FOX embraces citizen journalism

Even the dimmest network executive knows that people blog, tweet, and text about the TV shows they enjoy. Who cares what the high-paid TV reviewers say anymore. Nowadays, it's all about what you and your social circle think. FOX gets this and has taken its marketing to a whole new level: empowerment.

In conjunction with Klout (a website that measures your influence on Twitter), FOX launched two campaigns to get people talking about its new show Lone Star, which premieres tonight (to qualify, you had to be considered influential, as determined by your Klout score).

1) FOX hosted an exclusive pre-screening of Lone Star for social media influencers at its Century City lot in Los Angeles. The party, of course, included fancy food, lots of drinks, and high-quality networking.

2) If you were unable to attend the screening, you could have a party pack shipped to you (pictured above). The kit included a DVD of the premier episode of Lone Star* and everything you'd need to host a screening for you and your friends (e.g. wine glasses, beer mugs, ice bucket, popcorn, Beer Nuts, napkins, bottle opener, cooler, poster, t-shirt, and Godiva chocolate—my kit was missing the chocolate, nuts, and ice bucket, so a big, fat thumbs down to the guy who put my kit together!).

By giving those who are active in the social media space a sneak peek at Lone Star, FOX got a jump on creating buzz around the show. The network didn't just wait for people to start talking, they empowered them to start talking. That is major.

As marketers scramble to evolve in the new media space, and TV networks are suffering declines in viewership, I think FOX's Lone Star campaign is a great example of what's to come. Traditional media needn't be afraid of social media. Social media is the future and citizen journalism is powerful.

So, welcome to the decade of the most influential people out there, Average Joe and Plain Jane. We're here to stay and we have opinions. Speaking of opinions, what are your thoughts? Sound off below (you know you want to).

* My two-cent review: Lone Star is a solid drama that's different from anything you've seen on network TV. When the show hit the five minute mark, I could tell I was in for a ride. In the closing minute of the show, I realized that ride was a roller coaster. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!
 
DISCLAIMER: As indicated above, I did receive a party pack from Klout/FOX. That in no way influenced what I've written in this post (especially since I didn't get the chocolate).
PHOTO CREDIT: Shannon Smith (That is her party pack, not mine, as evidenced by the ice bucket. Really, I'm not bitter. I just had to hold the ice in my lap during the screening, but whatever...)

Twitter goddess vies for spot on Biggest Loser

People who say you can't form "real" friendships online simply don't know the power of social media. And they most certainly haven't crossed paths with Anita Nelson.

I met Anita last year on Twitter. She lives in Michigan and I'm in California, so we've never had the pleasure of meeting in person, but we bonded quickly due to our mutual background in newspapers and our love of animals. I knew right away that this was one special lady.

On Twitter, Anita's primary handle is @modelsupplies because of her passion for skincare and all things beauty-related. She does webinars, online radio shows, and she tweets like there's no tomorrow. Her Twitter following of nearly 70,000 people is evidence of the reputation she's built online. She's smart, compassionate, and no doubt the most supportive person I've ever met in my life.

Today, Anita took an incredibly scary step--and she took it publicly. She told the world she wants to lose weight and is going to vie for a spot on The Biggest Loser. Since Anita knows the power of social media and promotion, she has created a Facebook page to help her in her quest. 

Making a decision to challenge the status quo takes courage. Doing so in the public eye is even harder. Whether you know Anita or not, I hope you'll take a moment to support a wonderful person in her effort to change her life. You can "like" her Facebook page by clicking HERE.

Good luck, Anita! I'm proud to know you.

UPDATE: After I wrote this story, Anita posted her own account of what has brought her to this point. Please read her insightful backstory by clicking HERE. 

Sink your teeth into THIS online ad!

When I see a good ad, I like to share it (the last one I blogged about was a print ad for Drumsticks ice cream which had a great interactive component). The ad you see below includes two buttons to attract clickthroughs, but the great part of it is really just the very smart design. Memorable and eye-catching. The double row of shark teeth is fantastic! (To increase the size of the jaws, pun intended, just click on the image to make it bigger.)

Have you seen an ad lately that you think is particularly effective? If not, what do you think about the state of advertising today?

Domino's Pizza finally makes edible food

I have to give props when props are due, so kudos to Domino's Pizza!

For the last two weeks, I've seen the TV commercials claiming that Domino's finally realized their pizza was sub-par (a much too kind word for really bad!). The spots boast more flavorful sauce, a garlicy crust, and better cheeses. However, I'm sure many shared my thoughts: "Yeah, right!".

Well, last night I found myself at a networking mixer and, thanks to a day gone wild, I hadn't had a chance to eat lunch or dinner. To my delight, the room had a nice spread with food and drinks, so I scampered on over. There were cookies, deli sandwiches, chips...and Domino's pizza. I would have gone for the sandwich, but it was ham (and I'm a vegetarian). I hesitantly looked at the Domino's box and opened it up. Mushroom! Score! But, it was Domino's pizza so my excitement diminished. Truth be told, I don't think I've had their pizza in at least five years; vowing never to waste my money again on something so horrible.

Remembering the TV spots promising a better pizza, I opened the box back up and grabbed a slice. "Heck, I'll give it a try. Let's see if you can really taste a change." And, to my amazement, it was actually good! Let me repeat, my slice of Domino's pizza was downright tasty!

Yes, I know you're probably skeptical, but I highly encourage you to give it a shot. It has undoubtedly taken much too long for Domino's to make a desperately needed change to their recipe, but better late than never. Believe it or not, I'm actually gonna add the local Domino's to my speed dial now. Good pizza for $5.99? Now, that's what makes America great!

UPDATE May 4, 1010: Here's an interesting story from USA Today that says Domino's sales have gone up 14.3% since the new recipe was introduced.

Is there a wrong way to honor Martin Luther King Jr.?

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A national holiday to remember a remarkable man who changed the direction of a country.

In Los Angeles, the city marks the occasion with the Kingdom Day Parade. For the past 25 years, junior high school bands have played and dancers have pranced through the streets to commemorate the life of this incredible man. For as long as I can remember, the local ABC affiliate has pre-empted regular programming for two hours to show the parade live. Since they have that sponsorship title, the ABC talent rides in the parade. The local sports guys wave to the crowd and other reporters swarm the streets. For some reason, this has always seemed slightly inappropriate to me.

In my opinion, it seems like a more fitting tribute to King, a man who was all about social change, would be something more relevant. Perhaps a national day of service where people do something to benefit their community. Or, maybe, a designated moment of silence across the US where people stop to reflect on King's life and influence--and what they can do to make a difference.

This man was gunned down; assassinated. Somehow, a huge Ryder moving truck pulling a flatbed of local newscasters and scantily clad dancers shaking what their mamas gave them just seems like a woefully inappropriate tribute. A man of his caliber, to me, deserves a more dignified remembrance. Something of substance; something with meaning.

Is it me? Am I being too conservative? Is there a right and wrong way to honor a man who was killed because of his quest for social change? Or, is just remembering enough?

Is international KFC commercial racist?

This commercial for KFC was recently shown in Australia during a cricket match. Many in the U.S. are outraged, calling the piece racist. However, KFC reps abroad say that there would be no negative connotation in Australian culture.

What do you think?

Bud is for buddies

Budweiser will start airing its new series of TV commercials tonight during the Major League Baseball series. Trying to reconnect with consumers, the new spots are all about camaraderie. From how guys greet one another (e.g. the chest bump to the fist tapping guy hug) to how they razz each other (including the great line "Even Europe thinks your pants are too tight."), the campaign is geared to bring an emotional connection back to the brand.

The spot below highlights the many creative ways to carry Bud back for your buds. To see the other two, click here and here.

Doing business with the Sharks

If you haven't watched Shark Tank on ABC yet, then you need to tune in tonight. For those of you who own your own business, or those who are entrepreneurs, this is definitely time well spent. For the rest of you, I promise that it's just good TV.

The premise is that five top moneymakers listen to pitches from ordinary business people. If they like the idea; they invest. The Sharks are pretty cutthroat, hence the name, but if you pay attention you'll undoubtedly learn something about how investors are likely to see your business. If you're new to the show, you'll quickly glean that Kevin O. is pretty unlikeable—the Simon Cowell of the group, if you will. And Barbara is a soft touch, but she turned a $1,000 loan into an empire so she knows her stuff. Personally, Robert is my favorite Shark (a nice combination of business sense and compassion).

I was an early fan of Shark Tank and started watching over the summer. Apparently, others liked it, too, because it was given a permanent spot on the Fall schedule. And, for those of you who need more convincing, it's a Mark Burnett show (of Survivor and The Apprentice fame) so you know it's good reality TV.

Check out the video below to get the full scoop on Shark Tank. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Blue-haired beauty takes it off

Although The Simpsons got snubbed at the Emmy's, Marge isn't letting that get her down. In fact, she's upping her exposure—literally. In the November issue of Playboy, due out on October 16, she'll be taking it all off for The Heff (not to be confused with The Hoff). Supposedly it's tastefully done, but we'll have to be the judge of that.

Marge, what will Maggie think?

New York Lottery uses animals in PJs to sell tickets

The new commercial from the New York Lottery's Sweet Millions drawing is so adorable that I defy even the crankiest person not to smile. Yes, at first you'll click on the player below to watch the video and think it's some cutesy animal video, but it really is from the NY Lottery Commission. And the sweet part is that multiple people can each win $1 million bucks (the details are here if you want to know how it works).

Now, tell me this ad won't stick in people's mind. Heck yes, it will! I'm sure it'll be fodder at N.Y. water coolers for quite some time.

A nice twist on the bus bench ad

As I was taking my dogs on a walk this morning, I happened to pass a new bus bench ad. I don't know about your neighborhood, but in mine the realtors seem to have the monopoly on these benches. They all follow the same formula, too, with a huge mug shot prominently plastered across the ad. These folks must not have a fear of extreme close-ups.

In any case, I looked at the bench to see what local real estate agent got the space this time, and apparently Courtney Cox Arquette is now in the biz. Well, sort of. Courtney must play a realtor in her new show, Cougar Town. And, in a very clever ad campaign by ABC, they're doing the bus bench ads just like real realtors do.

If you check out the url, it goes to ABC. Nothing thrilling there. However, if you dial the number, it does provide a more authentic voice message from Jules Cobb (Courtney's character). The ad looks pretty legit. If you didn't recognize Courtney, you probably wouldn't even realize the ad was a spoof. At least not at first glance.

I like these kinds of ads. They're not in-your-face, but they do a great job of getting—and keeping—your attention. And now that I know I live in the greater Cougar Town area (I had no idea!), maybe my neck of the woods will become a bit more trendy.

Long live the tweet-peat

The new season of Glee starts today. As you may know, it aired just one episode last season and nabbed the prime spot following the season finale of American Idol. However, that was four months ago and Fox obviously needed to re-air that episode before today's premiere. So, it was shown again a few days ago. But this wasn't just your ordinary repeat—it was a tweet-peat!

What's a tweet-peat, you ask? At first glance, you might just think it's pop up video (a.k.a. culture notes) that show small, on-screen boxes with bits of trivia. However, it is much, much more.

Here's how the Glee tweet-peat worked. Fans were invited to tweet with three actors from Glee during the East Coast feed and three different actors during the West Coast show. The boxes that popped up on the TV screen during the show were tweets from those actors (including @replies to fans on Twitter). Again, in real time, both on TV and on Twitter.

As a pop culture junkie with a healthy curiosity about new marketing tactics, I had to participate. For an hour I watched the on-screen tweets and scampered back to my computer during the commercials to look at the tweets on Twitter. And, might I add, my tweet was answered by @MsAmberRiley (Merceded Jones on the show) and shown on TV at 9:46 p.m. (PST), complete with my Twitter username. Very cool.

I have to say, I think this new spin on an old gimmick is a really smart way to engage viewers. It was fun, it was real, it was live, and it gave unprecedented access to the actors.

I give a big thumbs up to Fox on this one.

Product placement reaches new lows

As the new TV season approaches, I can't help but to wonder how many products will be "integrated" into my programs this fall. It used to be that product placement was fairly subtle. A box of Cheerios in the background as a mom prepared breakfast on a sitcom. A guy sitting on the couch holding a bag of Doritos before a killer snuck in the window during a crime drama. But, last season the product placement went up about eight notches on a scale of one to ten.

Off the top of my head, I can remember a few priceless moments where products should have received "guest star" credit.

1) On Desperate Housewives, Bree leads us on a four-minute tour of her new Lexus. She gushes about the features ad nauseum, even leaning in to demonstrate them for her neighbors. The scene ends, of course, with a tight shot of the Lexus logo.

2) On 90210, Annie and Dixon go on a road trip and have to bring Dr. Pepper because it's "not a road trip" without it. Many lingering close-ups on the can, the can in the cooler, the can in their hands, the can with a shirt on that says "I went to Arizona and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" (okay, I jest about that last part).

3) On Smallville, Chloe goes out of her way to mention WebMD.com in a conversation. In the same episode, Jimmy utters a forced reference to CareerBuilder.com. Yes, they added the ".com" to their conversations. C'mon, writers don't really write like that unless, of course, they are told to do so.

4) On 30 Rock, there was an actual plot line where Jack and Elisa are obsessed with the McFlurry that's served at McDonald's. They show them smacking on their ice cream treats several times during the show, with the grand finale landing them at a McDonalds. (Tina Fey denies this was outright product placement, but NBC did manage to land a McDonald's commercial for that particular McShow. Just a coincidence, I'm sure.)

As for production placement in the new TV season, who knows what's in store for us. I can't help but to fear that The Office will have a story line where it's bought out by a major office supply retailer and renamed "The Office" Depot. Hey, it could happen.

Brand marketing that ignores the brand

Today, MTV premiered the music video for the song "Open Happiness." Now you wouldn't know it by watching it, but this is actually a promotional gimmick for Coca-Cola. The song doesn't mention Coke, the video doesn't show Coke (except for a half second that most people will miss), but it is marketing genius.

The soda giant has decided that the best way to bring in new customers, and retain the old ones, is to stay clear of the in-your-face advertising that has become so prevalent. Their approach? Associate their campaign slogan, "Open Happiness," with something fun and positive. And, they even attracted top-notch musical talent to produce the song, lending further credibility to the project.

The Coke approach is amazingly comprehensive, utilizing music downloads and non-commercial airplay to create a more organic connection to the campaign. And the best part? No bitter aftertaste.


Open Happiness | Myspace Music Videos

The legacy of Billy Mays

I know it has been two weeks since Billy Mays passed away, but I still miss him. He was the most credible and captivating pitchman that ever was. If Billy said a product worked, I knew it did.

Today TMZ released a copy of a yet-to-be-seen Billy Mays commercial. It was so good to see Billy in action again as he trumpeted the benefits of Mighty Tape, a self-fusing, silicone rubber tape that withstands heat, cold, and whatever Billy throws at it. It even works underwater! Now if anyone besides Billy told me that, I'd call them a liar.

With Billy gone, who will the world turn to for the latest cleaning and maintenance products? The only other guy out there pitching stuff is the ShamWow guy, Vince Shlomi. However, Vince is hardly the voice of authority and his recent arrest for punching a hooker didn't really help his image. But, in his defense, she was trying to bite off his tongue.

Billy Mays was one-of-a-kind and I doubt any of us with drawers full of Fix-it and Mighty Mendit will ever embrace another pitchman the way we did Billy. He was even buried in a shirt with the OxiClean logo on it. Now, that's loyalty. That's Billy Mays.