All musicians are creative, but not all creatives are musicians. Tom Anderson, part of our creative team and resident BCH Rockstar, is the bass guitar player for the band Thirty Spokes. Thirty Spokes is a Louisville, KY based band that blends rock, blues, acoustic, and country jam into its distinctive sound. The rapidly-growing fan base of Thirty Spokes is witness to the high quality, genuine, original music that identifies with the soul of the audience.

Thirty Spokes is a finalist for the Great Band Live Contest where 11 local bands perform (very early in the morning) and then convince all their fans to vote online. The winning band will receive cash, prizes and a chance to play a gig at the KFC YUM! Center.

Check out the band’s performance on Great Day Live!

And most importantly, VOTE HERE!

Last Friday night was a busy time for both our Louisville office. In Louisville, Bandy Carroll Hellige team members attended the Louie Awards.

Here’s the breakdown of the awards from Louisville:

Louies:

Judges’ Choice

• Kentucky Lottery Jackpot Day- TV

Gold

• Kentucky Lottery Jackpot Day- TV
• Delta Dental- Annual Report

Silver

• Frazier Civil War- Outdoor
• Zoo Bears- TV
• Kentucky Lottery Rooftops- TV
• Bluegrass Cellular Bluephoria- TV

Congratulations to all of our staff who had their work honored!

Now that the Super Bowl is in the books, let’s get busy dissecting the ads. We’re going to run down the winners and losers of Ad Bowl XLVI in 140 characters or less per ad:

Winners:

Dogs

Fact: people love dogs. If we use Puppy Bowl VIII as an indicator, Dog-vertising isn’t going anywhere.

VW-

Even though they’re STILL going on about last year’s ad, everyone loves a fat puppy.

Doritos-

Paired the age old war between cats and dogs with a mafia storyline for a humorous result.

Bud Light-

This ad accomplished 2 things: 1) Bud light helps rescue dogs. 2) Made you remember a pretty generic slogan “Here we go.”

Skechers-

Dog+Booties+Moonwalk-Animal Cruelty=Skechers. Or so this ad would have you believe.

Suzuki-

Fact: Driving in the snow is fun when there’s nothing around you to hit.

Cars

Chrysler-

Clint Eastwood gave the nation a pep talk. #epic

Chevy-

Nice use of the timely issue of the Mayan Doomsday prophecy.

Acura-

Maybe I have a soft spot for Seinfeld, but this ad made me chuckle.

Audi-

Vampires. Are. Everywhere.

Samsung-

Between poking fun at iPhoners, acting out “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and an awkward Brian Urlacher appearance, this ad has it all.

Budweiser-

Piggybacking off a the recent “Prohibition Era” popularity (see Boardwalk Empire, Newsies), Budweiser gives us another timely spot.

Losers:

Sex

These super bowl ads tried for “sex sells” and achieved “sex makes you uncomfortable watching the Super Bowl with your friends and family.”

H + M-

I understand there are a lot of David Beckham fans, but this ad struck me as a little over the top.

Teleflora-

I feel scummy for re-watching this ad at my desk to review it.

FIAT-

See Teleflora comment.

Toyota-

I remember back when the Camry was a family car! Toyota manages to cram bikinis, poop jokes, and a llama into this add. #toomuch

Cadillac-

In another weird move, Caddy decides to take its American car to a German racetrack. Then wants you to tell folks to go to “green hell?” Bizarre.

Coke-

Dear Coke, I buy your product because I like the way it tastes. It has nothing to do with Polar Bears. Sincerely, Steve

What was your favorite ad? Did we miss any winners or losers?

Pitch Non-News.

Many times a client will approach you, acknowledge they have no news (or worse, insist that an irrelevant or very minor bit of information qualifies as news) and expect the PR team to land coverage in every major publication in town. Don’t do this. By spamming out information that isn’t newsworthy, you’re conditioning the reporter to ignore you, your client, and eventually anyone who identifies themselves as a publicist. Instead, come up with ways to create an initiative that actually does warrant media coverage, or brainstorm other ways besides media placements to accomplish the clients’ goals.

  Promise Anything.

It’s too easy to get swept up in the excitement of a new campaign or client and promise the world: “The media is going to eat this up!” “We can definitely give you an exclusive interview with our celebrity spokesperson at 4 a.m.” “There’s no way the Today Show would turn this down.” Yet it just takes one broken promise — whether it was under your control or not — to alienate a client or journalist. Promise the client that your team will work hard. Promise the journalist that you’ll do all you can to secure an interview that meets their deadline. But never promise results. In the field of PR, there’s no such thing as a sure bet.

  Measure placements with AVEs.

PR isn’t advertising, so why measure PR success by advertising standards? AVEs (advertising value equivalents) don’t take into account tone, accuracy, penetration, or true reach. While the topic of PR measurement warrants a blog unto itself, a great starting point is this presentation from Joanne Puckett, Vice President and Research Director at Ketchum Global Research Network. She makes excellent points as to why AVE’s don’t do PR any justice, and what metrics to use as a better alternative. Start here to break yourself of the terrible AVE habit and educate your clients as to why they should too.

  Say “No Comment.”

Repeat after me: There is never a reason to say “no comment.” “No comment” means “I have something to hide,” or “The bad things you’re hearing are true,” or “The rumors are accurate but I’m not allowed to confirm them yet,” or “My company doesn’t value our relationship with the media.” Instead, provide all the information you can disclose, and explain why you aren’t able to provide the information a reporter may need if you’re truly prevented from disclosing it. Then give exact details about when you can provide more information — and follow through.

  Step Into Unethical Territory.

While this sounds like obvious advice, PR ethics can be complicated and hazy, especially as these rules try to keep pace with the changing digital times. A few of the big ones: Do insist bloggers and journalists disclose freebies and perks received by your company or clients. Don’t expect coverage in return for anything — favors, ad buys, free products, or special treatment. Do remember to disclose contributing authors of blog posts rather than stray into the murky territory of “ghost blogging.” Essentially, don’t engage in any PR tactics or strategy you wouldn’t want revealed on the front page of The New York Times.

With 2012 around the corner, it’s almost time for gyms to be packed with the newly resolute that haven’t seen a treadmill since the Reagan administration. Yes, that’s right – it’s time to make our New Year’s resolutions.

Advertising is no doubt a stressful industry, filled with tight deadlines, demanding clients and stiff competition, occasionally making the field a wee bit grumpy. To ensure a happier, healthier and all around more enjoyable 2012, try adopting these Karma bonus points resolutions.

Give back to new professionals.
Sure, we’re all busy professionals with hardly a moment to spare, but it’s important to find time to mentor an up-and-coming professional. Agree to a coffee. Evaluate some portfolios. Say yes to conducting an informational interview. You might just discover your next star employee.

Spread cheer beyond the walls of the agency.
It’s all too easy to get annoyed when a printer misses a deadline, when an ad doesn’t run as scheduled or if a blogger always seems to have it out for your client. This year, remember to empathize. With the economy still struggling to regain its footing, our vendor friends are under more personal, professional and financial stress than ever. Acknowledge their hard work, make them smile, and try to leave them happier than they were before they contacted you.

Celebrate the success of the competition.

This can be a cutthroat business, with agencies duking it out to win clients and steal the spotlight. In 2012, make it a point to congratulate other professionals and agencies – yes, even your competition – on a job well done. Send a congratulatory email when they land a big client. Retweet their new hire announcements. Play nice at industry events. Hopefully they’ll return the favor when you need a pat on the back or a helping hand.

A guest post by Shannon Walion

Before I was hired, I was informed of some of the odd tasks BCH had required from previous interns. By the end of the interview, I was not “scared” of intern duties but “excited” for the endless possibilities. Although, I never thought my duties would entail getting into an oversized tooth costume known as “Marshall Molar”, Delta Dental’s mascot and a local favorite of elementary school students.

On a dreary and cold November afternoon I set out for Brandeis Middle School, for what I thought would be a easy 30 minutes out of the office. I was asked to drop off the presentation supplies at the school, since the University of Louisville dental students would be busy preparing for their presentation. How difficult could it be to drive 3 miles, drop off the materials and snap a few photos?

When I got to the school, Derek greeted me. Normally, the program has one student present and another dress in the Marshall Molar costume. So of course, I started to question Derek about his classmate’s whereabouts. Derek informed me that his classmate would not be presenting with him. He offered to present and wear the costume but it was evident to the both of us there was an easier solution…

Ten minutes and five pounds later, I emerged from the teachers’ bathroom (á la Clark Kent exiting a phone booth) as Marshall Molar.

