Benedict Advertising - Business Building Solutions

by Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter

It’s always nice when a multi-billion dollar company decides to do something good for humanity. This week’s company is none other than the most wholesome company on the planet, The Walt Disney Company. It’s not surprising considering that Disney’s target demographic is under the age of 12, then that they have declared that they will remove all images from all future endeavors that directly market to children and to “wag their corporate fingers” at the use of cigarettes in their more adult ventures with Miramax and Touchstone films.

In a move that seems aimed to please Congress, Disney announced that not only would it be banning smoking in films that are targeted toward children, but also it would require warnings and showing anti-smoking PSA’s before movies and on DVD’s. It isn’t the first time, Disney has “stepped-up” to the plate for causes that are in the best interest of children. Last fall Disney snapped up the Child Obesity cause by creating policies that called for Disney to use it’s name and character only on kid-focused products that meet specific guidelines. Disney also said that it would be eliminating added trans fat from food served at its parks by the end of 2007 and from licensed and promotional products by the end of 2008.

Talk about being a socially responsible corporation. If more companies participated in socially responsible business practices, this world would be a much better place. But as it stands, very few companies make a concerted effort to change the world. Don’t get me wrong; they do their share for the communities that they operate it. But for companies like Disney, or Johnson & Johnson, they could do so much more. The amount of money they could dump into causes that reach more than just a few thousand people is unfathomable.

Think of how many kids go to Disney Parks a year, buy Disney products, or watch the Disney Channel. For Disney to be taking such a huge step forward in being socially responsible and looking out for their target markets best interests, I applaud them. Large or Small, companies across the globe should have nothing but the best interest of their clients in mind. And those who do what they can for their consumers, clients, and communities are top notch in my book.

Wonder what cause Disney will scoop up next? They’ve already freed Willy and found Nemo.

by Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter
It seems like in today’s society, and in business especially, people view smaller companies as the underdog…and history tells us that the underdog is almost always underestimated. Look at David and Goliath. But Why? Why must “David,” just because he’s smaller, always be seen as less formidable than Goliath? Why his he overlooked just because they don’t think he can do it based on his size?

While there’s no secret plot to take down the Goliaths of the world, there is something to be said for the capabilities of all the David’s. Like David, smaller agencies have proven time over time that they can do just as much as the big New York agencies (Goliath), but they have something more to add to the mix. Not only can the “boutique” agencies do what the larger agencies can do, but also they’re able to cater more to their clients needs.

Being smaller than the others isn’t always a disadvantage, either, much to the chagrin of those who turn their noses at the little guy. While the little guy might not have the world at his finger tips, (or at his wallet) he is able to take a more proactive roll in what he produces and establishes more personal relationships, because that is what he is here for. He’s not out for the almighty dollar, like his competition. He’s focused on fostering healthy relationships and giving those on the other side of that relationship the best and most beneficial outcome.

The boutique agency usually is able to produce more loyalty from the people they works for and the people they work with. He’s also resourceful. If there’s something they can’t do themselves, they’re able to form partnerships with people who can get the job done with the same level of quality that is expected from the Big Guy, who has the latest and greatest of everything and people who can do his every bidding.

So, then…why is it that people, given the history of underdogs, continue to underestimate them? When have you heard of an underdog that didn’t go on to one-up his competitor? David proved that he was a worthy competitor by taking out Goliath. While we won’t resort to sabotaging larger agencies, it proves that we can play in the game, too.

The good thing about being an underdog is that when people do give the little guys a chance they always exceeds expectations. I guess that’s not really a bad place to be, after all.

by Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter

Ever since college, I’ve been hearing people predict the end of newspapers. It may be a stretch but, but it reminds me vaguely of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, and how the old man kept trying to warn him, “Beware! The Ides of March!” The twist of course, being that after Brutus dealt the final blow (Et Tu, Brute?), he didn’t pick Caesar up and rush him to the hospital in order to revive him.

Soothsayers have been claiming that, thanks to the Internet, newspapers were soon to meet their end. Short of standing on the streets ringing a bell and wearing a sandwich board, they’ve said it’s only a matter of time before the Newspaper becomes extinct. Why? Simply because the younger generation reads less and less. They do more of their news foraging online and get a majority of their information from either that or from Television. But, what really hurt the newspapers was that the advertisers followed those readers to the Internet.

Unlike Brutus, Google is attempting to save the newspaper’s life, removing the dagger, if you will. Google has been manning a pilot program working with daily newspapers across the US selling ad space to its online advertisers. Having proven successful, Google is expanding the program that launched last year to a test market of about 50 newspapers. Now, they will be servicing more than 225 papers across the United States and have retained 98% of the initial test market.

While, Google, and companies like it, are the reason for the prophesied demise of print media, Google has stepped up to the plate to ensure its survival. What a pal!

To read this article, click here.

by Brenda Sidoti

Every week the media department gets together to discuss what has happened in the department during the week and everyone is to bring an article on new trends in media.

Last Friday the article I brought to the meeting was on Millennials that I read in Advertising Age. Millennials are people born between 1977 and1996. Here are a few interesting facts on Millennials:

The Millennial generation is already the largest-ever, and it’s getting larger-the U.S. Census Bureau says immigration will boast the number of Millennials to nearly 90 million by 2020.

Millennials will make up 50% of the 18-49 demo by 2010.

Millennials spend about 15 hours a day interacting with various media and communications technologies.

45% of Millennials refer to themselves as nonwhite.

Console gaming is by far the No. 1 leisure activity for Millennial males-watching TV and talking on the cell phone leads the way for women.

20% of adult Millennials (18-29 year olds) have at least 25 friends in their social network.

About 11 million Millennials are married-and two-thirds of those who are married have kids of their own.

by Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter

Well, the day finally arrived. With ominous signs from the heavens, I knew the tides were turning. Actually, there was a spectacular lighting storm as I drove to the theater that night. Still, it somewhat foreshadowed what was to come as this epic saga begins to wrap up.

I cannot, in good conscience, write this review with the perspective of it being the 5th film in the series. That would be somewhat misleading and would not do it justice. While it IS the 5th chapter, it takes a very dramatic turn after the conclusion of the 4th film, The Goblet of Fire, and therefore cannot be compared to the previous films. This fact is what made it hard to decide how I felt about the movie itself.

While there was still plenty of the usual stuff, fantastic visual effects and action scenes, this film had many more poignant moments where one could truly appreciate not only the gravity of the content, but the growth these young actors have experienced in terms of acting ability. I’ll be the first to admit that watching the first four films had been, at times, painful. Not that the three main actors were terrible, but there were some things that they were too young to effectively and realistically portray. However, this was not the case in the latest installment. There was a dramatic improvement in each of the three main characters performances. I bought into every second of them onscreen.

Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) slow turn from the cute little bespeckled boy into the troubled teenager dealing with things that most people never deal with in their entire lifetime, was probably one of the best performances yet. But, the award for most improved, would have to go to Hermione’s portrayer, Emma Watson. She seems to have come into the role this time around. She seemed much more genuine than in previous films. I’ve never had a complaint about Ron Weasley’s portrayer, Rupert Grint. I can’t recall him ever having an awkward scene that just wasn’t quite believable. He seems to be quite the actor.

As for the rest of the cast…what can I say? Have you seen them? With the likes of Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, Brendan Gleason, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Jason Isaacs, David Thewlis, Warwick Davis, Gary Oldman, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, and Ralph Fiennes as the supporting cast, it’s no wonder these kids are becoming such incredible actors. That’s pretty much the crème of the crop in England.

The director, David Yates, did a phenomenal job with his first swipe at steering this ship. Yates managed to fit something the size of a football field, into something the size of a kiddy pool with out leaving too many plot holes. Considering that book 5 was the longest yet, and this movie was the shortest to date, it’s a wonder he was able to successfully pull it off. Streamlining the storyline and including a lot of the subplots, Yates managed to channel the same dark tone of the book.

Some new additions to this installment were that of the evil, duplicitous Professor Umbridge. She brings new meaning to the word cruel. Played by Imelda Staunton, Umbridge was wickedly sweet and heartless. Sirius probably said it best when he told Harry that the world isn’t divided into good and evil. He says everyone has a dark side. Viewers almost get the feeling that he’s referring to Umbridge, even though he was trying to ease Harry’s worries about he was turning evil. Despite the fact that Umbridge works for the ministry, and therefore the good side, she is probably more sinister and wicked that Voldemort. Maybe.

And of course, there is the addition of the character Luna Lovegood, and a larger role for that of Cho Chang. The biggest surprise in the move would have to be a spellbinding performance from this newcomer, Evanna Lynch, who has had no previous acting experience. Also, a relative new comer to acting, Katie Leung reprised her role from the 4th film and did a good job as Harry’s love interest.

Up to this point, you might think there wasn’t anything to complain about, but you’d be wrong. I have a laundry list of things that bothered me about the movie, and I just cant see how they didn’t just leave it on the cutting room floor. For instance, the ENTIRE beginning of the movie. While the new twist on the dementors was cool, the Dursley’s were in poor form. Aunt Petunia looked scandalous in a short sundress, Uncle Vernon was just plain awful, and Dudley!…I don’t know what happened to that kid after the last film, I guess in staying true to dimwitted Dudley, the actor who portrays him seems to have forgotten how to act. It was terrible! The worst part of the entire movie.

Another thing that burned me was the Hogwarts train. Now, having read all the books and seen all the movies, I know it is called the Hogwarts Express. So, why, given that there are so many people like me who are die-hard fans, would they think they could get away with calling it Hogwarts Railways?

Despite the appalling nature of these offenses, this could be, by far, the best in the series yet. Maybe it’s because of the deliberate detour from the standard HP formula, or maybe it’s because Harry is becoming a man. Who knows, but the message at the end when Harry fends of Voldemort (again) is hard to dismiss. Good triumphs over Evil, yet again, but with an unlikely weapon. Love, as Dumbledore once said, is the most powerful and ancient of Magic. One, which Voldemort can never understand.

And it is with reluctant fingers, that I only give this film 3.5 golden pens out of 5.

by Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter

So, I went to see Transformers recently, which I guess really isn’t much of a surprise. I didn’t have high hopes for this film though. Considering that the majority of the time they butcher classic cartoons, books, and comic books when they turn them in to full-length, live action films, I kept my excitement at bay (no pun intended). It didn’t take long once the lights dimmed and the chatter died down for me to start buzzing with excitement and planning my next trip to the theater to watch it again.

Viewers barely had a chance to get settled in their seats and start munching on their popcorn before the insanity ensued. From beginning to end, there was never a dull moment. From the opening scenes at the military base in Qatar, to the Autobot/Decepticon death match at the end, it was great. The CGI and Michael Bay’s attempt to make the action sequences look more real (thanks to spending 150 million on practical action sequences instead of CGI) make this movie a visual pleasure.

Probably the most surprise part of the whole movie was the brilliantly executed use of humor. Shia LaBeouf (Sam Witwicky), though funny, is essentially the same character he has been in all his films thus far. I can’t complain though, since I’ve liked him in everything I’ve seen him in. He’s just a funny, likeable guy. The entire movie is peppered with oddball characters played by John Turturro and Bernie Mac, and witty one-liners.

Other notables in the film were Josh Duhamel (from Las Vegas), who played Captain Lennox and Tyrese Gibson (used to be a model, right?). They were part of the military presence in the movie, but that was about it. They looked cool, and it was clear (via the humorous, but intense exchange between Captain Lennox and Agent Simmons, played by John Turturro) that they meant business and were there to get the job done. But, they were lacking a little in character development. At this moment, I’m sure the meat of their characters are laying lifeless on the cutting room floor, which is a shame because I do so like Josh Duhamel.

