What happens if we put the term irrelevant at the front of your career, your education, or your job? That means my career, education or job could become irrelevant.

I recently read this blog post that says two billion jobs will disappear by 2030.

Not long ago, I had a conversation with a higher education executive and he said the average shelf life of a college education is 18 months.

I don’t intend to present a doom and gloom outlook. But rather present a wake up call of future opportunities and the need to take responsibility for your professional development. Education does not stop after you’ve graduated from college.

Continuing your education – in any field

What’s the solution? Professionals in law, medicine, accounting, real estate are required to pursue in-class continuing education in order to renew their licenses. This requirement is anywhere from 40-50 hours per year. In addition, they’re reading trade journals and other periodicals just to stay up with the current trends and changes in their professions.

If it’s not required to maintain a license, what does someone do to guarantee his or her personal and business development? What are you doing to stay relevant? I wrote about my experience back in July 2010. This became the inspiration for EBLu.

EBLu keeps employees up-to-date on current marketing trends

Since July of 2010 we’ve had some excellent presentations at EBLu – from a Thunderbird Professor on the Business Case for Marketing and Branding; Going Mobile by the owner of Mobi Manage; presentations by Mintel, presentations by our media partners as well as health and wellness presentations by our Wellness Coach, Jaime Parker. In the coming weeks, we’ll see 4A’s webinar on “Emerging Digital Trends, The Transformation of the Digital Landscape,” and a presentation by Skyhook, “Web Design from a Developer’s Perspective.”

You can access webinars for 4As and Marketing Profs via the links below if you’re interested:

4As webinars

Marketing Profs webinars

What do you do to stay relevant in your industry? Does your company provide continuing education? Please share your answers below in the comments section.

Photo credit: yourcontinuingeducation.net

It’s amazing to think how far WordPress has come over the years. I first began using WordPress in early 2007 when a developer friend showed it to me after a dinner party. Yes, I am that geeky. I discuss WordPress with dinner guests at home! Once I learned how flexible, versatile and usable the system was I immediately switched my blog to WordPress. Until then I had used Blogger and there was something about it that I just didn’t like. I had considered TypePad as an option but didn’t like having to buy into the system in order to use it. So, WordPress as an open source software with a passionate developer community was the perfect fit for my blog.

As I said earlier WordPress has evolved tremendously from being just a blogging engine. It is now a full-fledged CMS that can power any website (including e-commerce websites). It has become so ubiquitous that there are now over 71 Million WordPress based sites in the world including CNN, CBS Radio, UPS, TechCrunch etc.. Each month 355 million people view 2.5 billion pages on websites powered by WordPress. From web designers and web developers to browsers and content creators everyone on the web loves WordPress. In a very short few years it has become a very important infrastructure that powers the Internet.

WordCamp Phoenix

To celebrate the world’s premier open source software WordCamp Phoenix is being organized in Chandler this weekend (February 24-26). This non-profit event brings together WordPress enthusiasts from around the globe to share best practices and strategies for a wide variety of businesses. More than 650 small business owners, non-profit agencies, bloggers, social media mavens, realtors, photographers, designers, journalists and even kids will swarm downtown Chandler to learn easy website publishing and development.

At E.B. Lane we have been using WordPress for many of our client websites. The use of WordPress has allowed our designers to be creative without much restriction and has enabled us to deliver cost effective websites. In short it has been a win-win situation. I will share more of my agency experience using WordPress on a panel on Saturday at WordCamp. The panel will be discussing the challenges associated with building a web design on WordPress and will touch on topics such as pricing, estimates, managing labor, necessary skill sets, keeping up on technology, motivating employees etc.

So please come to the Chandler Center for the Arts this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday is free (but it is also sold out), but tickets are still available for Saturday and Sunday on the WordCamp Phoenix website. Hope to see you there!

Image by Huasonic on Flickr.

This places food and beverage marketers, retailers (specialty and mainstream) in search of new brands and products to sell to this growing population. These new products they seek may include authentic and traditional foods and beverages for Latino consumers as well as for mainstream consumers.

During the past decade, the mainstream/general population has also acquired a taste for more authentic ethnic flavors and food trends. They’re looking to go beyond the “safe and unadventurous” flavors of yesteryear. Foodies are on the rise, and they’re adventurous.

