Not only is this Frank’s RedHot Sauce commercial hilarious (I mean, anytime you hear an old lady cuss, it’s pretty funny), but it’s also rooted in great strategic thinking. The commercial marries the funny exaggeration (using Frank’s to grow an award-winning pumpkin) with the culture of hot sauce connoisseur (they really do put that sh*t on everything).

From the media I have seen, Frank’s RedHot “I Put that Sh*t on Everything” is running both TV and Radio.

At the end of the day, this Frank’s RedHot Sauce Campaign makes sense because it gives their expressive audience a funny scenario they can absolutely relate to.

Perhaps it’s not politically correct for the CEO of a digital marketing company to express his disgust with a strong new entry into the social media consciousness, and yet here I go.  I hate Foursquare.  OK, my kids tell me that “hate” is a really strong word, so let me rephrase – I strongly dislike Foursquare. And I don’t care who knows it.

Advocates of Foursquare say it’s the next big social media marketing platform.  They say that businesses small and large should try to attract members of Foursquare because it will help them promote their business online. Even the New York Times has picked up on the hub-bub, so it has officially entered the public lexicon.

Foursquare is basically a social media game, which requires players to “check in” at various locations they visit as they vie to become the Mayor of that location.  A dubious honor, this mayorship can sometimes lead to – are you ready for it? A free cup of coffee!  Coupons for dollars off a sandwich!  Maybe even a crown you can wear around town to let people know of your superior status.

So why do I hate Foursquare? Because its participants — many of whom reside in this very office and are people I trust and respect — continue to feel it necessary to share with me through their Twitter and Facebook streams exactly where they are at all times, and what they are buying/consuming/eating etc. Frankly, I do not care where you are.  I don’t care that you are bra shopping. And I don’t care that you just unlocked the super-sonic, gold-plated badge level like some Worlds of Warcraft fanboy.

And I certainly don’t care that you are the mayor of the Hillcrest Subway. Or the mayor of Bailey Gardiner for that matter.  What makes you think anyone actually does care, except for you and the owner of the business you are promoting by telling me where you are?

There are a lot of great online business models that already offer geolocation services and popularity ratings – and way better in my opinion. User generated content and public rating systems are not new, and there are great platforms like Yelp, Loopt, Chowhound, and even grand-daddies like TripAdvisor, that allow me to check people’s opinions about all sorts of things. But on my own time and according to my own set of search criteria.

Having people barge into my social media stream with updates about their current location is pretty much spam.  It’s uninvited information from people I actually like, making it really hard to just turn off their Facebook updates or unfollow them on Twitter.

So do us all a favor Foursquare junkies – disconnect your relentless updates from your social media streams so we don’t all have to witness your trips to Subway, Starbucks and Target. Then you can become the Mayor Of Wherever The Hell You Want, and I don’t need to know about it.

Because really, no one cares except for the brands you are helping by mentioning them.

I was excited to watch the snowboarding in the Olympics last night.  Just before the first boarder took to the half pipe I watched him pull out his ipod, quickly pick a song, and slide it back into his Burton jacket.  I turned to my husband, “He’s listening to his ipod  while he competes in the Olympics.  I wonder what he’s listening to.”

But the attention last night was on Shaun White, the second boarder of the night.  He’s the biggest name in snowboarding and it was his packaged feature story that led into the evening’s competition.  Anyone who was making a point to watch the Olympic snowboarding had their eyes on Shaun White.  So when he pulled out his iphone just seconds after ending his run, I had to ask, “what could be so important right now that he would need to look at his phone!?”

So I wonder, was apple behind all of this?  If so, I applaud their creativity and I recognize that this is where advertising is going.  Product placement has been around since before Elliot brought Reeses Pieces to ET but what’s changing is that products no longer just have to show up, they have to influence the viewer.  When Louis Vito pulled out his ipod, I made the association that his ipod helped him perform.  He NEEDED his ipod.

A recent Adage article talks about product placement and how common it is becoming in our everyday TV, movie and gaming content.  While it used to be stealth, a Pepsi can in the background of the set or a pair of Nike shoes on the main character, it’s now become a more influential part of our content.  Rather than being built into the content, content is being built around it.  The article claims, “At some point, ads and shows might blur so much that the notion of a ‘commercial break’ becomes a silly, antiquated thing of the past.”  If you ask me, it will be a very long time before commercials cease to exist but without a doubt, product placement will prevail and in more creative and brilliant ways than we’ve ever seen in the past.

We are served advertising continuously in so many forms. But whether advertising gets our attention or not can depend on an undervalued element: white space. This is the areas between type and images in a magazine ad or web page, etc., that is blank.  And when it is used well, white space can automatically increase the design aesthetic.

White space provides a balance in the design, a place for the eyes to rest, and accentuates the product and messaging in the layout.

This VW campaign was launched in 1959 by ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach and uses white space brilliantly. Some advertisers want to fill every square inch of purchased space with type and graphics because they have the inaccurate idea they are getting the most bang for their buck. Trying to wedge too much content into a layout can lead to advertising that gets little or no attention, basically a waste of ad dollars, since building brand awareness and moving people to buy products is the goal in advertising.

We’ve seen that it takes creativity and courage to say yes to white space but that it can pay off. Sometimes less is more.

The short answer is “maybe”. And here’s the long answer….

We’re often asked this question by potential and current clients and we usually tell them that social media isn’t for everyone and having a Facebook Fan Page isn’t for everyone either. People use Facebook as a way to interact with the brands they have an emotional connection to and/or to express their personal interests to their friends.

For example, I’m a fan of Diet Coke, but I don’t make it a point to visit their page to interact with the brand or with other fans. I just like Diet Coke and wanted it to be on my list. I’m also a fan of Scripps Health because I’m a patient and think they are a wonderful health care provider. I often interact with them by answering questions posed to their fans or even posting my own questions. I also love paperclips and appreciate their function, but I’m not going to go out of my way to become a fan let alone post comments on the fan page.

When we advised our client, Vet-Stem, a company that provides stem cell therapy for dogs, to create a Facebook fan page, we were really excited and knew a page focusing on people’s pets and how Vet-Stem has helped them improve their quality of life, would be a success. But, we were not prepared for just how much people wanted to interact with the brand and shocked at how fast we saw results.

Our team set moderate expectations using past experience and industry benchmarks. We created the  fan page with a strategy and compelling content, and when it was complete in January, networked it out within our Bailey Gardiner team. We saw a slight bump in fans, but that was the calm before the storm. Vet-Stem sent an email out to their database which included veterinarians and patients. The email didn’t just include “become our fan”, but told people why we created the page and how we wanted them to interact. We were asking them to share stories about their pets, how Vet-Stem helped and opened it up to questions and comments from dog owners.

Now, Vet-Stem’s Facebook Fan Page has nearly 950 fans and sees several interactions per day on their fan page. Dog owners post pictures of their dogs and write stories about how thankful they are for stem cell therapy. We’ve also use the page to share links to our Arthritis in Dogs blog posts and have seen an increase of click throughs to both the blog and the website. Vet-Stem has also started using their fan page as a way to streamline their customer service protocol and gather testimonials for us to use for traditional public relations pitching.

The point is, if your brand is one that people are passionate about and already has a strong following of brand ambassadors, then a Facebook Fan Page is something you should consider. Remember that interaction and engagement are your two goals for your fan page. Creating a two-way communication with them and making them feel like they are a part of something is key to a successful strategy.

When ordering pizza with friends a few days ago, I was surprised at the level of interaction Domino’s Pizza offered their customers. Here are five of the ways that Dominoes is giving consumers what they want online:

1. Real time tracking of your order. Minute by minute, your order is tracked from “Order Placed” to “Out for Delivery.” The tracker even shows you who is making your pizza and who will deliver! Social media and online ordering has created a real time consumer.

2. Sharing every moment of your life. No matter how boring. Domino’s made it easy for me to connect to Facebook and share that I am about to have pizza. This message is then displayed on my wall and the news feeds of my friends.

3. Domino’s monitored social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Yelp and listened to their critics. They took all of this feedback and re-created their pizza. Then, they went on the road and found the people that were their “harshest critics.” They called this promotion the “Pizza Turnaround.” They showcase their videos on their YouTube channel and on their own website.

