brilliant results

w w w. b r i l l i a n t p u b l i s h i n g . c o mApril | 2010$10.00

TM

page 8

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SOCIALnetworks that

BOOST SALES!

The world is your ally

sports &PROMOTIONS

features: 8 SPORTS & PROMOTIONS

departments: 6 publisher's letter

7 contributors: who’s who in the industry

14 travel: sporting travel

16 incentives: incentives and health

18 exhibit: do promo products add value to your exhibit plan

20 business now: social network that boost your business

24 marketing: promoting something to death

26 branding: guilty

30 it’s all personal: the big picture

32 staying sharp: the world is your ally

33 ad-index

34 off the cuff

26

32

8

Vol. 7, No. 04 2010

4 Brilliant Results | April 2010

Vol. 7, No. 04 2010

IN the sports world, every good coach has a strategy to

lead his team to victory. If the game plan is effective and well executed

by the team, when the contest ends the fans cheer and the team returns

to the locker room victorious. The front office is happy, the players are

pleased with their performance, the sponsors are satisfied because the

paying customers – the fans, will pay again to enjoy the thrill of victory.

It is this thrill of victory that builds fan loyalty and an emotional

investment that can result in a win for the savvy organization whose

brand is associated with the team. the challenging part is making sure

that your corporate story resonates with this fan demographic and that

the promotional media used to keep your company front and center in

their minds is true to your brand. the items themselves can be elegant

or in some cases they can be as simple as a yellow rubber bracelet

embossed with the words ‘Live strong.’

the marriage of companies and sports can create some of the most

memorable marketing campaigns that continue to deliver results year

after year. think the Gatorade bath that is de rigor for winning coaches,

the Nike swoosh that is recognized on numerous team wear or the ralph

Lauren logo that appeared on the UsA olympic team – all positive, subtle

brand reminders.

successful marketing campaigns are all about numbers and the more

eyeballs that are on your brand in a positive way the better chance your

organization has of achieving brilliant results. should sports be a part of

your next campaign, if you can make the connection with your brand –

quite possibly? But remember don’t just think major league, local sports

can also deliver big returns.

publisher’s letter

Brilliant Publishing LLC9034 Joyce Lane

Hummelstown, PA 17036Ph: 717.571.9233Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISINGMaureen Williams

[email protected]

717-608-5869

EDITORIALEditor in ChiefMaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorMichelle Donofry

Style EditorCharity Plata

Asst. EditorMolly Anika

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSDaniel Burrus, Michael Merrick Crooks,

Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., Arnold Light, CTC, Martin Lindstrom , Dave Ribble, MAS,

Barry Siskind, Dr. Peter Tarlow

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt DirectorJeremy Tingle

Brilliant Results is published monthly by Brilliant Publishing LLC,

9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA 17036 (717) 608-5869; Fax#

(717) 566-5431. Postage paid at Michigan City, IN and additional

offices. POSTMASTER please send address changes to Brilliant

Results, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown PA 17036. Volume 7.

Number 4 . Brilliant Results subscription rates: one-year $120;

Canadian $160 USD; one-year foreign $225 USD. All subscriptions

are non-refundable. Copyright © 2010 Brilliant Publishing LLC. All

rights reserved. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject

any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers, and/or their agents,

assume the responsibility for any claims against the publisher based

on the advertisement. Editorial contributors assume responsibility for

their published works and assume responsibility for any claims against

the publisher based on published work. No part of this publication can

be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means,

including information storage and retrieval systems, without written

permission from the publisher. All items submitted to Brilliant Results

become the sole property of Brilliant Publishing LLC. Editorial content

does not reflect the views of the publisher. The imprints, logos,

trademarks or trade names (Collectively the “Marks”) displayed on

the products featured in Brilliant Results are for illustrative purposes

only and are not available for sale. The marks do not represent the

implied or actual endorsement by the owners of the Marks of the

product on which they appear. All of the Marks are the property of

the respective owners and is not the property of either the advertisers

using the Marks or Brilliant Results.

Make it a Brilliant Day

Maureen [email protected] 717-608-5869

brilliantresults™

Brilliant Results regrets that Richard MacLean’s name

was inadvertently omitted as the author of the March

Cover Story Memo to Marketing.

www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com6 Brilliant Results | April 2010

contributors

b Arnold Light, CTC, CEO & President of Fire and Light has 35 years of marketing experience specializing in incentive and loyalty marketing helping multinational corporations develop and implement B2B and B2C results oriented performance improvement programs. For additional information visit www.lightconsults.com.

c Barry Siskind is an internationally recognized trade and consumer show expert. He is the author of six bestselling business books including Powerful Exhibit Marketing. Read his newest book, Selling from the Inside Out for an in depth guide to a successful sales career. Visit Barry at www.siskindtraining.com.

d Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D. For more than two decades Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and government organizations have relied on Dr. Barton Goldsmith to help them develop creative and balanced leadership. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, business consultant and author. His columns appear in over 500 publications, including the Chicago Sun-Times, the Detroit News, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. He may be contacted through his web site www.BartonGoldsmith.com.

e Daniel Burrus is one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and business strategists. The author of six books, including the highly acclaimed Technotrends, he is the founder and CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology driven trends. Daniel’s client list encompasses a wide range of industries, and includes many Fortune 500 companies.

f Dave Ribble, MAS, is President of The Company Image/TCI Consulting, an award-winning promotional marketing company specializing in great ways to extend your brand and image while adhering to your budget. Ribble is available for speaking engagements, workshops and consulting. Please email him at [email protected]

g Martin Lindstrom, a respected branding and marketing expert, was selected as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME magazine. The founder, CEO and Chairman of the LINDSTROM company (Sydney), Martin speaks to a global audience of approximately one million people every year. He has been featured in numerous publications, and on major broadcast and financial television network programs, his previous book, BRAND sense, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the five best marketing books ever published. His latest book; Buyology – Truth and Lies About Why We Buy – a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book has been translated into 37 languages and is on almost all major best-seller lists worldwide.

h Dr. Peter Tarlow is the founder and president of Tourism & More Inc. Dr. Tarlow has appeared on National televised programs such as Dateline: NBC and on CNBC. Dr. Tarlow organizes conferences around the world dealing with visitor safety and security issues and with the economic importance of tourism and tourism marketing. He also works with numerous cities, states, and foreign governments to improve their tourism products and to train their tourism security professionals. For additional information visit www.tourismandmore.com

i Michael Merrick Crook owns Crooks Advertising Alliance, a creative strike-force specializing in creative problem-solving. Crooks has gained international recognition for his writing and speaking on the subjects of creativity and promotional marketing. To read more of his unique perspective, sign up for his free newsletter, CrooksView Creative Digest, or contact him visit www.CrooksAdvertising.com

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9%Sports and Promotions

8 Brilliant Results | April 2010 www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

IN 1997, the sports Business

Journal estimated the sports

industry, after a large-scale study,

to total some $2l2.53 billion (in

1997 dollars). With an annual

growth rate of approximately 9%,

to say that this offers a goldmine of

opportunity for brand building and

promotional products is certainly

an understatement. however, these

numbers don’t tell the whole story

according to Daniel A. rascher,

ph.D., president of sportseconomics,

“An important dimension of the size

and value of the sports industry can

be measured in terms of the ‘share

of mind’ that sports occupies. the

sports industry has its own section

in the newspaper while energy,

textiles, financial and healthcare

are all lumped into the business

section. sports also has its own

24-hour television networks, radio

stations, etc. sports is one of the

few industries in which loyal users

join fan clubs. Are there fan clubs

for wallet manufacturers or pencil

makers? the emotional impact that

sports provides is the most important

measure of its size and value.”

