If It's Hip, It's Here by laura sweet

09:14 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment

My Q & A Interview With Born Rich

Laura Sweet,
“The Oprah of the Internet” was with us for all of February. And we are
now back with her witty & sweet answers. So, read-on.

1.
Peter: Laura, what’s your take on the Amazon’s Kindle 2? How exactly
will it revolutionize the way we read books? Would you go for it?

Laura:
I do love the aesthetics, the packaging and the intent, but I am still
a fan of cracking open an actual book, the cover art, the feel and
smell of the pages and the concept of “curling up with a good book” as
opposed to “curling up with a Kindle,” so at this time, I’m not going
to purchase one. Of course, my age could have something to do with my
reluctance.

2. Jennifer: How is it like being
associated with Chiat? Which advertising campaign, overall, you find
the most inspiring and why?

Laura:
Aving worked at several reputable agencies over the past 24 years,
being associated with Chiat was not much different from being
associated with other ad agencies. I’m hired to come up with creative,
effective and memorable ways to build brands or move product,
regardless of the agency. What Chiat has over other agencies
is that more people worldwide may be familiar with it, it’s reputation
for consistently creative work is well-earned and that they have an
incredibly cool building in Los Angeles.

In regards to what
advertising campaign I find the most inspiring and why? I honestly
cannot name just one, I’m too close to the industry and too familiar
with the intricacies that go into that form of communication. Most
campaigns have their merits and some… well, some don’t have any.

3. Morgan: How did you decide on your blog’s title, “If it’s hip, it’s here?” Isn’t it too long a title for a blog?

Laura:
Well, I did violate 2 major rules when it came to naming the blog.
First is “if you have to say it’s hip, then it’s not” and the second is
the length of the name. However, I wanted to be very clear about the
fact that my blog would be a place where one could find what is in
style regardless of design discipline. The name had to encompass
everything from fashion and art to marketing trends and luxury items,
so I figured a title that was a literal explanation of the blog would
leave no confusion as to content.

With bookmarking, shortened
URLs and “smart” computers, finding and remembering the blog name seems
to be easy enough, despite the long name.

Lastly, the name is also such a bold and brazen statement that it keeps me on my toes to live up to it.

4. Marc: What’s that greatest learning experience you would like to share with our readers from your exposure to art?

Laura:
Oh my, that’s quite a question. I was formally schooled in art, having
received both a fine art and an art history degree from the University
of California at Berkeley, and that gives me a knowledgeable background
and countless references. But, to sum it up, I suppose the greatest
learning experience is that anything can be art and anyone can be an
artist, it’s really just any form of personal expression.

5. Dustin: What strategies have you adopted to make “If it’s hip, it’s here” a brand? What do you think gave you an edge over so many other design blogs?

Laura:
To build a brand – at least online - I incorporated the usual SEO
strategies and have stayed consistent with name and logo. Building a
following on the social shopping site, thisnext.com also helped to
introduce the blog brand to many readers and added to my credibility.
Creating a Facebook group and building a Twitter following certainly
didn’t hurt.

Of course, content is crucial in building an audience and one way I differentiate IIHIH
from other blogs is that I almost always include an informative
background and many pictures, whereas most blogs just show images or
include a link for more info. I try to give my readers what they need
without having to travel to another site. I have received lots of
emails that tell me how much people like the information and research
in addition to the subjects and imagery.

6. John:
Laura, while creative geniuses like you are busy finding new ways to
connect with the consumers, on the other hand, technological
advancements, like the DVR, are hell-bent on killing the ads. Do you
think that advertising will survive in the digital age where users will
be more and more powerful?

Laura: I think advertising will always survive.
There will always be the desire from a manufacturer, company or
distributor to promote their product or service, the difference will be
how they reach their audience and who is delivering the message. More
and more consumers promote products on social shopping networks and
blogs and savvy marketers have already picked up on this. It’s simply a
different form of advertising.

Where the money is spent is
changing. For instance, less money is being put into TV advertising
these days and more is being put into web videos, creating media rich
banners, micro sites and other tantalizing ways to attract consumers.
Advertising will always be around, it just needs to morph into the most
effective form.

7. Suzanne: Which advertising trends you think would rule in the coming days?

Laura:
I do believe that as we continue to learn how people utilize the web
and share information, advertising communication will adapt itself to
that particular media. Marketers and brand strategists are smart enough
to see where people are going for their information and to find ways to
communicate within those venues.

8. Sam: In what ways
you would love to leave your mark or continue to leave your mark on the
ever shifting creative field you’re involved into?

Laura: I’d love to be the next Faith Popcorn, to have a syndicated column and write a book or two.

9. Team: Your views on Bornrich & Instablogs network?

Laura:
Well, obviously I’m a fan and have been reading Bornrich for years. Any
hub that encourages user generated content as well as having
informative global news is of value to me.

RAPIDFIRE ROUND:-

1). Four lifestyle trends that you have stopped following during recession?

Laura: None. I believe the recession, like those
in history, is temporary and I continue to blog about luxury items as
well as outrageously expensive art because people still enjoy reading
about it- maybe now, even more since it’s so out of reach for so many.
If the site were an e-commerce site, then obviously, the content would
change.

