Shear Creativity

Get outta here!

2010-09-21T07:28:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe, but yes, our website has officially launched and this blog site has retired. Don't worry! We've got all of the same content and fun in our new blog section, and it's pretty stinking awesome. So stop wasting your time - head to theblacksheepagency.com/blog. NOW.

xoxoxo
The Black Sheep Agency

A site for sore eyes

2010-09-02T16:30:00.001-05:00

By show of hands, how many of you have a website? That’s what I thought. Ostensibly, every business that exists in any capacity has a website of some sort. Whether you’ve hired a professional developer and designer or you had your neighbor’s kid design it for his seventh grade computer science project (in 1995), you have some sort of online presence. Your website is your single most important piece of marketing collateral, and if your competitor’s site tops yours, the game is over.

So, take a step back and pretend you are visiting your website for the very first time. Ask yourself the following questions:

Does it look professional? If fonts don’t match, if you have animated GIFs or if you have a background with dolphins (unless you sell dolphins, which seems illegal), your answer is no. If your site hasn’t been updated since Little Johnny did it in 1995, your answer is again, no. We could write an entire post specifically about outdated designs, but that’s for another day. Just remember your website is the first impression of your company, and if it looks amateur, so does your brand.

Do not do this.

How fresh is your content? If it hasn’t been updated since 1995, you have a problem. Still, if it hasn’t been updated since last month, you also have a problem. A website should serve as a hub for all of the information surrounding your company – events, new products, initiatives, community service projects – all the on-goings of your business should be there and up-to-date. As an extension of your brand, this dynamic content shows your constant progression and commitment to growth.

How valuable is your content? If the only material you have to offer is about you, you are missing the mark. As with social media, your website should be a resource – not an advertisement. Provide information about industry trends and news stories as well as your personal advice and experiences. This will encourage visitors to come back so your brand stays top-of-mind and establishes credibility.

Are you connected? As the central location for all of your brand’s resources and information, your website has to fit seamlessly with your social media campaign. Twitter streams, Facebook updates, Flikr feeds and other widgets that allow visitors to engage are essential to maintaining a web presence and providing a cohesive network for your current and potential customers. This framework magnifies your social media efforts by giving viewers one more opportunity to interact with you one-on-one, and those relationships make the greatest difference in your business.

And here’s the kicker: It’s really easy. Thanks to user-friendly content management systems and robust blog services (like WordPress), you don’t have to speak HTML or any other type of web language. If you can operate a computer, you can operate your site – and once you have that kind of control, there’s no excuse to not comply with our rules. Plus, there’s a good chance your ROI will finally move out of the red, and that makes everyone happy.

We have to admit, we’ve got some pretty big news. Our website is making its big debut tomorrow. We’d like to send a shout out to our partners in creativity, Culture Pilot (WE LOVE YOU!), for their commitment to providing an environment that complements the real-life experiences we strive to give our clients. We can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

We’re going live tomorrow, so join us at the party! Visit www.theblacksheepagency.com on Friday, September 3, as we make our inaugural clicks.

IMPORTANT: The blog is permanently moving to the new site as of next week, so keep following us over there!

Changing the Landscape

2010-08-30T15:40:00.002-05:00

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life, especially if you are a business owner. Things get busy. Clients come first. You’ve got to prioritize, and suddenly things slip through the cracks and you find you’re neglecting your true passion and purpose – the real reason you started doing what you’re doing in the first place. The stuff that, deep-down, sets you apart and drives you to make a difference.

Heck, with all of our client projects and obligations, we know exactly how you feel.

But we’re inspired. We’ve seen the possibilities, and we’ve followed the stories of brilliant people in and outside of our industry. We’ve looked at art and pop culture, music and the city streets, and we’ve reached an important realization: Sometimes, to make an impact, you can’t focus on what exists. You have to change the landscape and make the world your own.

So, thanks to the AMAZING creative geniuses at Culture Pilot (our partners in creative crime), we have. Our new website, set to launch later this week, features an entirely new environment where fans, clients and friends can come together to learn more about how we’re changing the landscape in publicity and marketing. Flying sheep, drive-in movies, winding roads and tweeting flowers set the scene for big plans ahead and all the uncharted terrain the future holds.

In celebration of this much-anticipated addition to the Black Sheep brand, we’re encouraging you to consider YOUR landscape and what you can do to change it for the better. What you can do to take things to the next level. To make a difference. To push boundaries.

This week, leading up to the launch of our site, we’ll be sharing our greatest muses, playing our most motivating tunes and featuring tons of fun activities to get your feet moving.

Whether it’s in your business or just an area in your life that could use a little fixer-upper, do it. Change the landscape in your community, and follow us as we change ours.

Is your head in the crowds?

2010-08-25T11:05:00.000-05:00

One of the most prevalent buzzwords in the Web 2.0 community is crowdsourcing, the portmanteau of “crowd” and “outsourcing” (seriously, what isn’t a portmanteau these days?), and simply put, it is the act of calling on the masses for help with a project, idea, design or direction. Really, crowdsourcing works for just about anything. While the concept isn’t new, with the rise in popularity of social media (one helluva crowd), its prevalence has soared, and consequently, controversy and speculation has ensued.

So what are the benefits? Crowdsourcing allows people and businesses to access a gigantic pool of talent and intellect they would not ordinarily be able to reach. You’ve probably heard of “the wisdom of crowds,” the viewpoint that, in many situations, two heads are better than one. In this case, 2 million heads are better than whatever the size your company is. Those heads might have a unique perception, different resources or generally, just a larger collection of opinions. Crowds can serve as focus groups, freelance designers, business consultants and creative teams… and more often than not, with little or no cost associated.

And what’s even better is that anyone can take advantage of the opportunity. And they have. The New York Times recently covered a one-man operation called Trek Light Gear that has used crowdsourcing for product development, product testing, and market research. Peperami, like many forward-thinking brands, has crowdsourced TV commercials to the general public, saving huge amounts in advertising costs. Do you have a weak spot in your business model? Well if you’re on Twitter or other social media platforms, all you have to do is ask – if you have the right people in your network and the right attitude, you’ll probably succeed.

Peperami, in case you weren't familiar.

But there is a downside. Sometimes you DON’T have the right people in your network, and your questions won’t get answered – or worse – they’ll be wrong. Furthermore, if you become one of those people who get sucked into crowdsourcing, you might neglect your real social media relationships and find yourself constantly asking for more, without giving anything in return.

And we’ve all seen those people. Every other question on their Twitter stream is a question asking YOU to help THEM. They’ve become dependant on their followers to give them everything from directions to the nearest pet store to advice on their tax returns, and there’s no incentive to contribute to those sorts of pleas. If you need more players in your court, then give them a reason to participate. Efforts that will allow them to expand their portfolio, gain credibility or even win some kind of prize, turn the arrangement into less of a favor and more of a trade. And always remember, you too are part of the crowd, and it’s your responsibility to the community to contribute as well, not to mention a great way to strengthen relationships.

Basically, crowdsourcing is just one more way to capitalize on the phenomenon that is social media – as long as you keep a few manageable rules in mind. Have you used crowdsourcing in your business? Black Sheep has, and we love it. Share your experiences in the comments below.

Your mama’s so phat, she’s bigger than Twitter.

2010-08-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

By now, we hope you’ve taken the leap and started becoming active in social media. We also hope that you’ve caught on to the very simple jargon and stopped using phrases like “so-and-so Twittered” and “I was Twittering today, and so-and-so @-ed me.” Mom, for the last time, the verb is “tweet.”

But, because TWEETING is so much fun, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and lose sight of the purpose. We start challenging ourselves to get ONE MILLION followers and we get greedy, using Twitter and Facebook as a platform for quick advertising and mass messaging. Instead of asking yourself how much stuff you can sell, focus on how you can strengthen your relationships and bring your followers into your community.

Which takes a little more strategy. We’ve put together a few tips for how you can not only maximize the quantity of your network, but the quality.

1. Find the people who matter, and follow them. What are you trying to accomplish and who are you trying to reach? Most likely it’s not a cat in Arizona or a scantily clad woman. Search for keywords that relate to your industry or make sense for your customer base. Explore the site WeFollow to find leaders in your field and people in your city who are relevant.

2. Get rid of the people who don’t matter. Not every follower is a good follower. Unless they are providing valuable content, you don’t need to return the favor. And if they’re not following you, then you shouldn’t feel compelled to let them clutter your stream (although there are exceptions). Use the tool FriendorFollow to weed out the junk, and do so on a regular basis.

3. Have conversations. Have you ever been on a date where the other person would not stop talking about him or herself? It’s annoying, right? So don’t act that way on social media. Make sure you’re asking questions and answering them thoughtfully, and focus on two-way interaction. If you’re not doing that, you’re wasting your time and everyone else’s.

4. Cross-promote. If you have a large collection of quality friends of Facebook, use that network to find people on Twitter or to add to your fan page. Encourage those people to check out your blog and website. Provide intelligent comments on other blogs, and start LinkedIn groups. Offer every valuable contact in your giant network to explore your different platforms, and reward them for doing so by presenting unique content accordingly.

5. Track your results. Wondering if you’re doing a good job? It doesn’t have to be a mystery. Record your blog comments, site visits, blog subscribers, social media profile engagement and tweet replies. You can even use Klout or the controversial Twifficiency to receive a score based on the quality of your conversation. While these types of programs are a good measuring stick, keep in mind that the results are based on algorithms and stats that aren’t necessarily indicative of your actual influence on Twitter. Still, you should monitor these metrics consistently to make sure you’ve been staying on track and adjust as needed.

Keep these suggestions in mind as you grow and evolve your social media network. This phenomenon is a 24/7/365 machine that never quits, so it’s important that you don’t either. Successful users will constantly build, weed, refine and refocus to stay targeted and dominant. You don’t have to go crazy – just hold your online community to the same standards as those in your offline one and become the best “neighbor” you can be. Social media networks are dynamic, so you can’t become complacent in your efforts to grow or stagnant in your content.

And mom, feel free to stop forwarding me email chain letters and pictures of animals in costumes while you’re at it.

Movers and Fakers

2010-08-11T21:18:00.002-05:00

We’ve all seen the famous scene from When Harry Met Sally. Meg Ryan proved that “faking it” only requires a well constructed performance and perhaps a sense of humor.

And now, thanks to advancing technology and social media savvy, mock PR – whether for the benefit or disgrace of a company – has reached new heights. The good, the bad and the ugly publicity stunts that have recently surfaced got the folks at Black Sheep thinking... How do these disingenuous pranksters change the landscape of public relations?

Example 1: AT&T Twitter Site
Apparently, someone had their call dropped for the last time. While the rest of us at the end of our proverbial ropes would have just redialed, or at the very most resigned to a life without the iPhone and changed providers, the person behind the @ ATT_Wireless_PR Twitter had had enough. He/she started an entire Twitter account dedicated to negatively impersonating the cellular company. Most tweets (while sometimes accurate) are dripping with snark and lacking in cleverness. Plus, it’s just a phone company – not quite a life and death matter warranting the effort and dedication.

Example 2: BP Twitter Site
Equally as snide as the AT&T site, but with a little bit more cause for concern. An activist under the moniker “Leroy Stick” has garnered tons of attention and sold more than $10,000 worth of “free” t-shirts that benefit the Gulf recovery. More than 190,000 followers must find some kind of value in the @BPglobalpr content, which is mostly funny, but also a little petulant.

Obviously, these are not professionally run sites, and they are in no way an example of quality social media. What they do represent is the challenge facing companies today in terms of risk. Whether your business is on social media or not, anyone has the opportunity to criticize your practices on very public forums. While insults can clearly damage reputations, true stories can completely destroy them, so be weary of the dark side of the online force. If your company is in a situation that lends itself to PR crises, prepare a solid strategy for overcoming and managing social media outrage.

Example 3: HeishmanFillard.com
Clearly satirizing PR giant Fleishman-Hillard and the rest of the corporate public relations arena, this website was created in the same vain as our buzzword blog post, and we have to admit, it’s pretty damn funny. Again, it’s not being used to promote or even necessarily demote any particular party, but it’s another good example of the lengths people will go to make a statement, so watch out.

Example 4: General Mills Press Release
As nasty as our previous examples have been, this one takes the cake. Currently under legal scrutiny, someone sent out on wire a false press release announcing the presidentially mandated investigation of General Mills supply chain. The release was picked up (and then dropped) by the Wall Street Journal and other big-name news sources, causing potentially devastating effects and confusing tons of people. The danger of this is not only the immediate consequence, but the diminishing trust of PR professionals and their communication. If journalists can’t rely on newswires, then that’s a big game changer.

Bottom Line: In spoofy PR, the coin flips both ways. Social media gives everyone a voice, allowing two-way PR to take the stage. And while anonymity can diminish credibility, a certain audience will take what they read online at face value.

But does this mean you should steer clear of social media and interactive PR tactics? Definitely not.

Companies that avoid social media because of these fears, concerned that some measure of power is going to be taken away if they get involved on social networks, lose in the long run. What they don’t realize is that this power has already shifted, and whether they participate or not, they’re still fair game – to anyone. Those who avoid the social media platforms give “citizen journalists” the last word and miss the opportunity to be heard.

Instead, companies should dive in – with a plan. Outsmart the potential opponent. Consider all crisis situations that may arise and possible negative backlash. Planning ahead for such scenarios, and having written strategy in place to address each situation gives your business the upper hand. Monitor your brand thoroughly and assign damage control responsibilities to qualified members of your PR team. In extreme cases, respond quickly and tactfully, doing your best to let the public know you’re on top of the issue while providing one-on-one attention in private. If you already have a presence and an established reputation in the social media world, you will be better positioned to not only address criticism, but to use the negative attention to your advantage.

Do you follow mock Twitter sites? Have you fallen victim to online retaliation? What do you include in your crisis control plan? Share your stories and ideas in the comments below!

African marketing: What are you Ghana do?

2010-08-02T10:07:00.003-05:00

[Black Sheep Lindsay Bosslet spent some time this summer in Ghana. Here's what she learned.]

Before I left my comfortable Houston apartment to spend some time in a rural village in Ghana, Aimee urged me to think about an important message I could come back with - a truth or bit of advice to share with our readers and clients that we might overlook in the great U.S.of A.

What I've learned about marketing on the other side of the pond is that, overall, Ghana does nearly EVERYTHING wrong. PhotoShop jobs look worse than a romantic comedy movie poster, and copy is downright erroneous 90% of the time. We're talking apostrophes for plural nouns (instead of for possessives, as is actually correct). And taglines?

The worst.

Yum!

Obviously milk does not get creamier. Gross.

It should also be noted that there is a total lack of irony. I once saw a guy wearing a "welcome to the gun show" t-shirt, and I'm pretty sure it was a legitimate invitation.

Yet, for all of this, there are a few lessons here that can be learned.

1. Even in a place where the majority of all marketing efforts are bad, it still pays to be good. As I mentioned earlier, the billboards are atrocious. However, I once saw a Nike ad - one that would have been on-par with one in America - and it was all the more brilliant. I looked and studied as long as I could before the taxi drove off. And the people do too - Nike is by far the leader in sportswear, and in a nation where sports are king, that's a pretty big deal.

For our clients at home, it's important to keep in mind that the same principle still applies. Just because your competitors are doing one thing, and just because you're not used to seeing clever progressive marketing, there's no excuse for following the crowd. In fact, it's a waste of time. If the standards are low, it's your time to shine. If they're not, well you need to keep up!

2. Innovation and top-of-mind awareness go a long way. In Ghana, the two most marketed companies are MTN and Vodafone (cell phone companies that specialize in pay-as-you-go plans, like Cricket back in the States). And, while they both their fair share of billboards, ads and commercials, those methods are not what make them so well known. These companies literally miss no opportunity to brand an empty space.

Nearly every shack - even in the most remote areas of the country - is painted and logoed by one of those companies. I guess people are happy to have a little extra cash even if it means their home is painted a ridiculously bright color? These are desperate times. The total effect is that no matter where you go, you are constantly reminded of these companies... whether you like it or not.

Now, I'm not suggesting that we start taking out ad space on each other's houses or painting our town with our brand (hmmm... Black Sheep city...). But, we should consider every opportunity for creating awareness and look to never-before-seen and unexpected places to execute our plan.

3. Time is on your side. First of all, the World Cup in Ghana was huge- basically the only topic of conversation through July 11, and even weeks later, the most played feature on television. And the advertisers took advantage - nearly every ad in the month of July contained some sort of tie-in with soccer. While for us, not even the Super Bowl is a big enough event to influence and permeate all advertising, we should always remember that a current, relevant ad is going to elicit a stronger emotional response than a more generic alternative. (Strangely enough, people here are generally running late by 1-2 hours. No joke.)

It's always interesting to study advertising and marketing across the world, across the country and even across the state. Every place has something to offer in terms of knowledge and ideas, and these experiences make us more thorough and creative marketers. (But when it comes to food? There's no better place than Houston! Chips and salsa, here I come!)

Have you been to a different country? What did you notice about their marketing? Let us know in the comments!

Buzzword Bonanza!

2010-07-23T09:43:00.003-05:00

Every profession has jargon that is used as shorthand, and that’s great. Using jargon is necessary so a carpenter doesn’t have to say “that big metal doo-hickey” and so scientists don’t have to use long, boring explanations to explain what a uberthermodynamic enthropic reaction is (disclaimer: that’s not real). Buzzwords in business, however, seem to be around to confuse everyone.

We’re not very fond of buzzwords. Tiny Fey and Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock aren’t fans either. Buzzwords are overused in our line of work. Being the marketing and PR superstars that we are, we have a pretty decent idea of what they mean. We’ve waded through our share of acronyms and ridiculous “concepts” (Example: The Hedgehog Concept. It means “do what you are best at.” Really.) Naturally, we’re a bit jaded.

We recently saw an article about the most overused buzzwords in press releases. We realized nobody really knew what they actually mean. So we’ve created a layman’s dictionary of buzzwords you’ll encounter in business, PR and marketing. If this blog was a tabloid, we’d call this article “The Meanings THEY Don’t Want You to Know!!!”

Innovation: New product or technology. Pretty simple idea, but when you think about how many times something is called “the most innovative thing ever,” it gets a little annoying. Artificial light was an innovation; that new flavor of Mountain Dew is not.

Usage: “Announcing a new innovation in the way you drive to work!”

Real-Time: Just like it sounds. Instant feedback or answers. We’re in a real-time environment. Twitter is real-time feedback from the world. Morse-code on a telegraph was real-time feedback, too. Remember that.

Usage: “Delivering real-time answers to all of your innovation needs!”

Dynamic: Quick-changing. Today’s industry and technology is a lot more dynamic than it used to be.

Usage: “New, dynamic innovation that provides real-time answers to life’s problems!”

Groundbreaking: A really awesome innovation (see above). Changes the industry, sometimes the world. Not always great. (Right, hydrogen bomb?)

Usage: “Controlling fire was a groundbreaking technology for cavemen.”

Best Practice: We’re pretty sure this means agreed-upon strategies that provide value in an industry. (Wikipedia confirms.)

Usage: “A best practice in the fishing industry is to use bait.”

Cutting Edge: New, groundbreaking product or technology (see above).

Usage: “Pre-slicing bread was cutting-edge slicing technology
See also: “Bleeding Edge,” meaning something was SO cutting-edge that it made you bleed.

Product Integration: AKA “Product Placement.” Paying for your product, logo or service to be in the media. Reese’s Pieces in the movie “ET” is considered the grandfather of product integration.

Usage: “But sir, putting Marlboro in “Toy Story 3” sounds like poor product integration!

Seamless Integration: One thing and another thing go well together without any problems. Used most in mergers and acquisitions. I imagine this comes from the garment-making industry.

Usage: “Marlboro is seamlessly integrated into “Toy Story 3” because one of the main characters is a cowboy!”

Think Outside the Box: Novel and creative thinking. Term coined by someone who probably never actually thought outside the box.

Usage: “They must have really thought outside the box when they put cigarettes in a children’s movie, because now I really want a Marlboro!”

Synergy: Oh, synergy. Poor, poor synergy. Whipping boy of the buzzwords. The scapegoat. It’s a medical term adopted by business that basically means “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” It’s not always a great thing in medicine, but businesses LOVE synergy.

Usage: “By combining our businesses (chocolate and peanut butter), we can achieve synergy by making an incredibly delicious snack! This peanut butter and chocolate candy is better than if you just added peanut butter and chocolate together!”- Whoever invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Low-Hanging Fruit: Some sort of fruit-picking metaphor adopted for business. In reality, it just means to reach the easiest goal without much effort. If you were a lion, it would mean to eat the slowest and fattest antelope.

Usage: “We can capture the low-hanging fruit of the fast-food industry by targeting fat kids who already like our cheeseburgers!”

Secret Sauce: This was new to us before the list came out. Apparently people use it. Presumably, it’s derived from the fast food industry and means “Thousand Island Dressing,” but in reality it just means “your strategy or product that gives you an advantage over everyone else, but your competitors can’t figure out what it is.”

Usage: “We need more secret sauce! Put that mayonnaise out in the sun!” (Disclaimer: That quote is from The Simpsons)
Business Usage: The secret sauce of McDonalds’ success is its consistency between each store; a Big Mac in New York is the exact same as a Big Mac in Tucson. And the secret sauce of McDonalds’ Big Mac is actually the secret sauce.

Paradigm Shift: This should mean “using your secret sauce and thinking outside the box with a groundbreaking, innovative, cutting-edge technology that provides synergy and allows you to capture the low-hanging fruit with more ease to get real-time, dynamic results.” However, it just means something new and different is happening that revolutionizes the way people see your industry, business or environment.

Usage: “Social media has caused a paradigm shift in public relations.”

Captain Buzz

There are hundreds and hundreds more, but it’s your turn to find them. Really, there’s a time and place for everything. Even these buzzwords. We’re not condemning their usage, just their frequency. Writing with buzzwords is like going out for a night of drinking (maybe that’s why they’re called “buzz”words?). Think about it: if you have a few buzzwords or have a few drinks, you feel smarter and more confident. After a few more, you start to feel dizzy and unbalanced. After too many, you feel like vomiting, nobody understands what you’re saying and you wake up in the morning feeling terrible about yourself. Remember, the content you create and the strategy you come up with is more important than the words you use to describe it. Use these words in a way that provides actual value and understanding. Buzz responsibly.

What is your favorite (or least favorite) buzzword? If we get enough responses, we can have a sequel!

(all images via Creative Commons)

Think Responsibly

2010-07-15T10:08:00.001-05:00

Back in the day, businesses were only concerned with one thing: profit. In recent years, these same businesses have realized both the benefit to their company and their community when they get involved. Sponsorships, food and donation drives and fun runs are all great examples of such opportunities, and we would never discourage taking that approach.

But, with the advent of the social media craze and the wide-spread acceptance and support of altruistic endeavors, helping out is suddenly one of the best ways to showcase your creativity and make a significant difference. Some really amazing concepts led by large and small organizations across the nation exemplify this new mentality, and while they’re all unique in their own right, they also share a common strategy which has made them so successful.

Chipotle wants your junk
Premise: As part of Chipotle’s “Food with Integrity” campaign, they are claiming there’s no junk in their food. They also believe there shouldn’t be junk in school food, and they’re asking customers to get rid of their junk as well… that is, junk mail. Participants can forward their junk mail to nojunk@chipotlejunk.com, and for every 100,000 emails received, they’ll donate $10,000 to The Lunch Box, a NPO with an aligned cause.
Consumer feel-good factor: Consumers get to help the cause in an active, non-monetary way (you’ll notice this is incredibly important in increasing participation). They can feel like they’re contributing to the greater good without busting their budget or taking a lot of time.
Consumer me-me factor: Clean email boxes make this cause a quadruple win for Chipotle, The Lunch Box, kids’ health AND the folks at home who want to increase the size of their “special parts” and get cheap drugs from China.
Easy factor: You can do this without thinking or getting out of your chair, and that means you might actually peel your eyes away from “work.”
New and exciting factor: We’ve never seen this clever concept, and we bet you haven’t either. Donating junk mail? It’s genius.

Pepsi Refresh Project
Premise: This on-going, monthly project allows participants to submit their ideas (they take 1,000/month) for making the world a better place, and then anyone can go to their website and vote. There are several categories – health, arts & culture, neighborhoods, etc. – and different grant sizes depending on the idea-givers’ resources. Winners receive grants ranging from $5K-$25K.
Consumer feel-good factor: Tons of people have ideas about the types of changes they want to make… if only they had the money. Now there’s a chance! And for the people who don’t want to take all that on, hey, just vote! Again, active participation in a non-monetary way.
Consumer me-me factor: Non-profits, schools, businesses and regular people have their names attached to the idea, and anyone that visits the website will see… aka free publicity on a pretty big platform. And of course, if they win, they get to start their own project!
Easy factor: Submitting an idea and voting takes seconds. Literally, seconds.
New and exciting factor: Each month the game changes, and every day new votes are counted. Plus, the concept is just pure good.

Shade of Hope
Premise: This one’s local. The dynamic duo of the Houston Furniture Bank and Blinds.com is hosting a community arts fair to raise money, awareness and support for The Furniture Bank, an organization that turns houses into homes for the less-fortunate.
Consumer feel-good factor: Being at the event shows your support for the community, The Furniture Bank and the local art scene.
Consumer me-me factor: Participants get to hang out, view amazing art and listen to live music. FOR FREE.
Easy factor: Show up. All you have to do is show up.
New and exciting factor: First of all, we didn’t even know furniture banks existed, so that’s super cool. Secondly, it’s an EVENT. Filling up our calendars with hip, artsy stuff is always exciting. And, if you check out their website you’ll see there are some pretty interesting activities happening that day (artists are painting shades!)

Naturally, Black Sheep is a big fan of these creative causes. Heck, we’ve even had some success with our own. Keep in mind the factors we mentioned (feel-good, me-me, easy and new and exciting), and you too could be on your way to generating a positive impact… and showing off your innovative excellence too!

Twitter, je t’aime

2010-07-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

You know how you’re totally addicted to social media? And how we always say it’s essential to a marketing plan because of the connections you can make with your customers on an emotional level? Now, thanks to this really fascinating article in Fast Company it all makes sense.

This article discusses the correlation between levels of oxytocin (affectionately referred to as the “cuddle hormone”) in your bloodstream, its effects on your emotions and why, as a result we can’t get enough.

Allow us to nerd out for a minute. Oxytocin is responsible for love, trust and empathy, and for the longest time, scientists thought it was primarily responsible for the reason mothers bond immediately with their babies. Now, thanks to some hefty research involving voles (basically fancy rodents), we know that oxytocin affects little receptors in our brain that give us that warm, fuzzy feeling and long-term attachment… you know, love. Furthermore, we know that this feeling is totally addictive (yes, Robert Palmer was right). The parts of the brain affected by love and this hormone are not the same as other emotions like anger, jealousy or even friendship. In reality, your response to oxytocin is more like your response to COCAINE.

Kind of cute, aren't they?

So that’s fine and good, but what Dr. Zak from the Fast Company article has discovered (albeit he needs a little more statistical evidence), is that oxytocin can do more than just make us fall head over heels. After giving a group of college students oxytocin or a placebo and then asking them to watch various PSAs, those that received the hormone were nearly 50% more likely to donate to the charity. It stands to reason– with elevated levels we are more inclined to trust and empathize.

But here’s the kicker. In another test, a before and after blood test of someone conversing on Twitter for 10 minutes showed an elevation of oxytocin levels rise as much as 13%! This is comparable to a similar test of a couple on their wedding day. Again, we need more conclusive research, but IF this turns out to be commonplace, its implications could be huge, essentially suggesting that companies interacting with people on social media are not only connecting on a higher level, but connecting at the moment when trust and empathy are at their peak.

Earlier in June a New York Times article documented a family whose addiction to technology was indicative of a much larger trend in our society - the need to be tuned-in, available and communicating as much as possible, sometimes to the detriment of our mental state. To us, it seems like this can further be explained by Dr. Zak’s findings and the addictive nature of oxytocin and consequently social media. Who among us hasn’t been a little distracted at the onset of a new relationship? When love takes over, we do crazy things, and just think – social media might have the same degree of influence.

So to everyone who questions the quality of social media relationships and worries about the decline of communication and real conversation, take note. These platforms could be even more powerful than we think, and the opportunities for capitalizing on this huge forum are endless. And, props to the voles (switch the letters and it spells “loves”!) for taking one for the team… you know we can’t support animal testing, even if it is for the sake of marketing.

OK Go: Not your run of the [tread]mill viral campaign.

2010-07-01T10:32:00.002-05:00

If you’ve had access to the Internet in the past 4 years, you’ve probably heard of indie rock band OK Go. But you don’t have to love their music to have spent hours watching and sharing their videos on YouTube. In fact, some might say that their YouTube fame precedes their music, and more often than not these videos receive better critical acclaim than their albums.

Their first viral video launched in 1998 (so, yeah, really early) and their most famous, career launching video featuring choreographed dances on treadmills debuted in 2006 with the song “Here It Goes Again.” We’ve embedded the video just to “jog” your memory.

And now, their latest Rube Goldberg inspired video creation for “This Too Shall Pass” is following suit, garnering heavy attention (media and otherwise) as well as oodles of plays.

Based on their video success, you’d think they’d be one of top iTunes downloads and leading the charts. Wrong. Well they must make pretty good music, then, right? Not really. It’s certainly not as creative as the videos.

With plummeting record sales, especially from their latest album (about 20K), yet soaring video plays (more than 16 million for “This Too Shall Pass”), they are kind of a marketing enigma. In a recent interview with 944 Magazine, they divulged that their creative process starts with a video concept for which the song is written, and that their sale of funny hats brings in more revenue than their albums and concerts.

At first glance, they seem like they’re doing all of the right things – making watchable videos, capitalizing on cross-marketing merchandise and getting their music heard by people through really successful viral campaigns. But what about the sales?!? This made us totally freak out! From our perspective, everything is working but still not producing what seemed to be the primary goal… album sales.

The truth is, Ok Go is a new breed of band that doesn’t necessarily see their first artistic motivation as the music itself. Nor do they seem to care that they are financially dependent on secondary revenue. While many mediocre bands like them have come and gone because they haven’t had the musical panache to differentiate themselves, Ok Go is still out there making music. And, even if the video counterparts are stealing the show, they’re still being watched and allowing them to get attention and exposure.

The lesson we can learn here is that no amount of marketing is going to make people want and need your product. But really GOOD marketing can give a lackluster product a fighting chance and the opportunity to create a following. Imagine if Ok Go hadn’t made these videos and started campaigning? They’d probably still be at home playing in their garage and selling even fewer albums.

The Black Sheep verdict: They may have OK music, but their marketing is a definite “go.”

Here are some more of their latest little nuggets of genius:

Leaving Las Vegas (with tons marketing of ideas)

2010-06-27T21:56:00.001-05:00

Las Vegas. To most people those two words conjure visions of sparkling lights, slot machines and that scene from The Hangover with the tiger, a baby and a chicken. You know, standard Vegas fare. But for Black Sheep, the City of Sin is more about fluorescently lit convention centers, swag and poorly constructed hip hop. No need to re-read… we said hip hop.

That’s right, it’s trade show time for our client, PFS Group, and we’ve spent the last few days living the good life and listening to the same 5 songs over and over again. In case you don’t know, the campaign for this healthcare accounts receivable outsourcing company is centered around a fictional character, Dr. Paid, a struggling rapper “discovered” by PFS Group with a knack for financial jargon and a passion for commercialized music.

Naturally, the bored-out-of-their-gourd people walking around staring at what might as well be third grade science fair projects find our departure from the expected exhibit more than welcoming. And the martini bar doesn’t hurt either.

The entire trade show experience always gets our brains working overtime, considering the next great step for the campaign and how we can help our other clients too. Las Vegas is an interesting place in terms of publicity and advertising, so we just try to soak it all in and let the creative juices (and Champagne) flow. Here’s what we learned:

1. Make it a Wynn-win situation. Now, night clubs aren’t necessarily the types of establishments we frequent, mostly because of the potential for awkward Situations. But, in Vegas it’s kind of unavoidable. Steve Wynn (of the major hotel) and Sean Christie, “nightlife impresario” (his words, not mine) established Surrender when the economy was turning south. His fist-pump haven counterparts cut costs, scaled back and withdrew from scene, but Surrender did quite the opposite. They forged ahead with their plans and promoted the hell out of their new brand.

