It starts with our facility. The agency’s recently developed Focus Group Room inside its 1331 Grafton Street, Worcester building is optimally suited for a wide range of focus groups and contains:

• A 575-square-foot conference room, adaptable per project.
• Four discreet cameras for multi-angle viewing and recording.
• High-definition viewing screen with optional HD video.
• Versatile product display area.
• Separate food preparation room.
• Separate client viewing area for observing focus groups through a two-way mirror or via live stream broadcast.

In addition, Focus Group Room Clients have access to Davis Advertising’s more than 65 years of experience in research, advertising and marketing. Among the support services Davis offers are recruitment—we will expertly match each focus group’s demographics to the research needs of companies, brands, products and services—and moderator services, in which an experienced moderator will be appointed specifically for your research project.

Post-group analysis may be the most important aspect of your Focus Group Room experience, which is why Davis records each session and deliver the recording via your platform of choice, including DVD, CD, mp3, and compressed video file.

Perhaps best of all, Davis Advertising is conveniently located at the junction of Route 20 and Grafton Street in Worcester, just 1/2 mile from the Mass Pike. With the only Focus Group Room of its kind in Worcester County and a state of the art facility and an experienced market research staff, Davis Advertising is here to help your business move forward.

To learn more about Focus Group Room opportunities and services at Davis Advertising, please contact Mike Ivas, Director of New Business, at mivas@davisad.com or 508.752.4615, ext. 236.

The website at www.fallen-heroes.org tells the story of the Worcester Six, the valiant fire fighters who lost their lives in the line of duty in 1999. It makes a strong call to action to help the Foundation’s reinvigorated effort to build a Memorial to honor these men and the very idea of service to the City of Worcester.

The video, which was unveiled on Thursday, June 13 at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Breakfast Club meeting, voices that call to action via footage from the fire and interviews with Worcester Fire Fighter Ed Ryan, Denise Brotherton, widow of fire fighter Paul Brotherton, and Worcester City Manager Michael O’Brien.

Davis Advertising donated these services to the Foundation to help ensure a Memorial is built and that improvements to its surrounding area at Institute Park are made.

“We all remember the devastation wrought by the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire in 1999 and we believe very strongly in the effort to build a Memorial,” said Davis Advertising President Andy Davis. “Just as the victims’ families and friends and their brothers and sisters in the Worcester Fire Department need closure, the entire city will benefit from dedication to service. We are grateful to the work of the Foundation and are extremely happy to help in this effort.”

BankSIS.us is a forward-thinking wonder of functionality, security, convenience and creativity, designed to make life easier for existing customers and to attract new ones. Among the benefits of the new site are its responsive design, clean integration with outside vendors, and features such as live chat.

What’s more, the website includes the introduction of SIS Mobile Check Deposit, via banksis.us/mobile-banking. With only a smartphone, customers can deposit a check with a simple “Sign, Click and Send.”

To learn more about Davis Advertising’s amazing web team, head to http://www.davisad.com/services/web-design.

So without further ado, here we are, Mr/s. Davis Advertising:

Artistic Sensibilities, Abilities and Training

Mr/s. Davis Advertising loves art, pure and simple. S/he loves art in all of its forms, from painting to photography to video to graphic design to the art of sound to the art of literature. S/he loves art when s/he’s at work, where s/he cherishes the challenge of—the art of—bringing out the best in brands, and s/he loves art when s/he’s away from the office.

At home s/he likes to read but s/he keeps the couch-sitting to a minimum, preferring instead to get crafty by sewing, drawing, playing the guitar, drumming, writing music, painting (s/he has a particular fondness for large-scale acrylic painting, and is greatly influenced by the work of surrealist painter Salvador Dali and poster artist Rick Griffin), poetry and photography. But sometimes even that’s not enough. S/he gets antsy so she gets out on the road, seeking other creative opportunities; for example, s/he loves underwater photography and has a special interest in photographing the elusive hammerhead that has narrowly evaded h(er)im several times before.

Sometimes the line between work and play is blurred. For instance s/he uses h(is)er skills to illustrate children’s books, and also freelances as a photojournalistic wedding photographer. S/he has produced, shot and directed several of h(is)er own films, and h(is)er largest project and most recent film premiered in May 2012. (It has already won one film festival and been submitted to a number of others.) Moreover, s/he’s an experienced musician with dozens of professional credits to h(is)er name, as a drummer, guitarist, vocalist and, most recently, as a bassist with local bands.

Educational Background

Know that g(al)uy who earns dozens of degrees? That wo/man who studies everything because she wants to know everything? Mr/s. Davis Advertising is that g(al)uy. S/he learned it all so s/he could do it all.

S/he began h(is)er educational journey at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, earning bachelor’s degrees, MFAs and certificates in Film and Video, Illustration, Photography and Graphic Design—earning the latter degree many times over. In fact, s/he also earned degrees in Graphic Design from Westfield State University, UMass Dartmouth, Becker College and Eastern Connecticut State University.

Additional arts-related degrees were later acquired in theater and studio art (both from Skidmore College) and Sound Design (an MFA from the North Carolina School of the Arts).

In advertising, communication skills are of the utmost importance. In some ways, they are advertising. Therefore, Mr/s. Davis Advertising has studied and studied… and studied Communications. S/he started with three consecutive bachelor’s degrees in Communications from Worcester State University, went back to school and minored in Communications at Framingham State College, then later returned for degrees in Communications from Fitchburg State University, the University of Southern Maine and Lasell College.

Advertisers being an integral part of the business community, Mr/s. Davis Advertising went in for a number of business and business-related degrees. Starting with multiple bachelor’s degrees in Business from Worcester State University and another in Accounting, s/he then headed for upstate New York, earning multiple certificates from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York for computer graphics, public relations and quality management, among others, then returned home for a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Fitchburg State University.  Recognizing the need for a high-level degree, but having fallen in love with the local scene, s/he went back to school for h(is)er MBA in Business from Clark University. Along the way, h(is)er educational exploits have garnered notable appreciation: Summa Cum Laude and Beta Gamma Sigma, among them, with the latter being the highest academic recognition given to business students in the world.

Of course, Mr/s. Davis Advertising is nothing if not well-rounded and s/he has the degrees and certificates to prove it. There are the arts- and literature-related degrees (s/he is a graduate of the prestigious Museum School at the Worcester Art Museum, received h(is)er bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism from Rutgers University, and studied art history at Eastern Connecticut University) and the computer-related certificates (web development and 3D animation certificates from The Center for Digital Imaging and Arts at Boston University). But that’s not all. Mr/s. Davis Advertising also made sure to earn a degree in Education from Anna Maria College—never forget the children, s/he says—and, knowing the importance of understanding human and, heck, why not, animal behavior, s/he added a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience from Connecticut College.

Work Experience

Mr/s. Davis Advertising has that rare blend of youth and experience. S/he has the maturity to navigate the business world, and the kind of fresh outlook that brings exciting creativity.

After earning the aforementioned dozens of degrees, being an art gallery assistant, working full-time as a behavioral neuroscientist and holding several internships, including one at the Worcester Art Museum, she went right to work. S/he had stops at a number of radio stations throughout New England, and has extensive background as an on-air announcer, imaging director, commercial production director and promotions director. Moreover, s/he gained early sales experience, which prepared h(er)im for the role of general manager of Internet sales for the fourth largest automotive group in New England. S/he also owned Michael James Co., a marketing communications firm based in Worcester, and h(is)er clients included nationally known companies such as Reebok, Dunkin’ Donuts, Titleist, FootJoy, Gulf Oil, Stride Rite, Genzyme, Converse and FTD. Along the way, s/he became vice chairman and director of the Better Business Bureau of Central and Western Massachusetts, where s/he headed up the Communications Committee.

Today s/he relies on h(is)er extensive ad agency and television sales background to secure the most impactful TV and radio schedules, resulting in high-scoring impressions for h(is)er clients.   H(is)er blend of marketing savvy with business knowledge helps h(is)er clients realize the full potential of their brands, and s/he has demonstrated an eye for design through projects for clients such as Charter Communications, iMakeNews, Inc. and Best Ford.

S/he works to synchronize commercial production in addition to organizing media rotations with vendors, the media department and account executives. S/he is also adept at buying slots, reconciling commercial logs, billing and researching rate information.

What’s the secret to Mr/s. Davis Advertising’s success? S/he treats every client as if it were h(is)er only one.

Hobbies and Interests, Family and Community

As any ad wo/man knows, setting aside time for loved ones and finding downtime is crucial, and Mr/s. Davis Advertising is a dedicated family wo/man with a number of hobbies and interests.

S/he enjoys spending quality time with h(is)er children, and also finds time to coach a local baseball and boys’ basketball for Leicester Parks & Recreation, not to mention assisting with church youth group functions and running an ice derby charity to benefit children with diabetes. Mr/s. Davis Advertising is also a member of a large extended family… of pets.