4. Notice in the picture just above that they highlight their Twitter stream about their new pizza. They realized they needed to listen to their customers and make things right.

5. They genuinely want to know how they are doing. They make it easy for you to leave comments and feedback about your pizza and your experience.

6. Last but not least. The email follow-up not only confirms your order and tells you that you can track your order online, it also has a “come back” message:

When the green movement first started garnering major awareness a few years ago, it seemed that any eco-friendly product or service was able to capitalize on the attention and get positive press and accolades.  As the movement continues to grow and green products flood the market, however, it has become harder for new brands to infiltrate the cluttered marketplace of  green marketing. As consumers continue to get inundated with green messaging, new products and services are under much more scrutiny and must do more to differentiate themselves from the pack. Having handled the public relations for a few green brands, I have a few tips for how eco-friendly products can distinguish themselves in the green market.

Provide value

The down economy affected the green market considerably. Just being green isn’t enough anymore, and consumers are much less likely to pay a premium for green products and services. Consumers have to see green products as providing value to their lives, especially if the products cost more than a non-green alternative.

Implement a corporate culture of sustainability

These days, just having an eco-friendly product or service is not enough. Companies have to practice what they preach and embody a corporate culture of sustainability. Has your green company implemented sustainable business practices, such as recycling, using renewable energy, consuming less and conserving water, as well? Is your company involved with green charities and organizations? Green initiatives should be implemented across all sectors of the company.

Provide a unique product or service

Provide something new and different to the market. It is much harder to gain recognition if there are 20 other brands that offer a very similar product or service to yours.  Do we really need another basic, organic cotton t-shirt company?

Be committed and authentic

So many brands are trying to capitalize on the green movement by making small tweaks and throwing an eco-friendly label on their product. The public is getting much more savvy and is no longer buying it. If a company is not fully committed to the cause, and is just trying to jump on the bandwagon, it can backfire. If, for example, you are using organic cotton, but are also using toxic dyes, you might face scrutiny and a backlash from the media and the public.  Don’t claim to be eco-friendly unless you can really back it up.  And as with any brand, authenticity is key.

Do you have other tips for green brands? Which green brands do you think are doing a good job?

Over the last several years, I’ve enjoyed the luxury of greater personalization through most of the media I consume. Each morning when I turn on my computer iGoogle greets me with ‘Hello Kelsey’ and it takes only minutes to comb through the headlines of my favorite news sites and hand-selected blogs, local weather and my puppy of the day- all of which I’ve chosen as my content. As I crawl about the web, I am served only ads that matter to me. Those boots I’ve been cost-comparing are now glowing in a web banner with a 20% off coupon. Sold. During a recent visit to Las Vegas, I received a text message as I entered Caesar’s Palace asking if I’d like the restaurant deals and entertainment lineup for the evening. Why yes! Thanks Caesar. You know me so well.

Through these experiences, I’ve come to expect a high level of relevance in all the media I consume. And wherever irrelevant content impedes my life, it is not welcome. Which is why I am so fond of the fast forward button on my DVR. Traditional advertising—television commercials, newspaper ads, billboards—are just not speaking to me. These forms of media continue to reach the masses in a very impersonal way.

That is the challenge for brands who dare to venture into the traditional advertising space in 2010: just how personal can you get?

In a recent AdAge article which forecasts the year’s marketing challenge, the personalization standards set by the web will be tough to achieve for brands in all categories no matter what the media. Specifically regarding TV advertising, the author of the article suggests opting out of commercials and instead opt for “…propositions designed for a specific moment or for a distinct group of viewers. Maybe there’s a contest aimed at viewers of “Gossip Girl”; perhaps there’s a weekend-weather-themed promo sponsored by Home Depot aimed at viewers who may be considering weekend plans.”

This reminds me of the Subway, Carefree and Ziploc plugs peppered throughout episodes of the Biggest Loser.

Another fair attempt of this is shown in Becca’s recent blog post about Honda tailoring their commercial messaging to be more relevant both to the time period in which it aired (the holidays), and to the audience it was reaching (Southern California).

