Adcentered

Week 60 of SIXTY at VCU Brandcenter

It's over. We began our journey in August of 2006 and last week it ended suddenly. No more presentations, competitions or peer reviews. At least in the collegiate sense. Now it's time to apply our lessons in agency and corporate settings.

To me, the VCU Brandcenter experience is worth it. I now have a masters degree and I am part of the future of the industry. It wasn't always easy and frankly, I didn't think I'd make it after the first semester. I had to do more outside of school in order to become a better student. In addition to the required course work, I read dozens of advertising/branding (audio) books, wrote nearly 400 blog posts and stayed focused on the big picture. I made some new friends and expanded my professional network. I also seized the opportunity to  differentiate myself using digital technology.

So, if you're thinking of attending VCU Brandcenter in any track, remember that everyone has sixty weeks to earn their degree. What you do in addition to school can have a major impact on your progress. The same concept holds true in the workplace.

Mike Hughes on Change

Mike Hughes President & Creative Director at The Martin Agency weighs in on change for VCU Brandcenter viral campaign. # 6 of 10

Jeff Steinhour on Change

Jeff Steinhour, Managing Partner/ Director of Account Management at Crispin Porter + Bogusky is the third speaker in a series of ten to speak about the change that is happening in the industry. VCU Brandcenter is bringing out the ad biz’s heavy hitters to promote it’s new image. Steinhour is on the Brandcenter’s board of directors. He mentions the importance of understanding digital media, industrial design and architecture as ways of getting a brand’s message across. Nothing is out of bounds. CP+B has consistently lived that message for years.

VCU Brandcenter Viral Campaign

It looks like we have a viral campaign in the works for VCU Brandcenter. We received an e-mail yesterday which directed us to a brief video of Paul Lavoie, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Taxi, speaking about change.

Today we received another e-mail with the subject line, "Change is coming." This time there was another video. The two top Ogilvy ladies behind the Dove real beauty campaign gave their two cents on change. Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin are the second in a series of "Change is coming" clips. There are several empty boxes on the page, indicating a series of 10 videos. Who will be talking about change tomorrow?

VCU Brandcenter

Is this the end of an era? Why is this guy scraping off the VCU Adcenter logo? VCU Adcenter has been known as the number one school for advertising by many. The school offers a masters degree in art direction, copywriting, and strategic planning. The school prides itself on keeping up with the changing industry. But what happens when advertising begins to fade?

In 2005, the school added a new track to prepare students to work on the client side. Creative Brand Management is a Marketing MBA alternative. It prepares students for leadership roles with major brands. Teams at the school simulate the entire industry process from problem to solution. Creatives, strategists and brand managers work together to solve complex business problems. Sometimes they advertise, sometimes they create new products, channels, or business models. The cross disciplinary program recently put VCU in the ranks of the top global design schools. Creative Brand Management represents a changing of the guard in the industry.

VCU Adcenter has been teaching more than advertising. The students here have been learning branding and business fundamentals. Industry leaders demanded the change. They wanted to create better clients. The board of directors is chaired by Mike Hughes of the Martin Agency, which is a block away. The board also includes dozens of creative leaders, including Bob Greenberg, the man behind R/GA, the digital agency responsible for Nike+, among other ground breaking non-ad campaigns. Other board members come from Ogilvy, Chiat, CP+B, Taxi, Wieden+Kennedy, Motorolla, and Martha Stewart Omniliving.

Advertising is still one of the best things done at Adcenter, but a broader approach is now the industry standard. It all starts with a solid strategy with a clear understanding of the consumer, the brand and the competitive landscape. It should be no surprise that VCU Adcenter will cease to exist in a few short days. Change is coming. VCU Brandcenter is coming. On January 14, students return to class in a new building with a new name and a new promise to the industry. A brand is born.

VCU Adcenter Made the Global D-School List

Business Week just release a special report in their Innovation section about the top design schools in the world. VCU Adcenter made the D-list. Here's how Business Week selected the schools;

"Innovation is a tough thing to measure. To compile this list, BusinessWeek turned to an international panel of 22 expert design and brand consultants and academics from both business and design schools. We also tapped six forward-thinking companies with expertise in design or innovation strategy. We asked all to recommend interdisciplinary design and business programs with curricula they respect and graduates they prefer to hire. Then we conducted interviews with professors, students, and alumni from the recommended colleges, looking for design programs that incorporate business strategy—and business programs that teach design as a tool for strategic advantage."

