What weighs 20,769 pounds and could very well be the answer to your marketing problems?

You have to admit that in the continuing battle between “big” and “smart”, the big guy usually wins. If you have an unlimited pile of cash, it makes any job a lot easier. Get Warren Buffett to bankroll your company’s marketing and your margin for error is well, rather wide.

Or to put it another way, what came first, the gecko or 9 billion dollars?

Lacking the billions competitors are pouring into the insurance category, smarter thinking was called for on American Family Insurance. So for the fourth quarter of this year, we made the message the medium.

It begins with a new positioning for the brand. American Family Insurance has decided to focus on two key words, words that resonate with their management, their employees and their customers.

Those two words are “clear” and “fair.”

Clear and fair are values that American Family can rightly stand for in everything they do. It is how they treat each other and how they treat their customers. They are words that separate them from their competition in a very meaningful way.

The folks at Blue Horse took those two words and applied them to the printed page in some very delightful ways. Leading the charge was a freestanding newspaper insert. Printed on clear acetate, the piece literally visualized the “clear” and “fair” promise.

It wasn’t the easiest thing to make happen. We had to interview a lot of people in the newspaper business to see whether this could be done. Indeed, not every publication could handle the job (for those we did a die-cut insert). The shipment to the Las Vegas Review-Journal weighed in at a whopping 20,769 pounds for two drops! It took up 7 skids and 560 cartons.

Then we got some negative feedback from people who thought the acetate wasn’t biodegradable or recyclable. (It is!) We’re also getting a lot of notice from customers, potential customers and stakeholders alike. In other words, all the people who really need to know about the new brand position.

If you’d like to see the range of this work, just check it out on our Web site. Or better yet, contact us and we’ll come and show you the entire effort in person, including a unique four page “spread” ad in magazines that literally displays “both sides” of the clear and fair message to the reader.

In a world of exploding media choices and escalating expense, you have to think smarter if you’re not the biggest spender on the block.

And even if you are.

Transitions: Men of Tomorrow

In 1989, a youth organization was formed in Milwaukee. Known as Transitions: Men of Tomorrow, MOT is a comprehensive program designed to prepare African American and other minority males for a successful transition from youth to adulthood.

Recently, I was honored to be asked to join the board of this fine organization. The connection was made by Kathy Galliard from Mosiac Communications. She introduced me to Bill Jenkins, MOT’s president. He in turn had me chat with Rev. Vincent Montgomery, the Executive Director. I couldn’t help, but be impressed.

No one would disagree with the observation that education is of critical concern. As the needs of our schools increase, so do taxes. Oftentimes, the quality of the schools suffers as we wrestle with funding issues. The gap between rich and poor widens. Increasingly, well-to-do families send their children to private schools to escape the either real or imagined failings and dangers that plague the public schools.

One thing I’ve learned is that there is an additional “layer” forming for minority children. They lack the proper role models. They are simply not exposed to men and women who are in rewarding and productive careers. Why work hard in school when the only role models you see are entertainers and sports figures? Why care about your community when your community doesn’t seem to care about you?

And what of the parents? How are they to cope with all of this? When our children see us being a success, they internalize the reasons behind education, networking and hard work. But if they see poverty and discrimination, what is there to motivate hard work?
Where are the opportunities that “the other side” has in abundance? And how are the parents supposed to provide guidance when reality pushes in another direction?

Here are the objectives of MOT:

1. To foster a sense of belonging, accountability, responsibility, cultural pride, increased self-esteem, and respect of God, self and community.

2. To provide a mechanism for adult males to become actively involved as mentors.

3. To increase community awareness of the need and benefit for direction.

4. To provide a vehicle for broad community involvement across all social-economic levels throughout Greater Milwaukee.

5. To assist parents and the community in preparing our youth for their transition from youth to adulthood.

Divided into age groups, participants attend educational workshops, hear guest speakers, go camping, participate in community service projects and go on an annual cultural field trip (next one: Washington, D.C.). Sessions are held Saturday mornings during the school year and during an abbreviated summer program.

The program happens with volunteer mentors. And it depends on the generosity of its supporters. Currently, MOT does not have its own building. It works out of a church basement.

Know anyone with a building they’d like to donate?

For more information, contact:

Transitions, Inc.
P.O. Box 090734
Milwaukee, WI 53209
(414) 322-2950

Christmas in September: The Rep launches “A Christmas Carol”

When I was in Chicago, I was privileged to be on the board of the Goodman Theatre. The Goodman did some truly wonderful work, which included their production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” the timeless story of redemption. I can fondly remember my older son Chris getting a “walk on” role. It didn’t exactly launch him on a career in the theater, but it sure was fun to watch.

Here in Milwaukee, The Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s production of “A Christmas Carol” is one of the city’s great holiday traditions. The Rep stages it, but the play is performed in the venerable Pabst Theater, which is right next door.

This year, Rep Managing Director Tim Shields gave the marketing committee, me and of course, everyone at Blue Horse, the assignment of rejuvenating the advertising. In the past, Scrooge and his ghosts are usually the focus of the ads. Tim and Marketing Director David Anderson wanted to bring the joy of the music, dance and holiday festivities back into the message. They pointed out that this is a family event and that while there may be a scary ghost here and there, it’s really about wonderment and merriment. Oh, and James Pickering was back in the lead.

Blue Horse Senior Art Director Lynn Schoenecker took on the assignment of delivering a whole new look. She selected illustrator Laura Williams in North Carolina and together they designed the poster and set the style for all to follow. Photography was done by Allan Knox and prepress by Pro Graphics.

Meanwhile, for the television work, David put us in touch with a wonderful production house in L.A. by the name of Cinevative that specializes in theater advertising. Mark Ciglar came to Milwaukee for the photo shoot and using these visuals plus music from the production, made the story really come to life.

It’s very satisfying for us to be able to take an “old” product in a new direction. And the entire process of working with the folks at the Rep was a terrific experience. The staff and board members, like Wendy Blumenthal, stepped up with their perspective, their comments and new ideas for the whole marketing effort. So did the Blue Horse folks including account supervisor Laura Rodriguez who managed the process in her usual efficient manner.

You can see the poster and :30 spot among the work on the Blue Horse Web site. We’d love to hear any comments you might have.

You can also order tickets online at milwaukeerep.com or by calling 414-224-9490.

Sponsored again this year by the good folks at Miller Brewing, “A Christmas Carol” is something everyone should make a part of their own holiday family activities.

The joyous tradition lives on!