As we get close to Grandparent’s Day 2009 …

In 1978 President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation declaring the Sunday after Labor Day as the official day to celebrate Grandparents.

As the then Director of Communications for the National Restaurant Association this was a stellar opportunity to give diners just one more reason to dine out. You may not realize that after individual birthdays, the #1 day to dine out each year is Mother’s Day. Our mission was to promote this new observance, National Grandparents Day and assure we helped restaurateurs fill their restaurants and offer their customers another great reason to dine with the family; dine out that is.

Partnering with FTD and the Hallmark marketing teams we did just that. I never walk by a Hallmark store without thinking about how smart their marketing was then and is now.

Sometimes it is not about huge campaigns to get your message across, sometimes it’s just about making something special.

As we move forward with this new economic climate, try to add “something special” to your message and watch where it takes you. Possibly decades from now you too will see something you began today still be resonating with consumers in the future.
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Recently I read an article about two very smart women who have started a Boot Camp for Retirement. Is that brilliant? Retirement puts your life in reverse; instead of saving money you are now suppose to withdraw. Instead of having a full plate of things to do you are suppose to relax. This boot camp helps people know exactly what they are getting into when they retire.

I wish Marcia Tillotson and Joy Kenefick great success and don’t be surprised if someday I call on them to learn the important lessons of this next stage of life.
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Icebergs as Inspiration

As I write this it is 95 degrees, sunny and humid in Florida, exactly as it should be in July. But last week was another story for me – I was in Twillingate, Newfoundland in the northern region of Canada, specifically in parts known as “iceberg alley”. To say it was awesome would be an understatement. Let me paint a verbal picture for you here: grey skies, craggy grey/brown rocks, dark water and in the middle of it all a “family of icebergs” that are a blue that I am at a loss for words to describe to you. Imagine the bluest eyes you have ever seen and now think of them as luminescent and you’ll come close to understanding how mesmerizing an iceberg can be.

It struck me, that this iceberg, as far as it had traveled and as beautiful as it was in the midst of a foggy day was a symbol of how just one thing can make a huge difference. The townspeople were all out in their jackets and boots, along with the tourists who had driven hours north to see what had been rumored as one of the largest icebergs ever seen in the harbor. It was worth the drive I can tell you!

The thoughts of a recession, falling stock prices and a dim future outlook all receded as we looked at this spectacular chunk of nature. In a grey world, one sparkle or one spark can change the attitudes of a group of people in an instant.

They say that icebergs include very large masses below the water level – thus what we saw was literally the tip of an iceberg.

Could it be that if there are glimmers of good news emerging around the world about economies and positive trends that we all may be looking at the tip of the iceberg of our own? One where what we see through the grey mist is beautiful and though we cannot see the whole, we surely know it is there and worth the trip.

Accountability – thank goodness it’s back

Good Morning from Miami – I’ve had 6 meetings in 3 days coupled with hours in my car with time to think and begin this day knowing one thing for sure – even a financial mess like we are in now brings good things.

Marketing is about communicating and compelling – only by knowing the current climate of the consumer, specifically your target audience, can you be successful. Sometimes it’s also about our own actions.

It’s really about accountability isn’t it? Whether it’s the people who are receiving AIG bonuses or those giving it to them – we all want to know “who” and “why” this happened. When marketing a product or service, it’s not going to be an option going forward; we must present honesty and transparency.

It’s been too long since we the people have demanded information – we want to know who is doing what, why and what happens next.

Surely we should have been asking these questions all along, but that would have meant we would own a bit of the responsibility too. Possibly we were all having too good a time to pay attention.

On the other side is our own personal accountability. Most of us are questioning our own actions. Did we really need to have that designer shirt? Eat out so often or drive such a large vehicle?

I have friends who are saying this new economy gives them an excuse to say no, clients who are taking creative new looks at marketing and seeing businesses putting an emphasis on customer service. Doesn’t this mean our world is getting back to basics – you know, being good to one another, saying thank you and being accountable?

Every change brings opportunity. And though there are so many who are in dire straits, we should all do something for those less lucky than we are and be accountable for our neighbors.

I’ve heard several say it feels like they just got off a gerbil wheel and they are relieved. Let’s take this opportunity to be accountable for our world – do something significantly positive today, for someone else.

Is it New or is it Just A Great Idea Coming Back?

Lately I find myself saying “we did that 25 years ago”!

I’m happy to report that the topics that make me say that are the things I always felt good about as a marketer; Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR as it is known.

Community relations, special events for a cause, public service, giving back…. are all now part of what we do as an agency, and as individuals, and what we will be doing much more of in 2009.

Years ago, a vast amount of our time as marketers was spent on establishing a client’s brand through “good deeds”. Remember how frequently you saw public service announcements to tell you to buckle up, turn off the lights, not be a liter bug or asking “do you know where your children are?”.

We all want to spend our money with a company that cares. Wikipedia gives a great definition of how this CSR – is also being measured through systems called Social Accounting.

” Taking responsibility for its impact on society means in the first instance that a company accounts for its actions. Social accounting, a concept describing the communication of social and environmental effects of a company’s economic actions to particular interest groups within society and to society at large, is thus an important element of CSR.”

What is old is new again, “doing good” is now known as CSR and there is even a way to measure it! Maybe this old idea is just getting a whole lot better.

Go forth, do good things yourself and shop at retailers who give back.

For $100,000 a second, it better score!

Super Bowl Sunday this year is February 1.

The absolute highlight of my career (so far that is) was the Super Bowl campaign we developed in 2000 for Super Bowl XXXIV. It was the year of dot-com Super Bowl commercials and we thought big, maximized every opportunity and scored huge. More than $20 million in PR coverage alone. We used EPCOT at Walt Disney World to do the filming, bought not only a spot in the second quarter of the game, but a series of 4 spots just before the kick-off.

The spots were unique, edgy, meant for a male audience and … about brides. We integrated every possible marketing element to introduce Our Beginning, an online wedding invitation company, and tied it back into the client’s Web site too We had over a million hits, the client achieved every single goal and more. For me, and all of us involved with the making of this small piece of TV history, it was just WOW.

In the next few weeks we’ll be hearing quite a bit about Super Bowl XLIII; and you will note a new theme. These commercials have to hit hard, impact the bottom line and score big for their companies. Rates are running $3 million for one thirty second spot.

Watch for new product introductions, financial services, and G.E. as a first time advertiser. There will be links to Web sites, Facebook, YouTube and even Twitter.

For those of you who will be glued to their TV’s on game day, let me know if you think this year’s commercials scored or not.

The grass is still growing here

Have you noticed too? I live in a comfortable neighborhood where on a daily basis our front door would have a cornucopia of flyers from painters, cleaning companies, pest control services, pool guys and yes landscaping companies. Just before Thanksgiving they stopped. I continue to open the front door expecting to see flyers; there are none.

What happened? Our grass is still growing here in Florida yet no one is soliciting us to take over our lawn service needs. Wouldn’t this be a good time to get my attention, especially if you have a lower price or a better service option?

It’s too quiet out there and as a marketer I’m recommending that now is the very best time to reach out for new business. I’ll keep checking our front door, our driveway and our mailbox for flyers, sure hope they are there – I think I can hear the grass grow!

The ground has shifted.

Just minutes ago our new President said “… the ground has shifted”. I felt it too. Few things are as powerful as seeing the throngs of people who braved the cold and more to be on the Mall in Washington D.C. How proud it makes me to be an American and have our first proof that indeed things are changing, shifting to a new mind set.

Important people in my life, who did not vote for President Obama are willing to listen and see. Yesterday one of them saw the photo of the President as he painted while doing volunteer service – she said “I think I might like this new President”. That voice was but one of many I am hearing these days.

Another great line from his inaugural speech was “when imagination joins common purpose…” so powerful.

My sense is that community service, good deeds, helping one another out and having patience with what’s to come might just be the new order of things. Instead of whining and complaining our populous may pitch in and be the difference. I surely hope so.

As a member of two massive Habitat for Humanity builds, I can tell you there is no finer feeling than putting your heart, soul, time and money into helping someone in need. Here at Bennett & Company giving back to our community is a part of every person’s job and is fully supported by the agency. So many others do this at their companies too and today I felt the ground shift toward much more of what makes America so beautiful.

Nothing Sweeter than Personalization

My mailbox is filling with emails loaded with Valentine’s Day suggestions and I love the message they are sending.

If you haven’t been to www.mymms.com or www.necco.com — take a look at what you can do with the ever popular M & M’s or those cute candy hearts – how about in Spanish? Have you put your loved one’s photo on an M & M – all very possible, quick and reasonably priced too.

We all love being noticed, being thought of as special and to know someone went a little farther for us than running to the drug store on February 13th to get a box of candy.

Have you personalized your messages? Start now and see what can happen between now and Valentine’s Day – you just might find out how sweet it is!

Odd how a plane crash can make us all feel good

Possibly we are all looking for something/anything to validate that it is OK to feel good.

Oddly, the plane crash in the Hudson River yesterday came just before our next feel good opportunity of the inaugural of our new president. I don’t know about you but I feel great today and there is an air of “things are good” here in our offices too.

This story was not just about a plane crash, but instead about heroes and a plane full of passengers who were grateful, even happy when rescued. What a sight to see once again the New York community coming out in full force to help others in need.

Having represented several airlines over the years I have been through many crisis training drills and was even in charge of the communications on several much less dramatic times of need. There is little that prepares you for a crash landing, it is all gut and apparently the pilot and crew had it! Thanks to each of them for making this a story we can all be proud of.

In the days ahead this story will unfold and it is nothing but good for US Air, the airline industry, New Yorkers and all of us – good people are everywhere, so are good companies.

Maybe it will be enough to get us all tuned back into the broadcast and print news, at least for awhile.

A McTurnAround We Can All Learn From

As I write this I have just had my favorite McDonald’s lunch of a grilled chicken wrap, I have it so often that the nice woman at the local McDonald’s recognizes my voice.

I tell you this to lead into the focus of today’s blog – how McDonald’s devised a “Plan to Win” strategy they have followed over the past few years to focus on food quality and customer service rather than expansion. As a result I am an example of a consumer who has returned as a McDonald’s customer.

Yesterday’s Sunday Business in The New York Times ran a front of section story headlined “The Happiest Meal: Hot Profits”.

The article chronicles how the company’s mission went from “Being the world’s best quick serve restaurant” to “Being our customer’s favorite place and way to eat”, said the former global chief marketing officer who is quoted in the article.

Here is an example of a company that had it all – yet lost sight of giving the customer what they really wanted; quality food and service.

It’s a great article if you get a chance to read it, but it’s also a lesson for all of us. The message here isn’t about losing market share of taking your eye off the ball; it’s about recovering and reinventing.

Yesterday McDonald’s was proudly known as fast, cheap and everywhere. Today they have pulled back on expansion and focus on the desires of today’s consumer. Their goal is to be known as offering high quality food at a great value with speed and convenience.

Watch what else McDonald’s does in the months ahead; McCafes, new menu items (think of McDonald’s Lattes competing with Starbucks), more 24 hour restaurants and new ways to enhance the customer’s experience.

If a corporation that large can turn around and be profitable (share prices have soared over the last 6 years) imagine what a nimble entrepreneur can do!

Lesson here: Listen to your customer and live by the answer to this question:
“Why do our customers need us?”