• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, April 7, 2014

Let's play a game. South Carolina-based agency Chernoff Newman has rebranded and...wait for it...launched a new Web site. And now the game. Read what Chernoff Newman President and COO had to say about the branding process: “Our philosophy is grounded in finding a human connection that positively impacts the bottom line of our clients. We asked ourselves, how do we do this? The answer is our mantra: to discover, create, connect and inspire.” Now explain what the agency does. Now read what Senior VP and CD Heather Price said: “We needed a brand that would allow people the opportunity to look at us differently. A look that more accurately describes who we are and what we do, that’s forward-leaning, smart and people-oriented. A way of talking about ourselves that showcases our curiosity and creativity while maintaining a foundation of innovation and measurement.” Now explain what the agency does. Can you? Do any of these words make sense? Do they differentiate the agency from any other agency in the world? It's time to end buzzword bingo and actually come up with differentiating factors that set you apart from the competition.

There are not many ad agencies in Rochester, NY. And there aren't many run by women. There or anywhere for that matter. But Rochester-based Partners + Napier is one such agency. Launched by Sharon Napier, the agency is celebrating its tenth anniversary this week. Kudos. Commenting on the lack of women running things in advertising, Napier said: “There needs to be more women at the top in advertising. The work has to work. It has to be creative, it has to be breakthrough work. At the end of the day, it has to drive our clients’ business.” Napier founded the company through a management buyout of her previous employer, Toronto-based Wolf Group.

We can just picture Razorfish Australia Co-Founder Iain McDonald running down the high school hallway on the last day of school screaming with glee. Or at least that's the picture that formed in our head after he announced he was leaving the agency and said, “My feelings are very much like that of a teenager leaving home for the first time but with the old family right behind.” McDonald is leaving to concentrate on personal projects. He added: “With things going well for Razorfish and me having ideas I want to pursue without any strings attached, it’s the right time. It’s been carefully planned for a while and I am in no doubt that Razorfish is ready." Have fun, Iain!

Do you ever think about the amount of ink a particular typeface uses? Is it even a consideration when you develop a campaign? Grey London thinks so. Developed as an internal project, the agency took the font, which uses 33% less ink than standard typefaces, to the U.K.'s largest stationer, Ryman Stationary. The font, Ryman Eco, was developed at the same time a 14-year-old American student suggested the U.S. federal and state governments could save $370 million annually by switching from Times New Roman to Garamond. The font isn't really much to look at, but if it can save money and ink, we're all for it.

advertisement

advertisement