Didn't make it this year? Here's a little sampler of what you missed. Let it serve as a lesson to you! And, as a reason to come next year. Funnelbox whipped up this awesome recap:
They also did this pretty nifty intro video for the CageFight we held at the event:
Once again, our sponsors rocked it. Special shoutouts to:
Platinum sponsor::
Quango, Inc
Gold Sponsors::
Ecoswag.com
Revolution Dynamic Publishing
Silver Sponsors::
Pacific Marketing and Publishing
Portland State University Professional Development Center
Search Engine Academy of Oregon
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
And the Winner of the Forward '09: Brandologie's Awesome Booth Passport Prize is Integrated Talent!
Find out more about Integrated Talent:
Integrated Talent creates stunning visual stories—films that capture the imagination and engage viewers on every level—to ensure your message is not only seen and heard, but felt. At Integrated Talent we’ve elevated the art of storytelling in short films by discovering the human story, telling that story through powerful visuals and vibrant creative, and delivering a narrative that engages your audience and gets the results you want.
In addition to deep experience in keynotes, customer evidence, dramatic scenarios, and product launch videos, IT recently showcased its work to over 23 Million viewers nationwide on a broadcast of AMERICAN IDOL with a hilarious comedy sketch headlined by Ben Stiller promoting the theatrical release of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Based in the Northwest, IT works globally and has won a total of 12 Telly Awards. Feel the difference at www.integratedtalent.com
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Mike Sommers on why marketers love social media
- Inexpensive publishing/distribution
- Easier to find target audience
- Enables content creation from the audience
- Allows for immediate (actual) feedback
- More quickly understand and respond to problems, deficiencies and annoyances
- Learn firsthand about where competitors are winning
Thoughts from the audience
- If someone mentions your brand, they become a quasi-spokesperson
- See real people
But here's the downside (challenges)
- Corporate rules often prevent them from having true, original personalities
- Authenticity
- Internal ownership
- Defining the rules of engagement
- Metrics are new
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Preview Wieden+Kennedy's Ken Smith views on Promoting Coraline and Branding
Wieden+Kennedy's Ken Smith recently worked on the campaign to promote Coraline, the first stop-motion animated feature filmed entirely in 3D, produced by Portland's LAIKA Studios.
He is currently the Account Director on Nike Golf, LAIKA and Oregon Tourism. Taste a preview before he speaks about reinventing movie marketing and how Wieden+Kennedy used new media to sell Coraline.
Describe the difference between advertising, marketing & branding?
At it's simplest advertising is paying to communicate a message about your product or service. It differs from PR and consumer driven content in that you, the advertiser, control the message. Marketing, to go back to the text book definition, employees the four P's: Price, Place, Product and Promotion. When you are marketing a product or service you need to make sure this mix is correct. You need to have a product people want in a place they can easily buy it for the right price and you need to tell them about it or promote it. Some people say there are five P's the fifth being people. The people you employ and your customer service is an important part of the marketing mix. Branding goes beyond marketing to give your product or service a personality. The goal is for people to have an emotional connection to your product, or even become fans.
In the words of former Coke-a-Cola Marketing Director Sergio Zyman, "Everything you do communicates about your brand." So going back to the five P's, if your product costs more than its competitors you better be selling it in more high end places or like Apple controls the retail environment and create the Mac Store. You also better consider where you promote your product. I always find it strange when local jewelers advertise Rolex watches on bus sides.
Why do people spend so much time and money building brands?
One reason that is painfully obvious to us all right now, is that a strong brand helps sustain you through hard times. When the economy is bad and people are watching their money they tend to stick to the brands they know and respect. Over the years Nike has seen sales decline much less in economic hard times than other competitors. A strong brand can make it easier to move into new markets and expand. ESPN is a great example. As a "sports authority," they were easily able to expand beyond one basic cable channel to ESPN news, ESPN Deportes, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com. If people like your brand and think you do something better, you can charge premium prices, even for commodities, such as the $4 cup of joe at Starbucks. The benefits of a strong brand can go beyond consumers. A strong brand can help you recruit and retain staff. Wouldn't you rather work for Pixar than Disney?
