Routines are safe and comfortable. They help us stay on schedule and plan our days. But, they also can lead us into a rut, conformity… boredom.

In order to think different you need to act differently. Break routines and habits. See things from a new perspective.

And, this is a great week (month) to do it – using a bicycle.

“National Bike To Work Week” is an opportunity to break out of your routine and celebrate the unique power of the bicycle. Use it as chance to act, think and see things from a new angle.

Ride to work at least one day this week (preferably Friday since it’s the official “National Bike To Work Day”). Get up earlier than normal and eat something new for breakfast. Or, plan a stop to eat along the way. Invite friends and family to join you. Explore a new route. And, document your entire journey by stopping to photograph or tweet your experience.

If circumstances prevent you from riding to work, load your bike in your car and ride at lunch. Organize a team ride with co-workers. Include some brainstorming or creative exploration.

Whether it’s to save money, preserve your health or the environment, explore your community, or simply get to your destination, biking offers so many benefits. So join in the celebration of Bike Month. And help get more people in your community out riding, too!

Most likely, she is. The social media surge continues and moms are definitely included. Women in general are leading the way and marketers need to take note.

Based on the recently released Moms and Media 2012 report from Edison Research and Arbitron (where over half the moms surveyed were 35+), mom’s time with the Internet has increased from only 53 minutes in 2002 to more than 2.5 hours today. Pinterest and Facebook have seen the greatest up-tick. In fact, the percentage of moms with a profile on Facebook has gone from 9% in 2008 to 72% in 2012.

Moms of all ages are going online for almost everything: shopping, banking, connecting, and researching – not only for themselves, but for the entire family. According to Nielson’s most recent State of The Media report, women are much more likely than their male counterparts to engage in social media, follow brands and buy products online. They are 8% more likely than men to create or update their blog and 18% more likely to become a fan or follow a brand on a social site, such as Facebook or Twitter. Women are also 12% more likely to have used the Internet to buy a product they saw on television.

Overall, if you are marketing a product or service to women (or specifically, mothers), then you should focus on how to use new technology and emerging social channels to reach them.

However, this Mother’s Day, try the opposite strategy. That’s right, turn it all off.
Put away your phone. Visit with your mom. Take a walk together and give her a hug.

Happy Mother’s Day!

On a recent cold and rainy Saturday morning, WhiteSpace’s own Lisa Marshall welcomed 10 schools from Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia to Akron’s John S. Knight Center. These schools were anxiously awaiting their chance to place in the district 5 (D5) semi-final round of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). The winner of the D5 round advances to the national level, where the team will compete for the NSAC title and first-place award of $3500. The final round of the competition is held during the annual AAF National Conference – this year scheduled for June in Austin, Texas – where all the students competing at the national level will have the opportunity to meet with recruiters from renowned agencies such as DDB Worldwide; Leo Burnett; and Goodby, Silverstein and Partners.

Over the last 38 years, nearly 150,000 future advertising professionals across the nation have jump-started their careers through this hands-on challenge. The challenge consists of college chapters – acting as advertising agencies – developing a 32-page marketing proposal and delivering a 20-minute live pitch to a nationwide sponsor. This year, the sponsor was Nissan Americas. Nissan developed a detailed case study that focused on the Nissan brand as it relates to multicultural audiences.

After several months of preparation, nearby schools like Kent State, Cleveland and Youngstown State University competed against colleges as far away as Marshall University, the University of Kentucky and West Virginia University all to impress the distinguished panel of D5 judges:

• Gary Melliere, Brand Manager, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

• Jeremy Schwartz, Executive Creative Director, Partners + Napier

• Joseph Mayernik, Creative Director, StormFrog

Year after year, the quality of student work and their level of creativity surpasses the previous year, and sponsors have been known to implement the ideas generated by these impressive, high-caliber student teams. This year’s D5 winner? Ohio University. “Ohio University’s team of presenters delivered an incredibly balanced pitch,” said Lisa. “Their presentation was seamless and their research was spot-on.”

As the AAF NSAC coordinator and third lieutenant governor for D5, Lisa played a key role in the NSAC event. As the district’s facilitator, she was responsible for coordinating all event operations, as well as securing district judges, working with student advisors and AAF national, and ensuring that all required materials were received, distributed and evaluated appropriately.

The AAF has 15 districts with more than 200 college chapters represented. Last year, 148 AAF college chapters competed at the district level. To learn more about how to start an AAF college chapter and participate in the NSAC, please visit www.aaf.org/education. Or contact WhiteSpace Senior Account Executive Lisa Marshall at lisa@whitespace-creative.com.

Every day of the year is treated like Earth Day in Charlotte, NC. One with citizens actively engaged in and empowered to make energy efficiency and conservation part of daily life. From neighborhood energy challenges and commercial building retrofit programs to electric vehicle charging stations and an increase in the number of bicycle paths, there are more than 16 different energy initiatives active in the city.

In August 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) notified Charlotte that the city had been awarded its first installment of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Fund. The initial $250,000 was utilized to develop the DOE required Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy and to conduct energy audits for City facilities.

One of the projects, the "Power2" campaign, was an outreach component to help educate the public and assist in implementing energy-efficient initiatives.  It was designed to make Charlotte a true national energy leader by promoting efficiency education, environmental quality, and economic vitality. A campaign crucial to building Charlotte's future as the new energy capital.

WhiteSpace, led by our Charlotte office, has been instrumental in helping the City of Charlotte brand and communicate this important initiative. We've developed and implemented a fully integrated, dynamic Power2 marketing campaign that includs a web site (with mobile version), interactive map, enewsletter, social media strategy, signs, posters, video, animation, QR codes, outdoor advertising, and events.  Most recently we designed an interactive kiosk that utilizes real-time data to illustrate the results of the initiative and the impact being made conserving energy.

Earth Day is a great time to recognize the progress cities like Charlotte are making. And to think about what we can learn from them.

“I think I’m done.” The defeated sentiment originated from the inky-handed figure of Boyfriend, slumped on a barstool next to the workbench. After five hours of trying to letterpress print just one sparsely worded holiday invitation, I was happy to hear that phrase – because I too was “done” and had been for the last hour.

My big plans of creating something exceptionally artisan had been crushed. The culprit of our misery? Nothing more than a piece of metal (albeit an immensely heavy one). Producing something of value on the early 20^th century No. 60 Multigraph was nothing like the print design I was used to creating on my Mac Pro dual quad-core Intel processor. Instead of seeing whatever was on my screen transferred to a sheet of paper in seconds, we had spent hours setting lead type by hand, tearing down sheets to size and lining them up on a metal barrel. All to produce nothing more than two sore, dirty and more than slightly frustrated individuals.

My love for letterpress began in college while taking a printmaking class. Pouring over hand-printed posters, ads and prints, I recognized that these were not merely the work of an advertiser, but the work of an artist. In an age where formal invitations can be sent over Facebook, the concept of turning out a hand-printed, hand-set poster is nothing short of extraordinary. But at Hatch Show Print in Nashville, Tennessee, dealing in the extraordinary is everyday.

“What makes Hatch a unique place is the fact that everything is done here by letterpress, by hand: hand-cranked, hand-inked, hand-trimmed, hand-wrapped; and we call the customer from a rotary telephone,” describes Hatch Show Print’s manager, Jim Sherraden.

Sherraden was the featured speaker at last Tuesday’s “Lunch & Learn,” a monthly event hosted by the Akron chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Sherraden appeared in front of a 60-plus crowd at downtown Akron’s Musica venue to present “131 years of Letterpress History.” The hour-long visual journey began with Hatch’s first printed piece, a small woodblock poster advertising Reverend Henry Ward Beecher’s 1879 lecture at the Grand Opera House in Nashville. It continued through the decades with iconic memorabilia ranging from a 1956 Elvis concert poster currently insured for $250,000,000 to posters promoting more contemporary bands like Mumford & Sons and The Arcade Fire, political propaganda and even commercial campaigns for clients like Nordstroms and CNN.

The handmade aesthetic of the woodblock and lead type pressed into the thick cotton paper is one that only is replicable on a press. Most, in fact, are still based on the same principal as the Guttenberg press of the 15^th century. “There’s a heritage that we try to relate to the customer and to the viewer when they see a Hatch poster,” says Sherraden. His motto, “preservation through production,” keeps the shop busy creating new means of revenue from decades-old pieces of hand-carved art on a daily basis. “We are able to produce a wonderful product that is unusual in the United States and the world, a wonderful letterpress poster, based on a shop that started in 1879.”

I don’t know that I personally will be attempting to letterpress any more invitations anytime soon, but at least I know who to talk to when I do.

You can visit Hatch Show Print’s website or even stop by if you find yourself in the Nashville area.

The Akron Art Museum has made my journey possible and much shorter. It is just one city block away vs. over 600 miles to see Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster, self-proclaimed “Man of Visions.” A self-taught artist and pop culture legend, Finster produced over 46,000 works in just under 30 years.

Of course, one can only get a glimpse into the world of Finster from this show but what an amazing showcase of raw creativity it is. The chance to meet him ended with his death in 2001 but you can still visit his roadside art park “Paradise Gardens” in Summerville, GA, now an official tourist destination.

It was Finster's cover for Georgia-based R.E.M.'s Reckoning (1984) that first drew me into his world as well their video for "Radio Free Europe" which was filmed in Paradise Gardens in 1983.

Be sure to visit the museum before the show closes June 3, 2012 and while you are there you will notice the bold, new brand identity system they have been introducing since late 2011 which WhiteSpace helped to create.

