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Monday
August 2, 2010 Going With the FlowWhat’s that saying about the best laid plans? Well, in my case this summer, they went to hell in a handbasket. As with every summer, I was planning to spend weekends in my beloved Avalon, NJ (“the sunny place for shady people,” as W. Somerset Maugham once said about the French Riviera), attend the SAAC Show (one of my favorites) and then spend a week in Europe at the end of August with my pal Hillary Braubitz, ASI’s award-winning senior designer who lays out our magazines, at the brand-new Pro10 Show (a collaboration of PSI and its competitor, Pro8) in Amsterdam, followed by a weekend in Paris. Sounds fabulous, right? Enter my mother, Judge Judye (she doesn’t sit on the bench, but is judgmental!) who decided to have an elective surgery at Tampa General (she and my stepfather live in Sanibel, FL) on June 30. The surgery was considered a success, but complications set in and she had to have a second surgery on July 1. Upon speaking to the doctors and my stepfather (who has the early signs of dementia), I immediately flew in from Philly on July 2, and have been here ever since. It’s amazing how quickly you can adjust to a new reality. For the last month, my stepdad and I spend eight to nine hours a day in my mom’s room at Tampa General and our evenings at the hotel. Remember the famous children’s story of “Eloise living at the Plaza in New York”? My version is, “Michele at the Embassy Suites in Tampa.” That the hotel staff has been phenomenally hospitable, gracious and accommodating has made this whole experience that much easier. If there was ever a case for exceptional customer service winning someone over for life, it’s me and my new devotion to the Embassy Suites. What’s been interesting to see, because the hotel is situated right next to the Tampa Convention Center, is the different trade-show groups and conference attendees who have come and gone. The good news? They all love ad specialties. What types of ad specialties they love varies according to the personalities of the groups. For example, the Convention of Physical Therapists went nuts for stress balls of all shapes and sizes; the meeting of Anime and Comic Book fans (which sold out my hotel), whose demographic is over-stimulated Gen Y-ers, got their freak on for bright, shiny, blinky items; the Florida Bar Association had its law students taking the bar exam at the Convention Center last week, so they craved pens, notepads, USB drives and coffee for late-night, last-minute cram sessions. The Stephenson family reunion (with over 200 people in attendance!) snapped up custom T-shirts, caps and slankets, all bearing a familial logo designed by a family member, and digital photo frames. And, the guests who attended the huge wedding held at the Convention Center (and corresponding cocktail parties by the pool and brunches at the hotel) were treated to gift bags filled with logoed, personalized candy, bottled water, beach towels, lip balm and sunscreen. And in answer to the question, “Do recipients take their giveaways with them or leave them in their hotel rooms?” I’ll share with you what one of the physical therapy attendees told me in the elevator one day: “I’d leave my husband behind before leaving the bag of goodies I’ve collected at this show!” The doctors tell me that my mom, who has been making excellent progress in the last 10 days, may be able to go home on August 9 (my birthday, ironically). Until then, I’ll be here – splitting my time between Tampa General (like the Embassy Suites, another extraordinary staff) and the hotel. How do I get by? As Ringo famously said, with a little help from my friends:
More soon from sunny Florida where – on the upside – it’s actually cooler than it’s been in Philly! Cheers, Michele
Thursday
June 24, 2010 Six Reasons Why I Love the Industry (& Three Reasons I Don’t)Filed under: ASI Shows, Asia, Editorial, Fun, PSI Shows, Personal Hi Everyone! Hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the summer so far! I’ve been reading about how McDonald’s yanked the Shrek glasses (thanks to the sharp, stinging crack of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s whip) because of the minute amounts of cadmium, and found myself getting increasingly aggravated and ranty (never a good combination). Granted, I’ve always had what can be charitably described as “authority issues,” but doesn’t the CPSC have anything better to do with its time than bring the hammer of the Gods down on McDonald’s? The amount of cadmium in the glasses was negligible — certainly less than in the glasses we all drank from as children. How, for the love of God, did we all survive (she asks sarcastically)? Really, have the CPSC, FDA, etc. ever taken a good, hard look at Circus Peanuts and maraschino cherries? Forget about cadmium: If anything’s going to be the demise of our species, I turn a suspicious, gimlet eye in their direction. No faux food like Circus Peanuts — with the consistency of a Serta memory foam mattress — or maraschino cherries, steeped in jars of radioactive-red sticky goo, can be good for you.
