The Monetization of Internet Celebrity

Sure, Internet celebrities have been around for a while. We all remember the Star Wars Kid. And back in the day (about 2 yrs ago) they seemed content in their relative obscurity. But have you noticed lately how some of these self-made stars are cashing in on their 15 min? Who needs an agent when you have YouTube?














1. Tila Tequila
Ms. Tequila started off a simple hottie on MySpace.com. Her bodacious (yes, I used that word) body graced the pages of many a "friend" thanking them for the add. And now she's into her second round of reality TV bliss on WH1's A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila 2. And what has she done? Nothing but offer up her friendship. Awww. How generous. And how lucrative. Being nice pays off...



2. My New Haircut
How could these Jersey Shore "broskis" predict over 17 million (and counting) YouTube views of their infamous, "My New Haircut" video, a spoof about working out, drinking Jager-bombs and dealing with "Skanks." These guys are laughing all the way to the bank because now they are actually being paid to make appearances at bars to promote Jagermeister and Heineken specials and presumably start fights, pop their collars and take steroids. And you know what? They are calling these appearances the "Skanks and Broskis Tour." Seriously, they are getting paid for this. Ah, America.
















3. Chris Crocker
Where to begin? Chris Crocker's YouTube Channel is one of the top 20 viewed channels on the site and his combined views total more than 45 million. His most famous video, "Leave Britney Alone" defends pop star Britney Spears' uninspiring performance at the VMAs. That video has lead to public appearances, cameos on music videos and reality shows, and even rumors of his own reality show. This is what happens when you have something to say and you can work your webcam!

Those are just a few extreme examples...but I'm sure you could find tons of similar folks that are cashing in. Even blogger friends of mine are getting paid to host ads on their blogs. So cool. I love the Internet's shift from primarily an information source to a self-promotion tool. As always, curious to see what will come next...any thoughts?

This Campaign is Just Getting Revved Up...

I've been meaning to blog about a new campaign my agency just put out (alert: blatant agency self-promotion!). I've been working like a horse on this campaign and I'm so psyched to see how much people are talking about it! So without further ado, check out Ride Proud. Dress Loud.




















































So motorcyclists, just wear brighter colors already! It helps us caged drivers not kill you. Which is the whole point behind this thing, after all. We want you all to stay safe!

Hotlanta, Here I Come!

Apologies for my minimal blogging as of late. Been slammed in a big way.

Here's the news - I've accepted a new job. And this new position involves my relocation to the lovely southern town of Atlanta, GA. So I'll be joining the ad scene in a pretty nifty city and with a pretty nifty agency and...well...I'm beyond excited (but also sad to be leaving).

For the next few weeks, I'll be around...but not really. I have to fix up my house to rent, get my stuff packed and finish up some projects at work. It's a little crazy in my world right now. I'm sorry for being a bad blogger, but I promise to have some fun news to report in the coming weeks!

Best Customer Service Email Ever

(remember these things?!)

My friend Ashley forwarded me this email she received from CDBaby.com:

Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with
sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.

A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure
it was in the best possible condition before mailing.

Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over
the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that money
can buy.

We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party
marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of
Portland waved "Bon Voyage!" to your package, on its way to you, in
our private CD Baby jet on this day, Thursday, July 3rd.

I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. We sure did.
Your picture is on our wall as "Customer of the Year." We're all
exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Sigh...



Derek Sivers, president, CD Baby
the little store with the best new independent music
http://cdbaby.com cdbaby@cdbaby.com (503)595-3000

Let me just say that this the most perfect, funny and appropriate form of customer appreciation. With their indie music buyer audience in mind, this quirky little email makes sense. Everyone wants a confirmation letter when they buy something online, but this email is a fun little treat that is enjoyable to read. CDBaby proves it doesn't take itself too seriously all while providing a usually mundane service - the shipping confirmation - to its customer. Well done!

Sorry, We Don't Serve General Tso Chicken.

Been reading a lot about China due to this year's Olympic games. Of all the foreign countries, I feel that Asian countries are the most foreign. China, Japan, Thailand...I just don't know much about them. And I feel very ignorant.

So I've taken a real interest in all the stories I've been reading. The most interesting I've seen so far is an article from CNN about how the Chinese are changing their restaurant menus in preparation for all the Westerners that want to try some real Chinese. Apparently, Chinese dishes are usually named based on appearance, while western dishes are typically descriptive of the food used and/or cooking method. American Example: fried chicken. Chinese Example: Chicken Without Sexual Life.

Doesn't sound too appetizing, huh? I didn't think so. And that's the Chinese government's fear as well. They have published a book of more western-like translations to help their visitors order. Instead of "Chicken Without Sexual Life" the translation would be "Steamed Pullet."

