The only thing I love more than shopping, is shopping for bargains. I love the thrill of acquiring an item that I need or simply want, at a price that is at or below fair value.  As you might expect, I spend a considerable amount of time on eBay, Craigslist, at garage sales and in consignment shops.  For years there have been many euphemistic labels applied to secondhand goods, including "gently used," "pre-owned" and "like new." But in the current economy, I call them “smart buys”.  The appeal goes beyond bargain hunting.  It has almost become a social responsibility to be resourceful in a creative way. I even brag about it when I can get quality merchandise at a good price. It's almost my status symbol to get great for cheaper. In a survey last summer, 70 percent of adults said buying used is more socially acceptable now than five or 10 years ago, according to the poll by Harris Interactive. The ability to bargain or negotiate is at an all-time high. As applied to those who are trying to sell new items, this attitude has created an atmosphere that has depressed the retail sector and made it increasingly challenging to charge a premium price for new products.

This mentality has pervaded the service business as well, and has created an atomsphere by which people seem to expect to pay less and are willing to compromise a bit on quality. What is interesting, however, is that such a compromise might actually cost more in the end.

I pondered this the other day while explaining to a prospective client that a full-service marketing agency like Leapfrog can actually provide “new ideas,” “top notch” service – and still provide a bargain. That’s because agencies like ours can take the guesswork out of the generation of new ideas; can be an efficient manager of marketing and advertising tools, and most importantly, can negotiate and obtain some of the best rates for third-party services that are available. These benefits can often provide incredible efficiencies for companies – no need to worry about a salary and benefits, or to try to manage unfamiliar details that take managers away from their core responsibilites. We know companies who have spent many times more on home-built solutions than they would have if they let us navigate the marketing waters for them.

So as you consider your next deal or discount, don’t forget to consider the intangibles – and then give me a call; I’ll be happy to help you keep more in your pocket.

At our firm, we treat all of our client’s projects, and all of our relationships, with equal importance. At times, however, we get the amazing pleasure of being able to produce work that transcends the traditionaland adds a little extra meaning to our lives.

We had such an experience with our recent work on the successful bond referendum campaign for Greensboro’s Natural Science Center. With the bond’s landslide triumph on election day Nov. 3, we not only produced a TV commercial and print ads that had impact, but ensured for generations of children that they would have a place to learn, to grow, and to explore their natural curiosity. Pretty heady stuff.

It was, in fact, children that took center stage in the TV spot (linked below) and print ads, in a strategy we espoused that played up the NSC’s most important asset. Anyone who has children know how important it is for them to get what they need to grow. Anyone who has taken a child through the Natural Science Center can speak firsthand to the sense of wonder and amazement they experience.

Clearly, the Natural Science Center will be under the microscope over the next decade, as Executive Director Glenn Dobrogosz and his team implement the $20 million vision that the bond will fund. But like other efforts to improve the center over the years, it is almost certain to be in the name of those precious children who were front-and-center on Nov. 3.  I am proud that in some way we at Leapfrog had a role in this lasting legacy.

Watch the Video:

I love escaping in early fall. You know, a vacation to someplace warm and tropical just when the summer months have departed.  With all of the responsibilities at work and home, even if you have the resources, it’s difficult to break away from everyday life.  In years past, I’ve found myself to be under so much pressure in the preparation to leave that I either didn’t enjoy my time away or I had a meltdown upon return – therefore needing a vacation to recover from my vacation.  But this year was different. Don’t get me wrong, I felt a little anxiety about leaving the children and walking away from a company that might find out they can survive without my existence. The truth is, this time I planned better for the return. Not just for the company but for my life outside of work as well.

Life generally runs more smoothly if you don’t stick your head in the sand about tasks that need to be done shortly after your return, even if you are only away for a day. But even if you aren’t going anywhere – pre-planning is the key to almost any situation or challenge. For me it meant writing checks for all my personal bills that were due while I was away or shortly after my return; creating a prioritized to-do list of all the activities that needed to be delegated; communicating tasks that were pending and setting up methods of communication in my absence; creating intentional and limited times each day to check status at home; using the inevitable travel wait times to stay informed; and most importantly, using vacation time as time to think about work life and home life from a big picture perspective. Long walks on the beach, or peaceful evenings gazing at the surf helped to re-evaluate the big items in my life. So often, the frantic flow of daily life keeps us from having time to look at the big picture and make important changes. So I recommend that even if you don’t have the luxury of being swept away to a tropical island like I did – always be well prepared for what’s around the bend.

When thinking about your business, or that next project you have coming up at work – don’t forget to give yourself a chance to count to 10 – to re-evaluate, to reassess – to take a step back, or a step away, and make sure the 30,000-foot view is as good as it is from thisclose. This can help you deal with bigger issues as they arise, ensuring that your future will be a day at the beach!

Despite what some people may think, media relations involves more than sending out the occasional press release.

