Feeding the Flames at the IABC!

The Realm team is thrilled to be more than just an entrant in the IABC Flames this year, but committee members, sorting coordinators and marketing force behind this year's theme.

In addition to concepting how to package the Flame awards to the membership during this down economy, our group will be carrying the torch (two fire cliches so far!) for the awards themselves by promoting and communicating to the membership all throught he summer.

The effort includes a hot new look (three cliches!) as well as a social media aspect using Facebook to keep the awards top-of-mind.

The big idea for this year has been the reduction of the early bird fee to only $50, a ridiculously low price for an award as hard to win as a Golden Flame.

Join the Facebook group, enter the awards and we'll see you there!

Monetizing Social Media

I have lost count on the number of presentations I have seen regarding using social media to market yourself, your company, your product, your pet... But one topic keeps cropping up that doesn't get answered very well. How will money be made with social media?

The latest round of panelists I saw at the Atlanta Press Club were content answering that they didn't know, but someone would figure something out. It left me a bit empty, and frankly dissapointed. It reminded me of the DotCom days. The reality is that someone is going to have to pay the bill for all the interwebs we are using. Someone... anyone.

My current theory swirls around FaceBook. Of all the media, they seem the one closest to actually translating eyeballs to revenue. My reasons are simple:

1. They have the largest, fastest growing population of all the social media
2. They have created a "platform" a place where I can go to do many different things. And it keeps expanding.
3. FaceBook allows consumers and business to rub up against each other.
4. The architecture is open enough that you can smell the commerce starting.
5. Finally, the share feature.

Of all the things that FaceBook has done, the share feature seems to me the strongest, most interesting. In the short-term, a user can share content they like and think someone else will like. But what if it got past like, and turned into want? What if want turned into buy?

Here is a scenario I can absolutely see: FaceBook Market. Here's

how it works.

• My wife is a Fan of Ulta3 (cosmetics and personal care products) - I am not.
• Ulta3 runs a promo for some thing my wife likes and wants. Rather than leaving the catelog in the bathroom with the page open to the thing, she simply shares it with me on FaceBook.
• I see it on my wall, know she wants it, and one click later - I order it.
• FaceBook has my mailing info, her mailing info and one click purchasing (which they just added). Ideally, it just shows up on my phone bill.

Sounds easy, but why wouldn't I just go to the website and order it? Because if I buy it through Facebook, I get FaceBook credits which I can use on purchases from other retailers through Facebook Market.

And what if shopping alone isn't your thing? Shop with a friend!

FaceBook already knows which of your friends are online. Instead of inviting them to yet another game of Scrabulous, you invite them to go shopping. Together, you two can offer opinions in real time to one another and recapture a little of the shopping experience we have given up by going online. Make it a shopping party, and earn even more FaceBook credits.

For those of us around long enough, this sounds a lot like America Online's model from the 90's, and it is! The difference is the time may be right to bring this model back. Consumers are looking for social connections, retailers are looking for more engagement and sales, and the platform needs a way to generate revenue. Adding commerce just closes this loop for everyone.

Keeping busy through volunteerism. A story about tomatoes

Tomatoes.
Tomatoes were the topic of our quarterly steering meeting last month. Why? Because unsold tomatoes rot on the vine. They are not worth anything unless they are sold. Which is exactly like our billable hours. Sell 'em, or they rot. If you can't sell them - eat them.

What we have done, and I propose all people with an hourly service look at, is to get involved with non-profits and stack up the workload so that when a hour looks to be rotting, we can slip in a non-profit job and keep busy and energized. Nothing is wasted.

Why is this good? (stand on soapbox)
Right now, not-for-profits are suffering. They being taxed to do more and more with less and less. But they also make our communities richer and better through their existence. As citizens, we must feel compelled to lend a hand. It is part of living in a community.

Why is this good for business?

First
It's GREAT PR. If you can, don't just help an NFP, but donate something of value - your time. Your clients and prospects will really respect you for it.

Second
It keeps your staff excited and energized. It keeps hands from getting idle. What's more, NFPs will let you have more control. You can take some risks and do something more exciting - because you are typically footing the bill.

Finally
Maybe, just maybe, you will pick up a piece of business through the relationship. But this is a long shot, and I wouldn't count on it. Volunteer for every other reason first.

Long and short of it. Don't let the tomatoes rot. If you aren't going to eat them yourselves (a topic for another day), feed them to someone who needs it more.

Earth Day is Quickly Approaching!

