ELVIS IS BACK! (Even Though He Never Really Left)

I couldn't resist seeing the ELVIS movie with Austin Butler and Tom Hanks this past weekend. Being a monster E fan from way back, I wanted to be sure to enjoy the experience on both the big screen and with high quality sound. So what did I think? Well...

The movie was AMAZING. I've only seen bits and pieces of other Baz Luhrmann films to date, but I am genuinely curious to go back and seek them out now. Getting back to ELVIS however, the film was an amazing technical and artistic achievement. I liked and appreciated the attention to visual detail in particular. I've been to Graceland, Sun Studio, the Lansky Brothers store on Beale, and the "International Hotel" in Vegas, and all are recreated here in sumptuous, loving detail. It's hard to believe none of the movie was shot at, or on, any actual actual real-life locations. Set designs were spot on!

Clothes and costumes are all bang on as well. They take you in every instance to the era and years being depicted. ELVIS's jumpsuits are all spot-on accurate as well.

The story itself is interesting, even if not 100% accurate in spots. A lot of this can be attributed by Baz consolidating linear events into storytelling moments that in no way detract or take away from the story being told. I've read that some fans were disconcerted not to have seen depictions of well known figures from Elvis' like. Passing mention is given to Elvis' friends and associates, if that, and no mention is made of Linda Thompson or Ginger Alden at all. That's fine though, given the whole narrative is centered around Elvis's relationship with Colonel Tom Parker, as well as the Colonel's relationship with Elvis' parents to a slightly lesser extent. Another context depicted in the movie is the development of Elvis' style and musical influences, as represented by his exposure to the black community. Recreations of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard and B.B. King are all genuinely exciting and enjoyable to watch.

So what of Austin Butler as the king? Well, that's complex to describe
. While there's a slight physical resemblance, Austin doesn't really look like Elvis. The timber of his speaking voice gets a passing grade, as does his musical recreations. You'll never mistake his singing voice for the real deal, but it's close enough and Austin manages to stay on key throughout. Austin carefully studied and choreographed amazing details, such as how Elvis moved, both on stage and in real life. These movements shifted as Elvis grew older, and again, Austin does a great job of recognizing the poses and structural details of how to compose Elvis' various incarnations. The '68 Comeback and early Vegas performances deserve special mention as they are truly STUNNING. The moves, facial expressions and every other detail has been accurately recreated to such a degree that you almost feel like you are watching documentary and performance outtakes of the king himself! Beyond his efforts to recreate that which so many Elvis fans already know so well, Austin proves himself to be an exceptionally strong actor, able to convey emotions and other critical character elements in an astounding manner. There's little doubt this movie will serve as the springboard for an amazing acting career going forward. Austin's portrayal may, in fact, garner him Oscar recognition. We'll just have to wait and see.

The ending of the movie is kind of a bummer, but never presented in any kind of distasteful or over-the-top manner. In all likelihood, you'll feel somewhat misty eyed knowing what we know. Elvis was nearly three hours long, but it never dragged. Despite the length, you can't take everything that needs to be seen and heard in a single showing. You'll want to see it again. I know I do!

Adam West Turned 88 Years Young Yesterday (And Why This Matters to Me)

Adam West, Created in Adobe Illustrator by Tom Barradas

I grew up as a fan of the Batman TV series. So in love with this show was I, that I routinely defaced every book my parents owned (we're talking hundreds, if not thousands of books here folks) along with walls and every other blank space I could find to render (with permanent crayons no less) crude renderings of the caped crusader (at often true-to-life sizes).

My Mother would buy me these super-thick color newsprint drawing pads, I think in an effort to spare her books and walls, but even that was to no avail. Oh, make no mistake, I loved the drawing pads, but they would typically last only 5-6 minutes as a forum for my creative inclinations. Spying freshly scrubbed walls, out came the crayons again!

To my Mother's great credit, she never tried to discourage my artistic endeavors, though I'm sure she was sorely tempted. Eventually of course, I stopped defacing the house, but my love of drawing never left me and to this day I view those early exploits as the genesis of all my professional creative endeavors.

Blame Batman I say! It wasn't my fault the show was so colorful and captivating.

And to this day, I remain as enamored by the same elements that drew me to the show in the first place. Which brings me to yesterday. Adam West, the only Batman that really matters, turned 88 years old. Not only that, but he's still going strong, with routine appearances on Family Guy, a recent episode of The Big Bang Theory and other programs I'm surely unaware of. Come late October, Batman returns in the form of Adam West (along with original sixties co-stars Burt Ward and Julie Newmar) in an all-new animated feature entitled "The Return of the Caped Crusaders". In anticipation of this monumental event, I will soon be off to the art store to pick up a fresh box of permanent crayons!

Until such time however, Adobe Illustrator provides the canvas for my most immediate artistic inclinations, and with that, I present to you my latest depiction of Adam West.

Measuring the Effectiveness of a Social Media Effort

I’m often asked, how can we measure whether or not our social media efforts are successful? Well, the answer depends on the scope of your expectations and how you choose to evaluate available data. Rare is the occasion where something you post results in a sudden uptick of sales. Of course, it does happen, but really it’s an unusual occurrence. So why bother with social media if you can’t see or measure results in such stark terms? Well, if you look at the history of advertising, clients have been asking the same question since pretty much the dawn of the medium. Yes, every now and then a campaign can result in a surge of sales, but that’s not the norm, and even in such instances, short-term success is often fleeting - disappointingly ineffectual when looked at through a long-term lens.

Have you ever asked yourself why when you go to buy toothpaste, you (if you’re like most people) are most likely to choose a brand you’re already familiar with? Well, there can be several reasons of course, but one of the reasons you can likely exclude is the result of any one particular advertisement. Successful brands simply don’t measure results on short-term timelines (time-sensitive campaigns excepted of course - such a sale or some other kind of limited offer). Of more value to those in the know is storing brand details in people’s subconscious. So when you go to buy that tube of toothpaste, you don’t necessarily think of any one advertisement, but your subconscious familiarity with the brand preordains your choice.

Social media, when working well, functions in much the same way. Yes, a killer post every now and then has value for sure, but of more importance is making sure that posts are frequent, generally interesting and engaging as possible. To the latter point, don’t be afraid of incorporating a little controversy or flirting with an alternative point-of-view, but that in itself is a topic for another day. The idea is to create engagement, because engagement functions in the part of the brain where the subconscious resides. If you’re successful, then your brand of toothpaste is what’s going into into the shopping basket.

When asked to measure the success of a social media effort or campaign, there are various quantifiable methods to look at. Analytics will tell you a lot, as will information relating to the degree of participation from your target audience (ex. comments, replies, follows, likes, surveys, etc.), but in and of itself, none of this information is a singularly reliable method to ultimately determine whether (or not) your social media efforts are worthwhile. Indeed, the only way to measure the success (or failure) of your efforts is to look at the collective results. What I’ve found (stats guys hate this) is that the measure of success is sometimes best evaluated via your “gut”. Oft times, it’s a feeling you get analyzing not just the statistical results of a campaign, but by measuring the mood and tone of the audience response. It’s sometimes hard to connect those dots to sales, but rest assured that if you’re doing your job and creating a positive level of engagement, then those sales are going to happen - maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week - but they’re going to happen. Bank on it. Temper your expectations with what long time advertisers learned a long time ago – that it is best to measure success not on a minute-by-minute basis – but on a scale that takes a longer view of the big picture. That point of view will tell you more-so than any kind of analytics assessment whether your social media efforts are worthwhile or not.

The Power of Visual Marketing Cannot be Underestimated

I’m often asked, “Tom, how can we be more effective with our social media efforts?”. Hearing this, a bunch of answers spring immediately to mind. While all are valid, one in particular stands out to such a degree that all of those answers collectively pale by comparison.

It’s tricky sometimes decipher the marketing lingo of 2016. Everywhere you look, people are talking about “influencer marketing”, “inbound marketing”, “outbound marketing”, “content marketing”, “viral marketing”, “mobile marketing”, “guerrilla marketing”, etc., etc.

Throw in a mix of advertising terminology, such as “Native”, “Disruptive”, “Programmatic” and… well, you get the picture. It’s enough to make your head spin.

Oganizations and businesses that I talk to seem perpetually in search of a singular answer that will result in instant overnight success. I have to shake my head.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that these subgenres are in any way meaningless. In fact, all of them are worthy to one extent or another. The degree of worthiness however is always in question and is an element very much linked to the organization and type of business, as well as the products and services being offered. In the days and weeks to come, I’ll talk more about many of these, but from an immediate and practical perspective, how should one move forward to create a more effective social media campaign?

Well, the short and sweet answer to that is simple. Incorporate “visual marketing” into the mix. Not just once or twice, but constantly. Use visuals to attract attention. They could be photos, diagrams, illustrations, even animation and video. All work as eye-catching tools to draw attention to your message. Now the best visuals actually go beyond. I’m talking about infographics. Infographics are a fun, but highly effective way to describe processes. They can be simple or they can be complex, but either way, they serve to attract attention and, if done right, tell a story. And that story is your opportunity to engage with the audience you seek.

Companies that utilize visuals in their social media and marketing efforts engage more profoundly and more frequently with their target audience. In turn, that generates demand - demand for the products and services you have to offer, but also demand for more stories and more engagement.

I can point to several studies that verify all that I say here, but for me, having worked in the field of advertising for over twenty years, and as a still avid consumer who (like so many of you I’m sure) spends way too much time on my smartphone, I know these principles to be true. I’ve seen first hand, time and time again, how social media visitors (typically) react to content. An exquisitely written chronicle will generate a reaction to be sure. Likely, you’ll get a few shares and quite possibly attract more followers. But complement that message with a colorful piece of visual ephemera, and stand back! What I have seen over and over again is an immediate increase in resonancy and anywhere from a 10 to 100-fold boost in terms of shares, in turn generating an exponential response and increased audience for your message.

The long and short of it is, people like pictures. The more colorful and attractive they are, the better. When they tell a story, well that’s a bonus. When the pictures connect, using humor, logic, empathy, cuteness or whatever, you have successfully forged a path that with proper and ongoing care can serve as a means to sell more products and services.

There are a lot of different ways to employ marketing methodology, but none that I’ve yet seen that hold a candle to the power of visual marketing in its purest form.

Social Media Videos: We Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet!

Video is all the rage in social media.

Yes, we’ve always been able to post links to videos, but that’s not the real issue. The issue is the definition of the word video, at least in a social media and social networking context.

Video, to social media audiences, is live and in-the-moment. After the moment has passed, forget about it. We’re talking yesterday’s news. Call it what you will, but for all intents and purposes, it’s over. Done like dinner. Time to move on. And move on they do, to the next live video. Repeat ad infinitum.

There are many reasons for this.

First of all, the cost of producing live videos and the technology to deliver them has morphed from forget-about-it to what-am-I-waiting-for. Not long ago, I had to look into streaming options for a medical conference. Instinctively, my first calls were directed to video producers, all very agreeable, and sadly all-too-expensive. Desperate for alternatives, I began to look at social-media options such as Periscope and Snapchat. Being somewhat of a traditionalist, I was at first mortified by the quality of what would be generated (we’re talking video shot by the camera in your smartphone after all). I was also discouraged by the fact that, in the case of Periscope for example, the recordings could not easily be archived – fading away after 48 hours, never to be seen again.

Before folding the tent however, a colleague convinced me to look at Facebook Live. Facebook Live is not fully implemented on the Canadian side of the border as yet, but the technology is more-or-less in place. I could broadcast our recording live, make it accessible as a link in our Facebook timeline and then leave the links as archived recordings for later viewing.

It was decided. The conference proceeded and Facebook Live was used to capture it.

Now don’t get me wrong. What we shot was no Hollywood-production for sure. We set the phone up on a little stand. Conference visitors walked in and out of the view constantly. The video was grainy and totally amateur. After the event, I braced for what I thought would be harsh words and hysterical laughter. Surprisingly however, none of that happened. In fact, several of the viewers who watched the event on Facebook had nothing but words of thanks for making the event available to them. Wow.

What did I learn from this experience?

First of all, videos broadcast in a social media context do not have to be award winning productions. Far more important to the audience is the ability to experience and interact with an event in real-time (seen visually in the form of floating emojis and short captions). It can even be said that monitoring other people’s reactions to an event is in many instances as entertaining as the event itself.

I also learned that for social media audiences, yesterday’s broadcasts are of little interest. Oh sure, some events definitely need to be recorded and saved for posterity, and in those instances one shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to a professional videographer. But for most, interest levels are piqued during an actual broadcast. Tomorrow, or even five minutes from now, some other live event is going to be more of a draw. To hold attention in this new reality, you simply have to keep broadcasting.

For brand managers and advertisers, this is especially profound.

Ramp up your communications productivity or be forever cast to the wastelands.

Facebook, who I previously mentioned was still in the process of ramping up its video strategy, has been particularly provocative of late. They see the whole issue of live video as being in the beginning stages. They feel, and who are we to argue, that live video will soon become the dominant messaging medium in the social media world. In five years they say, video will completely replace the written word. It’s all very mind-boggling, but likely true. If one is inclined to apply Moore’s law, chances are the wholesale migration to live video will take place even sooner.  

The Growth of Ad Blocking Software

It’s estimated that roughly two-hundred million people use online ad blocking software of one sort or another. Factor in those using their phones to access the internet, and the figure is even higher.

In the interests of transparency for this article, I must first admit that I use AdBlock Plus and have been for over seven years. Considering that I work in the advertising field and am a long-time admirer of advertising vehicles in all their forms (print, video, audio, etc.), I may come across as somewhat hypocritical and yet ad blocking plugins remain rigidly installed as part of my browser plug-in portfolio to this day.

Do I have mixed feelings about this? Yes and no.

Those of us with any appreciation of advertising history will know that advertising is hard work. Anybody can say pretty-much anything they want about anything, but to do it in such a way that really resonates with an audience and convinces them to buy whatever it is you or your client is trying to sell is really challenging and always has been.

For those who know what they’re doing, creativity is the key. Words, pictures, sounds… all are part of the essential toolset that established advertising professionals use to communicate.

In today’s world however, creativity (while still somewhat important), has increasingly taken a back-seat to ads that are boorish, easy-to-produce, non-relevant and forgettable at best - annoying at their worst.

Hence the development, onset and popularity of ad blocking software.

Amongst those who sponsor or publish web content, this has led to much consternation, anger and hand-wringing. Without the revenues associated with advertising, there’s a very real prospect of their business models evaporating. The anguish is palpable. What’s to be done?

Well, as I read more and more of their responses, I confess to utter disbelief.

Many web entities have recently taken to disabling user’s access to their site content upon detection of ad blocking software. I just read for example that Yahoo Mail has chosen to lock-out users unless they disable the ad blocking software from inhibiting their website. Wow. All this does is create anger, and worse compel users to seek out alternatives - of which there are plenty.

There are many more examples such as this. Newspaper sites are particularly bad. “Turn off your ad blocker or you can’t have access” is a recurring theme. The conceit here is that what they’re offering is only available via their source and is so exclusive and desirable that you will concede. Fail!

Like I said, I’m in the advertising business, and yet I feel little to no sympathy for most of my colleagues in this space. They’re lazy, uncreative and unmotivated. Maybe they are undervalued by those that hire them. I wouldn’t doubt it.

So that all said, am I a hypocritical anti-advertising zealot? Hell no! In fact, I want to see more advertising - good for my clients and certainly good for me. But in order to push this agenda, advertising producers and the clients that hire them must aspire to produce advertising that is topical, interesting and inviting. Ads must be creative for sure, but placement must be topical and technically unobtrusive. In every instance where online advertising fails, it’s usually not that difficult to see the why, where and how. In the worst of these examples, it’s also easy to understand the allure of ad blocking software.

Threatening or blocking users isn’t the way to engage them. Engaging them is. When that’s been achieved, people will gladly disable their ad blocking software. Until such time however, it’s just not going to happen.