Ford Advertising-Intelligent??

I just saw a Ford ad on TV promoting the Lincoln Navigator---which included a mention that the car has 'intelligent 4 wheel drive"

I can hear comedian Jack Black now...

"Who came up with the word "intelligent????

Is there such a thing as an "intelligent" 4 wheel drive? And does that mean some 4 wheel drives are stupid?? And are there others that are totally, f--ing moronic??

What's next? Is Mercedes or BMW going to top it with "exceptionally intelligent "4 wheel drive"??? Or, "the smartest 4 wheel drive"?

Thanks Ford! That's what you get for making the former CEO of a airplane manufacturer the head of your turnaround campaign.

Breaking News: Internet Crash Update

Click on the story title for the latest news coverage on this global catastrophe..
:)

How to Use PR and Product Placement Positvely to Promote a new Product

We love these types of product placement human interest stories so much that it makes us pee. Seriously!

Former Minneapolis Fire Chief: A First Responder in I-35W Bridge Collapse;

Coordinates Helping Hand Contribution of Soapopular Hand Sanitizers

Minneapolis, MN, Aug 8, 2007-- Former Minneapolis Fire Department Chief Bonnie Bleskachek, an embattled hero to many in the Minneapolis community, hasn't allowed recent personal controversy to stand in the way of helping Minnesota citizens in times of crisis.

Bleskachek, a career firefighter who, in 2004 was celebrated nationwide for being one of the country’s few women to be appointed Chief of a major US city fire department, only to be demoted two years later after becoming embroiled in a political firestorm, is one of the many heroes emerging in Minneapolis’s I-35W bridge collapse.

Since the August 1 catastrophe first occurred, Bleskachek has been working tirelessly by coordinating volunteer and emergency supply logistics, and she was the first to respond to an unsolicited call from a Connecticut company offering to contribute a shipment of Soapopular, a new, alcohol-free hand sanitizer, for emergency workers at the disaster scene.

Pedro Mata, a partner of Mata Global Solutions, the Connecticut import firm that distributes Soapopular throughout the United States, stated, “Last week’s catastrophe struck a particular chord with us, as we had just returned from a planning session in Minneapolis with executives from Target, Inc., and we were immediately compelled to do whatever we could to help the emergency workers on site.”

According to Bonnie Bleskachek, Former Fire Chief of the Minneapolis Fire Department, and now coordinating disaster relief efforts, “All helping hands are being welcomed by our community, and the hand sanitizers contributed by Soapopular are particularly appreciated.”

Soapopular is one of few, next generation, alcohol-free hand sanitizer products that have been introduced since national news media first began reporting about the side effects of typical hand sanitizer products, including more than 12,000 cases of child-related, alcohol-poisoning cases directly attributed to generic products such as Purell and other brands, which account for more than 95% of the country’s hand

sanitizer market. FDA-approved, Soapopular’s active ingredients provide the same bacteria and germ killing efficacy as more widely-known alcohol-based products, but, unlike most hand sanitizers on the market today, Soapopular is non-toxic, non-flammable, antiseptic, hypoallergenic, kid safe, fragrance fee, and because its alcohol-free, it doesn’t cause hands to dry or become irritated with prolonged use.

* * *

For Additional Information

203.255.0034

http://www.MGSmata.com

http://www.Soapopular-USA.com

How To Qualify a Client

Exactly 8 days ago, my firm received an unsolicited call requesting a sponsorship sales proposal for an event in Las Vegas that would be hosting 2000+ "top gun sales execs" making 250k+ per year.
Despite my being leery as to how many sponsors really want to pay to be in front of sales people--who are notorious for being tough sells themselves, "What do these sales execs sell?", I asked. Reply: "Oh--We're one of the top mortgage sales companies in the US." And they were--NYSE listed American Home Mortgatge

Why would they need sponsors to help underwrite a sales event for their brokers? Gee.. Massive company ringing the cash register with commissions every day..You'd think they could pay for their own party, even if it cost them about $4million a year for this one week seminar/boondoggle in LV....It took a few bangs of my head against the wall to conclude that they were about to go down the tube--just like a bunch of other financial service companies being dragged down by the Real Estate Epidemic thats been cratering the mortgage markets

Mortgage sales company seeking help to defray costs of big party...mmmm...sounds a bit dicey, but....We submitted a comprehensive proposal on Thursday night (thinking that we knew at least 10-12 companies that would want to have the opportunity to be in front of top gun sales people making mid six figures)

Two days later, the company announced they were cutting their dividend, the day after that the stock was halted for trading, and today (one week later), they announced they'd be firing 7000 employees, leaving a skeleton staff of 750 and bankruptcy filing would be taking place shortly.
So much for the boondoggle in Vegas...

As a former trader, the first sign was the most obvious-I should have shorted the stock as soon as I was briefed on the client and what they were hoping to accomplish.

NY Times: VC Investing in Sex-Related Businesses

I love it...always did...I remember back in 1998 when a brilliant friend came up with the idea for a website that was called WallStreetGals.com --It was a Bloomberg Meets Playboy..with double entendre market coverage with live audio streaming, real time prices, mid-day updates from sexy starletts.....The site was profiled in a bunch of newspapers, and it got a fair amount of traffic when it first launched, but it was ahead of its time and soon folded...

