be a better communicator

Welcome to Be a Better Communicator

Who to blame:

Angela Turkangelaturk@comcast.net

Larry Asherlarry@workerbees.com

Angela’s story

Larry’s story

And you are?

Please deliver your neighbor’s 1 minute elevator speech.

Where we’re heading today.

1. What are you trying to say?2. The best way to reach them3. When (and how) to get help4. Elements of great design5. Elements of great copy6. How to evaluate ideas7. Odds and ends8. Tearful goodbye

What are you trying to say?

Start every project with these questions:

1. Who are we trying to reach?

2. What do we want them to do?

3. What will convince them to act?

1. Who are we trying to reach?

> The end consumer

> Parents, spouses, family members

> Peers

> Professional advisors

1. What do we want them to do?

> Measurable

> Time-based

3. What will convince them to act?

> You can’t know from your desk

> Ask peer agencies

> Consider informal research

What’s the takeaway?

You should (verb) (subject) because(single compelling reason).

You should take classes at SVC becauseyou’ll learn from top working pros.

An absolute must: A creative brief

C R E A T I V E B R I E F

DATE: Demo Brief CLIENT: Swedish Medical Center JOB TITLE: OB Video JOB NUMBER: 6000-301

ASSIGNMENT What, succinctly, are you asking us to do? Develop a highly emotive video, 10 minutes or shorter, that provides an evocative rationale for choosing to giving birth at Swedish. The takeaway should be that Swedish is a great place for a happy, healthy birth experience. AUDIENCE Who is this effort aimed at? What are they like? • Women 18-40 who are pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant (about half will likely be pregnant) Video will be distributed via: • Main video will be used during on-site tours to show facilities, physicians and patients who wouldn’t

be available to speak at the live tours • Edited “sneak peek” version available online (just enough to get people to want an in-person visit)

OBJECTIVE What specific results are we after, when must they be achieved? What do we want the audience to do? Move people from “considering” Swedish to “will definitely have my baby at Swedish” SITUATION What’s the current environment--especially with respect to competitors? Swedish has long been known as Seattle’s best place to have a baby, and the numbers prove it. Each year, Swedish delivers between 6,300 and 7,100 babies, and they have capacity to deliver even more. Swedish offers the state’s largest perinatal medicine program for high-risk mothers and has one of the few Level III NICUs in the NW. That’s why, if something unexpected occurs during pregnancy or delivery, it is reassuring to know that experienced, specialized prenatal and postnatal care is readily available. ATTITUDES What does the audience think now? What do we want them to think? Now: I’m pretty sure that no matter where I give birth, the baby and I will receive good care. Future: I’m going to have my baby at Swedish because it looks like a great place with terrific people, and the people who have babies there all love it. STRATEGY/TAKE-AWAY “You should (action) (product) because (reason with NO conjunctions).” You should have your baby at Swedish because the moms and dads who have babies there love it.

C R E A T I V E B R I E F

DATE: Demo Brief CLIENT: Swedish Medical Center JOB TITLE: OB Video JOB NUMBER: 6000-301

ASSIGNMENT What, succinctly, are you asking us to do? Develop a highly emotive video, 10 minutes or shorter, that provides an evocative rationale for choosing to giving birth at Swedish. The takeaway should be that Swedish is a great place for a happy, healthy birth experience. AUDIENCE Who is this effort aimed at? What are they like? • Women 18-40 who are pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant (about half will likely be pregnant) Video will be distributed via: • Main video will be used during on-site tours to show facilities, physicians and patients who wouldn’t

be available to speak at the live tours • Edited “sneak peek” version available online (just enough to get people to want an in-person visit)

OBJECTIVE What specific results are we after, when must they be achieved? What do we want the audience to do? Move people from “considering” Swedish to “will definitely have my baby at Swedish” SITUATION What’s the current environment--especially with respect to competitors? Swedish has long been known as Seattle’s best place to have a baby, and the numbers prove it. Each year, Swedish delivers between 6,300 and 7,100 babies, and they have capacity to deliver even more. Swedish offers the state’s largest perinatal medicine program for high-risk mothers and has one of the few Level III NICUs in the NW. That’s why, if something unexpected occurs during pregnancy or delivery, it is reassuring to know that experienced, specialized prenatal and postnatal care is readily available. ATTITUDES What does the audience think now? What do we want them to think? Now: I’m pretty sure that no matter where I give birth, the baby and I will receive good care. Future: I’m going to have my baby at Swedish because it looks like a great place with terrific people, and the people who have babies there all love it. STRATEGY/TAKE-AWAY “You should (action) (product) because (reason with NO conjunctions).” You should have your baby at Swedish because the moms and dads who have babies there love it.

The best way to reach them.

Paid media strengths and weaknesses

Media Strengths Weaknesses

Newspaper Geo-TargetedReaches older demo

ExpensiveNot interactive

Radio/TV Demo-targeted ExpensiveNot geo-targetable

Transit/Outdoor InexpensiveHigh frequency

Not geo- or demo-targetedOnly good for reminders

Online InteractiveHighly targetable

Requires simple messageLow response rates

Search Engine Marketing Highly targetablePay only for clicks

Requires simple messageRequires landing page

Direct Mail Highly targetable Most expensive per contact

Earned media strengths and weaknesses

Media Strengths Weaknesses

Publicity Strong 3rd party credLow cost Unpredictable

Facebook Strong 3rd party credLow cost Need to build audience

Twitter Strong 3rd party credLow cost Need to build audience

Owned media strengths and weaknesses

Media Strengths Weaknesses

Website Low costWhere seekers look May not have high traffic

Blogs Low costWhere seekers look Need to build audience

Posters/POS/Windows Low cost May reach beyond target audience

Newsletter/eNewsletter Interested opt-in audienceLow cost May not have high traffic

Social media is like a radio station:

You have to give them programming they want to hear, before they’ll

tune in for the ads.