Earth Day 2009 is almost here, and Realm is once again happy to show our support by being the agency of record for EarthShare Georgia. We have been working since last summer to help EarthShare to promote their employee campaigns as well as their three big Earth Day events: Georgia Leadership Breakfast, Party in the Sky and their Corporate Green Day Challenge.



The campaign started last year with the "Fanning" of Land, Air and Water. The campaign included a viral/social push online and with donated promotional items like clings and stickers. Currently, the EarthShare Georgia Facebook group has over 300 interested members.

The campaign will be coming full circle this April with the launch of their new promotional video starring, you guessed it, Land, Air and Water.

Event Details:
Party in the Sky
Wednesday, April 22, Party in the Sky, Nelson Mullins

Leadership Breakfast
Friday, April 24, Leadership Breakfast, Ga Aquarium

We encourage everyone to become familiar with EarthShare Georgia and the member organizations they support. For move information, please visit their site.

Another Win for InsideUPS

InsideUPS: Special Centennial Edition
recognized at the 2008 IABC/Southern Region Competition

InsideUPS is an internal magazine published quarterly by UPS. Over the years, Realm has won numerous awards for the publication including recognition at the Davey Awards, Communicator Awards, and IABC Flames.



IABC/Southern Region is comprised of 27 International Association of Business Communicators chapters with members in 15 countries and territories, including the Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago chapters and chapters in 14 U.S. states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Realm Featured in Atlanta Day Book

“During a downturn, the knee-jerk reaction is to go after smaller accounts. Instead, we started to go upstream, targeting the larger companies that would have been out of our reach before. We’re one of the few agencies of our size that can offer the quality breadth and experience of a larger firm. We have great employees, strong capitalization and our mission-wide goal is for every person in the agency to understand that we’re not hiding in a foxhole. Instead of going after rabbits, we’re hunting deer.”

Read the story.

Number 24 in Atlanta

Realm listed as 24  in Atlanta Business Chronicle Book of Lists: Atlanta’s Largest Advertising Agencies.

Realm officially opens the doors to our new offices on December 24  (still working on the phone system, sorry).

Carmen Garcia and Jeff Mason join Realm as senior art directors, increasing to 24  the number of Realm staffers.

Realm takes home a total of 24  awards including the SIAA’s Best in Show.

From the agency that is playing 24 in Lotto for the rest of the year.

Our Top 09 Reasons Why 09 Won't Suck.
With nothing but impending doom seeming to loom on our horizon, the staff at Realm takes an optimistic look ahead to see why 2009 won’t totally suck.

(An unscientific survey taken on the heels of severe holiday fatigue.)

	Spring in Atlanta... sandals "without socks" weather!
	The second season of Damages is finally going to air.
	Watchmen, Wolverine and 9 in theaters.
	There will be no "Race for the White House" this year!
	There’ll always be budget left for beer.
	More island info on Lost
	The Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs! (Eat it 2008!)
	Season 3 of Mad Men.
	The sequel to Josh Whedon’s Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

From the agency that, apparently, watches way too much TV.

Survival Strategies: Potluck 2008

Experienced Realm potluckers have chosen 3 proven recipes so that our friends and fans can get through this holiday season's potlucks without humiliation or indigestion!


Toffee Bars
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bar (4 oz) milk chocolate
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brown sugar. margarine, egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Press in greased 13x9x2 pan. Bake until very light brown, 25 to 30 minutes (crust will be soft). Remove from oven and immediately place separated pieces of chocolate on crust. Let stand until soft, spread evenly. Sprinkle with nuts. Cut into bars while warm.
Yield: 32.




Creamy & Delicious Cheese Pit
5 slices of buttered bread -cubed
3/4 pound of grated Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese
Alternate layers of bread and cheese in a buttered 3 qt. round baking dish
4 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s salt

Mix last ingredients together
Pour over bread and cheese
Let stand overnight in refrigerator.
Bake 45 min at 350º.
Serves 6 people



Chicken, Sausage and Wild Rice Casserole
1 pound pork sausage
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 whole chicken breasts (or a 2 1/2 - 3 lb chicken), cooked, boned and cut in bite-size pieces
1 6 oz box wild rice (not instant)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pinch each of oregano, thyme and marjoram

Saute sausage in large skillet or Dutch oven; drain and set aside. In same pan with sausage drippings, saute mushrooms and onions; add sausage and chicken and set aside. Cook wild rice according to package directions. (Sherry may be substituted for part of the water in the rice.)

Mix flour with heavy cream in a medium saucepan until smooth; add chicken broth and cook until thickened. Add seasonings and combine with rice, sausage, chicken and vegetables. Put in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. (Can also be made ahead and frozen.)
Serves 10-12

What goes into a logo design.

