Brand Burnishing Warren Buffet Style: Dairy Queen Case Study Includes Social Media

Below extract courtesy of Stuart Elliot, New York Times

THEY are not long, the days of wine and roses. Nor, as Madison Avenue knows, are the days of summer selling, which are vital to companies in areas like fast food, beverages and tourism that must gather their rosebuds — and revenue — while they may. For marketers, summer typically runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day; this year, that makes 99 days to wheel and deal.

A marketer that may be a symbol for those whose sales surge in the summer is the American Dairy Queen Corporation, a division of Berkshire Hathaway that has 6,450 Dairy Queen stores in 27 countries. A campaign to begin on Tuesday for the American market, where Dairy Queen has about 4,800 restaurants, has one goal: to make those few summer days count at the cash register.

To that end, the campaign will focus on promotions of what the industry calls L.T.O.s, or limited-time offers: a menu item, the S’mores Blizzard, returning from last summer; a second item, the Chips Ahoy Blizzard, new for this summer; and a free bacon upgrade for the $5 Buck Lunch, Dairy Queen’s value meal. The campaign will carry a theme, “Fan food, not fast food,” that was introduced last year and is the handiwork of the Kansas City, Mo., firm Barkley, which became Dairy Queen’s creative agency in December 2012.

For the entire story, please click here to visit the NY Times article

Brand Burnishing Warren Buffet Style: Dairy Queen Case Study Includes Social Media

Canvassing 101: How to Find Out What Makes Sense So That You Can Make Dollars

Does your “brilliant design choice” for your corporate logo actually resonate with your targeted audience? How about your corporate slogan? Does your website design deter conversions (i.e. do you know where and why your site visitors are dropping out before they make a purchase (or respond to your “call-to-action”)?

I’ve lost count of the number of clients who have created the “next great idea” and invested tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in branding strategies that fell flat, simply because they couldn’t see the trees through the forest and neglected to actually canvass their targeted audience BEFORE committing significant resources to an idea. Leading me to suggest that RJ Metric’s Robert Moore contribution in today’s NYT “You’re The Boss” column is a must read for those who aspire to be true innovators.

The take-away is simple: If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Per Moore’s pointer, conducting a survey to sanity check your idea is critical. Monkey Survey used to be my particular favorite tool because its a simple and zero-cost tool that allows you to canvass those you know.  But those you know, even if completing the survey anonymously, may not be the ones you want to canvass vs. surveying those who are already profiled to have an interest in the type of product or service you are offering.

To reach the latter group, the cost of canvassing is now strikingly affordable, best illustrated by Survata.com . We haven’t tested it yet, but its on our immediate action list.

What about your web site design. Do you really know how your visitors are navigating your site, and which pages prove to have the longest visits and/or the last page visitors viewed before they decided not to buy your product or respond to your call to action? Yes, many of use the free Google Analytics (most of us use only 20% of the features), but because Goog’s tools can prove to be complex to implement, a new entrant, CrazyEgg.com, seems to be a very intriguing and very inexpensive (starting at $9/mo) tool that makes analyzing your web design and the impact on visitors simple and straight forward.

Canvassing 101: How to Find Out What Makes Sense So That You Can Make Dollars

Summer Internship Available at CT-based Corporate Marcom-PR Boutique

The JLC Group is offering a spot (starting immediately!) for a smart, savvy and social media-friendly individual who aspires to be a modern day MadMan (or MadWoman).  Our clients include highly-demanding and successful entrepreneurs and corporate executives operating within financial services, technology, insurance, consumer products and risk management sectors.  Our clients engage our firm to help increase brand awareness and further position their respective products and professional services.  You can presume that we are even more demanding than our clients; a quality that sets us apart from others in our space.

The principals of our firm have served as mentors to dozens of young men and women in the course of their college and post college careers. Many of our proteges have since become leaders within start-ups, fast-growth companies and major corporations. Either we’ve always picked the right interns, or we’ve done a great job providing a spring board for people who know how to listen, enjoy learning, are multi-tasking, are able to think out of the box and are not easily-intimidated by challenges or obstacles.

Requirements:

1. You must read the entire listing herein before replying. Applicants who are unable to meet the criteria herein need not apply.

1a. You must be able to follow instructions and also be self-directed.

1b. You must be accomplished using web-based search tools to locate answers and/or uncovering information that is often hidden.

2. Currently pursuing marketing communications as a major course of study, or recently graduated from college  during which time your primary focus of study was within areas that included marketing, marketing communication, English, finance, and/or related fields.

3. You are well-versed in best practices i.e. corporate use of social media applications. This means you are familiar with strategies that best position brands using blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and similar social media outlets.

4. You are necessarily tech-friendly and proficient in the use of .doc, .xls, .ppt.

5. You must have strong creative writing skills.

6. You must be able to work without supervision; as your tasks can be accomplished from your own location (work remotely). Otherwise, we are happy to provide work space for you in our Westport CT office.

7. Those with knowledge of the financial services industry and financial markets, along with above criteria will be given special consideration; much of the tasks you will be assigned will be in support of clients  operating within the financial industry.

COMPENSATION

Internships are called internships for a reason; they are typically non-paying opportunities to learn and practice a skill set in advance of pursuing your chosen career.  That said, we are offering a stipend (paid bi-weekly)  of $250 per week. If you do an outstanding job, we provide bonuses based on performance.

How to reply:

1. Send a cover letter along with your current resume.

2. If you prefer to create a video-resume with the goal of “wowing” us, that’s fine.

3. If you can’t figure out how or where to send your application to, you’re not qualified for the opportunity described above.

All applications will be held in strict confidence, and all applications that meet the above criteria will be responded to.

 

Summer Internship Available at CT-based Corporate Marcom-PR Boutique

Beverly Hills Boycott of Brunei: Ct PR Firm Offers Pro Bono Service For Pro-Human Rights Companies To Shout Out Protest of Billionaire Dictator

The headline says it all. Feel free to retweet. Ok to hit “like”..Forward this link.. Westport Ct consulting firm JLC Group is offering its public relations services as a professional courtesy (aka free of charge) to corporate brands who wish to publicly demonstrate their protest of new laws that violate all presumed norms of human society imposed this week by by the Sultan of Brunei , the de facto leader of the world’s 5th richest country. According to the reincarnated view of Sharia law, the new edicts on this Islamic-led monarchy imposes corporal punishment on any accused homosexual, dismemberment for those found guilty of petty theft, and let’s not forget : death by stoning of any woman determined (by a court of religious zealots) to have committed adultery. Did we forget to add, according to this law, their definition of adultery (which could easily be a copyright violation from a Game of Thrones episode), does not accept an act of rape as a defense against the charge of adultery.  It doesn’t matter how; if you got screwed, you are screwed. You could be gang-raped by Islamic militants with bombs strapped to their backs and pointing AK-47s at your child’s head, but you’d still be guilty of adultery. And, your punishment will have you stoned to death. How’s that for modern civilization?

There are a variety of reasons why aspiring and accomplished brand leaders across the spectrum of industries (well, maybe not all industries or companies..) should want to further define your corporate ethos, if only to your stakeholders, by taking a public stance in protest of the Brunei madness. Presumably, you’ll want your message to be more impactful than simply announcing your boycott of private and corporate events taking place at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

 

Beverly Hills Boycott of Brunei: Ct PR Firm Offers Pro Bono Service For Pro-Human Rights Companies To Shout Out Protest of Billionaire Dictator

How to Succeed as a Financial Industry Thought-Leader: Case Study

Financial Services Brand Marketing 101: For those who aspire to be considered thought-leaders within the financial industry, this interview clip courtesy of CNBC is a perfect example of thought-leadership..and underscores the [obvious] need for aspiring 'experts' to be fluent in the subject matter and to frame your thesis in a crisp and clear manner. Kudos to Neil Azous of Rareview Macro re his 'CNBC debut appearance' (fast forward to the 2-minute market on the video for his presentation)

Risque Brand Names: Risks (i.e. Envelope Pushing) Can Reap Rewards

Kudos to NYT John Grossman re today’s front page (business section) story profiling companies that have embraced risque words within corporate name.

And, hats off to the disruptive entrepreneurs who have successfully pushed the envelope and proven that shock and awe within their brand promotion schemes can push them to the top of mindshare. Best case in point: Richard Branson use of “virgin” within each of all of his corporate brands

Per article (link below), when the artisian maker of non-allergenic, high-fiber breakfast cereal changed the name from the bland tasting name “Hapi Cereal” to “Holy Crap”, sales rose 10x (that’s TEN-FOLD!)….One example doesn’t make a story, but the number of examples cited by the NYT reporter strikes at the heart of why risque is not only tongue-in-cheek-fun, but can prove very rewarding to those who focus on connecting the tag line to the bottom line.. And yes, that last phrase happens to be The JLC Group corporate slogan.

Fat Bastard and SassyBitch wines, Kickass Cupcakes, Big Ass Fans (formerly known as “HVLS Fan Company”), “Master Bait & Tackle Co. (a fishing supply firm), a construction company that changed its name to “Mammoth Erection” from “David Hall Construction” and “HelloFlo” (a feminine hygiene brand) are all cited in the article for having enjoyed spiked sales subsequent to migrating from plain jane monikers to shock and awe approaches.

Caveat: if your email domain emulates the risque phrase, you’re at risk of corporate emails winding up in recipient spam folders. Another caveat: if you market to global audience, the name you select could insult a local culture and incite a riot..and not the laughing kind…

Here’s the link to the NYT article:

Risque Brand Names: Risks (i.e. Envelope Pushing) Can Reap Rewards

The Next Place to Insert Ads: Email Calendars!

What will push-advertisers think of next? The latest strategy: inserting ads into your email calendar!”

Courtesy of NY Times April 22 by Andrew Adam Newman “For a New Burt’s Bees Line, Check Your Calendar”

“..WHILE it may seem that advertising is everywhere, one place marketers have not infiltrated is the popular calendar software on computers, smartphones and tablets. But now, in what Burt’s Bees says is a marketing first, the natural personal care brand is introducing promotional messages that will appear as appointments in electronic calendars like those by Microsoft, Apple, Google and Yahoo…

The calendar promotion is by Baldwin& in Raleigh, N.C., the agency of record for Burt’s Bees, with interactive development by RecCenter, a digital agency in New York. Burt’s Bees, which was founded in Maine in 1984, is now based in Durham, N.C., and owned by the Clorox Company.

Katharine Belloir, a Baldwin& account supervisor, said she believed this was the first time a brand was interacting with consumers via their online datebooks, and that it could prove more intimate than social media.

The Next Place to Insert Ads: Email Calendars!

Financial Industry Boutique Turns to JLC Group for Brand Burnishing

The JLC Group is pleased to announce that Rareview Macro LLC, the Stamford, CT-based advisory and publisher of “Sight Beyond Sight”, a daily macro-strategy newsletter subscribed to by leading investment managers and hedge funds focused on global events and related investment strategy ideas and insights, has engaged JLC to advise the firm and implement a menu of brand awareness, business development, corporate public relations and marcom-centric initiatives.

Rareview Macro LLC principal Neil Azous is a 20-year financial industry veteran who, prior to forming Rareview, spent much of his professional career in senior, trading market strategy roles for the world’s leading investment banks.  Since launching “Sight Beyond Sight” in late 2013, Mr. Azous has been frequently cited by leading industry news publications for his expert insight to global geo-political and macro-economic events impacting equities, fixed income, commodities and currency markets.  In addition to proffering opportunistic, yet objective alpha-generating and risk mitigation ideas to highly-sophisticated investment managers and hedge funds, Mr. Azous also provides consultative portfolio management guidance to clients of Rareview Macro.

Financial Industry Boutique Turns to JLC Group for Brand Burnishing

Macau Hotel-Casino Marketers Go All-In To Recruit WPT Celeb Spokesman Vince Van Patten

Now that Macau has become the gambling capital of the Far East, the Near East, Western Europe and of course “The West”– all courtesy of the Las Vegas legacy and Vegas-style, star-studded attractions emulated by every casino venue on the Planet Earth,  more than a few of Wall Street’s top gaming industry’s analysts, along with the entertainment industry’s branding gurus, Hollywood talent agents and corporate sponsorship sales genies think its time to bet big that at least a handful of the major Macau hotel/casino marketer will want to import Vince Van Patten, aka World Poker Tour (WPT) Celebrity Spokesman/Star to promote their venue.

For those handicapping celeb spokespeople and Vegas caliber whale-catchers, Vince is someone with more than a few extra cards up his sleeve; aside from a 5-star celeb rating and for being the top gun calling the shots at major poker tourneys broadcast to global viewers, Vince’s CV includes his being a world-ranked professional tennis ace, a celeb-pro-level golfer who is close-to-scratch-on-the links, thanks to a mean 9 iron, AND two dozen+ credits as a major film and TV actor.

Let’s not forget, Vince is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining folks you’d ever want to cross paths with…Now, Vince Van Patten’s lawyer/talent agent has tapped The JLC Group’s corporate sponsorship practice to field inquiries from Macau-located major hotel/casino venue EVP marketers and sponsorship execs who know that your deck needs to be stacked and that it requires star power to rake in the whales, and in turn, the chips. If you fall into that category, you’re cordially invited to dial us in; but only the smart ones who know that American icon celebs are the biggest brand magnets for high-rolling whales and your 4-star guests. 