So, I’d like to give a shout-out to the industry and show it some love, as I’m tired of it getting bitch-slapped by the CPSC, the FDA, PhRMA and all the other alphabet bullies. Forthwith, the top six things I love about this industry. 1. Suppliers. I’m probably a little biased because I’m the editor of ASI’s magazine, Supplier Global Resource (www.supplierglobalresource.com), which is just for them. But knowing as many suppliers as I do, I’m acutely aware of the burdens and responsibilities that rest on their shoulders. From having to be safety experts, marketing geniuses, DaVinci-esque product inventors and financial lenders to their clients, the success of this industry — in my opinion — begins with suppliers. If I could get them all together in one room and buy them drinks, I’d happily do it. In lieu of that, I’m inviting them to a free luncheon and panel discussion I’m moderating at the ASI Chicago Show on Tuesday, 7/13 (set-up day), from noon-1:30 p.m. On my panel will be four suppliers — MediaTree’s Rob Watson, iClick’s Niko Pamboukas, Custom HBC’s Larry Wilhelm and Build NY Inc.’s David Frank — all of whom had at least double-digit growth in the past two years. Suppliers, come join us, take a break from setting up and listen to your colleagues share their secrets for success. Additionally, there’s a complimentary happy hour just for suppliers at the ASI Chicago Show on Wednesday, July 14, from 5 p.m.-6 p.m. after the show closes in the Exhibitors’ Lounge. I’ll be there, so come have a cocktail with me! ; ) 2. Distributors. Much as the suppliers are my beloved ones, many of my closest friends in the industry are distributors, and I stand in awe of their jaw-dropping creativity. Want to know the way to this girl’s heart? Send me a sample of a well-done, clever, funny, effective self-promo piece and I’m in. For those of you who may be attending ASI’s Chicago Show, I’m moderating a panel discussion on Tuesday, 7/13, from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. on the most effective ways to do self-promotion campaigns. And while the sum total of what I don’t know could stop a herd of buffalo in its tracks, what I do know is that people who do self-promotion campaigns make more sales. Period. 3. Trade shows. Yes, yes — I know the sheer number of them are the bane of some people’s existence. However — even after 13 years in the industry — I still get excited exiting the plane at certain show destinations and giggly with anticipation over seeing all my industry BFFs and meeting new ones. There are many shows I love (and one I don’t… see below), but if you’ve ever been to the SAAC Show in Long Beach and engaged in “Pool Day” (set-up day) at the Hyatt with Awesome Havier the Waiter serving Greyhounds (Grey Goose and grapefruit juice) to the industry’s best characters, social butterflies, rock stars and raconteurs, you know what it is to love being with your peeps at a show.
4. The products. Oh, let me count the times I’ve been WOWED by a product so clever/creative/funny, it slays me. If you love Sexy water, pens that smell like cupcakes (thanks Harris & Karen at All in One!), light-up bunny ears and leopard-print slankets, this is the industry for you. Joe Haley, star of ASI’s The Joe Show, and I still love discovering the next Coolest Product Ever. Admittedly, we’re dorks, but we get why this industry’s product offerings rock. 5. The PSI Show. What? You’ve never been? Please come with me the next time I attend and you will see the genesis of genius design — where trends are exfoliated by other markets, booths that will leave you slack-jawed and exhibitor hospitality that will explain why attendees show up as soon as the event opens each day and stay until the very last second it closes. Offering snacks, beverages (both alcoholic and the other, less fun kind) and comfy seating, each booth is like a mini bistro. No wonder attendees often stay with an exhibitor for upwards of 45 minutes and place orders on the spot. The PSI Dusseldorf Show, held each January (next year’s show is from January 12-14), is the largest ad specialty show in the world and definitely worth a visit. In addition, this year, PSI is partnering for the first time with a competitor show organization, Pro8, to form the Pro10 Show, which will be held in Amsterdam from August 25-27. Yeah. Amsterdam. I’m assuming I don’t need to tell you that I’ll be there. (For more information on the PSI Shows, go to www.psionline.de).
6. Michael Bernstein. His family started Leed’s, and for a while, he ran Counselor Top 40 supplier Polyconcept North America. And though he’s not in the industry on the level he once was (much of his time is devoted to a new business venture in the music industry — his first love), he remains on the board of Polyconcept as its vice chairman. I once flew across four states just to have pizza with him at a delightful dive in Pittsburgh called Mineo’s. To bask in his wit, wisdom and misanthropic snark (or have him talk me off the ledge), I’d fly a lot farther. And now, three things I could do without: 1. The cart draggers. Truly, I get why some people need carts — it can be exhausting hauling catalogs and samples around a trade show, especially if you have an injury or ailment. However, when scores of people show up (I’m looking at you, guy with the Dumbledore beard in Dallas last year dragging a wheeled trash can full of supplier offerings…) pulling various luggage contraptions in the aisles and suddenly stop, it can make one (read: Me) nearly pop a cranial vein. Mark my words: I am going to fall over one of those things sometime soon, and it will not be graceful (or quiet). 2. The bitching. Hands up: Who thinks that if people spent as much time selling, creating and marketing as they do bitching, gossiping and lamenting about inane industry nonsense that we’d be well on our way to making up the sales ground lost last year? Just sayin’… 3. The Canton Fair. Distributors have probably never experienced this massive (120,000+ attendees; 10,000 exhibitors), unorganized, sweltering sourcing show, located in beautiful downtown Guangzhou (insert eye roll here) China, but I’m willing to bet many suppliers have. Let me just say this: For those of you who don’t believe in the existence of Hell, I challenge you to walk that show and then come talk to me. Whew! I feel better now, and I hope you do too. Please remember, regardless of what the alphabet bullies would have you think: None of you are poisoning kids, sabotaging a doctor’s ability to offer patient care or single-handedly trashing the planet, so don’t let anyone make you feel like you are. Unless you manufacture maraschino cherries or Circus Peanuts — then you’re on your own. ; ) Cheers to all of you, and hope to see you at the ASI Chicago Show from July 13-15! More soon, M
Tuesday
February 16, 2010 Screwed By Lloyd Dobler…Hi Everyone! I hope you’re all having a cheery and festive February and aren’t buried in the remains of The Blizzard of 2010 like us icicles on the East Coast. Itchy to get out of the house, I met my friend Meg — who, as we met on the first day of first grade, is my oldest friend — for lunch the other day. She brought her 12-year-old daughter and let me tell you: This girly girl was decked out from head to toe in everything Robert Pattinson — the mopey guy from the Twilight movies who looks like he needs a bath and a B-12 shot. She had a T-shirt, a button, a book bag and a hat, all adorned with his pasty face. Why? Valentine’s Day was approaching and she was expressing her adoration of sullen Edward Cullen. Of course, I let loose with a tirade. “Where was all that stuff when we were young?” I asked her mother. Where was the gear logoed with the fine visage of Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles, and Lloyd Dobler, the weirdo, kickboxing iconoclast from Say Anything, or The Breakfast Club’s resident bad-ass, Bender — the first in a long and sketchy line of bad boys to pique my interest. I felt gypped, and wasn’t shy about ranting.
Meg, always the voice of calm and reason to my torrents of reactionary mouthiness, pointed out that we did, in fact, have tons of logoed items from Duran Duran, The Cure, The Thompson Twins and Bananarama in our youth, but it’s different — the music industry has always been ahead of the curve in promoting its pop stars (think The Beatles). All I’m saying is, movie star groupies and teenyboppers today have it easy: There are vast amounts of imprinted merchandise with which to express their affection for silver-screen boy toys. But for Lloyd Dobler and his ilk back in my heyday, not so much. To paraphrase a line from Say Anything: I gave him my heart, and I didn’t even get a pen. Who was your teen crush? Do tell … Cheers, and more next week! – M
Wednesday
October 7, 2009 In Praise of Spongy Girl Parts & Walks of Shame …Filed under: Editorial, Personal Hi Everyone! I’m heading off to Shelbyville, TN, tomorrow to celebrate the wedding of Andy Townes, the oldest son of Dan Townes, legendary industry luminary and owner/president of Shepenco/Shelbyville Pencil (asi/86850). I’ve been to Shelbyville to stay with the Towneses before and they party on a whole different level down there in the South. Can. Not. Wait. Before I leave for the long weekend, I wanted to send shout-outs to everyone doing creative promotions and giving their time and resources for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Cancer is such a horrible, insidious disease, and more than any other group, breast cancer awareness advocates are really experts at mobilizing the masses to raise funds and spread the word about early screenings and self-education. As the proud owner of spongy girl parts, I’m always happy to support friends and colleagues who do breast cancer walks for the Susan G. Komen foundation and other entities, and have received my fair share of pink-hued ad specialties — caps, T-shirts, mugs, water bottles — for my donations. However, as I always lean sharply to the irreverent side, I recently came across three items that just slayed me due to their sheer sassiness. Laughter, as they say, is potent medicine.
The first is this double-sided Scoop ColorBrights Rollerball/Highligher Combo Pen from my pals Michael and Matt Linderman at Express Pens (asi/53411) in Austin, TX. Michael and Matt did this particular pen for a group located in Austin called Planet Cancer, which offers support to young adults, ages 18-40, with cancer. Being in Austin – a city that’s so delightfully eccentric and idiosyncratic that the slogan for its business association is “Keep Austin Weird” — this group has taken a decidedly “F-You” attitude toward cancer. Their message, imprinted on Michael and Matt’s pen, is deliciously defiant and a hit product among visitors to Planet Cancer’s site. (As a rabid Stones fan and Keith fanatic from way back, I covet these pens!) Another favorite item on the Planet Cancer site (www.planetcancer.org)? This T-shirt for women, emblazoned with the phrase “Crazy, Sexy Cancer Goddess.” LOVE IT.
