Obsessed with Conformity

The Ultimate Driving Experience

Remember those guys in middle school who wore T-shirts with big Chevy muscle cars eating little Fords, or the ones with giant Ford trucks crushing little Chevys until their headlights popped out? Remember those guys? The ones with permanent grease stains under their finger nails? Well, I wasn't one of those guys. I'm not a car guy. So when Kamran Popkin, @swagclub, invited me down to the BMW Performance Driving School (PDS) for a day, I was at once honored, and skeptical. 

But I got into my wife's Pacifica and drove to Greenville (Greer) from Charlotte, anyway. What the hell, I could drive fancy cars for a few hours. It would be kind of cool. In his infinite wisdom, Popkin invited several people from social media to attend this event - which no doubt garnered some buzz about the school, while also developing some loyalty to Kamran (and his company). Don't get me wrong, Kamran's not the type of guy to ask you to do or say anything on his company's behalf. In fact, if you check out his Twitter page, it's clear that just the opposite is true. Kamran was offering us a one-of-a-kind experience with nothing expected in return. Because that's just the kind of guy he is. 

But enough about Kamran. This was about the BMW experience. Not being a car guy, I've always just assumed that people who drove Mercedes or BMW were doing it for the status of the hood ornament - only. And while that might be true for many owners, the PDS makes you think differently about the brand. These cars flat out bust it. It's almost a crime to call them cars at all. More like land-jets. Land F-15s. I drove several of these machines at very high speeds. They fly. The video below is taken with the iPhone as I sat shotgun while an instructor drove (I forget the model - I'm not a car guy).

Everything about the BMW PDS is solid. The brand's clean lines and attention to detail resonate in every corner of this place. From the briefing room to the instructors to the sign above our fleet that stated, "Don't forget to breathe" - the PDS is more than just the ultimate driving school, it's the ultimate ad for BMW. Imagine all brands giving their prospects a chance to experience the very best that the brand offers, in a controlled environment that reinforces the promise of value - and charge them for it! Sure, the PDS might set you back a few bucks (a lot actually), but if you're looking to purchase one of these machines - the cost is insignificant. 

Which is to say, I will likely never own a BMW. A love for cars just wasn't passed down to me. So I'll continue to drive my old jalopy (a 1993 Range Rover with 85K miles that I bought to accommodate dogs and kids) and my wife's fancy car, when necessary. All I care about is getting to where I'm going. But, if you have the means, and you're in the market for a car that can outrun James Bond villains, I can't recommend BMW highly enough. 

At the end of the day, we were asked to fill out a form about the experience. On the form it asked which brands we associated closest with BMW. I could only think of two - Apple and Disney. 

One last thing, I was able to meet a couple of people on Twitter at this event, and at one point was a passenger in a vehicle driven by @sydneywilliams. She tried to kill me. I (somehow) survived. And don't believe her if she tells you she beat my time around the track. Ok, believe her. I'm not a car guy. 

Jim Mitchem is a father, husband, writer and partner at smashcommunications. You can follow him on Twitter @smashadv. 

Scott Monty works for Ford? Right....

Ladies and gentleman, New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman (L) and Ford Motor Company's head of Social Media Scott Monty (R). So what do you think, has @scottmonty been pulling the strings for four Yankees championships since 1998? Have you ever seen Monty and Cashman in the same room together? Just sayin'. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications, llc. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv.  

 

Turkey Drop

What "A Christmas Story" is to Christmas, WKRP's "Turkeys Away" episode is to Thanksgiving. From my family to yours, I hope you find as much gratitude in Thanksgiving as with every other day of the year. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of the virtual ad agency smashcommunications  You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

I Dreamed a Dream

I had this dream the other night that Sir Richard Branson (@richardbranson) DM'd me to invite me to contact him off line. I did. He asked whether I'd be interested in participating in a bit of crowdsourcing. It seemed that Virgin America was prepared to launch a new North American advertising campaign and were in the process of querying various concept artists to find the best 'big idea.'

"We've been following you a while now Jim, and we really just want your best idea," Sir Richard said with that smiling voice of his (btw - he really does follow me on Twitter, so this part isn't so crazy.)

"How many others are participating?" I asked.

"Ten,  total. Some of the brightest minds in your industry." 

"People like me?" I asked, sarcastically.

"Yes. Should we select your concept, we will pay you 5 million dollars, and then hire the best people in the world to produce and deploy the idea. Of course you'll be involved throughout to ensure the concept is communicated as effectively as possible, but you'll have full creative control. Deal?" 

I rarely talk with people in my dreams, much less with the world's most renowned industrialist. But I played along, "Absolutely!" Then I figured I may as well ask, "Do I get paid for the project even if you don't select my concept?" 

"Yes, you will receive ten thousand dollars US as compensation for your efforts." He said. 

(screeching brake sounds) Ok, I made this last part up. Everyone knows that crowdsourcing doesn't work that way, but it's my dream sequence, so I'm running with it.

Then, just as I was about to tell my wife the good news that I'd be competing for the opportunity to develop the next North American ad campaign for Virgin America - an Australian Shepherd planted her elbow in my abdomen and my daughters bounced into bed and turned me into a daddy sandwich. 

One can dream. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications  You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Getting it Straight

I've been battling with the naming conventions here for almost a year. This post is my solution. Of course to get to the bottom of things, we have break things down to their simplest form, so here it goes...

 

Networking - This is the thing that you did at Chamber of Commerce meetings when you started your own business. You attended these events with hundreds of other people who were better dressed and who wore strong cologne. Basically, it sucked and nothing ever came from it. 

Internet - aka - the web, the interwebs and the place where the devil lives (if you listen to my mom). It's a digital medium that connects people around the world blah-blah-blah. Everyone knows what the Internet is, the important word here is Digital. 

Digital - It's not analog. Digital is electrical - computers, phones, etc. It's the only way to get on the Internet. Without digital, this blog goes away. 

Social - People communicating - that's all it is. Yes, it can also be people dancing, people working, people arguing, people interacting within in a community, etc. But social is still social - no matter what the experts say. 

Media - This is the car you drive. Yes, you're still the driver, and you control where you go, but your car is what delivers you from point A to point B. And there are different kinds of cars, as we all know. 

Now let's try to put it all together so that we're all on the same page, ok?  

Social Networking - This is really no different than normal networking (see above) except that you can jump around from conversation to conversation. Yes, being on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook is Social Networking - but so is going to a Chamber function.

Social Media - This is the term I use to describe what we do here. Just normal communicating via whatever kind of car you drive on the Internet and which garages you park in. 

There you have it. The correct term to describe what it is we're all doing here is probably Digital Networking via Social Media, but I'm thinking DNVSM is too cumbersome to really catch on. So let's just go with what I call it, Social Media (SM.) After all, this is my blog. I get to say what's right. You only get to comment. 

Sigh. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications and really isn't a dick.  You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Kind of David Copperfield-ish

Gas grill? We don't do no stinking gas grill. 

Filmed by me on the iphone. The part about not dropping the phone, that's the Copperfield-ish part. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Being Social IRL - personal lessons from #sofresh

I didn't want to go. When I first heard about Charlotte's inaugural Social Media event, Social Fresh, I didn't want anything to do with it. I'm not exactly what you'd call a mingling guy. But I knew I had to attend because I truly believe in this medium of advanced communications, and there were people coming that I wanted to meet in real life. Plus, it was three miles from my house. 

Except, by the time I got around to buying a ticket - the event was sold out. So I Tweeted that I tried to attend, but wasn't going to be able to go. Secretly, I was pretty relieved. Especially since I saved face in public by saying that "I tried." Whew - I was off the hook. But then event organizer Jason Keath said that I could volunteer at the event and even save a few bucks in fees. 

Great. 

But no, more than volunteering to standing around being nice for 8 hours (i didn't expect to *really* stay the whole time), there were pre and post parties around the event. But I don't drink, so at some point most of these kinds of things just get too loud and silly for me. I showed up late to  the pre - and didn't stay very long. It was already loud - and flipping hot. But it was also kind of cool. I didn't hate it. I left early to kiss my kids goodnight, and because I knew the next day was going to be hell. 

I used to be in the USAF. Back then I got up around 6 a.m. every day. Sometimes 5:30. I got up at 5 to volunteer for SoFresh. I resented it all the way to the Holiday Inn parking deck. When I arrived, Nathan Richie was pulling in and we walked to the staging area together. Most people looked stunned to be awake and actually functioning. The coffee sucked. I had a banana and tried to mingle. I found that I mingle like I Twitter - by hovering around a conversation and then busting in with a remark or two. People in real life look at you funny when you do this, but oh my Lord - people in Social Media invite random, relevant and thoughtful dialogue. It's a beautiful thing and the foundation from which I built my day on at SoFresh. So I tweeted (and mingled) my ass off. And people smiled. No funny looks. There was a lot of geek talk. A lot of business talk. And a lot of laughs. 

I was going to follow up on SoFresh with an obligatory recap of how great the speakers were, how compelling the panels were and how valiantly the volunteers performed - but I already did all that from the event. Everyone was great. Everything was great. And of course I heartily approved of the sofresh icon (thanks for that Jason). A big shout out to Lyell Petersen for suggesting the shot above (of some of the volunteers.) And a big thanks to Armando Bellmas, who was a snapped off just a few amazing photographs. 

In the end, #sofresh was a blast and I'm glad I went. I met a lot of smart people, and connected with smart people I've admired from afar on Twitter. It's amazing to me how a couple of hundred kindred spirits can energize each other in a way that leaves a lasting impression on everyone.  

 

I had to rush home to my kids after the core event, so I missed out on the post-party. But yes, I stayed till the end. 

Pictured in the photo above: @sethjwyatt, @crystaldempsey, @tinkhanson, @93octane, @smashadv, @katiemarie, @loricollins, @underoak (kneeling) @tonyabishopnc, @brianbaute, @lizvinson

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Is that an iPhone in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Some guys drive Corvettes...other guys....

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Knowing Your Target Audience

When you empathize with your audience, the concept shines. For the record I hate when the kids go back to school - but this old Staples spot just kicks ass. Still. 

Note: Target Audience = psychographic and Target Market = demographic. Just so we're all on the same page. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Kool-Aid

I love the creepiness factor of this spot. It works - even the Deliverance music. And I'm betting that Kool-Aid could kick Gatorade's ass on this log too. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Social Media ROI

 

A slightly facetious look at Social Media ROI.

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Faster Pussycat

This has the markings of a great campaign. Good fun. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications.com. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv