Want a Good Business Idea? Go With What You Know

"How do I come up with a good business idea?" I hear this question all the time. It's a great question, and I'm going to try and give you an answer that makes sense.

If you look at most of the great businesses or products of our day, you'll find that the idea champion almost always had a very close tie to the industry he or she entered into and ended up dominating. For instance, the guys at Skullcandy were snowboarders and skiers who loved listening to music. The founder of Lovesac used couches and chairs, and grew up when hacky sacks were popular. He thought it would be cool to make a giant hacky sack and sit on it like a chair, and the rest is history. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates? They new A LOT about computers before they came up with their greatest ideas. 

The reality is, your best ideas will concern things that you already have a lot of background and experience in. Are you passionate about clothing? You might come up with a new and innovative retail sales model. Love cars? Like to skateboard? Do you have small children? Are you the world's biggest hockey fan? There are opportunities around every corner.

I have a lot of experience and passion for energy exploration and production. Naturally, almost all of my ideas revolve around the oil industry. I also have gained a special affinity for the salon and spa industry. Why? Because my wife is a cosmetologist, and I now know more about styling, coloring, skin care and spa services than I ever thought possible (or ever really wanted to).  So, I could compete in energy, and I could probably play a helpful supporting role in a salon and spa venture, but would it be wise to jump into an industry that I know nothing about? Probably not.

Although there are the occasional flukes, and sometimes people stumble into an amazing idea by total coincidence, I'd rather not wait for serendipity to drop the next big thing on my doorstep. So, go with what you know and as time goes by, you'll develop an eye for opportunities.

— Reed Page

    Executive Vice President

    USU Entrepreneurship Club

The Power of Saying No in the Right Way

Klydi Heywood

I believe the root word of business is busy. In order to be a good business professional, we must push ourselves to our limits and do our absolute best in everything. But it is this goal that is causing me to slowly lose my mind.

I found an article on Forbes.com that had valuable information on how and when to simply say “no.”

In the article, Susan Newman, Ph.D., a social psychologist and the author of The Book of No, says "people need to change their mindset about agreeing to everything.  By saying no, you can focus on your goals."

In order to give 100 percent to projects, we must give ourselves time. When we say no to something that has little or no correlation to do with our long terms goals, we become more effective.

The Forbes article advises to “take time to think before committing to a new project, and before you say no, consider the ramifications.” When we go above and beyond our position, we will get noticed. If this is a reputation you want, then consider carefully every decision until that reputation is built.

One piece of valuable advice I’ve heard from others in the field, and in this article, is to prioritize. If something is going conflicting with a more immediate or important project, state that to your requester and find other options for how you can help or ways the project can still be completed.

“Always try to offer something when you're turning someone down,” the article states.

I hope that this advice will help us all to become better businessmen and businesswomen as we strive to improve the business world.

The Value of Hands-On Learning

Nathan Henshaw
Business Council Member
Senior in Economics and International Business

Last Summer I was able to participate as an intern for the Small Enterprise Education and Development program, commonly known as the SEED program, in Ghana. Prior to leaving I never imagined I would have learned so much through personal experience. I learned several skills and lessons that have been, and will always be, valuable to me personally. However, perhaps the most important skill I was able to develop is my ability to think critically and solve problems. The autonomist nature of the program empowers the interns to take personal ownership of their experience and enables them with a real hands-on learning opportunities. Here are two simple illustrations.

Critical Thinking

One day a man came to my assigned partner and me to ask for a loan. He had some mechanical skills with cars and wanted to start repairing tires and changing oil in a neighboring village. We considered the potential risks and returns from the proposed investment and we visited his village several times to analyze the industry. We made the decision to issue a loan for his business idea. He was able to service several cars each day and paid off his loan within a few months, despite his loan being a 12-month loan. This experience helped me gain confidence that I can analyze real situations and not simply textbook problems.

Problem Solving

Part of the SEED experience is teaching classes. After class one day, I was approached by three men who had started a fish farm together. They had received a loan for approximately $600, between the three of them. This amount of money is nearly twice the average income for a single family in that area because most people live on less than one dollar per day. With some hesitation these men asked if they could speak with me about their loan payments. They explained that their fish farm dried up and they had lost everything. This was a big problem for them and their families.

