Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Ding! It is now okay to use portable electronic devices…to play Solitaire!!


by Doug Eckard, VP Events

The second the plane is safely in the sky and cruising toward its destination, the flight attendants give us the go-ahead to utilize our precious electronic devices. Out come iPods, iPhones, PDA’s, laptops, portable DVD’s, and the myriad of other devices that now litter the marketplace. And I am not immune…I reach for my own laptop and dive into my own agenda of things I have told myself I can “do on the plane” as I make my way to my destination.

That is when I spot it…and no matter how many times I see it, it still shocks me. The white collar professional…wearing the outfit (black pants, colored collared shirt, nice belt and dress casual shoes) and carrying the bag (black leather with bag tag containing a business card)…hunched over their company provided and paid computer or PDA…playing Solitaire!!!

This singular act irks me more than I care to admit, especially in today’s tough economic climate. There are still people who have the time and inclination to play Solitaire all the way from Philadelphia to Atlanta?

I am not afraid to admit that this is a sick fascination that has gotten to the point where I will actually get up and walk the plane to see if I can identify any transgressors. I will move seats if someone near me is blissfully lost in a game, as I am unable to concentrate on anything other than what else this person could be doing and why they are wasting life’s precious time.

I have even started a group on Facebook where people like me (I am the only member to date) can discuss alternatives to playing solitaire…alternatives that lead to personal and professional betterment instead of wasted time... Some popular options include:
• Create to-do lists to organize what you need to do and by when
• Merge/enter to-do list with PDA or Computer calendar program
• Write a hand written note to family, friends, clients, politicians, etc.
• Pay bills and/or manage finances
• Update charts/activity reports/spreadsheets/proposals
• Brainstorm ideas that you think would make your company/group make money, operate more efficiently, or increase morale. Put into an e-mail and send to your manager
• Write an article for your company’s monthly newsletter
• Create e-mails saying hello and checking in with family members or business clients you have not spoken to in over 4 weeks
• Read a book that is relevant and beneficial to your person or profession
• Review general company correspondence or industry trades/news
• Review and study sales materials for a product or service that you are not very familiar with at your own company or a company you do work for
• Download and/or sort through digital picture library
• Enter information from collected business cards into computer contact list

Some of you out there might be Solitaire players…or Bubble Breaker, or Texas Hold ‘em, or Tetris….and all I ask is that you stop yourself the next time you go to tap or click on the “games” folder of your personal electronic device. Ask yourself if there is anything else you can do before you lose yourself in Solitaire??

And if all else fails…I recommend Spider Solitaire and challenge you to beat my score of 1504, playing with all four suits.
Read more!

Monday, July 27, 2009

AMP Agency Extends Its Capabilities with Rock Coast Media Acquisition

by Gary Colen, President

This past month AMP announced its acquisition of Rock Coast Media, Inc., an interactive marketing agency focusing on search engine marketing, search engine optimization and social media strategy.

The addition of Rock Coast Media significantly enhances AMP’s comprehensive media offerings with the addition of full search engine and social media marketing capabilities, disciplines that continue to show considerable industry growth and influence as part of effective digital strategies.

Web 2.0 environment is pushing marketers to rethink their digital strategy and this allows us to provide comprehensive strategic and deployment services under one budget, and optimize against it. By adding Rock Coast Media’s search offerings, we round out our integrated social and display advertising solutions, allowing our clients to leverage full scope marketing services alongside innovative technologies to maximize their online investment and extend the impact of promotional campaigns. Not to mention the fact that we have put some extremely talented and intelligent people in our corner.

As we look to increase our services to our clients and further increase our value, RCM will provide yet another great suite of capabilities. The more assets at our disposal, the greater our ability to be strategic thought leaders and the better positioned we are to help you make difficult decisions with your budgets in these tough times. Let me know if you are interested in learning more – gcolen@ampageny.com.
Read more!

The Bakugan Ultimate Battle


If you have talked to a kid between the ages of 5 to 12 you have probably heard of Bakugan. Bakugan is the latest game phenomenon that has hit the tween set. Bakugan Battle Brawlers is a Japanese action adventure anime television show. In February 2008, the Cartoon Network began airing the series and in conjunction with that anime series Sega Toys and Spin Masters released a game version of the series. It is a character based card game that involves metal cards and magnetic spring-loaded miniature figures.

Kids have fallen in love with this game. However, the majority of the players didn’t fully understand the rules. This is where AMP comes in. Working with the game creators, AMP has launched the Bakugan Ultimate Battle Tour.

The primary objective of the tour is education, specific objectives include the following:
• Learn how to play Bakugan the right way
• Meet real Bakugan Battle Masters
• Sharpen their battle skills with expert tips on strategy and the use of traps


Event Logistics
The event itself is made up of several different sections. First, kids check in and receive a passport which will be stamped in each area as they go through Bakugan training. In the first area, Master Ray goes over the basic rules of the game as the game is demoed and he asks some review/trivia questions where kids can win some prizes (books, DVDs, Bakugan).

After this basic training, the kids move onto Guided Play where they are paired up to play each other as Bakugan Masters watch over them to make sure they are playing correctly, but also to help them to use their Bakugan and cards strategically.

The third area is the Battle Zone. This is where kids can participate in free play with friends and where some of the higher skilled Bakugan players can learn about using Bakugan traps, from Master Henry (aka MC Trapz). After the kids complete the training areas, they return to the registration area where they receive a green screen picture, button, and poster.

The core target is boys 8-11, but we have seen a wide range of audience from 5-19 boys and girls. One surprise is the parents. Parents enjoy being able to be at an event with their child(ren) to learn how to play their kid’s favorite game and to play along with them as well. Since the game is utilizing math skills, parents give it their stamp of approval and we have had many parents become Bakugan fans on the spot!

The Bakugan Masters (our field team) also do in-market stops at day camps, boys and girls clubs, and after school programs (during school) as well as their weekend event. These events are very scaled down, but kids really enjoy getting a chance to play Bakugan and, of course, meeting the Masters!

The tour has just left Comicon in San Diego and is heading to Arizona and Texas. It will hit most major markets through out the US and will run through November. Let us know if you are interested in learning more about the tour or the game.
Read more!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Great Equalizer

by Jason Rivera, Director Consumer Insights

Will this recession finally remove the “entitled” stigma from the Millennial generation? Will they no longer feel that everything is their right and not a privilege? Perchance. Parental and personal lack of funding has removed a lot of the glitz and glam from the mainstays of culture. College students are fighting seasoned workers for entry-level jobs. Thoughts of a “Super Sweet 16” or a pimped-out __________ are now filled with realities of dollar-menu delights and settling for stock. This generation has very much been in the trenches of this economic crunch and are beginning to see what real-life can bring. The blissful economic times of years past brought fanciful dreaming that lead to the sense of entitlement that plagues this generation. Well, that’s gone now and here to fill the void are bounced checks and layoffs. Welcome to the real world, kids. Honey, get the camera… Read more!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Fun Facts

Every month we survey our Pulse Network, which is a network of over 10,000 High School and College Students. This month we heard back from 100 Pulse members. Here is what we learned.

Michael Jackson Coverage
Over the past couple of weeks, to say that Michael Jackson has been in the news would definitely be an understatement. We wanted to get a better understanding of whether or not High School and College students were actually watching the all the coverage. We got some mixed results – see below.

In the past couple weeks; there has been a lot of news coverage about Michael Jackson's death. How closely would you say you followed these stories?
14% stated I didn't pay attention at all to these stories
41% stated that I didn’t follow the stories very closely
22% stated that I somewhat followed the stories
23% stated that I followed the stories very closely

Did you watch the watch the Michael Jackson memorial service?
15% stated I watched the whole memorial service on TV
7% stated I watched the whole memorial service online
27% stated I watched bits and pieces of the memorial service
16% stated I only saw news clips of the memorial service
35% stated I didn't watch any of the memorial service

Other News?
We also wanted to find out if any other news stories captured their interest. Politics and celebrity topped the list – see below.

Other than Michael Jackson's death, what recent news stories have you been following?



