Search

Category: Stuff

ADDYS AdLab Blog Board Events Stuff

A Look Back

Scott Bartels

AAF Buffalo club achievement awards

As another Ad Club year winds down, it is a perfect time to reflect on the many successes of 2015-16 and to look ahead to the future.

A better Ad Club

Our focus in the past year was to bring new and exciting events to our members as well as enhancing our successful annual events, this included:

  • More guest speakers from out of town including Anthony Shop, Anne Esse and Brokaw.
  • Introduction of member-only Skillshops to help you learn and grow in your career.
  • Brand Hack, an all-day “hack-a-thon” for our creative professionals and students
  • Networking trivia nights
  • Your favorite events, bigger and better: Preview Night, Holiday Bowling Tournament and Uber Bowl

Buffalo Wins National Honors

In June, the AAF honored the winners of the Club Achievement Competition at the “Salute to Achievers Ceremony” at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.  This competition is designed to recognize outstanding accomplishments of its affiliated advertising clubs, showcasing the programs and projects its professional member clubs undertake each year. It was established to honor significant contributions to the AAF network of professional advertising clubs and to encourage excellence in areas of club operations that strengthen the AAF’s member clubs.

For the first time ever, the Ad Club of Buffalo received awards in the three categories we entered.

As part of AAF Division Two, which includes clubs with 250 to 499 members, we won the following:

  • Advertising Education – 1st place
  • Communications – 1st place
  • Programming – 1st place

American Advertising Awards

What a night it was in March at the 2016 WNY American Advertising Awards show at Statler City, over 420 of the industry’s best gathered to celebrate the achievements of the year.  We had a record of more than 500 professional entries and nearly 50 student entries.  We continued celebrate our region’s great work with an impressive showing at the district awards level as well as a handful of winners at the national show.

On top of all this awesomeness, we were presented the AAF Incentive Award. This award is given to the top 10 clubs nationally that showed the highest increase in entries to the American Advertising Awards.

Saying goodbye…

The summer is always bittersweet as we say farewell to our departing board members and welcome a new group to help guide the club.

Matt Low served five years on the board, including last year as vice president. Not only did he lend his great creative talents and leadership to everything the club did, but Matt was instrumental in improving our academics committee and overseeing the Don Nichols Scholarship Competition.

Corey Crossman served two years on the board as treasurer. Corey brought incredible passion to everything he did for the club, including ensuring the club’s financial success, overseeing the communications committee and leading our efforts in this past year’s Club Achievement Awards.

Sarah DiPofi and Christie Witt Berardi both served two years on the board and took on the difficult role as American Advertising Awards chairs not once, but twice. Their hard work paid off with two successful celebrations of our great industry, setting record attendance each year.

The club is in a great place because of these dedicated individuals and we thank them for their contributions.

Newbies

Our executive board welcomes two second-year board members into new roles, Tim Bouchard as vice president and Kyle Rogers as our new treasurer.

We also welcome five new board members that bring a wide range of experience and skill to the board.

  • Andrew Bevevino – Martin Davison PR
  • Erin Collins – BlueCross BlueShield of WNY
  • Erin Haskell – Crowley Webb
  • Matt LaSota – Outer Harbor Development Corporation
  • Tess Alberts – EMA

Thank You

All of this work would never be possible without a strong team to run the club. I continue to be impressed more and more each year at the talent that makes up our board of directors and volunteers. They put in countless hours and have fun doing it. I thank each one of you for your continued dedication to making the club a huge success.

What’s next?

We are excited about 2016-17 as we take the Ad Club to the next level beginning this August. Join us at The Big Tip-Off on August 25 at Soho Burger Bar to find out more and help support our scholarship fund!

-Scott Bartels, Advertising Club of Buffalo President

Students Stuff

More students recognized by the Ad Club

Ad Club Of Buffalo

By Matt Low

Supporting the next generation of the local marketing/communications community is always a top priority of the Advertising Club of Buffalo. And so we’re once again pleased to recognize a handful of bright students as part of our annual Don Nichols Scholarship Competition. Samantha Lonczak, Ali Casarsa, Liankham Thang, Dylan Nowak, Rebecca Warthling, Nina Puccio, Christopher Vickers, and Jeffrey Marotta presented us with work worthy of praise.

