Bicycling is hot.

With the poor state of the economy and the emphasis on “going green,” nowadays it’s as trendy as it is economical. Working on public relations for biking companies like Electra and through our own biking experience, we can attest to that.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that bicycle advertising is on the up.

You’ve undoubtedly heard of vehicle sharing programs like ZipCar that allow you to rent a car on a short term basis. Now Clear Channel Outdoor has similarly launched a bike sharing program in Washington, DC called SmartBike. Clear Channel, who is well known for the outdoor billboard space, will be funding the program in part through advertising on the bikes.

But they’re not the only ones jumping on the trend. According to a recent Trend Central article, well known advertiser Alex Bogusky of Crispin Porter + Bogusky is teaming up with healthcare company Humana to create a similar system. Called B-Cycle, it will be powered by solar energy (the stations that is, not the bikes) and feature a descent sized area for advertising on the bike’s basket.

Not one to be behind the trend, the Bailey Gardiner advertising team recently completed pedicab advertising for our client, Seaport Village. The pedicabs are being launched on Monday, May 3 and will run for four months on the cabs in downtown San Diego.

Visit our blog next week when we’ll take you through the process of creating and launching the pedicab creative via video.

Okay seriously?  Any PR expert worth their salt knows that proper planning of any PR opportunity avoids disaster.  Not only are we taught as PR neophytes that GOOD planning is the key to a successful news event, we are also taught (by mentors and unfortunately our own bad experiences) that POOR planning leads to disaster.

That’s why I am so surprised at the maelstrom caused by the Air Force One debacle in Manhattan yesterday.  Really, this was PR stupidity of monumental proportions, at the hands of the US Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration.  It’s laughable to anyone who has ever worked with a government entity — they are THE MOST conservative, risk-averse, red-tape oriented institutions that any marketing person could ever be frustrated by.  So it is almost (almost) funny that they would not have thought this through.

Of course people are angry.  We’ve all been taught by recent events to be scared of suspect activity, particularly in Manhattan and more specifically in the SKY.  There is soooooo much about this situation that could have been avoided by proper planning and communication.

Let’s break it down.  When a PR group is presented with a news opportunity, here’s how it should go:

• First and foremost, the team identifies the goals and intended outcomes of the opportunity before embarking on any creative planning — we need to understand the expectations.
• Then the team meets and brainstorms all the great opportunities that exist for possible news coverage, both real and manufactured.
• From there, ideas are vetted for compatibility and functionality — will they work to achieve the desired public relations goals?
• Those ideas are prioritized from most likely to succeed to least likely, and a decision is made about the optimal course of action.
• An action plan is created that provides a checklist for all details.  No stone is left unturned, and all parties to the idea are involved and informed of the details to keep everyone in the loop and on task.
• Detailed planning meetings are held in advance, where best and worst case scenarios are discussed and “what-if” plans are hatched.
• Leading up to the event date, briefing meetings are held with all parties so everyone is on the same page with the latest information.
• Talking points are created for all spokespeople, allowing everyone to be clear about their role and area of discussion.
• An agenda for the day is created, with to-the-minute breakdowns for each component of the event leading up to and after the launch time.
• The event is orchestrated according to plan and agenda.  And since the team knows fully well there will be inevitable glitches along the way, they constantly tweak and react in the moment to ensure a smooth success.
• A post-mortem meeting is held immediately afterwards to celebrate the successes and analyze the failures.  It is a learning experience every single time.

And news leaks like the information stating the FAA purposely asked that the public not be informed in advance about the Air Force One flyover?  That could have been managed with a bit more “delicacy”. Wonder what the real story is there?

I hear the President is “furious”.  I don’t blame him.  This situation could have been avoided with  – let’s all say it together -  proper planning.

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To some companies clients are just and only that, clients. For our marketing agency, they are so much more. They are partners, confidants and even friends. Meetings, lunches and phone calls are not just for “is this ad approved” or “how is business”. They are also for “how is the new baby”, “how was your vacation to Hawaii”, etc… This is the time for you and the client to really connect on a personal level.

Last month each person in our agency hand painted (or sponge painted) a onesie for our Brookfield Homes client who was expecting a baby.