The next item, which ASI’s editorial creative director Jim Lang clued me in to, may be The Best Thing Ever Invented. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the Walk of Shame Kit. Now, I don’t know about you, but where I spend my summers in Avalon, NJ, walks of shame are practically an Olympic sport. (For those of you who aren’t degenerates, a “walk of shame” is what you do the morning after hooking up with someone, when you have to sheepishly shuffle back to your own home in the cold, harsh light of day — usually with throngs of smirking onlookers present — with your eyelashes stuck together, your tongue fuzzy, your shoes in your hand and other articles of clothing crammed into your purse …). Again, being the eternal optimist, I’ve always tried to put a positive spin on it, declaring my morning-after hikes home the “Strides of Pride” and adding a bouncy little jaunt to my step — until the inevitable tumble off the curb, into the gutter.
Complete with everything a dehydrated diva could need, the Walk of Shame Kit comes with sunglasses (to simultaneously keep the pesky glare of sunlight from exacerbating your crushing hangover and camouflage smudgy makeup), a beach cover-up-like dress, flip-flops, a drawstring duffel to carry your clothes from the previous night, a pre-pasted toothbrush, and my personal favorite, a note card that can be left behind that says, “Call me” on one side and ”Thanks for nothing” on the other. Lastly, there’s a pink breast cancer awareness bracelet to remind you that you should always balance out an act of blatant SHEdonism with one of altruism. For each kit sold, a portion of the proceeds are donated on the buyer’s behalf to a breast cancer awareness foundation. Kits can also be customized (ideal for sororities!), either by imprinting the dress, duffel and flip-flops or the tin the kit comes in. For more information on this item intended to help regain a little dignity the morning after and do a little good in the meantime, go to www.walkofshamekit.com. Cheers, and more next week! – M PS: Since I turned 40 two years ago, I make sure to get a mammogram every October. If you haven’t already, sign up for one soon … It’s what all the cheeky chicas who love their spongy parts are doing! ; )
Monday
September 28, 2009 With Glasses Half Full …Filed under: Editorial, Fun, Personal Happy Autumn! As summer is my favorite season, I’m less than thrilled to see it go but welcome the positive aspects of fall, like the latest crop of shoes and boots and the premier of some great new TV shows (more on that later)! Here at Counselor, we’re beginning to think about our awards season and have decided to add a new category to our Spirit Awards to honor industry pros who are using new media platforms for their self-promo campaigns. As an example, check out the latest in a series of Sweda’s hysterical YouTube videos for its 24-hour service. [Click here to watch.] I’m sure there are many companies in the industry crafting cool, creative self-promos using innovative forms of multi-media, so keep an eye out for our call for nominations in February. Here at ASI, one of my favorites is this video on the subject of athletic apparel for Wearables magazine, starring staff writer and our reigning editorial department kook, Matt George. Matt, who’s in his early 20s, reminds me of a big, goofy chocolate lab who pants and gets all excited at the idea of chasing a stray ball or having his belly rubbed. The last 30 seconds of this video make me cackle each time I watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2g1bBzKdDE&feature=player_embedded Speaking of fun, I — and my colleagues here at ASI — always try to stay positive and look on the bright side, despite turbulent financial and market conditions for the economy and our industry. We’re definitely glass-half-full kind of people. As an example, ASI president/CEO Tim Andrews graciously hosted a soiree at his home in Princeton, NJ, last week for the company’s senior leaders. It was a fun and festive occasion, and a great opportunity to relax with work friends you’re too busy to spend time with on a daily basis. I’ve been invited to Tim’s house before, but wasn’t able to make it due to traveling. As Tim greeted me at the door, I told him it was “my first time” and we both burst out laughing, knowing I don’t get to utter a phrase like that too often. Tim’s reason for hosting the party was quite simple: “In an uncertain time, and certainly these have been uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to thank the people who matter — and for me there’s hardly a better way I know than to invite them to come over for a little food, some drink and to be able to spend some time with their colleagues in a social environment,” he says. Here are some photos from the party, featuring some of your favorite ASI characters, I’m sure. Post a comment and let me know who your favorite ASI staffer is and why!
Cheers, and more next week! – M PS: By now those of you who read my blog and my tweets (@ASI_MBell) know that I’m a TV junkie. As I promised myself I would only add two new shows to my already-crowded roster (really, more than that and I would qualify as a crazy cat-lady recluse, just to keep up with all the TV I watch!), here are my picks: For a sitcom, the show Modern Family is hil-arious. It premiered last Tuesday and “The Lion King” moment at the end had me roaring… Click here to watch the 30-minute episode (it’s worth it). For a drama, I went with FlashForward, which premiered last Thursday. I vacillated about whether or not to commit to this one, because it’s premise is a little unnerving, creepy and disjointed and I already get my weekly mind-f**k from Lost. However, having watched the premier, I’m in. In the show, everyone in the world passes out at exactly the same time for two minutes and 17 seconds, which — as you can imagine — wreaks widespread havoc. The last scene from Thursday’s episode alone had me hooked.
Monday
August 10, 2009 The Sounds of SummerHi, Everyone! Hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the summer! First, the wacky, “Are you kidding me, you crazy chica???” news: That sound you hear is hell freezing over, because I am officially on Twitter (ASI_MBell). Yep, my capacity for hypocrisy apparently knows no bounds, after my many “I loathe online social networking” rants. (I still want no part of Facebook, though, and giggled with delight over the best line in a recent episode of Entourage: Vinny to E: “Why aren’t you on Facebook?” E to Vinny: “Because I’m an adult.”) And don’t think the irony escaped me that literally, within hours of me joining Twitterville, the whole system came crashing down. It’s like online social networking heard I’ve bad-mouthed it and retorted with an extended middle finger. Second, I just returned from vacation in my beloved Avalon, NJ and spent lots of blissful beach time reading magazines, simmering in the sun (my skin tone now resembles beef carpaccio) and listening to my iPod. Which got me thinking: Is there anything better than the quintessential “summer song” to put you in a fabulous mood, no matter what season you hear it? Right now, “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas (listen to it here) really wants to be the theme song for the Summer of 2009. And don’t get me wrong — it’s catchy, jaunty, and Lord knows I’m on board with any song whose refrain is “Fill up my cup — Mazel Tov!” But when considering the songs that put me in my happy place — those that would comprise my personal soundtrack of summers past — I submit the following, in no particular order: 1. “Sweet Child ‘O Mine,” Guns ‘N Roses. The album Appetite for Destruction came out in 1987, but this song — which saturated airwaves in the summer of 1988 — put the band on the map. What starts with Slash having his way with his Les Paul guitar evolves into a declaration of affection from singer Axl Rose to his girlfriend at the time, Erin Everly (daughter of Don Everly, of the Grammy-winning Everly Brothers). What makes it a lyrical miracle is that a bunch of misogynistic tools managed to craft one of the most stunningly sweet love songs ever. Listen to it here. 2. “All Summer Long,” Kid Rock. Yes, yes — I know he’s douchy and looks like he needs a flea dip. But this song, unquestionably the anthem of the Summer of 2008, still makes me smile when I hear it because Kid Rock (of all people) managed to capture that feeling — the one you had when you were young and summer nights, and the debauchery that went with them, lasted forever. Listen to it here. 3. “Highway to Hell,” AC/DC. They had me, in the summer of 1980, when Back in Black came out and I heard “You Shook Me All Night Long” for the first time. They kept me when I saw the band for the first time and realized that the guitar player producing those incendiary sounds wore knickers, for the love of God. But it’s “Highway to Hell” that has me flooring it at 90 miles per hour in my car through sheer force of osmosis. I came to grips a long time ago with the fact that I — and all my heathen friends — are on the highway to hell; I’ve only recently realized that I’m driving the pace car. Listen to it here. 4. “Little Red Corvette,” Prince. Forget for a moment that when he wrote this song (which is most certainly not about cars, horses or jockeys) in 1982, Prince was not in a little, red Corvette, but in the back of a bright pink Ford Edsel that belonged to Lisa Coleman, his guitarist in The Revolution. So slyly sexy, so tongue-in-cheek sassy, this song alone can steam up any car’s windows. No one does dirty double-entendres like the little man in high-heel purple velvet boots; no one brings the funk like him either. Listen to it here. 5. “Express Yourself,” Madonna. If you can get past her annoying British affectations and that she’s had so much work done on her face it looks like Silly Putty stretched across one’s knee, the Material Girl and her music have morphed so many times, she really is the Mother of Reinvention. Released in the summer of 1989 on the then-scandalous Like a Prayer album, throngs of females everywhere — young and old — got their girl power on strutting around to this empowerment anthem. Listen to it here. 6. “Southern Cross,” Crosby, Stills & Nash. In the summer of 2001, five girlfriends and I rented a house in Avalon, NJ. None of us were in relationships at the time, and met quite the buffet of boy toys. The problem? We all suffered from late-night cases of extreme DUI (Dialing Under the Influence). If you’ve ever drunk-dialed a significant (or not-so-significant) other and woken up to less-than-savory consequences, you know it’s not a pleasant thing. At one point, we all decided to hide our phones after coming home at 3:00 a.m. from the bars. The issue? The next morning, we couldn’t remember where we hid them and had to call from an outside line to listen for the rings coming from the refrigerator crisper, the dishwasher and the toaster oven. There’s a verse in this song, “From a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you,” that will always remind me of that