Sometimes even successful brands which do great in the mainstream, may forget (or disregard) their due diligence and discipline when expanding their reach for Latino consumers. This is a different audience than what they’re used to addressing.

When a brand successfully presents new product offerings to the Latino market, it doesn’t mean they change who they are, they’re simply more cognizant of making their audiences aware of their new offerings.

It’s necessary to speak to your new audience on their cultural and mental territory. This is true whether it’s products or services that you’re marketing.

If you’re planning to develop or market a Latino-focused brand, here are a few things to consider:

1. Is it something that Latinos will recognize and be drawn to? Do they, or should they care?
2. Is it authentic? Are the name(s) and positioning on target?
3. Is it aspirational? If so, is it in a clear and genuine manner? Inexpensive CPG products don’t have to look cheap/generic. Everybody wants value. Everybody wants a taste of the good life. Latino consumers are no different here.
4. Does it make an emotional connection? Will Latino consumers have a desire to purchase this? What about repeat purchase? Will they spread the word for you?
5. Presentation and personality. Does the packaging, POS, advertising and everything else about the brand support each of these four elements?

It’s important to be smart and invest wisely as you go into this category. Work with a partner who knows the market and will help you develop a disciplined strategy, be efficient and be innovative when developing a Latino-focused brand.

Source: Packaged Facts, 2010 and US Census Bureau

Wait, Part of The Bachelor is Scripted?!?!

Sad but true – I’m obsessed with The Bachelor. I’ve been a fan of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette & Bachelor Pad since season 1, and haven’t given up on the reoccurring (and typically ridiculous) quest for true love each season. This week, with my weekly Monday night “Bachelor viewing party” of 5, we noticed that Ben and the ladies were referencing a “Leap List.” The 5 of us discussed that we had never heard of a “Leap List.”  A “Bucket List” yes of course, but a “Leap List” was new. One girl on the show went onto explain in a duh-tone “doesn’t everyone have a leap list? It’s a list of things you want to do before take the big leap into marriage.” We figured maybe that’s what the kids were doing these days, and moved on with our viewing. Of course we noticed the obvious product placement of the new Honda CRV’s, but it did not even occur to us that the “Leap List” may be related to a product as well. After some googling, and Reality Steve today, I learned that this “Leap List” is something that was created by Honda for their new ad campaign for their CRVs. I may have caught this tie in sooner, had we not DVR’d through the commercials. However looks like Honda’s smooth new version of product placement within the show worked on me, without me having to see the actual commercial. Here’s one of Honda’s new commercials relating to making a list before taking a leap.

This seamless version product placement (through tag line, not actual product) was well thought out, and I find this genius on Honda’s part. What do you think?  Taking it too far that The Bachelor would allow such integration into their “non-scripted” show? Or do you appreciate good product placement as much as the next person?

]]> http://eblane.com/theinsidelane/scripted_product_placement/feed/ 0 http://eblane.com/theinsidelane/scripted_product_placement/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=scripted_product_placement http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/theinsidelane/~3/NsvP1-M_q50/ http://eblane.com/theinsidelane/to-you-its-data-to-us-its-art/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:13:45 +0000 Isabelle J http://eblane.com/theinsidelane/?p=1322 We’re talking about the beauty and storytelling of customer and business data. Visualized, patterns emerge and the influence of habit on purchasing behaviors takes form.

Our research has shown that when habits are strongly formed they control behavior more predictably than our intentions and goals. Have you ever driven the entire way home and realized you couldn’t remember the actual drive because you were on autopilot? Or, do you find yourself roaming your grocery store’s aisles in the same pattern? That’s the power of habit. It allows us to do more because we automate familiar tasks, but it also makes it more difficult to introduce new ones for consideration. Despite your customer’s best intentions or “goals,” habits dictate the majority of their behavior.

Your data reveals these habits, and allows agencies like E.B. Lane to form hypotheses for strategic planning that are grounded in analyzing consumer behavior, not on applications of broad technological and cultural fads. And, it allows us to track our client’s performance in real time, another common habit of top-performing companies and brands. In fact, among companies that said their investment in marketing technology was world class, 27% track their performance in real time and 39% adjust their campaign performance in real time.

Since we are visually oriented and think in terms of images, data visualization of your performance metrics is the most powerful storytelling and KPI device you can implement. That’s when your data starts becoming as enjoyable and provocative to look at as art.

This is an example of data visualization in our Edison software.

We decided a 50^th anniversary isn’t something that can be celebrated in one day, so we’ll commemorate this momentous occasion throughout the year. On our blog, you can look forward to posts highlighting E.B. Lane in the past, present and future. We’ll spotlight our people, our work, our clients and our 50th anniversary party in March.

We look forward to celebrating with you this year!

It’s exciting to see Legends Entertainment District out-of-home real estate popping up in downtown Phoenix near City Scape and the sports stadiums. While it’s not (nor will ever be in our lifetime) comparable to Times Square, it will definitely capture eyeballs and advertiser dollars. Here are a few notable out-of-home ads I discovered in Times Square.

Is there a static of digital creative execution that recently caught your eye?

P & G goes to Agua Azul, Mexico.

The trek through the dense, tropical jungles of Chiapas, Mexico felt like something right out of an Indiana Jones movie. I strained to keep my imagination in check but I almost expected a burst of poison darts to pepper the trees as we passed. Local Mayan Indian guides, weighed down with Panavision cameras and lights trudged before us while large, strange spiders scurried under our feet and brightly colored birds flew overhead. Suddenly, the jungle parted to reveal the destination of our journey… the stunning turquoise waters of “The Cataratas de Agua Azul” (Spanish for “Waterfalls of Agual Azul”), one of the most beautiful collection of cascading rivers in all the world.

Agency and production company base camp on the Usumacinta River in jungles of Chiapas, Mexico.

We had come to this remote location in 1993 to film the introductory commercial for a brand new Zest line extension from Procter & Gamble, Whitewater Fresh Zest. Unlike original Zest, which was aqua in color, this bar was pure white with a bracing, clean scent and was positioned to go up against Lever 2000 which had made huge impact on the market. The agency and client had gone through an extensive process to name the new bar and I was pleased that the Whitewater Fresh name was one of my submissions. What I loved about it was that it immediately conjured up images of churning, white water and clean, smooth skin and that perfectly meshed with the accepted image of our brand. The name also suggested a very energetic image for our first commercial and a very specific Zestful activity, whitewater kayaking. Our Zest client completely agreed and pre-production of our commercial got underway immediately. But as we began exploring various river and stream options, we discovered that most whitewater locations looked anything but clean. In fact, most river rapids or waterfalls were either muddy brown or a nasty shade of gray due to the dirt and silt churned up by the rampaging currents. For about a week, there was a huge disconnect between our collective vision and the reality of our research. But all of that changed when our producer Debbie Dunlap came upon a TV episode of National Geographic that was all about jungle kayaking and shot in  the river and waterfalls of Aqua Azul, Mexico. There in brilliant color were a series of thrilling kayaking sequences that were filmed on the Usumacinta River. Here, the water appeared so brilliantly aqua, it looked like our storyboards had come to life. Shortly after sending the half hour show to P&G, we were given the go-ahead to begin exploring what it would take to film there. We also had to choose a production company, an adventurous director and find an athletic actor capable of skillfully handling a kayak in extreme and unpredictable whitewater conditions.

Our actor and kayak taking on some relatively tame rapids.

Casting for the commercial was initially held in a studio near the agency. But once the larger group of actors and athletes was narrowed down, we took the casting selects to an indoor city pool for them to demonstrate their kayaking competence. One by one, they paddled back and forth across the pool doing a series of kayak or Eskimo rolls on command. A few of them almost drowned and barely completed the maneuver and were quickly eliminated. If these guys couldn’t complete the roll in the calm of an indoor pool, we’d certainly be risking their lives in the surging currents of a jungle river. The actor we finally chose was named Jim Davidson and he was everything the part called for. Well muscled and about 6 ft, 3 inches tall, he was not only skilled at handling a kayak, he had a broad smile, great skin minus even the tiniest tattoo and exuded a contagious sense of confidence. With our hero cast, our agency team, clients and production company began our jungle quest and headed to the exotic mountain state of Chiapas in southern Mexico to capture our concept on film.

