Blog - Converge by Bader Rutter

Thursday

04Feb2010

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Five tips for working from home

Claire Keyes |

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Claire Keyes in her home office with Greta, her seasonal foot warmer

As two of Bader Rutter’s off-site associates, my colleague Amanda Powell and I are used to the comments and assumptions that result when we tell people we “work full-time from home.” And while working from home has its advantages, it is definitely a unique challenge. Here are some of our tricks for making the most of our satellite offices.

Treat it like a real office. Some people think working from home means watching Oprah, doing laundry and wearing yoga pants. And, we would like you to test that out — and see how far your career goes (and how far your waistband stretches). The truth is, you have to treat your home office just like a “real” office. Set the alarm, shower and get ready, and go to your office. Dedicate a space in your home for work only, void of outside distractions. That means at the end of the day, you can close the door and enjoy the rest of your home.
Become a techie, sort of. You should also embrace office-quality technology, such as a high quality headset for long conference calls. A mute button is priceless if you have a dog — but that’s a different post. In addition, it’s imperative to have a team of professionals that can help you out with any technical issues. This will help minimize downtime in the event of a Web outage, or the uncomfortable blue screen of death.

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Wednesday

03Feb2010

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Vote for Jake

Jake LeRoy |

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I need your help. More specifically, I need your vote. You see, at Bader Rutter, we are encouraged to explore our passions, both inside and outside of the office. Whether it’s biking, gardening, cooking or attempting the newest yoga position, a balance between work and play is something we all seek. For this guy, when it comes time for play, you’ll find me cheering, often rabidly, for my beloved Milwaukee Bucks.

My passion for the hometown Bucks led me to participate in a contest conjured up by the organization’s marketing department. Participants were asked to submit, in exactly 24 words, why they would be the best choice as honorary team blogger. Out of the hundreds of entries, nine were chosen as finalists for the position. I was one of those finalists.

The final nine were invited to attend Milwaukee’s game against the Miami Heat on Jan. 30 and asked to blog afterward about the game and their experiences. The blog entries were then posted on the team’s Web site and visitors are asked to vote for their favorite. The winner is given the opportunity to blog courtside for the remainder of the home schedule — what a great gig!

Voting is open through Friday, Feb. 5, with no limitations on how many times a person can vote per day. With that being said, if you liked my blog post and you’re so moved, feel free to vote until you’ve developed a nickel-sized blister on your primary mouse-clicking finger. Your support will not soon be forgotten.

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Tuesday

02Feb2010

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Groundhog greetings

Mike McCabe |

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This morning we celebrate the peek and prophesy of the great groundhog. If one is to believe the fun and folklore surrounding the groundhog’s trip to the top from his burrowed hole in the ground, we will have an early spring.

A few days ago my wife and I took a trip down memory lane to Woodstock, Ill., the original filming site for the movie, “Groundhog Day.” We were there in 1992 when actors Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, cast and crew converged on the town to shoot the comedy based on the real-life antics of life in Gobbler’s Knob near Punxsutawney, Penn. and the excitement that builds as the news media and locals build their lives on the arrival of Phil the Groundhog. The movie has since become a cult-classic. Last weekend’s trip to Woodstock was great fun, as locals took part in their annual “pre-groundhog day” celebration at the filming site for the movie.

As a creative director for dozens of commercials, I know all that goes into just a days’ worth of production for a 30-second TV spot. So I have a huge appreciation for the work that comes along with the making of a feature-length film. From the screenplay, location coordination, lighting, audio, camera and tech crews to the directors, actors, designers and assistants, it is a massive undertaking. It was interesting to stand alongside Harold Ramis as he directed the action that afternoon. We even made it into one of the scenes as extras walking behind Murray.

We’re still not sure if our scene was cut, but nonetheless, it was fun to watch as we felt like we were a small part of something that became rather big.

To find out more about the history and lore surrounding Groundhog Day and the town on which the movie is based, visit http://www.woodstockgroundhog.org/.

Also check out my snapshots from the day we were there during filming.

Here’s to an early spring!

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Monday

01Feb2010

Monday, February 1, 2010

Is retro marketing a fit for agri-business?

