Ever Messaging

Pure Gold ... Publicist Resigns.

2011-03-01T07:59:00.007-05:00

Sometimes no amount of well-crafted messaging will be able to move public opinion or sentiment. I guess that is what Charlie Sheen's publicist may have been thinking when he resigned this week.

According to a Bloomberg story, Stan Rosenfield relinquished his duties after saying that he is "no longer able to work effectively for his client."

If you have not seen the series of Sheen interviews airing on NBC and ABC they are worth checking out. At first I was going to do an analysis of all of the messaging in these pieces, but the content is so rich I didn't know where to start.

It turns out there is no need as Sheen himself has critiqued the interviews already. He said the NBC interview was "pure gold" ... I agree.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Update: Still imported from Detroit.

2011-02-10T14:16:00.004-05:00

So... the Chrysler spot from the Super Bowl has a lot of folks talking. And there are now reports that more ads with Eminem might be in the works.

Clearly this ad has made an impact. It will be interesting to see what's next. Check out Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne on CNBC this week talking about the brand and the spot (...scroll down ... sorry about the formatting):

Imported from Detroit.

2011-02-07T20:20:00.010-05:00

While I am by no means an advertising expert, everyone offers their opinion around the Super Bowl ads so here is mine: I wasn't really moved by any of the Super Bowl commercials until ...

... a spot from Chrysler? Yep, Chrysler.

The two-minute gem (above) introduced the Super Bowl's record viewing audience to the new Chrysler 200. The ad was fabulous. Gritty, determined, inspiring ... awesome.

Featuring Eminem, the spot ran through all of the qualities that make Detroit great. It almost made me want to move there to take place in the revival.

I don't think I have ever been car shopping for a Chrysler. But this commercial made me take notice. That's a good first step.

This ad also made Detroit -- and America -- proud. Now, I have a small bias. A good friend of mine lives in Detroit. He was born and raised in the area -- and actually does work for another one of the Big 3.

I asked him if he liked the spot. He said he did... loved everything about it except the car.

Loyalty. That was about the only characteristic of Detroit residents not mentioned in this ad. When it comes to their automobiles, it could have been the first.

Messages ARE Everywhere...

2011-02-03T09:52:00.005-05:00

I feel like every three months, I post about how I have returned to the blogosphere. Perhaps I should just face the facts ... I will never be a regular blogger. That's okay by me.

So what prompted me to write this post? A colleague of mine was in the airport the other day and sent me the photo below. It is back to the essence of what this blog is about. Messages are everywhere. We are being communicated to all of the time.

If Oscar Mayer can sponsor the belts of baggage claims at airports around the country, then there really is no place that a message cannot be delivered. Wild.

Really? It is probably about time someone asked that question.

2010-11-16T16:18:00.003-05:00

Microsoft should get some credit: It takes some guts to highlight that our society spends too much time on a product that they essentially are now rolling out themselves.

The smart phone. I am as guilty as anybody of "multi-tasking." The definition of that in 2010 is not paying attention to what is happening in the world while you type on a smart phone.

So, this ad really caught my eye.

The sad thing here is that this ad is spot on. It is an illustration of life as we know it. There is no way this ad will not resonate with people. They might not buy, but they will relate.

Why? It clearly articulates a problem that either (1) most of us have already identified or (2) we just discovered after seeing this piece.

Then, it positions its product as a solution. Of course, its product is a smart phone, which, generally speaking, is the culprit.

Naturally, they tout their product as being different. And, there is probably a good percentage of folks out there -- myself included -- that would love to cut down on their smart phone use. With their product, they note, you will spend less time with the device and more time being present in real life. That's an interesting concept in today's world.

There are a lot of smart phones out there and each brand is trying to separate itself from the rest. So, I give them credit. It is different and it is a witty attack on the smart phone ... the very product they are launching.

This campaign stands out. Now, we will have to see if it works.

Sometimes Classic is Best.

2010-11-10T16:36:00.006-05:00

This past weekend I was at Costco with my preschool-age daughter. We were on the soda aisle when she spotted the 32-can case of Coca-Cola... with the famed Santa Claus drawing on the case. We just had to get that one.

Of course, that same Santa image appears on the cans as well. She thinks they are terrific even though she doesn't drink soda yet. You have to give credit where credit is due: The cans are classic and they truly signify the holiday season.

The other evening, my wife said she was going to the fridge to get a Coke. My daughter heard this and offered to get the soda. She asked, "Diet one or the Santa Claus one?"

In an era where new gadgets and advancements grab attention, it is great that Coca-Cola goes back to the iconic Santa image every holiday season. And it resonates with all -- young and old.

Critics may say that a soda company is using an image like Santa to attract children to the product. But my daughter is not drinking one yet, so no harm done. When she gets to soda-drinking age, she may just choose Coke. Was it because of the Santa image? I don't know, but I will be sure to ask. I will report back near the end of the decade.

Good Signage

2010-11-04T14:06:00.002-04:00

It is so refreshing to see simple signage with simple messaging. I was in Publix the other day to pick up a prescription. As I was waiting, I snapped a quick picture of this 6 or 7 foot sign that was right next to the counter.

Brilliant. The messaging is just spot-on, simple and straightforward.

They tell me the new bottle is Eco-Friendly, Easier to Read and Easier to Hold.

If I had received my new bottle, I probably would have noticed a difference, but I would not have known it was eco-friendly. I may have noticed a new shape and that the label was different, but by pointing out the benefits I was nudged into thinking the the new bottle was 100% better than the old one.

The claims are not over the top and they are things that any shopper might care about: Who doesn't want to read the label better? Or grip the bottle better to open it? And it is good for the environment to boot.

Without the sign, these things would still be true. But, with the sign, I now notice the changes and appreciate them. Smart move.

Paper because...

2010-10-26T17:15:00.015-04:00

Twice a year the Audit Bureau of Circulations releases their stats on newspaper circulation. To no one's surprise, the numbers are down -- 5% during the past six months. It is another reminder that we are moving to an all digital world.

Regardless of this fact, I still enjoy reading the newspaper and I still enjoy taking notes on paper.

Yet even I have started this shift (a little). I consume a bunch of news on media Web sites and apps. I occasionally will take notes on my laptop. But... I still love paper even though I see that the end could be coming at some point in my lifetime.

Part of the problem leading to paper's demise is that there has not been a real good argument on why we should continue to use paper.

It is easier to go digital. And, they have better arguments: It's faster. It's portable. It takes up less space. It's more environmentally-friendly. You can archive things easier. It goes on and on.

But I finally saw a solid argument for paper. In the Sunday New York Times Magazine there was an ad from Domtar ("the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America ...") that is a part of their "Paper because" campaign.

The tagline was "Paper because it is easier to learn."

It showed a picture of an elementary school student (above) holding up a piece of paper with his multiplication tables. Brilliant.

Domtar has a slew of other tag lines -- all tied to Paper because this or Paper because that -- but none of them work like this one.

Yes, it is a paper company. Yes, saving the paper industry is in their best interest. Yes, they want you to buy paper, but I thought is was a sound argument.

Who wants to stand in the way of an elementary student's learning?

Logos are a funny thing.

2010-10-21T16:59:00.002-04:00

Never underestimate the power of an iconic brand or an iconic logo. Also, never underestimate the power of the consumer especially when their opinions can be made clear through social media channels.

In case you haven’t heard, there has been a lot of noise about the fact that Gap changed their famed blue box logo to a new logo … until they changed it back. All within a week or so.

There have been a ton of different viewpoints on this chain of events with most experts citing the hard lessons learned from customer resistance as they chronicled the backlash.

Whenever a company changes its logo, tagline or ad campaign, there is bound to be a series of reviews and thought-leader editorials analyzing the move. So, there needs to be some thick skin involved when a shift like this is taking place.

However, there was one AdAge piece that must have been somewhat alarming to those inside Gap – thick skin and all. The headline was “Gap Speaks Out: Yes, the Logo is Real.” Wow. In a world where an Internet hoax is a common occurrence, some confirmation from the firm is a good thing. Of course, if someone needs to ask if the logo is real, then I guess that says all you need to know about what people think of it. (This couldn’t possibly be for real, could it?)

In short, it appears that no one on Earth liked the logo. The natural conclusion was that this was a miserable failure.

However, it might not be that bad after all.

While I do not consider myself a fashion plate, I haven’t thought about Gap in years. Now I am thinking – and blogging – about them. Just in time for the Christmas shopping season. All’s well that ends well. I guess we will find that out in January when the holiday sales figures are tabulated.

The Written Word

2009-11-10T10:34:00.006-05:00

So it's only been two months since I last posted. Oooppps. Blogging is nearly a full-time job. I need to plan my days better.

I will be back on a regular basis soon, but just wanted to share this one thought: The written word remains powerful.

The delivery method of words is continually changing, but the actual written word is still so strong. In the 70s, 80s and 90s, video was said to become king. TV and TV news was going to supplant newspapers. It had an impact, but no more than the current economy has had on them.

And, with all of these new mobile apps coming out providing the ability to watch on the go, it still may. But think about it: With email, texting, blogging and tweeting, it is the written word that still reigns.

Newspaper circs are down, but online readership is up and with the Kindle and other similar devices coming out the written word has a bright future. Instead of picking up a paper or magazine or book at the corner newsstand, it is simply zapped to your mobile device.

News stories may be shorter. Texts use abbreviations. And, thoughts are now transmitted in character limits -- not even word limits. Regardless, the written word still carries the message.

If it fits ... and it is under 70 pounds

2009-09-10T08:19:00.012-04:00

I recently noticed a slight shift in the USPS commercials in the "if it fits, it ships" for a low flat-rate campaign. And this was a positive thing.

In the first set of commercials, the banter between the postal courier and the small business owners was centered around the notion that you could put anything in the box and it will ship for one low flat-rate. However, these initial commercials had the text on the screen that said this was for packages up to 70 lbs. I did a quick scan of YouTube and could not find this commercial, so sorry for the lack of a visual. I will keep looking ...

Obviously, there was a big caveat there -- and it was clearly noted in the disclaimer text on the screen. The text was bigger than typical disclaimer text, but it was not in the character dialogue. So, the impression one could get from the segment is that you could load anything into the box and it would ship for "a low flat-rate." Period. Great deal.

Now, I need to give the USPS credit. A new commercial in this series is out and they made the appropriate adjustment. In the dialogue, the postal courier now says something along the lines of "If it is less than 70 lbs" as the lead in to the fits/ships promise.

It's rare you see a clarification mid-campaign, so hats off to the USPS for making it as clear as they can. If I only had something to ship, I would reward them for their good deed ...

CARS wasn't good enough?

2009-08-25T20:32:00.006-04:00

The cars program ended yesterday. Excuse me, CARS ended yesterday.

What? The Car Allowance Rebate System.

Of course, this was better known as Cash for Clunkers. Now, as a brand name, Cash for Clunkers was a hit. Who didn't know what Cash for Clunkers was? I don't even know if a poll was done to determine if the term Cash for Clunkers worked because everyone knew what it was. If they had done one, it would have been a waste of money because it was so well known. It was just that successful from a branding standpoint.

But, what about just going with CARS? That's clever. The Car Allowance Rebate System. It stands for something. I think if someone said that the CARS program was giving out billions of dollars to folks who traded in their "clunker" for a more fuel-efficient model -- it would still be a smashing success.

So, it begs the question: Why didn't they give TARP a colloquial name?

I think CARS could have worked without the colloquial term, but the Troubled Asset Relief Program could use some help.

CARS communicates... cars. Simple. It works.

But, TARP. It could use its own Cash for Clunkers term.

The official Web site is FinancialStability.gov. And, there are great terms on there like Road to Stability, etc. There could have been a meaningful slogan that accompanied this one.

But, instead, the visual is a tarp. A tarp makes me think of a ballgame, but it's raining, it's nasty out and the game has been called because of rain. So, the tarp is out on the field.

Well, maybe it makes sense after all.

Now This is Creative

2009-08-17T18:08:00.005-04:00

Earlier this month, CNBC.com and AdAge had bits on a very clever idea.

For Burger King's sponsorship of a Spanish soccer (or football or futbol) team, they have a picture of The King upside down on the inside of the jerseys.

Why?

So, when a player scores a goal and lifts his shirt, The King appears ... right side up! Brilliant.

And, this is the Burger King King -- not Elvis or Richard Petty.

They maintain the traditional logo on the front of their jerseys like most clubs, but the inside print is clearly unique. While I do not have historical data on this type of thing, this has to be one of the more creative logo uses in the history of sports.

