Like 50 million other people worldwide, I’ve fallen into the Draw Something trap. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Draw Something, it is basically a mobile app social game carbon copy of Pictionary. There are both a free and paid version which are largely identical to each other with one major exception, players of the free version are forced to view an ad between each turn. However, if you’re anything like me you just look for that little white ”x” in the corner and move on to the next game without ever glancing at the ad itself. But if you think doing this means you’re skipping all advertisements, you’re largely mistaken. Not only have they been throwing ads at you all along, but they’ve been using you to push their products.

Personally, I’ve drawn/guessed words like Nike and Doritos before and thought nothing of it. Just assuming it was the game’s clever little way to appear culturally relevant, similar to how they use popular musician names such as Kanye West, Bieber, and Skrillex. As it turns out though, it was really just part of an experiment to see how users of the app would respond when given the option to draw these proper nouns and others such as KFC and Coca-Cola. And the results… well, let’s just say they aren’t going away anytime soon.

“People loved to draw the Colonel and bags of Doritos” says former OMGPop CEO Dan Porter, now VP-mobile and general manager Draw Something’s new parent company, Zynga. Because of this success, they have now signed an official advertising deal with the NHL, meaning players will begin seeing popular hockey terms such as “hat trick,” “puck” and “slapshot.” By no means do these words scream blatant product placement, but just know that the words are there because the NHL has paid for them to be. After all, why wouldn’t they want to get hockey on your mind while the Stanley Cup Playoffs are under way?

One thing I have always enjoyed about the advertising world is its constant need to evolve. Placing newspapers and magazines online has taken eyes off of print ads. The iPod has saved me from listening to ads and the “witty banter” of self-absorbed radio personalities. And because of the invention of the DVR, it now only takes me only 42 minutes to watch a 42 minute TV show. As long as technology continues to evolve, the advertising world is going to have to evolve with it. Challenge accepted.

Moms. They juggle careers, run households and control trillions of dollars, all without flashy capes and spandex bodysuits. Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, and whether it’s in greeting cards or flowers; Americans will spend around $19 billion on it this year, according to the National Retail Federation. But that figure only hints at the true economic significance of moms. The truth is, moms (and women, generally) are more powerful than we often acknowledge. They are the real Avengers. They’re also your potential brand champions.

Did you know that…

1. Women control more than $20 trillion in worldwide spending (yes, trillion with a T). Of that, $7 trillion alone is just in the US?
2. Women make 85% of all consumer purchases?
3. 70% of moms own smartphones?
4. 50% of products typically marketed to men are purchased by women?
5. Women make 80% of the travel decisions for their family?

Forget about cards, flowers, a handmade macaroni necklace, bouquet of dandelions or a burnt toast “breakfast in bed” – the gifts women really crave are about time — ways to find time, save time and free up time. And when women find a product or service that meets those needs, they’ll respond accordingly. They can become your brand champions!

So how can you build your own viral network of brand champions?

Listen. Make it easy for your customers to reach you—whether it’s by phone, social media, e-mail or in person. Then listen. If you truly listen to your customers, you won’t need to look far for your advocates.

Free online tools like Google Alerts, Social Mention and Technorati are great ways to actively listen to your customers, wherever they’re talking about you or your business. These tools can help ensure you hear your customers’ comments, so you can understand their experiences with your brand. The best brand champions are those who want to participate, and those who love your product will speak up.

Embrace. Customer input matters—whatever the sentiment—so don’t shy away. Embrace the opportunity and engage in the conversation.

If you get positive feedback, let your customers know it’s valued. If what you hear disappoints you, your response is even more important. With the appropriate actions, you can turn a negative situation around. Or at least bring it to a satisfying resolution.

Empower. Once you’ve established relationships with your brand champions, empower them to share their passion. Give them the opportunity to create a connected community, lead conversations and tell their brand-experience stories.

Build. Big, small or in-between, your business can benefit from brand champions. And your best brand champions may already be singing your praises, so listen up, embrace them and empower them to share even more. That connection is one easy, affordable way to grow your business, your brand and your reputation.

To all of the genuine superheroes out there – and we mean our moms – Happy Mother’s Day, and thank you!

When you hear people talk about social media, you immediately think about how social media channels can be used to enhance your brand, or build and expand your personal network. Twitter will get your name exposed to a broader range of people. Facebook allows you to become a “fan” of your favorite brands, and rekindle past friendships with acquaintances from long ago. I could go on about platforms like Vimeo, YouTube, Flickr or Pinterest, but I’ll spare you. Raise your hand if you’re heard this infamous line: “…the power of social media.”

As a marketing professional, I struggle with that phrase. When I think of the term “power” I immediately flash to images such as monster trucks or Hulk Hogan. Strong. Powerful. Often intimidating. Until recently, I wouldn’t have referred to social media in that manner.

However …

Lately, social networks have taken on a more grass roots function, fueling the passion and inspiration that ignites and propels movements forward, such as what has transpired online with the Trayvon Martin case. To date, there has been serious backlash on Twitter and Facebook concerning this case on both sides of the issue. Is social media playing a key role in this case? Most definitely.  Participation in the “Prosecute the Killer of our Son, 17-year old Trayvon Martin” petition created on the website change.org, has already logged more than two million signatures. Petitions such as this, as well as the coordination of public rallies of support are easily conceived and executed through social channels. If you have the motivation and drive, chances are you will find a wealth of supporters willing to show support online.

This has me rethinking what “power” and “powerful” truly means. Bringing a collective voice to stand up for an issue is powerful. It accentuates genuine and passionate sentiment. It amplifies a message – whether it’s professional or personal, benefiting the promotion of a product or the support of a cause. If properly thought out and implemented, it can move mountains.

The ongoing B+L Trimnastics competition has caused me to reflect upon the role exercise has played in my life.  The thought of me being the captain of “Team Lonely at the Top” would have laughable at one time.  Exercise was virtually non-existent in my life and my appearance reflected that.

Throughout my childhood and into my early adult life I was heavyset and I did not look or feel good.  I was eating too much junk and not exercising at all.  At one point my weight ballooned to nearly 300 pounds and started to cause my health to suffer.  During one doctor’s visit, I was told I might have to go on blood pressure medication.  Fortunately for me that is when a light went on inside my head.  I knew I could not go on like that and needed to do something about it.

That is when exercise started to play a pivotal role in my life, which continues today.  Back then I started walking every day and eating better and the weight immediately starting falling off.  I lost nearly 100 pounds from my heaviest point.  Today, my workday starts a little before 5 a.m.  That is when I get up and head to Bally Total Fitness in West Allis, which has become a second home to me.  Now, I work out virtually every day and feel like I am missing something if I do not.  My routine includes things like running, weightlifting, swimming, yoga, and skating.

Exercise will continue to play a special role in my life as long as I am able.  I have no desire to ever to go back to my heaviest point.  If I ever lack motivation all I need to do is look back at pictures of the old me.  That immediately reminds me just how important exercise is.

Being a recent homeowner, and a college student, my life is always interesting. I would describe most days as the relentless “rat race.” Finding time to do homework, study, work on the house, keep up with housework, and work can be very overwhelming.

I recently had a conversation with one of my friends who mentioned buying a “fixer-upper,” and working on it with the help of her handy husband. Of course I was extremely enthusiastic for her, but also reminded her, that good things take time. Knowing my friend, and her tendency to be impatient, and also a little high maintenance, I so kindly told her, “As long as you’re willing to fall asleep in your own drywall dust, you’ll be okay.” Needless to say, she dismissed my sarcastic comment with a smirk.

Over the past year or so, I have established my own kind of “routine” for the way I function best.  I have become a more efficient, conscientious individual. I am what you would classify as, a Post-It noter/to-do list maker/planner aheader- kind of gal. I will admit, some days when I am sitting in a lecture hall, and I overhear a nearby conversation of two students complaining that they had to wake up for the 11a.m. class we’re sitting in (and this happens often), I am a little jealous. I think, what I would give to sleep until 10:50 a.m., roll out of bed, and show up to class. Then I shake off that envy dust, and remind myself what I am trying to accomplish and where I want to be in my life. So needless to say, I don’t live the typical lifestyle of a college student, but I am growing to love my ever-changing life.

It can often be challenging for me to pull myself away from the things that I want to be doing, and finish the things that I need to be doing.  Not only have I learned how to live my life more efficiently, but I have also learned what things in life are truly important. I know that may sound extremely cheesy to some, but I can truthfully say that I have come to realize the things in life that I use to dwell on, now seem so trivial.

