Owner/Pitchmen…More Please

As a rule, I’m offended by tasteless, poorly produced, stiffly acted advertising. But there’s one category of work I’m willing to make a glorious exception for.

Owners as pitchmen.

Here in Milwaukee, we’re treated to a teeth-grinding daily display of self-generated work that’s so awful, it’s actually entertaining. Now I realize the economy sucks and ad budgets are tight but people please! Some of you should really get a focus group of individuals other than your family or lackey employees to review the work before it airs.

On second thought, don’t change a thing.

I mean what could be better than the Rosen brothers standing side-by-side hawking cars – one reading cue cards while his brother unconsciously lip synchs the words?

Poetry!

And while we’re on brothers, consider the fabulous duo of Arvid and Ben Huth bringing us episode after episode of PM Bedroom Gallery spots. These guys are no doubt sincere but come off as clumsy as a dorky high school freshman asking a girl to homecoming.

Give me more!

How about the Lenz brothers who want to sell me a pickup but what I really get from them is a WWF Smackdown worthy pitch complete with finger pointing and testosterone fueled yelling? All that’s missing is their threat to break my pencil neck.

Thank you sir, may I have another?

Let’s talk law firms. David Gruber pounds his “one call, that’s all” mantra with a sinister smile and a promise to make a house call to those who “don’t want to drive across busy Milwaukee traffic to visit his office.” Wow! Maybe he’s got a mobile office that tracks ambulance movement the same way Helen Hunt goes after F5’s in Twister. Then there’s Bob Habush whose sugary sweet disposition is unnerving as he tells us he’s not going to tell us about all the charitable works his law firm does (he just did). And there’s Weigel, Carlson, Blau & Clemens who advise us to “Don’t’ drop the ball, make the call.” Now that cheesy line would be bad enough but it’s accompanied by hideous clipart of 1940’s vintage cars slamming into each other.

Awesome, awesome and awesome!

I can’t forget Marcia Mathers of Laacke & Joys whose store sells great gear but unfortunately uses the theme line “When nature calls you…outdoors.” Quite possibly, the only advertiser whose theme line makes me want to take a leak.

How refreshing.

I know there are many I’ve missed. I didn’t even get to radio (where a mortgage company owner describes himself as the “chief honesty officer”), web sites or social media. I’ll address those later. But for now, I leave you with the comforting image of Mary Ann Scaffidi of Heiser Toyota telling us with all the sincerity she, and her overlit face, can muster that “…we’re not going anywhere.” I really hope you don’t Mary Ann. I really hope you don’t.

Just two weeks after naming its first vice president and hiring a junior art director, Thirsty Boy has hired Jeffrey Ohm as account executive, adding to the growing roster at the interactive advertising agency.

Ohm comes with a solid background in account service. “We’ve been growing like crazy during the last year and finally realized we needed someone exactly like Jeff to help us stay organized and process-driven,” says Steve Koeneke, Thirsty Boy founder. “Jeff joined Thirsty Boy just in time to be pummeled with work. He’s already proven his abilities through his enthusiasm, his keen attention to detail and sharp sense of style.”

Ohm comes to Thirsty Boy with ten years of agency experience and an impressive client service history. He has worked on such accounts as Miller Lite, the National Honey Board, Culligan Water and CoCo Key Indoor Water Resorts. Ohm’s office looks out onto Water Street, providing him with an extensive amount of fodder for his inspiring haiku poems.

And, that’s not all. Last week Thirsty Boy attained agency of record status with Tushaus Computer Services. Tushaus provides consulting, planning, design and implementation of IT infrastructure. In addition, Tushaus offers data center services and software/application design and development, complemented by an emphasis on client satisfaction.

“Tushaus is a dream client for us,” adds Koeneke. “They get it and they get what a great marketing campaign can do for a brand. They’re open to new, fresh ideas and that’s going to make a world of difference as they look to grow their business.”

