Vanity Plates have always seemed a little gauche. The rationale behind them has always been a mystery to me, sort of like as tattoo, but less permanent. What message would I like to send to my fellow drivers sitting behind me at the stoplight, so bored with whatever is going on inside the car that they are reading the back of mine? I could never think of one. A friend of mine and I tried to come up with some way-homers to our great amusement - QQQQ, Ki55-A55 - that we could try to slip past the censors in the County Clerk's office, but none that I actually wanted to pay the extra scratch for. I figure you have to really have something to say to the general public to go to that trouble. Although I was always partial to Kramer's vanity plate, ASS MAN...

Today, I saw an article about how the North Carolina DMV issued inadvertent vanity plates, and is offfering to replace them. Several residents complained when their new license plates started with WTF, and the state is going to replace them for free.

Finally, a vanity plate I can get behind. I kicked myself (literally) because I hadn't thought of that one. So I'm started a texting-shorthand-license-plate wishlist:

WTF
AFT
AMF
BFD
SOL
NSS

If there is a god, when I go to register my next car, I'll get one of these. And the best part is that only the kids will know. Meanwhile, I'll KMFC (Keep My Fingers Crossed - apparently, I made that one up!).

I sat through an online presentation in our conference room yesterday about paid posting and I found myself bored to tears within about 10 minutes. The guy did not do his homework and asked, “do you guys blog?” He said he was on a 13-week tour of the country to peddle this new product—that he did not have a business card for—and actually had us write the url of the company on his “other” business card. He pointed out some very base information about blogging which was a big DUH for us and that’s when I noticed the tabs open on his laptop. The first one was “Growing through Divorce.” Now this poor schlep is starting to make sense to me, I thought. He was clearly an unhappy man. I couldn’t tell if he was just tired and irritable or always like this. When I read the tab, I actually began to feel sorry for him. The next tab was for a mortgage company so he was also potentially dealing with a home sale or looking for a new place to live. Then there was the tab that was a spreadsheet of some sort titled “2008 Guarantee.” He was probably forecasting income potential for peddling this new product. And yet another tab for Free Stuff. Funny what you can learn about a person just from reading the tabs. 

Recently, I had reason to complain about some poor customer service I received from a rep at a call center for Network Solutions.  I had two client  accounts that needed to merge in order to setup some E-commerce functions, but not only was the fellow I spoke to not helpful at all, I could barely understand his accent.

So what did I do?  I vented on Twitter about it.  Even with the recent bad luck they've had with downtime and unreliable service, I've not quite decided to be a Twitter Quitter either. For a while I was close to it, but I've decided to stay and post maybe 3 - 4 times a day.

I'm glad I stuck around, actually.  What happened after I vented was quite interesting.  After figuring out the problem myself, I went to my Twitter page and I had a direct message from @netsolcares, a Network Solutions customer assistance rep on Twitter itself.  And this wasn't the first time he's contacted me on there!

Yep, I actually meant to blog about this the first time @netsolcares contacted me about mentioning Network Solutions on Twitter.  I got into a discussion with him, not about the issue, but about how he was using Twitter and how he found my message.  He used Summize, a search engine for conversations going on at Twitter and found my message within hours of posting and contacted me directly to see if he could help at all.

Now that is proactive customer support!

How can other people use this as an example?  If you have a product or business that people use, try finding out where and what they are saying about it online.  You'd be surprised at what you find, both positive and negative.  Seek the positive remarks and chime in to say thanks.  Find the negative comments and poke your head in to see if you can change their minds.  That is the future of customer service online.

Do not wait for problems to come to you because they can boil up beyond your control, which would be a shame if a single proactive approach and a "sorry" could have kept the issue small.

Apple again stands to make history on July 11 with its release of the iPhone 3G. And while there will be no shortage of lines filled with loyal Apple fans, this loyal Apple fan will be quite happy downloading the software update to his "old" iPhone.

The most important of all updates (and I won't go into all of them here) is the compatibility with AT&T's 3G network. Download speeds are supposed to as high as 1.4 Mbps. This is comparable to EDGE network's speeds of between 75kbps & 135kbps. While that is better, it's still not as good as WiFi. The bigger problem (for me - not everyone) is that I don't live in one of the 280 metro areas covered by the 3G network, so my phone bill would go up & I would still be using the EDGE network.

