Peeps…a cultural phenomena. It’s hard to believe they were introduced half a century ago. I totally remember looking forward to them every year in my Easter basket. The lovely sugar-coated gooey goodness. Even though you had to open the entire pack of 12 to get 1 out, and the others solidified in a matter of hours, we loved our Peeps. AND we loved messing with them. We nuked them in the microwave, we put them through torturous “science experiments,” and we glued them in ways that any avant garde artist would bite his hand in envy…

Just Born, maker of the chick- and bunny-shaped marshmallow Easter favorites, is officially opening the first store devoted to Peeps last month. The shop, located in a mall near Washington, D.C., sells over 800 Peeps products, including plush toys, china, and even a fancy hand-blown glass Peep. Now its completely different, kids like remote control cars.

First Peeps store in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

http://www.peepresearch.org

The worst decade in the past 50 years. Good riddance. That’s the collective ranking of, and sentiment towards, the oughties in the latest PEW Research Center Study. A mere 27% said their impression of the last decade was positive, compared to 57% for the decade of the 90s. And 50% had an overall negative impression of this decade, compared with just 19% for the 90s.

Given the current financial crisis, it’s not surprising to see sentiment like this in a survey. In fact, some people believe this decade will come to be compared to the likes of the 1920s. Call me an optimist, but when I really look at the first 10 years of the 21st century, and think about it in comparison to other significant decades, like the 60s, I’m more inclined to believe it’s been one of those defining times that will prove to be transformative.

So much has happened it’s almost biblical in its bookending events. The televised tragedy of 9/11 and the election of America’s first black president—a man whose name meant nothing to anyone outside of politics until just a few years before his ascension to the most powerful office in the world.

In the last 10 years, we’ve certainly seen the good, the bad and more than our share of the ugly.  But as Einstein proposed in his three rules of work: Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Difficulty can and does spark extraordinary ideas.  Here’s to an extraordinary future.  Cheers and Happy New Year!

The one thing we know is that Ad Agencies that don’t reinvent themselves won’t survive.  In fact that’s been the industry mantra for several years now.  I read at least two articles a week on this topic covering anything from what services should be offered and how they should be marketed to what we should call ourselves.  But the one thing that I haven’t read yet is any viewpoint on how management should be structured in the new world.  As one of those evolving agencies we have arrived at our own management solution and we find that it fits the entrepreneurial, forward thinking culture that defines who we are right now and helps shape where we plan on going.  What works for us is quite simple – we embrace a flat rather than a hierarchical organization.  We don’t have a President or CEO – we have equal partners.

I know some of you are laughing right now.  How can you possibly get anything done with multiple decision makers?  It is unquestionably challenging – especially on some days.  But our decisions are never knee-jerk – a common affliction of the independent agency ruled by one sovereign (and often highly emotive) leader.  And frankly the hierarchically structured public agencies are no better.

Our structure ensures a multi-dimensional view of any major issue and leads us to solutions that are often inspired and sometimes quite surprising.  We challenge and support each other every step of the way.  We force each other to think in ways we normally wouldn’t.   It gets bloody, but as brilliant as I’m sure I am – my partners constantly blow me away with their impressive thinking

Let’s face it, as a group agencies tend to attract more emotive and expressive souls than many industries.  Yet we need our leaders to make the cool rational decisions that are so critical to our very survival these days.  How’s that gonna work?  You do the math.  The days of the maverick celebrity agency head superstars are over.

But when you take three or four talented and intelligent albeit emotive individuals with some hefty – and equal – skin in the game, an enormous diversity of experience and knowledge and focus them on growing a business that instills pride – what ensues is likely to be inspiring.  It will never be boring.

Well it is certainly that time of year again. That time of year when we put the call out to all students past and present. If you want to learn the ins and outs of a marketing agency, check us out. We are offering paid summer internships for one lucky copywriter, social media planner, art director, web developer, public relations practitioner, account service coordinator and media specialist.

As a Bozell intern, you won’t get the creative director coffee. You won’t pick up the account director’s dry cleaning. And you won’t shine the president’s shoes. You won’t have time. You’ll be too busy working on actual projects for actual clients. You’ll be building your résumé and portfolio. You’ll be beginning your fledgling career.

The internship starts May 17 and ends August 6. You’ll earn $8.50 an hour and work full-time from 8:30 to 5:00 Monday through Friday. Expect some weekend work, too. This is advertising.

During the first week, you’ll meet your fellow interns and spend quality time with our department heads. After that, it’s nothing but work. And the occasional game of Guitar Hero. Candidates must be Junior standing or above. Applications must be postmarked by March 1. The top candidates in each department will be invited to interview later in the month. We’ll make final decisions and notifications by April 16. Apply here.

If you have any questions on out intern program, please feel free to contact Will Flavell at (402) 965-4360.

Check out this video to hear from some of our past interns:

Bozell Intern Experience Video

Hey Everybody,

I read a great article on the Harvard Business Journal Blog this morning. It consists of their top six predictions for changes in social media in 2010. As you might expect, they see three major trends: rapid expansion, standardized adoption by companies and more niche focus.

So here are their predictions (I am especially interested in #3 and the recent Facebook changes will affect corporate giveaways on that network).

1. Social media begins to look less social
With groups, lists and niche networks becoming more popular, networks could begin to feel more “exclusive.” Not everyone can fit on someone’s newly created Twitter list and as networks begin to fill with noise, it’s likely that user behavior such as “hiding” the hyperactive updaters that appear in your Facebook news feed may become more common. Perhaps it’s not actually less social, but it might seem that way as we all come to terms with getting value out of our networks — while filtering out the clutter.

2. Corporations look to scale
There are relatively few big companies that have scaled social initiatives beyond one-off marketing or communications initiatives. Best Buy’s Twelpforce leverages hundreds of employees who provide customer support on Twitter. The employees are managed through a custom built system that keeps track of who participates. This is a sign of things to come over the next year as more companies look to uncover cost savings or serve customers more effectively through leveraging social technology.

3. Social business becomes serious play
Relatively new networks such as Foursquare are touted for the focus on making networked activity local and mobile. However, it also has a game-like quality to it which brings out the competitor in the user. Participants are incentivized and rewarded through higher participation levels. And push technology is there to remind you that your friends are one step away from stealing your coveted “mayorship.” As businesses look to incentivize activity within their internal or external networks, they may include carrots that encourage a bit of friendly competition.

4. Your company will have a social media policy (and it might actually be enforced)
If the company you work for doesn’t already have a social media policy in place with specific rules of engagement across multiple networks, it just might in the next year. From how to conduct yourself as an employee to what’s considered competition, it’s likely that you’ll see something formalized about how the company views social media and your participation in it.

5. Mobile becomes a social media lifeline
With approximately 70 percent of organizations banning social networks and, simultaneously, sales of smartphones on the rise, it’s likely that employees will seek to feed their social media addictions on their mobile devices. What used to be cigarette breaks could turn into “social media breaks” as long as there is a clear signal and IT isn’t looking. As a result, we may see more and/or better mobile versions of our favorite social drug of choice.

6. Sharing no longer means e-mail
The New York Times iPhone application recently added sharing functionality which allows a user to easily broadcast an article across networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Many websites already support this functionality, but it’s likely that we will see an increase in user behavior as it becomes more mainstream for people to share with networks what they used to do with e-mail lists. And content providers will be all too happy to help them distribute any way they choose.

So what’s your take? I am interested in increasingly niche communities. That will mean more access to real shareholders (and less spam Twitter messages).

Best,

Will

Amazing opportunities for transformation exist in the most difficult of times. And it’s those difficult times that can be the catalyst of greatness. Especially for those who can get past their fears and insecurities to take bold steps.

Apple (and Steve Jobs) is the poster child for bold. It seems everywhere you turn today you encounter another story of triumph for Apple, a company that has certainly faced its share of difficulty.

Via Flickr - Illustration: Tsevis Visual Design

Think about this — back in 1997 when Jobs went back to Apple, it was an underdog. A mere 6 months from bankruptcy when it moved forward to boldly position itself as the “Think Different” company. In 2000 Apple missed its financial targets, sending its stock price plummeting to the equivalent of $7 in today’s prices. Yet in 2001, as global markets fell apart and the world headed into recession, Apple boldly launched iTunes, Mac OS X, the first Apple retail stores, and the first iPod.

The obsession with innovation and focus on amazing design never faltered. Everything about Apple and its products is simply cool. (I still have the packaging from the U2 iPod I bought years ago and my husband finally tossed the box from our two year old iMac.)

Fast forward eight years to 2009, a tough year by all measures, and a time where much of the computer industry struggles, yet Apple reported that it had sold a record 3 million Macs in its fiscal fourth quarter — a 16.4% increase compared with just 2.3% growth in the PC market. And it has held a higher price point and margin, despite the recessionary environment and the increasingly competitive landscape. Plus the revenue from the computer industry is a shrinking piece of its overall revenue pie given Apple shipped over 22 million iPods during its first quarter (up 3 percent from last year) and 4.4 million iPhones.

Here’s another one of those “Ohhhh I wish I had done that!” head slaps. If you had invested $1,000 in Apple ten years ago (Dec 1999), today it would be worth over $7,500.  (Crap. I wish I had done that, but I was licking my wounds from taking a beating on some dot coms stocks.) Today, Apple is valued at about $170 billion, slightly more valuable than Google and a far cry from the $5 billion valuation in 2000.

For the second year in a row, Apple is the #1 most admired company in the world and recently Steve Jobs was named Fortune’s CEO of the decade. Just today, I read that Macs held the top three spots on Amazon’s “Most Wished For” laptop list this holiday, as well as the top four spots on the desktop computer wish list.

Apple didn’t create personal computers, but it made them personal.  It didn’t create digital music, but it did create a cultural icon.  It didn’t invent the smartphone, but it made one that people lust after and are willing to stand in line for hours to buy.

With 275 retail stores, a 73% share of the MP3 player market, and the undisputed leadership position in innovation when it comes to mobile phones, Apple and its CEO are no one’s idea of underdogs anymore.

It’s been a difficult year, one where my natural reaction has been to pull back and play it safe, even when I know in my heart that now it the time to take risks. I’ve kept moving forward, and taking risks. But it’s been hard. And every so often, I need a boost to keep going.  Today I needed that energy boost again (not to mention I was desperate for a hair color — which is why I had two hours of uninterrupted time to catch up on some reading in the first place.) Whenever I read about the journey of Apple, I feel re-energized and more determined than ever to take bold steps.

BTW, I know I enjoyed this laugh, so I bet you will too. Check out this article titled the Great iPhone Death Watch. I bet there are a few people listed here with a little crow on the menu.

A National Retail Federation survey conducted over the weekend confirms the expected: more people spent less. According to NRF’s Black Friday shopping survey, conducted by BIGresearch, 195 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend, up from 172 million last year. However, the average spending over the weekend dropped to $343.31 per person from $372.57 a year ago. Total spending reached an estimated $41.2 billion.

I braved the crowds Friday and a day with my mother-in-law to spend my fair share — I came in slightly above the average at about $360 (if I don’t count the stuff I bought for myself).

Some interesting shopping stats and insights at the National Retail Federation Holidays site.

Google has done it again and partnered this time with TiVo to dominate the marketplace.   The goal of this partnership is to show advertisers more accurate information on how many are actually watching television live or have pre-recorded and are skipping through the commercials. 

Google will provide a better data set for advertisers to work with, allowing them to plan their advertising campaigns around the ways that most people are watching the content.  Advertisers can use this data to understand which audiences and ads are most effective, which will more than likely lead to more relevant ads for viewers (addressable television). 

Although this model is very smart allowing advertisers to gain additional insight into the consumer it also has its drawbacks.  The problem that Google still has is that the inventory they are selling is not always quality.  Until they can reach critical mass with this product questionable inventory will always be an issue.  Also, it is impossible to know when people are actually in front of their TV’s when the DVR’s are on.  Nielsen estimates that 10% of DVR’s are never turned off, while 30% are on for 24 hours on any given day. 

Don’t get me wrong this is definitely a step in the right direction but with anything new out there it must be weighed and tested.

Good article by Andrew McAfee on the Harvard Business Review blog, discussing the fallacy of centalized brand control and planned messaging in the digital age.

 HBR 11-13-09

Minjae Lee is a young South Korean artist whose work expresses a semi-disturbing inner tension that is tough to ignore, even if you feel that you’d like to. Its powerful colors, halting imagery and clever juxtaposition of beauty, innocence and fragility with brash, loud and aggressive is what stopped me in my tracks. I can’t stop staring at each image, no matter how harsh they can be at times.

My world as a designer, sometimes gets a little sterile…design on screen, structure within that design, selling, promotions, etc and when I see an illustrator with such an organic and fresh style, and one that evokes such emotions, it makes me wake up and take notice.

Another thing that is just as inspiring is that Minjae is only 19 years old! He is self-taught and uses traditional tools — such as markers, pens, crayons, acrylics — to create his illustrations.

Drama is the theme that seems to permeate all of his work. His unworldly females exude a dark, organic tension. Even the brightest colors do not elevate them out of their dark, dangerous and edgy world. It is so refreshing and inspiring to see something this different – no matter how dark the subject matter. LOVE his work!!