Marketing guru

Weighing in on the latest Viking stadium developments, Reusse notes that in marketing, naming is key. He’s talking about how Gov. Mark Dayton and developers who favor a stadium site on the northwest side of downtown Minneapolis face an extra challenge because of how the location has been labeled.

The greatest blunder in the history of stadium marketing occurred when the backers of this location allowed it to become known as the “Basilica site.” They should have termed it the “North of 394″ site, or the “Scrubland and Replaceable Buildings” site.

Reusse makes a good point. The “Basilica site” sounds as if the stadium would be built right next to the historic church. And while there’s no debating that a stadium on that site would be close to the Basilica, there would be an elevated freeway separating the structures. Whether a stadium north of I-394 would overshadow the Basilica or somehow diminish its impact is an open question.

Either way, linking “Vikings stadium” and “Basilica” in the public’s mind gives ammunition to those who oppose the site. Even a casual observer might reflexively oppose the site just because of the “Basilica” label.

Reusse’s observation provides a good reminder that controlling the name of a product, policy or proposal is half the battle.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute of North Carolina estimates the fear of Friday the 13th affects between 17 and 21 million Americans and that $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do.

While the history on exactly where the Friday the 13th superstition comes from is a bit sketchy, there are plenty of theories (such as linking it to Friday, Oct. 13, 1307, and the “demise” of the Knights Templar).

The unfortunate combination of an unlucky day and an unlucky number is enough for many people, and many Friday the 13th superstition round-ups point to the same “reasons.”

Friday
Friday is said to be the day that Eve offered Adam the forbidden fruit and Jesus was crucified.

A sailor will tell you to never begin a voyage on Friday.

There is a long list of ‘what not to do’s’ on Fridays. For example, it is advised to never change your bed on a Friday for it may bring bad dreams.

13
There is the concept that the number 12 signifies completeness (12 zodiac signs, 12 months in a year, 12 hours on the clock, etc.) and that the number 13 goes against this.

Or the belief that if you have 13 letters in your name, you are linked with the devil (example, Charles Manson).
Then there are the reports of hospitals and hotels omitting rooms with the #13, cities that don’t have a 13th street or avenue, and airports with no gate 13 or planes with no aisle 13. I read one statistic that more than 80% of skyscrapers lack a 13th floor.

As a last example, there is the superstition that having 13 people at a table will result in the death of one of the diners, some say within a year. This superstition is tied to both the Last Supper and a Norse Myth where the evil god Loki crashed a dinner party for 12 at Valhalla, great hall of the gods, and proceeded to trick another guest into killing Balder the god of light.

Poor number 13′s reputation is so tarnished, some have rallied to debunk the stigma as far back as 1881. Captain William Fowler, a Civil War veteran, formed a dinner club with friends and called it the Thirteen Club. They had their first meeting on Friday, the 13th of January at 8:13pm. There were 13 guests. They further tempted fate by entering the room walking under a ladder and had piles of spilled salt at their tables. All the guests survived the next 12 months. Thirteen Clubs went on over the years to become quite popular and members included five men who would go on to be Presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt. I’m thinking of reviving a modern day Thirteen club myself just to have an excuse for a dinner party.

Friday the 13th is unavoidable, with one occurring every year. And some years, as a matter of fact this year, there are more. 2012 brings us three Friday the 13th’s (January, April, July). Good things happen in threes, right? Or is it bad things… I forget.

It’s the new year, and around FH HQ, there are a variety of resolutions being practiced by a number of ponies. One of them is a promise to try to bring lunch to work rather than dropping the usual $7 to $12 for a Chipotle burrito, a grocery store salad or who-knows-what from the local deli.

The bring-lunch-from-home idea has always been in the back of my mind, but last week, something changed. Alex was researching mom bloggers for an upcoming program and came across a site called Raising Peanut. When she showed it to me, it was life-changing. It is the answer to the daily lunch dilemma: Salad in a Jar. And it’s perfect!

Salad in a Jar by Raising Peanut

Inspiration struck on Sunday morning, so I spent two or three hours grocery shopping, then cleaning and preparing fresh spinach and fresh romaine, then compiling it, along with egg whites, walnuts, diced chicken, shredded carrots, mozzarella cheese and some balsamic vinaigrette, into five brand-new mason jars. I can’t even tell you how happy this made me. I really love a salad for lunch, but the thought of making one every morning before work is beyond daunting. Now I have one for each day waiting in my refrigerator.

Salad in a Jar by Franny (photo courtesy: J. Zanatta)

The only snag was that I built my Salad in a Jar from memory…not by actually reading the blog post. So my one mistake is that I layered the romaine on top of the dressing. This is a no-no because by tomorrow I’m going to have a giant, wet glop at the bottom of the remaining jars. The blogger also says the salads will remain fresh for up to four days…I made five. So I may be doubling up for lunch and dinner tomorrow. But no worries.

Next week I’m getting a little more creative. Black beans. Scallions. Peas. Quinoa. Maybe even beets. Who knows? The possibilities are endless. I want to thank Raising Peanut for her wisdom. I spent less than $25 on a week’s worth of ingredients that I know are fresh and high-quality. This is just the trick I’ve been seeking for years. If it’s not too late to make a retroactive New Year’s resolution, I think I might actually be able to stick to this one! If you have any ideas on quick, inexpensive and tasty lunch tips, please send them our way!

Finished Salad Masterpiece (photo courtesy: J. Zanatta)

I’ve been pretty sour about Minnesota sports in recent years. The epic ineptitude of most Gopher teams, the dismal performances of our pro basketball and hockey squads, the repeated postseason fizzles of the Twins, the absolute kick in the gonads called “12 Men in the Huddle” — it all combined to disenchant me.

Me! The only person at Fast Horse who can personally remember all four Vikings Super Bowl losses! My colleague Bob Ingrassia last year ran the numbers and wrote a Peepshow post proving that we’re in the worst era ever for Minnesota sports.

And with the Vikings posting a Steckelian record of failure this year, the news that Justin Morneau is still having post-concussion symptoms and another likely NIT berth on tap for Tubby, there wouldn’t seem to be much to sweeten my sour outlook.

But.

The other night I actually turned on the TV because I wanted to catch the last quarter of the Timberwolves game. And even though the team squandered a winnable contest, I found that I cared a little. I wanted to see Kevin Love go for 25 and 15. I wanted to see if Ricky Rubio is really as good as everyone says he is (and I was on the record dissing him before he arrived).

In caring about the T-Wolves, even a little bit, I amazed myself. A seed has been planted. Let’s see if it takes root.

One of my resolutions came about after I saw some numbers that really grabbed my attention given the state of our still-sluggish economy. The resolution? To stop spending money unnecessarily on fast food and beverages.

Over the years, I have developed the bad habit of visiting a fast-food joint at least once a day, whether it’s grabbing a sandwich from Subway or a warm drink from Starbucks. The disturbing thing to think about is the amount of money these little stops add up to over the years. Spending $4 or $5 here and there doesn’t seem like much, but when it becomes an everyday habit, those numbers add up to some alarming figures.

The killer part about this is these fast-food stops are completely unnecessary. It’s not like it’s hard to throw together a sandwich at home for lunch at work or to wake up five minutes earlier and make coffee at home. So what’s the issue then? I hate to say it, but sheer laziness and feelings of entitlement to these little “treats.”

After seeing how much money I’m wasting, I think I’d rather save the money or at least put it to better use. A $4-per-day treat from Starbucks sets me back $28 a week, about $120 a month and $1,460 per year. Do that for five years and I’m down $7,300, not including any money I may have earned had I invested my cash instead.

The numbers are even more absurd if your habit is lunch or dinner instead of lattes. No matter how you slice it, these overlooked, unrealized and unnecessary daily purchases could instead be going towards a car, a house, a dream vacation, college, retirement, charity, you name it! Just as quickly as those numbers add up for a latte a day, they will also add up for bigger and better things.

What is your biggest new year’s resolution? Do you have any bad habits you are hoping to kick? What are your thoughts on daily fast food indulgences? Do you think they’re necessary?

Welcome to 2012, Fast Horse friends. For our first post of the year, I wanted to write about a possible trend that I got to thinking about over the weekend after reading an opinion piece titled “The Joy of Quiet“ in The New York Times. That trend? Users of social media realizing that less just might be more.

Yep, quiet time is nice, and it’s been getting a little too noisy lately. Amid all the apps and buttons that invite us to share more about our lives more frequently, I think many people will rethink their sharing habits this year and adopt a “less is more” motto: less mass updates, smaller friend groups and more filtering out of unwanted user content.

I understand this prediction may fly in the face of lots of marketing-related New Year’s resolutions about increasing social media activity to gain more followers, but I think Pico Iyer, the writer of the op-ed, might be on the something. Consider the following quote:

In barely one generation we’ve moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from them — often in order to make more time. The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Like teenagers, we appear to have gone from knowing nothing about the world to knowing too much all but overnight.

Do you agree? I know I felt this way a little bit last year after signing up for yet another social network, Google+, which caused me to stress about the inactivity taking place on my Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Foursquare accounts for no real good reason.

Feeling this way again over the weekend after looking at my Facebook news feed – a little disturbed by the new Timeline feature and a little annoyed by the amount of noise being broadcast by all the “friends” I’ve accumulated since college - I unfriended a bunch of over-sharers, and did the same to clean up my Twitter stream.

Think that’s strange? Blogger Chris Brogan appeared to be thinking about this topic as well recently when he unfollowed 131,000 people, which is pretty interesting. Think about it: What if you started from scratch? Given everything you’ve learned about social media over the last several years, would your approach to following users be the same if you relaunched all your accounts today? Would you think more about the quality of content as opposed to the quantity of followers?

It seems that newer social networks have sensed people’s desire for a quieter social media experience. While I don’t really use the site (yet), Google+ was on to the trend of more segmented sharing when it launched its Google+ Circles. And newcomer Path, the site that states “you should always be in control of your information and experience” has set a limit on the number of people you can interact with — now at 150 users, up from the original maximum of 50. I think we’ll see more options like these pop up and be embraced in 2012.

And, yes, this is all from a personal sharing standpoint. But from a marketing point of view, I also envision brands adopting a “less is more” approach as marketing teams think about measurement and how to engage fans on more of an intimate level. And if this approach isn’t adopted by the masses this year? Who knows, could 2013 end up being the year of the “black-hole resort” (explained by Iyer below)?

The future of travel, I’m reliably told, lies in “black-hole resorts,” which charge high prices precisely because you can’t get online in their rooms.

Photo credit: Oli Dunkley on Flickr.  

Is 10 the Metal Anniversary? — Loyal Peepers will recall that 2011 marked our 10th year in business. We marked the occasion with a big celebration party highlighted by a performance by our clients and friends “Rogue Valley.” My favorite moment from the party? Had to be when the sound guy we hired plugged his personal iPod into the soundboard and serenaded our early-arriving guests with some of his metal favorites. The Fast Horse crew briefly debated whether to request something a bit more “appropriate” for the occasion. The notion quickly died. We’ve always been a “come as you are” kind of place, and if that means that one of our hired hands wants to play a little Slayer at our agency party, so be it.

Jen, Jenny and Jengii –Sounds like Bowie tune, but in reality, Jen, Jenny and Jengii are the three talented new Ponies who joined us in 2011. Jen Kreilich came aboard as a Senior Director, while two interns, Jenny Zanatta and Alexendra Jenii Weaver aka “Jengii,” converted internships into full-time associate gigs. All three are smart, energetic and optimistic, so we’re thrilled to say that 2011 was the Year of the Jen around here.

Good Fortune – This year, we were lucky enough to grow nearly 20 percent and add 13 new clients to our mix, including projects from three Fortune 500 companies. In addition, our partnerships with long-term clients, such as The Coca-Cola Company, Marvin Windows and Doors and Next Big Thing (SweeTango) continued to grow and resulted in some of the very best and most high-profile work this agency has ever done, including an 8-page feature on SweeTango in the New Yorker, a mention of Marvin Windows in a key speech by President Obama and the launch of new packaging for Diet Coke and Dasani.

Making a Little Noise — We were also proud to add a bit of hardware to our trophy case in the past year. On a national level, we won a Silver Anvil from PRSA and had two finalists in the PR Week Awards, yielding an Honorable Mention for Global Campaign of the Year with our friends at Coke. We also won a Gold Sabre for the same Global program at the Sabre Awards. Locally, we broke through with an Award of Merit at The Show, took home seven PRSA Classics and were named among the Twin Cities Business Journals “Best Places to Work” and to the “Fast 50” list of the fastest growing private companies in the metro area. Most impressive, our staff can boast Mayorship at dozens of bars and coffeeshops in the Metro area as well.

Doing Good and Making the World a Bit More Beautiful. We hope. – Our collective pro-bono efforts this year were once again significant, and we hope impactful. Our staff served on a wide variety of great non-profit Boards, including Cornerstone, ACES, the University of Minnesota Foundation, Franconia Sculpture Park and Minnesota Land Trust, to name a few. And we put more than $100K in pro-bono staff time into several projects on behalf of local and national non-profits, including the American Red Cross, the Minnesota Beatle Project, Indian Health Board and Minnesota Film Arts. We even threw a little pro-bono time behind one of Minneapolis’ best bands, Rogue Valley, who we believe deserves a wider audience. We hope our efforts on their behalf helped introduce a few more people to their brilliance.

I could go on and on. But I won’t. No doubt 2011 was a memorable, even defining, year here at Fast Horse. And we look forward to another year of personal growth and professional challenge ahead. Thanks for coming along for the ride here at the Peepshow!

Happy New Year!

It’s been a while since I’ve written about sports, so the end of the most regrettable year in the collective history of our local franchises seems like an appropriate time to do so. For the purposes of this post, I’ll ignore much of the landscape of Loserville and concentrate on the state’s two most popular squads — the Twins and Vikings — who both hit rock bottom this year. While the Twins posted a miserable 99-loss season, the Vikings have managed to be even more disappointing by currently sitting with a 3-12 record, winning a game last week when their fan base desperately wanted a loss to improve the team’s draft position and losing star running back Adrian Peterson to a significant knee injury in the process.

Obviously, there’s plenty of negativity to go around, but as 2012 approaches, I’m looking for some signs of hope on the horizon. That’s just the kind of guy I am — always the optimist. So, which team will climb out of the abyss and reclaim a division championship more quickly? Here’s my unscientific breakdown.

On the surface, both teams are facing similar situations:

• Recent success (both teams won division titles in the last couple years — Vikings in 2009 and Twins in 2010);
• Disastrous 2011 records (both among the worst in franchise history);
• Injury concerns with their best players;
• A serious lack of talent at key positions

So let’s examine the situation a bit closer.

Reclamation Project Scorecard

Better Coach/Manager: Twins — This is a huge edge for the Twins. Ron Gardenhire’s leadership has repeatedly steered the club to division championships over the last decade while Vikings first year head coach Leslie Frazier seems to struggle mightily with everything from schemes to game management. Vikings ownership appears committed to giving Frazier another season at the helm, which may mean more trouble ahead.

Better Front Office: Twins — Terry Ryan is back as GM after a short retirement to help clean up the mess left by several questionable moves from his hand-picked predecessor. Ryan’s track record of success (even while playing in the low budget Metrodome) gives him the edge over the uncertainty in the Vikings front office, where there is no football boss and personnel decisions are made by a “triangle of authority” (three guys who do not always have the same interests in mind).

Better Opportunity To Attract Free Agents: Twins — Target Field is a beautiful facility and the Twins have a reputation for playing the game the right way. The opportunity to play with Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau (when healthy) is also a nice draw. Meanwhile, the Vikings are facing stadium uncertainty. In the short term, prospects include continuing to play in the Metrodome (the NFL’s worst facility), moving to Los Angeles or playing at the University of Minnesota (a less appealing option than the Metrodome) while a new stadium is built.

Better Owner: Vikings — Zygi Wilf has shown that he wants to win and he’s willing to open up his wallet to do so. His dedication to bringing in big name players gives him an edge over the Pohlads, who upped payroll upon moving in to Target Field, but are showing signs of pulling back beginning this season — as witnessed by the departures of Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Joe Nathan and other key players via free agency.

Better Star Players: Twins — I would have answered differently last week, but Adrian Peterson’s knee injury sways it in favor of the Twins. There’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding the health of Mauer and Morneau, but the chance that they can return to form gives them a slight edge over a one-legged Peterson and Jared Allen.

Better Young Players: Vikings — Neither team is in great shape in this department, but the promise shown this season by Christian Ponder, Kyle Rudolph and Toby Gerhart give the Vikings an edge over a depleted Twins minor league system which suffered a blow when top prospect Kyle Gibson underwent arm surgery this year. The Vikings also have a very high draft pick coming, which should make an immediate impact next season.

Fewer Holes To Fill: Twins — Overall, the Twins need a number one starter in the rotation, some bullpen help and a power hitter to play left field or third base. Meanwhile, the Vikings need multiple offensive linemen, two wide receivers, a nose tackle, two linebackers and three defensive backs. Good luck with that.

Easier Competition: Twins — The Vikings are in a tough spot, with division rivals Green Bay and Detroit set up to be very good for years to come. Both teams are young and talented, especially at the critical quarterback position. The Twins also are in a competitive division, but none of their competition rises to the level of the elite teams (or the biggest spenders) in Major League Baseball.

All of that adds up to the Twins returning to relevance and recapturing a division title before the Vikings do. Sadly for this sports fan, I think we’re still several years away in both cases. Your thoughts?

I know I am not the only one. So, for my fellow procrastinators, here is some inspiration:

My three go-tos are:

The Walker Shop
1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis
This is always my first stop for a gift for my husband and I usually walk out of there with a couple of books on architecture. At the same time, I’m almost always able to check off two or three more gifts on my list. Like this adorable Alphabeasties pillow for my friend’s daughter. With a modern and eclectic collection of home goods, artisan jewelry, and an awesome selection of books, you can’t go wrong.

Alphabeasties Pillow - The Walker

i like you
501 1st Ave NE, Minneapolis
This shop showcases the works of local and independent artisans. Their tagline sums up their offering perfectly, “small things for a prettier life.” From magnets to infant t’s, to handbags and jewelry (many with a local flare) you’re sure to find something.

Gallery360
3011 West 50th Street, Minneapolis
(at 50th & Xerxes)
Featuring art, jewelry, clothing and hand-made gifts, I never leave this shop without a lil’ something for myself (which in truth is probably why it is one of my favorite go-to gift venues). Case in point, see pic of leather necklace below.

Inz & DeMerit Two Tone Leather Fringe Necklace - Gallery360

I also asked my fellow ponies for their go-to local holiday gift sources and here is what they had to say:

Penco
718 Washington Ave. North, Minneapolis
Don’t buy more battery-operated plastic junk for your little nieces and nephews. Instead, stop in this great art supplies store and pick out some stuff to spark a kid’s creativity.

Heimie’s Haberdashery
400 St. Peter, St. Paul
Duck into this old-school men’s clothing shop and you’ll come out with something great for dad/brother/boyfriend. Great clothing selection … and tons of accessories (leather gloves, shaving materials, etc.)

Sunny Sky Asian Antiques & Gifts
760 Grand Ave., St. Paul
This little shop near the Wild Onion is worth a stop. Perhaps your mother would love a beautiful new tea set.

The Golden Fig
790 Grand Ave., St. Paul
The Golden Fig in St. Paul is a great little shop that features all sorts of local goods, from fresh cheeses to Joia sodas and spices to baked goods. The staff is always very enthusiastic and eager to help find the perfect something, or even just to talk! Plus they never forget a face, which really makes you feel like you’re at your own little neighborhood shop.

The Golden Fig Infused Sugars

And lastly, The Salvation Army Thrift Store
900 N. 4th St., Minneapolis
Word is, this store gets donations of prototypes, unsold goods and new-but-slightly-off items from Target and other stores. Head downstairs to the As-Is department.

OK, procrastinators. Go forth and good luck!

But having lived through several decades of winters, I’m always happy when the season delays its full force. I was thrilled at our lovely autumn and delighted to see bare ground through the end of November. Because, let’s face it — we’re never going to skate through the entire season without getting our fair share of winter weather eventually.

As I write this, it’s about 35 degrees outside and even the thin snow cover we got recently is melting away. And so I’m declaring a moral victory over winter. The way I see it, even if winter comes hard and heavy, we’ve gotten about a six-week headstart on spring.

It would be astonishing if we didn’t have a pretty healthy snowfall between now and Christmas, less than two weeks away. I can’t ever remember a brown Christmas in Minnesota. But if it should happen, I’m all in favor of it.