tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34069227179546146372024-02-19T01:44:50.652-08:00Media is My LifeRBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-9322925262613935432022-10-30T19:45:00.004-07:002022-10-30T20:12:03.257-07:00The Ghosts of Disney Present ....<p>Every year, like clockwork, at the beginning of the holiday season, I can count on one thing.</p><p>Bing Crosby. Disney. Ichabod Crane. Even Washington Irving. Halloween night, we watch the "Headless Horseman". The Disney version. That's it. That's all the scary we can handle.</p><p><span style="text-align: left;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pv55NLftkJ-Ps00xhjQB73-lHM9Z4O1iena3UMUY_QpEYXKiKONWxUANIKT6np0S5baOAwx9fEHuvxNWqabpmjKMJwEDhLDkrO14AUXpyIsEBE_9-CIoL_O6h7nxzamLAZd6U8K_8-kFbY3e5M-_gvdMLJc3yAAxrWLy-e-Kzi_G0q2uIKgUAH01RQ/s4030/IMG_7660%20(2).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2885" data-original-width="4030" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pv55NLftkJ-Ps00xhjQB73-lHM9Z4O1iena3UMUY_QpEYXKiKONWxUANIKT6np0S5baOAwx9fEHuvxNWqabpmjKMJwEDhLDkrO14AUXpyIsEBE_9-CIoL_O6h7nxzamLAZd6U8K_8-kFbY3e5M-_gvdMLJc3yAAxrWLy-e-Kzi_G0q2uIKgUAH01RQ/s320/IMG_7660%20(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: black;">And this year is no different. Except. As much as we've loved Disney. We've actually stopped going to Disney. After 10 years, maybe more, as "Passholders". We haven't darkened the Disney doorsteps since 2020. And I dare say, I have no thoughts of ever going back again. Really. </span><p></p><p>And it's not because we don't love Disney. I've lived, breathed and cliented Disney. I've paid, membershipped, hoteled, resorted Disney. I know so much Disney trivia it would be counted on as gauche in some circles (most).</p><p>I can't help but love the history, the animation, the beauty, the Americana, the sentimentality. But, I gave it up. </p><p>Because I am old enough to know now that I cannot love something that doesn't love me back. </p><p>When faced with the pandemic, Disney lost its way. So its C-level execs could keep their salaries. Gone were the furloughed 30,000 employees, who collectively could have continued to make car payments if the execs would've given up part of their millions. </p><p>OR. If Disney had actually honored those of us, who for years, financed thousands of dollars to visit their parks. But they only refunded our money after accruing several quarters of interest - AFTER we'd said we'd no longer like to keep our year-long passes during these uncertain times.</p><p>At least during the time we had our passes, I didn't feel the company was only in business to make as much money as possible. I honestly - naively - thought they were actually in business to make money AND make people happy. Gosh. I'm still so sad.</p><p>Gone were the innocent days of being able to go on your favorite ride or eat at your favorite restaurant. Even in the halcyon "Fast Pass" era, we were only able to finally get on the Mine Train once, and that was a scandal all its own. (See: Accidentally skipped a line of fancy people that we thought we belonged in.)</p><p>It was all on the passholders, all on the app. Well, now, it's apparently all on the amount of $$ a working class family would like to spend to get the right to be close to the beginning of the line of Pirates of the Caribbean. Which apparently is up to an hour wait time. Which is just. One. Ride. (which is much better at Disneyland, as is the Haunted Mansion, btw).</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFhhUyMekv3ZouY6vOLvpU7mGCKNVK8D96K1dKkCgwp61W9odmicaW0ENx3jiyUdeRCFmSsmAMtUTdNRBfepxPI-bBC0v9YL_7OrXeRo1zToiO0XtSAjI324R3ZarP26sPrSfnCo-8fT783jl2hHTu2oExuZP7rlJ-EhK1HW91MC3jMYhtzD1Xx1IUg/s697/078D23B1-DD98-49A0-9D1F-B902F8284E67%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="697" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFhhUyMekv3ZouY6vOLvpU7mGCKNVK8D96K1dKkCgwp61W9odmicaW0ENx3jiyUdeRCFmSsmAMtUTdNRBfepxPI-bBC0v9YL_7OrXeRo1zToiO0XtSAjI324R3ZarP26sPrSfnCo-8fT783jl2hHTu2oExuZP7rlJ-EhK1HW91MC3jMYhtzD1Xx1IUg/s320/078D23B1-DD98-49A0-9D1F-B902F8284E67%20(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>Blessedly, our child is 17 now. If it were up to me, he'd never "outgrow" Disney. I surely have not. But, from a common sense standpoint, sadly, we really have. As much as we loved it. As much as we still would love it.</p><p>The pandemic certainly changed that, as even a trip to our magical world became a controversy. And now surely it's a world I do not understand, nor do I have the patience for, because the world I knew how to navigate is gone. </p><p>That said, my best friend is FINALLY coming on a trip to Disney - one she swore she would never take. And I said to her, "Sadly, we gave up our passes in 2020," but I'd love to help. She said she'd hire a "consultant" who would be able to direct her. This was upon my telling her she could not, in fact, "pop in" to the Magic Kingdom for an "hour or two." Any of you who've been there know why ....</p><p>I know that as much as I am sure I have "outgrown" Disney, I love it. It's in my heart and soul and many of my best memories. But on the same token, I wish a bit more of the "M" word was there. No. Not "money". </p><p>"Magic." and, let's not forget the best "M" word of all, "Mickey."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMJaddkFUi9I2AnvMxHFLLWMTuKK9vo6f-1feAaZ7MI1Q943Irv0FAWwsL5_qVY0B87w-eNOj9fTx1J5GCzGgHc8voOkGNHfXpr9LjM3wKFXjGIYekDHkYlys1iSG9K2M4UFYUp_u7Hhm6zvHH0SmrykiUtESIL9OdfN_KgMKOMoWodtWWUZaJCUubg/s1678/IMG_0225%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1678" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMJaddkFUi9I2AnvMxHFLLWMTuKK9vo6f-1feAaZ7MI1Q943Irv0FAWwsL5_qVY0B87w-eNOj9fTx1J5GCzGgHc8voOkGNHfXpr9LjM3wKFXjGIYekDHkYlys1iSG9K2M4UFYUp_u7Hhm6zvHH0SmrykiUtESIL9OdfN_KgMKOMoWodtWWUZaJCUubg/s320/IMG_0225%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-48082819948454839342021-09-16T18:56:00.000-07:002021-09-16T18:56:48.600-07:00The Rise and Fall of (my childhood. I mean,) the Mall. Specifically, the Woodfield Mall. <p>It's completely unremarkable, really. And it's old news as soon as it's penned.</p><p>Another store closing. Another mall's irrelevancy. Another suburban casualty. Old news.</p><p>Except - this is new news. As of 9pm tonight. Today. Now. </p><p>"They" have decided to close not just another sad, humorless, hapless, irrelevant store in a long -forgotten - un-tiktok-able, stereotypical suburban mall. </p><p>But this was my Mall. This is my gateway shopping experience. This was my 1970s. And my 80s. This was my history. And this is one of my favorite memories with my Dad and my Mom. Separately. </p><p><a href="https://www.dailyherald.com/business/20210916/sad-to-see-that-close-sears-soon-will-end-its-50-year-run-at-woodfield">The Harder Side of Sears</a></p><p>Woodfield Mall, in the much-parodied big-hair (guilty, but I was 8) suburb of Schaumberg, Illinois, was my litmus test for all future shopping experiences. Dallas Galleria. Galeries Lafayette. Cherry Creek. 900 North Michigan. The Forum Shoppes at Caesars ....</p><p>You name it, I've shopped it. </p><p>But this. This is different.</p><p>Heaven knows I haven't darkened the doors of our local mall in years. But, Woodfield. </p><p>With its twisty wooden slide, indoor ice-skating rink, Roy Rogers, Gift Gate (read: Hello Kitty), Express, I.Magnin, and incredible waterfall. This was THE HEIGHT of 80's shopping. And of course - Marshall Field's. So many amazing memories with my Dad, my Mom, my best friend, Rhubarb and Ribbie (the White Sox Mascots), etc. (and I'm all Cubs - all the time!) And the nachos at John's Garage.</p><p>Look. I'm very clear on the Sears saga. I'm very clear on the mall saga. I'm very clear on the old-retail-guard saga. But like another infamous 80's hold-over - this time, it's personal.</p><p>It's heartbreaking that so many childhood (fond!) memories have to go away. But, more important - I understand, of course, that jobs are going away. And, really, a bit of a way of life is going away. </p><p>As much as we may or may not love the analog life - digital life and the evolution of commerce is not only important, it's vital. It's vital to the future. It's vital to the economy. It's vital to the next generations. </p><p>But it still makes me really sad. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-42855185555079907852021-09-02T10:29:00.000-07:002021-09-02T10:29:56.813-07:00Working from Home as Reality.<p><i></i></p><blockquote><p><i><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/09/02/commute-return-work-remote-washington/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3x2c88yGZu5kQbzOwgD80My6xWycXkhVUp-cj1o31ZrIWnIQnKh3zqXRY">From the Washington Post</a>, "<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A D.C. resident whose office closed permanently during the pandemic said he has three more hours each day to play with his daughter, relax or work late when necessary. An Alexandria resident who used to ride Metro daily is planning to move away to be closer to family after being allowed to telework full time. Limiting the commute has provided breathing space to better balance work and parenting." </span></i><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Story editing by Tim Richardson. Photo editing by Mark Miller. Design by J.C. Reed. Copy editing by Anne Kenderdine.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Over the many, many extended months of the pandemic, we've all seen articles like this. Workers of all ages pontificating the merits of working from home. Sure - we miss the tomfoolery - the office witticisms, the ridiculous hallway conversations and the brilliant high-fives (fist pumps?) after client meetings that redouble our resolve that we have a)a great job b)a great industry c)great co-workers. That WE. ARE. RELEVANT. And FUNNY. :-)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Well. You ARE still relevant. Your co-workers ARE still awesome and you still have A GREAT JOB. In whatever form that takes. But, let's accept that just as some of our peers love after work happy hour, complaining about Mondays in the elevator and eating "conference chicken" - many of us are better off, better because of and better in spite of - working from home. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">WFH. Telecommuting. Teleworking. Distance Working. It's had so many names, shapes and forms since the early oughts and late 90's. But one thing it's not - is 9 to 5 (music break). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let's jump right to the chase. In some form, I've been "working remotely" since I was 27. And we were given beta RIM devices from AOL. (AOL!). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is nothing easier than being on vacay on the Riviera (or visiting your Mother in the Riviera Assisted Living Facility) than working from a laptop, iPhone, etc. And there is nothing more comforting than the anxiety, stomach ache and stress cramps you DO NOT GET - because you can, well, WFH.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Things I can now do without (or with less) anxiety (in no particular order) - take my mother to the doctor(s); bring flowers to my mother-in-law; go with my dad to the doctor or a long lunch; meet my husband for work discussions and lunch; hang out with my retired brother; take my son and his friends to school; take my son and his friends to practice after school; handle all of my non-profit meetings online; work until midnight at home (with Forensic Files in the background); work from a restaurant during lunch; take "lunch" at 10am to hit a tennis ball or two.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can LIVE and WORK. And I love work. And I love my clients. And I am one lucky girl. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And at the end of the day, who wants to wear sky-high heels for more than 4 hours? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Well, sometimes me. So I do. And lipstick - always lipstick.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><i><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></i></p>RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-8765669032478073212021-02-19T02:30:00.001-08:002023-05-23T22:36:15.763-07:00This Will Probably Become A Book and is not about Marketing, but might be ....<p>This. Has nothing, but also probably everything, to do with my career (because Our Mother thinks working is a curse. A personality fault. Proof of failure.) But I am writing it here to have a record and documentation. And because this is my blog and I feel that two blogs would be indulgent and Versailles-like. </p><p>So, I called my Mother the other day, by way of check-in. </p><p>Our little son has been calling her sometimes daily, sometimes weekly, during Covid. We have been worried Sick. Like, actual Wake-Up-In-The-Middle-Of-The-Night, Sick. About my Mother being in an ALF during the pandemic. (She has had BOTH shots as of this writing!!!). Did I mention she has unapologetically smoked for 65 years?</p><p>But sometimes, <i>I</i> check-in. To be clear - she is not interested in <i>moi </i>whatsoever. But I feel like I should. So I do. I am the fourth sibling. And typically the first that can handle dealing with her. Our Mother. And also, she did a great job with the guilt.</p><p>So, I called Our Mother.</p><p>"Hi, Mom. How are you?"</p><p>"Oh, Ren! Just thinking about you!," she effusively states. </p><p>I think, immediately, "This is odd. This is a trap. Oh, maybe she's being kind. How nice!"</p><p>Then.</p><p>"I got my check today. I need it cashed. Also, I'm out of cat food. And. Paper towels."</p><p>Yep.</p><p>Yep.</p><p>Yep.</p><p>Why on earth would I be surprised? Why on earth would I expect anything other than? Why on earth would I think this time she was actually, really, humanly - thinking about me?</p><p>But she was. Really. In the only way she can. And that has got to be okay .... Because if it's not? What am I supposed to do with that?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Os413gFxu5teMFjRwH6-fAtortzujsm8yG-lZ_LwbsZx8P-YU51ND0w36xiemukgjutfo0ukxohKyhlyHMLA8T7nfMtYMHE-iX-RFRG-aBT6i3PbgfCwhX5e9w8X0BkaLuoyPwT8nQ7T/s1616/IMG_7684.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1616" data-original-width="1252" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Os413gFxu5teMFjRwH6-fAtortzujsm8yG-lZ_LwbsZx8P-YU51ND0w36xiemukgjutfo0ukxohKyhlyHMLA8T7nfMtYMHE-iX-RFRG-aBT6i3PbgfCwhX5e9w8X0BkaLuoyPwT8nQ7T/s320/IMG_7684.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-59628186420764166262021-02-05T02:49:00.002-08:002021-02-09T22:52:21.974-08:00Home from "Working"<p><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/02/01/has-the-pandemic-transformed-the-office-forever ">This is the most detailed and comprehensive article on the subject</a>, from<i> The New Yorker</i> - the subject I've long wanted to tackle. And finally pushed me to put pixels to pretend paper.</p><p>By way of update, this just in on 2.10.21 from <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/9/22275304/salesfore-remote-work-9-to-5-workday-is-dead-flex-coronavirus" target="_blank"><i>The Verge, "<span style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salesforce will also give employees more freedom to choose what their daily schedules look like. The company joins other tech firms like </span><span style="color: #e2127a; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid currentcolor; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-color: inherit; text-decoration-style: inherit; text-decoration-thickness: inherit; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; vertical-align: inherit;">Facebook</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><span style="color: #e2127a; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid currentcolor; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-color: inherit; text-decoration-style: inherit; text-decoration-thickness: inherit; transition: color 0.1s ease 0s, background-color 0.1s ease 0s, fill 0.1s ease 0s; vertical-align: inherit;">Microsoft</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that have announced permanent work-from-home policies in response to the coronavirus pandemic."</span></i></a></p><p>Working from Home. #WFH. Telecommuting. Working Remotely. </p><p>These words have been a part of my vernacular for over 20 years. When my progressive Chicago company literally said to me - "Moving to Florida?, just fly up here every few weeks!". </p><p>I was literally gobsmacked. This. Was the Holy Grail. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-1iXXz5G70Q8uYDKZOpw8tBEoaVFOpC762VSGGxo8aiaJj2V0o-cF4cR3yipf-kCkfXIFIOF2pVyTH-Z17g-2oIizQVRMSiB_i5yQ6DiYxnUl76abQPk-AzVD2NQ3ODtAGF2DiohZEE9/s640/IMG_3079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-1iXXz5G70Q8uYDKZOpw8tBEoaVFOpC762VSGGxo8aiaJj2V0o-cF4cR3yipf-kCkfXIFIOF2pVyTH-Z17g-2oIizQVRMSiB_i5yQ6DiYxnUl76abQPk-AzVD2NQ3ODtAGF2DiohZEE9/s320/IMG_3079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>So, 20 years later. This is not a new or mind-blowing concept. So, why did it take a literal pandemic to bring it into the "new norm" or new "abnorm" as some are wont to say? </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TNYAdobeCaslonPro, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px;"><i>"Twenty-seven per cent of the American workforce will be remote in 2021, according to a recent survey by Upwork, a freelancing marketplace."</i></span></p><p>I will first state, raised by a dedicated and workaholic father and a mother who still believes working is a character defect (there's a novel/memoir in there, so more later), the whole lauded "Work/Life balance" thing was never part of the equation. Work is Life. Life is Work. </p><p>But that's okay. Because to me, and half of my upbringing, it was just logic. Work is what you do, is what you love, is fulfilling, is joy. Since I was a teenager, my philosphy has been "Love what you do, do what you love." If you are going to spend your life doing something, anything, you should embrace it. It should be a natural extension of yourself. When I played? I pretended I was working at a Blue Chip company. My stuffed bunnies had almost unionized. </p><p>May seem trite, but for me, at least, it's true. Life - as much as possible, should be joyful. If you have a passion or are really good at something and can find yourself a profession within that passion - embrace it. And that's still "work".</p><p>Well, that's easy when it's Advertising. What's not to love? </p><p>So it never occurred to me, and still doesn't, that "working" 80 hour weeks in Denver and Chicago in the early oughts was actually, "work." And I was able to do that because at that time, I worked for businesses that understood, if you are travelling 50% of the time, you have to be able to live, and the work is not only getting done, but to an exceptional level. So when companies embrace and help their employees thrive - Work Happens.</p><p>Hot Desking. Espresso bars. Real bars. Yoga Class. Purse Parties. Blues Brothers. Cubs Games. Stanley Cup. These are the Perks. </p><p>Because, and again, this is just my personal experience and my opinion - there's no on/off switch or separation from any of my roles - Mother, Sister, Daughter, Wife, Employer/Employee, Tourist, American, Friend, Cook, Traveler, Photographer, Reader, Writer, Pretend Painter, etc. Those traits are there, always. So why would Worker be treated differently? </p><p>Obviously, there is a time and place for each "role", but my experience is they don't vanish neatly when the sun rises or sets. Like a werewolf or vampire (and that would be so cool). So, I find it no surprise when I see - so very, very often these days - remarks like this ....</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TNYAdobeCaslonPro, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px;"><i>“'We have seen productivity go through the roof,” ... So why did the staff require so much expensive office space? Did they need any at all?"</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Well, of course. Maybe this is obvious to me, a working mother. But here's the thing - what did we think would happen to driven, dedicated people who love what they do when you take all of their stressors away? </p><p style="text-align: left;">The most anxiety I've personally ever felt at work - again, not heart surgery, but advertising - is the anxiety of picking up my child from school on time or even worse, heading into the no-man's land of the dreaded afternoon doctor's appointment. Forget the appointment for me, personally. Because there were a few employers (not many, but a few), where it was best to just not go. At these workplaces, I couldn't stand the idea of "bosses" and competitive co-workers wondering where I was, why I wasn't at my desk or why I thought I was so "special". I know this is true, because whenever a fellow hapless employee would dare leave the office - or leave their desk for lunch - they would be at the mercy of the "there" employees. In some of these less progressive companies, this - not passion or skill or drive or curiosity - was the route to success. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I just think "there" is a state of mind. </p><p style="text-align: left;">As I write this - and I would say, "I'm working", it is 4:35am. I finally have time - time I want and need and love, to work a bit. It's quiet and the puppy stopped playing at 2:22am. But that's the thing, if you can work from home, or Prague, or Alaska or the Florida Keys or a hotel room in Times Square or Las Vegas, and you want to - you should. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TNYAdobeCaslonPro, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 21px;"><i>"Six months in, the final round of surveys showed that employees—driven by adrenaline and anxiety about underperforming, and because there wasn’t much else to do while sheltering in place—were working all the time."</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">"Working all the time." Yes. That's a danger. But, for some, it's natural and productive. There will be times in the lives of employees - and if an employer is lucky, they will have their loyal employees through many stages of their lives - when they work 80 hour weeks. There will be times when they have crises. I had a brilliant boss say one time, upon our blessed, yearly 2 weeks off (company closed!) at the Christmas and New Year holidays, "I don't want to understand the head of a company who doesn't want his team to be with their families during the holidays." THANK YOU!</p><p style="text-align: left;">I would implore all employers to please meet your employees where they are. If they just had a baby or a hurricane or a prognosis or a family/childcare issue - give them peace. Give them time. Give them a DAY. </p><p style="text-align: left;">They will be more productive than ever because they want to be and because you let them. Loyalty and productivity are interrelated. When an employer is giving, understanding and appreciative - people will exceed their own expectations to actually "thank" that employer. They will THRIVE. </p><p style="text-align: left;">But, then, this is actually why I started my own business. I knew I could do So. Very. Much. More.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When unfettered by the stressors and constraints of less progressive workplaces that demanded me there at 8am and kept me until long, long after 5pm. I had zero issues with working 12-15 hours a day - but during very specific times - with a family? Being the last mom at pickup for aftercare? I still get a pit in my stomach. When I was single, I regularly woke at 3:15am to workout and be on a plane by 6am and work until midnight. Or later.</p><p style="text-align: left;">One of the best times of my life was when I worked at a fabulous museum and because they have a fantastic all-day summer camp, my son and I commuted together every single day. It was the working mother nirvana. And, after camp, he was a great intern!</p><p style="text-align: left;">I recognize there are a zillion different philosphies about work. But, and I feel very fortunate to have worked for AMAZING companies and employers and CEOS, etc., I feel for me I can fairly say, this is the least stressed I have ever been. Is it because I am a working woman or a working mom? Would I have been less stressed if those things were not a factor? Well, if I were a boy I would've been named "Montague" apparently, so I'm not sure.</p><p style="text-align: left;">But what I will say is, I work when there is work. And when there's ideas that need work for the future. No email goes unread or unfiled. This is really true. Because literal OCD. No client question unanswered. No deliverable unmet. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Thanks to technology, vacations are even better - usually five to ten quick emails and the rest of the day is bliss. And the ability to be proactive? Gosh. It's like Pandora's box! I do Zoom and Google Meet calls while cooking lunch for my son (also doing school virtually) and husband! My dog is in every meeting. I can be on more non-profit boards. I am always available or within minutes for my wonderful clients. I work when they work. And I work when I work. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The stress is gone. I can take care of my family, be more productive and serve more clients - better than ever before. </p><p style="text-align: left;">This is not "work", it's just my life, it's what I do. It's me. I'm working but I'm home. Where I've always been. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-13872729328954386782020-10-06T14:16:00.003-07:002020-10-08T13:01:49.974-07:00The Business of Advertising and the Matter of Metrics. <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm not going to lie. The advertising business </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> actually all it is cracked up to be - exciting, glamorous and fun. The best thing in the world. There is honestly nothing I'd rather do as a career in life (except dolphin trainer). Truth. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3e9e96aa-7fff-8915-be90-1f890f1ee6d5"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At its best, advertising is exactly what you think it should be - fabulous headlines, exclusive sponsorships, exciting photoshoots on location, awesome networking (especially when it wasn’t virtual!). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, maybe 5% of advertising is that. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At its worst, and perhaps many of you have experienced this, it's expensive, confusing and imperfect. This is just really 5%, too. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, up-for-grabs is the remaining 90%. The actual Business of Advertising. There is actually a reason for all of the precious puppies, hilarious headlines, uncanny taglines and canny calls-to-action. A measurable reason. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-right: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As someone with the benefit of incredible timing and superlatively more incredible peers, who had the privilege (via my then-Associate Media Directorship at Leo Burnett/Starcom) of participating in the execution of the first interactive TV campaign (via Survivor and my favorite Chevy Avalanche) as well as the first mobile campaign and associated branding study - via AT&T, and so much more, I can say - Measurement is Everything. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's ROI. It's results. It’s the Matter of Metrics - engagement, clicks, lead generation, conversions and ultimately sales. It's the glorious Purchase Funnel we all know and love. And ultimately, it's loyalty and customers for life. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHJ9WosKDgad4RN5uKDMl7CETb6ySjTtaY_diFhOCmvJ5dfUMP4yA7wTqlH06R5yl3slXeGcw6IsqDpZ5b1lZtOB791Z0LDACY7BSOPuwYklYtxfoFB2ej2Teuz5jQcYjl6HRqLsl430g/s1080/For+Blog+.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHJ9WosKDgad4RN5uKDMl7CETb6ySjTtaY_diFhOCmvJ5dfUMP4yA7wTqlH06R5yl3slXeGcw6IsqDpZ5b1lZtOB791Z0LDACY7BSOPuwYklYtxfoFB2ej2Teuz5jQcYjl6HRqLsl430g/s320/For+Blog+.png" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In real terms - it's measurable metrics from marketers, social media teams and media partners (not vendors - strategic partners!). And if that's not what you are experiencing right now, it really should be. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Up until the digital age, advertising measurement was not an "exact" science. "Impressions", for example, which translates into "the opportunity to see", weren't ever a truly concrete number. As late as 2015, did we </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">exactly</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> know the number of cars passing a billboard during a specified period of time or exactly how many households were tuning in to a given network and given show on a given night, or how many folks </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">really</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> saw the ad in </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vogue</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">? Well, we do now. Thank you GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well about </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vogue</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Still no. But we know it's a bunch. And it sure is gorgeous!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For TV, the digital age has been nothing short of revolutionary. The onset of digital, on-demand and OTT television allows us to know not just households with the "opportunity to see", but actual households that viewed the commercial in real life - how many skipped, how long it was viewed and maybe, how many purchased a product directly from the ad.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Measurement and analytics are actually the very best and most rewarding part of advertising. Really. It makes up the other 90% that isn't "Where's the Beef?". I still don't know where it is, but I do know, "It's What's for Dinner".</i></b></span></blockquote></blockquote><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The simple tools that allow you to see, understand and analyze impressions, reach, engagement, cost-per-click, time spent, time viewed, pages per session - and every other in-depth rabbit hole - and on and on and awesome, is the actual proof in the proverbial advertising pudding. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That said, a large component of why working with small, local businesses is my passion and is so very purposeful and rewarding to me is because my clients and I are able to review actual, meaningful results. And then, I can present action items and strategies to drive their businesses forward in actionable, concrete ways. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The long and the short of it is, if your agency, or nephew's brother's cousin's uncle who handles your social, digital or any other media, isn't providing </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">exhaustive</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> metrics, measurements and ever-increasing results and associated optimization strategies - it's important to ask for them. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regardless of your budget, actionable metrics for your local business are really the best part of your advertising investment. And that's what actually makes advertising so fun. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97QeIkBHwrHxUVA7URU03AylEaittE3615cXLPdJ3ymIMTc-OIpTeSJmOS-NhyNmvThkrkEeK9LrRNw62gi-JcZmVhOrM4_uboeUT9kXp2tkoerUlKkioJHyhSWFN4AN6VaI4SCwwh3oj/s640/photo.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97QeIkBHwrHxUVA7URU03AylEaittE3615cXLPdJ3ymIMTc-OIpTeSJmOS-NhyNmvThkrkEeK9LrRNw62gi-JcZmVhOrM4_uboeUT9kXp2tkoerUlKkioJHyhSWFN4AN6VaI4SCwwh3oj/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-16090698707087298752020-05-04T15:57:00.003-07:002020-05-06T13:32:44.732-07:00"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit." - AristotleAnd now this one has inevitably gone bad. Another in what is sure to be a cavalcade of lawsuits, ill-executed exit "strategies" and proverbial "uncle!" yelling ....<br />
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This week, this disappointing, but unsurprising, headline appeared on <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/jc-penney-tries-to-stop-sephora-from-pulling-out-of-jcp-stores.html" target="_blank">CNBC - <span style="background-color: white; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">JC Penney goes to court to try to stop Sephora from pulling out of the troubled chain’s stores</span></span></a> and in JC Penney's home market, <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2020/05/04/sephora-is-threatening-to-pull-out-of-jc-penney-stores/" target="_blank">this story from The Dallas Morning News</a>.<br />
