Have you ever watched a black belt Karate expert blast his bare hand through a stack of bricks? It is a powerful demonstration of focus and commitment.

Austrian pines command the lilac-filled hilltop in Highland Park.

I remember people who could perform such acts remarking that it is not difficult—all you need to do is concentrate on a point beyond the stacked barriers. But I don’t buy that.  I think it requires confidence, commitment and good technique.

Focusing beyond the target with commitment has always struck me as special and worth building upon. People are noteworthy when they demonstrate this combination. Heroic figures resonate in our hearts when their break-through accomplishments become their historic legacy.

My home city, Rochester, New York has been blessed with such heroes. George Eastman, Susan B. Anthony and Frederic Douglas all quickly come to mind, and there are many others. Two of my favorites were Frederick Law Olmstead and Dr. John R. Williams. Each of them was dedicated to our natural surroundings. Olmstead designed Highland and Seneca Parks and Williams sought out and planted the great variety of magnificent trees at Oak Hill Country Club. Both focused upon a world beyond their own days to create ongoing majesty for people to enjoy.

I used to find it a bit unsettling that people would spend lifetimes devoted to causes that would only be realized after their deaths. Now I do not. Maturation, parenting, as well as working and sharing with others altered my perspective. Today I am devoting more and more energy to building little legacies, and I suppose that, while recognition and kudos are impressive stacks to assemble, the internal warmth that accompanies legacy-focused action is simply more fulfilling.

At Archer Communications, it is more rewarding for us to help companies realize ways to perpetually grow than it is to design a single step in the process.  But, even as a step in the process, we seek to comprehend a company’s overall strategy so that our work is synergistic with it.

We want each client to build its own legacy, no matter how personal or how ambitious. Our process is intentionally flexible and customizable to build each marketing communications strategy beyond short-term success and to deliver sustainable gratification. By aligning ourselves with a client’s purpose, we accentuate a deeper legacy for them, and hopefully contribute in a small way to the betterment of our world.

Jeff Lennox

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.

Archer is pleased to announce that this year’s 2nd Annual Emerging Artists Expo at the 42nd Annual Corn Hill Arts Festival was a tremendous success! As the Expo’s sponsor, we strove to create an inviting, interactive, and fun atmosphere at the main entrance to the Expo. If you stopped by to visit the A-Team, you may have walked the red carpet, posed for paparazzi pictures, and created artwork to contribute to the gallery displayed in the Archer tent.

“Everyone at Archer is extremely pleased with how the weekend went. We really tried to make the Expo the highlight of the Festival. I feel that people really enjoyed the activities we offered at the entrance of the Expo and interacting with fresh, young, Rochester-based talent,” said Jeff Lennox, President of Archer Communications.

Jeff continues, “For most of these artists, the Expo was their public debut. It was a chance for them to sell and display their artwork to a large and diverse audience. I am pleased that Archer could partake in supporting these passionate and brilliant artists.”

Be sure to check back to the Emerging Artists Expo page (www.archercom.com/emerging-artists) throughout the upcoming weeks! We will be updating the site with red carpet pictures, video interviews with the artists, and more!

Archer Communications would also like to congratulate Heather Swenson on winning 1^st place for the Emerging Artists Expo category. As promised, Ms. Swenson will be presented with a customized website to showcase her portfolio of work throughout the year. “I am grateful to Archer Communications for providing me with such a generous gift. This will really help me gain exposure to the public and help me keep in contact with other artists,” said Swenson. She continues, “I gave out a lot of business cards at the Festival, but everyone also kept asking me if I had a website. Getting a website has been something I have been putting off, so I am thrilled that Archer is going to help me finally put my art on the web.”

Heather Swenson, an Irondequoit native, is a rising junior at SUNY Purchase College of Art Design. She felt that Expo went very well for her, as she sold several pieces and networked with many of the area’s local artists and art professionals. The 2^nd Annual Emerging Arts Expo was Swenson’s inaugural showing to the general public and she was thrilled as to how many people were intrigued with her work and the process of woodcut lithograph printing. She is also excited to be recognized for her hard work and dedication to her art. Swenson said that, “Winning this honor provides me with affirmation and confidence that I can succeed within a medium that I am passionate about.” You may see Swenson’s work around Rochester at different events this Summer—events she was invited to show at by people with whom she connected with at the Expo.