summer. Listen to it here. 7. “Roadhouse Blues,” The Doors. My friend Mark Hobbs (aka, “McDreamy”), owner of Pacific Coast Golf, is the only other person I know who loves The Doors as much as I do. With this song in particular, it’s the lure of the lead-in from Robby Krieger’s guitar, then John Densmore’s pulsing drums, followed by Ray Manzarek’s hypnotic keyboards that bring us to the baddest of all bad boys, Mr. Jim Morrison — Dionysus himself — and his seductive vocals. The Sexiest Rock Star Ever, I’d follow that reptilian devil in slinky leather pants right to the gates of hell. I don’t wake up in the morning, and I don’t drink beer, but you bet your ass that for the Lizard King, I’d give up my vows. Listen to it here. 8. “You Get What You Give,” New Radicals. When things look their bleakest thanks to an awful economy, sluggish sales or general doom and gloom, I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not get an immediate infusion of optimism. Listen to it here. 9. “Reelin’ in the Years,” Steely Dan. First, let me say that I have always worshipped at the altar of Steely Dan, the most sardonic, whip-smart and subversive of all rock genius weirdos. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker may not be much to look at, but their lyrics are simply sublime. (And not just because they pay homage to “the Quervo Gold and fine Colombian.”) Second, you have to give props to a duo who’s been together for 30+ years and has the wink-and-nod humor to name their band after a sexual device in legendary writer William Burrough’s infamous masterpiece Naked Lunch. “Reelin’ in the Years,” released in the summer of 1972 from the Can’t Buy a Thrill album, is a revelation. With the most acute clarity, I remember coming out of the ocean one Saturday afternoon in July of 1999 and walking to my beach chair on 21st Street in Avalon, NJ. The lifeguard was listening to this song loudly on his radio and, with the sky the most azure blue you’d ever imagine, seemingly every adult on the beach was singing along. And then I recall thinking, “This is one of those perfect moments that I’ll remember forever.” Listen to it here. 10. “Bad Things,” Jace Everett. This may be the most aptly-named song in history. The theme of HBO’s fabulously sinister and lascivious True Blood, never has a song woven so well with the surreal (and more than a little creepy) imagery of a TV show’s opening credits. The libidinous beat, with its Southern discomfort undertones, conjures up steamy summer evenings where, make no mistake, things will go very bad, very fast … in a very, very good way. Listen to it here. 11. “No One,” Alicia Keys. This soaring testimony to the power of unconditional love makes even a snarky cynic like me a true believer. Listen to it here. 12. “Liquor Store,” Dash Rip Rock. When Dan Townes, industry legend, one of Counselor’s Power 50 and owner of Shepenco/Shelbyville Pencil, turned me on to this band, it was this hilarious song in particular he knew I’d love. With the refrain, “I wanna be locked inside a liquor store with you,” it makes me tear up, it’s so romantic. Should the apocalyptic day ever come when I get married, this will be my wedding song (pause for the sound of my mother’s head exploding…). As an added bonus, you just have to love a band that names itself after a character on The Beverly Hillbillies. Listen to it here. 13. “Runnin’ with the Devil,” Van Halen. Ranking right up there with the debate over national health care is this one: Who was the better VH frontman, David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar? Whichever camp you’re in, you can’t deny that the car horn fade-in and Michael Anthony’s thundering bass line in “Runnin’ ” makes it one of the best openings for a song ever. It also reminds me of one of my ASI BFFs, Christian Brandt, executive director of distributor services. He loves Van Halen, and — let’s face it — if you know him like I do, you have to admit that if anyone’s running with the devil, it’s this Christian. ; ) Listen to it here. 14. “Magic Man,” Heart. Of the sister duo Heart, Nancy Wilson (the blonde one) is a girl after my own heart. She wrote this song as a way to explain to her mother why she just had to leave home for a summer and travel across the country with a hypnotic, enigmatic bad boy — much to her mother’s chagrin. Having once traveled cross-country for the summer in a bus with a band (I was dating the bad-boy drummer), much to MY mother’s chagrin, I am quite familiar with the lure of Magic Man land. I used to be a frequent visitor, and have the baggage to prove it. Listen to it here. 15. ”Brandy,” The Looking Glass. What a fine girl you are indeed. Always classier than boozy, haggard Lola with her faded feathers over at the Copacabana, and that boy tease Jessie’s Girl, we rooted for you to finally hook up with with your locket-giving sailor from the sea. He may have had a Brandy in every port, but you can serve us whiskey and wine any time. Listen to it here. 16. “Mexico,” James Taylor. There really are no words to express my love and adoration for James Taylor other than these: There was a glorious five-year stretch when JT would tour each summer and land in Philly on my birthday (August 9th). It was like my own, personal gift from God. One year, as he — alone on stage with only his guitar and amazing talent — sang “Fire & Rain,” some drunk girl in the row behind me kept heckling him, loudly and with profanity, to sing “How Sweet It Is.” Because we were seated within the first five rows, I had no doubt that The Beloved One heard her. Something in me just snapped, and I — to the delight and relief of everyone sitting around us — turned around and punched Drunk Girl in the face, dropping her like a bag of dirt. The moral of the story? No one disrespects Sweet Baby James on my watch. Samba-tinged, “Mexico” is such the seminal summer song that Mr. Margaritaville himself, Jimmy Buffet, covers it (and even manages not to cheese it up). Listen to it here. So for those of you who’d like to create a memorable soundtrack of summer (or any season, really!) for yourself or your clients, I suggest contacting my pals Mark Bruk at CFS Promotions for Now! (asi/42989; ph: 800-800-8285) or Rob Watson at MediaTree (asi/70303; ph: 800-475-8703), both of whom do music download cards, or my girl Allison Schaffer at Sound Line LLC (asi/88241; ph: 800-750-5189), whose company handles customizable music CDs. Music, truly, is the gift that keeps giving. Have I been egregious in leaving off any glaringly-obvious fabulous summer songs? Post a comment and let me know! One last thing: My BFF Craig Nadel, president of Counselor Top 40 distributor Jack Nadel Int’l., has been tortured for as long as I’ve known him (12 years) over the lyrics for “Sympathy for the Devil,” by The Stones (Listen to it here). The song is known for being, aside from downright sulfurous, remarkably historically accurate (it must have been one of Keith and Mick’s rare moments of lucidity when they wrote it). There is one line, however, that has driven Craig and I NUTS over the years because we can’t attribute it to any historical reference. If you’re the first person to post the accurate attribution, I’ll send you a $100 gift card. Here’s the lyric: “And I laid traps for troubadours, who get killed before they reach Bombay…” Please ease Craig’s pain — and mine! ; ) Cheers, and more soon! – M
Sunday
July 12, 2009 The Weirdness of Me…Hi Everyone! I hope you’re all having a fun summer and finding ways to chill (literally and figuratively) and enjoy yourselves. We’ve been busy in ASI’s editorial department, closing our special annual Counselor “State of the Industry” issue (due out later this month), in addition to our other magazines and preparing for the upcoming ASI Chicago Show. It is for these reasons that I’ve been more than a little stressed — which, for those of you who know me, makes me so much more of a delight than I usually am. Let’s just say that some of my eccentricities really start to shine under certain circumstances. For example, I have a tendency when I’m in a mood like this and want something, to write it in verse — usually rhyme, sometimes iambic pentameter – because it sounds sweet and whimsical, and makes me seem (I think) less like the demanding diva I can be. Recently, I wanted my BFF Jeremy Young (one of ASI’s tech geeks) to bring me some chicken salad (one of my favorite things!) that his mother, a fabulous cook who knows her way around a skillet*, had made. To avoid sounding petulant and Veruca Salt-ish (“I want, I want, I want…!!!”), this is what I sent Jeremy to convey my request: Ode to Chicken Salad Though not a fan of salad, green, There is another on which I’m keen, Often described as “finger-lickin’ “ It’s the kind made of chicken!
I think it’s because this was the last thing I wrote before going to sleep that night, and because I had work on my mind and took two Tylenol PM capsules**, I had a trippy (on a multitude of levels) dream that would have had Freud scratching his head and reaching for a tumbler of scotch. In it, Tim Andrews, ASI’s president & CEO, announced to the company that Ben Bernanke — the Chairman of the Fed — was coming to ASI and that I would be the one to make a presentation to him on the company’s behalf***. Walking through ASI on my way to address the Chairman, Joe Haley — my tortured managing editor and the star of The Joe Show – followed me with a little red wagon, handing out seashells to every ASI staffer we passed****. As we got to the auditorium, I took the stage, turned to the Chairman of the Fed, 500 ASI employees, Tim Andrews and the Cohn Family and did the entire presentation in haiku. The last thing I remember before waking in a cold sweat was the look of shocked horror on Tim’s face. The next day I mentioned my dream to Tim, who frankly waved it off as me being a weapons-grade weirdo. Fast forward to about a week later when Tim walked in to my office and told me he had just come from a visit to his home state of Indiana, where he stayed at a place called Hotel Indigo. At this boutique hotel, the menus, room advertisements, key card, “Do Not Disturb” door hanger, bar coasters and napkins — everything — had fun little messages that were written in, you guessed it, haiku.