Is there anything that you would like to ask the Pulse Network? Let us know just email frequency@ampagency.com or post a comment.
Read more!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Change ONE Thing

by Jennifer Peeples, Account Supervisor

One of my greatest fears is that I will end up as one of those headless images they show on the news of unsuspecting people walking down a street with a voice over on ‘the rise of obesity in America’. And given the media coverage lately on the growing epidemic of teen and childhood obesity, it came as no surprise when AMP was tapped by the Food Bank For NYC to develop an healthy eating campaign targeted at teens in New York City’s five boroughs.

After a few weeks of focus groups and shadowing teens during their day (chips and soda for lunch anyone?), AMP developed a messaging campaign launching this summer, encouraging teens to think twice before grabbing that energy drink, and that changing ONE thing, wouldn’t be so hard. The media was developed specifically to reach this on-the-go, city dwelling (and marketing savvy) target where they are - with lots of OOH, transit and radio, with easy to understand messaging that played to their vanity.




It didn’t take me long to realize it wouldn’t hurt to change one thing myself, and possibly stop the nightmares about ending up on the news.
Read more!

Friday, July 17, 2009

PR for your company: A popular option, or growing necessity?

Victoria Shaw, VP, Integrated Public Relations

Last night at dinner, a client of mine mentioned she thought some companies shy away from PR because they either don't understand it in principle or haven't had any accidental success with it, so they don't realize the impact it can have on their business. She’s right in her observation, and in this case, ignorance is not bliss. PR becomes a huge missed opportunity for these companies to do something truly powerful and also very cost effective.

At its core, PR is about creating awareness and fostering communications with consumers. Simply put, it’s a tool every brand needs to grow profits, reputation, and consumer loyalty.

So what exactly should a company do to implement PR and effectively open the door for consumer awareness and interaction? God is in the details and nuance matters, which is why professionals like the talented folks on my team at AMP spend their days and nights keeping up with news and trends to anticipate what will work and what won’t for certain brands. It boils down to a proven process that is thorough yet simple:

1) Research the target consumer by investigating what they read, see and hear, and we think about who and what influences them.


2) Find the delta point between the target consumers lifestyle and the attributes of the product or service we're representing. We land on salient communications topics whether it’s moms who need a healthy alternative for dessert but don't want to skimp on taste, college students in search of something fun to do on campus, or boomers who love to be online and want to stay connected to their kids and grandkids.

3) Determine the best way to deliver that message to consumers. It may be a placement on a morning show, a Twitter sweepstakes, blogger sampling campaign or a push for product reviews in long lead glossy magazines. As long as people read, watch and listen to the media and influencers around them, there will always be a 'right' channel for us to communicate across and a 'perfect' tactic that hits home.

What does success look like? For every client the answer is different, but it’s always a measure of how well the campaign increased awareness and cultivated consumer communications. Some PR successes we've recently seen at AMP include:

*Reaching over 4 million impressions with college media in one semester for a product line
*Securing television, print and Web coverage over a six month period for an emerging national brand totaling over $1 million monthly in value
*Getting a niche group buzzing online about a little known product component leading to positive raves and reviews

Buzz words and lingo aside, weighing the benefits to PR is simple: there is always value in heightening awareness and fostering communications.

Feeling shy about PR? Email me at vshaw@ampagency.com and we'll put together an audience/opportunity snapshot and thought-starter recommendations to evaluate and see what PR can do for you.
Read more!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I’ll Take ‘Vegan Dessert Puddings’ for $1000, Alex

by Allison Bloom, Senior Copywriter

If I’m ever a contestant on Jeopardy, I hope the categories are as follows:
Meal Plans
All Natural Lip Balms
“Cellular” Phones (note the “Cellular” in quotation marks)
Ecologically-friendly Alcohol
Condoms

I’d ring in on everything. I’d make them all true daily doubles. And, for the record, I’d regale the audience with a very entertaining story during the contestant interviews about the time I almost hit Billy Joel with my car.

As a copywriter, you become an expert on a range of different clients, brands and products. I’ve studied up on meal plans, makeup, and moldable compounds. My head is filled with random facts, such as how much it costs for a student to subscribe to a newspaper (about $100 a year) and what it means for a beauty product to be considered all-natural (made with at least 95% all-natural ingredients). I fall asleep thinking about why certain condoms are so effective (polyisoprene) and how the world’s greenest vodka is made (quadruple distilled).

At the end of the day, my brain is more jam-packed than the trunk of my car on a week-long vacation with my family. It’s all part of being a copywriter. We have to immerse ourselves in the brand and really become temporary experts – whether it’s about dairy-free appetizer wraps or how to backup your cell phone. Ultimately, the copywriter is the one writing the copy that reaches the consumer, so if we’re not knowledgeable about a product, how can the consumer be persuaded?

How does a copywriter go about building such a robust arsenal of information? At AMP, it starts with our Consumer Insights team. Insights researches, qualifies and quantifies hoards of information to paint a picture of the brand. Then it’s my turn to start investigating. I read. I talk. I google. I drag the Designer or Art Director down the street to CVS so we can spend the walk dissecting nuances of the brand. I do everything possible to soak myself in the brand. My goal is to seamlessly create a voice for the brand that sounds close enough to its existing personality to be viable but fresh enough that it meets the current objective.

Finally, I collaborate. At the end of the day, the client is always the ultimate brand expert. They have a concentrated knowledgeable of the brand that can rarely be rivaled. They are the master. I am just the grasshopper. (I think that's the right analogy - I've never had a Kung Fu show as a client).

That’s how copywriters go about becoming brand experts. It’s not rocket science. It’s just brand immersion. It’s the first step in the creative process, and it makes for quite an interesting arsenal of knowledge.

Oh, and if the final Jeopardy category is Vegan Dessert Puddings, I’d risk it all.
Read more!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The MLB Makes it Count


by Ellen Reinzi, Associate Planner

As an avid sports fan, I’d be remiss to write about anything other than what I’ll be watching tonight – the 80th MLB All-Star game. The MLB has long been a leader when it comes to celebrating their All Stars. For most leagues, All-Star weekend has become hyper-commercialized exhibitions that often celebrate the egos of its stars. But for the 15 million or so MLB fans who usually tune in, this one counts for something.

This year the league is truly tapping into the idea of community. Instead of mimicking the NBA’s sponsorship-saturated All-Star weekend , the MLB and the game’s sponsors are completely focused on charity work and philanthropy. And while this idea of giving back to the community through sports sponsorships is not a new one, the MLB is making sure these activities are relevant to the fans and the city that is hosting this exhibition. By supporting local causes, these brands will rise in favor among those in the communities benefitting from the efforts and the local baseball fans who will take pride in what hosting this event means to St. Louis.

Sponsors "are going to help us leave St. Louis in a better way than we found it," said John Brody, senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing at Major League Baseball. "We don't want people to feel like this is just a big corporate event. We believe in this time that we need to answer the call to service."

The authenticity of the efforts will be the key to success with these sponsorships. Some of the sponsors will be donating money to local causes, while others are putting on free concerts and donating their time during the festivities.

This philanthropic theme is especially important during tough economic times. With 8.8% of the St. Louis workforce currently unemployed, the money going toward the Boys & Girls clubs and area food banks will not only tell a good PR story but make a deep connection with area fans.

After last night’s home run derby, we already saw over $500,000 donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs by State Farm through its “gold ball” promotion. Here are a few other examples of this year’s sponsorships:

PepsiCo – Hosting a free Sheryl Crow concert with donations raised for cancer research

Anheuser-Busch Foundation – Donating $180,000 going to help finish a baseball field at Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club in north St. Louis.

Bank of America - $5,000 for every hit in the All-Star Game is going to area food banks. This is on top of matching fans’ contributions to FeedingAmerica.org

Holiday Inn - $37,500 to kids’ charities
Other sponsors - Help with recycling, greeting and escorting fans at the concert and other events


Prince Fielder’s performance last night helped a young girl bring home $50,000 for her local Boys & Girls Club to build a teen center.

Source: McWilliams, Jeremiah. "All Star Philanthropy." St. Louis Post-Dispatch 10 July 2009. 13 July 2009 .

Image Source: David Klutho/Sports Illustrated
Read more!

