It’s been quite awhile since something came to my in-box that made me laugh like this has. With the request of the author I’ve been given consent to post this on our company blog. It’s an interesting observation for sure. Who knows; maybe Corporate America is an “Adholic”?
I wish I could give the author credit but it has been asked for obvious reasons that they remain anonymous.
So thanks to you Anonymous blogger of the day for the chuckle, the insight and the kind words about our group.
Cheers to you my friend.
Joshua
Does Corporate America Sponsor the Adholics?
I’m a public relations guru, working directly for the man in Corporate America. I fight rush hour traffic in to and out of downtown Minneapolis daily for my 8:00 to 5:00 job, breaking the law en route by reading and emailing from my company-owned Blackberry while driving. The “perk” of my technology upgrade quickly turned into officially signing my life away to be “on call” 24-7, but unlike an Adholic, I still have to set foot in Cube Land on a daily basis. Speaking of, I’ve continued to show up to labyrinths of beige-colored half walls with faux oak chairs under the guise of “gainful employment” for going on 10 years now because… I have to… right?
The guy next to me comes in at 10:00. He leaves at 4:00. He’s here 3-4 days a week. He doesn’t document his off days. Doesn’t have weekly 1 on 1 “check in” meetings with bosses. Staff meetings are optional. He doesn’t wear a suit (ok, I wear a suit by choice… or did the “man” subconsciously make me think it was my choice?). Oh, and instead of working here today, he’s taking a longer weekend up at his cabin where he’ll work from his laptop by the fire a bit before going out snowshoeing.
How did I miss that boat?
Sure, I have stability the guy next to me lacks – a contractor hired on a three-month basis while a co-worker is on maternity leave. Or do I? Since joining my current Fortune 500 company I’ve reported to four bosses in three-and-one-half years. I’ve had 13 “dotted-line” relationships to bosses in other departments that I somehow report to sometime for somethings but not all the time for everything (try saying that five times in a row… yeah, that’s how I feel when trying to work effectively in this environment). My employer cuts people at will and hires sparingly. And each new micro-managing boss represents an “opportunity” for me to re-interview and re-prove my worth semi-annually for a raise and promotion that will never come. Some stability, eh?
A quick check of office floor shows that one and five cubes amongst the maze are occupied by a contractor. A small business owner, working in various marketing and communications-related roles on a part-time basis, making twice my salary, while us employees continue to brown nose for scraps that fall under the table.
Ah, so its true … even Corporate America sponsors The “Adholics”. Or is at the very least embracing adholicism.
My point is, take this shout out from a corporate insider… Adholics, your business model is working and is needed here. To you top-level free lancers, don’t work for the man, but come work with us – and enjoy the rest of your time working in your slippers. And to Corporate America who hasn’t embraced the trend – find an agency like The “Adholics” and hire their talent immediately. Creative contractors not only can help a conservative company like mine push forward in this ever-evolving social media environment but they possess the balls to present an objective view without being influenced that the man will fire them on Monday.
And if you’re in a position like me, get out before the next soothing ray of that buzzing, fluorescent light bulb above your head in Cube Land is medically proven to cause insanity.
NOTE TO SELF: Read this blog and follow your own advice before it’s too late. But excuse me first… I need to go buy a “Jeans Ok” sticker from my admin before the man sees me sporting these Levis.
My grandpa was an Old Spice guy, my dad is too. And if you listened to my new BlackBerry ringtone, you’d think I was a third-generation Old Spicer.
Well, I’m not – yet. But that hasn’t kept me from appreciating the recent branding effort of this 70-year-old hygiene product. It still smells musty, yet there’s something refreshing in the air for Old Spice.
It all started one fateful day in February
Say what you will about Super Bowl TV ads and the ridiculous cost for one :30 second spot (over $3.5 million at last check). But when done right, they can offer significant impact.
Remember the first year GoDaddy ran a spot during the NFL’s championship game? The number of viewers scrambling to visit the company online caused a bigger crash than Danica Patrick at Daytona. And GoDaddy is a web hosting company.
