andydidyk.com

I was going through some of my professional acquaintances’ blogs the other day, and was really shocked by the number of blogs that have simply evaporated since 2008 or so.  A rough estimate would be that over 60% of those I know that blogged, blog no more.  Oh, they’re still paying their hosting fees and have their sites up in most cases, but no new content has been created in years.  Why is this?

I have some ideas.

Social Media

Ironic, I know, because blogging is a form of social media.  So social media was supposed to enhance our lives.  I think it has to some degree, but this study shows that the average person spends over seven hours a day on facebook, almost 2 hours more than the previous year’s result.  And while Facebook does give us a forum to share ideas, I believe that most sharing on Twitter, Facebook and the like is superficial and cheap, kind of like the “junk food” of the internet.  I know they are valuable customer service channels, amazing for advertising, and yes, lots of fun (where else can you check up on that weird guy from middle school?), but ultimately they don’t really provide a forum for depth of content.  Blogging does, and I think it’s suffering as a result of Facebook.

Recession-Induced Time Crunch

While the government does its best to daily eek out some positive economic statement, most of our jobs changed dramatically in 2008.  So many lost their jobs entirely, which is no picnic, but for those of us that kept our jobs, things changed.  “Doing more with less” became the mantra across our company and across all of my clients’ organizations as well.  As the work force shrank within individual companies, individual jobs became more inclusive.  Vital employees were terminated, but vital processes still had to continue.  Personally, it was a positive transition for me as I was able to take more responsibility within our organization, but to this day in 2011 I’m a lot more busy than I have ever been.  Since a lot of great blogging comes from people actually working in the fields they are blogging about, the time crunch has squeeze their available time.

iPads and Smart Phones

Anyone that hasn’t been a coma over the past three years knows all about the explosion of web use across smart phones and devices like the iPad.  According to Forrester, 40% of smart phone and ipad users say that they access the internet more on these devices than on a computer or laptop.  This presents a fantastic new marketing opportunity and a further glorious democratization of information.  However, these devices are great for consuming content, but are still pretty useless for producing content of any substance.  Mobile blogging is cool, but ultimately whenever someone really wants to write, they want a full keyboard and display.  The iPad is an awesome device for reading an interactive magazine, but every user I’ve seen that actually produces content has also purchased the wireless keyboard and mouse from Apple.

Is the Age of Blogging Over?

No way.  My prediction is that we’ll begin to hit a peak of blogging sometime in the next year or so, if we haven’t hit a peak already.  After that, I think we’ll see a bigger and bigger rift between those that blog for pleasure and those that blog for a business.  Business-minded bloggers and those that receive a substantial percentage of their income from blogging are already pulling out all of the stops to gain as much traffic and loyalty as possible.  But the blog itself will remain a valuable outlet for many who simply enjoy writing, and according to Technorati.com, the percentage of people that trust blog content over brand content (e.g., content pushed by a manufacturer or brand) is continuing to grow steadily.

Have you killed your blog recently, or allowed it to die a slow death?  Or is it simply on life support?  Do the world a favor and write something.  There will always be some of us out there that are listening.

Cigar maven Peter Modeste and his wife Pamela..

Hello again faithful readers.  I’ve been a bit sparse in posting lately, as I’ve been traveling quite a bit for my day job.  The upshot is that I’ve been been on numerous flights where I’ve actually gotten to meet some interesting people.  It seems like most of the time that I fly that most people just want to keep to themselves and not be bothered to have a conversation (if there are any of you in my readership, could you please explain this to me in the comments?).

On one of my recent flights, I had the privilege of being entertained by the wit and wisdom of Peter Modeste, founder and cigar-smoker in chief for the recent startup Don Pedro Cigars.  In addition to our plane conversation, the Don was willing to answer some questions for the blog.

