As a woman I should probably be offended. But as a marketer I can’t help but to see the brilliance behind yet another Volkswagen ad from the 1950s. If you’ve followed this blog at all you probably already know that second only to Seth Godin I think the marketers, writers and designers that were behind the Volkswagen ads from the 1950s and 1960s were some of the most brilliant minds in the industry.

Below I have included the full text from this ad I found on Vintage Ads.com.

Sooner or later, your wife will drive home one of the best reasons for owning a Volkswagen.

Women are soft and gentle, but they hit things.

If your wife hits something in a Volkswagen, it doesn’t hurt you very much.

VW parts are easy to replace. And cheap. A fender comes off without dismantling half the car. A new one goes on with just ten bolts. For $24.95*, plus labor.

And a VW dealer always has the kind of fender you need. Because that’s the one kind he has.

Most other VW parts are interchangeable too. Inside and out. Which means your wife isn’t limited to fender smashing.

She can jab the hood. Graze the door. Or bump the bumper. It may make you furious, but it won’t make you poor.

So when your wife goes window-shopping in a Volkkswagen, don’t worry.

You can conveniently replace anything she uses to stop the car.

Even the brakes.

This weekend, I’m sitting in Nashville, TN with the most recent fruits of my labor in front of me. I’m with the author of Splinters: The Pain. The Passion. The Point. and we are promoting her new book and signing copies for customers.

 

We have had a great time so far, talking with customers and seeing their excitement when they find themselves within the book.

 

Our publishing company, Paige1Publishing, has even secured a new client so far and we’ve been set up for just under 2 hours.

 

The key to the successful marketing we’re experiencing? Get people involved. So far with 50% of the people that have gotten a book, they’ve asked for cards and bookmarks to give to their friends and family. Why? A lot of the customers in Nashville that have worked with the Author’s buisness for years are mentioned in the book. They are innately driven to promote the book as if it’s their own.

 

We’ve got the traditional marketing pieces as well, posters, bookmarks, cards and postcards. The books look great, the table is full and the crowds are coming!

 

If you can’t make it to Nashville, don’t worry, the book is also available online at www.SplintersBook.com.

 

 

What started as a small project for a College internship actually sparked a desire in my grandmother to share her life story. A woman, in a man’s world, my grandmother has made a name for herself in carpentry. The kind of thing normally reserved for men. Forced into this career by circumstances beyond her control, she didn’t set out to prove anything. Her only goal was survival and paying the huge debt she had been left with.

 

How did this project start? Looking for a worthwhile project for a senior internship, I looked to the interesting stories of my grandmother’s customers. With clients, ranging from Patsy Cline’s husband to children with special accomplishments I knew there was the makings of a great book.

 

So here we are, more than 4 years later, and the book is finally available for purchase! Designed/Published by yours truly it’s an oversized book, 8 X 10 with full color photos throughout. It’s also 160 pages.

 

For more information, please drop by the site, also designed/developed by myself and Nicholas Clayton (Collipsis Web Solutions).

 

Show your support and get your copy today!

 


What is a picture worth nowadays? Does it still hold as much value as it once did? If we are talking about online marketing, the answer is yes! Tabloid photos are a different story.

 

A good photo can make up for thousands of words, and we know from studying Web user’s habits, that if your pages are too wordy, they won’t be read anyway. So save your breath and take photos. 

Photos of what?

 

Everything. Depending on your market, your needs may be different. To get your product/name or service out there, it’s imperative that you have photos your target audience can easily access. Here are some ideas to get you started:

   

 

1. Intinerary Photos: Have you spoken at a conference? Attended a Seminar or class? Take a few pictures and document your trip or speaking experience. Not only will these photos help to establish you as an expert, they also show your audience that you are still learning or active in the field. 

  

 

 

2. Product Photos: Do you offer a tangible product? Take pictures of it. If the product is something that moves or is "used" take photos of it in action. Make sure the pictures are clear and crisp though. It’s better to have NO photo that one that is sub-quality. A poor photos simply harms your product’s crediblity and makes you look like an amateur. Digital photos are fairly cheap these days and basic photo composition is easy to master, we’ll talk about that a little later. 