The Don Nichols Scholarship Competition, now in its 18th year, awards promising communications students a little financial help for their continued education. Each year, we present students with a thought-provoking theme that they are tasked with bringing to life, in any medium they choose – could be a poem, video, a painted brick, or a nicely designed poster. This year’s theme of “The 2016 Election” garnered entries from more than 40 talented students. But the work below rose to the top without much contention, name-calling, or yelling from a podium. You kids and your diplomacy.

Don Nichols founded the Albright Art School’s Graphic Design Department in 1950. He brought the program to UB, where he served as its head until his passing in 1987. He educated countless graphic designers, some of whom went on to national prominence. Nichols was awarded the Alex Osborn Award for Creativity from the Art Directors/Communicators of Buffalo, along with the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching from UB.

Samantha Lonczak - Don Nichols 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samantha Lonczak of Villa Maria College took home first place.

Ali Casarsa - Don Nichols 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ali Casarsa of Villa Maria College was awarded second place.

 

Liankham Thang - Don Nichols 2016

Liankham Thang of Villa Maria College won third place.

 

DylanNowak-DonNichols_web

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dylan Nowak of Villa Maria College received an honorable mention.

 

warthling--don-nichols_web

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebecca Warthling of Villa Maria College received an honorable mention.

 

Nina Puccio - Don Nichols 2016

 

 

 

 

 

Nina Puccio of Villa Maria College received an honorable mention.

 

Vickers_DonNichols_web

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christopher Vickers of Buffalo State College received an honorable mention.

 

Jeffrey-Marotta-Don-Nichols-2016

Jeffrey Marotta of Villa Maria College  received an honorable mention.

AdLab Events Social Media Stuff

The power of your people.

Marcia Rich

At our most recent Ad Lab, we were honored to have Anthony Shop (@afshop) present at The 9th Ward. Anthony cofounded the digital innovation agency Social Driver. It has since been named the seventh fastest growing agency in the U.S. by The Agency 100. As chief strategy officer, Anthony has sparked innovative campaigns for a portfolio of industry-leading clients.

0421161818All that is great, but you know what is even greater? The iconic movie The Goonies from 1985, which is exactly what Anthony used to start off his talk. Hundreds of people each year travel to visit the house featured in the film. No one told them to do this (in fact the home owner did not want visitors), it just happened organically. The point is, you can’t force people to love something. Instead of trying to create a cult following or a viral moment – as so many brands are wishing for daily – tap into existing energy and use that to your advantage. Ask yourself: What do people already care about? Where is the energy already and how can you tap into it?

Very few brands have been able to successfully do this. Anthony gave two great examples in his talk. First was the Ellen DeGeneres selfie of the 2014 Oscars, which was taken on a Samsung phone. Samsung didn’t place its logo on the photo or do anything other than provide the phone, but that selfie ended up being the most retweeted post ever and even broke Twitter for a short period of time. Samsung was able to tap into the existing energy of the Oscars and place its product in an influential place at the right time.

IMG_20160421_182622The second example was “The Dress”: Did you see it as white and gold or black and blue? This argument caused everyone to freak out in 2015, and many brands tried to jump on this bandwagon. Anthony pointed out one company that was able to successfully use The Dress to their advantage in a campaign – Salvation Army. Check out the link to see the campaign designed to raise awareness of domestic abuse, which utilized the preexisting hashtag #StopAbuseAgainstWomen. Which brings us to Anthony’s next point: Don’t try to create your own hashtag and expect it to go viral. Use one that already exists and has some momentum. Embrace the opportunity to give up control and be authentic. Salvation Army was able to successfully innovate instead of imitate, like so many other brands did with The Dress.

Learning the importance of personalization and the benefits of using social media stars to advertise a brand were two other takeaways from Anthony’s talk. The third huge takeaway was how to have a streamline process for social media management. When a hot moment on social media is happening, brands need to be able to jump on it quickly or they miss out. This can seem impossible when you have four levels of approval to get through and it’s a Friday night after office hours, so he suggests a traffic light system: Topics, people, or keywords that are always okay to repost or retweet are green. Some that may still need a level of approval are yellow. And ones that are definitely a no-no are red. Have this system in place before a big event so your social media team can be ready to act at the drop of a hat. And speaking of hats, Anthony gave the example of Pharrell Williams’s hat worn to the 2014 Grammy Awards that coincidentally looked like the Arby’s logo. Arby’s quickly tweeted about it and social media history was made. Talk about flat, fast, and fun – one of Anthony’s mottos.

Read what Ad Lab attendees had to say about Anthony Shop below.

AdLab AdWeek Blog Stuff

We Got Cultured at Adtoberfest.

Dan Nesselbush

Workplace culture is incredibly important. It’s the difference between having a team full of Gary Go-Getters or a team full of Debbie Downers. That’s why we brought in Aaron McBride and Mark McKenzie from Brokaw, a Cleveland-based ad agency, to speak during Adtoberfest, our 2015 Buffalo Ad Week. Brokaw was named Ad Age Small Agency of the Year for Culture in 2013 and they also lay claim to being the world’s greatest ad agency, a title attributed to their sense of humor and SEO capabilities.

So what’s the secret to a small ad agency in Cleveland (practically Buffalo, just with LeBron James) getting recognized for their culture? According to Mark and Aaron it’s a simple two step approach.

Hire talented, self-motivated people who happen to be nice.

Let them create the culture.

Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? The beauty of that approach is that it isn’t complex and everyone has the opportunity to create a rockin’ culture. You want to be part of a team that wakes up every morning forgetting there is a snooze button on the alarm, don’t you?

The crutches

Of course their trip to Buffalo was more than dropping a two-sentence nugget of wisdom and a stop at their favorite rest area on the New York State Thruway (highlight video below).

Their story illustrated a simplified approach that arrived after the agency overcomplicated things and they caught themselves relying on some crutches many companies rely on such as:

  • FPAs (fancy-pants acronyms)
  • Gobbledygook phrases
  • Razzmatazz numbers (that video that got 4 million views from eastern Europe with no likes or comments – not truly a viral campaign!)

Known as a creative agency first and foremost, the overcomplicated approach wasn’t good for business. They took a step back and decided they needed to get back to the basics of what they knew and were good at. They focused on their creative approach rather than gimmicky pitches, fancy terminology, and a futuristic logo.

Build around the work

A fresh approach where they didn’t try to be all things to all people, which is something we’ve all done at some point, helped them create a culture that draws like-minded people looking to create great work and clients that want the kind of work they do. You know, probably the reason we all got into this field in the first place. By defining their strength and drawing a line in the sand of what they stand for, they turned things around. They got an award from Ad Age. They got great clients. They got projects they wanted to work on. They got a free trip to Buffalo. See, being true to yourself pays off!

A ping pong table and pictures of office dogs will only get you so far with your employees and customers. At the end of the day it’s about the work and the people creating the work. You know, the culture.

12063490_10153240022925678_626218843734215535_nBonus Materials

Missed the presentation and the post-talk shirt toss from the guys?

You can read more about Brokaw’s approach by downloading the handy guide they created to keep themselves in-check called How To Brokaw, or follow them on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).

Also, Mark and Aaron make up 50% of the sketch comedy group Last Call Cleveland – check out some of their work on YouTube.

AdLab Stuff

Anne Esse and the Art of Embracing Being “Stuck”

Teresa Carosa

As a recent board member, I have been excited to move into this year and really embrace all that the Ad Club has to offer. After attending Anne Esse’s talk last Tuesday about “The Shift,” I was surprised to walk away with a new appreciation for perspective.

