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.

Last February, two unemployed brothers from Illinois made an amateur Doritos TV commercial and scored the top spot in USA Today’s Super Bowl 2009 Ad Meter.

Last Sunday, as the culmination of their Crash the Super Bowl contest, Doritos aired four more consumer-generated spots. “Casket”, which features a man pretending to be dead so that he could be buried with a casket full of chips. “House Rules”, where a little boy puts the smack down on his mother’s date. “Snack Attack Samurai”, that shows what happens when you steal a bag from a Doritos’ fanatic. And “Underdog”, the spot below, where a dog has its proverbial day at the expense of a man who refuses to share his bounty.

After the results of this year’s Super Bowl Ad Meter were tallied, the Betty White Snickers spot came in first. “Underdog” second. However, Joshua Svoboda, was awarded a $600,000 prize for his efforts (per contest rules). Not bad considering his commercial only took $200 to make.

Predictably, articles were written saying that ad agencies should be afraid. There were those who suggested that the everyday Joe (or Jane) with a camcorder, computer and idea could produce a TV spot that’s just as effective as one made by the traditional Madison Avenue agency. Along with that argument is that brands would be able to save marketing dollars if they choose to run with amateur productions.

But here’s the truth about consumer-generated ads- those amateurs aren’t always amateurs. Turns out Joshua is actually a creative director of sorts. And in an article looking back at past winners of consumer-generated advertising contests, it appears that a fair number have ties to the industry. Apparently, creative professionals are consumers too. (Heck, two of us here at B.G. put together a :12 TV spot for Mountain Dew.)

A few years ago, the New York Times reported that free ads still come with a high price tag. Agencies and brand marketers spend months planning their consumer-generated contests- hiring lawyers to vet them and designing advertisements to promote them. People then have to spend countless hours wading through entries.

Whether or not they are truly effective may still be up for debate. But one thing that can be said in favor of consumer-generated ads is that agencies and brands get sent a ton of new ideas. And as long as those ideas may potentially be made real, we’ll keep our camcorders ready… and the idea fountain flowing.

When pitching a natural living product, there are specific green publications that will be instrumental in your public relations efforts. While editors at major lifestyle publications may not ask the tough questions, green publications that pride themselves on providing the most current and accurate information will. Below are four tips every public relations representative must know before venturing into the world of green.

1. Differentiate between Healthy Living and Natural Living: While there is a lot of overlap between healthy living and natural living, there are also a lot of differences. Items that are good for you, may not be good for the environment and items that are natural may not be healthy. Understand which category your product fits in and then research the appropriate green publications, healthy living outlets, or both. It’s easy to categorize them together, you know how everyone in Oregon grows their own vegetables, wears Keens, and drives a Prius? But the reality is caring about your health and caring about the environment are two different things. Just because your product is organic, it doesn’t mean the packaging it comes in is recyclable or the company that produces it is sustainable. Which brings me to my next point.

2. Know Key Terminology and Definitions: What does “green” mean? Since when were there 7 types of recycling? CFL’s or LEDs? Is this product sustainable? Am I sustainable? And now the gas pedal on my Prius might stick? All the labels for healthy and natural living can make your head spin. Doing your part to help the environment is quickly becoming a lot more complicated. Before you write a pitch, fact sheet, or release (let alone call a green publication) know which terminologies apply to your product and which don’t. Know if the bottle is recyclable, if whatever is inside is organic, the difference between vegan and vegetarian, or whatever else could differentiate your product from another. Sometimes this means getting to know the product AND the company. While it’s great if the company subscribes to the same ideals as it’s consumers, that may not always be the case.

3. Understand Your Clients Strengths (and Weaknesses): If you get lucky and your client is organic, completely recyclable, sustainable, donates to CoastKeeper, and practically has a negative carbon footprint,  then skip to number four. Otherwise, you need to know what makes your client special and what doesn’t. If your client donates to a green charity, play that up. If they are going to make the change to solar energy,  note that. But also know that with all the green buzz, green publications are going to want the facts. Any good public relations professional can pinpoint the not so glamorous aspects of there clients and this is going to come in especially useful when dealing with green publications.

4. Prepare for Different Knowledge Levels: All journalists have different knowledge levels about any given subject and, as a public relations person, you need to be able to talk about your product to the most beginner green writer or the most experienced green editor. Knowing how to explain the new process your client just created in layman’s terms will help when calling a green publication. Especially when you only have 15 seconds.

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:

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the Super Bowl is one of the largest platforms for traditional advertising. The Super Bowl TV commercials have almost become just as big of a deal as the game itself, especially to those who don’t know the difference between a quarterback and a cornerback. Airing your ad during the ‘big game’ not only provides an opportunity for TV revenue and unmatched exposure to the big guys, but also allows businesses to pitch, plug and promote their products.  While the big swingers are paying upwards of $2.5-$3 million per 30-second spot, other companies are getting their exposure through the use of more affordable traditional media platforms.

Radio – The Monday before the ‘big game’ the Super Bowl Media Center opens up, which has become the home of “Radio Row.” Almost every sports radio station, both national and local, has a table set up at the Media Center where they do their live feeds from. It’s here that sports radio talk show hosts do live interviews with past and present NFL stars, as well as actors, musicians and comedians.  And why would all these famous people want to do interview after interview with various stations?  Because they’re capitalizing on the ad money generated from their involvement.  It took me a second to realize that Marshall Faulk was paid every time he said “Hass Avocados” during an interview with a local San Diego radio station a couple years back.  He must have said “Hass Avocados” like 30 times.  Ladanian Tomlinson, yet another NFL player capitalizing on the endorsement opportunities, raked in money by promoting Campbell’s Soup.   Adam Sandler used Radio Row as a way to promote one of his new movies.  It’s unclear exactly how much stars get paid for promoting but one thing is for sure, everyone has one.

Print Promotion - The nightlife in the days leading up to the Super Bowl offers a whole slew of traditional advertising and promotional opportunities as well.  Every major men’s magazine, such as Playboy and Maxim, throws huge Super Bowl parties where famous people and promotional items are plentiful.  Victoria’s Secret has jumped on the Super Bowl party bandwagon this year.  The competition from year to year seems to be increasing as everyone tries to one up the other on the party/promotional circuit. This influx of party throwers can only mean more opportunities for exposure for companies.

Direct Mail – Local retailers are also flooding in with advertisements. The front page of Vons’ weekly special includes coupons for everything from chips to frozen pizza and beer.  Meanwhile, Target is doing their own ‘Super Bowl sale’ for flat screen TVs.  Most, if not all, direct mail advertisements received in this week leading up to Sunday’s game is geared towards the Super Bowl in one way or another. It’s insane.

My point – TV commercials are not the only way to effectively reach the Super Bowl audience.

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s Public Relations Tactics series, which highlights tools and best practices to ensure a successful public relations campaign. The series will run weekly.

If you work for a public relations firm, why wouldn’t you do your own PR and practice what you preach?

A while back, Jennifer from our advertising team blogged about Bailey Gardiner’s ad in USA Today. But like she mentioned in her post, advertising is only part of the strategy in branding yourself and working with the types of clients you want to represent. Creating an integrated strategy by adding public relations and social media to the mix is like the one-two punch. Ready? And go.

Here are just a few ways to PR your agency’s work:

Share Agency News

You’re proud of the work you do, right? Announce new hires and share your agency wins with PR trades like PRWeek and Bulldog Reporter as well as local business publications and online. PitchEngine is great service that makes it easy to create a social media news release and your own social media newsroom.

Utilize Social Media Platforms

Whether it’s creating mobile video or doing industry-specific public relations,  showcase your agency’s brilliant thinking on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, or make it easy for people to find you with a Twitter handle or Twitter hashtag.

Position Key Staff as Experts

Another way you can use PR to promote your agency. Pitch senior staff as experts available for interview and for speaking opportunities.

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?

Cellphones today are a far cry from the chunky brick-like handsets we used to lug around back in the 90’s. Somewhat ironically, the smaller they get, the greater their feature sets seem to grow. Many of these mobile features are somewhat inane (remember Sprint’s completely un-annoying Push-to-Talk phones?), however it seems we’ve reached the tipping point at which things are getting very interesting. I talk specifically about mobile video.

UStream.tv and Qik (pronounced “quick”) have both caught my attention as heralds of a new age of video-on-the-go. Both are free services that allow you to capture mobile video via your smartphone camera, and broadcast it live to the internet for the consumption of the masses.

Not only can you capture and share your every waking moment with a single button press, but you can invite your viewers to comment on what they see via real-time text chat, that shows up right on your phone’s screen, as you’re broadcasting. And to think that Justin, (of Justin.tv fame), required all kinds of headgear for the same effect, just 2 years ago…

The possibilities of these mobile video services are, to me, endless, including:

• The song and movie parodies that we all know and love can be posted and shared in real time
• Some enterprising soul will generate thousands of views (not to mention rack up an impressive data usage bill) with their own mobile video equivalent of a Choose Your Own Adventure video series, with viewers calling the shots
• Breaking news reports end up hitting the internet faster than reporters can actually get there – leading the networks to consider crowdsourcing their on-the-ground news coverage

All of these possibilities are fun to consider, but in particular, I feel mobile video services such as these are like a PR and event marketer’s nirvana. Why post an edited video after the fact, when viewers can tune in from anywhere on Earth, and watch events unfold with a mere 5-second delay?

The only thing I think is missing is the ability to have these videos broadcast to viewers’ smartphones – at which point, we’re truly at the beginning of the golden age of mobile video, and the whole idea of Citizen Journalism will just have gone to the next level.

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?