Long Live Chuck...And Five Dollar Footlongs

"Chuck" is back and it's all thanks to fans of the show and their insatiable urge for the Cold Cut Combo. Or was it the Meatball Marinara? The world may never know.


As you may remember from my previous post, "Chuck" was on the chopping block recently near the time of its season finale. When fans got wind of this, they tweeted and posted to promote buying Subway sandwiches to gain the advertiser's support and show Chuck's fan base as a viable market.

NBC announced this week that "Chuck" will return after the Winter Olympics this year. The peacock network alluded to the "Save Chuck" online campaign and how Subway's support of the show will noticeably increase.



I expect a cameo by Jared the Subway guy very soon. Ronald McDonald will play the villain in that episode, too.

Oprah Causes Grilled Goodness Overload

Never underestimate the power of Oprah...and Twitter.

KFC was able to live a marketer's dream by having Oprah Winfrey plug their new product: Kentucky Grilled Chicken. To commemorate the launch, KFC and Oprah offered a coupon on May 5 for the new Kentucky Grilled Chicken for anyone that went on Oprah.com.


As you can imagine, people went nuts over these coupons and tweeted and posted this news all over the internet. Over 16 million were printed off the website alone and who knows how many were copied. Hey, we're in a recession! Can you blame them?



The response was so overwhelming that many KFC's had to deny customers their chicken since they had run out. People became upset and demanded their chicken. Thankfully, KFC quickly replied with a "rain check" for all customers with coupons saying they could come back at another time for their Kentucky Grilled Chicken. In addition, the coupon would now include a drink apparently.

KFC's President Roger Eaton posted this video response to the issue. While he is definitely not from below the Mason-Dixon line, I believe he handled this situation well. Not only did he offer people the value of the coupon but he also is giving them more for their inconvenience.

From a media relations perspective, this video is leagues ahead of our friend from Domino's. Eaton looks at the camera, is relatively casual in his speech and appears sincere in his apology.

Is he a bit enthusiastic? Of course. Wouldn't you be if a new product launch promotion had worked TOO well? While they logistically did not prepare for the supply and demand parts of the promotion, they did reach over 16 million people who are now interested in their new product.

Cock-a-doodle-doo.

McMocha Chocha Latte and Fries

On Tuesday, McDonald's initiated a national campaign to launch it's long-awaited McCafe. This addition to the golden arches' illustrious menu could mean $1 billion in revenue per year.


While the McCafe has been available in select McDonald's over the past year, the official $100 million nationwide launch of the McCafe in the majority of McDonald's in the U.S. has baristas across the country acting more jittery and over-caffeinated than usual.



You can bet your Frappuccino that Starbucks is primed for a coffee war. The gloves have already started to come off in recent advertisements that indirectly reference the beverages of the big burger boss.

Learn more about how you can "McCafe Your Day."

Buy a Sub, Save the Chuck

Being a big fan of Subway's "Five Dollor Footlong," I couldn't help but be intrigued by a story about the NBC show "Chuck" and it's attempt at salvation through cold cuts in a fan-created campaign called "Finale & Footlong."


With a weak standing in the ratings, the show "Chuck" has faced cancellation recently. Before last night's season finale, fans took to the discussion boards to voice their support of the show and opposition of the cancellation.

Latching on to a small product placement in one of the episodes, the fans began rallying others together with a campaign called "Finale & Footlong." They are encouraged fans of the show to purchase sandwiches from Subway on the day of the season finale of the show. The fans hope to show that Chuck's loyal fan base represents a powerful, marketable audience.


In an article from AdAge, Subway admits they didn't create the campaign but they are more than happy to stoke the flame.

"Obviously, as a marketer, if you started that kind of behavior, you'd be called out pretty quickly," said Tony Pace, chief marketing officer for the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust. "But if the behavior is already out there, you can encourage it without being too heavy-handed. And that's what we've tried to do."

Zachary Levi, the star of "Chuck," has even joined the fans in their campaign to save the show by making an appearance at a Subway in Birmingham, England to take part in the event on Monday.

It will take some time to figure out if five dollar footlongs can really change the world. If this campaign works, you can bet that Chuck will become the new Jared.

I'd Like a Large Cheese Pizza...Extra Snot.

As many of you avid internet video viewers may already know, a video has circulated the web the last week showing 2 Domino's employees doing various disgusting things to food. The video seems to portray that the employees then intend to serve this food to customers.

Now if any of you have worked in food services, as I have, you know that things get stressful and that you sometimes do stupid things to pass the time. But, hopefully, we can all agree that we would never tamper with the food we are serving to customers as a way to blow off some steam. As you can see in this video, the 2 employees were eventually identified and fired. Furthermore, it seems that they could also be looking at jail time.

In response to the disgusting Domino's duo, Patrick Doyle, President of Domino's USA, released a video response to the issue. This video response, while upfront and adequate, lacks sincerity. Media Training 101: Look at the camera when making a public statement and DON'T READ OFF CUE CARDS. If you absolutely need a teleprompter, place it so you can be looking at the camera at the same time. If you are the President of a major company, you should be able to handle this.



Domino's took an interesting route when it came to responding to this crisis. Traditionally, a press release would have been issued immediately to the media and a press conference would've been held. Instead, the problem, which was created in the realm of social media, was essentially resolved in social media. The President of the company posted a video response on YouTube and addressed all customer questions and concerns on a Twitter page. The official statement of Domino's was posted on their company website.


