If you know anything about athletics you know that they can be an emotional roller coaster. The Olympics are the biggest stage in sports and here the emotions run the highest. Tears of happiness and sadness are shed at each and every event on the playing field and the same is happening in the stands. By whom you might ask? By the mothers who've watched their children grow up to become the best athletes in the world.



As I watched this spot today from P&G I got a little emotional myself. As I was watching it I remembered how my mother used to sit on the edge of her seat as I competed. She was always there to celebrate with me in victory and console me in defeat. Of course I'm no Olympic athlete but the spot spoke to me and isn't that what we're supposed to be doing in this business...speaking to people and trying get some sort of response? In the case of this commercial and the others in this campaign I've seen today, they've hit the mark for me.

Click here to see the rest of the spots at P&G's YouTube channel.

Cheers,
DRA

It's a unique pastime in the south to throw a 'hurricane party' if there's a Gulf storm brewing and about to hit. Or, if the storm has hit and folks need to grill up all the meat that's thawing in the freezer because there's no electricity and everyone needs an excuse to get together, eat and drink (not that anyone ever needs an excuse for that in the south).

But tonight, in support of Idahoan Jeret "Speedy" Peterson's much anticipated Olympic performance in aerial skiing, I recommend reinventing the 'hurricane party' with an Idaho twist.

This 'hurricane party' should include basic elements like friends, food, and a big screen TV with the Olympics turned ON.

Don't fight the stereotype: cook up some potato fries on the grill (simply toss potato slices in olive oil & sprinkle a little Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning or rosemary and salt on top). If you have additional cravings, just make sure you buy Idaho Preferred.

It won't be an authentic hurricane party unless there are some libations. Instead of serving up hurricanes - the drink, mix up a pitcher of Doc Hollidays, which is simply 44 North Mountain Huckleberry + Red Bull + ice = deliciousness.

Indulge, imbibe, and gather 'round to watch as the Hurricane unfolds!

P.S. If you want a little multi-media to entertain your hurricane party guests with, visit http://www.soulofskiing.com/, where you can watch a video of Speedy P. and even get a phone call from him. Seriously. Okay, so it's recorded. It'll still get you in the mood for a Hurricane.

Labels: food and beverage, Jeret Speedy Peterson, Olympics, skiing

The other night I was watching the Olympics with my kids, and my 5 year old son saw one of the Diet Coke TV Ads that are part of their 'Heart Truth' campaign. And then he said something that literally made my heart stop: "Mom, if you drink a lot of Diet Coke everyday your heart will get really strong and healthy from it, right?" (Whaaaattt?)



But now that I keep seeing the ads night after night, I can see where he got that. The Heart Truth campaign is for a great cause, don't get me wrong. I love the idea of supporting the awareness of women's heart health programs. I'm just not sure Diet Coke is the right partner.



I've been marketing food and beverages for over 15 years now, and have come to know there is a fine line with marketing product claims and associations, and having facts to back it up. When I worked at Beringer Wine Estates we thought about putting a heart symbol on one of our bottle hangers for a Valentine's day promotion. When I worked at Litehouse Foods we thought about doing the same for a dressing promotion. In both cases we checked the regulatory guidelines and decided not to. Not because our products were proven NOT to be healthy for one's heart, but because we could not prove they actually WERE healthy for one's heart. It's a subtle difference, and yet has such huge implications.

According to Coke..."We’ve used our communications and marketing expertise to reach millions of people with this important heart health message," the company said in its statement. Yep, and you've reached my 5 year old son and my 9 year old daughter and they now believe Diet Coke helps make your heart strong. I guess I'm not sure if the communication plan is working?

Maybe the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute is rethinking this partnership too, based on this article from CBS News.

I love to drink Diet Coke once in a while. Love the fizz, the sweetness, and the sugar high. But one thing I know for sure is it's not going to help make my heart strong and healthy. Now my kids know that too. Because I made that perfectly clear to both of them. Then I gave them each a big glass of milk, and put them to bed!

Labels: food and beverage

In case you didn't know Twitter has an analytics team. Part of their job is to measure and understand growth. This graph tells a story of how Twitter's grown over the past three years in terms of number of tweets created per day. Note that tweets from accounts identified as spam have been removed so the counts in this chart do not include spam.

