It Worked for the President
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.
My Background
What I Do
About Brown & Martin, Inc.
Who's Deed Was Worse ... Michael's or the Dude Who Took the Photo?
A couple of weeks ago there wasn't a whole lot that made me laugh on "Saturday Night Live" except for Seth Meyer's "Really?" rant at the end of "Weekend Update." It was poignant and funny and it was about Michael Phelps, the bong, and the cell phone photo. Click here to see Meyer's take on just who was the bigger jerk ... Phelps or the guy who sold the photo.
And thanks to Gene Mueller and John Jagler at WTMJ we learned something else about Michael Phelps ... he's a really nice guy. Below is a photo of 9-year old Connor Bourke of Jefferson, WI with Phelps. Connor met Phelps in Baltimore a few days after the "bong photo" cost Phelps his association with Kellogg's and while he was still in a lot of hot water over the matter.
Connor and his mom had dinner with Phelps and the Olympian's mother. Like Phelps, Connor is a swimmer. Connor also has inoperable brain cancer.
In the middle of a media firestorm, in the middle of embarrassment, Phelps took time out to meet this boy who calls him a hero. He could have ducked it. He could have canceled. He didn't. According to Connor's mother, "He was all about Connor. He took him shopping, let Connor interview him, went swimming with him and took us out for dinner. His mother was darling. They made us feel welcome and treated us like old friends. Connor couldn't stop hugging Michael! I think Michael was as equally fond of Connor, but how could you not be. Connor's dream came true and I am very thankful to Michael and all who helped make this possible. God Bless each of you."
So the next time somebody cracks bad on Phelps, forward them to this site. It's Connor's family's blog. It's about stuff that REALLY matters. Some perspective is nice. Phelps could have ducked out of this or gone half way and people probably would have understood. Instead, he did the right thing. No major media picked up on the nice thing. Phelps didn't ask them to. He did it for Connor and his family. In my eyes he became a bigger hero than when he won all those medals.
Post Script: I just found this bit of info. Speedo Chief Marketing Officer, Craig Brommers, recently gave a rousing endorsement of Michael Phelps and his character at Ad Age's Marketing 50 awards ceremony. Speedo was honored at the event for the wild sales success of its LZR Racer suit, which Phelps endorses and wore in the Olympics as he swam to eight gold medals. Speedo has since sold more than 15,000 of those garments at $550 apiece.
In Support of Private Jets
The image problem for the private-aircraft business began last year when auto executives from Detroit's Big Three were soundly and publicly flogged for flying private jets to Washington to ask for bailout money. The ensuing outcry grew so loud that the car companies gave up their fleets. Stupid.
I've actually flown in private jets. In a single day I was able to do three corporate presentations, at three different plant facilities in three different states (with a Vice President of the company) thanks to using a private jet. It saved a lot of time. And in real business, time is money. In government, "time" is something you try and get on television so people can see you pontificate. But in business, "time" is a very precious commodity ... especially for those responsible for managing things. So I don't begrudge corporations for having corporate jets.
And what about all those skilled workers who produce those aircraft? Apparently politicians don't care if those people lose their jobs because of off-handed remarks elected officials make.
Cessna, the largest producer of private jets, has decided to fight back. The first of what will be a series of ads recently ran in the Wall Street Journal. I like the ad.
Outer Space Stimulus
Factoring in for inflation today, rebuilding the Death Star would cost 15 septillion dollars. I can't make this stuff up ... well, okay, I could, but in this case, I researched it.
NCAA Players Can't Drink Sponsor's Product
This just caught my eye as perhaps a poor job of selecting the proper marketing venue.
Coca-Cola's Vitaminwater is a major marketing partner for the NCAA -- but its players shouldn't drink six of its varieties or they might test positive for banned substances.
In October, Coca-Cola inked a multiyear agreement to display Vitaminwater's Revive flavor on the sidelines during all college championship games. But only a month later, Vitaminwater was cited in a little-noted section on the NCAA Web site as producing six flavors containing banned or impermissible substances that could result in positive drug tests.
Revive is the only flavor that is directly affiliated with the NCAA, and it does not contain banned or impermissible substances. Another eight flavors are available on a by-request basis to players. The NCAA Web site states the six flavors that include impermissible substances do not have a direct association with the NCAA, and in situations where they are displayed alongside NCAA-themed promotions a visible disclaimer will be provided.
The Rescue and Energy flavors are both banned because they contain caffeine or guarana-seed extract, according to the NCAA Web site. The other four beverages, B-relaxed, Vital-T, Balance and Power-C, include impermissible substances such as Taurine, L-theanine, green-tea extract and glucosamine. Other impermissible substances include various amino acids, protein powders and ginseng. An impermissible substance is not able to be provided by coaches or trainers to students, but players are able to purchase products with impermissible substances.
It Worked for the President ...
... until I get a better agent.
You can "Obamican" a photo of yourself by clicking here. It's sort of fun and you can send it to friends.