When (and how) to get help.

How are we doing?

1. What are you trying to say?2. The best way to reach them3. When (and how) to get help4. Elements of great design5. Elements of great copy6. How to evaluate ideas7. Odds and ends8. Tearful goodbye

You’re now ready to create.

Remember one thing before you begin:

Nobody cares.

Elements of an effective concept:

1. A hard-to-ignore visual

2. Headline that plays off the visual

3. An “oh, I get it!” opportunity

LEARN TO BE A BETTER COMMUNICATORNovember 10, 2011 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., SVC SeattleOverview:This 4-hour course is designed to help non-designers, as well as people who aren’t experienced at creative direction or communications project management, get better results from internal and external creative vendors and volunteers. The intent isn’t to serve as a crash course on design and copywriting — rather it’s to give attendees an understand-ing of the basic principles of good design and communications, so they can better direct and critique others.

Topics:> Determining the purpose of your communications, and translating

your objectives into a creative brief

> How to choose a creative vendor, give direction, and evaluate work

> Basic elements of design and copywriting

> Overview of paid, earned, and owned media options

> How to find volunteer resources for creative work

> Software and resources for situations when an outside creative vendor isn’t available or affordable

Workshop Leaders:Angela Turk is an independent art director and designer. Her clients include Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, and Swedish Medical Center.

Larry Asher is the creative director and senior copywriter for Worker Bees, Inc., a Seattle ad agency serving Swedish Medical Center, Vulcan Real Estate, and Razorfish.

To Attend:Please contact Amy Shumann at (206) 263-8214 or amy.shumann@kingcounty.gov

Elements of great design.

The three C’s of good design:

ConceptComponentsComposition

1. Concept – “why”

> A hard-to-ignore visual

> Headline that plays off the visual

> An “oh, I get it!” opportunity

2. Components – “what”

What elements do you have to include? - Headline - Visuals (photo or illustration) - Copy - Logo

3. Composition – “how”

What size will my piece be?Where do I want my reader to look first?How will I organize required elements?

Typography

> Type is always seen before it is read.

> Does my font choice reflect the personality of my product or brand?

Rule of 3 typefaces

Imagery

Where can I find relevant, affordable images?

Do I have to use it?

Color

Where do I start when choosing color?

Do I even need an accent or spot color in my piece?

Composition

How do I pull it all together?

Nice try. But I’m no designer.

Elements of great copy.

My man-crush

My man-crush

My man-crush

My man-crush

Writing is thinking on paper.

The thinking part of writing

Thinking

1. Get what you want to say down to one sentence.

You should (verb) (subject) because(single compelling reason).

Thinking

2. Organize according to WIFM(Watch out for we-us-our)

Thinking

3. Start with the general, the move to the specific

Thinking

4. Be logical

The writing part of writing

1. Clarity

Is the argument clear and logical?

2. Simplicity

Is the language down to earth? Does it avoid cliches and jargon?

The news from France is bad.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.

Text

Objective: Cut fuel consumption to the bone.

Result: The new T660, Kenworth’s most highly evolved aerodynamic long-haul conventional. Ever.

And, for Kenworth, that’s saying something. It was the T600 that started it all by proving the bottom line advantage of aerodynamic truck design so many years ago. But times change and with it come advances in styling, simulation technologies, rapid prototyping and durable, yet weight-saving materials. Kenworth engineers explored numerous innovative ways of combining these resources in order to fine-tune aerodynamic performance.

The T660’s unsurpassed aerodynamics make it a perfect truck for line haul applications. With the superior maneuverability provided by its set-back front axle, the T600 is the perfect truck for pick up and delivery and regional haul applications. Or select from the wide range of weight-saving options and the T660 is the ideal truck for bulk haulers or anyone trying to maximize payload.

The T660 is designed and built for driver comfort. Whether you drive yourself or hire drivers, you will appreciate the quiet cab, controls where you need them and high quality interior appointments. The T660’s 64” front spring, proprietary 8-bag air suspension and cab/sleeper suspension combine to provide an exceptionally smooth ride.

The T660, like all Kenworth products, is designed to be easy to maintain. This coupled with its leading-edge aerodynamics, reliability and high resale value make it an excellent investment.

Text

Text

3. Brevity

Can you cut the length by at least one-third without losing the meaning?

4. Humanity

Is your writing authentic and does it touch an emotion?

How to evaluate ideas.

Ideas are fragile

Don’t make it/take it personal

Use the brief as your touchstone

It’s OK to be honest and direct

You are not the audience

Now how are we doing?

1. What are you trying to say?2. The best way to reach them3. When (and how) to get help4. Elements of great design5. Elements of great copy6. How to evaluate ideas7. Odds and ends8. Tearful goodbye

Odds and ends.

You can always reach us:

Angela Turkangelaturk@comcast.net

Larry Asherlarry@workerbees.com

This deck will be posted to:slideshare.net/svcseattle

Thank you for coming!