Speaking of movie studios, W+K recently did the marketing for LAIKA's first full length feature film Coraline.
One of the great things about this campaign is that everything we did not only got people excited to see the movie, it also helped to build the LAIKA brand. Every chance we got we played up the hand made craftsmanship and the skills that went into making this great movie. For example, we sent out 50 hand made boxes filled with movie relics that were stamped Made in Oregon. We looked for new and interesting ways to do things, but the look and feel was always consistently hand made and true to LAIKA's values. We were not afraid to say we are Hollywood outsiders. In fact we embraced it. I think if you were paying attention you'll hopefully have an idea of who LAIKA is now and what to expect from LAIKA when the next feature comes along. Of course an Academy Award would be great way to define your brand too.
How is branding changing in this world of new media?
I think all the common sense rules still apply. You have to think of all the new media as an opportunity not as a threat. So, you ask yourself, given all these new ways to talk to consumers and to have them talk back to us, how do we fit in given our brand personality. If we really think of our brand as a person, would we have a Facebook page? Would we Twitter? How would we interact with consumers and what are we open to hearing about ourselves? How much control are we willing to give up? I recently read a great post called Top Ten Reasons Your Company Probably Shouldn't Tweet, number two was, "Every tweet has to be approved by legal." Our Oregon Tourism client decided that is was a better overall consumer experience if they allowed posts from consumers about their visits to Oregon on their site even if some didn't have a great experience. If you are really smart, you're monitoring that feedback and look at negative posts as an opportunity to improve and possibly get a consumer back. Another big mistake is to think of digital marketing and social networking as a cheap alternative to traditional media. If anything it is going to take more of your time and effort to break through and do a good job. Finally you should remember that all these new media vehicles are tools, not strategies.
Is advertising dead?
No, but sometimes it seems like it's trying to commit suicide. We know it's not dead because millions of people go out of their way to download the things we post on YouTube, and I get sent links by friends every day of some ad they loved. That said, most advertising is really bad and there is way too much of it. It might be a good idea to begin regulating it a little more. Many countries have restrictions on the where and when you can advertise. If you are out there trying to figure out how to sell ad space in some unexploited medium, please stop. Let's spend our time and effort trying to make what we already have a little better.
He is currently the Account Director on Nike Golf, LAIKA and Oregon Tourism. Taste a preview before he speaks about reinventing movie marketing and how Wieden+Kennedy used new media to sell Coraline.
Describe the difference between advertising, marketing & branding?
At it's simplest advertising is paying to communicate a message about your product or service. It differs from PR and consumer driven content in that you, the advertiser, control the message. Marketing, to go back to the text book definition, employees the four P's: Price, Place, Product and Promotion. When you are marketing a product or service you need to make sure this mix is correct. You need to have a product people want in a place they can easily buy it for the right price and you need to tell them about it or promote it. Some people say there are five P's the fifth being people. The people you employ and your customer service is an important part of the marketing mix. Branding goes beyond marketing to give your product or service a personality. The goal is for people to have an emotional connection to your product, or even become fans.
In the words of former Coke-a-Cola Marketing Director Sergio Zyman, "Everything you do communicates about your brand." So going back to the five P's, if your product costs more than its competitors you better be selling it in more high end places or like Apple controls the retail environment and create the Mac Store. You also better consider where you promote your product. I always find it strange when local jewelers advertise Rolex watches on bus sides.
Why do people spend so much time and money building brands?