Tim shook his head in disbelief. “I swear to you,” he told me, “before staying at this hotel and your wacko dream it had been years since I heard the word ‘haiku’ used in any form. You have to admit — it’s not something that comes up in everyday conversation.” How clever is this hotel, though, to tie in the concept of the haiku with all their collateral promotional materials? And how fabulous would it be if they offered some equally cool and inspiring ad specialties to guests as a welcome or in-room gift, or something sent to loyal customers? (Savvy distributors reading out there, I’m talking to you… ; ) ). I love this hotel’s attention to detail and creative ingenuity in employing the under-utilized (though clearly very hip) haiku as a form of communication! Speaking of communicating, next time I blog it will be from the ASI Chicago Show, starting Tuesday, 7/21 and running ’til Thursday, 7/23. If you’re exhibiting, please be my guest at a free luncheon and panel discussion just for suppliers (held on Tuesday, 7/21 from 12-1:30 p.m. right on the show floor). I’ll be moderating a panel of four top-selling distributors who will share with you what it takes to win their business and their loyalty. If you’re a distributor, join me on Wednesday, 7/22, from 2:45-3:45 p.m. (right behind the Advantages’ New Products pavilion) for a panel discussion on super-successful self-promotion campaigns, featuring some award-winning promos that garnered double- and triple-digit response rates and tens of thousands of dollars in sales for the distributors who created them. Cheers, and more next week from Chicago! – M * I myself cannot cook at all, and once had to ask Jeremy — with a furrowed brow and confused expression, “What the hell is a skillet?” ** I’m also mystified that I, certainly no clean slate when it comes to pharmaceuticals, was sent reeling by two little Tylenol PM capsules. It’s like Keith Richards being leveled by a Flintstones vitamin. *** As the majority of my working knowledge of the stock market comes from the movie Trading Places, it should be noted that I’d be the last person at ASI — and that includes the nice high school boy who mows our lawns — Tim Andrews would ask to address the Chairman of the Fed. **** Joe Haley would like you all to know that despite his guest role in my dream, he is neither my lackey nor my bitch in real life. ; )
Tuesday
June 23, 2009 Dreaming of Double-Digit Growth?Filed under: Editorial, Personal Hi, Everyone! We recently had a very special event here at ASI: We hosted the monthly meeting of Specialty Advertising Counselors of the Delaware Valley (SACDV), our local industry association. It was a fun and informative meeting, equal parts networking event and education. There was lots of fabulous food (salad, pizza, hors d’oeuvre, wine, soft drinks, root-beer ice cream floats) courtesy of the event’s sponsors: Admints/Zagabor, ASI, Montco, PromoBiz Coach and Rockland Embroidery. Janet McMaster, education chair of the group, explained the need for grassroots efforts to combat an overly-restrictive and detrimental bill currently before Congress: the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. Janet stressed the need to write your local congressperson to express concern over the negative impact it would have on the industry. She also noted that SACDV will be forming a legislative committee to work as an advocate in the legal arena on behalf of the group and the industry. Dale Denham, senior vice president for ASI, addressed the group in more detail, explaining that if passed, the law would force pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies to reveal the gifting of every item, of any value, once the annual threshold of $100 is crossed. Under the current law, only items exceeding $25 must be reported once the threshold is passed. Information would be combined in a national database that could be accessed by the public. Click here to read more. But it was Gene Geiger’s keynote presentation, entitled “Virtual Business Cultivation: Using Social Networks to Grow Business,” that had attendees tuned in. Gene is such a super guy — one of the most gracious, genteel and dryly funny people in the industry — and his presentation did not disappoint. (He may also be the one person in the industry who could get away with using the phrase “honest to Betsy” — as he did last night — and have it sound endearingly charming.) If you’re like me and get completely overwhelmed by the concept of online social networking and sites like Facebook and Twitter, Gene’s speech was for you. In it, he explained how online social networking isn’t just for kids anymore — indeed, the fastest-growing group of users are the over-40 crowd. Gene said it’s ideal for building relationships and “light alliances” where people can make connections they don’t have the time for otherwise. For more information about SACDV or to request a copy of Gene’s very thorough and comprehensive presentation, go to www.sacdv.org.
Dreaming of Double-Digit Growth? Tired of the doom and gloom financial news? Listen in to the free Webinar I’m moderating tomorrow! We’ve found some industry suppliers who have experienced double- and triple-digit growth, despite the turbulent economy. My panelists will be Fred Antonini, owner of eGrips (asi/54596), whose company grew 1,700% in one year, as well as Brett Hersh, owner of AdMints & Zagabor (asi/31516) and Rob Watson, president of MediaTree (asi/70303) — both of whom experienced 100% growth for their companies from ‘07 to ‘08 — and Christopher Duffy, senior vice president of marketing at Bag Makers Inc.(asi/37940), a company that grew 47% from ‘07 to ‘08. Join us for the Webinar tomorrow, Wednesday, June 24, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EST) to learn their tips for success, see how they’ve navigated pitfalls and discover how they’ve used innovation and ingenuity to generate spectacular sales in a stagnant marketplace. To listen to the Webinar held earlier today, click here. More next week! Cheers, M |
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