Hasta La Creative!

After the widely popular beef jerky, Jack Link’s introduces its new snack brand in the Matador meat snacks. ATADOR meat snack sticks offer the perfect blend of snappy texture, spicy flavor and the attitude teens crave, with the quality consumers expect from the Jack Link’s brand.

MATADOR by Jack Link’s will be supported by an integrated action sports platform and dedicated advertising campaign. The company will sponsor athletes in BMX, skateboarding and snowboarding, and partner with leading action sport events including the 2009 Dew Tour and the premier action sports training camp in the country, Camp Woodward.

Available in convenience stores nationwide, with a suggested retail price of $.99, new MATADOR snack sticks offer easy-to-open packaging and immediate taste satisfaction for an action-packed, on-the-go lifestyle. The one-ounce MATADOR brand meat snack stick is only the beginning, with plans to offer additional MATADOR brand products later this year.

(Source) Press

The US Census announced this week that it is launching a $250 Million ad campaign aimed at reaching low-income, urban minorities, urging them to fill out 2010 US Census forms. More than half of the dollars will be spent on traditional and social media, and a quarter of the dollars will be devoted to Asian, black, and Hispanic media outlets.

Minorities have been hard to reach, according to Civilrights.org, due to “distrust or suspicion of government, leading to a fear that census responses may be used by immigration or law enforcement officials to deport or incarcerate or may disqualify (them) from social welfare programs.”

Well, that kinda makes sense, doesn’t it? If you’re breaking the law, you probably wouldn’t want too much attention drawn to your activities.

It’s estimated that the 2000 Census missed counting 3 million people, so basically we’re spending $83 bucks a missed head to improve accuracy (based on the 2000 estimate).

In a brilliant statement defining what the US Census is all about, Tom Mesenbourg, acting director of the bureau stated; “The primary goal of the census is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place.” (FoxBusiness.com)

But that doesn’t address how the campaign will reach poorly educated, low-income, and disenfranchised people via Social and Traditional media channels. I guess we’d have to start by determining cable and Internet penetration…

Hydrogen Advertising was awarded the 2009 Merit Award for its Family Services “Army of Kids” campaign. The Seattle Show (www.seattleshow.org) recognizes the best work created in the region, with more than 750 entries judged by creative experts.

Hydrogen’s work for Family Services (www.family-services.org), a Seattle-area non-profit helping King County families achieve self-sufficiency, was designed to raise money and awareness for the organization. The non-traditional campaign featured life-sized cutouts of children, strategically placed in high-traffic Seattle venues, drawing awareness to the plight of homeless families. More that $455,000 was raised through the campaign.

“Our Family Services work continues to win accolades because it is more than just visually striking and an exemplary demonstration of the power of guerrilla marketing, but it really connects with people,” said Tom Scherer, vice president and executive creative director, Hydrogen Advertising.

(Source) Press

Quitting to Smoke is something hard these days but you can be assured that proper authorities and groups will exhaust all means to help people kick the habit. The recent passage of a law by Congress to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) means Minnesotans and smokers nationwide will see the price of cigarettes increase soon.

Beginning March 31, the price of a pack of cigarettes will go up about 62 cents, raising the average cost in Minnesota to nearly $5. The tax increase will be used to provide children from low-income families with health care. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law on February 4, 2009.

With the cost of cigarettes increasing, Minnesotans can rely on ClearWay Minnesota’s QUITPLAN Services for free counseling, support and access to nicotine patches, lozenges and gum to help them quit smoking. Minnesotans can find out about all the free help to quit smoking through QUITPLAN Services by visiting quitplan.com

(Source) Press

  I will be the first to admit that Twitter is not my fave social site…I understand how it works and what it’s for, and I realize that it is in “real time,” but for me, it is a tad bit…well…boring.  I have followed some Tweets (after some difficulty) and basically have gotten it, well, sort-of figured out. However, I must be in the minority, because Twitter is adding scads of users weekly. So, if you like following tweets like; “just got back from the store” and, “what did you buy”  then,  “nothing”  followed by, “oh” then you will be ecstatic about Twitters latest triumph.

Today marks a historic day…write it down. Today, March 25, 2009, was the first day that Twitter made a profit from advertising revenues! (CNNMoney.com) 

Twitter, one of the most buzzed-about Internet start-ups, made its first online advertising venture by selling a sponsorship of ExecTweets to Microsoft. This move is in response to criticism in the industry that although popular, Twitter did not have any formula planned for actually making money.  The ExecTweets will basically be a page dedicated to a collection of tweets written by corporate executives and will feature branding from Microsoft. Which, depending on what you are looking for on Twitter, could either be great…or a total bust. I signed up to follow ExecTweets, and let me tell you, this is some exciting stuff! Here are some of the Tweets that you may have been missing:

• RT @dfletcher could better information architecture and analysis have helped us avert the financial crisis? http://bit.ly/WGg8qabout 1 hour ago from ExecTweets
• RT @executivemoms @Twitter_Tips OVER 6000 FIRMS Join Twitter each DAY http://cli.gs/XnnZ97about 6 hours ago from ExecTweets RT @dwrasmus1 Let’s fight our way back to prosperity one  tweet at a time Share strategy and vision for these turbulent timesabout 20 hours ago from web 
• RT @PeterRoche: my coaching to execs, leave people in better shape than you found them.6:33 PM Mar 23rd from web
• RT @BestBuyCMO Really like our plan to enhace our Reward Zone Silver tier. Good combo of short term quick hits and long term foundation…11:59 AM Mar 20th from webT @johnmaeda is thinking how subjectivity and passion are traditional hallmarks of the arts, but these times require objectivity…11:57 AM Mar 20th from web 
• RT @Padmasree Just listened to Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Some people inspire us with few words, don’t they? And he has a sense of humor:)11:56 AM Mar 20th from web

For now, I think that I am going to stick to LinkedIn and Facebook until Twitter piques my curiosity more. However, if you are interested in following me, please feel free:  My_Twitter. Right now, to be honest, there is nothing there. But I am working on it.

(Oh, and if anyone knows the answer, why does Twitter take soooo friggin long to navigate? It’s not like there are a ton of images on the site…)

Baby Necessities Pacifiers have been recalled due to a reported choking hazard as advised by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The pacifiers are banned under federal law. They failed federal safety tests when the nipples separated from the base. This poses a choking hazard to young children.

This recall involves Baby Necessities pacifiers with a blue heart-shaped mouth guard. The pacifiers were sold four to a pack. The words “Baby Necessities” is printed on the cardboard packaging. Dollar and discount stores nationwide from August 2007 through January 2009 for about $1. These pacifiers were manufactured in China.

(Source) Press

 There has been a lot of chatter regarding emerging media, new media, and how Web 2.0/Web 3.0 will change the world, let alone the practice of advertising as we know it. I am certain that the world, and conventional advertising, will definitely be affected…once effective methods to monetize these new media platforms are determined. If you keep up at all with the trades, you are certainly aware that Google’s purchase of YouTube has been terribly unprofitable, to say the least. And it remains to be seen if YouTube will ever provide profits for Google. There is also the constant buzz regarding Twitter: Is Twitter for sale? Are they working on a new business model? Or, is Twitter but a passing fancy? 

One thing abundantly clear is that Social Media networks have become the new, untapped vein of gold for advertisers in the digital age. Social Media users freely provide relevant information about themselves which is then used by advertisers to segment them into convenient, targetable groups. Paired with Social Media’s meteoric rise in usage, advertisers are often left scrambling to hastily build strategies to reach this audience unobtrusively.

While all of this action (or perceived action) is exciting, the current trend seems to be more about making a buzz than making a buck, with a few exceptions:

In December 2008, Internet News reported that Dell produced over a million dollars in sales by offering discounts to consumers that followed Dell on Twitter. And while these sales accounted for but a drop in the bucket compared to their overall revenue ($61 Billion in 2008), it is evident that while Twitter’s not able to monetize their service, Dell had no problem doing so.

So, while most are playing catch-up, there are shining examples of advertisers and agencies that are ahead of the curve, positioning themselves to lead by example rather than yammering on about what they plan to do. Take, for instance, Lisa P. Maxwell (LPM) in Chicago. Visible, LPM’s web development arm, created LPM’s new Flash site, and fitted it with webcams at each employee’s desk. Anytime during the day, a client, prospective client, or curious web-surfer can click on one of the employee “cam profiles” and chat in real time with the employee. The site lets you know which person is available to chat via the use of two buttons that highlight the web cam images (green=available). Depending on the time of day, you might find yourself talking to the Creative Director, New Business Manager, or even a copywriting intern. It is actually quite fun to talk to this captive audience…they seem to be an intelligent bunch willing to answer most questions. I spoke to one of the Account Managers this morning about working at LPM and being on camera, and she said that they’ve had fantastic reviews. She also said that the best thing about LPM was “the people.”The point of this viral “experiment” is to increase traffic to LPM’s site via non-traditional methods, and in this sense, it has been a qualified success, adding 1500+ visits during the first month of operation. It’s not clear if any new business leads have been generated virally, but as with many viral endeavors, it may take some time. However, if I was marketing director looking for an agency to lead my business into the intricacies of social/emerging media marketing, I would certainly add Lisa P. Maxwell to the top of the list.

Some agencies lead. Others talk. And the rest just don’t get it.

Are there people out there who still stay fashionable with the limited funds available for them to spend on? Apparently this is what Stein Mart will try to cover when their new ad gets underway. The ads feature six women found during casting calls in Orlando and Tampa who note that “value is the new fashion chic” and that shopping at Stein Mart can get you “more for less.”

One of the shoppers on the ads notes that she thinks First Lady Michelle Obama would shop there. The company used the Orlando-based advertising firm Fry Hammond Barr to create the spontaneous interview spots. The same firm created a similar campaign that ran from 2003 to 2007.

The campaign launches March 16, but some of the ads are already on the Internet at http://youtube.com/steinmarttv.

(Source) Business Journal

Sweet tooth people and foodies who are simply crazy about brownies are sure to like this piece of information. Great American Cookies, long known for delicious fresh-baked cookies and Cookie Cakes, announces the launch of the first-ever “Brownie Madness!” celebration. The celebration is the first time the company has made their large selection of brownie flavors the focus of a company-wide promotion. Great American Cookies is supported by NexCen Franchise Management, Inc., a subsidiary of NexCen Brands, Inc.

With this celebration, Great American Cookies introduces a Chocolate Chip Cheesecake brownie, a decadent new cheesecake brownie flavor loaded with chocolate chips and topped with a rich chocolate ganache. The Chocolate Chip Cheesecake brownie joins Great American Cookies’ other decadent brownie flavors: Fudge; Fudge Nut; Cheesecake; Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl and German Chocolate.

“The new Chocolate Chip Cheesecake brownie is so delicious, we wanted to introduce it with a celebration around all of our brownies!” said Jenn Johnston, senior vice president of brand marketing for NexCen Franchise Management. “Just like our famous cookies, our brownies are fresh-baked in our stores using our proprietary recipes.”

(Source) Press

A new single-cell battery fuel gauge has been unveiled by Texas Instruments today which will help in monitoring devices in systems. Impedance Track technology accurately predicts battery capacity instantly under all operating conditions, including battery age, temperature and discharge behavior.

Today, TI ships millions of battery fuel gauge ICs with Impedance Track technology to customers worldwide in applications ranging from notebooks to smart phones.

Key features:

• Patented Impedance Track next-generation gauging algorithm
• Accurate and complete battery fuel gauge
• CPU-based IC reports remaining capacity, time-to-empty, voltage, current, temperature and more
• Calculates remaining charge under all conditions
• System-side implementation even with a removable battery
• 12-pin, 2.5 x 2 x 0.625 mm WCSP package

Key benefits

• Provides complete “state-of-health” battery information so a system can effectively manage the battery and extend run-time
• No calculations needed with the host microcontroller for easy implementation
• Accurate display of run time under all conditions
• No extra circuitry needed inside the battery pack
• Smallest Impedance Track solution in the industry

(Source) Press