Nathan Henshaw and a fellow student with some Ghana children
 during their time with the SEED program.

After several days of considering different business ideas and consulting with our professor, we came in contact with a friend who was looking to start a business. He had an idea to have these three men start managing a snail farm for him. They were able to do this and paid off their debt rather rapidly. They also qualified for another loan to grow a pepper farm.

These types of experiences don’t occur in the classroom. However, I know I was prepared to analyze these situations because of the preparation I received from several professors and mentors. I have loved my experience at the Huntsman School of Business — the quality of teaching is exceptional. I enjoy the classroom setting and learning from fellow students and the faculty. I am grateful for hands-on learning opportunities and to be able to put into practice some of the business principles I have learned. I believe the education I received in Ghana last summer was invaluable. 

    

A Professor's Advice to Students: Don't Cheat

Eric Schulz

I received an anonymous letter from a student this week alleging that on the last quiz I gave in class, some students were cheating. Nothing infuriates me more than liars and cheats. 

I know that the Pollyanna world in which I live — where I want to believe that everyone acts with honesty and integrity, and everyone is upfront, truthful and never deceitful — doesn't really exist, but I refuse to believe otherwise. How can one go through life suspicious of everyone and everything?  

At the end of the day, all we have is our integrity, our character, our honor, and our reputation. The temptation to cheat is part of the college experience — but true character is built by resisting the temptation and acting with integrity and honor. Think about it. Is it worth tarnishing your reputation and honor, and having to deal with a guilty conscience, for a few points on a meaningless quiz or test?  Really?

You are here at the University in order to improve your life's lot — to be able to get a better job and have a nicer life than those who did not continue their education.  Don't screw it up by cheating. A stellar reputation and clear conscience is worth much more than a few extra points on an exam or quiz. You'll sleep a lot better at night too. 

What Will Huntsman Hall Computer Labs Look Like?

I’ve shared with you some artist renderings of what we expect our tiered and flat classrooms to will look like in Huntsman Hall; so today I’m going to include an image showing what our computer labs might look like.

Huntsman Hall Computer Lab

Did you notice that I’m choosing my words a little more cautiously when it comes to our computer labs? Want to know why? It’s because in the world of computer technology things change so fast that all we know for sure is that we’ll have to be flexible if we want our students to be prepared for the changing global job market of the future. We don’t know for sure what our computer labs will look like when Huntsman Hall is completed.

If we cut the ribbon for the new building today, however, we suspect our labs would look something like the picture I have included. We are planning to have one lab that will include our Bloomberg terminals and will be home to our best and most expensive cutting-edge technology. We expect the front of our classrooms will have more than white boards and will feature some kind of technology that keeps our students in touch with the real-time developments that will be relevant to their education.

Ken Snyder

We plan to continue using the labs we have now in the George S. Eccles Business Building. We believe that all of our labs will be on the basement level because a room with large windows is not optimal for a computer lab. 

A Student's Farewell to the Huntsman School of Business

With graduation coming up, I will soon leave Logan and the Huntsman School of Business, the place that became my second home. With all the graduation stress, I often reflect back to summer of 2010, when I first came to Logan and became part of the Aggie spirit. Being an international student, there were a lot of things I had to overcome. I was in a foreign country with a different culture and language, I had to make new friends and was about to start a new chapter in my life away from my family and friends. I was worried, scared, but most of all, very excited. Back then, I had no idea what kind of amazing adventure it was going to be.

 

Perhaps, the biggest challenge I faced in Logan was making new friends. In the beginning, my circle of friends was limited to other Armenian students at USU. However, as soon as classes started, I began to make new friends, mostly by participating to Business School activities. Today I am proud to have friends from all over the world. Each of them has opened my mind and has taught me to look at things differently, in a way that I would have never done had I not met them.

 

If I had to identify one important life lesson I learned at the Huntsman School of Business it would be to never limit aspirations, because the only limited thing is time. One has to make the most out of it, explore, learn, and enjoy every moment, since it only happens once. Three years ago I would never have thought that I would attend a Microsoft presentation in Paris, meet business leaders from around the world, or get to see the breathtaking view of Machu Picchu in Peru or climb the Great Wall of China. All of those were life-changing experiences I had while at school. 