Tweeps were tweeting 5,000 times a day in 2007. By 2008, that number was 300,000, and by 2009 it had grown to 2.5 million per day. Tweets grew 1,400% last year to 35 million per day. Today, we are seeing 50 million tweets per day — that's an average of 600 tweets per second.

This brings me to the question Ive been thinking about lately which is...Do people have lives anymore or are we all just drones stuck to computers and mobile devices?

Labels: mobile, Social media, social media research interactive, Twitter

United Dairymen of Idaho Yogurt TV

There was a time when the english language looked like this:

Whan that Aueryłł wt his shoures soote,
The droghte of Marcħ, hath perced to the roote*

Back then, the word diet meant "way of life." While these days people associate a diet with losing weight with soul-crushing deprivation strategies, we wanted to educate people that good health begins with smart choices. Yogurt offers a nutritious and delicious snack alternative, has awesome pro-biotic benefits, and helps fulfill the "3-A-Day" dairy recommendations.

This TV Spot for the United Dairymen informs that with all the no's that come with our food choices, there is a tasty and healthy "yo" just around the corner. The bottom line is that people are empowered to make their own choices and yogurt makes it just that much more rewarding.

*Chaucer. Trans: "When in April the sweet showers fall, And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all"

Shout out: Jennie Myers, Joe Quatrone, Mona Teffeteller, Dylan Amundson, NXNW Production, John Eames, John Nance

Labels: chaucer, creativity, Dairy, food and beverage, TV, yogurt

Labels: mobile marketing, North Face

A&Cers,

Just in case you didn't notice we have a wicked awesome new poster for the event done by Drake Cooper's own Cale Cathey. Check it out in full effect at the event page.

We'll be sending out an update soon as to how you yourself can acquire the original illustrations for it! Cale has generously donated them to support TRICA.

We'll be posting up photos of them in the "photos" section of the event soon giving Facebookers a sneak peak at the merchandise to be auctioned off at the event. Highest bidder takes the pieces home and proceeds benefit TRICA!

Tix to A&C here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/98033

p.s.

The Lobby is hosting an extended happy hour for us with $2 wells and drafts from 4pm-7pm. Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

DC

Labels: Advertising, commercials, Dodge Charger, humor, Kia Sorento, Toyota

1. Go Team USA.
The Olympics rock and they're even more fun when Team USA dominates the podium.

2. Cheers for the 10 Olympians representing their country and home state of Idaho:
Hailey Duke, Slalom – Brundage - Sun Valley, ID
Erik Fisher, Downhill - Bogus Basin - Middleton, ID
Nate Holland, Snow Cross – Schweitzer - Sandpoint, ID
Graham Watanabe, Snow Cross - Sun Valley - Hailey, ID
Morgan Arritola, Cross Country - Sun Valley - Fairfield, ID
Sara Studebaker, Biathlon - Bogus Basin - Boise, ID
Patrick Deneen, Moguls - Silver Mt - Kellogg, ID
Nick Cunningham, Bobsled - Boise, ID
Simi Hamilton, Cross Country - Sun Valley - Ketchum, ID
Jeret "Speedy" Peterson*, Aerials - Bogus Basin - Boise, ID
*Will he pull out the Hurricane tomorrow? Can't wait to see.

3. Check http://www.soulofskiing.com/ to hear from Olympic Aerial Skiier Jeret "Speedy" Peterson. The Idaho Division of Tourism and Ski Idaho worked with Peterson to create this site where you can hear, straight from Peterson, why skiing in Idaho is such a special experience.

Hurricane-size-bonus: You can sign up to win a free heli-skiing trip.

So, go Team USA!
Good luck to the Idaho Olympians.
Speedy, just do the damned thing and land the Hurricane tomorrow!
Everyone, check out http://www.soulofskiing.com/.

Labels: digital marketing, Olympics, Speedy Peterson

Tiger Woods just issued his first public appearance and public apology since the truth about his infidelity and affinity for porn-stars exploded via media.

Read the transcript of his public apology here.




