August 12th, 2010
Get out or burn out!
We’re nearing the end of summer and it’s high time we address something that’s been on the minds of many or for that matter, many are unaware that it’s even on their minds. I’m talking about burn out.
Any creative professional worth a dime will always give their all. Our thoughts, our ideas, our passion, our soul, all go towards the big idea and making that idea a reality. Sometimes it’s for a client, sometimes for a good cause, or sometimes just a project of self-expression, but the result is always the same. Now, I won’t say it’s like child birth ( I’ve been there to see this and it will never compare, just ask my wife! ) but it is s a great laborious effort. The process is always tainted with obstacles, politics, and restrictions but we fight through it and make it happen. When it finally does, we have but a few days, maybe weeks or hopefully a few months to relish the fruits of our labor and then we do it all over.
Why do we do it?! Over the years my answers have varied and depend on what stage of my life I was in when asked. At the core of every response, the answer always leads me back to the same conclusion…it’s the way we’re wired. It’s the notion that a powerful idea can make a positive difference in someone’s life. It’s the ability to see the world through a different lens and reveal that in a way no one has ever seen. But of course, none of this is without it’s price.
According to a recent article from Canadian Business, “Burnout is a distinct condition that may result from exhaustion but can also be brought on by boredom or disillusionment. The effects can range from apathy and absenteeism to major health problems or depression. The quality of people’s work drops, and they procrastinate or miss deadlines. They dread coming into the office and take longer breaks. Whether they’re juggling too many responsibilities or facing monotonous, unrewarding tasks, the main early symptom is physical, mental and emotional fatigue, says Mark Gorkin, the self-styled “Stress Doc” who consults and writes about burnout and depression. That’s usually followed by shame and self-doubt. One small tell-tale warning sign? Frequent sighing.”
The article goes on to site statistics and some helpful techniques. Read more about it here.
So here’s a call to all you creative people out there giving it your all. Take a break, step away and relax. Take the time to evaluate where you are in life, what you want form it and what your priorities are. I know it sounds cliche, but it’s only work. If you really want out, there are hundreds of other ways to try and make money and ways to express your creativity. Sometimes they don’t coincide and sometimes they do.
Remember, sometimes we have to look backward to go forward.
Tags: Advertising, branding, burn out, business, client work, creative professionals, Design, free time, marketing, work burn out, workplace
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February 5th, 2010
Welcome To Advertising! Now, Get Lost.
This is a wonderful illustration of the craziness that goes on in the advertising world. Although the author didn’t have an extensive amount of experience in the field when he wrote the book I think he got a pretty good feel for the industry nuances. It carries a fantastic tone executed masterfully through the illustrations. I won’t say much more but do invite you to read it.
In line with the book, I’ll tell you how I got into advertising: An architecture teacher told us the first day of class “You have to really love this field, really, really love this field and be prepared to put up with all the crap. Be ready to be overworked and underpaid for many years. If you truly feel you can’t, leave the classroom now”.
Tags: Advertising, advertising miami, book design, brand development, brand name, branding, copywriting, ideas, illustrations, integrated marketing, marketing, product design, Pumped, self branding
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February 4th, 2010
If there’s one thing I love is taking what someone considers mundane and breathing new life into it. Take for instance Sylvain Allard ( Teacher at the School of Design | UQAM ) who has asked his students to turn the everyday tissue box and concept out executions of playfulness and memorable images that turn this simplistic object into almost a collectible. Granted , some of these walk a fine line of almost being controversial but for the most part they get you talking and reel you into thinking about other possibilities.
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Divorce
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Death
Thanks Sylvain and class for thinking inside the box and sparking up a change of direction.
Tags: Advertising, brand development, branding, concepts, Design, ideas, Industrial design, integrated marketing, product design
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December 31st, 2009
2010
It’s that time of the year, the dreaded New Year resolutions. First things first, let’s get the cynicism out of the way. Your intentions are admirable but as the year marches on, enthusiasm weans. We’re not here to preach about what you should and shouldn’t be doing or how much to lose what from where but rather, we’re offering you a blueprint. That’s right, a solid outline on how to set and follow through on all of those resolutions you plan on setting.
Over the years we’ve noticed that people and companies have one thing in common, they’re both brands. Some are strong, some weak and some just out there but eventually they or we all have something to say. As with all things left unattended over time, we tend to settle and never really evaluate ourselves unless something drastic happens. As so it is with our brands. Most businesses and people start out with a strong mission and vision and eventually settle into a brand image they’ve either given into or have adapted to.
Here at Pumped, we feel that a strong brand is a catalyst not only for change but also for continued development. So before you set those resolutions, you need to do an audit. Figure out where you’ve been, what you’ve done and where you’re going. We’re hopeful that after completing our Brand Audit, you’ll be ready to summarize this into your Brand Brief. And as we mentioned before, there’s no difference between you or your company as a brand.
Now, let’s get to resolving.
Click Here for Brand Audit Template (PDF): brandaudit
Click Here for Brand Brief Template (PDF) : brandbrief_ind-comp
Tags: brand audit, brand brief, brand development, brand name, branding, business branding, inc, new year, new year resolutions, P.R., Pumped, resolutions, self branding, templates
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December 3rd, 2009
GTR 2.0 - Carbon Bike
One of things I’ve learned over the years is that a brand is only as good as the people that stand behind them. Let’s face it, eventually something breaks, gives out, under performs, or just goes bad, such is life.
GT was a brand I met years ago during the first years of the BMX craze. Back then GT, Dyno, Haro, Mongoose and Diamond Back (no disrespect if I forgot a name here) were the things dreams were made of. Every day I prayed and hoped that underneath that Christmas tree I’d find my “pro” BMX GT bike and finally be able to pull off those gnarly tricks.
Fast-forward to 2001, my BMX furry now turned into road bike racing. Naturally, I did my research and gravitated back with the familiar GT name I had met years earlier. I found the ZR 2.0 to be a great bike with a fantastic groupo right off the shelf and so I walked out of that shop with a smile reminiscent of my childhood excitement of owning a GT.
One day after a routine bike check, I noticed a crack in the head post and made a call to the manufacturer. My first attempts were a bit of a challenge but I eventually found a local dealer in the Pompano Beach area, a great little shop ( The Bicycle Fix), that welcomed my bike with open arms. Jason, the shop’s owner was sympathetic to the situation and assured me he’d do his best, especially considering I had all of the original warranty documents.
Long story short, GT had been sold off a few years back to Schwinn and was now under new policies. My saving grace was that GT’s regional representative (Tom Hagen) heard my story, reviewed my warranty documents and then went above and beyond to rectify the situation. Not only did he authorize the replacement of the frame but also went ahead and issued an upgrade. A couple of weeks later I was back on the road as giddy as a schoolboy returning home on his new GT.
Trends make come and go but the brand with a long-term commitment to its customers will always be “in”.
Side note: If you want to see what my youthful BMX dreams were made of take a peek at the bmxmuseum.com.
Tags: 1984, BMX, brand awarness, Brand loyalty, branding, Design, GT, GT Bikes, GT Carbon bike, GT Performer, GTR 2.0, Miami, Pumped, ZR 2.0
Posted in Advertising, Just for Fun | 1 Comment »
July 17th, 2009
Yes, times are tough but not impossible. This economic downturn was one of those necessary evils. It’s afforded us all the opportunity to be honest with ourselves and really think about the last time we evaluated our lives, careers, interests, motivations, desires, and priorities. This not only applies to personal introspective thinking, as many businesses have also taken the opportunity to rethink their positions. Whether by choice or by force, businesses have had to take a hard look back to now jump forward.
The smart companies are now asking themselves, “When the smoke clears will I be left standing and how can I be sure?” The smart companies are now strategizing to position themselves over their competition when the time is right. These companies plan, analyze and invest wisely. They don’t cut back on their marketing initiatives but rather conservatively re-evaluate how they’re investing their money and efforts. Along with this, they’re taking the time to rethink their markets and businesses without the distraction of added competition and rush to fulfill orders.
This became more apparent during my recent photo shoot for Dornier Seaplanes. Those familiar with Florida know that driving through the state is flat out boring. There are no rolling hills or colored flowers, just green pastures and pine trees and at 4 in the morning it’s even more mundane. The location couldn’t come fast enough (literally open road with maximum exposure to being pulled over for speeding).
After about 3 hours of driving, we finally reached the hangar. We boarded a Maule seaplane that would fly us to our location to then photograph the Dornier seaplane. Once we were up in the air I noticed something, this apparently flat landscape didn’t look so flat from above. There were winding rivers, estuaries, boats cruising down intercostals, and open waters. The more exciting part of the trip was arriving at the location only accessible by sea craft.
And so it is with many people and businesses that always travel down the same road, they’re bound to always see the same things with the same results…flat out boring.
Click here to see some footage of the plane ride.
Tags: Advertising, advertising miami, Dornier, Dornier Seaplane, marketing, Maule Seaplane, photo shoot, Pumped, Pumped Inc
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June 4th, 2009
You’ve seen them all too often and more likely come from concerned friends, relatives or sometimes long lost colleagues. We’re talking about the dreaded chain e-mail. The subject is always, “I heard from my doctor” or “This has to be true” or whatever headlines most appeal to your beloved forwarder of e-mails.
The other day I received such an email. As always, I don’t simply disregard their intentions to help but rather enjoy quashing their efforts with a quick search for urban legends that may be attached to the subject. So as soon as I read the subject titled “Warning - Baby Carrots soaked in Chlorine. Don’t feed to your child”, I was off.
Coming from the world of advertising, you must say this brief simple subject captures the entire message. It catches your attention, is memorable, informs, and gives a call to action. Succinct and to the point, isn’t this what us advertisers strive for?
Long story short, I came to learn that there is a half truth to baby Carrot story and to my disappointment, they are not some hideous mutation from a psychotic agricultural scientist to create mini versions of the life sized brother but rather a simple solution to a costly problem.
Baby carrots were initially developed as a solution to sell “imperfect” larger carrots not very marketable to consumers (when natural looks a little “too natural”), which would otherwise be discarded. We in advertising call this positioning and we strive everyday to present audiences new ways of looking at the same thing. We don’t try to pander or push or hard sell but rather present the consumer with the positive characteristics of a product or service that they may have overlooked.
Nowadays baby carrots are of course bred to have more sweetness and look a bit brighter but the process of trimming and sizing the carrots down to their “perfect” little shape still remains the same.
Let’s take a lesson from the baby carrot and remember that sometimes we’re all a bit hesitant to try new things when they don’t quite conform to our expectations. But if we take a closer look, there may be something more familiar to the unknown than first meets the eye.
Posted in Advertising | 1 Comment »
June 1st, 2009
We’ve finally launched our blog post. Here we’ll share the laughter, tears, more tears and achievements that always keeps us coming back to the wonderful world of advertising. Come with us on this exciting journey and witness why we’re glutton for punishment. That’s all for now. Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go.
Posted in Advertising, Just for Fun | 1 Comment »
