Live Video Conferencing Comes to Healthcare Industry

Two years ago, we began profiling technologies that provided low cost, high-quality live video broadcasting that could be utilized by small and large businesses.

After all, combining real-time sight and sound has always proven to be exponentially more compelling when compared to static "WebEx" presentations.

Well, once again we're being proven prescient: according to a story in today's NY Times, the health care industry is beginning to embrace pay-per-chat with experts broadcasting live via the Internet. Live, private consultations for less than $50/hr-and allows partients to see the doctor, and ideally, for the doctor to see you (now). 

All the patient needs is a video-cam connected to his/her PC--and good devices can cost less than $75..

The cost to broadcast? It's come down to peanuts when compared to the legacy teleconferencing systems that companies such as Cisco have promoted for the past several years. For less than a few thousand dollars (see LCN Technologies offerings),  lawyers, accountants, "training gurus", or anyone else can have their own live broadcast studio, and communicate in HD-quality live conferencing.

Duh. 

Vlogging: Why this is the next "killer app"

Two weeks ago, I profiled LCN Technologies, a company that's on the 'cutting edge' by providing low-cost, high quality ("HD quality") technology for those that "get it" and recognize that live, internet broadcasting will prove to be what sets competitors apart.

For pundits, "pontificators", or simply corporate-arena presenters,  these tools are a must have. Its that simple.

For those that "vlog"--(which incorporates either canned or live video within a blog), the content becomes that much stickier, and real time, is well, real time.

Aside from LCN, there are actually few credible vendors within the space. Another is Silicon Valley-based Dyyno, which is sponsored by two leading Venture Capital firms--and my bet is that they'll be gobbled up by Google before they even bother to do a second round of venture funding.

Although Dynno's technology is somewhat different that LCN (Dynno requires broadcasters download an executable file while LCN does not), and its cost to implement and administer (licensing fees) is higher than LCN's, its presentation strikes at the heart of what we're talking about.

The real bet however is predicting the actual number of "celebrity" bloggers, corporations and media outlets that will leverage the technology in 2010. My conservative guess is that it should be in the tens of hundreds, if not thousands.

Cashing in on Twitter? Or Opting Out...One Man's Tweet is Another's Twit

Twitter, now almost as ubiquitous a name as Google, is apparently coming into its own (for those who own a slice of the private company), and has struck open source deals that will allow for advertising messages to be imbedded within all of those tweets that so many people are (purportedly) subscribing to.

I'll admit that I did sign up to follow the tweets of a few of my pundit friends, and I'm only glad that I turned off the "alert via txt msg" button, otherwise I'd have to cancel my cell phone service entirely.

Of course I believe in the concept of leveraging social networks to promote consumer products. And of course, I'm influenced by what my friends are buying in the course of making my own purchase decisions. Well, sort of.

But now that Ad.fly and others are making it easy for my 'friends' to insert advertising messages within their tweets, do I really buy into it? Do I really want to be cluttered with messages, knowing that my 'friends' are exploiting ther friendship in order to make money from me?  What does this say about the social contract, that we, as 'friends' have made with each other?

OK, I'm jealous;  unlike Ashton K., or Larry K., I don't have 1 million+ "followers". I only have a few hundred or so. Most of them prefer to go to this blog, or one of the others that I've become famous for.  How many of them are going to appreciate knowing that I'm getting paid to pitch my favorite toothpaste, or my favorite burger joint?

And what happens when the FTC decides to enforce their stupid new rules about blogger disclosures, and single me out for promoting a product on my tweets without including a disclaimer? I won't be happy. But its safe to bet that big time bloggers that have friends in Washington won't have to worry about this. Does Eliot Spitzer tweet?   

Live Web Broacasting: The Marketers Magic Elixir

We try not to harp incessantly on ideas that we think make sense—and even if I’ve always been a strong proponent of the power of live Web broadcasting for pundits, experts, consultants etc., whose respective audiences are bored to tears with "WebEx" presentations, canned videos, or other communication apps that can best be described as "Old Media" in the age of New Media application, I had to jump back into the blog to pound the table yet again.


In the past two days alone, the NY Times has profiled four unrelated stories that profile the rapid emergence of web-based video-conferencing/broadcasting, and in the past week, there have been two major acquisitions of makers of web-based video conferencing tools.


Below links provide 2 of those stories.


Given the fact that these ‘tools’ are coming into their own insofar as broadcast quality, pricing and flexibility, I’d respectfully suggest that Mark Prince at LCN Technologies (http://lcntechnologies.com) has been well ahead of the curve—and the most recent version of LCN’s “broadcast platform” is exactly the type of technology that should be leveraged by a wide variety of pundits, experts, media wizards, etc.



http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/business/media/11adco.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=tv%20news&st=cse



http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/logitech-breaks-into-videoconferencing/?scp=3&sq=logitech&st=cse

Big Brother Attacks Bloggers

At risk of subjecting this blog to an enforcement action by either the NY Times, or perhaps a government regulatory authority, below is a reprint from today's article in the NYT that points to yet another new layer of Big Brother's oversight over us all. and strikes at the heart of marketing messages.

This writer is far from being a Libertarian, and otherwise leans towards pragmatic forms of governmental regulation, regardless of the industry or the issue.

That said, the NYT points to yet another new government initiative to regulate freedom of speech that is potentially alarming. This new initiative targets of all people, bloggers.

The upshot, as interpreted by a select group of jailhouse lawyers, suggests that the FTC is aiming its cross hairs on all blogs that endorse or recommend products. According to this article, the FTC proposes to go after any blogger that fails to disclose whether they've received any type of compensation, even if limited to free samples, in exchange for mentioning any product.

Wow.

The ramifications of this new initiative would cause some to take out a calculator and try to analyze the actual cost to small and large businesses of conforming to yet another wave of government regulation in a business environment that has everyone struggling to make ends meet. The cost of complying with the proposed initiative is guestimmated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.

No doubt this is time to re-direct our children to pursuing careers in the legal industry, as this is a harbinger for that group.

Notice Those Ads on Blogs? Regulators Do, Too

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD

BLOGGERS, be warned. Advertisers, you too.

Two of the National Advertising Review Council’s investigative units plan to announce Tuesday their first decisions involving blogs. Their recommendations call for clear disclosure when a company is sponsoring a site or paying for product reviews.

That’s nothing shocking, but it’s part of a sharper focus on the relationships between bloggers and advertisers. Attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission, which is about to expand its endorsement guidelines to include blogs, are investigating the area, along with the self-regulatory groups.

“It’s something everyone in the consumer protection area is newly focused on,” said C. Lee Peeler, the chief executive of the National Advertising Review Council, which sets policies for the advertising industries’ self-regulatory programs. “One of the issues of advertising in new media is, is it clear that it’s paid-for advertising, or does it look like something else?”

Paid-for advertising includes paid blogging, the programs’ recommendations make clear. One of the cases concerns Urban Nutrition , a company that sells supplements like MiracleBurn, an appetite suppressant. The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program, an investigative unit of the National Advertising Review Council for the e-commerce industry, examined some of that company’s marketing after a competitor filed a complaint.

Urban Nutrition was running Web sites like WeKnowDiets.com, and GoogleDiets.com, which were “formatted as independent product-review blogs,” according to the investigative unit’s statement. The investigation found problems with the sites, including that Urban Nutrition didn’t disclose it was paying bloggers for the reviews, that it portrayed the sites as independent, and that the blogs featured accolades like “Customer Choice Awards” when “the marketer’s product appears to be permanently featured as the selected product,” the organization’s statement said.

“For paid-for statements about products, the traditional principles apply,” Mr. Peeler said, and here, the principle was that advertising needs to be marked as such. “That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone,” he said.

•

The investigative unit asked Urban Nutrition to prominently disclose that it owned the Web sites and that it was sponsoring reviewers, along with adding contact information to the sites and changing some other claims. “The company is currently in the process of making all the changes recommended by E.R.S.P., as well as additional changes Urban Nutrition volunteered to make,” said Thomas Cohn, a lawyer at Venable, which represents Urban Nutrition.

The other decision concerns the marketer Herbal Groups, which makes the prostate supplement Prostalex Plus. The National Advertising Division, another unit of the review council, handled this case.

Herbal Groups had been running a “Prostate Health Blog,” which published items about prostate function with promotions for the Prostalex product. The entire blog constituted an advertisement, the N.A.D. said, and Herbal Groups took down the blog at the beginning of the N.A.D.’s inquiry.

