Grass Seed Battle: Pennington vs. Scott’s

Over the last several months I have enjoyed listening (on radio) to the battle waging between Pennington and Scott’s. It seems that in a 20 pound bag of Scott’s seed you get 10 pounds of seed and 10 pounds of something else. Depending on whom you ask, that “something else” is either “filler” or Scott’s exclusive “water smart coating.” With Pennington, you get 20 pounds of seed. View the two videos below and decide for yourself.

Oscar Mayer: Reconnecting with Family

Every time I see this TV spot from Oscar Mayer it makes me smile. We all lead these hectic, technology enhanced lives – often spending more time with devices than with real people. This spot speaks to taking a moment to reconnect with family. For me, it resonates.

Why Do Women Blog?

Why do women blog? Everywhere I go I meet women who are maintaining blogs. Some are family blogs; some are topical. I recently interviewed eight female bloggers in Lexington, South Carolina, a suburb of Columbia. Their stories are remarkable and shed a lot of insight into why women blog. Below are a few of their videos. Try to remember that these are real people speaking in their own voice. Whether you relate to their stories or not, you can’t argue with the authenticity of what they are saying. I am grateful that these bloggers were so willing to share their stories.

State Farm: Thanks for the Falcon

The insurance industry is currently cranking out the advertising creative. Fueled by the efforts of Geico and Progressive, some of the heritage brands are going to great lengths to get noticed and capture their share of mind among consumers. This includes companies like Nationwide, Allstate and State Farm. In the past I’ve written posts about advertising produced for Allstate, Liberty Mutual, and State Farm.

One of the commercials that has caught my eye recently is from State Farm. They call the spot “State of Confusion” but I call it “Thanks for the Falcon.” At a time when nearly every insurance is saying that customers save money when they switch to their insurance, State Farm has come up with a creative way of making that savings come alive! Check out the spot and let me know what you think.

Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Back-to-School – Oh My

In one week, this very week, I will have endured an earthquake, a hurricane (Irene, coming Saturday), and the start of my daughter’s 8th grade year. I’ve also had to face the realization that next year she’ll be in high school.

This morning, as a special treat, I decided to cook my star student breakfast before she headed off to school (scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese – one of her favorites). When she came downstairs for breakfast, she was wearing shorts that were far too short for my taste. My wife took one look at me, noticing the look on my face, and said: “I know what you’re thinking. You need to go to the office and leave me to handle this.” Of course she was right and I headed out the door for another day at work. If there had been a confrontation, it wasn’t going to go well and certainly wouldn’t have been a good way for any of us to start the day.

Like everyone else, I’d prefer not to deal with natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes). We’ve already had our fair share of those this year. In truth, I’ve got more than I can handle with a 13-year-old blond haired, blue eyed, self assured bundle of attitude and emotion. She’s more like a “natural wonder” than a natural disaster – but can have an equally devastating impact on our household. Eye rolling. Foot stomping. Verbally emoting. Mirror gazing. And a ton of mumbling. It makes me feel like I’m losing my hearing – and my mind.

All that being said, she is one person who wants to read what I write; gets excited when I have an article or book chapter published; misses me when I travel (reportedly); and actually monitors my blog traffic. Every once in a while she’ll Google my name to see what pops up – and she’s visibly impressed by what she finds. We share a passion for reading, writing and solitude. She also shares my love for PF Changs, pizza and Mexican food. From an astrological perspective, we’re both crazy Aries with well defined traits of competitiveness, impulsiveness, and the instinct to act spontaneously. And we’re each trying to make our mark on the world (expression of the ego).

Now that I think about it, despite the natural disasters, life is great. I’m one lucky man. So bring on the next set of challenges. I’m ready to take on the world, as long as it doesn’t involve really short shorts!

Podcast #114: Mother Blogger

I love listening to Chris Bevolo’s weekly Arrogant Healthcare Marketing Bastards podcast. It is a great mix of entertainment, nonsensical rambling and insightful perspective on the discipline of healthcare marketing. Each episode is about 20 minutes in length and I find them to be incredibly refreshing. You need to give them a listen.

