How to Engage Employees During Difficult Times
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.
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Charmin Shows BlackBerry and iPhone Users
Where to Go When They Gotta Go
Charmin continues to successfully market and gain market share without directly "selling" its product. The company now offers a free mobile app that supplies locations and ratings of public restrooms.
The wiki, housed on the Web at SitOrSquat.com and available as a mobile application for BlackBerry and iPhone, is turning the digital masses into a mobile army of restroom reviewers. The app helps locate public restrooms and provides star ratings based on cleanliness and other amenities.
As of last month, SitOrSquat had logged more than 52,000 toilets in 10 countries, more than half a million unique visitors and more than 1,600 downloads of its mobile apps.
This is just another effort by Charmin at nontraditional branding, a la the Times Square restrooms; the mobile Pottypalooza program it ran from 2003 to 2005; and the "Charminizing" program in which it cleaned up public restrooms at state fairs starting in 2000.
Engage Your Employees
"Be honest with your staff about the impact of the recession" is the advice Dale gives in an article he recently wrote for Milwaukee BizTimes. (He wrote it in crayon, so I'm surprised they printed it.)
Dale offers several "how-to" tips including advice on using "humor" to relieve tension, enhance rapport and make messages more memorable. You can read the article in its entirety by clicking here. By the way, if you don't receive Milwaukee BizTimes, you should go to their web site and sign up. It's a valuable tool for any business. The publicaiton offers excellent how-to articles and informative business-related stories.
Vegas is a Small Town
While sitting at a bar at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Dale was tapped on the shoulder. He turned around to see our good friend Glen Gerard, one of the country's top comedy magicians. (Glen is an excellent illusionist too, but his comedy shows are hysterical.)
Glen and his wife had just arrived in Vegas from Milwaukee to attend a magic convention. (You could tell they were from Milwaukee because they're first stop was at the bar.) For the next hour Glen and Dale entertained the rest of us with behind the scenes stories of shows they've done where everything imaginable went wrong. It was a funny and an enjoyable time.
If you're ever looking for a magic act that will have your audience in the aisles, give Glen a call. Here's his Web site and here's his promotional video.
While we were in Vegas Leslie also ran into someone she knew. I think she dated this guy when she was in college.
Uncle Jay Does it Again
Usually I cringe when anyone uses the "D" word. But in this case, Uncle Jay applies the word correctly. Click here or on the photo to see Uncle Jay's take on the bailout.
The Two & Only Continues to Sell Out
We just received a note from Jay Johnson that his show played to sold out capacity while in Rochester at the Geva NextStage Theatre. If this Tony Award Winner comes to a theatre near you, don't miss it.
Ronn Lucas
Speaking of vents and Vegas, Ronn Lucas recently ended his run at the EXCALIBUR. He has a new Web site that says he's revamping his show and hopes to re-open somewhere in Vegas next month.