At that moment, the Old Spice Guy deep-sixed any memory of the poor 1960s-70s boat captain spokes-model.
More significantly, Old Spice has enjoyed improved sales overall. According to Advertising Age, the Proctor & Gamble Co. brand has been consistently gaining market share, enough to erase a deficit built up over the past.
And though it’s hard to measure the hard dollar sales results of Old Spice Guy, one cannot ignore his impact.
Sweet smell of success
This is especially true online, where the campaign has gone viral.
Unless you’ve unplugged yourself from the digital world, you’ve probably heard about the Old Spice Guy’s 186 highly publicized videos released in early July. These videos, developed in response to people who sent in requests through Twitter, generated more than 34 million aggregate views and a billion PR impressions in a week, according to P&G.
In the six days following the start of Old Spice Guy’s personalized videos, he reached more than 100 million followers. And as of July 18, Old Spice had become the No. 1 all-time-most-viewed sponsored channel on YouTube.
Old Spice’s Twitter account @OldSpice has blown up to include more than 80,000 followers. And its Facebook fan base has grown to 630,000, with fan interaction jumping 800% since the launch of the personalized videos.
Even OldSpice.com has seen its traffic levels spike by 300%, though I’m not sure who else besides me has downloaded the free ringtone.
So what can we learn from an Old Spice Guy?
“Social media for the moment isn’t really about traditional metrics; those are on the way, no doubt, but right now it’s more about customer engagement and awareness – the opportunity for consumers to talk directly to the Old Spice Guy, and have him talk directly to them,” says Renay San Miguel of TechNewsWorld.
I agree. Old Spice is a great example of an established brand boldly going into unchartered waters to reinvent its image.
They understand that social media is changing the world of advertising as many of us know it. No longer do companies control the discussion. More and more consumers want to be entertained. And they want to interact.
To take advantage of this burgeoning two-way communication, companies must get beyond the confines of ROI. New media has blurred the direct connection between marketing and sales. And though companies still need to sell stuff in order to remain in business, they must find ways to do so while developing relationships with their customers along the way.
Looking for a refreshing approach to your marketing? The “Adholics” can provide a number of traditional and new media solutions that meet your needs.
“My diaper is full; full of chic” is the opening line of what turns out to be a 30 second homage to potty humor.
And I loved every last second of it.
Is my maturity level showing by admitting this or can we all agree that this new Huggies denim campaign is incredible.
Where did they find that baby?
How did they get him to turn and stare like that?
Has that child always been so full of himself or did those incredibly cool denim print diapers give him that confidence?
The cool factor in this marketing campaign convinced me that I just had to buy these diapers for my little guy even though for the same money I could have had 20 more plain white Huggies.
That’s like 4 days worth of diapers I sacrificed and I couldn’t care any less, those diapers are hilarious. Give him a white shirt and he’s a little rebel without a pacifier.
I’m just glad Huggies has always been open to having a sense of humor about their products, I mean doesn’t the nature of the product beg for some comedy? This isn’t their first foray into this arena, they have had some great laughs over the years. But now this funny baby thing is really catching on making the last couple of years pretty lucrative for the Baby Actors Guild. You just can’t fake the charm, non-intimidation and cutesy factor babies offer.
Who doesn’t trust babies? If a baby tries to sell you something you listen right?
Plus, Babies have one huge added bonus right now, you can put their face all over your product without ever having to worry about your spokesperson pulling a “Tiger”.
So, while we are on the subject of babies in marketing, I thought I’d offer up a batch of some of my favorite ads featuring our favorite little munchkins.
E*Trade (any and all of these are great, here’s a compilation)
Huggies “I poo in blue” Denim Diapers
Huggies Little Movers “Scoop on Droop”
Evian bottled water (did you know Evian is Naïve spelled backwards?) Reality Bites reference
My wife and I just returned from a road trip to Mackinac Island. For those of you who haven’t seen “Somewhere in Time,” (which would be most) Mackinac is a quaint island located just off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in Lake Huron. It’s accessed by ferry boats in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter. Travel on the 8.2 mile chunk of real estate is limited to horses, bikes or your own two feet.
Since this was our first kid-free vacation in seven months, we decided to take a scenic route to the island. Looking back, 10 hours in a car may have been a bit ambitious for the first leg of our trip (even I asked if we were there yet, and I was driving). But we did it and decided to stop in Manistique, Michigan for the night.
Entering the small tourist town, we found only two lodging choices to consider. My wife wanted to stay at a local hotel. I lobbied for the Comfort Inn that shared a parking lot with a Big Boy restaurant. She must have been worn out from the trip because I won. I never win.
So why did a Big Boy restaurant have anything to do with my decision? I think it has a lot to do with the power of marketing.
Innovative marketing is a big deal
I’m over 30 years old and had never eaten at a Big Boy restaurant before this fateful trip. In fact, the only time I remember hearing about the eatery was during the movie “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”.
Using a rocket ship shaped as the Big Boy mascot, villain Dr. Evil jettisoned himself into space to escape capture from Austin Powers. And no, it doesn’t make any more sense if you watch the movie. But that didn’t stop me from thinking it was just about the friggin’ funniest thing I’d ever seen.
And it obviously was a brilliant marketing ploy. Because I felt passing up the opportunity to dine at Big Boy Restaurant #3 would leave my life forever void of meaning. Regretfully, the experience was worse than stroking Dr. Evil’s hairless cat.
Brand experience is a big deal
For some reason I had it in my head that Big Boy would be a classic burger joint. Not the case. Big Boy is Denny’s messier, less successful brother.
No grand slams in this place, only strikeouts. The featured dinner buffet included nine different entrees, all the same color. Even the all-you-could-eat salad bar was short on items you’d actually want to put in your mouth.
This experience was further diminished thanks to the stink-eye service we received from Dr. Evil’s estranged sister posing as our waitress.
Granted a lot has changed since “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” was released in 1997. And perhaps Big Boy restaurants have fallen on hard times as of late. But you would think ingenious product placement would have launched the Big Boy brand into the stratosphere. I mean, 13 years after the movie was released Big Boy still had an opportunity to convert one weary traveler into a customer for life.
Just goes to show marketing can be effective, and it can be lasting. But great marketing amounts to nothing more than a hill of soggy onion rings when the brand experience falls short of the hype. And this is a big deal for any company that hopes to make sequels of its success.
I trust Josh’s judgment, however eating at a Bob’s Big Boy will remain on my bucket list. Again, the power of great marketing prevails. I’m sure they’ll clean things up by the time I get out that way.
Today’s post is something I know I am horribly guilty of. I have always loved the feeling of holding down shift-1 until my computer smokes to make my point. But now, after reading this post by “Adholics” copywriter Josh Anderson, I have decided to enroll myself in exclamation point rehab.
It’s a 2 step program.
Step 1: Realize it’s unnecessary
Step 2: Never do it again!!!!! (one last time for good times sake)
Hope you enjoy this post, and I hope you don’t take it as personally as I did when I first read it, he really does have a point here, not of the exclamation variety.
Say it don’t spray it!!!– 5 reasons to avoid exclamation marks
By Josh Anderson
Copywriter, The “Adholics”
Hey you! Yeah, you! The one who’s reading this! Buy what I’m selling! Now! Or your life will forever be void of meaning!
Annoying isn’t it?
Exclamation marks have their place – it’s called fifth grade English. Beyond that, you can leave them in the Trapper Keeper. Here are five reasons why you should refrain from punching shift-1 on your keyboard.
1. Exclamation marks are distracting
Adding an exclamation mark to a perfectly constructed sentence is like painting eyebrows on the Mona Lisa – you should just leave well enough alone. That’s because instead of adding excitement to what you’re writing, exclamation marks can distract readers from actually reading your message.