More simply stated, Americans

love sports and when combined

with free stuff the result is almost

irresistible. In theresa McCabe’s

recent article, the Best and Worst of

Baseball promotions, her research

indicated that Major League Baseball

will rely on giveaways and promotions

to lure budget-conscious spectators

to games this year. some freebies

will be as unoriginal as bobble-

head dolls, post-game fireworks

and various food deals. But some

will be clever and creative, such as

the White sox's Mullet Night when

all fans wearing a mullet hairstyle,

whether it's real or a wig, can

participate in the Mullet March and

the first 500 mullet marchers will get

free t-shirts. the Brewer's stitch n'

pitch deal will invite needle artists

to sit in stitch N' pitch sections and

stop by teaching tables around the

stadium. The first 1,000 crafters will

get a special edition Brewers stitch

N' pitch Bernie Brewer Bobble head

doll. the Cleveland Indians will offer

a "Lunch and three Innings" deal to

encourage local workers to take their

lunch breaks at progressive Field.

By: MARyANNe MORRILL

9%Sports and Promotions

April 2010 | Brilliant Results 9www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

During the Indians' "Beach Weekend"

from July 16 to July 18, fans can watch

fireworks and take home free floppy

hats with children under 12 receiving

free Webkinz stuffed animals. Not to

be left out, the Kansas City royals

fans can enjoy “all you can eat seats”

for nine Wednesday games. For $35,

you get a seat in the nosebleed section

and all the hot dogs, nachos, peanuts,

pretzels and pepsiCo products you

want. the royals will also host seven

"buck nights" and 14 college nights.

‘Buck nights’ feature a menu of hot dogs,

small drinks, peanuts and twinkies for

a $1 each. on college nights, students

can get into Kauffman stadium for

$7 and take advantage of food and

drink specials. During the season,

the rays will dole out 13 different

collectible shirts, superhero capes and

Carlos pena toothbrush holders. For

more of this year’s offerings by MLB

teams and ideas that might work for

other organizations visit www.

thestreet.com and

read theresa’s

entire article.

Major companies

have long linked their

brands to sports by

providing shoes and

apparel…think Nike’s

“Just Do It” and the

famous swoosh, while

others put their name on

stadiums or advertising

boards around the rink.

other companies such as

Yokohoma tires (see the

Brands & sports story in this

issue) have found that linking

their brand to sports, whether,

MLB, NBA, NFL or collegiate

football helps drive traffic to

their retail establishments and

build brand awareness.

the possibilities for brands

and sports to benefit from each

other are only limited by the

imagination of marketers and

promotional products professionals.

For example, teams with corporate

ties to a specific airline could feature

replica models of their airline partner’s

airplanes hanging from the rafters in

the stadium concourse area and give

away tiny models to fans sitting in

select sections; photo ops with ring

girls, cheerleaders, players, etc could

be offered by corporate sponsors to call

attention to their brand relationship with

a particular team or event and benefit

from its fans emotional goodwill.

Brands looking for new, creative ways

to leverage their sports partnerships

should take a close look at Coca-

Cola’s recent ‘Fannovation’ initiative.

the world’s largest beverage company

recently turned to crowdsourcing

to generate the next great way to

leverage their NCAA partnership while

enhancing the overall fan experience.

the act of crowdsourcing has

become very popular and can serve

as a great way for sports organizations

to come up with new, creative ideas

and help give fans a voice. Coca-

Cola’s ‘Fannovation’ offered fans

that submitted ideas the chance

to win $10,000. thus far, popular

fan submissions have included fan

videos on the jumbotron, one-on-one

mascot shows, fan horse, Coke

Zero cameras located everywhere, fan

highlight reels, and ref the ref voting.

Benchmark this idea to help your

organization generate the next great

idea that drives results! (Courtesy of:

Brian Gainor, partnership Activation,

Inc. www.partnershipactivation.com).

According to a recent Consumer

Internet Barometer one out of every four

people online visits a social networking

website. this presents another avenue

for promotional professionals to work

with teams to help them make their

fans social networking experience with

the team a positive one. A wide range

of promotional items properly matched

to a company’s brand and marketing

campaign…not just the cheapest

unrelated item available and destined

for the nearest waste bin or child…could

be utilized to reward customers for

specific actions whether it be website

visits, social media referrals, survey

Team LogoYour Logo


completions, contest participation, or

in whatever way the company is trying

to motivate client base performance

or engagement.

For example, Carlsberg, the

Official Beer of the England football

team, recently launched an “england

team talk” social media campaign

that encourages fans across the

nation to show their avid support for

the team during the 2010 World Cup.

team talk is an innovative idea that

could ignite a phenomenon in the

United states among professional

sports organizations. the campaign

gives consumers the opportunity to

shoot and upload their best version

of a team pep talk, submit a written

message online, and/or watch other

popular team pep talks. the person

with the best pep talk will win the

opportunity to deliver their pep talk in

person to the team.

teams at a local level also have fans

and those fans will support companies

that sponsor their team when they

are made aware of the corporate

relationship through marketing and

promotional campaigns. A golf course

might hold a night putting contest

sponsored by a local restaurant to

drive clients to the course and the

company’s retail establishments. the

blending of sports and organizations is

not just limited to for profit companies;

charities have successfully auctioned

sports memorabilia and equipment to

raise funds.

Whether it is major league, minor

league or local every team and every

sport has its fans and those fans

provide organizations both large and

small with significant opportunities to

promote their brand in one of the most

positive ways. that promotion should

only be limited by common sense…a

helicopter money drop at the stadium

is not a good idea…and imagination of

marketing teams and the promotional

products professionals that work with

them to grow brand recognition and

bottom lines.

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joined forces

Brands & Sports Promotions…A Winning Combination

It’s A “three-peAt” for Yokohama tire Corporation. As

part of its 2010 marketing program,

the Fullerton, California-based tire

maker is sponsoring two of the

National Basketball Association’s

(NBA) top teams – the Boston Celtics

and san Antonio spurs – for the third

consecutive year.

Yokohama tire Corporation is

also adding the Los Angeles Angels

to their lineup of sports teams. the

Angels’ signing of free-agent hideki

Matsui – the Japanese baseball hero

affectionately known as “Godzilla” –

made the popular team a good fit.

