The Changing Face of Advertising

As content takes new forms, advertising will be coming to you in ways you may never have imagined.

In Pictures: Five Ways Advertisers Are Targeting You

New media is changing the face of online advertising, for as content takes on new forms, such as mobile and video, so does advertising. Online advertising is a nascent area, but one thing is sure: Advertising will continue to grow and evolve online, where the audience and the metrics are better. There is much experimentation and creativity taking place as companies seek to optimize advertising in a world of new media.

Connecting the Dots 
The more relevant the ad, the more it is perceived as content and welcomed by the consumer. Targeting online ads through location and context is growing. Placecast, an advertising service from San Francisco and New York-based 1020 Inc., combines location information with contextual information to "put audience in place," as its slogan says.

If you are at a hotel in Manhattan, Placecast's software can let advertisers know that you are attending a conference, that you are probably in a certain income bracket and that it is almost Valentine's Day, for example. Through Placecast, advertisers can recommend a shop near the hotel for purchasing a gift and send that ad, called a PlaceAd, to your mobile phone or laptop. Placecast gives anonymous location information context that can be converted into a revenue stream. It connects the dots to help advertisers target their audience.

Mobile ads, another form of targeting, are ads sent to you on a mobile device, customized to your location. If you are walking down the street past a department store, you might get an ad on your cellphone that jackets are on sale.

Advertisers are salivating at this form of advertising because they get much closer to the customer and the point of sale than if using mass advertising outlets like TV and newspapers. CBS Mobile is testing cellphone advertising in a partnership with the social network service Loopt, which lets families and friends keep track of each other on their cellphones. Members of Loopt who have GPS-equipped cellphones and have chosen to participate might receive an ad for a nearby restaurant or movie theater. There are privacy issues, of course, as people may find this form of advertising highly intrusive, so offering mobile ads on an opt-in basis will no doubt be required. Still, location-based mobile ads put advertisers a huge step closer to the customer purchase.

Online Ads Go Video 
Like content on the Web, advertisements are evolving from text to images (banners) to video. Video ads take on a new look and feel as they are incorporated into video content in different ways:

--viral ads, which are appended to video

--geo-targeted overlays, which are additions to video ads that reflect your location (for example, what stores are nearby in your state)

--interactive overlays, which let you click to a Web site or video for more information

--branded video players, which frame the content on your screen with an advertiser's logo

As downloadable video content increases--whether TV shows, short clips or movies, and whether to laptops, cellphones or other mobile devices--dynamic video ads can be part of the downloaded content. On the belief that most people would rather have ad-supported content than pay for content, advertisers are gearing up for this and for being able to track these offline views for their ad metrics. Poddadies helps advertisers do that and has a system to change ads on the desktop once the video file has been downloaded. Adobe also has a system to change ads in its new Media Player.

Shop the Show 
There may be ads aplenty, but there still lurks the age-old question: How effective is the ad? Especially in a world of time shifting and ad skipping? If advertisers fear their ads are being ignored, they can try an ad-less approach.

New technology lets people "shop the show" and buy products they see on a TV program right from their TV screen. If you like the shoes the actress is wearing, using technology from ICE Innovative Technologies, you can buy them instantly with a few clicks of your TV remote. The Internet-commerce-enabled technology provides a standard format for listing products, presented as a menu next to the show, that you navigate through to make a purchase. While it's not clear if clicking and shopping is a major distraction from watching the show, it's sure to satisfy impulse buying--and the product company is selling directly to the consumer at retail, not wholesale, prices.

The ICE technology works on standard TV (cable, satellite) and Internet protocol television (IPTV), and will be available for TV content on the Web. Further, producers can change the products in the show based on its sponsors. Technology from i3media, a consortium of media companies in Spain, lets you manipulate individual objects in a video frame. For instance, you could change a bottle of wine from a Monte Rosso Vineyard label to a Seven Springs Vineyard label if that grower is sponsoring the show. The proviewer can click on the wine bottle to obtain more information and purchase it.

New Ad Age 
Though online advertising is in its infancy, it is clear that advertisers are moving from a scattershot approach to, ultimately, 1-to-1 marketing and buying direct from the ad itself (no more Web page redirects). The traditional (TV) ad network, with neatly delineated spots and breaks, has given way to a new ad network supporting Internet content that features wildly irregular spots and breaks, if any. Internet content is flexible and interactive, and advertising must follow suit.

