And please...get us on Oprah

Welcome back

2010-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been a whole year. Amazing.

I signed off one year ago today from my Monday-Friday ramblings about the world of marketing. I was wiped out, and still in the middle of a job hunt that took way too long.

A lot has happened since then. To say the least.

Yes, I was employed by Janzen Public Relations - but JPR was the bridge to finding real full-time employment. I'm thankful to the clients who kept me going, but I always knew I wanted to get back into the agency world.

And paychecks every two weeks.

I've been employed since January at a Top 20 Seattle advertising agency as senior vice president/director of account services. That is one long title for a job I truly enjoy. And I'm an ad guy these days, after spending most of my career in the PR world.

I haven't had to grovel to a television news assignment editor in over nine months. Can't say I miss that.

Anyway, the time away has made me ready to start yapping again. There's so much to talk about. Can't promise it will be five days a week like before - but check back often. And as always, I love your input.

One of the funny things that's happened since I've been away is Oprah's decision to leave her show within the year. Will I change the name of this sucker? Nada. This blog has always been about trying to satisfy client expectations through marketing. Whether it's a great PR placement, killer advertising creative or an innovative social media program, it's about interacting with consumers. And in the end, selling stuff.

It's good to be back.

It's not goodbye...

2009-09-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

This blog is taking a break.

I've been pretty much doing this Monday-Friday since early 2008. Some days have been good. Some days have been bad. And I learned that some days you can upset indoor lacrosse players. Now, that was funny.

But I've got a lot of things happening on the business/employment front that are demanding my attention. I've got to free up some time. And shutting down the blog can help do that.

Not forever. Just for now.

Thank you, loyal readers. I appreciate your comments, both public and private. SiteTracker has shown me I have readers from all over the U.S. That still amazes me. You now have an open five minutes in your day. Go crazy.

See you soon.

I bark for Sark

2009-09-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

Shock the world.

I heard it over and over last week on local sports radio from delusional Husky fans. What if we could upset the number three team in the country? What could that do for a program that has sunk to the absolute bottom of the college football world?

Huskies 16, Trojans 13. Shock the world.

In the new Steve Sarkisian era, hopes were high - but c'mon people. You play a competitive game against LSU, but lose. You whomp on Idaho and win. Nice to break the streak, but here's the real test: the big, bad boys from USC. You remember USC, right? The team that spanked the Dawgs 56-0 last season?

Nobody really expected this outcome. But that's what makes sports so much fun. FOX Sports promotes its World Series telecasts with the line: You can't script October. Well, you might be able to script an overcast September day in Husky Stadium. The Dawgs followed their game plan, got some big turnovers and took it to the Trojans.

This one game will do more for the Huskies' national image than any PR program for Sark and the Dawgs ever will. For the Huskies, it's pretty simple: just win. And win big. Today the UW finds itself in the AP Top 25 for the first time in six years.

Shock the world, indeed.

Step away from your computer

2009-09-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

I often think we're all spending way too much time on social media.

We hunker down behind our computers to communicate instead of seeking real live human contact with each other. Like using a phone and having a conversation. Or sitting across from one another for lunch or coffee.

Yes, human contact. Go figure.

I pride myself on my networking abilities. But I've slacked off a bit recently. Call it being in a business funk or whatever, but for the last two weeks I've hunkered down, just like those I criticized earlier.

Until yesterday.

I worked the phones and uncovered two possible new business opportunities. I've got in-person lunches and coffees scheduled with colleagues in the next couple of weeks to uncover more.

It's a lot of work. But nothing beats making that one-to-one connection.

I'm not giving up on Facebook, Twitter and all the rest. But I had a little wake-up call yesterday. Just in time.

Have you made the list?

2009-09-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

I like to call it "Yahoo Deathwatch."

Yahoo, on its home page, as a section in the upper right corner called Popular Searches. It lets you know the top ten people or things that America is searching for on Yahoo.

Sometimes, it's obvious. After last weekend's VMA fiasco, Kanye West was at number one for a short time. Despite what Kanye thinks, most of America didn't know who he was before Sunday night. Now, unfortunately...they do.

But more often than not if you see a person in the number one slot, they've probably died.

Monday, Henry Gibson was at number one for a short time. Gibson was part of the 1960s ground-breaking comedy show Laugh-In, and although I had seen him in small parts over the years, it had been a long time since I'd come across his name.

Until Monday. "Uh oh," I said. He passed away on Sunday. Surprisingly, he's still in the top ten as of this morning at number nine. RIP, Mr. Gibson.

My Dad always used to joke that the first thing he would do each morning was to read the Seattle Times obituaries. If he didn't see his name, he could get on with his day.

This morning, there are only two dead people in the top 10: Myles Brand (ex-chairman of the NCAA at number two) and Gibson. Currently, Tom Cruise is at number five (who said on Leno that having sex with him "is like flying" - seriously) and Christie Prody at number six (O.J. Simpson's ex-girlfriend who is yapping to anyone who will listen).

I never want to make the Yahoo list.

Making The Pinky popular

2009-09-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

Have you seen The Pinky?

It's part of a new television advertising campaign from 76 - which I always remember as 76 Union. Their orange ball logo is one of the most identifiable brand marks in the U.S. I'm not sure The Pinky will do anything to enhance the brand.

The premise: we've lost civility on the road. We cut each other off; drive in the "fast" lane; roll through stop signs - and then use our middle finger as a message that doesn't equate with "Hey...you're number one!"

Enter The Pinky.

76 is advocating the use of the pinky finger for drivers to signal other drivers when they experience something which makes "driving better for everybody." Like letting someone in line when two lanes merge to one.

Unless, of course, they sneak up on all of us that have been patiently waiting in that same line for 15 minutes. I'm not sure I'm giving anyone a smile and The Pinky at that point.

Anyway...I'm guessing The Pinky is 76's lighthearted way of diverting attention away from the high cost of filling our tanks with their expensive gasoline. If you haven't seen the spot, take a look at www.76.com. From even a slight distance away, if someone is raising their hand with a digit extended - The Pinky or not - it still looks like the conventional bird to me.

We might see a whole new form of road rage as 76 tries to popularize The Pinky. It's probably best to just fume in your car - and don't raise a digit at anyone.

This was not a good idea, Nina

2009-09-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Nothing like keeping it in the family. From Media Bistro yesterday:

Nina Radetich, a news anchor for ABC-affiliate KTNV in Las Vegas was caught by the Las Vegas Sun offering PR-services to TireWorks, a local auto-repair chain that is currently being investigated by KTNV for "ripping off consumers."

The additional details: Radetich pitched services from her own boyfriend, Jack Finn, "a special projects manager at NV Energy and former spokesman for Sen. John Ensign and former Gov. Kenny Guinn," who does consulting work on the side, according to the Sun.

Has the station fired Radetich for her actions? No. KTNV Vice President and General Manager Jim Prather called it a "lapse of judgement," and said, "Upon review, it has absolutely no impact nor will it have any impact on our news gathering in the Tire Works investigation." Needless to say, Vegas doesn't have the cleanest reputation, but this news is scandalous even for the city's standards.

Maybe I could work a deal with "Get Jessie" in the Seattle market. Or not.

An impressive publicity stunt

2009-09-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

A funny postscript to my blog the other day about doing PR for fairs.

Each year the Puyallup Fair opens with a cattle drive that goes through town and ends at the fair. It's part tradition and part publicity stunt. I'm certain the cowboys and their steer generate some good media coverage each year.

But this year's drive ran into a problem. Two of the steer decided to make a quick stop at the nearby Puyallup Mini Mart. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen, and KOMO's coverage (above) is terrific.

Frankly, I think the mischievous cattle did the Puyallup Fair PR people a favor. I'm sure the video of the cattle drive gone wrong has appeared on television stations throughout the U.S., in addition to taking on a life of its own online. You can't buy that kind of media exposure.

The Color of Hope Breakfast is Sept. 29

2009-09-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

Self-serving plug this morning.

I'm on the board for Art with Heart, an amazing Seattle non-profit that empowers youth in crisis through therapeutic books and programs that foster self-expression.

We want to fill the Westin Seattle's Grand Ballroom on Sept. 29 for The Color of Hope, our third annual benefit breakfast. This worthy organization operates on a lean annual budget, and the breakfast is the primary fundraising event for the year.

First, learn more about Art with Heart at www.artwithheart.org. And then join Scott and Cris Janzen at our table for this inspiring breakfast. Drop me a note and I'll give you the details.

Deja vu: country fair PR

2009-09-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine did the PR for the King County Fair for years.

It was a job I envied - for about 20 minutes. Don't get me wrong. I love country fairs. Cris and I did the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe last week and immersed ourselves in pigs, lumberjacks, gadgets, vegetable displays, hamburgers with fried onions, scones, rides and a taste of small town America. I dig it.

But I go to the fair, and then depart for another year. If you're handling its PR, you're kind of stuck there for an extended period of time, mostly promoting the same experience to jaded media year after year. Especially trying to generate any publicity prior to the fair to build consumer excitement.

My pal had the Critter Queen competition. The fair would round up cute animals to compete in a mock beauty contest, and hold the finals in Seattle in front of the "big city" media. It would always produce a little pre-publicity. Combine a little piglet with a sash/crown and you're talking about a sure 30 seconds at the end of local television news.

He's gotten out of the fair business. I'm not sure he misses the action. But the fair food? Ahhhhhh....

Richard Paulson: an old school PR pro

2009-09-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

I've been lucky to have a lot of great mentors in my career.

Richard Paulson, former spokesperson for Washington's Lottery, is one of them. In his 13 years as PR Manager (1984-97), Richard was the most visible representative of the Lottery for the general public. And a good friend of mine.

Richard passed away from bladder and liver cancer three years ago. He was my client for five years, and an even better friend for years after that.

I think about him often, because I refuse to delete his last email to me from Nov. 10, 2005. The email remains in my queue - where it will always remain - and the subject line is "Respect Life."

Richard's condition took a turn for the worse after writing me that email, and all communication after that was through his wife. But what I loved about his message to me was his premise that a sense of humor could get you through anything - even though he was frightened about the cancer diagnosis and what was ahead.

I mention Richard today because I think it's important to remember that mentors come in many forms. I've worked with brilliant communications and marketing professionals who have shaped my career. Richard would be the first to admit he didn't fall in that category. But he was an old school pro who helped to teach me what being a PR professional was all about.

In his obituary, a former co-worker at the Lottery called him "a combination cheerleader/game-show host/sports announcer/carnival pitchman."

Maybe. But he's one of many people who've had a positive influence on my career. Thanks, Richard.

Bring on The Beatles...and all the media coverage

2009-09-08T06:08:00.000-07:00

There is no such thing as too much Beatlemania for me.

Which is a good thing - because the Fab Four are back this week like it's 1965 all over again. The Beatles: Rock Band video game debuts Wednesday, in addition to the remastered Beatles catalog - which I must have. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Just hand it over.

If you haven't seen or heard about all of this Beatles stuff, you're living under a rock. The publicity machine has been going overdrive in the last two weeks, from Katie Couric to Mary Hart, as we celebrate the music of the greatest rock band in the history of the world.

Sorry...that's what I believe. You're not going to get me to change my mind.

And though I own a ton of vinyl, cassette tapes and CDs of the greatest rock band in the history of the world - I've got to have the new box set. Their music is part of my DNA.

I'm sure the PR team is crowing right now about all of the international media coverage they've generated in advance of the 9/9/09 dual launch, but let's get real for a moment: a trained monkey with cymbals could have generated the same amount of launch exposure. You've got the two surviving Beatles (Paul and Ringo) doing non-stop press with the widows of John (Yoko) and George (Olivia) - and all praising both the game and the studio remastering magic.

They've got the adoring media eating out of their hands. What a surprise.

And good for them. Everyone's going to make a lot of money on all of this. And they'll make a little more when I snap up the remastered box set.

Leveraging social media for the greater good

2009-09-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

Thursday was another great demonstration of how social media can pull people together for a cause.

All over Facebook yesterday, people were asked to post the following as their status update for the day:

No one should die because they can not afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree post this as your status for the rest of the day.

It was another way to rally support for health care reform, and an interesting use of Facebook for the day. But of course, not everyone took it that seriously. Two other responses from friends of mine:

No one should die because they cannot afford health care, no one should go broke because they get sick, unless you are a jerk. Jerks should be allowed to do both.

And the other:

Nobody should ever have to eat brussel sprouts, and no one should eat sauerkraut. If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the year.

Will efforts like yesterday's Facebook rally make a difference? After reading post after post yesterday, it got me thinking for a few minutes about health care reform. Mission accomplished in the Janzen household.

Yeah...there's an app for that

2009-09-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

There's no bigger iPhone geek than me. I love my phone. But THIS is funny. Enjoy.

The high price of playoff fun

2009-09-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

I received a letter yesterday from Bob Aylward, executive vice president of business operations for the Seattle Mariners. I read it and laughed. Then, I read it a second time just to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

And I laughed a second time.

Dated August 26, Bob and my beloved Mariners were giving me a week to cough up money for the 2009 Major League Baseball postseason. As of this morning, the M's were 10 games back of Los Angeles for the division lead, and nine games back of Boston for the wild card - with 29 games to play.

The letter read: "While we have to catch several formidable teams in the standings, Manager Don Wakamatsu's team is focused on staying in the race. Based on the current standings, Major League Baseball has advised the Mariners and other contending teams to begin preparations for postseason."

Uh...no.

We have a 16-game plan for the season - the same plan we've had for the last ten years. I'm thankful the M's are out of contention. To purchase a partial playoff strip (five games), Bob and his buddies wanted $740 per strip for a total of $1,480 for all the playoff fun, in addition to a $40 "non-refundable handling fee."

Uh...no.

If we make this wise investment, and the Mariners don't make the playoffs, our dollars can be credited towards 2010 or we can just obtain a refund. While the M's sit on all of that interest-generating cash.

Listen...I'm a HUGE Mariners fan. If we were closer in the standings, the credit card would come dancing out of my wallet. But in this current economy, I'm actually kind of glad I don't have to make the investment.

I think the bigger issue is the team's credibility with its fans. We're not stupid. Up until earlier this week, the team's announcers were continuing to tease fans with the possibility of the playoffs. I know we're all hungry to play in October, but I would have rather had them back off on the postseason hype pedal. From a marketing/PR perspective, I'm sure it was impossible for them to do.

From a fan's perspective, I wish they had.

Spring Training 2010 is right around the corner. And with it - hopefully - better baseball and better economic times.

My not-so-brilliant stand-up career

2009-09-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's blog about my radio "career" generated a lot of emails - but not about the PSC radio show.

"You did stand-up comedy - what the hell?"

Yes, I did stand-up comedy. My comedy career came and went in a heartbeat. There's a reason for that: it was too much work to be funny.

Seriously. It started in the early days of the Seattle comedy scene - about 25 years ago. I'd go to open mike sessions at area clubs, and see complete idiots get laughs with very weak material. I would sit in the audience and just shake my head. "Think you can do better?" my buddy Bryce would ask me.

Hell yes.

I put together a five-minute set, and hit every open comedy night I could find. If I got laughs, the joke stayed in the routine. If I got a groan, the joke was toast.

I got my share of laughs. Too many, actually. I entered the Seattle comedy competition, one of over 100 hopefuls hoping to launch a comedy career.

I not only made the cut, but I made the top 20, performing nightly over the course of a week at venues ranging from The Comedy Underground (cool) to the Sea-Tac Marriott (not so cool).

It was a week I will never forget. I essentially rewrote parts of my routine after every performance, instead of just sticking with what got me there in the first place. I was in full panic mode. To make it worse, many of my co-workers, friends and family came out to watch me each night. With friends in the audience, you can never tell if you're really funny, or you're receiving what I like to call "courtesy laughs."

Each night before the next performance, I would road test my revised set in front of Bryce - who would laugh at everything.

"God...I'm in big trouble," I would think each night. And I was. I didn't make the next round, but I had one of the most amazing weeks of my life. Many of the other comics I completed against have gone on to the national comedy circuit. One became a game show host. Another did some really bad movies in the 1980s.

It was a fun year of stand-up, but I couldn't see a career of playing comedy clubs.

But sometimes, when I see that microphone, spotlight and fake brick backdrop...nah, who am I kidding? The PR profession is stuck with me.

My brilliant radio career

2009-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Talk about a flashback.

Back in the early 1980s I handled PR for the Pacific Science Center. I was always looking for new ways to generate publicity. PSC was my first lead PR job (after a whopping three years in the business), but so many of the initiatives I rolled out were accompanied by a) hope and b) prayer.

I wasn't sure if anything ever worked. The Science Center relied on public service announcements and any media coverage I could generate to draw visitors to the museum.

I had a weekly radio "show" on KVI every Saturday morning for two years with radio personality Peter Boam. It was all of five minutes (taped midweek) and Peter would interview me about all things PSC. Peter was great, but he was forced to work with a dork (me) who was doing stand-up comedy at open mikes around town in his spare time. I began writing stuff that I could casually insert into our segments.

Most of it was informative. None of it was funny.

It got so bad that I found myself driving around on Saturday mornings so I could hear myself "live" through my car stereo.

I was 25. Cut me some slack.

Why the flashback? I was driving around this weekend, scanning the radio, and trying to find the M's game which had been moved from KIRO for the night. I stopped briefly on KOMO. Suddenly, the host begins his weekly visit with the Pacific Science Center. Stan Orchard from PSC sounded like me from 25 years ago, promoting everything and making the most of the few minutes on the air.

He's a veteran radio guy, so I doubt he goes to his car to listen. But the thought of it made me smile all over again.

Still smoking the ball

2009-08-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

I'm going out to beautiful TPC Snoqualmie Ridge today to see some of the world's best senior...ah...seasoned golfers at the Boeing Classic.

I love the Classic. The golf is amazing, the course is challenging, the scenery is breathtaking and frankly, it's a nice day in the park. I'll be watching some of my golf heroes today. I'm going to follow a threesome at noon that includes PGA legends Tom Kite and Hale Irwin. The Classic is fun because the galleries are manageable and the players from the Champions Tour interact with the fans. I followed Gary Player last year, who can still smoke the ball in his 70s. He's class personified.

I think of TopDog Talent the same way I think of the Champions Tour: seasoned talent who can still smoke the ball.

It's a Seattle company run by advertising veteran Brian McKenna. TopDog started out as a staffing agency, but it's developed into so much more. Brian has tapped into available, experienced talent in every discipline and is marketing that talent to companies throughout the area that need top level pros for top level projects.

As Brian states on his website: Today, you have access to the greatest assemblage of top talent ever available from a single source in Seattle.

I agree. The economy has forced companies to go lean and mean - but the work still has to get done. And Brian can put together experienced teams to take care of any short-term marketing need. Check out his website at www.topdogtalent.com for more details.

But no work for me today - it can wait until the weekend. TPC Snoqualmie Ridge and the Boeing Classic awaits.

There's no thrill in the chase

2009-08-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

If you've been in the agency business as long as I have, you'll find there's no thrill in the chase for a piece of PR business.

The thrill comes in winning the business. Period.

It's often said that finishing second for an account is like finishing tenth - there are no rewards for getting close. If you don't win, you lose. You're a L-O-S-E-R. But it doesn't stop any of us from chasing business.

Sometimes, the chase is long term. I've been given an opportunity in the last week to present a proposal for a PR project with a non-profit that I've been chasing since 2005. It's a cool organization that does tremendous work on behalf of young people all over the U.S. They've got a great story to tell - and I'd like to tell it.

Stay tuned on that front.

I've chased a lot of business over 30 years. My all-time champion chase was for the Shurgard Storage business. I've told this story before: I was introduced to the account through some project work in 1989, and continued to work on their behalf through the 1990s - but always on a project basis.

They never wanted to commit to an on-going PR retainer. And then suddenly, they put out a call for PR shops to pitch their business. We pitched it when I was senior vice president at The Fearey Group in 1999 - and won the business!

I was elated. The world of self-storage was mine! But I decided to leave the agency and come "home" to DDB Seattle. I got to work on the account at TFG for about 30 days.

Timing is everything.

Shurgard was acquired by Public Storage in 2006. My dream is gone. I know...let it go, Scott. I've been told that if you love self-storage, you must set it free.

There are other accounts that you chase, win, work, say goodbye...and then say hello again when you when you work with the same client one more time. For me, that covers clients like Holland America Line (11 years overall, starting in the mid-1980s), Nalley's Fine Foods (five different agencies - they followed me everywhere) and Washington's Lottery (two different shops - and almost a third last summer).

And with the client personnel themselves? I worked with one gentleman at HAL in his role as executive vice president, and then worked with him again at three other companies. When he was briefly out of work in the early 1990s, he worked on a project for me.

It was nice to be chased for once.

The Seaside Candyman: keeping it simple

2009-08-26T07:33:00.001-07:00

We're back from the Oregon Coast. What a terrific, relaxing getaway to Seaside and Cannon Beach. But I never stop thinking about the world of marketing, even as the Pacific Ocean's waves are sending ice cold hellos to my feet.

Sometimes, the best marketing is the simplest. For all of the big ideas we create to generate awareness and sales, it's often the street smart stuff we do that does the trick.

And it doesn't get much more street smart than The Seaside Candyman.

It's a candy store in the heart of Seaside, just a half block away from the main street through town. They offer up 170 flavors of salt water taffy - the largest selection west of the Rockies. But it would easily get lost in Seaside's overwhelming food and gift shop offerings, if it wasn't for their marketing powerhouse.

The Candyman himself.

I don't know his name, but the gentleman pictured above has been handing out free samples of taffy for years. He stands on the same corner, starting at about 11 a.m. each day, singing little ditties and tempting tourists with samples of the shop's taffy treasures. He's a charmer. And it works. People sample the taffy and head out of their way to The Seaside Candyman.

So simple. And so effective. Something for all of us to keep in mind.

Collective wisdom: it's your turn

2009-08-21T05:21:00.000-07:00

I put out the call yesterday for the best personal or professional advice you've ever received. And despite the "advice" from my cynical pal Park, ("Never ask for advice on your blog. You'll be disappointed at what you receive, starting with this one.") I got some great responses from here, Facebook and Twitter.

A sampling of the collective wisdom, in no particular order:

"Work to live...not live to work." (Doreen)

"Treat even the most mundane tasks as if it's preparing you for something great." (Heidi)

"Hippies: love them or hate them, you have to find a way to work with them." (Chris)

"Never burn any bridges, unless it's for a movie...then make sure and blow them up!" (Tiffany)

"Never work for or with assholes." (Dave)

"Love what you do and the money will follow." (Terry)

"It all starts at the top. The leadership of an organization dictates the mood, work pace and pretty much everything else in the organization, so pay attention to what the boss is like." (Casey)

"Work hard. Play harder." (Peter)

"When you least expect it, expect it." (Joe)

"Life is too short to drink cheap wine...chase your dreams and make it happen!" (Nancy)

"As a manager, plan on pissing someone off every day. It won't be your intent, but you can't make everybody happy." (Jack)

"It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich girl." (Rob)

"Always be learning." (Ted)

"Always talk to people who are already successful in the field, and ask them how they got where they are." (Holly)

"Relationship skills are always transferable to any career track." (Margaret)

"Always take the high road." (Lewis)

Earlier this year, my wife did a post on her blog, I Love My Job! (http://crisjanzen.blogspot.com/2009/03/sage-advice.html) on "Sage Advice" with the following gem:

"On my first day of my first real job after college, my first supervisor gave me two pieces of advice: 1) show up, 2) always put the maximum amount allowable into your 401(K)."

And me? Before he passed away four years ago, my amazing father was an advice machine, passing out wisdom on real estate ("It always pays to own a home"), eating ("Always feed the 'inner' man") and thrift ("Why buy a book when you can check out the same title from the library for free?") But his best piece of advice?

"Never take love for granted." It's something I try and remember each day.

Thanks to everyone for all of the great advice!

Some good advice

2009-08-20T07:21:00.001-07:00

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever received came on a stage at Bally's in Las Vegas.

I came to see comedienne Elayne Boosler. But before Elayne took the stage, I was subjected to an opening act of two "comic" jugglers, who specialized in throwing anything back and forth - the stranger, the better.

I was bored out of my mind. And also sitting in the front row. Not a good combination.

They flashed a light on me and invited me on stage. Resistance was futile.

While positioned in the middle of the stage, the jugglers began tossing everything past me, from knives to bowling pins. Most of the stuff was whizzing past me within inches of my face.

I was a bit intoxicated, but not very happy. Actually, I think frightened would cover it.

The crowd was roaring. "Want some advice?" asked the one juggler. Sure, I countered.

"Don't move. Don't ever move." I happily complied for the next ten minutes of hell.

I've been fortunate to get a lot of great advice over the years from friends and family. And of course, the occasional juggler. These days, most of it surrounds my career. I get excellent advice and counsel from my wife, of course. Good counsel from some friends in the business. And occasionally, horrible counsel from those who should know better.

So, here's an opportunity for you to sound off. What's the best advice - career or otherwise -you've ever received? I have a lot of readers, but not a lot of contributors. Bring it on.

An interesting primary

2009-08-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Some random thoughts from yesterday's primary:

The Seattle Mayor's race is extremely tight. As of this morning, with about half the ballots counted, Mayor Nickels is in third place. I'm not too shocked. If Mayor McCheese somehow sneaks into the second spot, there shouldn't be any cheering in the Nickels camp. I'm not sure voters can say it any more clearly: 75 percent of them don't want a Nickels third term. Period.

Let's start with three reasons: viaduct, snow fiasco and the Sonics. Trust me...there's more where that came from.

Nobody should be shocked at Susan Hutchison's victory in the King County Executive race. Think name recognition doesn't matter? Think again. And I'm guessing if you asked the majority of voters what she stands for, they'd be unable to answer the question. Not many of us know. She kept a fairly low profile during the primary, even dodging the issue of her Republican leanings. As the campaign moves forward, voters will be better educated. That's not a good thing for the former KIRO anchor.

The bag tax was whacked by voters. But please, don't insult my intelligence by saying that it was the "big out-of-state special interests" that swayed the final outcome. Great concept (protecting the environment) combined with crappy idea (bag tax) equals a defeat on election day. Back to the drawing board.

Bring on the cookies

2009-08-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Today is the primary election. And of course, it's the first with an all mail-in ballot.

My wife and I got ours done - finally - about 8 p.m. last night. It's been sitting in our living room for a couple of weeks, along with the Voters' Pamphlet. With today's deadline approaching, and automated election calls bombarding the Janzen household at an all-time high, we decided to finally vote.

I'm still old school when it comes to voting. I like walking across the street to the elementary school to practice my version of democracy. It's what I've always done (I've never voted by absentee) and it's a hard habit to break. I love seeing the big American flag; the confused seniors who check me in; and the questionable cookies for a job well done.

But the completed ballot that I walked down to the post office last night was probably the best informed ballot I've ever filled out. I actually consulted the Voters' Pamphlet on things like the Port races and read their statements and scanned the endorsements.

The funny part was the walk to the post office. There were lots of neighbors doing the same thing, armed with their ballot envelopes, to make sure the deadline was met and their vote was counted. It will be interesting to see what this mail-in election does to the overall "turnout."

And yes...there's a cookie in my future today.

Michael Vick and 60 Minutes

2009-08-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

I watched the Michael Vick interview last night on 60 Minutes.

Vick is on the receiving end of a lot of hate right now. Over the last few days, my Facebook news stream has been filled with a lot of Vick bashing from a great number of friends and colleagues, as the quarterback attempts to emerge from two years of prison and return to play in the NFL once again.

There is no love for Vick. I've got one friend who has come up with a list of the NFL's leading television advertisers, and is urging friends to write letters threatening boycotts if these companies advertise on games the Philadelphia Eagles are involved in this season. Others want to do to Vick what he did to all of those poor dogs at his dog fighting operation in Virginia.

So, his handlers teed up Vick last night for his first national interview. It was a bit bizarre, to say the least. Flanking Vick was Wayne Pacelle, president/CEO of The Humane Society and former Baltimore Colts coach Tony Dungy, I guess to show that Vick now has a mentor (Dungy) and a cause (Humane Society) as he professes his sorrow for past actions and looks to a future of football.

I'm not buying it.

Oh, he's sorry - sorry he blew a $100 million career with a barbaric hobby that tortured and killed countless dogs. His handlers did a nice job making him look all sincere, but I'm sorry...I can't get past what he did. Vick served his time, but he shouldn't be allowed to play in the NFL. Period. This wasn't a momentary lack of judgement. He ran a dog fighting business for a number of years. Don't kid yourself: it's only over because he got caught.

I've heard from some friends in the PR business that all will be forgiven once he throws a regular season touchdown pass. Maybe by some Philadelphia fans. But all of the spin and polish in the world isn't going to change the collective image of Michael Vick. You think the A-Rod boos at Safeco Field are loud? Wait until Vick comes to Qwest sometime in the future.

What your logo says about your company

2009-08-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting article posted on Yahoo yesterday about corporate logos. It followed the evolution of logos for many big-time companies, including Starbucks, IBM and Pepsi.

The story I found the most interesting was for Apple. Their original logo looks like something that might have been produced for a 60's rock band, with Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree (see above). The computer giant went with a rainbow-colored apple after that, before evolving into the glass-themed logo of today.

Logos are certainly a visual element of your company's brand. So, what does that say about my various logos over the years?

My new PR agency in 1991 needed a logo - quickly. With a few hundred dollars in hand, I begged a designer friend to knock out something fast. He asked all of the right questions and came back with a pretty nice logo for Janzen & Associates.

The logo was in two colors: gray and pink. Why pink?

"It's the hot color right now," he said. Okay fine.

I took more questions (and grief) in the three years of J&A over my logo than any of the work I did for clients in the same period of time. You loved it or you hated it. For Christmas 1991, I cranked out sweatshirts with the J&A logo for clients and friends. People loved 'em - or said they loved 'em. I have a couple of friends who still wear them running.

The only thing I have left with the logo is a few business cards and the original office sign for my agency's front door. Display pieces for my eventual inclusion in the PR Hall of Fame, I'm sure.

More recently, I had another designer friend crank out a logo for Janzen Public Relations. It's a nice logo, and I've gotten a lot of compliments on it. But one of the earlier versions featured the three letters, with the "R" in multiple images - think how a pirate might say it ("Ahoy matey, welcome to JPRRRRRRRRRRRRRR").

For a few moments I thought about a whole pirate-themed agency, and I'd wear an eye patch like Dale Chihuly. I know he's not a pirate...you get what I'm saying, right?

Anyway, the logo was rejected. My pirate adventures will be limited to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland every few years.

You can't tell the players without a scorecard

2009-08-13T05:55:00.000-07:00

DDB had their annual summer cruise recently. But my sources tell me that it wasn't like other years.

The staff posed for a group photo on the top deck of the boat - and they could all easily fit in the available seats. When I left the firm in 2005, we numbered about 200 employees. Now, as the Seattle office of DDB West, the staff is about a third as large.

It happens. The agency landscape continues to change in the Puget Sound area. I notice it the most when I outline my own agency experience over 32 years:

Cole & Weber (now Cole & Weber United)
Elgin Syferd (gone - acquired by DDB in 1989)
Borders Perrin Norrander (gone - now just in Portland)
Sharp Hartwig (gone)
Janzen & Associates (gone - and my wife now uses the name for her firm)
The Fearey Group (still the largest independent Seattle PR agency)
DDB Seattle (now part of DDB West, combining the Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle offices)
WONGDOODY (still around and kicking butt)

Yeah...I've played for a lot of teams. And a lot of those teams don't exist anymore. The back of my bubblegum card would be very busy.

And it's not just these firms. The entire advertising/PR marketplace bears little resemblance to the one from even ten years ago. Are more changes coming? What do you think?

Nothing like a good media stunt

2009-08-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

PR pros do funny things sometimes to get the attention of media. Believe me, I've done my share of media stunts.

Today at Westlake Center, I get to watch from the safety of the sidelines as a PR colleague of mine attempts to whip Seattle media into a frenzy at the inaugural Spam Smashup. The fun begins at noon. To quote the news release:

The scourge of the Internet, spam, costs American business nearly $22 billion annually in lost productivity, according to experts. So the people at Seattle-based Email Broadcast have decided to do their part to draw attention to the problem by holding the inaugural Spam Smashup.

To dramatize the importance of defeating spam, lucky onlookers will get a chance to smash cans of SPAM with a large hammer. The actual SPAM smashing begins at 12:45 p.m.

In a recent article in The New York Times, experts estimated that 94 percent of all global Internet email traffic is now spam. The client, Email Broadcast, is a Seattle-based email marketing agency that provides premium-level campaigns for their clients.

So, people will be smashing cans of SPAM - and I'm sure a good time will be had by all. Will Seattle media care? The old television news expression is "if it bleeds, it leads." I'm sure there won't be any bloodshed at the event today, so it will have to make the newscasts on its own merit.

I'm nervous, and it's not even my event. Good luck to one and all.

This will not be a good review

2009-08-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

OK...it's an obvious metaphor. But Public Relations Guide, an app I downloaded for my iPhone yesterday, is...how can I put it?

Worst. Download. Ever.

And that's saying something. As I noted yesterday, Apple offers up some amazing downloads for the popular iPhone. But it also offers up some clunkers, like Atomic Fart, which is what you think it is.

But even Atomic Fart is relatively harmless. It is what it says it is.

Not so with Public Relations Guide. It's awful.

It reads like it was thrown together from a number of different sources - some of the info seems current, but most of it isn't and it leaves the reader constantly going "huh?" and "I spent $2.99 for this piece of ****?"

There are some chapters within the guide that boggle the mind, having NOTHING to do with PR:

Finding the Right Equipment (all about making sure you have the proper stuff to open a restaurant)

On-Site Spanish and English Training (the merits of making sure everyone can speak the same language at the workplace)

And with all due respect to the Big Guy:

Is God Real?

I'm not making any of this up. Even the chapters about PR are weak:

Should Your PR Budget Stress Tactics or Strategy? Gee, PR pros...what do you think?

I'm not going to dignify this horrific download with any further discussion. I can't understand why anyone would want a training guide of any kind on their iPhone - especially one this bad. If you were PR-clueless, you could find much better information for FREE online or just about anywhere.

I took the $2.99 bullet for you. Just say no.

Become a PR expert for $2.99

2009-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

With Apple's amazing iPhone, there seems to be an app for everything.

And nobody knows better than me. Since getting my phone about a month ago, I've been downloading at least an app a day: some outstanding, some great...and a few that are really, really stupid.

The stupid ones stay on my phone for a few days. And then they get deleted and go to app heaven.

Most apps are either free or 99 cents. My favorite so far is MLB.com At Bat 2009. It's not cheap ($9.99 per season), but it's a terrific resource if you're a baseball fan. The app offers an up-to-the-minute scoreboard, stats, video replays and at least one complete game a day - broadcast on your phone. Pretty cool.

Besides the fun stuff, I've been checking out the business applications. Surely, there can't be a PR app, can there?

Yup. It's called Public Relations Guide ($2.99).

"Want to dominate in Public Relations and boost your paychecks? We can help with our comprehensive Public Relations Guide."

It says that I can "dominate the public relations landscape" by downloading the app today.

Hmmm...only $2.99 to dominate the industry? How bad can it be? I've downloaded it, and I'll provide a full review tomorrow.

Don't bother me...I'm reading

2009-08-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

I read a lot of magazines.

I can't tell you the last fiction book I read for enjoyment. For that matter, I'm not sure I can tell you the last book I read, period. Call it short attention span, lack of time...whatever.

But I love magazines and always have. And I don't mean the online versions. I'm talking about the kind that come in your mailbox or off the newsstand. There are times - depending on my current client mix - that I'm reading upwards of 50 magazines a month.

Today, my favorite is easy: Entertainment Weekly. No magazine gives me a better read on pop culture than EW. It covers movies, television, music, books, stage, interactive and lots of stuff I would miss without my weekly EW briefing.

But growing up, I started with my big three: Boys' Life, Highlights for Children and Weekly Reader.

I was introduced to Highlights in my dentists' office. There wasn't a lot to do waiting for my appointment, so I would thumb through Highlights. I think my mom took that for an interest in the magazine, and I started to get it in the mail. Very old school (remember Goofus and Gallant?) - even their tagline says it all: "Fun with a Purpose." Eeek.

Weekly Reader was cool. You got it at school, and it was a window to the world - at least for someone in grade school. I learned about strange animals and the race to the moon, among other things. I was glad to see that Weekly Reader is still publishing, but now (of course) with an online edition.

My favorite was Boys' Life. Simply the best. I got it originally because I was a Cub Scout. But even though it's published by the Boy Scouts of America, the magazine is for all kids. Great articles and cartoons. It had a stupid donkey named Pedro and a back page of kid jokes that I would learn and try out on my friends (who would never laugh because they were learning the same jokes).

A few years ago, I found someone on eBay who had a collection of 20 Boys' Life magazines from my grade school days. I bought 'em. When the box arrived, I started to smile going through each issue. I was 10 years old again. The jokes weren't as funny, but Boys' Life was as cool as I remembered.

More fun from Starbucks

2009-08-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Starbucks is trying to hurry things up in their stores and get baristas to be more efficient at making lattes and serving customers.

The new initiative - at all 11,000 stores in the U.S. - is attempting to streamline the process. For example, "there will be no more bending over to scoop coffee from below the counter, no more idle moments waiting for expired coffee to drain and no more dillydallying at the pastry case," according to the article.

Scott Heydon, Starbucks vice president of lean thinking (I'm not making this up) says that if they can reduce the time employees spend making drinks, the company could make more drinks with the same number of workers or have fewer workers.

That kind of thinking should rally their baristas from coast-to-coast.

I have some additional ideas on how Starbucks can shave time during each customer interaction:

Less glaring if I don't leave a big enough tip (10 seconds)
Less glaring if I don't leave a tip at all (20 seconds)
Less sighing if I order a coffee drink costing less than $4.00 (15 seconds)
Understanding that I came in today for coffee, not a CD, board game or other merchandise (10 seconds)
Spending less time trying to sell me a gooey breakfast treat (10 seconds)
Losing the attitude all together (30 seconds)

You're welcome, Starbucks.

New client day

2009-08-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

I start work with a new client today.

On days like this, it always feels like the first day of school, except without the three-ring binder stuffed with paper and all the new pencils, rulers and erasers. And I don't have to bring my Flintstones lunchbox to our first meeting.

I've often heard it said that the first day with a client is one day closer to the last day with that same client. It's true. Client relationships don't last forever, no matter how good the work or the relationship.

My longest client tenures: Holland America Line (11 years - over two different decades); Nalley's Fine Foods (ten years at four different agencies); and the Washington Lottery (five years at two shops). I'm not sure what my shortest client relationship was, although I remember trying to fire a new client after one week of work when I had my agency in the early 1990s. Nothing against the client - I just wasn't sure I wanted to run my own shop. So I told him I'd help him find new representation.

He wouldn't let me fire him. And the client became a fixture on my roster for the three years of my agency. Go figure.

I was part of a new business team at an advertising/PR agency that spent months of work trying to land a health care client. We won the business in a very tough, competitive review. And then we resigned the business after one month, citing "creative differences." In today's tough economic times, I'm not sure you see that kind of agency bailout as often. It's easier to work through "creative differences" than walk away from dinero.

So, cheers to my new client, Blink Product Design. Let's rock.

The awards are in the garage

2009-08-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

I've won a lot of PR awards throughout my career. And all of them are currently sitting in boxes out in our garage.

Are awards important? In my opinion, not so much.

Now, if I had a Silver Anvil, I might think differently. But that honor still awaits me. Someday. Hopefully.

But your average PR award? I've never had a client select me for public relations counsel because of the awards I've won. They're more interested in the case studies of local, regional and national clients I've represented. And after 30 years, I've got some pretty good success stories to talk about.

But only a small number of those case studies were ever submitted for award consideration. It doesn't mean the work wasn't stellar. It's just a fact-of-award-life: the flashier entries (usually with larger budgets) always win the big awards.

I won an international PR award for Holland America by recreating the deck of a cruise ship in the middle of a New York subway station. It wasn't cheap. But it was successful. And it probably make the judges smile.

My advertising counterparts look at awards totally differently. They have a million (at least) award shows they can enter. We have a handful on the PR side. When I interviewed for a job at WONGDOODY, I was blown away by their conference room - filled with every advertising award in the world. I can see how clients would be impressed.

These days my "conference room" is usually the inside of a Tully's or Starbucks. I guess I could bring a portable display stand to show off my stuff to clients while we meet. Or not.

I'm going to concentrate on just doing great work for clients. If they pay their invoices on time, bonus. If some of the work wins me some new shiny hardware, cool.

And then it's off to the garage.

No PR assistance is needed

2009-08-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

We all survived another Magnolia SummerFest.

You've heard me rant about our local community festival before. SummerFest is a two-day (Friday-Saturday...what?) Magnolia celebration that tries and tries to be a community party. But fails every year.

A few years ago I offered up pro bono PR services to help promote SummerFest outside of our neighborhood. My services were politely declined. "We like our festival just the way it is," I was told.

Uh huh.

That's why I was intrigued when I saw some actually publicity for the event in last Friday's Seattle Times. The first press coverage I've ever seen for the event - outside of the Magnolia News, which doesn't count.

