Since starting at Archer, I have had the opportunity to manage and work alongside great people in the art and web departments. As expected, there have been ups and downs and also many obstacles to overcome when it came to people management. Whether there have been problems regarding personalities, work ethics, equipment, vacation-time, or an array of other issues—you name it—it has happened. Thanks to these issues, I learned and grew as a manager—and not just a production manager—I learned what it meant to be a manager of people.

I have to admit, I respect anyone who has ever had to manage me and deal with my personality and my own ups and downs. It’s not that I am a total diva, (though I have been known to have my “moments”) but, being an artist, and considered a free spirit, it is always a challenge to fit into others’ ideas of how I should act. Cultural differences are always present because of my Puerto Rican background. Very seldom the issue was language, (except when I attempt to use slang or a saying, which I always screw up) still, I kept being misunderstood. The comments varied between that I was too passionate, or even that I was just plain loud to people, (which is not only personality but also a cultural thing), I was usually unaware of how I was being perceived. I had to really take a look at myself and notice what people were seeing in me. Accepting constructive criticism and being able to adjust was another step towards maturity and self development, and that is no easy task for a Latina, let me tell you!

Knowing the issues I had to overcome as an employee has definitely helped me to be more aware of my team’s issues, what they deal with and what they need overcome. Pointing out things employees need to work on, in a constructive manner, is not always an easy task. Still, people screw up and that is part of life and learning. As long as they don’t mind a bit of constructive criticism and creative supplementation mixed in with their daily dose of work, we can do wonderful things.

Maturity is something that crept up on me. It has nothing to do with age… not at ALL! (What’s my age again?) But still, there it is, and with it comes a certain way of handling yourself and the people around you. A sense of maturity is very useful to managers and it is one of the reasons most managers are a bit more seasoned than the people they manage. (I use Adobo, garlic and lime!)

Another part of my job is to discover not only what everyone on my team is good at, but also what challenges each person so they can get better at what they do. This way they stay interested in their job and feel that they can accomplish bigger and better things.

The catch is you can’t promise everyone that they will always get to do will be fun and exciting, though I wish I could. Graphic and web design both have their tedious sides: never-ending changes, endless boring copy that needs to be inserted into web pages, or even daily organization of files and photos. These can all be daunting and extremely boring tasks. At the same time, it is all necessary work and work keeps us busy. (I actually consider being idle the MOST boring thing there is.)

Another challenge of management that I have experienced is actually delegating the work. You could say it is easy to do this, but it can be very difficult. When you have work that you can do yourself, the way you want it to be done and at a speedy pace, it is easy to decide not to pass it on. The problem is, if you don’t pass the work on, your employees will never learn to do it themselves. So, you end up with a lot on your plate and employees with nothing to do (and watching YouTube instead), which is a recipe for disaster.

This is something I see a lot of small business owners going through. They have workers but they don’t teach them the way they do things, and they end up having to babysit everybody in order to get a job done well. BIG MISTAKE. The truth is that training and passing the knowledge to others eventually releases you to do bigger and brighter things. The challenge is the patience it takes to teach. My motto is teach to the point where they don’t need me anymore; teach until I put myself out of a job. Then I can do something new, which would be, in turn, my challenge.

The only wrench in this system is when you have to teach not how to drive a nail, but how you view design, layout and aesthetics, and some of these are not easy to teach. But with the right people, it becomes a very fruitful endeavor. With a little bit of praise (all artists have that diva inside, never forget that) and guidance you can push artists to create even better work.

I am glad to say we have built a good team at Archer. Looking ahead, I can see great possibilities in our company’s future. There will always be some challenges, but I am glad that I can teach and train people what I love to do, and, at the same time, I am also getting to learn a lot—keeping me on my toes and never, ever idle.

Falling Waters

When I think of creative genius in architecture, I think of Frank Lloyd Wright. When I visit his homes or buildings, I experience his genius. However, I also sense some flaws—concrete that should have been reinforced (at Falling Waters), an inability to fully enjoy the art (at The Guggenheim Museum in New York) due to constantly having my right foot below my left, and low ceilings that feel claustrophobic to my 6’1” height (Throughout his work).