“We came to a mutually agreeable solution,” said Scott Schalin, president of Herbal Groups, in an interview. The N.A.D. also recommended that the company stop making certain claims about the supplement in its ads, which Herbal Groups said it would do.

These self-regulatory programs are voluntary, but if companies refuse to participate or comply, the programs can refer complaints to the F.T.C. And the F.T.C. can sue those it sees as violating guidelines.

The F.T.C. is close to updating its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials for the first time since 1980. Its proposed guidelines go further than the self-regulatory bodies have, saying that bloggers must disclose not only when they are paid by a company, but also when they receive a free product.

As an example, the F.T.C. cited the fictional case of a video blogger who receives a free copy of a new video game system from its manufacturer for review. “The readers of his blog are unlikely to expect that he has received the video game system free of charge in exchange for his review of the product,” the commission wrote. As this fact would likely affect how credible consumers find the review, the blogger should disclose that he received the game free.

That’s something advertising and retailing groups have bristled at, arguing that this sort of promotion occurs all the time offline. Major industry associations including the Electronic Retailing Association, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Association of National Advertisers, and the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, among others, all filed comments with the commission taking issue with the proposed guidelines.

“It’s an example of the F.T.C.’s failure to understand the medium and appreciate the nuances,” said Linda A. Goldstein, a partner at the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, which represents several industry groups. “It’s not uncommon for marketers to provide the blogging community with samples of their product or service, but the company has no control over what the blogger writes.”

Besides, she said, companies regularly host free events or send samples to journalists in the hopes of attracting coverage.

“It’s analogous to a studio inviting critics to a free premiere. Taken to its logical conclusion, those critics would have to disclose in their review that they were allowed to see the movie for free,” she said.

The commission’s comment period is now closed, and it is expected to issue final guidelines soon.

Meanwhile, bloggers and advertisers are under pressure from state attorneys general. In June, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York noted in a settlement with seven electronics retailers that in addition to illegal practices, “all of these companies obtained fake ‘consumer testimonials’ through Web sites that claim to be impartial consumer-based ‘rating’ Web sites” but were not.

In July, in what Mr. Cuomo’s office said it believed was the first such case in the nation, it settled with a cosmetic-surgery company called Lifestyle Lift, charging that company employees were posting fake positive reviews about its services on various message boards and sites, a practice known as “astroturfing.” Lifestyle Lift stopped the postings and paid $300,000 to the state.

“My office has and will continue to be on the forefront in protecting consumers against emerging fraud and deception, including ‘astroturfing,’ on the Internet,” he said in the statement

Man's Best Friend....

Maxx
August 1994-
August 2009

In a world in which crafty and creative people work to create messages and images to influence decisions, we can only pause to reflect on the age-old wisdom that a dog is really man's best friend.

In honor of Maxx.

Always reliable, always there to provide comfort and solace, and infallible in providing unrequited love and warmth to those around him.

Google: The Next Ponzi Scheme to Fail?

I've been a "Googler" since 1998; I've promoted its search tools to business associates and friends, and I've [cautiously] used Adwords and AdSense for a variety of client-related projects.

I use the word 'cautiously' because over time, I've repeatedly discovered that the Adwords program would charge me/my clients for clicks that didn't correspond to the actual web traffic statistics reported by two completely independent software applications that measure site visitor traffic.

The staff at Google explained this away by suggesting that ads that appear on the Google 'search network' might include ad placements on sites that are masked, or somehow can not be verified. That's when I thought of the account statements published by Bernie Madoff's "brokerage firm".

And then I noticed this article : http://seekingalpha.com/article/148238-google-the-next-ponzi-scheme-to-fail

My Social Network: Influencing Friends Purchase Decisions

My daughter is a choco-holic, so after reading a review about a new premium chocolate brand (Caoni Chocolate), I went online to their website and purchased a case. Its actually delicious. Perhaps because its made with 100% Arriba cacao, as opposed to 'blends' that almost all other premium chocolates are made with.

So I posted my happy experience on my Facebook page, then I tweeted about it. Then I made a comment about it on my LinkedIn profile. Why? I don't know, it seems to be the thing to do these days.

But, when I read about the interesting advertising applications promoted by Media6Degrees and 33Across, apps that installs cookies into a customer's computer, then "reads" the connections that I have when I log into my social network sites, and then magically and subliminally delivers ad messages to the people that are within my various social networks, I was intrigued.

