shawn king's posterous

Everything. That's what we're up against.

What a straight razor shave will teach you about mind over matter.

"Just relax and let it happen". That's what he says, as you're looking up at this:

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Ok, I'll try… Really, this actually wasn't the worst part. Later on, the power of my mind was really put to the test in a way I didn't see coming. 

I was getting a brain freeze. My head was aching, my heart was pounding and all I could think was breath… My nose was the only thing sticking out of the ice-cold towel wrapped around my face and head. From the sidewalk I'm sure I looked pretty relaxed. There were actually people standing outside looking in the shopfront window as I was laid back in the barbours' chair for all to see. Of course, it was designed that way on purpose - the whole store front at Mankind, the grooming studio for men, was a giant window display for all to see. The chair was an an original, from about '53 I was told and watching anyone getting a straight razor shave is a pretty cool and old-school sight to see. What anyone watching from outside couldn't see was the rage going on inside my head. The cold towels are used to close the pores after you've been treated to the shave. It works, but I have a feeling that unlike most who would have hair on their head, the cold on my head and face at the same time was almost too much. I was close to sitting up and taking the towels off, but I had to stick it out. What would everyone think if I couldn't handle it? Soon enough the intense cold subsided and I could relax, but Jesus it was cold!

Mankind is co-owned by Neol Nagiat, a senior Art Director at Extreme group. And, to be honest, I'm not sure I would have taken this on if not for his encouragement and description of the straight razor shave process. So, I walked in that day looking forward to shedding the beard I grew in December and experiencing something I never had before. My face was itchy, we were 3 weeks into and already intense work schedule and hell, I deserved it. This is how I walked in...

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This first thing to understand is that this is a process. You just lather up and shave it off. There are hot towels, cold towels, creams and lotions, clippers etc. So, while I waited for Jason Culala - one of Noel's business partners and the man who was about to put the fate of my face in his hands - to prepare, I took a look around. I could sit on the couch and watch sports highlights in the big screen, look at newspapers clippings from celebrities and media types, check out the old school items and tools or wonder where they got the giant moose head on the wall in the back. Really, I was just trying to settle my nerves. So I was a little nervous, what of it?

Initially I thought it was going to be pretty cool to hear the sound of the blade slicing my beard bit by bit, but the first step involved clipping it off with good old fashioned clippers. It makes sense really, but for some reason I imagined the beard coming off to be a lot more dramatic.

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I won't lie, I started to feel pretty ridiculous as it was coming off. It looks different, there's no getting around it. But the process was enjoyable. Hot towels on your face to soften the beard and prepare the skin is pretty relaxing. And it happens over and over again. Hot towel, shave cream, shave, oil, hot towel, relax. I was getting use to it, but no matter how you slice it - I couldn't help but tense up when the blade came down. There were a few nicks, particularly on my head and that really only bothered me when the towels were applied. It stung, but I sucked it up - people were watching! Mind over matter...

This went on over and over until about an hour later, there I was. Lying in the chair, brain freeze in full force, screaming inside while the cold towels pretty much threatened to knock me out. But, I was going to beat these towels and handle it - even if I did feel like I swallowed one of those gas-station slushies whole. I waited, I counted and I breathed. Finally, Jason took off the towels, dried off my face and head and made the announcement - you're done! 

Despite the ups and downs of the experience, I stood up feeling incredibly refreshed. It was that kind of refreshing feeling you get when you come in from an active winter day outside. My face felt amazing and my mind was clear and so alert! I felt like anything that happened that morning, was a few days ago. It was a new day. I felt a little confused too. The skin on my head and face was cold, but I felt warm. I was a relieved that it was over, but excited that I pulled it off. Then I looked in the mirror. This is how I walked out...

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I spent a lot of time during the rest of the day holding my hand up to my face. I was getting use to the feeling of it again, and I was hiding. It was that "kid with a new hair cut feeling" - very vulnerable and a little uncomfortable. But again, it was very refreshing. 

The whole experience was not what I expected. It was relaxing, stressful, refreshing, intense and rewarding. "A buffet of flavours for my face", I believe is how I described the feeling to Jason. Apparently he'd not heard that one before - another victory. It was a lot of things but it was an experience I'm glad I ticked off. My will power was tested and I passed. I beat the cold towels and I let go of the tension I felt every time the blade came down. I also let go of any work-related tension I had earlier in the day. That alone is the reason I'll do it again - a few times a year I figure, just to keep the day-to-day and my mind in check.

A straight razor shave for your face, and an exercise in will power for your mind.

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Catvertising. Is this really where we're headed?

So it seems that Catvertising is the newest scheme in advertising - or certainly the newest form of self promotion for advertising agencies. Recently john st., developed a new self promotion video that seems to have caught on - and it should. It's funny, it takes the piss out of the advertising agency world and has a go at the sometimes hard to understand habits of youtube viewers all around the world. 

It's a nice piece of self promotion and here I am talking about them. Well done. 

As it turns out John St. isn't the only agency to uncover this insight and use it as a form of self promotion.

Someone here at the agency recently came across an older version of "catvertising" by a group called pixelspersecond. Admittedly I don't know who they are. I can't tell if they're an agency, a video producer, a digital company or any of the above. I do know that literally within 2 months we have two "catvertising" videos.

I want to be very clear - I am in no way suggesting that john st. ripped off pixelspersecond's video - they're too smart for that and I give them way more credit. What I'm really doing is using the two versions of the same idea to remind us all of a few things we owe it to ourselves to remember when working in this business.

First have a look at the pixelpersecond version:

And now, the john st. version:

3 simple reminders:

1. Original ideas are very hard to come by.
2. Execution and craft is key
3. Clarity around what you're promoting is a must.

#1 is self explanatory but really, we have to remember this one. So when you are on to something truly original, work with it and do what you can to make it come to life. It's hard to find and often even harder to make happen.

#2 - The john st. video is very well done. It's found that perfect balance between satire and sober. The pixelpersecond version just takes the joke too far. It's trying to be too funny, is over the top and really just comes across as silly. Same idea - but one is clearly better than the other. Tone, craft and execution makes all the difference.

#3 - I'm sure you've heard this a thousand times, but when it's all said and done, you really need to know who it's for and what it's promoting. The john st. version is clearly a self-promotin piece for their agency and they've done a nice job of point that out in various ways throughout the video. I'm still having a hard time figuring out what pixelspersecond it. I've considered that maybe it's just me, but at this point I think they are a video production company, I just can't be sure.

Cat videos…. who knew?

WTF? Does anyone really know?

Frustrated

For a while I was beginning to think that the whole digital, social vs traditional marketing thing was old news. I was getting a little tired of talking about it and figuring at some point, we just need to move on with it. At this stage, it's really all considered part of what we do, right?

About a year ago when the whole social media thing was the newest hot topic, we ran a campaign here at the agency designed around a twitter hashtag. We weren't even sure if everyone would know what a hashtag was, but the idea was simple:
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Incase you can't see it, the headline is a twitter hashtag #justbecauseyoucanshouldyou. Leading up to the publication of this ad, we began posting tweets on twitter about the topic of social media. These tweets included things like when it should be used, why or why not and everything in between. Meanwhile, on our web site we had posted a story about the same thing. No matter where you went you got the message that yes, social media is new, yes it can be overwhelming, yes it is confusing, we can help. 

In hindsight, I think we ran that campaign a little too early. I had heard that there were some agency folks who saw the ad and wondered what it was but that was it. No clients called, no clients asked about it. In fact, it seemed that no clients cared. 

Present day: now, not only is digital and social media a constant topic of conversation on a daily basis, it's part of everything we do for just about every client we work with. In fact, in the past 3 weeks I've had to review 4 different RFP's (request for proposal) and saw for the first time, specific questions about digital capabilities and expertise in social media in every one of them. It's here, take it or leave it.

On the surface, it would seem that this is all old information - we've heard it all before. However, last weekend as part of chairing the 2011 ICE awards (#ICEawards), I attended a judges panel discussion that was moderated by Ignacio Oreamuno, President and Founder of ihaveanidea.org. Very quickly the questions and discussion led to the topic of digital vs traditional and how everyone is trying to cope and figure it out. Ignacio made a very important and insightful observation. One that I agree with completely...

As someone who travels the world and visits agency after agency, both digital and traditional, he started by saying nobody knows what they're doing. A debatable statement for sure given the Crispen Porter types of the world. This statement is not meant to suggest that nobody has had success. It's to say that there may not have been enough constant success for anyone to simply say "this is the way it should be done". He went on to describe how digital shops are starting to think they need to hire more traditional people who may have a better understanding of the mass media components often required in fully integrated campaigns. And then, of course, there are the traditional shops who are considering more digital hires for the reverse of that same reason. The point is nobody really knows, and everyone is trying to figure it out. 

Recently, I made a similar observation with a current trend happening with most clients:

I've noticed that the clients who have traditionally had their business with a more traditional advertising agency are feeling pressure, and acting on that pressure to split their work and hire a digital shop specifically to handle their digital and social media needs. Where the clients that use to have it split up are now leaning more towards putting all their work (including digital and social media) into one shop. Nobody knows….

I believe there are multiple theories as to why either of those choices would make sense. HIre the specialists to do specialized work or keep everything in one place and benefit from the larger understanding of your brand that larger or more traditional agencies may have. The lines are certainly starting to blur.

At Extreme we've won digital pitches and lost digital pitches. We've won them because our goal is to understand the big picture and where, how and why everything must fit together - we have numerous success stories to demonstrate that. We've lost them because people didn't believe we had the specialized expertise to know what we were doing. Either way, I still believe one thing to be true. Whether it's TV, radio, a Facebook page, web site, a twitter account or a piece of direct mail - you still need to know why your communicating. You still need to understand your audience and you still need to be relevant. You still need an idea.

The big difference now more than ever, is where you're talking to your audience should dictate how you talk to them. 

The point is, whether it's the tools we have now or the tools we'll have later, the need to be strategic and understand your audience will never go away.  #justbecauseyoucanshouldyou likely holds true more now than it did a year ago. It seems at this point everyone is paying attention. Everyone is still trying to figure it out. Everyone is still feeling a little overwhelmed. 

We can still help.

How to be a great Account Person - A client perspective

I recently stumbled across this article written by an old client of mine, Scott McWilliam. He's as passionate as they come and clearly has some pretty strong opinions and ideas on the client/agency relationship. For the most part, I tend to agree with his rant here about some guidelines on how to be a great agency account person. So, I thought I'd share, as written. Enjoy:

If you don’t have any common sense, foresight, or pay attention to detail, please quit!

Searching for new insight on how to make your agency stronger? Stop looking for the next creative genius and drill into the frontline. Look deep through the veins that set the idea table, flush the pipes to the well of flawless execution, and clean the window of your client’s hopes and dreams. If I’ve lost you, I’m talking about the account team. For it is these closet heroes making and breaking long term partnerships. So stop looking for the next Ogilvy to get your agency on the cover of Marketing Magazine and pull together the best account team you can afford.

I am not writing to praise or beat up on account people. I’m writing to spark an account team revolution. I want to see an account executive stand alone on the cover of a magazine. I want to someday attend a Canadian Account Team Awards Gala. I want all Creative Directors to stop praising clients at award shows for letting them do great work and instead praise the account team for building the relationship and trust that really allowed the work to happen. And lastly, I want all CEO’s and the like to seek out the best of the best account people, pay them 20% more, and put them on my business.

Igniting this revolution won’t be easy. Here is a client’s perspective on what account execs can do to get this movement started: 1. If you suck at detail and have no foresight; quit. Seriously, seek other work. You will only fumble through with charm and clean-up skills for so long. Save both your boss and client on blood pressure pills and quit.

2. Know more than the client expects. Nothing is more refreshing than account teams that elevate strategic thinking with new insight. If needed, invest a touch of your own time to understand the client’s business. The client’s role of getting you up to speed only goes so far.

3. Consider the goal of having the entire agency excited about the client’s business your primary mission in life. Good work flourishes when energy and respect is high.

4. Lose sleep over your clients’ business. If you don’t really care, the client will know. Respect everyone’s intelligence and don’t fake it.

5. Call before they call you. Sounds simple, but only best of the best do it well.

6. Anticipate details that can’t be anticipated. Execution oversights quickly become blunders. These mistakes reflect you, your agency, and your client. From a client perspective this may be the primary driver of relationship potholes.

7. Don’t allow things to fester. Pick up the phone, be open, get to know personalities, know when to push, and never go to bed angry. And it wouldn't hurt to know your client has a cat named Frisky.

