The Dream Brand

Do brands exist in your dreams?

If branding is so powerful, it follows that we should recognize a brand or two during the course of a night’s sleep.

Back in the day, the question was whether you dreamed in black and white or color. I think we’d be hard pressed to find any B/W dreamers today. (A few years ago, my daughter asked if the world used to BE in black and white.)

Even though the TV of my childhood was black and white, I’ve always dreamed in color.

And I dreamed about a particular brand every night – until a few weeks ago, when I quit smoking cigarettes. In my dreams.

I quit smoking during my waking hours about 20 years ago. But I knew it was OK to light up after I was asleep. After all, it was just a dream. When I was young, my mom taught me how to fly in my dreams – so smoking was a snap.

During each dream I’d jump on the opportunity to have a cigarette. Sometimes I’d have to buy them first. I’d always ask for Marlboros – not in the soft pack, but in the box.

This degree of brand loyalty fascinates me. During the years that I smoked, I went through quite a few different brands. But my last cigarette was a Marlboro.

I’ve been drinking Diet Coke for years, but it’s never appeared in my dreams. Neither has Café Bustelo, iPod, Toyota or any other favorite brands.

I felt no special affinity for the Marlboro Man. But the brand did say something about me, just like Diet Coke, Café Bustelo, iPod and Toyota do.

The question is whether this is about branding — or is it really about addiction?

Interestingly, around the time I stopped smoking in my dreams, I began running, or jogging. In my dreams. I usually run a few miles and enjoy it immensely. Let me say that in my case, this is not a whole lot like real life.

In my dreams, I’m not running to or from any place or person, so there’s no particular sense of urgency. What’s great is that I’m never tired, sweaty, achy or panting to catch my breath.

In fact, I’m always very comfortable.

I’ll have to make a point of noticing what brand of shoes I’m wearing.

The value of experience

What’s more important? Advertising? Or experience?

Are you more likely to frequent a company because they had a clever campaign? Or are you more likely to visit because of a friend’s recommendation? Or a personal experience?

Often, businesses lose focus on what they need to do to better promote their brand. They want big print ads. They want extensive radio and television spots. They want their name on billboards and in magazines and on electric marquee signs. Make the logo bigger! More copy! More offers!

But the first thing I learned in this industry is that if you can’t back up your message, your advertising is a waste.

A business can’t subside on advertising alone. They need satisfied customers. These satisfied customers will serve to back up your claims. They’ll make your message go farther, supplementing everything you’re trying to scream.

(And sometimes making it unnecessary to scream.)

I bring this up because I’ve seen it first hand.

You’ve probably never heard of Diede’s Used Cars. It’s not surprising – they advertise minimally and are located 30 minutes outside of Sioux Falls, a city packed to the gills with larger, fancier car dealerships. When we first drove out to look at used cars, we were amazed that the dealership stayed in business.

But they have stayed in business. Primarily, because the dealership is friendlier and more accessible than any I’ve ever been to before. We encountered no bull while shopping, and we were assured the best deal our salesperson (Don, the owner) could offer. If there were any problems, we would just need to let him know. He suggested a good garage to go to, a trusted mechanic, and sent us on our way, happy and excited.

When our car started having troubles, we called Don. He remembered our conversation. He vowed to make it right. And the great thing? He actually did. He didn’t just try to make us happy. He stood behind his promise, gaining more trust and confidence than any advertising campaign could have offered.

How did we hear about Diede’s? We heard about it from my mother-in-law. And how are other people going to hear about Diede’s? From our word of mouth. From searching the Internet and finding posts like this. From customer generated praise. In other words, from free advertising and marketing, written and spoken not by company shills, but by satisfied customers. We don’t need to stay in town and be oversold, pushed around, or lied to. We’ll drive 30 minutes out of town. Because we value the experience more than the convenience.

I’d be willing to guess that most consumers feel the same way.

So before plugging more money into advertising, think first of your brand. Consider the marketing aspect of your business before you worry about promotion. Are you standing behind your policies? Are you promising things you can’t back up? Or are you bringing in customers by the barrel, only to send them off disappointed?

Let your customers do some of your talking for you. If you give someone an experience they’ll never forget, they’ll tell their friends. And their friends will come.

The Good, the Bad, and the Political

Just weeks before the November 7 election, it’s impossible to avoid political advertising.