In watching NFL preseason over the weekend, I thought it was clever that the NY Jets had their division, AFC East, on the back of their ball caps. But, this blows that out of the water.

Some folks have criticized the concept saying its too creepy. But for $1.8 million, they should be able to ask the goal scorer to put on the full King costume. Now that would be creative.

What’s in a Name?

2009-08-03T08:28:00.006-04:00

Apparently a lot. The August 3 issue of BusinessWeek had a fascinating story about defunct or “castoff” brand names that are being sold to private equity firms and other organizations.

So if anyone says that the name of a company does not communicate anything, then they are mistaken. Most interesting to me is Linens N’ Things. At one time, this was once a robust national chain with nearly 600 stores. However, the retailer closed all of its locations in 2008.

Regardless, the name is highly recognizable. And, let’s be honest: With all of the noise and drama in the business and economic world during the past 2 years, is anyone truly going to have vivid, lingering memories of Linens N’ Things closing its doors?

Probably not. So, let's keep it alive. The new Linens N’ Things is back as a Web-only store for now, and it will be interesting to see how it develops over time.

The article also talks about Eddie Bauer, Nuprin and Brim. Not mentioned in this piece is The Sharper Image. I loved The Sharper Image stores. These closed in 2008 as well, but the brand lives on.

The assets were purchased by a private joint venture and The Sharper Image products now appear in numerous retail stores across the country. This is great news: You never know when you are going to have the itch to get a hip alarm clock that has the weather forecast appearing alongside the time of day. Some brands will live on forever – they just might come back in a different form.

Chicken and ... Subs?

2009-07-28T15:37:00.006-04:00

Later this week I plan on trying KFC's new grilled chicken. You probably don't watch television, use the Internet, read the paper or listen to the radio if you are unaware that Kentucky FRIED Chicken now also sells Kentucky GRILLED Chicken. This development has been everywhere for months now.

They have had free chicken, they have had two-piece deals and they now have a $5 meal deal. With this new $5 Fill-Up Box, you get 2 pieces of chicken, a biscuit, a side and a drink.

Now, here is what is interesting. Who are they targeting in their ads? Who is their competition on this?

Not Popeye's or Church's or Mrs. Winner's or Zaxby's or Chick-fil-A. No one who sells chicken.

The answer: Subway ... although not by name. Watch the ad here.

Wow -- now that is a departure. I never thought I would see KFC competing against a "healthy" food option. But, here we are. And, what a great move on their part.

I have no idea how much healthier the grilled chicken is -- and they even have fries in their ad as a side option. Regardless, it is now seen as a healthy option because of the word 'grilled' and because they are making a comparison to Subway. Brilliant.

Do you want me to get you anything while I am there?

What to Write?

2009-07-23T09:57:00.002-04:00

I have to admit: Blogging is fatiguing. Life is full enough as it is. By the time I sit down to brainstorm terrific ideas for this blog I am spent.

So, earlier this week, I looked back at some previous posts in an effort to think of some new ideas. It didn't work. I will be back with something fresh next week, but here were some things that caught my eye.

My first post ... was not very good. Yikes.

My second post on Mustard is one of the most read posts in the history of this blog (all 2+ months of it). Perhaps I should feature condiments on every other post.

There is a reason I am not a sports writer. After saying Tiger Woods was back, he has yet to win a major. On the other hand, Federer won Wimbledon. Their logos are still great.

There were great comments on my post about bottled water, and I didn't expect many.

On the other hand, there were no comments on Michael Jackson's lawyer and only one comment on my Motorola headset. I thought the self-portrait was classic! Those were two of my favorites...

In closing, my post on the Most Interesting Man in the World has been the most read. And, perhaps due to the popularity of that post, Dos Equis debuted a new commercial. That might not be completely accurate. Regardless, I will take some credit.

Four Questions For … Rob Baskin

2009-07-15T20:58:00.003-04:00

With more than 30 years of communications experience, Rob Baskin is quite familiar with how messaging works. A former Coca-Cola communications executive, Rob has been the Managing Director of MS&L’s Atlanta office since 2005. He joined MS&L, a leading communications firm with a network of more than 50 offices throughout the world, in 2002.

I spoke with him earlier today and here is what happened:

Q1. If you could only tell a client two or three things that they need to do in order for their message to be heard by the audience they need to reach, what would that be?
The first would be to know your audience so you use the channels that they use. The second would be to make your message succinct.

Q2. Do you think it is easier or harder for a company or organization to get their message heard today as compared to 10 years ago?
I think you need to distinguish from getting the message out to getting the message heard. There are many more channels to use today and there are many intelligent ways to use those channels. Getting a message out – that’s easier.

Now, there may be more channels and more media out there and that means there is a lot of static. It’s harder to get the messages to resonate. You have to do it in the right place, at the right time in the right way.

In the era of mass media there was frequency and reach. Those still mean something today, but we need to be smarter about how we make those messages heard so they will resonate. And, you now need to spend more time doing it. At the end of the day, you need something relevant.

Q3. What is one thing you learned about messaging at the start of your career that still holds true today?
I don’t think people have changed. Techniques have changed. What’s important to remember is content is still king.

In this day in age, you push messages out through dozens of different channels in dozens in different ways. There are 140 characters in Twitter. There’s Yammer. You can influence the influencer as a lot of PR people try to do. Or, you can push it out to consumers directly through online or digital media.

If the content of the message is irrelevant or not credible, then the consumer will not pay attention to it. Or – worse – they will deride you for it and then you will lose credibility. People recognize noise for what it is.

Q4. What message that you’ve seen recently is really resonating with you right now and why?
Even though it’s been 8 or 9 months since the election, I think Obama’s campaign was a great use of messaging. Whether it was ‘change’ or ‘yes we can’ – it all communicated that it was time to give a new player on the scene a chance.

Whatever one may think of him politically is not the point. It was an incredible communications effort that was well orchestrated, implemented successfully and highly disciplined. Those are all of the things that make it work.

Pittsburgh.

2009-07-08T21:16:00.012-04:00

Here is a city that is getting its message across.

I was talking to a colleague of mine today and he was talking about digital communications professionals and the name of another old colleague of ours came up in conversation.

I said: Where is he now?

Colleague said: He's in Pittsburgh... Ya know, they are known for digital technology.

I said: Really? How do you know that? Have you been to Pittsburgh?

Colleague said: No, I have never been, but they have really developed a niche in that area. They're really known for it.

Talk about a message resonating. My colleague has never even been to Pittsburgh, but knew all about what this city is becoming in the business world. Even more, he was spot on with the messaging.

I checked out the Chamber Web site and here is what they said: "Over the past 25 years, the region has built a diverse economy on fundamental strengths in advanced manufacturing, digital technology, financial services, life sciences and energy solutions."

Seriously, how unbelievable is that? Cities and states are working all of the time to be known for this or that. It is hard to get those messages across. And, here is someone -- who has never been and is hundreds of miles away -- who got it loud and clear.

Of course, historically it has been the Steel City -- and the Chamber even notes that they were a "one-time industrial region that has become a balanced, innovation-driven economy."

Incredible. What a terrific job on communicating what the region has grown to become. Since this afternoon, I have been checking out a bunch of sites and now I want to visit. This place has everything. The Penguins are the Stanley Cup Champs. The G-20 is coming there. The Steelers are the Super Bowl Champs. The Pirates play in one of the best stadiums in baseball.

I'm sold.

Oh, so you are saying the King of Pop had a will ...

2009-07-01T21:23:00.001-04:00

Perhaps you have heard that Michael Jackson has passed away. During the past week, there have been a ton of interesting messages flying around about the King of Pop.

Sources and stories are speculating about his family’s involvement in his memorial … possible medicines he had been taking … and the possibility that his children might actually not be his.

And, his father’s new business venture made headlines. Not because of the actual venture but because of his timing for discussing it. This could be a separate post itself.

The coverage has been intense and overwhelming. It’s hard to sort it all out, but here is an interesting one. A major point of discussion centers around his will. And, here we have a terrific example of reversing course.

News organizations across the globe reported that the family – in court – said that no will existed for Michael. None. In turn, his mother would be the administrator of his estate.

Fast forward one day later. There is a will. Change in plans.

In response, here is what the lawyer representing the family said to the press: My clients are now aware after filings that a will has been presented. His various advisers over time are looking for additional documents.

