Chalk is Cheap – part 2

We took to the streets today to promote the Websitetology.com seminar. Downtown Dayton Ohio has the cleanest sidewalks - making this both fun and easy.

Of course some people around here always get their panties in a twist about something - the post in front of the Mead Tower- was poking fun at the “New Page” Corporation- which just announced they are bailing for the ‘burbs-

A New Page is a Websitetology.com

“A “New Page” is a Websitetology.com”

In front of CityWide Development- we put a message about the realities of our website technology:

More Economic, Less Development- Websitetology.com

 

We also suggested you can get a great website for less:

 

“A Great website shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg”

A Great website shouldn't cost an arm or a leg

We also reminded people that no one watches TV commercials anymore- which is a good reason for chalk on sidewalks- Guerrilla Marketing-

 

No One watches Commercials anymore- Wesbsitetology.comThere were more- including

  • “I came, I saw! Because I googled”
  • “I Google, therefore I am”
  • “Get a PhD in Websitetology for only $79”

We’ll let you know how far $5 of chalk and a couple of hours can get you.

Guerrilla marketing seminar- chalk is cheap, talk even cheaper.

It was supposed to be a seminar, hosted by the Dayton Ad Club and Books and Company, to teach local agencies and marketers about “Guerrilla Marketing.” The speaker, Al Lautenslager, co-author of “Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days” arrived at the Think TV studio to be greeted with chalk on the sidewalk “You can read a book about “Guerrilla Marketers” or you can hire one- www.thenextwave.biz.”
Then comes the next one, and the next one, with lines like “Big ideas, so little sidewalk” and “it’s only chalk- not like we spent thousands to get your attention. You probably can’t imagine what we’d do with real money” all followed by the agency URL.
Seminar participants saw the same thing. The local ad agency, The Next Wave, reached the people most interested in guerrilla marketing by demonstrating their creativity, without spending big money- or as they put it in one of the sidewalk headlines “It costs big money to put your name here or here (with arrows pointing to the names of Think TV donors engraved in marble along the sidewalk) but chalk is cheap.”
It’s that last tag that didn’t sit well with Think TV, or at least that’s what they said as they started hosing the sidewalk off, 3 hours before the seminar. Not to be daunted, the agency came back and re-chalked the walk in time for the event, and then arrived at the event as the agency logo- a man in a “blues brothers” costume, carrying a briefcase and a surfboard. Vinyl adhesive logos were added to the chalked walk as insurance against a second hose wash.
As a marketing stunt, the quick campaign achieved 2 of its three goals: while the seminar was in progress, a call came in about a piece of new business. It also cemented an internal goal of positioning the agency as the cutting edge creative firm to students from the School of Advertising Art who came to the second seminar session guaranteeing the agency that calls itself The Next Wave getting the pick of the best future talent. The last goal of reaching potential clients who attended the seminar has yet to happen. Maybe after they read the book, they will be more inclined to contact the agency about a guerrilla campaign of their own.
you can click on the pictures for a larger view.


You can read a book about "Guerrilla Marketers" or you can hire one.
You can read a book about "Guerrilla Marketers" or you can hire one.
Want to know the secrets of great advertising?
Want to know the secrets of great advertising?
Big Ideas- little chalk
Big Ideas- little chalk
So many ideas, so little sidewalk
So many ideas, so little sidewalk
You can trust this man to come up with the next big ideas marketing.
You can trust this man to come up with the next big ideas marketing.
People don’t read ads- they read what interests them
People don’t read ads, they read what interests them- sometimes it’s an ad- and if it’s by us- they probably will remember it!

ThinkTV needs a sense of humor.
ThinkTV needs a sense of humor.

What do you think?

Advertising, art and public spaces

Hope Poster by Shepard Fairey

Hope Poster by Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey just got smacked on the hand in Boston. A $2000 fine is nothing compared to the national press this criminal proceeding brought him.

Fairey, a graduate of the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design Rhode Island School of Design, was best known for his “Obey” campaign with the image of Andre the Giant- until he hit the big time with his Obama “HOPE” poster which may go down as one of the earliest iconic pieces of art from this century.

Before having a sponsored show in Boston, Shepard did what he does- and did some wild postings. That means putting up posters with wheat paste in places where he didn’t have permission.

One persons art, is anothers eyesore.  This piece from the Boston Globe sums up the outcome of this high profile case:

Shepard Fairey, the street artist who for decades has plastered his stickers and posters on buildings and street signs, yesterday agreed to stop leaving his mark in Boston.

Fairey, who once told the Globe he had been arrested 14 times for tagging, apologized to the city and pleaded guilty to three vandalism charges.

“People should be responsible about sharing their art,’’ Fairey said after agreeing to the plea deal in Boston Municipal Court. “That is not a transition or an evolution in my philosophy.’’

Fairey said that now that he is an established artist - an ongoing show at the Institute of Contemporary Art has drawn 100,000 visitors - he does not need to tag like he did when he began his career.

“Fortunately, I am in a place in my career where I can get sanctioned places,’’ he said. “So, it’s not an issue I will ever have to worry about again. . . . There should be more public outlets for art.’’

via Fairey pleads guilty to vandalism charges - The Boston Globe.

It’s nice that Shepard thinks there should be more public outlets for art- in NYC construction barricades have long been places for posters. Other cities have created legal graffiti areas. However, there is a distinction between permanent paint and posters with wheat paste- I’d much rather deal with the wheat paste than spray paint. This doesn’t give anyone the right to place posters, ads, or tags anywhere they want.

Microsoft tried to cover NYC with static cling decals- and got caught. Is chalk on sidewalks OK for advertising? That too is up for discussion.

As we assault the public with non-stop advertising messages, the realm of outdoor ads is just too lucrative to ignore: they can’t be ignored, tuned out, skipped past. However, legal outdoor like billboards, vehicle wraps, mall signs are expensive when compared to the guerrilla style postings that got Fairey in front of the judge. For a $2,000 fine and a lot of publicity- Fairey came out ahead.

For the rest of us, it’s a warning. Future cases won’t be so easy or cheap.

The advertising industry has powerful lobbyists protecting billboards and other big media. The Next Wave believes that the industry needs to make a case for different access to local affordable outdoor- like bus shelters, legal posting areas- for local businesses as a part of making place and local wayfinding. Small business makes this country run- and yet, when trying to compete for space with powerhouses like Procter & Gamble, the little guy often gets squeezed out.

Shepard can afford to pay the fine these days. As he says- he now has access to galleries. Were all those arrests and court cases worth it? Obviously.

Guerrilla marketing and the golden rule

Guerrilla marketing started out as a way to get attention when a business had no cash to buy traditional media. Now, it’s what big companies look for when they are trying to make up for bad ad strategies.

The ad that was mistaken for a bomb.Turner Broadcast Systems is probably reconsidering the cost effectiveness of a recent “guerrilla marketing” campaign for its Cartoon Network show “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” where NY agency Interference placed signs that were mistaken for bombs in major cities including Boston.

FOXNews.com - Turner, Interference to Pay $2 Million for Botched Cartoon Network Ad Campaign in U.S. Cities - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News
BOSTON — Turner Broadcasting Systems and Interference Inc. agreed Monday to pay $2 million for an unconventional Cartoon Network advertising campaign last week that caused a widespread bomb scare, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced.

This isn’t the first time that “guerrilla ads” for major corporations have caused more headaches than they were worth. Sony did a graffiti campaign for Playstation portable, and Microsoft plastered a city with static cling decals for a software product with similar bad PR results.

Chalking sidewalks, human billboards, street teams, PR stunts are all pretty harmless and effective tools. And while some may say that this botched campaign got lots of press, it didn’t end up being cheap or positive press for the client. Before considering a “guerrilla campaign” the question one must ask is: how would I feel if someone did this to my mother? My sister? Me? The golden rule applies.