One reason that is painfully obvious to us all right now, is that a strong brand helps sustain you through hard times. When the economy is bad and people are watching their money they tend to stick to the brands they know and respect. Over the years Nike has seen sales decline much less in economic hard times than other competitors. A strong brand can make it easier to move into new markets and expand. ESPN is a great example. As a "sports authority," they were easily able to expand beyond one basic cable channel to ESPN news, ESPN Deportes, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com. If people like your brand and think you do something better, you can charge premium prices, even for commodities, such as the $4 cup of joe at Starbucks. The benefits of a strong brand can go beyond consumers. A strong brand can help you recruit and retain staff. Wouldn't you rather work for Pixar than Disney?
Speaking of movie studios, W+K recently did the marketing for LAIKA's first full length feature film Coraline.
One of the great things about this campaign is that everything we did not only got people excited to see the movie, it also helped to build the LAIKA brand. Every chance we got we played up the hand made craftsmanship and the skills that went into making this great movie. For example, we sent out 50 hand made boxes filled with movie relics that were stamped Made in Oregon. We looked for new and interesting ways to do things, but the look and feel was always consistently hand made and true to LAIKA's values. We were not afraid to say we are Hollywood outsiders. In fact we embraced it. I think if you were paying attention you'll hopefully have an idea of who LAIKA is now and what to expect from LAIKA when the next feature comes along. Of course an Academy Award would be great way to define your brand too.
How is branding changing in this world of new media?
I think all the common sense rules still apply. You have to think of all the new media as an opportunity not as a threat. So, you ask yourself, given all these new ways to talk to consumers and to have them talk back to us, how do we fit in given our brand personality. If we really think of our brand as a person, would we have a Facebook page? Would we Twitter? How would we interact with consumers and what are we open to hearing about ourselves? How much control are we willing to give up? I recently read a great post called Top Ten Reasons Your Company Probably Shouldn't Tweet, number two was, "Every tweet has to be approved by legal." Our Oregon Tourism client decided that is was a better overall consumer experience if they allowed posts from consumers about their visits to Oregon on their site even if some didn't have a great experience. If you are really smart, you're monitoring that feedback and look at negative posts as an opportunity to improve and possibly get a consumer back. Another big mistake is to think of digital marketing and social networking as a cheap alternative to traditional media. If anything it is going to take more of your time and effort to break through and do a good job. Finally you should remember that all these new media vehicles are tools, not strategies.
Is advertising dead?
No, but sometimes it seems like it's trying to commit suicide. We know it's not dead because millions of people go out of their way to download the things we post on YouTube, and I get sent links by friends every day of some ad they loved. That said, most advertising is really bad and there is way too much of it. It might be a good idea to begin regulating it a little more. Many countries have restrictions on the where and when you can advertise. If you are out there trying to figure out how to sell ad space in some unexploited medium, please stop. Let's spend our time and effort trying to make what we already have a little better.
Tree Top Inc. Taps Functional Fruit Beverage Market with trim®
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Allison McCormick, APR or Ashley Sherrick
Conkling Fiskum & McCormick, Inc.
(503) 802-4109 / (503) 802-4115
allisonm@cfmpdx.com / ashleys@cfmpdx.com
TREE TOP TRIM ADDS NEW SLIM CANS TO ITS PRODUCT LINE
Trim, an enlightened fruit beverage, is available now in new 8-ounce cans
SELAH-Wash. – May 20, 2009 – Tree Top trim®, the only functional fruit beverage of its kind in the juice aisle, takes on a new look. Trim is now available in new, svelte 8-ounce cans at local Sam’s Club retailers.Trim, an enlightened fruit beverage, is available now in new 8-ounce cans
“Functional fruit beverages are in high demand” said Bryce Godfrey, business development director at Tree Top, Inc. “We wanted to provide our consumers with what they wanted most – a healthy fruit, low-cal, on-the-go beverage. Additionally, it is now available in a package that will conveniently fit into a tote or purse. Our new 8-ounce cans are an easy way to get a full serving of fruit and help curb your appetite, while still tasting delicious.”
In December 2008, Tree Top launched trim, the first beverage to provide one full fruit serving coupled with weight management functionality. The US Food & Drug Administration recommends that adults get at least two servings of fruit per day. Tree Top’s 8-ounce cans of trim® are the perfect way to get one of your daily fruit servings, without all of the added sugar, Pack a can of healthy tastiness in your purse or beach tote for a perfect, 60-calorie snack.
Each 8-ounce can contains:
- One Full Fruit Serving
- Fiber to make you feel full
- Chromium to promote a healthy metabolism
- L-Carnitine to help you burn fat
About Tree Top, Inc.
Tree Top is a 1,300 member, grower-owned co-operative in the heart of Washington’s apple country. For almost 50 years, we’ve produced premium, quality juices, fruit based products and ingredients that reflect our passion, attention to quality and craftsmanship. We are committed to providing wholesome, quality products at the best possible value. Tree Top is all about Real Fruit from Real People.
###
Friday, May 29, 2009
Placement Project: Lynette Xanders Founder of Wild Alchemy Gives Pro Branding Advice
You can now register with the Placement Project for $20 and learn personal branding tips from experts such as Lynette Xanders, founder of Wild Alchemy.
Lynette is an author and entrepreneur, serving both businesses and individuals in the arenas of branding and creativity. As CEO of Wild Alchemy, she has worked for many creative ad agencies and design firms on globally-recognized brands. Several years ago, she decided to use those same, proven techniques at an individual level and created the Brand You workshop.
For this small investment you can meet Xanders and learn how to market yourself like an experienced pro. Here is a preview:
What inspired you to create the Brand You workshop?
The alchemy of momentum is fundamentally the same whether it’s for brands or people. Having worked for some of the biggest and best brands in the world, I knew what worked in terms of creating a powerful position in people’s minds – yet wonderful, amazing, talented people I knew were frustrated because they lacked the same clarity. They were frustrated because they were starting a company and didn’t know how to create a brand, or they were having a difficult time finding their calling, or they were being passed over for promotion, or were looking for a job and couldn’t get noticed – and their frustration frustrated me. My desire to use a classic branding approach to people’s personal brands was out of a need to find a way to help people who deserved to be noticed and appreciated for their unique talents.
When it comes to branding yourself, what is a common struggle you see and what advice to you give?
People talk about their unique talents in terms such as ‘I’m great with people’ and their noble goals are things like ‘do unto others.’ They need to know that everyone believes they have this talent and it’s not what makes you exceptional, the things people tend to gravitate toward first are really the prices of entry for anyone in business. They need to know what gets you out of bed in the morning, what makes your heart sing and what you would throw yourself on a sword for. The essence of your brand, like any, is what you stand for, what your role is in the universe, and what’s your point of view in terms of your craft/category?
How is your approach different when working with an individual creating a personal brand vs. a company?
Even when someone is creating a new brand, there is often a product or service to wrap the brand around and a mechanism to externalize it. And a company’s brand is often based on what their customers think is true about them. So for companies, the discovery and crafting of their brand position can happen by others. For individuals, my role is to coax people into diving deep into self-discovery and asking questions that elicit what makes them tick and what story their work history tells because no one else knows this but them. They also must find unique ways to express their brand where companies have mechanisms to do so. So while branding is personal, branding an individual is intensely personal.
How do you see current technology influencing how people go about branding? Any advice?
Current technology provides an access point to tell people about you (perhaps too much), but is not enough to create a strong brand without intention. Would all the people looking at your social media communications use the same ten words to describe you? Would they use the same three? Would a potential employer looking at your Facebook/tweets, etc.? People who use social media seem to think more is better, and that awareness is commensurate with branding. However, communicating regularly does not a make a brand. It’s the focus and consistency of highlighting the common thread that runs through your point-of-view and taste that is the essence of your brand. You have to be focused for on how you want to be perceived and align everything to that perception. You have to close the loop for them without appearing disingenuous. The other huge question is how would other people know what you’re about it they’re not tapped into your online self? Many potential employers either won’t get that far or will glance briefly.
What have been some of your favorite branding projects and why?
I love to play anywhere passion reigns because where there is passion there is a tendency to have an internal and external tribe of ambassadors who wear the brand proudly as a badge. My job is to make people fall in love, and it’s easier to do that when people are already in love. Rejuvenation, Ski Washington, Virgin, Devine Paints, Doc Martens, Deschutes Brewery, Nikegoddess, and DoveLewis all come to mind as brands that were great fun to explore because of the richness their tribe brought to the party. If you think these brands are so strong they don’t have to continue to work on them, you’re wrong. A category can also be fun if it lends itself to being passion-based: beer, shoes, old homes, skiing, music, sense of accomplishment. DoveLewis is perhaps my favorite because the brand transcends the corporate ID to include the design of the new hospital, the manifesto on the side of the building, which espouses the beliefs of their employees and supporters. The focus they have in what they do, who they hire and how they talk to their constituencies. Not all animal hospitals and non-profits brand themselves in such a clear, heart-felt, authentic way.
How do you know when your brand is successful?
How do you measure that success? For both people and companies, it’s the same: when people talk lovingly about you without you initiating the conversation; when everyone talks about the brand in the same way; when people have an open preference for your brand; when they’ll pay more to have it over any other less expensive options in the category. For a person having a successful brand is knowing right away if an opportunity, client or partner is right for you based on what you know to be true about yourself and what you need to make you the best you can be.
Lynette is an author and entrepreneur, serving both businesses and individuals in the arenas of branding and creativity. As CEO of Wild Alchemy, she has worked for many creative ad agencies and design firms on globally-recognized brands. Several years ago, she decided to use those same, proven techniques at an individual level and created the Brand You workshop.
For this small investment you can meet Xanders and learn how to market yourself like an experienced pro. Here is a preview:
What inspired you to create the Brand You workshop?
The alchemy of momentum is fundamentally the same whether it’s for brands or people. Having worked for some of the biggest and best brands in the world, I knew what worked in terms of creating a powerful position in people’s minds – yet wonderful, amazing, talented people I knew were frustrated because they lacked the same clarity. They were frustrated because they were starting a company and didn’t know how to create a brand, or they were having a difficult time finding their calling, or they were being passed over for promotion, or were looking for a job and couldn’t get noticed – and their frustration frustrated me. My desire to use a classic branding approach to people’s personal brands was out of a need to find a way to help people who deserved to be noticed and appreciated for their unique talents.
When it comes to branding yourself, what is a common struggle you see and what advice to you give?
People talk about their unique talents in terms such as ‘I’m great with people’ and their noble goals are things like ‘do unto others.’ They need to know that everyone believes they have this talent and it’s not what makes you exceptional, the things people tend to gravitate toward first are really the prices of entry for anyone in business. They need to know what gets you out of bed in the morning, what makes your heart sing and what you would throw yourself on a sword for. The essence of your brand, like any, is what you stand for, what your role is in the universe, and what’s your point of view in terms of your craft/category?
How is your approach different when working with an individual creating a personal brand vs. a company?
Even when someone is creating a new brand, there is often a product or service to wrap the brand around and a mechanism to externalize it. And a company’s brand is often based on what their customers think is true about them. So for companies, the discovery and crafting of their brand position can happen by others. For individuals, my role is to coax people into diving deep into self-discovery and asking questions that elicit what makes them tick and what story their work history tells because no one else knows this but them. They also must find unique ways to express their brand where companies have mechanisms to do so. So while branding is personal, branding an individual is intensely personal.
How do you see current technology influencing how people go about branding? Any advice?
Current technology provides an access point to tell people about you (perhaps too much), but is not enough to create a strong brand without intention. Would all the people looking at your social media communications use the same ten words to describe you? Would they use the same three? Would a potential employer looking at your Facebook/tweets, etc.? People who use social media seem to think more is better, and that awareness is commensurate with branding. However, communicating regularly does not a make a brand. It’s the focus and consistency of highlighting the common thread that runs through your point-of-view and taste that is the essence of your brand. You have to be focused for on how you want to be perceived and align everything to that perception. You have to close the loop for them without appearing disingenuous. The other huge question is how would other people know what you’re about it they’re not tapped into your online self? Many potential employers either won’t get that far or will glance briefly.
What have been some of your favorite branding projects and why?
I love to play anywhere passion reigns because where there is passion there is a tendency to have an internal and external tribe of ambassadors who wear the brand proudly as a badge. My job is to make people fall in love, and it’s easier to do that when people are already in love. Rejuvenation, Ski Washington, Virgin, Devine Paints, Doc Martens, Deschutes Brewery, Nikegoddess, and DoveLewis all come to mind as brands that were great fun to explore because of the richness their tribe brought to the party. If you think these brands are so strong they don’t have to continue to work on them, you’re wrong. A category can also be fun if it lends itself to being passion-based: beer, shoes, old homes, skiing, music, sense of accomplishment. DoveLewis is perhaps my favorite because the brand transcends the corporate ID to include the design of the new hospital, the manifesto on the side of the building, which espouses the beliefs of their employees and supporters. The focus they have in what they do, who they hire and how they talk to their constituencies. Not all animal hospitals and non-profits brand themselves in such a clear, heart-felt, authentic way.
How do you know when your brand is successful?
How do you measure that success? For both people and companies, it’s the same: when people talk lovingly about you without you initiating the conversation; when everyone talks about the brand in the same way; when people have an open preference for your brand; when they’ll pay more to have it over any other less expensive options in the category. For a person having a successful brand is knowing right away if an opportunity, client or partner is right for you based on what you know to be true about yourself and what you need to make you the best you can be.
5th Row, 4th Row, 3rd Row, 2nd Row, Front Row: a Placement Project radio-style promotion
Five days left until the biggest day in a college senior's year. No, it's not Graduation Day. It's the Placement Project!
Who cares if you graduate if you have to move back home with mom and dad?
Well, the AMA has a reward for all you procrastinators: we've reduced ticket prices for the Placement Project to $20 (the equivalent of five Starbucks caramel macchiatos), and to celebrate we're promoting it old school with a 5-4-3-2-1 giveaway.
#5 - Friday
The first FIVE people to post a comment on this blog post with their name and link to their LinkedIn profile, Facebook profile, Twitter handle (you get the idea) get a FREE pass to the Placement Project.
#4 - Saturday
The first FOUR people to write on the wall of the Placement Project's Facebook event page -- when the clock changes from 11:59 a.m. to 12 p.m. (noon) -- will get a FREE pass to the Placement Project. Get to the wall through the Forward '09 Facebook Fan Page. Wall posts made before 12 p.m. (noon) will not be eligible.
#3 - Sunday
Examiner.com's Portland Job Search Strategies Columnist (and Forward '09 Committee Member) Rita Ogbeama will post an article on her online column, and the first THREE people to post a comment with their name and link to their LinkedIn profile, Facebook profile, Twitter handle (you get the idea) get a FREE pass to the Placement Project. When will she post the article? The only way to find out is to keep hitting "refresh."
#2 - Monday
Taraneh (Tara) Foster will post a discussion on the Placement Project's LinkedIn group sometime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The first TWO people to comment on the discussion will get a FREE pass to the Placement Project.
#1 - Tuesday
Are you following @forward09 on Twitter? Make sure you are before #1 Tuesday because sometime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. a @forward09 tweet will prompt our last Placement Project giveaway: the first person to REtweet the tweet will get the final FREE pass to the Placement Project.
You have five chances to win a free pass to the most important event of 2009. Don't blow it.
Winners will be listed at the end of this blog post.
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