“We needed an agency partner who understood our services, our client satisfaction business model and the role our employees play in driving the success of our business and our brand,” said Kris Palen, Tushaus director of marketing and communications. “We felt partnering with Thirsty Boy would allow us to reach that next level of creativity. I’m impressed by the brands they’ve built. They do smart work, and that’s exactly what we need to get our marketing initiatives really rolling.”

Tushaus is headquartered in Milwaukee and has operations located in Oshkosh, Green Bay and Madison. Tushaus was founded in 1993 and has annual sales of $30M.

Today I came across an article on CNN.com - the inspiration for this post. It was about President Obama’s “first tweet”. It happened to come from the @redcross twitter account in regards to the Haiti earthquake, but it wasn’t really a tweet written by Barack. In fact, all he did was hit the update button.

Does this mean he really tweeted that particular post? You know what, who cares? Because the big issue here is that the President has claimed to be a tweeter since the start of the Presidential campaign almost two years ago. His @BarrackObama account is verified as the 44th President of the United States. So, the fact that he admitted to never using Twitter is a bit discouraging…for me anyway. My current tweet reads as follows and includes the full article on CNN.com:

“@cariew - Hmmm. False representation? Who is @BarrackObama anyway? Obama’s first ‘tweet’ makes presidential history (via @CNN) http://ow.ly/YjVC”

My point is not to bash the President. It’s mostly meant to bring up an interesting dilemma that faces many of the “busy” people in the world…those who can actually benefit from having a Twitter account. How are they supposed to stay on top of social media? Do they have hours and hours to dedicate to Twitter and Facebook like I do? Nope. BUT (and that’s a really big but), they shouldn’t claim to be doing it if they aren’t. If they’ve got help, fine. If they’ve hired a team dedicated to following them around and tweeting for them, great. Just be honest!

As a digital agency, we run into this issue a lot. Jumping into the world of social marketing doesn’t mean just opening a page and letting it sit for months on end. It means dedicating some real time to making it worthwhile for your brand and your business, and most importantly, for your fans and followers. And, not everyone has the time to do that. We’ve tweeted for many of our clients, but what we’ve found is that there must be some level of transparency, or your followers could very well feel deceived when they find out your a fake.

Let’s take for example Ms. Kim Kardashian. She is currently being paid to tweet about her love of eating at Carl’s Jr. Does Kim really love Carl’s Jr.? Probably not. But when you go to her Twitter page: http://twitter.com/KimKardashian, you see that her background is now a Carl’s Jr. ad. Kim isn’t hiding the fact that she’s being paid to promote salads and burgers. And, just like any other paid promotional endorsement, it’s accepted and we all know the reason behind it. She’s gorgeous and people like to eat things that gorgeous people eat, obviously. Kim’s contract will end, her Twitter profile will go back to normal (a photo of her butt) and Carl’s Jr. will start a new campaign. And we’re all okay with that.

What I’m trying to convey is the idea of being honest and as transparent as possible in this new world of social media. There’s nothing wrong with tweeting for someone if you don’t claim to be them when the question is asked. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little disappointed when I found out it wasn’t the real Taylor Swift following me on Twitter. It’s not always easy to determine right and wrong within these new communication channels, but there’s always something to be said for being truthful.

Just be honest. That’s all I ask.

Following Wednesday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, talk of donations and relief efforts have crowded the airways. And rightfully so. But are the days of sending a check or calling with your credit card number over? Red Cross International Response Fund is accepting $10 donations via text message. You can simply text “Haiti” to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross (through an effort backed by the U.S. State Department). Funds will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

I participated yesterday and the process was easy. I am told I will see the $10 charge on my next monthly bill. Today I began to question if my wireless carrier would get a cut of my donation, so I did a little more research. The campaign is run through mGive and their site FAQs state: “100% of your text donation is delivered to the International Federation of the Red Cross to support relief efforts in Haiti.”

I hope the ease of donating a small amount of money adds to this great organization’s fundraising efforts. I noticed there is even an mGiving Red Cross Facebook Application. Props to the Red Cross for embracing technology to support their mission. Impressive.

Not that it came as a real big surprise to me, but Facebook was the most-visited site on Christmas. It makes a lot of sense actually. I was on it. My family was on it. My six-year old niece was even on it (with her mom). What better way to spread holiday cheer and to wish your friends and family a Merry Christmas than to do it on Facebook?

I was fairly certain that most of my 364 “friends” would check their profile at least once that day to get a glimpse into the lives of their entire network. Status updates ranging from “Merry Christmas” to “My GF knows me oh so well” and immediate pics of their favorite gifts from Santa were posted as soon as they could get their computers and iPhones out of hiding.

I must admit…I did the same. I am one of the 350 million Facebook users who logged on during the sacred holiday last Friday, helping to launch the largest social networking site to the number one spot. And I couldn’t wait to post my status update, “Charlie was right. He nailed Christmas” in honor of my new Martin Acoustic guitar. Why wouldn’t EVERYONE want to know about that?

http://mashable.com/2009/12/29/facebook-christmas/

Getting in the Christmas spirit at Thirsty Boy means many things. First, it means trimming the Flava Flav Christmas tree and strategically placing knick knacks representing holiday cheer throughout the office. It means secret santa shopping (mostly online) and hoping it comes in time for the party. It means more trips to Starbucks to get coffee in the festive holiday cups. And, it means giving a little back to our community.

So yesterday the Thirsty Boy staff braved the frigid temps and dashed to Target for some Christmas shopping. We knew these gifts needed to be special. Children deserve to have a something to open on Christmas morning and the least we can do is help make that happen for a handful of kids in Milwaukee. We gathered our items, which included books, dolls, games, a Hannah Montana lunch box, Bionicles, an Edward (from Twilight) doll and many other calculated purchases.

And then it was time to deliver the goods.

So there it is. Our day was a success - and hopefully we’ve helped make some kids smile this Christmas.

The world is changing. And, it’s not easy to keep up with emerging technology. There are some who can’t even figure out how to pay the new parking meters just installed on our street. For those people, and many others, social media can be intimidating and confusing. In fact, according to Twitter founder, CEO Ev Williams, “People are pretty much clueless when they first try Twitter.” But at Thirsty Boy, it’s what we do. On a daily basis, actually. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to be experts in all things social. In short, we help make sense of it all.

So you’ve heard of Twitter, and tweets, and Facebook, and followers, and LinkedIn, and YouTube, etc. But, what does it all mean, what does it do and what’s the best way to use it? Again, that’s where Thirsty Boy can help. We aren’t like other advertising agencies that focus only on one-way communication aimed at large groups of people. We can do that, but we also understand the true value in two-way communication, which just happens to be the definition of social media. Social media is about listening, speaking and building relationship. And, this particular method of communication runs counter to everything advertising agencies stood for…a few years ago.

Businesses, ranging from the largest multinationals to home-office practitioners, often begin using social media for one reason and are surprised to find greater value in some other aspect they hadn’t even considered. It can help in marketing, sales, recruiting, feedback, support, sales or just getting closer to geographically scattered networks.

Twitter works well with other social media platforms, such as blogs, video, and audio podcasts, creating a whole new kind of interactive, integrated communications solution. It’s not just faster and cheaper—but more credible. Surveys consistently report that people tend to trust their Twitter friends more than formulated company messages. Users increasingly rely on one another for tips on what to buy, watch, read, or listen to. This translates into the following critical message⎯YOU NEED TO BE THERE.

It takes time to establish your credibility within social media and you need to understand how it works and how it can work best for you before that credibility gets tested by your customers. It also takes time to understand how these deceptively simple-looking tools work.

We’ve gathered a list of interesting facts for you to consider regarding social media. If you don’t feel like reading these, take this one thing away with you⎯social media is here and here to stay (although it will continue to evolve), it’s critical to your marketing mix and provides a link (like never before) between you, your brand and your customers.

Interesting Social Media Facts (as of 12.3.09)

• There are 31 billion Google searches every month
• Facebook reached an audience of 50 million in 2 years (it took radio 38 years to reach this) – today there are over 300 million active Facebook users and the average user has 130 friends on the site
• More than 8 billion minutes are spent on Facebook every day (worldwide)
• There are more than 65 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices
• The median age of a Facebook user is now 33, despite the social-networking site’s roots as a college hangout, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project
• The median age for Twitter is 31
• Facebook’s audience is aging and Twitterers are getting younger, which is broadening both of their reach among all consumers
• Twitter asks one question, “What are you doing?” Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web
• Twitter is the third most used social network based on their count of 6 million unique monthly visitors and 55 million monthly visits
• In March 2009, a Nielsen.com blog ranked Twitter as the fastest-growing site in the Member Communities category for February 2009 – at that time, Twitter had a monthly growth of 1,382 percent followed by Facebook with an increase of 228 percent
• People are watching hundreds of millions of videos a day on YouTube and uploading hundreds of thousands of videos daily
• Every minute, 20 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube
• YouTube’s user base is 18-55, evenly divided between males and females, and spanning all geographies
• Fifty-one percent of YouTube users go to the site weekly or more often, and 52 percent of 18-34 year-olds share videos with friends and colleagues
• The average age of the LinkedIn user is 41
• 53 percent of LinkedIn users have a household income of $100K+

It may be surprising to some, but not us. We turned a year old on Nov. 3. And, to celebrate, we held our first annual Magnual party last night at Rustico’s Il Grotto.

It’s a been a year of laughter, of fun, of sarcasm, but mostly a lot of hard work. The credit must go to our very own, Steve Koeneke. Without his leadership, wit and charm, we’d still be working at Stir.
I must say, the first annual event was quite a success. Thanks to all of you who blessed us with your presence, and especially to those of you who paid attention to our only request: bring a magnet or an annual to get into the party.
Since we were lacking both of these items over the last year, it was nice to see many of our friends reach out and contribute to a good cause. I mean, how can we put ad concepts on our magnet boards without magnets? And how are we supposed to be inspired without advertising annuals coming out of our ears? Not to worry though. We are now well stocked. Take a look…

MILWAUKEE – October 20, 2009 – Milwaukee’s newest digital advertising agency, Thirsty Boy, has partnered with ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis), to develop a new website for breast cancer patients, their families, friends and health care providers. The website, www.abcdbreastcancersupport.org is meant to be a resource for those going through the breast cancer journey. It provides patients with the comfort of accessible resources and opportunity for free support when they need it most.

“Our goal with this site is to connect intimately with people diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Kathy Ehley, ABCD president. “We want to convey trust and compassion right from the start. This website does just that. Working with Thirsty Boy on this project has made us realize the true value of a well designed, easy to use website. We know breast cancer patients will be well served.”

“We’re not just about cool, flashy websites,” said Steve Koeneke, owner and creative director at Thirsty Boy. “Our staff has been personally affected by breast cancer and we understand the importance of providing a comfortable place for patients and their loved ones to begin the healing process. The website we’ve created for ABCD is high on our list of favorites because we know how truly important it is for so many people battling breast cancer.”

ABCD was founded by a group of women who realized that having breast cancer is about much more than biopsies, surgery and chemotherapy. Most of ABCD’s founders are breast cancer survivors themselves who discovered the most valuable information and support came from others in similar life circumstances. ABCD provides free, personalized information and one-to-one support to people who are affected by breast cancer. ABCD complements the work of health care providers by serving as a reliable, accessible and highly personalized resource for breast cancer patients and their loved ones.

Thirsty Boy offices are located at 223 North Water Street, Suite 200 in Milwaukee. For more information visit www.thirstyboy.com, call 414.273.1700. cariew@thirstyboy.com.

Today we were blessed with the presence of Sarah and baby Claire. Since the birth of this baby girl, we at Thirsty Boy have patiently been awaiting a visit. And, today it happened. Weighing in at 10lbs 7.5ounces, Claire Brooke McAfee has earned the title of the first-ever Thirsty Baby.

From her full head of hair to her hefty grunts and pre-nap smile, this baby is adorable.

We’re happy to welcome her to the Thirsty Boy family. I think she’ll fit in quite well.