Celtic Marketing, Inc.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

2011-12-02T15:03:00.001-06:00

For the 2012 holiday season Coke planned to distribute more than one billion silver and white colored polar bear cans, a design that is part of the company’s sponsorship with the World Wildlife Fund and a commitment to donate $3 million to protect polar bears’ natural habitat. Unfortunately, Coke received a significant amount of negative feedback from customers. Most negative reactions were caused by customers mistaking the silver Coke cans for Diet Coke cans, which then caused returns among many retailers. In response, Coke is initiating Phase II which includes rolling out one billion red polar bear cans in addition to the silver/white ones. Moral of the story: proceed with caution when changing a consumer brand!

Julie Bredemann is the Client Services Manager for Celtic Marketing

The Power of Direct Mail

2011-11-16T12:39:00.003-06:00

Everyone hates getting junk mail. But don’t discount direct mail as junk. Everyone has a mailbox, but not everyone has e-mail or smartphones with the latest technology. Certain demographics cannot be reached electronically. And those who can, often prefer to not receive advertising by e-mail.

Printed materials can make a lasting impression that electronic material cannot provide. It can be as unique and as imaginative as you are. The flexibility of direct mail can fit your goals, budget and time constraints.

We are constantly being interrupted by advertising on our computers, TVs, sports arenas and even public washrooms. Direct mail can be put aside and read later, free of competing flash banners, pop-ups or soundtracks. Customers may not take you up on your invitation right away, but direct mail offers longevity and an opportunity for business in the future.

Direct mail is a highly effective way to communicate with existing and potential customers. You can introduce them to your business, offer discounts or advertise a promotion. This shows people exactly what is in it for them. Most customers respond by making purchases and even more are driven online for additional information.

The flexibility of direct mail allows you to have complete control over the flow of information which can be as much or as targeted as you like. You can manage who receives your piece, directing it to those most likely to be interested in your offer. Not as easy for a 15 second radio ad, television spot or web banner.

You can easily track response rates, and that means you can accurately measure the return on your marketing investment.

Patti von Schwedler is the Production Manager for Celtic Marketing

Dr Pepper Ten – Campaign Controversy

2011-10-18T13:06:00.001-05:00

Girls may rule, but boys continue to drool over Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s new national ad campaign for Dr Pepper Ten. The testosterone-laden crusade for the 10-calorie sugar-filled drink boldly lets consumers know that “It’s Not for Women.”

This macho marketing movement has spurred a widespread debate among the genders. Some women in the ABC News report feel that “It’s wrong because it’s not only targeting males but is offensive to women.” Female viewers are also stressing that “You can target males without insulting women …”

Other consumers are defending the ad by claiming that the campaign was all in good fun. But such an outspoken tagline leads viewers to wonder, “What was Dr Pepper thinking?”

As I watch the commercial, showing two men battling snakes in the jungle and escaping in an ATV as one casual toss of a half-crushed Dr Pepper Ten can triggers a trap to catch the bad guys, I can’t decide if their marketing team is a bunch of geniuses or completely insane (I’ve heard there’s a fine line).

Some of the most successful ad campaigns were because of the creators’ desire to test consumer limits by taking unsuspected risk. But how far is too far? In this case I think that Dr Pepper gets the last laugh, or manly chuckle for that matter. Their macho commercial did exactly what every marketing team strives for - it got consumers talking about their product.

The Dr Pepper Ten Facebook page, which also features an insightful collection of ten rules known as “man’ments,” illuminates the various consumer opinions about the overt “men only” advertising ploy.

Spurring a controversial marketing debate is not necessarily a bad move and Jim Treblicock, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Dr Pepper Snapple Group, understands just that. “Women get the joke. ‘Is this really for men or really for women?’ is a way to start the conversation that can spread and get people engaged in the product,” he said.

So the results are in: Dr Pepper 1, Offended Viewers 0.

Now can someone please tell me what a “manly” calorie is?

Lindsey Lullo is the Public Relations Account Coordinator for Celtic Marketing

An Argument For Robot

2011-09-21T15:13:00.002-05:00

I've been reading a lot recently about the conundrums surrounding technology. It all reminds me of an episode of Super Friends I saw when I was boy, where a computer (G.E.E.C. — Goodfellow's Effort Eliminating Computer) was developed to do everything for us. It worked pretty well until a mouse got into the works and started screwing things up. Plastic Man eventually went in, got the mouse and things were quickly set back to normal. The people ultimately decided that, in spite of the convenience, it was probably best that we did stuff for ourselves instead of leaving it all to a computer. The Super Friends agreed.

Even though I was eight, I remember getting all worried about such a scenario coming true. What would we do if computers did everything? As I grew older though, I became a little more comfortable with the notion. What would we do? I, for one, would travel more. I would definitely have more time for working out, reading, watching movies, and playing video games. Maybe I'd finally finish my kitchen or convert my attic. At the very least, I'd take better care of my lawn (or would the computer be doing all that?) My point is; I'm intrigued by the possibility of G.E.E.C. So far, the advancements we've already experienced have been, at the very least, entertaining.

I like not having to wait until the next morning for the score of a sporting event I've missed (heck, I don't even have to miss a sporting event.) I love being able to see a movie at the click of a remote. Stamps are irritating and I don't miss waiting in line at the post office. I no longer have to be a good speller or worry about being grammatically correct. If I forget the symbol for my favorite element (Ir) the periodic table is a mouse click away. The other day I Skyped a friend of mine in Majorca — that's an island in the Mediterranean, in case you didn't know (holy future, Batman!) And I'm not even going to get into the convenience of the text message.

Is technology making me lazy? Maybe. Is it making me stupider? I don't think that's possible. Am I less communicative? I'm writing this aren't I? Am I more productive? (See: Am I less communicative?) Bottom line, technology is what we make of it. Where it goes and what it does is based on our creativity. If somebody is creative enough to invent a computer that can do everything for us, I'm confident we'll be creative enough to find something else to do. I mean we did come up with it in the first place didn't we?

Kurt Maloy is the Copywriter for Celtic Marketing

Does Social Media Have A Place in NFL Broadcasts?

2011-09-15T14:04:00.000-05:00

Social media hasbecome an intricate part of virtually (no pun intended) every business andorganization. Even as captain of my university’s volleyball team I was requiredto regularly update our Facebook, Twitter and Blogger accounts. If social mediais this prevalent within collegiate athletics, one must wonder if the sametrend continues at the professional level.

As football seasonstarts up, certain National Football Leaguebroadcasters and analysts roll their eyes and look the other way when atrending topic discussing the latest fumble or injury begins to go viral. Arecent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel column investigates social media’s place within NFL broadcasts, and begs the question,“Are there boundaries that social media is not meant to cross?”

"Everybodyis trying to figure out what to do with social media," said Eric Shanks,the co-president of Fox Sports Media Group.

Apparently, Fox hasdiscussed the idea of implementing social media, specifically Twitter updates, into pregame and regular gamebroadcasts. Fox has even created an account for its digital robot Cleatus.

A memorable exampleof the viral power of Twitter, within the NFL, can be seen from last season’sNFC Championship game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Bearsquarterback Jay Cutler sufferedan injured knee, but the fact that the injury details were not made public setviewers on an all out Tweeting spree.

Analyst TroyAikman, who called the game, strongly disapproves of embedding social mediaupdates in NFL broadcasts. Aikman remarks, “Evenif Twitter is blowing up by fans saying this guy should be playing, I’mcertainly not going to reference Twitter during a broadcast."

Onthe other hand, “Monday Night Football” affiliates Jay Rothman and Mike Tirico have“dabbled” in using social media throughout telecasts and regularly checkTwitter for updates.

Thisarticle illuminates just one piece of the ever-complex reporting puzzle: validity.Social media possesses a strong allure to many print and web reporters becauseit illuminates public opinion, without anyone having to ask. Tweets can be afine tool for deciphering a topic to research, but a lazy and risky source tobase a story on.

Eventually,will an overabundance of social media outlets persuade all reporters to adoptthe muddied methods displayed within the pages of supermarket tabloids?

For now, let’s hope TV execs follow the lead of Fox MediaGroup Chairman and CEO David Hill when it comes to reporting: “Americans watchmore television today than they ever have in the history of the medium. So ourbusiness is that of a television broadcaster.”

Lindsey Lullo is the Public Relations Account Coordinator for Celtic Marketing

Embrace the Ugly

2011-09-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

At my first job out of college, I witnessed a seasoned and extremely talented art director working very diligently to make the mailing panel of a BRC (Business Reply Card) look beautiful within the guidelines of the US Postal service. She was laboring over fonts and line weights when I naively asked “Why would you spend so much time on THAT?” She looked up from her work and said “just because something HAS to be there, doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful.” That was an “ah-ha” moment that I’ve put to good use many times over the years.

The most recent example has been in regard to QR codes. They seem to be popping up everywhere from the plants you buy at Home Depot to magazine ads for toothpaste. BUT, did you know that they can be “designed” to reflect your brand or company?

This is possible by a variable margin for error built in to each QR code. For example, if you generate your code with a 30% error rate, you can remove or change 30% of the code and replace it with design elements and it will still function properly. You can soften the hard edges and add colors and graphics so that it works within the overall design of your piece.

There are some guidelines that you need to follow. For example, the code has to be a dark enough color on a light enough background for most phones to read it. And you should always test the code on several different phones with different readers to make sure you haven’t gone too far in your design. But generally speaking, there are many ways to make these codes more attractive and less of an eyesore. It can be a very rewarding process to take something so mundane and blocky and turn it into an extension of a brand or design.

Here are two QR Codes we recently branded for a client

Whether it’s a paragraph of legal copy, a logo from 1982 or that awful QR code, there’s always a way to make that ugly element shine like the diamond you want it to be. It’s not a matter of jamming it in a corner and hoping that no one notices it, because they will. The professionals know it’s just a matter of finding the RIGHT place for it with coordinating colors and fonts that will make it stand out in just the right way.

Anita Hooker is the Creative Director for Celtic Marketing

Will Technology Kill Communication?

2011-08-29T08:55:00.002-05:00

There have always been conversations about how computers, cell phones and other technology change communication. Most of us realize the benefits of communicating faster and more frequently, but the question I pose is this: Are we more effective?

Recently my father was hospitalized and my children went to the doctor for physicals. In both cases, the medical professionals spent the majority of time charting information on their laptops. Whether it was reviewing orders or entering patient data, these professionals had their eyes and brains focused on the information they needed to review or collect.

At one point, I timed the amount of interaction between the doctor and the patient. Less than 20 percent of the time was focused on talking to or examining the patient. Their faces were mostly pressed on the computer screen as they asked questions, collected information and tapped on a keyboard.

I am sure this technology has increased efficiency for the medical profession. No longer do they need to chart the patient after the fact or try to remember the details that were discussed.

The danger, of course, is that they focus more on the data than they do the patient. The nurses who spent time talking with my father, gained insight that those behind the computer screen never considered. Many doctors and nurses will tell you that patients know their body so well, that at times they will know what is wrong before the doctor. Also, patients tend to give the best clues in regards to diagnosing their illness. I think that technology will not only hurt the medical profession, but marketing as well.

As communicators, I fear that our dependence on technology will give us a “screen tan” and a well-organized marketing plan – caught up in Google searches and the documentation of our tactics. If we focus on entering information into a computer, we jeopardize the importance of using our brains to create, to think and to reach for new ideas.

Much like the medical profession, there is no substitute for collecting all the facts, brainstorming solutions with the team and spending time with the client to effectively change the outcome of the marketing problem. Great marketing and creative do not come out of a computer – if it did, we would all be out of work.

Both professions need to focus less on computer screens and more on the target audiences they serve - whether it is the patient or the consumer standing in front of our product.

Marlene Byrne is the Founder and President of Celtic Marketing

Bay Area Black Out

2011-08-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

It is often joked about that “we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Well, what happens when an entire city shuts down all communication devices? I suppose then, they would expect you to be thankful for still having two eyes and one nose.

Unsurprisingly, this was not quite the response from civil rights groups and certain San Francisco natives when the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) agency briefly shut off all wireless and cell phone service last week. BART claims that this cyber blackout was necessary in order to thwart a potential protest.

Thus, this begs the question, “How far is too far when infringing upon free speech rights?” I for one would have seen this act as a constitutional violation, as did many civil rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, but reactions from San Francisco Bay Area residents may surprise you. A CBS poll concluded that the majority of the public actually stood behind BART and its decision to cut off all communication outlets.

As a PR professional and someone interested in crisis communication, it irked me that sixty-two percent of residents did not believe that their rights were violated in any way. Also, fifty-two percent did not see any immediate danger in “briefly shutting off access to cell phone signals and Wi-Fi service in several underground San Francisco train stations.”

It appears that I am not the only one that disagrees with BART’s decision. The Federal Communications Commission has launched an investigation, due to threats of a lawsuit by the ACLU.

When BART opted for a quick fix, rather than consulting a crisis communication team, I’m sure that they did not anticipate the fueling of a nationwide debate surrounding free speech rights.

Lindsey Lullo is the Public Relations Account Coordinator at Celtic Marketing, Inc.

Just Another Three-Ringed News Circus

2011-07-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

Now that the horrific Casey Anthony murder trial has finally ended, I was hoping that this woman would slink into oblivion, never to be heard from again. Like many people who have very publicly expressed their opinions of her guilt regardless of the jury’s acquittal, I was shocked and dismayed at the verdict.

This week, Reuters reported that the trial judge, Belvin Perry, will not release the names of the jurors until at least October 25 so that those still upset by her acquittal can "compose and restrain themselves." I fully agree with the judge’s observation that in this case in particular, the lines between news and entertainment are blurred, and that the televised trial was “just another form of mindless entertainment and a revenue source for broadcast networks.” He likens it to a soap opera and laments the fact that the trial garnered extraordinary ratings.

Now other entertainment news sites such as TMZ.com are reporting that the big three networks are engaged in huge bidding wars with both Anthony and her parents to negotiate the first key post trial interviews. In a move to maintain a semblance of credibility as “hard-hitting” news outlets, they are adamant that these will not be paid interviews. However, following a precedent set in other high-profile interviews, they are quite willing to shell out huge “licensing fees” (up to $1.5 million, it has been reported!) for family photos and videos to accompany the “unpaid” interviews.

Thankfully, because of backlash and accusations of “checkbook journalism” once this fact was made public, ABC altered its official policy this week and stated that it will cease employing these tactics, effective immediately, and hopes to land the coveted interviews based on its reputation and journalists alone.

I, for one, will not be watching any interview of Casey Anthony on any network. As both a consumer of news and a PR professional who helps promote it, I am appalled that they are champing at the bit to give this woman any further visibility. By trading journalistic integrity for 30 minutes of big ratings, it perpetuates the soap opera atmosphere Judge Perry described and continues to cheapen what passes for objective news these days.

Blair Ciecko is the Director of Public Relations for Celtic Marketing

Poke 'Em If You Got 'Em

2011-07-20T11:56:00.006-05:00

As part of an agency exercise, I was assigned the task of researching a fun and relatively new technology for one of our clients to potentially use. It’s called Poken, and in the most basic definition, it’s a tool that enables you to collect and exchange digital information in the real world with a simple touch. However, it’s much more exciting than it sounds.

A Poken is a small, USB device built with short-range wireless technology that enables two devices to securely exchange small amounts of data when placed next to each other. On the device, you can store all of your contact information, replacing the exchange of business cards.

You can wear the Poken around your neck on a lanyard, and its cap can be a really cute or funny character to make it more personal and fashionable. The USB part is in the shape of a four-fingered hand, and the palm of the hand glows green when information is transferred from another Poken device.

Once you collect information from other Pokens, you can connect your device to a USB port in your computer and create an account on the Poken website. In your profile, you can add the information you want to share including your phone number, email address and even your birthday. You can also add your social networks like Facebook and Twitter along with a photo of yourself.

Another useful feature of the device is that a profile does not have to be built before using the Poken, so the device has been popular at corporate conferences and trade shows where mass amounts of Pokens are distributed. People at the events can bump the devices and exchange information immediately. Until a user has registered, the profile appears blank, but it's immediately updated when a user logs on and chooses what information they want to automatically appear.

After learning about all of this, I called the Poken headquarters and had them send me two Poken samples. I had fun playing with my Pokens – watching them glow and setting up my account. The Poken website is very user friendly, and I could easily spend hours organizing and moving all of my information around on there.

So I wanted to wear my new Poken and walk down the street pokening (yes, that’s a word in the Poken world) people I came across, but I don’t know anyone that has one. They aren’t exactly cheap for something that you wouldn’t use that often – one Poken can cost between $15 and $20. To my dismay, I have a Poken with no one to poken with. Then again, I don’t attend many trade shows or conventions where Pokens are popular. All in all, it’s a pretty cool device - I just wish I had more places to use it.

Can you think of any other places a Poken would come in handy besides at a trade show?

Katie Shotsberger is a Coordinator of Client Services with Celtic Marketing.

Tips For a Website Redesign

2011-07-05T13:54:00.002-05:00

Goethe said, “Human beings, by change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.” Indeed change is often good. In terms of websites, however, a redesign should be thoroughly considered. But is it always a good idea? If you’ve been challenged to instigate web redesign ask yourself the following questions:

• Is my site being found?
• How long are people hanging around?
• Am I getting leads from my website?
• Am I attracting the right audience to my site?

If you’ve decided it's time for a redesign, there are a few goals to remember. First, you must create a connection with vibrant content. Second, ensure a smooth experience for your site’s visitors with an easy and intuitive navigation. Most importantly, try to turn any visitors to your site into leads.

In order to connect with your visitors and turn them into leads consider including these basic elements into your web design:
• Strong call to action
• Visual simplicity
• Search-engine-optimized copy
• Mobile and tablet friendly
• Active social media integration

While an effective redesign of your site can yield significant results for your business, there are many redesign mistakes to look out for. Frequent changes to your site can conflict with your core brand and cause confusion among search engines. Also, flash-based site introductions can potentially be both slow and frustrating to the visitor. Finally, avoid cluttering your homepage with too many images or information that can ultimately distract the visitor.

Whatever you decide, don’t forget the following:
• Always keep your target audience in mind
• Know what you want the visitor to do
• Great design only works with great content
• Don’t redesign for redesign’s sake
• Evaluate & keep the elements that work for you

Have you recently redesigned your company’s sites? What thoughts would you share? For anyone considering a redesign, what questions have come up?

Deb Ryan is a Manager of Client Services with Celtic Marketing

Get Your Website a Top Spot in Search Results

2011-06-23T14:20:00.001-05:00

Recently our agency has seen an influx of website projects. With almost every project comes the question “How can I get my website on the first page in Google searches?” There are actually several ways to accomplish this:

1. Forget the Fluff
A common advertising rule is to keep your content concise and to the point. If the copy is too long, you’ve lost your reader’s interest - but more importantly you may not be saying exactly what your company offers. One way that Google ranks websites is by indexing (scanning) the information on each page of your site. By using keywords within your copy (brand names, product names, specific services, etc.) Google knows if your website is relative to someone’s search. Try to leave out unnecessary information – it may actually hurt your ranking in search results.

2. The Good Links vs. the Bad Links
Including internal links within your website is a great way to boost traffic to individual pages. But be careful – too many links may confuse or even annoy your visitors.

3. Get Your Titles On
There are few different ways to include information in your website code. One is the Meta Description – this is a brief, 150-character description of your entire website. It appears in search results under each URL listed. Search engines also scan this information for relevant search results.

Navigation tabs are located within your web browser and allow your viewer to easily navigate your site. The “title” of each web page is also recognized by search engine spiders, therefore it is important to be as specific as possible when titling each page.

Heading tags are a simple snippet of code used when using a headline or sub-head on a page. They simplify page navigation for readers and ultimately allow search engines to crawl your site to find relevant keywords and increase your ranking in search results.

Image Tags are a title given to each image on the page. Search engines are also able to scan this information. If your store sells Sharpie Markers, and there is a picture of the markers on your web page, it should be titled within the web code as “Sharpie markers”. When someone is searching the internet for Sharpie markers, this will help boost your ranking in search results.

4. On the Map
Adding a Site Map – a page listing and links to all major pages on your site – makes it easier for spiders to search your site.

5. The Domain Name Game
The URL for each page of your website should be clear as to what content you will find there. Search engines scan the actual URL for information. For example, www.SallyBeautySalon.com/smt95.htm does not say much, but www.SallyBeautySalon.com/manicures lets people know what information they will find. It also increases your rank in search results when someone is looking for a local manicure.

6. Show Me the Money
Lastly, another way to increase you relevance/ranking in search results is to initiate a Pay-Per-Click campaign. This is commonly recommended for new websites that have not had much traffic and are low in search results. “Bidding” on specific keywords to ensure your website is listed on the first page will get you more clicks – the more clicks you get from specific searches, the more relevant you are for that search. These campaigns will increase traffic to your website which in turn improves your organic search results.

There are MANY ways to make your website search engine-friendly, but these are a good starting point. Be sure to do your research!

Julie Bredemann is a Manager of Client Services with Celtic Marketing

Chicago Tribune unveils new-look paper…again

2011-06-16T16:03:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning, Chicago Tribune subscribers found the latest version of the newspaper’s print edition on their doorsteps. The Trib detailed its own changes to the print version that in addition to some design tweaks will now include:

• 6 more Chicagoland pages per week
• 4 more Opinion/Perspective pages per week
• 12 more Business pages per week
• 10 more Arts + Entertainment pages per week
• 10 more Nation & World pages per week
• 2 more pages in the Sunday section

The Trib’s move is the latest in a print media landscape that has been continually shifting since the growing popularity of online outlets has led to a permanent change in consumer reading habits. For the Trib, the newest redesign comes not even three years since the paper unveiled a slimmed-down version. But will this expanded paper fare better?

As both a consumer of media and a PR practitioner with a professional interest in the news industry, I’ll be paying close attention to reader reactions to the latest change. Publishers of both magazines and newspapers have long envisioned a balance with print publications offering more in-depth coverage to counter the instant, easily digestible news available online. Will the Trib strike this balance with the revamped print version? What are your initial impressions to today’s edition?

Jeremy Hogan is a Public Relations Account Executive with Celtic Marketing

Dawn of the Dead Servers: CDC blog post brings huge spike in traffic

2011-05-20T10:52:00.001-05:00

When I first heard of the CDC blog post on preparing for a zombie apocalypse, my initial reactions were probably not too different from most of you:

“Is this a joke?”
“The site must have been hacked!”
“No, seriously. Is this a joke?”

But after checking out the blog for myself, I saw that the post was very real. And brilliant. Consider these numbers from a recent Reuters story on the post:

CDC spokesman Dave Daigle said that a typical CDC blog post might get between 1,000 and 3,000 hits. The most traffic on record had been a post that saw around 10,000 visits.

By the end of Wednesday, with servers down, the page had 60,000. By Thursday, it was a trending topic on Twitter.

The blog saw a nearly 2000% increase in traffic! Though it ended up being more than the servers could handle, temporarily crashing the blog, the CDC brought great visibility to an important resource these visitors may need to reference in the future.

So what’s the marketing moral of this story? Don’t be afraid to have a little fun with social media. Blogs, Twitter and Facebook are all excellent tools for delivering your brand’s message, but they don’t have to be confined to your tightly honed talking points. The CDC didn’t issue a press release on zombie preparedness or make this a front-page item on their main site; they posted this on a blog that’s main purpose is to promote awareness and drive traffic to the CDC site.

By going off prompter a bit with social media – particularly with a popular topic as CDC did with the recent zombie craze – you invite a larger audience to a key platform for your company. And some of them might just stick around to hear what else you have to say.

Jeremy Hogan is a Public Relations Account Executive with Celtic Marketing

The Benefits of CMS

2011-05-18T10:32:00.003-05:00

As an agency very active in website development and maintenance, the issue of web content management systems (CMS) has been a hot topic around our office. In brief, a CMS website is an alternative to websites developed solely in HTML that allows users to manage and create new pages and edit copy and images without a required knowledge of website programming.

We are seeing more and more of our clients — B2B specifically — adopting CMS sites for a few key reasons: cost efficiency and timely updates. But here are a few more reasons a CMS site can be beneficial:

Timely edits

The site owner or webmaster can edit pages online, via an ordinary browser, and the changes go live immediately. This should be compared with the old system of HTML pages where an editing program had to be used and some sort of technical knowledge was needed, with an inbuilt delay and cost. The page design on CMS is controlled by templates. Some tweaking might be required but in general this system is much faster and cheaper than with HTML.

Rapid new page elements

Various page elements can be published or unpublished through the admin panel. Various custom modules will usually be available such as loading PDFs and images, text size, font type, hyperlinks and more.

Routine website changes

CMS makes website changes an easy process that enables the site to be updated frequently with relevant information by just about anyone in the organization. Most websites will be able to take advantage of this functionality.

Better code

Website quality is an important factor in commercial success. This may involve the appearance of the site, the code quality, and qualitative measurements such as accessibility and usability. This translates directly into a high SEO potential.

These are just some of the benefits we’ve found with using a CMS website, but are there others you have experienced? Are you using CMS for your website?

Danielle Vitogiannes is the Director of Client Services with Celtic Marketing

Rockin' For a Cause

2011-05-10T09:01:00.003-05:00

We promise not to use the Celtic blog as a spotlight for our clients’ product and services, unless they’re for a cause as good as this. This Friday night, former Journey frontman Steve Augeri heads an all-star lineup for the Step Forward Tour at the Park West.

And while you’re no doubt familiar with Steve and his work with Journey, you may not have heard of our featured performer, Juan Manuel Pineda, and his amazing story.

