September 2007

So, the proofing department might possibly have a reputation for being sticklers: pretty rigid about our proofing changes and as overprotective as new parents about grammar and language.

Because of that stigma (and, admittedly, it’s at least partially accurate), I’m proud of us for how well we’ve handled the complete overhaul of … well … everything we do in the past few months.

They have been mostly minor changes so far, with the exception of our new company network that will eventually house pretty much everything everybody does (It’s a monster that just keeps growing), but about three weeks ago our department changed its name and pulled in some new members, including a Director of Operations, Brian, whose primary job responsibility is to increase efficiency and trim the fat off of every single process in every single department.

I threw all caution to the wind and eagerly jumped on Brian’s bandwagon. I presented several ideas to him. He liked those ideas, so we pulled in the heads of the creative teams they’d be affecting. They liked our ideas, too. Now, to tell our respective teams.

At our proofer meeting the afternoon after we discussed these changes with the creative team heads, I broke the exciting news and really shook things up: In short, we’re cutting out a considerable amount of proofing. We’re reestablishing ourselves as a team that double-checks creative to make sure there aren’t any errors rather than a team that corrects all errors through to completion. We want to help the creative teams take real pride and ownership over their work and reduce the frustration that comes from delivering a print ad back and forth time after time after time. From a department that used to check changes through until a piece of creative was completely error-free, this was shocking news – I even got a dropped jaw in response, which I tend to think of as a dramatic movie reaction.

But it’s had a few days to sink in now, and I think that, come Monday when we put this into action, we’ll all be ready to go and explore new ground. And as Brian and I work with other teams, more big changes will happen and more jaws will drop.

And then we’ll adapt, because in PlattForm’s proofing department, we don’t rest on good enough. We strive for excellence, even when it means changing everything we know.

Rigid sticklers … pffft.

PlattForm just acquired a new company into their fold and I, for one, could not be more thrilled. The new kid on our block is BeautySchoolsDirectory.com … which handles recruitment and lead generation for the cosmetology industry.

The nanosecond we got the news … my mind feverishly started coming up with catchy slogans and even catchier catch-phrases! “Career makeovers … one student a time.” “And while you look mah-velous, your future looks even better!” “Your skills are now a cut above the rest!” “You go, girl! To Cosmetology College, that is!”

It’s a wonder I didn’t have a stroke.

I’ve spent the past two weeks shooting video in every upscale beauty academy or cosmetology school from here to Paris (uh, Kansas, that is.) And while my flair for fab-u-lous-ness has never been higher, my ego has never been lower.

In every salon I stumble in to, I’m instantly scrutinized by 30+ rabid students who look at me like a fresh piece of meat. To date, I’ve had offers to wax my eyebrows AND my back. I’ve had offers to frost my hair, shave off my hair … or my personal favorite, shave off my hair and then frost the remaining stubble. Who am I? Billy Idol?

Yesterday, I went out of my way to compliment a student’s new purple-icious Mohawk. She looked at me incredulously like only a purple haired mohawked student can and shot back, “It’s EGGPLANT!”

Yesterday, I had a facial and was aghast to hear I have pores big enough to fall in to. Today, I had a pedicure and found out I have excessively brittle toenails. Tomorrow I’m having my ears waxed. Don’t ask.

Professionally, I think the acquisition of BeautySchoolsDirectory.com is SHEAR (get it?) genius! It’s phenomenal for both companies! We’re beautifying two birds with one stone. Personally, though, I don’t think I can work on this campaign much past its inception. It takes up a lot of my time and, frankly, I’ve had to get a part-time job to maintain my Fabio hair-extensions.

By the time you read this … every single PlattFormer will be gorging themselves silly at the Annual Company Picnic. And, then playing a series of outdoor games that require slightly more coordination and motor skills than Britney’s VMA performance.

It’s a festive and yet somewhat forgettable event that’s nowhere near as chaotic and haphazard as, say, PForm’s Annual Holiday Smackdown.

Now, despite the fact that said Smackdown is still MONTHS away, people have already starting clamoring about upcoming details. I always say the same thing: “People, please … let the Party Planning Committee do our work to the best of our ability.” And, then I usually smack them upside the head with my magic wand.

It has taken YEARS to claw my way to the upper echelon of the Party Planning Committee. But now that I’m there … I’m not going to relinquish my title any time soon. Planning a party for over 300 people is not easy work, mind you.