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I have always been puzzled as to the relationship between #Sephora and #JCPenney. Puzzled because their brands, to me, are not synchronistic. Puzzled because I, personally, haven't ever been a JCP shopper - although I have appreciated the brand's good nature, messaging and accessibility, and also its history and generosity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZw6qXuCS_1AKRdq_pXHAfWFTqUsAP8NJa28Ct0aLg3OdGrVH_sOq57ATaBLr4U2dPeC-msR9-8FxbssMzolVXP1K0522aRBnub4hPoymAvwXKOn-CdDFLJg1tUKlWf_cdHd68T8G0MQ7/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZw6qXuCS_1AKRdq_pXHAfWFTqUsAP8NJa28Ct0aLg3OdGrVH_sOq57ATaBLr4U2dPeC-msR9-8FxbssMzolVXP1K0522aRBnub4hPoymAvwXKOn-CdDFLJg1tUKlWf_cdHd68T8G0MQ7/s200/2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Puzzled because Sephora has become a go-to, a game-changer, an iconoclastic innovator who brought all beauty brands - big, small and store-branded - to the fore in the most fun, non-classicist, festive, demographic-defying format I had seen in a long time. If not ever.<br />
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I do appreciate, from a retail and branding standpoint, what both brands stood to gain from one another. Namely, a broader customer base. A giant demographic. But I also thought the couple was surprising. Was mis-matched. Not unlike #PrettyInPink, but I won't say who is who in this scenario.<br />
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All of us brand-watchers have noted the mis-matched brand partnerships that look like so much striving and not enough, "of course!". It's a tricky game. Aligning one brand with another to gain an audience that should have similar attributes or buying power. But those ill-fated ones really, really end up doing damage to both brands - which may or may not be forgiven. I mean, Coca-Cola® and movie theatres - a resounding YES! Disney Theme Parks and #Starbucks® - correct! #McDonalds and #Monopoly - I'll take #FreeMcDonaldsFrenchFries whenever I can get them!<br />
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But, seriously, Dooney & Burke and #Disney. No thanks. #Target and #LillyPulitzer - great idea. Worst. Execution. Ever. I would put JCP and Sephora right up there.<br />
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To me, it's just because the brands never fit together. There was never going to be buy-in and trial on either side. The women I knew who shopped #Sephora at #JCPenney would literally run into the store entrance, only to shop within the makeup area, and then exit, stage left. This is much of what has happened with most suburban malls. In the past 20 years, I have only ever gone into 2 stores and 1 restaurant in our entire local mall. These days, proximity does not equal sales. People like who they like and it takes a lot to get folks to change their behavior, much less their passions.<br />
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That said, the fact that this relationship is now becoming forced upsets me even more for both sides.<br />
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It's not fair to the shoppers of either brand, but a forced union is not going to mean the brands are #MFEO (see: Sleepless in Seattle).<br />
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Well. It's really just another retail drama that will play out on the national stage. I had been so thrilled years ago when JCP finally changed the 1985-font of its logo. Sadly, the struggling brand promptly rescinded when there was customer backlash. I was thrilled when they got rid of coupons. It was inviting to potential new customers, much like their collab with #Mango. But traditional shoppers wouldn't have it.<br />
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I don't envy any brand trying to change its stripes.<br />
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How many have done it well? #TheSofterSideOfSears #CadillacCatera #McDonaldsSignatureCraftedRecipes ...?<br />
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This all comes the same day as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/style/j-crew-bankruptcy.html" target="_blank">#JCrew finally files for #bankruptcy,</a> after being $1.6 billion in debt. Also, a result of trying to deviate from a tried, true and, dare I say, beloved, brand.<br />
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What will retail look like on the other side of this? What will we be buying in our #WorkingFromHome, #Athleisure, probably-not-consuming-luxury lives? It's up to us, I am sure. But which brands will be able to read our passions, our behaviors and our appetites and pivot to meet those demands?<br />
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I have a small prediction, but it's self-serving and hopeful and I wonder what's on everyone else's lists?<br />
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<br />RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-66748926601899089992020-04-30T16:16:00.003-07:002020-05-04T09:49:10.580-07:00This is where I leave J.Crew ....<br />
UPDATE as of Monday, May 4, 2020 - Details of the bankruptcy filing from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/03/business/j-crew-bankruptcy-coronavirus.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20200504&instance_id=18202&nl=the-morning&regi_id=70273159&segment_id=26556&te=1&user_id=53a5c5d6db363eead7fc2676a1bd98f6" target="_blank">The New York Times .... </a><br />
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The next - leopard print, kitten-heeled - shoe is dropping. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/30/coronavirus-j-crew-prepares-bankruptcy-filing-that-could-come-this-weekend.html" target="_blank">J.Crew is prepping to file for bankruptcy. </a><br />
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This is not new news. This is not a surprise. This is not unprecedented. This is still sad. Kind of. They got pompous, they got full of themselves, they thought they were influencers. Just because you raise the price does not mean people think you are worth it. This. Is. Hubris.<br />
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Even if you are not a J.Crew fan, one must acknowledge this is the end of an era, but it's their own fault.<br />
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It started with the #JCrewCollection and continued downhill through the slalom of every "capsule" collection and "exclusive". Is someone really going to procure a J.Crew necklace or sequined skirt upwards of $500? Another marker was the case of the #tippi and #tilli. Not enough orders of the one, and too many of the other. J.Crew ceased to read its very loyal, albeit aging, audience.<br />
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The quality markedly went down in the early aughts, when J.Crew was feeling its proverbial druthers and thought it should rightly charge $98 for a sweater worth about $29, on a cold, Lake Michigan day in January. And then its sales people got snooty. Snobby. Too big for their khakis. I have never been so shabbily treated as I have in a J. Crew store. And they don't even offer a Coca-Cola, much less a champagne (see Tory Burch and Tiffany).<br />
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And I do actually, occasionally, venture into Chanel. And Gucci. And Bergdorf. From time to time. So when I say I've never been so insulted, I really mean it. And I did make this known to the brand in the hopes it would, could, should - help.<br />
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I get it. I was flying high on my #GenX brands like #BananaRepublic and #Gap. Even in foreign countries I still do shop at #Benetton and #Swatch. I want. Just really want (need?). Legacy brands to survive.<br />
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But J.Crew won't. J. Crew can't. Because prep school dressing isn't a thing. Gosh, with Covid-19, is going to an actual class a thing?<br />
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Admittedly, the mortifying - yet satisfying - athleisure trend - has also disrupted. J.Crew is well-suited for this trend, but is charging way too much for the privilege of sleeping in. It also didn't do much to grow the brand, make it relevant to the crucial under-40s (with the exception of the $100 per outfit crewcuts brand). The other thing is, how much do we really need to spend on pants only worn at home?<br />
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Then, there were tweaks to the distribution channels. J.Crew and Madewell, at Nordstrom. J.Crew on Amazon. To be a major brand, searching for a home - searching for relevancy - is like a death nell.<br />
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To the frequent shopper, this has all been too real, for too long.<br />
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The online "Chat" - tellingly helmed by everyone named "Ashley" in the free world - really! - has not been active for at least two years, near as I can tell. Every time I click to access it, they are "not available at this time." Mind you, "at this time" is 2pm on a Wednesday, 9am on a Monday or 11am on a Saturday.<br />
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I have tried. I have been in denial. I have gone through the stages of grief. Yesterday, when the temperature dropped below 60 degrees (in FL, in April!), I came across the first ever cotton sweater I bought from J.Crew. I bought this at NorthPark mall, in Dallas, circa 1992. As an SMU student, I considered this an "investment piece". It still holds up. Is still soft. Still holds its shape. Is probably the only J.Crew item in my wardrobe that completely still exemplifies the brand (still fits!).<br />
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I have been pulling for this brand. I have been loyal to it. Followed its triumphs - embraced its high-low chicness and cool-geek phases. J.Crew was the accepted bellwether of East Coast prep trends.<br />
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Capsule collections. Major cosmetics brands. French brands. Nike. Lacoste. "Exclusives." J.Crew on the upper East Side - Madison Ave. CEOs coming and going. Group management. Brand ambassadors, in and out.<br />
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This is what happens when you cannot take a step outside of your brand and see the bigger picture.<br />
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But who can? Can Gap? Can Neimans? Can JC Penney? Can Macys? Can Anthropology?<br />
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I ventured down the rabbit hole and clicked through one of the ubiquitous emails this past week - to see the New Arrivals. There were the "must have" looks. There were the "no-brainers". Alas, there were still the jewelry capsule collections, upward of hundreds of dollars - intermingled with latent items from a year ago that were now 50% off (the doppelgangers of which can be procured at Target).<br />
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I bought everything in my basket - white jeans, earrings and a signature striped top - for less than $75 (because, why would one pay more?). I bought these for old times' sake. For the nostalgia I feel for a brand that has been with me every step of the way. For a brand I really don't want to go away. But that is going to.<br />
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This is, sadly, where I leave J.Crew.<br />
