DEANE, SMITH & PARTNERS

Hermes Creative Awards Announces 2012 Winners

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:46:39 +0000

May 3, 2012 – NASHVILLE, Tenn. and DALLAS – The 2012 Hermes Creative Awards, an international awards competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional and emerging media, announced today its gold and platinum award recipients. Nashville-based Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service public relations, marketing, and advertising firm, received a gold award for the integrated marketing and branding campaign its team developed for Quality Traffic Systems.

The Hermes Creative Awards recognizes outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing, public relations and communication professionals.

There were over 4,700 entries from throughout the United States, Canada and several other countries in the Hermes Creative Awards 2012 competition. Entries came from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers.

“We are honored to receive a Hermes Creative Award for our work with Quality Traffic Systems. QTS is a unique client, and their vision allowed our team to utilize all facets of creative communications to advance an effective strategy to grow their brand in the marketplace,” said Todd Smith, president and chief communications officer at DS&P. “The leading-edge flash drive e-catalog we launched for QTS set the campaign apart, and raised the bar for even greater innovation.”

Hermes Creative Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (www.amcpros.com). The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production and free-lance professionals. AMCP oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges and rewards outstanding achievement and service to the profession.

As part of its mission, AMCP fosters and supports the efforts of creative professionals who contribute their unique talents to public service and charitable organizations. Hermes entrants are not charged entry fees to enter work they produced pro bono. In addition, the efforts of generous marketing and communication professionals are acknowledged through grants and special recognition.

AMCP judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. Winners were selected from 179 categories grouped under advertising, publications, marketing/branding, integrated marketing, public relations/communications, electronic media and pro bono. About 15 percent of the entries won the Platinum Award- the organization’s top honor. Nineteen percent won the Gold Award. A list of Platinum and Gold Winners can be found on the Hermes Creative Awards website at www.hermesawards.com.

About Deane, Smith & Partners

Deane, Smith & Partners, based in Nashville, Tenn., is an award-winning, full-service public relations, marketing strategy and advertising agency with an emphasis on creating and executing highly targeted marketing programs. DS&P,
founded in 1999, specializes in the retail, health care, medical, general business and technology industries. The DS&P team utilizes an integrated marketing approach that includes traditional public relations, marketing communications, advertising, social media, e-media and other online strategies for clients across the country. For more information, visit www.deanesmithpartners.com.

WordSmith › Forget Mitt & Obama, Let’s Elect A Doll

Todd Smith — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:39:06 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“The Barbie brand is frighteningly relevant” – Writer Chuck Scothon

Barbie Is Running For President

Mitt or Obama for president? That’s so yesterday’s news, so old school! We need more style, more pizzazz! Barbie, please walk this way. Yes, it’s official. Barbie is running for president. Representatives for the doll announced her candidacy recently, according to the Daily News.

Dubbed “I Can Be … President Barbie,” Mattel created the new doll in partnership with The White House Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit that aims to involve more women in politics.

Sporting a pink power suit with patriotic red, white and blue lining on her ruffled jacket, the doll’s outfit was designed by Chris Benz, who has also dressed First Lady Michelle Obama, according to Forbes.

Thanks to a pair of weighted platform shoes, the doll will also be able to stand upright on her own two feet for the first time in 53 years.

As for her political stance, Barbie fans will be invited to help shape her platform and message via Tumblr and Instagram pages that have recently launched.

::Golden Mic Award::

Each week, WordSmith will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned … and step-up to the mic!

The WordSmith News Bureau is based at Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service PR, marketing and advertising agency. Got PR? Need marketing strategy? Ad consulting? Message Wordsmithing? Creative & online initiatives? Reach the WordSmith at wordsmith@deanesmithmedia.com.

WordSmith › Twitter Breaks News Of Whitney Houston’s Death

Todd Smith — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:11:26 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“Bittersweet memories, that’s all I’m taking with me.” – Whitney Houston’s hit “I Will Always Love You”

Tweet Scoops Mainstream Media Again

Twenty-seven minutes before mainstream media broke the news of Whitney Houston’s death on Saturday night, the story was on Twitter, reported by a man who tweeted the news out to his 14 followers.

A tweet — sent at 4:57 p.m. PT — from the Associated Press that confirmed Houston’s death by citing her publicist was retweeted more than 10,000 times, according to data from Topsy Labs. However, the first tweet to reveal the news was sent at 4:30 p.m. PT and was only retweeted once.

In a fast-paced, multi-media, plugged-in world, WordSmith increasingly tunes into social media to get the scoop. Today’s society hungers for breaking news – and when it happens, they go social to satiate their appetite.

::Golden Mic Award::

WordSmith › Super Bowl, Super Ads

Todd Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:57:16 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“Let’s do it.” – Tone-Loc’s 80’s Hit “Wild Thing”

Like The Game, Spots Were Up & Down

Super Bowl 46 was an incredible game between two superb teams – two prizefighters punching lights out until the final whistle. Eli Manning – and the rest of the New York Giants – are now legendary. Eli = Elite!

And just like the game, there were some priceless ad moments, and some that fell flat as a week old Dorito. WordSmith loved every minute of it, and here are my unabashed Top Super Bowl 46 spots:

Sketchers
The “Mr. Quiggly” mutt dons Sketchers and takes off past a pack of greyhounds, only to stop inches before the finish line to breakdance to victory! Priceless. “Let’s Do It.” Give the dog a new contract! Check it out!

Doritos Sling Baby
Grandma and toddler get even with a taunting brother.

Chrysler “It’s Halftime in America”
With all the humor, babies, dogs and other whimsical animals dominating the Super Bowl ads, Chrysler’s spot struck a much more somber and serious note. Arriving unannounced and unapologetic, this poignant ad featuring the acting performance of the night – and the unmistakable, raspy voice of Clint Eastwood was a reflective counterpoint to the circus of the halftime show.

Volkswagen “The Dog Strikes Back”
An obese pooch gets in shape and sports a svelte shape to chase down the new Volkswagen. Das Auto!

Fiat “Seduction”
One of the hottest spots of a sizzlin’ Super Bowl! You’ll never forget the first time you see one.

From comedy to drama, we all had favorite Super Bowl spots. Here are the Top 5 as rated by AdWeek. Enjoy!

::Golden Mic Award::

WordSmith › Super Bowl 46 … Got Hashtags?

Todd Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:10:45 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“Just Do It.” – Nike slogan

Ads Now Come With Their Own Twitter Hashtags

Between, #SoLongVampires and #GameDayPolarBears, call it the Hashtag Super Bowl!

The average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl spot is up this year from $3 million in 2011 to $3.5 million, which means advertisers are even more desperate to make those millions count. Even though 100 million people are expected to tune in live to the game, there are other eyeballs to grab.

According to Reuters, “Consumer research forecasts that 60 percent of fans watching the Super Bowl will also be tied into a second screen such as a smartphone or tablet.”

So, advertisers are drawing-up a diverse social media strategy for their playbook.

The Super Bowl elevates the act of people trying to sell you things into art or entertainment. Brands such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Audi and more are joining in direct conversation with the fans.

According to Reuters, Twitter hashtags are the obvious choice:

“Coca-Cola’s TV commercials, which will air during the first-and second-quarter breaks, will center around its computer-generated Arctic polar bears watching the game. The bears will then be brought to life on Twitter, Facebook and on a dedicated Website doing such things as responding to fans and commenting on the game. They will even have their own Twitter hashtag –#GameDayPolarBears — for fans to follow.”

Pepsi is taking it one step further with a commercial featuring “X Factor USA” winner Melanie Amaro singing “Respect.” Using the Shazam app, viewers of the commercial can download a free video of the performance onto their phone.

Volkwagen has also entered the hashtag red zone.

“This year, Volkswagen’s Audi is hoping to win more creative kudos with a spot that taps into the “Twilight” teen vampire pop culture phenomenon. The 60-second spot, which will air during the first break in the game, will highlight the new 2013 Audi S7 and its LED headlight technology, which has unfortunate consequences for a party of young vampires.

Audi hopes to continue the conversation about the ad via the Twitter hashtag #SoLongVampires.”

If the Occupy movement has taught us anything, it’s that you can try to institute a universal hashtag, but that doesn’t guarantee it’ll stick. Take Groupon’s unpopular Super Bowl spot last year, which featured Timothy Hutton segueing between the Tibetan people’s political struggles and $15 off at the Himalayan Restaurant in Chicago. Groupon might have gone with #GrouponSuperBowl, but most viewers went with #FAIL.

::Golden Mic Award::

WordSmith › Record TV Audience Expected For Super Bowl

Todd Smith — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:32:51 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“This is like déjà vu all over again.” – Yogi Berra

173 Million Fans Ready For Some Football

According to a survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association conducted by BIGinsight, 173 million people will watch the New England Patriots square off against the New York Giants in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5, the most in the survey’s eight-year history and up from an estimated 171 million last year.

Consumer spending for the Super Bowl will reach an all-time high, too, with the average game-watcher expected to shell out $63.87 on related merchandise, apparel and snacks, up from $59.33 last year. Total Super Bowl spending is expected to reach $11 billion. According to the survey, grocery, apparel, electronics, sporting goods and home furnishing stores can expect to see their share of Super Bowl-related spending as sports fans head out to buy food and beverages (71.3 percent), team apparel or accessories (8.6 percent), decorations (6.4 percent), and furniture or a new entertainment center (2.4 percent).  Of those planning to watch the Patriots-Giants show down, nearly 63.6 million (27.1 percent) are planning to attend a party, up from last year’s 61.2 million, and another 35.9 million (15.3 percent) plan to throw a party, also up from the 34.9 million who said they would host a party in 2011.  After a better-than-expected holiday season, more good news is on the horizon for retailers planning promotions on televisions in the coming weeks.

The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association’s 2012 Super Bowl Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey was conducted by BIGinsight. The poll of 9,317 consumers was conducted from Jan.4-11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.   The Retail Advertising & Marketing Association, a division of the National Retail Federation, is a trade association of more than 1,500 retail marketing and advertising executives.   

::Golden Mic Award::

WordSmith › PRSA Unveils Top 12 PR Industry Predictions for 2012

Todd Smith — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:52:02 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” – Yogi Berra

Amplifed Voice, Convergence & Social Media Validation Drive Prognostications

The Public Relations Society of America was on the money in its industry predictions for 2011, which makes WordSmith even more eager for what’s in store for 2012.

If last year was about understanding what PR professionals are doing in new media, 2012 will be about understanding why they’re doing it. With increased emphasis on targeted content and using metrics to drive influence, it’s clear that PR professionals are getting smarter about social media marketing and public relations

Here’s an overview of PRSA’s predictions for 2012; visit the organization’s blog for full descriptions.

1. Business increases its voice in the digital space

2. Convergence continues

3. Organizations will be defined by communication

4. Wanted: great industry leadership

5. The rise of the “influence professional”

6. Social validation becomes the “holy grail”

7. Shifting metrics and integration drive digital pr

8. The consumerization of it changes PR from the inside, out

9. Economic realities reset the PR/media relationship

10. The rise of “brand journalism”

11. Solo PR pros make their mark

12. Talent acquisition goes social

::Golden Mic Award::

WordSmith › How Tweet It Is 2! Top Tweets of 2011 (Continued)

Todd Smith — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:34:47 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“Necessity does everything well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Twitter’s Top 10 Tweets of 2011

More than 100 million people around the world log in to Twitter every day to tweet about everything from their daily commutes to the meals they eat.

Here are the Top 5 most important tweets of 2011 as ranked by Twitter:

5. “Brooms up London!”
After riots in the U.K. dirtied the streets this August, people rallied on Facebook and Twitter to organize a massive clean-up effort in the affected areas. An account on Twitter called @riotcleanup gained over 70,000 followers and brought together those who wanted to help.

4. “This lockout is really boring..anybody playing flag football in Okc..I need to run around or something!”
“Twitter makes the world feel a lot smaller,” said Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter. That was definitely the case during the 2011 NBA lockout, when Oklahoma City Thunder player Kevin Durant tweeted, “This lockout is boring…anybody playing flag football in Okc…I need to run around or something!” A student at Oklahoma State saw the tweet and invited Durant to join him and his fraternity brothers in a game. A few hours later, Durant arrived, ready to play football with them at a local field.

3. “my daughter her name is sarah m. rivera”
Through Underheard in New York, an initiative to help homeless residents in New York City speak for themselves, Daniel Morales was able to use a prepaid cellphone to create a Twitter account and tweet, “my daughter her name is sarah m rivera.” He posted his cellphone number and a photo of her at age 16. Morales was reunited with his 27-year-old daughter, Sarah Rivera, when she called him the next day.

2. “Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).”
A local man in Abbottabad, Pakistan unknowingly live-tweeted the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound before any news agency broke the story of the terrorist’s death on May 1.

1. “Welcome back Egypt #Jan25″
Wael Ghonim, a marketing manager at Google who became a symbol of the revolutionary movement, was held in captivity for nearly 12 days by the Egyptian government under Hosni Mubarak for organizing protests. When Ghonim was released, he told an Egyptian network to not focus the cameras on him. “I’m not a hero. The real heroes are the youth who are behind this revolution. By God’s will, we’re going to clean this country of this rubbish,” he said.

::Golden Mic Award::

WordSmith › How Tweet It Is! Top Tweets of 2011 (So Far)

Todd Smith — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:35:43 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” – John Wooden, famous UCLA basketball coach

Twitter’s Top 10 Tweets of 2011

More than 100 million people around the world log in to Twitter every day to tweet about everything from their daily commutes to the meals they eat – but many have used the social networking tool this year for something much more important: share important events with people who could be thousands of miles away.