Stay tuned for updates regarding the release of Ms. Swenson’s new web-based portfolio. And don’t forget to check the Emerging Artists Expo web page for the latest updates!

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.

You don't want your newsletter or email to end up like this!

Recently a customer who was about to start a email newsletter for his company, in order to increase their direct marketing and get more unique visitors to their website, asked us at Archer to design a template for it. We have created many e-newsletters in the past, but usually they have simple layouts to accommodate the stringent rules email clients adhere to. The most notable and well known email clients are Gmail, Lotus Notes 6, Outlook 2007 and mac Mail, to name a few.

The difference with our client was that he wanted a fancier look for the newsletter. We tried to please the client all the while something told me we would have issues. Pizazz! and WOW! get lost in translation when it comes to email marketing if you don’t do it correctly. Some of these fancier looking designs you can achieve on websites cannot be done for email because they get blocked by very finicky email clients. It is not a good feeling to design a beautiful piece only to find out that no one is seeing it. Plus, creating something that works for one email client, may not work for all, and you end up compromising with a very boring e-newsletter or email. A designer’s conundrum… beauty vs visibility. If they can’t see the forest why decorate the tree? (Hey! I just made that saying up and it is so true).

Here is the flip side: If you know what you CAN do, a good designer can make your email work AND look awesome! I did some research and came across solutions where we could give our client the “WOW!” factor and still get it through to their customers. Here are some that stood out the most to me…

First of all, designing for email marketing is not the same as designing for the web. Where as website browsers keep evolving, email clients seem to be going in the other direction, thus making a lot of emails look like nothing is there. Or the email is filled with a bunch of question marks that frankly, I don’t even bother with, because it is too much work to even try and let the email program view the image. Most people would just ignore the email entirely, and there goes your carefully thought out email blast or e-newsletter… In the trash!

Less is more when it comes to email design. I just read a very good article from Campaign Monitor titled “Email Design Guidelines” where they go through step by step on the most basic rules. A good quote from the article that gives you a hint of hope that your email will be viewable is this: “While it’s not without its challenges, rest assured it can be done. In my experience the key is to focus on three things. First, you should keep it simple. The more complex your email design, the more likely is it to choke on one of the popular clients with poor standards support. Second, you need to take your coding skills back a good decade. That often means nesting tables, bringing CSS inline and following the coding guidelines I’ll outline below. Finally, you need to test your designs regularly. Just because a template looks nice in Hotmail now, doesn’t mean it will next week.” Amen to that!

The article itself gets into the actual coding, and may be a bit overwhelming to some that really don’t deal with the code itself. So for the benefit of non-coders, I will try to explain in simple terms what it all means.

Background images will probably be replaced with solid color. If you’d like to reach maximum email client compatibility, you (or your designer) should avoid positioning any elements above any other graphic element – like large images – because of issues with css properties support in email clients. The email client will remove the background image and replace it with a solid color or nothing at all. So images or items floating on top of other images are a no-no.

No repeating backgrounds. Let’s say you wanted a fancy wood grain background that gets repeated throughout the email like many do in their websites. This would also disappear because of the same rule above. So you are better off with solid colors.

No transparent images. Transparent images will also cause problems because they combine with the background so the email client would treat them as a floating image and they could disappear or get the dreaded question mark. They could be faked only if they are treated like a picture, but since email clients tend to move things around, it would simply be better to stay away from that.

Avoid fancy fonts. Unless they are treated like an image, your best bet is to use web friendly fonts that everyone has in their system like Helvetica, Arial, Verdana or Times. Why? Because if your intended receiver does not have Arno Pro Bold Condensed in their computer, most likely the email will revert to one of the fonts I just mentioned and break your design. I can hear moans right now… this is the worst travesty of web designers. I know. All websites are doomed to have the same fonts, but there is nothing worse than things changing on you without your consent. And if they can’t read your newsletter or email, what good does a fancy font do?

Test your design. Often. As mentioned in the article above, you need to test your design to see if it can work in different email clients. There are programs to do this and your designer should be aware of this tool. It will show you a snapshot of how your email will look and show you if things disappear or not. It is an excellent way to fool proof your design. But note that things change constantly and if you have had a certain layout for your newsletter that has been in use for a while, it would be a good idea to test it again every few months to see if it is still as visible as before.