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<br />RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-75054849897960162832020-04-21T11:18:00.001-07:002020-04-22T15:18:36.831-07:00The End of Retail as we Know It. And I Feel Sad. Not surprising to many, but shocking to some - on Monday it was announced that storied, sensational and super-luxe retail bastion, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-neimanmarcus-bankruptcy-exclusive/exclusive-neiman-marcus-to-file-for-bankruptcy-as-soon-as-this-week-sources-idUSKBN2210CW" target="_blank">#NeimanMarcus, may file for bankruptcy this week. </a><br />
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Since nothing is really all that outlandish in the age of #coronavirus, maybe that's not a big news story for most. But I would offer, that if one puts their retail hat (or boots) on, it is a lot. And it is indeed a pre-cursor (mid-cursor?) for things to come. For, as we prodigies of the digital age are all-too-familiar, this was bound to happen.<br />
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And even if it wasn't, it is actually, nostalgically, kind of sad.<br />
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As fate would have it, I happen to currently find myself in the middle of reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=minding+the+store+stanley&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss" target="_blank">Minding the Store, by Stanley Marcus</a>.<br />
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I bought this book in its second printing, after Mr. Marcus had come to speak at my marketing class in the Cox School of Business, at Southern Methodist University. His family had been supporters of SMU since prior to its breaking ground. He regaled my class with the legendary customer service doctrine into which he was baptized by his father, Herbert Marcus. I was entranced and couldn't believe the great good fortune of being in the presence of such a retail legend and icon.<br />
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I had never shopped at Neiman Marcus until I moved to Dallas to attend SMU. As a rarefied SMU student, not on the BMW or prep school side of things, I kind of felt like I had no business shopping there. Nor did I find anything remotely accessible - at that time, they only took the Neiman Marcus Card. Which was a good thing - as I also had no business having a credit card.<br />
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There was something about the store that was significant to me from an historic standpoint. And, as someone obsessed by advertising and brands from a young age, while I couldn't count myself as a shopper of Neiman Marcus, I had an appreciation for the principles and the people on which the original business was built.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"This was another way of saying, </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'Let's practice the Golden Rule in all of our dealings'." </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Stanley Marcus,<i> Minding the Store</i></span></h3>
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After graduation, when I migrated to Denver, as much as I loved every bit of that mountainy, outdoorsy, fleece-y place, every so often, I would wander through the Neiman Marcus store at Cherry Creek Shopping Center just to see the latest, the newest and the prettiest - and also, sadly the most expensive and unattainable (#NeedlessMarkup).<br />
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Until I saw a new denim bag by a #brightyoungthing named #KateSpade. I quickly fixated on this incredibly affordable bag. Finally, with the "disposable income" parts of my first, second and third paychecks as a young (read: poor) marketer, I bought my first Kate Spade bag. Made even more special because that label said "Kate Spade Dallas" - instead of the young designer's now famous "New York" insignia. This bag and I were meant to be. And because Neiman Marcus had the exclusive rights to Kate Spade's initial designs - by way of introducing her to the world - that was the only place I could get it.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PSOfGTXr054U6JBI05i27JSx3zkoQwsSrUdUANm7XtydZyF8twtGl3A6cJHscgjraWLoMAY6RCjhZtmeCrHKmauuE2yLkl56MA2b9Xx4Hns2zUr5yCYS22hkD7Xtxm7dewyJWK-GaQV2/s1600/IMG_3236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1379" data-original-width="1600" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PSOfGTXr054U6JBI05i27JSx3zkoQwsSrUdUANm7XtydZyF8twtGl3A6cJHscgjraWLoMAY6RCjhZtmeCrHKmauuE2yLkl56MA2b9Xx4Hns2zUr5yCYS22hkD7Xtxm7dewyJWK-GaQV2/s200/IMG_3236.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With that first bag in front of Taos Pueblo.</td></tr>
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The disappointing part is the woman behind the counter didn't feel the same verve about having this obviously not gilded, 25-year-old as her customer. If you've ever been on this side of a transaction, you know how it feels. Not unlike the famous scene in <i>Ferris Bueller's Day Off</i>, when Abe Froman (Sausage King of Chicago), Sloane and Cameron decide to dine at an exclusive restaurant and are greeted with nothing but disinterest, distain and snobbery - she treated me as small, unworthy and unwelcome.<br />
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Which was the exact opposite of the feeling Mr. Marcus had led me to believe I would feel in his store ....<br />
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So now I knew the modern day Neiman Marcus did not care if I was their customer. And that made me indignant. And also not a little bit confused, because I knew that Stanley Marcus DID want me to be his customer. And therein lies the beginning of a retail relationship fraught with cognitive dissonance.<br />
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It was like the folks that worked there had never read his book! This idea flabbergasted me - how could you work there and NOT read it!? It's like when we went to Cheers in Boston last summer and the young host admitted <i>he had never seen an episode of Cheers</i>.<br />
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They'd definitely lost a potential customer for life. But because I'd personally met Mr. Marcus, they'd also gained an observer from afar and a critic - an appreciator of the founding principles and a marketer and shopper who wished they would honor the Neiman Marcus legacy. Someone who knew that it was meant to represent the best of the best. But to find it, I would just head to Marshall Field's. Whose lovely salespeople were always happy to see me.<br />
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Still, I had never actually been to the original downtown Dallas store. Maybe this would be different. Several years after graduation, still living in Denver and with a feeling of nostalgia for the "Big D," I finally found myself in the second original headquarters for luxury (the first had burned down in 1913). I still have the classic YSL lipstick I bought that day (no, I do not still use it). It was neither a good nor bad experience. But it should have been exceptional.<br />
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Like I said, while I may have appreciated the store - I could not and still do not count myself as a loyal shopper there. I love the brands, I love the luxe and I love the idea - but I just don't have it within my logical and practical shopping psyche to be a regular.<br />
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All because it was very clear in 1990-something, they did not want my business, nor did they think I had the potential to bring them any in the future. So I shop at places that actually smile when they see me (see: Bergdorf Goodman - yes I know that BG and NM have been the same company since the 70s; and Bloomingdale's - and yes I know they are part of Federated). What's a girl to do?<br />
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As I paint this picture, I would be remiss not to mention several of the many milestones achieved by Neiman Marcus.<br />
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First specialty store in Texas (and in the south)<br />
First store in Texas to advertise in fashion magazines - <i>Vogue, Bazaar</i><br />
Showed a profit in its first year of operation<br />
First to welcome Dior to the United States<br />
Realized record revenue and profits during the last year of the Depression<br />
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That last point is particularly noteworthy and timely.<br />
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Now, in April 2020, the definition of "luxury" shopping is that most non-essential shopping is truly, really, actually - a luxury.<br />
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If it's a non-essential good - clothes, makeup, giftware, home decor, etc., and regardless of whether it's from Target, Amazon, Walgreens or Sephora, I know people are thinking twice before they put it in their basket and have it packaged and delivered by those on the front lines of this pandemic.<br />
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Of course, the writing on the wall has been there since the dawn of the term "clicks and mortar" and many of us have seen the struggle meted out in real life. Indoor shopping malls, long before the pandemic reared its vile, indiscriminate head, were hanging by a nostalgic thread and taped together with "70% off" signs.<br />
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Target, Old Navy, H&M and Uniqlo have not only become the staples of the long-lasting "high/low" fashion trend, they've become the limit to which GenZ might be willing to invest in non-experiential "necessities."<br />
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Shopping was once an actual experience. Now, from our collective family rooms, it is all too easy to 1)pour wine 2)shop 3)purchase 4)repeat (current environment notwithstanding).<br />
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The retail picture, regardless of whether luxe brands like Neiman Marcus or mid-range, specialty retailers like the Gap or J.Crew survive, will look vastly different on Black Friday this year. And, I imagine, by another factor all together one year from today.<br />
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While I must stop short of saying I personally will feel the loss of today's Neiman Marcus, I do feel awful and terrible for its many employees, suppliers and everyone affected by something of such magnitude. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-has-shut-stores-and-retailers-are-running-out-of-time-11586338200" target="_blank">Likewise for those of Gap, JC Penney, Sears, J. Crew .... </a><br />
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And I feel a loss for the great promise and principles on which each of these entities and the many legendary - uniquely American - retail stores were founded.<br />
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<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/business/coronavirus-department-stores-neiman-marcus.html" target="_blank">*An update on this as of 4.21.20 from the <i>New York Times</i> </a><br />
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<br />RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-20757143263672256962020-03-11T16:12:00.001-07:002020-03-11T20:32:03.399-07:00Home is Where the Heart is (and the Office)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have had the extreme pleasure and been not just a little lucky to have found myself in a career where working from home is an option. Having started out in a traditional Denver ad Agency that was quick to step onto the interwebs superhighway, even with "dialing in remotely," life was becoming easier (we didn't even have email in college #GenX). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Subsequently, it sure was easy to work from home until all hours. When I first moved back to Florida from the job I loved at Starcom/Leo Burnett in my sweet home Chicago, I telecommuted and flew out to bi-coastal clients and to the Windy City a few times a month. What an amazing, amazing gift to be able to continue to work for the company, clients and job I loved, while being in Florida with all of our family. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, I have my own business and because I can work from anywhere and everywhere - I do. I still go to meetings every day, because we all know how important that is, (but maybe right now, it's a luxury) but I am working constantly - because I want to and I can. Again, this is all not without a little luck, too, in my chosen field. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I do recognize this is not an option for the vital and dedicated employees in the service industry and it is my sincere hope that paid leave policies are put in place (and has been my hope way, way before this became our current reality - #PaidSickLeaveNow). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All that said, as the nation is grappling with the unknown repercussions of what is now a pandemic, and legions of workers are being asked to work from home, this has the earmarks of a giant paradigm shift. At least, for my part, I hope it is. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have always felt - especially as a working mother, wife and volunteer board chair/member - the more flexibility an employee has in relation to work (an employee who never misses deadlines and is incredibly diligent) - the more productive they will be. The more loyal they will be. And the more they will achieve. When I work from home, I work intermittently around the clock, because I can and I love it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As an extreme Type A (with associated OCD), I was made to multi-task and stay on task. My upbringing was curated by a family in the "always on" newspaper industry - yes, before the internet. I don't feel relaxed or happy until all the emails are read and filed, all the work for the following two-days is done, and the speech for two-weeks from now is written. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I recognize I am in the minority. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is HARD to work from home. Especially when there are little ones afoot. When there are parents who need transportation to and from doctor's appointments, when life is going on. Then there are dogs or cats on the keyboard who are occasionally falling into the pool during a conference call (yes, this has happened). </span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So today, #AdWeek came out with the amazing <a href="https://www.adweek.com/creativity/a-guide-on-how-to-make-the-most-of-working-from-home-during-coronavirus-outbreaks/?utm_content=summary_component&utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FirstThingsFirst_Newsletter_200311054943&lyt_id=1213839" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">A Guide on How to Make the Most of Working From Home During Coronavirus Outbreaks</span></a>. This is an incredibly helpful and spot-on guide filled with tips and ideas to keep on task and on schedule and be as productive as possible. I will note however, that I do get laundry (and maybe a little shopping) done while at home, because in my field, taking a break for creative thinking and strategic planning is important - and something I can do in short blasts. And it is true - the best ideas do come to you in the shower. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In addition, #Facebook came out with their own resource today under the auspices of - <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/boost/resource" target="_blank">"<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">businesses like yours may also be experiencing unexpected challenges, and we’re committed to providing as much support as possible."</span></a> </span>This is filled with ideas to stay in touch with customers and to keep up productivity - while helping customers navigate FAQs and any service issues. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I mentioned, I am hopeful we are on the precipice of a new mindset around working from home (#WFH) - where at least here in a smaller, less urban DMA, the option has been the exception rather than the rule. Where it has been stigmatized by previous generations as a vehicle for wayward employees to take advantage of the system. Where we are all Fred Flintstones sliding off the back of the brontosaurus as soon as the 5pm Pterodactyl sounds. </span><br />
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<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/1it9hyynPEqZKrNo1Y">via GIPHY</a><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To me, this shift will mean 1) Happier, more loyal and productive employees who will go the extra 25 miles for their employer 2) Employees who need to go to the doctor, take care of children, drop them off or pick children up from school, can do so without the extra pit-of-the-stomach stress of having their boss run around and say, "why aren't they back at their desk yet?" 3) Employees with a cold can stay at home and be productive, while not spreading it to the rest of the office and decreasing overall productivity and the bottom line 4) Employees with ill children are not forced to take those children to school, to become even more sick (sicker?) or to spread it around the classroom or to the teacher 5) Parents don't have to pay an extra $100 in childcare for the unexpected teacher work day 6) We can get one step closer to that holy grail of the elusive and much mythicized work/life balance! (*knocks on wood).</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The real work is what can get done when an </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">employee's greatest stressors are removed and when they are allowed the gift of freedom to be productive, effective and efficient for an employer who trusts them and values them .... </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And also, maybe a bit more shopping, just to keep the economy going. Obviously. </span><br />
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<br />RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-75024944195945029422020-02-26T19:08:00.001-08:002020-02-26T19:08:54.610-08:00Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection - the lovers, the dreamers and the local marketers ....<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The reason there are so many songs about rainbows is that we all want to believe there is something at the end of them. And after all, what's so wrong with that?</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-290c8fa4-7fff-33f5-4734-0674b2cae376" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nothing. And so, finally, something at the end of the proverbial Millennial and Gen Z rainbow (or really cumulonimbus-clouded super cell). Herein lies the Millennial Silver Lining. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, finally. They do care. They do love. And to quote the (almost) inimitable Sally Field, "You like me!" And they will probably love you, if they don't already.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That said, let's look at this most recent of all advertising indices from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AdWeek</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - the </span><a href="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/these-are-the-brands-gen-z-and-millennials-hold-near-and-dear/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Brands Millennials Hold Dear."</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xfEhkCVzaUNo1zq80qMfw8UoaakgtjM4si65AqPwa16dV_vedV7Z-hYJ3nzhGnnLm8uRYtVly7kgUNI_X-8ZEI6xet5iAuPpMjhLw1FhDjf30WWxVwWuHkfv-hskOjl4Da-too5O" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xfEhkCVzaUNo1zq80qMfw8UoaakgtjM4si65AqPwa16dV_vedV7Z-hYJ3nzhGnnLm8uRYtVly7kgUNI_X-8ZEI6xet5iAuPpMjhLw1FhDjf30WWxVwWuHkfv-hskOjl4Da-too5O" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And you didn't think it was possible. Or even plausible. </span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a giant surprise. Amazon. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And Disney. And Sephora and H&M. YouTube. XBox, Apple, Jeep and Nintendo. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, just let me repeat that. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And Disney. And Sephora and H&M. YouTube. XBox, Apple, Jeep and Nintendo. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Huh. Hmmm. What the what? </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, Gen X. Your brands. Our brands. The same brands we love and, in many cases, have loved since we were even younger than a Millennial or a Gen Z'r. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, there you go. So, all this time, when we thought these newfangled generations were a giant puzzle thrust upon us. Miraculously, it turns out, we have many, many brands in common. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As stated in the article, "Mario Natarelli, managing partner at MBLM, previously defined brand intimacy as “an essential relationship between a person and brand that transcends purchase, usage and loyalty.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Additionally - </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"The Brand Intimacy Quotient, which is used to rank the brands, is based on the amount of consumers who intimately engage with the brand, intensity of the consumer’s relationship with the brand (on the spectrum of three stages: sharing, bonding and fusing) and character (performance on five key archetypes: fulfillment, identity, enhancement, ritual, nostalgia and indulgence)."</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The practical applications to any marketer would be - "how do I get here?" and likewise, as a consumer, one might ask, "which brands are on this spectrum for me, personally?" </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so, those are in turn the questions I would ask we, the local consumers and marketers - </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To which local brands to I feel most loyal? Why?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do my favorite local brands mean to me</span></span></li>
