Sunday, March 31, 2013

Syndication Vindication: What Stations Really Want

The heart of a station wants what the heart of a station wants.  And here's exactly what stations really want from their syndicators, courtesy of FOTPC (Friend of The Promo Code) Kathleen Bracken, Manager, Affiliate Marketing - 20th Television.   

Having worn both syndicator and station hats, Kathleen's a veteran of the syndie wars and a crowd favorite.  Can't disagree with a single word of her sage advice...

STATIONS SHOULD BE SEEN AND HEARD

I was recently on a call with a major O&O station group and we, the syndicator, asked them, “What do you want that you normally don’t get from syndicators?”  They gave us really good feedback and had some really good ideas we hadn’t thought of.  And all we had to do was ask.

KEEP THE CLIPS COMING

When I was a station creative, one of the greatest assets ever bestowed by a syndicator was the Clip Reel Database.  Stations will always have the need to create their own spots. Providing them with a comprehensive CMS clip library should be mandatory for high profile programs.

TO MARKET, TO MARKET…

Stations speak to local audiences and anything the syndicator can provide to individual markets that localize the program will win them kudos.  Sending Talent to a local event or to appear on a station’s Morning Show is huge.  Making Talent available for phone-in radio interviews and setting up satellite tours are other effective ways to make a nationally syndicated program relevant to local audiences.  Your stations will thank you big time.

MONEY TALKS 

Provide co-op.  Make media buys in important markets.  Financially support your programming wherever and whenever possible.  And that includes making branded  premium Items available for stations to hand out at local events.  Stations need help to get the message out beyond their own air. 

AND THE WINNER IS…

Contests and Promotions are fun and create excitement around a program for the viewer.  There’s little investment for stations other than tagging a spot and posting some copy on their website.  Unless they don’t have the avails to run your Promotion spot, most stations like the chance to offer cool prizes to their viewers, get additional hits on their websites and bring fresh eyeballs to the promoted show.  Yes, it costs syndicators to put Promotions together, but they create buzz and spike ratings.

Some examples:

A recent promotion from a syndicator involved an OOH interactive game played by passersby in highly trafficked mall and storefront locations.  The game was supported by a comprehensive cable buy, that also featured an interactive component.  It captured the fun of the show and resulted in ratings hikes.

A turn-key promotion we're currently developing involves an on-line trivia game about the show.  The grand prize is a trip for 2 to the city where the show is shot, and includes a set visit.  The station can add a third-party sponsor or use a s value added for a client.

BE A TEAM PLAYER

The station is the syndicator’s representative out in the marketplace.  It’s a partnership.  But I’ve seen more than one scenario where that partnership deteriorated into an “us versus them” situation.  Work with stations, seek their input and listen to it.   

At the end of the day, most promo people share the same goals – to be creative and have fun doing so.


As always, Kathleen has her finger on the pulse of Syndie World. 
 
The only thing I'd add is to be proactive with digital initiatives, incorporating innovative ways to utilize clips and special shoots. 

That, and standardized tags.  But I digress.  Again...

-Ed
edrothshow@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Marketing Non-Profits in a For-Profit World

As we know, the past five years have been brutal on the American economy.  Most of us feel as if we've been kicked in the financial gut.  It's been even worse for non-profits.

Over 10% of all workers in the U.S. are employed by non-profits.  By the late 1990s, giving by
individuals was less than 1.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).   Throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s giving by foundations never exceeded 0.15% of GDP. In 2008, this ratio had almost doubled to 0.29%.   In fact, giving as a percentage of GDP by foundations has nearly tripled since the 1970s. But following the financial collapse, everything changed in 2008.  In short, many people and companies just stopped donating.  Total donations from foundations and individual donors finally rose in 2012, but the question of how to best spend what precious funds they have still lingers.

In the past five years, staffs were laid off and non-profits struggled to keep the doors open.  I was part of this at my non-profit, where I was the marketing director.  Staff was cut from six down to one, where it still remains.  To keep the doors open and the concerts possible, my non-profit (The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra), decided to place the weight of  fund-raising and marketing squarely on to the backs of enthusiastic but unqualified volunteers.  
The underlying quandry for any non-profit is how to best utilize donations from foundations, donors or events and ensure that every dollar goes to providing vital services.   However, to get those dollars, every non-profit needs to market itself as if it were General Electric or Apple.   Even as non-profits begin to do a lot better, the challenge of fighting with other non-profits over each dollar continues.  People who work in this world are some of the hardest-working and compassionate people I know, but they are in a dog-eat-dog fight for money to keep the doors open.

The problem is that this fight is almost fought by amateurs.  With thanks to fellow blogger, Laura Lake, if you're trying to market a non-profit, here are a few tips you might want to follow in 2013:


1.  Do your homework
What is your target market and what are some other organizations with which you compete?
2.  Know your target market
Who do you want to reach?  Who is easiest to reach?  Have you done any surveys in the past year?
3.  Think visually
Develop brochures and marketing materials that describe the benefits, services, donation opportunities and values of your organization.  Have them written and produced professionally, so they have a great look.
4.  Get social!
Develop a social media marketing strategy. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook can provide you with ways to reach out to those interested in your organization in a low cost and effective way. Social media works great when it comes to reaching those who are passionate about causes that individuals hold dear to their hearts.  On top of that, you'll reach a younger crowd who is really involved.
5.  Have an active and current website
Develop and maintain a professional internet marketing presence by creating and maintaining a web site.
You can use a website as a great resource to display useful information, news, monthly newsletters, events, create community, share alternatives to donating money, and showcase the benefits of your organization.
6.  Research and maintain your prospect and customer databases.
Do not let these resources be wasted. Use them for special mailings, follow-up telephone calls, event invitations, alliance development, research profiling and market segmentation.
7.  Reward your donors
It's easier to get a current donor to increase their amount to your organization year-to-year than to get someone new to donate.  Don't forget to show thanks to your current donors with special gifts, awards and public salutes, so their friends can see how generous they are.  Failure to reward your donors properly and publicly could cause problems down the road.
8.  Let them know how you're doing
Show and advertise the results and objectives that your organization achieves on your website and in e-mail blasts. You'll find that it is effective to showcase those that are receiving benefits, inversions, activities and projects.
8.  Make alliances
Always actively search for alliances with other organizations, commerce, government, advertising media and businesses. This step alone often brings the most benefit to nonprofit organizations.

Seem overwhelming?  Seek out a marketing professional who can handle things instinctively and really knows the ropes and the community.  Marketing committees are great, but need focus and inspiration to go with their good intentions. 


Non-profits help the wheels of our communities go round, but even good intentions need professional guidance in our 24/7 world, where the lines between community, commercialism and social media are blurred.
--Rich Brase
RichIdeas.net
redrich24@yahoo.com

Sunday, March 24, 2013

How Network Voice Talent Really Gets Chosen

As a mystery, it ranks right up there with Bigfoot, the Phoenix Lights, and Stonehenge.  Especially from people who have always been told they have talent, have enjoyed local success, or even had a cup of coffee in the bigs.  But the truth is, getting an ongoing network v/o gig is no accident.

Here's the reality:

It all starts with a question: Who else is out there?  This can originate for a number of reasons: 

- Ratings are lagging. 
- New flavor of the month.  
- The current voice is too widely used by others.
- The current voice isn't used enough by others. (Maybe they know something we don't.)
- Need to differentiate dramas from comedies
- Somebody heard something someplace or knows someone somewhere.
- (And my favorite) Lots of activity always makes for good optics.

So, the decision is made to proceed with the cattle call. Typically, this is a good thing.

Producers can tell agents that they're actively looking for more than a one-off.
Agents can tell their talent that they've got a big fish.
Talent has a fighting chance to break out.

The wide net is officially cast and the auditions come pouring in.  Truth is, there are dozens (at least) who would be great.  This means talent alone isn't the deciding factor; it's merely the price of admission for these reindeer games.

The more savvy agents categorize their clients, with a reasonable number offered for each approach.  No more than two reads per talent.  All they want is to ensure they're on the short list.