“Yokohama has had great

success the last three years with

NFL sponsorships in Baltimore and

Cleveland, with the NBA in Boston and

san Antonio and with college football

teams like UsC and UCLA,” said

Dan King, Yokohama vice president,

sales and marketing. “our dealers

are able to generate store traffic and

create local consumer excitement

within the communities. plus, sports

sponsorships offer incredible brand

visibility and are a great platform to

promote our lineup of tires, ranging

from the brand new AVID® eNVigor™

to the eco-friendly, orange-oil infused

dB super e-spec™. Now we’ve

entered baseball, a perfect fit for us

because of its immense popularity in

the U.s. and Japan. ”

sports sponsorship packages are

not a one-size-fits-all proposition

and are tailored to meet a host of

needs for companies. YtC, the

North American manufacturing and

marketing arm for tokyo, Japan-

based Yokohama rubber Co., Ltd.,

worked with the Angels to create a

package focused on raising brand

recognition and driving consumer

traffic to its dealers in the LA/Orange

County region, according to takao

oishi, YtC president and Ceo.

“We partnered with the Angels to

develop a deal that is advantageous

at various levels,” said oishi. “YtC

is receiving amazing exposure

throughout the second largest

market in the country and, as

we’ve experienced with our NBA

and NFL sponsorships, we expect

our dealers to increase their

sales through our connection

with a sports team that has loyal,

dedicated fans like the Angels have.”

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in

the United states, Yokohama tire

Corporation is the North American

manufacturing and marketing

arm of tokyo, Japan-based the

Yokohama rubber Co., Ltd., a global

manufacturing and sales company of

premium tires since 1917.

Brilliant results wants to thank Bill

Groak of pCG Campbell, for bringing

this successful brand and sports

combination to our attention,

[email protected]

“We partnered with the Angels to develop a deal that is advantageous at various levels,”


SPORTING TRAVEL

the month of April reminds us

that warm weather is right around the

corner and that means an increase in

physical activity. Many communities

have the idea that sports tourism is

only about major league activities

or large sporting events such as

the olympic games. While both

professional sports and major sporting

events such as the World Cup in

soccer, Wimbledon in tennis and a

World series in baseball can be major

sources of revenue, brilliant results

can also be gained through multiple

athletic tourism options that even the

smallest of cities can promote.

sports tourism can be divided

into two major tourism areas. there

are participatory sporting activities

in which people go to a particular

location to practice or participate in

an athletic event such as a marathon

or tournaments. sports tourism also

refers to the sporting spectacles, that

is people come to a place to watch

others participate. professional

athletics is part of this second group

and draws thousands of spectators to

a local community. In fact ever since

ancient Greece people have traveled

the world to watch other people

participate in athletic events.

Many communities have come

to realize that sporting events can

have a major positive impact on

their economy. sports tourism can

increase economic receipts, it can

act as a promotional mechanism

for a community, placing it on the

travel map and helping to fill hotels

and restaurants. Cities that attract

major sporting events may use these

events as reasons to improve their

infrastructure or reduce crime rates.

to help you develop a tourism

sports program consider some

of these ideas to get the most

brilliant results:

Make your sports program match •

your community’s geography,

topology and culture. If you are a

smaller community participatory

sporting events may be a more

successful route than trying to

attract a major league team.

Assess what you have and make

your sports program match your

environment, weather and climatic

conditions and typography

Be a bit outlandish. With a little bit •

of creative marketing a negative

can be turned into a positive. For

example, Wichita Falls (texas)

promotes a late summer cycling

marathon called “hotter ’N hell

that attracts over 14,000 athletes

and 30,000 visitors each August.

Match your sports tourism program •

to your economic capabilities.

some communities have budgets

that permit new stadiums and

state-of-the-art playing fields,

aquatic centers and golf courses.

other communities need to stress

those types of athletic events that

involve a lower level of

infrastructure investment. For

example if you are a beach

community then water sports may

require lower infrastructural

development. No matter what your

budget never skimp on issues of

player safety and security.

Make sure that you provide lots of •

support to your sports programs.

sports programs need lots of

support facilities and groups. Be

sure to work out agreements with

local medical units, police and fire

departments. Develop sports

friendly diets at local restaurants,

and make sure that there are

alternative rainy weather activities.

Not all sports programs need to be •

competitive or team sports. sports

tourism can be as simple as

providing walks through parks,

cycling through a city, or

developing exercise parks around

a community. While competitive

sports and team sports will draw in

more tourists the simpler one-

person unit sports experience can

be an extra add-on to a

community’s leisure or business

tourism market.

Make sure to get lots of feedback

from your sports tourist clients. After

an event find out what visitors liked

and did not like. Ask questions such

as: Was parking antiquate did they

feel safe, was there enough water,

and were bathrooms clean and

accessible?

By: DR. PeTeR TARLOW

travel


Incentives & Health…

A Great eACh YeAr, more than

40% of premature deaths in the

United states result from unhealthy

behaviors such as smoking, over-

eating or failing to take medications

as prescribed. physicians routinely

struggle to get patients to give up

their bad habits for the sake of

their long-term health, yet 20% of

Americans still smoke, and 71% are

either overweight or obese. how can

we match incentives and health to

create an environment that will keep

Americans healthier and costs down

for corporations?

Kevin Volpp, Wharton professor

of medicine and health care

management, and a professor at the

University of pennsylvania school

of Medicine, reveals that methods

are being researched to encourage

positive behavior modification as it

pertains to Americans health and

well being. As director of penn's

Center for health Incentives, Volpp

is in perpetual pursuit of carrots that

will lure patients away from lethal

behaviors. In a series of ongoing

studies, Volpp has found evidence that

money can motivate some patients to

stop smoking, lose weight or keep up

with their daily medications.

one such study that Volpp

conducted "Financial Incentives for

smoking Cessation," published in the

New england Journal of Medicine

and conducted among employees at

General electric, found that 9.4% of

smokers who were offered $750 in

incentives to quit smoking were able

to remain smoke free for 18 months,

compared with just 3.6% of smokers

who tried to quit without financial

incentive. there were also other studies

with similar good results all proving

that a good incentive whether cash or

merchandise of value really works.

Do INCeNtIVes reALLY WorK?

According to several studies,

the cost-effectiveness of health

promotion programs varies widely.

the Wellness Councils of America

maintains that the “return on

investment,” or roI, of such programs

is $3 or more for every $1 spent.

however, little has been published

so far on the roI of incentives alone.

Many experts agree that it takes two

to three years for any cost benefit

to show up. even in the best-case

scenarios, companies would likely

see slower growth in health care

costs rather than cost reductions.

Companies have long had an

interest in keeping workers healthy,

productive, and satisfied while cutting

health-care and insurance costs.

Increasingly, though, they are using

incentives—and disincentives—to

rein in these costs’ runaway growth.

so far, tobacco use and obesity

are getting the most attention. to

prompt workers to stop smoking and

lose weight, employers are, among

other things:

adopting no-tobacco policies on •

and off the job

offering cash-incentive payments •

and gift cards

reimbursing workers for gym •

memberships

providing free health coaching •

40% of premature deaths in the United States result from

unhealthy behaviors such as smoking,

over-eating or failing to take medications

as prescribed.

By: ARNOLD LIGHT, CTC

incentives


offering insurance-premium •

discounts to those who meet health

standards—and surcharges to

those who don’t

A recent guide Finding Wealth

through Wellness, by global public

relations firm edelman says that

getting employees engaged in the

health care process can significantly

lower costs. Creating engaged

employees has been shown to have

a positive effect on the bottom line.

For one, introducing a wellness

program will boost employee

motivation by demonstrating that

the company cares about them,

and it will reduce sick days by

promoting better health awareness.

Introduction of such a program by

Motorola generated significant

positive employee interest during a

period of layoffs.

CoMpANIes Boost reWArDs

seth serxner, a senior consultant

at benefits firm Mercer contends that

"If you're at moderate or high risk for

high blood pressure, diabetes or other

conditions, employers want you to do

something about it”. he says companies

began such efforts a few years ago

with modest incentives simply for

completing health risk questionnaires.

Now some have boosted rewards —

such as cash, free medications and

insurance discounts — but require

workers to do more to get them.

In a recent study by Watson Wyatt

and the National Business Group on

health about half of the 453 employers

surveyed say they use financial

incentives to encourage healthy

behaviors, such as quitting smoking or

losing weight. seventy-nine percent of

employers surveyed say they will offer

such incentives in 2009 and 2010.

the best-performing companies in the

survey that use financial incentives

saw health care costs increase

1 percent in the past two years,

compared with the average of 6.2

percent. poor-performing companies,

meanwhile, saw health care costs rise

by 10 percent.

to be sure health care costs are a

major concern to Corporate America.

Using incentives to reduce these costs

and keep employees healthy is an

effective and low cost way to achieve

these objectives. so your company

should get on the band wagon because

with as few as 15 employees a well-

designed health incentive program

could yield big savings in productivity

and enhance your bottom line.

have A rewarding Day!


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Do Promotional Products Add Value to Your Exhibit Plan?

LAst MoNth I posted a

question on the tseA (trade show

exhibitors Association) Group/

LinkedIn about the use of promotional

products. Forty-five comments later

and the discussion is still going strong.

Comments ranged from those who

thought promotional products were a

waste of time and resources to those

at the other end of the spectrum who

found them very useful.

tote bags, pens, mouse pads,

lanyards, CD’s, note pads, candy,

gizmo’s for your computer, stress

balls, luggage tags, buttons, pins,

card holders, golf tees, sweat bands,

mugs… don’t you just love it? Lots

of people do. Ask visitors why then

attend certain shows or what they

remember best and they say - “all

those cool giveaways.”

Ask them what they remembered

more, the give away or the exhibitor,

and for nine time out of ten the

answer is the give away. so, does

the investment in promotional

products at a show make sense?

sure it does. But there is more to

making a promotional product work.

It’s serious business and requires

some serious thought.

A study by the promotional

products Association International

reported some interesting findings:

of the people who received a

promotional product in the last 12

months,

the advertising specialty people

like to use cost per impression as their

method of measurement. A study by

the Advertising specialty Institute

found that bags topped the list with

a staggering 1,038 impressions per

month per bag given away. Caps were

next with 476 per month followed in

descending order by shirts (365),

writing instruments (363), Business

accessories (294), Glassware (251)

and Calendars (227).

the other noteworthy response

was that in terms of wearables. the

average respondent usually kept the

article for seven months; bags were

nine months and glassware seven.

the study reported that the most

commonly used products were writing

instruments (54%), shirts (45%), Caps

(31%), Bags (29%), Glassware (23%),

business accessories (17%), Calendars

(17%) and other wearable’s (4%).

how often a respondent will use

the product?

Nearly one third who receive •

glassware used it at least once per

week, and another one quarter

used it once per day.

40% of writing instruments were •

used at least twice per day.

One further noteworthy finding

was that 42% said their impression

of the company who gave them

a promotional product was more

favorable after receiving the item.

the only exception here was bags

where the number increased to 53%.

here is a sampling of the positive

and helpful comments that were

posted on the tseA LinkedIn Group.

the promotional product should •

be a thank you item not a must

have item.

Can be used effectively to •

reinforce the brand.

A great way to reward survey •

respondents.

Consider the environment and •

choose products with a longer life

cycle and better quality.

Integrate the promotional product •

into the overall lead generating

strategy.

Use as prizes in conjunction with a •

contest. this can motivate

customers to spend more time in

the booth.

Make sure the promotional product •

is tied to the overall messaging

and theme of the display.

Don’t give away stuff for kids. •

train staff on how and when to •

hand out a promotional product.

the debate rages on. some love

promotional products and swear by

the benefits they receive while others

avoid the discussion altogether.

But, in an age when we need

every advantage we can to make

our show participation memorable,

perhaps promotional products

deserve another chance.

By: BARRy SISKIND

exhibit

YOURLOGO


business nowBy: DANIeL BURRUS

Most peopLe are familiar with the term “Web

2.0,” which refers to a second generation of web development

and design that focuses on fostering social networking via the

web. Innovative companies are beginning to embrace Web 2.0

as a way to enhance communication, information sharing, and

collaboration, thereby allowing them to work smarter rather

than harder.

the business use of Web 2.0 represents a new trend

called “Business 2.0.” Aside from being the name of a defunct

magazine, Business 2.0 is about using the new web-based

social networking applications (many of which were originally

created for personal use) in a way that fosters teamwork,

customer touches, and internal and external collaboration in a

low-cost seamless way.

Unfortunately, many businesses feel that Web 2.0 and social

networking are for the younger generation and a waste of time

when used by employees. however, once you understand

the power of these applications and how to use them in your

company, you’ll quickly find that they can be invaluable tools to

boost your bottom line.

Following is an overview of the best Business 2.0 tools.

personal tools with Business Applicability

Social Networks That Boost Your Business


Facebook

personal use: Facebook enables you

to connect and share with the people

in your life. Users can join networks

organized by city, workplace, school,

and region to connect and interact

with others. people can add friends,

send them messages, and update their

personal profiles to notify friends about

themselves.

Business 2.0 use: Large

organizations can connect all of

their employees, or members, with

Facebook. Some are finding an

added advantage of using an internal,

secure version of Facebook. this has

helped organizations to dramatically

increase their internal networking and

collaboration.

Ask yourself: Could we use

Facebook, or our own internal

version, to get people to collaborate

at a higher level?

TwiTTer

personal use: twitter is a micro-

blogging service that allows friends,

family, and co-workers to communicate

and stay connected through the

exchange of short, quick answers

using no more than 140 characters per

message. senders can restrict delivery

to those in their circle of friends or

co-workers. Users can receive updates

via the twitter website or other social

networking sights such as Facebook.

Young people use twitter for answering

the question: What are you doing?

Business 2.0 use: Business users

could change that question to: What

problem are you trying to solve?

several companies have used this as

a fast way to solve problems. hotels,

airlines, and airports are using twitter

to pitch services, travel updates, and

respond to travelers needs.

Ask yourself: Could we use twitter

to solve problems faster with our

organization or our customers?

wikipedia

personal use: Wikipedia is a free

online encyclopedia that anyone can

use to find information on virtually

any topic. Anyone can edit the

content as well.

Business 2.0 use: A large

manufacturing company with engineers

in locations around the world increased

problem solving and collaboration by

creating an internal, secure version of

Wikipedia for sharing information on

parts and service offerings as well as

repair and maintenance instructions.

retailers and suppliers could create a

version of Wikipedia to foster education

and training as well as enhanced

information sharing.

Ask yourself: Could we create an

internal version of Wikipedia to foster

better information and knowledge

sharing?

YouTube

personal use: Youtube is a video

sharing website where users can

upload, view, and share video clips.

Youtube displays a wide variety of

user-generated video content as well as

movie clips, product demonstrations,

and commercials. Unregistered users

can watch the videos, while registered

users can upload an unlimited number

of videos.

Business 2.0 use: Businesses are

posting humorous commercial videos to

generate interest in their products with

great success. the more entertaining it

is, the more people watch it. Business

partners could create a Youtube like

channel for the purpose of educating

and training.

Ask Yourself: Could we enhance

our marketing efforts as well as general

communication by using Youtube?

digg

personal use: Digg is a social news

web site made for people to discover

and share content from anywhere on the

Internet, by submitting and accessing

links and stories. Voting stories thumbs

up or a thumb down is the site's

cornerstone function, respectively

called digging and burying.

Business 2.0 use: Many organizations

have found this to be a good way to

track the most interesting advances in

technology or the most useful business

news. Large organizations can create

their own internal version for sharing

what employees consider to be the

most useful information.

Ask yourself: Could we use Digg, or

our own internal version, to get people

to share their most interesting and

valuable web-based information with

each other?

Could we create an internal version of Wikipedia to foster better information and knowledge sharing?


delicious

personal use: Delicious is a

social bookmarking web service for

storing, sharing, and discovering web

bookmarks. It uses a non-hierarchical

classification system in which users

can tag each of their bookmarks with

freely chosen index terms.

Business 2.0 use: Business

users can share their most useful

websites with co-workers or business

partners. If a customer purchases a

product, sellers could share relevant

bookmarks that keep the customer

coming back for more information and

hopefully more products.


Delicious to share important new web

sites faster within our organization or

with our customers?

Visual communicaTionspersonal use: Visual

Communications, unlike traditional

video conferencing, uses your desktop,

laptop, and soon your smart phone

to hold a quick, anytime, anywhere

videoconference with one or more

other people. travelers who must

be away from home are using their

laptops in hotel rooms with broadband

access and free software such as

skype and AIM to communicate with

family and friends to enhance their

personal connection.

Business 2.0 use: Businesses

are discovering the power of Visual

Communications to enhance the

connection with their sales force,

business partners, and customers.


Visual Communications to enhance

communications internally and

externally?

purely Business 2.0 tools

wiki

A Wiki is a collaborative web page

or collection of web pages designed to

enable anyone to create a quick web

page that allows visitors to search the

Wiki’s content and edit the content

in real time, as well as view updates

since their last visit. Wikis are often

used to create collaborative Web sites

and to power community websites.

on a moderated Wiki, Wiki owners

review comments before additions to

the main body of the topic. Additional

features include calendar sharing,

live AV conferencing, rss feeds, and

more.

Ask yourself: Could we use Wikis

to enhance internal and external

collaboration?

linkedinLinkedIn is a business-oriented

professional networking website for

exchanging information, ideas, and

opportunities. there are over 35

million registered users spanning

170 industries actively networking

with each other. For example, large

insurance companies use LinkedIn

to foster networking with their

independent sales representatives.

hr professionals from all over the

world could use LinkedIn to share best

practices.

Ask Yourself: Could we use LinkedIn

to expand our organizational network

for enhanced knowledge sharing?

cloud compuTing & soFTware as a serVice

In Cloud Computing, some or all of

the storage, software, It processes,

and data center facilities you use

can exist on your provider’s server,

which is maintained and cared for

by your provider, giving you 24/7

access from any device anywhere.

the cost of upgrading hardware

and software, maintenance, and

associated It labor costs can be

dramatically reduced or eliminated.

Currently, the ideal organization

would be any size company that’s

facing big investments in computing

and communications infrastructure.

For example, Amazon.com can give

you an entire e-commerce back end.

software as a service (saas) such as

salesForce.com has a CrM package,

sciQuest has a spend management

package, and Google, Microsoft and

others have a suite of offerings.

Ask yourself: Could we use Cloud

Computing & software as a service to

streamline our It needs?

Gain a New Competitive

Advantage

By reframing the use of social

networking technology, companies

can increase communication,

collaboration, problem solving, and

competitive advantage with little cost.

remember, many of these tools are

free or nearly free, making them

accessible to even the smallest of

businesses. therefore, the sooner

you embrace Business 2.0 and put it

to work for you, the faster you can

penetrate new markets and win the

lion’s share of business.

Could we use Visual

Communications to enhance

communications internally and

externally?


Can You Promote Something

To Death?the QUestIoN wasn’t volatile. But it ignited a discussion that absolutely

exploded with insight. A member of an on-line discussion group asked, “What

promotional products would be good to carry an anti-gang message for middle

and high school kids?”

are You kidding me? ……… none!I believe I put it best when I wrote, “ … might as well hand out bulls-eyes

imprinted with "Gangs suck" for children to wear on their back.” By and

large, kids who live in gangland face a tough, up hill battle. I mean,

when was the last time you woke up in the morning and gave any

thought to the fact that bullets fly faster than you can run … or duck?

Yeah, shaking the bees’ nest by putting an anti-gang message on

something and giving it to children to carry around or wear — is

a bad, bad idea.

the good news is that the discussion brought to light a

couple of insights we as marketers should keep in mind in order

to keep the government, advocacy and activist groups out of our

business.

1) When we take advantage of marketing opportunities, we must

also recognize our tremendous responsibility. While we may have

responsibility to shareholders, bottom line and market share, we must

also remember that we have a responsibility to our industry and to the

publics that are affected by our marketing efforts.

2) place emphasis on message not product. In the example above

the question, “What product do we put an anti-gang message on?” is product

focused. however, had the question been, “What do we want to accomplish?”

the mind set could have placed the focus on promoting good as opposed to

gang-bashing. read on and I’ll share my idea for accomplishing that.

A few months ago, I was faced with a similar situation when asked by a client

to write an anti-gang radio commercial to run during high school sports broadcasts

on the local radio station. I asked, “What do you want to accomplish?” the answer

was to get the community to realize how important it is to support local junior and

high school athletics. As I prepared to write, I asked myself an intriguing question:

"What's the difference between a team and a gang?” I wrote in part:

“What's the difference between a high school sports team ... and a gang? With high

school sports, a community feeds on the achievements of organized youth. With a gang,

organized youth ... feed on a community.

High school sports instill values in our youth that benefit the participants ... and the

community that supports the programs.”

By: MICHAeL M. CROOKS

marketing


The great Zig Ziglar said it best:

“You can have anything you want if

you will just help enough other people

get what they want.”

Your company can be that company

that went out of its way to help when

things were tight. And, I promise you,

they will remember you if you ensure

your name stays in front of them during

this downturn. Here are a few ways to

do this. I am sure you will undoubtedly

think of more:

Personal, encouraging notes to key •

individuals

Referrals. Look at whom you can •

refer your clients/targets to

Get good press. Share what you are •

doing and take the credit for it

Keep reminding your target you are •

here for them, in the form of cool

promotional items

Folks will remember you if you

put it out there that you want to be

of service, whether they buy your

products right now or not. Use cost-

effective promotional products that

carry your message and that remind

them you are with them all the way.

You never know when they might

have to choose your product or

someone else’s, so keep talking to

their needs, not your own. They will

respond favorably with brand loyalty

when the dust settles.

Is this the personal way to let them

know you care about them? Of course.

It’s ALL Personal.

Don’t just sell it. Live it everyday!

columns in newspapers, magazines

and on e-zines that provide your target

with helpful information they can use.

Put out informational newsletters and

host seminars and really get behind

helping clients and your target audience

get through all this. In other words, stay

with them!

“When you

change the way

you look at

things, the

things you look

at change.” WAYNE DYER,

THE POWER OF INTENTION

History tells us that in the 30’s,

some companies went under. By the

same token, more millionaires were

created during that same period of

time than ever before, and one reason

is that some folks were poised to take

advantage of the current economic

conditions while others were not.

Good for them. The rest of us, too,

can also make things work if we will

put others fi rst, not second, in our

support for them.

Assess every situation on an individual basis.

Just as it’s critical to recognize when quick action is needed, it’s equally important to know when to sit back and let employees resolve an issue on their own. Even the most affable and coolheaded workers occasionally have days when they seem haunted by a personal demon or two. Put simply, foul moods and petty misunderstandings can get the best of anyone. If two generally friendly marketing managers butt heads, for instance, it’s likely they’ll be able to work out the situation without your intervention. While you don’t want to turn a blind eye to ongoing offi ce disharmony, you don’t need to referee every disagreement either.

Offer positive reinforcement.

Instead of handing out chocolate bars and candy corn, dole out public praise to model employees who exhibit the qualities you want others to emulate. By recognizing the individuals who contribute most positively to your workplace, you’ll send a clear message that you value collaboration and positive thinking.

Poor behavior and interpersonal squabbles between employees can lead to signifi cant declines in both morale and productivity. By remaining attuned to your team, fostering a friendly environment and proactively tackling problems when necessary, you can successfully tame offi ce tension and keep ghoulish personalities in check.

Megan Slabinski is executive director of The Creative Group, a specialized staffi ng service placing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals with a variety of fi rms on a project basis. For more information, visit www.creativegroup.com.

www.brilliantpublishing.com October 2008 | Brilliant Results 39

E-mail is an easy, effortless way to reach multiple people at once. It has the added advantage of being free. However, this is one case where you clearly get what you pay for: you’re running a huge chance of your e-mail being deleted unread — if it isn’t flagged as ‘junk’ by the company’s spam filters. Your target audience may never get a chance to lay her eyes on your e-mail message.

This leaves us with direct mail. Combining the best of both worlds, mailings offer the ability to reach several people at once in a fashion that’s effective and polite: you’re bringing your attendee valuable information without forcing them to adhere to your schedule the way a telephone call does.

I’m particularly fond of post-cards. Colorful, distinct and to the point, postcards can serve a num-ber of functions:

with bright colors and eye catch-ing graphics

-cise fashion

your exhibit

the customer relationship

of your marketing message for the event

To be effective, postcards must:

there is absolutely no sense in send-ing out a mailing that will not arrive until after the show is over

motivates your attendees to visit the booth Ensure your success by making pre-

show promotion part of your trade-

key customers and hot prospects before the event may take a little

additional time and effort, but you’ll

Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, is an internationally recognized expert working with companies to

increase their profitability at trade-shows. Author: “Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market” (May 2007) and “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies.” For more information visit www. thetradeshowcoach.com.

www.bril l iantpublishing.com www.brilliantpublishing.com January 2008 | Brilliant Results 31

How? There are many possibilities. One exhibitor featured the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders in his booth. Another had an exciting multimedia presentation on a revolutionary new type of technology. An instrumentation manufacturer employed a magician to perform at his display. A major defense manufacturer hired a quick-draw fighter to teach people how to use a six-shooter (with blanks, of course!).

Once you’ve invented an event (one that generates real excitement but also ties in with your product or theme), make this the feature subject of your mailer. Just as publishers win subscribers by featuring a free gift or a price discount, a successful trade show mailing features the “gimmick” rather than the exhibit itself. For example, a mailing designed to draw people to the gun-fighter exhibit might read, “MEET THE WEST’S FASTEST GUN-FIGHTER AT HIGH NOON AT THE AMCOM AIR SHOW – AND WIN A GENUINE, OLD WEST TEN-GALLON HAT.” Here we are selling the sizzle rather than the steak.

Exclusivity.8. A powerful appeal of direct-mail – and of trade shows – is exclusivity. One study released by the Trade Show Bureau reported that half the people who attend trade shows go specifically to see new products and services that have not been shown before.

If you’re introducing a new technology, a new product, or an improved version of an old product, play this up in your mailing. Emphasize both the importance of the product as well as the fact that the reader is having an opportunity see it first – an opportunity not extended to other people in the business. This sense of being exclusive, of being first, is flattering, and it can do wonders for your response rate.

10 Ways to improve...

10 Ways 28_29_30_31_32.indd 5 12/27/07 10:30:32 PM

Creative Group.indd 3 9/25/08 8:24:23 PM

www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.comwww.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com November 2008 | Brilliant Results 39www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com November 2008 | Brilliant Results 39www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com

When you think about it, teams and

gangs are both organized, disciplined,

wear colors, stick together, are goal

oriented and party. Aside perhaps, from

illegal drugs, the only real difference

between a team and a gang is the

effect on society. think about it and

you may come to realize that football,

basketball, wrestling, glee club, chess

club and all that ... are merely more

socially acceptable forms of gangs.

Again, the difference, is the affect on

society. the similarity? Belonging.

people, by and large, yearn to

BeLoNG. that’s why people join groups,

teams and gangs. they want to feel

as though they are part of something.

there are marketers who have done

an excellent job of capitalizing on this

yearning. harley Davidson, through the

harley owners Group (h.o.G.) may be

the best example of all. Now defunct

automotive brand saturn had it right in

the beginning. Few can forget the big

spring hill, tN homecoming … but

they failed to sustain it.

Back to the discussion…in an effort

to not paint bulls eyes on the backs of

non-gang children, many of us agreed

that before worrying about which

products would be appropriate, that it

would be best to first change the focus

of the thinking. Instead of thinking anti-

gang we felt that the focus should be

more along the lines of pro education,

pro safety, pro future, pro self esteem

or something else that doesn't threaten

the gangs.

one line of thinking would be, “Want

to keep kids from joining gangs? Give

them something else to join.” Now

you’ve got the seed of an idea that

could make for a campaign that could

involve parents, band and athletic

boosters, the school, school clubs,

businesses, scouting, 4-h, social

and civic organizations … the entire

community.

