Some expensive “clever” advertising campaigns loose their effectiveness because of one major flaw… assumption. Leave out the focus of your message, or how easily your message is understood, and watch your advertising go virtually unnoticed.

One: Clarity

Don’t assume your message is clear. Just because your marketing team understands it and your advertising agency understands it, doesn’t mean your audience will. Ad agencies have a tendency to design what they like vs. what your audience wants, then sell it to you very persuasively.

Two: Catch Phrases

Don’t assume your catch phrases are understood. Internally your employees get to learn these, externally your audience learns them over time. Catch phrases can divide your audience, so if you use them, use them intentionally.

Three: Previous Messages

Don’t assume your previous message has been listened to. An ad campaign that builds from a previous ad needs to be clear to a first timer.

Four: Data

Don’t assume your marketing survey data is reliable. People typically answer surveys with what sounds good as an answer to the question. Example; Nobody would say “Yes I would love to pay $3 for a cup of coffee” on a survey, but millions of people love Starbucks. Always ask a few unbiased people that represent your audience what they think face to face. Get them to throw stones by asking them what they think is wrong and what they would do differently.

All of us at Hester Designs would like to thank to everyone who voted for Design Crush. You are appreciated. We also would like to congratulate Kelly on a job well done. – Jeff

Chris Carlson / Associated Press

In the locker room at the gym this morning, two ladies recapped yesterday’s Olympic highlights. Aside from being awake until Midnight watching, the pair gushed over the amazing speed, strength and quads of the Speedskaters. At that point the name Shani Davis came up. After unexpectedly dropping out of the 500-meter race only to rebound by winning his second straight gold metal in the 1,000-meter yesterday, of course it did!

Which reminded me how the Olympic US Speedskating team was in a pickle back in November. The team had just lost a major corporate backer, a bank that went bankrupt. Nervous about landing new sponsorship in such a short time, the team allowed Stephen Colbert to fill the void. He’s done an attention-grabbing job promoting the team, so by now I’d assume that most US Olympic followers may associate the two, but the way it happened still amazes me.

Not known for conventional tactics, the comedian similarly approached olympic sponsorship. Colbert didn’t personally front the money, nor did his television show, nor did the TV network. Instead, he called upon the Colbert Nation – his television viewers, everyday Americans – to donate to the cause. In the short time span of 3-months, Colbert fans raised more than $300,000 for the skaters (more money than the bankrupt sponsor had pledged!) and attracted the corporate sponsor Verizon.

This story reminds me that we all have potential to lead, to join together, and to do both. Everything starts with a vision, supported daily through every interaction you or your organization has with each individual you encounter, both inside and outside the organization. Positive experiences are reciprocated, attracting more followers, and expanding over time as your reputation and support network grows.

We are cheering US Olympic Speedskating victories in locker rooms and living rooms across the USA because of one person’s vision and commitment, which multiplied one person at a time. — Jenny

Never heard of this sport? It all but died out in the mid 90′s but has been kept underground by the best of the best. Check it out…

Want to effectively develop brand advocates for your company? Go where you never thought you should. – Jeff

A friend of mind just added 1,500 Facebook fans to the in a the last 30 days by hosting a promotion. Maybe we should do something similar. — real quote from client

Truth be told, this number is meaningless.

Remember the old web site counter you used to see at the bottom of every home page? Your hit count could have been in the millions, but everybody knows this did not translate to the number of customers you acquired. People that jump on a promotion may not be around long for the rest of the story.

Companies should ask the following questions:

• Are we building a network of important resources and contacts that can benefit from this connection?
• Can we effectively listen to our network and respond in a reasonable time? Listening is the most overlooked part of corporate Social Networking.
• Are we providing good information that our network can say is valuable?

Remember, people can dump you as easily as they followed you. Value matters. — Jeff

The new Dip & Squeeze is the first packet makeover in 42 years for the food service industry. The new packaging will be released in March and will be available at in quick service restaurants by the end of the year. — Kelly

I get what they’re trying to do. Updating the game to match the times and all. But I have to ask myself, is it really a good idea to promote credit in the face of the financial crisis we’re in the midst of? I also can’t quite shake the feeling that it’s going to turn out out to be another New Coke situation. And we all remember how that one ended, right?

Luckily, Monopoly is being and bit smarter and continuing to offer both game designs once the round board rolls out this fall. True purists of the game can continue to whittle away the hours with their traditional boards and paper, while a younger generation can latch onto the latest and greatest. Sound like everyone may be a winner in the end. — Kelly

Apple announces the new iPad.

The new iPad was officially announced today. This device looks really cool. It’s ability to create a clean and green solution to life’s areas of clutter… photos, mail and books, is just simply amazing. It’s interface is like an iPhone on steroids. Apple has spent some time redesigning some of their core applications to make the device even more valuable. I can’t help but ask a few questions as a designer; Will this take off better than the kindle? Will this really replace the printed photo album? Will lap top users enjoy sharing the screen with the keyboard? I’m not sure, but the device looks like fun. What do you think? – Jeff

Image from LG Electronics http://tr.im/LGui

The latest techno buzz is all a-tweet about LG’s new Retro TV. With a classic 1950s-style body, its retro design stays true to 19th-century nostalgics with its 14” screen, rotary dials, CRT video technology, and – yes – even rabbit ear antennas. One more super fun feature, it lets you watch in black and white or sepia.

I can see some appeal. The TV looks fab. Modeled after old-fashioned design, it’s retro charm is completely modern. It comes equipped to function in the 21st century with a digital tuner, video inputs and remote control. (Remember the excitement getting your first remote-controlled television?) At the moment, you can only get one if you live in Korea, but for only $215 US dollars, I won’t be surprised if this set pops up here.

But, here’s my quandary. Who really wants to watch TV on a 14” screen? Will some of us give up feel-like-you’re-there visuals and the ability to read game scores and subtitles for the glamour of this TV set? — Jenny