Advertise onto others, as you would have others advertise onto me.

And, if you think you are getting a free lunch- here’s a tip: there is no such thing as a free lunch, just ask Turner Broadcast Systems.

How a blog gets your site lots of hits.

The great thing about hosting your blog as part of your site, is it vastly increases the number of search terms your potential customers could be looking for. Especially if you use your web stats to see what people are searching for.
Since so many of our competitors build sites that search engines either can’t find, or will give lousy results for (every page has the same description- or they use frames or .asp to build the site- and nothing useful shows up in the results) we decided to make it easy for our potential customers to comparison shop- we listed all of our peers on our site. So, the potential client will find a link to their site, after they’ve come to ours. We believe when they compare, they’ll see, we do good work.
It’s also fascinating to draw people through who may not need an agency, but, think we’re cool anyway. Our musings have gotten us links from all over. Our clients also benefit. Note, I’ve added who or what the competition is in parens- so you can tell right away who needs help on their sites search engine optimization (SEO)- some of these agencies and design firms have sites- but don’t have them tagged properly- or designed them in Flash- which search engines don’t like.
Here’s a list of search phrases from just a few days in June:
Keyphrases used on search engines
205 different keyphrases
\ the next wave\ marketing
23 second street hair salon dayton ohio (probably needs better tags on their site)
2821 green river drive
5 rivers metroparks
513 721-2272
614 east jeffrey columbus ohio
614-573-1010
614-792-0924
ad agencies
ad agency bghemagine (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
ad ventures (ad agency in Dayton- needs a site)
ad ventures kettering ohio (ad agency in Dayton- needs a site)
advertising agencies and
advertising agencies dayton ohio
advertising agency
advertising agency dayton
advertising agency portfolio sample pdf
agencies that might be the next crispin porter adage
barefoot advertising (ad agency in Cincinnati- needs a better site)
barefoot design cincinnati (ad agency in Cincinnati- needs a better site)
bghemagine (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
blf bash
blue dog productions (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
bmw marketing mini
bmw tv spots sa
bonner street dayton ohio
boutique advertising agencies
brand marks
branding & package design
bridge worldwide cincinnati firm (ad agency in Cincinnati- needs a better site)
buchanan & associates (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site) *
buchanan & associates advertising (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
buchanan & associates dublin (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
buchanan & associates ohio (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
buchanan and associates columbus ohio (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
buchanan associates (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
buchanan associates advertising agency (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
buchanan associates oh (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site) - hey someone was REALLY trying to find them….
c 1 bmw 2005
category public relations consultants
chalk sidewalk advertising
citywide development
cloonan and associates (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
cloonan centerville (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
cnn
columbus ohio sbc advertising
conrad phillips & vutech inc.
conrad phillips and vutech inc columbus
consumer marketing agency channel big box
conversational advertising
creative boutique
creative department cincinnati ohio (ad agency in Cincinnati- needs a better site)
crime wave poster
crispin porter media agnostic
crystal synergy
crystal wraps
david esrati
david ogilvy wasting half money
dayton advertising
dayton advertising agencies
dayton advertising agency
dayton bombers
dayton cincinnati advertising
dayton creative printing (print shop in Dayton- probably needs a better site)
dayton next wave
dayton oh cobbler
dayton poetry slam
design companies
design firms troy ohio
dove bodywash ads
dreamteam radio
earthlink-peoplepc-wssynd
find abc book of the wave with images
first wave dayton
five rivers metroparks
gerber tropical fish
gerbers aquarium dayton
gjpadvertising (ad agency in Cincinnati and Toronto- needs a better site- flash kills search engines! Gee Jeffrey and Partners should hire us to do their “creative persuading” - first thing to get rid of is “gjp” reads like gip- as in they gipped me off….)
graphic design
graphic design companies