Sounds phishy, right? Well, for one thing, I asked the people at Caoni if they use this type of stealth advertising, and they said they didn't. But they were as intrigued as I was by the idea.

I certainly don't mind sharing with friends, acquaintances, and friends of friends the product discoveries that I've made. I know lots of chocolate lovers, and this is actually a great find.

But, I don't like the idea that my social network connections are being exploited without my permission (and without my getting paid an introducer's fee!) in a manner by which 'connections' are being pitched on products that I bought (even though my friends don't necessarily know that I've bought it).

That said, the technology is interesting, and there's plenty of data to support the contention that people within my social network tend to share the same interests. Whether someone within a linkedin.com "hedge fund" group that I'm a member of would respond to an ad for Caoni, simply because another member of the same group purchased the product is an idea that I'm scratching my head about.

But, since the cost for this type of advertising is a fraction of traditional banner ads placed on publisher sites, I'd say its worth trying. And I'd definitely recommend the Caoni Chocolate!

Branding Good Will

Now that I've got your attention by using a headline that inspired you to read further.....

That's right..we consulted with our Matador of Marketing Messages and he assured us that those simple three key words would prove the perfect attention grabber.

Contrary to the Web2.o rules, which dictate that for a blog to generate a following and be "truly successful", the blogger needs to blabber every day. How does that dic-tate?

Not tasty for us. We'll blog when we want to, when we have the time to, and only when we're truly inspired by an idea or a story.

After reading a NY Times profile about Goodwill Industries' expanding strategy to 'brand itself' and to position itself as a provider of "antique luxury items"--and otherwise embrace a traditional retailer strategy---all I can ask is "Why is it taking you so long to carpe diem???"

What Goodwill is doing: recasting itself (via albeit low-cost branding campaign means) and working to exploit an economic environment that's prompting consumers of all types to downsize their expenditures.


When Park Avenue princesses, Hollywood Celebs, Darien debutantes, and corporate exec wives are all contributing to trend setting shopping habits that celebrate second hand shops and the value of buying 'pre-owned goods' (including 'antique clothing'), any half-wit that's owned the "thrift category" for three generations should know that this economic period presents a business opportunity that happens once in a life-time.

Bottom line? Goodwill has apparently been 'ramping' their 'new branding' approach since before the current 'recession' technically started (sometime in 2007)--and the cylinders are starting to turn more quickly.

And what better name than "Goodwill" to use in the course of a branding strategy? If there's anything that consumers want right now, it's having a feeling of good will! After having Keogh's and savings mini-ed budgets being micro-ed, and after being Madoff-ed by either Bernie himself or Ben Bernake, we could all "get it" when it comes to the appreciation for spending less on luxury.

We typically say "Do it right, not right away." But to the senior exec team at Goodwill we say "People!. Lets move that bus!! Before you know it, the window of opportunity will come sliding down on to your fingers!"

By the way--thanks to Hiroko Masuike's images courtesy of the NY Times.

Your Message Here

Storefront advertising isn't a new idea in the world of Out-Of-Home strategies, but as pointed out by journalist Stephanie Clifford, its become one of the more compelling strategies for advertisers--simply because there are plenty of empty storefronts in major cities and because the price is right.

What's next? Advertising billboards on the front lawns of all of those foreclosed houses spread across the country?

Maybe...but if SNL can hijack a copyrighted monicker we imprinted for CitiBank that we came up with six months ago ("ShittyBank")...no doubt some Ad agency is going to pitch the idea of billboard advertising or perhaps "wrapping houses with ads" --as they do with buses--to BofA..

Telepresence: Ahead of The Pack

We've been pontificating about video teleconferencing for a long time...most recently two months ago..when profiling a very interesting platform created by a Montreal-based company...

Lo and Behold...even Road Warrior Joe Sharkey, a columnist for the NY Times is 'getting it'...

Click on his picture to the right to read what he has to say...

Seeing Is Believing

The previous post should be read twice..Perhaps only because Google technology confounds some of us..

Monetizing Tweeting Tips

Yesterday, the NYT chirped in with their own article profiling the rapid trajectory of Twitter--and this a.m, Claire Miller pontificated in NYT Technology section with a "how is this going to be monetized?.."

What do I think?

