interactive advertising – universal positive

Something SXSW special just for you

March 12, 2018March 8, 2018 by Roger Darnell

Thirty-two years ago, the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival began in Austin, Texas. Having grown to essentially become all things to all people, the event’s concurrent film, interactive media and music festivals and conferences attract over 400,000 attendees, which includes the lion’s share of the entertainment and advertising industries, as well as the brand marketers wanting to engage with them. This year’s SXSW launches on 9 March and runs on through the 18th. SXSW, Inc., also runs the SXSWedu conference on educational innovation (5-8 March this year in Austin), and the SXSW Cities Summit set for 12-13 March in Austin.

I’ve taken a fresh look at the most important channels to point you in the right directions: Enlightenment awaits!

Marketing Imperatives: Center Everything Around Your PR Strategy

March 11, 2024August 3, 2017 by Roger Darnell

I have a longstanding working relationship with a CEO who recently changed jobs. Coming into his new company, he told me that his mantra was this: He intended to center every marketing initiative around PR strategy. In virtually every industry, I’m seeing many wise marketing industry leaders endorsing this idea. Another prominent example from the past several years comes from Jason Harris of San Francisco- and NYC-based Mekanism, where in an interview with HubSpot.com, he described his agency’s framework for creating shareable content.

“Our approach is to always think about the PR headline. Why will the idea, content, innovation, etc., travel? Why will people care, and why will they want to talk about it and share it? If there is no PR headline, the idea won’t be shareable. That is our goal on every project.”

The video I’m embedding with this article perfectly demonstrates the increasing focus on PR, presenting the 47-minute “Content & Storytelling: Is the PR Landscape Shifting?” session from the 2014 CDO Summit in NYC.

Sharing Secrets: Public Relations Expertise

March 11, 2024July 19, 2017 by Roger Darnell

The publishers of Campaign, a leading business media brand serving the marketing, advertising and media communities, offer an editorial on their website entitled “What’s the secret of a long ‘marriage’?” In that, former Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO chief executive and current CEO of Girl Effect Farah Ramzan Golant offers these wise words: “The key to long-term client relationships is constant reinvigoration…. You should constantly be looking at how you can do things differently, keep freshening the account teams and stay ahead of the game.” As a communications consultant providing ongoing, dedicated counsel to a small roster of clients, I firmly believe in these vows. Among many activities aimed at ongoing education and innovation, I regularly participate in webinars being presented by industry thoughtleaders, adopting the best ideas and lessons into my arsenal. One in particular, presented by five-time published author and entrepreneur Deirdre Breakenridge entitled “Eight Techniques of the New PR Champion,” began paying dividends immediately.

2016 Olympic Advertising

March 11, 2024August 11, 2016 by Roger Darnell

Thanks to some Herculean feats by the illustrious organizers of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad – and over 11,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees, including first-time entrants Kosovo and South Sudan – we have witnessed quite a show over the past several days. Haven’t we?

Technically, I was among the first people complaining about the blinding number and frequency of commercials aired during the Opening Ceremony; wow. In the early going, that programming approach stole the show in many ways, from my point of view – but I must admit that we all rely on advertising and sponsorship to a great extent to allow us to experience the Olympics. Since my clients are craftspeople of the highest order producing spectacular commercials and branded content, I can appreciate the value of creative advertising… but I agree with the broadcasters’ latest assessments, which have been forced to acknowledge how much viewers’ tastes have changed.

Synchronized with the broadcast of the Opening Ceremony from the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics on Aug. 5, my friend Ann Christine Diaz published this story in Ad Age, highlighting many of the major brands who bought time, so that NBC’s viewers could watch the show for free:

What’s the impact of winning a Cannes Lion?

November 30, 2021June 26, 2015 by Roger Darnell

Happy Friday friends! I hope your work week is wrapping up nicely and that you’ll soon be able to enjoy some well-earned downtime, like a lot of people have been doing all week in Cannes (kidding, of course). Before ending this week, I wanted to share this video I’m embedding here from experience design agency FreeState, and a few more comments about the significance of winning a Cannes Lion award.

As you can hear first-hand from FreeState’s creative director Adam Scott in this video directed by Ilan Metev, FreeState won a Gold Design Lion at Cannes in 2013 after designing the world’s largest kinetic sculptures for Blackpool’s promenade. Under the heading of “Why Winning a Lion Matters – An Agency’s View,” Mr. Scott enlightens us while pedaling his bike around the city: “Sometimes it’s hard to find your way, and especially hard given it’s so darn crowded out here…. How do you stand out,” he asks.

And about the results of winning Cannes Lion Gold, he continues: “I would say people are far more interested in our approach, and that has to be a good thing. And well, if it can happen to us then it can certainly happen to you.”

Isn’t that lovely? Also, to me, it’s a perfect summation to what it means to win a Cannes Lion.

Meanwhile, the image I’m providing here offers a newer angle into this discussion. Taken hours ago

Insights into AICP’s 2015 celebration of creativity

June 1, 2015June 1, 2015 by Roger Darnell

The Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) is about to light the fuse on what is sure to be one of this year’s most celebrated creative industry gatherings. To connect and secure tickets to all events, be sure to visit AICP Base Camp – physically located at the Helen Mills Event Space and Theater at 137 W. 26th Street in NYC. Operating during business hours June 2-4, Base Camp will serve as AICP Week information central, host many discussions and panels and feature numerous sponsor lounges.

Great to know: Allison Dollar

March 21, 2024August 11, 2014 by Roger Darnell

It’s safe to say that the illustrious Allison Dollar has had a huge impact on my professional career, beginning with assignments she gave me in 1993 and 1994 to write the annual Florida Regional Production Guides for the national film and television industry trade magazine “In Motion,” which was published by Phillips Business Information (PBI). Allison and I have kept in-touch over the years, and her unique expertise and first-hand knowledge of cutting-edge innovation across the media landscape is a constant reminder of how lucky I am to know her. Read on for more of Allison’s background, and to learn about a fascinating upcoming panel discussion she is co-hosting on 21 August through the Interactive Television Alliance (ITA), the non-profit she established in 2002 to represent the interests of companies that create, distribute and enable interactive programming.

Sharing secrets: Know your audience!

March 21, 2024May 15, 2014 by Roger Darnell

When trying to communicate with someone, it is vitally important to understand who that person is, whether or not they speak your language, their age, where they live… and also, factors like what’s on their mind right now, and where they are physically. The point of this article is to emphasize that communication – and marketing – is usually a waste of time if the particulars of the human beings comprising the audience are not taken into account. Personally, I’m shocked at how often people fail to address this mission-critical first step, explained so effectively by Seth Godin in the video presented here.

Effective communicators like Mr. Godin begin their programs by assessing their target audiences, exploring the relevant demographics and/or psychographics, and analyzing data. Indeed, the information we exude into the world is measured and used… whether we know it or not.

Trojan Horse was a Unicorn 2013

March 22, 2024September 9, 2013 by Roger Darnell

Trojan Horse was a Unicorn (THU) is a four-day Digital Entertainment Festival set for 18-21 September in sunny Troia, Portugal, promising unique opportunities to learn and network in paradise. If you’re not already planning to attend, consider putting it on your 2014 calendar. A premier event for producers, animators, game developers, concept artists, 3D generalists, VFX and CG professionals and the curious, passionate, restless and fearless, this first edition of THU will unite at least 700 professionals and students from around the world for four days of talks, demo-classes, roundtables, investment pitches, recruitment sessions, recruitment challenges and much more.

Adapting to the unknown with R/GA

March 22, 2024June 24, 2013 by Roger Darnell

R/GA is a full-service digital agency that transforms the way people interact with brands. The slideshow embedded above was part of a March 2013 talk from R/GA Chicago’s Abraham Velázquez Tello and Joseph Delhommer revealing how designers and technologists are redefining the creative process through close – and frequent – collaboration. Recently at the One … Read moreAdapting to the unknown with R/GA