Reporters and other members of the media receive upwards of 200-300 e-mail pitches a day, 20 percent of which may be relevant to what they write about. The worst thing you can do for your company is send out numerous, off-topic pitches and press releases. One editor of an online monthly periodical actually posted a listing of individuals that he blocked from his e-mail because of the number of irrelevant e-mails he had to go through that had nothing to do with him.

The key to creating a relevant pitch is to thoroughly research the reporters you are contacting. What are their interests? What pieces have they written that are along the same lines as what you are pitching? Do they have any hobbies? How do they like to receive pitches?

Once you’ve done your research, don’t just send out information about your company. Reporters are not in the promotion business, and no matter how fantastic your organization, product or service might be, if they don’t see a story opportunity, you won’t get coverage. The key to getting your name in the papers (or TV, magazines, radio, etc.) is to sell your story, not your company. For example, instead of pitching a fabulous new product or service, pitch the story of how that product or service helped an individual or changed their life for the better.

PR professionals take the time to get to know the reporters they work with and in doing so establish their clients as credible news sources. This does take some time – and a good bit of patience – but in the end, having your company featured in an article as an industry expert, key contributor to the community, or as having a product consumers just can’t life without is an invaluable tool.

I went to an NFL pre-season game this past weekend. The location of the game and the teams that played don’t matter because my team played horribly. I know I shouldn’t worry about it because everyone always says it’s pre-season so it doesn’t really matter. Knowing that and paying to watch it are two entirely different things. As I sullenly sat in the stadium watching my team’s pitiful performance, I began to wonder about that pre-season mentality.

What if I declared that Mondays at my job were my pre-season, and therefore, all the tasks that I perform that day don’t really matter or count? I believe we all know that answer to that question. My pre-season would soon turn into my off season since I would quickly be let go. 

As my attention turned away from the disaster on the field and toward the next snack to enjoy, I thought about how dangerous this attitude can be.  Is it ever okay to just phone in your performance or not be 100% into the task at hand? If I choose to give less than my best today, isn’t it easier to do the same thing tomorrow and the next day and the next? When does it stop? When do you choose to give 100% again?  We’re not all as lucky as the NFL players who literally have a calendar that tells them when it’s time to perform at 100%.

I hadn’t planned on having so much time to think while at the game, but once snack time was over, there wasn’t much else to do.  I realized that night that I disagree completely with the pre-season attitude.  I think that all games should count, and those that don’t should be called practice. Work is work whether it’s on the field or in an office, and all members of the team should be trying their hardest to make a positive impact. 100% should be regulation on any team.

Everyone has heard about those fanatical Star-Trek fans and their fandom conventions. But with the recent rise of “Vamp Romance” books, TV shows, movies, or books that were made into TV shows or movies came a whole new kind of fandom. When we were given the chance to host the largest U.S. convention for fans of the hit book and movie series Twilight, centered around a pair of star-crossed vampire and human lovers, I fully embraced the quirky and sometimes nerdy stigma that can come with fan conventions and leapt at the opportunity to be a part of it – as any true “frog” would.

I, myself, am a huge Twilight fan so I was more than ready to help when Jordan told me about the project, dubbed TwiCon 2009. He and three other partners had decided to host the conference in Dallas, TX, a midway point for the entire U.S., and were anticipating (gulp!) 2500-3000 people from all over the world. In addition, we weren’t only planning this event we were executing it as well. That meant that Leapfrog and the managing TwiCon partners were in charge of everything from start to finish – from the e-commerce Web site and promotional items to the marketing materials to media awareness to promotions to celebrity negotiations to programming and more.

Thankfully, Leapfrog had an incredibly professional and talented team who literally put their blood, sweat and occasional tears into every aspect of TwiCon. And while most of us had never participated in anything nearly as large as this event, we all worked together, learned as much as we could along the way and can now say that we created something incredible.

If I have learned anything from this experience (besides the fact that you CAN live on coffee alone for about 4 to 5 days) it’s that I can handle just about anything I put my mind to. All you need is a supportive team to work with you, a willingness to be flexible and very resourceful, and um… did I mention coffee?

More than that, I learned not to be afraid of uncharted territories. Because even if you’ve never done something before it just might turn out to be the best experience of your life – or your afterlife, as the case may be!

Since I’ve never been to a business seminar before, I didn’t quite know what to expect at the Get Motivated event at the Greensboro Coliseum. It was my first outing as a Leapfrog intern and I was hoping to leave as motivated as Tamara Lowe, emcee and co-founder of the world famous Get Motivated series, promised. I felt a little out of place in a sea of business suits, but as the event began, it seemed like I was at a rock show rather than a business convention.  Each speaker walked out to a different, upbeat theme song,  and upon entering the platform, an explosion of light and flames shot out of each corner of the stage while the emcee encouraged the crowd to give each guest a big welcome as loud as they could!

