Since each client is unique, Domus develops the most appropriate reporting and communications systems to meet their needs.  This can include any or all of the following:  creative briefs, decision reports, weekly hot lists, weekly status reports, monthly client meetings, quarterly and annual results analysis as well as other customized reports requested by the client.  Many of the above reports we are now converting to a digital dashboard that allows our clients easy access to this information at the touch of a button.

Domus’ workflow and communication processes have been proven over the years.   In fact, we are often called upon by our own clients, to help them  establish their internal processes and systems to improve their marketing communications efficiency. 

So the next time you’re considering bypassing a process for the sake of speed, remember the importance of standard procedures in the creative environment and how ultimately it will help you deliver better product in the end.

Joanne Michael is an Executive Vice President at Domus, Inc., a marketing communications agency based in Philadelphia. For more information, visit http://www.domusinc.com. For new business inquiries, please contact CEO and founder of Domus, Inc. Betty Tuppeny at betty.tuppeny@domusinc.com or 215-772-2805.

According to the recent J. D. Power and Associates Inaugural Cross-Industry Report on Best Practices in Customer Service, during the past decade, average satisfaction scores for service-oriented industries have remained flat, unlike in product-based industries, for which satisfaction has improved steadily. In addition, across all service industries measured by J.D. Power, gaps in satisfaction between the highest- and lowest-performing brands have increased considerably between 2003 and 2010.  This is a sad state of affairs for the “service” industry.

In this same report, J. D. Powers recognized Customer Service Champions (the top 5 percent of 800 companies evaluated) representing a variety of different industries, from financial services and insurance to automotive and travel.  All had one thing in common: they do more than deliver on their customers’ expectations – they exceed them.  Which makes good business sense.  Brands that excel in providing customer service often enjoy higher rates of customer retention, pricing advantages and reduced costs to acquire new customers, compared with companies that have lower levels of customer service satisfaction.  Among customers of brands designated as J.D. Power Customer Service Champions, 62 percent said they “definitely would” recommend the brand to family and friends, while just 23 percent of customers of other companies included in the report said the same.  Additionally, 58 percent of customers of J.D. Power Customer Service Champions said they “definitely would” repurchase products or services from those brands, compared with just 36 percent of customers of other brands included in the report.

So how does Domus delight its clients?  It’s by constantly asking clients about their business and proactively providing business building ideas.  It’s presenting in person when it’s much easier to send an email.  It’s responding immediately to their requests.  It’s telling a client that we’ll have the project complete in five  days and then delivering it in four days.  It’s providing a recommendation, when the client only asked that you research an opportunity.  It’s not only securing an interview with the L.A. Business Journal that’s been our client’s wish list, but getting them the Orange Country Business Journal as well.  It’s developing and executing a virtual press event that generated 30 top industry media in attendance while saving the client thousands of dollars vs. a traditional media event.  It’s offering to do a brainstorming session with a client on a new product launch as a value add service rather than charging a fee.  It’s making their lives easier.

So don’t settle for satisfying your clients – delight them!

The afternoon blahs got you feeling fatigued and lethargic?  Can’t find the energy you need to focus?  Need a pot of coffee just to make it through the afternoon?  It happens to all of us sometimes. I exercise frequently. I eat well. My metabolism should be running high, but still I get tired in the afternoons, on occasion.

If you suffer from a lack of energy during the workday what can you do to combat the fatigue and power through your day like a champ?  Try some of the strategies below.  Pick options that you can commit to over the long-term and start enjoying a more productive and energized day at the office. You may even inspire others to become more invigorated too.

Make time breaks and movement

Take a 15-minute break and get outside for a walkabout. While outside your body will absorb vitamin D, which can improve your mood and increase your energy.

Take a five-minute break every hour. At a bare minimum stand up and stretch to get your blood flowing.

Breaks are crucial to distracting your mind from work and the change in movement will increase blood circulation providing oxygen and nutrients to organs and muscles. Increased blood circulation will help keep you mentally alert and prevent muscle fatigue.

