The Chevy Volt isn’t selling. It’s not because it looks boring. It’s not because of a battery fire incident. Perhaps it’s because of some political maneuvering. But most likely, it’s GM’s unbelievably confusing and intentionally anti-persuasive advertising.

This isn’t about whether the car is green or not. I’m speaking purely from frustration over what I believe is an advertising campaign designed to cripple the sale of a product. I’m not suggesting the Chevy Volt ads are weak. I’m not suggesting they were put together by someone who didn’t know what they were doing. I’m suggesting that the creative direction that was given to their ads was meant to do two things:

1. Convince the public, shareholders (which, post-bailout, also include the American public) and government officials that GM is indeed trying to promote the Chevy Volt
2. Hobble sales through confusing advertising that does not effectively persuade a consumer to purchase a Chevy Volt, much the same way a political party will muddy the water on an issue until people tune out

Yesterday, the Detroit News reported that GM sold about 7,700 Volts last year, far below their target of 10,000. During the bailout process, GM had originally told congress and the American public they expected to sell a whopping 45,000 this year — but now they are gearing down production to match the (supposed) lagging demand.

Meanwhile, last year Nissan sold about 9,700 of their all-electric Leafs. They expect that number to double this year, perhaps in part because of their competent advertising campaign.

Maybe it’s because some decision-makers at GM didn’t ever really want to build the Volt. What would make me think that? Well, their latest ad would. In this likely expensive spot, a manufacturing line somberly proceeds through a worn-down Detroit community more like a funeral procession than a parade of hope and change.

It’s grimly titled, this isn’t just the car we wanted to build, it’s the car we had to build.

Before it was built, in 2008 the Chevy Volt was sold to the American public as the savior for GM. We bailed GM out in part because we were told they could build a vehicle for the future — one that will have high demand, help lessen impact on the environment and decrease our dependency on foreign oil.

GM’s other ad features a befuddled Chevy Volt onwer taking a potty break at a gas station and being harassed about his purchase by a loudmouth kid and his even more abrasive father.

…and, in this upcoming weekend’s pre-released 2012 Super Bowl spot, some poorly rendered CGI aliens also harass a Chevy owner. At least the spot isn’t depressing.

So why does GM want the Chevy Volt to fail? I don’t know, but this 1996 nuclear holocaust-inspired ad for the now defunct EV-1 suggests a deep level of internal conflict over the existence of an electric car.

Nearly one million children in Georgia are overweight or obese. That puts the state of Georgia in second place for the highest number of obese children in the country, right behind Mississippi. Illinois is close behind at number four. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is filled with children who have type 2 diabetes, hypertension, liver and kidney disease or are in need of joint replacement — all of which could have been avoided with proper weight control. And now, they’re taking a stand.

First, let’s cover some background. It’s a harsh truth that 40% of children in Georgia are overweight. And as you know, Georgia isn’t alone. What you may not expect is how frighteningly fast the rates are rising. The last time data was collected for Illinois, 34.9% of children were overweight — which was a staggering 19.1% rise from 2003 when the rate was 15.8%.

2003 Rates of Overweight and Obese Children

2007 Rates of Overweight and Obese Children

* Obesity is defined as body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile of the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI-for-age growth charts. Children with BMI between the 85th and 95th percentile are classified as overweight. BMI is calculated as weight in  kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Children age 10-17 are included in this data. Courtesy of National Conference of State Legislatures.

It’s a problem not many wish to address for a variety of reasons. We don’t want to embarrass our children. We don’t want to seem mean or judgmental. The fact is that weight issues are deeply personal and emotionally charged. 75% of parents who have overweight or obese children do not recognize the problem.

At the heart of this issue is the fact that most people view being overweight as a cosmetic problem — and while personal appearance is a concern, the real trouble are the heath problems that inevitably worsen as a result. Understandably, it’s often difficult connect health problems that can sometimes occur far in the future. Children are viewed as either resilient (and may grow into a healthy weight) or needing to be protected and sheltered (their self-esteem needs to be insulated).