"I'm at Work!"


by Evan Kaufman, Intern Strategic Marketing Group

Recently at AMP the intern staff was tasked with a corporate scavenger hunt. We split into two teams, were given a packet of cryptic puzzles and had two hours to do our best Dan Brown impressions. Two teams, one goal – victory (and, of course, the other secret goal – public shaming of other interns and requisite gloating.)

Armed with company knowledge, insatiable youth and digital cameras we solved clues, cracked codes, and ran around the neighborhood. It was fun, informative and involved fetching food. Basically, everything an internship experience should be.

I remember one moment in particular. Sprinting, a box of pastry in my hands, fellow interns behind me in flying V formation. I look up just in time to see a friend watching quizzically from the sidewalk. Without dropping stride I shout an explanation, “I’m at work!” And then we were gone, gazelles in business casual, disappearing into the rich tapestry of the city, for just a bit more job experience…

I often shout that now – “I’m at work!” Randomly, at my desk. It’s easy to forget. When I’m composing top-line ideas for a project or engaging in a particularly precipitant brainstorm; stylizing a deck, or just sitting in on a meeting. This is “work.” I guess the invigorating thing is that, like our recent scavenger hunt, it rarely feels that way.



Read more!

Monday, July 13, 2009

The Dunk that Never Happened: How Nike (and LeBron) Should Rebound (pun very much intended)


by Matt Rainone, Account Manager

I’m sure you’ve all heard about it by now. This past week, The King was dethroned. No, I’m not talking about the King of Pop. I’m talking about Lebron, “King James”. This past Monday during a pickup game at the LeBron James Skills Academy, he was dunked on by Jordan. The worst part is that the Jordan to which I’m referring was not MJ, the original #23. LeBron was posterized by Jordan Crawford, a sophomore from Xavier.

If you’re not keen on the lingo, let’s put it this way; whilst Mr. Crawford flew through the air to slam the ball through the rim, an unfortunate Mr. James got in the way. Physics, by way of Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion, tells us that once an object is put into motion, it will not stop until another object exerts force upon it. According to reports, LeBron James, though King of the hardwood, could not prevail over the laws of physics.

You may notice that I said “according to reports” and there lies the very reason for this post. There is no video of the occurrence. Blasphemy! What is this, the dark ages? There’s a video of EVERYTHING that’s happened since 2004. There’s probably a video of me reading this blog post! Well, let me rephrase my last statement; there was a video, two in fact. However, after a brief chat with the King, they were both confiscated by Nike Basketball Senior Director Lynn Merritt.

Since the event, the blogging, marketing and sports world have been abuzz. Fraud! Evil Nike Conglomerate! they cry. It would appear that instead of letting the video of an act that probably happens 3-4 times in a normal NBA game make the usual 2-3 week journey through the internet before we all got bored of it, Nike chose to do PR tactic number one; sweep it under the rug. Now they’ve created something far worse – the PR cover-up nightmare. Much to no one’s surprise, in the days of blogs, microblogs, and nanoblogs (I may have made the last one up, but I’m sure Apple’s working on it as we speak), chances are it’s going to come back to bite you. See Airlines, United.

So, what to do? Well, I’m going out on a limb here and am HOPING that both Nike and LeBron have enough marketing and brand savvy (after all, LeBron IS a brand) to turn this current nightmare into a dream opportunity. Maybe they can use that video to their advantage, it already has more buzz surrounding it than most celebrity sex tapes. Maybe Nike was just borrowing the video to convert it to HD, make LeBron’s teeth look a little whiter as Jordan Crawford was flying past them, and are going to release it on YouTube next week. Maybe they’ll even add cool sound or video effects like a starburst when Crawford throws down. Eh, maybe not.

Here’s what I would do if I were Nike. LeBron’s your poster boy, he’s arguably the best, or at least will be. But he’s young. He’s made it to the Conference Finals, the Championship, only to come up short. He’s still got work to do, he needs to get better. There’s your off-season campaign. Show the dunk, show it twice, slow motion, the whole deal. Show a grainy close-up of LeBron’s face after it happens, the shame. Then cut to LeBron training, lifting weights, shooting free throws, hell, show him puking his guts out after running 50 full-court wind sprints. Show that he’s still a kid, still human, and still can get better. Excite us about that, Nike – he’s great, but he’s still has the opportunity to get better. That’s enough to give you chills.
Read more!

Friday, July 10, 2009

United breaks guitars, hearts, and subsequently, their reputation…

by Erin Keaveney, Integrated Publicist

Between the recent high-profile plane crashes and the rapidly rising cost of air travel, it hasn’t exactly been a great year PR-wise for the aviation industry.

And now there’s this.

The short version of the story: Dave Carroll and his band took a United Airlines flight to Chicago for a gig and upon landing, witnessed United employees throwing their instruments carelessly around the tarmac while unloading baggage. Carroll’s $3500 Taylor guitar sustained an estimated $1200 in damages, and he spent the next year attempting to bring the matter to United’s attention, an effort that was met with little sympathy by the airline giant who admitted fault but offered no remorse or compensation for the error.

Feeling frustrated and slighted, Carroll turned to his music and ultimately, the online community by creating a song and accompanying video called “United Breaks Guitars”. The music video, which lyrically details Carroll’s plight and offers a visual re-enactment, cleverly takes aim at United’s poor customer service practices. Promoting it first through an entry on his blog, Carroll’s video resonated with consumers and has received over a 1.3 million hits on YouTube since he posted it on YouTube this past Tuesday.

As if that weren’t enough of a viral nightmare for United, Carroll’s story has become a media sensation, appearing in mainstream outlets like CNN, FOX radio, USA Today, CBS news, and several others. In the 36 hours since he joined Twitter, Carroll has gained over nearly 1,000 followers, and his Facebook fan page multiplies by the minute.

And why is the video such a hit? Because to some degree, it’s a song we’re all familiar with. Just this morning Carroll’s clip was shown on “Good Morning America”, prompting Robin Roberts into a tangent about the time her luggage was mishandled, causing a tear in her suitcase that displayed her underwear on the bag carousel.

A public viewing of your undies at baggage claim? Embarrassing. But while most of us take the traditional WOM approach to airing our grievances (bitch to three friends, vow never to take that airline again, and possibly calling said airline to complain), Dave Carroll boldly turned the tables by putting United’s dirty laundry on display instead. Whose face is red now?
Read more!

It’s Awesome to be a Geek Reasons #14 - 18: New Stuff

by Jason Rivera, Director Consumer Insights

If you’re not aware of these new technologies, you should be. They will take over your life sooner or later.

14. OLED – it stands for Organic LED (Light Emitting Diode). These carbon-based LED systems have more contrast ratio than you can shake a stick at. They are thinner, lighter and kick the butt of even the best TVs on the market today. A 32-incher in the future will weigh about 11 pounds and be about 8mm thick.

15. Android – not the eat-your-face kind of Android – Google Android. It’s a new operating system for cell phones. With a rumored 15 releases across multiple carriers by the time people starting ho-ho-ho’ing, there will surely be one coming to a store near you.

16. Windows 7 – Vista has gone the way of the mastodon in favor of its newer, less fancifully named successor, Windows 7. The new operating system ships out in October 2009 and promises everything Vista wasn’t.

17. Vimeo.com – this isn’t that new, but it’s a high-definition-only alternative to YouTube. With high quality video and artful influence, it gives a different perspective on user-generated video. Inane camera-phone videos of people talking to their cat need not apply.

18. Boxee – it’s part media aggregator and part social networking. Watch TV, listen to music, share stuff with friends – all for free. It’s still in test mode, but this software shows a lot of promise for the future. Look for lots of headlines of this one in the future.
Read more!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Less Hassle = More Content

by Ellis Watts - Manager, Strategic Marketing Group

Haven’t quite had your fix of cats playing piano?



Don’t worry, soon everybody’s feline savants will be able to share the limelight. As hardware and software developers create faster and easier ways to upload media, consumers as sharing that media just as fast.


Here are two mind blowing stats, courtesy of YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/blog?entry=kbaLH7fmm-g).

In the past six months, YouTube has seen uploads from mobile phones increase 1,700%. In the first six days since the new iPhone 3GS launched, YouTube has seen uploads increase by 400% per day.

What does this mean for you? Well, that depends on who you are:
Brand Managers – Expect more chatter about your brand. This is a double-edged sword. If a consumer is burned by your product, customer service, whatever – expect retaliation to come in the form of a video, profanity and all. Although if you have a great product, it’s not unreasonable to expect consumers to talk it up a bit more. Just be aware that consumers are far more likely to share a bad experience than a positive one. Bogus, I know.

Agency Folk – Barriers for participation in video promotions have been taken down considerably. Having a consumer submit a video confessional about the time they secretly switched cosmetic brands without telling friends or indulged in a new ice cream flavor, now requires a lot less legwork on behalf of the consumer.

Joe Six-Pack – Expect more noise (read: crap) on YouTube. One of the downsides of the democratization of content is that any hack with a webcam is suddenly an entertainer. Oh. Good. But there are still many “diamond-in-the-rough” videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZpD0btOZx8) that we can happily pass along to cube-mates during lunch.

Feline Record Label Executives – Meow.

Read more!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The U.S. Cellular® Ur So Connected Mobile Marketing Tour Hits the Road


by Christian Carroll, Group Account Director

Just in time for a jam packed summer event schedule, U.S. Cellular® is on the road in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin via the Ur So Connected mobile marketing tour.

As U.S. Cellular® looks to further define their brand position, and create a unique point of difference within the highly competitive wireless category, AMP and U.S. Cellular® have collaborated once again to bring to market another one-of-a-kind experiential program targeting the Mass (18-49) demographic. In an effort to heighten brand awareness and consideration among target consumers (while avoiding what other providers are doing in the event space) we decided to leverage U.S. Cellular®’s strong ties to each region to create an ownable event experience for the brand.

Developed from previous campaign successes and built to generate word-of-mouth buzz within the regional community, our goal was to create a mobile marketing platform that enhanced the U.S. Cellular® presence at local events (i.e. local festivals, fairs, etc.),community based sponsorships and at retail locations. The outcome is a highly interactive mobile experience that immerses consumers in the brand in a fun and unobtrusive manner.

The tour includes two SUVs and a custom-built trailer, and features a Speed Text Tournament and a Photo Station. The Speed Text Tournament is played on customized speed text kiosks using reprogrammed, full QWERTY handsets as game controllers. The kiosk displays a phrase and the visitor must text that phrase as quickly and accurately as possible to earn points. The winner with the highest point total from all of the tour stops will become the ultimate Speed Text Tournament Champion and will receive the $10,000 grand prize. At the Photo Station, visitors are able to take pictures in front of a Green Screen, and then have their picture sent via blue tooth to a touch screen kiosk for customization and onsite printing. Visitors to the U.S .Cellular tour also have the opportunity to test out handsets and have their questions answered US Cellular Ambassadors armed with special offers and premium giveaways.

With over 150 Tour Stops and 7 Speed Text Kiosks traveling the regions, there is always something going on. To check out the Tour Schedule please go to www.Ursoconnected.com/events or click on this link to view the recent live broadcast coverage we received from WITI-TV CH 6 (FOX) Milwaukee: http://media.vmsnews.com/MR.pl?id=070109-518634-K001934697
Read more!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Elusiveness Exclusiveness

by Vince DiGirolamo, Associate Planner

The Millennial generation is an empowered generation that knows they are sought after by so many brands. They expect brands to treat them as more than just an opportunity to make money and look for that little “something extra” from a brand before they are willing to give it up – their money that is.

One way in which brands have been successful at breaking down this barrier, is by feeding Millennials’ need for exclusivity. There are two ways in particular that I’ve seen this effectively done: limiting purchasing time and offering personalized customization.

Here’s a quick look into both of these approaches:


Limited Time Only
Brands continue to deploy pop-up stores in and around hot spots in major cities. The here-today-gone-tomorrow effect created by a pop-up store urges consumers to act now if they don’t want to miss out on the experience. A re
cent example of how a brand effectively deployed a pop-up store is the Puma City experience.