Key questions are: Who is in charge of IPTV channel programming, and thus advertising? Will there be a bidding system for ad time, or will advertising follow an entirely different business model? How do we get IPTV, the Web and television to accept and display each other's ads when proprietary, incompatible video players and formats make integration--and therefore an effective overall ad strategy--difficult?

Stay tuned as industry, audience and technology work out these and other online ad issues. YuMe is one company offering these kinds of ad services;16 of its ad platforms will also power NBC Direct, the first site to offer free downloads of prime time TV shows.

Excerpted from the report,Digital Disruptions: Technology Innovations Powering 21st Century Business,developed byCSC, aglobal information technology services firm. Copyright: 2008 CSC. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. 10/08

10 Must-Have iPhone Apps for the Adman

It's More Than a Toy; It's a Business Tool


Posted by Tom Martin on 03.03.09 @ 05:01 PM

As I work through the data analysis of my Mardi Gras Twitter experiment, I thought I'd have some fun with this week's post and share my top 10 iPhone apps that every Adman (and Adwoman) should have to be more successful in today's high-intensity, gotta-have-it-yesterday ad world.

A special thanks to Mike Rainey, our Chief Creative Officer, for helping me to compile this list.

10. iBeer. For those days when no one remembers to make the Free Beer Friday beer run. Yes, sadly it does happen.

9. Shazam. For when you find the perfect background music for the campaign that is due tomorrow while sitting at the wine bar eating breakfast.

8. Twittelator Pro. If you're on Twitter, you know why. This one lets you basically do it all from your iPhone. In fact, it powered my entire Mardi Gras Twitter experiment. Troubles here and there, but overall, good stuff.

7. Facebook. Because it is much easier to hide an iPhone screen when your boss comes in your office.

6. Files. A great app that lets you create a file tree on your iPhone. I use it to carry all my important files with me so that no matter where I am, I can reference any client files. Supports all major formats and syncs via WiFi. Very cool little app that I'd highly recommend.

5. WhereTraveler. A great app for any traveler. Find out security wait times at all airports, search for info on your destination like restaurants, shopping and entertainment. And for when things go wrong, phone numbers for every airline and rental car agency. Just tap a screen to call.

4. Google Reader. I follow over 100 blogs so being able to read them as I ride the elevator or when I'm in that really boring meeting you're running is invaluable.

3. OmniFocus. For all you David Allen GTD folks, this is a great stand-alone iPhone app (which is how I use it) or you can use it with the desktop client too. But beware, I've heard the sync is a little hit and miss when you use the desktop app in conjunction with the iPhone app. The "nearby" feature is the absolute bomb when you find yourself with a few spare minutes.

2. XpenseTrkr. Like this one needs an explanation. It even lets you take a picture of the receipt, something I'm thinking our accounting folks will relish me using more in the future.

1. And the number one most important iPhone app for today's crazed Adman/Adwoman is ... drum roll please ... Lightsaber Unleashed. Because sometimes there is just no better way to settle a difference of opinion with cranky art directors.

And there you have it folks. Got a few great iPhone apps that you think I should add to my iPhone? Let all of us know via the comments tool below.

~ ~ ~
Tom Martin is President of Zehnder Communications, with offices in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. He can be reached at mailto:tom.martin@z-comm.com Or follow him at @TomMartin.

Relate. Don't Translate.

Kelly McDonald of McDonald Marketing, the keynote speaker at our most recent luncheon, will present Relating, Not Translating:  How to Market to U.S. Latinos from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, March 16 at Billy Bob's Texas.

The Fort Worth Stockyards Business Association is hosting the event and tickets are $12.  If you would like to attend, RSVP to Kristin Jaworski at Kristin.Jaworski@fortworthgov.org.

    

Fort Worth's Ad Club is celebrating 100 years

By Sandra Baker
sabaker@star-telegram.com

One hundred years ago this week, a small group of advertising men in Fort Worth banded together and founded the Fort Worth Advertising Men’s Club. It was the same year explorers reached the North Pole.

Thirteen years later, women were allowed to join the club, two years after women were given the right to vote.

Newspapers were the prime advertising medium back then, but along came radio, television and then the Internet. Membership in the Ad Club fluctuated over the years as the industry went through low times and golden years.

But just a few years go, membership in the now-named American Advertising Federation -- Fort Worth was diminishing.

That, coupled with the malaise of some members, added to the possibility that the city’s oldest civic organization wouldn’t reach its 100th anniversary this week.
"I was worried about it for a while there," said Susan Cook Adkins, principal of Adkins & Associates, a 25-year member and past president. "We’ve definitely had some struggles."

But just as advertising has changed since the organization was founded Feb. 19, 1909, so has the club. Steeped in tradition, it has gone through three name changes, recovered from a controversial vote a decade ago to switch to monthly from weekly meetings, and most importantly, survived technology changes.

Not to mention the evolution of the local industry. Gone are many of the big-name agencies that for years accounted for most of the club’s members — and coffers — only to be replaced by smaller shops and freelance operators who were finding the "club" unappealing and meaningless.

In the end, technology changes and willingness of some members rescued the club, putting many management functions online, finding a better way to keep track of members and making sure that they were paying dues, for example, officers said.
"Membership in the Ad Club has always been a moving target," says Kent Dean, director of field marketing for the Bobby Cox Cos. Dean served as president in 2007 and pushed for many of the changes to keep the group going.

Improving programming was also vital, and officers made sure those who wanted to serve on the board were actively involved and that being a board member was not just titular, Dean said.

"We raised the bar quite a bit the past couple of years," said Mike Roundtree, principal of Roundtree Advertising and Marketing and the group’s current president.

Technology impact
Adapting to how advertising is created and presented has challenged agencies over the years. It’s a never-ending issue that Ad Club members face every day, said Roundtree, an advertising professional for 30 years.

"I’ve seen it come from everything being done with a typesetter and pasted up on boards, to integrating everything into the computer," Roundtree said. "Everything can be done faster now."

In the beginning, print advertising was king. When radio came along and advertisers wanted to be there, everyone thought that print advertising was dead, Roundtree said.
Then came television and now the computer and the World Wide Web, he said.

The computer complicated things, but it also opened up a new world, not only in reaching the masses, but also in terms of how creative a campaign can get, Roundtree said.

"The Web is absolutely new territory," he said. "When you think of a campaign, you don’t just think of print and broadcast — you think of print, broadcast and the Web."
As a result, the job of adman has also changed, said Mike Wilie, president and chief executive of Witherspoon Advertising, which, at 63, is the city’s oldest agency. He’s been there 33 years.

Gone are the days of a person being just a copy writer or an artist. Now, professionals are generalists and wear more than one hat, he said.

Because profit margins are tighter, creative decisions tend to be based on cost, Wilie said.

"It’s not just picking out a pretty color," Wilie said. "Clients want to know your success record with products. John Witherspoon, our chief financial officer back in the ’70s, used to say, 'Make a little on every job and never a lot on one job.’ Client service and creative work builds over time and profit builds over time. There is no quick fix. This fundamental value of deferring gratification to one of instant gratification seems to be the rule now."

Deep tradition
Twenty-five advertising men chartered the organization in 1909, but it took nearly four decades for membership to grow to about 100. At its 50th anniversary, it had a little fewer than 200 members. In recent years, it has dipped to around 50. Today, the membership roll lists 92 names.

In 1922, the club’s name changed to the Advertising Club of Fort Worth and women were admitted to membership. It wasn’t until 1957, though, that a woman won one of its "Elmer" awards. Today, the club participates in the ADDYs, an award program of the national American Advertising Federation.

The current name was voted on in 1998 to better reflect the organization’s strong professional heritage and to steer away from it being just a social organization. Its Christmas parties are legendary for their frivolity.

"We had a lot of fun, but we did a lot of work." Adkins said.

The group has always conducted civic projects. During World War II, it bought war bonds, and at one time, agencies took turns selecting a nonprofit to work with pro bono. Today, members work at the Tarrant County Food Bank, raise money for Limbs for Life, and they build with Habitat for Humanity.

"We’re looking for these kinds of things to bring more meaning to what we do," Roundtree said.

