Digital Creative 1

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Transcript of Digital Creative 1

Welcome to the DMA’s Creative Certification Course

Part One

Evalua&ng  Crea&ve    Wed.,  Oct.  16,  2013  —  1:00  to  4:30  pm

Presented by Alan Rosenspan • Nancy Harhut • Carol Worthington-Levy

 

Want to reach any of us?

Alan Rosenspan: arosenspan@aol.com

Nancy Harhut: nancy.harhut@wildeagency.com

Carol Worthington-Levy

CWL@Worthington-Levy.com

You’ll also find us in LinkedIn!

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•  How to Evaluate Creative

•  How to Get Great Print Work

•  How to Get Great Digital Work

•  Questions & Answers throughout, breaks as needed

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Scope of the Course

Alan Rosenspan

  Creative director in three countries, for O&M and Digitas

  My teams have won over 100 Awards – including 20 DMA Echo Awards for results.

  More importantly, a working creative director and direct marketing consultant

  Client list has included American Express, Ancestry.com, Bank of America, Capital One, Embrace Home Loans, Humana, HSBC, Life Line Screening, Oreck, Princess Lines, Scotts Lawn Service, Viking River Cruises, many others

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Nancy Harhut •  Chief  Crea<ve  Officer,  Wilde  Agency  

•   Decidedly  strategy-­‐minded,  results-­‐oriented  

•  Na<onally  recognized  for  best-­‐in-­‐class  crea<ve.    

•  She  and  her  teams  have  won  over  150  awards  for  direct  marke<ng  effec<veness.  

•   More  than  20  years  of  senior  crea<ve  management  experience  honed  Digitas  

•  Clients  have  included  Dell,  IBM,  Novar<s,  House  of  Seagram,  Bank  of  America,  AT&T,  American  Express,  Sheraton,  GM,  and  more.  She’s  an  in-­‐demand  speaker  at  DMA  and  other  marke<ng  conferences.  

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Carol Worthington-Levy

  Wears three hats – Design/art director, writer and creative director/consultant for hire

  A stickler for responsive creative: has read it all, tested it all, and even attended a seminar in Switzerland to learn what will encourage response… or crush it!

  Was a business partner in a multichannel marketing agency, which she and partners sold to Merkle in 2010

  Possibly one of the only 8-time individual DMA Echo winner in 3 categories: Mail, Catalog and Online/digital

  Clients: AAA  Auto  Clubs,  5.11  Tac<cal,  Adventures  Cross  Country  teen  travel,  Allstate,  Wine  of  the  Month  Club,  Jacuzzi,  Niman  Ranch  premium  meats,  Comcast,  American  Isuzu,  Intuit,  BMW,  Dish,    DHC  Cosme<cs,  Hewle[-­‐Packard,  and  more

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We’re in the trenches,

just like you!

  We are all working creative directors and direct marketing consultants

  We are all teachers and students of direct

marketing   We all believe in great creative work

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Who are you? •  You want to learn more about how to develop

winning creative

•  You want be a better manager and motivator of your team or your agency

•  You want to be able to better evaluate creative before investing a lot of time and money

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Introductions •  Your name and what you do

•  You biggest challenge…

•  What makes you unique?

“I think I am the only person in this room who…”

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Before we begin… •  Judgment call

•  The truth about evaluating creative…

•  Backgrounds and introductions

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What do you think?

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What do you think? •  What’s your overall reaction?

•  Do you think it will work?

•  What do you like?

•  What do you think might be improved, or what would you do different?

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The Truth about Evaluating Creative

•  You are an excellent judge of creative

•  You are intuitive and thoughtful…

•  …when you stop to actually think about it in a critical way

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Our goals for this creative

certificate program Help you discover…   How to get the best creative work

  What to look for; what to watch out for

  Provide a Checklist for “How to Evaluate Creative”

  Offer ideas for how to motivate people to do their best work for you.

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Section 1:

How to Get The Best Creative Work

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•  How can you tell if it will work in advance?

•  How to give useful and welcome feedback

•  Timing & Budget Questions

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First, a definition   What is the best creative work?

  You’re not looking for work that makes you laugh, or may win an award show

  You’re looking for creative work that’s going to generate response

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•  Does it have to be new?

•  Does it have to be different?

•  What are some signs of good creative?

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Does it have to be new?

•  Not for the sake of being new

•  New in this category

•  It must be relevant to the product and the market

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Does it have to be different?

•  Not for the sake of being different

•  Good creative should tell you something you don’t know…

•  …or make you think of something in

a new or different way

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•  But it should never, ever take away from the message

•  Or worse, send the wrong message

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Crea<ve  Challenge:  Sell  auto  insurance    

to  an  affinity  group  

Nancy  presents  a  Big  Idea:          

Crea<ve  Challenge:  Sell  auto  insurance  to  an  affinity  group  that  was  so  

unresponsive  the  program  was  about  to  be  cancelled  

New  Agency    

Our  First  Assignment    

Probably  also  our  last  

Product:  Na<onwide  Auto  Insurance    

Affinity  group  target:  Members  of  the  Human  Rights  Campaign  (HRC)  

 Goal:  

1. Generate  quotes  2. Generate  sales  

   

HRC  -­‐  Human  Rights  Campaign    

Largest  LGBT  equal  rights  advocacy  group  and  poli<cal  lobbying  organiza<on  in  the  U.S.  

 LGBT=  Lesbian,  Gay,  Bisexual,  Transgendered  

 

Sales  Proposi&on  

Get  HRC  discount  when  you  get  Na<onwide  auto  insurance  

 Plus  get  Na<onwide’s  great  service  

and  prices  

Barriers  Na<onwide  is  not  a  low-­‐cost  op<on  

HRC  discount  is  small  

Historically  unresponsive  target  

Iner<a-­‐  only  switch  if  bad  claims  experience/price  hike  

Compe<tors  cite  specific  savings  amounts  

10¢/piece  –  and  reflect  new  “Join  the  Na<on”  branding  

Barriers  But  wait,  there’s  more…  

 Could  not  acknowledge  target  was  an  HRC  member  

Not  allowed  to  use  HRC  name/logo  on  OE  

Other  insurers  had  much  more  trac<on    with  LGBT  community  

The  Solu&on?  “Slide  in  under  the  radar”  package  

Cast  doubt  on  other  insurer’s  commitment  to  the  cause  

Prove  NW  is  a  genuine  HRC  supporter  Highlight  many  discounts  available  +  proac<ve  

checkups  Signed  by  NW  exec  who’s  also  an  HRC  member  

Did  it  work?  

56%  liq  over  the  control  

Client  wrote:  “Wilde  Agency’s  crea:ve  was  able  to  break  through  to  the  point  where  we  WENT  FROM  SHUTTING  DOWN  OUR  MAIL  PROGRAM  TO  ADDING  EXTRA  MAILINGS  NOT  PREVIOUSLY  BUDGETED.”    

2013  ECHO  Award  winner  

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The  state  of  the  Wine-­‐By-­‐Mail  industry  

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Carol  and  Alan’s  Big  Idea:  

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Which  OE  do  you  think  was  the  winner?  

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Le[er  copy:  friendly,  “I’m  like  you”  approach    What  do  you  do  if  you  buy  wine,  and  you  don’t  like  it?  You  can’t  get  your  money  back.    We  taste  over  300  wines  to  make  sure  it’s  great.      I  never  sell  wine  I  don’t  like.    

1700  Views!  1700  views  in  the  first  couple  of  hours!  Over  3000    total  views,  and  over  700  cases  of  wine  sold  .  

7 Key Elements to Look For

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1. Does a Big Idea Burst Through?

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 The first question to ask of any direct mail piece, advertisement or press release

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“Without a big idea, your advertising will pass like a ship in the night.” -David Ogilvy

“In direct marketing, the ship will sink.”

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Why are big ideas so important?

  A big idea cuts through the clutter

  A big idea can multiply your success 10 times over

  You only need one

  It costs more to do a bad idea than to do a big idea

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What is an Idea, anyway?

  An idea is a change

  “I have an idea; let’s do things the way we’ve always done them before!”

  The bigger the change, the bigger the idea

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Letter to Ministers in Germany

  They were concerned about declining church attendance

  They wanted to “wake up” ministers – and invite

them to a discussion about the problems   They used a very simple letter – with just one

sentence!

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How do you know if it’s a big idea?

  Is it a new idea? Or new in this category?   Is it relevant to the product?

  Does it make you think? Not “what are they talking about?” but about your relationships, your job, your

life, your future…

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How do you know if it’s a big idea?

  Does it make you feel? Emotion is stronger than logic

  Is it credible? Do you believe it?

  Does it stand out from others in it’s category?

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2. Does a single-minded message come through?  

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  People have a hard time “getting” even one thing

  It’s not because they’re dumb; they’re

just busy

  Make sure your message breaks through the clutter – by focusing on one message

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The “Bed of Nails” Approach

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3. Is the Creative Focused on People?  

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One of the great secrets...   Most companies focus on their

products...or worse, themselves

  The best companies focus on their prospects and customers

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Ancestry.com   The world’s largest genealogy

company

  Has access to over 3 billion records, and will help you search

  Their most successful direct mail and e-mail

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But make them look good

  Don’t show your prospects as “dumb”

  Don’t make fun of them…

  Make them into heroes – like Kodak

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4. Does it have an arresting Visual?  

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The Power of Visual Thinking

  People remember less than 10% of what they’re told (and it’s always the wrong 10%)

  “Follow my directions carefully”

  People remember more than 50% of what they see

  They even make it up - to fill in the gaps

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  Show and tell

  Show me what you’ve got

  Show me what you’re made of

  “Show me the money”

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Imagine a Harley Davidson Motorcycle parked inside a great

cathedral The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

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The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

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5. Does it have a compelling headline?  

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Headlines are Critical

  They should have your key benefit in them

  80% of people read that – and nothing else

  Subject line in e-mail even more important     Johnson box serves the same purpose

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WFNX – 101.7

•  Alternative Rock Station in Boston

•  How can they capture the tone of their station in a billboard?

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6. Is it involving?  

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What Barnes & Nobles knows

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3 Proven Ways to Involve People in your

Advertising   Ask questions or quiz them

  Use an involvement device

  Use the word “you” – a lot

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6. Is it “campaignable?”  

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“Campaignable?”

  Is it just a one-shot, or can you build a long term campaign around it?

  Does it easily lend itself to other media?

  A big idea can last for years…

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  Antwerp Zoo in Belgium was looking to boost attendance

  Their elephant got pregnant

  Send out a birth announcement?

  …or create a campaign?

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  Multi-media campaign started right after conception

  Turned all of Belgium into proud parents   Millions of people followed her 22 month

development from inception to birth – including her first ultrasound photograph!

Congratulations, it’s an elephant!  

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  Kai-­‐Mook  became  the  first  elephant  born  on  the  internet  on  May  17,  2009  –  weighing  a  healthy  100  kilograms.    

  Zoo  a[endance  more  than  doubled  –  over  300,000  new  visitors

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Absolut Best Campaign

  First ad appeared in 1980; still going strong 1500+ ads later

  Created by Geoff Hayes of TBWA   Ads have become collector’s items; thousands of people write in

requesting their favorite

  Rolled out “In an Absolute World” in 2007

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 Judge  for  yourself:  

Do  these  upcoming  examples  meet  that  list  of  criteria?...  

•  Big  idea  •  Single-­‐minded  message  •  Focused  on  people  •  Arres<ng  visual  •  Compelling  headline  •  Involving  •  Campaignable  

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Comcast  …  see  if  this  mailer  meets  the  criteria  

•  Single-­‐minded  message  •  Focused  on  people  •  Arres<ng  visual  •  Compelling  headline  •  Involving  •  Campaignable  

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Home  entertainment:  Comcast  

•  VIP  invita<on  gets  a[en<on  

•  They  flip  it  over…  

Call now and save with Comcast: 1-800-381-4460

Film Festival CommitteePO Box 5147San Ramon, CA 94583

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 657

Sacramento, CA

Place: Your Place

Time: Whenever

Audience: You and a few hand-picked guests

It’s the World’s Most Exclusive Film FestivalCall now to R.S.V.P. 1-800-381-4460

You’re invited to the world’s most exclusive film festival.

