Social Media + Real Life

I’m fascinated with how social media and real life experiences are mashed together to make up my crazy life.  Sometimes one drives the other, and sometimes they blend in a crazy complex web of connections that you never knew you had. Instead of just geeking out about these stories to my friends, I thought I’d share one with our readers.  And because nothing here can go unnamed, we shall call this a Yaybia Social Media Meets Real Life Bedtime Story!

Last Thursday I was walking through Dinkytown on my way to Blarney’s for happy hour with some of my fellow Yaybies and I stopped mid walk/mid sentence/mid life to stare at these two amazing posters in the SaraCura window.

I freaked out at the fact that I could actually buy such awesome Twin Cities artwork.  I posted the Grain Belt picture to Brightkite (which syncs with Twitter and Facebook) with a quote (So we walked across that Grain Belt bridge into a bright new Minneapolis) from Minneapolis natives, The Hold Steady.

Enter, the social media mix.  Our loyal reader Ben commented on my Facebook status with a link that started it all. Said link brought me to the artist’s (Adam Turman ) web page with the very same Grain Belt poster.  I immediately sent the link to Libby through IM and we drooled over the Minneapolis pop art for a good 15 minutes.  I shared some of the images on Google Reader and set my home and office desktops to the Grain Belt painting . (side note: I don’t even really drink Grain Belt, unless it’s free after Twins games , but love local and the style!)

 As I was taking a breather from work and browsing one of my fave design blogs, there was a post about Minneapolis art and specifically featured Adam Turman! Coincidence or fate? I don’t care, as long as it gets me a wall full of his artwork. Then later this afternoon my friend Tyler comments on the note in Reader saying that he works with Adam and will see him tomorrow morning! What! All this from a window shopping photo that I posted?!

Sometimes we have just real life or just social media connections – but sometimes they mix and lead me to discoveries that I would have probably never found otherwise.  It’s times like these when I fully comprehend the power of social media and how it fits into my life.  If you have any social media/real life stories let us know!

And the origin of this post..

(4:39:32 PM) Erin Lamberty: maybe i'll yaybia an online/offline/social story

(4:39:55 PM) Libby Issendorf: only if it's in bedtime story form

(4:54:43 PM) Libby Issendorf: can you just add that to the end of the yaybia bedtime story "ps cheer on libby and erin in speding freeze 08!"
(4:54:53 PM) Libby Issendorf: "but especially libby"
(4:54:57 PM) Libby Issendorf: "cause you love her more <3"
(4:56:29 PM) Erin Lamberty: you're terrible

Next post :: The Libby and Erin Spending Freeze 08!

Thank You Hubert Humphrey Metrodome

Reasons it's smart for the Metrodome to have non-profit groups staff their concessions:

1. The Dome doesn't have to worry about hiring hundreds of people to pour my MGD and hand me kraut for my Dome Dog every game day.
2. The Dome looks good for supporting local non-profit organizations that need help fundraising.
3. I don't feel so bad about myself for dropping $7 a beer, because I know that a miniscule portion will go toward said organization. Bottoms up!

Real (Estate) Creativity

In a city like Berlin, it is not easy to attract tourists, families and young hipsters at the same time. In particular if you are a home improvement store. So Kudos to Hornbach, a chain for building materials and tools, for being the current talk of the town. Hornbach sponsored the “Haus der Vorstellungen” in the center of the city. Haus means house (see how easy German is) and Vorstellungen translates to imagination, as well as introduction, presentation and performance (okay, okay I take that back).

Before the old house at Torstrasse 166 is gonna be remodeled soon, it is used as a temporary public gallery and experimental space for a number of different artists: In a completely dark apartment visitors can listen to the “sound of the city”. Another one is filled with huge, white balloons and next to that architects rebuilt a stereotypical GDR condo from the 1970s. In an otherwise empty apartment an artist preserved the olfactory history of the rooms (I did not go into the bathroom in that one). One store is covered in maps and post-its and on another one a creepy video installation shows two little girls playing at a graveyard. On the top floor all bathtubs are covered in fur, a giant disco ball hangs from the ceiling and on the weekends one of the top clubs organized free parties there.



It’s all pretty cool. And the coolest thing is that the house is a real forum for creativity and not a Hornbach showroom. I only spotted a small logo on the free magazine and micosite, a mission statement at the entrance and Hornbach’s slogan “There is always something you can do” on the front wall. Hornbach convinced me that they are willing to think outside the box. They are there for you to provide you with the means to realize your ideas - no matter how crazy they might be.

Politics-Infomercial style

And you thought :30 second spots were too long. How do you feel about a 30 minute Obama spot airing on NBC and CBS? Tune in at 8:00pm on Oct 29th to see the action. Thanks AdAge.

No information on the content of this ad has been released. My guesses include a possible telethon to raise money for more buttons (achem I still haven't gotten mine...), a free set of kitchen knives with every Obama vote, or an Obama sponsored sitcom-complete with blatant product placements.

Any other ideas?

Cupcake-a-licious

It's about time for a cupcake post. Few things in life are as sexy and indulgent as cupcakes-so no wonder they pop up in advertising. Check out this saucy piece of work from DDB in New York.

Cupcake shop owners are promoting their shops up the wazoo.
Johnny Cupcakes, based in LA, have a sweet site choc-full of webisodes, t-shirts, events and a blog. Cupcake'n crazies know how to throw down too.

Cupcakes have now taken over the world. Their all up in our television, art, fashion, cities and our streets. And I love it.Cupcakes are taking over the blogosphere as well. Check out some of my fav cupcake blogs.

All Things Cupcake

Cupcakes Take the Cake - they're on Twitter too!

Hello, Cupcake! blog

And while some may think that the cupcake empire has fallen, the craze is not over. Thank God. Life with out cupcakes just isn't a life worth living. If you hang around me long enough, you'll realize I make cupcakes for every occasion (even the debates). So be my best friend.

In the words of Erin: "It's nice you have a hobby…"

Harley Davidson, Dollar Dollar Billz

Price point advertising has traditionally been left to widely consumed items like food (Subway , McDonald’s) and retail discounters (Walmart ) but not anymore. Economy + energy prices = sad day. So why not get a motorcycle, they're better on gas right?



