Creativity At Work

If it is familiar, it has not eaten you yet.

2010-02-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

Great article in the Boston Globe about why (not just how, but why) easy-to-read fonts, great product names, and catchy copy make things (like arguments and ad copy) more believable.

It's partly thanks to our survival instinct: "If it is familiar, it has not eaten you yet."

Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood

2009-05-21T21:41:00.004-04:00

If you want to responsibly market to families, you have to be aware of the frat boys who are working to turn children into brand-savvy drones way before their time.

Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood, is a spot-on documentary being shown in screenings throughout the country. Both brand marketing managers and parents will get angry watching it -- for very different reasons.

Here's the trailer: (if you have trouble viewing it, click here.)

Et tu, SpongeBob?

2009-04-07T20:58:00.003-04:00

Here's a Burger King happy meal ad that won't make any parents happy:

The ad ran during the NCAA men’s basketball championship and other programming last night. The ad, viewable above, features The King singing a remix of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s 1990’s hit song, "Baby Got Back” with the new lyrics, “I like square butts and I cannot lie.” The ad shows images of The King singing in front of women shaking their behinds for the camera intercut with images of SpongeBob dancing along.

“It’s bad enough when companies use a beloved media character like SpongeBob to promote junk food to children, but it’s utterly reprehensible when that character simultaneously promotes objectified, sexualized images of women,” says Dr. Susan Linn, a psychologist at the Judge Baker Children's Center and director of the Coalition for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC).

At one point during the ad, The King even measures the behind of one of the woman who has stuffed a phonebook under her dress. After the King informs children about the free SpongeBob toy they get with the purchase of a Burger King Kids Meal, the ad ends with Sir Mix-A-Lot—lounging on a couch with two female admirers—saying, “Booty is booty.”

“No parent watching a major sporting event with their children should have to worry about being assaulted by sexualized imagery,” said Joe Kelly of TheDadMan.com, a CCFC Steering Committee Member. “Featuring SpongeBob in an ad like this is a new low. Parents who hope to instill values in their children like respect for women would do well to steer clear of Burger King and Bikini Bottom.”

Added Dr. Linn: “Cartoon characters play a powerful role in the lives of young audiences. That Burger King and Nickelodeon would sell Kids Meals by associating a beloved, male character like SpongeBob with lechery shows how little either company cares about the wellbeing of the children they target.”

CCFC, a national coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups and concerned parents, has begun a letter-writing (via email) campaign to Burger King and Nickelodeon to tell them to take the ad off the air. Add your voice here.

This is why frat boys shouldn't run family tv. Visit www.rolemodel.tv for an idea whose time has come.

Congratulations Barbie?

2009-04-04T17:41:00.001-04:00

Barbie's big year got a little more exciting.
On the world's most famous doll's fiftieth birthday, the
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) announced that Mattel's Barbie Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Doll won its inaugural TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) Award for the worst toy of the year.

In an online vote by more than 6,000 CCFC members, Barbie handily beat four other nominees.
Rated by Mattel as appropriate for children age six and up, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Doll comes with the shortest of short shorts, stiletto boots, and a revealing halter top.

The CCFC is a well-regarded, influential organization that has taken on Bratz dolls and Scholastic Book Clubs. It says out loud what many many many parents are thinking -- including me.

Companies like Mattel, MGA (makers of Bratz) and Scholastic have to watch their suggested age ranges, for sure. But, more importantly, they need to take every opportunity they can to work with parents to make sure that their products are hailed as princes, not toads.

Ambassador Bird Plays Times Square!

2009-04-04T17:39:00.000-04:00

Ambassador Bird billboards have just gone up in Times Square as part of a new marketing campaign for my client, Green Symphony, a natural foods cafe.

Go inside for delicious hot and cold food, wraps, and smoothies. Sign up for their upcoming email newsletter. And don't forget to get your free Ambassador Bird "Increase the Peace" sticker!

Green Symphony is in the old New York Times building at 245 West 43rd Street. Call 212-391-4747 for free local delivery.

Children now use YouTube for searches

2009-01-18T01:26:00.002-05:00

The New York Times just reported that children are using YouTube as a search engine for homework:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/business/media/18ping.html?hp

Isn't it time for RoleModel.tv?

Happy 40th Sesame Street

2008-11-19T16:54:00.003-05:00

Why is Sesame Street still going strong after almost 40 years (their anniversary is November 10, 2009)?

Because they combine topical humor, child-appropriate vocabulary, and always always always a point.

Children Taking the Lead in Eco-Discussions

2008-10-10T07:59:00.003-04:00

From the October 10, 2008 New York Times: Pint-Size Eco-Police, Making Parents Proud and Sometimes Crazy

No more Bratz in School

2008-09-17T12:52:00.001-04:00

Scholastic, Inc. will no longer be promoting the highly sexualized Bratz brand in schools.

In April, 2007, the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood launched a letter-writing campaign urging Scholastic to stop promoting Bratz items at their book clubs and book fairs. CCFC members flooded Scholastic with emails urging them to stop selling books such as Lil' Bratz Dancin Divas, Lil' Bratz Catwalk Cuties, and Lil' Bratz Beauty Sleepover Bash.

Scholastic's initial response was to claim that the Bratz books were important to reach "reluctant readers." But CCFC kept the pressure on.

In the end, more than 5,000 emails from CCFC members were too much to ignore. Scholastic has confirmed that they will no longer be selling Bratz Items in schools.

Coming soon: Creativity At Work the E-Zine!

2008-08-16T13:32:00.006-04:00

Beginning in September, Creativity At Work will turn into an E-Zine, taking on an easier-to-read, well-organized format.

Each issue, scheduled to mail every three weeks, will contain an "Ask Bill" section*, personal recommendations, and updates on studio projects.

To make sure you are on the mailing list, click here.

*Bill will be answering marketing questions posed by E-Zine readers. To ask a question, click here.

Quote

2008-08-15T09:34:00.000-04:00

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever is left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."
-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"When brainstorming, consider the impossible, allow the improbable, and the truth will appear."
-- Bill Weber

Spending ad dollars in a down economy

2008-08-07T14:51:00.005-04:00

The economy is slowing, print media prices are skyrocketing, and internet advertising is not as simple, cheap, or impactful as it used to be.

Where are businesses and non-profits spending more of their money to reach out and be remembered? Promotional products. Promotional products (corporate gifts and giveaways like apparel, calendars, and logo merchandise) are the fastest growing segment of out-of-home media. With smart strategy and selection, they offer measurable results and excellent ROI.

Here are two examples from clients of mine:

1. MetroCard holders at a street fair. A Manhattan synagogue needs to invite local residents to their special services and events. They plan to attend a street fair to hand out schedules to adults. But they don't want the schedules to end up in the garbage or the kitchen junk drawer!

My solution? Low cost, imprinted MetroCard holders with a plastic clip for clipping to briefcases, handbags, backpacks, etc. And inside that MetroCard holder is a "MitzvahCard" -- the printed schedule for the synagogue! So the synagogue's message is visible, long-lasting, and classy.

2. Indoor/Outdoor thermometers for renters. A rental real estate agent wants every one of his rental deals to remember him and refer him to their friends.

How does he keep his name in front of them, long after he is gone? How does he stand out from his competition and get his renters to recommend him in a city full of brokers? Is giving out a bunch of business cards enough?

The solution is a move-in gift that is highly visible, has the proper perceived value (you can't give a kitchen magnet to someone who just gave you a $1500 commission!), and will be used every day. I came up with an electronic indoor/outdoor thermometer with the broker's personal signature and website address on it! Every morning, without fail, groggy renters will look at the weather report, smile, and see the broker's name.

As you can see, short of bribing someone for their business (actually, this IS bribing someone for their business), promotional products are effective, economical, and impactful.

If you want to talk about how intelligent promotional products strategy can help your business grow (and don't forget Christmas gift-giving), call me.

Bill Weber Studios' Promotional Products

Larry Harmon 1925-2008

2008-07-07T15:59:00.007-04:00

I first met Larry Harmon at NATPE about ten years ago. I was working for another entertainer, and we were eager to imitate his success in the global kid biz.

I soon learned that what Larry did or who he was could not be easily imitated.

Larry generously sat down with me and explained the hard work, dedication, and travel necessary to keep his company going. Larry pioneered the idea of licensing a show to local markets. When television went global, so did he, travelling to MIPCOM, MIPJr, NAPTE, and scores of regional markets you probably never heard of.

Most importantly, Larry understood the importance of giving children real flesh-and-blood heroes to connect with. That's why he joined the American Academy of Children's Entertainment (the trade association of independent creators of children's entertainment) -- to be a good role model for industry members and the children we serve.

When I last saw Larry at the Licensing Show two years ago, I was promoting my own entertainment property. Once again, Larry took the time to chat with me and take a picture.

Larry was a visionary, creative genius, entrepreneur, and gentleman. He will always be in the center ring for me.

The Children's Entertainment Hall of Fame

It's All About Character

2008-06-27T18:04:00.005-04:00

Reprinted from KIDSCREEN

The ability to teach life lessons might not be exactly front of mind when it comes to defining the attributes of today's top character/entertainment licenses, but that may be exactly what modern moms are looking for. While kids grow up in a more media-centric, property-saturated world than ever before, their parents are also a lot tougher to please. This group is adamant about raising their kids in an environment that teaches good values, habits and behaviors that will serve their offspring well later in life. And a property's perceived ability to help parents impart important life lessons may help it get a leg up in today's competitive market.

As director of consumer insights at Strottman International, a toy premium and custom retail product design and manufacturing company based in Irvine, California, I had the chance recently to sit down with two groups of moms - 14 women in total with kids between the ages of three and 13. We discussed what they like and dislike about the characters their kids connect with, and what would compel them to bring licensed goods into their homes. I discovered these moms strongly favor entertainment properties that they feel can help them teach their kids a thing or two.

SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Elmo, Care Bears, Thomas & Friends and That's So Raven ranked quite highly on the groups' approval lists. In fact, the moms seemed genuinely grateful to have licensed characters they can rely on to help instill the following values and characteristics in their kids:

• Personal hygiene

• Healthy eating

• Social interaction skills, such as how to work through a quarrel

• Manners/politeness

• Sharing

• Determination

• Value of a dollar/money

• Respect

• Teamwork

• Courtesy

• Importance of family

• Honesty

• Consequences

• Chores/helping around the house

• Caring for animals

• Good sportsmanship

So, for licensors and marketers with characters that play into any of these life lessons, it would be worthwhile to tout these attributes in an overt way in places where the message will reach moms, even if they're not very familiar with the character. For example, one of the moms told us she uses a plastic Disney plate with three sections as a tool to teach her child proper portion sizes. She thought of this on her own, but if the product's package or POP display advertised this potential benefit, more moms might latch onto that idea. Another of our panelists uses a Barbie ATM machine toy to teach her daughter about the value of money, and how to save money for the future. But again, the potential of that product to teach this lesson was nowhere to be found on the packaging. A perfect complement to this toy would have been a little booklet showing Barbie talking about the importance of saving and spending money wisely.

Some might contend that moms don't want to be told how to raise their kids, but Strottman's extensive research on today's Gen X-aged mom indicates the opposite. Today's moms welcome advice and information - much more than previous generations. Many of today's moms grew up as the first generation of latchkey kids, whose parents both worked full-time and had fewer chances to spend time with their kids. They often had to muddle through typical kid challenges on their own and want to provide more guidance for their own children.

We asked some moms to tell us about why they don't like some characters. One mother of four (three boys ages four, six and nine and a girl, seven) told us that preschool character Caillou is a bit too whiny in the way he goes about problem-solving, and in her view, doesn't have enough respect for his mother. "The way he behaves is not a way I want my child to behave," she said. "What he says to his mother is not acceptable, and I worry my kids would emulate what they see." Interestingly, SpongeBob, who rated quite highly with some of the mothers, had his share of detractors as well. A 32-year-old mother of five kids under age eight said, "I think SpongeBob is too crude. I don't let my kids watch the show." Similarly, some moms did not appreciate the boisterous quality and broad comedy of The Fairly OddParents. One viewed the characters as "rude and obnoxious." She added, "I don't like the tone of voice they speak to each other in, and it's just violent all the time."

It was clear from talking to these moms that they can form strong, permanent impressions of a character based on a single experience. Almost every single panelist who expressed a strong dislike for characters including Spider-Man, The Simpsons and SpongeBob, admitted they had only ever seen one episode of the series or a few minutes of the movie; and none could articulate very specifically why they didn't like it.

It seems like there's an obvious opportunity for licensors to educate parents about the positive qualities their characters exude. But when it comes to constructing marketing plans, they must keep in mind that many moms may never take the time to watch more than a few minutes of footage before making a one-time yes-or-no decision about whether they will ever buy products featuring that character, or let their kids watch their screen vehicles.

As I introduced a wide variety of characters from TV, movies and books into the discussion, a classification emerged that placed any given character property on a spectrum in terms of its likelihood to, and appropriateness for, teaching kids life lessons. (See "Mom's Property Spectrum" on the opposite page.)

Virtually every mom in the two groups voiced concerns about some girls' properties they believe encourage "materialism" and "bratty behavior," and boys' properties that produce "too much testosterone," but most also admitted that their children own licensed products branded with these very properties. Whether they had purchased them directly or their kids had received them as gifts, our moms' reasons for having them on hand ranged from "the kids just play so much with them," to "I don't want to deprive [my kids] of having fun."

Not surprisingly, it was also clear from the list each mom made of all the licensed character products they found in their homes that they buy far more products featuring properties from the positive end of the spectrum. Dora, Thomas, Barbie and Disney Princesses and Fairies dominated their lists, with products featuring SpongeBob, Power Rangers, Bratz and Spider-Man showing up much less frequently.

Along these lines, the moms agreed that it's more difficult to teach values to boys than to girls, and individual panelists had an especially hard time pointing to characters they thought could serve as role models for boys. And none identified classic superhero characters like Spider-Man and Batman as having this potential.

"With superheroes, the stories themselves don't teach anything," said one mother of five- and 10-year-old boys. "All the superheroes do, honestly, is get my boys all riled up," another commented. "I guess they teach good versus evil," she added, "but there's too much testosterone. I buy them Star Wars stuff, and they like it. It's not real violence, but then they're constantly battling with light sabers or whatever, and it ends up going one step too far."

Superhero licensors should take note of this insight's impact on sales because many moms said they don't buy licensed superhero merchandise because they don't see the value of these properties. An opportunity exists to educate moms and change their minds!

On the other hand, Christian book stores came up in both groups, without prompting, as a place where moms could find the kind of characters they're looking for. Veggie Tales, The Wiggles, Hermie and 3-2-1 Penguins were cited as examples of characters moms like, but that don't have much of a merch profile in large discount and mass retail outlets. Licensors might do well to pay more attention to the growing Christian retail channel and look for successes that might transfer well to the mass market.

Finally, we asked moms which single life lesson they need the most help with when it comes to teaching their kids. Acceptance ("accepting that everybody is different and has their own special talent"), manners, tolerance ("understanding different cultures, ethnicities, cultural and religious traditions"), honesty and appreciating the value of money ("understanding why you can't just buy a new one when something gets broken") came up the most.

Well, licensors - you've got your work cut out for you! Today's moms are tough nuts to crack. If you already have a character that is about values, make sure moms know it. If you don't, you now have a framework to use in developing your next hit character property.

-- Brady Darvin, senior director of consumer insights at Strottman International.
Strottman is a full-service agency specializing in the kids and family market that creates and manufacturers in-pack premiums, toys, plush and other products for a variety of packaged goods, food service and retail clients.

Ambassador Bird Flies Across The Pond

2008-06-19T09:55:00.003-04:00

The BBC held a competition for suggested mascots for the 2012 London Olympics. My Ambassador Bird made the top 8 and received worldwide exposure via the BBC News website. Hooray for peace!

Congratulations to fellow designers David Oliver, Marc Choi, Terry Scott, Martin Mostert, Katy Grierson, David Ayres, and Miwako Ohara. You can take a look at our work on the BBC site here.

AmbassadorBird.com
Bill Weber Studios Character Design

My Beautiful-er Mommy

2008-06-13T07:04:00.005-04:00

I kid you not -- a new children's book by a plastic surgeon explains why Mommy is getting a nose job, tummy tuck and breast implants. This is why I am writing a book called You Were Born Perfect ...You Just Forgot.

Story from Newsweek on My Beautiful Mommy.

Architectural Equality

2008-06-08T09:22:00.004-04:00

The New York Times just published a short interview with Enrique Penalosa on the design of cities.

Enrique Penalosa is a former mayor of Bogota, Colombia, where he tamed many urban problems.

His views on how sidewalks, bicycles, and access to waterfronts benefit children and future societies are to be applauded. As the world changes, we need to think about the lessons that our built environment teach.

RoleModel.TV

The Importance of Play

2008-05-05T13:27:00.004-04:00

The New York Times recently published an article on the importance of play to children and adults.

Ship? Copy? Confused!

2008-05-05T13:17:00.008-04:00

A new FedEx Kinkos facility is being built on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This picture shows the construction barrier with the fancy new storefront sign peeking out above it. It also illustrates the problem that FedEx Kinkos has been having.

Kinkos is a great chain of copy shops. Fedex is a great shipping service. The problem came about when Fedex bought Kinkos and decided to re-brand all facilities -- both shipping only and copies only -- with the combined name of Fedex Kinkos.

So when you see the Fedex Kinkos sign, you never know if the store is a shipping drop-off only or a copies/ship together location.

I've read that the Kinko's operation is not doing well. The copier shop employees are not adjusting well to their new shipping duties. Sounds like the confusing re-branding effort has affected employees and customers alike!

June 8, 2008 UPDATE: FedexKinkos has just announced that the copy shop business will be renamed FedEx Office. Talk about adding confusion!

Bill Weber Studios Branding

Dangerous Chatter and Kids

2008-03-16T17:23:00.003-04:00

The New York Times just printed an opinion piece that reminds us that being a parent in the internet age has its ethical dilemmas. Read Harlen Coben's The Undercover Parent to understand why parents need to be parents.

RoleModel.TV

Do you have 1000 fans?

2008-03-11T14:58:00.003-04:00

Kevin Kelly explains how to subvert mass marketing by cultivating 1000 fans.

Bill Weber Studios

Responsible Marketing to Parents and Kids

2008-03-08T18:26:00.004-05:00

The Coalition for a Commercial-Free Childhood is holding its annual summit in Boston from Apri 3-5. (The schedule is here.) This year's topic is "The Sexualization of Children."

Anyone who is concerned about children's marketing, and especially those who already market to children, should pay attention to what's presented here. America is on the verge of a backlash, and marketers must be responsible about their marketing efforts. To me, that means making marketing to parents, not kids, the first step in product launches and ad campaigns.

Bill Weber Studios Family-Friendly Marketing

Smart. Car.

2008-02-29T19:16:00.003-05:00

I saw the first Smartcar in Manhattan the other day, and -- wouldn't ya know it! -- it is a marketing promotion!

What can you park in front of your building or office door or customers that will get people talking?

Words Words Words

2008-02-20T12:39:00.003-05:00

The Democratic presidential primary campaign has taken a turn towards sniping over words. Parsing words is a specialty of lawyers and politicians. (Remember "That depends on what your definition of 'is' is"?). But it does not serve us voters still trying to make up our minds.

I think that all the candidates need to stop worrying about -- and borrowing -- each other's words, and get some better ones. First of all, the word "change" has got to go. Change is automatically going to happen next January. A new person will inhabit the White House. New problems will come up and a new person will deal with them.

I would like to start hearing the candidates actually distinguish themselves from one another through the distinctions that language offers.

What I hear Barack Obama talking about is "transformation." What I hear Hillary Clinton talking about is "competence." Both good words that would give me a little more to wrap my mind around.

If that would happen, the campaign would not only change, but transform for me. I could clearly compare each candidate against what I think the country needs, and make an intelligent decision.

xerox's New Logo

2008-01-18T19:43:00.001-05:00

Xerox has a new logo, and I am disappointed. It is the latest, and not greatest, in the new trend of logos with the Humanist typeface (a la AT&T and a thousand other companies).

Turning XEROX into cute little xerox diminishes the brand. The old XEROX logo was a custom typeface, with downstrokes all lined up like paper shooting from a copier. The new one is indistinguishable from not only AT&T -- excuse me, at&t -- but also from all those crazy-named internet companies out there. I wonder how many gaming companies have little spheres bouncing around in their logo.
To be honest, the new xerox design makes me think that the company went out of business and came back as some Web 2.0 startup out of India.

XEROX was the original technology pioneer. They invented xerographic copying and the personal computer.

So even if they are not the edge-of-technology front-runner that they used to be, couldn't their logo make us think that they are?

Quotations

2008-01-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

"Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum hatred for a minimum reason."
"All it takes is one person… and another… and another… and another… to start a movement"
"In regard to cruelties committed in the name of a free society, some are guilty, while all are responsible."
"Remember that there is a meaning beyond absurdity. Be sure that every little deed counts, that every word has power. Never forget that you can still do your share to redeem the world in spite of all absurdities and frustrations and disappointments."
"When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people."

-- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972)

A commercial for the upcoming book, The Eternal Amen of Abraham Joshua Heschel by Eve F. Roshevsky, designed by Bill Weber.

Bill Weber Studios Publication Design

Are we preparing kids for real or virtual life?

2008-01-02T09:40:00.000-05:00

A real opportunity to create a virtual world site for kids that does not come off as an ad for a big media company. That means iconic characters that don't sell anything but good values and learning. Here's a report on the state of the industry, condensed from The New York Times:

Web Playgrounds of the Very Young
by Brooks Barnes

LOS ANGELES — Forget Second Life. The real virtual world gold rush centers on the grammar-school set.

Trying to duplicate the success of blockbuster Web sites like Club Penguin and Webkinz, children’s entertainment companies are greatly accelerating efforts to build virtual worlds for children. Media conglomerates in particular think these sites — part online role-playing game and part social scene — can deliver quick growth, help keep movie franchises alive and instill brand loyalty in a generation of new customers.

“Get ready for total inundation,” said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst at the research firm eMarketer, who estimates that 20 million children will be members of a virtual world by 2011, up from 8.2 million today.

Worlds like Webkinz, where children care for stuffed animals that come to life, have become some of the Web’s fastest-growing businesses. More than six million unique visitors logged on to Webkinz in November, up 342 percent from November 2006, according to ComScore Media Metrix, a research firm.

Club Penguin, where members pay $5.95 a month to dress and groom penguin characters and play games with them, attracts seven times more traffic than Second Life.

Disney last month introduced a “Pirates of the Caribbean” world aimed at children 10 and older, and it has worlds on the way for “Cars” and Tinker Bell, among others. Nickelodeon, already home to Neopets, is spending $100 million to develop a string of worlds. Coming soon from Warner Brothers Entertainment, part of Time Warner: a cluster of worlds based on its Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and D. C. comics properties.

Add to the mix similar offerings from toy manufacturers like Lego and Mattel. Upstart technology companies, particularly from overseas, are also elbowing for market share. Mind Candy, a British company that last month introduced a world called Moshi Monsters, and Stardoll, a site from Sweden, sign up thousands of members in the United States each day.

“There is a massive opportunity here,” said Steve Wadsworth, president of the Walt Disney Internet Group, in an interview last week.

For nearly 50 years, since the start of Saturday morning cartoons, the television set has served as the front door to the children’s entertainment business. Now, “kids are starting to go to the Internet first,” Mr. Wadsworth said.

Disney’s biggest online world is Club Penguin, which it bought in August from three Canadians in a deal worth $700 million. At the time, more than 700,000 members paid fees of $5.95 a month, delivering annual revenue of almost $50 million.

Still, one world, even a very successful one, does not alter the financial landscape at a $35.5 billion company like Disney. So Disney is pursuing a portfolio approach, investing $5 million to $10 million per world to develop a string of as many as 10 virtual properties, people familiar with Disney’s plans said.

Tinker Bell’s world, called Pixie Hollow, illustrates the company’s game plan. Disney is developing the site internally — creative executives who help design new theme park attractions are working on it — and will introduce it this summer to help build buzz for “Tinker Bell,” a big-budget feature film set for a fall 2008 release.

Visitors to a rudimentary version of Pixie Hollow, reachable through Disney.com, have already created four million fairy avatars, or online alter egos, according to Disney.

Disney’s goal is to develop a network of worlds that appeal to various age groups, much like the company’s model. Preschool children might start with Pixie Hollow or Toon Town, another of Disney’s worlds, grow into Club Penguin and the one for “Cars” and graduate to “Pirates of the Caribbean” and beyond, perhaps to fantasy football at ESPN.com.

“All the stars are aligning for virtual worlds to become a mass-market form of entertainment, especially for kids and families,” Mr. Yanover said.

If virtual worlds for adults are about escaping from run-of-the-mill lives, sites for children tap into the desire to escape from the confines of reality as run by mom and dad. “I get to decide everything on Club Penguin,” said Nathaniel Wartzman, age 9, of Los Angeles, who also has a membership to a world called RuneScape.

But shopping is a powerful draw, too; most sites let children accumulate virtual points or spend their allowance money to buy digital loot. “It’s really fun to buy whatever you want inside the game,” Nathaniel said in a telephone interview. For his penguin, “like for Christmas I bought a fireplace, a flat-screen TV and a Christmas tree,” he said.

Online worlds, which typically have low overhead and fat profit margins once they are up and running, charge a monthly fee of $5 to $15 and require the adoption of an avatar. Some sites are free and rely on advertising to make money; others are advertising and subscription hybrids. Webkinz relies on the sale of stuffed animals, which come with tags that unlock digital content.

Still, the long-term appetite for the youth-oriented sites is unclear. Fads have always whipsawed the children’s toy market, and Web sites are no different, analysts warn. Parents could tire of paying the fees, while intense competition threatens to undercut the novelty. There are now at least 10 virtual worlds that involve caring for virtual pets.

Critics are sharpening their knives. “We cannot allow the media and marketing industries to construct a childhood that is all screens, all the time,” said Susan Linn, a Boston psychologist and the director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a nonprofit group that has complained of ads for movies on Webkinz.com.

RoleModel.TV

Helping Innovative Minds Overcome Roadblocks

2007-12-30T09:02:00.000-05:00

From The New York Times:

Innovative Minds Don’t Think Alike
By Janet Rae-Dupree

It's a pickle of a paradox: As our knowledge and expertise increase, our creativity and ability to innovate tend to taper off. Why? Because the walls of the proverbial box in which we think are thickening along with our experience.

Andrew S. Grove, the co-founder of Intel, put it well in 2005 when he told an interviewer from Fortune, “When everybody knows that something is so, it means that nobody knows nothin’.” In other words, it becomes nearly impossible to look beyond what you know and think outside the box you’ve built around yourself.

This so-called curse of knowledge, a phrase used in a 1989 paper in The Journal of Political Economy, means that once you’ve become an expert in a particular subject, it’s hard to imagine not knowing what you do. Your conversations with others in the field are peppered with catch phrases and jargon that are foreign to the uninitiated. When it’s time to accomplish a task — open a store, build a house, buy new cash registers, sell insurance — those in the know get it done the way it has always been done, stifling innovation as they barrel along the well-worn path.

Elizabeth Newton, a psychologist, conducted an experiment on the curse of knowledge while working on her doctorate at Stanford in 1990. She gave one set of people, called “tappers,” a list of commonly known songs from which to choose. Their task was to rap their knuckles on a tabletop to the rhythm of the chosen tune as they thought about it in their heads. A second set of people, called “listeners,” were asked to name the songs.

Before the experiment began, the tappers were asked how often they believed that the listeners would name the songs correctly. On average, tappers expected listeners to get it right about half the time. In the end, however, listeners guessed only 3 of 120 songs tapped out, or 2.5 percent.

The tappers were astounded. The song was so clear in their minds; how could the listeners not “hear” it in their taps?

That’s a common reaction when experts set out to share their ideas in the business world, too, says Chip Heath, who with his brother, Dan, was a co-author of the 2007 book “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.” It’s why engineers design products ultimately useful only to other engineers. It’s why managers have trouble convincing the rank and file to adopt new processes. And it’s why the advertising world struggles to convey commercial messages to consumers.

“I have a DVD remote control with 52 buttons on it, and every one of them is there because some engineer along the line knew how to use that button and believed I would want to use it, too,” Mr. Heath says. “People who design products are experts cursed by their knowledge, and they can’t imagine what it’s like to be as ignorant as the rest of us.”

But there are proven ways to exorcise the curse.

In their book, the Heath brothers outline six “hooks” that they say are guaranteed to communicate a new idea clearly by transforming it into what they call a Simple Unexpected Concrete Credentialed Emotional Story. Each of the letters in the resulting acronym, Succes, refers to a different hook. (“S,” for example, suggests simplifying the message.) Although the hooks of “Made to Stick” focus on the art of communication, there are ways to fashion them around fostering innovation.

To innovate, Mr. Heath says, you have to bring together people with a variety of skills. If those people can’t communicate clearly with one another, innovation gets bogged down in the abstract language of specialization and expertise. “It’s kind of like the ugly American tourist trying to get across an idea in another country by speaking English slowly and more loudly,” he says. “You’ve got to find the common connections.”

In her 2006 book, “Innovation Killer: How What We Know Limits What We Can Imagine — and What Smart Companies Are Doing About It,” Cynthia Barton Rabe proposes bringing in outsiders whom she calls zero-gravity thinkers to keep creativity and innovation on track.

When experts have to slow down and go back to basics to bring an outsider up to speed, she says, “it forces them to look at their world differently and, as a result, they come up with new solutions to old problems.”

She cites as an example the work of a colleague at Ralston Purina who moved to Eveready in the mid-1980s when Ralston bought that company. At the time, Eveready had become a household name because of its sales since the 1950s of inexpensive red plastic and metal flashlights. But by the mid-1980s, the flashlight business, which had been aimed solely at men shopping at hardware stores, was foundering.

While Ms. Rabe’s colleague had no experience with flashlights, she did have plenty of experience in consumer packaging and marketing from her years at Ralston Purina. She proceeded to revamp the flashlight product line to include colors like pink, baby blue and light green — colors that would appeal to women — and began distributing them through grocery store chains.

“It was not incredibly popular as a decision amongst the old guard at Eveready,” Ms. Rabe says. But after the changes, she says, “the flashlight business took off and was wildly successful for many years after that.”

Ms. Rabe herself experienced similar problems while working as a transient “zero-gravity thinker” at Intel.

“I would ask my very, very basic questions,” she said, noting that it frustrated some of the people who didn’t know her. Once they got past that point, however, “it always turned out that we could come up with some terrific ideas,” she said.

While Ms. Rabe usually worked inside the companies she discussed in her book, she said outside consultants could also serve the zero-gravity role, but only if their expertise was not identical to that of the group already working on the project.

“Look for people with renaissance-thinker tendencies, who’ve done work in a related area but not in your specific field,” she says. “Make it possible for someone who doesn’t report directly to that area to come in and say the emperor has no clothes.”

Who kids should be watching on TV

2007-12-19T20:03:00.000-05:00

Jamie and big sister Britney

The New York Times on the pregnancy of 16 year-old Nickelodeon television star Jamie Lynn Spears.

Me on who kids should be watching on tv.

Good Promotion = Higher Rents

2007-12-18T18:56:00.000-05:00

There's a building on Fifth Avenue that has scaffolding around it. Not just plain, black fishnet-covered scaffolding, but cool faux-facade scaffolding.

Think about it. If you were a landlord, and you were showing space in this building, wouldn't the "cool" factor of the work being done on the outside translate to less resistance to a few more dollars per square foot on the inside?

Bill Weber Studios Graphic Design

Mental Reserves Ensure an Agile Life

2007-12-11T11:21:00.000-05:00

My beloved Great Aunt Doris lived to be 103. She credited her long life with always being "interested" rather than "interesting." She interacted with a steady stream of interesting guests, did insanely complicated needlepoint, read all the latest books, and had a sharp mind and physical agility up until the end.

In today's New York Times, Jane E. Brody writes that it's been discovered that mental reserves are developed when people push their creative and mental boundaries. And that these mental reserves ensure mental agility into old age, even when Alzheimer's is present.

Sounds like the reason you might buy a high performance car. While you may not ever go 140 mph, the car will go 65 a lot longer and better.

So continue to creatively challenge yourself, your business model, and your employees. They'll go from 0-60 faster and longer.

And you could live to be 103, too.

Bill Weber Studios

Direct Mail Design Soaks Up Attention for Client

2007-12-05T16:20:00.001-05:00

From the December 2007 issue of Advantages magazine:

Magazine Soaks up Responses from Sponge Mailing
by Jennifer Zorger

How does a magazine that showcases print ad campaigns and TV commercials promote itself to the management and creative directors at U.S. advertising agencies? With a promotional product, naturally.

Lakpa Sherpa, general manager of Lürzer’s ARCHIVE, was looking for a way to increase brand awareness and sell subscriptions to the magazine. He met with Bill Weber of Bill Weber Studios, a designer and promo products distributor, to define their approach.

“We needed to create a direct-mail piece that: 1. people would open,” Sherpa says, “2. reinforced the concept that ARCHIVE is the ultimate creative idea generator for advertising agency creatives; 3. appealed to creative people who have seen it all; 4. redirected people to the Web site to learn more about the publication; and 5. kept the brand in the customer’s mind for a long time.”

That’s a tall task, but they decided to mail an expandable sponge in the shape of a light bulb. The easily recognized shape quickly identified ARCHIVE with generating ideas, and the item was flat and lightweight for easy mailing. Putting it in a clear envelope ensured that recipients knew the product was inside before they even opened it.

Sherpa describes the mailing as a big success. “Ad agency people are very hard to impress and have short attention spans. The sponge broke through. We have been getting calls from agencies who not only love the sponge but want to use them for their own promotions.”

Bill Weber Studios

No Junky Promotional Products, just Junky Promotional Products Salesmen

2007-12-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

I had a potential client tell me that he doesn't like promotional products. That they are junk that people put into the trash. That he would rather give brownies to people who buy from him (he is a real estate broker).

My counter-argument is that yes, a lot of promotional products end up in the kitchen junk drawer. But that is because promotional products are being misused more than they are used correctly. And lousy promotional products sellers deserve the blame for this.

Promotional products are not just "cheap plastic stuff." They are champagne buckets given to new home buyers, they are leather bags given out in advance of trade shows to get VIPS into booths, and they are custom slipper socks given to children. They are water bottles given out at parades to introduce new customers to a retail store. They are marketing tools that ask for action from the recipient.

I just went to a b-to-b trade show where many promotional products distributors exhibited. I was disappointed because every one had a passive display, and didn't use the products creatively or aggressively. No wonder people think promotional products are junk! I would have been standing in front of the Javits Center giving out rubber eggs that said, "Something is hatching at Booth 411" or had wind-up chattering teeth making noise at my booth.

See? The salesman makes a difference.

P.S.: Brownies are a nice thank you. But they only last a day or two. If your purpose is to encourage people to make referrals way into the future, then use champagne buckets, steak knives, or USB memory sticks -- they last forever.

Bill Weber Studios Promotional Products

Frat Boy Marketers 1,Parents & Kids 0

2007-12-02T11:56:00.000-05:00

Hershey's wants kids to be cool and pop fun little packets in their mouths. What's next? Crack pipes with rock candy in it? Little syringes of sugar water?

If the parents in this country didn't insist on laws about toy guns not looking like real guns, we'd have more kids shot by police -- and each other. Candy that glamourizes the drug culture is no different. What was Hershey's thinking?

From the Associated Press:

New Hershey Mints Resemble Cocaine

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Nov. 30) -- Hershey, the century-old maker of chocolate bars recognizable in every corner of America, is selling a mint that police officers and judges say would be recognizable on a drug corner.

Ice Breakers Pacs are nickel-size dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside. They look similar to the tiny heat-sealed bags used to sell illegal powdered drugs like crack, heroin and cocaine.

"Being in narcotics the majority of my career, I thought it was the real stuff," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector William Blackburn told the Philadelphia Daily News.

The mints, which are sold in blue and orange plastic slide-top cases, first hit store shelves in November.

Linda Wagner, a Philadelphia narcotics officer whose teenage daughter died of a heroin overdose, held back tears when she saw the pouches.

"I was shocked," Wagner told the newspaper.

A spokesman for the company, based in Hershey, Pa., about 80 miles west of Philadelphia, pointed out that each pouch -- made by two dissolvable mint strips -- bears the Ice Breakers logo.

"It is not intended to simulate anything," said spokesman Kirk Saville.

Saville would not directly respond to questions about whether Hershey has plans to change the product's appearance or whether anyone in law enforcement or inside the company has previously raised a concern about it.

Creativity Counts in Keeping Employees

2007-12-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

A recent article in Inc. reports that nearly 40 percent of employees say their employers are not creative, and that 20 percent say they would take less money to work at a more creative company. Here's the article:

Nearly 40 Percent of Employees Say Companies Are Not Creative
by Tamara Schweitzer, Inc. Magazine

Companies, especially smaller ones, often depend on big ideas and a creative team of employees to develop innovative products and services. But a new survey shows that many U.S. workers suffer from a lack of creative stimulation at their jobs.

In a study of 674 full- and part-time workers, 88 percent said they consider themselves creative, but only 63 percent said they are putting their creative abilities to use on the job, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs survey commissioned by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

When asked about their company's creative potential, 39 percent of respondents said they do not think of their company as a creative entity. Nevertheless, the survey found that 75 percent of workers believe their employers value their creativity. Economic experts have termed this phenomenon the "creativity gap," or the disconnect between the creative resources available and those being employed.

"The U.S. economy has always been fueled by new ideas and innovation, and this survey underscores the value that American workers put on creativity at work," Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said in a statement. "In many ways, the results of this research are a wakeup call to U.S. companies."

In fact, the survey illuminates just how eager some employees are to work for a company that they view as creative. One in five respondents said they would leave their job for a workplace where they could be more creative, even if it meant earning less money. Another 29 percent of respondents said they would move their place of residence to be part of a more creative community. That number was higher -- at 37 percent -- for younger workers, ages 18-34.

"As the workforce gets younger, they are really interested in taking on projects that tap into the idea of entrepreneurism," said Steven Pedigo, a researcher for the Creative Class Group, a global think tank that advises companies on how to attract talent from the creative class. "The employers that have been really successful in fostering creativity are those that have created an environment that is entrepreneurial. They are really team driven and not a top down, but almost flat, infrastructure," Pedigo added.

One way that employers can open their company up to more creativity, according to Pedigo, is by providing a work environment that is flexible and caters to the needs of employees. One example is being amenable to employees who want to work untraditional hours, or in a setting outside the office.

"The number one commodity for a business is human capital," Pedigo said. "You want to foster your talent base as much as possible because at the end of the day that's what's going to help the bottom line."

What's next: ads launched by the text you are reading

2007-11-29T11:46:00.000-05:00

From the December 3, 2007 edition of Business Week (thanks to Joe Avellino):

Pitching Between The Lines by Catherine Holahan

For sale: "Boston," "telephone," "football," "Indianapolis"...and just about every other word that appears on some Web news pages. Having shifted much of their advertising budgets from print to online, big consumer-brand companies are increasingly attaching ads to selected words on newspaper and other media Web sites.

So-called in-text advertising, purchased by companies such as Ford, Intel, and Microsoft), pops up in small windows when a reader moves a cursor over highlighted, double-underlined words in a story. Pausing over a link produces a bubble containing written pitches, voiceover, or even video.

Many journalists believe that selling the words in a story blurs the line between editorial and ad content. Some worry it creates an incentive to insert ad-linked words or order up certain types of stories.

Forbes' online arm caused a ruckus in 2004 when it rolled out in-text ads. After an outcry among the editorial staff and negative media coverage, Forbes ended the practice.

The Indianapolis Star began using the ads in August, initially in its auto racing pages. Now they can be found on stories throughout the paper's Web site. Patricia Miller, online sales manager, says some newsroom employees and readers voiced objections, but those "tapered off."

In a Nov. 20 story about Thanksgiving recipes on the Star's Web site, the words "cooked rice" were double-underlined. Scrolling over them launched an ad to buy a Sanyo rice cooker from Amazon.com.

My take: Even hard news is no longer free from advertising! Another reason for parents to subscribe to a safe, walled-garden for their families.

RoleModel.TV

Book Cover With Its Own Historical Drama Going On

2007-11-27T15:59:00.000-05:00

I don't have a problem with the impertinent title. Humor is sometimes a good thing to tap into regarding the horrors of life (see Life Is Beautiful). My problem is with the over-the-top illustration and the vapid glamour shot of the woman (presumably the author) in the background. If she showed an intelligent sparkle, it would let us know that the joke was intentional.

Bill Weber Studios Publication Design

Giving Your Word Works Both Ways

2007-11-26T20:39:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite people is Michael Lipp, who is a great personal coach, mentor, and friend.

Michael publishes books and newsletters full of good coaching -- all based around the laws of attraction and integrity in the universe.

One powerful "coaching" is the fact that when you give your word, you are also giving permission for others to hold you to it.

In Michael's words:

When I give you my word, I am also giving you permission to hold me accountable for keeping that word.

We do not have to say, "you have my word" or "I promise that ..." It could be something simple, even nebulous, like, "I'll get back to you on that." Even though we don't give a specific 'by when,' there's a commitment there.

If I consider myself a person whose word is solid (and I do), then I owe it to myself to allow you to hold me accountable for it. I follow the Law of Attraction - The Universe responds to who I am. If I am always true to my word, then my word is law, at least in my universe (which is the only one that counts for me.)

Now I don't always keep my word - this isn't a holier than thou sermon. Sometimes I forget; sometimes circumstances seem to get in the way. But when I forget, I really want you to remind me, to hold me accountable; you're doing me a service.

MichaelLipp.com,

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words of Commentary

2007-11-26T11:55:00.001-05:00

After years of "let's save money by putting our cheaply-decorated branches on the second floor," Chase is back in the prime real estate game. The 14th Street branch, located -- can you believe it! -- on top of a Commerce Bank, is moving across Fifth Avenue to a new street-level location. (The only thing better would be for all banks to move to the second floor so that funky little shops and restaurants can move back in.)

Dean's Pizzeria on a side street buys a lighted showcase on Broadway. They invest in beautiful photography and design. Pay off? Hungry people walk past competing delis and turn the corner.

AOL doesn't change their subscriber's home page anymore. Instead of breaking news and other tidbits, their home screen shows generic blah-blah-blah. Any wonder their paid subscribers are plunging? Is this really a major American company?

Bill Weber Studios

Aesthetic Disruptive

2007-11-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about Clayton Christensen's theory of disruptive technology, and reading some design blog criticism of the new New York City taxi logo, when it hit me. The taxi logo is an example of Aesthetic Disruptive Design!

Some designers say that the logo is not balanced enough -- that the NYC lettering is too thick and too low. That the T in the circle doesn't mean anything. And that the space between the A and the X is not pleasing.

I say, "so what?" The old taxi logo, if you could call it that, was just some old block lettering, and we came to recognize it as the official look of the good old New York taxicab.

Not every children's character drawing is -- or should be -- as rounded and soft as a Disney drawing. (See Dexter's Laboratory and other modern kids' cartoons.) Therefore, not every logo has to be rounded and soft.

My favorite in this vein is the Pinky's logo from New York City. Why is that Y so big? So that it stands out and disrupts my aesthetic sense. And sticks in my memory.

Bill Weber Logo Design (aesthetic design, sometimes disruptive)
RoleModel.TV (disruptive media)

Parents Like the Internet Less

2007-11-06T17:20:00.000-05:00

The Pew Internet and American Life Project just released the results of their Parents & Teens 2006 study.

The two main conclusions: "Teens are more likely than their parents to say digital technology makes their lives easier" and "Parents of teens are less likely now than in 2004 to say that the internet is a good thing for their children."

At first glance, it's pretty much what you'd expect. Teens like the freedom and IMing and Facebook and YouTube and MySpace. Parents, paying for the freedom and IMing and Facebook and YouTube and MySpace wonder where all the hall monitors and chaperones are!

The Pew report's numbers are eye-opening: "Some 59% of parents say the internet has been a good thing for their children, down from 67% in 2004." This means that about 44 million (out of 75 million) families in the US say the internet is a good thing. But 31 million say it is not. And 6 million have changed their minds from positive to negative.

I've written in the past about the parenting culture/entertainment culture conflict in this country. Looks like 6 million more American families have moved their support back to the parenting side.

That is not a small number. Isn't it time that our media gives more support to the parenting culture, too?

(Thanks to Jim Coffman of BlogAmp.com)

RoleModel.TV

Branding Power, Knicks Style

2007-11-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

Not sure if promotional giveaways make an impact? Here is a picture of a sea of orange caps exiting Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. It apparently was Foot Locker Cap Day at the Knicks Game, and everyone got an orange cap with the Knicks logo on the front and the Foot Locker logo on the back.

You may think, "So everyone who was there got a cap. Big deal. They were there anyway! I need to reach prospective customers."

Look at the picture closely. Only half the people have orange caps. The other half were innocent sidewalk strollers in busy midtown.

Did all those innocent passers-by notice the caps? You bet. Did they all think, "Gee what a nice thing for Foot Locker and the Knicks to do?" Absolutely.

Bill Weber Studios Promotional Products

A Safe Online Garden

2007-10-26T10:42:00.000-04:00

I was just interviewed about Ambassador Bird and RoleModel.TV by ZDNet. The video and text are below.

Is it possible to wall-in a safe online garden for kids?
by David Berlind, Executive Editor, ZDNet

Here in NYC at Startup Camp, I took some time to interview a couple of founders of technology-oriented companies (most were technology-oriented but some were not) to find out what they were up to and what sort of company they were bringing to market. I basically got up on stage and said we’re rolling tape for ZDNet and CNET if anyone wants to come talk to us. The first person to come talk to us was Bill Weber of Bill Weber Studios. For some period of time now (I forgot to ask how long), Bill Weber has been selling “Increase the Peace” stickers online in lots of 10 for $3.00. The stickers feature Ambassador Bird (pictured right), a dove who is the mascot for the Increase the Peace brand. The idea, according to Bill, is for kids, parents, and teachers to buy the stickers and hand them out to their friends in hopes of promoting peace, racial tolerance, religious tolerance etc. If, for example, one child gives out 10 stickers to his friends, that’s a “peace club.” Personally, I love the idea. Kids love stickers and what better way to tie that love to a real challenge that confronts our society as well as the world — and maybe a way to break some chains of violence and intolerance.

Taking Ambassador Bird and his understanding of the target audience to another level, Weber is now working on RoleModel.TV. RoleModel.TV is basically an online channel of what Weber refers to as trusted content for kids; a walled garden (for lack of a better definition) where the content includes themes that are not only appropriate for children, but that also deal with thorny issues that parents sometimes have a hard time dealing with. Like divorce. This reminds me of how, when I first got divorced (I’ve since remarried), I read a book to my son called Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families.

Anyway, I interviewed Weber with the tape rolling (he had his Ambassador Bird puppet with him). He’s the real deal; a guy with a heart of gold who is genuinely interested in changing the world, a guy who is doing something about it.

The World of Ambassador Bird
RoleModel.TV

Pretty Packages

2007-10-16T14:24:00.001-04:00

Frank's liquor store in Union Square has a display for Veuve-Clicquot Champagne in the window. I'm sure that it is a very fine champagne. I'm sure that there is a marvelous family history behind the brand. But what's moving the product off the shelves is the beautiful promotional gift packaging.

As Veuve-Clicquot and other smart marketers know, promotional products can sometimes be the difference between sale and no sale.

Promotional products are not just cheap pens that you hand out at trade shows. (And if you are just giving out cheap pens at trade shows, you are throwing money away.) They are a powerful marketing tool that, as you can see, impacts retail sales.

Bill Weber Studios Corporate Gifts & Promotional Products

"You Can't See It Anywhere Else" TV

2007-10-13T14:07:00.000-04:00

New York and her ensemble, courtesy of VH1

I just attended a talk by Michael Hirschorn, head of programming at VH1. As former editor of New York and Esquire magazines, Michael brings intelligence and a journalistic feel for popular culture to his work. Under his direction, VH1 has come out from MTV's shadow and thrived with "celebreality" programming that reflects our pop culture.

Michael looks for compelling personalities -- people like Flavor Flav, New York, Salt N Pepa, and Irv Gotti -- to build his shows around.

His job is to create "You Can't See It Anywhere Else" programming. He does a fantastic job, and the VH1 audience wants and appreciates it.

My focus is, as you may know, the non-VH1 family and children's audience. For them, we need a different kind of "You Can't See It Anywhere Else TV":

Shows about people who are successful and enjoy their work that aren't entertainment or sports stars, real estate or hotel moguls, or the children of entertainment or sports stars or real estate or hotel moguls.

Shows about school and community activities (like cheerleading, sports, fund-raising, shopping and the arts) that families are really involved in.

Lots of people want celeb-reality TV. Nothing wrong with that. But lots of people (including a lot of small-sized people) need non-celeb-reality TV. Let's give it to them.

RoleModel.TV

Skanky Scrunchie Syndrome

2007-10-12T10:25:00.000-04:00

Photo of Kyla in a scrunchie by Amber of myaimistrue.etsy.com.

I define good branding as the consistent, intelligent execution of the customer experience. (See What is branding?) Alexandria K. Brown, known as the "E-zine Queen," explains it another way:

Does Your Marketing Have "Skanky Scrunchie Syndrome"?
by Alexandria K. Brown

A few years ago I spoke at a large marketing conference in Atlanta, Georgia. One woman approached my display table to ask a few questions. Honestly she was so attractive it was intimidating. Tall with a pretty face, understated jewelry, a blue designer suit with beautiful shoes and a high-end bag. She looked like she'd just stepped out of a catalog. I thought to myself, "How polished! This woman really puts out a winning image. She must do very well with her business."

Then, as she turned to walk away, I spotted it...

The scrunchie.

Her silky, shiny hair was pulled back by a dingy white scrunchie that looked in desperate need of a washing, if not discarding. It was a truly skanky scrunchie.

Everything positive this woman had projected was immediately tarnished by this negligent afterthought.

Now, of course I assumed the poor woman must have been traveling and forgotten her good scrunchie, and that's all she had in her bag.

So a few months later I'm at another marketing conference here in Los Angeles, standing at my booth after speaking on the main stage. And up she walks again to say hi, looking fabulous as before. We have another great conversation, and as she turns away, there it is ... AGAIN.

The skanky scrunchie!

I realized then that she had no idea it had a negative effect in any way. She must have thought that no one would notice. Or that since the rest of her outfit was so polished that it wouldn't matter.

Wrong.

My point is not to ridicule this woman's choice of accessories. My point is how one piece of a "package" can ruin the entire presentation. Another example is seeing a beautifully dressed man (I just love a man in a sharp suit and tie) with shabby shoes. There goes the sale!

I eventually realized I had a few "skanky scrunchies" of my own, when it came to how I packaged my products. While I'd upgraded most of my marketing materials to my slick new look, there were a few product packages remaining that looked like I'd created them myself using clip art. (That's because I had!) I wasn't proud to ship them to people. I wasn't proud to display them at my seminars. In fact, I avoided showing them to anyone at all, which of course meant no one could buy them.

My good friend Kim Castle of WhyBrandU.com says that your marketing materials should "make you tingle" when you look at them. Like your business card for example. I'd say almost half of all people who hand me their business card make some type of excuse for it. "Oh this is just a temporary card for now." "This is my old logo on here." "Sorry this isn't updated yet." Kim calls this "business card shame." I love that!

I've realized over the past few years that if I want to BE a million-dollar-plus business, I'd better start LOOKING like one (and acting like one, for that matter). And that attitude and those actions are paying off immensely.

So take about 30 minutes this week and inventory all your marketing materials. I mean ALL of them. Your website, business cards, brochures, product packaging, even forms -- anything that your prospects or clients and customers see. (And even the things only you and your staff see.)

Do they all look consistent and professional? Or do some of them look like your kid designed it or it was thrown together quickly?

If any give you shame, they're your skanky scrunchies. Write them down on a piece of paper, and then write down what you're going to do about them, and when.

Resolve to fix them yourself or outsource the design and production to get them revised ASAP. I guarantee you'll thank yourself once you do! You'll not only be more proud to give out and sell your materials, you'll see your business rise as well.

© 2004-2005 Alexandria Brown International Inc. Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 22,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com

Bill Weber Studios

Good and Simple Marketing

2007-10-11T16:25:00.000-04:00

I followed an Herbalife dealer as he stuck business cards under every advertisement in every car of a subway train.

He told me that it was a great way to reach the right people for him -- people who want to make more money and leave the rat race.

(Remember when there used to be small business ads in the subway? You'd see a standard-size ad divided into four small ads for beauty salons, accountants, and the like. But I digress.)

Big companies need to think this way, too. Sometimes big budgets and big ideas are not the most direct way from point A (customer) to point B (sale.)

So the next time you see someone handing out business cards for Madame Lasagna Sykik Readr on the subway, tip your hat to a fellow smart marketer.

Good and Naughty Branding

2007-10-11T16:14:00.000-04:00

Abercrombie & Fitch is famous for selling with sex. Their print advertising and catalogs feature models who may or may not be wearing any clothing described in the ad copy.

Not only does A&F polybag their print catalog to protect innocent eyes, they also wrap up their retail stores (no, not in plain brown wrappers) with classy louvred windows.

These pictures are from the Rockaway Townsquare mall in suburban New Jersey. You can see that A&F makes the most of their naughty image by shading the windows and placing a big hunk in the doorway. What teenager or college student wouldn't want to go in for a peek?

Reminds me of the old Times Square.

If Television Were A Customer Service Business

2007-10-01T14:00:00.000-04:00

The New York Times recently ran a story explaining why television networks think they need to put snipes (animated ads for one program while you are watching another) and bugs (network logos) at the bottom of your television screen in order to attract viewers. "We don't understand why everyone is complaining," whined the network executives. "All we're doing is making television screens look like computer screens! Websites are full of intrusive graphics!"

It seems to me that this situation is more than a little bit insane. Network viewership is down, and they are scrambling to annoy people more?

What's the difference here? A little thing called respect. Unlike most other successful companies in America (Neiman-Marcus, Mercedes, Wal-Mart, etc.) networks have forgotten that they are in the customer service business!

Years ago, networks kept their schedules constant. M*A*S*H was on every Monday at the same time. The first step in the degeneration of the network/viewer relationship was when a programmer decided to pre-empt a great show with a lame show in order to get viewers to sample it. (Before, the network would run the lame show after the great show.) Soon, whole nights were shifted for the network's promotional agenda -- not to meet the viewer's needs, but theirs.

Imagine if a department store was run this way. You go to Nordstroms to buy a new suit or dress, but all the merchandise has been moved around! The health-food snack bar, an increasingly popular destination on the third floor, has been replaced with a McDonald's. The entire shoe department (on which Nordstrom has built its reputation) has been cleared out and filled with plastic flip flops!

And on the bottom of every flip flop, and on the hem of every dress, is the logo for some "suggested sell" accessory brand that the store makes a big profit on. (Whether the product looks good on you is immaterial to today's marketing frat boys; they just care about their profits.)

If Nordstroms did this they, like the New York Mets, would drop in the rankings like a stone.

If television were a customer service business, the networks wouldn't mess with the viewing experience. No snipes or bugs. No commercials on top of commercials on top of commercials on top of commercials.

If television were a customer service business, the networks would provide "appointment" programming, and not break their appointments. No filling the entire night's schedule with Family Guy marathons.

If television were a customer service business, the networks would introduce new shows around, not instead of old shows. Let me watch my show first, then I'll give the new kid a chance. (Let me get the tie that I came to the department store to buy in the first place, then show me the new shirts.)

If television were a customer service business, the networks would cultivate loyalty among viewers (personal notes suggesting a Grace Under Fire to go with my Closer, coupons for special insider discounts on sponsors goods, etc.).

If television were a customer service business, viewers wouldn't be as frustrated and angry. Viewers wouldn't run off to Blockbuster or to surf on-line.

Viewers would feel respected. And would, in return, come back to shop some more.

Bill Weber Studios

Leading the World to Peace

2007-10-01T13:15:00.000-04:00

Photo: Arizona Academy of Leadership

There are two ways to make peace happen:

1. elect better leaders for today
2. grow better leaders for tomorrow

Teach all children that peace is the natural way of being and that their lives and their voices matter. When they grow up and "tomorrow" becomes "today," #1 and #2 will be as natural as peace.
-- Bill Weber

Promotional Products We'd Like To See (Promotional Thinking Dept.)

2007-09-30T16:44:00.000-04:00

Promotional Products can really be powerful (such as the custom-printed nail files shown above) or a waste of money (as in the cheap plastic stuff that fills kitchen junk drawers around the world).

Choose them wisely, and they can do wonders for you. They can build trade show foot traffic (give out rubber eggs marked with "something is hatching at Booth 7796" at the show entrance), keep your message active for weeks to come (if you have a consumer service, give a teddy bear with your logo on it for their kid), or encourage repeat customers (give nice bags out to first-timers, and offer a matching writing pad and pen when they come back).

The custom nail files would be brilliant for businesses that target women. What other advertising method will have your prospect spending minutes every day looking at your message? Guaranteed.

Bill Weber Studios Promotional Products

Is the paint on toys a danger, or the toys themselves?

2007-09-16T10:57:00.000-04:00

Gary Cross, a professor of history at Pennsylvania State University and the author of “Kids’ Stuff: Toys and the Changing World of American Childhood” wrote the following thought-provoking piece for the New York Times:

The chief executive of Mattel, Robert Eckert, has just apologized to America’s parents for allowing hundreds of thousands of Chinese-made toys decorated with leaded paint or containing powerful magnets into the country, exposing children to danger. This is admirable, as is the recall of these toys and the toy industry’s request that Congress impose mandatory toy safety testing standards. But what Mr. Eckert and other major toy makers should also apologize for is the toys themselves and the way they are promoted.

When I looked at Mattel’s list of recently recalled toys, it became obvious that something more than our dependence on foreign goods or even the physical safety of children is at stake here. The problem is that the toys and the business model that creates them has so little to do with the needs of children and their parents.

On the list were 56 Polly Pocket sets (including a Lip Gloss Studio Playset), 11 Doggie Daycare toys, 4 Batman figures, 43 Sesame Street toys (not just Elmo Stacking Rings but Giggle Grabber Soccer Elmo and Grow Me Elmo Sprinkler), 10 Dora the Explorers and more than a score of assorted figures and cars. These are designed mostly for preschoolers; none encourage violence and many feature the cute and caring. But, a parent might ask, why 56 Polly Pocket sets? Wouldn’t a half-dozen meet the needs of any child? And why teach 4-year-olds the fine points of cosmetics?

Yet most of us are not shocked by this list. Indeed, a business model that sells endless additions to basic toys even when they have nothing to do with any recognized child-rearing ideal or even imaginative play seems natural.

This wasn’t always the case. In the early 1970s, child advocates like Action for Children’s Television recognized that television ads for toys had a magical power over children. They tried to ban these commercials to give parents, not toy companies, control over the desires of their offspring. In 1978, Michael Pertschuk, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, argued that ads appealing to young children were inherently “unfair.”

The toy and candy industries, which advertised directly to children, mobilized and accused the commission and child advocates of trying to restrict commercial-free speech and of wanting a nanny state. In 1980, Congress complied by prohibiting the commission from regulating ads aimed at children.

About the same time, toy makers noticed that their earnings from selling “Star Wars” characters were more profitable than the movies themselves and fully embraced character licensing. Aided by the early ’80s deregulation of ads, Mattel, Hasbro and others created cartoons that were essentially program-length commercials. These cartoons, like “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” or “Care Bears,” promoted toy lines in their story plots and led to an endless wave of toys based on television and movie characters.

At the same time, American toy makers outsourced production, mostly to China, and concentrated on design and marketing, transforming a seasonal industry (mostly at Christmas) into wave after wave of movie-toy promotions. As a result, in 1987, 60 percent of toys sold in the United States were based on licensed characters, compared with about 10 percent in 1980. Toy sales increased from $6.1 billion in 1982 to $12.5 billion in 1986.

This was a superb model for business success, but it hasn’t been such a good way to raise children. Since 1973, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has set standards and recalled hazardous toys, protecting the physical safety of children. But government does nothing to protect children’s psychological needs. Sure, youngsters want this stuff (after all, they see it on television every day) and they find ways of playing with these toys, sometimes imaginatively abandoning the commercial back story of the characters.

But the problem is that the fun built into the toy is mostly in receiving the latest Polly Pocket and adding it to a collection, rather than playing with it. Additive — if not addictive — desire is created and satisfied by these toy lines. They serve little positive purpose other than to teach children to be good consumers and want all the Dora the Explorer toys.

Many people might associate this selling tactic with violent action figures or Barbie and Bratz dolls, but PBS Kids’ cartoon characters and Children’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) puppets have been licensed to the toy companies since 1971. How many toddlers do you know who are obsessed with anything having to do with Elmo and Thomas the Tank Engine toys?

Is it any surprise that children are running through their childhoods so quickly? Not only do many of these licensed toys introduce young people to fashion and consumerism before they have developed critical judgment, but we as parents give them the stuff too early. And so much of it is junk.

Perhaps it’s time to rethink the decision to allow the unrestricted advertising and cartoon promotion of toy lines that has produced year-round marketing and piles of plastic toys, bought and soon discarded. After all, we ought to be just as concerned about the impact of character licensing and toy advertising on our children’s psyche as we are on protecting them from ingesting leaded paint and magnets.

Why is this penguin so happy?

2007-08-02T10:02:00.000-04:00

Club Penguin, the 3-year old kids' virtual world play site, just sold to the Walt Disney Company for a deal worth $700 million ($350M cash, $350 incentive).

I call this a Web 3.0 deal -- meaning it's not a brochure (1.0), it's not a social interaction site (2.0), but it is a relationship/lifestyle site. Which is why it is worth so much. (Yearly revenue of $60M is nice, too.)

Would Disney make a movie for $700M? No. Would Sony (who also bid on Club Penguin) invest $700M into a video game? No. But the chance to have a relationship with a community of millions (there are 700,000 paying subscribers right now) is a huge opportunity.

There's no surprise as to why virtual world play is popular with 8-12 year olds. When I was that age, my friends and I built a "Matchbox City" for our Matchbox cars. We made our own little library books, groceries -- even traffic tickets! Club Penguin is just "Matchbox City" on the computer with friends on the internet (instead of in your room).

I think that there is plenty of opportunity to go around. As long as you create strong characters, strong interactive features, and, most importantly, a strong storyline to bring it all together. (See my KidScreen article, Where Is The Storytelling for more about that.)

Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the beauty of the Club Penguin business is that it doesn’t require significant amounts of technological investment, but creative investment.

Which brings us back to what we're all about -- creativity at work.

RoleModel.TV

Uh Oh -- Spaghetti-os! No more junk food ads aimed at the Kiddie-os!

2007-07-18T01:10:00.000-04:00

Junk food advertising is on its last legs, and children's television networks are soon going to be scrambling to replace sugary ad campaigns. My prediction? When the ad sales panic subsides, there will be lots of new non-food advertisers buying tv time. The ad sales people will just have to be as creative as the great writers and producers now involved with children's television.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Eleven of the nation's biggest food and drink companies will adopt new rules to limit advertising to children under the age of 12, a move that restricts ads for products such as McDonald's Happy Meals and the use of popular cartoon characters.

The companies, including Campbell Soup Co., General Mills Inc. and PepsiCo Inc., announced their new rules ahead of a Federal Trade Commission hearing Wednesday that steps up pressure on the companies to help curb the growing child obesity problem through more responsible marketing.

While food marketing changes alone will not solve the obesity problem, they will help parents make healthier choices for their children, FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras said in a statement.

She noted that the 11 companies account for about two-thirds of television food ads directed to kids.

The self-imposed rules include pledges by seven companies who will no longer use licensed characters, such as those made popular through movies or TV shows, to advertise online or in print media unless they're promoting their healthier products. Four other companies said they do not advertise at all to children under 12.

Margo Wootan, Nutrition Policy Director at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the companies are taking a big step forward by pledging to stop marketing their worst junk food to kids on television, radio, print and on the Internet.

''I think this is a very good step forward. It's not the end of the journey but it's a good way down the road,'' she said.

Since the FTC first publicly raised the issue in 2005, many of the companies have started selling products with better nutrition in mind. The companies hope their self-regulation efforts -- organized through the Council of Better Business Bureaus -- will fend off any new and more restrictive federal regulation.

Parents are happy to see new rules that restrict the use of cartoon characters such Shrek, Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants.

''It catches their eye when you're shopping,'' said Josephine Thomas, a mother of three boys who lives in Manhattan. ''As soon as they see a Shrek or Mickey Mouse, they automatically look at that and they don't see what they really need. That's one of the biggest problems when you go shopping.''

That's one reason the food companies have said they will now only use licensed characters to advertise their ''better for you'' products. Companies can still use the characters in their packaging without violating their pledges.

Some companies will use child-friendly cartoons to promote healthier foods. Frozen vegetable mixes in SpongeBob SquarePants packaging will land on store shelves within the month, General Mills spokeswoman Chris Shea said.

The self-imposed rules, which should be fully implemented by the end of 2008, differ widely from company to company.

McDonald's USA said it will advertise only two types of Happy Meal to children younger than 12: one with four Chicken McNuggets, apple dippers with caramel dip and low-fat white milk, or one with a hamburger, apple dippers and milk. They both meet the company-set requirement of less than 600 calories, and no more than 35 percent of calories from fat, 10 percent of calories from saturated fat or 35 percent total sugar by weight.

General Mills, which since 2005 has restricted ads to reduced-calorie products and limited its use of licensed characters, will now only advertise products with no more than 12 grams of sugar when marketing to the under-12 age group.

PepsiCo -- owner of Frito-Lay and Quaker Foods and seller of Pepsi, Tropicana, Aquafina and Gatorade drinks -- said it would only market two products to children: Baked Cheetos Cheese Flavored Snacks and Gatorade. Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo could decide in the future to advertise other products from its Smart Spot line, which meets company-set health standards.

The announcements follow earlier commitments from Kellogg Co. last month, Walt Disney Co. last fall and Kraft Foods Inc. in 2005.

Other participating companies are Cadbury Adams USA LLC, a subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes PLC; The Coca-Cola Co.; The Hershey Co.; Unilever, maker of SlimFast and Country Crock; and Masterfoods USA, maker of Snickers, M&Ms and Skittles.

Wednesday's promises also include new commitments related to product placement, advertising of food and beverages in schools, and interactive ads online, which are expected be examined in greater detail by the FTC in coming months.

The agency is expected to survey 44 food and drink companies about how much they spend and what methods they use in ads directed at children, in an effort to bring more attention to the issue.

Quotes

2007-07-17T08:02:00.000-04:00

"To be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle that any human being can fight." -- e. e. cummings

"If you have ever been called defiant, incorrigible, forward, cunning, insurgent, unruly, or rebellious, you're on the right track. If you have never been called these things, there is yet time." -- Clarissa Pinkola Estes

"There is nothing noble in being superior to some other person. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self." -- Hindu proverb

"Falling flat on your face is still moving forward." -- Ned Callan

We need both Children's TV and Parents' TV

2007-07-16T16:55:00.000-04:00

From the Associated Press, July 16, 2007

Nevada Couple Blame Internet for Child Neglect

A couple who authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect.

The children of Michael and Iana Straw, a boy age 22 months and a girl age 11 months, were severely malnourished and near death last month when doctors saw them after social workers took them to a hospital, authorities said. Both children are doing well and gaining weight in foster care, prosecutor Kelli Ann Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts each of child neglect. Each faces a maximum 12-year prison sentence.

Viloria said the Reno couple were too distracted by online video games, mainly the fantasy role-playing "Dungeons & Dragons" series, to give their children proper care.

"They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games," Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Police said hospital staff had to shave the head of the girl because her hair was matted with cat urine. The 10-pound girl also had a mouth infection, dry skin and severe dehydration. Her brother had to be treated for starvation and a genital infection. His lack of muscle development caused him difficulty in walking, investigators said.

Patrick Killen, spokesman for Nevada Child Abuse Prevention, said video game addiction's correlation to child abuse is "a new spin on an old problem."

"As we become more technologically advanced, there's more distractions," Killen said. "It's easy for someone to get addicted to something and neglect their children. Whether it's video games or meth, it's a serious issue, and (we) need to become more aware of it."

RoleModel.TV

If I Ran The News (or, A Big Shout-Out to Katie Couric)

2007-07-12T11:44:00.000-04:00

Today's New York Times offered yet another analysis of the evening news rating race. "Now The News: Couric Still Isn't One Of The Boys," by Bill Carter, concluded that the only difference in the evening news broadcasts was "the affect of the anchor."

But how to affect the "affect?"

I say give us more of the relatable, human Katie, around, but not on, the newscast.

In my suburban home town, the go-to person was the town clerk -- not the Mayor -- and everyone knew that. Katie is our town clerk. (Charlie Gibson is the Mayor. Brian Williams is the cheerless young alderman.)

What I would do is add another half-hour to the CBS Evening News -- a softer, family-friendly half-hour. A dim-the-bright-lights, sit-on-the-floor half-hour. The same hard news topics, but with Katie's humanity center stage.

Then when Katie interviews cat owners and kings, she won't have to worry about being too tough or too soft. The tough questions can go into the first half hour, and the soft questions in the second.

Put the show on the internet and second tier cable networks (like Discovery and ION). It can't be that expensive to keep the cameras running for 30 more minutes.

I think that an extra half-hour of real Katie would help people realize that she is the go-to person in town. The person who helps you be prepared for both town emergencies and school bake sales.

RoleModel.TV

Whr hv ll th vwls gn?*

2007-07-09T18:34:00.000-04:00

*Where have all the vowels gone?

Text culture has officially taken over, with major brands like Reebok dropping their vowels to sound hip and modern.

The txt revolution shows how smart marketers can refresh an old image by embracing not only new technology, but new cultural change. The trick is to know the difference between LOL (a relic from AOL) and WAFL.

If you have NFI, call me.

Bill Weber Typographic Design

In support of craftsmanship

2007-07-08T08:53:00.000-04:00

Why do people pay more for luxury brands? Is it snob appeal, or something more?

David Art Wales, research guru at Ministry of Culture, gives us one answer. His short video, developed for Lexus automobiles, brings the distinction of "craft" to the category of luxury. Click on the picture below to see the two-minute video.

(Click here if the picture link doesn't work.)

Bill Weber Graphic Illustration

#1 Character Moms Don't Want To See: Farfour The Mouse

2007-06-30T12:24:00.000-04:00

If, like me, you are concerned about the state of children's entertainment (and the state of the world), you'll want to watch this video starring Farfour, a Mickey Mouse look-alike who has been making headlines worldwide. His Hamas TV show, "Tomorrow's Pioneers," preaches Islamic domination and armed struggle to youngsters.

Last Friday, both the show and the mouse were terminated. Literally. In the series' final episode, Farfour was beaten to death by an actor posing as an Israeli official trying to buy Farfour's land. At one point, Farfour called the Israeli a "terrorist."

Sara, the teen-age host of the show commented, "Farfour was martyred while defending his land. He was killed by the killers of children."

Related to this is some research by Strottman International's Brady Darvin in the latest issue of Kidscreen, the children's entertainment industry's trade magazine. Brady interviewed moms (none in the Middle East, I presume) on what they were looking for in licensed characters. Their list includes social interaction skills, respect, teamwork, honesty, and good sportsmanship. Political propaganda is not on the list.

It seems to me that there is a big chasm between what we want for our kids, and what we are giving them.

Please join me in taking action to plant the seeds of peace in future generations.

Bill Weber's Ambassador Bird

Websites Need A Clear and Compelling Context

2007-06-29T10:30:00.001-04:00

Lee Westerfield, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets, has been following web 2.0 companies and thinks whoever figures out how to reaggregate the splintered audiences will be a big winner. "Fragmenting or sliver-casting on the web breaks apart the idea of mass media for general-market brands," he said. "But consumer brands need to impact large audiences with impressions. Companies that can put the pieces of that broken eggshell back together stand to gain." (Thanks to David Ingram)

I think the way to put the shell back together again is by creating a clear and compelling context for your website. TMZ.com offers pure, unadulterated gossip from the thirty mile zone around Hollywood. Google offers pure information your way (which is why their home page is just one blank field -- they await your order, Monsieur and Madamoiselle.)

In many of my media projects, the context is family and safety.

What is your clear and compelling context?

RoleModel.TV

How To Get To The Point On-Line

2007-06-29T10:29:00.000-04:00

In the overwhelming information explosion called the internet, it takes smart thinking to make a website stand out among the crowd. Just like the print magazines of yesteryear, websites need to know who their audiences are, what they want to read about, and how to push their emotional buttons. (This is called sound editorial positioning, and is independent from search engine strategy.)

Where the web differs from print magazines is that there is less time and less space to get all that positioning across!

We need to write hard-working headlines, hard-working subject lines, and use pictures in support of, and instead of, words. Because the competition is just a click away.

Enough said.

Where Do Transforming Ideas Come From?

2007-06-10T13:15:00.000-04:00

Before Apple unveiled its iPhone at last December's Consumer Electronics Show, phone design strategy seemed to be built around three questions: "How do I rearrange the phone pad keys differently?" "What sexy name and color can I give the phone?" and "Where can I put another tiny screen so that I can make my logo more prominent?"

Steve Jobs' team at Apple thought, "What do people need?" and "Why do people hate their cell phones so much?"

Out of this transformed framing of the problem came a transformed product: the iPhone, with a giant touchscreen, graphics and programming that improve not only the phone, but the experience of the phone. (Anyone who has ever borrowed a friend's different-brand phone knows how much room for improvement there is in cell phone interfaces.)

What does this have to do with children's entertainment? We are undergoing some iPhone-like transformation ourselves. Take Video On Demand. Parents are seeking out, and finding, VOD programs for their babies without any marketing from the videomaker. For every untransformed way of thinking (let's put our old library of cartoons on cable for 24-hour viewing), there is a new idea (RoleModel.TV).

What this means is that if we frame our problems like Apple, we'll make breakthroughs like Apple.

"What do parents and kids need?" and "Why do people hate children's television so much" are the questions to ask.

RoleModel.TV

Everything Old is New Again (or is it The Times They Are A Changin'?)

2007-05-31T10:28:00.001-04:00

Two New York Times reports underscore the need for businesses to keep up with the changing attitudes and needs of consumers:

Parents and kids are fed up with unhealthy "kids menu" fare (fried chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc.) when dining out, and restaurants are adapting by offering smaller portions of adult meals at smaller prices. (NYT , May 30, 2007.)

And the backlash against single-serve bottled water has started (all that waste in packaging and transportation): schools are going back to paper cups and water coolers, and restaurants are creating their own purified fizzy and still waters from the tap. (NYT,May 30, 2007.)

What does this mean to the world of media and, more importantly, to you?

This means that the world is changing -- sometimes backwards, sometimes forwards, but always changing. Bottled water used to be "green," until it got so successful that tap water became "greener."

I remember a guy with a small soap business who wanted to seem bigger than he was. His logo was a 1950's factory building with giant smokestacks. Very charming, very cool. But this was ten years ago. Today's watchwords are "locally produced," "fair trade," and "green." A big factory is the wrong message.

Do your sales materials -- logo, sell sheets, websites -- send the right message? If not, it's time for an update. Before your competitors are considered "greener" or more in step with the times than you.

Bill Weber Studios' Portfolio.

What is branding?

2007-05-16T17:58:00.000-04:00

I define branding as the consistent, intelligent execution of the customer experience. Branding is not just the logo, not just the signage, but the way the brand smells, sounds, interacts, keeps its word, fills your stomach or psyche or wallet. Good branding thinks like the customer thinks, anticipates the customer's questions, and works to make the customer feel welcome and taken care of.

I am reminded of this by the new building on Lexington Avenue and 60th Street shown above (forgive the blurry picture -- I took it at night with my cell phone).

On top of the New York & Company store is what looks like a beautiful forest. Very enticing. Very cool. But I don't know what it is!

Is it part of New York and Company? Is it a separate restaurant? Is it an environmental non-profit?

While I like a good mystery, the job of a company is not to make mysteries, but invitations.

If New York and Company had a tropical plant in its logo, I would know that the forest was theirs.

If there was a fish or a hamburger -- or a cannibal -- in the forest, I would know that it was a restaurant.

if there was a giant bulldozer in the forest, I would know that it was an environmental non-profit.

This section of Lexington Avenue has some of the highest foot traffic in the city. But without the consistent, intelligent execution of branding, all they got from me was my fleeting attention, instead of what they probably wanted -- my money.

Follow-Up: The sign is now up on Phyto Universe, "a natural beauty oasis," with facials, massages, hair styling, and waxing.

Bill Weber Studios' Marketing and Communication Design

Should your business card have your picture on it?

2007-05-10T10:43:00.000-04:00

Pull out a stack of other people's business cards. They could be the cards that you picked up at a trade show, or while out canvassing for new clients.

Now spread them out on your desk and take a good look. Do you remember who they are? What they can do for you? I have no doubt that you are now straining to connect the faces that you met at the show with the business cards that they gave you.

Wouldn't it be great if everybody's business card had the person's picture on it? Then it would be easy to remember why it was so important for you to pocket their business card in the first place!

Most businesses would benefit by having employee pictures on business cards. Celebrities and captains of industry don't need their pictures on their cards because their face has been in the media a million times, and people have been fantasizing about them for years. For some professions, the picture should be of the product (like art for artists, widgets for widget makers, etc.), although a photo of the human being behind the product will only help.

But for the rest of us small business owners, a picture is worth a thousand words and dollars.

Why don't you have your picture on your card? Now maybe you are not photogenic, or you think photographers cost too much. But if you want to be remembered, and you want your business card to work as hard as you do, you want your picture on it.

Here's why pictures have such impact (thanks to Mark S. D'Arcy of buildyourmemory.com):

Faces are processed by the human brain in a unique manner. Scientists Goldstein and Chance, in a famous 1971 study, conducted a series of tests in which subjects were shown a number of photographs of women’s faces, magnified snowflakes, and ink blots. 14 from each were shown for 3 seconds at a time. Following an interval of 48 hours, the subjects' recall was tested.

Faces were recalled with an accuracy of 71%, followed by ink blots at 48% and snowflakes by 33%, showing that facial recognition (unlike name recognition) is a unique part of human perception.

I just had a professional portrait photograph taken, and will be updating my own business cards.

That way, when my potential clients spread their newly captured business cards out on their desk, at least 71% will remember who I am.

Bill Weber Studios business card design

On Life

2007-05-05T10:37:00.000-04:00

"Life isn't one straight line. Most of us have to be transplanted, like a tree, before we blossom." - Louise Nevelson

Bill Weber Studios' inspirational posters

The new UPS logo: Who's that at the door?

2007-04-07T11:35:00.000-04:00

I finally found the perfect art to go with the new UPS logo. UPS' glistening battle shield is perfectly suited for the warriors of "300" the movie.

I can understand why the old logo needed updating, but Paul Rand's 1960 design conveyed "personal service" and "care" with its neatly-tied little gift box on top. Couldn't the new designers have kept some of the humanity in the new logo?

Logos communicate more than name and function -- they convey personality. A great logo conveys the right personality. And that's where I think the new UPS logo falls short.

The new logo says that UPS is a humongous, powerful shipper with a fleet of airplanes and an army that can kick Persian butt. But it doesn't jive with the brand promise so well done in the "What can Brown do for you?" ad campaign: personal service and people who care.

A company called FutureBrand, with their own non-human name, is responsible for the new design. It figures.

Bill Weber Studios' logo designs

On Motivation

2007-04-03T10:57:00.000-04:00

It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. -- Upton Sinclair

Bill Weber Studios' inspirational posters

The Pita Principle

2007-02-28T13:06:00.000-05:00

You may be ready to bring a new product to market, but how do you know if the market is ready for you? Is the market rich enough for your fresh vegetables? Is it old enough for your non-traditional health treatments? Is it fast-paced enough for your pre-packaged pita?

Robin Moroney, of The Wall Street Journal reports on how The Pita Principle is an indicator of market readiness.

As a country gets richer, its taste passes through predictable stages, no matter what its culture, write Alonso Martinez and Ronald Haddock of consulting group Booz Allen Hamilton in Strategy + Business. Starting with a population focused on survival, wealth shifts the focus to quality, then convenience, and finally to satisfying individual tastes. Across the world, similar patterns emerge. Sugar-based candy, easy to distribute, is replaced by fussier chocolate. (A notable exception is Mexico, chocolate’s birthplace, where sugar-based candies remain popular.) Gas stations start as full-service, then add convenience stores, then end as self-service stations where employees run a retail store.

When countries reach a certain level of urbanization, sales of off-the-shelf flatbread such as pita go up, as a cheap and easy meal for an urban worker. Mexican company Gruma SA has expanded around the globe by watching for that moment. It then applies the skills it developed making tortillas in Mexico to wraps for Peking duck in China and, soon, naan bread in India. South African Breweries, now part of SABMiller PLC, bought breweries around Africa and in former Communist countries in the 1990s, and systematically introduced higher-margin beers as the market developed.

Messrs. Haddock and Martinez say the keys to determining what stage a country is in lie in such characteristics as distribution channels, urbanization, infrastructure and legal framework rather than in economic indicators such as GDP. For instance, when refrigerated transportation becomes widely available, they say, a mature market for vegetables, chocolate and other perishables is just around the corner.

Bill Weber Studios' package design

When Frat Boys Run Children's Television

2007-01-29T11:20:00.000-05:00

We've all read about the Cartoon Network's dumb idea of putting electronic signs around bridge and building bases in cities across the country. We've all read about the panic that ensued in Boston. We've all read about the two young men who talked about their hair when interviewed on television.

Shame on Cartoon Network.

But I think that the newscasters and politicians and homeland security consultants are missing one major point: this promotion was inappropriate for public spaces where children could see it.

A cartoon character giving the finger is obscene. Late at night, on Adult Swim, I've got no problem with it. But on city streets 24-hours a day? And doesn't this fly in the face of the civic respect and responsibility that we want to instill in our kids?

This reminds me of when French Connection United Kingdom thought it was funny to put FCUK signs up over their stores. Well, a few municipalities didn't laugh, and signs were changed. (But not all. FCUK thought the controversy was funny.)

No matter what the frat boys say, obscenity in public is not funny. It is obvious, offensive, and inappropriate when and where children may see it.

RoleModel.TV

Thanks for the New Genre, Mr. Smith

2007-01-03T15:34:00.000-05:00

I saw Will Smith's new movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness" last night, and, like many of the men in the audience, was moved to tears.

Not only is the movie a tribute to fatherhood, but it is a tribute to fathering. Will Smith's character of Chris Gardner struggled with what most of us struggle with -- upsets, honesty (with ourself and our kids), and the reality of juggling dreams and taxes. Although his ego sometimes got in the way, Gardner kept his word, kept his faith, protected his child, and kept getting up in the morning.

This is a rare movie in that it shows a realistic father as a good role model. Men are usually depicted as distracted dunces, geeks, or sharks.

If "Happyness" were about a mother, instead of a father, you would call it a "Chick Flick." This is a "Fathering Flick."

Thanks for the new genre, Mr. Smith. It is much needed.

And you thought Little Miss Sunshine was fiction!

2006-12-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

From The New York Times, Friday, December 29, 2006:

Middle School Girls Gone Wild
Editorial Observer/Lawrence Downes

It’s hard to write this without sounding like a prig. But it’s just as hard to erase the images that planted the idea for this essay, so here goes. The scene is a middle school auditorium, where girls in teams of three or four are bopping to pop songs at a student talent show. Not bopping, actually, but doing elaborately choreographed re-creations of music videos, in tiny skirts or tight shorts, with bare bellies, rouged cheeks and glittery eyes.