And it worked! Their expensive bottle service and decadent atmosphere hasn’t deterred customers at all, and because they didn’t shy away, this club is now one of the most popular places on the Vegas strip. We’re not saying you should blow your budget or ignore the economy, but this is the perfect example of why marketing should be the last line item to cross off in tumultuous times.

2. Sweat the small stuff. People say everything in Texas is big, but that seems like a more appropriate statement for Vegas. We’ve stayed in the more famous hotels like Caesar’s Palace, the kind that have elaborate casinos and look like something out of a grown-up Disney Land. When we found out we were staying at Trump, we were kind of disappointed! Where’s the fun, right?

Wrong. It was amazing. And for non-gamblers like us, all of the little things made up for the lack of grandeur. We had free wifi, complimentary gym passes and full kitchens in our room. And that says something that us marketers should take to heart, don’t you think? Keeping the details in check and making sure a campaign or event, even if it’s not flashy or loud, has everything in place. And, if you’re going to make a statement, make one that’s also well thought out and smart – not cheesy and outdated.

3. You gotta gamble to win big. Like I said earlier, we’re not really gamblers… in the literal since any way. But, we had to try out a slot machine just to say we did. We popped in a quarter, pulled the lever and watched the pictures of cherries, dollar signs and pineapples (I don’t understand the fruit) spin around and around. Finally, it stopped. Two fruits and a dollar sign. Boo.

But what did we expect? A million dollars from a measly quarter? Well yes. But, rarely does that happen. And rarely, in marketing, does it work that way either. You have to take risks – sometimes big ones – to get attention. Just look at our PFS Campaign! We were nervous about even PITCHING the idea to our client and now we promote the most highly sought after rapper in the healthcare finance world. Not too shabby!

All in all, it was a pretty good trip. We’re glad Dr. Paid was such a success (he got asked to perform at a regional conference ON A REAL STAGE), and we’re ready to take our Vegas-sized ideas and get moving!

Warning: There has been a GAS leak! (And other TEDx Houston experiences)

2010-06-16T09:40:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, you just have to get up on a soap box and say something. This past Saturday outside the Houston’s first TEDx conference, we chose a University of Houston park bench instead.

Because of our love of learning and progress (not to mention our obsession with the event’s organizers, Culture Pilot), we decided to sponsor TEDx Houston. But, as usual, we didn’t feel like slapping our logo in a brochure really exemplified the Black Sheep mentality. So we staged a protest instead.

The theme of this TEDx was “Expanding Perceptions,” so we wanted to emphasize action, change and our opposition to “average” thinking. We created a fictional, tongue-in-cheek scenario – a GAS leak! GAS (General Apathy Syndrome) was spreading rapidly, and we needed to stop it! Protestors lined the sidewalk warning passersby and TEDx attendees of the imminent danger of succumbing to the terrible affliction and directing them to the nearest medic station. Our medics, dressed in scrubs and gas masks, passed out “antidotes,” stickers featuring a delta (thanks, high school thermodynamics) symbolizing change, and manifestos declaring our mission.

Photo via The Loop Scoop

And, as with all Black Sheep adventures, we learned a lot and confirmed many of our beliefs.

Photo via The Loop Scoop

1. Taking chances pays off. Our protest was mentioned in the first TED talk of the day and even folks in New Zealand are talking about it! Audience members, speakers and coordinators sported our antidote stickers throughout the eight-hour conference, and we received tons of rave reviews about how amazing and encouraging our protest was. We got lots of exposure, made hundreds of people smile and hopefully, we changed many perspectives. Press coverage, enthusiastic participation and a memorable event discussed all day among Houston’s biggest movers and shakers? Mission accomplished.

2. No matter how positive your message, there’s always someone who won’t get it. Keep in mind, our only goals were to inspire people to change for the better and to motivate progress. Who could argue with that? Negative reactions were definitely a minority, but these things come with the territory. Yet, despite those brief moments of let-down, we were able to keep an upbeat attitude. Like we always say, with every brilliant risk or novel idea, expect dissent. So, when you take a bold move, remember you can’t please everyone.

3. Your blood and sweat have to go into it. Cutting out cardboard with dull X-acto knives is bound to cause a scratch or two. Standing in the Houston sun for an hour and a half will undoubtedly cause extreme perspiration. But, putting your creative energy to the test and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone provides the greatest reward. Nothing is more exhilarating than pulling off a great undertaking, seeing the results and witnessing the excitement on people’s faces as they experience something amazing.

4.Empathy makes all the difference. Most people loved what we were doing, but not every participant can be treated equally. They are, after all, people. For the more reticent folks, we had to do a little hand-holding and ease them into the situation. The gregarious crowd members obviously required EXTRA stimulation. Reading responses and gauging people’s comfort levels is the key to keeping them interested and engaged on a personal level. (And yes, this paragraph is riddled with unintentional innuendo.)

Photo via The Loop Scoop

Ups and downs are inevitable, but at Black Sheep, success isn’t. We were honored to be included in an event as outstanding as TEDx Houston, and we felt completely at home surrounded by the type of people who have a genuine desire to make a difference. So, in the spirit of that day, let’s all do more with less and challenge the status quo – that’s the real antidote for apathy.

4 Things PR Folks Can Learn From Music Festivals

2010-06-09T09:43:00.002-05:00

Lollapalooza. Bonnaroo. Coachella. We’re smack dab in the heart of music festival season, and with the Free Press Summer Fest making its second year even better than the first, we Houstonians are excited about emerging as a city with a legit presence on the scene. FINALLY! And, after spending our weekends donning wristbands among the masses of music lovers and hipsters, the Black Sheep team realized we learned a few things too.

Which obviously means we can write our tickets off as educational expenses. And also networking. Uh huh.

Image via Paul Viscontini at The Loop Scoop

Be prepared and chill out. Music festivals are unpredictable, and we’re not just talking about the paint slides. Extreme heat and cold, torrential rain, wind and tons of mud are pretty par for the course, and if you show up expecting anything else, you’ll be disappointed. Do what you can – wear sunscreen and bring an umbrella, but when things turn south, roll with the punches. Dance in the storm, roll in the mud and wait for a rainbow.

PR is no different. Whether you’re hosting an event or speaking with a journalist, do your research and plan for any possible bump in the road. But, as any experienced PR pro knows, SOMETHING will go wrong. And when it rains, it pours. Which is sort of the beauty of the industry… the challenge of the daily grind. It’s up to us to kick our shoes off and make the best of a bad situation, console our clients and quickly problem solve.

Keep an open mind. At any given music festival there are tons of bands, and even the most well versed music junkies don’t know all of them. Take the time to listen to the acts you’ve never heard of and do so with the expectation that they just might be good. You never know what gems will pop up next.

This is such an important attitude to have in marketing as well. Can you imagine if a company had said, “Twitter? That doesn’t sound like anything I would want to check out.” It’s like saying the same thing about Lady Gaga! Finding the next best thing could make a difference for your company’s strategy and put you at the forefront of your industry.

Share and compare. One of the most exciting things about music festivals are the stories that come from them. Tales of crowd surfing, paint sliding, crazy people and fantastic performances make for ample conversation that prevails for years to come.

Image via Paul Viscontini at The Loop Scoop

And this is the perfect example of an effective marketing strategy. An event or a performance marketing stunt, even a well written media pitch, can have lasting effects if you connect with your audience on an emotional level. It creates the need for pictures, video, Tweets and countless reenactments of the experience, a priceless method for creating top-of-mind awareness.

Stage presence. Both the headliners at Summer Fest, Girl Talk on Saturday and The Flaming Lips on Sunday, were phenomenal. The crowd was totally into it, jumping, dancing and completely committed to the set. And after seeing them, it’s not hard to figure out why. Sure, their music is great. Yeah, they’ve got a lot of fans. But more than anything, they INTERACT, inviting fans to the stage, walking in a giant bubble on top of the audience, showing provocative imagery and encouraging excitement and participation.

Your company should also be doing these things. Instead of passively throwing yourself on a billboard or buying ad space, PERFORM. Give your audience no other choice but to be captivated and invite them to experience your brand in an up-close and personal way. Convey excitement and offer surprises that keep them guessing and watching. And if it comes down to it, we highly recommend a toilet paper gun.

It’s amazing how everyday encounters can reiterate our marketing and public relations philosophy. Sometimes it’s in a funny t-shirt or a political debate. Other times we find brilliance in mundane places like the grocery store or in a parking lot. And a music festival? Well, when it comes to learning there, it’s totally INTENSE, man.

Psst! Your marketing strategy is showing...

2010-06-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

We love getting comments on our blog. Our goal first and foremost is to start conversations and create ideas among people with different points of view, so thanks to all of you out there for participating! In fact, last week, we received a comment that inspired this post. Our commenter pointed out the importance of transparency in marketing.

We couldn’t agree more.

Disingenuous advertising is unavoidable, and it’s ruining things for the rest of us. How can we appreciate fashion magazines when models are Photoshopped to look like Bratz dolls? And is it really any better when “celebrities without make-up” grace the glossy pages? Not if their hair is in their face and they’re standing in the dark. I understand wanting to have flawless layouts and attractive people in magazines, but I want those skinny models to be real, dammit!

Of course, the chance that fashion ads will ever be honest is like the probability Lindsay Lohan will make her next court appearance. Not likely.

But for the rest of the advertising and PR world, our expectations are a little higher. We’re all tired of being lied to, cheated and scammed (looking at you, Mr. Madoff), and you’d think after the past couple of years of economic downturn, bailouts and Tiger Woods, companies would start realizing we’re not stupid. And that we have the Internet. If you’re not telling the truth, we’re probably gonna find out about it in .5 seconds because SOMEONE on Twitter is going to know what’s up. We want to know where our food is coming from, the minute details of our politicians’ pasts, and we analyze everything from Lost to Michelle Bombshell’s tattoos. There’s no hiding and no limit to our resources!

Which is why it’s important that we make the following point: No matter how progressive, unexpected or surprising your next campaign is, you can’t cheat the system. Being subversive won’t get you results – it will get you disrespect. A performance marketing act or protest where you pretend you’re something you’re not will prove ineffective. People are okay with clever strategy that catches them off-guard, but they’re annoyed when they’re unabashedly tricked. Here are a few tips for avoiding backlash:

1. Never lie. Especially to the media. It’s one thing to not give away all the details and to have secrets, but you never want to attract media under false pretenses. They will hate you, and you don’t want to destroy those valuable relationships. And you don’t want your misstep to be tomorrow’s story.

2. Ask first. This one is really hard to do sometimes, but when you’re representing your own business, the “better to ask for forgiveness later” philosophy could get you into a lot of trouble. Make sure you’re not breaking laws or causing distress to the environment you’re working with.

3. If you don’t trust them, lose them. With things like performance marketing acts, you’ll probably be selecting tens to hundreds of people to help you pull it off. While you probably can’t run a criminal background check on everyone, make sure they come with some kind of reference. These guys are still representing your business, and you don’t want them being too goofy – or worse – too creepy.

4. Claim responsibility. If you are producing something on behalf of your company, just like your first grade teacher said, put your name [or logo] on it. You don’t have to detract from your awesome campaign, but you do need to explain, on further examination, where this crazy/funny/shocking collateral is coming from.

5. Be yourself. For instance, if you’re a major oil and gas company, don’t flat-out confuse people by hiring clowns to form a parade through downtown. That doesn’t make sense. But, setting up simple street corner demonstrations teaching people about your company’s advanced animal cleaning technology after an oil spill might be something worth considering. By doing this, you’re admitting a flaw and also showing accountability while interacting with people face to face. Remember, not every “performance” has to be an act.

The line between progressive, interesting marketing and blatant deception is usually pretty defined if you use common sense. Don’t hurt people or damage property, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself either. Avoiding negative repercussions is just part of the game of creativity, and these rules will never hold you back from a truly amazing idea.

Taking your marketing to the streets.

2010-05-26T00:17:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, Black Sheep saw the Banksy film, Exit Through the Gift Shop. Of course we did! Banksy is basically the Dalai Lama of attention-grabbing, thought-provoking, guerrilla marketing tactics. Okay, maybe not marketing, per se, but he certainly sends a message in an unexpected way, and he’s been the source of inspiration for many Black Sheep projects.

What? You’re not familiar with the greatest street artist of all time? We’ll fill you in.

You get the idea.

Anyway, the movie chronicles Banksy and several other esteemed street artists like Shepard Fairey, Neckface and Space Invader as they undertake amazing, brilliant and often dangerous pursuits of street art, all through the eyes of an amateur “filmmaker.” As time progresses, the filmmaker decides to become a street artist himself, and he produces one of the largest exhibits ever featuring knock-offs of his more famous predecessors, leaving the audience to question his talent, his passion, and ultimately the plausibility of the entire film.

So even though the message rang true to us, half the fun of the movie was to see the outrageous products of the street art movement and the reactions of the people passing by. And while, perhaps, Banksy’s work lies in somewhat of a “legal gray area,” the ideology is something the most upright citizens can learn from.

Take chances. Our best clients are the ones that say, “We’ll try it! If it works, that’s great. If it doesn’t, we’ll try again.” As with business entrepreneurship, a risk is always involved, and the reward is usually directly proportional. I’m sure at some point Banksy wheat pasted something to the side of a building, and either got caught, got chastised or ripped his papers and failed at the venture entirely. It happens.

Expect dissent. Not everyone is going to like everything you do, especially if it has a strong message or meaning. Don’t worry about it. These people are not your audience. If you look back on the greatest ideas of all time, they had their naysayers too, so don’t let the possibility of criticism hold you back.

Bask in glory. Creating something big that catches people off-guard – a performance marketing stunt, a protest, a mural on the side of the wall or an underground grassroots campaign all over town – will get noticed. People will stop, take pictures and tell their friends. Those friends will tell their friends. Nothing is more valuable than a memorable experience, and when you use a “shock and awe” approach, you’re giving the people something they’ll not soon forget.

Don’t be a copycat. If you watch the film we mentioned above, you’ll see that in the street art world, imposters are not welcomed. If you’re going to do something that gets a lot of attention, make sure it’s thoughtful and original.

Wise up. Performance marketing requires a little humor and a little silliness too, but it also needs to be smart and insightful. Connecting emotionally and intellectually with your audience is essential to the success of any campaign, and this arena is no different. If you notice Banksy’s work, it’s not just meant to get a laugh or distract – there is a serious, often political, message attached to every piece of art. It is this jarring, poignant quality that makes his work so renowned.

Street artists find inspiration in the things around them. A wall is not just a wall – it’s a canvas. A sidewalk is not just used for traveling – it’s an artist’s playground. Try to find creative outlets in the unordinary, and take chances when you have the opportunity. Oh, and definitely go see Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Mind the Generation Gap.

2010-05-11T12:10:00.002-05:00

Like any great movement, Black Sheep’s unorthodox approach to marketing has been met with dissent from time to time. And that’s okay! We definitely appreciate feedback, but we’re also confident in our progressive attitude and our anti-formulaic “formula.” We’ve proven it works time and again... and again. But, in the interest of open discussion, we thought we’d explain why our practices, while a bit mischievous and unpredictable, are also enlightening and transparent. We’re by no means subversive, irreverent or maniacal, we just identify with our peers and know how get their attention. So listen up, naysayers! You just might learn something from the younger generation.

A lot of people tout their “20 years of experience,” and while it’s certainly commendable, in this day and age, if you aren’t adapting to the new frontier of marketing, it is also somewhat irrelevant. What may have worked on the baby boomers doesn’t stand a chance with millenials or gen x-ers, and those tried and true tactics are proving ineffective. This group of young adults is often termed the “unreachable” generation because our attention spans are fleeting, we’re not easily impressed, and we have a different set of values. And while 20 years ago we were being dressed by our parents and listening to New Kids on the Block (aahh, Joey…), we’ve grown up, and we’re responsible for a significant part of the disposable income in this country, a portion that is only growing since the boomers are retiring and becoming more spendthrift while we continue moving upward.

This generation is a complex one, and there are lots of factors to be considered when marketing to them. Trust us, we’re speaking from experience.

We want to save the world. Our generation will spend more money if a product is greener, if it comes from a better company and if it serves some greater purpose than its utilitarian one, and we’re the only set who’s embraced that movement. Our businesses, actions and decisions as consumers are more socially responsible. We’ve created TOMS shoes, we’re taking classes in social entrepreneurship, and we’re EXPECTING businesses to follow suit. This means that existing companies need to show us how they’re doing their altruistic part, and they need to do it well – this generation can see through faux philanthropy pretty easily.

[Image via Adlicious]

We don’t think technology is a novelty. Actually, we don’t think anything is a novelty. Just ask Mark Zuckerburg, the inventor of Facebook, Chad Hurley from YouTube and Matt Mullenweg from WordPress. These guys don’t even remember a time before Web 2.0, and for the rest of us, we wouldn’t know life without these platforms, much less smart phones, text messaging and Google Maps. While you’re gawking over how fast it’s moving, we’re complaining it’s not fast enough. While you’re just figuring out this whole “social media thing,” it’s second-nature to us, and we’re ready for the next big thing. So, if you think you can impress us with what you can do and how life-changing your product or services is, think again. We’ve already researched your company and moved on. To get our attention, you have to show you understand us and appeal to our emotions and our sense of humor.

We ~~appreciate~~ love irony. Betty White. Beards. Vintage and/or sarcastic t-shirts. Loving bad movies and even elements of indie rock. This generation is totally self-aware, and we like it that way. We’ll create a trend just because we think it might be funny. We’ll wear ridiculous outfits for the sake of being ridiculous. We have so many inside jokes, you can’t even begin to catch up, and nothing can be taken at face value. Wanna get our attention? Join the crowd. Embrace our ironic, hipster-influenced sub-culture, and use imagery, verbiage and attitude that we can appreciate. If you can be absurd and clever, your business (whether you’re selling toothpaste or color printers) could catch on in a big way. But, while some people are under the impression that absurdity is itself the key, the REAL solution is using this tactic strategically. What may seem silly on the surface must be backed up with intellect and purpose. Then, and only then, will these trendy approaches work.

We’re into theatrics. We’re not a shy generation, and we’re happy to dance in streets, make fools of ourselves and sport outrageous costumes. You think we care what you think? We don’t. Which is why, for our generation, publicity stunts and other unexpected marketing performances are always well received. (We don’t mean getting married and divorced within a week to obtain celebrity status – this is not the kind of publicity stunt we’re talking about.) We mean hitting the streets, causing a scene and using our devil-may-care attitude to get people to take out their earbuds and listen. But what happens next is the best part – the people join in. They dance or sing or carry on because they think it’s smart and fun, and heck, they’ve got no pride either. Keep in mind, we’re not impressed by much and our attention spans couldn’t be shorter, so some ranky-dank show isn’t going to phase us. We expect big. We want something to tell our unshakable friends, and we want something to blog and Tweet about.

We’re not perfect, and truthfully, we’re big fans of a lot of the things your generation brought us. The Beatles and Woodstock and civil rights movements… all awesome. We’re giving you props, so take the plunge and give us our due credit as well. There’s something to be learned from everyone, and who knows, you might just have a little fun doing things our way!

Getting the mob done: 6 reasons why flash mobs work.

2010-04-30T16:02:00.000-05:00

Let’s pretend for a moment, that you’re walking down the street… maybe you’re downtown, and you want to go buy a sandwich for lunch. And then, with no notice, you hear Party in the USA blaring from behind. You tell yourself it’s probably just a high school concert, and you keep going – you’re hungry! Then, all of a sudden, you hear gasps! You see crowds forming! You turn around to find 200 people dancing in formation. In street clothes! What the heck is going on? Forget that turkey-bacon club…this is entertainment at its best, and you can’t wait to see what happens next.

You’ve just witnessed a flash mob.

A flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly, perform a random act (like a song or dance) and then disperse. The point is to get attention, raise awareness and most of all, be remembered.

Oh, wait. That’s what you try to achieve with your marketing campaign.

Maybe it’s time to take this crazy trend and put it to good use. Here’s why:

1. The element of surprise. Nothing gets people to pay attention more than when they’re caught off-guard – they can’t help it! A flash mob is exciting and hard to miss, and passersby won’t hesitate to stop and stare. Kind of like when Snooki is doing… well, anything.

2. The viral effect. People that witness a flash mob are not going to keep quiet about it. They’ll tell their co-workers, their friends, their family… and they’ll keep telling it for a long time because the experience is unique and impactful. People will talk about it on Twitter and Facebook, they’ll post pictures online and videos on YouTube, and before you know it, your message will have spread faster than celebrity gossip.

3. Media attraction. With a subtle heads-up, the media will be there to catch all the action. People love to hear fun, light-hearted stories about their neighborhood, and the media can’t resist. Flash mobs provide an opportunity to get a post-stunt interview and to get noticed on TV, radio and in local (maybe even national) publications.

4. Creativity points. We always say that using unconventional, progressive marketing tactics showcases your company’s willingness to do the same with your product or service. Inspire your customers with your sense of adventure, and they’ll look view your business as forward-thinking and innovative.

5. New audiences. With all the attention you’ll receive from media, on-lookers, gossipers and social media-lites, there’s no doubt you’ll reach tons of new potential customers and supporters. And with this kind of introduction, you are sure to remain top-of-mind.

6. Gone but not forgotten. If you witness a flash mob, you’re not about to forget it. And if you hear about it, you won’t either. It’s a compelling story to tell again and again, and while other companies may rely on over-looked ad placements, you will have made your mark forever.

There’s no doubt about it, you’ll get attention. You’ll get some press. And above all, you’ll get street cred.

We can’t tell you when, and we can’t tell you where, but the Sheep will be assembling soon! Expect the unexpected.

Good and good for you.

2010-04-22T15:05:00.000-05:00

Let’s get one thing straight. We are not telling you to start a charity or get involved with one for the sake of publicity. That is wrong and will inevitably come across as disingenuous and sleazy to your customers. Don’t do it. But, if you are a business owner with a little bit of heart and a passion to help others, doing some good will definitely… do you good.

The key to using your company as a conduit to helping others is to pin-point what skills and resources you already have. As a business owner, this should be easy. Let’s say you are an artist. You have a talent (painting) and resources (paint, brushes, discounts at art supply stores).

Next, you need to determine what you are passionate about. Maybe it’s animals or the environment or human rights. Let’s say you pick child abuse as a cause that’s always inspired you.

Finally, you’ll need to connect the two. Your organization could involve painting murals on the walls of a half-way home or collecting local artists to teach children to express themselves through art. It could include gathering real paintings that these children have made about abuse and their feelings and putting together a book. The extent to which you elaborate your plan is up to you, and most likely determined by your spare time, funds and tools. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to save the world – a small difference is still a difference.

Once you’ve established your role, it will be important to share the story. For one, it will help you reach out to others who may need your services. Secondly, letting your regular customers know that they are working with someone who cares will give them confidence that your business is upstanding. Wouldn’t you rather support a company who gives back over one who doesn’t?

One perfect example of this is Tide with their “Loads of Hope” campaign. They took what they had (laundry detergent!) and created mobile laundry stations to help people struck by natural disaster. Tide has long been considered a leading brand, but to solidify itself in the detergent market, it had to become more than just a product – it needed to become a BRAND that cared about helping other people. And instead of donating large sums of money, they have been able to actually increase the standard of living of many estranged victims.

Another example is Liz Claiborne’s “Love is Respect” campaign spreading awareness about teen dating abuse. Liz Claiborne has used high visibility fashion events (something they were already well equipped to handle) to raise money for the cause and created an online chat platform for real teens to use for advice and counseling. Liz Claiborne may be a brand we associate with our mothers but they have been able to reach a new audience and make a huge impact at the same time.

And then there’s the “Haagen-Dazs Loves Honeybees” campaign which is again, kind of perfect. Haagen-Dazs is no doubt a strong brand with a delicious product… a product that only loses out to healthier alternatives. But the fact of the matter is, if you fall into the category of people that CAN resist a tasty treat, it probably would take something as simple as saving honeybees to change your mind. Plus, this campaign enhances their already “all-natural” brand motif, and it does in fact, help the bees. Win win.

So think about what your company can do to make a little difference in the world, and do it. Tomorrow is Earth Day, so there’s no better time than now. And if you’ve already started something, share below in the comments! We love to hear stories of success.

It’s that time of the month… for another blog post.

2010-04-07T11:11:00.000-05:00

It’s pretty safe to say that among the worst breeds of commercials and advertisements, tampon and other “feminine product” spots take the cake. And, we know it’s pretty uncomfortable to read a blog dedicated to the issue, but we’re all grown-ups here (mostly), and there’s a lot to be learned.

We bring this up because Kotex has recently launched its “Anti-Tampon-Ad Campaign,” to polarizing reviews. Their new ads spotlight the ridiculousness of the glorification of menstruation, the euphoric feelings that apparently accompany it, and somehow, the need to constantly wear tight white pants, which is downright absurd (the pants, not the parody). They make some valid points that are not only relevant to this genre of advertising, but advertising across the board. They also point fingers at those agencies that select “racially ambiguous” spokespeople and determine every aspect of an ad based on the responses of focus groups with the attention of appealing to everyone. In the end, the ads appeal to no one.

Commercial spot #1

Commercial spot #2

Some critics think the ads are trying too hard to be edgy, and that attitude is off-putting. We think these people should not take themselves or their tampon ads so seriously. Yet others say they’re not trying hard enough. Instead, they insist the ads are no better than the previous whimsical, sterile and vague commercials of their competitors because, instead of actually detailing the benefits of the products, they are using a different form of distraction to avoid the uncomfortable subject matter.

Here’s the thing: in the tampon market, there just isn’t a whole lot of room for product differentiation, and no amount of touting the absorbency and comfort of a piece of cotton is going to change that. So sure, Kotex isn’t making any REAL points about the quality of their tampons or why someone should choose their box on the fluorescently lit shelf. ANYONE who has bought tampons has tried to make the purchase as FAST as possible – trust me guys, we’re not reading the bullet points on the package in the middle of the store… “Oh look! This one is made from 25 different absorbent fibers!” No. Nobody has ever taken the time to learn about the 25 absorbent fibers.

And THAT is why this ad campaign is pretty effective. Without explicitly sharing the process by which the tampons work (gross!), these ads manage to be honest and sincere, and if nothing else, they are certainly memorable. And when you’re making a 15-second purchase decision, as a tampon company, your best bet is staying top of mind.

So what’s the take-away here? If your product is in a market that doesn’t really offer anything different from your competitor (pizza, dog food, chewing gum, toothpaste…), your ads don’t HAVE to be informative. They just have to be the best. And if you do have something to say (as in the Apple ads comparing Macs to PCs), you do have to take it a step further and not only explain why your product is better and unique, but also remind your audience that it exists. As always, think about what your advertising is trying to achieve, and the solution is usually pretty simple. PERIOD.

So many, many reasons they're so mmmMMM fooled.

2010-03-23T21:14:00.001-05:00

We recently came across this article in the Wall Street Journal discussing the Campbell’s Soup brand and the company’s attempt to redesign the packaging of their iconic soup based on extensive neuromarketing research using biometrics, eye-tracking systems, video and special vests that monitor the moisture in the skin.

Before we get into this, can we just take a moment to say, “REALLY!?!?” Campbell’s, just a reminder… you are selling soup. Soup! Whoever is doing your market research is ripping you off.

So, why would anyone go to all this trouble to monitor the heart rates of prospective customers as they select a can of soup? The answer is that they’re probably influenced by big words. Neuromarketing is a field of marketing dedicated to the chemical reactions taking place in the brain and the resulting emotions and responses elicited by them and how that affects purchases. It’s very fancy, but it’s also a little outrageous.

We’re not saying that “neuromarketing” is without merit or that we don’t believe in science. We do! Science is good! But measuring the rate of change of the dilation of your customers’ pupils is a little extreme if not invasive. If you really want to find out what your customers want, put yourself in their shoes and think logically.

If you read the linked article, you’ll discover that after all this research documenting the physiological minutia of their customers, they decided to redesign the label based on their results. And what happened next? Nothing. If you don’t extrapolate the data in terms of REAL emotion, your experiment is incomplete, and this research failed to attribute any emotion to the data. In fact, the article states that most people hardly blinked an eye when making a decision. Duh. Choosing between chicken noodle and chicken with stars is hardly monumental. Canned soup isn’t bought to eat that day – it’s to eat later when you’re out of everything else and you want something warm and easy to make.

So how do they make their brand more emotional and get people’s attention? First of all, they need to run a campaign that gets customers to stop and think about soup. People eat soup all the time, so why not Campbell’s? Maybe they should have events at schools for parents and children or become more active on social media, interacting personally with real life soup shoppers. Or, perhaps, they should run a Campbell’s Soup kitchen (in a high-visibility area) for the less fortunate and show their dedication as a brand to the community and their longevity in the industry… or even target college campuses! We came up with those ideas in literally 15 seconds. And if they’re already doing these things (I do know they have an active Twitter account and feature some of their product lines on YouTube), perhaps they’re not doing it the right way. Social media doesn’t work alone, and neither do charity projects – it takes media relations, a fresh approach to advertising and in-your-face, hands-on interaction with customers. With real thought and effort, we bet they could find a multitude of ways to achieve this goal – all for less than it probably costs to analyze someone’s perspiration.

Changing the label at this point will only ostracize those customers that do identify with the Campbell’s brand (and after Andy Warhol, who doesn’t?). Harness nostalgia and make a noticeable, real impact with customers, Campbell’s, and THEN you’ll see results.

Bottom line: Instead of analyzing brains, just use one. Sometimes the most obvious solution is the best one (Occam’s razor)… that’s science.

Taking the edge off

2010-03-15T21:10:00.000-05:00

If you’ve been following Black Sheep on this blog, Twitter or Facebook, you’ve probably noticed that we are constantly pushing our clients to be “edgier.” The problem is that the definition of that word is often lost in translation… or misinterpreted… We’re not quite what happens, but it’s not good.

So today, we’re setting the record straight and perhaps, coming up with a better word.

What do we REALLY mean when we say “edgy”?

Unique. We mean that an edgy campaign is one that hasn’t been seen, replicated or served as a template in a marketing 101 textbook since 1992. (Got Milk? campaign copiers, we’re talking to you). There’s something to be said for recognizing quality work in a competitor and striving to emulate it, but that hardly works. Be first, and let the others copy you. However, finding inspiration in vintage works, or putting a fresh spin on something old can be just as worthwhile. Whatever you do, make it your own.

Unexpected. Whether it’s the timing, location or the execution of an event or campaign, choose parameters that aren’t typical, and you’ll get more attention. That doesn’t mean it has to be scary or vulgar – just a surprise that makes people look up from their text messages and pull out their earbuds for a few minutes.

Clever. If you’re brave and ready to do something different, realize that it still has to be meaningful – not just off-the-wall. If it’s silly, put some thought into it and make it genuinely funny. If it’s sexy, make it really smart. Every bold element must be balanced with enough intellect to ensure the audience knows you’re not trying to be offensive, mean or crude.

What are we NOT saying when we say “edgy”?

Profane. We’re not against throwing around a few “bad words” every now and then, but it has to be appropriate, and it can’t be rude or angry. The test is pretty simple: would you say it or show it to your grandma, your co-workers and in a job interview? If you wouldn’t, then it’s probably not okay. Keep in mind, though, that just because it may not be something your grandma totally “gets” or would put on the wall of her home, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily inappropriate for your audience – you just don’t want her to cringe at the sight of it.

Gratuitous. Silly for the sake of being silly. Sexy for the sake of being sexy. Gross for the sake of being gross. Yes, it might get attention, but if there’s no substance, that attention won’t get results.

Grungy. There’s no specific look or feel for something to be edgy. Hip and up-to-date can be a lot of different things, so your look doesn’t have to look dirty or unkempt. Just awesome. J

So what’s a better word for “edgy”? Hip? Progressive? Current? Witty? Whatever word resonates with you, use it and live by it. Your audience will thank you.

The greatest Road Show on earth.

2010-03-09T12:35:00.001-06:00

If you follow Shear Creativity, you already know that Black Sheep Leader of the Flock Aimee Woodall is constantly seeking adventure. She’s always like, “Hey sheep, when are we gonna take an adventure?” and we’re always like, “Stop bringing in so much awesome work, and we’ll go.” But she never does that. Dedication – it’s a bitch.

