Useful Lunacy

MCAD Fall 2009 Copywriting - Recap 05, Sept 25

Students!

I talked too much today. 

I hope all that blather brought you at least a few useful insights for confronting the blank page, and developing more and more great ideas. We'll be jumping into doing more and more work now. 

Many of the words and images in this presentation are linked to further information.

Copywriting at MCAD, Fall 2009

I'm excited and daunted all at the same time. (Many thanks to the glorious Nancy Rice for the opportunity, however.)

This Fall I'm scheduled to start teaching the Copywriting course at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, replacing Tom McElligott. I'm not sure it's even possible to replace Tom McElligott. Maybe "Be allowed to shine Tom McElligott's shoes," is more apt.

But someone has to teach the course because, Lord knows, we need more Copywriters.

This curriculum will be significantly different from the Future of Advertising course I've been teaching at MCAD. Clearly the learning must be in the doing. So, lots of creative briefs and frequent assignments. In other words, lots of writing. 

Years ago I taught a Copywriting course at Emerson College in Boston. My favorite exercise (maybe not my students' favorite) centered around a billboard assignment. Ultimately, we needed three headlines for production. In order for the client to approve three, we presented at least eight headlines. In order to have eight headlines, the CD ought to see at least 16. In order to have 16 for the boss, you probably needed to write at least 50. But let's call it 100. 

Go.

We'll definitely tackle long-form copy, direct response, website, out-of-home, brochures and social media/editorial/PR writing. I think it's essential to cover a range of different opportunities for advertising copy. That said, the core premise to all copy writing must be the big idea. As in, you better have one.

As my former co-worker Khari Streeter used to say, "Advertising is 80% conceptual thinking and 20% finish carpentry." 

Books seem important, too. Or as Stephen King put it (and I'm paraphrasing), "If you're a writer, you're either reading or you're writing." Here's the book list thus far:

The Book of Gossage

by Howard Luck Gossage, and others

Published by The Copy Workshop

ISBN-13:  978-0962141539

How To Get Ideas, Second Edition

by Jack Foster

Published by Berrett-Koehler

ISBN-13: 978-1576754306

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

by Chip and Dan Heath

Published by Random Heath

ISBN-13: 978-1400064281

Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads, Second Edition

by Luke Sullivan

Published by Wiley

ISBN-13: 978-0471281399

On Writing: A Memoir To The Craft

by Stephen King

Published by Pocket

ISBN-13: 978-0743455961

What am I missing? Any Copywriting courses you've admired? What other resources should I consider? 

MCAD 2009 Session #07 (March 9, 2009) Recap

I said this in the original curriculum for the "Future of Advertising" class:  "If one word could summarize what advertising is evolving towards it would be 'Content.'" For better or worse, I still follow that sentiment.

Our focus this week at MCAD was Content Strategy. It's a curious term. Are we talking about a practice? A philosophy? A role? Perhaps all of the above, neatly served on ice. I think this subject really gets to the heart of why and how marketing and advertising are evolving; why old models are struggling and new approaches must be given serious consideration.

I admire our guest, Kristina Halvorson, President of Brain Traffic, for not only coming to our class to talk about content strategy but also for making an appearance in front of over 150 people to discuss this topic during Conversations About The Future Of Advertising.

I've embedded Kristina's presentation and the CATFOA video from UStream below, as well as my presentation notes from Monday's class and my recap video. My slideshare has quite a few embedded links, so don't hesitate to mouse over words in the presentation to discover links for quotes and attribution.

Oh. Right!

And a hearty congratulations to those of you who weren't on death's door or traveling yesterday. I really appreciated your presentations for Assignment #2. It was refreshing to hear you 1) Define your personal brand, 2) outline who you view to be your competition and 3) unveil your blog (or microblog). As last week's guest Jim Cuene put it, having a blog = getting a job. You're on your way!

See you next Monday.

 

  

 

Something for Nothing

Back in November I wrote a post about a conversation I've been having with fellow Viking, Alan Pafenbach. The original idea was that there used to be an expectation in marketing around paying for ideas. At the very least, you paid for production. Now we've entered an age where even production might be free, and in some cases even the ideas might be free. 

