May 2012
2 posts
4 tags
Is Coherence Necessary?
Do I have to be coherent?
You can choose not to pursue the path of coherence. Of course, you’ll invest more in making mistakes, you’ll have to work harder to cover your “untruths” and to clear up misperceptions. It will take more time to un-learn and re-teach. You’ll have a longer road to building trust.
But no, you don’t have to be coherent. It’s just much easier to be coherent once you’ve...
4 tags
Five Signs that You're Being Coherent
You’re working like crazy to be authentic. You’re telling the truth at every corner. So how do you know if you’re on the right track?
A great way to know if you’re being coherent will be the evidence you see in progress toward your goals. Are you achieving results for annual giving? How do your enrollment numbers look? Do your students stay to graduate? Are your alumni returning to campus for...
April 2012
2 posts
6 tags
Instagram, Facebook and Selling Out (or not)
Over the past few weeks, much has been written about everyone’s favorite photo service, Instagram. The “Twitter for photos,” as it’s now being described, expanded to the Android platform on April 3rd, causing controversy amongst its iPhone-loyal user base. A few days later, it was announced that they had been acquired by Facebook for $1 billion. Or if you hang out with lots of “hip” iPhone...
4 tags
I Might Be Over Disruption
Fifteen years or so ago, Jean-Marie Dru of TBWA introduced us all to his notion of disruption—the art and science of change to generate results. It’s a great concept, to be sure, but it’s getting out of hand. We’re infatuated with new, different and change. Disruption is over-hashed. Disruption has become an end to itself.
Disruption isn’t the goal. Great is the goal.
I wish I had a dollar for...
March 2012
2 posts
6 tags
How Chrissy Teigen Made Us Famous... For a Day
A funny thing happened to this blog on February 1st; our traffic increased almost 380% from the previous day.
That day, Sam wrote a post explaining why model, aspiring chef and burgeoning celebrity Chrissy Teigen is a “Twitter superstar.” While the success of this article can in part be attributed to the quality of the writing, there is a reason that this post exploded.
Simply put, this post...
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Chipotle and the Power of Telling the Truth
I’ve said it before: telling the truth gives confidence.
Every time I see that Chipotle animated spot—and I saw it again during the Grammys—I love Chipotle all the more. Yeah, I’m hooked on those chicken burrito bowls, but I’m talking about loving the company. That ad is one bold statement and it defines their brand as well as their values. They know who they are and aren’t afraid to tell...
February 2012
4 posts
7 tags
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A Message from the Creative Director
We will treat each great cause as our own.
Our mission is to help great causes succeed. In order to fulfill that mission, we must appreciate and believe in our client’s causes—not from a position of shallow understanding, but with empathy and respect.
We will embrace the differences in each client.
RHB is focused on a particular kind of great cause. Instead of casually focusing on how...
5 tags
Confidence
I made a bad decision once and ended up with this four-inch scar on my forehead and very little feeling on the top of my gourd. I tried for a year or so to cover it with long hair. Long hair was an equally bad decision. I applied collagen. I tried to “circle the dragon” with acupuncture. I painfully massaged the scar tissue. I shot it with lasers.
I hate that I have this scar. I hate...
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Why Chrissy Teigen is the Best at Twitter
I know all the reasons why I shouldn’t blog about Chrissy Teigen, but let me list them for you.
1. “Blogging” about a person is infinitely passé and puts me in a category with the worst 50% (Julie and Julia) and the best 50% (Chris and Brogan). 2. Chrissy Teigen is a (swimsuit) model. Business writing is supposed to be asexual. 3. I don’t know Chrissy Teigen personally. 4....
January 2012
5 posts
8 tags
North Park President David Parkyn Discovers the...
A few weeks ago, North Park University’s Marketing and Enrollment VP Nate Mouttet and President David Parkyn hosted a presentation and conversation about coherence with approximately 60 on-campus marketers at North Park. The professional teams from admissions, recruitment, advancement and internal communications attended a “workshop” after reading Coherence: How Telling the Truth Will Advance...
Jawbone UP Delights
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the great apology and ‘no questions asked’ return policy that Jawbone offered those who purchased the new UP wristband. I opened mine on Christmas day and I love it. Though there are some inconveniences about it, for the most part it’s a great device. The mystery of its measuring my steps, my sleep and my caloric intake are fascinating; the on-demand statistical...
Failure
There has been a lot of talk in the creative media about the rising value of failure. “Fail harder,” “Don’t be afraid of failure,” “The Best Learning Comes From Failure.” Here, here, here. The message has become so prevalent that failure has become an objective. All of this attention to failure seems misguided based on a handful of perpetuated...
My Week With Milton Glaser (or How I Learned that...
I’m a sucker for anniversaries. In fact, one might say I heart them, and I’m fast-approaching a pretty big one. On January 20, 2011, Rick and Tam Bailey treated our office to an outing at the IMA to watch, Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight. Sure, some people say that this or that documentary is a life-changing one, but this one, that night really did change things. It changed...
