Cindy-Campbell.com

How do you judge the successfulness of a website? A standard in the online advertising industry is to view how much “traffic” a website receives. This is how many unique computer users are choosing to view a website, and how many are choosing to return. The goal for website owners, from individual bloggers to multinational corporations, is to steer as much traffic as possible in their direction.

The mere existence of a website is not enough. Just as the most beautiful song ever written would have no meaning if no one heard it, a perfectly constructed website would be meaningless if no one chose to look at it. Just like a fine work of art, a website needs to be seen; it needs an audience. Unlike a Picasso in a museum, websites are not a static work of art. They are dynamic. Growing, adjusting, and adapting to keep viewers captivated, websites depend on traffic to stay alive.

After working in internet ad trafficking for a large media corporation, I know first hand how difficult it can be (and how hard a company has to work) to drive traffic in their direction. It’s serious business. Traffic numbers are the tangibles pieces of data businesses count on to prove their popularity. Thus, lots of traffic can be a powerful bargaining chip when trying to sell ad space for their site. Programmers and writers are working constantly to create new (hopefully original) content to entice viewers and keep their viewers coming back.

This is why I think the large social media outlets (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter etc.) are so lucky. Ok, it’s not luck, they are just so smart, dare I say genius. Why? Because they have figured out a way to keep traffic up while maintaining up-to-the-SECOND current content; content that is provided for free by people like you. Yes, they are letting you keep track of your friends and share your photos for free, but is it a fair trade off? Not only are you updating the content for them and helping maintain a high traffic flow, but also you ARE the traffic… that tangible number they are using to get companies to advertise on their sites. You are clicking on the ads on the website you are maintaining. It is all a bit convoluted.

I hold no ill feelings towards Facebook or MySpace. They are great websites that help me keep in contact with all of the friends and colleagues I have met over the years, the people who have made an impact on my life in one way or another. I’m on Twitter pretty much to satisfy the curious marketer in me. I’ve found it’s an excellent tool for small businesses and entrepreneurs to get the word about their shops and personal blogs.

What gets me is the people who spend hours of their valuable time without being adequately compensated. The people writing lengthy blog entries and the ones trying to recruit everybody and their brother to grow imaginary corn. There are so many free/low cost options so you can develop and maintain your own blog, and then use social media as a means to drive traffic to you. Your time is valuable, and so are your thoughts. You should be compensated for both. Find your own space on the web, and put some ads on it. Like the one below. Click on it if you like.

I’m rolling my eyes… serisouly, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING MR. PHELPS?!

Advertising Age: Kellogg to Drop Olympian Phelps

We originally built the relationship with Michael, as well as the other Olympic athletes, to support our association with the U.S. Olympic team,” a Kellogg spokeswoman said in a statement. “Michael’s most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg. His contract expires at the end of February and we have made a decision not to extend his contract.”

This is not about what/if he was smoking… images speak volumes, especially in the advertising world. Michael, Michael, Michael… yes you are an amazing athlete, but the Olympics are over and in the off time it’s the freakin SPONSORSHIPS that are going to pay you way through life FOREVER. You’re too young to be messing that all up! You got to maintain a certain image with you sign on to represent a company that caters to kids, geesh. They paying for an athlete image, not a rock star.

I remember discussing a similar situation back in 2002ish… a successful athlete with a cheesy grin named Mr Kobe Bryant was a star in advertising… then the bad press started and companies had no choice but to drop him like a bad habbit.

First no Wheaties box, now no Corn Flakes. But don’t worry Michael, you’ll get by I’m sure. Speedo and Omega dont seem to mind…

Idea: Michael Phelps could build a big Money Bin like Uncle Scrooge… then he could swim through the money!

World’s smoothest vodka is from Texas… правда?
http://www.titos-vodka.com/

I was I was watching the Food Network this morning, and Giada DeLaurentiis was touring/eating her way around Austin Texas. It was amusing to see her fascination with Chicken Fried Steak and real BBQ that doesn’t have sauce on it. She also enjoyed a “Batini” while watching the Mexican Freetail Bats fly into the night from underneath the Congress Street Bridge. This award winning Martini is made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a brand my father immediately recognized. He knew it was distilled locally and was incredibly smooth.