After stewing with this notion for a few months, I sent a revision to Ann Handley at MarketingProfs.com. She gave me some great feedback, and agreed to publish the updated thesis.

So here it is: "Something for Nothing: The New Age of Marketing and Advertising?" 

Please let me know what you think.

2009: The Age Of Conversation 2

I'm a bit late to the party on this. Back in October, 2008 a few hundred of us contributed to the book Age of Conversation 2: Why Don't They Get It? (Link to the AOC blog here.) It's a wonderful opus, with 237 authors from around the globe contributing one chapter each to one of five core subjects.

The book is available here (from Lulu publishing), as hardcover, softcover or download. All proceeds from the sales of the book (less printing and shipping) go to Variety, The Children's Charity.  

I chose the subject "business model evolution," and wrote the chapter, "Models Are People, Too." In essence, I argue, 

"A business model can't take action, can't react, can't create the next great idea. People, however, can and will do all of the above. If you hire and nurture correctly, the (business) model becomes self-evident."

There are 236 even better chapters to peruse inside AOC2. 

Podcasts with many of the authors are available here. And brief intros to many of the authors are here (more added every week). You can also engage with the book's community on Facebook, and follow us via Twitter (@aoc2).

Maybe you've still got some holiday shopping to do, or are looking for a great book to start 2009 with. I highly recommend purchasing this one. Your investment will go to a great cause.

* * *

Here's a list of of all the contributing authors to AOC2, by first name:

Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G. Kofi Annan, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw and James G. Lindberg, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem.

CMYK interview

The latest issue of CMYK Magazine (Vol. 42) has hit the stands. CMYK speaks to art/design/advertising students and professionals. Page 82 features an interview with me edited by Rachael Posnak. We did this interview so long ago I almost forgot about it. But if you're curious, here's a link to download a PDF of the piece, since CMYK doesn't have the interview available online. The interview covers issues such as what constitutes "digital awareness," what makes a good digital ad, the advantages of digital versus traditional ads (and vice versa) and more. 

Download the CMYK Magazine interview PDF 

Your first portfolio?

I'm hoping you can help me with a quick survey. I'm assembling an upcoming article for my monthly marketing column at TalentZoo.com (http://talentzoo.com). 

I have three general questions about your first portfolio. We're trying to help raw talent better estimate the work involved in getting their first job. Regardless of your position today, please think back to your first job in marketing/advertising/design/interactive when responding.

1. How many individual pieces/samples were in the portfolio that got you hired for your first fulltime job? (How many pieces were part of a campaign versus single units/one-offs?)

2. How long did it take you to assemble this first portfolio (in whatever format that was - printed book, website)?

3. Once you had this portfolio assembled, how long did it take you to get hired? How many interviews did you attend?

You can either email me your responses: tim [at] helloviking [dot] com, or leave them in the comments.

Thanks very much for your insights and participation.

procrastination

I have plenty of excuses: The two kids. The three companies. The board. The teaching. This blog.

Yeah, whatever. Fact is, I have mad skills in procrastination. I am stunningly capable of jutting over to one of the other responsibilities or something completely superfluous at the drop of a hat. How about you?

But I've decided procrastination is not bad. In fact, I think it can be quite good and useful.

Take Malcolm Gladwell's observation: 

"The messy desk is not necessarily a sign of disorganization. It may be a sign of complexity: those who deal with many unresolved ideas simultaneously cannot sort and file the papers on their desks, because they haven't yet sorted and filed the ideas in their head."

That's me. 

And I'm beginning to wonder if, by procrastinating, I am actually wrestling in some way with an unresolved connection or insight or idea. In other words, I'm kindly suggesting my conscious mind go and write some more snarky missives for someecards.com while my subconscious rattles around the asylum looking for clues.

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce my latest form of procrastination.

I've been donating my e-card writing "abilities" towards the growing collection made available by the kindly folks at Some Ecards (tagline: "When you care enough to hit send."). Please, feel free to use one of mine the next time you need to send a note of encouragement, or a birthday greeting, or a workplace note or even to celebrate the upcoming holiday.