Passion comes in many different packages, and when you are a creative professional, that can manifest into many different emotions. Whether you are facing confusion, frustration or elation, there always seems to be a time when you just feel “stuck.” As a creative turned digital marketer, this is something that I experience on a daily basis. Gone are the days where I would spin my wheels for an innovative graphic solution for clients; my day to day is now centered around strategic concepting in the digital arena. My “stuck” is now figuring out how to boost organic search results, enhance the user’s experience, and the daunting task of making something “trend.” As the digital space has continued to evolve rapidly in the last few years, the adaptability of digital strategy has become imperative for businesses to adopt. It isn’t as simple as just building a website anymore – it is important that businesses have a comprehensive digital strategy across multiple digital platforms. Not only do I not have time to be “stuck,” but my job is to make sure I plan to not get “stuck” in the future. A simple 5 letter word became my work day’s worst nightmare.

I understand that could come off a little dramatic, but the reality is I needed a little perspective – enter Anne Esse. As a veteran Art Director in Western New York and certified coach, I definitely walked in with the expectation that Esse would have something useful to say, but I didn’t expect it to resonate so much. Esse’s anecdotal approach at coaching about moving forward both personally and professionally was a refreshing take on my own professional experiences. Her talk touched on many different topics, but all centered around the theme of learning how to move past the “stuck” feeling and onto your next big idea. For the first time, I started to look at “stuck” as just a part of the creative problem solving process. Bumps in the road are apart of the learning process, and as a creative professional I know that I signed up for the exciting off road adventure.

As the hour long discussion wound down and Esse began to answer questions, I realized that I wasn’t alone in this new found perspective. Creative or not, challenges are apart of the professional world. It is important to embrace new perspectives to continue to grow both personally and professionally.

Bottom Line – Embrace being “stuck.” It means you are just ready to move forward!

unnamed

Stuff

Making Membership More Valuable Than Ever

Corey Crossman

It was a steamy day in mid-July when the 20 members of the Ad Club board gathered around a conference table in the air-conditioned hospitality of the BlueCross BlueShield building. It was time again for our annual board of directors retreat.

Each summer we get together before the club year starts to meet our new board members, exchange fresh ideas, and begin planning for a slate of new events. There will be many meetings held throughout the year ahead, but few, if any will match the excitement and energy in the room at the summer board retreat.

This year, as we guided our discussion down the agenda in front of us, there was one common theme that the group kept coming back to: our members.

No matter what the subject of our discussion was, it was clear that we all wanted to put a new emphasis on providing the highest possible value to our members. We committed ourselves to making this year the best one yet to be a member of the Ad Club.

And what exactly does that mean? It means we’re finding new ways to save our members money through discounts and member perks. It means we’re planning the first-ever member appreciation event. As a prospective member of the club, it means that an Ad Club of Buffalo membership just got a whole lot more valuable to you this year, and there are 20 people actively working to make that statement a reality.

Ask any board member, and you can hear the same story, but we’re all admittedly a little biased. We decided that the best way for us to tell you all the great things about being an Ad Club member might not be us telling you at all. You’d probably rather hear it from other members just like yourself.

We talked to a few of our most passionate members and wanted to pass on what they said to anyone who might be considering joining the club. Check out the videos below for a few pretty cool perspectives.

Agency Member – Matt Low

Matt Low is a member of the leadership team at Crowley Webb and even with years of industry experience he thinks the Ad Club is a great opportunity to continue learning about new trends and techniques.

In-House Marketing Member – Isaac Williams

Isaac comes to us from the marketing department at Daemen College, and even though he doesn’t work on the agency side, he still loves being a part of the Ad Club.

Freelance Member – Charles Waldorf

Charles is a freelance photographer, and he takes every chance he gets to join us at events and mingle with marketers from all backgrounds in WNY.

Professor/Student Members – Julie Zack & Grace Gruarin

Julie and Grace are from the educational side of marketing and design, and they both make the most of the many opportunities the Ad Club provides for students.

