John St. Blog http://www.johnst.com/ en-us Sat, 19 May 2012 21:20:13 -0700 <![CDATA[Draw your way to better ideas]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/116:draw-your-way-to-better-ideas/ The premise is so ridiculously simple it can be summed up in two words: it’s Pictionary. I draw a word and send it to you. You guess it, and send me a drawing in return. And so it goes.

What I love most about Draw Something, and why I think it helps make us better communicators, is that it forces us to drastically simplify an idea down to something that can be rendered on a mobile screen, with only 4 pen sizes and limited colours.

]]> Mon, 14 May 2012 11:36:00 -0700 <![CDATA[Advertising shouldn't feel like advertising.]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/114:advertising-shouldnt-feel-like-advertising./

In the “Book of john” we wrote that "people hate advertising, but love ideas". Here are a few examples of recent campaigns that are getting some love.

 

]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 11:28:00 -0700 <![CDATA[Summer is here]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/113:summer-is-here/ Beers on a patio, baseball games with an open dome and weekends at the cottage. These are all indications that summer has finally arrived. At agencies across the country, the surest sign of the season is the fresh batch of bright-eyed interns arriving for their first taste of advertising. Coming from a former john st. intern, here are some tips to help 2012’s group make the most of the next 4 months.

]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 13:42:00 -0700 <![CDATA[10 Ways to Tell if Your Agency is Integrated Part 2 of 2]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/112:10-ways-to-tell-if-your-agency-is-integrated-part-2-of-2/ IMAGE SRC: BCG

On Wednesday May 2, I attended a session hosted by the ICA titled: 21st Century Integrated Marketing – How Agencies Can Overcome the Digital Divide. This is part 2 of a blog post where I summarize Niall McKinney’s 10 Ways to Tell if Your Agency is Integrated. Part 1 can be found here.

]]> Thu, 03 May 2012 11:43:00 -0700 <![CDATA[10 Ways to Tell if Your Agency is Integrated Part 1 of 2]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/111:10-ways-to-tell-if-your-agency-is-integrated-1-of-2/ This morning I attended a session hosted by the ICA titled: 21st Century Integrated Marketing – How Agencies Can Overcome the Digital Divide.

The session was hosted by Niall McKinney, CEO of The Knowledge Engineers who broke down the 10 ways you can tell if your agency is truly integrated. I’ve divided this list into a two-part blog series, in which I will summarize his thoughts on each of these points.

]]> Wed, 02 May 2012 12:37:00 -0700 <![CDATA[SXSW 2012 - Likeable Social Media]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/110:sxsw-2012-likeable-social-media/ Madison Papple, Account Executive at john st. summarizes points made in Dave Kerpen’s "Likeable Book". How brands can be likeable in social media.

]]> Tue, 01 May 2012 13:01:00 -0700 <![CDATA[SXSW 2012 - Social Media for Regulated Industries]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/109:sxsw-2012-social-media-for-regulated-industries/ There are more vibrant conversations going on in these 3 categories than any other: drugs, health and wellness; money and investing; eating, drinking and cooking. Brands can attach themselves to and involve themselves in these conversations.

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:16:00 -0700 <![CDATA[SXSW 2012 - Big Data, Your Data & the Singularity]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/108:sxsw-2012-big-data/ The majority of the thoughts contained within this presentation were crafted by much smarter people than myself. I think this all makes sense, but if nothing else I hope it will be a fun journey into the world of big data.

 

]]> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:52:00 -0700 <![CDATA[SXSW2012 - Display Advertising Still Works!]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/107:display-advertising-still-works/ Mavis Huntley, Director, Digital Innovation at john st. recounts what she learned around display advertising and Google’s Project Re:Brief at SXSW 201

]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:27:00 -0700 <![CDATA[You don't get much for a billion dollars anymore]]> http://www.theblogofjohn.com/106:you-dont-get-much-for-a-billion-dollars-anymore/ Facebook bought Instagram for a cool billion last week, and the announcement was met with the usual industry speculation, hubbub and general waste of energy that accompanies this type of thing. A billion dollars is a lot of money. Plus, it’s much more entertaining to think and talk about astronomical sums of money than Courtney Love or Justin Bieber.

]]> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:26:00 -0700