A few points from Crisis/Reputation Management 101 that Woods seems to have been coached on:
1. If everyone knows you're at fault, say you're sorry.
Woods' first item of business today was to clearly say "I'm sorry." He addresses his primary publics (his wife, his kids, his family, his fans, his business partners, etc.) and issues a clear apology for how his actions impacted them.

2. Acknowledge you are like everyone else.
Woods admits that he doesn't "get to play by different rules." In effect, he is like everyone else. I.E. He has made mistakes like everyone else and he has to pay for them like everyone else. This is a good tactic in that it makes the rest of us imperfect souls consider our mistakes and realize that Tiger Woods, after all, is only human. He has to play by the same 'rules' as we do but at the same time, he is as imperfect as the rest of us.

3. Assurance that improvements have begun.
Tiger talks about his 45 days of inpatient therapy. This assures his publics that he's already taken steps to fix the problems he has caused. He alludes to intentions for ongoing improvements. "I have a long way to go. But I have taken my first steps in the right direction.

4. Rumor control.
Woods does address rumor in a relatively ambiguous manner. "Some people have made things up that never happened." Then he goes on to refer to the rumor of performance-enhancing drugs, but doesn't allude to any of the outlandish stories of infidelity. It's good that he doesn't elaborate on this point, but instead leaves the issue hanging in peoples' minds as to which stories were rumors and which were truths. It's doubtful this will stifle media speculation, but that may not matter.

So, what are your thoughts/feelings/reactions from Tiger Woods' public apology?

Was it enough? A good step in the right direction? Were his actions simply unforgivable? Was he practicing good PR in doing this press conference? Anyone know who his publicist or PR agent is?

We have our own individual opinions here at Drake Cooper. But we'd really love to know yours.

Labels: crisis communication, Public Relations, Tiger Woods

For anyone who's ever said "advertising is evil" or "can you make this ad look prettier?", listen up: "ART & COPY" is coming to Boise and you have a thing or two to learn.

The creative process doesn't start from or even involve the effort to "make things pretty." Nor do the people involved in the creative/advertising/marketing industry desire to steal your souls by making you sell-out to materialism.

Don't believe me? Check yourself & come watch Art & Copy at The Egyptian Theatre on Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m.





Art & Copy explores the creative advertising industry, individual campaigns, and the wicked brilliant minds behind them. You may leave with the opinion that advertising is still evil, but at least you'll see all the wildly brilliant efforts that go into all those pretty little ads.

P.S. Proceeds from this event go to TRICA (Treasure Valley Institute for Children's Art). Buy tickets HERE or go see the nice kids at the Egyptian Theatre for tickets. Let everyone know how jive you are and RSVP your attendance via the Facebook event.

This New York Times article begged the question, "Travel Sites or Guidebooks?"

Some interesting points the author, Sharkey, points out include that travelers seem to prefer 100 strangers' travel recommendations over a professionally published book's; the benefits of real-time reviews and postings; the cumbersome elements of carrying physical books; the quality of well-researched content that books usually contain; ETC.

One tone rings throughout this article though - and it's that the world has gone digital.

For those involved in travel and tourism, if you're not at least headed in that direction as well, then you might as well go home.

The Idaho Travel Council is an industry leader in sharing their travel guides and marketing campaigns in the digital realm. In December '09, they made their image-rich travel guide available online. Their website, www.visitidaho.org, also features advanced 360 degree, 3-D 'tours' of seven scenic travel hot-spots in the state.

Most recently, the ITC released "The Great Idaho Getaway", an online family travel documentary about one Seattle family's 10-day Idaho vacation. "The Great Idaho Getaway" combines a real family's testimonies about their travel experiences in Idaho with the ability for viewers to research and plan their own "great Idaho getaway."

So in response to Sharkey's question, "Why not do both?" It seems the Idaho Travel Council has answered that question in multiple ways.

Labels: digital marketing, interactive, travel and tourism

Ever wonder where the best beers brewed in America come from? I bet you have. Well guess what you're in luck because I've found the answer.

Over the past 22 years the Great American Beer Festival has awarded 2,978 brewing medals and now there's a niffty infographic to go with it.

3 Reasons you should be interested in this:

1. It's beer (duh)
2. The northwest is kicking arse.
3. Did I mention its beer?

Cheers,
DRA

Labels: Beer, food and beverage, Idaho, pacific northwest lifestyle

Cool http://www.gizmodo.com/ article showcasing "what WIRED Mag will look like on the iPad."