From a healthcare perspective, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, liver and kidney disease, joint replacement surgery and other health issues precipitated by weight cost over $3.4 billion annually in Illinois alone. That’s because one out of five children are obese and one out of three are obese or overweight — and 62% of our state’s adults are overweight.

The officials at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta have had enough. They’ve launched a five-year, $25 million anti-obesity campaign that includes training pediatricians, developing educational programs in schools, setting up a health clinic, developing a microsite, TV, radio, outdoor, print ads and social media.

The campaign is being praised by the community, families, experts and health officials, but isn’t without controversy. Rodney Lyn of Georgia State University’s Institute of Public Health feels the effort is too harsh and says, “This campaign is more negative than positive.” Frustrated by so much preventable disease, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta patterned the ads after popular anti-smoking and anti-methamphetamine campaigns — and intended them to be blunt. “Ignoring this problem is what got us here. It’s time to wake up,” clearly states the hospital’s microsite strong4life.com.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s campaign is part of a growing movement in the United States to address weight issues head-on. Today, more and more hospitals are already offering nutritional counseling, healthy eating programs, bariatric surgery and other services to adults. Creating a campaign to help children and their parents learn to manage their weight is a courageous undertaking — which can have a truly positive effect on our future.

Doctor visits have steadily declined since 2007. Your first thought may be, “well of course, they’re just finding information online — or getting advice from friends.” But surprisingly, surveys show they’re not doing that either.

The Center for Studying Health System Change performed a massive survey of 17,000 patients and released their findings two months ago in November of 2011. They found that between 2007 and 2010 visits to physicians dropped 4%. Surprisingly, the percentage of adults who sought information about a personal health concern in the previous 12 months decreased from 55.5% to 50% in the same period.

I find this study surprising for a number of reasons — including who is searching for health information. We tend to think that the number of older Americans and those with chronic illness who are looking for health information should be on the rise — especially with our aging baby boomer population. But that demographic, along with those who have lower education levels, have shown the largest decrease of interest in health information.  While searches for health information declined across every demographic, not surprisingly, those with high education levels remained the most likely to be interested in their health.

This all seems very disturbing, doesn’t it? It’s easy to worry that the general population has given up and isn’t interested in their well-being anymore — and in turn, easy to worry about the economic well-being of healthcare providers. Why are doctor visits down and searches for health information seemingly declining? As with most complex problems, there’s a complex answer:

1. The overabundance of health-related information. There is such an overabundance of health information that people are now so easily getting the information they need they do not perceive themselves as actively searching or researching. (And thus not answering the survey questions correctly.) In other words, you don’t think about how you’re going to water your garden in a rainstorm. This overabundance of information may lead people to believe they already know what they need to know. Finally, when you’re in an echo-chamber it’s hard to remember where a specific sound originated.
2. Confusion over or lack of health insurance/benefits. Health insurance has become so complex that some individuals are emotionally skeptical that they won’t be covered and will have to pay high out-of-pocket charges. Even if they are covered, some may still fear their claim will be unjustifiably denied and they may become embroiled in a paperwork hassle. The increasing population of illegal immigrants and the unemployed may further explain the decline.
3. Immediate/urgent care, supermarket and pharmacy quick-serve clinics. 2009 and 2010 saw easy-access and quick-serve healthcare brought out of the hospital and into the grocery store, greatly increasing competition. As well, with easier access, people would be less concerned about managing their healthcare when they can see someone so easily — and pick up a gallon of milk in the same place. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are now able to treat many conditions that only doctors were able to take care of in 2007.
4. Alternative care isn’t as alternative anymore. Major corporations are beginning to cover chiropractic, massages, acupuncture and other once-alternative treatments in an effort to reduce or stave-off medical claims and costs.
5. Online resources have matured to become trusted veterans of healthcare information. Once-feared online resources have given way to sites like WebMD which have become trusted proprietors of reliable and updated health information. It wasn’t long ago that you had to visit your library or bookstore to search for the latest information as new technology and knowledge progressed. Books become outdated and have to be replaced — but WebMD does not. It’s easier to say you don’t think about where to get health information when it’s available on your smartphone anytime.
6. We’ve realized doctors are human. I have a friend who once told me, “I used to think doctors knew everything. And then I married one.” Her point was meant to be funny, but it’s true as well. As we all have gained more access to information, doctors have been taken off the pedestal we gave them as exclusive authorities of health information.

Source: Surprising Decline in Consumers Seeking Health Information, Center for Studying Health System Change, November 2011

It comes down to this: I don’t think that anyone should fear the appetite for health information has declined  — anymore than you should fear that people are reading less because book sales are down. We’ve just changed how we’re consuming — while at the same time it has become harder to tell truth from opinion. It’s up to us to rise above the cacophony of information to position healthcare providers as  safe, reliable and up-to-date resources.

Of course it’s just for fun, but grassroots, guerrilla marketing-style ads for WGN Radio’s John Williams are showing up in some unusual places. And social media is pushing them out even further.

John Williams is a little upset. He’s noticed that afternoon-drive host Garry Meier gets billboards. New morning host Jonathon Brandmeier gets billboards. But not him. So he’s asked listeners help him out. It’s all in fun, but sometimes that’s what good advertising is about. I found out about this through social media — which is helping give his campaign a further push.

A porta-potty at a construction site in Berwyn, IL asks users to listen.

A sign asking to “Save Millington Post Office” is re-appropriated for John Williams.

A post-it note ad left in a free copy of “Coffee News.”

Lynn Genter’s snowman decal promotes John Williams from the rear seat of her convertible.

Pzazz Gifts & Home Decor in McHenry, IL is giving shoppers a 15% discount for mentioning the John Williams sign.

Austin’s Barber Shop in Beloit, WI placed an ad on the ceiling.

WGN’s Traffic Reporter, Leslie Keiling put a sign up in her local Jewel Osco.

John Williams’ own sign in WGN Radio’s Showcase Studio in the Tribune Tower.

Malls and big box stores are getting smarter. But will the public and politicians view it as acceptable or an invasion of privacy?

Privacy is a funny thing. We all say we want it — but we’re also willing to quickly give it up if we believe it’s in our best interest (think national security) or if we don’t really understand how we’re giving it up (think Facebook and Google).

Website analytical tools have long been able to track visitors as they click through menus, products and pages. Full disclosure: tracking website visitor and social media behavior are some of the things at which we excel. Based on click-through data, we’re able to find how visitors move through a site and what they’re interested in based on the patterns of breadcrumbs they leave. This information is important. It makes better websites, better user experiences and, of course, helps increase sales.

But if you have a brick-and-mortar store you’ve had to rely on surveys, eye-witness accounts and inventory and purchase data. That is until now. Companies like Beemedia, RetailNext and Path Intelligence have invented technologies to learn about shopper behavior in real-world pedestrian environments.

Anonymous data collected from the paths people walk through their environment can provide a wealth usable information — just as it does online. For example, tracking how people respond to sale signs and banners during an event (ie. how effective they are at causing a shopper to visit a particular display or area) can help create more effective advertising and promotional tools. It can help tell a manager where to deploy sales associates, what products to highlight and which to remove. It can even help reduce inventory shrinkage (products lost through deterioration, obsolescence, pilferage, theft, and/or waste.)

The technology to track pedestrian behavior works in different ways. Beemedia offers free wi-fi — and uses the signals they receive to anonymously triangulate wireless devices. RetailNext uses advanced software to monitor existing in-store security camera video, as they do for Family Dollar. Path Intelligence’s FootPath technology uses anonymous cell phone signals. This past holiday season several malls began testing Path Intelligence’s FootPath technology, but after being installed only one day, the experiments were suspended following privacy concerns from Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Real-life retail tracking is coming — and the necessary results it will provide will not only translate into profits for stores but also better shopping experiences for visitors.

I’ve heard a lot of people talking about the massive impact Steve Jobs has had on the computing world since the news spread over Twitter and Facebook about his passing. I haven’t heard many talk about the quantum impact he’s had on our world as a whole. I’ll explain.

Steve Jobs is a rare individual — rare on a Jeffersonian scale. His push to make computers simpler, cleaner and more efficient began with a design that included a monitor and CPU all-in-one. The stout little original Macintosh Classic, with it’s unique graphical user interface (GUI), was a completely different way of looking at how we interacted with computers and how they fit into our lives. I learned design on a Mac Classic before there was anyone who could teach me about it.

