The headline screams: “American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Screen Actors Guild Reach Agreement on Merger Package for Recommendations to SAG and AFTRA National Board of Directors”.

Tip of the hat to Mercedes Rose for the heads up on Facebook.

Read all about it…this merger WOULD impact professional voice over talent in either union or a VO considering joining the new union.

In years past, these two professionally aligned unions couldn’t really get out of each others way in contractual disputes with studios and production companies and finally each other. People have realized for years that there is no need for TWO unions doing basically the same thing. Finally in the most recent elections, those supporting a merger were elected and now it seems, if the plan is ratified by the memberships, it will happen.

Will anybody outside of New York and Los Angeles care?

I’m not asking that in a snide way, I mean it as a real question: Has the non-union train left the station, not only for the people who join the performing unions but for people who hire the talent?

While talent outside of NY and LA question the value of agents to bring them substantial new work, those same people will debate the value proposition of what a union can really offer in calculable ROI for dues memberships. The performing world operates differently than it used to operate.

If this merger goes through (and I would be surprised if it didn’t) the resultant organization will have a LOT of work to do, I think, to encourage non-members to see significant value in becoming a member. It can be done…but that’s going to be a tall wall to climb.

What do you think will happen following a proposed merger?

Tags: broadcasting, commentary, unions, voice talent, voiceover // 3 Comments »

My friend and bilingual voiceover talent Liz deNesnera recently achieved one of her written goals from Faffcon 3 which was to redesign her web site and rebrand her company.

Take a look for yourself but I think she did a very nice job.

Tags: advertising, branding, marketing, social media, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover // 3 Comments »

Here’s a thought: I was just checking the stats on my Christmas card email blast.

That one email blast with a Christmas card drawing by my daughter was clicked through 830 times (that equates to 830 individual email addresses). That not the impressive statistic.

The impressive statistic is that is was VIEWED as of this writing 1,574 times.

Many people viewed it once but almost 300 people viewed it between 2-17 times!

It’s just a Christmas card right?

Actually, it was more than that…it was creative (all my daughter’s doing) and it was sincere.

Does this make me brilliant? No. I’m sexy, not brilliant….please get that straight. (j/k)

What those numbers (which could be exponentially bigger or smaller depending on your database) represent is people’s willingness, free will and desire to experience something creative…different. And honest.

So real quickly, let’s consider a missed opportunity.

You know what I DIDN’T get in the email once this holiday season? A Hanukkah card. Nobody sent me a Festivus card either.

Did they think I would be put off because that’s not what I celebrate? Heck, someone who thinks enough of me to send me a card for any happy holiday that is so special to them that they want to share it with me I will gladly accept. Wouldn’t you?

What about a St. Patrick’s Day card? Or a Canada Day card? Why not?

(Cue blowhard voice, deep. bellowing and full of gas) “Why Peter, it’s not professional! It might offend!” You know, this may be a personal bias (what offends me might not offend you and vice versa) but for example a Polish person who finds a special, fun, family tradition in Dyngus Day and who wants to send me a note telling me about it so that I might share in that happiness, does not offend me. I am honored even though it’s not my celebration. And I think “that’s different”.

If I saw a $5.00 coupon with that same note, I might question the sincerity of the sentiment

Don’t sell, just be sincere, be unique, be creative. Don’t include a press release, or holiday office hours or anything that screams “Me!” There’s a time and a place for that and certainly it’s still acceptable. But think different. Let’s your prospects become people and let those people see you as something other than a vendor.

Let them see you as a person.

How about we forget cards for a second…what else can you create for folks in your audience that just let’s them know you’re thinking about them?

What can you create that screams “Them!”? That you are thinking of them. Or that you just wanted to share this “fun” or “silly” or “special” something…just because they mean something to you as a person, as a respected individual.

If it were easy, anybody could do it. But you’re not just anybody.

What have you done that really made some client or prospect say “wow” in a good way? Or what ideas are now percolating inside you?

