(click the image to start the presentation. Quicktime is required. You can download Quicktime here) This presentation was given to the Human Factors class at the University of Minnesota on February 18, 2008. We would like to thank the students and Professor Huff for having us in the class. If there were any other questions or comments regarding the presentation we encourage you to communicate with our team through this blog. Regards, Lisa, Chris & Joe

I've been talking to lots of advertising and marketing students lately about the future of advertising. I am probably the worst person to be talking to these kids about this. I don't like advertising and never have. I don't care about it and don't find most of it entertaining or engaging in any way. If I want to be entertained, I will go to a movie, thank you. I don't think most people are all that engaged with advertising. Oh, I think they will talk about the super bowl spots, because that is one of the main points about watching that game. Or they might mention a favorite ad to a friend because it makes them laugh. But I don't think most look forward to their morning commute just because they will get to read the billboards on the way to work. I have to admit in my younger days (when I had more free time) even being a little vindictive with people trying to market to me. I've been known to fill direct marketers pre-paid envelopes with other direct marketers junk mail just to prove a point. I stole this idea from a good friend of mine. Don't bother me with that stuff. Thus my issue with talking about advertising … I don't think there is a future for it…though I have colleagues who will disagree with me and that's why I work with them. There is very little advertising in my present, let alone my future, because I use technology to avoid it. Since I don't have the advertising vernacular in my vocabulary, I've developed my own over the years as it applies to online media. And I've come to discover how close it is to the world of product development. When it comes down to it, we develop online products. These products communicate. They save time and they save money. They help people do business in new ways. We develop these products for people; people who want to save time, make their lives easier and find new information or ideas. We want to do more than help people pass a minute or 30 seconds of their time. We want to improve their lives, even if it is in a very small way. Think about things like finding out what salaries for your industry tailored to your location www.careeronestop.com or things like being able to get wine recommendations based on your taste and style www.artisanvineyards.com. I don't think I am alone out there. Advertising has to shift its focus. In fact, the whole notion of advertising has to go away (okay, change) for marketers or business managers for that matter use the medium in a way that can affect their businesses the most. Here is some inspiration from one of the gods of advertising planning……Russell Davies to get you moving in the right direction!

I found these earbuds when I realized that my ears would never accommodate the regular Apple iPod ear buds without serious pain or plastic surgery! They're pretty awesome and have different sized rubbery things so they snug right inside your ear. Plus they block outside noise so you don't have to crank the volume high when you're in a noisy situation. Drawback: You can't hear things around you, so unsafe for outdoor use. They're on sale right now too!

(click the image to start the presentation. Quicktime is required. You can download Quicktime here) The following Quicktime was the PowerPoint presentation given to the Interactive Advertising class at the University of Minnesota on February 14th. If any students from the class had any questions for us that we were unable to get to because of time, we encourage you to ask them here and we'd be more than happy to engage in a dialogue regarding your question. Thank you Professor Huh and the students for having us in your class, we enjoyed it very much. Regards, Chris and Joe

Alright, I admit I haven't written down many cohesive thoughts in the last 10 years since giving birth to two wildly fantastic children with, of course, the exception of their entertaining phraseologies and countless grocer lists organized categorically; fruit at the top and freezer items nearing the end of the list. By arranging the fruits and vegetables @ the top of the list leaves little room in the cart as we reach the ever popular frozen foods isle where a barrage of textural, sinfully tantalizing frozen delights ablaze in the full color spectrum scream out, "Pick me, pick me!" I think the other day one package actually winked at me. How could I turn down this advance? When you are wading knee deep in your fourth decade on earth, any form of flirtation is flattering; even if it's imaginary! So here I find myself in a new job with a blog entry deadline to express some observations, a self-examination if you will. My co-workers here have been kind enough to offer up guidance and encouragement; launch me down the Yellow Brick Road to Oz. "Write about anything", they say. "Write about the banana sitting on your desk." This banana, by the way, was not the item that winked at me but I will graciously consume it anyway for its naturally fortified potassium and pleasing texture reminiscent of childhood. This blog entry may have no beginning or end but I think I have managed to fill up the middle with enough jibberish to qualify an entry on the wild world web (as my 8 year old would say).

The marketplace is swarming with new technologies and products that promise to make our frantic lives easier and more efficient so we can get more done in less time with less effort. Work less and get more. Talk less and say more. You get the picture. We've always got too much to do and too little time. So it's only natural that we're drawn to technology that makes our to-do list a little less daunting and life a bit more enjoyable. And let me just say, thank goodness for these products. I mean, let's be honest, few of us could survive without our cell phone or voice-command GPS or self-cleaning razor or remote control blinds or robotic vacuum, etc., etc., etc. These modern conveniences have made our lives more efficient to the point where we can hardly remember how we survived without them. For better or worse, they have completely revolutionized the way we live. But they might not always work out as planned. I wanted a PDA for so long. I thought it would be such a great gadget to keep my life calendar in order. I expected that by syncing up all my information I would be able to keep track of my commitments with less time and clutter. Surprisingly, it didn't quite work out that way. It turns out writing things down on a paper calendar with a regular pen works way better for me. And my fancy PDA with all its features sits, unused, on a shelf in my closet. With a constant stream of new ideas and technologies being shoved down our throats, how can we judge what is the best solution for us before we make an investment that may turn out to be nothing but a closet accessory? In this information overload, technology-driven era, how can we separate the revolutionary from the useless? One would think that we, working in a digital company, would be the ones preaching new solutions and always pushing the latest, greatest technology. The truth is that is not how we work. It wouldn't be smart. Don't get me wrong, we love innovation and new technologies and ideas, and in some cases that might be exactly what a client needs. But we make sure to ask for our clients, as we do for ourselves: what do you really need, and is the benefit worth the cost? Will it help reach your company's goals? What hardware or software or hosting package or content management solution will make your jobs easier and the company better? In this ever-changing landscape, it is imperative that we sit down side by side with our clients and ask questions and more questions until we come to a mutual understanding of the issues to address and the goals moving forward. Until we've done this, we could never help our clients sift through the mess, confusion, and promises of the available software, platforms, services, and mash-ups available out there to find the right fit for their goals. For example, you can now buy golf binoculars that tell you the exact distance of a golf course hole, but if you can't swing a club, it's a wasted investment - just like our client could license a very robust, and very expensive, content management system with all the bells and whistles. But when it comes down to it, if the site only needs basic content changes, it's probably a wasted investment. Why buy a $100 electric martini shaker when five flicks of the wrist does the same thing? The client may not really need all the fancy features, but does need the site to work for their specific needs and for their target audience. The options are endless, but pockets aren't bottomless, so we create strategies that ensure we're building products that will revolutionize the way our clients' work. We work to squeeze value out of our clients' budgets by providing the right solution. We will help make their jobs (and lives) less frantic and more effective as well as help to increase visibility or generate leads or establish a brand presence or provide an internal content approval process or whatever their objectives may be. With all the questions and options and objectives and necessities aside, what it really comes down to is the fact that we want to make sure our clients' investments don't end up on the shelf next my PDA.

Is MSNBC running Apache? While browsing the popular news site for more tidbits on the big game today, I came across this screenshot (at about 2:45PM CST on 2/3). Of course, it could've been faked, but I assure you it wasn't. A quick test on Netcraft revealed the site had been running IIS 6.0 as of October 2007. A hoax? Or maybe they're ramping up capacity in preparation for the Super Bowl. Then again, maybe this is old news…

In studying great advertising, we see visions of brightness: lightness, darkness, and the colored shapes of textures among the silences. We hear sounds and detect impulses awakening our inclinations to touch, engaging with our moods, our hearts, and our minds. Those surprise juxtapositions create meaning and tell stories that touch us. It is what makes us humans. They are our connections with what is good, what is wonderful in our world. And great advertising can bring us to that wonderful place. Humor, beauty, irony and spontaneity are all qualities that enhance life. The best forms of advertising exhibit these qualities. Melodious ironies engage the wit; the mind of the receiver gaily grasps the intent (content being king of course). Design designates form, and function comes clear with meticulous ease, enabling immediate recognition. Color emanates from a robust animation, delivering happiness and leaving behind cheery dispositions. Using all of these tools to tell compelling stories and create powerful products captures attentions — a substantial feat in our consumer-driven culture. Branding, advertising, and visual messaging surrounds us so much that it has become harder to get people's attention. Advertising has for far too long preyed on our basic human desires and fears, causing a negative, rather than a positive reaction (selling guilt instead of hope). This in turn creates a false reality and an artificial humanity, by creating ideals of unattainable beauty and leaving people wholly unsatisfied; but, advertising can add to beauty, it could add to life. When advertisers use and enjoy these qualities in a way that creates harmonies of beauty, they not only bring to the fore hope, they lessen the harmful and reactionary affects on the consumer. Good advertising should embrace our humanity rather than preying on our fears. We don't just capture people's attention; we capture their hearts and minds. Good advertising respects the consumer. Companies should know it is important to be honest about what products and services they offer to the consumer — and who they are as a company. The great thing is that companies who take these concepts to heart and are true to their brand can help their products stand out from the crowd. We are drawn to the Sony Bravia commercials; seeing them brings the product to life with their commercials truly exhibiting “color like no other.” Likewise, Dove is taking full responsibility (not to mention market space) of the impact that they're having on the consumer with its “Campaign for Real Beauty.” Vaseline-Sea uses their campaigns to connect us to our humanity and all that entails from our frailties to strengths. All of these brands have taken a lead to capitalize on an honest and natural approach about who they are as well as what they truly bring to the consumer. As a designer, it is an honor to provide captivating work for great clients and their products, who embrace our humanity rather than take us farther away.

The web is bulging with truth and lies. How can we tell who and what's for real out there? People and companies can be whoever they want to be online. They can pick and choose their best features and hide their flaws. A company's website is a lot like a MySpace profile if you think about it — showing only what they do best and only showing the “good” photos. And MySpace members are basically branding themselves — using video, imagery, music, and paying consideration to wardrobe and copywriting. Someone who's ugly can look gorgeous with the right photo. And a company that sells complete crap can look very polished and slick. Oh, and beauty products can demonstrate absolute “miracles.” Oh sure, one could argue that this is no different than it used to be. Advertising has always been over-promising; companies have always been showing their “good side.” Consumers should be used to it. Right? I'm not so sure. Yes, sometimes it's very obvious that a company is over-promising, for example on the wrinkle cream image above that I found on a flashing banner ad. But what about comparing insurance companies or buying a book? What about meeting someone from an online dating service? Filing your taxes? How do we know who's telling the truth? With the abundance of media outlets in our interactive world alone — company websites, blogs, video, social networking, television — everyone is even more pounded by messaging than during the pre-web days. And besides taking in content, average people are pushing content out through these same outlets. Take Wikipedia. Average Janes and Joes are just pushing out “facts” (psst… which don't always check out, by the way). Are we becoming too reliant on the internet to bring us the truth? Are there ways that we can all start to bring the reliability of content up a notch? I think so. Here are a few ideas: Be real As a designer of websites and other communications, I try to find the balance between what a company is, and what they aspire to be. Making something feel visually true to reality while still inspiring and engaging. A company's website or any communications piece should feel appropriate to who they are. It should feel true. This requires getting to really know the company and what their goal(s) are. It's not just about how it looks, though. Take real photos Budgets don't always allow this, but nothing is worse than seeing a bad stock photo used repeatedly. Or worse yet, seeing competitors using the same image. If you must use stock, keep in mind you get what you pay for when it comes to quality. Also try to find photos that don't “look like stock”; search on more specific terms, search for shots taken from different angles, etc. Challenge the writing Oftentimes we design sites with content provided by the client, or written by an overzealous marketing director. The copy might be over-inflated with buzz words. It might not reflect the true personality of the company. It might be overly long, preventing people from even reading it. The navigation could be confusing. There are many things that can be done to enhance the verbal aspects of a website to better represent the company. Cite your sources If you're using references to other websites or materials, tell where they're from. Better yet, link to them. If you get a quote or testimonial from somebody, ask permission to use it and be prepared to show it's legitimate. All of these ideas might help. But probably the most helpful tip is to go with your gut. If something feels off, wrong, or too-good-to-be-true, it probably is.

Account Services or Creative Services, black or white, peanut butter or jelly, heaven's forbid mix any of the two or you'll get a whole lot of gray (and some brownish, purpleish sort of color). This is often how the world has spun. Well, it's time to stop that world and spin it the other way. I came to Azul 7 destined to be a creative person, a writer with a passion to be heard, a journeyman with only one destination planned; the next ‘creative genius.' Now, I can only stop in awe to that fact that I'm warming to this whole Account Services “stuff.” I'm not quite passing the buck on ever becoming some sort of writer, (even if that only consists of love letters and poems to Brett Favre, yes that's right) but I'll tell you things could not have blended so perfectly together if I tried. This whole idea I was engrained with about Account and Creative being so far removed that, “you'd better pick what you want now or you'll never find yourself on the other side,” doesn't seem to have any validity for me anymore. I'm not only engaging in the creative process and injecting ideas, but I'm communicating with you, the client. How is that good for a client? Simple: I see things how you see them and get you what you need. Now wait, how is that any different than how Account has always been? Complex: I take your vision and help turn it into an idea that a creative person is excited about. It sounds simple, but too often an Account person is an Account person with no care for the final creative product, other than ensuring it delivers what the client asked for. Not only do I care that it's what you've asked for, but I need your creative product to be ‘perfect' or it will drive me crazy (in comes that creative side of me). It's about blending the pursuit and desire for perfection with an understanding for the correct strategies and required deliverables. It's all about you and your project and how absolutely kick ass we can make it within your needs and guidelines. I'm engaging in what I see as a “hybrid” type of Account Services, a kind of service that can relate to the client, but still be involved in the creative process. This doesn't mean I get down and dirty to do the creative work, nor do I tell them what to do (although being a part of the brainstorming is what I live for). Maybe it's merely an understanding eye for both sides during the process. Maybe it's also an inherent skill to get the client what they need while still respecting the boundaries and aesthetics of good creative through my continuing drive to be part of a team that delivers, for a lack of better terms, really cool work. I hope my passionate attempt to put this into words didn't blur the bigger picture, but this is what we're about at Azul 7 and if that's what you're about, then we should talk.