I have a better question.

What on earth is this ad talking about? And WTF does the gas tank have to do with it?

And what man is going to read an ad with the word "castration" in it?

I guess I have another - somebody really spent real cash money for this?

I know, that's four questions. So come over and beat me up for it.

Yawn.

American Airlines re-brand.

The plans look cool. The spot(S)?

Boring and pretentious. Not much in here that tells a potential customer why anything is better for them.

Here's the :60.

Crowdsourcing is bad for many reasons

Let me start by pointing out that I'm something of a hypocrite.

I have competed in a crowdsourcing pitch or two - mostly because they are for radio and nobody seems to be hiring us to do much radio these days.

And I really like to do radio.

So I figure even if I don't win, I get an assignment to write a spot or three on my own time. And if I get anything, I get something.

But I still think crowdsourcing takes advantage of creative people by asking them - sometimes many of them - to do spec work. It just feels like they're taking advantage.

I guess in theory it's a "victimless crime", because a) the clients gets more (and different) ideas than they'd get from a single agency, b) the firm that puts it together makes some money, c) somebody gets the work and d) nobody is forced to do it if they don't want to.

Except that many of the people who participate in these things are creative people who are out of work or could use more work than they have and thus are willing to give it away in hopes of making some cash. And I really hate to see creative people taken advantage of.

Yeah, the many-ideas-and-you-only-pick-and-pay-for-the-ones-you-like is a great model for the client, but it's predicated on the proposition that people will take a shot at it for no guarantee of compensation.

But, like I said, nobody makes me or anybody else do spec work.

But here's the real problem I have with crowdsourcing. In many cases, it trains clients to expect a lot for a little. In the case of the people I have done a little bit of work for, if I "win" I'm making as much as our agency would typically charge for a radio assignment, but that's not always the case.

There is another firm that sends out briefs on a regular basis and they ask for fairly ambitious responses - not just some spec thinking but also all sorts of credentials stuff. And it's almost always low-ball. Like a recent one that was for a brand strategy and public relations campaign. Total budget is $5,000 and that includes the middleman's 20% cut. So it's really $4,000 for whomever does the work.

But what this means is that someone has told this client that they can get a brand strategy and PR campaign for $5,000. And if they can - which sad to say they probably will - how are they ever going to understand what they really, truly ought to be paying for this kind of stuff?

You know, I'm really not all that opposed to someone setting up a company to act as a sort of freelance agent giving people a chance to pitch for work. And if someone wants to do spec, that's their decision, you know?

And I believe that at least the one company I have worked with seems to have reasonable budgets - at least for radio.

But I get kind of queasy about anything that is going to condition clients to think they can "get it for less" just because there are so many people out there who could use the work that they will pitch it at any price.

Years ago, I was talking to another agency owner at a softball game and at the time, it was a real seller's market for creative talent. The dot-com bubble had yet to burst and it was pretty easy for writers and art directors to demand - and get - high salaries. "I'll be glad when the shoe is on the other foot," he growled.

Could be crowdsourcing is here to stay as the new and best model. Then again, if the economy gets moving and creative folk are working again, fewer and fewer are going to be willing to pitch spec work for bottom dollar.

Whaty's your brand score?

Your logo is not your brand. It's not your tag line either.

Or your web site, ad campaign or corporate colors.

A brand is a key differentiation around which you deliver a unique value. It’s a promise to customers. It tells people what differentiates you from everybody else and why they should do business with you. And it’s the most valuable thing you own.

Answer these 10 questions to assess whether or not your brand is working as hard as it can for you.

Enter 3 for “Yes”, 2 for “I don’t know”, and 1 for “No.”

1. Have you discovered what differentiates your company from your competitors?

2. Does this differentiation represent a reason to do business you?

3. Can you summarize it in a paragraph? A sentence? A phrase?

4. Does your distinction have value to your clients/customers and prospects?

5. Is this distinction communicated clearly to your clients/customers and prospects?

6. Are all employees in your company aware of this distinction, and is it explained to new hires?

7. Is your distinction clearly communicated in your marketing materials?

8. Is your pricing strategy based on client/customer perceptions of value?

9. Does your brand receive adequate marketing support?

10. Do you use your brand in determining business strategies?

So how did you do?

Your goal is to score 27 or better. You really don’t want to score less than 20. In between, there’s some opportunity there for your brand to work harder than it does.

In any case, this can give you an idea of what you see as your brand strengths and weaknesses.

Read more about Brand Development and our approach to it here.

Pay a little expect a lot. Pat a lot get a lot.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Here's what happens:

Client wants to pay as little as possible for a service - let's say advertising or photography.

Provider decides to go along and give client a good price (pick one or more) 1 - to generate some needed cash, 2 - to make a good impressions and maybe get more business, 3 - to do a good turn for a good client, 4 - any one of a bunch of other good or bad reasons.


And usually the provider indicates on a proposal or invoice that a discount has been extended. Which client often promptly forgets . . .  as they start pushing the schedule and asking for more revisions, options or services (like retouching, for example) than the deal called for. Then they complain when they are charged for things that go beyond the original scope of work.

And everybody involved winds up in a bad mood.

Charge what's fair for a clearly laid-out scope of work.

And pay what's fair for a clearly laid-out scope of work.

It's really pretty simple.

Are you kidding me?

OK, you want a new logo for your fast-food chain.

Something that doesn't look so "old-fashioned". (Another voice might say it's a "classic" look, but let's not get off message here.)

Fine. Go ahead. Spend a few hundred thousand getting some design studio to study the hell out of it and then come up with some that's, well, OK.

Just say so. "We just kinda got tired of the old one and we like the new one better. It's kinda 'now', you know?"

Don't feel the need to try to bullshit us with a lot of gobbledygook. Don't (and I'm talking to you Craig Bahner, CMO of Wendy's) try to convince us that this beige approach above "signals the innovation and fresh thinking taking place at Wendy’s, while reinforcing that we are staying true to our values as a distinct and beloved brand.” 

What a load of crap.


Something tells me this guy is pals with the marketing genius at Avis who decided to drop their classic tag line for a bunch of words.

Probably also the guy behind their lame "now that's better" ad campaign.

Plumbers do it. Why shouldn't we?

Yeah, cheap joke in the image department here.

I know, I know.

But still, what do plumbers, auto mechanics, appliance repairmen and even dentists have in common?

They don't work for free. In fact, they won't even tell you what is wrong with your toilet, car, refrigerator or teeth unless you're going to pay them something.

Honest, since this popped into my head yesterday, I haven't been able to think of a single other line of work that is expected to give away its expertise in order to get hired.

Talk to us. Look at what we've done for others. Talk to our references. Ask questions.

But got God's sake stop asking us to "tell us what you'd do for us." And stop asking us if we have any "ideas".

We'd do for you what we've done for others, and if what we've done for them isn't good enough, move along. There's nothing to see here.

And of course we have ideas. Would you like to pay us for them?

Seriously, is there another business on earth that will invest as much time in the hope of new business as us?