Take a look at this week’s hot topics:

1. Online Ad Spending to Pass Print for the First Time

For the first time in history, online ad spending is predicted to pass print ad spending in the U.S.

In 2012,  eMarketer predicts the projected ad spend winners will be:

• Total ad spending is predicted to grow 6.7% to $169.5 billion in 2012, thanks to this year’s elections and the Summer Olympics.
• Online ad spending is predicted to grow 23.3% to $39.5 billion in 2012.
• Magazine print ad spending will increase to $15.4 billion in 2012, from $15.3 billion in 2011.

In 2012, eMarketer predicts the projected ad spend loser will be:

• Newspaper ad spending will decrease from $20.7 billion in 2011 to $19.4 billion in 2012 with a projected decrease to $17 billion by 2016.

It will be interesting to watch how the paid placement mix continues to evolve. One thing to note, ad dollars that are shifted to the online versions of print publications are not accounted for in the print category; rather, they move into the online advertising category. Therefore, as print viewing continues to grow on tablet and other online devices, we will continue to see this shift. Read the full eMarketer study.

2. 31% of Display Ads Go UnseenWith the shift of ad dollars to online buys, a ComScore study released Wednesday shows that 31% of display ad impressions reported are invisible (out of view of the consumer). For marketers, this means that we need to make sure the impressions we’re paying for are actually within the consumer’s view. And taking it one step further, consider pay-per-performance cost models to ensure that you’re getting the response you desire from your online ad buys. Read the full ComScore study.

3. Your TV May Be Watching

Last week, Laura talked about the Consumer Electronics Show and questioned where the buzz would like – well, it once again focused on webcams, but a much smarter kind. Just as webcams are now at the core of virtually all laptops, tablets and smart phones, TV’s are next. And we’re not just talking about Skype – these smart cameras will recognize you the minute you walk into your living room and automatically log you into your social sites, launch your favorite channels and websites. Now this takes “favorites” to a whole new level. This also provides one-to-one advertising opportunities for the first time on TV’s and could eventually lead to new TV advertising cost models, counting impressions only when an attentive audience actually sees the ad. Fun food for thought.

4. Long Term Positive Effects Shown for Social Media Campaigns

According to a BzzAgent study, the average social media campaign lasted 8 weeks and was typically successful in increasing consumer intent to purchase and likelihood to recommend to others. But what happened three months out or a year after a campaign ended?

Here’s a time series of the positive consumer opinion of a product which was the target of a campaign:

• Pre-campaign: 40%
• Post campaign: 80%
• 3 months out: 78%
• 6 months out: 77%
• 9 months out: 77%
• 1 year out: 75%

Not only was there a significant short-term impact, but a year later the advocates were just as enthusiastic about the brands as they were when they first participated in the campaigns.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Health Care Social Media Summit hosted by the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media and Ragan Communications. Speakers ranged from doctors to social media experts to patients, all parties who are leveraging social media to help people live healthier.

The conversation at the conference centered on how hospitals and doctors can use social media tools to connect with patients. HIPAA and AMA guidelines rightly protect patients’ personal information, but they also create obstacles for sharing helpful health information online. For instance, a majority of health care organizations represented at the conference still block social media sites for employees and/or patients. It seems a tad ironic that health systems that trust doctors with patients’ lives don’t trust them enough to responsibly use social media on the job.

Among all the “talk” about how to balance the need to preserve the uttermost respect for patient information and the desire of patients and doctors to connect online, stood Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson — a mom and a pediatrician who is sharing her insights on how to keep kids healthy. Dr. Swanson passionately and intelligently relayed how she believes social media is a powerful tool to save lives. That’s the ROI of health care social media she argued — the life of a boy whose mom’s Facebook friends help diagnose his potentially fatal condition or the mom who learned how to correctly put on a bike helmet from a blog.

Swanson practices pediatrics half-time and writes three blogs and produces one video blog each week for Seattle Mama Doc. The blog is filled with personal stories, videos about vaccinations, and practical information, like how to stop a nosebleed. The Seattle Children’s Hospital compensates Swanson for producing the blog content. Swanson argued that doctors should be compensated for the time and effort they put into connecting with patients online.

She encourages doctors to engage with patients online. She argues that patients still trust doctors and view them as people, which is a powerful position. She feels that as a doctor she needs to be confident enough to give the same advice in an exam room as she does to millions of people online. She also encourages doctors to do more than what HIPAA asks by always ask for permission before sharing details that could point to a patient’s story and never offering opinions anonymously online.

Overall, I was struck by Dr. Swanson desire to save lives. She knows moms like her are looking for reputable information on how to care for and protect their children. She also understands that her ability to relay health information through her expertise as a pediatrician and her personal experience as a mom can keep kids healthy.

Dr. Swanson is a powerful communicator, and I’m excited to see how other doctors follow in her footsteps and start to communicate with their patients.