To Shelly Adelson’s exec team re Sands Macao: Don’t stand on ceremony, even if your stock price keeps heading higher; Vince is who you want on your team..sign him up now–before one of your competitors shoes him in.  All you need to do is watch the sizzle reel below to know this is the safest bet you can make.

Let’s not forget, Vince is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining folks you’d ever want to cross paths with…Now, Vince Van Patten’s lawyer/talent agent has tapped The JLC Group’s corporate sponsorship practice to field inquiries from Macau-located major hotel/casino venue EVP marketers and sponsorship execs who know that your deck needs to be stacked and that it requires star power to rake in the whales, and in turn, the chips. If you fall into that category, you’re cordially invited to dial us in; but only the smart ones who know that American icon celebs are the biggest brand magnets for high-rolling whales and your 4-star guests. To Shelly Adelson’s exec team re Sands Macao: Don’t stand on - See more at: http://thejlcgroup.com/macau-hotel-casino-moguls-go-sign-tennis-ace-wpt-poker-celeb-vince-van-patten/#sthash.4DvIy3kI.dpuf

Let’s not forget, Vince is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining folks you’d ever want to cross paths with…Now, Vince Van Patten’s lawyer/talent agent has tapped The JLC Group’s corporate sponsorship practice to field inquiries from Macau-located major hotel/casino venue EVP marketers and sponsorship execs who know that your deck needs to be stacked and that it requires star power to rake in the whales, and in turn, the chips. If you fall into that category, you’re cordially invited to dial us in; but only the smart ones who know that American icon celebs are the biggest brand magnets for high-rolling whales and your 4-star guests. To Shelly Adelson’s exec team re Sands Macao: Don’t stand on ceremony, even if your stock price keeps heading higher; Vince is who you want on your team..sign him up now–before one of your competitors shoes him in.  All you need to do is watch the sizzle reel below to know this is the safest bet you can make. - See more at: http://thejlcgroup.com/macau-hotel-casino-moguls-go-sign-tennis-ace-wpt-poker-celeb-vince-van-patten/#sthash.4DvIy3kI.dpuf

Let’s not forget, Vince is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining folks you’d ever want to cross paths with…Now, Vince Van Patten’s lawyer/talent agent has tapped The JLC Group’s corporate sponsorship practice to field inquiries from Macau-located major hotel/casino venue EVP marketers and sponsorship execs who know that your deck needs to be stacked and that it requires star power to rake in the whales, and in turn, the chips. If you fall into that category, you’re cordially invited to dial us in; but only the smart ones who know that American icon celebs are the biggest brand magnets for high-rolling whales and your 4-star guests. To Shelly Adelson’s exec team re Sands Macao: Don’t stand on ceremony, even if your stock price keeps heading higher; Vince is who you want on your team..sign him up now–before one of your competitors shoes him in.  All you need to do is watch the sizzle reel below to know this is the safest bet you can make. - See more at: http://thejlcgroup.com/macau-hotel-casino-moguls-go-sign-tennis-ace-wpt-poker-celeb-vince-van-patten/#sthash.4DvIy3kI.dpuf

Let’s not forget, Vince is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining folks you’d ever want to cross paths with…Now, Vince Van Patten’s lawyer/talent agent has tapped The JLC Group’s corporate sponsorship practice to field inquiries from Macau-located major hotel/casino venue EVP marketers and sponsorship execs who know that your deck needs to be stacked and that it requires star power to rake in the whales, and in turn, the chips. If you fall into that category, you’re cordially invited to dial us in; but only the smart ones who know that American icon celebs are the biggest brand magnets for high-rolling whales and your 4-star guests. To Shelly Adelson’s exec team re Sands Macao: Don’t stand on ceremony, even if your stock price keeps heading higher; Vince is who you want on your team..sign him up now–before one of your competitors shoes him in.  All you need to do is watch the sizzle reel below to know this is the safest bet you can make.
- See more at: http://thejlcgroup.com/macau-hotel-casino-moguls-go-sign-tennis-ace-wpt-poker-celeb-vince-van-patten/#sthash.4DvIy3kI.dpuf

Now that Macau has become the gambling capital of the Far East, the Near East, Western Europe and of course “The West”– all courtesy of the Las Vegas legacy and Vegas-style, star-studded attractions emulated by every casino venue on the Planet Earth,  more than a few of Wall Street’s top gaming industry’s analysts, along with the entertainment industry’s branding gurus, Hollywood talent agents and corporate sponsorship sales genies think its time to bet big that at least a handful of the major Macau hotel/casino marketer will want to import Vince Van Patten, aka World Poker Tour (WPT) Celebrity Spokesman/Star to promote their venue. For those handicapping celeb spokespeople and Vegas caliber whale-catchers, Vince is someone with more than a few extra cards up his sleeve; aside from a 5-star celeb rating and the top gun calling the shots at major poker tourneys broadcast to global viewers, Vince’s CV includes his being a world-ranked professional tennis ace, a close-to-scratch-on-the links, thanks to a mean 9 iron, AND two dozen+ credits as a major film and TV actor.
Let’s not forget, Vince is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining folks you’d ever want to cross paths with…Now, Vince Van Patten’s lawyer/talent agent has tapped The JLC Group’s corporate sponsorship practice to field inquiries from Macau-located major hotel/casino venue EVP marketers and sponsorship execs who know that your deck needs to be stacked and that it requires star power to rake in the whales, and in turn, the chips. If you fall into that category, you’re cordially invited to dial us in; but only the smart ones who know that American icon celebs are the biggest brand magnets for high-rolling whales and your 4-star guests. To Shelly Adelson’s exec team re Sands Macao: Don’t stand on ceremony, even if your stock price keeps heading higher; Vince is who you want on your team..sign him up now–before one of your competitors shoes him in.  All you need to do is watch the sizzle reel below to know this is the safest bet you can make.
- See more at: http://thejlcgroup.com/macau-hotel-casino-moguls-go-sign-tennis-ace-wpt-poker-celeb-vince-van-patten/#sthash.4DvIy3kI.dpuf

And The Best-In-Class Winner Is: Hat's Off to JLC Group's Award-Winning Financial Service Industry Clients

Not 1, but 2 of The JLC Group’s clients were recognized for their excellence by a panel of financial industry peers who were assembled by top financial news media platform Pageant Media (which has 11 mastheads in their digital and print portfolio) to weigh ‘best-in-class’ service providers…in a competition that fielded 100 of Wall Street’s best known firms.

Taking home the gold medal in the category “Best Research/Broker-Dealer” the 2014 Wall Street Letter Institutional Trading Awards went to Mischler Financial Group–which also happens to be the industry’s oldest and largest minority firm owned and operated by service-disabled veterans.. ..

WallachBeth Capital LLC Mgn.Dir. Tom Quigley (l) accepts industry award for Best DMA Offerings

In the category “Best DMA (Direct Market Access) Offerings”, which recognizes top gun trading technology capabilities–a category typically over-weighted by firms whose names are ubiquitous across the global trading market landscape, the industry judges gave the gold to boutique execution specialist firm WallachBeth Capital. Runner ups were Bloomberg LP’s Tradebook, among others.

Both of above-noted firms were also “in the medal” and short-listed nominees for perhaps the most important of the WSL 2014 award 20 categories: “Best Client-Service/Broker-Dealer.”    The winners were awarded their honors during a gala event attended by 250+ of Wall Street’s finest in NYC on Feb 24.




And The Best-In-Class Winner Is: Hat's Off to JLC Group's Award-Winning Financial Service Industry Clients

Marketing 101:Metaphors Matter (When Telling Your Story)

  It seems the flavor of the week for marketing wonks is story-telling, which is   necessarily the art of using metaphors to articulate what sets you apart from the rest. Enough can’t be said about the impact of using metaphors within a business setting, whether in the course of internal discussions to relay the importance of a new product or initiative,  in a ‘client-facing’  mode, or my favorite: when making a large audience presentation.

Once you accept the above premise, here are some pointers:

The metaphor should necessarily be one that will resonate with your recipient.

Reminding us of the “know your customer/prospect rule.”

i.                 Before engaging in a dialogue,  you either already posses, or you will research and capture as much intel (business as well as personal interests) that will enable you to make an educated guess when selecting appropriate metaphors that illustrate your value proposition.

ii.                Even if you believe you know your customer, be deferential and solicit your target to share what his/her ‘hot buttons’ are.

iii.               Present yourself as being objectively informed, not presumptuous as to the intentions/motivations and goals of your target.  

7 Signs You Need A Metaphor

1. Your listener is confused.


2. Your client is stuck on an objection.


3. Your client sees no difference between you and your competition.


4. You want to drive home a point vividly and memorably.


5. You have to wiggle out of a difficult situation.


6. Your client is stalling.


7. You want to wow or motivate a larger audience.

Marketing 101:Metaphors Matter (When Telling Your Story)

2014 Top 8 Rules When Choosing a Brand Management/IR/PR Consultant

If you’re outsourcing B2B and IR-related brand management services, you obviously want to use a firm (or expert consultant) that “gets it” when it comes to you, your business and what you want to accomplish, even before you do. Someone that is fluent in your industry, what you do within that industry, your competitors, your customer base, and most important: the most innovative ways to influence how your enterprise is perceived. You want someone that is both a corporate-level sales guru and marketing madman, and also sensitive to your cost/benefit concerns.  And of course, someone you can trust to manage your expectations properly, which means they under-promise and over-deliver more often than not.

If you find yourself switching ‘agencies’ too often, or if you have ongoing frustration with what you expect vs. what you are getting from your ‘consultant’,  its likely those vendors were (are)  missing 3 of the most critical qualifications noted above.

2014 Top 8 Rules When Choosing a Brand Management/IR/PR Consultant

News Media Lays Egg With Duck Dynasty Coverage; Social Media Steps to New Lows

  Will somebody tell me why major news media outlets are hosting ‘experts’ to continuously debate the “rights” of Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson??

I’ll tell you why-or rather, if only because nobody at CNBC  knew how to put the issue into real perspective: its because Duck Dynasty has in just one year, become a $400 million annual revenue business. That’s right, the real story, not the reality TV version, is that the brouhaha that has since taken over any remaining intellect on the part of CNN’s programming team, is about money. Do-Re-Me. $400 million a year’s worth.

It is not about any so-called debate as to whether Phil Robertson’s constitutional rights have been violated; A&E, the network that airs this modern version of Beverly Hills Hillbillies, is a corporation whose business is business. Like any other entertainment company, they pay for content that entertains, but they reserve the right to cancel those payment agreements if they, in their sole determination, determine it is not in their best business interest to continue to broadcast said content. This happens when too many members of the audience voice their displeasure and protest, and in turn, causes sponsors/advertisers to cancel their agreements in conformance with standard clauses.

Let’s put this into perspective. The Ducksters attract the world’s biggest retailer’s audience. We’re talking about Walmart.  Walmart is the store du jour every day of the week for a vast majority of our country’s underemployed, “economically-disenfranchised” and financially-challenged. This includes a vast population of rednecks such as the personas the Robertson family works hard at emulating. Along the way, their raking in $400 million a year (or at least their ‘brand’ is courtesy of multiple licensing, advertising and sponsorship deals on top of merchandising deals).

Which brings me back to the opening rhetorical: why are seemingly intelligent news organizations dedicating so much air time to this issue, and more important, why are they framing it as if A&E’s corporate decision should be misconstrued for being anything more than a corporate decision?

Is it because programming execs are focused on maintaining the highest standards of journalism, and reporting stories that have a meaningful impact on society? Do these media czars really and truly believe that this issue even deserves consideration for being a ‘constitutional rights’ debate?  Help me by emailing me and telling me this can’t be true.

Or, have the lunatics taken over the asylum and we can attribute this latest insert into the news cycle for the latest rendition of an industry that is merely focused on serving up crap that advertisers are happy to underwrite, simply because the diners are zombies who happen to like eating crap and the other low-priced items those advertisers happen to sell?

By the way, the Ducksters and the folks at A&E are salivating because this ‘incident’ has just added a 2x factor to the value of the Duck Dynasty franchise. The major news networks will simply be remembered for their irresponsibility for profiling this most current example of human stupidity, while the Ducksters laugh all the way to the bank.

News Media Lays Egg With Duck Dynasty Coverage; Social Media Steps to New Lows

CEO-Centric Social Media Bootcamps; R U Clueless in the C-Suite Cubicle?

Courtesy of today’s WSJ, reporter Melissa Korn regurgitates an earlier story re: bootcamps for corporate bosses who, despite their leadership roles,  remain clueless about social media technologies and best practices–whether blogging, tweeting or how to position yourself properly and leverage social networks.

Excerpts from the WSJ story below..the bold/italicized comment is the take-away–and one that every/any C-Suiter should subscribe to:

“….Boardroom commanders are being assigned to basic training….Fearful their companies will fall behind because top bosses don’t have a firm grasp of technology or digital media, senior managers are taking lessons on how the Internet works….