Brant Ausenhus |

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Think back to your childhood: the sounds, the smells, the sights. Did you brush your teeth with Crest toothpaste? Eat Honeycombs for breakfast? When you think back, are you in a simpler world? A safe place filled with warmth and consistency?

If so, you might buy into one of the recession’s latest trends: retro marketing. Retro marketing is the technique of using “throw back” advertising and marketing tactics to elicit childhood memories and drive sales. How, you ask? Retro marketing slogans and art trigger thoughts of “the good old days” before the recession, when the world was less complex and more stable. By purchasing the product, a consumer subconsciously travels back in time and is, for a moment, comforted by the familiar.

Giants like Pepsi, General Mills and McDonald’s are taking part in the phenomenon, reverting to vintage logos, sepia tones and 70’s taglines. However, this tactic holds promise outside the general consumer market — particularly in agri-marketing.

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Friday

29Jan2010

Friday, January 29, 2010

The preservation of agriculture

Laurie Peterson |

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A recent article in Forbes discussed the scrutiny and finger-pointing from, as the author termed them, “urban aesthetes and green activists” at the American agricultural industry, and their hope to “impose their own Utopian vision of agriculture.”

As anyone in the agricultural industry knows, the consumer is often several layers removed from the real agricultural industry, including the many family farmers who are passionate for their land and animals. And many of the general population, unfortunately, may also be naïve to the need for large-scale agriculture to help feed the world’s growing population — the author cites that “over the next 40 years the world will be adding some 3 billion people.”

This article helps demonstrate that the American agricultural industry will continue to feed the world through the successful melding of large-scale corporate farms and small-scale family-owned operations. However, much work is needed to advocate for the preservation of agriculture.

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Monday

25Jan2010

Monday, January 25, 2010

Say what? Who’s got the smartest phone?

Erin Holte |

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You can’t spend any time in today’s business world without knowing about the Apple and Google phone wars. The advertisements in this rivalry touch most everyone — in the ad business or not.

And if you’re anything like me, your cell phone is an extension of your body. It replaced my landline six-plus years ago and is never far from my reach. So, you can imagine my recent despair when I realized that my trusty Chocolate® had found a home in an unidentified snow bank, not to be seen again until the spring thaw. Fortunately, I have a circa-2004 phone I affectionately refer to as my Zach Morris phone and was able to activate it as I started my search for a new device.

My must-have list for a new phone is pretty basic — phone and text capable with a decent camera — but I also want a real Web-browsing experience. I had narrowed the list down to two finalists when Google threw a wrench into my plan: The announcement of the Nexus One.

Nexus One lobs one back at iPhone
The ‘superphone,’ as Google is calling it, promises to bring together the Web and mobile worlds. Nexus One does bring some cool features to the table:

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Thursday

21Jan2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Who will speak for the agriculture industry?

Mark Bjorgo |

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I recently had the opportunity to attend a new agricultural conference in Orlando called AG CONNECT Expo. This trade show gave producers, manufacturers and industry experts from around the world the chance to gather and share information and ideas. Check out the photos from the show. One session I attended was a panel discussion on communications in agriculture, which of course piqued my interest.

A great deal of the discussion revolved around the increasing amount of misinformation being shared about modern agriculture. It was determined that one of the root causes for this trend is the fact that the American consumer is getting further and further removed from any connections to the farm.

During the session, a story was relayed on how Lynn Henderson, publisher of
Agri-Marketing, was in line for lunch when a conversation started with an attendee from a different event being held at the conference center. When Lynn explained he was attending AG CONNECT Expo with several thousand ag producers the person responded, “I’ve never met a farmer before.”

As an industry, this presents a huge communications challenge, especially when you take these factors into consideration:

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Thursday

21Jan2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010

PR in 2010: Moving forward after the blood letting

Janice Kayser |

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Last year was unforgiving for many in the media, as outlined in a just released analysis by the Vocus Media Research Team - “2010 State of the Media: An Analysis of the Changing Media Landscape.”

The report states that in 2009 about 293 newspapers and about 1,126 print and online magazines folded. In addition, more than 10,000 jobs were lost in the broadcast and radio media industries.