After attending a webinar by AdAge entitled, “Online Behavioral Advertising and Privacy,” I began thinking about all the ways our privacy as online consumers can be violated. A little research led me to the topic of location based targeting, and more specifically, “geofencing.”

Geofencing is the idea of tracking mobile users from a subscriber list based on their location to a particular store and then sending those users a relevant message. To the mobile marketers of the world, this is a dream come true, but to mobile consumers this could be a privacy nightmare.  So how far is too far?  Does geofencing cross the line?

Not yet.  Similar to push notifications, where users can opt-in to receive messages from a mobile app, location-based targeting asks consumers to opt-in to the service. This is significant because 94% of consumers feel that privacy is an important issue of online targeting, as stated in a recent survey by TRUSTe. Today’s consumer likes to be “in the know” about the latest and greatest, but they also do not want to risk losing their privacy. From the same study by TRUSTe, over 50% of consumers are more likely to click and buy if they can control how they are targeted. When given the choice to opt-in or out, consumers will likely have less concern about location-based marketing. And until a company forgets to ask permission, geofencing can be valuable to both the seller and the consumer.

There is a tremendous opportunity for marketers to use location based targeting to increase value to their customers. Placecast – a pioneer of location-based targeting in the US – launched a pilot program in 2009 using what they call ShopAlerts. They found that 79% of people said the ShopAlerts increased their likelihood to visit a store and 65% of people made a purchase as a result of a ShopAlerts message.

The difficulty is making sure the content of the message is, in fact valuable and doesn’t negatively impact the relationship. The message must bring something unique and compelling to the consumer, otherwise, it will cause more harm than good. And why not let the consumer tell you how often they want to be contacted? Following these guidelines will ensure that the contact is both relevant and desired.

So how do you feel about geofencing and other location based marketing strategies? Do you feel your privacy is being violated?  What would make you more apt to opt-in to location based advertising? Tell us what you think!

If you haven’t been keeping up, a host of presidential hopefuls have been duking it out in debates and, more passively, through television advertisements. So, how does one position them self as capable of leading the free world? Let’s breakdown some of the current political ads and see what candidates are doing right and what they should be doing differently if they hope to be living on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Mitt Romney

Seeing as how Mitt Romney is considered a front-runner for the Republican nomination, let’s take a look at one of his campaign ads first:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz3XgYLqCjg&feature=player_embedded

The spot itself is hopeful: inspirational string instruments, swooping aerial shots of wheat fields and a speech sprinkled with the word “freedom.” The ad is surprisingly void of any slams on the current administration, which is commendable (though his website has a slew of videos that aren’t as non-confrontational).

My ADvice: Differentiate. Romney certainly looks the part, which is a really big problem. He looks like anybody who has ran for president in the last 75 years. If Mitt wants to win he is going to have to stand out from the pack. I’d prescribe a fun, memorable catchphrase. Something like “Mitt’s Legit” or “dotRom.”

Rick Perry

Perry shot on to the election scene with a substantial following and a significant, though somewhat controversial, record as Governor of Texas. However, the Perry buzz has fizzled a bit since officially announcing his run for the White House. Here’s a recent spot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8EL5Atp_vF0

If this ad does anything well it’s the painting of the current administration as a failure that has produced disastrous (did you hear those wailing sirens?) consequences. The ad loses a bit of steam during the second half by resorting to the expected shots of the Statue of Liberty, flags and roaring fighter jets.

My ADvice: Lighten up. First, lighten up on the advertising production costs. The spot looks cool, but it probably cost more than what a lot of people have made in wages this year. And it doesn’t even let viewers know much about you. Secondly, have some fun Rick Perry. Your state may be infamous for its capital punishment record, but that doesn’t mean you can’t clown around a bit while you’re out campaigning!

Jon Huntsman

Governor Huntsman is further back in the polls but has a loyal following and a strong record as the leader of Utah. A longtime motocross racer, Huntsman is considered by many to be a Republican long shot. Below is one of his early ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biqIuX3uX0U

The best part about this ad is probably the scenery. Everything else is a bit…clunky? The disconnect starts with the narrator. His script tries to balance a vision, accomplishments and a jovial tone, but just comes off as silly (I can’t say I’ve ever heard the colloquialism “…not in it for the balloons.”). Strange copy paired with music you would hear floating out of a piano store in the mall doesn’t bode well for a would-be President…

My ADvice: Governor Huntsman needs to figure out who he is. What is the Huntsman brand? Is he Huntsman the diplomat? Huntsman the businessman? Or Huntsman the former member of high school band “Wizard?” It’s obvious he wants to appeal to a broad range of voters, but what isn’t obvious is who Huntsman wants to be.

The Presidential race is heating up, and as media consumers brace to be inundated with a brutal amount of political advertising, I have a final point for all candidates regarding their inevitable and invasive advertising: Be to the point. Be candid. And spend heavily on memorable catchphrases and well-designed buttons, because those are the things that really stick.