A logo is so much more than just a graphic and some text. At a glance, the mark needs to evoke emotions and draw on a person's schema. They need to "get it" right away - whether they realize it or not. Very often, the viewer doesn't know why they like the mark, but they do. It is the designer's job to make that happen.

This is that story.

What do you do when you are asked to create a logo mark for the Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC)of Atlanta? Well, first you check to see what the other guys are doing. After a few hours of research, a few things become apparent:

• What are volunteers? People. 
  
• What do they help with? Their hands.
  
• Volunteers have what? Heart. 
  

This was the first realization…
People, hands and hearts are everywhere. Why? Because they make sense and people can recognize these prime shapes at a glance.

But, the CVC wants to have its own identity. They want something special to them.

This is the challenge...
Design something that is unique. Something that will stand out from this crowd. Something that doesn't have hands, hearts or stick people.

Now we can start...
It was time to go and dig into what the CVC was really trying to say. Their three core points are: Connect, Impact, Inspire. What do these ideas mean? What effect do they have on the people around them? What is their ongoing message? So we went deep, and we came back.

After weeding through many ideas, both on and off the map, one finally stood out that seemed to say everything that the group needed to say:

• We needed to show movement.
  A volunteer group is always moving toward bigger goals. They are growing, morphing and constantly in motion to help the people around them.
• We needed to show unity.
  Perhaps the most important aspect of a group is that it is stronger than the individual. This unity exists both within the group itself and is present in the community where the CVC is involved.
• We needed to show strength and diversity.
  Through the cooperation of many, you gain different insights, new ways to solve problems and great drive to reach new goals. 

It finally comes together.
Thread is stronger when it is bound together. It can create something that it could never be on its own. Each color is vibrant and brings something to the final piece. There are three strands, each representing one of the core ideas.

The playful movement of the pieces shows the warmth and heart of each individual that contributes to the group. Where it all comes together is where we see strength and unity. It does not however knot at the end, because the CVC never stops there. They continue in their movement forward to become better themselves and to make a better community.

To balance the color and organic movement of the mark, we chose to use a more formal type treatment to show that the group is indeed strong, firm and serious about their objectives.

In the end, we came up with a mark that managed to represent all the vital aspects of the CVC of Atlanta in one simple metaphor. And while we are happy to say that it is people, hand and heart-free, it still manages to convey the spirit of all three.

2008 Flame Awards

Realm has been recognized with 6 awards at the 2008 IABC/Atlanta Flame awards for its work in creating effective marketing solutions and materials for some of Georgia's finest clients including: UPS, Georgia Pacific, Georgia Ports Authority and Fiesta Gas Grills.

The IABC/Atlanta awards recognizes exceptional writing, design and marketing and public relations campaigns of Atlanta's communications professionals. IABC links communicators in a global network that inspires, establishes and supports the highest professional standards of quality and innovation in organizational communication. It is recognized as the professional association of choice for communicators who aspire to excel in their chosen fields.

With more than 100 chapters and a growing electronic community, IABC serves more than 13,000 members from nearly 60 countries and 10,000 organizations, including many of the leading global Fortune 500 corporations.

"Realm is thrilled again with our showing at the Atlanta Flame Awards," says Eric Berrios, Director Strategic Planning. "2008 marks our third year as a participant in this award, and it is continually gratifying to see Atlanta recognized for the creative work we are all producing."

Click here for a listing of the winning entries and a recap of the strategic writeups.

Another aside about PowerPoint from Ben

We recently had the opportunity to work on a presentation for a multinational company that needed to communicate a lot of information concerning corporate finances in a way that didn't confuse anyone or put them to sleep. We were given the rare opportunity of getting this presentation explained to us, both in terms of content and intent. Armed with this information, we were able to take the presentation to another level beyond simply making sure things lined up onscreen. We built animation into it that actually meant something, rather than simply moving things around.

According to the client, the presentation was a success. And so it was while feeling all warm and fuzzy about the capabilities of PowerPoint that I came upon an essay by one of my favorite novelists, Neal Stephenson. Neal writes a lot about technology and social issues in his stories, and his perspective is refreshing and thought-provoking. I recently found an essay he wrote for Whole Earth magazine (from the content, it's clearly from the dot-com-boom days). Sample quote:

"To people who can't communicate, [PowerPoint] is what the dialysis machine is to people who don't have kidneys. "

I find his perspective fascinating for the very reason that he's completely disconnected from the business world, where PowerPoint is an essential (and occasionally very effective) tool. I don't agree with him completely, but I like hearing things from his perspective.