Use a reliable email marketing software. It is one thing to send email to your mom from your own computer, and another when sending an email with commercial or marketing intentions in mind. This is a touchy subject that gets into the murky world of CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) legalities. There are many rules that circle around marketing through email and they are covered in the article “Complying with CAN-SPAM laws” from Campaign Monitor if you want to read more. Things like double opt-in, unsubscribe links, valid reply-to addresses, legitimate from name and other issues can be covered when using a reliable email marketing software. Some of the most well known are MailChimp, Benchmark, Campaign Monitor. These services are easy to use and are very cost effective when used wisely.

It would be also wise to say that when using the email marketing providers, it can also hurt you if you go into a email campaign without thorough thought to your target audience, the branding of your company, and how you present yourself. It should look professional because email marketing is very direct and you wouldn’t want your first impression to your client to be a bad one. For a true professional presentation and great results, always consult a professional interactive marketing agency  like Archer Communications, Inc.! But, even if you don’t use us, imagine those disappearing images, broken text, question marks, in an email you receive, and remember what you (or I) would do with an email like this… Yep… Send it to the trash!

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

Take it from me, Archer’s young-blooded intern, making an impression on Generation Next (my demographic cohort), is neither Jello pudding nor Pillsbury apple pie.  Our attention is generally distracted, flittering between one device and the next, from one social media platform to another. We are quick to control what enters our collective consciousnesses by fast-forwarding through DVRed commercials and closing down popup windows at warped speed.

Thus, infiltrating the craniums of my generation calls for boundless and unparalleled creativity.  There are no limits with brands coloring outside of the lines of convention.  Twitter is the digital billboard of the 21^st century, with fan-followed tweeters hawking tweet space to marketers, 50 bucks a pop. FunnyorDie.com blurs the line between product placement and solid entertainment by featuring hilarious videos scripted around a particular product. Sitcoms and feature films are working with brands from the start in order to foster a more synergistic natural partnership.  Sponsored smart phone applications are the crocuses of the digital world, delightfully springing up everyplace. Even ethically questionable new kid on the block Chatroulette is garnering interest from innovative advertisers such as Travelocity and French Connection.

Then again, I don’t think that merely registering for a Facebook fan page will do your brand justice.  Interact with us. Respond to our tweets and wallposts in a way that’s transparent and we’ll trust you. Open up the blogging forum to our ideas. Hold contests on YouTube and you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll post videos. I challenge you to come up with ideas; flag us down with your blog posts, pop-up shop, your demonstration, or your impromptu event.  Show us that we genuinely matter, crown us your brand ambassadors, and we’ll prick up our ears, open our eyes, and endorse your brand with the utmost loyalty.

By: Marissa Dubin, Intern, Archer Communications, Inc.

Are micro-payment stock sites killing the professional industry?

Stock photography prices have come down with the availability of the internet... but is this a good thing?

Being a designer of a “certain age” I remember when stock photography was an expensive necessity, and hiring an illustrator was the norm. Pouring over glossy catalogs where these professionals showed their work and picking just the right technique for what you wanted to portray, was always a treat. Being able, as a designer, to hire these individuals was a thrill. Art directing a complete photo shoot including models, wardrobe, location, etc. was a necessary part of our industry. Stock photography was available, but sometimes, the cost was just as steep as taking the photo. Then the digital age came, and in my opinion, disrupted a whole generation of amazing professionals.

These days with the help of the Internet, stock photography sites have taken off. The cost of hiring professionals was at an all time high when I started in this industry, and just having the customer allow for such external costs was a godsend. Now it seems like all has changed for the cheap thrill of pre-canned photos and stock art.

Today, every designer faces the cost vs. uniqueness conundrum. Not every customer sees the value of a custom photo or illustration when they can easily look for one online. They give up on individuality (and not to mention creativity gets the ax), but in turn, they get a more or less decent looking model that looks “professional” for their brochure, and that is all they seem to care about.

The only time where a stock photo will certainly not work is when the customer has an actual product that needs to be sold. For that, they will need a professional to take a picture of that item. And even that will probably be silhouetted and placed into a stock background of some sort.

You could say that the days of custom illustration and high-end photography have been reserved for the true quality and art connoisseur customer who sees the value of standing out for their individuality, or the well-to-do ones that can pay for the right to be unique… Well, I disagree.

I do have nostalgia for the old ways, but to be able to roll with the changes has proven to be a big part of my survival in this industry. As a designer, it is my job to be able to take the available budget and still create individual and unique ways of portraying a customer’s product or service. They may not have the budget of Apple, but most small to medium companies don’t, and these companies are the bread and butter of our industry.