Communication is a key element in a TV production and our location made things even more difficult. Chiapas was located in such a remote region that the principal language was Mayan although some of the locals did speak Spanish as a second language. No one spoke or understood English. Fortunately, my Art Director Alex Ross grew up in Majorca, Spain and he served as my translator whenever I had to communicate.

If I needed another reminder that our shoot was an adventure worthy of Indiana Jones, our Aqua Azul location was only a short journey through the jungle to the ruins of one of the most impressive Mayan cities in all of Mexico, Palenque. Perched on the first rise of the Tumbala mountains, it was an ideal site for exploring and our production team spent one full morning checking it out.

At the Mayan ruins at Palenque. Left to right, Alex Ross (Art Director) Debbie Dunlap (Producer) Marta Pero (President of JMCT Publicidad), and a younger version of me.

As we went through our technical scout, some of the unseen hazards of the Usumacinta River suddenly proved to be far more treacherous than anticipated. Over the centuries, the rushing aqua water had carved a series of underground caves in the limestone and an unsuspecting person could easily get sucked into a horrific, eternal spin cycle. Once submerged, rescue was impossible and drowning a certainty. To combat this, rope lines were stretched across the river to guide in our crossing. However, on one occasion, Jim Davidson was forced to quickly scoop a crew out of the river just before he was sucked to his death.

Much of our storyboard involved dramatic shots of our kayaker navigating churning rapids and going over small waterfalls. To capture one exciting overhead sequence, our director had the production crew erect a scaffolding right at the edge of a waterfall. Tied to the shore with ropes so they wouldn’t get swept over the edge, the crew drilled holes into the limestone and inserted metal pipes. Over a three hour period, I watched a tower rise that was about 12 feet high. And it was from that perspective that we filmed the kayak race through the rocks and the currents.

However, the most thrilling shot in our commercial involved the kayak going over the massive Aqua Azul waterfall. Over 20 feet high, it was one of the greatest drops ever attempted in a kayak and far too dangerous for Jim. Although our gung-ho principal actor probably would have given it a try, we made the decision to enlist the help of a member of the Mexican Kayaking Olympics team to take on the challenge.

So on the second morning of our shoot, our director placed three cameras in the waist high water to cover the perilous drop over the edge. A drop from this height had never been attempted before. In fact, we had no idea how deep the water was at the base of the falls or whether the bottom was clear of rocks and branches. To get some sense of the depth, we sent several kayaks with manikins in them over the edge. We wanted to see both how long it took for the craft to surface and whether it might become caught in underwater debris. Finally, all seemed ready. Along with our production crew, the wife of the Mexican kayaker was standing next to me in the rushing waist-high water and she seemed anything but confident. In fact, just before we rolled the cameras, she became visably anxious and several of the crew members who spoke Spanish did their best to convince her that everything would be fine. Frankly, I needed a little assurance as well.

When our A.D. finally called action, everyone focused on the top of the falls awaiting the tiny kayak that was about to plunge over the edge. Suddenly, there he was. We held our collective breath. With both hands holding the paddle triumphantly overhead, he sailed over the top and down the face of the churning, white water, disappearing into the pounding froth and mist at the bottom. And then, nothing. He had simply disappeared. Standing next to me, the kayaker’s wife looked on nervously. We heard the roar of the water and the cries of birds overhead. Perhaps it was only 10 seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. And then suddenly, the kayaker and his craft shot from the depths like a cork unleashed from a bottle. A cheer rose from our film crew and the peasants who were watching from the shore. The kayaker’s wife threw her hands in the air and thanked God for sparing her husband. I turned to the director to make sure that we’d gotten it all on film. He nodded and punched me in the arm.

A heart- pounding moment on the shoot, going over the massive waterfalls of Aqua Azul.

We spent the rest of that day shooting the rest of the story board and then packed up and headed back to our hotel. Back in New York, there was still a day in the studio filming Jim in the shower with the actual product. The only visual disconnect for me was the fact that, because of the danger of the falls, Jim was forced to wear a helmet at all times. So the transitions to the shower sequences weren’t quite as experiential as we’d imagined. But the final edit proved to be a very powerful piece of branding. In the final cut, we had him come over the edge of the falls and splash into an in-shower product shot of New White Water Fresh Zest.