Or the Chase billboards along freeways throughout LA which play to the type of people who live there.

What other ways can advertisers keep up with people’s expectations and get more personal with their traditional media?

Being the go-getters that we are at BG, we never shy away from a challenge. So when San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine (SDHIPM for short) approached us to help them with an integrated local outreach campaign, we jumped at the chance not only to help an incredible organization, but also to learn about an industry that none of us had much experience with.

Despite being far and away the leader in non-profit hospice care and palliative medicine in CA, SDH faced numerous challenges in attracting people to its service:

• Public sensitivity about the very topic of hospice
• Widespread misconceptions (that even we ourselves held) of hospices as somber places where terminally-ill people go to give up and die
• Increasingly aggressive competition from for-profit hospice providers in the local market
• Niche target audience

Our reeducation began almost from day 1, when we paid a site visit to SDHIPM’s Hillcrest care facility. With Melissa De La Calzada, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, as our capable guide, we learned so much about the benefits of what SDH actually provides, and the truly inspiring stories that result. We came to understand that far from being the “death-house” that people tend to imagine, hospice is not a place, but a philosophy that focuses on alleviating physical, spiritual and mental pain, to allow people to live life to the fullest.

With this fundamental understanding, we set to work developing a strategy for reaching our target audience of both the terminally-ill and the people (typically family and friends) who are caring for them. Recognizing the sensitivity of our topic, BG’s creative team came through beautifully, with the simple, yet warm “It’s Time” campaign, that conveyed the compassion, understanding and most importantly, support that SDHIPM offers to caregivers as well as those in need of care. The message played out over an integrated, locally-focused media plan encompassing behaviorally-targeted online advertising, email outreach, custom landing pages, and even Twitter, Facebook and their very own blog, that would maximize coverage, but also minimize the exposure of our message to people outside of our target market. Below are some examples of the creative:

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Thus, the end result of countless hours of research, consideration and careful honing of creative is a campaign that is making a tangible impact on SDHIPM’s patient intake, not to mention a powerful learning experience for all of us in a new industry that few advertisers would think to take on.

Every holiday season, I feel I see a mix of new television commercials and repeats from previous years. I know there will always be a “different” (if that’s the right way to put it) Old Navy commercial, the typical jewelry commercial and a ton of car commercials.

When I see these car commercials, I almost always see the same thing. The big red bow or a woman opening a jewelry box and there is a Lexus car key in it. They are all the same, all overdone, and pretty much all boring.

Why do advertisers feel that during the holiday season they have to stick with tradition? Why do they have to do the exact same commercial they’ve run year after year?

With people now fast-forwarding commercials more than ever, television commercials have become one of the quickest declining traditional forms of advertising. That should be an instant wake-up call to advertisers and their marketing agencies. You need to make your commercial stand out. Make people not want to fast-forward. Make them want to actually watch your commercial.

When I saw the first second of the first Honda commercial this season, I thought, great a repeat from the last few years. Happy Honda Days! But then I kept watching until the end. I realized they were telling a story with the commercial. At the end they say, “You have your holiday traditions. We have ours.” I went, wow, they made a little tweak to the commercial they did last year–You have your holiday traditions. I started seeing more and more of them. Each commercial is specifically tailored to a certain type of person/interest and they show the exact car that would be perfect for that type of person. Genius you may ask? I think so. Make a commercial 100% tailored to an individual, to the every day person.

Some of my favorite out of the bunch are as follows:

1) Happy Honda Days winter golfing (guys’ day out)

2) Happy Honda Days football game (how men- and myself- won’t miss a football game no matter what the weather)

3) Happy Honda Days dog sled (a holiday family outing)

And my personal favorite and so appropriate for anyone living where it stays warm during the holidays (thank you San Diego): Happy Honda Days Surfing Santa.

Thank you, Honda. By making this slight change, without breaking too far away from your traditional holiday commercials, you have actually made me want to watch commercials instead of fast-forwarding.  However, I currently drive a Honda Civic so you haven’t enticed me to actually buy a new one. But, I will gladly take one as a present, if you would like to give me one, since mine is getting old. I mean, it is the holidays right?