Pinterest is red hot. According to Mashable, there are roughly 13 million users (80% of them female) using this new social network. They're seeking and tracking their interests and dreams by pinning them to virtual pin boards. This is exactly like tearing out a page in a magazine or tacking a photo on the wall when you were a kid to remind yourself of the things you liked. It's just virtual.

It's also the fasest-growing site, second only to Facebook, in generating referral traffic!

Pinterest can be a valuable tool for brands because it is being driven by an active group of users who are willing to share their favorite products, designs and places (among other things) with the world.

The social network stimulates consumer engagement with brands and services; and companies use the platform as a new medium to connect to consumers - bringing their brands to life.

Pinterest can be used to conduct market research, sell products and services, offer exclusive content and, most of all, build brand loyalty and relationships.

A Solid Example

Companies like Whole Foods are using Pinterest in innovative ways. For example, Whole Foods has boards that cover a wide spectrum of categories – from “Eat Your Veggies” to “Our Favorite Books.” These boards show finished foods using its products with embedded videos to a listing of the brand's favorite books to share with its customers.

Some Questions to Ask Yourself

Now that you know a bit more about Pinterest, is it a good social media channel for your organization? Here are three questions to ask yourself before you join the frenzy.

1. What is your social media strategy?

Design a solid strategy when launching a Pinterest account. Without one, you're flying blind. Success on this visually driven network is achieved by executing a solid plan. This plan should be centered around posting relevant, visually stimulating, marketing-free content. Be sure to review the Pinterest Pin Etiquette.

2. What resource(s) can you allocate to make it happen?

Pinterest tends to be an addictive and fun platform. But, like any other social network, you must know when to stop using it. Producing and curating compelling images tied to your strategy is time-consuming, so think about how you'll get this done and who will be the keeper of the Pinterest gate.

3. Are there any legal risks to consider?

Definitely. This is an important topic being discussed. Original content is critical. Pinterest’s terms of use actually forbid users from pinning any photo that does not belong to him or her, and states that users are subject to any legal action that is taken from the copyright or trademark holder. But don't worry, as long as you follow your strategic plan and are thoughtful about what you pin, you'll be just fine.

The Next Steps

Opening a Pinterest account for your organization is definitely worth considering. Being strategic in your planning though is key in setting your brand up for success. Pinterest is multi-faceted and can be tied into your Facebook Timeline, used for cross-linking and link-building strategies and integrate into your blog.  It can also help your website's overall SEO, according to Rahul Banker's article on Ragan's Healthcare Communication News.

Check us out on Pinterest and contact us if you'd like to discuss how Pinterest can fit into your company’s marketing or communications strategy.

The event took place last Thursday, February 16^th,  at the Jewish Community Center in Akron and featured WhiteSpace President and CEO, Keeven White as part of an expert panel which included  Laura Bennett, CFRE, Vice President, Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Barbara A. Greene, Principal, CommonGood Consulting, Inc. and moderator, Larry Becker, CFRE, Fundraising Consultant, Golden Rule Consulting.

Keeven opened up with comments on the power of storytelling in developing compelling fundraising communications as well as the importance of brand consistency across channels.

Barbara Greene focused on several options for adding a fundraising platform or template to your site showing numerous examples.

Laura Bennett emphasized the importance of having a well-designed site to match the image your organization wants to portray. She said to begin by “cleaning house” and making your sure your site is in order and updated. Also, get some baseline metrics before you begin a new campaign.

Overall, it was an interesting and informative morning.  Check out more pics on our Facebook page.

Learn some creative ways to enhance and expand your online fundraising efforts this Thursday, February 16, 2012, when WhiteSpace President and CEO, Keeven White, will speak as part of an expert panel at the Association of Fundraising Professionals, North Central Ohio Chapter February Breakfast Meeting: "Harnessing the Power of Online Fundraising".

The event begins with breakfast at 8:00 a.m. at the Shaw Jewish Community Center, 750 White Pond Drive, Akron, OH.

It's sure to be informative, encouraging and motivating!

Sorry to report. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.com is already registered. However, the trademark for supercalifragilisticexpialidocious has been abandoned. Act now and you can possibly claim it. Yes, this is a ridiculous example in an extreme world. One overflowing with brand names, web sites, social media…

Product, service, web site naming is very challenging these days. We face this task often as we help to create distinct brands and product names differentiated from competition. We can definitely generate great ideas and names but the important part is making sure they are not already in use.

Here are two vital sites we use, which can be very useful in checking ideas and protecting your brand:

The United States Patent and Trademark Office
You can learn a lot about trademark and patent protection plus search the database to see if your name is already trademarked.

InterNIC Whois Search
Use this official site to search domain names. InterNIC is operated by ICANN to provide the public information regarding Internet domain name registration services.