Golubke For You!

It's holiday time, and I'm not thinking about advertising. I'm thinking about golubke. That's pronounced "Ga-WUM-key" by my family in Chicago. It's a Polish dish. It's stuffed cabbage, actually, and from the reviews in my family - and I'm talking from parents and siblings to great aunts, nieces and nephews - my golubke is the world's best. The reason why is I "Tex-ify" it. Any which way you slice it, it's a whole mound of trouble, only worth doing once a year. Here's what I do. And, by the way, this process takes hours, so clear out the day and prepare to make a bunch. You can freeze it when you finish.
I get a couple of large heads of cabbage, a couple of pounds of quality ground beef and a couple of pounds of ground lamb, 3 whole eggs, some white rice, celery, onions, green and red peppers, a large can of tomato soup, mushrooms, a couple of cans of stewed tomatoes (Rotel makes for an extra "Tex-y" batch), some picante sauce and a couple of jars of Ragu spaghetti sauce.
I first steam the cabbage so that I can peel the leaves off intact. There's a trick to this. If you steam it too much, the leaves disintegrate in your hands. If you steam it too little, the leaves are tough, so you gotta tend to it constantly as you go, peeling back layer after layer of leaf until the cabbage yields only the smallest leaves. You may want to carefully shave the spines of the leaves, to ensure a tender wrap. At this point, you'll have about 60 decent sized leaves stacked on a tray.
Next, prepare the rice (about 4 cups) and finely chop the celery, onions, peppers and mushrooms, holding the mushrooms aside in a separate bowl. When the rice is ready, mix it with the celery, onions, peppers, can of tomato soup, lamb, beef and eggs. Have fun mushing it into a meaty dough. Add spices to your liking (I usually add some Tabasco, to give it a kick). This is the stuffing for your cabbage rolls.
Next pull a single cabbage leaf and place a chuck of meaty-dough in the center of it (about the size of a baby's fist). Fold the leaf over the meat and set it in a large baking pan. Keep it up until the leaves or the meat are completely used up (if you do it right, the meat runs out first). You'll now have one or two baking pans stacked tight with cabbage rolls.
Next, take the cans of stewed tomatoes, the Ragu, and the mushrooms, mix it together as you would a spaghetti sauce, season it to taste (I add a few heaping tablespoons of picante sauce to Tex-ify it) and when the pot of sauce has simmered under low-medium heat for about an hour (long enough to blend the flavors) spoon it out over the cabbage rolls so that the sauce covers every roll. I usually tuck some in between each, just to make sure every one is fully glazed in sauce. You're almost finished.
Now, you'll have a couple of baking pans filled with stuffed cabbage rolls, glazed in red sauce, ready to place in the oven at about 350-degrees for an hour or so. Check on your masterpiece about 45 minutes in and make sure you aren't burning the top. You'll want it bubbling around the edges, and you want the insides of the rolls to be fully cooked.
When you're satisfied it's finished, pull the pans from the oven and place a roll or two on your plate. Always good with a glass of cold beer. Golubke. Tex-ified. Mmm-mmm! You are gonna love it! Happy holidays!

Blessing Our Invisible Angels

We're getting ready to send out our annual company Christmas card again, and as I make the list (and check it twice) it strikes me how much of the year I spend heads down in day-to-day work without noticing the people who surround MarketGarden. Clients, vendors, partners, friends, advisors, suppliers...some folks on the list I only talk to once or twice a year. I have no idea what their hobbies are, if they have families, where they went to school, what their favorite dessert is, if they own a pet. I just hand off the work and move on to the next job as though I were some blind rat on an assembly line. In fact, I am chagrined to say, there are many names on the list I usually only think about when it comes time to send out Christmas cards. I know I'm not alone in this regard. You probably have a pretty good list of invisible angels yourself. Having come to this realization (as I write these names on envelopes and stack them up for delivery), I am resolved to remember them with greater regard in the year ahead. I am resolved to pause for a moment (as I write their names) and offer up a little prayer for each one, that they would be safe and sound with a warm meal awaiting them for the holidays and a dear heart nearby to share a bit of cheer. And, the next time I run into the person, I pray that I would actually stop for a moment to appreciate them personally, and learn even a little detail about them, the angels surrounding my business, and bless them, right then, not only at Christmas.

Favorites to Win Superbowl XLV

Superbowl XLIV hasn't even been played yet (2010), and I'm already placing bets on Superbowl XLV (2011). Sight unseen. Who cares who plays in the big game? It's going to be in Dallas (sorry Arlington, the world knows this place as Dallas, home of the Dallas Cowboys...too bad our city council didn't have the foresight or the huevos to outbid you for the new Cowboy stadium...but that's another story).
The fact is, Superbowl 45 will be about as big as they come, showcased in a football Taj Mahal, capable of hosting upwards of 120,000 spectators on game day. And, if you can't get a ticket, that's OK. More than 100 million people will be tuning in to the TV broadcast (not even counting Internet viewers). Party planners have already projected more than 110,000 visitors to the area over the two-week boondoggle, including Fortune 500 CEOs and executive meeting planners from around the globe, adding up to an overall economic impact approaching half a billion dollars for the D/FW metroplex. You want something to shoot for in this down economy? Start carving out your marketing strategy for winter 2010-11. Get your bids in early for outdoor boards along I-30. Start creating promotional materials with hash-marks and football helmets prominently featured. Set up Superbowl sweepstakes for your clients, and reserve a few party rooms around town. There will be hay to be made for at least two weeks in 2011, with economic ramifications extending for months in either direction and possibly years into the future. What are you doing to plan for it now? I suggest you put your money on a sure bet and start coming up with a game plan for how your company is going to win Superbowl XLV. Call me if you want to discuss further. I'm already hooked in on the program!