Fortunately, she took it upon herself, as she often does, to find her own adventure, and it begins April 1. She and fellow rebel Jayme Lamm (from Charity Chicks Houston) are embarking on a ten-day road trip traveling from Houston to New York City. Sure, AW lives for wacky stuff, but this is no selfish endeavor. The project called Road Show is happening all in the name of The Jed Foundation, a national organization committed to the awareness of teen suicide prevention, and that’s serious stuff.

As they travel, they’ll be stopping along the way, interviewing people and talking to them about suicide prevention. The founder of The Jed Foundation, a father whose son fell victim to suicide, feels the best way to make a difference is to ask people “What’s on your mind?,” a question he wished he had asked his son more often. At the end of the trip, they hope to have gained some insight and opened the lines of communication for people everywhere.

On top of seeking answers and spreading awareness, they’ll also be performing hilarious tasks and raising money for the cause. While actively communicating the whole way through Twitter, Facebook and their blog, roadshowblondes.com, they will be seeking tips and suggestions from fans about what prank to pull next, and they’ll be taking bids from people who want to support them. Some of the items they’ve already discussed include milking a cow, dressing outrageously, dancing in the street with strangers and hugging a sheep. And that’s really funny stuff.

How will it work? For instance, the girls have put skydiving on the list of activities they’d be willing to do – FOR A PRICE. So, if you, the general public and loyal fan base, decide you’d like to see them parachute through the air, put your money where your mouth is, and pay them to do it. Of course, all collected bids will go straight to The Jed Foundation.

All in all, it’s a pretty fun, creative way to help people and affect change. If you’ve got the desire to make a difference, you can. We don’t mean to sound like an inspirational cat poster. But, if you want your company to get on the map, sometimes you have to get behind the wheel and be a driving force. Maybe you need a brand make-over or campaign that does more than talk about your “great customer service” and “solutions.” Maybe you need to get your company on social media and strike up a conversation. Or, maybe you just need to do something for a good cause and help someone else out. Whatever it is, we hope this Road Show inspires you to do it.

We’ll keep all of you posted on the latest with Jayme and Aimee, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait until they hit the road to get involved. Let us know what you think they should do and where they should go in the comments below or on their blog site! AND, be sure to follow them at @aimeewoodall and @roadshowblondes. See ya on the road

Get into characters.

2010-02-26T13:32:00.002-06:00

Think about some of the most memorable marketing campaigns. Jack in the Box, Geico, Frosted Flakes, Joe Camel, RCA, Keebler, Kool-Aid, KFC, Energizer… we could keep going and going. This incomplete list spans industries, decades and audiences, yet each one of these campaigns has something in common: a character. And, silly as they may have been, those characters made products with no real differentiation in their market into a household name.

We would love to have seen the pitch for the Geico cavemen. And the one for the Energizer bunny. It probably went something like this:

“You see, we’ll have a pink bunny toy with a drum that just won’t stop because Energizer batteries last so long.”

Dead silence.

And we don’t blame that board room full of execs for being nervous about representing their line of batteries with a ridiculous toy. But more than that, we applaud them for giving it a shot and recognizing the potential that idea had. In fact, if that bunny were still around today, we bet it would have its own Twitter account and Facebook fan page, its own website and a project whereby consumers spot the bunny and submit their photos of it to the company’s Flickr account.

Marketing “mascots” are ripe for social media and perfect for today’s consumer, someone that wants to connect with their purchases and has a strong understanding of comedic irony. We’re not saying EVERY brand should have a mascot, but having one does provide ample opportunity for creating top-of-mind awareness for your brand without forcing a message down your audience’s throat. It would have been way less effective if Energizer had commercials showing dead batteries being replaced with new ones. Batteries are boring – they NEEDED a bunny.

If you’re considering a mascot for your brand or someone else’s keep the following tips in mind.

1. Create a likeable character. Your character doesn’t need to be perfect or embody every positive attribute you see in your company. It should be an overall good person/animal/alien/robot/whatever with a few flaws or struggles that add to its personality. Maybe the character isn’t the brightest or maybe it can’t run very fast or maybe it has a weakness for ice cream. In some way, your consumer must identify with it.

2. Develop the character as much as possible. Like we said, give it a Facebook page and a Twitter account… give it life! If you want your audience to connect, you have to make sure you’re reaching them in a multitude of ways. This is especially important for your company because your mascot can reach people in ways your company can’t.

3. Develop it some more! We created our Dr. Paid character for PFS Group, and he has an entire back story – and his own (fake) non-profit organization for cat obesity. We know that he loves bagels and also accounts receivables. Jack from Jack in the Box also has an extensive personality, and his triumphs and failures have been documented through clever advertising and social media. Jack essentially has nothing to do with burgers, but he is a major reason people love that restaurant.

4. Give it time. Don’t create a character and then get rid of it. Like people in real life, your customer will have to get to know your mascot, so don’t be discouraged if they don’t fall in love right away. If you actively exploit your mascot and promote him, the fans will come… and so will the revenue!

So, speaking of mascots, Black Sheep has one too. It’s… you guessed it… a black sheep. But this poor sheep doesn’t have a name! That’s where you come in. Help us name our sheep and in return you get a $100 Apple gift card AND a reserved place on our Black Sheep website (launching soon!).

UPDATE: Some of our lovely followers pointed out that the Energizer Bunny does indeed have a Facebook page and Twitter account. Our point is again, proven. :) Thanks for the hint!

What does Twitter have to do with Margaritas? Find out for yourself.

2010-02-18T23:14:00.000-06:00

You’ve heard us proselytize the importance of Twitter since the inception of Black Sheep. Heck, Leader of the Flock Aimee Woodall has already been named 2^nd most influential Houston Tweeter and ranked #5 in the advertising Shorty Awards, a Twitter-based contest held nationwide. No big. We’re kind of big nerds about the whole concept because we’ve seen how it can truly affect business and networking.

As it turns out, we are not the biggest nerds out there. At least as far as Twitter goes.

A Harvard Business Review blog discussing a new wave in Twitter, an ability to study Twitter data, has emerged, and its frickin’ cool. If we didn’t have so much work to do, we could probably play on these awesome programs all night, both for pleasure and for actual insight into trends, opinions and effective word choice.

For example, Twitter Venn takes three different search terms. We used salsa, Houston and restaurant (because we’re hungry), and surprisingly, while many people are using those terms individually, there is very little overlap. Why aren’t restaurants in Houston with great salsa talking about it? This is an important question! We then tried “margarita,” “salsa” and “chips” and got very similar results. In fact, only 3.1 tweets/day contained all three search terms. What? Someone needs to start discussing these topics. Now.

Then there’s Twitter Spectrum. This nifty little program takes two words and lists all the words commonly associated with those terms and also those words commonly associated with both. We chose “cocktail” and “wine,” and, as though it were a message sent from above, the middle terms (showing the most commonality) were “need” and “food.” EXACTLY.

Twitter Stream takes two terms and shows the frequency of two terms and their associated words over time. Again, for whatever reason, we chose “food” and “hungry.” The results showed a remarkable amount of “need” and “LOL” with peaks at about 5:30 pm. At this point, we are still hungry, not laughing about it, but still pretty amazed by these sites.

So beyond the dork factor, what’s in it for you? Well, if you have a business, it’s an interesting way to monitor public opinion. Type your business’ name and find out what pops up along with it – if it’s positive, great… if you have peaks and trends with the word “suck” and “loser,” well, you need to work on improving whatever it is you do. It’s also a nice way to gauge your Twitter presence. Keep in mind this is an international perspective, so you don’t need millions of dots on your Venn diagram. But, you can compare your rates to your competition’s or your Twitter idol’s and see how you match up. Furthermore, you can learn something new about your market. If you sell bananas to monkeys in Hawaii, plug those terms into these programs and notice the other terms that appear. If words like coconuts and chocolate pop up, and you’re NOT selling chocolate and coconut-covered bananas, you may be missing out. *

Explore these Twitter data sites and let us know what you think! Are they helpful to you? What did you learn? Share with us in the comments below!

*We don’t know for certain whether monkeys can eat chocolate, so please take caution!

Black Sheep Identity Revealed!

2010-02-16T16:40:00.000-06:00

Last fall we discussed some of the worst logos to hit the highway. Most of them were rebranded from older, more dated looks into something that looked like they were generated by robots. Inexcusable.

That being said, we know how difficult it can be to nail down an identity. Creating our logo design over the past few months has been exhausting! There were so many things we wanted to say with one little image: we like to create awareness through a handmade, grassroots approach, we’re edgy but not angry, we’re trendy, but here to stay… the list could go on and on. So many designs came through our door, but nothing said it all.

Until now. Drumroll please….

TA DAAA!

What we realized is that, like most other facets of marketing, to get what we want, we’re going to have to break a few rules. Even we would have never guessed pink.

Rule #1 – Logos should be something that last forever. True… sort of. Yes, you want to create something that has longevity, but that doesn’t mean it has to always stay the same. Take a hint from Google and AOL – they change their look up all the time to fit their mood, current project or for a little extra flair. So for our logo, we have several different fluorescent color options all available with or without the black box. The ability to change things up speaks to our dynamic, unpredictable nature.

Rule #2 – Logos should appeal to your audience. Wrong. Logos should appeal to the audience you want. Sure, we could have created something that looked like a financial institution or healthcare company, but that’s not what we are, and few companies of that persuasion are likely to be open to our progressive practices (even though they should be). Our philosophy is important to us, and we’re not trying to hide it. That’s why we chose fluorescent, punk-inspired colors, lots of black and an artistic design. We’re bold, we’re rebellious and we’re creative. Mission: accomplished.

Rule #3 – There are logos with icons and logos without icons – you can’t have both. Well we just did. Because we love our name and everything it stands for, we were pretty adamant about having a sheep icon. But, combining the sheep with the typeface was overwhelming and cumbersome, so we decided to create an icon and a typeface. Sometimes we use one, sometimes we use both (strategically). Whatevah, we do what we want.

So there you have it. Take risks and make sure your brand identity is just that – your business’ personality, not what other people want it to be. Next step: business cards. Just wait ‘till we show you what we have in store for those. Many of you have probably seen our “Lost sheep” temporary cards and appreciated the cleverness, but you ain’t seen nothing yet. Stay tuned!

PS: The next Shear Creativity Social Media Shin-dig is officially scheduled for March 10 at Beaver’s. Mark your calendars for a dam good time.

Flip the Dog: Black Sheep's Pet Cause

2010-02-01T17:19:00.001-06:00

Sometimes what seems like a bad situation turns into something really positive. You don’t have to tell Black Sheep about that – we’re living proof. Last weekend another opportunity fell into our lap, and we couldn’t ignore the feeling that we had to do something.

Somebody one of us knows all too well had a dog. An adorable one-year-old Beagle who we’ll call Flip. And then this person decided she’d had enough with the dog. It ate her red lipstick. HORROR! Without even cleaning off the puppy, she took it to the animal shelter. She was done.

When we found out this had happened, we were devastated. Taking an animal to the pound is basically a death sentence. Knowing that no one in the company could take on another pet (we’re all animal lovers at maximum capacity), we decided to use our social media and PR powers for good and save this puppy… and help the animal shelter once and for all.

We decided to create Flip the Dog, an organization that essentially “flips” dogs.

We called the Rita B. Huff Animal Shelter where Flip resided and agreed to find Flip new ownership and help spread awareness about their cause in exchange for his life. Rita B. Huff is a great organization, and they’re passionate about helping animals, but they are overloaded with animals because they are in desperate need of a new shelter. Based on the numbers they receive, they need about 3.5 million dollars to create a new place to accommodate them. Right now, they have to put animals down at an alarming rate, and that makes us very, very sad.

So what can you do to help? First of all, check out these adorable pictures of Flip.

Then, spread the word as fast as you can and help us flip Flip. He is FREE to a good home and will be fixed on Tuesday, so please, if you’re considering a new pet, pick him.

Furthermore, if you’re feeling generous and need a “pet cause” of your own, get in touch with us and find out how you can help Flip the Dog, Rita B. Huff or another Houston-area animal shelter.

At Black Sheep, we’re rooting for the underdog.

Follow Flip on Twitter at twitter.com/flip_the_dog and on Facebook!

The Best Social Media Week Ever

2010-01-26T15:13:00.001-06:00

Last week, Black Sheep was on quite a roll with social media events.

On Tuesday Aimee began her Twitter training classes for restaurateurs, and it was a big success! She met face-to-face with several Twitter newbies at Dessert Gallery (thanks, Sarah!) and discussed the ins and outs of social media’s hottest platform. From how to start an account, to different ideas for content and how to promote without being salesy, all the basics were covered. We hope the class was effective for all those in attendance, but we learned a few things ourselves in the process. Our “students” asked some good questions!

For instance:

What are the best Twitter apps for Blackberry? Admittedly, we’ve focused on using an iPhone, so this was something we definitely needed to explore. We’ve discovered that TweetGenius and UberTwitter are a couple Blackberry TweetDeck alternatives, so check them out and let us know what you think. Also, the blog CrackBerry is an awesome resource for up-to-date coverage of apps and secrets for your phone.

How do I elect to follow someone from my phone? Another good one. There are few short-cut text commands to know – just send them to 40404. Example: to follow @shearcreativity from your phone, text follow shearcreativity. You can also text get shearcreativity to view the most recent update and or simply on to turn phone updates on.

How do I add the Twitter widget or button to my blog? On your home page, scroll down to the bottom and you’ll see the word Goodies. Click on that and it will automatically give you the necessary code to insert a button or widget into your blog or website’s html code. Copy and paste, and you’ll be good to go!

In addition to our class, we also had a resounding success with our Social Media Shin-Dig at Yelapa. Thank you to everyone who came out partied WAY too long and to the AMAZING folks at Yelapa for helping coordinate a fantastic event. These get-togethers are definitely going to become a recurring feature on our calendar. What’s even better, though, is that it totally proved the power of Twitter. We met so many people we felt like we knew since childhood but had never spoken to IN REAL LIFE, and it made our network that much tighter. Twitter doesn’t have to be an anonymous marketing tool – it has the potential to create meaningful relationships and unite people that we would have otherwise never met. We live in the 4^th largest city in the country – we can use all the help we can get!

But you know what would make this week even better? If all of you would vote for Aimee for the Shorty Awards –

she definitely deserves it for paving the way with her social media savvy, so PLEASE give her the props she deserves. Now.

If you missed out on our events this week, don’t worry! This is only the beginning! To get regular updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Writing the wrong way is sometimes right.

2010-01-15T07:03:00.000-06:00

In blogging, copywriting and just about any other medium of writing besides research papers, the most magnetic prose are not always the most correct. Captivating, readable writing depends on a conversational tone, a penchant for irony and a relaxed attitude – not necessarily avoiding sentences that end in prepositions. In school we learned so many rules to follow, and we shouldn’t ignore them. But to be better writers, we have to know how to appropriately break them. So get ready for detention because we’re going to share our secrets for bold writing… The Elements of [Rebellious] Style.

Punctuation. When you have something to say, punctuation can be one of the best ways to show inflection. We’ve often been told to avoid overusing exclamation marks, and in most cases that’s true. However, using them IRONICALLY can be funny. Think of it as being excessively dramatic for comic effect or using a funny voice when you’re speaking out loud. Punctuation can also help you pause (using an ellipses…) so your readers will hear the words as though they were intended. When you write, establish a voice and let the punctuation follow suit. EXCEPTION: Under no circumstances should you EVER end a sentence with more than one exclamation, especially if it is on a billboard or another printed piece. Blogs are a little more relaxed, but again this should only be practiced ironically.

Spelling. You should never misspell a word in a stupid way. Ever. It only makes YOU look stupid. But, sometimes manipulating words can give them more emphasis. For instance, if you were trying to convey a different accent, a drawn-out WHHAAAT? or an unusual pronunciation. TIP: Capitalizing the entire word can help with this practice too. Just please, use spellcheck on everything else. Please.

Paragraphs. You remember the rule – a paragraph should have 3-5 sentences… a main idea sentence followed by supporting sentences. That’s great for standardized tests in fourth grade, but it’s not the way you should be writing.

Break things up.

Again, this allows you to emphasize points and it keeps your readers engaged. Visually writing says to your audience, “This guy planned what he was going to say in a clever way.” And it makes your copy look less daunting. So don’t be afraid to have a lone sentence or even a lone word out there. If it’s intentional, then it’s driving home a message.

And that brings us to our last rule you should be breaking.