I’m fascinated that the Argus Leader – the publication formerly known as a newspaper – and the local TV stations have run stories about political advertising. Now, it makes sense for an ad agency to blog about the topic, but is it really news? How about covering the candidates or the unbelievably complicated ballot issues?

So far, the advertising has been fairly polite. Ever since Mark Barnett and Steve Kirby publicly slaughtered one another in the Republican gubernatorial primary four years ago, most candidates have taken the high road. Maybe that’s one of the quirky things about South Dakota – it’s the one place where negative campaigning just won’t work.

Of course, there are some other quirky things about South Dakota. As our governor points out in a campaign TV spot, during even the worst blizzards South Dakotans don’t resort to rioting and robbery.

Who is he kidding? During a blizzard you can hardly get enough people together for a card game, let alone a riot.

This is hilarious but also disturbing. If that’s the way our governor thinks, we’re all in deep doo-doo – or snow, perhaps, desperately fighting the urge to break into stores and steal shovels – and then, of course, claim we “needed” them.

Most likely, however, these words were the brainchild of a speechwriter or, God forbid, an advertising writer. Let’s hope so, anyway.

In contrast, the best spot now is Stephanie Herseth’s. Well written, well produced and warm & fuzzy about the people of South Dakota – like the Rounds ad might have been if it weren’t so preposterous.

This is not to let Democrats off the hook. The single worst piece of communication to come out of this election season is the Rounds = Chicken billboard on Louise Avenue in Sioux Falls.

First of all, the concept is just pathetic. There’s more sophistication in a cave drawing. Second, its effect is the opposite of what’s intended. People assume that a slam to Rounds must come from his opponent, which isn’t the case. And because it’s negative, simplistic, and - OK - just plain stupid, it irritates everyone, even people who might agree with its message.

Then again, what IS the message? That chicken is actually a rooster. Since we can count on the fact that most South Dakotans can tell one from the other, the message may be something else entirely. We won’t go there.

If nothing else, the billboard reaffirms the value of advertising expertise. Caution: Step away from the billboard. Do not attempt to create advertising yourself. Please consult a professional.

Designing, HS style

HenkinSchultz is in the news, thanks to some of our illustrious designers.

The article — “Grand designers: Graphic artists find a hot market in Sioux Falls” — included a cover shot of HenkinSchultz designers Tanya Christensen and Melissa Heier, in addition to the large “Holiday Inn” star from our front entrance. Unfortunately, the web article doesn’t have this picture. But the content is there. And a video is available — it may or may not work for you, but give it a try.

“Sometimes you can be a little disturbed, because you know that visually what you made may be the best solution they could have, but getting them to realize it and think outside the box doesn’t happen a lot,” said Tanya Christensen, a designer at Henkin and Schultz. “That’s the hard part.”

Eventually something clicks, and a design is born. Work by Christensen and her co-worker Melissa Heier represent the firm in the SDSU exhibit.

It’s a busy, often hectic and demanding job, Heier said.

“We do a variety of things, from logos and creating billboards, to whole campaigns to ads, direct mail and more, some days I might work on up to 10 jobs in one day,” Heier said. “But it’s rewarding, too, being able to visually communicate, place things, make people’s eyes follow it and get a point across.”

Alumni from the Department of Visual Arts at South Dakota State University — of which our two cover designers are included — will be showing examples of their work and the work of their co-workers at an SDSU Ritz Gallery exhibit in Brookings through Oct. 27.

Bravia!

Sony has created some great commercials for its Bravia LCD television.

Their first spot, featuring a series of colored high-bounce balls barreling down a street (all set to the tune of one of my favorite songs: José González’s beautiful “Heartbeats”) was brilliant. Their new spot — a symphony of exploding paint — is just as brilliant.

This specific commercial has been buzzing through the Internet for a few months now, and it has finally been released.

Sony is hitting the nail on the head with a simple message: if you want vibrant color, you want the Sony Bravia. It’s color “Like No Other.” They’re showing it with beautiful and clever advertising, like no other.

The Shape of Happiness

In advertising, we know a jingle is successful when people are singing or humming the song. But we also know that most people can’t identify the product or service behind the jingle they’re singing or the joke they’re still laughing about.

