Bazooka!

By Kellie Lala

 

As a kid, I loved getting Bazooka bubblegum and reading the comics.  The sugary gum didn’t last long and sometimes you needed 2 pieces but still a fun treat.  Last year, the 66 year old Bazooka Joe replaced  it’s miniature comic strips with quizzes and brainteasers that direct kids to digital content.  How things change….  Have you updated something in your business to become more relevant to a new demographic of consumers?  Sometimes we all need to reinvent ourselves to stay hip, admired or top of mind.  Think of brands that do a really good job of that.   In my opinion, Apple leads the way.  New models, new applications and new technology makes them the king of the hill.  Amazon, American auto makers and Pepsi (every year there is a couple of new products/versions of their tried and true Pepsi or Mt. Dew brands) also strive to remain relevant.  If you are interested in finding out how you can become top of mind, give me a call.  I would love to share my knowledge with you.  Bazooka!      

 

 

 

 

 

"Don't Be Afraid To Go Outside the Box!"

 

By Chris Hanson

Don’t you love it when an idea comes together? To me it’s almost like watching a baby being born. Ok, maybe not THAT cool but don’t you love that moment of excitement when after weeks, or even months, of planning something that started out as an idea develops into a plan that is then implemented. To me, that is very exciting!

One of the things we challenge ourselves with at KZIA & KGYM is to dare to be different on behalf of our clients by offering them outside the box ideas. During a recent meeting with one of my clients they expressed an interest in doing something to promote their hot tubs around Valentine’s Day. So, I got to thinking….

What I came up with was combining a hot tub promotion with an event that our station Z102.9 already had on the schedule, the JIF and the Choosy Lovers Ball. I mean, who wouldn’t love to have a hot tub, complete with models in swimsuits, right in the middle of a packed bar during a concert? I proposed the idea to the client and they loved it. And so, the idea was adopted and successfully implemented a couple of weekends ago to the delight of the crowd and, not to mention, the client.

Sometimes advertising can seem nebulous, but if you stick to the tried and true method of delivering a consistent message with frequency over an adequate period of time, you will achieve top of mind awareness.  And, if you really want to kick it up a notch, don't be afraid to go out of the box every once in a while.  The results might just blow you away!

Wait...What Was I Saying?

By Jill Dennis

 

We all have a lot on our plate.  Staying focused can be tough.  Emails, phone calls, customers and co-workers....all demanding your attention....and with today's digital environment that makes it especially hard to focus.  Understanding your brain's limitations and working around that can improve your focus and increase productivity.  According to David Rock, co-founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute and author of Your Brain at Work (Harper Collins, 2009), while multitasking is an important skill, it also has a downside.  It reduces intelligence and causes mistakes. 

 

Ultimately the goal is not constant focus but a short period of distraction free time every day.  Rock says 20 minutes a day is all that is needed.  Here are three tips to help you become more focused and productive.

 

1.  Do creative work first.  Typically we do mindless work first and build up to the tough tasks.  That drains your energy level and lowers your focus.  Every decision we make tires the brain.  In order to focus effectively, reverse the order.  Start with tasks that require creativity or concentration first thing in the morning and then move on to the easier work like reading through emails or scheduling meetings later in the day.

 

2.  Allocate your time deliberately.  We are truly focused for an average of only 6 hours per week.  Be diligent about what you put into those hours.  Most people focus best in the morning or late at night and do their best thinking away from the workplace.  Notice where and when you focus best and then allocate your toughest tasks for those moments.

 

3.  Train your mind like a muscle.  When multitasking is the norm, your brain quickly adapts.  You lose the ability to focus as distraction becomes a habit.  We've trained our brains to be unfocused.  Practice concentration by turning off all distractions and committing your attention to a single task.  Start small, maybe 5 minutes a day, then work up to larger chunks of time.  If you find your mind wandering, just return to the task at hand.  It's just like getting fit, you have to build the muscle to be focused.

 

 

"Go Red"

By Kellie J. Lala

 

And I don’t mean Nebraska!  The Go Red movement is a public-health message from the American Heart Association and it is celebrating 10 years!

I love the Go Red luncheons that are held every November in both Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.  Inspiring stories, silent auctions and engaging speakers make for an all-around wonderful event.  Over the past 10 years, 25 million women have united around the cause and raised more than $300 million dollars.  Macy’s and Merck are both national sponsors. Also, National Go Red Day is the first Friday in February every year.  Like anything, education is great but what really matters is when you take action on what you learn.  Do I know that I should exercise more, eat less and get healthier – yes!  But yet, do I always do so?  No!  However, I am thankful that I listen, absorb and try to do better each and every year, for me!  What are you passionate about?  What causes do you support?  Find something and GO for it!  You will be glad you did.   

 

 

 

Facebook Vacations?

By Julie Hein

Well, we all love and love to hate social media.  In this article by CNN, apparently about a quarter of FB users need a break, compared with only 3% who plan to spend more time there.  But 67% plan to spend about the same amount of time.  I think all of us who use FB have experienced moments of great connection as well as hours of annoyance when checking our feeds.  Friends that don't like people like me--but I didn't know that before they posted--apparently 20 years of friendship IRL (in real life) doesn't reveal everything! That may be the price for rekindling connections that are now treasured.  (But, do we really need to know every time you go to Starbucks?) 

How do you engage, talking and listening, to make your followers experience one that they look forward to?  How much time do you spend?  Is it something you delegate or handle yourself?  Facebook can be a useful tool to connect with your evangelists and give them additional information and an even stronger relationship with you.

Tiger Wins to Start 2013 - Patience and Process Is the Key

By: Joe Drahozal

                                                                                                                                  

  

Like him or not, he’s the best ever. No question.

 

Tiger Woods started his 2013 PGA Tour season in style with a four-stroke victory in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, January 27. He earned just over a millions bucks.  It was the 75th triumph of his PGA career, second only to Sam Snead (82). He also became the first player in PGA Tour history to win on the same course eight times.  Tiger will eventually pass Sam Snead for most tour victories, and Jack Nicholas’ major wins record (20). Tiger is the best ever – no question.

 

Tiger’s success is due to patience and process.  Tiger struggles on and off the course--that's well documented.  Admittedly when he struggles on the course, he loses his patience and doesn’t follow his process.  A lesson that translates easily in our advertising world.  This might be a stretch – but please stay with me….

Tiger’s golf swing is as rock solid as our two stations (Z102.9 & 1600 KGYM) – when he’s patient and devotes time and resources to his work, his results are unprecedented.  Same can be said here.  Devote time, patience, resources to your advertising campaign, following the process with a partner like KZIA/KGYM--and you'll get results that are proven and unprecedented.  To the level of success as Tiger?  Sure....we'd like to share in that kind of success!