Terry Levine | Noggin Advertising | Copywriter | Digital + Direct Writer | Blogging | Toronto | Canada

NOGGIN NOMNOM : BRAINFOOD FOR JUNE 19, 2013

Here are 3 things from Noggin Advertising to make you smarter today:

 

@HARVARDBIZ : DIE PAPER, DIE

We've been putting ink to paper for a few thousand years now and so it makes sense that we still think of digital mediums like smartphones, tablets and computers in paper and page terms. But we need to stop. Karen McGrane, founder of the user experience consultancy Bond Art + Science, writes the page is dead, deal with it: "The future of connected devices is content in 'chunks,' not pages... Content will break free of the page and 'live' in lots of different places."

 

@NERDGRAPH : SHARING IS... EXHAUSTING

The biggest thing you take away from this infographic on the state of social sharing in 2013 is that when we say we're "busy," it's probably because we're spending an inordinate amount of time on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and (allegedly) Google+. (Mea culpa.) We've become a culture of sharers though I'm not convinced carers.

 

#SETHGODIN : QUID PRO ZERO

I've noticed that when I do favors for clients and friends -- passing along a resume, giving an extra round of revisions (or three) for free -- just because it makes me feel good in the moment, not beccause I'm expecting something in return (except a thank you), I tend to get something even bigger in return eventually. In other words, do good because it's right, not because you want something back. (Seth Godin says it way better than I just did, as usual.)

NOGGIN NOMNOM : BRAINFOOD FOR JUNE 11, 2013

Here are 3 things from Noggin Advertising to make you smarter today:

 

@FASTCODESIGN : THE WORLD IS FLAT... AGAIN

I was going to go off here on why this hullabaloo about Apple iOS7's new flatness was a lot of mindless hype. But then I saw the side-by-side comparisons here, and I have to say the old iOS looks instantly dated. Damn you Apple! Damn you to hell!! How did you do it? Well, maybe you just sort of ripped off Google? Think different, eh?

 

#SETHGODIN : EMPTY SLOGANS SINCE 1928

Seth Godin writes: "'AMERICA'S FAVORITE MUSHROOM!' That's what it said on the side of the semi roaring down the highway. Does America even have a favorite mushroom? As in, 'no, I don't want those mushrooms on my pizza... they're not my favorite brand.' Empty slogans, carefully constructed brags, assertions that don't matter—this is not effective marketing."

 

@KASTHOMAS : THE MYTH OF MORE LEGIBLE SERIF FONTS

So, you know how we believed the Catholic Church's "proof" about the earth being flat until someone sort of proved it was full of crap? Or that whites were superior till someone proved that was a lie? Well this story is sort of like that. Ever since I started working in advertising, I've heard the axiom that serif fonts are generally easier to read than sans-serif fonts. Guess what? It's complete and utter BS. And there's proof.

NOGGIN NOMNOM : BRAINFOOD FOR JUNE 6, 2013

Here are 3 things from Noggin Advertising to make you smarter today:

 

@FASTCOCREATE : WHY CAT VIDEOS MATTER

Are cat memes, animated GIFs and the Harlem Shake a waste of time for consumers and the marketers trying to reach them? Abigail Posner, head of strategic planning at Google says maybe not: "It may seem that all we’re doing is just capturing every mundane moment. But look closely. ... [R]esearch showed us that far from distracting us from more serious things, these viral pictures, videos, and memes reconnect us to an essential part of ourselves. And by understanding what’s at the root of our obsession with the visual web, brands can create the kind of content that resonates in today’s culture."

 

@FASTCODESIGN : IMPROVING BY SIMPLIFYING

Irene Etzkorn writes at Co.DESIGN: "There’s a tendency to think of innovation as coming up with the latest gadget or adding new features onto existing ones. But the concept of breakthrough simplicity recognizes that today, the most powerful innovations don’t manifest themselves as new bells and whistles. They take the form of better customer experiences (or patient experiences, or citizen experiences). And one of the best ways to improve any experience is to simplify it--to remove complications, unnecessary layers, hassles, or distractions, while focusing on the essence of what people want and need in that particular situation."

