Hear Those Hogs Roar!

This weekend, Milwaukee welcomes "Hogs" from all over the world in celebration of Harley-Davidson's 105th Anniversary. When you think Milwaukee, two things may come to mind immediately ... Miller Brewing (now MillerCoors) and of course Harley-Davidson.

Thousands of loyal Harley riders and enthusiasts are coming to visit their second home, Milwaukee ... the birth place of Harley-Davidson. From over 100 "official" starting points around the country, Harley riders will take to the road on their Hogs and head into Milwaukee. The celebration takes place August 28-31 ... and it's one party that is certain to deliver. There are literally parties and events all over the "brew city" ... with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band headlining on Milwaukee's lakefront over the weekend.
And to put on a party like this, it requires many hands on deck. Even our agency - Celtic - played a part in helping make Milwaukee as welcoming as it can be. MillerCoors is welcoming Harley riders with open arms ... and recently Celtic was hired to develop all new wall graphics for MillerCoors' Visitor Center in anticipation of the huge event.

So whether you ride or not, this weekend when you hear those Hogs roar all around Milwaukee, be proud ... because our city is home to one of the most iconic brands ever. Congrats Harley!

-Kurt L.

Corporate Social Reponsibility

I’m a huge fan of The Cannonball Run (1981). You remember the movie. It starred Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jamie Farr, Dom Deluise, Farrah Fawcett and the list goes on. I was 10 years old when the movie came out and I dreamt about how cool it would be to race across the country in a Ferrari. It was every kids’ dream!

Well now that dream is a reality for grown up kids who love racing and cars. But the rally isn’t for millions of dollars or fame…it’s to build awareness for lost and missing children. The Fireball Run / Race to Recover America's Missing Children is a nationwide recovery and awareness campaign to help search for recently abducted children. You may not know it, but more than 2,000 kids are reported missing each day. Most are found without incident…others aren’t so lucky.

Two of my friends are participating in the rally this year, which starts in Baton Rouge and ends in Grand Rapids, Mich. During the journey, participants stop in cities to meet with officials and the media to help raise awareness for lost or missing children. According Fireball Run organizers, two children were found last year as a direct result of the rally.

As you can imagine, an event of this nature brings many sponsors and advertisers to the table. It’s a great brand building opportunity, but also shows a brand’s commitment to social responsibility and giving back. Today, consumers want to do business with companies who “care” and consider the interests of society at large rather than the bottom line. If you don't believe me, just look at the "green" movement.

If you’re responsible for marketing, advertising or PR at your company, you need to take a look at developing a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) action plan that effectively communicates how your business is bettering its employees, the local community and the world at large. It's not only the right thing to do, but it will strengthen your relationship with employees and your end consumers! It's a win-win all the way around.

-Brian M.

The Fonz and Beach Parties

Opinions on the “Bronze Fonz” that was unveiled along Milwaukee’s Riverwalk yesterday are certainly flowing freely today. But nobody can argue the success of the event as it relates to garnering media attention. Here’s just one example from “The Early Show” on CBS.

This just demonstrates that, sometimes, it’s necessary to have a little fun and do something out of the ordinary to get noticed. On a related note, Celtic recently organized a “Beach Party” for Wisconsin Pharmacal at a major industry trade show.

On the second day of the show, the Wisconsin Pharmacal booth was transformed into a crowded beach as everyone in attendance was invited to enjoy ice cold Landshark beer, get a free Frisbees and enter to win $50 gift cards to Sunglass Hut. It was a good time and – more importantly – generated a nice buzz for our client’s line of outdoor health and safety products at the show.

Just What We Need...More Political Ads

There’s one thing I hate about an election year….the advertising. There’s nothing more obnoxious then getting bombarded by political ads from the likes of McCain and Obama. Especially when the ads started running in July!

To my horror, I read an article this morning from Television Week with the following headline, “Political Spots Now a Bargain; Weak Economy Yields Lower Ad Prices.” Translation….ads are cheap so we can buy more.

God help us all!

-Brian M.