“Arrogant Healthcare Marketing Bastards is Interval’s weekly podcast. It’s where we riff and rant on the hottest topics in healthcare marketing. From ROI to social media to reform, we hit it all — but not without derailing into randomness.”

This week’s podcast is titled “Mother Blogger.” One feature within the podcast was provoked by a blog post I wrote last week: “Mommy Blogs: Maligned & Misunderstood.” Chris had given me a heads up that I was going to be featured in this week’s podcast, so I was ready for anything. In the end, they were very kind. After a really great discussion about consumer engagement and the changing healthcare landscape, Chris and his crew officially requested that we now call mommy bloggers “mom bloggers” or “mother bloggers.” Chris just can’t get beyond the “Mommy” word. What is your preference and how do you feel about the “mommy blogger” label? I know there are other marketers who share Chris’ feelings about the term.

So, check out the podcast and then review my original post – Mommy Blogs: Maligned & Misunderstood. Let us know where you stand on the issue. And while you’re at it, have some fun!

Post by Dan Dunlop

Social Media Judo

Social media books are a dime a dozen. Well, here’s another one to add to the list. Ivy Worldwide, the social media agency, recently contacted me about the release of its new book, Social Media Judo, by Chris Aarons, Geoff Nelson and Nick White with Dan Zehr. If nothing else, you’ve got to love the title.

The authors claim that by using the techniques found in Social Media Judo, marketers now have the information necessary to create their own “judo moves” that will

* Increase sales
* Cut marketing costs
* Boost engagement and, most importantly
* Pay for themselves with real revenue

Based on successful social media campaigns for major corporations as Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Adobe, AMD, AT&T, LG Electronics, Microsoft and Time, Inc. as well as a number of startups, the authors proved that social media marketing is effective in achieving maximum results without much effort on the part of the clients. Many companies start to use social media, but once it begins to work, they consider their campaign finished—they do not leverage the enormous untapped potential that is available with just a little more effort. The authors detail the best ways to help any business become “greater than the sum of its parts.” This is a huge point!

According to the press release announcing the book’s launch: “Social Media Judo is a compelling read, full of fantastic information for any marketer that is trying to increase his or her company’s ROI through the very powerful medium of social media. The authors don’t hesitate to share their early failures as well as their successes, explaining how they rebounded after a particularly disastrous media campaign. They used their lowest point as a springboard for great success, and they offer concepts that can be utilized by any business, regardless of their size or what they are trying to sell.”

You can find more information and order a copy of the book at http://socialmediajudo.com.

Post by Dan Dunlop

Can Cigarettes Be Green? Ask Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company

According to a recent article in USA Today, anti-smoking activists are hot under the collar in response to cigarette marketing that makes “eco-friendly” claims. Evidently, ads for Natural American Spirit cigarettes (made with organic tobacco) tout environmentally-friendly manufacturing practices. I went to Natural American Spirit’s website to check this out for myself. Indeed, the cigarette brand has claimed a green position. On its website it offers up “eco tips” and highlights its green practices such as purchasing electricity generated from sustainable sources, like wind power, for its facilities. This is an interesting (and most likely differentiating) brand position for a cigarette brand. According to their website, their “growing programs give a financial boost to small, independent farmers while encouraging sustainable growing practices and help us to reduce our footprint on the Earth.” The company claims to be both socially progressive and earth-friendly. Just when you thought you’d seen it all!

I’d love to hear what you think of this strategic decision to position a cigarette brand and company as earth-friendly. If you’d like to learn more about Natural American Spirit cigarettes or Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (part of Reynolds American Inc.), go to www.sfntc.com.

Post by Dan Dunlop

My Quote of the Day: “That’s a Crock!”

A couple days ago I was interviewed by a reporter who was working on an article for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Evidently there is a new Heart Attack Grill opening up in Sin City later this year. The reporter must have stumbled upon one of my blog posts from March 16, 2o11 titled “Heart Attack Grill: Where Indulgence Meets Gluttony.” As a reminder, Heart Attack Grill is the medically themed restaurant where they serve huge burgers (double bypass burger, triple bypass burger) and the waitresses dress up like nurses. And get this, people who weigh more than 350 pounds eat for free.

The reporter and I had a great conversation that lasted probably 10 minutes. I gave him some thoughtful content in response to his questions. When he asked if what they do is wrong (promoting unhealthy eating) I told him that fundamentally what they’re doing is no different than what they do at PF Chang’s or Cheesecake Factory. They serve large, unhealthy, high fat, high calorie meals. They just do it in a politically incorrect manner while celebrating unhealthy eating and indulgence. You rarely hear anyone complaining that they are shocked by the business practices of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts or Ben & Jerry’s, but they both are in the same business as Heart Attack Grill and are beloved brands. They just package what they do in a significantly different manner. I also spoke about the popularity of extreme eating and how the Food Network in now running a couple of shows based on that concept. (Heck, ESPN just televised the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.)

After this great interview, what do you think makes its way into print? The reporter positioned me responding to the restaurant owner’s claim that they actually teach people how to eat healthy. Here’s my amazing quote (note my sarcasm):

“I think that’s a crock,” said Dan Dunlop, a marketing expert who heads a North Carolina ad agency and has followed the Heart Attack Grill’s marketing efforts over the years.

“I don’t think they need to apologize for what they do, but to represent themselves as a standard-bearer for healthy living? That’s bull.”

All restaurants thrive on indulgence, Dunlop said — they’re just less straightforward about how they sell it.

“That is no different from P.F. Chang’s, The Cheesecake Factory, Krispy Kreme donuts,” he said. “Those are rich brands that America has embraced.”

Basso (the restaurant owner) is just more blatant: “They don’t hide their indulgence. They go from indulgence to gluttony,” Dunlop said. And that connects with a part of the public that’s tired of being lectured to about their diets, he said. (Source: LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, By Alan Choate, July 27, 2011)

I can’t believe he caught me saying “That’s a crock” and “That’s bull” in the same article. That media training sure came in handy! Subtlety has never been my strength – particularly when it is not mandatory. The good news is, I stand by my comments. To check out the article, click here. If you’d like to read more about the Heart Attack Grill, go to my original blog post where you can even view their TV commercials.

Post by Dan Dunlop

Hashtagify.me – Explore Twitter Hashtag Relationships

Last week I was contacted by Daniele Mazzini, the developer behind Hashtagify.me – a website about twitter hashtags. The site allows users to visually explore the relationships between various hashtags. For example, if you regularly use the #hcsm hashtag, what are other common, related hashtags in use? See the graphic below:

Why a tool to help you find new hashtags? In Twitter, hashtags help to bring order to the content you want to find, allowing you to sort content by subject matter, but finding the most relevant tags can be a hurdle in itself. I find that many people are not clued in to the use of hashtags. Using Hashtagify.me you can quickly learn about other hashtags that you may find to be of interest. It is that simple. In the example above, someone interested in #hcsm may not have been familiar with #hcsmeu, #hitsm, #socpharm, or #mhealth before using Hashtagify.me.

Today Daniele is launching a new “top influencers” feature on hashtagify.me. So, in addition to learning about specific hashtags, you will also get a list of the top six influencers using that specific hashtag. See below for an example using the #hscm hashtag:

This is an interesting and useful graphical tool to help the user learn about Twitter influencers. The data is based on the last two months of tweets. The influence – and the rankings – are determined based on the activity of each user for a given hashtag, the number of followers and the quantity of retweets he or she receives. If you’re active in a given niche, these influencers are people that you will most likely want to follow. I encourage you to check out the site and experiment with the features, particularly the advanced options.

Post by Dan Dunlop