Read the whole thing here.

Update from Ben

Ben here; sorry for being dark for so long. This new product launch has really been taking up all our time. We've set up a separate "command center" that has workstations with special custom builds of certain software apps we're using for this project. Actually, it turns out that the software company is going to include these features in the next version, so some of us feel pretty proud that we inspired these features. Except for those of us who feel like all we had to do was wait a month and only pay for the upgrade instead of the truly insane customization fee. But it's all in the context, says me.

Anyway, this command center: it's got its own separate climate control, and the windows are all papered off. The designers who are working on this project apparently like it crazy cold in there; maybe it keeps them alert. They also unscrewed all the fluorescent lights and ran these floor-running blue Christmas lights. So when you walk in you think you're in Mr. Chew's lab.

In other news, this new client of ours apparently wants to take us on a team-building exercise, or something. I'll let you know how that pans out.

Diversity: We really walk the talk.

We have had the opportunity to work on a few Diversity ads and programs. Invariably, the conversation starts and ends with what Diversity really means to our audience. It's a tricky topic laced with emotional reactions. Of all the employee comm programs we work on, Diversity tends to be the hairiest.

The one thing we have all agreed on is that Diversity isn't a shallow concept. To divide it into simple race, gender, age or ethnicity does a disservice to huge portions of the population. Our group sees Diversity as complex but simple - all at the same time. Diversity is a two stage process.

1. Provide completely equal footing and opportunity for every person on our team.


2. Actively seek people who offer something different than we are.

But the true benefit for Diversity is measured by what value it brings to the entire group - and sometimes that is'nt readily apparent.

One client (you know who you are) reminds us that Diversity almost needs to be surrounded by blinking lights for most people to feel that the organization is diverse enough. Subtle, integrated hints (though useful) aren't enough. You need the neon lights. So... here are some lights.

Our long time client, Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), is launching an international campaign in China based on their brand promise and platform. They engaged us to do the creative and Golin Harris in Shanghai to do the media relations. So... we have to do creative that will play in mainland China?

Look.... blinking lights coming up!

Turns out, Winnie on our team reads, writes and speaks Chinese. After a year of being on the creative team, this one innocuous personal detail becomes the hinge upon which a global campaign can swing for us. She can evaluate the creative and see if it plays in the Asian culture contextually and graphically.

As a bonus, she also translated the ad (very, very roughly) into Simplified Chinese so we could see what the ad would look like in the media and offer Golin Harris very specific graphic direction

Could we have done this effectively without her? Maybe... it would have been a lot harder and riskier. Having her on our team made the agency invaluable to GPA.

Did we actively go and and seek a person of Asian background? No we didn't. But we created an environment where a young Asian woman could thrive. And when the opportunity presented itself to offer her unique perspective she was free to do so.

Diversity. Under blinking lights.

Going Viral: Earth Share of Georgia.

The team is thrilled to offer Earth Share of Georgia another year of marketing support. And this year, the campaign is going social. We will be helping ESGA generate buzz and interest through alternative means - both less expensive and greener.

Our concept is designed to:

• Increase the overall awareness of ESGA
• Be simple and fun
• Allow participants to feel proud of their support
• Generate conversation among participants

This Year's Theme
Be a Fan!
A series of thank you cards have been developed for ESGA supporters which craft a personality for each of the three pillars of Earth Share; Air, Land & Water. Each of the elements have such strong perspectives and opinions that it would be only natural that they would express themselves online - like on a social media site!

The Communication Hub
Traditionally, promotions have been designed to drive traffic to an organization's web site. That challenge for a not-for-profit has been constructing the site, maintaining it and keeping it fresh.

Our solution has been to move the destination to Facebook. The social media site has all the built-in tools that ESGA could need to run a promotion. Additionally, the target demographic (young, active and social) already uses social media in their personal life and could be willing to include an ESGA group in their communication mix.

After developing the Facebook group for Earth Share, pages were created for Air, Land and Water. Each page reflects that environment's personality and offers participants ways of interacting with it or each other.

Promotion Materials
In addition to online activity and emails, we have created some other materials for ESGA to hand out at events and fundraisers. Participants can pick and choose which environments they are a fan of.

The event stickers are popular. "I'm a Fan of Water!" "I'm a Fan of Air!" "I'm a Fan of Land!" The message is simple and fun. Who isn't a fan? The call to action is to go online and join the ESGA group and, ultimately, become a fan of your environment online.