Sometimes I think back and wonder what my life would have been like if I had continued my studies in Armenia. Of course I cannot find an answer to that question, but I certainly have no regrets with my choice of coming to Utah State. If I had stayed back home, I would not have gained the same competitive academic knowledge, I would not have travelled as much, and most importantly, I would not have met the number of amazing people from around the world.

 

I will soon be starting another chapter of my life, and again, just like three years ago, I am scared, worried, and of course excited. There is a lot of uncertainty, which makes me wonder what the future will be like, where I will end up three years from now. Sometimes I wonder if I could meet the future Anna, the one that has overcome this new uncertainty, and listen to what she has to tell me. Hopefully, her advice to me would be the same: “Explore, learn and enjoy every given moment without any regrets." And perhaps this is also my advice to other international students who are to become part of the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.

— Anna Vardanyan
     Senior at the Huntsman School of Business

Cultivating Creativity

Business leaders often tell us to “think big,” “think outside the box,” “be different,” and so on. From my experience, I think that is easier said than done. When I try so hard to be creative, I ended up being frustrated and disappointed in myself because everything that comes to mind doesn’t seem to “make sense.” I realized, however, that not everything should necessarily make sense at first. Many creative ideas start off by not making sense. The distinguishing factor for a creative idea lies in people themselves. 

People who have the courage to step out of their comfort zones to take “the road less traveled” and think of something that may sound ridiculous to other people. They don’t get discouraged when others scoff at their ideas. Instead, they persist through challenging times.

In business, creativity is part of the organization, regardless of whether we like it or not. We need to come up with ideas for business strategies, start-up companies, branding, marketing and the list goes on and on. That is why creativity is such an important asset and skill for businessmen and women.

Here are some things that I found helpful in cultivating creativity:

Brainstorming — When in a large room full of people, we have the opportunity to interact and share ideas with each other. With many working minds, those ideas can lead to something great. Granted, some people are extroverts, while others are introverts and the introverts probably work better when they have some alone time. What they can do is list ideas that they have and bring them to the table during brainstorming sessions. There should not be any judgment during this time and everyone should be allowed to speak freely without any restrictions.

Sleep on it — My “A-HA” moment sometimes comes when I am well rested. When we are too tired, sleepy, hungry, or worse, all of the above, our brains sometimes don’t work, nothing comes to mind and we lack enthusiasm to come up with ideas. It is important to sustain ourselves with adequate food and sleep.

Seek inspiration from your surroundings — There are many things that could spark creativity: the media, the people that we talk to, nature, and even our very own office. We just need to look at things from a different perspective and find things that can benefit others. This can be difficult, even for me, but practice makes perfect.

 An article from entrepreneur.com provides more exercises to boost creativity. 

— Nadiah Johari

Flat Classrooms in Huntsman Hall Will Offer Opportunities For Team Work

Huntsman Hall Flat Classroom

Last week I showed you an artist rendering of what our tiered classrooms will look like and promised to show you some more images of Huntsman Hall this week. For now, I’m going to keep you in the classroom. I’ve included in this blog a rendering of what our flat classrooms will look like.

I wrote about all the benefits of a tiered classroom, especially when it comes to teaching with the case-study method. Flat classrooms come in handy when the coursework involves a lot of team work, interacting, and the opportunity to explore new innovative ideas. As you can see, our flat classrooms will have lots of movable white boards on two sides of the room, two projectors and rolling desks and chairs. If you had a professor who wanted to constantly change things up, he or she could do that for quite a while without much reputation. 

Ken Snyder

Again this world, as envisioned by architects, is quite formal and involves silent observers who stand in a back corner to watch what's going on. We have no plans for such a dress code or for mysterious observers but, who knows, a professor working a flat classroom could try some pretty innovative approaches. In this case, there's lots you can do inside the box. 

Love in the Workplace? Absurd.

Many of us, while we have an appreciation for this day they call Valentine's Day, may not take it quite as seriously as other holidays like Christmas or New Years, because unlike those days, life doesn't stop for this lovey-dovey holiday. Stores don't close down, school is still in session, and work continues onward. Valentine's day is often celebrated outside of these endeavors because at an adult age, celebrating love with your classmates and co-workers just isn't deemed quite "appropriate." 

What many of us fail to understand is that love is actually a vital part of the workplace. Its presence is needed there, as much as anywhere else in our lives, so that we, the workers, can enjoy what we do and feel good about our time there. 

Now, I'm not saying that we all need to skip across the office hugging each and every co-worker while emphatically proclaiming our love, but I am suggesting that we hold a deeper appreciation for those that we work with. 

Dr. Paul J. Zak, a neuroeconomist at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif. suggests in an article on Psychology Today that love should be a management policy. 

"The essence of love is putting another person before oneself," he states in the article. "Think about that for a minute. Do we need to love those we work with? Imagine the CEO of a distressed company who refuses his or her multimillion-dollar bonus so that one thousand employees would not be laid off. That would be love. How about an employee who agrees to work late so someone can go home early to care for a sick child? That would be love. Or, an employee who drops off a forgotten package to a customer's home after leaving work? That would be love."

When we are loved, we naturally love in return, Dr. Zak adds. 

Ok great, but why does this even matter? What does any of this have to do with the actual work that we're all doing? 

Dr. Zak states that "love is the foundation for trust," and companies that manage with love, build better trust, and better trust in the workplace results in higher employee productivity and morale, lower employee turnover, fewer sick days and more returning customers. An overall more profitable company. 

So this Valentine's Day, try implementing a little love into your work and who knows, maybe it will change your world. 

— Allie Jeppson

Entrepreneurial Experiences From Alan Hall

Klydi Heywood

After having a 1 - 4 track record with successful businesses, Alan Hall asked his wife if he could second mortgage the house to start Marketstar.

“Bless her heart, she let me do it,” Mr. Hall said, “And I worked my tail off to make this business successful because I had learned some of the things I’m going to tell you tonight.”

At the Entrepreneurship Speaker Series Lecture Wednesday Feb. 6, Mr. Hall gave seven points that have helped him in his entrepreneurial adventures. Three in particular stood out to me.

Know your customer

“You go sell your idea first, you come back and design it, you build it and then you deliver it,” he said. He explained that many entrepreneurs start with the design and end with selling. When a person pitches their business idea and they don’t know specifically who their customer is, it’s all down-hill because they don’t know where to market, they don’t know how to get it out and “they blow through lots of money trying to find the customer,” Mr. Hall added.

He explained to never base your business on the product in the first place, other than the idea.

Take care of your customers

“Once people get the sale, they do a lousy job of taking care of that customer,” Mr. Hall said. He named the following list the “Value Chain of What Customers Want When They Buy a Product”:

• Good product
• Good price
• Delivered on time
• Make sure it works
• Support
• A good buying experience

“If you’re going to start a business, shouldn’t you take care of your customers?” Mr. Hall asked. He stated that taking care of the customers is where a lot of entrepreneurs fail.

Hire the right employees

I especially liked this point because of the applicability it has to me at this time in college. If this is the kind of person Mr. Hall wants to hire, then this is the professional I want to become.

He told us his seven C’s of hiring:

Competent - Although this is important, Mr. Hall said he made some big mistakes in his career by only looking at this aspect.

Capable - They need to be capable of growth. “They can actually take the assignment they have and enhance it,” Mr. Hall said. “They can do it better and more efficiently.”

Compatible - Mr. Hall stated that he wasted a lot of time on interpersonal relationships when he didn’t get along with someone.

Committed - You need to hire someone who will come in, work through thick and thin, won’t bail and will make sure they are always getting their job done, Mr. Hall said.

Character - “I want people who are honest, who have integrity, work hard, keep commitments, do things that are right, and if they don’t, I get rid of them,” Mr. Hall said, adding that to be honorable is non-negotiable.

Culture - Mr. Hall’s specific culture has developed overtime. His culture is “love of God, love of self, love of family, love of work, love of community.”  He emphasized the importance of always supporting and upholding this culture. If his employees like the culture and can depend on it, then they will work hard in return.

