Helping Fight Cancer One Cupcake at a Time

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

My uncle was the type of man you couldn’t help but smile in his presence. When I picture him; infectious grin turning up the corners of his mouth, wide eyes peering over silver rims of glasses and head slightly tilted down, I can’t help but smile.

Recently, he passed away after 14 months of battling lung cancer. About six months ago, I was asked to help St. Vincent’s Medical Center plan enrollment events for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study (CPS-3). I suddenly found a way to help battle this disease that hung heavy over my family.

We decided to run with the national campaign tagline “Help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays,” which meant to me: lots of balloons and CUPCAKES! If you’ve ever visited our office you might have sampled one of my cupcake creations and I say “might have” because they don’t tend to last very long. Nonetheless, I resolved to make St. Vincent’s enrollment events the most festive yet.

I baked 40 cupcakes and we delivered them to various media outlets in town along with a “birthday party invitation” or media advisory. As I piped neon frosting over yellow cupcakes, I finally felt like I was fighting back. Because the study only accepts individuals 30-65, I was unable to participate but now I was making a difference in my own way and I know my uncle would have loved every tasty morsel.

cupcakes for cancer prevention study-3

If you can, please participate in CPS-3. I know baking cupcakes and decorating the enrollment events with balloons can only go so far. The American Cancer Society needs your participation because it will help them better understand what causes cancer and hopefully one day we will be able to prevent cancer.

Enrollment events are scheduled for today at St. Vincent’s Medical Center Southside (formally St. Luke’s) 2-8pm and tomorrow at St. Vincent’s Medical Center Riverside from 2-8pm. Appointments are not necessary and walk-ins are welcome!

For more information, please visit www.CPS3Jacksonville.org.

Posted in Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A lesson in transparent honesty

Posted on April 30, 2012 by

Penn State University is on track to spend over $7 million on public relations in wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.  The Nittany Lions had hired Ketchum and Kekst immediately following the announcement of the arrest of Sandusky and most recently announced that Edelman and LaTorre Communications would be on board to help the university during the upcoming trial.  That’s a lot of money and signals a giant effort that I’m not sure will successfully support the brand that is Penn State.

It is no surprise to me, a college graduate and a mother of two graduates of a top flight university, that Penn State is having a problem with transparency and communication.  For some reason, major universities, even those like Penn State that have a College of Communications with an Advertising/Public Relations Department, are ill equipped to handle their own public relations.  They fundamentally don’t believe in transparent communications.  I’m not sure if that’s because the infrastructure for a major university is convoluted or if it’s because they are staffed with academics who haven’t had real world experiences.   I’m also almost positive that the powers at Penn State have never consulted with their own professors on how to handle a crisis.  They probably haven’t even considered it.

Here’s what all entities need to remember about a crisis.  The time to handle a crisis is when you don’t have a crisis.  Every business entity including a major Big Ten university, needs to have a crisis communications plan.  The business/university also needs to have trained professional public relations staff that can handle initial communications and set the plan in motion.  The p.r. people need to have direct access to the University President and Board of Directors and to be included in the decision making process about the crisis.

It seems to me, that those in power in this crisis like others (the BP oil spill comes to mind) were so consumed with the issue at hand that they never thought how it would affect absolutely everything the university does.  If a plan was in place, it would detail that above all you should be honest and transparent in your communications.  Don’t speculate and don’t talk about things that you don’t know anything about.  Show compassion for victims and show remorse for your mistakes.

The child abuse scandal at Penn State is truly sad for the victims of this horrific tragedy.  And now it’s even more tragic in that a major university is showing it doesn’t know much about effective communications in a time of trouble.

Posted in Public Relations | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who Said Reading Is Dead?

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

It’s all over the Internet. People just don’t read as much as they used to (NOT!)

Much has been said about the Internet’s negative impact on readership, especially among the younger generations. Yet all evidence is pointing to increased readership, not lower readership.

