No matter how large or small the assignment, we harness the power of creative intelligence to ensure measurable results.

The creative process is constantly evolving. From the beginning of my career in the ’70s to today, it has kept up with — or kept ahead of — the ever-changing world we live in. But one aspect has proven to be steadfast over time: creative intelligence. It’s the most important part of the process.

When we apply creative intelligence to a marketing communication challenge, we start with research, strategy and planning. That has proven to be a solid foundation, and on it we build innovative and powerful ideas. We have an array of communication mediums that I couldn’t have imagined 40 years ago. Traditional print, TV and radio have made room for the web, social media and mobile. But the basics of successful communication haven’t changed. We use creative intelligence in everything we do, to identify, reach and engage our audiences. Read full post...

Numbers. Lots and lots of numbers. Sometimes facts and data can be really intimidating. That’s why infographics are so valuable: When we see complex data represented visually, we’re better able to decipher and retain it, and therefore better able to share it with others.

In this video, designer Francesco Franchi explains what he calls “infographic thinking”: “What we are doing is a kind of visual journalism ­— it means a combination between graphic and narrative, so it is at the same time a representation but also an interpretation of the reality.” At best, infographics not only allows us to connect with the data almost effortlessly, but engages our critical faculties and invites us to interpret it.

For a very long time, infographics were used mainly for technical drawings, maps and scientific documentation. Now we are seeing them all over the web, in magazines, throughout social networking and in our newspapers. Many go viral within days of their launch, spreading information for everyone to easily access.

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Make sure your trade booth staffers are on the lookout for media representatives and familiar with the schedule of media appointments.

Trade shows are an important component of most companies’ marketing initiatives. While participating in the show expo can be a valuable way to connect with customers and prospects at local and national levels, the promotional opportunities afforded by the event extend way beyond the exhibit booth. Boost your company’s return on investment and marketing success with a well-planned public relations effort to gain significant editorial coverage before, during and after the event.

Before the event

Start with pre-event publicity to maximize interest in and coverage of your activities through press releases, media alerts, invitations, and your company’s web site, newsletters and social media programs. Also take advantage of all the opportunities offered by trade show management, such as access to media lists and coverage in the event’s newsletter, show guide, website and social media.

Find out whether the show needs keynote speakers, panel discussion participants, presenters or authors of conference papers. Secure one of these opportunities for your business leaders and you’ll strengthen your industry reputation. Plus, you’ll form relationships with the trade editors, who will come to think of you as thought leaders and industry experts. Each speaking engagement offers the opportunity to send editorial advisories ahead of the event.Read full post...

23 percent plan to leave medicine or are at least considering doing so.

In August, I’m headed to sunny Tucson, AZ, for the annual Association of Physician Recruiters (ASPR) Conference. Along with my friend and colleague Emerson Moses of One Medical Group, I’ll present on how technology is changing recruitment. Thanks to our partnership with MDLinx.com, we’ll have great data from our 2013 market research survey on physicians and how they seek employment.

We’ll take an in-depth look at our research study details during our August 13 presentation, but here are some other fascinating statistics to hold you over until then (cardiologist turnover rates are really high!).

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It can take you years to build a good reputation, but just one knuckleheaded social media post to destroy it.

Those of us in PR know that social media is a force to be reckoned with. We use it for the good of mankind, quickly (and inexpensively) getting important messages out there to millions of people and creating a sense of community.

Other folks, not so much.

Cyberspace is being polluted more and more with images of fast-food workers shoving food up their noses or licking a stack of taco shells “behind closed doors.” Luckily, companies can fight this reputation-damaging lunacy by harnessing the power of the very source of this chaos — social media. Here are a couple of recent examples.Read full post...

Nightly Live Performances Anchor Event’s Silver Anniversary

Bear, DE — The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Family Carnival celebrates its 25^th anniversary beginning on Monday, July 15. The festivities run until Saturday, July 20, at 345 Bear Christiana Road in Bear.

Nightly admission is $5 for ages 13 to 64 and free for seniors and children under the age of 12. Discounted passes can be purchased in advance, weekly entrance passes are available for $10 and Mega-Passes are $35 and include unlimited rides. Free parking is provided behind the church. The parish will also raffle off a Disney Family Vacation valued at $4,500.Read full post...

Representative pixel resolutions

There’s a new TV format looming on the horizon. It’s called 4K TV. You may have seen a commercial for a Sony 4K TV last night, as I did while in the middle of composing this post.

4K, you say. What the heck is that?

Well, in this case it refers to video resolution. More precisely, it refers to the vertical resolution — not the horizontal resolutions that are more commonly used, such as 1080p (1920 pixels x 1080 pixels) for high-definition video. 1080p tells us that there are 1,080 lines of resolution stacked one atop the other like pancakes. The “p” means that the lines are displayed “progressively” from top to bottom, unlike on old-school CRT screens, which display every other line.

In contrast, the 4K resolutions are approximately 4,000 lines of vertical resolution stacked side-by-side like books on a shelf. This is four times the resolution of current high-definition video.Read full post...

Business-to-business publishers have embraced the digital world. The trend among them is to put an exact copy of their print version online. The only change most of them make is to add hotlinks to their advertisers’ websites. While digital does not yet make up the majority of the total circulation of most magazines, we need to monitor this trend to see what impact it will have on advertisers.

Target Audience Delivery

I applaud those publishers who are just as concerned about verifying circulation of their digital versions as they are of their print publications. BPA, the traditional B2B circulation auditor, now offers digital circulation audits. Media planners now have access to data on target audience coverage and composition to help them make informed recommendations. Unfortunately, some publishers are still “claiming” circulations that are unrealistic, at best.