The place to be
Elevating advertising is still the organization’s mission. The group honors the best creative work annually in the Addy awards and, since 1959, the group honors one of its own with the Silver Medal, an award that recognizes one’s efforts in advancing the advertising profession.

Its meetings are still considered the best resources for hearing about best practices in the industry, with many of them featuring local, regional and national advertising professionals and experts. Members are to bring ideas to the meetings and share them, a custom that began with the club and something that still continues.
"It was the place to be on Wednesdays at noon," Jim Stuart, principal in the former agency Stuart Bacon and a past president, said of the meetings. "That’s where you saw everyone and made contacts."

In its 50th-anniversary booklet, the group described the weekly meetings this way: "Conversation over luncheon tables brings out spirited interchange of ideas among members who work in various phases of advertising. Serious comments are liberally laced with good-humored repartee."

Said Frank Burkett, a retired ad professional who joined in 1954, "It was the place where you went every week to find out what was going on."

Making a comeback
The organization celebrated heydays in the 1980s and the early 1990s, a time when agencies here ranked among the largest in the Southwest. But the recession in the early 1990s caused most of those larger agencies to go out of business. Advertisers were cutting back, so the agencies scaled back.

"It’s a completely different atmosphere now," Adkins said. "Being involved in Ad Club really is on your own time now, not the company time."

In 1998, the group had a record number of 856 Addy entries, an unscientific measure the group uses to judge the health of the local industry. The entries reached a low of about 380 entries in 2007. This year, it’s picked up to about 740 entries.
Roundtree said there’s a new generation of advertising professionals who see the benefits and networking opportunities the group can provide.

"I’ve watched the Ad Club over the years," Roundtree said. "People with similar backgrounds and businesses can still come together and actually talk about some common issues."

Small Business of the Year Awards 2009

Red Productions is one of three finalists in the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce 2009 Small Business of the Year Awards. This award seeks to recognize and honor businesses that have demonstrated "Best Practices" of entrepreneurship such as, sound business planning, fiscal responsibility and work process innovation in operating their business. Red Productions was entered in the category for 1-10 employees. The winner will be announced at the Mayor's State of the City Address Luncheon on February 12, 2009.

Consideration for this award comes in addition to the incredible growth that Red Productions has already experienced this year. At the beginning of 2008, they were the first company to "graduate" from Tech Fort Worth's Business Incubation program and moved into a new creative studio. "It is exciting to be considered for this award, especially as such a young company. There are so many great small businesses in Fort Worth and we are honored to be considered," said Red Sanders, President.

Red Productions was chosen as a finalist based on written applications that were submitted to the chamber. At the beginning of the year a team of judges came out for a tour of the studio and interviewed Sanders further on his experience in entrepreneurship. All of the finalists were also interviewed by Shivaun Palmer on BizRadio, to hear the interview follow this link http://tinyurl.com/azu8cm

TCU Career Services to Host Ad/PR & Marketing Networking Night

TCU Career Services announces its 2nd networking event bringing together advertising, public relations and marketing students and alumni with local profit and nonprofit businesses. The Ad/PR & Marketing Networking Night will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3rd. on the second floor of Jarvis Hall (2820 South University Drive, Ft.Worth, TX 76129). Parking will be available in the UCC Lot located at W. Cantey and Rogers Street. This will be an opportunity for students, alumni and faculty to network with local companies. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call (817) 257-4141.

This program is a partnership between TCU’s Alumni Relations, Career Services, Development, The Schieffer School of Journalism and Student Affairs.

It's Time to Confess!

What did you do to win an ADDY?  Visit www.itstimetoconfess.com to view your colleague’s sins and to confess your own!  Yes, it’s anonymous.

JAMES WARE RETURNS TO WITHERSPOON

Witherspoon Marketing Communications is pleased to announce the return of James Ware as Senior Art Director at the agency. Ware will work with Witherspoon clients to deliver creative and effective communications solutions for business-to-business and business-to-consumer accounts.

"We are pleased to have James back on board," said Mike Wilie, president and CEO of Witherspoon. "His creative leadership and ability to match award winning design with strong messaging, will deliver superior results for Witherspoon clients ."   