While many criticize Domino's for waiting 48 hours from when the video first surfaced, can you blame them? The Internet is unpredicable and it's very possible that this video could've become lost in the shuffle. Sadly for Domino's, it did not. Therefore, it was forced to address the stupidity of 2 employees.

Domino's had to quickly throw together a social media plan that included Twitter. The Twitter page they actually used was one used by a franchise owner. Presence in social media is essential in today's world and should be created long before a crisis requires it. However, while Domino's utilized social media, the video response from Doyle was not aired on television. Since the story broke in national news on television and not just the internet, it would behoove them to at least send the video reponse to media outlets.

Some pizza chains are already taking social media seriously. Check out this job listing in the NY Times for a Twintern for Pizza Hut

A recent poll showed that 65% of those polled were reconsidering ordering from Domino's again. Are you among them? While I'm not one to chastize an entire company for the actions of just two employees at the bottom of the totem pole, I think that I will be sticking to Giordano's for a while. Snot on the side, please?

When an Ad is Not an Ad

The world of public relations is sometimes confused with advertising. At my own educational institution, they refer to my track as "PRAD" or "PR and Advertising." However, there is a distinct line of separation that most professionals can agree on. As you may recall in my last post, I used the analogy of advertising as me saying I'm a great lover. Now, if someone else says I'm a great lover, then that's public relations. The difference is the third person perspective.

The third person perspective is what public relations relies on for credibility. The public looks to the media for an unbiased, outsiders' perspective to the information. However, the Los Angeles Times recently ran an advertisement for the new NBC show "Southland" on the front page in the style of a newspaper editorial.


The advertisement, that was purposely styled to look like a legitimate news article, had minimal indication that it was for NBC. There was a separate banner that was clearly marked as "Advertisement" but the editorial itself only had a NBC logo.

While I understand the cleverness of placing an ad on the front page and designing it as if it was a legitimate news article, it crosses an ethical line when it comes to advertisement. Advertisement is intended to be clearly marked as such. Fingers could be pointed at public relations practitioners for the impact they have on the news with their influence. There's one big difference: our influence is words, not money.

An ethical public relations practitioner crafts a concise message that is mutually beneficial for the journalist and the client. The journalist uses his own objectivity to filter the information he receives to what he sees as important to the public. The client, in turn, receives a credible third person perspective. When the ads begin looking like news items themselves, it looks bad for both the advertising industry and the public relations industry. Transparency is key in this business since people must be able to trust the information they are receiving.

Advertising vs. PR

My parents love to read and subsequently send me clippings that they find interesting. They do this...frequently. I've gotten articles from newspapers, magazines, and even in-flight travel magazines.

Recently, my mom sent me an interview she had read in NWA World Traveler magazine with Dave Mona, chairman of Weber Shandwick's Twin Cities office. It was ironic since I had just been doing some research about the firm and hadn't even mentioned it to her.

The best part of the article was when the interviewer asked Mona to describe the difference between advertising and PR. This is a pretty basic question for anyone in public relations and you could tell he had worked on this answer.

Mona said, "If I tell you I'm a great lover, that's advertising. If someone else tells you I'm a great lover, that's public relations."

I found this great visual representation of what Mona said.

Breaking Tweets is Breaking Boundaries

“Get your Twit on!”

So says one ad for a Twitter application for the iPhone. Our old friend Twitter is slowly taking over the world so it's time to embrace it. Breaking Tweets has chosen to do just this by turning Twitter into a source of synthesized news…in 140 characters or less.
Breaking Tweets is a website that approaches Twitter as a viable source of information on current events from a personalized level. The editors of the site sift through the seemingly endless “Twitter universe” to find tweets relevant to current news stories. They even include pictures from stories utilizing the TwitPics application. They then assemble it to resemble your typical journalistic format.

With the ability for individuals to Twitter using their cellular phones, eye witness reporting is limitless and Breaking Tweets is on the cutting edge by utilizing this. As the staff puts it, Breaking Tweets is “hyperlocal gone global.

With this global idea in mind, Breaking Tweets even includes a handy global map (courtesy of Google Maps) that allows visitors to click locations and see stories relevant to a certain area as its reported by Twitter. Half of their visitors to Breaking Tweets are from overseas.

John Kristoff, a contributing editor for Breaking Tweets and a good friend of mine, is a Journalism graduate student at DePaul University. His view on the Twitter-craze is this:

“If it was going to disappear, it would have already done so.”

Tweet on that! Twitter is here to stay...until the next big thing comes along. Follow Breaking Tweets on Twitter @breakingtweets.

Come See How Good I Look

I apologize for the delay in this blog post but my birthday and Spring Break have been, as you could imagine, exhausting.

While walking the Daytona Beach the other day, I had a thought. As I had been researching my grand Floridian adventure, all of the pictures in advertisements had been of individuals with remarkable six-packs carved by Michelangelo himself and bronzing that made them appear to be raisins in the sun.

Then I looked down at my "healthier" (a.k.a. "heftier") physique and realized that I would not be in the next ad campaign for Florida. But then again, as I looked around, many of my cohorts were in the same boat.

Why do these ads have to sell us unrealistic images of what our society looks like? Do we really feel that we will become more attractive if we go where the beautiful people are supposed to be?

