Colin: Brunswick Stew

Now I love good BBQ. A lot. I also love a good stew. So I was excited to see the Brunswick Stew on the menu: chicken, corn, butter beans, tomatoes simmering together—what could be better! Well, this. Unfortunately it tasted exactly like chicken, tomatoes, corn and beans together in a bowl. There was no smoky goodness, no real intermingling of flavors that marks a good stew. The chicken was chopped, not pulled, which I didn’t expect and kinda killed the texture and balance for me. There was nothing bad about it, but it tasted like I could have made it myself with a pot and a can opener. The moonpie was a nice touch though!

Rating: 2 toothpicks

Carmen: Pulled chicken sandwich with coleslaw

Not bad. Chicken was tender and tasty, and coleslaw was crisp. Sauce could have used a bit more bite. Mini Moon Pie was a nice nostalgic touch for this former Texan, although they’re not as good as I remember. Pro tip: Get extra napkins—it’s messy.

Rating: 3 toothpicks

Richard: Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

What is lunch other than an opportunity to swap tales with your cohorts? My maiden voyage to Food Cart Friday with Carmen Hill and Colin (Patrick) O’Neill really was all about the conversation over stew and sandwiches. While I rank the conversation five toothpicks, my Pork Tenderloin, as soggy as a Portland spring day and lacking flavor, merits only two lonely toothpicks. That said, the delivery was swift and friendly. Sometimes lunch is just about the people and not the food.

Richard and Colin talk BBQ

Our assessment: A Little Bit of Smoke has a little ways to go to beat out our favorite BBQ carts.

Go Cart! – The complimentary moon pie is a really nice touch of Southern hospitality!

No Cart! – It’s good to be friendly, but BBQ should be bold! Maybe a little bit more smoke is required to get the flavors really working.

Creating successful B2B marketing in this new era requires a more collaborative way of approaching the work. In his excellent post “The Agency of the Future,” Mitch Joel (@mitchjoel) describes a kind of post-integrated model where multiple disciplines work side by side. It’s not about being big or small, integrated or specialized, but about having the core skills to handle diverse and rapidly changing needs. Technology, he says, is the “critical link in the chain.”

Technology has always been an essential component of our work here at BNJ. Without data, programming and analytics, our creative cannot succeed, no matter how smart, beautiful or engaging it happens to be.

However, until very recently, the BNJ technical and creative teams worked on different floors—some might say different planes—of 711 SW Alder. The physical distance ensured that we got daily exercise running up and down the stairs, but it created an unnecessary divide between our left and right brains.

So we did the only thing that made sense: We moved in together.

The new arrangement isn’t exactly freaks and geeks (since really, we’re all kind of geeky), but it is a bit like Oscar and Felix.

For example, my new “next-cube neighbor” Ben (@unquabain) moved in with eight monitors, a veritable jungle of plants, a “happy lamp” (which I hope casts some happy light waves over the wall), and an entire army of sword-wielding toy knights. He also speaks Latin and is working on a beer robot built on the Roomba platform in his spare time.

My New Next-Cube Neighbor

Adam Richardson echoes this perspective in his Harvard Business Review post saying collaboration is a team sport, and you need to warm up:

“…the problems we have to solve—whether deciding company strategy or bringing an innovative offering to market—are more complex than they have ever been. They require a variety of skillsets, perspectives, and approaches to solve them, and need a lot of pieces to come together smoothly to be successful…. Make it easy for people to absorb others’ perspectives just by walking around…. We need people around us to fill in the skills and knowledge gaps, and to tell us when we’re full of crap.”

Similarly, in this Fast Company article, Frog Design’s Robert Fabricant argues that creativity is between us, (not within us): “Creativity emerges out of relationships; it’s the tension between different ideas and perspectives.”

Lorem ipsum dolor

Lorem ipsum may be the closest the creative team gets to Latin, but even if we don’t always speak the same language as our tech colleagues, at least now we can chat across the fence. Welcome to the second floor, guys. Varietas delectate (variety is the spice of life). We just hope the creative chatter isn’t too distracting for you and that Ben doesn’t know the Latin for “full of crap.”

What are you doing to foster closer collaboration among your teams?

In 2007 68% percent of internet users did not click banner ads in a given month. In 2009 that number increased to 84%, and only 8% of internet users represented 85% of all clicks. These results are from ComScore research.

Now Collective Media released new research showing 99% of internet users do not click ads. If your marketing plan is dependent on a click, your audience is getting smaller. A lot smaller.

Two things are particularly notable about this trend for marketers.

Fewer Clickers and the Same Click Rate?

Even though the percentage of users that click banner ads continues to drop, the click rate on banner ads has remained very steady. Who are the remaining banner ad clickers, clicking at a higher rate than ever before?

Collective’s research sheds some light, and it is probably not your target audience. Those who click on banner ads tend to be older and have lower incomes than the average internet audience. In addition, these people are likely to click on the same ad multiple times, leading one to question if banner clickers, a group that is on average older and less likely to be employed, are losing control of their faculties.

What if Click Rates Drop to Zero?

Most marketers have moved away from click rates as a success metric but many still assume a click is part of a response. Particularly in direct response campaigns, the call to action is always built around an immediate response. Although consumer marketers with recognized brands use view-through tracking to get around this to a degree, view-through has been very slow to catch on in B2B marketing.

What happens to your campaign if no one clicks? Are you prepared for someone to respond to your online campaign without clicking? Or is your advertising promoting a walled experience, only accessible to the 1% of people who might click your ad?

Is your marketing integrated? Is your marketing ready for the day no one is left to click?

This post was originally published as Is Anyone Left to Click Your Ad? on the author’s personal blog, Digital B2B Marketing.

In addition to reviewing emails we write for our clients, I’ve also recently revisited some marketing emails that I have responded to. I see a simple structure emerge across the successful ones. Just like most movies have three acts, the emails that get me to take an action follow a simple formula.

Click on the preview image below to take a look at my unscientific review and let me know if this is what works for you. Or, is there is a different structure that gets you to “Learn More >”?

Note: The descriptions of each element come from the always awesome Marketing Interactions blog. If you are in the email marketing business I recommend you check out this post: The Job of a Lead Nurturing Email >

On yet another bizarrely beautiful Portland day, the BNJ Creative crew nipped out to Kenny & Zuke’s for a nosh ‘n’ natter.

So serious. So hungry.

Patrick: Reuben Dog with Pastrami, Kraut + Swiss

Patrick: A picture is worth a thousand words…

That's all he wrote...hot dawg!

Rating: 5 toothpicks

RD and Dave: Pastrami on Rye

Never better: K&Z's pastrami wins every time with RD

RD: Kenny & Zuke’s pastrami has inspired me to make my own pastrami. Every time I have a pastrami on rye at K & Z’s, I’m more certain that I’ll never be able to find a better pastrami retail.

Only in my own lab might I be able to create something worthy of comparison. Simple. Delectable. Incomparable. Pastrami on Rye.

Rating: 5+ toothpicks

Dave: The pastrami  is the best I have had. Very tender with generous thick slices that make you hold it in your mouth just a bit longer to savor the flavor.

The Russian dressing is a great complement to the pastrami but I could have used just a bit more on the sandwich. It was a hit-or-miss situation in getting some dressing with the pastrami.

The rye bread was a bit overpowering and too thick for my liking. (Carmen had similar bread issues—Ed.) The bread’s main job is to be the vehicle for the main ingredient to reach its destination—and, on occasion, complement the main attraction with just a hint of supportive flavor.

Fortunately the flavor of the pastrami carried the entire sandwich.

Rating: 3.75 toothpicks

Carmen: Tuna Salad Half-Sandwich + Green Salad + Pinot Gris

What's not to like? Well...

Carmen: Maybe not fair, since I’m not a pastrami or hot dog fan—and honestly have a hard time finding anything on the K & Z menu that I really want to eat (except French fries, which seemed too naughty)…but ANYWAY…

I had the lunch special with half tuna sandwich and green salad. Ended up taking off the dry rye bread and eating just the tuna salad part. It was fine, but nothing special.

The Pinot Gris was lovely. And the company was incomparable.

Rating: 2.5 toothpicks

Dan: Meatloaf Sandwich + Side of Slaw + Victory Pilsner

Dan: Unlike last week, we can all agree that the food was delicious! Bread was fresh, meatloaf was as well.

Not too many tricks here, just meaty, rye-y goodness. If I had to complain I would say that the rye-y overpowered the meat-y. Slaw was crisp with just enough bite, almost as much as the Victory pilsner.

Rating: 4.5 toothpicks

Stephen: Sabrett Hot Dog (Plain) + Fries + Dead Guy Ale

Stephen: Also pretty dope. (See last week’s review—Ed.)

Rating: 4 toothpicks

Noël: Nova Lox Bagel + Cheerwine Soda

Noël: I haven’t had the luxury of so much good-quality smoked salmon in for-evrah. Only the slices of lemon I asked for could make it any better.

The various garnishes made for a pretty plate, but the pickled onion, I skipped—I would’ve been tossing back Altoids for hours.

Curious about the Cheerwine, I asked our server for his rec. “It’s like a cherry Dr. Pepper, really good,” he said. And so it was.