Prior to rejoining Witherspoon, Ware served as a senior art director for a leading Dallas agency, where he worked in the agency's business-to-business unit.  "It is really great to be back in Fort Worth," says Ware.  "The creative energy, fueled by the city's growing cultural district, is bringing a lot of regional attention to Fort Worth's advertising community. Witherspoon has always been the city's gold standard, holding great esteem throughout the Southwest advertising community. It is great to be working at such a vibrant and creative shop."

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Ware has more than two decades of experience in communication design.  During his career, he was won numerous local, regional and national ADDY and AIGA awards, and received a prestigious "Telly" award for his work on a civic campaign for the city of New Orleans.

Ware is a graduate of Louisiana State University, holding a bachelor of arts degree from the university's College of Design.

The Hondo Group Partners with Joint US-China Cooperation on Clean Energy (JUCCCE)

The Hondo Group, a Fort Worth-based marketing communications company, announced today their green partnership with the Joint US-China Cooperation on Clean Energy (JUCCCE). The Hondo Group will deliver a variety of creative services including green branding and development and website re-design.

"China's environmental impact on the world means that we should all work together to ensure that China is successful in their efforts to go green," said Peggy Liu, JUCCCE Chairperson. "JUCCCE brings together companies around the world to bring sustainable solutions to key decision makers in China- whether they are local Mayors, grid executives or office managers. The Hondo Group will help us increase our ability to act as a bilingual and bicultural bridge for the energy industry's stakeholders."

JUCCCE's partners include leading experts and influencers from many sectors.  Under the umbrella of JUCCCE's programs, many individual contributions are brought together to enable market-transformation strategies, to change the way China creates and uses energy. 

"We are honored to lend our green marketing expertise to a movement that will transform China and the world into a more sustainable environment," said Lynn Balinas, president. "As our own company evolves and offers more environmentally conscious services, JUCCCE will prove to not only be a beneficial partner, but also a successful example to follow." 

The Hondo Group recently added green marketing and sustainable business strategies to their product offerings. They are currently in the process of developing one of the first ongoing quantitative assessment tools for evaluating environmentally sound business practices. The Hondo Group's research-driven sustainable business plan turns environmental consciousness into a formidable strategic move. In addition, The Hondo Group team is staffed with a LEED Accredited Professional who can perform assessments on buildings and advise recommendations to companies interested in improving the sustainability and resource efficiency of their building. With these new green marketing efforts along with standard marketing services, The Hondo Group can help clients systematically reduce their carbon footprint on the environment while publicizing their environmental stewardship efforts.

JUCCCE is a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the greening of China through international collaboration on impactful programs.  JUCCCE programs focus on delivering near-term results in areas of greatest impact to transform the way China uses and creates energy.  Established in 2007, JUCCCE has offices in San Francisco, Shanghai, and Beijing. For more information, please visitwww.juccce.com.

The Hondo Group, a marketing communications company, is dedicated to providing clients with new strategic branding processes and procedures, and new products and technologies. With offices in Fort Worth, Texas and Darlington, Wis., the company represents clients in a variety of areas including agriculture, real estate, professional services, technology, healthcare and life sciences. As a full service agency, The Hondo Group helps clients close the marketing loop between great products and satisfied consumers. For more information, please visit www.hondogroup.com. 

Sara Hull Joins Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations

Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations^®, a full-service, integrated strategic marketing services firm, today announced the addition of Sara Hull as account services director. Hull will focus her efforts on managing the key accounts and team that support the agency’s expanding supply chain and logistics vertical.

Hull, a Fort Worth native, is returning to the Metroplex after spending 17 years in the Milwaukee area where she received her education and built an impressive track record in advertising and public relations.  

“Sara is a very strong leader and has a reputation for creating proven results for clients and motivating agency teams to achieve their highest potential. She adds rock-solid character and leadership to our agency in general, and to our fast-growing logistics and supply chain management segments in particular,” said Ken Schaefer, principal at Blanchard Schaefer. “We continue to generate tremendous growth in that segment, so Sara’s ability to develop and provide every client with creative solutions for measurably achieving their business objectives will be invaluable to our agency as we continue to grow.”

