Sometimes the path is just as interesting as the destination. That’s why we turned the camera around when filming our recent television spots for the newly rebranded Franciscan Alliance. If you’d like a glimpse of the process, just watch our Making Of video below. And if you haven’t seen the spots on air, don’t worry. They’re at the end of the video. And that’s a wrap.

Whether you work in public relations, advertising or marketing, it’s important to understand and keep up with current developments in the field. One of these ongoing evolutions is digital marketing. At Borshoff, we understand digital marketing is about meeting customers where they are most—the Internet. Whether on their smart phone at the grocery store, reading the news on their iPad, or viewing the latest sports replays online—let’s face it—our world has gone digital.

As more and more companies invest in digital marketing, it’s crucial to understand the lingo. Are you up-to-speed on the most common words and software? Check out our digital marketing terms glossary and tell me, what’s missing?

Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL) partnered with Borshoff to raise awareness of the company’s Live Energy Smart initiative, which includes various programs designed to help IPL’s residential, commercial and industrial customers reduce their energy use, and in turn save money. Our campaign gently poked fun at the extreme and even slightly nutty things people could do to save energy and provided a simple and easy alternative – enrolling in IPL’s Live Energy Smart programs. An integrated campaign featuring radio, TV, print and transit advertisements launched in the summer of 2011.

Check out the campaign ads:

{Print}

{Transit}

{TV}

http://www.borshoff.biz/clients/ipl/IPL_LES Bright Ideas_HEI.MP3

{Radio}

Our annual Borshoff retreat was last week at Bradford Woods in Martinsville. And for all the useful team-building activities and state-of-the-agency presentations, there was an even more vivid and useful lesson: How not to do outdoor advertising.

You see, the trip to Martinsville takes you south on Indiana Highway 67, a route peppered with plenty of small outdoor boards. Unfortunately, most of what’s on them is small, too. Mile after mile, our employees were confronted with tiny headlines, microscopic graphics and miniscule logos (yes, I’m actually saying someone should make the logo bigger).

So why does this happen? Why do we see so many campaigns with standout broadcast executions, eye-catching print, and forgettable outdoor?

Well, it’s simple. Most outdoor boards are created with the designer or art director sitting two feet from their computer screen. At that distance, one of two things happen. Either correctly sized outdoor type looks way too big or type that seems correct on the screen will be too small in execution. And judging by our journey into southern Indiana, the second occurrence frequently wins out.

So how do we avoid this trap at Borshoff? Well, again, two things happen. First, we learn to live with type and graphics that feel uncomfortably large on the computer screen. And, second, we use a simple outdoor viewer, a framing device allowing you to see outdoor designs just as they’ll look through the consumer’s windshield. The result? The kind of impactful outdoor advertising that’s few and far between on Highway 67.

Here’s a non-news flash: At 600,000,000 users and growing, Facebook offers marketers the potential to reach large amounts of consumers.

It’s the “how” of reaching audiences that spurs countless discussions, debates and arguments.

Help has arrived, however, from Facebook itself. With the creation of Facebook Studio, advertising agencies and marketing professionals can get a glimpse of how brands big and small are using the world’s leading social media site to sell their wares.

Facebook Studio features a Gallery section highlighting creative campaigns and their performance; a Spotlight area for the newest work; an Awards page dedicated to recognizing the most creative usages of the site; a What’s New blog; and the Learning Lab, a Facebook marketing primer.

Upon early review, the site seems like a useful (and overdue) resource. While predictably showing international brands like BMW and Coke, we also see how smaller concerns like OurJewishCommunity.org and the Boston Public Health Commission have used Facebook to effectively communicate to their core audiences.

It’s still up to agencies and businesses to decide the appropriate approach for their social media strategy. But Facebook Studio offers a helpful starting point.

Our client Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL) sponsors tons of worthy causes and community events. So we did a series of 12 ads focusing on how energy is well-spent in the following area: the arts, diversity, environment, social outreach, sports and education.

As you might imagine, the ads are placed in a wide range of programs and publications. Most recently the ad series appeared the Communication Arts (CA) Typography Annual! Pretty sweet, I admit.

But it’s still not as fun as getting to do work you love, with people you love working with (Jenn Berry, Creative Director; Bill Lovejoy, Account Director; Colin Dullaghan, Writer; Penelope Dullaghan, Illustrator). Awards and recognition… that’s gravy. Really delicious gravy.

Allow us to say a few words about our upcoming contest with the Phoenix Theatre.
Ahem.

Got that? For folks who may be unfamiliar, it’s a Q(uick) R(esponse) code, and it can instantly connect you to information, usually found on the Web. If you have a smartphone, you can simply download a free QR scanner* app, use it to scan a QR code and see where it takes you.

We’re running a print ad in the Phoenix Theatre program that includes a QR code to promote the upcoming ticket giveaways, which will be running all season long. (We actually bought some extra tickets just for us as well — you didn’t think we’d miss out on all these great performances, did you?)

The contest will work almost entirely online. You can sign up to hear about each show’s giveaway by following our Twitter feed, @borshoff. Get the word and you can get the tickets, using a wonderland of web-enabled technology. You may need to retweet something we said. Or use your phone’s GPS to check-in at a given location. Or post a picture of some local landmark. Or track down a mysterious briefcase that glows gold when you open it.

Sound like fun? Just scan the QR above — or, hey, here’s another link to get to the same place (code is cheap) — and follow us on Twitter. We’ll keep you posted on all sorts of interesting stuff, including your next move to win some Phoenix tickets.

*You can download one of our favorite, free mobile QR code scanners at www.biggu.com.

They say your 20s are the years of many crossroads. I’ve found this to be true, and exciting!

This is a BIG summer for me. I just started a new job here at Borshoff, moved to Greenfield and soon I’ll be married! 16 days and counting…I can’t wait!

There are a lot of changes occurring in my life, and though they each carry a certain level of stress – I couldn’t be happier. I feel like I’ve met my match in more ways than one – I’ve found my soul mate in my soon-to-be hubby and joined the incredible team at Borshoff, an agency that shares many of my personal values.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to work for an advertising agency.  I remember watching Bewitched and hoping I’d have a job like Darrin Stephens someday. As a kid, I’d hear and see commercials and make up my own little jingles or draw my own ads.

In high school, I took marketing classes and served as the editor for the yearbook staff. I took art classes and ripped out ads I saw in magazines to save them for future inspiration. I wanted to write, create and be the mind behind the message. I wanted to motivate people to act.

In college, I discovered I was not only interested in creating.  I enjoyed writing, editing and seeing projects through from start to finish. I realized I had a passion for communications as a whole and became particularly interested in integrated communications as I learned how powerful marketing, advertising and public relations could be together. I majored in journalism at Butler University with a concentration in integrated communications. I packed my college experience with great opportunities – from networking to service opportunities to starting Butler’s first advertising club, Adrenaline.

Now, two years out of school with some excellent educational, work and service experience under my belt, here I am – happily employed at one of the largest communications firms in Indianapolis. My 8-year old self is beaming!

“I could probably push a little more here…”

“I like the connection here…”

“I’m drawn to that…”

“We need to get it a little bigger to communicate…”

“The relationship between the shape and the type is much more balanced here…”

“The greens and blues make me feel good…”

“I love what you did with the Y here…”

“Adding the vertical line – it needed that…”

“I like the thought behind that…”

“It seems a little funky…”

“This is an initial look at where we’re going with the theme…”

“If we could just give a little more color and life to it…”

“I wanted this typeface to have a little more personality on this level…”

“I want to work this a little more — see if I can bring in a little more color…”

“I want to impress as much as we can…”

“I’d like to have other themes in our back pocket…”

“I would feel comfortable presenting these three just the way they are…”

“Beyond that, if you guys want to tweak and finesse, I’m all for it…”

“Perfect. Thanks guys.”

College students may keep in touch with their friends and family via Facebook and Twitter, but when it comes to networking for jobs, there’s nothing like an old-fashioned meet and greet.

While the theme of my presentation at the University of Indianapolis’ guest lecture series on Tuesday, Feb. 9 was “Careers in PR,” students really wanted to learn about networking. After all, while the 40 or so students were there to learn more about my career, the majority just wanted to know how to land their first job in our down economy.

Ron Dow, assistant director for the university’s Institute for Emerging Careers and the driving force behind the guest lecture series, said he can lecture all day about face-to-face networking, but an 11-year working professional holding out business cards poses an opportunity too good to pass up.

The impressive collection of students listened attentively, and many waited afterward to talk to me. My advice? Ask for help if you need it; every working professional had to land his/her first job. We really will take a few minutes to talk with you. (But also understand that we receive a lot of requests for informational interviews and unfortunately can’t honor every one.)