So now you know how much work we’re putting into making this year the best it can be for all our members. We hope you’ll take advantage and join the Club today, but if you have any further questions, you’re more than welcome to contact any of our friendly board members by email.

Become a member today >>

Blog Board Stuff

Our Veep is Retiring, Just Like David Letterman

Corey Crossman

The Ad Club year is winding down, and that means some board members are leaving us. Before they do, we caught up with these talented individuals to hear about their experience and advice for future board members.

Capture0016This summer our VP, Katie Briggs, will be among those leaving us. Before she goes, here’s what she had to say:

Four years ago, a colleague and Ad Club board member nominated me for an open spot on the board. While I wasn’t entirely sure of what I was signing up for at the time, I can’t thank her enough for encouraging me to go for it. As my second term is nearing its end, I was asked to share my experience with you. So, in honor of Letterman’s recent retirement I created a Top 10 List about my time on the board. Here it goes…

“Things I was able to do because of the Ad Club”

10. Eat a free dinner once a month

9. Scope out other board member’s offices and report back on cool things we should get in ours

8. Grow my network (and my LinkedIn connections)

7. Earn trust from not one, but two, agencies to represent them on the board

6. Ramp up our academics programming, including: the annual Big Tip Off scholarship fundraiser, Portfolio Review and Career Day

5. Attract PR people to the Ad Club and demonstrate how PR plays a significant role in IMC

4. Serve as Veep, though I would’ve liked access to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s wardrobe

3. Not only attend the ADDYs (and the after parties!) but see what goes into planning them

2. Host the American Advertising Federation D2 Conference – giving us the opportunity to showcase everything awesome about Buffalo

1. Meet Seth Godin, Peter Shankman, Jesse Reed, Vic Carucci and ad pros from around the region

I credit the Club for helping me advance my career all while growing personally these last few years (new last name, new job, new house, new puppy). While it’s hard to sum up all of my experiences into one post, I can tell you that I wrote, I strategized, I planned, I collaborated, I learned, and I met some of the brightest and hardest-working people in advertising. It was an honor to grow alongside them and even more rewarding to call them friends.

If you’re considering joining the board, do it. Yes, it’s a big time commitment. And yes, you may already have a lot on your plate. But I promise you’ll find a way to make it work and have some of the best experiences of your life along the way.

I’ll be seeing you,
Katie Briggs
Ad Club Vice President, Crowley Webb PR Manager

Blog Board Stuff

Here We Are, Two Years Later: Kelsey Hanks Says Goodbye

Corey Crossman

The Ad Club year is winding down, and that means some board members are leaving us. Before they do, we caught up with these talented individuals to hear about their experience and advice for future board members.

This time around, we’re chatting with Kelsey Hanks. Here’s what she had to say:

How did you first become a part of Ad Club? Where did you hear about it?

Ad Club 2014-1222I met Charlie Fashana and his wife, Karen, while stuffing 400+ swag bags in their backyard for an event…long story. I started attending AdLabs, and Charlie told me about the opportunities that existed for someone like me – a person with communications and event experience, but with no prior board role. And here we are, two years later.

What is your fondest memory or favorite Ad Club event as of today?

As the co-chair of AdLab, my view is slanted… But the past two years of AdLabs have been filled with variety, in every sense of the word.

To our all star casts of panelists and above and beyond moderators – thank you for your expertise and also your willingness to present to our club.

We experimented with discussions focused on industry topics including experiential marketing, digital advertising and social media – but also topics as they pertained to certain subject matters or methods of advertising – you remember beer marketing and using humor in advertising.

We also kept our members on the move with venue experiments. The Saturn Club, Pearl Street, Iron Works, Cole’s, and the Pan American Grill have all been good to us as we have traveled throughout Buffalo to network.

And finally, you asked and we listened – we surveyed our AdLabbers and took a step back before planning next year’s events… Keep your eyes peeled for what’s to come!

Do you have any fun stories, maybe of discussions that went from regular conversation into a potential event for the club?

adclub2The first (annual?) bowling tournament was a last-minute idea that turned into tense competition: agency vs. agency, boss vs. employee, board member vs. board member… See you on the lanes December 2015.

