I recently returned from a whirlwind trip following U2 on the West Coast swing of their latest tour. The trip took me to three different cities in the span of a week where I saw the show from a variety of different perspectives and vantage points. The last stop was in Pasadena at the famed Rose Bowl.

As many of you probably know that Rose Bowl show was noteworthy for a few reasons. First, 100,000 people occupied the stadium making it one of the largest concert events in the history of California. Also, U2 used the performance to record their latest concert DVD and they streamed the concert live via YouTube. The statistics that followed the live broadcast were staggering. Ten million streams from 188 countries across the world made this the largest streaming event in YouTube’s history.

A friend who knew I would be attending the Rose Bowl concert sent me the following email before the show, “Aren’t you a sucker? Now, I can have the same experience free while still laying on my sofa.” In a sense he has a point. Thanks to social media he saw the same show, but he hardly had the same experience. Not even close. And this is as big a commentary on the effectiveness of social media vs. in-person Word of Mouth as there ever was.

What I experienced in the span of a week led to countless stories and memories that I’ll cherish and share for a lifetime. It was by definition the ultimate Word of Mouth experience. He didn’t experience the camaraderie that comes with spending an entire day in the General Admission line and the subsequent loss of humanity in the stampede that follows when the gates finally open. He didn’t experience haggling and begging our way back to the Vegas strip among 20,000 other stranded cab seekers. And of course, he didn’t experience the magic that is a live U2 event.

He may have been comfortable and it certainly was free to watch the Rose Bowl show on his laptop. But as I was there smashed between fans from London on my left, Hawaii on my right and Canada to my back, I was part of something bigger. I was part of something 100,000 strong in fact. A community of passionate people that if only for three hours of our lives were connected to each other. Social media is great. It has the ability to extend real life situations, but make no mistake, it will never replace those situations and experiences.

My friend may have sung along to “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” from the comfort of his own couch, but I sang the same song at the top of my lungs with 100,000 others. And as I glanced around and the band fell silent it was clear that we shared something too. An overwhelming moment that only those within those walls can truly remember. I will never forget the looks on the faces of the people surrounding me. Those looks can never be defined by any social media application. Once again, U2 taught me a lesson, and once again, I’m better for it.

Did you know that Arizona has nearly $4 billion in annual bi-lateral trade with our neighbors to the north? No, not Nevada, Utah or Colorado, but Canada. The Great White North is the largest foreign investor in Arizona, according to Glenn Williamson, CEO and Founder of the Canada Arizona Business Council (CABC).

The CABC was formed seven years ago to promote a single mandate: To increase bi-lateral trade between Canada and Arizona to $5 billion by 2010.

Currently:

• 128,750 Arizona jobs have been created by Canadian businesses
• More than 140 private companies are directly involved
• 517,000 annual Canadian visitors spend upwards of $441 million in Arizona
• Conversely, 161,800 Arizonans visit Canada spending $110 million annually

Park&Co recently launched the new CABC website during the quarterly board meeting hosted at Henkel, owner of Dial, Purex, Right Guard and other popular consumer product brands. Park&Co is a title CABC partner, along with other notable companies such as the Toronto Stock Exchange, Henkel, Air Canada, Chase and Snell & Wilmer.

From the site: Membership in the CABC is by invitation only. This membership philosophy assures each member one degree of separation with decision makers in any field on either side of the border. If you are an engaged industry player, we welcome your membership inquiry…of course, only deal makers need apply.

Richard Bazinet, Founding Director of the CABC, said,

“Rebuilding our website was an important part of our web-centric communications strategy. Not an easy task for a bi-lateral trade organization like the CABC. However, Park&Co rose to the challenge and they actually mastered the subject matter quickly. Our new site was accepted unanimously by our members.”

I was blessed with the name Park. It gets attention. No, I’m not Korean. And in some future post, I’ll tell you where it came from.

For now, I thought I’d give you a little more background on the guy behind the name. The following are my responses to the Phoenix Business Journal’s “2 Minutes With” section that just ran.

Does that mean I only have 13 minutes of fame left?

And of course, all of my best lines ended up on the cutting room floor (I guess you can be the judge of that), so I’ve included my entire  interview here.

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs just starting out?

I like the famous photographer’s line, “F8 and be there.” You don’t have to be an incredible business mind to be successful, just like you don’t have to be a world renowned photographer to take great pictures.  You just have to show up everyday, give it your all, and keep it simple.

What is one of your business goals for 2009?

