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Monthly Archives: March 2009
Tiger Freaking Woods
Golf Schmolf. I am talking Tiger Woods. He is not simply the sport’s greatest player, he is the greatest player in sports.
Tiger Freaking Woods.
After nearly a year of being unable to watch a single golf tournament, Tiger finally returned to the game and I returned to the TV. And though his first two performances were something less than spectacular, I kept coming back. Because I knew. It was just a matter of time.
So great is his ability. So great is his passion. So great is his focus. It absolutely captures the imagination and shakes the awe out of everyone watching.
Tiger Freaking Woods. You don’t have to like him. You don’t even have to like golf. But you must admire the beauty of what this young man does time and time again. He is a role model for any human who wishes to make something of his or her life. The perfect combination of grit and determination, careful study and hard work. Practice and more practice. Focus and fire.
Tiger Freaking Woods. You don’t have to like him, but I do. Damn, I love Tiger. I love to see him grimace when he doesn’t achieve what he sets out to achieve. And I love to see him smile and fist-pump when he puts it all together.
If there is a better athlete – a more consistent, disciplined and accomplished athlete – please tell me who he or she is. In the meantime, I only have eyes for Tiger Freaking Woods.
A Rogue by any Other Name
Talk about your tangled web of deception…
So I receive my morning copy of MediaPost’s Online Media Daily. The lead story is “Nissan’s Agency Details Online Branding Success” . The story is written by Laurie Sullivan. Here is the e-newsletter teaser:
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Nissan has been experimenting in digital advertising and promotions for years, according to Kristi Vandenbosch, president at Tequila USA, one of the automaker’s ad agencies. Vandenbosch kicked off the OMMA Global Hollywood conference on Tuesday with a case study of the Nissan Rogue campaign as well as the launch of the Nissan 370Z, which had practically a zero budget.
Really? Practically zero? How come I doubted that very, very seriously?
So I link to the full story. Guess what? No freaking explanation about the budget. Shocking, right? Keep in mind that the headline says: Nissan Agency DETAILS Online Branding Success. So where are the details of the zero budget? Because in this economy, we all want to know what you can do with zero budget.
They created a SERIES of viral videos and a video game (working with Electronic Arts) and somehow it involved sponsorship for Heroes (the TV show). All of which – apparently – required a “zero budget”.
But wait, there’s more:
Nissan and Tequila worked with Electronic Arts to unveil the car in a video game. They also produced a series of episodic videos that were the backstory of one of the characters in the game. Six films were distributed on Nissan.com and other channels such as YouTube.
Tequila also took the Z car on tour across the country, stopping at car clubs along the way to allow them to experience the new 370Z for the first time. A deal with Sports Illustrated put the car in the magazine for pittance. The videos have been seen more than 800,000 times in the last few weeks. Apps for Apple’s iPhone also aimed to lure gamers to the car.
ALL THIS FOR PRACTICALLY A ZERO BUDGET!
According to Merriam-Webster, a rogue is “a dishonest or worthless person [scoundrel].” Well, at least that part of the story rings true.
Another Green Certification to Add to the Growing List
In the April issue of Good Housekeeping, Rosemary Ellis, editor in chief of Good Housekeeping, is launching its official green seal. The seal will help consumers identify “green” products from those so prevalently greenwashing. Unless of course, the products have already been certified green by numerous certification programs in the marketplace – Green Seal, EPA Designed for the Environment, EcoLogo, GreenBlue, Green Label, Eco-Label, GreenGuard…
The problem is consumers are not only bombarded by greenwashing, but they have to decipher all these “green certifications” that continue to be created. Conducting marketing and public relations in the CPG industry, I still had to consult Google for green certifications because the list continues to grow longer each passing day. If I cannot even remember or recall them, how will a busy mom of three? And will consumers actually look for these certifications? If so, will they know the difference between the certifications?
The answer is no. As long as the green certifications company are more focused on the number of certifications they can achieve, and less worried about educating the public on when and why to look for their certifications, these green labels will mean nothing to consumers. This is precisely why the government needs to step in sooner than later and standardize the green product certification process much like it did with food nutrition labeling and organic product guidelines.
However, I think of all the certification programs available, The Good Housekeeping Green Seal will actually be the most trusted among consumers because of the equity in the Good Housekeeping brand and seal. Consumers will quickly and easily recognize the seal because the design is only slightly different than the original seal (an excellent strategic decision).
While the news about the Good Housekeeping Green Seal did not provide specific guidelines on what will be evaluated outside of energy efficiency, packaging reduction and water quality, hopefully Good Housekeeping will revel more information on the criteria so the seal has real value to consumers and manufacturers alike.
Are We Stimulated Yet?
Somewhere between stimulating and bailing is an abyss that we should not enter.
“We’re extremely confident that if there are any survivors on the surface of the water that we would have found them,” Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close said at a news conference.
In Memory of Ryan Alea Young
July 6, 1987 – February 28, 2009
I met Ryan in the fall of 2008 as she was my UNCW communications “mentee”. Looking for resume critiques, interview best practices and job searching advice, in the end Ryan taught me more than I could have ever taught her.
Ryan was an amazing student. What I remember most about her was her smile and her constant positive energy. I had the pleasure of meeting her a handful of times and she was always eager to learn, full of questions and writing down notes. She shadowed me and sat in on a client conference call, we discussed her resume, critiqued her portfolio and discussed interview questions and potential responses. I could tell instantly Ryan strived for the best in life no matter the size of the task.
I was so proud of her when she landed her first interview in Raleigh, which unfortunately she was never able to attend because she left this life at the tender age of 21. As Ryan looks down on us and many of us cannot comprehend why she was taken from us so early, be consoled knowing she will always be with each and every one of us who had the pleasure of knowing her. Listen to the lessons she taught us and live in the moment. We will miss you Ryan. Thank you for touching my life.