Compensation - Mr. Hall advised that we always want to take care of our employees. We should always be looking at ways to reward, increase pay and increase growing opportunities for those who deserve it.

Mr. Hall’s lecture opened my mind to a lot of mistakes that can be avoided on the entrepreneurial journey. I hope we can all take a few notes and become the next generation of successful business professionals.

For the complete lecture, click here

Entrepreneurial Leadership: The New Management Paradigm

Here’s a common scenario: I first meet a fellow student and we start into the common exchange of background information — hometowns, majors, postgraduate plans, career goals, other interests. When I mention that I’m an active participant in the university’s entrepreneurship programs, I will often hear the same reply, “entrepreneurship sounds like fun, but I’m not really interested in starting my own business.”

I’m going to take a moment to clarify something very important. Although the term entrepreneur generally refers to an individual who starts companies or builds them from the ground up, entrepreneurial leadership refers to a skillset or a management style that makes use of entrepreneurial principles to grow or strengthen any company or organization, whether brand new or well established. I’d like to refer to a set of eight principles taught by our very own Director of Entrepreneurial Programs, Mike Glauser, as found on the educational website he helped create. 

1. Live in the Boundary
2. Plan for Opportunities
3. Engage a Brain Trust
4. Build Powerful Teams
5. Work with Zealous Tenacity
6. Create More with Less
7. Give Distinguishing Service
8. Serve a Broader Purpose

These points are self-explanatory for the most part, however, you can learn more about each one by exploring the website.

So you plan to work for an international financial services provider? You’re interested in non-profit work? You have been given a leadership assignment in your religious congregation? You’re going to take over the family business when your parents retire? You plan to work in health care or public education administration? Regardless of the situation or chosen pursuit, these principles are applicable.

Take a moment and consider your own career goals. Would you benefit from gaining a more entrepreneurial mindset? The short answer is yes! And the long answer is definitely, yes!

Check out the many resources available through the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence and related programs.

— Reed Page
     Executive Vice President
     USU Entrepreneurship Club

Becoming Friends With Professors is a Key to Opportunity

I tell my younger sister that the most important thing you should do in college is to become friends with your professors. It is no secret that professors at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business are incredible at research and at teaching. But they are also incredibly friendly and helpful. 

Jeff Parker
Business Senator

Professors can be the most invaluable resource to students. If you know a professor personally, they will introduce and suggest opportunities to you. These could be scholarships, programs, internships, jobs, or research opportunities that are incredibly vital to your education. 

One way to make friends with a professor is to make sure that your professors know you by name. How do you do this? Give intelligent comments in class, ask questions after class, or visit them in during office hours. Having a professor as a friend will make your education phenomenal. 

However, this is a two-way street. I would also recommend that professors make an effort in learning student’s names. Use your vast knowledge and networks to introduce them to education enhancing experiences. You could influence a student's mind for the better. 

As I was thinking back on my time at the Huntsman School of Business,  this is one of the reasons that I started to take advantage of my education. As a sophomore, I was floating through classes, sitting in the back. For some reason, I must have thought of a good question or given a comment because Professor Diana Thomas called after class. After talking for moment, she recommended that I applied for Koch Scholars. From that point on, she knew my name, and I was toast. Every time I would zone out or nod off in class she would call on me. I would startle back to reality and maybe stumble through an answer. It was pretty annoying at the moment but I am really grateful now. 

Although I was never accepted to the Koch Scholars, that initial two-minute conversation was my catalyst for engaging in my education. I switched my major to economics. I applied for study abroad, which I discussed with Professor Thomas during her office hours. I was researching scholarships for the trip when I learned about the Huntsman Scholar program. I applied and connections there lead me to an internship. Friends I made in the program encouraged me to run for Business Senator. Everything has snowballed from that one moment when Diana gave me some friendly advice. I have talked to many students with similar stories. Professors are the channel through which students learn about these vital opportunities. 

I invite professors to recommend to students all of the fantastic opportunities here at the Business School, and I highly recommend to all students the same advice I give me sister: make sure the professors know you by name. 

— Jeff Parker
     Business Senator
    Jon M. Huntsman School of Business 
     jeffrey.parker@aggiemail.usu.edu 

See What Class Will Look Like at the Huntsman School of Business in the Future

Ken Snyder

In my last blog I announced that we have officially been given permission to break ground and plan to do so later this year after the weather warms up. Our architects have been creating some renderings that will help us better visualize what Huntsman Hall will look like when it’s done.

Last November I talked about case-study teaching and how tiered classrooms with wide isles would make this approach even more effective. So today I wanted to share with you what our large tiered classrooms are going to look like.

A Future Huntsman Hall Classroom

No, we aren’t going to require our students to wear formal attire to class. My guess is that these are all award-winning, student scholars and they are in class just before the Annual Fall Awards Banquet is to be held. Do your see yourself in there anywhere?

Do you want to see more? When I do my next blog I’ll share another image of another part of the building. For now we’ll be envisioning things one artist rendering at a time, but it won’t be long before ground will be broken and the vision will become a reality. There are probably some of you reading this right now that will take classes in a classroom that looks just like this. Maybe you’d better shine up your shoes just in case.

Discovering Knowledge

Learning is typically seen as the dissemination of knowledge and understanding. This statement is inaccurate! Learning in most environments is not knowledge development. We listen to the instructor and obtain, what the instructor deems as knowledge, long enough to pass an exam or other related exercise. Once that event has passed, we tend to forget the related learning. Understanding and knowledge are only obtained when actively sought and discovered!

Discovering knowledge is the pull method of learning. To push is to force something, a product or information, toward the end, while to pull is the demand of a product or information from the end. Push and pull are evident in every classroom. The pupils who discover/pull knowledge will find success. The students who only attend with a desire to pass the class and exams are the individuals creating the environment of pushing knowledge.

How do individuals, instructors and students, develop what is necessary to discover knowledge?

Unfortunately, I cannot give you an answer to the above question. If I did so, then I would deprive you of the beauty that is “discovery.”  But here is a hint. When you are passionate about something, you actively seek information about that item. You are always looking for “the next big thing.” Find what drives you and actively look for it in everything! Pull the information and learning you need in order to succeed.

Business Leaders (past, present and future) how do you coach and mentor individuals to pull and discover knowledge?

— George C Johnson

     Lean Leaders Club – President

     The Shingo Prize – Education Coordinator

What's in a Name: How to Come Up With a Creative Business Name

Possibly one of the most difficult tasks when starting a business is trying to figure out a unique, memorable and attention-grabbing name for your business. At the same time, the name has to be simple enough for potential clients to remember and pronounce it without any difficulty. It should define and reflect what your company is all about. 

However, when we finally think of a good idea, it is quite likely that another company or person has initiated that idea first. So how do you come up with a fresh, new and creative name for your business? The following articles provide some tips to help you pick and choose a name for your company.  Read on to find out more information about branding, trademark and name evaluation.

 How to Choose the Best Name For Your Business by Inc.

·      How to Name Your Business by Entrepreneur

       — Nadiah Johari

Lessons From a Piano-Pounding Entrepreneur

Klydi Heywood

With fingers flying across the piano keys and breath-taking videography in the background, Jon Schmidt’s presentation and lecture on Wednesday Jan. 30 was a feast for the senses. Students filled the auditorium in the Ellen Eccles Conference Center 30 minutes before the show started. And when I stood up to take pictures 10 minutes into the presentation, I had to climb over students who were stuffed into the isles.

He began with his story. Schmidt started performing at benefit events and selling cassette tapes whenever he could. Although he was amazed by the fact that people actually wanted to buy his tapes, he said he acted the part. 

“Fake it ‘til you make it,” Schmidt said. “It really works.” As students laughed at this remark, he continued by stating that people’s perception is reality.

“Your image is what people perceive, and that’s what they believe,” he said. With his humility shining through, Schmidt attributed this factor to his early success.

Schmidt’s second entrepreneurial advice for success was to think of, create or do something that has never been done before. When Schmidt met cellist Steven Sharp Nelson, he wanted to create something different. With their first YouTube sensation “Love Story Meets Viva la Vida,” the innovation for creative, classical yet modern music was born.