Nearly two months ago, I started working at Boelter + Lincoln as a creative intern. I can best describe B+L as a “smooth-operating machine,” a lot like what I think my life has started to develop into. Being here has truly showed me what it’s like to be part of a fast-paced industry, and how to manage time wisely. Everyone at the agency has his or her own contributions to make, and together they work as a team.   Everyone works towards “the big picture,” which is especially important to keep this “machine” running smoothly. They each encompass a little bit of the kind of person I hope to someday become. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with them as they have now helped me see what the next few years of my life will bring.

Thanks B+Lers, you have showed me how exciting the “real world” can be, and now I am relieved to know that my life will not always be such a “rat race.”

So to those of you that are in similar situations, stay optimistic and hang in there— your hard work will pay off in the end.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about image, it’s that the cool guy usually wins. You never saw Fonzie from “Happy Days” trying to decide what jacket to wear or wondering what he was going to say to a girl. Fonzie knew who he was and he owned it. Completely. He was so confident in his image that he never felt the need to walk around and overcompensate by telling everyone how tough he was or how many girls lusted after him. What Fonzie knew as well as anyone was how to manage his brand.

One of my favorite clients to work with at the agency is Lakefront Brewery, not just because they happen to make outstanding beer, but because they understand what Fonzie understood – your brand has to represent you, and you have to live your brand. You will never see a Lakefront product promising to be the lowest calorie-carb-get-you-chicks-and-make-you-popular-with-the-guys-greatest-thing-since-penicillin. No, Lakefront’s message is simple: they make a quality product for people who like beer. That’s it.

So while other brands might inundate you with over-designed packaging, scantily clad women and slick commercial production, Lakefront is just hangin’ out “bein’ Fonzie.” Make no mistake, a great deal of thought goes into everything we do with Lakefront, or any of our clients for that matter. Just as Fonzie wouldn’t suddenly start wearing sweaters and riding a moped, we need to make sure each brand is portraying an image that’s true to who they are. But advertising becomes much easier to create and much more gratifying when what we are saying actually rings true.

So whenever I have any doubt about how I’m approaching a new project, I just ask myself a simple question – WWFD?

*Note: this does not apply to the episode where Fonzie jumped the shark on water skis. That was just awful.

Let’s take a quiz. Answer true or false to the following:

1. 91% of new homes are purchased by men
2. 92% of vacations are purchased by men
3. 93% of food purchases are made by men
4. 89% of all bank accounts belong to men
5. 80% of healthcare decisions are made by men
6. 60% of all personal wealth in the US is held by men
7. 85% of consumer purchases are made by men
8. 40% of all US private businesses are owned by men

If you answered false to all of the above, you are 100% correct!

The truth is, women control a significant amount of the wealth in the United States. In fact, women contribute $7 trillion in consumer and business spending.  Furthermore, 50% of merchandise targeting men is purchased by women.  Finally, women are expected to control 2/3 of the consumer wealth in the next decade.

The purchasing power of women can’t be disputed. So, how does that power translate to business? In Wisconsin, we have a long way to go.  Research commissioned recently by Milwaukee Women Inc. surveyed 50 of Wisconsin’s largest public companies and found that 63 of the 439 director seats are held by women.  Hmmm.

When you consider how much value women bring to companies in which they work or on whose board of directors they sit, these numbers are astonishing.  As published in the Harvard Business Review, “Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women board of directors attained significantly higher financial performance, on average, than those with the lowest representation.”

That study, conducted by Catalyst research, indicates that diversity is producing better results. “Smart companies appreciate that diversifying their boards with women can lead to more independence, innovation, and good governance and maximize their company’s performance.”

The proof?

1. Return on Equity:  On average, companies with the highest percentages of women board of directors outperformed those with the least by 53%.
2. Return on Sales: On average, the return on investment for companies with the highest percentages of women is 42%.
3. Return on Invested Capital:  On average, companies with the highest percentages of women board of directors outperformed those with the least by 66%

There truly is power in the purse.

It’s nothing new.

We’ve all heard it throughout our lives. We’ve all overused the word, or the idea, when describing anything from music to the Brewers to fashion. And it has captured me within a lifestyle.

It’s passion.

Being truly passionate about something goes a long way for your mental health, your character and keeping motivated in life. I consider myself very fortunate for having several strong passions in my life that I thoroughly enjoy and that help me strive to better myself.

One of the first things I remember being passionate about as a child, aside from drawing and super heroes, was breeding red-eyed tree frogs. This is not considered an easy task. But at the age of eight, I created the ideal climate for breeding and mastered the construction of an artificial beach. Several years later when I was 13-years old I fell in love with aggressive skating. So much so that I quit playing all organized sports I was involved in at the time – basketball, football, soccer and baseball – so that my weeknights and weekends were not wasted with practices and sporting events/tournaments.

I was now truly focused and committed to something in life and had little time for distractions. Skating gave me an outlet to express myself, a new sense of freedom, a feeling of accomplishment, the opportunity to explore my urban surroundings and reason to travel to new places.

Whenever driving in a car or walking down a city street I can’t help but to look at architecture and wonder if I could skate that or perform a specific trick on that angled wedge up against a wall in that one alley way. I often wonder if my eye for skate spots will ever leave me, or if I will be someday be a 70-year old man who drives past a handrail in the city and is reminded of skating. My dedication to skating helped me define who I was, and introduced me to a lot of new things over the years.

15-years later I am married, have two children, work full-time as video editor/videographer for B+L and still find time to skate. And it was skating that got me into video production.

I remember being 14-years old and sneaking my friend’s parents’ video camera out of their house so that I could film my friends skating. Soon after, I began wiring VCRs and tuners to each other so I could turn our skate footage into skate videos.

Another passion of mine was born.

And it sure does feel great to have a career in a field that I am truly passionate about. My passions now weave together with each chance I have to create and skate. I invite you to view my film “Abstract Art II” and enjoy these passions of mine.

Earlier this afternoon, I received an email from LuckyBrand.com (to my work email address mind you) indicating that they had received the online order that I just placed. The problem here: I didn’t place an order. Hell, I’ve never even been to that retailer’s website, let alone used my work email address for personal online shopping purchases. Alarmed, I immediately hunted down their customer care number.

The first four times I called I got busy signals.

The fifth time I got through…and sat on hold for 30 minutes and 24 seconds. (You better believe I timed this.)

After finally reaching a woman in their call center, I explained the situation. She asked for my name, which I was reluctant to give her. Instead, I offered here my order number…but before I could give it to her, she READ IT BACK back to me! Now really alarmed, I asked her how she knew this. Turns out, this order was sent to their entire database, which she claimed contained hundreds of thousands of email addresses … but she apologized for my inconvenience. I’m sure she heard my jaw hit my desk.  I asked her how they had my email address when I’ve never been a customer, nor have proactively signed up to receive LuckyBrand communications? Her response: “Oh, it must have been in the list that we purchased, so you must have used it somewhere else.”

What the___??!

At the end of the call, I sat and pondered what had just happened.

Was this a lame attempt on LuckyBrand’s part to get their name out and talked about? I’m not going to lie, I blasted them on Twitter while on hold, and I wasn’t polite. Are they in such dire need for revenue and/or brand attention that they needed to stoop to spamming hundreds of thousands of people?  Or was this an email failure on the part of a customer service department? A failure of the internal systematic set up of their CRM system, perhaps? I’d like to know, but I’m not naïve enough to think we’ll ever find out.

Finally, I asked if they’d be sending a follow-up apology email to the mass of people who received this initial correspondence. Her response? “Um, yes I bet we will…but I’m not really sure. Have a nice day.”

I need to go walk this off now.

My husband and I bought our first home less than six months ago.  Since then, I’ve taken it upon myself to be the chief planner and decorator of said home (shocking, right?).   As I find my decorating pickiness increasing and traditional shopping time decreasing, I’ve taken to the web to do a majority of my home goods purchases.

Faced with endless options for everything from curtains to toasters to artwork, I find myself relying time and time again on product reviews.  Not so sure about that Cuisinart toaster’s performance?  Well, check the reviews and find that it’s rated 4.5 stars out of 5.  Good enough for me (and I LOVE my new toaster, in case you’re wondering).   As we finish the basement, I’ve been eyeing some really handsome industrial-style bar stools.  Purchasing furniture online, however, kind of freaks me out.  After scouring the reviews, an average of 4 out of 4 stars is enough for me to seriously consider purchasing away.

Admittedly, it may be slightly foolish to allow reviews to be the tipping point on my purchases, but somehow, reading that a product was good or bad from fellow consumers makes me more confident in my spending decisions.  And I’m not alone.  Recent studies show that roughly 76% of consumers refer to online reviews when making purchases.

Imagine my horror when I recently came across an article by the New York Times, titled,
“For $2 a Star, and Online Retailer Gets 5-Star Product Reviews.”  The article describes how a Kindle fire case manufacturer was recently busted for giving consumers rebates for posting positive product reviews on Amazon.  That’s right.  Some companies are paying customers to give uber-positive reviews.  And guess what?  I bought said Kindle case for my husband for Christmas this year.  I felt cheated!  Betrayed!  While there was always a slight hint of skepticism in online reviews, I never let myself believe it would actually be true.