My networking connections so far from students at UIndy?

• Zero old-fashioned phone calls
• One business card (yes, for a student!)
• Two very well-written e-mails
• One resume

Now I’m just waiting for my new [Twitter] followers and [Facebook] friend requests!

As a graphic designer at an advertising and PR agency, I’m charged with finding creative ways to send information on behalf of our clients. While it’s becoming increasingly rare to send direct mail, it still happens. The problem with direct mail is it’s often as well received as a telemarketing call – except instead of being hung up on it gets thrown away.

And that’s the challenge: make the mailer so interesting that the recipient’s gut reaction isn’t “trash, trash, bill, trash” but something more like “trash, trash, bill, oooooooh.” There’s a lot to consider before getting creative on a mailed piece: Can it be any shape? How small or large can it get? How much postage does this bad boy need?

To help us answer these questions (and to have a little productive fun in the office), we set up an experiment: find objects around the office we didn’t think would make it through the mail, slap some postage on them, and drop them in the mailbox. No envelopes. No containers. No packaging. Au naturel, if you will.

We began with sending a CD. Then, we sent a Kleenex, a business card, a dollar bill, a drum head and finished up our experiment with a fully inflated Jerry French doll from the French Paper Company. I won’t lie; I was very surprised to find almost every item successfully arrived at its destination, especially Jerry.The one item that didn’t make it through, sadly, was a big yellow highlighter.

Frankly, we were surprised that so many items did. Even the Kleenex made it through without any damage. Now it hangs, with the rest of the successfully mailed pieces, on the wall above my desk.

As market researchers, we learned how few limits there are on what can be mailed. With enough postage, it’s just about anything! So kudos to the post office. They even put some items in “we care” plastic bags or envelopes to protect them, and complied with our highlighted request to not deflate Jerry.

I’ve had a personal fascination (some might say obsession) with interactive design for years. Just when I thought I’d seen it all, I stumbled upon a new company pushing the limits of online advertising. Better yet, we had the opportunity to partner with them on a recent campaign for Marian’s Adult Programs.

Let me introduce you to Spongecell. It is as catchy and engaging as its name. It capitalizes on interactivity – enabling users to connect to social networks, Google maps, Outlook calendars, RSS feeds, Twitter and more – without ever having to navigate away from the ad itself. (See other examples of their interactive ads here).

And yes, every click is trackable. Spongecell builds buttons into the bottom of an existing ad, and the engagement begins!

In a recent Ad Age article, it was noted that whiskey producer Southern Comfort will be shedding its entire media plan, dropping all print and television advertising, to move company branding completely into the digital realm.

Frankly, it’s shocking. Southern Comfort isn’t the first company to go the all-digital route, but this is certainly surprising coming from a 120 year-old, proven manufacturer of a timeless product. The change makes sense according to the company’s ad challenges: major advertising limitations for the industry, a shifting demographic, and stiff competition (no pun intended). But to completely remove its presence from traditional media altogether still sounds crazy. How can a company of this size and reputation really forego television and print, the great bastions of the advertising world?

Then I noticed some of the places they’ll be putting their content, advertising and sponsorships. Browsing the list, it became clear that this could be a brilliant move. As a member of their proclaimed demographic (21-29), I can’t say that I see too many SoCo advertisements, but if the list is any indication, I won’t be able to escape it any more than any of us can escape death or taxes.

It’s hard for anyone my age to avoid the networking and social draws of Facebook, so as I go to stalk my friends every night, SoCo’s going to be there. When I go to Spin to listen to the top 50 cover songs of all time, SoCo will be there (they’ll even give me 10 free downloads!). If I try to get my culture fix at The Fader, SoCo will be there. When I miss episodes of two of my favorite shows, 30 Rock and The Office, SoCo will be there. If I want to catch up on the Colbert Report, I’m going to find SoCo’s “Holiday Survival Guide” at Comedy Central. When I use Hulu, guess who’s going to be there?

It seems that Southern Comfort has found me. Mission accomplished?

Maybe. It’s sort of like having front row tickets to a prime-time boxing match, knowing that the outcome of the bout will have a dramatic affect on the future of the industry. It will be interesting to see whether or not Southern Comfort’s surprise move is enough to throw the competition off and go for the knock out. Whether they win or lose, however, this is going to change the face of things to come for the world of advertising