Can You Hear Me Now?
A Dummy's Puppet's Ramblings - from Chip Martin, Puppet
Mannequin American views and guidelines on marketing/PR trends, news from the world of puppets and ventriloquism, bits of humor and other interesting but useless information. I post every Tuesday and Friday. For information on this puppet's background, go to http://www.dale-brown.com/.
If You're Not "Clicking" at Work, "Click" at Home
According to my tracking software, more than half of my readers don't "click" on the links that are highlighted throughout each blog post. What?? I try to include links that will educate, entertain and make readers "water-cooler-worthy" conversationalists.
I understand that many of you read this "research-oriented" blog at work and you may not be allowed to view videos. If that's the case, view them at home. They're worth it. (The link in the following article is a great example. Don't miss it.) Links to web sites and general information are put here to inform, educate and sometimes provide a smile.
By not clicking on my links you're depressing my research team whose feelings are easily wounded. (... and whose bonuses are based on "clicks.")
If Your "Network" Shows Up for Real, It's Really Funny
This is clever and it made everyone in our office who previewed it, smile. In fact it's so clever and entertaining that I'm surprised that Verizon hasn't done more with it. In the video, a guy is standing in a park and he makes a call from his cell phone. When he turns around he sees the entire Verizon network crowd from the TV commercials behind him. The group follows him around the park while he's trying to explain to his friends what's happening. The closing tagline reads, "Where will The Network show up next?" This could become interesting if they do more of them.
It's a bit sad that this video has been on YouTube since July 15 and it only has 5,282 views. I think they need to learn how to do a better job of promoting what is to this point, a viral campaign.
Who Can I Sue?
A new Web site called Whocanisue.com will launch in September with a multimillion dollar marketing push. The site will match plaintiffs and attorneys and it's currently seeking attorneys to participate.
Here's what the founder says about the site. "The name makes it sound nefarious, (ya think?) but it's not," said Curtis A. Wolfe, a practicing attorney and CEO of Whocanisue.com. "There's a need in online legal marketing for a solution that's not just a directory service." Wolfe then poked himself in the eye with a swizzle stick and immediately filed suit against the stick manufacturer, the liquor company, the bar, the bartender and his wife who had paid for the drink. (Okay, I made that part up.)
The site will allow users to peruse content about their legal interests and potential claims and take a 5- to 10-question confidential screening "path" that lets them know if they're qualified for a particular claim. As consumers complete their questionnaires, they'll receive up to five ads for attorneys in their local area who bid on those ad placements in real time. The user can then choose an attorney and connect with him or her via instant messaging or phone.
Sort of reminds me of the joke, "Q: What do you call 20 dead attorneys at the bottom of a swimming pool? A: A good start." My apologies to Ron Petak and the handful of other non-ambulance-chasing solicitors.
In Marketing, Change for Change Sake is Costly
Marketers have a tendency to get tired of their successes far sooner than customers or prospects do. The reality is that when you hit upon a really good marketing program, you need to stick with it for awhile. Maybe you can't foresee a 100-year-plus commitment like Michelin has, but how about more than a decade? American Express has offered exclusives for gold- and platinum-card members for more than 20 years. And scores of company's have used "mascots" for decades to help people immediately associate mascot visuals with particular companies. There's nothing wrong with periodic upgrades to ensure that your marketing bucks never stop working ... but don't change just for change sake.
Broken Link
I know. I know. I received several emails informing me that my link to the spoof Guinness commercial just went to YouTube, and not to the ad. I'm sorry. And I now have a good gauge on the types of links my readers prefer ... those that go to half naked women.
I think the link broke because the ad got pulled and re-published. As I said before, the ad illustrates the pleasures of multitasking among friends ... while naked. Guinness is acting like it's really upset over the ad. Meanwhile the brand is getting worldwide publicity with few complaints from normal people. And trust me, Guinness is not "really" upset about it.
Click on the link above and try again. I'm pretty sure it will work.
His is Bigger Than Yours
A Russian billionaire has christened his futuristic superyacht 'A' so nothing can precede it in the list of all-time great vessels. Andrey Melnichenko, 36, had his boat custom-built so he and his wife can traverse the world's oceans in luxury - and cast-iron safety.
Launched by the same German company that built the Bismarck, the 390 ft. steel yacht is like a modern-day dreadnought. The razor-sharp bow will cut through Arctic ice. Clamshell doors at the rear open upwards, James Bond style, to release two 30 ft. speedboats. It burns an economical 700 gallons of fuel per hour. The bed in the master suite rotates so the inhabitants always have the best view of the ocean ... (wouldn't it typically all look the same?)
In short, the guy went overboard for this boat. For more info on all of the amazing features of ‘A,' go here.
Depicting Murder is Okay ... Showing Skin, Not so Okay
We all know that it's okay to blow up stuff on TV, kill and torture people on TV and show gruesome details of all types of real-life accidents on TV. But show a fleeting glimpse of a human body part and the country freaks out. This is America after all, and in America nudity is bad. Nudity is something to be shunned. Sex is bad. Sex is nasty and should never be thought about. Put a potato sack over it. (Never mind that most of us will never kill someone, but most of us are likely to have sex. It's still better to show scenes of the former and pretend the latter doesn't happen.)
Anyway, that's why a new advertising campaign featuring Eva Mendes for Calvin Klein's Secret Obsession has been banned, after being deemed too risqué for TV. Now if she would have killed someone in the ad that would have been okay.