A former innovator and business success in the bio-tech industry, Don Pedro is one smart and savvy guy.  As you might gather from his responses, he’s incredibly passionate about what he does, which is the hallmark of any successful entrepreneur.  Like my earlier interview with Patrick Smith, I’ve asked Peter about the role of interactive and social technologies in his new business, and I think you’ll find his responses both insightful and entertaining.  And if you’re anything like me, there’s something fascinating about the “finer” things in life, and the connoisseurs of said things, as it seems that the more your know about what you’re experiencing, the better the experience.  So enjoy.

[Full disclosure: I do smoke the occasional cigar, but know little about how to truly enjoy it.  This page on Don Pedro's website really helped me out, and I look forward to feeling a little more like James Bond at the next Bachelor party I attend.  Also, I don't receive any kickbacks from these small businesses - I do this because I'm interested in what makes them tick and I love to provide some exposure to other industries that the readers may know little about.]

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Tell the readers a bit about your business. What do you sell?  How are you selling it? (please insert shameless plug here.)
We started Don Pedro Cigars as a way to perpetuate the lifestyle and heritage of fine cigar enjoyment. Our brand, a selection of hand-rolled cigars from Puerto Rico, is quite simply, among the best premium cigars available in the market today. The mixture of the famed filler tobaccos from Puerto Rico, which is grown at higher altitudes in rich soil that is devoid of chlorine (giving the tobacco an aromatic and free-burning quality), are custom blended with selected Cuban-seed tobaccos grown in other countries to produce a unique and exotic cigar with a perfect balance of flavor, subtle complexities, and richness.

Since we launched website in June of 2008, we have penetrated the market and establish our cigars as an exotic alternative to mainstream brands, and have grown to be the Internet’s #1 source for hand-made cigars from Puerto Rico. The geographic range of our customer base now spans from coast to coast in the United States, Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, and the US Virgin Islands.

Currently our cigars are sold exclusively through our e-commerce website at www.donpedrocigars.com, and plans are underway to launch a very upscale “Brick and Mortar” social lounge facility in 2010.

What impact has the recent Big Tobacco legislation, lawsuits, etc., had on the cigar business?  What makes cigars different?
That’s a great question and a comprehensive answer might be a bit lengthy, but if you indulge me I’ll do my best to be brief. We recently discussed this topic in the last issue of our quarterly newsletter called “The Cigar Buzz”. Basically the new [from Andy:this link is to a PDF] Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed into law on Monday June 22, 2009 by President Barack Obama, gives the Food and Drug Administration oversight over tobacco products. So for enthusiasts and business owners alike, the potential impact is of great concern throughout the country.

Well, there appears to be some relief in the law for cigar smokers, since cigars appear not to have been included under the legislation’s umbrella. As such, preliminary indications from industry experts suggest they do not expect the law to have a direct impact on the cigar industry; at least not in the near-term.

Many people incorrectly try to group all tobacco products in the same category, which on its face is clearly absurd. The differences between cigars and cigarettes are as plain as night and day. They are manufactured, processed, and consumed differently. One is an addiction, the other is a hobby. Have you ever know anyone that needed to use a patch to quit smoking cigars? Treating cigars the same as other tobacco products simply because they are both made of tobacco makes about as much sense as treating a car and an airplane the same because they both have wheels and carry passengers.  Fortunately, our lawmakers had the intelligence and presence of mind to understand the distinctions, and as a result cigarettes are the focal point of the new legislation.

However, even though the focus is not cigars, the language and regulatory authority that it grants the FDA is somewhat ambiguous in places, which to me is a bit disconcerting. For example, SEC. 901. FDA AUTHORITY OVER TOBACCO PRODUCTS, states that it applies to “all cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco and to any other tobacco products…” It is the use of the phrases like “any other tobacco product” that I find most troublesome. Understand however, I’m not suggesting the legislation is disingenuous or unscrupulous with regard to its true intent, only that the vague terminology leaves room for the FDA to broaden its scope in the future, which could eventually impact cigars.