Check out a clip from the infamous Bod Body Spray commercials to see what I'm talking about. I always get upset when people video tape me playing soccer shirtless.

PR or Not PR: That is The Question

When I try to explain what I am aspiring to do with my life, it's sometimes difficult. Not having a clear-cut goal is the first problem. I know I don't want to be a doctor or an astronaut. Check.

The second problem is that the world of public relations in particular is sometimes hard to pinpoint in a sea of communication. There is a difference between the publicity-seeking events of certain marketers called "PR stunts" and true public relations. I hope that my profession is more than a fat guy in a leotard doing the "Single Ladies" dance. Because, while that certainly is something that will get your attention, is that something to be proud of?



That is me on the left. I can also check dancer off the list of future professions.

For more thoughts on this subject, check out Seth Godin's blog post on the difference between PR and publicity. If you're already reading Seth's blog, you should be.

Also, please feel free to follow me on Twitter @JordanMyers

Networking Made Easy - LinkedIn

In my continued pursuit of a job and an understanding the world of social media, I have found a new ally: LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has been called by many the "professional Facebook." That is probably the easiest way to describe it. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn is structured to be professional and cuts out some of the really embarassing parts of Facebook such as the ability to tag people in party pictures. It happens to us all. Yeh, you might want to go detag yourself from that one right now.

LinkedIn is organized like an electronic version of your resume. There are spaces specifically designated for your work experience, current position, goals and special skills. Instead of "adding a friend," you "make a connection" which is intentionally similar to the lingo used when networking in the real world. You remember real world networking, right? When you used to shake people's hands, make small talk and actually hand them a business card or resume. It is a thing of the past, my friends!

The network function of LinkedIn also gives you the ability to use your network to ask for introductions to other people. With the ability to see the resumes of your connections, you might find they have past work experience at places you’d like to be. Think about it. If you want to be like Joe Somebody, you might want to start by working where he started working 5 years ago so you can be Somebody ,too.

In a blog post last month, Guy Kawasaki talked about this new age form of "schmoozing." Check out his article for 10 tips on how to use LinkedIn to get a job.

If you're not LinkedIn, you'll get left out.

The Death of Traditional Media is Announced With a Tweet

Yes, another Twitter story.

When news of the Turkish Airlines crash that occurred in Amsterdam on Wednesday morning broke, every media outlet had one thought: we need pictures. Who beat them to the punch? Twitter.

Click here to read more about how this social media website is beginning to steal some thunder from traditional media. Also, read about the new fascination with surgeons Twittering FROM THE OPERATING ROOM! If the Chicago Tribune going bankrupt hasn't given you enough of a clue, the world of media is changing right before our eyes and this is just another example of why it's important to stay on the cutting edge.

People may think I have a secret love affair with Twitter and that I just can't wait to talk about it in my blog. However, I'm just curious about this new form of media just like any fledgling PR, marketing, or advertising person should be.

By the way, I'm working on an advertising campaign through the American Advertising Federation that is aimed at spreading awareness of the dangers of binge drinking. If you have any thoughts, suggestions or antecdotes that may help me in my quest for advertising glory, please post a comment or message me.

Does Size Matter?

With some recent conversations I've had with PR practitioners, I'm becoming more and more confused as to which route I should take in my own career in the crazy world of public relations. My experience so far has been mainly been with a big agency and now on the client side. Here is the information I have gathered so far.

With a large agency, you will be able to learn within an account team and have access to a large network of resources. Large agencies have the flexibility to allow you time to learn from your superiors. However, the hierarchy and structure of a large agency is an ever-present force that will determine the work you do on a daily basis. You may not have the ability to learn as much as you'd like to in some cases. On the other hand, large agencies mean larger clients which always sound good when name-dropping for your next job...or trying to pick up chicks. Try it.

In a smaller agency, you will have the opportunity to take on several tasks or "wear many hats" as one professional told me. At the same time, smaller agencies have smaller staffs and therefore need you to hit the ground running. It's harder for a seasoned PR professional to find time to train a novice PR person. Some smaller agencies have big clients but they are usually more limited with one big client that takes up the majority of their time.

What it comes down to is what works for you. Talking with those working in both environments and comparing their experiences is the best thing you can do. I have certain public relations practitioners that I've met in the field who I can see myself being in 5 years. In order to do that, I've questioned and researched how they got to where they are today constantly. Remember you can never make a mistake when trying to gain experience.

Knowing what you don't want is just as important as knowing what you do want.

Bloggers Battle Without Bombs

With the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip, both sides found new ways to take down their enemies. While some fought the war on the ground, Jaron Gilinsky found that others were committed to fighting the war in the realm of social media.

I'll be the first to admit that my interest in international politics is minimal at best. My only interest in this story is from a public relations standpoint. This post is not meant to promote any political agenda.

Stand With Us is a pro-Israel advocacy group based in the United States. They created a social media “command center” where they coordinated a group of volunteers who took to the internet and “fought” against what they saw as biased information circulating the web about the conflict. Using your typical blogs as well as Twitter, Facebook and even YouTube, this group worked to win in the realm of public opinion and mainstream media.




“Social media is an effective way of providing the right information passively,” said Ahuva Berger of Stand With Us.