Considering how much I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, it’s hard to imagine that I found anything to dislike about it. But, sadly, the movie was not perfect. The main complaint being that it seemed like a GM car ad since all the Autobots (with the exception of Optimus Prime) were GM models. Producers have said that this is because the Autobot alternate modes are now owned by GM as part of a tie-in deal.  It reinforces my previous blog about product placement, as this is a prime example of it.  I just think in this case, it slightly detracted from the integrity of the original Transformers.

My only other complaint was that some of the battle scenes were a little drawn out. I started to get board after the first 3 minutes of the Decepticons and the Autobots destroying the city. Otherwise, it was one helluva movie! Great example of the summer blockbuster.

This one gets 4.5 golden pens. ½ a pen subtracted for product placement and drawn out battle scenes.  I loved it!

by Ashley Kelly

Day One: Stroll in 10 or 20 minutes late and leave a 10 or 20 minutes early every day. That can amount to hours every week that you’re getting paid for not being there. It feels good to beat the system!
Day Two: Do the absolute minimum. Never offer to take on projects or to help around the office. If your company really wanted you to do more than the bare minimum, they would pay you more. Learn to say, “That’s not part of my job description,” and use it frequently. Remember, the key is doing just enough not to get fired.
Day Three: Take your personal frustrations to work with you. Have problems on the home front? Take it out on your co-workers and clients. Don’t worry… they deserve it.
Day Four: Surf the net. Spend your day checking your personal e-mail, bank account, your myspace, your friends myspace, match.com, and downloading songs for your iPod. Keeping your social life in check is essential to keep a positive attitude at work.
Day Five: Don’t return phone calls. If it’s really important, they’ll call back. While you’re at it, step up those personal phone calls. Consider the office your personal phone booth. Your fellow employees can’t wait to hear what your doctor has to say about that rash.
Day Six: Teamwork is overrated. Look out for number 1 and when things go wrong BLAME SOMEONE ELSE. As long as you have a good excuse, you’re golden.
Day Seven: Complain to anyone who will listen. Working sucks….in fact your job sucks and you work with idiots. You’re over worked and underpaid and the company never does anything for you… awww.
Day Eight: Always consider yourself indispensable. Nobody in this company knows squat except for you.
Day Nine: Don’t worry about deadlines… they’re more like guidelines. As long as it gets done eventually, you’re fine.
Day Ten: Go on vacation and never come back. They’ll be holding it for you just in case you decided the unemployment line is too long.

by Michael Benedict, President
Isn’t it a wonder how the all-time home run record is being approached by one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball history and the commissioner of baseball has somehow got the press to cover him just as much as the actual player? Bud Selig’s attempt to steal the limelight from Barry Bonds by wavering on the decision of whether to attend the historical occasion is fascinating.

Here is a commissioner who is hurting the game’s image, instead of promoting it. Mr. Selig has the opportunity to celebrate the home run, record-breaking performance and shine some positive light on the tarnished image of MLB (player scandals and the ever-looming performance enhancement drugs). Barry Bonds has yet to be found guilty of any performance enhancing wrongdoing, yet in typical American fashion, he is being treated as guilty before proven innocent.

Does the commissioner stand behind this player? No. He stands in the shadows of this controversy, letting the media ostracize Bonds, while drawing attention to his own waffling about whether or not to go to the game when Barry Bonds breaks the record. Is he waiting for a last minute revelation that Bonds is innocent or guilty before deciding? Standing by someone who repeatedly states that he has not done anything wrong, looks appropriate. Casting blame on someone who has not been proven guilty looks foolish for Selig, his office, and MLB.

Mr. Selig talks about how the most important thing is the race for the pennant, but in 10 years what are people going to remember? That the Atlanta Braves won the world series or that Barry Bonds broke the home-run record set by Hank Aaron over 30 years ago. That is quite an accomplishment, regardless of the controversy that surrounds it.

We know you have “a day job” to attend to Mr. Selig, and yes that includes protecting the integrity of the game as well as positively promoting it. Go to the game and don’t redo what Mr. Kuhn did years ago. And by the way, Mr. Selig, the potential home run record-breaking attempt is about Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and the fans, not your decision whether to be at the game.

by Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter

I will be the first to admit that I am a fan of DVR and TiVO. I know I shouldn’t be so willing to openly admit that, since I am in the advertising industry, but what can I say. It’s not that I don’t like watching commercials, its just I get really into the shows I am watching and don’t like them to be interrupted. I would prefer to just be able to skip right to the next segment with out any interruption. But since that is not possible with out DVR or TiVO, the commercials must be sacrificed. Sorry, Commercials.

This is the attitude of many TV watchers all across the country, and even the world. They either prefer to fast-forward through commercials or to be able to watch it later, if they can’t watch it when it actually airs. Since the inception of being able to capture programming on film, people have been fast-forwarding through commercials at an alarming rate. Now, with the revolution that is DVR and TiVO people don’t have to waste money on tapes…they can just store it on their digital recording unit, just like a computer.

The downside of this fantastic technology? None that really matter too much. Sure, the cable bill might go up a few extra dollars, but that’s to be expected. Everything goes up. What really happens in a society where people fast forward through unsolicited and irritating commercials is we start to see products (that we’d normally see in those pesky commercials) pop up in our favorite TV shows, music videos and movies.

If advertisers can’t get you to watch their commercials the traditional way, they’ll pay to have the likes of T.I. (rapper) flash you a nice shot of his Nokia phone in his latest video. Or, Will Smith will tell you what kind of shoes he’s wearing in his latest movie. The point is that traditional mediums aren’t working any more, so advertisers are forced to resort to new and inventive ways of getting their message seen and heard.

Product placement is just one of those creative ways to get their brand or product out there. Now, this isn’t exactly a NEW practice, though it’s more prevalent than ever. It started to gain popularity in the 80’s. For example, who remembers what Eliot was using to lure “E.T.” out of the shed? More recent examples of product placement in television and film include (as I mentioned before) I, Robot, where Will Smith responds to a question about his shoes, stating that they are “Converse. Vintage 2004,” Minority Report were Tom Cruise enters a Gap store, The Office who features HP computers, and every one has seen every day products featured in TV shows and movies like different brands of soda, or food items.

Not everyone is happy about the onslaught of product placement. There are watchdog groups out there that don’t appreciate the method of “sneaking in” an advertisement. The consumer group known as Commercial Alert feels that it is “an affront to basic honesty,” and asks for full disclosure of product placement agreements. One main reason they advocate this is to protect children who are more easily influenced by product placement.

To each his own, I suppose. In this day and age, however, it’s getting harder and harder for advertisers to get their message heard. So, if they have to resort to making movies and TV shows more realistic by placing products we actually want, need and use in it, then so be it. As long as it doesn’t get so out of hand that they start making entire movies based around a product I’ll be happy.

Oh wait…they already did that.  Ooops!

So, on Friday we had the pleasure of attended the Vince Carter Charity Gala at the Hilton Resort. Never one to miss an opportunity to dress up, I arrived just after 7 pm and handed over my car to the valet. Once in the lobby outside the ballroom, I quickly found the rest of my party. We hung out in the lobby for what seemed like forever, before they opened the doors into the ballroom.

After finding our table, we made our way to the buffet. Are you wondering what $80 a ticket will get you at a charity gala? They had a roast beef bar, a pasta bar, a salad selection, mini quiche, hot wings, ribs, meatballs, some kind of fritter or hushpuppy, and of course the cash bar. The only thing that was free was water.

I was curious, leading up to the event, if Vince Carter was actually going to be there and I was somewhat surprised when he actually was. The basketball player, who is currently a free agent, graced us with his presence and even gave a speech…albeit brief.

I suppose everyone in attendance was already aware of why we were there and what we were supporting, but if you weren’t, then he wasn’t about to tell you. As for me, I was vaguely familiar with his charity as I used to work in a related field and had been in contact with the Embassy of Hope.

Aside from the silent auction at the beginning and the live auction toward the end, there wasn’t much going on at this gala. The band was great, and the food was edible. The way I look at it, with the minimal food fare and the lack of a formal presentation means more money for the kids, right?