What advice would you give to those thinking of stepping up into a board position role?

Joining a board is one of two things: a way to use your skills for the benefit of an organization, or an opportunity to work on something you don’t get to do as part of your daily job. All the while, making friends and “building your network,” as they say – but mainly, meeting and learning from people in the biz.

What kinds of qualities are expected in board members?

Leadership. Whether it’s a committee, event, or ordering pizza logs for the table, being on this board requires leading others through delegation, or taking the lead yourself.

 

Interested in joining the Ad Club Board of Directors for 2015-16? Click here to learn more and submit your nomination.

Stuff

Charlie to Charlie continued…

Ad Club Of Buffalo

By Charlie Fashana ACB Club President

Let me preface this by saying I’m honored to have been chosen to lead the Ad Club for the next two years.  My interaction with the people involved – from club and committee members to local businesses and vendors – has been nothing short of fantastic.  And what’s more, the collective talent and passion of the Ad Club board is just phenomenal, and I already know great things will continue to happen.  Special thanks to Charlie Riley for his vote of confidence, and great leadership as Club President.

So a little about me.

I’m a Buffalo guy, born, raised, and schooled in this great city.  I’m an alum of both UB and Canisius.  I’ve traveled enough to know how other cities and even some countries operate, but always find more reasons why it’s better here in Buffalo than anywhere else.  I put my passion for Buffalo above all, but coming in at a very close second is my love for marketing & advertising.  My career has taken me across a number of different business disciplines, but I’ve found my place in the marketing profession.  Thankfully, my current role in Marketing at First Niagara and being active in the Ad Club allow me to indulge in the work I enjoy and support the city I love, every day.

Thoughts on the Ad Club.

As with the city and region in general, there is an exciting buzz around the Ad Club and it’s clear to see there’s energy and enthusiasm heading into this membership year.  For that reason, we’ve decided to add three more board positions to help us capitalize on the momentum.  We’ll look to maintain a full load of programming, while making adjustments to improve the offerings and the experience for everyone involved.  With so much positivity, there isn’t a great need to make drastic changes to the club, but there are some keys I think will help us to grow as a professional organization:

Increase membership and engagement, most notably from the student population.  Believe it or not, there are folks out there that don’t know about the club and everything they can get out of being a member.  Moreover, students, arguably those who need our guidance the most, are in short supply.  We need to increase our touch points and be exceptionally visible in order to cater to the wide range of talent in the Buffalo region, and keep that talent here.

We need to give back.  We have access to the best people in their respective fields.  It’s our responsibility to leverage the knowledge and insights we have at our fingertips to ensure we are helping our members.  Moreover, there is so much noteworthy work being done in the area, by businesses and those of us helping to promote those businesses, I’m hopeful we can use our reach and connectivity to regularly highlight and recognize the hard work being done.  That goes beyond the ADDYs.

Listen and fine-tune.  We’ll continue to be successful if we continue to serve the needs of those who attend our events and support our cause.  I’m hopeful that the relationship the club has with its members will always be two-way.  Please share your thoughts and feedback, and challenge us to continually get better!

Our board has many more strategic goals, and we’re already moving on making these things happen.  Following our two day board retreat in August, we expanded our mission statement to better reflect our dedicated purpose.  You’ll hopefully begin to see us highlighting our local companies, agencies, and colleagues more frequently so please look for our emails, posts, and blogs, and definitely engage with us on them.  And we’re also actively reviewing feedback and brainstorming ideas to ensure the club is accommodating to the large companies and agencies as well as to the freelancer and “marketing departments of one.”

I hope you’ll find us to be open to all ideas, and a leader in the professional community here in Buffalo.  Feel free to send me an email (charles.fashana@fnfg.com), find me on LinkedIn, maybe follow @CharlieFlash23 on twitter (although this may not add a ton of value for you), or just say hi at one of our upcoming events.  Looking forward to a great few years!

Go Bills.

Charlie Fashana