Swanson Russell - Orange Dot

How We Created The “Best Press Kit Ever”

editor — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 15:44:32 +0000

Our mission: Catch the attention of the top 15 golf writers in the world with the news about Leupold’s latest rangefinder.

As the agency for Leupold & Stevens, Inc., we of course accepted, understanding there were a few significant obstacles. Leupold is a relative newcomer to the golf industry, and its primary competitor in the rangefinder category has much greater brand awareness and market penetration. In addition, the new Leupold GX-4i2 rangefinder was to be introduced at the industry’s largest trade show, so the news would be competing with a lot of pre-show hype from other companies.

However, we had a strong news hook to work with: GX-4i2 was the first rangefinder approved by the United States Golf Association for use in tournament play. We knew our story was newsworthy; we just had to find a way to ensure it would be heard loud and clear by the writers.

One big advantage of working at a full-service agency is the opportunity for collaboration between the public relations and creative minds. We started brainstorming on this project in December 2013, feeling a little pressure because the launching pad for GX-4i2, the PGA Merchandise Show, was set to begin January 22, 2014. But sometimes pressure is good, because it forces a great idea to the surface.

The big idea was a mailer, which took the form of a hard-shell briefcase sent to each of the 15 writers. It carried a GX-4i2, press materials and product literature, and a tape recorder with a Mission: Impossible-style personalized message on it.

In short, the message was heard loud and clear. Golf Digest, Golf Channel, Golfweek and other leading media outlets covered the story. And Tom Cunneff, equipment editor for Links Magazine, wrote this about the mailer itself.

“Best press kit ever.” When those of us in PR get that kind of response from the media, we consider it Mission: Accomplished. To see more successful examples of our outdoor recreation work, I invite you to explore our website.

Lessons Learned at the WWC

editor — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 14:46:20 +0000

Every year since 1992, Swanson Russell has worked with firearms client Weatherby, Inc. to plan and facilitate a writers’ conference. The Weatherby Writers’ Conference, or WWC for short, serves as the company’s national launching pad for new products and the foundation of its media relations program. The WWC has become a “must-attend” event for top hunting/shooting editors and writers, providing them with hands-on experience with products, face time with Weatherby staff and an enjoyable time to boot.

The WWC is obviously an opportunity to build relationships and generate lots of positive publicity. Here are four not-so-obvious lessons we have learned that can make any media event more effective.

Pick their brains.
Sure, the objective is to fill the brains of your media audience with your information and potential news angles. But make a sincere, concerted effort to glean feedback and ideas from them as well. The media can be a great source of industry intelligence. Weatherby listens, and has developed, modified or even killed products based on media feedback. In addition, the opportunity to provide input and truly be heard helps “invest” the media in your organization.

Give them a break.
We ask the editors/writers to complete written evaluations of the WWC; many have commented on how much they appreciate downtime. Resist the urge to maximize control by scheduling every minute of your event. This can backfire by making the media feel like herded cattle. A more relaxed pace makes your event more enjoyable, one the media will look forward to attending in future years. We have also observed that downtime allows the media time to reflect on and pursue individual story angles.

Provide plenty of access.
Time is one thing, access is another. It’s human nature for people to keep to their own. Don’t let your event break down into the “media group” and the “company group.” Writers and editors tell us that access to Weatherby’s president, other top executives and technical experts is a primary benefit of the WWC. Make sure your key people are prepared and available to engage with the media. After all, that’s why everyone is there in the first place!

Follow up, follow up, follow up.
So, the event is over, it was successful and now you can relax and watch for all the fantastic media coverage. Wait, what? Um, no! It is absolutely vital to stay in touch with the media who attended. Our WWC follow-up includes offering additional story ideas, updates on when new products will be ready for field testing and alerts on any changes in new-product specifications or availability dates. Do all you can to stay top of mind, keep the media engaged, and make their job as easy as possible. Another important aspect of follow-up: Track the coverage you receive as a result of your event. Send thank-yous to the media and a heads-up to your boss on the return he or she is getting on the investment in your successful event.

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

Maximize Consumer Relationships with Branded Services

site manager — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 21:55:48 +0000

Recently, we have seen a rise in a new type of consumer marketing: branded services. Rather than inundating people with the catchy one-liners and flashy visuals of traditional advertising, there has been a shift to provide that same consumer with something of value.

Online services in particular have thrived as branded experiences in recent years. Brands can utilize a marketing budget to build a service that would not be profitable as a stand-alone venture. Typically the goal is not the service itself, but increased brand loyalty and further incentive to buy the primary brand product. Often a branded service can drive regular interaction with the consumer, in a more meaningful way than an ad campaign would.

Nike+ or the Starbucks App offer solid examples.

Our client, Hodgdon Powders, was already cashing in with their own branded service, but asked for our assistance in refreshing it.

Hodgdon, which makes smokeless powder for the ammunition industry and for shooters who load their own ammunition by hand, are the de facto leaders in the industry. That’s mainly because they make the best powders available, but they also provide some of the best resources.

Their Reloading Data Center is a free online resource to look up the required data needed for loading ammunition by hand. Where other powder companies only produce lengthy books they sell to consumers, Hodgdon was the first to provide all the data — for free — in an easy to access manner. Through making the data needed to use Hodgdon powder more accessible, Hodgdon is lowering the barrier to entry for their brand and making the on-going experience of using their brand more enjoyable.

Already given the success of the data center in establishing Hodgdon's position as a market leader, our challenge was to refresh the site. Without continual progress forward, what is the best today will surely be surpassed over time. In addition to simple design updates, we wanted to step back and take a larger look at how this service could further serve the brand. The site had a large body of users and a proven workflow to get reloaders what they need, however it was in no way accessible to new reloaders and the user experience was rather antiquated.

This presented us with two opportunities, both of which represent major benefits of branded services. First, we needed to update the user experience to ensure the site would continue to be a leader the industry. By building the best tools in the industry, we continue to grow brand loyalty. Second, we are able to add features to the site that will make the data more accessible to new reloaders. The primary barrier to reloading is the lack of quality resources on how to get started. By helping bridge that knowledge gap through new content and tools, we are able to bring new consumers to the brand.

Now this isn't to say that branded services are always needed, as the need for the service must come first. Often marketing is quick to jump on the bandwagon and build services that aren't needed or relevant. However it's important to keep the concept in mind and be aware of the vast benefit services can have for a brand. In Hodgdon's case, the service is one of the cornerstones of their brand. It provides the consumer with something that is essential to the use of Hodgdon powders and the enjoyment of reloading. By provided this service as a brand, they are able to intrinsically link the positive benefits of the service with the brand.

Building Strategic Partnerships for Your Brand

admin — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 20:31:23 +0000

Regardless of the industry you work in, you have probably worked with a strategic partner at some point. Strategic partnerships are particularly beneficial in marketing. In addition to sharing costs, these partnerships will also allow you to reach a larger, varied audience and build trust by associating with other valued brands. However, not all companies make great partners for each other. Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding on strategic partners:

Choose a partner that enhances your capabilities by doing something you can’t. You shouldn’t be competing against your partner. Make sure the relationship benefits both organizations.
Establish joint goals and objectives. In order to make sure both parties are satisfied with the results of the partnership, outline expectations early on.
Define the roles and responsibilities of each organization. Much like the goals and objectives, these roles should be defined early on to ensure the partnership is positive and successful for both organizations.
Determine whether it makes more sense for this to be a short-term or long-term partnership. The purpose of the partnership will help drive the necessary length. Tradeshows may only require a short-term commitment, while other projects may work better longer term.

We strive to be good strategic partners for our clients. That means that we often see opportunities for our clients to partner with each other. Here are a few of the more recent examples:

Weatherby and Leupold

Weatherby makes rifles and Leupold makes riflescopes, so partnership opportunities abound.

