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Showing posts from January, 2009

The NEW Austerity

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( Obama's shoes captured by Time photographer Callie Shell) Last week, Obama critiqued Wall Street for keeping their engines lubricated with large year-end bonuses. The president wants to make sure that more transparency, accountability, and responsibility exist in corporate culture, before the next 350 billion of the economic stimulus plan is distributed. As the White House continually tries to illuminate hope on the current global recession, how will the NEW austerity affect 2009 and the years ahead? Austerity? In economics, austerity refers to when a "national government reduces its spending in order to pay back creditors." Today, the term seems applicable to the millions who struggle to keep up with mortgage and credit-card debt and consequentially resort to cutting back on retail purchases. Last year's photograph of Obama wearing seasoned shoes on the campaign trail reflects today's mindset of saving more and spending less (see image above) . Reward with

The 2009 Mark P. Tiner Educational Foundation Scholarship

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“The secret of education lies in respecting the pupil.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson Applications for The 2009 Mark P. Tiner Education Foundation Scholarship are now available online . The financial needs scholarship program is open to graduating high school seniors from any public high school in Orange County, CA. The application deadline is March 6, 2009. The 2008 Mark P. Tiner Education Foundation Board Meeting 2008 Mark P. Tiner Education Foundation Financial Needs Recipient 2008 Mark P. Tiner Education Foundation Financial Needs Recipient 2008 "Big Tiny" Spirit Award Recipient 2008 Mark Tiner Memorial Recipient

Relax

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(Island Hammock (C) Tiner)

Elegant Simplicity

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. " - Leonardo DaVinci Ever wonder what it would be like to spend an entire day in bed? Well, Oren Lavie's latest music video, Her Morning Elegance , creatively turns this curiosity into a reality. The music video uses simple still frame animation to narrate a surreal story about wonderment and self-discovery. Her Morning Elegance illustrates that big budgets do not need to be spent on extravagant marketing campaigns in order to engage an audience. As poor economic conditions continually affect marketing budgets across various industries, don't think that you need to break the piggy bank to uniquely market your brand or product. Sometimes the most effective and engaging campaigns convey the highest caliber of "ultimate sophistication."

Abstract

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(Abstract by Tiner )

Present Diffent

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(Version 1 -Standard Graph Template) (Version 2 -Aesthetic Version) The two images tell the same story, but in different ways. The first image uses a standard, out-of-the-box graph to show how the iPhone market is predicted to grow overtime. It is an easy and boring approach to quickly share a fact. The second image tells the same fact, but in a creative way. Viewers can visually understand the trend without seeing a standard template. When you are presenting your next BIG idea, make sure to present it a little differently. It will allow you to engage your viewers and show that you are really presenting the next BIG idea and not some out-of-the-box concept.

The Power of YOU

Today marks a historic moment in America's history. From a marketing perspective, there are several successful examples to use for future campaigns. The 2008 presidential election showed marketers that large groups of people can successfully come together to share ideas, network, and donate through new media, including Facebook , Twitter and YouTube . Obama was the first presidential candidate to successfully leverage new media to connect ideas with the people. While other candidates tried to implement similar new media marketing campaigns, Obama's charisma was the bridge that successfully connected his ideas with the mainstream. America embraced the power of hope and exponentially shared its passion for change throughout the world.

Deconstructive Marketing

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Similar to artist Shepard Fairey posting Andre the Giant posters in public places, artists in Berlin are now posting stickers over luxury advertisements. The stickers expose the different Photoshop filters used by graphic designers to make the images visually stunning. The idea of exposing the aesthetic enhancements is similar to the concept leveraged in Dove's "Evolution" commercial, which launched two years ago (see movie below) . As more marketing efforts, including underground and corporate campaigns, continue to deconstruct the creation of advertisements, will this concept continue to be an innovative strategy in the future? Thanks to Wally for sharing the link to the Photoshop ads.

The Power of Crowds

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Charles Barkley may no longer be in T-Mobile's Fab 5, but everyone else is now included in the company's latest advertisement. Filmed in Englands's Liverpool Train Station, T-Mobile's commercial features people dancing to songs that span the last half of the twentieth-century. (Verizon's "It's The Network" Campaign) Similar to Verizon's "It's The Network" advertising campaign, T-mobile has strategically leveraged the power of crowds to illustrate the universal acceptance of its product. The underlying message is how mobile communication can connect anyone, no matter age, background, or status. When you are creating your next marketing campaign think of ways to incorporate crowds. Images of large audiences with your product can convey that your brand or product is universally appreciated, accepted, and desired.

