At my company Kinesis, we work with a number of different clients who use professional photography for their advertising. After looking at a website called Ads vs. Reality, I know why some companies need this more than others. Especially for food.

Now, if you haven’t been to a professional photo shoot for products, let me tell you a little bit about it. There is an art director, a professional photographer, and a stylist at the shoot. The stylist is the one who “fluffs” the product to make it perfect for the photograph. In the realm of food, this person is called a food stylist. The food stylist is paid to make sure that every drop of sauce, every bit of food, and every sesame seed is perfectly placed to create the perfect photograph. Generally, the food stylist also cooks/creates the dish by hand for the shoot.

After the photo shoot is complete (which can take days), all of the images are sent to a designer who adjusts colors and removes any remaining flaws from the photograph. And after all of this the resulting graphic is used to portray the mouthwatering image you see in the ads.

So, if you think that the result isn’t worth it, here are some examples of the Ad image vs. the Real thing photographed immediately after its purchase:

Ad image vs. Reality

Ad image vs. Reality

Want to see the rest of the Ad images compared to the real thing? Click here to go to the Ads vs. Reality site.

Hugs and success,

Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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So the new Google Maps feature that allows you to zoom in to a street-level view is nothing short of amazing. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing about their YouTube viral marketing campaign.

The guy who plays the “Google Man” is just downright boring - and I can’t even find him funny from a geek point of view. What do you think?

Hugs and Success,
Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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Sometimes you come across a post or an article on the Internet that you absolutely can’t help but share. This morning I read just such an essay by Ryan Reynolds. If you aren’t easily offended and you want to laugh until you cry, read The Clown God.

Here is an excerpt:

“As a kid, hanging out with my brother, I often felt accomplice to a very lowbrow style of Vaudevillian crime. My friends and I were eternally caught in the crossfire of his evermore, spectacular stupidity. As if by magic, he could transform a simple trip to grandma’s house into a felony, while simultaneously he could have you rolling on the ground with his unique brand of electric hilarity…With that pair of crooked coke-bottle glasses perched on his nose, his face begat a sympathetic quality impossible to ignore. He was almost adorable in his mismanaged existence.”

Hugs and success, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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Let me start by saying I HATE Spam e-mail and Junk mail. Especially ones that have anything to do with drugs, weight loss, Viagra, or {ahem} enhancing things.

But…there are ways to leverage some of the Spam and Junk you get. Every once in a while I get something of interest in my Inbox or my mailbox. It is interesting because it is from a reputable company and it is effective advertising - both from a design and/or a copywriting perspective.

And I have two uses for these types of things:

1) At my company, Kinesis - a creative firm, we keep an Other Company Samples drawer - I’ve also heard these referred to as Swipe files although I don’t like the term as much because it sounds deceitful. In this drawer, we keep samples of mail that provides a useful model for the following reasons:

• Well-written copy
• Great call to action
• Compelling design elements
• Provocative visuals
• Something clever such as interesting folds, die cuts, metallic inks, foil stamps, etc.

I also have a folder in my Inbox where I file e-mails that have effective marketing techniques, copywriting, calls to action, and/or links to persuasive landing pages and websites.
2) The other thing that I do with certain pieces of Junk Mail or e-mail is forward/mail them to a specific client. For instance, today I received an e-mail that promoted an industry-specific electronic newsletter. It was a perfect parallel for a client’s industry and a good model for something he is thinking about doing.

So, for some of my readers who are marketers, consultants, designers, copywriters, coaches, and other professionals who use marketing techniques on a regular basis, take a quick second look at your Spam and Junk Mail. It might just be something that is useful for a whole new reason .

Hugs and success, Wendy Maynard
Your friendly marketing maven

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You’ve probably heard the old expression, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This concept proves itself over and over with the exponential power of the Mastermind Group. The idea of a mastermind collective was formally coined in Napoleon Hill’s classic book, “Think and Grow Rich.” Hill wrote, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.”

Today, more and more people are harnessing the power of the Mastermind Group to help them think bigger. This concept can be applied to business, social causes, politics, relationships, health, and artistic endeavors. Combining the abilities of multiple individuals to solve problems, brainstorm ideas, seek solutions, and develop strategies creates greater results than going it alone as a “lone ranger.”

The size of a Mastermind can range from two to eight members. Any more than that can get chaotic. The group can meet in person if they are in a similar geographic location. Or if the Masterminders live in different states or countries, they can also meet via a bridge line. The members of the group make a commitment to show up regularly and to contribute to each others’ success.

The types of groups can be as varied as your imagination. However, compatibility is vital to the success of the group. Members should have a similar interests and/or should be at a similar “level.” For example, participants can be in a similar area of business like realtors or life coaches. Or the group’s members can have a common goal like writing a book, building an Internet subscriber list, or losing 30 pounds.

In this way, stronger bonds are formed and the group creates win-win situations for all of its members. When selecting members, only invite participants who have a strong desire to succeed and a demonstrated ability to contribute. Your group will be the most successful when you have members who are passionate about Masterminding.

If you want to start your own Mastermind Group, here are some guidelines:

1) Define the purpose to the group: What will your objectives be when you meet? What do you want to accomplish together? For instance a Mastermind of college students could set a goal of academic excellence.

2) Decide on the groups’ ground rules: What is acceptable? And how will the ground rules be enforced? For example, one of the groups I was in decided that if you were late showing up for a call, you paid $1 per minute to your charity of choice. Miss the whole meeting and it was $60.

3) Determine the structure of the groups’ time together: You can have an agenda and a facilitator. Or, you can rotate leadership. You can have freely-flowing conversation. You can also decide to have closely monitored time frames for each person to speak.

4) Plan the groups’ logistics: Where, how often, and how long will you meet? When will your group start and when will it be completed? For instance, one of my Mastermind groups met every week for one hour for a period of four months.

5) State wants and needs: Mastermind groups can only reach their full potential if each member is willing to think big and ask powerful questions. At your meetings, each Mastermind group member can tell the group exactly what he or she wants - the member does not have to know how it will be accomplished. For example, a group member might start off - “This is Jane. I am facing a problem in my business [describe] and I need the group’s ideas on how to solve it.” Another group member might say, “This is Tyler. I want the group to help me develop a strategy to make me an additional $100,000 in my consulting business this year.”

6) Commit to contributing: Your Mastermind group’s success depends on you. Make a commitment to listen carefully, be present, show up on time, and fully support your fellow Masterminders. In this way, you exponentially increase the groups’ synergy and other members will rise to your level of contribution.

Being a part of a successful Mastermind group is an enriching experience that will accelerate you professionally and personally in ways you can’t imagine. You don’t have to be a lone ranger and you don’t have to figure things out on your own. So, don’t wait to start or join one!

Hugs and success,

Wendy Maynard, Your friendly marketing maven

Sign up for REMARKABLE MARKETING, a free weekly ezine written by Wendy Maynard for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and freelancers. She also created the Maven Marketing System specifically for small business owners, coaches, consultants, and solo-preneurs.

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