Custom Holiday Cards

Have you ever thought about sending custom holiday cards to your customers? Depending on your quantity and needs, they can be quite affordable and really set you apart.

Depending on our mood, we produce either elegant cards or just plain old fun pieces like this one. Click here and you can see the inside too.

10 jobs that will get a raise in 2010 - Dec. 28, 2009

10 jobs that will get a raise in 2010 - Dec. 28, 2009

Marketing Minutes from DLA Creative

'The "Winter's Here" Issue.'

Who are these people ...

and why are they together?

Check it out in this short video. Click here to watch on YouTube.

Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World

Leaders Make the Future – by Bob Johnson

Reviewed by Michelle Lefebvre of DLA Creative, Inc.

Like many professionals today, I sometimes find it challenging to get through all of the books I'd like to. One way I'm able to stay on top of the latest business books is with Soundview Executive Book Summaries. One I recently read featured the above-mentioned book by Bob Johnson. Here's a quick summary of the ten skills he references.

First, as an introduction, Mr. Johnson explains that today's leaders need new skills to make a new future. Because we live in this world of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and abiguity), the discipline of foresight can help leaders make better decisions today. It can also help them move from a negative VUCA (see above) to a positive VUCA (vision, understanding, clarity and agility).

1) Maker Instinct

According to Mr. Johnson, leaders with Maker Instinct have a constant drive to improve the organization around them. He also explains that while both managers and leaders want to know how things work, true leaders want to make them work better. Makers also like to be hands-on and see things from the inside. In my opinion, Steve Jobs embodies this trait.

2) Clarity

This is the ability to see beyond the stress, mess and chaos when others can't. It's the rare skill of being able to envision the future when others can barely muddle through the current day. It requires strength, discipline and the fortitude to overcome discouragement.

3) Dilemma Flipping

The ability to turn dilemmas (which, unlike problems, cannot be solved) into advantages and opportunities is a critical skill for today's leaders. Dilemma flippers turn hopelessness into hope.

4) Immersive Learning Ability

This is just what it sounds like and is often easier for younger generations for several generations. First, because they've grown up in the digital age and in a world in which they've had to filter out extraneous distractions. Second, as older generations reach higher levels of leadership, they are often insulated from the realities of what's happening "down below".

5) Bio-Empathy

Leaders in today's world must be able to make decisions while understanding and respecting nature and its patterns.

6) Constructive Depolarizing

This is the ability to calm tense situations where differences dominate and communication has broken down. It also includes the skill of bringing people from divergent cultures toward constructive engagement.

7) Quiet Transparency

Leaders must be open and honest, without being self-promotional about it. Quiet Transparency means that leaders will decide what measures are important to them (and to the people they lead) and then be completely open about those measures. Of course, as a matter of confidentiality and appropriateness, leaders still can't share everything.

8) Rapid Prototyping

Leadership through Rapid Prototyping almost goes without saying in this day and age. It's characterized by a trial-and-error mentality with an interest in getting projects started quickly. These leaders know – and accept – that there will be failures in the early stages of development. They emphasize education and in-the-field experience.

9) Smart Mob Organizing

This is the ability to create, engage with and nurture purposeful business or social change networks through the intelligent use of electronic and other media. It's a new world for some executives and although they may want to rely solely on their teams of younger social media experts, wise leaders will at least dabble in social media or request reverse mentoring from young pros in this area.

10) Commons Clearing

Mr. Johnson explains that Commons Clearing is the ability to seed, nurture and grow shared assets that can benefit other players – and sometimes allow competition at a higher level. He tells us that future leaders will be called upon to grow new places within which collaboration and mutual success can occur.

My synopsis of the Ten New Leadership Skills Executive Book Summary is only the tip of the iceberg. If you'd like to learn more about this book or the service itself, check out www.summary.com.

Just another touchpoint...

Should you consider an e-newsletter for your business in 2010? Perhaps. And how can you tell if it's being successful? One key is the Open Rate, which is the number of people who take the time to at least open your newsletter. According to the vendor we use to distribute our e-newsletter, there are statistics that show how you perform compare to others in your industry. In the Marketing/PR area, the average Open Rate is 13.5%. DLA Creative's average Open Rate is 43.2%. Are e-newsletters appropriate for YOUR organization? They could be - since a basic premise of marketing that you often have to make six contacts before a prospect takes action. This is just another touchpoint among those six. If you want to find out the average e-newsletter Open Rates for your industry, click here. We''ll see if we can help you beat the averages. Accountant 14.0% Crafts 27.0% Education 18.6% Gov. Agency 23.0% Legal Services 18.2% Marketing/PR 13.5% Medical Serv. 16.7% Non-Profit 20.0% Profess'l Serv. 15.4% Real Estate 14.8% Religious Org. 22.4% Retail 17.7% Salon/Spa 15.0% Technology 15.0% Travel/Tourism 15.5% Web Developer 17.4%

Does Your Marketing Rock?

'Click here to view our E-Newsletter for November 18, 2009'

You can also sign up for the mailing list at the top of this blog.

What is Redbox? And what does it mean to me?

If you're a business owner or manager, then Redbox is a business you should get to know.

Redbox Senior Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experience, Gary Cohen, tells us his philosophy in a way that should matter to all of us.

"Simple, powerful business models that yield value to customers will succeed, whether they are online or off."

First of all, let me explain what Redbox is. This innovative video rental option serves as an alternative to stores like Blockbuster or online rental services such as Netflix. Instead, these freestanding kiosks are powered with a high-speed connection to authorize rental transactions and inventory of DVDs. You'll see them at grocery stores, drug stores and other retail locations, providing customers with immediate gratification – $1 at a time. It's a model that's working with estimates of earning up to $780 million in 2009.

Here's why it works, according to Cohen, "It's a great value to consumers. And it's a great value to our retail partners because we drive traffic to their stores and we also provide them a revenue share."

What's the take-away for YOUR business? First, think about how your industry has changed over the last 5 years. Or even the last year. How can you meet your clients' actual needs, rather than your perception of their needs? What partners do you need in the process of redefining who you are? (Redbox got retailers on board by sharing revenue with them.) How will you market the "new and improved" you?

Make a Difference in Someone's Life

You can make a difference in someone's life this year by volunteering your time. There are many worthy organizations in our community – and the people of Peoria always come through. Here are links to two of my favorites.

YWCA is the leading provider of homeless services in Peoria and expects a 30% increase this year.

Foster Pet Outreach takes in homeless, relinquished and abandoned animals who desperately need homes.

Shoe Sales Rise - Woo Hoo!

Anyone who knows me, knows of my love for shoes. So when CNBC announced that October shoe sales were up by 7.9% over the previous October, I thought it was worth mentioning on our blog.

Read the CNBC story on why they believe people are still buying shoes in today's economy.

My advertising isn't working!

As I mentioned in my recent InterBusiness Issues column, there are several reasons why your advertising might not be working. Business Week recently ran an article highlighting seven reasons why your advertising isn't working.

Some reasons I've mentioned before to our clients. Some of them are worth repeating. And some you may not want to hear. Here's an overview, as well as our local perspective. If you want to read the whole article, you can read it on the Business Week website.

Seven reasons your advertising might not be working:

1. It's boring.

2. It's boorish.

3. It's safe.

4. It's trying to do too much.

5. It hasn't been given time (or enough budget).

6. You like it. (Ouch!)

7. It's not an advertising problem (it's actually a product or other problem).

Obviously, there are many reasons why advertising doesn't work, but these are seven big ones on a national scope. Locally, here's what we've found.

Because the Central Illinois economy has been struggling lately, people are trying to do more with less, so we find that a combination of both 4 and 5 are the biggest hurdles in our community. Businesses are trying to cram a lot of messages into small print ad spaces (or short TV/radio spots) and then run those campaigns for a short period of time, reducing the likelihood of effectively communicating any clear message.

We also find that number 6 can be a problem in that clients sometimes get too close to their product or service, and forget their target audience. One surgeon that we started working with about six years ago once said to us, "You do the marketing and I'll do the surgery." It's turned out to be a really good relationship because he trusts us to communicate his message in a way that patients understand. He realizes that because he is so intelligent and spends his day interacting with other medical professionals that sometimes his way of communicating may not be most effective for delivering advertising messages to the average healthcare consumer.

Since DLA focuses on working with high-end professional organizations we rarely get to do anything too edgy, but we took a bit of a risk with a bank's Watchdog service and received good feedback on it. It was a little less "safe" than normal bank marketing (see number 3 above), but it got the point across for our client as we used fun imagery across various mediums.

So which of the 7 deadly marketing sins are you guilty of? And how can we help?

Are you being sold?

So you're watching Elisa and Jack on 30 Rock talk about whether the McFlurry is the best dessert in the world. Yeah, what about it?

Did you know that's a form of advertising known as product placement? And it's a type of stealth advertising that's grown 8% in the first half of 2009 with 9,540 prime-time product placements.

Some critics want the FCC to require networks to disclose these placements. Their proposals range from text running along the bottom of the screen to a flashing red light alerting viewers when an advertiser is pushing something. A red light – give me a break!

Look at shows like the Biggest Loser in which the dieting contestants hike from one Subway to another to get a meal as part of the contest. It seems like a natural part of the show and Tv viewers are smart enough to "get" that Subway paid to be a part of it. They also offer disclosures at the end of the show. ("Special consideration provided by Subway" for example.)

So what do you think? Where is the line? Talking about a McFlurry vs. walking to Subway? What about driving a certain kind of car or discussing brand name shoes (Hello, Sex in the City)? You decide. Are you being deceived? Or is it just the next generation of advertising?

Source: Facts have been taken from Business Week, October 26, 2009. Post also includes opinions of blog author, Michelle Lefebvre.

Win a $25 iTunes Gift Card

Take our QUICK 3 question survey about iPhones and APPs, and you'll have a chance to win a $25 iTunes Gift Card. One person will be selected to receive a gift card and all will be eligible to learn more about upcoming APP innovations. Contest ends 11/3/09. Survey starts here...

Customized Service

Get the most for your money Every business has unique marketing needs. Which is exactly why DLA doesn't offer a one-size-fits-all approach to working with our clients. However, our customized service falls into two general categories. Per-Project Approach For clients who have either short-term or up-and-down marketing needs, this approach is often the most cost-effective. We have many clients we've worked with this way for many years, completing various projects as they come along. The Center for Health Ambulatory Surgery Center is a good example of this. When they needed a professional web presence, they contacted us as the result of a referral within the medical community. We recently completed our first project with them which was a comprehensive website requiring project planning, copywriting, on-site photography, design, coding and custom content management. CEO Thomas Feldman explains how the process worked, "DLA jumped right in, handled the project start to finish quickly under a tight deadline, worked professionally and did not impede patient care whatsoever. I would use them all over again." Retainer Relationship Other organizations have ongoing marketing, advertising and public relations needs. For these businesses, a retainer can be the answer. It gives them access to a full team of copywriters, media buyers, creative staff, web developers, PR professionals and other marketing staff. One of the key elements of the retainer relationship is a discounted rate for services in exchange for a commitment of both number of hours per month (and number of months for the contract). This retainer relationship allows medium-sized businesses that can't afford an in-house marketing department to compete with those businesses who do have the advantage of an in-house staff. Pam Schubach, the YWCA's CEO, shares how it has worked for them to have access to our services on a moment's notice. "The staff at DLA are very responsive to our ongoing needs at the YWCA. They have also the ability to tailor the message to the media to position our information to receive the best coverage." Bottom Line So, which option is right for you? That all depends on your needs and goals. We can discuss your needs and help you decide on the best way to meet your marketing objectives. In the meantime, here's a quick look at the two options. Per-Project Approach · Best for occasional needs · No long-term commitment Retainer Relationship · Best for ongoing needs · Reduced hourly rate

8 Things Killed by the Internet

• Polite disagreement

• Letter writing

• Memory

• Daydreaming

• Waiting a whole day for sports scores

• Footnotes

• Leaving your desk for lunch

• Concentration

Source: Matthew Moore in the (London) Daily Telegraph, reprinted in the Reader's Digest.

No Contest!

An informal survey of DLA clients and visitors tells us that people overwhelmingly prefer Peanut M&M's over Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Our results are based on how often we refill various treats in our conference room candy bowl.

If you haven't participated in this "poll" yet, maybe it's time you visited the DLA offices!

Peoria #5 Among Mid-Sized Cities to Start a Business

CNN/Money ranked Peoria fifth among mid-sized cities that offer the best opportunity to launch a business. In a listing of U.S. cities of all sizes, Peoria was ranked 15th.

Not bad, if you ask me. Sure, it's been a challenging year as a business owner – especially since we're in the advertising biz which is one of the first things to get cut when budgets get tight. Of course, I strongly believe that companies need to maintain a strong marketing commitment in order to remain competitive. But that's not the point of this post.

Here are several reasons why I personally agree with the study:

• Peoria is comprised of people, families and businesses that give everything it takes to get the job done. We don't quit.

• We have a true business community. Not just individuals and companies that work side-by-side, but people that work cooperatively to help each other. Sure, there's a squabble here or there, but in general it's a community of support.

• Even when things are bleak, there's a generous spirit in Peoria. Just watch the annual St. Jude Telethon – you'd never be able to tell there was a recession. And that's just one example. Every weekend (and many week nights) you'll find people at charity events, donating their time, money and passion to help those in need. That demonstrates the character of people and businesses in Peoria.

• The cost of doing business in Peoria is reasonable.

• We don't have ridiculous commutes, causing us to waste precious time fighting traffic.

And that's just the first few reasons that came to mind. But beyond my own reasons for being an entrepreneur, you can click here to read the Journal Star article and find out what others have to say. You can read the original article here. Congratulations Peoria!

DLA E-Newsletter October 14th Issue

Click here to view

Marketing Don'ts

Business Week published an article in the summer of 2008 that still seems relevant today so I'm posting a link to it here. It lists 5 Don'ts for Marketing in Tough Times.

Kids Help the Homeless Using Their Artistic Skills

Hand-painted bowls will be sold to raise funds for YWCA.

Pssssssttttt...

Want to give powerful presentations? Click here to find out how.

Patient-Focused Website Launched

The new Center for Health Ambulatory Surgery Center, LLC, website was launched October 1, 2009. This site was a wonderful project to work on with tremendous in-house support from the CFH ASC team. Working closely with an amazingly organized RN following the CEO's direction, DLA produced this site in less than 6 weeks – including all copy, photography, design, coding, etc. We also have a significant library of additional photos for future use including many intra-operative images.

This will serve as a great resource for surgeons and their patients with information about location, billing and preparing for surgery. It will also provide the CFH ASC staff with efficiencies including the online Employment section which is easily updated in-house using a simple browser-based Custom Content Management System.

Gaining Control of Your Website

Content Management Systems are a fairly hot topic these days. So you may be wondering what they are and if you need one.

First, let's explain which organizations WOULDN'T need a Content Management System (CMS). Those would include businesses or non-profits that only anticipate sporadic updates to their websites. Those websites can be most cost-effectively maintained by having updates handled by your marketing company or website provider.

Gotta get me some of that CMS

However, those companies that have ongoing update needs will often find that a Content Management System can provide them with a cost-effective option to maintaining specific sections of a website themselves. And, like most things in life, not all CMS is created equal. There are packaged systems on the market, but those are often unwieldy and don't always meet your REAL needs.

DLA, however, finds out exactly what you're looking for and creates custom CMS. The end result is a system that's easily maintained by people with even the most rudimentary computer skills. At the conclusion of this article, you can click to links of websites we've created with Custom Content Management Systems. If you want more information, call Marc Lefebvre directly at 309.693.1975.

CENTER FOR HEALTH ASC, LLC

– Employment Page (Physicians With Privileges – Coming Soon)

CONCORDIA LUTHERAN SCHOOL

– News Scroll, Calendars, Newsletter, Teacher Memos

MT. CALVARY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

– Weekly News, Monthly Newsletters, Sermon Uploads

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PEORIA

– Catholic Post News, Calendar, Parish Information Lists, Podcasts, Etc.

GOT JOBS? We Do!

Lorem Ipsum

Did you get that? Ever floated a div? What about masks? Do they scare you? If you’re still with us, then read on. For more than 16 years, DLA Creative has been pushing the envelope of creative genius and now there’s room for you.

We’re looking for a Graphic Designer who can handle both web and print design.

Qualifications: Must have excellent design skills and be experienced in Photoshop, Quark, InDesign, Dreamweaver and Flash. Terms like CSS, Ajax, kerning, symmetry and white space should be part of your everyday vocab.

Photography skills and an understanding of dynamic web content would be way cool. Need to multitask, have a keen attention to details, great people skills and be willing to learn new things. We know we’re asking a lot, but our clients deserve the best! Must love Macs and M&Ms.

Relaxed, yet professional, environment in brand-new office in north Peoria. Check us out – while we do the same to you!

Full-time position with benefits. Interested? Send your resumé, samples and salary history to us. You can find contact info on our website.

R U a Righter?

We need help with are righting. We mean our writing. Business has been picking up lately and we need a reliable freelance writer who can work with us on an ongoing basis. Projects include websites, collateral materials and ad copy.

We’re looking for someone who can provide us with detailed research, quick turn-around and superior accuracy. Can you deliver?

Send resumé, samples and pricing structure to us. Contact info is here.