When Weatherby held a brandsummit in 2012 to explore how manufacturers could pool resources to create more powerful marketing ventures, Swanson Russell represented Leupold to share information and brainstorm. One of the outcomes was Team Weatherby. Co-sponsored by Leupold, Team Weatherby is a select group of celebrities who serve as spokespersons.

Swanson Russell has also worked with Weatherby and Leupold to plan and implement joint press events and hunts, coordinate their participation in a media-sponsored roundtable, and provide products for each other’s photo shoots and PR endeavors. We often “cross-pitch” them for editorial opportunities, and schedule in-booth tours with key editors and writers at the hunting and shooting industry’s biggest annual trade shows. In the social media realm, we serve as a connection point for the Weatherby and Leupold Facebook pages, sharing content and ideas.

Turfco and Agrium Advanced Technologies

Turfco Spreader/Sprayers and Agrium advanced Technologies were a perfect match.

The Turfco Spreader/Sprayer saves lawn care operators time and money by making fertilizer applications more efficient. Agrium Advanced Technologies produces fertilizer that saves time and money by reducing the number of applications that need to be made.

Because Agrium needed to change market paradigms to be successful, we helped them develop a “Square Foot Advantage” calculator that allows prospects to compare their 4 or 5 or 6-time fertilizer application program to a 1 or 2 time application program with an Agrium fertilizer. When lawn care operators would calculate their square foot advantage, they were entered for a chance to win a Turfco package worth nearly $10,000 retail, but provided to Agrium at a very substantial discount. In exchange, Agrium gave the Turfco 3000i a great deal of exposure in print/digital ads and cross promotion in their respective booths at GIE+EXPO.

Cushman and Vanguard Engines

Vanguard needed a deconstructed vehicle frame to demonstrate the engine’s position within the vehicle, and Cushman delivered. Since both brands were exhibiting at this particular show, we worked with them to make sure that relevant collateral was shared between the two, increasing the impact that both brands were able to make.

Vanguard Engines power a variety of turf and construction equipment including select vehicles in the Cushman line of utility vehicles. Their existing OEM relationship made the choice to work together on a tradeshow exhibit an easy one.

A Fish Story

admin — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:35:47 +0000

Here at Swanson Russell, we talk a lot about Real Connection™—the bond we forge between brands and their customers through an in-depth knowledge of both. But where does that understanding of our audience come from? Sometimes, we know our audience because we are our audience. Other times, we’re simply keen observers of it.

I’m no fisherman. But I’ve told my share of fish stories the past 2+ years as the lead writer on Humminbird, a company that makes high-end sonar technology. A native Midwesterner, I grew up around walleye, crappie and bass anglers. I know my audience because I went to school with him. I’m neighbors with him. I’ve spent Saturdays out on the water with him.

The insights I’ve gleaned from these first-hand conversations and experiences inform my copywriting and its ability to connect with the desired audience.

But the saltwater angler is a different animal, not found in these parts. With Humminbird placing more emphasis on this key audience, I needed to see what made him tick.

I had that opportunity this November during a photo shoot off the coast of Florida.

Day One

I’m on a jet bound for the West Palm Beach Airport, along with Greg Bousquet, senior art director; Jeff Kolodzinski, brand manager at Humminbird; Greg Silker, photographer; and Josh Silker, Greg’s assistant and son.

The view from the sky transforms as we move east across the Florida peninsula. Wild, untamed wetlands give way to sprawling suburbia—tiny neighborhoods kept dry by a maze of canals and ponds. Suddenly, the residential scene becomes a bustling coastal cityscape. There must not be room on the runway, because we fly clean past the shoreline and over the great Atlantic Ocean. It’s a fitting sight—this stoic expanse of blue will be home for the next three days.

….

It’s a short drive from our hotel to our boat captain and main photo talent, Seth Funt. We share our credentials with the security guard at the entrance of Seth’s gated community and after a few moments of scrutiny, are free to find the address. We park and round the corner of the house by foot to find Seth and the rest of the crew out back in the boat.

Handshakes, introductions and a few barbs are exchanged. Dusk already taking hold, we shove off in search of food, scoping out the rows of multi-million-dollar houses along the way. We eventually find ourselves planted on a picnic table behind a local rum bar. Drinks and appetizers arrive, followed by entrées, all with a decidedly seafood theme.