So, yes, we have lost some individuality, but we have gained the ability to look good, even if it is at discount prices. All it takes is the ability to take all these lemons and make lemonade… for that, hire a professional!

By: Michelle Martorell

Creative Director, Archer Communications, Inc.

Saint John Fisher Athletics logo

I can’t help but stare out the window at the landscape, whitened by the heavy snowfall and be awed by its beauty. A day after the storm, our birdfeeder is being visited by cardinals, chickadees, blue jays, goldfinches and the ever present sparrows.  If you are a fan of the bird world or just enjoy seeing one while going for  a walk, you’ve probably noticed that each species has very specific characteristics.

Each bird has a story to tell and it begins with a signature sound. The blue jay squawks, the cardinal sings and the chickadee repeats its name over and over.

To further distinguish themselves, each bird has a pattern of color that tells the rest of the birds who they are and where they lay in the pecking order.

By now, you’re probably wondering what a discussion of birds, their songs and colors is doing on a marketing communications blog?  Well, I got to thinking the other day about branding and why having your own distinct brand is so important.  Like so many other things, nature teaches many lessons and it seems to me that the bird world provides the perfect analogy for businesses that are wondering how to express their uniqueness through their brand.

Your brand begins with understanding who you are and what sets you apart from the flock. Are you a male cardinal, brilliant red, announcing to all that you are proud of your position or are you a blue jay, with hues of blue, daring another to try and land on the feeder? Either way, the colors you choose, the words that describe your company and the way you present your business to the world defines your brand. What food do you prefer—sunflowers, thistle or cracked corn? What helps you to thrive—trees, bushes, berries or pine trees? Understanding who you are as a company and what your products or services provide for consumers, defines the brand and makes it clear how to present yourself to the world and create your brand promise.

A brand promise is so much more than a logo—it’s how you take your products or services to market, interact with customers, and respond to the needs of your clients. Once you decide on your brand promise, integrating that into every aspect of your business is job one. Taking that message to the public, so that they relate your business with a positive emotion comes next. Archer Communications understands how to deliver the message through marketing, logo design, web design, Internet marketing and the all important SEO, search engine optimization. Our brand promise is to “Create Demand for Your Brand”.

We ask the right questions, which helps your marketing company understand who you are. Do you want your brand to create excitement? Are you all about comfort or does your product or service provide a convenience for people? Understanding what you are, leads to a brand that truly reflects your promise to the customer. Marketing strategies can then be defined and implemented effectively based on your branding.

So whether your product or service is a regal cardinal or a gentle chickadee, it has a place at the feeder. Enjoy winter’s beauty and the wonders and lessons of the natural world!

Write and tell us what type of bird you most identify with.  Hmmm.  I think I’m a Great Blue Heron!

How quickly are you getting information about new and innovative ideas, products and services to your potential customer base? Are your rankings on search engines lagging? Are you still waiting for your web updates to go live? If this sounds familiar, it may be because you haven’t experienced the distinct advantage of working with an integrated marketing communications firm. Working with this type of firm—one that combines both traditional and Internet marketing methods—will help you determine the appropriate marketing solutions for your business.

The fundamental principles that drive sales remain the same—determine the needs of your customers through market research, strategically develop and effectively target your audience(s), which will then form the core of your business plan. The challenge of communicating your company’s message has become increasingly complex, because of the constantly evolving world of advertising. web design, email marketing and search engine optimization, to name a few. Social media marketing alone, presents a smorgasbord of choices.

Branding is yet, another important area of your business that needs consideration. Developing a distinct brand in the current ultra-competitive marketplace is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.  It involves creating a strong brand identity, integrating the brand’s message to employees and consumers, and then carrying that message consistently across all forms of advertising and marketing initiatives.

When you make decisions about how to spend precious advertising dollars, it’s more important than ever to look at one’s return on investment (ROI).  Planning your marketing strategies makes sense financially and getting expert advice on how to do so, eliminates waste—ultimately producing an effective outcome.

Hiring an integrated marketing communications firm will give your company a team of skilled experts who can help you realize your goals, overcome challenges and strategically craft a marketing plan that’s customized for your particular business objectives. They can help you reduce the clutter and streamline the process of delivering your message to your target audience.

Are you struggling to make the right marketing decisions for your company? Tell us your challenges—we’d be glad to help!

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