Category: Advertising & Marketing

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!

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/

Bad decisions by a company

Posted on by Brian Lee

One responsibility of a public relations or marketing department is to explain to senior management what the outcomes of any company decision would be. Usually, bad decisions can be stopped or altered in the pre-planning stages before it gets too late.

I can’t imagine this scenario was played out at Netflix. In July, it announced its DVD rental and streaming video services would be sold separately at $8 each. Netflix’s indifference toward its customers’ backlash led one analyst to say, “This would appear to illustrate that Netflix is simply not concerned with the prospect of losing customers.”

Customers will always have concerns over price increases, but Netflix had a double-whammy, as its streaming service also was being reduced (despite promises of increases). One or the other could have been tolerated over time, but not both.

In this AP article, it mentions Starz Entertainment ending negotiations (meaning fewer streaming options), and Netflix losing 600,000 customers from June to September.

Well Netflix, you’re getting what you deserve. Bad decisions for your customers always lead to bad outcomes for your company.