Winning at the Water Cooler

Let’s face it. It’s not easy to create brand experiences that have the ability to transcend popular culture. After all, when was the last time anyone gathered around the water cooler (real or virtual) to revel passionately about your brand?

If you’re a DMA member, judging from a recent article in Advertising Age, that happens more often than you might expect!

Ads We Love, (Ad Age, December 30, 2013), profiles 10 marketing efforts that caused quite a stir at the water cooler last year. From a “happy hump-day camel” to “the hottest hotty who ever hottied,” DMA members were involved in the development of 5 out of the 10 efforts.

At DMA, we not only take pride in the accomplishments of our members, we also celebrate them. So, for this reason, we’d like to recognize their great work with a special “Cray Cray Water Cooler Award” – and hopefully extend their popularity – even further.

• “Hump Day”
Geico (DMA Member)

The Martin Agency (DMA Member)
• “It’s Not Complicated”

AT&T (DMA Member)
• “World’s Smallest Movie”

IBM (DMA Member)
Ogilvy (Ogilvy One, DMA Member)
• “Everything’s Important”

Sprint
Leo Burnett (DMA Member)
• “Homeward Bound”

Google Maps (Google, DMA Member)

Well Done!

Do you have a “Water Cooler Moment” about your brand? We’d like to shine a light on that too. Just let us know in the comments section below.

Cheers!

50 Shades of CHAID

When Senior Marketing Director Angela Brandt and Chief Data Analyst Compton Mean meet to perform a routine analysis of the latest Q3 campaign results, they encounter something that neither of them had ever experienced before.  The raw data, exposed before them in seductive rows of comma delineated fields, was both intimidating – and yet, beautiful and brilliant – at the same time. 

A seasoned marketer, Angela was used to dealing with big numbers – teasing them, massaging them, coaxing them gently into yielding their inner data flow.  Now, she was startled to find that these new response curves were driving her palm-twitchingly mad.  She had a profound need to understand them in a deeper, more satisfying way.

Unable to resist Ana’s alluring, creative, market-dominating lead, Mean was shocked to find himself admitting that he was ready to deviate from the standard regression analysis foreplay.  He yearned to unleash his own creative juices – but on his terms of statistical significance.

Shocked – yet thrilled by the KPI’s that Mean had achieved in the past, Angela was still hesitant.  For all of his success in deploying catastrophe/bifurcation theory to study how certain subjects suddenly spread rapidly via WOM and social media – Mean was, after all - an analyst tormented by digital demons and consumed by an insatiable need to control data. 

Together, they embarked on a daring, passionate, decision-tree spree through the elusive pathways of their brand’s consumer purchase journey.  There, they discovered each other’s closely-guarded secrets – and explored their own dark marketing desires.

Exotic, profound – and deeply innovative - 50 Shades of CHAID is one physical affair between marketing and data that will obsess you, possess you – and change your marketing approach forever.

Join us at NCDM:  Where Marketing Meets Big Data, and SEE DATA DIFFERENTLY.

The National Center for Data-Driven Marketing is now accepting ideas for presentations at the NCDM:  Where Marketing Meets Big Data conference.  December 9-11, 2013, Las Vegas, NV

·         To Submit something that you would like to speak about (or lead a panel), click here:  http://ncdm.thedma.org/

·         For more information on the program please contact Stephanie Miller (smiller@the-dma.org).

A Gift for all My Friends and Followers!

How to Increase Your Winning Percentage: Just Say No

I'm not proud to admit that I once answered 127 RFI/RFPs in one year.  I went to a Mirren BizDev conference once, and the speaker asked how many people in the room answered 10 RFP's in a year.  Everyone's hand's shot up.  "25?"  Hands went down. "30?"  One hand left up.  I was embarrassed, so I pulled my hand down at that point.

Like the lottery ad says, the truth is "you gotta be in it to win it."  But, seriously, you can't be in all of them and expect to be "New Business Brilliant" every time.

You've got to pick and choose your battles.  The difference between a success and failure is sizing up the opportunity and then going after the ones that you know you can win.  Easy to say.  Hard to say "no".

Donny Deutsch talks about taking his father's company from $40 Million to $400 Million.  Do you know what he said his secret was?  He "learned to say NO".