V.I.P. PASS ENCLOSED

Stephen Maxwell-Levy12345 South Steiner StreetApt. ANiceplace, CA 98765-4321

Make it a double feature with Comcast High-Speed Internet.All the speed you need to download film clips or tunes, watch movie previews or music videos, even play online games. Includes security tools from McAfee® designed to keep your online experience safe and virtually free from viruses and annoying pop-ups . . . a $115 value, yours free!

Why wait? Experience the speed, reliability and security of Comcast High Speed Internet. Get it now!

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Home  entertainment:  Comcast  

•  Concept:  you  can  have  your  own  private  film  fes<val  in  your    home    —  how??...  

Call now and save with Comcast: 1-800-381-4460

Film Festival CommitteePO Box 5147San Ramon, CA 94583

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 657

Sacramento, CA

Place: Your Place

Time: Whenever

Audience: You and a few hand-picked guests

It’s the World’s Most Exclusive Film FestivalCall now to R.S.V.P. 1-800-381-4460

You’re invited to the world’s most exclusive film festival.

V.I.P. PASS ENCLOSED

Stephen Maxwell-Levy12345 South Steiner StreetApt. ANiceplace, CA 98765-4321

Make it a double feature with Comcast High-Speed Internet.All the speed you need to download film clips or tunes, watch movie previews or music videos, even play online games. Includes security tools from McAfee® designed to keep your online experience safe and virtually free from viruses and annoying pop-ups . . . a $115 value, yours free!

Why wait? Experience the speed, reliability and security of Comcast High Speed Internet. Get it now!

154  

•  Challenge:  Comcast  high  speed  internet  might  at  first  not  seem  like  entertainment  as  much  as  for  email  and  website  access.  But  Comcast  wanted  to  posi<on  it  as  a  way  to  download  movies  

Call now and save with Comcast: 1-800-381-4460

Film Festival CommitteePO Box 5147San Ramon, CA 94583

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 657

Sacramento, CA

Place: Your Place

Time: Whenever

Audience: You and a few hand-picked guests

It’s the World’s Most Exclusive Film FestivalCall now to R.S.V.P. 1-800-381-4460

You’re invited to the world’s most exclusive film festival.

V.I.P. PASS ENCLOSED

Stephen Maxwell-Levy12345 South Steiner StreetApt. ANiceplace, CA 98765-4321

Make it a double feature with Comcast High-Speed Internet.All the speed you need to download film clips or tunes, watch movie previews or music videos, even play online games. Includes security tools from McAfee® designed to keep your online experience safe and virtually free from viruses and annoying pop-ups . . . a $115 value, yours free!

Why wait? Experience the speed, reliability and security of Comcast High Speed Internet. Get it now!

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•  This  posi<ons  the  reader  as  a  VIP  when  they  get  Comcast  high  speed  internet  

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Did  it  fit  these  criteria?  Do  you  think  it  worked?  

•  Single-­‐minded  message  •  Focused  on  people  •  Arres<ng  visual  •  Compelling  headline  •  Involving  •  Campaignable  

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Isuzu  B2B  mailing:  does  this  meet  the  criteria  too?  

•  This  Isuzu  truck  is  a  huge  seller  •  It’s  especially  well  sized  for  two  industries:  light  construc<on,  and  the  food  industry  

•  Challenges:  how  to  get  companies  with  fleets  to  consider  buying  several  instead  of  just  one  

•  Budget  $90,000  

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Isuzu  Fleet  campaign   •  Targeted two markets ONLY

•  Created a mailer for each, that is very specific to that industry

•  This one is light construction: This truck can carry “6000 pounds of cement”

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Isuzu  Fleet  campaign  •  This truck can

carry about 6,000 lbs of cement – sized specifically for typical construction load

•  Of course it’s absurd – the box is 12 in. wide

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Isuzu  Fleet  campaign  •  A  dimensional  package  needs  all  the  hardworking  elements  that  tradi<onal  flat  mail  does!  