From the article in the Times, it sounded like SummerFest was the "can't miss" festival of the summer, complete with our lame Grand Parade (which rolls in front of our house), food booths, entertainment and kids talent show. Surely, the extra exposure for SummerFest would result in traffic jams over the Magnolia Bridge as outsiders descended on our little hamlet.

Not so much.

SummerFest 2009 looked like SummerFest 2008. If there were more people, I didn't see 'em. It still resembled the small town festival it's always been. Everyone seemed to be having a great time in almost perfect weather.

OK...I give up. I'll leave SummerFest alone. In Magnolia, it's a small world after all.

Don't miss 'Voices of the Game'

2009-07-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

If you're a fan of great radio play-by-play, you owe it to yourself to spend an hour at seattletimes.com to enjoy Percy Allen's amazing five-part video series, "Voices of the Game."

Allen's print series in the Seattle Times was terrific, but the video series is equally wonderful. For the first time he was able to gather on one stage five of the most recognized play-by-play voices in Seattle sports: Dave Niehaus (Mariners), Steve Raible (Seahawks), Kevin Calabro (Sonics and Sounders), Bob Rondeau (Husky football and basketball) and Bob Robertson (Cougar football).

And the resulting discussion was fascinating.

They talk about their impact on Seattle sports - with lots of great behind-the-scenes stories. You'll learn where "Grand Salami" came from; the impact Pete Gross had on Raible's career; how Calabro became hooked on radio because of the transistor radio he snuck into bed each night; how tough last season's 0-12 record was for Rondeau; and how Robertson was drafted to play pro baseball, but chose broadcasting instead.

Allen describes the series this way:

It had been a dream of mine for many years to gather them in one place to talk about sports, and listening to them blend their voices into a harmonious choir was like listening to jazz great Miles Davis riff alongside Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Quincy Jones.

The clip above is just a preview of the entire video series. Pull up a chair and spend an hour with five radio legends talking about the job they love.

It's too hot to blog

2009-07-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but my brain is shutting down due to the heat. Just. Can't. Blog.

In the meantime...I'm the subject of another blog. And for once, I'm humbled. Check it out at http://pinkplusorminus.com.

Thanks for the nice words, Heidi.

Parading your brand down Fourth Avenue

2009-07-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

I love a good parade.

It brings me back to my childhood growing up in West Seattle. Each summer started out with the Hi-Yu Kiddy Parade (finished first and second in the two years I participated - don't ask), the main Hi-Yu Grand Parade (down California Avenue), and last but not least, the Seafair Torchlight Parade.

Cris and I went to the 2009 Torchlight Parade Saturday night. Some things never change: goofy floats, amazing drill teams, tuneful marching bands and waving Queens and Princesses. And some things do: optional reserved seating (at $18 person, well worth it).

Alaska Airlines stepped in as the title sponsor this year after years of sponsorship by Southwest Airlines. Alaska, of course, pulled out the stops to make sure we KNEW they were paying the bill: from a giant plane balloon to a float to a fashion show of flight attendant uniforms to synchronized airline employees with ticket kiosks, I think.

A whole lot of Alaska branding going on. They paid the bill, and they're entitled to maximize their investment.

One thing troubled me, however. One of their parade entries was a replica of a dog racing team pulling a sled down Fourth Avenue, ala Alaska's Iditarod. Except it was on city concrete in 85 degree weather.

The poor dogs were yelping, looking very thirsty and confused. Everyone in our section was horrified. Others didn't know if this was "normal" behavior or not for the dogs. I'm not sure how long this went on through the parade, but it was happening between Battery and Bell Streets.

Not a positive brand experience for Alaska. Especially with all of the positive messages they were dispensing through the evening.

Think I'm making too big a deal about this? If you were there and heard the squealing kids (and their squealing parents) while the sled went by, you'd know what I mean.

Back to school

2009-07-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

I spoke to a class at the University of Washington yesterday on trends in consumer public relations. I made it home alive, so I couldn't have been that bad, right?

It was a great group of young PR students with lots of good questions. When I talked about how social media is changing the way we approach PR in 2009 and beyond, I had everyone's attention. When I discussed traditional media - like "old school" newspapers - I could see students tuning out.

"How many of you actually read a hard copy newspaper today?" I asked the room of 25 students. I think I remember three hands going up - and one was the associate professor in the room, Kathleen Fearn-Banks. What was surprising was the small handful of additional hands that went up when I mentioned reading the same news online. Obviously, today's students are getting their news somewhere - and it's not just from traditional print outlets like the Seattle Times.

I told them that it's an exciting time to be in public relations. The industry will continue to evolve as more editorial power moves to consumers. It's a huge shift. Let's see what happens with a new generation of PR professionals entering the field.

Yo quiero Gidget

2009-07-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

Adios, Gidget...aka the Taco Bell Chihuahua.

Gidget died of a stroke on Tuesday night at the age of 15. As far as I'm concerned, she should be in the Advertising Hall of Fame. She was best known for a number of memorable Taco Bell television ads, most with the tagline, "Yo quiero Taco Bell."

I never understood why they selected a chihuahua as their spokesdog - other than the obvious ethnic tie-in. But Gidget was a fabulous performer. At one time, I even had a talking Taco Bell Chihuahua in my office. Yes, I'm a pop culture idiot.

She didn't have much of a career outside of the commercials, but she did appear in Legally Blonde 2. Bet you didn't know that. If I was Gidget, I wouldn't have bragged about it either.

Cheers, Gidget. You made a difference in the ad world. Not bad for a chihuahua.

More agency layoffs

2009-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Another local PR agency had a big layoff yesterday. One of those who got cut is a good friend of mine.

She's scared. And she should be.

I've been a victim of layoffs twice since 2005. Trust me, it wasn't any easier the second time around. Unemployment is unemployment. Except today the marketplace is flooded with lots of great PR candidates at every experience level.

It's a buyer's market...for those employers who are buying.

My friend is a very talented pro. I have no doubt she'd be a great asset at any agency or client side job.

After the anger and hurt feelings subside, I hope she gets very aggressive and launches a proactive search for her next adventure. I want her to link with my wife Cris - the world's greatest career coach - to develop strategies for landing an even better job than the one she just left.

I closed a note to her yesterday with two simple words: stay strong. Great people will always land in great jobs. It may take a little longer these days because of the dismal economy, but I have no doubt she'll land back on her feet sooner than later.

Twittered out yet?

2009-07-21T05:18:00.000-07:00

Tired of hearing about Twitter? Apparently, you're alone because America - and the national news media - can't quit talking about it.

It seems like every television news team team is yucking it up about Twitter tie-ins, soliciting viewer feedback and participation. And print media have jumped on the social media express as well.

According to Video Monitoring Services (VMS), Twitter generated 2.73 BILLION impressions last month. Yes, I said BILLION. They've calculated an advertising value of $48 million to all of the free coverage.

Google was the leader for a long time - kind of the gold standard when it came to technology media exposure. But here comes Twitter. And I don't foresee any decrease in public awareness of the site - for now. But remember, everyone was talking about MySpace a year ago. MySpace is so yesterday on the social media radar.

There will be a Twitter backlash at some point. And then we'll all be talking about something new.

And speaking of new: how about Microsoft's search engine, Bing? VMS says it generated over $500,000 worth of coverage and 63 million impressions. Not even close. But cut Microsoft a little slack - they're the new kids in town. For once.

Simply the best

2009-07-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

I've been more affected by the passing of Walter Cronkite last week than I thought I would be.

Before a million cable channels and the Internet, it was always about the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. He chronicled the stories of my life, beginning at the age of eight with the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy. He took me through the unrest of the 1960s and the tragic deaths of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. We shared the joy of Neil Armstrong on the moon in 1969, and the despair of a war we could not win in Vietnam. And celebrated the 200th birthday of our democracy in 1976.

I didn't think much when he retired in 1981. And he really didn't retire, doing multiple specials for CBS over the years.

I was privileged to hear him speak in Seattle in 1998. Everyone in the hall wanted to know what the "most trusted man in America" thought about the issues. And believe me, he had definite opinions on everything from the world of politics to the world of network news.

There isn't a single television journalist today who has that kind of respect and stature. There's not even a close second.

Cronkite loved NASA and the space program. I hope there is a way to take his ashes to space. It only seems right.

Thank you, Mr. Cronkite.

Happy birthday, Happy Meal

2009-07-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today is the 30th birthday for the McDonald's Happy Meal.

I don't have kids, but I hear the happy squeals directed at Moms and Dads every time I walk into a McDonald's. Kids love Happy Meals. They've added healthier options over the years (apple slices over french fries - sigh), but Happy Meals remain as popular today as they were in 1979.

I worked on the McDonald's PR account for a number of years in the 1980s, and I was part of many new product rollouts. Some good...and some not so good. I always smile when I think of the McDonald's rollout for the McDLT.

You remember the McDLT, don't you? Keeps the "hot side hot and the cool side cool," courtesy of its styrofoam packaging (which would never make it today's green world). The lettuce and tomato were on one side (cool) and the burger was on the other(hot). You brought them together to create what McDonald's always hoped would be the best tasting burger around.

Not so much. McDonald's discontinued the sandwich in 1990.

I've always said that I learned more about marketing working on the McDonald's account than with any other client. They're masters at what they do. But occasionally, they come out with something like a McDLT. Nobody hits 1.000. Even McDonald's swings and misses.

Happy birthday, Happy Meal. And enjoy this commercial from 1985 for the McDLT, starring Jason Alexander (with hair!), pre-Seinfeld.

Danger, danger: PR Robot approaching

2009-07-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Public Relations Robot from The Landline on Vimeo.

Take three minutes and watch this - it's pretty funny. A PR firm is asked by their client to test their new creation: a PR Robot.

Strange stuff. And a little too familiar if you've worked within a PR agency. Enjoy.

I need a scorecard

2009-07-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

"How's business?"

It's a simple question, really. But in the agency world, it's hard to get a straight answer from anyone. My colleagues are spinmasters when it comes to honestly answering that question.

I met with two vendors yesterday (from San Francisco and New York) in town to meet with local PR agencies. They're here to sell their company's services to a marketplace that has changed dramatically in the last two years. Old contacts are gone, moving on to new employment - or have just disappeared. Vibrant agencies have closed their doors or have downsized dramatically.

We compared notes. I learned some new things about changes I was totally unaware of, while providing an insiders update on the turbulent Seattle agency world.

To use a baseball cliche: I think I need a scorecard.

I wouldn't want to be a mid-large agency right now, with lots of employees and expensive overhead. I'm always kidding about my virtual agency ("With a laptop and cellphone, you too can have your own PR firm!"), but unlike my agency in the early 1990s, I've got minimal expenses. Today, it's possible to turn a profit with smaller clients if you emphasize client service and senior level expertise.

So, stay tuned. There will be more fallout in the Seattle agency world. Trust me on this one.

More product placement

2009-07-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

Like most people, I'm watching more television since we got a DVR a few years ago. Like most people, I'm watching fewer ads.

That's not a good thing for companies trying to get my attention.

We've talked about product placement here before. When it's done well, it's very effective. By inserting a product within programming, it thwarts those of us with our fingers on the remote. I've noticed some recent local examples: subtle...and not so subtle.

Subtle: On KOMO TV's morning news, McDonald's has a digital latte cup (complete with their arch logo) attached to the car dashboard they use during the local traffic reports. McDonald's is in a huge coffee battle, and their digital latte (I wonder how it tastes?) reminds consumers there is an alternative to Starbucks.

Not so subtle: Dairy Queen and their calorie-laden Blizzard now appear on the set of FSN's pre-game show for Mariners broadcasts from Safeco Field. I love Dairy Queen, but the product placement is awkward. First, you never see the hosts actually enjoying the Blizzard (there might not be anything in the cups), and second, you can't get a Blizzard at Safeco if you tried. Brad and Bill make cute with the cups, but it all seems rather forced.

In related news, I downloaded a new app for my iPhone yesterday that shows how the right sponsor in the right environment is always a winner. Sit or Squat is a free download (yes, I won't go there) that uses the phone's GPS to tell you where the closest public restrooms are located - sponsored by Charmin. Don't laugh: it's one of the iPhone's most popular apps right now, and it's brought to you by some smart marketing people looking to make a connection with consumers.

Are you listening now United?

2009-07-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

Consumers never understand the power they have with a negative email or (gasp!) letter directed at the right senior executive.

I've seen it firsthand. The president of one travel company I represented would read many of these emails/letters himself and trust me...heads would roll if the consumer writing the note wasn't satisfied. You can have thousands of happy customers who never say a thing, but all it takes is one angry consumer to stir the pot to get the attention of senior management at most companies.

Except at United Airlines, apparently.

Dave Carroll is a Canadian musician who has spent the last year trying to get United to take responsibility for breaking his guitar. Apparently, the baggage handlers tossed his guitar case around (he saw it from his plane window)and caused about $1,200 in damages to the guitar. Carroll is part of the pop/rock band Sons of Maxwell, and his guitar is his living.

United wouldn't budge. So, he's utilizing the power of social media to make his point with a terrific video that is now on YouTube called "United Breaks Guitars."

Ouch.

As of yesterday, it's gotten over 2.3 million hits and he's fielding calls from national media including - you guessed it - OPRAH!

How is United responding? Late Friday, they offered to pay for the damages, but at this point, Carroll would rather have them donate the money to a deserving charity.

Bravo. And by the way...this won't hurt the music sales for Sons of Maxwell, either.

No kaboom next July?

2009-07-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced late yesterday that they will not be sponsoring the Gas Works Park fireworks in 2010.

Can I get a show of hands from anyone who's surprised about this news?

This is not a shocker, especially in this economy. After the takeover of WaMu last year, Chase took on the $500,000 price tag for the 2009 fireworks because it was too late to find an alternative sponsor. They were under no legal obligation to pick up the tab. It just made good sense from a PR perspective - and everyone cheered.

Now just a week later, the announcement we all expected.

Fireworks are fun to watch and oooh and ahhh. But they're expensive fun. It's going to be tough for One Reel, who produces the show, to find another sponsor willing to make that kind of commitment - especially on a multi-year level.

I had forgotten the history of Gas Works sponsors. It started 21 years ago with Fratelli's Ice Cream until Cellular One took it over. AT&T took charge in 1995 and sponsored it until 2001 when WaMu assumed the lead sponsorship. We all know what happened with WaMu.

With Ivar's pulling out of the Elliott Bay fireworks this year, Seattle could be without any bang and boom next summer unless a sponsor is found. We all love the fireworks, but $500,000 is a big chunk of change.

Sandwiches as role models

2009-07-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I had lots of posters on my bedroom walls.

I started with local athletes like Sonny Sixkiller and Spencer Haywood. I moved on to hideous blacklight posters with anti-war messages. And then graduated to posters that really mattered.

Farrah Fawcett. Enough said.

Kids love posters. If they're the right posters. I was reminded this morning of a poster promotion I was asked to orchestrate for Nalley's Fine Foods that I thought was a bad idea. My client wanted to offer kids a poster that would adorn their bedroom walls and promote Nalley's entire product line at the same time.

"It's a BIG idea," said the client. "Huge!"

It was big - a poster of a big sandwich. Yes, I said sandwich. To be fair, it was kind of a cool looking sandwich (about a foot tall) filled with every kind of meat and condiment. A sandwich no human could (or should) ever consume.

I looked at the proof of the poster. I was not blown away. This was not Farrah in that amazing swimsuit. It was a just a giant sandwich.

"I know one thing that will improve the poster - and send sales over the top," the client said. "We'll add a glass of milk and get the dairy people to kick-in some promotional dollars."

Yeah, that will do it. Nothing says must-have to a teen like a poster featuring a glass of milk.

Well, the dairy people came on board. The poster was produced - available for Nalley's proof of purchases and shipping/handling. Thousands were produced and sat in the Nalley Valley warehouse, waiting for the promotion to begin.

"No way is this sucker going to work," I thought to myself. "This is a cool promo!" I said breathlessly to the client.

I'm not stupid.

But I was wrong. Way wrong. The poster was a huge success. They starting flying out of Nalley's, and sales of the selected products went through the roof.

To this day I'm not sure who was actually ordering the posters: hungry kids who would rather stare at a sandwich over Farrah, or moms who thought the sandwich was a better role model than a Charlie's Angel. It didn't matter. Bottom line sales are bottom line sales.

Now...Farrah enjoying the sandwich? Could have been a blockbuster.

The Facebook birthday

2009-07-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my first-ever Facebook birthday.

Birthdays come and go, and I've had a lot of 'em. The actual number isn't important. Really. Quit asking. Thank you.

But I wasn't prepared for a Facebook birthday. And it was pretty cool.

Facebook asks you for your birthday when you set up your profile. So, as the week of the big day approaches, all of your Facebook friends are alerted. On Tuesday, I wondered if anyone would care.

They did. It started early with my pal Larry (who included a Sarah Palin hit, always a good thing) and it's continued through this morning. I also got lots of private emails and phone calls, including one from my first-ever employee of Janzen & Associates in 1991. Wow.

One of the funniest notes was from another friend Doug, who chastised me for not doing a blog yesterday. That made me laugh. Not happy birthday, but where is your damn blog?

Social media is interesting in so many respects. All of us are still learning about its power and scope. But it's also terrific for just saying hello and something as simple as Happy Birthday.

I got a Facebook group hug yesterday. And I loved it.

The great adventure

2009-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have road trip envy. Blog envy, too.

One of my best friends, Heidi Happonen, is on the road trip of a lifetime. And she's joined by her husband Johannes and two children as they crisscross America in search of...adventure, employment and hot showers.

Heidi and I worked together for years at DDB. She's an extremely talented PR pro, and we were teamed together on many accounts at the agency. For the past few years she's had her own agency, Happonen Communications. And while she's done fine rolling the entrepreneur dice, there was something missing.

Besides big money accounts, I mean.

So, they rented their house, turned their Jeep into a mobile office and have hit the road this summer. Heidi calls it a "combination family vacation and professional exercise…with a dash of social experiment." As the family discovers America, Heidi is visiting with agencies and companies about the new world of PR - and her adventures are a must-read. Her blog Pink Plus Or Minus (http://www.pinkplusorminus.com/) is terrific.

I'm hoping Heidi takes the best of her blog entries and turns them into an article for a national magazine. I always knew she was a great writer - this just confirms it.

What are you waiting for? There's room in the Jeep for all of us.

The power of social media

2009-07-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was reminded of the power of social media - the good and the bad.

Two people I follow on Facebook (who work together at the same agency) posted items about a really bad experience at a well known downtown Seattle restaurant. A restaurant I've enjoyed many times in the past myself.

The meal Monday night was fine - but the aftermath was not. Two staffers and their client all reported getting food poisoning. Not good.

They contacted the restaurant, which didn't want to take responsibility for the horrific night. So, they put a post on Facebook naming the restaurant - and even included an article from seattlepi.com that named them as a past health violator.

You can guess what happened next. Lots of online comments from concerned friends, who passed the word on to their Facebook friends both online and elsewhere. I found myself doing the same thing last night at a dinner with two other couples.

All based on an encounter none of us witnessed at the restaurant.

Social media can develop a following for a restaurant just as quickly as it can destroy its reputation. Only time will tell what the negative online buzz will do for this popular spot.

Running your own practice

2009-07-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

I work in an interesting profession. Because of how we do what we do...I'll never be unemployed.

Maybe "underemployed" - but never really out of work. Got a cell phone and a laptop? You too can run your own PR practice.

I don't put rivets in the side of an airplane. I don't sell a retail product that depends on the spending power of consumers. In other words, my public relations practice is not reliant on anyone else.

Keep clients happy - and get the results they're looking for - and they'll spend money with you. It's pretty easy to understand.

Today, I want to give a shout out to my fearless brothers and sisters who have their own PR practices, and are surviving in this bizarre economy. Some better than others, of course.

Barry Bartlett of The Bartlett Group is a great example. He could have worked for a traditional PR agency, but chose to open his own small practice more than 20 years ago. It's essentially Barry and an assistant, taking on clients large and small ranging from Bartell Drugs to the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish County. Great clients who love working with a great PR pro who sweats all the small stuff. And delivers strong results each and every time.

It's not easy running your own practice. Cash flow is always a problem (many clients are slow pay), resources are limited and it seems like you're always in new business mode.

But pros like Barry wouldn't have it any other way. As for me, check-in every 30 days and I'll give you a different take on the same entrepreneur question.

Billy's adventure at McDonald's

2009-06-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

I wrote about Billy Mays earlier this week - one of television's all-time pitchmen. Yesterday I was tipped off about this video he did that essentially spoofed himself. It's pretty funny.

The news coveage on his death has been huge - and very respectful. If you ever heard his voice, you knew who he was.

When you were as successful as Mays, it was pretty easy to laugh at yourself. All the way to the bank.

Enjoy.

Seattle Sounders FC is a model franchise

2009-06-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Walking out of a jubilant Qwest Field last Sunday afternoon, after Seattle Sounders FC had crushed the Colorado Rapids 3-0, it's obvious that the team is doing everything right in their first MLS season.

I've said it before: if you haven't been to a game yet, you're really missing out. Ask any of the 32,000 screaming, singing, chanting and cheering fans in attendance. The games rock.

The Sounders run their franchise much better than most of their league counterparts. Everything is first class. They've sold nearly every ticket (they recently upped their capacity to 32,000, and will fill the entire stadium for their two international games coming up), and they've created a real demand for seats. The question everyone is asking: why not open up the whole stadium for regular season games?

Because they don't need to. It's all about supply/demand. The Sounders will have a high season ticket renewal rate - even if they up capacity next season - because no one will want to lose their seats. We bought ours on the first day and have amazing seats. If you suddenly offer 30,000 more seats, what's the incentive to buy season tickets?

For reference, remember the Sonics or the Mariners in the Kingdome. You always knew you could get a ticket.

A friend of mine had a great idea: the MLS should bring every other general manager to Seattle to see how it's done. We're the model franchise - after only a half season.

As someone who worked for the original Sounders of the NASL in the late 1970s, I've got just one more thing to say to the new Sounders of the MLS:

BRAVO.

Billy Mays: R.I.P.

2009-06-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

This hasn't been a good last few days if you're a pop culture celebrity.

Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson...and Billy Mays? Certainly, Mays' star didn't shine as brightly as the others, but make no mistake about it: he was a star. If you watch as much television as I do, you would always run into Mays and his booming voice on infomercials and traditional 60-second spots. He was best known for hawking OxiClean and Orange Glo, but his sales resume was much more substantial than just those two products. I could be doing anything else - with the TV on in the background - but when I heard his voice I'd stop, watch, laugh...and listen intently to his pitch.

The guy was a rock star in the advertising world. He sold a lot of products. You can't argue with that kind of success.

He started his career on Atlantic City's boardwalk, selling products to tourists and locals alike. You see those hawkers all the time at county fairs throughout the summer. The good ones always fascinate me with their pitches. I have a set of large knives I bought 20 years ago at the Puyallup Fair that are still as sharp as they day I bought them. I'm a sucker for a good pitch.

Billy Mays, you were pretty damn good. Love him or hate him, you always remembered him and the products he represented. Rest in peace.

The old news cycle is gone

2009-06-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

Twitter passed the test yesterday. But for an hour or so, I wasn't sure.

The popular social media site was proclaiming that Michael Jackson had passed away a full two hours before mainstream media like CNN and the Los Angeles Times would confirm it. When my wife tipped me off on the news, I instantly turned on our TV to see stories that proclaimed that Jackson was in a coma - and still very much alive. I scoured news sources online and saw the same thing.

Yet, TMZ had proclaimed Jackson's passing early in the afternoon. A risky move, but they were sure of their story.

And that story got picked up on Twitter and was tweated throughout the universe, using TMZ as the source.

Friends on Facebook were arguing that Jackson's death wasn't official yet. Finally, later in the afternoon, the major television networks and newspapers confirmed the terrible news.

Mainstream media had gotten scooped by the upstart TMZ. And Twitter did all the rest.

They all got it right...this time. It could have gone very wrong if they had reported erroneous news. I think we all learned yesterday that the old news cycle is gone. It now moves at speeds unimaginable just a few years ago.

I come to praise TV news, not bury it

2009-06-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

Despite its shortcomings, I don't bash television news.

It's been the popular thing to do for a long time, and the bashing has only increased in the age of on-demand news from the Internet. Local television news - especially - has been an easy target by those who seem to think of it as a communications medium long past its relevance.

So why does every client of mine want to be on TV? And I don't mean just on my BFF Oprah, but local market affiliate newscasts?

Television news still has amazing power to reach consumers. I'm sure the numbers are down. I know ad revenues are down, based on layoffs at all Seattle stations. But people still tune in to see Jean, Dennis, Kathy, Dan, Steve and all of their pals on the many newscasts throughout the day.

I catch the news on KING, KOMO and KIRO each morning via the overhead monitors at my health club, taking turns throughout the week to sample the newscasts. And of course...I have my own opinions. No bashing. Just some random thoughts:

Happy talk between anchors is at an all-time high. It's never going to change. I've learned more about my local anchors and their lives than I'll ever want to know. It starts slowly on Monday and builds to "TGIF!" on Friday. Enough!
Stock footage and b-roll is crucial on many stories to provide a visual for viewers. As an example, I always feel sorry for overweight people who have been filmed (from the waist down) for stories on obesity or new diet findings. It often seems like the same footage is used over and over to illustrate stories.
Nobody does up-to-date weather and traffic like local morning newscasts. And I mean over. And over. And over. I'm partial to Rich Marriott at KING. He knows his stuff and loves to shoot his segments from the KING rooftop. Seems like a nice guy.
I don't have the demographics and numbers in front of me...but who can possibly be watching local affiliate news at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.? Unless you're retired or unemployed, I guess. I've always liked KCPQ's 10 p.m. news - the timing is perfect. It will be interesting to see what happens to their newscast, along with other programing, when Leno begins his 10 p.m. show this fall.
Nobody does sports well anymore - except on the weekends. It's usually "sports in a minute" kind of stuff. Say what you want about the old days and sports guys like Wayne Cody, Bruce King and Ray McMackin - but it just seems affiliates used to pay more attention to the local sports scene.

All minor quibbles. Televisions news does what it does quite well. It's not going anywhere.

Trouble in South Carolina

2009-06-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

How would you like to be the governor of South Carolina, Gov. Mark Sanford? Right now, I think the only thing worse would be to serve as his spokesperson, Joel Sawyer.

To recap: starting last Friday, Sanford just kind of disappeared. He didn't tell his wife, security officials or the residents of South Carolina where he was. It's what they call an unexplained absence.

Upon his return, his staff told the world he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Not so much. Turns out he hopped a plane for Argentina. His flight from Buenos Aires arrived in Atlanta on Wednesday morning.

Still following all of this? Of course, local and national media wanted some answers, but Sawyer declined comment, and the governor didn't return phone messages.

Here comes the outrage.

"Lies. Lies. Lies. That's all we get from his staff. That's all we get from his people. That's all we get from him," said state Sen. Jake Knotts, R-West Columbia. "Why all the big cover-up?"

It's often said that it's the cover-up, not the act itself, that will always get you in trouble. Ask Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton or ex-Husky coach Rick Nueheisel.

This will be an interesting story to follow in the coming days.

Making connections - one fan at a time

2009-06-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite cruise lines asked me to be a fan yesterday. It was an easy decision.

I've already been a fan for a long time. Truth is...they had me at hello.

Royal Caribbean International, like every other major cruise line, is embracing social media. One of the no-brainers in the social media toolbox is setting up a fan page on Facebook, where cruise line enthusiasts can gather for behind-the-scenes looks at new ships and itineraries and take advantage of special fan-only promotions.

As of yesterday afternoon, the RCI site had 9,228 fans. By contrast, Holland America Line - one of my other favorites - had 3,989 fans.

The battle for fanshare has begun.