   

 

3. Portfolio Photos: If you are a designer/writer or other professional that requires a portfolio, upload your best work in snapshot form. Be sure to create "sets" to organize your work i.e., logos, Web sites, manuscripts, etc.

   

 

4. Awards and Trophies: If your business or firm has won awards in it’s field, be sure to post some "humble" photos of those as well. Remember the golden rule, that photos are more believable than type. (In today’s society that is an oxymoron due to the wonders of Photoshop, but nevertheless we have a innate human desire to believe what our eyes tell us).

   

 

5. Staff Photos: Regardless of your size, I’d suggest uploading some staff photos with a short "bio" of each employee, their talents and specialties. This will also allow your customers to feel a connection with your business.

Recently I heard an insightful illustration about 2 business owners in the early 90s. Both businesses were fairly successful selling the same product: Radios.

 

Joe, the owner of the first store, knew everything there was to know about the radio business. He sold them, repaired them and could rattle the brands off without even thinking. When asked "What business he was in" he would throw his shoulders back, stand a little straighter and reply, "The Radio Business."

 

 

Sam also owned a store that sold radios. He too, could be considered a radio expert. However, when he was asked, "What business are you in?" he would smile broadly and reply, "The Communication Business".

 

 

As the years progressed, radios became less and less popular. New technologies were being developed such as Cell phones, mobile devices and portable music alternatives. How did these 2 men react? Joe, the radio-man, stuck his feet in stubbornly and refused to change. Afterall, he was a "Radio Man". That’s what he did. He sold radios.

 

On the other hand, Sam, was constantly listening for the newest advancement in technology, soon he began carrying cell phones, portable music players and other tech toys. As fewer and fewer radios sold, he slowly quit purchasing them himself. Soon, there wasn’t a radio in his store, but his business was better than ever.

 

 

What happened to Joe? He used up all his family’s money trying to make a success out of radios. He wound up bankrupt and alone. Why? He was in the "Radio" business, not the "Communications" business.

 

 

The question is clear: Are you a "Joe" or a "Sam".  As designer’s this is an important question. As more and more things are going paperless, and design trends grow and expand, are we in the "print" business or in the "Design" business. Which sounds more fluid?

 

 

The moral of the story is, make sure you don’t try to "specialize" so much that if something new comes out and replaces your product or service, you will be left by the wayside. To continue to grow, we must be constantly learning. Go to seminars, read magazines and follow the technology.

 

 

Don’t keep trying to sell radios when everybody else has iPods.

 

 

 

 

As most of you know, in addition to being “just” a graphic designer, I also spend a large majority of my time creating Web sites and teaching. Recently, I was asked to help with the development of a new curriculum for a University level class on Social Media Marketing.

 

It occurred to me, after giving the subject a test-drive in one of my classes that these soon up-and-coming professionals know very little about HOW to actually market THEMSELVES.

 

That being the case, I am launching a new series called, “Market Yourself”. If you’re a freelancer, full-time designer or still a student, these keys to getting your name out there are absolutely invaluable.

 

Nearly every media tool that we discuss will hinge on how well you use it as an artist!

 

We’ll be exploring the “How-To’s” of Social Media marketing and the best way to use it to your advantage! Grab a seat and strap in, let’s get started!
 

 

Okay, I know this is supposed to be a print design resource, but i think inspiration can come in many forms. I love this advertising campaign that was done by the Washington State Department of Health for their anti-smoking campaign.

 

Instead of using the typical "stop smoking cold turkey" cliche, they literally show you how to do that. I think the result is truly what Seth Godin refers to as a "Purple Cow" in his book about remarkable marketing.

 

 

 

Midnight Snack from JP Jones on Vimeo.

 

 

 

Dark Alley from JP Jones on Vimeo.

 

 

 

Cocktails outside of the box! from JP Jones on Vimeo.

Among some of the most creative and impressive marketing moves of all time, chances are you will hear tales of early Starbucks. While trying to increase brand awareness, they hired people to drive around with a Starbucks cup glued to the top of their car just above the driver’s door where it would be found if the driver had inadvertently sat it down while getting into the car.