In-house folks look for three key things:

- Ability to deliver with appropriate impact and cadence
- Experience at the network level
- Undefinable spark that goes beyond the page 

In the end, 3-5 finalists are chosen.  Sometimes, the differences are stark (male vs. female); other times, not so much. 

Time for final auditions, now with real spots.  Here's what is being evaluated:

- Directability.  Even though the talent is known for one special read, versatility is important.  Not necessarily, make that 5 a 9, more like, make that 5 a 7 or 3.
- Compatability.  Will working together almost daily be fraught with dread?  When the 8 ball says, all signs point to yes, that's a major red flag.
- Risk.  If this talent washes out, for whatever reason, heads could roll.  Millions of dollars are at stake, and playing it conservative usually trumps wild hunches, especially these days.

Finally, a decision is made to hire the fresh/talented/directable/comedic/dramatic wunderkind/pro.  Just then, the realization hits - the current v/o talent is pretty good.  No need to change, after all.

And, more often than not, that's how the voice of the network is really hired.

- Ed Roth
edrothshow@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Become the Lead Dog with Community Service

The biggest ally you have at your station may not be your network, your staff or your news department--it's the community in which you live.  In short, it's how you relate to your local community that will determine your place in your market.  If you're smart about it, they'll feed your news, your bottom line and your image.

The math is really simple--you've got what they want (a signal going into thousands or millions of homes) and they've got what you need (hundreds of members looking for a connection with your news talent).  Treat each other with businesslike precision and you can't lose.

In fact, even though your research indicates your talent may be way down on the list and your network isn't on top this year, it's time to bulk up on your community commitment.  It's the one thing that all dominant stations have in common--control of promoting the biggest events with the best payoffs in the community.

When I worked in South Carolina, I was approached by a woman who had an event on which she wanted us to partner.  She pitched me in my office on how great the event was going to be, and then was shocked when I came back with "that sounds great, but what do WE get?"

"What do you mean?  You get to be the media sponsor of a great event."

Because she didn't offer us position above the level of radio and the newspaper, I took a pass.  Great event.  Bad deal.  They were one of dozens of charities wanting our air time and news commitment, but with the current demand on my avails, and the surplus of advertisers expecting value-added and dot.com expectations, I wanted more.  If you're a duopoly, you're also dealing with a lot of cross-channel demand.

Here are seven tips I can offer to maximize your public service commitments:

1.  Only work with the charities and events where you get the most return then COMMIT!
You can't do everything with everyone and do it well.  If you're going to take the time to meet with the charity, write, shoot and create a spot, create the schedule and take daily calls from the executive or marketing director saying "is the spot running?  I never see it"...make sure your station is getting a big return.  Make sure when the event ends, every person there knows it was You who was supporting the event and love you for it.  If everyone doesn't know your call letters at the event, why do it?

2.  Make sure your news department is on board 
Your PSA's are nice, but we know that unless they have a news package, or at least a VO/SOT, they won't be happy.  If your news director sees value in that, you're in great shape.  If he/she doesn't, be straight with the organization's exec director right up front.  It'll cut down on the unhappy phone calls to your general manager.


3.  Demand Top Billing
Don't be afraid to ask for top billing:  NewsChannel 49 presents Run for Dandruff 2013.  Sponsoring a charity run along with six radio stations, the newspaper and ten other businesses is really easy to agree to, but not good for you.  Even if you're the dog in the market, you still bring more value than other media outlets.  I don't know how you feel, but radio stations and the newspaper are my competition, not my pals.  You need to graciously educate the charity as to the law of the jungle.  That being said, be prepared to have your feet held to the fire about delivering on your promises. It's a business negotiation.  No different than if you were buying time in print or radio.  The newspaper won't ask for this, and the charity rep has no problem adding other media outlets before they approach you.  This is a tough conversation to have, but if you're in television, you're the lead dog, you're going to invest tens of thousands of dollars in the event.


4.  Give the spots a twist
If you really want to stand out, don't do the standard "talent in t-shirt with rep from the charity where you give them one line to make them feel great about being on television" spot.  Instead of tagging the spot with all the logos, try creating a logo organically (street chalk, foliage, skywriting).  For God's sake, this is a real chance to shine!  Too many of these spots are treated as throw-aways with the same approach as last year's.  Remember that in many cases, your competitors are dying to have the Komen Race for the Cure, the Food Drive or the Toy Drive in their portfolio.  Make these some of your best work every year.


5.  Beware:  Charities are Fickle.  Get a Contract!
No matter what you give them, they'll want more, and your competitors will always be chatting up the top charities to steal the event from you.  If you like the event and organization enough, sign at least a three year deal with YOUR option to renew,  This will keep the wolves away from the door.  If they want your attention, make them commit.

6.  Create Your Own Charity Event
During Feb, May and November, your brain and that of your news director and general manager, are deep into winning the sweep.  Do not even think about doing a huge charity event in those months.  The goal is to be Number One in those events, even if you're in a metered market.  As my greatest general manager/mentor said: "Nobody cares who was Number One in October, December, January, March or the summer."  These are the months to be working on your community image.  If your competitors have a race, create one that you can own that is even bigger.  At KGW, we noticed that we had a month (March) that was free of any community commitments, the network was in reruns and Blazers basketball was winding down, so we created the KGW Great Food Drive.  For the entire month of March, in its first year (2004), the news department put their shoulders behind it, sales got the event fully sponsored, and we raised a million pounds of food.  Now in its tenth year, they will again top a million and make even more money for the station.

Which station cares the most about feeding the hungry in Portland?  It isn't even close...and this event was created from nothing by a group of department heads who worked together and always knew the value of our own air.

7.  Make Money
Never give away your air.  For every charity and event, there is a major sponsor who loves that charity and wants to be on television.  Got a bank or hospital?  I'll bet they would love to get their CEO on camera talking about fighting hunger.  Just get the call letters right on the check.  


For all of you out there who just put your logo at the end of some PSA with a celebrity talent and call that public service, know this--your competitors are out there right now creating real value partnering with events and community leaders that build a lasting image that some "breaking news" promo can only dream about.

Use these events to permanently move news audiences and make money for your charity and your station at the same time.  To use an overworked phrase, it's a "win-win."  To use my phrase, it's smart business.

Why shouldn't you be the lead dog?  Your general manager and your community will thank you.

--Rich Brase
redrich24@yahoo.com  


Sunday, March 17, 2013

Charging for Creative by the Hour is Dumb

There, I said it.  And now, I'll repeat it:  Charging by the hour is dumb.

It's dumb for creatives.  Dumb for writers.  Dumb for artists.  Dumb for editors.
Dumb for clients.  Even dumb for bean counters.

Dumb.

Here's why:

Unlike many other professions, there is not a 1:1 correlation between creative and time.  Those who think there is, are vainly trying to make order out of chaos.

Inspiration can occur in the first five minutes or two weeks in.  It can happen as the assignment is given or hours before it's due.  It may never come and the retreads pour out of the closet.  (In those instances, you hope that the old NBC approach works, "If you haven't seen it, it's new to you.")

If you've been writing/designing/editing for years, you know how to approach a challenge the instant you get the assignment.  Compare that to your first year in the business.

Non-advertising case in point:  If my car is making a funny sound, I'll bring it to a skilled mechanic who can identify the problem in seconds, then fix it much quicker than a newbie who may have never heard that particular sound before.  Is the former's 10-second evaluation less valuable than the latter's 3-hour exploration?  I think not. 

But, you may argue, that's why you now charge more per hour.  I counter, and rightly so, that as a rookie, chances are you took exponentially more time.  And, chances are, you weren't as good then as you are now.

Either way, the value should be based on the end result.  It should make no difference how long it takes to hit the mark, as long as the project is delivered when promised.

But, you may argue, some projects inherently take longer.  I counter, and rightly so (once again), that you should accurately gauge the value and not be beholden to the clock.  (The reality is, you usually put in more than you bill anyway.)

For instance, taglines may appear to be a mere several words on a page (even if you put one line per page, everybody knows what's going on here).  However, a successful line for a national campaign is worth more than sweating out 10 pages of brochure copy.  It's just a fact.