One of the agency’s five primary vertical areas of focus, the supply chain and logistics business is increasingly critical to the lifeblood of this country and the world, making it a competitive industry that is just tapping into how to market products and services. However, resources are limited to agencies with real expertise in the industry. With a national base of clients such as TransCore, ATC Logistics & Electronics, TTI and Choice Logistics, Blanchard Schaefer has more than ten years of experience working on clients in this vital vertical.

Before joining Blanchard Schaefer, Hull was director of client services at Integré Advertising in Milwaukee where she directed all functions of the account service department, including serving as the strategic lead for all agency accounts, recruiting, training, supervising, supporting, and empowering all account service staff members, and structuring integration between account service, creative, public relations and production departments.

Prior to Integré Advertising, Hull was an interactive account supervisor at Hanson Dodge Creative also in Milwaukee. While there, she oversaw marketing communications strategies for clients in the high-profile apparel and tourism industries. While there, she spearheaded the company’s largest ever web development project, a multimillion-dollar initiative for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

Hull’s extensive account leadership experience also includes key positions at Laughlin/Constable, where her key accomplishments included spearheading major re-branding initiative for Florsheim, and orchestrating the launch of an Oshkosh B’Gosh retail initiative introducing adult apparel to the marketplace. Hull also served as group director at The Balcom Agency in Fort Worth.  

Her client-side experience includes a position leading marketing efforts of the Journal Sentinel and Mil-Mar Shoe Company.

Hull holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Marquette University. 

About Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations

Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations, an award-winning strategic marketing services firm, offers a full array of advertising and public relations expertise and services with a focus in the healthcare, supply chain and logistics, health and beauty, multi-location/franchise, and technology verticals. Its client-tailored strategic marketing services include proficiency and innovation in research, identity/collateral development, branding, creative, media placement, news generation/dissemination, media relations and trade show and speaking engagement coordination. Based in Arlington, Texas, Blanchard Schaefer serves clients across the United States. For more information, visit www.bsapr.com.

Jennifer Bridie Joins Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations

Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations^®, a full-service, integrated strategic marketing services firm, today announced the addition of Jennifer Bridie as account supervisor. Bridie will oversee strategy and day-to-day activities for key clients including TTI, Snelling Staffing Services and The Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. She will also support new business development.

“Jennifer is a great fit for BSAPR, both culturally and intellectually,” said Sara Hull, account services director at Blanchard Schaefer. “We participated in a significant pitch during her first week with the company and she jumped in like she’d been here for years. She enhances our internal team and will also be a tremendous asset for our clients. We’re very lucky to have her join BSAPR.”

Before joining Blanchard Schaefer, Bridie was a brand management team leader with The Richards Group, where she headed several hospitality and sporting goods accounts such as Accor North America, Atlantis resort in The Bahamas, Russell Athletic and Spalding. While there, she also played a significant part in new business endeavors.

Previously, Bridie was with GSD&M in Austin, where she gained substantial retail experience managing many brand initiatives for Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.

Bridie first set her sights on an advertising career while majoring in journalism at Texas A&M. She lives in Dallas with her husband and toddler daughter.

About Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations

Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations, an award-winning strategic marketing services firm, offers a full array of advertising and public relations expertise and services with a focus in the healthcare, supply chain and logistics, health and beauty, multi-location/franchise, and technology verticals. Its client-tailored strategic marketing services include proficiency and innovation in research, identity/collateral development, branding, creative, media placement, news generation/dissemination, media relations and trade show and speaking engagement coordination. Based in Arlington, Texas, Blanchard Schaefer serves clients across the United States. For more information, visit www.bsapr.com.

JUDGMENT DAY IS HERE!

The economic downtown didn’t seem to hamper the competitive spirit of creatives!   We are pleased to announce that this year’s ADDY Awards received more than 700 entries.  Fort Worth’s number of entries ranked in the very top of the American Advertising Federation’s 10^th District, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. 

Three esteemed judges are making their way to Fort Worth from Florida, Minnesota and Nebraska to decide who’s work will receive a coveted ADDY.  The judges will arrive today, January 29, and critique the entries throughout the weekend.

To find out who won, attend the Annual ADDY Awards Gala at the Ashton Depot on February 28.  Keep a look out for your invitation!

If you're interested in sponsorship information for this year's ADDYs, please contact Keith Powell at keymagfw@aol.com.