How?
Exclamation marks serve as visual roadblocks.
Your reader sees the cue for excitement. But instead of yelling, “Rock on!” in support, he or she stops reading and tries to decipher what is so exciting about the sentence.
Is it the otherworldly benefit just introduced? Or perhaps it’s the use of astute alliteration? At this point it doesn’t really matter. They’ve been interrupted, which isn’t a good thing if you’re trying to hold their attention in a print ad, web site, blog post or other written communication.
2. Exclamation marks are lazy
What you have to say about your product or service should be persuasive enough without leaning on this crutch. Adding an exclamation mark doesn’t make your message more interesting to the reader. Often it causes the opposite effect. Today’s consumers are savvier than ever before. They can see a sales tactic from miles away. Telling them to “Act Today!” just adds an orange caution sign to your slow moving communications vehicle.
3. Exclamation marks are for kids
Don’t get me wrong, plenty of professional writers and companies use exclamation marks. And they are successful doing so. But you have to consider the medium and audience.
Take point-of-sale displays in grocery stores for example.
Many have exclamation points splashed on them almost as liberally as varying hues of pink and orange. But their audience is kids who are drawn to this kind of design and typography.
If your company is looking to attract the attention of pre-teens, then go wild with exclamation marks. We all know the only way to grab the attention of kids is by yelling at them, right?
4. Exclamation marks are desperate
No other type of punctuation pleads better than exclamation marks:
“Going-Out-Of-Business Sale – Everything Must Go!”
“While Supplies Last!”
“Liquidation Sale – Two Days Only!”
In other words, “Please buy our stuff so we can make a quick buck.”
These kinds of messages erode a company’s brand. They make you look like you’re only interested in short-term sales rather than long-term relationships.
This isn’t what you want to convey in today’s marketplace. Consumers know you’re out to get their business. And they’re willing to give it to you. But you have to be willing to work for it. Make your customers feel important, exclusive, unique. Give them a reason to be loyal to your brand.
But don’t beg for it. Exclamation marks just make your message look desperate. Take this successful tagline for example:
“Got milk?”
You can become part of an exclusive club by drinking milk. But what if they had gone a different route:
“Get milk!”
Kind of leaves a sour taste in your mouth doesn’t it?
5. Exclamation marks are weak
Whether you’re marketing gallons of 2% or complex products and services, focus on strong messages not tired tricks. Leave the exclamation marks to everyone else. Stand out by leveraging unique visuals, engaging copy and innovative media. And if you’re not set up to do it in-house, partner with a marketing/advertising firm that can help your company find its voice.
I’ll be the first to admit it: I’ve lobbied Webster to eliminate the exclamation mark. But please don’t let that be a reason you don’t contact The “Adholics” to find out how we can help your company develop a brand persona that works for you – and only you. Call us today! (Sorry, but we’d really love to talk to you.)
I wonder how Mr. Anderson feels about smiley faces:)
Now that you know the names of the “Partners” in the group, you might be wondering why so many Andersons? The post below provided by “Adholics” copywriter Josh Anderson tackles this question as well as announces the concept of The “Adholics” in a most entertaining way.
Enjoy!
Scandinavians Sell
By Josh Anderson
Copywriter, The “Adholics”
The “Adholics” host more Andersons than an ice fishing opener on Mille Lacs Lake. At last count three of the 14 partners share the same last name, though we’re not related.
Please don’t dismiss us because of this northern exposure. Sure The “Adholics” is headquartered in Minnesota, and many of us sport Scandinavian genes. But the Andersons have evolved beyond the Ole and Lena stereotypes. And collectively we work hard to ensure the only jokes told about us involve the weather.
Expert communicators:
Ever wonder how you can tell if a Scandinavian is extroverted? He looks at your shoes when he talks with you.
Minnesotans are often portrayed as the strong, silent types with dispositions only slightly above freezing (weather joke quota met). That’s not the case with The “Adholics”.
Some of us talk more than others, but we all have opinions. And we’re not afraid to express them, especially when it comes to marketing communications. That’s because we’re experts at what we do, all of us bringing substantial amounts of expertise to the table.
As seasoned industry veterans we know how to keep our clients’ best interests in mind, while making sure we all see eye-to-eye on how best to meet your business objectives. The “Adholics” speaks up to champion your brand.
Experienced sales people:
Ole bought Lena a piano for her birthday. A few weeks later, Lars inquired how she was doing with it.
“Oh,” said Ole, “I persuaded her to svitch to a clarinet.”
“How come?” asked Lars.
“Vell,” Ole answered, “because vith a clarinet, she can’t sing.”
One great benefit of working with The “Adholics” is our ability to turn a business challenge on its ear to provide you with the best solution. That solution isn’t always a magnum opus. Sometimes all you need is an ad campaign, web site relaunch or literature system redesign that’s in tune with your business needs and works in concert with the success you’ve already enjoyed. We offer both.
Big thinkers:
When Ole accidentally lost 50 cents in the outhouse, he immediately threw in his watch and billfold. He explained, “I’m not going down der yust for 50 cents.”
The “Adholics” get paid to think big. And we want you to feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. So don’t be surprised if we go beyond what you expect.
Just want a print ad? Have you thought about the impact of a yearlong campaign? Your web site doesn’t need a bunch of bells and whistles? Have you considered how a 3D animation of your product may improve sales? Only interested in traditional media? What about the affordability and reach of social media?
We’re not going above and beyond to soak you for more money. The “Adholics” have a strong personal commitment to diving head first into every project and providing a comprehensive marketing communications plan that cuts through the clutter. Not only that, but our solutions are backed by years of executions that increased market share, improved revenue and strengthened brand recognition.
The “Adholics” is more than a group of well-intentioned Upper Midwesterners. We are hard working marketing communications specialists, expert communicators, experienced sales people and big thinkers. Scandinavian or otherwise, we scoff at jokes like this:
The schoolteacher asked little Sven, “Sven, what is the difference between ignorance and apathy?” Sven answered, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”
For the record, the abundance of Andersons in the group was purely unintentional on my part, (though I do find all of my Andersons to be very talented) Fedie is Austrian (In the interest of full disclosure I’ll admit to being 1/4 Scandinavian) and to address any further repetition of names, though I am unclear on the origin of the name, the two Fribergs are married.
Guest post #2 for “Adholics” partner Josh Anderson, I got a real kick out of this article, hope you enjoy.
Confessions of a copywriter
By Josh Anderson
Copywriter, The Adholics
The first time I told a friend I was a copywriter he said, “So you deal with trademarks?” Well no, not exactly.
When I called up my dad to tell him the first web site I wrote was published he said, “So you developed it?” Well no, not exactly.
Last time I told a peer that I was working in the marketing communications department at a leading financial services company he said, “So you sell insurance?” Definitely not.
Seems there’s some confusion as to what exactly a copywriter does. Hopefully by dispelling some misconceptions I can help clear things up. More importantly, I hope to illustrate the important role copywriters can play in the success of your company.
Truth #1: Copywriters write catchy slogans, and other important details
If you’re not an advertising insider or someone who TiVO’s “Mad Men”, I can understand how easy it is to limit copywriters to the slogans you read or jingles you hear. But we do more than that. Copywriters are responsible for writing copy.
And what is “copy”? Well, you’re reading some now.
Copy can be a blog entry, tweet or Facebook update, the words in a print ad, the script for a TV or radio commercial, the content of a web site. And yes, copywriters come up with slogans, jingles, taglines and program and product names, though these are usually part of a larger campaign.
Perhaps a better explanation is that copywriters are responsible for building a brand persona. Our copy helps give companies a distinctive voice in the marketplace. And with well-written, strategic copy, companies can more effectively talk to their target markets. Good copywriters can actually help move the sales needle.
