CiCi's Pizza is here in Los Angeles?

I must say that I'm extremely stoked to do lunch at CiCi's Pizza this week. They are here in LA now and after working on the brand for many years, it will be cool to see them on this side of the country. Go CiCi's. The store is located not too far from LAX in Gardena.
1050 Rosecrans Ave., Gardena, CA 90247

Fresh & Easy Bakery Tour

Fresh & Easy offers great bread from the bakers at Il Forniao.
Brilliant! And what a smart way to show the world how you offer the best ingredients and the best prices. Nice job.

http://www.freshandeasy.com/

HABIT #1: BE PROACTIVE

I couldn't help but post this -- especially since the economy is tanking, people are losing their homes and it's getting harder and harder to find work.

It's time to get hustling out there. So here is the #1 habit from "Highly Effective People".

Be Procative!

“Look at the word responsibility—’response-ability’—the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling.”

Codes. Codes. Everywhere codes.

It won't be long until everything from concert tickets to your driver's license will all be scannable with one funky little barcode. You can show it on your phone, scan it on your phone or tattoo it on your neck. The code will do it all.

Deutsch wins VW ad account

Congrats! This is it! (sorry MJ)
This is the moment that Deutsch was waiting for...
I can't wait to see the results. Will there be a spot called "Anthem" or some awkward/funny dealer moments? You bet. Let the games begin...

The Chevy Volt gets 230 mpg and has a cool logo.

The design team over at Deutsch took a few swings of the bat and game up with some kick ass logos for the new Chevy Volt.
The Volt gets great gas mileage and it doesn't look like a Prius.

I'll take it!

“From the data we’ve seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas,” GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson said in a statement. “EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer.”

Change the way you think about marketing

"Act more like publishers, entertainment companies, or even party planners, than advertisers."

— Guy Kawasaki

http://tiny.cc/mSStd

Let's fix the economy

Don't believe everything you read.
Don't be dragged down by the pessimists and all the crap on the news and in the papers.
Believe what customers are telling you. Be flexible and adjust your strategy for the NEW economy!

$65 Billion just left the building...

Outsell's most recent annual marketing study predicts $65 billion will be siphoned away from traditional advertising channels in 2009 and spent instead on companies' own Web sites and Internet marketing.

Fresh & Easy Launches Microsteamers

I'm pretty stoked about this as I saw the concept for fresh, prepared meals a few years ago when I was working with the Fresh & Easy marketing team on the brand launch. They are using an innovative packaging technology that steams the meal when you put it in the microwave. 

It's pretty cool to see Chef Mike at the Fresh & Easy headquarters, prepping the meals in the test kitchen. Great job. I'm looking forward to this kind of innovation pushing the brand -- and the shopping experience into the spotlight. 

http://tinyurl.com/d89bb9

GORILLA GLUE - FOR THE TOUGHEST JOBS ON PLANET EARTH!

I'm a huge fan of Gorilla Glue -- so I bought some Gorilla Tape. This stuff sticks to anything. I gave my shin a Brazillian wax with a small strip. Ouch. 

Does Anyone Actually Read This Stuff?

Eddie Bauer is hurtin'

When I think of Eddie Bauer, I think hunting, fishing, camping. A nice warm jacket. Some hiking boots. A wool cap. Did you know they sell men's dress shirts and sports coats? They have a wide selection of women's dress clothing -- plus pillows and blankets? No wonder they are having a difficult time. They are not well defined in the marketplace. They carry too many off-brand products... and the stuff they have is pretty dorky. 

Buying tickets for 2010 Olympics is a pain in the...

I am trying to purchase tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. First of all I want to see that crazy Olympic torch in action. Next I'm up for some Canada vs. Russia hockey. Then it's up to Whistler for some snowboarding. But wait. It's a pain in the butt to buy tickets! I'm on the designated site that sells the tickets -- and everything is SOLD OUT!!! What?

More eblasts from every website I ever visited

These new eblasts keep showing up. Every day. New stuff for me to buy. Check out these cool new shoes. How about some concert tickets? How about some patio furniture from CB2? Ahhhhh!