We’re going to grow Park&Co by 10 percent this year due to our work in green marketing and sustainability.  We call it “Responsible Marketing,” and the timing couldn’t be better, given the growing economic and environmental sensibilities of the market.

How have you changed your business strategy to reflect current economic conditions?

We took a page out of the survival manual from Arizona Mountain Rescue: “High speed, low drag.” This perfect economic storm is an IDEAL environment for our agency – and our clients – to capture market share that is often more difficult and more expensive to do in bull markets. We are more efficient and nimble than ever with our staff, operations, and bringing campaigns to market. We look for and work with clients that are driven by realistic opportunity and not fear.

What resources did you use to help develop your business and marketing plans?

Fortunately, this cobbler’s kid has shoes, and pretty nice ones too. We rely on our brilliant staff for our own marketing strategy and creative. We also work with outside consultants, like Pete Walsh of Peak Performance Coaching, to test our assumptions and plans.

How do you use technology, i.e., social media, Internet marketing, etc., to promote your business?

Technology and internet marketing is a tactic, not a strategy. We always tie our online digital footprint – Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pay-per-click campaigns, organic search, Ning groups, etc. – to tangible, in-person marketing so customers can experience us real-time, not just virtually. I also write this blog called “A Brighter Shade of Green Marketing,” at ParkHowell.com. This is a great way for potential clients to get a better understanding of how I, and the agency, approach sustainable, responsible marketing.  You’ll find a lot of free advice there.

How do you recruit and retain quality employees?

We recruit quality employees by a very selective word of mouth and referral program.  We retain them by respecting and appreciating what they contribute to the team.  And we challenge them to do their finest work here; in an accountable environment that promotes their personal and professional growth.

What is a significant goal you achieved in the past 12 months?

We have dramatically increased our online marketing and social media capabilities, and have experienced tremendous results combining this virtual world with real world word of mouth marketing for our clients.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in growing your business?

Getting out of the way of our talented team. I love rolling up my sleeves and diving into strategy and creative challenges for our clients. But I am surrounded by an insanely talented group of pros, and I need to give them the freedom to do what they do best.

Do you have an exit strategy or a succession plan for when you retire? What is it?

Besides driving my business into the ground through a series of ridiculous and avoidable blunders and waiting for the government to bail me out, I haven’t found a succession plan I like yet.  Too young, I suppose.

Did you ever want to call it quits? If so, why, and what stopped you?

No, I can’t say I ever wanted to call it quits. I don’t have enough dough to retire, and I can’t see myself in a corporate environment. I tend to be a free thinker and like to push our clients beyond their comfort zone to help them grow. These are qualities that often go unappreciated as an employee.  Plus, I can’t color inside the lines very well.  Never have.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started your business?

Numbers and Little League coaches often lead to unrealistic expectations. It’s actually impossible to give 110 percent. Ninety percent effort with concerted thought is typically 20 times more than what most businesses offer 60 percent of the time.

How do you market?

We market our traditional and nontraditional advertising services through social media, online marketing, and in-person workshops and presentations. We seek out and ignite the growth of those people, products, services, and businesses that are having a measurable positive impact on our planet.

What mistake have you learned from?

When I started Park&Co in 1995, I tried to be all things to all people. Then we began doing a lot of work in sustainability and cause marketing long before green became cool. This focus is a reflection of the first of our seven operating tenets: “Run a profitable, socially conscious company.” Given the current global economic and ecological meltdown, the market has found us in a big way. Find your niche, and if you don’t, sometimes it finds you.

What’s the best piece of business advice you ever received?

Actually, I have two “Best pieces of business advice” that came from my Dad: “A deal is only good if it’s good for both parties,” and “Make more than you spend.” which is pretty good advice these days.

Do you have a question for me? Please ask in the comments form below, or shoot me a note from my contact form.

Yippee, it’s Earth Day. The annual celebration of the best of our intentions to help change the world and save our planet.  And yet our ecosystem remains rather indifferent to our eco-affiliations, environmental causes and green agendas.  In it’s brilliant simplicity, the planet responds to only one thing: ACTION.

Mother Nature Could Care Less…

…whether you’re Republican, Democratic, Green Party or Independent: Partisanship aside, the globe warms us all equally. Personally become more sustainable and worry about the party later.

…whether you’re a man or woman: C02 does not discriminate. Pay attention to your carbon footprint and learn how you can reduce it.

…whether you’re rich or poor, or somewhere in between: Maybe you can’t afford a hybrid car or solar for your home, but you certainly can’t afford to ignore the FREE and easy things you can do to help save the planet and your money; like turning down your thermostat, recycling, and re-purposing stuff.

…whether you’re young or old: Our lungs all work the same,  and most of them are extremely efficient at sucking in air pollution.  The clear solution is to simply drive less.

…whether you’re good looking or ugly: No one is immune to free radicals from environmental toxins that ravage our bodies. Detoxify your home with natural cleaners.

…whether you’re bright or dim: Switch to CFL light bulbs.

…whether you’re an environmentalists or redneck: When a species becomes extinct, we all lose. Support smart land management and care for the outdoors like it’s your indoors.

…whether you’re a shopaholic or miser: Non-sustainable products produced by carbon belching factories cost consumers much more than money, so vote with your wallet and buy green.

…whether or not you’re thirsty: When we run out of clean drinking water, we run out. So please use our water wisely, and you’ll conserve some cash while you’re at it.

…whether or not you’ve got a green thumb: Everyone pays the same market and environmental price for our produce. Plant an organic garden – weeds and all – and save money, the planet, and some sanity.

…whether you’re a titan of industry or child laborer: Inequality in the workplace threatens to dismantle the world economy. Ask for and buy fair trade when you can.

…whether you’re hungry or full: When we carelessly strip our lands of natural resources to feed our collective consumption, the table becomes bare for all.

…whether you’re an extrovert or a wallflower: The subtleties of our environment our immensely more powerful than the extremes or our beliefs. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

…whether you’re a believer or an atheist: When it’s all said and done, we all compost equally – Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

So today, celebrate Earth Day.  Download this calendar of the 26 things you can do in less than five minutes each day to save the world. It won’t cost you a dime. You can use it during any month. You’ll probably save the planet, and a thousand bucks.

(This post originally appeared on ParkHowell.com, “A Brighter Shade of Green Marketing”)

We were recently in a new business pitch and we lost to ourselves. That’s right. We were the only agency pitching, and although the prospective client (we’re going to call him the “Farmer”) is confident we can help him build his business, he did not hire us. His is an online operation that has been taking it on the chin from a fairly vocal competitor (we’ll call him the “Pig”) who is blogging about the farmer like a name-calling bully on a playground. The pig has done a masterful job of coaxing the farmer into an online fight. So much so that this rattled entrepreneur can’t see beyond his rage. He’s lost sight of the terrific product he offers and the wonderful professionals he has supporting it. He’s hell-bent on going toe-to-toe with his foe.

“Never wrestle with a pig, because the pig loves it and you just get dirty.”

Our advice to him was to keep an eye on the pig, but don’t acknowledge it. The farmer has the better product, the better service, the better website, the better pricing, and the better people. And the pig knows it. So the pig is effectively doing the only thing he can, short of improving his offering: He’s getting the farmer to wrestle him. Smart pig.

We tried to keep the farmer out of the pig sty and presented a communications plan that truly accentuated the positive. The high ground is where our farmer needs to be. It’s always the best position to take, but human nature tends to mire us all in the mud, especially when our good name is being dragged through it. We showed the farmer how to get to the high ground. How to grow and activate his throngs of customer evangelists. How to use word-of-mouth marketing to trumpet the good he is doing across the country. How to optimize his site and leverage online marketing. And ultimately how to beat the pig senseless without getting into the pen. But the farmer wasn’t buying. Sadly, he still wants to wrestle the pig.

So we drive away from this beautiful farm with abundant opportunity for growth, all because a bout with the barnyard swine is currently more attractive to the farmer than tending to his crop.

I’m about to say two things that are probably going to be very unpopular around the office: I’m not an “Apple” guy, and I’m not all that keen on advertising. Before there’s a “here we go again” moment — since I bashed my own field of PR a few weeks back, let me once again explain.

I get Apple. I get that they’re innovators. I have an iPod. But I’m not going to drive around with the sticker on my car. They just don’t excite me as much as some people. As for advertising, I think it can make a tremendous impact, but that doesn’t usually happen. The vast majority of ads are stale and contrived and I’m continually amazed that they make it through agency and client approvals.

That being said, the marriage of these two things just sparked something that I’m comfortable saying is the best advertisement I have seen in years. Every day I read The New York Times online, and never once have I clicked on, let alone noticed, an ad on the site. But today, as I was reading the front-page article, that changed.

I couldn’t help but be drawn to the right side of the page and the blaring headline “Stop Switching to Mac!” as written by PC. The copy focuses on PC’s deficiencies and asks that PC’s once loyal customers stick with it, ensuring them that eventually they’d turn it around. Of course the ad bashes Mac, as well, asking whether customers have gotten sick of all the Mac superlatives. I saw all of this even before I discovered there was sound and visuals bringing in the now famous Mac and PC personalities to narrate.

A lot of money? Of course. It must have cost a ton to keep that ad up there all day. But before everyone says that if they had Apple’s budget they could create something as clever and effective, let me say that this ad’s effectiveness has more to do with message than with budget. This is what happens when the first thing asked in a creative meeting is “How can we get people talking?” It’s a simple approach, but one rarely taken. Usually the first question asked is “How do we spend this money?”

When the focus is switched to buzz and conversations, you can see the results. It’s clear that Apple worked across departments to achieve this ad’s effectiveness. Media planners and buyers who think their job is all about numbers and not creativity need look no further than this ad for inspiration.

I still don’t love Apple, and until they create something that allows me to download warm, soft, chocolate chip cookies, I probably never will. But I have to hand it to them for providing us with a real life, real-time case study on what advertising is all about.

During down economic times, many companies face tough decisions. Sales are down, price-cutting is prevalent, staff is being reduced and lack of revenue is killing them. These are extremely difficult realities to deal with and even harder for companies to figure out the best way to navigate these stormy waters.

Unfortunately, marketing (and in turn advertising) is usually one of the first places that companies look to help save the bottom line. Seems to makes sense. It is an expense that they can save now. If the company goes dark for a while they should be okay, customers will still be there later. Then when times get better they’ll reinstate the marketing budget.

I am not insensitive to the challenges facing companies today. I understand the hard financial decisions that need to happen during down markets. I’ve lived through a few. And each company is different, their business model is different and their objectives are different, so my thoughts may not apply to all. But in my most simplistic viewpoint – if revenues are down, wouldn’t you want to support the area that should help generate business for your company?

Here’s some food for thought from an article on MacTech.com:

“In a study of U.S. recessions, McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 companies covering 16 different SIC industries from 1980 through 1985. The results showed that business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased advertising. By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recession advertisers had risen 256% over those that didn’t keep up their advertising. Sales for the companies studied were relatively even before the recession, but varied sharply during and after it. Companies that cut advertising during both of the recessionary years maintained flat sales during the period and only modest sales growth in the following two years. In contrast, the companies that maintained their advertising experienced significant sales growth throughout the four-year period.

“A series of six studies conducted by the research firm of Meldrum & Fewsmith showed conclusively that advertising aggressively during recessions not only increases sales but increases profits. This fact has held true for all post-World War II recessions studied by American Business Press starting in 1949.”

You can read the entire article here.

Based on the research, there are tangible reasons for turning it up in a down market. And yes, tough times call for tough decisions, so there are no easy answers. And marketing isn’t necessarily the silver bullet that will make everything all right for every company. But marketing can be an integral investment (not an expense) that can help sustain the organization through tough times now and reap greater rewards in the future.

There used to be a negative connotation with the word “viral” because it meant something that causes a sickness. Now everyone loves viral, at least in marketing. Viral is everywhere. It’s one of those buzzwords that you’re not sure you’re sick of yet, but you think you might be sick of it pretty soon.

So, what does viral really mean? When something is viral, it spreads quickly. In the case of marketing and advertising, that something is information. There have been countless “viral videos” in recent months, as advertisers have recognized their low cost and high ROI. Viral videos are sometimes actual commercials, and other times are specifically targeted for publishing on the web. There are also videos that aren’t intended for glaring success, yet become almost iconic due to their quirkiness, shock value, or sometimes, simple hilarity. Can you think of a viral video you’ve seen lately? I thought I’d bring along a couple of examples.

Now, the truth of the matter. What is it about videos like these that makes them so popular? I’ve already mentioned a couple of reasons above, but let’s look at them in more detail.

1. They’re original – So much of what we see nowadays is rehashed and rerun and redone. It’s all old news. These videos aren’t. You pass them on, and so does the next person, and the next person . . .
2. They’re short – Good viral videos are often commercials that fit perfectly into the “clip culture” of video websites like Vimeo and YouTube. Besides, who has time during their workday to watch 7 minutes of video that ends up taking too long to pay off anyway?
3. They’re funny/shocking/awesome/funny/hilarious – You must be picking up on my theme by now. Funny always does the trick. You laugh. You remember. You pass it along. Now it’s viral.
4. They’re just good – This may seem obvious, but really, it’s the stuff that counts. If the video isn’t good, it’s not going to be viral. Conversely, if the video is viral, it’s probably good.