After years of struggle and unimaginable circumstances, El Salvadorian orphan and double amputee Juan Manuel Pineda, 22, now looks to a bright future. Also born with a severe cleft palate, Juan was welcomed by the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH) orphanage in El Salvador at age 8. Over the years, with the support of NPH in El Salvador and host families and medical institutions in Chicago who have provided pro bono services, Juan is now a talented musician who wants to give back to other children in need.

He is hosting the Step Forward Tour show this Friday at 6:30, and he and Steve Augeri will lead a rockin’ lineup that includes:

Chris Medina, American Idol contestant & recording artist
Gina Glocksen, American Idol finalist & recording artist
Rich Perez, with Creedence Again
Erica Iozzo, the Erica Iozzo Band
Amber Tripp, front woman for CoverGurl
And more...

All proceeds from the concert will benefit NPH’s St. Damien Hospital in Haiti, the country’s premier pediatric facility, to help some of the thousands of amputee children from the January 2010 earthquake.

Juan’s story and cause are especially dear to us all at Celtic Marketing as firm president Marlene Byrne and her family have served as one of Juan’s American hosts for more than four years. We’re inviting you to celebrate Juan’s inspirational story and support his important cause with a night of great entertainment.

For tickets and more information on Juan and the concert, please visit www.thesoundofgratitude.com

Reviewing Sony’s Crisis Response

2011-05-02T13:02:00.011-05:00

I once feared that my greatest concern with having a PlayStation Network account was the ridicule directed at a grown man with a PlayStation Network account. That now pales in comparison to the possibility that I am one of 77 million account holders that may have had my personal information and credit card number stolen when the network was hacked nearly two weeks ago.

As a potential victim and a PR professional with an interest in crisis communication, here is what I have and haven’t liked about Sony’s response:

Liked: Taking to several channels – In addition to traditional outreach, the company has made numerous posts on its internal blog and updates across its various Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Disliked: Not addressing the main issue – Sony’s initial response centered on the interruption of online play and has arguably still not given enough attention to the issue of compromised credit card information. Even as rumors swirled of stolen credit card numbers potentially available for sale, Sony has not done enough to stay in front of the credit card issue.

Liked: Recommending safety steps – Sony posted a blog entry and e-mailed customers explaining what information may have been compromised, and advised customers to change their network password, be wary of suspicious e-mails and monitor credit card charges.

Disliked: Waited too long to begin – Sony first responded to the network going down on April 20, but it was a full six days later that customers were informed personal data may have been compromised. This should have been mentioned as a possibility from the beginning.

Liked: Frequent updates – Communication has been regular since the outage began and has included updates and FAQ on a daily basis.

Disliked: Failing to take responsibility – One of the basic tenets of corporate crisis response is accepting responsibility and vowing to correct the wrongdoing. Sony has promised corrective action, but has yet to admit any fault for this massive breach of security.

Things are changing on a daily basis with this story, but what are your thoughts on Sony’s initial response? Have they done enough, soon enough to communicate with their customers?

A Few Numbers to Ponder

2011-03-15T08:39:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, Twitter released some new statistics (via their blog) about the growing social media platform. Here are the numbers:

3 years, 2 months and 1 day = The time it took from the first Tweet to the billionth Tweet.

1 week = The time it now takes for users to send a billion Tweets.

50 million = The average number of Tweets people sent per day, one year ago.

140 million = The average number of Tweets people sent per day, in the last month.

177 million = Tweets sent on March 11, 2011.

456 = Tweets per second (TPS) when Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 (a record at that time).

6,939 = Current TPS record, set 4 seconds after midnight in Japan on New Year’s Day.
accounts

572,000 = Number of new accounts created on March 12, 2011.

460,000 = Average number of new accounts per day over the last month.

182% = Increase in number of mobile users over the past year.
#employees

8. 29. 130. 350. 400 = Number of Twitter employees in Jan 2008, Jan 2009, Jan 2010, Jan 2011 and today.

Pretty crazy, right?

- Nicole

Has CSI Advertising Gone Too Far?

2011-02-22T11:50:00.004-06:00

Last Friday, I was listening to the radio on my way home from work when I heard one of the B96 hosts exclaim, “Justin Bieber has been shot to death! Story in 6 minutes!”

So many things ran through my mind as I suffered through two ear-shattering songs just to hear the story: Is it a prank? Is it real? Why didn’t I hear about this earlier? That’s devastating—that kid had everything going for him. It must be real…I heard about Michael Jackson’s death on the radio on the way home from work. It must have just happened.

I’m not even a Bieber fan, but the headline made my stomach drop. As I’m sure anyone’s would.

Six minutes later, I’m told that Justin Bieber’s character was shot to death on an upcoming episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

Wow. Not only was I deceived, but I also wasted 6 minutes listening to songs I don’t even like while semi-freaking out about (what I thought was) an extremely harsh reality.

Is this the future of advertising?

I realize that we live in a highly oversaturated world. According to BBC News’ “Turning into a Digital Goldfish,” the addictive nature of web browsing today can leave users with an attention span of nine seconds—“the same as a goldfish.” TV commercials, which use to average 30 seconds in length, now average 15 seconds. Radio has also seen cutbacks, as ads drop from 60 seconds in length to two seconds—what Clear Channel calls “blinks.”

So getting consumers’ attention is trickier than ever. For CSI, this means pulling some rather cheap shots (please feel free to disagree) at their audience’s expense. Yes, they succeeded in grabbing my attention. But once I got past the shock and realized I was tricked, I had no intention of tuning into CSI.

And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. There’s something disturbing about a company that hides its advertising under the pretense of murder—or violence in general. A company that does risks alienating its fans and losing respect in the industry.

Plus, if this type of advertising became the norm, how would we differentiate actual news from advertising? Why would we trust those we hear on TV or the radio? Would we become numb to actual tragedy?

Feel free to share your thoughts below!

— Nicole

IMAGE CREDIT: CBS

Last Year’s Super Bowl had Two Winners…

2011-02-07T14:01:00.003-06:00

Three if you count the American community at large, who profoundly benefited from Super Bowl 2010…thanks to PepsiCo.

In a move that had the entire industry (and many more) talking, PepsiCo withdrew from spending $20 million dollars on television ads during last year’s Super Bowl—a decision that disrupted 23 straight years of doing so. Instead, the company chose to invest the $20 million in their Pepsi Refresh Project, which gave anyone in the U.S. the chance to make a difference in the world by submitting one really great idea. There were multiple winners, and each winner earned a grant (ranging from $5,000 to $250,000) to make their idea a “refreshing” reality.

The Result: More than 400 winners (to date) have made a difference in the community thanks to the Refresh Project. From new playgrounds and animal shelters to classroom improvements and medical-based non-profits, PepsiCo and its winners have directly impacted thousands of lives—and struck a chord with thousands more who are deeply appreciative of this largely unprecedented corporate move.

Keeping the Momentum Going
Although this year’s Super Bowl didn’t feature a repeat, PepsiCo and its sister brand Doritos, wow’d people again with their “Crash the Super Bowl” contest. Instead of creating the commercials themselves, the companies invited the public to write, shoot and submit videos for the chance to win Super Bowl air time and either $25,000, $400,000, $600,000 or $1 million, depending on finalist ranking.

The public picked the winner, and the finalist with the highest scoring commercial won a contract gig to work with the professionals at Doritos or Pepsi MAX. Talk about a great experience for the resume!

Among so much failure during this year’s Bowl (i.e. a poor performance by the Black Eyed Peas, botched national anthem lyrics by Christina Aguilera, and a distasteful commercial from Groupon), it’s nice to pinpoint some good about the big 2011 game. (Sorry Packers fans, Green Bay’s win doesn’t count as a good thing in Chicago).

Although some of the Pepsi Max commercials were criticized, there’s no arguing the excitement the company stirred up by giving the reins to the people and truly interacting and connecting with their customers.

As the New York Times put it, “For Pepsi’s advertising agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day, the decision to skip the Super Bowl ad last year and use the money for the Pepsi Refresh Project acknowledged the consumer shift toward social media and the need to reach the millennial generation with a project that allowed them to participate in a meaningful way.”

What are your Super Bowl takeaways?

—Nicole

What Work Feels Like for Facebook Employees

2011-01-26T15:02:00.004-06:00

I have been working at Celtic Marketing for a little over 2 months now, and I figured it was time to contribute to the Celtic blog. In the short time I have been here, I’ve loved every minute of it and get more responsibilities and more clients every day. Kismet is the word I would use to describe how I landed this job. Everything just seemed to fall into place, and I couldn’t be happier.

However, it wasn’t that long ago that I was working crummy temp jobs and making a job out of job hunting - searching for my dream job. I remember researching companies like Google and Netflix because I heard they had unbelievable benefits and perks. To my despair, none of these companies were hiring in my field at the time.

Recently, I completed a research project for a Celtic client about social media. Naturally, I explored the top social networking site, Facebook. With over 500 million users worldwide, Facebook is the #3 most popular website in the world. Along with the website’s growing popularity, it has also had its fair share of controversy. From highly publicized legal battles with multi-million dollar payouts to the award winning and Oscar nominated movie depicting the website’s creation, The Social Network, Facebook co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg is one loved and hated 26-year-old man.

While examining the career page, to my surprise, Facebook turns out to be one of those companies with the unbelievable employee perks. After reading about some of the benefits of working at Facebook, it almost seems too good to be true.

One perk that would appeal to any Chicagoan during this bleak, frigid winter is the variety of locations Facebook has set up shop – specifically, its headquarters in Palo Alto, CA. I can’t remember the last time I saw the sun or didn’t have goose bumps, so living anywhere in the world that is warmer than the Chi sounds like heaven to me. This time last year I was living in Oklahoma and enjoying weather that was about 20 degrees warmer. So when I was scoping out some job openings on Facebook, I couldn’t help but picture myself zipping off to Palo Alto and sipping a beer with Mark Zuckerberg himself.

The other job perks provide the ultimate convenience to employees, so let me give you glimpse into the life of the Facebook employee…

First, the work atmosphere is laidback and fun with open work areas (no cubicles), the option to work from home and lounges for every employee to relax in.

Hungry? You can enjoy free breakfast, lunch and dinner from healthy salads to world cuisine in the Facebook microkitchens and cafeterias.

Too busy to do your laundry at home? Purple Tie Laundry, located in the building, provides laundry, dry cleaning, photo processing and leather repair Just drop your laundry off at work, and they will return it right to your desk.

Need to go to the doctor? One hundred percent of your benefit premiums are covered and 50% of any dependent premiums are covered as well. Of course, this includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance and disability coverage. And if you get a cold, you have unlimited sick days to stay home and rest up. At the same time, if you want to stay healthy and fit, 50% of your monthly gym membership fee is reimbursed.

With all your hard work, you’ll need some down time too. You have 21 days of paid time off, not including the 11 paid holidays observed at Facebook.

“It’s a boy!” If you have a baby, you will receive 4 months of Paid Parental Leave. While you’re on leave, Facebook will continue your health benefits, stock vesting, 401(k), gym membership and Purple Tie as if you had continued to work full-time. Facebook also will provide $4,000 baby cash to all new parents. Once your Paid Parental Leave is over, who will watch the little tike? Don’t worry because Facebook will reimburse you for up to $3,000 toward day care/babysitting assistance per year.

Finally, getting to and from work is a cinch with public transportation reimbursement and free shuttle service and passes. Also, you will save money on products from companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Apple and AT&T.

With all of these incredible luxuries, there has to be a downside, right? My only concern would be job security. Working for a young CEO and a start-up company, I would be worried about the longevity of my job. There is always someone younger and smarter ready to take your place. With that said, what downsides do you think come into play for employees at large companies like Facebook?

— Katie

"Swooping" into the Marketplace

2010-12-13T14:53:00.002-06:00

By now, most of you have probably heard about (if not used) Groupon, the #1 daily dealmaker in the U.S. The company recently turned down Google’s $6 million offer to buy Groupon—a move that really surprised (but certainly didn’t disappoint) the media, experts and consumers alike.

However as in sports, it’s sometimes more interesting to watch the underdog than the top performer. Although Groupon’s competitors (LivingSocial, YouSwoop, BuyWithMe, Tippr, etc.) haven’t reached Groupon’s ginormous level of success yet, it’s fascinating to watch them try. Let’s use YouSwoop—founded in 2009 by 26-year old Alexander Lurie—as an example, since the company is headquartered in Chicago.

Currently, YouSwoop is celebrating its one-year anniversary in a way that’ll surely boost its popularity by leaps and bounds. Starting today at 9 a.m., the company is giving away a limited number of iPads (named top gadget of 2010 by Time) all day long as a “heartfelt thank-you” to the company’s 65,000+ subscribers, who have collectively saved $10 million at more than 300 Chicago businesses since Dec. 17, 2009. (To put this in perspective, Groupon, founded in 2008, has 35 million+ subscribers who have collectively saved $700 million in North America).

