It was nice to get out of the studio with my fellow Curve-eez this past weekend. Every once in a while you have to take  a step out of the office and relax. And what better way to do that than by playing pool and drinking a little beer. Its nice to see the people you work with in a different environment , you get to know them better. You get to interact in different ways than you would in an work environment (even though Curve has an awesome work environment).  I got to learn more about the people I work with, where they’ve been, they’re hobbies, it was great. I know in some cases drinking with co-workers could end up being a bad thing, but not in this case. You just have to realize that work and the bar are two different places, so people will probably act different, but as long as everyones  respectful you can still have fun and and not make it weird. I think more people should get out and get to know each other from work, you could end up making great friends or coming up with great stuff for work cause thats what you talk about half the time any way.

The moral of the story is, get out more, and don’t be afraid of the people you work with, getting to know them could make for a better work environment. I had a really good time and hope Curve can have a night on the town more often.

Lovin’ this new M&M’s commercial - check it out!

2009 M&M’s Supermarket Spot 

Today while watching TV one of my favorite 80s bands “Journey” was performing. Without looking up from my laptop I listened happily and enjoyed the familiar tune of “Separate Ways”. Near the end of the song I glanced up to watch and to my surprise it wasn’t Steve Perry singing of troubled times but a 20 something Fillipino guy named Arnel. Now don’t get me wrong Arnel - you sounded great - dead on. But you’re no Steve Perry. How could this happen? When did this happen? I gotta level with you - I am devastated. Steve Perry shaped my youth. I’m not sure I can continue to listen to Journey (ah - who am I kidding).

After some overly extensive research it turns out Arnel is Journey’s 6th singer and Mr. Perry hasn’t belted out a power ballad with the band since ‘96. Journey felt they needed a new hook. Oh - sure - let’s blame bad branding and their marketing team. People - please. Did we learn nothing from New Coke?

At Curve we often find our clients struggling to find a new hook. But re-inventing yourself isn’t always a good idea. Evolving your image while holding on to your core truths is what makes great branding. Sometimes re-inventing that core will anger your most loyal fans. (Just ask Tom about Froot Loops™ ~ apparently they added blueberry loops in the 80s and he’s been upset ever since)

So how does a brand stay current and buzz-worthy while holding on to their Steve Perry? Consult with an agency that knows how, like maybe Curve. We can help.

Don’t stop believin’

Not too long ago, I was flipping through Amy’s awesome book of fun facts when I came across a fascinating little factoid, the origin of the word “deadline”:

“It began as a real line, drawn in the dirt or marked by a fence or rail, restricting prisoners in Civil War camps. They were warned, ‘If you cross this line, you’re dead.’ To make sure this important boundary was not overlooked, guards and prisoners soon were calling it by its own bluntly descriptive name, the dead line”.

It’s still questionable if it really was that interesting of a find or if I just liked it because I could threaten our creative team with my new found knowledge on how to take care of overdue deadlines. But this got me thinking…if only there was a way to make deadlines as intimidating as they used to actually be. Sure, I could take away Tom’s mid-afternoon beverage or stop Charlie from craving meat or even keep Kristin from watching Lost but I just don’t think it will be as effective.

Someday I’ll figure it all out but for now, I’ve got them right where I want them…scared of me! =-)

I want to talk about the M-word. The M-word is ever-evolving and changing the way we interact. The M-word can render us breathless, make us cover our ears and shut our eyes or shriek like Amy at a Poison concert.

The M-word is of course Multimedia.

Multimedia can be many things: Flash, video, photos, audio, web and gaming are a few of multimedia’s faces. I am as excited as Sophie is over an unwatched bagel, with the lengths industry has reached in the areas of multimedia; however, balance needs to occur in all things — life, love and of course, design.

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
- Henry David Thoreau

Lest we forget, the importance of the bottom line. Does it work? Do we need it? In today’s world of constant eye-grabbing garbage, what do you actually remember seeing? Reading? Using?

I am not trying to discourage the use of new media and all of its added greatness. I love when Charlie sends me links to entertaining tidbits floating around cyber space. I am simply concerned with our need to be responsible and sensitive in the selection of media we use to promote and the quality of its resounding message. When used in the right proportions, and for the right reasons, media can be a wonderfully powerful asset.