They writhe and strut, shake their bottoms, splay their legs, thrust their chests out and in and out again. Some straddle empty chairs, like lap dancers without laps. They don’t smile much. Their faces are locked from grim exertion, from all that leaping up and lying down without poles to hold onto. “Don’t stop don’t stop,” sings Janet Jackson, all whispery. “Jerk it like you’re making it choke. ...Ohh. I’m so stimulated. Feel so X-rated.” The girls spend a lot of time lying on the floor. They are in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

As each routine ends, parents and siblings cheer, whistle and applaud. I just sit there, not fully comprehending. It’s my first suburban Long Island middle school talent show. I’m with my daughter, who is 10 and hadn’t warned me. I’m not sure what I had expected, but it wasn’t this. It was something different. Something younger. Something that didn’t make the girls look so ... one-dimensional.

It would be easy to chalk it up to adolescent rebellion, an ancient and necessary phenomenon, except these girls were barely adolescents and they had nothing to rebel against. This was an official function at a public school, a milieu that in another time or universe might have seen children singing folk ballads, say, or reciting the Gettysburg Address.

It is news to no one, not even me, that eroticism in popular culture is a 24-hour, all-you-can-eat buffet, and that many children in their early teens are filling up. The latest debate centers on whether simulated intercourse is an appropriate dance style for the high school gym.

What surprised me, though, was how completely parents of even younger girls seem to have gotten in step with society’s march toward eroticized adolescence — either willingly or through abject surrender. And if parents give up, what can a school do? A teacher at the middle school later told me she had stopped chaperoning dances because she was put off by the boy-girl pelvic thrusting and had no way to stop it — the children wouldn’t listen to her and she had no authority to send anyone home. She guessed that if the school had tried to ban the sexy talent-show routines, parents would have been the first to complain, having shelled out for costumes and private dance lessons for their Little Miss Sunshines.

I’m sure that many parents see these routines as healthy fun, an exercise in self-esteem harmlessly heightened by glitter makeup and teeny skirts. Our girls are bratz, not slutz, they would argue, comfortable in the existence of a distinction.

But my parental brain rebels. Suburban parents dote on and hover over their children, micromanaging their appointments and shielding them in helmets, kneepads and thick layers of S.U.V. steel. But they allow the culture of boy-toy sexuality to bore unchecked into their little ones’ ears and eyeballs, displacing their nimble and growing brains and impoverishing the sense of wider possibilities in life.

There is no reason adulthood should be a low plateau we all clamber onto around age 10. And it’s a cramped vision of girlhood that enshrines sexual allure as the best or only form of power and esteem. It’s as if there were now Three Ages of Woman: first Mary-Kate, then Britney, then Courtney. Boys don’t seem to have such constricted horizons. They wouldn’t stand for it — much less waggle their butts and roll around for applause on the floor of a school auditorium.

RoleModel.TV

On Audiences

2006-12-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

In day-to-day commerce, television is not so much interested in the business of communications as in the business of delivering people to advertisers. People are the merchandise, not the shows. The shows are merely the bait. The consumer, who the custodians of the medium are pledged to serve, is in fact served up.

Les Brown, Television: The Business Behind the Box, 1971.

Bill Weber Studios' advertising design

Joseph Barbera 1911-2006Arthur Shimkin 1922-2006

2006-12-19T12:31:00.000-05:00

Children's entertainment greats who are no longer with us (clockwise from top left): Fred Rogers, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, Shari Lewis, Bob Keeshan, Irvin Feld, Jim Henson, Walt Disney, Arthur Shimkin.

With the recent passing of Joseph Barbera (founder of Hanna-Barbera Studios) and Arthur Shimkin (founder of Golden Records), the children's entertainment community has lost two great leaders, talents, and role models. Joe and Arthur helped set the standards which the industry aspires to today.

There are only a handful of these industry pioneers left: Larry Harmon, Soupy Sales, Sonny Fox, Chuck McCann, and the local tv hosts from whatever city you grew up in. Others greats, besides those pictured, that are gone from the scene: Bil Baird, Charles M. Schultz, Theodore Geisel.

Up until the modern era of children's television, children got to know real live personalities like Shari Lewis, Fred Rogers, and Bob Keeshan. They knew that Irvin Feld owned the circus, that Dr.Seuss wrote the books, that Mr. Hanna and Mr. Barbera put cool music in their cartoons, and that Bunny Rabbit lived in the real world of Captain Kangaroo. Kids were inspired to go into their rooms and create their own puppet shows, comic books, and music.

We have some wonderful characters today -- Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney, and Dora the Explorer, for example -- but we don't pay as much attention to the people behind the scenes.

But I'm not here to lament the passing of an era. I'm here to propose a way to honor these lost legends and inspire the creation of quality children's art, music, film, and interactive media in the future: The Children's Entertainment Hall of Fame (CEHOF).

I envision CEHOF as a performing arts center and annual television special that honors the pioneers of the industry. Current industry members can, on the shoulders of these talented leaders, use CEHOF's resources to research and develop new ways of entertaining and educating children, while delighting the families that watch the special and visit the facility.

With the Kidscreen Summit and Toy Fair -- two big industry events -- coming in February, I propose that we meet to form a non-profit organization to build, and run, CEHOF. Before the links to our own marvelous heritage are permanently broken.

Visit The CEHOF Website and be sure to sign up for the newsletter.

Yahoo for America? Britney Spears #1 Searched Term

2006-12-11T18:08:00.000-05:00

The big news at the close of 2006 is that Britney Spears was the most searched-for subject on the internet for the fifth time in the past six years. You would think people would want to look up “world peace” or “getting better math grades” or “finding a better job.” But no. These didn’t make it anywhere near the top of the list, which, in case you’ve hadn’t heard, was Britney #1, World Wrestling Entertainment #2, Shakira #3, Jessica Simpson #4, and Paris Hilton #5.

While we are worshipping entertainment celebrities, America is forced to import scientists and doctors and computer experts and financial analysts from foreign countries because we can’t seem to grow them here.

It’s no wonder. The entertainment culture in this country gets all the attention and the money. The education culture is forced to hold bake sales. How can we transform entertainment so that it feeds the education culture, instead of starving it?

Well, I know where to start.

First of all, we, the parents, are going to have to impress upon journalists and TV producers that we are as mad as hell and are not going to take it anymore. We have to show that the way to get ahead in the media is not to kiss up to celebrities, but to enrich and empower us -- the real people of America. This means cutting back on People Weekly, and stocking up on National Geographic.

Then, let’s support real role models on the tube. I’d like to see a Food Network for brains, instead of bellies. Using the latest storytelling techniques, we can show our children the satisfying careers of scientists and doctors and computer experts and financial analysts. After all, our kids are more likely to be these things than the next Britney.

There is a place for entertainment. But, for our future’s sake, we need to keep it in perspective. If the media used its talents to get people excited about education rather than just entertainment, then we’d all be googling for parenting classes, not for someone who needs them.

Ad:Tech

2006-11-08T16:17:00.000-05:00

I just came back from Ad:Tech, an internet-industry conference at the New York Hilton. It was an extremely busy, extremely packed, sales-oriented free-for-all for service providers who wanted to reach publishers (old definition: people who owned printing presses. New definition: anyone with a website or blog).

There were seminars on trends and opinions (Worries: big agencies not being nimble enough; consumer backlash, information overload, bloggers, and spam. Glories: execution, mobile marketing, bloggers, and spam).

The exhibit floor had over 250 booths covering an entire range of services:

Affiliate marketing programs -- both retail product sellers and affiliate aggregators.
Website functionalities -- get free chat rooms, registration capabilities, etc., just by allowing somebody else's ads.
Analytics -- Get your visitors psychologically, geographically, and financially analyzed.
SEO -- improve your rankings!
E-mail Marketing -- improve your ROI!
CRM -- improve your love life!

One other interesting booth: a company that turns your printed magazine or catalog into an interactive website automatically.

The "technology showcase" was pretty one-note: service providers showing how they can send ads to mobile phones.

The Google booth was popular; many publishers (myself included) were looking for our $1.65 billion. But, alas, Google was selling, not buying, and the business development people were back home in California.

All said, there is a staggering amount of services, functionalities, and revenue streams available to media property owners. In order to take advantage of them, you must start with the basics: know your customer. Then you can pick and choose the services that will serve them (and you). After that, it's time to invest in creative execution.

Children Need Better TV Role Models

2006-05-29T12:05:00.000-04:00

At the moment, Comcast is in talks with PBS, Sesame Workshop, and HIT Entertainment to develop a new pay-tv network for kids. This new network would be offered as part of a subscription tier for digital cable subscribers.

Many of the industry’s experts and competitors in the children’s television industry are pessimistic. Why would parents – or cable system operators -- pay for a channel when there is already so much on the air for free? And how can a new channel compete in a ratings-driven business against programming powerhouses like Fox Box?

I believe that the way to have a successful pay channel for kids is to create a compelling new context that not only stands out from the current television landscape, but is worth paying for. (HBO does this with adult programming – its mix of original series and documentaries make it “not TV, but HBO.”)

The context I’d like to suggest is “Role Model Television.”

The biggest complaint about television, according to the parents I know, is the lack of good role models for children. Parents cry out for the networks to show other people besides pop stars, sports stars, criminals, and politicians. Most kids will not end up as rich celebrities – where are the happy accountants, content corporate workers, and enthusiastic entrepreneurs?
If you believe, as I do, that the most important thing in life is to have successful children, then we must make sure that they hang around with people who have the qualities that we want them to develop in themselves. We must ask for – and pay for – inspirational, aspirational programming that gives kids what they need, not just what they want.

News reports say that Comcast’s new channel may show toddler programs 24-hours a day. The channel I’d pay for would program different dayparts for different age groups to keep me subscribing until my kids all turn 18.

Morning. Pre-school shows with real people in them. I know that you need fuzzy monster puppet (FMP) characters to keep kids’ attention. But instead of viewers exploring the FMPs fantasy world, why not have the FMPs explore our real world? MisterRogers would never make it on commercial television today. But I would pay to have him on my TV.
Late morning. “Mom and dad time.” Magazine shows about the way real families live (as opposed to how celebrities live). This is also the time for the serious discussion shows that are repeated overnight (see below).

After school. Game shows that help kids unwind, but still stimulate their curiosity. Participatory shows (for instance, one in which kids enter their own home movies) that get kids’ creative juices flowing. These shows would complement schoolwork by exercising kids’ thinking skills. Kids of all ages would enjoy watching these shows because they would be about “the figuring out,” not about the data.

Early evening. “___ With Your Family” time. Mom, Dad, and the kids haven’t yet split up for the night. So let’s broadcast shows that families can watch together about the things that families actually do together: subjects like travel, education, music, cooking, decorating, pet care, surfing, cheerleading, and making a difference in our communities.
Prime Time. “Biography for Families.” Aspirational shows about scientists, salesmen, manufacturers, marketers, and other people who’ve worked hard (as opposed to hyped hard) to get where they are.
Instead of talking about what Britney Spears is wearing, families can have conversations about great men, great women, and what they, themselves can do to be great in their own lives. And when bedtime rolls around, kids will have something positive to dream about.

Late evening. “Time-in” (as opposed to “Time Out.”) Call-in shows about issues that affect kids. I’d like to see a Dr. Laura call-in show for tweens. I know my kids needed to talk to other kids and experts about divorce when they were living through one.

Overnight. Parent Talk. Call-in shows on current events, sex, safety, parenting skills, and whatever else is on American parents’ minds.

As you can see from my program suggestions, Role Model Television would present a very different, very real context for parents and kids. It would create openings for families to talk about things other than sports and entertainment. It would help kids realize that what they do matters, and that their self-image and self-esteem can propel them through life. And it would serve as that trusted teacher that we had when we were in school, and that we pray our kids have now.
It’s not TV, it’s Role Model Television.

There’s also a special bonus: if we give children healthy self-images and people to look up to, we might break the cycle of exploitation and abuse of children around the world.
And you better believe I’d pay for that.

FROM THE JUNE 30, 2004 ISSUE OF TELEVISION WEEK

Children forming "Peace Clubs" in U.S. Schools

2006-05-08T14:18:00.000-04:00

According to peaceplease.com, children have been buying Ambassador Bird "Increase The Peace" stickers and forming "Peace Clubs" in elementary schools across the United States.

Peace Please is a long-established website that is a community of peace. They sell jewelry, apparel, and other products that are positive, uplifting, and aim to make a difference in a peaceful way. You won't find slogans or artwork that are anti-this guy or that.