<li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do they say about me? </span></span></li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and in turn - </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where does my own brand stand in cultivating relationships with our customers?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How true are we to the promise of the brand we are creating? </span></span></li>
<li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How true is our brand to the actual perception of our customers?</span></span></li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The great news is, the end of our rainbow is local - and all we need to do to find it is remember to look for the sun through the rain .... </span></span></div>
RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-90114919831834090142020-02-11T15:12:00.002-08:002020-02-11T17:41:07.507-08:00Mighty Casey Brings Joy (and revenue) to Mudville, even if he strikes out ....<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBOjM47tRqBfUPUqBX9fD5PAjvLlQ3FfCeeru0lA37YKayUKFllbmdzgGefFeKjScMSEiVQsdZmVZSHeYTUrsLimNCEvMwU2RZwmqJ6N5c84G2VDadIcaTfzsIOX6XvFXA6mnckhBBZu8/s1600/Cropped+MOAS+Billboards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="1600" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBOjM47tRqBfUPUqBX9fD5PAjvLlQ3FfCeeru0lA37YKayUKFllbmdzgGefFeKjScMSEiVQsdZmVZSHeYTUrsLimNCEvMwU2RZwmqJ6N5c84G2VDadIcaTfzsIOX6XvFXA6mnckhBBZu8/s640/Cropped+MOAS+Billboards.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of the Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS), Daytona Beach, FL<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan (did you hear we won the World Series?!), I have grown up with baseball in the </span>forefront<span style="font-family: inherit;">, in the background and woven through all parts of my life. So, when we moved back to Volusia County in the early oughts, having the Cubs farm team as our local Minor League team was awesome. Not just because they actually won games unlike their namesakes up in the Windy City, but because it was a cherished local institution. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the start of the last decade, I had the privilege of being the Marketing and Communications director for our wonderful <a href="https://www.moas.org/" target="_blank">Museum of Arts & Sciences</a> (MOAS, a Smithsonian Affiliate). The Daytona Cubs had sponsored an exhibit in the Charles & Linda Williams Children's Museum. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrDkFSY5-HU-zNPsgjyO1S8p6x0ZyR3Wn_fXfDJja-K3p8wVweo3GmNZe2T0ReSXm6nOHpAcaIN3HpRjBVeoOXs_wvpFem86esY11RRyfR8xpx3cFsvEe3aM6oVhCJTgkuuD8AUfe61WQ/s1600/IMG_5182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrDkFSY5-HU-zNPsgjyO1S8p6x0ZyR3Wn_fXfDJja-K3p8wVweo3GmNZe2T0ReSXm6nOHpAcaIN3HpRjBVeoOXs_wvpFem86esY11RRyfR8xpx3cFsvEe3aM6oVhCJTgkuuD8AUfe61WQ/s200/IMG_5182.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This relationship was fostered long before I arrived and continues to thrive, as I know it will long into the future. The ball club and the Museum traded advertisements in each other's respective publications. The Museum brought exhibits to the Field. The team and mascots hosted meet and greets at the Museum and members, visitors and the public were all invited. It was and is a true partnership. This is what a Minor League team does in their home town (and I do know the real Chicago Cubs actually do this type of thing in their slightly larger community, too ....). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As local fans know, the Cubs moved along a few years ago and we became the home of a </span>Cincinnati<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Reds team - who would be called the #DaytonaTortugas (#Tugas for short.) Our community named the sea turtle mascot "Shelldon." He is sponsored by Madden's Ace Hardware - a local </span>institution<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Not only did the community relationships continue - they thrived. They grew.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And so did the crowds at the legendary Jackie Robinson Ballpark (the Jack). The Tortugas did something that hadn't been done for years under the previous tenure. They began to sell out ballgames. Consistently. And they still do.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not only was this incredible for our community and its growing fanbase, it was great for sponsors and advertisers - including the businesses surrounding the Ballpark, of course. The advertisers are now getting the benefits of more eyes on their ads, more ears for their branded PA announcements and more touchpoints for their messages - which are on the field, in the program, on the air and surrounding fans throughout their experience at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact, every time I do a media evaluation and end of year post mortem/recap on the media delivery versus the initial investment, I am able to report so many more impressions than originally negotiated on my clients' behalf. The value in some cases is double.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But what is so much more, what is both easy to see and feel but is hard to quantify, is that clients get to surround their brands with America's pastime. And likewise, the Jack is filled with local names that promote a sense of community. And this generates deep pride in that community.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the age of fly-by-night digital brands and </span>impersonal<span style="font-family: inherit;"> transactions and even less personal communications, it's nice - downright necessary, really - to slow down, take in a few innings and remember what life is like with the pleasant thwap of a ball hitting a mitt and the crack of a bat in the background. It's nostalgia and Americana at its best and who doesn't want their local brand (some of which have been around for over 100 years) associated with that feeling?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That feeling, that intangible, awesome reflection of one's business enveloped in something family-oriented, joyful and writ large is, for many brands, the holy grail of advertising. It can't be done with Native Content. It can't be done with a Response Card. It can't even be done with a Super Bowl Ad (well, maybe a Google Super Bowl Ad).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But it can be done with Minor League Baseball. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Andrew Sandall, MOAS Executive Director explains, "... it makes a lot of sense for us to partner with other community-minded organizations like the Tortugas to bring what we do to a wider audience. The Tortugas have become fantastic partners in making our community a great place for young families and I always think a perfect Saturday in Daytona Beach for a family is a morning at the beach, and afternoon at the Museum and then catching the 'Tugas at the Jack in the evening."</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ1er57qAXorn-Tl6W-7Bq_AwR_2QxEuc_ZrO50iAn_HrPc4ETsPuGdEpdMCtYHEMxbeOXPMhEYD38j4Bwh43sC81BjpC0DFmGs7x2qzE2rMDAS81RZYZgPSlnCL_jSJvMgrowNUdmMYp/s1600/Shelly+Outfront+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ1er57qAXorn-Tl6W-7Bq_AwR_2QxEuc_ZrO50iAn_HrPc4ETsPuGdEpdMCtYHEMxbeOXPMhEYD38j4Bwh43sC81BjpC0DFmGs7x2qzE2rMDAS81RZYZgPSlnCL_jSJvMgrowNUdmMYp/s200/Shelly+Outfront+2.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have had the great good pleasure of working with the Tortugas on behalf of many of the non-profits and clients I have represented. And many of the legacies, who have been in our community throughout generations, have decided to sponsor our Daytona Tortugas. <a href="https://www.chanfraulaw.com/" target="_blank">Chanfrau & Chanfrau</a>, our multi-generational Personal Injury and Employment Law firm, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">proudly sponsor Shelldon's fianceé, Shelly - </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5F9Knk8kkq3KXDeb2AqTkciq8SZySa6_9B50j8UF639IFZrET_SeDtKWNdoZz8plk12M1pTozyUDyH_fz6xQBuAMExQyl6X_k6sfYmV06YraBt-l-Q5AZSIjXtMwu_6e_H5v1wv4N0NYD/s1600/IMG_1018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1547" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5F9Knk8kkq3KXDeb2AqTkciq8SZySa6_9B50j8UF639IFZrET_SeDtKWNdoZz8plk12M1pTozyUDyH_fz6xQBuAMExQyl6X_k6sfYmV06YraBt-l-Q5AZSIjXtMwu_6e_H5v1wv4N0NYD/s200/IMG_1018.jpg" width="193" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">the only female mascot in all of baseball. The upcoming wedding of our revered reptiles and Shelly's gorgeous, Loggerhead of an engagement ring, are sponsored by <a href="https://www.tomcookjeweler.com/" target="_blank">Tom Cook Jeweler</a> - and their 128-year legacy spanning four generations.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, </span>thank<span style="font-family: inherit;"> you to the <a href="https://fortune.com/2020/02/03/mlb-minor-league-baseball-eliminate-teams/?fbclid=IwAR1Qo8IvIn8XpciAt0Z11aOp5msgZ-mbSBgypy8XP1wvLMkT4PHm7ELOT-I" target="_blank">Mayors who signed the recent letter to Major League Baseball,</a> as published in Fortune, etc., who wrote about the contributions of their own teams, "... As a result baseball's economic impact on our cities is immense and, in many places, irreplaceable. The employees of our teams and ballparks as well as countless vendors, hotels, and small business owners relay on minor league baseball's fans for their </span>livelihoods<span style="font-family: inherit;">."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is and has always been the truth throughout Minor League ball's 100+ years. So much more so than the majors. Minor League baseball teams are at the heart and soul of their small communities. The beautification and enhancements our Daytona Tortugas have made to their historic home (nest?), for children and adults (and sponsors) alike have further served to enhance the value of the downtown experience. There are "nights" and special events for young professionals, dog owners, seniors and Little Leaguers. There are concerts, charity drives and festivals. All bringing life, excitement and a sense of community to the heart of Daytona Beach.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As an advertiser, community member and baseball fan, I can't think of a better way for my clients or local businesses to be part of a community than to take part in the fantastic tradition of Minor League Baseball. </span></span><br />
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RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-79131937840611197412020-01-23T18:40:00.001-08:002020-01-23T18:55:53.399-08:00The most unkindest cut of all. <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.75); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 2rem; line-height: 3.2rem; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
If you live in the wonderful beachside city of Ormond Beach, Florida, you already know the news and have had conversations about it, shaken your head and maybe taken to social media to show support for the over 65 employees that greeted us each week (for some of us, each day).</div>