Schmidt then played the song for the audience, and the goose bumps on my arms started to rise. In addition to being a very talented pianist, Schmidt was an entertainer. He would bob his head to the beat, sway his shoulders to the melody and even spin around and play upside down.

When asked what got him through the tough times of being an entrepreneurial musician, Schmidt gave credit to God and his gut. He stated that in order to feel good about what he does each day, he has to follow his passions.

I left the presentation with a song stuck in my head and a new determination to reach for my dreams. By being creative and “faking it ‘til I make it,” I think I can do just about anything.

My Day As A USA Today Expert Super Bowl Ad Panelist

Eric Schulz

My Super Bowl Sunday is usually spent watching the game and eating some nachos and cheesesteaks. All that changed last week when I was invited to participate as a member on the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Panel, rating each and every Super Bowl ad for the paper’s annual Ad Meter Ranking.  See:  http://admeter.usatoday.com

It was a very interesting experience having to focus and evaluate every ad.  I kept getting emails from a USA Today staffer asking my thoughts and opinions on different ads as we progressed through the night.  For the most part, my rankings pretty much agreed with the consumer polling. I ranked the Budweiser Clydesdale “Horse and Trainer Reunited” as the top ad, followed by Tide’s “Montana Miracle Stain”, and Kia’s “Space Babies." 

One place where I differed from the poll was on the evaluation of Dodge Ram’s “God Made A Farmer” (USA Today - 3^rd place; My Rank - 9th) and Jeep’s “Families Waiting/Troops” (USA Today - 5^th place; My Rank - 10th). Both of those ads were touching, poignant, and terrific pieces of art — Norman Rockwell paintings on video — which stirred patriotism and pride in the USA.  But where I had a problem with the ads was they didn’t relate at all to their brands.  Either could have been produced by any American company (McDonalds, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Ford, Chevrolet, etc.).  

Don’t get me wrong, both ads were fantastic, but I’m not sure that they will drive sales.  In my days back at Coca-Cola there were several ads that consumers really liked, particularly “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing” and “Mean Joe Greene”. Both increased the number of consumers who said Coke was their favorite soft drink, but as the “favorite soft drink” rating increased, actual sales volume was flat or slightly declining.  The gap between these two numbers we came to term as “virtual consumption." Companies don’t like it when advertising creates virtual consumption, they want real consumption. I think the Dodge and Jeep ads will both increase consumers “liking” perception of the brands, but I don’t think it will translate into increased sales – they will create “virtual consumption”. 

Here are some of the notes I made while watching the commercials: 

Budweiser Clydesdales:  It was as brilliantly produced as a Hallmark special. It's hard to strike that emotional chord, but Budweiser nailed it. We all enjoy a good love story, and Budweiser pulled it off in just 60 seconds. The ad was sweet and heartfelt. It was the only commercial that made me cry.

Tide “Montana Miracle Stain”: Brilliant. Topical, fun, and the product is the hero, getting rid of the Montana stain!

Doritos: Eating Doritos was clearly the hero, and both ads told the story in humorous, relevant yet unexpected ways.  

Go-Daddy “Kissing”: The ad was intentionally designed to create “water cooler talk” after the game. Go-Daddy regularly tries to offend people’s sensibilities with their Super Bowl ads to get attention. “Say whatever you want about me, just spell my name right” is the strategy. It works. Their entire brand has been built on titillating Super Bowl advertising.

In the Super Bowl, creativity and entertainment value often get in the way of marketing effectiveness. Agencies consider a great spot to be wildly creative and entertaining. But creativity and entertainment doesn't always equal brand communication effectiveness.

Great advertising should show creativity, entertain, and be relevant yet unexpected — making your product the hero.  Tide’s “Montana Miracle Stain”, Milk's " The Rock - Morning Run" where our superhero can't save the world until he's had his milk; KIA's "Space Babies" where the car has an answer for everything — each of these were winners from a brand communication standpoint.  They were fun to watch and made their product standout as the superhero of the day.

