by Caitlyn Arigo, Assistant  Navigator and marketing newbie.

Wednesday.  Who really likes Wednesdays? It’s the middle of the workweek so we’re stuck in the thick of it all, but at the same time the weekend is waiting  ahead, teasing us.  As a means to improve Wednesdays here at Whizbang we began wine tasting on a weekly basis, coining the term “Winesday.”  Each Wednesday we end our day by tasting a new wine and writing reviews.  This helps us discover wines, allowing us to share the wines we love and warn people when we find those sour grapes.

This weekly ritual has resulted in a wine collection in the office fridge, of partially opened bottles.  Because this collection keeps expanding weekly, wasting perfectly delicious wine, Frank decided to add a new rule here at Whizbang.  He decided there will be no more half bottles of wine lying around the office – “If it gets opened it gets drunked!”  Yes, he said “drunked.”

Hopefully we all like the wine enough this week that we won’t break this new rule in the first week!  I wonder what the punishment would be… shots of tequila?

Stay tuned for more office observations from the marketing newbie.

PS – If you’d like to see our “Winesday” reviews go check out: http://www.recipemarketing.com/blog/category/winesday-tm/

by Ellen Curtis, Creative Commander

If you are in marketing and or breathing, there’s no way you haven’t heard about the massively pervasive and successful Old Spice advertising campaign. I’m sure there are millions of marketers doing as I am now writing blogs about how Old Spice did it. (A google search shows there are 1.7 million results on those key words, “Old Spice Marketing.”)  All you really need to do is to go to the source: the agency that created it. http://bit.ly/bWygXp.  I’m sure there are millions of CMO’s asking their agencies to give them an “Old Spice” campaign. So how do you “Spice” up your marketing.

Look at your advertising. Now look at Old Spice advertising. Back to your ads. Now back to their ads. Sadly, your ads don't look like their ads. But they can if you follow these three simple steps.

1. Have a great idea. Of everything that is written about the Old Spice campaign, the most obvious point is missing. It started with a great idea. It’s simple, like all great ideas. “Smell like a man, man” doesn’t get any more basic.
2. Share it smartly. While the viral video portion of the Old Spice campaign has garnered most of the attention, Old Spice used both traditional media (TV and print including couponing) as well as social media (Youtube, Facebook and Twitter) to reach out and engage their target audience.
3. Execute it brilliantly. Using a celebrity isn’t new. But the choice of Isaiah Mustafa, actor and former wide receiver in the NFL, was an exceptional good one. And of course, the writing and art direction was top notch. Notice all the parody spots on Youtube (919 last count). Imitation is indeed flattery.

by Frank Scotti

You know when you are really depressed, upset, or just feel beaten up and worn out, and all you want to do is hide your head under the pillow and hope all the bad stuff goes away. I hate to be a buzz kill here, but the bad stuff doesn’t go away.

I have talked with hundreds of business owners who are hiding their heads under their pillows, waiting for a better economy, better sales, lower taxes, cheaper healthcare, lower cost of goods, higher profit margins, more customers, higher spending per customer. Here’s the good news if you are one of these business owners. You can make the bad stuff go away, but not by hiding your head under the pillow. You have to get off your ass and work twice as hard for half as much. Because if you don’t, your competitors will, and probably already are. I am speaking from experience with our own businesses, as well as our clients’ businesses.

How have we done this for our clients? Here are a few tips. Be relevant. Identify customers needs and offer a product or service to address those needs. Customers have put their wants on the back burner. Also address other things that your customers may be looking for like added value, more personalized service, bulk discounts, easier access, more open dialogue. Be engaging. You should already have a very good idea of who your customers are and where to find them. Now start engaging them. Talk with them. Share experiences, offer ideas and inspiration for your relevant product or service. Be memorable. Now is the time to take advantage of severely reduced media costs and opportunities. But make sure it is relevant and engaging. Simply running an ad will not necessarily going to get you remembered. Running a relevant and engaging ad will. Be actionable. Let your customers know that you want to solve their needs with the most enthusiasm and appreciation. Ex: Whizbang loves helping companies improving customer loyalty and experience to increase sales. Please call us and find out why you should be excited in this economy. Be flexible. Just because you have always done business a certain way is no reason to continue. If you can’t get to where you want to be going straight ahead, then right turn, right turn, right turn, right turn. Think outside the pillow. In other words, act like an entrepreneur again.

There are no rainbows and unicorns under your pillow so stop burying your head there. Move forward and make things happen. If you need help, call us. We’re always here.

Part 1 of an ongoing series called Cadet Chronicles. Follow the adventures of  Caitlyn Arigo, Whizbang’s Assistant Navigator.

Oh My Gosh !!! I am so embarrassed! I’m not sure how I can face my co-workers tomorrow after a day like today… I just want to crawl under a rock and hide forever.  I almost lost my boss’ credit card!!! As the new girl  in the office, naturally I am the one who has to run the random office errands.  Today my errands seemed fairly simple:

1. Drop off a package at a client’s office. 2. Go to Staples and buy some rubber bands for Frank (the boss-man).

I thought I could handle the pressure. WRONG!  Everything seemed to be going smoothly until I stuck my hand in my pocket at Staples and realized my boss’ credit card was GONE!  Of course I start panicking, I tried to remember where I’d been while I frantically patted myself down to check any additional pockets and searched through my purse.  After that was a major FAIL, I proceeded to frantically tear my car apart in the Staples parking lot.  All I could think about was how I had to find that credit card before anyone found out. Suddenly my phone started ringing; of course the office was calling.  I attempted to conceal my panic and the shame of losing my boss’ credit card, when I hear Molly (Whizbang’s project manager) tell me that Frank’s credit card had been found in our client’s parking lot.  So much for pretending this never happened.

As I crossed town once again I began dreading my return back to the office.  “Come on Caitlyn! How stupid can you be that you could lose your BOSS’ credit card?” I thought to myself.  Thankfully I only had a half hour left of work when I got back today, leaving little time to be ridiculed by my co-workers about how I’m already losing my marbles.  Uggg… I can’t go back tomorrow and be the butt of all the jokes again!!! I’ve never been so mortified at work!!! Now I’m just going to be known as the irresponsible newbie.  I wonder if other people have had similar experiences where they were embarrassed at work.

Until next time….