Every year, Twitter compiles a year-in-review to recap what the company believes were the most important tweets. They highlight the “best” according to the level of “impact, resonance, and relevance,” and take into account the big stories that first broke on Twitter — not by news agencies — but by people looking to share a photo, a thought, or a moment in time with people they may never meet.

Here is the bottom half of the Top 10 tweets of the year as ranked by Twitter:

10. “Hey @Mortons – can you meet me at the newark airport with a porthouse when I land in two hours? K, thanks. ”

On Aug. 17, Twitter proved it could not only connect people, but also grant wishes. Peter Shankman tweeted: “Hey @Mortons – can you meet me at Newark airport with a porterhouse when I land in two hours? K, thanks. .” When he landed at the airport, a tuxedo-clad Morton’s waiter was waiting for him with a steak, shrimp, a side of potatoes, bread, two napkins and silverware.

9. “Ercis central mosque behind the apartment building…”

After the earthquake in Van, Turkey, news anchor Okan Bayulgen sent relief and aftershock information via Twitter. One of his followers gave him an address where people might be trapped alive under the rubble. Bayulgen shared the address with a relief agency, and two hours later the agency rescued two people at the location.

8. “Subtitles are always so bad. England, America, Switzerland put one uv repeat Scrollingverfahren + = high quality!”

Julia Probst, a lip reader and soccer fan, reads the lips of soccer players and coaches during matches and tweets them, providing fans with a running dialogue that they would otherwise not be privy to. Her efforts extend beyond soccer to raise awareness for deaf and disabled people in politics and media. “It’s completely uncensored and you never get to see that unless you are on the playing field,” said Dorsey.

7. “Earthquake”

On March 11, when an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan many people used social media sites to make sure friends and family were safe and to publicize emergency response information. “You want to feel like you’re not alone in this massive, massive experience that is potentially very scary,” said Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. “To me it’s about being able to reach out instantly and know that others are with you and others are experiencing the same thing and others are out there supporting and that’s what you saw in Japan. You saw people reach out and say we’re in an earthquake right now and then all around the world you have all these replies coming in to these Japanese people saying we’re watching…it’s OK…are you there?”

6. “Here’s another Photo of the shuttle from my plane.”

In May, NASA launched the space shuttle Endeavour. Stefanie Gordon, aka @stefmara, took a photograph of the launch from a plane and tweeted it, capturing the launch from a new perspective.

Stay tuned for the Top 5 Tweets of 2011!

::Golden Mic Award::

WordSmith › Monday, Cyber Monday!

Todd Smith — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:45:00 +0000

“Pithy PRognostications from a recovering journalist …”

Words of the Day

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?” – Dr. Seuss, American Writer & Cartoonist

Mobile Social Media Boosts Cyber Monday Sales 33 Percent

Right on the heels of more than $800 million in Black Friday online sales, this week’s Cyber Monday spending proved to hit new eCommerce highs. According to IBM’s Cyber Monday Benchmark, Cyber Monday sales were up 33 percent over 2010 and up 29.3 percent over Black Friday. For marketers, this should be a sign that consumers are increasingly ready to spend online – and internet marketing efforts must encourage consumers to convert.

IBM reports that the average order value hit $198.26, demonstrating 2.6 percent growth over the average order of $193.24 on Cyber Monday 2010. Marketers already thinking ahead to next year (or planning holiday shopping promotions for later in the season) should know that shopping peaked at 2:05 p.m. EST. Additionally, mobile traffic to retailers’ sites is gaining ground, showing 3.9 percent growth over 2010. As such, brands should consider local SEO to foster discovery among on-the-go searchers.

In addition to optimizing website content marketing efforts for consumers, the Benchmark reveals that social media marketing is key to online holiday shopping. Traffic referred from social networks accounted for 0.56 percent of all online sales on Cyber Monday, with Facebook proving the top social referrer. As such, it’s clear that integrated marketing efforts that direct social users back to websites are key to online conversions.

And, Thanksgiving revelers weren’t the only things stuffed over the turkey day holiday – CyberMonday stuffed consumer e-mail inboxes across cyberspace.

According to Advertising Age, marketers use Cyber Monday as an opportunity to send out loads of promotional emails that offer discounts or free shipping. The magazine cited research from Experian’s CheetahMail, which marked a 18.4 percent rise in email volumes this year over 2010′s rate.

While the Black Friday/ Cyber Monday rush is over, marketers still have to prepare for Peak Week with multichannel content marketing efforts. As Brafton reported last year, the first week in December, known as Peak Week, is a prime online shopping time for many holiday shoppers. Last year’s Peak Week spending hit $17.5 billion.