It’s hard not to admire the strategy behind YouSwoop’s giveaway. In order for consumers to win a free iPad, YouSwoop sends them over to the company’s Facebook and Twitter pages, and all who “Like” the Facebook page and “follow” the Twitter page are automatically entered to win. In addition, YouSwoop offers three other ways consumers can score an iPad:

 By posting why he/she deserves an iPad on the company’s Facebook page. (If your submission receives the most votes by 5 p.m. on Dec. 14th, you win).
 By visiting YouSwoop.com early and often on Dec. 13th
 By meeting in downtown Chicago at a secret location announced on Dec. 13th. (The first 5 people who show up are invited to take a short quiz, and the person with the most correct answers wins an iPad).

Although the full effects of YouSwoop’s anniversary campaign have yet to be determined, there are already impressive results. The company had just over 4,000 Facebook fans this morning, but they now have more than 6,000 and counting. They’ve also received more than 850 submissions from people who want the free iPad, and by the time you read this, that number will probably be significantly higher.

With this kind of strategy in place, it seems YouSwoop is in no danger of falling off the radar. And depending on whether they continue this type of marketing, we may hear a lot more about YouSwoop in the future.

What kinds of marketing techniques attract you to a company?

- Nicole

Celtic Wins a 2010 Davey Award!

2010-11-01T14:57:00.010-05:00

Judging for the 2010 Davey Awards is complete and Celtic Marketing, Inc. was selected as a Silver Winner for the entry of the Altosid IGR 30/30 Resource Kit.

This piece (created for long-time client Central Life Sciences) was designed by Meghan Carrel, Art Director; Anita Hooker, Creative Director; Kurt Maloy, Copywriter; and produced by Patti von Schwedler, Production Manager with assistance from Pat Calcagno of Unique/Active Printers - all overseen by our very own Danielle Vitogiannes, Account Director extrordinaire!

The Davey Awards honor the creative excellence of small agencies worldwide.

Congratulations, team!

-Nicole

Flirty Cupcakes on Wheels — A ‘Sweet’ Social Media Campaign

2010-10-26T16:26:00.008-05:00

Although countless companies use social media, very few know what they’re doing. That isn’t Flirty Cupcakes. (And yes, that actually is the name of the company).

Flirty Cupcakes is a three-person company that cruises around Chicago in a van selling fresh-baked cupcakes the way an ice cream truck sells ice cream – curbside. Founded by Tiffany Kurtz and her husband, Chris Sewell, Flirty Cupcakes offers everything from Curious George and McDreamy cupcakes to PB&C and Devil in Disguise. (If you want to know what these are, check out the descriptions here.

And while they may have the best cupcakes in town, from a marketing perspective, Flirty Cupcakes comes out on top through their genuine understanding of social media and how it can really work a brand.

How do they do it? The company keeps their destination a secret until a day (or even minutes) prior to their arrival at whatever intersection they choose and then announces it to their fans via Facebook and Twitter.

Examples:

The result is a rapidly growing, tremendous following for Flirty Cupcakes. They understood that the key to social media is having a plan in place that allows for full interaction with their audience. By using Twitter and Facebook to disclose their locations, Flirty Cupcakes has gained a loyal, almost frenzied, group of followers who can’t wait to find out if the van will make it to their town.

On top of it, they keep the brand exciting by encouraging their online community to post requests for new locations and flavors.

And it’s working. Three weeks ago, the company barely had 1,000 followers on Facebook. Today, it has more than 10,000, showing just how easily strategic, social media campaigns can give popularity (and voice) to a brand.

- Nicole

PR Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry

2010-10-21T09:04:00.006-05:00

While the economy still struggles to recover from this year’s recession, businesses are incorporating some pretty awe-inspiring PR campaigns. One of the best is unfolding right now at our very own Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

The museum has repeatedly made headlines in the Chicago Tribune for its recent “Month at the Museum” contest, and the result is pure PR genius.

To kick off the campaign, the museum announced that it was looking for an “adventurous and outgoing person with a strong interest in learning about science.” That person would then be chosen to “live and breathe” science by living in the Museum of Science and Industry 24/7 for 30 days (Oct. 20 – Nov. 18).

In order to apply, candidates needed to submit a 500-word essay explaining exactly why they want to live in the museum and a 60-second video about why they should be chosen.

The contest attracted 1,500 applicants, and after a suspenseful elimination process, 24-year old Kate McGroarty of Chicago was selected as the winner.

True to the contest, McGroarty moved into her new, temporary home at the Museum of Science and Industry, where she will live in a personal, glass-enclosed exhibit until Nov. 18. She was equipped with 30 T-shirts and an all-access pass allowing her to visit every aspect of the museum.

The hook? McGroarty, who also received $10,000 for winning the contest, will document every minute of her stay in a new online blog using an Apple iPad. Which means the museum will have its very own personal journalist for 30 days, potentially securing dozens of featurey news stories along the way.

(All in addition, of course, to the coverage the museum has already gained in the Tribune, WGN, ABC, Sun-Times, Huffington Post, and much more).

There’s an important lesson to be learned here, and it’s about creativity. “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” (W. L. Bateman). When individuals and businesses, such as the Museum of Science and Industry, think outside the box, they can usually count on terrific returns.

Are you thinking outside the box?

- Nicole

First Class All the Way

2010-07-07T15:17:00.002-05:00

Did you know that the cost of first class postage stamps has risen seven times in the last 10 years? Or that before 1970, a regular stamp cost less than $.10. Yet yesterday, the U.S. Postal Service announced that, facing a $7 billion (yes BILLION) budget deficit, it is proposing to raise the cost of stamps from $.44 to $.46. In addition there will be increases in bulk postage as well as some international postage. On top of that, the USPS has proposed ending Saturday delivery service.

It’s no wonder prices AND deficits are increasing. Thanks to the economic downturn and advance of electronic communications, there was a 12% drop in mail volume between fiscal 2008 and 2009.

On the bright side – really – a newly designed “forever” stamp will soon be available at today’s cost of $.44! The forever price is guaranteed to never increase. (Until it’s time to plug another deficit hole).

About the only people I can think of who don’t find the continuous postal price increases to be onerous are the folks at Netflix who said yesterday that they don’t mind and are “willing to take our share of the sacrifice to ensure a stronger, more viable United States Postal Service.” This from a company that averages 2 million first class mailings a day? Okay, so did the USPS pay Netflix to say that? I am pretty sure customers of Netflix don’t support the inevitable postage hikes just to get a new DVD.

Thoughts?

-Deb

Katula Foundation Golf Outing a Huge Success

2010-05-20T15:06:00.006-05:00

Some photos from the Katula Golf Outing. It was a beautiful day and a great success for the Katula Foundation!

Thanks to all who helped in the weeks leading up to the event!
-Colleen

Sport and Event Photography by Alan Pototsky

Domino's Wins

2010-04-30T16:23:00.005-05:00

Domino's introduced their new ad campaign and my brain remembered the not-so-great but cheap pizza I ate in college. The brand had a connotation that was hard to reverse. I watched as the Domino's employees spoke from their kitchen about how the market research said the pizza was bad. They spoke about how they listened and wanted to create something new. They talked about being committed to changing the sauce and reinventing the crust.

When I saw the second the ad reveal their taking the new pizza to market, my curiosity was peaked. Could they really change the taste? Was anyone motivated by these ads? So I went to my own little focus group - my kids. They are so influenced by advertising - not only because their mom owns an agency - but they have not yet become cynical of any of the messages. They both want to try Domino's.

So this weekend, we are trying the pizza of my past. Let's see if it really can change. And if it did, hats off to the creative team and their campaign. It got us to try it again.

P.S. I will report back on the taste test next week.

A Penny for Your Thoughts?

2010-04-22T11:42:00.004-05:00

As we settle into our new office, great ideas keep popping up. Besides the best of the Agency’s artwork hanging on the walls and the beautiful hand-painted Celtic logo in the lobby, Danielle has created a thoughtful and eye catching collection jar for our favorite charities. Actually “jar” isn’t accurate; it’s an elegant tall glass vase in a prominent position on our reception desk.

The vase beckons you to “throw in your two cents!” to benefit Friends of the Orphans: www.friendsoftheorphans.org and Misericordia Heart of Mercy: www.misericordia.com. Who doesn’t have extra change jangling in their pockets or at the bottom of their purses? And who better to help than kids in need. A great idea indeed!

-Deb

We Moved!

2010-03-31T10:15:00.006-05:00

Same agency – Celtic Marketing, Inc.
Same website – www.celticchicago.com
Same phone number and fax – 847-647-7500 and 847-647-8940
Same town – Niles, Illinois 60714
New building, new address - 6311 West Gross Point Road

Whew that was fast. Marlene Byrne, founder and president, purchased a distinctive single story building on a woodsy lot in suburban Niles just a block north of Touhy Avenue. We even heard from one of our new neighbors that the building used to be owned by tennis legend Billie Jean King! It underwent an extensive interior renovation (thanks to agency client O’Donoghue Builders) yet was ready for occupancy within six weeks of closing!

With an airy sky-lit lobby, including cozy fireplace and dedicated work areas for our client services, creative, PR, and association management teams, the agency can come together as a whole in our corporate boardroom complete with hand carved wooden doors.

Thanks to the hard work of everyone at Celtic, we moved over the weekend and were ready for work on Monday. The paint is dry, the dust is settled and we invite you to stop by and see our new location.

Look for our spring open house event coming soon.

Celtic is easy to find between Caldwell and Lehigh and between our friends Affy Tapple and ALP Lighting on Gross Point Road.

Crisis Management

2010-02-24T14:35:00.003-06:00

Proactive Communications Approach Critical
For Addressing Haitian Earthquake Crisis

While addressing a severe crisis is never fun, successful organizations know that key to an effective communications program is following the Scout motto of “Be Prepared” and having a proactive plan in place BEFORE it is needed.

Time is critical when disaster strikes and the number one focus in dealing with the ramifications of such an event is to inform all internal and external audiences of the facts, accurately, and every step of the way. Depending on the nature of the business, customers, donors, and those with a stake in the organization place their trust in the company and in return expect a detailed, constant flow of news.

During the devastating January 12 Haitian earthquake, one of Celtic’s non-profit clients, Chicago-based Friends of the Orphans, was unwittingly thrust into the spotlight. Supporting the work of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH, Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”), which in Haiti runs a 350-child orphanage and the only free pediatric hospital, along with numerous community outreach programs, Friends of the Orphans and Celtic kicked into instant communications mode. Our main goal: keeping the thousands of U.S. supporters accurately informed about the health and safety of the NPH children, staff and volunteers in Haiti, and what effects, both financial and personal, the disaster had and would have on the hospital, programs, and future of everyone involved.

Celtic and Friends of the Orphans instantly implemented our comprehensive, national media outreach program, with Celtic creating daily press releases and breaking news statements that provided and confirmed information to our audiences. Key was designating Celtic’s PR director as the central Friends of the Orphans national media spokesperson, through whom all media inquiries were funneled to keep consistent messaging and flow of information.

Working closely with the regional directors at each Friends of the Orphans office, we discussed our key messages, strategy for returning all inquiries, and the urgency with which we needed to respond. Because of prior preparations that should be standard in all comprehensive PR programs, all regional directors had undergone media training and were familiar with what they needed to do under Celtic’s guidance to address this crisis.

And, like in any crisis, while news was often slow to come in the days just following the quake because of the breakdown of Haiti’s communications infrastructure, we assured the public that as facts were confirmed, we would immediately share them. This included media statements, online web updates, email blasts, and an internal communications component so all Friends of the Orphans and NPH staff around the country were accurately informed.

A delicate approach was also necessary due to the deaths of two Friends of the Orphans volunteers during the earthquake. The foremost consideration was for the families of the victims, treating them with respect and providing them information prior to it being released publicly.

In addition to conveying the facts in the direct aftermath of the earthquake, Celtic also focused on the broader picture of who Friends of the Orphans is, its mission and some of the many dedicated staff who make a difference in the lives of the children, including the Director of NPH Caribbean, figurehead and physician Fr. Rick Frechette. This additional context for stories allowed positive feature coverage and positions the organization as a trusted future source as Haitian issues arise.

Three weeks after the earthquake, Celtic’s and Friends of the Orphans’ round-the-clock crisis approach was successful and the critical consideration of conveying ACCURATE, TIMELY information was met.

In a short period, we created speaking points and key messages, conducted additional communications training to Friends of the Orphans staff, issued more than 15 releases/statements, fielded inquiries from hundreds of news organizations, sent thousands of emails communicating facts and offering perspective, and saw our story relayed in hundreds of outlets around the country. A small sampling of coverage included:

• MSNBC
• CNN with Cooper Anderson
• Chicago Tribune
• Seattle Times
• Wall Street Journal
• WGN News
• The Daily Herald
• Southtown Star
• FOX
• Huffington Post
• Miami Herald
• Phoenix Business Journal
• ABC News Chicago
• CBS Nightly News with Katie Couric

While the earthquake was devastating to all involved and will continue to be a focus in the weeks and months to come, the approach taken by Celtic and Friends of the Orphans in responding to the tragedy was possible because of prior communications preparation and the teamwork and focus in implementation.

