BlogCasts

Will Ferrell's Super Win

I enjoyed the Business Week article Did Will Ferrell Win the Super Bowl which focused on the Old Milwaukee marketing strategy around the big game.

Instead of producing and paying for a high end Super Bowl ad to run in the game alongside Budweiser's many ads, Old Milwaukee ran its ad featuring Ferrell in only one tiny market--those watching the Super Bowl on NBC affiliate KNOP-TV2 in North Platte, Nebraska.

The 30-second ad is simple. Ferrell is in a t-shirt and shorts walking through a field toward the camera. He catches a can of Old Mil and begins to open it when the commercial ends abruptly. Despite airing to a small audience estimated by Nielsen as around 15,000 homes, the ad managed to outperform some of the commercials broadcast nationally during the Super Bowl in the key area of social media chatter.

Boston-based ad agency Mullen reported that Ferrell's ad generated 1,640 mentions on Twitter which is way more than what other ads in the national broadcast garnered.

Old Milwaukee executed a successful campaign without spending millions. Just one more example of the increasing impact of social media on the marketing landscape.

How to Get Past the Fake Maybe

Everybody loves to hear “Yes” and hates being told “No!”  But what about “Maybe?”

Inaccurate Paterno Report Another Example of "Get It First" Media Culture Gone Awry

It seems another case of the "Get it first no matter what" internet media mentality led to the premature announcement that Joe Paterno had died yesterday. While the legendary Penn State football coach did indeed pass away this morning, Onward State, a Penn State blog, announced Saturday evening that he had died. CBSSports.com then reported the same story, resulting in nationwide coverage of the inaccurate report.

CBSSports.com later said it was relying on the information from Onward State. The blog retracted its report saying "We were confident when we ran with it and are still trying to figure out where our process failed. We apologize sincerely for our error." Onward State's managing editor, Devon Edwards, announced his resignation Saturday as well.

Paterno's family released a statement this morning: "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Onward State and CBSSports.com indeed "got it first" but didn't get it right. Unfortunately, the combination of the immediacy of internet news and the continually reduced standards of internet journalists has made erroneous or just plain false reports far too common. We owe it to ourselves and our readers to do more to get it right regardless of whether or not we get it first.

Cloud Music Changes How We Buy and Listen

As a kid, I remember listening to 8-tracks move from one track to the next by fading a song in and out. While working as a DJ in my teens, I found 45’s easy to use while cassettes were a bit more difficult to cue up when working a dance or dimly lit bar.  Suffice it to say, I was happy to see the compact disc arrive and now think it would be much easier to play a wedding or dance using digital music.

It's easy to see how we consume music changes over time.

Marketing Lessons from the Campaign Trail

Political campaigns share a lot of the characteristics of marketing and selling programs:

• The winners drill down into segmented target audiences and find out what they want or what resonates with the target group.
• Creative messages are developed and tweaked to reach and influence those target audiences.
• A strategic plan is crafted to "get the word out."
• Reach and frequency of message is achieved through various communication mediums.
• Competitive analysis and positioning against the competition is part of the plan.
• Direct selling or "making the ask" is done again and again.

12 Marketing Resolutions for 2012

1. Embrace Social Media as part of your Marketing & PR strategy.  Focus time on creating content relevant to your target audiences and on learning about your marketplace. Less Angry Birds and fun Facebook stuff, more content development and information gathering.
2. Use LinkedIn as a resource for Pre Call Prep, prospecting, networking and competitive analysis. The online professional network is a must for entrepreneurs, marketers and senior leaders.
3. Build a keyword rich LinkedIn profile that tells your story enhances Search Engine Optimization.
4. Instead of just signing up and following celebrities on Twitter, organize your followers by category and scan for valuable content. Retweet what you think is valuable and use other information to enhance your marketing and selling efforts.
5. Develop a content strategy for Twitter. Decide what key messages you want to convey and develop a schedule to do so. Create an inventory of tweets to increase awareness and follower base.
6. Use Facebook for more than pushing information out. Keep abreast of what interests key target audiences and create two way conversations by asking their opinion. Make customer success stories shareable. Address negative comments quickly and honestly.
7. Contrary to what some think, email isn't dead and can be an important part of your marketing and selling strategy. Drill down into your target markets and create email messages that show what’s in it for them.
8. Commit to staying current with Social Media tools. It doesn't have to be a huge time investment--an hour or two a week that's convenient to you can make a big impact.
9. The tenets of successful messaging apply to Social Media. Tell your story with clear and succinct messages that resonate with your target audiences and stay consistent with your overall brand.
10. Use Social Media to make customers and employees an extended part of your Marketing Team. As Social Media becomes more a part of our lives, we use our online network to share opinions quickly and easily. Manage these relationships and leverage Social Media so customers and employees spread the good, rather than bad, word about products and services.
11. Incorporate Mobile into your marketing strategy. Online purchasing is moving to mobile. Google estimated 44% of last-minute holiday shopping came from smartphones or tablets. Mobile provides a great opportunity to market to unique, segmented audiences at or near their time of purchase.
12. This year, make sure you live up to your New Year’s Marketing Resolutions.

Don’t Take the High Octane Road: 7 Ways to Embarrass Yourself When Leaving

#1: When faced with a difficult, potentially controversial decision, avoid bold statements.

“I’ve bought in and sold out to Tulsa. My wife told me if I leave Tulsa it will be alone.”

Comparing iPad to Kindle Fire Misses the Point

I've read a number of Kindle Fire reviews that compare Amazon's new tablet to the iPad, often on a point by point basis as far as specs. I think this approach is flawed and misses the point.

When we buy a product, we have a specific goal in mind. When selecting a television for the main entertainment area in your house, you look for something different than when buying a television for a bedroom or the kitchen. You know that the 61 inch TV for the main room serves a different purpose than a 27 inch TV to watch in bed.

The same goes for the iPad and Kindle Fire. The iPad is nearly 3 times as expensive as the Kindle Fire. Doesn't it make sense that it will have more capabilities and be bigger?

People who could afford an iPad and wanted one bought one. Others maybe couldn't justify the price tag of the iPad but still want to be able to consume content conveniently. For this target market, the Kindle Fire works. It's not a device to take pictures or video with, although I'd argue the iPad isn't either for the vast majority of owners. I'm still looking forward to seeing that first iPad user hold that tablet up and say "Cheese." I know, I know, the iPad has video chatting. Great. If that's a major need of yours and you can afford it, buy the iPad. I hope you also get the 61 inch TV. Whether you do or you don't, I'm pretty sure you don't expect it to be the same as the 27 inch model.

Another point made in Kindle Fire reviews is that it doesn't have the memory of the iPad. Again, I think this misses the point. If you like the Cloud Concept, the Kindle Fire will be a good, lower priced alternative for you as far as video, books, checking email, music and web surfing. If you don't like the Cloud, then the Fire might not be for you so you either save up and get the iPad or go without.

I have both an iPad and Kindle Fire. I think both are good products. I also understand that they are different devices that serve different needs for different prices.

Like most purchases, it comes down to the main points: What are your wants? What are your needs? How much can you spend? Answer those questions and decide whether to buy an iPad, Kindle Fire, another device or nothing.

Does the iPad Finally Have Some Real Competition?

Since Apple created the iPad nearly two years ago, competitors’ tablets have failed to make an impact. When Amazon's Kindle Fire hit the market this week, tech lovers wondered if it might be the first real competition for the iPad.

Amazon has built brand equity with Kindle and consumers know the name. But do they know the difference between various Kindles? The Kindle Fire is a tablet, not an e-reader. If you are looking for a device to read books, e-readers like the Kindle and Nook that feature e-ink are a better option.

The Kindle Fire is also not an iPad. The iPad is larger (9.7 vs. 7 inch screen), costs more than twice as much ($499 vs. $199) and is heavier (by about a third). The iPad also has more features and memory than the Kindle Fire.

But I don't see it as a battle between the iPad and Fire. Instead, it’s a win for consumers.

• Both offer end-to-end media solutions tied back to their respective Motherships. The iPad has iTunes for music, movies and shows along with online purchasing through the Apple Store. The Kindle Fire offers free movies and shows through Amazon Prime, the Amazon Cloud MP3 player and purchasing through Amazon.com.

• When it comes to content consumption, you can’t go wrong with either device. Both have high resolution screens that are great for watching video or web browsing.

• In my very unscientific tests, the iPad seems to boot up quicker and is a bit faster loading websites. The Kindle Fire seems to load video quicker. But the main takeaway in all three cases is both are fast.

• Apple pretty much created the app marketplace and the Kindle Fire features the Android App Store. Whether it’s managing your social accounts through HootSuite, listening to Pandora or checking scores on ESPN ScoreCenter, both devices offer plenty of popular apps to choose from.

If you prefer the bigger screen, capturing photos and video chatting (and can afford the price), the iPad is a better choice for you. The Kindle Fire is a lower priced option, fits comfortably in your hand and coat pocket and still does quite a bit.

The bottom line: With the Kindle Fire, the iPad finally has some competition and consumers have a choice. My guess is both devices will please their respective target audiences.

Penn State Messaging Not "In Best Interests of University"

As the Penn State scandal continues to unfold, I feel like I'm watching a sad movie. The far reaching, sordid mess seems unreal and like a storyline from a bad Hollywood script:

*The famous coach and all-time leader in wins, known for his integrity and leadership, is fired for not doing the right thing.

*The highly successful university president, recognized for his moral stands against issues like campus drinking and trained as a family therapist, is also dismissed for not doing more to put a stop to abusive behavior by a former coach that hurts children and their families.

*The school known for its teaching, research and scholarship humbled by a scandal unrelated to academics.

It's been said thousands of times already: It is a tragic story that changed lives forever, most importantly, the victims and their families, but also the lives and legacies of Paterno and Spanier.

Though much less important in comparison, the university's image--the Penn State brand--suffers big time and the PR strategy or lack thereof hasn’t helped.

From the time the news broke about the charges against Sandusky, Penn State's leadership fumbled the messaging. During a crisis, accurate and timely information must be provided regardless of how negative the story is. Penn State didn't communicate clearly or frequently enough. It seemed like the university didn't have a clear focus of what to say, how and when to say it.

As the story and number of allegations grew, public perception of the school's leadership, specifically Spanier and Paterno, became increasingly negative.

Penn State’s messaging should have been clearer from the onset and throughout the process, something along the lines of:

"This is a tragic situation. The alleged victims and their families suffered irreparable harm. The leadership of the university did not respond appropriately. We should and could have done more."

When the board of trustees held the press conference announcing Paterno's firing, John Surma, CEO of US Steel and vice chair of the board, was their spokesperson. He is a successful and talented man. However, Crisis Communications is not his primary area of expertise and it showed. His delivery and key message points were simply not up to snuff.

Surma repeatedly used standard crisis communication language about the board acting "in the best interests of the university” and offered few specifics. In a scandal of this magnitude, possibly the biggest in collegiate sports history, the media and the public will not accept just standard language.

Having worked through many Crisis Communications situations, I know legal counsel is and should be involved in the messaging. However, it is the spokesperson's responsibility, in this case Surma's, to push legal counsel to allow meaningful, substantive messaging instead of a statement consisting mainly of benign “safe” language.

Surma needed to be more specific, direct and forthcoming. Here’s an example of how the message might have been conveyed:

"The Board of Trustees has spent the past few days gathering and analyzing as much information as possible and deliberating on a course of action that is in the best interests of the university.

Our prayers go out to the alleged victims and their families. We as a board must do whatever we can to support them and take the necessary steps to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again.

With that in mind, the board unanimously agreed that the university needs to move forward with new leadership as a result of this tragic situation.

Graham Spanier will no longer be the president of Penn State University. Joe Paterno is no longer the coach of Penn State's football team.

We made the decision to relieve Graham Spanier and Joe Paterno of their duties because we believe they did not provide the necessary and appropriate leadership in this difficult situation. The board feels that they, Spanier and Paterno, did not do enough. They did not do all that they could have with respect to the Jerry Sandusky situation dating back to at least 2002.

Penn State University's mission is to educate students from Pennsylvania, the nation and the world, and improve the well-being and health of individuals and communities through integrated programs of teaching, research, and service.

We believe the actions of our leaders, in these sad circumstances, were not consistent with the university's mission.

Penn State University is an institution that impacts so many students, parents, alumni and communities throughout the world. We have an obligation as a board of trustees to live up to our mission and to serve those groups appropriately. We believe these decisions and leadership changes are consistent with those ideals and the university's mission."

Penn State’s handling of the Crisis Communications has been subpar from the beginning. In that respect, the board has not acted in the best interests of the university.

The "Interview Quotes" Book Format

Storytelling impacts just about every part of our lives. That's probably why I like to read, write, tell and listen to stories. Recently, I stumbled across a new format, if you will, of story telling through books. By chance, three of the books that I'm currently reading for fun (in contrast to business books which might be fun but also could be more like work, depending on the subject and author) use what I call the "Interview Quotes" book format.

Those Guys Have All the Fun

Everybody Loves Our Town

I Want My MTV

This book style lists quote after quote from people the author interviewed about the subject. The books still follow the chapter approach with related quotes tied to the main theme of that chapter placed next to each other. But the books literally end up being hundreds of pages of quotes.

At first I wasn't sure what to make of it. In some ways, it seems easier to read. Yet in other ways, it seems more difficult in that I became tired of the constant stream of quotes and thus didn't read for long as I normally would.

After thinking about it, I realized that while different, the books achieved their objective of telling the story the author or interviewer wanted to tell. The books provided me with the story--background, anecdotes, personalized thoughts--about the subjects I was interested in. The books got the job done even with a story telling style I didn't expect.

That being said, I'll be interested to see if the trend continues and the "Interview Quotes" book format becomes more prevalent.

What do you think?

Madoff Madness: The 60 Minutes Interview

Last night's 60 Minutes show featured Morley Safer's interview with Bernie Madoff's wife Ruth and their son Andrew. I hadn't planned on watching and only saw the beginning as a result of the NFL lead in. But once I started watching, I couldn't stop.

Messaging Advice Worthy of Pulitzer Prize

9-9-9, Occupy Wall Street, Tea Party: Different Messages Yet Common Thread

Successful communication and marketing campaigns feature memorable, creative messaging that makes an emotional impact.

Since we are bombarded with messages on a daily basis, we tend to focus on the ones that we can relate to. Advertisers, salespeople, politicians and anyone presenting ideas need to make it about their target audiences and focus on one big idea.

Whether it's Herman Cain's 9-9-9 (or his recent "smokin'" YouTube ad for that matter), Occupy Wall Street protests or Tea Party Town Hall meetings, the power of story telling spreads the word to target audiences.

Specifics behind Cain's 9-9-9 idea might not be remembered but the simplicity of improving the tax code probably will be.

The takeaway of "The Other 99%" battling the "super rich" 1% is straight out of Hollywood and is a memorable storyline.

Talking about less government can stir emotions and vivid examples of government miscues help tell the Tea Party story.

Three different messages but one common thread: Memorable, creative messaging that makes an emotional impact and focuses on a core theme.

The next time you need to communicate, improve your message by asking yourself: What's the Big Idea?

When Salespeople Aren't Going to Make It, Do the Right Thing

MASSolutions helps companies increase sales. We do that by helping sales teams sell more through coaching, mentoring, improved processes, better incentives and stronger sales messaging.

Stuck In the Middle--Are Middle Managers No Longer Needed?