Tomorrow is Election Day and a smattering of politics infiltrates our dinner conversation. But we mostly joke, tell stories and give each other hell, occasionally finding time to lay out tomorrow’s agenda. The lead instigator is Sam Heaton, captain of our second boat and the original Most Interesting Man in the World. He starts calling me “Copy”—a nickname that will stick for the rest of the trip.

On full stomachs, we make our way back across the dark water to Seth’s back patio, where we hand out Humminbird-branded visors and shirts to tomorrow’s photo talent. Then we call it a night.

I know I’m here to observe, help where I can and mostly stay out of the way. But I still turn in hoping I’ll get a chance to reel in a fish by the end of our three-day shoot. We’ll see about that.

Day Two

Capt. Seth is an interesting cat.

A real estate lawyer, he looks and talks like one of the blue collar types you’d see on Deadliest Catch—at least while he’s on the water. Red Bull in hand and “Hells Bells” ringing through his sound system, Seth leads us through the inlet, out to sea and into the light of dawn.

There are a half-dozen of us on Seth’s 34-foot Venture. The run is smooth. The vessel makes quick work of the waves and I can’t help but feel a rush of adrenaline.

The day’s forecast calls for mild temperatures and calm seas—conditions that Seth says will seldom inspire more than a few bites.

But you never know.

Seth slows down. Shifting his gaze back and forth from the water to the red and orange of the sonar graph on his fishfinder, he positions his boat, then orders his first mate to drop our sea anchor. He barks out more commands and we comply. “Grab some bait.” “Get a knife.” “Drop that line.”

We’re introduced to a unique brand of angling practiced in the Palm Beach area and hardly anywhere else: kite fishing. The concept is simple; the execution not so much.

Seth drops a modified electronic reel into the rod holder, ties a red kite to the line and releases the kite out into the wind.

He snatches a line from a nearby pole, baits it and wraps it through a small, bearing-driven mechanism on his kite line. He releases more line and watches the kite climb higher. He repeats the pattern twice more. In all, there are three poles and baited lines attached to a single kite line at varying intervals.

Using the reels, a mate drops each baitfish just below the water’s surface for a true-to-nature lure presentation—then stands watch, raising and lowering each line as the water level rises and falls. There are two of these kite stations—one at the bow and one near the aft—on the boat’s starboard side.

There’s still one more step. Called “live-chumming,” it aims to send the sailfish into frenzy. Seth picks up a child’s whiffle ball bat that’s been cut open to form a scoop. He stuffs the bat in the livewell and dredges up a few dozen mullet, then swings hard at an imaginary pitch—tossing the fish in the direction of the kite bait.

It’s an odd routine but an effective one. A sailfish grabs hold of one of the lines on the aft kite station. The angler immediately yells to his counterpart on the bow, “middle!” The other angler hurriedly raises the bait on the center pole line to prevent a tangle as the sailfish tries to race out of captivity. The fish puts up a good long fight, but the angler brings him in close enough for our photographer, Greg Silker, to snap off low-angle pictures from a kayak.

Despite undesirable conditions, we snag two sailfish, one kingfish and several bonitas by the end of the day—thanks in large part to the acumen of our captain.

Silker also lands several hundred shots to document the experience, capturing the energy of the chase and triumph of the catch.

We re-enter the inlet and cull its tranquil waters for baitfish to replenish the livewell. It’s a stark contrast to our time on the high seas. Compared to sailfish, mullet are remarkably easy to come by—we toss a net seemingly anywhere in the inlet and we catch at least a few dozen small ones. We get our fill and journey back to Seth’s place to tie up.

All in all, it was a good day. But with the weather predicted to turn in our favor, we part ways with much higher hopes for tomorrow.

Day Three

We need new bait. Though we’re fully stocked with mullet, the larger ones—many caught 48 hours ago—aren’t looking so good. The stakes are too high today to go home empty-handed.

