Nice Marketing, Nike

Today, as both my regular readers know, the Beloved Spartans of Michigan State are taking on the Wolverines of Michigan. The Spartans are debuting their new Nike Pro-Combat uniforms. I've noticed the uniforms have some of the same qualities we look for in marketing ideas. Two examples:

1. What Assets Are You Using/Creating?

What's ownably yours? A character? A look? A voice or tone? An outlook on life? Are you creating a phrase, or a language, or a unique way to say something ordinary? Does this campaign or idea give you an asset you can use next year, and the year after that? Here's one way to measure it: Could someone parody your idea? If so, would people recognize it as yours? If not, it probably needs more work.

For Michigan State, Nike has inscribed onto the uniforms the ancient Greek phrase "Molon Labe" which means, "Come and take them." As you may recall, King Leonidas used this phrase in response to the Persian army's demand that the Spartans surrender. It seems like a small element, but it's the one element that's already been used (and mocked) in conversations about the uniforms. I'm guessing it will be repeated by the announcers at today's game as well.

2. How Will People Participate?

Are you giving people the opportunity to do something? Participation could be small ("Click here") or big ("Let's come together, march to DC, and burn down the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture*"). Audiences don't expect to be passive spectators anymore, which is wonderful. How is your idea taking advantage of this?

For the Spartan uniform (and other schools as well), Nike has created a glove design that only works when hands are held together. It basically turned a piece of clothing into a performance prop. Looking at audience shots of Michigan State fans, it's already proven to be a smart call.




* This is just an example, not an order.

Reducing Cultural Snobbery

Earlier this week, I was on a panel discussion at the Advertising Community Shorts Night. One of the questions our panel was asked is, "What do you find inspiring?" Naturally, I brought up the Marilyn Monroe statue in Chicago.

I brought it up not because it's a well-crafted, culturally relevant piece of art. (Though clearly it is.) I brought it up because these days, I find how people react to be even more inspiring and insightful than the actual item or event they're reacting to.

Go on - put your good taste aside and hang out amid the crowd there. You'll see people taking pictures, hear them exchange incorrect information ("I think Marilyn Monroe was from around here"), and watch them make special stops on their way to or from the airport, suitcases in hand.

The fact that the statue is awful doesn't matter. The fact that people are going out of their way to visit the statue (and yes, look up at her gigantic metallic underwear) is what's valuable.

Knowing what people react to, how they behave, what information they exchange - that's really valuable. No matter what brings it out.

Ace Indeed

I've spent a few nights in the Ace Hotel in New York this summer, and it's quickly become my favorite stop in the city. I like the "gifts" they leave in the rooms. (Sometimes, it's a guitar; other times, it's an Air Mac, or discounts to the lobby restaurant.) But I really like the wayfinding, collateral, and signage. Well-done.

It Really Is The End Of The World As We Know It

Today marks my 15 year wedding anniversary. To mark this occasion, my longtime favorite band, R.E.M. has just announced they're breaking up. I'm not sure why they thought it was an appropriate anniversary gift, but I've come to accept that some people just lack social graces.

On our wedding day, our first dance was to the song "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." It suited the moment perfectly.

I of course loved their music. Even more, I loved the fact that they shared songwriting credit (and thus, revenue) for every song they wrote. No matter who did what, everyone received equal credit. I love that idea. Whether you're in a band. Or an ad agency.

Oh, NOW You Join Foursquare...

A little under a year ago, we created the Foursquarian Candidate. Here, real-life mayoral candidates in Chicago could become mayor on a designated location on foursquare, endearing themselves to younger, digitally savvy voters in the process. A lot of people played along, but the man who went on to win the election, Rahm Emanuel, never did.

Until now.

As Mashable reported today, Rahm is now on foursquare, using the geo-locational network to in order to "leverage new technologies to celebrate Chicago’s diversity and drive interest in small businesses.”

Can we take credit for spurring the mayor into action? Yes we can. We can take full credit, in fact. Rahm, just let us know when you need other ideas. We have a few.

Check out the project video here:

The Zappos Visit

Last week, as part of the Creative Social in Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to tour Zappos. As you likely know, Zappos is widely praised for its customer service and work environment (recently being voted #6 in the country by CNN Money).

