I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not much of a sports fanatic. Sure, I’ll go to the occasional football game or accidentally stop on ESPN while I’m flipping channels, but generally I’m not one that’s going to turn on a football game. That said, when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, I usually make an exception—not for the game itself, but the commercials.

Unlike most in the advertising industry this year, I waited all last week to see this year’s Super Bowl commercials. I wanted to see them just like I always have, during the game, not on YouTube days before the actual event. While countless lists will abound today about which ads were the best and which brands could’ve done better, what I noticed more than anything this year was countless commercials starring dogs.

Whether it was the new Volkswagen commercial with a heavy pooch looking to lose a few pounds, a dog bribing its owner with Doritos, a Sketchers-wearing bulldog moon walking over the finish line, or the dog who survived the 2012 apocalypse in the Chevy Silverado ad, it seemed almost every commercial during the big game this year featured man’s best friend.

While dogs have long been staples of Budweiser’s classic commercials, 2012 seems to be the year of the dogs. And when you look at consumer statistics, it makes sense to feature man’s most faithful companion.

According to the U.S. Humane Society, in 2011 39 percent of Americans owned at least one dog and 30 percent of those owners had two or more dogs. Dogs and other household pets have become staples in the American family with many owners shelling out hundreds to thousands of dollars on toys, health care, grooming, pet supplies, etc. all for their pet. Last year, the American Pet Products Association estimated that Americans spent a record $50 billion on their pets alone.

With consumers showing significant spending power when it comes to their pets, it makes sense that Super Bowl marketers would want to ride the wave by including pets any way they can in their commercials and products.

In total last night, I counted five commercials that featured a dog as one of the main characters. When done right, these commercials can not only position a product like Doritos in a new way, but also remind consumers that such products and brands are to be enjoyed by literally the whole family.

Of all the ads featuring dogs, I think my favorite was Sketchers’ :30 spot featuring Mr. Quiggly as he moon walks his way to first place. What was your favorite ad from the big game?

2. Select your business type in the middle of the page.

4. Choose “Register my business.”

Micah Aberson, Lawrence & Schiller’s Vice President of Client Service, is featured in the latest issue of Sioux Falls Business Magazine.

Read about the importance of consulting marketing experts to help develop successful plans that yield positive results. And remember to pick up a copy of this month’s Sioux Falls Business Magazine.

Last week, Lawrence & Schiller’s famed business cards were featured on the iBrand Studio blog in a post entitled, “30 Creative Circle Business Card Designs.”

We’ve heard many comments about our unique business cards throughout the years. They’ve been compared to coasters and used as office frisbees. But the most popular question is, “Can I fit this in my wallet?” We like that question because at L&S we like to stand out from the crowd. We don’t want our business or a client’s business to get “lost in the shuffle.”

Take a look at our business card and other circular designs at iBrandStudio.com.

Oh, and drop us a line if you’d like to find a place for our card in your wallet.

The South Dakota Office of Highway Safety kicked off its latest campaign as the state continues its plunge into the winter season, a time of year that is notorious for its hazardous driving conditions. The campaign — which urges drivers to move over for emergency vehicles — is made up of a series of interviews conducted with Highway Patrol Officers who were involved in severe accidents caused by motorists “overdriving” the road conditions.

Last year alone, the Office of Highway Safety responded to a total of thirteen such accidents; mishaps that could have been avoided had the other drivers slowed down and moved over for the response crews. South Dakota’s “Move Over” Law requires drivers to slow down at least twenty miles per hour less than the posted speed limit and merge into the farthest lane from the flashing yellow lights of emergency vehicles.

The campaign will be supported by a series of billboards and posters, with the posters being placed in areas like truck stops and interstate restrooms. Scroll down to watch all three of the spots. And remember, moving over for emergency vehicles isn’t just a courtesy. It’s the law.

I love the holidays. Every day brings something new, with parties, decorating, delivering gifts and serving. In advertising, holidays are a prime time for promotions, truly a no brainer for our retail clients. What we shouldn’t overlook, however, is what happens after the holidays.

As we sadly pack the decorations away, we get back into our normal routines, and the flood of ads start slow. In the world of retail, you’ll also notice once full price items are now on sale.

With the demand for ad space letting up, media, too, will go on sale after the holidays. Some stations looking to get numbers on the books early in the year may have ‘fire sales’ or one day sales blitzes offering packages for committing to a whole year of advertising. Other stations and publications aren’t quite as forward, but sales can be found nonetheless. Typically in the first quarter, inventory allows room for negotiation, and ads are less likely to be pre-empted.

This year, while your competitors are recovering from the holiday rush, why not take advantage and stay in front of your audience by continuing to advertise? Another bonus – grabbing your audience’s attention early in the new year is a great way to get ahead of the political ads we’ll start seeing later in the year.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about new year ad buys in the comment section below.

Happy post-holiday buying!

The American music service market is crowded, and reaching customers where they listen is becoming increasingly complicated. As a result of the fragmentation, advertisers today are faced with a dilemma. Going the route of traditional radio could mean missing out on reaching younger consumers who avoid the old-school model. Concentrating an entire radio advertising plan on online opportunities could mean missing out on local radio.

Let’s take a minute to look at the characteristics of the available listening platforms.

Pandora

Pandora is arguably the most successful Internet radio option for users that is supported by advertising. Pandora boasts 80 million users, and ComScore estimates about 19 million unique listeners on a monthly basis. While this is a small percentage of the entire adult population – it is an audience of active listeners. Users are required to listen to an ad to continue listening for free, and the company has made it a priority to make sure ads don’t infringe on the listening experience for users. They utilize fifteen second ads with companion banners, which don’t give advertisers much time to get their message across. Also, while Pandora’s age demographics span the spectrum, the median age is young compared to traditional radio.

Spotify and Myxer

Spotify and Myxer are up-and-coming online music services (or ankle biters depending on how you see it). Spotify has shown considerable growth since its 2008 inception – with about 10 million users worldwide, and a modest 3 million U.S. users. The trend is expected to continue upward supported by a Facebook partnership that debuted in September 2011. Experts don’t expect that partnership to be exclusive, and competitors may have a chance make inroads with Facebook and other social media platforms.

Myxer entered the crowded market earlier this year with Myxer Social Radio, which allows friends to thumbs up or thumbs down your music taste, song by song.

Traditional Radio

And what of traditional radio? I would call traditional radio, local; if not for the two radio giants, Cumulus Media and Clear Channel Radio, who control a combined 1,372 stations across the U.S. One major advantage of using traditional radio is having the option to choose how long your commercial will be. Controlling the length of a spot can be important depending on the message you’re delivering. Some say this form of radio is dying, but according Arbitron September 2011 data, the U.S. market increased by 1.7 million listeners 12 years old and above over the previous year.

The standard traditional radio model hasn’t changed significantly in a long time, but over the years many stations and groups have been toying with Internet radio by streaming live radio on individual station websites. Now Clear Channel Radio is taking Pandora and other Internet radio options on full-force with the acquisition of iHeartRadio.com. The model will allow users to listen to free, streaming audio from 800 live broadcasts and digital-only radio stations, from 150 cities across the U.S. The network will be ad-free until April 2012.

What to Know

Ways to intersperse advertising messages among music will only increase in the near future, but a variety of options is a good thing as long as you establish two things: your goals and your message. Knowing those two things will help you decide which platform or combination thereof will be best in your media mix.

With the holidays officially upon us, the season of giving is in full effect—a time when many consumers will open their hearts and wallets to give to their favorite non-profits and philanthropic organizations. While the American Red Cross found that 72 percent of individuals cite charitable giving as important during the holidays, this year holiday giving is getting a little easier through the help of mobile devices and electronic payment systems.

Through electronic payment cards embedded within smartphones and other digital technologies, holiday giving is now as easy as scanning your smartphone over your credit or debit card. These technologies and websites, like mgive.com, are a great way for consumers to connect with non-profits and show their support in a more practical, digital way this holiday season.

And these types of giving are not just good ideas. Several brands have already started putting digital donations into practice. For example, working with Square Inc., the Salvation Army has equipped bell ringers in large markets like Dallas and New York with a mobile card reader that has the ability to collect donations directly from consumers’ credit cards.

Even eBay is using mobile QR codes that connect with interactive digital store fronts, allowing window shoppers to scan virtual toys displayed on the window display. Toys scanned come to life in the virtual environment and benefit  the Toys for Tots organization.

With donations and non-profits adopting more robust mobile technologies, consumers can now give to their favorite charities even while on the go. Non-profits looking to reach out to consumers this season in new ways should focus on digital engagement, even if it’s simply though reaching out on one’s own social media channels. Engaging with consumers in the spaces they frequent most will keep you top of mind when it comes to holiday giving this season.

With just one year to go until the 2012 elections, candidates are already setting up campaign headquarters and producing new advertising campaigns to lure voters to their side of the political line. Although just 42 percent of all eligible American voters turned out in last year’s Mid-term election, with next year being a General Election year, voter turnout will undoubtedly be higher, especially if youth voters turnout in the high numbers we saw in 2008.

With more young people reveling in digital communications and using social networks to stay up-to-date on issues, more campaigns are reaching out to these voters by speaking to them through online chat platforms and social media debates.

Just last week, Mashable reported that Fox News will be hosting a series of debates through Google+ Hangouts, something sure to resonate with younger, digital voters. Previous Google+ Hangout debates have garnered more than 6.1 million viewers according to Nielsen and received more than 18,000 questions for the candidates.

Digital political engagement doesn’t end there, though. Individually, several candidates have realized the influence of social networks not only on the under 30 segment, but also on those digitally active boomers. As a result, several candidates like Mitt Romney and John Thune  have set up active accounts on spaces like Twitter and Facebook and may consider further moves into places like Google+ or Pinterest. Other platforms are also under development to connect voters with the issues that matter most to them in a more streamlined, mobile way.

With the average American population spending 21.7 hours online every week and the expected increase of mobile devices over the next year, the opportunities to reach potential voters in newer, more robust online spaces are huge. Candidates who connect with their audience not only through similar issues and causes, but also the evolving mediums will garner the most respect from their followers and possibly increase their political reach across several social and digital spheres in just a short time.

Think of the last story you heard. How did it make you feel? Did you get a good laugh out of a friend’s retelling of an embarrassing moment? Did a tear well up in your eye after hearing of an acquaintance’s battle with cancer?

We hear stories every day. We tell stories every day. But how much thought do we put into those stories?

As a person whose career is based on communication, storytelling is part of what I do, day in and day out. Last week at the Health Care Social Media Summit hosted by Mayo and Ragan Communications, Justina Chen, a corporate speechwriter for Microsoft, encouraged me to take my storytelling to the next level.

Chen reminded us that stories are the way we transfer information from our short-term to long-term memory. My recollection of the information presented at the conference is a perfect example. I can’t recall the five key points of each speaker’s presentation off the top of my head. I can retell the story of two women who met in an online community and brought 80 women together to be part of a groundbreaking research study at Mayo Clinic. I can remember the story of Dozer the dog who joined a fundraising half-marathon and ended up raising more than $25,000. I can also recall the story of an elderly couple who put on a concert in the Mayo Clinic lobby and became a YouTube sensation.

Stories are more than information. They turn a message into a movement. Good stories move us emotionally and cause us to take action. Great stories have some of the same key elements – rise, defeat and redemption.

Justina asked us to take a step back and think about our organizations by asking a series of questions. What is your company’s superpower? What is your company’s kryptonite? Companies, made up of people, face challenges and overcome them. Our job as a communicators is to create a story arch and relay it to a target audience. But how do we pull powerful stories from what may seem like the routine, mundane activities of a company?

The answer? An interview, not a meeting, with the story keepers in an organization. Justina encouraged us to set up an hour to interview a person who can tell of the defeats, victories and progress of their team. The first 20 minutes should be spent getting to know the person by just chatting with them before getting down to business. Knowing the person telling the story will help you create a better story.

Justina told us to keep an open mind while listening to a storyteller in our organization. We need to listen to everything they are telling us, and not just focus on getting that one, perfect nugget. While sitting in their office, we need to keep our eyes open for objects that support the story, such as a napkin on which they sketched a breakthrough idea. Also, we should ask as many questions as we can to draw out details of the story the interviewee is relaying. We also learned we shouldn’t leave the room without getting the names of three other people to interview for more information.

Stories are powerful, but only if they are heard. Think of ways to craft compelling stories about the challenges and triumphs of your organization. As a result, your message will be heard, remembered and acted upon.

(Image of the storytelling process from Justina Chen’s, Microsoft corporate speechwriters, presentation at the Health Care Social Media Summit in Rochester, MN).

The last few times I’ve traveled – both for work and personally – I’ve really felt like the old geezer carrying around my laptop. All the “cool kids” these days seem to be toting a much lighter and more mobile tablet instead.

Last week, my colleague Ashley Timmerman and I presented a webinar exploring the current users of and the marketing opportunities for iPads and tablets .

There are 5 best practices we brought to life with examples:

1. Functionality – use all of the functionality and interactivity of these new devices
2. Give user clear instructions for engaging with your ad or app on a tablet
3. Create new, original content, specifically for tablets
4. Tell your brand story through tablet advertising, and
5. Include a clear call to action, in order to lead users down the purchase funnel

There are tons of new and exciting apps, branding and ads being developed for tablets, including some great work and not so great work. Take a listen to the webinar here.

Then tell us: what app can you not live without? What app do you wish someone would create?

If you haven’t been keeping up, a host of presidential hopefuls have been duking it out in debates and, more passively, through television advertisements. So, how does one position them self as capable of leading the free world? Let’s breakdown some of the current political ads and see what candidates are doing right and what they should be doing differently if they hope to be living on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Mitt Romney

Seeing as how Mitt Romney is considered a front-runner for the Republican nomination, let’s take a look at one of his campaign ads first:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz3XgYLqCjg&feature=player_embedded

The spot itself is hopeful: inspirational string instruments, swooping aerial shots of wheat fields and a speech sprinkled with the word “freedom.” The ad is surprisingly void of any slams on the current administration, which is commendable (though his website has a slew of videos that aren’t as non-confrontational).

My ADvice: Differentiate. Romney certainly looks the part, which is a really big problem. He looks like anybody who has ran for president in the last 75 years. If Mitt wants to win he is going to have to stand out from the pack. I’d prescribe a fun, memorable catchphrase. Something like “Mitt’s Legit” or “dotRom.”

Rick Perry

Perry shot on to the election scene with a substantial following and a significant, though somewhat controversial, record as Governor of Texas. However, the Perry buzz has fizzled a bit since officially announcing his run for the White House. Here’s a recent spot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8EL5Atp_vF0

If this ad does anything well it’s the painting of the current administration as a failure that has produced disastrous (did you hear those wailing sirens?) consequences. The ad loses a bit of steam during the second half by resorting to the expected shots of the Statue of Liberty, flags and roaring fighter jets.

My ADvice: Lighten up. First, lighten up on the advertising production costs. The spot looks cool, but it probably cost more than what a lot of people have made in wages this year. And it doesn’t even let viewers know much about you. Secondly, have some fun Rick Perry. Your state may be infamous for its capital punishment record, but that doesn’t mean you can’t clown around a bit while you’re out campaigning!

Jon Huntsman

Governor Huntsman is further back in the polls but has a loyal following and a strong record as the leader of Utah. A longtime motocross racer, Huntsman is considered by many to be a Republican long shot. Below is one of his early ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biqIuX3uX0U

The best part about this ad is probably the scenery. Everything else is a bit…clunky? The disconnect starts with the narrator. His script tries to balance a vision, accomplishments and a jovial tone, but just comes off as silly (I can’t say I’ve ever heard the colloquialism “…not in it for the balloons.”). Strange copy paired with music you would hear floating out of a piano store in the mall doesn’t bode well for a would-be President…

My ADvice: Governor Huntsman needs to figure out who he is. What is the Huntsman brand? Is he Huntsman the diplomat? Huntsman the businessman? Or Huntsman the former member of high school band “Wizard?” It’s obvious he wants to appeal to a broad range of voters, but what isn’t obvious is who Huntsman wants to be.

The Presidential race is heating up, and as media consumers brace to be inundated with a brutal amount of political advertising, I have a final point for all candidates regarding their inevitable and invasive advertising: Be to the point. Be candid. And spend heavily on memorable catchphrases and well-designed buttons, because those are the things that really stick.

It’s no secret that boomers are living more active and vibrant lifestyles than generations that came before them. In addition to wanting to feel younger and ramping up their leisure activities to include more active adventures, today’s boomers are hitting the road and racking up vacation miles as they search out those one-of-a-kind vacation experiences. And as more boomers become grandparents, they’re taking the grandkids with them to “see the world” and teach them all about it.

According to an article earlier this year, every year nearly 5 million families take multigenerational vacations, a trend expected to grow as economic conditions prompt consumers to tighten their wallets and extended family time comes to the forefront of vacation time.

Even the YPartnership noted the increase in multigenerational travel in their Portrait of American Travelers study earlier this year. According to their research, 30 percent of all leisure travelers are now grandparents. More of them are taking such multigenerational trips, not only to spend time with family, but also to provide experiences today’s hectic families often can’t.

Whether it’s due to busy work schedules, tight budgets or nightly activities for the kids, today’s Generation X-led families are struggling to do it all. Grandparents, however, are stepping in and taking their kids to see the places of a lifetime and often paying for it all. Even for families traveling with both the parents and grandparents, taking multigenerational trips can be a great way to not only spend time together, but also to pool your resources and book a longer or more robust trip.

Although currently the U.S. Travel Association notes that multigenerational travel makes up just 7 percent of the total leisure market, these families are a valuable niche audience for destinations that provide a wide variety of attractions and activities. By leveraging activities the whole family can enjoy—everything from bike riding, to museum-going to cave exploring–destinations can reach out to this unique niche audience and become a travel haven for extended family trips.

We’ve all been taught the quote, “Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.” True, but impossible. We can never really see the world from someone else’s perspective. We can certainly try, and we can certainly ask someone to try to explain. But how can we really get into someone’s head and understand how they view the world or how they really, truly feel? And as marketers, isn’t that our goal, to understand the consumer, to strike an emotional chord with them? What was once thought of as figurative is now becoming as literal as ever.

New simulation technologies are helping people “walk in others’ shoes” and to finally see things from a new perspective. Blixt & Dunder, a Swedish couple who specializes in branding, packaging design and concept development, created an app that demonstrates what a child sees during the first few years of life. Based on medical research on human vision development, users simply enter the baby’s birthday into the app and activate the camera. A generated filter then mimics the baby’s vision by taking their age into account and where their sight is developmentally. What better way for parents to empathize with their babies than to see firsthand why that little dog may seem like a monster to them?

Probably the most common and frustrating perspective that cannot be understood is what women endure through pregnancy. Men can try to sympathize, but it just isn’t the same. So Nutricia, a baby food company, came up with a way to get men “pregnant”- or as close as possible. Using an “Empathy Suit,”  men can experience up to 20 symptoms of pregnancy like jolts of “kicking,” low backaches, having to waddle, and even feel bladder pressure. Nutricia stationed themselves in malls and boutiques, and after wearing the suit for awhile, men were encouraged to download Baby Connection, a pregnancy documentation app. Let’s just say they were more willing to do anything for their wives after putting that suit on; another great example of creating empathy through a new perspective.

This last example isn’t so cute, but instead zeroes in on a serious and somewhat taboo topic. Liz Claiborne, a strong advocate against domestic violence, created an iPhone app called Love is Not Abuse that gives parents an inside look on abusive digital relationships. The app delivers simulated text messages, calls and e-mails from a fictional “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” to parents so they can identify warning signs and indications of abuse.

Simulation technology is a great opportunity for marketers to get inside the consumers’ head and really understand what it is they need. People’s day to day lifestyle becomes routine, and sometimes they are unaware there may be something to make life easier. While focus groups and interviews deliver in-depth knowledge of consumers, there is still a wall that needs to be knocked down in order to really understand them. Spending a day with a consumer, or better yet, seeing the world from their eyes can improve how advertisers reach him or her.

Reaching that point of true understanding can lead to not only great advertising, but remarkable inventions. Beyond advertising, these simulations are monumental for the public. Whether it’s a mother who can’t understand why her baby is crying, a father who doesn’t know why his wife is so down in the dumps after a long, hard day, or parents who can’t figure out why their child is depressed and isolating themselves, having the opportunity to walk a mile, or at least a few yards, in someone else’s shoes will bring a greater understanding of those around us.

There’s something exhilarating and oddly fulfilling about participating in exclusive activity. As superficial as it sounds, I think it’s safe to say people enjoy not being clumped with the majority or being branded as “average”. I don’t care what the activity is, whether it’s being in the top percentage of basketball players, receiving an invite to an executive dinner or buying the latest black riding boots, people revel in activities that make them feel different, elite or special.

Let’s run with the new black riding boots example and apply this theory to retail. There are plenty of places women can find black riding boots, but we women know where to find the “good” ones. As the most brand-loyal generation, Generation Y also loves luxury brands, proving truth to the theory. The elitism that comes with owning something not everyone can buy or afford influences Millennials, as 65% of females and 61% of males consider themselves brand-conscious. They play “favorites” to brands (with women listing Chanel and men listing BMW as the most iconic “hot” brands) and are willing to use their extra income to show their love for luxury.

However, a high price tag doesn’t have to come with this desired exclusiveness. Generation Y may be willing to buy expensive, luxury brands, but not at full price. Over half of female shoppers purchase these products from discount-websites, and less than a third bought directly from the brand’s website. So if price doesn’t make an item elite, what does? My answer – the availability and exclusiveness of the item. Finding a discount website with the luxury designer items at a reasonable price is hard; not all customers want to share their secret door into the “exclusive club.”

We all heard what happened when Target launched their partnership line with Missoni, a luxury clothing brand. Total chaos ensued, with stores selling out of the 400-piece line ranging from stationary to clothes in a matter of hours, and the Target website crashing as anxious customers stocked their online shopping bags. Prices on Missoni clothing can reach up to $1,500, so with the most expensive item being $599 patio furniture, I can understand the frenzy. The people with the discount Missoni items are now part of the few and envied by the majority because of lack of availability. Only Target has the partnership and sells the items. It’s exclusive.

Aside from designer brands, anything exclusive sells like hot cakes. I’ve witnessed this trend in my personal experience. Victoria Secret’s Collegiate Collection and Old Navy’s College branded shirts were nearly impossible to get your hands on in Lawrence, Kansas and even Kansas City. Women believed the only “cute” game day shirts were exclusively sold there, leaving owners permanent members of the “club.”

Any retail store can create this kind of craze among their customers. The trick is finding something very desirable and making it exclusive to only their store. Maybe it’s a partnership with another brand or perhaps something locally made, but if it’s exclusive and appealing, customers will be lined up at the doors when the shelves are restocked.

“Have an old friend for dinner.” Six little words that turned a good idea into a great one, that got the whole state talking.

That was exactly what Bob Fitzpatrick, wanted. Bob, the Director of Marketing at the University of South Dakota, came to his team at L&S with an idea for a billboard to fire up interest in USD’s football program, the new University logo, and their long-dormant rivalry with South Dakota State. The concept: a coyote chasing a jackrabbit, and the date of the 2012 USD/SDSU football matchup.

But when he saw the results on paper, the idea just didn’t do it for him, and we shifted to some other directions with type on a football, the mascots, etc.

But we knew there was something there. College football fans — in addition to having notoriously long memories — look forward to big games years in advance. The battle for South Dakota is a big deal, particularly to the ascending USD football program.

So, Creative Director John Pohlman (a USD alum, of course) challenged us to “plus it,” and make Bob’s original idea work. Associate Creative Director Scott Wiechmann and I put our heads together and next thing you know, there’s a billboard parked right outside Brookings featuring a coyote chasing a jackrabbit. With the addition of six little words.

“Have an old friend for dinner” did more than change the way the client saw the idea. Those six little words have generated thousands more, on Facebook, Twitter, the Argus Leader, the USD Volante, on radio talk shows and in TV news reports. They’ve got the state fired up for a football game that’s a year away.

Pretty good for an idea that nearly didn’t get out the door.

Check out a sampling of the buzz at http://sfy.co/JWv.

(This blog entry is the second in a series titled “An Exploration of Ethanol.” If you missed the first part, you can get caught up here.)

Refining ethanol is undoubtedly a more complicated task than creating a marketing campaign to sell it. However, getting folks on board with the idea of making food for cars instead of people is an incredible challenge. Let’s take a look at three marketing musts for ethanol producers and also some examples of ethanol marketing done right.

Be Simple.

Ethanol has been shown to be less efficient than more widely used fossil fuels, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other benefits. The best way to communicate these perks (renewable, American made, conflict free, etc.) is to talk to consumers in a very direct, uncomplicated way. Take a look at these spots from Growth Energy’s “America’s Fuel” campaign.

The ads were just one part of a $2.5 million effort by Growth Energy—a corn-ethanol trade group— to keep Brazilian sugarcane ethanol out of the country and to extend tax credits for corn-ethanol. The spots manage to do that while also bolstering ethanol’s brand presence, all in fifteen seconds.

Be (Positively) Aggressive.

Great advertising presents a conflict that lends itself to conversation amongst consumers. Ethanol marketers have to “draw a line in the sand” in their advertising so that consumers know that there’s the “old, stinky gas” and then there’s the “new, cleaner corn gas.”

Ethanol marketers can benefit by emphasizing this conflict in their advertising.

You may remember these spots from POET. POET is one of the country’s largest producers of corn-ethanol and launched this campaign for the same reasons that Growth Energy launched their “America’s Fuel” promotion. The conflict in these ads is evident: ethanol vs. fossil fuel; farmer vs. businessman; rural vs. metropolis; America vs. everyone else. Put simply: the ads strike a perfect balance between aggressive and effective.

Beware The Biofuel Backlash

The final must for corn-ethanol marketers: be weary of the growing resentment towards your product. You know people are upset when even a NASCAR endorsement deal doesn’t sway public opinion. Push the positives: job numbers, foreign oil displacement and reusability.

Guessing the future of corn-ethanol in America is probably as easy as making your way through one of those creepy corn mazes. But while uncertainty continues to surround the corn-ethanol industry, you can be sure that ethanol marketing campaigns are going to work that much harder to sway flustered fuel users.

Corn used to live a simple life. The vivacious vegetable we know as corn today originated around 7500 B.C in the wilds of Mexico. Back then it was known as “teosinte.” Teosinte later became corn, which was raised and eaten, sometimes right off of the stalk, sometimes mashed into cornmeal to make tortillas or a mushy corn pudding. Corn used to just be food. Now corn is also fuel, which means corn is busy. Very busy.

In a method called the “dry-grind ethanol process,” corn is sent through a hammer mill to turn it into corn flour. The flour is then slurried (or “mixed”) with water and given a heat-stable enzyme before going into a liquefaction process that requires jet-cookers to steam the flour to above 212°F. Next is saccharification—where another enzyme is added—followed by fermentation, and finally by distillation and recovery (you can find a more detailed explanation of this process and others here). Ethanol fuel has made corn a lot busier. Good thing there’s a lot more corn.

The USDA released data in May that projects corn production for 2011-12 to be around 13.5 billion bushels—the third highest harvest on record. That’s a lot of corn. And a lot of it’s going to making corn-ethanol, the controversial bio-fuel that, according to a story from Forbes, used 38.4% of the total U.S. corn crop in 2010 (up from 5.9% in 2000). But is corn-ethanol worth the effort and investment? It depends who you ask.

Taxpayers might be displeased to hear that the Congressional Budget Office places the total taxpayer cost of corn-ethanol subsidies at about $16.2 billion dollars for the year. Flex fuel vehicle (FFV) owners are also getting the short end of the stalk, as the Federal Alternative Fuels Price Report shows that ethanol gets less mileage than regular fuel. ConsumerReports.org claims that “there’s no financial advantage to consumers in buying an FFV.” So, who’s benefiting from the production of ethanol? Are there any positives?

In a word: yes. The benefits of corn-ethanol are enough to justify the continued development of the fuel. Consulting firm AUS released a report wherein they showed that communities where distilleries are located see their economies expand by roughly $110 million a year. Also, estimates show that nearly 700 jobs are created in the area near an ethanol plant. Local and state governments see about a $1.2 million a year increase in tax revenue. Finally, ethanol production has the power to generate an additional $19.6 million in household income. You can see that the question isn’t “Does corn-ethanol have any true, non-contentious, unique selling points?” but rather “How can we market corn-ethanol to a skeptical, subsidy-soured public?”

To find out the answers to this corn-fuel marketing conundrum, check back for the final installment of “An Exploration of Ethanol” entitled: “Part II: Buy My Corn Gas.”

In the August L&S Boot Camp Webinar, members of Gen Y and Lawrence & Schiller interns Mari Stensgaard and Brett Summers guided listeners through a Millennial’s typical day. They offered tips and advice on how to reach the elusive and ad-resistant generation.

Here are their seven key takeaways  to help you understand and interact with Gen Y:

1. Millennials are on their phones—constantly.
2. Advertising has to pop.
3. Remember the Hungry Millennial Hierarchy! When choosing where to eat for lunch, Millennials want convenient location, great ambiance and healthy options, and in that order.
4. Deals don’t matter all that much. Gen Y is wooed by convenience, ambiance and healthy options, coupons and promotions rank below those necessities.
5. Millennials multitask, even while relaxing.
6. Advertising has to talk with Millennials, not at them.
7. Millennials use social network sites to craft their personal brands.

Millennials may be hard to catch, but with patience and effort, you can pop their bubble and engage with them. Catch up on Gen Y here, if you missed the August webinar.

Be sure to register for next month’s webinar, “Selling Ideas to Your Team” at l-s.com/bootcamp.

Whether you’re a novice or an expert, a trainee or trainer an intern or a vice president, there is always room for growth. I’ve decided to use my last blog post to offer some advice to the next batch of interns and new hires based on the lessons I’ve learned in the last three months.

• Always ask for help. Someone will come to your rescue.
• Everyone was the newbie once. They know what you’re going through and are always willing to make you feel at ease.
• Make yourself available. If someone in the agency needs help with anything, volunteer. Spontaneous trips to Brookings can make for a great change of pace.
• Food makes friends. If you keep candy on your desk, they will come. (Poor Field of Dreams reference).
• Be helpful. Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself during a faux photo shoot, even if the whole staff will end up seeing it.
• Don’t get frustrated. If you’re writing a report, don’t worry if it feels like you’re spending all of your time formatting the document and not actually doing any reporting.
• A well-oiled machine. Maintenance of all machines in the building is essential. The binding machine does have to be emptied once in awhile, or you might think you caused its demise.
• Get ready. If you aren’t ready to work hard and stay focused, run the other way fast.
• Practice makes perfect. Rehearsing in front of a mirror before a big presentation DOES help.
• Be yourself: It’s the best piece of advice I have to offer. Remember, you were hired for a reason.

My time at L&S will draw to a close soon, and I will be off to my next adventure. I will never forget these three months, short as they may have been. I formed relationships that will last beyond my time here, developed as a professional and as a person and learned more than I could have hoped. I look forward to the future, and appreciate everything L&S has done to prepare me for it.

Over and out-

Meghann