S/he loves spending time with her dogs, Fiora, Mojo, Roofus, Sarah, Dingo, Ahyoka, Katia, Chase, Amber, Little Bear (aka Hank, aka Hankward Williams Jr. Jr. Rivard, Chief Only One Paw, Not For a Long Time), Kai, Acadia (aka Cadi), Benji, Fred, Bo-Luke, Ellie Mae Belle, Max, Lilly, and Beef; h(is)er cats, Howard, Oliver, Mitsy, Frank, Penny, Emmy, Eddie, Maxxie, Jack, Pants, Coca-Cola, Suzie, Leia, Lulu, and Stormy; h(is)er turtles, Bubba and R2; birds, two zebra finches named Thunder and Lightning; and fish, including varieties known as pumpkin seeds, red ears, blue gills and bullhead catfish.

Mr/s. Davis Advertising is nothing if not active. Hiking, camping or photographing wildlife are at the top of h(is)er list, as are playing basketball, softball and practicing yoga, and s/he’s a former competitive dancer who enjoys ballroom dancing whenever s/he can. On top of that, bowling, hiking, swimming, boating, fishing and other outdoor activities are huge favorites.

In short, no one plays harder than s/he does, especially if it involves a motor. Motorcycles, cars, trucks, boats, jet skis, snowmobiles, tractors, lawn mowers and even weed-wackers bring out the hot rod daredevil that hides within his/her conservative business suits. If it makes power, s/he will tear it down, tune it up and see what it can do.

Still, Mr/s. Davis Advertising knows how to unwind by honing h(is)er skills to be the best player at Starcraft II, keeping up with the latest trends in technology, collecting vinyl records, cooking, playing the harp, watching obscure films, going to concerts and listening to music; some of h(is)er musical favorites include Phish, the Grateful Dead and jazz and improvisational music. S/he also has a passion for 18^th century antiquities, loves Star Wars and enjoys building replica movie memorabilia. S/he is also a fan of Tarantino films and Boston sports teams, and boasts a vast knowledge of useless information, including an impressive ability to “name that ‘80s song in four notes.”

So there you have it: Mr/s. Davis Advertising, one a heck of an artist, businessperson, family wo/man and hobbyist. With such experience, wherewithal, and creativity Davis Advertising is the agency you need to power your brand. 

“Until recent years,” the newspaper explains, “Davis Advertising was known mostly as a production shop specializing in store circulars, real estate and automobile dealer advertising production. Today, the agency has grown to 45 professionals and billings of about $40 million a year. A diverse range of in house services are now offered to clients including: advertising, branding, public relations, graphic design, website design and marketing, full in-house TV, video and radio production, social media strategy, copywriting and media buying.”

In addition to listing new clients such as Honey Dew Associates, Inc. and longtime ones like The Worcester Sharks and Bay State Savings Bank, the article points to  web department as a source of expansion and creative production.

“Website design and development has been a huge growth area for Davis Advertising in recent months. The agency has already launched sites for Charlton Furniture in Charlton as well as Kidd-Luukko Corporation and Holy Name High School, both in Worcester. It is currently developing or redesigning a number of sites, including one for Worcester-based Creedon and Co. and another for Southbridge-based Dexter-Russell, producing training videos for them as well.”

See the full article Here.

The Metrowest Visitors Bureau spearheaded the collaborative efforts of several Regional Tourism Councils to re-grant MOTT allocated dollars for this unique and traveler-friendly website.

Tisha Geeza, Sr. Account Executive at Davis, said, “Davis Advertising is proud to have been chosen to create this website, which will allow visitors to explore all 10 botanic gardens within a single website and to plot travel times to every garden destination. In addition, each botanical garden will be able to tout the seasonal activities that are available to visitors. These diverse activities include everything from family-friendly nature walks to lectures by naturalists.”

Included are:

Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Botanic Garden at Smith College, New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods, Heritage Museum and Gardens, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Polly Hill Arboretum, Tower Hill Botanic Garden and Wellesley College Botanic Gardens.

As this collection of recent animation for clients such as Honey Dew and Webster First demonstrates, animation gives brands and companies a unique personality—it tells customers that you provide an extraordinary experience they won’t find anywhere else.

At Davis Advertising animation is created in-house, spearheaded by our amazing Animator Imer Diaz. Diaz collaborates with the Art, Creative, Video and Audio teams to make logos dance and animated and cartoon characters play roles and tell stories.

From the cartoon-animated to the computer-generated to the costumed and even the genuine, animals are selling everything from potato chips to insurance.

