http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/ A Full Service Advertising Agency In Southern California's Inland Empire en marian@echo-factory.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-11T18:20:14+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/hanging_out_at_lightfair/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/hanging_out_at_lightfair/#When:19:20:14Z This week, most of the office has been in Las Vegas for LIGHTFAIR International, the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference. Our friends at [P2] talking with LIGHTFAIR attendeesThis week, most of the office has been in Las Vegas for LIGHTFAIR® International, the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference. You may not have heard of LIGHTFAIR, but in the lighting industry, it’s a really big deal. There are approximately 475 exhibitor booths, all showing off the latest and greatest lighting products and the technology behind those products. So, what are we doing at LIGHTFAIR? Supporting two of our favorite clients (and friends), Precision-Paragon [P2] and NALMCO. [P2] is an energy-efficient lighting manufacturer and NALMCO is a trade association for lighting management companies. To help both clients get ready for the big event, we had to begin work months ago. We created new tradeshow graphics and materials for both companies. Then, we created ads encouraging people to visit the companies’ booths. We also redesigned LM&M, NALMCO’s trade publication, in time to pass out to LIGHTFAIR attendees.  After all that effort, we just had to come to Vegas and see our work in action. It’s been a great trip – both companies have gotten a lot of traffic to their booths. We’re glad [P2] and NALMCO did so well at LIGHTFAIR. They’re great companies with great people. We’re just happy we get to help promote them. 2012-05-11T19:20:14+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/in_the_studio_with_troy_lee/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/in_the_studio_with_troy_lee/#When:23:23:54Z Over the past few weeks, we’ve been in the studio shooting bright colored helmets, gear and clothing – all made by one company, Troy Lee Designs (TLD). Over the past few weeks, we’ve been in the studio shooting bright colored helmets, gear and clothing – all made by one company, Troy Lee Designs (TLD). The Troy Lee 2013 catalog is on the horizon and we’re doing all the photography for it. TLD Model Jamie takes a break to ride motorcycles with us.Working with Troy Lee definitely has its perks. The company’s designs are world-famous – some of the biggest racers wear Troy Lee, and we’ve gotten to meet a lot of them, including Cam Zink, Cole Seely and Christian Craig. When we’re not taking pics of the pros, we get to take pics of models. C’mon, who doesn’t want to hang out with models, especially athletic Troy Lee models? They’re just so darn good looking, you can’t help but like them. When a professional model can’t make it, we get to step in. Both Carl and Mustafa have posed for Troy Lee. Of course, Carl’s full body shots look great but even we have to admit Mustafa’s hands look pretty sexy in Troy Lee gloves. Then, there’s the products. We get to see TLD’s new line of helmets and gear before anyone else. And, we get a sweet discount on all the merchandise at the TLD store. We couldn’t ask for a better client than Troy Lee. Not only do we share their passion for bikes and innovative design, we also appreciate their love for Chipotle and late-night poker games. We’re just happy they like working with us too. If waiting for the catalog seems to much to bear, check out TLD’s 2012 products now. 2012-05-10T23:23:54+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/Dea_Goldsmith_Echo_Creative_Director_Fearless/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/Dea_Goldsmith_Echo_Creative_Director_Fearless/#When:23:22:19Z If you know our creative director, Dea Goldsmith, you’re probably aware she’s a bit of a bad-ass. The story we’re about to tell provides solid gold proof. Part of Dea’s Get Well Card If you know our creative director, Dea Goldsmith, you’re probably aware she’s a bit of a bad-ass. The story we’re about to tell provides solid gold proof. Now, Dea loves being outdoors. When she’s not at the agency, she can usually be found biking, running, hiking and climbing. And, we have to admit, she’s pretty good at all of them. Two Saturdays ago, she and her husband, Mark, went out for a climb, something they do most weekends. Things were going really well; it was a beautiful day, sunny, not too hot. Then, while trying to find the next foot hold, Dea fell 10 ft., and broke her right ankle on a rock jutting out from the mountain. So, there Dea is, out in the middle of nowhere, with a double compound fracture. We should also mention her ankle bone shattered. Mark calls for help, but they’re in the mountains so their exact location is hard to find. After two hours, a helicopter finds them and not one, but two female search and rescue pilots (come on, how often does that happen?) create a splint for Dea’s ankle made from tree branches and tape. Knowing Dea will appreciate