Another famous Donny - New York Yankees First Baseman, Don Mattingly (Donnie Baseball) reminds me:

"Get a good pitch.  Hit it hard somewhere.  The rest is out of your hands."

I have always tried to heed the advice of both Donny's as I approach every new business opportunity.

Providence, RI: An Overlooked Gem of Business and Pleasure

I may have mentioned this before, yet it bears repeating.  My daughter is at school in Providence, Rhode Island. I've been to Providence before on business (Hasbro, CVS), and for pleasure (WaterFire).  Though, I have never realized what a gem of a city it was - until now.

On a recent "Parent's Day" weekend, we had the good fortune to dine on Federal Hill.  Homemade pasta.  Handmade cheeses.  Hand-crafted bread.  It was heaven-on-a-hilltop.  Dining alfresco, we were seduced by a the vocal styling of a "Big Band Revival" band.  Sinatra.  Bennett.  Damone.  Even Julius LaRosa.  They were all there -- en full throat!  The best part was that Buddy Cianci - the colorful ex-mayor/ex-con - upon whose back this revitalized city owes it's newfound resplendant glory -- was dining with us.  And, regardless of your politics, the warm glow of the early fall evening sun made everything seem right.  It was a good night.  And, for dessert?  You can't beat beat a Sfogliatella from Scialo Bros. Bakery.  Layer after flaky layer.  Emmm.  Emmm.  As Lidia would say, Tutti a table! A mangaro.

Roxy's Bone to Pick: Pets

Roxy reminds me that she is not a pet.  Quite indignantly, in her usual throaty growl, she huffs, "I am a DOG."

Her view on the matter is that pets are soft-in-the-middle, fufu house guests.  Dogs are unattached, uninvolved, and independent.

She points out that it was my choice - definitely - not - hers! - to disrupt her life - and bring her into mine.  She, after all, was minding her own business, nustling through the cedar chips with her new-found friend Lucy, until I came along.

"Well, excuse me," she huffs once more for emphasis.  "I never, not once, ever pretended to be all soft, cuddly, and puppified.  It was you - you - who projected your fancy, high-faluttin, suburbanated notions of what a puppy should be - onto me!"

She, of course, is right.  As usual.  To say that Roxy is of her own mind is an understatement. Roxy has no interest in pleasing me - or anyone else - animal or person.  That is - unless she wants to.  Until Roxy makes up her mind to do something, you will never ever convince, persuade, or cajole her otherwise.

Get off the couch?  "For-ged-aboud-it."  Play with the other dogs?  "Screwyou."  Stop barking?  "Grrrrrraarrragh!"

But, when she wants something -- really, really wants something -- she couldn't be sweeter.  "Rollover, you say?  Tumble aside Mary Lou!  You want soft and cuddly?  Check out my belly.  Go ahead, give me rub. Pat my head.  C'mon.  C'mon.  I can do soft and cuddly!"

Roxy reminds me that just because she can't talk, doesn't mean she can't communicate.  As a result, she has bestowed unto me that rare gift of a new perspective.  Because of her, I see things differently now.  Not as they are, but as they should be.   Like it or not Roxy, I appreciate that.

(You can see more pictures of Roxy -- and her friends -- over here.)

Holy Truck! Road Trip!

This post over at Mashable is inspiring.  My hat's off to the readers of Mashable for their list of favorite food trucks around the country.

Food Trucks are the "Target" of the Foodie world.  To me, they represent "The Democratization of Gourmet Food".  (You heard that here first, didn't ya!)  Great food.  Easy to access.  Lots of fun.

Well the Mashable post puts me in the mind to travel the country testing all the food trucks.  Perhaps rating them.  Maybe, it's time for a national-level Zagats-type guide to Food Trucks?  Or perhaps a Food Truck Ap?  If anyone knows of one, please respond back to me, as I would love to download it.

Another very cool site is Roadfood.com.  I am always sure to check it when going to another city.  I always want to sample the local fair - and I know of no better source than Roadfood.com for providing great intel on the diviest places!

A couple of summers ago, my sons and I, and my father too, went on a hotdog hunt.  Well - to be exact - a Texas Wiener hunt.  We visited all of the best Texas Wiener stops in and around Paterson, New Jersey - for my money - the home of the best Texas Wieners in the world - but this is for another post.

For now, I am busy plotting my course to fukuburger!