Another way that publishers are ensuring target audience delivery is through a subscription-only basis for online viewing. Readers are required to fill out a subscriber profile for the online version with the same requirements as for the print version.

Ad Size Units

When you view an online version on a regular monitor, it’s easy to browse and read. But not so when you’re using a smart phone or a tablet. You might judge a spread to have a lot of impact on a big-screen monitor. But when you have to scroll between the two pages on your handheld device, it loses legibility, visual appeal and message delivery.

Big-Screen Monitor

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Wilmington, DE — AB&C has hired two new employees — Kathleen Doyle (Digital Media Planner/Buyer) and Chrissy Flynn (Research & Market Analysis Coordinator). Both will work at the marketing agency’s Wilmington office.

Kathleen Doyle (left) and Chrissy Flynn (right)

Doyle will assist in the development, implementation, tracking and optimization of digital campaigns. Her responsibilities encompass online display banners, videos and behavioral targeting. Doyle, a graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia with an associate’s degree in Specialized Technology (Graphic Design), boasts more than 13 years of experience in advertising. She has worked with a variety of industries, including financial, construction, law, luxury retail, healthcare and government.Read full post...

With 120 million people listening to Internet radio, the playing field is highly competitive.

On June 10, Apple confirmed rumors that they will be entering into the world of Internet radio. iTunes Radio is expected to launch in fall of 2013 when Apple releases its iOS7 upgrade to its mobile devices. With 120 million people listening to Internet radio, the playing field is highly competitive, occupied by several providers including Pandora, Spotify, I Heart Radio and Slacker Radio.

Pandora dominates the market with 77%* of online radio listening. Pandora is a streaming music service, based on the Music Genome Project, with access to 800,000 tracks. Trained analysts use up to 450 distinct musical characteristics to identify qualities of each song that are relevant to listeners’ musical preferences. Pandora offers two types of listening: free, which is supplemented by display and audio ads, and subscription listening, which allows for advertising free listening and a higher-quality music stream.Read full post...

WILMINGTON, DE — On the heels of major wins at the Aster Awards and the Healthcare Marketing Report Health Advertising Awards, AB&C scored well again at the Winter/Spring 2013 Web Health Awards. The marketing communications agency won silver and bronze for two physician recruitment portals — the silver with Baystate Health of Springfield, MA, and the bronze with Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization of Boston, MA.

“To attract the best physician candidates, it’s critical to stay ahead of the pack,” says Shawn Kessler, senior strategist at AB&C. “Great physicians want to work where they have a voice, where they can use the most advanced technologies, and where they can collaborate. For health systems that possess these intangibles, these physician recruitment portals help them to stand apart.”Read full post...

Image courtesy of You Only Blog Once

Starting with the 2014 NBA season, teams will be allowed to sell advertising space on their home courts and backboards. No values have been set yet, but, according to Business Insider, the NBA believes this could be a $100+ million income-generator.

Just think, the next time Kobe’s sitting on the bench with a towel over his head, reminiscing about the good ol’ days when Shaq was around, he could be tapping his personalized size 14s on a Kia ad. Or when LeBron dunks on someone, he can reach for the stars — or the Starbucks ad at the top of the backboard. Why not, right?Read full post...

Mike, Paula, Jackie and Jason LaPenta of Rehoboth Beach, DE enjoy Sunday’s Festa Patronale.

Wilmington, DE – The St. Anthony’s Italian Festival wrapped up a damp, but extremely successful week on Sunday. Despite losing two nights to inclement weather, the festival drew more than 70,000 attendees, including near record-setting nights on Wednesday and Friday. This year marked the 39th annual “modern” festival and 90th traditional summer celebration at the Wilmington parish. In honor of Father Roberto Balducelli, the Festival Committee chose Emilia-Romagna, the home region of St. Anthony’s legendary priest, as the 2013 theme.

“This year had extra meaning as our beloved Father Robert celebrates his 100th birthday,” says Anthony Albence, member of the Festival Committee. “Despite all the rain, our volunteers, our sponsors and the Wilmington Police Department were all tremendous. They are the reason the Festival continues to grow in popularity. This week represented the chief fundraising effort for our grade school, so hats off to our patrons.”Read full post...

In a world where advertisements hawking everything from cars to cleaning products bombard our oversaturated brains at every waking hour, a little shock can go a long way towards driving a company’s message home. Witness Kmart’s most recent YouTube ads entitled “Big Gas Savings” and “Ship My Pants.” If you say the names of the commercials out loud (try it in a crowded office), you’ll quickly figure out the hooks. Both videos rely on “potty” words and a mischievous sense of humor to relate a message of convenience and savings.

Blurring the line between propriety and indecency has proven effective. More than 22,000,000 people have seen and heard Kmart’s message in the past month. Combined, the videos received 103,732 likes and only 4,411 dislikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL4lSavSepc

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Bring your appetite!

WILMINGTON, DE — St. Anthony of Padua will host its 39^th annual Italian Festival, beginning Sunday, June 9. The 2013 theme is Emilia-Romagna, the home region of St. Anthony’s legendary Fr. Roberto Balducelli, who celebrates his 100^th birthday this year. According to Father Robert, the region is home to the most delicious food in all of Europe, so bring your appetite.

Wilmington’s favorite festival runs from June 9 to 16 at St. Anthony of Padua, located at 901 N. DuPont Street. Weekly passes are available on-site and online for $15. Daily admission is $5 for ages 14 to 61 and free for seniors (over 61). Children (under 14) also receive free admission with a parent or guardian (age 18 or older). All proceeds benefit St. Anthony of Padua Grade School.Read full post...