I've been talking to several clients who want to start up their own Facebook fan sites, and I tell them the same thing: it's advisable to start with a whole bunch of fans on Day One (a little pre-launch recruitment doesn't hurt) so that connecting with your fan site looks like a popular and fun thing to do.

Facebook fan sites are one more way to make another connection with your customer. Frankly, I'd rather climb on board one of RCI's ships as they dock each weekend in Magnolia's new cruise ship terminal. But for now...I'll just be a fan.

The iPhone PR frenzy

2009-06-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Apple's PR machine is pretty amazing. They're very good at generating excitment and buzz for all of their new products. And with last Friday's rollout of the new iPhone 3G S, I'm in awe once again.

Remember when Krispy Kreme would move into a new market, and people would camp out all night to get their hands on the first glazed doughnuts? Nobody does that anymore. Krispy Kremes are everywhere.

Apple is everywhere, too. But people still camp out, needing to get their paws on the first i-Whatever - the release of any new Apple product. The products are worth the hype.

Friday was kind of funny, however. Yes, the long lines at Apple stores were everywhere - from New York to Seattle. Thanks to the hype, I had my eye on one of the new iPhones, but I had neglected to preorder. I was guessing I would have to wait from two-four weeks until the phones were plentiful.

When I saw the Seattle television coverage of people camped out all night at the University Village Apple store, I just shrugged. My iPhone frenzy would have to wait.

But walking by an AT&T store in Pacific Place, I noticed a different scene. No television cameras or radio microphones. Just two people in line at the door. The clerk who greeted me said they had iPhones for sale.

No hysteria. No sleeping outside. No preorder. I had my new phone in about ten minutes.

It's pretty cool. And well worth my huge ten minute wait.

Here comes pro lacrosse!

2009-06-19T04:18:00.000-07:00

Professional indoor lacrosse is coming to Everett in 2010!

What? You missed the big news? And you call yourself a sports fan?

The story landed on the last page of the Seattle Times sports section on Thursday. A good place for it, I believe. The San Jose franchise will move to Everett and play next season in the National Lacrosse League. Kind of like the National Football League, but without the glamour, excitement or money.

I'm guessing no cheerleaders, either.

I'm all for fringe sports. Thousands of us have been hanging out at Qwest Field the last couple of months, watching our Sounders tie and tie and tie. But most of Seattle's sports media don't give a rip about professional soccer. Even if it's the biggest game in the world. We don't care. It's a party each week, and you're missing out. If you haven't been to a Sounders game - well, why haven't you?

Even with the lack of respect the Sounders, Storm and both minor league hockey teams receive from local sports media, I'm afraid the Seattle lacrosse franchise will do even worse. Lacrosse is big in the eastern U.S., but I'm guessing most local fans have never played the game. For that matter, even SEEN the game.

I'm guessing most sports fans can't even spell lacrosse. (Yeah, I had to look it up myself.)

Good luck to the new Everett team. But I'll begin the franchise death watch after their first match next season.

The smell of agency fear

2009-06-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

I've been talking with a lot of nervous agency PR people in the last week.

Agencies that have never experienced layoffs continue to show people the door in record numbers. I had coffee with an agency friend yesterday, and the fear of unemployment came through loud and clear. Even if you've survived a recent layoff and feel the economy is starting to turn the corner...trust me, more pink slips are coming.

When I returned to DDB in 2000 it was such a different world. We were still in giddy tech times, and clients were spending money right and left. Signing bonuses were pretty common, and agencies competed for the best and brightest. Agencies were turning down clients who weren't spending at least $15,000/month in fees. And that was the small stuff. Makes me laugh today.

Even tech agencies today are tightening their belts. And that's something you never saw in the recent past.

For the agencies that ARE hiring, it's definitely a buyer's market. There are many pros out of work at every level in the Seattle area. They can pick and choose from a pretty deep talent pool.

I am seeing some movement on the corporate front - but the competition is fierce. A recent Seattle corporate PR position was filled internally without really considering local and national PR talent. I'm guessing it was just easier to hire a known internal commodity than to stage a PR beauty pageant for the position. It left a lot of pros just shaking their heads.

So as I told my friend yesterday: hang onto your job at all costs. Make yourself even more valuable to your agency. Expand your skill set. Show them how vital you are by kicking butt every single work day.

The job market is brutal. It's going to turn. Just not yet.

In good company...sort of

2009-06-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

According to a recent book, Job Search Debugged, there are five good careers out there with bad reputations:

Mortgage Broker
Executive Recruiter
Insurance Sales Agent
Tax Collector

And of course (you knew this was coming)...Publicist.

Lawyers and car salesmen are nowhere to be found on the list. What is this world coming to?

First of all, most public relations pros hate the term "publicist," because it denotes a one-trick pony PR professional who just does publicity work. If that's all I offered clients, I would have gotten out of the business a long time ago. It always reminds me of the worst celeb handlers for people like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan and the profession needs a whole lot less of that.

But according to the book, public relations suffers from a bad rap. It's not stopping anyone from getting into the business, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics says the field will grow 18 percent in the next seven years.

The DDB PR class reunion

2009-06-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

I was very lucky to spend five amazing years at DDB Public Relations (2000-2005). Last night we gathered again to relive some old memories...and drink some beer.

Both tasks were accomplished.

Within minutes we were picking up where we left off, except now talk was of babies, travel, unemployment, getting older (OK, some of us) and great memories of a terrific PR team and the good times we shared. I remember writing in an email to the team upon leaving the agency:

I never like to say goodbye. Goodbyes suck. So instead...see you soon.

We're going to work on the "see you soon" part a little harder. Count on it.

The great Facebook namegrab

2009-06-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

Did you grab your Facebook customized URL on Friday night?

I felt pretty silly on Friday at 9:01 p.m. Pacific time, with laptop on laptop, poised to claim www.facebook/scott.janzen. It was over within 60 seconds for me. According to news accounts, 200,000 user names were grabbed in the first three minutes. I'm sure the numbers are in the millions by now.

Why is owning your name so important? It's one more thing to make you easier to find on Google searches, I guess. There's a dentist in Fresno, California and a politician in Vancouver, B.C. - both with this remarkable Scott Janzen name - that show up a lot in Google searches. I guess this means I'll show up more often than they do.

Yippee.

A lot of people feared there would be a great Facebook meltdown on Friday night. By all accounts, it went pretty smoothly. And it generated a lot of publicity for Facebook in the process. Much ado about nothing, I think.

Why buy the book?

2009-06-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Nothing in the sports world shocks us anymore. At least enough to spend $25 on a book for all the nasty details.

Alex Rodriguez and steroids? Yawn. The story first broke when an excerpt from Selena Roberts' book, A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez, hit Sports Illustrated. Suddenly, you couldn't go anywhere without running into sports and mainstream media having a field day with the story. With the book about to come out, bookstores prepared for a huge best seller.

But the book only sold 11,000 copies in its first week, and quickly disappeared from best-seller lists. They did an original print run of 150,000 copies of the book - and I'm sure were preparing for multiple runs.

My theory is this: you didn't need to read the book to get the gory details. Between the SI excerpt and all of the interviews/media talk, the PR world provided you with everything you needed - or didn't need - to know. I was initially interested in the story until it was pounded down my throat. Yes, he lied to Katie Couric. Yawn. Yes, it's possible he did steroids as early as high school. Yawn. Yes, most of his Texas numbers (at least) are now in question.

One last final: yawn.

It almost appears that the PR team behind the book did too good of a job getting the story out there. What more did America want to know about A-Rod?

Not much, apparently.

How not to conduct an interview

2009-06-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

This is interesting to watch.

David Letterman mocked Sarah Palin as part of his Top 10 list the other night, and in response, radio host John Ziegler appeared on MSNBC yesterday to defend Palin. But as this clip shows, he destroyed host Contessa Brewer on the air by totally controlling the interview.

Ziegler had his agenda ready from the first seconds of the interview, and Brewer looked helpless. The MSNBC anchor finally cut his microphone when she realized she couldn't control the interview.

I've rarely seen a media person lose control of an interview this easily.

You can't make this stuff up

2009-06-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

I didn't believe the story at first. But it's true.

PETA is tangling with the Pike Place Fish Market. You know them as the fun guys that toss the fish at the Market. It's one of the Market's most popular attractions, beloved by tourists visiting Seattle from all over the world.

Those wacky PETA folks heard that the American Veterinary Medical Association wanted to feature the fish mongers in a fish throwing demonstration at next month's Seattle convention. Kind of fun. A little taste of Seattle.

Not so much, says PETA. They're appalled that fish would be treated as toys. PETA thinks that veterinarians should show compassion for the fish.

The dead fish. The kind that might end up on my barbecue this weekend.

Are you kidding me, PETA? Are you that publicity-hungry? Part of me wishes that the AVMA would ignore all of this silly PETA noise and make those fish fly at the convention. But you know that the PETA PR machine would be out there at the Convention Center with pickets and bullhorns - after calling the local TV news stations, of course.

You didn't think this one through, PETA. Based on all of the outrage I'm seeing in the media, the court of public opinion says you're wrong.

Gift bags for the rich and barkable

2009-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I got an email yesterday asking me if I had a client wanting to participate in a "doggie gift bag" for a select group of Hollywood celebrities.

At first, I wondered if that meant that they were going to gather small dogs, stuff 'em in bags and distribute them to the Hollywood elite. Nope. The promo company was looking for luxury goods and services for the canine crowd.

For $1,500 per client (and 30 of the luxury items) they promised distribution to Tori Spelling, Alicia Silverstone, Miley Cyrus, Ricky Martin, Jai Rodriguez, Charlize Theron, Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore, Mickey Rourke, Hayden Panettiere, Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, Oprah Winfrey, Kathy Griffin, Katherine Heigl, Rachel Bilson, Amanda Bynes, Denise Richards, Mischa Barton, Nicole Richie, Fergie, Ellen DeGeneres, Glenn Close, Hilary Duff, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake.

What a strange group of celebs - and what a racket.

This kind of celeb placement stuff has been going on a long time. It started with gift bags and gift rooms at all of the major award shows and A-List parties, and the rich and famous became even more wealthy by scooping up all the free loot. Until the IRS stepped in and said that all that stuff was taxable.

It still goes on, however, and the doggie bags are just the latest effort by promoters to generate celebrity exposure. I launched a board game for one of my clients a few years ago, and we got our game photographed with a lot of celebs, including the cast of Will & Grace and Rob Lowe, of all people. The promotion company forwarded the photography and allowed us to use the photos for publicity purposes as long as we weren't implying that the celebs were endorsing the game.

Gee, thanks.

I hope the "doggie gift bag" people found enough suc...er...participants for the 2009 bag. We wouldn't want Paris Hilton's dog to go wanting for anything, would we?

My blogging milestone

2009-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Think Randy Johnson was surprised when he won his 300th game? Of course not. The baseball world was keeping count, and Randy knew it was going to eventually come sometime early this season.

I'm not Randy Johnson. And I've never had a mullet - although I had a really bad perm for a couple of years in the early 1980s (most photos have been destroyed - don't even try to find 'em). But last Friday I was unaware that I had posted my 300th blog entry.

I know...it's not that big of an accomplishment. But with only a few exceptions, I've posted every weekday for the last year. Like pitching performances, there have been good days and bad days. Some mornings I wake up and the words come tumbling out. Other mornings...not so much. And my faithful readers know which mornings those are (especially if I've posted a YouTube video).

One friend compared me to the PR version of Andy Rooney, only with better eyebrows. Uh...thanks, but I'm trying to shoot a little higher than that.

The point of all this: thanks for reading. Sitemeter tracks who is reading this stuff - and from where they're reading it. Amazing statistics. I've got people reading this blog from all over the U.S., and occasionally, all over the world. The fewest readers in a day has been about 10 - the most, over 200. Trust me, I usually fall well in the middle.

But I love the responses I get via the comments sections (below) and regular email - especially if I'm late in posting. I love the fact that you care enough to tell me I'm full of crap when I'm full of crap. Or if I've started your day with a laugh.

Cool stuff. I promise a real post tomorrow. But if you'll excuse me, I've got to ice down my arm and get ready for Tuesday.

Never stop believing in the big idea

2009-06-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

This time of year, I often think of the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center in New York.

I know that doesn't make a lot of sense. First of all, on a hot summer day in Manhattan, there is no ice skating going on in the shadow of that famous series of buildings. Most people think of the rink during the holidays, with the giant Christmas tree and all the beautiful lights and decorations.

Not me. See, the rest of the year the rink space is available for rental. Over the years I have tried to sell a number of clients on the idea of laying out the big bucks for big exposure in the Big Apple.

And have failed every single time.

A couple instances quickly come to mind. For the launch of a new game for Starbucks and BDA, I wanted to turn the rink into a giant game board and have celebs play the game for charity. Howard didn't want to spend the money. BDA didn't want to spend the money. And of course, it wasn't in my price range, either.

For Dell and in support of their "Dude...you've got to get a Dell" campaign, I wanted to turn the rink into a huge laptop computer, with a special appearance from the "Dude" actor (who got busted on a drug charge and was gone from the commercials soon after presenting the idea). Damn.

Using the rink as a national stage has always been one of those ideas clients love but never want to pay for - a common thread in many of my campaigns. It's the photo opportunity waiting to happen - and it's been used by other national companies to showcase their product launches over the years.

Someday, Rockefeller Center ice rink. Someday.

Collecting the money

2009-06-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

Having your own PR practice is great. Doing amazing work for clients that makes a difference is great. Billing clients for that work is great.

Getting clients to actually pay you for that work...not so great.

It's the part of the business we all hate. And in this economy, slow paying clients have become an even bigger problem.

If you're fortunately to have clients who pay you on time, bravo. But based on recent conversations with colleagues, you're in the minority.

I remember talking years ago with Dave Syferd, who knows a thing or two about running an agency. He offered me six words of advice for operating my own PR firm:

"Cash flow, cash flow, cash flow." I laughed then. I get it now.