For marketers, the question would be,

“Want to keep consumers from buying

from your competitors? Give them a

reason to buy from you.” Give them

something to which they can belong.

Finally, as a public service, I want

to re-emphasize the responsibility we

shoulder as marketers. to that end I

share with you a thought I cannot shake

since I first read, ““What promotional

products would be good to carry an

anti-gang message for middle and high

school kids?”

that neat, fun, do-dad with the

wrong message on it could get

someone killed.

have a nice day.


By: MARTIN LINDSTROM

branding

IF For oNe reason or another,

you’d slept through the past five years, only

to find yourself suddenly awake in 2010,

you’d quickly realize the world of advertising

and marketing has fundamentally changed

in three major ways.

First, subconscious or subliminal •

communication (and research) has

become part of the vocabulary of most

marketers.

second, power has shifted from brand •

owners to consumers - even the most

powerful brands know that successful

campaigns have to systematically

engage consumers, who will in turn use

their mighty word of mouth to spread the

messages as opposed to relying on big

media budgets to do the work.

third, 2010 is shaping up to be •

dominated by guilt. Guilt for spending

money in the midst of a debilitating

global recession, guilt for polluting the

world, and finally, parental guilt, as kids

increasingly engage in their own online

world, far removed from traditional

values that were previously the exclusive

domain of the family.

GUILTY


so what does this mean for a

marketer in 2010? Don’t fall into the

trap of believing that conventional

research will do the trick. More

than 80% of all the decisions we

make every day are decided upon

in the non-conscious part of our

brain. Now if we can trust these

numbers, and every study indicates

that we can, then 2010 will be the

year where marketers will be forced

to investigate alternative research

methodologies that tap into the

subconscious processes involved in

decision making.

2010 will also be the year where

marketers will have to surrender

their brand to the consumer. What

do I mean by that? We increasingly

witness how brands can be seriously

damaged by consumers who choose

to vent their frustration or anger

online. Witness how Dominos pizza’s

share price dropped by a massive

10% in just one day after a negative

video clip posted on Youtube. how

can a large organisation, which

can rarely turn anything around in

a matter of hours, handle such an

attack? Yet, in order to stay abreast

of the way things now work, brands

are required to find the capacity to do

just that.

Forget about depression, fear,

angst, anxiety or night sweats. Guilt,

that most puritanical of all our human

emotions, has resurfaced to become

a 21st century emotional social and

consumer pandemic. parents who

in lieu of spending time with their

adolescent children leave them

with a rented DVD or on Facebook;

shoppers who care about buying

organic, but who can’t afford the

higher prices, and then feel immoral

afterwards; consumers who splurge

on wine or truffle oil, then a day later

feel gross and wasteful for spending

so much money during a recession;

the list goes on.

today’s shrewdest marketers

have recognized that old-fashioned

pilgrim-era guilt is (with the right twist)

one of the secret keys to unlocking a

consumer’s Buyology.

Consider a 40-something woman

named Louise. For weeks she’s

been strolling past a bright yellow

jacket hanging in the window of her

favorite upscale clothing store. the

jacket may be calling out her name,

but the price tag isn’t. ever since the

start of the recession, many retailers

have reluctantly ignored the truism

that if they discount merchandise,

it can take up to seven years for

prices to return to what consumers

perceive as “normal.” But this store

doesn’t offer discounts. one day

Louise comes in with an inspired

new tack. she’ll haggle. she’ll make

them an offer they can’t refuse. she

spears a male salesclerk, clears

her throat, goes red. Will the store

agree to take 15 percent off the

listed price? In return Louise gets

only the blankest of stares. still that

much closer to buying the coveted

coat, Louise’s guilt suddenly kicks in

– “My husband will kill me,” and “My

friends will think I’m an idiot if I didn’t

buy this coat on sale, especially

at a time when every store in the

world is discounting,” and “Isn’t this

a bit extravagant, particularly when

my neighbors are having trouble

paying their mortgage?” one by one

thoughts like these flit through her

head, yet are balanced out by her

own brain’s dopamine arguing for

the renewed confidence she’ll feel

wearing the coat at work or at next

week’s holiday party.

end of story? Well, yes, that is, if

Louise had suppressed her cravings,

and allowed her guilt to shepherd

her out of the store empty-handed.

But it didn’t happen that way. Why?

Because in the seconds after the

sales clerk rejected Louise’s offer,

Guilt strategies appeal to consumers

on two levels. The first is emotional,

where consumers feel that by buying the

shirt, coat, trousers or iPod, they’ll gain

self-confidence, whether in the form of a perfect appearance

or a cutting-edge style (which is hard

to justify when a consumer has maxed out her

credit card). The second is rational, and is linked to a

product’s practical dimensions, which not only come as a pleasant surprise,

but also promise to justify the purchase to others once the

consumer gets home.

GUILTY


there came a Justification Moment

so powerful it amounts to a whole

new marketing frontier. Instead of

telling Louise she could have the

coat for less, the clerk turned and

said, “But did you know that we can

offer you something even better?”

he flipped over the coat’s yellow

exterior to reveal a midnight blue

interior. “It’s two-in-one. perfect

for all occasions, and all seasons.

Which means you don’t need to

buy another jacket for the next two

years.” Who needs a sale, a discount

or a special one-day-only blowout

when an offer of such enormous

practicality comes along, one, which

is both satisfyingly indulgent and

potentially money saving?

Guilt strategies appeal to

consumers on two levels. The first

is emotional, where consumers

feel that by buying the shirt, coat,

trousers or ipod, they’ll gain self-

confidence, whether in the form of

a perfect appearance or a cutting-

edge style (which is hard to justify

when a consumer has maxed out her

credit card). the second is rational,

and is linked to a product’s practical

dimensions, which not only come as

a pleasant surprise, but also promise

to justify the purchase to others once

the consumer gets home.

More and more, marketers realize

that the person with the wallet isn’t

necessarily the back-end decision

maker – and that the people whose

opinions matter equally if not more

than the consumer’s range from the

partner at home, to the children (bear

in mind that 67% of all kids decide

which car their parents will purchase

next) to one’s colleagues at work.

As the world crawls out of a painful

recession, independently being able

to justify buying a jacket, a handbag

or a watch is no longer sufficient.

today’s consumer is helped out by

a back-story of sorts that will shed

light on the varying reasons why he

or she buys a product. the better

the marketing world can come up

with such stories, the less guilt

consumers will feel, and the more

reversible yellow-and-blue jackets

will be walking out of the store. (Just

ask Louise.)

And finally, this will be the year

when marketers will play the guilt

card in ways we’ve never seen before.

this is the sad reality. Buyology

taught us that fear probably is one of

the most powerful drivers when

building a brand. Fear has a very

close association with guilt, and as

the world spins faster on its axis, guilt

becomes a major by-product. Brands

that are able to elicit guilt -

or even better, remove guilt - will be

the winners. I already feel guilty

writing this!

