Technology is advancing much faster than the human psyche or our social structures, allowing for more efficient ways of doing things and possibly even insight into ourselves. In fact, one science fiction author, Douglas Adams, renowned for writing Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, proposes that understanding the way a machine computes information may be the key to understanding how the human mind works. What a leap forward for marketing that would be (not to mention, a leg up for baffled husbands on a lifelong journey to understand their wives, etc.).

As fascinating at the claim may be, psychologists have a fairly good understanding of the human psyche as it is, and this understanding plays a huge role in marketing. Even though we’ve got new gadgets to do things, the things we naturally want to do are still basically the same. According to the mid-20th century psychologist Abraham Maslow, humans operate under a hierarchy of needs, with the most essential needs like food, water, sleep, shelter and sex taking priority over the higher-tiered needs like morality, spontaneity and self-actualization.

Maslow created a pyramid to visualize his hierarchical structure, where satisfying the bottom tier allows for upward movement. Similarly, if there were to be a pyramid based on marketing principles, understanding ingrained human drives would be at the foundation. Marketing without understanding human drives would be like trying to catch a fish with an electric toothbrush – ineffective and silly.

So with that in mind, appealing to the same basic human instincts can be done in new and different ways with the latest technology and a little creativity.

Remember that humans are:

• Curious – In addition to the basic drives outlined by Maslow, like food, sleep, sex and shelter, marketing think tanker John Lloyd poses curiosity as another innate human drive. We’re drawn to the mysterious and the unknown, and it’s no secret that people are going to be more willing to listen or watch something that piques their curiosity, something that may have a cliffhanger, bizarre or unusual aspect about it. With new technology and ways of doing things appearing in the world all the time, standing out in the crowd by appealing to the drive of curiosity can be one huge way to sustain a consumer’s attention. Show them something they’ve never seen before and they will stay tuned.

• Invested in a Sense of Self-Importance – People are full of pride and usually more interested in talking about themselves than listening. Dale Carnegie, author of the best-selling book How to Win Friends and Influence People, outlines some of his cardinal rules: Talk in terms of the other person’s interests, and make the other person feel important – sincerely. We all strive for a sense of importance and of good reputation within our social circles. As more and more people have increased access to the Internet and social media, there are bountiful opportunities to involve the consumer base and make them feel important. Ask them their opinion and they will give it, loudly and across many media channels.

• Whimsical and Emotional – With an immeasurable number of companies competing for attention in a similar arena, most people make buying decisions based on context, comparisons and emotions, not necessarily reason and logic. Hardly any consumer has the time to research a company before they make a buying decision, though, as a side note, a company’s reputation does have the power to influence a buying decision. Humans generally make decisions that are comparative rather than absolute, meaning we are very good at determining better or worse, but not an absolute best. Especially in a technological world oversaturated with information, spending choices can be arbitrary and based on a whim or a fleeting thought, so understanding this ephemeral nature is important. Playing to it by using fun, whimsical methods of advertising can be very attractive.

• Pleasure-seeking – This is an easy one to spot, and one way to apply it to new strategies of marketing is to understand that consumer culture is based on entertainment. Gone are the days of sheer practicality. Providing entertainment in the form of marketing will not only keep the modern consumer’s attention, but it will provide them with a tangibly positive association. Offering entertainment as a marketing strategy, and thus lighting up those pleasure centers in the brain, gives consumers a solid reason to return.

• Social – Not all living creatures create complex social structures, but of course, humans are among the most social of all animals. Even though the very structures with which we interact on a social basis are transforming from one day to the next, what with Facebook and texting, etc., the opportunities for using our social nature in marketing are rife in the age of digital relationships. New ground is being broken every day, and gone are the 2-D forms of passive advertising. Appealing to the social and increasingly digitalized nature of human relationships may be one of the biggest leaps forward for the technology of marketing.

Of course, building upward from the bottom level of human understanding, marketing becomes more complex. Different demographics respond differently to certain messages, and there are so many different avenues of sending a message out into the world, as well as various ways to craft a self-image. In the digital world, the options become almost infinite. All these complex factors must be taken into account when designing a marketing strategy, all the details fine-tuned, while still paying attention to the simple basics of human desire. As technology advances, it is still essential to keep fundamental human principles in mind.

Especially important to creating an effective and appealing marketing message is changing the framework from asking, “what can benefit the company?” to “what can benefit the customer?” Answering the latter question will inevitably answer the first. And when offering creative options to our clients, IM/TMA takes on the same mindset. Rather than asking, “What is best for us?” we consider, “What is best for the client?”

Going forward with this framework, we think the best way to begin designing a creative strategy for a client is to take the menu approach. Much like a buffet line of creative entrees, IM/TMA may present 15 to 20 different ideas for starting a marketing campaign, and then using the feedback from the client, we tailor the approach accordingly. The goal is to understand the principal natures of the customer base, then craft a well-rounded and thoughtful message that will satisfy the needs of the customer, thereby creating success for the client.

What is most important to us is not gripping the reins so tightly we all start to steer off course, but rather, working intelligently and thoughtfully with the client, so they can give the customer what they want. In turn, when successful, we all win. And it all starts with understanding.

1) An exposed brick wall
2) A ping-pong table
3) A barcelona chair
4) A beachball
5) Doggy bowls and beds
6) Pretty much anything Apple
7) No dress code
A comfy leather couch
9) Z-Gallery Prints
10) Keurig Coffee Maker

Are the above items and policies common or just stereotypical? We’d love to hear from you. Guess how many of the top ten we have at our offices. Believe it or not – everything but the beach ball. Yikes!!!

In order to stay sharp in a changing economy characterized by rapidly advancing technology that continues to both lower the barrier of entry to information and force people to be constantly re-learning, creative agencies must be able to adapt from within first if they hope to stay ahead of the curve. How do you come up with entirely new ways of doing something if you’re stuck in the same old patterns? In order to bring something new to the world in terms of marketing, creative agencies must first be willing to bring new strategies to their own offices, their own teams and their own business practices.

Traditional advertising methods – like billboards, magazine spreads or TV commercials – certainly aren’t disappearing, but the frontrunners and the game changers are going to be those creative agencies that embrace entirely new ways of thinking, operating and communicating. The climate is rife for innovation, and they will embrace the challenge of pushing the boundaries set by their predecessors.

Marketing think-tanker John Lloyd predicts that people of this century will experience the equivalent of 20,000 years of historical change in only 100 years. That means that it won’t be beneficial to be attached to familiar, stale ideas so much that we keep them around gathering dust. It also means that it’s an exciting time with surprises around every corner, a time in which some agencies will adapt, and some will perish.

Those who adapt early on in the world of creative marketing are probably going to be the ones whizzing by everyone else as they’re scratching their heads, going, “Huh?” They’re probably going to be the ones actually getting the attention of their A.D.D. customer base (one that’s increasingly distracted by shiny objects) and sustaining it. And they’re probably going to be having a blast while doing it.

Not every creative agency blasts off quite like this, but there might be some parallels with reality:

Here are some ways that particularly interesting creative agencies are challenging themselves and innovating from within:

1. “There are no wrong answers”:

Staking new territory in an ever-changing world is going to require the boldest of the bold to step forward and say, “Hey, let’s do this thing that we’ve never done before, have no idea how to do and will probably mess up completely.” It’s this charging forward attitude that is going to result in some of the most surprising innovations.

The Partners, a creative agency touted as London’s finest, may just be experts in the aforementioned field of boldness. They’ve been known to think outside the box with marketing techniques such as installing statues in random places throughout the city to build interest in an art exhibit’s grand opening. In order to get there, The Partners live by the “no wrong answer” philosophy, which means their brainstorm table is full of scatterbrained, half-formed thoughts, most of which get incinerated along the way or transform into something else entirely. And this is how genius is born.

Creativity flourishes in environments where anything goes, so that all ideas have a chance to come to the surface, even those that may at first seem like a load of cow cakes. But even cow cakes serve their purpose. (Somebody on the Western plains must have been the one to say, hey why don’t we burn these?)

2. Challenging Comfort Zones:

If you’re ever invited to visit The Partners’ offices, be prepared to show some skin (literally or figuratively). Every person who walks through the door is initially challenged by a large sign that reads, “Are we creative or are we fucking wankers?” Further down the hallway, a chalk outline of a body is described as, “A client who didn’t like ideas.” These guys are obviously not afraid to push anyone’s buttons or challenge any and all to step outside their comfort zones.

Most creativity happens when slightly outside the zone of absolute comfort, though not so far out as to induce anxiety and inhibit ideas. This middle area is the golden realm that creative agencies thrive in, and in fact being comfortable with being uncomfortable seems like a necessary part of the job. It is at The Partner’s headquarters, at least. Every Friday evening, the entire office has weekly drinks together in an office-turned-bar, where one member of the team is chosen, at random, to display a talent they’d learned in the past week (in front of everyone), from breakdancing to braiding. Ritual humiliation? Maybe. Challenging old, stale routines in favor of the new? Absolutely. And isn’t that what the new age of marketing is all about?

3. Creating a Sense of Community:

As social media sweeps the landscape, consumers are more in control of the marketing messages they want to receive than ever before. Gone are the days of passive consumption; the Internet has heralded a time of active community engagement, both between customers and the brand, and between customers and each other. A good creative agency does more than shove a message in someone’s face; they involve them in some way in the process, whether that’s inviting them to play a game online, download a smartphone app or wow them with a real-time art installation.

But how can you expect to engage your users if the people creating this involvement aren’t connected to each other? Of course, having meetings is one thing, but creating a close working environment where people can throw ideas around like Frisbees is another. A few are sure to be caught. One way The Partners facilitated a sense of working together for their client, Deloitte, was to send a message to all the employees rather than just the customers. Each worker’s screensaver displayed a reminder that if they powered down their computers more frequently, they would save energy, cut down on costs and contribute to environmental conservation. Most importantly, it was a collective action that helped unite the disparate branches of the company into a cohesive sense of a whole. It’s this kind of thinking that is facilitated by things like The Partners’ Friday night cocktail hours, where everyone is encouraged not just to work together, but to think together.

4. Offering Insight into the Company:

Consumers in today’s world are increasingly wary of advertising, having been subjected to every name in the game during the past century. Cutting to the chase and offering transparency to potential clients, including boasting a simple, effective message, is a solid way to build a debris-free avenue to trust. Each creative agency has a unique set of skills, personalities and resources to offer, and being able to communicate them in as succinct and descriptive way as possible will be an example to clients of your marketing prowess.

StruckAxiom, a top creative agency of the U.S. West Coast, boasts their ability to “make things greater than they are.” Their message really is that simple. Imc2, a creative agency focused on building authentic relationships, states as their unique strength, “We’re believers and connectors. And we’re also performers.” Having a direct, clear and succinct message not only exemplifies your ability to create catchy selling points, but, combined with other personalized approaches, can also be a building block to a solid reputation. The Partners invite every customer and client to see them in action by including a live webcam on their website’s homepage. How much more transparent can it get? (Not to mention, these marketing “secrets” were willingly leaked when they invited a member of the press to join them for a day. If they weren’t trying to send a message about how they operate, consider us all befuddled.)

Finally, offering pictures and short biographies of the main players at the company on any creative agency’s “About Us” page is another simple way to bridge the impersonal Internet divide and display some humanity. It’s humanity, after all, that’s creative, not the technology we use. If there happens to be any ingrained distrust of advertising firms in a prospective client or customer, it may be quelled a little if you happily open your agency up for inspection – make it easy to see that you have no dirty tricks, just a fresh, clean outlook and an eager desire for innovation.

5. Investing in Clients and Creating Relationships:

As the world becomes more and more interconnected, solid relationships are going to be key to success. This is no groundbreaking news, but in a struggling economy, the value of human cooperation cannot be overstressed. Scratching backs now will probably pay off in the long run, and some creative agencies are re-thinking the way they do business with small, start-up companies – that is, the ones without the surplus capital to go big on advertising, but still keen on getting themselves seen.

One innovative way of giving the little guys a push is by exchanging marketing services for stock in the company, without ever charging a dime up front or by substantially lowering their standard fees. The Long Beach creative agency IM/TMA is taking this approach, and CEO Ted Cote says, “There’s a mutual benefit: If the company makes money in the next couple of years, I get more of a return than I would have initially. And right now, when they need it, they get free or at least more affordable marketing. Even if 9 out of 10 businesses fail, that one that makes it is going to be worth it for us.”

