'Tough love' for the advertising industry

As longtime members of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, otherwise known as the 4 A’s, the Lizards recently attended their national conference held in Laguna Niguel, CA, where advertising and communication experts provided some “tough love” for the advertising industry.

The conference focused on how the advertising industry needs to stop worrying about the rapid changes in the industry and strategically move forward with the challenges. As a forward-thinking, creative agency, the Lizards already consider themselves agents of change, and therefore embrace the evolving advertising landscape.

We understand that change makes people nervous, but we are here to help. As agents of change, we ask our clients, “what keeps you up at night” and then we create solutions to solve their business problems. These solutions 9 times out of 10, involve change.

In developing creative campaigns, we create communications, pathways and avenues to move people to act and make decisions and it’s our job to make sure those people act in a way that is positive and relevant to our clients and their businesses.

As speakers talked about how agencies need to change and adapt to the shifts in media, technology, and consumer behavior, we feel good knowing we are constantly changing and adapting to the marketplace to support clients’ needs.

And of course, we have made conscious efforts to learn as much as we can about the many new facets the digital world, such as social media, online networking, and interactive and are successfully applying the strategies to our client’s needs.

The Spirit of Listening

Often overlooked, listening is a critical aspect of business. Whether you’re selling a product or service, garnering new business or retaining current business, listening is a marketing strategy repeatedly left in the dust, behind its more popular alternative - talking.

In an age of conversational marketing, businesses are jumping online, but ignoring the customer’s voice. As professionals, we are eager to offer tips, strategies, advice and punch lines – but many of us are forgetting to stop and listen to our customers. Competition can be fierce, therefore businesses need to spend a significant amount of time listening to what their customers want, feel, need and know. This marketing strategy, when used correctly, can be a competitive advantage.

Savvy professionals know that listening to consumer’s voices includes everything from a face-to-face meeting to a phone call to a blog posting about a product or service. Listening is a simple tactic to gather valuable information from customers, manage the relationships and learn how to make better brand decisions. In today’s world of consumer control, it greatly benefits businesses to honor customer’s voices and serve them better by listening to what they have to say. Hint: This helps create brand loyalty.

So, in the spirit of listening, we want to hear what you have to say. Do you have a burning question about:

· How to make your brand memorable in the customer’s mind or how your brand can capture market share?

· Do you have a compelling idea that needs to be shared?

· Ever wonder how to position your company as an expert or leader in your select industry?

Ask away and the Lizards will do their best to entertain your brewing questions and comments. Speak up! We love to listen.

Social media and meaning

What does social media mean for corporate communicators, consumers and influencers? 

A recent webinar focused on the industry’s new social media release and how to present its format to journalists and bloggers so they can effectively relay messages. 

After some debate between a panel of bloggers, entrepreneurs and communications professionals, the consensus was reached that the social media release isn’t a new kind of communication that needs to be presented, it’s an evolution of traditional marketing.
Social media, whether it’s a news release, a blog, or a YouTube video, gives communicators a new way to share information and facilitate conversation with their many audiences and their influencers. It's a complementary tactic that can make communication more complete.

Because the social media space is new and can be unfamiliar, many consumers don’t use it, don’t know how to use it, and don’t care to learn. But those same consumers continue to flip through magazines and be intrigued by a compelling, creative advertisement. We have an abundance of avenues to reach our targeted audiences/consumers. It's a great time to start conversations and keep them going.

Walk For A Change

We can't say we specialize in changing behavior without being able to do it ourselves. After the endless french fry lunches and most of us complaining about our thighs, our print production manager came up with the great idea to go walking at lunch! It was a New Year and many of us had some health-related resolutions like losing a dress size or two. Excitement grew as we stared down at a few empty plates of fries…walking suddenly turned into running a half-marathons which quickly turned back into walking 30 minutes at lunch. Everyone decided Monday, we’d bring in our sneakers.

Monday came and two people brought their sneakers and everyone else forgot. On Tuesday, all of us brought our kicks and we shut the phones off (unprecedented) and hit the streets in one big lounge (scientific term for a group of lizards). Our company president led the pack and the rest of us kept up with determination and intensity. (Cue theme song from Chariots of Fire)

That first day we battled some dicey conditions. It was HOT for San Diego in January…the thermometer was toying with 75 degrees. I think accounts payable almost passed out. No one brought water and we were seeing stars. Our lounge ended up looking more like a line, spread out along Scranton Road. Then we saw it...

Gasp! It was a hill. Most of us were relieved we changed into our “2002 Help the Homeless” walkathon t-shirt and/or old soccer shorts from college. The hill was no stroll. This was an obstacle, we would tackle head-on, together. The more in-shape of the group decided to pull a Jennifer Aniston and run up the hill backwards. Cheering the rest of us on. Some people bowed out before the hill and went back to the office offering to pick up a “healthy” lunch. The rest of us, climbed that hill, motivating one another and smiling just because we were outside, breaking up the day with some sunshine and exercise.

We go walking almost everyday now. The people who turned around and went back the first day now try to walk further and further each time, slowly building up the strength to go the entire 30 minutes. It’s great to see your co-workers as people in t-shirts and sneakers (bright red in Marcia’s case). Forgetting everything back at the office and taking a mental break and really REALLY talking to each other.

Productivity has improved. People are more motivated and we have changed because of that positive first experience. Everyone is getting a lot out of the walks. We are almost into February and we are sticking to our resolutions (although I did eat fries today).