"Cherry Dr. Pepper" suits me fine...and check out that yummy logo

Rating: 5 toothpicks

Colin: Turkey Half-Sandwich + Cup of Hungarian Mushroom Soup + Mirror Pond IPA

Colin: My last-minute addition of the IPA to the lunch combo was a masterstroke: the Mirror Pond complemented the dry turkey and rustic bread perfectly.

The mushroom soup was hearty but not too rich; fresh mushrooms, maybe a little too much rosemary(?) for my taste, but overall a solid soup.

The portion size was a little smaller than I had expected (especially after seeing Patrick’s monster Kraut Dog) but it was just enough to satisfy.

Rating: 3 toothpicks (but your mileage may vary depending on how you pair the dry old sandwich with your beer.)

Carmen, RD and Noël: Copywriters-in-arms

To summarize, Cal has built a simple process to remind himself how much time he’s spending on his core work, and how much time is spent outside of it. Each hash mark represents an hour he spent thinking hard about computer science problems (his core task).

At first glance, it’s just a series of wobbly lines on the wall, but it serves to consistently reinforce the message: focus on what matters.

Reading this story caused me to reflect on my own day. What is my core value proposition? Marketing, technology, strategy…I’m in my element when I’m working with technology, and creating unique ways in which marketing and online technology can work together to create business value.

And I’m a builder. I’m happiest and most productive in the act of creating, refining and improving, whether I’m neck-deep in systems architecture or designing a novel marketing strategy for a client campaign.

I’m less effective, and less happy, when I’m tracking time, filling out expense reports or dealing with paperwork.

I’d suggest to anyone…take a moment to examine your work. What is that thing you’re  known for being good at? Better yet, what part of the job makes you happiest? How do you focus on it, so you can become great at it? (See how my colleague Noël addressed what makes a good business resolution as part of our “Resolve” series.)

Around here, we refer to the good stuff as “The Work.” “Let’s focus on the The Work,” we’ll say, when we start to spin on things that just don’t matter.

That’s not to say that you can ignore the other parts—someone has to design the new seating chart, worry about the broken coffee machine and fix the holes in the wall (yes, those are real things we worry about here). But if you can minimize the amount of random stuff you do, and focus on The Work…that’s how you succeed.

Everyone has to find their own way to do this, and I like Carl’s. How do you reduce the random and focus on the good stuff?

L-r: Dan, Patrick, RD, Julie, Brent, Dave, Stephen (Not pictured: Carmen, Noël)

Sometimes you need a proper sit-down luncheon, not just a grab-and-go.

So BNJ Creative decamped to Rock Bottom Brewery at 206 SW Morrison to drown our sorrows and celebrate new beginnings.

Dan: 1/2 Reuben Sandwich and Green Salad (Lunch Special) + Whisky Press

While not opposed to change, I find it tough watching two members of the Creative Team wind up their tenures. (Hear, hear! -Ed.)

It’s also hard to understand why the cheese on my reuben wouldn’t be melted all the way, and why the meat would be more rubbery than tender. A decent pour in the whiskey press made up for that, and Carmen’s (remaining) pasta was delicious, bringing my ‘picks up to 2.

Rating: 2 toothpicks

RD: Cobb Salad and a Cup o’ Chowder + H2O

I don’t think mine was poisoned, but one guy came running into the bathroom like his was.

He was clearing his throat like he’d swallowed a balloon full of heroin to keep from getting busted and was trying to bring it back up.

Otherwise, passable only in emergency situations. Like if you’re trapped at a hospital and have to eat in the cafeteria. Flavorless, not-too-fresh ingredients tantamount to airline cuisine of old…before we had to pay for it.

Good service, though.

Rating: 1 toothpick

Dave: 1/2 Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwich and Cup of Clam Chowder (Lunch Special) + Iced Tea

(I replaced the side with a cup of soup for an additional .95.)

The pulled BBQ pork sandwich was a bit surprising with coleslaw included ON the sandwich. The surprising thing is that the coleslaw didn’t take away from the rich flavor of the pork but rather added a nice contrasting flavor.

The toasted bread was also just right (not too hard). The clam chowder was a very good consistency (not too thick or watery) with a very good clam flavor that wasn’t fishy or gritty. The sprinkled bacon chunks on the top (not miniscule shreds) were a great lead into the chowder.

Have a beer while u wait...and wait...and wait...

The only drawback to this lunch experience was the slow service. The order-taking was slow and the meal delivery was even slower (noticeably slow).

Rating: Food—4 toothpicks, Service—1.5 toothpicks

Carmen: Tuscan Chicken Pasta + Chardonnay

Chicken a bit overdone and linguine could have been a bit more al dente, but nice and garlicky (apologies to my afternoon meeting colleagues). Probably better in summer when basil and tomatoes are in season.