1. Aside from the information overload that Twitter is contributing to, the pollutive impact on the intellectual environment, and the fact that I still can't figure out how to have tweets directed to my email, its obvious that everyone should be buying stock in cell phone carriers.

The additional txt messaging charges that are showing up on everyone's bills is going to provide plenty of cash for companies like Verizon and others--probably enough to subsidze the TARP and TALF bail out plans.

2. Sure, advertising is the obvious next layer that Twitter will embrace.

3. Applications? Just like Facebook opened up their architecture for innovative software companies to develop 'plug-in' and add-on apps that they can monetize, I'm betting on the guy that develops a micro-chip that will be imbedded into the brain--the one that transmits and displays to the brain all of the tweets and all of the Facebook 'updates' posted by the hundreds of 'social connects' that are stored in our cell phones.

Tune in.

The Perfect Product Spokesman...

Tough times call for tough measures. And when it comes to pitching a product in tough times, you need to plant your tongue firmly inside your cheek. Humor does sell.. After all, I recalled this enough to want to share it!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Back in Black - Recession Winners
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things w/ Demetri Martin Political Humor

The Next Google...

We were one of the first to Google back in the day, and we're thinking that Kosmix, a new friendlier search tool, is going to become just as powerful and popular. We've been prescient before. Click on the image and try it out yourself!

Tweeting Not Just For Twits

We said this before--those that still subscribe to stodgy marketing/communication strategies are going to be left in the dust as more proactive and prescient promoters embrace technologies that are gaining traction faster than a speeding bullet.

After canvassing a select number of top-gun execs representing a broad spectrum of businesses, from media to merchandising, to traditional manufacturing--several have acknowledged they've been slow to adapt, but are now shifting into high gear and rapidly implementing new communication strategies.

We're on board and have taken the same steps.. and testing out a media campaign to promote a creative entertainment practice, so stay tuned to hear about our own results.

In the interim: here's an excerpt from a WSJ article that profiles financial service enterprises that are beginning to "get it":



At a time when our president refuses to relinquish his BlackBerry, and CEOs twitter their companies' news, it was bound to happen: Your fund manager wants to be your Facebook friend.

Whether you "accept" or "ignore," you'd better get used to it: Fund companies, asset managers and brokerage firms are starting to embrace so-called Web 2.0 strategies -- social networking, podcasting, interactivity. California-based asset manager Pimco has a Facebook page (and 65 "fans"). Charles Schwab Corp. has developed a Web site specifically for younger investors and advertises it via Internet TV channels. Vanguard Group is podcasting, and earlier this year, Fidelity Investments revamped its Web site to highlight resources and tools more than funds and brokerage products.

After years of ignoring Generations X and Y in favor of their wealthier baby-boomer parents, firms are starting to shift some of their attention to people under 40. And it's a market that's relatively easy to reach. The cost of establishing a presence on Facebook, recording a podcast or posting an investing video on YouTube is negligible, if not completely free. But it's going to take more than a friend request to woo Gen X and Gen Y, says Anurag Heda of financial-services consulting group Kasina. As a group, younger investors prefer to cull information from different sources, rather than relying on a single expert.

Marketing, Communications and The (Financial) Media

We couldn't resist...If you don't have a sense of humor, what do you have?
Marketing, Communications and The Media...

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Product Placement: Its Just Infotainment

While screenwriters, TV writers and other "ethical artists" have been balking at the notion of incorporating subliminal and not-so subliminal product placement ads and messages into scripts, Gail Collins from the New York Times opines today on whether that war is worth waging at all.

Especially when wages (and ad revenue) is so hard to come by in this new period of economic reflection. I was actually intrigued by Gail's take on on the topic (click the link to read her column), but...

My opinion? Am I insulted when I see a Starbucks coffee cup sitting in front of a news anchorperson? Or does it bother me that the producers of Boston Legal are getting paid for William Shatner to pitch Viagra?

Nah! Its all fair and fun, and it doesn't lead me to say "How could they do something as unethical as pitch a product on the news or within the script of a favorite TV show??"

Next question: Does it influence me to buy the product that's subliminally promoted? Nah. Not yet anyway. But, I'm a lousy shopper, especially these days.

Last question: Will these types of product placements have a negative impact on the brand?
I'll leave that to the rocket scientists that analyze consumer behavior. My guess is the answer is "no". I'm actually waiting for some pharmaceutical company to invent a pill that triggers visuals of certain products when the brain sends a mood change message.