It's not just a problem at small agencies. Account people at larger firms always have to lean on their clients, too.

The best I've ever seen at collecting moola from clients was the late Jack Fearey, husband of Pat Fearey of The Fearey Group. When the AE's were unable to collect, the outstanding invoices would go to Jack. His desk was near mine, so I would hear his calls all the time.

There was no one better. Jack was such a classy guy, and his calls reflected his personality. He was so professional and smooth. But make no mistake about it. If you owed TFG money, Jack was there to remind you that you did - and payment was now due.

One of my favorite clients told me in later years that she dreaded the calls from Jack because he would "kill her with kindness" before completing the task at hand. In her case, the problems came from a slow accounting group, and she was forever apologizing for the late payments. Soon, the payments starting arriving on time. No surprise.

C'mon clients...just pay your bills. Thank you.

Agency promotion: a new look

2009-06-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

Advertising and public relations agencies spend their waking hours trying to make their clients famous and prosperous. But when it comes to promoting themselves, most subscribe to the cliche "the cobbler's children have no shoes."

In other words: their self-promotion efforts are crap. Essentially.

There are exceptions, of course. Some agencies are trying something new by leveraging Facebook and Twitter to tell their story by pumping out continuous marketing factoids - news you can use. They're hoping you make the connection and think of them as communications experts. It's really not a bad strategy.

Which was why I was kind of shocked for 30 seconds last night on the Mariners telecast. In-between traditional ads for Mini Sirloin Burgers (thank you, Burger King!) and erectile dysfunction (thank you, Cialis!) was an ad for...get this...an ad agency.

Seattle's Jones Advertising ran an ad featuring scenes from their classic Eagle Hardware ads ("it's a light bat") which simply asked you to go to their website to see other ads from the long-departed hardware chain.

Which of course, I did. It's kind of an odd approach, but I'll give Jones credit for trying something different. Yes, 99 percent of the people who watched the ad will have nothing to do with making the decision on hiring an ad agency, but it's sure to generate traffic and buzz for the agency. I'm not sure if it was a one-time buy or we'll be seeing the ad during future M's games.

The cynic in me asks: if the Eagle ads were so good, why is the chain gone? I know...low blow. In reality, they were purchased by Lowes in 1999. The campaign featured a great series of ads with Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner and I loved all the spots.

I guess the strategy for Jones is to get eyeballs to the website to watch the old M's ads in hopes decision-makers stick around to watch newer creative from the agency. Interesting. Now...let's see if it works.

Life is like baseball

2009-06-02T05:08:00.001-07:00

When asked to describe my PR career - actually, when asked to describe almost anything - I always turn to baseball.

I've worked at a lot of places over 30 years. My resume is full of interesting stops I've made along the way. To describe my journey, I always bring up Edgar Martinez and Randy Johnson. Edgar played for one team his entire career (Mariners), while Randy has played for several (Expos, Mariners, Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees and Giants) - yet both have had successful, Hall of Fame-worthy careers.

We all choose different roads to get to the same finish line. And thanks to the economy, my finish line is a lonnnnnng way away. But that's another story for another time.

I had coffee with a colleague the other day and she asked about all of the stops on my agency journey. Some of my agencies don't exist anymore (Sharp Hartwig), have left the market (BP&N), have been acquired (Elgin Syferd, Cole & Weber) or are shrinking (DDB Seattle).

And then there's The Fearey Group. Still chugging away as Seattle's oldest independent PR agency - and still doing great under the amazing Pat Fearey and president Natalie Price. I'm rooting for them and their continued success. I did some of my best work there, and I'm proud to say I'm an alum.

So, THIS explains the lack of media response...

2009-06-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know why this made me laugh. OK, that's a lie. Of course I do.

The following story appeared last week in The Guardian, a British newspaper. I'm not sure how these numbers compare with their reporting counterparts in America...but based on all of the newspapers imploding around us, it may explain why they're imploding:

Media workers are the heaviest drinking professionals in England, consuming the equivalent of more than four bottles of wine or more than 19 pints of beer a week, according to government research.

People in the profession drink an average of 44 units a week, around double the recommended limit, a Department of Health survey finds.

The NHS recommended maximum alcohol consumption for men is 21 to 28 units a week – three to four units a day. For women, the maximum is 14-21 units a week – two to three units a day.

Media workers are the biggest consumers of wine, drinking on average one and a half bottles a week. They are also the biggest drinkers of spirits, liqueurs and shots, taking on average 3.2 measures a week, finds the poll by YouGov for the government's Know Your Limits campaign.

People in the profession also drink 10 units more a week than the next heaviest drinking professionals – IT workers, who are closely followed by service-sector workers at 33 units, and people in finance, insurance and real estate at 29 units.

Dealing with unhappy consumers

2009-05-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

One of the fascinating things about being director of public relations at Eddie Bauer was that major consumer complaints always ended up on my desk.

And trust me...when consumers bark, companies like Eddie Bauer respond to protect their reputation. I'm always amazed at how much clout consumers have with senior management at EB and almost every company. It's the "squeaky wheel" syndrome, I guess. It took so much time to resolve each complaint, but everyone wants to avoid negative word-of-mouth. And these days, thanks to the Internet, the stakes are much higher. Companies want to resolve complaints quickly and to everyone's satisfaction. Which is why I laughed when I read this AP story today out of Aloha, Oregon:

An Oregon man spent Memorial Day in jail after dialing 911 to complain that a McDonald's worker was rude and didn't give him an orange juice he ordered.

Raibin Osman was accused of improper use of the emergency telephone number. The Oregonian newspaper reports that the 20-year-old bailed out of the Washington County Jail on Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.

Sheriff's Sgt. David Thompson said Osman ignored deputies who told him the emergency number isn't to be used for straightening out fast-food orders. A McDonald's employee also called 911 during the incident to complain that Osman and the people with him were blocking the drive-thru lane and knocking on the restaurant windows.

Makes me glad that Mr. Osman never shopped at Eddie Bauer.

Power to the people

2009-05-28T03:03:00.000-07:00

The Internet has really changed the way we do everything. Including finding great gumbo.

My wife and I share a love of Cajun food. We had a favorite place in Ballard - Burk's Cafe - long since departed for Cajun heaven. It's been kind of hit and miss since then.

There are other local options, of course, but I was determined to find a new Seattle outpost. I started my search in the traditional manner: past reviews in the Seattle Times. There were two small stories (but no reviews) for Crawfish King, a new restaurant that had opened a few months ago - in the International District, of all places.

Then my Internet instincts kicked in, leading me to both Urbanspoon and Yelp, two amazing online sites powered by user reviews. Urbanspoon said that 86 percent of users had loved the place, and the reviewers on Yelp were mostly positive, too.

We decided to check out Crawfish King. And we weren't disappointed. Yum!

It underscored to me, once again, the power of user-generated reviews. I'm sure the Times will get around to reviewing the restaurant, but even if they hate it, I tend to trust ordinary consumers first these days. Real people enjoying (or hating) real food.

Restaurant reviewers have always had way too much power. I still remember the brutal review a couple of years ago in a Seattle publication about Ray's Boathouse - even though most diners love the place. It had to be damaging to their business.

Now, that's not to say that there's probably not a few bogus reviews on Urbanspoon, Yelp or any of the other online sites. It's too easy to do - and if you think it's not being done, I've got a bridge I want to sell you in Magnolia. Cheap.

But for the most part, it appears that restaurant promotion is thriving and evolving online. And the gumbo lover in me says thanks.

The Oprah Effect

2009-05-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

How appropriate...considering the title of this blog.

Tomorrow night CNBC is running a special called "The Oprah Effect," an in-depth look at why companies do everything possible to be featured on the Queen of Consumer Culture's show. I think we all know the "why." It's the "how" that's more difficult.

You can't argue with her reach (44 million viewers per week) and power.

I landed an optical company on the show years ago, and their stores were overwhelmed by the national consumer response. The recent KFC grilled chicken episode was another reminder that when Oprah talks...America listens.

It airs twice on Thursday night at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific. You know I'll be watching.

A great Seattle summer book

2009-05-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

I rarely have time to read just for fun. But I bought a book last week that I can't put down. And if you have a short attention span (like me), this is a terrific summer read.

The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists (Running Press, $14.95) by KJR's Mike Gastineau and ex-Seattle P.I. reporters Art Thiel and Steve Rudman is a fun, entertaining journey through our local sports world. It's filled with interesting lists and cool sports trivia about the pro and college athletes that shape our world. It covers much more than just Seattle sports, with tributes to the good and the bad throughout our state. Not surprisingly, it's the bad that are the most fun to read about.

One nice feature of the book are the lists authored by an eclectic group of athletes (like Jamie Moyer, Marcus Trufant and Fred Brown), coaches (like Mike Holmgren, George Karl and Don James) and fans (like Drew Carey, Jeff Ament and John Keister).

One of my favorite lists is from Storm superstar Sue Bird: "Worst Pick-up Lines I've Ever Heard." A PR buddy of mine says he tried (and failed) to pick her up in a bar a few years ago. I pray that he didn't use any of the five lines listed in the book. Ouch.

If you love sports - and quick reads - this is a great summer book for you.

Chief Wahoo takes a break for Memorial Day

2009-05-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

I'm amazed that in 2009, the Cleveland Indians can still get away with Chief Wahoo on the front of their caps. I can't believe that Native Americans are thrilled that he's still hanging around Major League Baseball.

First, some background: I went to West Seattle High School. Our mascot: Indians (now the Wildcats). I went to Seattle University. Our mascot: Chieftains (now the Redhawks).

I'm a bit familiar with offensive ethnic nicknames. Thirty years ago, frankly, I didn't think too much about it. Cleveland's classic logo has always featured Chief Wahoo in all his smiling glory. For better or worse. Mostly worse.

I missed last year's Memorial Day controversy completely. Last May, Major League Baseball commissioned a series of Stars and Stripes caps for each team in the league. The program benefits the Welcome Back Veterans fund - a worthy cause. But last year's cap dressed up Chief Wahoo with the stars and stripes in a strange way (see the photo above).

MLB is rolling out the new 2009 line this weekend, and Cleveland's cap will feature a more tasteful tribute to Old Glory. But after Memorial Day, they go back to the Chief again.

Carving out time for social media

2009-05-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

I attended a social media seminar yesterday conducted by local guru Peggy Dolane, and learned a lot of helpful stuff I didn't know about using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and everything else.

A future post will spotlight some of the best tips. We spent the most time discussing Twitter - the hottest of all social media out there - and I experienced a classic case of information overload because there's just so much to know. I was thankful I could download the details later.

Peggy recommended spending at least an hour a day learning/working social media, breaking it down to:

Twitter - 20 minutes
Facebook - 10 minutes
LinkedIn - 10 mintues
Blogosphere - 20 minutes

I'm going to guess I spend double that - at least - on a daily basis. This blog alone requires 30 minutes a day.

(No jokes, please. I know I tossed you a softball. Don't take advantage of it.)

Yesterday, I learned I still have a lot to learn. But I'm getting there.

Bailing out football fans

2009-05-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Every Seattle non-profit is looking for ways to recapture vital funds lost during these rough economic times.

So, the recent news from the University of Washington is so absurd you'll probably think I'm making it up. I'm not.

From Tuesday's Seattle Times:

Desperate economic times call for increasingly creative measures to sell luxury items — such as college football season tickets.

So the Washington Huskies on Monday unveiled a plan called "Dawgs Supporting Dawgs" in which fans will be asked to make donations to help support those who could not renew football season tickets for 2009 for economic reasons.

"This will be a good opportunity for people to be able to hold on [to their tickets]," said Roy Shick, the school's associate athletic director for development.
The school has already received a sizable donation from Husky Fever, a group of UW supporters who help raise money for various athletic-department programs, to kick-start the effort. That donation will buy two tickets for about 100 account-holders, the school said. The school is now asking for additional donations to help more fans and will seek funds through July 24.

After 20+ years, I gave up my two Husky football season tickets last season. Why? Losing is part of it, sure. But I've put up with Husky pain for years. Frankly, football on Saturdays is expensive fun. Very expensive fun. So, we gave up our tickets.

And thank you, but we don't need a football bailout. This is not like losing a house or family car. It's just football. And Husky football at that.

Asking for donations to help people keep their tickets is maybe the silliest PR initiative I've seen in a long time - especially when so many important non-profits could better use the money.

It pains me to say this as a Husky fan, but "Dawgs Supporting Dawgs" is stupid.

Growth industry

2009-05-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

I got an email this morning from an out-of-state colleague with the usual "How's business in Seattle?" question.

My usual response in the last few months has been some form of the word "sucks" - as in "really sucks," "kind of sucks," or my favorite..."doesn't suck as much as it did."

Actually, I'm feeling an improvement. And that's great for everyone.

I think the improvement is totally from the number of my colleagues who have jumped on the bandwagon and are making money from social media. Not by using social media to market their clients products and services.

By teaching social media. It's getting kind of funny to watch.

Suddenly, everyone's an expert. Between the seminars, webinars, articles, booklets and everything else out there, we have created a growth industry.

Now, there are people who do know what they're talking about. I'm going to one such seminar tomorrow which I hope will make me a smarter pro.

Then maybe I can jump into the marketplace, too. JPR can always use a new profit center. Hell, JPR can always use profit. Period.

Greg Palmer: RIP

2009-05-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Writer and Emmy-winning television reporter Greg Palmer died on May 8. Like all the great ones, he left us way too soon.

Greg wrote for a lot of local publications, but he was probably best known for his stories on KING TV in the 1980s. And I have a tiny, special connection to Greg because on July 3, 1983 I was the target of his sharp wit and humor.

I've told the story before of the Jay Jacobs parachute jump media event. To recap: fashion designer and JJ CEO decide to jump out of a plane to test clothing made from parachute fabric. Every media outlet in town comes to cover the event. But then the two execs decide they didn't want to jump until later in the day. KING TV (and Palmer) was the last station to hang around...and even they left.