I have come to a realization that all of these are outcomes of a genius given carte blanche.

While none of these mitigating factors diminish my enjoyment of Mr. Wright’s ground-breaking ideas, these shortcomings have made me feel his buildings are less livable than I originally envisioned them being. More importantly, this realization has shaped the way I view the creative process and how it relates to marketing communications.

In marketing communications firms, the dichotomy of fostering exciting innovation within functional constraints is critical to a successful strategy.

Guggenheim Museum

Having an array of talent is a force best maximized when unleashed. However, empowering each talented person often comes hand-in-hand with an obstinate and well-defended position (ala Frank Lloyd Wright’s). How do you know when to get a talented person with a powerful idea to succumb to modification? How do you know when to let a new idea fly?

Obviously, your client might determine the answer for you, but how do you even know whether the idea is worthy of showing the client? Moreover, the client is paying you to know if the idea is flight-worthy to begin with!

Establishing consensus is the usual way to sort out bad ideas. Unfortunately, consensus also can contribute to the diluting of good ideas. So how much do you rely on building consensus and how much free rein do you give to maximize your talent?

At Archer, we mix a strong reliance on consensus with a tendency to add weight to the opinions of the experts whose talent was called upon. We also encourage our talents to pick their battles carefully and use time to mitigate emotional bias. This blended approach strives to capture the best attributes of all available resources.

The client does add tremendous weight to decisions, but we strive hard to discourage decisions that we as a company do not agree with. The old adage that “the client is always right” does not always apply to creative strategies. What is true is that the client will be most affected by the decisions made and needs to know when they are overriding consensus or expert opinion.

Frank Lloyd Wright is remembered for his innovation. Shortcoming are generally overlooked or fixed. I may not be qualified to second-guess the man, but I sometimes do marvel—Could Mr. Wright’s buildings have been even better if he considered the input from complementing contemporary experts a little bit more?

In our world of marketing communications, we are usually working on matters that are quite different than designing a building. The immediacy of the message is more pronounced and the ability to shift directions is more manageable. Still, generating a positive return on investment is critical. So, establishing a process that incorporates both strong creative energy and strong mass appeal is a question that marketing communications firms must work out.

By: Jeff Lennox
President, Archer Communications, Inc.

The 2^nd Annual Emerging Artists Expo: 25 artists, 25 and younger, 25 different styles.

This weekend is the 42^nd Annual Corn Hill Arts Festival! Here at Archer Communications, the anticipation and excitement is building. We are thrilled  to be sponsoring the 2^nd Annual Emerging Artists Expo and wanted to promote a greater awareness for the Expo by creating a microsite: www.archercom.com/emerging-artists.

Talented. Innovative. Entrepreneurial. Fresh. Edgy. These artists are all that and more. Visit the website to learn a little bit about every artist. Connect with them to see who they are and what inspires them. Then, meet the artists in person at the Emerging Artists Expo, located next to the Food Court, at the Corn Hill Arts Festival, July 10 and 11.You can also see photos of the artists and their artwork for a sneak peek as to what you can expect at the Expo this weekend. Throughout the Festival, Archer will also be conducting fun video interviews with all the artists and posting them on the website. The website also features a Twitter feed, a map of the Festival, blog posts, the latest news, and more!

It can be difficult for rising artists to gain exposure to a large audience. The 2^nd Annual Emerging Artists Expo is the place where the premier young artists in the area can be recognized for their creativity, talent, and dedication to the arts. At the end of the Festival, the Corn Hill Arts Festival’s Jurying Committee will select a winner of the Expo. Here at Archer, we believe in supporting and promoting young, promising artists. Thus, to further encourage these artists to pursue their creative dreams and develop their talent, we will also award the selected winner with a website. This custom website will allow the artist to showcase and promote their work online throughout the year.

We hope you will make a trip out to this year’s Corn Hill Arts Festival and visit the Emerging Artists Expo. Come by and also meet the “A-Team” from Archer Communications at the entrance the Expo. We hope to see you this weekend!

For more information regarding the festival, please visit www.cornhillartsfestival.org.

Recently I had a personal issue with my a certain insurance company that has a duck for a mascot. (hint, hint) I was upset and felt really used by the company, so much so that I had a little rant about it on Twitter. I was not expecting much, but I had heard that these big company’s are getting into social media in a big way and that they might be listening in to the conversation in Twitter and other social media outlets like facebook and digg.

Being that I am in advertising and the fact that I did have a compelling and real issue that I felt they should have been more attentive to, I thought, why not see if it is true. Is social media the new way to reach customer service?

At Archer Communications we talk about social media to our clients all the time, and sometimes they do not understand the power of this medium. They often ask us about the ROI, how much is my company going to get out of it, if it is really necessary, and the big question…who’s going to do this? I understand their concerns and believe me, before this experience I was asking those same questions myself. So, as a curious consumer, a proponent of social media, and a detective, I decided to tweet about my issue.

I didn’t know what to expect after my 10 or so 250 character entries. In each of them I mentioned the company by name, over and over again. I was upset and I talked about it. You could say I did a bit of a rant. Well. Tell you what. It didn’t take long at all. I was surprised to have a company representative tweet me about 1 hour after my last post. She was very nice and asked me to tweet her directly the problem with my account. For those of you that don’t use Twitter a lot, you can actually tweet privately to anyone. This means the tweet is not public like the regular tweets out there. You can send private messages to an actual Tweeter account holder and only they can see it. Not only that, but I do have my private tweets sent directly to my phone… and that’s how I found out the rep had sent me a tweet! My phone received a text message from the rep. I was completely dumbstruck. THEY ARE LISTENING! (I know, a little creepy) But, they really ARE listening!

Well, I answered their tweet with a one-on-one “tweet-conversation” with the rep. I told the rep what my problem was and why I was so upset. She said she would look into it. Again, I was not expecting much and to my surprise, I received a call the next day from another representative asking me a few more details about what had happened. They had decided to look into my case again and they would let me know the outcome. In a couple or more days, I received another call with their decision to reimburse me for my claim. Yesterday, I got my check. YAY! I was not only surprised and happy but I also remained with the company as a client.

It goes to show you that the ability of this company to be in touch with social media, actually brings them ROI in a much direct manner that most people dismiss. Word-of-mouth. Actually it is more like “tweet-of-mouth”, (or “digital-word”? or “type-a-tweet”? “Twordeeted”! hmm… there is a new term in there but I can’t put my finger on it. Lol!) which has become the new customer service in my book. They actually retained a client by their diligent use of social media, and they used it to their advantage. Bravo for them!

I do realize that this is a large company with lots of people working for them and the financial ability to have employees monitor their social media 24/7. But there is help out there for the smaller businesses to get on the bandwagon too! There are programs sold out there like Radian6 or Scout Labs that for a fee they can help you gauge your internet exposure and how it is being received. You can know when someone anywhere on the web is talking about you. There are also a number of free services like Google Alerts that sends you an email whenever you are mentioned on the web, know if they are talking good about you or bad about you with Co.mments and you can search community forums or message boards for your company to see where it is being mentioned by using Boardtracker. Andy Beal goes through these services and lists 26 free online reputation tools on his post for Marketing Pilgrim.

As you can see what happened with me and that duck company was not magic (although it sure felt like it). They didn’t read my mind or were looking at me like “big brother”. They just had their finger on the pulse of their brand, they were ready to jump in to protect their integrity and fix the problem. That’s insight, and that is a smart business move… plus, they retained me as a client which is the best ROI of all! ;-D

By: Michelle Martorell
Creative Director, Archer Communications, Inc.

Twitter Logo

It seems lately all the world’s ‘tweeting‘. That is why more and more individuals and companies are making use of the social media platform of Twitter to stay connected with the world around them. Before you can begin to use social media to your benefit, you must first gain a solid understanding of what exactly the phrase “social media” truly means. Social media is the taking place of conversations and communication online between multiple users. Social media offers an unprecedented level of user interaction. Simply, social media is a platform that gives its users an opportunity to publicly (on the internet) announce information, news happenings, updates, and much more. Social media takes place in many forms, however some of the best known social media tools are services such as Twitter, instant messaging, blogs, forums, Wikis, podcasts, video sharing (YouTube), social networks (Facebook and MySpace), among several others.
While initially, social media may appear threatening, there is little need to worry. Instead, consider embracing this new technology and reach your targeted customers through avenues of communication you never before thought possible. To further clarify how to best maximize communication with your clients through the internet, here are a few reasons why you should start using social media today:

1. Most social media platforms are relatively inexpensive and can be guided into even the smallest of budgets.
2. Tool for branding, marketing, and sales – Social media tools, such as blogs give you a chance to reinforce your message in a positive way that is welcomed by your readers.
3. Minute by minute live updates allow your social media followers to get real-time updates on what you or your company is currently working on, in the world of social media, these updates are referred to as “live feeds”.
4. Many social media platforms offer users the ability to go back and flexibly edit copy and other web-published materials.
5. The world of social media is a quickly growing area, and the sooner you can establish and build your online presence, the better!

Follow Archer on Twitter!

Archer Communications is excited to announce that it will serve as agency of record for Empire Attractions, LLC, New York’s newest themed event and entertainment provider.

Empire Attractions, recently established by Doug Waterbury, owns and operates a variety of venues throughout the State, including the Sterling Renaissance Festival, Screamers’ Hollow and the newly created Celtic Rock Festival, located at the Sterling Festival Grounds in Sterling, NY. Other Empire Attraction venues included Sylvan Beach Amusement Park, the Sylvan Beach Screamer Speedboat Thrill Ride and Yesterday’s Royal, located along Oneida Lake in Sylvan Beach, NY; and Santa’s Workshop at North Pole, NY, located on Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, NY.

As agency of record, Archer is responsible for the development, management and implementation of all marketing efforts for Empire Attractions and each of its entertainment venues.

“Although challenging at times, this account has everyone at Archer buzzing with excitement,” said Carol Davison, Sr. VP Client Services at Archer Communications. “These events demand a marketing approach and media mix as unique as the entertainment venues themselves. Branding, media placement, web development and PR are a few of the many responsibilities Archer will take on in 2009.”

Archer worked with the Sterling Renaissance Festival throughout the 2008 season. Prior to that, Carol Davison oversaw the Renaissance Festival account at Davison Advertising for 20-plus years.

Archer Communications is a branding and Integrated Marketing Communications firm, specializing in advertising, public relations, sales promotion, web development, exhibits, events, media planning and buying, Internet marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), packaging and direct marketing. Archer serves a wide range of business-to-business, retail and consumer clients in a diverse range of industries and markets.

For more information, visit us at www.Archercom.com

The Internet has quickly become a place where consumers can come together and share information about their experiences, where they shop, how much they paid and the level of or lack of service they received.

A decade ago, not-so-happy patrons would have gone and voiced their dissatisfaction to ten-or-so of their closest friends. Today, thanks to the Internet, those unsatisfied individuals now have an eager audience of hundreds, even thousands. The upside? The Internet has granted us (marketers) the ability to identify topics of discussion for disgruntled customers and pinpoint areas of our business that are in need of improvement.

Tips to Effectively Manage Your Online Reputation
Pay close attention to online chatter. Websites such as, Epinions.com, Viewpoints.com, ConsumerReview.com and Rocwiki.org were developed to provide mindful shoppers with unbiased first-hand reviews and recommendations. What are consumers saying about you and your products and services? Pay attention and respond accordingly.

If you are getting unfavorable feedback: Act quickly. If your customers are unhappy, how are you going to fix it? Recall? Refund? Tutorial? Upgrade? Remedy the situation fast or, thanks to the limitless nature of the Internet, the backlash will more than likely snowball.

If you are praised by the masses: Determine what you are doing right and keep doing it (unfortunately A+ ratings are hard to come by – the critics are tough and most of us have room for improvement).

For more information, visit us at www.Archercom.com

E-newsletters are an effective and relatively inexpensive way to stay in touch with clients, vendors and influential members of the community, and to keep them informed on both organizational news and industry trends.

Give Them Something They Want!
People will rarely engage in a newsletter that solely explains the benefits of doing business with your organization. To increase the likelihood of people actively reading what you have to say, make sure there is something in it for them. Be sure your content is newsworthy, relevant to the recipient, and includes something interesting, fun and non-promotional.