In a previous agency, I was asked to come up with a campaign and jingle that would not leave the minds of consumers. We ran “Bank Around The Clock” all summer, absolutely saturating local media. And when I heard my daughter singing it, I knew we’d hit a home run.

Last week my son sang, “Happiness runs in a circular motion.”

I asked if it was something he’d learned at his after school care program (in which case the next line would undoubtedly mention Jesus). He said it wasn’t.

Then I wondered if he’d picked it up on the rez when we were there last. Lakota symbolism is full of circles. But my son said he hadn’t heard it there.

I had to keep guessing, of course, and failed miserably. Finally he told me. It’s from a Cheerios commercial.

It makes perfect sense. Happiness runs in a circular motion. I felt foolish. Here I thought it was some kind of profound insight. And it was about cereal.

These days my kids are also singing my agency’s jingle for The Gas Stop. They were also singing Midco’s re-sing of “Let’s Work Together” by Canned Heat. Both are local campaigns.

The Gas Stop’s name is part of its jingle, which makes it very memorable. “Bank Around the Clock” didn’t say which bank it was. “Let’s Work Together” doesn’t mention Midco.

I presume these campaigns don’t target children, and my kids could care less about the coldest beer in town or data transmission. But when they sit in the back seat and sing these songs, they’re building frequency, and delivering the message to the target (me) in a very powerful way.

However, the Cheerios song works even more powerfully. Clearly, it’s aimed at kids. So when my kids sit in the back seat and sing that song, they’re convincing themselves they want Cheerios. They’re sending me on a philosophical train of thought. And they’re making me feel pretty good about Cheerios, despite all of my better judgment and industry knowledge, just because they have a cool song.

And, of course, because they taste really good sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with honey.

Taking the leap

Seth Godin has an interesting blog post about what’s at stake when you buck the status quo.

At least once a day, I get mail from people worrying that if they are too remarkable, too edgy, too willing to cause change and growth… they’re risking getting fired. I almost never get mail from people who figure that if they keep doing the same boring thing day in and day out at their fading company that they’re going to lose their jobs in a layoff.

50 ad agencies lose accounts for being boring, static and unprofitable for every one that gets fired for being remarkable.

50 churchgoers switch to a new congregation because of a boring or uncaring leader for every one that leaves because she was offended by a new way of thinking.

50 employees lose their jobs because the business just faded away for every one who is singled out and fired for violating a silly policy and taking care of a customer first.

I agree, to a certain extent.

Edgy and hip — especially for its own sake — isn’t always the answer.

But being safe and standing by the same tried and true methods — by getting stuck in a rut, so to speak — isn’t the answer either. And it could be even more damaging to a reputation.

One of the most difficult things in the ad business is balancing safe options with new, creative, “not thought of before” methods.

It’s easy to be safe. The hard part is always trying to find something new. Different. Something that will stand out, that the client might not want and that might not work. But taking that leap is what makes us successful. Even if you don’t act on it, at least you’re thinking outside of the box.

Keep leaping, everyone.

How Many Degrees of Separation.

(click to enlarge)

There’s an unknown man on my desktop.

Yikes!

It’s not as dangerous as it sounds. Actually, this photo is on my desktop. My daughter is in front, and mystery man is in blue on the right.

It occurred to me that perhaps I could use the power of the Internet to find out who he is. And more important, what he’s thinking about.

Not that I don’t care about the other people in the photo – the guy in the grey shirt and the lady with her shoes off.

It’s just that Blue Shirt looks serious and purposeful. While Barefoot surveys her pedicure and Grey Shirt checks out some babe across the street, Blue Shirt is clearly pondering something important.

I’m betting that on the Internet, there are fewer than six degrees of separation. And this is a perfect way to find out.

The photo was taken May 30, 2006 in Manhattan on Fifth Avenue right outside FAO Schwartz, which had just closed for the day. We’re next to the new underground Apple store, just off 59th.

Mr. Blue Shirt – who are you?

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About HenkinSchultz

HenkinSchultz is an agency. An advertising and marketing and branding and design and production agency. All of those things, and then some.

But, underneath all that, we're really a bunch of thinkers. As in, we think about stuff, both pertinent and not, with and without boundaries, as if our lives depended on it. And this right here, Post Haste, is where we write about it.

Visit us at http://www.henkinschultz.com.

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