Let the battle begin...

What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? A question that has plagued mankind for awhile. But how would one find out? Are they talking about an African or European swallow? Sure there is the public library down the street, but where is that dusty library card? No one knows. For a tech-savy 21st century goer the answer is simple, Google it.


But what happens if the relevant information I want to know is on a new sleek, eye-poppin', mind-blowin' confangled flash site? Would google scoop that info up and deliver? They simple answer is yes. But it's not that efficient, yet.


Google can creep in to a .swf file[the actual flash movie] and analyze the text within the movie and deliver it in a search. This is a good thing, the bad thing is most flash sites are just one page, whereas html sites are comprised of many pages. Having multiple pages with more to search will more than likely rank higher than the flash site. This is very unfortunate because in some cases the flash site could have better content relevancy.


So how is this problem solved. Really its not, but it is recommended that if you want a flash site, to have the .swf files broken up into multiple flash files so the search engine has more to creep through. The only problem is this is sometimes not the best way to set up a flash site.

The question still stands, html v. flash? Each site will have a different situation, and its always going to be give and take.


Oh and swallows, regardless of where its from, are pretty slow animals.

Your Secret Is Out

Q: What do "curb morning sickness," "you're pregnant he doesn't want the baby," "baby names," "abortion clinics charlotte nc," and "engagement rings" all have in common?
A: They were all keyword searches from one IP address over a course of two months (in that order) according to aolstalker.com
She may have thought her secret was safe between her and her computer but somebody let the cat out of the bag.

In a recent Fortune magazine article titled "Careful what you search for", the writer talks about internet searching and protecting your identity while on the web. Google just released its annual "zeitgeist" list of popular searches to let us know that when we have burning questions, we go to the great oracle, Google. The "What is..." category is pretty serious with "what is love" and "what is life" holding the top two spots. "What is java" made third place (I think I contributed to that). You can view the rest of the lists here.

Q: So are you concerned that your search info is retrieved, archived and sold?
As a marketer, this info is awesome to have for clients; as a consumer I like having ads related to my interests.

Q: What were you searching for that led to this blog?
A: ___________________________________

Campaign for Global Warming

We're in Kansas City and it's been so warm here it's scary. I haven't seen the new movie, "The Day the Earth Stood Still", but when I walked outside the other day expecting 16 degrees and getting 60, all I could do was stand still and think:
Where did all the snow go?
If it were an election campaign, would I support Global Warming?
Should I take the motorcycle for spin today?

Well I didn't take the bike out, obviously the snow melted and I'm not in favor of global warming but I'll just wait for the debate.

Via an article on www.mediapost.com, I discovered a new social networking site for motorcycle enthusiasts, Rockmoto.com. Funded by the big 4 Japanese manufactures, this site was awesomely designed by California based Trinet Internet Solutions. Besides the design of high quality graphics, photos and videos, what's really cool is that the site pairs riders with the perfect bike and the perfect playlist (compliments of Pandora).

Even if you don't ride, check the site out. With this whole global warming thing, we may all be on bikes and scooters year-round, saving gas and going fast!

Btw, that is "her and I" spending some quality time in the photo.

More About that Brand Ambassador Guy

A consumer research and consulting firm which surveyed 500 Americans over the age of 13 for a period of 6 days showed that "67% of consumers are likely to pass along information from an actual ("real live") brand representative to other people, and 57% are likely to take action based on that information."

"Sixty-two percent of consumers felt that information received from a brand ambassador was more valuable than advertising or promotional materials."

Another part of this interesting survey talked about social media (blogs, forums, social networking sites, etc) and their effectiveness. 70% of the respondents were polled as using social media to research a brand or product. The downside for marketers on that is that only 16% and 18% of consumers that visit corporate blogs and social network profiles respectively, actually trust the information they find.

Makes sense. It supports the idea of creating brand ambassadors that will give your company or product face-to-face (or message-to-message) interaction with your target market...and not giving them the "I'm being sold" feeling.

Fun Facts of the Day on Word of Mouth Advertising

During The Empirical Generalizations in Advertising Conference an outstanding group of researchers and practitioners got together to lay out what we do and don't know about advertising, and what it might look like in the future.

The section that caught my eye was that on Word of Mouth (WOM) advertising. Many companies attribute their success to it. Many times a "WOM advertiser" or "brand ambassador" as we refer to them at BCG will spread the word because of a favorable experience with the product itself, a website, at a promotional event or maybe just a customer service rep. The facts below give marketers and business owners a little more insight on WOM advertising.

Below I listed some of the paraphrased conclusions of the various papers developed at the conference.

• 20% of WOM is stimulated by Advertising. Influencers are 3x as likely to talk about ads
• Ad-influenced WOM is about 20% more likely to include active recommendations to try/buy product.
• About 1/2 of Online WOM is teenagers. From a marketing standpoint, need to keep that in mind.
• 75% of WOM is face to face; 15% is phone; 3% texting; 3% email; 1% chat rooms

I think the coolest fact in this paper is that there are about 3.5 billion brand conversations per day. Are people talking about your brand?

Happy Holidays!!!

Ask Tony

Zappos is on track to grow from 0 to $1B in less than 10yrs. How did they do it and how can your company do the same? Just ask Tony!

Zappos is rolling out Zappos Insights, a subscription service that lets companies ask questions about the "Zappos way" and get answers from actual employees. It will run you $39.95 a month but subscribers also get access to a private, members-only area, where you'll find in-depth information, like articles, video interviews with senior management, training videos, and video responses to user-submitted questions. The site has articles direct from CEO Tony Hsieh, such as “The importance of open and honest communication” and “Zappos.com’s culture.” 

Being one of the top 3 marketers of 2008 (next to Barack Obama and Apple), it might turn out to be $40 well spent. 

Brockton Creative Group Goes to Vegas!

The great thing about having clients in Vegas is that we get to travel there a few times a year. Here are a few pics from our trip. 

By the way, we all lost money!

Sunseeker Inflight Guides Second Issue Goes to Press!

Brockton Creative Group just wrapped up the second issue of the Sunseeker, Allegiant Air's inflight publication. 

The Sunseeker is an entertaining and informative guide about the exciting destinations Allegiant Air flies to. 

Surgery Center's Brand Identity

We just finished designing this identity system for the Seven Hills Surgery Center and Stonecreek Surgery Center. For this project we have been working with Banyan Communications Group, a health care marketing communications and consulting firm, based out of Las Vegas to develop the entire brand identity for these state-of-the-art surgery centers located in Las Vegas. The next task for the Brockton Creative Group team is to start developing their websites.

Brockton Creative Group has been partnered with Banyan Communications Group since 2005 and in that time we have developed award-winning campaigns for the healthcare industry. For more information about Banyan Communications Group go to www.banyancg.com

An End To A Beginning

Sadly today is the interns last day. It seems like only yesterday when I first ended up in the wrong part of Kansas City (aka the barrio) thinking I was parked in front of BCG on my first day. But from that point it was only to get better and better. To me this was the summer of 'enlightenment'. Going into this internship I felt I had a good grab of this profession that is graphic design. I knew Adobe like we were best buds, or at least that's what I thought. Working for BCG was great experience and an absolute pleasure. One would never know this company was only a 3 man team. With clients like Banyan and Allegiant Air (one of the only airlines to make money every quarter) you would think you would be walking into a studio with 5 receptionists, 4 creative teams of 10 designers, a full staff of marketing and creative directors. This though my friends is not the case with Brockton Creative Group. We are a small firm, small, but big. Ludicrous you say? Well, with the hard work and the business smarts this group of guys have it was very easy to see why BCG is so successful. I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to work with these talented professionals. Everyday I would learn a technique in an Adobe program that I thought I already knew. They wouldn't hesitate to lend a helping hand and definitely didn't hesitate to keep you on your toes. My skills as a young designer have increased exponentially. Being that this is smaller firm I had huge responsibility and opportunities I don't think I would of had at a bigger studio. Would I recommend a graphic design internship? Yes. Would I recommend a internship with BCG? ABSOLUTELY. - The Intern.

A Kansas City Talent

Our good friend and Kansas City artist Suze Ford came to BCG in search of help to redevelop her identity. So, we hooked it up! Suze's work is about evolution, and the paths one takes on the road of life. This was a great opportunity to work with Suze because her style is unique, bright and refreshing. Our goal was to come up with a promotional set for upcoming exhibitions that was bold but simple so that her work was really under the spot light. This redesign included: a new logo, business cards, letterhead, promotional post cards, and a one foot by seven foot banner to be displayed along with her work at a show. It was a total blast working with her and BCG is proud to have worked with such a talented artist. So from us at BCG we want to congratulate Suze on all she has accomplished and wish her the best on her future endeavors!

So I was watching TV last night and saw this really cool Reebok commercial entitled “Join the Migration.” The commercial was so cool that I felt the need to do some research and write about it. The 60-second commercial I’m talking about is apparently the start of Reebok’s brand new marketing campaign advertising the company’s next generation workout shirt called the “Speedwick Tee.” The advertisement starts out depicting players in their off season pursuits—fishing, laying by the pool, cutting the grass, etc.—then quickly turns to a migration scene showing 20 players unite with their other teammates as they all head toward their home stadiums. With each player sporting their teams Speedwick Tee, they trudge through cities, plains and deserts. I thought that was a really well done ad. It definitely kept my attention from start to finish and did a great job showcasing Reebok’s association with the NFL. For more information about this commercial I would recommend visiting: www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=87066&Nid=45318&p=461046…

Beer Me.

Yesterday was a sad day for all beer drinkers residing in the continental United States, as all of us were forced to wave goodbye to one of our country's most iconic brands. July 14 will forever mark the date when Belgium beverage giant, InBev, forked over $52 billion dollars to purchase the King of Beers. Yes…it is sad to say, but this once purely American brand is now only as American as Belgium waffles.

I myself am a beer drinker and have been an avid ‘Bud-Heavy’ fan for years. I am also a graphic designer and have been an admirer of the advertising campaigns that Budweiser has put forth throughout the years. Being a graphic designer, it has also always been my opinion that advertising and marketing should be a company’s main priority. Unfortunately for me, this is often not the case and in the world of business, advertising and marketing is often the first thing that gets cut or put on hold.

For all of those ad agencies, large or small, located in the St. Louis area that have done work for Anheuser-Busch, this buyout could hit them hard. Last year alone, Anheuser-Busch spent $782 million dollars on advertising worldwide. Although Anheuser-Busch’s primary ad agency has been the Chicago-based ad agency DDB Worldwide Communications Group for the last 14 years, the brewer still outsources much of its advertising needs to large and small firms throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.

These St. Louis graphic design firms who list Anheuser-Busch as a client include Buck Design Solution, ProWolfe Partners, Direct Impact Inc., Drive Agency, Cannonball Agency, Group360 Visual Communications, Momentum Worldwide, Rodgers Townsend, Waylon Ad and XG-Ad, just to name a few.

It is not yet for certain if InBev will cut ties with any of these agencies listed above but we hope they are able to maintain their relationships.

For more information go to:

http://www.nola.com/business/ambizdaily/bizjournals/index.ssf?/base/abd-4/1214203206187940.xml
www.inbev.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_(Anheuser-Busch)

Cabo San Lucas

So, I was able to pry myself away from my Mac for a week to get some much needed rest and relaxation. During my week of R&R, I traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and if you’ve never been there before, you should. It’s full of amazing scenery, good food and most importantly…great golf!

We did a little bit of everything down in Cabo and there were some interesting photo opportunities. I brought my Nikon D80, which I’ve had for a few months now and Cabo was an ideal place to play around with it.

We're Hiring!

Our team consists of creative and energetic young professionals who have been brought together through our passion for business, design and marketing. We are the perfect fusion of business sensitivity and creative innovation, which has enabled us to quickly establish a national client base. We are upbeat, fun, creative people looking for the same type of person to join our team. We are looking for a dedicated production designer to contribute to interactive and print design projects. This is a full-time position. It is an important position that will play a pivotal role in this company’s continued growth.

We are looking for someone who is passionate, hard working and very talented! You will need to be comfortable in all stages of graphics production and preferably interface design. It is a must though that you have formal training in Graphic Design. Most importantly, you will need to understand that there is a business and target market behind every design concept.

Qualified Candidates will have a 4-year degree in a Graphic Communications related field, and a minimum of 2-3 years of experience.

Your duties would include
- Corporate branding/identity design
- Advertising design
- Collateral design
- Environmental design
- Web design
- Page layout

Essential Skills
- Collaborative personality and team player
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong verbal/written communication skills
- Strong web design & development knowledge
- Experience in graphic design and web publishing applications including, Adobe Creative Suite, Flash, HTML, CSS, Dreamweaver
- The ability to thrive in a fast paced environment
- Ability to work successfully under little supervision
- Very proactive in attempting new design concepts and projects and presenting options
- Strong understanding of the fundamentals of layout and design with a keen eye for typography, color, and other design elements
- Excellent project management skills: scheduling, organizing, attention to detail.
- Optimistic, positive attitude with desire to always do your best
- Ability to accept constructive criticism



To apply, please send resume and portfolio--or link to online portfolio.

Young Painting + Remodeling // BRANDING PROJECT

Brockton Creative Group is happy to announce an exciting new client, Young - Painting + Remodeling! Young P+R, is a high-end painting and remodeling company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Some of their services include, Interior and Exterior Painting, Custom Remodeling (Basement, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom), Granite Countertops, Tile, Hardwood Flooring, Finish Carpentry, Custom Cabinetry, Additions, Siding and Window Replacement, Exterior Structures (Decks, Overhangs, Porches) and Commercial Remodeling.

We were awarded the opportunity to create their brand identity from the ground up. Our goal was to develop an identity that positioned Young P+R as an innovative, high-quality and customer focused home remodeling company.

Above are some samples of the logo and business cards we developed for Young Painting + Remodeling along with a door hanger we designed that will supplement a holiday campaign we are running for them.

Some examples of our work...