Their commander, Niv Calderon, assembled a group of about 20 individuals with multi-lingual backgrounds such as French, German, Dutch, Russian, English and Spanish. With this tech-savvy group known as "Help Us Win," Calderon was able to coordinate their influence online.



One interesting tool they used was the Qassam Counter Facebook tool which allowed for Facebook users to “donate” their Facebook status to this counter.



As the article explains, “Every time a Qassam rocket fell in Israel during the war, the Qassam Counter account would tweet another rocket, automatically changing the Facebook status of anyone who subscribed. The Qassam Counter became infectious. At its peak, 75,000 users from 150 countries had "donated" their Facebook status to the Qassam Counter.”

For more information and to read the rest of Jaron Gilinsky’s article, click here.

Super Bowl Ads Lost Their Super Powers

The Super Bowl advertisements this year just weren't...super. Maybe it was the budget cuts to advertisements caused by our ongoing recession. Maybe it was the obnoxious sorority girls at the Super Bowl party I attended that insisted on singing Spice Girls and playing flip-cup as opposed to watching the game. Regardless, I was able to take some time to watch all the advertisements without distractions after the game and I came to some conclusions.




Let’s be honest. When you go to the bar and order yourself a cold Bud, it’s NOT because it’s the best tasting beer. It’s because it’s your “go-to” beer. You know that every bar will have it and that no one will look at you funny for ordering it. Your father drank it, your grandfather drank it and someday, your son will probably drink it. It’s a symbol of what is America just like McDonald’s or Barack Obama.



Therefore, when Budweiser thinks of commercials, they aren’t always overtly product-heavy. Much to the chagrin of some of my cohorts, my favorite ad of the night was the Clydesdale Lovers. Prior to the Clydesdale Lovers, there was a previous commercial with Bud Light in an office meeting which was more on the traditional product placement side. Why does the emotional response commercial work over the obvious cheap laugh commercial?

The Clydesdale represents those fond memories of your first beer with the soft focus lens capturing the struggle of two horses in love, with many people, does not connect to beer…but who cares? Those horses fighting for their love against all odds works for the American beer drinker because we all have some emotional response within us that is secretly a sucker for love stories. Advertisers know this and use it. Even if we aren’t aware of the significance of Clydesdales in the Budweiser history, they are important because they symbolize tradition which America prides itself on. For those who don’t know, August A. Busch, Jr. gave a group of Clydesdales to his father, the President of Anheiser-Busch, in celebration of the repealing of Prohibition in 1933. Thank you, Wikipedia.

For many, the other top favorite of the night was the Career Builder ad showing bad times at work essentially. It was funny and got the brand message across clearly. I was particularly amused by the punching of a Koala bear that was obviously a puppet, obviously wearing glasses, and most certainly had a British accent.



My issue with this one might be a bit too philosophical but follow me for a moment. In the current times, hunting for a career is not a cavalier endeavor. People aren’t looking for new jobs because they are dreaming of riding dolphins or punching koala bears. They are hunting for new jobs because they are losing their current employment. Every major company is announcing layoffs by the 1000s. So, while Career Builder is known for its sense of humor, it may not translate as well as they think.

I don’t think Career Builder needed to be intensely serious but I think that they failed to relate to their real audience: the unemployed American. Then again, advertising is a matter of perception. It’s possible that with the tough times, everyone was looking for a laugh. After they chuckle, they could consequently start snooping around the website.

As for the rest of the ads, they were honestly disappointing as a whole with the possible exception of the 3D ads for Monsters vs. Aliens which led into an ad about SoBe which then led into a 3D ad for NBC’s Chuck. According to the Associated Press, Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation chief executive, said: "It's perhaps the biggest media-advertising event in history" and "involves tens of millions of dollars.” The companies sent 150 million 3D glasses across the country which used a new Intel InTru 3D and ColorCode 3D technology, replacing the old red-blue Anaglyph system. To learn more check out this article.

I hope the advertisers find a way to "spice up" their ads for next year.

Super Bowl Makes Babies Blog

While watching some sweaty guys fling around a pig-skin is enjoyable to some, let’s be honest. Monday morning around the water cooler will not consist of debates over whether the Steelers should have gone for it on the fourth down or whether the Cardinals could have played better defense. Instead, the real game everyone is watching is the ad game.

Whether it’s a scantily clad vixen trying to sell you a domain name or a stain that just won’t stop yelling, companies are shelling out $3 million dollars for 30 seconds of the most prime time ad space of the year. But is 30 seconds enough?

Advertisers aren’t relying completely on that brief time slot of glory. This year will be, as Kenneth Corbin of InternetNews.com called it, a “Web 2.0 extravaganza.” The big brands are seeing the necessity for collaboration between their television media and their social media. Advertisers are priming the pump for the big day with a social media blitz that includes mentioning their ads on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and even blogs.



For an example, check out the YouTube outtakes of the E*Trade baby which act as a perfect teaser to the E*Trade Super Bowl ad. To top it off, the baby even has his own Twitter account where he posts tweets such as, “Remember when I vomited on national TV? Whoa.”

Twitter me this, Twitter me that

“Tweet” used to just be the sound a caged song bird made. However as the world of social media grows, “tweets” now also refer to the mini-blog posts found on Twitter.com which limit users to 140 characters per “tweet.” This short format forces users to be concise with only enough room for short updates or links to other web pages.

The posts can range from an update on the war in the Middle East to an equally important update on what you're having for dinner. It’s also beginning to become an ally to many public relations practitioners who are able to make press releases accessible through a new medium. However, not all “tweets” end up sounding like a melodious song bird as a Ketchum vice president found out.

James Andrews, the song bird in question, was in Memphis, TN meeting with the communication team for FedEx which is a client of Ketchum. Ketchum, an international public relations firm, has been the agency of record for FedEx for quite some time.

According to The Commercial Appeal, Andrews posted a tweet during trainings sessions that read: “True confession but I'm in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say 'I would die if I had to live here!'”

There are many ironies to this story for me. First, I happen to have been born and raised in Memphis, TN. While I chose to move to Chicago, Memphis is and will always be my home. Second, I actually interviewed with Ketchum for a job recently. While I won’t pass off the whole company for one executives insulting remark, it does put a damper on my perception of them. Third, besides Andrew’s experience as a vice president of a public relations firm that probably shuns the idea of bad mouthing the city of a client, he was actually in training sessions on SOCIAL MEDIA at the time.

Tweet, tweet!

How To Brand Yourself

With the recession in full swing, it's becoming harder and harder for people to find jobs. This is due to a combination of factors. First, because consumer spending is down companies don't have the revenues to take on new talent. Second, in order to stay above water, companies are resorting to massive layoffs meaning that the few remaining jobs are being flooded with high quality applicants.

Because of this, it is extremely important for professionals, especially young professionals, to present themselves as the strongest candidate possible. Of course, for the young marketers out there, this should be second nature. Just take some of that brain power you used in building your portfolio to make yourself the coolest, smartest, and, most importantly, best candidate for the job.

In a recent article for TalentZoo.com, marketing expert Danny Flamberg shared some insights into how to do just this. Check it out if you've got a few minutes. On the other hand, if you don't have a job you've probably got more than a few minutes. Either way, just follow this link. Trust me, it's worth it.

Quoting from the article:

Layoffs are a daily occurrence in this recession. Too many of my friends and colleagues have found themselves involuntarily benched. If thousands in each industry are on the street finding a new job requires a personal Zen that’s comprised of patience, routine, sustained confidence, steady action and considered risk-taking.

To effectively seek work – you have to think like a marketer and market yourself as a brand. Identify your unique selling proposition, carefully target your potential new employers, craft persuasive messages and determine ways to get the attention and consideration you deserve. But be realistic. The toughest part of job hunting is managing your nerves and marshaling your resources.

The good news is that thousands of others are in the same boat. There’s no embarrassment to being out of work. But that’s also the bad news; thousands are competing for hundreds of jobs. It’s a buyers market where some employers are trading up.

Monetizing Twitter

I wrote a little while back about how much I love using Twitter. With tens of thousands of users tweeting each and everyday, I'm certainly not the only one. It's quite simply one of the most entertaining and useful services to emerge from the vast social media landscape.


Of course, in an economy like this, being a useful service isn't enough. The creators of Twitter, despite the incredible buzz their product has built in the tech world, have so far been unable to earn any money from their product besides initial VC funding. With that funding drying up, however, the company needs to figure out a way to start turning some cash or face an inevitable trip to the Web 2.0 graveyard.

Luckily, there are numerous ways in which Twitter could be monetized such as charging for a premium Twitter service, or working in a realistic advertising model. In a recent article for AdAge, Abbey Klaasen discussed these ideas and more. Check it out here if you're a fan of the service. Also, in case you want to connect with me on Twitter, you can follow me from here.

The "I Got Fired" Survival Guide

In case you haven't been paying attention, we're going through a little rough patch economically. On second thought, take that last sentence and substitute the word "little" for "colossal" and the words "rough patch" for "hellhole" and we're getting closer to the truth. People are losing their jobs, their savings, their sanity; in short, things are getting nuts.

Thankfully, I myself have not been laid off. However, if I do have the terrible misfortune of getting the axe I can take solace in the advice of Martin Bihl who shared some survival tactics in a recent article for AdAge's Talentworks Blog.

From the article:

They teach you how to design. They teach you how to write. They teach you how to take a client to lunch, and they even teach you how to get a job. But no one ever teaches you how to be fired. So in these perilous times, if you are one of the folks recently employment-free, let me be among the first to welcome you to your new life -- or at least, to your new life for a while.

And while I'm not going to pretend that anything I say will make it enjoyable, I can offer some advice on how to survive it with a minimal amount of therapy. So here are six simple tips on how to be fired. Take them for what they're worth. And tell me if they make sense to you. (Hey, it ain't like you've got anything else to do.)

Viral - What's it all about?

The term "viral marketing" gets tossed around a lot nowadays, but what does it really mean? If you put out a hilarious YouTube video of a man getting kicked in the groin that gets 60,000 views, are you suddenly a viral marketer extraordinaire? 

Probably not.

Unfortunately, with video sharing, blogging, and  other components of social media becoming ingrained parts of our lives, many folks in the marketing industry assume that's about all you need. Of course, good viral requires a commitment to sound strategy, intelligent execution, and, above all else, a really good idea. You know, the same things that make up any good marketing campaign?

In a recent post for WhatsNextBlog, marketing strategist B.L. Ochman discusses the finer details of viral marketing and some dos and don'ts for companies. It's a great read for marketing students who don't want to sound like dummies when they talk about viral at their next job interview.

From the article:

What doesn’t make a campaign go viral:
o sending out a press release about your latest viral
o an email that says “this is a viral campaign”.

What kind of creative is likely to go viral?
o Knockout creative that's funny, shocking, intriguing or surprising
o An idea customers can relate to and care about
o A clearcut message so people are able to pass it on with one sentence
o An easy way to pass it on - a link, embedding code, "share this" button, email to a friend, etc.
o A concept that builds relationships with customers by getting them to interact with others
o Measurable outcomes - as in: what is this campaign hoping to accomplish and how will be measure it.

What can help spread the word?
o Blog advertising with the right creative can be remarkably cost-effective and high-yield.
o Blogger outreach (which can backfire if pitches are lame.)
o A seeding plan to get the campaign started.

Traditional Local Advertising Models Replaced by Digital

Ever since the old economy decided to descend into terrifying oblivion, people have been trying to figure out ways to cut back on their spending. For example, tonight I bought a 15 pound turkey for only 5 bucks! Sure, it wasn't frozen and I have to cook it by tomorrow or I'll end up with salmonella, but that bad boy will give me a week's worth of lunch and dinner. Now that's value!

Of course, this blog isn't about my phenomenal thriftiness*; it's about advertising. Which brings me to this article from CNNMoney. According to the report, many businesses are looking to scale back costs by changing their local advertising from traditional models such as newspapers and radio to digital ones like banner ads and search ads.

Although this shift was already occurring to a certain extent, Internet advertisers have seen especially rapid growth since the economic downturn. Interesting news for those would be media planners about to graduate and just another sign that digital is the place to be.




*Note to self: Create blog about my phenomenal thriftiness.

How a Website Comes Together

Clay Parker Jones, of exitcreative, wrote an interesting blog post recently about a project he was working on for a couple of guys in Atlanta. The goal was to create a website that intelligently and efficiently catalogued the more than 11,000 barns and stables across the country. The result was RidingResource.com, a one-stop shop for equestrian info. (The site hasn't officially launched, but you can get updates on its progress through Twitter and Facebook)


Having never personally created a website (I've written copy for websites but haven't been extensively involved in design), I found the post incredibly interesting. Of particular note is Clay's strategic use of social media in getting the word out about the site.

For the full post, click here.

Marketing In a Recession

I've been thinking a lot about the economy lately and how lucky I was to find a job so quickly after moving to California. If I hadn't been able to get something within that first month, it would have made my transition unspeakably difficult. That's one reason why I feel so badly for all of my friends who are graduating this year. The country is undoubtedly in recession and, if things continue the way most analysts expect, 2009 will be worse than 2008.

Of course, I shouldn't spend too much time focusing on the negative. Economic troubles tend to force people to become more creative and find alternative solutions to their problems. This is especially true in the field of marketing. Rather than spending big bucks on major ad buys, companies have been resorting to more interesting tactics, such as leveraging the wealth of possibilities afforded by social media.

Marketing Profs shared some great insight into this tactic today and I thought it was worth sharing. For all of you readers out there that are looking to enter the job market, understanding some of these skills could really help you wow 'em in an interview.

From the article:

Web 2.0 technologies offer new ways for you to reach your audience for little to no cost. Customers have become inoculated to tired methods like email and even pay-per-click. Waiting for them to visit your Web site is simply insufficient to drive growth. Instead, the new generation of marketing tools includes things like social communities, Web site syndication tools, gadgets, and RSS feeds because they are online ("on-demand"), scaling to any size of audience. The best part is that most Web 2.0 technologies are easy to use and are, often, free.

Making Social Media Work For You

I love social media. I just can't help myself. It's so damned exciting, you know? I mean, as a communications tool, the Internet is practically limitless. From blogs to social networking sites and everything in between, we are capable of engaging the world in ways that our parent's generation could never have dreamed.

Of course, that has meant that we need to reevaluate a lot of what we put online. With hiring managers utilizing the web ever more frequently to disqualify potential job applicants, in some ways social media has become a liability. On the other hand, if you just use a little discretion about what you put on your Facebook or MySpace profile, you could mostly avoid that problem.

Being the glass half full kind of guy that I am, instead of focusing on the bad stuff, I'm going to share how to make social media work FOR you instead of AGAINST you. Or, more accurately, I'm going to share the work of blogger and communications expert Dave Fleet who's already written an extensive post on this subject.

I've picked my three favorite bits of advice from the post below. For Dave's full list of "13 Ways Social Media Can Improve Your Career", click here.

Enjoy!

1. Expand your network - Social networks like LinkedIN, Facebook and even Twitter are a fantastic way to get to ‘know’ people in your industry but it goes beyond that. Search out their blogs. Find relevant forums. Comment on their work and get to know them. Create your own high-quality, regular content and they will come to you, too.

4. Find jobs - Most jobs aren’t advertised - they’re filled through networking and recommendations. My job certainly wasn’t advertised - I got to know the team here at Thornley Fallis through social media tools and related events. When the time came for me to move, I already had that connection. Without that, I would likely not be in this job now.

11. Improve your writing - When it comes to writing, practice makes perfect. I’m told my writing has improved immeasurably since I started this site (although I still have a way to go). You simply can’t beat the benefit you get from editing your thoughts down to 140 characters for Twitter, or constantly structuring and re-structuring your thoughts as you write blog posts.

