There's a strange phenomenon taking place in the world today. Social networks http://twitter.com/, which were meant to connect people & foster friendships, are now being combed by companies searching for negative comments about their products/services. Blog alerts http://www.google.com/alerts notify CEOs when their companies are under scrutiny on the web. Call it web 2.0, call it common courtesy, the bottom line is corporate America is starting to listen to its customers –- and that's good for the little man. They can't afford not to –- their brand's integrity is at stake with each negative post from an unhappy customer on a blog or forum.

My question is, "When is the medical field going to follow suit?"

Do you have back problems that are keeping you out of work? Need to see a neurosurgeon? You'll have to wait until you can get in to see your family doctor for a referral -- "... that'll be only three days, sir. Oh, but you're gonna have to have an MRI before seeing the surgeon... gonna have to wait a week for that. Got your MRI? Great, now it'll be another week to get in to see the Neurosurgeon."

And when that glorious day comes...

The neurosurgeon will tell you that you're (essentially) over-reacting and you'll have to chase him out into the hallway asking questions because he's blatantly not concerned about your condition. "You don't need that procedure, you need this other one" -- which you've had in the past and HAS CLEARLY not helped you or you wouldn't be back. And, I hope you aren't still in pain, because he won't give you a prescription for anything. You'll have to go back to your family doctor for that (who will accuse you of "drug-seeking" & send you to ANOTHER doctor (a "pain management" specialist) in order to get some relief. "Thank you Dr. Guarnaschelli. Yes, I'm calling you out."

With all that said, will I get a response to this post from someone at his practice? I'll hold my breath.... maybe that will help with the pain.

They say that 80% of Advertising-related RFP’s (Request For Proposal) are fixed. In other words, the folks at the organization already know which agency they are going with. And often they are staying with their current agency and are just conducting the RFP to satisfy some corporate rule.

This pisses me off because folks on the agency side work very hard to create and pitch the new ideas to this potential client and it’s often all for not. Or worse, the client collects all the new ideas and decides to use a few of them over time—without paying for them.

We’ve had this experience, and have even gone back to the table—with the same client—only to be lead around the block and told “thanks, but we’re going to keep this initiative in house.”  I won’t name names. This town is too small. I’ve started a list.

There are some agencies that refuse to work on spec creative and RFP’s. They just flat out refuse. We take each one on a case-by-case basis and try to find out why they are looking and what our chances are. The work is fun because it is something new and our whole company gets into the initiative. There’s an excitement level that comes with competing and we always enjoy the rush! Plus, it’s new creative. We get to play on a new field. And of course we want to win so we do crazy things to get their attention. It’s not the additional work that bugs me. It’s the stealing that goes on. And when I speak with my friends in our business, I often hear horror stories about certain companies that go into the RFP just to steal. Shame on them. All we have to sell is our time and talent. And we prefer to work with honest and upstanding companies that have a mutual respect for us, as a business, and our need to make money too.

Got an RFP? Let me check my list. Here’s an idea: Maybe we should start a community list on the Louisville Ad Club’s website. Wouldn’t it be a hoot if some of these swindlers were black balled from local agencies and nobody responded to their RFP.

That's what it all boils down to -- speaking to your customer on a one-to-one basis.

I remember, while studying news writing and copy writing in college, the instructors -- respected journalists and professionals teaching part-time -- talking about one-to-one communication.

"Yes, you're looking at a camera and talking to thousands of people. But, you need to write, then read, your script as though you were talking to just one person."

That was the sage advice of these respected journalists and copywriters. That was at least a couple of years before the Internet, I'm sorry to say. Today, those professionals might well be teaching blogging and Twitting. A recent Harris Interactive poll showed European consumers say the Internet is their most influential medium. It's twice as influential as television, and eight times more influential than printed newspapers.

Wow.

But why not? The Internet is a great big give-and-take free for all! One of the bummers of this research is that consumers don't quite trust the Internet, yet. While two-thirds of Brits polled say they use the Internet to "help them make better decisions," only one-fourth of that same universe trust the information they get. Maybe they're following that old programming maxim of GIGO, or maybe they're just Brits (no wonder we left the empire!). Sorry for the digression, stay with me... it'll be worth it.