Even more recently, Lisa, our Hazard Center client told us she was running the La Jolla 1/2 Marathon. I ran two marathons last year with Team In Training, and instantaneously she and I started talking about training strategies, her goals and specific gear to get (I am a huge fan of Body Glide–she tried it and loved it!).

Our creative team thought it would be fun to make something for Lisa for this event. They wanted to design something that matched our current campaign, All You Need, All In One Stop (which did win quite a few awards at the San Diego Ad Agency Awards). The campaign consists of trolley station signage, print and onsite signage.

One of Bailey Gardiner’s creative teams (Nik & Mike) decided on designing a “Team Lisa” t-shirt. They took the trolley station line that was used in the current campaign and changed it to be the La Jolla 1/2 Marathon race course. Mike wrote the copy about what people typically encounter in long races while Nik designed the actual t-shirt. My favorite part is the fact that Nik took the logo for Hazard Center and made it out of running shoes.

We presented Lisa with the t-shirt at a creative meeting and she was beyond ecstatic about it and about the fact that we even printed t-shirts for her two colleagues to wear that were going to be at the race supporting her. Plus, it’s pretty cool when the client wears the shirt after the race, takes pictures, and sends them to you.

Congratulations Lisa on finishing your second 1/2 marathon and for running the entire thing (including the big hill)!

Let’s face it, we’re small.

Probably too small to have any business pitching someone as big as Current TV. But we’re small for a reason. It makes us nimble thinkers. It makes us more creative. And it allows us to partner with other creative people that are small for the same reason. People like Sway whose CGI work challenges reality, Shilo for bending the laws of live action and design, Syd+1 for directing some of the coolest shit we’ve ever seen, Sol Neelman for making pictures that make us see things, and Ravenswork for making things that make us listen. We partner with artists, buskers, and unsigned bands. We partner with local and national media. We partner with consumers. We ask for advice from others, like social media guru Jason Baer, and partner with him when we need his brain. And we’re part of Pinnacle Worldwide so that we can call on our partners around the world to spread the word.

See, we’re not an ad agency or a PR agency, a social media agency or a design agency. We’re a creative agency that understands that creativity isn’t just contained within an agency’s four walls. Yes, we’re paid to be creative, but it’s also up to us to help draw out the creativity that exists in the heads and hands of other people.

Kind of like Current TV.

And, even if we don’t make it on the short list, we just like making really short videos.

Let’s talk about the general state of the consumer. Due to job loss, salary decreases, economic uncertainty, and the reality of saving for a rainy day, consumers are cutting back their spending. People are appreciating the simpler things in life. Family. Health. Art. A back to basics outlook.

Let’s talk about the Millennial generation. They were born between 1980 and 1995 (14-29 years old). They grew up with reality TV, received participation trophies for sitting the bench in little league, elected Obama for hope and change (even if they didn’t know what it meant), were born into prosperity and leisure, have seen art education go down the tubes in public schools, only take yes for an answer, and most of all they always come first.

Let’s talk about what this means for art and cultural institutions. Museums are seeing increased visitors and record participation in free activities, which can be attributed to the consumer’s need for affordable activities combined with a “back to basics” outlook. Most museums exist to preserve and share art with their communities, which means this is an exciting time for them. Michael Conforti, of the Association of Art Museum Directors, said it best “What is significant is that we’re performing our mission in a very special way in light of what people need at this time — stability and continuity.”

My prediction: We are experiencing the beginning of a new generation of art lovers.  A generation that has never seen a difficult economic time. A generation that needs to be shaken to its core to see the important things in life. A generation that is seeing art for the first time and developing a love and appreciation for the institutions that provide it.

Will this generation shake their stereotypical “its all about me” approach to life and step-up to be the next generation that supports the institutions that were there for them when the world was uncertain? Will they help to preserve culture and art for their children and grandchildren? I think so.

Record visitation is unfortunately coinciding with shrunken endowments and less-wealthy benefactors. This means that museums have less money to serve an increasing number of visitors. It is more important than ever for us (regardless of generation) to support these institutions.  

Yet again, Bailey Gardiner is on the hunt! This time we’re looking for a public relations intern who can blow our creative minds with enthusiasm, ambition and previous PR skills.

We’re looking for:

• A college junior or senior working on a communications, journalism or English major.
• Ability to work at least 15 hours/week
• Outstanding communications skills (verbal and written)
• Thrive in a fast-paced, energetic, highly creative setting
• Previous PR/media experience is highly preferred
• An enthusiasm for social media – beyond your facebook account – we’re looking for someone who gets it from a marketing perspective and really, really loves it.

Here’s what you’ll get hands-on experience doing:

• Direct media pitching
• Writing media releases and alerts
• Upkeeping digital clipbooks
• Blog and social media correspondence
• Brainstorming
• Research
• Creating and updating media lists
• General account support

And working for us isn’t so bad either. While we can’t compensate you with pay, the experience is invaluable. We’ll take the time to teach, support, provide you with responsibility and have some fun.

If you fit the bill, please send your resume, cover letter and references to lizzie@baileygardiner.com or call (619) 295-8232.

We’re an advertising/PR/design agency in search of an interactive creative genius. It’s no secret that everybody is gaga for social media and everything digital right now so we need someone who’s web design skills are mad and ready to get, um, madder.

We offer a competitive salary, a fun environment, full benefits and a great location – we’re in San Diego – so, that doesn’t suck.

You Will:
•    Create outstanding, user-centric creative that get results
•    Handle the basic programming for your design work, including HTML, javascript, Flash, CSS and AJAX
•    Play well with others to ensure that we hit deadlines and continue turning out great work
•    Manage projects from start to finish with little hand-holding
•    Explain design decisions to staff and clients – why your interfaces look a certain way and why they will work
•    Help maintain our agency website and blog
•    Create Web sites, banner ads, email designs, social media outreach mechanisms (facebook pages, blogs, etc.) and whatever else we can come up with

You Need:
•    2+ years experience in Web design, and a portfolio that drops jaws
•    Excellent written and verbal skills
•    Detail oriented, self starter with a relentlessly positive attitude
•    Ability to thrive on managing multiple tasks, projects and clients
•    Ideally, ability to handle light scripting (PHP preferred)
•    Hand coders or Dreamweaver disciples preferred
•    Experience with Wordpress
•    Exceptional Mac fluency

Interested? Check us out at baileygardiner.com and then send us your resume and portfolio. Be sure to include a short note when you email resume@baileygardiner.com that tells us why you’re so awesome. No calls or snail mail, please.

A while back my colleague @LizzieD wrote a great post about How to Twitter. In it she gave you a bunch of  tips on how to get started: choosing a name, getting followers, tweeting basics, etc.  For all five of you not yet on Twitter, I highly suggest checking it out. For the rest of you already tweeting, (and for the newbies who just joined because Oprah told them to) I thought I’d give you my version of Twitter 101. Here are a couple of the insider tricks to improve your relationship with Twitterverse.

• @ replies vs. DM’s. You’ve probably seen a lot of “@ing” and “DM Me’s” going on  and you may be wondering what the difference is and the etiquette for use. As a rule of thumb, I would recommend using @ replies whenever possible, simply because it is a much more social tool. (Isn’t that the point of social media?) Plus it may help the person you are replying to, gain some extra followers. Your loyal followers will see your @ reply in their stream and may become intrigued to learn more about the person with which you are having a conversation. Their followers may in turn find you intriguing. Voila, new followers for all.

That being said, don’t abuse the @ replies. If you are having an extended conversation with a friend on a subject that no one but the two of you could find interesting, may be time to switch to a DM. DM’s are also good for soliciting advice and or services from your followers.

• Your phone. Lizzie mentioned setting up your phone so that you can text your tweets. Definitely do that. That way you’ll always be ready when the inspiration strikes. For those of you who have an iPhone or Blackberry, you can download apps so that not only can you tweet at a moments notice, but you can also check your stream, see your @ replies and get your DM’s. For a Blackberry I’d recommend Twitterberry and for an Iphone I know @bgindra is a fan of twitterlator.

• Tweetdeck. Sorry Twhirl, but there is a new/better service to help you organize your twitter stream. It takes all of one minute to download and it will change your life. Slight exaggeration, but really. If you are someone who has been tweeting for a while, you may have accumulated a lot of followers. Over time, you’ll find some of these followers tweets are not as relevant to you as others (cough taylor swift, cough) or that some people just tweet entirely too often. Tweetdeck has solved this problem by allowing you to create groups of people. I have a “fave” group where I put all the people who are so intersting, I don’t want to miss a single tweet from them. The rest, I can scroll through when I want to get a pulse on what’s going on in the Twitterverse but don’t necessarily have to read every last update. Tweetdeck also allows you to create steams of search terms and they just added a feature that streams in your facebook statuses. I know. Amazing.