No Skinny Chicks!

For a long time, the ad industry's formula for success regarding marketing to women was skinny+attractive=sales. Whether advertising for clothing, makeup, perfume; or pretty much anything else targeted toward the ladies, the likelihood of seeing a petite model in the spot was nearly 100%. Hell, even tampon ads feature slim attractive women.

^Totally Normal and Gorgeous^

^Crazy Skinny and Intense^

This philosophy never really made sense to me. I mean, why would regular women want to see ads featuring models that looked nothing like them? It's kind of crazy. If anything, it seems to me like unrealistic advertising would make women not want to use a product. On the other hand, the marketing business seems to be full of these kinds of logical fallacies, so who am I to argue with the experts, right?

According to a new study from the University of Queensland, however, my opinion might actually have some validity. The study, which measured the responses of 400 women to a series of ads for underwear, shampoo and a dress, showed that women in coveted 18-25 age group where mildly repelled by ads featuring skinny models and attracted or neutral toward ads with "regular" sized models.

Pretty interesting stuff if you ask me. The question, however, is whether or not this study is indicative of a trend in the industry or not. My guess is the latter, but I'd love to see the widespread adoption of positive advertising like the kind for which Dove has become such an industry darling.

From the article:

In the study psychologist Phillippa Diedrichs, of the University of Queensland, Australia, created a series of ads for underwear, shampoo and a party dress.

Each ad was made twice, once using a skinny size eight model and another featuring a size 12 woman.

When the ads were shown to 400 young women, they produced no difference in the likelihood for them to buy.

However, when women aged between 18 and 25 saw the adverts they felt better - and more likely to buy - after viewing the images of the larger models.

Miss Diedrichs said: "For anything to change, research has to be convincing, not just to government and health researchers, but also to people in advertising who actually make the decisions.

"Often people make the argument that thinness sells, and that's why they use slim models.

"But we can change the images we see and still sell products but also make people feel better about themselves."

Experience.com is Full of Goodies

I try not to beat the drum about how great Experience.com is too much on this blog, but sometimes I just can't help it. Take the site's "Defining Moments" feature, for example. Created to give college students a chance to learn about the industries that interest them from a firsthand perspective, Defining Moments videos have connected Experience members with professionals from Google, eTrade Financial and even the U.S. State Department. The latest video, featuring a sit-down interview with the president of PhillipMorrisUSA, is especially interesting for all you would be sales pros out there.


Another cool feature of is the Rising Stars section of the site. Here, "rising stars" from a variety of industries are profiled to help give future professionals insight into what their future careers might look like. This is super helpful for college students because it shows how strange career paths can turn out to be (a subject I've covered on this blog extensively. Encompassing the stories of a variety of young professionals, from non-profit advocates to professional actors, Rising Stars features over 100 profiles.

Of course, those are only two of the cool features scattered throughout Experience.com. There's loads more if you take the time to peruse the site. I hadn't actually done so myself in months which is why I felt compelled to write this post. So go ahead, check it out and let me know if you have any suggestions for cool features you'd like to see. I can't guarantee it'll happen, but I'd like to think I have a little pull down at corporate headquarters.

Update: I actually have no pull down at corporate headquarters. Please though, do send me your suggestions.

Yahoo and Google Ad Deal Falls Through

All right. I'll admit I'm a little late on reporting this news, especially considering I live in the heart of Silicon Valley, but here goes. Last week, the much publicized ad partnership between Google and Yahoo fell apart under the watchful eye of the U.S. Justice Department. Apparently the government didn't want the Big G to form a monopoly on search advertising.


The collapsed deal has led many to speculate that Microsoft may soon be back in the driving seat for a Yahoo partnership. If this happens, it could be big news for both companies who are trying to assert themselves in unfriendly economic climate. Don't worry about Google though, I'm sure they'll still find a way to take over the world keep business rolling.

The BLF Strikes Again

If you're taking marketing classes in college, you've probably learned something about the practice of "ad jamming" or "culture jamming". If you haven't, the basic idea behind jamming is to subvert existing media to produce some kind of anti-consumerist or anti-mainstream message. Though technically illegal, for the most part, jamming is a fairly harmless practice and something which is widely practiced throughout the world. A good jumping off point to learn more is through Adbusters, a world-wide network of jammers and activists based in Vancouver.

Anyways, on to the point of my post. The Billboard Liberation Front, another culture jamming group has struck some Wachovia billboards in San Francisco, my new neck of the woods. I caught the finished results over at the Laughing Squid blog and was compelled to share them with all of you. In the light of the country's financial crisis, this jam is particularly bittersweet. The text of the accompanying press release can be found below the pictures.

BEFORE

AFTER

--- --- --- --- ---

November 8, 2008
San Francisco, CA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Intersection of Mission St.
and Cesear Chavez, NE corner
San Francisco
http://www.billboardliberation.com/burn.html

Dear Shareholders and Clients,

The Billboard Liberation Front has partnered with Wachovia to release a daring advertising campaign that celebrates Wachovia’s new money management strategy. This campaign emphasizes the silver lining in the economic storm front now threatening to swamp our economy as well as our individual fiscal inner tubes.