Reading is more vital and engaging than ever, just not in print…and certainly, not just on newspaper URLs. Social networks are taking over as primary news sources. Millions everyday turn to such sites as Facebook or Google+ to read news and articles tailored to their personal interests.

Or consider Twitter. It delivers nearly instantaneous news, especially on topics of mass market interest. Thanks to Twitter, Jaguar fans read about Peyton Manning’s trade to the Broncos and Tim Tebow’s trade, un-trade and final re-trade to the Jets almost as soon as events happened.

Then there are all those news aggregators that deliver the news straight to your PC or mobile device. AP Mobile is my favorite. By the time I sit down to breakfast, I have usually read all the AP wire news articles.

Smart phones and tablets have made it easy for users to get re-involved with reading. And it’s not just the news. Mobile apps like iBook, Kindle, Nook and Kobo have fueled interest in reading both books and magazines. All generations are reading more and talking about what they’ve read across social media.

When most of us over the age of 50 were growing up, reading a book was more or less a private affair. Sure, sometimes you’d read something that just had to be repeated to those around you. Sometimes.

Today, reading a book online or on your device is very much a social affair. Readers share their opinions, email passages, even swap books electronically. And they flock by the millions to watch best-sellers turned into movies. Harry Potter and now, The Hunger Games, weren’t blockbuster movies because they were good (though they were). They were enormously popular because they enjoyed huge fan bases of committed readers. Readers who enjoyed the books, related to the characters and wanted to see them brought to life.

The powerful joy of reading.  It’s not dead, nor even dying. It’s just happening in a different medium.

Posted in Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Who says smaller markets can’t make a bigger splash?

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

Of all the creative awards out there, the ADDYs are arguably the hardest to win given the three tier nature of the competition. Entrants must first compete locally and be awarded a gold or silver in order to move on to the district level competition. The same is true to move from district to national.

ImageOn Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10, an experienced group of judges from across the country convened in Sarasota, along with the 4th District ADDY and Executive Committees, for two days of judging the 1,253 entries representing 384 companies from across the state of Florida and the Caribbean that had made it through round one of the competition. Over the course of the weekend I heard numerous times, “the work is exceptional!”

Being a Jacksonville native, I’m used to hearing things like, “Jacksonville isn’t Florida, it’s really south Georgia.” And having now been in the advertising industry in Jacksonville for nearly 12 years, I’m also used to hearing, “Jacksonville can’t compete creatively with the big markets in Florida.” Well y’all, (hey, I said I’m a native) I have to disagree! Smaller markets can make a bigger splash!

Tampa led the pack with the most awards. BUT…tied for second place were Orlando and, wait for it…Suncoast! And who follows with only three fewer awards? JACKSONVILLE! You wanted to say Miami, didn’t you? But you would be incorrect. That’s right! Jacksonville edged out Miami in number of awards at the district competition! And that’s something to be proud of because Miami produces amazing creative.

Great ideas really can come from anywhere. I say Jacksonville CAN compete, and we did! Congrats to all the winners and good luck at national!

Posted in AAF Jax | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rebels, Misfits and Punks.

Posted on March 12, 2012 by

One of my favorite Galleries in Jacksonville is located in sunny Riverside, The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. I visit often to support the local arts, admire the beautiful Victorian gardens and wise oaks, to peruse the works of fine art and most importantly-for inspiration. Visiting the French Impressionists exhibit, I can’t help but feel inspired by the Parisian painters who fought with brush and color for the sake of creative freedom. To break the mold of academic conformity and explore new ideas. Renoir, Monet and Pissarro truly were a rebel, a misfit and a punk respectively.

ImageDuring the mid-19th century the ‪Académie des Beaux-Arts (Academy of Fine Arts) were the authority of traditional standards for French art. When the impressionist artists submitted work to the prestigious Salon de Paris they were swiftly rejected for the void of realistic portraits, religious icons and historical themes. Without these misfits of academic standards, there would be little progress in creative exploration. The same applies today in graphic design, breaking away from trends and exploring bold ideas leads to inspiration and renewed creativity.