Of course Jobs has had an impact on how computers function. I believe his impact extends beyond that into how we function. He’s impacted how we interact with each other. How we access information. How we learn. And that’s where his impact begins to compound on itself and grow exponentially — in a word, his impact becomes quantum.

Jobs heads up Apple, a company which creates tools that creative people use to create other things. Most creatives design, build, educate and inspire others from the the drawing table that is our Apple computers. From writers to designers to architects to chemists — so many of us start on a common platform which for so long seemed a little rogue — like an outsider’s alternative choice and even a physical identity (are you a Mac or a PC?).

It may sounds obvious, but to me it’s quite profound. For a creative, a computer is like a violin. It can be an object of beauty by itself, but in the right hands becomes a tool to create something amazing. A feeling. A desire. Something that can last a moment (like a website) or something that can last forever (a concept that takes hold of our collective imagination).

Many of us are remembering Steve Jobs today. For me, the best way I can remember Steve Jobs is to keep creating and inspiring others. That’s quantum.

Your sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, but now it may give you the clairvoyance to update your Facebook status. Or perhaps you’d like to boot up the old the W.O.P.R. or tap it out on your brand new iPhone 5.

Well now you can! With Status Via (inspired by a redit post) you can choose your method of Facebook status delivery.

But come on, really folks — let’s back up a minute. It’s cute. But how can we really use this to our advantage? Well, why are there those little tags declaring that that post was delivered from your Droid anyway? Advertising, of course. This is could be a clever little opportunity for marketers to allow customers to post status updates directly from their organizations or products.

Status updates from a product you sell or manufacture? How about from patients at your hospital? How can you do this? You’d have to use Facebook’s Status Message API to label updates with whatever source you want. Go forth and have some fun with your next marketing campaign. And may the force be with you.

Example:

This morning the British tabloid The Sun reported that Apple is developing technology that will allow for an external transmitter to deactivate your iPhone camera at concert venues. Obviously, it could be a terrible marketing move — but not just for Apple.

First, let’s learn about the technology, which isn’t entirely evil. Apple filed a patent on June 2, 2011 to include infrared technology in their cameras. Infrared sensors, like the inexpensive ones included in your TV remote, transmit data via invisible light within line-of-sight. Infrared sensors are inexpensive, tiny and the idea to combine them with cameras is brilliantly simple. There could be thousands of uses for this.

As an example of this technology being used for good, Apple envisions museums could use this to lead tours or provide extra information. When a visitor points a camera at an object or display, a small transmitter hidden next to the object will send a data signal to the iPhone to play videos, display text or other information. It doesn’t take too much effort for me to envision the wonderful things this technology could bring. I could come up with about a dozen robust advertising and marketing uses right now.

Now for the evil part. Apple is also including the ability for an external transmitter to disable the iPhone’s camera. The example they use is theaters and concert venues. Some venues already employ wireless phone signal jammers to prohibit texting and phone calls. Now they could place small transmitters around the stage to render iPhone cameras useless. As well, virtual and invisible “watermarks” could also be applied to objects, printed images — or anything — rendering them un-photographable. Again, it doesn’t take too much effort for me to envision the worrisome things this technology could bring — like police officers and TSA agents buttoning the tiny watch-battery-powered transmitters to their uniforms to prohibit recording (something Rodney King would probably take issue with).

Civil rights issues aside, we’re both here to talk about marketing. You and I know that record labels and movie executives will be the two most enthusiastic supporters of this cell phone camera-disabling technology. But in my opinion, they’re some of the people who should dread it the most.

I recently saw the innovative cellist Zoe Keating in concert at the Evanston SPACE, a small urban venue, north of Chicago. Recording was officially prohibited, but around me sat several individuals holding up their iPhones and Android phones, quietly recording bits of the performance. The Evanston SPACE ignored them, as did Zoe Keating. [Please see the update below from Zoe Keating] Where did those videos and images wind up? YouTube. Facebook. Twitter. Their personal blogs. They will be seen by others and hopefully new people will become introduced to Zoe Keating, and the beautiful and intimate Evanston SPACE. Will those people feel satisfied that they no longer need to see Zoe Keating live, or see another live performance at Evanston SPACE because they saw a shaky video with poor audio? Of course not.