I was told about this ad when it launched a few weeks ago (my coworker’s brother produced it, congrats!).  Loved it then, love it now. Our fellow Minneapolitans over at Carmichael Lynch have put out a new spot for Harley Davidson that puts a new spin on price focused advertising. The creative use of price per pound is prefect considering the number of people that are currently paying more attention to what they’re spending.  Not sure how many of these penny pinchers will be able to part with $10K for a roaring piece of take-that-economic-crisis steel, but here are a few reasons why it’s great for H-D.

• Creative: Bench pressing  a Harley? $18 bucks a pound. Different for H-D, but highly relevant.
  
• Brand: The sense of community that Harley riders have is expressed in the support and excitement that Scott Mendelson (lifter) receives from those cheering him on. Well, the girl slapping him was to pump him up right?!
  
• Web: The Dark Custom website features all the bad asses like Scott with RAW footage. Visitors can view all the Dark Custom bikes. Nothing overboard, just true Harley. 

Harley riders are tough, together, and proud of their bikes.  Even non-riders can appreciate the twist on pricing.  But hey, I do look pretty intense when all geared up in my aunt/uncle’s old gear when they take me to Bike Night at Harley bars in NC!

Further Evidence That J-School Is Amazing

Remember how we told you that John Eighmey was awesome? Turns out he, as part of a 5-person team at Y&R, named Advil.

AWESOME.

(via Lamberty via Alicia)

Vitamin Water called, they want their brand back.

If you are an old reader, you'd remember that all of us ladies here at Yaybia LOVE vitamin water. So I'm flipping through Allure Magazine last week, and I find this ad:


Woah brand extension? Vitamin Water making shampoo? Cool, does that mean my hair can smell like DragonFruit??? Double check - no mention of Vitamin Water, just vitaminshampoo. So I check out the website: www.vitaminshampoo.com, and look what I find:


Completely different packaging!! Fail? I think so. Check the "in the press link!" What do we find there? Examples of their magazine ads. And what do they look like?

Well, that is the issue I was in, and that certainly isn't the ad that I found. So what happened? I can't find any news in quickly poking around online, but it appears that someone copied the Vitamin Water design, it got printed, someone from Vitamin Water freaked out, and the packaging got redesigned.

Leave a comment if you know anything!

Very very interesting...

Puttin' on my Mail Goggles

Google- creepy though your power may be, you are my hero. What some are considering to be a hoax (it's not), Google has announced Mail Goggles!

Mail Goggles
A series of simple math questions required to be answered properly before sending any e-mail messages in case you are in an "altered state of mind"

AKA, Google's way of making sure you don't send that drunken tearful e-mail to your ex, or that seemingly sexy, slurred love note meant for your boyfriend to your dad.

The default setting activates this feature late nights and weekends, but for those who prefer inebriation at more unconventional times, you can set the feature to activate whenever you want. To activate it in Gmail, go to Settings, then Labs.

I see at least 1 potential problem:
If I can send immaculate, grammatical correct texts to my mom while wasted in a dark bar, then I can probably answer 4x3=? over e-mail. However, that pause necessary to answer those questions may cause me to think twice before sending.

But, I don't care. I think it's fun. There must be more information out there regarding this tool out there, but alas work calls. What do ya'll think?

CNN = Politics, Yaybia = Ideas

With only 27 days left until one of the most important elections ever, more people than ever are tuning in for their daily dose of politico. I too have given more time to my channel of choice, CNN. The more I watched the more I began to notice how well CNN has positioned themselves as THE place for politics. CNN = Politics. Their advertisements, blogs, and podcasts boast this online and on air the corners of the screen are graced with the CNN = Politics 97.6% of the time.

I think CNN has done a fantastic job of being the place for politics. Campbell Brown rocks Election Center , Anderson takes his 360 look at politics, and Larry King invites celebs and politicians to the show to voice their opinions about the election. Everything about their programming is tied back to CNN = Politics. It’s consistent, credible, and c’mon, they have Anderson Cooper!

But what about after the election? Will people think of CNN as their place for news after the elections are done? Sure, politics never go away, but how many people use CNN as their default news station? I think that CNN will either keep the viewers that have become comfortable with the network in the past few weeks or they will lose a significant share because they will lose their main source of content. What do you think?

Thank You Twins Mobile Alerts

The MN Twins are done.  It's been a sad time but I still love my team.  I also love what MLB has done with their mobile website/text alerts.  I cancelled my subscription immediately after the season ending loss, but I actually had the option!  So many text ads/games/promos don't give you the chance to opt out (even mid way through the $4 per month subscription) whenever I want to. 

So the next Yaybia Brand Thank You Note goes to MLB/MN Twins for giving me real time game updates and letting me control the text messages that I get.  2009, boys.  Let's do this!

Obit for a summer spot

This commercial made me cry every time I saw it. With this tear-jerking spot the Deutsche Telekom, Germany's biggest telecommunications corporation, introduced its new company-wide line "Experience what connects (us)". The copy translates: "Life presents us with extraordinary moments. How wonderful that we can share them with others."

I loved the original Paul Potts video. I forwarded it to many of my friends and watched it all over again and again myself. Perhaps I even cried once or twice. And then came the Telekom and ruined it all forever. I just don't see the "connection."

Maybe it’s because all summer long the really long spot bombarded me during every commercial break on every channel, before every movie I watched in theaters and even online (oh yes, singing banner ads). Your very own special moment – 20 times a day. That heavy rotation could have killed it even if I would have loved it in the beginning.

Maybe it’s because I didn’t like the timing. Paul Potts’ “Britain’s Got Talent” performance was back in June 2007 and his video became a youtube hit shortly afterwards. Somebody at Telekom should have listened to Nessun dorma (Italian for “None shall sleep”) much sooner. Besides, the spot always felt more like Christmas to me - too much opera and emotions for hot summer days.

Maybe it’s because the Telekom tried too hard to create a “real” Lady-Di(e) moment - everybody in Germany remembers what they did when they heard that Princess Diana was killed in a car accident. Many also remember what they felt when they first saw Paul Potts on “Germany’s Got Talent”. Oh no, wait… So, I wonder are all those people in the spot British? It’s kinda like if AT&T would air a Superbowl spot with Herbert Grönemeyer. See!

So us Germans either knew Paul from youtube - but then the whole clip with background story, uncut aria and real tears was much more moving then the commercial. Or we have not heard about that chubby, Welsh guy before...but without the Cinderella story, there is not much of a story. Thankfully, the Telekom presented us with a number of deeply-stirred people so even the dumbest Kraut must have realized that it’s time to be moved. You know, we are an uncaring people, so you better not trust us when it comes to feelings and all that crap.

But probably I don't like the spot because sweet emotions and the Telekom don’t fit. They supply wires and contracts, not content and contacts. The former state-owned company is notorious for its bad customer service and high prices, and recently it had to face a number of serious scandals. Hence their effort to improve their image. The question is: Would I like the commercial if it was for a likeable brand? Or are real-life wonder and authentic magic simply too big to be pocketed by any brand?

Undoubtedly the spot worked great. For Paul Potts at least - his album became an instant top hit in Germany. And the highjacked viral spot became a viral itself. For days, the blogosphere talked about nothing else –with mixed results. Even I love one thing about the spot: The fact that a crappy telecommunications company tries to improve its image with a guy who obviously was NOT very happy selling mobile phones!

Land of ideas

Yaybies and Gentlemen, I am back. Not for real unfortunately, but with a vengeance.

For various reasons, mostly this and that, I have been silent for quite a while. Sadly, I can't sit and scrabble and sip with you on a regular basis anymore. And I can't realize the national ad trends and analyze the local ad scene with you, either. Thankfully, yaybia helps me not to lose my connection to all of that. On the other hand, I felt that I lost my privilege to contribute to it.

But today is Reunification Day, my friends! I take Germany's national holiday as a reason to not just read but write again. In honor of my country's age of consent (18 years ago, two officially became one again), I figured it would be time to return to that country as well. Not only physically but mentally, too. Every decent blog should have its own foreign correspondent, right? Expect the best and and the worst, the funniest and the weirdest, the outdoorsiest and onlinest. And the smoothest English natürlich. I will try to present you the most interesting ideas, campaigns and brands from my top-brand state.

According to the recently published Nation Brands Index by GfK Roper Custom Research and Simon Anholt, Germany is a top notch brand among its fellow countries. What an impressive comeback! I take that as a commitment and incentive at the same time. Welcome to Germany, the "Land of Ideas" and serious, beautiful and smart girls in advertising.

Don't Vote

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Back When the Internet Was Crap: Google 2001

Libby existed, barely. Other Yaybies did not. Sadly, no page on the entire Internet knew what Yaybia was. Google's blast from the past to celebrate their 10th birthday is only available for a few more weeks, so Google your favorite cultural phenomena while you still can!

My picks: 9/11, Barack Obama, Miley Cyrus, the company you work for...seriously, don't try this unless you have at least an hour to kill, because it's addicting.

Oh yeah, and Gov. Sarah Palin? She had been mayor of Wasilla for five years at this point, but Google didn't give two shits. Interesting.

Ad Week Ads

Alright so I'm a week late to the party, or well, no I wasn't invited to any Ad Week parties.  Minneapolis should have had their own celebration!  Anyways, I was flipping through my OMMA Ad Week mag and found some ads that made me smile. Check it.

Ypulse Advisory Board: Libby's Bio!

So Libby has a knack for showing the rest of us Yaybies up by doing sweet things like bein' on the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board.  Read her bio and the others here.  I'm just surprised "creepin' out in Erin's basement lair" or "singing Livin' on a Prayer" wasn't on the list. Congrats Lib!

She's rockin' the Ypulse Twitter account (go follow !) and stay tuned to Ypulse.com for more exciting info from the land of Gen Y.

Thx Caribou, Free Drink Yesplz

My third Brand Thank You Note goes to Caribou Coffee.  On Sunday morning my inbox was graced with the presence of a birthday wish and reminder to get my free drink at Caribou this week! Not only was I excited that my birthday was only a week away, but that Caribou treated my email address with respect.  I didn't even remember until now that I had given my email address to Caribou, but they can keep it as long as they continue to use it wisely.

So thanks Caribou for not spamming the hell out of my email and giving me a solid reason to stop by one of the shops for a b-day drink.  I'll probably be reminded of how much I love the pumpkin lattes.  A win for both of us!

Fail Monday: Banner Ad Fail

Context FAIL

New York Times: "McCain Seeks to Delay First Debate Amid Financial Crisis" flanked by FIRST DEBATE FRIDAY NIGHT! CNN banners. Granted, this is breaking news. But somebody on the CNN media planning team needs to have their servers hold off on those for a hot minute.

Radiohead: Rainbows and Remixes (and Vote for a Friend of Yaybia!)

Last year, Radiohead shook up the music industry by releasing In Rainbows as a pay-what-you-want digital download. Less established artists had already tried this format with some success, but it was the first time a band with a household name had bucked the distribution system. Though the financial success was debated, they definitely scored points for their brand. Loyal fans "donated," if you will, more than they would have paid in a store; first-time listeners skipped payment and sampled a new band, and Radiohead came off as a band that cared more about getting music to their fans than raking in profits.

Radiohead continued their fan-centric approach by asking fans to submit remixes of two of their songs, Nude and Reckoner. They've even made individual tracks of each instrument available to download on iTunes (for $1 each with Nude, $1 total with Reckoner) so that those without mixing experience can still fire up Garage Band and get in the game.

Loyal Yaybia reader t1dogg1 was personally contacted by Radiohead to remix Reckoner before the competition was made public. Please head over to the website and vote up his mix...and a big thanks to him for pointing Yaybia in the direction of this promotion!

Thanks But No Thanks, Ikea

So I was flipping through the 2009 Ikea catalog last month and saw their text-in treasure hunt game. Giving it a try, I texted in my responses to their painfully self-promoting questions. ("The RAMBURG bed frame on p. 98 is a) stylish b) easy to match with other pieces c) affordable d) ALL OF THE ABOVE!") I didn't win $100, but I engaged with the brand for a good 10 minutes and only exchanged about 10 total texts doing so. Success.

Fast forward a month, and my phone lights up with this:


My feelings: mixed. It's great that Ikea is approaching me with a chance to win cash moneys, but I thought I was done with the Find It Sweepstakes. And I am sure as hell not going to opt in to Ikea text messages. My beloved Twins alerts keep my inbox full, and I resent that Ikea didn't explicitly ask whether they could send me additional texts after the contest was over. This is why I rarely text for offers from any brand--I'm scared they'll start sending me more messages than E. Lam on Beer Friday (love you Ern).

When brands use your phone number against you, does it make you think twice about texting for any offer?

Is it stolen yet?

The folks at Wieden + Kennedy just took sports billboards to a new level. Their work for ESPN features astro-turf mats promoting Monday night football in bus shelters and along city walls in six major metropolitan areas.

In my opinion, the billboards are clever and engaging, but that's not the point. People are jacking them at an alarming rate. In just seven days, nearly 10% of the mats were lifted in NYC. And not just in the Big Apple. Thefts also occurred in Boston (3), Chicago (6), San Francisco (2), and Washington D.C. (5). And this is no small undertaking. Some of the mats are 72"H x 96"W in size.

So now ESPN is halting the re-installation of the stolen billboards. So here's my question: Could encouraging fans to take your advertising just be a genius PR stunt?


Here are my points:
-If they wanted to bolt those suckers down they would have
-If they didn't want people to touch and interact with them they would not have put them at street level
-What are they really losing? Both ESPN and WK are getting positive press from this

And even if ESPN is a innocent victim in all of this. Maybe there is a lesson for all of us.

fail number...what are we up to? 4?

Ladies and gentleman, we have a theme of the day here at Yaybia. It is "Fail Monday." Looks like something went wrong with this banner ad. In fact, I can't even click on it!


Note to banner hosting sites and advertisers: keep an eye on your stuff. Fortunately this one doesn't tell us who the company is or who the host is, but it is a pretty big fail.

The (Online) Tipping Point Part Two

A few weeks ago I tackled the first couple chapters of The Tipping Point and merged what I was reading to what I was absorbing online. I finally had time to knock out another hundred pages this weekend and here are some of my thoughts regarding The (Online) Tipping Point: Mavens. 

Mavens, as defined in the book, are information specialists.  They are people that we can rely on to connect us with new information about their specialty.  They know their specialty inside and out and are eager to share it with others.  Online mavens are much easier to identify than connectors and salesmen.  They are the bloggers, the social bookmarking obsessed, and the shared friends on Google Reader.

Bloggers: These mavens often collaborate with other mavens on the same topic to share their thoughts and insights with their readers.  We turn to our favorite bloggers because we trust their content, even if we have never met them.

Bookmarkers:  These mavens have built a tag cloud of specialty information from the sites that they visit regularly.  Labeling their specialty sites with keyword tags allows others to see which topics they are most familiar with. While social bookmarking sites are becoming more fragmented, the die hard users that are mavens are easy to spot.

Google Readers: I have about 15 people in my Google Reader shared feed.  I'm sure many of you do the same or have a similar RSS sharing application.  After a while, you'll begin to see that certain friends become notorious for sharing the most and best articles related to their specialty. Libby is the first to share the latest LOLcats (oh and media news!), Lindsay and Tyler know more about fashion than my brain can comprehend, and Lauren does her photo thing.  These are all off line specialties also, but they are amplified online.

Unlike connectors and salesmen, I think it's definitely possible to become a maven online but not in real life.  Someone could read every single blog/article about Twins Helmet Sundaes and make social connections and share their specialty information.  Their ability to spread their information would be limited though because of their lack of experience at being a maven off line.

Next up: Salesman and Stickiness. Hang in there. Or sit, that's cool too.

Facebook Fail 2: With a Vengeance!

I'm jumping on the Fail-Train. Woot Woot!

As one of the largest aggregators of personal information, Facebook's ad-targeting capabilities should be second-to-none, or at least top 3. Sometimes, however, I am served an ad that just does not make sense (since when have I spoken Arabic, or whatever language that is?):

facebook fail

On my previous note of failing:




I haven't quite figured this one out - but it has happened to me many times. So you log in, and suddenly you get a redirect sending you to some other website. Now mind you, none of these are major websites, but if we are going to look at this from a marketing point of view: your annoying site just hacked my facebook experience. i will never go to your site.

epic fail

Epic fail:



I feel like I see one of these a few times a year...a completely inconvenient placement of an ad in a magazine. But sometimes it goes the other way - there is an article about teen pregnancy and an ad for birth control, or an article recommending various beauty products, and next to it a makeup ad. So if you can specifically request to have your ad placed somewhere, and someone checks that the request is met...why doesn't anyone catch something like this?

This is compliments of failblog.org. Great blog!

And Thank You Yaybia Readers!

The Yaybia Brands in Action Contest beer drinking celebration was a success! Thanks again to everyone who participated, it was good fun. Keep your eyes out for the next Yaybia Brands in ____ Contest!

iTunes Genius Sidebar: True To Its Name

Double dose of Yaybia's Brand Thank You Note series!  I didn't get a chance to dive in to the new iTunes features until this weekend and good thing I waited until I had time to kill because I definitely spent a good hour sifting through the new suggested tunes.  But then again, maybe I should have cut my time short since it's so easy to rack up a bill with one click buying!

Why does Apple get a thank you for the iTunes Genius feature? Well one, it is genius. It's easier than ever to complete an album, find rare EP tracks, and grab new music from preferred genres.  I beleive in the time vs. money argument and will gladly pay 99 cents for a track that I would have spent a half an hour finding on the interwebs for free.  I also like new music and so far Genius has been serving up great suggestions and remixing my playlists with a new twist.  So thank you Apple and your iTunes Genius Sidebar for making it easy for me to expand my music library with just a single click!

No, Thank YOU HP!

This is going to be the start of a series I think I'll call Yaybia's Brand Thank You Note Series.  Today you get two installments, but don't think you'll always be that lucky because this series depends on brands that are doin' it right.  This will involve services/products/activities that make it hard not to like the brand. 

I had to pick up new ink cartriges today and it's a purchase I always dread. It's normally expensive and I seem to always get ink on my hands.  At least I had Danielle with to offer some moral support. But when I got home, I was met with a pleasant surprise when I opened the two-inch $18 box. A free mail in recycling option! HP has made it easy for me to send in my old cartridge for them to reuse at no extra cost to me. I quickly lost all bad feelings about this purchase and gladly wrapped up my old cartridge to make the voyage back to HP.  Now this isn't the perfect recycling situation, I could have gone to Office Max but that woud require more gas as well.  But at least HP is doing something to make it easy for their customers to recycle.  So thank you HP, yer doin' it right.

Brands in Action: Beer Winners!

Alright Yaybies, the results are in!  We really appreciate everyone’s participation and involvement with this idea.  It’s been fun reading the responses and hope you enjoyed them as well.

So here’s the deal, I’m going to categorize my favorites and rank them but since people actually competed in the Brands in Action contest, I think you’re all winners.  I know that’s super cheesy and lame but you can’t even make fun of me because I’m going to buy you all beer!

For those who played, and those who want to come drink beer with us, at 5pm today I’m going to walk down for my office to Grumpy’s on Washington and purchase pitchers of beer.  Yay beer!