Yes, I  "opted" in at some point. Damn it. I did. but I didn't realize that a waterfall of eblasts would be hitting my friggin email -- everyday, at all hours. Day and night.

Is this what they mean by digital marketing?

I know, I know... all the money is pouring into digital marketing. More banners? More microsites? How about a Facebook application? Cool. What about a desktop widget? A custom blog? A twitter feed? Nice. Okay, so how about a 2-way communication with our consumer? They can check out our eNewsletter, click on something they like and "Pow"... we're having a conversation. Hmmm. Okay. We do have some pretty sweet data on our consumer. The guy likes Air Jordans. Cars. Girls. Music. Islands in the South Pacific. Viagra. 

email blasts galore

Can I afford Lakers tickets? No but...
I keep getting more email blasts from a variety of companies.  Some that I have "opted in" knowingly -- or accidentally. I don't really mind the ones that are reminding me of upcoming events so it's not a SPAM situation. I'm sure I could "opt out" if I really was getting sick of them.

I'm waiting for the Viagra, Weight Loss, Free Laptop ones to sneak into my mailbox. So far they have not. So far so good.

Olympic Torch Looks like a Doobie.

A joint. A spliff. A blunt. A big fatty. Yup... that's right. Leave it to the Canadian Olympic committee to choose a design that appears to be a big fat joint.

I'm really starting to hate the NEW Pepsi logo...

Maybe because it reminds me of the Obama logo -- which was not my favorite but is burned into my brain.

Doesn't it seem ill timed to come out with a major product rebranding right about the same time that Obama blanketed the country with his mark?

Defend Fit City!

I gotta hand it to the creative team at RPA. This Honda FIT microsite is one of the coolest advertainment web games ever. Okay, I know it's probably just a bunch of cool looking graphics on top of an existing game engine. The part that works for me is the incorporation of product attributes that are interwoven throughout the "story" part of the game. All I know is that the FIT is a really dorky little econobox -- and this game makes it seem really cool. Kill the Fuelivores! Save Fit City! Buy a Honda FIT!
http://fit.honda.com/

Everytime I buy milk

I see this really cool logo on the top of the milk cap and I think... hmmm -- did some big branding agency like Landor do this? NO! It was me! And of course the fine account management at Deutsch. Okay... I had some help from Jason and Chip too. Geez.

TGI Friday's account is "on the go"

Okay, so TGI Friday's is moving their $87 million account from Deutsch and I'm guessing that it will ask it's new agency to do something cool -- like the spot Deutsch did a few years back featuring the Scorpian's "Rock you like a Hurricane". And then after that runs... they will go back to slow pan shots of steaming food with the $9.99 over it. Well, at least their using my "to go" logo! 

Facebook and Twitter help Moldava protesters organize

This is what I'm talking about. I have seen so many useless posts on twitter that I was getting ready to boycott it. Let's face it --  most of  the hype was caused by marketers looking for one more way to send us junk mail. 

In Moldava, these tech savvy, water bottle swinging protesters used twitter to get organized against the ruling Communist party. 

check me out on twitter: http://twitter.com/brandman3000

Fresh & Easy offers great value in tough times

The truth is that I am addicted to some of the great stuff at Fresh & Easy. The coffee is unreal -- and about half the price of Starbucks, Peets or Seattle's Best. I'm also a huge fan of the pre-cut, ready to cook squash. Also the boil in the bag rice. Plus, they have the best chicken and beef this side of Whole Foods -- but at a fraction of the cost.

What's old is new again.

Chevy releases the new retro Camaro. Guns n' Roses releases Chinese Democracy. Michael Jackson announces new tour. Britney Spears is alive and well. General Mills announces retro packaging for Honey Nut Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Trix and Lucky Charms.  What's next? Cel phones go back to the big beige brick style? That would be cool! 

New Dentyne Campaign Leverages Social Media

Check out the new Dentyne Campaign. It feels so obvious. So predictable? Yeah, but they got there first. And they did a great job on the execution. Now go twitter about it.

http://www.dentyne.com

The Tropicana Orange Juice Redesign Flipflop

Quick... the bloggers and Twitter geeks don't like the new Tropicana Orange Juice packaging. Let's change it back to the old packaging for fear that our loyal customers will reject us for another brand. 

Can a technical brand also be a fashion brand?

People have always worn sneakers as a fashion statement just as guys with 4x4 trucks have had a preference for pavement. But as our economy shrinks and brands scale back their offerings, can products that fall outside the "core" brand vision survive the scrutiny of the fickle and frugal consumer. 

Will premium brands survive the recession?

I think it's safe to say that people are putting off purchases of everything from new plasma TV sets to new surfboards to new houses, and so on. So which brands are bullet proof if any? Obviously there will be reduced inventories as retailers scale back but there seems to be heavy traffic in the movie theaters and lots of people lining up at Starbucks in the morning.

A recent trip to TJ Maxx proved to be an eye opener as the aisles were packed with bargain hunters snapping up $20 jeans that normally retail for around 4100 at Nordstrom. You've got to wonder where al the Circuit City inventory is going to end up? And will it be discounted enough to get people off the couch and buy a new plasma?

I'm thinking that there might be some other great deals to be had other than foreclosed real estate, trucks with V8 engines and over-priced blue jeans. This is a great opportunity for brands like The Gap and Old Navy to reclaim the middle of the road, down to basics, affordable fashion thrown.

I also think that a lot of over extended brands can get back to their roots and focus on why they were relevant in the first place. Consumers will look for deals, but they will also reward innovation and authenticity.

Stop your Saab-ing

"Today is the beginning of a new chapter in Saab's history," said Jan Ake Jonsson, Saab's managing director.

Whew... good thing I sold my SAAB wagon last year. Well, actually, I traded it on a Cadillac Escalade. If GM keeps heading in this downward spiral, my Escalade might be a bigger headache.

Saab said in a statement that the reorganisation was "the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment".

In a restructuring plan submitted to the US Treasury this week, GM had said it planned to make Saab an independent business by the start of 2010. Yeah. The entire company will be an independent unit unless they close up shop on Pontiac, Saturn, Buick and uhhh... oh yeah: SAAB!

Twitter Abuse!

Hey, I love Twitter just like the next techno geek. But posting every brain fart you have leaves a trail of meaningless dribble that is really not helping people share ideas or information.

Posts like: "I'm waiting to get on the plane at JFK but it's late" make me want to shoot that little blue bird! That one reads like a personal text to your girlfriend. Let's keep it that way.

DIGITAL AND RETAIL COME TOGETHER

IT’S ALL ABOUT INTEGRATION THESE DAYS. Can the web coincide with the retail environment? Can the ad campaign be in synch with an event that also has a web show? Managing this process requires integration of the marketing and creative teams. It also requires an individual who can navigate between the client and the agency without getting bogged down in the minutia and politics often associated with branding campaigns.

Creating meaningful experiences online has always centered on finding interesting ways to weave the product story into a compelling dialogue with the consumer. Brand integration begins with the strategy, advertising, retail and web teams coordinating not only to find the voice of the brand, but the visual threads that help consumers recognize a consistent and coherent personality.

As the web evolves, so does the consumer’s quest for a more complex, networked and personal relationship with a brand. This tribal behavior online helps fuel social networks and spread the viral capacity of a brand, giving it a larger playground than the traditional branding landscape would have allowed. Retailers are finding that their success rests on reinforcing that relationship, allowing consumers to immerse themselves into the product or service.

Surf brands are suffering... duh!

Could this be the death of the mom and pop surf shops? The surf industry has been on a steady growth curve for the past 10 years. With the California mortgage meltdown in full effect, who has money to buy a new board? Watch for consolidation, Chapter 11s and basically crappy news coming from the manufacturers. 

I'm addicted to fresh & easy

Okay -- it's a little funky at first. The wider aisles. The minimalist landscape. The private label products that seem to be very healthy looking -- and cheaper than the other guys. After shopping the store for the past few months, I'm slightly disgusted to walk the aisles of Albertson's.