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“500  gallons  of  Tomato  Paste  enclosed”  •  This  one  is  for  the  food  service  industry  

•  Typical  load  for  this  industry  would  be  500  gallons  of  tomato  paste  

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Sent  out  3000  boxes    per  targeted  market  

•  Campaign  cost  $90,000  •  We  sold  140  trucks  •  Bo[om  line  -­‐  $4.2  million  in  sales  •  New  leads  generated  for  future  contact  •  Huge  ROI  

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Isuzu  B2B  fleet  mailing:  does  it  meet  our  criteria?  

•  Single-­‐minded  message  •  Focused  on  people  •  Arres<ng  visual  •  Compelling  headline  •  Involving  •  Campaignable  

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One  last  example:  New  Pig  site  re-­‐launch  

Does  it  have…  •  Single-­‐minded  message  •  Focused  on  people  •  Arres<ng  visual  •  Compelling  headline  •  Involving  •  Campaignable  

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New  Pig  needed  to  launch  their  new  and  improved  website.  

•  New  Pig  has  goods  to  help  control  chemical    and  water  spills  —  including  the  “pig”  

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They  have  developed  a  kooky  persona  with  catalogs  with  pigs  on  them,  and  their  Leak  and  Spill  catalog  featuring  Sparky,  a  cartoon  pig    with  a  hardhat  •  An  improved  website  gives  them  another  

reason  to  contact  customers  and  get  them  to  re-­‐register  in  the  updated  system  

 

…so  launching  the  site  could  not  be  a  dull  or  pedestrian  event…  

•  Customer  expecta<ons  are  high  –  New  Pig  customers  expect  to  see  an  event  turn  into  a  ‘PIG”  event!  

 •  Step  1  Email…  

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Landing  page  pays  off  and  generates  excitement  about  the  new  site…  

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Catalog  wrap  is  essen<al  because  many  don’t  check  their  email  

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Campaign  targeted  a  hardworking  audience  who  loves  a  humorous  break  from  the  serious  subject  of  chemical  spills  and  hazardous  waste!  

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Mouse  pad  with  contact  info  

New  Pig  re-­‐launch  campaign:    does  it  meet  our  criteria?  

•  Single-­‐minded  message  •  Focused  on  people  •  Arres<ng  visual  •  Compelling  headline  •  Engaging  •  Campaignable  –  well,  yes,  it  IS  a  campaign…  

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Make  People  Do  What    You  Want  Them  To  

(Nancy  Harhut  on  Insider  <ps  on  the  power  of  direct  marke<ng  crea<ve)  

 

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General  adver5sing  influences  a<tude  and  awareness  over  5me.  

Direct  marke5ng  influences  behavior  immediately.  

Direct  Marke&ng  

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Targeted    Measurable    Ac<on-­‐oriented  (CTA)  

Goal  

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 Get  Response  (lead  gen  or  sell  off  page)    

     Reinforce  &  extend  brand  posi<oning  

Primary  Channels  for  Today’s  Discussion  

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Direct  mail      Email    

Offline  Advantages  

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Tangible    Oqen  more  real  estate    Less  mailbox  clu[er    3D  =  high  opening  rate  

Online  Advantages  

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Quicker  to  produce  &  measure    Easier  &  cheaper  to  modify  between  rounds    Click  to  respond    OLA  =  animated,  dynamic  

How  to  give  yourself  an  edge  

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Study  your  mailbox/inbox  for  “repeats”  

See  what’s  proven  to  work  in  the  marketplace  

Read  the  masters      John  Caples  “Tested  Adver<sing  Methods”    David  Ogilvy  “Ogilvy  on  Adver<sing”    H.G.  Lewis  “Effec<ve  Email  Marke<ng”  

Follow  the  trades  

Test,  test,  test  

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Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Get  to  the  point  quickly        1  main  message  