Every so often, news reports and studies predict the end of the middle manager is near.

Jimmy John's Gets It

Jimmy John's is one of those companies that just gets it from both an operational and marketing standpoint:

• They clearly define the business they are in: Selling subs to hungry people who don't have a ton of time or money to spend on lunch (or dinner).
• They know their target audience: People who want an inexpensive and quick lunch either by walking a short distance from their workplace or delivered to their office.
• They are diligent, passionate and focused. They have efficient systems and processes and a basic menu. You know what you are getting and you get it.
• Their messaging is strong: Simple, memorable and focused on the big idea--Fresh. Fast. Tasty.
• They use creative promotions to reach new and existing customers. They utilize social media, email marketing and word of mouth to bring customers in and then they deliver literally and figuratively.

Many of the people standing in line weren't thinking rationally about it. Otherwise they wouldn't have spent 20 minutes in line to save a whopping $3.50. They made their decision on emotion and the "feel good" aspect of getting their favorite sub for a $1. 

The weather cooperated today in Pittsburgh. But I'm not so sure it mattered all that much because Jimmy John's has a great reputation and loyal customers. Those customers are happy because they know what they're are getting and actually get it, which unfortunately isn't the norm at most places.

Upside Down Advertising Kind of Works...

Saw this while driving to work. Traffic can be good for some things I guess. 

Wonder if this is posted that way for effect? Had to be, right? The outdoor advertising company couldn't make that blatant of a mistake, could they?


It does make you try to read it. So I guess it works.


What do you think?

"The Gamification of Politics"

Michael Hendrix, a Dallas based consultant working for Michele Bachman's Presidential campaign, talks about "the gamification of politics" where virtual reality games like Farmville allow players to become involved in politics inside the game. Online characters will be able to post signs in their online yards promoting candidates they like.

No word yet if Defense spending will be increased on Call of Duty.

Candidates can also place low priced, targeted ads on Facebook that reach more specific groups at lower prices when compared to traditional advertising mediums. "In the last 45 days, I've designed over 1,000 ads," Michael Beach, a GOP consultant working for Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney said.

The bottom line is social media continues to offer political candidates and their handlers tremendous targeted marketing opportunities. The 2008 Presidential Campaign was the first to see major social media marketing initiatives. We can expect to see even more in the future and not just on national campaigns.

Check out "The Gamification of Politics" stories at

Business Week

Game Politics

Bezos Marketing Vision Focused on Customers and Services

Jeff Bezos continues to show he's a marketing master. During his presentation unveiling the new Kindle Fire and touch screen Kindle, Bezos said focusing on content is what will enable the Fire to do what others have been unable to do: Gain market share in the iPad dominated tablet market:

"The reason they haven't been successful is because they made tablets. They didn't make services."

Bezos has a long track record of understanding that marketing has to make it about them--your clearly defined target audiences. Marketing Myopia occurs when companies don't understand the market or business they're in, i.e. making tablets, not offering services and content.

True Integrated Marketing involves knowing who you want to reach and influence (clearly defining target audiences), finding out what they want, developing it and giving it to them when and where they want it, at a price they're willing to pay. And, of course, telling them about it again and again.

Amazon is targeting people who want online content whenever and wherever they are and want it at a price much lower than the iPad.

The $199 Kindle Fire can be that product.

Bezos probably doesn't expect to take a ton of business from the iPad. He can do just fine by expanding the market with a device that looks, feels and is priced differently.

Many companies suffer from Marketing Myopia. Amazon on the other hand has a clear Marketing Vision.

UPMC: Dignity+Respect=Inclusion...Huh?

I drove past a UPMC billboard that says text Respect.

After you text Respect, you'll receive a text from UPMC about their Dignity + Respect Pledge: I will treat everyone with Dignity and Respect. Reply YES + zip to agree. (UPMC's Dignity + Respect = Inclusion campaign)

If UPMC's recent "non negotiations" and threats to keep UPMC doctors and hospitals out of Highmark's network are any indication, the healthcare system isn't focused on treating the community with respect and inclusion surely isn't part of their mindset.