Write in complete sentences. You don’t speak in them, so why have to write in them? You don’t. Short one or two-word sentences can be very powerful when used correctly. Just because you’re lacking a complete subject or predicate doesn’t mean you can’t contribute to a thought or idea in a way that gets attention.

So go ahead. Break rules but be smart about it. Your writing will improve and your readership with flourish. And, if you’re interested in books that expound upon how to be a sassy writer, we recommend Spunk & Bite by Arthur Plotnik and Here’s the Kicker by Mike Saks. They’re funny too!

Once upon a time in India

2010-01-09T17:11:00.000-06:00

[In this series of posts, Leader of the Flock Aimee Woodall recounts her two-week trip to India and the lessons she learned along the way.]

We drove for hours and saw nothing but sad little villages and scrawny dogs against a dreary, provincial landscape. It was worse than a Sarah McGloughlin commercial.

And then, out of nowhere, it appeared. The Taj Mahal. It’s so astounding to see the only word I can think to describe it is… Taj Mahalian. I guess it’s one of the eight wonders of the world for a reason, right?

We didn’t use many guides on the trip because I’m not the touristy type, but I’m glad we decided to this time. The structure is one of the most beautiful, captivating and giant things I’ve ever seen.

But the story behind it is even better.

The Taj is actually a mausoleum built by several architects, but commissioned by a guy named Shah Jahan who was also an emperor during the 1600s. So Shah Jahan was married to his third wife and she gave birth to their fourteenth son, but things didn’t go well. Before dying she asked the emperor to make four promises: 1. Build the Taj, 2. Marry again, 3. Be kind to their children, and 4. Visit her tomb on the anniversary of her death annually. Our guide pointed out that he only did the first two.

So he builds the Taj, and it’s quite a strenuous affair… lots of death and corruption and all of that. But that’s beside the point because he was truly passionate about creating a site that matched his eternal, undying love for his wife. Throughout the tour our guide frequently noted special motifs and designs that symbolized this infatuation. Even the white marble, which changes colors in different lighting, is meant to represent the fluctuating moods of women throughout the day. Whatever that means.

Then, once that was built, the emperor wanted to build a matching one for himself (in BLACK! woot woot!) on the other side of the river so that they could always be facing each other, which is pretty sweet. What’s not sweet is that his son killed him before he could do it. Bummer.

If you take away the madness and murder, you get a lovely, romantic story that’s pretty inspiring.

But if you take away the story, it’s kind of just another building. It’s pretty, but it’s a building.

And that got me thinking. Something so great is just so much greater if it’s got a story behind it… something passionate and entertaining that gives it a real personality. And I think the same could be said for a great campaign.

For your next campaign, consider creating something that represents your company or service. A character or maybe several and the world they live in… a world that revolves around whatever it is you’re selling. It makes it memorable, fun and more than just another ad in a magazine.

Black Sheep has used this strategy for numerous clients… PFS Group has rapper Dr. Paid (and several fabricated magazine articles and albums), Gugliani’s has the Gugliani family, and The Drinkery has a group of “regulars” that we think might have set the wheels in motion for Jersey Shore. And some of the best national campaigns do it too – Jack in the Box, Geico and if you want to go vintage, RCA’s famous dog campaign. It’s all about connecting emotionally with your audience and creating memories.

And if that guide was making that story up, I don’t want to know, because to me the Taj Mahal is sort of a real life fairy tale. Minus the creepy ending.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the stories about my trip – and learned something too! Share your travels and adventures with Black Sheep… we’re always looking for a new place to explore.

Over and out,

Go Boldly Where No Sheep Has Gone Before: Adventures in India Part 2

2010-01-02T23:08:00.000-06:00

[In this series of blog posts, Leader of the Flock Aimee Woodall recounts her two-week trip to India and the lessons she learned along the way.]

Before I left for my trip, I was frequently asked, “Why are you going to INDIA?” My usual response was something along the lines of “Because I’ve always wanted to,” which never seemed to satisfy the skeptics. But that’s the truth. I’ve been many places in this world and stretched my comfort zone, and I wanted to do a little bit more.

And when I got there I took it another step forward.

When clerks in the market put their feet down and insisted it was their final offer, I gave them MY final offer. And I came home with four amazing Indian tops for less than 8 dollars.

When I was repeatedly told, “Don’t hug that camel,” I did it anyway. And it didn’t bite me. (Perhaps, little man, the camel just doesn’t like YOU.)

When they firmly stated, “Don’t touch the monkey,” OF COURSE, I was going to touch it. And hold its hand. And dance with it in the street.

In case you haven’t noticed, I dance to my own tune on a regular basis… monkey or no monkey… and my life is better for it.

But even for someone like me who consistently pushes the envelope, India was inspiring. The people, the buildings, the culture… heck even the incessant honking in traffic encourages bold attitudes and vibrant mindsets. It’s pretty safe to say that in a place that houses the Taj Mahal, it pays to “go big or go home.”

Bedazzled, brightly colored clothing. Spicy foods. Loud voices. Flying kites. Elephants. These things resonated with me and confirmed my belief that we should all strive to get noticed by amplifying our assets and taking risks. Clients, I’m talking to you.

Doing things beyond what we know and trust can be scary, but it’s TOTALLY worth it. I came out of what could have been an uncomfortable situation, spending two weeks half a world away in a country whose language I don’t speak, with more confidence than before. And you can do the same with your business.

Today, it’s almost the New Year. So try something you haven’t before. If you find yourself saying “We’ve done it this way for 15 years…” I urge you to reconsider. If you think your image is should be “corporate” and follow the formula of those before you, think again. If you’re more comfortable doing something because it’s conservative, don’t do it. In marketing, the goal is to make your business memorable, and to do that, it’s going to take some pizzazz, some sparkle… and maybe an elephant. The results could be HUGE.

Happy New Year, everyone!

-AW

One little, two little, three little India posts

2009-12-24T22:36:00.004-06:00

[Editorial note: Black Sheep Leader of the Flock, Aimee Woodall, took a two-week trip to India in search of business inspiration and personal affirmation. Over the next few weeks she’ll explore her discoveries on Shear Creativity. Enjoy!]

I embarked on this trip with nothing but my die hard, love-and-live-what-I-do attitude and the determination that the next two weeks would be a completely profound experience. My 15-hour flight provided ample opportunity for me to contemplate the possibilities and make plans to seize every ounce of value from this exploration, but nothing could prepare for what would come. This account of my experience is a compilation of a complete absorption of a place I could have only imagined in my dreams – every observation – every sight, sound and smell (okay, I grew tired of the smells pretty quickly) is here, and I hope you gain as much insight as I did. Besides having one of the most incredible trips of my life, here’s what I learned:

My experience: It's the little things that count.
Business translation: Small, sweet gestures can make a big impact.

I knew going into this I would witness the kind of poverty I’d only seen in National Geographic magazines and documentaries. Yet, what I found was so much more than I expected. Street corners were filled with beautiful wide-brown-eyed children begging for food, and even as I acquiesced with rupees here and there, I knew I couldn’t rescue them all… or even one of them. BUT, what I could do was make them happy. So, instead of giving them money that they then passed along to someone else, I bought a bag of caramels and gave them pieces of CANDY instead. And you know what? I’ve never seen a happier child! I can’t imagine a more rewarding experience than bringing a moment of joy to a little kid who has seen so few times of pure exhileration in his life. I’ll never look at candy the same way.

LESSON: Give them cake. Or candy or maybe just a phone call or note in the mail to let them know how you care. I’m talking about clients. While we may get paid for our big ideas and grandiose presentations, it’s showing that we are aware of their feelings and share in their triumphs and letdowns that solidifies a relationship. Sometimes it’s just the little things.

My expereience: I’m not hungry, but I’ll eat.
Business translation: They don’t need it, but if it’s good, they’ll buy it anyway.

When I left for India I thought I was in trouble. I’d had Indian food in Houston a couple of times, but never really enjoyed it. And I love nothing more than food and eating. So how was I going to get along for two weeks? Would I enjoy the food – or have a constant rumble in my belly? Ohhh, quite the contrary. While some may have worshiped at the temple, I was worshiping the food. Even sitting here writing this blog I’m craving it and wondering if there’s anything on this side of the Pacific Ocean that will remotely compare to the things I devoured in the east. Parathas. Samosas. Biryani. Dal… I could go on and on. I ate (I guess this is not entirely unusual for me, but still) even when I wasn’t hungry. Just because the food was SO. DAMN. GOOD. My fellow travelers learned not to bother asking, “Are you hungry?” because the answer, I assure you, was always, “I could eat!” And I did. I’m pretty sure I should have been charged extra for the weight I carried home on the plane.

LESSON: The point is that a good product or service can become addictive. Maybe you don’t even NEED it, but it’s so freaking good you can’t pass it up. And that’s the goal of any good marketing campaign. Make them believe they need what you have to offer through expertly phrased copy and carefully executed public relations tactics and advertising, and your audience is sold. Conversely, it’s often a struggle to convince potential clients that marketing is necessary… many times they think they can handle it themselves or want to have total control, but in reality, it’s best let the professionals do their job. You’ll see.

My experience: I can now sing three songs in Hindi.
Business translation: Repetition creates memories.

There’s very little American television in India, which was probably for the best. I didn’t spend much time with the tube on. But, when I did… just for the sake of noise and “entertainment” while getting ready to leave the hotel, or while attempting to sleep off the jet lag… I noticed something. Indian producers (at least on the channels I was watching) run the same content over and over. And over. Whether this is their choice or the Bollywood folks’ footing the bill, I’m not sure. Probably the latter, but regardless… There are three Bollywood flicks playing (or soon debuting): 3 Idiots, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year and Pyaar Impossible. And I know each of the trailers and music videos by heart – because I saw them probably close to 350 times during my two-week stint. I don’t speak a lick of Hindi (well, maybe six words), but I can sing you three songs and a recite a few catchy movie trailers start to finish. And, with my Texas accent, it was quite humorous for the locals. What can I say? I was meant for the stage.

LESSON: The obvious take-away is that there’s something to be said for repetition. I mean, I have no intention of seeing those movies, but I sure as hell can tell you about them. And, like it or not, that’s good advertising. Keeping it catchy… maybe even annoying and, if you’re lucky, funny… so much so that it sticks in their heads and won’t let go. That is the key to any great campaign. Go for it! Find something latches on to your customers, and repeat!

Next week I’ll continue with more of my India life lessons, but for now, enjoy the holidays and consider what I learned on my trip. Another lesson to keep in mind: hand sanitizer. Until next week, over and out.
-AW

It's the most wonderful commercial time of the year

2009-12-18T13:33:00.001-06:00

Trees. Decorations. Food. Families. Traditions. Carolers. Peace. Of course these are all important parts of the holiday season. But, amidst all the hustle and bustle, we can’t lose sight of what’s most important.

Presents.

And really, we wouldn’t have presents without something even greater than all of that.

Commercials. How would we know what to buy?

Holiday advertisements are like the marketing play-offs leading up to the Super Bowl of television commercial airing, which is, of course, the Super Bowl. It’s the time for all retailers far and wide to spread their message, show their potential customers how their products will add meaning and romance to their holiday and remind us all how important it is to make lots of purchases.

This year is no exception. In fact, we’re pretty impressed with quite a few campaigns going on right now.

GAP – Gap has always had a knack for seasonal promotion, and their ads really haven’t changed much over the years. What was once flat-front khakis is now plaid button-downs, but they’re basically still the same people dancing around an empty room. Only what’s great about this year is the ‘Holiday Cheer’ theme they have going featuring actual holiday cheers. You know, as in CHEERleaders. It’s clever! They even have a cheer factory and few viral videos which are pretty great. Maybe we’re a sucker for rhymes, or maybe we just like organized dances and those adorable little girls with boots. Whatever it is, it’s a great way to sell holiday spirit without the sap.

TARGET – It’s hard to put our fingers on what makes these ads so fantastic. It’s just dry humor and awkwardness at its best. No cheese. No predictable storylines. And yet somehow they get their point (save on gifts at Target without sacrificing quality) without sounding pushy, saccharin or irritating. This is truly a modern, funny campaign.

LEXUS – Normally we hate car commercials. They tend to be over-glorified, unrealistic and pointless. But the December to Remember campaign is pretty good. It’s sentimental without being TOO mushy, and the videography is interesting. It’s just a nice holiday commercial that speaks to the brands class and elegance.

BURGER KING – This one is phenomenal. Recognizing that no matter how great their food is, nobody wants a cheeseburger as a gift, they are suggesting you give them to the people you care about LEAST. There’s nothing we appreciate more than a company that doesn’t take themselves too seriously, and this takes it to a whole new level. Loves it.

And then, there are the losers.

Jewelry commercials – It’s been said before, but these are the worst. Kay… Zales… whoever else is out there that makes diamond-studded heart-shaped necklaces. Stop. Your products are dated and so are your commercials. You’re going on the naughty list until further notice.

Do you agree with our holiday commercial assessment? Do you have any other favorites or naughty list contenders? Let us know!

5 things Black Sheep did this year that we’ll probably do again next year

2009-12-10T19:17:00.002-06:00

Everyone knows about New Year’s resolutions. Gross. Talk about totally disappointing yourself. We are NOT going to do it. Instead, we’re focusing on the wonderful things we’ve done, and we’re vowing to keep on doing them. It’s not that we’re perfect, but it’s easy to lose sight of what really makes a company unique, and we need to be sure to hang on to those idiosyncrasies tightly. You too can learn from patting yourself on the back and making an effort to not change a bit.

Here are the things you can expect from us next year.

1. Being perfectionists. Like I said, we’re not perfect, be we know what we want, and we’re not willing to compromise. Our logo took nearly SIX MONTHS to come to fruition, and it’s not because we work with slow designers. It’s because deciding on a logo was like picking out a prom dress. A lot of them may fit, but you know when it’s “the one.” The color’s perfect, it’s not like everyone else’s and it totally speaks to your personality. Everyone will be jealous. And that’s exactly what happened with our branding.

2. Ignoring the riff-raff. When you’re the one doing things a little differently, people are going to pay attention – and that’s a good thing. But with all the hype and praise, you’re going to encounter derision and what we like to call “hating.” And that’s okay, because it means you’re doing your job. Don’t let bad press or snide comments set you back. Haters are going to hate! Soon, the dust will settle and your antagonists’ animosity will subside… if they’re smart. Take it from the Black Sheep – we don’t give a s#$t what people say, and we’re much happier for it.

3. Keeping up with the Jones.’ No, we’re not trying to one-up the neighbors, but we are always staying informed. News, pop culture, politics, music, books, trends – you name it, we learn about it. It’s part of our daily routine, and it makes us better at understanding the people we’re trying to reach out to – the general public! What are other advertisers doing? Does it work? Would it work for our clients? Maybe! Staying aware gives us more brainstorming power, more fresh ideas and it guarantees we’ll sound smart at cocktail party. Which is totally clutch.

4. Networking. Meeting new people is obviously an asset to a business – it’s how we meet people, get referrals and make connections. It also allows us to participate in all the fun local events and be aware of the different scenes throughout the city. We’ve met so many awesome lads and ladies this year, and we’re definitely looking forward to keeping those relationships and building new ones. Seeing our faces in the social section isn’t so bad either.

So what do you think? Are you going to forgo the New Year’s resolution this time? What will you be doing in 2010 that you’re already doing? We can’t wait for 2010 and exploring all the new and exciting ways we can do what we do best – be ourselves!

It was a beautiful day for a protest

2009-12-03T19:53:00.001-06:00

Well, well, well. We did it. The big Little Bigs protest we’ve been hyping happened today, and we are stoked.

The air was crisp, the sun was out, and Black Sheep hit the streets with our signs in our hands and our mission in our hearts. We walked straight up to Little Bigs at 11:30 (to beat the crowd), set up camp and let the mushroom slider we miss so much guide the way.

We were met with friends, followers and media (thank you, EVERYONE), but when Bryan Caswell, the chef and brainchild behind Little Bigs appeared on that patio, we knew we had won. He admitted, in so many words, that he too longed for that ooey gooey mushroom slider, and in an effort to appease the masses, he

would bring the Portobello back on a limited basis.

We’re calling it a victory.

So, how did we manage to pull this off? It wasn’t easy (okay, it wasn’t really hard either). It took a clever angle, a lot of support and some really awesome Sharpies.

If you’re planning a protest, here are some things to keep in mind.