8. Demand clarity from all parties. Third and fourth rounds can often be avoided if everyone is clear at round one. Account folk need to make unclear clients clear, often times to the client themselves.

9. Don’t be afraid of your creative team. Don’t waste everyone’s time presenting ideas that are not on strategy just because the art director thinks it’s his or her shot at a Cannes.

10. Eliminate financial surprises. Nothing is more frustrating than a pop-up invoice for $50,000. If there is directional uncertainty going into a project, lay the ground work early for possible occurrences. Similarly, don’t say you can do something without the client knowing what it will cost.

11. If you have more than one client, make each one feel like you don’t. Don’t lie; just over service them so much they wonder when you work on other business. Boasting about your client list does nothing but raise uncertainty around the time you have to dedicate.

12. Push for performance measures and agency reviews. If you are afraid of this, you may want to get some resumes out.

13. And lastly, don’t sweat the small stuff, lose sleep over it.

I am confident that if account execs abroad unite in this movement of accountability, consistency, and efficiency, we will all live happily ever after. It just may put the term “agency search” into extinction.

11 Ways to Keep Your Sanity in Advertising

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I recently came across an article in Marketing Magazine that provided advice on marketing and the business of marketing from recent inductees into the Marketing Hall of Legends. It was all great advice and proved very beneficial. It also got me thinking: what would I say if someone asked me for advice on working in the business? This is what I would say...

1. Give yourself some space. You'll need it to keep your perspective.

2. Ask yourself: if nobody was around to help, what would you do? You'll find answers there.

3. Don't be busy, be productive. Big difference.

4. You never know until you ask.

5. Remember, everyone is else is making it up as they go too. You know more than you think - keep that confidence.

6. Your clients's should be your biggest fans - it's the only real job security.

7. Don't waste time and energy on the wrong things. Use it up making good things happen, you'll need it.

8. Be in service to those around you. When you're truly trying to help, you can say whatever needs to be said. Most importantly, it will be heard.

9. Strive for greatness. This business is way too hard to simply be ok at it.

10. Stay vulnerable, it'll keep you real.

11. Enjoy the liberation that comes from honesty. It will never steer you wrong with each other, your clients, or your friends.

 

Why do I hate Advertising?

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It's been a while since I've posted, in large part due to my extra-curricular activities as Co-Chair of the Marketing Awards. Yep, myself and Christina Brown of Cloudraker in Montreal have been handed the sought after task of picking a jury, developing a process, overseeing the judging and creating some direction for the show. The show happens in June but this past week, we finally went through 2 days of judging the work that Canada's finest have poured their heart and soul into over the past year. Well not all the work. By the time we got together, the jury had already poured through hundreds of entries on-line deciding which pieces should be voted "in" or "out", and scored in the next round. What this really meant was that by the time we arrived, over half of the work entered was gone. That's the way it works - it's a tough crowd.

So tough in fact, that after two days of the process, even I hated advertising...

When you think about categories in award shows, have you ever thought; what does “non-traditional advertising” even mean any more? Good question right? As a jury and co-chairs, we spent close to an hour debating this exact question in our few days of judging.

In the beginning figuring out what non-traditional advertising was, was easy. It wasn’t print, TV, out-of-home, radio or anything else considered normal in our business. It was anything that didn’t fit into those categories. In today’s awards shows, more and more people are trying to figure out where to enter their work and what category to put it in. A lot of shows can’t even accommodate the kind of work and truthfully the Marketing Awards isn’t any different.

Christina and I had worked through the categories months before trying to figure out the best way to introduce new ones to reflect the way we’re all working while at the same time, navigating the need to keep both this show and the Digital Marketing Awards separate. Truth is, at some point I believe these shows will come together – the lines between the two are quite blurred. Overall it went pretty good with newer categories such as “social media” and “excellence in brand creativity” or “branded content” going off without a hitch.

But for some reason, “non-traditional” gave us all a headache. If you think about it, non-traditional is actually quite traditional! So, we worked it out. We did manage to find the right places to put all the work. We even moved a few pieces around that we felt should be awarded, but needed to be in a different place.

Even that I found somewhat interesting. We as creative people still need a box. We are led by parameters and in many ways consider something great by the context in which it is presented. At least at awards shows we do. It was something that surprised me a little during our few days.