My personal experience with Zappos has been impressive. For example, upon hearing the company had created a book on its culture, I shot a note to their CEO, Tony Hsieh, asking where I could get a copy. I heard back from Tony within an hour, and the book was on my doorstep within 2 days. So yeah, impressive.

Wandering through the headquarters in Not Las Vegas (that's a default name for most cities in Nevada), I saw a lot of cultural touchpoints that clearly feed into the way they service customers. The call center has no scripts, and one customer's call once lasted 8 hours. (If you think that's BS, call them. Seriously, about anything. 1-800-927-7671.) I saw the CEO's desk, which was set amid all the other workers' desks. They have a person on staff who helps employees achieve their goals - whether they be professional or personal. And there was signage all over the walls celebrating the Core Value of the Month.

In short, there were plenty of things to love. But something interesting happened by the end of the tour.

As we went from section to section, each department had their own way to greet us as we walked by. Some rang bells, some sang, some insisted we scan a QR Code before putting on their chicken masks. (I assume you think I'm kidding here, which is why I've included this picture. Apologies for doubting me are now being accepted.)


And the longer it went on, it felt like we were journalists on a government-sponsored tour of North Korea. That is, it felt like a front. It felt like everyone who worked there feared becoming Joanna from Office Space. (If you have better things to do with your life than memorize Office Space, the relevant scene can be viewed here.)

The fact is, Zappos still delivers remarkable customer service. We were treated most kindly. And I'm told their merchandise is great too, though being the fashion unconscious person I am, I can't confirm that.

But as we left the headquarters, we left with the belief that some companies, like some family members, are best admired from a distance.

Being Creatively Social

Heading off to Las Vegas tomorrow, to join in on the 14th edition of Creative Social. Creative Social is a global digital collective, started by Daniele Fiandaca (@yellif) and Mark Chalmers. The Creative Socials are small 2-day gatherings of insanely impressive digital artists and practitioners from around the world. We take company tours, we listen to speakers, we figure out how to right all the wrongs of the world. Looking at the list of attendees, I expect to be intimidated frequently.

Personally, I can't wait.

The 3six5 Project

I do love creating side projects, but it's nice to participate in someone else's for a change. Such is the case with the 3six5 Project.

The 3six5 Project was the brainchild of a couple local super-tweeters, @lenkendall and @danielhonigman. The premise is simple: Each day for a year, get a different person to write about his or her experience during the day. 365 days, 365 points of view. Good stuff.

They're doing a national edition (authors can apply here) as well as a Chicago only edition. I contributed to the Chicago edition yesterday. The personal nature of the project seemed to lead to an unusually personal post. You can read it here if you'd like.

Thanks, Len & Daniel.

Make News, Not Ads

I saw a great ad headline in the paper today. Of course, it isn't actually an ad headline. It's an article headline. And that's what makes it great.

The line is, "Fake IDs For Underage Are Just A Click Away" and the article is about Chinese websites that are selling fake IDs to teens in the US.

Now, if you saw an ad with the headline "Fake IDs For Underage Are Just A Click Away" you wouldn't give it a second thought. But it's an article, from a mainstream newspaper no less. Because of that, the story about these websites was picked up by dozens of news outlets across the continent. And thousands of teens now know exactly where to go for fake IDs.

Right or wrong, people are more likely to pay attention to articles than the surrounding ads. Which explains why we spend a lot less time making ads, and a lot more time creating ideas that make news.

An open letter to the people of Cannes:

Sorry about the mess.

Sincerely,

Kevin

Welcome, Carlos Segura

Our agency has an inspiring speaker series, Creative Salon, which has seen the likes of Dan Sinker, Andrew Byrd, and Aaron Freeman. Today, we're hosting the famed Carlos Segura.

Carlos has his hand in a lot of companies (he co-founded 37signals, T26 Digital Type Foundry, and 5inch, among others) though he's most famous for his design company, Segura Inc. I had the pleasure of collaborating with Carlos years ago on a campaign for Hewitt, a global human resource consultant.

