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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.
Happy Holiday it is Independence Day!
07/03/2014
Celebrate America this Independence Day.“There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence, and energy of her citizens cannot cure. “- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Happy Holiday it is Canada Day!
07/01/2014
Happy Canada Day to all of my friends and colleagues in the Great White North!As it is also Art Tuesday here at Elarbee Media, I thought I would throw in a picture of one of my favorite statues in Montreal known familiarly as “The Butter People."The Illuminated Crowd, a sculpture where 65 people of all ages, race, facial expressions and conditions are depicted on four platforms, illustrates the degradation of the human race and symbolizes the fragility of the human condition.Created by Franco-British artist, Raymond Mason, this unique public sculpture is made from stratified polyester resin with polyurethane paint and is located just outside the main gate of McGill University.
Art Tuesday Macrame and Digital Advertising Trends
07/01/2014
It's Art Tuesday! Macrame: who of a certain age doesn't know it and fear its resurrection?We love this awesome Taurus piece in our office, but dread the thought of seeing another plant hanger with beads woven in to add that “pop” of color. Trends, like the macrame of the '70s, are opportunities, and traps alike in business.For what they are worth, here are some of the current digital advertising trends you may want to watch for: http://read.bi/1iLcrYg
Throwback Thursday Direct Mail
06/26/2014
We love opening our mailbox to find a catalog or special offer from our favorite retailer addressed directly to us. While many companies shy away from print altogether, the numbers consistently show that the highly targeted approach of direct mail works. Why? "1. The mail is often the only reliable way to reach reasonably affluent males. 2. The over-50 crowd, already large and growing, has a lot more money than younger folks and they’re just as happy to deal with you in print as they are in the cyber world." Read more about how direct mail continues to thrive --->http://onforb.es/1iBiliA
Cocktail Friday Putting an Idea on Ice
06/20/2014
Putting plans “on ice” can often be frustrating for all involved; however,sometimes it is the best business decision to defer projects that you are not ready to tackle. Putting something on ice means preserving it to keep it viable for down the road. At Elarbee Media, we don’t love putting our projects on ice, although if it is what is right for the client, we do it with a smile. We do however LOVE to put other things on ice, like a chilled summer cocktail. As it gets hotter here in the South, we will be looking to fill this classic aluminum ice bucket more frequently. #CocktailFriday
Throwback Thursday Women and Computers
06/19/2014
Although nothing beats a little 1960s flavored casual sexism, advertisements like this one are a stark reminder of how much women's roles in business have changed since the mid-century.Elarbee Media is a female-owned business, so we are certainly glad that the "norm" has shifted. Gone are the days of women only being viewed as capable of holding support positions; we are now the ones creating the ads, planning the buys and calling the shots. Our business may have a softer edge than some, and a mentoring rather than driving character, but for us that is how a business ought to be run.I do want to point out that the hairstyle, dress and shoes are right up my alley, and if I could throw back to the fashions and work hours of the time without the sexism, I’d be all in.#ThrowbackThursday
Art Tuesday Naked Art
06/17/2014
Naked Art!The Art at Elarbee Media is certainly eclectic; I buy it when I feel compelled by it. Often, it is a cheap nothing that speaks to a memory from childhood, but it can also be a significant investment that helps me realize I have reached a milestone in my life. Art that speaks to me is very rarely something with a broad appeal-- and almost always something that is very telling about my character.My children mentioned to me the other day that I have quite a bit of art in my home, and in my office that is in their words “Naked Art”. I love the phrase “Naked Art” because I have always believed that that is what “art” is – an idea or concept laid naked before other’s eyes to see. How daunting to put yourself out there for criticism and show who you really are without reservation. Kudos to all of you brave enough to do it.My favorite art story of all time is my Mother’s. In the late 60’s she painted a nude with a snail coming out of her belly button. The State University of New York offered to buy it from her, but she had already accepted an offer from a private buyer so she declined. She sold the painting to a man who took it home, and was promptly told it was “filth” and to go get his money back. She gave it back, but she had lost the SUNY commission. I heard the story many, many times as a child. My parents needed that money. Their loss of money was nothing compared to the void of beauty and understanding the person who deemed it “filth” must have been living in. No matter what we had, at least we grew up with a love of and exposure to art, and an open-mindedness about culture. Sadly, the painting itself did not survive – I would have loved to be its guardian today if it did.What does this have to do with business? ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING! Except to reinforce the concept that when something is true, and you believe in its character-- be it an idea, a campaign, a method of moving forward, it is always worth it to defend your “naked” assumptions. Your gut tells you what is right and what is wrong – that is instinct, instilled in us by nature. Defining and expressing it in art, or in a business judgment shows everyone we interact with who we really are – stripped down and “naked”.Cheers to all of you artists out there that have the belief in yourself that lets you put everything out there!Long Live “Naked Art”!
Haste Makes Waste - Old Adages Are Still Applicable
06/16/2014
Last week, I had an overnight package go astray. In not double checking that the address had been entered correctly, I delayed an overnight delivery by about a week. It seems like a small issue, but it is a great life lesson on taking the time to set up execution properly. Planning properly on the front end of a project, business or otherwise, never fails to pay off on the back end.Rushing in to be the “first” or to get something in market quickly can often backfire in business. Just as, on a smaller scale, rushing to get a package out the door cost me a week in delivery time.That being said, it is always a good idea to double check that the need for forward planning is not an excuse for failure to execute. In business, as in life, it can be hard to determine where the line is crossed.
Cocktail Friday Gilding the Lily
06/13/2014
The gilded transfer on this cocktail shaker was someone’s idea of adding “pizazz” to a functional item. Sometimes I wonder if adding more is just “gilding the lily?” In advertising, there is a lot of “lily gilding.” Don’t get seduced by the bells and whistles when what matters is ROI. But don’t walk away from something because of it either. The shaker is still fully functional even with the decorative additions, and many media – if you peel back the “gilding” of their sales collateral – are strong performers when well negotiated. #CocktailFriday
Throwback Thursday Driving with Hitler
06/12/2014
Check out this World War II poster encouraging Americans to conserve fuel. Could we get away with this today? Which campaigns you have seen in the past few years that pushed the envelope? #ThrowbackThursday