For those who question the iPad's form or function, just check out this eye candy. Okay, so it's just eye candy...but I suddenly have a sweet tooth.

Labels: iPad, tech

Last Friday, I posted a response to the news that MTV is redesigning its logo.

Apparently, thousands of others did too.

Read this AdAdge article, "Readers: 'I Want my MTV' back from Snooki", to see what hundreds of others said about MTV and its complete disassociation with anything music-related.

Don't be surprised when the timeline of MTV's history gets more depressing towards the end.

Labels: Advertising

And for a little musical inspiration on this President's Day: Justin Townes Earle.




I'm a big fan of musicians who are actually musicians - those who write their own soul-spanking lyrics; those who have unique voices; those who play their own instruments; those who know the history of their craft and share their new renditions with the rest of us.

Hence, I'm a big fan of Justin Townes Earle (son of legendary Steve Earle). He's a little folk-rockabilly-bluegrass-country. Although you can't pigeonhole his music into any one genre - especially not mainstream country, which is precisely why I love his sound. As JTE said in this Huffington Post article, "99% of Music Row (the infamous stretch of street in Nashville, TN where country music is signed, sealed, delivered) is bullshit."

Sometimes, it seems like 99% of most everything mainstream is bullshit. Which I suppose makes finding the 1% of whatever it is that's not bullshit really quite enjoyable.

So, enjoy.

Labels: creativity, Justin Townes Earle, music

MTV will now just be called GTL. (That's Gym, Tan, Laundry for those of you who DON'T know).

This AdAge article reports that MTV is "updating" it's logo for the first time in 28 years.

"Music is still at the center of so much of what we do," said MTV general manager Stephen Friedman, "But we've really expanded what that means. We needed the logo to be flexible enough to have the artists within it but also the stars of our shows. It's an updating that speaks to this audience in a much simpler, bolder way."

P.S., MTV, your programming has nothing to do with music anymore.

As MTV is in the business of producing E! Television's leftovers (Jersey Shore was originally offered to E!), it's prime-time programming has nothing to do with sharing music or music videos as a pop-culture-informed art form, and everything to do with promoting trashy, shamefully naive, unrealistic behavior to the entitled masses through the premises of its shows and the ridiculous people in them.

So call a spade, a spade, MTV. Admit you're in the business of peddling smut with low production cost and you only run videos for an hour or two at 5 in the morning - a time slot that finds your target audience only just asleep after a long night of clubbing and smooshing.

Shameful admission? I've watched The Jersey Shore - a show MTV seems to believe will save its spiraling ratings. But 'The Shore' is a train wreck; that's why I and a lot of people watch. And if I laughed, it was at the show - not with it.

But The Jersey Shore won't float MTV forever, because the lifestyles the people on 'The Shore' live doesn't, or shouldn't, last forever. It gets a little creepy when a leathery-tan, super-ripped late-30-something is fighting the beats in the club. Just saying.

So, MTV doesn't need a logo redesign if it really wants to save its ratings. It needs go back to its roots, if you will, and re-consider how it got to be internationally renowned in the first place.

Music, unlike fickle Jersey Shore fads, is timeless. It breaks down cultural and international boundaries. It affects people endlessly. And it's a timelessly marketable product that would keep ratings afloat if delivered in a smart enough manner, arguably forever.

You're 28 MTV. Time to grow up and produce some real Music Television.

Labels: creativity, Jersey Shore, Marketing, MTV

This new information on milk just surfaced a day ago:


Drinking Milk While Pregnant May Lower Kids' MS Risk

“Children born to mothers who drink lots of milk and have a high dietary intake of vitamin D during pregnancy have a much lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life, researchers say.”

And this is the data that backs it up that I found truly amazing....

"The risk of MS among daughters whose mothers consumed four glasses of milk per day [during pregnancy] was 56 percent lower than daughters whose mothers consumed less than three glasses of milk per month," Dr. Fariba Mirzaei, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology.




What great news and reaffirms what I have believed my entire life, that milk is so incredibly healthy (not to mention tasty). I grew up in Wisconsin and couldn’t be more passionate about milk and dairy products. I now have two kids of my own, and our family drinks about 3 gallons of milk a week. I’m proud to say that it’s the primary beverage of our household.

Labels: food and beverage

Whether you drive a Toyota Prius or have just been following the media waylay Toyota has received over the issue of the Prius's faulty breaks, it's been fascinating to see media and even D.C. politicos inform the extent of this crisis and Toyota's response - lacking or not.

Academic approaches to crisis communications (read - great scholars like Coombs, Holladay, & Ulmer) often look at the extent to which media actually inform and manifest a crisis.

For Toyota and the case of the faulty breaks and sticky gas pedals, staunch media coverage and the whole "stop driving your Toyota's" misstatement from transportation secretary LaHood, definitely seem to be manifesting a crisis that never actually happened.

I say the crisis "never actually happened" because, well, it's not like millions of Prius drivers' breaks all suddenly failed at once and a bunch of people perished. (For a more appropriate definition of a crisis, see Haiti).

Now - should faulty break and sticky gas pedal malfunctions have been addressed? Absolutely? Should Toyota have responded with recalls sooner? Probably. But the recalls are out - to the tune of 8.5 million cars and trucks, globally.

Toyota has produced (quite quickly, I might add) some television spots like this one, which practice crisis management 101: remind audience of long-established, trusted history; softly acknowledge faults; point out efforts to fix errors; talk about bright and promising future.




I actually think the messaging in this video is solid - straightforward - and affective. Granted, I don't drive a Toyota. So for those that do, are Toyota's actions sufficient in easing consumers' fears?

Or do additional media reports about an inaccessible brand and closed company culture carry more weight and implications than a 15-second TV spot with reassuring messaging can fix?

Ironically, companies with closed cultures and their ability to survive crises is also an oft-studied topic when it comes to crisis communication.

And the basic premise of many theories resulting from these studies?
If you have a tight-lipped, inaccessible corporate culture and you or your product encounters risk or an actual crisis, media are going to attack you corporate practices right along with the risk/crisis.

Which is to say, media-generated crisis or not, it's still a crisis.
And I believe it takes a lot more (read corporate culture overhaul) than a creative commercial spot to make the crisis subside.

Labels: crisis communication, crisis response, Media, Public Relations, Toyota

Idaho Travel Council: The Great Idaho Getaway Project

Here’s one of those examples of when over-delivering really pays off. Idaho Tourism needed to update many of their photography and film assets. So, instead of just hiring a few rogue cameras to get some beauty shots, we decided that we needed to tell the Idaho story, in a whole new way.

With all of the advances in on-line film technology, social media, and the proliferation of unscripted entertainment, we realized we had a unique opportunity to develop an engaging digital brand property.

The Great Idaho Getaway Project was designed to demonstrate the fun, beauty, and rejuvenation of Idaho in a real-life online film. A Seattle family with one over-worked Dad was chosen to go on a immersive digital film adventure. We quickly snatched dad and the family out of the daily grind and whisked them on a plane to Idaho for 10 days of adventure. Followed by a 25 person crew with six cameras, we captured all the adventure, fun, scenic wonder, top-notch dining, and luxury accommodations they could fit into the ten-day trip.

The 55-plus hours of footage was edited down to a 30 minute feature with 3 short bonus videos. A break-though website was developed that brings together both worlds of rich, engaging technology with a user experience that brings Idaho to life. Web site visitors can watch the film, check out the bonus footage, follow the family’s route, get ideas for their own adventure, and even book a trip of their own.

The fully-integrated push for the Great Idaho Getaway Project blends social media, online marketing, search-engine marketing (SEM), public relations, and print advertising.

Many thanks go out to a great client willing to execute on a big vision.

Shout-out: Joe Quatrone, Josh Mercaldo, Lisa Hawkes, Jennie Myers, Lindsay Shumate, Sean Young, Justin Yonk, Chad Connally, Amanda Cash-Crowley, Josh McDannel, Amanda Sapp, Brad Rowen, Jeff Noble, Lorena Davis, John Nance, Julie Grant, Anthony Jensen, Peg Owens, Ron Gardner, and everyone at North By Northwest Productions.