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This is literally an almost Shakespearean tale of the rise and fall of a new brand - new to us, new to our town - and the different stages of the fabled "purchase funnel" many of us travelled through at light speed. From Awareness to Loyalty, rarely has brand adoption come so quickly. Only to be taken away so abruptly and unceremoniously.</div>
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This is also the rarest of tales, because everything - <a href="https://www.luckysmarket.com/aboutus/">the Press, Advertising, Media Marketing and Communications</a> - were all executed like a 101 compendium of "this is how you roll out a store, brand, company and philosophy." And we literally ate it up. And it tasted good. Even the vegan wonton wrappers. </div>
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In May, a wonderful new-to-us little grocery store opened where one had vacated the premises 10 years earlier. It was a fun place to see and be seen, but not in the "society" way - rather in the "neighborly" way. We could walk around with coffee, kombucha, beer or wine. We could get our children free fruit for the trip. We could listen to live music and buy freshly grilled ribs or handmade ramen. And the bacon. Don't ever forget the bacon.</div>
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It worked here, and obviously didn't work everywhere, because otherwise its parent company would've decided not to cut and run. But sometimes things just work in a place because it's the right time, the right message, the right market - the Venn diagram equivalent of retail lightening. And this was it. And then it wasn't.</div>
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Across demographics - and this is not scientific, but it's consumer behaviorism-y enough that anecdotally it will make sense - there was not a person that you could talk to that either a)wasn't excited about the new store b)shopped there regularly or c)was curious, stopped in and thought it was good for specialty things. "C)" Is obviously why it didn't pass muster with the parent brand any longer. And I am talking about everyone from all-in organic-loving Boulder-y (its home base) types to Alex P. Keaton-y meat and potatoes wholesomeness. That's like brand "Nirvana" (which incidentally they also played among other GenX favorites).</div>
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This case study in brand and retail launch lasted from May through basically this past Tuesday (January 21) - with closing slated for mid-February. But it was perfect while it lasted, and everyone in town hopes there will be a silver lining. And there will be because this is a special place.</div>
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Just as this community hoped for a Trader Joe's, Publix Greenwise, Whole Foods, Fresh Market or some other, maybe independent, local boutique grocer for the decade the property had been vacated - maybe these folks will now see that something in this special and unique community can thrive and become a part of the whole. Because it can, and it was awesome and great while it lasted. And we can't wait to see what's next.</div>
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RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-90848750745926645902020-01-13T19:08:00.001-08:002020-01-14T05:11:47.727-08:00You Better, You Bet (and why 2nd Better is actually Best)<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.75); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 2rem; line-height: 3.2rem; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-size: 2rem;">Alas, there is one place on this Earth where #1 isn't actually the end-all-be-all. Where it's better to be Robin than Batman. Where it's ideal to be Donald Duck or Burger King. This is the wonderful and mysterious land of #GoogleAds.</span></div>
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Over these many years of handling #GoogleAdWords (now #GoogleAds) for clients both great and small, the number one question (and hard to quell desire) is to appear first, which would be anyone's first and most obvious instinct.</div>
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This is contrary and much to the frustration of agencies and media partners everywhere. Because when you are trying to be 1.5 or 2 or 3, and your client expects 1, you've fallen short. Even though you are budgeting more efficiently and effectively than the next nearest competitor, many see this as not good enough.</div>
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But this is exactly where you want to be.</div>
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When you pay to be #1, you pay to be #1. But you don't receive nearly the consistent results of a number 1.5, 2 or 3. On average, you are paying a premium in disproportion to your ROAI (return on advertising investment). In other words, you are paying for the Super Size, when you really only need the medium. Medium is better because it's all that's needed. Yes, we all WANT the most fries, but alas, we do not need the most fries.</div>
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What matters more is how consistently our ads are viewed and present among the competition. It's also about a metric traditionally reserved for display -- awareness.</div>
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Frankly, I'd rather my clients achieve the #1 SOV (share of voice), #1 ROAI, or the best conversion rate or the lowest cost per conversion. That's the ultimate goal and the ultimate aim.</div>
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Spending the most is one way to get there.</div>
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Spending the smartest is the best way to get there.</div>
RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406922717954614637.post-55353129527207121052020-01-07T15:48:00.001-08:002020-01-07T18:22:16.311-08:00"Lots of space in this mall." - Elwood Blues<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.75); counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; cursor: text; line-height: 3.2rem; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Again today, another unsurprising announcement about two legacy retailers and brands on the slow road to demise. According to Business Insider, Pier One "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pier-1-imports-closing-stores-bankruptcy-reports-photos-2020-1" target="_blank">announced Monday in an earnings report that it plans to close up to 450 of its 942 stores </a>...." And "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/macys-closing-stores-list-locations-2020-1">Macy's is closing at least 15 stores in early 2020.</a>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you are anything like me, a product of 1980's America, you had a penchant for all things mall-related. Or, you may have been a parent of that child. In either case, you were likely as taken with the kick-off of consumerism (and Orange Julius) as we know it. When a brand was a brand and that was enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also, if you are anything like me, you have lately walked or driven by the storefronts or parking lots of these stores and their ilk and perhaps wondered to yourself, "How on earth are these stores still in business?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which in fact begs another question, "Why on earth are all of these stores going out of business?" That question is half nostalgic at best, and too late in coming at worst.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The questions maybe should have been, "What is happening to our brands?" "Do brands matter anymore?" "And if they do, why?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Obviously, these questions are complicated, complex and wrought with missed earnings forecasts, not to mention changing consumer demographics, motivations and priorities. There's no one answer, but like any paradigm shift, the current situation has been in the works for decades - even before the perceived move from brick and mortar to the fickle and empowering world of online retail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The world has been evolving from the retailer-driven "Come and Get It" mentality to the consumer-driven "I think I'll just look that up online and buy it right now so I can get it for the party tomorrow night" standard. And, maybe because of guilt and conscience, there is also a fair and worthy mix of a new resurgence of shopping and dining locally and supporting the new Mom and Pops - that have replaced the ones we were all complicit in shuttering over the last two decades.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are still cult brands, and I think (or would like to think) there will always be. But my personal list of favorite brands has diminished much over the last several years. I used to be a diehard J. Crew, Anthropology, Banana Republic, Gap, Polo, etc., fan. Now, not only are some of these brands holding what seems like weekly liquidation sales, some are on the brink of bankruptcy. Each store, including their ill-conceived "Outlet Stores," has been, in recent years, an overabundant wasteland of cheaply made reproductions of their previous "staples." These brands don't mean now what they did years ago. Why? Largesse and a "too big to fail" mentality? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Personally, and I do mean this personally as a consumer - I vote with my dollars. I strayed. I strayed when J. Crew started their "Collection" of items $500 and more. I strayed when the Gap got too big for their khaki britches and started charging me $79 for a sweater and jeans. Or when Banana was all, "here's a cheap pattern that everyone will remember. It's $219 today. It will be $39 in XS in two weeks, though." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Could they have survived? I mean, Old Navy is leaving the Gap. This break-up is to me bigger than Ross and Rachel (they were on a break).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Did the brands sell themselves short? Or think themselves too big? Did we? Or both. Did we want too much choice? Well, we've got it. Now what do we do with it? How do we become loyal to brands when the very thing that means is changing under our feet (or our smart phones)? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What will happen to our favorite brands in 2020? What new brands will emerge from the ashes? I can't wait to see how existing legacy brands evolve and change, or if they can and will. I also can't wait to see which companies find their way to the top and how they do it. I can't wait to see the ads and the branding and the media and the messaging and the targeting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But, as a Gen X poster-child, I will be enjoying my Starbucks, Diet Coke, Chick-fil-A, and Trader Joe's and Target runs and supporting local heroes while all of this continues to shake out ....</span></div>
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RBA Advertisinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07244723610275045707noreply@blogger.com0