Now, I don’t know how to build a robot.  Frankly, I’m not even that interested i nthe whole robot phenomenon.  But something about this ad drew me in.  Perhaps it was the words ‘design’ and ‘film’.  Maybe it was the word ‘win’.  I don’t know.  But I clicked it to learn more.  And I was even more excited.  Let me just say that this time the word that excited me was ‘Lego’.

So, the contest consists of you designing your own robot using the Lego Mindstorms NXT kit that comes with Bluetooth technology.  You can add onto it as you please.  Then you film your robot in action, and the robot with the most impressive Bluetooth action wins.  How cool is that? I might actually enter!  Do you think I will be the only girl?  Maybe I’ll get my husband involved, too.  Is that sexist?

This contest is a great example of how you can use your own unique traits to draw in customers.  Not only do I now have Bluetooth on the brain, I am now going top purchase something I haven’t played with in, well, a long time.  If you can find out what is special about you (your theater company, for instance), and utilize a technology that people access everyday (in this case the Internet and a banner ad), you can do wonders for your brand awareness.

Is anyone going to challenge me?  Let me know what your robot looks like!

I participated in yet another discussion recently, and this was the topic.  We were asked if we thought it was ethical for search engines to operate this way.  Mt response was, what is the big deal?  Do I pay to use Google?  No.  I’d rather be subjected to a few ads than have to pay for my search of digital camera reviews.

Besides, isn’t it up to the consumer to do their research before buying something?  What are your thoughts?

In a discussion I participated in recently, one of my colleagues brought to our attention two different sites that use completely different approaches to engaing visitors to the site.  They were Google Video and Jump Cut.  My colleague was referring to an article on the website A List Apart, which is a site ‘for people who make websites’.  It’s a great resource for information when you are designing a website, whether or not you have design experience.  The particular article is entitled Sign Up Forms Must Die. 

I love the title. I can’t count all the times I have left a website because they wanted me to sign up for the site, before I even knew what it was about!  When I visit a site, I want to get a feel for it first, I want to decide whether or not the site has what I am looking for.  it’s their job to engage me before they start asking me to join their ranks or give them personal information (even benign info like my email address or zip code).  That is the crux of this article, and I think theater sites would do well to take the author’s advice.  The last thing we want people to do is to go away before they’ve even learned what we’re all about.

The author makes great points.  When you go to the Google Video  site, all you can do is watch videos.  In order to take advantage of other features, you need to sign in, which requires you to provide a lot of information.  When I visited the site it didn’t capture my imagination, and it didn’t keep me on the site.

When I visited Jump Cut, I immediately felt more at ease.  There is more white space on the homepage, and there are several offerings right away, which make me feel welcome.  While I needed a yahoo ID (which I had) in order to make a movie, I was able to explore without signing up.  And because the homepage featured all the choices up front, I felt more comfortable staying for awhile.

So my point is, make your site inviting- make people want to stay and don’t hit them in the face right away to sign up for something when they haven’t even figure out what you have to offer them.

Linked below is an example of a company using film (in this case cartoons) to help keep their brand in the mind of their customers.  This series was created by Seth MacFarlane, who is the creator of Family Guy. This type of cartoon wouldn’t necessarily fit with your audience if you are doing children’s/ youth theater, as he can get a bit crass, offensive and downright inappropriate.  But the idea of creating a cartoon or movie to promote your theater (brand) is a good one.  Here is the BK channel on YouTube featuring Seth’s cartoons.

So what if you have a particularly talented artist in your area who is willing to donate some time in making a cartoon about an upcoming show or other activity you are hosting?  Or if you are in a college town, perhaps you can get the local film school to take you on as a semester project, and create a film for you?  It might only be you and your town who goes to YouTube to view the film/ cartoon, but most likely you will generate some other buzz as well.  It’s worth a try! 

If anyone has tried this or will try this, please let me know!  Link your family appropriate video to this blog!

What do you think would happen if you tried a campaign that sent a message to current or prospective customers advising them about a new product or a promotion you were running?  I’m not sure I would participate in something like that, unless I really felt strongly about the cause or was a very frequent user of the product.  Also, it depends on what they are offering, right?

In the blog Branding Unbound, they talk about the American Idol phenomenon which resulted in 64 million people voting via text for an American Idol winner in the 2006 season- which is about 2 million more than the number of people who voted for George Bush in the 2004 election.  Sad but true.

So how can you use mobile marketing to your advantage?  While you probably won’t get 64 million people texting in to enter your contest for free A Christmas Carol tickets, you can generate some buzz using this technology.  Here are some guidelines, provided by the blog Search Marketing Standard:

1. Define your audience

2. Engage that audience

3. Create a clear and precise call to action

4. Create a click to call option

5. Send the page via mobile media mail

6. Add the ability to share with others using SMS technology

So there you have it.  Some starting points for a mobile campaign.  Let me know how it goes!

Many people in the discusison who were parents or grandparents had a real issue with these companies marketing to children, especially companies who sold what they deemed to be unhealthy products.  Many people also commented that the sheer amount of marketing that is aimed at children gives parents and grandparents an unfair hurdle to jump while raising their kids.  They complained that advertising should be regulated, and even that some companies shouldn’t be allowed to market at children at all.

My concern with this line of thinking was, who makes the decision on which product is ‘safe’ or ‘unhealthy’ for children?  Is it those products containing a certain amount of fat?  Products who use an inordinate amount of the color pink? Products that contain a certain amount of high fructose corn syrup?  The leader of the discussion suggested that marketers are supposed to be the judges of ethics when it comes to marketing to children. 

But again… who decides? Is it religion that should guide us?  What about those people who use their constitutional right not to choose a religion?  Should morals guide us?  Whose morals?  And what are those morals based on? 

I think that when it comes to marketing to children, less is certainly more.  But who am I to decide which companies can and cannot exercise their right to operate in the free market?  Isn’t it best to leave the decisions about what products and messages are appropriate for their children?  Don’t parents have any responsibility when it comes to deciding what is right and wrong?

Don’t get me wrong- I know how many constant messages there are out there.  And what a jungle it is trying  to weave through them.  And I am talking of course, about marketers who are marketing legal products- no things that can hurt children.  For instance, creating cartoon characters to put on cigarette boxes is not ok in my book.  Neither is subtly marketing alcohol to teenagers.  I’m talking about legal products here.

When I was a child, and asked for something in a store, and my father didn’t want me to have it- he said ‘no’.  One simple word.  And it worked.  And he survived.  And so did I.  I don’t even remember half the things my father said no to.  Because I was a child. It was his job to raise me- to tell me what was appropriate and not appropriate for me to eat, play with, wear, see, watch, listen to, and learn. 

There are some interesting websites and articles on the subject of regulating marketing to children.  Here are a few: New American Dream, Marketing to Kids is no Kids Stuff, and Marketing Food to Children and Adolescants, by the Federal Trade Commission.

He did a great job.  And so can all other parents.  They can just say no.  They are the bosses.

I welcome your comments on this subject!  I want to know what others think, even if you think I’m nuts or rude, or dismissive.  Or even if you agree with me that parents make the decisions- not the people trying to sell them something.

The thing I like the most about podcasts is that it’s like listening to the radio- at least my favorite radio programs, like This American Life on NPR (National Public Radio).  There is always a story to tell, and these podcasts tell it.  Some are very short while others are long.  I always learn something by listenting to these podcasts, and like the radio, you can be engaged in something else while listening.  You also get to use your imagination.

One recent podcast that comes to mind was about how to use creativity in marketing.  It was from Guerrilla Marketing Radio.  They talked about the ten insights of this issue.  Here are some of the highlights:

Measure your creativity by how well it contributes to overall profitability.  In other words, don’t use your creativity simply to be cute.  If the idea behind the creative idea isn’t to sell your product or service, it’s a waste of time and money.

Creative ideas should have the ability to withstand repitition, because the unconsious mind direccts purchase decisions.  The more you hear a brand name, the more that name sticks in your head.  So the nex time you need to buy something in that category, chances are you will choose that brand name you heard so often.  The more we can get people talking about our children’s/ youth theater activities, the more they will remember us when they need something to do in the evening, or their child expresses interest in the arts.  Or perhaps even when a parent just wants to find an activity that will help their child grow and mature.  We all know theater does wonders for kids!

There is always the challenge of demonstrating your benefit as well as why you are special.  So take the time, when you are planning  to market your theater activities, to figure out what you have to offer that the competition does not.  What sets you apart that you can highlight?

Creativity should begins with an idea that centers around what you are offering your customer.  There is no need to waste time on something that won’t bring in the audience members to your shows or interested young people to your classes or auditions. This goes back to the idea of profitability again.   

So check out the podcasts I mentioned, either at their website or on iTunes! 

Try making one of your own!  People love free information, and if you can make a podcast about something you know very well, which also highlights your theater, that will be a great way to introduce people to your company and remind people why they are your patrons to begin with.

I must say that at first I did not enjoy blogging at all.  Content restrictions were placed on me because this blog is initially part of a class assignment, and I am one of those people who hates restrictions- especially when those restrictions involve something in which I have zero experience, so naturally I resisted  .  And I procrastinated.  But recently, when I was editing an old post, something clicked and I started to like it.  Because blogs are really journal entries in a way- only they are a bit more thought out.  With a journal you are communicating with yourself.  But with a blog you are communicating with a specific audience (or just with anyone who will read, in some cases).  The nature of blogging is that you offer your opinion, experiences, and findings to others. 

I am a person with very little patience for long projects.  And a blog is a long project in a way.  But because you can break it up into small portions, it’s not so bad.  And you can look back on other posts to get a big picture of what someone is trying to say about their life, a particular topic, their career- whatever their blog is about.  Which is why a blog is a perfect chance for you to connect with your children’s/ youth theater supporters and participants. I am excited to learn more about how to enhance my blog in the weeks and months to come.

I think I will like blogging more when I no longer have the restriction of posting only about emerging media, and can expand the focus to operations and marketing children’s theater.  I will of course include emerging media ideas in my posts, because using them will definitely be useful, but writing solely about my opinions about the implications of emerging media in my profession (marketing) is way boring, in my opinion.  Mainly because I am not an expert in emerging media.  At all.  There are much better blogs to read if someone wants to become proficient in RSS feeds, websites, podcasts, etc., for example, Robin Good’s MasterNewMedia.

Here is a good example of a youth theater blog:

Creative Youth Theatre.  Based in Arizona, this theater company that really seems to embrace the idea that young people can make great contributions to theater.  Young people are actors and directors in this theatre company!  The last post was made over a year ago, so I don’t know if it is still in operation, but there are some interesting posts in this blog.  One of special note concerns CRYT’s partnership with a website called ShowUp.com, which is a fantastic site that allows access to what’s happening in the arts, museums and outdoor venues in the greater Phoenix area.  Tickets for all sorts of events can be purchased from the site, which I’m sure helped CRYT gain some exposure.  I wish all communities had this type of resource!

I’ll keep looking for good blog examples for those of us in this field!

According to About.com writer Jennifer Kyrnin, in her article Web Design Basics, a great website is about seven elements: Good gesign, fonts and Typography, The proper use of color, graphics and images, layout, navigation, and accessibility and usability.  We’re going to talk about design today.

Under the heading of good design, Kyrnin talks about Lines and Linework, Shape, Texture, Color, and Direction.  Lines include border and rules and can be horizontal or vertical. 

Lines increase the readibility of the sight.  One children’s website I think makes great use of this simple design element is that of The Children’s Theater company, based in Minneapolis.  The site is very simple, yet you want to see what’s behind every link.  On the homepage, for instance, there is so much to explore.  The page is so nicely organized that although my eye was immediately drawn to the center, to the descriptions of the this season’s productions, I was equally enticed by the links at the left.  On this site, the lines play an important part in making me want to stay.  Which is the goal of any website, right?  Equally enticing for its use of lines to organize is the Seattle Children’s Theatre.  Take a look!