“The calamitous decline in the value of all investments and the impending total collapse of the dollar will render the true value of the average savings account or investment portfolio roughly equal to a bucket of warm piss,” noted Thomas J. Wurtz, CFO of Wachovia. Dr. John Silvia, Managing Director and Chief Economist noted: “After that golden shower we got from Golden West, we decided to fight fire with fire and start bailing for our clients and stockholders, mixed metaphors notwithstanding.”

This dramatic revaluation of your money has created the opportunity for our team at Wachovia to offer a unique service to our stockholders and clients. “With what promises to be the coldest winter in years now commencing, we’ve instructed our staff in all 21 States that we have offices in to start bundling greenbacks into tight rolls, perfect for small stoves and furnaces,” said Robert K. Steel CEO and President. “We believe this is the soundest application of our clients’ money.”

“‘We’re in the money. we’re in the money’ they sang in the 1920’s. Maybe we should be singing ‘Burn, Baby, Burn’ in light of the modern era of fiscal management,” - BLF CEO Jack Napier. Rico T. Spoons added, “The true value of this new campaign will be reflected in the ‘heat’ it generates for Wachovia’s clients.”

That’s right, you no longer have to worry about your money. As a matter of fact, don’t bother worrying at all.

The BLF (www.billboardliberation.com) has been improving outdoor advertising since 1977. Prior campaigns have included work for Exxon, R.J. Reynolds, and Apple Computers.

Wachovia Corporation (NYSE: WB), based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a diversified financial services holding company provided via its operating subsidiaries a broad range of banking, asset management, wealth management, and corporate and investment banking products and services.

The Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the treasury of the United States government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue. The Department is administered by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Covertly Yours,
Milton Rand Kalman
BLF Chief Scientist

Adios Print Media

My first internship, which was in the print advertising division of a large marketing firm, taught me a lot about the inner workings of media sales. I got a chance to see first-hand how much money was spent on major market newspaper advertising and I learned the value of print in the overall context of an ad campaign.

But I also observed how, over the course of my year long internship, clients were beginning to pull out of papers sooner or buying smaller placements. With the Internet having completely changed the way we consume media I began asking myself, as well as my co-workers and my boss, "What is the future of newspapers?" In the wake of the Christian Science Monitor's decision to cease printing of their 100 year old paper in favor of an entirely online product, many pundits in the advertising and media industries have been asking the same thing. Here's some of the opinions.

Here's the AdAge's analysis of CSM's move:

With Time Inc. announcing layoffs ranging from 300 to 700 positions; Gannett promising to lay off 10% of its local-newspaper staffers; Condé Nast cutting Men's Vogue down to a biannual and paring Portfolio and its website; and even Radar shutting its doors again, turning its anniversary party into a good-bye party, it was a week that needed that title's gallows humor just to get publishing types through it.

Clearly, the changes to publishing's business model aren't going away, so publishers are going to have to adapt to a new reality. As Time Inc. Chairman-CEO Ann Moore said in a speech last week, "If you're sitting on your five-year plan, you're delusional." But just what should publishers be planning for?

The best-case scenario now facing print publishers is that the events of last week will eventually be revealed to be mainly the product of a familiar economic cycle, a temporary downturn that exacerbated the trends already challenging print media. After the economy recovers, probably by the end of 2009, advertisers will regain their interest in print as well as their ability to buy space there.

Some more analysis from TechDirt:

In a lot of ways, this setup probably makes a lot more sense for many people. Newspapers have long since lost their ability to be the source of "breaking news" in print. News breaks online, and by the time it's in the newspaper the next morning, it's old hat. The days of paperboys screaming "Extra! Extra!" are long gone. Still, many may question the timing of the move. Online advertising, while growing rapidly for many, still doesn't make up a huge percentage of revenue for most newspapers. Decreasing the costs significantly means that the revenue doesn't have to match, but there may still be quite a gap there, and I'd imagine some may have been more comfortable waiting for the gap to close before leaping out of the plane without much of a parachute.

However, in taking that plunge, it will force the CSMonitor to really focus in on making its website as good as it can be, both for readers and for advertisers. That sort of hyperfocus could be quite useful, as we've seen too many newspapers find themselves in a struggle for resources and attention between the (dwindling) cash cow print business, and the small, but growing, online markets. No matter what, you can bet that other big (and small) newspapers will be watching the CSM's leap with great interest as they plan their own strategies for a changing media world.

Last but not least, the whizzes at Mashable:

Given what they’re doing and their willingness to continue to push the edges of what’s possible for an online publication, it’s my opinion that we’ll be seeing quite a bit more of this news organization, and that they’ll be around for quite a while in their new format. It’s a little to early to say that they’re going to be the model of what a newspaper should look like as they makes their transition to a New Media organization, but for those interested in this arena, this is definitely an organization to keep an eye on.

So what is the opinion of Rob Frappier, super blogger for Experience.com? Well, generally speaking, I believe that the Internet is the only logical move for news media. I love having a newspaper in my hands as much as the next guy, but it just doesn't seem like a sustainable business model given the ubiquity of the Internet. With Blackberries, iPhones and free wireless at every corner cafe, it's easier than ever to get on the web. And, not only is it everywhere, but the Internet also allows individuals to specifically tailor their news interests and gives marketers the opportunity for highly targeted ad buys.

But enough about me. What do you think? Are papers passé?