Canright Communications

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Don’t Miss the Boat – or the Truck – with Advertising

I see it all the time with box trucks around Chicago. The value is endless for some and a missed opportunity for others. As a marketer with a background in design, I’m compelled to follow and analyze advertising and design trends. I can’t help but look around our city, taking photos and creating mental notes of what works visually and what fails to hit the mark.

And one thing I’ve noticed frequently of late is that some companies are completely missing the boat with advertising — or rather, a lack of advertising — on the side of their box trucks. Think about it: A box truck is a permanent, moving billboard that’s impossible to miss. It screams opportunity. The small upfront cost to create a design and place it on the truck is peanuts to the dollar compared to the free delivery of the ad and brand for the lifespan of the vehicle. The truck doesn’t even have to be on the road to find its audience. A striking design will catch eyeballs and spread brand awareness if the truck is parked in a lot or waiting for a green light at State and Wacker.

Yet still we see big trucks with tiny, little advertisements plastered on the side, some so small you need to stand right next to it to make it out. It bugs me that business owners aren’t taking advantage of this valuable space. However, not everyone is missing the mark. Plenty of sharp businesses have fantastic designs created for their vehicles. Here are a few companies that have their truck advertisements down pat.

— Christina Canright.

Three Keys to Compelling Presentations

“The music is not in the piano.”

I once saw this quote by Clement Mok on a poster and have never forgotten its message, particularly when I see speakers giving presentations with highly bulleted PowerPoint slides. Know what I’m talking about? Slides with graphics pulled from the web with list upon list of bullet points and text galore. The speaker sure gets through each and every point, but often loses the audience early on. The focus of the talk from the speaker’s perspective becomes the slides rather than the speaker’s message. And that core message has to work that much harder to get through.

The slide portion of your presentation can be a powerful instrument, like the piano, and can actually be a great partner: reaching your audience, compelling them to pay attention. Here are three key things I remember when creating slides for presentations we do with our clients:

1. Simplicity always, always trumps complexity in a talk. Simplicity is a key element in doing an effective and compelling presentation. This does not mean simple. A well-designed slide is one that has clarity—the arrangement is well thought out, words are pared down to their essence, and concepts are prioritized. At the same time, the presenter fills in relevant information—often with a story from his or her own experience. The content becomes personal and grounded in the speaker’s experience. That way, the audience can connect and relate more authentically with the speaker.

2. Know precisely what you want your audience to take away. Keeping it simple, with just two to three points you want to be remembered, also serves another purpose: You increase the odds that your audience will remember what you said. According to Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen, “There is simply a limit to a person’s ability to process new information efficiently and effectively.” When you have too much information, your audience has to cope with what Garr calls “excessive cognitive strain,” and your message, even though it may be a good one, gets lost in the clutter of too much information. Have two to three concepts or take-aways you want them to remember. The clearer you are, the more likely you and your message will be remembered.

3. Spend the time to make it yours. Too many people wait till a few days before the talk to do the “PowerPoint” portion and undercut themselves in having their presentation be a partner, rather than an afterthought. Steve Jobs is known for spending many hours on his presentations, both on the visuals and on the words, so that they appeared effortless in the delivery. So construct each slide with care to make sure it communicates efficiently and elegantly. Then, remember that the audience is there to hear what you have to say about the topic. Because, when it comes down to it, the presentation is not about the slides, it’s really about you and the experience you bring.

The slides are a partner to your message. The slides can either underline what you have to say or get in the way. Think again of Steve Jobs, a master of presentations who famously valued design—and thought like a designer. Most people remember him, the experience he created, and how he spoke about Apple’s products. The slides, which were beautifully done, added substance to what he was describing. The slides were his tools, but he was the show.