Mad As Ever

Anyone who's spent any time in the advertising business has by now seen, if not at least heard of, the TV show "Mad Men," AMC's hit drama about big-time advertising in the 1960s. I tuned in to watch season one and have not missed an episode since (FYI, it's wrapping up season three now!) It's easy to get caught up in the drama, especially if you've worked in a big-time ad agency -- and most especially if you lived through any of the "good ole days" when you could pull off a three-network TV buy and block the entire nation. I admit it. I've been around long enough to make that claim. I started out in Dallas at Bozell & Jacobs in 1979, when UHF channels were still the biggest threat to ABC, NBC and CBS. Everyone in the agency was apt to have a bottle of hard liquor tucked away in a desk drawer, and secretaries typed hand-written copy, supplied by copywriters, to prepare clean text for client presentations. I remember witnessing in amazement my first facsimile transmission and sitting in a training session to learn about the proper care and handling of floppy disks. The business has come a long, long way since then. But some things haven't changed. Big ideas are still the stock and trade of a winning agency. Clients continue to be fickle and demanding. And the creative team is as mad as ever. In many ways, advertising today is nothing more than the latest season of "the good ole days."

Time Change, Mind Change

This past weekend, we turned our clocks back an hour. No big deal, but when 6 p.m. rolled around, it suddenly (literally overnight) felt like winter. The last of the Halloween candy was put away and now we're looking at Thanksgiving and Christmas. As if on cue, the temperature dropped. I watched Sunday Night Football with a hot tea in hand. It seemed like only yesterday I was getting used to writing '09 on my checks. In a couple of months, it'll be '10!
The change brought with it a time of reflection. Where did these last months go? With all the business turmoil the past 12-18 months left behind, I'd hasten to say "good riddance." But then again, I had to recall...there were many clients who stayed busy. Many who called on us to assist with projects or develop new plans. Many suppliers came by whom we hadn't seen in a long while. Prospects actually had time to take calls and set meetings. I thought of all who cheerfully shrugged off the recession and looked to the next round. We were all in the same boat, and it wasn't so bad, really. In fact, the opportunity to fill in with pro bono work and to rearrange the overhead and realign the resources brought fresh thinking and renewal. Yes, the days are dark sooner now, but behind them is a light of thanksgiving that always comforts us when temperatures drop. It's why I look forward to the end of the year. It's a time of gratitude. A time to appreciate our blessings. A time to take stock of all the wealth we truly have...in each other.

Tomorrow Will Worry About Itself

Unless you are in the extremely fortunate position of working for a bulletproof industry (see Gambling, Alcohol, Debt Collection, Bankruptcy Law, Politics, etc. for possible careers), you have absolutely been affected by the recession. Marketing has definitely taken its hits. Every day, I talk to folks stressed out over lack of work, what the future holds, how to make ends meet, how to collect, etc. - or just as bad, grousing over having to do their jobs for less on the dollar, faster or during extended hours. Take a deep breath, people. For the most part, we are all in the same boat. We all have the same number of hours in a day. We can only do what we can do today and then go to bed. No point in staying up all night worrying about it. Be cheerful in your approach. Be grateful for any opportunity to come your way. Look for ways to help someone out, even if it's for free, because when this ride is over, you will be remembered for how you performed. Matthew 6:33-34 says "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Share a smile, offer encouragement, lend a hand, give thanks. Jelly beans for everyone. God bless your day!

Creative Inspiration

Everyone is creative. Read that again. Everyone is creative. I remember early in my career strutting my stuff as a "creative" stud at a big agency. The creative team was always pampered and led to believe they were "special." I think this is wrong. It actually stunts creativity if you ask me. What a proud, arrogant ass I was. Thankfully, I grew up. I know now, we are all creative. In fact, some of the best ideas I ever produced were ideas other people came up with...clients, account service people, vendors, family, friends. In fact, the very word "inspiration" means to breathe in the Spirit. I capitalized the word "Spirit" here, because the "agency" that provides the creative spark is Divine. My partner Bill and I have had this conversation often. The act of creating is a holy, spiritual act, not unlike prayer. You have to first reflect deeply on the circumstances surrounding your topic, taking in information directly related to the topic, but also scanning information about and around the topic - sometimes even well off the topic. (I like to look at advertising award annuals after I soak up all my notes and information, to get the creative juices flowing.) When you feel you have filled up on the entire case, silence yourself. Let the creative muse strike. Soon (and sometimes due the pressure cooker of deadlines), creative ideas begin to flow. I record them in large quantities. I'll often have pages and pages of them. Headlines, descriptions of visuals, offshoot ideas that may or may not lend any value. There are no rules. Lastly, I leave the list for awhile and let my critical nature return. After an hour or so (sometimes even days), I review the list and narrow it down to a couple of winners. These are ideas we end up presenting to our clients. These are the ideas the Spirit has provided. It's unquestionably an ecstatic experience.