During the events, one person is chosen to represent each of the element and lobby for their cause. At the recent Type-A event in Atlanta, three people worked the crowd trying to get more fans for their environment. Some people took all three!

To create a more permanent and public display, we have created window clings for ESGA to give out at events and to their members. There is a cling for each of the three environments. And like all the other material, the clings encourage everyone to become a Fan.

The reception has been great, so far. As predicted, participants end up making our case for us. How can they be a fan of just Land, Air or Water? As our ambassador makes her case, the participants get even more energetic and end up making as strong an argument as they can that we need all three - you can't just pick one. And that's the point. But the conversation is fun and creates an interested audience.


The campaign wouldn't be complete if we didn't make a plea to every person reading this blog (who can) to go onto Facebook and join the ESGA group and even become a fan of an environment. Being a Fan will have it's benefits, as will become evident as the campaign rolls out.

Updates from Ben

Ben here. I'm going to periodically be posting tidbits, morsels, and the odd amuse bouche regarding things going on in the Production department. Right now the latest is a meeting we had with a client regarding a new product launch in the works. We're going to be delivering some promotional materials in conjunction with the launch that are going to be taking advantage of some of the latest innovations behind adding interactivity to print-related media. Yep. You read that right. Stay tuned as we develop these really exciting pieces for our client.

The creative's effort to appease the award gods.

The IABC Flame entries were due this week for 2008 and the creative team has prepared the appropriate offerings to the award gods. This year, we aren't taking any chances.

We have decided to give 7 offerings from 4 different clients. We have high hopes that our dedication, enthusiasm and devotion to the creative faith will be grandly rewarded. Preferably in this lifetime!

Click to browse the entries and read a brief summary of each.

Realm opens up with Facebook

After working on a Facebook campaign for Earth Share of Georgia, we have decided to launch our own page for Realm. The page could do a lot of things for us as a group that no other tech can really satisfy.

On a professional note, we can use it to show folks what we do and give them a peak into what we think is new and exciting. Not to mention the fact that we can archive work for posterity ('cause we tend to lose stuff). Some of the tools are great. We added a portfolio function that will work directly with our PDFs. We have just started playing with that. The page is just another place for us to display our wares.

On a personal note, there really is no other place where we can share images, thoughts interesting links and other assorted stuff. Granted, there is email and the kitchen refrigerator. But those are very transient. For a day, it is top-of-mind, then it is gone. This way, we can share, think about it, and continue to discuss things for a long time to come.

Technically, it is a fan page. But really, shouldn't we all be fans of where we work? Most of us spend more time here then anywhere else (awake at least). We may as well celebrate it!

This is the link to our Facebook page.

Why Ben Loves PPT Way Too Much

I've met quite a few designers who simply don't "do" PowerPoint. And one can hardly blame them: having to work with so many limitations in place can be way frustrating.

But there's a flip side to the confining factors, something Ben calls the Fender Stratocaster principle. Think about it: a Fender Strat has a volume knob, two tone controls, and a 5-way pickup selector switch. Yet anyone who has heard Jimi Hendrix knows that he got an enormous range of sounds from his. Now we're not trying to equate "QuarterlyReport.ppt" with "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" -- We're just saying that limitations can actually work in one's favor. It's possible to get some really nice effects, such as feathering, by faking it.

But the *real* reason Ben has an almost unhealthy fixation with PowerPoint isn't its limitations -- it's how fast he can work in it.

Check this out.

PowerPoint's menu items are all keyboard accessible (sorry, Mac users; Windows only). For example, if Ben wants to left-align several selected boxes, he just mouse downs to the "Draw" menu, select "Align or Distribute" and then "Align Left." OR, just holds down the Alt key and type "ral" (based on which letters in the menu items are underlined). MUCH faster. Once you memorize the key combinations to perform menu actions, you can fly through your formatting!

So, not everyone finds working with PPT as enticing as Ben. But, as they say, there is a lid for every pot.

Linda's Death Star Cake

Happy birthday to Linda Ross, a Realm partner. Age and picture have been omitted, but the cake is worth showing. Linda is a huge Star Wars fan. Not that popcorn junk that Lucas pawned on us a few years back. No, we're talking vintage 70's and 80's hair and effects. Linda has taste and standards! So, of course, she deserves a cake worthy of the genre.

Thanks to Jeff Gray who picked it up and brought it in.

We captured two images of the event.

The Death Star in its vintage condition from Star Wars (I refuse to refer to it as Episode 4)

and the Death Star from Return of the Jedi in its partially assembled condition. It's a trap!