But...today's NY Times article...excerpted herein--suggests that VC's are warming up to the idea that sex-related businesses might be a good investment. Duh. Rick's Cabaret (NASDAQ :RICK) shareholders could have told you that.. And what about the literally tens of millions of dollars being generated by professional companies operating online video chatting platforms--little overhead (and still littler underwear)..

Several former Wall Street investors are now specializing in marrying mainstream money with companies that offer such content or products. Separately, a handful of venture capitalists have already financed start-ups that receive a big chunk of revenue from making or distributing sexual content or products, and others are considering such investments.

Jimmyjane, a San Francisco company that sells sex-related consumer products including high-end vibrators (a gold-plated one sells for $250), has six venture capitalists among its investors. The company’s chief executive said he was close to completing a $3 million to $5 million round of financing with one or more funds — not merely individual venture capitalists but marquee funds.

“It will be a watershed,” said Jimmyjane’s chief executive, Ethan Imboden, formerly a design consultant to Nike, Motorola and other mainstream brands. He said the deal could be among the first major venture fund investments in an overtly sexually themed business.

The involvement of mainstream investors in such companies is still very much in its infancy, and even those with a vested interest in developing it say it may not evolve further. There are considerable hurdles, chiefly and simply the discomfort of many in being affiliated with products and services they consider immoral or that they think could tarnish their reputations.

In addition, investors are dubious that these companies can turn a sufficient profit to justify the risk. Pointedly, investors may find it tough to take sex-related companies public, or find big companies to acquire them, limiting their profit-making exit strategies. And the universities and endowments that invest in private equity funds and venture capitalists are not likely to approve deals they see as pornographic, investment bankers said.

But there are also som

Bull Riding=The Next NASCAR

Sounds crazy? Don't bet against it.
As a matter of fact, smart money is betting ON it--including a few hedge fund traders that have proven to be prescient in just about every move they've made.

Amongst all sports categories, bull riding has had the greatest growth i.e. TV viewership in the last four years, and attendance at major tourneys is increasing by mid double digits.

Why? Think David vs. Goliath. Man Meets Animal in Sporting Arena.
Testosterone at its finest--and the sponsors are quickly beginning to appreciate the many different angles at which they can tatoo their logo. Thrilling, exciting, physically stimulating.

This is a sport that doesn't need a Spice Girl's husband to spice up the entertainment..This is no bullshit bull riding and 20 seconds of pure entertainment.

While soccer tries to be the next football, bull riding IS going to be the next NASCAR. You read it here.

Venture Capital Education

In the course of a recent "pitch" conference call with a prominent VC firm (specializing in BRIC wireless telecom initiatives), the VC said "We need to get more up to speed on the technology, so we'd like to see how it plays out and perhaps visit on the second round"

So that means:
We were talking to a low-level analyst that presented himself as a decision maker. Any VC worth their salt that puts themselves out to investors as specializing in a niche---necessarily implies they are up to speed--and their investors can expect deployment of capital quickly, at early stage companies--so that investors can expect better returns than they might get at another VC firm, or a maybe a private equity firm.

The only way to get an education is to participate or watch. Those that participate share in the glory of the gold medal. In this case, real gold. Those that watch to learn, get a bronze medal. They come in 3 places behind the big winner.

In the world of investing, the first round participants are paying for the first look, and a front row seat. Their returns (on winners) can be 500x initial capital. Can you spell GOOGLE?. OK, there aren't many GOOG's in the course of a decade---but the point is---the second round investor in a company that's proven itself, is passing hurdles without a blink, is going to pay 5x, or maybe 10x the valuation. And is ideally going to earn 4x-5x over the next 10 years.

Or the company is on such a trajectory that they can get bank financing for their next $50 million round.
VC's--or any other "professional investor" that says 'we need to be better educated, and watch the market mature" shouldn't be claiming to be experts.

NBC News Lights Fire Under Flammable Purell

Two weeks ago I touted a new product that can maybe make $3million in 2 years--a well-branded, alcohol-free hand sanitizer.. If you use Purell, or another type of traditional product that you can easily pick up at an airport news stand, or any drug or grocery. Its a $150million/year product.
98% of the products are alchol based--they have a sticky gel application, they often have a fragrance (that is often noxius), and when you use frequently--they make your skin dry/irritated. Sound familiar?... Its the alcohol that kills the germs but also causes the side effects. OK...lets not forget the 11,000 reports of alcohol poisoning attributed to hand sanitizers (mostly kids--they're apparently inadvertently, or not, ingesting the gel by licking it off their hands....taste bad, and causes some medical problems....
Click on the Title Link to see Matt Lauer light a fire on Purell...Its a pretty flammable message that is probably going to torch the current product category

What's the product that solves this problem:
Soapopular
where can you buy it legally? http://www.mgsmata.com

Who else knows about it... ?The smartest merchandisers in the country have already planned national product launches starting in Sept.. You can buy it right now on Amazon.com