- Blair

Clones vs. Robots

2010-01-29T10:56:00.002-06:00

The future is now. CBS has recently changed its policy on allowing advocacy ads for the Superbowl. At over 2.6 million for thirty seconds, who could blame them. I don't think even the FCC minds what you advertise at those rates (see godaddy.com). Apparently though, CBS was looking out for its demographic with its past policy against advocacy. After all, Superbowl Sunday is about fun. Why would you bore somebody at a party watching TV with a bunch of finger wagging, when you can titillate them with people throwing rocks at each other for light beer? I'll tell you why: CBS needs the 2.6 million, and we need the finger wagging. Look outside, it's anarchy out there. The Internet is ruining everything. Our children are overweight and directionless. We're not working. Toyota is even recalling cars. What's next, McDonald's offering a vegetarian menu? We need Tim Tebow and his mom. While you're at it, throw in some Sarah Palin garnished with a dollop of Pat Robertson. In the mean time, our lesson learning during the commercials can be tempered by a game based on war.

Go team!

- Kurt

The Latest “Revealing” Trend on Facebook

2010-01-08T15:23:00.005-06:00

If you’ve logged onto Facebook recently, chances are you know exactly what color bra your friends are wearing today. TMI? Sound a little creepy? Well before you think I’m crazy, check it out. All across the nation, ladies are updating their statuses to announce “red!” or “pink!” or “blue!” or (if they’re getting really creative) “harvest gold!”

So why are they doing it? It was a mystery to me at first too, but a quick Google search explained that it’s a campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer. And despite the fact that it’s not Breast Cancer Awareness Month and that nobody knows who actually started the campaign, it has flourished. Hundreds of thousands of women are participating—showing once again how influential social platforms like Facebook can be.

Yet I can’t help questioning whether these trends, although influential, are fulfilling the goals they set out to achieve. As Newsweek blogger Mary Carmichael noted here, the people who are updating their statuses to various colors are doing only that. She writes about laughing over her friends’ silly color choices, but not thinking “about breast cancer once…supposedly the whole point of the exercise.”

Maybe next month we’ll find out that donations towards breast cancer research tripled (I certainly hope so). But if they don’t, perhaps we need a more meaningful campaign, like getting people to post the names of loved ones battling the disease. It may have a more profound impact, but are people mature enough to pull it off?

- nicole

The Value of Delivering New Ideas

2009-12-15T16:06:00.005-06:00

The Young Professionals Group of the FORUM in Chicago asked that I participate in a panel addressing the concerns young professionals have as they work to forward their career in today's economy. I was privileged to speak with the Kathy Wiley, Vice President of Human Resources at the American Bar Association and Ron Moen, Technology Director at AMC. The evening centered on a question and answer session but began with a wonderful “speed networking” event.

One of the most interesting discussions of the evening was how to take new ideas up the ladder. Some of the young professionals felt that their ideas were quashed before they were considered. In a business, such as mine, where ideas are paramount, I found this amazing. Is it that as we get seasoned in business, we lose track of the opportunity to change course? Is it that these ideas have already been tried and the young professionals do not understand the pitfalls that have already been encountered? Or are we just uninterested in changing processes because turning a cruise ship is too much work?

Whatever the obstacle, it was interesting to hear the “seasoned” professionals discuss ways for the professionals to get heard. Some of the interesting comments:

• Make sure your idea is not delivered in the hallway – write a plan and present the idea in a viable way.
• Look for ways to make the idea make sense – not just for process but for profitability.
• Perhaps just as many ideas from your boss are turned down from their CEO and Board – and we all just need to deal with rejection.
• Think through the process of executing your idea. If you don’t there may be pitfalls that you did not foresee and your suggestion will look ill conceived.

Perhaps the most important point was the consensus that giving up on idea generation is not an option – no matter where you are in your career. Whether you work at an ad agency like my staff or a corporation, idea generation thinkers will always be valued. If they are not, perhaps a new career is the only answer.

Marlene Byrne
President, Celtic Marketing

Victoria’s Secret is Anything BUT Secret

2009-11-12T14:24:00.004-06:00

Does anyone else feel bombarded by Victoria’s Secret emails??? I’m not kidding; I probably get an email from them at least four times a week. Sometimes, it’s more than one in a single day and sometimes I get blasted several days in a row. And while I could choose to unsubscribe from their email list and stop the abuse, I find it fascinating (a result of being in the advertising industry and all I guess).

On the one hand, I understand the advertising mentality of “I need to be there every time my customer turns around.” By sending out almost daily emails, Victoria’s Secret is certainly doing a good job of this. And it seems to be working. If you compare their revenue declines (we are in a recession after all) in July and August to those of other stores, Victoria’s Secret reports the least dip in sales. According to Stephanie Rosenbloom of the New York Times, Abercrombie & Fitch was down 29%, American Apparel down 20%, Wet Seal down 11.2%, American Eagle Outfitters down 7%, and Limited Brands (which owns Victoria’s Secret) down 4%. You can read the full article here.

But on the other hand, the Victoria’s Secret emails suggest that a fine line exists between e-marketing and spamming. It’s bad enough they flood my email inbox. But it gets worse when you take into consideration that I also get a painstaking amount of print collateral from them too. I can’t help but question their system. Isn’t it enough to get the emails? Do I really need to get their catalog once a week, along with their endless coupons, too? And did I mention that I’ve got two sisters, and that we get everything in threes? It’s true. Talk about a waste of trees.

I haven’t encountered a situation of this kind of magnitude outside of Victoria’s Secret yet. But can you imagine if every company started doing this? What will this mean for the future of email? What will it mean for the advertising industry? We’re approaching this scenario faster than you think.

But what’s so great about the industry right now is that we really can’t predict what will happen. Maybe everyone will just have multiple email addresses. One for friends and family, one for work, one for Victoria’s Secret emails, one for Crate and Barrel, one for Dominick’s, one for...

— Nicole

If the shoe fits (and a lucrative Adidas contract is involved), THEN WEAR IT!

2009-10-26T13:06:00.002-05:00

(Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack, Associated Press / October 17, 2009)

Marcus Jordan, the 18-year-old son of the legendary Michael Jordan, wants to follow in his Dad’s footsteps…literally. A freshman basketball player at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Jordan was granted permission by the school to wear his father’s infamous Nike Air Jordan shoes. The problem is UCF already has an exclusive $1.9 million contract with Adidas that requires all coaches and athletes to use the company’s shoes, apparel and equipment. But would one pair of shoes really make that much of a difference? ABSOLUTELY!

Let me first address “His Airness.” Having been born and raised within the Chicagoland area, it’s no surprise that Michael Jordan is still a God to this city – and rightfully so for everything that he’s accomplished and done for Chicago. But even a rabid Chicago sports fan like me knows this is not fair and ‘Air Jordan’ should not be allowed to rise above what’s right. And UCF should know this. By allowing Jordan to wear the Nike’s because of ‘special circumstances,’ the school is setting a horrible example – mainly to its own student base who don’t forget are paying the university top dollar for a professional education and guidance that they hope will help them to better their own lives. Even more, the school has now put its other sports programs in jeopardy if Adidas cites a breach of agreement and decides to pull its equipment contract. UCF put itself into this position and definitely deserves a failing grade of their own for this lesson.

It’s true that collegiate sports programs make millions of dollars for their respective schools, and it’s unfortunate that the athletes are not financially compensated for their blood, sweat and tears. Of course, students do receive grants and scholarships which is no drop in the well these days when considering the high price of education. But the fact that collegiate athletes are not making millions of dollars like professional athletes is one of the main aspects that make college sports so pure and entertaining to watch. It’s all about true grit and hard work – winning or losing to college athletes is a total team effort and no one person is above the team. So why should there be special circumstances for Marcus Jordan? I would certainly understand if there was a physical or medical issue involved in which an athlete needed to wear a specific type of equipment. But this issue is just about a piece a rubber with somebody’s name on it. And UCF should have thought about that before they put the needs of one above their own principles and values.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens when the other shoe falls.

— Byran

Celtic Gives Back: A Story about Gratitude, Family and the Spirit of the Community

2009-10-21T11:34:00.008-05:00

When Celtic’s president Marlene Byrne and her family offered to take El Salvador orphan Juan Manuel into their home during his surgeries in Chicago, she had no idea her personal family mission would transform into a full-fledged professional quest for the agency to help share Juan’s musical talent and gratitude with the world.

It began a few years ago, when Byrne’s family welcomed Juan into their home with few expectations other than to host and help him through a series of medical procedures. Juan was born with a cleft palate and severe dental deformities, and at age 2, a fire in Juan’s home led to the amputation of both his legs at the hip.

Over time, a special bond developed between the Byrne family and Juan, who filled their house with music whenever he visited. A talented songwriter and guitarist, Juan performs as a way of giving back and expressing his gratitude to all who have helped him along his journey.

Inspired by his courage and determination, Celtic’s PR, marketing and creative departments worked together to create a campaign and website to help share Juan’s story with others. Through contacts at the agency, colleagues in the music and recording industry, seeing Juan’s potential, graciously donated their time and resources to write, record and produce music reflective of his incredible life story.

Through the help of Celtic and so many wonderful Chicagoans, Juan’s music blossomed into a full CD, entitled “The Sound of Gratitude.” More than 400 people attended his CD release party and concert, set up by Celtic’s event planners, in downtown Chicago on Oct. 15.

We are thrilled to announce that Juan’s story made the front cover of the Chicago Tribune on October 14. He also appeared and performed on both local and national radio and television outlets, including Telemundo, Telefutura, and WGN, which filmed live from the concert for their “News at 9” segment.

In addition, because of the poignant nature of Juan’s story, a film crew has begun filming and compiling footage that will eventually be produced into a longer documentary film about Juan and his inspiring journey.

More of Juan’s story can be read at www.thesoundofgratitude.com.

Just as Juan’s relationship with the Byrne family flourished over the years, his inspirational life and musical gift of gratitude has impacted the lives of marketing and music industry professionals in ways none of them could have imagined.

We are all very proud of Juan and know that this is only the beginning of a very fulfilling and exciting journey.

— Blair, Deb and Nicole

A list of the most entertaining lists of stressful lists.

2009-09-15T15:24:00.007-05:00

Forbes.com ranks Chicago at #2 on a list of America’s most entertaining cities. They also rank Chicago at #1 on a list of America’s most stressful cities. Does the Left Journalist at Forbes.com know what the Right Journalist at Forbes.com is doing? As an avid believer in “the list” as a method of measurement I’m confused. Am I to believe that stress is the number one source of entertainment in American cities? Or that the number two cause of stress in American cities is entertainment? Am I stressed by the entertainment I find in Chicago or am I entertained by the stress I feel by being in Chicago?

Forbes.com should come out with a list of stressful entertainment in American cities:

#1. Taking your pre-teen to a PG-13 movie.

#2. Having two beers after work then driving home.

#3. Going to a popular restaurant without a reservation.

#4. Scalping tickets to a sporting event.

#5. Going to the gambling boats.

Better yet, a list of entertaining stress in American cities:

#1. Road rage.

#2. Waiting on public transportation.

#3. Visiting the unemployment office.

#4. Parking on the street downtown.

#5. Avoiding panhandlers.

Actually, the best option for Forbes.com and other media outlets is to get back to journalism and let the copywriters of the world come up with the crazy lists. We’ve got to have something to do while we’re waiting on the economy to turn around.

- Kurt

2009-08-13T09:29:00.003-05:00

Virgin CEO Richard Branson talks about the importance of a good PR person to make sure people know about your business.

Click here to check out the video: Marketing in Tough Times

America’s Favorite Pastime…

2009-08-05T08:37:00.004-05:00

has been dragged through the muck and mud of the performance-enhancing drugs scandal. And it’s the scandal that won’t go away. Just when we think the biggest star player has been implicated, a new and bigger name player is caught cheating. A whole generation of kids has grown up in the “asterisk era” and another generation of fans long for a simpler time when it was just all about the baseball.

Major League Baseball has tried to stem the tide of negativity. The league has launched steroids investigations, the Mitchell Report, stricter drug testing policies and punishments, new league alignments and playoffs structure, and new state-of-the-art stadiums.

Each works for a while. Until there’s news of a new cheater or scandal. And fans are left wondering who and what next. But then something good happens. Something simple. Something that harkens back to a cleaner era.

It’s the annual Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in idyllic Cooperstown, NY. This year, two old school players joined the ranks of legends. Ricky Henderson and Jim Rice: a base stealer and a power hitter who led their teams with fast legs, quick bats, and big egos and not always the best media and fan relations.

They don’t need a PR apparatus now. Henderson and Rice represent the best of the best before the * era, when players just worked hard and played their best. Isn’t it ironic that they are now MLB’s best public relations?

— Deb

10 Things I Learned During My First Year at Celtic

2009-07-27T15:53:00.004-05:00

1. Colored printers with built-in scanners rock.
2. So do binding machines.
3. You never get tired of watching the graphic designers work their magic.
4. There’s always the possibility that your food will be stolen by someone named Dan.
5. Everyday is a surprise. No matter what time I leave my house in the morning, I never know what time I’m going to arrive at the office. And vice versa, too.
6. If something breaks, Terri has all the tools.
7. Most of the Celtic employees are Cubs fans (Unfortunate, I know).
8. Brainstorming sessions really do work.
9. I’ll never be able to read for enjoyment again—I just can’t stop proofing.
10. It’s okay to drink wine or beer (or both) at work parties.

Bonus: I learned this one on my first or second day of work.

11. I’m currently living in the exact same house that Monica from Human Resources grew up in with her family. True story. My parents bought it from her parents about 15+ years ago, and neither of us knew about this until after I was hired. Small world!

— Nicole

Time to Reconnect

2009-07-22T12:24:00.004-05:00

What will the economy do? That's a question everyone is asking. The problem is, no one really knows when, how quickly and to what extent the recovery will happen. It makes for hard decisions about marketing and planning as we move toward next fiscal.

No matter when the turn-around happens, companies need to be positioned to hit the ground running and recapture sales. Staying connected with clients is critical to make that happen.

One idea is an interactive market survey. It allows you to reconnect with customers and learn more about what and when they plan to increase their spending.

The survey program, tailored to your customers, allows you to stay connected while you gain insight about your industry and the customer's future needs. It positions you as forward-thinking about new strategies and a business resource in the economic upturn.

A survey program is simple. It starts with an eblast asking customers to "provide feedback on our services/products so that we can be ready to better serve your needs when demand increases.” The 4-5 question survey gives them an opportunity to provide insights their needs and expectations. I suggest adding some industry specific questions and offer to relay survey results from their peers following the collection of data. You'll get valuable feedback that can help you retool and position your company for the future and they'll get industry information that is valuable to their growth.

Once the survey is complete survey participants are directed to an informational landing page with the latest information and links to your company.

Perhaps the most powerful thing about the online survey, is the exact measurement you receive about participation, click-throughs and web behavior. Results can be eye-opening and then published to your customers once the poll is complete.

Even in this down economy, spend your time moving forward - it will pay off in success.

Marlene Byrne

Is 30 minutes Enough? AAAA story

2009-07-15T10:56:00.007-05:00

The story that appeared in the AAAA SmartBrief yesterday is an important lesson for clients and agencies alike.

The gist of the story is that Zappos sent a RFP notice through Advertising Age. In an unusual twist, they required shops to submit storyboards and ad mockups for the initial round, in a tight two-week turnaround. They received 170 inquiries from ad agencies and 104 proposals. They invited 16 agencies, and added another six, to their presentation list. Ignited was one of the agencies who submitted a proposal through a site online. Their executive creative director Mike Wolfsohn said the site was given only a cursory glance by Zappos, with stats showing that they looked at only five pages of the 25-page effort and spent only 14 seconds on average on each page.

In a down economy, agencies are searching for new business opportunities and clients are reviewing their agency relationships in preparation for the economic rebound. This introspective time can make clients and agencies vulnerable and change the way they respect the agency/client relationship. Perhaps Zappos felt that they could press agencies across the country to work hard on their RFP because quite frankly, many agencies have the time and talent available to put toward the effort right now.

Even if they believe that this strategy could increase creative opportunities and open the door to more talent, it also comes with the responsibility of treating that process with business integrity.

The fact that Zappos published an RFP to the masses through Advertising Age and included creative requirements for the responses, knowing agencies would commit time and money, puts them in a position to also commit to reviewing all of those responses as thoroughly as they were prepared.

After 17 years experience in running an agency, I believe the respect a potential client has for the agency/client relationship is usually indicative of what that relationship will foster in creative, sales and overall success. The more clients work with their agency as a team, educate them about their product and and respect their "talent" time, the better their marketing programs will be.

My guess is that this relationship, no matter who Zappos chooses, will lack respect and in the long run, be doomed.

Marlene Byrne, President

Marketing Power

2009-07-08T08:30:00.003-05:00

Transformers II Revenge of the Fallen – A hastily conceived sequel that opened to largely negative reviews, many are calling it one of the worst movies of all time. The box office is the largest June-weekend gross in history.

Billy Mays – A loud abrasive shill selling useless junk on infomercials that air in the middle of the night. Coverage of his sudden death rivals that of Michael Jackson.

Barrack Obama – A junior senator from the state of Illinois relatively inexperienced in politics, dubbed a community activist, but recognized as a great speaker. Three years after winning his first United States Senate seat he is catapulted to the highest office in the land to become the first African American president.

Good marketing can get you anything you want no matter how awful, abrasive, or amateur you are. Reach the right people at the right time with the right message, and the world is your oyster.

— Kurt

The Importance of Play

2009-07-01T08:24:00.005-05:00

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend an inspiring presentation by Kevin Carroll at the Association Forum of Chicagoland’s Annual Meeting. Kevin’s remarkable story starts when he was a young boy, left stranded by both of his parents by the age of six in Philadelphia. Kevin and his two brothers were taken in by their grandparents, and Kevin developed his passion for play on the neighborhood playground where he spent many hours each day playing with a red rubber ball. Kevin was quickly given the nickname “Little Fast Kid” by the neighborhood children and continued to learn life lessons while playing on his Philadelphia playground.

Kevin’s quest led him to a very successful career which included a career in the Air Force, where he served as a translator and learned four different languages, and then as an Athletic Trainer where he worked at one point for the Philadelphia 76’ers and was even hired by the Yugoslavian Olympic Team to join them for the 1996 Olympics. Kevin’s work ethic and energy inspired all of those around him, and he was eventually invited to join the team at NIKE where he was given the opportunity to create his own position on the NIKE corporate team.

Kevin believes in incorporating play in all areas of life and believes that play can help maximize creativity and potential in an individual. He’s right on. I believe that the strategy involved in outwitting an opponent in a game of “Capture the Flag” or the lessons learned through a round of golf can easily be taken into the boardroom or a sales office and help drive the competitive spirit of the team. I find myself inspired in my own work when a challenge is placed in front of the team and we can develop a strategy and work together to accomplish the task.

Celtic’s founder and president, Marlene Byrne, has a similar mission to Kevin’s in her development of the Project Play children’s book series. This series strives to inspire children to be active and embrace the notion of play early in life, which is certainly a key in sustaining this mission throughout life.

So get out and PLAY!

— Amy

The Edgebrook Gang

(characters in Project Play children's book series)

Where were you when you heard?

2009-06-26T13:09:00.005-05:00

What a week. With the death of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, does anyone else feel a loss? No matter how old you are – Michael’s music must have touched you in some shape or form…maybe yourself or your children? He was a part of the pop music culture for over 40 years, so unless you live in a cave – you know Michael. Who hasn’t tried the moon walk? Were you ever able to do it?

Unfortunately for Farrah, her death gets a bit overshadowed, but she left her mark. What 13-year old girl didn’t want that hair! And of course her beauty was always admired. Everyone gets a bit melancholy and saddened about the death of a “star” – they touch our lives in so many ways. I bet you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard about the death of Princess Diana. My guess is you’ll remember June 25th too.

My only hope is that the media continues to honor their lives and not exploit the bad.

— Liz

Wonderful News for Celtic

2009-06-25T15:57:00.003-05:00

On Monday, July 6th we will be joined by our new Creative Director, Anita Hooker.

Anita comes from her last position as creative director at Noble & Associates with a background in both B2B and consumer marketing. She has experience in print and television advertising. Prior to her nine years as Creative Director, Anita worked her way up the ranks at other agencies as a production artist, art director and senior art director.

Anita received her degree from Purdue University which is the rival of Kurt’s Indiana University. It will be interesting to see if the Crimson & Gold can eclipse the Sox vs. Cubs rivalry in the office.

Anita’s personality and management style will make her a great addition to the Celtic family. We're very excited about welcoming her on the 6th.

— Monica

Does anyone remember the FedEx Fast Talker?

2009-06-11T16:25:00.001-05:00

In my last blog, I wrote about the amazing Corona advertising campaign, which includes visually appealing commercials with little to no script.

Somehow, it got me thinking about company brands that do the exact opposite in commercials by squeezing in as many words as possible in a 30-second timeslot. And they’re still successful!

Going way back into the time machine here and relaying a non-mathematical statistic, I think of John Moschitta and the commercials he performed in the 1980s as the FedEx Fast Talker. For years, he was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s Fastest Talker for speaking 586 words per minute.

Now clearly with FedEx, this worked well because it demonstrated how quick and on-time their shipping and delivery services are. For this reason, the Fast Talker campaign worked wonders for them.

But I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s important for companies to find their philosophy and really demonstrate that in their advertising. Having no script in a commercial and having a ton of script squeezed into a commercial are both pretty unique techniques, and they work very well when you set it up with Corona’s relaxed mood and FedEx’s timely and efficient work ethic.

In today’s incredibly competitive world, it’s important to both be unique and create a lasting impression on viewers. Corona and FedEx are two great examples, and other corporations would be wise to pursue similar paths according to their own philosophies.

And if they don’t know where to start, well, that’s where Celtic Marketing comes in. And everyone’s always welcome to swing by the agency and chat with the team!

— Bryan

Zambrano has Everybody Talking about GATORADE

2009-06-04T08:09:00.004-05:00

Never mind all the bad publicity Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano is getting as a result of his unsportsmanlike conduct. I’m more interested in all the PR buzz Zambrano’s given Gatorade over the last two years as a result of kicking, throwing and overall destroying all Gatorade objects (i.e. dispensers and jugs) that lay in his path.

Here’s what people are saying:

“Hucking one Gatorade jug and giving his cap the same treatment was pretty good stuff, but the highlight came right from start when he kicked a different jug, then followed up with a few more kicks while the container lay on the ground.”
—Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky, Los Angeles Times Dodgers Blog, June 2008

“Z Hurls Gatorade cooler in dugout, then kicks it, picks it up and slam dunks it.”
— Paul Sullivan on June 2008 incident, Chicago Tribune

“At this rate, the Gatorade dispenser in the Cubs dugout will not last the entire season.”
— Carrie Muskat, MLB.com reporter, May 2009

“That Gatorade thing keeps taking a beating…We’ll get some Band-Aids on it tomorrow.”
— Cubs player Reed Johnson, May 2009

“While watching Big Z…beat the Gatorade cooler like it owed him money is somewhat funny, what’s not funny is that this keeps happening with Zambrano.”
— Tom Fornelli, NBC Chicago, May 2009

There’s no doubt Gatorade’s taken a physical beating at the hands of Zambrano. But from a marketing/advertising/PR perspective, the brand must be on cloud nine with all the Gatorade name-dropping Big Z has sparked in the media.

It would be interesting to see whether Gatorade sales drastically increase after these kinds of incidents.

And I’m curious to hear what people are saying over at PepsiCo (the owners of Gatorade). If they really wanted to ride the publicity wave, they could post a playful statement on the Gatorade website like “We are proud to be Carlos Zambrano’s drink of choice.”

The consumers would get a kick out of it!

— Nicole

The Google Monopoly Saga Continues

2009-06-01T08:59:00.003-05:00

If you think Google dominates the Web now, just wait—it gets better. The search engine powerhouse has plans to release their own social networking site—Google Wave. The site will include instant messaging, maps, photos, videos, rich-text editing, and eventually, hundreds of third-party applications and personally customizable tools.

If everything goes as planned, the Wave has the potential to wipe out Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and all other social media platforms in one quick stroke.

MG Sieglad, a reporter Techcrunch, wrote the site “drips with ambition” and “makes both e-mail and instant messaging look stale.”

My question: What will they think of next?

— Warren

How Social Media Impacts the Job Search

2009-05-29T13:03:00.000-05:00

Social Media has inundated everyone. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace. Everyone’s doing it and if you aren’t – where have you been? But do you like posting photos on your site? Do you have “questionable” photos on your Facebook account? You know the ones where you are out with friends, having a few drinks and making crazy faces. Yep, you, the bottle of beer and a smile!

But if you are looking for a job, this just might be the killer in the final selection process. What? Yes, employers are investigating applications through the popular Facebook accounts. Invasion of your personal space? Facebook is out there. If you post it, it’s there for everyone to see including potential employers. If the job comes down to you and person X – you just may be eliminated if they (employer) feel your personal behavior represents your choices. The philosophy is if you make poor choices outside of work, your potential to make poor choices at work is greater. I think this is a stretch, but it’s weeding a lot of people out of the interview process.

In this day and age, we have to give ourselves every advantage we can in finding a job. So, if you have any photos on these websites that you don’t want your boss to see, I’d take them down….and keep them in the photo album. Jobs are hard enough to find today, don’t make a potential employer speculate that you make poor choices.

— Liz

Tide’s “Loads of Hope” Campaign Offers Clean Face for Brand

2009-05-26T16:03:00.005-05:00

Tide’s recent “Loads of Hope” campaign has caught my attention four times in the last week. That’s a lot more than most advertisements, and the campaign certainly did its job—I was interested enough to visit their website and learn more about the project.

I quickly became drawn to the project because of the humanitarian aspect—they offer aid to natural disaster victims. It’s a unique and memorable effort, and even their 30-second TV commercials are unforgettable.

The “Mobile Laundromat,” seen in the picture below, is actually a semi-truck full of washing machines and dryers which travels to various disaster areas to offer clean clothes to displaced families.

One of the things that really struck me about the campaign was their tremendous levels of media outreach. They’ve kept the campaign ‘front and center’ through several outlets—television commercials, websites, and even print magazines.

In addition, their website was wonderfully designed. In no more than 10 seconds, I could find two easy ways to donate: by purchasing Tide products with a yellow cap (which I already intend to purchase as I am running low on laundry detergent…), or by purchasing a “vintage” Tide t-shirt. All profits help families struck by natural disaster.

Well done, Tide. You’ve earned a new and loyal customer and built some very strong brand equity.

— Julie

Corona, Anyone?

2009-05-22T08:56:00.001-05:00

Now found in more than 150 countries, Corona has become the #1 selling beer in Mexico and the #1 selling Mexican beer in the world. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also the #4 selling beer of all beers. So why do we love Corona so much?

One reason is that it’s beer, of course. But why else? After all, there’s plenty of other beers in the world. The answer goes well beyond that cold and refreshing taste everyone (over 21 years of age) enjoys on a hot summer day.

It’s about the creativity and consistency of the Corona brand campaign. This is what has truly defined and crowned Corona, the golden original we’ve come to love.

Let’s take a look at one aspect of the Corona campaign: the commercials. AKA: what ‘paradise’ would look like if Corona was involved.

Stunning Visuals
Behold exotic turquoise-blue waters, soothing surf rolling over the sand, sun rays casting shadows off numerous palm trees while a cruise liner sounds its horn off in the distance. Somehow, Corona commercials even make you forget those pesky seagulls—the ones that gnaw on a week-old hamburger in the middle of a parking lot somewhere.

Instead, the audience is visually drawn into a sun-drenched beach on a lazy afternoon—almost as if you were watching the tropics through a live web cam. And oh, by the way, here’s a bucket of ice cold Corona to enjoy.

There’s no doubt about it, the Corona campaign wonderfully conveys the idea that the true moment is what should be enjoyed, and that Corona is simply a part of the entire equation.

A Message Without Words
But it isn’t only about stimulating visuals and tropical scenes. Another ingenious aspect of the Corona commercial is that not a word is spoken! And that’s really saying something…or not saying something. Or both.

The point is that to leave all words out of a commercial and still create a successful piece is no small feat in advertising today. Especially for a beer commercial, which usually relies heavily on use of the party or bar scene—loud, drunk people being goofy and having fun.

But for Corona it works. Because remember, Corona is about the “philosophy of living in the moment.” Relaxation, good vibes, paradise, the vacation you crave.

In the end, the creativity and consistency behind the Corona brand and the strong image that comes to mind when we think of Corona are why the beer is one of the best in the world today.

It’s the perfect marriage of telling a story while selling a product. A visually stimulating scene that many people find desirable and can relate to.

*Crack* Cheers!

— Bryan

Seeing is Believing.

2009-05-20T08:28:00.004-05:00

This is the tagline of Valent Professional Products’ latest marketing campaign for Tourney Fungicide.

It’s a great way to give a B2B product a consumer spin—it gave me a chuckle.

Click here to watch the videos!

Tourney® Fungicide from Valent Professional Products (www.valent.com)

— Danielle

The Vera Bradley Annual Outlet Sale—A Marketing Success Story

2009-05-18T09:04:00.006-05:00

This past weekend, I traveled 175 miles southeast to Fort Wayne, IN to meet my family from Ohio and attend the Vera Bradley Annual Outlet Sale. I’ve heard many great things about this sale from relatives and friends who have attended in the past, but I was absolutely amazed and unprepared for the madness we encountered.

The sale was held at the Coliseum, and from the moment we entered the parking lot we knew that this was going to be a day to remember. Women (and a few men, including my father who was a real trooper) lined up around the Coliseum just waiting to get inside.

And although we waited for over an hour just to get inside the building, everyone was in great spirits. One woman who traveled to the sale from Janesville, Wisconsin remarked that her husband had given her permission to be “very bad” that day. I’m still not sure what this meant, but it seemed that more than half of the people walking out of the sale departed with large bags and boxes filled to the brim with Vera products.

I’m surprised more retailers don’t offer sales like this. The customer energy that surrounded the sale was infectious.

Fort Wayne’s Channel 15 News reported that more than 60,000 people from 47 states attended the 5-day sale this year. As shoppers filled hotel rooms and ate in local restaurants, the event was a great boost for the local economy. The company even required shoppers to register for the sale in order to track the number of visitors and further build upon their marketing efforts next year.

The sale was a huge success for Vera Bradley in terms of marketing, brand awareness, and brand equity. Not to mention, the event was proof of just how greatly the event & travel industry help drive up our economy.

— Amy

Gillette Takes the Ice with Zamboni Razor

2009-05-15T09:48:00.006-05:00

Want a clean, clear shave? The Gillette Fusion Zamboni took the ice during the Bruins’ last two games of the regular season and three playoff games. This one really caught my eye. Coming from someone who has no brand loyalty whatsoever to razors (whatever’s on sale will do for me!), this made me stop and take a second look.

I frequent Blackhawks games here in Chicago, and I applaud Gillette for this sponsorship opportunity. When the everlasting 17-minute break begins, everyone in the audience is struggling to be patient. For those of us still in our seats during the break, we’re usually watching the zamboni. It can be captivating, and what hockey fan doesn’t love the look of fresh ice?

Enter Gillette. It’s genius.

You’ve got a crowd of about 16,210 – 21,273 in the audience, depending on the arena. And during televised games, you almost always catch a glimpse of the zamboni, adding that audience to your marketing reach as well. Plus, you can bet the commentators will have something to say about the new “Gillette-styled” zamboni.

It’s viral marketing, without the internet.

Not surprising it won an OBIE award for Individual Execution. Well done, Gillette!

— Julie

National Travel and Tourism Week Includes First-Ever U.S. Travel Rally Day

2009-05-12T08:26:00.006-05:00

As two of America’s largest industries, travel and tourism play a critical role in the nation’s economy. According to the U.S. Travel Association, $740 billion was spent by domestic and international travelers in 2007. And an article in The Desert Sun, “Show Valley How Travel Matters at Rally,” reported that, “Travel is among one of the top 10 industries in 49 states in terms of employment, and one of every eight U.S. jobs is created directly or indirectly by travel and tourism.”

The ‘AIG Effect’ was devastating to the travel industry. Then, when the U.S. Government restricted the use of TARP (Troubled Assist Relief Program) funds for meetings and events, it had a far-reaching and crippling effect on the industry. Marriott reported their first quarter was down 35%. The Dept. of Labor reported that nearly 200,000 travel-related jobs were lost in 2008 and they predict that another 247,000 will be lost in 2009 (Source: Meetings Mean Business Newsletter).

In an effort to help turn things around and spark some positive media, the first-ever U.S. Travel Rally Day will be held today, May 12th. With National Travel and Tourism Week May 9-16th, this is the perfect time to bring the industry’s message to both Congress and the Obama Administration.

The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau is planning to hold its rally at 10:30 a.m. on Navy Pier's Lakeview Rooftop. The goal is to help demonstrate the value that travel and tourism bring to Chicago by showcasing the "Faces of Travel." They want to emphasize the human factor of the declining travel and tourism industry.

Per the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, Chicago's visitor industry is directly responsible for more than 130,000 jobs, nearly $650 million in tax revenue and more than $11.5 billion in direct spending. Industry employees—ranging from hotel bellmen and housekeepers to restaurant servers, taxi drivers, food distributors and more—will be represented in uniform and will proudly stand alongside Chicago's travel and tourism leaders for this celebration.

With cities across the U.S. joining together on this very important date to amplify the industry's message, maybe everyone will begin to understand the importance of traveling, both for business and for leisure, to keep our economy going strong.

— Colleen

Worka What?

2009-05-11T08:32:00.000-05:00

To quote Oprah’s first tweet, “I feel very 21st century” as I write my first blog for the company.

And as soon as I’m done with this post, it’s back to job tracking on Workamajig. Yes—you heard me correctly. Celtic has joined the roster of ad agencies that use Workamajig, the leading web-based project management software designed specifically for the creative industry.

Workamajig tracks the job cycle from start to finish. It manages all administrative tasks, including accounting, financial reporting and project scheduling. Employees can review their assigned tasks, fill out creative briefs, monitor their future work loads, and even communicate via Workamajig.

Scary? Nah. Helpful? Definitely.

We’re discovering new and better ways to take full advantage of all Workamajig has to offer. Soon, we’ll have a client portal, a vendor portal, and even more communication opportunities to further increase efficiency for our clients.

Stay tuned for more Workamajig updates in the future.

— Leyla

NBC’s Apprentice isn’t just Entertaining, it’s Educational

2009-05-08T09:16:00.001-05:00

Don’t know if you watch NBC’s Apprentice or not, but after working in marketing, I feel the contestants’ anxiety when new tasks are given.

Last week, the teams had to write a jingle and create a 30-second radio spot for Chicken of the Sea Tuna. Not an impossible task, but tricky because it had to be turned around in 24 hours. Team KOTU was headed by project manager Clint Black, an award-winning country music singer/songwriter and team ATHENA was headed by project manager, Annie Duke, a professional poker player.

Fast forward and you find out that team ATHENA ends up winning. Annie’s quick step jingle hit all the hot spots and met all the objectives with the judges (who actually work for Chicken of the Sea Tuna) while Clint Black’s very talented jingle was a bit too country, neglected to reiterate the brand and not as mass appealing.

Ok, where I am going with this? Here’s what I see as the key message to take away from this. Meet the objectives set forth by the client! You can have the best creative, the best writing, the best photos, the best song, the best jingle, the best talent, but if it doesn’t meet the objectives of the campaign, your best becomes a handshake and a goodbye.

— Liz

Email Continues to be a Valuable Source of Information

2009-05-06T08:57:00.001-05:00

As Mother’s Day approaches, families all over the country are getting ready to honor the leading lady in their lives. And although the day is one of celebration, there’s no mistaking the increased amount of notices on Breast Cancer Awareness that surfaces during this time. The reality is that too many loved ones have breast cancer to overlook fundraising around Mother’s Day.

One of the notices I recently received was an email about the “Proposed Mastectomy Law Change” that Congress is currently voting on. Until this email, I didn’t know anything about the bill. Now, I feel passionately about it.

So what was the email about? Insurance companies are looking to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Which means (if they succeed) that women won’t be able to stay overnight at the hospital to recover from this difficult surgery.

Luckily for women, there's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. Says the surgeon who wrote the email, “It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.”

Lifetime Television began a petition to help support the bill, and to date, there are more than 23 million signatures. The email asked me for mine, and I immediately signed the petition. I know women who have gone through mastectomies, and it’s my job to run the annual Breast Imaging Conference (BIC).

But if I hadn’t gotten that email, I would never have known about this cause.

The internet has made it so much easier to educate people about bills being reviewed by Congress. In the past, people would need to go door-to-door for signatures. Now, you send out a mass email and if you agree with it, you forward it to those on your address list for continued awareness.

We’ll have to wait to see if the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act gets passed, but for now, I’m just grateful to have helped this cause along. There’s still a great deal to be said about the benefits of email marketing. The 23 million signatures are proof.

Thank you email, and have a great Mother’s Day everyone!

— Terri

Our Family Vacation to France, Thanks to the Internet

2009-05-04T09:51:00.001-05:00

How did anybody ever plan a successful vacation before the advent of the internet?

We booked our plane tickets, using frequent flyer miles, online. We found and booked our lodging in both Paris and Normandy online. We found and booked our two-day car tour of D-Day sites online.

And although we purchased and read many hardcover travel books, when it came to the main tourist sites and attractions, we further researched online.

I have to admit I was skeptical. Would the lodging really be as nice as the online pictures? Would our tour guide really know anything about D-Day that we didn’t already know? Would the lines at Versailles really be as long as the websites say? It could have been a disaster…but it wasn’t.

I especially think of how lucky we were in finding our D-Day tour guide. For a sole owner and operator in Britain, he sure has excellent search engine optimization skills. When you Google “private D-Day tour” his website is among the top five to come up. And it isn’t like he’s running a major corporation. According to him, he’s the only “small shop” amid dozens of “tour factories.” In addition, the website has testimonials from prominent Americans. Our guide lived up to his website’s promises and we feel as though we would not have had the same experience if we’d gone with a more high profile and larger tour company.

As for my other concerns, the internet did not let me down. Our lodging was great. And those lines at Versailles, thanks to our internet research, we knew to buy museum passes that enabled us to bypass the crazy lines for a much quicker pass queue.

Ah yes, click et voila! A great vacation.

— Deb

Biting the Bullet with InDesign

2009-05-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

We designers have been faced with a challenge in learning the “not so new anymore” layout program in place of QuarkXpress, namely InDesign. I may be speaking for myself, but I’ve found this quest enthralling in terms of discovering new tricks and shortcuts to the program. Granted, some of us have known the ins and outs of Quark for some time now, and having to re-learn a program that does almost the same thing can be tiresome.

But not only can you learn new and interesting programs from your co-workers, but from printers too and by simply going at it on your own and experimenting.

What I’m trying to communicate is to not get frustrated when new software is thrown at you; there are options out there to help you learn. You can pick up a copy of Classroom in a Book at any Borders or Barnes and Noble bookstore, visit Adobe.com support, or even visit online forums and blogs such as LayersMagazine.com, which has an extensive section on InDesign tutorials and blogs. In the end, with a bit of patience, you’ll find this program is much friendlier and a whole lot easier to use than you originally thought. And this can hold true for other unfamiliar programs you encounter in the workforce as well.

— Aimee

Movie Theaters Thrive in Down Economy

2009-04-29T10:18:00.002-05:00

Could Prove a Great Location for Advertising

During a down economy many companies cut their advertising budgets to save money. With this in mind, advertising agencies are pressed to find the most cost-efficient media channels to provide the best ROI for clients.

Recently, I’ve come across several articles that describe the movie theater industry as “recession-resistant.” Consumers are watching their spending very carefully and avoiding costly leisure activities. In economic uncertainty, movies are still a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment when compared to sporting events, concerts or restaurants. Some publications have argued that the movie industry is a cheap way to escape from the reality of tough economic times.

And while many entertainment industries are feeling the pinch of the economy, according to Media by Numbers (a box-office tracking company), movie theater ticket sales in 2009 are up 17.5%. Entertainment Reporter Jack LeBlanc wrote in the March 19th issue of Daily Reveille, “If attendance continues to increase at the same pace it has for the past six weeks, it would amount to the biggest box-office surge in at least two decades.”

So what does this mean for companies with limited advertising budgets? Through the ability to select specific movie venues, companies can utilize geographically-targeted campaigns. And above all, this proves to be an extremely effective way to break through the clutter in the marketplace by reaching your audience in the captive setting of a movie theater. In the end, because movie attendance is going strong despite the recession, companies can rest assured that their advertisements will continue to be viewed by a wide range of demographics – all who live in the same neighborhood as your business.

— Julie

Meetings and Events Can Provide a Solution to Economic Problems

2009-04-27T08:47:00.005-05:00

Shamed by stories of wealthy corporate executives taking advantage of their situation, U.S. companies canceled an estimated $1 billion worth of conferences and meetings in January and February of 2009. Those in the travel industry are calling this downturn the “AIG effect”, named after the insurance company that was publicly tried in the media for offering large bonuses and perks to company executives despite the company being in financial turmoil.

The current state of the economy has certainly impacted the travel and tourism industry, an industry that is brutally important to a thriving economy. According to the U.S. Travel Association, business travel alone generates $240 billion annually in spending, 2.4 million jobs and $39 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue. The beneficiaries of this economic activity are not just the airline and hotel industries but also restaurants, cleaning staff, travel managers, cab drivers, and others. Their wages support local economies.

It is vitally important that government officials pay close attention to the travel industry in developing a successful economic plan. Successful businesses and associations thrive on the interaction that occurs between colleagues at meetings. Technology will never be able to replace this type of personal experience and it is vital that the tourism industry continues to thrive. Additionally, meetings and events support communities and families around the country.

— Amy

Vendor Appreciation Day

2009-04-24T08:23:00.002-05:00

Every year, usually around St. Patrick’s Day, Celtic invites the clients out for an evening of socializing and hors d’oeuvres. The idea is to spend some time—outside of the workplace—getting to know the people we work with on a daily basis and letting them know that we appreciate their business.

This year, Celtic switched up the annual routine. Instead of inviting the clients, we decided to dedicate the evening to our vendors. Mostly printers, photographers, and direct mailers, who really do a lot to help out our agency.

The gathering, held on March 19, was a huge success. Twenty of our vendors from the Chicagoland area were in attendance. They were surprised that we threw a party in their honor, saying, “No one ever gives us a party, so I was eager to come.”

But they were also grateful and had a great time meeting the rest of the Celtic team.

I’ll be honest with you, when I first heard we were inviting the vendors, I was surprised too. Usually it’s the other way around. But in retrospect, it makes a lot of sense for us to invite them. We rely on them to help us out with our projects—to deliver materials on time and of high quality.

They even give us new business leads. In the end, this party was our way of thanking them, and it was a good time had by all.

— Linda

Digital billboards….

2009-04-22T08:33:00.001-05:00

What a great improvement. Rotate designs, flexible placement, quick turnaround. Love it. No more 30 days lead time for production. No more production cost. No more replacing vinyl if it tears or gets worn. We can now purchase billboards much like broadcast…by day, by week, by month, by day part. Who knew! The outdoor industry has made great strides in the arena with these just-in-time venues. The permanent billboards of the past are bound to stay just that …in the past. The down side…not enough locations!

— Liz

Impact of Social Media on Brands

2009-04-20T08:16:00.002-05:00

If you’ve seen the recent YouTube video of Domino’s employees defacing a sandwich they were making in the restaurant, you can understand the effects of social media on a brand.

Within 24 hours, 760,000 people watched the video, and who knows how many others heard about it by word-of-mouth.

Hopefully, Domino’s nightmare is short-lived.

But what is a company to do in the age of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook?

Take a stand for who you are, make it a belief system in all of your employees and get your message out in a strong, consistent manner.

Whether you like it or not, you are involved in social media. You may need to monitor YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. It’s more crucial today than ever before to stay connected to your market. And in the event that what happened at Dominos should happen at your company, you should be prepared to answer your critics. Perhaps on the same platform the critics are on.

— Al

The Latest PR Move from Lindsay Lohan

2009-04-17T08:55:00.002-05:00

Lindsay Lohan, since losing all credibility as an up-and-coming actress and instead being famous for her personal life perma-drama, has been in serious need of some positive publicity. Fodder for countless jokes and speculation that her career is dead, Lohan must have finally realized how desperate she appears. While her giggle-worthy, spot-on faux dating profile collaboration with funnyordie.com isn’t going to win her any instant industry respect, it at least shows the world that she recognizes the PR mess she’s in. She’s attempting, albeit in a small way, to turn the tables and let people know she’s in on it. Smart publicity move, finally, and kudos to whomever suggested it to her. Now that she’s demonstrated that she can laugh at herself, she needs to shut up, mop up her personal issues and either get back to work or fade from the spotlight.

— Blair

Complacency is the Killer of Creativity

2009-04-15T12:12:00.007-05:00

It’s true. I have found that in economic times like these, complacency has no place in the creative industry. It is imperative to challenge yourself and your work processes in order to better serve your clients. I’ve found myself doing this by reading industry magazines, visiting competitors’ websites, and overall being more inquisitive about the world around me.

One of my most recent observations has to do with the growing role of social media in consumer and b2b marketing strategies. After reading an article in B2B magazine about Twitter, I was prompted to investigate. I instructed everyone in the creative services team to create a Twitter account if they didn’t already have one. The act of participation really forces them to interact with the medium, rather than just read about it. And Celtic’s social media experiment doesn’t stop at Twitter – over the last two months we have reviewed over three new communication platforms.

Though sometimes it’s not easy, learning and examining different methods and motives really helps raise the bar not only for me, but for the clients I serve at Celtic.

Cheers to snooping our noses in social media!

— Danielle

Five Ways To Stand Up in a Down Market

2009-03-03T11:48:00.006-06:00

There is no question that amid major cutbacks in consumer spending, times are tough for businesses, and growing tougher. Newspapers and magazines are full of stories with tips for employees about how to keep their jobs or look for new ones. But what about the psyche of the business owner? How can executives face the challenges of today’s rapidly changing economy? Here are five ways (along with ideas) that can help your company stand up in this down economy.

1. Focus on Loyalty as a Two-Way Street.

Loyalty goes a long way. There’s a Girl Scout song that dates back many generations and goes, “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver but the other’s gold.”

Right now your current customers are your best assets. Even if they are cutting budgets because of the economy, in the long run, their loyalty will help you recover from any economic losses more quickly than if you depend upon new business. This is a great time to align your ties to them with innovative thinking.

So make sure your customers are happy. Prove that you’re a dedicated, reliable, and trustworthy business. Then, when the economy does recover, you not only have loyal customers, but ones that will give “word-of-mouth” referrals to other potential customers.

IDEAS:
Send your customers a strong message of dedication by providing them with a complimentary service or product, and let them know it’s because you appreciate their business. Introduce a “special offer program” giving order discounts, or extend their payment terms to help with their cash flow. Sometimes, even a simple, face-to-face thank you or a special letter of gratitude can go a long way in building loyalty.

2. Become the Category Leader.

When a recession hits, many executives get so caught up in the scramble to save money and stay afloat that they ignore potential long-range marketing opportunities. But this is actually a great time to reflect on your own company and do foundational work, such as brand awareness or repositioning —things that slip through the cracks when business is hectic.

While your competition is slowing down, you can position yourself as an industry leader and gain exposure without the clutter of competitors’ marketing. For example, while suffering from the 2001 recession, Apple reinvented its product line and launched retail stores—becoming hugely successful despite the odds. [1]

By working actively to solidify your image and reach out to a new customer base, you can create opportunities for long-range growth. Although this move is bold, there are things any company can do to build propositions for the future. In the end, you’ll reap the benefits when customers from competing businesses start coming to you, the new category leader.

IDEAS:
Maximize your public relations opportunities with strong industry news and expert opinions. Make sure your online press room is updated and contains the newest information about your company. Review your brand strategy and ensure that you are presenting your company as a leader in the industry. Create a new campaign that breaks you away from the pack and positions your business as the category leader.

3. Work Like You Don’t Need the Money

First spoken by American baseball player Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige this is one of the simplest, most inspiring work quotes of all time. Yet, it can be a difficult theory to embrace given today’s economic times—when you really do need the business. But showing confidence in the company and managing through this difficult economy is more important than ever in order to show that employees’ jobs and the company’s future are secure.

Many organizations have had to downsize to stay stable. With a limited staff, it is more important than ever to keep your employees motivated. Stay connected with your workforce and speak honestly with them about the future of the organization. If you do have to downsize staff, do it quickly and spend time with the remaining employees explaining future strategies for sustaining their jobs. If you can keep them motivated and enjoying their work, they will simply be more productive.

IDEAS:
Engage special brainstorming teams and provide challenges such as how to implement a customer loyalty program or programs to entice new customers. Have a group research your competition and report back on strategies to increase market share.

4. Chase Away the Cobwebs.

Amid major cutbacks in consumer spending, businesses aren’t hesitating to “tighten their belts.” This is a great time to look at expenses and search for opportunities to reduce budgets.

Many service providers are offering special deals to entice new customers. Set aside time to review your contracts and look for ways to save money on overhead. Even expenditures such as paper and travel can be reviewed. The idea is to identify how you can save money in smarter and more reasonable ways. Ultimately, how you spend now will determine how much you save later.

IDEAS:
Check out online meeting sites. These offer great ways to present and discuss ideas with clients without the costs of travel. Contact your financial service providers and ask for a better rate or more cash back. Take a close look at the expenditures in your office and task employees with becoming more paperless or using more energy efficient practices.

5. Stay Tuned to Reality.

During today’s economic uncertainty, no one can predict the future. The best thing to do for your company is keep an eye on the trends and changes in the market. Continually read newspapers, trade magazines, and web articles and be knowledgeable about what those headlines mean for your industry.

There are recession proof industries. For example, in economic hard times, store-bought ice cream sales increase. Since consumers avoid the local ice cream shop, they tend to increase their purchase of grocery store ice cream for their families. See if any of these trends can be an opportunity for your business.

There may also be opportunities with your own customers. They are a great source of knowledge that you can tap. Their needs are constantly shifting in response to the economic pressures. Perhaps they have seen an increase in a particular market or a particular product. In order to sustain your business, you have to be ready to adapt to the changes in their needs.

IDEAS:
Survey your customers either formally or informally. Ask them what they need in this environment. Perhaps they have a product or service idea that you could provide. Review sales and see if there are any industries of opportunity where you can direct your sales team. Even a special marketing program could generate new leads in this market.

— Marlene, founder and President of Celtic Marketing, Inc.

[1] BusinessWeek http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2007/11/how_apple_innov.html