• Hashtags – hashtags are Twitter’s attempt to organize info. They are used best at events so that everyone at a certain conference, expo or party can see what everyone else at the event is tweeting. For instance, at South by Southwest there was a hashtag of #SWSX. Every time anyone wanted to tweet about the event, they’d put #SWSX at the end of it. The conference then put screens up all around that had all of the real-time, scrolling updates about South by Southwest. If you weren’t at the event and wanted to see what was going on, you could click on the hashtag link or visit search.twitter.com and type the hashtag in.

Last and certainly not least. . .

• Twit pic. You know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Or in this case, 140 characters. Upload your image to twitpic.com and type in a caption. Note, the caption you type in will automatically become your tweet.

These are a lot of the basics, but there really is so much more. Feel free to leave me a comment with anything you think I’ve missed. Happy tweeting!

We recently created an ad campaign to promote the San Diego Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser, Art Alive—June 12 – 14, 2009. During the event, florists will choose a piece of artwork and then reinterpret it in a unique floral design. These designs are then put on display for the public.

Through our research we discovered that the biggest problem facing Art Alive is awareness. Most of the general public doesn’t know what the event is, so we needed to educate them.

We presented comps of our ideas and decided to move forward with the campaign entitled Artist’s Tools (trompe l’oeil visuals of art tools made from flowers). See comps below.

Because SDMA is a non-profit, they didn’t have money to pay the photographer and floral designers we needed to produce the ads—we had to improvise.

Since we ARE a creative agency, we decided to do the floral design and photography ourselves.

1. Step One—visit Home Depot, Wholesale Floral Market and Michael’s and get the flower supplies needed to create the ad visuals. This part involved lots of research to see what type of flowers would work and definitely took the longest.

2. Step Two—constructing the visuals. In an open area outside we began piecing together the visuals. I’m not gonna lie, there was a lot of t&e to get each one to work and the sacrifice of a few houseplants was involved. Here’s what we did for each shot.

Palette – I made the palette out of mulch and then photographed the potted plants on top of it using a ladder. I put it on a white background to mimic that of the ad.

Paintbrush – I used palms from a backyard Queen Palm to latch together sea grass (the handle) and orange flowers (the brush). I created two brushes, but decided to go with the more traditional brush as opposed to the fan brush. Again, it was so big I had to shoot it from the top of the ladder.

Paint Tube – I bought a paint tube and applied flower petals to it, using adhesive tape to keep them in place. Problem was the petals kept wilting (agh!) so I wound up applying them in strips and putting each strip in the fridge as I finished to keep fresh. I also photographed a few different types of flowers to use as the “paint” coming out of the tube and wound up going with the heathers.

3. Step Three—photoshop. We went back and touched up each image. The majority of work was done on the paint tube, including replacing the purple flowers which had wilted and curled with some other pink ones from the backyard.

4. Step Four—finish. We laid out the ads for each print and on-line and our talented production department created the hi-res versions. They then were whisked-off to their respective pubs.

Check out some of the finished print ads below—and don’t forget to attend Art Alive June 12 – 14 in Balboa Park.

At our marketing agency, it’s common for the advertising department and public relations department to work on the same client. However, it isn’t everyday that our two departments get to work hand-in-hand on the same project.

Every year our two departments combine forces to help put on Seaport Village’s Spring Busker Festival. Jamie, our bicycle enthusiast, and Lizzie, our recently appointed beer and cheese selector, spear the PR efforts–pitching, selecting the buskers, Buskers After Dark, managing the event, etc…, while Kelly, our talented associate creative director who can do the splits designs all the ads & collateral. You might ask, what do you do then? Well, I am the junior account executive, the deal/coupon finder of the office, that manages the jobs (work orders, creative briefs, printing, etc…), negotiate and place the media, research radio production companies and more.

Together, our teams made the following happen:

Busker Festival Radio Spot

Oh and don’t forget, the Busker Festival is this weekend at Seaport Village!