With a little research, we found out that Tito’s Vodka is quite famous, considering this modest distillery has only been open 10 years, and is found deep in the heart of Texas. Tito’s is actually the 1st legal distillery in the state of Texas! This little fact was a key contributor to their marketing success… the American dream of a simple mortgage banker/geologist turning a hobby into a world class potent potable is excellent news fodder, and Titos has enjoyed lots of great PR from major Networks like CNN, on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. The WALL STREET JOURNAL, NIGHTCLUB-BAR and FORTUNE give this handmade vodka reviews like “so luxuriously smooth”, “can go head to head with any of the world’s greats and not break a sweat”, and “a vodka of world class proportions”. The BUZZ turns into word-of-mouth advertising, which is free yet priceless. The combination of a lot marketing expenditure/good reputation/quality product/simple packaging/no import tax helps Tito keep their Vodka prices low and affordable.

Watch the CNBC video here

Wikipedia: Tito’s Handmade Vodka is a vodka produced in Austin, Texas, created by Bert Butler “Tito” Beveridge. Distilled six times, Tito’s Vodka is made from yellow corn, instead of the more common wheat or potatoes, resulting in a mildly sweet aftertaste.

Commercial production began in 1997 when Beveridge formed Fifth Generation Inc., becoming the first (and only) legal distillery in Texas and producing just 1,000 cases that year.

Despite a lack of commercial advertising, Tito’s Handmade Vodka has gained market share thanks to some prestigious awards, affordable pricing, and word of mouth advertising. Currently, it is distributed coast-to-coast across North America and Canada with production now nearing a half-million cases. Sales and distribution boomed in 2001 after Tito’s Handmade Vodka unanimously won the Double Gold Medal for vodka at the World Spirit’s Competition in San Francisco, beating out 71 other high-priced vodkas. Also that year, it received a four-star ranking from Spirit Journal, the only vodka to do so.

Despite the growing distribution, Tito’s Vodka employs fewer than 10 people and is still handmade in small batches.

Ask for TITO’S the next time you visit a bar/liquor store! It’s available in 40 states so far (not yet international). Cheers!

Oh, and here is the recipe for the Batini, courtesy of the Four Seasons in Austin:

2 ounces vodka (recommended: Tito’s Handmade Vodka)
1/2 ounce blue curacao
10 fresh blackberries
Splash simple syrup
Splash grapefruit juice
Splash Champagne
Blackberry and bat-shaped mint, for garnish

Add vodka, blue curacao, blackberries, simple syrup and grapefruit juice to a martini shaker and shake vigorously until the drink turns a deep purple. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with a splash of champagne. Garnish with a blackberry and a bat-shaped mint.

This is not a joke! Between now and Saturday (6/9/07), if you spend at least $125 on Dockers® for Men at JC Penny, you will get 1 free round-trip airfare. Dockers® are on sale at JC Penny at the moment too… so for the price of 3-5 pairs of pants, you get a voucher for 1 free round trip flight in America to the following cities: Boston, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., or Miami. Quite a deal, considering many companies these days let you wear Dockers® type pants to work.

Of course, there are some restrictions, which you can read all about HERE (http://www.tlc-rewards.com/dockersfreeflight/index.php)

Dont have a JC Penny near by… or LOATH the idea of going to the mall now that school is out for the summer and Malls are teeming with teeny boppers? Well you’re in luck… the offer applies to ONLINE purchases as well. PLUS if you shop online now at JC Penny and spend over $49, you get free shipping! Hey, maybe dad needs some new pants/shorts/belts for Fathers Day. Free Airfare is a good thing

A simple movie poster is just ssoooo yesterday. If you want to draw in the summer movie going crowd, you need a BIG idea… like, life sized! Not that I think The Simpsons Movie will have a hard time drawing crowds… but this was just a cool idea on their part:

This display was at the Galleria Area AMC Theatre, where my family and I go to see Open Caption Movies. One problem: The display was set up RIGHT BEHIND this big pillar, obstructing what could have been a great the shot. If I were the agency, I’d be all over that, making my minions check displays undercover to make sure atrocities like that weren’t occuring/get them to move the display to a better location. I’d also have a minion in front of the displays with a Polaroid camera, at least in the week or so leading up to Opening Weekend. You can even get branded Polaroid prints where that white part at the bottom has your logo/website/whatever the hell you want on it. People love free stuff, and that little photo with your brand all over it would be on Fridges and in Scrapbooks from now until the end of time (or whenever those Polaroids fade). Start some BUZZ and maybe get some PR out of it (the local news is always playing bits of random stuff, this happy Simpsons photo opp could be just the story they need to keep the broadcast from only talking about war, crime, murders and all the other reasons people hate watching the news.)

I could be your marketing minion. Hire me.