Why? There are probably many reasons, but the bottom line is that we relate to them. Sometimes they’re cute and other times they express our innermost desires, but no matter what they help companies build relationships with consumers. Perhaps that’s why we see so many Super Bowl ads featuring something on four legs.

http://www.globalanimal.org/2013/02/07/animals-touchdown-in-top-super-bowl-ads/90593/

So while the client whose commercial will be shot this week shall remain nameless for now, we’re hoping the cute factor or the “expression of our innermost desires” will go a long way.

Today we’re seeing another great leap in coupons, mobile coupons, and like their forebears they are one of the best ways to bring customers to your retail establishment.

Unfortunately, many businesses still fear mobile coupons, even though they have no reason to. But more on that later. First let’s talk about why mobile coupons are taking off.

Almost Everyone is on a Smartphone

Our parents or grandparents may have spent hours a week hovered over newspapers looking for great bargains, but the day of the coupon-clipping madman/woman is over. It’s a simple math equation, really. My time (or the dollar value I put on it) X the length of time it takes to cut coupons > the savings I get in return. But with mobile coupons, the sign gets flipped; > is now <.

So clipping coupons is out, but HALF of Americans own smartphones (46% as of February 2012, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project), and the numbers are growing quickly. Juniper Research predicts 300 million mobile coupon users redeeming $6 billion globally during 2014. Don’t you want the opportunity to reach consumers where they are?

Do NOT Fear the Technology

Afraid of opening the door to this new technology? Having terrible visions of angry customers waiting behind someone with a mobile coupon while a sales clerk struggles to process it? There is no question that problems can arise when trying to use a barcode scanner on a smartphone, but these simple measures will solve your problems.

Use Simple Coupon Codes

Don’t bother with the barcode scanner and instead design the mobile coupon so that it includes a short code that can be entered in to the cash register.

Make Paper Coupons—Not for Customers, For You

If your accounting process requires a piece of paper to be entered into the drawer, simply turn Post-It Notes or something similar into a coupon. Write “Mobile Coupon” on them and have the clerk put one in the drawer every time a customer flashes a mobile coupon.

Upgrade Your System

It is possible to scan barcodes from smartphones, especially when you invest in a new system with a UPC reader. While the process will never by 100% foolproof, you can employ method one (Simple Coupon Codes) or method two (Paper Coupons) as a backup should the barcode scanner fail. In the long run, new machinery like this is probably worthwhile.

No matter what your approach—total acceptance or irrational fear—mobile coupons are here to stay. Now all you need is a product as addictive as Coca-Cola.

The writing on CL forms a genre all its own, with ads ranging from the purely straightforward to the ridiculous, outrageous, hilarious, desperate and self-indulgent. Say what you want about this online classifieds site, but many of the postings are nothing short of creative genius.

Take this ad for a used bike (or an excerpt of it anyway; the entire post stretches a lengthy 743 words):

…What makes this bike so much better than every other bike that has ever been pedaled? Glad you asked. It starts with the paint scheme. It looks like Iron Man if Iron Man were a bike. That’s bold, son. Curb appeal. It’s probably also why some piece of trash stole the front tire that originally came with this beauty. Why didn’t he steal the whole bike? Because he knew he wasn’t man enough. That’s ok, I replaced it with something that looks even more boss.

Hyperbolic? Certainly. Amusing? No question.

Other Craigslist ads lose the salesy hyperbole and go for the purely humorous, like this guy’s attempt to sell his used yoga mat for $1. Saying nothing about the mat itself, he replays the thoughts that went through his head as he attempted a hot yoga class—and decided to drop the practice of yoga… forever. We pick up mid-story…

(Note: The post has been edited for length and content, and can be found in its entirety at http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3153/Hilarious-Yoga-Mat-for-Sale-Ad-on-Craigslist.html.)

12:52p

It is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.

12:55p

This room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok? 

1:09p

150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands [the instructor] is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed. I lose consciousness. 

1:15p

I have a headache and…I can’t really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out. 

1:17p

I cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it’s voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It’s like juice and cracker time, ok?

1:20p

It is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?

1:30p

Torture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and ‘cool down’ in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon?

Pretty funny, right? Of course, the only real reason for a Craigslist shopper to actually buy this yoga mat is because it’s being sold for $1, as opposed to the usual $10-plus for a new one. In other words, all he really needed was the title: “Yoga mat, $1.”

Nevertheless, as any good copywriter knows, a little bit of humor and hyperbole can go a long way. In fact, the next time I get an assignment for a furniture print ad, I think I’ll check out what Craigslist is saying first.