TALK IT UP. We were fortunate enough to have some gracious writers from local outlets get excited about our cause and write a few words about it. We got people talking and engaging – and whether they had good or bad things to say, the point is they paid attention.

WEATHER. Again, we were fortunate that the storm allegedly hitting Houston tomorrow didn’t decide to get a head start. If you’re planning such a dramatic event, make sure the weather is bearable for the people coming and those passing by. Oh, and wind. It makes sign holding and positioning kind of difficult, so if you can find a protected area, use it.

GET YOUR STORY STRAIGHT. Whether you’re holding signs with funny phrases or dropping sound bites for the press, it’s a good idea to know what you want to say and how you want to say. The protest today resulted in a lot of questions from strangers, Little Bigs patrons and reporters, and if you follow in our footsteps, you’ll have a similar experience too.

LET THEM EAT. It is highly recommended that you feed your fellow protesters. Emaciated participants can quickly lose energy and spirit if they’re deprived of nourishment, plus, it’s a good incentive to get people involved. Who wouldn’t hold a sign in exchange for a delicious lunch? Not us.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON. Maybe you didn’t have as many people show up – even we were expecting more. Maybe your signs were stolen by a homeless person. Maybe your crazy protesting caused a traffic accident on a major thoroughfare. The point is, when it comes to protest, you can’t let the little things get you down. As with any event, things will happen, so roll with the punches and have a good time.

Our protest today was filled with a range of protesters, some protest professionals and some riot rookies. What about you? Do you protest? Will you? Share your experience with us in the comments below!

7 ways to chip off the old [writer’s] block

2009-11-25T17:42:00.000-06:00

Writer’s block. It strikes at the worst possible time making what would be a simple, fun exercise an exhausting one. It is exacerbated by stress, and often, leads to endless hours of frustration and hundreds of pages of useless copy, discarded for eternity. At least we don’t use typewriters any more, right? Copywriters back in the day must have been the leading cause of deforestation and global warming (as if advertisers needed any more blemishes on their reputation).

So what’s a wordless wordsmith to do? Here are some ways to cure the linguistically challenged.

1. Misdirection. Try thinking of topics completely irrelevant to the task at hand. If you’re supposed to be writing about the social consequences of performance monkeys (what more can you say?), start from a different angle. Maybe it’s sandwich making, Disney princesses or firefighters. Sometimes the most random approach results in the most interesting, creative outcome.

2. Move and Shake. Get up. Go do something. Anything that will distract you from ruminating over those darn performance monkeys! Clean your office, go for a jog or call your grandma – she misses you! Once you allow yourself to relax and step away from the computer, the creative juices will start flowing once again.

3. Ask someone else. A different set of eyes, ears and brain cells can make a world of difference, and having a conversation can provide a fresh perspective to the problem. Experts tend to be TOO involved and often lose sight of what they have to offer - give someone else a chance to think for a change.

4. Research. What are other people saying about performance monkeys? Maybe you can build off someone else’s idea or maybe their opinion will spark a thesis of your own. Gathering as much information as possible will allow you to view the problem holistically and give you a more knowledgeable outlook going forward.

5. Wait until tomorrow. If you have the option, nothing beats getting your beauty rest. Who knows? Those performance monkeys may come to you in your dreams with just the right story… or maybe when you wake up, rested and refreshed, you’ll have the energy to tackle that writing once and for all.

6. Write exactly what you know. Right now, you think nothing more can be said about the social consequences of performance monkeys. So say that. Tell us what led you to believe that, and speak honestly and openly. A candid piece will come naturally, and even if it’s not your final draft, it will get your writing gears running smoothly.

7. Or, you can just write about writer’s block. That’s what we did!

NOTE: Happy Thanksgiving to all our followers and supporters! Have a wonderful Turkey Day, and get plenty of rest because next Thursday, December 3, we are protesting the disappearance of the Portobello mushroom slider from Little Big’s. Contact us ASAP to join in on the fun as we make a scene and bring that baby burger back!

The Black Bean Slider and Lazy Ads: 5 Things We’re Totally Against

2009-11-19T14:32:00.001-06:00

Black Sheep are typically happy people. We love things with bubbles, miniature animals and coming up with fun ways to get noticed. We love Airstreams and good music and Mexican food. We love making things and causing riots and celebrating success.

But today, we’re protesting. The following grievances must be aired, and while we apologize for the negativity, we will not rest until the following egregious errors are rectified. It is our ~~civil~~ creative duty to stand against the following:

1. Lazy ad campaigns. If your ad is a sad rip-off of the Got Milk? ads, please stop. If you use the suffix “–ista” in reference to something women might aspire to be, don’t do it. Target, we normally love what you do, but if we hear “frugalista” one more time, we might lose it. Furthermore, if you use quotes or definitions as the primary content for your campaign, we’re tired of it. We want something more creative – something that really tells us your product or service is special. That trend is over – waaay over.

2. WiFi Robbery. It’s bad enough when places don’t have WiFi, but you know, whatever. Maybe it’s too expensive to gain access to the Internet. The economy has been hard on us all. But charging us for it? Come on! You’re already paying for it, and it attracts us to your store. We drink your coffee and tea and eat your delicious snacks. We buy your books. Don’t make us sign up with AT&T or T-Mobile. We will just go away! Borders, thank you for rectifying this situation – smart move.

3. Bland company names and services. Maybe there’s nothing you can do about it because that’s what you’ve been called for 50 years. BUT, if you are naming a company RIGHT NOW, stop. Do not use the following words: Technology, service or solutions. These words mean nothing, and nobody will know what you’re talking about. Furthermore, when describing what you do, don’t tell people that your defining characteristic is relationships and customer service. Give us tangible facts – not hollow claims. Your reputation as a friendly, hospitable business will speak for itself.

4. PC Fonts – PC fonts are great for many things: Word documents, Excel sheets… even PowerPoint presentations. And that’s about it. If you use these fonts in your logo or on your printed collateral, people are going to know it wasn’t done professionally. Real designers use fonts that normal folks don’t have access to – or at least the kind that don’t come free with a laptop computer – and that’s how they create brands unique to their clients. When it comes to design, leave this work to the professionals.

5. Mediocre burgers and sliders – This is a huge issue with Black Sheep. Our favorite slider joint, Little Bigs, had a great thing going. While everyone else was offering nothing but standard beef sliders, they took it to another level with their tiny Portobello mushroom slider. That delicious little mushroom burger was our favorite, and now it’s gone, replaced by a lackluster black bean substitute. And this makes us very, very sad. Perhaps, the saddest we’ve ever been. Which is why Tuesday, December 1, we are taking our complaints to the streets in a BIG way. We are holding Bryan Caswell, the brainchild behind Little Bigs and this horrendous mistake, hostage (sssshhhh, don’t tell!) until he surrenders to our demands and brings the Portobello slider back. We’ll be meeting early to make protest signs and prepare for what might be the greatest battle in the history of our city. Are you with us? This is not a joke. Black Sheep do NOT take food lightly.

Whether it’s uninspired marketing, greedy coffee shops or the denial of our favorite slider at Little Bigs, it is important to ACT NOW. Take a stand against these horrible offenses, and together, we can make a difference one miniature sandwich and business name at a time. With enough support, we can do it, but we need YOUR help. As we present a united front against these wrongdoings, we are asking for community involvement. To volunteer your time for a good cause and stand up for the creative good, contact us at info@theblacksheepagency.com.

How Watching Television Can Improve Your Marketing

2009-11-12T06:12:00.000-06:00

If Black Sheep made television shows (it’s gonna happen), we would win Emmys L and R. You know why? Because we love entertaining. In fact, if someone made a reality show about Black Sheep (just an idea, executives at major broadcasting networks), it would be like all of our favorite shows rolled into one hilariously fantastic, dramatically different agency. But that’s just us. We take cues from this spectacular programming because we recognize the importance of performance and the necessity of theatrics in our “everyday” work.

Let’s take a look at some of our greatest inspiration.

Glee – This show took what was just another played-out high school storyline, threw in some great tunes and questionable dancing, and abracadabra… semi-attractive stars were born. And they’re all about the mash-up – combining two unlikely disciplines and bringing them together. Adding a little extra flair to your campaign, presentation or event never goes to waste. Incorporate video, live performances and music, and before you know it you’ll be entertaining instead of just spitting out information. Black Sheep’s The Rhyme and Reason to Outsource campaign for PFS Group, an accounts receivable outsourcing provider for hospitals, involves an elaborate characterization of Dr. Paid, the company’s own celebrity rapper. Dr. Paid has an album with songs, a fan page, magazine articles and news interviews available explaining his involvement with PFS and the outstanding services they provide. We mashed things up and took the entertainment value to a whole new level. And now, Dr. Paid is famous… at healthcare finance trade shows anyway.

Mad Men – Of course this seems like an obvious choice, but we’re not going to tell you to come up with advertising campaigns like these skinny tied skirt-chasers. Not at all. What you should notice with this show is the amount of intrigue and hype they create. Think about it – in one hour-long episode, NOTHING really happens. Just subtle nuance and suggestive foreshadowing. For your next campaign or publicity stunt, try to arouse that same kind of mystery. Instead of being up-front, plaster the town with ambiguous flyers or send obscure messages to your customers. People will be so overwhelmed with the need to find out, they’ll be hooked. Just like we are at 9 pm on Sundays. Once, in order to attract a major client, Black Sheep arranged for 25 hand-delivered envelopes filled with photographs and clever phrases to our target contact along with several personalized animated videos. By package 17 he’d already acquiesced to meeting with us for lunch to propose a contract. Who wouldn’t want to meet a secret admirer?

30 Rock – Funny one-liners, crazy scenarios and outrageous antics – that’s Black Sheep in a nutshell. We whole-heartedly believe in making the audience laugh… no matter how serious you might be about your business. People want to have a good time, and that’s all there is to it. How can you inject humor into your materials? Well, we can’t tell you HOW to be funny, but we will share an example of how we did it. One of our clients owns a bar, and we decided displaying mannequins outside would get some attention. We dressed them in silly outfits and even started a blog dedicated to following their every move (not real moves… because they’re plastic, but you get the idea)… scandals, awkward nights out and even the adventures of losing your pants! And because they only have one real facial expression, the jokes pretty much write themselves. Customers love it… and so do the bartenders!

See what we mean? There’s nothing more important than logging several hours of television-watching each day to learn from the best. Once you learn how to entertain your audience, they’ll forget you’re trying to sell something, and they’ll be coming to you for more. So sit back, relax and pour yourself a cold one. You’ve got work to do.

How to brainstorm like a BAAAd ass

2009-11-03T11:43:00.000-06:00

It’s a simple goal: Come up with the most amazingly fantastic, mind-blowing, yet inexpensive, and completely original idea possible. At Black Sheep we do it all the time, but even for us, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Drawing from our many experiences, we’ve gathered a few go-to tricks, and if you stick to the rules, they’re sure to result in something spectacular. Or at least make you laugh. Either way, it’s a good time.

Role play – It sounds naughty, but it’s only as dirty as you want it to be. Use your imagination, and approach the problem from a ridiculous, unexpected perspective. Pretend you’re in colonial times, or Egypt or that you’re a clown with superpowers from Iceland. Maybe you’re a golden retriever or a president or a teacher – from the Stone Age! When you put yourself in someone (or something) else’s shoes, you’ll start seeing the problem with a whole new point of view. It’s the less-than-obvious scenario that gets the attention every time.

Steal ideas – If you’re brainstorming in a group (and you should be), this is a little activity that allows you to steal your neighbor’s ideas. And make them better. It goes like this: Everyone in the group writes a simple idea or thought down on a piece of paper. Pass the paper to your left and the next person builds off of the first one. Repeat until everyone’s worked on everyone else’s original, and see what you come up with. You may not get a fully fledged solution, but you’ll definitely get the creative juices flowing.

Pull the trigger – This one’s another group activity. Brainstorm as many ideas as possible – there is no wrong, stupid or throw-away answer. Pick the best one and use those as “triggers” for more ideas. Continue until you’ve found the perfect answer. You will!

Be an astronaut – First, before getting together as a group, give everyone the chance to come up with a list of their own ideas. Next, two people will sit together and discuss, covering everything on their lists. Then, add a new person to the group, discuss and repeat, until everyone has shared all their thoughts with the group individually. These steps make it difficult for a member to “hide” in the group or get squashed by bigger and louder members, and it’s a technique that has been proven by NASA! We trust those guys.

Follow the rules – 1. It’s a brainstorm, not a blamestorm. Don’t belittle other people’s ideas, kids. It’s just not nice, and it’s ultimately counter-productive. 2. Go for quantity over quality. The more ideas on the table, the better. 3. Drink while you think. You’ve heard of a drinking problem, well this is a drinking solution. Let loose, and throw a few back. It will make the creative process SO much easier. 4. Let the record show. WRITE everything down! Save your ideas for future brainstorms, and don’t risk forgetting the ones you have now. We’re talking to you, Paul Kinsey.

Sounds like fun, right? It is! Do you have your own brainstorming secrets? We want to hear them! We want to try them out! Share in the comments below, and let’s start a brainstorming brainstorm.

Is brand new better?

2009-10-29T15:47:00.000-05:00

The Black Sheep have been doing a lot of driving lately, but we’ve always got marketing on the mind. One of the most common road-trip discussions we have revolves around the many billboards and buildings we see traveling from city to city – remember, we’re from Texas, so the only alternative landscape is a cow or two.

Now, we don’t consider ourselves opposed to change. We’re all about moving forward and staying ahead of the game. Everybody knows that. It’s just that we’re not sure we agree with some of the mumbo jumbo that’s going on out there. There seems to be a disheartening trend in rebranding, and frankly, we’ve got mixed feelings about it. Here are some of the brands that caught our attention:

Holiday Inn Express – Admittedly, this one needed some work from the get-go. I understand that they wanted to convey that their budget hotel is clean, green, fresh and modern. Fine. All good qualities for a $59-a-night establishment. But, in our opinion, they’re taking it too far. Their green is too green, their blue is too blue, and their “H,” while an improvement from their previous font, just seems to be trying too hard. What happened to classy and understated? This whole image just comes off as cheap, and while that’s also true of Holiday Inn Express, it’s probably not something they should flaunt in their logo.

Pepsi – This to me can only be described in three letters: W. T. F. They had one of the most iconic brands in the world. Their wavy circle was neither overbearing nor outdated. It was simple and clean. So why change it to whatever that thing is now? It accomplishes nothing. And again, it looks cheap. What’s even worse is their “Refresh Everything” billboard campaign that looks like it’s straight out of a third world country. I’m not hating on the industrially underdeveloped, but I don’t think anyone looks to them for advertising inspiration.

Jack-In-The-Box – This one we haven’t quite made up our minds about. It’s definitely a departure from their old look, which seems almost retro-kitschy at this point. Maybe that’s not a bad thing? Their ads in general have always been so great, it never really bothered us. But, maybe this new “3D” box isn’t so bad either. They are certainly guilty of over-modernizing, using robot-style fonts underneath the icon, which makes me think someone unaware of current styles made that selection. [Shrug]. I guess we’ll have to give them the benefit of the doubt. We’re keeping our eyes on you, Jack.

Let us just say, for the record, we’re totally in favor of revamping your company’s look. Dated brands are the worst, and they’re totally detrimental to your image. Just don’t go from bad to lame. This is a decision that has to last a long time, and you shouldn’t rush into anything. Hey, we’re still trying to figure it out ourselves.

So what do you think? Do like these new brands? Have you noticed any others? We want YOUR opinion!

What you can learn about crisis PR from Perez Hilton

2009-10-23T09:17:00.000-05:00

Once you start, it’s nearly impossible to stop. You think you’ll do it once… just today… and then you find yourself a month later entangled in utter madness and completely devoid of rational thinking. They will make you do things and say things you never thought you – an intelligent, well-rounded person – could possibly do. They will change you. Forever.

I’m talking about celebrity blogs. Perez. TMZ. The Superficial. Defamer. Gawker. Click the links if you DARE.

But why are these trash sites so compelling, so completely… addictive? Because people love gossip. They love to see someone fall from grace, and they love to watch them suffer. Let’s face it. It makes us feel better about ourselves. And yes, I am a professional psychiatrist.