   Don’t  risk  confusing  the  audience  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Pop  the  offer        And  the  deadline  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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You-­‐oriented  vs.  Us-­‐oriented        Minimize  “we,  our,  us,  my,  I,  our  company”  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Appeal  to  human  mo&vators    Save  $$    Save  <me    Self-­‐improvement    Feel  special/recognized    Look  good  to  others    Feel  smart    Make  life  easier    Discover  new  things    Feel  safe  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Benefits  not  features        Displays  perfectly  on  any  device  –  so    you  can  easily  read  wherever  and    whenever  you  want  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Remove  risk    

 Guarantees    Free  Trials    Proof  points    3rd  party  endorsements    Tes<monials    

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Tailor  concept/message  to  audience        Segment  and  version    Personalized  and  relevant    Acknowledge  previous  behavior  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Know  target’s  main  objec&on  and  how  to  overcome  it  

     Build  in  your  best  sales  argument  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Persuade  vs.  entertain        You  have  seconds  to  capture  a[en<on  

   Clarity  trumps  cute  and  clever  

Overarching  Crea&ve  Guidelines  

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Strong  CTAs        Visually  prominent  

   Repeated  

   Make  ordering  easy  

The Secret to Getting Great Creative

  Creative people always have choices. They can’t always

decide what they will work on; but they can always decide how much of their effort and heart they will put into their work.

  Your goal is to make them want to go that extra step for your projects, your product , your company – and of course, for you.

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Where the Best Creative Work Begins

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Briefly speaking •  Successful creative starts with a well thought-

out brief or Creative Strategy Form

•  It doesn’t end there – but it starts there

•  The more time and effort you put into your brief – the more likely you are to get effective work

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The Briefing Meeting •  A brief should never simply be handed-out

or e-mailed.

•  It should be an interactive process; with the final brief emerging from the meeting

•  You need to encourage comments and questions – and get the answers as soon as possible

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Your Role in Briefing Creative

  To initiate the project and provide the information necessary to complete it

  To be an “expert” on your business; or to get the answers they need before the work is completed

  To be open to new ideas and solutions

  To give constructive and specific feedback to help improve the work (when necessary)

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Not Your Role   To dictate the work

  To withhold information or fail to provide it on a timely basis

  To not have the answers   To create false deadlines or emergencies

  To abuse creatives in any way, shape or form

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The Role of Creatives   To represent the consumer’s point-of-view

  To be an “expert” on their business – advertising and direct marketing

  …and to become an “expert” on the clients business

  To come up with big ideas

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Not the Role of Creatives   To give the client only what they asked for…

  To postpone the work and do a last-minute scramble

  To give up, or do less than their best

  To think that that account people, or clients, aren’t smart or good at their jobs

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The Death

of an Agency

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The Creative Strategy Form

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The Creative Strategy Form

  Every company has a different format

  It is a blueprint of the job -- and a contract

  It should be developed, agreed on and signed by everyone involved in the project - particularly the most senior person

  It can be used to evaluate work

  It has to be simple, understandable – not just filled with jargon

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The Creative Strategy Form

1. Project Description   What are we doing? Why?

2. Objective

  What are we trying to achieve?   What do we want people to do?   Be as specific and realistic as possible

3. Target Audiences

  The more specific, the better

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The Creative Strategy Form

4. Main message and proof

  What is the single most important reason that someone will buy our product or respond to our mailing?

  Why should anyone believe you…?

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The Creative Strategy Form

5. Offer   What do they get?   What do they have to do to get it?

6. Key points

  What other benefits do we need to communicate?

7. Ways to Respond   Did we make it easy?   Did we give them a choice?

8. Tone and Manner   Consistent with the product?

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The Creative Strategy Form

9. Mandatories   Legal, logo, etc.

10. Budget   How much do we have?   Let the value of the customer drive the budget

11. Schedule   How much time is left?!!!!

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Put time on your side…

  You want to give creative people time to do their best…

  ..but you also want your project to stay top-of-mind

  Plus you don’t want them to forget anything, or

worse, do it at the last-minute

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Think in stages

  Ideally, you want them to come back with rough ideas within 5-7 days

  This keeps your project fresh in their minds and motivates them to get started right away

  After this first meeting, you can give them more

time to refine, make changes, add to the mix

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Two questions you must answer

12. What is the target market currently using/doing?   Understand their mindset   Are they using a competitive product? Making do

without?   Why should they switch to yours?