2). Your take on weblogs award:
a. they suck b. they rule?

Laura: Wow, both statements are so bold. Can I choose C? lol.

3). Designer you appreciate a lot:
a. Philiipe Starck b. Karim Rashid c. Ross lovegrove d. other?

Laura: I have to add e. All of the above.

4. Where do you get news from?

Laura: Google alerts, foreign magazines, newspapers, newsletters and news sites, basically anything and everything.

5. Describe your “style.”

Laura: My personal style varies from that on the blog.
The style of the blog is really to share what’s going on out there now
in terms of art, design, style, and fashion, whether or not it’s to my
personal liking.

My own style is virtually impossible to sum
up. If I had three homes, one would be decorated as modern classic, one
would be Chinoiserie and French antiques and the third, probably
Japanese minimalist

6. Your favorite online/offline design magazines?

Laura: Well, I have very many! But here’s just a few of my favorites

Offline: Objekt, Wallpaper, Metropolis, Platform, Luerzer’s Archive, Swindle, Communication Arts, Art Forum
Online: Domus, Smashing magazine, Spectrum, PDN, Robb Report, Mac Life

Thanks, Laura for such a wonderful interview. And, we wish you “Good Luck” in all your future endeavors!

Multimedia

01:14 pm | 0 recommendations | 2 comments

Is Your Client Reluctant To Embrace New Media?

3.27.2008

Is Your Client Reluctant To Embrace New Media?

The NY Times has an article by tech writer, David Pogue titled Are You Taking Advantage of Web 2.0?

While it's a very good article (albeit the term 'new media' is really more apt than his use of the term Web 2.0) it may be a little myopic and a touch obvious.

I'd like to add a little insight, if I may.

Given that I've been an Advertising Creative/Art Director for many large ad agencies and clients for over 20 years, and am one of the few over 35 who understands the importance of consumer generated content and new media (and how it works), I feel Pogue's is a good article to share
with hesitant clients.

While he writes about the fact that 'Web 2.0' is a good forum for more human, less structured, often funnycommunications that can introduce to people to previously unknown companies, (like his example of Willitblend.com), or give a humane and credible face to more corporate companies, he didn't mention it is as a part of a larger marketing plan.

I agree that allowing the public to create mash-ups and fun multimedia content will create trust,
goodwill and positive attention. Of course clients get nervous about the potential downside of public forums and blogs. The fear of negative or potentially slanderous comments often keeps them from embracing avenues like You Tube, My Space and Facebook, but, as he pointed out in his own example, consumer generated content can easily be moderated nowadays.

If I may add a few things from personal experience, I've noticed how many large ad agencies do realize the importance of "Web 2.0" or advertising on new media, but don't go about incorporating it properly. Several are quickly trying to staff up their 'interactive departments' and scrambling to hire 'Interactive' Creative Directors. While this is admirable and necessary, they limit themselves to looking at those who have designed many 'hot' websites or won a bunch of
Webbys, without realizing that understanding media and marketing credible messages to consumers isn't a new idea, it's just changed forums.

Sure, it requires manpower, technological resources and the spending of money, but that's always been advertising/PR. Yes, one must hire someone who knows the terminology, the intimidating
acronymns, the glut of web apps and the functionality of the wireless world, but it's still marketing and it still requires well designed and easily comprehensible and navigatable, targeted communication to make a real and long term impact. Since most clients, and still many consumers, are not completely web savvy, just having a cool site or fun podcasts, favorable comments on social networks, hot videos on You Tube and a Facebook or My Space page is not enough, but it IS essential and should be included in any media plan nowadays.

The very same ad agencies who used to call me in for freelance to work on tv and print ad campaigns or new business pitches are now turning to young hot web designers for their interactive communications without realizing that, although talented at designing flash sites, online animation and cool or funny videos, they often lack an understanding of the big picture of marketing or are too myopic in their understanding of a comprehensive marketing plan. That 'talked about' video on You Tube may get their website a lot of hits and make a company instantly popular, but it must be considered in conjunction with other communications to build a brand that isn't just a flash in the pan. After all, no one is more fickle than a consumer and with the immediacy of online communications, a brand can be hot one week only to 'cool off' in a month.

To wit, many of the large ad agencies are losing work to the new crop of places that call themselves 'interactive' agencies or 'new media' agencies. Microsites for popular and prestigious clients like BMW aren't being designed by the ad agency of record, but instead are being 'farmed out' to these boutique companies filled with talented tech savvy 20 somethings.

While embracing Web 2.0 (or new media) as part of their marketing or PR plan may give a company a more humane, likable and credible image- especially to a younger demographic, the rest of that company's communications to the public, be it via 'old school' forums like magazine, newspaper and television advertising, must also be considered in conjunction with Web 2.0 to fully make a lasting impact.

It behooves any advertising agency to understand the importance of consumer generated content within these new forums as an essential PART of their overall communications for their clients. They need to start by educating their present creatives and clients at to how it works (and it does work) or else they will lose more and more future business to those companies who do embrace Web 2.0 (as defined by David Pogue).

And they can start by reading his article.