Mr. Peanut Gets In Shape

Celtic recently connected Horizon Fitness (one of our clients) with one of America's most iconic and recognized brands...Mr. Peanut. We put together a fitness equipment giveaway with Planters Peanuts. The online promo ("Win Your Own Home Gym") ran during peak fitness season (December through March).

In exchange for a treadmill, elliptical and home gym, Horizon was featured online at Planters.com. Horizon was also included in an opt-in email marketing program to Planters loyalists. In all, the promo generated several million impressions for Horizon.

Best part of the whole deal...Mr. Peanut actually runs out on the screen, jumps on a Horizon treadmill and starts to workout. How cool is that?

-Brian M.

Solid Brands Grow From Within

I had a chance to check out John Moore yesterday at the Northern Lights Theater in Milwaukee. John has worked deep in the marketing departments at Starbucks and Whole Foods. He's now a consultant and writes a Blog called Brand Autopsy. He also wrote a book about the evolution of Starbuck's called Tribal Knowledge (haven't read it yet, but I'm planning to).

He spoke for an hour and my takeaway is this....brands are grown from within. What does he mean by this? It's the idea that your brand doesn't grow from advertising alone. It’s not about who yells the loudest. A brand is cultivated by creating a unique business that can't be replicated by your competition. You have to develop a consistent product or service that can't be found anywhere else. It also means having principles and sticking by them…you need to create something your customers (and employees) will believe in.

Does John suggest you don't need to market your company using traditional channels like advertising, PR or promotions. Of course not! His point is that brand advertising is useless unless you can back it up and deliver on your promises.

So what's the lesson? When you develop your marketing programs (i.e. direct mailers, ads, Web site, etc.) make sure they communicate the true essence of your brand. If you say you're focused on customer service, you better back it up. If you say you offer a premium product, you better give your customers something that’s extraordinary.

At the end of the luncheon, John asked the following question, "If your business closed today, would anyone miss it?" What’s your answer?

-Brian M.

Servin' It Up at Ronald's House

Team Elevate was busy serving up dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Wauwatosa, Wis. recently. The menu included tacos with all the fixings and some awesome home made corn bread.

Celtic's Elevate program helps a wide variety of non-profits throughout the year. In recent months, we've worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, the Milwaukee VA, and the Milwaukee Rescue Mission.

Right now we're collecting canned goods for a local food pantry. If you're interested in helping out, give us a call.

-Brian M.

Lost in the Wilderness? Call Buck!

We just finsihed a unique brand identity project and Web site for Buck Tilton, an outdoor legend and one of the leading experts on outdoor health and safety. The new site, BuckTilton.com, shares Buck's life lessons, lists all of his authored books and includes info about upcoming speaking engagements.

For those of you who don't know Buck, he's the co-founder of the Wilderness Medical Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). He has authored more than two dozen books and writes a regular column for Backpacker magazine. On top of that, he's a pretty cool guy!

If you ever find yourself lost in the wilderness, pray that Buck Tilton is at your side!

-Brian M.

Starbucks - Web 2.0

Starbucks has officially joined the Web 2.0 revolution with the launch of My Starbucks Idea. This new online community allows Starbucks junkies (who officially register on the site) to post ideas and vote on those submitted by others. The site is regularly reviewed by "Idea Partners" (Starbucks employees) who look for the most popular, innovative ideas to explore.

When I looked at the site, several ideas were in review, including free Wi-Fi and a frequency/loyalty program.

Some critics are slamming Starbucks saying the site is nothing more than a propaganda machine. Others applaud the company for listening to its customers. I say bravo! Any company that’s willing to let customers have a voice (even if it means being slammed from time-to-time) gets my vote.

If you’re interested in reading what Advertising Age has to say, check out this article from Monday, March 24.

-Brian M.

Go Take a Hike!

At Celtic, we love the outdoors. That's why we're volunteering our time to work with the Ice Age Trail to develop a marketing "tool kit," which will help promote the trail and cultivate new volunteers.

Here's an ad that will launch this summer.

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a thousand-mile footpath (entirely in Wisconsin) that celebrates the legacy of the Ice Age. The Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation (IAPTF) is a volunteer and member-based non-profit organization that protects, promotes, builds and maintains the Ice Age Trail.

Get outside this summer and enjoy the outdoors!

-Brian M.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Have you seen Guinness' new TV spots promoting St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday? If so, you probably had a good laugh. But don't think they're the first company to come up with the idea of turning St. Pat's into a holiday.

Celtic's been celebrating St. Patrick's Day for more than 15 years. In fact, it's an official holiday here at the agency (check our policy manual....it's really in there).

Every year, we take the day to feast on corned beef and cabbage while tipping a few pints of good Irish beer. This year was no exception! Here's a shot of the Celtic gang (Susan Wirth and Nicole Feltz are missing).

Happy St. Pat's Day everyone!

-Brian M.

Bring Your Brand to Life...Literally

As a marketer, there's nothing more satisfying then when a brand comes to life...literally. In the case of one of our clients (College Illinois!), we developed mascots (or brand ambassadors as we like to call them) so consumers could interact with the brand.

Our characters make appearances at family expos, sporting events and other venues throughout the year. Parents, grandpartents and kids have a chance to interact with them (e.g. take pictures, dance around, etc.).

Talk about bringing a brand to life!

So the next time you're in a brand strategy meeting, think about non-traditional ways to breath life into your brand. Remember....your brand is more than a logo. It's a living, breathing thing!

-Brian M.

Suite 206?

Step inside Suite 206. Grab a cup of coffee, or a cold Guinness if you prefer. Take a seat and lets chat about Celtic and what makes this place so unique. While you're here, we'll show you around. You can meet the team and some of the great clients we serve. We'll even offer up some advice on how you can use marketing, advertising and public relations to grow your brand...and your business. So come inside. Relax.

You're always welcome at Suite 206!

-Brian M.