5 Easy Pieces

The best way to break up hard times is to focus on a few easy tasks that represent positive action and, at the end of the day, have the potential to yield amazing results. Here are 5 easy pieces I have found that have the power to jolt you out of a stall and into a roll.
1. Review your value proposition - is there a way to re-frame it to work better in today's tough economy? Southwest Airlines is currently running a commercial showing a baggage handler happily toting luggage around on a cart, while the message comes through, "bags fly free." Wow. Friends fly free, now bags fly free! Who would have thought that your bag flying free would become a powerful value proposition? Obviously Southwest Airlines did, and you just have to know the competition is grinding their teeth every time that TV spot runs.
2. Remove cost as you add benefits - this is nothing new. Best Buy did it by drop-shipping directly to consumers for faster service and zero inventory. What can you recast in your marketing mix that adds up to lower cost, higher value for your customer?
3. Empower your customers by giving them trade-off options vs. price - it may mean unbundling some of your services, but in tight times, an ala carte menu puts the power in the customer's hands.
4. Tie your value proposition to your customers' core desires. Target did this when they squiggled "high style" into their budget-wise branding stance. Car insurance companies that sell insurance "by the mile" provide another example of appealing to basic customer desires.
5. Expand your universe. Who else needs your stuff? Who else would buy your stuff? Sometimes, a little brainstorming is all it takes to help you crack open fresh, new markets.
Give me a call if you'd like to discuss any of these ideas. Heck, you can do any one of these on your own if you put your mind to it! Good luck...and call me anyway!

Down the black hole and into the abyss.

I remember a visit to The Science Place some time ago, standing in front of an interactive exhibit demonstrating centrifugal force. Basically, you take a penny and roll it on edge along the circumference of a wide cone and watch as the penny makes the rounds, down, down, down the narrowing chute until it disappears into a deep, dark hole at the bottom. The entire circuit takes about 90 seconds to complete. It's mesmerizing. Other folks line up to roll their pennies as well, and even as the line of pennies circle, you can't take your eyes off your lone penny, circling, circling, circling down into the abyss. I thought of this exhibit recently after spending a day calling through my backlog of "proposals on hold." I keep a file of every proposal we make. Once a prospect says they're not interested, I move the file to the "dead zone" and hope that at some later date, I might be able to revive the contact. Well, after a day of making calls, and hearing one sob story after another on why someone can't do anything at this time...their marketing budgets were frozen...they'd just laid off staff...they're trying to make do with internal resources...they're not selling now...they're waiting for the economy to turn...they're stopping all marketing spending...they just lost an account...etc., etc., etc., I imagined that penny circling down into the abyss. You may as well have placed the name of every one of those sorry prospects on a penny and rolled them down into the tank. Folks, I don't need to tell you this...you already know it. The worst thing to do in a down economy is quit. Look. I understand it if you aren't sure about how to invest effectively on a marketing effort. It does take a little bit of intestinal fortitude to step up and spend into a recession. And, you can fix most of that if you measure twice, cut once and build a solid plan. But, while so many of your competitors are getting sucked down into the hole, I promise you, your effort to swim against the tide will stand out even more. Small marketing investments at this time "look big," because no one else is doing anything. Now is the time to do something. Be smart about it. But, absolutely do something. Now is the time to talk to MarketGarden and come up with a modest plan, based on good intelligence, and deliberately aim at increasing your business. You can be the hands at the bottom of the cone. Catch everyone else's pennies as they fall off the map. Break the cycle and get on a reverse roll, so that when this thing does turn around, you'll be standing at the top. I'm at 214-750-6601 if you want to talk.

Measure twice, cut once.

My dad, who made his living working with wood, hammered that axiom home with me (no pun intended). In marketing, it's equally applicable - especially in lean times. I have met with countless clients who seemingly structure their marketing plans using the old "rep in the doorway" approach. A media rep shows up, looking particularly attractive that morning, offering the deal of the century on (FILL IN THE BLANK). Almost without a thought, the contract is signed and the money is spent...marketing mission completed for said month/quarter/season, etc. Not long after said rep's perfume has wafted out of the office, said client awakens to the fact that said deal did not produce. Is your business doing so well that you can afford to continue the old "rep in the doorway" approach to marketing? My guess is probably not. My suggestion is to measure twice, cut once before you spend. Define what you want to achieve, build a plan to specifically achieve it, and by all means, measure the results along the way. You'll cut waste, improve results and effectively push back against the ill tide that has affected just about everyone's business. And all for a few meager ounces of forethought. Call me at 214-750-6601 if you want to discuss your marketing plans. I'll be happy to help.