And that’s why, as PR professionals, our jobs are so important. Under careful supervision, follow the likes of PH and study crisis PR at its best… and more often than not… its worst. And then take what you’ve learned and apply the lessons to your clients’ crises. Lindsay Lohan will make your job look like a piece of cake.

For those of you trying to stay celeb blog-free (best of luck to you), keep in mind the following dos and don’ts of sticky situations.

DON’T avoid the facts – or the press. While celebrities have the option of living on a desert island for six months following embarrassing and/or difficult times, you don’t. Like, for instance, if you stage a hoax involving your small child and a large balloon, you’re probably not going to have the option of disappearing until it blows over [the state of Colorado]. Face the music and talk to the press to get the story straight. Once it’s all out in the open, people will move on to the next interesting news bite.

DO sincerely apologize if you’ve done something wrong. Even if you have to do it a million times… Kanye style. It’s hard to hate on people when they’ve admitted to the err of their ways and at least appear to be making amends. And if you need to apologize, DO it in person. Having the balls to say it out loud, face-to-face with real people will gain your audience’s forgiveness faster than anything else. David Letterman is the perfect example.

DON’T play the denial game. If you really didn’t do something, address it in a professional, tactful manner and approach the accusing party personally. If you DID, we’re going to find out the truth eventually, so why not save the embarrassment and move on? It’s hard. Everyone knows that. John Edwards knows that. Leann Rimes knows that. Jon Gosselin knows that. But you can be better than them.

DON’T make the same mistake twice. Once is forgivable… twice is embarrassing. If your client is not fixing their problems, it’s going to land on your face.

DO make an image-switch. This may be hard to pull off, but if your client’s on a rocky road, it’s your job to take things in a new direction. Ever notice that when celebrities (Paris, Nicole, Martha Stewart) go to jail, their next step is to pose for the cover of People magazine in a pastel twin set? See? They’ve learned their lesson, and now they’re good people because they’re wearing sweaters.

It seems like common sense, but questionable decisions are always made in the heat of a crisis. Plan ahead and know as much as you can about your client. The more informed and honest you can be, the better things will turn out for you and the people you represent. It’s a cruel world out there, so stay prepared and don’t spend any ~~fewer~~ more than 1.5 hours on tabloid sites daily. Shear Creativity’s all you need anyway.

In marketing, all's well that blends well.

2009-10-14T14:11:00.000-05:00

The other day Black Sheep had the opportunity to attend the Lucky Strike grand opening, and of course, because we’re all about knowing what’s going on in the World of Awesome, we went. And it was awesome. For those of you who don’t know, Lucky Strike is a bowling alley with a full bar. Basically take everything you associate with bowling and forget it. That’s what this place is. They serve champagne. Champagne! Absolute perfection.

This concept got me thinking, and you know what I realized? Some of the best things in life are unusual blends of seemingly disparate entities. For instance… peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hybrid cars, iPhones, Ligers (bred for their skills in magic), laser-pointer pens, labradoodles, 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner… Heck, even Black Sheep’s leadership team is made of Aggies and Longhorns. It’s the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts theory,” and it’s what scientists call “synergy.”

This same principle also applies to marketing.

Marketing is a multi-faceted method for promotion and it encompasses several different strategic components. Public relations, advertising, social networking, Web marketing, guerilla marketing and branding work better alongside one another than they do by themselves.

Let’s say you sell pet rocks.

And you get a great article written up in the New York Times about how pet rocks are the most eco-friendly pets and that Paris Hilton and President Obama endorse them. Once millions of people read it, they’ll want to learn more… Where can I get my own pet rock? How can I get involved in sustainable pets? Well then, you’ll need a Web site. And that Web site will need branding featuring a unique pet rock logo and delivering all the information anyone could want through specific messaging. And that brand will depend on top-of-mind awareness through advertising and guerilla marketing… Like when you decide to throw pet rocks in the middle of Grand Central Station. This will cause quite a ruckus, and tons of people will want to be your friend on Facebook. While visiting your page, they’ll see the link you posted to your article in the New York Times. That’s only one theoretical chain of events that brings your marketing full-circle, but you can see how important each element is to the success of the entire campaign. And that’s synergistic marketing.

Black Sheep recognizes your need for synergy, and we can help create it. We work to establish all these angles for you and then bring them together. But, we are also happy to work with other advertising agencies, PR firms and your very own company too. Our goal is to make sure your entire marketing strategy results in something that’s bigger and better than any singular tactic, and we don’t care if we do it all or some of it. The goal is the WHOLE (that’s what she said), and we’re ready to do our part.

Theory of Evolution

2009-10-06T18:23:00.000-05:00

The times, they are a changin’. Of course they are. Change is the only constant, even though it’s not always welcome. Texas adopted new cringe-worthy license plates… Vampires and cougars have taken over the world… Jim and Pam are getting married… And in PR-relevant news, major magazine publisher Conde Nast has shut down four of its magazines. Who’s next? Vogue? Glamour? After their four-issue expose on Bernie Madoff this summer, my vote goes to Vanity Fair.* (He ripped a bunch of people off in a giant Ponzi scheme…and he had a wife and a family. It’s a multi-faceted story. We got it. )

This is certainly not the first media giant we’ve seen fall – and fall hard – as of late, and as I’m sure my fellow PR peers can attest, it won’t be the last. So what does this mean for us? And what does it mean for our clients’ exposure? Well, we’ll have to be more adaptable and more ingenious than ever if we’re going to be successful. Smart businesses will look to new guidance in firms and agencies that aren’t afraid to try new approaches, and it will take just as much effort to publicize their companies as it will to gain their confidence. If your firm hasn’t opened its eyes to new ideas, odds are you’re about to get blindsided. Some things to look out for…

1. Social media. This one gets a big, fat DUH. We’ve talked about it before, and we’ll say it again, if you’re not doin’ it, and doin’ it and doing it WELL (whatever happened to LL Cool J? Oh right, NCIS.), you’re missing out. ‘Nuff said. [AND, be sure to sign up for Twitter Training THIS month.]

2. Personal connections. Sure, we proselytize Internet marketing and it’s benefits, but nothing can match real, personal interaction and customized strategy. For instance, just last week, Black Sheep made significant progress targeting one of our most prized potential clients by sending our key contact personalized videos (no, not THAT kind of video) and 25 small, but unique hand-delivered packages. And you know what? We’re having lunch with him on Thursday… just wait ‘till he finds out how effing cute we are. This kind of practice definitely translates to our existing clients and their PR approach, and it’s that kind of thinking that these tough times require. Forget the process and the press releases – get creative.

3. Media strategy. This goes hand-in-hand with the advice above. Now, more than ever, editors and journalists are stretched so thin they don’t have the time or space to weed through formally written press releases about your company’s 27^th hire in the past 6 months. They need REAL stories, so find out what they’re into and send strong pitches… do it on Twitter or Facebook in a few short sentences, and give them an angle that makes it interesting.

It’s all about being smart with your practices and staying cognizant of your surroundings. Darwin said evolution was survival of the fittest, but in marketing, it’s survival of the relationships – be it online, in person or with media. At Black Sheep, we’d LOVE to get to know YOU and bring your company into the future of marketing. We’re knowledgeable, we’re hip to what’s going on, and we’re happy to get you on the right track. Socialize with the Sheep by following us at @aimeewoodall and @lindsaybosslet on Twitter.

*In all honesty, I enjoy Vanity Fair quite a bit, and I’d hate to see it go. I just think spending too much time learning about greedy people is a waste.

Tweet Your Heart Out

2009-09-30T10:17:00.000-05:00

At Black Sheep, we’re strong believers in the power of the Tweet. Some of our clients have told us they have been advised otherwise – that they don’t belong on Twitter and should stay away. And we couldn’t disagree more.

You’ve got something to say, right?

You provide a service or product to people, right?

You’re a badass at what you do, right?

The thing is, Twitter isn’t just for 12-year-olds and movie stars. It’s for everyone! It’s an equal-opportunity outlet for you to get your message to lots and lots of people. Why turn that down? It’s free! AND it gives you the chance to position yourself as an interesting, experienced and informed representative for your business. And who knows – you may learn something in return!

The social media gurus at Black Sheep have put together a few tips for effective Tweeting so you can get the most out of you 140-character message.

Be a know-it-all. You know a lot about stuff, so let everyone know. Offer tips and advice, links to articles you've found helpful and references to new and exciting innovations in your field. Be sure to answer questions and open a dialogue. In no time, you’ll be the go-to resource for hamsters, dryer lint, 1983 television shows… or whatever it is you know so much about.

Deal or no deal? Deal. Offer your followers an incentive for paying attention. Give them discounts, special promotional opportunities or insider information that will give them a reason to keep their looking balls peeled and their attention on you. Just don’t over-do it… you don’t want to give it all away at once (thanks, mom) and you don’t want to become a spammer.

Tickle their funny bone. You don’t want to be a robot behind a computer. Nobody likes a robot. Have a little personality and showcase it in your Tweets. It’ll keep things interesting and allow you to connect to your followers.

It takes one to know one. You can’t just start Tweeting and expect the masses to come running. Find other people who interest you – people talking about your favorite topics, your friends and people who might be in need of your help – and start following them. Odds are they’ll return the favor.

See? It’s so easy a 12-year-old can do it. So get started today. Got more questions? Still not sure what to do? Contact us or attend our Twitter training session next month, and we’d be happy to answer any questions.

Fall Forward

2009-09-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

Everyone’s always saying that the spring season is a time for new beginnings and a fresh green perspective. You know… the whole butterfly into a cocoon, baby animal thing. No offense to spring, but that idea seems a little played out. To me, fall was always the more inspiring time of year. Maybe it was the start of a new school year and the opportunity to by tons of new pens (who doesn’t love school supplies?). Maybe because my birthday is in October (FACT: Black Sheep are typically born in October). And this year at Black Sheep is no exception. We have a whole line-up of new clients coming on board! If you think about it, lots of new beginnings happen in the fall. The most important week in fashion happens in the fall. The financial calendar begins in the fall. 30 Rock premieres in the fall. So maybe now is the time for YOU to give your marketing efforts a spring fall cleaning and a chance to start anew. Ask yourself the following questions… Is your marketing plan the same as it was last year? And the year before? When was the last time you took a calculated risk? Have you been playing it safe for too long? Where do you want your business to be this time next year? What will it take to get there? And… DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS? The first day of fall! The day YOU should revamp your brand. Starting a new ad or branding campaign is like buying a new suit or a snazzy pair of Louboutins. It will give your company the confidence it needs to be bold and step up your game. You know how they tell you to dress for success… for the job you want, not the one you have? Well, the same philosophy applies to marketing. The bigger your statement, the greater the impression and the more credible you’ll become in your market. Ever notice how the strongest businesses have the best, most memorable marketing and advertising approaches? It’s no coincidence. It’s understanding the need to be different, stand out and make a statement. And now it’s your turn. At Black Sheep, we firmly believe in the power of a creative campaign. So let that first cool breeze of the year energize you, and let us know where you want to go. This fall, we’re moving forward.

Competition Beware

2009-09-15T16:53:00.000-05:00

We will stomp you to the ground. Make you wish you’d never been born. Completely obliterate you.

We don’t play by the rules, and we’re not afraid to get dirty. So bring. It. On.

Fellow marketing agencies, we’re not talking to you. We ARE talking to the noise. To cell phones and commercials. To barking dogs and junk mail. To iPods, billboards, crazy people on the bus and traffic jams. To all the little things that clutter the minds and blur the focus of our clients’ target audience.

Because they’re the real competition, aren’t they? They’re what’s keeping your message from being heard. That’s why at Black Sheep we don’t take these distractions lightly, and we don’t just sit back and wait for things to happen. We set major ideas into motion. Here are some thoughts on advertising…

1. Literally, don’t be so obvious. If your business places ads in trade magazines, this is especially important. If you have a computer company, don’t use a bunch of monitor images. If you sell tractors, lose the tractors. All your competitors are doing that, and the only way you’ll get someone to pay attention to your ad will be to create a diversion. Think about the ads you read and the ones you skip… you probably flip past the boring ones.

2. Flower isn’t power. When using the written word to catch attention, don’t be flowery and dramatic. Using SAT words incorrectly only makes you look stupid. Be bold and funny. Select powerful terms and clever phrases to get your message across.

3. Be a rabble rouser. True, you shouldn’t be offensive with your marketing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a sense of humor. Pick something innocuous yet slightly edgy to make your point, and you’ll be remembered not only for what you say, but for how you say it.

4. Stupid is as stupid does. It doesn’t do any good to say something that goes over your customers’ heads, but you don’t have to be condescending. Think about how happy you are when you “get” a clever joke. It’s an immediate connection, and your audience will appreciate your acknowledgment of their intellect.

So take a look at the ads you have. Are you breaking the rules? Are you getting the most out of your money? Does anyone even notice what you’re saying? Give Black Sheep a call, and we’ll tell you how you can take your advertising… and your business… to the next level. Contact us today.

This $*%# is Bananas

2009-09-08T13:26:00.000-05:00

Since the inception of Black Sheep, we’ve taken our no-holds-barred, rebellious message to the streets. While the response has been “right on!” for the most part, when we explain how we engage in outrageous, unexpected tactics and guerilla marketing, there is still a lingering “huh?” in the air. And, that’s to be expected. Guerilla marketing has been a buzzword in the industry for a while now, and it’s often thrown around without full understanding… and if you’re not experienced in marketing, well, it sounds like a bunch of monkey business.

And that’s the inherent problem with this homophonic enigma. It’s not about being a gorilla. It’s guerilla… you know… as in warfare? Guerilla marketing is marketing which uses the element of surprise, allowing you (the business) to interact with your consumer in a way that’s unexpected. To catch them off-guard and make them say “Whaaaaaaaat?!?” To force them to yield to your message and not just stand in line for the next line of advertising ammunition from your competitors. Get it? The advantage to this is that while you probably see a million ads and commercials every day, you probably ignore most of it, and a successful guerilla campaign doesn’t give you that passive opportunity.

You don’t have to be stupid and crazy. You don’t have to be an idiot in a costume passing out flyers. That is the opposite of what we’re talking about. And it doesn’t mean you should forget advertising. What you should do is focus on how to take these traditional marketing mediums and turn them into something that grabs attention. Like this. Silly only works when it’s strategic. And then it really works.

And it works in layers. When you show your consumers that you know how to reach them in a new and interesting way, they not only get the message, they recognize your business as one that thinks creatively and possibly has a sense of humor… an understanding and connection to its supporters. It gives your company image… an identifiable personality… and helps you appeal to PEOPLE – not mass audiences.

Wanna learn how you can use guerilla marketing to boost your business? We’re full of ideas and advice. Email us at aimee@theblacksheepagency.com.

The Flock About Town

2009-09-01T19:55:00.000-05:00

Black Sheep. It’s the name of the newest agency in town… but why? What does it mean? And do we really need another marketing firm in Houston?

You’ve heard of black sheep before. It’s the metaphor for those of us who don’t comply with social norms… who stick out… who make the neighbors nervous. And that’s why it’s the perfect name for our company. The thing is, we have a little bit different approach to marketing than the other guys. We don’t have a four-step process. We don’t do the same thing for everyone.

Nope. We think about YOU – the client – and your clients. And then we think some more. We take a moment to digest everything that might be important to the success of your business and we put together a plan specifically designed to make it happen. Maybe it’s an event… and so then we’ll contact the media and Twitter and place ads all over town and hire piano-playing monkeys to put on a recital in the lobby of your building. Maybe we’ll send packages to your #1 target person containing ransom notes for his pen you borrowed last May at a conference in exchange for his attendance at your birthday party. Whatever. It might not make sense for the next person, but the point is, it makes sense for you.

And sometimes there’s a risk involved. Monkeys are unpredictable. But you know what? Monkeys get noticed. And isn’t that what it’s all about? So many marketing campaigns these days are centered around looking “corporate” and “clean.” I mean, we can do that – but if you want to blow away your competition – we don’t recommend it.

Is it starting to make sense? Yeah, we make people nervous (cause we’re awesome and a little outrageous). Yeah, we stick out (see previous paragraph). And we don’t follow these old-timey, antiquated rules for marketing that other companies live and breathe by. We just don’t believe in it.

But we do believe we can help you. Whatever your business, whatever your goals, we bring a fresh perspective to your approach. So be rebellious. Meet us for lunch. We’d be happy to brainstorm and get some ideas flowing. The neighbors never even have to know.