Have you ever built a house without a blueprint or better yet without a foundation? I wouldn’t recommend it. Yet, as an art director, I often feel like that is the task at hand when I don’t have a clear idea of what my client’s brand is.

There used to be a very methodical way to plan out a year at an agency. Towards the end of third quarter you would start presenting plans for the new calendar year. Clients would know their entire budget for the next year and give agencies the opportunity to plan a full year’s worth of media at once. This allowed for great negotiating power but stagnant buys. Good agencies would shift the plan based on opportunity throughout the year, bad agencies would sit back and just let it run.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, companies marketed their goods and services by jumping on their soapbox to convince people why they needed to buy from them. “We’re bigger!” “We’re better!” “We have the latest and greatest!” Those companies that could shout the loudest or the longest were usually the winners.

We’ve discussed in previous postings that all customers like engaging, personalized experiences. We learned at VI’s Utilities Summit in Colorado Springs, CO that customers' satisfaction is directly related to the recall of these personal messages and moments created by their utility company.

If you're a business that still posts to Facebook and prays that your target demo will see it, just stop it. It probably has never worked and never will. And because it has never worked, you are probably in the camp that thinks social media doesn't work. Here we go. Strap in.

The Burger King is so cool, he’s probably getting a big head. In the past few months, he’s been part of Floyd Mayweather’s entourage, and also landed a seat in Bob Baffert’s (American Pharoah’s trainer) box at the Belmont. That’s some serious publicity for the pop culture icon that’s more than just a mascot for the fast-food chain.

These days’ consumers are interested in how companies interact with the world around them. They wonder if brands truly deliver on the promises that they make or if, maybe, just maybe, those words are just words.

By 2020, millennials will account for 1/3rd of the adult population. Understanding the wants and needs of the millennial customer will be critical to the future of utility marketing. Compared to older generations, millennials are more socially conscious, with 83% distrusting large corporations.

You’ve decided to build your dream house. You know there are a ton of details in building a house, but in your excitement you find a contractor and tell him to “start building and we’ll figure it out as we go along…” Realistic? Definitely not. You’d probably first hire an architect to draw up blueprints to help guide the process. Otherwise who knows what you’ll end up with!

For the record, I HATE EMAILS. Email campaigns are even worse. They’re boring. Stuck in the past. Nothing has really changed. They use old technology. They play by old rules.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: