Andy Krupski And The Hive Prepares For Their Appearance On “The Pitch” [Video]

The people over at The Hive have just released a video that shows them preparing for their shot at the title when they pitch Clockwork Home Services in Monday’s episode of AMC’s show, “The Pitch”.

Mister Sparky, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning are the three featured home services brands, owned by Clockwork Home Services, that will be featured in this week’s segment.

The Hive is hoping to see a positive impact from it’s appearance on the show. “Everybody is looking forward to seeing it…me mostly” said Andy Krupski, the CEO of the Toronto, Canada based advertising agency.

The Hive will be competing against FKM, an ad agency located in Texas. I hope that The Hive fares better than last week’s participants. The loser, The Ad Store, looked feeble on the show but quickly became a fan favorite, while the winner, SK+G PR came across arrogant, aloof and pretty much as assholes…which was the sentiment online in the social media circles. (see our coverage of last week’s episode wherein SK+G’s PR really came off looking bad!)

Last week, neither agency showed a real grasp of social media and it’s impact. Let’s hope that on Monday’s show, Krupski’s Krew can bring the goods. I’m pulling for them.

As an independent agency they saw an opportunity to compete on a big stage and went for it.

“We’re an independent. We love competition”, said Krupski about The Hive’s participation in the program.

Well, I guess we’ll all see if The Hive can handle the pressure of being on a national television show. If not, I’m not sure if we’ll see them back on screen any time in the future. When asked if the experience of being filmed and your business being held out to scrutiny was actually worth it, Krupski responded, “Ask me that question after the show”.

Funny thing, with social media, he won’t have to wait for an answer AFTER the show. We’ll be talking with viewers from around the world on Monday night in a #socialtv chat session on Twitter.

Krupski and The Hive will be receiving immediate, real-time feedback. Maybe Krupski and staff will choose to join us. We’d love to have them chatting with us and I’m sure the audience would love to hear from them.

We’re going to try and reach out to them and see if they want to participate in our chat.

If you’d like to talk about the show, remember to log on to Twitter and follow the hashtag #thepitch and join in. We hope to see you on Monday night and we wish Andy Krupski and The Hive good luck.

AMC’s “The Pitch” Advertising’s Unreal Reality Show | [Video]

NOTE: Don’t forget to join us every Monday night at 10:00PM as we engage in little bit of fun #socialtv . We’ll be chatting up a storm on Twitter talking about each episode, what happens and asking questions to the audience. We’d love for you to particpate. Just follow the hashtag #thepitch

{Video Transcript)
Have you seen AMC’s show “The Pitch”.  My thoughts…hmm…give me a week and I’ll surely come up with something

Hey everybody I was watching the new show The Pitch on AMC last night and I felt that I was lost in a time warp or something. It felt like I was watching a real life version of Mad Men.

Here’s the premise. Two Ad agencies are brought in to make a pitch to a client and at the end of the show the Client picks the agency to run a campaign.

Think of it as the Celebrity Apprentice without any celebrity and you get an idea. BUT..and this is funny. The apprentice is actually more intriguing.

Same prima donna personalities, sprinkled in with a few has beens and a few wannabees but the big difference, surprisingly the Apprentice ideas actually work better.

I watched two agencies spend a week on developing a tagline. yes…i said A week..7 whole days…are you kidding me?

So much for real-time marketing. So much for engagement. So much for interaction.

The show promoted the same kind of push marketing mentality that is failing miserably in today’s marketplace. What made matters worse is that the prospective client, Waste Management, actually told them that they wanted a big social component.

But the agencies couldn’t deliver. One completely ignored the social component and the other wrapped a campaign around a QR code…and they won!

Here’s the deal. Social isn’t found in a tagline. Social doesn’t come from a week’s worth of “creative”, social isn’t fed to the masses, …social is borne of participation, engagement, conversation, touches..social isn’t manufactured..at least good social isn’t.

You know what AMC should do? Maybe they should watch the conversation taking place after the show and get involved. Maybe they should have involved the viewers and created an aura of engagement wherein the viewers could have participated in the development of the campaign.

Talk about the show is resonating on social media and it seems no one from AMC is listening. I know the Ad Store isn’t it.

They made 2 tweets in January, 1 in February, 1 in March and 3 in April…and they were basically insolvent and somehow got picked to be on a television show to pitch to a billion dollar client who wanted a social based campaign.

Maybe AMC should have filmed THAT selection process…because I’d have loved to see that magic act.

And AMC..before I forget…

KRAFT Issues “Cheesy” Thank You To Its Facebook Fans [Video]

So many brands see their Facebook page liked by fans but how many go out of the way to actually show their fans their gratitude?

So why is this video 6+ minutes long? On Tuesday, the KRAFT posted a note on Facebook that read: “LIKE this post, and you never know what may happen.” More than 4,600 people in turn liked the page.

Well in this EXTREMELY “cheesy” video, KRAFT hits a home run by taking time to mention each and EVERY one of the 4,600 people who recently “liked their page”. Pretty cool idea.

I especially love the Dub-Step vibe around the 3 minute mark. Obviously the social media marketing agency running KRAFT’s campaign knows what they are doing. Which is more than we can say for some brands.

Kudos KRAFT!

SEOmoz Warns Of The Coming Doom From New Google Panda Updates [Video]

I am fully aware that a lot of people will discount what Rand Fishkin is saying in this video. Fine. That’s your choice. A lot of so called SEO experts and web designers are in a pretty precarious position. What will they do when the sites they have designed are whacked by Google.

For those of you who do care, take precautions now. Trying to fix things on the backend will be a tough road to go down.

Food Insurance : Is It Really Needed?

If you think about it, food and water are vital to our survival. A human being can only live for a few weeks without food and only a few days without water. So why aren’t we more concerned with protecting our most basic necessities?

In light of the tragic events in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, the power outage in New York City that brought the city to a standstill, and the constant threat of fires, earthquakes, tornadoes and other natural disasters across the country, it is important to make sure we always have the basic necessities of life with enough home food storage for your family to survive for at least two weeks.

Factor in the meteoric rise of food prices and the argument for adequate food insurance becomes even stronger.

Sure, to combat the swelling cost of food, you can either choose to do nothing or you can be prepared and have some sort of a food storage plan.

In addition to the rising food costs and economic uncertainty, food insurance makes sense as a means of protecting your family in times of natural disasters. Disaster preparedness is a discipline that involves preparing for an emergency before it occurs, disaster response (e.g. emergency evacuation, quarantine, mass decontamination, etc.), as well as supporting, and rebuilding society after natural or human-made disasters have occurred.

In general, disaster preparedness involves a continuous process by which all individuals, groups, and communities manage hazards in an effort to avoid or ameliorate the impact of disasters resulting from the hazards. Actions taken depend in part on perceptions of risk to those exposed.

Effective disaster preparedness relies on thorough integration of emergency plans.For safe food storage techniques, there are plenty of ways to go about making sure your family stays safe in the case of an emergency.  There is always the persistent fear out there that the food we take for granted, like corn, for instance, will no longer be as readily available as it is today. The foods we use daily are becoming more and more expensive, as is being reported on the news in an alarming trend.

The types of foods that are in our grocer’s shelves are going up in price, as many Americans are losing their jobs, or the pay they are getting is not adequate for replenishing the regular amount of food consumed by their family. This can mean many things, but one big issue that seems to be arising, is the information being clamored for to learn how to properly store food.

For the first time in decades, Americans are looking to store food, in the event that it may become too expensive to purchase for many in the typical way. These families are trying out canning, storing, and preparing foods that will last for long periods without going bad, including dehydrated foods, that are very popular.

Thousands of Americans are looking at stockpiling foodstuffs, and ways to maintain a storage system that works for them, irregardless of their belief system. This wave of interest has gone far beyond religious edicts. These are concerned people, who are watching the news, and media that are showing how much food will be going up in the near future.

Here are some of the ways they are taught to keep food for a good amount of time.

Buying in Bulk

The quickest and easiest way (although least cost-effective) to build a food storage supply is to buy non-perishable items in bulk. Families can take advantage of memberships from stores such as BJ’s, Sam’s Club and Costco by purchasing flats of canned goods, large boxes of pasta, bags of rice, bottled water, etc. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has basic food supplies available to purchase through church storehouses. The order form and local storehouse information can be found on the church website.

Canning

Home canning may be the most cost-effective way to build food storage. Self canning is not difficult, but is time consuming. You will need some basic supplies, such as a pressure cooker and/or large pot for boiling with a rack, jars, as well as jar rings and sealing lids. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be grown at home, or purchased through local co-ops or farmer’s markets to keep costs down. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has detailed instructions on self canning.

Dry-packing

Newer technology has made home food storage even easier. Dry items such as pasta, flour, rice, oatmeal, dried fruit, etc. can be stored in plastic containers and storage bags long term. There is a small initial investment for this method. To pack dry items, purchase either a Food Saver machine or other vacu-pack-type machine. You will also need to purchase a supply of plastic bags and containers to use with your machine. This technique is very simple, and is a fun way to involve children with food storage.

Gardening

# Leaders of the Mormon church encourage its members to keep a home garden. They teach that “planting a garden, even a small one, allows for a greater degree of self-reliance. With the right information and a little practice, individuals and entire families can enjoy the many benefits of planting and tending a garden”. Gardening is a fun and relaxing way to provide food for food storage, and it can significantly reduce the cost of building up food stores.

Quantity

How much food to can, dry-pack or purchase depends on the size of the family. Because church leaders emphasize the importance of food storage and self reliance, they have included a food storage calculator on their church website. However, this may not fit every family’s needs.

Families should store the type of food they like to eat. One way to determine how much your family might need to store for a three month supply is to create a menu for one week. Make a list of all the items you would need to fill that menu, then multiple the totals by 12. This can be adjusted for a six month or one year supply.

Considerations

In addition to food and water, consider other items that should be included in long term storage, such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, extra toothbrushes, laundry detergent, pet food, diapers, baby food and formula, light bulbs, flashlights and batteries, candles and any other household items that are purchased regularly. It is also a good idea to keep a financial reserve for emergencies.

 Additionally, copies of all important documents, such as birth certificates, shot records, insurance policies and deeds should be kept in a fire and waterproof safe. Families should sit down together to discuss their needs and ways to build up food storage and prepare for emergencies.

What people are saying about Food Insurance: 

“Our friends invited us over for dinner one night and introduced us to Food Insurance. We were amazed that all we had to do was add water and in a matter of minutes had a delicious gourmet meal. We had never considered that you could have food storage that actually tasted good and was so easy to prepare. We decided that night to invest in our future well-being.” ….Brad Johnson — Draper, Utah

“My family and I have looked for emergency preparedness solutions for years. Here in Florida we have to be prepared for hurricanes and other violent weather. The Food Insurance package is the highest quality food and water solution I have found. I bought backpacks for my husband and me as well as for my three sons.” …Nancy Wilson — Pensacola, Florida

“In New York we take it for granted that there will always be food at the local market. After living through terrorist attacks and power outages, many New Yorkers are searching for a preparedness solution that will get us through the next crisis. I needed something compact and reliable that would fit in my relatively small apartment. The Food Insurance package fits easily in my closet. I can sleep better knowing the next time we have an emergency in this city, I will be ready for it.” …Alex Cohen — Brooklyn, New York

“I can’t think of anything worse than not being able to feed your children. Every year we see and read stories of people in other parts of the country who have to endure fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. I always wonder what these people do for food and water until the national agencies arrive on the scene. I don’t want to take the risk that some government agency won’t show up in time.”
…Abby Ward — Des Moines, Iowa

Food Insurance is a great idea because it protects us and gives us peace of mind. Why not make sure you and your loved ones are prepared with enough food and water to survive the ever-increasing number of disasters in the world?

Shelina Moreda | 175MPH On A Bike Seriously??? She Personifies Girl Power!

Have you ever felt what it’s like to go 175mph on a motorcycle? For that matter have you ever gone 175mph with 4 wheels? Not me!

But Shelina has. And she does it every weekend.  Check out the video above. Over 500,000 views in just over a month. Model like good looks, hometown girl persona…she has so much potential.

She is definitely someone to watch in the racing world…and in the social media / marketing world. #goshelina

Go ahead and name the best basketball player of all time. I bet the name Michael Jordan might be one of the first names on your list.

While MJ is arguably the best basketball player who ever walked the planet, his name is quite ordinary.

Let’s be real. The “name” Michael Jordan isn’t all that unique.

This new ad from ESPN plays into the idea that he is letting people down just by having the name of another guy who has the same name.

The play here that you can take away is are you letting people down because you’re not living up to what they expect from you.

Did You Know That You Can’t Hum a Blog Post?

Nope…try as hard as you want. It just doesn’t work. In this NIKE ad, a compelling story of man and woman is told. So very simple in nature.

But it works. Why? Tell the story. We can all do it. It’s not hard and you don’t need a huge budget.

This video has exactly 100 shots. 100 very simple shots that anyone could replicate. 100 shots in 151 seconds..so it has an ASL (average shot length) of 1.5 seconds.

Will you generate 600,000 views? Probably not. The bigger question is how many views would you NEED to generate to make your video successful.

Sure beats writing blog posts, doing SEO, downloading plugins, sending direct mail…blah, blah, blah…oh and did I mention it’s entertaining, shareable and visually impactful.

Notice how the actual product takes a back seat to the “STORY”. But you’ll remember this and maybe even hum it throughout the day.

Ya can’t hum a blog post!

As a social media agency, we work with brands and businesses to build vibrant, engaged and active communities using social media. I found this video compelling because it wasn’t your average commercial.

I love how this simple video was able to bring the story to life and the subtle nuances (stopping to buy an ice cream cone), made it real.

What did you think?

Who Says QR Codes Don’t Work? Volkswagen Proves Otherwise!

To assist with the unveiling of their new car model. Volkswagen activated a very unique way to get the word out. They employed the “mother of all vehicle wraps” in a QR campaign that created buzz with interested drivers around the country (Germany).

If you went up to the car and actually scanned the QR code, you received an exclusive first look at the new car.

Did the promotion work? Well, 5,500+ people scanned the QR code. The promotion certainly garnered Volkswagen a lot of online interaction.

Let’s see if they roll this out in the U.S. …or if perhaps someone here takes the idea and runs with it.

Why Doesn’t Lays Potato Chips Hire Competent Social Media People?

Here’s a follow up to our previous video about Lays Potato Chips Facebook fan page. We posted a video last week and amazingly the problems that Lays Potato Chips had with spam and porn and some of the most vile images being posted on their Facebook page continues.

With nearly 4 million fans, this is a community that could potentially be extremely valuable. I would think that just about any brand would love to have an audience of millions of people. And the people at Frito Lay seem to be pretty much abandoning it.

Here’s the rub, this page could be a HUGE benefit for Lays Potato Chips and they appear to be treating it as an after thought. Too bad!