More and more, marketers realize that the person with the

wallet isn’t necessarily the back-end decision

maker – and that the people whose

opinions matter equally if not more than the

consumer’s range from the partner at home, to the children (bear in mind that 67% of all kids decide which car their parents will

purchase next) to one’s colleagues at work.


“NoW BAttING For Fairmount Feed and Grain, number

7, David Ribble”. It was my first Little

League game and I was scared to

death. My parents as well as my

family and friends were in the stands,

cheering me on. After numerous

practices where my coach threw

basket-ball sized slow pitches, I

was now facing the very thing that

had kept me up for 4 straight nights;

there was a mean-looking kid on

the mound winding up and throwing

what seemed to me to be a very hard

baseball right at my forehead. I was

leaned so far out of the box that I

almost fell backwards. “strike one!” I

heard. I stepped out, listened to the

coach yell something at me

about stepping toward

the ball that I found

profoundly absurd

and I stepped back in, trying to be

brave while full in the knowledge that

I might never see my next Birthday.

“strike two!” was heard all the way

down the street as parents for the

other side raised their voices as

if we were in rome and the lions

were about to be turned loose. My

oversized helmet shifted as I tried to

look down and kick the dirt from my

newly polished cleats. As I looked

back up and tried to focus I found

myself looking through the left ear-

hole while my coach and my parents

all shouted to me at the same time

that ‘I could do it’, whatever that

meant. I took a deep breath and

stepped back in as the umpire’s hand

motioned toward the mound and,

while I was getting myself set, “strike

three! You’re out!” thundered from

behind home plate. I walked back to

the bench, took off my spin-around

helmet, put the bat back in place and

took my position on the bench as I

heard my brothers say, “it’s ok. You’ll

get ‘em next time.” ‘What next time?’,

I wondered. About the only way that

will happen is if they run out of kids

more scared up there than me!

A few days later it was time to

put on that uniform again, the one

that included the funny socks that

tucked up under what seemed to

be either very long shorts or very

short pants and that special shirt

that told you which team I belonged

to. And, while I had a lot to learn

about baseball and about life, I did

have one thing that you couldn’t take

away from me: I belonged to a team

and my shirt told you so. I remember

the exclusiveness I felt because

I was a part of something that

those in the stands and those

along the sidelines were not. I

belonged to something bigger

than just me for the first time

and it was at once intimidating

and yet pretty cool, too. Later,

my freshman year of high school,

I was handed a varsity baseball

cap that had a simple “F” on it,

representing Fairmount, that I

treasured because it represented

for me a rite of passage; I had been

handed something that I had earned

for making varsity at such a young

age and I would be wearing a uniform

that my father and brothers had worn

before me. A simple logo on that hat

By: DAVe RIBBLe, MAS

it’s all personal

The Big Picture


set me apart from all the rest of ‘you’

people, for at least a season.

that was a long time ago, and,

thanks to this industry I have served

for many years, the logo-on-the-

hat kind of thing is so routine these

days that names of companies are

emblazoned onto anything and

everything possible. Companies

that are not sport-related companies

spend tons of money in putting their

logo out there on anything they deem

valuable to the end user and there is

one simple reason for it: the more

your brand is exposed the better the

chances we will remember it. hence,

now not only do the teams wear the

logo, but so do the fans.

racecar drivers with but a few

company logos on their uniforms

are so rare that it makes us question

what’s wrong. the same is true for

the cars they drive. Little League

fields these days have sponsorships

along the outer fence. order up a

burger and don’t be surprised if your

waitress delivers it to you wearing

sweats that say Juicy. Catch a

college game these days and you

might see a kid’s haircut displaying

the school’s initials. Logos remind

us. they program us. they infiltrate

our subconscious.

ernie els just won another major

tournament wearing his ever-familiar

sAp logo on his shirt and his hat.

Leaving colloquial nuances to discuss

for another day, sAp actually stands

for systems Applications & products

. Does having sAp on el’s shirt and

hat cause a double-take? You tell me.

More importantly, by sponsoring ernie

els, sAp aligns their business with a

winner who gets a lot of tv exposure

for that logo.

sports-related products with

your logo on them says you care

about sports, which means you

care about health and vitality.

When you care about that, you’re

“hip” or “dope” or just plain “cool”,

which makes it personal, because

It ’s ALL personal.

The more your brand is exposed the better the chances we will remember it. Hence, now not only do the teams wear the logo, but so do the fans.


Believing that life is on your side reduces the fear that

the world is out to get you. It also increases your confidence

because you won’t be looking over your shoulder for the

other shoe to drop. Making friends with life allows you to

enjoy playing with life as well as be a player in it.

If you really feel that the world, your boss, or the

government is out to get you, your life will turn into one

giant conspiracy theory. Feeling like you’re in a battle puts

you constantly on the defensive, especially if the enemy

is some invisible force or a false belief that someone or

something is out to get you.

Look, I know life is not easy or fair, but the world does

not punish us; we are far too good at doing that to ourselves

to need any additional assistance. Just living in that type

of fear is like putting a tourniquet on your emotions and

abilities. We all have disasters in our lives, but that doesn’t

mean our life is a disaster.

everyone is capable of being pessimistic, but when

it becomes a lifestyle, you must make some changes in

order to move forward. to break this negative cycle, you

first have to realize that you may be a little more of an

eeyore than a tigger and start accentuating the positive.

this realization alone is a strength builder, and every

action you take in that direction empowers you more.

If you look at your life, I believe that you will see that

almost everything you have done, from relationships to

sports to business, has added to your experience and

knowledge. And all that energy gets recycled. If you never

achieved your dream of being a rock star, that time you

spent on stage or in front of the mirror pretending that

your hairbrush was a microphone actually made you a

better communicator.

All of your experiences, good, bad and indifferent, do

work together to make you who you are. I truly believe

that good things eventually arise from our efforts.

trusting that the world is friendly can only serve you and

help you enjoy the journey and be a little more successful

in the process.

By: BARTON GOLDSMITH, PH.D.

staying sharp

The World is Your Ally“We all need to see the universe as friendly.” - Albert einstein


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Please circle items of interest.

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Company Industry

Address City State Zip

Phone Fax E-mail

supplier ................................................................................... page No.

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April advertiser’s index


off the cuff

Companies are constantly hiring athletes to promote their products. Can you match these athletes with the products they endorse:

1. Derek Jeter a. reebok

2. Yao Ming b. Calloway

3. tony hawk c. subway

4. Michael phelps d. Gillette

5. phil Mickelson e. Activision

6. Michael Jordan f. hyundai

7. Lance Armstrong g. GoDaddy

8. Brett Favre h. Adidas

9. Danica patrick i. Nike

10.David Beckham j. Michelob ULtrA

Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision. MUHAMMAD

ALI, AMeRICAN BOxeR

Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA,

AMeRICAN TeNNIS PLAyeR

Answers: 1 d; 2 a; 3 e; 4 c; 5 b; 6 i; 7 j; 8 f; 9 g; 10 h.

Some endorsement information courtesy of www.athletepromotions.com.

www.bri l l iantpubl ishing.com34 Brilliant Results | April 2010

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Make a good decision.

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