Tags: advertising, community, marketing // Comments Off on creativity in marketing – you’re not trying hard enough

On March 23-25, 2012, Faffcon 4, presented by Voicebank.net will take place in Ventura Beach, CA at the Ventura Beach Marriott.

Registration opens this Friday, January 6 at 12:00 noon eastern time (9:00 a.m. pacific time – check your local listings).

If you are a PAST Faffer, the first 25 spots on the list will be open to YOU a full day before general registration opens, on Thursday January 5th at 9am PT (Noon ET).

I’ll be working on selling sponsorship packages to Faffcon 4 with my friend Connie Terwilliger and some options are not too expensive if you have a product or service you’d like to promote to some very successful or soon to be more successful voice talents (but as in life, nothing is free). Let myself or Connie know if you’d like to support with a nice door prize package or MORE.

Tags: commentary, faffcon // Comments Off on faffcon 4 registration opens friday, january 6th at 9am pt (noon et)

January 1st is not my birthday.

But for those social media outlets that demand a birth date in a profile I decided to make January 1st my Social Media birthday.

I’m not big on putting a lot of vital personal information out on the web, a birthday being just one example of a person’s personal identity puzzle that those with ill intent could use in a nefarious way.

So thanks for your thoughts and wishes. I accept them in the spirit of kindness and friendship that they are offered.

I hope your new year is blessed, happy and safe.

Tags: silliness, social media // 2 Comments »

Email blasts are not new…for my Christmas card to audio’connell Voice Over Talent clients and friends I sent out over 2,500 emails in a single click (“faster than a locomotive, able to leap tall building in a single bound!“). I’m sure you do the same thing…it’s cheap it’s fast and you can capture briefly the attention of a lot of people when ever you feel you need to do that.

But where I think we end up lacking in our collective email blasts is in creativity. Should we tell one story, should we tell multiple stories? Should we microtarget the list or will buckshot do? Most of us don’t drill down very deep. Well at least I don’t.

The above example from my friend and vendor Don Papaj of Marketing Tech shows some simple yet I think effective creativity. (Editor’s note: Yes, I have used his company’s services for direct mail postcards and no this is not a paid nor expected {certainly not expected by Don} commercial). What you cannot see in this graphic is the animation that Marketing Technologies of Western New York includes in this .gif. The buffalo is sleeping on the treadmill and his belly goes up and down with the beer on it (very Buffalo).

I don’t know if there is a holiday that goes by where I don’t get a Marketing Technologies email and that bison isn’t doing something with some kind of logical tie in to a service Don and his team offer. All it takes is a little planning, maybe a bit of technical knowledge (or a vendor who can help provide that technical knowledge) and your email blast can be memorable too.

To be sure, it doesn’t have to look like Don’s….but what about what your are doing in your email marketing is memorable? Why does a recipient want to read your stuff? I mean, you may like the content but do your customers?

I do my own creative on my email blasts – mine aren’t nearly as nice as Don’s stuff but for better or worse the emails are infused with my personality. I try and add SOMETHING that’s different, helpful or funny. I want it to resonate with my audience.

My 2011 Christmas card has at present (with many folks still on vacation since I sent it last Friday) a click thru rate (those who opened it) of 32%. My regular quarterly blast gets about 28% click throughs. Now with email marketing, alot of a blast’s success depends on the list, time of year, messaging…lots of variables…but mine are getting read and I usually end up getting 2-3 calls on new business, the timing of which I can attribute to the email blast. “Aren’t I great,” he said, thumping his chest. No I’m not and that’s not why I offer those stats.

Much like government statistics, answers vary on what the median average is for an email marketing click thru rate. A very quick scan of Google showed “experts” who say 4-6% click thru is great. Others say a median percentage runs between 12-18%. So I’m scoring well but I never feel like it’s good enough.

I should play with the lists, target a bit more specifically and…and…and…oh hell, I got a business to run here and it ain’t a direct mail house. My point is kick up your creative and your blasts may be more explosive…in a good way.

Tags: advertising, commentary, google, marketing // Comments Off on a creative way to get your message across