 

Brilliant? Not yet, it gets better. As other drivers and those considerate enough to marvel at how he had gotten this far, and motion or speak to him regarding the cup, they were given a coupon for a free coffee at their local Starbucks. Now, it’s brilliant. Not only did it raise brand awareness but also drove new potential customers to the store who had the potential of being turned into loyal customers.

 

 

Recently I read a similiar story of brilliant marketing in Deliver magazine. After reading the article, I searched for a more information on Prospera Credit Union, what I found was a small chain in Wisconsin that I thought were behind the marketing expenditure. Fortunately a reader (see the comment below) was kind enough to let me know that the Credit Unioin that was actually responsible for this marketing is actually a much larger bank with 21 branches actually in Canada.

 

Whether large or small, the company was still faced with a problem. They were assigned the task of making their new equity shares sound exciting. How can this be accomplished?

 

See for yourself!

As Deliver put it, few things say freezing your taxes like a freezer pack.  In case you can’t read the text, in addition to the the logo of the credit union, the pack boasts, "Paying taxes is a big headache. That’s why we’re freezing them for 10 years."

 

Was the campaign successful? You better believe it. In a short 7 weeks they had surpassed their revenue goal!

 

Simply Brilliant!

 

Recently while attending a series of sessions relating to design, technology and marketing, I was confronted with an interesting question.

 

Why do people wait until the last minute?

 

Where did this procrastination society spring up? It seems like we rush around to get things done, to meet deadlines. That’s when it hit me.

 

When I’m approached with a new task, let’s say a design competition that I want enter, the first thing I do is check the deadline date for entries. Do we put things off because we’re just too busy to get to them or do we put them off because we no longer get an "early bird special" for being on time? Somehow being late has become the norm.
 

 

I love this from Seth Godin:

"Airlines and others penalize people for planning ahead by instituting non-refundable fares. We don’t get treated like royalty for signing up early, and the penalties for waiting often seem fairly small."

 

As marketers do we offer enough incentive for someone to purchase our products NOW? Or can they walk away from our information and feel that they can catch it later?

 

We’ve all heard way to many TV Special commercials. Most likely you can quote the last words, "and if you call in the next 10 minutes we’ll DOUBLE this offer."  We roll our eyes or better yet, change the channel. 
 

 

Let’s strive to be different, when you hear about an opportunity, jump on it. When you get  a notice in the mail that you’re interested in, act!
 

 

Similiarly, let me throw in a little shameless self-promotion here, students who are reading this blog, don’t wait until the day before the Student Identity Competition Deadline.
 

 

If we each strive to avoid putting things off another day, do you think our clients will do the same? As designer’s does the poignancy of our work dwindle over time if not acted on immediately?

 

 

Marketing: It’s a word that strikes fear in the heart of many businesses. They are scared of it, but know that it’s needed. They want it, but selecting a company to provide a new campaign can be tricky.

 

This week I’ve encountered two distarous pieces of marketing. One was first hand experience, the other was hearsay. Whether running a ministry or traditional business, the goal is to avoid a gimmick that makes you seem phoney.

 

A tulsa ministry failed this week miserably. The envelope was designed to look like a confirmation of delivery from the post office. Once you made it to the content, it only got worse. Phrases like "I haven’t heard from you" and "I know you won’t let me down" filled the page.

 

The general consensus was distaste and disgust. Hopefully, this ministry learned their lesson and won’t make the same mistake again.

 

On another note, reading an editorial in HOW Magazine, a marketing company thought it would be a good idea to send what can only be described as a "stalker package" to the editor. The first piece, containing lipstick prints and cryptic messages cut from magazines, such as "UR MY IDOL"  and "SECRET ADMIRER". No return address, no information.

 

Once the recipient was nearing the point of calling the police, the 3rd package arrived. It was sample marketing pieces from the company. A MARKETING company! What were they thinking? Instead of making a big splash, they made a big disaster! Not only did an editorial get written about them, but it wasn’t the right kind of publicity.