how cool this is later, Mark takes pictures of the splint. By the time they get Dea into the chopper, another hour has passed. They finally get her to Kaiser Permanente in Fontana. By Monday morning, she’s already had one surgery and is waiting on another one. The first surgery put the bone back in place, the second scrubbed the bone in order to remove any bacteria and bone fragments. Since Dea was in the hospital, we all put our creative caps on for a get well gift. After brainstorming quite a bit, we decided to replicate the accident via a huge 3D get well card (way better than flowers in our opinion). If there’s one thing we’ve learned from all this, it’s that Dea’s a trooper. When we went to visit her in the hospital, she looked great – she even managed to make pajama pants and an ace bandage look fashionable. Both surgeries went well and she’s been released from the hospital. She’s now at home recovering and designing like crazy. All good karma, thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery are appreciated. 2012-05-04T23:22:19+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/fun_office_equals_more_creativity/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/fun_office_equals_more_creativity/#When:21:46:07Z If you want creative (and productive) employees, you need a fun work environment. But, how do you make your office more fun? If you want creative (and productive) employees, you need a fun work environment. This applies to all companies, no matter what industry you’re in. Ad agencies often try to make work life more fun than other companies, perhaps, because creativity is our business. Even Hollywood thinks ad agencies are cool places to work – just think of how many movies you’ve seen where the star worked in advertising: Boomerang, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Kramer vs. Kramer, What Women Want, etc. And, let’s not even get started on AMC’s Mad Men, an entire show dedicated to the ad industry and the people who work in it. So, how do you make your office more fun? Give Creative Breaks In a study of 300 Australian workers, researchers found that short breaks during the work day make a person up to 9% more productive. At Echo, we usually take breaks together. Someone will yell “Skate Break” and we’ll all grab our skateboards and run out to the parking lot. Now, thanks to Ray, we’ve added motorcycles to the break.  Surround Yourself With Cool Stuff Give your employees freedom to decorate their work area however they want. This small thing leads to greater motivation and job satisfaction. In our agency, we draw on the walls, keep toys on our desks and make sure the latest creative magazines are around for inspiration.  Share Offices Sharing work space makes it easier to collaborate on projects and brings your team closer together. Peek into any of our offices and you’re sure to find a mini brainstorming session in progress. When we’re not thinking about work, we’re having deep philosophical discussions about sports and TV, specifically really bad TV like Glee and Shahs of Sunset. Get a Creative Box Yeah, we know, you’re supposed to think outside the box. But, it’s important to have a place where people can share and store ideas and content that inspires them. Our box is completely digital so there’s plenty of room for everyone’s stuff.  Laugh Take time to share jokes, videos, images, websites and anything else that makes you laugh out loud. Here, we let people know we have a sense of humor from the start. Just call our office and ask to listen to our on hold message, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. However you make your office fun, be sure it’s something your employees find fun too. The goal is to turn your company into a place where everyone wants to be. 2012-04-27T21:46:07+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/how_media_works/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/how_media_works/#When:23:27:22Z If you’re not in the ad business, you probably don’t know a lot about media planning and buying. You may even have some misconceptions about how media works. So, let’s clear some of those misconceptions up. Fact. Coffee and media go well together.If you’re not in the ad business, you probably don’t know a lot about media planning and buying. You may even have some misconceptions about how media works. So, let’s clear some of those misconceptions up. Myth #1 I don’t need an ad agency to create a media strategy. If you don’t know what terms like CPP and CPM stand for, you probably don’t belong planning and buying your own media. An agency can help you identify the most effective media for your campaign. At Echo-Factory, we research which media vehicles are right for your target audience, then develop a plan that will provide maximum exposure for your campaign. Myth #2 I can’t afford an ad agency.  The truth is, you can. When an agency buys media for you, you usually pay what’s called a gross rate for the ad(s). The media outlet then pays the agency a 15% commission for the buy and keeps the rest. Sure, some media outlets may say they’re giving you the net rate or “agency rate” and maybe they are. However, they’re most likely getting that money back by gouging you on the actual cost of the ad(s). That’s why it’s best to let an agency make the buy. Agencies know what you should be paying for an ad versus what the media outlet is charging (see Myth #3).  Myth #3 I can get the same deals that an ad agency can. If an agency manages your media buys, you’ll often pay less for ads than if you handle the buys on your own. Agencies usually have long-standing relationships with media outlets, relationships that allow them to negotiate for the best price and get added value. For example, when we negotiate a radio buy for a client, not only do we get them a lower price per spot, but we’re usually able to get that client extra spots, on-air mentions, live remotes or a tie-in with the station’s latest contest or promotion. All these extras help draw more attention to your campaign and don’t cost you anything beyond the cost of the spot(s). Myth #4 My ad will turn out just as good if I let the media outlet create it. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for in advertising. Thus, if the media outlet offers to do your creative for free, chances are you’re going to get a poorly executed ad.  A bad ad relects poorly on your brand which is the opposite of what you want your advertising to do. If you have to cheap out on something, don’t make it the creative. Hire an ad agency that will provide you with a creative, well-executed ad based on a sound strategy. Trust me, it’s worth paying a little extra for an ad that makes your brand look its best. If you have any questions about media that didn’t get cleared up here, give us a call. We’d love to talk with you. 2012-04-20T23:27:22+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/marketing_companies_pinterest/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/marketing_companies_pinterest/#When:21:33:07Z You’ve probably been hearing a lot about the new social networking site, Pinterest. For many companies, Pinterest represents a great opportunity to introduce your products/services to people who may never have seen them before. It’s also a good way to find out what people find interesting about your company and its offerings. Follow us on PinterestYou’ve probably been hearing a lot about the new social networking site, Pinterest. Tons of people and brands are hopping on the Pinterest bandwagon – the site now has over 11 million users and the number just keeps growing. For many companies, Pinterest represents a great opportunity to introduce your products/services to people who may never have seen them before. It’s also a good way to find out what people find interesting about your company and its offerings. And, even though big companies are creating buzz on Pinterest, small companies are starting to see big results too. For instance, through Pinterest, a landscape architecture firm based in Calimesa, CA has attracted 30,000 more visitors to its site each month. Another company, The Wedding Chicks LLC, says Pinterest is the reason it earned an estimated $540,000 in revenue last year compared to $340,000 in 2010. Amy Squires, The Wedding Chicks co-founder, also says that Pinterest is better at driving traffic to their website than Facebook and Twitter.  Whatever the size of your company, here a few tips to help you get results from Pinterest. #1 Don’t pin directly to Pinterest. Post content on your website and then pin it. By doing it this way, the content will link back to your site which can help increase your site traffic. And, to get people who visit your site to follow you on Pinterest, put a Pinterest follow button on your website.  #2 Be specific in the About section and on your boards, i.e. if you’re a Rancho Cucamonga bike shop that sells discount bikes and gear, put that in your description. Then, name your boards using the products/services you offer such as sweet mountain bikes or neon bike jerseys. #3 Blend in. Act more like a person, instead of a company. Don’t force your products or services on people, just share interesting, relevant images and videos and let potential customers come to you. #4 Look at which companies are successful on Pinterest, i.e. the ones whose content is constantly being repinned and liked. Then, see if any of their strategies will fit with your content. #5 Get on the waiting list for Pinerly, a new analytical tool that allows you to measure how effective your pins are. If you have a few extra minutes this afternoon, request an invite to Pinterest. It’s one of the easiest ways you can attract lots of attention for your company and boost traffic to your site. 2012-04-13T21:33:07+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/creative_outlets_make_us_more_creative/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/creative_outlets_make_us_more_creative/#When:18:30:48Z At Echo-Factory, we all have creative outlets – activities that allow us to express our creativity freely without rules, billable hours or time constraints. Here’s the creative stuff we do when we’re not at work. At Echo-Factory, we all have creative outlets – activities that allow us to express our creativity freely without rules, billable hours or time constraints. Creative outlets provide inspiration, helping you come up with new ideas or put a fresh spin on old ones. The more creative you are outside of the office, the easier it becomes to be creative while on the job.  