But, you may argue, some aspects of the business, like editing, are a function of time.  For the last time in this post I counter, the same concept holds true.  After years of editing, you're faster, better and know more shortcuts that work.  Again, you're exponentially better.  It still boils down to the value of the final product.


And here's the other reason to stay off the clock:  Projects tend to go all Goldfish on you.  A goldfish grows in relation to the size of its tank.  Little tank, little goldfish.  Big tank, big goldfish.  The same holds true for projects.  If given a day, it'll take a day; if given a month, it'll take, well, you get the idea.

As long as there is an agreed-upon rate, all involved, especially clients, are liberated to focus on the creative, rather than the clock.

Otherwise, charging by the hour is just dumb.

-Ed
edrothshow@gmail.com

Thursday, March 14, 2013

What Does J.C. Penney Want Us to Believe?

J.C. Penney is the store that stands for...what?

Not many companies have gone through as much upheaval and changes in identity as J.C. Penney over the past few years.  Changes in direction in just the past year are enough to make your head spin.

In early 2012 new CEO Rob Johnson got all sorts of media attention by announcing that the company was not only rebranding itself but reinventing itself.  The result?  Since March 2012, their stock (JCP) has fallen 42%.  But the biggest problem rises above branding.  Rotman School of Management Dean Roger Martin of the Harvard Business Review says that the company has no real strategy. "The problem with J.C. Penney is that it serves no compelling customer purpose."

Has anyone even shopped at a JCPenney recently?  Neither have I.  Target, Costco and Macy's have clearly defined brands.  Penney's is where I bought my "school shoes" back in the sixties.  

Here was their new branding spot in the spring of 2012...channeling what Target had already been doing successfully (and better) for years:   
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJbCerJivgM 

It was around this time that CEO Johnson announced they would no longer have coupons or sales.  Here's a clever spot from June 2012 with an entirely different branding message (Enough is Enough) from three months before:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2012/06/15/jc-penneys-epic-rebranding-fail/

The result?  Revenues fell 32% in one quarter.  Steve Olenski, writing recently for Forbes.com asked "should it really come as any surprise that the #1 reason people follow brands via social media is games, contests and promotions?  No.  Just as it should come as no surprise that people want sales and coupons from their retailers."

Business writer Max Nisen notes that "a real strategy is built around answering a difficult question: What can this company do better than anyone else?  At this point, the company's not really trying to answer that, and it's not trying to beat anything but the old version of itself. That's not a plan that wins."

"It might just be easier to launch an entirely fresh and new department store from scratch, rather than attempt to drag a 110-year-old brand into the future," says Brad Tuttle at TIME.   "As J.C. Penney sales (and stocks) continue to decline, it's clear that "the much hyped transformation just isn't occurring quickly enough."

But what I find is that their stores still largely resemble the JCPenney my grandmother knew.  Even their website lacks the compelling invitation to purchase:
http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/index.jsp

Finally, the next confusing (and expensive) piece of branding appeared in The Oscars a few weeks ago.
This 1:30 gem, entitled "Yours Truly" wants us to believe that JC Penney is not the store of your grandmother, your mother, coupons, no coupons or trendy boutiques.  In fact, it's a store that truly doesn't know what it is or why we should shop there. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RTOYH7eXGA (Your Truly, JCP)

The spot is as pointless as it is pretty.  No one in the spot is over 25, and I would guess that no one in that spot would ever shop at Penney's.

Perhaps it's time to stock up on "school shoes" for the Baby Boomers.  Oh, wait!  I forgot.  That ship has sailed.  The rest of  are shopping at Target, Macy's and Costco.  We know what those stores stand for.
Does Penney's?

--Rich Brase
rich@richideas.net

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Clients Get the Advertising They Deserve

In entertainment and traditional advertising, the story is the same.  Clients (internal or external) hire you to develop creative, but the path to the finished product is rarely the same.

While some insist you just take good notes and regurgitate their brilliance in a cohesive manner, others demand you search your soul for unique solutions.

While some always think they're paying too much, others are realistic about actual costs.

While some play guessing games, others are direct to a fault.

While some parcel out information like it was manna from heaven, others can't tell you enough.

While some believe creative should be beaten out of you, others like it to be a kumbaya experience.

While some treat creative development as a competition, others put all their eggs in one basket.

While some report to a committee, others are free to make decisions on the spot.

While some clearly don't understand the process, others know the landmines up ahead.

While some waffle, others trust their decisions.

While some thrive on crisis, others enjoy stability.

And while some really want fresh ideas, others are lukewarm about straying from the tried and true.

The truth is, your best work is always for clients who let you do your best work.

On the other hand...
When I was at Disney, there was an expression that went something like this:  There's never enough money to do a project, but always enough to redo it.

After exploration of different approaches, it invariably came down to a last-minute flurry of activity with late nights, second guessing, revisions of revisions, and mistakes.  No worries, though, the budget and delivery dates mysteriously changed (ah, Disney magic!), and the process was repeated.

At this point, we would just take notes, then drag the project across the finish line.  And vice versa.  Despite all the fire drills, we usually ended up a straight-ahead approach that was conceived in the early stages.  Even though we would lament "what could have been," the client was happy with the final product.

The upshot of this?  On subsequent projects, the self-censoring mechanism kicked in and we would primarily pursue more conservative concepts.  Clean.  Solid.  Spectacularly unspectacular.  And deservedly so.

Side note:  In my experience, the smaller the project, the tighter the budget, the less appreciative the client.  Corollary:  If you go out of your way to do a favor for a small client, you will pay for it.  Dearly. 

Although it's certainly a two-way street, a client's approach to advertising, working with creatives, ability to make good decisions, follow through, dealing with corporate infrastructure, and contact with reality are all directly related to the advertising they end up with.

They get what they deserve - good, bad, and in-between.

C'est la vie...

- Ed
edrothshow@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Managing Millennials: Handle with Care

The past few departments I've run have been puzzling.  Not because the people I've inherited or hired have been untalented or unmotivated.  It's because, as a baby boomer, I was unprepared to make the adjustments to make that department a success.  In a way, it probably scared me.   I often felt they were entitled, disloyal and only cared about themselves, social media and their friends.  Not about the company.

There is no doubt that any standard management mantra designed by a Baby Boomer is likely to fail in today's companies.  In short, we are now outnumbered by employees who, dare we say it, might just have their priorities straight.

Are you having trouble managing Millennials (born between 1980 and 1993) in your workplace?  If you're a boomer, it might be time to shift your thinking.  Blogger Dan Schawbel notes that there are currently 76 million Boomers in the workplace, but there are 80 million Millennials...and their amount grows every day.
So, time to adapt or die, because they sure as hell aren't going to adapt to us.

Writer Cam Marston says it best:  "Perhaps it's easiest to understand who they are not.  You."

Work Ethic
Millennials are self-centered but task-oriented.  They often like to work in teams and enjoy collaboration.   Where a Boomer is driven by loyalty, individual achievement and improving company performance, a Millennial loves problem-solving and is up for challenge and change.  If they get bored, they leave.  If the job ceases to be fun, they leave.  Writer Susan Healthfield advises not to "bore them or trivialize their contribution."

Input/Output
As a parent, have you gone out of your way to provide a loving and nurturing environment for your own kids?  Do they often seem entitled and out of touch with the realities of the business world?  Congratulations!  The way your kids are is the way most of your Millennial employees are.  They are used to having their thoughts and feeling not only heard, but embraced by an older person (parent or boss).  It's often a slippery slope to have to keep saying "Good job!  Good Job!" even when the work is not.


New Technology
Let's face it--any Millennial knows more about new technology than practically any Boomer.  They were raised using social networks, smart phones and computers and they love being connected to their friends.  Use this to your advantage to get your message out.  Challenge them to create new ways of reaching viewers or customers. Stop sweating what you need to know.  Use their electronic literacy to your advantage.

Balance
I've always worked for hard chargers.  This has been great, and has honed my personal approach to business--namely to always outwork your employees and beat your competitors mercilessly.  Make sure your boss saw not only the great work your department was doing, but you as an effective leader.  Don't expect the same out of your Millennials.  Working a sixty-hour week in the office?  They're probably not going to be into it.  Having a balanced life and being involved in a lot of activities is important to your younger employees.  Writer Susan Heathfield puts a button on this by saying "ignore this at your peril."

Unfortunately, while I preach the creative services or promotion department to be the department of fun and morale for the company, my personal boundaries draws the line at things like ping pong and pool tables.  In a deadline-oriented business like television and radio, there's usually time for brainstorming and constructive collaboration, but if you're playing ping pong at 3 pm, don't expect me to walk by and say "who's winning?  Can I have next game?"

As any parent can attest, the mind of the 20 to 30 year-old seems to be more complex than in the past.  Heavily influenced by social media, electronics and the desire for someone to say "good job" for just doing what is expected can sometimes fluster an older manager, who wants all noses to the grindstone 24/7.

This blog can't give you all the insight you need, but here are a few which can.  Check them out...if you dare.

 http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2012/07/20/5-ways-to-better-manage-millennial-employees/
 http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementtips/a/millennial_myth.htm
 http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementtips/a/millenials_2.htm

The final words that I have are enthusiasm and competency.  If your 20-something employee has all that, maybe you should cut them some slack and adapt.  The last creative department I ran in South Carolina was a different story.  The producers did not know how to format or write scripts and they lacked anything more than rudimentary editing skills.  Any constructive criticism was met with "whatever" (what does that even mean as a response?) and hurt feelings when I didn't say "good job."

Be prepared for this.  If your producer knows that the video goes on the left and the audio on the right, you're on the right road.  Just think twice before letting them play video games on company time...or not.

Whatever.

--RB











   

Saturday, March 2, 2013

My Top 10 Preposterous Promo Pet Peeves (this is #6)

Some things just drive me crazy.  Being stuck behind a driver going 10 mph below the speed limit.  Teenagers who act like, well, teenagers.  Skim milk.

When it comes to promo, there are things I see and hear that make me say, "Why?This is usually accompanied by a dramatic head shake and heavy sigh.   

Most, if not all, are not a result of tighter budgets, time constraints, or client/supervisor requests, and are easily fixable. 

With no apologies to anyone, these are like fingernails on a chalkboard to me (in no particular order):

Show and Tell.  You know, when the video exactly matches the v/o.  Total missed opportunity to add anything to the moment. 

Clip Repeats V/O Copy.  The clip/bite is supposed to pay off the v/o's setup, not duplicate it.  Example of this travesty in action:

V/O:  SHE FOUND TRUE LOVE...
Clip:  I am so in love with you.  

Radio Stripped from the On-Air.  When this happens, it's obvious that radio was an afterthought.  It may fill :30, but it's not really a radio spot.
 
Mix is Too Hot.  Just because you love the music doesn't mean it should overpower the V/O and dialogue.  Sounds like somebody didn't play it on the Auratones before shipping. 

Too Much Copy.  And the race is on... We've got :38 of copy that needs to fit into a :30.  Just talk a little faster and nobody will notice.  Guess what?  Everybody noticed!

Superfluous Alliteration.  Just like the title of this piece!  More often than not, it feels hackneyed, stale, and forced - especially when used several times in the same spot or ad.

Continuity Goofs.  A couple is close to each other, their left cheeks against each other.  Cut to reverse shot - now their right cheeks are together.  

Holiday Music Ad Nauseum.  For our Xmas spot, let's use... I got it!... Jingle Bells, Sleigh Ride, the Nutcracker Suite or Mannheim Steamroller.  How original!  The same goes for Fourth of July - Let's go with something Sousa-ish.  Just like every other mattress company, car dealership and department store.

Newspeople Trying to Act.  Rare is the anchor or reporter who can really pull this off, especially in non-news scenarios that require them to deliver more than one line at a time.  It diminishes us all.

Misused Words.  Complimentary vs. complementary, fewer vs. less, and my favorite - penultimate.  

OK, that's my list.  I'm sure you have tons of things you see and hear in promos that drive you crazy, too.  Here's your chance to let loose in 3...2...

- Ed
edrothshow@gmail.com


If you live by The Promo Code,  please share this post with friends, colleagues and groups.  You can even use it to show civilians what our profession is really like.