Itʼs enough to make an ad personʼs head explode.

Hereʼs the thing: The best message in the world wonʼt get the job done if itʼs not getting to the people it needs to get to. One way or another, new media or old, Twitter or TV or stone tablet, you have to “get it out there.” But, once out there, it has to somehow capture its audience. Whether itʼs quirky, heartstring-tugging, everyman-relatable, funny, technically astonishing or any number of other labels, the message has to click, be memorable (in a good way), and rally people to the cause. Whether the cause be a candidate, an issue or an energy drink.

You thought this stuff was easy, didnʼt you?

As Iʼve said way too many times over the years, itʼs a weird blend of art and science. And, it must be said, a little bit of luck. It means that we in the business have to be on top of our games, all the time, in every way: creatively, strategically, technologically, competitively. We have to know the product, understand the market, create great stuff, and find the best places for it to land. And be wise enough to make tweaks as the landscape changes. Itʼs like a campaign because, in essence, it is a campaign. Itʼs how we get you where you want to go.

Not my words, but those of Lee Clow, the advertising guru behind the phenomenally successful Apple brand. Itʼs a sentiment I agree with–the idea that our charge is to help the client navigate an intensely competitive, often confusing sea of commerce.

Hereʼs another way to put it: Good advertising is one thing, good advertising that actually works is often something entirely different.

Our job is to help nurture that part of the conversation which begins and ends with the sentence “Why are we doing this?” Itʼs one of the reasons ad agencies exist–to provide the client with hard-to-come-by perspective, void of politics, board room pressures and personal bias.

Note that our job is to nurture the conversation, not dominate it. The client will always know more about their business than we do, no matter how many web pages we visit or competitors we study.

If commerce is a sea, then we should do our best to temper the wind gusts we ad folks are too often known for.

Only then will we all catch that perfect sail.

Dustin was recently “drafted” to Dribbble, a private beta internet community of designers created by Dan Cederholm and Rich Thornett. Dribbble “players”–who work in a variety of graphic design-related areas, but are mostly web and interface designers–post tiny screenshots of work in progress. Other players can then comment on the “shots” (are you sensing a theme here?). It’s a great way for designers to get high-quality feedback from top people in the industry. And we obviously agree that Dustin should be included in that group!

As Dustin puts it, “The cool thing is that they limit the number of drafted players, so the quality is ultra-high and the feedback is really good.”

It works like Twitter in that players can follow other players to keep up with their latest work. Players can also “like” individual posted pieces–basically like voting for their favorites–if they choose.

We all know that critiques from respected members of our industry sharpen our skills and make our work better. But in the end, clients benefit too–from work that is fresh, innovative, and reflective of some of the best creative thinking in the country.

(Note to clients: As important as feedback is, it’s trumped by client confidentiality. If you own the rights to a work in progress, we won’t post a “shot” of it without your permission.)

Prior to MSU, she got her marketing and advertising experience working on both client and agency side. “I worked for AAA Michigan and was responsible for membership and insurance marketing, I worked on the inception of “Show Your Card and Save.” At that time, AAA heavily used direct marketing, TV and Radio. “I think the most memorable part of that experience was the television ad we made about ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’ and lit a man on fire to demonstrate it. The AAA Board of Directors were a little shocked but they did approve the ad,” said Lynda. From AAA she went to Campbell-Ewald and was Account Supervisor for the Continental Airlines account. She flew a lot, but unfortunately did not earn any Frequent Flyer miles. “At Campbell-Ewald, I developed a program for European Continental One Pass members to use their miles at exclusive resorts in Europe,”  she said. “The Europeans had trouble using their miles on flights because the Americans planned ahead and took all the reward seats. It was an interesting example of a cultural difference.”

At MSU, in addition to traditional marketing tools, Lynda worked with colleagues in the college to develop a social media strategy and was active in reaching students, alumni and peers via all the new social media tools. We are happy to have Lynda join us at BCP and look forward to the marketing ideas and social media experience she can lend our clients.

What I found most gratifying was the wide range of ages present at the event. The room was packed and everyone from first graders to retirees were represented. There were sports teams, families, friends and individuals. The event had a wonderful vibe. The recollections were heartfelt and inspiring, and “Passing It Forward” didn't need to cost participants a cent. One group stopped in at a retiree home and played music for the seniors. Another collected soda bottles and then contributed the proceedings to help needy families with groceries. One even paid for gas for a woman's car (and the woman tearfully confided it was the first time she had ever had a full tank of gas).

