moving from accessing the Web from our home or work desktop computers or laptops, to accessing the Web from anywhere, at anytime, on our smartphones. Now, accessing the Web via a mobile device can really be done by both smartphones and Web-enabled feature phones, but for the purpose of this article, we are referring to mobile access to the Internet via smartphones (iPhones^®, Android powered phones, certain Blackberry^® devices and the new Windows powered phones).

Numbers to Consider

It's easy to say “just jump into mobile,” but it is important to understand the state of the mobile Web. So let's look at some numbers.

According to a Pew Internet study posted July 2010, 38% of all adults access the Web via a mobile browser. Now you look at that number and may not be overly impressed, but one thing to consider is this number also includes Internet-capable feature phones. I would expect mobile Web access on smartphones to be much higher.

If we were to look at this number by age group, it breaks down as such.

Percent of cell phone owners who use their phones to access the web by age group

18-29 years of age	65%
30-49 years of age	43%
50-64 years of age	18%

Another number I like to look at is the frequency at which these people access the mobile Web, and the change that occurred between the middle of 2009 and the middle of 2010. I like to lump the "several times a day" group and the "about once a day" group together, and as you can see, there has been a huge jump from 36% to 55%.

Frequency of mobile internet user (% of mobile internet users)

	2009	2010
Several times a day	24%	43%
About once a day	12%	12%
3-5 days a week	10%	8%
1-2 days a week	15%	9%
Every few weeks or less	39%	27%

What are Mobile Consumers Doing?

Use of mobile devices continues to evolve and expand as seen from the various statistics below.

- 200 million mobile Facebook users in 2011

- 86% of mobile internet users are using their devices while watching TV

- 50% of all local searches online were performed on a mobile device

- 48% of consumers use mobile to look up products or promotions

- 40% of US smartphone owners compare prices on their device while in-store

The take away from all the various statistics is that no matter what you're doing or where you're at, access to information is more important than ever. No longer are consumers tied to their chairs or their desks. This begs to question; is your brand, your website, your campaign prepared for the mobile consumer?

In future posts I hope to cover three distinct kinds of mobile websites as well as mobile applications versus native applications. In the meantime, I want to leave you with a few tidbits on the future of the mobile Web as well as a video that I think summarizes why you should pay attention to the mobile Web.

"More Americans are expected to own a smartphone than a feature phone by the end of 2011."

"By 2013 the majority of the web content will be viewed on a mobile device."