Truth #2: Copywriters are professionals, ripped jeans and all
If everyone could write copy, then I would’ve stuck with my original plan to major in English and sling coffee at an Uptown cafe. And this would’ve been the shortest blog post on the internet.
Fortunately that’s not the case (though you may be wishing this post had ended about three sentences ago). Copywriters are professionals despite our appearance, and we take our craft seriously. We’re always fine-tuning our skills, looking for new ways to execute communications in a fresh, engaging way. And we’re constantly adapting in order to take advantage of new media – see my post on writing for social media (link).
Every company believes they have an employee who writes well enough for their needs. Chances are this person may have every relevant rule of English memorized. But it’s copywriters who know when, why and how to break those rules. And when it comes to communicating in today’s saturated mass media, doing what’s unexpected helps companies cut through the clutter and reach their target audience.
Truth #3: Copywriters work with your company, from the outside
By definition, freelance copywriters are not one of you. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Here’s why:
Fresh perspective – Copywriters have the luxury of looking at your business without bias. We can easily identify what you’re good at and we may even identify strengths that companies don’t see themselves.
No boundaries – Copywriters come at your brand from all angles. We look at what’s been done before and find ways to do it differently, or better, or both. We aren’t bound by your company’s history, inner workings or past performance.
Always hungry – Copywriters are eager to solve a marketing challenge. Sagging sales, how about mailing a killer direct response campaign? Your company’s suffering from a lack of awareness, how about running an unforgettable print ad campaign? We’re always searching for the next opportunity to churn out great copy. And not necessarily for the awards. Copywriters want to be part of something that has “legs,” an effective, memorable campaign that runs for a long time. And we want to be the person your company turns to every time you have a writing need.
Copywriters are also good editors, though not necessarily when it comes to our own blog posts. But hopefully this long-winded explanation helps clarify exactly what a copywriter does. If not, contact The Adholics to find out what a copywriter can do for you. I sure hope my dad is reading this. Share
The “Adholics” have been voted most likely to succeed, and preemptively awarded business of the year 2012 by almost all top business magazines in North America.
“This is big news!” Adholics Principal Josh Fedie was quoted exclaiming as he received the awards in the mail today.
Well technically the awards arrived yesterday, but being that the mail carrier was a little later than normal on her Saturday rout, Josh decided to wait until Sunday to make the trek to the mailbox.
“I was on my way to celebrate Mothers Day with my family and remembered I had better get the mail first. I was so blown away by the news I had to call my mother and ask if we could reschedule!”
As shocking as this may sound to be awarded a coveted “Business of the Year Award” 1.5 years early, Josh explains that it was all a part of his business plan.
“My business plan was pretty simple, get a killer group of talented creative marketers, pool their talents and revolutionize the industry. Winning “Business of the Year” wasn’t until year three of my plan, but I understand the rush, The “Adholics” are going to be great!”
An unnamed business executive at another firm is not quite as happy as Josh is about the news.
“This is (expletive) How can you give them an award this early, they haven’t even officially launched! Look, if this is how the award process is going to be, I’m not even trying for 2013. Should I even hold my breath for 2011?”
I wouldn’t hold your breath too long. My sources claim to have information hinting that all 2011 awards will be canceled to build as much suspense as possible prior to the 2012 award season where The “Adholics” are rumored to steel the show, taking home not only “Business of the Year”, but also “Agency of the Year” as well as the never before awarded “Best in Universe”.
As far as other agencies throwing in the towel early out of frustration, Josh Fedie is just fine with that.
“We plan on winning for 2013 in 2012 anyway, this just makes our chances a little better.”
We’ll have to just wait and see, but it sure is looking good from where I stand.
It’s been quite awhile since something came to my in-box that made me laugh like this has. With the request of the author I’ve been given consent to post this on our company blog. It’s an interesting observation for sure. Who knows; maybe Corporate America is an “Adholic”? 