Nike Continues to Impress

With the 29th Summer Olympiad upon us, we in the marketing communications industry do not just follow the games. The Olympics are also a heavy period of advertising for the world’s biggest companies, most notably, NIKE.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of arguably the most recognizable slogan in the world: Just Do It. One of the reasons NIKE has become so astronomically successful in their history is not because they sell a top notch product. It’s because they’ve built their brand image to such a high standard around the world.

It happened in the early 80’s when “Just Do It” was introduced. It skyrocketed in the late 80’s/early 90’s when Michael Jordan became a global icon, and it will continue with superstars like LeBron James and inspirational role models like Lance Armstrong, who both can be seen in NIKE’s newest spot which can be seen during Olympic broadcasts.



This captivating spot reinforces “Just Do It” as the high standard in product branding. It looks to be a fixture in the marketing world for at least another 20 years.

-Marc B.

Cyber Warfare

You think you have spam issues? Talk to the Georgian government. Weeks before the Russian invasion, cyberspace experts were witnessing another invasion of sorts…attacks against Georgia’s Internet infrastructure.

Experts have documented D.D.O.S. (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks that overloaded and shut down servers, including the personal server of Georgina president, Mikheil Saakashvili. Despite denials from the Russian government, all of the attacks originated in Russia. (Looks like the Cold War is alive and well).

So what does any of this have to do with marketing? No much. But there is a lesson we can take away. As more hackers, spammers and criminals use e-mail as a tool to reap havoc and destruction, consumers are increasingly becoming more skeptical about messages they receive in their inbox. If your marketing program includes e-messaging, it’s imperative that you follow the golden rules:

1. Only send e-mails to people who have opted-in.

2. If you’re planning to use a “rented” list (which I strongly discourage), the first e-mail should explain who you are and why the individual is receiving the e-mail.

3. Every e-mail should include a clear path to “unsubscribe.” Don’t play games…make it as simple as possible.

4. Just because someone gives you their e-mail address at a trade show or retail promotion doesn’t mean they want to get messages from you. You must clearly ask and receive an individual’s permission prior to including his/her address in your e-mail marketing efforts.

-Brian M.

Olympics Draw Big Numbers Opening Night

Did you happen to see the men’s 400-meter relay final from Beijing on Sunday? If so, you saw one of the most thrilling finishes in U.S. Olympic history. Some are putting it right up there with the “Miracle on Ice” from 1980.

NBC – the official television broadcaster of the Beijing Games here in the U.S. – is banking on exciting competition and mind-blowing entertainment like the opening ceremonies to draw TV viewers. According to Rueters, the broadcast of the opening ceremonies was the most-viewed and highest-rated non-U.S. Olympic ceremony ever, averaging 34.2 million viewers here in the U.S. It was the biggest television event since the Super Bowl…it even beat out the finale of “American Idol,” one of TV’s highest-rated programs.

Those are impressive numbers for summer TV. It’s also a welcome sign for NBC, which charges its advertisers roughly $750,000 for a thirty-second spot during the Games. For those kind of ad revenues, NBC is hoping for more fantastic finishes in the coming days.

-Brian M.

Broadcast TV #1

I just read the article "Broadcast TV to Overtake Paper for Ad Sales" in Adweek. In nut shell, the year 2008 will be the first time in U.S. History that broadcast television will get more ad dollars than newspapers. If this study is accurate, despite all the new technology and emerging mediums out there, it will be the first time since the late 18th century that newspapers haven't held the #1 spot.

Though newspaper may take a tumble, that's pretty incredible to think it's held the #1 position since the days of Mozart. But don't think TV will enjoy the long ride newspaper held ... some experts predict that within three years, the Internet will overtake TV and become the number one generator of ad revenue.

Thinking back, my first job out of college was selling cable tv. I remember the company I worked for - Rutter Communications - had made a bold statement that by the year 2000 something (can't remember exactly), national cable TV ad sales would bump newspaper in ad revenue. Now we know that didn't happen of course ... but that day may not be that far off.

And once again, despite the doom and gloom we are all hearing about ... the advertising industry is expected to increase by about 2.5% this year in the U.S. to $218 billion.

- Kurt L.