Around here, goggle-eye are the baitfish du jour. Their wild eyes, mercurial temperament and silvery color make them a prime target for sailfish. But they’re much tougher to find than mullet—and time is at a premium.

Before heading out to sea, we stop by the marina to meet up with a salty, stubbly, gray-haired fisherman wearing a faded University of Miami sweatshirt. He sells us several dozen goggle-eyes and tells us where the fish will be biting today.

With the arrival of a new front, we’ll see a drop in temperature, high winds and tall waves that are all hallmarks of a big fishing day. Things are looking up; Seth and his first mate—his brother, Jordan—are amped.

But the sailfish must wait. We need to set up for a staged fishing shot while the morning light is still in play. I’m on our second boat, a 32-foot Contender, with the camera crew. The plan is to photograph the fishing crew boat-to-boat.

We chase the Venture out a couple miles offshore to an area of calm, blue water. The Silkers pull out their cameras and begin to shoot—with Bousquet radioing over instructions to our five subjects. “Get your poles out and in the water.” “Be active.” “Don’t look at the camera!” “You’re bunching up—separate.”

Silker gets a series of near and far-off shots lit by the orange-yellow hues of the sunrise and framed by the undulations of the ocean—in other words, prime catalog cover material. But the sun drifts higher, robbing Silker of his color palette.

“All right, let’s go get some fish.”

….

Fishing is a lot like the ad business: forecasts are far from certainties. The weather doesn’t deliver as promised. Most of our day is spent watching the kites bob and weave through the wind to no avail.

The verbal sparring of the Brothers Funt is our primary entertainment. They agree on very little, including our music. Seth prefers Motown. Jordan’s an 80s rap guy.

Jordan’s also a stocks and bonds man, who anticipated the market’s post-election volatility that day—and hedged his bets accordingly. So at least one thing’s going according to plan. He tells me about some of his other hobbies, most involve some form of prey—including a new interest in boar hunting.

The day isn’t a complete waste. We catch and release two more sailfish, plus a pair of bonitas. Based on what we hear over the radio and back at the dock, that was more than many of our peers caught.

At this point, our photo library is strong on energy but light on diversity. We need some shots of dolphinfish to add variety and round out the color spectrum.

We decide to change up our routine and spend the next day trolling. With a lighter crew scheduled, tomorrow also might be my shot to grab a pole and reel in one of my own.

Day Four

We get to the dock with intentions of running north about 25 miles, then trolling back for dolphinfish—as discussed the evening before. But Seth flips the script on us. He’s been thinking, and yesterday was an anomaly. Experience has taught him to be patient, stick with what works, even if it’s not working at the moment. Switch tactics too soon and you’re likely to miss an opportunity.

He suggests we find a spot to anchor on and kite fish yet again. Where there are sailfish, there are also dolphinfish. They’ve just been avoiding us so far.

I sense some reluctance among the rest of the group—or maybe it’s just me. But Seth’s the captain, we acquiesce.

We’re a light crew. Other commitments have winnowed us down to a single boat and just five men: Seth, Greg Bousquet, the Silkers and me. It’s not ideal. I don’t pretend to be an angler. But I’ll gladly grab a pole when the time comes. This is the opportunity I’ve been secretly waiting for.

I watch over Seth’s shoulder as he navigates. He searches for a familiar drop-off on his chartplotter and, pointing to a line on the topo map, tells me, “Right here.” He switches over to his fishfinder and rests his index finger on a few arches on the sonar read-out. “There—dolphin.”

We cut the engines and toss the sea anchor overboard. We set up kite fish stations on the starboard side. On the port side, we drop deeper bait in hope of attracting that elusive dolphinfish. I’ve watched our photo talent prepare the lines the last two days—now it’s my turn. I call over to Seth a couple times to make sure I’m doing it right—to mixed reviews. I’m at the starboard bow; Bousquet is at the starboard quarter. We’re to yell if we see anything strange.

We wait. One of Bousquet’s lines seems to get a tug. It’s nothing. I think I see something dart toward my goggle-eye. Just sunlight glinting off a wave—still no dice. It’s shaping up to be another slow day.

Then, Bousquet gets one. Seth yells at me to pull the adjacent bait out of the water to avoid a collision as Bousquet’s fish rushes toward it. I lift it above the water in the nick of time. Bousquet walks his fish around the boat and clear of our kite lines. I let my line slink back down into position—because when there’s one sailfish bite, there’s likely more waiting.

Except it’s not a sailfish that bites next. “Dolphin—need an angler!” I’m on it. Seth shows me how to pump and wind, bringing the rod tip upward, then taking up line as I move the tip back down, tiring out the fish and coaxing him toward the boat.

But there’s not much time for instruction, because we get another bite. And another.

Everyone’s on a pole, except for Silker, treading water in his wetsuit and capturing the action from below. We fight, yell, keep a tight line and fight some more, doing whatever it takes to prevent a lost fish and bruised ego.

We mostly vie against an invisible force. But every now and then—the moment every angler lives for—that fish jumps above the surface to reveal itself.

It’s an intense 30 minutes. Teamwork, focus, a classic duel of man vs. nature: it becomes crystal clear to me what draws someone to this way of life. Those fish are hooked and so am I.

In all, we catch three sailfish and five dolphinfish—not bad for a few novices. A taskmaster in the heat of the moment, Seth generously doles out praise in the aftermath.

As we enter the no-wake zone, Seth pulls out three white flags emblazoned with the blue silhouettes of sailfish and proudly sends them up the outrigger. Since sailfish are catch and release, this is how we crow about our deed.

In talking with some other anglers back at the marina, we’ve once again defied the odds, bringing in a good catch when others have struggled. Silker has landed some amazing shots to match.

….

I left Palm Beach with something less tangible than a photograph or a trophy fish, but just as real. At the end of those lines were the slice-of-life insights, experiences and observations that will spark creativity. Not creativity for its own sake, but the kind that comes pre-focus-group tested and guaranteed to resonate with its intended audience.

That’s what Real Connection™ is all about.

Connecting with Clients

editor — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:18:47 +0000

Real Connection™ is our foundation. It’s our way of describing how we bring our clients’ brands together with the people who use them. We get that it’s more than a purchasing decision; we want people to develop an emotional connection with our clients’ brands. In order to do that, we make an effort to fully understand our clients’ products and services – whether that means talking to the sales team at a trade show, visiting a dealership, touring the production facility or meeting for the sole purpose of product training.

It’s important that we understand the product to be able to promote it effectively. And we do. Many of us, myself included, use our clients’ products and would do so even if they weren’t our clients. We’re personally invested in the industries we serve. Having those common interests is what makes it easy to connect with our clients on a personal level.

It’s fairly typical that I talk to a client at least once a week – and sometimes several times a day if there is a big project in the works. So aside from knowing about the company, the products and the industry, I think it’s important that I know who our clients are as people. Connecting with them on a personal level helps strengthen the professional relationship. We see our clients as partners. Having that relationship with them helps when tough decisions have to be made or difficult conversations need to happen.

How each of us connects with our clients is different. I’ve visited a Bass Pro Shop to see the Bad Boy Buggies floor models and toured an Ariens and Gravely production facility. I’ve been on discovery trips to golf courses and had product training sessions at our office – all in an attempt to learn more about the product. When a client visits our office, we like to show them some of our culture and help them experience Lincoln. I’ve done the typical dinners and meetings in the office, but I’ve also taken clients on tours of Memorial Stadium, tailgated with them on Nebraska Football game days and even invited them to our Oktobeerfest celebration at the agency. It’s important for them to see who we are and understand our passion for what we do. That’s our Real Connection™ with our clients.

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.

The Best Ideas Make You Nervous

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:50:00 +0000

You’re in a brainstorm. A few dozen ideas are thrown on the whiteboard—some of them are just plain crazy. When the meeting is over, you take your notes back to your office and pick each idea apart. Logistics. Cost. Client comfort level. Technological hurdles. There are a hundred reasons not to pursue the crazy ideas—sometimes really good reasons. But other times, there’s an oddball idea that captures your attention, and if you’re lucky, your client’s and audience’s attention as well.

That was the case with the “Get Your Game Face On” promotion for Bad Boy Buggies. Our client asked us to create an activity that would drive booth traffic at the SHOT Show, the world’s largest trade show for professionals in the hunting, shooting and law enforcement industries. We knew that could be a challenge, as the booth was on the lower level of a huge show. But they needed a crowd, as Bad Boy was kicking off its largest product launch in recent history: the Ambush hunting vehicle with dual drive technology.

After a SHOT Show whiteboard session, one big idea stood out. But it raised a big question: Would people allow us to take their photo and morph it with an elk, bear, wild boar, etc.? The result could be…unsettling. There was no guarantee anyone would be willing to sit for a photo, let alone share the primal result online. But our gut told us these “Game Face” photos would distinguish us from standard “enter to win” booth promotions. We also knew they would forge a lasting brand memory for attendees. Despite the stomach butterflies an idea like this gave us, the client gave it a green light.

That anxiety was alleviated as the first attendees strolled into the booth on Day One, pre-show mailer in hand, asking, “How do I get my game face on?” The spectacle drew people in from the aisles. Attendees convinced their friends and coworkers to do it, after showing off their own wild photos. Even the Bad Boy Buggies pro-staffers— celebrities from shows such as Michael Waddell’s Bone Collector and The Crush with Lee & Tiffany—got their game faces on. In the end, we averaged 80 Game Face participants per day with many more pulled in as spectators. Each interaction offered an opportunity to talk about the new Ambush vehicle. And every participant walked away with a branded Game Face photo to remember us by. So the next time you’re in a brainstorm, take note of what makes you nervous. It just might get you noticed.

I Watch TV Fishing Shows For a Living

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:38:31 +0000

When I tell college students that part of my job entails watching hours and hours of fishing shows on TV, they all scramble to get to the door and line up to apply for my job. Okay, it’s only a small part of what I do, but to my clients it’s pretty darn important.

I have clients who literally invest hundreds of thousands of dollars sponsoring fishing shows that target anglers who are just waiting to spend money on new products. Most of those sponsorship contracts include clauses that allow for editorial inclusion of sponsors’ products in the programs. However, the challenge becomes making sure that the producers and hosts live up to their end of the bargain.

If you know anything about product managers and brand managers, the last thing they have time for is to sit down in front of a TV and watch 12 half-hour episodes of someone screaming “Now that’s a hawg!” That would be my job. But the task entails more than sitting in front of the tube, mindlessly watching these shows while enjoying a cold beverage.

I actually take notes. And I write a detailed report after watching a whole season’s worth of shows. What do I look for? I want to know just how much exposure my client gets for their products throughout the entire season. More importantly, I want to make sure that the products are represented and used by the hosts in an appropriate and informative manner. In other words, making sure my clients are getting the “added value” they are promised.

All in all I watch over 100 episodes of various TV fishing shows in a season. But you know what? I love my job. So don’t bother getting in line.

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!

Hunting with Gus – The Snowstorm

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:14:51 +0000

You could say hunting and fishing are in our DNA – quite literally. Our founder, Gus Swanson, was an avid outdoorsman. It’s a passion he shared with his son, Mark, who currently serves as a Production Manager in our Lincoln Office. To this day, brands in the Outdoor Recreation field remain one of our key “areas of focus” as an agency.

In this four-part Orange Dot series, Mark will share stories of hunting and fishing from his youth. We hope that, collectively, they serve as an explanation of our roots in outdoor recreation and the proud tradition we carry on as part of the Swanson name.

My dad (Gus), my brother Kirk, and I were heading out to go bird hunting near Franklin, Nebraska for a weekend trip. Franklin was a little farther west than the areas we usually hunted, but a friend of Dad’s had a friend who said he had too many pheasant and quail. That was like waving a red flag at a bull. So we charged.