Another limited time only approach that continues to grow
in popularity is the deal-a-day feature on websites. Whiskeymilitia.com and Woot.com are model examples of ways in which brands can provide a sense of exclusivity to its consumers. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these sites – they essentially provide users with a specific item, at a discounted price, for a limited time only (some daily, some hourly – it varies). If they don’t get to it while it’s there, the chance has passed them by. Slowly but surely, more and more brands are adopting this feature to their own sites – a recent example being UrbanOutfitters.com.




Personalized Customization
There’s nothing worse than showing up to work or to a party, and seeing someone wearing the same thing at you. To help consumers prevent this from happen
ing, more and more brands are beginning to open up their product lines for personalized customization. The sneaker industry is a great example of where brands are allowing consumers to put their own twist on their products. Footwear giants such as Nike, Reebok, and Adidas all have features on their websites that allow consumers to personalize their sneakers. While the style of shoe is provided, consumers are in total control of everything else from materials to colors.


These are just two examples of how brands are satisfying Millennials’ appetite for exclusivity. Two very different approaches, but the same idea.

What are some other approaches you’ve seen lately?


Read more!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Where were you when ______?

by Allyson Moehring, IPR Strategist

I know exactly where I was when the OJ verdict was read (physics class) and when I heard about the planes crashing into the twin towers (at my desk, starting my day at my first job after college), but when someone said Michael Jackson’s death would be a generational defining moment for people my age and asked me how I found out two days after his death I could not remember at all.

Either my memory is failing me (did I just date myself with the above admissions?), it does not ring true and despite our celebrity-obsessed culture this was actually not a major life moment, or the amount of media we now consume is diluting the “defining moment” effect that these collective, national, big events have on us.

I did finally remember - I was on the subway when the reports came out; when I emerged from my subterranean 20 minute commute home which so mercilessly cuts me off from the outside world I had a voicemail from my friend Skip and a text from someone else. I called Skip back, kept him on speaker while he gave me his summary of the breaking news that I missed in those 20 whole minutes I was offline, turned the TV on and tuned into CNN, checked Twitter on my Blackberry, and opened multiple news sites on my laptop. Between Skip, Wolf Blitzer, @perezhilton /@cnnbrk/@50,000othersTweetingaboutit, tmz.com, people.com, cnn.com, my Facebook network, and others, I had countless – literally, I cannot put a number to how many –sources telling me their versions of the news (which, by the way, were pretty much all the same) and I was exhausted after about 20 minutes of it. It’s no wonder that I couldn’t pinpoint how I found out.

I know what you are thinking and I agree – dork out, media geek. But I am also willing to bet I wasn’t the only one.

The next day it remained the dominant story and discussion topic on local and national news and social media sites. By the end of that day people on Facebook were updating their status fields with “Enough already, let’s stop talking about it” and friends at dinner, after granting themselves a few moments of nostalgia and a faint whisper of a sing-along to the music playing in the bar where we were (a drifting “mamasaymamasamumacusa”), were also tired of hearing and talking about it.

For a society so hungry for news in both volume and immediacy, we sure wanted to move on quickly – is our level of media consumption in this age of social media and immediacy of news shortening consumers’ attention spans? When Elvis died the story was likely covered by 3 television networks and your local newspaper, so when consumers tuned in starved for information, most likely, there really were updates. Is it that with news at our fingertips 24/7 we grow tired of the volume of news with few real updates? Or perhaps this is just not as memorable a life moment and we are not as celebrity-obsessed as we thought…maybe all of the above.
Read more!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

How to Predict the Future of Social Media (in 150 words or less)

by Jason Rivera, Director Consumer Insights

Fact: Humans need to feel emotionally fulfilled. It’s a part of our genetic makeup. Whether or not they know it, many consumers exert this need through social media. Making new friends, reconnecting with old ones, seeing pics from your friend’s brother’s roommate’s party last Saturday – it allows humans to feel interconnected, loved and part of emotionally beneficial relationships – however shallow they may be manifested. Twitter, MySpace, Facebook and the like aren’t the only social networking models that will exist. The next big thing is right around the corner. What that is, we don’t know, but we know for sure if it’s going to be successful, it will have a way for consumers to exercise their feelings in a way that outdoes the current crop of popular sites. So to predict the future, all you have to do is follow your heart. When it flitters with excitement over some URL you’ve stumbled across, you might just be onto something. Read more!