As an advertising and marketing agency, we’re constantly looking for opportunities to promote things. Social media is one of several powerful mediums to share information, and fresh content is always needed. Record labels, movie executives, theaters, concert halls, venues and the artists themselves should be embracing amateur photography and recordings (as long as they’re not distracting to others watching the performance) instead of fighting them and creating enemies out of those that support them the most. They should empower everyone in the audience to be what they already really want to be: motivated and happy advocates and ambassadors who want to share their experience with others — and help promote you for free.

Apple files patents all the time for things that they never make it into production, and there’s no word on whether or not this new technology will ever see the light (or infrared light) of day. Hopefully this camera-disabling feature will remain on paper in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and not in your pocket.

For now, look for ways you can empower your clients and customers to help spread the word about you. It’s the best kind of marketing move you can make.

UPDATE Zoe Keating isn’t just savvy about combining music and technology, she’s also pretty adept at social media. She actively engages with her fans on her Facebook page and Twitter. She wanted to clarify her stand on this and emailed the following note:

“In your story last week about Apple potentially blocking video recording, you mentioned a concert of mine where video was not allowed. The implication is that I didn’t allow the video. I want to set the record straight so that no one is confused: I allow and actively encourage video and photos at my shows. The only thing I ask is that mediatakers be aware of other members of the audience and not impede their experience of the concert (i.e. by holding a camera over your head and blocking other’s view.). At my concerts where video is not allowed, it is because it is venue’s policy that I cannot change.”
Thanks very much, Zoe

Microsites have been around for some time, but I still encounter quite a few people who either don’t know what they are — or how they can be a powerful addition to an advertising and marketing campaign.

This microsite was developed as part of our “Memorial ER Stories” campaign. The campaign was designed to extend the lifespan of the core message that Memorial’s ER was the number one choice of Springfield, IL residents.

For the uninitiated, microsites are exactly what they sound like: small websites that exist at a separate domain from your corporate website. They’re similar to landing pages in that they help with tracking and analytics, you can choose clever domain names and fun graphics — but there’s more.

Let’s take a look at the seven most important principles of microsites.

1. Each microsite should have a single purpose
Microsites tackle a specific segment of your overall market, a specific message, a particular important event, product or service, advertising campaign or geographic location. Basically they can help deliver a set of information quickly and more compellingly than your larger corporate website. The best microsites have a simple and engaging design, a highly focused message and no more than about a dozen pages (here’s a great example of a very small microsite.  So small it’s called a landing page). They’re an important spoke in the wheel of your overall herding (what’s herding?) campaign — which may involve print, social media, radio, TV, PR and online banner advertising.

2. A microsite should improve confidence
When you’re wading though search results and information online the water tends to get a little muddy. Sending people directly to your website doesn’t usually help either. Microsite visitors aren’t distracted with complex navigation choices and information that’s not directly relevant to why they’re there in the first place. By delivering only the most pertinent information — in an easily viewable way — you can promote confidence in your potential clients or customers — leading to higher conversion rates.

3. Microsites should be small but meaty
One of the biggest mistakes some marketers make can make with a microsite is making it too light and fluffy. Microsites should be meaty — but lean. In most circumstances there should never be any teasers. Without enough information to satisfy a visitor they’re likely to leave.

4. Microsites should provide instant gratification
Build it for speed. After all, you’re creating a microsite so that viewers don’t get bogged down in the wealth of content on your full site. Give the viewer what they came there for, only what they came there for — and do it fast — but never in a Flash.

5. Microsites should allow users to find information on their own
Don’t be so controlling. Unless you have a very specific story or message to tell, “guided flow” site architecture can seem a little suffocating. Provide clear navigation choices to allow a user to explore on their own terms and at their own pace. This type of navigation has a secondary benefit. Studies have shown that users who discover things on their own through information foraging can develop an information scent trail. When users feel that they have found information on their own they take ownership of it, building an affinity with your brand and less like you’ve sold them something.

6. Microsite navigation should be intuitive
If there’s one tenet of a microsite it’s simplify. Offer a few simple, quick choices on the landing page, followed up with highly targeted information. Breaking your information into several subtopics makes it easier for people to consume what they need. Each navigation link should allow the viewer to explore and learn more — without forcing them to dig for the information they really want. A big, long, scrolling page of content isn’t useful.

7. Microsites should be economical and agile
Creating a microsite shouldn’t be an ordeal. Designing one should be only a little more work than a simple landing page. Because they’re part of your marketing message and not directly tied into your corporate website they can be deployed quickly, hopefully without committee after committee tangling it up in red tape. You can even create two microsites with  A/B versions so you can conduct multivariate testing to experiment with different content, presentation and conversion offers.

If there’s an 8th principle, it’s that microsites shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions. Much like that champagne in your refrigerator, what are you saving it for? Microsites can be created for just about any purpose, quickly and easily. If they’re created on an open platform they can be changed easily and updated at little cost.

Was it okay for Walter E. Smithe to pay for a farewell party for outgoing mayor Richard M. Daley in exchange for some video testimonials from attendees for advertising purposes? Of course. Was it wrong that journalists and politicians participated. Of course not. Did Walter E. Smithe partially miss a great opportunity? Absolutely.

This morning Chicago journalist Robert Feder was interviewed by Greg Jarrett on WGN Radio about the blog he posted this morning. He’s fuming about how Chicago journalists would participate in a love-in for the outgoing Mayor. I understand where Feder is coming from. He’s a journalist and he’s upset about about ethics, though I see no need to fume. I’m more upset about the advertising.

First of all, kudos to Walter E. Smithe for having the idea to sponsor a party for Daley — and getting celebrities, politicians, journalists and others to give their well-wishes on camera including:

• Former President George W. Bush
• Chicago anchor legends Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson
• Longtime Chicago broadcaster Bob Sirott
• WBBM anchor Rob Johnson
• NBC5 anchor Allison Rosati
• Ed Bus, Chicago’s most famous fake alderman
• Reporter Natalie Martinez
• Eric Ferguson, morning radio host on WTMX
• Chicago comedian and actor George Wendt of Cheers fame
• Celebrity chef Paula Deen
• The cast of Chicago’s Second City

From a journalism perspective Bill Kurtis is the only one who truly leaps over the line at full speed by saying Daley is Chicago’s “best mayor” while sitting behind the anchor desk in CBS 2 Chicago’s studio. Kurtis, of all people, should have known better. Rob Johnson and Allison Rosati approach the line in an uncomfortable way, but don’t quite cross it. From an advertising perspective, all these indiscretions weaken the ad and should have been cut. This spot could have easily been saved.

If Walter E. Smithe hadn’t paid for the party, this morning we might have be hearing from John Kass instead — complaining about how Chicago taxpayers had to foot the bill. Advertising keeps broadcast television free. It helps keep the cost of your newspapers and magazines low. It also helps keep much of the content online free — including Feder’s own blog which is sprinkled with ads.

So who’s wrong here? (a) Feder is wrong that the journalists who participated in this were “bought” by a furniture retailer and free drinks. (b) A few of the journalists are wrong for overtly kissing Daley’s butt, even if he is walking out the door. And (c) Walter E. Smithe was wrong for failing to frame the concept of their own TV spot better. Monday Morning Quarterbacking advertising is easy, but with a little thought there are several specific things that could have been done with some light on-camera direction to make the spot stronger and feel less icky. It could have been framed as a tongue-in-cheek “This Is Your Life” parody. It could have been framed as a classy “we’ll miss you Mayor Daley” spot. If I gave this a few more minutes of thought I could come up with a half-dozen other ideas. Instead, they just strung a bunch of clips together with practically no memorable moments. It’s okay, but with all these recognizable faces it could have been more.

Daley’s been mayor of Chicago for 22 years. Regardless of your politics you’ve got to appreciate the significance of that. Saying a few nice things at a farewell party is completely appropriate. In the end, it was a great idea that ended up as a missed opportunity. It could have been funny, it could have been smart — and it could have gone viral — if only it had been done a little better.