Update Your List
You can take the time to create a highly engaging and effective newsletter, but it won’t do you much good if it doesn’t get in front of the right people. Update your list with new contacts every month or as necessary and remove those that are no longer relevant.

Archer works web-based companies that help build and maintain targeted contact lists for our clients and enables us to provide fast and easy distribution of our clients’ e-newsletters and e-marketing campaigns.

Do Not Abuse/Overuse
As interesting as you think the day-to-day happenings of your business may be, outsiders most likely do not care. Send a newsletter only when there is news, and pick a distribution schedule that will not get you blacklisted from recipient in-boxes…try once a month or every quarter.

For information on creating an effective-newsletter, please contact Carrie Tschetter, ctschetter@Archercom.com, 585.461.1570 x 216 or visit us at www.Archercom.com

The management team at Archer Communications, a branding and integrated marketing communications firm, provided a staff team building day in early February at their offices located on Alexander St. in Rochester, NY. The purpose of this event was to strengthen their capacity to communicate efficiently and effectively, both internally and with our clients.

The session was facilitated by Harry Merryman, Ph.D and President of Management Insight and Development. Dr. Merryman, a licensed psychologist, who specializes in leadership assessment and coaching. Utilizing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Preferences model, Dr. Merryman conducted team-building exercises to help Archer fine tune the art of working together.

Carol Davison, Sr. VP Client Services, at Archer Communications, introduced the team building concept to Archer two and a half years ago. “Each of our staff discovered what personality type they are, and how to appreciate not only their strengths, but also the strengths and contributions that others bring to the group. It was not only a learning experience; we had a lot of fun in the process! The goal of this exercise was to help nurture and build strong working relationships, since teamwork has always played an important role in Archer’s success,” Carol stated.

“Some of us are extroverts, some are thinking types – I’m an ENFP, which means I’m an extrovert who sees the big picture, understands the human side of decision-making and is open to new ideas,” said Carrie Tschetter, Sr. Account Supervisor at Archer Communications. “I can see how these exercises can help communication between Archer and our clients, by understanding that we all communicate in our own unique way.”

Archer’s management team plans on continuing both on and offsite team building, in-service training and skill development seminars in the future.

For more information, visit us at www.Archercom.com

Archer Communications, Inc. a full-service marketing communications firm located in Rochester, NY, is excited to announce that Gloria Kreitzberg has joined the team as Marketing Director. Gloria’s has more than 30 years experience in marketing and advertising.

Gloria has worked in advertising agencies and graphic design firms, as well as major corporations such as Bausch & Lomb and Xerox. During that time, she’s held positions as Account Executive, Print Production Coordinator, Illustrator/Designer, Creative Director, Copywriter, and Marketing and Branding Consultant. She received her training from the Rochester Institute of Technology in graphic arts and communications.

“She brings a well-rounded knowledge of branding, package design, graphics and traditional and interactive marketing to Archer,” said Jeff Lennox, President of Archer Communications.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of an organization that appreciates my abilities and allows me to spread my wings,” Gloria claims. “Creativity begins in the mind and marketing allows me to use my creativity for the benefit of our clients in many different ways. I’m never bored.”

Carol Davison, Sr. Vice President of Account Services adds, “Gloria is a great addition to our senior account team. Her enthusiasm is contagious and our clients truly enjoy her energy.”

Doug Niblack, owner of Niblack Foods, a Rochester-based spice company, appreciates the level of personal attention and professional service provided by Gloria. “Gloria looks at my business from my point of view, and offers good sound marketing advice,” “For a small business like mine that doesn’t have a marketing department, Gloria and the team at Archer, fill the void. I think of them as if they were part of my own staff.”

Gloria, a working single mom who lives in Irondequoit with her two daughters goes on to say, “I love it here at Archer. It’s a company that values teamwork, family values and has a genuine regard for their employees’ welfare.”  She adds, “I hope to be able to contribute to the continued success of Archer Communications and have some ‘fun’ in the process.”

For more information, please contact Carrie Tschetter at 585-461-1570 or at ctschetter@archercom.com or visit us at www.Archercom.com.