Social Jack

As I mentioned on my web site, I have joined the team at Qualvu, the leading innovator of online video-based qualitative research solutions. It was only a matter of time before old Social Jack got on thier social media bandwagon. And I have wasted very little time in doing it.

Recently, someone challenged me to come up with ten reasons why a company would want to use QualVu for their next research project. I’m happy to report that my response has been featured as a post on the QualVu blog. So if you’d like to see the article, please click this link. Top Ten Reasons to Use Qualvu.

QualVu has taken qualitative research to new heights by harnessing the power of user-generated content via web cams ad flip cams. It allows you to observe and interact with respondents on their terms in their natural environment. The results have been amazing. Researchers are uncovering much deeper insights and getting to the truth like never before.

If you’d like to learn more about Qualvu’s services, please send me an email at jcampisi@qualvu.com.

Just a reminder that the Purple Goldfish Project Video Podcasts are going strong. We are up to eight episodes now.
In this week's you will hear Stan's theory of why good marketing (Word of Mouth) is like hooking up with chicks. It will make more sense when you hear it from him.

Check us out the Marketing Lagniappe web site or subscribe at iTunes. (http://www.marketinglagniappe.com/)

The latest Purple Goldfish videocast is up. This week’s episode features Fat Cat pizza, Penzey’s spices, real maple syrup and an ice cold can of Schaefer beer. Plus some more interesting discussion on marketing and the concept of lagniappe.

If you have comments, questions or you want to nominate a business for the Purple Goldfish Project, shoot me an email at jack@social-jack.com.

It was a big day for good old Social Jack. My Purple Goldfish partner Stan Phelps and I met Paul Dunay today for breakfast. Paul is the author of Facebook Marketing For Dummies. Besides being a nice guy, he is an absolute expert on the one of the most popular and powerful social media platforms. Now I know my way around Facebook pretty well, but I can’t wait to dive into his book and see just how much I don’t know.

As you have read here before, we’ve had amazing success using Facebook with the Bring Anya Home campaign. I have also set up Facebook pages for a few business and groups. To be honest, some are useful and some are just sitting there. Facebook pages can be like an exercise machine, it’s not enough just to set one up. You have to use it on a regular basis in order for it to be effective. Creating compelling content and a sound strategy can be a challenge. I look forward to learning from a real pro with Facebook Marketing For Dummies.

My attitude about the “For Dummies” books has always been: If you are not reading them, then you’re the real dummy.

Episode four of the Purple Goldfish Video Podcast is now online. This time we discuss the two big questions… Why a goldfish and why purple? Plus, we visit another Purple Goldfish, Lexus of Greenwich.

Take a look and if you would like to nominate a business or have any feedback or questions, please email me at jack@social-jack.com.

Episode three of the Purple Goldfish video podcast is up on the Marketing Lagniappe website. This time, Stan and I go to a Doubletree hotel for a fireside chat about the famous chocolate chip cookie.

If you know a business that goes above and beyond expectations and delivers that little something extra something, tells us about it and they just might make the list. We are looking for 1001 examples. – Thanks.

The second episode of the Purple Goldfish Video podcast is up over at the Marketing Lagniappe web site. This time we venture out to Stew Leonard’s, a legendary Purple Goldfish if ever there was one. Plus, Stan reviews David Meerman Scott’s The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Check it out.

And don’t forget, if you know a Purple Goldfish, tell us about it!

I am happy to announce that the first episode of the Purple Goldfish Video Podcast is now on YouTube and at the Marketing Lagniappe web site. Stan Phelps, Mr. Lagniappe himself, and I will be exploring the concept of Lagniappe and how it impacts marketing, sales and customer loyalty.

We will also be visiting various businesses to show you real life examples of lagniappe.

The first episode leads us to Five Guys Burgers & Fries. It was hard work, but someone has to do it.
Here is a rundown of the first video podcast:

- We discuss the origin of ‘lagniappe’ and how it applies to marketing
- We talk about the concept of a ‘buy back’ and the ‘baker’s dozen’
- We debate where marketing lagniappe fits into the overall marketing mix
- Roadtrip to Five Guys Burgers and Fries to discuss peanuts, free toppings and bonus fries
- Purple Goldfish Jingle

I hope you enjoy it.

I attended an impromptu App Swap last night. It was great. We had a lot of laughs and I walked away with a couple of cool new apps.
What’s that? You don’t know what an App Swap is? Oh, sorry, let me explain.

I’m sure you are familiar with the term Swap Meet, right? A gathering where people sell and exchange items. Well, an App Swap is a phenomenon that often occurs when “iPhone people” get together.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, or if you have an iPod Touch instead of an iPhone. Inevitably, someone pulls out their device to check their email or answer a text. Then another iPhone person peaks over and sees an unfamiliar icon and suddenly the App Swap is on.

Or maybe you are out to eat and the bill comes. Someone whips out their iPhone to calculate the tip… four ways. Someone will say, “Tip calculator? I love that app. What else do you have?”
An App Swap is very simple; you compare apps with other people. It’s one of the best ways to learn about new apps you have never heard of and it’s a great way to gain a little insight into your friends.
One look at a person’s app collection is a quick profile on their lifestyle and interests. Are they into stocks? Do they follow the news? Do they like to play games? Are they a movie buff? Do they love sports? Are they a social media hound? Do they pay for apps or do they stick with the freebies? What’s the most they have paid for an app, and why?

You can tell a lot from what someone has installed on their iPhone. It’s also one of the best ways to bond with people and most of all, it’s a great way to discover new apps.
Last night, out to dinner, we had three iPhone people at the table. I was the one who checked a text message and my friend asked to see my phone so she could check out my apps. Naturally I countered with the class retort, “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” She did, and before you knew it, we were all demonstrating and showcasing our cools apps. Then we started downloading the new apps we were all discovering.

Later in the night, someone asked about the ingredients in a B-52. I used my Google app to search it and my friend used a drink recipe app. Both were quick and we learned that there are several interpretations of a B-52. (But generally it’s Kahlua, amaretto and Bailey's Irish cream.) This lead to a very funny debate at the table… and I ended up getting the Mixology app, so I will be ready for the next time.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but if you want to gain a little insight into your friends, check out their apps.

Oh, and one more thing. Everyone thinks Shazam is the coolest thing ever invented.

Here in Connecticut, pizza can be a sensitive topic. Frank Pepe's in New Haven is a legend and they own the hearts of many a southern New Englander. Down here in Fairfield County there’s Colony Grill in Stamford, another legend that is considered by many to be the pinnacle of CT pizza.

I am not here for a pizza debate, but for the record I am a Colony man. Everyone has their favorites but give me a sausage pie and I am a happy camper. Or perhaps a hot oil, another crowd favorite.

Like Pepe’s before them, Colony is now doing what was once unthinkable. They are opening another location, in Fairfield, the same town that Pepe’s spun off into. Could Fairfield become the epicenter of Pizza in Connecticut? Can this unstoppable force coexist in the same town an immovable object? I’m sure the locals won’t mind finding out.

The big question on every Colony-lover’s mind is “Will it be the same?” Most importantly, does it taste the same and second, does it feel the same? Colony is a legend, but not just for the yummy pizza. There’s the whole vibe in that place. It looks like a bar out of the seventies, possibly a bar in your uncle’s basement. The paneled walls are covered with homemade cartoon artwork, old photos of military men, cops and other vintage photos, patches and décor. It’s all authentic and impossible to duplicate without years of natural accumulation.

Colony is usually packed and you’d better have patience after you order, especially on a Friday night. No problem, have a few beers while you wait. Don’t ask for a menu, a burger or a salad either. And I hope you brought cash.

Sounds like a hassle, but it’s all worth it. It’s part of the Colony pride. No frills, no bells and whistles, just great food, great prices and a great atmosphere. It’s the ultimate word-of-mouth marketing story.

Can the new place measure up? I’ve heard that the owners are taking this seriously, even matching the ovens right down to the model number. You can’t replicate years of pictures on the walls, but they are asking for customers to donate photos of police, firemen and veterans to carry on the tradition started in Stamford. I think that’s a good start.

With Colony, it’s got to be about the love. It’s a sacred institution… as much that a pizza place can actually be sacred. You’d better have a stellar product and an authentic atmosphere. Once you lose that, it becomes just another pizza place. And that would be a shame.

So far, it sounds like they are on the right track. I know I will make a special trip up to Fairfield just to check it out. It will never replace the original, but hopefully they can add to the legend and carry the torch. (A torch fueled by delicious hot oil.)

You’ll never get a definitive answer about which pizza is better, Colony or Pepe’s. Who is the better spin-off might be the real question. I look forward to doing the research.

You can click here for a great article on the new Colony Grill.

Well, it’s the day after the Super Bowl and it was nice to see the City of New Orleans finally get a championship. I just wanted to quickly touch on a topic that is almost bigger than the game itself; the commercials.

I think Super Bowl commercials have jumped the shark a bit. Back in the days of Bud Bowl, Super Bowl commercials really were peaking. It was practically a “must-see” event. Now it’s hit or miss. This year had some good ones, but not too many that will be considered classics. Here are a few thoughts.

I think my favorite, as with a lot of people, was the Doritos House Rules, with the kid getting in the face of the guy who has arrived to pick up his mom for a date. “Do touch my mom and don’t touch my Doritos.” This is the line of the night, in my opinion. Doritos also scored with their Snack Attack Samurai ad.

The other ad that really worked for me was the TruTV - Troy Polamalu advertisement. Punxsutawney Polamalu was hilarious and probably the best visual of the night.

I have to admit, I am a Bud Light drinker, so I may be a bit biased, but more times than not, I love their commercials. Their Light House spot was funny, as was the Book Club, but I think I laughed at the Voice Box commercial the most.

“Laugh” is a key word here. These companies are paying a lot for these spots, and if they are not funny, interesting or ground breaking, people are disappointed and are more prone to go get another drink the next time that company’s commercial comes on. In light of that, the Google Parisian Love commercial was definitely a hit. Where I was everyone in the room was glued to that spot, and Google really made their point.

The Dr. Pepper commercial with Kiss was not great, but memorable. But I am a long-time member of the Kiss Army, and Mini-Kiss always cracks me up… so again, I am a little biased. I’m just curious.... they are touting Dr. Pepper with a Kiss of Cherry, but wasn’t Dr. Pepper always a cherry flavored soda?

There was a lot of controversy over the Focus on the Family - Tim Tebow spot. I honestly don’t see the big deal. And speaking of controversy, the Go Daddy commercials were toned down this year. Let’s face it, Danica Patrick is pretty, but the old Go Daddy girl, Candace Michelle, made much more of an impact. Still, Go Daddy has established itself as the Hooters of web hosting, and everyone certainly remembers their name.

Other spots of note:
• Hyundai - Brett Favre 2020 MVP: Funny, but we are almost as sick of Brett Favre’s self-parody as we are of his retirement flip-flops.
• Snickers – Betty White: C’mon, how can you go wrong with Betty White and Abe Vigoda.
• Motorola – Megan Fox: Okay, I swear, it’s not just because Megan Fox is hot. That was a funny ad.
• The Boost Mobile Super Bowl Shuffle Reunion: A callback to a Super Bowl classic, and almost as awkward as the original.
• FLO TV - Jim Nantz: Nantz just ripping that poor shlep who is shopping with his wife instead of watching the big game was funny… and just the kind of things real guys would say.
• eTrade – Wolf Style: I miss the old eTrade Baby, but they had great spots this year. The “Milkaholic, Milka-what” line is second place to Doritos for line of the night.
• The Emerald Nuts/Pop Secret – Dolphins: People swimming around like dolphins = awesome, or as they would say, “awesomer.”

If you missed one, need a refresher or just want to see all of the Super Bowl commercials again, you can click here.

What was your favorite?

Lot’s going on with The Purple Goldfish Project. Stan Phelps is still collecting his 1001 examples of Marketing Lagniappe. (Pronounced lăn-yăp.) That’s the Louisiana word that captures the way companies go above and beyond to make their customers happy and feel appreciated. (Think Baker’s Dozen.)

Well, Stan found two incredibly creative and talented fellows who both write catchy jingles for businesses. They agreed to a “Jingle-Off” and both are available for viewing on the Marketing Lagniappe web site. Check them out and be sure to vote for your favorite.

Lagniappe is the fuel for good word-of-mouth. It’s a great concept to think about and one that more companies would be wise to embrace.
Even if it is hard to pronounce.

It's been a while since I caught up on this blog. Check out the news page on Social-Jack.com for the latest scoop.

The Bring Anya home campaign had an amazing December. That little Facebook group has grown to over 3000 members, and we raised enough money to send Keri over to Russia to visit Anya for the holidays. But now we head into the new year, and our challenge is greater than ever. People's attention spans are short and we still have a lot of work to do. Please check out the Bring Anya Home blog and Facebook page for more info. Here's the link: http://bringanyahome.org/

In other news, 24 starts tomorrow night, which means my 24 recaps will kick in on my blog as well. Check out www.backinjack.com if you are a fan of the show. The premiere is a two night, four hour event, so I have my work cut out for me. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Also, check out the Purple Goldfish Project if you have a chance. You may know a Purple Goldfish and not even know it. Go to http://www.marketinglagniappe.com and contact Stan Phelps if you have a story to share. And tell him Social Jack sent you.