Start an exercise program

Exercise in the morning.  This will get your day started on a positive and active note. In the summer, mornings are the coolest time of the day for vigorous exercise.  This will set the tone for the rest of the day and free up your evenings for other activities. Your workout needn’t be extraordinary to have positive benefits to you throughout the day.  Find a routine that works for you and is sustainable.

Pay attention to nutrition

Drink water! Carbonated water is fine, but flat water will provide better hydration. Drink at least 4 to 6 cups per day. Don’t wait until you are thirsty, keep some water nearby at all times.  Too little water can lead to mental fatigue and muscle cramps.

Don’t skip breakfast.  Lack of time is no excuse.  Make time or eat some healthy raw food such as fruits and vegetables.  This will fuel you through the morning hours and prevent overeating at lunch, which can often lead to increased sleepiness in the afternoon.

Eat healthful food. Candy and other sugary foods will provide an energy spike causing you to crash quickly thereafter and feeling hungry again.  Choose high protein snacks that will leave you feeling satiated longer and provide extended energy.  For quick energy eat fruits that provide natural sugars as well as fiber. Eating small but frequent healthy snacks can keep your metabolism revved up all day.

Avoid eating heavy meals at work.  These will cause drowsiness shortly after your meal.  Again, eating healthy and balanced meals will provide extended energy and quality calories for your body.

Infrequently, for a quick but short boost, consumption of highly caffeinated beverages can provide the fix you require. However, artificially maintaining an energy level is not an acceptable and sustainable long-term plan. If caffeine is a requisite, try some options with reduced caffeine such as green tea, yerba mate, or dark chocolate.  Mint tea can be refreshing without the caffeine.

Make some changes to your work environment

Stop sitting so much.  The modern office is one of the greatest evils in the modern world.  Stand up to perform your work as much as possible.  Switch to a specialized stool or exercise ball for a seat that encourages improved posture and proper breathing.

Decrease the temperature.  Keep you work area as chilly as you can while remaining comfortable.

Use scents to awaken yourself. Place some essential oils at your desk or bring in some fresh herbs like mint or rosemary and put them in a vase with water.

Stay mentally sharp

Learn the benefits of a power nap. Use part of your lunch break for a quick snooze. To boost alertness upon waking drink a small cup of coffee before you nap.  Caffeine requires 20-30 minutes to really kick in which incidentally is the perfect amount of time for a power nap.

Set aside approximately 30 to 60 minutes of quiet time in your day.  Let your brain reboot.  Focus on deep breathing into your belly.  Use this time to rest and recover.

Keep a positive mental attitude.  Force it if you must, but stay committed to positivity.  It will create a more alert brain and breed positive feedback that will motivate and energize you.  The mind body connection is powerful.  Let positive energy fuel your mind and healthy foods fuel your body.

Free your mind with positivity.  Take a moment to make a list of things you are thankful for, look forward to, are proud of, etc.  This simple exercise will remove you from your work for a moment and energize your mind and spirit.

Engage energized and positive individuals.  The interaction will leave you revitalized.  Better yet, be that person to others.  You will reap the rewards while paying it forward.

If you have many tasks to do in your day, perform the tedious or boring tasks in the morning and save the more exciting or physical tasks for the afternoon.  Physical activity increases circulation, which aids alertness.

Focus on one task; feeling overwhelmed by all your tasks is often cited as a cause of burnout. Put energy and presence into just the task at hand. Give the task the attention and weight it requires; this will improve you sense of accomplishment.

Let your music energize you. Select music that motivates you.  Share music with coworkers, it will spread some joy and have you moving around the office.

Have a good laugh.

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Try some of these suggestions on a regular basis and feel the improvement in your energy throughout the day.  Find strategies that work for you and allow you to remain committed.  Turn your newfound energy into increased productivity you and your company can be proud of.

Some clients need technical writing, others need help with media buying, others want efforts devoted specifically to social media – we cater to all of these needs and evolve as the client’s needs and objectives change. By using this approach we’re able to be nimble and move with the client – our clients aren’t locked into a rigid, 12-month plan; as their focus changes – so do we. They move, we move. We believe each client and each project presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities.  That’s why we develop customized teams of specialized resources to fulfill each client’s unique needs.

That is our promise and we deliver on it.

Domus, Inc. is an integrated digital and traditional marketing communications agency that delivers unconventional thinking and out-of-the-box strategies that help our clients sustain growth and demand brand awareness.  For more information, please visit us at http://www.domusinc.com.

Tommy Thompson,

Former US Secretary of Health and Human Services

I have previously posted on this blog about the importance of working some exercise into your day. An effort must be put into living a healthy lifestyle if we wish to feel better, live longer, and be more productive in life.  The benefits of healthy living are well documented, yet Americans still have difficulty committing to important changes that will benefit them and their lifestyle.

Employers can play a vital role in empowering workers to be healthier.  The real cost to employers for unhealthy employees goes well beyond salary and the ever-increasing cost of medical benefits.  Healthcare costs are steadily rising because Americans continue to live sedentary lifestyles, avoid exercise, and eat an unhealthy diet. According to the Center for Disease Control, American adults visited a physician’s office 956 million times from 2007 to 2008. That’s a lot of lost productivity for employers.

Since so many of our waking hours are spent at work, it’s an ideal place to find the support that can change our lives for the better.  Employers who invest in a wellness program will find the return on investment to be far beyond what they likely predicted.  Employees will be more productive, effective, and efficient.  General morale and synergy will increase as a result of effective group wellness programs.

It’s been a desire of mine to lead such a program at Domus, Inc.  Being a small, relatively young organization, I believe implementing this type of program will be both manageable and fun.  As I searched online for information, I noticed that the same themes are frequently promoted by healthcare and government websites. Check out some of the highlights and strategies I came across while looking into corporate wellness programs:

Getting Started

• Select a leader for the organization and implementation of the wellness program
• Form a task force to research, develop and promote the program

• Establish a budget – there are federal and local government grants available to support company sponsored wellness programs

• Conduct a survey to determine interest and types of services/programs that appeal to the employees. Some may be interested in walking every day at lunch; others might be more interested in activities outside of work hours like hiking or cycling. Finding a program your employees like will help them stick with it!
• Assess general lifestyles of the employees and institute appropriate strategies
• Clearly explain the benefits of being healthy
• Designate an area within the organization or a suitable offsite location for exercise – even consider a corporate gym membership!
• Get quotes from professionals to increase the effectiveness and authority of the program (e.g. Certified Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor, Nutritionist)
• Develop a plan employees can stick to and establish goals and outcomes
• Choose activities that will help employees achieve the established outcomes

Participation and Adherence

• Promote the wellness program – use periodic special events to keep employees interested
• Encourage activity in daily life outside of the workplace
• Encourage participation in group activities
• Demonstrate and track progress
• Provide healthy snacks to aide employees in their nutritional goals
• Provide incentives that are achievable and meaningful (e.g. offer premium discounts on health insurance for top participants in the program)
• Promote IBX Healthy Lifestyles or other health insurance programs for extra incentives and rewards

Results

• Lower cost per employee for employers
• Reduced stress
• Better sleep and recovery
• Improved production
• Reduced turnover
• Decreased absenteeism
• Fewer injuries
• Healthier and happier employees

With care and enthusiasm put into the planning process a company can establish a quality program at a reasonable budget. By providing time and attention to the program the organization ensures that employees will stay motivated and adhere to the plan.  A successful program will eventually result in ROI for the company through increased productivity and overall healthier employees.