There are some great phrases in here: “now aware” … “various advisers over time” ... “additional documents” …

Changing direction happens. New facts surface all the time. It always how you explain it that seems to be most interesting. What went from being a definitive statement – there is no will – is now so open-ended that the possibilities of what’s to come are endless.

…Can’t wait to see what “documents” these “advisers” find.

Which water is $3.99 this week?

2009-06-25T14:14:00.001-04:00

Water is interesting. Years ago there was not a market for bottled water. Now, it is a key ingredient in many beverage company portfolios. While I drink tap water and filtered water from from fridge, I do often pick up a 24-pack of bottled water at my local Publix.

This is not a typical post for this blog. Why? Because, for me, the messaging with these products takes a back seat to pricing and taste.

Over the years, I have narrowed it down to three water products that I will purchase based on taste alone -- Aquafina, Dasani and Crystal Springs.

Aquafina is pure water.

Dasani is enhanced with minerals.

Crystal Springs is ... Hmmm. I don't even know the message point here.

Since all three taste great to me then it is on to the pricing. These all retail for about $5.99. So, how do I choose? Whichever one is one sale for $3.99 that week is one I get.

If there is not one on sale ... it's back to tap for that week. Perhaps I should have just stocked up the week before.

Should be an Interesting Reinvention

2009-06-22T21:44:00.007-04:00

As everybody knows, American car companies have been in tough shape recently. With the bailout, the hearings on Capitol Hill and the bankruptcies, it has been hard not to notice.

There have always been a ton of messages about cars. The power, the speed, the luxury ... it goes on and on. However, when new car commercials appear, I often am not drawn to them. For some reason, I do not feel the need to have the latest and greatest automobile.

I often find some of the spots entertaining, but it is typically not something that I dwell on.

However, this new spot from GM has really caught my eye. For not having really been passionate about GM, I now find myself rooting for them.

In short, this spot really has a humble, honest tone to it. Of course, detractors might argue that they have to take this tone as there is no other choice. Still, I like the idea of being honest about the situation one is in and then addressing how one is going to get out of it.

Needless to say, this is only the first message. It will be interesting to track how their message progresses as time goes on. It will also be fascinating to see how the media and the consumer rate their progress. And, how the message might change as a result.

Four Questions For … Bud Grebey

2009-06-17T15:36:00.003-04:00

I had a chance to catch up with Bud Grebey this past week. I first met Bud in 1999 when he was leading communications at Webvan – the internet grocery delivery company that was probably 15 years ahead of its time.

Currently, Bud works out of New York City and serves as Senior Vice President – Consumer Marketing and Corporate Communications at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, a leading public relations consultancy. He has a wealth of experience and you can check out his bio here.

Of course, part of our conversation was on the topic of messaging. Here is how it went:

Q1. What’s the most difficult message you ever had to communicate?
I have spent a lot of time closing facilities and businesses and it gets hard when it comes to the people. These communications are difficult for a lot of reasons – one being a lot of times companies skip over the human impact to get to the business rationale.

Logistically, with Webvan, we had to figure out – at once – how to tell our people we were shuttering the business. Everyone was across different timezones with different shifts. We didn’t want a courier in Atlanta to walk into a house and have the customer say they just saw on the news that the business was closing and that person was out of a job. We wanted them to hear it from us.

At Levi’s, we had a global business. The world is round – and there are 24 different timezones. It’s hard when you have to pick a time. In a Thomas Friedman “world is flat” kind of way, it’s easier because we have all of the technology. But, at the same time, it’s harder because instant is instant.

Q2. With the communications landscape constantly changing, what counsel are clients seeking from you today?
How to use social media. On our agency intranet, we have a weekly poll. A couple of weeks ago, the question was: Which social media tool do you interact with most with your client? It had Twitter, Facebook, MySpace – the whole gamut. And, it had none. None tied for first place.

Everyone in communications knows there are these set of new tools. And, the question is what do you do with them? So, they are asking us for three things. (1) Counsel on how these tools apply to their business; (2) Support in selling these ideas up the organizational ladder; and (3) How these tools make their efforts more efficient rather then it just adding another stack of information to their inbox.

Q3. You began your career in DC as a press secretary, what did that experience teach you about the importance of proper messaging?
Always look at any issue that you have to communicate through a second set of glasses before you put the plan together.

Washington, D.C. is very political and extremely myopic. It was always slam the other side. What I found was it was a lot of people talking to themselves.

The key to messaging – and what you typically had was the most liberal trying to change the mind of the most conservative and vice versa – is the big bell curve in the middle. The center votes. You just need to move the middle to get 51% of the vote and you win election.

I look at that in the private sector. Don’t talk to yourself. Think about whose votes matter and what is going to be relevant to them.

Q4. What message floating around out there has recently caught your attention and is currently resonating with you?
A good example is “shovel ready” when it comes to the stimulus package. Stimulus dollars will go to shovel ready projects. I know what they mean when they say that.

A bad example is on the economy. It’s very interesting to listen to the economic pundits talking about the green shoots and the signs of recovery. One day it’s a recovery in the 4th quarter and the next day it’s a recovery at the end of 2010. It’s whatever data comes out at any given moment. The data is driving it and then are a lot of people trying to spin a message out of it.

Bing, Bing, Bing

2009-06-11T15:21:00.012-04:00

There has been lots of buzz about Bing. If you haven't heard, it's Microsoft's new search engine that is set to challenge Google. It is supposed to be revolutionary.

Bing is everywhere and they are definitely doing a great job at getting the word out.

To that end, Ad Age had a great article online this week about ten brands that touted products that were going to change the world. The Bing, along with Palm's new Pre, prompted them to write the piece. Of course, the Mac "1984" commercial was No. 1. For those of you that do not recall it, here it is:

It's a great look back at some monumental -- and failed -- efforts. Here was their Top Ten:

1. APPLE MAC
2. SATURN
3. PREMIER
4. THE McDLT
5. WINDOWS 95
6. VISTA
7. WOW CHIPS
8. NEW COKE
9. CRYSTAL PEPSI
10. NIKE AIR

It's a pretty solid list... and it actually makes me miss the McDLT.

The only thing I would add is the Reebok Pump shoes. Now, those were revolutionary.

Two of the Best?

2009-06-08T13:11:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, Roger Federer captured his 14th grand slam title to tie Pete Sampras' record. It also marked his first French Open title. That was in the world of tennis.

In the world of golf, Tiger Woods won The Memorial - for a record fourth time - and is now "back" from his injury and in pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' majors record. Nicklaus has 18 to Tiger's 14.

Federer and Tiger are two of the greatest of all time in their respective sports. In fact, they might be the best.

They also happen to have two of the best personal logos in sports. Check out the hats below.

The roll call of their sponsors is top-notch. Their gameday attire - from Nike - is classy. And, their personal logos are terrific. Whether it is the TW or the RF ... they just communicate excellence and victory.

They are simple, yet you can tell they represent winners --- something or somebody elite. Almost makes me want to golf or play tennis. Almost. I practically do neither.

Their personal wealth is reported on a regular basis. Their victories are well documented. It is only fitting that two of the great individual athletes in individual sports have something that communicates their great brands.

Wonder what my personal logo is? What's yours?

Gameday Giveaways

2009-06-04T08:08:00.011-04:00

I have been to a sporting event or two in my day. And, I love the games with the giveaways. Hats, rally towels, seat cushions, bobble heads -- all with brand logos, of course.

For a long time, my favorite was when I went to Bat Day at Yankee Stadium in the early 80s. Everyone received a bat and it was sponsored by Citibank.

However, nearly three years ago at a Falcons-Cowboys game, I received the best gameday giveway yet: An inflatable Motorola coaching headset (please see the self-portrait and action shot below).

Several years back, all NFL coaching personnel switched over to these larger than life Motorola headsets. It was a highly visible change to even the casual fan.

What a brillant idea. Let's take that branded piece of the game (the headset) and turn it into an inflatable. Fantastic! Every fourth or fifth person at that game was wearing it. And most were calling in plays much like I am in that photo on the left.

Now, I am not in the market for a Motorola NFL coaching headset, but it will make me think about the brand when I purchase my next cell phone. And, that is just it... they could have given us an inflatable cell phone, but I would have thrown that away the moment I got home. Who am I kidding? I probably would have left it at the stadium.

This is just a great example of an effective marketing giveaway. I mean look at me: I am a grown man wearing my headset nearly three years later ... and I don't plan to stop any time soon.