Forgive me for this, but when I think of cigars, I typically think of two things: old men playing cards and young men at bachelor parties.  And yet I hear that the number of women cigar smokers and up-and-coming socialites is on the rise.  Have you seen this trend?  Why?
Actually yes, I have seen this trend. You know what; there was a time when the old conservative gentleman was indeed the perception of cigars smokers, but really all that has changed now. When the “Cigar Boom” (the period from late 1992 to 1998, when cigar demand was much, much greater than cigar supply) swept the nation, it ushered in new generation of smokers. Today, the general feeling is that cigars have recaptured its traditional symbol of success, celebration, achievement and good fortune, they are appealing to a much more diverse and group – among this group are young professional adults and women.

There are various explanations for the market expansion of premium cigars, which undoubtedly include among other things, product placement in movies, of highly visible women smoking cigars, that fact that more women feel empowered and view cigars as a very public statement that they want to freely enjoy one of life’s great pleasures.

How important are social media channels to your developing business vs. more traditional marketing?  Why?
I think many businesses are beginning to understand that in today’s fast moving marketplace it is essential to integrate social media into their marketing plan and branding strategy. For Don Pedro Cigars, we plan to utilize technology better than any of our competitors, and social media is definitely vital component of our broader strategy.  The thing that we are currently working on is figuring out the best way to leverage the reach and power of social media channels while achieving balance with our traditional efforts.

Social media marketing has a lot of very attractive feature for a business owner. For instance, its relatively lower costs, its interactivity, and the ability of a well-executed campaign to reach and influence a very targeted audience are just a few. But since we view almost every strategic decision as problem solving and risk mitigation opportunity, we have taken a cautious, systematic, and methodical approach in assessing how we incorporate this important tool. Information, whether true or false, accurate or misleading, positive or negative, can propagate throughout the social web like a runaway train, and if negative it can be very harmful to our brand and counterproductive to our goals.

So while we consider social media channels to be a necessity, we also believe in pursuing a prudent, well-balanced marketing approach.

I know your expertise is in business, and not necessarily social media trends, but how do you see the social media market developing over the next few years, and how do you plan to engage it?
First, let me thank you for acknowledging that I am no “Rocket Scientist“ when it comes to my level of competency in the social media arena.  Having said that, I think that for anyone with a pulse, even a slight one, the rapid spread of the use of social media is no secret, and it is showing no signs of slowing down.

One key aspect of social media that I believe will be improving over the next few years is that we will see improvement toward more innovative measurement techniques. The old management adage that “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” is as relevant among social media channels as it has always been among traditional marketing. So I think that in the years to come we will see more accountability (i.e., calculating ROI) in marketing through social media.

If this develops as I expect, then it would allow us to make great strides in reducing the inherent risk in our overall marketing strategy. The improved measurements will guide our decisions by letting us know if a particular initiative is working or not, or if things are getting better or worse.

What are the things that social channels can’t help a small business with?
Really there is no substitute for quality products and outstanding service. And although a comprehensive marketing strategy is essential for a small business to survive, the core product/service offering, which is typically developed internally, is the foundation for building a successful organization.

Who should quit their day job and start their own business?
Ha ha! Let’s put it this way, running a business is not for the faint of heart. But seriously, not everyone is cut out to be a business owner. Notice that I said “business owner” and not “self employment”. There is a distinction between someone merely creating a job for themselves and someone building an organization that is organic and will grow with or without their daily presence.

With that said, I’ll leave out all of the obvious and perhaps generic stuff like finding something you enjoy, and having a plan, etc., and I’ll mention what I think are some of the more general things that is important for success. Anyone planning to enter into the world of entrepreneurship should do several things: 1) understand their personality and their appetite for risk, 2) be truthful with themselves about their level of business skill and acuity and know have a plan to fill any gaps, 3) evaluate their financial resources, 4) maintain a courageous problem-solving mind set, and 4) have patience.