The campaign consisted of workers whose bodies were composed entirely of their inner thoughts, fears, and dreams. Like people in the real world, people in the ads had thoughts ranging from work-related ("The new copier isn't any faster than the older one") to the personal ("That gardening show was totally rigged. My petunias should've at least placed..."). Online, each thought in these people figures led to relevant information on the Hewitt website.

It was a joy to create the inner-psychology of these personas. And of course, a joy to work with Carlos. The Speaker Series is open to the public, so stop by if you can. 410 N. Michigan, 4pm.

Go Other Team!

When I was a wee lad in this business, I was working at DDB, and in the midst of debating an idea that would potentially irk a few people. (Hard to imagine, but it's true.) We wondered whether it should run, and Keith Reinhard, who was the head DDB muckity muck at the time, resolved the debate with a simple observation: "Never underestimate the importance of enemies. They help you focus." Coming from an exceptionally nice guy like Keith, those words were surprising. And correct.

To this day, I find the most valuable part of a creative brief is where we identify the enemy. (Maybe it's a competitive product; maybe it's a cultural trend; maybe it's just apathy.)

I was reminded of the importance of enemies recently as I watched the NBA Finals featuring the oh-so-lovable LeBron James. Having an enemy in the NBA Finals helped ABC to its biggest summer audience in a decade.

I'm thinking it probably helped the Dallas Mavericks too.

Titles of Country Songs I've Been Meaning to Write, Part 1

"I Kidnapped The Wrong Twin"

A Memorable Presentation

Yesterday, Jim Cuno announced he was resigning from his role as director of the Art Institute of Chicago. Seeing Jim's name in the press reminded me of the first time I had the opportunity to present to him.

We were presenting the Red Cube Project, which was unlike any campaign the Art Institute had done previously. It involved placing 500 cubes around the city. The finder of each cube was given an art project to complete, and the best of these art projects were then featured in an exhibit in the Art Institute. There were also experiential, social media, and PR components, among others. What's more, it's the only idea we had brought, as all others paled in comparison.

Jim listened politely as we described the sequence of events that would unfold over 6 months, and when we finished, he turned to his marketing folks and said one simple sentence: "That's exactly what we should do."

So we did.

Thanks Jim, and best of luck out west.

Best Mother's Day Marketing

Today, we celebrated Mother's Day by watching the Cubs at Wrigley Field. To mark the occasion, one of the beer vendors decided to market his product not as "beer" but as "last-minute Mother's Day presents." We fell for it. Multiple times.

Tax Day Can Mean Only One Thing...

Happy Tax Extension Filing Day!

"Look Mom! I Almost Won!"

I've been an interview junkie lately, and one thing I've noticed is the rise of creatives adding "shortlist" to their list of industry awards. As with all feedback you hear on the interview circuit, you should take this as one person's opinion, but here's my interpretation of making a short list:

Being shortlisted means you didn't win.

Bragging about being shortlisted is equivalent to bragging about winning a participation trophy in youth soccer. I understand why award shows do it - it allows a large percentage of agencies and staff to pat themselves on the backs and lets them all know they were thisclose to winning, so they'll enter even more next year.

I'd suggest you don't fall for it.

If you do even semi-decent work in this industry, someone somewhere will eventually hand you a shiny object of some sort. Personally, I'd recommend holding off your boasting until then.

Scarcity in the Land of Plenty

When I was a wee tyke in Chicago, I would always hear of the mysterious Coors beer. At the time, Coors was only available west of the Mississippi River, which created an aura about the beer (not to mention a great storyline in the highly quotable movie Smokey and the Bandit).

Today, that "exclusive" aura is rare, since most products are available just about anywhere - if not in retail stores, then at least online.

Enter New Glarus.

New Glarus is a highly lauded Wisconsin brewery that, for 4 glorious years, sold its beer in Illinois. But thanks to a donnybrook over distribution rights (which would've cost the brewery a mere $20,000), New Glarus shut off distribution to one of its biggest, most passionate markets.

That was 9 years ago. Since then, New Glarus has become liquid gold here in Chicago - one of the most talked about and sought after beers around. Any friends visiting from Madison are told to bring along a case. And on weekends, people are trekking up toward Milwaukee to grab as much as their trunks can fit.

It's just one example that shows the value of scarcity continues to increase.

Recently, I had New Glarus' new beer, Stone Soup. It was phenomenal. I think it was the taste, but knowing it would be the only one I had for a while surely helped.

Actually, you're not.

To Hell With What You Say

I spend a considerable amount of time chastising brands that cave in at the slightest amount of backlash. So it's only fair to praise the ones who do the marketing equivalent of raising their middle finger to popular sentiment. These days, popular sentiment says food producers should create healthier meals in smaller portions. (Heck, even Lunchables offers fruit.)

Meanwhile at Taco Bell, they're rolling out their biggest burrito ever.

I realize this is the same parent company that gave us the Double Down Sandwich (two big pieces of greasy chicken separated by bacon and cheese). Maybe they're being defiant. Or maybe they just realize what people say is rarely in agreement with what they do.

How To Get Away With Making Jokes About Tibet

One reason I wasn't particularly offended by Groupon's Super Bowl ad about Tibet is, it really wasn't offensive. But another reason I wasn't offended is, Groupon has a really good sense of humor, and it's harder to offend people if they know you're funny to begin with. (Gilbert Gottfried not withstanding.) A nice reminder of Groupon's sense of humor just arrived in my in-box. This morning, their daily discount email contained a bum link. This is how they apologized. It's hard to get (or stay) mad at a company that's self-effacing, charming, and funny.

More On Delighting People

Tonight, I'm heading off to see one of my favorite bands, the Rural Alberta Advantage at a sold-out Lincoln Hall.

This will be the fourth time I saw them. The first time at Millennium Park was mentioned in a post 2 years ago. (Check the comments section of the post. Very funny follow-up.) The second was at Shubas, which was great. The third was also at Shubas, and it was sold out.

The problem was, I was one of the people who didn't have a ticket. So I wrote the band (whom I'd never met) explaining my dilemma and asking for a couple extras. I figured I had two things going for me: First, I know that some brands have figured out customers are worth delighting now & then, as mentioned in the Gary Vanderchuk post just below this one. Second, they're Canadian and damn, those people are nice.

Within a day, I'd heard from Amy, one of the band members, telling me I was on the list, to bring a friend, and to have a good time.

And I did.

I must've told the story to dozens of people, selling quite a few CDs in the process. This tour, I bought tickets right away - for myself as well as a few friends who've never seen them. And I've already ordered their new CD. (You can grab a couple free downloads here though I'd recommend bucking up for the whole thing.)

It's amazing what delighting people will do.

The Highlight of SXSW

In what's become an annual tradition, my personal highlight of SXSW Interactive was (again) a session I didn't attend.

The session was by Gary Vanderchuk (the Wine Library, etc. guy) and it was about Gary's new book, The Thank You Economy. The Thank You Economy is about how the relationship between businesses and customers has fundamentally shifted, and how businesses have to start acting differently. I had read enough about the book to know what to have expected. It being SXSW, I decided to attend a different session about something I knew nothing about.

So here's what I missed:

I heard Gary was great (as expected), but more importantly I heard he greeted each and every attendee as they walked into the ballroom for the session. It's a big ballroom. That's a lot of people. Judging by the stories I've been hearing since, what Gary basically did was, he proved his point about the importance of making customers feel special even before his presentation began.

Brilliant. Brilliant, simple, and totally duplicatable.

People also told the story of how Gary gave away wine to everyone in the audience at the end, but mentally, I've blocked that part out. Keep in mind, I wasn't in attendance. There's only so much jealousy a fellow can take. Nice one, Gary.

Damn.

Word came out today that the Chicago Sun-Times parted ways with longtime advertising/media critic Lewis Lazare. I for one am sorry to see Lewis go.

I know that's really easy for me to say. Lewis was more than kind to us when we had our shop, Hadrian's Wall. (I occasionally accused him of being more complimentary of our work than we deserved - and I meant it.) But it wasn't just us. He was more than kind to quite a few of the smaller shops in the city. Tom, Dick & Harry, TwoxFour, and Escape Pod, among others.

I don't know what leaders of those other agencies would say, but I always attributed our generous press from him to two things: 1) the work really was sometimes worthy of compliments; 2) we didn't BS him.

We didn't try to spin a story, or deny layoffs, or try to make a campaign sound better than it was. We did nice work, and we sent it out to people. Some people would like it, some wouldn't. (Insert shoulder shrug.) I always assume if our agency's work isn't getting the praise we want, it's not up to us to criticize the critics. It's up to us to do better work.

As an industry, we over-index on people who are willing to pat us on the back, hand us something shiny for the shelves, and tell us we have perfect teeth. I don't mind having a few people call it as they see it, even if I don't always agree.

Years ago, the city's other major daily, the Chicago Tribune, stopped covering marketing. Now, the Sun-Times has as well. We can cheer the loss of a critic all we want.

But as an industry, I'd much rather we be debated than ignored.

Wanted: Large metal objects

Running around Austin earlier this week, I came around a corner and was struck by this sight:

It might not seem special to you. But it was a sight I hadn't seen in a while: Construction cranes on a city's skyline. For most of the last two decades, I'd taken sights like this for granted, as most of the cities I've lived in have been growing at a steady pace. But now, cranes are few and far between.

My initial reaction was, I think cities should just install a half dozen cranes on their skyline, as a way to market the city to potential investors and corporations looking for sweeter tax deals. Because cranes symbolize growth, new jobs, cities on the rise... That reaction was quickly followed by the realization that, like good marketing for a bad product, the promising image of a crane only gets you so far. Just ask Dubai.

If a guy attends SXSW and doesn't tweet about it, did he really attend?

I'm back in Austin again for SXSW, but looking at my various social media accounts, you might not know it. And I got into a debate last night (and by "debate" I mean "fight") with someone who said I was doing SXSW all wrong.

This fellow contended that if you're not broadcasting everything you're seeing, hearing, doing, and learning at SXSW, you're underserving your network, as well as missing out on an opportunity to burnish your reputation as an expert in your field.

I respectfully disagreed (and by "respectfully" I mean "not respectfully"). My reasoning:

First, you see and hear a lot of obvious, shallow observations that frankly aren't worth being mentioned in the first place, much less retweeted. Here's an example of a series of tweets someone parroted from a SXSW session yesterday:

Tweet 1 - Metrics reduce arguments based on opinion.
Tweet 2 - Metrics give you answers about what works.
Tweet 3 - Metrics show you strengths as a designer.
Tweet 4 - Metrics allow you to test anything.

(For the record, I'm not making any of those up.)

Second, I think we're severely undervaluing thinking. That is, we're not giving ourselves time to process new ideas, create even more ideas from those, and think about how those ideas apply to clients or prospects or companies we want to launch. We don't take the time to think because we're too hellbent on merely repeating things said by others, because that's what we're "supposed" to do.

With only two blog readers and a couple dozen twitter followers, I'm clearly not under much pressure to please an audience. But even if I were, I'd still take the approach I'm taking.

Instead of putting everything I'm learning into tweets and status updates and blog posts, I'd rather put it into the work.

Blame Dan Sinker, Part 2

Last September, I saw a great speaker at our agency's salon series. He talked about the benefits of side projects - a subject I'm somewhat familiar with. Hearing him speak inspired me to re-start this blog after 6 months away.

The post announcing the return was eerily titled "blame dan sinker."

I say eerily because Dan just outed himself as the man behind the brilliant Twitter account @MayorEmanuel.

The account was, tweet-for-tweet, one of the funniest I'd come across. What was particularly impressive, however, is the story arc he created, complete with character development and an addictingly great climactic ending that was accompanied by a massive real-life thunderclap. (Still not sure how he organized that.)

The reveal ended much speculation about the authorship - speculation that led a writer at the Chicago Tribune to guess it might've been me. Alas, all I can confess to is a huge amount of jealousy. Wonderful work, Dan.

i look forward to blaming you about something else soon.

And so how would you describe the core competency of your business?

One of the best ads I've seen in a while

Ok fine, fine. It's not an ad, per se. But it IS a nice reminder of how memorable and uplifting a simple, unexpected message can be.

I didn't see any others nearby, so I'm not sure if it's an ongoing series like Todd Lamb's rather delightful if overly instructional Notes From Chris. Nevertheless, it was a day brightener.

I love the schizophrenia of my Twitter feed.

Super Bowl Commercials: What Offended You Most?

"Liking" Super Bowl commercials is so 2010. This year, it's all about being offended. So which Super Bowl commercials sent you into a Twitter-fueled frenzy? Here are the top 3 Most Offensive Super Bowl Commercials of 2011:


VW - The Force
Who it offended most: Parents
Why? Parents today are throttling back from the ridiculousness of three-ring birthday parties and calling college professors to argue about their child's midterm grades. They're trying to set more realistic expectations for their child. So what does VW go and do? They let kids everywhere believe that, using only The Force, a child can start a car. In the process, they threaten to undermine years of sensible parenting. Nice, VW. Real nice.


Chrysler - Imported From Detroit
Who it offended most: Residents of Detroit
Why: By using the tagline "Imported from Detroit" this sends a message that Detroit is some sort of third-world country. So instead of comparing the new Chrysler 300 to other American-made cars like Mercedes and BMW, it's going to be compared to the Trabant out of East Germany. That kind of message is also bound to have a negative impact on tourism, considering only 37% of all Americans own a passport. I only visit Detroit on occasion, and I'm still offended.


Motorola - Empower The People
Who it offended most: Monks, The Polyphonic Spree, the robe industry
Why: Why are robes constantly being used as uniforms of conformity? Have we learned nothing from Hugh Hefner? By falling into this tired cliche, Motorola not only threatens its own credibility, it also threatens robe sales nationwide. Exactly how much is hard to say. I tried googling "sales of robes" and all I got were links to robe sales. At deep, deep discounts. On behalf of occasional robe wearers everywhere, Motorola, we're offended.

This can't possibly be what the Bacardi people had in mind

The 2-Department Ad Agency

I was chatting up a job candidate recently, and he asked how I viewed the technology department. Being a charts and graphs kind of guy by nature, I showed him this:

Titles and org charts be damned, there really are only 2 departments in an ad agency. There's the People-Who-Make-The-Work-Better Department, and there's the People-Who-Don't Department.

Members of each department are scattered throughout an organization, but it's still pretty easy to tell the difference.

The ones from the People-Who-Make-The-Work-Better Department don't really care what their role is - they'll find a way to contribute.

You'll see these people come up with an idea. (Yes, even if that's not technically what they're paid to do.) Or they'll identify a technology that could bring the idea to life. Maybe they'll understand the budget only covers X, but Y and Z would make the idea more effective, and they'll take it as a personal challenge to make it work. Maybe they'll find a line from the CEO's last earnings call that helps sell the idea. Or maybe they'll be fostering a trusting relationship by keeping projects on time and on budget (a totally underrated skill if ever there was one). Maybe they'll create an even better user experience than originally sold-in. Or maybe they're someone who had nothing to do with the idea, but they'll suggest something in the hallway that makes the idea even better.

Generally speaking, these people don't understand the word "no." They don't ask "if" an idea can be done, they ask "how" it can be done. And they don't stop until it is.

As for the folks from the People-Who-Don't Department, there are unfortunately a plethora of ways they can accomplish their goal. They can be territorial (as in, that's MY idea, or that's not MY responsibility). They can be negative ("The client won't buy that" or "That's not what they asked for"). Worst of all, they can be misleading - promising to get things done then simply not doing them. There are plenty of reasons something can't, shouldn't, or won't be done, and the People-Who-Don't Department members know all of them.

Also, they innately know when it's 5pm.

People who are making the work better come from all "official" departments in an agency. You can say this reflects the collaborative nature of how marketing is done these days. But this 2-department structure has existed for years, really.

What's changed (for the better) is, their contributions are even easier to identify.

my mom would hate this too

Every once in a while, I like being on the other side of marketing. The side that's only kind of paying attention to the TV while surfing away, when a commercial grabs my attention, pulls me in, and best of all, makes it worth my while.

The TV spot is for Dead Space 2. And the URL, not surprisingly, is YourMomHatesThis.com. However when you visit the site, the campaign idea of shocked moms is left behind. Pretty disappointing, as that's what got my attention in the first place.