Some keys to a wellness program’s success include:

• Commitment and support from management
• Leadership and a committed planning committee or task force
• Positive health messages from the company and an environment that supports health lifestyles
• Frequent and regular contact with employees
• Integration with other employee benefits
• Access to a variety of health promotion programs
• Incentives to motivate employees to participate
• Effective targeting of high-risk individuals
• Health promotion program goals linked to business objectives
• Effective planning, continuity, and follow-through on all program activities
• Ongoing evaluation that reports on health and quality of life improvements, cost reductions, and return on investment goals

Organizations should never underestimate the value of their employees, but companies can increase the value of their employees by empowering them to live healthier lives. The spring and summer seasons are an excellent time to start a wellness program at your company.  Do this for your staff and the company will reap the benefits right along with the employees!

In America today a majority of the workforce lives a sedentary lifestyle.  We sleep in comfy beds, wake up to sit on a sofa while watching our favorite morning show, ride in a car or on a train to the office, sit in front of a computer, then travel back to our homes where we sit and watch TV until it’s time to get back in our comfy beds.  This routine is truly killing us.

Sitting or remaining inactive for most of the day with little or no exercise characterizes our sedentary lifestyle. This lack of exercise can cause shrinking and weakening of the muscles and increases our likelihood of injury. The accompanying reduction in physical fitness is generally associated with a weakening of the immune system. Yet, despite the many known benefits of exercise, most adults continue to lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle and therefore never achieve the health benefits of exercise.

According to various surveys and studies, 60-70% of the U.S. adult population is overweight, obese, or extremely obese. A lack of physical activity is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide and is a factor in many physical and mental ailments.

A sedentary lifestyle coupled with decreased metabolic rate factors heavily into the root of our unhealthy culture and contributes to or is a risk factor for:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Bad attitude (Considered a real problem at many workplaces)
• Temperament
• Cardiovascular disease
• Increased mortality
• Diabetes
• Colon cancer
• High blood pressure/Hypertension
• Obesity
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Lipid disorders
• Kidney Stones
• Liver disease
• Stroke
• Sleep apnea
• Gallbladder disease

Most of us have sedentary jobs. Work takes up a significant part of the day. What can we do to increase physical activity during the workday?  It doesn’t require a large commitment to get started.  What’s important is that you make a commitment to improve your life.  Start small and gradually increase your periods of exercise.  Make it a habit, part of your daily routine. Plan and follow a schedule – exercise, meals, sleep.

A recent New York Times article stated, “… a sedentary person’s risk of dying prematurely from any cause plummeted by nearly 20 percent if he or she began brisk walking (or the equivalent) for 30 minutes five times a week.” Do you need a better reason to begin an exercise regimen?

According to the Mayo Clinic, below are seven specific ways exercise can improve your life:

1. Exercise improves your mood.
2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.
3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.
4. Exercise boosts your energy level.
5. Exercise promotes better sleep.
6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.
7. Exercise can simply be fun.

In addition to these I would like add the following benefits that companies can expect from healthier employees:

1. Reduced medical expenses
2. Less missed time due to illness
3. More productivity from a more alert and happier workforce
4. Better ideas and increased employee input
5. Better employee retention by companies that encourage healthy lifestyles
6. Improved company reputation
7. Increased employee interaction and synergy

We know the dangers of living a sedentary lifestyle.  We know the advantages of regular exercise.  How can we work exercise into our already hectic lives?  It starts with making exercise a priority. Treat excercise like a job. Put it on the calendar. Schedule physical activity as you would any other appointment during the day. Don’t change your exercise plans for every interruption that comes along. Plan, schedule, adhere. Treat it as something that simply MUST. GET. DONE.

Be creative in how you incorporate exercise into you daily life.  Find the things that work for you and make them habit.  Habit and routine will ease your transition from a sedentary desk jockey to an active office jock.