In a sense, doctored or bribed reviews seem to be the start of an evolution of false advertising.  The FTC has recently brought two deceptive-advertising cases against other companies for fake reviews.  Could it be that we’ll begin to see more suits popping up as more companies are caught totally destroying consumers’ trust? If anything, as advertising deception like this is exposed, we’ll likely find consumers becoming more skeptical than they already are.  The valuable tool of seemingly honest product reviews, which brands often rely on to sell products and cultivate loyal consumers, could fall to the wayside.  A “four-star” rating may mean as little as previously valued qualities such as, “doctor-recommended,” “eco-friendly” and “kid-tested, mother-approved.”

All I know is that I’ll be certainly thinking twice about glowing reviews about products I’m interested in in the future.  Although I really do love those industrial bar stools I’ve been eyeing, so I may just have be swayed a little while longer…

So my husband and I are going to buy a house.  Well, hopefully…that’s the plan anyway. But that’s beside the point.

When we found our realtor and he began sending us housing listings online I thought, “This should be pretty simple right?”  He sends us information with rooms, sizes, pictures, short descriptions and so on.  I figured that with all the pictures, I would easily be able to knock out houses that just looked awful, and only visit the ones that LOOKED to be a better fit for us.  Yeah… that was silly.  Talk about false advertising!

Okay, so maybe it’s not “false” but some of those listings are pretty tricky. I saw pictures of sun-filled rooms, new appliances, spacious back yards and more.  I was really excited on our first day of home viewing, with my binder of notes to help me make my final decisions.  My excitement quickly faltered, however, when I reality set in.  Those sun-filled rooms turned into huge 50-year old windows that ALL needed to be replaced, new appliances that weren’t included with the purchase, and spacious backyards with power lines running so low even I could probably reach them with my 5’0’’ frame.  I might need a running start… but you get the idea.

After a while you begin to catch on to the housing lingo as well. “Charming” houses are old, “cozy” houses are tiny, “tucked-away” means secluded, ”new” means year 2000, “updated” means one countertop in a kitchen, and “decorated” means, ‘ew, what were these home owners thinking?!

I finally decided to look at a few of the houses with the not-so-good pictures. Surprisingly, they ended up much better than the other houses.  I guess they just didn’t pick up on the simple camera tricks that the other house sellers did so well with.  Just goes to show that good “advertising” might get people to a good product… but bad advertising might keep people away from an amazing one.

We still haven’t found anything that’s specifically piqued our “oh-my-gosh-I-want-to-make-an-offer-right-now” interest, but we are learning a lot of what we can get and what we’ll have to compromise on.  Or maybe we should think about getting a condo instead. Oh well, I guess we’ll find out eventually.

I don’t know when I turned into THAT person. The person who  has their phone in their hand at all times – at the dinner table, at a movie, in meetings, at Brewers games,  in church (don’t judge). I can’t think of any time during the day that I don’t have my iPhone within eyesight. I didn’t realize my smartphone dependency was so severe until the unthinkable happened. My iPhone was knocked out of my hand while my friend  was telling an intense story that required her to swing her arms all over the place, ultimately resulting in my iPhone flying about five feet, head first to its death.

I convinced myself I was fine and decided I would just take it in the next morning, in hopes that the Genius Bar could fix it. No can do. The phone was done-zo. I began to panic a little bit. I had a few weeks until the iPhone 4S was going to be released and I could totally live without my smart phone until then, right? WRONG. Here I was, stuck with this old school 2009 slider phone. Yes, 2009 is old school. This began what felt like the roughest three weeks of my life. The silly thing didn’t even have apps! How was I supposed to check my email at every moment in the day? Or play Words with Friends? Or check-in on Foursquare? Or stalk my Facebook newsfeed? How would I survive the gym without my Pandora app?! Not to mention I’m not the best when it comes to sense of direction; how would I get anywhere unfamiliar without my Maps app? And when I set my morning alarm on the slider phone, there was no “snooze” option that my iPhone gives me! I did not realize how much I depended on my phone and how it was very much part of my every day routine. It got me thinking – am I addicted to my smartphone?

According to a blog I read on Socialnomics.com, experts note that the following signs would classify me as a smartphone “addict.”

1. You check your phone constantly, not necessarily just for missed calls, but text messages, status updates, e-mails, push notifications, etc … Yep, that’s me. Who doesn’t?!
2. Second, your checking becomes so frequent you develop “checking habits” or the urgency to update or check certain applications such as Facebook, but within 10 minutes of each other. Most “checks” don’t last more than 30 seconds, but it’s the constant glancing down at your phone screen that classifies under this behavior … Um, I don’t know if I do this every 10 minutes, maybe every 15.
3. Third, you can’t roam around your house or office without having your phone with an arm’s reach … Well obviously, I don’t want to miss something important!
4. Another sign of possible addiction is not being able to leave home without your phone. Some people describe it as “being lost” without their phones … This would ruin my day.

Okay, according to these signs, I had major smartphone dependency issues. Maybe the death of my iPhone came at a good time. It gave me the opportunity to realize how ridiculous I was being and within a week I got over using the older phone. I just had to remind myself that I was lucky to have a phone that worked.  Don’t get me wrong, I still woke up at 3:00am to pre-order the iPhone 4S on October 7^th and was back in the iPhone game on the 14^th, but I was now more aware of my constant usage and tried to tone it down a bit. I can’t say that my habits have changed much, but I no longer have my phone in my hand at all times. That may just come out of fear of having it knocked out of my hand again, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Would your boss or client like it if you could save hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars on travel expenses?  I can’t imagine they wouldn’t. Here’s one way to do it.

If you are traveling to a city with an excellent mass transit (i.e., train) system, like San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, New York City or Atlanta, you can save literally hundreds per day by staying at a hotel away from the city center.  Admittedly, that’s not as cool as staying downtown, but depending on the trip, it might be well worth it.

This week, for example, I’m going to a trade show in Atlanta.  Instead of staying downtown, near the Georgia World Congress Center, I booked a hotel in a neighborhood called Perimeter Center.  According to my new friends at the Atlanta Convention & Visitor Bureau, this area is easily accessible on the Red Line of MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, and offers two stops within walking distance (Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, in case you really want to know.) Not only is my room a mere $180 per night less than the big name downtown hotels, the Red Line passes right through the hot restaurant area, Buckhead, which is to Atlanta what Lincoln Park is to Chicago. (In other words, where the after-show action goes on…)

Anyway, by staying there, I’m saving a ton on my room, skipping the rental car thing completely, and probably cab fares, as well.  And I’m not driving in an unfamiliar city.

And I’m being green. What’s not to like?

Admittedly, this strategy won’t work in Houston, Phoenix or other auto-centric cities, but it sure is sweet for those where mass transit is too good and too convenient to pass up. So next time you’re planning a business trip, check out the commuter train options.  Your boss, client and accountant will be glad you did.

Hi, my name is Liz and I am a late-adopter. I have a tendency to wait for the fanfare to die down on a trend and for it to become part of the mainstream establishment before I conform. In college, I logged on to Facebook long after my friends, I didn’t get my first iPod until last year and I just started shopping for skinny jeans and scarfs. I have more of an “it’s better to show up to the party late, than not at all” mentality. I’m not trying to make any big social or political statement; it just takes me awhile to catch on.

Naturally, this is in direct conflict with my job at an advertising agency, where we pride ourselves on staying current and ahead of the trends. (I loosely consider myself part of that “collective”).  This year, with my new iPhone in-hand and the help of those more tech-savvy than I, I vow to stay on top of the trends. The first trend I tackled? Shazam.

Shazam is a mobile music-based service which uses a phone’s microphone to gather a brief sample of music and create an acoustic “fingerprint”. From there, the sample is compared to a database and if a match is found, it will log the music into a database (or Youtube, iTunes, Spotify) on your own phone. Shazam helps you discover and earmark new music.  The app can also identify a commercial by the music in the spot, making it “Shazam-able” and directing a user to a specific website or landing page. Think of it as an audio QR code. There are much better explanations and quantifiable research as to which I’m not going to explain, here’s an example.  (NOTE: For my purposes Wikipedia is a reliable source.)

Other than checking it off my trend list, why do I care as a consumer? Now that our beloved Packers have been knocked out of Super Bowl contention, there is nothing left to do but watch the Big Game for the commercials. And this year, one-third of all commercials will be Shazam-able, meaning that the commercial is only the start of the user experience. It’s quickly creating a QR code-like experience for the broadcast medium. Shazamable spots could take you to funny content, digital games, giveaways, recipes or contests. While we don’t know which commercials will be Shazam-able (that information will be released Feb. 2^nd), I guarantee it will make the experience more interactive than ever before.

