More than 60% of households and 82% of offices in the United States have high-speed Internet connections. The proliferation of broadband has enabled tens of millions of Americans to watch online video and has made the Web a primary entertainment destination. Now companies can turn their websites into TV channels that simultaneously entertain customers and drive home key messages about your brand – all for a price that is lower than airing a 30-second TV spot just once during a hit primetime show. Though everyone still enjoys a hilarious commercial, the Internet now offers companies a more cost-effective and measurable way to reach consumers not once a night or once a year, but twenty-four hours a day.
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Very large agencies employ lots and lots of people in the hopes that one of them will come up with a big idea. Too often, however, something that starts as a big idea gets watered down by layers of bureaucratic management. Or the big idea never exists to begin with. Captains of Industry is a smaller company staffed by a select group of senior level people who are very, very good at coming up with big ideas. Plus, without a burdensome hierarchy, our best ideas actually reach fruition.
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In Western culture, chaos is something to be avoided at all cost. But in Chinese culture the literal translation of the symbol for Chaos is “Where brilliant dreams are born. Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos. Before a brilliant person begins something great, they must look foolish to the crowd.” At Captains, we believe the very best companies are those that embrace radical change and the temporary chaos that comes with it. That’s when wonderful things happen.
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Fresh, remarkable work is like the flowers on a tree; but flowers cannot be vibrant and alive unless the roots of the tree are steeped in a real understanding of a client’s products and industry. Creativity just for creativity’s sake may look pretty, but it’s not going to get results – which is why Captains ask a lot of questions up front before beginning the creative development process. Our knowledge and understanding of your company allows us to create marketing materials that are informative and relevant to your business, and that make your message come alive in the
imagination of your customers.
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Safe (i.e. boring) marketing becomes invisible, which is a total waste of money.
To attain success, make your marketing bold so it stands out in a crowd and on
strategy so it achieves results. Don’t be afraid. We’re professionals.
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People are increasingly unwilling to have their entertainment or information gathering
experience interrupted. They have television and video on demand, pop-up blockers, and iPods. They’ve tuned out commercials. After all, it’s human nature to take evasive action if you’re being ‘targeted’ by marketing. The solution is to make your marketing entertaining,
so people seek you out and pass on your message to others.
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Remember Mister Rogers? He was asked once how he was able to connect so effectively with children. He responded, “I never forget that, no matter how many millions of children are watching, I’m always talking to just one little
Buckeroo.” This is a powerful idea that Captains embraces. Whether you’re making a web film or a direct mail letter, you are speaking to one person at a time. Messages must feel personal. We never address a crowd by saying,
“I’m sure all of you will….” There is no such as thing ‘as all of you’. There is only one you.
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When some of us were knee high to a grasshopper, full-service gas stations actually provided full service. A smiling man with a bow tie washed your windshield and checked the oil – and he gave you a free glass when he was done! We think this is a pretty good model for a marketing agency. Phone calls should be returned promptly. Promises kept. No surprises on invoices. And don’t forget the glass.
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The most innovative, dynamic companies infuse their work environments with a sense of fun. When people enjoy what they are doing, the end product they create is typically of higher quality. The same goes for marketing. In an age where people have total control over what they see and hear, having fun with your marketing helps your messages get noticed and shared. You want to have fun, and so do your customers.
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