The Discomfort of Shades of Grey
How often do you/we rationalize our way to coherence? At what point do we forgive incoherence?
For NYE, my three sisters (one by blood, two others by choice—love them all) planned a paella dinner. We wanted fresh ingredients, particularly the seafood (we used fresh chorizo made by chef and sausage king Sam Waterson), so we headed to the new Lincoln Park Whole Foods at North and Sheffield in...
December 2011
4 posts
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah and Joyous Kwanzaa.
We’re guessing you are ready for a break. We hope that you are going to have one.
We wish you the very best this holiday and we look forward to connecting in the new year.
-Rick Bailey is the principal and founder of Richard Harrison Bailey/The Agency and author of Coherence: How Telling the Truth Will Advance Your Cause (and Save...
My New Best Friend: Hosain Rahman
Move over, Andy Dunn. Hosain Rahman may have “upped” you in the apology department. (I still like you, Andy.)
I bought a Jawbone UP wristband for Tammy to give me for Christmas this year. Before I even had a chance to use it, Hosain sent his “deepest apologies” for its not living up to expectations. He regrets “any disappointment” they’ve created for the “our community of users.” They’ve...
Love Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry
// ]]]]>]]> Love means never having to say you’re sorry.
—Jennifer Carilleri (Ali MacGraw) and Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) in Love Story
I received an apology today from Andy Dunn, CEO of Bonobos, a men’s clothing site that I occasionally visit and from which I’ve purchased some mind-blowing shoes. He wrote to me to say he was sorry for the mishap with his site on Cyber Monday. Apparently,...
November 2011
5 posts
In a Technologically Advanced World, Is Place...
Figure 1: Houghton College in New York
Figure 2: Warner Pacific College in Portland, OR
Remember the city mouse and the country mouse? These cousins planned a visit to one another’s homes. When the city mouse visited the country, he found the deafening quietness and the presence of an army of farm cats far too unsettling. Likewise, the country mouse’s visit to his city cousin’s house was a...
We Could Have Been Killed
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It’s crazy that something this big can pass us by without our noticing. Yet I’m guessing you didn’t look up two weeks ago and say, “Whew. That was close.” You were so far away from it that you probably didn’t care about the potential danger. In fact, you might not have even known an asteroid passed closer to Earth on November 8 than any asteroid of this magnitude has in 35...
Ay-yay-yay-yay
]]>]]> Saw an engaging post on HBR about creative thinking and neuroscience. Tony Schwartz suggested four stages of brain activity that yield greater creativity. His ideas resonated with the internal, backstage “process” we use at RHB:
Input: investing in relevant marketing research to yield significant data upon which to build understanding; and then ensuring that the entire team has clarity...
In Defense of Committees
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// ]]]]>]]>Committees get a bad rap. They’re derided as anathema to creativity, timewasters and “blanders.” The old joke is that a camel is a horse designed by committee. But after years of work in higher education where committees reign, I’ve seen remarkable results from the work of a team focused on achieving a goal.
I’ll admit it: I’ve also seen some superior...
Is Your Transactional Voice Coherent?
Re-read the instructions on your application for admissions. Or your financial aid forms. Or your housing contracts. Or the registration schedule. Or even your departmental requirements. You might be surprised to find that even you have trouble following your directions.
Imagine what your students—and their parents—experience when they receive transaction information from you. It’s...
October 2011
4 posts
Love and Loyalty
This summer while visiting Prague, we came across a little bridge with a railing covered in padlocks of many sizes, shapes and colors. Given the myriad art installations and sculptures throughout that grand city, I assumed it was one more delightful expression. A little quirky perhaps, but at once both intense and whimsical. I thought it was beautiful.
Recently in my reading I discovered that...
And Now... the Cliff's Notes Version
When I returned to my office last Monday morning after being in Georgia the previous week, I was greeted with a package from our friends at Biola University in California. I recently visited there to meet with the marketing communications team to discuss the principles of Coherence: How Telling the Truth Will Advance Your Cause (and Save the World). My friend Irene Neller, VP for University...
The Advantages of Getting Your Story Right
We’ve watched this phenomenon over and over. When a client “gets” their story, when they find their true selves (authenticity), something miraculous happens. First, they gain confidence. They sit up straighter. They feel more pride. You can see it and sense it in the way they talk. Second, they get more comfortable. There comes a delight in being able to tell the truth. They’re not afraid to be...
Brand Mushiness
Do you suffer from “brand mushiness”? It’s a common malady with clear symptoms.
1. Audiences can’t articulate your clear position
Poll 10 or 12 random constituents. Ask them to describe you in a sentence. If you discover wide disparity in their answers, you might be ridden with brand mushiness.
2. Audiences can’t distinguish you from competitors
Ask the same 10 people (or find...
September 2011
6 posts
1 tag
Silos Lack Luster
Rather than 100 sparkly efforts that collectively attract attention, the real value that dazzles and leaves an impression is when you see a “ROCK.”