For the sake of advertising and my own viewing experience, I hope that Shazam and the new Shazam-able spots are worth all of this year’s media hype. I don’t want to be disappointed in my first “early-adopter” experience!

My current obsession: Pinterest. It’s a love affair that has been going on for several months. What do the two of us have in common?

I love to cook.

I love to decorate.

I somewhat like crafting.

(My Mom is awesome at crafting, so I pin things she can make for me)

I love holiday decorations.

I love gardening.

My dog Herman deserves the best of the best.

Pinterest has replaced all of my bookmarks, and is now my home base for all things awesome – it’s my personal online vision board. And unlike other social networks, there aren’t any haters. People aren’t pinning things that they despise and hate. Or letting you know how crappy of a night of sleep they got. No one is complaining about politics, or the weather or criticizing your posts.

They are posting delicious looking recipes, ways to paint the guest bedroom, different ways to decorate with mason jars, perfect wine and cheese pairings, inspiration quotes, beautiful places to visit, and videos that you laugh at so hard at that you pee your pants.

With recipes, I pin what seems good. I then go home and make it – if it turns out fabulous, I keep the pin, if not, then an unpinning happens.

I’m a pinning fool. I can’t wait to make the Orange Julius recipe. My dog Herman loves his new dog bed. My new Christmas decoration was a bit of a bust (but there is always next year.) I didn’t like the pretzel bites, but the goat cheese rolled in pistachios and dried cranberries was a HUGE success. I cried when I learned how to fold a fitted sheet. My dry goods in the kitchen are in airtight containers and are easy to find.

Oh, Pinterest, how I love thee.

I’m looking forward to my little 4×4 garden again this summer- and Pinterest will be my go to source! I now don’t need to spend time Googling square foot gardening blogs like I did last year – I know there is a fellow pinner that has already done the dirty work for me.

So folks, get pinning. Help me find one more project to do!

Let me set the scene:

400 million years ago, when the first animal popped its head out of the water to breathe sweet oxygen, it did it not by choice. It wasn’t like this organism wanted to finally dry off and build a condo. It was forced out. The oceans, rivers and lakes had receded so much that this animal had to do or die. It was not running TOWARD a comfy dirt bed, but rather running FROM sure extinction.

So, fast-forward to January 2011.

I’m getting into shape. It’s been a process that has varied from hyped-up diligence to screw-this-crap-sleeping-in. Equally as varied has my emotional connection been to improving my health. Fortunately, I’ve been able to do more of the latter which has resulted in much improved numbers on my doctor’s laptop. Good.

But lately, I’ve been asking myself, “Am I running FROM something, or TO something?” It’s not especially important that I answer this philosophical dilemma anytime soon, but it seems insightful and helpful to understand. Sure, at first, there was mounting evidence of my eventual demise that began to creep onto my chart – high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. On the other hand, I’ve always wanted to experience a triathlon, have giant pectoral muscles and the ubiquitous six-pack.

I imagine it was a little from column “A” and a little from column “B.” And since fear seems to be a greater motivator (taught to us first by those Devonian Period species) I would surmise most of my being was running from death.

But as my fitness evolves, I find myself running TO achievement.

I want to improve my triathlon time over last year. I want to feel even better than I do now. I want more of the benefits my better health has rewarded me with. I would imagine, not unlike early tetrapods, that I am no longer running from shrinking oceans, but running to bigger caves, better hunting grounds and 5K Beer Runs. Although at times I still question that motivation.

What are you running from? And what are you running to?

Answering these two questions might make your path easier to walk down, or I should say, run down. It’s connecting the past and the future. More importantly, it’s fully understanding the “NOW.”

When was the last time you didn’t have your smartphone within arm’s reach? How long have you gone without checking your email, posting on Facebook or sending a text message? Have you ever left the house without your phone and turned back to get it – even though it added another 20 minutes to your commute? Have you actually ever officially “checked out”?

Probably not.

Here I am on vacation in the Northwoods writing this blog. I will be on vacation all week and will check my email every day – several times. I will log in to check on client campaigns and meet deadlines that could probably wait a few days. I am not an on-call rescue person, I work in advertising. But we have been conditioned to be connected all the time. What if I miss something? Will work be a bigger shitstorm if I don’t check in all week and come back blind? Or would I enjoy my vacation more and relax if I just shut my phone, laptop and tablet off and just checked out? Honestly, I don’t remember what it even feels like to leave home without my smartphone.

So, tell me – when you go on vacation do you leave it all behind? Let me know and I’ll respond when I get back. (I’m officially checking out now.)

Reflecting on the past, I’m amazed how accurately history repeats itself. Technology and luxury change drastically to fulfill the visions of Tomorrowland, but the essence of what we do is cyclical and will repeat through the generations in years to come.

I remember, as a child, I loved visiting my dad at work. “Channel 41 – WUHQ – Battle Creek/Kalamazoo!”

I remember walls of layouts, all hand cut, rubber cemented, Xeroxed and photographed. Volumes of Letraset clip art binders and dry transfer lettering over hundreds of colors of markers and watercolors. I’d watch him sketch a layout in non-photo blue during the day and see the same graphic that weekend on TV. He’d occasionally put me in commercials and I’d get to see the whole crew in action; it was so neat how they used simple effects like smoke cookies and lens filters to make a backyard look like a Wild West ranch on the Ponderosa.

Thinking back, I now realize as a web designer, I am following directly in his footsteps. Essentially, my father was an artist who took his skills with traditional arts and materials and experimented with the advancing technologies of communication. My Letraset is Shutterstock ( …and Google), my Xerox is Photoshop, my graphics have taken on a third and fourth dimension and the screens I communicate through are of desktop, tablet, and mobile variety.

As I grew, I saw the industry change for my father and I watched his methods change to keep ahead of the game. Eventually the typewriter, photocopier, lens effects, graphics, and editing gear all shrunk down into one little Intel-based box on his desk. No more paper cuts. No more fumes from spray mount and carbon arc lights. It’s almost laughable the difference in size of broadcast cameras from using giant off-board Betacam cartridges to today’s built-in, bite-size memory cards.

It all makes me wonder, what will MY office look like in 30 years? My career is fairly young, and I can certainly joke about how serious I was with Hypercard and 16-bit graphics 15 years ago, but I can’t even fathom what the future holds for the tools of our trade. I just know that like my father, I must adapt to whatever changes may come. I have personally seen tradesmen get left behind in architecture, television, and formal illustration and it’s taught me that time is unstoppable and if you don’t leap headfirst into the future, you will go the way of the vinyl LP.

I was fortunate to have a family that always kept computers in the house and a school with a decent computer lab. Equally important, however, is that I was able to speak to a few key old folks about how they got where they are. I ran into a few discouraging folks here and there – some bitter about not attaining their dreams, and some just resentful of their own obsolescence. Remembering these things is why I’ve made a certain resolution for the New Year and I encourage others to join me. We can’t predict the future, but, if we remember that it’s fueled by the past, we can certainly guide it. Not just by doing our best at what we do, but by passing on what we have learned and supporting the youth and their education. It is through the youth that the wildest dreams become reality and innovation becomes tradition. As we head into 2012, lets make the time to blog about our experiences or post tutorials on recent work we’ve done. Let’s take every opportunity to speak to youth and encourage them to go beyond and never to be afraid of the new thing. Let’s reflect on the things our mentors taught us and pass along the things we’ve found to be right on. Let’s be sure to support our local schools and ensure that a fully rounded education, including art, music, and accurate history can be attained. I think this is important even if you don’t have kids of your own, because the youth of today will be in charge sooner than you know. The future is here – and some of them are kind of scared – sometimes all they need is to know that we’ve all been there and we’re still standing. Furthermore, be sure to listen to what the youth have to say. We’ve all got some growing to do, at any age, and a fresh perspective can pull you out of a rut. 

So, its 2012 and we’ve got our robot maids, video phones and flying cars – but let’s not define ourselves by what we can have, let’s define ourselves by what our community and our children can be. Teach your children well and love thy neighbor. We’re all in this together – Happy New Year!

So, just like that, Christmas has come and gone.

The past few days have consisted of people saying things like “It just seemed to go by so fast this year!” or “I know it usually goes by fast, but this year it seemed to go by really fast!”

Well this year it seemed to go by faster than both of those overused statements can do justice to. It really never seemed like the Christmas season…until it no longer was. It could be due to the lack of snow, or television airings of Home Alone. Or maybe it’s because of the overuse of the phrase “holiday tree” instead of “Christmas tree.” Either way, it’s now done and over; time to move on.

With the exit of my favorite holiday comes the entrance of one of my least favorite: New Year’s Eve. Yes, as a man I am obligated to say that Valentine’s Day and whatever “Sweetest Day” is are far worse, but NYE is right up there in the top three of horrible holidays in my book. Yea, I get it – I’m going to put up a new calendar that’ll I’ll only ever reference four or five times over the next 365 days. And yes, I’m going to spend the next three weeks mistakenly putting the wrong year on everything I do, I’ve come to terms with that. That’s not what gets to me; it’s the actual “celebrating” of it. Personally, it’s just never lived up to the hype it’s somehow been given.  Don’t get me wrong, New Year’s Eve is nowhere near the marketing scam juggernaut that Valentine’s Day is, but it’s getting up there.

Maybe it’s because I’m too old to get excited about staying up past midnight, but too young to get excited about “runnin’ into the ol’ buddies from school.” I really don’t mean to come off as a cynic; I’m actually quite far from it (That is, unless we are talking about anything/anyone associated with “Bravo” or the “E! Network”; See: Chelsea Handler, The Kardashians or the Housewives of Who Cares.) I’m just saying; before you throw down $100 for The Night of Your Life, allow me to drop a little truth-in-advertising bomb on you. Let’s take a closer look at every poster, flyer and Facebook Event you’ve seen over the past couple weeks promoting this “holiday” event.

Join us for the Biggest Event of the Year!
Really? No it’s not. I don’t see any presents, baskets of candy or people dressed up as Mario and Luigi here. The real answer to the question, “What are you doing for New Year’s?” is “The same thing I always do, except I’ll be paying twice as much for everything… and maybe I’ll wear some dress shoes and a tie.”

Party All Night Long with Your Friends!
All night long? You’re going to kick me out at some point.

My friends? The only reason I ever hang out with that guy is because he’s friends with my friend’s girlfriend.  I’ve meet him once, maybe twice. But since we have to “get everyone together for NYE,” I know I’m going to get stuck small talking with this guy for at least a half hour.

Free Beer, Shots & Champagne from 10PM – 1AM!
Once you get through the crowd of people posting up at the greatly understaffed bar, you will indeed get free Keystone Light, water-downed Pucker and Roundy’s champagne from a timeframe roughly resembling 10PM – 1AM. So let’s get this straight, as a reward for navigating this maze of sweaty high-fiving guys and caked-up make-up girls you’re giving me these bottom-of-the-barrel drinks? Give me some good beer (cough, cough, Lakefront Fixed Gear, cough) and then I could see that actually paying off. Awful attempt at product placement aside, this “deal” is actually anything but.

All You Can Eat Hors D’oeuvres!
I hope you like lukewarm pizza rolls and microwavable jalapeño poppers, because you pretty much just paid $20 for one plate of those.

Live Band
Come see the cover band that you’ve never heard of play the songs that you’ve never liked. When they’re not busy playing the most overplayed songs from the past year, they’ll be busy playing the most overplayed songs from the twenty years prior. Expect to hear “Sweet Caroline”, “Don’t Stop Believing” and of course, some Rage Against The Machine.

Live DJ
See above, but substitute in: “Boom Boom Pow,” “Party Rock Anthem” and of course, some Kanye West.

Photos of Half-Naked Woman and Shirtless Guys
A couple observations here: a.) These people have been heavily PhotoShopped; b.) You can’t just walk around a bar without a shirt on, plus it’s like 14 degrees outside; c.) Don’t get too caught up on the whole PhotoShop or attire argument, because there’s no way people like that would come to this shit-hole you call a bar anyways.

And (drumroll, please) the biggest letdown is…

LIVE COVERAGE of the Times Square Ball Drop!
“Ohh look, there’s an oversized disco ball at the top of that pole!”

“Ohh look, now there’s not.”

And that’s what your $100 is going towards: the opportunity to sit in an overcrowded bar, sipping on bad drinks and snacking on worse food, watching this stimulating series of events play out.

Now having said all that… Yeah, of course I’ll be going out, living out all the real life letdowns mentioned above.

I mean it is New Year’s Eve after all.

Every year, when November 15th rolls around, a reminder in my calendar pops up: START PREPARING FOR THE HOLIDAYS.  My first reaction is to laugh and roll my eyes, because I always go overboard with holiday planning.  Then I start to remember why I planted a reminder in my calendar each year…and start to panic.  That date signals an onslaught of seasonal activities – including holiday cards, decorations, baking, cooking, holiday parties, shopping for gifts, and closing the fiscal year end at work – all smashed into four weeks. Here’s how things have gone so far:

WEEK ONE.
I’m feeling good about my time management this year.  The kids are another year older.  They feed themselves, and dress themselves now, which gives me more time to concentrate on my large “To Do” list.  Unfortunately, I then take my youngest son to his doctor’s appointment — where he proudly brags to the doctor how he has had the same pair of underwear on for a whole week because he doesn’t like any of the other underwear in his drawer.  After I recover from the embarrassment, I add two new things to my list: 1) buy underwear; and 2) conduct a daily laundry inspection. Sigh.

WEEK TWO.
Time to gather everyone up for the holiday card picture.  Where’s the dog?  Either someone has filmed an episode of Blue’s Clues in our living room, or the dog ate a marker and in the process got it all over his paws.  Add carpet cleaning to the “To Do” list…

WEEK THREE.
There are a few things checked off of my “To Do” list.  I’m feeling better about this.  I get into the office, head straight for the coffee pot, and there he is…our office fish in his little bowl outside the conference room, belly up at the top of the bowl.  My little buddy.  I cleaned his fish bowl for the past 31 weeks. The little trouper lived 216 days.  I’m very sad to see him go….but on a selfish note, that’s one less thing on the “To Do” list this week.  R.I.P. Conference Room Goldfish!

WEEK FOUR.
I am currently in Week Four of my holiday preparations.  Shopping, wrapping and cards are now checked off of the list.  Everything else is close to complete.  Things are on schedule and I am exhausted as I enter a calendar reminder for next year, starting with November 15, 2012.  Then I remember the last four weeks – and move the reminder back to October 15, 2012!

The holiday season has arrived and we all know what that means – the office holiday party. For many companies, holiday parties are great fun…but sometimes they’re a bit too much “fun.” Mistakes get made, people fly a little too close to the sun and, in a worst-case scenario, reputations can be ruined.

We all know that advertising and PR industry folks like to party, but wild and crazy behavior runs across industries and/or job categories. According to a recent study, more than half of people in HR departments said they’ve snuck a kiss under the mistletoe, while one third of bankers said they’ve gotten drunk and made fools of themselves at the company holiday party. And one in 10 people who work in travel admit they’ve been totally naked at an office Christmas party! Thankfully, this has not happened at any of the office parties I’ve been too.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) lavish holiday parties have mostly become a thing of the past. According to a report in Crain’s New York Business, the number of companies hosting holiday parties has reached an all-time low.

However, most companies still have a party of some sort. If your company has decided to host a holiday party, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind.

1. Don’t bypass the party. Doing so might send the wrong message to your employer.
2. Enjoy yourself but stay professional. Remember that the annual office holiday party is still a business function. It is wrapped in a social context, but it’s still a business function so keep your cocktail drinking in check. You don’t want to be the person everyone is talking about Monday morning.
3. If food is provided be sure and sample a few items. Select things you can eat neatly and stay away from salty or greasy foods that make you want to drink more. Tip: choosing foods high in starch and protein will help slow down the absorption of alcohol.
4. Don’t bring a “Date Gone Wild.” Often times, the ruckus at company parties is caused by a guest of an employee. The problems sometimes stem from a guest not understanding the culture at a company. So it’s a good idea to have a chat with your date on what’s acceptable behavior before arriving to the party.
5. Don’t complain about work. A party is a party, so leave the office at the office and just try and have some fun. But remember, not too much fun!

Follow these tips and I assure you, you won’t be the talk of the office come Monday morning. Happy Holidays!

GUEST BLOGGER ALERT!
This week’s post was written by anthropology doctoral candidate and self-proclaimed barefoot running evangelist, Erik Lee Skjon.

I enjoy spending most of my time barefoot. I’m an academic who works alone, so I sit at my desk barefoot. In the summer, I’m mostly barefoot outside. Even in the Midwestern winter, I often BBQ out on the deck and fetch my mail barefoot. But it hadn’t occurred to me to run barefoot. True, I did run barefoot 20 years ago, while studying karate in Japan, but in the martial arts everything is done barefoot. When I stopped training karate, I stopped running barefoot.

Then, in the summer of 2010, soon after returning stateside from a six-and-a-half-year research stint in Mozambique, someone sent me a link to a YouTube video in which Daniel Lieberman, a human evolutionary biologist at Harvard, extolls the virtues of running barefoot. I was extremely intrigued by this new phenomenon. When did they invent YouTube?