Representatives of the system, including CEO Jeffrey Romoff have stated "there will be no contract with Highmark" because the insurer plans on taking over West Penn Allegheny Health System.

UPMC says this means the insurer would also be a provider and thus in direct competition with UPMC. 

Again, back to the "Respect" theme: Does UPMC's board and senior management really think we, the community, as owners of the "non profit" system, wouldn't realize that UPMC has been both a provider and insurer for more than ten years? Are they so arrogant to believe it was o.k. for UPMC to be both a partner and competitor of Highmark but it's not o.k. for Highmark to do the same thing?

In negotiations, both parties can claim to be the good guy while also doing some not so good things. The problem here is UPMC continues to be hypocritical with both their "non negotiation" stance and the insult to injury "Respect" campaign.

I hope UPMC takes their own Dignity + Respect pledge and begins to treat the community with the respect we deserve, which might just equal inclusion...of doctors and hospitals.

How to Reduce Your Time Spent in Meetings

I have clients who tellme they spend 6 or 7 hours per day in meetings. I believe them because earlier in my career I lived that life.

It's an unhealthy and inefficient approach for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the need to work another 6 or 7 hours a day to get necessary work done. If so many people are complaining about meetings, why do we keep having so many?

I can think of at least five reasons:

*Meetings take the pressure off the person responsible for the decision.They can shift some responsibility to a group or point out the lack ofconsensus.

*Most people don’t know how to prepare for or run meetings in an efficient manner.

*Meetings provide a social outlet for attendees.

*We struggle to write and find it easier to have a meeting and talk rather than writeabout the issues.

*We think we have to because it’s always been done that way and we want to cover our butts by inviting everyone we can think of.

The next time you think of calling a meeting, see if a conversation in person or on the phone can resolve the issue. If not, then write a summary of what you think the meeting will accomplish. Send the written document to the main person or persons involved and ask for specific feedback and recommendations.

If you have a good understanding of the situation and can articulate your position and what you want or need from others, these two steps should reduce your number of meetings considerably.

If you still feel the need to have a meeting, take the time to prepare yourself and the attendees. Develop an agenda and send it in advance. Start the meeting on time and stick to the agenda. Recap the major issues, recommendations and solutions. State next steps and end the meeting when you said you would.

When you are invited to a meeting, respond to the organizer prior to the meeting. Ask what is expected of you at the meeting and the overall goals and agenda. If you do not think you are an essential participant, explain why and offer the opinions you would have provided at the meeting. Let the meeting organizer know that you appreciate the invite but will not be attending.

Are you willing to take these steps to reduce your time spent at meetings?

If not, you probably shouldn’t complain about working all those extra hours to get the real work done.

Listening Just a Little Bit Will Become a Competitive Advantage

My work with Sales people, sports teams and PR/Messaging professionals has a common, frustrating theme:

Listening skills are not a strength.

Sales people struggle to listen to coaching and mentoring. The average to below average sales reps also do not actively listen to clients and prospects. If they did, they certainly wouldn't continue with the same approach. Instead, the sales reps would make it about them--the client or prospect.

The same seems to happen with athletes. The majority of athletes from youth sports to professionals probably aren't great listeners. On the other hand, the peak performers listen well to coaches, teammates, and opponents then make adjustments accordingly.

When it comes to messaging, the average PR staffer appears to miss the mark when it comes to hearing or understanding what their target markets are saying and thinking. But the best PR/Messaging professionals listen to their clients and target audiences and craft messages accordingly.

Listening takes deliberate practice and an active rather than passive approach. It takes some work and skill but not so much that even the average person can't do it. You don't need to be blessed with amazing talent to become a good listener yet few people dedicate themselves to doing so.

It's a shame because listening just a little bit will provide you with a competitive advantage.

eBay Campaign Sells Two Points

Listen to Advice You Pay For

Do you listen to the advice you or your company is payingfor?