Versant Blog Center

New Media. New Ideas.

It isn't enough these days to simply create a message, send it out and hope for the best. In today's radically changing media landscape where the audience is invited to participate, the say-and-spray method of the past is not the tried and true approach it once was.

In the case of the Southeast Wisconsin Transit Systems, our client's charge is to build a brand image around an alternative to driving, in addition to increasing ridership on the six bus systems.

We view the new media as a new way to reach out to a young and emerging audience base. To take a page from Marshall McLuhan, the medium is the message.

So our most recent marketing campaign is all about inviting transit advocates to make the media. After all, who knows the reasons for riding the bus better? And, with the advent of easy-to-use technology (phones, digital cameras, editing software and fancy personal computers) and a savvy demo bathed in bits, it's the natural marketing extension.

That's why we invited riders to tell – no, show us – why people should ride the bus with a make-your-own video contest. Go to www.yourotherwheels.com to see the details. To reach the demographic, we partnered with a hip (hop) radio station and utilized the popularity of their morning DJ. In addition, online advertising at targeted sites such as myspace.com and e-mail marketing became the primary tools of engagement.

It's a departure from the traditional approaches, but we are lucky enough to have a client that sees the future and isn't afraid to get on board with it.

A Legend in Broadcasting, if Not Baseball

It's that time of year again. No, not spring. Better. Baseball. It's particularly intriguing this year as one of our clients, Bank Mutual, is a key sponsor of the Milwaukee Brewers Radio Network.

To build brand awareness to the key baby boomer demographic, Versant and Bank Mutual engaged long-time Brewers baseball announcer Bob Uecker for a series of commercials. When it came to production, I lucked out and got to sit in the studio and direct Ueck (OK, Mr. Uecker).

I was particularly impressed with his desire to get the performance down. He spent extra time on making sure the humorous elements had the right punch. He also was attentive to making sure the pace was good to convey the key selling points. We ended up doing a total of 40 takes for eight spots. Most of that was his tweaking the reads to perfection. He would have done 40 more if we asked. And he was gracious and more than happy to read a script for a future company board meeting.

I think "Mr. Baseball" will serve Bank Mutual well. He may not have had a stellar career as a player, but "Mr. Baseball" understands "the game."

88 Percent of Versant March Madness Participants Can't Be Wrong

Huge congratulations to the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee! Last week the UWM men's and women's basketball teams each received automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament by way of Horizon League Tournament Championship victories over Butler and the University of Illinois at Chicago, respectively.

If your office is anything like ours, chances are you've seen NCAA Tournament brackets floating around this week. As Director of the 2006 Versant March Madness Bracket Bash, I can tell you that 88 percent of this year's participants so far have UWM winning at least one tournament game. Even though it is rare for mid-major programs to excel in the big tournament, it is certainly my belief that this is not just wishful thinking. UWM's Sweet Sixteen appearance in last year's tournament, unwavering command of the Horizon League during both the regular season and conference tournament, and the great play by not only their starting squad but also their bench, suggest another trip deep into March for our hometown team.

Standing among 10,020 Panther fans at Tuesday night's Conference Championship victory over Butler (the fourth largest crowd in the history of the U.S. Cellular Arena), it would have been very difficult for anyone not to have great admiration for yet another spectacular season. To everyone involved — thank you for the excitement you've already delivered and good luck at the Big Dance!

Related Link: UWM Athletics - Just Getting Started