I spoke with a Tiffany sales manager today. A two-carat diamond solitaire sells for roughly $60,000. A two-carat parcel of diamond melee (diamond chips of comparative quality) sells for $2,000. Here’s a case of more not necessarily being better: same...
Full Exposure
We had a great lunch last weekend at South Bend Chocolate Café with Evan DeWalt, one of our former—and one of my favorite—interns. As a Notre Dame double-major (marketing and design), he was in my Advertising Campaigns class, and was truly suited to join us as an intern. In fact, he spent a semester and a summer with us.
Evan’s had a great career so far that took him first to Philadelphia, then to...
1 tag
Cirque du Soleil and Client Service
At our weekly team meeting this week, I asked Julianne about her trip to Las Vegas last month. She went to see Cirque du Soleil’s Ka and she told us that it was probably her favorite Cirque show ever. Naturally, we were interested in why that was so.
Then I asked the group, What makes the experience of Cirque du Soleil shows so special and memorable? Without much thought, three great answers were...
Cohesion, Continuity and Coherence
Now that I’ve published a book, I have noticed that not one more person than before notices me on the street. But occasionally, at a conference or professional meeting, someone will make a connection between what I hold to be true and my face. And they’ll do their best to incorporate what they know of me into conversation: “Oh yeah, you’re that cohesive guy.” Or “We practice continuity in our...
August 2011
8 posts
Brats and Millennials
You already thought I was going toward brat with a short a, didn’t you. I mean brats, as in bratwurst.
A bunch of us were in my sister’s backyard on a Sunday having a barbeque. Our friend Ike was grilling burgers, hot dogs and brats. While I waited for a brat, I listened to a conversation about a work environment in which the employer often offered perspective, advice, counsel—whatever—to guide...
1 tag
Admissions: Results, Thrills and Ego
Bob Spatig, assistant vice president for admissions, recruitment & enrollment planning at the University of South Florida, organized a fascinating summit last week to revamp the campus visit experience. We invested a day in challenging the status quo and to think through the customer experience from a coherent point of view. Throughout the day, I kept thinking about a recent post from Seth...
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February 2011
2 posts
RHB/The Agency claims six Educational Advertising...
Congratulations to the following RHB clients, whose marketing materials have garnered recognition at the 26th Annual Educational Advertising Awards, sponsored by Higher Education Marketing Report. It’s been a pleasure working with all of you.
No doubt, your great causes deserve to be recognized!
Northwest Nazarene University
Coherence Manifest – GOLD
University of Notre Dame
...
Great things are happening at RHB/The Agency
We are proud to announce the promotion of Sam Waterson to Executive Vice President and the appointment of Lindsay Hadley as lead designer.
A journalism graduate of Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana, Waterson joined RHB full time in 2001 as an account manager in The Agency’s South Bend office. In 2006, he moved to the Indianapolis office, where he served as an account executive and...
January 2011
1 post
Primary and supporting customers
Recently, we’ve had the opportunity to be involved in some studies and projects that embrace very different cultures. A team of us conducted Circles of Influence at DEREE - The American College of Greece in Athens, an exceptional private liberal arts college. Shortly thereafter, we led a retreat with the board of HELPSudan, a not-for-profit founded by some of the Lost Boys who now reside in...
December 2010
1 post
Back to basics
First, a confession: Like that weird kid in junior high who actually liked throwing up on roller coasters, we’re among the odd few who find conducting focus groups with high school students to be a thrilling endeavor. Since much of our work entails finding ways to communicate with this audience in compelling and meaningful ways, these opportunities to meet with students face-to-face and hear their...
November 2010
2 posts
Fully Coherent
In my inbox this week, I came across a link to a great find: the Coherence Profiler from Booz & Company. We’re not the only ones who believe it’s important to be who you say you are and deliver what you say you deliver. Of course, the Booz consultants view coherence from the management perspective, while we tend to lean on the marketing side of the topic. Nonetheless, there’s wonderful...
Desert island
From time to time we offer dialog and discussion prompts for you and your team. We’re always delighted when we hear from one of our friends that these tools have helped clarify or bring to light important discoveries about messaging and strategies.
This week we’re providing another way to prioritize your messaging. Try this at your next team meeting…
If you were stranded on a desert island with...
October 2010
2 posts
Newsweek College Rankings
Congratulations to the following RHB clients, who were featured in Newsweek’s 2010 College Rankings.
University of Notre Dame
The 25 Most Desirable Schools (#19)
The 25 Most Desirable Suburban Schools (#7)
The 25 Best Schools for Future Powerbrokers (#16)
The 25 Schools Stocked with Jocks (#21)
Soka University of America
The 25 Most Desirable Small Schools (#24)
The 25 Most Diverse...
Seven Social Media Mistakes You Will Never Make...
For most institutions of higher education, social media is a lot like the Wild West—a few legendary cowboys blazing the trails, possible danger lurking beyond each river bend, ghost towns aplenty and the seduction of wide-open possibilities. Unfortunately, colleges and universities are journeying into the frontier with no map and inadequate supplies.
How do you avoid becoming the skeleton in...