graphica columbus ohio
graphica dayton ohio (design firm in Dayton- needs a better site)
guru vinyl record single respect the architect
hate it or love it sample
hauer music
hermes advertising
honda ridgeline truck tv commercial theme song
if you want to change the world better tools
imagine nation dayton ohio (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
ipod hate
j walter thompson
jeff and flash wmms
jewelery tv
joint venture advertising dayton (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
joint venture advertising dayton ohio (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
lamar advertising toledo ohio
libby perszyk kathman cincinnati ohio (design firm in Cincinnati- needs a better site)
lionel freeman
local television news branding
logo factory
logo wave
lpk cincinnati ohio (design firm in Cincinnati- needs a better site)
lpk graphic design in cincinnati oh (design firm in Cincinnati- needs a better site)
lpk ohio (design firm in Cincinnati- needs a better site)
main title sequence
manistique lakes drive ohio
mansions for sell
mark philips salon
marketing ideas for seminary
marketing innovation
matt the cat wmms
mendelson jewelers
mendelsons
mercedes $ 2.4 million car
mercedes 2.4 million
michelle murphy
million dollar trucks
mini scooters columbus ohio
money back news abc fox ipod apple
next wave
next wave advertising
next wave buying television stations
next wave chair
next wave dayton ohio
next wave design
next wave logo
next wave marketing
next wave television
ninjamarketing
nip/tuck opening credits
old mansions
opening title sequences
opening title word
pacchia
packaging pizza
penny ohlman… (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
philips brand awareness
philips tv spot
pizza design
pizza factory
pizza packaging factory
pizza wave
plum ludlow street
poetry about tropical fish
production companies
radio positioning strategy
real art (“Digital design” firm in Dayton- needs a better site)
real art design group dayton oh (“Digital design” firm in Dayton- needs a better site)
real art design group dayton ohio (“Digital design” firm in Dayton- needs a better site)
restaurant t-shirt
restaurant t-shirt
rivets inc advertising (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
ron foth advertising columbus ohio (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
sabatino/day advertising cincinnati (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
sample portfolio advertising
self promotion packaging
shumsky enterprises ohio
sidewalk advertising chalk
site thenextwave.biz
six feet under intro title sequence
sounds for radio spots
stephens advertising (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
stephens advertising dayton ohio (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
synergy packaging
t shirt designs for restaurants
tdh marketing (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
technoconnecto
television branding
the next wave
the next wave business
the next wave david
the next wave dayton
the next wave dayton oh
the next wave design
the rivets columbus ohio advertising (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
thenextwave.biz
turner marketing dayton ohio (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
under car specialty
undercar specialty warehouse
united way of columbus ohio advertising agency
urban real estate
versicom commuications dayton ohio
victory wholesale
visual marketing associates dayton (design firm in Dayton- needs a better site)
visual marketing associates dayton ohio (design firm in Dayton- needs a better site)
walmart traitor
water radio
wave designs
wave graphic
wave logo
wave promotion
we build excitement pontiac advertising
westerville advertising- powers
what is a good advertising
wilson advertising dayton oh (ad agency in Dayton- needs a site)
wilson advertising dayton ohio (ad agency in Dayton- needs a site)
wilson advertising miamisburg ohio contact (ad agency in Dayton- needs a site)
wmms 101 bumper sticker
wmms cleveland t-shirts
www.the wave.com
www.thenextwave.biz
yeck brothers group (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
young isaac inc advertising agency (ad agency in Columbus- needs a better site)
ze design dayton ohio (ad agency in Dayton- needs a better site)
If we can build this kind of site traffic for our site- imagine what we can do for you.

* Jan 19 2006, it seems that the folks at Buchanan & Associates got the message- they now have a new site- but, for the life of me- I’ m wondering what they are doing. It’s some kind of “agency seekers!” site- a take off on a search engine interface- they call it the “The Most Biased Search Engine in the World™” and think they are slick- but there is nothing to search there- so how people will find it- I’m not sure. They should probably head to one of our Blogosopher seminars