On the road again...

I have been doing quite a bit of traveling lately and thought it would be neat to give you some stories from the road. These are just some random thoughts and events that I have experienced over the last week.

I sat next to Sgt. Moeller of the 32nd Infantry Division on a flight from Cincinnati to Harrisburg. He was on his way to Ft. Indiantown Gap, an Army Base in central Pennsylvania. He was in Iraq just a few days ago, then went directly to his training assignment in PA. He'll then be home for eight months with his family in Wisconsin. We had a good discussion about things over there and no matter what your thoughts are on the war, those who serve in the military deserve our gratitude and thanks for the sacrifices they make. The stories he told me make me realize how thankful we need to be that even though we have our challenges here with politics, our economy, and day to day events we are truly blessed to be in a free society.

Okay, I hate to bash the airline industry but they really need to get their act together. I spent four hours on Sunday in Charlotte waiting for a plane coming from Raleigh (only 35 minutes air time from Charlotte). Our delay was due to a thunderstorm in Raleigh. There has to be a better system that deals with issues like this. Can a thunderstorm really have the impact to delay so many people? No, the answer is that their systems are so fragile that something as simple as a thunderstorm throws off the entire system. When you ask what the deal is they tell you that their systems work this way and they can not do anything else. Hard to take excuses from people who run businesses constantly in bankruptcy and in an environment where they have more paying customers than ever! Way to go US Air. (oops, wasn't going to mention their name)

Spent time with co-workers in Kansas City at the National Agrimarketing Association Conference. We heard some great speakers and the truth is the ag economy is doing very well and looks to be strong for a significant time going forward. There are many factors that contribute to this but the reality is the world is growing and we (the U.S) are key in helping to feed not only ourselves but the world. Remember, we still pay the lowest percentage of our income on food than anywhere in the world. It's hard to keep that in mind as we shop these days but our selection and pricing are second to none out there.

I spent time with two great companies in Georgia yesterday. I really enjoyed learning more about their businesses and look forward to working with them in the future. There is nothing better than trying to find solutions for companies to help them attain the goals they have set for themselves. It's really about focusing on their goals and challenges and knowing where you can help and where you can not.

You care about my business?

Recently, I had a meeting with a prospective customer. The purpose of the meeting was for our company to learn more about the goals and challenges of a solid company. You see, anyone can come in and assume they have the answers for their problems or challenges. Most likely though you do not know their real challenges or their real needs. It is only after you spend time investigating and having an honest dialogue that you find areas where you can help.

What struck me as odd happened at the end of our meeting. When we were finishing up a comment was made by one of our prospects. He said, " I wish more people would spend time with us like you did today. No one really seems like they want to know more about our business. They just want to sell us some advertising." Now in full disclosure, I will tell you we are not a perfect match to help them with all of their current needs or challenges. But I am confident that as we go forward we can help them in a few areas and we'll find new opportunities as their business changes.

At Fastline we are constantly trying to distinguish ourselves by bringing a unique and specific criteria to how we try to earn your business: We are going to learn about yours, where you'll allow us to, and base our program solutions upon your needs. Hey, we're not perfect and we may not always have the right solution but we're not going to sell you an ad just because we want to sell an ad. Sometimes that is appropriate...print advertising in our publications has been known to help a lot of good companies but I for one want to make sure it is a well thought out campaign that has a clear goal and a way to measure it.

Absolut Stupidity

What responsibility do marketers have in being politically correct? Is being edgy just that or is it potentially damaging? What line would your company cross in order to sell more product? I ask because of a recent controversy surrounding an ad campaign for Absolut Vodka. The print campaign, which in my opinion has been very creative over the years, shows a map of North America in the 1830's. The borders show Mexico's territory half way into the United States showing the pre Mexican-American War boundaries. The headline of the ad is, "In an Absolut World," which is the campaign's theme.

Is it responsible for an advertising agency to insinuate that the perfect world for Mexico would be having part of the U.S. back? Anyone who does their history will find they sold it to the U.S. after the war for 15.5 million and debt relief. Is it really the wish of most Mexicans that this is the perfect world scenario they have been missing out on? Maybe they should try to figure out why the Mexican dream has been squashed by their own corrupt government. I mean, where does that thought process end for the agency? How would the French react if a map of Europe was drawn showing the German (Hitler's) desires in 1939 of owning all of that real estate? Is that the perfect German world?

It just seems foolish, especially in the current atmosphere of the immigration debate, to think that this would not cause a problem. And this is where I think the line gets crossed. When you knowingly take an issue that is divisive and use it as a tool for product promotion. There are many serious political topics out there like Darfur and Tibet but I hardly think McDonald's would use either of those issues as a position point in their marketing to sell more burgers.

Now comes the classic, we're sorry.... but not for the ad but that you didn't understand the ad. Here is the quote from Absolut:

"As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market, and for that we apologize."

I'm not one for boycotting unless there is a really good reason to do so. I don't believe that this reaches that level but I think it is important for all of to think about who we do business with and why. Somehow I don't think the creative team felt bad about the ad...in fact I'll bet they thought they were extremely clever. It is our responsibility to speak out when we see bad marketing and hold people accountable for their brand creation.

Do as I say...not as I do!

"Why are food prices so high?"That phrase has been uttered a lot lately. Many of my friends who do not work in the agricultural industry ask me about the high prices because of my connection to ag. They complain about ethanol subsidies and how they are causing their food prices to jump. The challenge for people in ag is to effectively communicate a message that explains why things are the way they are. Global demand, change in export agreements, weather, all contribute to higher food prices. Also, fuel prices impact your food costs as well. Sometimes, I fear we are not so good at talking about the big picture.
The main problem, in my opinion, is that everyone wants to blame someone else for the current situation. Let's take high gas prices for a moment. Some would have you to believe that it is the "evil" oil companies that are controlling everything and screwing the American public. Now let me state for the record that I do believe the oil companies are part of our problem. But who among us wants to admit that our consumption is at an all-time high? We certainly want to have our cake and eat it too. None of us wants to change our habits. Recently, our "Eco Friendly" Gov. of California admitted that he flies his private jet from Sacramento to LA about 5 times week so he can sleep in his own bed at home. Rather than re-locate his family to the Capital his solution is to burn more jet fuel in a hour than a small car uses in a year according to the Helium Report, an online publication for buyers for luxury items. By the way, it is about a 3 hour flight each way so that adds up to 3 cars a flight 5 times a week. He buys carbon credits to offset his pollution so I guess that makes everything in the world good again. My point here is not to pick on an easy target as much as it is that we all need to think responsibly and rationally about how we are living. The Govenator favors legislation that would make it more difficult for car manufacturers to meet emission requirements or everyday Californians to pay more for higher emission standards but that is their problem. He will "jet-set" where and when he wants because it is his desire to so.

We all need to look toward reasonable solutions and stop pointing the finger at the other guy and own up that we all need to be better stewards. But please, those of you in power don't tell us to do as you say and not as you do!

Happy to be here

I recently flew for a quick trip to Louisville and used Southwest to do so. It has been a while since I have flown on Southwest and I had forgotten what a nice experience it is. I do my fair share of travel and often fly Delta or Northwest. They seem to serve the geography I travel to the most. I have had my share of frustrations with all the airlines because of canceled flights or late arrivals and departures. But what makes Southwest different in the experience is their people. They all really seem to enjoy their jobs and that rubs off on the passengers. I had to laugh at a bet made between the guy sitting next to me and the stewardess on whether the flight would be full or not. He won and she paid off with a free adult beverage.

JetBlue is similar to Southwest. I have flown them once and if they were in my market I would use them more often....plus they have a TV w/36 channels on every seat! Their people are happy to be there as well and when you have that experience you think you never want to go back to dealing with a regular airline. These organizations understand that it's all about making the customer experience great. We all pay decent money to get from point A to B so we at least want to feel like we are valuable. I think that's what these airlines provide. People who see value in us as their customers. We are still like cattle moving through a system but at least they make our experience a bit better.

Now for all who will email their Southwest horror stories to me....save it. I know they are not perfect but based on my observations and experience they seem to do pretty well. A little more "happy to be here" would go a long way for all of them.

The Madness of March

I chose the title carefully because I know the NCAA owns the right to the other name! Got to love Copyright lawyers. I have been amazed over the past few years how the whole tournament thing has taken off and has infiltrated mainstream America. In offices all around the country right now some guy is ticked off because a co-worker that knows nothing about basketball is ahead of him in the standings. I think that what's great about the tournament. All the preparation, studying, stat crunching, and insight still leaves us shocked at a team like Siena knocking off a powerhouse school like Vanderbilt.

I think the tournament is really a microcosm of American business. We all like to root for the small (underdog) business that works hard, gets a chance to prove themselves, and then gets the win. I think it keeps the American dream alive for many of us. I know it does for me. When you look at some of the successful companies across the U.S. you'll find examples of people that fought long odds and tough challenges to rise to the top. Passion, playing by the rules, working hard often are keys to why they are where they are. Often there is a bit of magic that takes place just at the right moment to push you over the top as well. But one element that also exists in these opportunties is the idea that the goal of success is greater than any individual. This was quite clear when you watched the last 5.7 seconds of the Western KY -Drake game. The leading scorer (Brazelton) who had been the star of the game for W. KY took the ball up the court, drew multiple defenders to him as they assumed he would selfishly take the final shot of the game. Unfortunatley for Drake, it was all about the win for him as he dished the ball off to Ty Rogers who drained the 3 pointer at the buzzer for the overtime win. The Madness of March continues!

Who are the players on your team that you can rely on? Do you have them on your team? Our future's need to be in the hands of leadership that understands that vision and implements the strategies to do so. If not, we need to be those leaders.

Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patricks Day! What a day for the Irish, huh? This is the powerful branding and selling of the facts that we have been all buying for so many years. People have been shaping the message for years now but there are a few facts that I thought were very interesting about this day:

• St. Patrick was born in Britain not Ireland.
• St. Patrick's favorite color was blue. Green was originally a color the Irish didn't like because it had it's roots in fairies & Leprechauns.
• Up until 1970 the Irish celebrated March 17th as a religious Holiday and closed all pubs!

So what does this mean to those in the advertising and marketing world? Perception often becomes reality. Many of the common beliefs we hold are positions that have been shaped in our minds by folks whose job it is to position a product or company a certain way. Is that good? My fear is that as consumers or as buyers of media that we don't do the necessary work in order to determine what is the best or effective product. We take the easy road and do what is "safe" or requires little effort. Many say, "Let's run the media plan the same as last year. It seemed to work well". Good marketers spend time to really evaluate new options available to them or their clients and are open to new ideas. There are many good options out there, and if your in ag media, Fastline may be one of them for you. Maybe it would be worth it for you to change your perceptions and look at a fresh new option. We may be able to lead you to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!