Ways to increase activity and introduce exercise:

• Stand while talking on the telephone
• Stand up often to do any routine task
• Make the switch to a standing desk
• Take any opportunity to walk to your coworker rather than call or email
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get off a few floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way
• Take it on the road. If you travel for work, plan ahead. Bring your jump-rope or choose a hotel that has fitness facilities. Learn calisthenics and do them in your hotel room. If you’re stuck in an airport waiting for a plane, grab your bags and take a walk.
• Participate in or start a recreation league at your company (softball, bowling, ski club)
• Form a sports team to raise money for charity events
• Start a lunchtime walking group. The regular routine and the support of your co-workers may help you stick with the program.
• Join a fitness center near your job. Work out before or after work to avoid rush-hour traffic, or drop by for a noon workout
• Join a fitness class – Yoga is an excellent choice for any fitness level
• Hire a personal trainer – the investment will promote adherance
• Walk around your building, business park, or city for a break during the workday or during lunch
• Take fitness breaks. Rather than hanging out having coffee or a snack, take a short walk
• If you’re scheduling a meeting with another coworker, take it on the road and hold the meeting while you walk
• Active travel – choose a mode of transportation that is human powered.  Buy a bike and ride to work.  Buy some walking shoes and walk to work.
• Park far away from work and walk
• Get off the train earlier and walk farther
• Brainstorm project ideas with a co-worker while taking a walk
• Get off the bus a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way to work or home
• Walk to a location far away to get your lunch
• Start and end your day by taking your dog for a long walk or put the kid in a stroller and take a long stroll

In the end it’s all about being more active. So get moving! Life has changed over the years in America.  Gone are the days of hunters and gatherers, gone are the days of working in the fields.  We now make a living while doing very little physical activity.  While the physicality of life has changed, it’s our health that suffers.  By making a serious effort and some sensible adjustments to our lives we can create a more active lifestyle for ourselves and our coworkers. In doing so we can elevate our health and extend our lives.

Who really knows what good creative is?  Something so subjective is difficult to quantify.  Are there really any new ideas out there or is it a matter of presenting historically good ideas in new and fresh ways?  One of the most difficult things creative minds have to do is keep their ideas fresh.

A successful creative professional must possess, beyond talent, a zeal for the work they are generating and a general curiosity about all things life presents. Success is less about the nuts and bolts of creativity and more about the passion one has for producing work that is truly creative. The required inspiration will not come from sitting in an office attempting to force creativity to reveal itself in an exciting way.  The moments of inspiration will often result from the life we lead.  The connectivity of life provides unrivaled inspiration that needs to be captured and channeled into fresh creative ideas – it’s all connected; the sources for new, engaging ideas are all around us. Look at the art of movies, music, galleries, fashion, and interior design.  What’s hot in books, what commonalities do traditionally revered books share? Take a lesson from some geeks – study up on tech innovations. Social settings are filled with information about what inspires others; lively debates can create and change ideas that can then be converted into creative concepts. Creative derived from nature will innately touch the observer in a real and meaningful way.  Nature is never wrong in its design and can be a powerful and unending source of creativity.

When looking for some inspiration:

Know your audience – research, research, research.  Knowledge is power and you can never assume to know your audience without doing some serious ground work.

Check out popular blogs and read the feedback.  Sometimes the comments are more stimulating than the blog post itself and this is where you see the ideas of the post challenged or, sometimes, agreed upon.

http://www.brandflakesforbreakfast.com/

http://www.damniwish.com/

http://beautifully-webdesign.net/

http://crenk.com/

http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/

Like the great TV series Law & Order, rip it from today’s headlines.  Stay current on the news.  National and world news are noteworthy because they are of interest to the masses.  Use current events to develop fresh creative ideas.

Be social media engaged.  What is trending on Twitter? What is the Buzz on Google?  What information are people sharing on LinkedIn.  What posts are getting the most comments on Facebook? Much like the news, these are things that people are interested in.

Trends are hip. Trends are cool. Trends are a surefire way to engage an audience.  Translate a trend in one industry into an idea for a completely different industry. Play off what’s hot right now or what is trending to be hot in the near future.

The ever-evolving world of technology is a vast resource for new ideas.  Stay current and use new technologies to enhance and expand creative ideas.  Use technology to reuse good ideas in new ways.

Don’t let your skills get outdated.  Stay current on your programs. Learn all the new facets of your tools like InDesign and Photoshop and experiment with them. Check out http://creativelive.com/courses/ for some free live courses.  Search for tutorials on YouTube.

Go green – recycle.  Had a great idea that lead to a great campaign before?  What was at the core of that idea that was so good?  Find it and reuse it (just in a new way).

Be a radical – always develop a concept that’s way out there. Think of some big, crazy ideas and let them settle into the confines of your project.

Use shock and awe to get a reaction.  Not all good creative is good because people like it.  Sometime the offensive or repugnant can elicit more interest than a safe idea.

Look at what is bad and think of how you would fix it.  Now take the good ideas from your fix and apply them to your project.

Team up with someone to work on a project.  There is strength in numbers and the pay off could be tremendous.

Seek the support of friends, especially those that are not in the business.  Have an open mind in social situations and let your friends and family be a source of ideas.  They are, after all, consumers.

Take a break.  Clear your head.  Sometimes you must unclog the pathway so that new information has a way in. Get out and play.

Domus, Inc. is an integrated digital and traditional marketing communications agency that delivers unconventional thinking and out-of-the-box strategies that help our clients sustain growth and demand brand awareness.  For more information, please visit us at http://www.domusinc.com.

Up until recently, most of these improvements have focused on manufacturing and related processes. However, they might well be ready to move into the marketing and advertising area, and American marketers should take note. Toyota just announced that it is creating two internal marketing companies to start focusing on both its Japanese and worldwide advertising efforts. Their goal is not just to save money by bringing advertising and PR functions in-house; rather, they want the kaizen culture imbued in their entire marketing efforts, and they believe they can better do this in-house.

This might be a preface to bringing in-house their more than $1 billion advertising budget. If they are successful and this becomes a trend, Madison Avenue might have more problems than it already thinks it has. But moreover, it’s a valid wake-up call to the entire industry. Although there are many aspects to marketing that are hard to quantify because they are creative in nature, there are also many aspects that are quantifiable and ripe for improvement. Who among us can assuredly say that none of our project lifecycles could not have been completed more quickly with fewer change cycles? Who can say that no mistakes have ever gotten through the cracks? And who currently has in place mechansims to track things like this as well as processes to continually improve them?

Those of us who do not might well find our businesses suffering or even dying. On the other hand, those of us who embrace these ideas might well have new opportunities that we had not realized were available to us. At Domus, we have spent the last few years working on improving what we already considered a lean, effective organization. But we can’t – and won’t – rest from this process. Please click on our web site to find out more about us.

Now apply this paradigm to service industries in general and the advertising industry in particular. The analogous “inventory”, though, is no longer made up of widgets. Rather, it is people resources – specifically, people skilled in creative, communicative, managerial, technical, and other aspects of marketing communications.

So, for an advertising agency to most effectively service its customers without passing through wasteful overhead, the agency (or PR firm) must have its “inventory” of skilled professionals available at the moment that its clients need them and only at those moments. Moreover, since each situation is different, the skill sets required in each situation will necessarily differ, implying differing available “inventory.”

In other words, an agency needs an extensive network of skilled professionals and specialists from which the right people can be picked for each project. To ensure quality and consistency, the agency will always need a core team of in-house staff to manage these dynamic teams and maintain effective communications with clients.

As the landscape of public relations, advertising, and marketing communications in general continues to change more and more rapidly, resource management models based on this concept are becoming critical to the success and even survival of agencies. Domus, a full-service Philadelphia advertising and marketing communications agency, has been an innovator and champion of JIT since its inception 16 years ago. Our clients have been reaping the benefits ever since. Our business model and ability to engage experts and resources across any category uniquely enable us to deliver strengths in just about any area that our clients might be looking for. Visit our website and give us a call to talk about our model further.