Author: Geile/Leon

Jedi Copywriting: My path as a Padawan learner

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Jedi Copywriting: My path as a Padawan learner

G/L Culture

Recently I was at the Ad Club Creative Symposium, the creative gathering for St. Louis advertising agencies. And my favorite presentation was the speaking duet, John January and Tug McTighe, who discussed the parallels of a little known Sci-fi series, Star Wars, and modern copywriting. Surprisingly, the 2 universes are more corollary than I ever imagined. And just so I don’t loose the too-cool-for-light-sabers crowd early on, you need to know just about nothing on Star Wars for their insight to be helpful. These two had a few too many beers, watched a few too many consecutive Star Wars movies, and came up with some genius connections between creative copywriting and Jedi Knighthood.

For me this really hit home because of the frank tone (example; “Some days you will feel like a fraud…”) and humorous connections (Ultimate Sci-fi pop culture references). It’s refreshing to hear what you need to hear in the context of a creative presentation. January and McTighe covered six principle similarities, or rather tenets:

My Creative Jedi Team

 

1. Be a Padawan Learner.

Translation: Be open to guidance throughout your entire career in copywriting. Yes, you may show talent early on, but be open to mentoring and advice. Only then will you ever truly keep improving.

2. Concept the Jedi Way.

Meaning: Jedi always collaborate to conquer, as should your creative team. The more head the better. For copywriters, our allies are most often our art directors. We need to work as a creative team, set differences aside, to work toward the greater good.

3. Concentrate on the Here and Now.

Aka: Concentrate on the task at hand. Do what is on your desk to the best of your ability. Stop looking ahead or on your cubicle-mate’s desk. If you consistently deliver stand-out work the good stuff will, in time, come your way.

4. Beware the Dark Side.

Say what?: In advertising our evils are pettiness, envy and insecurity. We can not let these counterproductive emotions creep into our agencies and destroy creative mojo. Work alongside your creative Jedi, be open to ideas, and new thinking.

5. Do or Do Not. There Is No Try.

In English: Don’t get hung up in your losses or failures. Just bring the best ideas you possibly can to the table. Yes, clients will shoot down great ideas. But don’t give up. The next big idea is just a sleepless night away.

6. Celebrate Seriously.

Sounds simple enough: This is imperative. Take your victories seriously. Whether it’s winning an account, nailing a tagline or finishing a project, put aside a moment to celebrate. Maybe that means cracking a cold one or doing the Cupid Shuffle, at the very least, pat oneself on the back because if I’ve learned anything in my short career, it’s that you will fail plenty, so don’t be afraid to linger a little too long on the victories.

 

All in all, this was an ingenious presentation and really got me thinking. I mean there have been plenty of brochures I just wanted to get out the door, but I should make time to make those HVAC brochures the best damn HVAC brochures anyone has ever seen. Sure some days are hard, but other days make those hard days worthwhile. And next time I’m frustrated, instead of bottling it in, I should just swivel my chair around and talk it out with my art directors. Celebrating? Well, I think I’m doing an okay job at that, but I can always be more encouraging of my fellow Jedis’ victories, we’re the force after all.

If you’re interested in hearing the full presentation, download their podcast, American Copywriter. You’ll get their full insight, Samuel L. Jackson quips and all.

 

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Selecting an Agency Doesn’t Have to Give You a Headache

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Selecting an Agency Doesn’t Have to Give You a Headache

Integrated Marketing

Recently, Harley Hammerman, CEO of Metro Imaging and Geile/Leon client, told the Business Journal that selecting an advertising agency to promote his business was a matter of relationships. A few days ago the ANA, the Association of National Advertisers, and 4A’s, The American Association of Advertising Agencies, published guidelines on how to conduct an agency search to help marketers find the right agency and make the process as painless as possible, for both parties. It’s a big commitment to hire an agency. There’s a lot riding on the decision, and you want to get it right.

The agency search is a blessing and a curse. The blessing: for the agency, the opportunity to win new business; for the client, to form a relationship that could change their business. The curse: the process, which is about to be broken.

Most companies think that the RFP, is the way to go. Almost any agency will tell you it’s flawed. Historically, RFPs are used for vendors and contractors. Your agency is a consultant—it’s a relationship and our services can’t necessarily be compared. The beauty of agencies is that we all think and tackle situations differently. If you were to receive five RFPs from five different agencies—the answers would all be different. Thank goodness!

The key to a great relationship with your agency is finding one that fits you, understands your business and can deliver great results. This is not a one-size fits all deal. Not every client is right for every agency and vice versa.

So throw out your RFP form. Instead, do some research. Ask around. We (agencies) like to think that our clients would be happy to give a recommendation, because we have exceeded their expectations. Jump online and do a search for agencies, and make your short list. Then get some opinions from colleagues. Meet one-on-one with the agencies on your short list. Visit their space. Talk with your account team.

Finding an agency is a lot like dating. Certain criteria have to be met, but the spark on the first meeting is usually the tell-tale sign of a long and successful relationship.

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Heartland Bank Finds Fun Way to Bolster United Way Giving

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Heartland Bank Finds Fun Way to Bolster United Way Giving

General

Heartland Bank, a client of St. Louis Public Relations Agency Geile/Leon Marketing Communications, decided they wanted to do a little more than just contribute to the annual United Way Campaign on an individual basis.

So they decided that this year, each department would create an auction basket with donated items from clients, customers and themselves. Each basket would have its own theme. Once all the baskets were put together, employees would bid on each of the baskets (silent auction). The bidding began on October 5, and ended on October 7. There were eight baskets in all (one from each department) and the minimum bid was 50 bucks. Of course, some of the great baskets created stood out, like the Football one (pictured below) with Rams tickets, Mizzou gear and tailgating stuff.

Anyway, the highest bid went to the basket from the Heartland Bank Mortgage. These folks didn’t get a lot of donations, so they put together a basket with Cheez-Its, Dr. Pepper and Twizzlers! It drew $1350!

The entire auction added $4,000 to the bank’s contribution, and everyone had a great time doing it.

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Following My Own Advice When Preparing for a Media Interview

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Following My Own Advice When Preparing for a Media Interview

General

There is nothing like being on the other side of an interview to make you think about what you do for a living. As Vice President of Geile/Leon Marketing Communications, a St. Louis public relations agency, I train people how to do effective interviews. But when it is personal, I wonder what to say and how it will look in print!

I recently had a great experience with Town & Style writer Elle Denigan and photographer Charlie Barnes. Elle chose me to participate in the “What’s Your Routine” column. I will be featured in the October 26 column talking about my workout routine.

While I work out regularly, and always have, it still was a little nerve racking to be talking about myself to a reporter who was in fact asking me questions. Now many of you who know me will be asking if I followed my own advice when preparing for the interview, such as writing notes and key messages to deliver. Well, I can honestly tell you that I tried to!

I think I stammered a little when Elle asked me about my eating habits—what else could I say but that I am picky, with a capital “P!” She was very easy to talk to, but it was still an interview! Now I have a better sense of how my clients must feel when I put them in front of the media!

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Branson’s Hiltons Receive First-Ever “Blue Energy Award”

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Branson’s Hiltons Receive First-Ever “Blue Energy Award”

General

The Hiltons of Branson, which comprise the Branson Convention Center, Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and nearby Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing Hotel, are the proud recipients of the first-ever “Blue Energy Award,” given by Hilton Hotels. The Hiltons of Branson are a client of Geile/Leon Public Relations, a St. Louis Public Relations agency.

The award ceremony was covered by Branson Tri-Lakes News, the local newspaper. Below is the article “Hilton presented the first Blue Energy Award to Hiltons of Branson for its positive impact on teams, business and the community.”

Hilton presented the first Blue Energy Award to Hiltons of Branson for its positive impact on teams, business and the community. “Blue Energy represents such an important part of our culture of hospitality,” said Bill Derbins, general manager of Hiltons of Branson. “Congratulations to all of the team members of our two hotels for going above and beyond to make our guests and the members of our community feel valued and respected.”

More than 500 submissions were received from Hilton hotels and resorts around the world. The Blue Energy Quarterly Award is based on two criteria, the Brand Scorecard and the Quarterly Update completed by each property.

The Blue Energy initiatives that set Hiltons of Branson apart this quarter included a number of events recognizing team members for their hard work, a clean-up effort of Branson Landing Boulevard, a food drive for survivors of the Joplin tornadoes and innovative ways to recycle, reduce and reuse.

The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and Branson Convention Center are in the heart of historic downtown Branson and adjacent to Branson Landing. The hotels’ ideal location is perfect for business and leisure guests.

One of the most recognized names in the industry, Hilton Hotels & Resorts stands as the stylish, forward-thinking global leader in hospitality. The flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide continues to build upon its legacy of innovation by developing products and services to meet the needs of tomorrow’s savvy global travelers while more than 144,000 team members shape experiences in which every guest feels cared for, valued and respected.

Today, the Hilton Hotels & Resorts portfolio includes more than 540 hotels in 78 countries, and the brand remains synonymous with “hotel.” Hilton Hotels & Resorts is one of Hilton Worldwide’s ten market-leading brands.

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Digital Marketing Strategy Approach

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Digital Marketing Strategy Approach

Digital

Hi everyone. I’m Robert Mews, Digital Marketing Strategist here at Geile/Leon. I recently moved from Minneapolis where there are two seasons: winter and construction season. I’m excited to be here and to help clients create stellar business results through the use of digital media.

