Brilliant though Google and other search engines are at bringing some level of sense and order to the billions of web pages out there, they all still rely almost completely on our ability to look for something in the right way. Keywords are really that - KEY!

Luckily as the amount of content online grows so does the average level of skill of people using search engines. Two years ago the average number of keywords entered into Google’s search field was not much more than 1.5, today it is more like 3.0. We are being more specific when we search which is a good thing - finding a million or more results is hardly a badge of honour now is it?

In spite of this there remains the ‘Did you mean?‘ problem or the ‘Did we mean?‘ problem as I would describe it.

As an agency advising our clients on SEO or search engine optimisation one of the toughest tasks is convincing businesses to think like customers and ensure the way they write about themselves online does likewise. By all means ‘build it’ but they won’t be coming unless the way you talk matches the way they search!

Take Last Exit and PaperVision for example. We are a Papervision3D agency and would like to be found as such when potential clients search for this kind of service online. Because PaperVision is a new technology however the challenge is to make sure we talk about it in the right ways. The correct description for this Flash plug-in is PaperVision3D but a quick check within Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool reveals a whole host of ways people are looking for it - papervision 3d, paper vision 3d or even pay per vision 3d are all commonly used. 

This wouldn’t be a problem but as I say above search engines rely on keywords in a very exact way. Try it yourself - a query of ‘paper vision 3d agency‘ will deliver very different results to one of ‘papervision3d agency‘ regardless of the fact both may be intended to find an agency supplying PaperVision3D.

Granted this all sounds very anal indeed but the truth is that Google and the other search engines are very anal indeed! Words, and the exact way they are used, are all they have to go on when routing that important query of yours to a handful of those 3 billion web pages!

The solution is writing for the web, making frequent reference to important keywords, and writing like the customers you want to attract would ask for you.

The solution is really not rocket-science, or should that be rocket science!

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Pete Blackshaw of Planetfeedback.com, wrote in AdAge today a (self serving, yes) article about consumer feedback, or rather the lack of it.  Here’s a snippet:

I wonder if we’re afflicted with service schizophrenia. Take a mega brand such as McDonald’s, which aggressively spends billions to position itself around ease, convenience and service (e.g. “We make you smile”). The company practically hides the most basic of contact forms on its website. Further adding to the disconnect, the company’s comments-rich corporate blog is called “Open for Discussion.”

From the point of view of a design agency, these forms are, for the most part, blown off, left until last and pretty much standard.  The sub-conscious assertion being that if someone really wants to contact us, they will.  Most forms are pretty simple simple and easy to use but yes, definitely uninviting and if you’re a brand projecting an open door philosophy, this could be detrimental to your cause.  Worse still are customer service telephone lines.  These seem to be designed to frustrate and often cause extreme anger as you are constantly passed from department to department and required time and again to repeat your account details.  OK, we’re not going to go into all that as we don’t have much control apart from suggesting better approach to our clients.

Back to web-based consumer feedback.  After reading this post, I considered one of our recent clients, an Italian motorcycle brand, that prides itself on being very connected to its consumer.  We’re currently in the design production cycle and considering the global community behind this brand, I thought it necessary to review our strategy.  We’re now considering allowing users to upload images, movies and to format their feedback via a rich text editor (much like using word) so our client’s customers can really articulate their message.  I’ll post a link once we’re done.

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As a digital agency, one might think it odd that we’re producing our reel as a hard media, DVD. In deed, it has been a bone of contention for some time and thats why, several months after completing our 2008 Design Reel
, we are only just approving the production. After laboring over the reel itself, we’re spending a fair penny on mastering, duplication, packaging and distribution. So I’m still asking why? when we’ve done a great job encoding at different sizes and serving. Electronic distribution is easy and basically free and above all: immediate. As a digital agency, perhaps we should be committed to the channels we predominantly work within? The answer is punctuated by a single word that my partner at Last Exit often heralds “RELEVANCE”. On top of that, I would like to add “penetration” and “visibility”. Our in-boxes are, unfortunately crowded with enough spam to fill a million cheap sandwiches and whilst we can use many different creative tactics to draw attention to a mailer, we believe in a multi-channel and relevant approach that taps into the the behavioral characteristics of our audience. Ours is splie between CMOs at the brands themselves and producers/CDs at ad agencies. Both sets have spent much more time in TV/Radio than in interactive and whilst the transition is happening it’s important to bridge the gap, speak the right language and not to be too disruptive.