Sometimes, paying attention to marketing just isn't worth it.

a smart approach to giving

Saw an interesting fundraising effort at an airport in Cairns, Queensland on behalf of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which brings healthcare services to rural parts of Australia.

As far as aesthetics go, it isn't much to look at. And the headline ("You can make a difference!") isn't likely to require someone expand their awards shelf. What makes it interesting, however, is the timeliness.

Cairns is a relatively small town that attracts a large percentage of international travelers, thanks to its close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. So the solicitation isn't simply for money. Rather, they're asking for foreign currency, knowing much of its audience is likely finishing up an Australian holiday and looking to ditch some Aussie dollars.

Again, not the most earth-shattering idea in the world, but interesting enough to get my attention. And a few of my dollars as well.

for immediate release

I just wanted to go on record officially as stating to suspicious friends and coworkers that i am NOT running the @MayorEmanuel twitter account. It's true we share a very similar vocabulary, as well as seemingly casual but secretly well thought-out plans to dominate the city. But that's where the similarities end.

I will have no further comment on the subject.

truth in wayfinding

Please like me... Please?

A good digital agency not only helps figure out what a brand should do online, but also what a brand SHOULDN'T do online. I was reminded of that during a recent trip.

As my expense reports can attest, traveling always means lots of magazine purchases. Or as I like to call them, "books." So as I loaded up at a store in O'Hare, I saw this note at the bottom of the receipt: "Become a fan of HMS Host on Facebook."

There are a couple strategic flaws to this.

1) I have no idea who HMS Host is. It's not the store's name. In fact, before reading the receipt, I'd never heard of the company.

2) I have no incentive to become a fan of HMS Host. Me and the store, we have a good, symbiotic relationship. I need magazines to read, the store needs people like me to buy them. I'm not sure we need to take this relationship any further.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels this way. Their account only has 694 likes. As far as social media feeds go, theirs isn't terrible. (Certainly a lot less self-serving than many brand accounts.) However, even if I followed them on Twitter or Facebook, it wouldn't make me go shopping at the airport more frequently, and the store experience isn't anything I'd share with friends. Not to mention, the bottom of a receipt isn't exactly the best place for a brand to introduce itself. So the question remains, what is HMS Host trying to achieve?

As all my fashionista friends say, just because they make the dress in your size doesn't mean you should wear it. Same with marketing: Just because a brand can be on Facebook and Twitter doesn't mean they should.

Free weekly social media schedule

Still walking with a mental limp from the holiday break? Here's a little lagniappe to start the year: A free weekly Facebook editorial calendar for your brand. Just insert your product name into the following status updates and you're ready to go.

Status Updates for Week 1:
Monday - What's one word that describes how much you like PRODUCT NAME?
Tuesday - If PRODUCT NAME were to introduce a new flavor, what would it be?
Wednesday - What's the strangest place that you've enjoyed PRODUCT NAME?
Thursday - If the patent for PRODUCT NAME were up for bidding, how much would you pay?
Friday - Besides PRODUCT NAME, what's your favorite thing in the world? LOL LOL :)
Saturday - Where were you when you first remembered trying PRODUCT NAME?
Sunday - Don't forget to buy plenty of PRODUCT NAME this weekend!*

Status Updates for Week 2:
Repeat week 1.


* Enough of this conversation crap. Sell.

all hail the 1%

It's said that over 85% of statistics are accurate, which is why I believe the 90/9/1 rule. That is, when it comes to online activity, 1% of all users create content, 9% comment on and share the content, and 90% are voyeurs, though they might not word it that way on their Match.com profiles.

So as we pull the plug on 2010, I'd like to thank the 1%. The people who seem to have waaaay too much time on their hands. To the people who saw this amazing shot of a Tiger Woods...
And noticed the goofy Cigar Guy...
And took the time to photoshop him onto a hundred heads or so.

To the people who saw the movie Up not as a great film, but as a bunch of parts just waiting to be remixed.

It is this small but powerful minority that makes our lives/jobs so fun. A sincere thank you to you all & happy new year.

perfection in bathroom signage

how to tell when you're not in Kansas anymore