I wobbled down the hall, and squeezed through the classroom door, where I was greeted by 30 students screams and gasps!

Derek presented the students with an informative but fun lecture while I attempted to maneuver in a giant tooth costume. The students received a complementary dance routine, a number of high fives and farewell hugs by yours truly.

I once heard costume gigs pay over $30 an hour…. I am still waiting for my reimbursement! In the meantime I will add “giant tooth mascot” to my resume!

A brief interview with Holly:

Official Title?: Public Relations Account Manager

How Long Have You Been at BCH?: 2 years, 5 months and 24 days

What are you doing if you’re not at BCH?: Well I already spend too much time assisting in the production of the Forecastle Festival, so I guess that. But I do love to cook…

One Movie, One Book, One Album?: Casablanca, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Z by My Morning Jacket

Favorite Boy Band?: OMG! *NSYNC obviously. The BSB were so second rate

Favorite Thing About the Louisville Office?: It’s a tie, between making fun of Ted Eckel and making fun of Terri Isgrigg

Childhood Hero?: Robin Hood (the Disney version)

Any Special/Hidden/Secret Talents?: I don’t have many secrets….I wear my secrets on my sleeve, which makes them, well, not secret.

Pro-Bacon or Anti-Bacon?: Bacon? I’m for it. Enjoying a slice or two now on my Benedictine sandwich.

How do you feel about animals wearing human clothing?: I’m for it. I find nothing more hilarious than personified animals. Including my very special long dog, Dexter.

Nothing is more rewarding that putting the finishing touches on a new client proposal; it’s an exciting feeling to present them with your biggest and best ideas after days, even weeks, of preparing a response to an RFP. But it can also be a little scary; now the client has full possession of your valuable ideas — and in this business, ideas are money. Nearly every industry professional has wondered just how safe those ideas are. What happens if the client steals the ideas? What if they choose a different agency and have them execute your vision? What do you do if your concept pops up as their newest campaign six months down the road?

The key is prevention. Proposals should be treated like any other type of intellectual property, and guarded as such.

Copyright your proposals. It takes just a few clicks at the U.S. Copyright Office website and about $35. While this isn’t foolproof — you obviously can’t copyright media relations as a tactic, for example — it gives you some protection and lets your potential client know you take the idea industry very seriously. Copywriting individual design concepts, like logos, also prevents them from being “borrowed” without your consent.

Request a non-disclosure agreement. Some RFPs already include this, but read carefully. Make sure language forbidding the company from sharing your ideas with a third party (without your consent) is included.

Bill your proposal writing time. Admittedly, this one is tough. Often times RFPs will flat-out state that they won’t compensate agencies for the time or materials involved with the proposal. However, this option is worth exploring if the proposal is exceptionally involved. Explain to clients that you consider proposal writing a form of consulting work — and you can’t and won’t be a free consultant.

Be picky. Think twice about proposals that are overly general, a sign that a company is just looking for free ideas but isn’t serious about hiring an agency to implement them. Solid RFPs should contain budgets, timelines, and outline the agency selection process and judging criteria. Be wary of proposals that have been blasted out to every agency in town; a smart company will research agencies on their own, then narrow it down to a favorite few for the RFP process. Finally, RFPs issued by government-funded departments can also be suspicious. These groups are commonly required to send out the RFP to a certain number or type of agencies (such as women or minority owned), even if they already have an agency partner unofficially selected.

Take a stand. Agencies are increasingly declining to participate in the RFP process, period — and this isn’t as insane as it sounds. Nearly every agency professional has probably won a client based on the grand, pie-in-the-sky idea they generate for the purpose of the proposal, only to get the business and have the client second guess those same ballsy strategies. Concepting truly smart strategies and campaigns takes more than just reading a few background pages on the client, or dreaming up whiz-bang ideas to outdo the other competing agencies, while working in an RFP vacuum. Finding new business more organically can result in better client relationships all around.

To promote Johnny Cash’s final studio album, his record company has partnered with an interactive design group to create a collaborative, ever-changing music video for the song “Ain’t No Grave”.