We all know what shapes are, and Kyrnin tells us that website shapes are most often square or rectangular.  And I agree.  I searched but couldn’t find any sites that used  circuler or any other shape to define the site.  If you know of any sites, please send me the links!

The next element of design in Kyrnin’s article is texture.  This is simple, texture can give the visitor a certain feel. 

In terms of color, Kyrnin suggests designging your sight in black and hite first, then adding as little color as you can to enhance the site.  This makes sense, because content above all should be your priroity.  If your website is appealing, but upon further inspection has nothing to offer the viewer, they will go elsewhwere, and likely so will their wallet.  In the case of the two children’s theater websites I chose for their quality (The Children’s Theatre Company and Seattle Children’s Theatre), color plays an important part.  in fact, the color choices of the two companies are incredibly similar.  They both use a complimentary color scheme consisting of various shades of reds, yellows, oranges and blue.  Seattle Children’s Theatre uses various shades of green.  These colors work together hormonioulsly and therefore make the sites very appealing.

Lastly under the heading of design, Kyrnin touches on direction, or the way a site moves.  Basically, how does the viewers eye move around each page?  This is an important element of keeping people on your site-you need to use all the elements of design to make the eye go where you want. 

I’ve been to way too many sites to buy something only to end up leaving because there was way too much content to parse.  I won’t name the websites here, but if you want to keep people on your site, please put some time into organizing the site before you start deisnging, and have many people who will be honest with you try out the site and give you their feedback.  You might also try a starter site, invite some of your customers to it and have a little contest for ideas on deisgn or sections.  If you are a children’s theater for example, you could promote your beta site to the audience at an upcoming production.  Tell them about the contest, or whatever other creative ideas you come up with to get people involved, and watch all the great ideas roll in! 

When I do children’s theater shows, I always have many parent volunteers step forward. I am always amazed at the abundance of talent held by the parents!  Some of them are experiencecd seamstresses, writers, organizers, carpenters, and some even know how to design websites!  So you may be able to barter for their design services, or they may even do it for free.  Parents are a great place to start when you have a beta site up and need advice before it goes live.

The most frequent comment I hear about banner ads is that they are annoying.  I’ll ditto that sentiment.  I hardly every click on a banner ad, because I am afraid of what the consequences might be.  I remember the days of constant, uncontrollable pop-ups that surfaced, it seemed, everytime I became interested enough in something to want to check it out.  Why bother with a banner ad, when I can learn about something through more conventional means of advertising, then visit the website?  I don’t click banner ads, many people I talk to don’t either, so why is it that advertisers continue to purchase these ads? 

It may be the way banner ads are currently sold.  Google, Yahoo and Microsoft charge advertisers by the click.  So the company only pays when someone actually clicks the ad.  It seems to be a very economical system, and I can see why there is still no shortage of banner ads online.  It’s a numbers game.  Since you only pay for what you use, and since so many people are online, why not try it out? It certainly makes more sense than shelling out thousands of dollars for a few television spots that may or may not be seen by your target.  Or a pricey magazine ad that can’t be changed for an entire month.

But there may be trouble on the horizon.  According to a recent Business Week article, the correlation between clicks and sales is becoming less predictable.  On top of that, a research frim reported a decline in the number of customers who are clicking banner ads.  On top of that, a recent study showed that more than 50% of clicks are performed by only 6% of online surfers, that those same clickers make less than $40,000 per year and account for less than 15% of online shopping.

So perhaps banner ads are not the perfect answer to the advertising dilemma.  But surely something has to work.

Enter a whole new advertising forum.  Another recent Business Week article, touts the effectiveness of widgets.  With the vast amount of information available on the web, its only natural that people start looking for ways to filter that information to best suit their needs.  And if a company can provide a particularly useful tool to its target, that means the company has the ability to deliver brand impressions every time someone turns on their computer.

Let’s not forget floating ads, interstitial ads, Unicast ads, and many more, all of which I will explore in later posts as I come across ‘conversations’ concerning them.

No matter how you feel about the issue of online advertising, one thing is true: advertisers will continue to find ways to make us want to click.