Author: Brian Lee

Don’t mess with Wisconsinites and their cheese

Posted on by Brian Lee

I have to start this post with a disclaimer: I am seriously biased on the topic of cheese. I was born and raised in Green Bay, Wis., where cheese is a way of life!  Needless to say, I am pretty fond of cheese and don’t plan on giving it up any time soon.

The reason I bring this up is in response to a billboard the non-profit organization called Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine recently sponsored near Lambeau Field.  With an ominous Grim Reaper on the side of the billboard warning “Cheese Can Sack Your Health,” PCRM took a strong anti-cheese stance in a notoriously pro-cheese state. It’s definitely a bold move.  In my opinion, it’s not a smart move but a bold one nonetheless.

Now, I am in no way disputing cheese can have negative effects on your health. But I can’t understand what goal PCRM intended for this billboard. Wisconsinites were not the right audience for such a misguided message. In Wisconsin, dairy is not only a prominent industry, but also a source of state pride.  People proudly don cheese-shaped hats and willingly call themselves Cheeseheads! Did PCRM really think people were going to look favorably on this billboard?

Maybe, PCRM thought the divisive billboard would increase its visibility and make people talk, which it did.  But do I think the billboard stopped anyone from putting cheddar on their burgers or ordering some deep-fried cheese curds, the answer is a resounding NO.  Don’t mess with Wisconsin and cheese, just don’t!

Generation Y ≠ social media expert?

Posted on by Brian Lee

They practically fit together-youth and social media. As a part of Generation Y, I am suppose to be the expert when it comes to Facebook, Twitter, foursquare, etc., and the older generations are lightyears behind me, right?

Not so fast. After a recent Google video chat with a fellow Generation Y friend, she shamefully admitted that Twitter intimidates her! (And her work relies on social media, gasp!) Although she has made a Twitter account, the thought of just now starting something that she is assumed to be an expert in, is frightening, and she is dumbfounded on how to begin.

The secret is out- many of us Generation Ys are not as “social media savvy” as people assume! Continuing my “research,” I discovered many Gen Y people I know haven’t ventured beyond Facebook. They may have a Twitter account, but just don’t know how to begin using it.

Of course there is a great deal of social media savvy 20-year-olds, but the idea that all of us are experts, and that we’re on every social media site from foursquare to Stumbleupon, is simply not accurate. Plus, there is a major difference between knowing how to use a particular social media account for personal reasons compared to business (e.g. promotional) reasons.

For those of you who are not as social media savvy as you’d like, Google “how to use Twitter,” and you’ll find a million hits. Or, try this particular article that is very helpful in giving you that push you need to become the expert you are expected to be!

http://www.business2community.com/twitter/how-i-am-using-twitter-%E2%80%93-by-a-relatively-experienced-twitterer-058703

I can be the talent, too

Posted on by Brian Lee

A couple of months ago, the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau asked me to be a part of its fall marketing campaign, to which I quickly answered YES!

We did photo shoots at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, Capitol Chophouse (at 10 a.m. for a romantic dinner) and the downtown location of the Great Dane (at 11 a.m. for a post-football game celebration) in mid-August.

I’ve been on the other side of the shoots before, telling the talent how to pose and the photographer/videographer what I want shot/filmed. It was interesting being on the other side–I hope my perspective made me easier to work with!

It also was nice working with Kate Dale, the marketing manager that I knew through a mutual friend, and John Maniaci, the photographer with whom I used to work at the Wisconsin State Journal.

So, do you want to see the results? Click through all the links on the following landing page to see the photos: http://www.visitmadison.com/food/