Rating: 3 toothpicks

Stephen: Bacon Burger + Red Ale

Pretty Dope. And the ale was delightful.

Rating: 4 toothpicks

Download the PDF Version

Yes, mobile is pervasive, but numbers alone don’t capture how much mobile can change marketing.

Many B2B marketers are catching on slowly, distracted by low mobile usage on corporate websites or a limited understanding of how mobile marketing and mobile accessibility contributes to goals.

Mobile Changes How We Communicate

For B2B marketing, mobile isn’t just another channel in the mix. Mobile fundamentally has changed how we communicate. Look around in a meeting. Blackberries and smartphones are out and active (are they ever put away?). This has been so normal for seven or eight years that today we barely notice it.

Mobile Changes How We Consume

With the launch of the iPhone, mobile devices became media consumption devices. Compared to the iPhone, Blackberries and other early smartphones were merely communication devices. Now, with high resolution screens and simple navigation, mobile devices have become primary media consumption devices. Smartphones are used walking down the sidewalk and waiting in line as we constantly consume with a portion of our attention.

We are not just on Facebook on our mobile devices. I have spoken with a number of B2B publishers that report 8% to 10%, or more, of their traffic is now from mobile devices, and it is growing.

We Create on Mobile Devices

Mobile devices now allow us to create, not just consume. With applications like Posterous, WordPress and Blogger available for iPhone and Android, content creators are now creating on their mobile devices. Personally, I blog every week, and it wouldn’t happen without my mobile phone.

Courtesy of our mobile devices, we are always connected. And with that change, we are always communicating, consuming or even creating.

Is your marketing ready for an always-on audience, or are you still waiting for someone to sign on?

We’ve been eyeing up the Altengartz Bratwurst cart for a while now, so the available Creative crew scooted out the door at the stroke of noon for this one.

So many choices. Only one RD.

Per usual, it was a bit of a wait, but a pleasant one. The Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute buskers certainly added to the festive Friday atmosphere.

Who says Portland is always grey? Who dat?

Dan: The No-Combo Combo (Single Brat) w/Sauerkraut

First impression was favorable: bun was lightly toasted and soft, brat was juicy, and kraut was tangy. A few bites in I felt that it was a little too mild so I put on a little mustard to pick it up.

However, when all was said and done the unadulterated meat flavor had won me over. Earthy. The price was right and I would definitely go back.

Rating: 4 toothpicks

RD: Burger

The brat guy puts out a tasty burger. Hand-molded patty. Grilled cheese and onions. Only caveat: Give ‘em time; the burger seems to throw off their conveyor brat rhythm.

Rating: 3 toothpicks

Go on. Do your wurst.

Colin and Brent: Bratwurst Combo w/Beans, Potato Salad

Colin: As with most carts, your six bucks gets you a lot of food! The potato salad was good and tangy with celery chunks adding a good crunch. The baked beans didn’t make it through the really long wait for everybody to get served, they were cold and a little too sweet.

But getting down to business, the brat was pretty good. I like mine charred a little more but overall it was a well-balanced brat, flavorful enough to stand up to the whole grain mustard without losing its meaty essence. Overall good but missing a little of grilled goodness.

Rating: 3 out of 5 sporks

(They gave us sporks. Sporky delight ensued for Colin, esp.—Ed.)

Brent: Loved the bun, which was soft and toasted. The brat had a mild, slightly sweet flavor and was perfectly cooked. It had that great snap you want with each bite. I also expected it to be much greasier than it was.

Together with the coarse-grain, spicy mustard and sauerkraut it all came together quite nicely. The real star of this combo is the brat, but the sides were flavorful and a nice addition.

Rating: 4 toothpicks

Noël: Single Brat w/Grilled Onions; Hot Spiced Apple Cider; Salad from BNJ Kitchen Stocks

Enh. For less than five bucks I can’t complain too much about my sandwich, except to say it lacked that deep-grilled goodness I expect. It was a notch or two up from a hot dog. The cider was just…a lie. No spice and barely even any apple flavor. Salad was, as ever, a welcome fresh counterpoint.

Rating: two toothpicks

The “Go, cart!” award goes to…

The value for money: $4 for your average (quite average) brat is not bad, not bad at all.

Meaty and hearty brat.

The “No, cart!” award goes to…

The so-called “spiced” apple cider. Weak, people. Weak.

Confused ordering and a very long wait. Service needs a little help.

Our assessment:

In the signage, they should flip the brats 180 degrees for a a little good cheer.

Turn that brown frown upside down