Jim Davidson, our actor/kayaker and me by the falls.

When we added our now familiar chorus, “You’re not fully clean unless you’re Zestfully Clean”, it all came together beautifully. Our perilous jungle expedition had produced a powerful and attention-getting introduction for a new line extension from Procter and Gamble. A footnote in shower history. On January 4, 2011, Zest was sold to High Ridge Brands Co., a new company formed by a Connecticut-based private equity firm. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

It doesn’t. The brands that are gaining the most traction in a challenging economic environment are the ones that are sticking their neck out to make a bold statement. Why? Because it tells your target that you actually know them and want to speak in their language. Think Old Spice and “The Man Your Man Should Smell Like.” Or Dos Equis and “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” Check out a few examples:

The Arizona Lottery
It should mean something big to be a winner, even if we’re talking a cash payout of a couple hundred bucks. That’s the whole point of the ever-growing Hall of Winners. Make sure to note the Spanish version, which brought to life another wing of the Hall in a more culturally sensitive and relatable way.

Hall of Winners

Hall of Winners – Spanish

Toyota Scion & Keystone Light
Makes sense this advertising trend would find solid footing in the automotive and beer worlds. Extras points for the auto tune.

Scion – Zeus and the high-voltate TC

Keystone Light – Grillin’ with Stones

Dairy Queen & Fruit of the Loom
But what’s this? Delicious soft-serve ice cream, super-comfy undergarments? Not exactly expected areas for manly fun in advertising, so this illustrates just how far this trend is permeating culture.

Dairy Queen – Guitar That Sounds Like Dolphins

Fruit of the Loom – Special Delivery

Captain Morgan
Considering the brackish pirate that adorns the bottle’s label, the brand itself isn’t exactly unexpected for the area. But the execution is – a rare form of the bold spot, blending a compelling narrative with a nice reveal and payoff. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when you’ve got an Academy Award-winning director at the helm, either. (That would be Tom Hooper.)

Captain Morgan – To Life, Love & Loot

The Cosmopolitan
The visuals are downright strange, but that’s the point – you can’t look away. In other words, this campaign is anything but shy. Plus, the payoff line is the best I’ve seen in awhile.

The Cosmopolitan – Just the Right Amount of Wrong

Humor. Bravado. Unabashed confidence. Clear ways to extend the campaign across multiple platforms. And obvious entertainment value. These are the bold advertising stories being told today. So what’s the big, brash story your brand should be telling? Contact us at EBLane.com to help us find it.

And now it seems like most everyone I know owns an iPhone, Droid or Blackberry. According to Consumer Reports, 35% of Americans own smartphones, which means more and more people are using these devices for work-related tasks.

But, beware, that smartphone of yours could make you look like a real dummy. Here are four things to avoid when using your mobile device at work:

1. Sending emails full of typos

As a general rule of thumb, I try to avoid sending emails to clients from my iPhone, unless it’s urgent or I’m offsite at a meeting.

I recently worked with a vendor who used her smartphone to send 95% of her emails. Her email signature even said, “Sent from my <device name>, please excuse typos.”

No, no, no, no. I understand typos happen, but if you need to send emails from your smart phone, be SURE to read through them before hitting send. Typos cannot be disclaimed or excused in email signatures.

2. Unprofessional text messages

While most people probably don’t use text messaging often in business situations, it does happen. Just like emails, you should always proof your texts—especially if the recipient is your boss or a client. Auto-correct and predictive text features can be one-way streets to embarrassment land.

3. Never putting the phone down

If you’re constantly on your phone during meetings, whether checking emails or playing Angry Birds, chances are you are missing out on key information. Even if you can multi-task with the best of them, put the phone down and pay attention. Also, don’t forget to turn your ringer off before joining a meeting or conference call.

4. Relying on Google Maps too much

As someone who openly admits to being “directionally challenged,” Google Maps is a real lifesaver. However, even mother Google can be wrong at times, especially in a fast-growing city with new roads popping up all the time. Plan ahead and get directions from other sources before relying on Google Maps, or you might just find yourself in the middle of nowhere and late to an important meeting.

Smartphones have changed the way we live and work, but these devices can certainly cause unnecessary embarrassment in business situations. Do you have any good stories about how your smartphone has cause you embarrassment?