As a former journalist, my heart sank far too many times to mention last year with each phone call or news release disclosing another layoff, shut down or cut-back.

The strong survive
But over the last few months, as I’ve stayed connected with my cronies and met new contacts, it’s clear the strong can survive. These media professionals are reinventing and redefining their careers as freelance Web writers and editors, and establishing new online research sources to assist pared down staffs. Print journalists are learning to report on camera for the Web and on-camera reporters are doing more writing for the Web. These media pros continue to remain valuable contacts for PR professionals and together we are digging deep to stay ahead of this constantly morphing industry.

As we build media relations for 2010 based on solid, strategic marketing plans, the Vocus report reminds us we need to invest additional energy to get the attention of media contacts who are being asked to do more with less. Here are just a few tips provided in the report:

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Tuesday

19Jan2010

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Cursive handwriting: A lost art?

Kimberly Forrest |

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Recently, I was discussing the school year with a fourth grader and asked if this is the year she learns cursive writing.

My mind raced back to my most creative years — not of creative writing, but of cursive writing as an art form. A time in my life that defined my penmanship as an expression of who I was. It was at that point I decided my writing would be neat, organized and beautiful. I discovered the flowing circles and waves that made an ‘a’ exquisite. I perfected the sharp, angular lines of a backwards capital F to have it reflect the proper flair seen in classic examples of the written word.

Fourth grade was the time in my life I developed that dry rough callous on my right middle finger, where the pencil sat while I practiced those curves, arches and angles that created beautiful, flowing words, defining my style to the reader.

Handwriting no longer important?
The fourth grader’s response to my question? The students could use whatever writing is easiest for them — print or cursive. She much prefers the cursive, she said, and spends most of her non-school hours perfecting her writing.

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Monday

18Jan2010

Monday, January 18, 2010

Marcom A to Z — P for Presentation

Anna Baxter Kirk |

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If you have complicated or intricate information to present to a challenging audience, is it better to create a text-driven or image-driven PowerPoint? In other words, if a picture is worth a thousand words, could we eliminate hierarchical bullet points from slides and still gently lead the audience to the undeniably correct conclusion we need them to believe?

If you Google “rules for great PowerPoint presentations“ and read a sampling of results, you’ll reach this conclusion: the right way to present is to limit text, limit presentation time, maximize powerful imagery and learn your material. Easier said than done.

What the experts say
Seth Godin (marketing guru extraordinaire, author of several best-selling business books), in a blog post called Really Bad PowerPoint, provides rules “to create amazing PowerPoint presentations:

No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken.
No cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images.
No dissolves, spins or other transitions.
Sound effects can be used a few times per presentation, but never use the sound effects that are built into the program…
Don’t hand out the print-outs of your slides. They don’t work without you there.”

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Friday

15Jan2010

Friday, January 15, 2010

The art of value-added media

Nesh Malinovic |

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We negotiate in the fourth grade when swapping lunches. We negotiate as teens for car privileges and spending money. We negotiate as adults for cars and boats. So why not negotiate when buying media?

As a forward-thinking agency, we strive to get the most value for our clients with the resources we are given. Negotiation not only helps us gain media space at a competitive price, it can also result in innovative opportunities that add dimension to our media plans.

Negotiating value-added media requires a combination of skill and marketplace knowledge. Whether it’s free inventory, or creating a sponsorship or roundtable event, value-added media is out there. The key lies in understanding what is attractive to the media and what they might be willing to include in a deal.

Plan ahead, negotiate now
Someone once said, “If you squeeze too much toothpaste out of the tube, there’s no getting it back in.” The same goes for maximizing value-added media. Tactical game-plans need to be laid out from the beginning since going back and trying to negotiate later becomes very difficult.

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Tuesday

12Jan2010

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Does anybody know the Heidelberg U fight song?

Jeff Wedeward |

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Here’s an interesting campaign. On my last trip to Germany, our friends at WOB, our sister BBN (Business Branding Network) agency, shared an interesting assignment they recently received from Heidelberg University as part of an extensive fund raising program.