Capturing Eyeballs: Stimulus Packages For Shock and Awe

Do I have your attention? You bet I do.

And, if you're like 95% of those that we canvassed, you're going to look at both of these photos for at least 45 seconds. (photo credits to Ed Cameron at Air New Zealand and to FeelUnique.com) And you're going to tell at least two people to come to this blog and take a look.

The eyeball catching strategies aren't necessarily new. But they are fun.
And, they're extremely low cost to implement. (Shaving cream and a razor cost $2/person, and you can hire human billboards for as little as a slice of pizza)
And, they create buzz.
And, the recall rates jump off the charts.


The full story is courtesy of the Feb 17 edition of the NY Times...Good coverage credit belongs to NYT Advertising columnist Andy Newman

What Advertising Vehicle Really Works Best?

As advertisers carry on the debate over the next great marketing medium, a study released by the Advertising Specialty Institute found that it's not TV, print or radio that is grabbing customers attention the best; but promotional items.

One of the riveting results of the survey-- the cost basis for eye-ball catching, long-lasting (durable), utility-centric premiums is as low as 4/10 of a penny.

Not a $40 CPM, not a $4 CPM, not a $.40 CPM... but a fraction of a penny...

And, prescient pundits that we are, merely a month ago, we profiled a brilliant premium idea; the Laptop Cabana from MGS Brands



The ASI survey asked 600 participants (mostly over the age of 21) to recall promotional items received over the last 12 months and their effect on their purchasing habits. Key points raised by the study were:

• 8/10 respondents remembered a brand based on a product they had received.
• 24% said that they were more likely to do business with an advertiser based on items they receive
• Nearly 2/3 indicated they had done business with an advertiser after receiving a promotional gift.
• 80% of promotional items were kept as they were considered useful.

These statistics concluded that marketers get a more favorable return on investment from CPI, significant recollection amongst those who received promotional gifts, and improved purpose amongst recipients to make purchases from the promoter.

Crisis Management: When All Else is Failing (?)

We don't often copy and paste private emails, but somehow this wound up in the wrong blackberry. We can't verify whether its real or not, but gee whiz...since it seems like every IR expert across the country has been laid off by their corporate employers, maybe there's something to the approach below?


NEWS ALERT from The Wall Street Journal

The White House's nominee for director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, has earned more than $700,000 in speaking and consulting fees since the beginning of 2008, with some of the payments coming from troubled banks and an investment firm that owns companies that do business with federal national security agencies. Panetta is set to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday about his nomination.

FROM: The Office of The President of The United States

TO:Mr. Mark Murph, CEO LeadershipIQ

Dear Mr. Murphy-

As you can see from yet the latest news story profiling the blunders being made by my SVP of HR, I've decided to fire my current HR director and I'm hoping that you'd be interested in the job?

I thought at first it might have been the job application forms that were being used, but I discovered this morning that nobody was actually even looking at the forms. Probably because we had brought some people over from the SEC to help with the vetting process and review the documents. I'm correcting that issue too; we've offered Harry Markopolos the job of overseeing Mary Shapiro over at SEC.

The good news is that your salary will be capped at $400k, the bad news is we might have to do what my good friend Governor Arnold out in Cali did--i.e. hold off weekly paychecks until the dust clears.

But, you'll have the use of a car and driver, which has been donated to the White House by Tom Daschle. Apparently, just three days before I arrived, auditors here determined that the US Government was actually bankrupt.

Making matters worse, Hank Paulson left here with the keys to not only the executive washroom, but also the keys to the US Mint. So, we're getting by on donations for the time being. Tim G. says he's getting a copy of the key to Mint made just as soon as his Ace Hardware credit card account gets cleared up. If Geithner can't get the problem resolved, I might be forced to bring in Bernie Madoff to raise some short term cash, but I'd need a new HR director to make that decision.

Yes, we've got some serious problems on the HR side of the equation. I need you to help address them. The good news is that morale here is high, its just that the people we've hired, or are trying to hire, are a bit light-headed when it comes to judgment skills.

It might be because the entire White House staff, including the Treasury team had tuned into that CNBC special last week about the marijuana industry...and I'm thinking some of it went to their head, literally. I'm hearing Rachel Maddow is starting to use phrases like "Foggy Heads living in Foggy Bottom " --and if she goes on air with that..well, it could be a national security issue.