 

@NERDGRAPH : WHY SMALL BUSINESSES FAIL

Here's a great infographic on why most small businesses fail. Among the keys to success: start small, know your market, maintain quality merchandise, listen to customers, market and locate properly, and keep the business focused. Of particular note, I think, is marketing. So often, I see store owners sitting behind a counter in their store, waiting for people to walk in. Lethal. I suspect many small business owners either assume their inventory or services are so great, people will figure it out by osmosis, or they believe marketing and advertising are too expensive. This can be true but doesn't have to be. Something as simple as a sandwich board on the sidewalk or distributing a postcard with a strong offer -- buy one, get one free, bring a friend and get a discount -- can drive traffic, and sales.

CLUELESS CUSTOMER SERVICE

As small business owners, my partner and I take pride in the service we offer our customers -- not just the copywriting and art direction work we do, but the stuff that falls under "respect" and "building relationships."

We never submit work late.

We never present less than requested.

We make strategic suggestions where possible.

If the work done is significantly less than estimated, we discount it.

We try to be accommodating with deadlines and meeting times.

We pay our vendors on time, and usually immediately, even if we haven't been paid ourselves.

We say thank you.

Most of our clients, we're happy to say, are stellar. They love our work, they're apologetic when things go wrong on their end or need to be turned around faster than is realistic, they pass our agency's name around and they come back again and again.

But then there are the clueless ones. The ones who show up late or don't offer you a glass of water in a two-hour meeting. The ones who get angry at you for their own incompetence. The ones who never show appreciation, don't return calls or emails unless they need something from you, or say thanks. And the ones who don't pay on time -- strike that -- the ones who ask you to resend the invoice twice, take six months to pay and don't have the courtesy to apologize.

When we first started out on our own, we heard a lot of horror stories from other business owners about how tough it is out there. It's true, there can be dry spells but it's not really that tough. It simply requires doing a great job, being open and transparent, showing respect for your customers, your employees, your vendors, and whenever humanly possible saying thank you.

In short, it simply demands being a civilized human being.

 

NOGGIN NOMNOM : BRAINFOOD FOR JUNE 5, 2013

Here are 3 things from Noggin Advertising to make you smarter today:

 

#SETHGODIN : REVENGE ISN'T SWEET

The always wise Seth Godin says you should stop trying to teach people a lesson: "What you're actually doing is diverting yourself from your path as well as ruining your day in a quixotic quest for fairness, fairness you're unlikely to find... The real tragedy of the person who dumps on you is that you pay twice. The second time is when you get bent out of shape trying to get even."

 

@FASTCODESIGN : IMPROVING BY SIMPLIFYING

Irene Etzkorn writes at Co.DESIGN: "There’s a tendency to think of innovation as coming up with the latest gadget or adding new features onto existing ones. But the concept of breakthrough simplicity recognizes that today, the most powerful innovations don’t manifest themselves as new bells and whistles. They take the form of better customer experiences (or patient experiences, or citizen experiences). And one of the best ways to improve any experience is to simplify it--to remove complications, unnecessary layers, hassles, or distractions, while focusing on the essence of what people want and need in that particular situation."

 

@VISUALLY : WHAT YOUR PROFILE PIC SAYS ABOUT YOU

You could say that, thanks to Facebook and Instagram, selfie pics are officially out of control. I have some social media friends that post nothing but themselves with the same expression and different background. It's about as interesting as Kristen Stewart's many moods. This all raises an interesting question: what does your online profile photo say about the kind of person you are? It's not pretty.

NOGGIN NOMNOM : BRAINFOOD FOR JUNE 2, 2013

Here are 3 things from Noggin Advertising to make you smarter today:

 

@HARVARDBIZ : IGNORING MOBILE USERS

Some 50 percent of teen smartphone owners say they use the internet mostly on their cell phone, and 40 percent of people with an annual household income lower than $30,000 are also more likely to rely on their mobile devices for online access. The message? Marketers shouldn't assume that the bulk of customers will interact with brands via PC or that a mobile experience doesn't have to be as rich.

 

@JLDMORRIS : THE SHIT WE EAT

I thought while I was reading Fast Food Nation, that I'd never eat another hamburger again. (I was wrong.) I'm not sure how effective gross facts about the food we eat actually get us to stop eating it, but it's still interesting to read and Joseph Morris' video is so darn cute -- albeit the aforementioned gross.

 

#FITNESS : GET OFF YOUR ASS

No time to work out because you only have three hours to sit in front of the TV tonight? Here's a chart that should help you get off your tuchas pronto.