Extreme Direct Marketing

posted by hal…

Our colleague Nathan brought this to our attention. It’s a short film on Wholphin about a Steven Meyer, a self-proclaimed “active advertiser” or “street dancer.”

Basically, he dances and cavorts in a crazy fashion while waving a sign or nutty prop for his sponsor. He claims to have produced a 25% lift in K-mart stores where he has performed.

Now that’s direct response advertising.

Have a happy Fourth!

Speak Yankee or Dixie?

post by Hal…..

Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that the Stanley Cup has taken up residence in the South. Whatever the reason, NPR had a story this morning (and an online quiz!) about the causes and differences of regional speech patterns in the United States.

The quiz introduces itself thusly: “To find out how much Southern blood your speech shows, simply choose the words you use below, then press ‘Compute My Score!’ at the end.”

The test is based on research by the Harvard Computer Society and enhanced by Dr. Robert Beard, the CEO of Alphadictionary. The quiz is 20 multiple choice questions and bears absolutely no resemblance to “You might be a Redneck If…” surveys.

Take the Quiz Right Now: AlphaDictionary / Rebel or Yankee?

Internet Acronyms

posted by hal…..
In the word dodge, two rival camps compete for dominance: those who would keep the language “pure,” and those who see language (especially English) as changing and dynamic.

Shakespeare coined many words, gravitating particularly toward Latinate endings. Lots of people are still pissed. Authors, journalists, bloggers and writers of all stripes coin new words and phrases daily. Some terms will join the main body of language (“google it”) while others will wither away (“bling”).

But what do we make of Internet acronyms? You know, that annoying little shorthand used for IM-ing and text messaging. Scourge or savior? What would Shakespeare make of it?

Lots of websites have sections on internet acronyms, but Netlingo has one of the most complete.

Here are a few amusing entries –

BTHOOM (Beats the Heck Out of Me)
BTSOOM (see above)
CSL (Can’t Stop Laughing – it’s the new LOL)
DQYDJ (Don’t Quit Your Day Job)
GAL (Get a Life)
IIIO (Intel Inside, Idiot Outside)
ILICISCOMK (I Laughed, I Cried, I Spat Crumbs On My Keyboard)
KYPO (Keep Your Pants On)
OMIK (Open Mouth, Insert Keyboard)
PAL (Parents Are Listening)
SSEWBA (Someday Soon, Everything Will Be Acronyms)

You get the idea. Some of these terms are migrating into everyday language – my teenage daughter seems to speak exclusively in acronyms.

ME: Hey Jill, you want to help me wash the truck?
JILL: Kimwas, Dad.

It means “Kill me with a Spork.”

Whatever our position on the “sanctity of language” as enshrined in the OED, it’s beneficial for us as marketers, writers and advertisers to recognize the widespread usage of Internet Acronyms and employ them where it is appropriate. It may also help us communicate with our kids.

What’s a Spork?

Martha Fires the Donald

posted by hal…
In today’s Media Daily News, Randy Siegel takes us on an imaginary journey through the next ten years of media and technology – Exxon meges with Yahoo, Google buys South Carolina and ABC’s “Desperate Grandmas” debuts to top ratings.

Of course, none of this would be funny if it didn’t have a whiff of truth. It points to the triumph of managers over people who actually make things and highlights our slow cultural drift toward blandness and comformity. Here’s the link – Headlines from The Next 10 Years of Media & Technology