Other surprises where how much it helped us to have already decided what work was in or out before we got together. It really made the first day together feel good. We weren’t rushed, there was a lot less pressure and as a result we even awarded a few medals on day one!

I was also surprised at the importance of a good co-chair to hand off too, when you feel a moment of weakness and the mental strain of the process. Judging can be a little stressful, but co-chairing was a whole other bag of tricks. Christina and I found ourselves navigating debates that were going on too long, questions that no longer mattered, questions about something that was done before, constant desires to discuss something that we’ve moved on from and yes, even confusion about categories and why something was there. Actually after a few rounds, we did manage to find our stride and I think we handled it pretty well. But when it was all said and done, I was relieved and happy with the results that the process and direction resulted in and surprisingly tired.

I slept on the plane ride home, but I found myself tired in another way. I was tired of advertising. I was tired of looking at it, evaluating it, debating it and splitting it up into a million little pieces unlike any consumer ever would. I was tired of counting votes for gold, silver or bronze or in or out.

I finally settled into my seat, passively watching the screen in front of me. You guessed it – an ad. I wondered how the jury would have voted for it, what category it would have gone in and why, even then, staring at an ad my own agency had done – why did I hate it so much?  Why did I hate advertising so much?

Actually I don’t. I love it – when it’s good. At the end of two days I realized that everything, every one of our jurors was passionate about was work that was good. The bad stuff didn’t matter. And that’s the one thing that I know will always be true not matter what the categories or the tools are. The work still needs to be good.

Tonight, I received an email from one of our jurors stating: “It definitely is a brave new world for sure. So much in flux but an exciting time in our business.” I couldn’t agree more. The work we saw and the conversations we had demonstrated that.

Now, a few days since we judged - I love advertising again. It's time for Christina and I to focus on bringing the show to life and making sure you're all as excited about what's going on in our business as we are. Stay tuned...

Is your mother a prostitute?

I thought that might get your attention. Isn't it funny how that works? How a topic so controversial and sensitive practically begs us to pay attention. In his book "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This", Luke Sullivan wrote a line that sums this social theory up perfectly: "People don't slow down to look at traffic, they slow down to look at traffic accidents". It's true. It's the fundamental business model of every tabloid magazine and news channel in existence. And sometimes it's even an effective tool for making people pay attention to advertising.

Recently, along with our client Stepping Stone http://www.steppingstonens.ca we launched a campaign designed to help the public see sex workers as people first. Part of the goal was to raise awareness of the issue while specifically, we wanted to get the media to identify victimized sex workers as a "mother of three" instead of "prostitute". Our goal was not to try and stop what was going on or take a stance on sex workers or the industry. Stepping Stone is a not for profit organization that offers support programs and outreach for those who are a part of, or where a part of it. We are trying to help them achieve their goals.

To suggest this is a sensitive topic is a gross understatement and in many ways it meant, no matter what we did it was bound to generate some interest. Again, a huge understatement. What we did do was a series of posters/ads that used language normally associated with the way we'd talk about our mothers, brothers or other members of our family and changed it to use words most generally associated with the way people talk about sex workers. The point being, we don't generally think of sex workers as people first, or as members of someones family and by changing the context, maybe we'll begin too.
 
What happened next only reinforced what I know to be true about advertising. When you strike a chord, you get a reaction. Typically, this reaction is very polarized and I wouldn't have it any other way. For us, it's usually a good sign that you're on to something. People will either love it or hate it. And if you're really on to something, those people will feel passionate enough to write letters, post it on blogs and share with those around them.

Since the campaign launched, we've received dozens of letters from those so completely apposed to this message, they even cc'd the mayor of Halifax. People who feel this campaign is doing nothing but reinforcing the problem in the first place. Then there was my personal favourite comment: "I would count your uninformed advertising team among the lowest who prey upon our most vulnerable". Yeah, I love that one...

At the same time, we've also received letters from other cities asking if they can use the campaign, and messages from people who want to work with us after seeing the campaign. The truth is, I don't have to agree with any of the comments or letters - good or bad.

I certainly don't feel we are uninformed or the lowest of the low, considering our relationship with our client keeps us very informed, but that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that I have the feeling some people misunderstood the message. It doesn't matter that I have to wonder if those same people would rather that nothing was done at all? I don't have to respond or even get involved beyond the campaign we created. In fact, at this point the ads don't even matter.

What matters is the very passionate conversation taking place that arguably wasn't taking place before these ads and posters ever ran - at least not at this level. The job of these ads is done. People are talking. People are paying attention and working very hard to make sure others are too. And really, isn't that the point of all this advertising stuff in the first place?

I know I can speak for both the agency and our client when I say thank you. Thank you for all the letters, comments, blog posts, and concern. And please, keep them coming, it's exactly this kind of engagement that really makes change happen. 

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What a homeless man's story teaches us about marketing.

I'd be really surprised if you haven't heard of this guy by now. Ted Williams was a homeless man in Columbus Ohio who claimed to have a "golden voice" and was using that voice to panhandle. On the side of the road, Ted would happily give a sample of his voice in exchange for a few bucks. It was working.

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Teds sign reads:

"I have a God given gift of voice. I'm an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. Please! Any help will be greatfully appreciated. Thank you and God bless you. Happy holidays."

Literally overnight, a video of Ted on YouTube went from just over 300 views to more than 4 million once the word got out. And, in a matter of days Ted went from being a homeless guy claiming to have "a golden voice" to accepting an offer to work for the Cleveland Cavaliers complete with a home and living expenses covered. He's now the voice of a Kraft macaroni and cheese commercial and Jack Nicholson wants him to co-star in a movie. 

Only 2 days after the YouTube video became an internet sensation, this was the update:

These kinds of stories amaze me and I often wonder what it is that makes these things work. When thinking about it the other day two things came mind:

1. Ted had no bones about making a bold claim - something that differentiated him.
2. It was true.

I can pretty much guarantee that everyone who saw that YouTube video was in serious doubt that Ted's claim was true. Followed by shock when it actually was. I know I for one wasn't expecting much and maybe that had something to do with my reaction. The fact remains, he made a claim and it was true.

Ted had 3 tools at his disposal: his voice, a cardboard sign and the internet. I think our Ted may be more of a marketer than he realizes. I can't think of many clients that wouldn't be thrilled with the kind of results Ted achieved using only a few tools and no money. A great lesson.

Why your brand should be the life of the party.

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You're standing in front of the mirror. This shirt? That tie? These shoes? Maybe it's a dinner party, a corporate event or just a night out with some friends. Regardless of the occasion, have you ever thought about why we put ourselves through that? Sure you want to look good, but there is some serious time and energy given to the way you present yourself. Why do we put so much thought into what torn jeans say about us, or the purple shirt? We want to make an impression - that's why. An impression that sends exactly the kind of message we want to send.

And how is your brand any different? This is what goes through my mind every time someone asks me why font size is so important, or why we can't use a stock shot. We're trying to make an impression and everything your brand does contributes to that. Don't you want to look good?

So, we have this analogy. The party analogy I like to call it. Your brand is dressed up the way it wants to be and ready to go. Let's assume you're going to make the right impression. Now what?

Eye contact is made and someone is approaching. It's time to talk and you better bring your A-game. Think of it this way; you're talking to someone at a function and all they're doing is telling you about themselves. How great they are, how they're so funny and likeable yet, somehow they don't really seem to be any of those things? Sound familiar? And think about your normal reaction to that - get me the hell out of here! Again, that's exactly what happens when your brand acts that way. It's the reason you need to be relevant and engaging. Say something that's interesting, don't talk about yourself too much, listen and be it before you say it. It's the only way to generate true interest.

At this point, you look good, you've generated some interest and you've got a good conversation going. Now, close the deal!

Imagine if, as you're just about to leave, the person you were talking too wrote their number on your hand. Then, yelled it from across the room and finally decided to text it to you again just a few minutes after you were gone. Freak, right? Run for the hills, this guy is out of control! The point is, make yourself accessible but you don't need to be desperate. This isn't about huge phone numbers and repeated urls. Remember if you've done everything else right, they'll find you. Ever met someone interesting at a function and not remember their name or their number? The first thing you do is start calling friends or scouring facebook to find out who they were. You'll find them. The same is true for your brand. 

Make the right impression. Be interesting and relevant. Be accessible but not desperate. 

If you do all those things right, you'll truly be the life of the party. People will be calling and wanting to hang out. They'll be telling their friends they're your friend. They'll look good, you'll look good - everybody wins.