I was also intrigued by barefoot running.

So, like all good modern researchers, I immediately googled it. Instead of surrounding myself with dusty books in a library, I soon found myself embraced by a whole community of people, on Facebook, on blogs, on official barefoot running sites. Apparently, the explosion in barefoot running (or “BFR” as insiders have initialized it) can be traced all the way back to … ahem … 2009, when a book called “Born to Run” was published. Many who took up BFR after reading this book refer to themselves, rather self-consciously, as “early adopters,” or “veterans” of the barefoot “movement.”

So who runs barefoot? I’ve identified roughly five demographic niches: (1) people who like to be barefoot, and so when running, run barefoot; (2) runners who have experienced running shoe-induced injuries (shin splints, sore knees, etc.), and have therefore taken up barefoot running as a more natural, less injury-inducing, way of running; (3) thrill-seekers (e.g., ultra-marathon runners), who see doing barefoot whatever it is they do as an extra challenge; (4) people who like to feel “different,” for whom barefoot running serves as a good, overt identity marker; and (5), people who are seeking out a more natural lifestyle in general.  For example, a lot of barefoot runners are into the Paleo diet, MovNat functional strength-training, sit-stand workstations and similar health trends.

Now, the first thing that crosses most people’s minds when they think of barefoot running, besides shoes, is stepping on sharp, pointy objects. Glass is everywhere, right?  No it is not. The only time I’ve been harmed while barefoot was when I got hookworm in Africa. The local people, some of whom were in-laws, thought that was pretty funny. Why wouldn’t an affluent westerner wear shoes?

Well, for me, shoes are like most things you wear for protection—helmets, condoms, heavy coats—I prefer not to use them unless it’s necessary. And nothing compares to that feeling of feeling the ground, the improved balance, and lack of most foot-related ailments, from athlete’s foot to plantar fasciitis. But that doesn’t stop some marketers, like Invisible Shoes, from endorsing the “broken glass is everywhere” myth as a problem to which they have the solution.

I doubt it’s needed. The fact is, people love shoes, and now they love barefoot running shoes.  More than BFR, sales of these shoes – more fittingly called “minimalist shoes”—are exploding. Almost every week a new brand or model is released. It’s just too much fun to buy stuff, and let’s face it, you can only express a market-mediated, pop cultural identity with something you buy, right? Being barefooted can express an identity, but it lacks any detail or nuance as a fashion item. And even if you’re a barefoot purist, there will always be some temps and terrains that make BFR next-to-impossible.

So I encourage you to join the fun, but with two caveats. First, if you go the minimalist route, make sure the shoe has: (1) “zero-drop,” or zero height differential between the heel and the toe; (2) a sole that is no more than 2-8 mm. thick; and (3) no arch support. Second, whether barefoot or minimalist, go slow. It’s easy to underestimate the degree to which our feet have atrophied in the soft casts that are the modern running shoe. A lot of people get injured in the transition phase, before their feet and legs have had a chance to toughen up.

Erik Lee Skjon, is a Ph.D. candidate in linguistics and anthropology at the University of Chicago. He received his B.A. from Lawrence University. He is also an accomplished musician, world traveler, as well as a barefoot running aficionado. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife and two young children.

Black Friday.

Some of us love it, while others love to hate it. Without fail, this chaotic day creeps up on me even after I remind myself that I will be fully prepared. I will be one with the “early-morning, all afternoon and into the evening” madness.  After all, I am a planner – it’s engrained in my DNA to be prepared.

This year…well…this year was different. I’m eight months pregnant.

Nonetheless, just like the work that I do with my clients, I crafted a flawless set of tactics to help me navigate the day. Without these plans – some executed before hand, most completed day of – I would not be here to help guide you for Black Friday 2012.

How did I go about it? Glad you asked.

1. Research. A savvy shopper should always start on the web when formulating the Black Friday plan. How else will you know who’s open the earliest, who has what you need and who is closest to the nearest coffee shop?
2. Prioritize. You’ve got your hit list of places that are a “must stop” – now what order do you stop at them in? Location, line projection, location. The info you uncover in item #1 will definitely help with this.
3. List + Budget = BFF. Money is tight, and the hours in our days are short. Do yourself a favor and make a list of what you’re hunting for – which includes a strict budget – before you’re waiting in line. This makes the beeline to a specific area within a store much more manageable. Stick to these like duct tape.
4. Plan B. Even the best laid plans can unravel – make sure you have a “Plan B” at your disposal. You never know when you’re going to run into someone who takes this day just a little too seriously and tries to “gain a competitive advantage” by using pepper spray, or a line that is the length of one block.
5. Gear Check. Be prepared, not scared. Always come equipped with appropriate clothing (seriously, leave the stilettos at home) and remember that hydration is important. Nothing like being stuck outside in a line without a hat, gloves or hot chocolate to keep your innards warm.
6. Pack the Patience. You’re not the only one who’s out to score a great deal. If your nerves are frayed from the feast the evening before, or you’re not a fan of loud (and often obnoxious) crowds – you’re better off staying home.
7. Waving the White Flag. I can shop with the best of them, but even I know when to call it quits on a shopping mission. Sometimes, that $2.99 waffle maker isn’t worth the lines or the fisticuffs that are awaiting you. If you’re a little light on item #6, it might be a good idea to whip out your tablet or smartphone from your warm car and purchase that kitchen gadget online.

There you have it, my strategic plan for successfully coming out on top, with sanity in check for shopping on Black Friday. Now that you’ve read my plan, what’s yours? Anything I should consider for next year?

Let’s face it: wine snobs are easy to make fun of. Like the painfully self-absorbed Paul Giamatti character in “Sideways” they are easily portrayed as caricatures — particularly the most elevated of the breed, who actually write reviews for magazines like Wine Spectator or Bon Appetit. In my opinion, these reviews are mostly stunning, Ph.D.-level hooey. One such critic, for example, recently described a Brut champagne as having “an open-knit texture focused by firm acidity while rich notes of leesy bread dough and smoky roast nut add depth to flavors of kumquat, tangy apple, white peach and lemon peel, with an aromatic finish.”

I’m mean, c’mon… Lemon peel and leesy bread dough? Really?? (And what is “leesy” anyway?)

So yeah, I’m kind of a cynic about snooty wine reviews, including wine pairing suggestions.  However, I will admit that even a beer-drinking, brat-eating Packer fan like me can appreciate that certain wines really do taste better than others when paired with specific foods. Since the Thanksgiving-through-New Year’s holiday season is a time when lavish meals with wine are de rigeur, here are my unapologetic, somewhat uneducated, but nonetheless strongly felt suggestions on holiday meal and wine pairings.

BIG REDS WITH BEEF: My strongest rec’s come with Christmas-y red meats like prime rib or standing rib roast.  For these robust flavors, you gotta have an equally robust wine. Unlike Miles (Giamatti’s character in Sideways) I don’t hate merlot; in fact, I think it rocks, particularly with prime rib. Like Miles, I am a fan of pinot noir, as well as another “big” red, zinfandel.  (Don’t confuse that with white zinfandel, which is actually a type of Kool-Aid and should be paired with bologna/white bread sandwiches and Fritos.)

(SLIGHTLY SWEET) WHITES WITH TURKEY: For turkey, go with white. I’m normally a chardonnay guy, particularly with fish, but turkey is a little different deal. For that I prefer something lighter, like sauvignon blanc, or with a touch of sweetness to it, like viognier. Riesling and Gewurztraminer also are popular, but those are just a bit too sweet for my liking. (But, whatever – as long as it’s not white zin…)

HAM GOES EITHER WAY: With ham, either whites or reds can work. For whites, I’d edge a bit toward the sweeter stuff, as noted above (or even a viognier/chardonnay mix.) For reds, I like Beaujolais Nouveau or tempranillo, which are a little lighter than zin, pinot, merlot and the other big boys.

As long as I’m on a roll, here are a few thoughts on food and beer pairings. (Generally, some of the same rules apply as with wine.)

HEAVY FOODS NEED STRONG, HOPPY BEER – Strong, intensely hopped beers, like India Pale Ale (IPA) go great with prime rib and other heavy dishes because their bitter punch and strong flavor stand up to the meat and potatoes.

KEEP IT BASIC WITH FAST FOOD: Let’s face it, the holidays aren’t just about Bon Appetit-inspired feasts – there’s plenty of fast food and pizza in the mix too.  For those meals, I’d go with more basic beer styles like lagers, pilsners and wheat beers. Their light, clean taste cuts through the delicious greasiness and just seems to work well in this setting.