First, there has to be a theme. PFormers LOVE their themes. They typically can’t function unless they know exactly what to expect. Second, there has to be an unlimited supply of booze. I’m no fool … 96% of the employees here are under 25. And third, there always has to be a voice of reason (and subsequent cab fares). In this case, it’s usually COO Steve Booth … the mature, non-drinking, credit-card holding, elder statesman who can make you feel insubordinate just by saying hello.

Put those three elements together … and magic happens. And, by magic, I mean, no one has been arrested. Yet.

PlattForm wingdings are legendary around here. Other than Disneyland, they are the happiest places on Earth. If you ever get a chance to crash one, I’d highly suggest it. Just remember three things: 1) stick with the evenings theme, 2) eat as much as you possibly can without anyone noticing you don’t work here and 3) do not make eye contact with the bald man wearing a “HELLO, MY NAME IS STEVE” nametag.

Now, if you’ll excuse me … I’ve got to scoot. I’m refereeing the “GNIP-GNOP DEATHMATCH” tournament at the picnic … and there can only be one winner.

QuikTrip, a local gas station, has an awesome promotion for their premium gas. Posters on the pumps (point-of-pump advertising?) show large gas nozzles with the following text:

Like fine wine, except it tastes nasty.

There’s a couple of interesting things going on in that ad. The humor is obvious (I thought it was hilarious and I laugh every time I think of it, although it got a groan from one guy in my room). What’s more subtle is the fine wine reference.

The phrase ‘fine wine’ isn’t about wine, and you don’t even have to like wine for the ad to be effective. Fine wine signifies something like the idea of the upper class, but not quite as tangible or clear-cut. It signifies a state that people aspire to.

We are wired to want to improve. That’s why the American Dream is so powerful, why the standard of living tends to increase from generation to generation, why the Jeffersons aren’t the only ones “movin’ on up.” We all want to move up, and whenever possible we make choices that will help us improve our lives.

Effective ads make good use of important observations about human psychology, and about society as a whole. In the ads we produce here at PlattForm, we know that illustrating outcomes and achievements – addressing those strong yet hard-to-codify aspirations – produces results.

Being a paralegal, for example, has a certain status, a certain amount of cultural capital. And it’s our job as designers to convey that capital in our type, photo and layout choices to get readers to pick up the phone or log on to a website.

If we don’t, we and our message stay locked out. But when we do, we address the meanings and aspirations that the reader already possesses.

Like a key turning a lock, the message clicks.

by Matt Kluemper
The Online Search market is the epitome of the saying “stay ahead of the game.” In the recent past, Google has been the trend setter - coming out with personalized search, blog search, map and image search, even a 1-800 number and text messaging service (Goog 411 ) to stay one step (or more) ahead of its competitors.

And Google is at it again. This time, the impact is going to shake the foundation of the search market, and it is already an extremely popular topic amongst everyone who is anyone involved in Search Engine Marketing, including the SEO Team at PlattForm.

The keyword?
Universal Search.

Behind the scenes, Google has been working endlessly to continue their domination of the search engine market. Sometime within the next few months (roughly November), Google plans to exclusively implement their bright and shiny “Universal Search” feature. Google’s Universal Search includes many different facets of search technology rolled into one search engine results page.

You may have already seen Universal Search in some of the Google search results. Videos, maps, images and even news stories have been showing up randomly in the Google search results since about May of 2007.

For example, when searching for olathe, KS, a map from Google Local of Olathe, Kansas comes up as the first result:

Or, when searching for snl iphone, a Saturday Night Live Weekend Update skit on YouTube (which happens to be owned by Google) shows up in the search results:

Are these better results? Google thinks so, and will be rolling it out very soon.

Whether it makes the search results better or not, Universal Search is going to have an impact on the way everyone in Search Engine Marketing strives for successful results.

The PlattForm SEO Team is here to explain the basis of the major sections and how Universal Search will impact different businesses in the search results, because – like Google – we like to stay at least one step ahead.

Over the next month, the SEO Team is going to explain the most important sections of Google’s Universal Search. Expect the following topics about Universal Search:

Part 2: Video and Universal Search
Part 3: Maps and Universal Search
Part 4: Images and Universal Search
Part 5: Products, Books and Universal Search
Part 6: News, Google Scholar and Universal Search

So, tune back in soon to learn more details about the impact of Video in Universal Search. Because before long, Universal Search will happen to you…