The Spread

When was the last time you stopped and thought about why you were doing something? Cindy Ronzoni coaches others that by answering why they will be able to clearly achieve goals. Continue reading →

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Ford and Zynga partner to present the world’s first social game for a product reveal 

Attending the Los Angeles Auto Show as a member of the press, I thought that I was going to hear an earful about added horsepower, hemi engines and fuel-efficient cars. Never did I imagine I’d be learning about the world’s first social gaming initiative for a product reveal.

FORD AND ZYNGA PARTNER ON PRODUCT LAUNCH

In full disclosure, Ford Motor Corporation through Scott Monty offered me the opportunity to receive a press credential to cover the LA Auto Show.  That offer did indeed impact my desire to cover Ford’s press conference, but, even if I hadn’t been a guest of Ford, I’d cover this story for it’s game changing and absolutely brilliant. Ford is definitely breaking new marketing ground and thinking outside the box in connecting with consumers.

Ford has partnered with Zynga, the world’s largest social gaming developer. What? Yes Ford, one of the largest car manufacturers on the globe has partnered with Zynga’s Words with Friends game (think online Scrabble) to launch the all-new model of the Escape, the company’s newest sport utility vehicle which will arrive next year. This new model includes 11 new exclusive features, including an available hands-free power liftgate that allows quick and easy access to cargo with a kick of the foot.

Just a kick of the foot and your hatch can open! Pretty smart thinking Ford.

Yeah, this stuff is cool…but I can’t get over Ford’s brilliance in understanding the power behind social gaming, which a few years ago was known as casual gaming. According to a survey conducted last February for Popcap Games by Information Services Group, one hundred million people are playing social games and approximately $1 billion in revenue is expected this year. Did you see that figure - over 100 million people play social games.  So, if word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising, Ford is on to something marrying a launch of a product with a social game. What a brilliant move. Bravo Ford.

SOCIAL GAMING IS GOOD PR

I was able to videotape Jim Farley, Ford Motor Co.’s Group Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Service, as he announced the Zynga deal as well as their new reality web component called Escape Routes. Ford is teaming with Emmy award-winning reality producers to create an interactive web series and are going to send out six teams of two in a Ford Escape and imbed a blogger in each car. The teams will be cast and the series should resemble CBS’ “Amazing Race.” To find out more or to learn about local casting calls, visit Escaperoutes.com.

Want to hear about Ford’s social gaming iniatiatives yourself. Check out the video of Jim Farley below from the company’s LA Auto Show Ford press conference.

Carol Ronzoni’s Piece of Art

Breast cancer. I never thought those two words would enter my life. But they did last May when my 83-year-old mom was diagnosed with the disease.  She was one of the nearly 290,000 women in the U.S. who have tumors discovered in their breasts, according to the American Cancer Society.

EARLY DETECTION IS KEY

What causes this disease? There are many factors that are linked to cancer including family history, gene mutations and a women’s reproduction history. I can venture to say that almost everyone reading this article knows someone who has been affected by this disease for it is estimated that one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. One in eight…that’s a number too close to home.

The disease comes in many forms and has a variety of treatments. My mom was extremely fortunate that her lumps were found early in their first stages of cancer.  She initially was brought in for one breast tumor, but in a MRI it was discovered that the cancer was also present in the other.  As a result, she underwent a double mastectomy and is healing well. Thank you or all your prayers who have been a part of this with us. With that, I can’t emphasize the importance of having an annual mammogram for women over 40 or immediately after a lump is discovered. Early detection is key with this particular disease.

This post is dedicated to my greatest hero, my mom, and to every women, child, husband and family affected by this disease. I am sending you my support and encouragement to all those who are dealing with this disease in your household. I am sending you my best wishes and will happily pray for you if you let me know.

NFL AND BREAST AWARENESS - A GREAT CATCH

PINK IS ALWAYS APPROPRIATE

I appreciate all the attention that is drawn to this cancer every October with Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Some companies that doing their part are The NFL who is bringing recognition to the disease by having its teams accessorize in pink; Yoplait for its 13th year is  sponsoring “Save Lids Save Lives,” a campaign donating money to breast cancer outreach programs and Lifetime Network who has produced a TV movie about breast cancer, “5”, in support of bringing more attention to this disease.

The hospital, Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (PIH), who treated my mom planned a special event for breast cancer survivors. The Hospital sponsored a special art show where breast cancer survivors decorated bras to tell the journey of their disease.  My mom participated in this project and it definitely assisted in helping to lift her spirits.

Her particular bra for the “Bra-Vo” contest was as a beautiful as she is…it’s a positive look at the cancer and I wanted to share her story with the world.  My mom does make this world a better place to live…and I hope that her story helps to inspire others.

Here’s my mom’s story.

http://youtu.be/2nYvgRqlpwc?modestbranding=1

Will TV Sets Be Put Out To The Pasture? Flickr Credit: Jonny Baker

“Honey, what’s on YouTube tonight?”

It’s hard to believe that question will soon be asked nightly in homes across the globe, isn’t it? Never in my day did I think another content platform would be born that allowed newcomers with the accessibility of something that normally only was available to those with extensive film pedigrees. But, now Google Inc’s. YouTube video service is taking on Hollywood and people are getting the chance to become mainstream or um webstream producers.

Should it Now be Called HollyTube?

In case you didn’t get a chance to read yesterday’s Wall St. Journal article on this matter, YouTube is investing more than $100 million in cash advances (glad someone has that kind of cash!) to have content produced exclusively for the video service.  One of the first content producers who has signed on is Tony Hawk, the skateboarding wunderkind. According to the article, deals are also being worked out with Warner Bros. and News Corp.’s ShineReveille Studio.

The goal for Google is to go after substancial advertising dollars for this fare. Advertisers in the past had been hesitant to sponsor YouTube videos due to the fact of how low quality they were produced and the content.  By YouTube producing “quality” content and building its own channels, the company hopes to take on the cable and broadcast TV industry.

That Darn Lag

No matter how many channels YouTube implements, the one thing that will absolutely keep me from watching is that darn lag time that I experience almost every time I watch something on YouTube via my computers.  You know what I mean? I can’t stand how it stops and starts as it renders. Ugh!

Now, if they invent something to get that fixed..then I might be in.  And soon may checking my local YouTube listings.

How about you? Will you watch YouTube’s soon to be released channels?

If I asked you to name the top five companies who are marketing leaders would you include Target in that list? I recently was researching the price of an appliance and was soon blown away (in a good way) by Target’s re-design of its website.  Have you seen it lately? It’s hip, relevant, useful, trendsetting and on the mark in so many ways.

A NEWS MAGAZINE LOOK AND FEEL

I must say that as a consumer the look and feel I experience watching Target’s TV commercials and browsing its web are entirely different that the emotions I feel while shopping in its stores. I do have several new Targets (built from scratch) in my neighborhood and although, the store is getting hipper in its wares, I still find the store clunky to navigate and often have to wait long periods of time to check out. However, that’s not what I feel about its website.

Target is a major department store, however, the front page of its website does not convey that fact. Target has re-designed its website to display the appearance of an online news magazine or with that, even a writer’s online portfolio. I love this new layout.

Target provides more space on all of its pages versus the traditional sites that compact products in rows and columns. The company has also designed the site with the first focal point being the top right side of the pages. Experts note that we naturally read like a backward “S” starting at the top right side of web pages.

Here’s a look at Target’s landing page.

Landing Page for Target.com - Online Magazine Re-Design.

As you can see by the screen grab above, each of the three sections give the appearance of a blog with news stories. Let’s take a deeper dive into its layers. Let’s look what happens when we click on Women’s Clothing.

NATURAL CROSS PROMOTION - CALL FOR CONSUMER SHARING 

Brilliant Consumer Sharing Opportunity and Cross Promotion

Clever, clever, clever. What a well thought out website! I’ve included two areas where I particularly am impressed with this website.  Did you see the call to action in the upper right hand image - they want customers to post a picture of their fashion style on Target’s Facebook page and if they do they will get special discounts. I love that engagement and call to action to “like” their page. (I just reviewed Target on Facebook and didn’t see any consumer posts…so perhaps they should highlight that section a bit more.)

Also, did you see that Kellogg’s Special K is an advertiser on its page.  It definitely is the right product for that particular page for what woman doesn’t want to lose a couple of pounds to look better in their clothes?

In addition to a more streamlined website, Target has beefed up its relationships with celebrities and fashion designers. Recently, Target made the news when its site crashed about the announcement of carrying the Missoni line. Customers were mad that the product sold out in minutes, but this was GIANT win-win for Target. Free publicity. New customers and a hip product.

Target is definitely hitting the bullseye and marketers could learn a few new tricks from them.

What do you think?

Charlie is Still Driving His Messaging, But Now in a Good Way Credit: Ian White

Can you “win” too much?

In the case of Charlie Sheen, he’s gulping a tall glass of mea culpa and eating humble pie right now for he’s done just that - except his winning wasn’t that, it was the opposite…losing. And now after not being able to handle being fired from a $1.2 million dollar a week paycheck on CBS’ “Two and a Half Men,” he is trying to mop up after himself and doing a PR about-face.

Do you think Charlie will be able to rebound after his unstable recent past?

I know I don’t need to explain Charlie Sheen’s predicament and what lead him to start his own crisis management. You all are too well aware of his podcasts, tweets, live shows and contentious battles with his former employers, Warner Bros. TV.

However, all of a sudden Sheen has apparently seen the light. I don’t know where and when the light bulb went off and he started realizing that he was a tornado that was destroying everything and everyone in his path. But, I’d glad he did and I’m happy that he’s trying to make amends wherever and whenever possible.

As a PR practitioner, Charlie Sheen has been an amazing case study to follow. From being a train wreck taking his own PR into his own hands last March, to now, publicly pleading for forgiveness, we all can learn from his mistakes. Sheen is on the Good Ship Lollipop PR train doing whatever he can to be self-deprecating about his past and trying to move forward so he can be perceived as a stable employee, father, son and well, human being.

From firing his longtime publicist early last year, he’s now employed one once again.  And although, he was allowed to be a presenter at the Emmys for ratings, you have admit that it was smart strategy to use that platform to publicly apologize and try to save your face. Can you think of another venue that would allow you to be in front of over 12 million viewers in one swoop?

PR WHIRLWIND

The PR profession is alive and well and in full operation with the triad surrounding Sheen. Not only is Sheen trying to stay in the message, publicists for “Two and a Half Men” are trying to keep their message in the trend whirlwind as well. For no matter how you slice it, when Sheen speaks, the media and public listen. When someone from “Two and A Half Men” speaks…they have to speak loader to get noticed if Sheen is not recognized. He is a news magnet.

With that, have you noticed Ashton Kutcher making the rounds to talk shows? Did you see Jon Cryer get a star on the Walk of Fame? CBS’ PR team is on high alert to succeed this year without Sheen.

Who will get the last laugh? Well, if you tuned into Comedy Central’s Roast of Charlie Sheen Monday night  (another perfectly timed appearance), Charlie would tell you he’s already won.

And who could argue that! He’s now allegedly getting a $25 million settlement and doesn’t have a financial worry in the world. However, with this new Charlie we are seeing, he has a conscious and an awareness that his behavior was in poor judgement. I just hope he starts the healing process toward finding that peace that passes all understanding.

Time does heal all wounds…and the viewing public will come around once he consistently proves that he on the stable train to wellness. That’s the best PR he can buy.

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s Charlie’s view from his recent roast.

snakkle: