Is your brand clutter or art?

by Carolyn Kiser

Is the world looking more like a giant billboard to you these days? And in this world, do you see clutter or do you see art?

After returning from the 55^th Annual Boardwalk Art Show in Virginia Beach recently, it made me ponder the question – is advertising art? As an advertising professional and studio art major, I would love to believe that it is. But I’m not that naïve. While both use color and concept to convey messages and both share the goal of changing people’s behaviors, where do you draw the line between the two? Perhaps advertising is only art when the advertising is creatively executed in a way that would make you want to clip it, frame it, share it, or bookmark it. But if art is in the eye of the beholder, then maybe some people consider an ad with a giant red starburst art?

So who is to say what art is and what it isn’t? Let me attempt. The main discrepancy is that artists do not worship audiences in the way advertisers do and they don’t tailor their art around other people – I would like to think it is more personal than that. So I would classify advertising as a targeted, emotional art. And to develop advertising that can be considered an emotional art, you truly have to understand your audience. Rather than grouping consumers into demographic buckets based on age, sex, and income, we should consider how it will make them feel based on their attitudes and beliefs. It needs to evoke the emotions that we are all programmed to value. When you create an ad (minus starbursts and disproportionally sized logos) and the message in the ad speaks to a single consumer insight that will drive desired purchase behaviors, then you have crafted emotional art.

In summary, it’s not necessarily the reach and frequency of a media buy (think Head-On of Free Credit Report dot com commercials) but the power of an insightful, consumer-driven message (think Got Milk or Get a Mac campaigns). Is your brand in the hand of a Picasso?

Your reputation: Fodder for YouTube?

by Aimee Drysdale

Like many Americans, I am infuriated about what is being done to the animals and tourism in the Gulf of Mexico. I have several friends and family members in Florida and Louisiana, and have become sickened by what BP is saying and doing to try to help fix the mess. After seeing this video called “Gulf Oil Spill Birds – Don’t Let Kids Watch” it reminded me about the power of YouTube.



More and more, we are hearing about people getting their 5 seconds of fame by posting videos on YouTube. I naturally found it really funny when one of the most recent viral videos of a Brazilian baby dancing in his diaper titled “Bimbo Dancer,” made it on national news. This video was used to note Tony Hayward’s behavior during his recent testimony to Congress:



BP published a TV spot in early June to try and fix the issue it created. Regardless of the messaging set forth, its actions so far do not reflect what the company said it would do.



BP’sactions have only led to more and more anger and mockery, such as this video below titled “BP Spills Coffee.” I think they had this one coming.



YouTube is not only a medium for people to vent their frustration but also a medium for resourceful, newsworthy information of what is truly happening. In the video below, Mike Ellis, a boat captain in Louisiana, notes his negative experience with BP while assisting with rescuing endangered sea turtles from the spill.



The media have changed. It is unnerving, but regardless, people’s actions are transparent, and anything said or done has a strong likelihood of being posted online or made into a spoof. Watch out BP, and anyone else out there doing something they are afraid of others finding out about. YouTube is advertising you! And your reputation might never be the same again.

Branding done right: 50 years of marriage

By Thomas Becher, APR

While celebrating my parents’ 50th anniversary last week it struck me: Not only are they an inspiration to all of us – they are an example of branding done right.

Good branding – being consistent, trustworthy, impactful, memorable and true to the core – is not done overnight, nor in a year or two. It takes time, practice, fortitude, commitment and, yes, learning from mistakes – kind of what’s needed to sustain a half-century of marriage.


My parents, Helga and George, are well-liked, generous, polite, accepting and straight-forward. With them, you get what you expect over and over again. And that doesn’t change, no matter what challenges life tosses at them or what kind of mood they’re in.

Like your favorite brand – whether it’s a pain reliever, department store or oil change – my parents are consistent. Decade after decade, they provide their family and friends with the same pleasant experience, in good times or bad.

Good branding – your 360-degree brand, as we call it – aligns the internal brand with the external brand for a consistent customer experience. In this example, my parents treat each other with respect and honor – that’s the internal brand – and present to others a couple that’s loving and kind – that’s the external brand.

Happy anniversary, my dear parents, and congratulations from a proud son.

Little did you know that your golden anniversary would provide a case study of branding done right.

So, in honor of their special day, how is your brand – and does it stand the test of time?