Most Legitimate Entrants:

1. Xerox.  As in, go Xerox that paper on your Canon printer/copier. Congrats Ben Miller!
   
2. FedEx.  As in, I gotta ship this fast so I’ll FedEx it. Or is that really Priority Mail? Congrats J9!
   
3. Rollerblading.  As in, I’ve got these awesome IN LINE SKATES but I’m Rollerblading. Congrats Alicia!
   
4. Jetski. In a quote from J9: “As in, "Let's go Jetskiing, but, oh wait, you own a POS Yamaha."
   
5. Febreeze. As in, I’m gonna use this Target brand air freshner to Febreeze the basement.” Congrats Boozan!
   
6. Mace’d. As in, "I protested the RNC and got my ass MACED!"
   
7. ‘bookin it. As in, I’m stalking people on Facebook. Congrats Lindsay!
   
8. Wiki it.  As in, I have no idea why I’m so hungover from the beer that Erin bought, I’ll look it up on Wikipedia.  Congrats Jacey!
   

Favorite Brand Variations

1. crAppetizers.  Half price apps at crApplebees! Congrats Libby!
   
2. I’m hungry like Hungry Hungry Hippos. Congrats Johnny Bones!
   

Notable/ LOL Worthy

1. AOL it. As in I had this awesome product but AOL bought it and now it’s tanking. Thanks Jacey!
   
2. Dumpster Diving. Didn’t know Dumpster was a brand! Thanks again Ben.
   

And of course, variations on Yaybia. Oh did you see those new billboards? I’ll have to Yaybia it. Hey did what are you doin? Oh I’m just Yaybia-ing.

So there you go! The first ever Yaybia Brands in Action contest was a success, now get to Grumpy’s at 5pm so I can buy you beer!

Microsoft Defines Themselves: You Heard It Here First!

Remember my gripes about Microsoft letting Apple continue to define them as the bumbling, bland, old PC? Turns out CP+B had a plan to combat that image all along. The New York Times has reported that the next round of ads will directly battle the "I'm a PC" tagline, going so far as to find a John Hodgman lookalike to complain that he's been stereotyped.

Y'think?

Reportedly, the campaign's new twist involves real Microsoft users talking about the pride they take in their machines and the work they produce with them. Okay, fine. I guess I need to see the spots first, because there's still something missing for me. At least they're actively countering the identity their competitor has carved for them. No brand should ever be content in letting their image come from their competitors. Even if it starts in an us-them comparison, the attacked brand (Microsoft) needs to spin it in their favor ASAP, or even use it to target a group of people who will appreciate that trait.

(Kind of reminds me of the Presidential campaign. As soon as McCain whispers "inexperience," Barack spins it into "change," and so on...)

New Microsoft campaign is scheduled to begin today. Keep your eyes peeled, yaybies!

Target Field: Minneapolis Take Over?

Question:  Can you dilute your brand by giving/sponsoring too much?

Situation:  The new MN Twins stadium will be called Target Field.

Why Bring This Up:  Target Field (and Target Plaza) will be exactly one block from the Target Center.  While many Minneapolitans love Target, we’ve also voiced concerns over mega-Minneapolis companies like Northwest (or NorthWORST, good luck Delta).  Could this be more bulls-eye than our bodies have room for?

Charitable giving is part of Target’s differentiation strategy and they also are big fans of the arts and sponsor free nights/days at The Walker and MoMA.  But if the Target brand overruns Minneapolis, can it take away from brand strength?  I’m going to Target Center, or wait, was it at Target Field?  Or are we going to start referring to the entire warehouse district as the Target District?

Other top MN companies that would've been nice to see: Land O’ Lakes, Medtronic, General Mills, or Best Buy

I'm feeling OK about the Target Field decision right now, but it definitely has had me thinking.  People are talking have have mixed ideas about the name. What do you think?

Brands in Action for Beer!

The Brands in Action (y'know like verbs!) contest is heating up.  In case you haven't been feverishly checking the comments to see how your brands are stackin' up to the competition, here are the contestants so far.

Winners, consolation prizes, finalists, LOL worthy entrants will be posted early Friday afternoon so stay tuned!

I started with:

1. I TBS’d It – watching the second half of a movie on TBS and then watching the first half when they replay it immediately after.
   
2. Just Google It – searching for any information online.
   
3. Mapquest it First – Number of people using Mapquest: approx 7.  Number of people saying Mapquest when they are really using Google Maps: approx 7 million.
   
4. I watched it on TIVO – Did you really? Or are you watching it on your DVR? That’s what I thought.

And these have been rolling in. Listed in by post time, not order of winning potential. 

FedEx it. As in, "I forgot about sending this package so I FedEx-ed it last minute."

Ikea-ing. As in, "Let's go Ikea-ing and buy crap we don't really need."

"I'm BRing til 4." Meaning I'm working at Banana Republic until 4pm.

"Just book me." aka "Just Facebook me."

iTunes it. As in, I'm going to go and iTunes Season 2 of Burn Notice."

Facebook me- AKA sit in front of your computer for hours and look at my pics dating back to frosh year.

MySpace me- Same as facebook but creepier. And you have to be either 13 or 43, (preferably male).

"BIC"ing (shaving one's head with a Bic razor) as in "I bic'd my head last week and now I look like an alien."

 "Wii"ing (playing on the Wii) as in "Dude, you should see me wii... I am, like, a SUPERSTAR bowler."

"Gucchi"ing (dressing up ridiculously more classy than you will ever actually be) as in "She was all gucchied up, thinkin' she was aaaaaall that and shit. Bitch."

"Yahoo!"ing (being dumb enough to search online via yahoo.com) as in "I'm a dumb ass and haven't discovered Google yet, so I yahoo!ed in."

"Skype"ing (video chatting online via Skype) as in "I like to pretend to have a long distance relationship, so I skype him instead of call him."

"Digg"ing (posting something on the website, Digg) as in, "That Palin/Fey SNL skit? Oh yeah- I dugg that."

"Yaybia"ing (to post on Yaybia) as in "OMG did you SEE those billboards? I MUST yaybia those!"

Mace"ing (pepper spraying someone) as in "I protested the RNC and got my ass MACED!"

"Rollerblade"ing (inline skating) as in, "So, I was rollerblading down the street one day and some little punk threw a stick in my path and I wiped the (expletive) out!"

So maybe this isn't exactly a legal entry, but how about "crAppetizers"? If I suggest getting crappetizers, we all know I mean peach sangrias and nachos from (cr)Applebee's.

Jetsking. As in, "Let's go Jetskiing, but, oh wait, you own a POS Yamaha."

"Xerox," though I haven't heard anyone use it for a while

In the UK, "Hoover" sometimes stands in for "vacuum"

"Dumpster-diving" technically fits the bill, even if 'dumpster' has become pretty generic

Ok guys, keep your brains ticking before I cloud it with the beer I will buy you!

BFF! Now give me my discount

I understand wanting to create a simple discount fun , like popping a balloon in-store to see what discount you get. But, I don't know what to make of Old Navy's BFF Sale, September 19-21. Shoppers are supposed to bring a friend with them and say "BFF" at the counter to obtain the 20% discount. If they so choose to shop online, they can type in the BFF promo code at check out.If I say BFF, do I still get the discount? How will their in-store advertising be on this weekend? Is this going to be like the Starbuck's short coffee, and Old Navy goers will need to be in on the secret ahead of time? Even though it is wide-spread that Starbucks offers a short, how many people actually order it? And how many people will skip up to the Old Navy lines holding a friends hand and saying "BFF"?
I am always wary of sales that force a customer to do something out of the ordinary. It weeds out those who are easily embarrassed (it could be a hoax, or the wrong day, or this may not be a participating location- what if the cashier thinks I'm weird). It also leaves out those who don't know about the sale ahead of time (Oh no, I didn't bring a friend).
Perhaps I am being to harsh on Old Navy. This promo makes their sale stand out because it is not just 20% all items. However, I think it provides the opportunity (like many of these types of sales do) for many to miss out on the savings.

I'm not smart enough to drink coffee at Starbucks

So maybe this response is a little delayed, but what is up with those McDonald coffee commercials?I can appreciate differentiating yourself from the Goliath of Starbucks and maybe a little Mac vs. PC poking fun, but this is a war of the cultures. In the left hand corner we have the ELITES, who are up against THE EVERYDAY JOE. In one ad a woman says, "I don't know where Paraguay is!" to another woman. The two of them take joy in the fact that they no longer have to fake their intelligence because they can just drink their coffee like simple people under the glare of the golden arches. (Author side note: I do know where Paraguay is, so obviously I am above you!)

Unlike all of the other blog posts I've read about McDonald's new take on lattes I'm going to bite my liberal tongue and argue that these MikeyD commercials are a stroke of brilliance.

Wal-Mart Nation: Like it or not kids, we live in a Wal-Mart nation. This type of Sarah Palin "I'm just a simple American" attitude is very popular. Take it from Gretchen Wilson's hit single Red Neck Woman, which reached #22 in the Billboard Top 100. Or the fact that NASCAR has 75 million fans and has just become the 2nd most popular spectator sport.

So to the people of Wal-Mart nation, Starbuck drinkers seem like elitist know-it-alls, and McDonald's just gives them a place to fulfill their caffeine high for the comfortable price of $1.79. Plus, there is no better way to gain loyal followers than making fun of the other side. Think Burger King.

Why Starbucks anyways? It makes us all re-examine why we are paying bank for a beverage that costs 42 cents to make. Someone had to draw attention to this madness eventually. I mean, S-bucks isn't even organic.

Why didn't I think of this? Let's attack Starbucks for selling elitist lattes and then turn around and sell the exact same thing to a different group of people. Pretty much they are just surviving off the coffee culture Starbucks created in the first place. Without Starbuck's lead there would be little want for a McCafe. Genius. The devils sort of genius.

There's a catch. Are customers going to exchange their comfy chairs at Starbucks to the bolted down tables of McDonalds? If someone is unhappy with Starbucks don't you think they would try Dunn Brothers or Caribou first? But maybe that's not the point. Maybe the point is that jazz playing coffee shops are not your only options for caramel lattes.

All I have to say is God Bless America

Brands in Action (y’know, like verbs!)

Happy Friday! How ‘bout a contest, yeah?  Hokay So, I’m going to list my favorite brands that have been used as verbs.  Then, in the comments you’ll list your faves.  Those of you that have the most/best/interesting brand verbs will be awarded with a beer (and or other happy hour beverage of choice) paid for by yours truly. Said contest will run from now (Friday September 12th at 5:24pm until next Friday the 19th at the time that I start drinking (usually 3pm-ish).  If you are participating from outside of Minneapolis (which I hope you are!) we’ll work it out ok.  IOUs, send your friend a drink, FedEx?  It’ll happen I swear.

Here goes, Erin’s Faves:

1. I TBS’d It – watching the second half of a movie on TBS and then watching the first half when they replay it immediately after.
   
2. Just Google It – searching for any information online.
   
3. Mapquest it First – Number of people using Mapquest: approx 7.  Number of people saying Mapquest when they are really using Google Maps: approx 7 million.
   
4. I watched it on TIVO – Did you really? Or are you watching it on your DVR? That’s what I thought.

Ok ready break!

*Honorable mentions are available for brand name/tag line integration. Example: At the cabin my dad took me and Libby to a bar called What the Heck.  Before getting out of the car he turns to us and says, “Wisconsin, more bars in more places.”  But no, I will not be buying him beers, only you!

Unfinished Projects

Cool Lowe's billboard at 9th St S & 4th Ave in Minneapolis. Copy: "Unfinished projects?"

unfortunately...

i think we can all relate. professional and personally.

Kevin Swanepoel Lecture

Kevin Swanepoel, the president of The One Club, graced us Minneapolitans tonight with a series of great work done for The One Show, as well a mini-lecture about "The User Revolution and the Creative Evolution." (I got to meet him. He has an awesome accent. Don't be too jealous ladies...)

Quick summary of the lecture for those who were unable to run on over to MCAD to see him speak:
The User Revolution (which consists of
1. Emergence of "Communitainment" [Community+Entertainment]
2. Growth of User Generated Sites
3. Mainstreaming of the Internet
4. Declining usage of tradition media and
5. Fragmentation of content consumption)
has led to a need for a Creative Evolution in our industry. (I think we Yaybies are already hip to that jive, but I'm just summarizing.) The Creative Evolution that he talked about was one that strays from the traditional advertising formats. However, he warns: even newer forms of advertising still need proper copywriters, art directors, producers, and all of the other talents that come from traditional backgrounds, so DON'T FRET MY FRIENDS!

Kevin also said that in order to be successful as a Creative in this modern world of advertising, you must answer "yes" to all of the following questions:
1. Do you own an XBOX, Wii, PlayStation, etc.?
2. Do you hold a MySpace/Facebook account?
3. Do you own a website?
4. Do you write (or contribute to) a blog?
5. Do you subscribe to any RSS feeds?
6. Do you know what an RSS feed IS?
7. Do you post your creative online?
8. Have you ever created a video or podcast and posted it on YouTube?
9. Do you have a Twitter account?

According to Kevin, however, don't throw in the towel just yet if you haven't conquered all of the points on the list... there's always time to quickly whip up a podcast of how you plan on taking over Hollywood as the next Miley Cyrus! But seriously, knowing how to interact with a variety of digital/technological devices and sites makes you a better advertiser. (Does this mean I can beg my mom for a PlayStation so I can play SingStar? "But Kevin Swanepoel told me I NEED one Mom!")

The show stoppers of the evening, however, were the examples of "new media" advertising. Here is a not-so-exhaustive list of what was shown: (Sorry if you've seen some of these before. I have too, but I want to make sure EVERYONE has!)

Super Monkey Ball Deluxe's Chad Series This is just one episode in a series of hilarious webisodes for the SEGA game. A viral video that I actually WANT to pass on - WHO KNEW? (Actually, I share a lot of shit that probably isn't very deserving... so I guess that's not saying TOO much.) Never mind my rambling. This is funny stuff.

GNUF How do you advertise for a new online casino in a fresh and BIG way? Make HUGE DICE and roll them down a mountain and have people bet on it! Wish I would've thought it first...

Coke Happiness Factory Hiring Everyone on NSAC (REPRESENT!) loves Coca-Cola and especially the Happiness Factory, but AKQA New York added even more fun to the experience by letting you apply for a job in the Happiness Factory! I'd <3 style="font-style: italic;">you know where.)

Hema A hysterical way to have fun with your site. No need to create viral ads to send traffic, just make your SITE viral!

HBO's "Voyeur" site This work brought up a series of questions about to whom work belongs during collaboration. I don't know whether to give claim to BBDO (who originally started the campaign) or Big Spaceship, who BBDO hired to help make the campaign interactive. Either way, this site is intriguing, if not creepy.

Smirnoff Raw Tea The Tea Partay music videos are classic. If you haven't seen them yet, you haven't lived a true advertising life. P(rep) Unit FOREVA!

Ford Sportka This viral vid is devilishly funny. The cat one got a lot of criticism and was removed a while ago for just going a little TOO far, but I still enjoy them nonetheless. (AND I LOVE KITTIES!)

Okay, I've blabbed on enough, right? So, if you want to check out some more sweet ads, Kevin gave us the link and password to access a bunch of The One Show stuff that you normally need to pay for. I suggest looking at MINIMALISM by Taxi 2 Toronto for Mini Canada. Perhaps Get the Glass for the California Milk Processor's Board too. (It's only good for 90 days, so GET TO IT!)

Just go to: www.oneclub.org/creativerevolution
Username: creative@oneclub.org
Password: revolution

Peace Lovas!

P.S. Got to see my JJ tonight! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Jennifer Johnson!

Back to School: Media Insight Style

One of my favorite reasons for starting Yaybia was the idea that I would get to share insightful experiences that I have with people who actually understand them. It's just not the same coming home to roommates (nursing and global studies majors) and trying to explain to them that your day consisted of battling a leanover (y'know, mini hangover) from the beers you had with clients last night while trying to avoid getting called out by Earl as you struggle with MRI data in your 8am class and then getting thrown into several new business pitches with 50 page RFPs and then trying to tell a client that a 6% CTR is actually really good even when "it's only 6%."

While I was battling a fuzzy brain and trying to sneakily eat a bagel in class this morning, we were discussing the importance that timing plays in a media plan. Earl asked us what time of the year is most popular for Target and several people in class said "back to school", including Danielle and me. Clearly, back to school isn't the biggest time for sales or promotions, it's holiday. While back to school is now a close second (that dorm gear is killer this year!), the holiday season trumps all for cash outflow and inflow. So why did so many of us immediately think "back to school"? I have a few ideas and some of these became more obvious as I thought about them throughout the day, but I think it's important to think about. I welcome your thoughts as well.

1. The age of people and their perception of the economy/related media - for many college students, back to school is the time of year that we spend the most money. Textbooks, security deposits AND rent in the same month, numerous trips to Target and Ikea, ordering pizza 4 times a week and Jimmy John's the other 3. For people this age, the holiday season isn't the most important and will not likely be for at least 5-10 more years. How does this impact retailers, advertisers, and those secret Santa drawings the day after Thanksgiving?

2. Relevance > Reality. It's back to school season. Even though holiday gear may be peeking around the corner, these people won't even notice because it's not relevant. Unless maybe the red and green M&Ms are on sale at the register, because hunger + shopping -- now that's relevant.

3. Target may not be a "typical" holiday store - For 20-somethings, Target is their go-to store. It's fun, we secretly don't mind spending $50 everytime we're there, and who doesn't love the dollar spot? We don't think of Target as a place that our moms went everyday for a week before family Christmas. They went to Kohl's and JC Penny and Best Buy, right? To these younger people, Target isn't like the Sears Santa line or Fleet Farm toy land (yes, I worked there). How will that change as 20-somethings become 29 1/2-somethings?

Mac vs. PC Strikes Again

The latest Mac vs. PC ad was on CNN.com yesterday and this morning.

Love:
• Context awareness. News article on CNN! So clever!
• Politeness. Why yes, I will click to play with sound, thank you for asking.
• Justin Long. Yesplz.

In light of the new Microsoft ad, I can't help but see the PC character pulling out his Clown Club membership card. It's not much of a stretch to think of Jerry standing in for Justin and Bill for John Hodgman in all the Apple spots. Clearly, Microsoft and CP+B played right into the personality Apple created for them. So now I'm wondering: Is it smart to accept when your competitor has defined you and decide to go with, not against, that persona? It's one thing to accept your consumer's perceptions for better or for worse, but should you keep giving your competition more ammo against you?

Maybe the next Seinfeld spot will clear up this massive confusion.

The (Online) Tipping Point

I'm a little late to The Tipping Point party (even my kid sister has read it) but as I'm cruising through it I've been thinking a lot about the concepts and how they relate to online relationships and social media.  Do Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen play the same role online as they do in traditional settings? Can someone display these characteristics only online?  Does social media reflect false ideas that someone is really a Connector?  What about the Law of the Few, is that present online also?

I'm going to share some of my thoughts as I continue reading the book.  Add your comments/rants/love notes in the comments! Today is The Law of the Few and Connectors.

From the day many of us took Intro to Marketing, we learned that often times 20% of customers are responsible for 80% of sales.  Chris Anderson (editor of Wired, author of The Long Tail, and my future husband) just posted another related article about 'freemium' business models and how many companies are now supporting themselves by only charging 10% of the people using their service and giving the other 90% a similar, usually reduced, version for free.  I began to notice a similar trend with my Twitter account.  It's become clear that some of the people I follow tweet far more often than others.  A very small percentage are responsible for the great majority of Twitter posts.  This is another real life example of the unbalanced ratio that drives trends, business models, and social media.  The Law of the Few supports this Twitter idea, as well as Facebook - You know the people that are updating their status, posting pictures, breaking up and getting married every half hour.  These few people are responsible for the majority of activity in news feeds.  But I don't think that these few are necessarily the Connectors.

To be a Connector you have to be experienced.  Your days will likely consist of a variety of activities, many of them online since it is 2008, but many of them will have originated from face to face conversation.  Connectors that are online may not have the most Facebook friends, but they're the ones who have the most pictures tagged of them with other people.  They are getting tweeted at, their blogs are being commented on and they continue the conversation online and offline.  To be a digital Connector only, you would have to rival the daily biz, AgencySpy, or Dooce.  But I would venture to guess that these Connectors are even more powerful in real life.  Online Connectors are extending their relationships from real life.  I could advise to be wary of faux online Connectors, but they will never have the full power that true Connectors have.

Next up: Mavens and Salesmen. Hang in there.

STOP and VOTE.

With the DNC and the RNC going on these past couple of weeks, theres been an awful lot of hubbub about the election in November. Debates on who is the better candidate, distasteful advertising, and relentless reporting is sure to leave the next two months in a state of chaos. Whoever you are voting for, the most important message is, you need to. There are 50 million of us between the ages of 18-29 years old, and if we all vote, it's impossible for our demographic to be ignored.

While I was in NYC I met with a small agency called The Concept Farm. One of their directors, Griffin Stenger, told me about all of the awesome work their interns are up to. They've created their own campaign called Stop and Vote. The full interactive site will be up and running Sept. 9. In the mean time, visit their facebook group and flickr page. You can also register to vote, find your closest polling place or receive absentee ballots on their website. As part of the campaign, they are encouraging people to put "VOTE" stickers over stop signs (which has already been happening). I love this because it's people our age who had the ambition and drive to create this campaign all on their own. Stop making excuses and VOTE!!

Watch Bill and Jerry

Well, I am just perplexed. The new Microsoft ad from Crispin came out featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld and the blogging world is a-buzz. When I first heard Mac-loving Seinfeld was to star in these upcoming ads, I assumed they would be similar to the Apple Mac vs. PC ads, with Jerry being a Microsoft-convert. However, Windows just took it in a weird direction. I'm not even sure how to put my jumbled thoughts into a cohesive paragraph, so here's a blog-friendly list of my reactions:

1. Is the "Why pay more?" Shoe Circus motto a metaphor for PCs being cheaper but equal in quality or something?

2. Does Microsoft sell shoes now?

3. Does Bill have to buy discounted shoes now because Microsoft is losing business to Mac?

4. I now must find the nearest Taco Johns to get a churro. Thanks, Microsoft, for those extra calories.

5. Play on Seinfeld's "A Show About Nothing" by being "A Commercial About Nothing"

6. Weird on purpose. At least people are talking, myself included.

7. Crispin thinks way too highly of themselves and this was more for them than it is for Microsoft.

8. A cake computer? Really? That's the revelation at the end? And do I need to see Bill Gates shaking it?

Well. That's what I got for now. Maybe I'll let it sit with me and this convoluted attempt at a metaphor for computers will make sense.

What do you guys think?

PMSing about birth control ads

I hate to break the news to you guys, but unlike the mantra of every birth control commercial I've ever seen most people do not take birth control for lighter happier periods. They take birth control because they have SEX and don't want mutant children taking over the planet.

But I can't think of a BC ad that talks about sex. It's always about fewer periods, less sweatpant days, animated women doing synchronized swimming in a pool, only having to take four pills, ONLY FOUR! Apparently, it is way too shameful to be a woman who doesn't want children right now. It's not okay to be responsible.

Sarah Haskins of Current puts it best. It's not birth control, it's period control. Her Target Women series is just hilarious and utterly truthful.

Target Back To School - U of M Style

Installment numero dos of Yaybia's Back To School Extravaganza is here! Check it.

Goldy Gopher would be proud. Target stores in the Twin Cities metro area have added a little U of M love to their back to school sections.  Amidst the body pillows, tail bone crushing futons, and array of dorm gear only meant to last one year is a full aisle dedicated to our local Big 10 favorite.  We'll try to keep our hopes as high as Target's for the football team this year, but at least we'll look good doing it.  Daily planners (although they could never replace a trusty Gopher Guide), notebooks, shirts, and even lamps are branded with the comforting M and placed right where those first time college moms are looking and more than willing to deck out their kid's dorm with all the same gear that she'll have to make her the best Gopher Mom on the [super] block.

So with that, thank you Target for knowing where I live and giving me U of M swag because there is no way in hell I am going to go battle the freshman in Coffman Union just to get a new Gopher T that will inevitably be destroyed at an upcoming game. Ski-U-Mah!

HEY YAYBIA!

Hello all, it's my very first post. I must say I am not a seasoned blogger, but it's about time I start trying. I'm getting back into the swing of things, being out of town, starting my internship and classes. Google reader has been screaming at me to be read.


Since starting my new internship at Hunt Akins, I've been thinking a lot about employee morale, and how it is often overlooked. People here are happy. They stay past 5 without complaining. They don't make their interns plant dead grass. Zappos has harnessed it's happy employee power and published a book about it. In today's AdAge there was an article on how Zappos has been using their employees to build their brand. This goes beyond "happy employees make productive employees".

Think about how often you read an article about social networking, WOM marketing and brand ambassadors. You've got free ones working for you. People who are on Facebook, gabbing with friends and sharing their fav brands with each other are also employees. Especially in this biz (the ad biz yo) networking and connections are essential. Everyone is a potential client and customer. If you are constantly chatting up your company (or bad mouthing it) people will take notice.

It's good to be here kids
-D