Views From the Cove
Every now and then, there comes a good ad that breaks out of the four television walls and into popular culture. These ads grab our attention, and stay with us, for many reasons. They captivate us visually. They offer refreshing candor. Or, perhaps it's an annoying-but-catchy jingle that we can't forget. Others still stick with us because of their poignant messages.
It's for the latter reason that a 2002 Saturn ad began recirculating recently. But, not for the message you'd think.
When was the last time you had a Kodak moment? Or sent a BBM on Blackberry? Or ate at a Quiznos? These brands are headed towards extinction. Why? Largely because they didn't spend enough time asking questions. They were busy telling others what they needed.
Quiznos neglected the trend of consumer choice with pre-designed, hot-only subs. Blackberry was convinced consumers wanted traditional keyboards on mobile devices. Kodak discredited the appeal of digital film. In journalism, there's an expression, "Show, don't tell." In branding, the expression should be, "Listen, don't talk."
The Super Bowl can be a career-defining moment. For coaches, players, and even halftime performers, it's truly a make or break moment. Every second counts.
The lights shine equally bright for the commercials aired during the Super Bowl, and those responsible for their creation.
This year, NBC will average more than $5 million for a 30-second spot, equivalent to 10 times the cost of a comparable ad in the 2016 World Series.
But, what about business-to-business companies? Is the level of exposure worth $5 million?
Something that brings our team joy year-round is gathering on Tuesdays to test our trivia knowledge, with questions compiled by our Chief Trivia Officer, Tom Scanlon. This holiday season, we decided to share our passion for trivia with our clients and friends in our holiday cards.
We scoured the internet for branding and marketing related trivia, and created eight unique cards with trivia questions. Want a challenge? Write your guesses down before scrolling to the answers at the bottom of the page. Good luck!
It’s the end of the year scramble; only a few more days to finish final projects and complete 2018 planning. But, as you wind down for the year, we want to remind you to take time to do one more thing: celebrate.
Our clients, our partners, our colleagues and friends, work hard throughout the year and give their best to their work. We know that; we’re proud of that. Now, it’s time to reflect.
Each month, the average employee spends 31 hours in unproductive, inefficient meetings. Estimates put that lost productivity in the neighborhood of $30 billion annually.
Given the number of hours spent in meetings, it’s easy to imagine that people lose their focus.
But, complaining about meetings isn’t a productive use of time, either. Instead, we recommend a few tips for more effectively planning and hosting productive meetings.
