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Let's Talk About Stuff.
Our Blog
Our goal in posting our blogs is three fold: To introduce timely industry news that is relevant to our clients; to post items we find interesting and entertaining, and finally, to give you a glimpse of TSW US “Behind the Curtain”. We take the business aspects of what we are doing very seriously, but we like to have fun, hopefully that shines through here.
Our Blog is a puzzle being assembled. Sometimes the individual pieces of the puzzle don’t look like the whole picture once completed – You have to keep adding pieces one at a time to make the image clear. We hope you keep coming back to see how the TSW US puzzle takes shape.
Cocktail Friday - Cheers Jess Barrows!
It is Cocktail Friday at Elarbee Media and today we are reflecting on a month of having Jess from our UK partner the Specialist Works in our offices. Jess went home earlier this week, and we already miss her. Much like the image of bottle caps in a tray that we chose to pair with this posting, having someone from outside in the office for an extended time feels very different. Like a cider cap in a tray of beer caps often times is it very different, and foreign.
Working across cultures has its own unique challenges. With the help of our capable “translator” Jess Barrows, we know we will be fine. We are fortunate to have had such an enthusiastic and supportive liaison, and we can’t wait to move forward with greater understanding and facilitated communications with her help. Cheers Jess!
Art-Tuesday - Haunting Art
Art speaks to us. When we hear but fail to listen, it often haunts us. We are not talking about “decorative” Art, but of the soul sharing, emotionally explicit variety of Art. It is the kind of Art that makes you uncomfortable.
When something speaks to you and you walk away have you lost out or does the haunting mean as much as the initial experience? Does being memorable have as much value as being present?
For advertisers, is the message and imagery that stays with people more important than continued exposure?
Power of Imagery - Rorschach Plate VIII
Unusual in our exploration of Rorschach Slides to date, Plate VIII has significant amounts of color – soft pastel colors. While we have seen bold and meaningful reds, in slides 1 to 7, this is the first slide that completely rejects the black and white. Why?
Does the power of color extend to pastels? Do we react to soft colors with the same gravity and passion ignited by the more stark black, white and red? Does it mean something less to us for its softness? Is there welcome and comfort where there may have been power in a different color choice?
Whichever side of the debate you fall on, it is clear that color has an impact. It changes not only the message, but also the openness of the recipient. Positioning advertising messages with the appropriate colors for both the audience itself AND the desired audience interaction is crucial.
Happy Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine's Day from Elarbee Media.
Cocktail Friday Champagne Saucers
It is Cocktail Friday at Elarbee Media and today we broke out these adorable Champagne saucers. They are tiny at only 3 inches high, but very old-school in their look and feel. Why are be breaking out the Champagne saucers you ask? Because we have had a very productive week, and it is time to celebrate. Cheers to all of you!
Art Tuesday Color Juxtaposition
It is Art Tuesday at Elarbee Media and today we are featuring a small piece in our favorite vivid red by Shelly Leitheiser. Her work appeals to us for both its color and imagery. Art gives you the freedom to express yourself outside of what is literally visible. In this picture, we are compelled by the juxtaposition of color with subject matter. The full blown red color as a background for penguins is a surprise. The common theme of putting penguins in cold, blue and white settings where they naturally reside is turned on its head in this work we have nicknamed “Penguin Inferno”.
What appeals about Penguin Inferno, is the complete departure from what is expected. In this case departure is achieved through color. Can changing advertising color backgrounds have the same impact? Would having the unexpected as a part of the visual experience enhance or retard response to an offer? Playing with color in art is intrinsic. Playing with color in advertising is risky. Sometimes. Risk and reward go hand in hand. Be bold in testing, but do it in small controlled quantities.
Always be bold in expressing yourself through Art.
Today is Martin Luther King Day
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Elarbee Media is keenly aware that today is Martin Luther King Day. While there are opportunities to practice the values Dr. King espoused on a daily basis, setting aside one day a year to reflect on his lessons is a boon.
Art Tuesday Organic Growth
It is Art Tuesday at Elarbee Media and today we are featuring a piece titles Morris Green. Outside of our normal buying patterns, this piece appealed to us with its Organic pattern and coloring. Nature and grounding are both excellent visual triggers for this new year.
In thinking about Organic, we can help address the issue of customer growth. Should marketing departments be focused on Organic Growth, or New Customer Acquisition? Doubling your existing client’s AOV (Average Order Value) can be as significant and at the same time considerably less costly than acquiring new customers. While the goal is to gain market-share; sometimes, focusing internally can accomplish that goal as effectively as outbound efforts. Organic is awesome.
Lost in Translation
‘We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language’. Oscar Wilde from the The Canterville Ghost (1887)
Elarbee Media is launching a new Segment based on our recent activity with advertisers coming over from the UK. We are calling it “Lost in Translation”. While our print advertising concepts are largely parallel, there are indeed moments when people who do the same thing, use a very different description to mean the same thing. We have had some humorous moments trying to apply words and phrases from both sides of the table, and as always we like to poke fun at ourselves in an attempt to stay grounded. We will even be introducing some content on the dreaded “Metric System”. I’m sure this segment will be both humorous and enlightening.
Throwback Thursday - Liberated Loyalists
It is Throwback Thursday at Elarbee Media and this week's ad shows the political environment bleeding over into advertising messaging. This 1970's ad focused on feminism highlights the tone of the times, but it also does something else. It encourages women to consider themselves scotch drinkers.
When you add another 50% of the population into your target customer base, it can be a game changer. Does the nod to the "fairer sex" translate to higher sales volumes? Or is it money down the drain trying to chase a customer base that doesn't look like your current profile?
There is only one way to find out. Test! What we can guarantee is that if you rely on the same old strategy year over year, you will surely lose out on growth.