Background
Founded in 1386, Heidelberg University is the oldest university in German (and one of the oldest in Europe). Consistently ranked among the best European universities, it is truly an international institution with more than 30% of its faculty and students coming from outside Germany. In anticipation of the 625th anniversary in 2011, the university launched a major fund-raising program last year to help renovate the Main Lecture Hall and plaza, located a block off the famous Hauptstrasse in the old town.

Strategy
Employing the BBN BAM (Brand Asset Management) process, WOB worked with the university administration to develop a forward-looking brand strategy under the banner of “Dem lebendigen Geist” which translates to “to the living spirit.” WOB chose water to be a major visual element of the campaign for several reasons:

water is the source of life and vitality
it is an ever flowing element – a driving force
the Neckar River is an important part of Heidelberg with the historic bridges connecting two parts of the university.

Launch
WOB launched an aggressive communications program in early 2009 that started with local and national public relations campaigns followed by advertising and direct marketing. In and around the university, the campaign brought “Dem lebendigen Geist” to life with banners, posters and eight foot letters in the university plaza. Please check out the full range of executions.

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Tuesday

12Jan2010

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Monitoring the athlete-to-brand evolution

Gregg Voss |

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I grew up in the late 1980s, when Michael Jordan was beginning to astound everyone with his abilities on the basketball court.

A decade later, he was not only the face of the NBA, but also a brand. Even though I didn’t own a pair of Nike Air Jordans, it’s hard to forget the status symbol those sneakers became, which featured the silhouetted logo of Michael dunking from the free throw line. They’re still popular today.

That was on my mind when Bader Rutter management director, Jeff Wedeward, and I were chatting in the hallway recently about athletes who have transcended their sport and become a brand. Certainly, Jordan wasn’t the first to do this — contemporaries of his like John McEnroe, Jack Nicklaus, Richard Petty and perhaps even O.J. Simpson were recognizable brands back then. Today, athlete brands include LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods (recent alleged dalliances aside).

Jeff and I debated about the tipping point when an athlete transcends their sport and actually becomes a brand. Is it:

When they’ve won a certain amount of individual or team titles?
When they have their own clothing line or soft drink?
When they have a slew of endorsement deals with the biggest global brands?
When they make more money on endorsements than their salary or winnings?
When they’re better known by one name, i.e., “Tiger” or “LeBron”?

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Monday

11Jan2010

Monday, January 11, 2010

Marcom A to Z — O for Optimism

Anna Baxter Kirk |

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The New Year has come and gone. It’s Monday of the second full work week in 2010. Business as usual, right?

I’d like to think that with a new decade comes more time to assess the previous 10 years and think about what to expect in the next! Let’s continue this backward and forward look all year to really assess what’s possible — how far we’ve come and where we can go. I can’t argue against points that life in 2010 is scarier, or less financially stable than it was in 2000. But I’m optimistic about what can be accomplished in the next ten.

Digital vs. personal community
One of the elements of change and progress that I’ve thought about recently is community. More than any other element, I think our definition of community has and will continue to change, and progress will depend on a person’s or a company’s ability to live well by making positive connections. For comparison’s sake, in 2000, most people celebrated the changing millennium with people around the globe but relied on landline phones to contact friends in foreign countries, and TV cameras to show celebrations on the major news networks. Today, we use VOIP connections to talk cheaply with friends or family abroad, webcams or YouTube help us live in the moment elsewhere, and we turn to Twitter or other online sources for breaking news updates.

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Thursday

07Jan2010

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Birth of new advertising opportunities

Erin Holte |

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It’s hard to avoid the talk about the death of print, whether it is newspapers, newsletters, magazines, or beyond. This year hasn’t been kind to Gutenberg’s baby, with doors closing at Gourmet, Blender, Travel & Leisure Golf, Elegant Bride, to name a few.

But is it really the death of print, or just time for a rebirth? Some of the biggest names in publishing are collaborating in hopes it is the latter. This year saw 60+ magazines go online-only. Time Warner, Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith and News Corp. are taking it one step further: digital versions for e-readers such as Kindle. The publishers are teaming up to develop an application that is compatible across all e-readers and allows the feel of each magazine to remain true.