There are a lot of exciting things to try with digital marketing, but remember to keep it simple and not just gravitate towards shiny things. Marketing rules still apply to digital marketing, ask any digital marketing agency. Remember the purchase funnel (see diagram)? Yes, it still applies to digital marketing, believes it or not. You have customers who haven’t heard of you, and you have customers who have heard of you, but still need a little more push.

digital marketing funnel

There is a plethora of digital tactics that move people through the funnel from the kind that many seo nz experts use to target specific niches to more general options, but I still see people who put all their eggs in one basket-thinking it’s going to be a game switcher. I see people invest all their digital dollars in Facebook fan pages. It can be really hard to see results when every business has one, and the difference-maker is how you engage an audience with quality content. Ninety percent of businesses will fail at Facebook.

On the other hand, I see a ton of businesses invest all of their digital dollars in paid search. Yet, paid search only accounts for 10% of all clicks registered on search queries. And when you think of the purchase funnel, paid search is a tactic that helps move people from consideration to engaging. Remember the behavior of a search query-the consumer is already likely aware (hence the need to search for something). That’s not to say paid search won’t help build awareness. But, it works best when you have the mindset that people are already somewhat aware.

The best approach with digital marketing is to understand the purchase funnel and how to spread your digital dollars effectively to move people across the funnel. Putting all the dollars in one area will result in some imminent results, but you’ll quickly realize that it’s short term.

I welcome your comments.

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First Ever, Ad Club Creative Symposium!

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

First Ever, Ad Club Creative Symposium!

General

 

On October 13, 2011, the St. Louis Ad Club is putting on the 1st annual Creative  Symposium… Creative Symposi-what? The Creative Symposium is an in-depth professional development opportunity for those involved in all aspects of marketing communication, especially the creative types. This event will feature presenters from the industry’s top-flight agencies—discussing topics from both traditional and emerging media, along with plenty of Q&A.

Who are these renowned presenters from “top-flight agencies” giving away behind the scenes tactics, you ask?

  • Dayna Dion, Partner, Cultural Strategy Director with Ogilvy-Chicago, the largest advertising agency in the world, will present their work from an international campaign for Kimberly-Clark’s product “Kotex.” Dion will highlight strategic research which lead to the creative for campaigns in Australia, Southeast Asia and North America.
  • John January, Executive Creative Director at Sullivan, Higdon and Sink, and Tug McTighe,Vice President, Creative Director at Callahan Creek will present, “Jedi Copywriter or Everything I Need to Know about Advertising I Learned From Star Wars.” January and McTighe are friends and co-workers and are known for hosting American Copywriter, one of the first and most popular advertising themed podcasts.
  • Sean Donohue is currently the Vice President Directive Director of Threadless.com. The designs on Threadless products are sourced from ongoing open-call for submissions from a worldwide community of artists and designers. Once submitted, the community of over 1 million members casts votes that help decide which designs go on Threadless t-shirts.

This is a rare opportunity to inspire agency people outside the agency with insight from some of our industry’s greatest thought leaders.

“We are excited to bring this professional development opportunity to Ad Club members and others in the metro area interested in learning more about the creative process and how it works for award winning communicators.  By providing this type of teachable moment for our audiences, the Ad Club continues to fulfill its mission of increasing awareness, providing education and inspiration which fosters and celebrates advertising,” says Ad Club president, Tim Leon.

Kick off and check in for the Creative Symposium will begin at 11:00; with lunch served in the Sheldon’s third-floor Louis Spierling room at 11:30. Speakers will begin at 12:30. And we’ll cap off the night in typical Ad Club fashion with happy hour from 5:00 to 6:30. The Sheldon is located at 3648 Washington Boulevard.

Early bird pricing is available for this informative event: Ad Club members $70; $85 for non-members and $40 for students and educators. After September 19, 2011, pricing for each category is an additional $10. A special group discount is available for the fourth employee when the three employees attend the event.

This is the event of a lifetime, or at least till the 2nd Annual Creative Symposium. So reserve your spots now. For more information, or to make reservations, contact Nan Hartley at [email protected] or call (314) 231-4185.


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Branson Convention Center Featured in Major Meeting Industry Publication

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Branson Convention Center Featured in Major Meeting Industry Publication

General

The Branson Convention Center, a client of Geile/Leon Marketing Communications, one of St. Louis’ Best Public Relations Firms, is featured prominently in the latest issue of Meetings Mid-America. Geile/Leon PR worked with the editors to have Branson Convention Center executives included as experts in the story about the growing trend of Family-Friendly Meeting Destinations. The article points out the recent popularity of family-friendly meeting locales because of families being more short on cash and leisure time.

Family-friendly meetings are also a growing source of business in Branson, Mo., according to Bill Derbins, general manager of the Branson Convention Center, Branson Downtown Hotel and the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing.“That is our market, especially in the summer,” he says. “We have so many fun things to do—amusement parks, waterparks, lakes for boating and fishing—you can even go hiking in the Ozarks. Back in town, you can visit 80 theaters where we have 120 live shows.”Branson’s numbers speak for themselves. According to Derbins, more than 60 percent of the city’s meetings have a family component from June through August. During the school year, they are down just 10 percent.

Increasingly, destinations and properties are courting the market with amenities that encourage people to combine a meeting with a family vacation.

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Digital Balance: The reason digital strategists and designers don’t eat at the same table

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Digital Balance: The reason digital strategists and designers don’t eat at the same table

General

Do you dream about a world where digital strategists and web designers live in harmony? So do I. Well, I mean, I guess I don’t remember all of my dreams, but I’m sure it happened once or twice before.

As G/L’s copywriter, I’ve been working closely with our designers and digital strategists on the new G/L website and any client web stuff. And one reoccurring nightmare just seems to keep presenting itself: After developing a strategy, the designers will concept an outrageously creative layout using all kinds of Flash and what not. Then, like clockwork, they’ll present it to the digital department, and it will undoubtedly be dubbed, “not best practice.” After wiping away the tears of defeat, the designers head back to their desks, as do the strategists, and this process goes on till some sort of meet-in-the-middle solution is agreed on.

I’ve watched this go down time and time again. While the process is tedious, it’s the best way to ensure we are maximizing creativity and searchability. The rulebook on web design changes all the time. And SEO best practices change about as fast as Google’s crawlers can figure out our next trick. So the result of such fast-changing elements creates what I call the Jerry-Springer-Design-and-Digital-Strategy-Effect.

It’s a double-edged sword. We need to achieve Digital Balance—websites that are aesthetically unique and populated with content interesting enough to generate repeat traffic and sharing. But to get people there in the first place, you sort of need to be able to find the site. So while I don’t sit on the edge of my seat while writing meta descriptions and littering content with keywords, I do realize that for the real creative to be seen, it must first be optimized.

According to The Best SEO Tips and Practices for 2011, awesome websites with Digital Balance include:

  • Killer content
  • Keywords
  • Strategic Titling
  • Links/Backlinks
  • Social Media
  • Video
  • Mobile Functionality

Through a process of making everything digital mobile-friendly, highly searchable, and most importantly, functional, G/L delivers incredible digital work. And this is one service that won’t slow down. I guess for the sake of the websites, I’ll just try to keep the peace between my design friends and digital colleagues. From the looks of the soon-to-be-launched G/L website, we’re definitely doing something right.

Also, this is what happens when you can’t achieve balance.

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Still Time to Help Joplin Victims and Enjoy Great Mexican Food at Same Time

Geile/Leon Marketing Communications

Still Time to Help Joplin Victims and Enjoy Great Mexican Food at Same Time

General

Casa Gallardo, a client of Geile/Leon, one of St. Louis’ Top Public Relations Firms continues its fundraiser to help victims of the Joplin tornado.

 

Casa Gallardo’s Fundraising Effort For Joplin Relief Fund Continues Through October 16

St. Louis, MO (August 30, 2011)—While the federal government has frozen future aid to tornado-ravaged Joplin to focus on immediate help for victims of Hurricane Irene, Casa Gallardo Mexican Restaurants reminds area diners that they can still help the Joplin relief effort by simply coming into any of the 5 St. Louis-area locations and ordering a special menu item.

For each Grande Fiesta Combo sold through October 16, Casa Gallardo will donate 50¢ to the Joplin Schools Tornado Relief Fund.

The Grande Fiesta Combo features a Ground Beef Chimi topped with Queso, a Beef Machaca Burrito and Chicken Flautas, served with Refried Beans and Rice.

The Joplin Schools Tornado Relief fund is being used to remove the obstacles that stand in the way of teachers being able to teach and children being able to learn by providing them the basic educational materials and support they need. This could include, but is not be limited to, things such as food, clothing, shelter, after school care, school supplies, classroom materials and student transportation to/from school related events.

“The people of Joplin suffered huge losses on May 22, and it’s important that we not forget that rebuilding the community will take years,” said Robert Fowler, Regional Director, Casa Gallardo Mexican Restaurants. “We hope our efforts, along with the generosity of Casa Gallardo’s loyal customers, will help bring some normalcy to Joplin’s teachers and students as they return for the new school year.”

This special fundraising effort will take place at all 5 Casa Gallardo Mexican Restaurant locations in the St. Louis metro area: Westport Plaza, Bridgeton, South County, Des Peres, and Fairview Heights, IL. For more information, visit www.casagallardo.com.

 

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