I'd like to think—at the very, very least—this is at least a form of writing and thus thinking. So, even though it's procrastination, there might just be some value to the effort.

Ever hopefully yours.

Best practices in social media: Invest in it

Last week I got tagged by Gavin Heaton to add my story to an evolving conversation and collection of insights on "best practices in social media." Mitch Joel over at Six Pixels of Separation kicked this meme off, and since then, a number of really smart people have contributed their take on best practices:

Consistency (Mitch Joel)

Embrace your audience (Jason Falls)

Listen and add value (Kipp Bodnar)

Listen (Chris Brogan)

Be human (Kristie Wells)

Reach out to others (Morriss Partee)

Honesty and respect (Paisano)

Watch what people actually do (Liz Strauss)

Provide a platform (Beth Harte)

Lift up others! (Drew McLellan)

Tell a story (Gavin Heaton)

Of course social media is new, ever evolving and ever-expanding. It can be hard to wrap your head around the first time or even the fourth time. So having this collection of tips and insights is a wonderful resource for experienced practitioners and newbies alike. I learned a lot reading everyone else's ideas.

Now, here's my best practice for social media: "Invest In It."

What's the old lottery tagline, "You've got to be in it to win it?" Exactly. Actively, frequently participating—either in reading and aggregating and commenting, or being so bold as to blog or video share—is critical to understanding and reaping advantage of social media. 

Invest your time. Make room in your calendar. Start with a half hour a day. But make the personal effort to understand the space, it's participants, rules, methodology and results. How else can you understand it, reference it, make recommendations about it? Don't rely on others, do the work yourself. (And it is, to some degree, work.)

I recall first getting into advertising and wanting to get involved in disciplines I had zero experience in, like TV. So I followed Stephen King's advice on becoming a professional writer, when he talks about commitment: "Either you're writing or you're reading." I wasn't making TV spots, so I sat down and watched hundreds of them, analyzed them, drew storyboards of what I saw—all the better to be prepared when I made my first spots. For you to succeed, you must be in it.

Social Media can be, like any discipline, an armchair activity; produced at a casual pace with casual results. Or it can be incredibly persuasive, effective and liberating for brands and audiences together. But the only way that's going to happen is if you—the singular, personal you (not your assistant or team)—invests in social media.

* * *

Now I'm tagging Dion Hughes, Greg Swan, Alan Wolk and David Griner to add their insights on best practices in social media.

MIMA Summit Blog Carnival Topic 1: Where Does Content Start?

The annual Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) Summit is coming Wednesday, October 1. REGISTER HERE. I'm excited 'cause it's my first Summit as a MIMA Board member, but also because we're bringing in many awesome presenters and panelists, including...

Valeria Maltoni, Conversation Agent

Brian Kalma, Director of Creative and Marketing, Zappos

Adrian Ho & Christian Erickson, Zeus Jones

Rebecca Lieb, ClickZ

Ze Frank

Leah Buley, Adaptive Path

Dan Grigsby, Unpossible

It's definitely going to be a fantastic day with too many good sessions to attend. REGISTER HERE.

* * * * *

To promote this year's Summit, we've established a blog carnival, with a variety of topics coming from the speakers' sessions. The first topic for the carnival is: "Where Does Content Start Or Marketing Begin...And Vice Vera?"

Here's my brief take on this topic:

There's just one brand. One touchstone. One DNA. So, content and marketing are the same thing. You could argue Content begets Marketing—words come before actions. For me, the difference between Content and Marketing is intent and audience. 

Content is anything and everything you might want to know about a brand. It could be purely informational, instructional or designed to persuade. Whereas Marketing is an action designed to provoke further action. Marketing is the repackaging or use of Content to further a business goal.

The challenge, lately, has been for corporations and their marketing organizations to understand they are in the content business—and so are their audiences. It's a difference that affects staffing, budgeting and other resources. If you're not careful, content creation can eat you up. But without a content strategy, one that is harmonious with marketing objectives, both the brand and audience suffer.

The end.