Faces

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(Lauren Hayes by Tiner ) (Tim Burgess by Tiner )

5 Cool Websites for 2009

5) Thecoolhunter.net If you need a unique gift idea or want to stay up to date with the latest trends in art, fashion and music, then thecoolhunter.net is the address for your mouse to click and chill out. 4) Viralvideochart.com Need a quick breather from the workplace? Check out viralvideochart.com , a site that aggregates the top 20 viral for the day. It's a cool site to use to stay current on the evolving examples of social interactive video. 3) Blip.fm If you want to sample new songs or bring your iTunes library along without lugging your iPod, give Blip.fm a try. The website allows users to create free play lists of favorite songs and it's also a good way to legally sample and listen to full length tracks without spending a single cent. 2) Twitter.com This micro-blogging site continues to grow and receive free press. Most recently, Twitter was featured on the homepages of several networks after the president-elect's account was hacked last week. Rest assured, Twi

What's G?

As the cliche states, "if it's not broken, why fix it?" The perils of wisdom hold true for many aspects of life, but when it comes to uniquely marketing a product the cliche should be changed to "if it's not broken, maybe you should fix it anyway." On New Years day, when revelers nursed hangovers and television viewers watched USC make an argument for a national championship in The Rose Bowl , Gatorade launched the "What's G" marketing campaign. For Gatorade, "G represents the heart, hustle and soul of athleticism and will become a badge of pride for anyone who sweats," according to a company statement . Gatorade's new campaign was launched with a commercial featuring a voice over from Lil Wayne and appearances by several superstar athletes, including Kerri Walsh, Derek Jeter, Dwyane Wade, Bill Russell and Muhammad Ali. Mysteriously, the commercial did not feature the Gatorade product and only flashed a "G" letter at the

Time Flies

Enjoy an interesting YouTube video created in Oslo, Norway that consolidates the past year into 40 seconds.

John Furrier

John Furrier, CEO of Broadband Developments, Inc. and a Web 2.0 expert writes a fun entry about my Faces series. I'm excited to be featured on his blog, which received over 290 thousand unique visitors last year.

HARO

For the past six months, I've subscribed to HARO (Help a Reporter Out), a free email list of journalists searching for credible new sources. Each workday HARO sends three emails with media queries for quotes from professionals in various fields, including marketing, business, and branding. I first discovered HARO on Seth Godin's blog and was reluctant to join. At first, I was hesitant to add three more emails per day to my inbox. Nonetheless, I joined and have grown to enjoy the daily emails and behind-the-scenes look at future news stories. From Time Magazine to Brandweek , the quality of postings is impressive and enough to entice any busy professional to join. HARO was created by Peter Shankman, a self-proclaimed CEO, entrepreneur, and adventurist. Shankman's list started as a Facebook group and changed to an email blast after the group grew to 1,200 members. Today, the HARO website boasts over 45,000 "sources" or members of the list. Shankman's rece

Faces

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(Annika Vohta by Tiner )

A New Model for Television Advertisements?

As more consumers integrate DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) into their television viewing habits and use a bundle of media services, how will the current television advertising model change? DVRs allow consumers to record their favorite programs and fast forward through commercials. In 2004, only 4% of US households used DVRs. In 2006, 12% of US households used DVRs. In 2008, 30% of US households used DVRs. (source: ZDNET Research) The recent popularity of DVRs has encouraged an emphasis on product placement within television shows, because consumers are spending less time watching commercials. In fact, over 88% of DVR users usually skip through commercials when watching television programs. It's no coincidence to see an energy drink or new automobile featured in a television show. Although I don't know how much money the big three auto manufactures will spend on product placements this year. Additionally, as more mainstream media companies provide bundle (cable, phone and

Heineken Walks Into Creativity

Traditionally beer companies rely upon bikini clad hotties to promote products to the male audience. At the start of this millennium Budweiser won international praise by introducing the Wass Up marketing concept, which moved Budweiser's marketing beyond the traditional T & A approach. In fact, the Wass UP marketing campaign was so memorable that a political spoof of the campaign was released last year and named one of Time Magazine' s Top Ten Campaign Moments of 2008. Continuing the momentum of thinking beyond the bikini, Heineken recently launched the Walk in Fridge commercial. The advertisement opens a bottle of creativity that intoxicates viewers with humor. When you are creating your next marketing promotion, consider making a satirical statement about a common household product or device. It may allow your brand to walk into the marketing results that it deserves.

City of Newport Beach Commission

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Newport Coast Community Center 6401 San Joaquin Hills Road Newport Coast, CA 92657 Enjoy a few pictures from a recent commission for The City of Newport Beach. The works of art are on permanent display at The Newport Coast Community Center ( 6401 San Joaquin Hills Road, Newport Coast, CA 92657 ). If you are in the area one day, feel free to stop by and view the art.

January Desktop

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(Lake Tahoe (C) Tiner ) "There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same" -Chinese Proverb Happy New Year! I wish everyone the best as we commence 2009. Enjoy a black and white photograph of Lake Tahoe for January's complimentary desktop. (Heavenly Mountain)