CEO and the Brand

	July 16, 2007

IN THE LEAD By CAROL HYMOWITZ

Some CEOs Advertise The 'Me' Brand -- With Limited Success July 16, 2007; Page B1 Companies budget large amounts of money to develop brands that stir excitement and cement loyalty from customers. "Fly the Friendly Skies" still evokes United Airlines and an era of hassle-free travel. The "snap, crackle, pop" of Kellogg's Rice Krispies brand conjures up for many consumers an image of a cereal that's fun for kids. Now, some top executives are branding themselves as distinctly as they brand their companies' products. They want to ensure their names also are quickly recognized and tied to a particular sentiment. They believe they have to do this to retain the support of increasingly fickle directors and investors. A strong public image may also help them build alliances with government officials and business leaders across the globe. And in the Google age, they want their names to be more prominent than those of their rank-and-file employees, who are competing for high placement on search engines and social-networking sites. FORUM 1 Have you ever worked for a company, where the company image hinged upon a single individual? Do you think that executives should put themselves in the spotlight? Share your thoughts2. Building a personal brand gives the executives fame beyond their companies. Numerous retired CEOs, from GE's Jack Welch to Citigroup's Sandy Weill, are on speaking and publishing tours making sure their names remain in bright lights. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs have demonstrated the benefits of linking a strong name and personality to their unique products. Martha Stewart, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, has turned her name into one of the most successful brands in business. It is on her bedroom sheets, dishes and other household products; her magazine; her television show; and, most recently, her architectural designs of new homes. (See related article3.) Ms. Stewart's 2004 conviction for lying to prosecutors over a stock sale, followed by a five-month prison stay, hasn't damaged her image as a maven of trendy and tasteful living. Oprah Winfrey has used her name to build a powerful brand that emphasizes self-empowerment, reinvention and spirituality -- themes that she has said are at the center of her life and that she highlights on her TV talk show, Web sites, magazine and other ventures. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson portrays himself in his own books and in media interviews as an unorthodox pathfinder and a daredevil who has escaped death by shipwreck, gunfire and balloon crash. He uses this image to snag deals and realize novel ideas across a broad spectrum of industries represented by the 200 companies he operates. His customers can fly Virgin Atlantic, take balloon rides and buy mobile-phone service, life insurance, bridal gowns and pop music. Yet, corporate executives should be wary of too much personal brand-building. Unlike entrepreneurs who boost their companies when they promote themselves, an executive at an established corporation who brands himself is competing with his company's image. Such executives risk quashing the spirit of teamwork essential to innovation and productivity, and they tend to fail to do vital succession planning. A high-profile CEO can make sense for a company that "is seeking a stronger identity in the financial markets," says Gurnek Bains, chief executive of YSC, a London-based corporate-psychology consultant. "But all our research shows that it's humbler executives with less ego -- the ones who stay very connected to their employees and customers -- who get the best results for their businesses." Tom Kuczmarski, a consultant on business innovation and a professor at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, adds: "When you're the rock-star brand at the top, you're conveying to people in the ranks that they're second-class citizens -- and you stop thinking about how to develop the next group of people who will run the show." At Toyota, President Katsuaki Watanabe isn't a household name. Unlike some of his counterparts at other auto makers, such as DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche, Mr. Watanabe likes to keep a low profile and has never appeared in his company's ads. Yet, consumers have made Toyota the most profitable car maker in the world. The company is expected to sell some 9.34 million vehicles this year. Other successful CEOs forgo developing a personal brand to focus on building bench strength in leadership. Procter & Gamble's A.G. Lafley, following a company tradition, assigns new M.B.A. hires to be brand managers for products such as Tide detergent and Clairol hair-care items. The work stresses the importance of knowing everything possible about customers' buying habits. Mr. Lafley teaches by example. On his own business travels around the world, he quietly talks with customers in supermarkets and even, sometimes, their homes, asking them which products they like and use most frequently. Most corporate chiefs know success doesn't rest on one charismatic leader. Companies such as Intel, PepsiCo, Goldman Sachs and General Electric also are known for developing leaders up and down their ranks. Only the most confident CEOs are willing to advertise their employees more than themselves. • Email me at inthelead@wsj.com4.

The Hand That Controls the Sock Puppet Could Get Slapped

John Mackey and Patrick Byrne..and the First Amendment...
What complete and total moron believes that the Chief Executives should be allowed to manipulate public opinion by surreptitiously publishing comments that are misleading, and otherwise designed to sway people into believing things that might not be totally true?.

Ok, so George Bush says I'm way out of line--and probably believes that shareholders, just like voters, should expect their CEO's to be the DecisionMakers--and are allowed to do and say whatever it takes to improve the share price of the stock.
Or maybe he would only apply that rule to Halliburton?

Sure the Constitution includes an amendment that ..it might be the 1st one....but didn't your elementary school teacher tell you that anything you put into digital format can be traced back to you...? Here's the Rule. If you don't want it to appear on the front page of the NY Times (or Washington Post) with your real name as the author, then don't write it down...this applies to email, text messages, blogs, faxes and postings on websites..GET IT?