All the media were gone when the two men finally went up later that afternoon. The CEO landed wrong and broke his leg.

The only story that was ever produced was Palmer's 90-second piece on KING where he equated waiting for this "media event" to happen like watching paint dry on a building. And he featured a shot of me: "Even the PR guy looks nervous." You would be too if you lost two newspapers, four television and seven radio stations because NOTHING was happening with the jump.

I still have the videotape. For years I'd use it to illustrate how NOT to orchestrate a media event. Proving that I could laugh at myself - and also proving that I had become a better PR pro over the years.

Thanks, Greg...for making me one of your victims. I'll treasure my 90 seconds of fame forever.

The M's have their own PR problems

2009-05-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

I've always found it fascinating how the Seattle Mariners - and every other MLB franchise - handle public relations.

Essentially, they have two different PR functions within the franchise. One person handles the day-to-day performance on the field while the other handles the image of the franchise. Right now, I wouldn't want either job.

After an amazing April, the M's are stumbling in May - including back-to-back blown saves by closer Brandon Morrow. At the start of the year, all I was asking for was a .500 season, and it looks like I'm going to get my wish. They've tumbled out of first place in the AL West after teasing their fan base to start 2009. I believe they can turn it around. I'm just not sure as their PR person I could convince anyone else of that.

On the franchise front, they're currently tangled in a court fight to keep Deja Vu from opening a location just steps from Safeco Field's front door. I understand all of the M's arguments, but it's going to be hard to win this one - especially with a Deja Vu located right across the street from Seattle's biggest tourist attraction, the Pike Place Market. It appears that the general public just doesn't seem to care. I guess we all have bigger issues to worry about.

Winning always seems to solve a lot of problems. Except for a strip club next door.

Sorry, Maria

2009-05-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

As my buddy Doug noted in yesterday's comments section, T-Mobile's staged stunt in London has even outdone my example from yesterday. Shot for their "Life's for Sharing" advertising campaign, this viral video has been seen by close to 12 million people on YouTube.

Sorry, Maria...but you've been outdone. Maybe this wacky Internet thing has some marketing promise after all.

The power of a great PR stunt

2009-05-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

If you've already seen this, I apologize. I saw it for the first time yesterday, and it's one of the coolest - and oddest - PR stunts I've seen in a long time.

A friend of mine posted it on Facebook, and I suffered an earworm for the rest of the day. Your turn.

More than 200 dancers performed their version of "Do Re Mi," from the musical The Sound of Music in the Central Station of Antwerp. It was done as a promotional stunt for a Belgian television program - they're looking for someone to play Maria in the production.

As of yesterday, it's gotten over three million hits on YouTube. Talk about instant promotion.

And yes, to my dear friend Patti...this one's for you.

PR...in 60 minutes or less

2009-05-12T05:50:00.000-07:00

I was a guest speaker at the University of Washington last night, trying to condense 30 years of public relations knowledge into 60 minutes or less.

It's impossible to do. But it's always fun trying.

I spoke to students at a UW Extension Certificate program called Developing an Independent Fashion Line. It's a three-month course designed to prepare budding entrepreneurs to market and sell their apparel offerings.

I explained at the start of my talk that I was going to try and cram as much as possible into one hour. They were eager. I was willing. Ready, set...go!

The hour included two case studies from my work in fashion PR, information on what to look for should they choose to hire outside representation, and some basic PR 101 tips should they try and do it all themselves. One of the highlights of the hour was their review of an Eddie Bauer media "lookbook," produced four times a year, that is used by fashion writers/editors in their coverage. With a unit cost of $250 each.

No wonder the company is in trouble. And yes, that was another Eddie Bauer dig, for those of you keeping track. I just can't help myself.

Anyway...cheers to a great group of students and their instructor Juliet Sander. I'll be looking for your fashion inspiration at a mall near me soon.

Readers counter with their own Air Force One photos

2009-05-11T04:26:00.000-07:00

That was one expensive photo-op.

Louis Caldera, military office director, is now collecting unemployment following his role in the $357,000+ Air Force flyover that sparked panic in lower Manhattan on April 27. All for a cool new photo of Air Force One.

Didn't think that one through, did we?

I think one of the funniest perspectives was from Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" this past weekend. "Anyone ever hear of Photoshop?" asked Update anchor Seth Meyers. Indeed.

Readers of the New York Daily News had fun with this as well. Check out their Photoshop versions at http://tinyurl.com/d2wtm5.

No way, no how

2009-05-08T05:46:00.000-07:00

People are always sending me cool PR employment opportunities. As I discussed the other day, it appears that things are starting to open up, and people are finding jobs. That's good for everyone.

I saw the following ad on Craigslist earlier this week, and I hope none of my unemployed (or underemployed) PR friends take a run at this:

Stress – is at pandemic levels. We have low cost, effective tools to measure and train to reduce stress. We need someone with the expertise and contacts to help us get media attention and coverage – newspaper, TV, web, radio, etc. We have newsworthy products that have never had national attention. Of course, this has to be done on a limited budget. We would like to send out regular news and media releases highlighting our specifics products. A salary for your work will be included in the business plan and the job will grow as large as you want it to be.

The best candidate will be paid a small sum of money to do the following 2 news releases and send them out. Your performance will be judged on the coverage that you are able to get. Mood Card – news release – this will be first 'test' of your skills. $ 150 Stress Thermometer – news release – this will be your second task. $ 150 In the future you will also organize media tours in New York and Los Angeles for Dr. Lowenstein to be interviewed by various media outlets on a 4 day trip. The assumption is that you have done this before and can make calls with your contacts to insure that these trips are jam packed and successful. As new products are produced, you will organize and coordinate a media campaign to garner attention and interest in these new products.

No one would be crazy enough to go for this...right? Stay away. Just say no.

Thank you Oprah!

2009-05-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

Tell me, my promotional expert readers: could you see this coming? Of course you could.

Three words: Oprah. Free chicken.

Here's a fourth word: disaster.

Oprah, along with KFC, has offered up a free two-piece grilled chicken meal to EVERY CONSUMER IN AMERICA. Well, at least the ones who were quick enough to download a coupon.

It's supposed to be pretty simple. Download the coupon from Oprah's website. Take it to your local KFC. Gorge on free chicken.

But they've run into all kinds of problems. First, people had trouble even downloading the coupons because of the huge demand. And then when consumers tried to redeem the coupons, they were met with something we all fear the most:

Hungry chicken lovers!

The promotion has caused huge crowds at KFCs all over the country. In some locations, managers have refused to honor the coupons because the demand has easily exceeded supply. In short, KFC has a lot of happy and angry consumers, all with the same promo.

In these troubling times, KFC's offer of free food is generating massive traffic and product trial - who says there's no free lunch? - but it's going cannibalize their regular menu offerings, hurt sales in the short term and damage the brand to some extent.

The offer is good until May 19 - except Mother's Day, which I think is kind of funny. What, you're going to take your mother to KFC for brunch? Now that's cheap.

I downloaded the coupon too, and will soon have a report from the KFC war zone. Wish me luck.

Things are improving...slowly

2009-05-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

I had coffee with a friend yesterday, and we talked about all of our colleagues who are out of work. After the weather, economy and swine flu, it's usually a part of every conversation.

She asked if I thought employment conditions were improving in the advertising/PR world. I said yes, based on the movement and new openings I'm seeing out there. Market conditions are getting better, employers are gaining confidence and people are slowly finding jobs.

But it's not rosy everywhere. Not even close. Microsoft provided layoff notices to 1,200 workers yesterday. Employees knew layoffs were coming, and Tuesday was a rough day in Redmond.

I truly believe that things will improve for those of us employed in the marketing world. People will get back to work.

Soon we can go back and just gripe about the rain.

Breaking through on Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

I love a good publicity stunt. From yesterday's Puget Sound Business Journal daily update:

For Cinco de Mayo only, Seattle restaurant franchise operation Taco Del Mar will be selling five-pound burritos for $17.95. The Seattle chain said it will give the burrito away for free to anyone on Tuesday who can eat the five-pound meal in less than 30 minutes. “I don’t know if anyone needs to eat a five-pound burrito but it’s more of an eating challenge,” said a Taco Del Mar spokeswoman.
According to the restaurant, the five-pound burrito is the equivalent of four and a half of its Mondo burrito menu items.

(In other words, four and a half times the size of that bomb pictured above.)

Trust me, publicity stunts still work. And on Cinco de Mayo, bravo to Taco Del Mar for breaking through the clutter and attracting media attention.

As for me...I'll stick with their standard-sized burritos. Health care costs are already too high these days.

Winning is the best promo of all

2009-05-04T05:51:00.001-07:00

Nobody likes a great Mariners promotional giveaway more than me.

My home office is filled with bobbleheads, toy trains, lunchboxes, baseball cards and lots of other crud from over the years. Some of the stuff has gotten me to games that I would have avoided because of the team's dismal won/loss record over the last few years. Giveaways work.

Yesterday was different. Yes, the M's offered up batting gloves, but I couldn't pass for 14 and under, so the draw for me was winning baseball under sunny skies. And my companion offered up a seat just to the left of home plate, about 20 rows up. Bingo.

I'd like to tell you I lasted all 15 innings to see the M's dramatic 8-7 win over the A's. I did not. My friend got through 11, and after Miguel Batista coughed up three runs in the 13th, I was headed for the exits myself. I wasn't alone. Many of the 29,963 were racing for their cars.

I got home in time to see the M's dramatic comeback. As I raced through the door, I was laughing at myself for giving up on the home team. Even for a baseball fan, 15 innings is a lot of baseball.

Here's my point: you don't need to give away junk at the gates if you're providing a winning product on the field. So far, the M's have provided enough thrills and chills to cover an entire season. And we're only 25 games into the season.

This season is becoming very fun. Just win, baby. That's all it takes.

Save Our Rails a success

2009-05-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

Snoqualmie's train depot

One of the trains taking guests on a ride through the Valley

Peter LaHaye, owner of Woodman Lodge

Happy guests enjoying a great meal

Woodman Lodge, site of Save Our Rails

I've posted some shots from last night's Save Our Rails event at Snoqualmie's Woodman Lodge Steakhouse & Saloon - a big success.

Close to 200 guests enjoyed some amazing steaks and seafood - and a fun train ride through the Valley - as they raised needed funds to help the Northwest Railway Museum pay for over $100,000 in repairs to tracks that were washed out during flooding earlier this year.

Our host, Peter LaHaye of Woodman Lodge, pulled out the stops to ensure everyone had a great time. And based on all of the smiles I saw last night, it looks like they did. The trains and the museum are such a part of Snoqualmie. It was great to see the town pull together for such a worthy cause.

Not a bad six-month PR assignment

2009-04-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Murphy-Goode Winery out of Sonoma is getting worldwide exposure off a pretty cool social media stunt...to hire a social media expert. Go figure.

It's a six-month contract to generate exposure for the winery on Facebook and Twitter. And it's not a bad gig: $10,000 a month and private housing in the heart of wine country. Applicants need to produce a one-minute video touting their expertise to be considered.

I had NEVER heard of this winery. And now I have.

From their PR Newswire release:

In these tumultuous economic times, finding a good job is really tough. The Murphy-Goode Winery has a "Really Goode Job" for the right person. The Sonoma County winery is looking for an outgoing, web-savvy, articulate communicator to tell the story of the great mountain vines and artisan winemakers of California, tasting the "goode" stuff and experiencing the unique Sonoma wine country.

Throughout the course of the job the successful applicant will learn about viticulture, winemaking, Sonoma County and Murphy-Goode wines. He or she will prepare and post dispatches on their experiences though social media tools such as Facebook, blogs, internet videos and Twitter as well as traditional media.

Check out their promotional video (above)- any takers?

The honesty is refreshing

2009-04-29T05:59:00.000-07:00

People in the PR business just don't lie as much anymore.

This revelation doesn't come from results of some behavioral survey I conducted. It's mostly just anecdotal, from the countless breakfasts, lunches, dinners, coffees and drinks I've had with friends/colleagues over the last year.

I'm not talking about how we do what we do. Thankfully, most of us still adhere to ethical guidelines in how we deal with the media and other constituents. I'm referring to how we deal...with each other.

It's the economy, stupid. In recent years, if you'd ask someone in the PR business "how's business?," you'd rarely get an honest answer. Agencies would inflate billing numbers, corporate types would paint rosy sales pictures and non-profit pros would be all smiles about rosy capital campaigns.

Today, I'm finding just the opposite. The honesty is refreshing. Maybe it's all the economic beat downs, crappy sales and general fear among consumers. But I'm hearing more straight talk than I can ever remember.

And really, it makes no sense to distort the truth. We know you're lying.

I'm also seeing more colleagues willing to reach out and help others with offers of freelance work, special assignments or full-time employment. I always did that - even with things were rosy. Now, I'm seeing it from plenty of others, and it's nice to see.

Maybe things will change when the economy improves. I hope not.

A Sounders reunion

2009-04-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I started my PR career 30 years ago with the original Seattle Sounders of the now-defunct North American Soccer League.

I have lots of memories from the three seasons I spent with the team. We filled the Kingdome with 50,000+ soccer fans for a playoff game, went to Soccer Bowl '77 (and lost) and survived a player strike two years later. After the 1979 season, I decided to walk away from my huge $1,000/month salary and see if I could make any money in public relations.

I'm still looking for that money. But that's another subject.

Last Saturday night was fun. My wife and I were at Qwest Field to see the new Sounders FC take on the San Jose Earthquakes. We went to the game with Keith Askenasi and his wife Janet - Keith was my first-ever PR boss as the director of PR for the Sounders.

Keith eventually got out of PR and became a sales professional. Like me, he's still looking for that same money. But that's another subject.

On the field before the game, the Sounders honored Jimmy McAlister, our 1977 NASL Rookie-of-the-Year. Back then he was 19 years old and chasing Pele around the pitch in Soccer Bowl '77. Today he's 51 and involved in youth coaching.

Holy crap. 51. When you're not paying attention, the years go flying by.