In the graphic design world, Stefan Sagmeister is famous for his “design that needed guts” motto and means to find inspiration, going on year long sabbaticals every seven years to recharge the batteries and explore. Of course, the average person may not have that option, but it shows the importance of creative freedom in art.

So with that being said, go get inspired! Visit your local gallery or museum and explore for creative sakes.

Posted in Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Focus Group of One

Posted on March 1, 2012 by

As someone who likes a life based on fact, I often am perplexed about clients that quote the ‘focus group of one’ when discussing their brand or creative.  I’m sure you have heard about the focus group of one.  That’s when someone takes an anecdotal situation and makes it the end all/be all for the particular situation.  Or worse yet, they start stating what they like or what attracts them in an ad yet are the farthest thing from the target audience for this particular product or service.

 Focus groups by themselves are all about gathering concepts to test in a larger research setting such as online surveys.  Focus groups are qualitative research, not quantitative research.  You may get a group of 12 individuals who are skewed to one side of an issue but when you test against the greater population you will find out that they are the outlier. Think about it in terms of drug testing.  Do you want to know if the drug worked on just 12 people or a bigger number that would be statistically valid?  Yet, I’ve often heard agencies state to clients that doing a focus group will provide them with accurate data about a concept.  Actually, no.

 By now you have figured out that I’m an NTJ personality type on the Myers-Briggs

Ready for that focus group of one

scale. I like to take my intuition (the N), think about it (research), and come to a judgment about what works for the client.  It’s not about what I like, it’s about what the research shows.  And it shouldn’t be about what the client likes personally.  It’s all about the customer – that’s the only focus group that matters.

 

 

Posted in Public Relations | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

MY EARDRUMS ARE BLEEDING!!

Posted on February 1, 2012 by

The summer after my freshman year of college, I worked as a photographer in JCPenney’s portrait studio. With feigned enthusiasm, I positioned babies on Boppies, awkward high school graduates behind stacks of books and cranky toddlers dolled up in oversized hats and pearls.

To me, JCPenney was the department store that smelled a bit like mothballs and disinfectant, where your mom dragged you to look at curtains, bedspreads and endless clearance racks of women’s suits with sewn-in shoulder pads. No, it wasn’t trendy or fashionable; it was the store where your mom, or even your grandma, shopped.

Now in my mid-twenties and no longer an employee of the retailer, I still lack the interest to peruse the aisles of JCP. It was not until recently that the struggling department store caught my curiosity with a TV advertisement unlike anything I’ve ever associated with the brand.

The ad features mostly women in their late twenties to late forties, screaming in frustration at sale signs and coupons. Behind their desperate pleas, dramatic music emphasizes their contorted expressions and high pitched crescendos. Jump cuts punctuate each frame with palpable sarcasm.

Still unsure of their intended message, I decided to Google “screaming JCPenney commercial.” I was bewildered by the amount of message boards condemning JCPenney and the new campaign.

“I have never hated a commercial so much. I turn it off on the first scream. I am tuning out of shopping at JC Penney’s and hope they can figure out how to get my business back. Hopefully with a new advertising and marketing consultant.” –Posted by Terriroe on pissedconsumer.com

“To JCP: your Marketing and Ad Agency should be fired for the most Unprofessional Commercial that I have ever experienced.” –Posted by Desiree650 on pissedconsumer.com

“This commercial grates on my nerves and scares our cat.” –Posted by annonymus on customerservicenumbersblog.com

Many of the comments demand JCPenney remove the spot from rotation while others threat boycott. One post in particular suggested the creative team behind the spots be placed in front of a firing squad. Pretty melodramatic in my opinion; however, among the complaints were explanations.

Starting February 1, JCPenney plans to roll out their “Fair & Square” price structure which will eliminate cumbersome coupons and sales ploys designed to make consumers jump through hoops.  Shoppers will receive the best prices on quality products all day, every day.