Some of the worst ads, those that did nothing to showcase their products, included Cars.com "Wolf", Axe "Lifeguard", and Lincoln's "Jimmy Falllon - Steer the Script."  While creative, their products were secondary, and got lost in the spots. Budweiser disappointed me and made me feel inferior with their whole “Black Dressed Cool People” the “Black Crown party”, and “Coronation”.

And one other thing, the E-Trade baby is tired and needs to be retired. Several Super Bowls ago, E-Trade had one of the best Super Bowl commercials ever, entitled "Money Coming Out The Wazzoo," where a man being rushed to the hospital ER was being hospitalized because he had "money coming out his wazzoo."  They need to find that mojo again.

Here were my ratings of the commercials, along with the overall scores each ad achieved on the USA Today Ad Meter:

Top Ten				USA Today
Company	Description	My Score		Ad Meter Score
Anheuser-Busch	Horse and trainer reunited	10		7.76
Tide	Miracle Stain	10		7.75
Kia	Space Babies	10		6.74
Doritos	Fashionista Dad	10		7.27
NFL	Deion Sanders returns	10		6.68
Mercedes-Benz	Deal with the devil	10		6.11
Doritos	Goat 4 Sale	10		6.71
M&Ms	Love ballad	10		6.34
RAM	God Made A Farmer	9		7.43
JEEP	Families waiting	9		7.2
11-20				USA Today
Company	Description	My Score		Ad Meter Score
Coke	Mirage	9		5.54
MILK	The Rock - Superhero	9		5.98
Anheuser-Busch	Bud Light Voodoo Doll	9		6.01 (tie)
Walt Disney	Oz trailer	9		5.48
Kia	Hot Bots	8		5.51
Wonderful Pistachios	PSY Gangnam Style	8		5.58
SodaStream	The effect of SodaStream	7		5.39
Best Buy	Asking Amy Poehler	7		6.23
Hyundai	Kid assembles team	7		6.65
Audi	Prom	7		6.64
21-30				USA Today
Company	Description	My Score		Ad Meter Score
VW	Get Happy office guy	7		6.19
Toyota	Rav4 wish granted	7		6.16 (tie)
Samsung	Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan	7		6.06
NFL	Thank you	7		6.14
Paramount Pictures	Star Trek trailer	7		5.4
GoDaddy.co	Danica Patrick pilots plane	7		4.8
Speed Stick	Guy doing laundry	7		5.97
Anheuser-Busch	Bud Light lucky chair	6		5.55
Universal Pictures	Fast & Furious 6 trailer	6		5.11
Century 21	Wedding faints	5		4.98 (tie)
31-44				USA Today
Company	Description	My Score		Ad Meter Score
Oreo	Whispering in the library	5		5.88
Walt Disney	Iron Man 3 trailer	4		5.6
Cars.com	Puppy is a wolf	3		5.52
Coke	Security Camera	3		6.38
Pepsi Next	Parents like to party	3		4.81
Subway	Jocks love Jared	3		4.86
Skechers	Cheetah race	3		6.16 (tie)
MiO Fit	Tracy Morgan anthem	2		4.45
Pepsi	Halftime show countdown	2		4.63
Subway	Jocks can’t say Februany	2		4.07The Bottom 5
Hyundai	Passing obstacles	2		6.01 (tie)
E*Trade	Baby getting wealthy	2		5.93
Hyundai	Epic play date	2		5.42
Lincoln	MKZ Phoenix	2		4.66
BOTTOM TEN				USA Today
Company	Description	My Score		Ad Meter Score
Blackberry	My new Blackberry	2		5.16
Gildan	Guy needs his t-shirt	2		4.98 (tie)
Axe	Lifeguard	2		4.33
Lincoln	Jimmy Fallon - Road Trip Story	1		4.19
Calvin Klein	Guy in underwear	1		3.88
Anheuser-Busch	Black Crown party	1		3.73
Anheuser-Busch	Beck’s Sapphire fish singing	1		3.66
Anheuser-Busch	Black Crown “coronation”	1		3.64
Taco Bell	Viva Young	1		6.55
GoDaddy.co	Bar Refaeli  "Kiss"	1		3.3