DESSERT BEER? – Yes, just as there are dessert wines, there are dessert beers. While you wouldn’t want to session with a double-chocolate stout or Trappist ale, a little bit after dinner can be the perfect nightcap. Also, try having Christmas cookies, cakes and other desserts with malty brews, like amber ales, porters or just about anything from Belgium or Holland. Yum.

Ah, November. The weather is turning cold, Turducken Day is almost here and the NFL season is heating up. College ball, too. Regardless of the NBA mess, it’s an awesome time for sports fans, TV repairmen and grocery/convenience stores – not to mention companies advertising male-targeted products like beer, deodorant and trucks. I mean, think of the programming environment those ads were mainly created for: Are you ready for some football??

This year, the male advertising universe is centered in Wisconsin, thanks to a very good Wisconsin Badger team and a great Green Bay Packers squad. Fittingly, both teams boast some of the most crazy-fun stadiums in the country – but both are sold out well into the next millennium. So where’s the next-best-place to catch the action? With all apologies to you man-cave aficionados, I prefer being above ground when drinking in a dark room. So yes, I think Wisconsin’s sports bars are temporarily the nexus of the sports and advertising worlds. From Madison Ave. to Milwaukee, marketers are cooking up concepts to be viewed in them. And that’s pretty cool. Here’s my take on the best of the bunch:

Milwaukee
Any discussion of Brew City watering holes begins with Major Goolsby’s. Located near both the US Cellular Arena and the Bradley Center, Goolsby’s is more than just a convenient pre-game cheeseburger stop. It is frequently visited by college and pro athletes, as well as entrepreneurs selling tickets to basketball games, hockey games and concerts. Just across the river, the Water Street district bustles with sports-centric night spots like Bar Louie, many of which also draw pro and college players. The East Side/North Avenue area features Replay and Hooligan’s, among others, while Fanatics (in the Third Ward) has been voted “Milwaukee’s Best Sports Bar” two years running in the onmilwaukee.com reader poll. It has 42 high-def screens, a “stadium section” with 180-inch video wall and a luxury box. (Seriously.)

Madison
Few campuses in America celebrate college football Saturdays like Madison. When 100,000+ fans and students descend upon Camp Randall Stadium, the nearby Regent Street bar district turns into a Midwestern Mardi Gras. Among the most popular watering holes are the Big Ten Pub, Regent Street Retreat and Stadium Bar. Further from the stadium, the State Street bars draw hundreds of fans, while the Great Dane Brew Pub offers game-day shuttle bus service along with seasonal stouts, ales and an IPA to die for. After the game, fans can hang out with Badger players at the Kollege Club, whose post-game reputation has scored it ink in Sports Illustrated and Playboy. Order a cold one for Coach Bielema.

Green Bay
The tailgating at Lambeau Field is legendary, but for ticket-less fans the game action is at several local establishments. Located just west of the stadium, Kroll’s is my favorite. Be sure to get there early, so you can join in “welcoming” the opposing team’s buses as they pull into the Lambeau parking lot. (Remember Randy Moss mooning the crowd? He was getting even with the gang at Kroll’s.) On the other side of the stadium, The Bar on Holmgren Way is a great place to buy or sell tickets. Other Green Bay sports bars worth noting include the aptly named Stadium View Bar and the Titletown Brewing Company (where the gloriously kitschy Don Hutson statue now resides.)

So, there you have it. For a brief shining moment, male Wisconsin sports fans and the bars they patronize are arguably cool, trendy and nationally significant. But that will pass. Soon enough, we’ll be back to coaching Little League, doing yard work and patiently sitting through American Idol. Enjoy this “Ground Zero” experience while you can.

While waiting for my flight on a recent trip to New York, I couldn’t help but crack open the notorious in-flight “advertorial” magazine, Sky Mall. Who can’t resist reading about Fold-And-Go Wooden Jigsaw Tables, Ultraviolet Dental Cleaners, Bug Vacuums and Genuine Turkish Bathrobes? In all seriousness, I will admit there are some interestingly convenient inventions in there, many of which I’d give an A+ to for their copywriting. Often companies forget to focus on their value proposition and give a direct “why you should care” message to their target audience.  These companies didn’t.

A couple of the “Products that Make Life Easier” that caught my attention:

1)  Product: Stirr
Headline: All the tedious stirring is done by this “kitchen assistant!”
Copy: Cook custards, sauces and soups without constantly stirring. The innovative Stirr lets you do other prep work while you keep an eye on what’s cooking. Soft, padded “feet” walk around the pot to blend flavors, while a paddle sweeps the bottom to prevent sticking. Safe for nonstick pans. Three speeds. Uses 4 AA batteries. Detachable blades are dishwasher safe.

In this example we’re targeting busy, everyday cooks that are sick of the hassle of stirring a pot while trying to cook everything at once.  What could alleviate the tedious stirring and provide a little help? The Stirr. Why do people care about this Stirr product? Forgetting to stir the pot while preparing other food can ruin the meal and your pot. What are the benefits of this product? This product provides convenience to the chef, can stir at different speeds automatically, is safe and easy to clean up. In less than 50 words the creative writers at Sky Mall clearly explained what and why I should buy this product. I want it!

2)  Product: Quilted Ironing Mat
Headline: “Ironing board” doesn’t use an inch of space.
Copy: No room for an ironing board? Don’t want to drag out the big board just to do a quick press? You’ll appreciate how this quilted, heat-reflecting pad instantly turns your dryer into an ironing surface. Strong, sewn-in magnets hold it firmly in place without scratching. At 32 1/2 x 19”, it’s bigger than a narrow ironing board and will never tip over! Use on either side. Roll, folder or hang on a hook.

The picture on this one said it all. They show the pad placed on the top of a clothes dryer with the iron on top. It’s space conscious and it stays in place with magnets… brilliant! How convenient! You don’t need an ironing board, it doesn’t damage your belongings as it stays in place with magnets, it’s durable, it’s a larger surface to iron on, and it’s flexible allowing you to  place it on other surfaces other than the dryer. I had to smile as I fully admit that while I completely understand the marketing ploy and persuasive writing of advertorials, I continue to say to myself “I need that!”

Hats off to those creative writers for nailing their value proposition.

Last week, Consumer Reports released its annual auto reliability survey and, as usual, it was picked up by every media outlet on the planet. Unfortunately, the headline in almost all of those stories referenced Ford, whose reliability rating dropped dramatically, from 10^th to 20^th overall. Since Ford has been steadily climbing in the CR ratings the last few years (and is clearly the most stable domestic car company) many folks were caught off-guard, and a few dour pundits even launched into renewed predictions of gloom for the US auto industry.

I prefer to take the opposite view here. If you take the time to read beyond the headline, you’ll see that Ford’s drop in customer satisfaction was directly related to hiccups with three models that were either new, extensively redesigned or featured new technology.  As the CR reporters note, this isn’t surprising: they regularly observe similar reliability issues with other companies’ new models or technologies, which is why they advise readers to wait until the model’s second year before buying. Fair enough advice, I guess, and something I’ll keep in mind next time I look for a new car.

However, from a bigger picture standpoint, I like that Ford is being aggressive in their product and technology development. I think it’s great that they aren’t just doing the same old, safe thing — because that’s what got the U.S. auto industry into trouble in the first place.  In fact, the same could be said for the US manufacturing as a whole.  If you’re not innovative, you’re quickly irrelevant.

But innovation isn’t always pretty. Look at any paradigm-shattering new product or technology and you’ll likely discover a rocky beginning. Certainly the career of Steve Jobs bears that out – early Macs had problems galore, Pixar and its CGI animation systems nearly went bankrupt prior to “Toy Story” and, more recently, first-generation iPhones had all sorts of issues. Of course, the iPhone’s problems were nothing compared to those of the earliest cellular phones, which were infamous for their limited range, miniscule battery life and god-awful, static-from-outer space reception.

Nevertheless, the companies behind these products – including Apple, Pixar and Motorola – stuck with their troubled-but-still promising technologies and ultimately did well. And it wasn’t because they played it safe.

So, here’s to you Ford. While the new MyFord Touch system or the automated-manual transmission may or may not turn out to be the next iPad, at least you had the cojones to swing for the fences. After all, that’s the only way to hit a home run.

Job-hunting is stressful. There’s a lot of apprehension, a queasy rollercoaster of emotions, and the glimmers of hope that one encounters when searching for the perfect job. As vice president and chief operating officer, I receive multitudes of resumes per day from hopeful job seekers looking for their next place to land. Some are genuinely authentic. Others, well, you can see right through them.

What do I look for when interviewing potential candidates? Character.

In many companies, the person who talks the talk usually ends up landing the position – regardless of whether they actually walk the walk. The skill-set a job candidate must possess, especially for a leadership position, has changed drastically over the years.  Far too often I’ve seen confident, fluent employees fall short on the merits of their work.

As the pool of candidates evolves I now place heavier emphasis on character rather than communication skills. You may be able to talk a lady wearing white gloves into buying a melting Popsicle, but that’s not going to get you the job at B+L. I look for somebody who has classic virtues such as integrity, honesty, courage, love and wisdom. In essence, emotional intelligence is more important than cognitive intelligence.

Now, don’t get me wrong, an applicant must also have the necessary experience, professional history and credentials appropriate to the position they are applying for, but if the honest and unpretentious bone in your body is buried beneath the thick layer of “I’m going to tell you what you want to hear,” it’s not likely I’ll be calling you in for an interview.

During the interview process, I’ll want to get to know the real you, the person beyond the interviewing mode you’re operating under. What makes you shine? What’s your “Wow!” factor’? Tell me how you not only reached a set of expectations, but blew them out of the water. How versatile are you – marketing/advertising is a fluid and constantly changing world that requires thick skin and a genuine soul.

So, think you have what it takes?

Oh hi there, I don’t know if we’ve met before. My name is Honeycrisp and I’m the greatest apple ever. What’s that? You’re not familiar with my work?  Well, I don’t like to toot my own horn, but BEEP-BEEP. When I’m not at my day job keeping doctors away, I spend my free time dominating every other apple in the produce aisle.

What’s that, Red Delicious? Did you say something? I can’t quite understand you. Perhaps if you weren’t so mushy in the mouth. Or maybe I just can’t hear you over the sound of how AWESOME I am. Oh, don’t be so bitter Red, you’ve got thick skin. Zing! Besides, you still look great and there’s no accounting for taste – especially if the taste is on par with tree bark. Score! Crisp 1, Red 0.

And how about you, Golden Delicious? You and Red have perhaps the most presumptuous names since that marginally famous wrestler “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorf. Are you trying to compensate for something? Maybe if you spent less time on your names and more time on not sucking, you’d be worthy of the same shelf-space as me. Don’t get me wrong Goldy, you’re a sweet kid. You’d be halfway decent if you could hold up long enough to be eaten before the next grocery trip. Good lord, I’ve never seen so many bruises on an apple. What, were you held hostage by a paint shaker? Sorry Goldy, I shouldn’t judge you by my own standards. Not everyone can hold up in the fridge for FOUR MONTHS with next-to-no-deterioration in mind-blowing excellence. Ga-DOW!

Hey Granny Smith, you’ve been quiet over there. What gives? I thought you were the queen of crunch. You intimidated by the earth-rattling crack people get with every bite out of yours truly? Hey, you’ve still got flavor on your side though, right? Doesn’t everybody like to walk around with a Renee Zellweger-esq pucker on their face after every bite of their used-to-be favorite apple? Don’t worry Smith, you still go great with caramel, while I happen to go great with… ME. Boo-Yah!

Hey, listen up, any of you varieties out there who are itchin’ to go apples-to-apples – BRING. IT. ON. Because the Honeycrisp is ready to upset some apple carts! Rest assured, when I’m in town, I will sell out. I need no special pricing; I need no point-of-purchase displays; I need no circular mentions. The only advertising you’ll hear about moi is word-of-mouth… satisfied mouths. How do ya like them apples?

I have a confession to make.

I’m a borderline technology-gadget hoarder.  See, I’ve loved computers, mobile devices and all things-technology from the time I could get my hands on them. Since I have yet to enter a 12-step program, I will point fingers and blame my grade school math teacher Mr. Thompson (actually we called him Mr. T) for getting me hooked. As an enabler, he takes the cake.

He introduced me to my first computer – an Apple. Color me hooked. Such a simple machine fueled my nerdiness – and need for the frequent technological hit – in a ton of ways. On that said Apple, is where I learned my first programming code and started writing simple computer programs, saved to a 7.5-inch floppy disc. I chose to take summer school programming courses rather than playing outside with my friends.

Somewhere along the way though, I got pulled over the “dark” (i.e., PC) side. I enjoyed my time there and got to know the line of Microsoft products fairly well. So well, in fact, that as I grew up I became the go-to tech problem solver for my friends and family. Additionally, I also saw the paychecks I worked so hard to earn be swiped mercilessly from my back pocket by shiny new gadgets. PDA’s? Check. Mp3 players? Check. External CD burners? Check. Scanners? Check. “Big Box” electronics outlets became my local skid-row.

Fast-forward a few decades.

As much as I’ve come full circle – and proud to say that I’m a full Apple devotee – I find myself in quite the conundrum. I love Google. So much so that I fought off purchasing an iPhone as my smartphone of choice ever since they batted their eyes my way.  With Google’s extensive collection of applications, tools, brilliant commercials (like this one) that make my tear ducts overflow, and a web browser that I swear by, I still have angst over picking up an iPhone and letting go of my Droid. At this point, I feel like a modern-day Gumby, and say prayers at night that one-day soon Apple & Google will play nice with each other. I can’t live without my GCal – and yes I know I can sync up my email/contacts/calendars/ with an iPhone and use the new G+ app – but it’s. just. not. the same.

I’m very much into the user experience – and I’ve loved every minute of my Droid handset, but as is customary I have the 1½ year itch. I’m on the “it’s a new year, time to get a new smartphone” plan. And Apple has just released a new iPhone version. And 95% of my computer/mobile electronics are Apple. And Steve Jobs’ has just passed away.  And I love the Apple experience. So I’m stuck.

Google & Apple have proven to me they’re worthwhile suitors, both in form and function. They’re powerful, addicting, and stable in the technological sphere. Their branding, corporate culture, leadership and visionary is what every company should aim for in life.

What’s a tech nerd supposed to do?

The calendar has turned to fall – my favorite season of the year.  Despite the daylight growing shorter, fall gives more than it takes away.  The first thing I enjoy about fall is cooler weather.  It is safe to say I would be one of the few people in the office who are anxious to bid farewell to summer’s heat and humidity.  Crisp days and cool nights are a great transition between summer’s heat and winter’s cold.

The second thing I enjoy about fall is the beauty it provides.  Fall colors are fantastic, especially in our state. Color is all around, and many people do get in their cars and take rides to enjoy view.  Color can also be viewed in local neighborhoods and yards.  I have two nice maple trees surrounding my house which provide me with awesome color to look at on a daily basis.  As a bean counter I often wonder just how many leaves are raining down on my yard when they start to come down.  When you combine my leaves with my neighbor’s that always seem to congregate in my yard it seems like a million when I am out raking.

Lastly, I enjoy the fall season because it is a great time of year for sports.  Football season is kicking into high gear, and it is hard to beat a beautiful fall day at either Lambeau Field or Camp Randall Stadium.  The baseball playoffs get going and hopefully will involve a long run by our Brewers this year.  Hockey’s puck drop is also just a short time away.  Get out and enjoy a beautiful time of year.  Winter’s cold and snow will grip us all too quickly and hang on all too long.

Like most people, I’m inundated with email every morning. My first order of business is to quickly scroll through them, scanning the “From” and “Subject” fields and deciding whether to hit the delete button or open it up. Most of the time, “delete” wins.

As I was completing this ritual the other morning, I noticed a blog post titled “The Twelve Attributes of a Truly Great Place to Work” in the Harvard Business Review. In it, Tony Schwartz analyzed the findings of more than 100 studies on employee engagement – and discovered that a mere 20 percent felt fully engaged at work. Wow!

To better engage them, Schwartz suggested that employers shift their focus from “trying to get more out of people, to investing more in them” – including their workspace.  He emphasized the importance of designing work environments that are safe, comfortable and appealing, listing ideas from creating areas for downtime and renewal to offering a well-equipped onsite gym and other facilities. While many of these concepts were obviously targeted for organizations much larger than ours, it got me thinking.

Here at B+L, we strive to provide an environment that is safe, comfortable and fosters creativity, because we know that translates into amazing work. While our size precludes an onsite gym, we do have our own “Trimnastics” competition, which many employees are actively engaged in. What does this give back to the agency? Healthy, motivated and creative minds and bodies. Additionally, our office is wide open and spacious, with a large kitchen and gathering area that we frequently use to brainstorm, celebrate and just hang out in. Why is that important? Because it stimulates collaboration and interaction. Some of our best campaign concepts get created over a cup of morning coffee, a company-sponsored lunch, or a late afternoon beer or glass of wine.

In my experience, when employees are happy, clients are happy. Let’s face it – in today’s ever-more-demanding work world, most of our waking hours are spent away from our true homes. As leaders, it’s essential we create a workplace that employees want to come to each day, feel at home in…and can be brilliant in!

So what do you think makes for a great workplace? What ideas have you seen companies’ implement to help engage employees each day? What have you tried that may not have worked out so well, and what were the takeaways? I’m interested to hear your thoughts!