The report features interviews and stories from some of the programs on the list. Rick Boyko was interviewed about the Adcenter. He talks about the school's direction and some of the reasons why he created the Creative Brand Management track. (that's my track) Here's a link.  He was also quoted in another article entitled "The Talent Hunt".

This is good news because the CBM program is less than two years old. It's difficult to explain the program without an extensive conversation (and we're expert communicators). It's good to see some good PR.

BDA & Brand America

We've been work on the Brand America project for a little over 2 weeks. It's 12:08am, and we're presenting to Rick Boyko and a panel of professors in less than 10 hours. Five teams are competing to present against Tribal DDB and Draft FCB. Only two, maybe three teams will get to go to New York  to present during Ad Week.

Here's some more information about Businesses for Diplomatic Action. They are the organization responsible for the challenge. This is their mission:

"Our mission is to enlist the U.S. business community in actions to improve the standing of America in the world with the goal of once again, seeing America admired as a global leader and respected as a courier of progress and prosperity for all people."

It's been an interesting project to work on. Probably one of the toughest brands. How do you separate political action from the action of individuals? How would you re-brand America? Is it even a brand? Those are just some of the things we thought about when deciding on a strategy. Now we have to make a compelling argument on how we plan to reverse the negative image of America in parts of the world in 15 minutes or less. We'll know by Friday if our strategy is worthy of a trip to Madison Avenue during Ad Week.

Here's the who, what, when and where straight from BDA. Check out their site to learn more.

September 27, 2007 - 2:00pm
Time Life Building (1271 Ave of the Americas)
New York, NY

DDB Chairman Emeritus and Business for Diplomatic Action founder Keith Reinhard hosts a two-part session on what to do about the alarming decline of Brand America.

Presented by CBS Radio- Listen live on WADV Radio

Background: The Federal government has funded a program which places $500 million in the hands of a government agency to boost America’s global image.

How would top CMO's and leading creative minds spend $500 million to improve the brand image of the

United States of America? Advertising Week’s thought leadership program kicks-off with a two-part program on the image of “Brand America".

Featuring: Coca-Cola, McDonald's, HSBC, Tribal DDB, Draftfcb, VCU Adcenter

Innovation Challenge 2007

It's that time of the year again. It's time for the Innovation Challenge. The world's largest MBA competition. Last year, VCU Adcenter made a good showing in the final round. This year 24 Adcenter teams have signed up. Indian School of Business has 58 registered. Other schools include Yale, Michigan State, MIT, Berkley, IIM, and Chinese University of Hong Kong. The prize money has been raised from $20,000 to $30,000.

Let the innovation begin. As second year students, we are not required to enter, but I live for this sort of competition. We have a good team in place and we are excited. There is still time to register. If you or anyone you know is enrolled in an MBA program, sign up. You have until the 28th of September.

Here's some advice from last year's winning team. (click here all of 2006 winners)

Characteristics of a Great Brand Manager

Last week in Brand Products & Channels class, Professor Kelly O'Keefe gave us this quote:

"Great brand managers are self-determined, they act without being asked and do more than is required.

They seek understanding, through both data and direct experience. They solve problems by probing into factors that created the challenge. They like to get to the root of the cause.

They are confident and courages, but exhibit enough humility to know that the best idea is often someone else's.

Most of all, they are believers. They embrace a brand, fall in love with it, understand why it matters. This drives their passion for growing the brand and expanding its reach."

I agree, but also think that the same characteristics also make great people.

Brand America Project

School's back in session. We've made through the "first year boot camp" of the Creative Brand Management program at VCU Adcenter. For those not familiar with the program. It's like an MBA program on creative steroids. Our first project for Brand Campaigns class is to Brand America.

How exactly does one Brand America? That's our first challenge. We have about a month to come up with innovative ways to improve the global essence of the U.S.A. The challenge assumes that we have a $500 M budget to make it happen. In early October, the top three teams go to NYC and compete alongside two real agency teams from Draft FCB and Tribal DDB. Only one will win.

But seriously, Brand America? Where does one begin? There are so many different angles to look at, the media channels are endless, and to some people, the subject is touchy. I spent the last two months living in a hostel and meeting people from all parts of the world. Conversations quickly turn political when the subject is brought up. If we are going to improve the American Brand, we first have to examine the reasons why the global perception of America has shifted over the past 20 years.

This project is as daunting as it is exciting. I'm ready to get started. Check back soon for updates on the Brand America Project.