When Sponsors Get it Right

I happened to attend a Jonas Brothers concert last night and once I was able to see beyond the seas of screaming girls and flocks of parents gripping their children, I took close notice of the incredible branding and sponsorship. Let me set the scene; THOUSANDS of kids ranging from the age of 4 to 20 who hang on the Jonas Brothers' every word, live by their likes and dislikes and value their opinions as if they were the Bible. Then you have hundreds of parents who come to these concerts to make their kids happy as well as some who just love these boys as much as their kids do. Basically what you have is a huge mass of people screaming, crying, desperate for a piece of anything Jonas.

Enter sponsors... the most prevalent sponsor was definitely Verizon. By
giving these fans the opportunity to text their feelings directly to an enormous screen situated above the entire audience, Verizon is able to engage not only their existing customers who already get free texting, but also have the opportunity to target non-Verizon customers who just want a piece of everything Jonas. Wouldn't it be easier if, just like the Jonas Brothers, they were Verizon customers too?

Sponsor #2 was Burger King. Before the concert began, the Emcee came out to do a contest. Since the Jonas Brothers LOVE Burger King and have made the actual "burger King" a main feature of their tour, it's only natural that they would give away 4 free dinners courtesy of the Jonas Brothers to 4 lucky winners. You should have seen these people go nuts! FOR BURGER KING!!!!!! It's not like they were giving away a lifetime supply of fries here...we're talking one meal. You would have thought it was cash they were throwing into the stands. But, because just prior to the contest they aired a commercial featuring the King on tour with the Jonas Brothers that showed him on their tour bus, in their home, on their plane (MarquiJet...I'll get to that one soon) and basically a key part of their lives, these fans have now fully incorporated and accepted Burger King as another aspect of life that is all things Jonas. It is now a part of their lives.

The final and MUCH smaller sponsor was MarquiJet/ Netjets. This was more of a private sponsor, but they got their point across loud and clear. There was a meet & greet scheduled for 6:30pm with the Jonas Brothers, exclusively for MarquiJet and Netjets clients and their kids. These people get to meet the boys, have a picture taken and get autographs. They walk around with 5"x 7" passes around their necks with a 1" thick branded necklace along with a bright green branded bracelet. ANYONE who sees these people knows they have something special, you can't miss it. Inside the meet & greet is a step and repeat featuring the sponsor that is intermixed with the Jonas Brother logo. Basically anything Jonas is as good as MarquiJet and Netjets. It raises the Jonas Brothers brand in addition to solidifying approval from the MJ/Netjets client. Both parties win; the kids are happy, the clients feel they have received something very special and the Jonas Brothers are thrilled to be linked to such an elevated brand. This is an example of sponsorship on a smaller scale, but never the less, very important to the big picture that is the Jonas Brothers brand.

In the end, it was amazing to see how three boys can cause such a stir. Almost every night they influence thousands of people and sponsors who are lucky enough to get their endorsement can't thank them enough!

Summer Rain in the City

It's another summer rainy day in the Big Apple. For those who live here, or in any area of the country that has had more rainy days this summer than you can count, you know it can be highly depressing. The dreary sense of yuck that hangs in the air and dances across flip-flopped feet makes one want to just curl up at home and watch a movie.

But of course, that isn't an option for us poor working stiffs. So how to get rid of the rainy day blahs? We suggest an office dance party. I know, you're thinking, "Oh how 'The Office' can you get?" but seriously, it works. Now, you need to choose your locale wisely if you are in a large office space, but it is doable. Reserve the conference room for 15 minutes, grab your favorite co-workers, your iPod and some speakers, and your ready to go. This goes without saying, but what happens in the conference room stays in the conference room so that everyone feels comfortable letting go. You can't be worried about what "YouTube" sight you might find yourself via some camera phone video. Save that for the office holiday party. You must feel free to harness your running man, lawn mower, sprinkler, grapevining capabilities and really get your groove back. Fifteen minutes is all you need for the day to take on a whole different outlook.

Some recommended tuneage:

Dancing with Myself by David Bowie
Single Ladies by Beyonce
That's Not My Name by the Ting Tings
I Wear My Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart
Mercy by Duffy

So grab your dancing shoes and make some room...the rainy day party is just getting started.

Some Hiring Insight

With the current economic climate, many publications are offering interview advice from HR experts and employers to their job-hunting readers. Definitely helpful, much more productive than the constant "we're up a creek and there is no sign of a paddle" pessimism that is oozing from the pores of many a news agency (watch Mark Haines from CNBC if you don't believe us - he's a nice guy, appears to be funny, but a little hope might be nice).

First, thanks reporters for providing some assistance to our fellow man. There are a lot of great candidates out there who just need a foot in the door. Second, we happened to participate in a couple of interviews on the topic and thought, for any individuals interested, it might be useful. Granted, not all employers operate with the same philosophy, look for the same interviewing skills or hope for the same type of cover letter; our opinion is just that, an opinion. So take it for what it's worth. And Good Luck!

Reuters: "Help Wanted: Recruiting on Craigslist" by Deborah Cohen

CNN (via Careerbuilder.com): "How to answer: Why Should I Hire You?" by Anthony Balderrama

Get Over Yourself.

Okay, we operate in the fashion world. Our business is all about lifestyle...what's new, what's now, what's done and how to make our clients fit into the relevancy of it all. So we recognize that sometimes fashion designers take risks on the runway in order to create a buzz, push the envelope, make the fashion world think even further outside the box, blah, blah, blah. So there we were flipping through a recent issue of WWD, taking in the normal eccentricities and our chins nearly fell to the floor. The issue reviewed the Fall Fashions for men introduced at Milan's Fashion Week. Upon seeing the latest from a designer who shall remain nameless, "WTF" was shouted from every voice in our office.

Now, we're all for displaying inspirations from various cultures in the world; designs should not stick solely to the mores of the Western World. Having said that, the model, replete with thick "Arabian Nights" make-up, donned a turban. Okay. Non-issue. But the turban was in fact a white button down wrapped sloppily on the model's head and secured with a belt. Pardon me, but that's not fashion, that's called laundry. What? Did the designer's team forget the actual turban piece and send the intern home to raid a hamper? "I couldn't find a towel, but I did manage to find my shirt from last night...I think it has some dried vomit on it as a result from the after-party, but no one will see it if we wrap this belt around it."

Come on. Just because you're fabulous, a fashion icon, doesn't mean everything you touch can be considered flawless and inspired. It's slightly reminiscent of the fable "The Emperor's New Clothes". No matter how much the king and his minions told people he was dressed in the finest frock available, the reality was he was still naked. No matter how much someone tells us this "turban" is inspired, I'm sorry...it's still just laundry piled on top of a man's head. Come on, get over yourself.