(This blog entry is the second in a series titled “An Exploration of Ethanol.” If you missed the first part, you can get caught up here.)

Refining ethanol is undoubtedly a more complicated task than creating a marketing campaign to sell it. However, getting folks on board with the idea of making food for cars instead of people is an incredible challenge. Let’s take a look at three marketing musts for ethanol producers and also some examples of ethanol marketing done right.

Be Simple.

Ethanol has been shown to be less efficient than more widely used fossil fuels, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other benefits. The best way to communicate these perks (renewable, American made, conflict free, etc.) is to talk to consumers in a very direct, uncomplicated way. Take a look at these spots from Growth Energy’s “America’s Fuel” campaign.

The ads were just one part of a $2.5 million effort by Growth Energy—a corn-ethanol trade group— to keep Brazilian sugarcane ethanol out of the country and to extend tax credits for corn-ethanol. The spots manage to do that while also bolstering ethanol’s brand presence, all in fifteen seconds.

Be (Positively) Aggressive.

Great advertising presents a conflict that lends itself to conversation amongst consumers. Ethanol marketers have to “draw a line in the sand” in their advertising so that consumers know that there’s the “old, stinky gas” and then there’s the “new, cleaner corn gas.”

Ethanol marketers can benefit by emphasizing this conflict in their advertising.

You may remember these spots from POET. POET is one of the country’s largest producers of corn-ethanol and launched this campaign for the same reasons that Growth Energy launched their “America’s Fuel” promotion. The conflict in these ads is evident: ethanol vs. fossil fuel; farmer vs. businessman; rural vs. metropolis; America vs. everyone else. Put simply: the ads strike a perfect balance between aggressive and effective.

Beware The Biofuel Backlash

The final must for corn-ethanol marketers: be weary of the growing resentment towards your product. You know people are upset when even a NASCAR endorsement deal doesn’t sway public opinion. Push the positives: job numbers, foreign oil displacement and reusability.

Guessing the future of corn-ethanol in America is probably as easy as making your way through one of those creepy corn mazes. But while uncertainty continues to surround the corn-ethanol industry, you can be sure that ethanol marketing campaigns are going to work that much harder to sway flustered fuel users.

During a conversation with Road Warrior, one of Midcontinent’s 16 Beta Testers, he said something that was rather profound. He was talking about his MidcoNet Xstream Wideband home Internet service, and mentioned how it’s great and has tons of capacity. For example, he brought up the fact that he can have everyone in his home online at the same time – with “astonishingly” fast speeds (his words, not mine).

But what really stuck out to me in the conversation was how he mentioned the need for context when describing a service such as Internet, where many people consider it to be something like a utility. While he said that, yes, attributes, statistics, and facts about products are all great to hear about, but what he really wants to know is“what’s the benefit to me?”

The example he used was, when someone’s asks how your home water pressure is, you don’t respond with the PSI, you respond with what it can do – the benefits and abilities of your water pressure. For example, filling the bathtub or having good pressure for washing your hair.

One of the best, most viral examples of selling the product benefits versus the product attributes is the Shamwow. What is it? I don’t know because the time Vince spends on describing what it actually is, lasts maybe 5 seconds, the rest of the infomercial demonstrates what it can be used for and how great it works – the benefits to you as the consumer.

Watch the Shamwow commercial.

This may seem like an unrelated, off-the-wall example but it gets the point across. When you understand what the customer really wants to know about the product, specifically what it can do for them, the strongest sell points seem to come from the creativity behind positioning the product benefits, rather than the product itself.

Corn used to live a simple life. The vivacious vegetable we know as corn today originated around 7500 B.C in the wilds of Mexico. Back then it was known as “teosinte.” Teosinte later became corn, which was raised and eaten, sometimes right off of the stalk, sometimes mashed into cornmeal to make tortillas or a mushy corn pudding. Corn used to just be food. Now corn is also fuel, which means corn is busy. Very busy.

In a method called the “dry-grind ethanol process,” corn is sent through a hammer mill to turn it into corn flour. The flour is then slurried (or “mixed”) with water and given a heat-stable enzyme before going into a liquefaction process that requires jet-cookers to steam the flour to above 212°F. Next is saccharification—where another enzyme is added—followed by fermentation, and finally by distillation and recovery (you can find a more detailed explanation of this process and others here). Ethanol fuel has made corn a lot busier. Good thing there’s a lot more corn.

The USDA released data in May that projects corn production for 2011-12 to be around 13.5 billion bushels—the third highest harvest on record. That’s a lot of corn. And a lot of it’s going to making corn-ethanol, the controversial bio-fuel that, according to a story from Forbes, used 38.4% of the total U.S. corn crop in 2010 (up from 5.9% in 2000). But is corn-ethanol worth the effort and investment? It depends who you ask.

Taxpayers might be displeased to hear that the Congressional Budget Office places the total taxpayer cost of corn-ethanol subsidies at about $16.2 billion dollars for the year. Flex fuel vehicle (FFV) owners are also getting the short end of the stalk, as the Federal Alternative Fuels Price Report shows that ethanol gets less mileage than regular fuel. ConsumerReports.org claims that “there’s no financial advantage to consumers in buying an FFV.” So, who’s benefiting from the production of ethanol? Are there any positives?

In a word: yes. The benefits of corn-ethanol are enough to justify the continued development of the fuel. Consulting firm AUS released a report wherein they showed that communities where distilleries are located see their economies expand by roughly $110 million a year. Also, estimates show that nearly 700 jobs are created in the area near an ethanol plant. Local and state governments see about a $1.2 million a year increase in tax revenue. Finally, ethanol production has the power to generate an additional $19.6 million in household income. You can see that the question isn’t “Does corn-ethanol have any true, non-contentious, unique selling points?” but rather “How can we market corn-ethanol to a skeptical, subsidy-soured public?”

To find out the answers to this corn-fuel marketing conundrum, check back for the final installment of “An Exploration of Ethanol” entitled: “Part II: Buy My Corn Gas.”

A few years ago, when I was a senior in college about to graduate, I read a book called “How To Win Friends and Influence People”  by Dale Carnegie. I remember thinking to myself, “I do not need help making friends! C’mon, I am a college student, that’s what we do!”

After the first couple chapters and class discussions, I began to understand that friends are more than just good buddies, acquaintances, and life-long family friends. Our friends are the most important factor in our success as an individual and as a person. Once I got my head wrapped around this idea, the rest of the book was a breeze and extremely applicable to my life.

During college and the first few years after, there were many instances where I learned the value of solid relationships.

• Meeting my husband.  We became best friends and helped each other through the ups and downs of college and growing up.
• Being captain of my college cheer team. I learned how to be a motivating and respectable leader. I also came to value the importance and challenges of being a friend and teammate at the same time.
• Moving to the Sunshine Coast of Australia. I felt relief and utter joy after meeting our first friends, Jack and Nina, at the bus stop in Airlie Beach. We had been away from home, on the other side of the world, for more than a month. One simple question about which day cruise they were going on led to two weeks of bonding at our apartment, a life-long friendship, and a connection in Europe.
• Observing my parents. They have taught me by example how their friends, both personal and business related, have helped them succeed as individuals and as business owners.

I could talk about so many stories of how a relationship has benefited my life and as my internship at L&S comes to an end, I will capitalize on the new relationships I have built. My teammates and supervisors have taught me everything I now know about the agency and our clients. I hold much respect for all those that have taken the time out of their busy schedules to answer my questions and teach me the why’s of what they do.

Not only have I built relationships with my co-workers, but company events have introduced me to co-workers from other teams, business associates, clients, and vendors. Events like the ribbon cutting to announce the newly remodeled team space at L&S, the all-staff lunch, and the family picnic have all helped me build new relationships.

Keith Farazzi, an expert on relationship development, spoke these words about building relationships, “Everything that you want to achieve will be with and through other people.” With every new job and adventure in my life, I have gained experience and built relationships, and my time at L&S has been and will be no different.

It’s a bittersweet goodbye to one of America’s favorite devices, the TV remote. Zenith Radio Corporation created the first TV remote in 1950 and appropriately named it the “Lazy Bone,” which was attached to the television by a cable, however only five years later a cordless remote was introduced.

Since its inception, over half a century ago, we have seen many features added to the remote allowing it to do more than ever, but is it time to say goodbye? I think so. Just as smartphones have invaded the market for video cameras, still-shot cameras, GPS devices and even personal computers, they are now marking their territory with our TVs!

Thanks to apps and programs like Peel and IntoNow, which benefit the user by allowing them to do more with their phone than they ever could with a traditional remote, as well as take TV watching to the next level by making it social, I believe we will see a high adoption rate of these apps. Especially as more third-party companies and TV providers create and market them to their customers.

If you want to learn more about this new trend in TV watching, read Rise of the Social Couch Potato.  

After seeing the benefits these mobile apps can bring to consumers, cable providers are also beginning to jump on the bandwagon. The apps offer ways for customers to keep up with their shows, search for new shows and receive recommendations. The uses for these devices are limitless as the benefits and ease of use surpasses that of the traditional remote in almost every way. Touch controls, full keyboards for search queries and being able to locate it with a call when it’s lost in the couch, are all improvements over our old TV remotes.

As consumers warm up to this technological trend and begin to see smartphones more widely used as TV remotes, cable providers can offer similar services to enhance their customers’ experience. The provider can also benefit by having daily access to their consumers through a device as instrumental as the customer’s cellphone. Ultimately, this gets their foot in the door for further customer interaction with their brand.

How could your phone be better than your TV remote? Share your ideas or wishful-things below!

Before my internship at L&S, I never wore a watch.

My tendency has always been to run a little behind schedule or exactly on time—never early. Growing up, my family often threatened to leave me at home if I wasn’t ready to go. And now, the people in my life know that “I’ll be there in 10” actually means, “I’ll be there in 20.”

At L&S, all we do is run on time. Monday morning Boot Up, an agency-wide status meeting, begins at 8:15 a.m. At 8:14 a.m., Emily at the front desk announces that Boot Up is starting now in the lobby.

Let me tell you, now actually means right now at L&S. Ready or not.

After being at the agency for three months, I’ve truly learned that when it comes down to it, all we sell is time. Yes, ideas and designs, media placements, websites, press releases, marketing plans, video footage and lots of emails are packaged with it, but at the end of the day it’s the time we put into everything that makes L&S great.

It’s also the nowness, the ‘get-r-done’ mentality, that L&Sers live by that puts the agency on top. A lot of work gets done right now and pushed out the door every day, and “a lot” is an understatement. It’s way more than that.

The longer I work, the more I appreciate and admire efficiency. Managing time is a tough thing to learn, but it’s so important. It’s important to respect other people’s time, and when there’s only a total of eight hours in a work day I know how valuable every minute is. It all adds up.

In my time at L&S, I’ve been given time. The people around me have taken time out of their days to teach me more about public relations, marketing and advertising, and I am grateful. There is so much to learn and understand, and I know that with more time and in the years to come I will truly grow into a professional.

On my birthday in June, someone special gave me my watch. Believe it or not, it took me 22 years to actually wear one and now I can’t leave the house without it. At L&S, I’m continuing to learn how to quickly switch from project to project and how to work in a place that’s different from minute to minute, but that’s how time works. With time, things change. The best way to live and work is in the now, but with a vision for what’s to come and what’s next.

This is the final post from Mari in a series of reflections from the Lawrence & Schiller interns. Take a minute to read their past posts!

Energy companies have a unique problem. It actually doesn’t even sound like a problem at first. You see, energy companies are continually developing new technology that is making consumers’ energy consumption “smarter.” These smarter technologies include improved power grids and more efficient methods for delivering electricity. The availability and development of smarter energy technology puts consumers in a position to pocket significant savings while the energy companies are in a position to provide more reliable service for a lower price. When the energy companies save, consumers save.

It seems that we all benefit from smarter energy technology. So what’s the problem? Well, while the technology maybe labeled smart, many of the consumers (this writer included) aren’t, at least when it comes to electrical engineering. What can these energy companies do to educate their consumers about the newest tech?

 First and foremost, make it simple.

Like I said before, for dimwitted (Get it? Dim? Energy?) consumers like me, it’s easy to get lost in a jungle of technological jargon. Energy companies need to bring their message down to our level. For example, take a look at GE’s “Smart Grid” website. The site is engaging, informative and anything but cumbersome. Instead of flooding the visitor with wordy explanations of the technology, you are given a brief explanation of the Smart Grid and then shown the benefits: carbon out of the air and money in your change jar. The site even utilizes Augmented Reality to let you “hold the Smart Grid in the palm of your hand.” How’s that for accessible?

The Second Way: Emphasize the Benefits.

Placing emphasis on the technology will only get you so far. Instead of telling the consumer about how “advanced” something is, explain to them how this “advanced” technology translates into savings. Telling consumers about savings is fundamental, and it never hurts to revisit the basics. In fact, this may be a good refresher for the American Petroleum Institute. API is the oil industry’s largest trade group and they are currently looking for a new agency to handle its latest advocacy campaign. With plans to spend up to $20 million on the campaign, there should be plenty of cash available to get a message out about how the trade group is using technology and new methods to help consumers save.

Tell us how we will benefit and help us make sense of your business. Those are the two biggest ways energy companies can get through to consumers. Sure, new technology is neat to read about and consumers are happy to hear their energy company is making strides toward cleaner energy. In the end though, consumers like me just want to hear about how your efforts and technology are going to lower our energy bills. That’s what really flips our switch.

Media plays a vital role in how we receive information on a daily basis. If it weren’t for the media, the means by which we receive information, how would we communicate?

What words come to mind when I hear the word media? Newspaper. News Programs. TV. Tabloid. Magazine. Paparazzi. Reporter. Mass Media. Journalism. Public Relations. During the last few months, I have come to realize my list is out-dated and far too limited.

I used to think of the media as Entertainment Tonight, Keloland news, the Argus Leader, and infamous paparazzi that will do anything for that one tell-all photo. That was the extent of my list, until I started working at Lawrence & Schiller.

After seeing a campaign progress from start to finish, I have a better understanding of how media fits into the bigger picture of message delivery inside an agency. Traditionally media is newspaper, radio, television, and magazines; the main channels of message delivery. But inside the walls of L&S, media is only one part of message delivery, along with research, public relations, digital strategy, and even graphic design.  Each plays a unique role in the creation of a message delivery plan. The team structure at L&S has taught me a lot about the value of collaboration between disciplines. Brainstorming activities, specifically, have increased my understanding of media. A brainstorm has no limits and media is limitless as well.

After working at L&S, my knowledge of the responsibilities of a media buyer and the title has changed. A media buyer is a title of the past; present day titles include media coordinator or media strategist. A media coordinator requires a well-rounded, organized, and efficient individual who is capable of multi-tasking. They must be computer savvy, with strong written and oral communication skills; a sales background is also a huge plus considering the extensive amount of vendor correspondence.

Outside of the skills needed for media placement, I was also unaware of the importance of research to a media coordinator. In my mind, market research was somewhat its own entity. I quickly learned research is in the job description for all employees at L&S. We all must have a deep understanding of the target audience in order to successfully deliver a message. A training session last month stressed the importance of research and how a great insight can come from any discipline.

My new definition of media is very broad:  Media are the tools available to deliver a message. This generalization is fitting because it encompasses new means of communication such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter–all tools that can be used to effectively deliver a message.

July marks the midpoint. I’m halfway. If I was at the theater, it would be intermission. If I was in school, I’d be sweating through a mid-term exam. If I was tuned into Survivor or the Real Housewives, it’d be a commercial break. If I was on the court, I’d be huddled up with the team.

Midpoints, mid-terms, intermissions and halftimes are significant. It’s the crucial time between the beginning and the end. It’s the tension that holds everything together. It’s the time to plan for and anticipate what is to come—the finale.

Right now at Lawrence & Schiller, I’m experiencing my own midpoint. I’m halfway through my summer internship, and this blog is my little intermission. It’s my time to pause and think about what happened in Acts One through Three and what’s to come in Acts Four and Five.

Thus far, I’ve learned more than can be reasonably expected from the rising action of a play. I’ve learned how to function within a team, and how to generate ideas in real time through discussion and groupthink. I’ve worked hard to become familiarized with strategies, campaigns, clients and computer software. I’ve gotten to experience an L&S staff lunch and the ribbon cutting event that celebrated the brand new office space. I also attended a three-day business development training led by a consultant from NYC whose client roster includes the world’s best known brands and advertising leaders.

That’s a lot of cool stuff in a quick six weeks.

Looking back, I’m amazed. Someone once told me that I will learn more in my first year of work than I did in four years of college. I’m beginning to believe the truth within that insight. The learning curve is high in the working world, and it’s exciting (and a bit overwhelming) to think I’m just beginning my career.

In the second half of my internship, I hope to grow and gain even more. I’m looking forward to delving further into writing projects. I’m eager to see what direction my team goes on client events and 2012 initiatives. I’m excited to hear if a company hires L&S after a pitch I helped put together. Earlier this summer I also helped with a commercial shoot, and that will be fun to see completed when it hits the screen.

Now is the time to reenergize. It’s time to stand up, stretch my legs and maybe take a bathroom break just like I would midway through the big game, a concert or a play. It’ll be another great six weeks at L&S and I’m eager to see what is to come.

As my internship nears the halfway point I again find myself reflecting on a lesson learned in language. I’ve come to find that copywriting is a form of communication with its own rules. Copy doesn’t conform to convention because copy’s sole purpose is to communicate messages directly to a consumer. Now, if copy is written correctly, the consumer receives the message, accepts it and acts, which could mean buying a product or subscribing to a service. It is within this interaction–the one that takes place when the consumer receives the message–that you’ll find the language lesson.

Copy is constrained by two factors: space and time. All copy has limited space to live in so you must deliver your message quickly. Your words have to be direct—the copy has to get to the point and it has to be punchy. But constructing copy that fits into this framework isn’t the hard part. The difficulty actually exists in not being able to fully control how the consumer interprets the words. Of course, knowledge and skill help to direct the copy, as does insight and constant coworker and client feedback. But even with those safeguards your words still have the chance of being construed as invasive, disingenuous, silly, or in the worst cases, offensive. Offending is the opposite of convincing. Offending a customer means you didn’t deliver your message. That brings us to the lesson: choose your words wisely.

With copy, every word must be delivered with precision and meaning while taking into account every possible connotation of a word or phrase, which isn’t always easy. A prime example of a “communication breaker” is a subtle phrase that has two meanings (one of which is typically risqué) —these are called double entendres. If left uncorrected, the double entendre can cause misinterpretation and embarrassment for the consumer and the writer. Clever phrases have their place, but it is up to the writer to decide when and how they are best used. I was taught at a young age to think before I spoke—that lesson takes on a whole new meaning in advertising, a world where you have to make every word count.

In this age of instant communication and immediate audience interaction, the wisely chosen word has given way to the practice of “say now, think later,” a philosophy responsible for a number of social network-related scandals. Thinking before you speak is not just an agency lesson, but a life lesson for us all. So, for everyone who communicates, remember: you can’t go the extra mile if your foot is in your mouth.

What did you #AskObama?

Did you ask him about economics and the job market? Did you ask him about clean energy? Did you ask him where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

If you didn’t tweet any of these questions, rest assured, someone else did. On Wednesday, July 6, Twitter was bombarded with thousands of #AskObama questions, and the President responded to them in real time on TV.

According to Mashable, more than 61,000 questions were asked and a total of 94,000 tweets were sent to President Obama’s first Twitter Town Hall. Twitter Co-founder and Executive Chairman Jack Dorsey moderated, and the event lasted only an hour.

Now that’s a lot of tweets and questions to get through in a short amount of time, but think for a minute. What’s Twitter’s core mission?

To get to the point in 140 characters or less.

Speaking of character numbers and trending topics, did Obama answer the questions effectively and quickly last Wednesday? This issue is being debated by columnists at The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. Two of the three sources are skeptical of his ability to be short-and-sweet, Twitter style, and the other believes the long-winded answers were unavoidable. Even at an event of this nature.

We all know politicians are good at expounding. They’re good at explaining in full and adding extra stuff, so maybe this is a time to once again remind ourselves of the beauty of brevity.

In a world that’s constantly on information overload, people can only handle so much. Remember that.

Being brief is not easy. It forces speakers and writers to focus on key points. It forces them to think about take-home value and the one thing people will remember in 15 minutes. Ragan’s PR Daily posted the 8 Steps to More Concise Writing, and they’re tips all politicians, public relations professionals, copywriters and the general public should live by in this world of excess information.

Maybe it’s time to start communicating on Twitter’s terms. What is it that you really want to say? What is your point? During the next town hall I may have to ask, “How would you put that in 140 characters, Mr. President? #AskObama”

Chances are you’ve clicked the “Like” button on Facebook a time or two.

You’ve “Liked” your friends’ statuses and photos. You’ve “Liked” articles about current issues and celebs. You’ve even “Liked” relationships when they become Facebook official.

On Tuesday, June 28, it’s time to “Like” something different. It’s time to click the “Like” button and help an organization change lives in South Dakota.

Feeding South Dakota, a hunger relief organization, is a finalist in a nationwide contest sponsored by Toyota. Toyota is giving away 100 Cars for Good. They’re giving 100 cars to 100 charities for 100 days. Each competing organization was asked to complete a video saying why they deserve to win. Facebook viewers will vote on who gets the wheels.

That’s your queue. Mark your calendars and go to www.facebook.com/toyota to “Like” the Feeding South Dakota video on Tuesday, June 28. The goal is to win the Toyota Highlander so Feeding South Dakota can deliver more meals to the hungry and ultimately get more MPGs, Meals Per Gallon, in the state.

Be an active part of this effort by voting and sharing the news with your friends. See you on Election Day!

It’s time to fess up. You are not just sleeping with your spouse. You also sleep with your smartphone.

According to a recent report released by the mobile service provider iPass, more than 60 percent of workers keep their mobile device in the bedroom at night, and more than 45 percent keep it within an arm’s reach. For this study, iPass surveyed more than 3,700 mobile employees from 1,000 companies across the United States, and the statistics are shocking. The stats prove that work never sleeps, and neither do those employed.

The infographic “Smartphone Pillow Talk” shows that 58 percent of workers wake up during the night to check their phone and of those respondents, 11 percent find themselves awake every night to monitor their e-mail inbox or check Facebook.

It’s clear that people today want to be connected, but what’s even clearer is that employees are willing to work during all hours of the day. No longer is home life and work life separated. The line is completely blurred.

In a 24/7 kind of world, no time is off time. News and work updates can be viewed instantly during any hour of the day, and that is the expectation. We want the all-access pass to information, and we’re willing to sacrifice good sleep for it.

Public Relations, like the mobile employee, never sleeps. PR is all about building beneficial relationships, earning trust and generating reputation, and these things don’t always happen between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. They are constantly happening. And since the advent of the smartphone, PR is becoming increasingly relevant and important.

If you don’t have PR strategies in place, think about what can happen. A customer can run into issues with a product late at night and then feel the need to tweet or Facebook it. PR professionals know that at any moment a business’ reputation can be tested, so having a planned response is ideal. PR is about strategizing, but also about reacting and conversing with real people in real time. And if companies are missing that in the mix, they’re missing key, ground-level interactions.

Remember when you’re up at night checking your iPhone or Blackberry, so are your clients and customers. Chances are they’re talking or thinking about brands and companies (maybe even yours), so keep a PR strategy or two on your nightstand for good measure.

I recently read an article about how Hulu is preparing to sell more advertising space and, although no concrete changes have been made yet, it made me think about how Internet TV was supposed to be the consumer’s way to bypass extra commercials. But in reality, advertisements go where the eyes are, and as more people adopt online TV viewing, advertisers are sure to follow.

According to a survey conducted by the L&S Research team, 34% of respondents who have dropped their subscription to cable mentioned a reason for “cutting the cord” was for “fewer commercials.” Looking at the evolution of online advertisements, I don’t believe this will be a sustainable benefit.