Viral videos are coming from everywhere. People are making videos in their basements and they’re becoming viral. The essence of some of these videos is in their low budgets and creativity. Ad agencies are making them too, just on a grander scale. It’s more difficult for agencies to pull off timely content, but with videos like this one of a ball girl jumping to catch a foul ball during a baseball game, agencies are attracting attention to brands on the cheap. No media budget? Try making a video and post it on YouTube. You’ll have exposures out the wazoo if you do it right, and follow it up by getting your personal network of friends and coworkers involved. The bottom line is that anyone can make a video that turns viral, because the video will do most of the work for you, so long as it’s good.

By now you must be asking yourself why I chose that headline. Here’s the main message. A video, or any other information, isn’t viral just because we say it is. It’s viral because the public makes it viral. Tay Zonday recorded himself singing and put it on YouTube. Now the guy’s a superstar, because everyone else says he is. Check out the number of views under that video. Yup, that’s 26 million. Even Dr. Pepper thinks Tay is on to something.

Excuse me, but I think I might’ve just written the word viral one too many times. I’m going to go drink some Diet Coke and eat a couple of Mentos.

A lot of us have done street marketing, and its effectiveness can often be debated.  Recently however, a Phoenix resident took to the streets, and found it was the perfect method for selling his product – himself. 

Corey Gibisch, 36 years-old and six weeks removed from being laid off from his comfortable management-level aerospace industry position, explained that he needed to take his job search to “extreme measures.”  The extreme measures he was referring to included triple digit heat and cars racing by just feet away.  That’s the price the Phoenix man thought he had to pay for finding a new job in today’s economy as he took himself and a hand-written sign to a busy Phoenix intersection early last week.   

Check out the full story by Dennis Wagner in the Arizona Republic

Gibisch explains that in the six weeks since he had been laid off, he had done all the traditional job search methods but to no avail.  So his instinct told him to “do something crazy.”  As Gibisch stood on the street corner with a sign that read, “Will Work Hard for Good Company” and a fistful of resumes, his biggest fear was embarrassing his wife and kids.  Turns out his real fear should have been what job opportunity to choose from.  Hours later upon his return home, Gibisch already had multiple voice mails and even more emails regarding new opportunities.  Even more importantly, in the two hours Gibisch spent on the busy freeway overpass, he managed to hand out 100 resumes and collect 30 business cards.  Try doing that in two hours online. 

Here’s a guy who seems to have little to no marketing experience yet he perfectly executed something many of us are still trying to master: a great word of mouth marketing campaign.  The truth is that it doesn’t take much experience or high-level marketing education to be successful in word of mouth.  Those things help but what you really need is exactly what Mr. Gibisch perfectly displayed, the foresight and fortitude to understand that the status quo only achieves status quo results. 

He took a buzzworthy idea, supplemented it with quality materials to keep the conversation going (in his case, resumes), engaged people directly, and the next thing you know he’s the talk of the town.  Without knowing it, he put the tenets of a successful word of mouth campaign into practice as though they were written in a schoolbook case study, or more likely a title penned by WOM guru Andy Sernovitz.  People love a great story.  People love a success story even more and I can imagine companies clamoring to be recognized as the company that hired Mr. Gibisch. 

Let’s hope that one of these companies recognizes the importance of word of mouth in today’s marketing landscape and gives Mr. Gibisch the chance to put more of his “extreme measure” tactics into action. 

Here’s a news-worthy construction job. Valley of the Sun Habitat for Humanity, long esteemed for its humanitarian efforts in building houses for low-income familes, was sagging in donations and volunteers because of a run-down website and confusing donation form. Habitat wanted a site that could promote its message of hope to everyone in a striking and inviting way, attracting new donors with a simple, attractive design Our interactive team provided Habitat with a new place to call home.

We effectively produced an extreme makeover, with a new homepage and easily-navigable “mini-sites” for volunteers, donators, and homeowners. Visitors can access the Habitat donation page from anywhere on the site thanks to the bright orange “Donate Online” button on each page, and the three-part donation process means no more confusion for would-be contributors.

We also built interactive components into the site, including a Google map of both of Habitat’s Valley ReStore locations and a calendar of events and home dedications. The newly streamlined enewsletter is a way for Habitat to keep the community informed, and a new photo gallery documents the hard work of Habitat’s volunteers during a home build. The Habitat for Humanity website was a real fixer-upper, but in the hands of the Park&Co team, it’s turned into a place to be proud of.