GPS is a new feature that a lot of people are buzzing about. The drawback there is, it does not have map data loaded into (like popular GPS units) therefore it requires a constant data connection. And lets face it, battery life isn't something that iPhones are known for - the 3G version being only slightly better.

So, for now I will live with my decrepit 4-month-old iPhone which is about to get new life breathed into it with the new software update. But I will have to take Rick's for a spin. ;)

OK, there's much to be said for the benefits of our connectedness today.  We're always available, always in touch and always connected....or are we?

I remember when we all got our iPhones at the office.  I was hesitant, at the least, about being that connected.  The iPhone sat on my desk for nearly a week before I finally caved and activated it.  And boy did I activate it.

I was texting (with two teenage daughters, I was able to connect in their medium-of-choice for the first time), browsing, checking the weather, you name it.  I would pull my phone out in the middle of a conversation to seek out answers to a question that might arise, like "who was the Louisville Cardinals leading scorer in the 1986 Championship Season?"  Yeah, I was hooked.

Add to that, our ever-present laptops.  I habitually take mine home nightly.  And when I don't, I can still connect to our workflow management application, CurrentTrack, as well as access my email and company calendar via my home computer.

And this pervasive connection to my workday is beneficial, no doubt.  Beneficial to our clients and beneficial to our bottom line.

Just don't ask my wife or kids.

So tonight, I'm introducing a new benefit of this connectedness into my life.  I'm stepping away from the connection.

If you need me tonight, call my home phone.  I'll be connecting with my wife and kids.

Email and phone message will be here in the morning...

She grabbed me. Then I heard it. The buzz.

I freaked. What is she doing to me???

This wasn’t a brush she was running through my coat.

Oh my, I’m all over the floor.

And suddenly I feel a cool breeze on my side.

Now I feel it on top.

This is weird.

My hair is all over the floor but I’m not bleeding.

It doesn’t even hurt.

In fact I feel lighter. Cooler.

I just can’t figure out what she is doing.

She says I look “pretty.”

She’s sweeping all of it away.

Keeps talking about making a sweater.

Who needs a sweater in this weather?

Do you have FUN in your workplace? If not you need some.

Fun is everywhere at Current. Playing together is key at Current. We do adventures together like white water rafting, competing at volleyball or racing around an obstacle course every year at the Run for The Rose. Lisa Koier, our COO, AKA “Culture Queen," always endorses fun and excitement around the office.

Here are a few tips to add some FUN in your workplace:

1)    Nicknames. Everyone MUST have a nickname. It is much more fun to greet around the office with names such as “The Bomb," D-Meister” and “Smarty Pants." Don’t you agree?

2)    Treats. Dogs and cats are not the only ones that need treats. Offices do as well. Be spontaneous and plan an ice cream party day or a popcorn hour.

3)    Gatherings. Treat your office to a fun outing, like Movie Night, Roller skating or a Comedy Night.

4)    Lunch. Yes, Food again. It is important to try and lunch with everyone on your staff at least twice a month. This allows you to catch up and get to know your co-workers on a personal level.

5)    The final tip for today is Animals. Animals you ask? Every office needs a pet. A fish, a ferret, a bird, your choice. Our shop pet is a dog. Her name is Mona. Our office would not be the same without her. She is a permanent member of our staff. Oh, and my nickname for her is M-Dog. Seemed like a natural fit.

Remember, have fun in your life, even at work.

We held our first public audition for television talent as part of a new campaign for Tumbleweed Restaurants and it was very enlightening! We spent two days in the restaurants personally inviting select patrons and then sent out press releases to several media outlets. We had no idea how many would come. And for two days I prayed that God would send us just the right mix--and amount--of Tumbleweed fans for our 4-8pm “cattle call.” And since we were going to be outside in a tent, I also spent a fair amount of time praying for good weather. Well, my prayers were answered. We had about 115 people come through and we never saw a drop of rain--when just north of us--storms were wreaking havoc in the form of flooding and tornadoes. Oh, the power of prayer!

I worked the “processing” portion of the operation with another employee, Danielle Carter. She and I tag-teamed on gathering the “talent’s” contact information and signed releases, processed them through a short visit with make-up and then sent them into the tent where each person gave us 2-3 minutes of why they love Tumbleweed in front of a green screen. This is where it got interesting. Some folks were just “naturals’ in front of the camera. They oozed with passion about Tumbleweed’s Monday Margaritas for 99¢, their mesquite-grilled steaks, chile con queso and “world-famous” burritos. The kids were funny because they were either “hams” and talked up our cheese pizza and chicken strips or they froze and wouldn’t utter a word. You could tell some kids were there because they had “stage” moms.. We even had some bonafide actors trying out and they brought headshots and resumes, showing up “camera-ready.”

Everything went swimmingly and we ended the night with a few pitchers of ice cold margaritas, after hearing so many people talk about them! Tumbleweed CEO, Matt Higgins and COO, Mike Higgins personally greeted and thanked many of the “fans” who came to “try out” and later commented on what a “WOW” it was to hear these loyal users talk about what they liked most at Tumbleweed.

It took about 3 business days to render all the footage and post it on Tumbleweed’s YouTube channel so that everyone who auditioned could see themselves in “action.” We’ve spent the week cutting together some :30 TV spots that will air on June 20^th.

And meanwhile the viral part of our strategy seems to be working. We’ve had a few thousand views already and the footage has only been posted for three days.

I can’t wait to go to the next city and stir up some more excitement for our Tumbleweed client with our “Right on the Tip of Your Tongue” TV Tour.

My father told me that hard work and common sense were the keys to success in life. And as I walked through the doors of current marketing on my first day, I reflected on his advice. What is common sense?

Common sense may be construed as the pursuit of non-stupidity. Interestingly a search for “stupid” on youtube yields hours of tear-inducing human situations caught on camera that may have been avoided had someone spoken up in the interest of common sense.

The Darwin Awards generated widespread popularity based on a seemingly universal notion of common sense that winners amply defied or ignored. And maybe that’s what the whole reality television thing is about as well. Watching other’s make mistakes and then basking in the warm glow of our own, more advanced, ability to avoid mishap (going on reality television probably being the first common sense step to not signing away your credibility as a sentient being).

In Common Sense Thomas Paine urged colonists to think rationally and yet unconventionally about their British rulers. His words came to be, paradoxically, the common logic on how to envision a world that is radically different. And before you assume that I’ve lost my copywriting mind, just remember how great a model that is for advertising success as well.

I guess that’s why I already feel at home here. The atmosphere is of a group of professionals not ready or willing to bow to what seems like common sense. I have noticed an abundance of rationality, but the nebulous and outdated notion of common sense has yet to make an appearance.

So, thanks for the advice dad. Common sense got me through driver’s education, African bus stations and an experimental adolescence with a few spare brain cells remaining. But the one thing I plan to leave at CM’s door is my sense that any creative work need be common. I just hope the euphoria of casting aside my common sense doesn’t lead to wetting the front of my pants, or eating out of the kitchen trash, because frankly, I have never done anything of the sort.

I have developed a standard position about adopting and applying emerging developments in the marketing arena.  It’s a position borne through observation of incredibly smart “failures” and illogically lucky “successes” and it’s rooted in the maxim that “Timing is Everything.” 

I want to be third.

I could cite example after example of how my “Rule of the Third” has proven itself historically, from wars to commercial real estate development to technology to product introduction.

Here’s why it works: 

The Starter, an eager innovator, has no road map to follow.  The poor soul, with the great or not-so-great idea, is by definition ahead of demand...so unless he or she can sustain the thrust of the enterprise--independent of profit or gain--for a rather long period of time, it withers, dies and appears to fail.

Meanwhile, Second Sting, a keen observer, has recognized the potential of the innovative enterprise and rightly recognizes that its ultimate success hinges on drumming up sufficient demand and acceptance.  So, while slightly smoothing the rough edges from the initial efforts, Second String usually exhausts itself in the heavy lifting of “preparing the market.”

That’s when everything is ripe for Rule of the Third.  The innovation is refined.  Mistakes are recognized.  A little tweak here and there to make it better than ever.  And the market has just begun to clamor.  And you’re rested, ready and waiting. 

How sweet is that?

Maybe that’s why your Grandma always said...“third time’s charmed!”