Balance, it seems, is not so easy to find.

Here are some links I feel do a great job in the multimedia balancing act:

Sound: http://www.turquoise.com.sg/t

Flash: http://www.monolab.cl

Video: http://www.idecorabili.com/

A frequently asked question I hear from people is “What’s with your title? Why are you Fancy Ketchup?” My answer is usually with a giggle.

I explain that at any grocery store you are sure to find dozens of selections of ketchup, cat-sup and fancy ketchup. Does anyone really know the difference between ketchup and fancy ketchup? They taste the same. They look the same. But if given the chance I’ll choose fancy over non-fancy any day.

Now to be honest, my partner Charlie came up with my title. (His by the way is Chief Trouble Maker - self explanatory)

We here at Curve try to not take ourselves too seriously. Unless your title is Mr. President (and I mean the big guy in the white house) your title really serves no true purpose. Now my title, Fancy Ketchup, engages people, breaks the ice and starts a conversation. It serves a purpose.

Spend a few minutes today creating your own new title. Have some fun with it. (My brother-in-law already has dibs on Fresh Salsa)

What’s your new title? Drop me a line.

I recently read a study that backs what we at Curve have pushed all along:Consumers use other customers’ reviews to dictate their own purchases. In fact,two-thirds of online consumers read product reviews.

That’s why Curve preaches “blogger relations” as an alternative way to garner attention. Now, the idea of letting consumers publicly critique products makes many companies nervous; yet, we believe the benefits greatly outweigh any cons.

Some benefits:

• Free publicity to the people you want
• Viral buzz = easy linking and pass along (the echo effect)
• A link back to your website, driving traffic and increasing your search engine rank
• Even negative reviews can be beneficial: if so many people are dissatisfied with your product, maybe it’s time to make some adjustments

So how do you go about pitching your product or service to a blogger? Here’s my three key steps:

• 1. Do your homework. Before we contact any blogger, we actually read their blog. (I know it seems obvious, but believe me, it MUST be done!) What does the blogger write about? What are their common topics? Likes? Dislikes? You certainly don’t want to ask a fitness buff to review your new fat-filled, calorie-packed doughnut line.
• 2. Swag is good. Everybody likes getting free stuff, including bloggers. So send a sample, along with a personalized note, and let the blogger play. In many cases, bloggers will post a photo of your product and leave their honest opinion of it.
• 3. Be persistent, but patient. Bloggers are busy people too. Don’t be surprised if your product doesn’t get an immediate review. Be courteous and make sure your story doesn’t run before making a repeat attempt to contact them. Of course, this shouldn’t be a problem because you actually read their blog (right?).

Remember: Blogger relations is all about people. And sometimes the greatest influencers are those who are already among the customers you hope to reach.

Wanna get your word out there? - Email me

When’s the last time you actually used a mechanical typewriter? I’m talking about an old school, non-electric, metal-armed monstrosity that took 20 lbs. of pressure to move the keys and 30 oz. of Wite-Out to fix a mistake. I’m guessing it’s been awhile.

So why do you still insist on putting two spaces after a period when you type?

There’s a brand new technology out that renders the double-space completely useless. It’s called a “computer” and will soon be made available to the average person about 25 years ago.

Back in the day, the need for the double-space after a period was simple. On a typewriter the type was monospaced. Meaning regardless of the width of the actual character, each letter occupied the same amount of horizontal space. So the double space was needed to visually break this spacing pattern for the eye to help legibility.

Desktop publishing brought with it proportional fonts. Now letters of different widths don’t need to occupy the same amount of space. An “i” doesn’t take up as much space as a “W”. Today’s modern fonts already take into account each character’s different width, thus making it easier on the eyes and rendering the double-space after a period completely useless.

I know old habits can be hard to break. But we need to let this dinosaur fade into extinction. If Charlie can quit wearing his leather rock star pants, you can quit putting a double-space after a period.

So help me save the world from ugly type. And save the Wite-Out for what it was originally intended for: sniffing fumes.

Tell Tom what you think via email.