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If you’re fan like me, you probably balked at the March 13th announcement that the Google Reader story is ending in mere months. Attributing the decision to a declining following and the need to focus on fewer products, Google will officially close the books on the 8-year-old service on July 1, 2013. That means we have about 3 months to pick ourselves up and find us a new feed. A feed that truly understands us and knows what we need. Are you with me? Good! Grab a container of chocolate frosting, crank up Celine Dion’s “All By Myself” and let’s check out a few Google Reader alternatives that might be the perfect match for you.

Talk about a rebound! More than half a million Google Reader users hooked up with Feedly within 48 hours of the discontinuation announcement. Released by DevHD in 2008, Feedly is compatible with a slew of web browsers and both iOS and Android mobile platforms. Feedly makes it super simple to import your current Google Reader subscriptions so that you don’t miss a beat. Lovers of Google Reader’s simplicity and predictability might need to warm up to Feedly’s magazine-like interface, but I’m liking the ability to see top “articles” from my various subscriptions on my home page. Feedly also suggests other RSS feeds to add based on the content I’m interested in.

NetVibes is a snazzy, albeit overwhelming, personalized dashboard publishing platform that utilizes widgets to help you manage your feeds and social networks, monitor topics, run Google analytics, organize tasks and a whole lot more. In fact, the amount of widgets you can add to your dashboard seems infinite as the widget list is open to third party developers. Note that basic functions of the platform are free but adding widgets can also add cost. If you want to take things slow, I recommend going with a basic (free) personal account and switching it from “widgets” mode to “reader” mode. This actually gives you an interface that feels familiar to the Google Reader experience.

NewsBlur is an open source personal news reader with a clean interface that shows a list of posts rather than the magazine-like format of Feedly. Again, users can easily transfer your current Google Reader subscriptions when you sign up. One of the most interesting features of NewsBlur is that it “learns.”The reader hides stories you aren’t interested in based on tags, keywords, authors, etc., and highlights the stories you are interested in using the same criteria. NewsBlur also has a social component, allowing users to share news stories through their Blurblog and find other stories of interest by following their friends’ Blurblogs. Unlike Google Reader, NewsBlur is not free but the price is not very steep—members can join NewsBlur for $24 a year.

Don’t despair! These are only a few of the Google Reader alternatives out there. If you’ve already made the switch, let us know what you recommend in the comments!

Every year the Cleveland ad community comes together to give out awards for advertising that represents the finest creative work to be conceived in our fair city. This year’s event was held at the Agora, one of Cleveland’s most storied live music venues. It was exciting to see these coveted awards for advertising greatness presented on the same stage that helped bands like ZZ Top and Grand Funk Railroad make it big.

Melamed Riley was proud to take home three bronze ADDY awards for advertising materials to support our MR Grad School promotional campaign! In addition to these honors, the Melamed Riley team was treated to creations by some of Cleveland’s most talented restaurateurs, including Jonathon Sawyer, Chris Hodgson and more. From the venue to the work to the food, it was a celebration of Cleveland creativity.

Melamed and Riley rocking the #aafcle red carpet! RT @lzone: @aafcle: Lots of action happenin’ on the red carpet! twitter.com/AAFCLE/status/…”

— Melamed Riley(@MelamedRiley) March 1, 2013

It’s a new year, full of new budgets, new technologies, new challenges and new ideas. While there are no guarantees, here are some predictions for marketing trends we feel pretty confident you’ll see in 2013.

1. Marketers will stop saying “I need an app” and start saying “I need a mobile strategy.”

Just a couple of years ago, mobile apps were the must-have marketing trend for clients everywhere. It didn’t matter if you sold pastries or shoe polish, there had to be “an app for that.” Now, clients are becoming increasingly mobile savvy and realizing that apps are just part of a much bigger picture.

With over 20% of internet traffic coming from mobile browsers, expect marketers to be looking for multiple ways to connect with customers through mobile technology this year. Big brands have already started developing subdomains — entire mobile websites to optimize every minutia of a customer’s online experience for mobile devices. More and more companies will be using mobile coupons to entice customers.

According to Business Insider, there will be 788 million mobile-only Internet users by 2015. That’s 788 million reasons to build a strong mobile strategy this year.

2. Content marketing will replace “flash mobs” as the latest marketing tactic you have to explain to your parents.

According to this great infographic featured on Mashable, 60% of B2B marketers said they were planning to spend more on content marketing in 2012. Looking back at this past year, I’d say that number seems a little modest, if anything.

To call it a marketing trend would be an understatement. Last year, the world saw a content marketing explosion from brands big and small. Virgin Mobile’s Virgin Mobile Live funnels music, videos, cat pictures, apps and more into a content-rich site that gets over 1 million hits a month, according to Forbes Magazine. But even the scissors brand Fiskars has been able to cut through the competition with their crafty take on content marketing, according to the Content Marketeer.

While the idea content marketing is nothing new, the term itself will reach a whole new level of celebrity in 2013. Marketing professionals, expect it to come up when you visit your folks for dinner.

3. Kanye and Kim will put out a line of children’s clothing and continue to irritate everyone.

Okay, so technically this doesn’t fall into the category of marketing trends. But if the baby of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian doesn’t open the sixth seal of the apocalypse, it will at the very least inspire a line of infant couture. How young is too young to wear leather pants?

4. Big data analytics will top many marketers’ wish lists.

Just when you thought you understood Google Analytics, Big Data Analytics comes along and confuses the hell out of everybody. When you consider that we are talking about zettabytes of information, it’s no wonder that big data is a bit hard to wrap one’s mind around.

Big data is all the rage because today’s technology enables us to collect and store a vast amount of information. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, as of 2009, nearly all sectors in the US economy had at least an average of 200 terabytes of stored data per company with more than 1,000 employees.To put that in perspective, that’s twice the size of U.S. retailer Walmart’s data warehouse in 1999. And that number has continued to grow exponentially, considering that, according to IBM, 90% of the world’s data has been created in the past two years alone.

The ability to analyze big data will give companies important information to help them become more efficient and profitable while managing risk. The marketing industry will be using it to optimize social media, mobile and online efforts, detect and monitor market trends and understand target audiences inside and out, just to name a few.

5. GoDaddy’s Super Bowl spot won’t feature nearly nude models, causing our collective heads to explode.

Okay, so this isn’t really a marketing trend or a prediction. I have it on good authority that this year’s Go Daddy Super Bowl commercial will feature a fully-clothed Bar Refaeli, wearing a formal gown. The marketer got a lot of traffic and press (the vast majority of it negative) with their self-produced spots featuring scantily-clad “Go Daddy” girls.

Super Bowl viewers should expect some changes now that Deutsch New York is at the helm. The agency already produced a new commercial for Go Daddy that ran during the 2012 Summer Olympics, which gave a nod to the company’s scandalous spots while adding in a little more substance.

Elegance. Sophistication. Refinement. All things that were demonstrably absent at the 2012 Melamed Riley Holiday Sweater Party/Merry Karaoke Celebration. But what the party lacked in decorum, it certainly made up for in laughs, entertainment, great food and holiday cheer.

Guests arrived at the Speakeasy below Bier Markt wearing their holiday best — or worst, in many cases (I’m looking at you, Rick). They were greeted with a delicious spread of pizzas (the Sunnyside was a crowd favorite), cheeses, charcuterie and the establishment’s famous pommes frites. They were also confronted with the Wheel of Karaoke Destiny.

This malevolent spinning device of evil — I mean, the Wheel of Karaoke Destiny — featured 10 different categories, including country, show tunes and Elvis. I had the misfortune of landing on the ‘70s category and, in a panic, chose Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” It’s hard to tell on stage, but I can only guess it sounded like someone filled an orange construction barrel with cats and screech owls and then rolled it down a hill.

Anyone who was brave enough to spin the wheel earned five raffle tickets for some seriously killer prizes. The allure of the prizes got a lot of people to take the mic, singing one-of-a-kind renditions of songs from Prince, Michael Jackson, Usher, Shania Twain, Bobby Darin, Sir-Mix-a-Lot and many, many more. Our karaoke song entry slips had a special box you could check if you wanted “a cassette of your performance.” I don’t think anyone checked the box.

Janis took top honors for her beautiful Christmas sweater, while six people tied for first place in our quiz on Melamed Riley employees’ favorite holiday gifts. The night was a hilarious, fun blur that really encapsulated another great year in Melamed Riley history. Check out a few highlights in the slideshow below, or feast your eyes on the complete gallery over at the Melamed Riley Facebook page.

November is a time for giving. It’s also a time for growing out mustaches, eating too much gravy and being dismayed at how early Christmas stuff is appearing around you (GLBC Christmas Ale, you get a pass). Right now, Melamed Riley is definitely in the giving spirit as we collect canned goods in hopes of defending our title as AAF Cleveland Can Castle champions. But we’re also putting our creative talents and motion graphics video capabilities to good use to benefit some of our favorite charities, like Shoes and Clothes for Kids.

Earlier this year, we developed this infographic to demonstrate the impact Shoes and Clothes for Kids has on families here in Greater Cleveland. We featured the infographic in a highly-successful appeal letter that was sent out around back-to-school season — a very important time for the children served by SC4K.

But we didn’t stop there. As a special surprise for the SC4K staff, we brought the infographic to life in a great little video that helps demonstrate the HUGE difference that Shoes and Clothes for Kids makes in the lives of Cleveland children. The video is our way of saying “thanks” for everything this wonderful organization does for our community.

We hope you’ll take a moment to check out this motion graphics video and share it with friends and family to help us raise awareness of SC4K. Special thanks to Joseph Hughes and Brian Kowalczyk for their hard work, and to Rich Maurer of Garage Creative Studios for lending his talents to the audio design.

The phone rang. “How much does a television commercial cost?” inquired the caller. It’s a question we get a lot, but the person on the phone happened to be my mother.

“Well Mom, it all depends. What’s the big idea? Who’s the target audience? How much are you spending on media? When does it need to start running?” She ignored my questions. “Huh? I don’t know. The cable company said they’d make one for $500 and I just don’t want to get ripped off. What am I paying for? How much do yours cost?”

Sigh. Rather than give my Mom a hernia by quoting her a dollar amount or telling her the old rule of thumb (that production should cost 15% to 20% of your media spend), I assured her that the cable-produced spot was probably the best route for the little hometown restaurant that she and my Dad own and operate. But her curiosity is valid: what am I paying for? And why is there such a colossal price difference between the local cable spot and the agency-produced commercials we see on the major networks every day?

The short answer is people. The typical local TV spot is produced by a very small team of people. Sometimes written, filmed and edited by the same person even. The on-camera talent is usually unpaid (I played both “girl dining at table” and “martini-drinking customer” in the commercial for the restaurant, for example). These spots usually are small on concept and special effects and big on information. There are some exceptions — Rhett and Link, for example, have made quite a name for themselves with their insane yet memorable local commercials (Ojai Valley Taxidermy is my favorite.) Also remember that the cable company will be happy to give advertisers a discount in production knowing that they will recoup this money back (and then some) in the media buy.

A typical advertising agency-produced spot begins with a creative brief prepared by the account services team and approved by the client. This document outlines the objective of the spots, any mandatory inclusions, the target audience and the key message(s). The creative team then goes to work dreaming up ways to convey this important information in a way that will be original and engaging. The top concepts get storyboarded and presented to the client. A lot of work has already been done and production hasn’t even begun!

Once a concept has been selected, the agency’s producer will work on selecting the right director and production company for the job. Often the producer will get bids from several directors, who will offer their own treatment for the TV commercial and what they believe it will cost to produce. The project is awarded and then a whole new team is assembled to pull the project off. Every production is different, but this team could include:

• Assistant Director
• Casting Director
• Art Director
• Location Scout
• Prop Master
• Director of Photography (DP)
• Production Assistant (PA)
• Set Designer
• Make-up Artist
• Wardrobe Supervisor
• Script Supervisor
• Film Loader
• Sound Mixer
• Grip (lighting and rigging technician)
• Gaffer (electrical technician)
• Teleprompter Operator
• On-screen Talent
• Off-screen Talent (voiceovers)
• Craft Services
• Editor
• Colorist
• Visual Effects Supervisor
• Sound Designer/Music Supervisor

Now the big question: do I really need all of this? If you own a steak and seafood restaurant in small-town Ohio, you probably don’t. To produce the caliber of commercials you see during primetime television or while watching a major sports event, however, it practically takes a village. Finding the big idea, putting together a team of people who can pull it off, executing it and getting it on the air at just the right time to reach your audience requires a sizable investment and a lot of talented people. But the end result will hopefully be priceless.

Here are a few recent television commercials created by Melamed Riley, part of a branding campaign we developed for The MetroHealth System.

As job jackets pile up and deadlines creep closer, I often find myself in need of a break. Just a few, sweet minutes of hilarity, stupidity, absurdity — any “ity”, really, other than productivity. And more often than not, this mini-vacation comes in the form of a Tumblr. For the uninitiated, Tumblr is a microblogging platform that boasted over 69 million blogs at last count, with new ones being added every day.

Artists, photographers and celebrities have all taken to Tumblr to showcase their work and grow their fan base. Even well-known brands are using this wildly-popular platform to connect with their customers. But, like many others, I am drawn to the Tumblrs that don’t really promote anything at all. Except for silliness, maybe.

One of my newest favorites is Dogshaming, where people publicize the misdeeds of their canine companions, which usually has something to do with eating poop.

You’re a cat person, you say? If you happen to prefer felines, or like NBC’s Parks and Recreation, you’ll love Cats that Look Like Ron Swanson.

Speaking of NBC, if you think you’ll miss the incomparable Kristen Wiig on Saturday Night Live as I will, may I recommend the many hilarious gifs of My Life Through Kristen Wiig?

I love animals. Really, I do. Especially the ones that have had too much to drink. So naturally, one of my favorite Tumblrs ever is Hungover Owls.

And should you find yourself really needing to clear your mind and start with a blank slate, try Selleck Waterfall Sandwich. A Tumblr dedicated to photos of — you guessed it — Tom Selleck, a waterfall and a sandwich.

My fiancé and I are in the throes of planning a Summer 2013 wedding. I spend free evenings checking out local wedding vendor blogs, building our wedding website and scouring Pinterest for inspiration, and often find myself wondering: how did people plan these things before the internet?

But even I am doing things a bit the old-fashioned way it seems. Today’s brides are turning to mobile apps to help them do everything from creating a color palette to figuring out who’s going to sit next to Great Aunt Pearl at dinner. Here are just a few of the mobile tools that brides and grooms can put on the iPhones before saying “I do.”

Wedding 911 by The Knot

It’s the rehearsal dinner and you just realized you don’t know how everyone should be lined up. The Knot’s Wedding 911 app is a hub where brides-to-be can get their most pressing questions instantly answered by those in the know in order to avoid a premarital meltdown.

myPANTONE™ Wedding and Events

If people look bewildered every time you tell them your colors are persimmon and robin egg blue, you might want to try the myPANTONE™ Wedding and Events. This app lets brides create and share the color styleboard for their big day, helping their palette-challenged friends and family members understand their vision.

Our Wedding App

There was a time when having disposable cameras on every table was a perfectly acceptable (and fun) way to get your guests in on the wedding photography. Now guests can download mobile software like Our Wedding App and upload pictures directly into a designated photo album for your wedding. So even if you are talking to Dad’s work friends at table 7, you won’t miss crazy Great Aunt Pearl doing the electric slide.

Appy Couple

Better yet, just create your own official wedding app to guide guests through your special day. Like Our Wedding App, Appy Couple lets guests upload pictures to a shared album. But it also helps guests find your venue, remember when the cocktail hour starts, find a nearby diner after the event and so much more. This app is still in beta testing, but is set to hit the market this fall. I’m eagerly waiting on an invitation, so when people ask us all about the wedding, I can tell them “there’s an app for that.”

As a lover of reading, I applaud LeBron James for picking up a book before game time throughout the Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and the Celtics. Now that the Heat has advanced to the NBA finals, I wanted to offer up some suggested titles for LeBron to thumb through as he tries to win a title of his own.

If you choose to snub millions of diehard fans to go play Kelly Rowland to Dwayne Wade’s Beyonce, you better make the most of it.

It’s never too late to learn the art of sportsmanship. Well, maybe it is. Perhaps a remedial text is required.

I highly recommend this one for James, particularly between the 3rd and 4th quarters.

With the Fifty Shades of Grey craze, maybe James will opt for something steamy.

And a children’s classic to help remind him that yes, his does actually stink.

If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you know that we’ve written about our work for The MetroHealth System several times before. What can we say? We love the campaign and the way that it embodies the courageous spirit of the hospital, its patients and of our fair city. That’s why we were so proud when the creative recently received several accolades at the Twenty-Ninth Annual Healthcare Marketing Awards.

Out of nearly 4,000 entries, elements of the “Proud Sponsor of the Comeback” campaign earned a Gold, Silver, Bronze and Merit award in four major categories.

Gold: Radio Advertising Series

Click here to listen!

Silver: Print Advertising Series

Bronze: Total Advertising Campaign including TV
Merit: Television Advertising Series