There was an article in AdAge titled “Little Caesars Seeks Shop for Brand Overhaul”. What was interesting about the article wasn’t really the fact that Little Caesars is seeking a new agency to assist them with the rebranding and marketing of themselves. What spurred my desire to write this post was what was written in the comments.

Comment 1:  Little Caesars should take note from Domino’s. Making your pizza as cheap as possible is not what is most important; it is improving quality and taste.

Comment 2:  There is clearly a market for cheap pizza. It is their position and no one can compete with them. Why would they move away from that?

To me, these two comments perfectly frame the question of how do you gain a competitive advantage and how will your brand strategy help support that core business strategy. Michael Porter (who literally wrote the book on business strategy), in Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, identified two ways to have a competitive advantage; 1) Cost Advantage or 2) Differentiation Advantage. Cost advantage calls for being the low cost producer to gain higher profit and market share by creating process efficiencies, lower cost sourcing of materials, outsourcing decisions etc.  A differentiation strategy calls for a product or service that offers unique attributes that are valued by customers and are perceived to be better and truly different than what competitors provide.

Now that the b-school recap is through, what does this have to do with our Little Caesars example? The first comment said that Little Caesars should take note from Domino’s. My first reaction was “Wrong!” I was in total agreement with the second comment. In my mind Domino’s was the one that had made the mistake. They were a cheap pizza brand that had repositioned itself as being the maker of high quality pizza, even using the word “artisan” to describe some of their fare. There is too much equity in the Domino’s brand around “cheap and fast”, so who in their right mind would believe that? After all, you get what you pay for, right? To me, it seemed that a competitor in Little Caesars’ world had decided to step out of their wheelhouse and move on to a world of bigger and “better” pizzas. My thinking was Little Caesars was now were free to roam in their Pizza!Pizza! (read: Cheap!Cheap!) world.

The problem to this thinking is that it isn’t just a competitive advantage or business strategy question; it’s also a brand and messaging question. The reality is that Domino’s didn’t leave the low cost pizza game. They reinvented it. Cheap and tasty!? What a concept. They created a hybrid position where they could continue to live in their world with a competitive advantage from a cost perspective, but decided that they could also differentiate themselves through repositioning their brand and through marketing. They recognized that tasting bad and cheap are not symbiotic in the pizza world. They could make bold claims to having done the work and research necessary to make a high quality, low cost product. The results? Dominos pizza just announced a 28% jump in Q4 earnings (building on more than three years of growth since the repositioning). Again, that was not done solely because of their position as a low cost pizza provider and their skills at sourcing low cost materials, retail strategies, etc. It was done because of their brand strategy, which differentiated them in the low cost pizza market and changed their value proposition.

The author of comment #2 stated “There is clearly a market for cheap pizza. It is their position and no one can compete with them. Why would they move away from that?” to which I answer, “because the cheap pizza market has been redefined and it isn’t a question of just being cheap anymore”. How Little Caesars rebrands itself will be an interesting process where they will have to look within and see what they need to do to level the playing field. Their two-for-one strategy might work again someday, but it might need to read BetterPizza!BetterPizza! In any case, an overhaul seems like the right way to go. What do you think?

Green, clean, renewable, sustainable are just some of the “buzz” words for renewable energy.  The green energy movement may be the latest trend in environmental stewardship, but clean energy has been around for hundreds of years; think about the ancient Greek water-powered grain mills or medieval windmills used in Holland to help grind corn.

So, what’s all the fuss?  The sex appeal, for states that have been vying for clean energy leadership, comes in the color green – money!  Some rural communities have jumped at the opportunity to create “energy zones” similar to the Eldorado Energy Zone in Boulder City, Nev.  Seen in this CNN story, from last year city leaders court the perfect partners to develop and operate clean energy power plants where the trifecta of resources — fuel, transmission and land — are in abundance has proven financially advantageous in a challenging economy.

Developments have led to an intense focus on the green energy industry from financing, policy and permitting to marketing. All have played a significant role in the cultivation of an industry that brings big business and environmentalists to the same dinner table.

The public relations profession has played a key role in this space.  The profession has created niche specialties within the renewable energy sector to promote greater awareness and understanding of the industry and the role it plays amongst the general public, elected officials, environmentalist and business communities.

The ever-changing landscape of environmental issues, regulatory changes, and the demand to grow RPS (renewable portfolio standards) to be competitive has created an opportunity for public relations consultants to become further entrenched as advocates helping to cut through the clutter, developing insights, as well as planning and implementing programs to navigate through the system.

And there’s still a lot of educating to be done.

While the state and federal government has offered a myriad of incentives to drive growth, renewable energy firms that have the financial resources, leadership and gut to stick with it, will survive.  This is not an industry for the weak.

Some of those incentives have come under fire, e.g. Solyndra scandal, and the microscope is on these companies investing in our energy future.  The demand to grow jobs, create better efficiencies and remain competitive from a cost perspective have public relations practitioners addressing these important initiatives while working with elected leaders and renewable energy firms to ensure that it’s not just dialogue, but it’s those who put their plans into action that are leading the charge.

Social sites based on the interest graph don’t care who you went to college with or who you met last week. Their focus is on connecting you based on your interests, passions and likes.

Every day the social web is evolving as new sites are created to help users connect with each other.  The latest trend is leaning towards connecting users based on their interests not on their current social network. Some of the major companies that have jumped on this trend are Pinterest, Fancy, Stamped, Get Glue and so many more.

David Rogers gave a simple description of both the social graph and the interest graph on ReadWriteWeb:

Social Graph: A social graph is a digital map that says, “This is who I know.” It may reflect people who the user knows in various ways: as family members, work colleagues, peers met at a conference, high school classmates, fellow cycling club members, friend of a friend, etc. Social graphs are mostly created on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, where users send reciprocal invites to those they know, in order to map out and maintain their social ties.

Interest Graph: An interest graph is a digital map that says, “This is what I like.” As Twitter’s CEO has remarked, if you see that I follow the San Francisco Giants on Twitter, that doesn’t tell you if I know the team’s players, but it does tell you a lot about my interest in baseball. Interest graphs are generated by the feeds customers follow (e.g. on Twitter), products they buy (e.g. on Amazon), ratings they create (e.g. on Netflix), searches they run (e.g. on Google), or questions they answer about their tastes (e.g. on services like Hunch).

Even though the structure of interest graphs are taking front row in the media, that does not mean every social site should lean this way. They are both valuable for different things. If you are looking for something to do on a Saturday turning to Facebook will be the best method for recommendations.

But, if you are looking for new music recommendations, Facebook may not be the best place to go. Your Facebook friends may not have the same taste in music as you so these recommendations may not be valuable.  Instead, jump on Rdio find someone with similar music interests and follow their feed for recommendations. Way more valuable.

The interest graph platform is changing the way users are interacting with products online. They are virtually giving their stamp of approval on specific products. This is giving marketers an amazing opportunity to connect with users who are actually welcoming their messaging and products. Amazon has become very successful at following the products you buy in order to suggest other things you may be interested in.

The key is getting these two types of graphs to work together. Facebook is trying to push their primarily social graph network to become more interest based with their Facebook Actions which allows users to not only “like” something, but also read, make, listen to, watch, buy, etc. They are hoping people will take their friends recommendations because of a built trust. Google+ has also attempted to add a layer of interest graph to a social graph network by allowing users to place their friends in circles based on interests.

There is no superior graph. Both serve a specific purpose. In the future, we will see more examples of how these two graphs interact with each other in interesting and complex ways creating an even more social web.

I saw a lot of incredibly smart people speak at SXSWi this year. Like, wicked smart people. I saw Jaron Lanier, Ray Kurzweil, Al Gore and a schedule full of others whose IQs are probably higher than my best bowling score, my Klout score, my own IQ, my blood pressure and my SAT score combined. Guys that weave “neo cortex” into casual conversation the way I drop F-Bombs at breakfast. You know, smart mother f*ckers.

However, out of all the brilliant, talented people I saw, inspiration I heard and concepts I pondered, Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins made a comment that stuck with me more than any other—something almost as haunting as those big bell strikes in “Disarm.”

Corgan told a convention hall teeming with social media gurus and geeks, in a rousing rant to interviewer @briansolis about the state of the music industry and social media and “f*ckin’ poseurs,” that he (I’m paraphrasing here—he used way more profanity) doesn’t really speak during shows anymore. What? Why? Because he doesn’t want one dumb thing he says during a two-hour show to end up o6 n Twitter, where a 140-character brush could paint a poor image of him over and over and over.

Corgan said after building a reputation as a musician over 20 years he doesn’t want something like that to affect his image, reputation and ultimately record (mp3) and ticket sales.

I could have thought, well then don’t say something stupid, stupid. But that wouldn’t be very rock star-like of him. Or, speaking of rock stars, I could have said what kind of rock star cares what people think? Or, I could have tweeted, “Billy Corgan blabbering at #SXSW about how he won’t blabber at shows ‘cause of social media. #bigbaldwhinybaby.”

Instead, I just got sad.

You see, I saw the Smashing Pumpkins last year at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Well, I saw Billy Corgan fronting a band called the Smashing Pumpkins who looked more like the Smashing Squash or the Smashing Gourds, because he’s replaced his entire band with imposters.

Anyway, I saw them, and it’s true, he didn’t say much at all. They just played song after song. Look, you definitely go to a show to hear the music, not for rants, but part of a show is getting a little dialogue from the front-man. A little interaction with the crowd.

Not at this show. This crowd was apparently robbed of that experience by a fear of social-media backlash, and that’s too bad, because Corgan is a smart, dynamic, salty, snarky, passionate, charismatic speaker.

So during and since that session at SXSWi I’ve really been thinking about how much of life’s experience we now miss because of social media, whether it’s because people alter their behavior due to it or because we’re distracted by it. Social media has no doubt enhanced our knowledge and experience in many ways, but as I sat in that session and watched people frantically posting quotes from Corgan to #EndOfUsual, I wondered how much they were missing while they were rushing to tweet something so it might get retweeted.

Are they hearing what he is really saying? Are they truly experiencing the moment? Or are they missing the details and nuance of the experience in exchange for letting others in the world know they are cool enough to be at SXSW watching Billy Corgan speak?

How much do we miss out on when we’re busy tweeting and Facebooking and Instagraming during events and dates and dinners and parties and trips to the park and hikes? Is it more than we gain?

Is it possible for us to stop to smell the roses without posting a photo of those roses anymore? Maybe not. But maybe we should at least smell them before we post that photo. That’s sharing an experience.

Anyway, that’s what stuck with me after hearing Billy Corgan run his mouth about keeping his mouth shut. Based on his hilarious rant, all I can imagine he would say to this post is, “See, I say one God damn thing over the course of an hour and that’s all this douche gets out of it? Then he posts it? Thanks for proving my point, dick. Oh, and P.S., I would never cover a No Doubt song–they’re a bunch of f*ckin’ poseurs.” Yep, that’s probably what he would say. He just wouldn’t say it between songs at a show.

What do you think, are we missing out on experiences?

By B.C. LeDoux

You would think after as many Grand Openings that we’ve been a part of at The Glenn Group they would become routine and expected. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

We’ve helped grand open everything from communities like Summerlin in northwest Las Vegas, to hospital towers in Reno, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino when there was nothing much to speak of on that part of The Strip, and most recently the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek in Florida and The Mob Museum in Downtown Vegas – just to name a few.  And each one is as unique as a snowflake.

I’ve witnessed white buffalos roaming casino parking lots, Flying Elvi gloriously descending from the sky, giant alligators escorted on shoulders through crowds, balloon launches, incredible Grucci fireworks displays, exploding crates, ribbon cuttings and of course, Ty Pennington.

Giant alligator at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek opening in Florida.

Ty Pennington at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek opening.

The Mob Museum in Las Vegas during their grand opening ceremony.

But for all the fanfare accompanying these grand openings, it’s the hundreds of hours that went into the development of these diverse brands, as well as creating the wide variety of advertising and collateral support for these projects to become a reality, that really gave me a thrill.

But two recent projects in particular – The Mob Museum and The Smith Center – have both really hit close to home for me.  As a native Las Vegan, I have watched the slow deterioration and demise of Downtown Las Vegas over the years, dwarfed by the incredible development on The Strip with projects like Wynn, The Cosmopolitan and City Center as recent examples.

So to say I am heartened and genuinely excited by the fairly recent developments in Downtown, would be an understatement. It seemed like it all started with Fremont East and the slow influx of clubs and restaurants, as well as First Friday, really giving locals a reason to visit there again and build up the arts community. But with the new City Hall being built, Zappos moving its 2,000 employee campus to the old City Hall building, The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health bringing world-class medicine to the city, and the Neon Museum finally set to open itself to the public – Downtown is on the precipice of renaissance that many of us locals never thought they would see.

With the opening of The Mob Museum on St. Valentine’s Day this year, we’ve taken another giant step towards rebuilding Downtown into a legitimate hub for locals and tourists alike. The immersive exhibits at the museum will allow visitors to truly see both sides in the battle for control of this country, as seen through the eyes of both law enforcement and notorious Mob figures.  It’s been really exciting getting to be part of the team to help develop the brand for this museum and to see the national press it’s been getting since grand opening is amazing.

All that said, I think most people will agree that the crown jewel in this downtown infusion will be The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. If it is possible for a complex that cost upwards of $500 Million to exceed expectations, this incredible building does.  From the 17-story Carillion Tower that will enchant everyone within earshot, to the incredible art deco Hoover Dam-inspired exterior, everything about this project screams world class.  But that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what is waiting inside – people in Las Vegas who have been yearning for legitimate arts in the city, and have been buoyed by local stalwarts such as The Nevada Ballet Theatre and Las Vegas Philharmonic, will now have the arts in spades and one of the finest facilities ever built in which to enjoy them. The Smith Center will open this March and it has been one of the most exciting and important projects that we at The Glenn Group have had the honor of working on. We’ve called it “The Heart of the Arts” and once you get a chance to experience it, you’ll know why.

AMA, which stands for Ask Me Anything, is really your typical Q&A session, only it’s now been completely hi-techified with Science™. Basically, instead of having to spend weeks and weeks stalking your favorite celebrities, cornering them in a dark alley, and flinging your desperate questions at them nonstop, you can just hop on the ol’ computer and see if they’ve done an AMA.
Although AMAs are just a format for asking and answering questions in a particular thread or message board, they are mostly found on the web aggregator Reddit, where an entire subreddit is devoted just to AMAs. Lots of famous people have done them including Zach Braff, Deadmou5, Roger Ebert, Ron Paul and plenty more. As time has gone by, more and more people are also using them to market themselves and their products. Best-selling novelist R.A. Salvatore recently did an AMA leading up the release of a new video game he had written. By answering questions honestly, remaining down-to-earth, and never overtly pushing a product, he garnered interest in the game and solidified plenty of fans.
“True Story, I’ve never read any of his books, or any Forgotten Realms books. I did however buy KoA: Reckoning last night, and after seeing how much passion he has in this IAMA and all the amazing responses people have given to his writing, i (sic) just ordered The Legend of Drizzt Boxed Set, Books I-III.” – Redditor
Of course, since this a fairly new medium, there have been some pitfalls. Woody Harrelson, in an attempt to promote his new movie Rampart, hosted an AMA (see it here) that failed so hard it was picked up by Forbes, the New York Observer, Huffington Post and Perez Hilton.
The point of an AMA, and almost any interaction with fans, is to make yourself appear more human, more approachable. We, as everyday folk, want to see movies, read books, buy albums from people we like. Harrelson, however, wanted to turn this valuable form of communication into a sales pitch. And it backfired.

This is not a medium to dump ads on. This is a direct line to your fans and to your customers. It is sacred, and at least on Reddit, its keepers are hell bent on making sure it remains sacred. Still, it is a valuable marketing tool. TV personalities, writers, politicians, musicians are all using it to great success.
You could never go and sell Pepsi on it directly, but if the CEO of Pepsi jumped on and hosted a great AMA, my guess is that many would be willing to dump Coke for good, just after one session.

By Nick Dawson

As always, each of us Glenn Groupers is for sale.

That’s right, you can wear your favorite
Glenn Grouper’s mug all day long. Wear it to a meeting with that Glenn Grouper. Wear it to a pick-up basketball game with that Glenn Grouper. Wear it out wearing it out with that Glenn Grouper. It’s up to you.

Just bid now in the comments section, supplying your actual contact email, and keep an eye on your bid until Friday, May 13. The highest bid wins.

Go on, show your friends you’re a rocket-powered F-18 that’s deploying its t-shirt ordinance, bro. After all, all the proceeds go to the Food Banks in Nevada (Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Three Square). And that’s WINNING. Duh.

As always, each of us Glenn Groupers is for sale.

That’s right, you can wear your favorite
Glenn Grouper’s mug all day long. Wear it to a meeting with that Glenn Grouper. Wear it to a pick-up basketball game with that Glenn Grouper. Wear it out wearing it out with that Glenn Grouper. It’s up to you.

Just bid now in the comments section, supplying your actual contact email, and keep an eye on your bid until Friday, May 13. The highest bid wins.

Go on, show your friends you’re a rocket-powered F-18 that’s deploying its t-shirt ordinance, bro. After all, all the proceeds go to the Food Banks in Nevada (Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Three Square). And that’s WINNING. Duh.

As always, each of us Glenn Groupers is for sale.

That’s right, you can wear your favorite
Glenn Grouper’s mug all day long. Wear it to a meeting with that Glenn Grouper. Wear it to a pick-up basketball game with that Glenn Grouper. Wear it out wearing it out with that Glenn Grouper. It’s up to you.

Just bid now in the comments section, supplying your actual contact email, and keep an eye on your bid until Friday, May 13. The highest bid wins.

Go on, show your friends you’re a rocket-powered F-18 that’s deploying its t-shirt ordinance, bro. After all, all the proceeds go to the Food Banks in Nevada (Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Three Square). And that’s WINNING. Duh.

As always, each of us Glenn Groupers is for sale.

That’s right, you can wear your favorite
Glenn Grouper’s mug all day long. Wear it to a meeting with that Glenn Grouper. Wear it to a pick-up basketball game with that Glenn Grouper. Wear it out wearing it out with that Glenn Grouper. It’s up to you.

Just bid now in the comments section, supplying your actual contact email, and keep an eye on your bid until Friday, May 13. The highest bid wins.

Go on, show your friends you’re a rocket-powered F-18 that’s deploying its t-shirt ordinance, bro. After all, all the proceeds go to the Food Banks in Nevada (Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Three Square). And that’s WINNING. Duh.