I believe online TV sites such as Hulu or even movie sites will see a growth in the number of commercials because of the growth in viewers and the restrictions set for skipping ads. It is more difficult to bypass online commercials because you can’t simply change the channel like you could with your TV. For example, of the ads played during Fox episodes online, 94% were watched to completion, making online advertising a seemingly better investment for marketers. However, viewers may get annoyed by the restrictions and repetition of the ads being played, leading to negative feelings toward the brand or site.  

Years ago, ads were found in few places such as in newspapers and on the radio, today advertisements are found on anything from buses to bathroom stalls and now, online. Advertising and advertising space is not stagnant; it is constantly moving and evolving to go where the people are. So for those of you thinking that cutting the cord will equal fewer commercials, I would enjoy it while you can.

The moment I walked through the door of Lawrence and Schiller I was exposed to a language that I never knew existed. In these last two weeks I have heard everything from jargon to lingo, colloquialisms to euphemisms, and of course, countless acronyms. POPs, SEOs, APCs, QSRs, LTOs! OMG! So many acronyms! To be honest, I was pretty scared; it was as if I had just stepped off a plane and into a country full of successful, well-groomed people who spoke in strange code. But as the days have flown by (and they have flown!), I have become more comfortable with this Ad Speak. The language is STMS—Starting To Make Sense (I just made that one up…).

Just as I have started to gain a better understanding of the agency’s language, I have come to this realization: communication is at the core of what we do. Communication is simultaneously the product we create and the apparatus we use to create it. Communication is not just key—it’s the lock and the door too! What keeps 60+ people, broken into 3 teams, working simultaneously on dozens of individual projects, from careening into complete chaos? Communication. Communication is what keeps the agency functional and productive in creating contact between clients and consumers. And that brings us to the idea of “touching base.”

Everyday, people at Lawrence and Schiller are “touching base.”  Account executives are touching base with clients or two people are touching base about a proposal. People even touch base about getting together later to touch base! And while it might sound fruitless or counter intuitive, there is a reason why the people at Lawrence and Schiller are always touching base—it is because touching base allows the agency to hit “home runs.” In other words, the agency’s ability to communicate acts as a means to achieve and sustain success. Touch base, hit home runs. Want to hit home runs? Touch base. It sounds dizzying, and I don’t want to turn this into a drawn out baseball analogy, but there is (some sort of) wisdom in that explanation.

Of the many lessons I have already learned working at the agency these last couple of weeks, those ideas about communication resonate the most. The consummate ability for the entire organization to communicate has led to tremendous success for the company, and more importantly, for its clients. The dynamic communication at the agency has also made this insignificant and intimidated intern feel calm and comfortable being around so many talented individuals. The people working here at Lawrence & Schiller are, in every sense of the word, professionals. And I know I said I was done with the baseball metaphor, but I have to say it: welcome to the big leagues.

This post is first in a series offering reflections from Lawrence & Schiller interns. Stay tuned for more!

Today’s iPod is tomorrow’s Walkman. Technology is constantly changing, consumers are struggling to keep up and the big tech companies are laughing all the way to the bank. What’s a mildly, tech savvy girl to do?

After reading the GadgetBox blog on msnbc.com, I realized many of my favorite devices will soon be obsolete – not just because the article says so, but because rapid technological advancement is a reality. For example, my Garmin GPS and my Barnes & Noble E-reader are both projected to be gone within the next five years. With the ability of smartphones to accomplish a variety of tasks, people are asking themselves, “why carry three devices when you can carry one?” Thus discarding the seemingly inferior product in favor of the newest and shiniest one. This infographic illustrates how quickly obsolete electronics pile up as consumers continue to update their electronic inventory.

The changing technological landscape not only impacts trendy electronic devices, but also household technology, such as cable and Internet. VCRs are a thing of the past and even now, we see consumers moving towards downloading movies rather than watching them on their DVD or BlueRay player. Although some consumers still have dial-up Internet, many now rely on cable and broadband Internet to enjoy faster speeds and more bandwidth.

How do we, as consumers embrace this ever-changing world? This is a question I find myself asking, after buying the HTC Thunderbolt and already being upstaged by the Droid Charge! Steve Jobs said this in response to the launch of the first iPhone, “This is life in the technology lane. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon…”

Although Jobs is right, those aren’t words of comfort to my pocketbook – so how does a company put a positive spin on their rapidly changing products? I think the answer lies in how well they promote new technology by relating it to my needs. Many times, I see advertising displaying new products or services as “bright and shiny” rather than a tool to improve my life. Yes, LTE Charge, you are faster than my current phone, but why should I pay more to upgrade? I don’t want to hear about enhancements on features but rather the benefits to me. As a marketer, I need to remember that at the end of the day it’s about communicating the benefits to the consumer rather than the product itself to prompt action.