Carl, Mustafa & Mike – Echo’s Favorite Boy BandHere’s the creative stuff we do when we’re not at work. Dea designs jewelry from natural and found materials. Making jewelry started out as a hobby for her, but it’s become a lucrative endeavor. Her jewelry was picked up by Indigo Art Gallery in New Mexico last year and has been flying out of display cases ever since. Mike’s hobby also turned profitable. He began taking photos at an early age and eventually started his own photography studio. But, his expertise doesn’t stop with the camera. He’s also really good at taking embarrassing shots of others on his iPhone. Well, to be fair, it’s only embarrassing if you’re the one in the picture. Ray’s a bit of a photographer himself. He takes pictures of wildlife, abandoned homesteads and other scenery when he rides through the California desert on his dirt bike.  Mustafa spends most of his free time trying to make it big in Hollywood. He’s actually come close – he almost landed a role on Entourage a few years back. He’d like you to know he’s available for autographs anytime. Then, there’s Andrew who’s writing the next great American novel. He won’t tell us what the story’s about but we have a feeling dragons will play a huge part. Denise is addicted to Draw Something, a mobile app that lets you show off your verbal and artistic skills in order to beat your friends. If she ever asks you to play, don’t. Trust us when we say you’ll only get hurt. And, though Carl’s our agency’s version of the Hulk, he’s got the soul of an artist. He paints, draws and works on large-scale mixed media projects. Roni likes to get together with her girlfriends and knit. We keep hoping she’ll knit scarves for the whole office. So far that hasn’t happened. As for me, I’ve been writing comedic monologues about life in the South versus life in California. It’s a good way to laugh at myself. For instance, I thought macaroni and cheese was a vegetable until I moved here. Frightening? Yes. But, also pretty damn funny. If you don’t already have a creative outlet, think about getting one. It will make you think more creatively, and any job can benefit from more of that. 2012-04-06T18:30:48+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/building_trust_in_your_brand/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/building_trust_in_your_brand/#When:22:30:52Z Getting people to trust your brand is critical to your company’s success. But, how do you build trust? According to a new study, five values influence brand trust. See how you measure up. Getting people to trust your brand is critical to your company’s success. But, how do you build trust? According to a study of 1,220 U.S. consumers conducted by The Values Institute, the following five values influence brand trust. See how you measure up. Ability – This speaks to both your performance as a company and the performance of your product(s) or service(s). Can you produce the results you say you can? Will your product/service perform as promised? In order to succeed, you have to think of a customer-business relationship like any other relationship which means don’t make promises you can’t keep. Concern – Whether it’s by providing exceptional customer service or giving customers freebies now and then as a thank you for doing business with you, it helps to know you care. The same goes for your employees. Remember how upset people were when they found out Apple’s factories in China had poor working conditions? Most people value human lives over products, and they want to know that you do too.  Connection – Customers want to do business with companies that value the same things they do. As a company, it’s up to you to ensure your values align with your customers. For instance, if your customers value customization, make sure you do everything possible to ensure your offerings can be tailored to fit the customer’s needs. Consistency – This is the one time where it’s good to be predictable. Customers need to be able to trust that you can produce the same level of quality and service every time. But, consistency doesn’t just apply to products and services, it applies to every aspect of your business. This is especially true for your marketing. You can use different creative and multiple media, but how you talk about your brand needs to be the same every time. No exceptions. Sincerity – Be open and honest about everything you do. Share as much information as possible with your customers. Provide a forum for criticism and questions. Make it easy for customers to connect with you either online, in person or by phone. Most importantly, admit your mistakes. People put more faith in a company that admits when it’s wrong and takes steps to correct the problem instead of trying to cover it up. The most successful companies are the ones with a customer-centric approach. By following the values above, you’re putting the customer first which will ultimately build trust in your brand and increase your profits. *To see how Starbucks, Coca-Cola and other top brands measured up on this study, check out the article in the April 2012 issue of Entrepreneur magazine. 2012-03-30T22:30:52+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/use_variety_of_media_not_just_yellow_pages/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/use_variety_of_media_not_just_yellow_pages/#When:22:20:10Z Before this crazy thing called the Internet came along, the Yellow Pages was a necessity. Nowadays, though, people use a variety of media to find products and services, not just the Yellow Pages. So, if you want to attract potential customers, your best bet is to develop a presence in a variety of media. Before this crazy thing called the Internet came along, the Yellow Pages was a necessity. Need a plumber, go to the yellow pages. Pizza delivery? Yellow pages. Nowadays, though, people use a variety of media to find products and services, not just the Yellow Pages. So, if you want to attract potential customers, your best bet is to develop a presence in a variety of media. If you’re spending a lot of money on Yellow Pages advertising, a good portion of that money could be more effectively spent creating and implementing an integrated marketing campaign. With an integrated marketing campaign, you’ll spend money on a range of media. But, since all the media will deliver the same message, you’ll have a better chance of reaching more of your target audience more often. And, research shows that people are more receptive to your message the more times they hear it. Is there room for the Yellow Pages in an integrated marketing campaign? Absolutely. Being in the Yellow Pages won’t hurt your business, but spending all your marketing dollars on the Yellow Pages will. That’s why no matter what your marketing budget, we’ll always encourage a multi-media approach. For instance, let’s say you’re a local company looking to hit 18 to 34 year olds in the Inland Empire. Your media mix might include local TV and radio spots, ads in local newspapers and magazines, press releases distributed to local media outlets, and a strong SEO/pay-per-click campaign to boost your online presence. And, that’s just one example of a multi-media campaign – the possibilities are endless. At Echo-Factory, we’ve created a million different media combinations for clients and we’re coming up with new ones every day. Now, one last thing before we go. Some of you do a lot of co-op advertising, and you’re wondering whether you should give up some of that co-op money and spend more money to market yourself. We say promote yourself. While there’s nothing wrong with co-op advertising, it usually ends up favoring the product and not the company selling it. By spending money to market yourself, you can create a campaign that focuses on you and the story you want to tell potential and existing customers. With your own campaign, you can create a connection with customers and build loyalty for your company, not just the products you sell. In the long run, promoting your own brand will also lead to a greater return on investment. So, if your 2012 marketing plan is just Yellow Pages and co-op advertising, don’t stress. There’s still time to build an integrated marketing campaign that will promote your message and generate sales. Give us a call – we’d be happy to help. 2012-03-23T22:20:10+00:00 http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/developing_your_personal_brand/ http://www.echo-factory.com/blog/comments/developing_your_personal_brand/#When:22:23:24Z This past Wednesday, we got the chance to give a talk about personal branding to the Southern California chapter of Princeton Alumni group. We got to meet some really interesting people and share our thoughts on building an effective personal brand. Ray – Our Personal Branding Tour GuideA few weeks ago, one of our clients, Dr. Karen Sibert, a Princeton alum, invited us to speak at Princeton Global Net Night 2012. For this event, Princeton alumni groups get together in different cities across North America to listen to speakers discuss topics related to the Internet’s effect on the world. Our topic was personal branding. So, this Wednesday, we went to L.A. to meet the Southern California chapter of Princeton Alumni group, and listen to Ray speak about personal branding. We’re really glad we did. We got the chance to meet some very interesting people. For instance, we talked to Dr. Martin Monti, an assistant professor in UCLA’s Cognitive Psychology department, who spends his time studying how the brain processes thoughts, behaviors and emotions. And, we can’t forget Beata Pozniak Daniels, an actress featured in Oliver Stone’s JFK, Babylon 5 and a ton of other American and European films. We also got the chance to hear Ray give an awesome talk on building a personal brand online. The talk was so good even Mike stayed awake to listen to it. If you’re interested in creating your personal brand online, check out what Ray said to the Princeton group. 2012-03-16T22:23:24+00:00