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Laura Nestler Promoted to Executive Vice President at Omni

March 11, 2010 in Agency Management, Client Services, Omni News by Kathy at Omni | No comments

Laura Nestler, Executive Vice President at OmniLaura Nestler has recently been promoted to Executive Vice President at Omni Communications Group in Springfield, IL.  Her newly acquired managerial responsibilities include the cultivation of client relationships with the advertising agency along with providing guidance and support to the entire agency staff in a supervisory capacity.  Nestler will continue with her previous responsibilities in client services, working closely with Omni clientele to guide marketing projects from strategic planning through creative development and completion.

Congratulations to Laura after many years of dedicated service to Omni!

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Rantings on Super Bowl “Super Bad” Advertising

February 9, 2010 in Creative Services, Marketing by Jill at Omni | No comments

SuperBowl 44

I am among those who watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. (Sorry sports fans.) I am usually under-whelmed, and this year is no exception. The hype and dollars spent just don’t live up to the reality. What I found was an overwhelming percentage of spots devoid of any real creativity and meaningful marketing messages, instead giving in to stereotypes of men, women, and generally stupid behavior. Don’t even get me started on the bipolarity of Anheuser Busch doing ads about partying once Budweiser pops into the picture, and then flashing a tiny “drink responsibly” tagline on the screen at the end.  There were a few bright spots, namely the Google “Parisian Love” search ad; it told a great story while demonstrating its functionality and benefits of the product (brilliant marketing!).

 

Makes me long for the days of Apple computer’s unveiling of the Mac computer. That was ground-breaking, trend-setting, interesting, and actually made the audience seem a little higher up on the intelligence scale than ‘beer=party=stupid’.  And while I initially found the Doritos’s dog bark collar spot funny, it still ultimately poked fun at a stereotypical jerky guy getting his comeuppance after teasing a dog. The beaver ad for Monster.com was funny and cute, but don’t we always see ads with humanized critters? Nothing new here.

 

I’m not sure if it’s the large billion-dollar clients calling the shots and directing financially at-risk advertising agencies to do these commercials, or just a total dearth of real intelligent marketing by these firms.  But I have hope that a continuously challenging economy will actually make people turn away from cheap stereotypical advertising and do something smart and interesting. Like Google did. There’s always Super Bowl 45, right?

 

 

 

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Omni Welcomes Hopedale Medical Complex

September 23, 2009 in Client Services, Omni News by Kathy at Omni | No comments

Hopedale Medical Complex in Hopedale, IL   Omni is pleased to announce our new marketing venture with Hopedale Medical Complex, a state-of-the-art rural healthcare facility located in Hopedale, IL that offers technological innovations with medical treatments and wellness programs. Omni Communications Group will be working together with Hopedale on a full-scale re-branding campaign to more effectively communicate Hopedale’s vast array of services to the central Illinois community, including surgery, cardiac care, rehabilitation, assisted living and nursing home services, a wellness facility and overall medical care.

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Bear Markets, Budget Cutbacks, Marketing Malaise – Oh My!

June 24, 2009 in Client Services, Marketing by Jill at Omni | 1 comment

Recession, sell-offs, layoffs, closings, bailouts – is it a reason for businesses to despair or an opportunity for a second chance? It is often said that Americans are by far one of the most optimistic cultures on the globe, although it would not necessarily seem that way if you polled a few friends these days. But even with the prolonged negative news, at some point we just have to say, “Okay, enough of this, let’s pick up the pieces and get things back on track!” It does not mean instant success or magical profitability or zero unemployment. It just means putting on a new attitude and a creating a reason to keep plugging along.

Most business owners have experienced painful operational trimming and tough decisions in the past year. I have heard clients and other business owners discuss their tactics to refocus, shift their processes and alter methods for business development to keep up with the new dynamics of doom and gloom. It is hard to keep the proverbial stiff upper lip when you are bombarded with messages about the seemingly endless consequences of financial failures. Marketing, like all service businesses, tends to be a line item that is initially vulnerable to being cut. However, strategic-thinking clients see it as a tool to help them achieve stability and loyalty even in challenging times.

So, what does this mean for marketing and business? Absolutely everything. It means that once we recover from the constant barrage of this new world of cutbacks and lagging economic indicators, businesses have an opportunity to emerge stronger, more attentive, and more focused than ever before. Maybe budgets are being trimmed, but being cost-efficient and strategic in spending marketing dollars is always a good idea. Maybe it is a little harder to figure out what customers want now, but it is beneficial to determine what customers really need from you to help align your business and investment of time and resources.

Focus, strategic planning, consistent messaging and dedication to customers– these are all cornerstones of successful marketing.

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Design Saving Media?

May 22, 2009 in Creative Services, Marketing, Media Services by Jill at Omni | No comments

lifesaverOne of my new marketing colleagues, Steve Dilley (a motion graphics designer) recently sent me a link for a video that showcased a young (well, young by my terms) designer from Poland who has made incredible changes in the communications field in eastern Europe. Jacek Utko is a Polish newspaper designer whose revamping of newspapers in Eastern Europe  have not only won world renown and awards, but have also helped increase circulation of those publications up to 100%. His discussion is “Can good design save the newspaper?”

Jacek has transformed boring, unread newspapers in the former Eastern bloc, by the redesign and re-thinking of the content. These papers have achieved STELLAR increases in circulation (translation: more money).

Design saving a media tool? Design saving a business industry many have said is beyond saving? In Bulgaria, Estonia, and Poland? Something to ponder – how smart strategic marketing and design is changing the fortunes (literally) of business. We hear a lot lately about major newspapers failing in the U.S.  Just wonder what would change if really innovative and smart design with marketing entered into the prescription.

“Design coherent with strategy and content can be used as a tool to completely change the product, the process…” Wise words from Utko.

Utko notes that design was only PART of the process. He explained how he borrowed from Architecture regarding how form and function make a strategy (hey, there’s that ‘strategy’ word again!). The story itself is worth watching – it is inspirational if nothing else. 

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Omni Welcomes Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System

April 30, 2009 in Omni News by Kathy at Omni | No comments

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System in Mattoon, IllinoisOmni Communications Group is pleased to welcome Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System as a new client of the marketing agency.  Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System is located in Mattoon, Illinois, and Omni will help promote the healthcare services and medical specialties of their hospital facility and treatment centers, including their comprehensive Regional Cancer Center, Heart and Lung Center, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, and Center for Interventional Pain.  Welcome aboard to Sarah Bush Lincoln!

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Medical Marketing and Positive Economic News

April 21, 2009 in Client Services, Marketing, Omni News by Jill at Omni | No comments

Positive Economic News and GrowthOmni is excited about our recent opportunity to work with the Mid-Illinois Medical District to fulfill their marketing campaign this year. Not only is this a project that allows us to put our skills as marketing strategists to work, it is also an opportunity for Omni to use our considerable medical marketing experience to help the MIMD achieve their goals of awareness in our community.

Omni Communications Group has a long history (almost 17 years!) working behind the scenes to build businesses locally, regionally and even nationally. At a recent strategy meeting, we discussed how we’re kind of like Northwestern Mutual – the ‘quiet company’ – we are in business to promote our clients’ businesses, and we know that by growing THEM we will achieve success as well.  

We applaud the Mid-Illinois Medical District and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s Q5 team for their considerable efforts to communicate to the Central Illinois region how important the medical industry is to our community and beyond. This is an enormous undertaking with enormous potential for all of us who live and work here in Springfield, Illinois. And isn’t it nice to hear some positive economic news about growth, new jobs, improved healthcare services and success for a change?!

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2009 Addy Awards American Advertising Federation Central Illinois

March 11, 2009 in Marketing by Kathy at Omni | No comments

 Addy Awards American Advertising Federation

It’s that time of year again when advertising and marketing professionals gather and celebrate the best in the industry, including Central Illinois with the American Advertising Federation Addy Awards held on Friday, February 27 in Champaign and hosted by the AAF Central Illinois chapter.  63 Addy’s were awarded, including the coveted Gold Addy Award to 15 professional and 6 student entries, in recognition of creative excellence to winners from all over Central Illinois from Springfield to Champaign in a wide variety of categories and media including print, television, radio, website and collateral materials.  Congratulations to all the 2009 Addy winners in Central Illinois and keep up the great work!

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Writing White Papers Right

February 20, 2009 in Marketing by Jill at Omni | 1 comment

Writing White Papers RightWriting White Papers Right, By Jill Schuller

 The heart of marketing is strong branding, and building up credibility about your company creates a strong brand. One of the tools we often employ as part of a brand-marketing program is a “white paper”. A common definition is a report that discusses relevant problems and explanations on how to solve them. They are used to educate readers to help them make decisions. While more common in the political realm, they are a valuable tool in business and can be posted on a corporation’s website as well as included in prospecting materials such as mailings, presentations, e-newsletters, etc.

While it is considered an old-school method, it has high value when used in conjunction with other marketing tactics. For example, publishing a white paper for a company creates more search engine opportunities for that company – more views, more info, more hits, more awareness.

Let’s look more closely at what a white paper IS and IS NOT and steps to develop white papers.

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