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!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
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."
Monday, November 2, 2009
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.
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.
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