Have you ever thought about lighting up a $50 bill instead of an expensive cigar?  Just kidding (sort of).  How do you see your business fairing in the Great Recession?
No I haven’t, but I doubt the experience of smoking cash would be as pleasurable as relaxing with one of our fine cigars your favorite beverage. As for the “Great Recession” the global economic downturn affected just about everyone. However in spite of the recession, Don Pedro Cigars has seen moderate growth. I guess in times like these, when people are measuring their success by who lost the least, any growth is a good thing. We are just grateful that our customers have responded so well to our exotic brand of cigars and are returning for more.

What is the best cigar smoking experience you’ve ever had?
I guess you saved the most difficult question for last, huh? Like most enthusiasts, I have many special cigar “moments”, and they are all special for a wide variety of reasons. At times it’s the camaraderie, at time it’s the quiet solitude or a host of other reasons. Anyway one special experience occurred about fifteen years ago. It was my first cigar smoking experience, but it left such an indelible impression in my mind, that I knew then and there I would never deprive myself the pleasure of partaking this affordable luxury.

I was going through the most difficult period in my life. I was distraught, overwhelmed, and my life was in shambles. That was when, as we walked through the streets of New York City, a lifelong friend and confidant suggested that we pick up some cigars at a local shop that hand-rolled their cigars right there on the spot. Going through the ritual of cutting and lighting the cigar seemed to take forever (there was no need to rush) and I instantly began to feel a soothing relaxation throughout my body and soul. Between the wonderfully fragrant aroma, the rich taste, and the utter euphoria, my mind became clear, more focused, and I was a peace. That single magical moment is special to me because it literally changed my life.

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I love the recurring theme of these interviews: there are no substitutes for product quality, passion, and excellent service.  I think as long as those principles remain the heart and soul of a business, rather than a brand’s identity being eroded by the need to answer to Wall Street, a true brand will always survive.

Toys ‘R Us: from kids’ playground to kids’ prison with a single promotion.

Saddening.  Sickening.  Soul-swallowing.

Three phrases that describe the end of summer, and the most dreaded of all phrases in a young person’s life: back to school.

This is a truth universal, as sure to come as the changing of the seasons.  It’s been embedded in our nation’s ethos since the industrial revolution and ensuing urbanization led to the closure of the one-room schoolhouses and the end to (most) home schooling.  And now, in a desperate play to gain market share in a weak economy, the place where kids “don’t want to grow up” suddenly transformed into another Target wanna-be (and not in a good way).  What’s next?  Despite it’s optimistically named signage, Toys ‘R Us’ “Back 2 Cool” program makes a paltry swipe at the lucrative back-to-school market and ultimately weakens the Toys ‘R Us brand.

I can just imagine the nightmarish scenario for thousands of kids across the country, their eyes sparkling with promise and wonder as they roll up into the Toys ‘R Us parking lot, anticipating the delights within.  When suddenly, the bottom of their world drops out and they realize what their Mommy or Daddy really brought them in for: pencil boxes, washable markers, and #2 pencils.

Toys ‘R Us selling school supplies is as ridiculous to me as the Mercedes-Benz minivan [full disclosure: I own a Honda Odyssey].  The best thing a brand can do is to become more narrow instead of broad (unless you happen to be a Wal-Mart), to further define a portfolio of products and services by who the company really is.  One thing about a company that has an imbalance favoring growth is that the brand gets ignored and trampled as top management seeks to drive up stock prices and profits.  Doing so for Toys ‘R Us means clearing out a huge area of floor space and adding school supplies to try to capture a few more dollars, instead of offering a consistently fun and unique shopping experience.  A place where kids “don’t want to grow up” should be filled with fun and toys that they simply can’t get anywhere else.   Calling a jumble of cardboard bins filled with cheap imported school supplies doesn’t exactly seem to fit the bill.  “Back 2 Cool” it most certainly is not.

UTOPIAN Coffee Co. founders Patrick Smith (left) and Brendon Maxwell.

I’ve been writing a lot about social media lately, and I decided to have some Q&A time with a good friend that is actually using it to help power his business.  Patrick Smith is the co-founder of UTOPIAN Coffee Co., and an overall great guy.  He and business partner Brendon Maxwell (insert obligatory cheap coffee aside here) employ no full-time social media guru or consultant, and are bootstrapping most aspects of their business.  Social media presents a key marketing opportunity, and like most small business owners, it’s an avenue that they must navigate on their own.

As the coffee expert so astutely articulates, the very basics of product marketing (start with a genuinely good product) and relationships (be nice to people and they will be nice in return) are the foundations that are propelling UTOPIAN Coffee Co. forward. That and lots of caffeine.

The following is our exchange about social channels, the coffee business, and the ethics of underage coffee consumption.

Tell the readers a bit about your business.  What do you sell?  How are you selling it?
UTOPIAN Coffee Co. is a web-based quality-oriented specialty coffee micro-roaster.  That’s the official answer.  What does that mean to the average Joe/Jane?  We are uber-picky about the green/raw coffees we buy, meticulous in roasting, and we bag and ship straight out of the roaster.  This way the coffee arrives on your doorstep (anywhere in the contiguous 48) within 4 days of roasting.  Crazy fresh.

At a time when McDonald’s is undercutting more expensive coffee brands such as Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, etc., with the McCaffe versions, why do you believe your more upscale, niche product will be successful?
Great question, Andy.  I’ll answer anecdotally then more substantively.

When I was in college, I drank lots of coffee.  Knowing this, a buddy of mine bought me a freshly-roasted pound of Sumatra as a gift.  I noticed immediately that this was far superior to anything I’d ever had.  The curse came when poor, tuition-drained Patrick tried to revert to Chock-Full-o-Nuts.  NO WAY.  I literally skipped meals to ensure that from that point forward I would have good coffee around.

Driving through a coffee shop (or McDonald’s) on your way to work will cost you $2 to $5 each day five days a week.  That’s a monthly habit of $40 – $100 for 20 cups of coffee.  If you were on a myUTOPIA membership receiving 2 pounds a month you would save between $7 – $67, and it would yield 80 cups of coffee!  You’d have more money, more time, better coffee, less stress, heck I bet you’d even live longer!

On the objective end, Google Analytics allows us to simply track the sources of our traffic.  Additionally, any coupon codes we generate are always specific to the outlet through which they are disseminated.  This allows us to carefully track the effectiveness of any such campaign.

People are using social media for everything….obtaining news updates, getting shopping leads, and let’s not leave out socializing.  It leads to a smaller world, but also a smaller attention span.  In order to successfully utilize these channels, we need to remain specific, concise, and relevant.

Any plans to enter the brick and mortar retail market?
Not if I can help it!  The hours are rough, overhead is higher, & managing hourly employees is difficult.

What are the things that social channels can’t help a small business with?
Product quality.  It is one of the pillars of our business.  Social media can help with marketing, and if you’re really clever distribution, but never product quality.

Who should quit their day job and start their own business?
Anyone with a good, somehow original idea, the expertise to make it a reality, a high stress threshold, low sleep requirement, good marriage (or none at all), strong work ethic, optimistic outlook, and billionaire parents.

What advice do you have for closet tea drinkers like myself?
Switch to coffee.  It doesn’t stain your teeth as badly and is more readily accessible stateside.  No, honestly, I don’t know a load about tea.  Give some serious thought to the science of extraction when you’re tooling around with tea. You might have some fun results.  Play with variables like water purity (RO or tap), water temp, contact time, and agitation.

I know you have small children.  How early do you plan on letting them have their first cup of Utopian Coffee?
Been there. Done that. Calvin is almost a year.  He’s not super keen on coffee.

Hudson is 2 and a half.  He loves coffee.  If you ask him his favorite kind, he responds “mytopian.”  He apparently thinks that the first syllable of the word “UTOPIAN” is the pronoun “you” and than “-topian” is a separate word.  Naturally since he is referring to himself and not to you, he calls it “mytopian coffee.”  I have a photo somewhere with Hudson at 2 years old with a crema mustache from having a sip of my espresso.

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Thanks Patrick, and if you ever get a hold of some high quality imported teas, I’ll be first in line.

You can follow UTOPIAN Coffee Co. on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/UTOPIANcoffee

It’s usually a lot of fun for me when a new client website launches. There is so much that goes into it, from the initial sales effort, to ongoing consulting, creative work, development, quality testing, etc., etc., that when it finally goes live one gets an incredible feeling of accomplishment (and sometimes a healthy amount of relief). For the past several months, I’ve had the pleasure of working on changehappensindegrees.org – a funky site that is the beginning of a campaign focused on saving energy and money for a lot of people. The site is targeted at homeowners, who can reduce the amount of money spent on annually on energy bills by up to $500 simply by using their ceiling fans and thermostats correctly.

Hunter Fan recently commissioned several independent studies that confirmed with facts what many assumed to be the case – you can raise your thermostat in the summer, and lower it in the winter, if you’re properly using a ceiling fan to keep yourself comfortable. This saves energy and money while you feel basically the same level of comfort in your home. These studies caught the attention of celebrity environmentalist and successful actor Ed Begley, Jr., who agreed several months ago to endorse the campaign and who has begun a media tour in support of Look Up. What Ed, and everyone else involved in this project, is excited about is that unlike installing expensive solar panels, or reinsulating your home, using a ceiling fan and thermostat is something that most people can do with little trouble. It’s a small step that most can take to positively impact the planet and to save themselves some money.

We will be adding several interactive modules, including a region-specific home energy savings calculator, throughout the year, so I’ll keep everyone posted.

In spite of some of my previous criticisms of Facebook, I have finally taken the plunge and signed up for a Facebook page. At first, it was simply a practical tactic to try and maintain some traffic to site during my difficulties with Google, but I’ve since continued to use it and update it to finally see what exactly my peers had said I was missing out on. A couple of initial observations:

1. It’s fun to get friend invitations from both your current cadre of friends and from people you haven’t spoken to in years.

2. 99% of the communication I’ve received thus far has, in fact, confirmed my initial assertions about Facebook: fun, but not much more than interesting entertainment for now.

3. I can absolutely understand the immense economic value of marketing on a network like Facebook. The opportunity to use the data contained within posts, status updates, associtions, groups, etc., is like having the largest and most detailed marketing database available. Oh, and did I mention that the majority of Facebook users fall within the most desirable demographic in terms of discretionary income?

4. Every interactive agency should have a Facebook and Myspace strategy for their clients if their target audience’s demographics (and attitudes!) fall within the required parameters.

5. Within a few days of joining, my Facebook page rocketed up to the #1 search result in Google for my name. In addtion to the day-to-day banter being fun, it’s also another great way for potential clients to find me (although I wish this site would get re-indexed by Google a little faster).

I know these observations are probably pretty obvious to anyone who has already joined, but for professional folks who don’t find a lot of value in it at first, I can say it’s probably worth setting a page up and seeing what happens.

From:

To:

May 22nd has been a deadline that has been staring me in the face for the last 7 weeks, starting with the signing of a proposal I wrote. Today is the launch of the “reskinned” HunterFan.com. It has been an ambitious journey, reskinning an entire site, plus completely designing and building 3 micro-sites for the same customer, all in less than 2 months! I’m proud of the work our excellent creative team has done, and I truly get fulfilled watching a project go from conception to completion. It was also cool to witness some hardcore legerdemain (YES! I used that word in real life!) by our programming staff to resolve server-side issues I won’t even pretend to comprehend.

The new homepage is much, much cleaner than the old version, and it has a variety of ways that a customer can navigate to the same information. As you can see, our client is really making a move to embrace the new green color, which I think works very well on the live site.

All we had time to do in this phase is redesign the homepage, add a few features, and add a new look and feel to the interior pages – still a huge improvement over the previous site. Of course, now comes the real work: Phase 2. Phase 2 will bring this site up to a new standard. Stay tuned!

So, have you ever worked on a project that you regretted? I’ll bet at least someone at the agency responsible for this campaign has.

Fortunately, I’ve been privileged to only work at agencies that had reasonable scruples about promoting clients that are damaging to the environment or to the human populace in general. While I wouldn’t consider myself super-conservative or anything, there are definitely certain products and/or services that I’m happy to not be promoting.

Debuting during the Super Bowl (and what a Super Bowl it was!), Coke’s new ads got my ad-sensibilities as tingly as Mitt Romney in a Utah primary. Gone were the ridiculous, “soft branding” tactics of bubbly music and roller-skating hotties, and in were a couple of ads that really get to the heart of who Coca-Cola undeniably represents worldwide today: America, and her uncanny ability to be the melting pot of the world.The spot with Democrat James Carville and former Senator Bill Frist is definitely my favorite. What other soft drink brand could make the claim to bring disparate people together and not be totally laughed at? Sure, Pepsi tastes better, but globally the world revolves around Coke. Overall, I was disappointed with the rest of the Super Bowl ads. Sure, it’s easy to be critical when my client’s $2.7 Million isn’t on the table, but I was pretty shocked at the overall mediocrity of the ads. Most disappointing to me (besides the horrific salesgenie.com ads) was the fact that several companies tried to bank on the success of a previous idea rather than coming up with something original. During the Bowl, I spotted the following:

• Audi R8 – parody of The Godfather “horse head” scene
• Budweiser – gratuitous use of the Rocky theme song
• Bud Light – “Breathing Fire” spot is a direct rip-off from the DQ and Taco Bell “breathing fire” commercials
• Diet Pepsi Max – ripoff of Saturday Night Live “Night at the Roxbury” sketch
• Life Water – ripoff of Thriller, with a dancing girl

I use the term “ripoff” and “parody” loosely, just to conserve words. What I’m talking about is using an existing, popular idea instead of a new idea in order to sell your product. Sure, it’s great to make your ad buck go the extra mile in today’s congested, information-laden airwaves, but using iconic, if not the classiest, entertainment parodies to promote your brand doesn’t seem that valuable to me. It was also unusual that only a couple of advertisers decided to push a website along with their ad (Tide and Doriotos).

Either way, even though USA Today would disagree with me, I think Coca-Cola won the day. And I’m pretty non-biased because I only drink a soft drink about once a month, and it’s usually a Pepsi product =).

Okay, so this is an interesting idea, and the new frontier for social media/social rating networks: employers. RateMyEmployer.ca is a new, Canada-based web site that allows registered and non-registered users alike to rate their employers on a variety of scales, including pay, work/home balance, stress, and others. Boasting a tagline of “Who said background checks and Pre-Employment Screenings should be reserved to employers only?”, this site stands in a great position to further empower the average employee.

I recently attended the 2007 Forrester Research Consumer Forum, and social media, along with rating systems, was at the forefront of everyone’s minds. It’s the future of online marketing, because it works: 67% of purchases made online cite a direct referral from someone who had experience with the product or service as the main reason they felt comfortable with the purchase (source: WOM report, 2006).

Huge companies like Dell are paying a lot of attention to the way that customers have rated their products, and Dell’s head-on approach to meeting the challenges that were revealed has resulted in a true success story for both the consumer and the company. But I’d bet my lunch that employers, particularly large employers, are not nearly as comfortable with having their performance reviewed in a public setting as employers.

To some degree, the risks are the same to the employer as a product review: some people will post negative reviews, plain and simple. However, with good, retainable talent already at a premium, and the astronomical costs of fixing a dysfunctional work environment, this move could really have employers on the fence. No one likes to have their dirty laundry aired, especially big companies. I would suspect that a movement towards increased transparency and true reviews of a work place should ultimately result in a better work environment for employees and more honest companies, who will be motivated to fix glaring issues pro-actively before their reputation is slandered.

Of course, it could also result in a lot of libel lawsuits as well. Only time will tell. Until then, I say keep the ratings coming, and for your own protection, your username very, very private.