Among Blogs, on YouTube, on Twitter, in Social Networks and other Internet realms of user-generated content (UGC), people are talking. People give and seek opinions of others, especially those who've built an online reputation for areas of expertise (I've seen a dozen or so wine judging sites in the last couple of weeks alone!) Those people are your customers. And your customers are talking about you. So join in the conversation! When a blogger mentions she enjoyed your product at a party the other night, Thank her for trying it. Offer her more insights into why it's made the way it is. Invite her to try brand extensions. Welcome her to send you further feedback in the future! When a c-level executive opens that dialog with a customer, you score major goodwill and build stronger relationships... not just with that consumer, but all who read her blog. And, just as importantly, you get honest insights from people who use your product.

To paraphrase the philosopher Kramer, "You're out there.... and you're loving every minute of it!"

This is a gospel we've begun preaching to our clients. Time will tell when and if they can trace sales to chatter on the 'net. But, it's one of those things that just feels like the right thing to do -- speaking to the consumer in a one-to-one environment. It's where we're headed. So, buckle up. And those college instructors' advice, those twenty-something years ago, is going to come in handy!

What's with the constant over-bundling of goods and services to artificially inflate the price?  Do they think we're all THAT stupid?

Satellite and cable television are a good example of why this bugs me.

See, I'm a simple guy.  I want a few news and sports channels, some neat HD adventure and travel channels, local affiliates, and not a lot more.  Instead, to get what I want, providers force a lot of what I DON'T want in the “package” and try to represent it as a good deal.

It's not.  Not for me.  Not for them.  I don't need feeds across 4 HBO time zones.

And I'll walk away first.

Yet it seems more and more that such “deals” are multiplying in the marketplace.  Retailers, restaurants, cellphone providers, car dealers, media reps...it's ubiquitous!

What if Agencies did this?  Need a logo?  Okay, I've got a logo/brochure/website package right here!  No?  How 'bout this logo/billboard/radio/texting package?  You get the point.

And it's silly, right?

So here's a solution:  next time a salesperson or a company starts to bundle what you want with what you don't, just wait patiently until they finish their pitch.

Smile.

Then offer them 'half'.

It may not work but it will certainly change the conversation.  And it's a lot more fun than just standing there fuming over the situation.

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.

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!”

Over the past few months we have become very adept at harnessing new media and emerging technology to tap into market segments that traditional mediums often don't reach. Texting, Facebook pages, viral videos, podcasts and blogging are now normal elements in many of our marketing plans. We have an interactive team whose sole purpose is to share new information on everything from the latest widget and cool tool to ways we can create viral relationships with our client's customers. For many of us older folks here, it's very stimulating because there are many new ways to communicate, and new rules of engagement. An outdoor billboard has a seven word limit rule and an internet billboard has an entirely different criteria to meet to be effective.

These are easy enough to understand. But when we talk about creating a viral idea that can be so sticky that it gets passed around and posted by 1,000's of people in a very short period of time, well some of our clients just don't get it. They can't imagine a world where communication is mostly in the written word and not a two-way vocalized exchange. How can it be that these folks log onto their Facebook pages and communicate when it's convenient for them? The sharing isn't even in real time? What about posting music and videos to their pages in order to share with friends and further shape their online personality? Or spending hours and hours in forums, never seeing/meeting the people they chat with? Or narcissistically blogging their thoughts, activities and opinions for all the world to review?

And when clients ask what the ROI will be for these viral marketing tactics we give it our best guess, and nobody really ever knows. As one member of our interactive team put it, "isn't Nielson guessing when they share their ratings?" Sure we can measure how many read a blog or respond to a text message. And nothing replaces measuring the bottom line - increased sales. Now that's a unit of measure a client understands. And they'll just have to trust us on the what, how and why's of interactive and social media.

OK, so I went on my social networking safari and thank goodness I didn't adopt someone else's opinion as my own. I chose to join only the social networks from "Top 10 Most Beautiful Social Networks" that suited me.

I joined Pownce, Beautiful Society and Virb; all the while still a member of MySpace and Facebook. So I joined, signed on and got to searching.

Pownce was my first victim. This so-called "beautiful" social network, although neatly organized, doesn't strike me as "pretty." Rather, it's just pretty plain.

The only beauty in Beautiful Society is its name. It's easy to sign-up but the concept falls short at keeping people entertained. The all-forum-style setup of favorites, articles and "stuff" sections are outdated.

