The Spin Within

This week, Cincinnati area residents who spot a bright red Honda decorated with yellow ducks could get a chance to drive away in it.

For the first time in its 17-year history, the Rubber Duck Regatta will feature a three-day spot-the-car hunt (Aug. 31-Sept. 2) that will net five winners each a dozen ducks for the Sept. 4 main event. Twelve ducks (a $50 contribution to fighting hunger that will provide 200 meals to people in need) means 12 chances to win a Honda Civic Sedan LX and … Continue Reading

Last week, I went to a seminar called ‘Disney’s Approach to Brand Loyalty’ hosted by the Cincinnati Business Courier. The seminar was designed to do three things:

1. Showcase the Disney approach to brand loyalty which consists of building relationships, repeat business, and a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace.
2. Utilize benchmarking and diagnostic tools to access the health of your organization’s brand
3. Develop a framework for adapting and applying the Disney approach.

The session was full of tips on how to take Disney’s loyalty strategies and adapt them for your own brand. … Continue Reading

Just in time for back-to-school, Old Navy has partnered with more than 50 of the country’s top universities to ramp up some school spirit.  Ironically, they did so without checking their grammar first.

As part of their “Super Fan Nation,” Old Navy has created a variety of college shirts and sweatshirts in each school’s colors, adorned with logos and team names, footballs and mascots.

One style includes the phrase, “Let’s Go!” but no one noticed it actually said, “Lets Go!”  Oops.

Now let me get this straight.  Hundreds of thousands of these shirts were … Continue Reading

A lot of companies jump on the social media train because it’s there, it’s new and everybody’s talking about it. In other words, they’re afraid they might miss something if they don’t get on board.

But what happens when their on-boarding is boring? Or if the resources aren’t there to monitor social dialogues that could be damaging to the brand? What if the messages just don’t resonate with consumers, and actually diminish a loyal customer’s opinion of the brand?

Sears, one of the oldest retail brands in the U.S., has actually found a … Continue Reading

In the world of social media, there seems to be a daily introduction of a new app or feature.  I find that at first glance, my thoughts are “wow, that’s cool,” but often, my thinking quickly shifts to “wait, what?”

The most recent example is an article on mashable.com about Ticketmaster’s new interactive maps which allow concert goers to see which Facebook friends are going and where they’re sitting. My initial thought? “Wow, that’s cool.  Would be a nice way to connect.” But then I realized that when it comes to Facebook, … Continue Reading

Last week, Twitter was abuzz about Nivea. And not in a good way. Oh, how I love a good ‘bad ad.’ I love to imagine I’m sitting in the boardroom when an idea for such an ad is pitched and try to imagine how anyone would let that idea come to fruition. I mean, what were they thinking?

Nivea posted this ad a few weeks ago and after anger and outrage, they quickly apologized and took it down.

The ad was featured in the September issue of Esquire magazine, a … Continue Reading

All too often,  companies disappear into the woodwork at the first sign of negative publicity stemming from a challenge to the product or service they provide.

As a public relations counselor, and even going back to my days as a news reporter, I’ve always respected companies that don’t back down.

A classic case study is the U.S. coal  industry. Once upon a time “King Coal,” the industry was painted as dirty — creating a lasting image. Undaunted, coal producers’ brain trust several decades ago, in a move that is artful in its simplicity, … Continue Reading

Seriously. This frightens me. This does NOT entice me to go eat a burger.

After freaking out children for years, the Burger King mascot is finally abdicating the throne.

After reporting massive losses earlier this year, Burger King is trying to reinvent themselves.  Focusing on fresher ingredients and targeting their advertising to moms, they will be featuring smoothies, Asian salads and adding guacamole to their infamous Whopper.  There are even plans to spruce up their restaurants to feel cleaner and more modern.

But starting this weekend, Burger King ads … Continue Reading

Sixteen months ago I blogged about a British retailer that was forced to clear its shelves of teeny-weeny bikinis that came with padded bras. Why? Because the suits, sold at Primark, were aimed at 7-year-olds.

Now, in France, the company Jours Apres Lunes is advertising an online catalog that features what it calls “loungerie” for little girls. This time there’s nothing especially creepy about the clothing, designed for girls aged 4 to 12. Rather, it is the way that the apparel is being marketed that has gotten a lot of people … Continue Reading

It’s difficult to watch the news or read the paper these days without being overwhelmed with dreadful news:  The Indiana State Fair tragedy; the ever-ailing economy; bickering politicians; unemployment numbers; daily deaths of our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The list goes on.   For that reason, it’s encouraging to hear about something positive.  Something that proves we may be down, but we’re not out.

Evan Moss is a 7-year-old boy with epilepsy.  He has suffered from seizures since infancy.  In order to prevent brain damage, his parents must administer medicine at the initial onset of a seizure.  Evan has no … Continue Reading