OK, THAT Explains It

A friend was sporting one of those "Peace, Love, 4 Rivers" bumper stickers I posted about earlier. It's actually a magnet. That makes much more sense. And they give one away with every order. Pretty damned smart.

Word of Bumper

As far as I'm concerned, barbecue is barbecue. You can argue about Memphis, Kansas City, Chicago and any other city that lays claim to barbecue expertise, but I'll eat any of it and like most of it. I have no ties to any of the great barbecue cities nor is my palate sophisticated enough to judge one over the other.

Lately I've been seeing this bumper sticker all over town. It's for a place that opened just over two years ago and only has three locations. I've not seen or heard a commercial for 4 Rivers Smokehouse, no banner ads, no print media or outdoor boards. I just keep seeing these bumper stickers. I don't follow them on Twitter nor they me. I'm not a fan of theirs on Facebook. (1,042 followers and 8,642 fans. Impressive numbers, really.) Apparently they've been reviewed positively plenty of times.

People think enough of this place to ruin the paint jobs on their cars. I have also heard a few people expressing a desire to try 4 Rivers, saying they've heard it's excellent.

That is some seriously effective, low budget advertising, especially in the hard-to-stay-alive-let-alone-compete restaurant category.

If You Don't Buy This, The Terrorists Win

Click it to buy it.

Having a million-selling* single online can be a heady thing if you're not ready for it, but as I've learned from watching and studying Justin Bieber, it's important that guys like Justin and I maintain our grounded, down-to-earth coolness in the face of all this sudden wealth and fame. I am still the same me, only with tons and tons of cash and servants and exotic cars and a private jet and sushi whenever I demand it, prepared by my personal chef, who, if she doesn't get her act together, will find herself my former personal chef. (The ad clearly said: "Must be able to make sushi with leanings toward the California School expected. Sushi tools NOT provided!")

At the same time, it's discouraging that not everyone in the world has bought a copy yet. I know there are, like, starving people in other countries who can't afford the 99¢ because they have to eat or something, so maybe you can buy an extra copy and send it to them?

As I said before, you can hate the hell out of it. I don't care. Just buy it.

* I won't know for another month or two how it's doing at iTunes. The distributor, CD Baby, says, "Apple sends us the monthly report about 4-6 weeks after the month is finished. Meaning: you won't see your September sales until the first week of November." 

Your Sunday Evenin' Makin' Dinner Music Video

I've always contended that Austin-based Bob Schneider just needs to rebrand and he'd do better. His name is too close to B-list "comedian" and Adam Sandler bud Rob Schneider. Unless someone tells you, "Hey, you shoud listen to this Bob Schneider CD," there's nothing in his "brand" that would cause you to give him a listen. Word of mouth marketing is great, but it only takes you so far. Bob's name doesn't jump at you like "Kid Rock" or "Jay-Z" or even (yes, I'm going to say it) "Kajagoogoo." It's a hindrance. Too common. C'mon, Bob, step it up. Ditch the family pride and get a new name. This song is called "Cap'n Kirk."



A better song (and a really lame fan video) is Big Blue Sea.

Marriage Counselor Headphones

I generally believe that the power of the testimonial in advertising (for certain items) can be effective. Regular people extolling the virtures of some product or service are just more believable than some smooth or smarmy voiceover talent reading the carefully crafted prose of some bitter, dark-souled, lying copywriter. It's just an older form of what has come to be known as "word of mouth marketing." But Darlene and Jack B. of California take it one step beyond in this ad for TV Ears, a gadget for people who can't hear their TVs.

Darlene: Jack used to keep the TV up so loud, I was damn near ready to stab him. Or at the very least, leave him.
Jack: I used to keep the TV up so loud so I could hear the damned dialog over Darlene's incessant cackling. Man, she howls like a drunk fratboy watching Jackass 2, even when the jokes are formulaic and stupid.
Darlene: The only thing TV Ears can't fix is the sound of Jack chewing popcorn. Since he can only hear the TV now, he smacks and slurps like a frickin' goat - and he doesn't even know he's doing it.
Jack:Thanks, TV Ears, for preventing our marriage from ending tragically.
Darlene: Yes, or ending in a bloody homicide/suicide. We never even have to talk anymore. It's wonderful.

Scanned from Atlantic Monthly

WOM Marketers Eye Xmas Parties

In a move that risks bringing further shame to the advertising industry, some word of mouth marketers are hiring conversationalists to attend Holiday parties and name-drop for various brands. The "party plants," as they are being called, will be fitted with tiny earpieces through which they will be instructed from a remote location when and how to fit an advertiser into a conversation.

"Let's say your boss is sipping a rum and cola while you introduce your significant other at this year's office Christmas party," offers Heather Huchster, Vice-President of Nothing is Sacred, LLC, a word of mouth marketing firm in Kansas City, "At this point, the conversation monitors, operating from a call center, will be able to prompt the attendee to talk about Bacardi, Coca-Cola or other brands among a list of those who've paid for this valuable service. Or let's imagine someone compliments your purse, at which point you will be prompted to talk about the great savings you found on purses at Macy's."

Known as PPC (Pay Per Conversation), the practice is drawing critcism from traditional advertisers.

"I really don't want to wonder if the person I'm talking to is being paid to shill for a brand," said Trey Kuhle, an art director from New York City.

But Huchster counters that this new form of marketing is just a step beyond the Pay Per Post blogging model, in which bloggers are paid to write positive things for paying companies. "Whether it's product placement in a movie or preroll before your next YouTube view, you can't escape advertising," said Huchster, "And if you don't like it, you are free to keep your mouth shut and sit in the corner."

Huchster would not disclose the payment plan for the new Pay Per Conversation model, but allowed that some conversations will be more valuable than others.