See for yourself: The Great Idaho Getaway Project

Wired Magazine published this article, titled 'Don't Be Evil,' Meet 'Spy on Everyone':How the NSA Deal Could Kill Google.

Anyone (read everyone) who uses or has used Google or any Google applications should read it and keep an eye on how Google is monitoring and processing or sharing your information.

I'll leave the conspiracy theory blotheating about the impact of this Google-NSA partnership for my personal blog.

Personal rights to privacy aside, it is interesting to consider how this partnership with the NSA might impact Google from an economic standpoint.

As its mantra "Don't Be Evil" diminishes in meaning, will the masses start looking to search engines like Bing for answers, applications and advertising?

Or, are Google's programs so widely used, and the Google brand so predominant, that the company can create partnerships with the likes of the NSA without suffering a PR debacle?

The answers will develop over time on this one. But for those interested in everything from rights to privacy to SEM, the Google-NSA relationship might be a good one to follow.

Labels: Google, Internet privacy, NSA, Public Relations, SEO

A friend e-mailed this hilarious Doritos commercial, titled "Doritos Slap."




Just days before the Superbowl, I wondered if this great new spot had been leaked online.
Turns out, it's part of the online campaign: "Doritos Presents: CRASH THE SUPERBOWL."

Apparently, this campaign allowed consumers to create and submit commercials that consumers would vote on; finalists would win dinero and ultimately, the top three will be shown during the Superbowl as a Doritos brand commercial (whatever that means).

Part of me loves the consumer outreach aspect of this. Another part of me is disappointed that I've seen the commercials already. The "Crash the Superbowl" concept just impacts consumers like me and the other viewers who watch these commercial spots online and thus get jilted out of seeing three new, mind-blowing, hilarious, creative, etc. spots during the actual game.

Doritos, you're crashing MY Superbowl. Not cool. So next year, have your highly-paid marketing execs. employ their own creativity and come up with something cool. Then, don't spill the beans before the big game.

Labels: Advertising, commercials, Crash the Superbowl, Doritos, Superbowl

At today's DC Friday morning coffee talk it was quite clear that most DCers are rooting for the Aints...I mean Saints in the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. However when people were asked to raise their hands if they were Colts fans some people said how about just Peyton Manning fans? I of course raised my hand as did most others. So in honor of Peyton Manning (not the Colts) I present you with this gem. It's one of the all time great SNL skits and I think of it everytime I think of Peyton Manning.

I'm pretty sure that he hates the fact that people remember him in this fashion instead of one of the the greatest quarterbacks to ever play.

Check out the video here.

Labels: Peyton Manning, SNL

Must be eager to gain experience and not afraid to ask questions.

The ideal candidate for our Web Developer position comes with a couple of years of relevant experience and lives and breathes web. This candidate is someone who can write code and keeps a finger on the pulse of interactive design trends. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are a must. Candidate must be self-directed with a high level of attention to detail and the ability to work with minimal supervision. We are looking for both passion and creativity.

Technical Prerequisites:

The ability to code semantic, standards-based xhtml and bulletproof css. Experience with ASP.NET and jquery or other javascript frameworks is a must.

Please include resume as well as work samples, links, or portfolio to hagalsoff@drakecooper.com

This is a bit of a belated announcement but it’s about time we update everyone on how excited we are about our new partnership with WyattZier, LLC and their spirit brand 44 North Vodka!

44 North is a brand that DC is very passionate about because of its Idaho roots, the quality of the product and the great people behind the brand. It’s also a very exciting challenge for us to work on a national spirit brand that’s located in our own back yard.

As far as what we’ve been in the kitchen cooking up…you’ll have to hold your breath a bit longer. As a matter of fact why don’t you grab a 44 North and soda or maybe a Doc Holiday to kill the time. Keep you posted on when we expect to roll the new work out.


Cheers,
DRA

Labels: 44 North Vodka, Drake Cooper, food and beverage

TBWA\Chiat\Day just keeps on cranking out weird/great stuff for Skittles. So good in fact I just can't help but share it. Skittles could quite possibly be my favorite brand based on their consistent ability to come up with creative, outside the box thinking. Check out the crazy new spot here. And the website here.

Cheers,
DRA

Labels: creativity, food and beverage