From top advertising tidbits to our well-traveled Top 11 campaign to whatever’s on top of our minds, welcome to Plan B: The Blog.
We’re a busy bunch and we like it that way. But never too busy to put a few words to paper when something of note comes to mind. We invite you to browse our inspired assortment of musings, observations, and insights – all sprung from the oft over-active minds of the folks behind the creative curtain at Chicago-based full-service ad agency, Plan B.
Curious about what makes the ‘agency alternative’ tick? Or, perhaps you’re just a fan of our Top 11 collection stopping by to uncover the latest. Or maybe you just stumbled upon us during a late night caffeine-induced blog-surfing binge.
Whatever your story, we welcome you to contribute to ours. Browse, post, share. Go nuts.
Posted in All Top 11 Lists, Uncategorized
May 6th, 2010
Top 11 Signs You Have a Rotten Relationship with Your Food Marketing Agency
The best selects from their photo shoot look like dingy dinner plate shots in the window of a hole-in-the-wall Honduran take-out joint.
Your account manager considers AMC a “non-traditional channel” and won’t shut up about Breaking Bad.
“SKU’s me? What does S-K-U stand for again?”
Discussions on baseline volume always end up on mute.
Every time you mention “cannibalism” [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
May 10th, 2012
Top 11 Things That Are Worth Less Than Instagram
On Monday, Facebook announced it was acquiring mobile photo application Instagram for $1 billion. You read that right. $1 billion.
Facebook’s interest in Instagram isn’t too surprising. After all, Facebook has a history of acquiring digital startups like group texting service Beluga, location-based social network Gowalla, and mobile application platform Snaptu. Also, considering Facebook’s impending [...]
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April 12th, 2012
Top 11 Must-Have Accessories for SXSW
Each March, Austin, TX plays host to South by Southwest (SXSW), one of the largest music, film and technology festivals in the world. More than 20,000 attendees from all over the world converge to present new products, network with others in their industry, and consume seemingly endless amounts of free barbecue and Lonestar Beer.
This [...]
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March 7th, 2012
Top 11 Lessons We Learned at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show
Each February, Chicago is the proud host of North America’s largest auto show. As intrepid autonauts and CRM specialists for some big name auto brands, the men and women of Plan B always make it a point to visit the Chicago Auto Show to glean new ideas for marketing tactics as well as check out [...]
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February 21st, 2012
Top 11 ‘Controversial’ Advertising Predictions for 2012
A new year means new predictions from 16th century French seer, Nostradamus, splashed across supermarket tabloid front pages all over the country.
Of course, these predictions always leave us with a few questions: How are tabloids scooping more reputable news sources on these prophecies? How can someone who has been dead for more than 500 [...]
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January 10th, 2012
Plan B’s 2011 Holiday Card
In case you missed it, Plan B had a bearded visitor this past holiday season, all the way from the North Pole…
Posted in Video projects | 1 Comment »
January 16th, 2012
Top 11 Things On Plan B’s Holiday Wish List
We get it.
We know that forgetfulness is a common symptom of getting swept up in the holiday shopping hubbub. Your gift list is probably seven or eight feet long, what with all the friends, relatives, and people who expect to be treated as friends or relatives. Not to mention the assorted pets and [...]
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December 19th, 2011
The Top 11 Rejected Agency Holiday Card Concepts
Whether you’re dragging a Douglas Fir down the highway behind your four-door sedan or getting sloshed on eggnog in front of your girlfriend’s extended family, the holiday season is all about traditions.
In the world of advertising, this is best exemplified through the annual agency holiday card. But, like hanging over-sized socks above the fireplace in [...]
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November 28th, 2011
The Top 11 Ways Pitching New Business Is Like Dating
The butterflies in your stomach. That perfect outfit. Those well-rehearsed icebreakers. The trendiest restaurant in town. Candles. Flowers. The ambulance ride home…
No, we’re not describing a first date, although it’s pretty close. Actually, we’re talking about a new business pitch–a production that, like dating, will send you through an emotional roller coaster of highs, lows, [...]
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November 7th, 2011
The Top 11 Protest Signs You’ll See At Occupy Madison Ave
On Nov. 4th, the Occupy Wall Street movement will spawn a separate movement, one targeting another famous street in Manhattan: Madison Avenue. The workers of the American advertising industry will convene at 295 Madison Ave. to protest, among other things, job security, stagnant wages, and, of course, “stupid copy changes.” Or, at least it’ll only [...]
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October 24th, 2011
The Top 11 Most Ridiculous Advertising Job Titles
As the scope of advertising has evolved over the years, so too have the responsibilities and job descriptions of those who work in the industry. The rise of digital marketing necessitated a whole new creative perspective, one that looked beyond traditional means of communication and instead focused on trailblazing new media channels.
In this new [...]
Posted in All Top 11 Lists | 16 Comments »
October 14th, 2011
Top 11 Things You Need to Know About Marketing in 2011
Old Spice’s The Man Your Man Could Smell Like? So last year. Burger King’s Subservient Chicken? What is this, 2001? Making a large banner ad buy on MySpace? Wake up!
Indeed, it seems a tweet sent 20 minutes ago is already old news in today’s frenzied media cycle. In these rapidly changing times, how can any [...]
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October 7th, 2011
Top 11 Advertising Agency Expenses Buried in Your Invoice
Call us old fashioned, but we think your marketing budget would be better spent on things like, well, MARKETING your business. Yet when you look at how some of these big agency folks are living it up in their downtown digs, you have to wonder.
We don’t wonder. We came up in that world. And [...]
Posted in All Top 11 Lists | 3 Comments »
September 30th, 2011
Top 11 Indications the Economy May Be Improving
Let’s not kid ourselves – times are still tough. And while the primo parking spots are definitely filling up faster in the morning, few of us are ready to declare the economy fully recovered. That means marketing money remains tight, as purchasers are challenged to do more with less yet again.
Enter Plan B.
From the [...]
Posted in All Top 11 Lists | 10 Comments »
September 23rd, 2011
TOP 11 REASONS TO QUIT BEING ANTI-SOCIAL
Far more than a trendy new channel to add to your marketing mix, social media is the evolution of something remarkable. It takes the oldest communication channel in the world — Word Of Mouth — and supercharges it with Internet speed, unprecedented and mass-individualized reach, and a world of third-party endorsement credibility.
That’s why it’s important [...]
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September 16th, 2011