Moleskine… My New Addiction

My Moleskines plus a sample of the collection

I  have not yet blogged about any particular product, but my new addiction for Moleskine has prompted me to do so.

If you do any form of writing, I would recommend that you at least take a trip to Barnes and Noble or wherever Moleskine’s are sold near you and give these handy notepads a look. As of now, I have two. One I use for simple note taking and the other for storyboards. If I have an idea for a commercial, tagline, or random copy point, I grab the Moleskine I use for those things, write down the idea, and put it back in my pocket. When I have more in-depth ideas about a TV commercial – key screenshots for example – I can grab the storyboard version from my pocket and sketch whatever comes to mind.

Look for yourself. These notepads are just intriguing. Period. The story, the branding, the selection, the allure… it’s all there. There’s just something about these legendary little books. Next, I’m getting a planner.

Do you have one? How do you use it?

Kaplan University’s Inspiring Ads

When it comes to advertising, it takes a lot of creativity to come up with something different – something that hasn’t been done. I’ve touched on this matter in my post about taglines. Taglines are everywhere but few truly stand out. The same goes for TV commercials. We are exposed to many, many TV commercials each year. Some are just there, but some are unique, powerful, and memorable.

The bar has been set for 2009. On January 6^th, a campaign for Kaplan University was rolled out, leaving me inspired and motivated. Being a copywriter, I appreciate and admire great concepts in advertising. My hat is off to Ogilvy & Mather for showing that they’ve still got it when it comes to producing amazing campaigns.

You know when you see one of those great commercials or print ads and wish you had come up with it? This is one of those ads. This is the type of campaign that I hope to conceptualize someday. It’s motivating. The writing, visuals, and acting are great (love James Avery, he was perfect for this spot) and it conveys the message in a powerful way. I would love the chance to talk to the copywriter or group who came up with this commercial.

Here it is! Does it move you? What’s your take?

What is Social Media?

Finally, my presentation on Social Media is posted. It’s a simple approach with more visuals and examples than explanations. When prompted to present, I plan on talking and vocally explaining things in more detail. However, if you do want to learn more about it, just check out the examples. Find their blogs, twitters, and facebooks to see how it’s done. I’m no graphic designer but I tried to make it appealing.

Huge thanks to David Griner, my fellow North Alabama native at Luckie for allowing me to use some of the stats and information he compiled. For a more detailed presentation on social media, check him out at The Social Path.

Below is a preview, but it’s a little too small to read all of the words. Please click here and view it in full screen.

Taglines – Underrated, Underappreciated

As of late, the necessity of a good tagline seems to be up for debate. It’s true, taglines are a dime a dozen, however, a GREAT tagline is rare, refreshing, and powerful.

As stated by Jim Morris in a guest post on The Marketing Spot, even the advertising industry’s brightest minds are denouncing the tagline as an irrelevant part of a marketing campaign or brand image. It saddens me to see that Luke Sullivan, the man who literally wrote the book on copywriting, is expressing his own disinterest in the once powerful tagline. While I look up to Mr. Sullivan, twice purchased his book Hey Whipple, Squeeze This, and refer back to it often, I disagree with him on this issue.

A tagline that captures the essence of your brand in a few words or less is both powerful and invaluable. Value is sometimes attributed to availability. If something is common, it’s not highly priced, but being rare increases its value. This is true with taglines. You probably see taglines on t-shirts, commercials, and products that use the same tired clichés you’ve become immune to and I completely understand. I see taglines all the time that just don’t do it. I understand that some taglines are simply there. They aren’t special, they don’t create any kind of interest, and they’re just bland. But every so often, you come across a rare tagline that grabs you. One that sums up the brand it represents and wraps it up into a sentence or less. Those are the GOOD taglines. Some are GREAT taglines.

An advocate of the tagline is author Steve Cone, chief marketing officer at Epsilon. Cone has written two popular marketing books: Steal These Ideas and Powerlines. In Powerlines, Cone urges us to bring back the tagline and help return it to its glory days. Personally, I’m all for it and I bought the book.

Andy Beaupre believes taglines are more important than ever, and my thinking is in line with his. Taglines need a resurgence. I believe in a good, creative tagline. It’s amazing how the right tagline can represent a brand precisely and stand out amongst the crowd and clutter. They are strong, intriguing, and memorable. So, what say you? Do you see it as a thing of the past or do you respect the role a powerful tagline can play? What are some of your favorite taglines?

Social Media… Approachable Advice

There are obvious benefits to businesses who get into social media. Perhaps the benefits provided to an individual pursuing social media are just as plentiful. Call me captain obvious, but the best thing about social media has got to be the advice available from experts.

In social media, the experts are out there for you to connect with, after all, it’s what they do. They’ll give great advice and help get you going. If you’re feeling social media and find it hard to tear yourself away from it, then just go for it. It’s a rare case where you can get going with help from the best. Let’s put it in perspective.

What should you do if your jump shot isn’t falling right? Get in touch with Lebron, wait I said jump shot. Contact Paul Pierce or Ray Allen, maybe they have some advice for you. Yeah right. Having trouble with your 7 iron? Give Tiger or Phil a shout. Sure, do those guys look like they want to talk to you?

Extreme example? Yeah, probably so, but still the point remains. Social Media is one of the few areas where you can reach out to the experts and they will indeed help you. When Social Media grabbed me and sucked me in, I found it useful to follow the best on twitter and read their blogs. You can get valuable information and insight from the best in the business and they are willing to make contact. That’s a trait you don’t find in every profession.

So, if you’re lurking in the world of social media and want to make that decision to jump in with both feet, reach out and speak up. You’ll probably find the advice you need to get going and then some. They may even be able to help you out with your 7 iron or jump shot. Here are a few that I find have valuable insight. A lot of them have already made a list like this, but hey, when in Rome.

1. Jason Falls

2. Chris Brogan

3. Sonny Gill

4. David Griner

5. Scott Schablow

6. Amber Naslund

7. Mack Collier

8. Michael Durwin

Keep in mind, these are some of the social media gurus. Follow the best, they’ll show you the rest.