13. “You know you need it when…”   When does someone know they need your product?   Puts you in their shoes   Identifies points of pain   You’re looking for agreement...

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Reviewing the Work

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Best Practices

  Allow them to finish their presentation, before you jump in

  Start by acknowledging how much work has been done, and what you like

  Review the brief to make sure that everything important has been addressed

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Be constructive

  See the big picture first – don’t nitpick

  Never get personal. Not “I don’t like that headline” but “Does this headline have the main benefit?”

  Go through the Checklist with them

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Moving ahead

  Take the time to provide thoughtful, useful feedback

  This is your first exposure to the work; they have been at it for days

  Resist the urge to change for change’s sake

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  Never say “The client will never buy this…”

  Don’t try to anticipate what others will say or think; give your own opinion

  Remember you are all on the same side

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How do you know if it will work

before it goes out?

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“You cannot judge direct marketing.

It judges you.”

- Denny Hatch

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Besides…

  “Creative” packages don’t usually work

  The “ugly” stuff almost always seems to win

  Even the best work seems to produce a disappointingly low response

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How do you know…?

  The only guarantee in direct marketing is a moneyback guarantee

  It can be very surprising what works and what

doesn’t

  However, if you use the following checklist, you will maximize the probability of success

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Checklist

12 questions to ask about any creative execution

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1.  Is it on strategy?

2.  Is it appropriate to the product and the positioning?

3.  Is there a big idea? Does it come through? 4. Does it have a striking visual or

graphic?    

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5. Do the offer and main benefits

come through quickly and clearly? 6. Does the offer stand out?

7.   Is it believable? Are claims

supported with facts or testimonials? Is there a guarantee?

8. Does it include a strong call to action in every element?

   

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             9. Does it make you think or make

you feel 10. Will it stand out from others in this

category? 11.   Are all the elements working as

hard as they can for you? 12. The big question:

would you respond?

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These are all the ways to evaluate creative

for regular advertising.

But direct marketing has to work even

harder

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We have to get people to act

  Go to our website

  Call a toll-free number

  Send in an application or response form   Bring something into a store

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1.  It must be 100% absolutely clear •  Above all, it must be clear and easy-

to-understand

•  If people don’t “get it” – you lose

•  You need to be direct in direct marketing

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2. It must have a compelling offer •  “If you want to dramatically improve your

response, you must improve your offer” – Axel Anderson

•  They must know exactly what you want them to do, and how

•  They must have an urgent reason to act now

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3. Credibility is king •  We need to prove what we claim

•  We must use numbers, specifics, facts, lists

•  Testimonials are critical

•  One false note can kill response

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The rest of the Scott’s LawnService

case-history

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What do you think? •  What’s your overall reaction?

•  Which package did you like best?

•  Which do you think worked best?

•  Why?

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We told you that you’re an excellent judge of creative!

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Back to The Big Idea

•  Big ideas are what’s needed to give a product or service an advantage in the marketplace

•  Every good product has a USP – Unique Selling Proposition.

•  This USP is one way to find your way to your Big Idea.

•  For example…

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John Caples encourages a prospect to impress

their friends

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David Ogilvy sparks

intrigue with a plain

white shirt

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Bill Bernbach turns the

tables on big American

cars

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Name some big ideas…

•  Can you name some big ideas that helped a product or service rise above the rest?

•  What comes to mind?

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Workshop segment: Create your OWN big idea

•  Who would want your product or service? •  What are your product’s features and benefits that

make it worth having and using? •  What is your product’s Unique Selling Proposition…

that is, what makes your product different and better than all others?

•  How could you describe or illustrate this to have immediate meaning to your customer?

•  Brainstorm with the person next to you to discuss these questions for 10 minutes each… and then we’ll discuss a few of your ideas.

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Thank you!

Alan Rosenspan, Nancy Harhut &

Carol Worthington-Levy

See you tomorrow at Part 2: Creative Rules that Work for Print

Thursday Oct 17, 2012 — 8:30am - 12:00pm

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