The hope is that similar events will spring up around the area and around the country – this time associated ePifanyNow events took place on the same day in Grand Rapids and on the MSU campus. You don't necessarily need to wait for an event to take part. Just look for an opportunity that is right for you and do it.

When we invited our clients and associates to submit ideas and get a shirt, the floodgates opened. Not only did more people respond than we expected, but most of those who did sent multiple ideas. Best of all, there were a lot of great ones....and a few of the "Why didn't WE think of that?" variety, too. (Personal fave: Buncha Crazy People!) Whether it was the chance to be immortalized in silk screen or just to get the free shirt, people unleashed their inner copywriter for this one.

Thanks to all of you for playing our game! The shirts have been delivered to everyone who joined in the fun...except those who submitted anonymously. If that was you (or if you can come up with a reasonably convincing sob story) we might have a couple extra shirts laying around that we can spare.

• big cuddly people
• brain cramp psychos
• bitter chocolate pimples
• belligerent cootie protectors
• bearing children prolifically
• bold contrarian practitioners
• benificent cowering popes
• boring Canadian provinces
• brilliant communications persuade
• baroque Chinese pagodas
• bouncing checks prodigiously
• bothersome cat puddles
• brassy country prostitutes
• berserk cartoon people
• big circumpolar pumpkins
• bubbly clown prodigies
• biodegradable cherry pies
• biodiversity calmly proceeding
• blondes coyly parading
• brilliant colorful poodles
• bimbo-coveting perverts
• bald capitalist pigs
• badly-coached players
• big challenges? perfect!
• baffling Czecholslovakian proverbs
• best cherry pie
• blue collar power
• bungled catastrophic policies
• buy colored pencils
• bioengineered corn products
• bees can’t pee
• bloated coughing porcupines
• brightly colored phlegm
• beware cunning psychologists!
• bring cash please
• Boston cream pie
• bold creative powerhouse
• brainiac customized program
• bright creative people
• best-in-show cute puppy
• better come prepared
• BAM! CRASH! POW!
• baffling creative perspective
• bistec con papas
• budget conscious peddlers
• bodacious cacophonous pandemonium
• beefy couch potatoes
• best campaign promised
• beer causes problems
• beautiful conscious perfection
• BigTen Champions PennState
• blasphemous calumnies plagiarized
• boosting clients’ profits
• bold creative progressive
• babies cry & poop
• black coffee please
• booty call person
• bodacious cat pirates
• big chocolate problem
• butt crack plumber
• banana cream pie
• buncha crazy people
• being crazy perfect!
• branding characteristic principles
• boys chew pens
• blohm creative partners

And so it is in marketing. Periodically a clamor arises about this or that new marketing method, the new “silver bullet” if you will. The current new favorite is social media. While undoubtedly the different social media options, like Facebook and Twitter, are valuable additions to the marketing arsenal, they are not a panacea. They are, and any future “silver bullets” will remain, a part of a marketing mix that each client’s marketing efforts demand. Despite the wishful thinking no magical silver bullets exist in marketing or in life. If anyone tries to persuade you otherwise...tell them about the Wolfman.

I believe it is a task that is needed now more than ever. The unavoidable truth is that we live in a branded world. According to Scott Davis, in his book Brand Asset Management, the average consumer is exposed to roughly 6,000 ads a day and to more than 25,000 new products a year! As competition proliferates, it is imperative that companies connect deeply with customers and become the brand of choice. The trust and loyalty enjoyed by a strong brand lies at the very heart of a company (or a product’s) success.

Not surprisingly the process is different for each client. Some arrive with a clearer sense of who they are and what makes them unique. Some have even conducted research to help them arrive at that understanding. But all of them benefit from the outside perspective a good design and marketing firm can bring to bear.

I am careful to stress that the work is not just about solving a design problem. Color and typography and logo marks are an important aspect of a new identity. But clarifying strategy, managing the different concerns of stakeholders, and establishing a framework in which the new identity can survive and thrive are also vital aspects of successful branding. So is the process of successfully differentiating the client and launching the new identity into a busy world.

The tools for branding continue to develop, with social media like Facebook and Twitter as some of the latest to enter the arena. But the fundamentals remain the same...honestly letting those who need to know learn who you are; what you have to offer and why they should care to choose you.

So, on his last pre-vacation day, we took the opportunity to trash–I mean, decorate–his office. Such teamwork. It's amazing how much stuff five people can accomplish in 19 minutes, especially when it has nothing to do with work. Tim's talents came in particularly handy, being the only person in the room tall enough to tape balloon strings to the ceiling. And Jeff, ever the good sport, left the balloons up all day and proudly wore his plastic "50 is better" medallion. At least until he left the office again.