Virb was much like MySpace without the hassle of html coding. Like MySpace, you can customize your profile's colors; but that's all you can change. After browsing a bit I came to the conclusion that Virb had the user friendliness and components of Facebook with a MySpace look and feel. Virb is still lacking components that keep Facebook addicts coming back for more.

It's the "Beautiful Mess" state of mind I'm in when I'm on Facebook: scoping out friends, poking, messaging, writing on walls, looking through photos, reading my news feed, playing a game.... And well, you get the point!

Facebook is ever-evolving, keeping its addicts in a constant state of curiosity and interest. Even though it didn't make the Mashable beautiful list, I think it's beautiful- a "Beautiful Mess!" What good is a beautiful and user friendly social network if there are no users to socialize???

What do you do if you own a business that manufactures widgets that nobody wants to buy because a). their perceived quality is not good and b). their basic maintenance has become too expensive to justify? If you're Chrysler, you offer $2.99 a gallon gasoline for three years, guaranteed. That's right. Like a gas bank, your per gallon cost at the pump is frozen for three years at $2.99. Of course, there are caveats. You have to buy a new Chrysler and you have to have a valid Visa or Mastercard.

The way it works is this: they give you a special credit card that is attached to your account. This is your fuel card, recognized at 97% of all gas stations (according to Chrysler). Each year you are allowed to purchase a certain number of gallons of gas (87 octane unleaded gas - the cheap stuff) at $2.99 / gallon. They derive this number by dividing the average number of miles you drive by the average MPG of the car. So, you get 12,000 miles at $2.99 per year, and if you exceed that number, you pay full price. If you want a higher octane, you pay extra, but still not the full price, as long as you haven't bought your share of cheap gas that year.

So you ask yourself, is this a good marketing strategy? On the face of it, it seems so. It certainly is an extension of the U.S. auto manufacturers business strategy for the past 60 years or so: look for the short term gain, make the next quarter profitable. There's been no real long term strategy coming out of Detroit, except that gas is cheap and will always be so. And as a result Chrysler has a lot of inventory that no one wants. But, like a junky coming off a bender, the U.S. car-buying public is waking up to all of our bad choices over the years. We have an economy that is based on consumption and the cost of oil is placing that level of consumption out of reach.

In the short term, this campaign will probably drive the more easily frightened into Chrysler's showrooms. But there are plenty of people who know exactly what kind of mileage they get in their current vehicle, and even the lure of (relatively) cheap gas is not going to sway them from trying to improve that mileage, or get off crude oil altogether. In the long term, Chrysler is just whistling past the graveyard. Deep down in their hearts, even those that decide to bite at this offer will realize that in three years they will end up with a $16,000 lawn ornament that no one will want to take off their hands. A better long-term strategy for consumers is to look into school, car or vanpooling, public transportation, or bicycling. A better strategy for Chrysler is to look beyond the next quarter and start to plan for when the demand for gas starts to exceed the supply. Which actually means planning for today.

I don't know about you, but there are few things I love more than a good old-fashioned clash of cultures. And the culture I find myself most fascinated with/confused by is Japanese pop culture. I don't really understand Hello Kitty or PokeMon, Anime cartoons confuse me and Japanese horror movies give me nightmares. (I'm not proud.) But what I love most is the appropriation of our western culture by the Japanese, often with hilarious results.

Take for example celebrity endorsements. In the age of instant access and unlimited information, most celebrities go to great lengths to protect their image. They hire consultants and spin-doctors. They train their bodies rigorously and diet religiously. But one image concession even the biggest stars in Hollywood are willing to make is the big money grab of overseas commercials. Stars who would never consider "selling out" by doing strange commercials where they look ridiculous, (at least by Western standards) have been throwing caution into the wind for years and selling everything from cosmetics and alcohol to fizzy drinks and yogurt. Most involve a celebrity standing around looking beautiful and holding/pointing to/eating/drinking the product. But my favorites are the ones that get lost in the translation. Like watching a pre-Food Network episode of Iron Chef (sub-titles, please, no voiceover) or a black and white Godzilla movie, I often don't know what is going on, but I don't really care. But with my all-time favorite Japanese celebrity shill, I think very little is lost in the translation, mostly because I can't really understand this guy when he is speaking English. That's just bad acting, in any language.

arigato