Some firms are pairing individual leaders with young mentors, while others are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to teach the entire c-suite how to use social tools that most of their entry-level employees use without a second thought…

The goal isn’t for the CEO to parse the difference between a “like” and “share” on Facebook or take a spin on the company Twitter TWTR -3.60% account, though that is covered, too. Rather, instructors and managers say, a basic understanding of the digital landscape helps leaders make better decisions about what to invest in, as well as how to talk about it…” 

Below video provides insight courtesy of a “young-in” whose business is teaching grey-beards the ropes. Click here for the WSJ article

CEO-Centric Social Media Bootcamps; R U Clueless in the C-Suite Cubicle?

Bitcoin Accepted Here!

   Its official, JLC Group, the corporate marketing, branding and advisory to disruptive thought-leaders is now accepting Bitcoin in connection with payment for services, or if you simply want to send us some.

Yes, those of you who remain skeptical re: use of bitcoin in lieu of government issued currency are justified for wanting to wait until bitcoins become ubiquitous, i.e. when PayPal creates a means to transact with bitcoin, or when FaceBook Bank opens for business (the latter is an idea that we proposed last year, but has not yet resonated with FB execs), or when Jeff Bezos bites into the bitcoin apple.

All of that said, we like to be part of first-mover movements, particularly those that exhibit all of the signs of disrupting (in a positive way) the way in which do business. We were one of the first to extol the use of Google when it was still a garage project,  we were a first-wave wonk re LinkedIn’s march to fame and fortune, and we’ve been way ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing video applications as a means of enhancing brand awareness and corporate value propositions.

Caveat: We don’t recommend speculating in bitcoins the way some folks speculate in FX or futures trading. That’s a fool’s errand!

 

Bitcoin Accepted Here!

Awareness Strategy of The Day: Short, Subliminal Bursts

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/02/business/media/mob-city-uses-twitter-to-build-suspense-for-a-premiere.html?ref=todayspaper

From the “How To Create Awareness Today and Now” department, today’s news bulletins point to 2 unrelated stories aka case studies from New York Times reporter Andrew Adam Newman [Building Suspsene on Twitter for A Television Show About the Mob]  and WSJ’s Farhad Manjoo’s piece “Why Everyone Will Totally Read This…”

Before you click on either of above, the take-away is that both articles coincidentally profile “this week’s weapon of choice” for today’s “Awareness Creators.”Both also profile derivative forms of what this blogger suggests is a time-proven, “before-there-were-neuroscientists” narrative/story telling approach.

Tag-lines are out; in-vogue are tactics that leverage multiple mediums (traditional, new, digital and social media) and deliver “short-burst” messages over a series of days (i.e. single frames from a film clip, using Twitter to link to upcoming scripts of a widely-promoted TV show (i.e.AMC’s upcoming “Mob City”), or a series of 15 second video vignettes that are ‘episodes’ that tell a story that subliminally promotes a brand

Regardless of the specific weapon of choice, the objective is to assault the target audience with a string of increasingly intriguing (short!) messages such that each subsequent ‘hit’ leads to increasing degrees of recall and resonance..such that your audience, desperate to know “what’s next” proactively seeks you out. That folks is a Holy Grail for the current Madmen Generation.

Awareness Strategy of The Day: Short, Subliminal Bursts

How to Create Awareness: Social Networks Marry Uber-Rich With Investment Opportunities

Courtesy of Liz Moyer, WSJ (excerpt) :

“..A new breed of social investment networking is popping up, with the aim of helping wealthy suitors and private-business owners meet up and pair off. Call them matchmakers for the deal market. What the networks do best is give buyers and sellers the rough equivalent of a well-lit meeting place for a first encounter. The networks are generally open to “accredited” investors, typically those with an annual income of at least $200,000 or $1 million in investible assets..”

Firms such as Axial.net, Zanbato and FDX Capital are catering to deep-pocketed investors looking to buy majority stakes in closely held firms by introducing investors to business owners seeking that kind of long-term investment commitment. Zanbato and FDX opened their doors in the past year or so, while Axial was formed in 2010.

Zanbato’s network, Zanbato Sutter, launched in the spring. It connects about 800 wealthy families, as well public pensions and sovereign-wealth funds, with potential deals in real estate, media and other sectors. The firm, in Mountain View, Calif., charges investors a fee based on the size of a completed deal, says Nico Sand, its chief executive.

Here’s the link to the WSJ story

How to Create Awareness: Social Networks Marry Uber-Rich With Investment Opportunities

Corporate Brand Burnishing 101: #Citi Sings For Lunch with Man-in-The-Mirror

As reported in the WSJ weekend edition, what better way for Citibank to burnish its brand and show its humanity than to have its London-based bankers and traders perform their acoustical skills by singing a heart-rendering version of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” on BBC’s hit competition TV show, “The Choir” ?

The Citibank Singers not only perform one of Michael Jackson’s best, but the performance by the CitiTroupe was apparently so compelling, clips from their performance are scheduled to be used in the opening of each segment of the show’s Season 2 (which premieres Mon Dec 2).

Ironically, BBC2′s website indicated that none of the promo clips for Season 2 were actually viewable online (yet), and as much as some might liken the snafu to less-than-customer-friendly experiences encountered when dealing with financial institutions (and/or with “healthcare.gov”), the clip to left offers great transparency (a quasi-popular phrase on Wall Street) i.e. the type of returns Citi staffers deliver when prompted to sing for their lunch.
For the full story, click here to be redirected and watch the clips, 

Thought-Leadership Requires Thought & Leadership: Excellence Awards Go To Excellent Folks

Well-demonstrated by a short list of Wall Street women recently awarded for their excellence and contributions to their respective organizations and to the communities they serve.  We’re proud to be associated with one such winner.

Thought-Leadership Requires Thought & Leadership: Excellence Awards Go To Excellent Folks

Advanced Branding: Story Tellers Rule The World

Caleb Ferguson for The New York Times
Dave Goldberg, left, Shane Snow and Joe Coleman founded Contently, which aims to be the “anticontent farm.”[/caption]

Kudos to NY Times’ David Karr re yesterday’s article profiling upstart company Contently, and narrowcasting on the increasing trend on the part of companies to disintermediate their intermediary media companies by creating [in-house] story-telling-style content and delivering this well-proven, brand value strategy directly to the consumer.

So as not to infringe on the NY Times copyrighted story , below are the excerpted “take-aways”:

“..At a time when advertising is achieving diminishing returns and public relations has trouble breaking through, companies are learning the value of putting their names around — but not in the middle — of memorable stories.”

“..In 1947, General Electric had an in-house reporter telling the company’s stories — a guy named Kurt Vonnegut.”

“…the bar has been raised by companies like Red Bull, whose incredibly popular extreme sports videos almost make it seem like a media company that sells beverages on the side..”

Call it “brand positioning” or call it “spinning”, companies who aspire to innovate need to pull no punches and understand  the art (and science) of telling stories as a means to ingratiate your targeted audience is a critical component to your overall brand messaging strategy.

This self-acclaimed expert re topic of spinning strongly advocates the successful and time-tested use of  compelling story-telling as a means to inspire and influence your audience to respond to your story accordingly.

Kurt Vonnegut might have pioneered this corporate branding strategy for GE, but to truly appreciate how a good story can have a meaningful impact your audience is to consider the success of The Bible.

Advanced Branding: Story Tellers Rule The World

Citibank's New Strategy: Cozy-Up to Customers; A Case Study

Thanks in part to the “financial crisis of 2008″…whose after-affects remain resonant in the minds and real lives of millions of people, this iconic brand has been the subject of countless critiques and criticism, including the re-purposing of their corporate name from Citibank to “Sh*%tyBank” by certain fun-loving anti-brand protagonists who believe that major banks care only about their bottom lines, and least of all, the consumers they exploit .

Even this blogger has, up until recently, been in the camp that decries the big banks that rest on the fine print that can’t be deciphered, and does everything to squeeze as much money as they can from the millions who have few alternatives re: credit card services. Until that is, last night, when I had an encounter via phone with a Citibank rep in connection with a notice I received about a credit pending to my account with regard to a Citi-promoted credit protection service I had apparently subscribed to during the 2000-2004 period.

The phone number included in the mailing directed me to a lovely lady who answered with “Hi, I’m Cathy xxx (no need to broadcast her last name here)…”I’m your Citi representative based here in Orlando, Florida and I’m here to help you..”

1. The Citi script was perfect..it provided subliminal comfort by immediately informing me I was speaking with someone here in the US (when one typically finds themselves speaking with an outsourced call center staffer with less-than perfect grasp of English and located in a different hemisphere) and their mission was to help me.

2. Before I could fully pose my query in connection with the notification, “Cathy” had my entire Citi history dispalyed on a screen in front of her, and immediately told me why I was calling and explained that I would be receiving a credit to my account that very evening.

3. After that’ business’ was concluded, Cathy offered to address any other concerns I might have. So, I figured that I should raise the issue of the usurious interest rate that seemed to be stuck to my corporate credit card account for the past 5 years. Cathy placed me on hold for 2 minutes and then came back on line, this time with her associate “Angela (whose last name is not necessary to post on the internet), who introduced herself in the same way Cathy did and told me where she was located (Atlanta).In less than 5 minutes, Angela advised me that she was authorized to reduce my annual interest rate by 30%, a change that if accepted, would be implemented immediately.

I had actually attempted to secure the same type of reduction for each of the past 4 years, with barely a budge in the rate.  Angela made me feel like a VIP and we proceeded to talk about sports teams and the weather in the northeast vs. southeast.  Bottom line? I had 2 different experiences with 2 different Citi employees in 2 different locations, working in 2 different departments. Both of those engagements left me with a warm and cozy feeling and I now tip my hat to Citi for flawless customer service.

 

Citibank's New Strategy: Cozy-Up to Customers; A Case Study

Dept of HHS ACA Website Snarl: PR Crisis Management Report Card: "D" For Just Plain Dumb

The media has convinced us all that Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama’s designated point person re the implementation of the government website to support the Affordable Care Act,  should be fired for failing to have taken a much more intelligent and well-informed approach to manage the design and roll out of the federal government ‘web portal’ intended to be used for signing up millions of Americans who need affordable healthcare.

After all, we all now know the roll-out hasn’t been simply ‘soft’, the snarled software project has increasingly becoming a harbinger of potentially much worse to come: the possible failure to sign up a minimum number of people required to prove the basic economic thesis of ACA.

This writer has been involved in multiple, enterprise-level technology initiatives over the past 20 years. Most have been related to the financial industry or the insurance industry. Mission critical stuff that has been the backbone to $ multi-billion industries.  The most important thing I learned is that software is called software for a reason, and this particular project is particularly complex when considering the the number of  independent federal and state government databases, as well as insurance company exchange member platforms that need to be linked and synced in order to make the platform work.

That said, when HHS Secretary says “we’re now going to bring in an A-team of technology experts to fix this..”, that’s when heads need to roll, starting with this Secretary–who along the way, has embarrassed herself by appearing on late night comedy talk shows.

Rule #1 re PR Crisis Management: Get out in front of the problem the moment it arises. DO NOT LET THE MEDIA MANIPULATE THE STORY WHILE YOU ARE TOO BUSY HOLDING INTERNAL STAFF MEETINGS DEBATING ON WHAT TO SAY TOMORROW IN RESPONSE TO YESTERDAY’S TWEETS.

Rule #1 re Leadership: DO NOT POINT FINGERS, DO NOT BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND, DO NOT CLAIM TO BE “WAITING ON INTERNAL REPORTS THAT WILL IDENTIFY WHO SCREWED UP”…INSTEAD…YOU NEED TO MAKE AN EXECUTIVE PRO-ACTIVE DECISION AND IMMEDIATELY RECRUIT THE VERY MOST RESPECTED PROBLEM SOLVERS, REGARDLESS OF “ADDITIONAL COST”.

 

Dept of HHS ACA Website Snarl: PR Crisis Management Report Card: "D" For Just Plain Dumb

Financial Industry Marketing: A Social Media Video Lesson From World-Famous Hedge Fund Manager

Known for being secretive and stealth in the course of managing Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, Ray Dalio has been called many things; we know him for (among other things) being someone who embraces video, and uses this tool to extend a broad assortment of messages…including the one below that targets the universe of investors.

Sight, Sound and Motion…a time-tested tool that makes your message resonate.

Financial Industry Marketing: A Social Media Video Lesson From World-Famous Hedge Fund Manager

How The Economic Machine Works by Ray Dalio

Owning Stock in Pro Athletes & Celebs, Just Like Owning Shares in #GOOG!: Calling All Sponsors!

Calling all sponsorship agents!

As noted in today’s NYT DealBook story, start-up “Fantex Holdings” is a new trading exchange backed by executives from Silicon Valley, Wall Street and the sports world that can enable investors to buy and sell equity interests in professional athletes, and ultimately, entertainment industry celebrities. The vision is that investors can participate in the revenue generated by these individual ‘brands’ by virtue of owning stock in them.

[For those not familiar with the machinations of Wall Street, the inspiration to this concept comes from the 1990's, when a financial industry genius created "Bowie Bonds"--a bond issue that paid interest from current of future revenue of albums from rock star David Bowie..]

The latest iteration from Fantex (whose execs include a former West Point grad-turned megamillionaire after selling a software company for $600 mil, a former partner of VC firm Benchmark Capital, a former Goldman Sachs exec and now partner of hedge fund Glenview Capital  and a former technology wizard from E*Trade), envision Fantex as the ‘hub’ for IPOs and secondary market trading of ‘stocks’ whose underlying value is the revenue generated by the individual ‘brand’ celeb.   Sponsorship gurus will necessarily have an ‘axe’ in the equity value of the athletes, as its the sponsors who will serve as a primary source of revenue to that ‘brand’.

If the whole idea sounds convoluted and potentially subject to ‘gaming’, this “pontificator” says:

1. Brilliant Idea. I’d like to be the agent that is selling stock in those athletes.

2. When will Fantex facilitate selling shares in politicians? Once that happens, it will become a lobbyist’s wet dream.

3. Sounds like the SEC will have one more asset class to monitor. Rots of Ruck

 

 

Owning Stock in Pro Athletes & Celebs, Just Like Owning Shares in #GOOG!: Calling All Sponsors!

Sales/Marketing 101: Most Important Form of Communication? Listening!

You talk too much…particularly if your conversations find you speaking for more than 50% of the time.

This astute observation, reported in today’s weekend edition of the WSJ  by Rob Lazebnik (also a writer for “The Simpsons”) is courtesy of Dr. Lynn Koegel, Clinical Director of the Koegel Autism Center at the University of California.

However much the article (and Koegel’s view) may be referencing every day, social setting interactions, it provides great insight for road warrior sales execs and marketing “gurus”–the folks who live to dominate a conversation until the audience waves a white flag of submission.

The same article also inspired an ironic smirk on the part of this blogger, who, in the course of providing consulting services to enterprises of different shapes and sizes–makes it a point to include mentoring sessions with respective clients’ “up-and-comers” and interns. Each of the introductory always starts with this talking head posing my audience with this [rhetorical] question: “What is the most important form of communication?”

Invariably, the answers from my ‘students’ include the3-4 pat responses indoctrinated by those top”B-schools”; with the most likely suspect answers being:  ”good eye contact”  ”speak clearly”, “appropriate body language.” As spotlighted by today’s WSJ, I argue those pat answers are wrong; Listening is the Most Important Form of Communication. Period.

Sales/Marketing 101: Most Important Form of Communication? Listening!

#TwitterIPO: #Marketers Battle #Bots; Investors Solicited to Buy Parkay or Margarine?

Today’s WSJ story by Tom Gara, “Twitter Users: Real or Fake?” leads this blogger to suggest that Mr. Gara might have tripped over this blogger’s recent tweets (and posts) that question the viability and integrity of Twitter’s advertising model-the key ingredient for those contemplating investing in the unprofitable company’s upcoming public offering.

Per the WSJ article, “An undetermined millions of Twitter’s 215 million  accounts (which is who advertisers target) are of questionable legitimacy..” The article suggests that 5% of Twitter’s “audience” are so-called “bots” –which are not human eyeballs, but merely artificially-created. We, along with industry experts, believe the real number of ‘fake users’ is upwards of 15%.

What’s the big deal? Well, the big deal is that brand marketers and advertisers are the bread and butter of Twitter’s business model. If many of the targeted audience are not really real people, where’s the beef for the business?

Reminding us of the iconic branding campaign courtesy of Parkay Margarine

#TwitterIPO: #Marketers Battle #Bots; Investors Solicited to Buy Parkay or Margarine?

Brand Valuation Metric for VCs: Your Start-Up's Social Media Presence

According to the WSJ, start-ups  seeking venture capital should know that the value of your aspiring brand is directly correlated to your presence on Twitter, FaceBook and other social media platforms.

The article included 10 basic rules for start-up marketing gurus, including “Rule #8: It’s better to have a huge following on one platform than to have a mediocre following on several.”

The article caused me to smirk, as the first thought that came to mind while reading the article and and simultaneously thinking about how Twitter and FB are so easily manipulated by robots, was Forrest Gump’s fav: “Stupid is As Stupid Does.”

During the better part of the past 20 years (starting well in advance of the “Internet Bubble”), this blogger has led various start-ups and has worked with a broad universe of VCs and private equity icons in the course evaluating multiple enterprises who sought (and still seek) to disrupt the norm with innovative approaches and cutting-edge technology.   I’ve huddled with prescient grey beards as well as a multitude of B-School geniuses, the latter of whom like to believe they know everything there is to know about..well..everything..And, that latter group is necessarily fixated on current trends and what’s next..often courtesy of their schoolmates who aspire to be the next Mark Zuckerberg.

I’ve also interfaced with more than a few corporate marketing execs who are responsible  for driving brand strategies for their respective companies…many of which are Fortune-level corporations.

For those who don’t know it, when  it comes to investing, the herd mentality (which is what the WSJ article profiled), sheep are influenced by what all of the other sheep are doing.  Because VCs are making bets on companies with significant social media presence (however fleeting that presence actually is), they could easily be using the same capital to day trade commodities..which are much more liquid.

 

 

 

 

Brand Valuation Metric for VCs: Your Start-Up's Social Media Presence

Militants & Dictators Buy In To Twitter IPO

Makes sense that the world’s best-funded anarchists are hoping to capitalize further on Twitter; according to un-named European and Mid-Eastern bankers and brokers, a bunch of them are lining up to buy into the upcoming Twitter IPO.

For those not already in the know, Twitter–which is still trying to figure out its product and revenue model to justify its entree into the favored-nation world of multi-billion-dollar-valuation tech companies—this social media weapon is not just “all the rage” among democratic nation politicos and the universe of celebs, pontificators and opinionators, Twitter is the propaganda tool of choice for a broad spectrum of road-raging dictators and evil-doers….

Did we forget to add: recent studies have determined that easily more than 10%–and perhaps as much as 20% of “tweets” are created by artificially-intelligent robots who churn out chum in a systematic fashion–with the obvious goal of both influencing and luring unsuspecting dolts who believe what they read.

Here’s a good news clip profiling “terror on twitter” ..For those who aspire to own a piece of the next big IPO, be careful what you wish for.

http://jn1.tv/video/news/terror-on-twitter-how-militants-turn-to-social-media.html

 

Militants & Dictators Buy In To Twitter IPO

#Native-Advertising: A Boon or a Boondoggle? Do Storytelling Ads Usurp The Fourth Estate (Journalism)?

Per today's insightful article by New York Times' reporter David Carr, product-placement techniques that have always been the rage within the framework of film/television (as well as selective use within novels) are permeating traditional journalism via "native advertising"(aka "sponsored content")--to the chagrin of among others, The Wonderfactory's Joe McCambley, the fellow credited with introducing the web's now ubiquitous application: banner advertising.

Similar to the notion of "narrative persuasion"--Carr spotlights  the "Fourth Estate" increasing trend towards delivering content that subliminally masks the ultimate agenda of articles that appear to be unbiased, but necessarily put a hopefully powerful spin in favor of the referenced product or service.

When the lines between advertising copy and journalism intersect, that's when audiences might/should cry "foul"---or so McCambley argues. Can you say "Pandora's Box" 5x times in rapid succession?

Ironically, the New York Times, along with Forbes Magazine and a roster of other mainstream news outlets, is now full steam ahead using this very strategy to serve its advertisers. Without intending to endorse advertisers that appear on the page, here's the link to the story:  

While you're at it, an informative (non-sponsored!) article re storytelling and narrative persuasion can be found by clicking this link.

Great News: We're Moving to a New Location

Thanks to my pals at Golpik.com--visit our new website at www.thejlcgroup.com~

Old School Ad Execs Sweat as Data Geeks Displace Them

With a sense of wry review to a reasonably interesting article in today's WSJ (by Suzanne Vranica and Christopher Stewart--one that profiles the certainly-changing advertising industry landscape, and the diminished roles of wannabe Don Draper-types, below is one of several dozen comments posted to the WSJ online version of the article:

Accusing the ad industry's embracement of technology for being the cause of the downfall of martini-drinking creative geniuses in the ad industry makes for a great story, but the lamenting by those profiled in the article, i.e. those who find themselves without a seat is part sour grapes and part "I'm in the 80-20 Club" mindset...i.e. those that thought punching a clock without being truly relevant was a ticket to that second home in Aspen.

To best frame my observations re: a good snapshot, I should first preface that I speak from perspective of someone who spends considerable time on the fringes of Don Drapper’s Madison Avenue—but only after a more-than 15-minute career within the bowels of Wall Street, where my role as a “exchange floor specialist” had me bringing buyers and sellers together.  That role has long since become “electronified” and to a great extent, very specific human tasks associated with that role have been diminished, and in many instances, extinct from human interaction.

As poignantly observed by one creative blogger’s posting immediately subsequent to the announced merger between Publicis and Omnicom, the CEO of Omnicom referenced the combination of these two firms akin to building the next NASDAQ Stock Market; which was actually a somewhat narrow view of how the advertising industry will likely evolve.

Two of the 2 dozen online comments posted below your website edition of today’s article—those made by Mssrs. John Hooper and Bill Brown-- were perhaps the most well-thought out.

Notwithstanding the evolution of the global equities markets, the role of those who provide marketplace insight has remained a critical component. Buyers responsible for allocating significant capital remain reliant on trusted relationships, albeit those folks now necessarily need to be equipped with metadata talking points; but the human relationship remains paramount.

The buying and selling of highly-commoditized products obviously lends itself to automation and “AI”. Mid-level ad buyers will deservedly need to re-tool or seek other roles; much of what they do is better done via transparent electronic platforms. But, the creation of compelling, response-inspiring ad content that must not only conform to microscopic-sized screens or 70-character shout-outs or single images, but actually convert the viewer into an on-line shopper is, in this opinionator’s opinion, a holy grail that is still far from the reach of ET, AI or any other form of unearthly intelligence. The odds of someone introducing an insertable device that prompts delivering electronic messages to the brain that in turn, causes purchases to be made, are less slim than any AI will create crisp content that compels a call to action. Caveat: Simple phrases like “Buy this now, you schmuck! Because you deserve it!” will still inspire broad brand recall and the consumption of billions of dollars worth of burgers, cigarettes and booze.

The take-away: much like the way computer algorithms have become a defacto part of the financial market world of buying and selling, and much like similar tools and processes since embraced in other industries, the buying and selling of mid-level advertising placement budgets will be consigned to computers. The ability to deliver content that (I) creates recall and (ii) most importantly--converts into consumption within a new “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” landscape is wear the rubber will meet the road for those neuroscience-induced lab rats hiding behind quant guru pocket protectors. 

Delivering the right ad at the right time to the right place is as simple as securing an exclusive sponsorship deal with FB; tell me your story and why I should buy you within a 1 inch square space is not going to happen easily or quickly. And just as important, bulge bracket buyers—those allocating tens of zillions of dollars are always going to require a big fat, medium-rare steak..and ideally, front row seats at the next Knick game. The Advertising King is Dead, Long Live the King. 

P.S. Facebook actually doesn’t seem to have ‘exclusive sponsorship’ opportunities—such as a flower industry sponsored call to action that any marketing guru would expect to appear within the same ‘alert notification’ that’s displayed when  your mom, your daughter, your wife, your girlfriend, your mistress is about to celebrate a birthday or other occasion. “Today is your mom’s birthday—click here for the Facebook Endorsed Florist—It’s Low-Priced and High Quality!”… Trust me when I suggest that a computer can’t come up with that idea and a computer can’t pitch it to the knuckleheads at FB that think they’ve now got their mojo in mobile. 

       

Jay Berkman

JLC Group

Blogger Scoops Ad Industry MegaMerger; #Omnicom Chief Likens Ad Business Model to #Nasdaq

Hiding in plain site 2 days ago (Saturday afternoon's NYT digital version), we noticed a blurb/ brief mention of what was obviously the biggest merger in the history of the ad industry. Somewhat surprised that this blogger was the first to 'tweet' it, and even more surprised that the story didn't make the Saturday evening news or the following Sunday morning newspapers, we figured that Perry White must have been on holiday in the Hamptons.

Seems we were right on both counts. Omnicom and Publicis Groupe's plan to marry is the MadMen Industry's biggest event since...well certainly since Darrin Stevens took over McMann & Tate and Samantha blinked Tabatha to walk on the moon for a Kodak commercial..

After senior editors and reporters returned from their summer weekend, the 2 day old story appeared on this a.m.'s NYT front page, but only because WSJ cub reporter Jimmy Olsen apparently sent his girlfriend and NYT columnist Lois Lane a txt msg that read: "Ad Industry Merger: "Market Moving to NASDAQ Model" Says Designated Madmen Mogul.".

And the rest, they say, "is history" [in the making]. Jimmy Olsen will undoubtedly be charged by a joint task force led by Eric Holder and Preet Bharara for disclosing insider information. Lois Lane can be expected to be arraigned later today for conspiracy to disclose confidential information that Nasdaq has already negotiated to acquire the merged entity after the merger passed muster with the FTC...

The SEC of course has already put out a statement : "We've heard nothing, we've seen nothing and we know nothing ...about any disclosure of non public information involving any of these very public companies...." An SEC spokesman added (without being authorized to speak or think), "If Nasdaq has actually played a role in bringing these two ad agencies together in anticipation of acquiring that new entity so they could dominate the buying and selling of ad placements via an electronic market...well..that sounds good to me!"