And if O'Reilly over at FOX gets wind of this, I might have to reconsider the decision to close Guantanamo Bay and get him a room there.

I've included my blackberry contact info. Only four other people in the world have it. That should illustrate how important it is that I hear from you soon.

Short of getting you to join the team, my only other option is to invade Pakistan, which would serve as a good short-term distraction about what's going on here, but even with oil down at $43 a barrell, Hilary's Mobil card wouldn't cover more than one full tank of gas for the battleship we'd want to sail over there.

Your's truly,

President Barack H. Obama

Never Miss a Chance to Have Sex or Appear on Television

Courtesy of novelist, screenwriter, politician and modern day philosopher Gore Vidal....and for those that are questioning or pondering the strategies that are being proposed by your PR and IR wizards.

Or those that are scratching your heads about the most recent posting here..
:)

Marketing & Comm: Brandishing Your Brand

Rule 201 Brandishing Your Brand..

Every 'spinmeister' will have a different opinion when it comes to the best way to execute what's otherwise known as a 'stunt'.

You've created buzz, and along the way, you've created suspense around the buzz. You've got thousands of people on the edge of their seats. But, unlike a TV melodrama that plays once a week; your story is being broadcast 2x a day. So you need to have that much more horse power in the engine.

But the gas only lasts so long. So you go for the electric shock as a booster. That's fine. Its in every PR playbook.

Here's a tip: Don't do it unless you have a plan for the "post-electric shock" phase.

PR Positioning via Positive Messages

PR pundits pride themselves on being able to spin a client's value proposition.

The fact is, the best 'spin' isn't spin, its really about positioning a client that has a real value proposition.

Especially when targeting an 'institutional' audience; ones that are not only a bit cynical, but are actually pretty smart and contrary to what most PR spinners think, can actually read between the lines when it comes to IR and PR pieces. They get put off by crafty , "infotorials", and embrace articles that demonstrate objectivity--and most importantly, the underlying integrity of the topic of the piece.

We've actually received lots of kudos about a 'piece' prepared for a very solid client. Click on the title link and make your own decision!

Social Networking & Financial Services

Speaking of Institutional Investor; their flagship print publication, which comes out once every two months, allocated a page in the current edition to a topic that we've been espousing since we started blogging here a few years ago; using digital social networking applications as a means to enhance their respective brands, and connect more closely with their clients.

Here's the first two paragaphs of the article...
Financial services companies are getting personal. They are adopting the techniques of social networking — blogs, online forums and chatrooms more commonly associated with trendy virtual communities like Facebook and MySpace — to engage and communicate with their (generally younger) customers and come up with new product and marketing ideas.

An October report by Corporate Insight, a New York–based research firm that tracks financial industry services and strategies, indicates just how rapidly social networking has been spreading through the once-stodgy world of finance. In spring 2007 there were just a smattering of blogs and other interactive features, often lumped under the Web 2.0 rubic...now, 11 of 70 companies polled in the study have incorporated social media into their Internet platforms, and 70% operate "online communities serving self-directed investors or small-business owners.... ..Some firms have also started usings blogs and forums to serve clients and prospects alike.."

For those with half empty glasses, 1 out of 7 might not be a trend worth following. But when learning that Charles Schwab increased its Gen X client base by a whopping 32% as a result of feedback garnered via its online blog research, that makes the stodgy financial marketers wish they had cleaned off their glasses when this blogger was pounding the tables on the topic as recently as last year.

Yes..for a financial services firm, on-line applications that facilitate open communication between customers and between customer support staff presents a variety of compliance issues.

But one would think that a 32% increase in customer accounts might be worth throwing a dozen or two bodies at the opportunity. We'd be happy to lend a hand or some guidance to those financial service firms that think out of the box.

Dealing With The Press: Double Edge Sword & Dancing With Edward Scissorhands

For anyone that chooses, or is obligated to speak to media reporters, there's a common misconception when telling certain reporters that what you are saying is "off the record"and that it will actually be kept off the record.

Even when there's an exchange of email correspondences in which the reporter agrees to keep it off the record, and/or to not mention you as the source. Dancing with reporters is about as tricky as dancing with Edward Scissorshands. Instead of a two-step, it can become a double-cross.

Sure, you want to help get a 'story' out there, and you want your 'slant' to be incorporated--but you'd rather not have your name mentioned.

When you do that, don't forget that reporters are more determined to have their slant dominate the article. So, the odds are high that anything you say will be taken out of context. Sometimes the reporter does that intentionally; that's called muckracking. Sometimes the reporter does it because you have too much to say, and they decide which comments are most relevant or most poignant.

Most reporters honor the protocol of "off the record". Some get confused.

For example, NYT's Joe Nocera is finding himself in a bit of conundrum in his coverage of Steve Jobs, as evidenced in recent columns that he's written, including his mention of "off the record" comments that Jobs made with regard to his health. Dicey stuff. Both for Jobs, one of the most prominent CEO's in the world, and for Nocera.

Some reporters blatantly violate the code of honor regarding "off the record".

Case in point, a publication called Wall Street Letter. One of their reporters was 'tipped' via email about a story, and through great perseverance, the reporter actually identified the source, including phone #, and followed up to solicit a comment from the tipster.

In the telephone call with the source, and subsequent email exchanges, the reporter (Alexandra "Allie" Zendrian) acknowledged and agreed to keep the 'source' name out of the story. The next day, the publication ran a story that was not only completely out of context, but in addition to identifying the source's name and company, the reporter actually wrote, " when asked, [source] had no comment..."

What the source had actually said to the reporter was, "I won't comment on the record, and I won't engage in a conversation and share with you the tidbits if you publish my name.." The reporter agreed to the terms of engagement, and documented that agreement in a follow up email.

The most telling part of the story was when the tipster discovered the article online and sent an email to the reporter, as well as the senior editor and the publisher in an effort to extract a explanation for the 'outting'. Executives at Wall Street Letter had no comment..

In this case, it wasn't a "disaster" for the tipster, and some would say 'any news is good news' when you're trying to get a mention in the media. The particular publication is not widely read, and given the state of Wall Street, its fair to guess that their paid subscriber base and readership (securities industry traders and brokers) is down to a few hundred people. And few of their readers know, or actually care about the source being "outted".


PR/IR and Marcomm Rules to Remember:

Rule 1. Unless you have an existing relationship with a specific reporter, or have otherwise been given to understand they are generally honorable, be circumspect about what you say to them.

Rule 2. If executing a "guerrila"PR or IR tactic via emails to reporters as a means of stimulating interest in a story, but don't want to be identified as the 'tipster', don't use an email address that can be easily traced back to you.

For example, if you've previously published a document on the internet that incorporates your email address (a resume for example), your email address can be easily Googled, and in turn, your identity is easily unmasked. Even if you think you've removed the document from the internet. Once its up there, it stays up there.

That said, we know that even the very best Marcomm Gurus forget some of the basic rules of engagement. This 'case study' should help remind you not to forget.

Poll Says: 65% of Senior Execs Don't Know Internet Metrics

Almost astounding. We informally polled 100+ senior execs (encompassingCEO, CMO EVP Sales; EVP/IR; and EVP Communications) and 65% of them told us that "really didn't know" the data points with regard to their company's online strategy

Little things (not); like: search and visitor metrics with respect to their company's corporate website, or their on sales site.
i. most visited day(s) of the week
ii. most visited hours on each day
iii. the daily/hourly frequency of online searches i.e specific phrases, or words.
iv. most popular key words that drive traffic to their site(s).

Without knowing the above (and other) data points, how can you justify your online ad spending and related "sales/marketing/awareness" campaign strategies?

Without this data, how can you know that your sales people are actually missing critical sales opportunities?

Without this data, how can you have a true grasp and understanding of who your customers are?

Basic stuff, right? 65% couldn't answer the questions. This is the exactly the wrong time not to be able to answer those questions.

Trifecta Win: Click, Brick and Free Booze

I'm raising my glass to Jason Fried and Seva Granik, two innovative guys that are cashing in (relatively speaking) on a great concept for this this period of "economic reflection." (Yes, this is a phrase that we've coined, but won't trademark--we'll make it available to anyone that wants to use it).

A website with alert messages that keeps an ongoing list of establishments offering 'free drinks".
This appeals to just about every "hot button":

1. Combines click and brick portability
2. The perfect DMA
3. Social Networking
4. Compelling content
5. Perfect for Sponsors
6. Free Drinks

I'm lovin' this! Cheers!