Although consumers posting on various forums claim a new found appreciation for the mute button, the JCPenney campaign, Enough.Is.Enough., has successfully broken through the clutter. People are talking about it, whether they like it or not and that’s probably more buzz than the department store has received in quite some time.

What do you think? Should advertisers go rogue for the sake of attracting new clientele or changing public opinion?

Posted in Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Poor Eddie Cibrian

Posted on October 13, 2011 by

It’s that time of year again; the air gets a little cooler, weekends consist of chicken wings and football, and Starbucks brings back the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Fall is here and it brings a myriad of new TV shows and fresh episodes of your old standbys.

I love fall. Not only is it my birthseason (yes, I get a season not just a day—that’s what happens when you are born on a holiday, gobble-gobble) but it’s also when The Office and Parenthood save me from the sea of summer reality programming. Love you Bravo but sometimes I need a break from The Real Housewives of Where Ever.

This fall lineup proved to be promising with shows featuring big names like Christina Applegate, Christina Ricci and Zooey Deschanel. But what does this mean to a media buyer who has to sift through the plethora of unrated programming on behalf of their client? A lot of industry insight and guess work.

For those seasoned local buyers, it becomes a game of hypotheticals. What are the national buyers buying? Is inventory tight? Are the rates so cheap because the show is projected to bomb? All valid questions and the answers are based on experience and knowledge of your market. Even then there are no guarantees.

For example: this season produced two shows critics compared to AMC’s acclaimed hit, Mad Men; Pan Am and The Playboy Club. Both series promised interesting plot lines—the glamorous age of flight and gorgeous, cottontail cocktail waitresses—and boasted noteworthy names with Playboy and Christina Ricci. Nonetheless, The Playboy Club was cancelled after three episodes.

As a media buyer who purchased time running during The Playboy Club, it’s a matter of making those spots good and achieving the same GRP goals elsewhere—quickly.

Our media buyers are seasoned and insightful which gives us the edge on new programming year after year. We also don’t mind watching pilots before they air;-)

New TV to Watch (according to me):
Sunday
Pan Am | ABC 10pm
Where girdles and gorgeous looks were mandatory and sporting golden wings meant you were idolized, Pan Am in the 1960’s.
Monday
2  Broke Girls | CBS 8:30pm
Poor, working-class girl meets privileged girl down on her luck. The girls work towards their dream of opening a cupcake store in Brooklyn while exploring the dynamics of living and working together.
Hart of Dixie | The CW 9pm
Features The O.C.’s Rachael Bilson as a cardio-thoracic surgeon who lacks compassion towards her patients and is forced to move down south and work as a general practitioner.
Tuesday
New Girl | FOX 9pm
Jess (Zooey Deschanel) walks in on her boyfriend cheating and moves in with three guys who teach her how to get over heartache while accepting her with all her quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Wednesday
Up All Night | NBC 10pm
New parents, Will Arnet and Christina Applegate, experience loss of sleep and gross diapers while coming to terms with the loss of their former life of parties and celebrities.
Revenge | ABC 10pm
Based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) moves back to The Hamptons to take revenge on the people who destroyed her family.

Posted in Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hyundai Hope on Wheels

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

Hyundai Hope on Wheels donates more than $7 million each year to childrens’ hospitals across the country. September is National Child Cancer Awareness month, and over the course of the month Hyundai Motor Company will visit over 70 hospitals across the country to distribute donations.

This morning representatives from Hyundai Motor Company presented Nemours Children’s Hospital with $130,000 to help in cancer research specific to children, including the complexity of teen cancer as well as side effects of treatment for ALL, a form of Leukemia.

This is the second year that Scott-McRae Advertising was awarded the RFP for all video needs related to this program.  We are honored to be part of such a worthwhile cause.

Posted in Scott-McRae Advertising | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment