We are back, for our regularly scheduled programming – but just better. At one point, a certain number of years ago – we launched a campaign that was called “you haven’t seen anything yet.” And it was the addition of new people and new services. We went from web and graphic design to a full service advertising agency complete with the capabilities to launch full campaigns, branding, marketing strategies, commercials, you name it. All while continuing our core services of design, website design & development, and printing. For some reason, the song lyrics “Backstreets back, alright!” are stuck in my[...]
When you are in your 20s, you lead with your heart and believe that you can do anything and be anything – at least I did. I started my company at 24, with the hopes and dreams of being some type of dominating ad agency in Phoenix. And then you realize, the hustle that is required to achieve that. You realize that you have to make hard decisions, contemplate compromising your integrity and having to just take any and all business to make sure you can pay rent. I obsessed to achieve, worked 7 days a week, 14 hour days[...]
In the early days of advertising, awareness was the name of the game. Fifty years ago, if your brand could afford to get into television, print or radio advertising, you could dominate your category because you were one of the few brands with high top-of-mind awareness. Most advertising was not yet about things like unique selling propositions or higher-end emotional benefits. And in a media landscape dominated by interruptive media and captive audiences, no one was talking about “brand engagement.” The job of big brands was to hammer home their brand names, again and again. Reach was guaranteed, so frequency[...]
Last week, we mysteriously received a Colonel Sanders pillowcase in the mail, designed to look like we were sleeping together. Now, KFC has explained what that whole thing was all about: As of yesterday, the brand launched KFC Ltd., an online merchandise shop packed with limited-edition goods and high-quality fried chicken apparel. This includes that randy pillowcase, which you can score for just $14. It’s easy to compare this idea to Pizza Hut’s Hut Swag idea from last year. But while Pizza Hut was punting stuff like leggings, scarves and hoodies with phrases like “Pizza is bae” (why?), KFC is[...]