Another way of describing this business model is by calling it parallel currencies. Parallel currencies are a set of options for the consumer to choose from that offers different but similar benefits. For example, in a department store credit rewards program, the customer may have the option of receiving 10% cash back on an in-store purchase then and there, or an 8% discount on any future purchases. Lloyd reports that most consumers choose the latter because it offers flexibility and the potential for greater savings. Yet, whichever option they decide upon will leave them feeling satisfied because they were given the power to choose. Even in such a seemingly insignificant case such as this, people love to feel empowered and at least partly in control of their own destiny. When you can offer them that feeling, everyone wins.

Similarly, in IM/TMA’s model, the creative agency offers parallel currencies for their marketing services: pay an up-front cost or pay a percentage of returns later on down the road. Giving small businesses this option opens a valuable door, both for the creative agency to reap potentially greater rewards, and for the small business to utilize strategic marketing they may not have had access to before. And in the process, a solid relationship takes root, built on mutual striving for success.

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So, every creative agency must ask themselves, where do we toe the line? Are we pushing the envelope forward or chugging along the same well worn, and soon-to-be eroded, path? Be bold, ask questions, work together, create transparency and invest in clients; these are some of the ways that creative communities at the forefront of innovation are developing in order to keep themselves on their toes, exploring, discovering, questioning, and ultimately, open to whatever possibilities may arise. So, how is your creative agency fostering creative business?

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, un-learn and re-learn.” –Alvin Toffler, economist

Post author: Nancy Woo – “The Slasher”

He visited the High Line Park in Chelsea which is a park built on top of an old abandoned elevated railway. He took many pictures of this new park and said it was one of the highlights of his stay in NYC. Ted also got the opportunity to visit the Guggenheim Museum which was displaying the bold and irreverent work of Maurizio Cattelan. Ted created a gallery from the display. He also enjoyed seeing “Billy Elliot”, the Broadway musical and visited the new 9/11 Memorial.

A twenty year old company needed to offer their tutoring classes online

Solution:

Branding, eCommerce, Web Design, Print, Learning Management System

Website

http://www.ivyreviewclass.com/index.html

About the Ivy Review

Ivy Review Inc. is an educational consulting company founded by Harvard University graduates in 1988 to promote and assist 7th—12th grade students and their parents. We seek to create future leaders through global community awareness and educational opportunities for students. Our alumni include 6,500 high-achieving students who have graduated from the nation’s most prestigious universities. Ivy Review offers comprehensive academic programs which aim to provide students with a road map to the college of their choice through motivation building, life goal setting, study skills, academic counseling, and much more.

All our students have received undivided attention and acquired life values that they would otherwise not find at home, school, or in the work force. Ivy Review programs excite the students and challenge them to accomplish their life goals. We recognize the students’ talents and motivate them to nurture their own skills and encourage them to find creative ways to exercise their gifts, leading them toward brighter futures.

What we value: Partnerships, collaboration, inspiration

Mick’s work is really something very wonderful. These portraits are so soulful. And, Art Unexpected should absolutely be seen. The pieces in that collection are, as I’ve said before, tragically beautiful, and quite inspiring.
Amy Pryor / Painter

The portraits are lovely, they capture a special relationship with the subject, they show not only the beauty of the sitter even if in conventional terms it may not exist—but some of the inner nature both as individual in the solitude of her/himself, and in the special tension and complexity that exists when an individual interacts with someone else that is observing them. To me, they capture so much.
Cecilia Ferjardo Hill / Chief Curator MOLAA

Mick Victor’s photography has tremendous stopping power. It’s not one-look stuff. The portraits he painstakingly crafts have distinct personalities all their own, each one charismatic and compelling in its own. Edward John Freedman Advertising Director / Epson Mick has an exceptional eye and sense for capturing the “true” essence of the people he photographs. He sees beyond the obvious into not only the everyday person we all see but the inner persona who’s usually obscured by visual reflections. Shirley Perl Painter / Humanist

Here’s a link to a collection of headshots taken by Mick.

IM/TMA provides Southern California businesses with the best in professional executive portraits and business headshots. Pricing

We know and respect how valuable your time is! Whether it’s the CEO of your firm or the staff at large, we work smoothly and efficiently to minimize the interruption to your business.

We have an in-house studio or we can come to you with a portable studio setup and photograph your staff in the convenience of your own offices. Each person can view and select their favorite portrait on the spot, so you know you’re happy with the results before we pack up. See details.

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