We loaded up the camper, herded our German Shorthairs (Dobie and King) into the dog trailer and headed west. We hadn’t been on the road very long when the sky began to get a heavy grey cast on the horizon. The snow started coming down at a pretty heavy pace, and we all began to wonder if we would even get out in the field.

When we got to our destination, the snow was still coming down heavily, with five or more inches already on the ground. Kirk and I thought we might be better off just playing cards and sitting in the warm camper, but Dad convinced us that we could still hunt for at least a couple hours before it got too dark.

Kirk and I were a little skeptical that we would even be able to see any birds, but we got our gear on and got the dogs out of the trailer. We hadn’t even gotten over the fence when Dobie went on point, with King backing him. Dobie had his nose almost buried in the snow when we got next to him, and we kicked up a large covey. We all got at least one bird to drop. I know Dad got two, as he didn’t miss often. I’m sure I got two as well. Kirk nabbed just one – though he tells it a little differently.

We busted up a couple more big coveys, and we had filled our limit with daylight to spare. Thus, the hunt that had started out with daunting conditions turned into one of the best days we ever had on quail, and one of my most vivid memories.

Hunting with Gus – Fly Fishing

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:27:53 +0000

My father (Gus) always called the official opening day of fishing season a “Holy Day,” and I don’t think he missed more than a handful of them over his lifetime. He taught my brothers and me to fish at stocked local lakes and in the Sandhills of Nebraska.

One such Sandhills fishing lesson featured my brother, Kirk, and I learning how to fly fish. Dad showed us how to dress the line, tie the fly, gink the fly to keep it on the surface of the water, and how to cast. My brother picked up the casting and stripping of the line quicker than I, and after a few casts had managed to hook a nice rainbow trout. I was always a second too late, or too early to hook the fish when I saw the mouth flash open.

I guess my anxiety and frustration was showing as Dad tried to get me to calmly lift the rod tip and set the hook, instead of jerking on the rod when I saw the fish going for the fly.

The first trout I managed to catch was quite the surprise. Instead of gently setting the hook, I skipped all the finesse and jerked the rod so hard that I set the hook and launched the trout out of the water, sending it flying over my head to land on the bank.

Dad congratulated me on my first trout caught on a fly rod. Then he asked me if I was going to try and catch some more fish, or if I was just trying to break their jaws. Later that afternoon, I did manage to land another fish, more conventionally, stripping the line and netting my catch.

Hunting With Gus – The Chicken & The Dog

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:01:41 +0000

I don’t ever remember a time when my father, Gus, didn’t have a hunting dog. The first hunting dog I can remember is Penny, our lovable Sherman tank golden lab. She was an excellent retriever with a special talent for dragging my brother, sisters or myself by her leash during walks.

During one of our bird hunts, my dad, my brother, Kirk, and I were going hunting in southeastern Nebraska. Penny was riding in the backseat. We pulled up to a farmhouse that had a white picket fence encasing the front yard and stopped to ask for permission to hunt on their land.

As my dad swung open the gate and made his way to the front door, he scattered some chickens that were feeding in the lawn. The running chickens were too much for Penny. When she spotted them, she exploded out of the rear seat, leaping over my brother and me to start the chase.

Kirk and I watched in horror as Penny quickly decimated several chickens, barely pausing between each attack. With impeccable timing the farmer opened the door to find dad standing there while Penny brought up one dead chicken after another to lay at his feet.

Without missing a beat, Dad told the farmer that he was hoping to get permission to hunt on his land, and added that he would also like to buy some chickens!

Luckily, the farmer just laughed and told Dad that we were welcome to hunt on his property. The farmer then started telling Dad where he had seen a covey of quail that morning and what spots might be good to try. Gus asked the farmer if he would like to hunt with us. It wasn’t long before the farmer was walking with Dad and Penny back to the car, shotgun under his arm.

A friendship was started that morning that lasted the rest of my father’s life. We’ve been hunting with the farmer and his sons for more than 30 years. Many times during our hunts, while following the dogs along a hedgerow or creek bed, we’ll still laugh about Penny and the chickens.