Feb

I’m a sucker for animals

I’ve always had a soft spot for animals. Growing up, we always had pets – dogs, a cat, multiple goldfish and ducks have been members of our family throughout the years. Today, I am the proud mommy of Lulu, my terrier-poodle mix who I rescued in February 2008.

Animals have always been used in advertising – who can forget the Budweiser frogs, Spuds McKenzie or the Coca-Cola polar bears? Many have made their debut during the Super Bowl and when I sat to watch the big game this year, there was no lack of animals gracing the small screen. Of them all, my favorites are the Volkswagen weight-watching dog and the Bud Light Rescue Dog.

Do animals really help advertisers with selling their products? I know from personal experience I’ve never rushed out to buy a product because of a cute animal, whether it’s a pet-related product or not. What I really liked about the Bud Light Rescue Dog commercial was the underlying message – adopt a rescue dog. In fact, Weego is a real rescue dog, not just a dog playing one on TV. Bud Light has even created a Facebook page for Weego, and for every “like” he receives, Bud Light will donate $1 (up to $250,000) to Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. What’s not to “like” about that?

Feb

Hard Rockin’ Social Media Event

My band recently participated in an online battle of the bands. Produced by Reverb Nation and the Hard Rock Café, the Hard Rock Rising Global Battle Of The Bands competition demonstrated the power social media has to reconnect consumers to your brand. The Hard Rock Café hasn’t been top of mind for me in a while, but for a couple of weeks my bandmates and I were on the page every day, more importantly we were driving others there too.

Over 12,000 bands entered the Hard Rock Rising Battle of the Bands and nearly 300,000 votes were cast in the first online voting battles. There were 86 cities competing, garnering 17,624 likes, with 6036 talking about the event. That’s a lot of traffic and opportunity for reconnecting with fans of the Hard Rock Café and making it a relevant brand again to all those consumers. It also helped all those bands find a new audience (we had 300 downloads of our song). It’s a win-win for everyone and so is social media if it’s executed in a meaningful way both strategically and creatively.

Feb

Cuddling with My Kindle

For the holidays, I got a Kindle Fire. As I unwrapped it, I thought to myself, do I really want to dive into the digital world for even the simplest of pleasures – reading a book or magazine. While I am wired 24/7 (figuratively that is) with constant access to email and every imaginable website and social network using my IPhone and Apple computer, I wasn’t sure I wanted or needed another fully functional digital device. Really, how many toys can one woman have (I won’t answer that). So, like every good wife and mother, I accepted this gift with love and gratitude, and dove into the world of online books and e-reading. One may ask why I didn’t get an IPad since I am a loyal Apple user. But the answer is simple. First, this is what I got (and I have no time to return another thing). And second, I really didn’t want to sync yet another Apple device in the ICloud (although I can do this with my Kindle too).

I will always like holding a book or magazine, folding back the pages to keep my place. But now I am inspired to use my index finger to multi-task – that is, run through the virtual library of options, download the latest best sellers, and swiftly swipe from page to page. I have to say, the experience is exhilarating, and I can still do this while relaxing under the covers after a long days work. Now, I look forward to cuddling my kindle every night!

Jan

Zombies Have Infiltrated the Creative Department

It seems that every super natural beast has it’s time in the pop culture spotlight. It feels like we just finished the Vampire resurgence with the popularity of the Twilight movies and HBO’s True Blood starting to wane. I’m sure, somewhere out there in the dark night the Wolfman and Frankenstein are wondering when it will be there turn. But I digress… As I said, Zombies have infiltrated the creative department. This must be distinctly understood or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.

Zombies are routinely a part of the conversation in the creative department. The recent popularity is in no doubt due to the massive amount of books, movies and tv shows dedicated to these creatures. The sheer quantity and quality of these materials has no doubt sky rocketed the love for the undead. For me, the best aspect to the zombie story line is that it is easily applicable to any situation, season or holiday. Zombies are not just enjoyed those last few weeks in October. They can wonder the earth squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching at our flesh any time of the year! Continue reading →

Jan

Expressions of a Brand

When you talk about great brands we instantly think of something we see, e.g. an amazing logo, a great billboard, an intriguing TV commercial–we are all visually drawn in and left with an impression that will resonate with us time and time again. But it’s more than just a visual expression that brings a brand to life…..

With the holidays just passing, I had a very clear reminder of just how all of the stimuli and traditions of the holiday season have had an impact on me throughout the years. Christmas has always been a “big deal” in my family and the feelings it elicits are precious to me. The smell of holiday cooking that stays with me for days, the bright lights on the tree that light up my evenings, the decorations that represent generations of my family…. all precious memories that come back to life that very special time of year.

So, the next time you think it’s all about what you saw, think again. A great brand is so
much more – it’s something that taps into your emotions, builds over time, has longevity,
invents and reinvents itself time and time again. Just like our own life experiences….
a great brand has many forms of expression.

Jan

Great Words To Live By, From “The Girl In The Italian Bakery”

I just finished “The Girl In The Italian Bakery”, a memoir by Kenneth Tingle.

Towards the very end of the book, he’s reflecting on his life (the “could-have-beens” and the things that make no sense), along with the things in his life today. In the context of talking about his kids, he offers these wonderful words:

” I try to teach my children not to stand on the sidelines in life, to get in the game; don’t let that little voice of doubt get the best of you. Give everything your best effort; you may not have that chance again. Believe in yourself; you are no less important than anyone else on the planet. Treat other people the way you want to be treated. Don’t look down on anyone.”

Great book! And when you finish, don’t forget to go back to the beginning. Because it’ll fill in some of the blanks that you forgot about.

Jan

Insight and inspiration comes from everyone

You never know where a good idea is going to come from. That’s why the power of a team is so important.

Even if the team member has four legs

Jan

2012 Welcomes the Year of the Dragon

Happy New Year to all my fellow yellows!

Jan

One Great Grungy Lesson

A few days ago I sat down with my wife to watch, Pearl Jam 20. Cameron Crowe’s in depth documentary about the veteran, Seattle, grunge outfit, Pearl Jam. This is my wife’s favorite band. She’s been a fan from the first album, has seen them close to a half a dozen times and has an unhealthy affection (in my opinion) for their lead singer. Over the years I have become a fan as well and over all they seem like really well adjusted people, who tend to the “right thing” more often than not.

Watching this film, I got mostly what I expected, an expertly done music documentary from a great film maker, some great, never before seen live footage and a glimpse into one of the countries best music scenes and eras. What I didn’t expect to get out of it was a great work/life lesson. Continue reading →

Spark

things that inspire our energy