A comprehensive Brand Audit conducted for BlackBerry Limited, a challenger brand in the mobile device and software industry. The brand has experienced great highs and great lows since its beginning in 1999. Prior to 2011, it was an industry leader...
As we approach the final project for Digital Storytelling, we are sharing our first drafts of our approach and scripts. My approach is a fictional one. Comments welcome. I will be refining this video project for submission next Monday. My creative revisions have led me to a theme that incorporates the “almost heaven” association with … Continue reading Creative Approach for West Virginia Travel & Tourism
Image Source: justcreative.com This week's Digital Storytelling assignment is developing creative briefs. Here's my 2 clients: #1 – West Virginia Tourism (www.wvtourism.com) Focus: Headline – “It’s what you won’t find here that matters” – The video will focus on the aspects of tourism that will not be part of the West Virginia experience. Scenes of … Continue reading Creative Briefs
This week’s IMC-634 Digital Storytelling assignment asked for a review of commercials that intentionally minimized product information. The following 3 came immediately to mind: Kmart’s “Show Your Joe” Christmas commercial was aired in November of 2013. I was highly amused and somewhat shocked when I first saw it on television. The commercial shows a line … Continue reading Commercials that aren’t about their products…
Long-time friend, colleague, client and author Kevin A. Clark graciously provided the following article, also available in pdf format: Relationship Transformation RELATIONSHIP TRANSFORMATION by Kevin Clark President and Federation Leader, Content Evolution LLC Director, Emeritus, Brand and Values Experience, IBM Corporation Creating and maintaining relationships. Relationships are increasingly at the core of marketing and communications practice. Push strategies … Continue reading Relationship Transformation
I ran across this article describing how a coffee pod manufacturer has called out Keurig for rigging their coffee makers to only work with Keurig brand K-cups. The point clearly made that "The K-Cup patent expired in 2012, leaving Keurig in a bind. Rather than embracing manufacturers and offering lower-priced licenses, the company decided to … Continue reading The Freedom Clip Breaks Coffee Pod DRM Because Java Wants To Be Free, Man
I like Ken’s thought here. I just posted a similar note to a class discussion board last night:
“For a Future-Friendly Web” by Brad Frost highlights the problems we face with an ever-changing digital landscape, and how to make wise choices in planning ahead. “No one knows what the landscape will look like even just two years down the road, so it would be foolish to say that we can create anything that is truly future proof. But while there aren’t cut-and-dried prescriptive solutions for dealing with this increasing diversity, there are things we can do as web creators to better prepare for what’s in store”.
Frost describes how “relevance” is critical as consumers are slammed with information from every direction on a daily basis. “There’s simply not enough time, bandwidth, or screen real estate to trouble ourselves with extraneous noise”.
The article suggests that the most important thing we can do to be “future-friendly” is to FOCUS. We have to be very clear what matters to our users and our businesses. “Every product feature, every line of copy, every included script needs to have purpose and needs to be relevant to a growing number of contexts. We need to be ruthless in stripping away cruft to deliver strong, focused user experiences”.
Frost compares our dilemma to that of Lee Iacocca when faced with determining what automotive features, products and initiatives to stick with or scrap. He asked, “Where is it working?” — this is the question we need to ask ourselves when reviewing our content.
Having been in web design and development since the early days, I’ve used the “less is more” concept for many years. We must get to the point. Websites need to be focused on their purpose, and inspiring the desired action. Multiple websites are preferable where there are multiple purposes. In applying Frost’s suggestions to a company website, I think he and I would agree. One of my favorite quotes seems fitting here:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~Leonardo daVinci
Cut the #buzzwords. Be sincere and authentic instead. Superior products and services break through the clutter more than words & noise do.
#marketing #PR
This week’s topic in IMC-619 was “Understanding Consumers: Emerging Media Users and Markets”. We explored how companies are gearing their websites towards the multicultural market. Each of us chose a different company or brand to evaluate. I thought I’d summarize a few of our findings for comment. The companies/brands selected by students as doing a … Continue reading Speaking to a multicultural audience via our websites.
What is IMC? It seems to me that many people don't really know, or that there are multiple definitions dependent upon your background. To me, it's the NEW marketing and communications world that includes all the latest, greatest thinking, emerging media, new strategies and tactics. It aligns with the NEW way consumers think and live. To others, … Continue reading What is IMC?
JoAnn C. Burnett, MS-IMC, CDMP, PCM 