Rick Belluzzo, former COO of Microsoft, kicked off the morning with tips on how to advance in any career by being flexible, accepting bad news in a constructive manner, always being an active listener and learner and by staying humble.  Next, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani shared his experiences from the September 11th terrorist attacks, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for anything.  Later, several business gurus, including Zig Ziglar and Phil Town, shared their secrets to success, followed by the “Hero of the Hudson” pilot, Captain Chelsey Sullenberger, who gave the crowd goose bumps as he described the day he saved 155 people from a potentially fatal airline disaster, January 15th 2009.  General Colin Powell finished off the action-packed seminar with a personal speech reminiscing on his experience as former Secretary of State. 

So the question is, did I leave motivated? Absolutely - I had a great time and learned valuable information on how to stay motivated and become a successful leader. I look forward to attending more seminars like this one and using my new skills at Leapfrog.--Jessica Rak

I will admit that I chuckled when I first clicked open the link to the 30-second viral spot, sent to me by a friend. The commercial -- produced for a High Point furniture store by a North Carolina-based production company -- takes a decidedly different approach to appealing to customers by playing the race card in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. The spot, which appears to be web-only right now, has gained more than 530,000 hits on YouTube as of today and received national attention on TMZ.com and other sites.

In talking about the true meaning of viral marketing and social media, I offered to my team here at Leapfrog this spot as an example of one way to create buzz for clients in this "gotta-break-through-the-clutter-to-be-successful" world in which we live. It has provoked some fairly fervent debate both here and through my Facebook and Twitter accounts, polarizing viewers pretty effectively. Here's the spot:

As a former intrepid reporter, I decided to phone "The Red House" to gauge the true measurement for any campaign -- whether it has successfully returned their investment or stimulated business. A very good-natured employee at the Red House shared with me that, since the videos launch on April 20, increased business at the store has not materialized, but inocuous phone calls -- asking questions like, "Do you serve Asians, too?" -- have mushroomed. I am sure this is at a cost to the business in labor and as a distraction.

So, to recap: Few would argue that the campaign has been wildly successful (perhaps, even by accident) at gaining worldwide notoriety for the store and for the producers of the spot. I have hard evidence that it has not -- yet -- produced big numbers in terms of sales.  However, I do admit that the use of a very out-of-the-box approach to communications like this is almost mandatory these days -- whether you agree with the M.O. or not.

I am very interested in hearing what you think about this campaign, and its apparent early results, as well as your answer to the question posed in the title to this post.

A little horn-tooting, if you'll allow it: Leapfrog has learned that it won three Hermes Creative Awards -- a very prestigious honor from an even more prestigious international organization.

Click this link to read more about it! 

Often there is confusion between the distinction of vector graphics and bitmap images. Understanding the difference will help ensure the quality of your company’s visual materials in both print and web. 

I like to refer to a bitmap as being an image rather than a graphic. Even though the words “graphic” and “images” are considered interchangeable, I find that to be part of the confusion. A graphic is a computer generated drawing of an object, person or thing. An image, like a photograph, is a representation of a actual object, person or thing.

Bitmap images are made up of pixels in a grid. Each pixel contains specific color information used to create an image. They are an exact visual picture composed of exact information at a fixed size. This pixel goes here and is this color; that one goes there and is this color, and so on. A photograph, whether it was scanned in to your computer or taken by a digital camera, will always be bitmapped. There are thousands of different colors, shading and gradations in a single photograph. It must be composed of hundreds of thousands of individual pixels, too complex to be drawn as Vector Art.

The number of pixels in a bitmapped image determines its resolution: dpi (dots per inch) or ppi (pixels per inch). When printing them, the dpi should be at least 300 at 100% actual size. If you enlarge the original image, the computer will add additional pixels based on the surrounding pixels. Since there is no source for this additional information, the color values have to be estimated. This will cause the image to become blurry and jagged.

Pixels can not change size. It takes more pixels to fill a larger space and less to fill a smaller space. To make an existing bitmap image smaller, pixels are deleted and once that information is thrown away, it is gone for good (which is fine if you are using it for a smaller space). You can repeatedly make an image smaller and maintain the image quality needed for that space. But if you need to increase the size back... I hope you’ve saved the original image.

Vector graphics are quite the opposite. Instead of being a literal representation, they are mathematical creations consisting of points, lines and curves that can be freely manipulated to any size without losing information. The programs used to create them come with instructions on how the graphic is drawn. A vector graphic can be reduced in size to fit a business card and resized again to fit a billboard with no loss of quality. Because of its scaling flexibility, it’s a good idea to have your logo designed in a vector program. And always keep a copy of the original vector art! If you import your vector logo into a bitmap program, such as Adobe Photoshop, your logo will be converted to a bitmap image. There is no way to convert it back to a vector graphic. Once it’s converted to a bitmap, it stays that way.

Vector or bitmap, ALWAYS KEEP A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL FORMAT. 

When providing graphics such as logos to your designer, it is best to give them in a Vector graphic. Common formats include .ai or .eps files that have been created in a vector program, preferably Adobe Illustrator. Photographic images should be provided at its highest resolution and size. Common formats in a high resolution include .psd, .eps, and .jpg.