So, our belief is that receiving a well designed, beautifully produced DVD (spot glossing and all) will, at the very least, leave an impression in the recipients mind (even if they never actually load the disk into a player) backed by the appropriate and well timed follow up. This is a tried and true and simple tactic that has worked for many reps and EPs in the advertising and motion business and whilst there’s not model for reps in interactive, we’ll give this a go.

Here’s a few screen shots. You can view the reel here, or let us know if you’d like to receive DVD.

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Lucy Woodward has just (finally) launched her latest, self written, performed, produced and managed album. Away from the overbearing management of a large record label, Lucy has spread her wings and found a groove that not just suits her but suits the audience just nicely thank you very much! A rollicking mixture of styles rooted in a soul groove. Go buy it at Barnes & Noble.

But what I really wanted to say was how fantastic it is that artists have access to many vehicles for self promotion, though a balance of new world and old world techniques is vital. Lucy has utilized the internet to great effect (and and we designed/built her website) whilst keeping a more traditional promotional manager busy and networking like crazy! What a studio album and most marketing tools can not convey though is how fantastic Lucy is live. So, I think it would be great for her to build out a HD video video player and to capture as much live content as possible. Perhaps she can use MOLI’s platform to do that?

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If you’ve gone through any major airport in the USA since 9/11, then you would have experienced the heightened security, or at least the increase in bodies at security checks. You would also have complained about the lack of courtesy, the downright rudeness and even the absence of the English language.

I think most of us have come to accept this in some way - being a government agency etc - and prepare for it.  Shockingly though, this same attitude seems to permeate all sorts of public services in New York city. What is more unerving is that we seem to be experiencing this in the private sector also: a vast majority of buildings in New York have also reacted to 9/11 and have implemented some level of pseudo-security into the main lobby.  The most repellent of tactics seems to be the use of bad attitude.  I was inspired to write this rant, having just been to a very prominent commercial, residential and retail building on Central Park’s South Western corner.  A stunning building with a most impressive vestibule, with a big, shiny logo of the building’s owner over the door, representative of the company’s and New York’s prominence and massive success.  However, no more than 30 seconds into the building and we are greeted by a receptionist who was unable to speak at first and merely held out her hand.  The confusion very apparent on my face, she blurted out “I.D”! Not: “I.d. please”, or “Welcome to ……. .  How may I assist you”? No, Just “ID”!  And it didn’t get any better, setting our mood to negative just moments before our meeting within. What is incredible about this, though sadly common in New York, is that the building cost $billions.

The branding for this company many $millions more, yet they have ignore one of their most important assets: front of house. OK, I may not seem that important to them but what if I was an investor, what if was a potential employee?

They say that first impressions last and ours was that this company was either dangerously ignorant of the fact or they just didn’t care. Make sure that every touch point, every public representation or representative of your brand is singing the same message as you are in your commercials.

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DEATH CIGARETTES
Only available in the UK, these cancer sticks were an overnight marketing success. Many of my Art Student peers and hordes of rebellious teenagers loved to wave the Jolly Roger while puffing a cloud of pure DEATH.  An excellent concept that did nothing to hide the fact that smoking kills behind supposed elegance and machismo.  BJ Cunningham may have begun the anti-brand movement before we new what that meant!!

I was reminded of this when I discovered how the bright boys at Brooklyn Brothers had launched their own chocolate brand “Fat Pig”. Hey, chocolate ‘aint much good for you but does it taste good or what??

I haven’t managed to get my hands on a bar or three but as a confirmed chocoholic I’m sure to be enjoying the (unrelated) Brothers’ brand of sweet treats pretty soon.

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