The other fear, however, is that changing the menus will lose the some of their unique flavor. The names of the dishes are meant to describe feelings associated with the food as well as the Chinese sense of humor. The new names make their menus boring.

So I'm not sure how branding or advertising has to do with any of this, but I found the cultural differences very interesting! Is there anything about your business that's generic and could use a Chinese name?

Bill Imada Speaks to Tally Ad Club

This past Friday, Tallahassee's ad club convinced another top notch agency powerhouse to pay us a visit. Bill Imada, one of Advertising Age's Big Tent bloggers and chairman of IW Group, Inc came to give us a talk about how to increase biz during a slow economy. His talk was interesting because he told all these incredible stories about the creative ways he's won new business. In one case, he took his own photos at a reception and managed to take the perfect shot of a potential client and an elected official - he got the call back when he sent them the photo!

He had a few other examples, but the main point seemed to be this (and I hope I don't misrepresent him): If you can demonstrate your ability to go above and beyond for your clients, you will win more of them. And of course, putting yourself in their shoes doesn't hurt either. In all his stories, he prevailed by putting the client first and going beyond the call of duty to provide outstanding service.

I think this is a great lesson/reminder to anyone in any kind of business. I won't even try to compare myself to Mr. Imada, but I will say that there have been a few times when I've written a letter of appreciation when a rep was extra helpful or sent a book or two to someone I thought would benefit from its contents. So I think his message is important and should be taken to heart!

Thanks, Mr. Imada - I enjoyed your talk and our brief conversation!

Ebony and Ivory via Psych

Thank God Psych is coming back! Season 3 begins July 18. Yes, 3 seasons. Best show ever. Don't miss it.

Media Plan of the Year

It's that time of year again. That's right - Media Plan of the Year Awards! This is the time that I get to "oohhh" and "ahhh" over campaigns that do it right. Sure, my plans are effective and clients are happy (knock on wood), but these award winners are doing stuff that is truly remarkable. My two favorites:

Category: $10 - 25 million, Winner: Carat
Client: Reebok
My first favorite is this amazing campaign for Reebok. Reebok's campaign is basically a rebrand that makes Reebok the shoe of choice for "running easy." They advocate running for the shear pleasure of the sport rather than for the intense challenge. Pretty much the total opposite of Nike. Some sample creative:

















Reebok put advertising anywhere that runners could possibly come across it. The best part was that the creative for the campaign was really tailored to the media. For example, San Francisco outdoor media told runners that, “These hills will chew you up and spit you out. Run Easy.” How relevant! No easy feat to coordinate media and creative in such a detailed way. But here's the kicker - I'm a pretty big runner - and I never saw any of this! I'm actually disappointed about it. What a missed opportunity. Apparently they never read my post about race day goodie bags.

Category: Best Use of Print, Winner: Maxus
Client: Welch's Grape Juice
This one is really innovative because it allows the consumer to taste the grape juice before they buy because, really, does anyone over 10 drink grape juice?


















These ads resulted in a 10% sales increase - pretty sweet! Uh, pun intended.

To read about the other winners, click here.

A Pixel Pup

Ooh I love this! Or maybe I just love anything that has to do with Jack Russells?



















Leica D-Lux 3 Pixel Pup - via American Copywriter














And this is the real thing! My own pup, Tyler.

10 Things Every Media Buyer Should Do

This list was inspired by a piece from Television Week’s Media Planner column. It was a list of new year job resolutions for 2007 that I've kept on my desk ever since. So now I've added my own spin - enjoy!

1. Be media neutral.
You love TV. Or magazines, public radio, outdoor, whatever. Not everyone else does. So don’t just recommend media that you love and don’t spend hours negotiating great TV rates while accepting the rate card of the local magazine. It’s not fair to the client!

2. Use your reps.
But not in a bad way. Use them for their knowledge and experience. They likely have had clients similar to yours and they may give you tips that will make you a rock star. So take time away from your oh-so-busy day to actually ask for their opinion and advice. I’ve won business by taking their advice.

3. Be nice.
No one likes mean people. Unless you’re one of those guys that love bitchy girls (never understood that!). I’ve instated a “be nice media buyers” policy in my agency’s media department. We don’t yell at reps. We don’t make unfair demands. We approach problems by asking, “How can we fix this?” rather than, “How could you let this happen?” Again, I’ve won business by being easy to work with and fair. Notice a common thread here?

4. Be organized.
Unfortunately, this advice is more of a “do as I say and not as I do.” My desk is pretty cluttered right now. But by the end of the week, everything will be in its place and filed. If you are organized, you’ll have no trouble covering your little butt if something goes wrong. In the media world, something always will!

5. Call your reps.
Email is awesome. But we all know that sometimes written communication can be misconstrued. Just call your reps when there is a problem and talk it out. And call them on their birthdays. It will make you their favorite media buyer and that will get you better rates (seriously).

6. Watch a lot of TV.
Who could ask for better homework? You can be a total couch potato and it’s considered proactive research. With hundreds of programs to choose from, you’re bound to find something you enjoy. I never knew how obsessed I’d become with the Food Network. And you know what, I made Tyler Florence’s upside down Cranberry-Pecan French Toast for my dad this weekend and it was fabulous! Benefits outside the office, too!

7. Learn to play golf.
It’s hard. Really, really hard and frustrating. But you don’t have to play well; a self-deprecating loser can be endearing. If you can’t play at all, at least learn the rules so you can be part of the group without slowing them down. If you’re a chick, like me, knowing how to play golf will open doors and get you in “the boys club.” Plus, you get to ride a golf cart and drink beer.

8. Read constantly.
But thoroughly. I tend to engulf any material that comes my way, only to later have the reference on the tip of my tongue when I could have really wowed someone if the knowledge had just flowed out like a river of wisdom. Missed opportunities suck big time. Oh, and read stuff other than business books. Need help? Oprah’s book club. New York Times best-seller list. Amazon.com. There you go. No excuses!

9. Educate yourself.
No, you don’t have to get a masters degree (unfortunately, I’m 30 credits deep). Just make sure you know all about the latest and greatest. Don’t know what Twitter is? Figure it out. Don’t know what Hulu is? Figure it out. Media buyers and planners need to be up-to-date.

10. Send Christmas cards.
This goes back to #3. If your agency doesn’t already do this, go find some generic, politically correct cards and send them to all your reps. It’s thoughtful and creates good feelings.

Really Cool Video

One of our interactive division's clients, IDT, has posted some amazing video in their video gallery that was filmed by the cameras they sell. Check it out - it's so worth it. My favorite was the humming bird. Nature is stunning and they captured it perfectly.

Tallahassee Tweet Up

Tomorrow night a group of Twitter peeps will be meeting up to well, meet face to face. So if you're on Twitter and want to meet some local Tallahassee tweeters, come on out.

Tallahassee TweetUp:

Monday, June 16, 2008
7:00 PM

The Coffee Pub
1122-7 Thomasville Rd
Tallahassee, Florida

I'll be there unless something bad happens (cue ominous music). And my being there is reason enough to drop in ;) You can view my tweets at: mmarts on Twitter.com. So check it out and come on out! See you all there!

Roving Eye Ad Fascinates

This spot from MasterCard, though not new, is so intriguing that I had to share. Not only is the production spot-on(the part where the waitress responds to his eye is such a perfect example of not over-acting), but the writing is especially thoughtful. I love the last line; "What would it find, this spirited orb of mine?" It's poetic!



Agency: Mccann Erickson, New York

Are You Interesting?

Russell Davies, brilliant account planner has posted an excellent list of ways to be an interesting person. 'Cause who wants to be boring? And he makes another point that if you are in a creative biz, then you have to be interesting! Nice. Check it out and give it a try.

A Quote From Yours Truly

Just found out today that my blog was quoted by The Sunday Paper, an alternative newspaper in Atlanta, GA.

From The Sunday Paper -

As Lawless notes, Meghan McCain’s climate change comment addresses an issue important to many voters without ever having to actually discuss policy. “By virtue of blogging on behalf of her father, that sort of sends a signal to voters that John McCain has a good relationship with his daughter,” she says. “By virtue of having this blog, she is sending a signal that matters to a lot of voters.”

Some positive responses to McCain’s blog reflect Lawless’ assessment. In January, Michelle Marts, a blogger from Tallahassee, Fla., wrote of McCainBlogette, “I am the most apathetic person when it comes to politics. However, after reading one post, I already felt like I know John McCain—the dad. And since I have a great relationship with my dad, I kinda had good feelings about John McCain.”

read more here

From my old blog post -

Megan McCain's Blog is Genius
So before I read this blog, I had no opinion of John McCain. None. I am the most apathetic person when it comes to politics. However, after reading one post, I already felt like I know John McCain - the dad. And since I have a great relationship with my dad, I kinda had good feelings about John McCain. Hmm...could this be intentional? Of course! McCain's campaign people are genius! Having his daughter blogging about life on the campaign trail is intriguing. Has this ever happened before? Not that I recall...

Oh, and the professional photographer and video person help too. That's one well produced blog, for sure! Check it out here: Megan McCain's blog, McCain Blogette.

Kinda cool, huh? Unfortunately, my grammar was off a little. Dang. But I can't deny it - I love seeing my name in print ;)